Title: Heaven, Hell, and Somwhere in Between
Authors: Stara and Nataku
Rating: R
Genre: Romance/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: Yeah. We're late, we know. Trust us, we know! We've actually had this chapter done for a month or so...and the next one is done already but see, the files keep getting lost and it's taking forever to put together. Not to mention the fact that The chapters are too long to put into one notepad file...*sighs*
Dedication: Joey! You rock so much. Thanks for reviewing all the time!
* * * * *
Chapter 9- Hot Date, Cold Feet Part B
* * * * *
A loud clag echoed from the kitchen as Makoto dropped
something, and then there were hushed voices. Makoto was talking to someone, she
sounded angry, but he couldn't quite figure out what exactly she was saying.
When the other voice replied his eyes widened in shock. It was male.
"What are you doing here?!" she hissed, picking up the bowl
that she had dropped. "Isn't there some law about you just popping up inbetween
worlds?"
"Actually...no. I visited Serenity last night, her mind was
wandering. Do you have any idea about what her mind was wandering too?" Makoto
shook her head. "Mamoru."
"Who?"
Lucifer's eyes darkened and his fist slammed angrily onto the
counter, causing a crack to appear. "If you were following her instead of
playing nookie with pretty-boy than you might know!" he said through clenched
teeth.
Her eyes widened and she backed away, nodding numbly. "I..I'm
sorry.."
"Keep an eye on her. I want this Mamoru character out of her
life by the next time I check in or else..." he gribbed her chin in his hand,
"You won't have much to come home too."
Hearing footsteps, she turned quickly to see if Nephrite was
approaching only to find that Lucifer had disappeared. She fell to her knees and
cried.
"Makoto!" he called again, this time running towards the
kitchen with a cold feeling in the pit of his stomach as a definitly male voice
reached his ears. It was low and full of contempt. "Makoto, answer me! Are you
okay?" He panted, skidding into the kitchen on the linoleum floor and looking
around. He spotted her right away. She was backed into the corner on the floor,
sobbing. "What happened?" He slid to his knees and cupped her cheek with his
hand.
"Nephrite.." she gasped, looking up at him with tear clouded
eyes. "I'm not sure...it was...I..he..." she choked, a sob wracking her body and
she clung onto him, her finger digging into the material of his shirt.
"Where is he? Is he still here in the house?" Nephrite jumped
up and grabbed a cordless phone, sitting back down and pulling Makoto in his lap
as he began dialing 9-1-1 [or whatever they use in Japan].
She started laughing maniacaly. "Calling 9-1-1 won't get him
out of here. He will go where he pleases, that evil bastard. How was I able to
tolerate him for so long?" She clenched her fists. "I can't believe that he
would..just.." she trailed off, her eyes wandering over to the cracked counter.
"Lucifer never was good at keeping his emotions in check."
Nephrite blinked. "Wha- Lucifer was here? Just now? Oh my God!
What happened? Did he hurt you?" he asked frantically, searching her body for
signs of abuse.
"No. He did a fine job on my marble counter top though," she
said, standing up and glaring down at the cracked marble. "I'm going to kick his
ass, I swear to G-no...that wouldn't be smart, now would it? Who knows what kind
of mood he's in right now."
"Makoto..." he stood up and put a hand on her shoulder. "Why
was he here?" Nephrite was a little shaken. The past three months had taken away
his concept of these unearthly powers, and he was reminded all at once just what
he knew. He knew very well he could be pulled out of his assignment at any
second if he displeased his sender...
"It appears that I'm not watching my charge good enough, though
why all four of us must be on patrol at all times is beyond me. Of course, I
WOULD get the blame. I wonder if he visited Rei yet..." she trailed off, looking
out the window.
"The guys and me have a scheduale worked out so that someone's
keeping and eye on our's at all times..." He checked his watch. "Right now it
should be...Holy Mother of- Makoto, I'm so sorry, I gotta run!" He placed a
quick habitual peck on her cheek and scrambled towards the door of her large
mansion. He stopped at the door. "I'll call you...later?"
She nodded numbly. "Yeah, sure. I'll see ya," she turned to
stare at the phone, wondering if she should call Rei. That girl had always
gotten the worst from Lucifer, and had the scars to prove it. She considered it
for a moment before shaking her head. No..she was probably with Jadeite anyway.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Rei shrieked and fell to the floor. Tears streamed down her eyes and she cradled
her face in her hands. A dark red handprint was starting to show up on her
cheek.
The phone rang.
She winced, ignoring the pain as she crawled over to the phone. "Rei?" Makoto's
voice came to her ears. It was so filled with concern. She cried even harder.
"Yeah, he visited me, too."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Jadeite knocked on the bathroom door once again. "Rei? You alright in there?
You've just been in there for awhile..."
"Yeah, I'm fine." She sighed, glaring into the mirror Lucifer had come through.
He hadn't been very happy about Usagi and En- Mamoru. Grabbing some concealer,
she nearly cried when she realized the bottle was empty. Maybe he wouldn't
notice? Maybe if she didn't let him get too close... She walked out of the
bathroom only to be met by the sight of him peering into the fridge, grimacing
at the tofu, in only his boxers. How would she be able to stay away from him?
She snuck up behind him and wrapped warm arms around his bare chest, contrasting
with the cold air from the refridgerator. She laughed when he jumped.
"Mmm...you scared me, baby," Jadeite murmured, not turning around, but taking
one of her hands and kissing the palm of it. Rei almost sighed in relief. She
might be able to pull this off yet...
"So I take it you and Minako eat out a lot, considering the 'vast' supply of
food you've got in here," he said.
