A/N Okay, I was going to update Rekindled before this one, but for some reason the next chapter is frustrating me, so I decided to work on this instead so I can get my head back on straight. Luckily this one gave me no problems and I have to say that I'm fairly content with the way it turned out. I hope you guys feel the same way. Now let me get my hugs out. BIG HUGS TO:
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A million thank yous to all of you! You guys are the best! Now, moving on!
***Sexual Content Warning***
Now don't go gasping in shock yet. It's not too bad. But to all of you that have read Lunar Princess, the time for Serena's ambush on Darien has arrived. And while this chapter does not contain a lemon so that I can keep the rating the same, there will be a quite a bit of kissing and touching that might be a little more explicit than what I usually post. Believe me, I could have made it a lot more detailed. But I just thought I'd warn you now so that you can't blame me for giving you mental images later. I know some of you like reading about intimate moments, and some of you don't. Hence the warning.
Okay, now that we have that out of the way, I'm going to stop blabbing now.
ENJOY!
When Bad Boys Go Good
Chapter 9
Reeling in the Line
Mina pushed up the dark sunglasses that were slipping down the bridge of her nose as she swirled the straw in her orange-strawberry smoothie. She still couldn't believe that she was up this early on a Saturday morning during her summer vacation.
Okay, so 9:45 was not considered early to some people, but it was to her. After spending the early part of her teen years having to attend 4 am make up sessions while working on the Sailor V movies and the last few years being pulled from her bed at all hours of the night to fight whatever monsters the latest enemy decided to throw their way she had turned into a creature that slept in until at least noon whenever she had the chance.
But this morning she was on a mission, a mission of love. When Serena had called her the night before and had asked her for her help with a problem she was having with Darien she couldn't refuse. She was the love goddess after all. And Serena was her princess, so it was her duty to help her if she was having difficulties in love.
She looked around the patio of the cozy little café that Serena had asked her to meet her at. Her fellow blonde had refused to go into details on the phone last night about what her predicament was, but the fact that Serena had suggested for them to meet here instead of at the arcade lent an air of intrigue to the situation.
She picked her glass up and had just placed her lips around the straw when a shadow fell over her, blocking out the bright morning sun. She looked up, squinting behind her sunglasses, but the person now standing next to her was much too large to be her petite friend.
"Well, well, good morning, Venus," a deep voice drawled smoothly.
Her lips twitched in the hint of a smile. "Good morning to you too, General."
"Do you mind if I join you?" Kunzite asked in a pleasant tone.
She waved a hand toward the chair across from her. "Not at all. I'm just waiting for Serena. She's supposed to be meeting me here soon. So how was your first night in Tokyo?"
Kunzite settled into his seat and sat back, crossing one leg over the other. "It was pleasant, I suppose. Darien came over to our new place and we had a couple of beers and shot some pool while we played catch up. I guess you could say we had a guy's night."
"That sounds nice," Mina replied politely, grateful for the dark lenses that were covering her eyes as she drank in the impressive sight he made sitting there in his dark blue jeans and light blue polo shirt. The soft cotton material hugged his broad shoulders and the fringe of silvery hair falling over his gray eyes made her fingers itch to sweep back the silky locks.
A waiter approached their table and asked Kunzite if he would like to order anything.
"Coffee, black," he said absently before returning his full attention to the young woman across from him. "And how was your evening? You seemed to be very tired when I dropped you off at your house last night."
The calm, refined façade that Mina had been trying to put on crumbled like a sandcastle. "I'll say I was tired! After dealing with the last of my school stuff yesterday morning and then spending all afternoon swimming on top of dealing with the strange vibes I'm getting off of Serena and Darien and then you showing up I'm surprised I was still breathing, much less walking and talking. I fell asleep almost as soon as my head touched the pillow, at least until Serena called and asked me to meet her here. But I was still able to pass right back out with no trouble. Besides, I want to get to the bottom of what's going on between the two of them anyway so I can stop feeling so jumpy when I'm around them. You have no idea how hard it is to be in the presence of a pair of soul mates when they have issues between them. I seriously thought I was going to pull my hair out yesterday and…Wait a minute! Are you laughing at me?"
Kunzite was indeed chuckling, but he shook his head. "No, Mina, I'm not laughing at you. I'm just expressing how refreshing I find it to be with someone who isn't afraid to say everything that is on their mind, that's all."
Her cheeks flushed red. "I know I talk too much sometimes. It's probably my biggest personality flaw. Poor Artemis claims that I've almost driven him to the nut house on many occasions with my babbling."
"I don't see it as being a personality flaw," Kunzite reassured her. He paused for a moment to thank the waiter that set the cup of coffee in front of him before he continued. "Like I said, it's refreshing. I like knowing that you are free to express and be yourself instead of having to keep your true nature bottled up inside."
She pulled her sunglasses down to look at him over the rims with clouded blue eyes. "You mean the way I had to act when I was Minako?"
He shrugged. "If you want to look at it like that. Don't get me wrong. I loved Minako deeply. But I always knew that there was another person locked up inside of her. You were inside of her. I caught a glimpse of you on a few occasions, but…well, times were different back then. We had our sworn duties and they took precedence over everything else."
She nodded slowly. "That's true. I always thought that there was another side to you as well. People called you Iron Fist because of your no nonsense way of leading the royal army of Earth, but there were times that I saw a completely different you. You always tried to present yourself as being the stern general, but the real Kunzite was always right under the surface."
He smirked a little as he sipped from his cup. "The real Kunzite, huh? Are you saying that I had a soft side?"
Mina met his gaze steadily. "I know you do. My memories of the past may be fuzzy in some places, but I haven't forgotten everything. As a matter of fact, I'm seeing part of that other side right now."
His gray eyes narrowed just a bit. "What do you mean?"
Her blue eyes sparkled humorously in return. "I'm not having to work like a Venusian miner to bring a smile to your face. They seem to be popping up effortlessly on their own. Also your posture is more relaxed and that hard edge to your voice is missing."
The change in him was instantaneous. He sat up straighter as all signs of emotion fled his face, leaving it a blank, impersonal mask. He wasn't sure if he liked her assessment or not.
A giggle bubbled past her pink glossed lips. "For heaven's sake, Kunzite, that wasn't an insult. You don't have to act like someone just shoved a steel rod up your butt. I was just commenting on the fact that it looks like you've finally learned to live, that's all."
"I lived just fine before," he ground out.
She rolled her eyes at him. "Oh don't go turning into General Grouch on me! I'm not trying to bruise your manly ego. I'm just saying that you look happy and you deserve it. We all do after what we have been through. We may have been happy in the past, but now we have the opportunity to live our lives to the fullest. Don't get me wrong, Serena is still my princess and my first duty will always be to her, but I'm also free to live my life the way I want to and be myself. And I plan on enjoying every second of it."
Her impassioned words touched a chord inside him. He relaxed back into his seat and let one of those effortless smiles she mentioned curve his lips. "I suppose you're right. I guess it will just take me a while to get used to being in control of my own life after answering to the crown for so long. My loyalty still lies with Darien since he is Endymion's reincarnation, but I look forward to exploring all the possibilities this life has to offer."
"Well you should," Mina said simply before taking a long sip of her smoothie. "After all, it is your life. You should do what you want."
Kunzite saw his opening and took it. "Does that include taking you out to dinner tonight?"
Mina's mouth fell open. Clearly he had taken her by complete surprise. "I…um…well…you see…"
He chuckled. "It's a dinner invitation, Mina, not a proposal of marriage. I just thought that the two of us could get together and take the chance to get to know each other over a meal, just as friends. You did say that we could be friends, didn't you?"
His glittering gray eyes challenged her, and she never backed down from a challenge. She tossed her head and answered confidently, "Very well, Kunzite. I accept your invitation."
He grinned smugly. "Good! Did you have any preference about where you want to go?"
She shook her head. "Anywhere's fine. I'm not picky."
"Hmm…" he mused. "I may have to do some investigating. I was reading about this one place in the paper this morning that sounded nice. Romansque I believe it was called."
Mina let out a dainty snort. "Good luck getting in there! That place is way beyond exclusive, not to mention it's expensive. My dad tried to get reservations there the last time he and my mom were in town and they told him that there was a week long waiting list. Lita's been dying to get in there since it opened, but it's way out of her budget."
Kunzite shrugged nonchalantly. "We'll see. I'm sure I can come up with something."
"Am I interrupting anything?" an amused voice asked as a small shadow fell over them.
Kunzite stood with a wide smile. "Dear Serena! No, you are not interrupting us. Mina and I were just finalizing our plans for this evening. So, is 7:00 a good time to pick you up, Mina?"
