"These are the darkest clouds
To have surrounded me
Now I find my self alone caught in a cage
There's no flower to be found in here
Not withering
Or pale to me"
- "Caged," Within Temptation
The sunlight reflected off her blonde hair, making the flowing strands shine bright gold. The afternoon sun lovingly caressed the lightly tanned skin, exposed tastefully by a white sundress that billowed in the wind. Bare feet swayed back and forth in the air, lightly brushing against the top of the grass with every pass. Soft pinks lips were curled upwards in a sweet, carefree smile.
'I know her eyes are shining like bright gems, the color of freshly bloomed cornflowers…'
Rei shook her head, frowning as her eyes naturally narrowed to adjust to the intensity of the sun as she took off her sunglasses.
'What, waxing poetics now, Hino? You have no time for such things.'
Rei placed her sunglasses back on as she walked over, noting that the smile on Minako's face subtly became wider. The change was imperceptible to most, but for Rei, who spent much of her adolescent years studying every part of that face, it was easy to notice.
Try as she might, it was impossible to subdue that faint feeling of contentment and smugness that came from knowing she was the one that caused that smile to widen.
Now, it wasn't because Rei was an arrogant person. Okay, so she can be kind of arrogant, but as people have told her, it just added something annoyingly charming to her person, though it did turn a lot of people off, too. But this time, it wasn't Rei claiming undue credit.
No, she knew that smile was because of her. Because she knew Minako could still sense her the way the miko will always be able to sense the blonde before her.
The publicist took her time walking over. Admittedly, it wasn't very sensible to get on the lawn in her high heels, but then again sensibility was Ami's specialty. Besides, the singer can wait because she wasn't planning on speeding up.
Rei's been giving the whole thing a lot of thought. By a lot, she means she stayed up the whole night, tossing and turning as fickled sleep once again forsook her for the calmer minds of more willing victims.
She could run from it all she wanted, but she would never be able to run from the connection the two of them had. She will never be able to stop the tingling in her mind when the singer approached. She will never be able to completely block out the link they'd created. It was forged in camaraderie, tested by death, strengthened by friendship and entrenched into her soul by their romance.
Rei just had to accept that though it may fade with time, it will never completely disappear.
As for whether she was happy about it…
She stopped when the smiling face turned to her, cornflower blue peering at her from behind half-closed eyes.
"Hey."
Rei's throat constricted, though she couldn't say why. A few seconds ticked by before the publicist realized the singer was waiting for a reply. She tipped her head curtly.
Minako waited, smiling and shaking her head when there was no more forthcoming.
She opened her mouth to ask why the dark-haired woman was there, but closed it quickly. The singer wanted to pretend, if just for a moment, that Rei was there because she wanted to be. That Rei was there to see her without a reason, just because she wanted to see her face.
The miko felt the breeze tug at her own braided locks, trailing ghostly fingers against her skin. An ironic smirk graced her lips as she felt herself nudged in the direction of the singer. Even the wind was trying to get her to be closer to Minako. But the time for that closeness was long gone, lost to the pages of yesterday.
"Aino-sa-"
"If I ask you a question, will you answer me truthfully?"
Rei blinked as a pair of blue eyes pinned her to her spot. She was thankful her sunglasses hid her eyes, although those startling eyes somehow met hers despite the barrier. She blinked again, unwilling to show any other signs of surprise.
Minako waited patiently as the seconds ticked by, wishing she were able to see those lavender eyes hidden conveniently by the reflective glass. She found herself staring into her own, lifeless blue eyes and wondered if that's what Rei saw.
Suddenly, it became too suffocating to be in each other's presence. Rei's mind allowed her to form a single, vague, incomplete thought through the fog of her sensibilities:
'Always.'
The half-formed truth made her swallow and her eyes narrow. She will not voice such an answer – her battered pride refused to let her. Her heart, still incomplete like an unfinished puzzle, would not give yet another inch. An inch she knew the idol would take back with the unhesitating certainty that it had always been hers to begin with.
Instead, Rei dug her nails into her palm, hoping the momentary and insignificant physical pain would block out the vague resemblance of a beat her still heart managed.
Minako watched her, waiting for a response and feeling cold dread seize her heart. She did not know what kind of insanity had convinced her to ask such a question; she could only hope that it was at the very least momentary, if not a pure fluke. Blue eyes forced themselves away from the beautiful face of her new publicist, turning her attention instead to a butterfly perching on an exposed root of the tree her swing hung from.
She closed her eyes, letting the sun wash over her, letting it reach into the depth of her body. The faint song of a nightingale reached her ears, making her smile. She stood, brushing off the back of her dress casually, her heart refusing to let her set eyes on the suited woman behind her. Her bare feet started leading her back to the house, though she wasn't aware she had a desire to return there.
Yet, she could not rid herself of the nagging feeling that their meeting was somehow incomplete, even given the reality of their present circumstances and relationship. Something surged up from within her, something akin to a desperate kind of insanity, the same kind that possessed her only moments before.
The feeling seized control of her brain, ordering her to pause and turn suddenly, her dress fluttering and dancing around her as her hair rose into the air from the sudden movement.
Rei could only watch the sight, fascinated by the beauty before her eyes. She dug her nails deeper into her hands, but could not deny that Minako was truly beautiful. The singer's blue eyes took on a glossy quality, exceptionally bright. Although, whether that was caused by the sun or what seemed like tears was something Rei refused to think about.
"The song of the caged bird… is it as beautiful as the song of the free bird?"
The words were processed, yet made no sense to the muddled mind of the miko. She blinked a few more times, trying to figure out where in the world that question came from. The singer smiled at her warmly, that damn glossy look stronger than ever in her eyes.
'She's finally lost her damn mind.'
Yet looking at the tender smile and the shining blue eyes, Rei couldn't find it in herself to believe those words. Without another word, Minako turned and entered the house.
The publicist willed her feet to move, pulling off her sunglasses with ire. Her throat was tight and her eyes burning for reasons beyond her comprehension.
Minako may be mad, but she managed to move Rei to the edge of her own sanity without as much as a thought.
Images danced on the screen, lighting the dark room. An open window let in the sounds of the bustling city, full of life despite the late hour.
"Aino Minako has surprised the world once again! In the past few weeks, the singer appeared on a number of local talk shows in Kyoto, Tokyo, Osaka, Kobe, and Yokohama to name a few cities. Instead of the more mainstream shows, she has appeared on several underground music programs. Many have wondered if this signals an end to her astounding popularity, although inside sources say that official website is receive record traffic..."
The window was closed, shutting out the strains of the news broadcast. The room settled into silence.
Hotaru looked out the window, stretching for a moment before pulling off shirt. As she started going through the motions of preparing for bed, she let her mind wander.
As expected, Rei was doing good things for Minako's career, though this was far from the real test. However, she had confidence that the miko will achieve any goal as long as she wanted it.
The soft, worn material of her favorite sleep shirt brushed against her pale skin.
Rei and Minako had yet to reach the start of their trials, so it was far too early for her to interfere.
Hotaru kicked off her jeans, trading the form-fitting pants for a pair of loose shorts.
Besides, Setsuna would not be pleased if she were to get into things this early on.
Hotaru closed her laptop.
She was still reeling from the last time her adoptive mother had given her a piece of her mind about her meddling.
Hotaru slipped under comforter, melting into the softness of her bed.
This could be one beautiful train wreck, if it came to that.
Hotaru closed her eyes.
Or it could be one wondrous triumph of love.
"You're being awfully quiet."
Minako looked over at Mei, smiling as the woman handed her a glass of wine. She shifted, propping her feet up on the coffee table in front of her.
"Just a bit tired."
Mei chuckled, sitting down across from her. "I guess you don't want to go out then."
The blonde felt guilty. Patrick was on a date with some girl he met at a club. Jen went to have dinner with Rei and probably wasn't coming home. Minako ungracefully took a swig of her wine, trying to keep certain thoughts from fully forming. Babs went to bed an hour ago, claiming fatigue. But the singer knew her agent probably didn't want to stay up with her and Mei.
The Chinese girl was flipping through the channels, trying to find something good to the watch. She had volunteered to stay, subtly of course, to keep her company. She knew her friends were all starting to worry about her; after all, all she's been doing is work on her new album and brooding.
Minako scratched her chin for a moment before nodding, catching the attention of her companion. Brown eyes blinked adorably in confusion as the singer grinned.
"Let's have a slumber party."
Mei blinked again. Has Minako finally lost her mind? But seeing the smile on her employer's face, she couldn't help but smile back, feeling the beginnings of excitement. Slumber parties were fun, though she only had a few when she was younger.
"Ok! What do we need?"
Minako paused, thinking for a moment before grinning. "Well, pajamas, a bottle of rum, some movies and a couple of magazines should do the trick."
"Mina… that sounds like what we do after every concert."
The blonde laughed at the disappointed and petulant look on Mei's face. She leaned over as if to impart some deep and mysterious knowledge, and the Chinese woman leaning in unconsciously. She couldn't help the blush that appeared on her cheeks when Minako gave her a wink and teasingly pinched her cheeks.
"True… but this time, we're trying to get drunk!"
Mei found the blonde's excitement infectious and didn't have the heart to tell her that's what they always did. Instead, she nodded. She knew her decision was the right one when Minako grinned at her, jumping to her feet.
"Let's get changed into pajamas, I'll grab the alcohol, you grab the movies and magazines."
Before another word could be said, Minako rushed into her room. The hair stylist paused, gazing quietly at the now closed door of her employer's room. Though the excitable and exuberant Minako seemed to be back, she couldn't stop feeling like something was still very wrong.
Mei shook her head, clearing it and the thoughts that found their way into her mind. She really shouldn't think like that. Regardless of whether Minako's excitement was genuine, it was still incredibly contagious.
With a giggle and an almost painful desire to believe in the blonde's front, the Chinese woman quickly rushed into her own room to get ready for the slumber party.
"So then… then Usagi… she… tackles Rei and starts… what… what's it called – hitting! Yeah, hitting her!"
Minako couldn't finish her story as she broke out into laughter. Mei blinked, and then started laughing hystericall, though she had no idea what in the world was going on. The two leaned against each other giggling, a dozen empty beer bottles and an almost empty bottle of rum forming a nice little fence around them, along with several magazines, numerous candy wrappers and a couple of empty cookie boxes.
They kept giggling as the front door opened. Jen stopped, taking in the sight of the two women on the floor of the living room, resting against each other to keep themselves upright. Legally Blonde blared, unwatched, on the television.
Rei was a little more than annoyed when Jen stopped responding to her hands, which were conveniently located under the stylist's shirt. She looked up and paused when she took in the same sight that made her date pause.
"Jen baby!" Minako squealed, waving a half-empty bottle of beer in the direction of the door. Mei blinked slowly, looking up and waving both arms furiously.
"Pretty Rei!"
The blonde singer blinked for a few minutes before realizing that her eyes and Mei were correct; her ex-girlfriend was indeed standing at the door, staring at her like she'd just sprouted another head.
She then realized that Rei's hands were under Jen's shirt.
Jen was being touched by Rei.
Rei and Jen were together.
Jen was getting to kiss her Rei.
All her alcohol-impaired brain could do was demand that her body laugh at the pain from her heart – the pain that was impossible to process at the moment. Before Minako even knew what she was doing, she broke out into another fit of hysterical laughter.
Mei joined in, because Minako was funny when she drank and everything was always funny when Mei drank, so why not keep laughing? Besides, she couldn't very well let her friend and employer be the only one gawked at by the two women at the door.
Jen ran a hand through her hair. "What in the world-"
Her words were suddenly cut off by Minako's loud squealing. "Jen and Rei sitting in a tree!"
Not one to be left out, Mei quickly joined in. "K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"
"First comes love," Minako chanted.
"Then comes marriage!"
"All right!"
The two giggling women stopped abruptly as Jen walked over to them, a look of annoyance and disbelief on her face. She stopped in front of them, trying to figure out what to do as her friends turned their expectant faces toward her. She was at a bit of a loss, since usually it was her and Patrick that were ridiculously plastered. This was the first time she'd seen Minako drunk off her ass, and one of the few times for Mei.
"I don't feel so well…"
The stylist's panicked look was enough to snap Rei out of her astonishment. She quickly took control, walking over.
"Jen, take Mei to the bathroom and make sure to give her plenty of fluids before putting her to bed. I'll take your boss."
Without a word, the Australian woman carried out her instructions. She eased Mei to her feet, half-carrying and half-dragging the smaller woman to the bathroom just down the hall. She prayed to every deity she's ever heard of that the Chinese woman wouldn't throw up before they made it to their destination.
Rei looked down at the giggling Minako once she was sure Jen had managed to drag Mei into the bathroom. She ran a hand through her hair, wondering why in the world she did these things to herself.
"Rei," the singer called in a song-sing voice, grinning madly.
The publicist just sighed. She knew better than to order her fellow scout around when she was inebriated. She had enough experience with Minako when she was younger to know that.
"Come on Rei, come and give me a big hug!"
All the singer received in response was an annoyed look. Even with her mind hazy from the affects of the alcohol, she knew this was a bad sign. So, she did the only thing she could do in such a state: she sniffled sadly.
A hint of panic flashed across Rei's features as she quickly looked down the hall. As the sounds of retching reached her ears, she knew it would be a while before Jen finished with Mei. With a resigned sigh, the dark-haired woman leaned down and picked Minako up easily.
The blonde stopped sniffling abruptly when she felt herself being lifted. As the familiar warmth she never thought she would feel again surrounded her, her body calmed and her eyes closed slowly. She breathed in Rei's unique scent, and felt as if something in her finally slipped into place.
The publicist carried her client into her room, ignoring the papers strewn about the floor. She was careful not to step on any of them, remembering a time when the blonde's compositions would litter her own bedroom at the shrine. Seems like nothing's changed.
"Rei…"
The blonde's whisper was like a prayer, raw and haunted by years of hidden emotions. Minako received neither a response nor even an acknowledgement that she had spoken at all. The comfort of her cool, silk sheets against her flushed skin did little to alleviate the sudden ache in her chest.
Her companion straightened after settling her on the bed, walking into the bathroom. The dark-haired woman stared at herself in the mirror, trying to stop her insides from twisting so damn much. One whisper and she was undone. Pathetic. Hino Rei did not spend years building up her shields and defenses for them to be pierced by a single, drunken whisper.
The dark-haired woman grabbed a towel and soaked it with warm water. As she proceeded to wring out the towel, she used to time to calm her racing mind and heart. Nothing was going to happen. She was merely taking care of a sick client, who was currently in no shape to take care of herself. This meant nothing. Nothing at all. Rei was not attached to Minako in any shape or form; she was merely doing her job. Likewise the singer was just here to save her career.
After taking a deep breath, Rei stared at herself one last time in the mirror before walking out of the bathroom and back into the singer's room. Wordlessly, she approached the bed.
"Minako?"
Relief, disbelief and disappointment warred inside of her when her call was met by a soft snore. The miko chose wisely to ignore the latter and settle for the first two, though she knew she would agonize over why she felt any disappointment to begin with at a later point.
The bed dipped slightly as Rei sat down on the edge. Quietly as not to disturb the snoring blonde, and with a gentleness she could not quite explain, she wiped Minako's face. Lavender eyes intently studied the high cheekbones, long lashes and full pink lips, although every feature had been committed to memory long ago. She methodically wiped the blonde's hands to rid them of the sticky residue she felt; Rei was certain she did not want to know what it was from.
Carefully, as not to awaken Minako, the publicist turned the sleeping woman onto her side. The nearby trashcan was retrieved and placed conveniently next to the bed, as was the bottle of Advil from the medicine cabinet and a glass of water. The windows were opened slightly to let in a bit of a cool breeze, though the curtains were all shut to keep out the sun when it rose. Knowing the star had no important public engagements the next day, Rei proceeded to also turn off the cell phone on the nightstand. Judging by the empty bottles of alcohol, Minako would need as much sleep as she could get.
The sounds of Mei throwing up down the hall abruptly stopped. Feeling sorry for Jen and their ruined night, the publicist figured she may as well forget about the romantic evening she had been hoping for and go help her date.
Heading for the door, she paused for a moment as her body turned back to the bed on its own accord. Her eyes took in the sight of Minako, lying there contently with one hand tucked under her chin and the other under her pillow. But what struck the miko was the peacefulness of the star's face.
She was completely relaxed, the slight furrow of her brows from the stress of the whole mess gone. The usual tightness around her eyes from having to pretend to be cheerful and happy day in and day out for the public melted away, leaving a face too beautiful to be human.
Drawing a ragged breath into her shaking body, Rei turned from the sight and tightly gripped the door. Her body screamed, knowing exactly what it wanted: to march over to the bed and wrap her arms around the curvy body underneath those sheets. She wanted to bury her face in the blonde mane that seemed to taunt her, glowing despite the lack of light in the room. Her mind knew it was impossible, but her heart refused to cease waxing such idiotic clichés. That was the power of Aino Minako.
'You idiot, you just don't learn do you? She is not yours to hold anymore, nor should you even want her to be yours. Now be a good girl and go down and hall and check on Jen and Mei. Maybe you can salvage what's left of the night after putting Mei to bed.'
Rei willed her legs to move, carrying her out of Minako's bedroom. She closed the door quietly behind her, leaning against it for just a moment.
'Why can't you just stop haunting me?'
But that was one question she may never get the answer to. With a sigh, Rei started to walk down the hall. Her nose wrinkled when the stench of vomit reached her. It was going to be a long, long night.