Title: Heaven, Hell, and Somewhere in Between
Authors: Stara and Nataku
Ratings: R
Genre: Romance/Alternate Reality
Disclaimer: Yada yada yada. We don't own Sailor Moon, Treize, Victoria's Secret, or Heaven and Hell. ^_~
Author Note: It took us F-O-R-E-V-E-R to write this chapter! It's over thirty pages long (probably over fifty but who's counting?) plus we had midterms on top of everything. We are sorry it's so late though. Hopefully the length and steamy scenes will make up for it. *both laugh*
So, how'd you like part A? Was it semi-interesting?
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Chapter 8- It's Getting Hot in Here (part B)
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Makoto wiped her forehead, smearing some of the makeup on her face.
"Ugh! Makoto, how many times am I going to redo your makeup?!" Treize, her makeup artist, asked annoyedly.
"I'm sorry, it's just so damn hot in here! The lights are making me sweat more..."
"And now your face is all shiny," he groaned, quickling brushing some powder across her face.
"Are you ready YET?" The photographer asked, tapping his foot impatiently.
"Yeah!" Makoto jumped up, happy to escape from Treize's clutches. Another Victoria's Secret shoot was actually a relief for once. Usually she hated baring her all in the sheer lingerie, but the lack of clothes was an unexpected relief from the suffocating heat. She didn't even notice the brown-haired man watching her from the sidelines.
As she took her placei n the center of the floor, her thin robe wrapped tightly around her, Nephrite smiled warmly. He'd seen some of Makoto's work in magazines and on billboards, but now he would finally get to see her 'in action'...but he would never have guessed just how accurate his words would be.
The photographer clapped his hands. "Ready?"
"Ready!" She shouted.
"And...action!"
Makoto shrugged out of the robe that was covering her body to reveal a black negligee and fishnet, thigh-high stockings.
Nephrite's jaw hit the ground.
Fans started blowing softly, causing her long, chestnut hair to billow out around her frame. She looked up through her lashes, and she smiled in an innocent yet promising way.
"Oh, good baby. Now lean down, yes. Show a bit more cleavage...There we go!" The photographer shouted as he circled her. "Come on Makoto, I want sultry now. Make me want to have sex with you...PERFECT!" He downed a glass of cold water as he brought out the video camera.
Makoto's hands ran down the sides of her form, as she smiled at the camera seductively. "Body, by Victoria..." She slowly lifted her hands up over her head, giving the on looker a perfect view. "All you see is curves."
"That's a wrap! Genius Makoto!" She smiled at the photographer and grabbed a bottled water, sitting down in a chair to rest for a few minutes.
Nephrite had LONG since begun to hypervenilate, the years had been good to Makoto. She had already been a curvy woman when he last saw her, but now...Woah. He was gradually getting his breathing under control, only to be replaced with generral confusion. If women were supposed to be the target audience for this kind of crap, then why was it so appealing to men? It didn't make sense...although on a second thought, he felt an uncontrolable urge to run out and buy this crap-not for him of course, but for his girlfriend-not that he had one.
He tapped her on the shoulder, dying to see what her reaction would be. "I find your career choice to be quite amusing, Makoto..."
She dropped her water bottle in surprise (good thing it had been closed), and it rolled across the floor. She looked up at him and smiled when she realized who it was. "Nephrite!" She jumped up, wrapping her arms around him. Her lack of clothes was momentarily forgotten.
By her anyway.
As she embraced him, he found his face buried in her soft, brown tresses, every inch of her bare skin pressed against him. For a few moments, it was like no time had passed between them. It was like it was three years ago, as she lay in his arms, staring up at the sky, with only a thin sheet to cover their bare bodies.
But that was three years ago, and it was as if an entire heavenly body stood between them. But for that one instant.
"Hello," he greeted.
"You've come to relieve me of my duties?" she laughed, pulling away to look at him.
"It's your duty?" He asked inredulously, his eyes once again assesing her clothing- or lack of it.
"Yes, my duty," she beamed. "To show true beauty to the world." She said in mock seriousness, her hands resting on her hips.
He poked her shoulder and laughed. "You've certainly been showing a lot of it lately, huh?"
She blushed, finally realizing her lack of clothes, and quickly wrapped her robe around her scantily-clad form. "So, um...was there a particular reason you stopped by?"
Nephrite shrugged. "Had a few hours off...heard there was a shoot today." he positioned his elbows on a nearby table and stretched lazily, trying to cover up the fact that he had come in specificly to see her...but just why he didn't know..
"Oh."
"Yeah, those guards at the entrance? You might want to think about hiring some new ones..imagine, any creep off the street with a few bucks in his pocket could have gotten in here to see you so...so..exposed. Think of the tabloids!" It had sounded harsher than he meant it, but he couldn't bear the thought of her getting hurt.
Her eyes narrowed, "I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself Nephrite!" Suddenly, this seemed too familiar. The fights from years ago, always being about the same things: drugs and the bad influences of her friends. Did she want to start them all over again? "I'm sorry Nephriite. I know you're just worried, though I'm not sure why. I've been looking for a bodyguard, but they're rare lately..."
Makoto's words subconciously brightened his disposition.A chance to be around her more often, knowing she would be safe...
But he was being selfish. No matter what happened between the two of them...the mission had to come first. Always. Even...even if it meant through her. He shuddered, the thoughts that had been plaguing him ever since he had discovered their missions were related returning. If it came down to it, could he sacrifice her for it?
"I'll have to decline...I have some priorities.." God, he hated the way he had phrased that. He hated sounding like a prick to those he cared most about...
"Don't worry about it," she smiled. "I've already been talking to Kunzite. Apparently, he needs the money." She laughed. "So, wanna let me change and then we can go back to my place?"
Wait. She's been TALKING to Kunzite?! Ah well. No use-the poor boy wasn't any good for gossip. But perhaps he could use it to his advantage later.
"D-do I wanna come to your place?" He reiterated, his mind desperatly searching for an appropriate response. "Uh...sure."
