Standard disclaimer: Sailor Moon and all associated intellectual properties do NOT belong to me. That said, I WILL fight you if you steal my story. I'm scrappy. Don't be scared, homie.
Oh, and this chapter is possibly (probably) borderline M rated. I warned you!
-o-x-o-x-o-x-
Pillow Talk
Many Faces, One Name
-x-o-
"So, how are things going with Risa?" Manager-san inquires on an inconspicuous afternoon at a Tokyo recording studio. Minako checks her face quickly in the faint reflection on the control room window.
'Shit,' she muses silently to herself, 'I just can't get rid of this stupid grin lately, can I?' She aims a meaningful glance in Manager-san's direction, knowing that the sound engineers and producer are also listening in. She also knows that this is most likely the reason he asked such a loaded question about Rei - or rather Risa, supermodel extraordinaire - seemingly out of the blue. The idol hides a smirk and quickly formulates an inflammatory answer. "We are women in competition for fame, Manager-san," she begins, putting on a contemptuous face. "Naturally, we hate each other." This is a fun new game that he has set up for Minako, and she delights in the overwhelming likelihood that she will see her statement in the tabloids tomorrow. "Our 'five' is long over, gentlemen. Are we resuming, or are we done for the day?" she barks, acting irritated and confrontational to punctuate the forced end of a fictionally uncomfortable conversation regarding Risa.
"From the top, Minako-san," the producer punches in over the monitor not a second later. He looks a little frazzled; it's rare to see the idol outside of a pleasant mood, and rarer still for bits of her personal life to come out during work.
'Mission accomplished,' Minako cackles inwardly as she observes their reactions. She shares a stealthy, secret little smile with Manager-san when the music cues in.
-o-x-
Alone, Risa strides down an ambiguous street, departing from her last appointment and heading promptly to the next. She is merely one among the others here on the pavement, all propelled by this purpose or that. On the way the buildings are so similar that they blur together and the bustle on the streets makes everyone a stranger - except herself, she notices quickly. Somehow the vultures have still found her. Thankfully, the almost frighteningly cold aura she projects makes for an effective bodyguard as they close in (but not too close) and crowd around her as she walks.
"Risa, over here please!"
"Risa!"
"Risa-san!"
"Risa, is there any truth to the rumors regarding you and designer Donatella Versace?"
"Risa, can you confirm that you have split with the Jean Paul Gaultier brand?"
"Risa, any words about what's next in your career?"
"Where are you headed now, Risa?"
"Risa I love you!"
Rei sighs internally and continues stalking down the sidewalk. For the miko, this is without a doubt the hardest part about being 'Risa.' It's been good for her, she knows - dealing with people and trudging through learning how - but that doesn't make the experience less trying. It also doesn't mean that she is necessarily successful in a healthy sense, she admits. For now though, it works for her. She steels her icy demeanor and says nothing. Silence is a war-weathered friend, and it takes the supermodel safely to the next photo shoot.
-x-o-
"Oh, she hates pet names," Minako remarks flippantly to Manager-san later in the day. They are 'dishing' now in the privacy of his office, sharing giggles like little school girls and snacking on crappy office coffee and day old donuts.
He smirks knowingly. "So you use them all the time."
"Of course!" the idol admits, and the two of them burst out laughing.
"In bed too?"
"Manager-san!" Minako's cheeks go pink and she stutters helplessly for a second, unused to her manager speaking so suggestively.
"This is the happiest I've ever seen you, Minako-chan," he gives, with a soft smile. "I'm glad things are going so well."
She's still flushed, but despite the 'out' he's opened for her, the idol stubbornly meets his previous challenge. "It's better than I ever could have dreamed. She is... rather flammable, in general, so if I called her cupcake in bed she might just burn me," Minako winks, desperately trying not to be embarrassed.
"I bet you'd like that."
"MANAGER-SAN!" Stunned again, the idol's face cycles through every shade of rouge. She regrets for the first time her unwillingness to fold while he chortles cheerfully at her expense.
-o-x-
"I hate pet names," the miko grumbles out, disgruntled. She sits in a small group on the other side of town, their own 'dish' between them.
"Mou, Rei-chan, not even muffin?"
Rei flinches at Usagi's question, visibly disturbed. "If she calls me muffin one more time..."
Makoto trots up to the usual booth in a rush, a little late and eager to get caught up. "You want a muffin Rei-chan?" she starts, with the bit of conversation that she managed to overhear. "It's like four in the afternoon, I doubt we can order you one."
