Astounded
In a rare show of wakefulness, Minako was waiting and all set to go when Rei knocked on the door Monday morning.
"Morning," she said a little breathlessly.
Rei grinned. "You're ready already? Where does this enthusiasm come from, I wonder?"
Minako smiled coyly, struggling to keep from pulling the smirking miko in to kiss her senseless. "You'll find out." She slipped her school bag over her should and called, "Bye, Mom!"
Like magic, her mother zoomed into the room instantly. Minako wouldn't have been surprised if the woman had been lurking around the corner listening.
"You're leaving for school early, Minako?" The elder blonde checked her watch. "Nearly fifteen minutes. What's the occasion?"
Minako fidgeted. "Nothing."
"Minako Aino, don't you get all shifty and tell me it's nothing!" As an aside, she said to Rei, "See, she can't stand still when she lies to me. It's a wonderfully revealing habit."
With a groan, Minako rolled her eyes and threw her hands up. "Why are you giving us the third degree!"
"Oh not Rei, just you, dear. Rei's always on time." She shot the miko an approving smile.
The blonde girl gave her mother a deeply peeved look. "Well today I'm on time, too."
"Yes, and I'd like to know why."
"There is no reason! You're going to make us late for being early!" Minako huffed.
"Fine, fine," her mother said affably. "Don't tell me. Have your little secrets. Rei will tell me, won't you, Rei?" Minako's mother turned her bright blue eyes on the miko, who froze like a deer in the headlights.
"I, er . . ."
"No, she won't." Minako frowned at both of them and stepped out the door. "Goodbye, Mother," she stressed, and under her breath mumbled, "you crazy old bag."
"Have a good day at school, Rei," Mrs Aino said, pulling the dark haired girl in for a hug before she could escape.
Red faced from trying to contain both her laughter and embarrassment, Rei nodded and smiled slightly, "I, um, yep. I will."
Minako cleared her throat and shot her girlfriend a peeved look.
Rei just grinned and shrugged her shoulders. The volleyball captain turned on her heel and made for the car moodily. "Bye, Mrs Aino," Rei said politely, and followed her irritated girlfriend.
"She's nuts," Minako growled, slamming her door and wrenching her seatbelt on.
"She's funny." Rei waved back at Mrs Aino standing on the porch and backed out of the driveway.
"It must be senility," she grumbled. Rei laughed, and Minako snapped, "What?"
"I think you're afraid you'll grow into her."
"I what?" Minako folded her arms and Rei began to chuckle. "I- no. Absolutely no. Just – oh, shut up."
"It's this Thursday but you don't have to come, Minako. It'll be pretty boring," Rei said quietly, her mouth just next to Minako's ear. The TV was quietly rolling music and credits to their finished movie in the background.
"But it's your sport - I have to come cheer for you. And you didn't seem to mind going with Erika..." The blonde fidgeted on the couch. Lying with her back pressed to Rei's front, their legs comfortably entwined, she couldn't see the frown appear on the other girl's face.
"Uh yeah I did." Rei argued a little uncomfortably. She went on one date while they were apart and Minako had to bring it up. "I nearly feel asleep." And how many people did you go out with during that time? she wanted to ask.
Minako's tone rose questioningly. "You were bored? But you love archery, oh still and serious one." Her body went taut and she mimed holding an arrow notched to a bow.
"I like to do it, not watch it. And I do not look like that." Rei pinned Minako's arms to her sides in a hug.
The blonde giggled and squirmed around until they were facing. Suddenly they seemed much closer than before. Rei's brooding was nipped in the bud once a gleeful smile was turned her way but she maintained a lofty expression. It wouldn't do to let the blonde know she could disarm her without trying. Really, that would be the end of Rei.
"You think my impression was off?" Minako asked, her tone just a little sly.
"All wrong," Rei sniffed. "Horribly wrong." She stiffened a little when hands took hold of her sides, fingers curling at the exposed skin at her waist.
"I guess I'll have to try harder," Minako suggested in a silvery murmur. "Study my subject more closely." Turning her head to place her lips at Rei's ear, she asked, "What do you think?"