"Actually Minako is usually staying with one of her boyfriends. I make almost no
money, and she refuses to pay for food since I already live in her apartment. I
basically grow all the food I eat." She felt him stiffen before he turned around
to look at her in horror.
"You have to grow you food?" When she nodded he just looked at her in disbelief.
"Oh, my poor Rei." He hugged her to him. He must have pressed into one of her
bruises because she couldn't keep back the low screech in her throat or the
tears that came into her eyes.
"Rei?" he pulled back and frowned. "What's wrong?" She was wimpering like an
injured puppy. He gently caressed her face. "You're wearing an awful amount of
blush," he commented, noticing her redening cheek.
"What are you talking about, Jadeite, I'm not wearing any makeup..." Her eyes
widened when she realized what he was talking about. "...I'm...um...blushing
because I'm flustered being around a mostly naken man when they're as handsome
as you," she purred, putting on her most convincing smile and trying to ignore
the pain.
"Hino Rei, you don't blush, and even if you did, I think I have far more reason
to," he teased, remembering the previous night and kissing her forehead.
He FELL for that?! "And why should you be more embarassed than me? Just because
you were the one continually screaming for more? I wouldn't be ashamed. I like a
guy that knows what he wants."
He tapped her lightly on the nose. "I wouldn't so far as to say I was the only
one screaming." Jadeite winked and turned back around to face the empty
refridgerator and sighed. Suddenly, he clapped his hands. "I have an idea!" he
said when Rei gave him a funny look.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Usagi twirled in front of the mirror, smiling at her reflection.
Perfect.
Jumping up and down in an Usagi-ish manner, she squealed happily and clapped her
hands. Naru had taken her shopping for a dress to wear on her date with mamoru.
It took forever to find one that screamed: sexy, classy, 'take-me-off', and
formal all at once.
It was a black cocktail dress that had been styled to look like a tuxedo. The
white "collar" hung off her shoulders and dipped down to show a respectable
amount of cleavage. Buttons were sewn down the bodice until it met with the
tapered waist where the dress hugged her hips before falling loosely to the
floor. To make it sexier there was a slit that went up to her thigh. Lace
covered the back, making it so that you could see her creamy skin beneath it.
Sleek, black heels adorned her feet, which would be killing her the next day
because of them, and diamond crescent moon earrings sparkled in her lobes.
She'd had a miserable time trying to figure out what to do about her panties.
Having already decided on a sheer Victoria Secret number, she was highly
dismayed to discover that creases appeared in her dress where the seams of the
underwear were. She had tried several pairs only to throw her hands up in
frustration. Oh well. The dress went to the floor anyway, no one would notice if
she didn't wear any panties.
She'd just have to watch the slit.
She practically jumped when she ehard the buzz echoing throughout the apartment.
"Usagi, can you buzz me up? Or are you still changing? And if you are, buzz me
up anyway," his sexy cultured voice filtered up through the intercom and filled
her ears. She blushed.
"No, I'm dressed, you pervert." She pressed the button that would allow him to
enter the lobby. "Okay, I have about five minutes until he makes it up here."
She rushed over to her room, hands trying frantically to zupper the back of the
gown. She vaguly heard the door to her apartment open. "I'm almost ready, just
wait in the living room," she called over her shoulder, back towards her bedroom
door. "Come on, come on!" she whined, her hands struggling to grasp the zipper.
Suddenly, she felt hands massaging her lower back and lips brushing her ear.
"Need help?" Mamoru's voice whispered seductively, causing a chill to go down
her spine.
"I thought I told you to wait in the living room." By some miracle her voice was
able to stay steady, but that was the exact opposite of how she felt.
"I never was very good at taking orders..." he murmered moving his mouth down to
her neck and nibbling softly. His hands slowly moved upward, and it wasn't until
she heard the noise that she realized he had zuppered the dress for her. Feeling
herself succoming to his mouth, she knew she'd have to stop him before it went
too far. But how could she do it without giving herself away? Try plan M 'memory
lapse.' "Thanks," she said simply, moving over to her mirror and checking her
make up once more, leaving Mamoru standing there looking confused. "I'm ready."
She turned and locked eyes with him, looking at him for the first time that
night. He looked drop deady sexy in his suit and his bangs fell loosely around
his eyes. Reaching her hand up, she brushed them lightly aside, licking her
lips. She watched his eyes follow the movement and gave him the 'man melter'
smile.
If they were going to do this, she would be in control.
Or so she thought.
Mamoru's eyes centered around her full and painted lips, traveling south from
there on to inspect her attire. He had to restrain from gasping in pleasure at
the almost skintight dress and what it did to her figure. "You clean up quite
nicely...." he murmured.
"You expected otherwise?" She laughed, grabbing her matching envelope purse off
of her bedside table. "I would return the compliment, but you already know you
sexy. Why boost your ego even more?"
"Cause it turns me on," he purred confidently, but secretly wishing that she
would. After an agonizing hour of trying to decide on what to wear, he had
finally decided on the sleek suit, and the shoes, but then there was his hair...
"So where is it we're going exactly?"
"Moon Palace. I'm surprised that someone as 'high up' as you on the social
ladder hasn't heard of it before. It's really popular right now." she linked
arms with him nonchalantly, trying to ignore the tingling sensation that coursed
through her body as she did so. "I tried under my name, Tsukino, but I guess
heads of advertising businesses scare restaraunt owners more than fashion
designers. As soon as I mentioned the name Chiba, they booked us immediatly."
"Hmm...well, I never make it out of the car anyways..." he said, narrowing his
eyes seductively. "But I suppose going on a date for once could be nice..."
She blushed. He had caught her off guard with that one. "Oh really..." she
trailed off, not trusting her voice as she turned to lock the door to her
apartment. She wound up dropping the key in her nervousness and cursed under her
breath before being able to successfully lock the door. "Whoever said this was a
date?"
