Title: Heaven, Hell, and Somwhere in Between
Authors: Stara and Nataku
Rating: R
Genre: Romance/Alternate Reality/Drama/Comedy
Disclaimer: We don't own Sailor Moon or any religious stuff...um...someone else probably has it copyrighted. I wonder...is there a copyright on Heaven and Hell? I should look into that...
Author Note: Ah, so we're late, but guess what? This will be another more than one part story cause it is soooooo long. Yes, terribly, terribly long. We've actualyl had it done for awhile (yeah, our NEXT chapter is almost done) just a lot of files were misplaced and...yeah...you know how THAT goes. ^_^
Dedication: We'd like to dedicate this chapter to Nataku's moldy sandwhich (it's been in there for weeks!) Nata: Stara made me throw it away...*sniffle* Stara: Please woman, that thing needed to die!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Chapter 9- Hot Date, Cold Feet Part A
She fainted.
Lucifer blinked, surprised at her reaction. "Well, that's not what I had been
expecting..." he thought, a smile playing on his lips. She always was full of
surprises. Picking her up, he walked over to the bed and set her down before
crawling up next to her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and stroked her
hair, watching her as she slept. "I missed you, Serenity..."
A couple hours later Usagi started slipping back into consciousness, awaking
from a dreamless sleep. She was faintly aware of strong arms holding her close
and warm breath brushing against her forehead. Her mind reeled, trying to think
of who it could be when one memory popped into her head: the office.
Mamoru.
Was it really him?
No. Something didn't feel quite right. When Mamoru held her, shivers went down
her spine and fire ignited wherever he touched. This person was soft, and for
some odd reason, very familiar. Curiosity finally getting the better of her, she
opened her eyes only to be met with amber.
"Lucifer," she breathed, suddenly fearing that the past three months on Earth
had been a dream.
"Ah, you're awake. I must say that I was a bit surprised when you fainted dead
away, but I guess popping up in the mirror isn't hte most subtle way to contact
someone," he laughed, kissing her forehead. "Damn, I missed you."
"W-why are you here?" she asked shakily, disheartened that her past had
resurfaced so soon.
"Well, first of all, I missed you terribly," he smiled o-so sexily in a way that
would make most women melt. "And to remind you of your misson. You haven't been
working on it too hard..." he shook a finger at her,"if at all."
"I-I-I..." she stuttered, still shaken from him just appearing. Had she missed
him? She wasn't sure.
"You're so beautiful when you're disoriented," he leaned down and brushed his
lips against hers before completely capturing them. She wasn't sure what made
her respond. Maybe it was just the familiarity of the whole scene, but her arms
instantly wrapped around him to pull him closer. He ran his tongue along her
bottom lip and groaned softly. He had missed her taste so much. Lowering his
mouth, he kissed her neck and then her collarbone.
"Mmm..." she purred, fingers tangling in his hair. "Mamoru..."
The world came to a screeching halt.
When she realized he had stopped, her eyes popped open to look at him curiously.
Fire stared back at her in the form of amber eyes. She'd never seen him to angry
before.
"Who is this...Mamoru?" he hissed, saying the man's name with complete disgust.
Her eyes widened. How did he know that name?
"Who?"
"Mamoru!" His fists clenched and his knuckles went white. "You called out his
name!"
No. She couldn't have. Not HIS name...could she?
"He's just some guy I've had to work with lately..."
"Bullshit. You've been screwing him, haven't you? You're turning into such a
whore-"
"I am not a whore!" she screamed back, the fire that she had earned on Earth
returning. "No one asked you to just appear, Lucifer! Actually, I haven't even
thought about you since I left."
Ouch. That hurt more than it should have. But why? Because maybe this Mamoru
character was occupying her thoughts instead of him.
"Serenity, what's happened to you?" he asked, his voice filled with regret.
"Get out!"
For some reason, he obeyed her and walked back over to the mirror before
disappearing.
Three months.
Three months on Earth and she was corrupted.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Mist covered the clearing, falling so thickly that everything else was hidden.
Maybe that's why they chose that exact place to meet.
"Are the rumors true?" a deep voice asked, it's owner obviously worried about
something. "Is the prophecy really about to be fufilled?"
"The vampires speak of a goddess, one of innocence and purity who has changed,"
a younger voice answered, revealing the owner to be no more than twelve.
"Changed? Into what?"
"I'm not sure...I think she may be turning evil, though it is no wonder since
she represents Hell."
"An angel in Hell? The council really did screw up this time..."
"In turn, the saints tell stories of a demon from Heaven," a new voice said. It
was female and light, almost musical.
"The rumors are true, the prophecy is at risk of being fufilled," another voice,
one full of mystery. The others gasped.
"We can't let that happen!" the deep voice exclaimed.
"I know, we will just have to make sure that he doesn't fail..." They all nodded
in agreement before disappearing into the mist.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"They are so dead!" Zoicite screamed frustratedly at the top of his lungs,
momentarily shattering the peace of all the giggling pre-teens with pimples and
braces. They glarred at him in an enraged fury, much like the look Star Trek
fans give the rest of the inferior population when they confuse Spok's origins
of human and Vulcan- a look that says "Get off the planet, you moronic scum!"
The other 2 percent of the store, which comprised of older teens and mom
chaperones wondered why a young man with exceptionally long hair and somewhat
feminine features was doing in a mall outlet like Calires in the first place.
He blushed furiously and stomped his left foot. "I mean...uh...they test these
products on animals! They are so dead!"
This remark produced unexpected results.
Instead of returning to their affaires as he guessed they would, a swarm of
angry, frothing chicks practically pounced on him, all yelling and kikcing and
screaming at once.
"THEY TEST THESE ON POOR DEFENSELESS BUNNIES?! AND MONKIES?! THEY SHALL BURN!!"
bellowed one paticularly pissed off girl.
Zoicite found it very hard to breathe witht eh mass of girls on top of him, so
summoning all of his super-angelic strength, he mangaed to crawl out from under
them. He lied there and gasped for a moment before finally getting up. Note to
self: beware of crazed shopping mall addicts, he though silently.
