Things Unsaid by blustripe
Summary: Three months after the defeat of Metaria, Minako shows up unexpectedly on Rei's doorstep. When she stays the night, will they finally say what they've always wanted to? Rei/Minako PGSM based
Discalimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or any of the characters or stories. But I do own these words. Please do not duplicate in whole or in part without my permission.
Things Unsaid - Chapter Two
They had barely spoken since the "incident" in the kitchen. Both still struggling with the after effects, they swept the leaves away silently. Dressed in one of Rei's own miko outfits, the sensationally popular idol, Aino Minako, blended in all too naturally with her surroundings. The musical side of her brain kept her broom sweeping in time with Rei's. She swept in four-four time, then in three-four. And just for the hell of it, she swept in five-four.
"What on Earth are you doing, Minako?" Rei questioned from across the courtyard.
"What do you mean? I'm not doing anything."
"You're sweeping...weirdly," she said with a raised eyebrow and a giggle.
"Oh. I was just thinking of a new song I guess. Picking out the right rhythm."
"What's it about?" Rei asked as she continued sweeping.
"I don't know yet."
"How can you not know? You're the one writing it."
"Well, usually the music comes to me first and the lyrics later. I know exactly what it's supposed to sound like, but I'm not sure yet what its supposed to say."
"I see."
"Thinking of fitting lyrics really is the hardest part. I can spend and hour debating in my mind over a single word. I get quite frustrated sometimes."
"Really? I wouldn't have thought so. All your songs seem so...well, simple I guess."
"That's because they are. Most of the stuff I write never makes it beyond the page. My manager only likes me to do the happy fun songs I write. Something about a target audience or whatever. My best work is really quite different than the stuff everyone hears."
"That's stupid, Minako. You should be able to sing whatever the hell you want."
"Maybe. But I don't think my audience really wants to hear about all my problems, of which there are many, and most of them over emphasized."
Rei stopped sweeping and faced her, one arm firmly planted on her hip.
"I think you're wrong. People come to see you Minako. It's you they love. If you wanted, you could probably get up on stage and sing a song entitled '16 Variations on The Hokey Pokey' and they'd still love you," she stated and resumed her work.
Minako snorted with laughter.
"Thanks, Rei," she spoke quietly to the ground, still sweeping away.
"Can I read some of your stuff, the good stuff I mean?"
"I guess so. But lyrics are never as good on their own without the music."
"Maybe you could sing them for me then."
"I dunno..." Minako said shyly and quickened the pace of her broom. "I'll sing one for you if I can read one of your poems."
Rei scowled. "I don't write poetry."
"I don't believe that," Minako challenged. "Someone as poetic as you must write a few things down every now and then."
Rei stopped her sweeping and turned her glare directly to Minako's face.
"Fine."
Minako was right, as usual. Rei did write poetry...sometimes. Though she was uncomfortable sharing anything that was hidden away in her little blue notebook. She would have to write a new poem, something appropriate. She immediately began scouring her brain for ideas, for something Minako would enjoy. Cherry blossoms? No, to predictable. First dates? Eww, hardly her style. Perhaps something funny. Rei could be funny if she really, really tried. Maybe.
Ok. She would write a funny poem and Minako would sing for her. Somehow it seemed that Minako got the short end of the deal, though. Not that Rei minded. Mina did force her against her will to sing in front of a crowd once. If anything, she owed her.
Minako was nervous, though excited about the prospect of sharing one of her more personal songs with Rei. It would help fulfill the promise she had made earlier.
Whoa, don't think about that, she told herself.
She was thrilled to hear what Rei had written. She predicted something dark, something vibrant and convicting. Just like the Fire Senshi herself. Now all she had to do was a pick a song. Tough one.
Rei chewed at the end of her pencil in thought. Minako was in the next room changing out of her borrowed miko outfit. She would be back any second, expecting a poem. Rei had to think of one fast.
Something funny. She craved to make Minako laugh.
She scribbled a few words down, erased them, and scribbled some more. The eraser was wet from her mouth and smudged the rejected words all over the paper. "Gah!" she cried in desperation. Something funny!
An apple with a worm in it. Both funny and cute. Perfect. She wrote as fast as her fingers would allow, as fast as her mind could create. The words flowed freely from her imagination to the page, conducted through an old green pencil scarred with bite marks. Charged by the electricity of creation, she slammed the pencil down in triumph as Minako leisurely entered the room. Quickly reading over it, Rei suddenly realized it was nothing like what she had intended. She had started out with humorous potential, but somewhere along the way the poem had turned into another predictably morose one. Damn her sour soul, sneaking angst into what was an otherwise adorable piece of writing.
Minako sat down next to her and glanced at the piece of paper in Rei's hands.
"Oh!" she squealed with glee. "Is that the poem? Let me see it!"
She snatched the page from Rei's hands before she could react. Her heartbeat intensified as she watched Minako's eyes flicker across the page.
An
apple for the little child.
"Eat,"
his father said.
But
biting into ripened flesh,
he
ate a worm instead.
"This
apple is bad!" the boy exclaimed.
His
father didn't care.
Silly
boy for trusting so.
Rotten
belly, rotten share.
"Wow," Minako said, her response barely a breath. "That's...deep..."
"No its not," Rei said authoritatively as she snatched the paper back.
"Really, Rei. I think its great."
"Whatever. You owe me a song."
"Alright, then." Minako stood and walked as slowly as possible to the center of the room. She shook out her hands as she did before every major performance and swallowed a deep, cooling breath.
"Okay. This is one I wrote about a year ago. Its called 'In His Palm'. Sort of poem-like, but it sounds much more musical with a piano. At least it does in my head."
"In his palm," she began. "I see...wait. Let me start over."
She crossed her arms and dropped her head. She looked terrified, Rei thought. Maybe she should tell her to stop.
"In his palm, I see..."
And she trailed off again, her voice shaky and uncertain. She bore almost no resemblance to the Aino Minako so boldly plastered to billboards and bus stops everywhere.
"You know what," she said in a rather flustered tone. "I'll just write it down. It sounds better as a poem anyways."
Rei was privately thankful Minako had chosen that option. It was just as awkward for her to watch her friend so pitifully embarrassed.
She grabbed Rei's poem and flipped the paper over. A look of disgust washed over her features as she picked up the pencil.
"Eww. You chew pencils?"
"No. Well...sometimes. Don't look at me like that. You have plenty of stupid habits too," she argued.
Unconvinced, Minako turned her focus to the page and thoughtfully, delicately crafted each individual letter.
"No peeking," she scolded as Rei peered over her shoulder.
After a few moments, she surrendered the page.
"Be honest. But no laughing."
In
his palm
I
see a flower
A
withered life
A
passing hour
I
see my face
my
disbelief
I
feel my love
I
feel my grief
The
deeds I've done
and
what I could
A
bright blue sky
and
where I stood
At
the mercy of fingers
which
might crush the dawn
mighty
is he
who
holds my life in his palm
Rei gently set the paper down and set her gaze deep in Minako's eyes, reaching. To Minako, it looked as though she was about to cry.
"That bad, huh?" she offered in apology.
"Oh, Minako," Rei whimpered, lunging towards her and capturing the Goddess of Love in her arms.
Startled by the gesture, but quickly calmed by her friend's warm presence, Minako felt herself turn to jelly and lean further into the unexpected embrace. Liquefied, the full weight of her upper body pressed into Rei's shoulders. The only tension remained in her fingers as they clawed hungrily at the miko's back.
"I love it," she whispered hotly in her ear. Rei moved her head to rest at the base of her neck, firmly pressing her lips to Minako's shoulder. She held them there, an unnoticed but achingly compassionate gesture of understanding.
Rei knew it was only temporary. In a few seconds they would pull away, left with nothing but the cold air around them and the memory of an awkward embrace and an infinitely more awkward kiss. But in that moment, Minako was hers. She didn't belong to the media or cancer or memories of a life long ago. The Goddess of Love was hers. The delicate fingertips digging into her back told her so.
But Minako didn't pull away. She stayed there, and stayed there. Rei savored every second as one savors the last moments of a dying day. Regrettably, tragically, her back began to ache, and she was forced to initiate the separation herself. They pulled away from one another as polar magnets strenuously plied apart. Minako stared sheepishly at the floor and picked at her fingernails.
Rei shrugged and gathered a refreshing breath.
"So. Shall I make us some dinner?"
"Can I help?"
"Of course. But...you do know how to cook, don't you? I mean, don't you usually hire people to cook for you?"
"I can cook," she claimed with a scowl and a little more than a flicker of anger.
"Okay then. Lets head to the kitchen and see if you can put your money where your mouth is. You better be telling the truth. I'm not keen on eating charred poultry remains."
"The only thing you'll be eating is your words, Hino Rei."
Falling back into their familiar rhythm, the two girls laughed, releasing whatever tension remained.
A/N: Shorter, but I figured you'd all want an update sooner rather than later. Thank you muchly for all the fabulous reviews! I look forward to writing more. Hope you enjoyed!