This is the second short story featuring M/K. I did scrap almost everything from the original story I had written and rewrote it. Of course during that process, I made this story longer. Alas, I'm doomed to never be able to make short drabbles of only paragraphed lengths. Only time will tell if that's a bad thing, ;).
Featuring: Minako/Kunzite (small appearance by Jadeite. To tease Kunzite. Of course.)
Universe: A/U Silver Millennium
Warnings/Ratings: I'd say M just to be on the safe side. Minako brings out Kunzite's naughty side :). Rest assured, nothing graphic.
"So what brings you out here to the spirits sections? Or better yet, should I say who does?" Jadeite gave him a sly, knowing smile. Kunzite didn't give Jadeite the satisfaction of seeing him squirm. Even if the blond general was right, Kunzite would rather die than to admit it. He'd been avoiding a certain golden haired princess all night. And he'd been rather successful at it thus far.
His gray eyes followed her form twirl around on the dance floor with another man clutching her tightly. He felt the crippling fingers of jealousy start clawing at his heart so he adverted his eyes. If his friend noticed, he made no comment.
He had never been so enraptured by a woman before. Normally, he'd spurn them with a cold indifference, only inviting one to his chambers when his needs arose. But she had been different. He'd ordinarily been clear headed around the vixens, but she'd woven a web around him, clouding his mind and his better judgment with a simple upturn of her lips. She hadn't even gone out of her way to capture his attention, like how the other women had tried before her. And that made her dangerous.
He'd been pleasant to her when manners dictated, but he'd kept his distance. But even that had proven problematic given his prince's growing love for her ward. Kunzite's gaze went to rest on Prince Endymion, who had the Princess Serenity snuggled close as they danced. When the music died down, Kunzite watched as his ward whispered something in Princess Serenity's ear. The young princess blushed prettily, but nodded her head, and Endymion grabbed her hand, whisking her away quickly towards the doors that led outside.
Kunzite made to follow, but Jadeite's hand on his shoulder prevented him from moving. "Don't worry, I'll make sure they don't get into too much trouble. Besides, I've got a strange sense that you're wanted here." Jadeite smiled gleefully at him as he teleported away, before Kunzite could bark at him to stay. When Jadeite looked that happy, it only meant trouble for him.
Kunzite turned swiftly around to find either Zoicite or Nephrite and immediately saw what had made Jadeite so cheerful. The golden haired Princess Araminta had started to make her way towards him. He had mistakenly locked eyes with her, so he couldn't pretend to not have seen her and make a quick getaway.
She smiled at him as she closed the gap between them and Kunzite made sure she would not sense his unease. "You can't hide from me forever," she teased as she finally stood in front of him. Her golden locks had been styled in an elaborate up do, with a red ribbon interlaced throughout. She looked breathtaking in her yellow gown and Kunzite had to make a conscious effort to not stare.
"Princess Araminta, I assure you I am merely doing my job in protecting my prince," he astutely pointed out.
"Of course, I was only jesting. Looks like Jadeite gave you a hand tonight."
Kunzite nodded his head once, not belaying the inner rage he felt for his blond friend at the moment. "So it would seem." The bastard probably had this planned the entire time.
"Looks like you're free to dance." Her amber eyes sparkled mischievously.
"I'm sorry Princess Araminta, but I don't dance," Kunzite coldly stated. Even to his own ears he sounded machinelike. How many times had he stated that?
His cool indifference didn't seem to dissuade her. "It's rude to turn down a princess. Might even be seen as insubordination to some," she smiled cheekily at him. "Besides," she continued, "I wasn't asking."
She grabbed his hand and dragged him to the dance floor, not waiting for his reply. When the music started, he made sure to keep ample space between them as he stiffly led them across the dance floor. He kept his gaze on the top of her head as he went through the rigid motions.
"I'm surprised you dance so poorly, given how well you fight," she commented airily after a few seconds of silence. Kunzite faltered on the next step, taken by surprise. Araminta used his hesitation to rearrange his hand placements so that they were dancing a lot closer together. Kunzite looked down at her quizzically, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips.
"Just pretend you're out on the battle field. You can't be this stiff while fighting; you'd never have lasted so long if you were."
"Are you teaching me how to dance, or how to fight?" His tone was light as he glanced down at her.
She laughed, the sound warm and inviting. It surprised him how much his body responded to it. "The Terrans sing high praise of your powers in battle. I'd be a fool to think you'd need help in that department. Your dancing on the other hand…" She winked at him.
