The sequence of events went something like: Minako texted Mamoru asking to meet someplace private, Mamoru texted back suggesting his roof and he'd tell everyone to stay away so it'd be private--
--and then Mamoru texted Kunzite to let him know he was meeting Minako on the roof so if he was avoiding her then stay away and either way keep everyone else away too--
--and then Kunzite texted that he didn't know who Minako was so that's fine and they're trying some beer Saburo bought and there'd be apple muffins in half an hour.
And then Mamoru stared at his phone for a minute and basically just texted back 'ok'.
A minute after that he texted Minako to come via superjump because the stairs to the roof indoors would probably take her past Kyouko and Naru and Kunzite and he didn't know her identity was secret from them so probably NOT SEEING HER AT ALL THIS TIME might be a good idea--
And he really hopes that she got the text in time.
Either way he's up there and sort of folded up into one of the wrought-iron patio chairs, and the plastic greenhouse tent's been replaced by a hardy umbrella, and the day's bright and chilly. There aren't apple muffins yet, but there is a thermos of light and sweet coffee, and anpan. His hair's wind-ruffled and he's in his school uniform still, glasses on, peacoat on over the uniform jacket. He's idly battling the local Pokemon Go gym on his phone while he waits.
Artemis isn't with Venus as she arrives. She does arrive as Venus as first, because she kind of does have to superjump to the roof! She lands with perfect poise! Also that was a long jump! There is some sort of orange flash that comes with Venus becoming Minako. "-and I didn't fall on my butt!" she insists.
She is wearing a hot pink jacket. Some sort of heavier white undershirt and aso a jean skirt.
Yes, this means she got the text in time. She means, she was just at the door down below but it was easy enough to shift course at that point.
"I'm back." she says. "Did a lot of thinking." she says as she walks over and tries to peek over the phone. She'd have to get seriously more oddly positioned to see the screen so she just sits down in a seat opposite of Mamoru.
"Oh! I saw Makoto! And uh. Red haired girl! Kyouko. That's the name. Right."
"-and when I got my broken and not at all lost phone replaced I texted Usagi-chan but she hasn't replied back."
"Then I talked to Ami-chan because I was told she was having a hard time and I told her some stuff." vauge stuff.
"So spoke to her and we're fine. I'm not going anywhere again though." she insists.
"No more mission." she says as she defaltes over the table staring at the thermos and the anpan.
"What's in the thermos." she finally asks.
Another pause.
"How's Kunzite?" no reason.
Mamoru has no shame about Pokemon Go; he turns his phone around so Minako can see. Nobody's playing with him at the moment, so it's not like he can hold the gym if he beats it himself; he just gives her a half smile, takes the XP, shuts off the phone, and pockets it. "You definitely didn't land on your butt, I'm glad you're back and did thinking, I'm glad you saw Mako-chan and Kyouko and talked to Ami and replaced your phone and texted Usako, and I'm really glad no more mission," he says calmly as he unfolds himself from the chair and pushes the tupperware of anpan across the table.
Then he starts unscrewing the lid of the thermos-- there are two recycled-paper coffee cups, it should be noted-- and he glances up with amusement in his dark blue eyes, only partly obscured by his glasses. "It's coffee, light and sweet. I could get you tea if you'd rather."
It's not until he's pouring his own cup and not looking at Minako that he says mildly, "He's getting better, one day at a time." A beat. He still doesn't look up, instead focusing on reaching across the table with the thermos to put it closer to Minako, and then moving a cup over to her too. "It's been almost a year, and he doesn't know where he stands with you, and he doesn't expect anything because he's going to feel guilty forever about what he did when he was under Beryl's control. He has trouble forgiving himself-- but don't we all?"
There's where he looks up at the blonde, and his expression is both apologetic and affectionate. "You mean a lot to him. You did a lot for him, back then. You gave him hope when he remembered but was still trapped. And even though he was a rock, he saw what you did at the North Pole. He was so proud of you. So was I. And even though everything hurt, I could feel Usa's heart singing."
