III.

By this time, Minako knew full well that things had taken a turn beyond the point of fucked up. The incident in the old, empty room across the servants' quarters had been followed by several other just as explosive, rush-of-the-moment intimacies, and following them, neither her nor her (friend? co-worker? lover?) could look the other in the eye.

This, of course, was blatant, and didn't go unnoticed by the other senshi. While the colourful and strangely opposed mentalities of the princess of Love and the princess of War had called for some interesting dynamics and quirky bouts of dry and witty exchanges from day one, they no longer made eye contact or any form of contact at all the way they had before. Before, even though they had been on bad terms, they were unafraid of harshly elbowing or kneeing or glaring the other down as they bickered, but now it seemed as though to do so would be detrimental to their healths somehow. Sometimes it were as though they were trying to be cold with one another – and they were failing horribly, but they were trying nonetheless – because every morning Minako would find Rei wide awake and leave without a word or a protest for her to stay. She knew she didn't deserve it, but she yearned for it, and every single time she was denied it she knew that there was no one else to blame for her broken heartstrings.

It had never been like this with anyone else before. It had always been so much simpler – a one night stand with some girl, a flirtatious two-week boyfriend – and Minako knew exactly why it was so complicated and it scared her to say it even to herself. She knew full well that the problem here was her – her cowardice, her excruciating habit of beating around the bush, her devastatingly good acting – and the truth was that, when she woke up, Rei smiled at her like she was the only person in the world, and her pride wouldn't even allow her to return the gesture.

"Awake?"

Rei's voice was undeterminably soft, and had lost all the huskiness of the previous night. Half-awake and dreary, Minako acknowledged a quality of something in it that was beautiful, but that she couldn't quite identify, and as though it were her instinct to do so – as though this were perfect, as though it were meant to be – she pressed her face further into Rei's neck, just below her ear, and felt her hair envelope her features like a dark cloud. Minako's element was the light, indeed, but the dark – somehow – was comforting to her.

"Hn."

Minako didn't attempt to decipher their tangle of limbs in her weary state. Her half-lidded eyes were content with half-sight and her senses were content to be overwhelmed with a comforting heat and the tips of her fingers sensed a scar. She pulled Rei closer – kissed her softly – and between her lips and her princess' earlobe was born a sound – a moment – born of no control.

"I love you, Rei."

There was silence – and then they both realised what had just been said.

Minako wasn't sure what she felt first. She wasn't sure if it was realisation at that stupid fucking slip-up or Rei's painfully hopeful, vulnerable violet eyes or her heart smacking against her ribcage like Makoto's fist

but she was really fucking scared.

She tried to do the only thing she knew to do – the only thing it made sense to do – and there was an ecstasy of fumbling, and she tried to escape, but Rei was holding her – and she was holding her gently – but she was caged

and Minako really didn't fucking want to cry.

"C'mon, Mina, our first morning after and you're so eager to leave?"

Her tone was teasing of all things, teasing – and it only pissed Minako off, and her anger only drew her closer to tears.

She really didn't get it. She really didn't get that there was duty, the princess, the Empire, their homes, their people, their families, the universe

"Sh."

Then there were rough thumbs on her soft cheeks and Minako could taste salt and she knew she couldn't leave forever

but she had to leave for now.

"I'm sorry," Rei whispered, a heartbreaking dejectedness in her eyes and on her breath. "You can leave."

But Minako was bitter and numb with cold when she did.


The arrival of Earth's Royal Procession in the capital of the Empire was a much welcomed event from where Minako stood. The princess of Venus had been born and bred to eat, sleep, and breathe politics, so whenever she wanted to get something of her mind – although she supposed it was a little twisted – what better way to do so than with an exchange of sickening smiles? She wasn't fond of Earthlings – not at all – but that was the fun of it. She only knew how to talk to people who weren't listening, after all.

