A pair of sleepy eyes opened when the alarm clock blared. She needed to get a quieter one. Promising herself coffee, Rei crawled out of bed and into the bathroom. After a nice, long shower, she walked into the kitchen, ready to grab some coffee and leave. But a plate of eggs, bacon and toast was waiting for her, along with the liquid she so needed. Any signs of sleep left her as she stared at the food. "G'morning." Slowly, she turned to the sink, spotting Hotaru cleaning. She didn't return the customary greeting, still in a state of complete shock. No one's ever made her breakfast. Something in the miko stirred. "Hurry and eat. I don't know how you get to work on time." At the mention of work, Rei snapped out of her reverie and walked over to the plate of breakfast. Hotaru watched as the taller woman slowly brought some of the eggs to her lips before taking a bite. "You don't like it? I can cook something else," the college student said, reaching over to take the plate. Rei grabbed the plate, shaking her head furiously. "It's not that. It's just that no one's ever made me breakfast before, I'm surprised." Hotaru smiled softly as Rei ate her breakfast. She was happy that she was the first to do something as simple as cook breakfast for her love. Very happy. But sad at the same time. As Hotaru washed the dishes, Rei walked into her room to change. Before she left the kitchen, however, she paused and looked back at her friend. "Taru?" "Yea?" Rei hesitated, but seeing Hotaru's expression of anticipation, she smiled. "Want to come to work with me?" The receptionist at the entrance of the large office building gawked as Rei Hino walked in, a young woman following behind her. The entrepreneur walked over to the shocked blonde, taking a newspaper and wishing her a good morning. The other dark-haired woman bowed politely, which the receptionist returned in her shocked state. As Rei and Hotaru stepped toward the elevator, the young blonde's eyes never left them. She vaguely wondered how the workers at Rei's company would react. All eyes turned to the elevator as the doors opened. They all knew their other boss would be coming to work today. As Rei Hino stepped out of the elevator, all jaws dropped to the floor. Hotaru fidgeted slightly under all the intense and surprised looks she received. The woman beside her mumbled something before walking down the aisle of offices and cubicles. The youngest senshi followed quietly. The entire office was, for lack of a better word, stupefied. Though all knew of their boss' lifestyle, never has she brought anyone to the office. And damn, was she a looker. The girl was clearly younger than Rei, but not by too much. She seemed to be the complete opposite of the long-haired business woman. While the miko wore a black skirt suit with a red blouse, the other girl sported a simple white Tee with low rise jeans and a dark blue vest. The girl walked with an air of confidence, though she didn't radiate it like her counterpart. Whereas Rei held herself with a 'kiss my feet, I'm superior and you know it' attitude, her companion was reserved and shy. She was charming in her own kind of way. All in all, they looked like a very strange but cute couple. Hotaru walked leisurely down the aisle, though making sure to keep up with her friend. She ignored the looks, focusing on the woman ahead of her. Already there were five people around the miko, with papers and palm pilots. All of them looked at her in curiosity, but returned to talking to their boss. The popular woman made her way to her office. She's barely here for a minute and already she's had mountains of work piled on top of her. A pang of regret struck, making her wonder if bringing Hotaru was a good idea. Leaving in a few hours was impossible. Hotaru found the enraged woman's plight amusing, to be honest. True, part of her wanted to have them leave her be, but this was business. Rei stormed into her office and slammed the door shut in everyone's face, including her friend's. The young woman stood outside the door, smiling. She wondered how long it would take Rei to realize she was the only one in her office and open the door to pull her ins- At that point, the wooden door flew open and a strong hand grabbed Hotaru wrist. 'Not long,' Hotaru thought as she was pulled into the large office and the door slammed shut once again. Everyone in the office smiled and shook their heads. This would be amusing indeed. "Oh god." The college student could only smile as the woman collapsed into her chair, face buried in her arms. "Oh Rei, quit exaggerating." "Hmph ma magh baetin!" "What did you say?" Rei looked up, lavender eyes glaring at her amused friend. "I said I'm not exaggerating!" This earned a soft chuckle from the college student. The miko groaned again. "So much work." Unable to resist, Hotaru rolled her eyes. The miko stood to get some files in the attached room. "Mind if I use your phone?" "Sure thing, Taru." A slender finger dialed a familiar number. No one was picking up, where could Sarah be? Suddenly, a pair of arms wrapped around Hotaru from behind. Pulling her to a strong chest, a male and very happy voice spoke. "Rei! You're finally back in the office!" Rei walked into her office and then froze. From the look on Hotaru's face, she could tell her friend was very, very confused. "Kenji! Let her go!" Brown eyes blinked as they focused on the angry woman. If she was there, then who- "Gah! Sorry, Miss!" The blonde man started to bow repeatedly, a blush appearing on his tanned cheeks. Rei walked over to them, ready to pound Kenji into the ground. "Baka! What was that about!" "I thought she was you! You're usually the only one in the office, so I didn't bother checking!" Lavender eyes flared as the miko advanced. How dare he touch Hotaru? A hand was placed on her arm, calming the raging businesswoman immediately. "It's all right, Rei. No harm done. He didn't mean anything, right... uh..." The blonde man took this chance to bow, seeing