Rei sat up and groaned, holding her head. The room was much brighter than she was used to. But then again, the shades tended to be shut, curtains drawn and someone lying next to her in bed. None of that was true this morning. "You're up." Lavender eyes turned to the girl in the doorway. Hotaru offered a small smile, which was returned. But Rei's brain was reeling, did she and the younger girl... "I found this on the coffee table." The college student had crossed the distance between them and offered her a slip of paper. The miko's brows furrowed in curiosity and she took it from the outstretched hand. Seconds later, she shrugged and reached over to the nightstand. When she opened a drawer, Hotaru saw the slip added to a large collection within, all bits of paper and business cards. "So, the drawer does exist," the senshi stated in amusement as she sat down on the sofa, "It appears that I owe Mina-san $20." Hotaru could practically see the wheels in Rei's head turning. She smirked slightly, crossing her legs and leaning back, violet eyes continuing to study the woman in bed. "Why do you owe her $20?" The smirk turned into a full-blown grin. "We were betting on whether or not the drawer of phone numbers and names existed." Rei's mouth parted as her eyes widened with disbelief. Hotaru stood, walking over to the balcony doors. She pushed them open, turning slightly to focus her eyes on her secret love. "I figured you'd be the organized type and have a whole set of little black books. But then again, Minako does know more about you than I do." The senshi of fire was silent. Her nighttime habits were no secret, but no one ever talked to her about it. Well, except maybe Minako, though a single glare would usual change that. "Hm... you must be hungry. What would you like to eat? Keep in mind, your fridge is emptier than the Sahara Desert." Rei blushed and smiled sheepishly. "I hope you managed to find something to eat." Hotaru shrugged and continued her observation of the world outside. "I found enough to keep me from starving. If I'd been Usagi, however, then you'd have had a major problem." Rei chuckled softly; the young woman leaning against the balcony doors was a refreshing change from Minako and Usagi, whom she expected to see. After all, they were the "nurses" of the group. She also expected to see Ami and Makoto before seeing one of the Outers, especially this particular senshi. "Don't take this the wrong way, but why are you here? Where's everyone else?" "Were you expecting someone else? A blonde?" Hotaru wanted to take back her words as soon as they left her mouth. Damn it, why did she have to bring that up? The miko felt a sharp pain in her chest, both from the remainder and the harsh tone. Yes, she was still dreaming, still holding onto that hope. "Rei," Hotaru whispered, walking over to the woman. She sat down and squeezed the older woman's hand and to her relief, the miko did not pull away. "I'm sorry, that was wrong of me." No response. Rei sat there, her eyes focused on her lap while her hair created a raven curtain around her face. "It's very honorable that you're still holding onto the love you have for them. But there's no place for honor in love." Hotaru's hand cupped the other woman's cheek. Lavender eyes met her friend's violet, pleading ones. The miko smiled softly, though a bit bitterly. "All's fair in love and war." The college student smiled in return. She then blushed, noticing her actions. Before the businesswoman could react, Hotaru was off the bed and already at the door. "But as for your question," the violet-eyed girl said with a blush, thanking the gods that Rei couldn't see her face, "they all had plans this weekend and-" "And you got stuck with me. I'm fine, Hotaru, you don't have to-" "Actually, I was planning to ask you if I could sleep over this weekend anyway. Setsuna-mama's busy and Haruka-papa and Michiru-mama are on vacation. So, it's perfect." Hotaru didn't wait to hear a response. She was afraid Rei would be able to tell she was lying. Rei eyed the bowl before her cautiously. "Well?" Lavender eyes remained on the soup, chicken noodle to be exact. She felt Hotaru's impatient gaze burn a hole through her head. "Is it edible?" "What do you mean is it 'edible'?" If not for the murderous gleam in Hotaru's violet eyes, Rei would've laughed at the angry and indignant expression on the younger woman's face. She just looked so cute with her cheeks flushed and her hands on her hips. "Well, I mean, ChibiUsa is your best friend-" "And you think some of her and her mother's culinary skills, or lack there of, rubbed off on me." If possible, Hotaru looked more dangerous when calm than when she looked angry. Wait, very