Dreaming of Dreams

Chapter 10

Minako looked up at the tall building where Motoki lived. She clutched the piece of paper in one trembling hand, and a bag with Motoki's lunch in the other. She took a deep breath and stepped inside, walking instantly to an elevator not to far from the front desk.

Stepping inside the elevator, she pressed the button for the third floor and leaned against the side, heaving a huge sigh of relief as the doors slid closed.

"This place is a lot like Mamoru-kun's apartment." She muttered, thinking of all the study sessions she had been through with the other girls at his place.

The elevator stopped and the doors jarred open, causing Minako to leave her thoughts abruptly. She timidly stepped into the hallway and looked around, trying to find out where exactly she should be heading.

"302…301…oops, wrong way!" She turned back around and headed in the other direction. "Ah, there we go! 303, 304, 305!" She stopped in front of a plain black door and breathed in deeply. Closing her eyes tightly, she rapped the door several times.

She stood and waited for several moments. When she heard footsteps coming to the door, she lost her nerve. She gasped, placed the food at the doorstep, turned abruptly and rushed toward the elevator.

Motoki opened the door and peered out, seeing no one there. "What the…?"

He frowned and looked down, noticing a paper bag with a restaurant logo on the fron. Picking it up, he noticed a blur of blonde hair and a red hair bow rushing into the elevator. "Mina-chan…?" He murmured confusedly.

He shook his head, feeling the effects of the cold medicine he had just taken. He sighed, walked back into the apartment and dropped the bag on a counter in his kitchen. 'I'll have to ask her about it later…I can't go chasing after her now…' He looked down at his bathrobe. 'Nope…it'll have to wait. But I wonder why on earth she would be doing here?' He went into his living room and collapsed on the couch. 'Oh, crap. I really shouldn't have taken that medicine…maybe if I wasn't so sleepy, I could go after her!'

And with that thought, he fell asleep.


Minako ran into her house, shouted a quick hello to her mother, and rushed up the stairs to her bedroom. She was out of breath from her jaunt, and once she reached her room, she collapsed headfirst onto her bed, burying her head into her fluffy pillow.

Artemis was sitting on the windowsill and had looked up when she had come in. "Mina-chan, what's wrong?"

She jumped at the sound of his voice and whipped her head around to face him. He jumped from the window to sit next to her on the bed. Sighing, she turned over and lay flat on her back, staring up at the ceiling.

"I chickened out."

"Meow?"

"Well…I was going to go tell Motoki-kun about my feelings for him, but…I heard him coming to the door and I ran. I got too scared." Tears formed in her eyes, and she quickly swiped them away with the back of her hand.

Artemis looked at her sympathetically and nuzzled his face against hers. "It's alright, Mina-chan. You may have backed out this time, but it doesn't mean you'll do it the next time! You can always go and tell him tomorrow!"

She nodded. "Yeah, I know…but…I don't know…I really…REALLY wanted to tell him today."

Artemis suddenly started laughing.

Minako jolted up and stared at him angrily. "What are you laughing at!"

He pointed one white paw at the alarm clock on the table next to her bed. "Mina-chan, it's just now two o'clock! Go back!"

She suddenly turned as white as a sheet. "Wha…what?" She squeaked.

Artemis shook his head. "Oh, sure, when it comes to everyone else's love lives, you're the fantastic goddess of love always ready to help, but look at the way you're acting about your own!" He stood up on all fours and stared her squarely in the eye. "Go back to Motoki-san's apartment NOW. As your cat guardian and advisor, I order you to go now!" He stuck a paw to her nose and pushed her back with such force that it shocked Minako.

She toppled to the floor with a loud "Oof!".

Artemis peered over the side of the bed. "What are you still doing here! I said go now!"

Yelping, she sprinted out of the room and down the stairs. She yelled at her mother again, this time a very hasty goodbye, and she was out of the house in only a matter of seconds.

Artemis watched her running down the street from the windowsill. He smiled smugly. "It's about time that girl learned to listen to me."


Minako stood yet again at Motoki's front door. She was breathing heavily and trying to calm her heart rate, having had run the entire way from her house to his. She knocked weakly at the door, almost collapsing.

After several minutes and no reply, she almost gave up. Sighing, she knocked once more, this time much, much louder.

