Minako and Usagi Adventures: Loving A Man Series: Minako's Mystery: Morning Rises

5 August 2004

Summary: When Minako wakes up one morning, it is to find that she is not alone in a bed she's never seen. Her greatest mistake was bolting that fateful dawn.

Chapter 6

The following morning Minako woke up and stretched out her limbs. She yawned and then slipped out of bed. She threw a matching silk robe over her slender figure and undid her hair and ran her fingers through it to smooth it out a little. She walked into also matching slippers and strolled down stairs.

Usagi was already awake and dictating to the kitchen help where she would like everything for the morning breakfast.

"Good lord Usagi, there's a lot of food for the two of us here."

"Kunzite will be home at any minute and I wanted to make sure he had whatever he wanted."

"You mean he didn't come home last night?"

"No, he had to stay late and he said he was coming in the morning, unless something popped up."

"I hope it hasn't. I wanted to meet the man who makes my best friend smile more radiantly than the love of her life does."

"Nobody does it better than he, not even Kunzite." Usagi chided good naturedly. "Now, no more talking about the idiot. What do you think of this?"

Minako tried the pastry Usagi held out to her and when she took a bite her mouth practically watered. "Oh my god."

"We'll take five dozen of those." Usagi told the caterer.

"I have a feeling not all of this food is for this morning?"

"Nope, some is being tested for tonight's party. I always do the testing in the morning so then I don't eat anything that night because I'm so full from breakfast."

"You seem more like the hostess than our erstwhile male is."

"He tends to set up the parties in Tokyo for me while I'm running around like a headless chicken and I return the favors for him here by setting up for the kind of party he prefers at the moment, that's all."

"Wouldn't this house get lonely?"

"It does when I'm alone, but you'd have to ask him that, he's been here for five years, I think he likes it or at least calls it home. You've got to understand though that the walls are usually echoing with people coming to visit. He's got a huge amount of family and despite that he's kind of a loner. He also, I don't know, loves living here, Kunzite loves the freedom and space but I don't know if he gets lonely. He's got a lot of hired help around who he's friends with." Usagi shrugged. "I love the man like a brother but I don't understand everything he chooses."

Minako put away little tidbits that she wanted to ask the man who played such a huge part in her best friend's life but whom she hadn't heard of before last week. She'd have to be subtle, she doubted he even knew of her existence.

Usagi glanced up and noticed Minako's frown. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about him before, I either thought I told you about him or I don't know why I didn't say anything. I see him so on again off again so it didn't seem important."

"That's a lie Usagi and you know it. I know exactly why you didn't tell me about him. He's a part of your old world, before high school and anybody who didn't live in that time was kept hidden from the world of ours. You never talk about the life before sophomore year and nobody else does either. You, Jiro, Makoto, Setsuna, Haruka and Michiru are a part of that life and yet none of you talk about it, at least not to the rest of us, that I know of."

Usagi sighed. "You're right, this is a different world, one that I've kept hidden from a lot of people including you. I'm not quite sure who all knows about it but I don't want to talk about that period of time, at least not right now."

All Minako really knew about that time was now she knew Usagi knew a boy named Kunzite who she still knew very well and forgot to mention and that Usagi's dad had held a very powerful government position and instead of running for reelections, which he would have won in a land slide, he stepped down and now was a photojournalist. Before Minako could relent, she had never cared before, the past was the past and only the time she knew Usagi mattered, Usagi was already onto the next thing.

"You know what, I've already decided on the major food, if there's anything you'd like added don't hesitate to tell them, they'll make sure it's stocked." She glanced at her watch. "I'll meet up with you later." She was out of the room before Minako could say anything and Minako was left again at the vast display of food.

"Anything you'd like to try Miss or know you want at the party?" One of the cooks questioned her.