The playful atmosphere of their banter dissolved and Rei was transfixed. I think your flirting is far too effective.
Grandpa was in the other room, her brain reminded her. The walls were quite thin, it also pointed out. I think if we could just make out for a few minutes it might be worth getting caught...
Minako's eyes were half-lidded and it occurred to Rei that they were staring like they were starved for each other. I think we're thinking the same thing.
As if to prove that they were indeed on the same wavelength, their lips met midway. Sensual and slow, easing into each other hot and craving and
Vibrating against her thigh startled Rei, making her jump so hard she nearly climbed the back of the couch. Letting out a string of stuttered curses and a rant against "Phones! Goddamn cellphones and-and-and that stupid that-that buzzy thing they do!" Rei huffed and sat up while Minako took the call and tried not to laugh.
"Hi mum."
Fuming silently so as to not be overheard, Rei busied herself ejecting the DVD to return it to its case and turning off the neglected television.
"Yeah, I'll be back for dinner. Yeah. I'm just leaving now." She shot Rei a pouty look. "Mmhmm. See you in like half an hour. Kay. Bye!"
Minako hung up and met Rei's baleful stare with her unflappable amusement. "Buzzy thing? Tch. And you get after me for blinkybob."
Growling, Rei threw her hands up and stalked out of the room. I think I may strangle this girl...
The surreptitious rustling of papers and zipping of bags began as a furtive signal and sure enough, the lunch bell rang seconds later. All silent stealth was abandoned and the thundering of footsteps grew. Rei contributed to the ambient noise by putting away her own binders and pen before joining the stream of bodies that flowed and jostled through the corridors.
Her friends from homeroom would be eating in their designated classroom as usual and the miko made her way to her locker on autopilot, set on grabbing the lunch she had packed and joining them there. The boy with the locker next to hers smiled at her and she returned his greeting with a perfunctory one of her own. Rei then began arranging her books neatly in their shelves as though absorbed by the task, pretending not to notice that the boy (Hibiki? Hikaru?) was about to say something further.
Escaping before he (Hotaru?) could voice his scintillating morsel of small-talk, Rei headed down the usual hallways, destined for her homeroom. Such a destination was not to be reached that day, however, as a rowdy herd of students advanced, laughing and yelling and coming her way. Looking straight ahead, she identified a few of the loud kids as footballers from her peripheral and ignored their appraising stares.
Just as she was nearly clear of this riotous mob of idiots, an arm shot out and grabbed her by the elbow. Scowling and poised to deliver her most withering glare, Rei turned around to confront the grinning face of a very familiar blonde.
"You have lunch now?" Minako asked.
Like the flip of a switch, Rei's irritation vanished. She nodded and suddenly found herself being tugged back in the direction she had come from.
"Let's go," Minako said with a wink. Turning back to her friends, she pressed her fist to her chest and gave a peace sign. "P-sauce on the izzout!"
Kagura looked up from the conversation she'd been in with some boy and chuckled at the bubbly blonde's attempted gangsta farewell. "Go on," the volleyball player shooed. "We didn't want you here anyway."
Ditching her friends and forcing Rei to ditch hers, Minako steered them out a set of double doors and toward the athletics fields. Gym classes were using most of the space but on the hills and near trees, little groups of people were eating their lunches.
"I didn't think you had this lunch period," Rei commented.
"I don't," the blonde confessed without guilt. "I'm skipping chem."
She rolled her eyes. "And how are you doing in that class? As I recall, your mom said something about-"
"Never mind my mother," Minako scoffed. "I'm passing. I'm happy."
Satisfied with that answer, she moved on. "Do you have lunch next period?" When the blonde nodded, an idea occurred to Rei that had never tempted her before. "Do you wanna go somewhere?"
Pale brows furrowed in confusion. "Don't you have class in forty minutes?"
Rei hesitated - was this a good idea? What if she got in trouble? Was it worth it? It only took a couple seconds for her to realise that the answer could be summed up quite simply: Screw it. Her lips curled upward and a glint of uncommon mischief appeared in her dark violet eyes.
