Can you tell I'm faking it? But I want to be myself
A counterfeit disposition
Can't be good for my health
So many different faces
Depending on the different phases
-No Doubt, "Magic's in the Makeup"

She awoke to the sensation of warmth surrounding her. It naturally took her eyes more than a few blinks, took her breath more than a few inhales and exhales, to come fully awake. Slowly her gaze brought everything into clarity and focus, arming herself with the knowledge that the black she saw was sheets. It wasn't night time; sunlight still poured into the room though the sun had dipped considerably lower in the sky, marking the passage of time to be on the way to sunset.

She hadn't recalled falling asleep here. Here as in the bed here. For that matter she hadn't recalled falling asleep but with wakefulness came the flood of memories back to her. Instantly she felt her face flushing, heating at once while her body tingled from the feeling. Her eyes quickly scanned, not yet believing everything until they focused on the fact there was a body next to her.

The blonde was asleep, propped up by a few pillows to be more sitting than laid out flat on her back. Tousled, her hair spilled out around her in a complete contrast to the red and black sheets that made up the bedding. For the first time that she could recall, since meeting her, she looked to be at peace. Not that she made a habit of looking at her while she was asleep since typically she was as well, but she had always looked troubled. Now though she seemed … relaxed. As though she was actually getting rest.

Even while she had been recovering, she hadn't looked that good. She hadn't tossed and turned from what they had told her, but still… A frown came to her mind for a moment before pressing upwards to sit. Naturally warm she didn't grasp the sheet that found its way around her for warmth but rather for modesty. Regret hadn't infused itself into her; it felt more like awe and slow realization that Minako had carried her over to the bed at some point in time.

That was her reason to frown. Sitting upright she had a better view of the blonde who hadn't shifted or anything with her movements. At least she didn't snore… idle things like that kept her thoughts from dwelling on the fact her jacket had nearly fallen open, barely covering her body but not the amount of bandages that had been tightly bound across her ribs. Without a sign of anything red meant she hadn't reopened her wound when she was being so stupidly sweet.

Just under her breast she had been stabbed. Of course it wasn't a clean hit, leaving quite a mess that the priests had managed to handle remarkably well, and perhaps they were too generous with their bindings. That though, for how life threatening as it was, seemed to pale in comparison to the tainted essence that had turned her eyes beyond bloodshot and left her skin burning to the touch. She still did not know how they had managed to purge it from her, but perhaps it had something to do with the very Fires no longer feeling so … evil and wrong.

Between checking in on the blonde, looking after Phobos and Deimos who retained their raven forms, and the King; oh that was a bitter point of contention right there, she had spent the rest of her time in front of the Fires. No longer held sway over she found the visions that had haunted her before to be distant, but distinct, nightmares. They did not infiltrate her sleep but neither could she completely shake them either. The Fires also hadn't taken away the sense of combat that she now had, a bit alarming but it gave her further to do since time was all she had.

It wasn't some case of running from the present, but the one with the most answers was also deeply asleep. Personally, she had seen to her attire being clean and hung in the wardrobe. It took a bit of time, but time she had plenty of, to see to her armor and falchion, the former giving to one of the smiths to see repaired despite his grumbles that it was not an alloy he was used to working with but he managed all the same, and the latter she carefully sharpened and honed. While it was tempting to go through her things, she respected the privacy presented and let them be.

Without conscious realization her fingers had trailed along Minako's face, following the delicate line of her neck, along her throat, to rest for a moment over her heart as for the most part, her jacket wasn't covering her. That it was even beating was a miracle it felt like, frowning further as her gaze rose to rest on her face. Gently the tips of her fingers probed at her temple, more than aware of what she had done to her. It had healed for the most part in the time that Minako was asleep but still held the remains of bruising even though it was faint.

"You shouldn't even be alive … much less here … and yet you are." She spoke softly, not wanting to wake her even though, by way of the sunlight that spilled into the room, she would eventually need to get up. Personally she had been gone for hours, and while no one kept tabs on her so to speak, it was just a matter of time. "I don't know what you've done to me." She finished with a breath, absently filtering her fingers through the blonde hair that otherwise had a mind of their own, escaping the length of red cloth that she couldn't really believe was being worn in such a fashion.

