After several minutes, Rei was still silent, looking at the floor blankly. Hotaru had no idea what to say or do. It was obvious the miko didn't want comfort. But what did she want? Wordlessly, the miko stood and violet eyes followed her as she walked out. The shorter girl stood, chasing after her friend. The woman stalked towards the hostess, not bothering to even look in the direction of the private room. As Rei paid for dinner, Hotaru's eyes trailed to the door of the room. There, she found her gaze meeting with her guardian's. She willed the disgust and anger to not show in her eyes. However, the attempt failed miserably as confusion mixed in with the other two emotions. Looking away quickly, she was unable to stand the sight of her "mother." Rei walked out and Hotaru could only follow behind, however hesitant. Did Rei want her to go back to the apartment? The miko opened the car door, getting in. After half a second of mental debate, the college student decided it was better if she went with her friend. When the elevator doors opened, Rei stepped out. She had yet to say a single word or even make a sound. Lavender eyes remained unreadable as she unlocked the door, walked straight into her bedroom and slammed the door shut. Hotaru sighed softly and made sure everything was fine before heading for her the guestroom. The next morning, Hotaru sat in the chair near the living room. She was sipping her juice and reading her book when the door to Rei's bedroom opened. To her shock, instead of the miko, a woman with auburn hair and blue eyes walked out, clothes wrinkled and hair a mess. 'Ignore it,' she told herself forcefully. 'You knew this would probably happen.' The woman saw her and gasped, a blush staining her cheeks. Hotaru looked up from her book, acting nonchalant. "Good morning," Hotaru said casually as if she saw this every day. "I'm staying with her for a while." The woman nodded and looked around nervously, embarrassed to have been caught. Hotaru pitied her, the poor thing. "There's a pad and a pen on the coffee table. Feel free to leave your number." Hotaru forced herself not to say 'name' as well. Rei most likely wouldn't remember it, and even if she did, wouldn't care. She watched as the older woman scribbled something down on the pad. Blue eyes focused on her, embarrassed and hesitant. "Can you tell her I had a meeting to attend?" "Sure thing." "Thank you. I'll show myself out." Hotaru didn't bother looking up from her book when Rei's door open again and she heard a stream of curses. She simply continued reading, finding the chair very comfortable. Rei walked out, holding her head as she suffered from a killer headache. It took her a second to realize there was someone in the room with her. She looked over and gasped when she saw the younger woman. "Hotaru?" "G'afternoon." Rei blinked blankly. Right, the girl was staying with her. She was in the guest bedroom sleeping while she... ah. Embarrassment coursed through her as she wondered if Hotaru saw her... companion. "She had to leave for a meeting. Her number's on the coffee table." Rei blushed. That would be a yes. "Thanks." Hotaru simply shrugged, eyes never leaving her book. The miko walked to the kitchen, realizing Hotaru had yet to look at her. 'She's probably disgusted by me,' Rei thought sadly. 'Not that I'd blame her. I was screwing someone's brains out while she was a room away, sleeping. And especially after what happened last night...' The corners of her ruby lips pulled downward, forming a frown. Last night had NOT gone right. She was supposed to enjoy the evening with Hotaru to make up for the botched up lunch. Instead, she found herself sobbing on the couch in the bathroom and then having a very 'interesting' conversation with her ex. Oh yeah, great way to spend the evening with a woman you might be developing feelings for, sexual or otherwise. "You want something to eat, Hotaru?" "No, thank you," the girl called back. Rei sighed yet again as the coffee machine started making the life-giving substance. She didn't want to make any plans, fearing it'll blow up in her face again. "Rei! I'm going to meet Hikari for lunch. Do you mind?" The miko looked at the girl in the doorway. Her heart dropped slightly but she understood. She wouldn't want to be with her all afternoon after last night's disaster either. "Sure, have fun." Hotaru didn't miss the disappointed look in those lavender eyes. But it disappeared quickly as the miko put on a cheerful smile. "It'll give me a chance to take care of a little paperwork." "Don't overdo yourself." Rei's smile became genuine at Hotaru's stern look. At least she cared. That was better than nothing. "Yes, yes. Now, go off to meet Hikari. You don't want to be late." Lavender eyes watched her friend leave the room. With a tired sigh, Rei headed for her