So I never really thought I'd start this again. What with university and summer programs and the fact that I wasn't sure this story was even worth continuing, it seemed to be on an infinite hiatus. Then a few days ago, I just...wrote. And this is the result.

I know it's been an eternity, and I'm not sure this story even has a following anymore, but if you read it and you want more, PLEASE review! Happy reading!

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Kunzite groaned aloud from the comfort of his twin bed. He found though, that the plaintive sound wouldn't drive away the persistent knocking on his door.

"No," he grumbled, pulling the covers over his head. It was probably Zoisite wanting to borrow hairspray ("What the hell, Zoi, remind me again why you aren't you living in the girls' villa?") or Jadeite asking for another pummeling.

Nephrite, a heavy sleeper, didn't even stir. The knocking continued, of course, so finally Kunzite rose and opened the door. "What?" he barked.

The golden-haired beauty at the door didn't cringe, though she appeared to be on the verge of doing so. "I, uh, I--could we talk?" Mina finally blurted out.

By this time Kunzite's sleepy vision had focused enough to realize that the blonde he had pseudo-saved was standing at his door asking to talk.

"I suppose 'talk' is some euphemism for something else in your language?"

She shook her head, not even rising to the half-veiled insult. "No, I just want to talk. And walk. I can do both at the same time, you know," she said in a solemn tone.

The corner of Kunzite's mouth twitched at this. "New trick?"

Minako couldn't help winking up at him. "Like they say, you can always teach an old gerbil new tricks right?"

The silver-haired man shook his head in disbelief. "Uhm, right. Let me grab my shoes."

**

"So basically, I'm really sorry. Like reallyy sorry." She and her companion walked side-by-side, with her trailing her hand over the hedges and him keeping his hands clasped behind his back.

"I'm sorry, how sorry was that?" Kunzite couldn't help teasing in his monotone voice. He paused mentally, slightly confused at this semi-joke. He realized that it was too easy to become comfortable with this Mina. Strange.

Mina immediately swatted his arm, which she found to be exceedingly strong and muscular. The whole of him was strong and muscular, actually...Stop thinking like that, Mina. Focus.

"The thing is, I'm just...Well, let's put it this way: Zoisite says if I had a trademark movie it would be 'She Gets What She Wants.'"

Kunzite glanced over at this girl who was probably a foot shorter than him. "Kind of scary."

She shrugged her shoulders delicately. "I suppose. To be honest you're the first guy who's just flat out turned me down. And that kept egging me on and on until I pulled that 'save me, I'm drowning' stunt. So, in short, I'm sorry I've been scheming to make you fall for me."

"And you'll stop?"

Mina paused here, and looked the man straight into his silvery green eyes. "I'll stop the scheming anyway."

"But...?"

"I still want you to fall for me," she said bluntly, bright blue eyes practically glued to his emerald ones as if hers existed only to look into his.

Kunzite blinked at this abrupt confession. After a few moments of processing, he slowly replied. "That's not happening Mina. You don't even know me that well."

"So, I'll get to know you," she spouted without missing a beat.

"Look, there isn't any reason for you to like me--it's clearly all in your head."

"Kunzite, when you saved me--or thought you did, I know it wasn't my head telling me you were crazy concerned."

This touched a nerve, probably because it was completely true. "I would have been concerned whomever it had been," he said defiantly. "Besides, you're just a kid, really, and I don't need some girly--"

"I'm 18."

"Yes, well congratulations. You're passably pretty, I'll grant you that--" he could have sworn she gave a 'humph' at this admission-"but otherwise, I don't find you attractive in that way."

Mina was silent.

Fired up now, Kunzite continued: "You might think you can 'get to know me,' but I don't really want to get to know you."

Her eyes widened a little.

Damn that had been harsh, he realized too late, wishing he could take it back. And yet he didn't and just kept running off his stupid mouth. "I, uh, I didn't come here to deal with some girly infatuation. I just want some peace."

More silence, and it was unnerving.

He finally wrapped it up. "I'm not interested in a relationship right now. Thanks."

With that brusque comment and 'thank you' as if he'd just turned down a business deal, he walked away.

And instead of feeling relieved about apologizing, Mina just felt a little emptier inside.
***

"Ami, you're dressing up by choice, again?" Serena asked in awe. Although none of the girls had really seen Taiki since that first uncomfortable dinner, the man kept spiriting their Ami off with him to hotel banquets and functions. It was clear he felt something for her, and it really did seem that Ami reciprocated, but...Serena realized Ami hadn't even said whether she did or not.

Anyway, what about Zoisite? Was that going to go nowhere? Serena determined to find out.

As the wheels turned in Serena's mind, Ami replied to her question. "Erm, yes I am; Taiki asked me to a business lunch out at the same waterfall park all of you are going to today. But I can't seem to find my blue summer dress--"

"Oh screw the blue dress. Here, take--" She rummaged through Rei's closet without a twinge of guilt and pulled out a strapless white and red paisley dress.

She tossed it to Ami who bemusedly caught it. "Um, thanks but shouldn't we actually ask Rei?"

Serena shrugged. "Sure. HEY REEII!"

"WHAT DO YOU WANT ODANGO!" yelled back a voice from the kitchen.

"CAN AMI BORROW YOUR SLUTTY PAISLEY DRESS?"

"YEAH FINE. AND IT'S NOT SLUTTY!"

Serena nodded with a smile of satisfaction on her face. Uncertainly, Ami looked down at the questionably revealing dress, then shrugged, deciding to wear a cardigan over it to be safe.

