SunTzu had arrived on Coruscant at the early morning and then took the same room he had the last time in the Ambassador's House Hotel.
He allowed himself the luxury to sleep a few hours, which he was actually able to do pretty well now, probably because Anniten's message that she misses him took his mind off a bit. She had also written him , that they would arrive at early afternoon on Coruscant.
He just had woken up and enjoyed the view onto the ambassadorial district from his bed when his mobile phone began to ring.
It was Minako.
"Yo, Minako."
"You! You're never home anymore but when I'm on Coruscant you go back to Earth!"
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know you were looking out for me."
"SunTzu, first of all, I'm the Goddess of Love, I don't look out for people, they're on the lookout for me. Anyways, I'm going out tonight in that new Earth-themed club near the Imperial Palace. It's called Club Gaia and it's THE top venue on Coruscant right now. You know i have to make myself a bit seen for promo and I thought my favorite Bavarian might be up for it as well. And let me rate his girlfriend while we're there."
SunTzu needed a moment for his sleepdrunken mind to process the blonde whirlwind's babble.
"Errr… yeah sure, I'll ask her."
"Tell her Minako Aino, aspiring intergalactic popdiva is demanding her presence. And I'll be really mad if you guys don't come. It's bad enough already that you prefer another blonde over me."
"I'm pretty sure Anniten will be down for this. I'll text you when I talked with her."
A few hours later SunTzu received a holo message from Anniten, telling him that they were on Coruscant now.
He immediately called her up, wanting to ask her out for dinner and the party.
"Hey."
"Hi Anniten, had a pleasant journey?"
"It was okay. How are you?"
"I'm good, thanks. Listen, I wanted to ask you out for dinner and clubbing later on, you up?"
A small pause appeared.
"Unfortunately something came in between and I'm busy today, I'm so sorry, I really am."
"Oh. The night as well?"
"I guess so."
"Okay, a friend of mine will be in Club Gaia tonight. I hope you don't mind if I head out anyways."
"It's okay, I'd really like to join you but I don't think I can make it."
"What is it you have to do?"
"Diplomatical work, you know. Sometimes even a princess has to do more than just to look good."
"I see." He understood about the hardships of this work, he had been long enough with Rei to know about it but something still nagged him about it. Somehow it seemed that she still took things too easy, even if the part about her missing him was true.
"I'm sorry. I let you know, when I have time."
"Yeah, thanks. Maybe tomorrow."
"I have to see about this too. I'm sorry."
"Yeah, me too. I'll hear from you then."
"Please don't be mad. I really miss you and will see what I can do."
"I miss you too. Talk to you later."
SunTzu hung up, he was upset, if she really would like him and miss him she would have at least made time for dinner with him.
He felt toyed with and to not get too worked up about it and at least do something useful he decided to take another nap.
Since Anniten stayed quiet the rest of the day SunTzu wasn't expecting her to join him at all tonight and SunTzu decided to do the same as she did and take it easy from now on.
Since he didn't have to stunt for his crush he decided to just dress casually chic and instead of a noble restaurant he decided to go for some down to galactic capital food in a diner, a few floors of of Coruscant deeper.
It was already getting dark when he had headed out and when he took a cab to the Club, which was at a high class amusement strip just a few blocks afar from the Imperial Palace, there was already a large queue waiting in front of the club.
Club Gaia was the spot to be on Coruscant right now, and as the name suggested the club was Earth-themed when it came to music and interior. The hype for Earth's culture was still unbroken and while he got out of the taxi, having been in higher moods before, SunTzu smirked when he heard music from Earth coming from inside the Club.
SunTzu hadn't reserved a table but had the hotel's concierge put him on the guest list. Good thing the Ambassador's House was such an exclusive adress because the staff member, flanked at the door by two huge non-human bouncers, nodded when SunTzu stepped up and told his name.
Apparently Earth's Casual Chic was also enough to pass the door policy as well and one of the bouncers opened the huge durasteel door for SunTzu and he stepped inside.
