This is going to sound weird, but I totally didn't expect this story. Yes, I wrote it in the same way as the previous two oneshots, but it was only as I was putting down the description for "Need you now" that I realised it was going to be part of a mini-series (or a trilogy at least), and that Rei and Jadeite's romance would next. #facepalm #endoframbling

Rei and Jadeite have Ann Wilson & Robin Zander's "Surrender to me" as their soundtrack. You can watch the video on YouTube ;)

Please review! And thank you for reading on :) If you like this story, check out Usagi&Mamoru in "You don't bring me flowers" and Ami&Zoicite in "Need you now".

I don't own Sailor Moon or the song ;)

Surrender to me

The door to the hotel room slammed shut with a noise so violent that a painting on the opposite wall fell down. The frame cracked right down the middle, splitting the glass into two neat halves. It was something at least. He wouldn't be getting his feet slashed by a stray piece.

Jadeite Midori sat down on the bed with a heavy sigh. He'd just managed to screw up his relationship. Or what was left of it by now. He'd been messing it up for months with his insecurities and doubts. God, he felt like a fucking worm. No, worm was too good for him. He was a fucking termite, chipping away at a solid structure until there was nothing good and decent left.

His head was pounding, the weight of regret pulsing through his body. How the fuck was he supposed to get through a whole evening at the Met?

Rei and Jadeite didn't fall in love with each other the second they met at her father's campaign centre. For one thing, she was 12 and he was 20. He was a volunteer, working to revamp the website to attract more young voters. She was there to be paraded like the nice little girl she wasn't.

On first sight, she thought he was a boring dweeb. His clothes were so wrinkled she thought he probably slept in them. He thought she was an annoying brat, and told her so to her face. She got back at him by "accidentally" spilling ice tea on his crotch, making his jeans look as if he'd peed on himself. He got his own back by hacking her Messenger and sending her baby pictures to her classmates. She thought it hilarious. Even back then, she had too much self-esteem to care about stupid stuff. More importantly, she was impressed that he'd taken the matter into his own hands and not actually told on her. They became friends after that.

He was the brother she never had, the only person in the world who cared enough to like her for what she was, not for the campaign poster image she could be made into or the family man votes she attracted. He saw in her the same loneliness and sense of being apart from others, and didn't judge her for it. She liked his dweebiness, complete with a lack of fashion sense and online game addiction as it was. Some days, it felt like it was them against the world.

It didn't last, of course. She grew up and started letting more people into her life, including a group of four girls that were nothing like her. And she loved them for it. He grew out of his unattractive phase and paid more attention to the way women were checking him out. The day she realised she had a crush on him was the day she decided to move away from home. He was too important to lose because of some childish feelings. They saw each other only when she was back on holiday, both thinking the time they'd spent apart was a good enough excuse for the distance between them.

Then came that unforgetable night she got drunk at the college party.

The 6 was less crowded than she's expected. Rei Hino pushed her way through a group of kids comparing Pokémons on their iPhones and found a clean-looking seat. She was the best dressed woman on the train, though her full length red gala dress was not the reason people made way for her. They did it because she looked pissed to the core, and mean about it too.

She didn't care about the looks she was getting. She was used to that, people had been staring at her all her life. She was trying hard to find her ballance again. She thought he knew how she felt about politicians, how hard she'd fought to get away from that life. She'd sworn she'd never be anyone's campaign prop again. And still, he wanted to follow in her father's footsteps of all people. She didn't know if she was more hurt or angry about it. No, on second thought she was p.i.s.s.e.d.

She needed to chill. She couldn't show up at the gala looking fit to chew nails, Usagi deserved better than that. She took her phone out of her purse and connected the earplugs. She only had one playlist on her Spotify, so it wasn't really a surprise that the first song in the queue was their song. Her mouth twisted with the irony of it, and she pressed play.

Jadeite's car tore out of the parking lot as if his hair was on fire. He wanted to get to the Met and catch Rei before their friends' performance started. She wouldn't have calmed down by then, but he couldn't wait for that. His fingers drummed a steady tattoo on the steering wheel, totally of out tune with the song playing on the radio. And then, that song came on. Rei was the one who was a big believer in all that fate and karma shit. He decided right then and then that he was going to believe as well.

