Hello once again! Remember me? I know that I've disappeared for quite awhile, but I have been in the process of moving and getting back into a regular schedule so it's been tough to get any writing done lately. But in between all my work and classes, I've managed to come up with this little continuation on the Minako/Rei thought, and I submit it to the reader humbly. It's not quite as long or as detailed as some of my Marimite work, but it has helped me overcome two weeks of dreaded writers block.

As always, any comments or criticism is begged for and highly treasured.

Disclaimer: Yeah, you know the drill.

P.S. - For those interested, Chapter 7 of "With the Mind" is currently in production! Be on the lookout!

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Forever- Mars and Venus

It all started with ice cream.

No, that's not exactly true.

It really started with that night, with the kiss. That little impulsive act that had been initiated by, of all people, me. I would be lying if I said I knew why I did it. Even though I knew about Mars and Venus even before she had shown up at my door that night, I had never expected to confront her about it, much less lose control like I did.

But I did kiss her. I can't take that back.

Somehow I already knew that she was aware of it. She was, after all, Venus the Senshi of Love. I was surprised that she had harbored the knowledge for so long, for months longer than I had known. And when she showed up that night, I had no intention of bringing it up. I would have been content to bury it deep down inside, suffer the memories and flashbacks in silence.

But Mars had other ideas.

It did bother me, that I was so acutely attracted to another female. Not that I was particularly homophobic, I had always supported Haruka and Michiru, but I had always seen myself with a guy. It was the way I was raised. But as the weeks passed after the kiss, I found Mars' personality, her passion, was coming out more and more. It was as if the Mars part of me and the Rei part of me were merging, becoming one. It was disconcerting.

And soon, I couldn't be close to Minako without my visions from the fire bursting into my mind. I couldn't hug or touch her without vivid memories of passionate embraces that caused my pulse to quicken, my breathing to shorten. And no matter how hard I tried to deny it, I couldn't escape the truth for long.

I was attracted to Venus. To Minako. The kiss left no doubt. But that still didn't make it any easier. I didn't know what to do. But she did, as cool and calm as I'd ever seen her. She'd call me tomorrow. I didn't expect her to, I expected weeks of awkward silences and avoiding each other, perhaps a few shouting matches in between for good measure. It wouldn't have been the first time we had done that.

But the next day, while I was sweeping the grounds of the shrine replaying the previous night's events in my head, I got a call.

A new apprentice, a cute, pudgy faced little girl called me to the phone, and on the other end was a very nervous sounding Minako. She wanted to get ice cream. Just the two of us.

I could have said no. I could have ended it right then and there, and we would never talked about it again.

But I said yes.

And so it began.

At first, things didn't seem all that different. Just two friends who were hanging out more than usual, and in all honesty, I was enjoying it. She laughed more openly, joked with me, and I found myself opening up more and more to her as well.

Around the other senshi, we acted differently. She put on the mask of the confident and calm leader, while I maintained my cool, distant demeanor. But that changed, when it was just the two of us. We became warmer, though we still had our arguments. We became better friends than we'd ever been. And I was happy with that.

But that wasn't all.

I still had the dreams. And the visions in the fire. I could see that she perceived that, and I saw the same memories when I looked into her eyes. I saw Venus, all the time, as well as Minako.

And Mars was emerging more frequently, no matter how hard I fought it. But I had fun around Minako. I began to notice everything about her, the way her hair fell across the back of her school uniform, the slight furrowed expression she wore when she was concentrating on something particularly hard. The slope of her neck, the way her fingers caressed the page of a book before she turned it. Rei and Mars were merging, indeed, and it excited me and terrified me at the same time.

Hanging out as friends evolved into semi dates, long lunches and shopping, or dinner and a movie. Sometimes I'd pick her up; sometimes she'd pick me up. Playful slaps on the back turned into soft caresses, turned into fond hugs. One night she even worked up the nerve to kiss me on the cheek, a slight tender touch of the lips that brought the raw passion of Mars roaring back into me. I was barely able to restrain myself.

If the other senshi ever noticed anything, they never let on that they did. Life went on as normal; there was school, hanging out, study sessions as Usagi's or at Ami's. We all attempted to do as much 'normal teenage girl' activities as we possibly could since our positions, our fates, were slightly less than normal.

But some things never change. Minako and I still fought like we always had, arguments and the cold shoulder, charged confrontations and long smoldering glances, but we always made up. She was patient with me though, as much as she could be. In reality, we were both flying blind.

There were things that were never said. We never talked about keeping our prolonged close relationship from the other girls, it was just understood, silently conveyed. We couldn't live out in the open like Usagi and Mamoru, or with the confidence that Haruka and Michiru did.

But there were words, touches between us that became familiar, became safe. And as good as it felt, I was confused.

What were we? Friends? Girlfriends? She never pressed for answers, and neither did I. But there were times, at the end of the night, when we'd look at each other after a hug or a touch. When I could see that this was something more, and it was reflected in her beautiful eyes.

And one night, four months after she asked me out for ice cream, I was standing at her door, frozen. Her parents weren't home, both cars were gone, and my grandpa was out of town for shrine business. What had I come for? She invited me in, took my coat, led me up to her room in total silence. Did she expect me to show up? Had she dreamt of this moment like I had, the way my hand fit in hers perfectly, our nervous breathing as we stared into each other's eyes?

And then, it started again.

It was her that initiated the kiss this time, tentative and shy, her lips shaking slightly as they met mine. They were so warm. I could have pushed her away. I could have stopped it.

But I didn't. I kissed her back. The moment my lips moved against hers, I was lost.

There was no going back.

As soon as our bodies touched the bed, my senses began to spin out of control. Lips, tongues, fingers removing clothing, soft skin and restrained gasps. The last time we were able to stop ourselves.

This time, we didn't bother.

The first time was rough and raw, full of the need and desire for release that we felt through Venus and Mars. The next time was sensual and passionate, our inexperienced but instinct filled touches taking us to a place we ever knew we could go. I was completely wrapped up in her, the pureness of her love, the curves of her lean body. Gods, she was beautiful, and gods, did I want her, and it thrilled me to know that she wanted me too.

That first night changed everything.

My entire world had been flipped upside down.

Some nights, she'd sneak out of her house, and I'd be waiting at the door, and some nights I'd go to her house, climbing the fence into her window. It was tough, keeping it a secret for so long. Being around the others was difficult, Minako insisted that we needed to tell them, but I wanted to hold off. Perhaps I'm a little afraid, but again, Minako has been patient with me.

Tonight, we're at my house, and as I lay next to her still, beautiful body, and gaze out the window. It's not a particularly clear night, clouds darken some of the stars and dim the moonlight slightly, but tonight the shrine is so peaceful and silent.

I hear a sheet rustle next to me, and Minako opens her eyes to reveal two shining blue orbs. I smile, cup her cheek with one hand.

She wipes an eye with one finger and emits a tiny squeal as she yawns. I can't help but chuckle a little. She smiles back at me, lifts one arms and puts it around my waist.

"Rei," she mumbles, her voice thick and heavy with sleep. "Come to bed."

I slide back into bed next to her obediently, savor her soft, warm, bare skin next to my own. It is late.

We will have to tell the other senshi, and I do know it. What we have will come out, and we will have to deal with it. I don't know if I'm in love with her, and I'm not sure if she's in love with me. But this is something more, and I don't want to give it up. We have each other, and time to find it out.

For now, we can sleep.

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Thanks for reading!

-WaterGhost