"Lame," was Serena's response when Ami walked in in the finalized outfit. "And tell me you're not wearing those tatty flip flops." Her blue-haired friend lowered her gaze to said shoes: "What's wrong with them?"

"Hon, I'm sorry to pick on you, but you need heels--badly. I have some ones that match, but..." She glanced into her closet. "I may have snuck them into Jadeite's suitcase when he wasn't looking."

"Oh Serena," Ami chided.

"What, mine was full. Besides, he had the room. Run over and get them," Serena more or less ordered her friend, ushering her out the door.

**
Nephrite and Jadeite appeared in the girl's kitchen a minute after Ami had left her villa. There they found Rei and Lita preparing a picnic lunch of BLT's and snacks.

"Jeez, you'd think you girls were feeding an army," Jadeite remarked upon seeing the mountain of sandwiches.

"Nope, worse--we're feeding you guys," Lita teased.

"Can we help?" Nephrite offered.

The brunette didn't answer for a moment. Without looking at him she said, "No worries; we women are in charge of this kind of stuff, right?" she said brightly, before shoving the heavy basket into Nephrite's arms and going out the door. Rei raised her eyebrows at the same time as Jadeite, but followed.

Jadeite looked over at Nephrite. "What the hell did you do?"

Nephrite shook his head, forgetting that since Jadeite had shrunken all his clothes he had decided to play the "I am deaf to all Jadeite says" game. "I'm not really sure..."

Rei, who had caught this last bit as she exited, raised her eyes to the ceiling for patience. God, boys were stupid.

**
Meanwhile, Ami had swiped into the men's villa (the girls now had access, but not-so-surprisingly the boys still could not enter the girls' villa). She reached Zoisite and Jadeite's room and knocked timidly, hoping to find only Jadeite.

"Come in!" urged a voice from inside.

Ami would never tell the girls what happened next, though truth be told it would play in her mind continuously for the next few days...(even weeks/months).

It really wasn't a big deal, she'd tell herself later. It was a sincere accident, and could have happened with any of the the other men. And though Ami, in that case, would have turned a little pink and apologized, it wouldn't have mattered much.

Except...except in this case it did matter, and a little too much. And that was what frustrated her to no end.

Upon entering the room, Ami realized that Jadeite was nowhere to be found. Actually, upon entering the room, Ami completely forgot she had come to see Jadeite.

Hell, she forgot Jadeite or anyone besides Zoisite even existed.

It said a good deal about her self-control that the first thing she noticed was his hair, tousled from towel-drying, but dripping still, dark gold strands hanging over his face, some plastered to his graceful neck and broad shoulders.

Besides his hair, he wasn't clad in much else-- except a towel slung around his hips. Correction: a towel slung dangerously loose about his slim hips. As for the rest of him...what was there to say except that it glistened with water, was bare, sculpted and more or less gorgeous.

She vaguely heard a throat clearing, breaking into her fog-covered thoughts. With effort, she looked up, eyes still wide like a deer's.

Zoisite wore an amused smile. "Hey, Ami. Did you need something?" No remarks about her staring, about how rude and uncomfortable it was. And no attempts at flirting though really, his bare chest did enough of the tempting.

"I uh, I needed to look at a chest--I mean suitcase!" she corrected wildly. Her cheeks were on fire. Her whole body was blushing by now.

Zoisite nodded patiently as if the words that had come out of her mouth actually made sense. "Jadeite's suitcase? I think I heard him bitching about Serena putting her shoes in it. Aw, don't tell me they actually are Serena's and not his?" he said lightly.

"Um, y-yes. But I'll just go."

Instead of stopping her, Zoisite nodded again. Later (when her brain had returned from their vacation in the Bahamas) she would realize that he was the patient and mature one in this case. Whereas she...just babbled. "How 'bout I find them for you and bring them over to the car?"

"Ok..."

"By the way, you look really nice," he complimented with simple sincerity, though he internally gritted his teeth, knowing she was going out with Taiki again.

This was too much for Ami. Having a little trouble breathing, Ami inclined her head and fairly zoomed out of the room.

**
The gang crowded into two cars once more for the day trip to the waterfall park. Unsurprisingly, a tussle between Darien and Serena delayed their leaving.

"Sorry, Meatball Head, I'd like to get to the park alive so I'm driving."

"You drove it last time! And I'll have you know I'm a great driver!"

"Bumper cars don't count."

Zoisite rolled his eyes in Andrew's direction. "Does either of them even know that I have the keys?" he said, trying to be heard over Serena's: "I'VE DRIVEN A REAL CAR BEFORE!"

Andrew shook his head in amusement. "Sneak in and start her up before they tackle each other," he advised.

Pause. "What are you doing?" Andrew demanded as Zoisite stood stock-still, not even attempting to get into the Porsche.

"I kind of want to see them tackle each other..."

**
Rei found herself once again squashed against Jadeite in the car, but managed to somehow angle her body so she could only see Mina, who sat on her other side.

"You look down," she said bluntly. "What's going on?"

The normally bright-face girl only shook her head. "It's nothing."

"Okay, seriously Mina, I'm not liking this Edward Scissorhands persona; it kind of freaks me out. At least tell me later."

"Yeah, okay." The blonde glanced over at Kunzite, who occupied the passenger seat of the van. Noticing this and, unsurprised that Kunzite was the root of the problem, Rei shook her head.

Loudly, just as Jadeite was about to coyly sling an arm around her shoulders, Rei announced: "Man, am I sick of boys."

The three males in the car all shot her pointed looks, while the girls had to fight to burst out laughing.

Needless to say, Jadeite kept his hands to himself. Anyhow, Rei would be singing another tune soon enough, he mused evilly.

**

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