Tiltle: Silence
Disclaimer—I don't own Sailor Moon, or any show.
Chapter 1—Not Knowing
It was a very hot night. Even now that the sun had set, the air was heavy enough to choke on. Rei Hino lay back on her bed, supine and listless—it had been a long day of chores under the sun. She was content to simply lay back and enjoy doing nothing. She closed her eyes, waiting for sleep to come. But sleep did not come.
Instead an image of a lovely blonde with a pretty red ribbon flitted through her mind. The girl was looking back coyly as she ran away. Rei opened her eyes. She sighed. She knew what would end up happening tonight. It was a regular routine.
"Minako," she growled lowly, and allowed her eyes to close again. She had so many ways to do this. What should Minako wear tonight? A tiny black dress with black stockings? Or one of the light cotton skirts she liked to wear; the type that danced in the air and teased Rei with their scant length? Or maybe she should be vulnerable, in her underwear…the flower print bras and thongs Rei knew from countless shopping trips and shared fitting rooms that she wore…
What should Minako say tonight? "Take me." "I want you." "I love you, Reiko." "Don't stop! Don't stop, I need you, oh! I need you Reiko."
The phone was ringing, shrilly. It took every ounce of hard-earned self-discipline to take that steadying breath and pick it up. Her voice was low and raspy as she spoke, "Hello, Hikawa Shrine."
"Rei-ko."
The raven-haired miko's eyes widened, I need you, Reiko, "Mina- chan." The giggle at the other end of the line caused Rei to swallow audibly.
"One and only! You'd better not be sleeping, Reiko. It's a Friday. Friday only comes around once a week, you know!"
"I'm aware of how a week works, Minako."
The girl only scoffed playfully, "So were you sleeping?"
Rei only rolled her black-violet eyes derisively, "Trust me, I wasn't sleeping."
"Good!" Minako smiled and twirled her phone cord, "So why don't you come pick me up? We could go see a movie or something."
Was there ever even a chance she'd say no? This was really getting ridiculous. The miko opened the rusty old door of her grandfather's ancient car… it was her father's first, too. But she was using it now. Using it mostly to fulfill Minako's capricious whims.
Her grandfather was shocked to find she'd wanted it. She always refused it before. What was she supposed to say? "The girl I love, little ditzy Minako, made some passing comment about us needing cars; about every teenager needing a car. She told me how Haruka had taken her on a joyride in her shiny new convertible. I might never be able to afford that, but I can have this rusty old thing."
Rei had to admit she did like the feeling driving gave her. Like this, at night with few cars on the road. And of course, there was always something magical about pulling into Mina's nice house and honking twice to call her out. Then she'd lean back and count the seconds; Mina always raced down, ever eager to leave her home.
As the car door clicked closed, Rei felt arms around her—the blonde had always been so touchy with her. Rei didn't know if it was only wishful thinking or…but what else could it be?
"Hello, Reiko." Mina turned her head up from the nook of Rei's neck to kiss her china-doll pale cheek.
Rei could only clear her throat and silently miss the contact, as the blonde pulled her silky head away. "So where to?"
Minako bit her lip, "I suddenly don't feel like a movie. Take me somewhere else. Somewhere wonderful."
Rei chuckled lowly as she began to drive, "God, are you vague."
"I'm only trying to be mysterious and spontaneous for my Reiko," Mina winked and blew the girl a kiss.
"Yes, but what you call mysterious and spontaneous borders on lunacy for normal people."
Minako only pouted, "Rei! I've only been in your car for 5 minutes and you've already insulted me twice, do you realize that?"
"Sorry," Rei grumbled, partly because she knew her confused emotions made her moody and often too harsh around her best friend and partly because she was terrible at apologies.
"Not good enough," Mina smirked in that infuriating way she did, "I want some compliments to cancel out all that negativity."
Rei bit her lip and gave Mina a sideways glance, initially to reproach her, but she paused when she took in what the girl was wearing. She quickly turned her eyes back to the road, no sense in us dying over a glimpse, "I like you in jean skirts, you know."
Minako nodded, satisfied by the praise, "Why, thank you." She leaned forward and turned on the radio, switching to a pop station she knew Rei pretended to dislike.
For a time they enjoyed the ride in their lovely silence. With them the things that weren't said were the most important of all. Their banter was full of walls and dead ends, like a silly maze. It was a dirty art they'd perfected long ago, and learned to love and resent with equal fervor. But when they both stopped talking, and simply shared the air, the music, the heat. That was what spoke volumes.
Unfortunately, silence wasn't ever as sure or concrete as words. Words like, "I love you," for instance.
Minako smiled a secret, silly grin and rolled the window down. Sure enough the smell of salt air hit her nostrils; pungent and suggestive like her Reiko. She spoke in a sing-song voice, "I-know-where-you're-taking-me-e-e-e."
"Oh, yeah," Rei challenged, "Where is that, then?"
"Only to my most favorite spot in the entire world," Mina reached a hand out the window to feel that sweet wind rush through her fingers, "No one will be there tonight."
Rei nodded, she'd heard some popular boy in Mina's school was throwing a big party, "Why aren't you at that party too?"
Mina frowned for a second; it seemed like such a ridiculous question, "Because I knew I could get you to do something like this with me instead."
Rei scoffed ruefully as she pulled into the beach's empty parking lot, "Your powers of manipulation should never be underestimated."
"Not when it comes to you, Reiko."
The two stepped out of the car excitedly. For her part, Rei hadn't realized how badly she had needed a hot, windy, sandy night at the beach with the girl she adored. This time, when the smaller girl latched onto her arm, as if Rei was her beau, she didn't scoff or make a derisive comment. She only smiled with pride and allowed herself to enjoy it. She only closed her eyes and imagined a reality where this might be a legitimate date, and she was carefully courting the small blonde.
"Don't be quiet now, Reiko. I want to hear your voice."
Rei cleared her throat, "…When you put me on the spot like that, I can't think of anything to say."
"Well you certainly looked like your brain was active. What were you thinking of?" Minako ran her hands down from where they were hanging onto Rei's bicep to her hand, and held it in between, swinging the miko's arm back and forth.
"I uh, I was thinking, my inquisitive one, that we should find a nice place in the sand to sit and talk."
"Good idea, Reiko!" Minako was beaming now, "Let's go by the rocks, where I first learned about your fear of waves!"
"Not afraid!" Rei fumed slightly, "I'm just not a strong swimmer, you know I don't like the water."
Minako only laughed and tugged at the girl's hand, pushing her down into that spot they'd been to so many times before. The horizon was so blue it was nearly black. Sky and ocean melted together into a single hue. The blonde sighed deeply, breathing in the ocean as a whole, and then threw herself onto her best friend and soul mate. "Reiko you smell just like the beach sometimes. After work, if you've been sweating…"
"Don't be gross, Mina."
"No, it's true," the girl persisted, she felt a little drunk and giddy, "And it's sexy, anyway."
Rei only sighed and looked up at the nearly starless night sky, covered with clouds; muddled and overcast as her own head. "It might rain," she murmured, but she knew Minako wasn't paying attention. She never did when she laid on top of her like this, innocent as a cherub angel. Rei hated the feelings she had, when her sweet friend cuddled into her neck—when she pressed her lips and eyelashes into the space between her neck and collarbone; murmuring sweet nothings, squeezing Rei tight with her hands around her waist. And what did Rei do? Lie there and secretly want to roll her over, press Minako hard into the sand, stare straight into those flirtatious blue eyes, convey all the hidden feelings with her own black-violet orbs and, and then…
She didn't even really know.