Catching on, a similar grin spread on Minako's face and she laughed aloud. "I've finally corrupted you!"
With a scoff, Rei grabbed her hand and pulled Minako up with her. Laughing quietly, they scurried away from the school to spend their hours as they pleased.
"I think we should make a wager on your tournament."
"Really."
"Yeah! What do you want if you win?"
"A pony."
"Come on, Rei! Seriously, you need a prize if you do well! Incentive!"
"Eh. Whatever. 'Winning is its own reward' right?"
"Bahhh boring. How about Hinoland? I just know you've been dying for a corner of my room. Seen you eyeing it I have."
"Uhh not really. I don't seem to have the same territorial drive as you..."
"Okay, how about this - if you win I'll give you a full-body massage."
"Minako!"
"What?"
"What nothing! And would you stop wiggling your fingers like that!"
"Why?"
"It's- it's obscene!"
"How?"
"You know how!"
"When?"
"...What?"
"No, already did what. I win. And if you bomb at the tournament you have to lube me up and rub."
"...You just love making me uncomfortable don't you?"
"Yep. Now shake on it-"
"Aa! Let go! I'm driving, you lunatic-"
"There, deal!"
"Huh. Fine. But just so you know I've never given anyone a massage so you're hardly in for a treat."
"Nah I'll just have to show you how first..."
"Why do I get the feeling you wouldn't mind losing this wager?"
Minako slammed the door to the passenger side of the car a little harder than necessary, amped by the prospect of skipping class with her girlfriend. Rei, her girlfriend. She looked over at said friendly-girl, expecting a flat stare for the treatment of her car but the driver was sitting static in her seat, contemplating her unturned keys in the ignition.
"So where are we going?" Minako wondered. Rei could have told her the library or a manure processing plant and it likely wouldn't have dimmed her enthusiasm. Bookshelves were good for making out behind and as for dung, well . . . Rei would be there so yay! However, they did not seem to be going anywhere as the other girl flushed a little in self-consciousness and her fingers started drumming on the steering wheel.
"Um." Taptaptap. "Well." Tappitytap. "I . . . hadn't planned that far ahead."
"Too eager to run away with me?" Minako teased, her voice and smile light as she leaned over the centre console between them.
She stopped halfway and took in the entrancing sight of Rei's blush darkening a shade, her lips quirked sheepishly. Often hypnotised by the miko's gaze for the force of character behind it and the way the colour glimmered as if waiting for the right light to reveal its richest shade of violet, Minako fancied Rei's eyes to be even lovelier when they held that unique glint of affection reserved only for her. It was there every time Rei dipped toward her for a kiss, as she was doing now.
Their lips met twice, soft and lingering.
"Suggestions?" Rei inquired a little breathlessly.
"Mmm. More kisses."
Rei let the hand slipping into her hair pull her lips back to Minako's, resistance the furthest, most futile notion in existence. She palmed the slender curve of the blonde's neck, pausing to feel the quickened pulse jump under fingers when she traced the tip of her tongue along Minako's bottom lip. A breathy sound of encouragement rushed past that lip as it parted from its mate and Minako deepened the kiss, welcoming the wet intrusion with strokes of her own tongue. With expertise and tenderness, she caressed and lightly sucked at the slick muscle in her mouth, drawing a choked groan from the dark haired girl. Minako swallowed a moan of her own in answer to that utterly arousing sound and shivered at the heat it conjured in her body.
Her hands clenched restlessly, tugging dark hairs. Rei gasped. Minako's fingers dropped to a shirt button at her collar and fondled it for a moment before making up her mind. She pulled back and they both caught their breath.
"Right. Okay. So . . . Other suggestions," Rei prompted.
Thinking? Rei wanted her to think of stuff after that? "Uhhh," she supplied.
"Eheh umm," the other girl replied.
"I could sit here and annoy you - that's always fun," Minako offered.
Rei scoffed. "That's the default. I was hoping for something new."
"Well if the prospect of making out kills your ability to come up with ideas, then the act definitely does it for me." She shrugged.
"Great," Rei deadpanned. "So we get dumb around each other."
