"Hey Jed, did you pick up the flowers tonight for the girls?"
"YES, Neph. How many times do I need to tell you." Everyone was sharing a laugh at Nephrite's expense. He had been twisting his hands and asking everyone the same questions all night. They didn't get upset at him but rather they enjoyed his discomfiture since he was more nervous than a turkey at thanksgiving.
"Call Darien. Tell him to get his butt over here. I'm still not sure how everything is supposed to go tonight." Zoisite was pacing across the tile floor in front of the windows going over his notes for the night. He was equally nervous but he was willing to memorize and recite his notes instead of asking futile questions over and over. Zoisite was always ready for quiz or test. He studied more than anyone, accept Amy of course. He was just really unsure of himself and what was expected of himself. For a man who had been engaged to the woman he was taking to the the dance that night, was still a little on the stressed side.
"I already called him Zoi, he is on his way." Kunzite was reading a book trying to not find his nerves as frayed as his friends. He had already called Darien hoping that the Prince could calm the generals before Kunzite felt the need to break anyones nose.
"You hear that, there he is at the door now." Kunzite said over his book. "Go let him in Neph, your closest." Kunzite turned his attention once a gain to his book. No one wanted to get too close to the moody head general, but if they had they would have eagerly jabbed their friend for reading about romantic poems. He may not have shared many conversations with Mina but his heart was still fully engaged. What can a man really say to the woman he had shared his heart and bed with? Hopefully his studies in poetry would help break the ice with his ex? Wife.
"Hey, what's up?" Darien walked in dressed in his black slacks, black turtle neck, black pants and black loafers. The only color on the man was his pale skin and ocean blue eyes.
"You're already dressed? Jadeite, I told you we needed to change. See that? He is already changed and look how good he looks!"
"Neph did you just hit on our prince?" Jadeite was rolling, he was laughing so hard.
"What? NO! But look at him. I want to look good for Lita. Maybe I should go shopping again." Nephrite was already looking for his car keys which he had left on the hook by the door. He was so overwhelmed, he looked like a chicken with his head cut off while he was running in circles talking to himself.
"Calm down Nephrite. We already went through this. You will look fine. Take an hour and lets just hang out and play pool. You can get dressed afterwards." Darien was happy to see his friends so worked up. Surely they loved the girls to be so worried about something as trivial as a high school dance.
"Hey Neph, stress kills, so only consume in moderation, like alcohol or Taco Bell." Jadeite had to sit down he was laughing so hard at his friend.
WACK
Neph threw a couch pillow at Jadeite's head knocking him off his stool at the bar. But since Nephrite actually cracked a smile, Jed got up off the floor and sat down without a retaliation.
"I AM stressed, so back OFF!" Neph growled as he stalked the pool sticks looking for his green handled stick to play against Darien.
"Zoisite, stop reading those notes. You're going to give yourself an aneurysm. Just be yourself." Jadeite said. Funnily enough he sounded like the Genie in Aladin.
"I'm trying. I just don't want to screw this up." Zoisite slammed his papers down on the bar next to Jadeite who was still laughing silently at Neph as he scratched on his first attempt.
"Do, or do not. There is no 'try'." Jadeite loved star wars and had his Yoda voice down pat. He was on a roll quoting movies. He loved to waist time on the couch in front of the tv.
"Hey Yoda, grab Zoisite so we can play doubles on 8-ball." Darien called as he grabbed his own stick from the wall. Since Darien was over so often they made sure to have his part of the man-cave ready.
"What if the past repeats itself and we loose the girls?" Zoisite asked grabbing his own stick and chalking the end. Darien was racking the balls while Nephrite and Jadeite flipped a coin for first break.
"Gotta make the most of today. The past was horrible. The pain will never truly go away. 'Oh yes, the past can hurt. But you can either run from it or learn from it'." Darien stopped short, shocked at what he had just said. "Wow, I spend way too much time with Serena watching Disney if I am quoting Rafiki." Dairen smiled and shook his head knowing full well he would waste as many hours as possible watching children's movies if Serena was in his arms.
Once their great leader was among the troops, an easy camaraderie was achieved and everyone was noticeably calmer.
Even Kunzite finally relaxed his shoulders as he continued to slowly pour over his stanzas.
"So, lets be clear, get the girls, go to Raye's for pics, meet at the italian restaurant, woo the girls, then off to the dance and finish the night at the look-out?" Zoisite asked one more time.
Darien couldn't help but laugh a little, "Yes, that's right. Serena told me earlier that all the girls have the same curfew tonight so we don't have to worry about that either. We can all stay together and I think it will help the scouts be more relaxed."
"Good, I honestly don't know what to expect with Lita tonight. If she is even a little less uptight than usual then I stand a better chance of working my magic tonight." Nephrite smirked at his optimistic outlook but EVERYONE in that flat was falling down laughing at his self assurance.
An hour and a half later saw the guys dressed and out the door with their flowers, each one headed to their date's house. It really was cute to see them all so worked up over a school dance. No one could wait any longer so who cared if they showed up early.
Amy was dressed. Hair done. Makeup done. Clutch ready. However, Amy has never been to a school dance. So she was really really nervous.
It wasn't like Amy wasn't beautiful, she was. It wasn't like Amy wasn't smart, she was the brightest at Juuban High. It wasn't like Amy wasn't sweet and caring.
Amy never went to a dance because Amy was never asked and that was solely due to the fact that Amy was Sailor Mercury. Sailor scout by night and student by day with a self imposed advanced academic schedules to help reach her medical field dreams. She never had the time, she made herself unattainable. But for the first time ever, she was making the time. She had a date and she was going with her best friends. So regardless of the tight schedule and demanding work load, she wanted to make the most of her time with her friends and that meant buying her dress and getting ready for the dance.
Amy was a bit scared to be so formal. But after many assurances from the sailor scout of love, she was ready to accept the fact that maybe she could be beautiful for one night. She wore her short blue-black hair down in soft waves while bangs curled around her face accenting her deep blue eyes. Her eyelashes were dark and contrasting with her pale skin and her lips were lightly glossed a dull amber. She glowed as beautiful as the sea in the morning light. Her shoulders were bare but for the tiny straps that that went over and down her back. She work a choker of of deep liberty blue to match her floor length flowing dress that was clasped in the center with a single pearl. The top of her dress was a perfect top half of a heart. The smooth soft silver flats just barely peeked from under the silky folds of her dress.
