"Raye-chan, I'm in love with you," Mina said softly. She smiled a small smile at the woman and bowed her head, hiding the embarrassment she felt at the declaration.

"Minako," Raye breathed. "Is… is that what you came to say the other day?"

"Hai," Mina nodded slowly. She could feel the tears dancing in her eyes. The fear that she was about to rejected again tightened her chest, making it hard to breathe. She looked up and met the violet eyes of the one she loved before blinking her own blue eyes. "I… I realized it after I broke up with him. I realized how much I hated being away from you. How much I need you Raye."

"Minako, Minako," Raye soothed, embracing the blonde girl beside her. "Artemis, could you leave us alone, onegai?"

"Mina?" he asked, looking up at her.

She nodded and he quickly stood and padded to the shoji. He looked back at the pair before clearing his throat at the shoji. Raye scooted over and slid the shoji open for him. When his tail had disappeared around the corner at the end of the hall, she slid the door shut and scooted back to the vixen that held her heart.

"Mina, why didn't you tell me sooner? Why didn't you tell me when you came over the other day?" Raye asked, her eyes dancing with a strange look.

"You… y-you were so happy as… happy to have a boyfriend," Mina sobbed. She folded her arms on the table and hid her face in their creamy prison.

"Minako, did I ever say that I was in love with him? That he was be my boyfriend?" she asked softly, trying desperately to remember all of the conversation she'd had with the beautiful blonde.

"I don't know," she whimpered. "All I know was how excited you were to be going out with him and that you were so happy about it and… and I felt awful! I love you Raye, I don't want you to be with anybody but me!" she cried desperately.

"Mina, look at me," Raye ordered.

"Nani?" she murmured as she looked into the violet eyes of her desire.

"I love you. I'm only going out with Hojo-san to keep my friends off of my back, they won't hear about me going out with somebody else. They think Hojo-san is perfect for me, but I don't want quiet, I don't want polite, I don't want his constant consideration," she explained.

"Wh-what do you want?"

"I want excitement. I want unpredictable, I want fun, I want to fight with my partner. I want you," Raye murmured.

"You want me?" Minako asked, uncertainty dancing in her tone.

"Since the day I met you. And not as Venus either, although I wanted her, but as Mina-chan. When I met you in your real guise, I wanted you."

"Four years?" Mina asked, awed.

"Hai," Raye nodded. "For four years, I've watched you, wanted you, wanted to tell you the truth, but I couldn't. I couldn't bring myself to say it. I couldn't bring myself to hurt you like that; I wanted you to be happy, even if it wasn't with me. As long as you were happy, you would smile. And as long as I got to see you smiling, I would be okay. I would be able to handle not having you in my arms."

"Raye!" Mina gasped, throwing herself into the miko's arms.

"I love you, my goddess, my beautiful, wonderful, loving goddess."

Mina couldn't think. She could barely breathe anymore. She wasn't going to be rejected, or denied or laughed at or turned away. She was the object of affection for the miko as well. She was going to get her story-book romance, the happy ending she wanted.

"Raye-chan, may I… may I kiss you?" Mina asked with uncertainty coloring her face and dancing in her voice.

"Please," Raye breathed.

Softly, Mina closed the small distance between the two girls and placed the first of many kisses softly on the miko's soft lips.

And that my dears, is the end. Let's leave Mina-chan with a happy ending, ne? Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing the story,I hope that, even though it was severly delayed by the breaking of my writing hand, you are pleased with the story and that you enjoy it. Please, leave a review and let me know what you think, pleasing or otherwise. This is my first fanfic andI would like to know what I did right (if anything) and what I did wrong. Let me know andI would greatly appreciate it!

ja ne!
minasraye