I Lived My Life In Gold

by VenusUnchained

We've seen the story told so many times from the eyes of Serenity or Endymion of the Silver Millennium- we all know the story so well- from their point of view. This follows Kunzite through the more raw and less fluffy side we all know the story and how the fall from grace mixed with forbidden romance and betrayal lend much different perspectives. See "I Lived My Life In Silver"

10. Chapter 10

"Curse you and your damned stars Nephrite..." Kunzite groaned, blanching at the throbbing pain in his temple and behind his eyes upon waking. It was still mostly dark, though the faint light the morning offered was enough to worsen the symptoms of the hangover he knew he'd asked for when he polished off the rest of that bottle. It couldn't have been more than four hours since he left her standing on that balcony, no doubt dumbfounded by his brazen actions, fueled by desire and too much bourbon burning in his blood. He found himself equally baffled by his behavior, not so baffled that his head wasn't the only thing of his throbbing that morning.

With a groan he turned on his back, glaring at the canopy above his head in anger. Kunzite kept finding himself disarmed, and sending mixed signals when he should have held steady and kept his mouth shut and lips to himself. But there was something strange about the pull he felt, that draw toward her that felt uncontrollable and wild. Something terrifying about it that she herself embodied that appeared almost chaotic and undefined. He almost wished Zara would come bursting through his door to wake him, if he could only ask her what it meant. A silent predator.

He didn't consider himself daft, dull, or stupid. Stubborn of course, but certainly no expert of keen sovereign of any emotion. Emotions were weakness and vulnerability to a man like himself who knew beyond a doubt that emotions and curiosity only landed you in pain, or in compromising positions with no way out. It was easy enough in solitude to reinforce his own ideals, but when Venus was near him she could tear that armor down with a mere glance. She had a way of stripping his propriety away without trying, that dangerous chaos about her that terrified, and pulled him in with her every sweet sentiment and playful quirk. That shallow part of him that was utterly Terran male was still poleaxed by her beauty, and struggling to recover. Kunzite growled to himself, raking a hand down his face he threw back the covers. Thinking about her was doing nothing for him, or the agitated state of his body.

"We're too different..." He muttered aloud, scoffing that he was talking to himself at all. "Comrades in this lunacy and worlds apart..." His fingers ran through the length of his silver hair, heaving a heavy sigh through his lips. "You only want her because you cannot have her...you fool." He muttered, rolling his eyes to the ceiling while he stretched. Because there was no denying that he wanted her, only that he wanted more than something of the physical realm.

It was dangerous, taboo, and against everything he stood for. A compromise to his oaths and beliefs he refused to cave into because there wasn't room for it. Venus held the Solar System on her shoulders, placed on a pedestal where no one could touch her, especially no mere Earthen man like himself. He'd defied love to the stars, and love incarnate, more beautiful than any being of any realm, seemed dead set to test his will no matter how forbidden to him she was. He should feel fortunate to have even seen her likeness, but Kunzite was no man to grovel at the mercy of a deity.

Yes, love was a child's dream left in a sandy old palace, in the hands of an old woman with fire in her kind, coal black eyes. A dream snuffed out by illness and old age, a Terran's curse that Love would never fall victim to, because she was divine and immortal. And he did not, and could not love her. That idea slipped through his fingers like the sands of his home. Try as he may to comprehend it, Kunzite had never been able to grasp it or feel so strongly for anyone. He'd known love but it wasn't his place to offer it to a woman like Venus. He'd insult her with his inexperience, his ingenuine faith in such emotions, and neither were in a place of status to allow it.

Dismal as his mood was turning, like the hangover wasn't enough, Kunzite started becoming desperate for coffee. He was a creature of habit after all and while routine was momentarily interrupted, it hadn't halted completely. In efforts to keep himself occupied until time came for him to gather Endymion and Zoisite for the meeting, he laid out his formal uniform for the ball later to air out any potential wrinkles. It was a finer fabric than the more sturdy garment of his daily one, it's care a bit more demanding. He'd just laid out his boots when someone knocked on the door and Kunzite almost praised Queen Serenity herself when the scent of coffee hit him through the door.

"Good Morning Commander." He was greeted with another beautiful face, one of the many Lunarian women in service to the Queen who carried a silver tray of breakfast sweets and coffee. She was cheerful, if not a bit taken aback when Kunzite took the tray from her hands himself.

"Thank you Miss." He offered politely as he could with the pounding drums in his ears. Truly Kunzite was in no mood for company, and yet the girl stared rather blatantly at him, her cheeks flushing in unhidden admiration.

"I've woken Prince Endymion and General Zoisite as well. The Prince asked that you join him before the meeting this morning." He nodded politely in acknowledgement of her words, yet the girl stood there awkwardly staring as though she meant to speak more.

"Is that all?" His tone wasn't pleasant, it was biting and annoyed and miserably hungover, tortured by errant thought and lack of sleep. The girl startled, and brazenly giggled, eyes brimming with curiosity. It might have even been endearing or charming had his thoughts not been so clouded by another, but not even the nymph-like girls of the Moon compared, they were too soft where Kunzite craved that edge.

"Yes General, perhaps I'll see you at the ball later." He shouldn't have been surprised how bold she was knowing Princess Serenity had often acted a bit too carefree herself, but the girl bowed respectfully and had the decency to at least try to hide the mirth in her eyes.

"Thank you then, I'll report accordingly." His brow raised in borderline annoyance, watching her flush further before turning on her heel to escape rather briskly down the hall. He shook his head, kicking the door shut with his boot, carefully turn to set the tray down on a table beside the fireplace, plopping in the chair beside it.

The caffeine was the perfect medicine for the relentless hangover, and when he went to select one of the pastries, Kunzite noticed a small white card that simply read "With Love, from Jupiter" in pretty green scroll. He frowned while he slowly chewed perhaps the best sticky bun he'd ever eaten in his life, with the knee jerk reaction to pack up the rest and bring them to Nephrite. Against his better judgment, Kunzite did just that, wrapping them carefully in the provided container like the Jovian had done this on purpose.

"These Goddesses are getting the better of you..." He muttered to himself, packing the container away with a sentiment completely out of character for him. The Senshi were all special in their own right, even he could see that, and he needed to remind himself once more to not be so fast to trust them. The meeting today would give him the information he needed to start planning, and preparing for the repercussions it would have on the people of Earth. His greatest fear, rebellion. His biggest hope... he dared not even think it.

Instead, Kunzite shook off the sense of foreboding, snatching his gloves from the bedside table with a sigh, he lifted his chin, held his shoulders back and stepped from the room with the air of a Commander. Hangover be damned, he had to meet Endymion and Zoisite before they were late to the meeting, his expression hard in refusal to let anyone know of his inner turmoil. Especially not his empathic Prince, and seemingly psychic third General he'd gratefully left at home.

It wasn't long before he found himself in the same conference room that was too bright, the harsh light from the tall windows burning his eyes and he found himself internally screaming for more coffee. Endymion and Zoisite certainly weren't faring much better though he could guess in his Prince's case, the reasoning was far from proper. Venus was the last to file in, flushing lightly at her tardiness she shuffled in to take her seat beside the Queen. Kunzite didn't miss that fatherly look Artemis gave her, distaste on his lips and hard look of his eye that didn't seem to phase her much, she looked too tired. Venus looked utterly drained, dark circles under her hooded eyes, and skin paler than normal. It dawned on him that she'd greeted them the previous morning- and had yet to sleep. He'd been in her shoes more times than he could count and Kunzite frowned, fiddling with a pen in front of him in distraction as Queen Serenity began the meeting.

The Silver Queen hadn't come to a full on agreement, not that he expected anything monumental of this occasion. The travel ban was lifted, heavily restricted of course with permissions being needed both ways and guard detail that made sense considering their relationship. Of course Kunzite had the people of Earth to consider in this arrangement, knowing to some it would be cause for panic, he would have rather had it left forbidden. The pending trade agreements interested him however, and Queen Serenity even agreed that if the day came that Endymion could wield the Golden Crystal she would consider aligning their Kingdoms by marriage. Without the distracting gaze of Venus, Kunzite was able to take detailed notes and bullet points only he would know needed further delicate care when Earth's people were involved and found his lips tensed in that frown he was so well known for.

