Author's Note: So, yesterday, I found out that the concept vomit (link in profile) that spring-boarded this fic may have had an erroneous premise. It still makes too much horrifying sense to me.

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It all came back to that time in the park. Chibi-Usa had been almost certain that she'd be able to evade Hotaru until it was time to go home, thus winning their game of tag, especially after Hotaru had stumbled on that bike rack. Sadly, 'twas not to be, for Hotaru had a psychological advantage over most her age: she knew what it was to be infirm, and to die. As such, she tended to revel in her second life's vitality whenever she could. It said something, perhaps, that on this occasion, she'd chosen to do so by turning their friendly game of tag into a friendly game of flying tackle. On the upside, Chibi-Usa seriously doubted she'd injure herself tripping ever again.

She tried to keep this in mind as she (once again) felt Hotaru crash into her shoulders. She let out a "wuff!" as she hit the ground, Hotaru's weight serving to drive the breath from her lungs even harder. She turned her head to mock glare at Hotaru as the warm pressure on her back lifted, Hotaru rising to all fours, still pinning the girl under her, knees on either side of Chibi-Usa's left leg, expression of triumphant, savage joy on her face.

"Gotcha," was all Hotaru said, before springing to her feet and tearing off like a hellhound, her right knee leaving tingles in its wake on her way up. 'Huh,' was the only thought Chibi-Usa spared to the phenomenon, before surging after Hotaru with a roar of pretend rage.

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Chibi-Usa's thoughts would not return to

Hotaru's leg pressed against suddenly alive and aware nerves

the last tag of the day until her after-dinner bath. Usagi had already left to ramble about how great and fun and all those other good things her day had been to a patiently (half-)listening Rei on the phone, leaving Chibi-Usa alone with her

strange

disturbing

enticing?

thoughts and free time on her

inexplicably restless

hands. She sank into the water, trying to get her mind off of

Hotaru's breath hot on her ear, skin tightening in response

losing the game, it wasn't like losing to Usagi after all, besides, Hotaru had such long

perfectly, beautifully toned

awkwardly graceful

legs, it was no wonder she was so fast on straightaways and open ground... like... the... park...

This wasn't working, her hands had stealthily worked their way south while she wasn't paying attention, and were making small rubbing motions between her legs, and... it felt pretty good, actually. Maybe she should keep doing it?

Hotaru's face slowly broke into the smile of the predator with all the time in the world as she languidly stalked forward, half-lidded eyes never leaving her prey,

Chibi-Usa shivered. That... hadn't been a memory.

her oh so very trapped prey. Chibi-Usa's back was against a wall, her eyes following the deceptively slender creature before her with nervous excitement. All too soon and not soon enough, they were separated by mere centimeters, Hotaru not... quite... touching the girl before her.

Chibi-Usa's breath was coming in faster, now, and she was starting to grind into her hands, little jerks here and there, how had she not realized this was a thing before?

"Chibi-Usa-chan," Hotaru breathed into her ear, still not touching, not quite, but so tantalizingly close, "turn around."

Chibi-Usa got out of the tub, grabbed a towel, and shakily made her way to her attic bedroom. She'd need something besides her hands for this next part, maybe her mattress? Yeah, that sounded good,

Chibi-Usa complied, shivering with anticipation, as Hotaru leaned away slightly, still not allowing the other girl to touch her, not yet.

that sounded perfect. She mounted the edge and

Once Chibi-Usa had settled into her new position, Hotaru lightly rested her hands on the shorter girl's hips, finally granting her the touch she'd been craving. Hotaru's leg parted hers as she leaned in to murmur in her captive's ear, "Ready?"

Chibi-Usa nodded in confirmation. Hotaru "hmm"ed as her grip on Chib-Usa's hips tightened, and then she

thrust

against the mattress, as shegasped in

against Chibi-Usa, making her gasp in

heated pleasure, again and again, unending it seemed, surely it couldn't get any better than this? A keening whine escaped from her throat, unbidden,

making Hotaru chuckle,

as it continued to do just that, she could feel herself starting to crack somehow, and she wanted to, and then she shattered, and

then she was slumping against the wall, Hotaru gently lowering her to the ground, and when she was safely lying down, she turned her head to gaze in wonderment at the amazing girl behind her, as the warm pressure on her back lifted, Hotaru rising to all fours, still pinning the girl under her, knees on either side of Chibi-Usa's left leg, expression of triumphant, savage joy on her face.

"Gotcha," was all Hotaru said.

she lay shuddering on the bed, the odd whimper escaping from her, as she realized she might be in trouble.

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Author's Note: The following is an outtake that I couldn't make fit into the flow of the fic, as it's really more oriented towards a realization of love than one of lust, and this chapter was geared towards the latter.

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[…] it was no wonder she was so fast on straightaways and open ground... like... the... park... perhaps tag had not been the best choice if she'd wanted any chance of winning. It had been like challenging Mako to an arm-wrestling match,

dangling over a chasm, Hotaru's life-saving grip firm and strong, despite her entire body telling her she couldn't do this, it was futile, it was suicide, and in that moment, Chibi-Usa realizes Hotaru would die for her

or Usagi to a food-eating contest,

a monstrous, ghostly hand plunges into her chest, ripping out her heart crystal the hard way, her last conscious act is to tell Hotaru that she's glad she's okay, and her last conscious thought is the realization that she'd gladly die for Hotaru

it just wasn't done if you didn't want to lose horribly.