[Jadeite]
Is it that we've been together much too long?
The answer may not be in black and white.
Jadeite is sitting on his living room sofa, eyeing the last piece of pizza in the box. Rei is still busy with her can of root beer, though she looks like she's still hungry. He reaches out and grabs the slice, then tears it down in two, offering the bigger part to her. She takes it and gives him a big, goofy grin. Maybe she won't mind when he kicks her ass in Dota this time.

The train left Astor Place more crowded than it was strictly comfortable. Rei stood up to give her seat to an old man and got a rare thing in return: a New Yorker's smile. She smiled back and thought of her grandpa. He had the right words for any situation. She could imagine what he'd say about the mess she was in now.

[Rei]
We're always trying to prove who's right or wrong,
Yet now we're giving up without a fight.
Rei is sitting on the porch, looking at the stars. She's just confessed she's in love for the first time. Or, to be more accurate, that she's been in love for a long time. Though he's known all along, grandpa pretends he's surprised and listens in silence for a while, then tells her to follow her heart. He always was a romantic. Rei knows her decision is more difficult than that. She'll think about it tomorrow. Tonight, Jadeite is taking her out for ice cream.

The thought of her leaving again was driving Jadeite crazy. Run a red light crazy. Honk at every asshole on the street crazy. She was a damn fine woman, kind and strong to boot. Give her the slightest reason to be disappointed though... Jadeite shook his head. That's what Rei always did, ran away at the first sign of trouble in their relationship. She couldn't handle being disappointed by any man, and he was the one who got the brunt of all her crushed expectations.

[Jadeite]
But I know when you're gone,
Jadeite is helping Rei pack. She's moving out of her father's house to go live with her grandfather. She's already warned him that she's getting busy with school and won't be able to hang out as much. Well, that's fucking fine with him! He was tired of babysitting anyway. Now he can go and pick up strangers in bars and get laid in sleazy motels, just like any normal guy his age.

A couple in front of her was holding hands. No other PDA, just their hands held tightly together, the guy's thumb making slow circles on the back of the girl's hand. It reminded Rei of all the times she'd sat like that next to Jadeite. It took him a long time to realise how she felt about him, and even when then it was only because she'd made it impossible for him to ignore her. She'd wondered so many times if he gave in because she gave him no other choice.

[Both]
I'll wish I held on.

So, baby, surrender to me.
There'll be no holding back now.
So, baby, surrender to me tonight.
Rei is sitting in the passenger seat with the widow open. A gentle draft is cooling her face, calming the sickness in her stomach. Though she went to the party just because she'd wanted to get shit faced, she's regretting that decision now. Little food - no water - too many shots. Bad, bad combo. At least she was smart enough to call Jadeite to come pick her up. That made her laugh. Boy, could he deliver a lecture. Her ears are still ringing with the sound of his disappointment. Well, too bad! If he wants her to behave, he should god damn say that to her. Oh, no, that would actually mean speaking to her, something he hasn't done in months. Not even a fucking emoji. Not even a lonely emoji.
When Jadeite stops the car, Rei simply explodes. She's had enough of his idiotic behaviour. If he ever wants to see her again, he has to man up. She's not a kid anymore. And to show it, she leans across the seat, grabs his neck and kisses the daylight out of him. The best part is when he starts kissing the daylight right back out of her. He'd been dying to do that for months, ever since she started wearing those tight mini dresses and mile long heels.

Rei got off at 86th Street and slowly made her way up. High heels and walking never got along with each other. The ride calmed her down some, though her feelings were still jumbled up inside. She was so confused. She had to choose between the life she'd made for herself away from politics, and Jadeite.

[Rei]
I don't want our love to cause you so much pain.
If this is how it's going to be, I'll walk away.
After many years of working for her father, Jadeite got appointed campaign manager. He's built a solid reputation for himself and people are noticing. The rumours of him running for mayor in a few years are becoming louder. Rei knows that day of his nomination is the day she will leave him.