Upon a giddy impulse, Zoicite began to look around. The shelves were covered in
almost every shade, flavor, and personality of cosmetics, along with various
application devices and cuddly looking white cats whose only vocabulary was the
word "hello".
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Mamoru examined himself in the mirror. Having just stepped out of the shower, he
was clad only in a pristine white towel wrapped around his waist. The bright
light from his bedside lamp illuminated his dark skin and well-toned body.
Usually he looked upon himself in the mirror with pride at his beautiful figure,
but right now, everything seemed all wrong. His eyes were too far apart, his
forehead was too long, his teeth were crooked...
Mamoru sighed and ran a hand through his damp hair. Normally he never agonized
over his appearence, but for some reason he was tonight. He kept envisioning
Usagi in his dream, running her hands over his bare chest and moaning his name
in passion. He scrutinzed himself even harder in the mirror again.
"Why so you care so much?" he demanded of his reflection accusingly as he began
to get dressed. "It's not as if you like her or anything...sure, a few rolls in
the sack'll be nice, but then you'll lose interest and find someone else, like
always."
He stopped. God, was he was a cold, heartless bastard or what?
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"What's wrong baby?"
Rei hesitated for a minute, trying to figure out how to say what she wanted without making it seem like she cared. "Just rethinking some things I guess." she smiled, running the sheet through her fingers idily. "I was going through some of the memories of our relationship before the crash and I still haven't been able to figure out whether there was any emotion in it besides lust." she laughed softly, trying to sound nonchalant.
He swallowed, a sort of...guilty expression crossing his face. "It didn't mean anything to you?" he asked softly. "I- I wouldn't have called it lust...per se...no, wait, that came out wrong. I mean...you know, don't you?"
"No, I don't know. Can't you just tell me, it's too early to think clearly." she tried to keep her voice steady, scared that Minako had actually been right. They had been arguing earlier that day when Minako had bluntly stated that eventhough Kunzite was gay now they HAD been in LOVE. Rei and Jadeite were only eachother's play things. Rei had vehemently disagreed, but...could Minako have been right?
Jadeite winced at the cutting tone she used. There wasn't an easy way to say it, and Jadeite wasn't exactly the lovey-dovey type. But she wanted SOMETHING. Knowing Rei, she'd rather hear something painful than not hearing it at all. Suddenly, he narrowed his eyes. 'You've been talking to HER again, haven't you?"
"Yes, but obviously she was right, wasn't she?" she said cooly, focusing completely on the sheet that she continued to run her fingers over. She wasn't going to show any emotion, no, that wasn't her. She would just call up a few people and then...well...this pain would go away. For a little while at least...yeah..she would call someone. Who though? Momentarily her mind flickered back to her old methods of dealing with pain. Alcohol and drugs were so, so very good at that...but did she need this life to end up like the last one? Worst case scenario is she would wind back up in Hell where she wanted to be anyway, right? For some reason she couldn't see herself doing it. Maybe it was because of him..
"Right? About what? Minako told you...what did she tell you?"
She sighed, she didn't want him to know that it bothered her. "It's nothing, don't worry about it..."
The look on her face made him feel like he'd just kicked a puppy. She was turning her eyes from him, pretending like it didn't matter, like she always did. But he knew her- she was trying not to cry, to show how hurt she was. "N-no..." he said, slowly at first. "It- it does matter." 'Boy, what have you gotten yourself into this time?' he wondered to himself.
He sucked in a deep breath. "When the...you know, the crash happened...I was so...angry." He whispered the last word. "I mean, like a DANGEROUS angry."
"At who exactly?" she raised an eyebrow, finally turning to face him once more. She was surprised to see a pained expression on his face.
He was looking away now, focusing all of his dark energy into a spot on the wall. "Just...just angry. At everything. At you, at the guys, at myself...at God. And then I just...forgot about it. I pushed it to the back of my mind. It came to the point where I was a danger to myself when I was angry. So I just...forgot. Rei, when I was with you, before, I...I just assumed that you'd always be there, and that I would always be with you. I took you for granted. And.." he looked away. "Maybe I didn't think of you in the way you want me to... But ever since I've been back, and I'm with you again, I don't know...I want to be around you, I want to see you, and not just without your clothes, either."
She smiled up at him and wrapped her arms around his chest, snuggling up to his naked form. "That's all I wanted to know Jadeite, and that's all I needed to hear." It had been more than what she was hoping for, and had eased her mind a bit. It wasn't love, but it wasn't pure lust either. That suited her just fine.
Jadeite sighed in relief, feeling he had said the right thing- for once. He snaked one arm around her waist and just stroked the skin of her abdomen.... A sickening feeling filled the put of his stomach as his fingers traced a welt-like scar, and he felt her shiver beneath him as he passed it. "Rei," he sat up abruptly, positioning her so that he was facing her. "What's this..." he said, pointing to a scar on her tummy. "And this bruise over here...and these scratches...and this welt...and....Rei? Wh-what are these?" he asked, his voice quivering with something unknown.
"They're....they're nothing.." she said softly, having temporarily forgotten about the scars that she tediously covered with makeup each morning. It must have worn off during the night. They weren't noticable unless you were up close, but Jadeite was pretty close. "Just scratches I've picked up over the past couple months..."
"Rei. No they're not." His eyes narrowed and he gripped her shoulders. "What are they from? Were you...did...who did this?" he almost hissed. These were not just accidental injuries- they were wounds, inflicted upon by a person. Jadeite clenched his fists, temporarily forgetting they were squeezing her shoulders until she squeaked, and he loosened them. Whoever did this...he would destroy them....
"They're not serious, Jadeite." she tried to sound angry but her voice came out as a squeak. It was anything but scary. When she saw his face harden even further she sighed in defeat. "It wasn't like he did it on purpose Jadeite. I guess he just has a one track mind. Maybe he couldn't concentrate what he was doing AND not hurting me at the same time.. Besides, it's not just me. We all have the bruises and scars. Lucifer wasn't known for his gentleness." she said, trying to help her case but realizing that she had told him who it was. Shit.