He lets out a half laugh and glances away, collecting the cup in both hands and leeching off its warmth. "Sorry. The whole thing's just on my mind right now. You probably didn't need that."
Minako looks at the screen. "Oh! It's that. Pokemon game that people are totally bumping into me playing." she says. She squints across over to Mamoru and sort of re-melts against the table as a recycled paper cup is placed beside her. She sort of wills it to come to her mouth but that doesn't happen so she reaches around and grabs it and lifts it to her lips.
"It's on mine too. That's why I came back. I was supposed to come the day after tommrow but my flights were actually on time and no delays! What kind of horrible airline does'nt give thier customers trouble! I should had complained to the managers!"
She does listen to Mamoru. "Yeah." she says. "I dunno where I stand either and I'm also not expecting anything because of the big fart butt I was overall because I didn't want anyone to make the same mistake I did alone without actually talking about the mistakes and just. UGH!" she decides to busy herself with chugging the drink. She does'nt care if it's hot or cold.
Then her phone beeps and she peeks down at it. She smiles! Tap tap tap tap tap.
"Sorry. That was Usagi." she says.
"...is he here?" she asks. "I'd go down and talk to him. But I'm like a big mess right now." she says.
"I need to talk to some of the others first maybe." she says. "I need to figure out where I stand with everyone and I need to let everyone know I'm not running away again." she says.
"Oh right! Um. Ami told me about the trapezoid! So no need to hide stuff!" she insists. Trapezoid? She probably means 'love polygon'. Maybe this is why she should had brought Artemis.
It's on hers too...? Mamoru doesn't ask, because Minako keeps going, and he does what he usually does with a lot of people, but especially her -- automatically filter for content he actually needs to parse and respond to. And there it is--
--and Usagi texts Minako, and Mamoru grins, bright and real, if briefly.
And he relaxes some, his whole manner definitely less heavy than it was a moment ago; he finally sips his own coffee, smiling around the cup. When he puts it down, he admits, "I wasn't going to hide it, I just wasn't sure how to bring it up without making any kind of assumptions. As far as running away again or not-- I think it would be the best help if you spent a lot of time around everyone, got to know all your girls properly in this life, you know? They haven't really had the chance to know you. They've just been waiting for you to be ready to come back to them. I mean you can say it, but they won't know if you mean it until you actually do stick around."
There's a pause, and Mamoru looks briefly distracted. "Yeah he's here..." he trails off, and then cocks his head and gives Minako a crooked smile. "He's in a reasonably good mood, too. And it might actually help you both if you feel like a mess, because if you're a hundred percent put together, you might not be able to have a real conversation. I mean, it'd be real, but you'd be wearing a mask-- and masks between friends don't help anyone."
He coughs delicately into his hand. "Speaking of," he mumbles, "you might want to actually tell him your name... his is Kazuo. Takeba Kazuo."
Minako's phone beeps and she answers it again with a smile.
Minako Aino looks up and says. "He's in a good mood..." her eyes seem to search to the left and the right and then down to the table. "Good. I'm glad." she says.
"Yeah. No more masks. I have two of them and all it does is upset people." she says. "I mean not like on purpose. Unless you mean like an emotional mask. I'm trying to get rid of that too." she says. "I told Ami-chan about. Why I didn't help kill Kunzite on that day. And stuff." she says. "She said that she didn't quite think about that. I mean. It doesn't excuse me. I should had something. I guess sometimes I think people have more important things than to hear about my stupid bad things." she sulks.
She gets up and places the cup back down to the table. She looks around and then proceeds to walk toward's the door to where she can get downstairs. She touches the door knob and takes a deep breath. "You're coming, right?" she asks.
"'Course," Mamoru says, his smile going crooked again as he gets up, collecting the thermos and anpan in one hand and his coffee in the other. "And you've got a whole bunch of people who want to hear about your stupid bad things, but I guess you know that now--"
--and he follows her inside and down the steps.