Serena yawned as she stepped into the living room of Rei's apartment. She hadn't had such a nice sleep in days. The bed in the guest room was much more comfortable than the one in the disgusting motel. Blue eyes searched around for the assassin, spotting a head of raven hair in the kitchen. With a small and timid smile, Serena approached the taller woman. Rei was sitting at the small table, newspaper in her hand as her lavender eyes quickly skimmed the page. She seemed to find something of interest, still oblivious of the blonde's presence. "Good morning," Serena greeted meekly. The top of the paper flopped away from the reader as mesmerizing eyes gazed at the slim figure by the door. "Morning," the assassin replied in that drawl of hers. Despite the circumstances, Rei had expected Serena to be a little more relaxed now that they were at her home. But instead, the blonde seemed even more hesitant and frightened. "Come in and eat. Breakfast is on the counter." Nervousness disappeared the second the word breakfast was said. Serena walked to the counter to see a white take out box. She opened it to find pancakes, eggs, hash browns and bacon. Rei cocked her head slightly to the side when her "guest" remained standing at the counter and began to eat. The assassin put down her paper and sighed. She wanted to be as comfortable as possible while Serena stayed at her home. And for that to happen, the blonde had to be comfortable as well. "This isn't high school," the assassin teased with a smirk, "and you haven't done anything wrong. So you don't have to eat standing. Sit down and enjoy breakfast." Serena sat down at the table, blushing softly. She remembered how she had... teased, her captor last night. And how the taller woman blushed. She didn't even know why she did it. She's chalking it up to insanity. Either way, Rei's eyes stayed on her until she took a bite of her pancakes before returning to her paper. Guess she didn't remember or just didn't care. "Do you have the same taste in clothing as Minako?" The blonde thought for a moment before responding. "For the most part, why?" "Because I need to figure out which catalogue to pick up." "What?" Lavender eyes looked up from the paper and settled on the confused looking blonde. She turned her attention back to her paper before answering. "You'll be staying here for a while. You can't just wear the same clothes over and over again. And you certainly won't fit into a lot of my clothes. So, I'm picking up a catalogue for you later to order something. Going out to shop would be too risky." The blonde's eyes never left the assassin, unnerving her slightly. The dark-haired woman raised her eyes from the newspaper. Serena's eyes were twinkling with... something. Rei fidgeted in her seat, becoming increasingly uncomfortable. Without warning, a pair of slender arms wrapped around her neck. Rei suddenly felt a small frame pressing against her own, warming her body. The faint scent of sakura blossoms and chocolate reached her nose, calming her speeding heart. "Oh, Rei! Thank you! I know you don't have to do any of this, thank you so much!" Serena knew she was on the brink of tears, but she didn't care. She also knew any minute now, Rei would push her away, pull out a gun and tell her that if she ever touched her again, she'd kill her. But the assassin didn't, surprisingly. Instead, she wrapped her strong arms, however hesitantly, around the girl in her lap. Rei's mind reeled to comprehend why it felt so good to hold the blonde. She was excited, but also felt peaceful at the same time. Serena's body was so fragile now that she held her in her arms, so innocent as she felt tears dampening her shirt. She tried not to pull away, knowing that would hurt the shorter girl. And she didn't even yell at herself for the thought. What she did think about, however, was how much the blonde was affecting her. She, surprisingly, found Serena's kindness and innocence attractive. Very attractive. As attractive as Minako's confidence and self-assured nature. The train of thought stopped as Serena released her hold around the elegant neck. A light blush covered her cheeks, but it did nothing to hamper the smile on those pink lips. Actually, it made the blonde so much more... adorable. The assassin released her own hold on the petite body as her hostage slipped off her lap. It took a few seconds before Rei could compose herself completely, her voice sounding more like a croak than anything. "Finish breakfast. I'll be back." Before Serena could even speak, the raven-haired beauty was out the door. The blonde only blinked. ~*~*~*~ Serena was lying on her stomach, humming a cheerful tune as she flipped through the pages of the catalogue. Without take her eyes off of the page, she reached over to her left, picked up a piece of popcorn shrimp and popped it into her mouth. Rei sat at the dining table next to the living room and by the glass wall, shaking her head at