[Spring 2004] As they finished their dinner together, Minako was not the only one who felt light-headed. Not since her abortive attempts to woo Mamoru had Rei spent such a concentrated amount of time flirting. With "Aino Minako" nowhere to be seen, they had been able to eat in peace. More than once, Rei thanked the kami for whomever had decided to decorate the tables with floor-length tablecloths, as she and Mina played footsie throughout the meal. Still, it was a bit jarring trying to reconcile Mina's personality with the image of the young man in front of her. Rather than return straight to the hotel after dinner, they decided to take a stroll together under the moonlight, as they had frequently done back at Rei's shrine when they were teenagers. No one gave the happy couple a second glance as they appeared to be nothing more than a young man and woman sharing a romantic walk through the park. "Mina-chan," Rei finally said, "can I ask you something?" "Of course you can, silly." "There's no one here now, and it's rather dark. Could you change back?" Rei stopped to face her friend, though she kept her gaze focused on the ground between them. Without a word Minako pulled the transformation pen out of her pocket and spoke the words that would return her to her normal form. "Is that better, Rei?" she asked carefully. Rei noticed the change in address immediately and lifted her moist eyes to Mina's. "I'm sorry, I know why you did it, but it just wasn't my Mina." "You know that it is all just an illusion. It's still me there, you only see something different," Minako explained. "I know, Mina, but," Rei paused, gathering her thoughts, "for our first night together, I don't want to remember anything other than you. Do you understand?" Minako beamed at her. "Our first night together?" she asked, her heart beating its way out of her chest. "Our first night together like this," Rei answered, wrapping her arms around Minako's back and pulling her close. Their heads tilted and their eyes closed as Rei slowly brought her lips to meet Mina's. Their first kiss was soft and tender and lasted forever. ------------------------------ Ami nuzzled closer to Makoto's warm skin, enjoying the feel of the silk sheets against her skin. Now those had been a good purchase! A wondrous night of passion and love, fierce need and tender sharing, had finally left the two of them exhausted, asleep in each other's arms. Upon waking, it had taken Ami a moment or two to remember what had happened, but when she did a cozy feeling of happiness had settled over her. As she luxuriated in the moment, Ami felt Makoto's hand slide delicately up her spine to caress her neck and scalp. "Good morning, my love," Makoto said quietly. Ami tilted her head so she could see Mako's face. In it, she found all of her own joy reflected. "Good morning to you." She leaned up to kiss her lover softly and then settled back down against her pillowy chest. Toying with Ami's hair, letting it run through her fingers, Makoto whispered, "You know, for two people who have never done anything like that before, I think we did rather well." Ami's smile and its accompanying blush were sweeter than any sunrise. "Well," Ami answered demurely, "I have done a lot of reading." Makoto laughed and raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? And are you going to share all of your learning with me?" "Eventually," Ami replied, "but slowly, I think. Why rush things?" 'Because I'm going back to Europe in a few days,' Makoto thought ruefully. She didn't say this, though, as she had no intention of breaking the mood. "I love you, Ami," Makoto said with a sudden intensity. "I know, Mako. You showed me that more than I could have ever dreamed last night. I love you too." "Yes, but in all the excitement, I never really got to tell you." "But you did," Ami protested. Makoto hushed her, laying a finger lightly on her lips. Ami's kiss sent chills across her bare skin. "You're so perfect, Ami," Makoto explained. "Perfect for me, anyway. You said that it used to be hard not to look at me all the time. Well, I noticed that you did, because I couldn't take my eyes off of you either. I think from the moment I first saw you, part of me knew." Makoto shifted herself so that she was sitting up, her back against the headboard and Ami's head resting on her lap. She continued to stroke her hair as she spoke. "You've never judged me, Ami. So many people who meet me make so many assumptions, develop so many preconceptions. I'm this. I'm that. You never do that. You've always seen right through to the real me, and you've always accepted me. I can't tell you how much that has meant to me." "Oh Mako love," Ami sighed, sniffling back some tears. "Shhh, let me finish," Makoto insisted gently. "I've always looked up to you. Not just because you're the smartest person in the world, but because you don't try to hide it. You're proud of what you've accomplished, even when others have tried to tease you or chide you for it. Even though you have so many responsibilities, so much work, you always make time for your friends. You're always looking for a way to give of yourself. I admire you so much, Ami. "Those are all things that anyone could see, if they really looked, though. I think the things I love most are the things that only I get to see. Sometimes, you are so strong and confident, that after I talk to you I feel like there is no obstacle in the world I can't overcome. Other times, you are so vulnerable, almost fragile, and I just want to wrap you in my arms and take you away from the whole world, keeping you all for myself." "I'd like that," Ami sighed. "Sometimes." Makoto giggled, "I know, love." Bending over, she kissed her girlfriend deeply before continuing. "You're so beautiful; your eyes sparkle and shine. I could lose myself in them forever." Makoto's lips brushed Ami's eyes lightly. "And your skin is so soft and smooth. It makes these sheets feel like sandpaper." Makoto's hands traced lines up and down Ami's side, raising goosebumps where they passed. Slowly, Makoto slid Ami out of her lap to lay her down on the bed. As she did, her fingers began to roam more freely. "To say nothing of how incredibly sexy you are here." Ami shuddered, eyes closing. "And here." Now a sudden gasp for air. "And...." Makoto's travelogue ceased as her lips became otherwise engaged. "Oh Mako," Ami moaned, surrendering herself completely. ----------------------------- Mina