his partner's temper cooling at the touch of the short woman. "Kenji, Kenji Parker." Hotaru bowed in return. "Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Parker." "Just Kenji, please. Any friend of Rei's is a friend of mine, Miss..." "Tomoe, Hotaru Tomoe." "The-" "What did you want?" Rei snapped. Hotaru might have forgiven him, but she sure as hell hasn't. "I was just here to tell you that the Osborn Brothers Incorporated meeting has been moved up to tomorrow and-" "Tomorrow? It was supposed to be next week! I haven't even gotten a chance to review everything yet. Heck, I know almost nothing about the merger." Kenji back away from the enraged woman, though his voice showed no fear. When dealing with Rei Hino, showing fear was not a very smart idea. "I'm sorry, I know. But they called this morning, saying an emergency has come up and the senior presidents are leaving the day after tomorrow. This merger is a big deal for them so they don't want anyone else handling it." Rei sank into her seat, losing her composure for a second. Then, as if shocked back into reality by the deadline, she stood. "I want all the files regarding the merger on my desk in five minutes. I want our people in the conference room in an hour. Is that understood?" The young man nodded and sped out of the large office. The miko took off her jacket and tossed it on the couch. Then, as if realizing Hotaru was still in the room, she calmed. "Sorry, Hotaru. I won't be able to have lunch with you today." The younger woman just smiled. "It's fine, I have to take care of some things anyway. See you later?" Lavender eyes focused on the smile on the young woman's face, unable to resist flashing her one of her own in response. "Of course." The receptionist smiled when the girl with Rei Hino walked back into the building. When she left in the morning, the woman had thought the dark-haired business woman had screwed up the relationship. Though it was none of her business, she was glad to see the short woman return. People once again stared when they saw Hotaru step out of the elevator. "Hey! Miss Hotaru!" Violet eyes scanned the office, landing on Kenji. The young woman smiled. "Hello, Mr.-" "Just Kenji." "Then you must call me Hotaru, no Miss." Kenji nodded, grinning like a fool. This girl was so meant for Rei. Heck, if she and his partner didn't work out, maybe he had a chance. "Sure thing. Rei's going to be in the meeting for a few more hours, but they should be taking a lunch break soon." Hotaru looked at her watch and sighed. She handed Kenji the white bag she held. "Give this to Rei? It's her favorite. It'll probably still be warm by the time you give it to her. I have to go meet someone. Can you tell her I'll be back at six?" Kenji could only nod as Hotaru thanked him and left. He stared at the bag, the grin widening. "Yup, she's the one for Rei." The miko sighed in frustration as she ran a hand through her hair. It was already midnight, and she still didn't know everything necessary for the Jasmine Corps and Osborn Brothers Incorporated merger. Kenji and their other partner, Utena Takahashi, were still in the office as well, along with all the employees working on this deal. Rei took a sip of her coffee and looked at the document before her. This sucked. She's been working on it for 14 hours straight. Well, thirteen and a half since she had to eat lunch. Lunch. Hotaru. A smile touched her lips at the thought of the raven-haired college student. When Kenji brought in the food and told Rei it was from her house guest, she just froze, jaw somewhere on the other side of the world. It must have amused and shocked the employees to see their fast talking, confident and somewhat arrogant boss completely shocked (not to mention speechless) because someone brought her lunch. 'Oh well,' she thought, her smile widening into a goofy grin. 'Hotaru delivering lunch is worth a crack in my poker face.' She called an immediate lunch break, though it lasted only half an hour. She was planning on staying in there without bothering to eat lunch. But how could she ignore Hotaru's gesture of affection? It touched her even more that the girl knew what her favorite was. "Pye." Lavender eyes looked up, glaring at the one who interrupted her thoughts. When they settled on the shy-looking, black-haired woman, they softened. "Yeah, Utena?" Her short partner walked in. If her eyes were violet instead of brown, she'd look like Hotaru. The thought of the college student caused her to smile. "Thinking about your girl?" The glare returned full force. Shy-looking was far from the truth. Utena teased Rei mercilessly, though it was obviously the woman's form of caring. Well, obvious for those that knew Utena. "She's not my girl." The brown-eyed woman saw the sadness in her partner and friend's eyes, though it disappeared in a flash. Rei turned her attention back to the documents before her. "She's nice." The statement caused the miko to look up sharply. As monotonous and indifferent as it sounded, it was Utena's approval. That was the first time the woman's ever said something positive about someone Rei associated with. Her friend was highly protective and disapproved of the miko's lifestyle. 