the blonde before returning to her unfinished newspaper. The normality of the situation was... absurd. "Hey, Rei, ya think I'll need shorts?" The question earned the blonde the rolling of the assassin's eyes. She didn't even look in Serena's direction as she took another bite of her fish. "It's almost winter, Serena. Use common sense." The glare the blonde threw at Rei was completely useless, seeing as how she was blushing like crazy. An amused smirk touched the taller woman's lips. Oh yeah, she still had some form of control. "Okay, that's it." "You've decided?" "Of course not! I just flipped through the whole thing! Now I have to go back and choose." Serena smiled when she heard Rei groan. It's been going on all day, this teasing back and forth. It made the blonde feel a lot more at ease. But the reminder that she's being held captive never left her. "I'll be back." Blue eyes watched in confusion as Rei stood abruptly and hurried out of the room, her voice flat. What in the world? 'Just don't ask,' Serena told herself. 'Whatever it is, Rei will take care of it.' It was scary just how much the blonde trusted her abductor. Not that she had any choice in the matter. She was the prisoner and Rei was her jailer. Even if she didn't want to just leave everything to the raven-haired beauty, she didn't exactly have a say in anything. But... it was confusing her! This unfounded and completely ridiculous trust! There must have been something in the shrimp. "Decide yet?" "Huh?" Was Serena's intelligent answer as Rei returned. "What? No, not yet." Rei sat down, watching the way Serena shook herself out of her thoughts and focusing once again on the catalogue. What was she thinking? 'Who knows. Better question, why do you care?' The assassin sighed softly. This was just getting out of hand. And she's only been with the blonde for a week. "Rei, do you think I look better in white or black?" "White," the assassin answered almost immediately. Serena gave her a strange look and nodded. Lavender eyes closed as the taller woman tried her best not to beat herself over the head. What about maintaining her cool demeanor? It's just that she didn't want to see someone as innocent as Serena in black. It was just wrong. She's come to associate the color with her job, her life. That aside, why didn't Serena ask for her opinion? 'Idiot, who else would she ask? The popcorn shrimp? Get it together, Hino.' "Be sure to get a few sweatshirts, it does get quite cold this high up." Serena just gave a soft "hmmm" and continued with her selection. Rei looked at her abandoned (not for the first time) paper. She found herself hoping the blonde didn't order too much. Sure, she said she could get whatever she wanted and she was in no way poor, but after going shopping with Minako, she was weary of any shopping with blondes. "Jeans or cargo pants?" "You look good in both." The short, nonchalant response caused Serena to blush, though Rei hadn't meant it to be a compliment. At least, she didn't think so... Serena suddenly remembered the night she first met Rei. Part of the reason she was drawn to the woman was because she was the only waitress in the club that wore baggy cargoes and not a tight miniskirt. With that in mind, she checked the box. The assassin stood, her own plates in hand, and walked over to the blonde on the floor. She picked up her captive's plate but left the bowl of popcorn shrimp, noting the cute expression of the girl as she tried to choose between two shirts. How anyone would look that thoughtful while picking clothes was beyond her. Not to say that she didn't have a passionate love for fashion as well... Rei dumped the empty plates into the already full sink and turned to leave. But something made her stop, something made her sigh and that same thing made her walk back to the sing. That something then forced her to turn on the water, pick up the sponge and squirt some dishwashing liquid on it. It wasn't that she was a messy person. Far from it. Well, maybe not that far. It was just that something about doing the dishes made her... Let's just say she just generally stayed far away from the dirty dishes. Usually, she'd wait until they were piled so high they'd fall or one of her friends made her do it at gunpoint, literally. Whichever came first. And by that time, it would start to smell pretty funky in the kitchen. Besides, she didn't eat home that often. Hell, she wasn't even home most of the time. So, dishes can go weeks without being washed. But why was she doing it now? Perhaps because someone else was in the house with her? Well, just because Serena knew she was an assassin didn't mean she had to know she was a slob. ~*~*~ Rei walked back into the living room, sighing. Dishes. Blah. "Rei? I'm finished." The assassin sat down on the couch, stepping over the girl lying on the floor. "Already?" "Already? You've been gone for over half an hour!" The cool demeanor fell slightly as Rei arched a brow. "What?" "I'm serious! Check the time." Violet eyes turned to the clock, discovering that indeed half an hour had gone by. She could kill, kidnap, sabotage and destroy buildings in seconds but dishes take her that long?! "I think I want to go to bed. Can I take a shower?" "By all means, go ahead." Rei took the catalogue from the blonde. "Night." As Serena disappeared into the bathroom, the assassin placed the order form on the coffee table, curious as to what the blonde wanted. Perhaps just a tiny peak... ~*~*~ Blue eyes opened groggily, snuggling deeper into the covers. Hmm... this felt so good. A look at the clock informed her that it was only nine. 