Okay…. okay…. okay….. need to stop saying okay. I am dressed. I am ready for the dance. I did just what Mina told me to do with the makeup and hair products. Zoisite will be picking me up any minute. OHMYGOSH. Zoisite! He is so cute, and smart and calm. Everything I've ever thought I wanted in a man is coming here to take me to my first dance! But come on Mercury, you were already engaged to this guy once. He must like me. But do I like him? Umm, Yes, I can admit it to myself even if I can't say it outloud. Do I love him? Umm, I think I am falling for him, so yeah. I think I do. He has worked so hard these past two weeks, organizing by books, working in the garden, taking me to and from school. He has been so sweet and attentive. So what am I really scared of? He cares for me and I am starting to realize I care for him. But that's just it, I don't want to lose him….
DING DONG
"Amy, your date is here!" Ms. Mizuno called. "I'll get the door, you go grab your purse." Amy's mom walked over to the door and grabbed her camera. "Hello, Zoisite is it?"
"Yes, mam, it is a pleasure to meet you."
"Come in to the living room and I can take your picture. Amy, come here sweetheart and stand next to Zoisite in front of the fireplace.
Amy came in to the room and was able to finally see Zoisite and what he was wearing. She was pleased they would be complimenting each other in their choice of attire but she was also very pleased by the figure he cut in his ensamble. If a girl was going to wait for the perfect date for her first dance, at least she would not be disappointed.
Zoisite was dressed in dark blue slacks with a baby blue form fitting dress shirt that highlighted just how muscular his chest was. He made a dashing figure with his shirt tucked into his pants so his brown belt showed, matching his brown loafers. He had casually rolled up his sleeves to his elbows but some how he was still very elegant in his dress casual appearance. He took his hand from behind his back and gave Amy a bouquet of amaryllis.
She gratefully accepted the deep red flowers and their meaning. Amy was indeed shy, just as the flowers meant, but she also realized the Zoisite was shy as well and this was his way of setting her at ease. Now they were sharing their embarrassment and humility together. Instantly, she was comforted by his thoughtfulness. Ms. Mizuno took the flowers for her daughter and placed them in a vase in the kitchen, giving the young couple a chance to say hello.
"You look beautiful Amy." Zoisite took her hand and gently brushed his lips over her knuckles.
"Thank you Zoi, the flowers are beautiful" He was happy to see her blush growing across her cheeks. Not ready to let go of her hand he simply held her eyes and continued to sweep his thumb across her knuckles.
SNAP
"Oh, mom, what are you doing?" Amy was even more embarrassed now for her mother had taken her picture while they were busy making eyes at each other.
"I couldn't pass up the opportunity. You both looked so sweet standing like that. I knew you would want your grandchildren to see this one day." Ms. Mizuno was very happy to see the young couple blush together.
A few pictures later saw the couple safely loaded into the car and driving down the street. Ms. Mizuno knew her daughter was happy and was finally relieved to have met the man who could make her daughter smile.
Mina was pacing on the balcony of her room. She was ready early and she knew it. But she couldn't help it. She wanted to see Kunzite and try as she could to prolong the transformation from high school student to stunning 'prom queen' she had finished with time to spare. Time was her enemy, giving her a chance to think about the night before it had begun. She had time to question Kunzite's treatment of her for the last couple of weeks and time to question what she really wanted from him.
Was it really right that her heart was so engaged to such a man? She couldn't answer if it was the morally right thing to do but she knew that it had already happened so she couldn't really question it any more. How does a girl give a away her heart to someone she only just 'met' in this life? But really, was her heart hers to give a way since it already belonged to him? If her heart belonged to Kunzite then why didn't he act like? Didn't he want her? She went from pacing to gripping the railing and staring out over the city and back again. Impatience really wasn't something she handled well.
The sun was beginning to set and as she stood on the balcony over looking the city, her golden dress and honey locks were set ablaze in the setting rays. Trapped in her own thoughts, she never heard the doorbell ring, her parents greet her date, show him in, or explain that she was in her room. Since her door was open, they allowed Kunzite to look for her and after discovering the room empty, swept his gaze to the windows to discover a vision of his golden love goddess clearly expressing her discomfort.
Kunzite was happy to take in her appearance while hiding out of view. Her dress was greecian in style and inspiration. It really looked as if someone had taken a toga and used it as a template for the gold chiffon material. The top of her dress had soft folds in the material that looked like ridges layered one on top of another. She only had one shoulder strap on the left side while the right was bare. It was form fitting on her chest and waist but then the material flowed down just past her knees. Mina never was one for a full length dress, choosing fun and freedom over formal wear. When She moved her dress was like liquid gold over her creamy skin. Since Mina was relatively short compared to her date, she wore tall golden heels with straps around her ankles further hinting at the grecian origins for her dress style.
He was already spying on her so he decided it wasn't going to add to his crime by standing a little longer and watching her behavior. Finally, she stopped her pacing routine to stand still and wrap her hands around her waist, bowing her head in defeat. So it was no surprise that she never heard the glass door gently slide open to admit one more to her somber reflections.
Now I know that we are both feeling frustrated. What are you going to do about it Kunzite? How can we settle her nerves and our own?
Slowly he walked across the couple of meters that separated her door for the railing. Seeing that she put her hands back on the rail he walked even closer. Now was his chance to touch her, without being too intimate or shy since he didn't have to overcome her gaze at his advance.
It wasn't until Kunzite stood behind her and placed his hand on hers at the rail did she recognize another person being near her. Slowly, as though waking from a dream, she turned, keeping her hand under his, and met his eyes. Not really sure what she was looking for: love, anger, envy, lust, regret, happiness, hope? When he drank in the sight of her and met the look in her eyes, his resolve was set. He would love her as if she only had that night with him, love her as if no one else existed, love her as if this was his last chance to prove his devotion. As his gaze softened and his head descended, she slowly lowered her lids hoping to not wake up. If this was a dream, let it go on forever. She eagerly
awaited his kiss, trembling ever so slightly as their body heat filled the space between them..
