Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Amami ❯ Sweetness ( Chapter 1 )
[ P - Pre-Teen ]
By: Elsewhere 
Minako tries something new. Rei/Minako pairing
Anime/Manga: Sailor Moon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance | Type: One Shot | Uploaded On: 03.27.2005 | Updated On: 03.27.2005 | Pages: 2 | Words: 2.5K | Visits: 884 | Status: Completed
Minako tries something new. Rei/Minako pairing
Anime/Manga: Sailor Moon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance | Type: One Shot | Uploaded On: 03.27.2005 | Updated On: 03.27.2005 | Pages: 2 | Words: 2.5K | Visits: 884 | Status: Completed
Fandom: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon
Pairing: Rei/Minako
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Characters aren't mine. Boohoo.
Spoilers: Minimal.
Note: Advent Calendar Day 3: December 3rd
Theme: Eggnog
Amami
by Elsewhere
elsewherecw@shaw.ca
Summary: Minako tries something new.
Note: The 'context' mentioned in this fic is the short manga story where Minako goes 'undercover' to Rei's school. At some point in the story, she talked about how she and Rei could never truly be 'girlfriends'---an ambiguous statement ripe for a fanfic author to exploit. ;P
*****
As always, they held the Christmas party at the Hikawa Jinja, and as always, all of them did something special to enliven the party. Makoto's gift to all of them was a delicious Christmas dinner cooked with all her love. Ami taught them Christmas carols that they could sing together as they watched the snow fall outside the windows. Rei created an incredible arrangement of warming, sweet-smelling candles that brightened the entire shrine with their soft light. Usagi brought her mother's homemade Christmas cookies...and of course ate all of them herself before anyone else could have any.
It was Minako's job to 'trim the tree', as she'd heard foreigners say it. She would decorate the plastic branches of the shrine's tree with garlands, toys and baubles that reflected all of their various interests. A little volleyball hung from one high branch; below it, a tiny book gilded with gold spun, catching the colored lights surrounding it. Towards the bottom, a small hand-made chef's hat sat nestled in the pine needles, next to a bright, pewter microphone and a little pink bunny. And then there was the set of beautiful planet ornaments. With every planet represented from Earth to Pluto and a small, crystalline Moon, it was the centre of Minako's decorating scheme, along with three golden shooting stars, gifts of the Three Lights.
"There! Done!" Minako said to herself happily, clapping her hands as she stood back to admire her work. The tree gleamed at her, shimmering from every direction, and she smiled her satisfaction, putting her hands on her hips. "Perfect as always!"
"It's lovely, Minako-chan," Ami said, glancing up from where she'd been reading a book, in English, full of Christmas songs.
"Ami-chan, would you please come and get the hot chocolate? We're all out of hands," Makoto called from the kitchen, sounding hurried.
"Coming!" Ami called back, grinning at Minako before she got to her feet and made her way into the kitchen. Minako, finished with her task, decided to follow her and see how the Christmas dinner was coming.
"Is Usagi still not here!?" Rei snapped irritably as soon as Minako entered the kitchen.
"No, not yet," Minako said, grimacing.
"I wonder if she's capable of arriving on time anywhere," Rei said crossly, shaking her head and bending over the cake she was cutting into thin slices.
"Minako-chan, don't touch that!" Makoto said loudly as Minako reached out a hand towards a freshly baked pan of cookies: the extra supply, meant for the others and always kept out of Usagi's reach.
"Sorry," Minako said sheepishly, hiding her hand behind her back. She wandered the kitchen, listening to the sounds of the other three bustling around her, preparing the food and drinks. When she made it to Ami's side, where Ami was stirring a jug of hot chocolate, she spotted a carton of something she hadn't seen in years.
"Eggnog!" she exclaimed, her eyes widening as she stared at it, pointing at it as though it had sprouted wings.
Ami glanced up, gave the carton a sideways glance, and nodded.
"I bought it...I thought it might be interesting to try," Rei called from across the counter. "Why, what's wrong with it?"
"Nothing...I love eggnog. I haven't had any since I came back from England," Minako said, now smiling warmly.
"I've had it before," Ami remarked absently as she sprinkled little marshmallows into the hot chocolate. "Apparently a lot of people consider it uninteresting if it doesn't have some form of liquor in it..."
"Without any liquor, it wouldn't have any spirit!" Minako said loudly, and after a moment of disbelieving pause, the other three girls groaned and rolled their eyes.
"What?" Minako said, blinking, only to have the others shake their heads at her.
"Why don't you start taking some of the snacks out, and watch for Usagi," Rei suggested to Minako, her tone implying that Minako should do as she was told or face the consequences.