He was at a loss for words. "Well....I don't treat people to dinner for free,
you know..." He paused. "I always get my due."
"Oh?" She raised an eyebrow. "And how would you like me to repay you, Mamoru?"
"For starters, you could tell me just where you got your....dress..." he said,
trying to choose the correct noun.
"Actually, Naru and I went shopping for one today. I didn't have anything formal
enough for this kind of restaraunt." She shivered slightly as the cold night air
hit her bare arms. They had finally gotten outside. "Turns out, it's under MY
label. I have no clue what designer under me did it though...I should find out
and give them a raise."
He put his hand to his chin as in thought. "It's a lovely dress..." he started, eyeing her in places most women would have slapped him for ,"but you forgot a key element. Your coat." He looked up ahead as they were passing down the street, and spotted a boutique. "Come on," he said, grabbing her arm and pulling her inside.
She blinked, shocked as he started pulling her over towards the store. She was a little cold, but was it really necessary to buy her a jacket? Wait. What am I saying?! FREE STUFF! She smiled then, following him with ease, and had to hold back her laughter as she saw the salespeople jump up at seeing the two of them. Their clothes must've screamed money.
"M-mr. Chiba? And...oh my God, Usagi Tsukino! I m-mean, welcome! Can I help you?" a young Asian saleswoman said as she approached them, stylishly dressed in a form-fitting black suit and hair knotted into a sleek bun.
Mamoru grinned slyly at Usagi before turning to face the lady. "No thank you, we're quite fine by ourselves. If we need your assistance, we'll give you a shout." He took her arm and led Usagi away, leaving behind the bewildered sales clerks and attendants. He gave her an expectant look. "What'll it be, Miss Tsukino?"
Usagi looked around at the huge mounds of coats that were haning up all around the store in various displays. Her eyes swirled, and she vaguely wondered if they would ever be leaving the boutique. "Umm..." She walked over to a rack and was surprised to find a cute, floor-length, white coat that matched the collar of her gown. It looked as if it had been made to go with her gown. Who knows, maybe it had.
Mamoru was right behind her, and he caught her eyeing the coat. "Turn around," he commanded as he slipped the coat off of the rack and pulled her hair away from her neck, leaning in closer to nip at the base of it before sliding the coat over her bare arms, brushing her skin in the process. "Whadya think?"
A shiver went down her spine when he touched her, and she fought back the urge to beg for more. How was he doing this to her?! "It's beautiful..." she said softly, fingering the light material carefully. "But I'm sure it costs a fortune.." she trailed off, reaching down to grab the pricetag, but was shocked when he got to it first.
Mamoru held the pricetag between his fingers, out of her short-height's reach. "Price is irrelevant. Do you or do you not like the coat?"
She sighed, defeatedly. Oh well, he had loads of cash to burn anyway. "Yes, it's absolutely perfect."
"Then it's settled." He motioned to one of the sales clerks who had been hiding behind a clothes rack watching them. She jumped, startled at being discovered, and ran towards them and bowed her head. "She'll be wearing this out," he said, handing her the price tag. Usagi was regarding him strangely, as if trying to figure him out. He shrugged. She probably guessed his motives were sexual, but Mamoru found himself facinated by her behavior. She was obviously an innocent, trying to act as a seductress, compared to the other women he was used to. They were just sluts trying to do the opposite. Yes, it was this and nothing more.
"Thank you for the jacket Mamoru." She hesitated a moment, as if pondering her next move, before kissing him lightly on the cheek. "This was really sweet of you." She hugged the fabric to her, relishing in its warmth. Not wanting to ever take it off, she was surprised to find that it smelled like him. Somehow that fact was comforting.
He blinked. THAT was unexpected. "Uh...sure..." he said dumbly, lightly fingering his cheek. It felt like it was on fire. He shook his head, relating the burning sensation to a new type of lipstick she must have been wearing. "To the Moon Palace?" he said, extending his arm.
She nodded. "So where's your car at? I heard you had a really nice one. Well, it must be nice if all your dates end there." she said teasingly, leaning on his slightly as they walked. No matter how many times she stepped away from him, her head always seemed to wind up resting on his arm. How in the Hell did that keep happening?
He smirked at her refrence. "If you can keep your clothes on, I can keep mine. Just as long as you don't make any more passes at me like yesterday. I feel like such a piece of meat." He sniffed, pretending to be hurt.
"Excuse me? I think it was 'you' who made a pass on 'me'!" She pulled her arm from his, and crossed them both over her chest. "I don't know what I was even thinking, trying to be nice to you. How can I get along with such a self centered, arrogant, chauvinistic-"
"-drop dead sexy beast like me? I'm not sure. I don't know how most people do it...perhaps it's the money?" He winked and jabbed her in the arms.
She couldn't help but laugh at that. He was so to cute. Approaching the car she stopped and waited as he opened the door for her before getting inside the car. She was staring straight ahead, as if pondering some unanswerable question.
Mamoru opened his door and slid into his seat. He reached under the pedals and picked up something pink and satin, glanced at it and paled, and tossed it into the back seat. Probably better if she didn't see those... He snuck a peek at her from the corner of his eye as he started the car, noting her rigid position. His manly arrogance led him to believe she was anxiously anticipating a pass by him, and this thought boosted his ego.
After awhile of driving in silence she finally turned to look at him curiously. "I don't get you at all Mamoru. Sometimes you're the biggest asshole in the world and I just want to kill you, and other times you're so sweet and nice. The only way I'm able to tell that your the same person is because of those eyes of yours..." Those twin orbs were so captivating, so mesmerizing, and so dark. So very dark.
Where they getting darker?