He stopped, just before his lips touched hers. She opened her eyes in confusion but was more than delighted when he finally cracked a grin and pressed his mouth fully onto her glossed lips. Finally! Kunzite kissed Mina. Did the heavens open and angels descend? Did the world stop and quiet in reverence to their moment? No. But for Mina and Kunzite it was perfect. Pulling back just enough to see her face, he took his free hand and raised it to run the back of his hand across her jaw.
"Hey"
"Is that all you can say Kunz?" She sighed, knowing the truth before she had even asked.
"Brain not working."
She laughed, only Kunzite could lose all brain function when kissing a girl, only if that girl was Mina.
"You look nice….. more than nice, you look perfect." Kunzite wasn't smiling but he wasn't grimacing either. Slow improvements.
"So…. are we talking to each other now?" She asked arching her perfectly manicured brows at his obvious torment. He grabbed her waist and fully turned her body to face his.
"Yes." His answer was short but the look in his eyes more than made up for the lack of words. Mina was finally happy. She was overjoyed really, to see Kunzite showing interest in her. It was really hard for her to see him all this time, knowing how they both felt but knowing that they both needed to adjust. So many moments played out in their minds from their days together. So many lost opportunities to say how they felt.
He wasn't going to waste one more moment because of indecision or second guessing her willingness or desire. From his jacket pocket, Kunzite pulled out a simple corsage made of two yellow roses.
"I know that you girls told us we didn't have to get corsages, but I thought this would still be better than a bouquet. There are two, one for you and one for me. You will wear them together over your heart."
Kunzite was really pleased with himself as he watched her smile grow and her hands reach for the delicate flowers in his. Gently, so as to not disturb the soft petals that were frozen in mid-bloom, she took them up to her nose and inhaled the sweet aroma. While her eyes were closed, he took the corsage from her hands. Instantly she was startled, but she smiled again as she saw him take the pin from the back and fix it just below the top of her dress on the left side at a slight angle.
"I don't know if you know this, but yellow roses have a few meanings. Some of the common ones are 'remeber me' and 'friendship'." She said, almost in challenge of what he had given her.
"I do, it also means a 'promise of a new beginning'." He softly replied, never breaking the intense look on his face.
She softly gasped as his hand brushed a stray strand of golden hair back behind her ear. She knew his face would almost always be a mask of contemplation bordering on indifference. Mina also knew that to see Kunzite's heart was to look into his eyes and see the love that he kept hidden from everyone but her. Satisfied with his gaze, she softly reached up and kissed him on the cheek and took his hand.
They made their way back into the living room and took several photos for her parents. They stood side-by-side, back to front, and to the shock of everyone, he swept Mina up bridal style for the last picture. After confirming he would not keep Mina out past 2 am, since it was a special occasion, they left her home and pulled away in his Camaro, both feeling a little more hopeful.
Poor Nephrite. He was dressed up, had a beautiful bouquet of roses and was ready to tear down Lita's door. Sure he was early but how much time does a woman really need to get ready. She told him to wait, that she need a few more minutes before she could let him. Not a problem really, Lita lived by herself and if she couldn't come to the door than she couldn't come to the door. But really, she should be done by now. At least that is what Nephrite kept telling himself as he was bouncing on the balls of his feet wanting to see his date.
"Lita, open up!" He took his chances and banged again on the door hoping that she would finish so he could see her for a few minutes before having to rush down to his Lamborghini in the parking lot to make it to Raye's and then their reservations on time.
"I said in a minute! Hold on Nephrite!" Lita would never tell Nephrite this, but she had been ready, dressed that is, but she was also having a major panic attack.
Two weeks of spending alone time with him while he was doing chores, remodeling her kitchen and serving as her valet had most certainly reawoken her feelings for Nephrite and she was nervous. All this time she was looking for someone to be like her 'old boyfriend' and there he was standing on the other side of her door ready to take her to the dance. She was excited, thrilled really. But what about what guys expect on 'prom night'? Could she live with that if that is what she was supposed to do? Or what about the fact that he was in love with her and she knew she was falling for the handsome, strong and affection man herself. But would he break her heart again? Really, these were things that had been on her mind ever since she first saw him at the indoor beach but now this was a real date between two very real people who have a real past together. And if she was to admit to it, which she wouldn't, he was the epitome of all things 'boyfriend'. Now she just had to remember how to breathe.
"Woman, I have been standing here for over 10 minutes!" Nephrite was now equally worked up and his lack of selfcontrol was evident. His hair was mussed from the many times he had ran his fingers through it in frustration, his cheeks were red, his breathing was erratic but all this was nothing compared to how he felt when she finally opened the door.
Standing in her hunter green, floor length dress was Lita, fire flashing from both eyes and bosom heaving from her own breathing problems. Nephrite on the other hand, stopped breathing altogether. While she was glancing between his shocked, open mouth expression and the bouquet of light pink and lavender roses that were haphazardly hanging from his hand at his waist, he was sizing her up.
His eyes raked her from top to bottom, taking in every little detail. From the lightning flashing in her eyes and the pink that dusted her cheeks, to the beautiful ripples of material that went from her tiny waist to barely brush the top of her green stiletto heels. From her waist to the floor was flowing folds of metallic mesh and deep dark, hunter green silk while the top of the dress was a strapless and tight bodice that framed her curves with seamless precision. Given that Lita was tall. she couldn't wear heels but Nephrite was much taller and she was able to extend her lean athletic body by a couple more inches. Once his eyes made his way back to her face he was happy to see her hair, normally bound back in a pony tail, had been allowed to flow down her shoulders in soft curls of dark chocolate brown. To finish her ensemble she had kept in her customary rose earrings but had added a hunter green choker to match her dress.
"Are you going to stand there and hope to catch a supper of flies with that trap of yours hanging open or do you want to come in?"