Inside everything was pretty much looking like your usual high class night club on Earth with dancefloor, bars, high tables and VIP booths with sofas.
SunTzu had heard there was also a second floor underneath and both floors played different music, although both played music from Earth exclusively.
SunTzu went to the bar to grab a cold one, noticing that they also mostly exclusively sold drinks from Earth only.
He asked the bartender which beer they had and was disappointed to hear that it came down to Heineken and Budweiser so the Bavarian decided to take the lesser evil and ordered a Heineken.
He walked off to a nearby pillar and leaned against it, looking over the floor and through the club, trying to find Minako.
SunTzu was pretty sure he would make out the blonde pretty easily as she would stand out. She didn't seem to be at the dancefloor, although he could have missed her as it was packed. Still he decided to look further and moved his head over to the VIP Lounge on the opposite side of the club from him, which also was pretty full.
After a few moments he saw something which totally surprised him. Mamoru was seated at one of the lounge's tables, the tall dark-haired monarch standing out from the crowd
And sitting next to him was Usagi. And then he saw Makoto and Ami sitting at the table as well.
He was about to go over and say hi but then he noticed that there were two more people at the table which made him immediately discard the plan. Yuichiro and Rei were sitting close to each other opposite of the other two Inners.
SunTzu fought down the urge to leave the place immediately.
There still was a chance that Anniten would show up, wasn't there? And if not he could at least kill time. Or at least get drunk and try to forget about his feelings for Anniten, as he had enough with her antics about what they actually were. SunTzu wasn't necessarily feeling bad but he reached a point where he was fed up.
A waitress of the club, a Zeltron in short shorts, walked past him with a smile and he finally decided to stay. He smiled back and motioned the waitress to come over.
She leaned in close so she could hear him over club's loud music.
After a few moments of talking she pulled out a reader for cards and SunTzu handed her a chip card, she then scanned with the machine.
The conversation was full of smiles from both and ended with SunTzu handing the woman a five hundred credit chip as tip which let the women's smile vanish for a look of disbelief. She thanked SunTzu with sparkling eyes and then hurried away.
SunTzu smiled and then took a sip of his beer, at least he made one woman happy tonight.
Then he walked back to the bar, emptying his bottle. At least the beer was cold.
At the bar he ordered a Sidecar and was positively surprised that they were actually able to mix the strong drink.
He took a sip and complimented the barkeeper, the cocktail was really good.
SunTzu took his glass and went back to the pillar he had been standing at before, glancing over to the table of the other Earthlings.
Suddenly a siren went off and a queue of waitresses came out with bottle coolers with bottles in it and sparklers going off from the coolers and the procession went over to the table of the Senshi.
All of them seemed to be pretty surprised and even after the show act was over and the two magnum bottles of Armand de Brignac Champagne and the bottle of Gran Patron Burdeos were on the table and the first set of glasses had been filled to toast by the waitresses, they still didn't seem to know who was their secret sponsor.
The table was still loudly chatting where the bottles had came from, Ami was beyond suspicious, Makoto assumed a gift from Minako behind it and Mamoru was about to ask the closest staff member who their patron was when Rei, next to Yuichiro, froze. So she had been right with that motion she had felt before.
"Rei, what's wrong?" Usagi asked curiously as she noticed Rei frozen and staring to the other side of the club.
After a second Rei motioned them to look where she was looking at and all the heads on the table turned, even their two huge bodyguards, two Royal Guards in suits, looked into the direction.
"Whoa, that's SunTzu!" Usagi squealed.
"Yeah. Probably Minako invited him." Rei stated in a neutral voice, while Yuichiro next to her glared at his girlfriend's ex.
SunTzu spotted exactly who had been the first one to notice him, he has actually been expecting that. Nevertheless for a moment both of them just stared at each other, each of them could sense the other, probably still subconsciously reaching out for the other.
Both noticed that the other Senshi and the two men were now looking at SunTzu as well and the First Knight raised his glass to the other Guardians and the Royals.
They began to wave and toasted to him as well, except for Yuichiro, who shot him a dark glare and slid his glass away from him before he waved over a waitress.