'Funny,' Rei thought dryly, 'she approves of the one person that I'm not involved with. The one I don't have a chance in hell with.' "That's a first," she said simply. Utena shrugged. "I've spent most of the night with her. She is nice." "Most of the night?" Utena rolled her eyes and turned, motioning for Rei to follow her. Despite her better judgment, the miko did. The cinnamon-eyed woman opened her office door. Lavender eyes widened, shocked. Hotaru was curled up on Utena's leather couch, a blanket draped over her petite form. Her violet eyes were closed as her chest rose and fell rhythmically. "She's been wanting for you since six. Poor thing fell asleep half an hour ago." Rei walked over, running her hand through Hotaru's hair. The young woman shifted to get closer to the touch, smiling. Utena watched her partner. She had it bad for the sleeping girl. Her eyes openly twinkled with adoration. Did she know it though? She would fall in love with Hotaru Tomoe soon, if she hasn't already. No words could describe what Rei felt. Hotaru waited for her. It's been a long time since anyone's done that. She also brought her lunch and cooked for her. All the small things affected Rei as much as the fact that the senshi stayed with her when she was hurt and after the incident with Minako. In four short days, she's come to care for the girl like for no other. And the most amazing thing was Hotaru cared for her as well. That was the most beautiful thing she's had for what seemed like forever. The feelings developing were not unfamiliar. She thought she'd never feel them again and it both scared her and excited her. Looking at the peaceful girl, she knew it was pointless to fight it, because Hotaru already made her way into her cold heart. "I'm leaving." Rei effortlessly scooped the small girl into her arms, making sure her head rested comfortably against her shoulder as she stood. "Can you get my briefcase and the papers from my office?" Utena didn't bother hiding her grin as she hurried into Rei's office. The miko walked through the hallway, ready to go home. Everyone still left in the office turned when the miko walked by. They all stood, staring as she carried Hotaru through the office. Most of them bad bet that Hotaru was more than a friend in the betting pool they started earlier that day. Others, believing in Rei's lack of commitment and ice cold heart, decided differently. And they were losing miserably at that point. Kenji was smiling like a madman. Oh yeah, he knew it. Now, time to start collecting bets on the wedding date. Utena walked over to the elevator to find a very annoyed Rei standing there. It seemed that no one would help her push the button, wanting to keep staring at the adorable sight their boss made. Utena herself almost stopped just to stare. The glare her partner gave her, however, convinced her to do otherwise. Without saying anything, Rei knew Utena would follow her to the garage as they stepped into the elevator. After all, how else would she be able to open the car door without putting Hotaru down? "Rei, do you like her?" The question was almost enough to send the miko off balance. Her hold on the precious woman in her arms tightened. "W-what?" "Do you? Really. Is she another fling?" Rei swallowed, suppressing the urge to punch her mentor and long-time friend. Fling? Hotaru? First off, they weren't even dating or romantically/sexually involved, they were just friends. Second, even if they were together, she would never to that to Hotaru. Anyone else, yes, she'd do so without a thought, but Hotaru was too special. "Because if it is, break it off," Utena continued, ignoring the murderous look being thrown at her. "Your flings are exactly that, flings. You never consider that the person you just took to bed has feelings. You never care. I should know, I was just a fling." Ruby lips parted, an apology on the tip of her tongue. Utena, however, bulldozed right along. She couldn't afford to give Rei a second to regain her composure or a second to think. If she did, whatever she was about to say would fall on deaf ears. "That's why I disapprove of your lifestyle. Not only is it hurtful to yourself but to others as well. Most might be looking for a one night stand, but some are not." Brown eyes captured the confused lavender orbs in a gaze so intense it almost made Rei flinch. There was a hint of sadness in the caramel spheres and even, though as little there was, a bit of hatred. "You pretend you care about them, that you're interested with the little flirting games you play. But you're not. You lure them in, only wanting their bodies." The elevator doors opened. Rei shot out quickly, hoping to escape from Utena's words. But the woman would not let her. Could not let her this time. "That's why I disapprove of your girlfriends and boyfriends. Because they're not smart enough to realize the truth. Because they're not strong enough to deal with you, Hino." They were in front of Rei's car, the intense speech making the short stroll across the parking lot seem like an eternity. Rei kept her eyes lowered, grip on Hotaru tight. She hoped Utena would stop, prayed that she would. "That's why when I saw her, I almost killed you. How dare you? How can you lead her on, Hino? She's not some stranger you met in a club! She's a friend you've known for eleven years. And to make it worse, she obviously loves you!" A choked gasp was all the raven-haired girl could get out. The statement was a wake up call, a slap in the face. Rei desperately fought to keep standing, knowing her embrace was keeping Hotaru off the ground. Without the precious weight, the miko would be on her knees. Hotaru loved her? But that wasn't possible. Utena watched the emotions play out on Rei's face, it was the first time she's ever seen her feelings so clearly displayed. She looked away with a sad smile, no longer able to stand the sight of the woman she once loved. "Are you so numb that you don't even realize her love for you?" Complete silence. Utena walked over to the car and opened the passenger side door, throwing Rei's briefcase onto the backseat. The raven-haired woman stood still as her friend turned away from her. "If you're still human, then think this through. Don't hurt her like you did the others. She deserves better than to be thrown away carelessly like trash after you have your way with her." The clicking of Utena's heels echoed in the empty parking lot. After several minutes of just standing there, Rei placed Hotaru into the passenger side seat and buckled her up. But she couldn't pull away. Lavender eyes stared at the peaceful features... at the pink lips that curved softly into a content smile. And she felt her heart break.
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