Chapter Four

Usagi knew something was up when Rei asked her to meet up for coffee after class. Rei wore blue jeans and a green fleece sweater, Usagi wore a white skirt, white leggings, and a blue long-sleeve blouse. "So, what did you need to talk about?" Usagi asked, sipping from her iced caramel coffee drink – iced despite the cooler autumn weather.

"Usagi…. I did something…" Rei's cheeks glowed red, suggesting this wasn't an easy topic. Rei stared down at her undrunk coffee. Usagi detected the slightest tremble of her friend's hands.

"You break the law?" Usagi asked, knowing the answer would be no. I got a bad feeling about this.

"No," Rei shrugged.

"Oh," Usagi wished she could sound more intelligent.

"Oh?! That's all you got?" Rei snapped back.

"How bad could it be if you didn't break the law?" Usagi again asked.

"I… I…" Rei's face curled in on itself and she turned red as a strawberry.

"Rei, I promise I won't judge, but what happened?" No, she didn't…

"I had a one-night-stand with Yuichiro!" She forced the words past her mouth.

She did! Finally! "Oh!" Usagi said, feeling dumb as she sounded.

"Do you say anything more than that!" Rei growled, turning red as she realized people were staring. "Listen, it's kind of a big deal!" Rei spoke through gritted teeth as she lowered her voice.

"Did he hurt you somehow?" Usagi would never forgive him if he did.

"Usagi…" Rei's cheeks turned brighter red, almost to tears, "… I invited him!"

Rei asked him to do that nasty? To say Usagi was shocked was an understatement. "Did you like it?"

Rei's reaction made Usagi wish she could suck the words back out of her ears, "WHAT THE HELL KIND OF QUESTION IS THAT!" Rei regained some semblance of self-awareness that she'd had an outburst in a coffee shop. "Usagi," she spoke hushed, "what the fuck! For real?!"

"Rei, I'm no expert," Usagi wasn't sure if she was up to the situation, "but when a woman talks to one of her friends about such events like this, it means one of two things: she didn't enjoy and feels shame, or she did and enjoy and feels ashamed as well. So, which is it?"

"I…" Rei struggled with the words in her throat.

"Go on…"

"I… enjoyed it!" the words slipped free and Rei deflated. "Usagi… it was one of the most wonderful things I've ever experienced in my life!" She shot a cross look at Usagi, "You can't tell me your first time with Mamoru wasn't the same."

Shit, she would say that. "Rei, Mamoru and I…"

Now it was Rei's turn to look puzzled, "Go on…"

"We haven't yet…" Usagi couldn't finish. Despite having several times slept in the same bed and have experimented, they never sealed the deal.

"You're joking, right?" Rei's eyes peeled wide open.

"No, I'm not," Usagi shook her head. "Trust me, we came close several times… after Galaxia, before he got his second acceptance to Harvard." She shrugged, "It just never happened."

"Well, damn…" Rei planted her hand on her forehead. "Does this make me a total slut?"

"No, it doesn't!" Usagi protested. "You're wishing you talked to Makoto or Minako, aren't you?"

"No, Usagi, I just feel like an ass for assuming you two had done it, given how affectionate you two are. I never thought I'd do the deed before you," she shrugged, "Hell, ever!"

Quite frankly, I wasn't expecting it, either! "Getting back to topic," Usagi cleared her throat, "Your words hint that this was a one-off thing."

"I really don't know," Rei shook her head. "On one hand, I'm not ready to be involved with anyone romantically."

"If not now, then when?" Usagi asked. "He's cared about you since you and I were fourteen. How much longer are you wanting to drag this out?"

"I know," Rei held up a hand, indicated it was Usagi's turn to stop. "That's what makes this so awkward!"

"Do you like him?"

"Yes."

"Could you see yourself doing it again?" Usagi braced for a rebuke.

Her response was unexpected, "Yes, I think so," Rei nodded. "I mean… I wouldn't stop it from happening."

"Then what is the hold-up?"

"Usagi, my father…"

"You're not him! Neither is Yuichiro!" Usagi exclaimed, hoping Rei would drop the burden on her shoulders that she'd carried her whole life.

"I know…. There is more…"

More? "What is it?" Usagi asked.

"You remember how we talked about him offering to broker a deal with some property developer?" Usagi nodded at the question. Rei continued, "They doubled their price to two billion yen the other day."