Rei seemed to be in a tight spot about that and stared down at the table.
As Yuichiro made an order Rei got up and walked around the table and leaned in to Makoto to ask her something.
"I need your help tonight, Makoto. Please keep Yuichiro occupied here, somehow. Talk with him, play drinking games, tell him stories, whatever. Just make sure he stays here and won't get suspicious that I'm gone. I need a timeout from everyone right now." Rei said to her friend, her voice so low that only Makoto could hear her.
Makoto looked over to Yuichiro who was talking to the waitress, who had handed him the drink menu.
"It's because SunTzu, right? Rei, he has a girlfriend now. It just wouldn't be fair if you interfere now."
"It's… it's not that. I'm honest, it hurts more than I thought It would seeing it in person now. But I promise I won't talk to him, I just need some time away from this room and I can't let Yuichiro see me startled like that."
Makoto looked to the side and at SunTzu and contemplated about it for a moment.
"Fine, I'll keep him occupied. But don't complain if I'll fuddle him till he drops."
"You're the best. Best you grab him and head over to the bar."
Makoto nodded and got up, changing places with Rei.
The brunette walked around the table and laid a hand on Yuichiro's shoulder.
"Let's drink at the bar, no waiting there." She told Yuichiro with a wink and they both got up and left the table but not before Yuichiro gave Rei a kiss and then glanced over to SunTzu again.
SunTzu hadn't seen any of that as a trio of three females, had engaged themselves in conversation with him.
He was friendly, even paid a drink for all of them, but he hadn't engaged in flirting with them and as soon as the three females, two Humans and a Theelin-Human hybrid, had their drinks he politely excused himself and got back to his place, having a new Sidecar in his hands.
He checked his phone, but just as expected, there was no news from Anniten.
The pilot glanced at the three beautiful females again and for a second contemplated if he should move on as apparently Anniten didn't care at all but then dismissed this thinking fast. It wouldn't be right if he wouldn't at least give her a chance to explain herself.
He took another sip of his drink and glanced over to the Senshi's table where Rei shared a shot of Tequila with Ami and Usagi. Makoto and Yuichiro were gone and SunTzu catched himself that he didn't mind Yuichiro's missing presence at all. Although he wouldn't walk over to the table because of Rei.
While looking at the Senshi's table he also began to wonder where Minako was, of course it had sounded like she wanted a grand entrance but even he had been here for almost an hour now and midnight was approaching fast.
SunTzu checked all his social media, he lately had opened accounts again, much through the pressure of a certain teenager who told she wanted to keep up with his life, for any messages of each of the both blondes but there was nothing.
When he put his mobil phone back in his trousers he saw that across the club, Rei was standing close to the dancefloor as well now. Both former lovers were staring over the dancing and moving knot of people and at each other now, both being elevated above the dancefloor by a few steps. SunTzu almost snorted, the music was way to fitting for the moment as their gazes locked across the room.
You're still a piece of art. But you're not mine anymore and I think I moved on as well my dear Moeru Shōjo…
For a brief moment, which felt like an eternity for the both of them, neither of them did anything else than to look into the other's eyes, both experiencing mixed emotions, most of them not negative but rather melancholic, and although both would have denied it, there still was love involved.
It stung before to see him but it really hurts seeing him tonight, after knowing he moved on… Sometimes I still miss you way too much my dear TopGun…
It was the pilot who broke the stare first. He brought up his hands with two fingers up, showing the peace sign backwards.
The senator stared for another moment and then did the same and as she did it, her emotionless face turned into a wry grin, as did SunTzu's former poker face.
Both were chucking up the deuces at each other just as in the song that was playing, when suddenly a slinky dressed woman down from the dancefloor walked up to SunTzu and asked him something, putting her hands around him.
The woman was asking him for a dance but SunTzu politely declined.
When he finally could get rid of her he saw that Rei was gone and in that moment he realized that maybe seeing him still wasn't that easy for her as well.