Minako slowly shook her head as she answered. "No, that'll be quite all right. Whatever her highness has figured out is good enough for the man of the house and I don't want to change this nice little family unit." Minako couldn't explain the jealousy that suddenly consumed her, but it wasn't at Usagi for anything she had, it was at Mr. Mysterious who monopolized her best friend's attention and knew things about her that she'd never know and he probably took it for granted.

Minako sighed, it probably wasn't the best way to handle a man she had yet to meet, it wouldn't set a good beginning if she was already angry with him. She wandered the house, finding her way in what she considered the side of the house, seeing as how the back lead to the sea. Here there was a garden and she sank onto a wicker bench with a thick cushion. She stared at the flowers drifting in the breeze. She spent so long there, that the sun shifted positions and it was already afternoon.

She pulled herself up to her feet and stretched, she wondered what happened to her dear blond friend, and why she had to pull away so quickly that morning. Minako had nothing to do so she went in search of Kunzite's library. He should have been back by then, and Usagi was probably already talking with him somewhere in the house. But walking outside of Kunzite's study, she did hear a voice, but it was Usagi's alone. The door was cracked open and Minako pushed it aside to see Usagi in the heavy black chair with her feet propped up onto the dark masculine desk and the phone in the crook of her neck as she doddled on a pad of paper.

Minako listened in for awhile, and then realized it was a work call with one of her employers as a freelancer. Minako glared at her friend, she was supposed to be on vacation, wasn't that what the two of them were here for? But then she was laughing at something the other person said and Minako realized that with Usagi, nothing was seriously ever that important, she could find happiness in anything.

Minako shut the door on her friend with a soft click, she'd question their host's location later. Just because she was antsy and wanting to forget about the face that kept popping up into her mind's eye, didn't mean she could take it out on her friend. Usagi had brought her here so they both could relax and enjoy a few days out of the city, except for this phone call, Minako hadn't seen Usagi do anything else but just that.

Minako sought out a book that would help her pass the time, she found a light read in the back, no doubt one of Usagi's and then slipped out to the beach and found a lounger in the little gatehouse and pulled it so it almost reached the location that waves would come up and tickle her feet. Minako kicked off her tan sandals and sank into her seat, the sun was nice and high, the temperature was warm and the sea was a refreshing cool.

Her book was only a few pages into it before it laid forgotten against her chest and she fell asleep with memories of her own mysterious man. She only called Usagi's Kunzite Mr. Mysterious because she'd never met him whereas her own tall, blond and mysterious was so because he had mysterious actions and she really didn't know him. As he'd demonstrated himself the only time she'd run into him, the creep. He had the gall to call her a gold digger, when it took two to tango and his tongue had proven how well he could dance, long before they even got to the bedroom.

A hand was on her shoulder, rousing her awake gently and she looked up into a pair of blue eyes very similar to her own and blond hair falling into them as they looked at her in concern. Minako smiled reassuringly. "The book put me to sleep." It probably would have if she hadn't had such a sleepless night. "It's good but complicated. Too many characters that have such deep personalities." Not that she'd actually gotten far enough into it to read more than just the introduction of each character.

Usagi looked at the cover and her lips twitched. "Minako, I didn't realize you hated my work that much."

Minako's eyes narrowed for a moment and she squinted at the title page, but she didn't see Usagi's name claiming it. "I thought it was a light read from what I read of the title and the summary."

"It's definitely not that." Usagi shook her head with a laugh, it was evening and the sun was setting over the sea, Minako could see the sun dipping into the water and casting lines towards her. "That's probably one of the most complicated books I had to write, and it's probably one of the most complicated books to read of this century."

Minako frowned, it was only a couple hundred pages long. "Why isn't it your name?"

"It was one of my first books, I was writing under an alias because I was afraid of what I would find once I put myself out there." Usagi took the book from her friend's hands. "Come on, you need to get ready, the party will be starting in a few hours."

"I want to read that." Minako protested as Usagi tucked it under her arm and picked up half of the lounger. Minako helped her carry it back to where she found it and tried to snatch the book back. "Its probably not as bad as you claim it is, I was just too tired to dissect the characters at the time. I promise I wont insult it again!"