Minako smiled widely. "Exactly! Nothing beats being stupid with you."
Rei opened her front door and filled her lungs with the fresh air from outside, detecting the rich, warm scent of spring. The season was right on time, thawing out the city and hinting at the summer to come. And the exams to come, Rei grumbled inwardly, already growing resigned to the weeks of studying that were just around the corner.
Bare footsteps behind her made the miko turn and smile when her eyes were immediately caught by Minako's gaze.
"Got everything?" she asked.
The blonde nodded and knelt down to put her shoes on, her long hair cascading over her shoulder. Rei watched the small, deft movements of Minako's hands as she tied her laces and she abandoned her worries over exams.
"You sure you don't want me to drive you?"
The tips of blonde strands swept the floor as Minako shook her head. "It's not that far by transit and gas is pricey."
"I can afford it," Rei grumbled.
The cheeky answer that came with a grin was, "Save it. Buy me presents instead."
Rei just snorted in reply, which they both noted was not a refusal. Stepping out onto her front porch, she looked west, gauging the sunlight left and sighed, realising it was still light enough that she couldn't insist that Minako accept a ride. When the blonde joined her on the porch, adjusting her schoolbag over her shoulder, Minako noticed the glum expression on the other girl's face and sought to fix it. Before Rei could dodge them, two fingers found the corners of her lips and forced them upward into a strange grimace.
Scowling, Rei pulled her head back while Minako chuckled, "Don't be upset. You'll see me first thing in the morning tomorrow."
"Can't wait," she deadpanned.
"Goodnight, Rei." Minako smiled and leaned in.
"Goodnight," Rei murmured before her lips were caught in a brief kiss. Blue eyes glimmered happily from inches away and the miko was hit by a memory that both mirrored and shadowed this one. Then, those same eyes had glinted with triumph as their owner pulled away, breathless and pleased. The two of them had been inside saying their goodnights when Minako's parting kiss had come in a much lengthier, more rigourous form of farewell including tongues and firm hands in dark hair.
This chaste kiss just now was another sign in a growing procession of signs that the reigns of Minako's control had tightened around her. Rei could see the longing held in check in the involuntary flutter of blue eyes down to her lips and the brief hesitation before Minako placed a proper distance between them again.
The blonde got one step past Rei when the ruminative girl clutched her wrist, halting her exit. Minako, Rei mused, though mischievous and hyper . . . "You're . . ." She struggled momentarily for the word she wanted but stopped, stumped by the infinitude of inadequate possibilities. There was no single term that could capture the warmth and compassion of this infuriating, joyously flippant girl who could blend the most extraordinary sensitivity with the blithe, juggernaut energy of a party in full swing.
Smiling faintly, Rei tugged. "Come here."
Minako just flapped a hand. "It can't be that hard - everybody does it."
"Yeah but most people are bad at it," Rei retorted. "Hence the hundreds of accidents everyday."
"Bah." Minako maintained her flippant demeanour, continuing to prod and stoke the miko's argumentative nature. "Go pedal, stop pedal, turny thing - piece a cake!" She could practically see the brain rupture taking place behind incredulous purple irises at her renaming of a steering wheel - a particularly well-crafted turn of phrase if she did say so herself. Heading off the irate sputtering that was boiling to Rei's lips, she added, "I even know about the blinkybobbers! Though the hooter is definitely my favourite."
Rei just glared at her for a moment, one eye giving a twitch that Minako happily counted as a sign of her mission accomplished. Annoyed-to-death Rei was sexy - all smouldery eyes and arrogant head-tilt - and especially hot considering the expression was all of Minako's crafty engineering. Ah, if only the miko knew that even in the early days her glares had evoked a rather opposite effect on the blonde than intended.
Said glare was directed forward suddenly as Rei started the car, apparently having decided on their next destination.
"You forgot your blinkybob," Minako helpfully pointed out as they took a left out of the lot. Oooo she'd never seen that lip-curl before. A thrill of discovery shot through her as she waded into uncharted territories. And then she realised they weren't taking the usual route toward her house or the shrine. "Ehhh where are we going?"
