Stress Relief
(By Sakura-chan and Chariel)
Lunamaria massaged her aching shoulders as she wandered back through the regular corridors of the Minerva. Today's training had been intense, and after what she felt to be a particularly poor performance fending off the attacks of Rey's ZAKU she had put in some extra time by herself. Now all she wanted was a hot shower and some peace.
As she passed the door to Shinn and Rey's quarters she paused, wondering whether she should bother Rey now with a question she had concerning the capabilities of the ZAKUs. Abruptly this problem was pushed to the back of her mind when she heard what she could have sworn was a low murmur from within. That's Shinn, she thought to herself. But I thought he said he was going to watch a video with Youlan tonight...
Confused, she went to press the intercom, but her fingers halted an inch before it as the murmuring was accompanied by a more distinct gasp. This, she felt sure, had come from Rey.
Her cheeks flushed to a fainter shade of her hair. It couldn't be. Could it? She darted a glance up and down the corridor to ensure she was alone before pressing her ear gently to the door, and was rewarded by the distinct sound of sheets rustling and a faint sigh from Shinn. I knew it, a small, gleeful smile passed across her face. I knew there was something going on with those two. This was too good to be true.
"Ah!" Rey exclaimed with a sharp intake of breath.
"Are you okay?" Shinn wondered softly. There was a brief pause.
"It's fine." Came the slightly stiff reply, and she heard them change position on the mattress. She had to tell the others - this was fantastic gossip - but no-one was going to believe her. Suddenly her eyes were drawn to the door panel. It was unlocked. Clearly in their haste to embrace after the foreplay of training they had forgotten to lock the room.
Carefully withdrawing her phone, Lunamaria switched it to camera mode. She knew that they would almost certainly notice, depending on how engrossed they were, but it was too good an opportunity to pass up. As Rey emitted another faint hiss of pain she steadied herself to perform her mission.
Quickly jabbing the door release she swung the phone towards Rey's bed. She snapped a picture of Rey, shocked by her intrusion, hairbrush frozen midway through the tangles at the bottom of his golden tresses. Shinn had rolled over on his bed when she entered, and was now sitting up, staring wide-eyed at her. His sister's pink phone was still clasped in one hand.
"Is everything okay?" He asked her after a moment of awkward silence had gone by. Rey drew the brush from his hair, his expression impassive but for a faint frown. Lunamaria quietly closed her phone, her triumphant expression vanishing.
"Um, oh it's - nothing. I just wanted to er - see if you guys were coming to dinner." Neither of them answered. Shinn blinked. "I uh - I'll see you later then." She flashed them a false, brittle smile then quickly withdrew and ran off down the corridor, the first wave of painful embarrassment hitting her.
Shinn and Rey exchanged glances and went back to what they had been doing.