"Cool, just let me slip into something a little more conservative." She walked into her dressing room. It was so good to see him again...she walked out and closed the door to her dressing room behind her. "Ready?" She chirped, bouncing up to him in a short, purple mini skirt and a matching tank top that was just short enough to show off her pierced navel. Her purple flip flops clacked against her heals noisily.
"Kino Makoto! THAT'S conservative?!" He cried, pointing to her ring, even more distressed to see her amused look.
"Of course!" She giggled. "You should see some of the dresses they make me wear. The neck lines are so low that they literally have to glue the fabric to my chest to keep something from popping out."
"I can only imagine," he said, shaking his head. He sighed and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Makoto...I'm sorry. I should be glad that I'm able to see you and spend time with you...not persecute you like this. I've just...always been a little protective of you."
"So, you really don't like it at all?" She asked, interlacing one of her arms with his.
"I've always thought you were beautiful, Makoto. I-I guess maybe I'm just a tad jealous?"
"Jealous?" She laughed. "Trust me, you have nothing to be jealous of. I mean, you were the only one I-," she cut herself off. "Well, you and Lucifer."
"Was he-I mean..." he trailed off, too embarassed to finish his question. It wasn't really his business anyway, and he certainly didn't want her to be thinking of HIM now...
"So...which side of town do you live in?" He asked dumbly, berating himself for such a quick response.
"Um...downtown.."She paused a minute, not wanting to go into detail just yet. She was a little afraid that her style of living might intimidate him. "Do you mind taking the limo? Or did you have other plans?"
Nephrite blinked. "L-limo? Uh....noo....the limo's just....
fine..." he trailed off as they stepped outside and the white limosine pulled up
next to the sidewalk. A hairy, burly man with sunglasses and several tattoos
stepped out and ushered Makoto in and gave Nephrite a threatening glare.
"Thank you, Bob." she smiled, sliding across the seat to make
room for Nephrite. She waited until he was inside and the door was closed to
turn and look at him curiously. "So..ever been in a limo before?" Reaching over
to grab a remote she pressed a few buttons and a wide screen tv with dvd player
and a huge stereo suddenly came into view.
His eyes kind of glazed over at the massive amounts of technology before him. A stereo system was making scary little beeping noises in front of him, but he didn't dare touch it. He didn't dare touch anything in the vehicle- it all looked too valuable and expensive. "So...you must be doing very well as a model, eh?"
"I'm doing okay." she smiled warmly. "I'm one of the most sought out models right now, but I'm mostly just allowed to do business with Usagi Tsukino." Hitting a button, music started playing softly so that there was some noise, but they could still concentrate. "What have you been doing to amuse yourself. I mean, you're working, right?"
Nephrite paled and smiled sheepishly. The truth was that he had just arrived on Earth two days ago, and hadn't found establishments or a job. But he couldn't tell her this of course; it would make him seem pathetic. "I'm...doing okay," he said witha smile. "I don't have a limo or a body guard yet, per se, but I'm working on it." He smiled.
"Yeah, I just got amazingly lucky. You and the guys can come stay over anytime you want. I mean, I have over fifteen guestrooms. Who knows what I'll use them for." she laughed. "I'm almost never home." The door opened as the limo came to a stop and she nodded thanks to Bob before stepping out. "Welcome to my 'humble' abode." she said gesturing to a white mansion that overlooked the harbor.
"Whoa..." He stepped out of the car and shielded his eyes to take in the estate. "That's about as big of an understatement as you can get," he said, raising an eyebrow at what appeared to be a fountain inside a little courtyard in front of her house. It was a marble statue of a devil, with two horns and a tail, who was grinning his mischivious smile and spitting water into a tiny pool. "So...do you, like, have your own area code or something?"
She laughed. "Nope. My summer house in Italy does though." she winked at him, casually walking up to the door. "Please think about it at least. I'm sure the house would be less lonely with you guys here." she said almost pleadingly, struggling slightly with the key as she attempted to unlock the door.
Nephrite tapped his finger against his lip. 'If I do remember, the last time you said that, the entire senior class showed up on your doorstep with ten kegs of alcohol and a death wish."
"Yes, you think I would've learned my lesson by now." she lazily threw her keys onto one of the tables and kicked her shoes off her feet, letting her toes sink into the plush carpet. "I also remember 'someone' getting so insanely drunk that night, that he insisted he could fly...well..that led to the E.R...pain...agony.." she giggled uncontrollably.
He glared. "I do not believe I would have GOTTEN intoxicated in the first place if 'someone' had not insisted that I try that wonderful glass of punch over there..." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I'll be damned if it didn't hurt like hell though. Oh well. Wasn't it worth it to see Jadeite confess his 'true feelings' for me?" He snorted. "About how much he loved me, man?" He burst into laughter.
"Completely!" her head popped over the back of the couch to look at him, her cheeks slightly pink from laughing so hard. "I missed all of you so incredibly much. Especially you Nephrite..." she trailed off, hugging one of the couch pillows to her chest before lying back down so that she was out of his view once more.
"I know. Everyone misses me!" He jumped onto the couch, but missed and landed with his legs in a split on the floor. His face became twisted in pain as he realized that this was a position no man should EVER be in- unless he was specially trained. He whimpered and dragged himself onto the side of the couch, leaning against her shoulder for support.
"You clutz." she laughed, lying him down in hopes that will help. "I would offer some ice...but I don't think that would be especially helpful in this particular scenario..." she bit her bottom lip in concentration.
"What are you implying, Makoto?" he asked, laughter in his eyes.
She instantly blushed. "I..I...Oh you!" she hit him in the face with the pillow she had been holding. "It is so like you to twist my words."
He covered his face. "You walked into it," he teased. He caught the pillow and held it still. "You're blushing still!" he laughed.
"I ALWAYS blush when I'm around you Neph-" she cut herself off, hoping to distract him by climbing onto the couch and straddling him, hitting him repeatedly with the pillow.
"OWOWOW!" he cried out as his sat on his injured area.
"I'm sorry." she laughed, sliding up to his stomach, never relenting her pillow attack.