He cleared his throat, trying to figure out how he was supposed to respond to that, but never taking his eyes off of the road. "I can't decided if that's a good or bad thing..." He laughed. "You're very forward," he said, almost admirably.
"I've never been one to hide my opinions. Not since I woke up from my coma anyways." She sighed. "Supposedly I was this really sweet person who had never committed a sin or anything and then there was this mix up with this guy. I can't remember his name...Emion? Something like that. Well, I got screwed and woke up to find all my family members dead. That whole bit about going to Hell if you don't behave? It's crap. You might wind up there anyway." For a minute she wondered why she was sharing this information with him, he was just so easy to talk to, and for some odd reason she felt he'd know what she meant. "But you, you're not exactly an angel either. Now are you?"
"You'd be surprised," he said cryptically after a minute. "But who needs a Heaven? Who needs a Hell? Why can't we just live here on Earth, with an equal balance of the two? That's how I'd prefer it." Lights from nearby cars and streetlights flickered past as they drove in silence for a moment, each curious of the other's thoughts, but unsure of what to say. "Heaven is whatever you make it to be, right? Brief moments of happiness, love, sex..." he raised an eyebrow, "all seconds of Heaven."
"Somehow that makes perfect sense..." She let the silence consume them again, planning her words out carefully. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Sure..." he said, a hint of amusement in his voice.
"A friend of mine..." Her mind flickered to Lucifer momentarily, before returning to her present situation. "..once asked me a question. He asked if I was a princess and had to choose between the death of my own true love or that of my kingdom and its people, which I would choose...it's basically duty or love. Most people would say their answer quickly, but you have to REALLY think about it. What would you say?"
"The businessman inside me says 'duty'. It sounds heartless, but I guess you have to be rational about it..."
"Funny. I said the same thing."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Ami looked passed her book to see if she could recognize anyone walking around
the mall. When she saw no one, she smiled triumphantly and carefully slipped
into the secret world of Ami Mizuno. Claires.
Squealing delightedly, she ran over to the make up side of the room and ran her
fingers over all the different choices of glittery lipsticks. This was amazing.
How could there be so much in one spot? She picked one up and turned it over to
read the ingredients. No. For once she wouldn't care that there was fish scales
and whale blubber in it.
Zoicite placed his hands on his hips and looked as if in deep thought. Hmm...now
was he more of a fire-engine red? Or a tickle-me-pink? Choices. Oh well. If he
couldn't decide...he might as well get both of them, right? He clapped his
hands. This was so much fun, being able to forget about everything and just be
downright girly.
He grabbed two of the different shades and was about to move on down when
something sparkly caught his eye. They made lipstick in GLITTER? There was a
God! Granted, he had met him and everything, but still.... He reached out for a
tube when his hand collided with that of someone else...
"Hey, that's mine!" Ami turned up to glare at the person who was attempting to
steal the last shade of blueberry bash from beneath her hand. When her eyes met
those of the offender she dropped everything that her arms were holding in
surprise. "Zoicite...what are you doing here?"
He stumbled backwards in surprise. "Ami?" he yelped. "I uh...I'm....well, what
are YOU doing here?" Ami? In...CLAIRES? Damn. Now Kunzite owed him money from
that stupid bet three years ago...
"I'm uh...I'm doing an experiment on how many animal tested products people
buy..yeah, that's it."
"Oh." He twiddled his thumbs nervously. "Umm....it's all Rei and Jadeite's
fault! They were about to jump each other and they dumped me off here so they
could go make out!"
Ami blinked. He had BOUGHT THAT?! Wait. Rei and Jadeite were WHAT?! "Oh." She
tried to sound uninterested. "Then why were you trying to buy this Blueberry
bash lipstick?"
His eyes darted from side to side and he leaned in closer. "You can keep a
secret?"
She nodded. "Yes, of course. It's not like I'm exactly a gossip queen or
anything." Her mind went back to earlier that day when she had been spying on
Usagi and Mamoru. If only he knew.
He nodded as well. Ami was one of his best friends, when she said she'd keep her
word, she meant it. He whispered, "I'm a closet make-up freak."
Giggling, she set down the tube of lipstick and leaned up to whisper in his ear.
"Me too!"
His eyes widened. "No kidding?" He laughed. "Oh man, the guys would KILL me if
they found out!"
"Well, you can't exactly tell anyone about me either. I mean, I'm supposed to be
the serious one, remember?" She placed her hands on her hips and got that stern
look on her face. "You guys, if you keep this up someone will get hurt. Do you
even know what's in that thing? You should check it out before you drink it.."
She giggled.
"Doctors make the worst patients. How many times did you follow your OWN
advice?" he teased. Rei and Minako, the two more dominant personalities of the
girls, usually had little trouble covinving their companions to follow them into
trouble. Then again, they'd also been able to coerce himself into doing things
he wouldn't want broadcast on the evening news... "But no, BELIEVE ME, your
secret is safe with me. Nephrite is just FISHING for some new dirt on me...."
She was about to pick up a tube when her beeper went off. "Oh, hang on...it's
probably Minako. She bought me one of these things and supposedly she can put
messages in it." She clicked a button and held it up so that Zoicite could read
as well. "At Moon Palace...Usagi and Mamoru...parking lot...makeout..must see!
^__^"
She nearly dropped the beeper in surprised.
"Whose Usagi?" he asked, tilting his head.
"Oh, a friend of ours. What I want to know is who this Mamoru fellow is."
He shrugged. "Some guy the guys and I are familiar with...he's a real jerk, but
he's...important, shall we say." A moment of silence passed. "So, are we going
to go spy on them or what?"
"Definitly! Come on, we can take my car." She was so excited she almost forgot
to pay for everything. Almost.