[Jadeite]
Oh, neither one of us should ever say goodbye.
Let's forget about the past and who's to blame,
Can a man be happy and miserable at the same time? Jadeite is thinking that someone up there must have come up with the perfect torture. He's finally made it, his political career is set. And he knows it will drive Rei away.

[Both]
'Cause when this is all gone,
We'll wish we'd held on.

So, baby, surrender to me.
There'll be no holding back now.
So, baby, surrender to me tonight.
Jadeite and Rei meet at the hotel. As they go into their room, neither of them says a word. There will be time for that later. Their need for each other is too strong just now. They both know this is the last time they will be together and they don't want to waste a single second.

How could this love be in danger
That used to be so good, so right?
To think that fate could make us strangers
Has thrown me in your arms tonight!
Jadeite is slowly running his hand up and down Rei's spine. They're laying close to each other in the bed, trying to block reality from beneath their warm cocoon.

So, baby, surrender to me.
There'll be no holding back now.
So, baby, surrender to me tonight.
So, baby, surrender . . .
Rei hands over her can of root beer to Jadeite. He drinks what's left of it and picks up his console. The game is on again.

Finding a spot close to the Met proved to be impossible. Jadeite parked on the corner of 78th and 3rd and walked the rest of the way. He was too late to get to Rei before she sat down at her table with the girls. He went with the guys and was happy to be in the back. He figured it was better to have a good view of the table in the front and the stage.

Four girls started screaming when the performing couple made their entrance. Rei clapped with her hands up, and Jadeite couldn't help a smirk at the sight of her dress going tight around her hot body. She turned as if she felt him looking, though she didn't react to his smile. She didn't even blink.

They both kept their eyes on the stage after that. Usagi and Mamoru gave the show of a lifetime. As a businesswoman and doctor respectively, their chances of singing together at the same gig again were pretty slim. What no one doubted was that these two were going places afterwards. Most likely his place, if not hers. Only a few people in the audience understood why their duet was the background for so much more. Their song ended with a standing ovation and their very own #loveatthemet. Rei and Jadeite didn't look at each other a single time. As the performance finished, they went their separate ways.

Though they didn't plan on it, Jadeite and Rei reached the hotel lobby at the same time. She saw him first and turned with a disgusted look. He ran in front of her to push the elevator button, then went back to block her way as she headed for the stairs instead. Jadeite didn't wait for Rei to give him another dirty look this time. In one smooth move, he grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her towards him, lowered his shoulder and gently put her upside down on his back. When she predictably started to kick him, he gave her ass a not so gentle pat. That got her quiet fast. He calmly walked to the elevator, nodding to a few smiling bystanders, and lowered her when they got inside. He didn't even give her a chance to catch her breath again. He pushed her to the back wall and kissed her dizzy.

It took a couple of seconds for Rei to catch on, but Jadeite was in for it when she did. She was the one to close the small distance between their bodies and push her fingers through his hair. She was the one who took advantage of his surprised gasp to push her tongue inside his mouth. But he could be pretty predictable too. He growled at the back of his throat and kissed her harder, moving his hand in her hair to keep her still. She was slowly twisting her body against his and he was pulling her dress up when the elevator stopped on their floor. For a second, neither of them recognized the sound of the doors opening.

He was the first to snap out of it, though it was mainly because he'd already moved on to the next stage. He was getting her to the room and the bed. Or the table. Or a private wall. Whichever came first. They stumbled through the door and had to hold on to each other, but that suited them just fine.

Jadeite opened his eyes when Rei's touch on his back became unbearably tender. The morning light filtered through the curtains, giving him a clear look of her serious face. She looked the same as he did the day before, when she'd told him they were over. She looked as if she was about to repeat the words.

"We shouldn't have done this. I only came to get my suitcase. I wanted to move to a different room. We shouldn't have done this." Rei didn't notice she said that last twice, but Jadeite did. He knew it was a sign of her hurt. She never babbled.

"You're wrong. This wasn't wrong. This was exactly the right thing to do. When else was I going to tell you that I'm not going to accept the nomination?" Jadeite allowed himself a small laugh when Rei's jaw went slack. He turned and kissed her open mouth softly, his smile pressed between their lips. Then it was both of their smiles pressed against each other. And their hands held tightly, his thumb gently circling her palm.