"You devil, you are not!" he yelled, smiling and grabbing another pillow to fight back with. Occasionally he shielded himself with it to, but as he was not much of a defensive person, went straight for the attack.
They continued fighting like this for a few minutes before, out of breath, they dropped their weapons. Makoto lied down completely on top of him and smiled when his arms encircled her waist.
Silence.
She contemplated something for awhile, trying to decide whether or not was a good time to ask. 'Oh what the hell.' "Nephrite...what's Heaven like?"
Nephrite sighed and smiled faintly, the type of smile that only angels possess, pure and righteous. "Heaven...is exactly what people make it out to be...only better. Heaven is the most euphoric place...I can't even describe it. In Heaven, everything is right, for the most part. There is no war, no hunger, no lust, no jealousy...it's perfection...or, it was..."
"What do you mean...'was'?" she asked curiously.
He furrowed his brows in thought. "This....this guy, who was never supposed to enter the Gates of Heaven, did. We don't exactly know how, but we couldn't very well send him back- you know the council, they've forever got a pole up their backside- and so we were stuck with the little imp." He looked like he was trying not to smile. "The psycho ran amuck, causing chaos among the kingdom, making all of our lives extremely difficult."
"Sounds kinda like the pure one." she laughed, now finding the nickname almost ridiculous. "This girl, came down to Hell. And I can safely say that just by looking at her you would immeadiatly know she didn't belong. Supposedly, she had never committed a single sin in her entire life. The council really screwed that one up." she sighed. "Lucifer adopted her as his mistress, she's the one we're trailing now.."
He chuckled. "Yeah...I got stuck babysitting the devil, too...my orders are, and I quote 'Make sure he doesn't start another war.' So...what's hell like?" he asked slowly and cautiously, as if he were afraid of offending her by mentioning it.
"It's different. I don't know...I tend to try and forget about it..." She paused for a minute, as if weighing her words. "Heaven sounds so wonderful...I always wanted to go there. Not that I deserved it." she smiled weakly, again allowing an awkward silence to take over for a few minutes. "Nephrite...do...do..do you think that you could ever forgive me?" she whispered, all the awful memories of her previous life and the crash flooding back instantly. She had been the one driving, she had killed all of them. It was her fault. Crystalline tears made slowly made their ways down her cheeks as she silently pleaded for something from him she would never be able to give herself.
Forgiveness.
The sight of her in such pain ripped Nephrite's heart in two. He grabbed one of her hands and slowly ran his thumb in small circles over the back on it, not speaking for a few moments. After he had collected his thoughts, he cleared his throat, not trusting his voice entirely. "I remember...I remember being so angry at first." When he saw the look on her face, he quickly began again. "Not because of my own demise...but because of yours. And the others. The guys...they wanted to forget it all. They put it all in the back of their minds. But I tortured myself for days, thinking 'why hadn't I stopped her?' I blamed myself, I...I don't know. But somewhere along the line, I forgave myself." He stopped and looked her in the eye. "Makoto, I forgive you. I hope that you can forgive me as well..." his eyes began to water and his voice cracked.
She wanted so bad to be able to hold him then, to assure him that she would never leave his side. Oh, how she wanted to be with him, to wake up to his smile every morning and come home to him every day. But no, it had been to long. His world was no longer hers. Though she felt the love and the passion for him rekindling in her heart, she knew he could not possibly feel the same way. So, despite her feelings, she just hugged him tighter, allowing the tears to flow more freely. "How could I not forgive you? You have done nothing Nephire, nothing! I was the one who ruined everything, I was the one who killed us." she choked, "I should have listened to you when you told me to stop going to those parties and get off drugs..but...but I didn't understand...I should have though, and this time I'm going to do things right." she sniffled softly, her hands grasping loosely to the material of his shirt. She looked up at him, her eyes still partially glazed over with tears, and her cheeks flushed.
"I've waited forever to hear that," he whispered, trying to force a smile. And he meant it. He reached up and pulled her to him, holding her for a while. He liked to think it was for her sake, but deep down, he needed it too. Nephrite softly stroked her hair as he listened to the sound of her ragged breathing quieting down.
"I'm sorry I brought on such a sad conversation.." she smiled weakly, feeling soothed by his stroking. He had always been able to calm her before, and she loved him for it. Wait. She loved him? No...not again. She shook her head weakly, shutting her eyes. She had only been with him a couple of hours and already the world 'love' was slipping back into her vocabularly?! Love was so evil...
"No- it's good...it's good to get it out. I think we both needed to say it...and hear each other. I never forgot... And Makoto? I believe in you. I believe you'll do what you said. I would never lose faith in you....ever...."
"You don't know how much that means to me, Nephrite. After seeing you at the foodcourt, I was so worried you were going to hate me for what I had become. I hate myself for it..."
Oh. Right. That minor detail had momentarily escaped his attention. As much as he tried to push it out of his mind, the thought of Makoto with Lucifer, the sworn enemy of Heaven, being touched, fondled...it- it disturbed him. It made him uneasy. "I could never hate you...but....you...um...."
She looked up at him curiously, silently wondering what could have caused an eloquent man, such as Nephrite, to be reduced to a stuttering fool. "But what?"
"-but....you don't still...have feelings for him...do you?" He needed to hear it from her lips. That it meant nothing to her....he hoped.
"I never had 'feelings' for him, Nephrite. I was simply an object to be used when he wanted me. Sickening though it may sound, while I was down there it didn't bother me in the least. It sickens me now, though. I'm not sure why I didn't think of it in this light...maybe some enchantments or something. I'm not sure. I do know that when I was with him, it was nothing. It was not love, like, or anything. Just sex." she said it bluntly, knowing that this information couldn't be sugar coated. But he had asked..
He sighed. It did bother him, more so than he had hoped. But if what she had said was true (and he knew deep down it was), then it didn't matter. She wasn't a part of that life anymore... "So...Makoko...now that you have a second chance, what do you want to do with your life?"