It changed nothing of their current predicament. Her Senshi were off limits, Endymion's affair still very forbidden, and his agreement with the Venusian was assumed to stand in regards to protecting it. Kunzite glanced at Venus, she seemed too tired to play her games this morning and stared blankly at the table in front of her. His lips tensed, knowing he would have to help her keep this contained until they found a way to get that alleged Pegasus creature to appear to Endymion, and reveal the Golden Crystal. If it even truly existed. The Prince agreed to Queen Serenity's terms of course, producing the parchment their King had drawn for him granting Endymion the authority to act on behalf of Elysium. For what it was, it was a small step forward, but a vast victory when it came to the Earth's Golden Throne. Kunzite knew King Adrian would be proud.

"Now. I should like to see your Generals in action on the battleground Endymion, I might extend those travel agreements in regards to training. If I like what I see perhaps we can come to another agreement that my Senshi will train you and your Shitennou in ways of magic, if they agree to train the Senshi in combat. I'm afraid they rely too much on their magics, and it could escalate our other agreement, as well as your progress toward the Golden Crystal. And toward our ultimate alliance."

Kunzite's eyes widened, immediately locking with Venus who appeared just as shocked. It was a strange turn of events, the notion that their secret arrangements would soon commingle with potential training together, and the progressive hope that came with Endymion receiving help in reaching his own potential was highly unexpected. Venus had mentioned it once in private, that they could help them strengthen their abilities and yet to hear it from the mouth of the Queen herself sounded all too suspicious. His brain had officially shifted into overdrive, standing as they were ushered from the room by Queen Serenity's gracefully gesturing hand. There was no failing Endymion in this, as Venus suggested they were all in or all out, a term of their unspoken agreement the moment she confirmed the power of the supposed link between Endymion and Serenity. He remembered all too well how ill the Prince had become.

Typical of Kunzite, anger was the best served emotion for the situation and one he had to fight to suppress. It was likely to him the Queen Serenity was just waiting out their shorter lives, only ever planning to give them this inch to work with. There was no secret to the amount of power Endymion would need to wield that Crystal, and how little of it he could actually access. Queen Serenity was grossly underestimating Endymion and how relentless he could be when it came to something he wanted to achieve. Power was a very small motivator in comparison to the obvious love he felt for the small rabbit of a Princess. Ready to blow off some much needed steam, Kunzite was almost too glad to sate the Queen's request for a combat demonstration. They were ushered from the stiff, rather elegant conference room, Princess Serenity waiting anxiously for them in the hallway to hear the news.

He filed behind them all with Zoisite, Venus between them and the royalty, the only noise in the following tense silence was the conversation held was between Endymion and the two bun haired Goddesses. Zoisite almost snorted, watching with amusement when Venus slapped the joined hands of the Prince and Princess carefully concealed behind Endymion's cape. His green eyes drifted up toward Kunzite with a sobering cough into his glove when he saw that Kunzite wasn't nearly as amused. He'd blame the hangover for his abrasive mood when truly there were too many reasons to count, and Kunzite easily lost count of how many involved the blonde soldier in the short orange skirt walking just in front of him. He tried to ignore her, thankful that she seemed to do the same, yet he walked directly in the trail of her perfume, the beams of light from tall windows flickered gold across her hair, and so the Venusian's torment of him remained relentless and distracting.

They stepped out into a large wooden arena, it might as well have been made of gold for how rare the material was on this planet of silver dust and starlight. He and Zoisite branched off while the rest of their party took their place in the front row spectator box. The arena was clearly well used, scorch marks of different kinds marked areas near training dummies, telling signs of wear on the dusty ground itself with footprints and more scorch marks. Zoisite followed him nervously over to the waiting weapon rack, full of different dulled instruments for training purposes only.

"You're in a mood. Try not to kill me with a blunted sword?" Zoi raised a brow, appraising the weapons in the rack and selecting a short sword to test the weight. He had that snooty aristocratic frown on his lips, eyes shifting up to Kunzite as he selected a larger broadsword.

"Sure that's a wise choice?" Kunzite gave the shorter soldier a look, Zoisite scoffing with a few graceful test swings of his weapon. Jadeite had a bit of jealousy that he'd favored Zoisite since the beginning, mostly because he'd been so young back then. Scared and naive, being thrust into this life with little more than facts and education and no experience. Kunzite related to him, and sought to be the mentor for Zoisite that he never had. "I won't land any damaging blows if that's what you're worried about."

"I would have thought you'd have made a wiser choice in your own selection Commander." Zoi bit back in that sarcastic manner when he used his titles. He was a brat, but his well meant taunting lifted Kunzite's spirit enough that he smirked back at him. "You'll be too slow for me with that thing."

"If you say so." The two shook hands, Zoi scoffing once more, falling into a fighting stance both eager as ever to spar. The broadsword felt a bit off balance, but it always felt that way in his left hand. Kunzite considered switching to his right, knowing Zoisite would have no chance, but decided it was a show the Queen wanted, and so he would provide one.

A loud whistle rang in the air, and Zoisite charged. Kunzite was proud, knowing under most circumstances he was right. Being smaller than him, faster, far smarter, and with a lighter weapon in hand might have been effective against a normal soldier. He had experience with this though, the jabs Zoisite was able to land impressed, but were nothing compared to the threat of a real blade, or several. He had been very intimate with the blade of a broadsword, the only time he'd ever nearly tasted death, his injury was incentive enough to perfect his skill with one. Kunzite allowed his frustrations to come out in full force, remaining controlled and agile enough to not land damaging blows to Zoisite, but take him off guard with maneuvers he himself had faced once upon a time, moves that had almost killed him. He'd taught himself to use his cape in battle, to create illusions that he wasn't really armed, or distract his opponent. It wouldn't work on Zoi, but regardless he grew smug when he finally knocked him down to the dusty ground, his practice sword held lightly against his throat.

"Ugh... fine I concede." Zoisite slapped the ground lightly with a roll of his green eyes, his tone dissolving into a mirthful smile when Kunzite offered his hand to help him up. Applause burst from the spectators box, Zoi taking the moment to provide them an overly enthusiastic bow that had Kunzite's eyes greeting the skies above them. He tapped Zoi's shoulder with a well meant glare, as their demonstration hadn't ended.

"Thought I taught you not to underestimate your opponent." Zoi rolled his eyes at the paternal scolding, and took position to run through drills.

"I only thought maybe you wanted to look good in front of the Venusian."

"I believe it's the Queen we are trying to earn favor from. You'll put that other thought out of your head." They began working through their normal routine, conversation thankfully becoming more difficult.

"Well, you two aren't very discrete." Kunzite jabbed him a bit harder than he normally would have with a hardened look. Zoisite grunted, glaring back and dodging the next one meant for his stomach.

"Neither are you with the Mercurian. You'll do well to knock that off by the way." Zoi laughed and rolled his eyes again. "We were merely discussing business."

"Yeah sure KUNZIE." Kunzite blanched at the nickname and swung full force toward the younger man's face, glad he managed to dodge in the end. "That's what I've been working on too you know, and watch the face." Since he certainly couldn't punch the Princess for that nickname- he'd be sure to inflict the pain on Endymion later. When the applause came again after a thorough drill demonstration, Zoisite offered his commander a dry smile that had Kunzite's grey eyes drifting skyward yet again. "Maybe Jade's right, you need to get-" He slapped his shoulder hard before he could finish that sentence, kicking up just enough dust to make Zoi cough.

"General Kunzite, I would like to see how well you fare against our own brightest warrior now. Venus if you would?" The Queen called out, earning Kunzite a knowing look from the younger soldier at his side and interrupting their typical antics. He felt a thrill really, nodding a proud dismissal to Zoi to join the others while Venus stepped forward and out onto the ring. He'd finally be able to witness her skill, the great and wrathful Sailor Venus, if he could get passed everything else about her toiling inside of him. Kunzite was a bit overly confident because she was much smaller in comparison to himself, also knowing he could not underestimate her. Like he needed another reason for this golden warrior to haunt him. "Don't worry General, Venus has proven to hold her own. Do not feel the need to hold back."

"Apologies General, I hadn't prepared myself for this. The Queen gets a little excited sometimes." She muttered, clearly unpleased by the Queen's request. Kunzite waited for her to choose a weapon, rather shocked when she merely took a fighting stance in wait for the whistle, still smug and dare he say excited about the fight to come. He swallowed hard, trying to keep the shock from his features when he felt her power intensify raising every hair on his body. The chain she always wore around her hips moved and came to life seemingly on its own and that gorgeous face of hers hardened, the gold flecks of her eyes seeming to spread into the blue like veins of molten light.

