Pt.8 Confessions
The minutes ticked by slowly with still no word about Mina’s condition let alone what her condition was. Even Motoki still hadn’t emerged from Mina’s side to tell them anything. Usagi and Mamoru glanced around the waiting room noticing that all of the couples seemed distanced from each other save for Ami and Zoicite. Zoicite had his arm wrapped firmly around Ami’s shoulder, whispering what must have been reassuring words, and receiving a rare smile in compensation. Rei was glancing at Jadeite, who stood nearby with his back pressed to the wall and arms crossed, an unreadable expression on his face. He either didn’t notice her looking his way or chose to acknowledge it. Even Makoto and Nephrite seemed out of sorts. They sat next to each other, but it was obvious that they were struggling to keep a light conversation going between them.
Mamoru and Usagi finally left the room in search of the doctor. Zoicite had somehow been nominated to call Kunzite and so with great hesitation left his seat, with Ami’s hand grasped tightly in his, in search of a quiet place to make his call. Jadeite proclaimed his need for some coffee and took off quickly, with Rei following after him. Makoto and Nephrite looked at each other and fell back into an awkward silence realizing that they were alone.
“You haven’t called me in a while,” Makoto finally said, looking over at Nephrite.
“I assumed you’d been busy,” he answered, his eyes fixated on the television across the room.
“Did I do something to make you angry?” she asked timidly.
“Does it have to be about you?”
“N-no,” she stammered, “I just assumed that….I must have….or something….” Words failed her and she mentally berated herself for sounding so weak.
“I felt that it was inappropriate of me to take up so much of your time when you had someone else who obviously deserved it more.”
“I don’t understand.” Her lips turned into a frown and creases appeared on her normally smooth forehead. “Did one of the guys tell you that I said something?”
He sighed and looked over to her. “I’ve never made a secret of my feelings for you, Makoto.” Her mouth suddenly felt dry and she forced herself to swallow the lump in her throat. “You have never made a secret that you don’t return those feelings. Now that I realize it’s because you have someone else it would be rude of me to continue as I had.”
“But I never said that,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Nephrite leaned over and cupped her chin in his hand, noticing how her lips shaped themselves into the most kissable pout. “Exactly. You never said anything.” He released her chin and rose from his chair, pulling a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from his pocket as he walked out the exit of the hospital.
Jadeite walked up to the coffee vending machine and inserted a handful of change. Without taking time to read the choices, he hastily hit the nearest button and waited as nothing happened. He sighed angrily and pushed the button again, harder this time. The machine made a few pathetic noises but still failed to dispense his coffee. A growl escaped his lips as he kicked the machine, instantly regretting it as pain shot up his leg from the impact.
Rei approached him and gently pushed a different button, not saying anything as a cup dropped from the dispenser and was quickly filled with the hot liquid.
“You always have to make it look so easy don’t you?” he teased her, but she could tell that the sentiment was missing behind his crooked smile.
“You’re blowing things out of proportion as usual.”
“It’s not my fault this coffee machine is an ancient relic that needs to be replaced,” he muttered, picking up his coffee and scowling as he burnt his tongue on the first sip.
“We’re not talking about the coffee machine anymore,” she answered impatiently.
“Not everyone is as quick witted as you.”
“Nothing happened.”
“Of course not.” He walked away from her and looked out the windows, watching people pass through the hospital courtyard. “You would never make that kind of a mistake, nor would you overreact like the rest of us would.”
She walked over to stand next to him and crossed her arms. “You’re mad at me because you’re mad?”
He scowled again at her. “It loses its affect when you put it that way.”
“Yuuichirou and I are just friends.”
“The way he was looking at you was less than friendly.”
“You can’t punish me for the way someone else feels!” she exclaimed.
“Apparently I can if you’re this angry,” he said airily, winking at her playfully.
“You are so frustrating!” She took a step away from him. “Is it not enough that I love you? That I spend every moment with you? That you are my entire life? Do I need to marry you for you to finally be content?”
He took another sip of the coffee and wrinkled his nose at the less than flavorful taste. “I accept.”
Rei’s eyes opened wide and her mouth opened slightly, leaving her in with a less than normal expression that she normally would have laughed at Usagi for. “You what?”
“I accept,” he repeated. “I warn you though, as my mother’s only child she will want to be involved in the planning, so be nice.” He placed a light kiss on her cheek and walked back to the coffee machine to get a refill.