The shell-shocked blonde nodded dumbly. "Uh…sure. I'll be ready."
He picked her hand up off the table and bent down to brush a kiss across the back of it. "I will see you then. I'll leave you lovely ladies to your business now. Serena." He nodded his head toward the reincarnated princess and then turned to stroll casually away, whistling a tune softly under his breath.
Serena stood gaping for several long seconds before turning to her friend in disbelief. "Holy cow! He was smiling! And was he just whistling?"
Mina continued to stare at Kunzite's retreating back that was now a half a block away. "I have a date with Kunzite," she finally whispered. Then her panicked blue eyes flew up to clash with Serena's almost identical gaze as she shrieked, "Oh my god, Serena! I have a date with Kunzite!"
Dr. Mizuno sighed as she sat back in her desk chair. "Thank you for bringing me breakfast, sweetheart. You didn't have to do that. I could have just grabbed something from the cafeteria."
Amy wrinkled her nose up and laughed as she threw the trash from her and her mother's impromptu breakfast in the garbage can. "Yeah right! You always complain about the cafeteria food here. I know you better than that, mom. You would have probably ended up with a honey bun out of one of the snack machines."
Her mother joined her laughter. "You're probably right. I do have to say that bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich definitely perked me up more than a sugary snack cake would have. Now I have the energy to get through the rest of this double shift."
Amy shook her head. "Still no luck on hiring in any new doctors?"
Dr. Mizuno slipped her feet back into her shoes and reached for her white lab coat. "They've hired on a few, but not enough to lighten the load yet. We've had so many of the doctors on staff either retire, move, or go to teaching full time that it's left us severely understaffed. But we'll bounce back from it. There are new doctors graduating from med school every semester, so we should be getting some new blood in here soon. I do know that I am going to take some much needed vacation time as soon as I can."
"You should," Amy told her. "Maybe you can go lay on the beach for a few days to recoup. You deserve it."
Her mother chuckled. "Here's hoping. But until then, duty calls." She gathered up a stack of files in her arms.
Amy picked up her purse and followed her mother out of the office. "I guess I'm going to run now. I've got some books that I need to return to the library."
Dr. Mizuno smiled gently. "I hope you're not going to spend all day cooped up inside. The weather is beautiful and you are on summer break. Get out and enjoy it. I'm sure you and the girls have something planned, don't you?"
"Um, not really. I haven't talked to anyone this morning," Amy hedged. "I'll probably hear from them in a little while though. They all kind of have some…things…going on right now."
"Ah…" the older woman said in understanding. "Guy things, huh?"
Amy shrugged. "I guess you could say that."
A mischievous smile tilted the doctor's lips. "And when are you going to find one of these guy things for yourself?"
"Mom!" Amy cried as she felt heat flood her cheeks.
Dr. Mizuno just laughed and waved her away as they reached a nurse's station. "I'm only joking, honey. It will happen when it happens. Now go have fun. I'll see you later."
Amy spun away from her mother and walked toward the elevator with her head down as she fought to chase away the blush that she knew must be making her face look like a tomato. She jabbed the down button on the wall and waited for the doors to open. When they did she stepped in without looking up.
She thought the elevator was empty, but after a few moments she sensed another presence inside the car with her and looked up, right into a pair of vibrant green eyes. "Zoicite!" she gasped.
The dark blonde man nodded his head to her. "Amy. This is an unexpected surprise."
"What are you doing here?" she demanded. "Have you been spying on me?"
He looked affronted. "Of course not! I promised you that I wouldn't use our bond to keep tabs on you and I meant it. This is just purely coincidence."
The blush that had been fading from her cheeks roared back to life. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have accused you. So why are you here? Did Raye and Lita land Jadeite and Nephrite in the hospital already?"
He chuckled lightly. "No. I was applying for a job actually. Thanks to the knowledge I acquired while I was gone and to Sailor Pluto, I hold a degree in both general and emergency medicine. Darien told me last night that the hospital is seriously looking for new doctors, so I decided to give it a shot. I just finished dropping off all of my information. Now I just have to wait and see what happens."
Amy shook her head and muttered, "Once a doctor, always a doctor I guess. I just hope you know what you're getting yourself into. My mom has been pulling almost nonstop double shifts for the last two months."
A grin kicked up one side of his mouth. "I think I can handle it. Besides, I haven't gotten the job yet."
She huffed a quiet laugh. "Oh you will if they think you are even halfway qualified. This is an extremely busy hospital and they try to keep it well staffed. They've just had several things happen over the past year or so that have affected the number of doctors on staff, so they are definitely on the prowl for doctors that want to work here right now."
He cocked an eyebrow at her. "Do I detect a note of wistfulness in that voice?"
She shrugged as the elevator doors dinged and opened. Zoicite followed her as she stepped out. "No, not really. When I was finishing middle school my counselor suggested that I take the accelerated program where I could finish high school in two years instead of four. If I had done that and then did the same thing with college I would be starting as a pre-med junior this fall. I considered doing it very briefly because it has worked out so well for Darien, but in the end I decided that I wanted to stay with my friends instead. I'm happy with my advanced placement classes anyway. College and medical school will still be waiting for me when I get done with high school. I still want to become a doctor, but I figure that I'm only going to be young once and I want to enjoy my life."
"There's nothing wrong with that," he commented as they stepped out the front lobby doors of the hospital and into the warm summer morning. "That is kind of the same outlook I have right now. I want to pursue a career in medicine, but I'm going to take time to just sit back and enjoy this new life that I have been given. In fact, I'm taking today to go visit a couple of museums that I read about. It sounded like it might be fun."
"Oh, you'll enjoy that," Amy said with a smile. "We have some really great museums here, and they're always getting new exhibits in. There is this one ancient Egyptian exhibit that I am dying to go see that just opened last week."
Zoicite remained silent for a moment before asking softly, "Would you like to go and see it with me?"
Amy's already large blue eyes widened even more in surprise. "O…oh! Um…well you see…"
"Ah!" he sighed heavily. "You already have other plans. I should have figured that."
"No!" she exclaimed in a rush and then drew in a deep breath. "I don't have any other plans. Your request just took me by surprise, that's all."
A sparkle entered his eyes. "Then would you do me the honor of accompanying me? I asked Nephrite if he wanted to go, but he said that he was busy. And I would really like to spend some time with you so that we can get to know each other better."
She still looked a little wary so he threw in, "I'll even include lunch, my treat."
Her uneasy look turned to one of amusement. "Why General Zoicite! Are you trying to bribe me?"
He gave her a lighthearted smile. "Perhaps. Is it working, Lady Mercury?"
An impish smile appeared on her pixie face. "Maybe." She ran her eyes appraisingly over the gray suit, shirt, and tie he was wearing and then looked down at her own faded jeans and white t-shirt. "How about you go home and change into something more casual while I do the same? You can meet me at my place in an hour."
He took her hand in his and lifted it to his lips. "It's a date." He pressed a brief kiss to her skin and then walked away.
Amy stood there for a moment watching his retreating form before she pressed her hands to her flaming cheeks and squeaked, "A date!"
Mina eyed Serena speculatively. "Did I just hear you right? You want me to help you come up with a plan to seduce Darien?"
"Shh!" Serena shushed her. "Not so loud! Yes, you heard me right. I've got to come up with some way to knock his socks off."
Mina snorted. "I don't see what the big deal is. The sparks between you two are hot enough to start a forest fire as it is, so don't tell me that the two of you have lost the magic in the bedroom already."
"It's hard to lose what you've never found," Serena muttered.
Mina rolled her eyes. "And what is that supposed to mean? You and Darien have an explosive chemistry together. Everyone can see it. Raye and Lita have even taken bets on how many bed frames you guys have broken."
Serena slapped her hands over her red face. "Oh my god! Those hentai! Don't they have anything better to do than to speculate about my love life?"
Mina reached over and patted her shoulder. "There, there, they just couldn't help themselves. You and Darien exude an aura of such a well-loved couple that it's hard to miss. So why do you need such an elaborate scheme to get him into bed? All you have to do is crook your little finger at him and he'll be your willing slave."
"I've tried that. It doesn't work," Serena grumbled. "I've tried just about everything I can think of. I've been subtle. I've been coy. Hell, I've even tried throwing myself at him, but the big idiot just doesn't get it! I've seriously been trying to get his attention for over three months now!"
Mina's eyes clouded in confusion. "Serena, are you saying that you and Darien haven't made love since he came back after the Galaxia thing?" She stared in horror as her friend's eyes filled up with tears.