Ami smiles and waves Makoto over to the seat next to her. "Not quite, Mako-chan. You see, Rei-chan is the muffin, in this case," she explains with a chuckle.
"Et tu, Ami-chan?" Rei accuses the genius. If the miko could pout, she would.
"I love pet names!" Usagi exclaims. "Mamo-chan calls me bunny sometimes, and Usako. It's sweet!" The princess, on her never-ending a campaign to get Rei to lighten up, appeals to the miko with earnest blue eyes.
Makoto comes up to speed quickly and snorts out a laugh. "'Bunny' is cute, Usa-chan. 'Muffin' on the other hand... is breakfast." Makoto and Ami snigger while Usagi keeps her pleading eyes trained on the miko.
Rei sits resolutely, indifferent to both the insults and insistence of her closest friends. "'Usako' is a nickname, Usa-chan, there's a difference. I also hate nicknames."
"But we call you 'Rei-chan!'" Usagi argues.
"That's an endearment and denotes familiarity, also different. And I only let it slide because we are friends."
Ami smiles, then teases, "friends huh? Your secret is safe with us, Rei-chan."
"You wound me, Ami-chan," Rei grouses.
Makoto laughs loudly at her friends' antics. "Don't worry, I'm sure Minako will be more than happy to 'kiss it better,' muffin," she gibes with a bawdy grin.
The combination of affront and embarrassment stuns the now flushed miko into silence, so a giggling Usagi utters the girl's shock instead. "Mako-chan!"
"Look at her face! It's true!" Makoto cackles.
Usagi catches on with a dramatic gasp and then immediately puts on an offended pout. "Mou, Rei-chan! You and Minako have already gone there and you didn't even tell me!"
Only further embarrassed by Usagi's complaint, Rei struggles to find her tongue while battling her beet red blush. Makoto crows louder, and Ami and Usagi try to stifle their giggles while giving the miko sympathetic glances.
"What are you guys doing tomorrow for breakfast?" Makoto asks between laughs.
"Why, Mako-chan?" Usagi wonders innocently.
"Because I'm baking blueberry scones to go with our muffin here!" The master chef has herself howling, and Ami and Usagi can't stop themselves from joining in this time.
The energy between them is so lively and fun that even Rei has a hard time hiding her smile. Her glare is weak and hardly threatening when she growls, "there better be some damn delicious scones at your place in the morning, Kino Makoto."
-x-o-
"Hi."
Rei feels her heart beat a little faster when she recognizes the caller immediately. "Hi, Minako."
"I miss you." It's well into the evening now, and the idol's voice comes over a little sultry on the phone.
"Mm. How was your day?" Rei smiles into her cell, lowering her voice to match.
"Hm," Minako murmurs thoughtfully. "It was... interesting. Let's go with that."
"Oh? What did you do? Set Manager-san on fire again?" the miko teases.
"That was one time and - shit, how did you find out about that?"
Rei grins into the receiver but manages to hold in her giggles. "I have my sources," she insists mysteriously.
Minako's scattered brain is already moving on to the next order of business. "What are you doing tomorrow?"
"I don't know. What are we doing tomorrow?" Rei takes the subject change in stride and counters playfully, well conditioned to the idol's randomness.
"Are you still in Okinawa?"
"I flew into Tokyo this morning. I should be working here for the next few weeks."
"This morning? Why didn't you tell me?"
"You have a job too, don't you Minako?" the miko quips lightly.
The idol stutters, but logic has never stopped her tirades against Rei before. "I - I get five minute breaks!"
Rei chuckles at Minako's childishness. "I called you this afternoon," she states.
"I'm not sure if you know this, but afternoon comes many hours after morning," the idol replies indignantly. Before the miko has a chance to retort she continues, explaining, "I was with Manager-san this afternoon. My assistant didn't say anything about you calling."
Rei can almost feel the idol pouting over the missed communication and can't help but continue her teasing. "You missed a coffee date with the girls. We called from Usagi's phone."
"Well, that explains why my assistant didn't tell me anything," Minako sighs. She makes a mental note to include the other girls in the special instructions for her assistants from now on, just in case.
"Don't worry, we talked about you plenty."
The idol sucks in an insulted gasp. "What are you, fourteen?"
"Times two. Don't tell me you're wishing for a younger girl, now?" Rei scoffs.
"Pfft. I'd be in jail for the things I do to you at night if you were still fourteen."
"Jesus, Minako," the miko blurts, blushing and berating herself for walking straight into the idol's dirty old man mind.
"Well it's true!" The idol laughs wholeheartedly, finally getting on top in the conversation.