"Two billion…" Usagi felt the wheels of her mind turning in an unsettled fashion. Mamoru had been a fan of true crime podcasts during his last years of undergraduate at university. It had been a Saturday night ritual that she longed to return to. Something is not right.

"A lot for a single girl to consider…" Rei spoke somber.

"You're not seriously considering?" Usagi asked as her jaw dropped with a mild panic.

"No, not really," Rei sighed. "As Yuichiro would remind me, the place has been and still is my home. That, and the shrine holds some significance in the future of Crystal Tokyo."

A surge of urgency overcame Usagi at the mention of the future. The shrine was apparently a key node in the future survival of Crystal Tokyo against Prince Diamond's future invasion. Merely thinking of Diamond elicited strong feelings. On one hand, he'd been manipulated and horribly misguided. On the other, he came damn close to raping you! Usagi shuddered at the memory, terrified by what might have happened had Mamoru not shown up to save the day. "Rei, whatever you do, promise me you won't agree to sell."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Rei gave a sharp nod.

Usagi closed her eyes, trying to remember late nights of interesting true crime with Mamoru. When she opened them again, the idea hit her, "You also might want to see what the assessed value of the property is by checking with the tax authority."

"Think we'll find something?" she asked.

"Rei, I'm no expert, but two billion for that size property in that location sounds really low-ball." Usagi's stomach twisted from imagining Rei's father exploiting her grandfather's death to get the property at a ridiculously low price only to resell it for more. Rei must have noticed because her face tightened, and she gave short, sharp nod. "Rei, what about Yuichiro?"

"You would bring that back up."

"You brought him up to begin with," Usagi reminded.

"This is true… I'm torn, really. He's a great guy, maybe too good for me."

"There is no such thing as someone too good for you, Rei."

"I just don't know if I'm ready for a relationship," Rei shook her head with a laugh, "Of course, I say that after having sex with him."

"Rei, all I can say is: be open minded. You've shut yourself off from a lot of things up to now. It's okay to have fun once and a while."

"I'll… I'll try," she shook her head, "Ever since Grandpa died, nothing has made sense."

"Take your time," Usagi encouraged. "Rei…" she asked, uncertain about the question on her mind.

"Yes?"

"Have you talked with him more about our team and your part of it?"

"No, I haven't," she sighed, "I guess I should. Are you all right with this?"

"Rei, he knows. We've trusted him a long while, now. To be honest, it would be nice not having to sneak around the shrine when we are practicing."

Rei bit her lip, "As long as you're comfortable."

"Only if you are," Usagi replied. They finished their drinks and went on their way.

The tax authority's office, like many bureaucratic institutions, was crowded with everything from individuals appealing their tax status to property owners trying to appeal the assess value of their holdings for favorable insurance rates or sale's value. While he'd never been part of his father's company, Yuichiro knew how the game was played. He'd filled out the information on the shrine and requested an official quote by the assessor for the previous year.

He knew something was up when Rei asked him to come here as a favor. Judging by the look of the person behind the desk, he assumed that something was, in fact, a big something. The old printer spat out a report and the office worker handed it to him. When he looked at the assessed value, he understood why Rei had been suspicious. The assessed value of the shrine and its lands was around ten and a half-billion yen. While no way she'd ever get the assessed value, the sale of the shrine was worth over seventy million US dollars. He's offering her pennies on the dime as the Americans would say.

Leaving the office, his suspicions only heightened as he noticed two men in black suits with black sunglasses were following at a distance. At first, Yuichiro wasn't sure, so, he took several detours away from the bus stop, knowing he'd be late getting home. As feared, the men were following. This has to go deeper than a father trying to swindle his daughter out of her potential inheritance. The old man knows she'd never sell willingly… Willingly… The terrible thought redoubled his feet.

He darted into a bookstore, taking cover by a magazine rack far enough from the window to where he'd only be a sliver while the men searched aimlessly in the bustle of the crowd. The men disappeared, and Yuichiro waited about five minutes before calling for a taxi. The cab arrived, and shuttled him off to the Shrine, no sign of having been followed.

As he got off at the shrine's entrance, a different type of foreboding cast its shadow across him. Rei would be waiting for him, and he'd have to explain everything. They would have to address the lingering issues of last night.

The thought of last night caused his throat to bob up and down and his pants to constrict. Memories most delicious appeared before him – Rei not simply allowing him to explore her, but asking him to do so. A rain droplet struck him on the nose, breaking his warm thoughts.