Kunzite hadn't counted that she'd use magic. His stomach clenched with nerves and excitement when that loud whistle rang out and Venus came to life, seemingly almost glowing with magics. The way she sprung to action was like nothing he'd ever seen. Her movements were graceful, almost like a dance, and equally seductive as he'd heard was the fighting style of her people. She held the power of a Jovian, the passion and relentlessness of a Martian, the tactical skills of a Mercurian, and the playfulness of Lunarian. Her chain clashed against his sword with bone shaking force, and though Kunzite knew she held herself back, the match was surprisingly brutal.

Her chain appeared to move with a mind of it's own though Kunzite knew she had to be manipulating it by some power of her own mind and became impressed with even himself as he adapted, and was able to parry her movements. The real challenge was to keep his focus on her chain and not the girl in question who still jabbed and kicked at him with fluid and graceful movements. Her chain wove around her with such precision, and in small moments he'd catch her smile, all dark and dangerous, but beautiful and wild as Hell. Her blows however were impressive, and Kunzite enjoyed every second of it.

Finally, as both were growing tired and winded, Venus laughed a little, shooting a beam of light from her finger just over his shoulder. Kunzite could feel the heat of it on his cheek and for a split second became terrified by the raw power from the golden magic, just long enough for her chain to crack into his hand, sending his sword flying off to the side. It was fine, however he was fast to recover, refusing to be disarmed by her off the battlefield as well as on it. He swiftly dodged her next blow, rolling toward her so his shoulder slammed hard into her stomach and Venus fell hard to the dust below. She grunted as the air whooshed from her lungs, and in a swift but very careful movement, Kunzite pulled the very real short sword from its sheath and aimed it down at her breast.

He had her pinned between his knees, both straining for breath through parted lips. Her eyes were so blue when they met his, not even concerned or regarding the blade primed for blood aimed delicately at her breast. Venus licked her lips distractingly, her chest heaving beneath him, staring so intensely back at him that Kunzite found himself unable to look away. There was something so intimate about the moment, the way her golden hair sprawled across the silver diamond dust on the ground, the way her eyes seemingly sought out his very soul.

He was slow to sheath his sword, removing the weapon from the equation in victory when he felt her hand slide up his leg to rest on his thigh. The light caress was enough to completely shatter any mask of stoicism he'd prided himself on, the strangled gasp that managed to sneak passed his lips, the look of shock in his wide grey eyes should have embarrassed him. Kunzite could only swallow it down hard when her lips twisted into something utterly nerve wracking.

He'd been prepared to stand, to hop to his feet like he was on fire, but it all happened too fast for him to comprehend. Surely now he understood that the sensation of falling wasn't just limited to metaphors. Her hips bucked harshly against his with an exquisite and fluid motion, her fingers gripping and curling around his thigh releasing only when she had him on his back. It happened so fast that he was only vaguely aware how she almost stood, shifting as her hand reached above them, bringing a sword down into the dirt by his head. Kunzite found himself pinned beneath her hips that straddled his own almost suggestively.

Fear: the only thing keeping his body from instantly reacting to her meager leotard pressing with such warm intimacy against him. He was too busy staring at the crystalline blade embedded into the dirt by his face. The power it radiated was overwhelming, a suitable weapon for her as the wrath it insinuated was as intimidating as it's beauty. The blade was made of translucent crystal that cast rainbows across the already glittering ground, catching light like a prism. His eyes trailed up to the intricate golden hilt that was inlaid with varying colored crystals and crescent Moons. Finally his grey clashed with blue when it met Venus' brilliantly smiling face.

"I hadn't conceded General." Venus practically purred down at him with a wink, her tone almost as scandalous as her position on top of him, her lips parted for breath and too inviting for Kunzite to comprehend much else. Left astounded by the generous piece of his resolve Venus managed to chip away in the matter of seconds, leaving so much about his errant thought of that morning so much harder to deny. The sword appeared to de-materialize out of thin air, though Kunzite felt more content to just stare into her, leaving Zoisite to ask the billion questions he probably had later about what the heck just happened. His jaw tensed, mostly because without the element of fear on his side his body had realized their position and quickly caught up with his brain. It took a moment longer, he'd been too busy reeling from the air she'd stolen from his lungs, but Kunzite slapped the ground twice in concession.

"Well I concede, Venus."

His voice was only a breath really, certain her eyes darkened, and his expression became as predatory as her own. She'd been more than a formidable opponent, certain he'd spend the coming days painfully dissecting every moment of their sparring match. Surely those moments of flirtation were merely moments highlighting his own shortcomings, moments she could have killed him without breaking a sweat. Or Kunzite would get caught up in moments like this where he'd watch her chest heave, becoming hypnotized by a bead of sweat the creeped down her neck toward the deep v of her uniform, breathing hard through parted lips and too blue eyes that locked onto his own mouth in minute distraction. He swore she'd even shifted her hips against his with the smallest exhale that rose panic in him for no reason other than the Queen mere feet away in audience.

Gaining a modicum of sanity, Kunzite sat up on his elbows, his fingers accidentally brushing her leg causing the girl to jump off of him as though he'd burned her. The applause from the spectators box was deafening, drowning the hard breath she took as though she realized suddenly there were other people present. Venus extended her hand to help him to his feet, which he accepted with the smallest, darkest little smile of his own. Kunzite found his body still reeling from his recent contact with her, and the magic she was clearly forged by. It only served for all that frustration he'd let out battling Zoisite to come crashing back over him with a greater vengeance.

"Endymion your guard is most impressive!" Serenity exclaimed with child like excitement, placing a hand on the Prince's arm. "There are fewer than you know in existence that can resist, let alone best our Venus."

"To her credit, I think my General has met his match." Kunzite's eyes widened at Endymion's so bold accusation, and the grin he cast over his shoulder at him was wolfish and mischievous as ever. Queen Serenity began to usher the Prince, Princess, and his still slack jawed younger General inside with wishes that they all rest some before the ball that night. Eyeing Venus in particular when she addressed the two dusty soldiers still on the arena grounds to do the same, and he remembered again that Venus still hadn't slept.

"Where did you learn to fight like that?" Kunzite had only been very aware that she hadn't followed her Queen and Princess, lingering at his side and staring at him with her head tilted and wide, curious beautiful eyes. He'd hoped she would have left, leaving him to deal with his frustrations alone.

"When one is given an army at a very young age, born in brutal lands, you learn very quickly to fight. If nothing else than for survival." He muttered, brushing some of the sparkling grey dust from his uniform, allowing it to float on the air like glitter and Kunzite began his own slow walk inside.

"How young were you?" Venus asked softly, falling into an easy stride beside him. She too was comically dusty and dirty. Her gold hair wild from where she'd tried to rid the dust from it with her fingers.

"Six." He kept his eyes ahead of him, not looking down at her. It was enough to see her from his peripheral glancing up at him with wide eyed curiosity. "My parents perished early. As mentioned, Zara raised me. It was hardly the age to give a child a crown." Kunzite allowed her this information, not caring to elaborate because it didn't matter the manner with which they died. For a boy who never knew his mother and lost his Tyrant father that young, all that mattered was they were dead. He only glanced down at her when her glove brushed his, taking this as an understanding gesture since she didn't look back at him, leaving the silence heavy between them.

Halfway back to his rooms he almost asked her why she followed him, remembering like an idiot that the rooms he borrowed were so conveniently on the way to her own. It was followed by an endless stream of other questions that piled up uselessly behind his teeth. Questions that, as usual, Kunzite swallowed down in favor for the peaceful quiet that lingered eerily throughout the halls. The Moon palace was almost too silent, calm, and seemingly barren though if he had to guess the main halls were bustling in preparations. He lifted his chin to observe the skylights above them, feeling oddly more at ease the more often her hand or arm brushed his own. It felt eerily right.

Her silence continued, saying nothing in her departure for the stairs that lead up to the Senshi's wing, and he frowned to think that their silence made whatever happened between them on that dusty training ground worse. Kunzite watched a short moment, the Moon's light that made everything appear softer and more serene washed over her battle worn and dusty figure. The bare skin of her legs and arms were marred with dirt from their match, her gold hair matted against the sweat of her forehead and tangled long hair over her shoulder. She was glorious, and it infuriated Kunzite. Infuriated him that she held something over him that he could neither deny or control at this point, Venus saw fit to rip that away every chance she got. He'd felt the grip of magic now and was surprised, and more enraged to find that she had in fact, not cast any spell over him.

"What is your name?" His voice was loud when it erupted from his throat, maybe more demanding than intended. It echoed through the open and empty halls and her whole body stiffened and stopped in its tracks from the sound. Venus turned slowly, keeping a gloved hand on the railing and regarding him with those soft eyes that somehow weren't sad like they normally were in this instance, but almost amused if not exhausted.