* * * * * *
End Part B
* * * * * *
Authors: Stara and Nataku
Rating: R
Genre: Romance/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: Yeah. We're late, we know. Trust us, we know! We've actually had this chapter done for a month or so...and the next one is done already but see, the files keep getting lost and it's taking forever to put together. Not to mention the fact that The chapters are too long to put into one notepad file...*sighs*
Dedication: Joey! You rock so much. Thanks for reviewing all the time!
* * * * *
Chapter 9- Hot Date, Cold Feet Part B
* * * * *
A loud clag echoed from the kitchen as Makoto dropped
something, and then there were hushed voices. Makoto was talking to someone, she
sounded angry, but he couldn't quite figure out what exactly she was saying.
When the other voice replied his eyes widened in shock. It was male.
"What are you doing here?!" she hissed, picking up the bowl
that she had dropped. "Isn't there some law about you just popping up inbetween
worlds?"
"Actually...no. I visited Serenity last night, her mind was
wandering. Do you have any idea about what her mind was wandering too?" Makoto
shook her head. "Mamoru."
"Who?"
Lucifer's eyes darkened and his fist slammed angrily onto the
counter, causing a crack to appear. "If you were following her instead of
playing nookie with pretty-boy than you might know!" he said through clenched
teeth.
Her eyes widened and she backed away, nodding numbly. "I..I'm
sorry.."
"Keep an eye on her. I want this Mamoru character out of her
life by the next time I check in or else..." he gribbed her chin in his hand,
"You won't have much to come home too."
Hearing footsteps, she turned quickly to see if Nephrite was
approaching only to find that Lucifer had disappeared. She fell to her knees and
cried.
"Makoto!" he called again, this time running towards the
kitchen with a cold feeling in the pit of his stomach as a definitly male voice
reached his ears. It was low and full of contempt. "Makoto, answer me! Are you
okay?" He panted, skidding into the kitchen on the linoleum floor and looking
around. He spotted her right away. She was backed into the corner on the floor,
sobbing. "What happened?" He slid to his knees and cupped her cheek with his
hand.
"Nephrite.." she gasped, looking up at him with tear clouded
eyes. "I'm not sure...it was...I..he..." she choked, a sob wracking her body and
she clung onto him, her finger digging into the material of his shirt.
"Where is he? Is he still here in the house?" Nephrite jumped
up and grabbed a cordless phone, sitting back down and pulling Makoto in his lap
as he began dialing 9-1-1 [or whatever they use in Japan].
She started laughing maniacaly. "Calling 9-1-1 won't get him
out of here. He will go where he pleases, that evil bastard. How was I able to
tolerate him for so long?" She clenched her fists. "I can't believe that he
would..just.." she trailed off, her eyes wandering over to the cracked counter.
"Lucifer never was good at keeping his emotions in check."
Nephrite blinked. "Wha- Lucifer was here? Just now? Oh my God!
What happened? Did he hurt you?" he asked frantically, searching her body for
signs of abuse.
"No. He did a fine job on my marble counter top though," she
said, standing up and glaring down at the cracked marble. "I'm going to kick his
ass, I swear to G-no...that wouldn't be smart, now would it? Who knows what kind
of mood he's in right now."
"Makoto..." he stood up and put a hand on her shoulder. "Why
was he here?" Nephrite was a little shaken. The past three months had taken away
his concept of these unearthly powers, and he was reminded all at once just what
he knew. He knew very well he could be pulled out of his assignment at any
second if he displeased his sender...
"It appears that I'm not watching my charge good enough, though
why all four of us must be on patrol at all times is beyond me. Of course, I
WOULD get the blame. I wonder if he visited Rei yet..." she trailed off, looking
out the window.
"The guys and me have a scheduale worked out so that someone's
keeping and eye on our's at all times..." He checked his watch. "Right now it
should be...Holy Mother of- Makoto, I'm so sorry, I gotta run!" He placed a
quick habitual peck on her cheek and scrambled towards the door of her large
mansion. He stopped at the door. "I'll call you...later?"
She nodded numbly. "Yeah, sure. I'll see ya," she turned to
stare at the phone, wondering if she should call Rei. That girl had always
gotten the worst from Lucifer, and had the scars to prove it. She considered it
for a moment before shaking her head. No..she was probably with Jadeite anyway.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Rei shrieked and fell to the floor. Tears streamed down her eyes and she cradled
her face in her hands. A dark red handprint was starting to show up on her
cheek.
The phone rang.
She winced, ignoring the pain as she crawled over to the phone. "Rei?" Makoto's
voice came to her ears. It was so filled with concern. She cried even harder.
"Yeah, he visited me, too."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Jadeite knocked on the bathroom door once again. "Rei? You alright in there?
You've just been in there for awhile..."
"Yeah, I'm fine." She sighed, glaring into the mirror Lucifer had come through.
He hadn't been very happy about Usagi and En- Mamoru. Grabbing some concealer,
she nearly cried when she realized the bottle was empty. Maybe he wouldn't
notice? Maybe if she didn't let him get too close... She walked out of the
bathroom only to be met by the sight of him peering into the fridge, grimacing
at the tofu, in only his boxers. How would she be able to stay away from him?
She snuck up behind him and wrapped warm arms around his bare chest, contrasting
with the cold air from the refridgerator. She laughed when he jumped.
"Mmm...you scared me, baby," Jadeite murmured, not turning around, but taking
one of her hands and kissing the palm of it. Rei almost sighed in relief. She
might be able to pull this off yet...
"So I take it you and Minako eat out a lot, considering the 'vast' supply of
food you've got in here," he said.
"Actually Minako is usually staying with one of her boyfriends. I make almost no
money, and she refuses to pay for food since I already live in her apartment. I
basically grow all the food I eat." She felt him stiffen before he turned around
to look at her in horror.