"WHAT?" he cried. "Lu- he- you- " Jadeite sputtered. "You and him...I mean, I knew...but....he did this to you? A lover did this to you? Rei-" his voice broke as he examined her scared flesh again. "Rei...I know we were crazy back then...but I would never have..." Jadeite covered his eyes to escape the sight of her skin.
"Well...I wouldn't exactly call him a lover Jadeite..." Wait. That was going to help her case much at all. "It wasn't like he took a whip and hit me, well, only ONCE! Most of them are just from holding me too tight or from weird spots or-" to cut herself off. He didn't need to hear this. "I'm sorry Jadeite...I'm not exactly sure what to say.."
"God, Rei!" Jadeite rubbed furiously at his eyes. "Dammit!" His heart twisted in his chest as he saw her staring back at him, and he felt a million different emotions whirling threw him at once- guilt for shouting at her, grief and frustration that there was nothing he could do to take away these scars, relief that she was no longer with HIM anymore..but above all, a rage buried deep inside him. A rage that wanted to destroy Lucifer. He threw his arms around her neck and buried his head in her hair so that she wouldn't see the tears that were spilling over his cheeks. Tears of regret of not being there for her...
Instantly she reacted and embraced him, stroking his back soothingly while whispering soft words of comfort. She knew they needed this, had needed something to get passed the basic playful comments and insults. Somehow this was going to bring them closer, and who knew what it would lead them too.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Nephrite slowly opened his eyes to feel a familiar softness lying across him. It was
so incredibly soft. Looking around the room he realized that he was not in his
apartment and that his surroundings were unfamiliar. Suddenly, it came back to him
and he looked down at the girl that had fallen asleep in his arms. Makoto, she was
so beautiful. He became aware of the fact that her already short skirt had ridden
up quite a bit along with her tank top.
Man, he needed to get out of this.
Fast.
Trying to pick her up a little to slide out he was surprised to hear her whimper
softly and cling onto his shirt in order to prevent
loss of his warmth. He sighed in defeat. It wasn't that he was in a particularly BAD position...No, many guys would die to be in his shoes...but he had to pee SO bad!
'Ahhh!' His mind screamed as he felt her shift again.
She did NOT just put her hand THERE!
Nephrite's mind raced. "Go to phase two?" His lower half asked, actually enjoying the sensation of her hand.
'NO! Nonononononono! Do NOT go to phase two! I repeat: Under no circumstnaces do you go to phase two!'
Note: This did nothing to help his current bladder situation.
He lied there, eyes wide open, waiting for something, ANYTHING to happen. Nothing did. Minutes seemed like hours, and still he dared not move.
"I have got to piss like nobody's business," he murmered aloud, not realizing it until her long eyelashes twitched. He would have covered his mouth to keep silent, but she was fortunatly doing it for him.
She groaned softly and squinted her eyes as she became aware of the light filtering into the room. She sat up, not aware that she was on top of Nephrite, and reached her arms towards the ceiling. Her already 'risque' ensemble had become even more so during the night. The top had been pushed to the side, revealing a creamy shoulder, and it rose up even farther as she stretched. The skirt was up to the point where you could see her emerald underwear in the back.
Nephrite gulped and waited for "the wrath of Makoto."
She groggily opened her eyes and crawled off of Nephrite's lap.
What kind of evil, sick, twisted game was she playing?!
Groaning she dragged herself away from the couch and to where he couldn't see anymore. Not believing his luck at first he remained lying there in shock. When he did finally get up, his eyes widened at what he saw. A trail of discarded clothes (Yes, the ones she had just been wearing!) led to a door that was slightly ajar.
How had he missed THAT?!
Suddenly, Nephrite's male traits started kicking in. "Must...find..bathroom!" He hopped up from the couch, legs pressed togeether (which was quitte a feat in itself) and looked this way and that for any hint of a restroom (or, heck, even a rubber plant). But as he could find not even on (which surprised him thoroughly), plant or bathroom alike anywhere in the entire house, he decided to go find Makoto and venture asking her.
Following the convenient trail of clothes (hey, hadn't he given her those panties for Christmas a few years ago?), he finally found hhis way to a door, from which inside he heard singing. He knocked.
No response.
"Makoto?"
Nothing.
Taking a deep breath, he pushed the door open and stepped inside, only to be greeted with the sight of steam and a clear, glass shower-with her in it.
It was like looking into glasses when you didn't need them. Her figure and features were perfectly visible, but were fogged a bit, hiding the most detailed parts of her body. He stared at it for awhile, male hormones taking over. Didn't he have to pee? Oh, yes...he had almost forgotten.
Making sure to keep an eye on the singing and nude Makoto, in case she noticed him (Yeah, that's why), he quietly lifted the toilet seat. As he unzipped his pants, he continued watching her, becoming so preocupied with the sigght of her that he forgot about what he was doing, and accidentily knocked the toilet seat down-onto a certain sensitive area of him. There was a loud bang as the toilet seat slammed, followed by a yelp as he cried out in pain. Nephrite quickly claimped a hand over his mouth to stay silent, but tears slowly slipped down his cheeks.
"H-hello?" Makoto called out after a minute. She slid the glass door to the side and stuck her head out. "Nephrite! What are you doing in here?!" Wait. What was he DOING?! Her eyes met his momentarily to see them filled with fear and pain. Tears were streaming down his cheeks. After further inspection she also realized that his pants were down around his ankles and his hands were clutching a 'certain' area of his body. His eyes were locked on her.
Suddenly, she remembered that she was naked. "You pervert!" She crossed her arms over her chest and sat at the bottom of the shower in order to block his 'view'.
Nephrite took his hand away from his mouth and looked confused. Then he remembered just where he was and what he was doing.
"Makoto-it's not what it looks like, I swear it! I-I had to use the bathroom, and well, this is the only bathroom in the house, you know, and see then I came in here, and....and," he babbled sensleslly, knowing full well which creek he was up without a paddle. "...and then I dropped the toilet seat on my thing, and it hur-," he said, stopping and looking down. "Oh shit!" He quickly zipped up his pants and blushed furiously, pondering how wrong it had all gone.