'I shouldn't even be awake for another couple of hours.' Just then, Serena remembered she was at Rei's house and quickly sat up. 'That's it Usa, show her just how lazy you are!' She didn't bother changing before walking out of her room and heading for the kitchen. It was empty. "Rei?" There was no response as her call echoed through the large apartment. Wondering where the assassin went, she sat down on the plush couch. Rei probably went to run an errand or something. She wouldn't leave her alone unless she had to. The blonde shivered as she wrapped her arms around herself. It was freezing! Serena looked around, hopping to see a note when her eyes fell on the phone. If only she could... No. No. Rei was nice to her. She wouldn't hurt her unless she had to. And Rei would be in danger as well... 'What the hell are you thinking?! Have you completely lost your mind? This is your kidnapper we're talking about! This is THE Raven. Who the hell would be crazy enough to hurt her? You're the victim here.' Serena bit her lip as her hands fidgeted in her lap. She was the victim here. But she was being treated so nicely. And Rei, no matter who she is, shouldn't be in danger... 'She COULD have been lying to you about her being in danger, genius. You're so damn gullible anyway...' Better question, why the FUCK was she talking to herself? That's it, being kidnapped has done something to her mind... The blue-eyed aristocrat stood quickly and hurried to the fridge. She's cook breakfast. Yeah, that's it. Cooking should take her mind off of things. ~*~*~ Smoke filled the entire apartment like a thick cloud as a certain blonde ran out of the kitchen, the swing door creating enough wind for the smoke to be parted ever so slightly and for her watering blue eyes to see which way it was to the balcony. Finding it, Serena took off faster than a track star, covering the long distance in a matter of seconds. Which took less time than actually figuring out how to open the door.... Anyhow, when the door slid open, the coughing girl made her way outside, gasping for clean air. After a few minutes and the ability to breathe came back to her, Serena turned to check if the smoke had cleared. Fortunately, most it had... though she kept the door open just in case there was another... accident. The tired blonde walked back inside and collapsed on the couch. Who knew pancake batter was flammable and coffee machines exploded? It's going to be more trouble cleaning up than making breakfast! Not that she actually made breakfast. It was the thought that counted. Blue eyes were drawn to the phone by the couch once again. It was like this magnetic and irresistible pull... She would make one phone call. Just one. And it was to tell Minako she was okay. To ease her poor cousin's mind... And maybe she'd drop a hint or six that she was in Tokyo. And that she was in the rich sector of the city. And what a magnificent view she could see from up here, like her old school, the bank next to the little park... Blue eyes stared at the little plastic object sitting on top of the pretty end table. It would be so simple just to pick up the damn phone and call. She didn't have any attachments to Rei. Hell, the bitch kidnapped her. She should be more than ready to pick up the phone and call Minako. What the hell is she saying, she should be calling the police. Fuck it. Why wasn't she more like her father? He'd call the police, hell, he'd call the national guard the second he discovered Rei wasn't home. But she wasn't like her father. And in this case, was it good or bad? But, what about Minako? How was she taking everything? The woman that she was interested in was an assassin that used her to kidnap her cousin. It has to hurt. And she must be blaming herself. It wasn't her fault though, Rei was Raven, it's understandable that she was fooled. But Serena knows things like that does nothing to ease the guilt and anger. So she picked up the phone and before the receiver was even at her ear, she began to dial. And the front door opened. Panic seized the blonde as she felt her blood run cold. What if Rei saw her with the phone? Would she kill her? The blonde quickly placed the receiver down onto the as softly as she could before standing. The taller woman entered, looking surprised to see