"I'll save a dance for you General." She gave that smile, both knowing and seductive, biting her lip the way she often did before turning with a quick saunter up the stairs and away from his view. Kunzite frowned, practically slamming the door of his borrowed rooms in frustration, fighting the urge to follow the girl to further demand an answer as though he had any right to the information. He scoffed, shaking his head at his own audacity while he pulled out his other cape, reserved for more formal occasions, to join the rest of the uniform he'd laid out that morning. After a few deep breaths he'd calmed down, moving to remove his dusty uniform for a shower when he noticed the glint of gold on his bed.

Much like the person that left the package, it stood out. A gold box against the white and silver shades of his room and neatly tied with a red ribbon. He flung his dust covered shirt in a separate bag to be cleaned and lifted it slowly, inspecting it with hesitant grey eyes. Raking fingers through his hair, he hesitantly pulled on the ribbon with a slow tug, heart pounding as it was no question who had left the small token on his bed. The box opened to reveal a pair of extraordinary cape clasps, a stark polished and intricately carved silver and inlaid with large blue kunzite stones, further accented by the more common pink shade from his home lands. Kunzite couldn't help but smile at the small and beautiful gift, laying them carefully on top of his folded cape he noted that the colored stones looked beautiful against the fabric, and blue satin of its lining.

He almost discarded the box except a folded piece of red stationary flipped up without the weight of the gift on top of it. Kunzite swallowed hard, setting the box down to carefully unfold the note. The red paper was fragranced with honeysuckle, and the stationary was purely Venusian with the planetary symbol for the planet embossed in gold and filligery. Most importantly there weren't a lot of flowery words or proper and diplomatic writing. The paper was empty except a large well drawn heart in the center with one word written in beautiful scroll: Mina.

Her name is Mina.

Kunzite stared thoughtfully at the paper in his fingers for a few moments, frowning as he tossed it into the fireplace. He couldn't be too cautious, unsure what the repercussions would be were he found with it, or what would happen to her for even writing it. Complete distraction followed his routine as he showered and dressed, his mind racing with the intent behind the gift and so precious and coveted information. How many beings in existence knew Love's name? And why did she see fit to cave into his desires to know it?

There was power in a name after all, Kunzite was living proof of this. Had his Mother not gifted him the name of such a soul stone he would not stand breathing now. That all too knowing look she'd given him made perfect sense and yet Kunzite wasn't sure how to take the gift, unsure when the last time anyone gifted anything to him. He was certainly undeserving of it, guilty for being so demanding for the information he by all rights shouldn't have. Where Kunzite thought it would sate his infatuations, it only served to fan the fire.

The clasps added quite a bit to the more formal uniform, grey and embroidered with a darker silver thread, white cape lined with an Elysian blue satin and perfectly polished boots. He dared to think they might add to his every day mundane uniform as well, because for the first time in many years, Kunzite felt like a King. He'd considered tying his silver hair back, opting to leave it long to the center of his back, displaying the pale kunzite spears adorning his ears. Even now he left the top three buttons on his formal tunic opened, and dared Endymion to say a word about it. It didn't matter because all he could think was her name. It repeated in his every heartbeat, his every exhale an attempt to not feel all that had built up over the weeks in the smallest of moments that now echoed with her name. It wrapped around him like the gold ring he'd snuck onto his pinky beneath his perfect white gloves.

A Kunzite stepped into his Prince's room, Zoisite already there dressed in his white coat embroidered with shining green thread, his hair tied back by a matching ribbon but it did little to tame the careless curls of his strawberry blonde hair. Endymion was decked in his formal armor, jewels and golden accents bringing out the blue and black of his garb and intensely blue eyes. Appraising Kunzite through his mirror a moment while he secured his own cape to his shoulders, and the Prince smiled at the leading Shitennou, excitement brimming in his perfect dimpled smile.

"Looking sharp Kunzite. Those cape clasps are a nice touch." Endymion's grin was almost knowing and yet he wasn't sure how. Sometimes Kunzite assumed the Prince was a mind reader. He knew the magic he did possess made him extremely empathic and almost gave him the satisfaction of a smart assed retort. Mostly, Endymion was just sometimes overly observant, and knew that Kunzite would have never sought out anything as ostentatious as jewels, despite the earrings he insisted on wearing.

"I'll just be glad when this is all over." He muttered instead, leaning against the bedpost beside Zoisite who was perched on the mattress with a book. For the most part it was true, Kunzite was ready to resume his post on Earth, with real gravity and oxygen and away from temptations that were certain to land him in an early grave. Everything felt so much harder without the strains of his duties to distract him.

"Lighten up! Aside from the whole teleporting thing this has been a lot of fun." Endymion was grinning at Zoisite who'd spoken up, closing his chosen reading and adjusting his already messy ponytail in another mirror near the bed. His unruly curls were, as always, working in his favor in an utterly carelessly handsome sort of fashion. "It's not every day we get to mingle with Goddesses and Silver Alliance Diplomats. Mercury has taught me all kinds of stuff guys- if nothing else that has been beneficial. I'll have a lot of work to do when we return, but tonight's for dancing."

Even Zoisite was grinning like a fool, and if Kunzite remembered the youngest Shitennou was not very experienced with women, or graceful dancer though not completely hopeless. Surprisingly Jadeite had been the one to teach Endymion that art, something that worked in Zoi's favor during their regular spats. Nephrite was a lost cause on his feet and the clumsy oaf would either step on the poor girls feet or trip himself on her dress, bonus points when he ripped the hem. Ask him to battle and he was graceful as a swan. It didn't make sense.

"Beneficial is an interesting way of putting it Zoisite. You aren't sleeping with the Mercurian already are you?" Kunzite's heavy stare was always enough to send Zoi stuttering and he turned a bright shade of red. It was also well known the young General was not a fan of the Silver Alliance's politics, where he was so enthusiastic about it suddenly.

"NO, no- I mean we've kissed, but we're just friends! It couldn't have meant that much." Kunzite could only roll his pale grey eyes and shake his head with a deep frown as Zoisite became distanced, so endearingly leaning into his arm.

"Zoi you barely look at other women let alone kiss them. We are going to have a serious conversation about the mingling going on in our ranks." He rubbed his temple, affectionately wrapping his free arm over Zoisite's shoulder. Wrong or not, the youngest of them was clearly suffering some form of blissful torment under the wrath of one of these Goddesses. A torment Kunzite was only all too familiar with at this point, not that he'd ever give that away. He was sympathetic to Zoisite, still young and brilliant but naive all the same but Kunzite was no more versed in the realms of love than the virtuous young King. He and Zoi both snapped to attention, only looking up when Endymion chuckled lightly in front of them, clearly not taking this seriously.

"Well hopefully we don't have to walk on eggshells too much longer. I think we're finally on the right path for Earth to take its rightful place in this Alliance... and I have loved Serenity since I first met her. The union of our Kingdoms will be just an added perk." Endymion assessed his men's appearance with a proud smile, odd to Kunzite since he was the eldest of them. He mirrored that pride though. He might not have been on board with this mission, still had his doubts even, but knew they were all in too deep at this point for things to ever return to normal again. Endymion treaded forward without fear, decisive as a King should be, and Kunzite even dared to blame his love for Serenity on that confidence.

"When do you plan to ask her?" It was more of a business oriented question that Endymion frowned at. Not that he expected much else from the Ice King himself.

"I don't know yet, I don't want to be too hasty since we've only just broken ground with Queen Serenity. I don't want to push my luck." Endymion smirked, noting the light was beginning to fade and they needed to get to the ballroom. "We ready? The party awaits and we are the guests of honor." Kunzite inwardly groaned. Social events were far from his cup of tea.

They arrived in their typical formation. Endymion in the front flanked by Kunzite on the right, and Zoisite on the left in the other Generals absences. They were formally announced by Artemis in some typical and superficial royal ceremony, as was the same in all royal courts really. Boring and ostentatious, but as usual he played the part with complete stoic grace. Kunzite noticed right away how much more beautiful the people packed into the wide ballroom were in comparison to Earth, a mixture of flush faced whispers amongst the men and women, as well as open disdain. Thankfully he saw mostly fascination, strange to think many of these beings had never seen an Earthen born being before. Like they were anything special in comparison.

