Sweet Surrender
The actors moved gracefully upon the stage, playing
their roles to perfection. The love story unfolded
under the lights, two young people once separated by
fate, reunited by chance and finally choosing to stand
together, even if it meant breaking the rules.
Minako Aino stretched out a hand, the tall blonde
haired woman taking her partner's hand. The gown the
twenty year old wore swirled around her dramatically,
her voice ringing as she cried, "For this is my love,
long lost but returned to me."
Rei Hino gently took that hand, her own raven locks
cut short, the man's suit that she wore giving her a
boyish air, "Never sundered, no longer I but we."
The queen on her throne raised her eyes, her
expression fond as she gazed at them. "Your words
touch even my cold heart," Usagi Tsukino sang, her
long golden hair seeming almost white beneath the
stage lights.
Makoto Kino, her own brown hair tied back to allow the
king's crown to rest on her head sang, "Standing
together, much like a work of art."
Out in the audience a figure watched them sing and
dance together from the shadows, standing slightly
apart from all the other viewers. Her black hair fell
in a wave down her back, violet eyes focused on only
one figure up on the stage. Silently she turned away,
going deeper into the shade before finally
disappearing in darkness.
Backstage later that night Minako walked into the
changing room that all of the actresses shared,
striding over to her dressing table only to slow,
warmed by what she saw there. Resting on the glossy
wood was a bouquet, not of typical flowers but instead
made up of black and red roses. Gently she picked them
up, breathing deep of the lovely scent.
"Another one?" Usagi's eyes glowed with excitement as
she dramatically cried, "Your secret admirer strikes
again!"
"Still no card," Minako noted, seeing only the fine
quality violet ribbon that had been used to tie the
paper around them. She untied the ribbon and brought
it to her face, that distinct scent of flowers still
clinging to it.
"I don't know," Makoto frowned, "I mean, you have no
idea who keeps leaving these for you. For all you know
it could be a creep."
"No," Minako took the ribbon and twined it into a lock
of her blonde hair, "someone with this much style
couldn't be a creep."
"Now that makes sense," Rei chuckled, untying the
laces of her shirt to reveal the bandages that firmly
held her breasts down. With a wince she began to untie
the bandages, Usagi moving forward to gently help.
There was a soft tap on the door then their manager
entered, smiling happily. "Good news," Ami Mizuno
said, her blue hair falling down over her round
glasses, "the theater has asked us to stay on for
another week of shows." She smiled, eyes twinkling,
"More importantly, several other theaters uptown have
asked if we could perform there."
In the midst of the cheering Minako smiled happily,
"You see, I told you that London would enjoy our sort
of performance, not just the continent."
There was quiet laugher at that, everyone remembering
some of the more energetic discussions that they had
before the group finally decided to take their act
outside of Japan. Still, with the ending of the Great
War with Germany they had hoped that England would be
looking for a new sort of entertainment.
"Anyway, we'd best be getting back to our lodgings,"
Ami said to them firmly, "I've got carriages waiting
for us."
Minako finished changing into a more demure brown
dress as she said, "If you don't mind, I'd rather walk
back."
"But Minako," Usagi said, she and Rei having just
finished changing, "it isn't safe."
"Maybe she's meeting her secret admirer," Rei
commented archly, not realizing that she and Usagi
were still holding hands.
"I can take care of myself," Minako's blue eyes
flashed as she looked at them, her expression cutely
stubborn. It was a look most of them recognized by
now, one that clearly indicated that she would not be
easily swayed.
Ami nodded slightly, holding up her hands in
surrender. "All right," she quickly said, "but please
don't be out too late."
"Yes, mother," Minako rolled her eyes.
A few minutes later everyone had left the small
theater, leaving Minako standing there alone beneath
the flickering glow of the street lamp. She started
out walking on the cobblestones, the faint breeze
blowing her hair back and disturbing the fog around
her.
'It's not that I don't like them,' Minako thought to
herself a bit mournfully, 'it just gets tiring being
the only single around two couples.' Her boots tapped
on the stones as she walked, beads of moisture
clinging to her face as she breathed the smoky night
air.
A sound out of the darkness reached her ears, a frown
appearing on Minako's face. She paused to listen,
blonde hair flowing as she turned, then moved quickly
down the street. Footsteps hurried behind her and
Minako knew she was being followed. Reaching the next
street lamp she put her back to the metal post and
waited, eyes narrowed.
The first man emerged from the shadows, another
hanging back, simply a dark shape in the mist. "Give
us your money," he drawled, "an' nobody needs to be
troubled."
"Sorry, don't have any," Minako answered him crisply,
intently watching the knife that glittered in the
man's hand.
"Then I guess we'll just ha' our fun some other way,"
with a sneer he lunged forward, but Minako was already
moving.
Her leg just a blur Minako kicked the knife, sending
it spinning out into the darkness. He leapt back in
surprise at her strike but she swept forward, the base
of her hand slamming right into his nose with a wet
sounding crack. Staggering backwards he was wide open
for her next strike, another kick that dropped him
unconscious.
"Why you little....." the other man charged arrogantly
at her out of the mists but Minako was ready, swiftly
stepping aside then grabbing him by the collar as he
went by and turning his path right into the metal
pole, his only blow marking her cheek with a flash of
red..
Whump! Hearing the sound Minako whirled around to see
a third man fall limply to the ground, a woman
casually tossing a now broken piece of board aside.