"I don't really know what I should think about you… or maybe it should be I don't know how I should feel about you. You came out of basically nowhere and since then, it's like everything I've ever known has been challenged and questioned. You have some insufferable personality… you don't think about yourself… you stupidly rush off into things no matter what ... no matter what's been done to you. And for what … some … some words that you swore and ideal that I never asked you for. But you gave it to me freely…"

Her fingers had eventually left her hair, trailing instead down her face once more, across her body as she spoke what had bothered her from the start. That it would have seriously helped for Minako to be awake hadn't crossed her mind, but speaking regardless was therapeutic enough to her that she continued on anyway. "You're a Venusian… I can't believe you didn't speak up at all for everything I said. No one really thought that you were though; everyone thought you were some Lunarian. Maybe you took it on yourself to come across as one so people would take you seriously. Maybe it's something we have in common; pretending to be something that we're really not…"

Her voice trailed off as her eyes returned to their focus, alarm slowly growing within their depths. While she had spoke her hand hadn't had any reservations of what it wanted to do, even subconsciously. Parting her jacket that really wasn't doing shit for hiding anything on Minako's body anyway, her realization had chosen to come back when she noticed her fingers had been teasing her breast. Against the pad of her thumb Minako's nipple firmly pressed, perked by the ministrations.

That was reason for alarm, but the rest came from the fact that blue eyes were regarding her. There wasn't any negative judgement present within them; understanding yes, something more like arousal or desire or want as well. Her gaze looked tired in a way, but there wasn't any audacity or indication she should stop. More so especially after she spoke, her voice low and sultry, "Mm, not reason enough to stop…"

Instantly she blushed, quickly drawing her hand away as though being burned, only for Minako to stop her with her own. Without reservation she drew her hand back to her breast, before she stretched out under her, letting her own hand fall to the wayside however it desired. "You have warm hands…" A drawn in breath that she could more than feel before further words followed. "You're mostly right. Few would, much less do, take me seriously. That I'm Venusian," she smirked, meeting her gaze, "it must mean I have only one thing on my mind, yes?"

She did her best to offer a snort of indifference, but it was rather hard with the smooth, supple and firm flesh virtually in her grasp. It didn't help that her mind had wondered this very moment, had imagined this very thing. Minako didn't say anything for a while, merely remaining her in lounging lay back against the pillows. Not daring to move her hand meant though that it didn't take too long before the blonde softly giggled, "I can go back to sleep if it gets your confidence back."

"Gods you really are insufferable." Not that she had much ground to stand on, given that she was just dressed in a sheet wrapped around her. Withdrawing her hand, she pulled the sheet tighter around her, lips twisting into something that was disapproval. The look lasted all of seconds, long enough for Minako to push up to sit, crawling a bit until she was poised on her knees before her, before sinking down to sit once more.

Meeting her gaze she considered for a moment before she finally said something. "I might be insufferable…" she trailed off, leaning forward until their lips were just a breath of air away from one another's. Her hand rose, fingertips following the delicate line of her jaw without actually touching skin "But be honest…" Her voice dropped, lips just barely brushing for each word spoken. "Would you have me any other way?" She let the question hang in the air, breathing in slowly each exhale the other gave. She didn't kiss her, lingering just on the brink of doing so.

Her answer came after a few more heated breaths were exchanged. Lips pressed tentatively at first to her own, slowly and shyly, before the confidence she knew seemed to come back. The murmur of words however got her to smile, "Sometimes you talk too much…" Rei's words rebounded off of her lips, before her mouth claimed hers completely, denying her ability to respond with words, but words really weren't necessary at this point anyway. She did grin though, at least for a few seconds, fingers brushing up to lose themselves in the loose midnight strands.

For minutes at the very least, if not far longer; it wasn't really something she kept track of, kissing was all that they did. It kindled desire, giving it a reason to exist, each press, each inhale and exhale, each brush of their tongues incited it along with fuel. Each was deeper than the last and different, but no less meaningful, until she felt fingers push aside her jacket at last. Leaving Rei's hair be, she aided in the endeavor, pulling her attire off until a twinge of pain running rampant across her torso caused her to stop with a gasp, leaving her limbs mostly caught up in the material.

Eyes so close to the night sky opened anew, looking at her for a moment before the hands that had been at her jacket were now at her shoulders, pushing her back against the bedding as she moved. The sheet was forgotten at this point, pooling down at her waist, resting over half a leg before falling to the side as she loomed over the blonde. Her gaze met with Minako's, noting the slight underlying tone of apprehension as she puzzled it out before figuring what it was. "You don't like giving up control, do you?" She whispered softly, phrasing it as a question if for no other reason than for her sake.

A swallow preceded her answer before her lips quirked to a wry smirk. "Stop talking and kiss me."