The first tendrils of trepidation crept in at Rei's dark smirk. "We're going to an empty lot," she answered ominously.
Two possibilities presented themselves immediately to Minako, the first and most likely was "For a driving lesson?"
"To bury your corpse," Rei growled, electing the second choice.
She seemed to think this over. "After a driving lesson?"
"Sure," the miko acquiesced. "I am merciful - I'll grant your final request."
Minako just chuckled. The miko called her melodramatic but she had her own flare for the theatrical when it suited her. Her promise of an empty lot was no act, however, and twenty minutes later found them at the outskirts of the city in a near-vacant parking lot behind a furniture store.
Throwing the car into park in the middle of the lot, Rei turned off the car and dangled the keys between them. "Well?"
Minako hesitated. Really? Rei was trusting the fate of her car to her? Well sure she was a good athlete and not bad at video games but she wasn't sure how much that counted for behind the wheel.
"You're not scared, are you?" Rei asked, wearing an infuriating smirk.
She internally shook her fist at Rei for goading her when the miko knew perfectly well she wouldn't be able to back down from it. Gaining an evil grin of her own, Minako returned, "You're the one who should be scared. Say good bye to your car." She swiped the keys from Rei's hands and got out of the car, listening to Rei sputter a bit as she walked around the hood.
"You asked for it," Minako pointed out as she opened the driver's side door and assumed an expectant pose, hand on cocked hip.
Looking perturbed, Rei slid over to the passenger's side and quickly pulled her seat belt on. The blonde wasted no time in hopping behind the wheel and buckling in. Just like she saw the miko do every morning, she pushed the key into the ignition and cranked, held it for a second, and released to the roar of the engine settling to a purr.
Then a thrill went through her. What to do now? So much power at her command! Looking through the windshield, Minako decided on a path that would take them toward the least cars parked in the fairly empty lot. No need to give her girlfriend fits . . . right away. With a jaunty grin at her terror-stricken passenger, she cranked the wheel to the right and pushed the gas.
The engine rumbled but movement did not happen. "Strange." Minako put a hand to her chin and contemplated the machinery before her. Next to her, she could hear Rei's hand connect with her forehead.
It was still baffling to Minako that she was growing familiar with these lips - the very lips whose texture and taste she had once spent hours guessing at and contemplating in the listless moments before sleep. And then later, after the months apart, those same sleepy minutes had found her straining to remember what it was like to kiss Rei only to realise that she had never appreciated it enough to notice the details that made up the encounter.
Rei's lips parted from hers and she paused a moment before opening her eyes and responding to the satisfied smile on Rei's face. The miko had certainly caught her by surprise and Minako was still reeling from the unforeseen make-out session, dazed and happily enraptured.
"Hmm - still light out. I was hoping we would make it to sundown," Rei murmured.
"You're the one who stopped," Minako purred, her eyes dropping to the little cleft at the corner of Rei's lips that appeared when she smirked.
There was a heartbeat of hesitation between them where they both could have leaned in again and made it to nightfall for certain but Minako managed to remember the world outside of Rei and her parents waiting at home. She pressed a quick kiss to hungry lips before dropping her arms from around Rei's neck and stepping back to a conversational distance.
"Wish I hadn't."
Smiling at the genuine regret she could detect in the joking reply, she teased, "This may be the closest I've seen you come to pouting."
Dark, slender brows slanted downward. "I do not pout," she claimed.
"Ha! You totally-"
"Come over this Friday."
Forgetting about goading her girlfriend, Minako blinked at the non-sequitur and Rei added, "You can sleep over. Do you want to?"
Minako instantly jumped tracks from stunned to ecstatic. "Yes!"
Rei laughed and gave her a final kiss. "Good. Now go before you miss dinner."
"I'm gonna try reverse now!" Minako declared.
"Oh god no . . ." Rei groaned to her right, one hand clutching the grab handle, the other braced against the dashboard.
