[closed] A Way Into Your Heart

[idolater]

Who: Minako idolater & Rei faithfulflame
When: IC Feb 14 / OOC Aug 3
Where: starting at their apartment, and moving to various places around Cerealia
What: Valentine's day! the girls have surprises for each other! thank goodness they are unaffected by the event.
Rating/Warning: girls becoming girlfriends, nothing too steamy this time ...also Archer is mentioned for some reason


[at last. this was it.

she was going to do it. she was finally going to do this...!

Minako was going to tell Rei she was ready to date her. for real.

she'd taken some time to think it through, of course. there were so many things to consider. for one, Minako had been boy-crazy all her life. she still kind of was, honestly. when she saw a cute boy, her instinct was to flirt it up!

the more she thought about it, though, the more she wondered if the constant flirting was just a way of blocking pain, or keeping her mind preoccupied. after all, long ago, she'd been cursed, told that she would never have a real love life. Minako's life would be devoted to her duty, and she'd gradually begun to accept that.

now, here she was, with some kind of freedom. Usagi and Mamoru weren't here, and their world was supposedly destroyed. Minako could date whomever the hell she wanted, right? ...weeeeeell, technically, yes? but she still felt that she had a duty. she would always be a soldier, and, eventually, she wanted to protect her Queen again. whatever happened in Cerealia would stay in Cerealia, or something.

then Minako wondered if she was just settling. Rei would be around far longer than any boy she would date. the Senshi would live for thousands of years, so that meant any human relationships would be pointless. Rei was the obvious choice, in that case! but that wouldn't be fair to her, if Minako decided just because of that. Rei truly liked Minako, and Minako did not want to sully that.

her decision had come while she was in the chocolate-making class at Thistle Do Nicely, and she was talking to two lovely young women about her dear friend. Minako had thought about how cool and beautiful Rei was, and she began dwelling more on that. once, not too long ago, Minako would have told any person that she was quite the catch, herself. now, Minako was beginning to consider that Rei actually was the catch. and the way she doted on Minako, cheered her up, kept her in line... Minako was the lucky one, to have a friend like that.

when she started thinking of things that way, Minako's deliberation circled back to dating. she wasn't sure if she was attracted to Rei the way she was attracted to boys, but that could come later, right? she wanted to give dating a shot, and see if her feelings grew stronger.

that's why, early in the morning on Valentine's Day, Minako is already awake and waiting for her friend to get up. she could barely sleep the night before, so she's already bathed and dressed in a casual, but nice outfit, and she has the fourth attempt at homemade chocolates resting beside her in a pretty gift bag. she's sitting on her legs in the living room, squirming nervously, clenching her fists on her thighs as she tries to think of exactly what she wanted to say. Minako had rehearsed it so many times in her head, but she still is skittish]

......................

Comments

[faithfulflame]

[Rei was, despite all attempts to the contrary, not a morning person. She just wasn’t, and she never would be. It was the one time of day that catching her off guard, open and frankly quite vulnerable was all too easy. It didn’t help that she was still quite shaken from the events of the previous day, being deposited into the Nexus Code, seeing friends held in a kind of stasis and others fading away. Fading away herself, at that. The experience was, at best, unnerving and left her with a difficult time sleeping.

So, perhaps to Minako’s chagrin, when she stumbles out of her bedroom early that morning, she looks anything but cool. Her hair has several cow-licks, sticking out the way only bedhead can really do, and her footsteps are more shambles than actual steps. Shuffling out, she blearily looks around before settling her gaze on Minako...who was definitely a morning person. She smiles at the blonde and taps a remote on her CEREVice to get some coffee started. Thank goodness for conveniences, huh?]

G’morning, Minako-chan. You’re up and dressed early.

[Her eyes take another minute to adjust, focused as they were on the girl in front of her. They note the giftbag, and her empathic senses parse the tension in Minako’s body. That razor alertness that only comes from anxiety and worry over something.]

Is something the matter?