"No, Mina," Serena whispered in a cracked voice as the floodgates opened. "I'm saying that Darien and I haven't made love ever."
To say that the goddess of love was stunned would be an understatement. It was a good thing that she was already sitting down, because she probably would have fallen down if she hadn't been. Had she read the signs wrong? She normally wasn't mistaken about these kinds of things.
Okay, so she had known that things were pretty innocent between the two reunited lovers after Darien had regained his memories shortly before Rini showed up for the first time and the Dark Moon had begun attacking. And even after they had discovered what they had about their future and that Rini was their future daughter the two of them still seemed to have a chaste relationship. They were closer than ever before emotionally, but their relationship still had a bit of that puppy love feel.
She had started noticing some differences between them during the fight against Pharaoh 90, especially after Serena's fifteenth birthday when she had been targeted and almost killed and Kaori Knight had captured Darien. Then later they had banded together like a couple of concerned parents when Rini's pure heart crystal was stolen.
But the biggest change had come when Darien had been stricken ill when Nehelenia had filled Elysian and the Earth with darkness and he almost died. He had been so sick and coughing up lungfuls of black blood, but Serena had refused to let him push her away when he tried. It was almost the death of both of them, but they had persevered. That had been when Mina had become convinced that the two of them had become one. Her theory was further strengthened when Serena had rushed off alone to try and save Darien when Nehelenia kidnapped him. And don't even get her started on the depression Serena had gone through during the whole Galaxia drama. No, they had to be intimately linked.
"You're pulling my leg, right?" Mina quipped in a light voice. "This is just some kind of joke you're trying to pull over on me. I mean, come on! You spend the night at the guy's apartment all the time. And don't try to tell me that he's sleeping in the spare room or on the couch. I've witnessed too many of your morning afters when you show up with love bites on your neck and a dreamy expression on your face."
Serena shook her head. "Those are just hot and heavy make out sessions. And even those are pretty tame really. Do you know that I wouldn't even know if Darien wears boxers or briefs if I hadn't looked in his drawers? We never get farther than getting our shirts off before he throws up a roadblock and stops everything. And if I'm not wearing a bra then my shirt stays on."
Mina was flabbergasted. "You're really serious, aren't you?"
Serena picked up a napkin from the table and used it to dry her tears. "Uh huh. I've tried to convince him that I'm ready to take the next step, but he's just so stubborn. There's been a few times when I thought that something was finally about to happen, but then he pulls away from me."
Then she explained what had happened in Darien's bathroom on Monday night and how he'd kept her at a distance the whole week.
"That explains so much," Mina mused. "I knew that I had been feeling some tension between the two of you, but I just wrote it off as being exam nerves. But then yesterday when you guys had that blow up I didn't know what to make of it. So that's why you bought that black bikini for the pool party. I can't believe that he didn't go nuts after taking one look at you in that thing. You looked hot!"
Serena snorted. "He went nuts all right! He wouldn't come near me at all. And when I finally forced what was wrong out of him he acted like he was some kind of lecherous pervert just because I turn him on. Does that make any sense to you?"
Mina tilted her head to the side. "In a way it does. While Darien is no longer a prince, he still retains a lot of the traits that made up Endymion. He is just as noble and chivalrous as the prince he once was."
Serena's hands banged on the table. "But I don't want him to be a prince now! I want him to be him. I want him to be able to act on his feelings instead of bottling it all up inside. I want him to…I want him to love me. I even thought about just going to his apartment when he wasn't there, stripping down naked, and be waiting on the bed when he walks in. But with the way he's been acting he'd probably just turn around and walk out."
"Hmm…you may be on to something there," Mina said as she tapped her chin with a pink polished fingernail. "But I think we can come up with something a little more sophisticated than that."
A grin unfurled on Serena's face as she saw the wheels beginning to turn in her friend's mind. "What are you thinking, Mina?"
Mina smiled beatifically. "Just put yourself in the hands of the goddess of love, Serena, and I promise you that you will have your man exactly where you want him by the end of the night."
"Let's see," Lita murmured to herself as she pulled out her list after getting a shopping cart. "Looks like I don't need much this time since I spent all week studying with the others. This should be a short trip."
She pushed her cart down the first aisle until she came to where the bread was. There was another person on the aisle, but she didn't pay any attention to them. She reached for a loaf of her favorite brand just as a large hand reached for the one next to it. She automatically stepped to the side and said, "Excuse me."
A deep chuckle rumbled next to her. "That's quite all right, Lita."
"Damn!" she hissed as her eyes flew up to meet the cool, slate blue gaze of the man standing next to her. "What the hell are you doing here?"
Nephrite raised a brow at her. "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm grocery shopping." He pointed to the half full cart next to him. "My new place is only a few blocks from here and I remembered this store as being the one that you shop at, so I figured it must be the best place to go."
"Oh," she muttered, her accusation that he was following her dying on her tongue. If he had already picked up so many things then he had to have been here way before she had come in.
"My kitchen pantry and cabinets are fairly well stocked with canned goods and non-perishables, but we are sadly lacking for fresh ingredients. So I decided I better come and pick up all of the meats, produce, and dairy products we need," he told her.
She couldn't stop the smirk that lifted her lips. "You and the other guys are all living together?"
He shrugged. "Yeah. We've got a pretty nice setup. It's big and we all have our own space, so it's not like we're right up under each other."
She snorted a laugh. "You'll end up being their kitchen slave, you know. If I remember correctly Kunzite and Jadeite can barely boil water and Zoicite can only handle the simplest of recipes."
He grinned. "I don't mind. I have always rather enjoyed cooking, and the way the kitchen is set up makes it look like it was designed for a chef. So I look forward to using it."
Lita felt a spear of envy shoot through her as she thought about her modest kitchen in her apartment. While it served its purpose, she had always wondered what it would be like to have a large kitchen with stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, a double oven, and a stove with at least six burners. She bit back a sigh. It would be heaven.
"Well I hope you enjoy it," she said grudgingly as she placed her bread in her cart and walked away to continue her shopping.
She saw him a few more times as she made her way up and down the aisles, grabbing the few things that she needed. She forced back a laugh when she passed by the soft drink aisle and heard him grumbling Jadeite's name under his breath as he picked up a twelve pack of Dr. Pepper's to add to the stack under the cart that already held Cokes, Mountain Dews, and Sprites. It seemed each general had their own preference when it came to soda.
For the most part she ignored the fact that they were in the same store together, but there were a couple of instances when she acknowledged him. One was when she rounded a corner and her cart crashed into his. They each muttered an apology before moving on. Another was when she stopped at the seafood counter to get some shrimp and was talking to Mike. She'd felt his burning gaze on her and had looked up to glare at him, remembering his reaction the last time he had seen her talking to the seafood man. A part of her hoped that he would cause a scene so that she would have an excuse to kick his ass. But after a moment he shook his head and continued on.
When she went to go check out he was in another line, paying for the bags of groceries that were piled in the cart. She breathed a sigh of relief when he gave her a small wave of farewell and exited the store.
A few minutes later she was done and walked out with her few bags. She figured that he would be long gone by now, but was shocked to see him loading the last of the bags into the back of a large, gleaming, black pick up truck. She had to get a better look.
"Nice wheels," she muttered as she walked by.
He shot her a boyish grin. "Yeah. She's great, isn't she?" Then he looked down at the bags hanging from her arms. "Would you like a ride so you don't have to carry those all the way to your place?"
She rolled her eyes. "It's only four little bags and my place is only two blocks away. I think I can handle it. I've been doing it for years now."
"I was just trying to be a gentleman," he grumbled. "I have no doubt that you can take care of yourself. I just thought you might appreciate a ride." Then his eyes lit up. "Come on and ride with me. I'll take you by my place so you can check out the kitchen. I guarantee you that you'll love it."
She glared at him like he was a youma. "Yeah right! Like I would go anywhere with you. Thanks, but no thanks, General! In your dreams!" She turned and stomped away.
"We'll just see about that, Sparky," he whispered as he watched her go. "I'll find a way to break you down eventually."
Raye looked up as someone knocked on her bedroom door. "Come in!"
The door slid open to reveal her diminutive grandfather. "Raye, could I get you to come and help me for a minute? Chad's busy and I'm trying to get a box down off of one of the top shelves in the storeroom."
She tossed the magazine that she had been looking at to the side and rolled off the bed. "Sure, Gramps. Is it busy out there? You should have called me earlier if it was."