She heard several –SEVERAL- loud banging crashing noises come from the apartment and a few moments later the door was swung open by a very sleepy, cross looking Motoki.

His eyes instantly softened when he saw exactly who was standing at his front door. "You came back."

She blushed. "You knew I was here before?"

He opened the door fully and ushered in the room. "Yeah. I was about to chase after you, too…but I had just taken some cold medicine, and it made me rather…drowsy." He smiled a little sheepishly.

She smiled up at him. "Well, I'm glad I spared you the trouble of coming after me, then. How are you feeling?"

"Better…this morning I woke up with a terrible headache and cold. Unazaki and Satoshi had to take over the arcade for me."

"Oh, so that's who that guy Unazaki was talking to was..."

"Um, probably…why?"

She shrugged, barely able to take her eyes off him. "I was wondering who he was. I'd never seen him in the arcade before…and she looked rather interested in him."

"He's actually just starting out…but Unazaki's capable of running things, so I was able to take the day off without many worries. Wait, she was interested in him!" He instantly went into overprotective brother mode, his face become worried.

She giggled. "Yeah, I think so. But don't worry so much about that, Motoki-kun! Unazaki's no little girl, ya know!" She chirped.

He shook his head a little sadly. "Yeah, I know, but it just seems like it was just yesterday that she WAS a little girl." He walked into the kitchen. "You want something, Mina-chan? Coke?"

"No thanks, that's alright." She walked in the kitchen with him and watched as he rummaged around in the refrigerator. She blushed a little, noticing he looked rather disheveled, yet still incredibly handsome in a tee shirt and jeans, his hair messy and unkempt.

She had just noticed his paleness when he looked up and noticed her staring at him.

"What's wrong?" He had taken quick notice of her deep frown.

"You look awfully pale." She muttered. Walking up to him, she put a hand to his forehead. "You do have a bit of a fever. Exactly what kind of medicine are you taking?"

"Just some over the counter stuff. It's just a simple cold, after all, Mina-chan." He was blushing slightly, her hand warm on his forehead.

She blushed herself and pulled away, staring down at the floor. "Well, you're drinking a lot of fluids and resting a lot and everything, right?"

He grinned slightly. "Yes, Nurse Mina-chan. I didn't know you were such an expert on these things."

She shrugged a little, giggling. "I'm not. But I try!" She looked over and noticed the bag with food was sitting on his counter, apparently untouched. She looked back up at him. "You didn't like the soup?"

He blinked. "Huh? Oh, is that what that is? Actually, I just woke up when I heard you knocking…I had practically passed out after you left the first time."

"Oh. Well, at least let me heat the soup up for you! It'll help you feel better!" She turned and opened the bag, grabbing out the containers inside. "Which kind? I brought two different ones, chicken noodle and vegetable."

He leaned against a counter and watched her attentively. "Vegetable."

She turned to him with a happy grin. "Good choice!"

He returned the smile and watched as she started rummaging through his many cabinets and drawers, obviously looking for a pot to heat the soup in. He grinned and reached in the cabinet directly above the stove, bringing forth her sought after pot.

He handed her the pot. "Say, why are you here and doing this for me, anyways?"

She was stirring the soup with a spoon she had been thankful to have found in the drawer next to the stove. "Well…" She blushed and turned to glance at him. "I just wanted to be a good friend to you…"

"If that was all, you probably wouldn't have run away the first time…" He said softly, provoking a gasp out of the girl.

Deciding to ignore his last comment, she turned and tried to look for a bowl to put his soup in. Finding bowls sitting in a high cabinet, she tried to reach up for one, without much luck. She pouted, reminded of her 5'2" posture.

She felt an arm slide around her waist and pull her back a little away from the cabinet. She gasped and looked up. Motoki grabbed the bowl down for her and turned to stare down at her, handing the object to her. "Thought you needed a little help."

She was beginning to get used to blushing around him. It seemed to be all she could do. "Th…thanks…" She mumbled, staring up into his soft dark brown eyes. He nodded and pulled away from her, the warmth of his hand on her stomach instantly lost. She shook her head out of disappointment and went back to the stove. She poured the soup into the bowl and turned to him, handing it to him. "Now go eat! I'll clean up here."

He laughed. "Yes, ma'am." Sending her a goofy grin, he grabbed a spoon from the drawer beside the stove and left the room to sit in the dining area and eat.