"You have to grow you food?" When she nodded he just looked at her in disbelief.
"Oh, my poor Rei." He hugged her to him. He must have pressed into one of her
bruises because she couldn't keep back the low screech in her throat or the
tears that came into her eyes.
"Rei?" he pulled back and frowned. "What's wrong?" She was wimpering like an
injured puppy. He gently caressed her face. "You're wearing an awful amount of
blush," he commented, noticing her redening cheek.
"What are you talking about, Jadeite, I'm not wearing any makeup..." Her eyes
widened when she realized what he was talking about. "...I'm...um...blushing
because I'm flustered being around a mostly naken man when they're as handsome
as you," she purred, putting on her most convincing smile and trying to ignore
the pain.
"Hino Rei, you don't blush, and even if you did, I think I have far more reason
to," he teased, remembering the previous night and kissing her forehead.
He FELL for that?! "And why should you be more embarassed than me? Just because
you were the one continually screaming for more? I wouldn't be ashamed. I like a
guy that knows what he wants."
He tapped her lightly on the nose. "I wouldn't so far as to say I was the only
one screaming." Jadeite winked and turned back around to face the empty
refridgerator and sighed. Suddenly, he clapped his hands. "I have an idea!" he
said when Rei gave him a funny look.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Usagi twirled in front of the mirror, smiling at her reflection.
Perfect.
Jumping up and down in an Usagi-ish manner, she squealed happily and clapped her
hands. Naru had taken her shopping for a dress to wear on her date with mamoru.
It took forever to find one that screamed: sexy, classy, 'take-me-off', and
formal all at once.
It was a black cocktail dress that had been styled to look like a tuxedo. The
white "collar" hung off her shoulders and dipped down to show a respectable
amount of cleavage. Buttons were sewn down the bodice until it met with the
tapered waist where the dress hugged her hips before falling loosely to the
floor. To make it sexier there was a slit that went up to her thigh. Lace
covered the back, making it so that you could see her creamy skin beneath it.
Sleek, black heels adorned her feet, which would be killing her the next day
because of them, and diamond crescent moon earrings sparkled in her lobes.
She'd had a miserable time trying to figure out what to do about her panties.
Having already decided on a sheer Victoria Secret number, she was highly
dismayed to discover that creases appeared in her dress where the seams of the
underwear were. She had tried several pairs only to throw her hands up in
frustration. Oh well. The dress went to the floor anyway, no one would notice if
she didn't wear any panties.
She'd just have to watch the slit.
She practically jumped when she ehard the buzz echoing throughout the apartment.
"Usagi, can you buzz me up? Or are you still changing? And if you are, buzz me
up anyway," his sexy cultured voice filtered up through the intercom and filled
her ears. She blushed.
"No, I'm dressed, you pervert." She pressed the button that would allow him to
enter the lobby. "Okay, I have about five minutes until he makes it up here."
She rushed over to her room, hands trying frantically to zupper the back of the
gown. She vaguly heard the door to her apartment open. "I'm almost ready, just
wait in the living room," she called over her shoulder, back towards her bedroom
door. "Come on, come on!" she whined, her hands struggling to grasp the zipper.
Suddenly, she felt hands massaging her lower back and lips brushing her ear.
"Need help?" Mamoru's voice whispered seductively, causing a chill to go down
her spine.
"I thought I told you to wait in the living room." By some miracle her voice was
able to stay steady, but that was the exact opposite of how she felt.
"I never was very good at taking orders..." he murmered moving his mouth down to
her neck and nibbling softly. His hands slowly moved upward, and it wasn't until
she heard the noise that she realized he had zuppered the dress for her. Feeling
herself succoming to his mouth, she knew she'd have to stop him before it went
too far. But how could she do it without giving herself away? Try plan M 'memory
lapse.' "Thanks," she said simply, moving over to her mirror and checking her
make up once more, leaving Mamoru standing there looking confused. "I'm ready."
She turned and locked eyes with him, looking at him for the first time that
night. He looked drop deady sexy in his suit and his bangs fell loosely around
his eyes. Reaching her hand up, she brushed them lightly aside, licking her
lips. She watched his eyes follow the movement and gave him the 'man melter'
smile.
If they were going to do this, she would be in control.
Or so she thought.
Mamoru's eyes centered around her full and painted lips, traveling south from
there on to inspect her attire. He had to restrain from gasping in pleasure at
the almost skintight dress and what it did to her figure. "You clean up quite
nicely...." he murmured.
"You expected otherwise?" She laughed, grabbing her matching envelope purse off
of her bedside table. "I would return the compliment, but you already know you
sexy. Why boost your ego even more?"
"Cause it turns me on," he purred confidently, but secretly wishing that she
would. After an agonizing hour of trying to decide on what to wear, he had
finally decided on the sleek suit, and the shoes, but then there was his hair...
"So where is it we're going exactly?"
"Moon Palace. I'm surprised that someone as 'high up' as you on the social
ladder hasn't heard of it before. It's really popular right now." she linked
arms with him nonchalantly, trying to ignore the tingling sensation that coursed
through her body as she did so. "I tried under my name, Tsukino, but I guess
heads of advertising businesses scare restaraunt owners more than fashion
designers. As soon as I mentioned the name Chiba, they booked us immediatly."
"Hmm...well, I never make it out of the car anyways..." he said, narrowing his
eyes seductively. "But I suppose going on a date for once could be nice..."
She blushed. He had caught her off guard with that one. "Oh really..." she
trailed off, not trusting her voice as she turned to lock the door to her
apartment. She wound up dropping the key in her nervousness and cursed under her
breath before being able to successfully lock the door. "Whoever said this was a
date?"