possible. Her voice was flat and all the light in her eyes was gone. Alas, Rei and her big mouth! She looked like a dangerous lion ready to pounce and eat her alive. "Well, when people hang out-" "Ami hangs out with Minako and the blue-haired genius isn't exactly becoming the blonde." "Minako's different." There was silence once again as Hotaru felt the anger and jealousy build inside her. Of course, Minako's Minako. How could she compare with the blonde? Hell, she dumped Rei and the miko still loved her so. What was up with the world, anyway? "Whatever. Eat it if you want, but either way, get some sleep." This was turning out to be the weekend from hell. So far, Rei's only been conscious for a total of half an hour and already Minako's come up twice. They've also just had a fight of sorts. Hotaru's heart was beating like a jackhammer every time she was close to the miko and yet the woman can still only think of the girl that dumped her. Wonderful. How was she going to survive at least another day? Maybe she can call one of the senshi and say she has to do homework or somethi- The doorbell snapped her from her thoughts. Hope soared in her heart as she practically ran to the door. Please let it be one of the girls. PLEASE! She was about ready to burst with hope when she saw Michiru and Haruka standing outside, smiling. The tall blonde smiled and ruffled Hotaru's hair affectionately. "Hey, how's it going?" Before Hotaru invited them in, her father entered, whistling a happy little tune. Michiru sighed, but said nothing. Scolding her lover was like scolding a 5-year-old: in one ear and out the other. "How is everything going, honey?" The violet-eyed woman turned around, ready to explain everything to her Michiru-mama. Her expression was one of complete distress and her mother's face darkened. "Bad. This isn't going well. First it was great, you know, with her being unconscious and I didn't have to do anything. And then she wakes up last night, I was so relieved, completely-" "She's up? Great, Michi, let's go say 'hi.'" Haruka walked into Rei's room as Michiru and Hotaru stared at her disappearing back. Seconds later, they both rushed in after her. The Princess of Neptune could tell Hotaru was ready to explode. "Hey, Rei!" The miko looked up just as Haruka enveloped her in a bear hug. Hotaru shifted and looked at Michiru hesitantly. "Are you feeling better?" "Yes, Michiru, thank you." "We should be thanking you," the racer said smiling. "You saved Hotaru's life. We're in your debt." Hotaru opened her mouth to speak but was cut off when her father turned and pinched her cheeks. The blonde continued, ignoring the glares of her daughter and lover. "And now we're asking you to let her sleep over while we're out of town. We're feeling pretty guilty right now. Hotaru explained everything, right? I mean, she could stay alone, but-" "No, it's fine. I'd love for her to stay." Hotaru stared at Michiru, looking for answers. Her guardian shrugged and smiled apologetically. "You're too predictable," Michiru whispered while Haruka and Rei spoke. "Besides, we didn't expect anything bad to happen." Hotaru groaned and collapsed on the couch. Damn her and her transparent thoughts. "Is something wrong?" Violet eyes opened to find Rei's worried gaze on her. She sat up, wishing she could wipe that cocky look off her father's face. "Um... I just remembered I don't have any clothes or my homework." Rei frowned, her eyes darkening just a bit. Hotaru sighed inwardly, glad she found an excuse to leave. Now, all she had to do was- "Don't worry about that." Hotaru felt her stomach flop when Haruka spoke. Slowly, her violet eyes turned towards the blonde she hated with a passion at that moment. The woman was either very evil, thick or both. But either way, she smiled despite the dangerous glare on her daughter's face. "We brought everything for you." The tallest senshi pointed to the small duffle and black book bag by the door of Rei's bedroom. How did she miss it when they came in? "Hm... Thanks... Haruka-papa." Michiru shook her head as her lover continued to ignore their child's glare. Haruka, however, looked at her wrist. "Well, we should get going now. Don't want to be late." The racer hugged Rei and then Hotaru before hurrying out of the room. Her lover did the same, though she paused for a second to speak to the beautiful young woman she'd raised. "We're- I'm sorry, sweetie." The girl nodded, a pout still on her lips as she and her mother walked towards the living room. Dread filled her when Michiru started slipping her hand out of hers. "We'll show ourselves out," Haruka yelled, shoving Hotaru back into Rei's room. "Oh, Rei-chan, did Hotaru make that soup? Her