However, about a week into the Earthlings' stay, it turned out that nothing good was about to come of their presence. She detected with much suspicion (and perhaps just a little bit of anger) the manner in which Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion had had begun scarcely to appear in front of anyone but themselves without seeming absolutely foolish and flustered. Minako didn't have to be the Goddess of Love to see what was transpiring between them – Rei saw it too, seemed to regard it with much more hostility than the rest of them. The fire senshi and the Prince almost seemed as though they might be from warring planets – as though, Minako thought bitterly, from Mars and Venus – and while politics were supposed to have taken her mind off her second in command, they only seemed to push her to the edge of a cliff; to make her question why in the world Rei could possibly hold such scorn for the man who was making love to the princess.

"A ball? What a marvellous idea!"

The princess' joy at this suggestion prompted Minako to imagine – with much distaste – a golden, wagging tail spawn from underneath her dress. Her mouth hung open with glee and somehow it seemed to the Venusian that there wasn't much difference between Serenity's smile and a dog's.

You need to stop hating her so much.

Serenity was across the room in the second it took for a thought to form, and she danced around Rei in graceless circles that quickly began to become dizzying. But Rei was balancing an invisible object on the tip of her chin and staring intently at some crack in the ceiling so as to channel her concentration. When she was yanked into a clumsy embrace, the object wavered, and then was still.

"What do you think, Rei?"

Minako's chest encountered several painful constrictions as Rei's gaze dropped to the lively, tranquil eyes of the princess and a barely noticeable half-smile made to grace her features. Beyond that smile her eyes were hardened – no doubt anticipating that Serenity and Endymion would dance to their hearts' content at this ball of theirs – and this must have been what caused Minako pain, but it failed the princess completely. When Rei nodded her potential somewhat-approval, Serenity only hugged her more tightly, and then bounced away, panting like a mutt as she returned, oblivious, to the prince – her master.

Truthfully, Minako could not admit to resenting Serenity and Endymion's relationship entirely for the political ambiguity of the situation, and she was quite sure that Rei would be unable to confess to such a thing either. Even despite knowing this truth of one another, however, when their gazes met – and they both allowed it to be so, just that once – they both tried to appear as though there were no personal reasons caught up in what they were determined to destroy.


A/N: Sorry for the wait, guys, and sorry about how stupidly short this chapter is as well orz. The next one promises to be longer and to have lots of drama!

But now for REVIEW RESPONSES, because it's about time I gave you lot some.

Wicked Hermit: Thanks! I really appreciate that, since what I'm trying to accomplish is to portray lots of emotions in particular moments rather than details. Awkward yet comforting was totally what I was going for there (I think). Lol, truthfully, I always just do what feels right, so I'm glad it feels right to you :D

Honulicious: Yeah, sorry about that; things are only going to continue to be skipped! But not to the extent that the plotline becomes confusing or the whole thing falls apart, I hope. Thanks for the feedbaaack :)

xXMiMiXx: I'm really glad you like my style! It's always been a tricky one to work with, sometimes people that I know read my material and have no idea what in the world is going on lol. So I'm glad that you do :P

LoneWolfSkye: Secretly, I'll never get sick of them either ;) Hm, truthfully, I have no idea whether or not/how I'm going to (attempt to) re-incorporate the orphan girl, but I'd kind of like to, because although she was a very spur of the moment character I liked her a lot. XD I'm glad you're enjoying yourself so far!

Jedi Caro: Thanks! Basically this whole story is built off tension (mostly of the sexual variety) ;P

reiko of mars: Don't worry, no matter how sporadic my updates may be I truly intend on seeing this story to the end. I love this pairing way too much not to :P Thanks!

CloudAuditoreFair-SinisterJ: Lol, I feel that way too sometimes. Yaaay, I'm glad that it interests you! *takes confidence* THE WRITING WILL CONTINUE!

gurj14: Dear gurj14, I love YOU (gush). This review really made me smile, and I was probably blushing a little too :P Thanks so much!