Title: Flame
Author: sailorraspberry
Theme: Dynamite
Genre: Romance
Version: Manga
Rating: PG

She stumbled through the thick foliage, grumbling, yanking her hair off stray branches, and cursing the ever-present feeling that her skin would explode into tiny pinpricks of fireworks. The sun was becoming unbearably hot on Earth, and she was beginning to tire of it.

And Serenity was getting trickier to find these days.

The edge of her skirt snagged on the limb of a tree, tearing off a piece of fabric. She cursed, swiping at the sweat on her forehead, and tucked the strand into her bodice. Mercury would sew it on for her later.

A twig snapped, and Venus whipped around, shoving through scatterings of bushes. "Serenity! What do you think you're doing? Coming down to... Earth... without..." She came to a slow, awkward halt, cheeks flushing as she realized that it was not a princess she was yelling at.

He looked surprised, hand poised at the handle of the sword in his belt. His eyes flickered up her body.

Venus pursed her lips. "It is not polite to stare." Then, as she ducked beneath a branch, she smirked. "Introduce yourself."

His jaw clicked, eyes darkened to a dazzling grey. "Kunzite." His stature never faltered. "It is forbidden to trespass in this kingdom."

Her lips curved upwards. "I'm looking for somebody. A princess." The sun danced across her skin in diamonds as she moved forward. "Have you seen her?"

Kunzite narrowed his eyes, and Venus felt a chill run through her. She had ignited his flame. "The tiny girl who sneaks into the prince's chambers? You're one of her guards, then?"

Venus arched a delicate eyebrow. He has seen her. "Are you looking for the prince?" She stopped before him, placing an outstretched palm on her flaring hip. "Endymion is his name. The handsome one."

Kunzite's jaw tightening. Venus's smile grew. She saw a flame dancing in his pupil.

"I'm afraid I haven't seen her. It must be difficult having a bundle of curiosity for a princess."

She accepted the jab with a small laugh. "No different then your prince. You know, Serenity comes home with some crazy stories." She took another step toward him. "Endymion seems like an interesting man, really. But he's inexperienced."

He took the bait. "They're both inexperienced lovers. Young. It's common."

"But not for you, Kunzite? You're a mature man, aren't you?"

His face flashed with the look of incredulity. "Excuse me?"

Venus took another step towards him. She could feel his breath on her face. "Your prince would come home with all sorts of tales. About how she touched him." She touched his jaw, catching and holding his gaze. "How it made him feel." Her fingers dipped to the smooth column of his neck, searching for his pulse. When she found it, she smiled. "I think he felt good." His blood was rushing madly beneath the skin, and as she explored his eyes, she marveled at how the clouds reflected in their depths. Biting her lip, she bent forward. "But you know all those sensations, don't you, Kunzite?"

She counted his heart beats, hoped he knew she was doing so, and touched her lips onto the hollow of his throat. His skin was deliciously warm. "You've experienced them. You've felt them. So you know what I'm trying to do to you. And you're enjoying it."

He glanced down at her, and he caught the look of victory in her wild blue eyes. "What's your name?"

She flushed, pulling away slightly. "I...oh, I must have forgotten..." She stumbled over her embarrassment for a few more seconds, before peeking up at him. "They call me Venus."

He murmured the name, placing a palm on the arch of her back. He delighted himself in feeling the slight tremor there.

And when he finally kissed her, hard and passionate and with something else she couldn't quite distinguish, she felt their bodies erupt into red flames.