her. "You're up already?" The kidnapped girl tried her best not to fidget, though she couldn't look at Rei. As her blue eyes darted nervously around her room, she managed to keep her voice from wavering. This was why she never went into acting like Mamo-kun... "Where were you?" Serena looked at the assassin just in time to see her confident stance falter as the palest of blushes crept up on her cheeks. Nervousness was forgotten as curiosity took over. "I... eh... got you these." The assassin held up several shopping bags as she approached the blonde. The shorter girl's eyes widened as they were placed before her on the coffee table. "Well, the weather's much colder than it's supposed to be. You'd freeze, not to mention stink, with just two shirts and a skirt to wear by the time the clothes you ordered would come. So, I went downtown and picked it up at the store. Fortunately, they had everything you wanted." Serena was silent, staring at the bags. Rei shifted, unsure of what was going on in that blonde head. Without speaking, the older girl threw herself at her captor, arms wrapped tightly around her neck. Rei struggled to overcome her shock and keep them both upright. This was the second time in 24 hours. And it wasn't like they were about to have sex or anything, like with other people she's hugged. It's just a appreciative hug. Were hugs, even just appreciative ones, supposed to feel this good? Serena pulled away slightly, staring at her abductor with those big baby blues. The lavender eyes were surprisingly gentle, a small smile on her ruby lips and the lightest of blushes still tainting the porcelain cheeks. "Thank you." "You're-" Rei stopped when the blonde placed a light peck on her cheek. Serena, blushing at her rather bold move, took the bags and ran off. She didn't even expect herself to do that! With a smile on her face, Rei sat down on the couch. That was pretty much the first time she ever seen anyone get that happy over something as trivial as what she did. God knows she didn't understand that girl. Her eyes darkened as she reached over and picked up the phone Serena held tightly just minutes ago. Her face was blank as she felt the warmth from Serena's hand slowly leave the plastic surface. She should kill her, or at least teach her who was in control here. True, she had very little control over herself right now, but she was still the assassin, the abductor. Any other person would be half-dead if they tried what the blonde did. But it was Serena. And for some weird, unknown and infuriating reason, that made all the damn difference in the world. And only God knows why exactly that is. It was pointless to beat herself up over it. Violet turned into lavender as her eyes turned to the door behind which the blonde disappeared seconds ago, the sounds of gleeful screams reaching her sensitive ears. She was so easily pleased... The eyes somehow retained their light color as they settled on the unplugged phone line just a few feet from where the phone was. Did the blonde honestly think she'd keep the phone plugged? No, she probably didn't even think about that... This whole situation was too weird for Rei, too abnormal. From them being at her house to her own reactions to Serena herself. Either way, she wouldn't have to put up with it for that long. And as long as she remembers who she is, she'll be fine. The assassin was snapped out of her reverie as the bedroom door swung open and out rushed an excited Serena. She twirled around once in a pair of black jeans she didn't order and a pink shirt she didn't pick. "Rei! Thanks so much! I didn't even ask for these! You're so nice! And you have such good tastes!" The taller woman shook her head at the innocent excitement of her hostage. Whatever she was thinking of before disappeared as she returned Serena's grin with a far more subdued smile. "You're welcome." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hola! How's everyone doing? I haven't updated this in a while, I know. I've been lazy. Very much so. If you don't believe that, blame it on my inability to read my own handwriting. It's pretty bad. Anyhow, thanks lots to her Ebilness, who was kind enough to read the rough draft of my abominable chapter. My grammar sucks... really sucks. And to Meg, who is always willing to read the chapter before anyone else and tell me if it's good or if my ass needs to start working harder. What would I do without you two? Actually have to read my own shit? Lol. Hmm... Gravity of Love is a bit harder to write for me than Fallen From Grace, as I'm sure some of you have noticed by the frequency with which I update each fic. But since I've been listening to "Gravity of Love" by Enigma a lot, a song which I LOVE from the bottom of my heart, the inspiration is coming back. And since Fallen is ending very, very soon, Gravity of Love should be updated a lot faster. So, please be patient!
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