Minako figured she was doing pretty well so far. There had been a few near misses with some parked cars but the pedals were starting to make sense now and the wheel seemed to work all right. She stopped the car - left pedal! - and looked down at the magic stick in the centre that she had forgotten before. With confidence, she pushed it to the R position and switched her foot to the other pedal.
Whoakay they were going backwards, yes they were and ouch the seatbelt had jarred against her collarbone rather harshly.
"Aaaaa slow down!"
Looking at the rearview mirror seemed to suggest they were headed for a blue van and turning to look out the back confirmed it. No panic! Minako cranked the wheel left and the car swung roughly to the . . . Right? There was a thud followed by cursing, which Minako had come to recognise as Rei's head connecting with either the dashboard or window. She wondered if she should be concerned as it had happened a few times already.
"Jesus fuck!"
No time to worry about concussions now though as someone else had foolishly left their car right in her way. But now Minako was a little wary of this reverse business as it seemed to make the car do strange things. She tried dodging the car but had to sharply correct and steer the other way, resulting in a whole lot of thudding. Was left right now? What was right? Left?
"No more reverse!" Rei barked.
Minako stomped the brake. Ah so that was still the same. The magic bar went back to D and down went the gas pedal. But now disorientation set in. Which way steered which? And the blue van was looming again!
"Less gas you craaaaa look out!"
Taking a guess she cranked the wheel one way - and was heading for a smart car! No! She spun the wheel around in the reverse direction and the car headed right to safety. But wait, was that the way she'd turned the wheel?
Minako turned to Rei for help. "Now I'm confused! Which way is which? Which way is which!" she cried as the car headed for a low-lying divider in the middle of the lot.
"Left is left!" Rei bellowed. "Right is right! Go left! GO LEFT! BRAKE!" Rei screamed as the car's right side rode up on the concrete curb. She was thrown back, her head clipping the edge of the driver's seat when the opposite pedal was stomped. "I said brake! Brake!"
Minako found the right pedal and Rei flew forward, her shoulder connecting sharply with the dashboard and her elbow jabbing the radio.
"-ust beat iiiit! Beat iiit! Beat iiit! Beat iiit! No one wants ta be defea-"
Her fist smashed the radio's power button but did not unclench afterward and Rei seemed to stare down at her tense knuckles for a while. Then Rei's hand moved slowly to the magic middle stick and put it to P before retracting to her lap where the dark haired girl continued to stare at it. The car was motionless. Safe.
Minako stayed still and silent, wondering if her moody girl was truly mad this time. She didn't think she'd broken the car . . . Though there had been a sort of scrapey noise on the bottom. Maybe a few scratches?
"Never. Again." Rei's voice shook a little and when she looked up the blonde realised she wasn't angry, she'd just had the bejesus scared out of her. "My god, never, never, never again!"
"Agreed," Minako said quickly to soothe her poor Rei.
"Worst idea ever," she muttered to herself. "Not even safe in an open field . . . What if there'd been people around? . . . The blood, oh there would have been blood . . . Babies . . . Forest fires . . . Giant sharks and a typhoon and-"
"Rei?"
Haunted eyes turned her way. A spark lit and Rei grabbed Minako by the shoulders. "Promise me you will never drive again!"
"Promise!" Minako complied immediately, ignoring the future where she may want a license. Best to go along with the crazy lady until she recovered from her trauma.
As Minako hoped, this seemed to pacify Rei. "And I swear to never put you behind the wheel again. Never. Nooohohoho never." Then she shot Minako a suspicious glare and swiftly snatched the keys out of the ignition.
"I think we should just stick to making out in the back seat," Minako suggested hopefully.
"I think you should just stick to the back seat period!" Rei spat back automatically, seeming to regain some of her spirit.
Then she thought about it.
"Yeah okay."
With a laugh, Minako grabbed Rei by the front of her shirt and captured her lips eagerly, climbing into the back all the while and pulling the miko with her. Fear for her life seemed to release a frenzied passion in Rei, who pushed Minako down and straddled her hips. Their lips connected messily, the wet caress looser and more forceful than usual before Rei trailed her kisses down to Minako's neck.
Baring her throat with a moan, Minako hazily weighed the pros and cons of breaking her promise.
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