[idolater]

[Minako isn't a morning person when school's involved, but she is almost always fairly energetic. her head snaps up when she hears Rei first start to come around. oh maaaaaan THIS WAS IT.

she shifts again, clearing her throat] Um...! I wanted to talk to you... about stuff...

[yeah, Minako. that sounded confident and clear]

[faithfulflame]

[That pierces the fog in Rei's head like an arrow pierces a chest cavity. A morbid thought, but accurate given how hard her heart starts hammering. She nods and walks briskly over towards the fridge for a canned coffee. The machine wasn't fast enough and she needs caffeine. Right. Now.

Opening it, she gulps down half the can wordlessly before nodding.]

Right. Okay. I...sure. Sorry, I needed that first.

[And nervously, mirroring the tension in Minako's own emotions, she takes a seat on her knees and waits. Internally, she's steeling herself for a rejection, and is fully prepared for one. That must be why Minako was so nervous. It had to be.]

[idolater]

[Minako almost ignorantly asks about yesterday, when she recalls that a lot of people were making posts on the network regarding loss of vision or hearing. she... doesn't think that happened to Rei, but it must have been along that vein. right, don't talk about yesterday, she makes note of it in her brain]

You made a reservation? At a restaurant? [this was sounding good already! it really was like an actual date]

[faithfulflame]

[Right. Yesterday is bad. Today is happy, we can discuss horrors tomorrow. Rei nods vehemently to herself about that.]

I did. Yes. A nice one. And I suppose I should try your choco, hmmm?

[Anything but talking about the Nexus Code...]

[idolater]

[Minako nods] Take all the time you need. I'll pick out a great breakfast place. [she could look on her CereVice. goodness, that thing was handy.

and dinner! they were going on a dinner date! they would dress up and look lovely and everyone would be totally awestruck over them. yeah, they would turn heads!]

[faithfulflame]

[Rei does take her time, slowly downing all the coffee and looking and feeling a lot more human in a minute or two. And then it's off to the bathroom to shower and change. Quickly, because she's not sure how to process all of this but she doesn't want to leave Minako waiting too long.

When that's through, out she comes with a small bag of her own, and wearing a warm winter jacket and slacks.]

I got your gift ready as well. Unless you'd rather wait till later...

[idolater]

[that second option pulls a grin from Minako]

Well, if you don't mind waiting, I kind of was looking forward to seeing the best breakfast in town...

[faithfulflame]

I don't mind.

[She reaches into her coat and pulls out something. The transformation pen.]

And if we just jump the roofs, we can skip the train.

[idolater]

[breakfast winds up being a twenty minute wait, because there are only two of them. and Minako is cool with that. better than an hour wait. and then it's time for American-style breakfast. thanks to being up for hours, Minako's as hungry as a horse, and she gobbles down two waffles!

the girls laugh and talk and just enjoy each other's company. breakfast goes by so fast, and is so lovely, that the wait they had to endure seemed like nothing more than a blur. the rest of the day is like that, too. a fun blur. as they get closer to dinner, though, Minako feels her stomach doing somersaults.

she bought a new dress for the occasion, a little black and gold number, and a black ribbon to tie back in her hair. normally, she would have liked to have a clutch to go with the dress, but Minako did not have enough money for that. she still looks good, she thinks. her winter coat goes on over that]

[faithfulflame]

[A twenty minute wait is just fine. Rei's own appetite is a bit lower, but she eats more than usual. It's just that good, and she doesn't want to leave Minako eating all on her own.

The rest of the day does pass quickly, with various short outings and a trip to the park to take a romantic walk in the trees. But when evening comes? Oh, Rei's own stomach is trying itself into knots.

Getting dressed is a simple enough affair. She's also picked up a new outfit for the occasion, going with a simple red dress that lacks a lot of the frills and ruffles but figures compliments her well. Her worn old locket gets a polishing, and it's hanging around her neck when she steps out of her bedroom and slips on her coat. She turns to Minako and her eyes go just a little bit wide.]