Rain began, sprinkling at first, but soon turning into a freezing autumn torrent. "Damn," he whispered as he ran, not having brought an umbrella. He hugged the paperwork to his chest trying to shield it from the rain as he entered the main shrine. Rei was dressed in her priestess robes, still stunning as she'd been the night before. "Hey," he said.

"Hey back," she nodded, "did you find what I asked you to look for?"

"Oh yeah," he said, brandishing the papers. "Got time to talk?"

Rei did a quick scan of the area, "Looks like the rain is driving the afternoon crowd away," she shrugged. "So, lay it on me."

"Rei… I don't know how to say it."

"Just say it," she spoke short and curt, clearly not in the mood for games.

"Your dad was probably trying to swindle you out of a fortune," he handed over the papers.

Rei scanned the tax document and her eyes popped wide open, "Over ten billion?!"

"Sale value would likely be lower than that," Yuichiro explained, "but in any case, he and his developer are offering you peanuts for gold."

It was that moment she chose to ask a question harder than where sex had put them, "Yui… why? Why is he doing this?" she buried her face in her hand, fingers massaging the bridge of her nose.

"I mean… it could be as simple that he's looking to get rich quick and figures you'd just sign things away willy-nilly while you're grieving." He looked over his shoulder, noting the grounds of he shrine were empty. "Perhaps we should take this back to the living quarters," he stared hard at Rei, hoping she understood he had something sensitive to talk about.

"Agree," she nodded. They set about closing the shrine down for the night.

About an hour later, they were sitting on the couch in their living quarters, sipping cups of hot tea to ward off the cold. Rei had changed into jean overalls and a white t-shirt. The outfit was simple. Damn sexy, too! They sat in uncomfortable silence for several minutes. Much of recent events had happened here, and now being on the couch was making his mind wander to salacious places. Rei finally thought out loud, "He had to know I wouldn't sell, even before I figured he was low-balling me. He can't be so stupid as to think I'd trust him without question."

"Rei…" a pained look carved into his face at the question he was about to ask.

"Yes?" she beckoned him to go on, removing her hand from her face.

"Rei, how well do you know your father?"

Rei stared uncertain and glassy eyed. "Anymore, it's like I never knew him. Why?"

Do it, don't do it. "Do you know if he has any links to organized crime?"

Rei visibly balked, "What makes you ask that!"

"Rei, I told you about the guys who came with him yesterday, right?"

"Yeah," she nodded.

"After I left the tax office, two guys in suits and shades started following me."

"That makes no sense."

"What do you mean?" he cocked up an eyebrow.

"Why would they follow you when they knew clearly, you'd be coming here?"

"I don't know, they might be trying to send a message, trying to scare us."

"Scare us?" Rei cocked up an eyebrow.

"Rei, by now, they can guess you know that your father's offer is insincere at best, possibly criminal."

"Criminal?" He could tell her world was spinning with that singular word.

"He's trying to get you to sell a property well below market value," he raised up the paper. "I'm no lawyer, but a discrepancy this big by someone this well-connected suggests someone is trying something illegal."

Rei bit her lip," Sadly, you're making sense. Father abandoned Mom when she got cancer; I see no reason he wouldn't do the same to me. I really wouldn't put it past him to resort to something criminal to get what he wanted, but…"

"But what?"

"… what does he hope to gain? Especially now that we know we won't be selling – at his price or any price!" Rei gestured toward the papers in hand like she was slapping them away. Her cheeks reddened, and she rested her cheeks in her hands for a moment. She suddenly sat up, "Do you think we're in danger?"

The question was difficult to answer. "I don't know, Rei," he shook his head. "I could be looking too far into this. For all we know the two suits were investigators trying to determine what we know, but something seems wrong about it all." His mind wandered back to a favorite American animated show – Scooby-Doo. Almost every villain on the show was a greedy property developer or someone trying to swindle others. Of course, this is right out of that show. Now all we need is some guys wearing masks and pretending the shrine is haunted!

"That's an understatement," she huffed. "Father had to have known something would come up if I dug deeper. That's probably why he was so eager at the funeral and the past few weeks."

"Now that we know," Yuichiro sipped his tea, "I'm more concerned what his dogs might do."

Rei stared into her steaming teacup. "You really think they are Yakuza?" she asked, eyes narrowing.

"Fair chance," he shrugged as he set down his cup on the coffee table. "Thing is, if he promised something he can't deliver, that could be trouble for us."

Rei nodded, knowing what he meant. "Yui… I can't ask you to stay; your life could be in real danger."