"A few agonizing moments went by, and Makoto was still huddled in the corner of the shower. "Makoto? Say something! Come on, it wasn't like there was anything I hadn't seen before..."
"OUT! GET OUT NOW!!" She shouted, throwing a bar of soap at him. Momentarily forgetting herself, she stood up at grabbed random items from the shower. "I hate you Nephrite! I can't even believe that I thought-," she cut herself off, punctuating each word by throwing an item at him. "-who cares what I thought...how could you do this you @$#%%@$#%!!!!" She started rambling off many names that even HE didn't know. What?? She had to learn SOMETHING in Hell.
Although Nephrite was not essentially the pervert among the four saints (that was Jadeite's role), he was still a young man in his prime, and the sight of a fully-developed, naked, angry Makoto chucking things at him like there was no tomorrow-well, it would distract anyone in his position. Which is why he did not realize there was a rubber duckie careening at him 1880-miles per hour until it him him square in the jaw. "Ouch!" He cried, clutching his red face and running out the door (but not before flushing the toilet- he wasn't a barbarian!)
Quickly grabbing a towel and wrapping it around her, she stomped over to her room and slammed the door.
Slam! (told you)
Nephrite winced as it slammedd (which it did) and shook his head.
This would NOT end well.
Suddenly, he felt arms around his waist and he jumped.
"Sorry," Makoto giggled, untangling herself from him. "Though you handled the situation REALLY bad...I THINK I understand." He smiled. She really was so perfect in every way. One of which he had just rediscovered...'Nope do NOT go down that road again.'
"I can't believe I fell asleep on you," she laughed. "That must have been awkward for you."
"Yeah, you were putting your hands in some strange places...and you talk in your sleep, too. 'Oh Nephrite, you sexy beast you. I just can't keep my hands off you!'"
Her eyes widened in momentary panic until she saw the gleam in his eyes and smacked his shoulder. "You really are a piece of work, aren't you?" She laughed.
"Look who's talking. One minute you hate me and try to behead me with bath toys, and then you hug me. And I'm the strange one." He smiled.
"But how can I stay mad at a 'sexy beast' like you?" She purred, kissing his cheek. "What's on the agenda for today?" She asked curiously, linking an arm with him.
"Well, maybe we should talk about those Christmas panties you SWORE you'd never wear," he laughed, poking her in the chest. SUddenly, he became self-concious, having noticed that they were speaking rather loudly. "Umm..Makoto, is anyone else here at the house?"
She paused for a minute, thinking about which day it was,
before her eyes went wide. "Simone..."
"Miss Kino! Miss Kino are you okay?" asked a young woman, who
ran down the stairs in tight jeans and a t-shirt tied up to reveal her midriff.
"I swear that I hear screaming and-oh. I didn't know you had company." She waved
at Nephrite. "Hey."
"Hi!" Nephrite sweatdropped and waved, remembering Makoto was
dressed in merely a short bathrobe and he in somewhat disheveled clothing.
"Eh...this is Simone. She comes in to water the plants in the
greenhouse and basically run the mansion while I'm working. You know, making
sure the maids show up and such.." She trailed off, realizing she was rambling.
"And this is Nephrite. He's an old friend of mine that just flew in from
somwhere far away."
"Oh! So THIS is Nephrite!!" Simone shook his hand. "Makoto
talks about you in her sleep somtimes."
Nephrite blushed and rubbed the back of his head. "Eh heh...she
does, does she?"
"WHAT?! I do?!!"
Simone nodded, her red hair falling over one shoulder. "Yup.
You go on about a guy named Lucifer for awhile, mentioning some things I don't even
WANT to repeat or think I can as this is story is only rated R, but then you
start talking about a crash and then Nephrite."
"Ohh...well, what does she say about me in general?" Nephrite
asked. "Of course, I already know the answer- she can't get ENOUGH of me, but
still- " he was cut off as she punched him in the arm.
"Simone, really, please just don't answer tha-"
"She talks about how you cared for her and stopped her from
hurting herself, though in the end it wasn't enough. Sometimes she even starts
crying in her sleep and whispering something about rain and alcohol, before
returning to you and how absolutely perfect and wonderful you are."
"Simone, that quite enough-"
Nephrite, a little shocked at this newfound information, agreed
whole-heartedly with Makoto and quickly searched for another topic of discussion.
"So," he began, rubbing his hands together. "Whose hungry?"
"I am!" Makoto nearly jumped at the change of subject and
pulled on his arm. "Let's go out to eat."
"Really? I thought maybe we could whip something up here or
something...I remember how great of a chef you used to be...."
"Well, that's only because you taught me." She winked, starting
to walk towards the kitchen. "Yeah...I'm sure we can find something..."
Simone, having been forgotten, quickly memorized the picture
they made. They were so cute together, and hey, if it didn't work, Nephrite was
still a total babe.
As they were walking, Nephrite caught a glance of himself in
the reflection of the stainless steel refridgerator. "Ack! Look at me! I'm a
mess! Makoto, do you mind if I borrow a brush or something?"
"No." She motioned him with a wave of her hand towards the
bathroom. "You'll find anything you need in those drawers. More than anyone
would ever need."
"Thanks!" he rushed off towards the bathroom. Once inside, he
quickly found a comb and began to untangle the rat's nest that was his hair.
Sure, it was great with the ladies, but every once in a while it did get old. He
looked down at himself. "That was a close call, there, buddy. You almost got
nicked! I had no idea toilets were that dangerous!"
When he was finished brushing his hair, he was almost on his way back to the
kitchen when something caught his eye in the mirror. It lasted for a brief
second before disapearing, but there was a flash of a dark tan and
jet-black, with what seemed like a set of crimson....eyes....peering at him. He
quickly flipped around, searching for any sign of someone in the room, but after
a careful inspection could find no one. "Makoto," he called out, needing to hear
her voice to make sure she was okay.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
End of Part A
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Authors: Stara and Nataku
Rating: R
Genre: Romance/Alternate Reality/Drama/Comedy
Disclaimer: We don't own Sailor Moon or any religious stuff...um...someone else probably has it copyrighted. I wonder...is there a copyright on Heaven and Hell? I should look into that...