"So many things..." her eyes shimmered softly as she stared off into space, imagining the things she wished for. "I want to become a chef and own my own bakery. I also want to own a flower shop, because I love gardening. Eventually, I'll want to get married and have kids and stuff...but that all depends on the mission." she sighed. She hated having her life dictated by a girl's ignorance to the world around her.
"The mission," he restated, contempt in his voice. "Of course. It's not without a price, is it?" he asked. "I want...to do the things I never got a chance to...go to college, get insanely drunk, and do normal things. I want to be able to go outside and look at the stars everynight, from Earth, and wonder again the things I used to wonder."
She smiled then, resting her head on his chest once more and relishing the feel of being in his arms. How had she ever let him go? Would she be able to do so again? Slowly, she let her eyelids close as sleep claimed her suddenly.
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Ami blinked, looking over the top of her book to see firetrucks and police cars crowded into the parking lot of the place Usagi was supposed to be meeting Mamoru that morning. "Oh great..." she sighed. It would be just her luck. She had slept in one time. ONCE! And of course Usagi would have to die in a fire on that very day. She was about ready to curse, for the first time ever, when she noticed that there was no smoke or flames. Could it have been a false alarm? That's when she saw a rather flushed Usagi standing next to a dark-haired man who was whispering into her ear. Obviously, he was the cause of her discomfort. Oh, this could be interesting...
She closed her book and tucked it into her satchet before walking close enough to where Usagi and the black-haired gentlemen were standing so that she could catch peices of their conversation. She was in dire need of gossip.
"You just can't wait until I get you in the sack, and I WILL too.." Ami raised an eyebrow at the remark made by the young man. That was some personality. She almost died laughing at the irony of it all. Usagi and him were perfect for eachother.
"The day I sleep with you is the day I die!" Yup, they were DEFINITLY perfect for one another. And, was it her, or were they slowly moving closer to one another?
"Get your tombstone ready..." They WERE moving closer! Hmm..interesting. She would have to tell the other girls about this...she smiled. Hopefully, she'd get to catch a bit more of their conversation...
Usagi rolled her eyes. "You really are an arrogant bastard, you know that? I mean, seriously, thinking that every female wants to sleep with you..." she felt herself finally gaining control again. Maybe she could work this in her favor..."But..I can't help but see why..."she said seductively, looking up at him through her lashes.
He placed his hands on his hips and laughed. Oh wait. She was batting her eyelashes again? "O-of course you can't..." He grinned. "See? I told you nothing in a skirt can resist my charms...not even you yourself..."
"No...I guess not..." she moved a little closer to him, "You're so handsome, smart, and..." she stood on tiptoe to whisper in his ear, her lips softly brushing it as she spoke.."sexy..."
Ami almost gagged as she watched them. They were as bad as Rei and Jadeite, yet twice as fun to watch. Well...no. She took that back. Rei and Jadeite were really amusing as well.
Ami was not the only person interested in their conversation. Others around the pair were begining to turn their heads and took a step back, encircling them. Mamoru was too busy to notice. For a half second, he began to feel those feelings again...but he quickly shook them off. Two could certainly play at this game...and after all, he had written the rulebook, hadn't he?
"Mmm..." He touched his chin to his chest and looked straight into her eyes, narrowing them a bit. His broad shoulders towered above her, and a tuft of his jet black hair partally covered one of his eyes, giving him a mysterious aura.
"Completely so." she saw him faltering and she relished the feeling of dragging him into submission once more. She stepped back from him, as if nothing had happened, and she began chatting randomly. "Well, since we're going to be investing money in one another, I guess I should tell you about my inspiration whims. You see, my inspiration is basically based on my sex life. If I have good sex, I produce good sketches." she said this all nonchalantly. "I guess you'll have to make sure my sex life stays up to par Mamoru." she winked.
He blinked, and looked as if he was trying to get his mind to grasp the concept...sex equals inspiration? Slowly a smile spread across his face. There was more to this broad than met the eye, apparently... He raised an eyebrow. "You have sex...and then your creativity starts working?" He laughed, remembering some of her more recent sketches. "Are you sure you have room for me in your...busy scheduale?" He threw his head back and laughed.
"And who said I was going to allow you in it?" she smirked. "All I said was that you'd have to make sure it stayed active. I guess if I'm desperate I'll let you fill in at some point. But that's only if my sketches get REALLY bad again. It's not like you could do much for me anyway, not after sleeping with Luc-...." she stopped herself, looking down at the ground. She had been able to avoid thinking about him for awhile now, why did she have to bring him up NOW?!
"Lucy?" he finished for her. "Good Lord, girl! I didn't know you were THAT despara-"
"No, you baka!" she smacked him on the arm. "I'm sorry to disappoint you and squander such a lovely fantasy but I'm referring to Luke...an old flame. I know you could never compare to. Especially in bed.." she covered quickly, hoping that it had been smooth enough to avert his attention to defending his ego.
"Now that," he said, "I would have to see for myself. Especially considering how much you seemed to enjoy that kiss in my off-" Ooh. Bad idea. Coworkers around? Nope, not the time, NOT the place.
Noticing his discomfort she smiled evilly and continued in a rather loud voice, "The kiss? Oh yes, it felt so good Mamoru. The feel of your body pressed against mine, your lips capturing my own, before your tongue broke that barrier..." she looked at him mockingly as she continued, the smile still in place.
"Eh heh..." he looked around uneasily. "Miss Tsukino, please, I am not interested in hearing the actual details of your 'flames.'" He grabbed her arm and yanked her through the crowd. "I don't care how much you hate me, but I will NOT lose my company simply because you hold a grudge against me," he hissed.
"Oh? So you would like to continue this fight elsewhere? Dinner tomorrow? I'd love to. At the Moon Palace? Wow, that's a posh resteraunt. Sounds fabulous. Pick me up tomorrow at eight!" she laughed, scampering away as quickly as she could, rejoicing the idea of a free meal from a place she had been dying to try.
Mamoru stood there, speechless. Had- had she just asked him out? Or had HE asked her out? He didn't quite remember doing so, but that was the impression he got. He shrugged. Either way, he had scored, whether or not intentionally was undecided. So what kind of restaurant was posh exactly?