SunTzu downed his glass, maybe the burning sensation of the Cognac would pull him out of these thoughts, and lingering feelings, about his ex-girlfriend. And maybe silence that feeling that he had lost Anniten before she was fully his as well.
Rei had vanished out of SunTzu's sight and made her way over to the bar, where Makoto was with Yuichiro. She sat next to her boyfriend, gave him a kiss and a smile. Yuichiro already was too drunk to realize how forced the smile was.
"Are you alrite, Rei?" He asked her and Rei just nodded.
Besides Yuichiro, Makoto turned to Rei and both made eye contact. Makoto motioned to Yuichiro and Rei nodded slowly.
"You want a drink, Baby?" Yuichiro asked but Rei shook her head.
"Thanks Babe, I'll go over to the others." She gave him a kiss on the cheek and then left again, back to the table.
As she arrived there she saw that SunTzu was talking with the same woman from before again, apparently she had come back for him. She sat down and reached for a shot glass and the Tequila.
"Hey Ami, let's have a shot!"
Again SunTzu had politely declined the woman's request to dance, telling her he had a girlfriend and was waiting for her, before he had walked back to the closest bar to get another glass. Maybe drowning his aching heart in alcohol would really help. As he arrived at the bar, the DJ, after the current song had ended made an announcement, turning off the music.
"Ladies and Gentleman, it's Club Gaia's special joy to announce we have a very special guest tonight. Give it up for Earth's own, the magnificent, the fabulous, the Goddess of Love, Miss Minako Aino.
Music began to play again and the spotlight moved to a beautiful blonde with long hair in golden hot pants, the shortest hot pants SunTzu ever had seen.
Minako performed a cover of Kylie Minogue's Spinning Around, microphone in hand, singing live, while literally spinning through the club with a mixture of choreography and freestyle dancing with people, of course overly flirty and sensous.
SunTzu immediately downed his new drink, he had to see this from up close, Minako was looking gorgeous. He knew that Minako worshipped the big Pop Divas like Madonna, Kylie or Mariah and she really nailed the homage to the australian pop singer with this one.
He got back to the place he had been standing at most of the evening so far and watched the rest of Mina's performance.
She was between two of the club's male dancers and swung back and forth between each other, still hitting every tone, before she playfully pushed both away and moved forward.
Minako noticed SunTzu and shot him a wink before she danced on.
Minako's show was great and when she finished the club went crazy with cheering for her. She smiled and waved, threw kisses and bowed down.
It took quite some time until the club had calmed down again and four bouncers were necessary so that Minako wouldn't get completely swarmed with people.
As soon as she was near SunTzu she quickly walked up to him and then flung her arms around him.
"You came!"
They both looked at each other.
"My god, Minako, that was awesome!"
"Thank you. Phew… I need something to drink."
"Mind if I invite you to a drink then, Miss Aino?"
She linked into his arm and smiled at him.
"Lead the way, Pilot."
SunTzu ordered a Cosmopolitan for Minako and another beer for himself.
The music had resumed and now started a song that fitted Minako's show.
She immediately downed her glass in one sip.
"That's my jam!"
SunTzu barely had time to put down his beer before the blonde whirlwind pulled him along onto the dancefloor and they were dancing.
She was dancing in front of him and when she seductively moved in a circle around him, SunTzu had to admit that those golden hot pants sure took his mind off of both Anniten and Rei.
SunTzu got closer and Minako immediately began to grind onto him, while his arms closed around her.
"SunTzu… I thought you had a girlfriend." She stated while leaning back at him, laying her head on his chest.
His head was now at her neck and he could smell her scent, she smelled delicious.
"It's a bit complicated." SunTzu said after a moment indulging her fragrance. "She says she misses me and that she wants me but she never has time for." He continued while both their hips moved in motion to the beat of the music.
"Oh, she's playing hard to get. It's to make her more interesting for a guy as amazing as you. Old trick, I used this one before as well."
For a moment they danced on, the next song came on, a RnB song. The two Guardians still moved close, grinding on each other, but now their hands also began to wander over each other's bodies.