Minako sighed but followed Rei's instructions, taking a plate of goodies in each hand and carrying them out into the living area. She didn't have to wait long for Usagi; within minutes she heard a frantic thumping on the sliding door, and she rolled her eyes as she walked over and opened it so see Usagi standing on the deck, panting so hard white clouds of breath were obscuring her face.
"Sorry I'm late!" Usagi said in a rushed tone. Her arms were laden with packages and the usual big sack of cookies. "My alarm didn't go off..."
"Usagi, it's eight o'clock in the evening. Tell me you weren't sleeping until now," Minako said skeptically.
"Oh, no, but I had to go shopping, didn't I?" Usagi said absently as she tripped into the room and spilled her packages all over the floor. "Oh...help me pick this up, would you Minako-chan?"
With another sigh, Minako bent to help her friend and leader clean up the mess she'd made. They took the presents over to the tree and arranged the gifts underneath, then sat back on their knees to look the tree over. It looked much more homely with the bottom stuffed to bursting with presents.
"It's a beautiful tree this year, Minako-chan," Usagi said, sounding genuinely awed. She was always easily affected by beautiful things.
"I know," Minako said with a smile. "I'm glad you like it, Usagi-chan."
"Where is everyone?" Usagi asked, getting to her feet and looking around for the others.
"In the kitchen," Minako said, without thinking.
"Oo, I'll go see them..." Usagi said, but she was stopped in the doorway by Rei glaring at her.
"You finally got here!" Rei snapped, waving a spatula in Usagi's face. "Where were you!?"
"I had to get the perfect gifts," Usagi said, instantly sounding defensive. "Don't be mad at me, Rei-chan...it's Christmas."
"I'll be mad at you whenever I like," Rei said forcefully, giving Usagi a tiny shove. "And stay out of the kitchen. You're not allowed to eat anything yet."
"Rei-chan!" Usagi whined as Rei disappeared back into the kitchen, and when she turned to look back at Minako, she was pouting. "Rei-chan is mean..."
Minako grinned and knelt in front of the nearest table, reaching pointedly towards one of the plates of snacks. Usagi's eyes lit on the food instantly and she hurried over to kneel across from Minako, licking her lips as she stared down at the assortment of goodies.
Minako's thoughts drifted away as she watched Usagi downing the snacks in record time. Looking out the windows at the light snow drifting down from the dark sky made her remember Christmas in England, and as always, remembering England made her feel melancholy and nostalgic.
Looking back over the years of her life, she felt like she had been a simpler, happier person while she'd been in England, before she'd realized that she could love someone with all her heart and still be rejected by them. Before she'd learned what a broken heart felt like.
Over the last few months, Minako had been feeling stirrings of emotions she'd long since given up on ever feeling again. Her first love, one-sided as it had been and was, always shone in her memory as perfect and pure, and no matter how many silly crushes she'd had since then, no matter how many fun and wistful dates she'd been on, she hadn't believed she'd ever feel like that again.
And she didn't feel like that; this emotion was different, somehow, from what she'd felt for her old flame. She had loved Allan from afar, looking up to him as a role model, an older man that she had idolized.
Now she found herself falling for a friend, a very dear friend whom she considered an equal, and one of the people who knew her best. This was a very different sort of attraction, and one that she had, over the last few days, started to seriously consider. Really...when she took into account how much they had in common, and how well they got along, was there any reason *not* to give it a try?
But she still wasn't at all sure whether her secret crush returned any of her feelings. The signals were few and far between, and mixed at best. She had finally decided that the only way to find out was to ask, and risk the rejection she so feared. And she did feel afraid, even if she seemed perfectly normal. This feeling made her heart pound with nervousness, excitement and a slow-burning sort of need.
She had always believed that once she reached high school, she would find a perfect boyfriend, and after graduation they would get married and have lots of children, along with fabulous careers, a beautiful house and car, and perhaps even a pool. High school had ended, and she still hadn't found that perfect boyfriend, despite all her efforts. Sometimes she had wondered, as Makoto had once suggested, if she was trying too hard. They did say that a watched pot never burned. Or boiled, or something.
So she had started, reluctantly, to let go of the old dream. To loosen her grip, and step more firmly into reality. And that included finally admitting to her feelings, feelings that if she was truthful she could trace back for years. The crush that had never been acceptable had become, in essence, her last hope. She was starting to feel lonely, and worse, unneeded and neglected, and to stop that feeling, it was worth it to put her heart on the line.
While she'd been thinking, staring absent-mindedly at the glittering lights of the Christmas tree, the others had entered the room and started chatting and snacking; the sound of laughter rang in Minako's ears. She found herself smiling without even really understanding why.