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Authors: Stara and Nataku
Ratings: R
Genre: Romance/Alternate Reality
Disclaimer: Yada yada yada. We don't own Sailor Moon, Treize, Victoria's Secret, or Heaven and Hell. ^_~
Author Note: It took us F-O-R-E-V-E-R to write this chapter! It's over thirty pages long (probably over fifty but who's counting?) plus we had midterms on top of everything. We are sorry it's so late though. Hopefully the length and steamy scenes will make up for it. *both laugh*
So, how'd you like part A? Was it semi-interesting?
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Chapter 8- It's Getting Hot in Here (part B)
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Makoto wiped her forehead, smearing some of the makeup on her face.
"Ugh! Makoto, how many times am I going to redo your makeup?!" Treize, her makeup artist, asked annoyedly.
"I'm sorry, it's just so damn hot in here! The lights are making me sweat more..."
"And now your face is all shiny," he groaned, quickling brushing some powder across her face.
"Are you ready YET?" The photographer asked, tapping his foot impatiently.
"Yeah!" Makoto jumped up, happy to escape from Treize's clutches. Another Victoria's Secret shoot was actually a relief for once. Usually she hated baring her all in the sheer lingerie, but the lack of clothes was an unexpected relief from the suffocating heat. She didn't even notice the brown-haired man watching her from the sidelines.
As she took her placei n the center of the floor, her thin robe wrapped tightly around her, Nephrite smiled warmly. He'd seen some of Makoto's work in magazines and on billboards, but now he would finally get to see her 'in action'...but he would never have guessed just how accurate his words would be.
The photographer clapped his hands. "Ready?"
"Ready!" She shouted.
"And...action!"
Makoto shrugged out of the robe that was covering her body to reveal a black negligee and fishnet, thigh-high stockings.
Nephrite's jaw hit the ground.
Fans started blowing softly, causing her long, chestnut hair to billow out around her frame. She looked up through her lashes, and she smiled in an innocent yet promising way.
"Oh, good baby. Now lean down, yes. Show a bit more cleavage...There we go!" The photographer shouted as he circled her. "Come on Makoto, I want sultry now. Make me want to have sex with you...PERFECT!" He downed a glass of cold water as he brought out the video camera.
Makoto's hands ran down the sides of her form, as she smiled at the camera seductively. "Body, by Victoria..." She slowly lifted her hands up over her head, giving the on looker a perfect view. "All you see is curves."
"That's a wrap! Genius Makoto!" She smiled at the photographer and grabbed a bottled water, sitting down in a chair to rest for a few minutes.
Nephrite had LONG since begun to hypervenilate, the years had been good to Makoto. She had already been a curvy woman when he last saw her, but now...Woah. He was gradually getting his breathing under control, only to be replaced with generral confusion. If women were supposed to be the target audience for this kind of crap, then why was it so appealing to men? It didn't make sense...although on a second thought, he felt an uncontrolable urge to run out and buy this crap-not for him of course, but for his girlfriend-not that he had one.
He tapped her on the shoulder, dying to see what her reaction would be. "I find your career choice to be quite amusing, Makoto..."
She dropped her water bottle in surprise (good thing it had been closed), and it rolled across the floor. She looked up at him and smiled when she realized who it was. "Nephrite!" She jumped up, wrapping her arms around him. Her lack of clothes was momentarily forgotten.
By her anyway.
As she embraced him, he found his face buried in her soft, brown tresses, every inch of her bare skin pressed against him. For a few moments, it was like no time had passed between them. It was like it was three years ago, as she lay in his arms, staring up at the sky, with only a thin sheet to cover their bare bodies.
But that was three years ago, and it was as if an entire heavenly body stood between them. But for that one instant.
"Hello," he greeted.
"You've come to relieve me of my duties?" she laughed, pulling away to look at him.
"It's your duty?" He asked inredulously, his eyes once again assesing her clothing- or lack of it.
"Yes, my duty," she beamed. "To show true beauty to the world." She said in mock seriousness, her hands resting on her hips.
He poked her shoulder and laughed. "You've certainly been showing a lot of it lately, huh?"
She blushed, finally realizing her lack of clothes, and quickly wrapped her robe around her scantily-clad form. "So, um...was there a particular reason you stopped by?"
Nephrite shrugged. "Had a few hours off...heard there was a shoot today." he positioned his elbows on a nearby table and stretched lazily, trying to cover up the fact that he had come in specificly to see her...but just why he didn't know..
"Oh."
"Yeah, those guards at the entrance? You might want to think about hiring some new ones..imagine, any creep off the street with a few bucks in his pocket could have gotten in here to see you so...so..exposed. Think of the tabloids!" It had sounded harsher than he meant it, but he couldn't bear the thought of her getting hurt.
Her eyes narrowed, "I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself Nephrite!" Suddenly, this seemed too familiar. The fights from years ago, always being about the same things: drugs and the bad influences of her friends. Did she want to start them all over again? "I'm sorry Nephriite. I know you're just worried, though I'm not sure why. I've been looking for a bodyguard, but they're rare lately..."
Makoto's words subconciously brightened his disposition.A chance to be around her more often, knowing she would be safe...
But he was being selfish. No matter what happened between the two of them...the mission had to come first. Always. Even...even if it meant through her. He shuddered, the thoughts that had been plaguing him ever since he had discovered their missions were related returning. If it came down to it, could he sacrifice her for it?
"I'll have to decline...I have some priorities.." God, he hated the way he had phrased that. He hated sounding like a prick to those he cared most about...
"Don't worry about it," she smiled. "I've already been talking to Kunzite. Apparently, he needs the money." She laughed. "So, wanna let me change and then we can go back to my place?"
Wait. She's been TALKING to Kunzite?! Ah well. No use-the poor boy wasn't any good for gossip. But perhaps he could use it to his advantage later.
"D-do I wanna come to your place?" He reiterated, his mind desperatly searching for an appropriate response. "Uh...sure."