"Uhh…..ummm…...I flowers, got for you." Nephrite was working his mouth open and closed, still unable to string together a coherent thought. He extended the roses and walked in the apartment after Lita.
After closing the door, Lita took the flowers with a quiet 'thank you' and went to her new kitchen to place them in a vase.
"Good looking…. I mean, you are looking good. Wait! No, you don't look good. I mean" Nephrite cleared his throat loudly and ran his hand back through his hair while Lita was giving him an amused but confused look. "You look amazing Lita. I'm sorry I messed that up. You are exceptionally beautiful tonight." Pleased that he finally expressed how much he appreciated her efforts he followed her into the kitchen.
"Thank you. I'm sorry I didn't answer the door earlier."
"It's okay. It was worth the wait."
She was smiling but the conflicting feelings she was dealing with was still evident on her face.
"You look nice Nephrite." He glanced down and remembered that he too had gotten spruced up for the night. In hindsight, he could have been standing in the nude and he wouldn't have noticed. He was captivated by the figure before him.
Nephrite was standing beside Lita now and since he was finally coming back to his senses, he was able to notice that she seemed a little distressed.
"What's wrong? Are you nervous or do you regret coming with me tonight?" Now it was his turn to share in feeling anxious.
"Yes and no."
"Wait, to which question? Yes you regret or yes you are nervous."
"Yes I am nervous and no I don't regret having you as my date for the night. It has been a long time since I've been on a date. Being a sailor scout kinda takes all my time."
"Well, don't worry about anything. We will meet up with everyone at Raye's for pictures and then go out to eat, dance the night away and finally hang out for a bit on the look-out spot. Afterwards I will be a perfect gentle man and bring you home, walk you to your door and say good night. We are training tomorrow, I'd hate to screw up tonight and then have you electrocute any sensitive areas on my body tomorrow." Nephrite managed a smile which allowed Lita to feel comfortable enough to laugh at his description. Soon they were both laughing together.
"Lita, you mean the world to me. I know I've made mistakes but I want to do this right. I don't want to rush anything." This was exactly what she needed to hear to put her fears to rest. Sure she was attracted to the guy. It would be hard to focus on his face while his muscles stood out from his dress shirt. But she knew that she wasn't ready to trust him yet.
"I guess I'm ready when you are. I'm going to grab my clutch and then we can head out." She smiled again at him as she walked past to her bedroom to take gather her things. Nephrite had made his way back to the door and was waiting on her to join him.
"Lita, I know that I just told you I would take it slow. And I AM! I remember the last time I kissed you and got my butt served to me. I just thought this time I would ask first."
"You want to kiss me?" Lita couldn't stop her blush from betraying her feelings.
"Yes. Please Lita?' Nephrite was ready to beg right there on his knees if only his beautiful lightning princess would kiss him.
"Okay, I guess I would rather do this here than in front of everyone." Nephrite would fly right then if he had a little pixie dust but he was more than happy to keep his feet on the ground. He closed the distance and took his left hand and cupped her cheek and with his right hand he pulled her waist towards him. He could feel her heart beat racing under his palm and smiled as he saw that she was leaning towards him while he descended to give her a chaste kiss. She was having none of that . Once his lips touched hers, the dam broke and her feelings rushed to the top. Her hands had been by her side, now they were on his chest and sliding over his shoulders and around his neck to press herself into him. Acting
braver than she felt, she deepened the kiss and allowed him access to her mouth which he eagerly took. Breaking their kiss, Nephrite leaned back and was floored at the desire he saw in her eyes as she studied his face.
"That was amazing."
"Yeah, umm I don't know what came over me." Lita was struggling to regain composure in light of her response.
"I think it was perfect. Don't ever feel ashamed of your feelings." Nephrite wanted to console her but didn't want to see her run from her feelings for him.
"I just don't want to get hurt." Lita had dropped her gaze to her hands clasped at her waist.
"I will spend forever showing you just how much I love you. Besides if I screw up I know you will toast me." She looked up again to smile at his efforts to make her feel comfortable.
"You know I would too." Lita gave him a challenging look with a smirk on her lips. It was almost enough to make Nephrite skip the dance and stay in her apartment all night.
"Lets get out of here before I do somthing stupid. You are seriously testing my self-control."
"I thought you didn't have self-control?" She teased at him as he opened the door for her.
"Exactly. After that kiss and then that look you just game me. I'd be willing to stay here all night kissing you senseless."
Teasing she was more comfortable with, or was it flirting, either way it was easier than trying to have a serious conversation about her feelings.
"That is something you have to earn Neph."
"Oh I intended to." He smirked back. Closing the door and taking her hand, he led her down the stairs to his car before he could change his mind, or rather test this newly discovered affection she had for him.
"Raye. Raye. Raye. How do you describe a girl who is fiery, intimidating, beautiful, mysterious and powerful? Oh, and don't forget she has these amazing fire powers. Well, I like to call her Raye. She is all I want. She is my everything. I want to be Her everything. I just need to figure out how to get passed these walls she has erected around her heart….."
Jadeite was lost in his thoughts as he closed the distance from his car to the top of the stairs in the courtyard.
He was dressed in a crimson, long sleeved shirt and artfully kept the top couple of buttons undone. His black slacks were tight at the waist and then loose and flowing down to his black slip ons. His blonde locks, normally windblown and in disarray were controlled and made to lay in neat formation. He was trying to psych himself up to spending the night with Raye while also getting her to open up to him.
Sure, she is overbearing and emotionally unstable at times,all the time, but he really wouldn't have it any other way. The hard part was really going be when he tried to get her to open up and trust him. Some would say that Jadeite had the emotional capacity of a tea spoon. It certainly applied when it concerned anyone but her. For her, he was casanova and Romeo with a little bit of Prince Charming throne in the mix. He was just enough of a beach boy to keep the ladies swooning but he also was very serious when it came to his general responsibilities.