Kunzite's skin positively hummed and crawled with a chaotic combination of power which radiated off of old Gods and varying Goddess blessed beings gathered like old friends at a very long table at the head of the room. It took all they had to not tremble when they approached Queen and Princess Serenity at the center for introductions, which were enthusiastically offered by the glittering Silver Queen and received with false acceptance or indifference by many of the others. Kunzite swallowed hard when Aphrodite offered her very warm welcome, and remembered that Terrans would have trouble truly seeing her, as love took many forms, and beauty was in the eye of the beholder. She would look different to each of them.

Aphrodite gushed over them, warm and bubbly and exactly like her daughter without that battle worn edge to her and he decided they looked almost exactly the same. Kunzite didn't miss the scorn on Are's face behind her. A huge, muscular man with long, braided black hair and intense, deep violet eyes. He knew where Mars inherited her glare from without a doubt. He looked dangerous, primitive, and tribal as Kunzite suspected a God of War might look, aside from the fine silk robes he wore that looked otherwise out of place. Endymion didn't flinch, accepting the kindness where he could get it and proving all the more regal as he ignored the less than accepting reactions to their presence and simply pretended they belonged there.

Kunzite found himself oddly alone suddenly, Endymion charming the Queen for permission to dance with the Princess, like he planned on dancing with anyone else. Zoisite instantly latched onto the Mercurian girl, both beaming at the other as they whisked onto the dance floor with an awkward sort of grace. He reminded himself again to discuss their relationship with Princess Serenity's guard with his men. Kunzite almost laughed at the hypocrisy of the thought based solely on the havoc the leader of the Senshi had been wreaking on him, mind and body, for weeks. It didn't change the fact that Zoi could have easily had his pick of any other woman in that ballroom, and still saw fit to dance away with one of Serenity's very forbidden guard.

Golden opulence filled the room in their honor, from the candlesticks and place settings to the lighting itself that made the cobalt blue skylights pop against the warmth. Kunzite had always heard rumors of the grand parties that Queen Serenity threw with any excuse she could find, and it certainly put any event held in Elysium to shame. He found he preferred those however, Kunzite often did not attend Earthen ceremony as anything but added security granting him little to no social obligation. He made his way to the refreshment area, pretending he didn't see the many women batting lashes at him or giving coy smiles as he passed. He'd need a drink or two before he could will himself to partake in mindless chatter after the intimidation of coming face to face with actual Gods and Goddesses, brief as the interaction was, it still didn't feel real.

Elated with the familiarity of the bourbon he ordered, Kunzite turned with a small drink in search of a quiet table or wall where he might be able to sit back and merely observe. His lips quirked in his customary frown while his grey stare drifted over the nearby crowd. Had it been any other occasion, Kunzite might have tried to charm and entice one of these women to his bed later. It was only then, surrounded by the most beautiful beings in the Galaxy that he realized how much things had changed.

Jadeite of all people had confessed over too many drinks that no matter the number of women, or how beautiful they were that it just wasn't enough anymore. It sounded so simple to the average person to settle down, and embrace the throes of love for what it was, but Kunzite had long sworn off of that without taking into consideration what that would mean for his life. Intimacy, or lust, was the only area of his life he didn't value, or seek some profound meaning from being a primal human need and nothing more. It was an area of his life that recently became something of a slow torment to him, a puzzle he couldn't solve.

A flash of red kept popping up in the corner of his eye, which he ignored until now because he only assumed it would be the Martian as red was her color and she was said to be a brilliant dancer. However, Kunzite saw Mars just a few tables down speaking with Jupiter over some food and wine just by the ballroom stairs. She wore a deep violet gown, the only red in her attire coming from the garnet jewels she wore that made her look so classic and elegant. He took a slow drink, confusion on his brow as his eyes shifted toward the dance floor for in search of the source of that offensive shade of red.

He'd almost spit the drink out in reflex, opting to nearly choke as he drank down the entire glass a bit too quickly instead. He tore his eyes away, making a desperate turn back to the bartender for a second drink before that pleasant burn down his throat had even subsided from the first. Kunzite met her eyes a very brief moment when he turned back toward the crowd as she and her dance partner spun by. There was the makings of mischief on her lips, a gleam in her gorgeous eyes that made him have to fight the urge to down this drink in the same manner as the first. He found a spot by the wall not far from the haven of the bartender to lean, taking a more dignified sip as he was forced to only watch her from afar.

It was as though Kunzite was seeing her for the first time, all over again. His airflow restricted at her every graceful movement under the golden lights that she didn't defy for once. She was so brilliant had she not worn that bright red gown she might have blended into them entirely. Her hair was pinned and piled, draping elegantly down her back in soft, brilliantly gold curls. Her full lips like velvet, stained the same sinful red shade as her dress, and eyes emphasized by darkened liner and thick black lashes that did miracles to bring out the vibrant blues and greens. The gown in question was the most vibrant red satin, corseted tightly around her small waist, swelling her chest against the restraint, and further emphasizing her hourglass figure with perfection he would have denied if he weren't seeing it now. As always, she seemed determined to stand out against the muted and pastel colors of this planet, and it was doing horrible, terrifying things to the General.

Kunzite placed his somehow empty glass on the table nearby. He hadn't remembered drinking it already, but the manner he gripped it in his palm, it was likely to shatter. Something had broken inside of him, gripping his heart in a manner that was unfamiliar and terrifying. All he knew was that she was without a doubt the most beautiful sight he'd ever seen, or ever would see for the rest of his days. She danced with a member of Martian royalty, which he found fitting as Love and War were often considered quite the same, even if Kunzite couldn't have been convinced. Of course he'd been to war, never in love. Certainly never jealous.

Endymion caught his eye as he always seemed to without trying, as though they were linked by the mind somehow. The entire ballroom was enthralled, watching as he so elegantly danced with the Princess who, despite her obvious clumsiness, was as graceful as he was. Kunzite felt a little nervous with so many eyes on a romance so forbidden, all bearing witness to the deepest of loves, one he dared to think even surpassed that of his King and late Queen. A kind of love he'd never understand, and be less likely to touch. The adoration in their eyes as they spoke, the passionate and protective manner Endymion held the young Princess went unhidden and noticed by even him. Perhaps because he knew what to look for.

Kunzite took a deep breath, thinking perhaps he had been away from Elysium for too long, notions of how it might feel to seen the way Serenity saw Endymion, and the way he clearly saw her were unwelcome to him, and hadn't he just looked at the Venusian this way? His mouth went hard, tearing his eyes to the windows in anger at the betraying thought. His Prince caught his stare once more as though he commanded it, nodding toward the crowd in suggestion that he should dance, or at least pretend to enjoy himself. Kunzite didn't know how. He was fierce on the battlefield, an attentive teacher, a diplomat, and economic strategist- Not a socialite. He raised his empty glass to Endymion in toast, offering what he could of a small smile in response. Before he turned back to the bartender for round three.

By the time he glanced over the room again, Venus had joined Mars and Jupiter's table, joined by Mercury and Zoisite who were all seemingly enjoying a joke at the Martian's expense. Kunzite knew he did no favors to their purpose by being a wallflower, knowing he should dance and at least pretend to have a good time, but it was as though there were no other women in the room. He saw red, and not his typical kind of angry red but something all too ethereal, like a thread the shade of her gown simply tugging at him, pulling him into her. Kunzite simply took another drink, setting his fierce grey eyes forward, and began his way across the ballroom with his typical authoritative and confident stride.

Her back was to him when he approached, a vision of perfect golden curls, red satin, and laughter that further suggested the wild chaos of her nature he found so enticing. Kunzite bowed at the hip, bringing his lips close enough to her ear that the scent of honeysuckle clouded what was left of his judgement, her back going tense and rigid under his fingers. He inhaled the sensual musk of her skin, that familiar floral-citrus smell that reminded him why oranges were considered an Aphrodisiac in certain regions of Earth. On her skin, they were sinful.

"Lady Venus, I believe you owe me a dance." Kunzite kept his voice low, and with a steadiness he didn't think he could muster under the clouded haze of bourbon and something entirely natural and suggestive in its own right. She turned slowly as he stood up straight, something flirtatious glinting back at him in her vividly blue eyes that matched the playful quirk of her lips. Knowing looks were exchanged behind regarding the rather intimate way he approached their leader that Kunzite didn't care to acknowledge. Mercury had the courtesy to blush for all of them though, and Zoisite simply grinned from ear to ear at her side. He understood that while Kunzite was no socialite, when it counted, he had charm in spades.