"Cool, just let me slip into something a little more conservative." She walked into her dressing room. It was so good to see him again...she walked out and closed the door to her dressing room behind her. "Ready?" She chirped, bouncing up to him in a short, purple mini skirt and a matching tank top that was just short enough to show off her pierced navel. Her purple flip flops clacked against her heals noisily.
"Kino Makoto! THAT'S conservative?!" He cried, pointing to her ring, even more distressed to see her amused look.
"Of course!" She giggled. "You should see some of the dresses they make me wear. The neck lines are so low that they literally have to glue the fabric to my chest to keep something from popping out."
"I can only imagine," he said, shaking his head. He sighed and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Makoto...I'm sorry. I should be glad that I'm able to see you and spend time with you...not persecute you like this. I've just...always been a little protective of you."
"So, you really don't like it at all?" She asked, interlacing one of her arms with his.
"I've always thought you were beautiful, Makoto. I-I guess maybe I'm just a tad jealous?"
"Jealous?" She laughed. "Trust me, you have nothing to be jealous of. I mean, you were the only one I-," she cut herself off. "Well, you and Lucifer."
"Was he-I mean..." he trailed off, too embarassed to finish his question. It wasn't really his business anyway, and he certainly didn't want her to be thinking of HIM now...
"So...which side of town do you live in?" He asked dumbly, berating himself for such a quick response.
"Um...downtown.."She paused a minute, not wanting to go into detail just yet. She was a little afraid that her style of living might intimidate him. "Do you mind taking the limo? Or did you have other plans?"
Nephrite blinked. "L-limo? Uh....noo....the limo's just....
fine..." he trailed off as they stepped outside and the white limosine pulled up
next to the sidewalk. A hairy, burly man with sunglasses and several tattoos
stepped out and ushered Makoto in and gave Nephrite a threatening glare.
"Thank you, Bob." she smiled, sliding across the seat to make
room for Nephrite. She waited until he was inside and the door was closed to
turn and look at him curiously. "So..ever been in a limo before?" Reaching over
to grab a remote she pressed a few buttons and a wide screen tv with dvd player
and a huge stereo suddenly came into view.
His eyes kind of glazed over at the massive amounts of technology before him. A stereo system was making scary little beeping noises in front of him, but he didn't dare touch it. He didn't dare touch anything in the vehicle- it all looked too valuable and expensive. "So...you must be doing very well as a model, eh?"
"I'm doing okay." she smiled warmly. "I'm one of the most sought out models right now, but I'm mostly just allowed to do business with Usagi Tsukino." Hitting a button, music started playing softly so that there was some noise, but they could still concentrate. "What have you been doing to amuse yourself. I mean, you're working, right?"
Nephrite paled and smiled sheepishly. The truth was that he had just arrived on Earth two days ago, and hadn't found establishments or a job. But he couldn't tell her this of course; it would make him seem pathetic. "I'm...doing okay," he said witha smile. "I don't have a limo or a body guard yet, per se, but I'm working on it." He smiled.
"Yeah, I just got amazingly lucky. You and the guys can come stay over anytime you want. I mean, I have over fifteen guestrooms. Who knows what I'll use them for." she laughed. "I'm almost never home." The door opened as the limo came to a stop and she nodded thanks to Bob before stepping out. "Welcome to my 'humble' abode." she said gesturing to a white mansion that overlooked the harbor.
"Whoa..." He stepped out of the car and shielded his eyes to take in the estate. "That's about as big of an understatement as you can get," he said, raising an eyebrow at what appeared to be a fountain inside a little courtyard in front of her house. It was a marble statue of a devil, with two horns and a tail, who was grinning his mischivious smile and spitting water into a tiny pool. "So...do you, like, have your own area code or something?"
She laughed. "Nope. My summer house in Italy does though." she winked at him, casually walking up to the door. "Please think about it at least. I'm sure the house would be less lonely with you guys here." she said almost pleadingly, struggling slightly with the key as she attempted to unlock the door.
Nephrite tapped his finger against his lip. 'If I do remember, the last time you said that, the entire senior class showed up on your doorstep with ten kegs of alcohol and a death wish."
"Yes, you think I would've learned my lesson by now." she lazily threw her keys onto one of the tables and kicked her shoes off her feet, letting her toes sink into the plush carpet. "I also remember 'someone' getting so insanely drunk that night, that he insisted he could fly...well..that led to the E.R...pain...agony.." she giggled uncontrollably.
He glared. "I do not believe I would have GOTTEN intoxicated in the first place if 'someone' had not insisted that I try that wonderful glass of punch over there..." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I'll be damned if it didn't hurt like hell though. Oh well. Wasn't it worth it to see Jadeite confess his 'true feelings' for me?" He snorted. "About how much he loved me, man?" He burst into laughter.
"Completely!" her head popped over the back of the couch to look at him, her cheeks slightly pink from laughing so hard. "I missed all of you so incredibly much. Especially you Nephrite..." she trailed off, hugging one of the couch pillows to her chest before lying back down so that she was out of his view once more.
"I know. Everyone misses me!" He jumped onto the couch, but missed and landed with his legs in a split on the floor. His face became twisted in pain as he realized that this was a position no man should EVER be in- unless he was specially trained. He whimpered and dragged himself onto the side of the couch, leaning against her shoulder for support.
"You clutz." she laughed, lying him down in hopes that will help. "I would offer some ice...but I don't think that would be especially helpful in this particular scenario..." she bit her bottom lip in concentration.
"What are you implying, Makoto?" he asked, laughter in his eyes.
She instantly blushed. "I..I...Oh you!" she hit him in the face with the pillow she had been holding. "It is so like you to twist my words."
He covered his face. "You walked into it," he teased. He caught the pillow and held it still. "You're blushing still!" he laughed.
"I ALWAYS blush when I'm around you Neph-" she cut herself off, hoping to distract him by climbing onto the couch and straddling him, hitting him repeatedly with the pillow.
"OWOWOW!" he cried out as his sat on his injured area.
"I'm sorry." she laughed, sliding up to his stomach, never relenting her pillow attack.
