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 8

When she entered the room, Usagi was hanging onto Kunzite's arm with something akin to a slight strain, though you wouldn't notice it on her face, for a big smile was plastered on it as she talked to the people around them. Usagi glanced at Minako a little nervously and then shifted Kunzite's attention away from anything remotely in Minako's direction. Minako glared at the back of the blond man's head. Of course he would think she was up to no good now that she was out of his sight, probably off poisoning the minds of people who were also not in the room. Minako started heading towards the two of them when the door opened again and a new group of people walked in.

Minako wouldn't have paid them any attention, had a familiar face not caught her attention and she glared even harder, of course Kunzite would be as unfeeling as to invite him!

She heard Usagi's gasp even from the distance between them and Minako almost turned smug to wait for the berating and guilty look to cross Kunzite's features once Usagi realized what a jerk Kunzite was for inviting the bane of her life. Instead when Kunzite turned to notice what was causing the commotion, Usagi had to literally dig her feet into the ground as his face turned murderous, more so than when he'd seen Minako.

Even with her feet firmly planted and the strain was now obvious on her features, she was being dragged along as if her weight was nonexistent. He tried to shake her off, but that was one thing he couldn't accomplish. She was talking rapidly, though Minako couldn't hear a word that was said, but it almost looked like Usagi was defending the jerk! Or at the very least trying to save his life, with the look on Kunzite's face, he might need all the help he could get. Minako's opinion shifted, perhaps Kunzite wasn't that bad after all, and he went up a notch in her estimate.

Minako hurried over to their side, taking pity on poor Usagi. It wasn't Mamoru's fault that Usagi was hopelessly lost in her love for him, even if it was his fault for being so cruel to her, and without knowing she felt that way for him. Though how he could miss it was so out of the limits of Minako's realm of understanding, but then again, Minako was considered the goddess of love, or at least matchmaker of their friends. Usagi was out of the loop of Mamoru's real feelings for her to, and wouldn't listen to anyone who tried to tell her the truth, laughing it off in disbelief.

Mamoru didn't notice the trouble coming at him as he'd spotted someone he knew and started talking to them, his back on the fuming ice sculpture, an interesting trick. He was laughing as two hands reached out and grabbed him by the collar and spun him around so he was face to face with the red-faced Kunzite.

Mamoru looked confused for a minute, and then his usual arrogant bravado reappeared on his face and Minako winced as that was probably the biggest mistake he could have made. "Kunzite, good to see you, the party looks like the few I've been to in the past."

"He's been to some in the past?" Usagi squeaked. Kunzite ignored him, even as Mamoru's blue eyes shifted to her, and Minako was now close enough to see the tenderness slid momentarily into the gaze before a mocking smile flittered across his lips and pushing away anything Usagi could have used as hope.

"You weren't invited." Kunzite growled, ignoring Usagi's flabbergasting. "I'll gladly show you the door."

"But the closest-"

"I don't care, go home for all I care, you aren't allowed to be here."

Minako shook her head and slipped between the two, with a rather amount of difficulty as Kunzite had Mamoru up close to him, though Mamoru and him were probably the same height, so he wasn't lifted off his feet in the slightest, just in an uncomfortable position. "Ah, Mamoru-baka, how interesting to see you here. I have to say, you chose the oddest moments to find things out, I'd like you to meet Mr. Mysterious." Now it was interesting how close her nickname for both the mysterious men in both her life and Usagi's ended up being the same guy and fitted so well for both now that she knew who he was.

"Usagi and Kunzite?" Mamoru tried to choke back his outrage and he firmed his stance, pulling his shirt out of Kunzite's hands, and Minako bemoaned the fabric's fate, it would probably rip or be irreparably stretched, and it was such nice fabric as well, she had to hand it to Mamoru, he did know how to dress well. He was glaring at Kunzite now in return, and the betrayal across his features that flickered faster than anyone else could see spoke volumes to Minako, apparently he never imagined that Kunzite would ever get together with the girl he loved. Minako didn't feel it appropriate to tell him he was wrong, only hoping he'd leave.