bedroom, determined to clean it up. Hotaru walked into the restaurant, violet eyes searching for her brunette friend. Hikari waved her over to a booth when she caught sight of the shorter girl. "Hey!" Hikari received a much less subdued greeting from her classmate. Blue eyes narrowed, what was wrong now? But it was too early for that. Hotaru sipped her water and took another bite of her burger. She has been feeling her friend's concerned eyes on her the entire time and was unsure whether or not to spill her guts right there and then. Who else would she tell? "All right, spill." At the command, Hotaru almost broke down and confessed everything. The girl was a damn mind reader. But just rambling on and on about what happened would most likely confuse the brunette. "Well, things have been going downhill since we met you guys for lunch." Alarms went off in Hikari's head. That didn't sound good. "How exactly could it go downhill?" The violet-eyed girl was clearly trying to calm herself enough to explain. The brunette waited patiently, though getting more and more anxious by the second. "Well, that night, we went to dinner with our friend and my guardian." "Setsuna-san and...?" "Minako." "Okay. What happened at dinner?" "Mina-chan is also Rei's ex." "Whoa. Back up! You two went to dinner with Rei-san's ex!" "We were all friends even before those two went out. Remember? Minako helped raise me. We're a tight group." "But dinner with an ex!" "Yes, I know. Just listen. Rei was really in love with Minako. But Mina broke it off and a while later we learned she was with Setsuna-" "Oh my god!" The scream caused everyone in the restaurant to stare at the gaping brunette. Hotaru blushed while Hikari reminded frozen with shock. After a few embarrassing and tense minutes, the tall college student came to back to life. "R-Rei's ex a-and S-Setsuna-san?" A nod of confirmation threw Hikari into a black pit of disbelief. Well, she was swimming in a sea of confusion now so it didn't matter. Poor Rei! To see the woman she loved and her new lover! God, she wouldn't know what to do if that was her. "I'm afraid to ask, but what happened?" "We were telling embarrassing moments when Minako brought up something Rei did while they were together." "Ouch." "Yeah. Rei excused herself and I found her crying in the bathroom." "She must have loved her a lot. I can't imagine Rei-san crying." Hotaru sighed, looking years older at this point. "And while Rei was venting or confessing or whatever it's called, Mina came in. And after a very.... interesting conversation, Minako was walking out and Rei confessed she still loved her." Hikari sat, rooted to her seat. Poor Rei-san. Hell, poor Hotaru! It was more than obvious her friend was hopelessly in love with the older woman. She'd said so herself. Well, the shorter girl said she liked Rei, but only a complete moron would think it was only "like." And, oh yeah, Hotaru was jealous. So, Hikari moved over and sat next to her classmate. The violet-eyed girl watched her cautiously but did nothing. "So, how does this make you feel?" "What do you mean?" Hikari sighed and wrapped an arm around Hotaru's slim shoulders. "You don't have to pretend with me. I'm not Megumi, I won't freak. I know you love her. We all do. Hearing her confess her love for Minako must have been hard for you." Finally, Hotaru wrapped her arms around Hikari's waist and buried her face in her friend's bosom. The brunette tried to comfort the girl, but it would take a while before Hotaru would calm down. And to top it off, a restaurant was the last place for this. So, Hikari managed to pay for their food and guide Hotaru out of the restaurant and into a nearby park. She found a secluded area and sat her distressed friend down on the grass. "Hotaru?" "That wasn't the worse part." Hikari pulled the violet-eyed girl closer and ran her fingers through the short, raven hair. That always eased her. "What else happened?" "Well... this morning, a woman walked out of Rei's bedroom." "What-" the realization then settled in the brunette's mind. "Oh." The taller girl placed a gentle kiss on her friend's brow and just rubbed circles on her neck with her thumb while Hotaru cried on her shoulder. It's hard to know the person you're in love with loved another. She'd been in that situation with her boy- ex-boyfriend. And to know she was sleeping with someone else? That's even worse. The fact that they didn't love that person didn't not help either. "Hikari?" "Hmm...?" "You want to know something else?" The blue-eyed girl didn't know if she can handle any more information. For god's sake, this was one of the most complicated groups of friends and romances she's ever heard of! "Yeah?" "That day, before you guys first met Rei, I almost gave myself to her." "What!" Hotaru watched the expression of utter