He was at a loss for words. "Well....I don't treat people to dinner for free,
you know..." He paused. "I always get my due."
"Oh?" She raised an eyebrow. "And how would you like me to repay you, Mamoru?"
"For starters, you could tell me just where you got your....dress..." he said,
trying to choose the correct noun.
"Actually, Naru and I went shopping for one today. I didn't have anything formal
enough for this kind of restaraunt." She shivered slightly as the cold night air
hit her bare arms. They had finally gotten outside. "Turns out, it's under MY
label. I have no clue what designer under me did it though...I should find out
and give them a raise."
He put his hand to his chin as in thought. "It's a lovely dress..." he started, eyeing her in places most women would have slapped him for ,"but you forgot a key element. Your coat." He looked up ahead as they were passing down the street, and spotted a boutique. "Come on," he said, grabbing her arm and pulling her inside.
She blinked, shocked as he started pulling her over towards the store. She was a little cold, but was it really necessary to buy her a jacket? Wait. What am I saying?! FREE STUFF! She smiled then, following him with ease, and had to hold back her laughter as she saw the salespeople jump up at seeing the two of them. Their clothes must've screamed money.
"M-mr. Chiba? And...oh my God, Usagi Tsukino! I m-mean, welcome! Can I help you?" a young Asian saleswoman said as she approached them, stylishly dressed in a form-fitting black suit and hair knotted into a sleek bun.
Mamoru grinned slyly at Usagi before turning to face the lady. "No thank you, we're quite fine by ourselves. If we need your assistance, we'll give you a shout." He took her arm and led Usagi away, leaving behind the bewildered sales clerks and attendants. He gave her an expectant look. "What'll it be, Miss Tsukino?"
Usagi looked around at the huge mounds of coats that were haning up all around the store in various displays. Her eyes swirled, and she vaguely wondered if they would ever be leaving the boutique. "Umm..." She walked over to a rack and was surprised to find a cute, floor-length, white coat that matched the collar of her gown. It looked as if it had been made to go with her gown. Who knows, maybe it had.
Mamoru was right behind her, and he caught her eyeing the coat. "Turn around," he commanded as he slipped the coat off of the rack and pulled her hair away from her neck, leaning in closer to nip at the base of it before sliding the coat over her bare arms, brushing her skin in the process. "Whadya think?"
A shiver went down her spine when he touched her, and she fought back the urge to beg for more. How was he doing this to her?! "It's beautiful..." she said softly, fingering the light material carefully. "But I'm sure it costs a fortune.." she trailed off, reaching down to grab the pricetag, but was shocked when he got to it first.
Mamoru held the pricetag between his fingers, out of her short-height's reach. "Price is irrelevant. Do you or do you not like the coat?"
She sighed, defeatedly. Oh well, he had loads of cash to burn anyway. "Yes, it's absolutely perfect."
"Then it's settled." He motioned to one of the sales clerks who had been hiding behind a clothes rack watching them. She jumped, startled at being discovered, and ran towards them and bowed her head. "She'll be wearing this out," he said, handing her the price tag. Usagi was regarding him strangely, as if trying to figure him out. He shrugged. She probably guessed his motives were sexual, but Mamoru found himself facinated by her behavior. She was obviously an innocent, trying to act as a seductress, compared to the other women he was used to. They were just sluts trying to do the opposite. Yes, it was this and nothing more.
"Thank you for the jacket Mamoru." She hesitated a moment, as if pondering her next move, before kissing him lightly on the cheek. "This was really sweet of you." She hugged the fabric to her, relishing in its warmth. Not wanting to ever take it off, she was surprised to find that it smelled like him. Somehow that fact was comforting.
He blinked. THAT was unexpected. "Uh...sure..." he said dumbly, lightly fingering his cheek. It felt like it was on fire. He shook his head, relating the burning sensation to a new type of lipstick she must have been wearing. "To the Moon Palace?" he said, extending his arm.
She nodded. "So where's your car at? I heard you had a really nice one. Well, it must be nice if all your dates end there." she said teasingly, leaning on his slightly as they walked. No matter how many times she stepped away from him, her head always seemed to wind up resting on his arm. How in the Hell did that keep happening?
He smirked at her refrence. "If you can keep your clothes on, I can keep mine. Just as long as you don't make any more passes at me like yesterday. I feel like such a piece of meat." He sniffed, pretending to be hurt.
"Excuse me? I think it was 'you' who made a pass on 'me'!" She pulled her arm from his, and crossed them both over her chest. "I don't know what I was even thinking, trying to be nice to you. How can I get along with such a self centered, arrogant, chauvinistic-"
"-drop dead sexy beast like me? I'm not sure. I don't know how most people do it...perhaps it's the money?" He winked and jabbed her in the arms.
She couldn't help but laugh at that. He was so to cute. Approaching the car she stopped and waited as he opened the door for her before getting inside the car. She was staring straight ahead, as if pondering some unanswerable question.
Mamoru opened his door and slid into his seat. He reached under the pedals and picked up something pink and satin, glanced at it and paled, and tossed it into the back seat. Probably better if she didn't see those... He snuck a peek at her from the corner of his eye as he started the car, noting her rigid position. His manly arrogance led him to believe she was anxiously anticipating a pass by him, and this thought boosted his ego.
After awhile of driving in silence she finally turned to look at him curiously. "I don't get you at all Mamoru. Sometimes you're the biggest asshole in the world and I just want to kill you, and other times you're so sweet and nice. The only way I'm able to tell that your the same person is because of those eyes of yours..." Those twin orbs were so captivating, so mesmerizing, and so dark. So very dark.
Where they getting darker?