"I believe you are right Commander." Venus extended her hand, gloriously free of gloves unlike himself, and instead of pulling her to the dance floor, he brought the offered hand to his lips for another borderline scandalous kiss to her knuckle that left his lips tingling and heart pounding from the thrill. He pulled her gently to his side, wrapping her arm around his own so her hand rest at his forearm while they walked the few short steps to the dance floor. Kunzite gazed down into the bottomless blue depths of her eyes, her own stare admiring of him, and he couldn't have looked away if he wanted to.

He tried to bear in mind the strong propriety to be maintained based solely on the parties present in the room when he gathered her to his chest. Yet the careful hand he rest at her hip fit so perfectly in to the curve, her small waist perfect against his palm, almost as perfect as the hand he held as though it belonged in his. Kunzite held her like a gentleman might, and they began to dance in tandem with the rest of the room. He didn't dance much, thankful that some things were committed to memory, or his partner was just that graceful.

"They suit you." Her voice broke him from his reverie, reality in the moment far sweeter than any memory he could conjure. Her eyes were fixed on the stones on his cape allowing Kunzite the moment to truly see her so close that her beauty made him ache in its surreal perfection. It was enough for him to ponder her name, and how much that name suited her. Her breath caught audibly as his hand slid to the small of her back to urge her closer to him, prying eyes be damned. He lowered his face to her ear again, some of the soft gold curls brushing his cheek, and his lips brushed her earlobe as he issued her his gratitude.

"And I thank you... Mina." Her gasp at hearing her name was strangled, a sound he wouldn't soon forget as a desperate and wanting sound, her fingers tensing into his shoulder trembling. Kunzite wondered when she'd last heard her own name, feeding into his own desire, something burning his blood much like the alcohol, only far more potent. He spun her away, part of the dance and a few seconds relief from the heat seeming to build up around them, pulling her back to his chest with a grace he'd forgotten he had. That heat returned when he pulled Mina back toward him, a reflected want in her, dangerous enough to fully distract him. A sentiment shared as she pressed herself against him as close as she could manage.

"We should be cautious. Surely you've noticed the pairings forming amongst our ranks." Breathy as her voice was, there was warning in it for certain. A cold reminder of the state of things, still forbidden and all the more appealing. Yet it confused him as he twirled her again, dancing on autopilot with perfect precision. Kunzite had long rationalized said pairings on coincidence, a product of a preplanned schedule of night watches that happened to place them in each other's paths. Yet as he gazed at her, the sad longing in her blue eyes as she observed Zoisite with Mercury told him perhaps there was more to it. "You may blame Serenity... or perhaps fate is to blame in this instance."

"Do you know something I don't?" His brow quirked, spying Endymion over her head and offering a nod in his direction. "Aside from the obvious pairing that is." Venus bit her lip in that utterly distracting manner and he almost got himself executed by ravaging her like the barbarian they all assumed they were. The way her oceanic blue eyes drifted to his mouth and studied his face with undivided attention helped absolutely nothing. The urge to kiss her hadn't ever been stronger, to taste the chaos she embodied and maybe lose himself to it. Somehow he trusted her more than anyone not born of his own world, and knew he shouldn't, couldn't allow himself to let his resolve slip away from him. Tragic really because her full lips were so very inviting.

"Fate has been cruel enough to link those forbidden to each other together as soulmates." Her stare crashed back into his with intent. It was a deeply concerning notion, and there were only so many possibilities within their ranks she could have been referring to. He wasn't one to argue with anyone on matters of the heart, it wasn't his place. Kunzite knew of Jadeite's run-in with Mars, Nephrite's infatuation with the Jovian. He perhaps wasn't exactly in tune with romantic ideals, but couldn't deny that it would be the cruelest of fates to be forbidden to the other half of your own soul. Even young Zoisite wasn't impervious it seemed, the young man often wound so tight that his carefree behavior that very moment seemed like actions of a man Kunzite didn't know.

Kunzite offered her a sincere smile as her wide eyes met his, not seeing anything but her. Everything else failed to matter in that moment, boldly slipping his hand to the bare skin of her back beneath the thick veil of her curls. He cursed his gloves of course, relishing in the heat she provided through the fabric. Mina very affectionately gazed up at him, her thumb lightly grazing the heel of his palm, but there was sadness and longing in that affection as her wandering stare studiously drifted over his features.

"For once...I wasn't talking about them." She whispered softly as though the vague words might have meaning to someone else. The silent understanding between them intensified, bringing meaning behind her previous words that did little to sway how she tormented him blissfully enough that he never wanted to let go. Never wanted to look at another woman, and his stomach bottomed out at the realization that this was a losing battle. Kunzite appeared all too eager to fall prey to its madness when he should have been fighting it, and Gods knew he had to find the strength. "Take off your gloves..."

He stared at her shocked a moment, more so when she nearly paused on the dance floor to take his hand in hers, eagerly pulling at the middle finger on the glove he'd used to cradle her chin. Kunzite glanced nervously around while Mina stripped his hand, and part of the resolve he'd been so eager to re-gain while he struggled to shove his now loose glove into the pocket of his slacks. With grace he wasn't sure how she managed, she stole control long enough to twirl herself away from him, laughing as she curled back into his arm until her back met his chest while she pulled the second glove away with ease.

It was that playful laugh, the mischievous gleam in her eye that did him in. If he wasn't enthralled before, he certainly was smitten now. Mina had peeled back his armor in the same fashion she peeled off his gloves, left to feel naked under her own adoring stare. He offered a disbelieving shake of his head, the grin plastered across his lips a symptom of her, a tribute to her mischievous antics. Mina shifted gracefully in his arms again, locking eyes when she pressed into him leaving Kunzite to the mercy of her magic that permeated into his palm when she took his hand again. It was an addicting hum, one he relished as he slipped his hand beneath the haven of her thick hair to actually feel the warm, soft skin of her back against his fingers, a dangerous addiction indeed.

"Better?" Kunzite mused, thankfully lost in a sea of waltzing couples as he pulled Mina nearly flush to him with the bold hand at her back. He did notice her eyes shift to their joined hands, no doubt spying the familiar gold ring adorning his smallest finger. He wasn't sure when he'd decided to wear it, perhaps a drunken night where he'd gotten too sentimental, or a cheap ploy to feel closer to her, though Kunzite had in fact intended on giving it back- he just never did. Mina seemed unphased really, even appreciating a moment before she seemed to melt into him with an unspoken, very dangerous longing he thought he might choke on.

"Better..." She whispered distractedly, seeming to understand the sentiment of the warring emotion in his grey stare and opting to watch his lips instead. Kunzite ran his fingers lightly along her spine, unsure by now how many songs they'd danced to or how long he'd become lost in her lapis lazuli eyes or distracted by the velvet red rose petals that had formed her lips. Mina embodied all things beautiful, and commanded everything around her to bend to it with such vibrant sincerity and warmth, and how could he fight that? Simultaneously she was wild, and erotic, someone the most powerful beings in their system had tried, and failed to forge and control. And how could he ignore now just how right she felt, nestled against his chest, the deliciously torturous movements of her hips skilled against his own, the finely carved curves of her body under his hands and molded to his own so perfectly as they danced too close to be acceptable.

The tempo shifted, completely throwing off his step when it appeared that Mina had gained some modicum of reality of how intimate the moment had become. She stole the lead with such grace, her hip bumping his to snap him out of it as she moved for appropriately for the more upbeat song so Kunzite could catch up. He was no fool, knowing they were limited to tonight, needing to hide behind stoic masks and false professionalisms we was all too aware would fall back into place as soon as this trip was over.

If only for tonight, he would touch her boldly, laugh with her playfully and dance as though Old Gods didn't sneer at their display distastefully from across the room. Kunzite was only too glad to drink in the thrill of her chaos that hummed into his palms and commanded her whims without words. She'd stolen control as she always did and for once Kunzite sought no ulterior motive, only that she simply did so without trying, but he wasn't willing to be dominated so easily. She might have won their sparring that afternoon, but tonight would be his victory.

It was the second time they'd spar that day, Kunzite more than eager to oblige despite how distracting the feel of her skin, like velvet to his touch became. They fought for control, drawing far more attention to themselves than desired with earned looks of both scrutiny and admiration. Mina laughed, the most lighthearted and musical laughter he'd ever heard when Kunzite dipped her low to immediately steal back that control. There was a deviance to their smiles, a darkness to their eyes when he pulled her back to his chest something magnetic that hung in the air with every wanton roll of hips into each other. Her parted red lips sensual but smirking as though she knew the absolute havok she brought to him.