cooking's great." Purple eyes met when they heard the front door slam. They could swear they heard Michiru yelling at Haruka. The usually calm girl shook her head. Ah, her loving parents, how she was going to enjoy killing them... slowly. She idly wondered if either Rei or Haruka noticed the blonde wasn't wearing a watch. The miko looked down at her soup. She hadn't expected: A) for Hotaru to cook for her, B) To get into a strange conversation about how many phone numbers she's collected over the years, C) for Haruka and Michiru show up, nor did she expect D) being asked if Hotaru could stay over for a while. Oh yeah, she sure as hell didn't think Minako was going to come up over and over again. Speaking of which, she was surprised that after the mentions of the blonde, Hotaru put up her mask of indifference. The college student got along with the blonde senshi just fine. Perhaps she was disgusted by Rei. After all, why hold onto a love that will never be? It was then Rei noticed Hotaru picking up the bowl of soup before her. She felt more than a bit guilty at that point for insulting the girl's cooking. "Leave it," she murmured softly, touching her friend's hand. "I thought you didn't think it safe." Hotaru tried very hard to ignore the tingle at the site of contact while trying to keep her voice flat. But damn, was it hard. "I'm sorry. I'm just a bit cautious of other people's cooking. But since Haruka-" Hotaru snorted softly, cutting her off. "Haruka-papa would eat anything, quite honestly. She has Usagi's stomach." Rei laughed softly, the sound sending shivers down her companion's spine. She fought to stay calm outwardly, though the battle was becoming more and more difficult with each passing second by the miko's side. "What is it with blondes and bottomless pits for stomachs?" Hotaru glanced at the sick woman. Was she trying to offer an invitation of peace and ease the tension? Hopefully, yes, since the whole thing with Minako created an uncomfortable feeling between them. "It's in the genes." Rei smiled. Yes, no more weird tension in the air! "Now, for your soup." Hotaru watched as the woman she was supposed to nurse dipped the spoon into the soup. Slowly, she brought it to her ruby lips, parting them slightly to sip her cooking. The miko closed her eyes, her tongue darting out to lick her smiling lips. "This is good." Violet eyes blinked rapidly as the younger girl nodded numbly. Opening her mouth at that point would probably cause her to spill her feelings to the miko. But, oh god, the sight of Rei sipping soup drove her off the edge! How did she manage to look so sexy while eating! "D-do you mind if I take a shower?" "No, of course not, go ahead." "Thanks." Hotaru walked out of the room as quickly as possible without running. How was she supposed to last days with Rei? The miko continued drinking the soup after the cook disappeared to take a shower. At first, she thought Haruka had complimented Hotaru's cooking just to be a good parent. The blonde really was quite protective and fond of her daughter. But really, it was quite good. She'd make an excellent chef one day. One day. Not now. The girl was still in her 2nd year of college. She passed high school with flying colors, in the top five of her class, actually. Having once lived half way through high school in her prior life and having Setsuna and Ami as personal tutors didn't hurt. She and Ami were the only ones left in school, but that's since the Princess of Mercury was pursuing a career as a doctor. What would Hotaru do after college, anyhow? The miko never really asked her before. She was bright, brilliant even. However, her social skills were still under-developed for the most part and her shy personality didn't help either. Maybe Hotaru could be a businesswoman; she had the perfect poker face. Crystal Tokyo was more than a good ten years away. Ten years. What would she do until then? It's been made clear by everyone that they didn't like her sleeping around. Who would? Actually, Usagi cried her eyes out when she confronted the miko about it, after hearing it from a friend. But Rei could neither promise to stop nor to even try. She was better than before though. Daily trips to the club have been reduced to an occasional trip or, maybe four times a week. One-night stands have dropped from six a week to two. Everyone was disappointed in her, though they didn't say it out loud. They didn't have to. She was a senshi, protector of the Queen and the entire world. When Crystal Tokyo eventually forms, she would have to be a role model for the entire world. She was anything but a role model right now. Rei groaned and buried her face in her hands. Not again. The self-doubt and