He had gotten them all in a row, twice on one day! It was just unbelievable! In his mind, Jadeite replayed all the things they'd done to him, and tried to pick a favourite, but it was impossible...

"Hey, Jadeite!" yelled Rei at him. "Are you deaf? How often do I have to tell you not to put the charms in the boxes upside down?"

Jadeite awoke from his sweet memories. "Sorry, Mars," he mumbled. "Didn't realize it..."

It wasn't like he could read modern Japanese, to him the charms looked all the same, whether they were upside down or not.

"I told it to you about three times in the last five minutes!" Rei wasn't softened one bit by his lame apology. "You are almost as bad as Usagi!"

Jadeite's face lit up.

"Hey, that wasn't a compliment!" complained Rei.

"It was."

"No, it was not."

"Yes, it was."

"No, it wasn't!"

"Yes, it was."

With a disapproving grunt, Rei turned away. This guy was just hopeless!

She suddenly felt turned around by this guy, and felt his lips on hers.

Just as sudden, he released her and kept on working on the charm box.

For a moment, Rei was speechless, watching his broad smile, still feeling his lips.

"And what was that about?" she then asked.

Jadeite shrugged and grinned. "Nothing. It just came over me. You are too gorgeous, I can't help it."

"A-ha..." said Rei, somewhat bewildered, but she didn't get angry.

Jadeite smirked to himself. It was unbelievable what you got away with when your girlfriend didn't know the first thing about boys.

"Any reason why you are in such a good mood today?"

Oh, I did all the guys in a row, and I did it twice!

"Just had a good day."

Rei sat next to him.

"Tell me about it. I haven't seen you like this forever. You're usually so swamped in other guys' work that you hardly know which day of the week it is. It's a nice change."

Jadeite had to think quick, and click every girlfriend friendly and Rei friendly filter in between him and his speech.

"You know, it's nothing. Shitennou business. I maybe shouldn't tell you."

That bought him the seconds he needed to rewrite his thoughts, but of course it made Rei twice as curious.

"What is it?"

"Well... Zoisite and Kunzite had been (not getting laid) fighting for days, and Nephrite and me finally had enough of it and made them (sleep with each other) make up again. And then we just (fucked each other senseless to celebrate) spent some time together. You know, (pleasing each other) sitting together with a cool drink (in our creepy subspace forest) in our garden... it's been a while that we (had this really cool kind of foursome) did something together. We did it in the old times, when I was younger, but not lately, and I really missed it."

Rei smiled at him with the warm and fond expression that she used when she thought he wouldn't see it.

"That's really cute..."

"It is?" Girls' rule of cute was still a mystery to Jadeite who thought youma grubs were cute and had to learn a lot now he was together with Mars.

Rei kissed him lightly.

"Yes, it is."

Jadeite's cock slowly realized that at that rate, he might even do Mars today... if he was up to it... and suddenly, Jadeite had butterflies in his stomach again.

"Have I died and gone to heaven and someone forgot to tell me about it?" he asked with a broad grin.

Rei laughed. Lately, Jadeite had been incredibly bitchy, but today he was the Jadeite that melted her down with just his cute smile. She really needed to kiss him more often.

"So, Kunzite and Zoisite are..."

"Yeah. You didn't know?"

"I sort of guessed... they're so cute together..."

In his memory, Jadeite saw Zoisite yelling out in pain, and then fiercely biting Kunzite's lip to make him thrust harder...

His eyes widened.

"They are?"

"I'd say! Err... you realized you turned every charm twice so now they are the wrong way up again?"

"What? No... I'm really sorry... I guess I am not really helping today..."

"You look tired."

Wow. Mars really was nice today. She didn't even yell at him any more. The Kunzite/Zoisite news seemed to cheer her up. Was it possible she was a boy on boy fangirl? Now that would open some future options...

"Yes, a bit. We're pretty busy with the preparations of the Master's birthday party."

"And let me guess, they let you do all the work again."

"Wish they were. Nephrite does the drinks, because supermarkets just accuse me of carrying a false ID if I want to buy alcohol. I currently try to get it through to him that you girls don't plan to drink yourselves senseless, but he just doesn't get it. I guess I'll have to cut the non-alcoholic drinks out of the food budget."

"Why don't you ask Ami to come shopping with him? She could tell him what she wants to drink at a party, and I bet he is listening to her."

Jadeite looked at her in admiration. "That's a great idea. Do you think she'll do that?"

"Of course she would. Just go ask her."

"I will. That would be a great help."

Rule number one for handling Mars: Make her feel useful, she always wants to help people. Give her the chance to fuss about matters that aren't her business at all.

Jadeite had found that one out soon, and so far, the rule had served him well.

She sure looked satisfied now, but didn't kiss him again. That wasn't good enough.

"You know, Mars," said Jadeite, "If I can't be of much use here in the shrine, how about I go and get us some ice-cream?"

Now she kissed him. Ice-cream always worked, primitive, but efficient.

"That would be wonderful, Jadeite, just what I need now. Could you get me something fruity, or maybe joghurty, or maybe..."

Jadeite grinned. "Sorry, Mars, it's going to be a surprise."

"What? But you know I don't like creamy..."

He kissed her in the middle of the sentence.

"Of course I know what you like and what you don't. Trust me."

Mars made a sceptical face, but let him go without complaining.

xxx

On the way to the ice cream parlor Jadeite thought his options over.

Just eat the ice-cream together, compliment her to death and hope for the best? No, not good enough. Too uncertain.

Start a fight and go for make up sex? A good one, but he wasn't feeling like fighting.

Surprise her with a teleport to a romantic place and just corner her there? Risky, but very satisfying if it worked.

No, he didn't want to take a risk today. He wanted her, and he had a good feeling about it. He would do the fight. He could still teleport them to somewhere nice afterwards.

"Lemon and vinegar-beetroot! Jadeite, you are an ice-cream genius!"

It had been the shop owner's recommendation, but she didn't need to know that.

"Just had a feeling you'd like it."

"Thank you, Jadeite."

They sat in Rei's room and ate the ice-cream, and Jadeite had well noticed she had changed her outfit while he was gone. A good sign. He suppressed the urge to compliment her on her looks and narrowed his eyes instead.

"I bet Yuuichirou doesn't know your favourite food just as well! Except if you've been going out with him..."

"What?"

"I saw you kiss him."

Rei turned her head away. "You shouldn't stalk me. It's not what you think," she said.

"I think you kissed him."

Black clouds of anger and guilt built up in Rei's face.

"Yeah, I did... but... Jadeite, I don't know why I did that. It's not like he could replace you or so..."

"I should hope that very much," said Jadeite bitter. "I really hope you just go for others because they have something you don't find in me, and not because they are better at something I thought I was good at."

"Jadeite..."

Jadeite sighed and leaned his head back against the doorframe he was sitting in. The light from outside would give Rei a good outline of his profile which she said she loved.

"I know I leave you alone too often, Rei. I know I don't deserve you. But that selfish, spoiled brat Yuuichirou..."

"He has changed... he really tries to become a better person now..."

"While I am the guy who still can't do anything well but handling youmas and slitting throats!"

He materialized one of his crystal daggers and rammed it angrily into the wooden floor. Suddenly, the fight wasn't a game any more. She hadn't said she was sorry, she hadn't said she loved him, and she had praised that brat in front of him!

"Jadeite!" shrieked Rei. And then she was kneeling next to him.

"Jadeite, that's not true. It's not true you aren't good enough for me. I see all the things you do for your friends, and for me, and for the people you protect. I see how much you care for everyone. I know you're a good guy. You aren't just a blood-thirsty beast master to me."

"What?" said Jadeite incredulous, making his lemon biter face. "I am a blood-thirsty beast master, but thankfully, that's not all I am to you?"

"No, that's not what I meant!"

"Then why did you say it?"

"I didn't... I... I didn't... wait, Jadeite!"

But Jadeite had gotten up and angrily walked down the shrine's yard on socks.

xxx

Rei didn't follow him right away. She knew where to find him later, and if she didn't, her ravens would find him for her. She needed to take some deep breaths, calm down, and prepare herself for something she hardly ever did: apologize.

But first, she would change her outfit again. He hadn't commented on this one, not even kissed her in it, let alone tried to get her out of it, so he probably didn't like it. And she knew she would feel a lot better with this apologizing if she knew he was a bit distracted. And if her plan to get him into her bed was supposed to work anytime today, she better not take chances. Lace panties. And hot pants. If she wore the right ones, it wouldn't matter what else she'd wear.

Man, why was it always such a piece of hard work to get Jadeite laid? She had thought boys were simple minded and would jump at every opportunity to get some sex. But Jadeite always had emotional issues that needed to be taken care of first.

Of course, him being so sensitive and sweet and honest with his emotions was what she loved about him, and he also was probably too mature and responsible to take a relationship too easy. But every now and then, she would have loved to be able to take him, just like that. Well, the day wasn't over yet, and she still had a chance to seduce him.

It had been stupid to kiss Yuuichirou. It wasn't like her to cheat on someone. But it hadn't felt like cheating at all. Just like kissing Minako wasn't cheating.

Whoah, she started to sound more complicated than Jadeite.

Time to make matters simple.