Author Note: Ah, so we're late, but guess what? This will be another more than one part story cause it is soooooo long. Yes, terribly, terribly long. We've actualyl had it done for awhile (yeah, our NEXT chapter is almost done) just a lot of files were misplaced and...yeah...you know how THAT goes. ^_^
Dedication: We'd like to dedicate this chapter to Nataku's moldy sandwhich (it's been in there for weeks!) Nata: Stara made me throw it away...*sniffle* Stara: Please woman, that thing needed to die!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Chapter 9- Hot Date, Cold Feet Part A
She fainted.
Lucifer blinked, surprised at her reaction. "Well, that's not what I had been
expecting..." he thought, a smile playing on his lips. She always was full of
surprises. Picking her up, he walked over to the bed and set her down before
crawling up next to her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and stroked her
hair, watching her as she slept. "I missed you, Serenity..."
A couple hours later Usagi started slipping back into consciousness, awaking
from a dreamless sleep. She was faintly aware of strong arms holding her close
and warm breath brushing against her forehead. Her mind reeled, trying to think
of who it could be when one memory popped into her head: the office.
Mamoru.
Was it really him?
No. Something didn't feel quite right. When Mamoru held her, shivers went down
her spine and fire ignited wherever he touched. This person was soft, and for
some odd reason, very familiar. Curiosity finally getting the better of her, she
opened her eyes only to be met with amber.
"Lucifer," she breathed, suddenly fearing that the past three months on Earth
had been a dream.
"Ah, you're awake. I must say that I was a bit surprised when you fainted dead
away, but I guess popping up in the mirror isn't hte most subtle way to contact
someone," he laughed, kissing her forehead. "Damn, I missed you."
"W-why are you here?" she asked shakily, disheartened that her past had
resurfaced so soon.
"Well, first of all, I missed you terribly," he smiled o-so sexily in a way that
would make most women melt. "And to remind you of your misson. You haven't been
working on it too hard..." he shook a finger at her,"if at all."
"I-I-I..." she stuttered, still shaken from him just appearing. Had she missed
him? She wasn't sure.
"You're so beautiful when you're disoriented," he leaned down and brushed his
lips against hers before completely capturing them. She wasn't sure what made
her respond. Maybe it was just the familiarity of the whole scene, but her arms
instantly wrapped around him to pull him closer. He ran his tongue along her
bottom lip and groaned softly. He had missed her taste so much. Lowering his
mouth, he kissed her neck and then her collarbone.
"Mmm..." she purred, fingers tangling in his hair. "Mamoru..."
The world came to a screeching halt.
When she realized he had stopped, her eyes popped open to look at him curiously.
Fire stared back at her in the form of amber eyes. She'd never seen him to angry
before.
"Who is this...Mamoru?" he hissed, saying the man's name with complete disgust.
Her eyes widened. How did he know that name?
"Who?"
"Mamoru!" His fists clenched and his knuckles went white. "You called out his
name!"
No. She couldn't have. Not HIS name...could she?
"He's just some guy I've had to work with lately..."
"Bullshit. You've been screwing him, haven't you? You're turning into such a
whore-"
"I am not a whore!" she screamed back, the fire that she had earned on Earth
returning. "No one asked you to just appear, Lucifer! Actually, I haven't even
thought about you since I left."
Ouch. That hurt more than it should have. But why? Because maybe this Mamoru
character was occupying her thoughts instead of him.
"Serenity, what's happened to you?" he asked, his voice filled with regret.
"Get out!"
For some reason, he obeyed her and walked back over to the mirror before
disappearing.
Three months.
Three months on Earth and she was corrupted.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Mist covered the clearing, falling so thickly that everything else was hidden.
Maybe that's why they chose that exact place to meet.
"Are the rumors true?" a deep voice asked, it's owner obviously worried about
something. "Is the prophecy really about to be fufilled?"
"The vampires speak of a goddess, one of innocence and purity who has changed,"
a younger voice answered, revealing the owner to be no more than twelve.
"Changed? Into what?"
"I'm not sure...I think she may be turning evil, though it is no wonder since
she represents Hell."
"An angel in Hell? The council really did screw up this time..."
"In turn, the saints tell stories of a demon from Heaven," a new voice said. It
was female and light, almost musical.
"The rumors are true, the prophecy is at risk of being fufilled," another voice,
one full of mystery. The others gasped.
"We can't let that happen!" the deep voice exclaimed.
"I know, we will just have to make sure that he doesn't fail..." They all nodded
in agreement before disappearing into the mist.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"They are so dead!" Zoicite screamed frustratedly at the top of his lungs,
momentarily shattering the peace of all the giggling pre-teens with pimples and
braces. They glarred at him in an enraged fury, much like the look Star Trek
fans give the rest of the inferior population when they confuse Spok's origins
of human and Vulcan- a look that says "Get off the planet, you moronic scum!"
The other 2 percent of the store, which comprised of older teens and mom
chaperones wondered why a young man with exceptionally long hair and somewhat
feminine features was doing in a mall outlet like Calires in the first place.
He blushed furiously and stomped his left foot. "I mean...uh...they test these
products on animals! They are so dead!"
This remark produced unexpected results.
Instead of returning to their affaires as he guessed they would, a swarm of
angry, frothing chicks practically pounced on him, all yelling and kikcing and
screaming at once.
"THEY TEST THESE ON POOR DEFENSELESS BUNNIES?! AND MONKIES?! THEY SHALL BURN!!"
bellowed one paticularly pissed off girl.
Zoicite found it very hard to breathe witht eh mass of girls on top of him, so
summoning all of his super-angelic strength, he mangaed to crawl out from under
them. He lied there and gasped for a moment before finally getting up. Note to
self: beware of crazed shopping mall addicts, he though silently.