The entire song dissolved into heat with each desperate grip of hands or brushes of skin. A graceful spin, a hidden kiss to the wrist of the hand he held before he'd spin her away. A heat that had even Mina hesitating it seemed, searching for someone that might rescue her from the fire she'd poured into Kunzite's veins that only served him to pull her back to his chest with a more aggressive yank. She was close enough that their breath mingled when their eyes met, as though all that denial and resistance threatened to break in that very instance. He dipped her low again, his lips strategically brushing her shoulder under the cover of the curtain of his silver hair creating goosebumps along her arms, a barely audible gasp as the violins strung the final chords of the song.

Kunzite got goosebumps himself when he pulled her against him again, all gold and crimson against his tones of silver. Her eyes danced between his, mere inches between their lips, her every breath that puffed against his only further testing his usually solid restraint. The crowd bursting into applause, mostly for the band and some for their bold display of silver and gold. It was enough that Venus so hurriedly broke herself from his arms, placing some much needed space between them.

A slower, romantic melody drifted over the dying acclamations of the crowd, leaving the pair forgotten as lovers eagerly danced around them with promise of being close enough to steal kisses or amorous touches. It was usually the point in the night Kunzite would have perhaps enticed a woman to his bed, or proceed to get drunk enough that he would depart for sleep. He felt fumbling at how different this was, and as he watched her watery eyes drift panicked over the crowd he wondered if he offended her, or if that ever present sadness was simply beginning to make sense to him.

"Would you like a drink?" He breathed, swallowing the dry lump in his throat hard. He wanted to be near her, needed to understand why that want was stronger so he could learn how to fight it. Her blue eyes shifted to his, wide and afraid really but she nodded with a thick exhale between her lips.

"I need air." Her voice had gone flat, and he offered his arm regardless because a gentleman would in this instance. Venus brushed passed him, ignoring the gesture entirely. Kunzite found he should have been grateful instead of the odd sensation that his pride had just been stepped on. A deep breath and quick hand through his hair to smooth it simmered the bit of his temper that had surfaced from the foreign feelings this girl seemed to pull from him before he could react.

Kunzite approached directly as the bartender handed her a flute of light golden mead, nodding to him directly to prepare a bourbon. As to not scare Venus, he brushed her arm with a hand to let her know he'd approached behind her. A proper gesture really so she didn't turn too quickly and be startled enough to spill her drink, but her muscles only tensed at the touch, turning to eye him over her glass.

He shifted his eyes toward the balcony, her expressed need for air was a mutual interest and Kunzite had questions, about a thousand of them at this point. So he offered the discrete gesture of his eyes a small well placed nod as he took a drink from his own glass as an ask for Venus to join him. Once more she didn't acknowledge the motion, she simply gathered skirts in her free hand and turned with a casual stride toward the balcony doors. He tried not to let her dismissiveness flare his temper as he followed from a distance toward the doors to the outer terrace, a familiar one they'd met on the previous night.

"Mina..." He still spoke in a hushed tone in case anyone else was present but the area was suspiciously void of anyone else. Chalking it up to nerves when he got the sensation that they were watched, knowing those Old Gods who watched Earth since the dawn of time, were merely just inside the ballroom. Kunzite peered hard into her eyes, looking for any sense that he'd offended her and only found sadness, and longing in her otherwise strong blue eyes.

"Why do you have my ring?" She licked her lips distractingly, her eyes flickering down to his right hand where the band rest around his pinky.

"Because it is yours." He offered, stepping forward to set his glass down on the stone railing, freeing his left hand to remove it. "It is engraved with emblems of the Venusian Kingdom, a suspicious trinket to be left on Earth in tribute to one of our kind. I thought you might like to have it back."

"No..." She replied thoughtfully, eyeing the gold band extended in Kunzite's fingers. "I don't like to retract such offerings. If you are Knighted under my Mother it is only fitting I suppose." She leaned against the railing, eyes drifting up toward the stars in thought. Kunzite slipped he ring back onto his finger, entranced by the fine line of her long pale neck as she lifted her chin to the sky.

"You shower me with such gifts...I'm afraid I have nothing to offer in return." This caused her lips to quick in a dreamy sad smile, her eyes meeting his when she gazed back at him over her shoulder.

"I would say that a kiss was a worthy offering, but I fear you might insult me with your restraint." His heart leaped into his throat, eyes widening that Venus might suggest such a thing. Not that he hadn't thought about it several thousand times in the mere short time of his visit to the Moon, or that he could think of her as anyone but Mina. She giggled playfully, shaking her head with a longer draw from her glass. "This song always was my favorite..."

"We could keep dancing.." Kunzite stepped toward her placing a hand on her waist to pull her closer.

"Stop that." She didn't pull away, only rolled her eyes with a small betraying smile, placing her hands appropriately at his chest and arm while he began to sway them just slightly to the melody.

"Dancing?" He mused, though amusement wouldn't reach more than the quirk of his brow, relieved that her indifference appeared to be staged.

"Being charming. You're quite the dancer you know." This made him chuckle lightly in his throat, pulling her closer while they swayed gently to the soft melodic song that drifted out to them from the ballroom.

"When you've fought one battle you've fought them all I suppose." Kunzite remarked, a knowing smile spreading to her lips, the gold of her eyes always giving her a glint to her eyes that seemed like mischief.

"Dancing is hardly a battle Gener-" Kunzite lifted a finger to her lips, silencing the formality. He'd always hated formalities, and what a thing it would be to hear his name on her lips. Now that he knew hers, what he thought would be sated curiosity, had blossomed into something more like infatuation on a scale he hadn't experienced in such a short time. Her red stain felt like velvet, not transferring to his finger when it ran slowly along the length of her bottom lip.

"Kunzite. My name is Kunzite." He reminded her quietly, running that same finger down her chin, making a slow descent down the long column of her throat. His thumb brushed her cheek, carefully hooking his fingers on her neck beneath her jaw. "And the way you dance, you could have fooled me."

"Kunzite..." She breathed in a way that clenched his insides, unnoticing that they'd stopped dancing entirely. Mina shivered in his arms, her fingers tracing lightly over the fine embroidery at his chest, her eyes boring lustily into his own. She tore her gaze away suddenly, pain pinching her eyes and he swore he saw tears.

"Have I offended you?" He leaned forward some, enveloping her further into him until his forehead almost rest at the top of hers. Kunzite knew she'd not want him to see her emotions, the way they dropped from her long lashes. As a fellow soldier he might have seen them as weakness, but he only wanted to soothe them. He thought he could, if she could only just stay in his arms, he could make it better. He swallowed hard, anger replacing everything because in truth he couldn't. He could never be anything of substance to her without paying the cost of his life.

"I wish you had." She whispered shakily, her watery eyes drifted over his features slowly, pushing him away with a backward step out of his arms. Kunzite knew she'd not want him to see her emotions, the way they dropped from her long lashes. As a fellow soldier he might have seen them as weakness, but he only wanted to soothe them. He thought he could, if she could only just stay in his arms, he could make it better. He swallowed hard, anger replacing everything because in truth he couldn't. He could never be anything of substance to her without paying the cost of his life. "Gods why must everything be a fight?"

"If it's any consolation... you've offended me for weeks." His voice grew stern under the admission, taking an impassioned step forward to reach for her, Mina only took another step out of range.

"Those weeks have been a dangerous dance." She sounded near hysterical, body tensed like she might run down the flight of stairs just behind her. Kunzite was prepared to run after her, easily seeing how she tried and failed to contain the emotions in her wide blue eyes.

It made the anger in him intensify, the urge to storm into that ballroom and shout curses at those Old Gods. Their blind stupidity the reason Endymion had to dance around his love for Serenity, the reason he couldn't just simply kiss the woman in front of him to even see if there was something more between them. Gods even he knew there was, he'd wanted to deny it but his own resolve was worn so thin by this point Kunzite almost knew there was no point. He'd fight this, because he had to. There was no other choice.

"A dangerous dance indeed." He spoke darkly. Short and curt.

"Why can't we just..." Venus began to speak, gazing down toward the lawn and gardens below them. His jaw clenched tighter, nearly ashamed that his hands were shaking with rage and he was glad she didn't notice because she wouldn't even look at him.

"Why can't we what?" He bit out harder than intended, frowning the way he hadn't all night. The one that usually had his soldiers scattering in fear.

"Nothing Gener-"

"Kunzite." He corrected, voice like ice and fire at once. He swore he might do something damning. Venusian nature had become a bit clearer to him after speaking with her. Touch, and the way she'd wanted his gloves off, she was clearly in pain. Her earlier jab about kissing and how she expressed it was so important to her people. Sacred in ways he'd never known a kiss to be, it truly only made him ache for it more. But her own eyes iced over, hardened when they looked back at him and Venus seemed to regain her composure.