These attributes were a lethal combination since this was exactly the sort of man Raye Hino wanted in her life. A blonde James Bond if you will. Not that she would have admitted it. Honestly, who would think that Raye would even sit around and analyze that sort of thing. She was simply highly circumspect and given to doubt his affections and the truth of his heart when she knew how easy it was to be swayed by good looks and charm. Never would Raye say that Jadeite was everything she wanted, which she did, but she wouldn't. Raye was trying very hard to not think about his handsome face,
toned body or devilish smirk that was always peeking from his lips. Trying but failing. She was failing miserable to be upset for very long about going on this date with a guy who knew exactly how to get under her skin with those blasted flowers from last night. It was even more difficult when her grandfather kept smirking and dropping hints about a certain someone stealing her heart. So she was horribly happy while maintaining her joy behind her aloof demeanor. No big deal right?
Raye knew Jadeite would probably be early. If his attentions last night were any indication about his plans then she realized if she was going to one up the man she needed to be ready to make her appearance. It is one thing to want a guy to pick up you from your house. Quite another thing altogether to be ready to make an amazing entrance to knock his socks off. She was only doing this for appearance sakes, not because she wanted to impress him or anything.
The girls were all, equally armed with their shoes, bags and dresses that the guys had bought them so her armor was of no question. After a secret meeting during the week at Mina's, everyone knew how to do their makeup to accent their natural features. Each girl had expressly refused to 'paint their faces' but a few touches here and there with some select cosmetics were certainly in order to highlight their beauty. Raye however took things to a whole new level. She privately declared war against the whole falling in love thing that Serena was determined was happening. For herself, Raye knew when she was getting dressed that her head had to be in the game, so as to not lose her heart to some unworthy
general. Therefore, when Raye was done with her hair, she moved on to her makeup, which she secretly called, woman's war paint. She knew Jadeite was out for blood, or rather her heart, but that didn't mean she couldn't stay in control by having the upper hand. What better way to be in control than have the guy on his proverbial knees before her beauty?
Hair, warpaint, dress, clutch, shoes all in order, Raye made her way to the tea garden to sit just at an angle where her face was directed at the fountain softly running water down the river stones in the pond below. Her grandfather was given instructions to intercept her 'date' just before the path to her quarters and direct him to her garden. Although grandfather smirked at her ploy, she was happy knowing that she could dominate Jadeite with poise and aloofness so as to not allow him the confidence to get close. At least that is what she made herself believe.
Jadeite made his way towards his fire angel and his heart clenched at the sight of the beauty before him. She was a vision in red with sparkling jewels and delicate beadwork done in silver on the sheer high neckline down to the bodice. It looked like ice sitting on top of fire. The gown was sleeveless but the long A-line skirt was very flattering as the chiffon flowed down from her waist. When she would walk, it would ripple behind her as though she was walking through fire.
He stopped before the vision. Slowing his breath to keep his demeanor calm, he spoke to his angel.
"Hear my soul speak. Of the very instant that I saw you, did my heart fly at your service. For who ever loved that loved not at first sight?"
She turned, a quizzical brow graced her otherwise emotionless face but her eyes deceived no one for humor danced within the violet pools.
"Did someone actually read these last few weeks? Or was that simply some well rehearsed pick up lines Jed?" She challenged him, but was she looking for a fight or was it merely banter to interrupt an otherwise well played romantic line? Surely she wasn't engaging in foreplay.
"You wound me Raye. I have indeed been reading quite often since I have been granted this second life. I find that there are many time periods that I could ignore altogether but I find that Shakespeare has a way with words that I would greatly learn to emulate." He kept his physical response to a minimum by only giving her a half smile in return to her quip.
Seeing that she was not refusing his untimely presence, he walked to her stone bench and knelt before Raye's feet. Willing to test the waters while he was yet alone with her, not wanting to embarrass himself later in front of everyone, he took one of the hands that was clasped in her lap and pressed a kiss into her palm. Though her face was frozen in scrutiny at his actions, before he looked up into her eyes he heard her faint gasp at the touch of his lips on her palm. He felt the beating of her heart race under his fingertips and knew she was responding to his touch. She kept her eyes guarded after his brazen forwardness but when she felt the soft petals of a fully blooming red rose pressed into her
palm, she broke his gaze to stare at its silky petals.
"I thought you weren't giving me flowers again?" She was lost in delicately brushing her fingers across the petals while cradling it before her eyes.
"I only brought you one. I couldn't help but see the beauty of that rose and not think of you. You are ever in my mind and forever my heart is yours Raye. Surely you must know how much you mean to me?" She refused to meet his gaze but Jadeite remained undeterred in his attempt.
"I thought I knew you. After everything…. after what happened here with you know who, I can't help but question my heart."
Raye was quiet but the war for her heart was spilling out of her eyes. Jadeite was low enough to see the fire flashing from their orbs.
"You have a right to question Raye." Immediately she looked up to Jadeite's eyes hearing his admission. "If it takes forever, I will prove to you time and again what you mean to me. I will NEVER leave you again. I will die before I betray you."
Finally, the fire in her eyes were quenched by the love pouring from his and she graced him with a soft smile, lowering her hands into her lap and continuing to cradle the delicate blossom.
"My love for you is like that rose, Raye. Soft and delicate, perfect and yet forever frozen in its time. That rose will one day die, and so will I, but before we do we will only belong to you." Jadeite was feeling rather encouraged to see that she remained calm. Maybe the delicate blossom was restraining her ire in the face of destroying its beauty.
"May I sit with you while we wait for the others?" How could she resist that puppy dog look he was giving her she will never know for it always worked.
"Yes, but under one condition. Whatever happens in the future you respect my decisions. Even if it means that I may never be more to you than a friend, a comrade in arms to protect our princess and her prince. You must respect that you and I may never have what we had before. I don't know if I can trust again Jed." She was so vulnerable before him. He wanted to take her in his arms and assure her forever and ever that he would protect her and wait for her and love her. Instead, he simply smiled into her trusting gaze, knowing that this was all he was going to get from her tonight.
"I accept your terms Raye. But know this I will never, and I mean never stop loving you. And don't expect me to sit back and just take it if some other guy comes along and wants you. I will fight for you Raye." He finished with laugh, rising to his feet and enjoying her laugh as she joined his humor. But he knew in his heart that he was serious. If she never accepted his advances, so be it, but he refused to sit back and watch her be taken by someone else.