He waved a hand. "No, no, you deserve some time off. It's nothing that Chad and I can't handle. It's mostly just people strolling the grounds and enjoying the weather and teenage girls buying charms. But those teenage girls have cleared me out of love charms looking for their summer love and I need a new box."
"Summer love!" Raye snorted as she swept from the room. "Don't those little idiots know that there's no such thing?"
"Now dearest," Grandpa chided her gently. "Everyone deserves their chance at summer love. Your grandmother and I had it. I may not have been able to keep her with me as long as I wanted to, but I wouldn't trade that first summer for all the gold in the world."
Raye heaved a sigh. She'd heard all of this before. "You two were one of the exceptions. I'm not saying that true love doesn't exist, but I think most people are blinded by the idea of love. They run around and make idiots out of themselves to impress the person that they think are the one, only to set themselves up for heartbreak later when everything falls apart."
Grandpa smirked at her. "You sound like you could use a good dose of summer love yourself. You can't go through life holding the way your father is against all men. You'll grow old lonely if you do. You need to get out more and have fun."
"I do go out and have fun!" she snapped. "Geez! You make it sound like I spend all of my time hanging around here."
"I know you go out," Grandpa replied in a placating tone. "But I mean you need to do something besides spending all of your time with your pretty little friends. You are a beautiful, ambitious young woman, and there is an ocean of available young men out there that would probably fight to the death to claim your heart."
Raye shot him an incredulous look as she stalked into the storeroom and climbed up onto the step stool to retrieve the box he needed. "Have you gone off of your medication or something? I've never heard you talk like this before."
He pinned her with an usually serious gaze. "My health is fine. You and I have been each other's rocks to lean on for a long time now, but I would like to see you with someone who is yours. And if Kami is willing I will one day get to see you become a bride and possibly give me great grandchild or two."
"You're delusional," she sighed as she carried the box out toward where the charm stand was set up.
"Maybe I am," he said as he walked at her side. "But don't forget that you're not the only one that can read the fire, missy. I have seen things, and I think that there is a change coming for you soon."
She rolled her eyes. "Yeah right! Some gallant prince is going to come riding in and sweep me off my feet."
"You may be surprised," her grandfather contradicted. "He may not come charging in on a horse and wearing armor, but there is someone out there that is waiting to steal your heart."
"I'll keep that in mind," she muttered sarcastically as she set the box down near where Chad was busy talking to a group of girls that were staring at the shaggy haired, wannabe rock star with love struck expressions. She shook her head with a chuckle as he smiled his thanks at her and returned to charming the ladies. Chad never had a problem finding a date for Saturday night.
She had detested the brown haired young man when he had first appeared on the steps of the shrine looking like a bum and Grandpa had taken him in. And then he had just about driven her crazy with the crush that he developed on her. But luckily it had been short lived and he had moved on. Now they viewed one another as close friends, almost like siblings because of their mutual love and respect for Grandpa.
Even though she technically wasn't working, she opened the box out of habit and began setting the love charms out. The myriad teenage girls squealed when they saw them.
That was when she heard it, that low tenor chuckle that sometimes haunted her dreams and her fuzzy distant memories. She spun around to glare at the blonde man that had come up behind her. "What are you doing here, Jadeite?"
He held up his hands like he was trying to ward off the violet sparks that looked like they could start flying from her eyes any second. "Don't shoot!" he cried dramatically.
She was horrified to feel a smile threaten to lift her lips. Why did he have to look so damn handsome with his wind ruffled golden curls glinting in the sun and his playful blue eyes sparkling mischievously? It was one of the hardest things that she had ever done, but she forced her face to keep its enraged expression as she continued to glare at him.
"If you value your life even the tiniest bit, you'll turn and walk away now," she ground out from between clenched teeth.
His lips twisted up into a pout. "Come on, Firefly! Don't be that way. Is there something wrong with an old friend wanting to stop by and say hi?"
A hiss slid past her lips. "You are many things, Jadeite, but you are not now, nor will you ever be an old friend. But you've come by and said hi, now I want you to get the hell out of here!"
"Raye! Is that any way to speak to visiting guests?" a voice admonished her, and she closed her eyes with a groan as her grandfather bustled over to them. The last thing she needed was him getting involved in this. She loved the old man to death, but he could be more meddlesome than a nosy old woman.
Grandpa came to stand between them and clasped his hands together as he addressed Jadeite. "I apologize for my granddaughter's behavior. She tends to be a little waspish from time to time."
Jadeite bowed respectfully to him and chuckled. "No apologies are needed, Mr. Hino. I'm well aware of Raye's fiery personality."
Grandpa's eyes opened wide in speculation. "Oh! So you and Raye are well acquainted with one another?"
Jadeite grinned and gave the silently fuming Raye a coy wink. "Yes sir. She and I go way back."
"I see," the short little man mused. "It seems that my beloved granddaughter has been keeping secrets from her grandpa. She never told me that she had a young, handsome, successful looking man such as yourself waiting in the wings."
"Because I don't!" Raye exploded as she stomped her foot. "Jadeite is making more out of this than what there is! I don't even like him! He is nothing but a pain in the a…butt, and I don't want to have anything to do with him!"
Jadeite threw a hand over his heart. "Ouch! Your acidic words wound me, fair lady. And here I had come to ask you if you would grace me with some of your time and accompany me to the amusement park today."
Metaphoric steam blasted out of the raven-haired girl's ears. "Did you seriously just ask me on a date?"
He shrugged. "Well, you don't have to use the word date if you don't want to. I just thought that it had been a long time since we got a chance to spend any time together and we could go out and enjoy the day."
Grandpa turned to look at her thoughtfully. "That's not a bad idea, Raye. You're on your summer vacation and you should go out and enjoy yourself, especially with such a nice young man."
Raye's eyes narrowed. "Nice? Nice! He is barely one step up from demon spawn! I would become the bride of Satan himself before I would go anywhere with such a low down, lecherous moron like him! I'd rather die!" Then she turned and stomped away.
Jadeite took a few steps after her. "Raye…"
She spun around to rake a hot, contemptuous glare over him. "Just stay the hell away from me, Jadeite! I hate you!"
Her screamed words hung heavily between them for several long seconds before she whirled and began running. But Jadeite's heart sank heavily as he caught sight of a tear streaking down her cheek. Maybe he was fighting a losing battle.
The sound of a chuckle had him looking over at the man standing next to him.
Grandpa shook his head. "That girl is so much like her grandmother. I remember my dear wife screaming those exact same words to me back when we first started dating. There is a thin line between love and hate, and it must be tread cautiously."
"She seriously hates me," Jadeite grumbled under his breath.
Grandpa looked up at the troubled young man with the pain clouded blue eyes and took pity on him. "No, she doesn't. She is just trying to convince herself that she does. But I know my granddaughter well. She's just going through denial right now. But once she gets over it a completely different person will emerge. She may seem rough on the outside, but on the inside beats one of the most fiercely loving hearts I have ever seen."
Jadeite sighed. "I know."
Grandpa's wise brown eyes studied him for a moment before he nodded his head. "Yes. I believe you do. There is a connection between the two of you. It is fractured right now, but if you have the courage to stand up and weather the storm, I believe that it can be repaired."
The blonde general gave him a grateful smile. "Thank you, sir."
The old man laughed. "Don't thank me yet. You're the one that will have to face the brunt of her emotions, but you look like a man that can handle it. I think you could be good for Raye. She needs someone to break down the wall of insecurity that she has built around herself. Just don't give up on her, she can be more stubborn than a mule."
Jadeite chuckled. "You're right. She's probably the most stubborn person ever born. But I'm going to try my best to wear her down."
Grandpa beamed a smile. "Good boy!"
Serena eyed the scrap of black fabric that Mina held in her hands warily. "I don't know, Mina. Don't you think that might be a little much? What about this one?" She picked up a short, white silk slip.
Mina rolled her eyes. "Are you kidding me? I thought we were going for sultry seductress, not the sacrificial virgin. That modest little number is definitely not the way to snap Darien's self control."
Serena sighed and replaced the white slip before taking the gauzy black number from Mina. "But this one is see through."
The love goddess threw back her head and laughed. "This coming from the girl that was talking about posing nude on the bed just an hour ago! What happened to your sense of adventure, girl? Besides, it's black, so it's not that transparent. It shows just enough to give a man a hint about what's coming without looking slutty. And it's held together in the front by those red ribbons. Black and red are Darien's two favorite colors and you can totally pull it off."
Her blonde friend saw the logic in her words. This really was a more modest piece compared to some of the racier articles that they had seen. Some of them had even made Mina blush and look away. And while Serena was game to try something a little revealing, she knew she didn't have the courage to wear a corset and garter belt. That was just a little bit out of her league.