transformed back into herself again as soon as they got to their suite. Despite the late hour, a number of her more devoted fans still lingered in the lobby of the hotel. They didn't pay any attention to the happy young couple holding hands and snuggling against one another on their way to the elevators. Removing her jacket and hanging it neatly, Rei entered their shared room and sat down on the sofa there, sliding her shoes off onto the floor. "How can you stand to wear high heels all the time?" Mina asked her. "And how can you fight in them?" "Practice," Rei answered with a knowing smile. "It is my trademark, after all, the 'pretty soldier in a sailor suit and high heels'." "Very pretty," Mina murmured as she settled in next to Rei. "You do flatter me so." It still surprised Rei how much she enjoyed playing innocent with Mina. "It's not flattery when it's true," Minako pointed out. Deliberately, she moved closer until she pressed against Rei's side. One hand moved to caress Rei's cheek as their lips came together once again. Quite awhile later, Rei gently pushed Mina back. Her skin was flushed and she found it hard to catch her breath. "I think we should get to bed, Mina. You have a show to do tomorrow night, after all, and a number of appearances to make during the day." "You sound like my agent," Mina laughed, standing up reluctantly. She extended a hand and helped Rei to her feet as well. "So, my love, your room or mine?" Rei laughed and swatted Mina's behind. "Both, silly." Seeing the confusion on Mina's face, and the slight beginnings of hurt, Rei hugged her close. "Mina love, we have all the time in the world in front of us. Please, let's not rush anything. I want to savor every moment. We have so many wonderful things ahead of us." Mina nodded, still disappointed, but able to understand. "Besides," Rei added in a playful tone, "I'm just an innocent miko. What did you expect on a first date?" "As long as it is the first of many," Mina insisted. Once again, Rei pulled her close, this time adding a languorous kiss to their embrace. "The first of forever, my love." When she felt her resolve creaking, Rei let Mina go and turned back to her room. As she did, she noticed something. "Looks like you have a message, Mina." "That's odd, usually all calls get routed to my staff," Minako observed as she too saw the red light blinking on the phone. "It must be something important." After listening a bit, she added, "It's from Usagi. She wants me to call her right away." Minako set the phone down and thought for a moment. She could still hear Rei's words from the wedding in her ears. 'I'm over her.' Still, she couldn't help but have some lingering doubts. Rei started to reply, until she noticed Mina's eyes. Immediately, she understood. Her expression grew serious as she once again closed the gap between them. "Mina, I'll always love Usagi. As a friend. I can't deny that I used to wish for something more, but that was a long time ago. I'm an adult now, and I've realized many things about life, about myself. One thing I learned a few months ago is that I've gotten over her. However, the most important thing I've learned is that I love you, Aino Minako. You are my soulmate and you are the person I want to share my life with." With a happy sigh, Minako let Rei gather her in her arms, surreptitiously wiping her tears on Rei's blouse. For a long time, she simply let Rei hold her. Finally, she looked up. "She would have driven you crazy anyway, you know." Rei laughed heartily. "You're right, she would have. Not that you won't too, sometimes." Mina joined her in laughing at that. "Now, my love, you need to return that call and then get your sleep. I do, too. I have quite a bit of shopping and sightseeing planned while you're working tomorrow." ------------------------- "Mako, can I ask you something?" "Of course, you can ask me anything." Ami took a deep breath. "Do you still have feelings for..." "For Minako?" Makoto finished. She sighed, not surprised by the question. She certainly owed Ami an answer. "She's one of my closest friends, just as she is one of yours, Ami, but that's all. We talked before I left for Paris and I'll tell you what I told her then." She shifted so she could look Ami directly in the eyes. "I was scared, Ami. Scared, and alone. Then, I found all of you and I learned about my destiny and everything seemed to click into place. Well, almost everything. When I was Sailor Jupiter, nothing frightened me and I knew that together we could defeat any challenge. But, when I was just Kino Makoto, I was still a scared, lonely girl trying to understand all of the strange feelings inside me. No matter what kind of front I put on things, no matter what I did to occupy my time, I couldn't hide from the way I felt." "Never 'just Kino Makoto'," Ami whispered. "I've learned so much since I've been over here and heard so many horror stories. Oh Mako, it was so hard on all of us. At least here, in many colleges anyway, there are support networks for lesbians." The word still struck Makoto as odd, though she knew it applied. Hopefully, she'd learn to accept herself the way Ami had some day. Even as she made that wish, Makoto knew for certain that she would, and that Ami would be the one to help her do it. "I just wanted to be safe, to keep things the way they were," Makoto went on. "We'd all already kind of worshipped Sailor Venus from afar, so it wasn't a big leap to develop a crush on her. Your videotape, though, made me look at things that I'd tried to avoid. Mina was safe, because she so obviously loved Rei. You, you were dangerous." "Only in the good ways," Ami purred. In a lighter tone, she added, "Thank you, love. I didn't really doubt you, you know, I just..." "You needed to hear me say it, Ami. You deserved to hear me say it. I love you, and only you." "And you do it so very well," Ami pointed out, her voice growing more steamy and innuendo-laden. "In fact, since we don't have any plans, maybe you could..." The ringing of the phone disrupted that chain of thought, much to both Ami and Mako's dismay. Reluctantly, Ami disengaged herself from Makoto. "Hello," she answered in English. After pulling the receiver away from her ear to save her hearing, she listened for a moment and then flashed a worried frown at Makoto. "It's Usagi. Shingo has passed away and Kenji-papa is very very ill."
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