She gave him one more smile and challenged him again with her eyes as she tilted her head to the seat beside her. He sat down and together talked of what he had been learning and reading during his free time. It was nice to finally reach a more cordial relationship, once the boundaries had been addressed that is. They stayed there in peaceful companionship until they could hear Kunzite's Camaro pull in front of the temple.
Darien was feeling pretty luck as he drove away from the generals flat and onto Serena's house. While each general was having a hard time coming up with how to handle their respective scout, he was in a very stable relationship with Serena. Sure he had left for America, died and then came back to life at Serena's wish. But now that he had had some time with Serena, helping her get over Chaos and had some pretty normal dates under his belt, he felt confident that his future was going to be good. Besides, once you die it can only get better right?
He kept the top up on his porsche, no need getting Serena's hair messed up when he knew that she had worked hard to fix it. For the last few days the girls had been going on and on over their hairstyles and makeup. One sure fire way to get a girl mad, be unappreciative of the work they go into getting ready for a date. Darien knew better than to make that mistake.
What was really on his mind was marriage. Not that he doesn't want Serena to finish school, he does, but he loathed the fact that there wasn't a ring on her finger to protect against other guys encroaching on his territory. Sure, guys shouldn't think of the woman they love as 'territory' but hey, they are guys and sometimes you have to defend what's yours. Over and over it played through his mind that Seiya could have taken Serena if she hadn't been devoted to him. Maybe, just maybe it would have been harder for Seiya to be so forward if there was a big rock on her finger saying 'SHES TAKEN'.
So for the last few weeks he has secretly been ring shopping. The only problem is, when is the right time? Serena had been through so much but surely she wanted this as much as he did. However, there was the problem with her age, she was 17, legal but not out of high school, not even in her last year. She still had to finish out the semester and summer before she would be in her final year. So when was too soon?
After shopping around, he took a sizeable dent in his trust fund his parents had left him and bought what he thought was the perfect ring. Truth be told he put it by his picture of Serena every night he went to bed, dreaming about her reaction. But now, it was hidden in his pocket, hoping, dreaming, praying he could find the right time.
Pulling up to her door, he got out and took the bouquet of red roses (what else really?) and walked to the porch. Before he could even knock, the door was opened by Ikuko Tsukino, Serena's mother and almost pulled inside. She was happy, that was certain. Her eyes were shining and the camera was ready, hanging from her neck on its strap.
"Sammy, go tell Serena to hurry. Darien is here!" Mrs. Tsukino sent Sammy up the stairs to 'politely' tell his sister her date was there. The end result was the same, Serena came down the stairs. But only after Sammy had beat on her door and yelled loud enough to make Darien flinch in the living room.
While he waited, he noticed that Mr. Tsukino was polishing his shotgun in the corner, scowling at the man who was taking his daughter out for the night.
"Ken, put that up. Serena will be down any minute. You are not using that to intermediate anyone tonight. Now!" Seeing his wife worked up over Darien and realizing he was on the losing end of the argument raised his hackles. He snatched up the gun and leveled a look at Darien who gulped before stomping through the house to his bedroom and put up his freshly oiled firearm.
"I'm ready momma" Serena called from the stairs, effectively training all the eyes in the room on her figure as she descended the stairs. She was a sight to behold in her soft pink dress that was sleeveless and bedazzled in rhinestones on the top. Her skirt was layer upon layer of pink silk and pink tool giving the skirt volume and depth. Her perfect hourglass figure was quite striking in the bell like shape of the dress. Her hair was still in its traditional dumpling style on her head but there were little jewels in her hair that matched her dress. She looked very much like a princess going to a ball.
When She came up to Darien, who was smiling and trying very hard to maintain a respectable distance in front of her parents, she took the offered roses and smelled them before her mother took them from her and was steered in front of the french doors to the back garden for pictures. Ken finally came back and was growling, and ignored, as he watched Ikuku take pictures while Darien stood behind Serena clutching her waist for the picture.
Knowing her husband's limits, she finished the pictures and then all but pushed the kids out of the house before her husband went back for the shot gun. Ikuku was more than happy to listen to his grumbles, safe in the knowledge that Serena was well cared for in Darien's charge.
Once they were loaded in the car, Darien finally had a moment to speak to Serena.
"You look beautiful Sere, amazing in that dress."
"Thank you, you don't look half bad yourself my prince." She smiled warmly at the one person in all the world who could ever and always make her happy.
Looking forward to their few stolen moments of normalcy, they pulled away from the Tsukino residence and left for Raye's. Darien knew that he probably wouldn't be asking Serena that night for her hand in marriage, but having the ring gave him confidence that one day he would find the right time.
Once Raye and Jadeite heard the Camaro, followed shortly by the other sports cars, they knew their time in the garden was over. It was hard to say who was more disappointed, the general trying to woo the scout, or the girl who was enjoying the attentions of the handsome boy all while ignoring the growing feelings that were swirling in the pit of her stomach.
Gracefully they stood together and it was a wonder that neither questioned asseh accepted his arm and was led out on the path to meet the others.
Grandfather and Chad made short work of organizing everyone into various formations for pictures. Some were traditional, funny, quirky, all guys, all girls and to finish it off they did a pose where every guy took their girl in their arms bridal style for a final picture with the last rays of the sun dipping behind the fence line. It was all very sweet but all too soon each man was being dragged to their car to make their dinner reservations.
Diner at Elio Locanda Italiana was an amazing disaster of a success. Serena and Mina screamed at the escargot when it was set in front of them. Darien was trying his hardest to get her to try a bit but after he told her it was a snail be had to quickly remove it while she was screaming "EWWW" at the top of her lungs. Mina had not taken a bit but was quickly joining Serena in her assessment. The waitress was distressed but she finally removed the offending snails and brought some bread to pacify the girls. After pasta and a few more pictures the girls were wound up tight wanting to get to the dance and show off their dates on the dance floor. The guys were more than obliging, chuckling as they threw yen down and followed the girls out promising they could have dessert later.