He knew she was baiting him. The challenging look she gave him all but confirmed it. And like a fool, he fell for it. He led her through the intricate steps of the dance, gliding her across the dance floor, this time actually making an effort. All the shitennou had to learn proper etiquettes, dancing included. Kunzite was by no means the best at it, but he could hold his own at court when dictated.
She didn't look surprised when he dipped her low at the end of the song. When he brought her back up, she had a satisfied smile on her face and a knowing look in her amber eyes. She stood on her tiptoes, pressing her body against his as she leaned against him.
"Meet me tonight, in the rose gardens, after 3," she whispered, her breath tickling his ear. Before he had a chance to reply, Araminta quickly curtsied and walked away. Kunzite watched her leave, for once not feeling in control of a situation.
Kunzite found himself pacing, a habit he all but detested, around his room later in the evening. He had left the ball hours ago, after his dance with Princess Araminta. He had checked up on Jadeite, who had informed him that Zoicite was with their prince now. Nephrite had been nowhere to be found. Kunzite suspected he knew where Nephrite was running off to late at night.
The three chimes signaling the time made Kunzite stop his pacing. He had gone back to his room with the intention of ignoring Princess Araminta's summons. He knew it would be unwise to go and yet here he stood, unable to sleep because of it. Kunzite felt disgusted with himself; here he was, Prince Endymion's top shitennou, hiding from a mere girl. He knew as soon as the thought escaped his mind that it wasn't true. Princess Serenity's sailor senshi's weren't mere girls. They were princesses of their respective planets and, if the rumors were true, fearless warriors.
Which was a conundrum to him. In Terra, women of their status weren't renowned warriors. Perhaps that was her appeal to him. Kunzite glanced at the glowing numbers; if he left now he might still be able to catch her. Kunzite quickly grabbed a jerkin, shoving it over his head while he slipped his feet in his leather boots, not bothering to tuck his breeches into them.
Kunzite slipped through the door and hastily made his way down the hall, making sure no one noticed him on his way. He silently rounded the corner and made his way to the archway that led to the gardens. Kunzite stopped short when he spotted Araminta. He quickly hid behind the wall so as not to disturb her.
He peeked out, watching her wordlessly. She sat on the rim of the fountain, her knees tucked in underneath her chin, her arms clasped around her legs, gazing out over Terra. Her hair fell loosely around her back, her signature red bow nowhere to be seen. Her face appeared clean of any powder or paste. She looked so beautiful, with the light of Terra giving her an ethereal glow. She also looked so young just then.
Kunzite made to leave, but froze when Araminta turned her head and smiled at him. He was enchanted and knew then that she'd be his undoing. "I thought I already warned you about hiding from me," she teased, patting the spot next to her.
Kunzite walked towards her and sat down. She readjusted so that they were sitting shoulder to shoulder. "I wasn't-"
"Ah," she cut him off, "you were planning on leaving before you were caught red-handed." She nudged him playfully with her shoulder, the smile still present on her lips.
"Forgive me for my rudeness."
"And tardiness," she added, winking at him.
He chuckled despite himself. "Yes. It seems I've been rather disrespectful this evening."
She looked up at him, her eyes searching his face. He stared back, his face betraying nothing of the inner turmoil he felt being in close proximity to her. She sighed, breaking their eye contact to stare back up at Terra. He watched her, as she seemed lost in thought for a while.
"Come on, I want to show you something." She stood up gracefully, her lithe form hard to ignore. She tugged at his arm and he rose, letting her lead him further into the gardens. They walked in companionable silence, Kunzite watching her from the corner of his eye. She soon stopped in front of what looked like fruit trees. The fat oddly shaped golden things hung low on the branches.
Araminta stood on tippy toes and grasped one in her hand, tugging lightly. The branch snapped back from the force, the other branches rustling from the disturbance. "Venustas," she informed, rubbing the fruit with the palm of her hand. "They're exclusive to Venus. They so happen to be my favorite as well." She bit into it, the red juice escaping her lips. Her pink tongue darted out and captured it before it ran down further.
She grinned at him as she extended her arm out, the fruit clasped innocently in her hand. Kunzite cautiously took it from her. He inspected it, noting the glimmer of its skin and blood red innards. He took a bite, the tartness hitting his taste buds first. The taste wasn't unpleasant as the tartness subsided the more he chewed. He felt some of the juice escape his mouth but before he had a chance to wipe it off, Araminta's thumb brushed at the corner of his lips. His body stiffened as he watched her lick her thumb.