"Rei, I can't exactly leave, not after everything we've been through together."

"Everything we've been through?"

Way to put your foot in your mouth! "Rei, we've been friends for years; I can't just leave you to the wolves, now!"

"And what about last night?!" she asked, cheeks burning red.

Ah shit, here is where the regret comes out. He raised his hands in front of him in protest, "Rei… I'm sorry I took advantage of you!"

"You weren't taking advantage!" she growled in protest. "I wanted it just as badly as you did… and I can't make sense of it!"

"You what?" he asked, perplexed, not expecting Rei's reaction. She flopped backward on the couch, massaging her eyelids and stretching her neck. His heart raced as he saw her neck, remembering the sweet kisses he'd made along its length. Yuichiro spoke again, determined to break his train of thought, "Again, I apologize for making things awkward…"

She cut off his words with a hand over his mouth. "Dammit, listen!" She sighed, not sitting up from being sprawled out on the couch, "It was one of the most wonderful things I've ever experienced, ever! Had you wanted to take advantage, I was drunk as a fish two nights ago and wouldn't have put up any resistance!" She paused for several seconds, "And you didn't even try getting in my pants!"

"High praise from a Sailor Scout that has saved the world time and again," he sat beside her.

"You would bring that up, too," she sighed, arching back against the couch. Is she trying to put moves on me? It can't be. "And now, I find myself," she turned to face him, "wanting it again and again. I can't stop thinking about what happened, and I don't know what that says about me!"

"It means you're a human being, Rei," he stared, trying to console her., "A human being that has emotional needs that haven't been satisfied in a long time, there is nothing wrong with that!"

Rei stared downward, "It felt so good," her hands tightened to fists, "to be held and to hold someone." She released her grip, returning her eyes to him, "Yuichiro, where are we going with this?"

Damn! "Rei, I don't know… where do you want it to go?" he said as his throat began to constrict.

"Rei, I don't know… where do you want it to go?" Yuichiro's response left her with no answers and more questions. If he were looking to take advantage, you'd both be naked already. The thought wasn't entirely negative. Rei had been his friend for years, and she didn't want things to end with a one-night stand. She wasn't sure if they jumped into a relationship that it would survive long term, either. And now that he knows you're a Sailor Scout, that means nothing?

"I…" she rested her chin on her hands, "I don't know. I'm so confused."

"Take your time," he planted a hand on her back between her shoulders, "Think about it, tell me where you want to go, and I promise I'll not force the issue any further."

"I'm not ready to be in a relationship."

"Then we just go back to what we were before?"

The suggestion was impossibly more unpalatable than jumping into being a couple immediately. Their situation had changed, and there was no putting the genie back in the bottle. "I can't do that, either," she huffed in frustration, "is there any intermediate step?"

"Intermediate step?" he wrinkled his brow.

"Something between being friends and being boyfriend and girlfriend?"

"You mean, like, friends with benefits?" he asked, confusion still evident. "Oh shit…" he turned pink with embarrassment.

Rei knew the term for a non-committal sexual relationship and the sometimes-negative connotations involved with it. However, she couldn't think of a better term for what she was proposing now. She didn't want him out of her life, and sex with him had been scratching an itch she'd had so long she forgot she had it. "I mean, I guess... yeah."

"You don't sound so sure," Yuichiro moved his hand from her back to her shoulder, "Rei, if you're not comfortable..."

"If we are going to do this," Rei spoke, conviction returning and turning to face him, "we need to establish ground rules."

He nodded and turned on the couch so he was facing her squarely, "All right. Rule one: we are not committed, but we agree to monogamy for as long as this lasts."

"What do you mean?"

"We agree that the moment one or both of us decides to see someone else, this is over. I don't want to be a reason you put your life on hold, and I don't want either of us to grow comfortable cheating on someone," he insisted. "If it is over, it is over immediately."

"And I don't want to be the reason you put your life on hold," she nodded, "I can agree. Rule two, both of us must agree mutually to initiate sex or other forms of intimacy." She raised a finger, "No drunk sex, no taking advantage of any situation!"

"Perfectly reasonable," he took his hand from her shoulder, and leaned back into the couch, bracing himself for something uncomfortable. "Rei, rule three…"

"Go on," she nodded.

"If after a year, you haven't fallen in love with me, it's over. We go back to just being friends – no benefits."

Odd rule. "You have me curious, why that?" she curled her forehead.