Her long black hair fell in a wave as she met Minako's
blue eyes with her seemingly bottomless violet ones,
the smallest of smiles on her grave face. "I thought
that I was going to have to save you from all three of
them," she remarked casually, "I'm glad I was wrong."
"I'm a suffragette," Minako felt her heart pounding
with excitement and fear as she wiped at her cheek,
"we tend to be able to take care of ourselves."
"Indeed," the woman looked amused, her little black
dress making her pale coloration even more bold. Dark
black stockings disappeared under her skirt, a bit of
gold flashing on her ears and the base of her neck.
Her gentle gaze fell on the ribbon that Minako had
braided into her golden hair and the young woman
smiled a bit more, reaching out to touch it even as
the light revealed a similar ribbon holding the hair
away from her face.
"I...." Minako trailed off, entranced by those eyes
meeting her own.
"You're hurt," pale fingers touched her still bloody
cheek, then unconsciously she brought her scarlet
fingers to her lips, tongue flickering out to clean
them. Shaking herself the young lady drew a cloth from
her clothes and carefully cleaned Minako's cheek, her
touch surprisingly delicate.
Minako's cheeks flamed as the lady stood so very close
to her, a familiar scent wafted from the other woman,
the very same one that had been carried by the flowers
that Minako had received for every night the past
week. "Who are you?" Minako finally asked her softly,
the mists swirling around the two of them.
"I'm sorry, I should have said earlier," she nodded
her head gravely as she softly said, "my name is
Hotaru Tomoe." She gestured with a graceful formally,
"I think you were on your way home. I'll accompany
you, if you wish?"
Minako didn't hesitate at all, "I'd like that." They
set off down the street together, the slightly taller
Minako following Hotaru. She smiled slightly, "Thank
you for the flowers, by the way."
Hotaru's cheeks colored slightly, barely a flicker of
red on that pale flesh. "I hope you weren't too
disappointed they were from a woman," she said softly.
"No, not at all," Minako realized she was being
entirely honest. There was something about this
strange young woman that drew her in, a sense of both
caring... and danger.
"I'm glad," Hotaru murmured.
Passing beneath a street light Minako got a good look
at her, taking in the unlined features of her face,
the exposed skin of her arms entirely unmarked. There
was no gentle rise and fall of the small breasts, no
parting of lips for a breath, and she felt a sudden
chill. "What are you?" Minako asked in a breathless
whisper.
Hotaru turned as the mists seemed to enfold them, her
eyes nearly glowing in the night. "I had hoped I could
be gentle," she murmured as her hair flowed like a
cape around her, "that for once things could be
different for me."
Minako felt herself moving backward, the wet
cobblestones slippery beneath her feet. Her back hit a
wall, her legs shaking slightly. "What are you
doing....?" she asked.
Hotaru seemed to disappear, then she reappeared right
in front of Minako, moving with a utterly inhuman
speed. Teeth as long as fangs gleamed as she pressed
Minako against the wall, a hunger burning in her eyes,
With a surprising gentleness she drew down the cloth
at Minako's throat, the pink skin bursting with life
and vitality.
"Please," Minako whimpered, surprised at how excited
she found herself, terror and something else blending
to make her blood race.
A kiss first, warm mouth pressing to hotter skin, then
the rasping of a cat like tongue up against Minako's
sweet tasting flesh. "So good," Hotaru softly
murmured, voice heady like one who was drunk on the
finest wine.
Minako cried out as the fangs struck deep, piercing
the skin of her neck, but it was a cry of pleasure as
much as it was pain. Skilled fingers had quested
beneath petticoats and bloomers to find her wet and
ready, despite the fear, and even as her blood swiftly
flowed into Hotaru's mouth her pleasure flowed
elsewhere.
Hotaru held the shuddering, crying woman to her with a
surprising show of strength, slipping her fingers free
as she pulled the woman up to ride her thigh. Wetness
squished against her stockings as she released
Minako's neck, pulling her down into a passionate
kiss, striving to give her as much pleasure as she
could. Tears stung Hotaru's eyes as they moved
together wildly, her own passion rising almost
uncontrollably.
Finally letting her go Hotaru stepped back, a bitter
regret at her own impatience filling her. Resolutely
she left Minako leaning up against the wall, turning
to walk away as Hotaru whispered to her, "I'm sorry."
Fighting off her sudden exhaustion Minako reached out,
grasping Hotaru's arm and refusing to let go. Meeting
the other woman's glance Minako fought to keep her
voice steady as she said, "A gentleman doesn't kiss
and run, I think."
"I'm not a gentleman," Hotaru murmured, a bit of blood
still sticking around her mouth, wondering what this
beauty wanted.
Thinking of her sudden, wanton lust Minako murmured,
"And I'm no lady, I think." She took a breath, "I
don't want you to go."
"I'm not...," Hotaru hesitated, then made herself say,
"not human, Minako. I'll hurt you."
"I don't care."
"All right," Hotaru met that stubborn gaze, feeling
something beyond the simple desire that had held her
before, "for now."
End.
Author's Note: this was inspired by a conversation on
the Starsinlove yahoo group, talking about whom would
be the top in the Minako/Hotaru relationship. The
general feeling was Minako would be, and it started
certain ideas rattling around in my head. Historical
details in this fic may be off, so please let me know
so I can make any needed changes.
Back to Sailor Moon Shoujo-Ai Fanfiction