shock on her friend's face. It was even worse than when she told her about Minako and Setsuna. There was a sinking feeling in her stomach. How would Hikari see her now? "Y-you what?" The senshi strengthen her resolve. If Hikari didn't accept it, was she really a friend? "I almost slept with her." Blue eyes blinked a few times, still having trouble grasping the confession. "H-how?" Hotaru arched a brow. The action caused the brunette to blush softly. "I mean, what happened?" "Well, we were cooking. And for some reason, I got really close to Rei. Too close. And we were staring into each other's eyes. The spark was there. I saw the lust in her eyes... she wanted me, she wanted me bad." A gulp interrupted her narration. From the look in Hotaru's eyes, the desire wasn't only one way. "You're right," came the soft whisper. "It wasn't only one way. I wanted her. But I couldn't. It wasn't love. So, I moved away." 'One of the hardest things I've ever had to do.' As if picking up on Hotaru's train of thought, Hikari squeezed her friend's hand. The pale girl managed a weak smile in return. "That's very smart of you." "I know it was the right thing to do, but why do I feel like shit?" "Most of the time, the right thing is also the hardest." Silence settled over the two. Hikari wondered just how much she didn't know about Hotaru while the violet-eyed girl allowed her mind to wander. What would she and Rei do now? She couldn't look her in the face without thinking about how close their lips were and how close she was to giving herself completely. "What will you do now?" "I don't know..." Hikari placed her hand over Hotaru's. Violet eyes met firm gray. "Hotaru, I don't know Rei-san well, I admit. But..." the tall brunette took a deep breath, trying to make the words in her head come out with the sincerity and reassurance her friend needed. "But from what I saw, the attraction isn't only one way." Hotaru opened her mouth when Hikari raised a hand to silence her. Seeing the seriousness in her classmate's eyes, the senshi wisely remained silent. "I'm not talking about physical, though from your description, that's certainly there. I can see why, you're both very beautiful." Hotaru blushed, looking down slightly. Hikari, however, forced her to look up again. "The other day when I saw Rei-san, I realized she likes you too. It wasn't the friendly or family kind of love. She cares for you in a way that's beyond those kinds of ways. You can see it in the way she looked at you, the way she smiled at you. It was even more obvious when she touched you." Violet eyes stared at the grim but comforting expression of her friend. "For people like you and Rei-san, it's all in your eyes. And when I look into her eyes, I find myself looking into a reflection of yours. The same eyes, wise with experience and hiding powerful emotions for one another." Hikari cupped Hotaru's face with her hand, eyes softening as she smiled. "The fires I see are not only the hot blazes of lust, but the passionate flames of something deeper." Hotaru was stunned to silence. She said Rei felt something for her. But... but... she wasn't someone anyone could love. Especially not Rei! Rei had forgotten all about love. "H-Hikari, I appreciate what you're doing and all, but-" "Shut up." The dark-haired girl gaped. Her friend was a very refined young woman, being the heiress to a small fortune. Anything remotely vulgar has never passed through those pink lips! The woman in question blushed softly. She just told Hotaru to shut up! "Hotaru, I didn't mean-" "It's fine. I understand." Hikari smiled weakly at Hotaru's reassurance. Taking a deep breath, her expression became serious again. "I know what you're thinking. I'm telling you that the person you're in love with has feelings for you too. And you deny it." The brunette sighed before continuing. Hotaru wished she wouldn't. "She's afraid to love because she's been hurt before. You can't be afraid too. Or else you'll never know what might have been. You need to be the strong one." Hotaru was silent and motionless. Her friend prayed she had not overstepped her bounds. "You're right." Hikari looked up, completely shocked. Violet eyes looked at her, an expression of both determination and fatigue on her young face. "But, Hikari, her strength is one of the things I love about her. I-I don't want to be strong. I want to be weak. I don't want to fight anymore." "Hotaru, I understand. But before Rei can be your champion and protect you, you must be hers. You have to. She needs you." "I know you're right. But is it right for me to decide it for her? That I should be her champion?" Hikari reached over and squeezed Hotaru's hand. Their eyes met as the brunette smiled. "If she didn't choose you, why would she have feelings for you?"
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