"Rei, I don't want either of us to stop living or remain perpetually stuck in between. I have strong feelings for you, have had them a long time. I don't want to keep fooling myself if it is never going to happen, and…"

"And?"

"And if it is going to happen, I don't want to keep it hidden forever, either."

Problem is, I've already fallen for you! Rei knew deep down she loved him. A year was a reasonable amount of time to find out if it was real. "I can agree to that," she held out her pinkie finger. "Care to shake on the agreement?"

He extended his pinkie and intertwined it with hers. "Deal!" He smiled.

The promise, along with contact with his hand sent Rei's heart skipping beats. "Ummm… so…"

"Yeah?" he asked, not releasing her pinkie.

"What now?"

"I mean, we do need to think of dinner at some point? How about udon?"

"Sounds good," her heart refused to slow. He still had her by the pinkie, "Ummm…"

"Yes, Rei," he stared earnest, his own cheeks reddening.

"Do you… want to?" The question was embarrassing, but Rei had no way around it. She wanted to since waking up this morning in his arms.

"I'd like nothing better!" he blurted out.

"Okay," Rei pulled herself to him, and placed her lips against his. His hands stroked up and down her upper arms, sending chills over her skin. "Shit," she huffed.

"What's wrong?" he asked, breathless from having made out briefly.

"Rule four," she gasped to his lips, "we agree we both use protection!"

"In the event we accidentally conceive?" he asked.

It was a legitimate question, even if borderline impossible. "We decide based on where we are at in that moment."

"Fair enough!" he spoke, clearly satisfied, "Now, where were we?!" He pulled herself over top of him as he lay back against the arm of the sofa. Her chest rubbed over his as they continued suckling kisses that left Rei starry-eyed and dizzy. Rei reached up and undid the buttons on the suspender portion of her jean overalls, letting the bib portion fall forward.

Yuichiro began massaging her back and shoulders, intermittently running his hands up and down her sides. At one point, his hands snuck under the material of her white undershirt and began lifting it up as Rei straddled his hips and began grinding herself against him. Rei lifted her arms overhead, feeling the garment slip up and over until it fell off. His hands resumed their massaging, he pulled her back down to him, and his lips now sucked along her neck. Oh gods!

Rei's eyes rolled back into her head and she clamped her eyes closed under the pleasant barrage of his lips and tongue on her skin. The endorphin rush was incredible, and her panties were becoming moist. His hands slid up and under the rear straps of her bra. Rei reached back and unhooked the claps holding her restrained. The bra slid away, and Yuichiro's kisses migrated lower, feasting himself on her breasts.

She moaned under the pleasant teasing. Rei pulled back and again straddled his hips and began grinding her increasingly wet womanhood over the bulge in his pants. Hands began clawing his shirt, and it, too, disappeared. She began molding his chest and arms like clay. In the back of her head, Rei tried figuring the logistics of sex on the couch given their awkward positioning

Thankfully, Yuichiro provided a solution, "Rei, I left my condoms in my room!" he said breathless as he stared up at her.

"Well, then, how about we take things in there tonight!" she tapped his nose and climbed off him, running in the direction of his room. He gave chase, giving her butt a squeeze, and eliciting a minor scream. Rei slid open the door to his room, realizing she'd never really been in a boy's room for this. She turned and he took her in his arms, one hand slipping down to the back of her overalls and sliding them off her waist and around her legs.

"You're so beautiful!" his words crawled along the skin of her neck and ears as he repeated them with kisses upon kisses. One of his naughty hands slid down the small of her back, under the elastic of her panties, and began massaging her ass.

"Tell me more sweet lies!" she moaned, surrendering to pleasure as his lips assaulted her neck.

Yuichiro's other hand took her by the chin, forcing her eyes to meet his, "Rei, I'm not lying!" She took note that his other hand, the one on her ass, did not quit its lecherous task. Far from it, he was pulling down her underwear. "With clothes, without clothes, I can't help but think of you – can't help but feel so lucky that you're letting me do this!"

"Maybe I'm the lucky one," Rei massaged his chest, down his stomach, and began fumbling with his belt and fly, "All right, enough honeyed words!" His pants and boxers fell around his knees. "You okay if I get on top this time?"

"Do you have to ask?" he said breathlessly as he pulled back and began kicking off his jeans and boxers. Rei, too, shed the bits of remaining clothing as he went of his nightstand and extracted a condom. "Do you, ah," he spoke nervous.