The Juuban High gym was more than adequate for the Spring Fling Dance so they guys pulled up in the back of the parking lot so they could park next to each other. They were already drawing attention as Jadeite revved his Ferrari slowly driving down the row. Of course, the guys were all eager to rev up their own engines to add to the noise and gather some attention. By they time they were parked there was a bit of a crowd staring at them as they girls were escorted from the cars. Leaving their clutches behind, they took off, each lady's hand held in the crook of the arm of their beau.
The girls had already bought their tickets during the week and they didn't want cheesy pictures in front of a fake back drop so they bypassed the other students and went straight to the dance floor.
"Oh listen! We love that song!" Mina was already bouncing on the balls of her feet. Everything with Kunzite had been sweet and magical, if a little on the quiet side, and she was more than ready to dance the night away.
I stay out too late
I got nothing in my brain
At least that's what people say
If the poor generals didn't know how girls danced at a party in the 20th century compared to stuffy balls on the moon or earth during the Millennial Kingdom, well then they were in for an education.
They were grabbed by the hand and pulled across from their girl where immediately she was dancing in ways that would have been completely indecent 1,000 years ago. If they were shocked they didn't show it for long. Darien had warned them that they should do some research so as to not embarrass themselves or their dates. Soon enough they gathered their wits and took control leading the girls in slightly more modest coupled dance moves.
It goes without being said that the favorite song of every dance was the slow ones when they could hold each other close. If they were lucky, then the girls would even rest their heads on their chests. They must have all been pretty lucky, or maybe they were tired. Either way, Jadeite and Nephrite were sharing smirks seeing how Raye and Lita were happy enough to be so close to them.
It seems that the slow songs are often followed with another loud and fast paced song. It was as if the adult and teachers were bent on keeping any semblance of PDA to a minimum and made sure the DJ was aware of the necessary song order to ensure people were hopping around dancing not cuddling on the dance floor. Such a song was starting to play and each partner was separated as soon as the girls recognized another favorite tune.
Because you know I'm all about that bass
'bout that bass, no treble
I'm all 'bout that bass, 'bout that bass, no treble
Once again the girls were dancing, swaying, bobbing and shaking along to the music. It was unfortunate really that some people really couldn't become jealous or irritated by other's good fortune. For it was at this time that certain, normally, center of attention males of Juuban High made their way over to the girls to interrupt their dancing by exchanging their partners with themselves. Under polite circumstances, the generals wouldn't complain at their lady sharing a dance, but high school is rarely polite.
"Mina, how about I cut in and you dance this one with me" Ren was yelling over the music and sliding in between Kunzite and Mina to take her hand and lead her a bit away for his chance to dance with her. She looked shocked but wasn't put off too much at sharing one dance with Ren. He was still the cutest guy in the school and Kunzite really hadn't 'defined' anything between them. Besides, its impolite to make those arguments in the middle of the dance floor. She was shortly followed by Shin who led Raye, Takashi who led Amy, and Hisao who was leading Lita over to where Mina was dancing with Ren.
"Did we just lose our dates to those man childs?" Zoisite asked in frustration watching Amy being led away.
"Leave off the man part, those are just boys. I can't believe they did that. If this wasn't for the girls I would have punched their pretty boy faces into the ground." Nephrite was cracking his knuckles at the back of the guys.
It wasn't long before an obvious problem occurred. The guys from Juuban High were being far too forward and aggressive with the scouts. Serena and Darien watched on, unable to determine if or when they should get in the middle of things and interfere.
Ren was a little more on the daring side. Holding Mina in her gorgeous dress under the lights, she practically glowed.
Ren was unable to keep his hands off her. The only real reason Ren, Shin, Takashi and Hisao thought they should go and interrupt their dance was because they were quickly losing the attention that was generally showered upon them.
Top in their class, jocks and good looks are hard to compete with at Juuban. But these girls mysteriously show up with guys who have amazing sports cars as well as good looks and are older than high school guys. They felt like guppies playing in a shark tank. First rule of the playground general is pick a fight with the biggest bully and win and then you are the king of the play ground. It is still debatable which of the four guppies thought it best to pick on the dates of the
generals. No sooner had their hands descend to the derriere of the ladies did things disintegrate quickly.
"Did you see his hand? He touched Lita's butt!" Nephrite was grabbed on either biceps by Zoisite and Jadeite. They let go when he laughed seeing Lita jerk Hisao's hand back in place on her back.
"What! No way is that guy holding Raye like that!" Quickly, the generals closed ranks on Jadeite to keep him away from hurting Shin. It wasn't like they disagreed with the violence, more like the choice of locations. Given the chance, those high school pretty boys would have been unrecognizable in a few short minutes.
The thing that set everyone over the edge was the way Ren manhandled Mina. Kunzite could have held composure had Ren only touched her butt. He would have been shaking in his designer shoes if Ren had held her too close but he would have maintained self control. The thing that set Kunzite over the edge was when Ren bent his head and stuck his tongue down Mina's throat.
Faster than any general or prince could have thought possible, Kunzite left the side of the gym and was pulling Mina away from Ren before Ren could even get his tongue back in his mouth. Mina was visibly shaken, but the look on Kunzite made everyone within 5 feet of Ren back away. His face was red and his jaw was set. As soon as Mina was behind him and safe from Ren's unwelcome assault, Kunzite decked him one across his jaw. Ren fell to the ground and actually slid a few feet away from Kunzite from the force of the attack. It would later be discovered that his jaw was dislocated but that is neither here nor there. Ren only looked in disbelief at his attacker, who was also shocked that Ren was still
conscious. Seeing that the parental figures and school authorities were quickly closing in on them, Kunzite took Mina in his arms and fled through the gym doors to his Camaro.
The generals had witnessed everything, everyone in the gym had witnessed the spectacle. Darien told the group that it was better if they didn't follow after Kunzite but rather give him time to collect himself and see to Mina's needs. No one doubted that Kunzite was going to take care of Mina. The vice principal gathered Ren off the floor and Shin, Takashi and Hisao followed after their friend, realizing they were in for a similar fate seeing as Jed, Zoi and Neph made their way over to their dates.