Zoicite dialed Kunzite’s number then quickly hit the clear button, shaking his head as words failed to come to him. Ami squeezed his hand comfortingly and he dipped his head down to kiss her. She broke away from him despite his pitiful pouting and hit the talk button on his cell phone, redialing Kunzite’s number. He grabbed the phone away from her and hung up before he heard the first ring.
“You’re stalling,” she said to him.
“I’m not stalling,” he replied in a sing song voice. “I’m avoiding. Why do I have to call him? I don’t even know what he’s going to say. Does he even want to know that she’s in the hospital? Does he even care?”
“I’m sure he cares,” Ami answered quickly. “Just because he’s avoiding her doesn’t mean that he wouldn’t want to know….” Her voice trailed off as she realized how silly she sounded. “If you don’t call him you’ll never hear the end of it from Jadeite.” Inside she felt shameful that she resorted to such a cheap shot.
He pinched her arm as he pulled away from her. “I don’t care what Jadeite says.” They both knew this was a lie. Jadeite had a way of getting under Zoicite’s skin without even trying. “Mamoru would be better suited to call him. That whole Prince factor protects him from whatever wrath Kunzite may want to inflict.”
“You’re acting irrational and now you’re getting flustered,” she chuckled despite the look he shot her.
Zoicite ran his fingers through his hair causing several curly strands to be pulled lose from his ponytail. “Fine. If he yells you’re getting on the phone and then you can decide who’s being irrational.” He dialed Kunzite’s number once again and listened as the phone rang shrilly in his ear. Kunzite’s voicemail picked up and Zoicite rambled quickly and almost incoherently something about a sunny day, stopping by, the latest movie trailer, a hospital, back to the sunny day and then a muffled word which she was sure contained Minako’s name. He hit the end button and shoved the phone in his pocket while wrapping his other arm around Ami’s shoulders and leading her back towards the waiting room. “You’re right,” he smiled cheerfully. “That wasn’t so bad after all.”
“Of course not,” she muttered. “You didn’t exactly tell him either.”
Kunzite pulled his phone out of his pocket and silenced it without bothering to see who the caller was. He tenderly brushed his fingers over Minako’s forehead, sliding her bangs out of her eyes. The doctor had given her a sedative to help her relax for the time being and she slipped in and out of consciousness as a result. He leaned over and gently pressed his lips to her forehead, smiling to himself as a contented sigh passed through her lips. The sound of the door opening caught his attention and he looked up to see Motoki standing in the doorway.
“So you’re him.”
Mamoru and Usagi finally left the room in search of the doctor. Zoicite had somehow been nominated to call Kunzite and so with great hesitation left his seat, with Ami’s hand grasped tightly in his, in search of a quiet place to make his call. Jadeite proclaimed his need for some coffee and took off quickly, with Rei following after him. Makoto and Nephrite looked at each other and fell back into an awkward silence realizing that they were alone.
“You haven’t called me in a while,” Makoto finally said, looking over at Nephrite.
“I assumed you’d been busy,” he answered, his eyes fixated on the television across the room.
“Did I do something to make you angry?” she asked timidly.
“Does it have to be about you?”
“N-no,” she stammered, “I just assumed that….I must have….or something….” Words failed her and she mentally berated herself for sounding so weak.
“I felt that it was inappropriate of me to take up so much of your time when you had someone else who obviously deserved it more.”
“I don’t understand.” Her lips turned into a frown and creases appeared on her normally smooth forehead. “Did one of the guys tell you that I said something?”
He sighed and looked over to her. “I’ve never made a secret of my feelings for you, Makoto.” Her mouth suddenly felt dry and she forced herself to swallow the lump in her throat. “You have never made a secret that you don’t return those feelings. Now that I realize it’s because you have someone else it would be rude of me to continue as I had.”
“But I never said that,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Nephrite leaned over and cupped her chin in his hand, noticing how her lips shaped themselves into the most kissable pout. “Exactly. You never said anything.” He released her chin and rose from his chair, pulling a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from his pocket as he walked out the exit of the hospital.
Jadeite walked up to the coffee vending machine and inserted a handful of change. Without taking time to read the choices, he hastily hit the nearest button and waited as nothing happened. He sighed angrily and pushed the button again, harder this time. The machine made a few pathetic noises but still failed to dispense his coffee. A growl escaped his lips as he kicked the machine, instantly regretting it as pain shot up his leg from the impact.