Rei snatched the condom from his hand, "Lay back, I've got this!" He did as commanded. Gods, I'm really doing this?! Rei reminded herself that she'd already done it with him once. She tore the wrapper, removed it, and slid the slick, rubbery sheath over his towering manhood.

"Ahh!" he twitched as she made contact, making sure it was firmly in place.

"Okay, boy, here we go!" Rei positioned herself and drove down on his erection. Between the lubricant of the condom and her own body, he slid in with barely any resistance, filling her. "Oh yeah!"

Yuichiro let out a loud moan, at first, she thought she might have hurt him. His eyes opened, and he stared amazed. "I'm dreaming, aren't I?" he gasped breathlessly.

Rei grinned, moving up and down, taking him within her channel to her pleasure, "Do I do this in your dreams?" she taunted.

"All… the… time!" he heaved, hands beginning to scan over her naked body as she rode him up and down. At least someone dreams of this with me!

She squeezed and moaned, leaning back slightly to intensify the sensation. As she did so, she reached down to touch herself, massaging her clitoris as he filled her with pleasure. Rei became a spring under tension and moaned, "Oh gods!" as goosebumps crossed her body in a wave.

"Rei?" Yuichiro asked in concern.

"AAAHHH!" stars exploded in her vision as she closed her eyelids and the shockwave of orgasm shook her out of her body. Yuichiro, too, yelped as he came within her, his dick throbbing, teasing her insides. Rei collapsed forward as she returned to reality, barely able to catch herself on her elbows, nose to nose with Yuichiro. For a time, they just stared at each other, both speechless. "Was… that… good?" she asked, feeling her cheeks burning.

He nodded slowly, "S-second to none!" His voice trembled, and Rei could feel him softening inside her.

In that moment, her stomach growled. "Dammit!" she sighed.

"I take it, you're hungry?" Yuichiro giggled slightly.

"Nice as this is, food does sound nice about now!" She delicately slid off him. He removed the condom and disposed of it in the wastebasket nearby. "We should clean up," she added.

"Who showers first?" he asked.

"We'll save water if we go together," she winked, feeling positively naughty at the suggestion.

"Who are you, and what have you done with Rei?" he asked, his mouth hanging open.

"I don't know," Rei shook her head, wondering what other changes would happen in her life. As they retreated to the bathroom, Rei realized she was casually walking around naked, something she'd never been comfortable about doing until now. As she bent down over the tub to start the shower, Rei was greeted by the unmistakable sensation of fingers tracing her ass, "Perv!" she teased.

"Please tell me this isn't where you invoke rule two?" he gave a slight chuckle.

"I'd be a fool," she gave her butt a slight shake and entered the shower. Yuichiro joined her under the rain of the shower.

"So," he said, clearly nervous.

"Yes?"

"I forgot to ask," he began rinsing her black silk hair, "was it good for you, too?"

"Hmmm…" she smirked, knowing she was turning red, "… yes!"

"Rei, about the stuff I said yesterday… about being possessive…"

"Be as possessive as you want, right now," she hugged herself to his fine body. "Just promise me you won't try stopping me from being Sailor Mars."

"Rei, about that…"

Crap! Her heart sank, "What?"

"I… uh… how do you want me to be regarding that situation?" he grabbed a bath scrub and body wash.

"What do you mean?" she raised her left eyebrow.

"I mean, should I act like I don't know about the others?" He added bodywash to the scrub. He began washing her chest and stomach, suds forming a thick layer of foam on her body.

"Usagi knows, as do Minako and Makoto." She stood under the water and let it run the suds off her front.

"And Ami?"

"I'll have to tell her at some point, Mamoru for that matter, too," she shrugged and turned her back toward him.

"Mamoru?" he asked as he scrubbed between her shoulders, to her lower back, and down to her ass.

"Give you two guesses who Tuxedo Mask really is. Did you think Usagi's boy would let another man put his lips on her?" she giggled as he teased her rump. She turned and kissed him.

He smiled in realization, "I feel like such an idiot being around you all so long," he took the soapy scrub and began washing her neck and shoulders more thoroughly.

"I feel like an idiot taking so long to do something like this with you," she said as his hands ran the scrub over her with delicate care.

"Rei, you're no idiot," he said, putting a dab of soap foam on her nose. "Now, turn and let's wash your hair. I think bathtime is about to become my favorite time of the night!

Author's notes: Hi everyone, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. The next chapter probably will be in later January. I wish I could write this faster, but life has been crazy as of late. Have a good start to the new year! Be healthy, be safe!