"Forget it. Thank you for the dance, I hope you can forgive my offenses." She lifted her chin, turning on her heel to leave. Perhaps he panicked, or the anger fueled him forward when he grabbed her arm and pulled her back to him and his arms enveloped her. Kunzite felt the need to protect this girl, from the weight of her duties, the pains she felt that he somehow knew involved him. He knew he would ultimately hurt her as he clenched his eyes shut, resting his forehead to hers. She could never belong to him, and he could never offer himself to her. She trembled, and he could feel her breath puff against his lips, wondering what it was about his touch that affected her so.

"Gods we have to stop this dance of ours..." He whispered, his nose brushed hers, parted lips so dangerously close to her own. He wondered if the ache he felt, the one pulling him into her was what a Venusian felt, forbidden and beautiful he refrained from simply devouring her. Kunzite had no right to know her lips or any piece of her by God's law, but he knew enough.

"I don't know how..." His eyes fluttered open to her beautiful longing eyes, feeling that soft touch of her fingers against his jaw, trailing and enticing him to close that gap, and end this suffering.

"I am bewitched by you, magic or no.." He muttered softly against her slightly parted lips, finally pressing them to hers lightly. She responded with a firmer kiss that took his breath away, made him desperate and he exhaled deeply, seeming to breathe for the first time in his life. She became his air, something strange taking over him on a spiritual level he couldn't explain but the third time she pressed her perfect lips so eagerly against his he swore every inch of his skin tingled. He felt everything at once, stronger than he'd ever felt it, unsure if he could call the ache blissful, but those things he felt were only just less consuming than her her lips so soft and perfect against his own. Seeking to drown, their lips both parted in favor of tasting the other further with that fourth press of their lips, and he found himself parted from her all too quickly before he could delve deeper into her.

Heart pounding and breathless, they both began taking in their surroundings, frantically ensuring they hadn't been seen. Not that he'd been in his right mind to begin with but his grey stare peered down toward the lawn in the shadows thinking something pale shifted amongst the moondust, swearing he felt eyes on them. Seeing no one, he resigned to believe it as some after effect from the absolute havoc working its way through his veins in that moment, each breath like fire. It lasted no longer than a minute which was a minute too long, the shortest Hell he'd ever experienced because it wasn't nearly enough.

"That shouldn't have happened..." Venus whispered, her voice shaky and restrained in a way he'd never heard her speak before. Everything in him told him to gather her into his arms, pull her behind the doors of the balcony where they'd remain concealed, and kiss her until there wasn't breath left in his body. Kunzite found himself left with rattled nerves, his lips flavored by oranges and every cell in his body going haywire and exploding with every wanting instinct he could think of. But Venus was right, and so he nodded. It shouldn't have happened, yet it was only now that he could accept that he'd wanted to kiss her since she'd shared an apple with him, their beginnings when both refused to trust and everything was so undecided. It was clear that with the first brush of their lips, something HAD been decided and Kunzite had yet to decipher it as a good thing. "We should get back..." Her voice was strained, sad as though she were fighting back tears and he was in torment that he may have caused them. He almost said something but she interrupted the moment. "I'll go in first, I'm going for one more dance then come in after me."

She smiled then. It was a brilliant and seemingly genuine smile that only he could knew would not reach her eyes. It was a beautifully placed lie, that smile, and she was gone in a graceful sweep of crimson skirts. Kunzite exhaled slowly, his lips still on fire, body aching and confused. He wished he was home, at his desk instead of here where temptations ran high and he so easily lost his will to a strategically worn red gown and crimson lips. Where beauty itself released its wrath upon his nerves by the girl who refused to blend in. Kunzite headed down to the lawn where he'd sworn someone had stood earlier, sweeping the area he returned to the balcony to retrieve his glass when he was satisfied no one was there.

The song lasted an eternity. Kunzite was set to go back inside and drink himself into a stupor, eager to rush through the next day so that he could rush home to find a woman to sate this torment as though he could erase that kiss. Immediately he began to rationalize, and it all started to come up short. Now that he had tasted her lips, who would measure up? Any other woman certainly wouldn't be as kind, or as witty, or even flirt the way she did that so sensually stroked his ego. Venus was a warrior, a diplomat, a Princess, an all powerful symbol of love and martyr for the same emotion. But Mina was merely a girl with a selfless heart, a thirst for love, and a free spirit that was so caged like a sad blue bird by the chain Venus wore around her waist. Kunzite rubbed his eyes harshly. He didn't love this girl. Perhaps he only pitied her. It had to be anything but love.

As instructed, Kunzite re-entered the ballroom at the last note of the song with intent to make haste back to the bartender. He caught her eyes almost immediately, as though the room wasn't packed with otherworldly beings, his eyes found hers alone. Venus ignored the Lunar guard she danced with, the strain on her face so clear to him until something in her eyes broke, and she briskly walked away. Every inch of him wanted to follow her, longed to painfully, yet Kunzite refrained no matter how badly he wanted to apologize and make sure she was okay. By the time he'd gotten another drink, he glimpsed her one last time. The light created a strange red flare in the considerable space between them, and he frowned to himself. She charmed the crowd around her Queen with that misplaced lie on her crimson lips before she walked so briskly from the room which grew much darker without her in it. Kunzite only hoped they brought enough bourbon.

He was angry, mostly at himself for seeming to offend her without having the chance to apologize. Seeking that kind of attention from a Goddess was certainly an errand he knew better than to pursue. The attraction between them hadn't been unknown, just unspoken, and unacted upon until now. Both knew better, both agreed to have the other's back, to have the backs of their soldiers, their Prince and Princess, and that meant not falling victim to the same relations as their guard. All an unspoken agreement, that Kunzite had just broken.

He lost track of how much he'd drank by the end of the night. He remembered Endymion cutting him off before he got sloppy and tried to start a fight, or worse flirted with the wrong woman and ruining their impression for the Queen. Not that even by this state he was in any mood to charm anyone. He was content to sit at a table, sipping water and admiring the intricate designs and stone work of the palace that he'd merely glanced over before. Princess Serenity forced him to dance with her, only so the Queen didn't see how Endymion kept her to himself all evening. He'd had worse times, though it didn't improve his mood much. The Princess was a graceful dancer, her explanation that it was Venus to teach her stung in the worst of ways, putting him off from dancing the rest of the night.

Zoisite came to sit with him like a good friend, ruining the good intention by speaking about her and their spectacle that evening. Normally he could have evaded the questions and silly admirations from Zoi- but drunk and miserable as he currently was, the anger was quick to flare.

"You two were striking together." He got that dreamy look in his green eyes, leaning on the table with his head in his hand while he mindlessly twirled one of the curls of his mussed ponytail around a finger. Kunzite frowned with the laziest shift of his eyes in the young King's direction.

"Not another word." He bit with venom in his voice, taking another drink of water. There was already a dull ache forming behind his eyes and a vicious urge to knock the frown and concern from Zoi's face. An endearing sentiment, one that grated Kunzite to the quick rather fast.

"I wasn't the only one that thought so..." Zoi muttered, not shrinking under Kunzite's icy stare. "You guys clash, she's all gold and you're all silver. When you guys were dancing it was a pretty remarkable sight. It's rare you let loose like that, the chemistry was-"

"ENOUGH!" He barked, Endymion turning to see what the hell had Kunzite so riled.

"Kunzite... it's our last night here let's not make a scene. Zoi-" Endymion gave the younger man a good natured slap upside the head. "Stop antagonizing him. He's had a lot to drink, and you know that temper."

Kunzite was about to lose that temper. He'd taken a few deep breaths, his chair scraping behind him when he stood abruptly to bid goodnight to the Queen. Bowing with gracious thanks for her hospitality as sincerely as he could muster, playing the diplomat just long enough to excuse him from the near empty ballroom. Nearly everyone else had relocated outside for fireworks on the main lawn, and Kunzite took it as the perfect opportunity to slink away.

A cold shower seemed to help sober him some, even ease the quick temper but it did not wash her lips from his memory, the sweet flavor of honey and oranges mingling with all the bourbon he'd drank to try and rid himself of her taste. Kunzite climbed on his bed, after making sure the door was bolted tight of course so when Endymion came to scold him, and he knew he would, he wouldn't be able to get in. He was going to use the excuse that he'd passed out- which didn't become an excuse because the soft pillowy comforter of his bed cradled his large frame and fused with the drunken haze of his mind to lull Kunzite into a deep, dream ridden sleep.