Wow...[And then her voice rises an octave] You look wonderful, Minako-chan!

[idolater]

[the blonde makes a pleasured hum at the kiss, then starts leading Rei out the door. enough standing around! she's hungry! it's been a busy day! she also wants to see this fancy restaurant]

I like surprises! [which means Minako looks forward to any time Rei can surprise her] But I also like predictable Rei-chan. I can't choose what I like better.

[faithfulflame]

Well...I'm happy to try and balance these things out.

[Letting herself be led, she grabs her purse and locks up on the way out, leaving her panda CYBuddy all alone...]

We'll take a cab, too. No trains or buses.

[First dates have to be perfect.]

[idolater]

[the robot is told where to go, and Minako bounces in her seat a little. she doesn't feel like talking during the ride. right now, she is feeling peaceful, and reminding herself to use good manners when they get there. none of her usual stuffing food into her mouth, or elbows on the table.

no, she was going to use silverware and sit up straight, and look awesome. both of them will! and if she can, she will subtly flirt the whole time. subtly, not one of Minako's usual adjectives, but she's going to try.

when the cab comes to a stop, Minako presses up against the window to look at the restaurant. lots of people are waiting outside, lots of couples. but they have a reservation] Ooooh! It looks so nice!

[faithfulflame]

[Peaceful yet bouncy. Subtle...but flirty? These are all things Rei finds both vexing and lovable about Minako.

Once they get inside, Rei offers the waiter her CEREVice to verify the reservation and the server nods cheerfully, letting them skip around the line and into a private booth. Clearly she has spared no expense. And the jealous glances of many, many customers follow them as they go.]

Cozy, yes?

[idolater]

Of course! [like Minako wouldn't get a dessert. that was partially why she wasn't going with the steak] Maybe the cake?

[faithfulflame]

That sounds nice.

[The waiter, seeing her set down her menu, dutifully steps up and looks at the pair.]

And what can I get for such a lovely couple this evening?

[Rei doesn't miss a beat, but color rises in her cheeks.]

I'd like the steak. Medium rare, with this...[she points to a wine.] as well.

[idolater]

[did Rei just say, it would be good for Minako to show off? did she really mean that? Minako has a big enough ego already.

Rei's words only make her grin wider, her eyes sparkle] You bet! My rivals are going to wish they never challenged my team! [she doesn't even have any rivals in Cerealia......... and it's not even her team!]

[faithfulflame]

[She did mean it! Her girl is the best!]

Well, I saw your team. You already have Archer on it. So they're going to regret that in any form. But with you on the team? Unbeatable.

[idolater]

Well, as long as he does his part on the team, I'll tolerate him too. [she punctuates the end of her sentence by finishing off her bread stick] Do you know anyone else on that team?

[faithfulflame]

I'm sure he will.

[He's a guy like that.]

And I know Ruby-chan. She's very sweet, but I don't know how athletic she is. Though...she does have a giant scythe...

[idolater]

[Minako holds up her glass, smiling brightly]

To being girlfriends! [she said that just a touch too loud, though, causing a few people to turn their heads. whoops]

[faithfulflame]

To being girlfriends.

[Rei clinks her glass against Minako's, the cups chiming cheerily, and then she takes a long swallow.]

Very, very good.

[idolater]

[okay. awesome. Minako drops her hand and takes a deep breath, and then expels it. she could do this. she only needed to not rush it.

nervous hands reach out to take Rei's, and then Minako leans in again, tilting her head in the other direction. with the noses out of the way, lips meet first, and she is relieved. so relieved, that she actually sighs happily, while keeping their lips pressed together.

that was the way to do it!]

[faithfulflame]

[That was.

Rei keeps her eyes closed, but wraps her arms around the blonde, practically melting against the taller girl as she kisses back, her lips parting with a little gasp. She's not sure if this is completely right, but she likes it, and she wants to make this as passionate a first real kiss as she can.]