A/N just a warning, there is some *adult* stuff in this chapter, but it isn't graphic. Enjoy!

Jadeite awoke the next morning to Rei mumbling in her sleep. He tried to make out what she was saying, ready to wake her in case she became distressed. After realizing there was no immediate cause for alarm, he settled back down into his pillow, ready to go back to sleep. Just as he was about to drift off, Rei began to mumble again.

"Don't leave me…" Jadeite opened one eye, waiting for his fire maiden to speak again. "Jade, please!" He gently placed his hand on her, becoming concerned when he realized she was shaking.

"Rei…" Jadeite kept his voice soft, trying not to startle her.

"JADE, NO!" Jadeite jumped slightly, realizing that she must have been dreaming about their past. He swallowed the lump in his throat, wondering if she was still subconsciously upset with him for what he had done to her.

"Rei, wake up!" he pleaded. He carefully pulled her into his arms and stroked her hair, trying desperately to calm her down.

"I won't forgive you…" she sobbed, making Jadeite feel as though he had just been stabbed through the heart. He couldn't tell if this was part of her nightmare, or how she really felt, and he wouldn't blame her one bit if she did still hate him. After a few minutes, Rei finally opened her eyes, reaching up to wipe away the tears that were blurring her vision.

"Jade?" she murmured, looking up at him. he quickly regained his composure and looked down at her, smiling slightly.

"You're awake…I was worried about you" he said softly, placing her back down on the mattress. Rei looked up at him, unsure of why he would be worried.

"Why?" she asked.

"You were talking in your sleep" Jadeite said, almost too quietly for Rei to hear.

"I was? What was I saying?"

"It sounded like you were dreaming about the past…our past…" Rei felt her heart drop, knowing exactly what it was that had upset him.

"Jade…" she reached for his hand, giving it a light squeeze before speaking again. "Listen to me. Back then, when I watched you walk away from me and pledge your loyalty to Beryl, I was ready to kill you."

"I would have deserved it if you did" Jadeite said, his voice laced with a slight chuckle.

"The only reason I didn't was because I knew I'd get you back one day…" she said softly. "You're more important to me than my own life…if it had been my fate to die by your hands, I would have accepted it with honor." Jadeite chuckled at her words, pulled her into his lap and kissed the top of her head. Rei frowned slightly and looked up at him. "Don't laugh. I'm serious."

"I'm sorry…I just find it a little unreal that you would love me that much…"

"I'm starting to see your point" Rei muttered, turning to get out of the bed. Jadeite quickly grabbed her and pulled her close to him before planting a soft kiss on her lips.

"I'm sorry…I shouldn't have laughed at that. Actually, I know exactly how you feel, because that's how I felt when I betrayed you."

"Why did you do it?" Rei said softly, breaking out of his embrace and turning away from him. Jadeite thought about it, realizing he didn't actually have an answer for her.

"I…"

"You don't know, do you?" she sighed. He couldn't tell what she was feeling in that moment, and more than that, he didn't know what he could do to soften the blow, even just a little bit. Rei finally turned to face him again, and he could see that she had been fighting back tears.

"Rei…" The pain faded from her face and she smiled, which concerned him a little bit.

"Let's just forget about it, okay?" she said as cheerfully as she could. Jadeite gave her a slight nod before getting up to take a shower. Rei stayed in the bedroom while he was gone, staring out the window at the city. After a little while, she decided to get up and get dressed. She stripped out of her pajamas and undergarments, then pulled a strapless red dress out of her bag, relieved that she still had a fresh change of clothes. She unhooked her bra and let it fall to the floor, jumping when the bedroom door opened. She turned her back to the door, feeling her breath catch in her throat. She scrambled to pull the dress over her head, but before she could even come close, she felt a soft hand brush against her back.

"Jade…" she whispered shakily, letting the dress slip from her fingers. His arm wrapped around her waist and she swallowed hard, leaning back into him. Her skin grazed the towel that was draped around his waist and she blushed, too stunned to turn and face him. He leaned closer to her, letting his breath dance across her skin.

"Yes?" he murmured, brushing his lips against her neck. Rei sucked in a sharp breath, unsure of what she should say next…or what she wanted to say. She shakily turned to face him, pulling her long raven hair forward to cover herself. Jadeite gazed at her intently, waiting for her response.

"The door…" she whispered. Jadeite nodded slightly and walked to the door, shutting and locking it. He returned to Rei's side, grinning cheekily.

"Better?" he asked. Rei nodded, suddenly feeling as if the two of them were the only two people that currently existed.

"Thank you" she whispered. She gazed up at him, trying to remember the last time the two of them had been so vulnerable.

"Is something wrong?" Jadeite asked, giving her a concerned look.

"No, I'm just thinking…"

"What are you thinking about?" Jadeite asked. Rei's eyes met his again, and he smiled at the soft blush that had fallen on her cheeks.

"Do you remember the last time we…"

"I remember it well" Jadeite said with a nod. "What brought this on suddenly?"

"When you…walked in on me a bit ago…it reminded me of that" she said shyly. Jadeite responded by pressing his lips to hers and gently placing his hands on her waist. She gently dragged her nails across his skin, giggling when he shivered at her touch. She took a step back and tripped against the bed, grabbing Jadeite to keep herself from falling, but failing. She felt her breath catch in her throat once again, as his body was only mere inches from hers.

"Something like this happened then, too" he chuckled, leaning in to kiss her softly. Rei eagerly returned the kiss, moaning softly as his fingers roamed her skin and pulled her hair out of the way.

"Jade…" Rei murmured, leaning into his touch. Jadeite stopped suddenly, prompting Rei to open her eyes and look at him.

"This is okay, right?" he asked.

"I'd tell you if it wasn't" Rei assured him, lifting her head to kiss him. he deepened the kiss slightly, reaching down to loosen his towel. His lips traveled down to her neck, causing a soft moan to escape her.

"Rei…" he murmured, trailing his kisses further down her body. Rei reached out to run her fingers through his hair, shivering slightly as tiny droplets of water dripped from his hair onto her skin. He slowly kissed his way back up to her lips, letting his fingers dance across every place his lips had touched. She gazed up at him and gave him a slight nod, which he returned before closing the distance between their bodies. As he slowly began to move in her, her eyes fluttered closed.

"Jade" she whimpered.

"Am I hurting you?" he asked, concerned. She shook her head and smiled slightly.

"Of course not" she said with a smile as she leaned into his gentle thrusting. She lifted her head to kiss him, feeling her body tense up slightly as the pleasure overtook the both of them. Rei reached up to wipe the sweat from Jadeite's brow, smiling at him. "I love you, Jade…" she sighed. He laid next to her and smiled, running his fingers through her hair.

"I love you too, Rei…" he whispered, leaning in to kiss her. The two of them decided it was time to get up and face the world, knowing that as long as they were together, everything would be okay.