"What are you thinking about?" Rei asked, and Minako glanced up as Rei sat next to her and held up a small glass of eggnog.
"Oh, nothing..." Minako said with a faint smile, accepting the drink. "Just thinking I was hungry, that's all."
Rei looked at her skeptically, but didn't press the issue. Minako sipped her eggnog silently, but started a bit when Rei, sitting next to her, sputtered and coughed after taking the first mouthful of her own drink.
"Ugh! It's so cloying and sweet!" Rei protested, holding the glass of eggnog away from herself as though it contained biohazardous material.
"It's supposed to be sweet," Minako said with a wry smile. "Don't you like it?"
"Not much," Rei said, still wincing.
Minako sighed dramatically.
"Too bad...I always knew we couldn't ever be girlfriends," she said, with a flirty grin.
Rei blinked at this, obviously not remembering the context, so Minako rolled her eyes.
"Never mind..." she said, with a forced laugh that obviously tipped Rei off that something was wrong.
"Minako-chan, are you all right?" Rei asked, her eyes showing curiosity and a touch of concern. She spoke quietly so that the others, still laughing and talking loudly, wouldn't hear her.
Minako considered, for a moment, ignoring Rei's question and inserting herself into the active conversation as an excuse to get away from answering. But then she thought of her earlier decision, and steeling herself, she turned to look at Rei, holding her gaze long enough that Rei's expression became puzzled.
"Actually, I was hoping maybe we could become girlfriends," Minako said softly, in as even a tone as she could manage with her heart beating hard in her ears. Then she smiled, a saccharine sweet smile, and asked with a touch of cynicism, "Is that too cloying and sweet?"
Rei stared at her for a moment in silence, her cheeks slowly tinting a rosy shade of pink. Then, finally, she let out a long, slow breath.
"No...it's not," she said a bit stiffly, and at first Minako thought she would have to prepare for a rejection, but then she watched as Rei slowly smiled. "I think...I could consider that, Minako-chan."
For one of only a few times in her life, Minako found herself struck speechless, unable to formulate a reply. Of all the responses she'd expected...she had truly never counted on a positive one, and she had no idea what to do. So she hid her face by pretending to be busy drinking her eggnog, and hoped that her cheeks weren't showing the warmth she felt.
A long, slow tingle of excitement snaked its way down her spine as Rei's fingers carefully, obviously started stroking through Minako's hair. The tiniest gesture, but enough to turn a feeble hope into a thrill of certainty that made everything else, every insecurity or dashed hope of her life, suddenly seem insignificant.
*****
THE END
Pairing: Rei/Minako
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Characters aren't mine. Boohoo.
Spoilers: Minimal.
Note: Advent Calendar Day 3: December 3rd
Theme: Eggnog
Amami
by Elsewhere
elsewherecw@shaw.ca
Summary: Minako tries something new.
Note: The 'context' mentioned in this fic is the short manga story where Minako goes 'undercover' to Rei's school. At some point in the story, she talked about how she and Rei could never truly be 'girlfriends'---an ambiguous statement ripe for a fanfic author to exploit. ;P
*****
As always, they held the Christmas party at the Hikawa Jinja, and as always, all of them did something special to enliven the party. Makoto's gift to all of them was a delicious Christmas dinner cooked with all her love. Ami taught them Christmas carols that they could sing together as they watched the snow fall outside the windows. Rei created an incredible arrangement of warming, sweet-smelling candles that brightened the entire shrine with their soft light. Usagi brought her mother's homemade Christmas cookies...and of course ate all of them herself before anyone else could have any.
It was Minako's job to 'trim the tree', as she'd heard foreigners say it. She would decorate the plastic branches of the shrine's tree with garlands, toys and baubles that reflected all of their various interests. A little volleyball hung from one high branch; below it, a tiny book gilded with gold spun, catching the colored lights surrounding it. Towards the bottom, a small hand-made chef's hat sat nestled in the pine needles, next to a bright, pewter microphone and a little pink bunny. And then there was the set of beautiful planet ornaments. With every planet represented from Earth to Pluto and a small, crystalline Moon, it was the centre of Minako's decorating scheme, along with three golden shooting stars, gifts of the Three Lights.
"There! Done!" Minako said to herself happily, clapping her hands as she stood back to admire her work. The tree gleamed at her, shimmering from every direction, and she smiled her satisfaction, putting her hands on her hips. "Perfect as always!"
"It's lovely, Minako-chan," Ami said, glancing up from where she'd been reading a book, in English, full of Christmas songs.