The two of them were boiling up to battle and Usagi slipped in between them now, pushing Minako out the way with a warning glance, she would have to take care of this and Minako stepped back, clearly amused at the idea of serene Usagi, who hated all fights and always tried to be the mediator when she couldn't just hide in the corner, take care of two charged emotionally men. Minako wondered again if there wasn't more between the two blonds, but she'd step in if it looked like Usagi would get hurt. Minako was usually the one sticking her nose into the fights, disengaging them before they began; she wondered if Usagi had ever actually had to do so, she'd never seen it herself.

"Kunzite." She spoke sweetly, putting her hands on his chest, but the tension in them, showed she was trying to hold him back, or push him away. "I will handle this."

"I never want you to come back Chiba. As far as I'm concerned, we're through, if you step foot on my property I will call the cops." Minako mused that his threats always sounded familiar to ones she'd already heard, but at least with her, he had given the benefit of Usagi's desire to want her here, whereas Usagi clearly didn't want Mamoru around.

Mamoru folded his arms across his chest and cocked his head, daring Kunzite to follow through with his promise. Usagi's eyes flashed and she looked between the two of them and pushed a little harder against Kunzite's chest. "Trust me, let me handle this." Her voice was soft and almost pleading. Kunzite looked down at her and sighed, and they shared a look that Minako couldn't help but notice was full of protectiveness and love and he communicated that with her, that he would always be there for her, and if she needed him, he'd be there in an instant. He nodded and with a brush of his fingers against her chin he left the three of them, a slightly confused look in Minako's direction as if he was wondering what she was doing still there, if he had even noticed her in the first place.

Usagi whirled around and glared so fiercely at Mamoru, that Minako could understand where he might not know her true feelings. Minako stepped up behind her, lending her silent support and visual support for Mamoru. "Leave." She said simply.

He looked down at her for such a long time, neither said anything and then he turned and left, taking her order as she'd given it. Mamoru did not return and when Usagi's shoulders sagged and she looked back at Minako, Minako could see the tears barely held at bay in Usagi's eyes. Minako tried to smile tentatively at her and Usagi shook her head and her tears disappeared. "It's a party, isn't it?" She asked and Minako nodded, a little concerned at how fast Usagi had pushed the tears away, and the feelings. "So let's just forget that and have fun!" She grabbed Minako's arm and pulled her to another group of people.

The rest of the night happened to be fun as people started to relax and get to know each other even more and they were all laughing and joking and making commentary that entertained the rest of them. Minako relaxed and Kunzite no longer glowered at her whenever his eyes would land on her, instead there was another interesting look that passed through them, intrigue and interest were top of that list.

Minako turned thoughtful as she began to watch him more closely. He was laughing and having fun with the other guests, they all seemed to gravitate towards him and Usagi. But she understood Usagi's draw, and in a strange way, she understood Kunzite's as well, she had been drawn to him, hadn't she? He almost seemed nice from this distance, as he talked to the other party attenders. Minako turned away from him when she realized that she was starting to melt towards him again. It really wasn't her that had put the distance between them, but on the same tolken, she needed to protect herself from the next scathing thing he said to her. Not kicking her out of the house for knowing Mamoru was a plus at least, and maybe he thought better of her for sticking up for Usagi in that situation.

Minako couldn't be sure, and really, anything she assumed would be dumped back on her the next time he bothered to talk to her, so Minako made an effort just to ignore him and her feelings towards him for the time being. He would eventually thaw, wouldn't he? When he realized that she wasn't going to hurt Usagi or go after his money?

Minako got drawn into another conversation and by the end of the night she was laughing and felt like many of these people were her old friends at any rate, they were new friends who as Usagi said, would lead her somewhere in her career, if she wanted it.