She could have let it go, but that was a thought for another time. Her face took on an expression of thoughtfulness, regarding her while her eyes trailed. The truth was she felt nervous despite the desire that thrummed through her body. Minako's saucy disposition wasn't the best to contend with given that it was her first time of doing anything like this, like … initiating and participating. She quieted though when her fingers trailed from her shoulder across to her collar, lingering between her breasts before skirting the bandages completely. "Demanding aren't you." It wasn't really a question, more a statement of fact, softly given as she met the blonde's gaze.

Minako didn't answer her with vocalized words at first, instead her lips quirked to the side. The lingering apprehension faded to a duller sense but didn't entirely vanish, remaining tangled up in her jacket that held her arms mostly immobile. Shifting under her she finally relaxed, looking up at her with a complete lack of modesty, not at all bothered that for most intents and purposes, she was nude and at her mercy. The bandages didn't mean anything. Her jacket was no longer hiding parts of her body, and while her gaze hadn't moved further down it wasn't like the rest of her clothing was going to stop her.

"Kiss me… please." The blonde murmured at her, her tone sultry, low and laden with emotions that tugged and sent a jolt through her, ending in a needful realization. She was only more than happy to respond, their bodies meeting almost in time as their lips did. Sinking into the bedding and the warm body beneath her, it was a while before her hands helped divest Minako of her jacket, not even caring where it went. Instead to her body they actively were trailing, touching her everywhere she had unconsciously longed to. The visions and images that had haunted her held too much truth to them to deny. Perhaps they had been the catalyst, the nudge she needed to realize things.

Their bodies shifted and moved with one another, hands going wherever they pleased. Her thumb brushed against Minako's nipple, cradling her breast within her grasp. Each pass rewarded her with a sound that echoed in her mouth, the blonde's body pressing closer with a buck of her hips to encourage more. She dared, fingers pinching the perked flesh, rewarding herself as Minako arched under her, her eyes rolling to the back of her head.

"Goddess … you're … such a fucking tease…" Her voice was colored with a groan, losing herself to the mindless, ever encompassing pleasure that otherwise promised her ecstasy. She couldn't bare the thought of being denied yet again, while her body might have been willing to accept the frustration from each missed orgasm, to ask it to do it once more was not going to happen, especially now. Certainly not now, feeling her body inflame to the moment.

While she might be losing herself to pleasure, her wits hadn't left her completely. Giving up control wasn't something she ever desired to do, having a difficult enough time as it were right now. But it was for a good cause, reason enough for her to allow herself to be at Rei's mercy, or partial mercy as it really was. Eyes maintained enough of a hazy focus, meeting with hers, seeing the hesitation that was easy to translate.

What to do.

It made so much sense now, pieces falling into place as the realization filled her with an additive spike. Shifting upwards she caught her breath, or at least enough of it that she could murmur out soft words that would be directives. While she preferred a partner that was experienced, there was something that thrilled her teaching the other. Wetting her lips she offered a smile, rationing out her breathing to match the raised state of Rei's own.

Giving her a nod she felt her hand leave her breast, trailing her fingers carefully over the bandages until they reached the flesh of her navel. There she was surprised, feeling nails where she anticipated just fingertips. Down they raked slowly, not enough to raise welts across her skin, but enough to raise awareness to the slight masochism she held. The hesitation came back once her hand reached the panties she had kept on from when she had originally rose earlier in the day.

Her own hands reached, hooking her thumbs in the waistband to pull the material down until she couldn't anymore without having to sit up. It was enough however to jolt Rei back to the moment here and now, feeling shaky fingers brush against her own to take over. Down her legs the scrap of clothing went, tossed somewhere just like her jacket had been. Keeping track of clothing right now just wasn't that important.

In spades the hesitation came back, warring with the wide-eyed look she was staring with while she took in Minako's body. Toned and muscular, the occasional scar that marred her flesh; or maybe instead of marring it just drew further attention to her, told a tale of the things she had been at. Against red and black sheets she seemed to glow, blonde hair spilled around her like a sunburst, a nimbus of light. Licking her lips she just looked, realizing she was in the presence of a goddess. The manifestation of one certainly. Minako wasn't lying about her titles; she really was who she was, hidden behind a facade of almost single-minded protection and driving need.

She had paid attention, sort of, a little, not at all really, when their positions had been reversed. The uncertainty of doing such was reason for her to pause until she blinked, her hand taken in Minako's own. Thankful she let loose of the kept breath she had, relaxing her hand to allow her fingers to trail along her thigh, up along her hip. Her gaze rose, meeting with the blue eyes that otherwise haunted her thoughts.

