Authoress' Note: So I suppose this is overdue? *Laughs nervously*... But really - I have no reviews for this fic at all! *pouts*
But no complaining! Here's the next chapter!

Chapter Three : Venus

"Uh... okay- well... this boy I know said he likes me, as more than a friend. Problem is that we have almost grown up together since the days we were in nappies. He's more like a brother to me and he knows I do not date or keep boyfriends. I've been single all my life and prefer it that way... till I find the correct person..." she blushed shyly and avoided his eyes "He knows that too. And it scares me to imagine him as a boyfriend..." she shuddered involuntarily and looked back to Venus. "Sometimes I feel he's playing a prank on me because it does seem undoubtedly evil... Why would he ask me in spite of knowing all that? And why ask me again and again? And what do I even say to him? I can't keep avoiding him and the topic forever!"

Yamato felt outraged at her story, 'If I ever see this creep I'm gonna...'

"Hey." The girl interrupted his thoughts.

"What?" He growled in irritation.

Her smile shrank and he immediately regretted his outburst. Her voice quivered, "I was only saying: don't get angry. I don't like it when people get angry." Her voice gained strength, "Besides, it's too insignificant to get worked up about... Also if the paparazzi catch you losing your temper then you'll be in for a few hard weeks with everyone running in the opposite direction from you." She smiled.

"Mm-hmm. Yeah. Hadn't thought of that. I somehow always tend to overlook them. But I don't get angry all that often either. Just sometimes..." He paused, searching for an apt word. "Just sometimes in special cases."

She bit her lip and flushed. 'Special cases?' She asked herself, 'What's that supposed to mean? But did her just... he got angry for me?' She flushed even pinker. "So do you have a solution?" She asked him shyly and eagerly.

"Yeah. We could feed him to... sharks? Bears? Dogs? Cats?" He said without pausing to think. Her face was stoic- "How about dinosaurs?" She asked at length and his face crinkled into a smile. The girl continued, "But that doesn't answer either of my questions. Why? And what do I do?"

Yamato laced his fingers and answered thoughtfully, "I don't think he could help but fall in love with you. He might not know you're hurting so it isn't his fault entirely. Boys don't see or understand things like that. Tell him bluntly that you don't think you can accept him as anything but a brother."

She bit her lip again and reflected on his words. He felt so sincere and truthful... "I already told him that." The words rushed out of her mouth. "But he believes we should try. I really don't want to hurt him either. He's one of my closest friends..." she trailed off and began studying her bare fingernails.

"Tell him... Tell him you're gay."

"He knows I'm not. He even knew all my past crushes."

"Tell him you have AIDS..."

"He knows I don't. He knows almost everything about me!"

"Then tell him you have a secret boyfriend.

"That's not very convincing..."

Yamato paused for a moment, "Then tell him that you value your friendship a lot and for you his faith in your friendship is more sacred than a relationship in love."

She started, "Doesn't that sound a little... insincere?"

He shook his head- "You said you've never had a boyfriend so this sounds reasonable enough. Besides if you say it sincerely enough then people do tend to believe it."

She pursed her pink lips and asked tentatively. Maybe it wasn't her position to ask... but still- "Has it worked for you?" Without hesitation, he nodded- "It did. Long ago. I hadn't even liked that girl."

When she looked at him with questioning eyes, he hastily added, "I still don't! But it was a nice way to say no. It should work... And if you mean it then it's definitely a..."

She bit her upper lip this time- "If you say so. I think I'll give it a try..." she fidgeted around in the pockets of her green cargoes. "I better write it down. I tend to forget things a lot!" She grinned and pulled out a sleek phone and happily typed it all out, then taking a long sip of her iced tea she looked at him. Her red eyes were a very unusual feature. Yamato found himself thinking they were contacts but then realised - contacts don't change colour the way real eyes do, the way hers did - now that she was happy, a light danced around in them and they were a healthy, brilliant red. In the car, when she drove, they were slightly darker as if her mind was wandering somewhere else, thinking of things that obviously troubled her. And atop the cliff her eyes were the weirdest. There was a twinkle in them- which he could see. She was undoubtedly happy. But at the same time they were sullen and shifty... And when he asked her about her problems her eyes had lightened, resembling ripe carrots but doubt had shrunk her pupils. Eyes were a window to any soul, he respectfully concluded.

Seeing Yamato's expression become blank, she realised that he wasn't even seeing her. He was lost in his thoughts and she waited patiently for him to get back. Disturbing him would be rude, she understood. He needed help- he would tell her... It was not a liberty she could take and prod him regardless of how exciting the idea sounded.

She let her eyes roam over him - he was wearing a white Ralph Lauren polo shirt; although she couldn't see his legs, she remembered seeing him wearing black bermudas and trainers. His black beanie partially obscured his golden locks which happened to be a dead giveaway. They were spiky and bright, yet looked smooth. She idly wondered what it would feel like to run her fingers through them. He was wearing dark glasses that hid even his brows and nose but she knew that his eyes were a startling, yet soothing blue.

Finally, her impatience got the better of her and she reached a hand across the table, poking his long, callused fingers. He started suddenly and his cheeks went from a pale ivory to rose pink.

"Your turn, Mr. Troubled Rockstar..." she cajoled and as he turned a deeper shade of pink, she joked, "Thinking about your girlfriend?" She laughed.

He shook his head, 'No. Just thinking about you...' "That's the complication..." he clenched and unclenched his fist on the table. She didn't know how to react, yet her mouth formed an almost inaudible "Oh"

"The media is obsessed with my love life! Or lack thereof and every week I miraculously get a new one! This week it's that pink haired witch..."

"You mean the cook? Mimi Tachikawa?"

He grimaced, "Yea, her... I didn't even know who she was until my band mates showed me the newspapers."

"So she's not your girlfriend? That's odd because I remember my friend gushing about it. Apparently in some interview she said you were 'The best boyfriend I've ever had'." She emphasised by drawing quotation marks in the air.

He let out a guttural snarl, "I can't stand the way the media laps it up! I've never had a girlfriend but they've linked me up with every girl in existence with the exception of only - let me see - you!" He sighed in frustration.

"But if they see us together they will. You're their blue-eyed boy..." she smiled bemusedly.

"More like Playboy!" He interrupted ferociously.

She laughed heartily- "My friend says the same thing! She's into gossip and tabloids. Couples, breakups, wardrobe malfunctions, parties... she knows everything!"

"I should get in touch with her; she'd know more about my life than I do." He rubbed the back of his neck forlornly.

"You want the paparazzi to back off and let you breathe..." she observed.

"Yes! You have no idea how gruelling it is!" Sensing people's eyes on him due to the small outburst, he lowered his voice, "If it isn't girlfriends and breakups then its drinking and drugs and God-knows-what-else that I have never done!"

"I have a solution for the link-up part but the drugs et al seems part and parcel of a rock band... still... let me see..."

Yamato leaned forward and took a draught of his cooling cappuccino. He looked at her intently - she was wearing a red Ferrari hoodie and forest-green cargoes. She had short red hair that curled below her ears. Her lips were unnaturally pink but he could see no trace of gloss, balm or lipstick. Maybe they were natural after all. Her eyelashes were long and bathed her eyes and cheeks in shadow when she bent her head. Her hair shone as if it was on fire and her skin was a healthy tan that showed hours under the crisp sun. She looked up and smiled at him. "See..." she began.

Small note here - I've made a decision - I'm not uploading the next till I get more of a response for this fic! Feed my ego and all that *winks*
And thank you for reading! Ja ne!