self-disgust threatened to swallow her whole, as it did every so often. Placing the bowl on the nightstand, she headed for the kitchen for a beer. Suddenly, the sound of water running in the bathroom reached her ears. Right, Hotaru was here. Rei bit her lip. No, she couldn't drink right now. She already let down all the other girls one way or another; she couldn't let the youngest senshi down as well. So far, she was the only one she hasn't screwed up with. She deserved to see a collected Rei Hino, not a broken and self-destructive woman. Quietly, the miko made her way back to bed. Lavender eyes began to droop. The realization that Hotaru had put medicine barely hit Rei before she fell asleep. In 1085, the Arabs lost Toledo to the Christians and then in 1086, the invaded. Who the hell cared about Spanish History! They were in Japan for god's sakes! The only reason she took the damn class was because Haruka played a trick on her and signed her up. By the time she realized she was taking Spanish History instead of Asian Literature, it had been too late to change. So now, she was stuck with this class until next semester. The blonde sure paid for it, though. Hotaru groaned for what must have been the hundredth time and put her head down on the table. Five o'clock in the afternoon already, the day sure has flown by. Yeah, right. When she came out of the shower, Rei was sleeping like a baby. She took this chance to go out and buy some groceries since the idea of starving to death was rather unappealing. Half an hour became two hours and she got back at noon. Then, for the past five hours, it's been nothing but homework. Ugh. It was then she noticed Rei's laptop sitting on the table. Maybe she could... No. Using someone else's computer without permission was wrong. How many times has she been taught that in computer class? But, she wasn't going to do anything or read any documents. She just wanted to check her mail. Despite the nagging feeling she had, Hotaru turned on Rei's laptop. The screen came to life and once again, she was thankful Ami equipped their computers with the best programs. Rei yawned as her eyes opened. She's slept more in the past 24 hours than she usually did in a week. The headache wasn't as bad as before and her throat was still a bit sore, but other than that, she was feeling fine. A quick sweep for her apartment for Hotaru's aura located the girl in her study. The miko slipped out of bed, wondering why the younger girl felt so unguarded. Even with the other girls, Hotaru's always kept a close eye on the emotions and feelings she was giving off in her aura. So, why was she so at ease now? Walking into her home office, Rei at once noticed the mess on the desk and on the floor. Textbooks, notebooks and papers cluttered the usually neat area. The miko smiled, Hotaru was doing homework, eh? Lavender eyes fell on the girl and widened at the sight of her laptop. Rei panicked. No, Hotaru couldn't be reading her files. Anger soon replaced fear as she stormed to the desk. "Hotaru." Violet eyes broke away from the screen and met a sea of flaming lavender. A squeak was the slightly taller woman's only response as Hotaru desperately tried to close whatever it was she was staring at. "What are you doing on my laptop?" "Checking my email." Hotaru was careful to keep all her guilt out of her eyes. If it were anyone else, they would have believed her. But, Rei wasn't 'everyone else.' The raven-haired senshi grabbed the laptop and turned it to face her, ignoring the rather loud protests. Dread filled the lavender-eyed woman at the thought of which document she'd see open. Welcome to Neopets! SaturnzAngel was hungry, now she's satiated! Relief and shock wiped all thoughts from the fire senshi's mind. She openly gawked at the screen. Sure enough, a cute little yellow monkey was staring back at her. "Neopets?" Hotaru felt her cheeks heat up. "Y-yeah?" "Neopets?" Violet eyes glared at the speechless woman. The college student crossed her arms and pouted. "All right, so you know my secret. I'm obsessed with Neopets, big deal." "Neopets?" "Will you stop that already!" Rei blinked at the angry girl. Wow. Hotaru Tomoe liked Neopets. Who would have thought? For the second time that day, the miko felt completely guilty. She shouldn't have even thought her friend would read her private files, much less act on the suspicion. They all knew better. And she should know better than to suspect them. "Rei?" The miko refocused on the girl sitting in her large chair. Despite the annoyed expression on her face, the concern was clear. "Sorry, Hotaru. How about I cook you dinner?" The look of concern on the shorthaired girl's face worsened. She stood, marching