"You devil, you are not!" he yelled, smiling and grabbing another pillow to fight back with. Occasionally he shielded himself with it to, but as he was not much of a defensive person, went straight for the attack.
They continued fighting like this for a few minutes before, out of breath, they dropped their weapons. Makoto lied down completely on top of him and smiled when his arms encircled her waist.
Silence.
She contemplated something for awhile, trying to decide whether or not was a good time to ask. 'Oh what the hell.' "Nephrite...what's Heaven like?"
Nephrite sighed and smiled faintly, the type of smile that only angels possess, pure and righteous. "Heaven...is exactly what people make it out to be...only better. Heaven is the most euphoric place...I can't even describe it. In Heaven, everything is right, for the most part. There is no war, no hunger, no lust, no jealousy...it's perfection...or, it was..."
"What do you mean...'was'?" she asked curiously.
He furrowed his brows in thought. "This....this guy, who was never supposed to enter the Gates of Heaven, did. We don't exactly know how, but we couldn't very well send him back- you know the council, they've forever got a pole up their backside- and so we were stuck with the little imp." He looked like he was trying not to smile. "The psycho ran amuck, causing chaos among the kingdom, making all of our lives extremely difficult."
"Sounds kinda like the pure one." she laughed, now finding the nickname almost ridiculous. "This girl, came down to Hell. And I can safely say that just by looking at her you would immeadiatly know she didn't belong. Supposedly, she had never committed a single sin in her entire life. The council really screwed that one up." she sighed. "Lucifer adopted her as his mistress, she's the one we're trailing now.."
He chuckled. "Yeah...I got stuck babysitting the devil, too...my orders are, and I quote 'Make sure he doesn't start another war.' So...what's hell like?" he asked slowly and cautiously, as if he were afraid of offending her by mentioning it.
"It's different. I don't know...I tend to try and forget about it..." She paused for a minute, as if weighing her words. "Heaven sounds so wonderful...I always wanted to go there. Not that I deserved it." she smiled weakly, again allowing an awkward silence to take over for a few minutes. "Nephrite...do...do..do you think that you could ever forgive me?" she whispered, all the awful memories of her previous life and the crash flooding back instantly. She had been the one driving, she had killed all of them. It was her fault. Crystalline tears made slowly made their ways down her cheeks as she silently pleaded for something from him she would never be able to give herself.
Forgiveness.
The sight of her in such pain ripped Nephrite's heart in two. He grabbed one of her hands and slowly ran his thumb in small circles over the back on it, not speaking for a few moments. After he had collected his thoughts, he cleared his throat, not trusting his voice entirely. "I remember...I remember being so angry at first." When he saw the look on her face, he quickly began again. "Not because of my own demise...but because of yours. And the others. The guys...they wanted to forget it all. They put it all in the back of their minds. But I tortured myself for days, thinking 'why hadn't I stopped her?' I blamed myself, I...I don't know. But somewhere along the line, I forgave myself." He stopped and looked her in the eye. "Makoto, I forgive you. I hope that you can forgive me as well..." his eyes began to water and his voice cracked.
She wanted so bad to be able to hold him then, to assure him that she would never leave his side. Oh, how she wanted to be with him, to wake up to his smile every morning and come home to him every day. But no, it had been to long. His world was no longer hers. Though she felt the love and the passion for him rekindling in her heart, she knew he could not possibly feel the same way. So, despite her feelings, she just hugged him tighter, allowing the tears to flow more freely. "How could I not forgive you? You have done nothing Nephire, nothing! I was the one who ruined everything, I was the one who killed us." she choked, "I should have listened to you when you told me to stop going to those parties and get off drugs..but...but I didn't understand...I should have though, and this time I'm going to do things right." she sniffled softly, her hands grasping loosely to the material of his shirt. She looked up at him, her eyes still partially glazed over with tears, and her cheeks flushed.
"I've waited forever to hear that," he whispered, trying to force a smile. And he meant it. He reached up and pulled her to him, holding her for a while. He liked to think it was for her sake, but deep down, he needed it too. Nephrite softly stroked her hair as he listened to the sound of her ragged breathing quieting down.
"I'm sorry I brought on such a sad conversation.." she smiled weakly, feeling soothed by his stroking. He had always been able to calm her before, and she loved him for it. Wait. She loved him? No...not again. She shook her head weakly, shutting her eyes. She had only been with him a couple of hours and already the world 'love' was slipping back into her vocabularly?! Love was so evil...
"No- it's good...it's good to get it out. I think we both needed to say it...and hear each other. I never forgot... And Makoto? I believe in you. I believe you'll do what you said. I would never lose faith in you....ever...."
"You don't know how much that means to me, Nephrite. After seeing you at the foodcourt, I was so worried you were going to hate me for what I had become. I hate myself for it..."
Oh. Right. That minor detail had momentarily escaped his attention. As much as he tried to push it out of his mind, the thought of Makoto with Lucifer, the sworn enemy of Heaven, being touched, fondled...it- it disturbed him. It made him uneasy. "I could never hate you...but....you...um...."
She looked up at him curiously, silently wondering what could have caused an eloquent man, such as Nephrite, to be reduced to a stuttering fool. "But what?"
"-but....you don't still...have feelings for him...do you?" He needed to hear it from her lips. That it meant nothing to her....he hoped.
"I never had 'feelings' for him, Nephrite. I was simply an object to be used when he wanted me. Sickening though it may sound, while I was down there it didn't bother me in the least. It sickens me now, though. I'm not sure why I didn't think of it in this light...maybe some enchantments or something. I'm not sure. I do know that when I was with him, it was nothing. It was not love, like, or anything. Just sex." she said it bluntly, knowing that this information couldn't be sugar coated. But he had asked..
He sighed. It did bother him, more so than he had hoped. But if what she had said was true (and he knew deep down it was), then it didn't matter. She wasn't a part of that life anymore... "So...Makoko...now that you have a second chance, what do you want to do with your life?"
"So many things..." her eyes shimmered softly as she stared off into space, imagining the things she wished for. "I want to become a chef and own my own bakery. I also want to own a flower shop, because I love gardening. Eventually, I'll want to get married and have kids and stuff...but that all depends on the mission." she sighed. She hated having her life dictated by a girl's ignorance to the world around her.