He cleared his throat, trying to figure out how he was supposed to respond to that, but never taking his eyes off of the road. "I can't decided if that's a good or bad thing..." He laughed. "You're very forward," he said, almost admirably.
"I've never been one to hide my opinions. Not since I woke up from my coma anyways." She sighed. "Supposedly I was this really sweet person who had never committed a sin or anything and then there was this mix up with this guy. I can't remember his name...Emion? Something like that. Well, I got screwed and woke up to find all my family members dead. That whole bit about going to Hell if you don't behave? It's crap. You might wind up there anyway." For a minute she wondered why she was sharing this information with him, he was just so easy to talk to, and for some odd reason she felt he'd know what she meant. "But you, you're not exactly an angel either. Now are you?"
"You'd be surprised," he said cryptically after a minute. "But who needs a Heaven? Who needs a Hell? Why can't we just live here on Earth, with an equal balance of the two? That's how I'd prefer it." Lights from nearby cars and streetlights flickered past as they drove in silence for a moment, each curious of the other's thoughts, but unsure of what to say. "Heaven is whatever you make it to be, right? Brief moments of happiness, love, sex..." he raised an eyebrow, "all seconds of Heaven."
"Somehow that makes perfect sense..." She let the silence consume them again, planning her words out carefully. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Sure..." he said, a hint of amusement in his voice.
"A friend of mine..." Her mind flickered to Lucifer momentarily, before returning to her present situation. "..once asked me a question. He asked if I was a princess and had to choose between the death of my own true love or that of my kingdom and its people, which I would choose...it's basically duty or love. Most people would say their answer quickly, but you have to REALLY think about it. What would you say?"
"The businessman inside me says 'duty'. It sounds heartless, but I guess you have to be rational about it..."
"Funny. I said the same thing."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Ami looked passed her book to see if she could recognize anyone walking around
the mall. When she saw no one, she smiled triumphantly and carefully slipped
into the secret world of Ami Mizuno. Claires.
Squealing delightedly, she ran over to the make up side of the room and ran her
fingers over all the different choices of glittery lipsticks. This was amazing.
How could there be so much in one spot? She picked one up and turned it over to
read the ingredients. No. For once she wouldn't care that there was fish scales
and whale blubber in it.
Zoicite placed his hands on his hips and looked as if in deep thought. Hmm...now
was he more of a fire-engine red? Or a tickle-me-pink? Choices. Oh well. If he
couldn't decide...he might as well get both of them, right? He clapped his
hands. This was so much fun, being able to forget about everything and just be
downright girly.
He grabbed two of the different shades and was about to move on down when
something sparkly caught his eye. They made lipstick in GLITTER? There was a
God! Granted, he had met him and everything, but still.... He reached out for a
tube when his hand collided with that of someone else...
"Hey, that's mine!" Ami turned up to glare at the person who was attempting to
steal the last shade of blueberry bash from beneath her hand. When her eyes met
those of the offender she dropped everything that her arms were holding in
surprise. "Zoicite...what are you doing here?"
He stumbled backwards in surprise. "Ami?" he yelped. "I uh...I'm....well, what
are YOU doing here?" Ami? In...CLAIRES? Damn. Now Kunzite owed him money from
that stupid bet three years ago...
"I'm uh...I'm doing an experiment on how many animal tested products people
buy..yeah, that's it."
"Oh." He twiddled his thumbs nervously. "Umm....it's all Rei and Jadeite's
fault! They were about to jump each other and they dumped me off here so they
could go make out!"
Ami blinked. He had BOUGHT THAT?! Wait. Rei and Jadeite were WHAT?! "Oh." She
tried to sound uninterested. "Then why were you trying to buy this Blueberry
bash lipstick?"
His eyes darted from side to side and he leaned in closer. "You can keep a
secret?"
She nodded. "Yes, of course. It's not like I'm exactly a gossip queen or
anything." Her mind went back to earlier that day when she had been spying on
Usagi and Mamoru. If only he knew.
He nodded as well. Ami was one of his best friends, when she said she'd keep her
word, she meant it. He whispered, "I'm a closet make-up freak."
Giggling, she set down the tube of lipstick and leaned up to whisper in his ear.
"Me too!"
His eyes widened. "No kidding?" He laughed. "Oh man, the guys would KILL me if
they found out!"
"Well, you can't exactly tell anyone about me either. I mean, I'm supposed to be
the serious one, remember?" She placed her hands on her hips and got that stern
look on her face. "You guys, if you keep this up someone will get hurt. Do you
even know what's in that thing? You should check it out before you drink it.."
She giggled.
"Doctors make the worst patients. How many times did you follow your OWN
advice?" he teased. Rei and Minako, the two more dominant personalities of the
girls, usually had little trouble covinving their companions to follow them into
trouble. Then again, they'd also been able to coerce himself into doing things
he wouldn't want broadcast on the evening news... "But no, BELIEVE ME, your
secret is safe with me. Nephrite is just FISHING for some new dirt on me...."
She was about to pick up a tube when her beeper went off. "Oh, hang on...it's
probably Minako. She bought me one of these things and supposedly she can put
messages in it." She clicked a button and held it up so that Zoicite could read
as well. "At Moon Palace...Usagi and Mamoru...parking lot...makeout..must see!
^__^"
She nearly dropped the beeper in surprised.
"Whose Usagi?" he asked, tilting his head.
"Oh, a friend of ours. What I want to know is who this Mamoru fellow is."
He shrugged. "Some guy the guys and I are familiar with...he's a real jerk, but
he's...important, shall we say." A moment of silence passed. "So, are we going
to go spy on them or what?"
"Definitly! Come on, we can take my car." She was so excited she almost forgot
to pay for everything. Almost.
* * * * * *
End Part B
* * * * * *