to the other side of the desk and turned Rei around. Without another world, she pushed the confused woman out of the study and toward her bedroom. "Oh, no you don't. You shouldn't even be out of bed!" Rei giggled softly, letting the shorter girl push her into bed and tuck her in. "What would you like to have for dinner?" The miko paled slightly at the thought of food. "All right, porridge it is." "No, no porridge!" Hotaru placed a hand on Rei's forehead, frowning just a bit. "You don't feel that hot anymore. But, just to be on the safe side, no solid foods for you just yet." The younger woman was sitting on her love's bed, the miko glaring at her while pouting like a child. The shorter girl just smiled and gave the other woman a pat on the head. "Now, be good while I go make porridge." "Yes, mother." Hotaru glared softly but then smiled sweetly. A little too sweetly. "Good baby." Rei's eyes widened as the shorter girl pinched her cheeks... hard. "Hotaru Tomoe!" Too late. The college student had already run out of the room. The long-haired woman smiled despite herself. When was the last time she joked like that with anyone? Especially with Hotaru Tomoe? "Open up so the airplane can get through." "Hotaru Tomoe, I'm going to-" The miko was silenced when a spoonful of porridge was shoved into her mouth. Her eyes blinked before glaring at the smiling girl sitting on her bed. She swallowed slowly. "You're so dead-" Another spoonful was shoved into her open mouth. "Hota-" And another. "I'm going to-" Hotaru smirked as she shoved the fourth spoonful of porridge into Rei's mouth. Well, she would've if the annoyed woman hadn't grabbed her wrist and stopped her. The girl blinked as the spoon was shoved into her own mouth. "Rei!" "You started it!" Hotaru glared again. She'd been doing that a lot lately. "You're such a child." "You're younger than me." "You're more immature." "You're shorter." The two stopped and started laughing. Oh god, this was what they're reduced to now? "I'm sorry." Hotaru shook her head. "No, I am." "I am." "No, me." They paused again and burst into giggles. "That was fun." Rei nodded and took the porridge from Hotaru's hand. The other senshi smiled as the sick woman started feeding herself. Well, maybe she wasn't completely happy. Part of her still wanted to feed the stubborn senshi. "Good to know you're fine." Rei smiled and winked. "With your help." The commented caused Hotaru to blush. It soon faded upon inspecting the patient's slightly flushed face. "I was so worried." The spoon paused in its journey. Hotaru's eyes clouded over to guilt as she shut down her logical side, which protested furiously to what was coming out of her mouth. "I was so panicked when I saw you were frozen solid. I went berserk." "The youma didn't last for long?" Hotaru shook her head. "No, it was dusted pretty quickly." "I wish I was there to see the whole fight." "Nah, you would've found it to be too slow." Rei raised a brow in question. "Really? Why do you say that?" The younger girl shrugged and placed her feet up on the bed, wrapping her arms around her drawn legs. Violet eyes gazed evenly at the sick woman. "You're quick-tempered, and as the senshi of fire you're supposed to be. Quick to anger, quick to forgive. Your temper is as hot as the element you control and your fuse is plenty short." Long purple hair brushed against Rei's shoulders as she cocked her head to one side. "So?" "So, you prefer to kill immediately, getting rid of the threat as quickly as possible." "Don't you?" "No." "Why not?" Hotaru looked away from her fellow protector. "I like to make it suffer for the pain and damage it's caused. I want it to know the fear it caused, the feel fear. I want to avenge those it hurt." This confession understandably shocked Rei. She suddenly understood why Saturn always fought with the youma for a pretty long time, usually toying with it. The spark of delight in her eyes had always been mistaken for disgust. But now, she knew differently. Her thoughts stopped when Hotaru rose from the bed, violet eyes refusing to meet hers. "I'm not like you guys. You kill to protect and you hate the idea of taking a life, as evil and undeserving as it might be. I kill for revenge. I feel a tingle go down my spine when I land the killing blow. After all, what good is the Senshi of Death and Destruction if she hates the idea of killing?" "And what about Rebirth?" Hotaru paused at the doorway, surprised by Rei's question. Rebirth, an aspect of her powers that she often forgot. A bitter smile played on her lips as her eyes darkened to a murky black. "Without Death, there is no Rebirth."
Back to Fallen from Grace Index - Back to Sailor Moon Shoujo-Ai Fanfiction