She quickly washed the pot and stirring spoon in the sink and walked out of the kitchen, noticing Motoki sitting at a small dining table in a rather tiny dining room. He noticed her standing in the doorway. She smiled and left him to eat and to explore his apartment herself. Walking back into the main room she had left after going into the kitchen, she noticed it was much larger than she had at first thought. 'Then again,' she thought, 'We only stood in the doorway and stared each other down.' She giggled to herself and made herself comfortable on his sofa, noticing a bathrobe draped over the back of the couch. She ran her fingers over it lightly, knowing it was his. This sent shivers up her spine, and she blushed.

She heard him in the kitchen washing his eating dishes. She ran a quick hand through her hair, knowing full and well that he'd look for her once he finished. Her thoughts were confirmed when he walked in the living room and sat next to her on the sofa.

"So, you never answered my question from earlier."

She looked at him innocently. "Question?"

"Yes, and don't give me that little innocent look, Mina-chan! I know you know what I'm talking about!" He grinned and grabbed her around the waist, and began to tickle her mercilessly.

"Moto…Motoki, stop it!" She said breathlessly, laughing so hard she was crying.

He eased his tickle attacks and simply rested his arms around her. They noticed that she was practically sitting in his lap now. She blushed a little, but didn't move away. Looking up into his eyes, she gulped. "But Motoki-kun, you didn't exactly ask me a question."

"You're right." He admitted. "But I'll rephrase myself. I said that you wouldn't have left the first time if you were just going coming over to be a good friend and I believe that you told me a lie. Or at least I'm hoping…now am I right?"

Her eyes misted over a little and she turned her head away to stare at his carpet, which had suddenly become very interesting. It was so very green…so green…

"Mina-chan?"

She sighed and continued her staring contest with the very green floor. "You're right…it was a lie."

"Then what's the truth?"

She looked back at him and noticed that there was hope shining in his eyes. She bit her lip. "Well…umm…" She pulled herself out of his lap, regretfully. "I don't know how to tell you this…"

He ran a finger down the side of her face gently, tucking several strands of hair behind her ear. "Tell me what?" He whispered, leaning in closely to stare softly into her face.

She turned and looked at him, their noses touching. Their gazes locked as blue eyes met brown ones.

"I came to tell you…and ask you…if maybe…" She was stumbling over her words so badly that she was sure he couldn't make out a single word she was saying. It was really hard to think with those brown eyes of his staring deeply into hers, as if he already knew and could read her secret.

"I love you."

Minako jerked away from him and gasped. "What did you say!"

He smiled softly and took her hand in his. "I said…I love you."

"You…you…you really mean that?" She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Motoki really loved her, too! Life couldn't be this perfect!

"Of course I mean it…" He looked a little taken aback by her confusion. "I've wanted to tell you for a long time…but you were so upset over those dreams and the man that was supposedly your husband in them and I just put it off and…well, I can't hide it anymore, Mina. So even if you don't feel the same way…at least you know."

It was quiet for a few moments.

Suddenly, Minako burst into giggles. "Motoki, you silly, wonderful man!"

His eyes widened in confusion when she launched herself into his arms and hugged him. "Mina, you're confusing me a lot right now…"

She pulled back a little and looked in his eyes again. She was smiling so brightly that if put up for a contest, she'd be quite the match for the sun itself. "Motoki, that's why I came…I came to tell you that I love you!"

His eyes lit up happily and he smiled softly. "I was hoping that was your reason…"

She giggled. "And those silly dreams of mine? Well, you don't have to worry about them at all. They're gone for good. I got to the end of the dream…in it, I was about to marry this guy…" Motoki's eyes clouded over, but she continued. "But then I told him that I loved another." She pressed her nose against his. "That other…is you."

He smiled softly. "I would love to kiss you right now…" He whispered, and scrunched his nose. "…but because I really don't want you to catch this stupid cold, it'll have to wait." He said sadly.

She nodded and pulled back a little. She pursed her lips together and looked at him. "Well…" She grinned and leaned close to him again. "Damn colds."

"Hmm?" He raised an eyebrow.

She laughed and leaned up, kissing him squarely on the lips. Pulling away slightly, she smiled. "I said, damn colds."

He grinned and pulled her close for another kiss.


End Chapter Ten.

It's not finished yet! Nope! Got an epilogue coming up!