"I shouldn't dance with you like that." SunTzu said after a moment of loosing himself in the moment, the music and Minako. "I have a girlfriend."
"Then where is she? Let me guess you invited her, but she's busy."
SunTzu stayed quiet when Minako told what basically had happened.
After a few seconds she grabbed his hand and put his arm around her hips, while she was in front of him and then closed her hands around the back of his neck. The music had become more energetic again.
"You're probably not the only one who thinks we shouldn't do that." Minako said after another moment and motioned to the other side of the club with her head.
SunTzu looked up and saw Rei. As soon as the raven haired saw them looking over, she turned away and grabbed the bottle of Tequila again.
"I can feel you still feel for her. You know I'm the one you can't lie about your feelings to." Minako told him, while they both observed Rei.
"Maybe we should stop."
"There's a new theory from Ami and Setsuna. We used to be soul bound and destined to love Mamoru's Generals from the past in another reincarnation. Those generals were called the Shitennou, I guess you have heard about them. But now, with all the timelines messed up, we shifted this bound to other souls. It apparently did so with Ami and Mako already. And I guess Yuichiro is the one for Rei."
"Hotaru once told me it's always the old crush for the Japanese." SunTzu replied to her but Minako needed a moment to respond, apparently she was thinking about something.
"I haven't found mine yet. And we both know that it's not you. Unfortunately."
Both fell silent again and lost themselves in their dance, their hands getting more or and more explorative now.
SunTzu leaned down to her, his mouth almost at her neck. Minako looked over to Rei who was leaving the table after drinking several shots, most of them alone. Usagi and Ami had talked with her but she seemed to have shaken them off, although in a kindly way, at least for her.
"If it wasn't for Rei we'd be fucking tonight. But we both still love her too much to do that to her."
Another moment of sensual dancing followed when suddenly somebody grabbed SunTzu's hand and yanked him out from his embrace with Minako.
"Oh, you must be his new girlfriend."
Anniten didn't say a thing, she just pulled SunTzu away. Dischna was standing behind her, glaring at the two Guardians.
SunTzu turned around and shot Minako an apologizing look.
"Too bad that you ain't seem to be the type that likes to share." The Senshi added.
Anniten pulled SunTzu along not looking at Minako but raising her middle finger over her shoulder towards the Senshi.
"Keep good care of him, I warmed him up for you." Minako replied, her voice being full of fake friendliness.
SunTzu looked back again while he followed Anniten and Minako winked amused at him and blew him a kiss.
Rei, after way too many shots of Tequila, trying to wash down that bitter taste to see SunTzu with other women, and even worse, closely embraced with Minako, had left the table, changed the floors and was now in the middle of the other dancefloor, relieving herself from all the negativity with energetic dancing, spinning around in circles on her high heels to electronic music. She had told Usagi and Ami that she would be checking out the other floor. That was after she couldn't take it anymore seeing Minako dancing so close with SunTzu. Rei wasn't necessarily jealous of Minako, even when she and SunTzu were still in a relationship they had danced together sometimes, but in that moment she couldn't help but miss being just as close to him as Minako had been in that moment. And this wasn't fair from her. Not for Yuichiro, not for SunTzu and not for Minako.
SunTzu was forcefully lead outside by Anniten. Dischna had positioned herself behind him and she seemed to be on the verge to attack him physically.
To defuse the situation he had just followed along, not saying a word until they were in front of a stretch hover limousine. Dischna opened the door and Anniten motioned SunTzu to get in, what he did, wordlessly.
He sat down inside, at the backseat, Anniten placed herself next to him and Dischna sat down at one of the places on the side of the long couch-like bench.
The limousine lifted off.
"Where are we going?" SunTzu asked Anniten but she didn't answer and turned her face away from him.
SunTzu sighed. "You say you miss me, yet you act like you don't care at all. All the fucking time. And now this spectacle? What is it you want from me?"
The blonde's head turned back to him and she looked into his eyes for a moment.
"You. I want you."
And then she leaned in and kissed him, her tongue immediately searching to meet his.