Touch me. It was all they seemed to say, silently willing her on. Touch me and don't stop. Her fingers were tentative, trailing along the inside of her thigh, reaching slowly, coming closer with each touch until they almost jerked. Hot wetness, soft folds that her fingers could part easily, finding flesh that seemed to throb. "Gods you're so… fuck…" She blurted out, biting off the rest of the words however.

A laugh was all she could breathe out at the startlement Rei exclaimed, feeling her eyes roll to the back of her head. It had been ages since she had taken a lover to bed; the last time was before she even arrived to the Moon. Goddess had it truly been so long since she had been touched by another? It must be so, given how her body was reacting. Her hips bucked upward, aware that Rei wasn't skilled in this but fuck if she could be any more patient.

Her hand reached, guiding the raven haired woman's to show her. Her fingers splayed she tried to speak, to say something but her mouth refused to form words. It didn't matter, feeling a single finger press into her was enough for her to gasp. Breath fled her; not that she had much to begin with but it was gone now. Her mind chose that moment to remind her in a flashback, the visions that had filled her mind. It was Rei she realized, her lover that had her pinned to the wall, taking her, claiming her. Possessing her like no other had.

Losing focus she met the gaze that drilled into her own, fighting against the very idea of surrender even while it was something she longed for. She had control issues; Rei's words, realized or not, had touched upon volatile subject matter. Spending any more of her conscious thought process though wasn't going to happen, be it instinct or curiosity driving her, Rei had the right idea of what to do.

She couldn't let go, she needed something more, feeling like she was flailing at ghosts for something substantial to hold onto. She needed to breathe but that was a fair thing to give up in trade, her hands collected Rei's face to bring to her own. Lips met, parting, her tongue sought the other's out while her body bucked underneath her. To her mouth she whispered out her wants, riding the single finger offered until she felt another press within her. The reward she gave was something better felt, nails leaving a rake across the back of her shoulders.

Whatever the battle was she was losing it quickly, feeling her body clench in want, tightening. She couldn't breathe, stealing more of Rei's own hurried breaths than bothering to draw in her own. Her orgasm was right there, her body was wary of embracing it completely, anticipating, knowing somehow that something was on its way, something to interrupt her, something to deny her it yet again. Try as she might to fight the sensation she felt the creeping frustration take hold on her again, promising to deny her until she felt Rei's thumb press sharply against her in time with her two fingers curling inside of her.

It felt like a supernova exploding, her nails left a jagged trail across her back as she sharply arched her body. A breathless gasp marked her orgasm, shuddering in its spastic nature as she let go. The release of her breath was her vocalizations, unable to formulate a word even if she had a reason to want to. She was far more vocal leading up to her orgasm; when it took over it was everything she could do to hold on. The mounting frustration left her, her body pulsating instead with pleasure as conscious coherency left her.

However long it took for her eyes to reopen again she didn't rightly care, the world slowly repainted itself from the stark nothingness that had claimed her. Something indescribable was in Rei's eyes that were still taking her in, something that she thought was akin to ownership or possession before her eyelids closed, softly whimpering as she felt the other's fingers leave her. The breath she drew in was shaky at best, alighting every nerve in her body though as her eyes reopened.

Her mouth opened to say something, feeling her insides clench in instant want as Rei looked to her fingers that were raising to her mouth when the sound of a knock at the door caused her to groan out instead, flopping back down on the bed. "Goddess… fucking damn it. Way to ruin it fucking door…" she whined, debating how to get up to answer it or if she could just wait it out and whoever it was would go away like they wisely should.

She felt lips instead pressing to her own, drawing her attention back as Rei slipped from the bed. "I'll answer it." It was enough for her head to turn, eyes following the raven haired woman as she retrieved her robes that had been left on the chaise lounge. What a sight, even better sans clothing. Her tongue flicked against her lips, making no motion to further move however, much less draw anything on.

An obvious truth as Rei turned to look at her, a blush deciding now would be the prime time to infuse her cheeks. "I said … I'd get the door…" The words made no sense, they did but at the same time she had heard her the first time. She was up and on her way to the door… what more was needed before it dawned on her.

Unable to resist she teased her, "Mmm yes, and give me quite the show in the process…"

"Minako…" the other trailed off, looking askance at her, almost pleading without actually doing so as another knock was given to the barrier.

"Fine fine… all this modesty…" But she said it with a grin, burrowing back into bed to draw bedding back up around her, sparing the cosmos the notion it was embarassed that she lacked modesty in places she felt comfortable enough at. It was worth it for the exasperated look that was levied at her before Rei unlocked the door to answer it, nothing at all looking out of place on her, giving little indication save for some coy smile that twitched at the corners of her mouth over what had transpired.