Jadeite returned to Mamoru's apartment feeling as though his heart had just been ripped out and crushed right in front of him. He leaned against the wall outside the door, listening to the muffled conversation inside. Everyone else seemed happy…why couldn't he feel the same? He quickly shook off the feeling, muttering under his breath.
"Get ahold of yourself…she just needs time, that's all." After a few minutes, he opened the door and stepped inside. The chatter stopped, and everyone's eyes were fixed on him.
"How did it go?" Mamoru asked, though the look on Jadeite's face said it all. Without a word, he walked down the hall to the guest bedroom and slammed it shut behind him. Mamoru buried his face in his hands, groaning. "That's not what I expected to happen…" Usagi placed her hand on his knee in an effort to comfort him.
"You know Rei. She probably just needs time, that's all." The others nodded in agreement, unaware that there was more to the situation than they knew.
"Rei walked to the shrine as quickly as her feet would take her, avoiding eye contact with everyone she passed. As soon as she was home, she stormed inside and slammed the door behind her, causing the pictures on the wall to shake.
"Who does he think he is?" she grumbled.
"Who?" asked an unexpected voice. Rei jumped slightly and turned, quickly trying to regain her composure.
"Kumori! What are you doing here?"
"Don't you remember? We had a date. Where did you run off to?" the man asked, frowning slightly.
"We did? I completely forgot…I'm sorry."
"Where were you?" Kumori asked again, stepping closer to her. Rei took a step back to create distance between them.
"I had to go to a friend's for something" Rei explained, not bothering to give him any more information.
"Which friend?" Kumori demanded. Rei was getting frustrated with his prying, and wasn't afraid to show it.
"Why do you need to know?" she snapped.
"You were with another man, weren't you?" Kumori hissed, approaching her again. Rei backed up more, wincing as she hit the wall.
"N-no…" Rei answered, her voice trembling as she spoke.
"Then who were you talking about when you came home? And why are you wearing makeup? You're not lying to me, are you?" Rei scowled as Kumori's breath hit her skin, and she put her hands on him, pushing him away from her.
"Of course I'm not. I would never…"
"Then tell me who you were talking about." How could Rei explain this to him without making him angrier?
"I had to go see Usagi, and her boyfriend Mamoru was there. He said something stupid, that's all." Rei hoped this would be enough to calm Kumori down, and luckily, it was.
"I see" he said softly, finally backing away from her. "I'm sorry I overreacted."
"It's fine" Rei mumbled, heading down the hall to change into her miko. She began the daily chores without another word while Kumori laid on the couch, reading the newspaper. He watched her as she dusted the décor in the living room, a playful smirk on his face. Her eyes met his, and she frowned. "What?"
"You work too hard…why don't you come over here and let me help you relax?" he purred. Rei rolled her eyes and turned away from him, continuing to dust.
"Maybe I wouldn't have to work so hard if someone would help me once in a while" Rei retorted, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
"If I lived here, I would" Kumori sighed.
"Oh, you mean you don't? You could have fooled me" she muttered. In a matter of seconds, Kumori was in her face, scowling angrily at her.
"What did you just say?" he growled, slamming her against the wall. Rei winced and glared at him.
"I said…you could have fooled me. You're certainly here enough" she hissed. Without a word, Kumori raised his hand and struck her before leaving the shrine. Rei watched him leave, stunned by what had just happened. She raised a hand to her cheek and bit her lip, blinking back tears.
"I have to get out of here" she whispered. She quickly packed some clothes in a small duffel bag and hurried out of the shrine, keeping her eyes peeled for any sign of Kumori. When she noticed he was nowhere to be found, she breathed a sigh of relief and headed out. She wasn't sure where she was going, and at this point, she didn't care. She wanted out. She walked through the city, soon finding herself at Mamoru's door. Why am I here? She thought to herself. She shrugged it off and knocked softly on the door. She was greeted soon after by Mamoru, who looked at her in complete shock.
"Rei…" he finally spoke, his voice barely a whisper.
"What is it?" she asked, worried by his tone.
"Your eye…" Mamoru murmured, taking her hand and leading her to a mirror. She gazed at her reflection, unaware that she had bruised so quickly. "What happened?" What was Rei going to tell him? None of them knew about her relationship, as Kumori had asked her to keep it secret.
"I…ran into a door" Rei lied, hoping Mamoru would believe her. He nodded and looked at her, unsure whether he would believe her or not.
"You should be more careful. Let me get you an ice pack" he said softly, turning toward the kitchen. Rei took a seat on the couch and looked around, wondering when Usagi and the others had left. Mamoru returned a moment later and handed Rei the ice pack, then sat on the couch next to her.
"Thank you" she said softly, putting the ice pack on her eye. She and Mamoru sat in silence, until he finally broke it.
"Can I ask you something?" Rei looked at him and nodded, having a slight inkling of what it would be.
"It's about Jadeite, isn't it?" she asked.
"Yes, if that's okay. I was just wondering…are you upset that he's back?" Rei thought for a moment, quickly realizing that she was, but not for the reason she had originally thought. She leaned back on the couch and sighed, nodding slightly.
"I am…but at the same time, I'm not. The timing is just…awful" she whispered, silently praying that Mamoru wouldn't press the issue. However, knowing him, he would.
"Why?" he asked. Rei cursed under her breath, loathing herself as her next words escaped her lips.
"I'm seeing someone else." The look on Mamoru's face told her that he had just figured out what had really happened to her.
"Rei…" he said softly, keeping his eyes fixed on her.
"Y-Yes?" she asked, biting her lip and bracing herself for what he would say next.
"Did you really run into a wall?"
"I did" she sighed. She wasn't lying…Kumori had pushed her, she just chose to leave that out.
"Rei…don't lie to me" Mamoru sighed. "Did someone do this to you?" Rei bit her lip and nodded, unaware that Jadeite was quietly watching and listening from the hallway.
"Yes, but it was my fault…I provoked him." Hearing those words, Jadeite had finally had enough. He emerged from the hallway, knowing he was probably the last person Rei wanted to see, but he didn't care.
"Rei…" he said softly, slowly approaching her. She looked up at him and sighed, wondering how much he had heard. Mamoru moved to the other end of the couch, leaving room for Jadeite to sit beside her. He gingerly sat, and to his surprise, she didn't move away. He slowly brought his hand up to brush the bruise on her cheek, frowning. "Who did this to you? I'll kill him." Rei chuckled softly, noticing that Jadeite hadn't changed at all. He was still the same overprotective, kindhearted goofball that she had fallen in love with all those years ago. Without a word, she laid her head on his chest, instantly forgetting about her current situation. Mamoru quietly stood up and left the room, leaving the two of them alone. It seemed like an eternity before either of them spoke again.
"I'm sorry, Jade…I should have told you. I guess seeing you again…it confused me. After everything we've been through, I had prepared myself to never see you again, but here you are…" She stopped talking and swallowed the lump in her throat, blinking back the tears that were burning her eyes.
"I wish I could say it's alright, but it isn't…all I've ever wanted was for you to be happy, and you're not…"
"I am now" Rei murmured, closing her eyes. She nestled her head into his chest and fell asleep. Jadeite stayed on the couch for a while, watching her and stroking her hair softly. As soon as darkness settled into the small apartment, he carried Rei to his bedroom and laid her in his bed, kissing her forehead softly before going back out to the couch to sleep.