"Let me try this thing on," she grumbled. "I want to make sure I don't look like a complete idiot in it. I want to seduce Darien, not set him laughing."
She stomped into one of the dressing rooms and closed the door behind her. She quickly shimmied out of the shorts and tank top that she was wearing before slipping into the little black piece of fabric that was lighter than air. When she had finished tying together the two little red ribbons on the front she finally looked up at the full-length mirror, fully prepared to be disappointed.
Her mouth fell open in shock. Was that really her? It kind of looked like her, but different. She looked older, more sophisticated. She looked…sexy!
The black material was cut in a baby doll style that hung from thin shoulder straps to float down where it barely skimmed her upper thighs. It was open in the front where it was held together by the red ribbons that tied right at and right below her breasts. Her pale skin was visible through the gauzy material, but Mina had been right, all she could see was a hint of a curve here and there.
Excitement flooded through her as she continued to stare at the sexy blonde bombshell that was looking out at her from the mirror. The lacy pink thong she was wearing didn't quite match the look she was going for, but that could be easily rectified.
"Mina," she croaked, barely above a whisper. "Are you out there?"
"Of course I am," Mina's voice floated back over the door. "What's wrong?"
Serena shook her head at her reflection. "Nothing's wrong. Everything is perfect. I think we found a winner."
Mina squealed excitedly. "See! I told you to trust me, didn't I?"
"Yeah, you did," Serena mumbled as she took one last look at herself. Mr. Darien Shields better hold on to his socks, because she was going to knock them right off.
"Okay, Serena," Mina said in a pouting tone. "Now that we have you taken care of, can we focus on me a bit? I have a date tonight, remember, and I need your help to find a new dress for the occasion. I want something that's totally going to blow Kunzite's mind."
Serena giggled at her friend's enthusiasm. "Okay, Mina. I'll be out in just a minute."
"Thank you for a wonderful afternoon," Amy said politely as she and Zoicite reached the door of her penthouse apartment. "I had a really great time."
He smiled gently at her. "It was fun, wasn't it?"
She returned his smile and nodded her head.
Zoicite had picked her up precisely one hour after she had left him at the hospital and had driven them across town to the large museum where the Ancient Egyptian exhibit that she had mentioned earlier was showing. But that exhibit was just one of many that the museum was hosting, so they had made an afternoon of it, rambling around through all of the historical artifacts and discussing them between them in low voices. Amy had even allowed him to take her hand on many occasions when he shyly reached for it and let him hold it as they walked along. When they had gotten hungry they had taken a break and had enjoyed a quiet lunch in one of the cafés that the museum had before returning to look at more things that were on display.
Now as she looked up at him, Amy felt slightly dizzy. She knew what was happening, and she didn't care. Despite her vow to not rush into anything with Zoicite, if there was indeed anything to rush into, she found herself falling quickly under his spell. She considered herself to be a practical, well-grounded person, but when she was around him all of that flew out the window.
Zoicite took a step closer to her. "I would very much like to go out with you again sometime."
She licked her suddenly dry lips. "I…I would like that too," she stammered.
"Would you have dinner with me tomorrow night?" he asked softly.
"I would love to," she whispered back.
Then his arms were around her waist and his head was bending down as she went up on her tiptoes to meet him. Their lips brushed together in a short, chaste kiss.
He released her and stepped back with a smile. "So I'll see you tomorrow night around 7:00?"
She nodded dazedly. "Sure. I'll see you then."
He tossed her one last grin before walking back toward the elevator. She stood there and watched him until the doors had closed behind him before pulling out her keys and fumbling with the lock. Once inside she leaned against the door, closed her eyes, and sighed.
"So there you are," a teasing voice said from the kitchen doorway.
Amy's eyes popped open. "Mom! I didn't think you would be home already."
Dr. Mizuno giggled. "Things were quiet, so the chief of staff told me to go ahead and take off. I was pleased to find you gone when I got here. Did you take my advice and go out to enjoy the day."
"I…I went to the museum…with a friend," Amy answered hesitantly.
Her mother arched a brow. "Really? That's nice. And would this friend happen to be someone of the male gender."
Amy sat her purse down on a small table. "What are you fishing for, mom?"
The doctor's blue eyes widened innocently. "I'm not fishing for anything. It's just that the whole hospital is abuzz about this handsome young doctor that came in and inquired about a job today. And then Gina at the front desk told me that she saw you get off the elevator with him and that the two of you were jabbering away like old friends."
Amy fought the urge to grind her teeth together. She should have known that her conversation with Zoicite would get back to her mother quickly. More gossip went on in the hospital than in most beauty shops. "I've known Zoicite for a while, mom. He's a friend of Darien's and we met through him."
She wasn't exactly lying. She just wasn't telling the entire truth. She had met the general a thousand years before through Endymion, and Zoicite was Darien's friend in this time, so it was truthful enough to keep her from feeling guilty.
Dr. Mizuno wandered into the kitchen where she picked up a cup of tea that she had been letting steep. "So was Zoicite the one that you went to the museum with?"
Amy lingered in the doorway. "Yes, mom. He said something about going to the museum and I mentioned the new exhibit there that I wanted to see, so he asked me to go with him. Is that okay?"
Her mother turned to look at her thoughtfully for a moment before nodding. "It's fine. I was a little concerned at first when I found out that he is twenty-three, but I always figured that you would go out with an older, more mature man rather than some teenage boy from your school. So yes, I'm okay with it. Are you going to see him again?"
Amy blushed and nodded. "He asked me to go to dinner with him tomorrow night."
Dr. Mizuno squealed and rushed across the room to hug her daughter enthusiastically. "I can't believe it! My little girl has a date! A real, grown up date!"
Nephrite looked surprised as he opened the door to the penthouse and saw the man standing on his doorstep. "Darien! Back for a rematch so soon? Come on in."
Darien shrugged as he walked in. "I guess I'm just looking for something to do. I called Serena and asked her if she wanted to go out tonight, but she said she had plans already. I was hanging out over at Andrew's place, but his girlfriend called him from Africa so I split. I thought I'd drop by and see what you guys were up to."
"Not much," Nephrite told him as they wandered into the kitchen. "Kunzite's out. He had some hot date with Mina tonight. Zoicite came in a little while ago looking disgustingly happy. It seems he spent the afternoon in some stuffy museum with Amy. Jadeite's been pouting over something for the last few hours, so I've been trying to avoid him."
"I haven't been pouting! I've been thinking!" Jadeite growled as he walked into the room.
"That's kind of hard to do with no brain cells," Nephrite chortled.
"Go screw yourself, Neph!" the usually lighthearted blonde snarled as he flung open the refrigerator. "You want a beer, Darien?"
"Yeah, sure," Darien replied as he took a seat on a stool at the center island and accepted a frosty bottle from his friend.
Jadeite twisted the top off of his and downed half of it in about two seconds. "Why do women have to be so damn difficult?" he muttered.
"Uh oh," Darien smirked as he took a swig from his bottle. "Sounds like somebody had a run in with a certain dark haired female."
Jadeite set his drink down hard. "I didn't intend for it to be a run in, it just happened. I'm trying to play Mr. Nice Guy, so I stopped by the shrine. I figured I would just say hi and just casually ask her if she wanted to go to the amusement park. If she said no then I would just leave it at that and try again later. But she took one look at me and flew completely off the handle and pretty much called everything but a child of god. And I didn't even do anything!"
"Well at least you're getting some kind of a reaction out of her," Nephrite grumbled. "I ran into Lita at the grocery store and she pretty much ignored me. I offered her a ride home so that she wouldn't have to carry her bags all the way and she looked at me like I was something disgusting."
Darien sighed. "I don't know what to tell you guys. I've been hanging around those girls for almost three years, and they are definitely a couple of tough nuts to crack. They've even sent me running for my life on a couple of occasions whenever they think I've done something wrong toward Serena. It's amazing how scary they can be."
The other two nodded in agreement and they all sat there in thoughtful silence for a minute.
"Good evening," Zoicite almost sang as he came into the kitchen. He paused when he saw the three pensive men. "Uh oh, what's wrong?"
Nephrite snorted. "Jed and I got scorned and Darien got jilted."
Darien's head jerked up. "I did not get jilted! Serena just said that she had other plans, that's all."
But it did seem a little suspicious to him. Usually he and Serena ran into each other at least five times a day, even when they didn't mean to. They just naturally seemed to gravitate toward each other without even trying. But he hadn't seen her all day. That alone hadn't concerned him, but when he'd called her and asked if she wanted to go out and get some dinner and maybe catch a movie she had blown him off.