"Do you know what an aphrodisiac does?" She whispered, her voice low and throaty. She had a predatory look in her eyes as she glanced up at him through golden lashes.
Kunzite felt like his veins were on fire. He dropped the fruit, angry with himself for falling for her tricks. "What did you do?" He croaked. She smiled as she placed a hand on his chest. Even through his jerkin, her touch felt like fire burning his skin. His senses were flooded with the smell of her, the feel of her body as it pressed closer to his, the heat radiating off of her like a hot summer day. He grasped her shoulders rather roughly, stopping her in her tracks.
"Don't," he grunted. He could feel his resolve slipping through his fingers.
A throaty laugh escaped her lips. She took his shaking hands and lowered it down to her hips, pressing her body flush to his. She seemed to melt into him, their bodies fitting perfectly as she slipped an arm up and around his neck, bringing him closer. Her soft lips brushed his and it sent a jolt down his abdomen. He could feel her smile against his lips and it was pure agony.
Kunzite crushed her lips with his, entangling his hand through her golden locks. Her mouth, her tongue, it was all too much and not enough. He growled low as he felt her hot breath meet the sensitive part on his neck. She was intoxicating and all he wanted to do was drown in her. His hands found the laces on her back and he began to undo them, wanting to take her right there in the gardens, not caring if somebody stumbled upon them.
She pulled back abruptly and stopped him. Her chest rose and fell quickly, distracting him. The need to feel her soft skin became almost unbearable. He took a step towards her but she stepped back.
"This isn't exactly an ideal place for this."
A frustrated sound escaped his lips, but he nodded his head. As quickly as he could, he took her in his arms and teleported back into his chambers. Her surprised gasp quickly turned into a moan as he trailed hot kisses down her neck. His nimble fingers made quick work of her bodice and he'd been vaguely aware of her tugging his tunic up and over his head.
She was just as beautiful as he imagined her to be, all curves and sun kissed skin. His eyes settled on a golden symbol near her hipbone. His eyes flickered up to hers and then back down. He traced the symbol with his thumb softly, eliciting a small shiver from her.
"It's the sign of Venus," she said, her breath catching as his hand ran up her side and rested under the swell of her breast. He leaned back down and kissed her softly. Kunzite vaguely wondered what the repercussion would be but all thoughts were cleared from his mind as soon as she moaned his name, the need in it apparent.
He hoisted her up and she obliged by wrapping her long legs around his waist. He guided them down to his bed, his mind spinning from the sensation of her underneath him. His mind only registered her soft moans and pants, her nails digging into his back, and the way her body responded to his touch.
She listened to his heartbeat softly as she lay awake. His even breathing ruffled the top of her head as she snuggled in closer to his chest. She traced one of his many scars lazily with a finger as she thought about what she'd done, a small smile playing on her lips. He'd be angry, she knew.
Sighing, she disentangled herself from his arms and legs and quietly slipped out of the bed. She found her dress and tossed it on without bothering to lace most of it up. The sun started to peak through the windows, its rays washing the room in a soft, golden hue. She felt him watching her as she finished gathering her things.
"You're angry," she commented casually, not bothering to look at him just yet. The room remained quiet. Araminta eyed him as she ran her fingers through her knotted hair. Kunzite looked at her impassively, but the slight crinkling of his eyes told her he was upset.
"That fruit…what it did to me…" Kunzite had sat up, the sheets falling down to pool around his waist. He turned cool gray eyes towards her.
Araminta couldn't help the grin that appeared on her face. "The venustus holds no power. It did not make you do anything you already didn't want to do."
The slight narrowing of his eyes told her he didn't believe her. "You lied then?"
Araminta shook her head. "No. I never once told you the fruit did anything. If you recall, I just asked you a question. It is not my fault you jumped to conclusions. I can't complain that you did, though."
She winked at him, blew him a kiss, and then teleported out of his room. Kunzite gazed at the spot she had just inhabited, feeling bewildered for the first time in his life. He'd been bested by her once again.
Venustus means beauty in Latin. I found it appropriate. So there was my attempt in getting inside Kunzite's brain. Hopefully it was satisfactory! Let me know your thoughts in your reviews!
On the drawing board are still some 90s song inspired fics and whatever my crazy brain comes up with. If you have any suggestions, send them my way!