Zoi*

kun-zite:

nephrite:

Nephrite brought his hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose as he breathed in deeply.  “Oh I don’t doubt your ability to kill me Zoisite, even without reason. I can only imagine the pleasure you would receive in chopping my head off but before you go pinning that one on me she figured it out for herself. You of all people should know how smart she is I should have calculated for that risk. But I’ll have you know I specifically told her not to be seen, and even stressed the matter of not killing anyone! If she did any of that yesterday it wasn’t because I ordered her to do it. Something had to set her off and I won’t even guess as to what that might have been.”

He was trying…lord help him, he was trying but Zoisite wasn’t making it any easier for him.  Though he had no reason to, none of them did. “Making an ass of myself has always been something I’ve excelled at, but my “assness” isn’t in question.” He moved closer to Zoisite in a bulky yet calm manner before Nephrite’s eyes sought out his. His hands were clenched at as he nearly stomped his foot on the ground “What is it that you want from me Zoisite? I’ve offered you my assistance and yet I’m met with nothing but your sarcasm as per usual. Do you want me to say it? Is that what it’s going to take to make you reasonable? I killed her! There I said it, I took advantage of her when you left her to think and I killed her! Now does that make it better? Because standing here and arguing with me isn’t going to solve anything and I’m tired of it! I don’t get how you have a child let alone how she gave birth to the thing so quickly but I figure.” Nephrite dangerously contemplated grabbing the front of Zoisite’s shirt and shaking him up a bit, before he decided just to walk away, turning his back to him. “Just do what you should have done yesterday by bringing her back and kick my ass later.”

After his final outburst Nephrite finally had his center back, turning around to face them once more and prayed he hadn’t ruined things any worse than what they already were. “With that said, you’ll understand me if I tell you I don’t feel like running today Zoisite. I’d really rather stay around and have you draw blood than run away like the coward you say I am.” Even if Zoisite had pushed his ideas aside he could only hope that Kunzite or someone would have another plan for him. Although Zoisite was right, after what he had just said Kunzite might as well pitch him out the window or punch him in the face again. He’d deserve it and at this rate he would be getting punched in the face more than his fair share in the coming week. Thinking this over caused that all too familiar sinking feeling of being alone to being threatening his resolve once more but he must remain strong. He loved Zoisite deep down but he had always been his weakest side.

Turning his attention to Kunzite, Nephrite hung his head as his mind continued to battle over whether or not his brothers had finally had their fill of him. He knew that he couldn’t keep standing here arguing with Zoisite, it wasn’t serving either of them any purpose. Zoisite wouldn’t listen to him and he wasn’t helping his case by running his mouth. He looked over at Kunzite and could just see the thinly veiled anger in his face. He’d been annoyed with him earlier and I’m sure any compassion he’d had for him was now gone.  “For once I just wanted to be told the entire truth without being left in the shadows. I get you’re the leader and I get that you’ve sacrificed a lot for all of us, especially me but I’m tired of this game. Kunzite…you have to believe me. I’m tired of running and fighting and just screwing things over like I’ve always done. Surely there has to be something left for me besides just running away.”

Kunzite leaned back with a sigh as he saw slowly saw Nephrite’s resolve thinning.  Even as he defended himself, he knew the man was growing weary.  He let him talk, to rant, to Zoisite until he’d had his fill.  He was only somewhat surprised when Nephrite said he’d killed the Murcurian.  He was also sure that at most, only half of it was his anger talking.

The child came up again.  Something that only he and Zoisite could explain to Nephrite.  She was a part of an explanation that Kunzite had owed Nephrite since the beginning.  But what would he do?  He couldn’t tell an angry man that the enemy were to be their partners.  He wouldn’t have accepted it then.  When Nephrite turned on him, stating his thoughts, Kunzite rose.

“You don’t have to run.  I’ve told you that.  Even with Zoisite here, you don’t have to run.  There’s some way to fix it.  We’re back.  We’re standing here right now.  There’s no way that she’s unable to come back and we’re allowed to stand here right now,” Kunzite was trying to reassure him.  He’d forgotten Zoisite’s side and his reasons for anger.  He wanted it calm.  He turned towards his youngest brother, “Foolish or not, Nephrite is still a shitennou.  He will not come out unpunished, but he deserves the chance to fix this.”

He knew Zoisite wouldn’t be happy with his decision.  Zoisite’s anger would turn him against it immediately.  However, Kunzite felt as though Zoisite had enough trust in him for this.  At least this once.  He turned back to Nephrite.

“You know you wouldn’t have handled the truth about Crystal Tokyo any better before.  The Moon Princess will be Neo-Queen.  And our Prince will be her King.  The will have a child and, apparently, so will the Murcurian and Zoisite.  Even if you do not thing the Prince deserves to wed the woman he loves, you’re a diplomat, you understand quite well how unions between two royal families are for the better.  This is no different.  Unifying two groups so this damned killed can stop.”

Zoisite bitterly enjoyed watching his brother squirm. He drank in the dark-haired man’s discomfort like a fine wine, his green eyes ignited with a strange, justified pleasure. It was not as though he hated the man, but he did want to see him hurt just as much as he himself was. Nephrite deserved it. So as Nephrite took a step towards him, Zoisite grinned at the delicious turmoil he caused for his brother.

Then the words came. Three words that Zoisite had been searching for, but now that they echoed into the room, everything changed. It made him feel hollow inside; despite having wanted the confession, hearing the actual words from his brother’s mouth was terrible. It brought no satisfaction, no pleasure. It just made him feel alone. Zoisite’s smile faded almost instantly, and his hearing garbled up as if he were underwater. Nephrite was still yelling at him, but he couldn’t really focus on it. How had this all gone so wrong?

But instead of apologizing, Zoisite hardened. He let his gaze drop to the floor and let Nephrite turn away. His brother said he did not want to run, and before Zoisite could even think of an answer, Kunzite had stepped in. Zoisite’s green eyes flew to his mentor, welled up with tears of uncertainty. A brief flash of anger, misunderstanding, a question of, ‘why?’ was communicated through his eyes. His mentor did not speak, but there was an answer in his eyes: trust me. Zoisite turned his nose up and away from the other two men, his lips pressed tight. A lofty air came over him as he crossed his arms delicately over his chest. “Fine. If Kunzite has asked you to say, you better be wise enough this time to stay put.”

Kunzite voice boomed with reason at Nephrite, and Zoisite listened painfully. Speaking of Pallas and Ami brought back the pain fresh, but he was instinctively loyal to Kunzite, no matter the circumstance. He turned to Nephrite with a bitter look. ”So now you know, dear brother,” he said sharply. “My future daughter walks among us. A child born both of Senshi and Shitennou alike, and yes, she will take after her mother. In the future, I will have a family with one of those aliens that you fight against so desperately. Will you hate me for this? Our lives have been tied together, past, present and future. I cannot fight them any longer, Nephrite. I have no reason to.”

Zoisite bared his teeth in a sharp sneer, cocking his head to one side as he raised a brow. His eyes burned into Nephrite from behind Kunzite’s shoulder. “You may not like any of this, but it is happening. It is going to happen. The future is real, and my daughter is living proof. So this damned crusade you’re on to make those girls leave is never going to succeed, Nephrite. Never. You have failed before you ever even started.”