Upon a giddy impulse, Zoicite began to look around. The shelves were covered in
almost every shade, flavor, and personality of cosmetics, along with various
application devices and cuddly looking white cats whose only vocabulary was the
word "hello".
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Mamoru examined himself in the mirror. Having just stepped out of the shower, he
was clad only in a pristine white towel wrapped around his waist. The bright
light from his bedside lamp illuminated his dark skin and well-toned body.
Usually he looked upon himself in the mirror with pride at his beautiful figure,
but right now, everything seemed all wrong. His eyes were too far apart, his
forehead was too long, his teeth were crooked...
Mamoru sighed and ran a hand through his damp hair. Normally he never agonized
over his appearence, but for some reason he was tonight. He kept envisioning
Usagi in his dream, running her hands over his bare chest and moaning his name
in passion. He scrutinzed himself even harder in the mirror again.
"Why so you care so much?" he demanded of his reflection accusingly as he began
to get dressed. "It's not as if you like her or anything...sure, a few rolls in
the sack'll be nice, but then you'll lose interest and find someone else, like
always."
He stopped. God, was he was a cold, heartless bastard or what?
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"What's wrong baby?"
Rei hesitated for a minute, trying to figure out how to say what she wanted without making it seem like she cared. "Just rethinking some things I guess." she smiled, running the sheet through her fingers idily. "I was going through some of the memories of our relationship before the crash and I still haven't been able to figure out whether there was any emotion in it besides lust." she laughed softly, trying to sound nonchalant.
He swallowed, a sort of...guilty expression crossing his face. "It didn't mean anything to you?" he asked softly. "I- I wouldn't have called it lust...per se...no, wait, that came out wrong. I mean...you know, don't you?"
"No, I don't know. Can't you just tell me, it's too early to think clearly." she tried to keep her voice steady, scared that Minako had actually been right. They had been arguing earlier that day when Minako had bluntly stated that eventhough Kunzite was gay now they HAD been in LOVE. Rei and Jadeite were only eachother's play things. Rei had vehemently disagreed, but...could Minako have been right?
Jadeite winced at the cutting tone she used. There wasn't an easy way to say it, and Jadeite wasn't exactly the lovey-dovey type. But she wanted SOMETHING. Knowing Rei, she'd rather hear something painful than not hearing it at all. Suddenly, he narrowed his eyes. 'You've been talking to HER again, haven't you?"
"Yes, but obviously she was right, wasn't she?" she said cooly, focusing completely on the sheet that she continued to run her fingers over. She wasn't going to show any emotion, no, that wasn't her. She would just call up a few people and then...well...this pain would go away. For a little while at least...yeah..she would call someone. Who though? Momentarily her mind flickered back to her old methods of dealing with pain. Alcohol and drugs were so, so very good at that...but did she need this life to end up like the last one? Worst case scenario is she would wind back up in Hell where she wanted to be anyway, right? For some reason she couldn't see herself doing it. Maybe it was because of him..
"Right? About what? Minako told you...what did she tell you?"
She sighed, she didn't want him to know that it bothered her. "It's nothing, don't worry about it..."
The look on her face made him feel like he'd just kicked a puppy. She was turning her eyes from him, pretending like it didn't matter, like she always did. But he knew her- she was trying not to cry, to show how hurt she was. "N-no..." he said, slowly at first. "It- it does matter." 'Boy, what have you gotten yourself into this time?' he wondered to himself.
He sucked in a deep breath. "When the...you know, the crash happened...I was so...angry." He whispered the last word. "I mean, like a DANGEROUS angry."
"At who exactly?" she raised an eyebrow, finally turning to face him once more. She was surprised to see a pained expression on his face.
He was looking away now, focusing all of his dark energy into a spot on the wall. "Just...just angry. At everything. At you, at the guys, at myself...at God. And then I just...forgot about it. I pushed it to the back of my mind. It came to the point where I was a danger to myself when I was angry. So I just...forgot. Rei, when I was with you, before, I...I just assumed that you'd always be there, and that I would always be with you. I took you for granted. And.." he looked away. "Maybe I didn't think of you in the way you want me to... But ever since I've been back, and I'm with you again, I don't know...I want to be around you, I want to see you, and not just without your clothes, either."
She smiled up at him and wrapped her arms around his chest, snuggling up to his naked form. "That's all I wanted to know Jadeite, and that's all I needed to hear." It had been more than what she was hoping for, and had eased her mind a bit. It wasn't love, but it wasn't pure lust either. That suited her just fine.
Jadeite sighed in relief, feeling he had said the right thing- for once. He snaked one arm around her waist and just stroked the skin of her abdomen.... A sickening feeling filled the put of his stomach as his fingers traced a welt-like scar, and he felt her shiver beneath him as he passed it. "Rei," he sat up abruptly, positioning her so that he was facing her. "What's this..." he said, pointing to a scar on her tummy. "And this bruise over here...and these scratches...and this welt...and....Rei? Wh-what are these?" he asked, his voice quivering with something unknown.
"They're....they're nothing.." she said softly, having temporarily forgotten about the scars that she tediously covered with makeup each morning. It must have worn off during the night. They weren't noticable unless you were up close, but Jadeite was pretty close. "Just scratches I've picked up over the past couple months..."
"Rei. No they're not." His eyes narrowed and he gripped her shoulders. "What are they from? Were you...did...who did this?" he almost hissed. These were not just accidental injuries- they were wounds, inflicted upon by a person. Jadeite clenched his fists, temporarily forgetting they were squeezing her shoulders until she squeaked, and he loosened them. Whoever did this...he would destroy them....
"They're not serious, Jadeite." she tried to sound angry but her voice came out as a squeak. It was anything but scary. When she saw his face harden even further she sighed in defeat. "It wasn't like he did it on purpose Jadeite. I guess he just has a one track mind. Maybe he couldn't concentrate what he was doing AND not hurting me at the same time.. Besides, it's not just me. We all have the bruises and scars. Lucifer wasn't known for his gentleness." she said, trying to help her case but realizing that she had told him who it was. Shit.