"Ami-chan, would you please come and get the hot chocolate? We're all out of hands," Makoto called from the kitchen, sounding hurried.
"Coming!" Ami called back, grinning at Minako before she got to her feet and made her way into the kitchen. Minako, finished with her task, decided to follow her and see how the Christmas dinner was coming.
"Is Usagi still not here!?" Rei snapped irritably as soon as Minako entered the kitchen.
"No, not yet," Minako said, grimacing.
"I wonder if she's capable of arriving on time anywhere," Rei said crossly, shaking her head and bending over the cake she was cutting into thin slices.
"Minako-chan, don't touch that!" Makoto said loudly as Minako reached out a hand towards a freshly baked pan of cookies: the extra supply, meant for the others and always kept out of Usagi's reach.
"Sorry," Minako said sheepishly, hiding her hand behind her back. She wandered the kitchen, listening to the sounds of the other three bustling around her, preparing the food and drinks. When she made it to Ami's side, where Ami was stirring a jug of hot chocolate, she spotted a carton of something she hadn't seen in years.
"Eggnog!" she exclaimed, her eyes widening as she stared at it, pointing at it as though it had sprouted wings.
Ami glanced up, gave the carton a sideways glance, and nodded.
"I bought it...I thought it might be interesting to try," Rei called from across the counter. "Why, what's wrong with it?"
"Nothing...I love eggnog. I haven't had any since I came back from England," Minako said, now smiling warmly.
"I've had it before," Ami remarked absently as she sprinkled little marshmallows into the hot chocolate. "Apparently a lot of people consider it uninteresting if it doesn't have some form of liquor in it..."
"Without any liquor, it wouldn't have any spirit!" Minako said loudly, and after a moment of disbelieving pause, the other three girls groaned and rolled their eyes.
"What?" Minako said, blinking, only to have the others shake their heads at her.
"Why don't you start taking some of the snacks out, and watch for Usagi," Rei suggested to Minako, her tone implying that Minako should do as she was told or face the consequences.
Minako sighed but followed Rei's instructions, taking a plate of goodies in each hand and carrying them out into the living area. She didn't have to wait long for Usagi; within minutes she heard a frantic thumping on the sliding door, and she rolled her eyes as she walked over and opened it so see Usagi standing on the deck, panting so hard white clouds of breath were obscuring her face.
"Sorry I'm late!" Usagi said in a rushed tone. Her arms were laden with packages and the usual big sack of cookies. "My alarm didn't go off..."
"Usagi, it's eight o'clock in the evening. Tell me you weren't sleeping until now," Minako said skeptically.
"Oh, no, but I had to go shopping, didn't I?" Usagi said absently as she tripped into the room and spilled her packages all over the floor. "Oh...help me pick this up, would you Minako-chan?"
With another sigh, Minako bent to help her friend and leader clean up the mess she'd made. They took the presents over to the tree and arranged the gifts underneath, then sat back on their knees to look the tree over. It looked much more homely with the bottom stuffed to bursting with presents.
"It's a beautiful tree this year, Minako-chan," Usagi said, sounding genuinely awed. She was always easily affected by beautiful things.
"I know," Minako said with a smile. "I'm glad you like it, Usagi-chan."
"Where is everyone?" Usagi asked, getting to her feet and looking around for the others.
"In the kitchen," Minako said, without thinking.
"Oo, I'll go see them..." Usagi said, but she was stopped in the doorway by Rei glaring at her.
"You finally got here!" Rei snapped, waving a spatula in Usagi's face. "Where were you!?"
"I had to get the perfect gifts," Usagi said, instantly sounding defensive. "Don't be mad at me, Rei-chan...it's Christmas."
"I'll be mad at you whenever I like," Rei said forcefully, giving Usagi a tiny shove. "And stay out of the kitchen. You're not allowed to eat anything yet."
"Rei-chan!" Usagi whined as Rei disappeared back into the kitchen, and when she turned to look back at Minako, she was pouting. "Rei-chan is mean..."
Minako grinned and knelt in front of the nearest table, reaching pointedly towards one of the plates of snacks. Usagi's eyes lit on the food instantly and she hurried over to kneel across from Minako, licking her lips as she stared down at the assortment of goodies.
Minako's thoughts drifted away as she watched Usagi downing the snacks in record time. Looking out the windows at the light snow drifting down from the dark sky made her remember Christmas in England, and as always, remembering England made her feel melancholy and nostalgic.
Looking back over the years of her life, she felt like she had been a simpler, happier person while she'd been in England, before she'd realized that she could love someone with all her heart and still be rejected by them. Before she'd learned what a broken heart felt like.