Rei approached him and gently pushed a different button, not saying anything as a cup dropped from the dispenser and was quickly filled with the hot liquid.
“You always have to make it look so easy don’t you?” he teased her, but she could tell that the sentiment was missing behind his crooked smile.
“You’re blowing things out of proportion as usual.”
“It’s not my fault this coffee machine is an ancient relic that needs to be replaced,” he muttered, picking up his coffee and scowling as he burnt his tongue on the first sip.
“We’re not talking about the coffee machine anymore,” she answered impatiently.
“Not everyone is as quick witted as you.”
“Nothing happened.”
“Of course not.” He walked away from her and looked out the windows, watching people pass through the hospital courtyard. “You would never make that kind of a mistake, nor would you overreact like the rest of us would.”
She walked over to stand next to him and crossed her arms. “You’re mad at me because you’re mad?”
He scowled again at her. “It loses its affect when you put it that way.”
“Yuuichirou and I are just friends.”
“The way he was looking at you was less than friendly.”
“You can’t punish me for the way someone else feels!” she exclaimed.
“Apparently I can if you’re this angry,” he said airily, winking at her playfully.
“You are so frustrating!” She took a step away from him. “Is it not enough that I love you? That I spend every moment with you? That you are my entire life? Do I need to marry you for you to finally be content?”
He took another sip of the coffee and wrinkled his nose at the less than flavorful taste. “I accept.”
Rei’s eyes opened wide and her mouth opened slightly, leaving her in with a less than normal expression that she normally would have laughed at Usagi for. “You what?”
“I accept,” he repeated. “I warn you though, as my mother’s only child she will want to be involved in the planning, so be nice.” He placed a light kiss on her cheek and walked back to the coffee machine to get a refill.
Zoicite dialed Kunzite’s number then quickly hit the clear button, shaking his head as words failed to come to him. Ami squeezed his hand comfortingly and he dipped his head down to kiss her. She broke away from him despite his pitiful pouting and hit the talk button on his cell phone, redialing Kunzite’s number. He grabbed the phone away from her and hung up before he heard the first ring.
“You’re stalling,” she said to him.
“I’m not stalling,” he replied in a sing song voice. “I’m avoiding. Why do I have to call him? I don’t even know what he’s going to say. Does he even want to know that she’s in the hospital? Does he even care?”
“I’m sure he cares,” Ami answered quickly. “Just because he’s avoiding her doesn’t mean that he wouldn’t want to know….” Her voice trailed off as she realized how silly she sounded. “If you don’t call him you’ll never hear the end of it from Jadeite.” Inside she felt shameful that she resorted to such a cheap shot.
He pinched her arm as he pulled away from her. “I don’t care what Jadeite says.” They both knew this was a lie. Jadeite had a way of getting under Zoicite’s skin without even trying. “Mamoru would be better suited to call him. That whole Prince factor protects him from whatever wrath Kunzite may want to inflict.”
“You’re acting irrational and now you’re getting flustered,” she chuckled despite the look he shot her.
Zoicite ran his fingers through his hair causing several curly strands to be pulled lose from his ponytail. “Fine. If he yells you’re getting on the phone and then you can decide who’s being irrational.” He dialed Kunzite’s number once again and listened as the phone rang shrilly in his ear. Kunzite’s voicemail picked up and Zoicite rambled quickly and almost incoherently something about a sunny day, stopping by, the latest movie trailer, a hospital, back to the sunny day and then a muffled word which she was sure contained Minako’s name. He hit the end button and shoved the phone in his pocket while wrapping his other arm around Ami’s shoulders and leading her back towards the waiting room. “You’re right,” he smiled cheerfully. “That wasn’t so bad after all.”
“Of course not,” she muttered. “You didn’t exactly tell him either.”
Kunzite pulled his phone out of his pocket and silenced it without bothering to see who the caller was. He tenderly brushed his fingers over Minako’s forehead, sliding her bangs out of her eyes. The doctor had given her a sedative to help her relax for the time being and she slipped in and out of consciousness as a result. He leaned over and gently pressed his lips to her forehead, smiling to himself as a contented sigh passed through her lips. The sound of the door opening caught his attention and he looked up to see Motoki standing in the doorway.
“So you’re him.”