Usagi shook her head. "Kunzite was never supposed to have this anyways, he promised me he wouldn't purchase it. I thought for sure that if he did, he'd get rid of the copies. He knows better."

"I want to read it!" Minako plucked it from her fingers and ran back towards the house. If it gave her a clue into Usagi's past and maybe even into this mysterious man that she had a soft spot for, she would take it.

"Minako!" Usagi yelled, chasing her. "Please don't! It's a horrible piece of work, I only sold 300 copies."

"I don't care." Minako ducked under an eave and up the stairs and slammed the door into Usagi's face with a laugh and locked the door and then hid the book that wasn't easily found. Since she didn't know the aquamarine room that well, Minako was stuck with an almost obvious answer and tucked it in between the bed springs and mattress.

Usagi pounded on the door for a brief moment but gave up and went to her own room to prepare for the evening. Minako never got a chance to ask Usagi if Kunzite had returned. Oh well, she'd find out soon enough, if he'd attended the party in rumpled clothing or formally dressed. Minako duck in for a quick shower, throwing her hair up into a water-resistant cap and got the sand and salt off of her legs.

She toweled off and shimmied into the dress she just bought. The golden hints in the butterscotch yellow dress played up the natural tints in her own hair and yet still managed to off set it so she didn't look like she was one color. Her hair fell in waves down her back due to her preparation the day before and she shook them out to make sure they didn't spring in different directions, but they were as perfect as if she'd used an iron on them.

She added small touches, like soft blue gems dangling from her ears and settled over the neckline of her dress. It complimented the dress and brought out her eyes even more.

She slid her feet into a pair of golden heels and touched up her make-up before sliding out of her room. Usagi was starting to head down the stairs when she made her appearance and Usagi paused, so she could walk with her friend, she seemed to have forgotten all about the issue of the book and smiled broadly as she took in her friend's appearance. "You look gorgeous Mina-chan!"

Minako blushed a slight pink color at her friend's compliment. She walked with Usagi down the steps and to the main floor, four flights down. "Thank you, Usa-chan, you too."

"Kunzite will just love you!" Usagi giggled, but then quit them all together as a thought she wasn't privy to ran through her mirror image's head. "Sorry, I keep forgetting you like a guy and Kunzite admitted to me that he had met a girl in the recent past."

"Has he returned?" Minako wondered.

"Yeah, he got in only five minutes ago, he knocked to say he was going to take a shower, I imagine he's just getting out of it now. Guests should be arriving any minute now. I'm sorry you didn't get to meet him before all the commotion, he had a really busy day that cropped up out of nowhere. I have a feeling he's going to be a little cranky tonight, so he might slip away early. He promised that this weekend though he'll be completely free."

Minako smiled gently at her friend, that was nice, Usagi always seemed happier when Kunzite was around. Though she'd only seen the effect twice. Maybe if she met this man, she might be able to persuade Usagi to forget about Mamoru altogether and go after someone that was actually good for her. Minako straightened, what was she thinking? Mamoru and Usagi were made for each other, they were just too pigheaded to understand it and treat each other like they were meant to.

"It's a shame you two didn't meet earlier. When you were both free, it would have been nice to have my favorite two people together."

"Don't let Makoto, Ami or Rei hear that!" Minako teased and Usagi looked scandalized that she could have let that slip when she hadn't meant it like that. "Not to mention Motoki or the other guys! What about your poor dear brother?" Minako couldn't help but push it a little more. Usagi was the diplomat too often during the arguments that cropped up occasionally between the group growing up. She had always loved everyone equally.

Usagi looked around quickly before leaning into Minako's shoulder so she wouldn't be over heard by anyone, it didn't matter that those that they were talking about weren't there. "I've always liked you the best." She winked and pulled away.

Minako laughed, Usagi was too precious some days. "That's what I like to hear." A voice said from behind them, and it was too familiar and with tense shoulders, Minako turned towards the speaker.