"WHAT?" he cried. "Lu- he- you- " Jadeite sputtered. "You and him...I mean, I knew...but....he did this to you? A lover did this to you? Rei-" his voice broke as he examined her scared flesh again. "Rei...I know we were crazy back then...but I would never have..." Jadeite covered his eyes to escape the sight of her skin.
"Well...I wouldn't exactly call him a lover Jadeite..." Wait. That was going to help her case much at all. "It wasn't like he took a whip and hit me, well, only ONCE! Most of them are just from holding me too tight or from weird spots or-" to cut herself off. He didn't need to hear this. "I'm sorry Jadeite...I'm not exactly sure what to say.."
"God, Rei!" Jadeite rubbed furiously at his eyes. "Dammit!" His heart twisted in his chest as he saw her staring back at him, and he felt a million different emotions whirling threw him at once- guilt for shouting at her, grief and frustration that there was nothing he could do to take away these scars, relief that she was no longer with HIM anymore..but above all, a rage buried deep inside him. A rage that wanted to destroy Lucifer. He threw his arms around her neck and buried his head in her hair so that she wouldn't see the tears that were spilling over his cheeks. Tears of regret of not being there for her...
Instantly she reacted and embraced him, stroking his back soothingly while whispering soft words of comfort. She knew they needed this, had needed something to get passed the basic playful comments and insults. Somehow this was going to bring them closer, and who knew what it would lead them too.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Nephrite slowly opened his eyes to feel a familiar softness lying across him. It was
so incredibly soft. Looking around the room he realized that he was not in his
apartment and that his surroundings were unfamiliar. Suddenly, it came back to him
and he looked down at the girl that had fallen asleep in his arms. Makoto, she was
so beautiful. He became aware of the fact that her already short skirt had ridden
up quite a bit along with her tank top.
Man, he needed to get out of this.
Fast.
Trying to pick her up a little to slide out he was surprised to hear her whimper
softly and cling onto his shirt in order to prevent
loss of his warmth. He sighed in defeat. It wasn't that he was in a particularly BAD position...No, many guys would die to be in his shoes...but he had to pee SO bad!
'Ahhh!' His mind screamed as he felt her shift again.
She did NOT just put her hand THERE!
Nephrite's mind raced. "Go to phase two?" His lower half asked, actually enjoying the sensation of her hand.
'NO! Nonononononono! Do NOT go to phase two! I repeat: Under no circumstnaces do you go to phase two!'
Note: This did nothing to help his current bladder situation.
He lied there, eyes wide open, waiting for something, ANYTHING to happen. Nothing did. Minutes seemed like hours, and still he dared not move.
"I have got to piss like nobody's business," he murmered aloud, not realizing it until her long eyelashes twitched. He would have covered his mouth to keep silent, but she was fortunatly doing it for him.
She groaned softly and squinted her eyes as she became aware of the light filtering into the room. She sat up, not aware that she was on top of Nephrite, and reached her arms towards the ceiling. Her already 'risque' ensemble had become even more so during the night. The top had been pushed to the side, revealing a creamy shoulder, and it rose up even farther as she stretched. The skirt was up to the point where you could see her emerald underwear in the back.
Nephrite gulped and waited for "the wrath of Makoto."
She groggily opened her eyes and crawled off of Nephrite's lap.
What kind of evil, sick, twisted game was she playing?!
Groaning she dragged herself away from the couch and to where he couldn't see anymore. Not believing his luck at first he remained lying there in shock. When he did finally get up, his eyes widened at what he saw. A trail of discarded clothes (Yes, the ones she had just been wearing!) led to a door that was slightly ajar.
How had he missed THAT?!
Suddenly, Nephrite's male traits started kicking in. "Must...find..bathroom!" He hopped up from the couch, legs pressed togeether (which was quitte a feat in itself) and looked this way and that for any hint of a restroom (or, heck, even a rubber plant). But as he could find not even on (which surprised him thoroughly), plant or bathroom alike anywhere in the entire house, he decided to go find Makoto and venture asking her.
Following the convenient trail of clothes (hey, hadn't he given her those panties for Christmas a few years ago?), he finally found hhis way to a door, from which inside he heard singing. He knocked.
No response.
"Makoto?"
Nothing.
Taking a deep breath, he pushed the door open and stepped inside, only to be greeted with the sight of steam and a clear, glass shower-with her in it.
It was like looking into glasses when you didn't need them. Her figure and features were perfectly visible, but were fogged a bit, hiding the most detailed parts of her body. He stared at it for awhile, male hormones taking over. Didn't he have to pee? Oh, yes...he had almost forgotten.
Making sure to keep an eye on the singing and nude Makoto, in case she noticed him (Yeah, that's why), he quietly lifted the toilet seat. As he unzipped his pants, he continued watching her, becoming so preocupied with the sigght of her that he forgot about what he was doing, and accidentily knocked the toilet seat down-onto a certain sensitive area of him. There was a loud bang as the toilet seat slammed, followed by a yelp as he cried out in pain. Nephrite quickly claimped a hand over his mouth to stay silent, but tears slowly slipped down his cheeks.
"H-hello?" Makoto called out after a minute. She slid the glass door to the side and stuck her head out. "Nephrite! What are you doing in here?!" Wait. What was he DOING?! Her eyes met his momentarily to see them filled with fear and pain. Tears were streaming down his cheeks. After further inspection she also realized that his pants were down around his ankles and his hands were clutching a 'certain' area of his body. His eyes were locked on her.
Suddenly, she remembered that she was naked. "You pervert!" She crossed her arms over her chest and sat at the bottom of the shower in order to block his 'view'.
Nephrite took his hand away from his mouth and looked confused. Then he remembered just where he was and what he was doing.
"Makoto-it's not what it looks like, I swear it! I-I had to use the bathroom, and well, this is the only bathroom in the house, you know, and see then I came in here, and....and," he babbled sensleslly, knowing full well which creek he was up without a paddle. "...and then I dropped the toilet seat on my thing, and it hur-," he said, stopping and looking down. "Oh shit!" He quickly zipped up his pants and blushed furiously, pondering how wrong it had all gone.