That had definitely made him raise an eyebrow. Serena usually dropped whatever she was doing and jumped at the chance to spend time with him whenever he asked. And she had never turned down a date before, especially where there was food involved. It was very suspicious, unless she was still mad at him about their disagreement from yesterday. But she hadn't sounded angry when he talked to her. She had sounded like her normal perky self. He had even reached out slightly with their bond to check and make sure that she was okay, and all he'd felt was happiness coming from her. He was more than likely reading too much into this. She probably had plans to hang out with the girls to watch movies and gossip, especially if Mina was indeed out on a date with Kunzite. The sailor scout rumor mill would be spinning non-stop.
"So what have you been up to, Mr. Merry Sunshine?" Jadeite grumbled to Zoicite.
"Oh, not a whole lot," the dark blonde man replied as he pulled a bottle of his own from the refrigerator. "I've just been looking up some information on different restaurants. Amy said that she'd go to dinner with me tomorrow night and I want to take her someplace nice."
"Yippee for you!" Nephrite growled.
"No doubt," Jadeite seconded. "Why don't you just do what Kunzie-poo did and bribe your way into that swank place he's taking Mina to tonight?"
"Where is he taking her?" Darien asked out of curiosity.
"Some place called Romansque," Zoicite told him. "But that seems to be a little bit overboard for me. Darien, are you okay?"
Darien's eyes had bugged out at his answer. "He's taking Mina to one of the most exclusive restaurants in town and didn't have to wait forever to get a reservation. How the hell did he manage that?"
Nephrite snickered. "He paid off the maitre 'd. It cost him a pretty penny too from what I understand."
Darien huffed a breath. "Geez! Just how much money do you guys have? I consider myself to be well off, but even I wouldn't pay a bunch of money to get into a restaurant."
"What does it matter how much money we have?" Jadeite sighed in a depressed tone. "Here I am living in a luxurious penthouse. I have a fat bank account and a Ferrari sitting in the garage, but the girl I love would rather kill me than look at me."
"Oookay!" Nephrite drawled. "Let's not go off the deep end there buddy. How about we go shoot a few games of pool and try to take our minds off things."
"Yeah, sure," Jadeite said as he tossed his now empty beer bottle into the trash and got another one. "You in, Dare?"
Darien shrugged. "Sure. I'll shoot a few games before I head home."
And when he got home he was going to get a good night's sleep. Then tomorrow he was going to hunt his girlfriend down and they were going to have a long talk. He was tired of this up and down ride going on between them. They needed to get everything out in the open before something big blew up in their faces. If that happened he wasn't sure if they would end up fighting or if he would end up ravishing the petite blonde.
"Would you like to come in? It's still fairly early," Mina asked as she slid her key into the lock and opened the front door to her house.
Kunzite chuckled. "Sure. If it's okay with your guard cat. I wouldn't want to set him off."
Mina giggled as she led him inside where a few lights had been left burning. "Don't worry about Artemis. He's always out with Luna at this time of night. You should be safe."
He followed her into the living room where she set her evening bag down on an end table before crossing over to flip a switch on a stereo. Soft music began playing in the background.
"Would you like something to drink?" she asked. "Water, juice, brandy?"
His eyebrows rose. "You have booze in the house?"
She laughed and waved a hand toward a small bar at the end of the room. "This is my parent's house, and they keep the place fairly well stocked for when they're here and entertaining. I will admit that the girls and I have gotten into it a few times, but just a little bit. My parents never notice."
He took a long look at the vision she made standing there in that slinky, little black dress she was wearing and felt his throat go dry. He swallowed hard. "I'll take a brandy, if that's okay."
She beamed a smile. "Sure thing. Why don't you sit down while I get it."
Kunzite lowered himself onto the couch and watched while she went to the bar. Mina definitely lived up to her reputation of being Aphrodite's ancestor tonight. It wasn't just the short, spaghetti strapped dress that showed off her long legs or her waterfall of golden hair that she had left loose from her customary red bow. It wasn't even her large, luminous blue eyes that shown out from her glowing face. All of these things wrapped together to make her who she was, and he definitely believed that she was a goddess.
Mina quickly grabbed a glass and poured a couple of measures from the brandy bottle into it before grabbing a bottle of water out of the mini-fridge for herself. Kunzite had ordered wine with their meal tonight, and after a couple of glasses she was feeling a little fuzzy, so she figured she'd probably had enough for the evening. She bit back a giggle as she carried the drinks toward the sofa. She felt so mature and sophisticated by offering a man a drink in her home after such a wonderful evening.
She handed him his glass, shivering a little when their fingers brushed, and then slipped off her shoes before sitting down next to him and curling her legs under her.
Kunzite took a sip from his drink before clearing his throat. "So, do you ever get lonely living in this big place by yourself with no one other than your neurotic talking cat to keep you company?"
She laughed lightly. "Sometimes, but I'm really not here all that much except to sleep. Between school and the girls, I keep myself pretty busy most of the time. But it is nice to have a quiet place to come to whenever I need some alone time for myself. I love the girls to death, but sometimes being around Serena and Raye when they're arguing can get to be a little much."
He chuckled softly. "I know what you mean. I may seem to be overly critical of Jed because he's such a goofball, and he's really a decent guy deep down, but when he and Nephrite get to tearing into each other it's enough to drive me crazy."
They sat there for about half an hour, just talking about random things. She talked about living in London and making movies, and he told her about the company he was hoping to start. The conversation flowed as easily around them as it had during the decadent, several course meal that they had indulged in earlier.
Kunzite finally looked down at his watch and sighed as he set his empty glass on the table beside him. "It's getting late. I guess I should be going."
She sighed dramatically. "If you must, you must." Then she giggled. "Thank you again for such a wonderful evening. I still can't believe you got us into that restaurant. I never thought in a million years that I would be able to say that I have eaten there. I know it had to be dreadfully expensive though."
He put two fingers over her lips. "Hush! Don't worry about the expense. It was worth every penny. The food was great and the company even better. You looked beautiful in the candlelight."
She blushed. The blood flooding her cheeks turned them a delicate pink. As he admired the way the flush of color enhanced her beauty, he became aware of how soft her lips were under his fingers. He felt an urge to test them with his own to see exactly how soft they really were, and he acted on it. He bent his head down and replaced his fingers with his lips.
Mina gasped when his lips covered hers and something that felt like electricity arced between them. She had been kissed before, but it had never felt anything like this. She whimpered when she felt him moving away and quickly wrapped her arms around his neck, plunging her fingers into the silky, silvery hair at his nape to pull his head back down so she could kiss him this time. She boldly parted her lips to lick at his with her tongue and was rewarded when he moaned and opened to let his tongue dance with hers. She tasted the faint hint of brandy on his tongue, and for some reason that fueled her urgency.
Kunzite's head spun as he found himself completely overwhelmed by Mina. He knew that he really shouldn't be surprised at her reaction to his kiss. Despite all of their reserved ways, he and Minako had always had explosive chemistry between them that ignited whenever they were alone. Mina may not be Minako exactly, but her spirit and passion were definitely there.
He knew that he should pull away and put some distance between them, but her warm, soft body felt so good pressed up against his that he couldn't bear to break the moment. With a growl he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her across him until she was straddling his hips.
Mina broke the kiss with a gasp and stared at him with passion-glazed eyes. "Kunzite…"
He immediately felt contrite. "Am I going to fast for you?"
She opened her mouth like she was going to say something and then clamped it shut before diving in and attacking his mouth with hers once more. Her hands moved from his hair to his shoulders where she pushed impatiently at the jacket of his black suit. He sat forward to make it easier for her, and they both moaned as their bodies came into more intimate contact.
Blood pounded in Mina's ears as she slid the jacket off his shoulders and down his arms. This hot, needy feeling was a new experience for her, but she had enough of Minako's memories inside her to know that this was oh so right. She tackled his tie next, unknotting it in seconds before setting to work on his shirt buttons. She had to feel the smooth skin of his chest under her fingers. She felt like she might die if she didn't.
Kunzite threw his head with a groan as his shirt was laid open and her exploring fingers trailed lightly across his chest. She wasn't a woman. She was a temptress. He heard her give a husky laugh before she bent down to run her lips and tongue across the tawny skin that she had revealed. He jerked when she nipped at his collarbone with her tiny white teeth and felt his control snap.
He shot forward, wrapping a hand in the golden silk of her hair to pull her head back so that her shimmering gaze met his. His other arm wound around her, reaching for the zipper of her dress as he whispered, "God, Minako, what you do to me!"
He realized his mistake milliseconds before she froze like a statue in his arms and her eyes filled with tears.
Mina felt like she had been doused in cold water. Anger flowed through her for the tiniest moment before the shame set in. What had she been thinking? Despite the memories she had from her past life, the reality was that she barely knew Kunzite. Sure, Minako knew him, but she wasn't the same person she had been in the past. Yet she had been crawling all over him and had been willing to let him have his way with her like a thousand years and a new lifetime didn't stand between them.
She slid off of his lap and stood on shaky legs as she attempted to hold back the tears that were burning her eyes. "I'm sorry," she puffed out between breaths. "I don't know what came over me. I shouldn't have jumped at you like that."
Kunzite slumped forward and rested his elbows on his knees as he stared at her beseechingly. "Mina…"
"Don't!" she interrupted him. "Just don't, Kunzite. Perhaps we are taking things too fast between us. Minako was a huge part of your life, and I don't expect her to fade away overnight. But I'm not Minako, and I don't intend to be a replacement for her. Who do you see when you look at me?"
He stood up suddenly and took a step toward her, making her crane her head to look at him. "I see you, Mina. Maybe I got caught up in the past there for a moment, but I swear when I look at you I see you for who you are. And you are not merely a replacement for the woman I once loved. You are my other half, and I love you just the way you are."
Her tears spilled over and she allowed him to draw her against him in a tight hug. "Do you really mean that?" she murmured against his chest.
He chuckled lightly. "Of course I do. But you're probably right about us taking things too fast. As nice as tonight was we should probably stick with more normal things like grabbing a pizza and going to the movies for now. We still need to get to know each other all over again."
She nodded against him and let out a shaky laugh. "That sounds like a good idea."
He set her away from him and began straightening his clothes. He buttoned his shirt up but left it untucked and the top two buttons undone and his tie hanging loose around his neck before he picked up his jacket and slung it over his shoulder. Then he turned back to Mina and tapped the tip of her nose with his finger. "I'm going to go now. Will I see you tomorrow?"
She flashed him a coy smile. "Why don't you give me a call tomorrow and we'll see. I haven't talked to any of the girls today except Serena, so I might need to meet up with them."
He patted his pocket where his cell phone rested. "I have your number. I'll call you."
"Not too early!" she called after him as he walked toward the front door. "I like to sleep in whenever I can."
His chuckle floated back to her. "Goodnight, Mina." Then the front door closed behind him.
Mina stood there for a moment, staring at the door, before throwing herself onto the sofa and giggling as she pressing one hand to her still pounding heart and another to her burning lips. Good God that man could kiss! And if she could ever succeed in overshadowing Minako it had the potential for turning into so much more
Serena shifted her position for what felt like the hundredth time and glared at the alarm clock on the bedside table that read 11:00. Where the hell was Darien? She had figured that he would have been home quite some time ago since she had turned down his offer for a date tonight so she could pop her little surprise on him. She knew that he wasn't with Andrew because when she had stopped by the arcade earlier to get a milkshake to help fortify her courage Lizzy had informed her that Andrew was upstairs in his apartment alone talking to Rita on the phone and that Darien had been there, but had left.
That left the possibility that he was with the generals. She knew Kunzite was out on his date with Mina, but from the two furious phone calls she had gotten today from Raye and Lita and the one ecstatic one she had gotten from Amy it was probably safe to assume that the other three guys were free for the evening. She just hoped that they didn't have some all night guy bash going on. That would ruin everything.
She groaned when she felt a pins and needles sensation shooting up her leg and climbed off the bed to walk around Darien's bedroom to try and get rid of the feeling. This was the third time her leg had fallen asleep while she had been sitting there waiting for her boyfriend to come home.
She paused as she passed by the dresser, and then smiled as she looked at the framed picture that was sitting on top of it. It had been taken almost two years ago, and in it Darien stood in the middle with his arm wrapped around her waist while Rini was clinging tightly to his other arm. Mina had snapped the picture of the three of them and then had cooed that they looked like a cute little family.
But Serena disagreed with her friend's assessment. While this particular picture was one of her favorites, she could help but think that Darien looked like a big brother spending time with his little sisters in it. She had only been just barely fifteen when this picture was taken, and she couldn't help but compare how childish she looked standing next to her much more mature boyfriend.
Well all of that was about to change. She flung open the closet door to check her reflection in the full-length mirror and then smiled at what she saw. There definitely wasn't much left of the gawky, middle school girl in the young woman that was looking back at her.
Okay, so she was still painfully short when compared to her 6'2" boyfriend, and she wished that she would grow just a couple of more inches so that she wouldn't have to stand on her tiptoes quite as much and Darien wouldn't have to bend over as far when they kissed just to make up the ten inch difference in their height, but there were several other changes that had taken place in her body over the last few years. Her face had lost the roundness of childhood, making her cheeks and the rest of her features become more defined. Her body had curves now instead of just falling in a straight line; her hips were softly rounded and after a couple of years of moaning that she was going to be in a training bra forever she had finally grown into a nice, healthy B-cup. She did have long legs for her height, and thanks to all the exercise she had gotten from being Sailor Moon her legs, stomach, and arms were well toned.
She never used the word beautiful to describe herself, although Darien told her that she was all the time and her friends were always quick to pay her a compliment, but overall she was happy with the way she looked. She was proud of her long golden hair and always took the time to keep it well conditioned and free of split ends so she could wear it long and not look like someone had taken a weed whacker to her head. She was also grateful that she had been blessed with a clear complexion that needed very little cosmetics, although she did wish that the light scattering of golden freckles across her nose would go away. Her eyes were almost too big for her liking, standing out large and blue in her slender face, but tonight they looked sultry and mysterious thanks to the smoky shadow and touch of eyeliner she had applied to them. They glittered from above her full lips that were a duskier, darker shade of pink than normal thanks to the lip stain she had used. The saleslady at the store had guaranteed her that it wouldn't rub off no matter how much kissing she did.
So yeah, tonight, for once, she felt like she was a compliment to her tall, dark, and devastatingly handsome prince. Confidence like she had never felt before brewed inside of her. Some girls might be nervous about trying to lure a man into bed, especially if they were virgins with absolutely no experience in this area, but she was ready. Tonight the reincarnated moon princess was going to stake her claim on her dear earth prince…if he would ever get home!
Then she heard it, the rattle of a key in the lock, and she raced across the floor to climb back onto the king sized bed and positioned herself in the middle of the black silk sheets with her legs curled under her. She had practiced this pose in front of a mirror and found it to be both innocent and seductive at the same time.
She watched the bedroom doorway intently, waiting for him to appear. She heard him moving around and she could picture his movements perfectly in her mind. There was a light jangle as he set his keys on the table in the entry hall and two thumps as he kicked his shoes off. Muffled footsteps walked into the kitchen and then the sound of the refrigerator door opening and the soft crack of a bottle of water being opened reached her. There were two thuds as the refrigerator door was closed and the now empty water bottle was pitched into the trash. Then more muted footsteps went from the kitchen to the living room and were followed by the sound of the lamp burning in there being clicked off. Now the footsteps were coming down the hall.
Serena licked her lips in anticipation. In just a few seconds her prince would come through that door, and it would be time to put her plan into action. She geared herself up for the fight that was sure to come, because she knew that there was no way that Darien was going to give in without some resistance, no matter how sexy she looked. That was just the way he was.
Her breath froze in her lungs as his dark shape appeared in the doorway and she heard him mutter, "What the hell? I don't remember opening the curtains."
She fought back a giggle. Of course he didn't. She had done it. The moon was almost full and bright tonight. She had shoved the curtains wide to let the silvery glow flood the room, thinking that it added to the romantic air. It was much more personal to her than lamplight or candlelight. Then she felt the fissure that ran through the air when he spotted her.
Darien felt his lungs constrict when he saw the blonde girl currently sitting in the middle of his bed with a curtain of golden hair falling around her. "Serena, what are you doing here?"
She let out a throaty chuckle. "I just wanted to spend some time with you. That's okay, isn't it?"
His feet automatically carried him to the side of the bed. "Um…well…I thought you had plans with the girls tonight. At least that was what I figured when you turned down my invitation earlier."
She shook her head. "I just said that I had plans. I never said that it was with the girls."
"O…oh…" he stammered, his poor muddled brain trying to catch up with this unexpected turn of events. "I was going to call you in the morning because I think we need to have a talk."
He knew that she knew exactly what he wanted to talk about, and he waited for her expression to turn angry and defensive the way it had the day before. But surprisingly she just smiled and tossed her head, sending her long sheet of hair sailing over her shoulder to her back.
'Holy Shit!'
Those were the only words that came into his head as he got his first good look at her. Her hair was down out of its usual style and had been covering her up until now. He had figured that she was wearing her usual summer attire of shorts and a tank top under the concealing hair, but this…What the hell was she wearing? It was skimpy. It was black. And oh my god! It looked like it might be see through!
He swallowed hard to try and force the heart that had leapt up into his throat back down where it belonged and shoved a hand into his hair to keep from grabbing her. Was she trying to kill him?
"Serena, what are you doing?" he croaked.
She got up on her knees in front of him and ran her hands down the barely there material. "Do you like it? I was thinking of you when I bought it. I know black and red are your favorite colors, so I just had to have it." Then she licked her lips lightly.
Belatedly, warning bells began blaring in the back of Darien's head as he realized that he had walked right into a trap. He had been worried all evening that Serena was mad at him, but instead she had been planning this…seduction. He couldn't handle this. He had to get her out of here before he…
He gritted his teeth and grabbed her arm. "It's late, Serena. Why don't you change and I'll take you home or to one of the girls' places, okay?"
He pulled on her arm and she surprised him by leaping at him, wrapping herself around him like a spider monkey. Her legs locked around his waist while her slender arms wound around his neck. Then her hot little mouth was at his ear as she whispered, "But I don't want to leave. I want to stay here with you."
He couldn't hold back a groan as he felt her lips traveling down his neck as she alternated between nipping and sucking. His head spun. This was crazy. It was out of control. And he needed to end it.
"Serena, stop," he pled in a helpless sounding voice.
She raised her head to look at him with smoldering eyes. "Do you want me, Darien?"
He put his hands at her waist and pushed against her, trying to dislodge her body from his, but she didn't budge. "Be serious, Serena."
"I am being serious," she drawled in a low tone. "Very, very serious. Do you want me?" Then she rubbed her chest against his.
Fire exploded inside of him and he began to panic. He was losing the fight. If this kept up for another minute he was going to toss her onto the bed and make love to her until neither one of them could move for a week. "Serena, please," he tried again.
She surprised him by letting him go. Another groan rumbled in his throat as her body slid down his until her feet touched the floor. She took a step back and put her hands on her hips. "I'm not asking you a hard question, Darien. It's very simple. Do you want me or not?"
He couldn't stop his eyes from roaming hungrily over her; drinking the beautiful vision she made standing there with her hair tumbling around her. The get up she was wearing was definitely see through. He could see the roundness of her hips and even the curve of her breasts. And good god! She was wearing a black thong that was hardly more than a scrap of lace!
He met her demanding eyes and knew that he couldn't lie to her. He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair in agitation. "Yes, Serena, I want you. I want you more than anything."
The sultry smile reappeared on her face and she jumped at him, calling on just enough of her scout energy to be able to knock back onto the bed. He landed with an "oof" and she scrambled on top of him to straddle his hips.
He looked up at her in wide-eyed shock. "Wait a minute! Just because I said that I want you doesn't mean that we should do this. There are so many things to consider."
She arched a brow as she looked down at him. "Such as?"
He tried to pull his thoughts together. "Um…protection! We have to think about that."
She tossed her head and laughed. "Taken care of. I've been on the Pill since I was thirteen."
His eyes jerked up to hers. "What?"
She looked amused. "I said that I've been on birth control for years. I used to have really painful cramps so my doctor suggested it. And unless you were lying to me before about the number of women that you've been with, we don't have to worry about diseases."
Damn! That defense was shot down. So he latched onto the next one he could think of. "What about your dad? He'll kill me if I take away your innocence. You're only sixteen."
She shook her head. "Don't worry about daddy. I'm not about to go running to him and tell him that I'm having sex. And even if he did find out, my mom would keep him under control. He shouldn't be so hypocritical anyway. Did you know that he is seven years older than my mother? She was fifteen and he was twenty-two when they started dating. And though mom has never flat out said anything, I've picked up on the hints that they didn't exactly have a celibate relationship. And as far as my age goes, I am almost seventeen and over the age of consent, so I can sleep with whoever I want. Any other excuses that you would like to throw out there?"
He ground the heels of his hands against his eyes and groaned. She was wearing him down. Those had been his two biggest defenses against her, and they had now been rendered useless. He tried to think of another excuse, but everything sounded so weak. Maybe he should go ahead and give in. It was what he really wanted to do anyway. Everything she had said made perfect sense and they had a stable, steady relationship. So why shouldn't they go to the next level?
Serena leaned forward, her hair falling around them like a curtain, and pulled his hands from his eyes. He looked up into her shimmering pools of blue and felt himself get sucked right in.
"I love you, Darien," she whispered softly. "I love you so much. And I want to be with you so badly that I ache inside. I want you to make me yours in every sense of the word." Then her lips were on his.
He couldn't help but respond. He brought one hand up to lay against the side of her neck while the other one tunneled under her mass of hair to cradle the back of her head. His lips turned just as greedy as hers were being as they both drank deeply from each other.
But when he tasted a salty wetness he pulled back to look at her. A few tears had spilled from her eyes to roll down her cheeks. He brushed them away with his thumbs. "Baby, we don't have to do this."
"But I want to," she barely breathed. "I meant what I said. I want to be yours. Please, love me."
"I do," he reassured her huskily. "I love you more than anything in the world. You are my very reason for living."
"Make love to me, please," she begged, her lips brushing his. "I feel like a part of me is missing. Make me feel whole."
She won. That whispered plea did more to break down his final defenses better than any amount of seduction ever could. He lifted his head to capture her lips once more as he rolled them over until she was under him.
The kiss started off gentle, but grew more frantic as the seconds passed. When he felt her hands pulling up his t-shirt he lifted himself slightly and allowed her to whisk it over his head and toss it away. Then he fell back on her where he attacked her ear, swirling his tongue around it before nipping at her lobe. He smirked to himself when he heard her breath hiccup.
Then he dragged his lips down the pale column of her neck, scraping his teeth against her delicate skin here and there. By the time he reached where the first red ribbon was tied she was gasping.
He raised his head to look at her. "Are you really sure about this?"
She nodded rapidly. "Oh, yes! Please, Darien!"
With a few flicks of his fingers he had both ties open and the material parted. He pulled back to get his first sight of his princess in all of her glory. She was beautiful. The moonlight from the window bathed her, making her skin shimmer like silver. He took a few moments run his hands over her; testing the softness of the skin he had never allowed himself to touch before.
Serena moaned and arched her back as she felt his hands on her breasts for the first time without a barrier of cloth between them. This was heaven. No, it was better than heaven. She closed her eyes and gave herself over to the newfound sensations coursing through her. She nearly jumped out of her skin a moment later when she felt his mouth replace his hand. Good grief! Just when she thought the feelings couldn't get any better, they did. She sighed his name as she ran her fingers through his silky black hair.
After a minute he left her chest and made his way back up to her lips where he gave her what had to be the deepest and hottest kiss he ever had. Even the kiss they had shared in his bathroom the other night paled in comparison. A convulsive shiver ran through her when she felt his fingers on her inner thighs, kneading and massaging.
She skimmed her hands down his bare back and then managed to work them in between them where she wrestled with his belt for few seconds before it came loose. A low groan reverberated from his mouth to hers and his hips thrust forward slightly at the feel of her hands at his waist. Just seconds later she the button of his jeans undone and the zipper slid down.
Darien pulled back with a hiss of breath as he felt her busy little fingers at the waistband of his boxers. He grasped both of her wrists and pulled her arms over her head where he pinned them to the bed. His face was flushed and his breathing erratic as he growled, "Let's slow this down just a little bit. We have all night, princess."
Serena smiled up at him wickedly before lifting her hips to brush sensuously against his. "Well why don't you show me, my prince?"
A/N So there you have it! Serena and Darien have hooked up at last! Yay! Now maybe our dear earth prince will loosen up some and stop causing so much tension. He has been driving me absolutely insane for the last few chapters. And things are starting to heat up between our other couples as well. Mina and Amy have taken some huge steps forward with Kunzite and Zoicite, but Raye and Lita are still being stubborn. Poor Jadeite and Nephrite! Maybe their break will come soon. More on all of our favorite little couples is coming up in the next chapter. Don't be shy, hit that button and tell me what you thought. I absolutely adore reviews! See ya next update! Lots of love and hugs!
~Sere~