"The mission," he restated, contempt in his voice. "Of course. It's not without a price, is it?" he asked. "I want...to do the things I never got a chance to...go to college, get insanely drunk, and do normal things. I want to be able to go outside and look at the stars everynight, from Earth, and wonder again the things I used to wonder."
She smiled then, resting her head on his chest once more and relishing the feel of being in his arms. How had she ever let him go? Would she be able to do so again? Slowly, she let her eyelids close as sleep claimed her suddenly.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Ami blinked, looking over the top of her book to see firetrucks and police cars crowded into the parking lot of the place Usagi was supposed to be meeting Mamoru that morning. "Oh great..." she sighed. It would be just her luck. She had slept in one time. ONCE! And of course Usagi would have to die in a fire on that very day. She was about ready to curse, for the first time ever, when she noticed that there was no smoke or flames. Could it have been a false alarm? That's when she saw a rather flushed Usagi standing next to a dark-haired man who was whispering into her ear. Obviously, he was the cause of her discomfort. Oh, this could be interesting...
She closed her book and tucked it into her satchet before walking close enough to where Usagi and the black-haired gentlemen were standing so that she could catch peices of their conversation. She was in dire need of gossip.
"You just can't wait until I get you in the sack, and I WILL too.." Ami raised an eyebrow at the remark made by the young man. That was some personality. She almost died laughing at the irony of it all. Usagi and him were perfect for eachother.
"The day I sleep with you is the day I die!" Yup, they were DEFINITLY perfect for one another. And, was it her, or were they slowly moving closer to one another?
"Get your tombstone ready..." They WERE moving closer! Hmm..interesting. She would have to tell the other girls about this...she smiled. Hopefully, she'd get to catch a bit more of their conversation...
Usagi rolled her eyes. "You really are an arrogant bastard, you know that? I mean, seriously, thinking that every female wants to sleep with you..." she felt herself finally gaining control again. Maybe she could work this in her favor..."But..I can't help but see why..."she said seductively, looking up at him through her lashes.
He placed his hands on his hips and laughed. Oh wait. She was batting her eyelashes again? "O-of course you can't..." He grinned. "See? I told you nothing in a skirt can resist my charms...not even you yourself..."
"No...I guess not..." she moved a little closer to him, "You're so handsome, smart, and..." she stood on tiptoe to whisper in his ear, her lips softly brushing it as she spoke.."sexy..."
Ami almost gagged as she watched them. They were as bad as Rei and Jadeite, yet twice as fun to watch. Well...no. She took that back. Rei and Jadeite were really amusing as well.
Ami was not the only person interested in their conversation. Others around the pair were begining to turn their heads and took a step back, encircling them. Mamoru was too busy to notice. For a half second, he began to feel those feelings again...but he quickly shook them off. Two could certainly play at this game...and after all, he had written the rulebook, hadn't he?
"Mmm..." He touched his chin to his chest and looked straight into her eyes, narrowing them a bit. His broad shoulders towered above her, and a tuft of his jet black hair partally covered one of his eyes, giving him a mysterious aura.
"Completely so." she saw him faltering and she relished the feeling of dragging him into submission once more. She stepped back from him, as if nothing had happened, and she began chatting randomly. "Well, since we're going to be investing money in one another, I guess I should tell you about my inspiration whims. You see, my inspiration is basically based on my sex life. If I have good sex, I produce good sketches." she said this all nonchalantly. "I guess you'll have to make sure my sex life stays up to par Mamoru." she winked.
He blinked, and looked as if he was trying to get his mind to grasp the concept...sex equals inspiration? Slowly a smile spread across his face. There was more to this broad than met the eye, apparently... He raised an eyebrow. "You have sex...and then your creativity starts working?" He laughed, remembering some of her more recent sketches. "Are you sure you have room for me in your...busy scheduale?" He threw his head back and laughed.
"And who said I was going to allow you in it?" she smirked. "All I said was that you'd have to make sure it stayed active. I guess if I'm desperate I'll let you fill in at some point. But that's only if my sketches get REALLY bad again. It's not like you could do much for me anyway, not after sleeping with Luc-...." she stopped herself, looking down at the ground. She had been able to avoid thinking about him for awhile now, why did she have to bring him up NOW?!
"Lucy?" he finished for her. "Good Lord, girl! I didn't know you were THAT despara-"
"No, you baka!" she smacked him on the arm. "I'm sorry to disappoint you and squander such a lovely fantasy but I'm referring to Luke...an old flame. I know you could never compare to. Especially in bed.." she covered quickly, hoping that it had been smooth enough to avert his attention to defending his ego.
"Now that," he said, "I would have to see for myself. Especially considering how much you seemed to enjoy that kiss in my off-" Ooh. Bad idea. Coworkers around? Nope, not the time, NOT the place.
Noticing his discomfort she smiled evilly and continued in a rather loud voice, "The kiss? Oh yes, it felt so good Mamoru. The feel of your body pressed against mine, your lips capturing my own, before your tongue broke that barrier..." she looked at him mockingly as she continued, the smile still in place.
"Eh heh..." he looked around uneasily. "Miss Tsukino, please, I am not interested in hearing the actual details of your 'flames.'" He grabbed her arm and yanked her through the crowd. "I don't care how much you hate me, but I will NOT lose my company simply because you hold a grudge against me," he hissed.
"Oh? So you would like to continue this fight elsewhere? Dinner tomorrow? I'd love to. At the Moon Palace? Wow, that's a posh resteraunt. Sounds fabulous. Pick me up tomorrow at eight!" she laughed, scampering away as quickly as she could, rejoicing the idea of a free meal from a place she had been dying to try.
Mamoru stood there, speechless. Had- had she just asked him out? Or had HE asked her out? He didn't quite remember doing so, but that was the impression he got. He shrugged. Either way, he had scored, whether or not intentionally was undecided. So what kind of restaurant was posh exactly?
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *