Author Note: Hello, again! I've been away and haven't had much time to really sit and write, but I'm back and am really excited to continue this story. Thanks so much for the reviews!
A longer chapter this time. I actually wanted to break it up, but that would make for a really small Chapter 9, which I didn't want to do. I hope you enjoy!
I don't own Sailor Moon and have tried to the best of my ability to site my references.
Takeuchi, N. (1991). Sailor Moon. Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan: Kodansha Ltd.
Chapter 8:
The two women continued to talk, laugh, and enjoy each other's company as they played their drinking game. With each passing minute, Minako continued to become more flirtatious as Rei volleyed back just as flirtatiously with her own witty banter.
Half an hour and one empty sake bottle later, Minako was giggling like a school girl, face pink from alcohol, while Rei looked perfectly fine and was giggling at Minako.
"You alright there?," Rei asked in between giggles. Even without her abilities, she could tell Minako was a little buzzed. Not totally inebriated, but slightly buzzed.
"Yeah, I'm good! Totally fine!," Minako replied a little too enthusiastically, "How about you?"
"I'm great," Rei replied with a smirk, "Probably better than you."
"Whatever! I could totally pass a sobriety test right now if I had to!," Minako exclaimed, trying to sound serious. Her continued giggling, though, didn't seem to help support her case or her attempt to sound convincing.
"And there it is," Rei teased, "The line every buzzed person has used since the beginning of time. I'm sure you'd sound really convincing tell a cop how you feel 'sotally tober ociffer'."
"Oh, hush!," Minako giggled. She stood up abruptly, "I'll show you! See? Totally-Whoa!"
As she took her first step in an attempt to try and walk in a straight line to prove her point, she stumbled slightly. Thanks to her quick reflexes, Rei managed to stand and catch Minako in her arms before she fell to the floor.
"Mou, Minako!," Rei chided out of concern, "That was close, be careful!"
Minako giggled as she found her footing and leaned against Rei, "Sorry, Rei-chan," she wrapped her arms around Rei's neck as she rested her head against her shoulder, "It's a good thing you were here to save me. You're my hero."
Rei was about to roll her eyes at Minako's until she felt a sudden shift in Minako's bubbly aura, What the…, Her amethyst eyes widened and her breath began to quicken. She looked down at Minako to find that the smaller woman was staring up at her. Her alluring lips were parted slightly and she was panting softly. Her hooded sapphire eyes sparked intently with something Rei couldn't quite make out. Her aura began to flare with an intensity Rei could barely stand.
"Rei-chan," Minako whispered, "I was wrong."
Rei swallowed and was having trouble finding her voice, "A-About what, Minako?," she whispered nervously.
Minako leaned in and gently brushed her lips against Rei's, sending electric shocks through the taller woman's system, "You don't need cherry lip-gloss," Minako whispered, "You taste good without it."
Orange-golden emotions were swirling rapidly inside of Rei, making her heart race, threatening to envelope Rei in its urgency. They were different from before, tinted with…Desire, Passion. Rei found herself stepping back, only to be met with the dining table, which she ended up leaning against to stabilize herself and keep from collapsing from the intensity of Minako's aura. She was having a hard time catching her breath.
Minako slid one of her hands from Rei's neck to caress the beautiful woman's cheek, stroking it with her thumb, "I find you very attractive…Rei-chan." She closed her eyes and brought their lips together in a heated kiss.
A moan came from the back of Rei's throat as she was taken over by the scent of strawberries and a sudden surge of emotions that erupted inside her. She couldn't tell anymore whether the burning desire she felt was her own or Minako's but, at the moment, she didn't care. She closed her eyes and tightened her grip on the smaller woman as she responded fervently to Minako's kiss.
Minako felt a throb deep inside of her as Rei moaned and kissed her back just as passionately. She deepened the kiss, stroking the pale woman's bottom lip with her tongue, requesting access. Rei parted her lips to allow Minako's tongue to caress her own while she also explored Minako's mouth, taking all of her in. Rei's hands began to roam Minako's back, desperately trying to bring the smaller woman closer while memorizing her slender body.
As the kiss became more heated, the hand Minako had on Rei's cheek slid to the back of her neck and grabbed a fistful of her silky, dark hair. Her other hand moved down Rei's body to wrap around and up her back. As she dragged her nails down between Rei's shoulder-blades over her t-shirt, Rei gasped into Minako's mouth and her back arched reflexively from the sensation, pushing their bodies closer together.
Desperate for air, both women pulled away breathlessly, but not before Minako captured Rei's lower lip between her teeth, causing a needy moan to escaped Rei's lips. Both women were breathing heavily, still holding onto each other with all they had.
Minako leaned her forehead against Rei's as both women tried to catch their breath, "Gods, Rei-chan…you're…such a great kisser," Minako said in between breaths. With her hand still buried in Rei's hair, she gently tugged her head to the side and ducked to the opposite side to ravish Rei's neck with kisses and gentle bites.
"Aah," A sound that was a mix of a yelp of surprise and a moan of pleasure came from the taller woman in response to the new sensation caused by Minako's actions, which only encouraged Minako to continue her ministrations with added fervor. Rei's grip tightened around the smaller woman and she continued to moan as Minako trailed fervent kisses up her neck and nibbled her earlobe, breathing in her distinct vanilla scent.
"Fuck, your moans turn me on," Minako whispered as she continued nipping down Rei's jawline until she came to Rei's lips and moved in for another passionate kiss.
Rei was so lost in these new sensations she almost didn't notice that one of Minako's hands had found its way underneath her shirt and was gliding down her toned stomach towards the waistband of her pants. Rei flinched and her eyes immediately shot open. She quickly placed a hand on top of Minako's, stopping it from going any further. Her other hand went to Minako's shoulder and gently pushed her back, breaking the kiss.
"W-Wait...Minako…," Rei breathed.
Minako opened her eyes, still breathing heavily. Piercing sapphires began searching unsure amethyst eyes. Seeing the look of uncertainty, Minako quickly brought her hands up to cup Rei's face.
"What's wrong, Rei-chan?" Minako whispered.
Rei winced a little as she felt orange-golden pangs of hurt and concern being emitted from the smaller woman. She was fighting for focus inside of herself. Coherent thought was becoming exponentially difficult with Minako's desires, hurt, and confusion swirling inside of her, intermingled with her own desires and hesitations. She closed her eyes and took deep, meditative breaths to try and center herself and sort out the mix of emotions.
Once she felt some semblance of stability, she slowly opened her eyes and brought her hand up to caress Minako's cheek, softly stroking it with her thumb, "Minako, I like you...I really do. It's...it's just that I…I can't," Rei dropped her hand to grip the edge of the table behind her. She pulled away from Minako's touch and averted her gaze to the floor, "I've just…I've never..."
"You've never been with a woman before, have you," Minako said as she gently rested her hands on Rei's shoulders. It was more of a statement than a question, "It's ok, Rei-chan, I figured."
Rei's head shot up and she looked at Minako with surprise, "R-Really?" Her face began to flush with embarrassment, Kami-sama, am I really that obvious?, "H-How did you know?"
"The way you said you didn't have a girlfriend when I asked you earlier," Minako replied softly. A gentle smile played across her lips, "You were so embarrassed, it was adorable." Rei began to feel the same protective, sincere warmth flow through her that she felt when they shared their first kiss earlier that evening. She closed her eyes and smiled softly as she brought her hand up from the table to take one of Minako's hands in her own and place it back on her cheek.
"I like this emotion," Rei sighed, leaning into Minako's touch, "I like it when you feel this way. It makes me feel so safe."
"It's because I care about you, Rei-chan," Minako replied sincerely, "You trusted me enough to share some of your secrets with me and I don't take things like that lightly. I'm not going to take advantage of your trust," she leaned in and placed a light kiss on Rei's forehead, "I'm not going to hurt you. I don't want to hurt you."
As Rei opened her rare, violet eyes, she was met by Minako's caring, cobalt eyes, "It's ok, Rei-chan," Minako said reassuringly, "It's not that much different from being with a guy."
She paused and giggled, "Actually, I take that back, it's way more fun than being with a guy. Don't worry, I'll show you."
She began leaning in to kiss Rei until she felt a feather-light touch of a finger on her lips, stopping her. Rei's other hand stayed on Minako's shoulder, keeping her from moving closer.
"It's…It's not just that, Minako…," Rei stammered. Her gaze had gone to look at the floor again, "I...I just...I can't..."
"…I see," Minako said sadly as she stepped away from Rei.
Rei reflexively let out a sigh of relief as Minako's aura released its hold on her. As she began to understand the jumble of emotions she was feeling while they were connected, she registered one she felt right as Minako stepped away...Heartbreak.
"I-I should...I should go," Minako whispered. She hung her head and looked down at the ground, her bangs masking her face, "I'm sorry for coming over like I did. I don't know what I was thinking."
Rei was taken aback. She watched as Minako's aura shifted to...Hurt? Embarrassment? She quickly stepped in front of the blonde before she could rush past her, "Wait, Minako, I'm sorry, I-" Rei began.
"No, Rei-chan, don't apologize," Minako said softly as she took a step back, "It was my fault. It's fine if you just wanted to be friends. I'm...I'm just really embarrassed, that's all. I was under the impression that we had a connection. I'm really sorry that I misread-"
"Minako, no," Rei quickly interrupted, "No, you didn't. We did have a connection. I mean, we do. It's so magnetic, it's almost crazy. I mean, I just met you and I can't get enough of you. Everything about you is intoxicating. I really like you, I really do, it's just that-"
"Then is it because I'm not pretty enough for you?," Minako whispered, "I mean…you're stunningly beautiful, Rei-chan. You could have anyone you wanted. Is it...is it because I don't measure up?"
Rei's jaw dropping in shock. She was floored by Minako's words, "How...How can you even say that, Minako!? You're the most gorgeous person I've ever met! You took my breath away when I first saw you! It's just-"
"Then what, Rei-chan?," Minako said as she lifted her head to meet Rei's eyes. Tears were beginning to form in her breathtaking, azure eyes and threatened to stream down her cheeks. Rei's heart broke seeing Minako in so much pain, "Because I feel it too. I can't believe how much I like you and we just met. But if we have this connection, if you're attracted to me, and you know I'm attracted to you, then what are you afraid of?"
Rei winced at the last comment. It hit a little close to home. She was afraid. An emotion the beautiful woman always had some trouble dealing with.
"I've…I've just never…," Rei managed to say but couldn't finish. Her face began to flush with embarrassment as she looked away.
"What, Rei-chan?," Minako probed gently. She searched Rei's face until it hit her like a ton of bricks. Her sapphire eyes grew wide with shock and she sobered up quickly. She took a step back and brought a hand up to her mouth.
"Oh my Gods," Minako gasped quietly, "Rei-chan…you're…a virgin?"
Rei's face turned a slightly darker shade of red, confirming Minako's question, "No way...I mean...wow, I just…I find it surprising. I mean, you're so beautiful. I…I thought you at least had been with men before."
"Ugh!," Rei made a sound of disgust as she rolled her eyes. She turned so she was leaning against the dining table again, "I told you, I don't like men."
"Yeah, I know, but...when you said that, I thought maybe it was because you recently had a bad break-up with some guy or something," Minako explained, "I didn't get that you didn't like men at all."
"No, what I was trying to say was that I can tolerate being around them if I have to be. Like interacting with them, not being...with them." She wrinkled her nose in repulsion at the thought.
Shaking her head, she flipped her hair behind her shoulder and crossed her arms in front of her, "So...now you know," she said with a huff as if trying to make up for her embarrassment, "I've never been with anyone before. I've never even dated anyone before. In fact," her eyes returned to the floor, "You…you were my first kiss," she said shyly.
Rei could almost hear Minako's jaw drop, "What!? But…But you're such a good kisser!," Minako exclaimed.
"I was just reading your aura and following your lead," Rei shrugged as she looked sheepishly at Minako. She chuckled at the thought, "I guess my ability does have some advantages other than fortune-telling. It was really fun reading you while I was trying to do what I wanted to also."
"Huh…wow…," was all Minako could say in her state of shock. She averted her gaze to the ground.
Both women sat in silence for a bit. Rei fidgeted anxiously as she watched Minako warily, who seemed to be deep in thought. Her aura emitted Shock, Disbelief and…Regret?
After a few seconds, Rei couldn't take the silence anymore. She dropped her arms and straightened from leaning against the table. Looking away, she began to speak nervously, "I…I totally understand if…if all of this is...too much for you and you decide...that you don't want to be with me. But I'm…I'm just not ready...for that yet."
A pair of arms circled her neck as Minako embraced Rei, Yep...definitely Regret, Rei thought as she felt Minako's aura. She braced herself for Minako to apologize out of regret for coming over and to say goodbye.
"I'm so sorry, Rei-chan," Minako said softly in her ear.
Here it comes, Rei thought. She held her breath as she waited for the inevitable.
"Gods, if I had known, I would have done things differently," Minako whispered.
Wait…what?, Rei thought to herself. She was perplexed as she began feeling a strong wave of guilt mixed in with the regret being emitting from the smaller woman. She couldn't help the tears that began to sting her eyes from the overwhelming emotions.
"I would have asked you out properly instead of just coming over like I did. I wouldn't have kissed you until you were ready and it was what you wanted," Rei began to feel Minako's body shake as the blonde started to cry, "I…I wouldn't have made passes at you and tried to sleep with you. I'm so sorry, Rei-chan, for cheating you out of your first kiss and forcing myself on you."
"Minako…," Rei whispered. She brought her arms up to warmly embrace the smaller woman. Though she knew Minako couldn't feel her aura, she put all of herself in the hug she gave to comfort the gorgeous blonde, trying to combat the sadness that was flowing from the smaller woman.
"Shhh, it's ok," Rei cooed as she stroked her silky blonde hair, "Minako, don't apologize. I was really, fucking nervous when you came over, but I'm so glad that you did. Like you said, we just met and I've never felt I could trust someone so completely enough to share my secrets with. Being with you, just getting to know you, has been the best time I've had in years. And our first kiss...it was magical. It was so perfect. I wouldn't have wanted it any other way."
As Rei comforted the smaller woman, she began to feel the orange-gold hues of sadness melt away and Minako's crying slowly came to an end. After a moment, Minako brought her hands to Rei's shoulders and gently pushed herself away to search Rei's face for any hint of deceit. Rei confidently looked into Minako's questioning gaze, willing her to believe what she was saying. Slowly, she leaned in and captured Minako lips in a gentle, chaste kiss as if affirming she was telling Minako the truth. She smiled to herself when she felt Minako respond in kind, her aura relaxing to acceptance.
When the kiss ended, violet met cerulean and both women became lost in each other's gaze. Rei brought her hand up to gently wipe the tears from Minako's cheeks, "I find you very attractive, Aino Minako," she said softly.
"You used my line, cheater," Minako giggled softly as she shook her head.
"So you were using lines on me! I knew it!," Rei replied triumphantly. Both women began to laugh, breaking the tension between them.
"Whether they were 'lines' or not doesn't change the fact that I meant them," Minako replied sincerely.
A thought came to her and she looked at Rei quizzically with a raised eyebrow, "Not even one date, Rei-chan?"
"Well…lots of guys and a few girls have asked me out before," Rei shrugged. She brought her hands to rest on Minako's slender hips, "But I just never had the time. I was always practicing, studying, in class, working, or going to competitions. And I was never really into anyone anyways...well...until you."
Minako blushed slightly as Rei continued, "In any case, like I said, I usually keep my distance from people because of my abilities so I always turned them down. In fact, including today, I can probably count how many times I've been physically close to someone on one hand."
The shock that rippled through Minako's aura didn't go unnoticed by Rei. She was floored by this revelation. Having grown up with an affectionate twin sister like Usagi, warm hugs were not uncommon and she carried that with her through her friendships and relationships into adulthood. Physical affection was second-nature to her, as natural as breathing or blinking. She almost couldn't comprehend what Rei was saying, "So your grandfather and your friends were never affectionate with you?"
Rei's face fell slightly, "Sometimes they get a little…too overprotective of me. I mean, I've never felt unloved or anything, I know they love me just as much and as deeply as I love them. They just worry about me because they understand how strong my abilities are. There was this one incident back in elementary school and, ever since then, they try to keep their distance because they know how much energy it can take out of me. They're afraid that I might…well…like what happened when you hugged me earlier...but worse. Even though I'm already so used to their auras and I've told them that before, they're still afraid I might strain myself."
Rei shrugged, "So…yeah...," she trailed off.
Minako's heart ached as she imagined a younger Rei losing her mother, being teased and isolated at school, having a father that barely wanted anything to do with her other than to use her, and having a grandfather and two friends who loved her but were too afraid for her sake to show her affection, Gods, to be so alone…so deprived of affection...and yet have such a caring heart and be so gentle…It's no small miracle she's not psychopathic!
Rei could feel the overwhelming concern coming from the smaller woman and immediately felt uneasy. Even though Minako made it easy for her to be herself and to feel safe to share so much, she was still a proud woman and didn't want to be seen as 'broken'. It's just the cards she was dealt in life, no big deal. She survived, didn't she? A small part of her also feared that Minako would try to distance herself out of concern as Haruka, Michiru, and her grandfather had. She really enjoyed Minako's affectionate personality and, in a small way, was becoming addicted to her warm aura.
Before she could play it off to try and reassure the blonde, her attention was grabbed by Minako gently cupping her face in her hands. Her face was serious as she looked intently into Rei's lavender eyes, "Rei-chan, I really like you and I…I want to see where this goes. As you can tell, I'm a physically affectionate person. But I don't ever want you to feel pressured into doing something you don't want to do. I can't read you like you can read me so I need you to talk to me and be honest, especially when it comes to physical stuff. If we do this, we'll take things slow and go at a pace you're comfortable with, ok?"
Rei smiled in relief at Minako's words. The gorgeous blonde had surprised her at every turn. She respected her privacy when Rei was reluctant to share about some of the specifics of her job or family and she hadn't run away screaming when she told her about her abilities or that she was a virgin in so many ways. In fact, she was still in her arms, as close as ever, and wanting more. She could sense that Minako was telling the truth about taking things slow and being honest.
"Mmn," Rei nodded in agreement as she felt Minako's sincerity and honesty flow through her, "I like the sound of that."
Minako smiled as she stepped back from Rei and out of her embrace, "Ok, then. Now there's just one last thing to take care of."
Rei blinked at Minako in confusion, "What?"
Minako giggled as she grasped Rei's hands in her own, "Rei-chan," she said as a slight blush painted her cheeks, "Will you…go out with me?"
Rei smiled as she squeezed Minako's hands, "Yes."
"Gods, I'm so glad you said 'yes'," Minako sighed, feigning relief, "I was nervous that you might have gotten used to saying 'no' to all your other suitors that you'd turn me down and all of this would have been really awkward!"
Both women laughed as they hugged each other warmly, "Are you sick of my aura invading your body yet?," Minako asked playfully.
"Never," Rei replied squeezing the blonde tighter. "It's nice now that I've adjusted to it."
"Good, because it's already 3:00am and I'm not driving home with sake on my breath," Minako replied. Her voice lowered to a seductive tone, "So, we're sleeping together whether you like it or not."
Rei froze when she heard Minako's words. But, after a quick scan of Minako's aura, she relaxed and realized she was, again, being teased by the gorgeous blonde.
"Mou, Minako," Rei whined playfully as she pulled away, "Whatever happened to 'no pressure' and 'going at a pace I'm comfortable with'?"
Minako giggled and stuck her tongue out at the taller woman, "I just meant we'd sleep in the same bed together, not that anything would happen. You really are ecchi, aren't you, Rei-chan?"
Rei pouted playfully as Minako giggled at her expense, "Hey, where's the fun in dating you if I can't tease you a little, huh?"
Rei continued to pout as she looked away, "Mou, Rei-chan," Minako cooed as she kissed Rei on the cheek, bringing a soft blush to the taller woman's cheeks, "Forgive me?"
"Mmn," Rei replied shyly. She turned back to look at Minako, "It is really late, isn't it? C'mon, I have a set of pajamas you can use so you can be more comfortable."
The two women cleaned up the dining table and the kitchen before heading to the bedroom where Rei provided Minako with a change of clothes, which she took to the guest bathroom and prepared for bed, while Rei used her master bathroom for her nightly routine.
When both women crawled into bed, Minako immediately scooted closer to the raven-haired woman, resting her head on her chest while wrapping an arm around her neck. Rei wrapped her arm protectively around Minako's shoulders, pulling her closer, enjoying the warmth of the smaller woman. They each said their good nights before drifting into peaceful slumber.
Doo da da Doo da da Doo da da da!...Doo da da Doo da da Doo da da da!...
The digital notes of a cell phone startled the sleeping blonde out of rest. She rolled to her back and reached over groggily, trying to paw at her nightstand to find her phone, only to be met with more bed that she was used to. She tilted her head and opened her eyes slightly to see why she couldn't find her nightstand. Realizing she wasn't in her own bed, her eyes shot open and she bolted up into a sitting position, which she immediately regretted when a searing headache hit her like a sledgehammer.
That's right, I'm at Rei-chan's place, Minako thought. She made a grumbling sound as she slowly rolled out of bed and stumbled towards her purse, which was on a table at the other end of the room. Once she reached it, she dug inside to find her phone. When she picked it up and saw who was calling, her eyes immediately widened,
Oh, shit…, she thought as she flipped her phone open and hesitantly brought it to her ear.
"…H-Hello?," Minako said meekly.
"WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU!? YOU NEVER TEXTED ME LAST NIGHT TO SAY YOU GOT HOME! I TEXTED AND YOU NEVER WROTE BACK! WHEN I TRIED CALLING YOUR CELLPHONE, IT KEPT GOING TO VOICEMAIL. I WAS ABOUT TO CALLED THE POLICE!," Usagi yelled in the phone. Minako had to hold the phone away from her ear to avoid losing her hearing and to avoid making her headache any worse than it already was. She squinted at her phone, 10:00am. Not only was she losing battery, she also didn't have much signal. She moved closer to the window and managed to get a few more bars.
"S-Sorry, Usa-neechan!," Minako said apologetically as Usagi continued to scold her through the phone, "I totally forgot! I'm sorry! I'm okay! I stayed over at…at a friend's house and I don't have much signal here."
"Mou, Mina-chan! You're my baby sister! If anything happened to you, I…I…," Usagi began wailing and bawling on the other end of the line.
"Mou, Usa-neeeecchhaaaaannn!," Minako whined, Gods, sometimes she can be such a baby!, "I don't have much battery left on my phone. I'm fine, I swear! I promise I won't forget to text you ever, ever, ever again, ok?"
It was then that Minako remembered something she wanted to tell her, which she knew would help her situation, "But it's not going to happen again because I got a promotion yesterday."
Usagi immediately stopped crying, "A promotion?," she asked curiously.
"Yeah!," Minako replied quickly, trying to capitalize on the break in Usagi's hysterics, "I'm going to be the morning manager starting Monday from 7:00am to 2:00pm so I won't be coming home late anymore."
"THAT'S SO AWESOME, MINA-CHAN!" Usagi squealed. Minako held the phone away from her ear again. She silently cursed the gods for the invention of alcohol, drinking games, and high-pitched twin sisters.
"Th-Thanks, Usa-neechan," Minako replied, "I'll tell you all about it when we meet up later today, ok? I've got to go."
"Ok, Mina-chan, see you later!," Usagi said cheerfully, "Don't forget to bring everything you need for today, alright?"
"Yes, ma'aaam," Minako replied obediently. She was about to end the conversation when-
"And, Mina-chan, you can tell me all about your friend who you stayed over with last night when we pick you up. I know that Karin-chan and Azumi-chan left for her parents' house yesterday so it can't be them!," Usagi said teasingly.
Ah, shit..., Minako cursed to herself, "Ok," she replied defeatedly, "Love you, Usa-neechan."
"Love you too, bye!" Usagi said before hanging up the phone.
Minako flipped her phone closed and sighed as she dropped her phone back into her purse. She realized then that her purse was on top of her neatly folded clothes, which appeared to be freshly laundered. Turning to look back at the bed, she realized that Rei wasn't there.
Huh, I wonder where she went, she thought as she stumbled to the master bathroom, which Minako could have sworn was the same size as her studio apartment and could rival a spa.
To the right was a long sink unit that spanned most of the wall with His and Her sinks...
Or perhaps...Her and Her?, Minako smiled to herself.
...with white counter-tops and dark-wood cabinets that sat beneath an expansive mirror. A long, plush, red, shag rug was on the floor in front of it and spanned the length of the unit. Beyond that in the far-right corner was a toilet room with a door in which one could use the facility in private if so desired. In the far-left corner was a large shower unit with glass panels and a large, square rainfall shower head installed right in the ceiling, complete with digital controls for water temperature, and tiled sandstone that matched the tiled floors throughout the bathroom.
In between the two, perpendicular to that wall, was a tub that looked like it could easily fit three to four people. Rather than having to climb over the edge to get in and out of it, the tub was sunken into the ground and had a small set of stairs built in to allow for someone to step down into it. The ledge along the width of the tub against the wall was lined with white pillar candles of varying heights and above that was a window that spanned to the ceiling, allowing for someone who was in the tub to enjoy perhaps the warm sunlight during the day or stargazing at night.
To the left, across from the sink unit and a couple yards or so from the shower, was a wide vanity area built into the wall with a large, wide mirror and vertical vanity lights on either side, and a bench-style vanity stool with a white cushion and dark-wood frame that matched the sink unit. The space between the vanity area and the shower had built-in cabinets that matched the sink unit next to a couple towel racks which had fluffy, white towels with red trim neatly folded over them. The six, rectangular skylight windows in the ceiling allowed for the room to be bathed in natural sunlight, adding to the tranquility of the space.
When Minako turned to the sink unit, she immediately knew the sink closest to the door was the one Rei used as it had a toothbrush sitting in a toothbrush holder next to a soap dispenser. When her gaze went to the other sink, she found an extra toothbrush had been set out on a neatly folded towel waiting for her. She smiled at Rei's attention to detail and thoughtfulness as she started her morning routine.
Refreshed and changed back into her clothes, Minako felt a little better though she was still battling a lingering headache. She quietly opened the door of the bedroom and walked out to the living room to find Rei, dressed in a flattering, grey t-shirt with cap sleeves and black fitted jeans, sitting at the dining room table, reading a newspaper, and sipping a cup of green tea.
Beautiful Rei...devastatingly beautiful Rei…doing something so...normal. Minako couldn't help but giggle at the sight.
At the sound of the melodic voice, Rei looked up and smiled at the gorgeous blonde across the room, "Your head must be throbbing, the colors around there are all fuzzy."
She placed the newspaper down and got up to go to the kitchen, motioning for Minako to come over. As Minako approached the breakfast bar, Rei retrieved a mug from a cabinet, filled it with coffee that she had freshly brewed, and placed it on the bar. She pulled out a bottle of aspirin from a drawer and placed it next to the mug in front of Minako.
"How are you feeling?" Minako asked.
"Great," Rei replied, "Like I said, I'm really good at drinking."
"You should teach me sometime," Minako groaned. She took the bottle and shook out two pills and quickly popped them into her mouth. Carefully, she chased them down with a sip of the black coffee. She closed her eyes and sighed contently, already feeling better with the warm, black liquid in her system.
Rei walked around the bar and gently hugged Minako from behind, resting her chin on Minako's shoulder, "Better?"
"Mmn, much. Thank you," Minako said as she leaned her head back onto Rei's shoulder, enjoying being held by the taller woman, "I should go. I have to meet my sister at 1:00pm and I still have a few things to do before then." She turned within the raven-haired woman's arms so they were facing each other. She wrapped her arms around Rei's neck, "I'll be out of town later today, but I'm coming back tomorrow. Can I see you then?"
"Mmn," Rei replied, "That works out because I'll be out of town and won't be back until tomorrow either."
"Well, we're just perfect for each other then, aren't we?," Minako said playfully.
Rei leaned in and placed a soft kiss on Minako's lips, "I'd like to think so," she whispered.
Minako blushed slightly as she looked up at the beautiful woman. She leaned in, resting her forehead against Rei's, and closed her eyes, "I'm going to miss you," she sighed.
"I'll miss you, too," Rei replied softly. Minako gently broke out of Rei's embrace to retrieve her phone from her purse. She flipped it open and began quickly typing before shutting it again.
Beep Beep!
Rei's cellphone beeped in her pocket, signaling a received text message. She pulled it out of her pocket and flipped it open. A text from a Tokyo number was in her phone and the body of the message contained a local address.
"Now we're even," Minako said playfully as she put her phone away. Rei smirked as she quickly stored the information in her phone and placed it back into her pocket.
"Text me when you get back in town?," Minako asked as she stepped closer to the taller woman and back into her embrace, wrapping her arms around her neck again.
"Mmn," Rei replied with a nod. Minako leaned in and kissed Rei on the lips. This time, the kiss lasted a little longer and slowly deepened. Though she wanted nothing more than to continue, Minako knew she had to get going and it took everything in her to end it. She pulled away reluctantly and took a deep breath.
"Thank the Gods for your gift, Rei-chan," Minako sighed, "Your kisses are heavenly." Rei blushed slightly at the complement.
"I have to go," Minako whispered as she headed to the door with Rei close behind. After putting on her shoes and opening the door, she turned and quickly kissed Rei on the cheek and left.
Once Rei closed and locked the door, she turned around and leaned her back against it, a wide smile gracing her lips, "Fuck, I don't know if I can wait until Sunday to see her again!"
Author Note: And, after four chapters, we have finally come to the end of the scene in Rei's condo. Thanks for bearing with me on this!
A rudimentary version of this entire condo scene was actually what started this whole story. I imagined Minako going over to Rei's place for some reason or other and them drinking and getting to know each other. I originally thought it would just be a one-shot, but then I started to ask myself questions like, "Why would she do that? What would have to happen to lead up to such a scene? Where will they go from there?" And that's how this story began.
When I started writing this story, I thought it would be my first and, most likely, my last. As I mentioned in a previous chapter, writing isn't something I normally do so this is all very new to me. But, while I was traveling and away from my computer, I had a few flights that were at horrendous hours. In the middle of it all, in my delirious state between sleeping and being awake on one of the many layovers, I had a dream...or perhaps a vision?...about Rei and Minako. It was such a fleeting image, but one that I think will be a great basis for a new story. Though I'll need to do a bit of research for it, I've already begun developing the basic elements of how it will begin and end. But I won't start writing it until I've finished writing this one, of course. ^_^
Thanks for reading thus far! Constructive feedback/reviews would be greatly appreciated!
(updated 09/2013)