Rei has somehow fallen behind despite her early lead and decides to end things quickly before her afternoon repeats. "Come over."
Minako grins into her phone at the subject switch, but would never complain about the new direction. "I'll be right there."
-o-x-
Her hotel room is the same one that she's been using for a while now, but it still doesn't feel like home. For Rei, the furniture is too over-the-top, the details too wannabe-Las-Vegas, and of course the electric fireplace could never compare to the old jinja's sacred fire. She sighs; the endless hotel hopping is another one of her least favorite parts of the job. She regrets selling her apartment more and more every time she comes home to Tokyo. At least the apartment was tailored to her taste - simple, with a great big outdoor patio and a respectable fire pit. This might be her regular room as of late but there's nothing home about it, and it only serves to double her eagerness for Minako's company tonight. She sits on the ostentatious sofa breathing deeply and trying her hardest to be patient.
Not long after, a really good feeling has Rei up and opening the suite door before Minako can even raise a hand to knock. Their eyes lock and neither says a word - the idol steps inside quickly only to be crushed immediately up against the closing door by the miko's perfect body. The lock clicks and their curves align deliciously. Rei presses her forehead to Minako's and smiles, seeing joy in her beloved baby blues.
"Reiko," the idol whispers reverently, her arms coming up to settle around a slim waist, hands stroking suggestively over a sculpted back and shapely butt. Minako's inviting intimations earn her a deep kiss - the delectably firm pressure of Rei's purposeful lips and probing tongue. She moans softly into the miko's mouth, and even though she's completely pinned to the door she arches her back, pushing them impossibly closer. Their lips separate with a sensual pop and their eyes meet again, both sets glazed and full of want. The idol can't help but smile, a bit breathless. "I - guess you missed me, too - ah!"
Rei grabs Minako's left thigh suddenly, forcing it up and around her own waist while stepping in to press her right knee into the space now conveniently available. The miko shoves their hips together and they hit the door with a thud and an aroused gasp from the idol. When the blonde head tosses back she immediately moves to assault the sensitive neck, nibbling gently with her teeth where she feels the idol's pulse beating wildly. She grunts something about too much talking while teasing Minako's throat with her tongue and pawing the perfect leg wrapped around her.
"Rei - we still haven't - ah, talked about what we're doing tomorrow," the singer manages to mumble between breaths, an impressive show of coherence considering the action going on.
The miko smirks but doesn't slow down. "Breakfast?" she asks, kissing a creamy shoulder and remembering Makoto's promised scones. Her free hand is roaming now and driving the idol to distraction.
"I'd prefer - ah, d-dinner," Minako stammers, her mental capacity quickly wearing down. Somehow Rei has undone all the buttons of her blouse and her mouth is moving dangerously closer to the tops of her full breasts. Her hands cup the idol's ass and coax her hips into a rolling rhythm where their bodies meet instinctively. Minako lets out a loud moan when she feels a bite on her collarbone, followed by a soothing tongue laving the sting away. It takes all her concentration to place a kiss in raven hair and dig her fingers into the fabric of Rei's dress.
The miko grins, knowing exactly what she's doing to Minako's brain, not to mention body. "But we're having dinner right now, Mina," she teases, nibbling now at the tender flesh just above the idol's lacy bra.
"Reiko." Minako's hands find the miko's to still them, and she meets the questioning violet eyes with powerful heat in her own. Distantly she remembers the earlier attempts at conversation, but her desire is overwhelming now and the rest of the world has fallen away. "I want you." Her gift makes the need between them electric, and they both pulse with want for each other.
When Minako speaks to her that way, Rei knows she can do nothing but obey. She picks up the idol, toned legs wrapping tightly around her waist, and they move eagerly to the bedroom.
-x-o-
Some time later, Minako is drawing nonsense shapes into Rei's shoulder as they lay together catching their breaths. The idol reclines half on top of the miko, resting her head lazily over a still hurried heart, legs tangled up together pleasurably. She can feel Rei's satisfaction, and the desire that never seems to wane. A gentle hand comes up to caress her cheek, and she tilts her face to place a little kiss on her lover's chin, smiling happily when the miko cradles her closer.
"Dinner again tomorrow, then?"
"And breakfast."
"God you're needy," Rei razzes her teasingly.
Minako grins, but ignores her comment. "Are you working tomorrow?"
"I don't have any Risa appointments, but I need to start looking for a new place. You know I hate hotel living."
The idol sneers at this. "Your own fault for getting rid of your old apartment so abruptly."
"I didn't like it anyway."
Minako snorts. "Why did you buy it then?"
"It was near you," Rei states, matter-of-factly.
The direct explanation stuns the idol - she's so touched that she can't find words.
The miko only smiles. "Are you working tomorrow?"
"Why don't you stay with me?" the questions falls out of Minako's mouth before she can stop herself.
Rei gives her a soft, sweet look as she moves to sit up a little, bringing the idol with her. The conversation has suddenly become serious. "I hate living in the city, Mina."
"You hate commuting, too!" the singer argues.
"I don't want to impose."
"My apartment is huge! There's more than enough space for the both of us."
Rei knows her resolve is weakening. "You don't have a fireplace."
"I can get one put in." A long moment of silence sits between them after this, and Minako starts to feel triumphant and giddy.
"Are you sure you're ready for that?" Rei questions, slowly, thoroughly surprising the idol.
"Am I ready? Reiko, I -"
"Think about it, Minako," the miko interrupts. "And I will too, I promise."
She gets a kiss to pacify her, but can't help the little pout that lingers afterwards. Minako understands that Rei does not want to fall victim to her impulsiveness, but it's not about that. Not even close. The look in the miko's eyes says, 'discussion over for today,' but the more the idol thinks about it, the more she wants it. The more excited she gets about it. The more her heart swells, eager to share more than just a home city, friends, favorite hotspots and familiar paths. She wants to share a place. For just Minako and Rei. Reiko and Mina. When she reaches out to get a read on Rei's emotions she finds the usual adoration and love aimed toward herself. 'So what's holding her back?' she wonders.
Rei can tell that the idol is mulling it over and wants to talk about it now. "Mina," the miko murmurs, knowing that she must call back the idol's attention.
"Mm?" the idol mumbles, distractedly.
"Thank you."
"For what, Reiko?" she asks, confused.
Rei leans down to capture Minako's full attention in the most effective way she knows how. She kisses the idol roughly, reigniting the flames from earlier in the evening. "For... dinner," she says with a smirk, shifting their positions slightly so that she can trail kisses towards her lover's ear.
Minako blushes cutely, but again she refuses to back down, suggesting in her best seductive voice, "we should have dinner together every night."
"Mm," Rei's answer is almost a purr against the idol's earlobe. "And breakfast."
"Now who's needy?"
Rei laughs easily and pulls back to find Minako's cheeky grin. "We have a date with blueberry scones at Mako-chan's in the morning. Like you'd willingly miss it."
"I love you, Rei." The idol has jumped ship on subjects again, but when she finds violet eyes to gauge her reaction, she knows that it's okay. Rei looks back at her glossily, and Minako can feel the miko's heart swell with happiness. For now, she forgets her worry from earlier.
They connect again in a heated kiss, loving feelings mingling on their locked lips. When they finally break for air, Rei adjusts her arms around Minako and hugs her even tighter, then whispers, "stay, tonight."
Minako returns the embrace, a playful smile on her face. "Where else would I go, silly goose?"
Rei groans and immediately lets go, fixing a glare on the mischievous girl. "Ugh, I take it back. Go crawl back to your hole and take the pet names with you."
The room fills with the idol's good-natured laughter. "Reiko."
The miko lifts an eyebrow, but says nothing.
"Rei."
"Say my name again, just like that," Rei demands, but they both know the bark has no bite behind it. Secretly they both smile at this, as the miko gives in with a sigh.
The idol leans in and kisses her contritely for a few moments, but pulls away with a devilish smirk that doesn't quite match the tender gesture. She can barely hold in her mirth when she murmurs, "as you wish, muffin."
Rei's outraged reaction is instantaneous and Minako erupts with laughter. "Goddammit Minako!"
-x-o-
"Antsy today, Minako-chan?" Manager-san asks. She is dancing from one foot to the other and hasn't sat down all morning, even though all they were doing today was having production meetings.
"I can't sit," she explains flippantly. Thinking about the reason, her impish mind quickly comes up with a plan and she snickers inwardly. She'll get him back for yesterday with this one.
Manager-san becomes more curious at her odd answer to match the odd behavior. "Why can't you sit? Did you eat something bad?"
"I called her 'muffin' again. She spanked me. It was hot. But I can't sit."
-o-x-o-x-o-x-
AN: I think that the many masks we wear throughout the day are an important part of what makes us. We show different faces to different people, and we're referenced by different names; sweetheart, boss, friend, sister, enemy. There is one set of face and name, however, that most will only share with a single person - a lover. I think that's pretty damn awesome.
FEEDBACK IS MUCH APPRECIATED!