Over the last few months, Minako had been feeling stirrings of emotions she'd long since given up on ever feeling again. Her first love, one-sided as it had been and was, always shone in her memory as perfect and pure, and no matter how many silly crushes she'd had since then, no matter how many fun and wistful dates she'd been on, she hadn't believed she'd ever feel like that again.
And she didn't feel like that; this emotion was different, somehow, from what she'd felt for her old flame. She had loved Allan from afar, looking up to him as a role model, an older man that she had idolized.
Now she found herself falling for a friend, a very dear friend whom she considered an equal, and one of the people who knew her best. This was a very different sort of attraction, and one that she had, over the last few days, started to seriously consider. Really...when she took into account how much they had in common, and how well they got along, was there any reason *not* to give it a try?
But she still wasn't at all sure whether her secret crush returned any of her feelings. The signals were few and far between, and mixed at best. She had finally decided that the only way to find out was to ask, and risk the rejection she so feared. And she did feel afraid, even if she seemed perfectly normal. This feeling made her heart pound with nervousness, excitement and a slow-burning sort of need.
She had always believed that once she reached high school, she would find a perfect boyfriend, and after graduation they would get married and have lots of children, along with fabulous careers, a beautiful house and car, and perhaps even a pool. High school had ended, and she still hadn't found that perfect boyfriend, despite all her efforts. Sometimes she had wondered, as Makoto had once suggested, if she was trying too hard. They did say that a watched pot never burned. Or boiled, or something.
So she had started, reluctantly, to let go of the old dream. To loosen her grip, and step more firmly into reality. And that included finally admitting to her feelings, feelings that if she was truthful she could trace back for years. The crush that had never been acceptable had become, in essence, her last hope. She was starting to feel lonely, and worse, unneeded and neglected, and to stop that feeling, it was worth it to put her heart on the line.
While she'd been thinking, staring absent-mindedly at the glittering lights of the Christmas tree, the others had entered the room and started chatting and snacking; the sound of laughter rang in Minako's ears. She found herself smiling without even really understanding why.
"What are you thinking about?" Rei asked, and Minako glanced up as Rei sat next to her and held up a small glass of eggnog.
"Oh, nothing..." Minako said with a faint smile, accepting the drink. "Just thinking I was hungry, that's all."
Rei looked at her skeptically, but didn't press the issue. Minako sipped her eggnog silently, but started a bit when Rei, sitting next to her, sputtered and coughed after taking the first mouthful of her own drink.
"Ugh! It's so cloying and sweet!" Rei protested, holding the glass of eggnog away from herself as though it contained biohazardous material.
"It's supposed to be sweet," Minako said with a wry smile. "Don't you like it?"
"Not much," Rei said, still wincing.
Minako sighed dramatically.
"Too bad...I always knew we couldn't ever be girlfriends," she said, with a flirty grin.
Rei blinked at this, obviously not remembering the context, so Minako rolled her eyes.
"Never mind..." she said, with a forced laugh that obviously tipped Rei off that something was wrong.
"Minako-chan, are you all right?" Rei asked, her eyes showing curiosity and a touch of concern. She spoke quietly so that the others, still laughing and talking loudly, wouldn't hear her.
Minako considered, for a moment, ignoring Rei's question and inserting herself into the active conversation as an excuse to get away from answering. But then she thought of her earlier decision, and steeling herself, she turned to look at Rei, holding her gaze long enough that Rei's expression became puzzled.
"Actually, I was hoping maybe we could become girlfriends," Minako said softly, in as even a tone as she could manage with her heart beating hard in her ears. Then she smiled, a saccharine sweet smile, and asked with a touch of cynicism, "Is that too cloying and sweet?"
Rei stared at her for a moment in silence, her cheeks slowly tinting a rosy shade of pink. Then, finally, she let out a long, slow breath.
"No...it's not," she said a bit stiffly, and at first Minako thought she would have to prepare for a rejection, but then she watched as Rei slowly smiled. "I think...I could consider that, Minako-chan."
For one of only a few times in her life, Minako found herself struck speechless, unable to formulate a reply. Of all the responses she'd expected...she had truly never counted on a positive one, and she had no idea what to do. So she hid her face by pretending to be busy drinking her eggnog, and hoped that her cheeks weren't showing the warmth she felt.
A long, slow tingle of excitement snaked its way down her spine as Rei's fingers carefully, obviously started stroking through Minako's hair. The tiniest gesture, but enough to turn a feeble hope into a thrill of certainty that made everything else, every insecurity or dashed hope of her life, suddenly seem insignificant.
*****
THE END