"A few agonizing moments went by, and Makoto was still huddled in the corner of the shower. "Makoto? Say something! Come on, it wasn't like there was anything I hadn't seen before..."
"OUT! GET OUT NOW!!" She shouted, throwing a bar of soap at him. Momentarily forgetting herself, she stood up at grabbed random items from the shower. "I hate you Nephrite! I can't even believe that I thought-," she cut herself off, punctuating each word by throwing an item at him. "-who cares what I thought...how could you do this you @$#%%@$#%!!!!" She started rambling off many names that even HE didn't know. What?? She had to learn SOMETHING in Hell.
Although Nephrite was not essentially the pervert among the four saints (that was Jadeite's role), he was still a young man in his prime, and the sight of a fully-developed, naked, angry Makoto chucking things at him like there was no tomorrow-well, it would distract anyone in his position. Which is why he did not realize there was a rubber duckie careening at him 1880-miles per hour until it him him square in the jaw. "Ouch!" He cried, clutching his red face and running out the door (but not before flushing the toilet- he wasn't a barbarian!)
Quickly grabbing a towel and wrapping it around her, she stomped over to her room and slammed the door.
Slam! (told you)
Nephrite winced as it slammedd (which it did) and shook his head.
This would NOT end well.
Suddenly, he felt arms around his waist and he jumped.
"Sorry," Makoto giggled, untangling herself from him. "Though you handled the situation REALLY bad...I THINK I understand." He smiled. She really was so perfect in every way. One of which he had just rediscovered...'Nope do NOT go down that road again.'
"I can't believe I fell asleep on you," she laughed. "That must have been awkward for you."
"Yeah, you were putting your hands in some strange places...and you talk in your sleep, too. 'Oh Nephrite, you sexy beast you. I just can't keep my hands off you!'"
Her eyes widened in momentary panic until she saw the gleam in his eyes and smacked his shoulder. "You really are a piece of work, aren't you?" She laughed.
"Look who's talking. One minute you hate me and try to behead me with bath toys, and then you hug me. And I'm the strange one." He smiled.
"But how can I stay mad at a 'sexy beast' like you?" She purred, kissing his cheek. "What's on the agenda for today?" She asked curiously, linking an arm with him.
"Well, maybe we should talk about those Christmas panties you SWORE you'd never wear," he laughed, poking her in the chest. SUddenly, he became self-concious, having noticed that they were speaking rather loudly. "Umm..Makoto, is anyone else here at the house?"
She paused for a minute, thinking about which day it was,
before her eyes went wide. "Simone..."
"Miss Kino! Miss Kino are you okay?" asked a young woman, who
ran down the stairs in tight jeans and a t-shirt tied up to reveal her midriff.
"I swear that I hear screaming and-oh. I didn't know you had company." She waved
at Nephrite. "Hey."
"Hi!" Nephrite sweatdropped and waved, remembering Makoto was
dressed in merely a short bathrobe and he in somewhat disheveled clothing.
"Eh...this is Simone. She comes in to water the plants in the
greenhouse and basically run the mansion while I'm working. You know, making
sure the maids show up and such.." She trailed off, realizing she was rambling.
"And this is Nephrite. He's an old friend of mine that just flew in from
somwhere far away."
"Oh! So THIS is Nephrite!!" Simone shook his hand. "Makoto
talks about you in her sleep somtimes."
Nephrite blushed and rubbed the back of his head. "Eh heh...she
does, does she?"
"WHAT?! I do?!!"
Simone nodded, her red hair falling over one shoulder. "Yup.
You go on about a guy named Lucifer for awhile, mentioning some things I don't even
WANT to repeat or think I can as this is story is only rated R, but then you
start talking about a crash and then Nephrite."
"Ohh...well, what does she say about me in general?" Nephrite
asked. "Of course, I already know the answer- she can't get ENOUGH of me, but
still- " he was cut off as she punched him in the arm.
"Simone, really, please just don't answer tha-"
"She talks about how you cared for her and stopped her from
hurting herself, though in the end it wasn't enough. Sometimes she even starts
crying in her sleep and whispering something about rain and alcohol, before
returning to you and how absolutely perfect and wonderful you are."
"Simone, that quite enough-"
Nephrite, a little shocked at this newfound information, agreed
whole-heartedly with Makoto and quickly searched for another topic of discussion.
"So," he began, rubbing his hands together. "Whose hungry?"
"I am!" Makoto nearly jumped at the change of subject and
pulled on his arm. "Let's go out to eat."
"Really? I thought maybe we could whip something up here or
something...I remember how great of a chef you used to be...."
"Well, that's only because you taught me." She winked, starting
to walk towards the kitchen. "Yeah...I'm sure we can find something..."
Simone, having been forgotten, quickly memorized the picture
they made. They were so cute together, and hey, if it didn't work, Nephrite was
still a total babe.
As they were walking, Nephrite caught a glance of himself in
the reflection of the stainless steel refridgerator. "Ack! Look at me! I'm a
mess! Makoto, do you mind if I borrow a brush or something?"
"No." She motioned him with a wave of her hand towards the
bathroom. "You'll find anything you need in those drawers. More than anyone
would ever need."
"Thanks!" he rushed off towards the bathroom. Once inside, he
quickly found a comb and began to untangle the rat's nest that was his hair.
Sure, it was great with the ladies, but every once in a while it did get old. He
looked down at himself. "That was a close call, there, buddy. You almost got
nicked! I had no idea toilets were that dangerous!"
When he was finished brushing his hair, he was almost on his way back to the
kitchen when something caught his eye in the mirror. It lasted for a brief
second before disapearing, but there was a flash of a dark tan and
jet-black, with what seemed like a set of crimson....eyes....peering at him. He
quickly flipped around, searching for any sign of someone in the room, but after
a careful inspection could find no one. "Makoto," he called out, needing to hear
her voice to make sure she was okay.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
End of Part A
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *