Here's the next chapter. I have been rewriting it for days, never getting a grip of Kunzite, always trying new ideas, but now I'll stop fussing with it. It's just supposed to be a little fun in between chapter... I've also started on some very emotional scenes, but now I've got me into that guardian duty double date mess and need to do something about that as well ;D
One more thing: Please comment. I didn't have big plans for this, but then I continued writing because you guys liked it, so please don't leave me here halfway through. If you aren't Mystra32, Lethal-Siren or sailor-ice (who saved my faith in fankind by giving feedback), it's you I mean with this. If I want no comments, I can always work on more Night Jade creepiness which is closer to my heart. ;D *snickers at the sight of screaming and hiding readers* ;D
Isn't anyone in here into Harry Potter at least? ;D
One day they found a nice place to sit at the beginning of one of the little shopping streets.
Rei realized that this wasn't the best idea when two of her classmates spotted them and came over. A confident tall one with long brown hair, and a somewhat more timid tinier one with shorter hair. They giggled way too much, and Rei knew why they shot the boy next to her all those curious glances.
Jadeite was obviously just as fascinated by their school uniforms as they were by his hair, and both sides stared at each other a lot. Rei was grateful that Jadeite at least didn't giggle. She hoped her class mates would go away quickly, but of course, they wouldn't pass such a chance to bug her.
The taller one of them spoke up.
"So this is why lately Sister Angelica is giving us all these lectures about how quickly we'll go to hell if we do unspeakable things with unspeakable persons?" she asked with a mocking smile.
Jadeite stared at them, not quite understanding.
Rei understood all too well.
"He's not my unspeakable person," she said dryly.
The girl grinned.
"Just your cousin, eh?" she asked saracastically. "Are we supposed to believe this?"
The other one chimed in.
"What a surprise... after years of you telling us not to waste our time on boys, we have to see you don't listen to your own advice," she sulked.
Rei tried to stay cool, but couldn't hold back a certain sharp tone.
"I'm not wasting time here. What business of yours is this anyway?"
The taller girl didn't let her get away so easily.
"Aw, come on, Hino-san, because of you heathen girls in class we got to hear all of Sister Angelica's detailed scary stories about young girls sinning themselves to death and damnation, and now we don't even get to see you kiss a boy? What did we have to hear it all for? At least one girl in class needs to justify all that. Come on, kiss your cousin! Do it for us!"
Jadeite gave Rei an optimistic side glance, and she shot him an angry "Don't even think of it" look back.
The girl with the shorter hair was a bit slower indeed. "Is he really your cousin? Are you related?"
"Do we look like we're related?" snapped Rei.
The girl looked doubtful at Jadeite's blue eyes and blond hair, and then at Rei's dark eyes and brown hair and the obvious lack of resemblance in their facial features. "I don't know... is it sinful to kiss your cousin?"
"Yes!" said the other classmate and nodded.
"But... if he's not a Catholic? Is he, Hino-san?"
Rei only shot her a look of contempt.
The long haired girl shook her head vigorously.
"It doesn't matter anyway. Boy is boy. Definitely immoral to make out with boys. Come on, Hino-san, do it, you're going to hell anyway, you can kiss him! Just once!"
"No!"
"You know you want to. Just one kiss... Please..."
"No! Definitely not! Forget about it!""
The girl smirked at her.
"I'm not going home without someone kissing the heathen boy. You wouldn't mind if one of us tried kissing him?"
"Sorry girls. I'm taken," said Jadeite calmly. "No kissing around in the streets for me."
"Oh. So you and Hino-san..."
"No. Unfortunately not."
"Oh."
Rei didn't want to show her surprise in front of her classmates.
So she waited until her giggling classmates were out of sight until she turned to Jadeite with an incredulous frown.
"'I'm taken'? Did I miss something?"
Jadeite smiled thinly.
"That's what we've been taught to say in public to get rid of unwanted attention. We're the Shitennou. Kunzite would never get over it if we lost our sense of decency! He's pretty suspicious about girls in school uniforms anyway, he says it's like an damn army of Sailor Senshis in the streets." He smirked. "I think he's secretly scared of the day when all at once, several thousands of them might do a cartwheel and show him their panties like you did."
"Like I did what? Sailor Senshi don't flash their panties. They're leotards."
"You mean, they have a tighter fit?"
"I mean they're not underwear. Leotards are definitely overwear."
"Leotards are definitely a weapon that should be made illegal."
Jadeite looked slightly horrified, and Rei liked that.
"Well, if they're such a good weapon, feel free to use them as well."
That horrified him even more.
"No, thanks. It's bad enough with the youma fangirls these days like it is."
"WHAT? Youma what? What do they do, squeal when they see you?"
"More howl, but yes, they do."
"Ha. Ha."
"They really do. They always did, but it's really gotten so much worse today with the upcome of the internet sprites giving them access to modern technology. Youmas are GIRLS, and of course they all have cell phones these days, and upload hundreds of crappy cell phone videos to their facebook pages on which they howl endlessly about Shitennou sightings, and what they would want to do to us if they'd ever get a hold of us."
"You are kidding me."
"Wish I was."
"It must be a joke."
"It's true. They like the t-shirt you bought me, by the way. Lots of howls."
"Thanks. Glad they at least have some taste."
Jadeite made a face.
"Of course they have taste. Why else would they go after me?"
Rei only rolled her eyes.
"You're so silly, Jadeite. So you're not taken."
"Yes, I am. By my duties."
"Which you don't kiss."
"Not necessarily, no."
"Good. Not kissing anyone else either?"
Jadeite grinned. "No."
"Good. Don't grin like that. When I go to school tomorrow and hear them all gossiping about how I make out with someone else's boyfriend in the streets, and start a big fight with them over it, then at least I want to know what it is I'm fighting about."
"Uhm. Always good to know that."
"Why are you still grinning? You think this is funny?"
Jadeite was grinning. No doubt about it.
"I just never thought that sitting with the senshi if passion would lead to girls falling over themselves in order to kiss me."
"Hey!" protested Rei.
"You can't deny it. That's what happened!"
"That's not what happened!"
"That is exactly what happened!"
"It's not! They wanted me to kiss you. That's different."
"How is that any different? Me sitting next to you obviously attracts kiss-crazy girls."
Rei had to keep a straight face, which was hard because that talk was so ridiculous.
"I call that wishful thinking."
Jadeite grinned.
"Well, it's totally obvious what they think you would be doing with me as soon as they see you with a boy."
Keeping a straight face became a lot easier.
"And what is that supposed to mean?"
"Well, it could be them picking up the senshi of passion vibes of course. On the other hand, they know you better than I do..."
"Oh, I don't believe this!" said Rei and gave him a nudge with her ellbow, half angry, half joking. One was allowed to do that with a guy who went after you with a dagger once, right? "You must be pretty desperate if two silly girls bugging you is inflating your ego like this. But that's no excuse to start bugging me now. You take that back immediately!"
"Okay, okay, you're right. I take it back, it wasn't your fault at all. It's all my fault. Considering that I'm such a girl magnet and have this irresistible aura of a Guardian of Earth, and we all know what that means..."
"What? Oh, will you stop it, Jadeite?" said Rei, but then she had to laugh.
"Afraid of the truth, senshi of passion?" grinned Jadeite. "I'm a great kisser, and these girls obviously know that just from looking at me. You would too, if you admitted to it."
That made Rei laugh again.
"What the hell is wrong with you, Jadeite? One girl deciding that kissing you is at least the second best option, and it's going to your head already?"
"She would have done it."
"No, she wouldn't. You heard her. She's thinks it's immoral."
Jadeite's grin became a smirk.
"That's the most eager ones. She would so have kissed the hell out of me. Shall I get her back and ask her to do it?"
"No! Don't mess with their heads! These girls are wicked enough already."
He tried to look disappointed, but failed.
"Just concerned about their well-being, right?" he pouted.
"A bit concerned about the state of your head as well, if you want to know the truth."
Well, aren't we all? Rei wondered why she was suddenly thinking about things that Kunzite would say in that situation, when she realized she had picked up his aura in the crowd. He was coming.
She grinned.
"You know, Jadeite, if you want to be kissed, it'll take a bit more than just to sit here looking pretty. You've got to do something to deserve it."
There was a slight tension around his temples that made her think Jadeite had picked up Kunzite's presence as well.
"Tell me what it is and I can see to it."
And then suddenly, Kunzite stood before them. In civilian clothes. Black suit, white shirt, no tie... no doubt he tried to blend in. But his long black hair, now falling openly onto his shoulders, and his proud, confident stride made him stand out so noticeably that it didn't matter what he wore. Rei caught some women shooting him glances and smiles. She was glad her class mates were gone already.
"Getting along well, it seems," said Kunzite instead of a greeting.
"Mm, yeah, can't complain," answered Rei innocently. "Hi, Kunzite."
"Good evening, Mars. Jadeite..."
Jadeite gave him a long look, then he got up from his seat.
"Want some coffee, Kunzite?"
"Thank you, Jadeite, I think I do."
Jadeite disappeared into the crowd, and Kunzite took his place besides Rei. His demeanor looked casual, but his face said a serious 'I want to talk to you'.
Rei didn't feel so casual.
Not enemies any more... not enemies any more...
"Can he read your mind?" Rei asked with a smile, to loosen up her tension a bit.
Kunzite chuckled. "So it seems. Having a good time, you two?"
"Pretty much, yes. Except for when he was sulking because his honor as a Shitennou keeps him from making out in the streets."
That made Kunzite cock his head in such a puzzled way that Rei decided better not to mention girls with bare knees offering to smooch Jadeite.
Rei smiled. "Don't worry, Kunzite, I think he got over it."
Kunzite made a forgiving movement with his head. "Jadeite is still very young. Shitennou are well educated men, but there are things you can't teach. He has spent his youth bleeding over several battlefields, and keeping monsters company in dark caves. It'll take him a while to get used to these times."
Rei sighed. "I know. But he's doing okay."
"Yes, Mars, with you, he is. And that is no small accomplishment, considering the state he was in when we came to this world. He's doing so much better since he's seeing you."
Rei murmured an embarassed thanks.
Kunzite smirked.
"I knew we could trust you with this. After all, you're a responsible young woman."
This had better not meant what I think it means, thought Rei, and couldn't help being doubly embarassed.
This was probably what you got for teasing Kunzite.
Kunzite sighed. "And you will keep an eye on that Osaka situation, right?"
Rei nodded.
Suddenly, she heard something that made her blood freeze.
The Giggle Sisters were back. This time, at least they bothered greeting. Something about Kunzite reminded people of manners. He sat relaxed, but nothing escaped his attention, and those girls were aware of that. Much too aware, it seemed. And for all the wrong reasons.
"So, Hino-san, is this another of your cousins?" mocked her one of the girls while her eyelashes fluttered at Kunzite.
Kunzite sat upright and gave them a sharp look.
"No," he said. "This is the possessive and protective ex-boyfriend who stays around to make certain Rei-chan is always treated with nothing but utter respect. By anyone."
The girls froze in shock. So did Rei.
Kunzite casually leaned forward, and it took the girls less than five seconds to make a very polite exit.
"Kunzite!" hissed Rei when they were out of earshot. "What the hell? Have you got any idea of the kind of rumours you started?"
Kunzite smirked and leaned back again. "I do hope they spread the message of the respect people owe you."
"Kunzite," groaned Rei. She had a feeling that it would be quite pointless argueing with him now, and also a bit scary. But one thing had to be said. "You don't have to do that. I'm a guardian, too, and I assure you little school girls aren't what I consider a threat."
Kunzite just let out a very satisfied harumph.
Of course that was the moment that Jadeite had to turn up.
"Ex-boyfriend?" asked Jadeite with false astonishment and handed Kunzite his coffee. "Did I miss something?"
Of course he had to overhear the embarassing part.
Rei groaned and tried not to spontaneously combust.
"Just a joke," grumbled Rei. "And not a good one."
Jadeite sat on the other side of Rei.
Not enemies any more, she reminded herself firmly. Not enemies any more. It barely helped. Two not-any-more-enemies were a bit too much. It had taken long enough to get used to one of them.
"You have not been honest with me, Rei," said Jadeite and sulked demonstratively. Rei felt like smacking him again, but didn't dare in front of Kunzite.
"It seems like none of us can help running into ex-somethings on the streets these days," she replied coolly.
"Mayumi wasn't my ex-something," said Jadeite, with a nervouse side-glance to Kunzite. "She was my boss. It was a job."
"Kunzite isn't my ex-something either," said Rei. "And Sailor V has got a few things to say about your job that I won't repeat in public. In case they will turn on your girl magnet powers again and we'll have to deal with another flock of excited class mates."
Jadeite was embarassed, but also smirking to himself.
Kunzite smiled, his gaze resting on Jadeite. Rei was surprised. She would have expected another smirk, some challenging expression. Instead, Kunzite looked happy. Rei remembered Usagi's words 'The Shitennou are so worried about him.'
Jadeite sank a bit deeper into his t-shirt under Kunzite's smile.
But he smiled, too.