Not breaking the kiss she moved herself onto him, sitting down on his lap, her short dress slipping up, revealing half of her butt and the lace string tanga she wore underneath, giving her bodyguard a good look at it.
Anniten began to grind her center on SunTzu, drawing one arm around his neck while the other took his hand and planted it on her butt.
He gave her a good squeeze, making her finally break the kiss, while she gasped for air.
She looked him in the eyes again and SunTzu thought to see hesitation for the fracture of a second but then she leaned in next to his ear.
"I want to make you mine. And take all of you." She whispered and then began to suck on his earlobe, sparking a little moan from SunTzu, who instantly squeezed her ass firmly again and began to match her grinds, and then slid her dress completely over her ass. While they began to kiss again, his hand glided down and his fingers began to slide under the string of her underwear.
Dischna on the her seat was staring openly at the couple, the show had aroused her and her hand glided down her body and down to her tights, legs spreading and when she saw Anniten's welcoming response to SunTzu's fingers, Dischna's own fingers got on their own way to get busy as she observed how Anniten let out a moan while SunTzu had begun to shower her neck with kisses.
With a smug grin, knowing how mad she had made SunTzu's new girlfriend, Minako finally walked to the table where her friends and fellow Senshi sat. She gave the sitting and smiling Usagi a kiss on her forehead before she threw a kiss to Ami, the blunette having her eyes locked on her, straw of her drink in her mouth. She then fist bumped with Mamoru.
"Minako, that was amazing! And damn girl, these hot pants!" Usagi told the fellow blonde.
"Yup, mission accomplished. The whole club fell in love with my lil booty. Except that blonde bitch our First Knight is banging now. She wasn't amused, like at all. I have to tell you guys about that, but first things first. Where's the rest?"
"Makoto and Yuichiro are at the bar." Mamoru said and motioned to the bar nearby.
They all turned to see an obviously drunk Yuichiro on a barstool next to Makoto.
"Maybe I should help him, I think he has enough." Mamoru added and got up.
"And Rei went to the other floor to check it out." Ami told as Mamoru left the table.
"Guess then I'll go and see where Senator Hotness is." Minako said and got up as well.
After a few minutes of searching Minako finally found Rei holding onto the plate of one of the bars at the other dancefloor. The others had shot Minako a message, that they were bringing Yuichiro home and that they needed both Mamoru and Makoto to carry him out, but Ami and Usagi would tag along as well.
After dancing until she almost dropped Rei had another drink, which had finally proofed as the one that was enough.
Minako moved up to Rei, who wasn't able to properly talk anymore, and gently stroke her hair as she said hello and asked her if she needed help. Rei just nodded and then shook her head when Minako asked if she had to throw up. The blonde immediately knew that her black-haired friend had enough when she had seen her from afar.
Minako lead Rei out of the club only to notice that there were no cabs available. She knew Rei needed to go home asap and wasn't having it.
"Rei, you're going to ride this short panted blonde goddess now." The Senshi of Love said and then helped Rei to get on her back for a piggyback ride.
As soon as Minako was sure Rei was safely leaned against her back, Minako began to walk down the street in search for a ride.
"Don't you dare to throw up on me." She said to Rei and recieved a shaking of the raven-haired's head as answer.
"Minako?" Rei said a few seconds after, head closely leaned against Minako's back.
"Hm?"
"Thank you."
"Sure thing, after all we're best friends."
"I was jealous of…"
"Don't say it, Rei. Let's not get worked up with the past."
"So-sorry. Was hard."
"I know." Minako paused, making sure, Rei was still firm on her back. "Tomorrow the world looks different again. Your boyfriend is in the same state as you and you two can cure yourselves out together."
"Mhm." Rei nodded again and snuggled back onto Minako's back. "Mina-Chan?"
"Yes?"
"I love you. You're always taking care of me."
Minako smiled.
"I love you too, Rei-Chan. There's a cab over there. Let's get you home."
AN: As always the Soundtrack for the chapter is on the notes on AO3 ;)