The rejoined Serena and Darien and attempted to draw as little attention as possible to themselves as the officials took the boys away and gestured to the DJ to restart the music.
We were both young when I first saw you
I close my eyes and the flashback starts
I'm standing there on a balcony in summer air.
See the lights, see the party, the ball gowns.
See you make your way through the crowd
And say, 'Hello'
Little did I know…
"Umm, do we go dance or do we follow now that everything seems to be blowing over?" Lita asked looking as unsure as everyone else.
"I think they need some space. Lets dance a little and go by Lita's and pick up the snacks. We know where to meet so give them time to calm down." Amy responded, ever aware of the best logical decision.
"Sure, umm, Darien lets dance for a bit." Taking his hand, Serena led Darien onto the floor and danced a few with the girls before they called it a night.
They couldn't make it through more than three songs before their nerves got the better of them. They left out of the gym and followed Nephrite to Lita's. It didn't take 8 people to pick up cupcakes and root beer but no one wanted to be alone after their encounter. When they finally made it on the highway to the cliffs they had given Kunzite and Mina 40 minutes of alone time to sort through whatever it was that they were going through. Pulling up in the clearing on the look-out, everyone sighed a breath of relief seeing that the orange Camaro was there and the occupants were leaning against the hood of the car in each other's arms.
Everyone had their car parked in a half circle with their lights off. The had made their own little private dance floor on the grass. Even if someone drove up to share the cliffs they wouldn't have been able to disturb the group sharing their snacks together. Serena had brought a blanket and Raye lit some branches the guys had collected for a bit of a fire. Root beer was passed around and cup cakes snatched from the carrier they were held in. Lita's double chocolate cupcake were the best. The girls had already ditched their shoes at the blankets edge so everyone picked a spot and sat together refusing to talk about what happened to Mina, at least at the moment.
"This is nice you guys." Serena sighed as leaned into Darien.
"Much better than last year. We missed the dance altogether because of our scout duties." Lita supplied.
"It is nice to take a break from school work." Everyone threw their napkins at Amy and she was covered with them as Zoisite tried to defend against the paper attack since she mentioned school on their night off.
Mina was sitting so close to Kunzite that not a sheet of paper could pass between them. It was lost on no one that when Kunzite wrapped his arms around her waist that she sighed and leaned into his embrace. Embolden by his actions, he was soon copied by every other guy in the group. The only opposition came from Raye when Jadeite pulled Raye against him. She stiffened in his arms but he was having none of her defenses employed against his advances. He leaned over and used his chin to brush her hair back from her neck and put a kiss just below her ear. While she was distracted and blushing from his touch he was able to pull her against himself, reveling in the fact that her heart rate was racing again.
His smirked so smugley that had she seen he might have received an elbow in the ribs for his efforts.
Everyone was content and happy to spend the night sharing each others company. The moon was making its way through the sky and ascending its throne at its zenith in the heavens.
While everyone was making small talk or making eyes at their dates, movement in the heavens caught Nephrite's eye. Nephrite was always a bit of a star gazer, but what he saw was so unusual he was unable to explain to himself. Therefore he got the attention of the group to show to them what he was seeing.
"Look over there, to the left of the moon. Do you see that? It is a meteor shower unlike any I have ever seen. They are glowing bright red." Everyone turned their heads to see Nephrite's meteor shower. It was indeed unusual. Red glowing rocks were streaming across the heavens and were making there way out towards the ocean.
Amy activated her Sailor Mercury visor and calculated the trajectory of the objects for their final destination. "According to my scans, those are not rocks or ice. I don't know what element they are but it is none that I have recognized or recorded in the Mercury supercomputer. Based on their path, if they do not change course, they will fall into the Pacific 200 some miles offshore from Japan."
"What do you mean you can't recognize their elemental makeup?" Zoisite was confused, rarely did the Mercury computer not have the answers they needed.
"I don't know. Its not like it is a spacecraft or rockets of some sort. It is not showing signs of life. So maybe the rocks just caught on fire entering the atmosphere and that is hindering a proper reading." Amy was quick to defend her computer.
"Well, they are not landing on earth but in the water. What ever it is I don't think we need to worry about it." Darien said.
Immediately consoled by her prince, Serena turned her attention back to eating another cupcake.
Seeing as how few people were really concerned and no one was really making any decisions, interest was lost and everyone went back to their small talk.
"So you guys are all coming over tomorrow for training at the temple right?" Raye asked.
"Yeah, but my feet hurt." Serena complained.
"I agree, my feet hurt too. Lets just cancel." Mina looked around hopeful while Kunzite rolled his eyes.
"No way. We are supposed to train for Trista's big finale to this whole general business. I say we take advantage of having our homework done and lets get in shape." Lita was more than zealous and the girls knew they couldn't sway her in the face of a physical challenge.
"Fine, but we are meeting after lunch." Mina and Serena were quick to back each other up that sleeping in late and food were more important that spend ALL day training.
"'Agreed….." Raye was happy that she could sleep in too. She wouldn't admit it but her feet hurt. She was more than happy to dance with Jadeite but after a while those heels did no justice to the comfort of her feet.
"I think we should be getting these girls home. It is late and we shouldn't let them break curfew or we will never get them out of the house again." Darien pulled Serena to her feet and led her over to her shoes while everyone else followed suit.
The girls left cleaning up to the guys and Amy made sure the fire was extinguished. The blanket was folded and the cars were occupied again so one by one they made their way off the cliffs and headed home.
The day was full of many beginnings and ends for everyone. Each relationship was ending the stalemate between the girls and the guys while each girl was beginning to realize their feelings for the generals. It wasn't perfect or even ideal by the standards of the generals but a start was a start and every beginning had to have one. Curfew was made and everyone was happy that the evening went well. Kunzite was actually quite happy that Ren did what he did. Sure Mina was upset, but not injured and he was able to be her knight in shining armor for the evening. When he walked her to the door he was even rewarded by a quick peck on the lips before she smiled and said good night. Sometimes the good
comes after the bad. Sometimes in order to see people for what they were, the first had to be seen for what they weren't.