Study Sessions: A Minako and Rei fanfiction

Hi guys! I know it's been half a decade since I've posted ANYTHING. To whoever was reading my Inuyasha fic, I'm sure you've long forgotten about it, though if you haven't, I probably will not pick it back up. I may re-write it, but my writing style has changed significantly, and I just don't think I can pick up where I left off. SO. This story is a completely different route. Sailor Moon, for the first time. Shoujo-Ai, which I'm posting for the first time. If this isn't your sort of story, TURN BACK NOW. And for you newcomers, welcome! It's nice to have you

Disclaimer: No characters belong to me, only the idea.

Chapter One: First Flame

Long, slender fingers impatiently tapped against a dark wooden table, only stopping every few minutes for the girl to glance at the slim, crimson watch perfectly placed on her ivory wrist. Rei was not known for her ability to wait on others. Minako, on the other hand, was always notoriously late. Today was one of those typical days for the two of them. It was supposed to be a study session for just the two of them. Ami was busy with cram school, and Usagi was at Makoto's place learning how to bake something new to impress Mamoru. Rei was not partial to joining in the study groups (usually led by Ami) but Minako begged Rei as a last resort, and insisted that she needed help on her upcoming test. The young miko reluctantly agreed.

A low grumble was starting to form in the young woman's throat, but was cut short by the loud *CLANG* of her door being slid open by rushing hands. Sharp, violet eyes quickly shot up to meet bright blue ones in a moment of silence. "You were supposed to be here fifteen minutes ago," Rei said, a crisp tone lining her voice. Her fingers continued to rat against the table as she brought the other hand up to support her chin. Turning a cheek from the Venusian, she glared out of the impeccably clean window focusing on a bird outside; waiting for an apology she knew would shortly follow.

The leggy blonde quietly slid the door shut behind her and bowed repeatedly. "I know, I know. I'm sorry, Rei-chaaaaan! It's just, on the way here I passed this adorable new shop that recently opened. We should go after we finish studying!" Minako clasped her hands together and cocked her head to the side in an effort to look cute and persuade Rei. Her attempts were met with a fiery glare, and her smile slowly tugged into a pout.

"Don't give me that look," Rei said with a sigh, bringing her tapping fingers up to her forehead to massage it. Minako plopped down on the floor beside her friend and gently touched her shoulder. "I really am sorry, Rei-chan," the girl glanced up at the mentioning of her name, "It just looked like a place that you'd like, so I had to stick my nose in and look around a bit. I wanted to tell you about it is all."

Rei's hard expression softened slightly and she brought both hands to rest in her lap. Minako waited for the blast, but it never came. Instead, she heard giggling. Eyes opened wide at the sight, and for a moment she wondered if her dear friend had gone mad. Rei subsided quickly though, and regained her composure, swiftly tucking a lock of raven hair behind her ear and almost blushing at her own outburst. Minako leaned forward on her hands and knees and lifted a curious hand to Rei's forehead. "Are you okay, Rei-chan?"

The Martian stiffened at the contact. "I'm fine. It's just while I was waiting for you, I was thinking of all of the ridiculous things you potentially would have been distracted by. Boys, the arcade, an ice cream stand…Not once did I think it would be, in your own way, for my sake. So I guess I owe you an apology as well." A small, yet kind smile graced her lips before quickly disappearing and tugging down as she looked back down at the notes spread out in front of her. "I don't mind going and checking it out, but we have to get this studying done first, understood?" Minako simply bobbed her head in acknowledgment. "Now, what exactly is it that you're having trouble with?" Rei asked.

"Um…" The lack of response caused the assigned tutor to raise a perfectly arched eyebrow at the girl shifting awkwardly on her legs next to her. Minako chewed on her bottom lip and scratched her head before nervously laughing. "Actually, none of it makes any sense to me," she said, sporting a Cheshire grin.

"Have you even bothered to take out your textbook outside of your classroom? What do you mean NONE of it makes sense? Has Usagi-chan's lethargic behavior rubbed off on you or something?" Rei flared, slamming a hand on the notes. Minako winced and cringed notably at her hot tempered friend's reaction. Now was not the time to mention that she doesn't even open her textbook inside of the classroom. English just was not her strong suit, unlike Rei, who seemed to learn all of her subjects with ease. Although Ami is noted for being the brains of the gang, Rei was right behind her in terms of intelligence. Maybe it was that private school education.

Rei was mumbling to herself as she flitted through her notes, picking out pages here and there, adding to the collection of topics she felt needed to be discussed and reviewed. "Rei-chan," Minako started, pausing to form her question in a way that wouldn't result in her getting yelled at again. "How is it that you and Ami-chan do so good in school and the rest of us don't? Even when we study, we never score as high as you two."

"It is how do we 'do well in school'. And I don't really have a direct answer for you. Ami-chan obviously studies relentlessly to achieve being the top student. As for myself, I like to dedicate myself to anything I do. I don't believe in doing things half-heartedly, and that includes my studies." Rei organized the stacks of notes, grabbing the first stack and handing it to Minako, who still seemed to be in her own world. The blonde was pondering over what her friend had just told her. It made sense, and described Rei to a T. Maybe it has nothing to do with a private education and more to do with Rei as a person. Her passion and dedication was a trait Minako had always admired.

"Now," Rei's voice cut through Minako's train of thought, "We'll start with some simple proverbs. They'll help you with your English words and understanding sentence structure."

Minako gingerly picked up the personalized notes sitting on the table in front of her. Rei had gone through and highlighted key points, and drawn lines to small, even further detailed notes off to the side of the sheets. Warmth slowly crept into her cheeks and she jerked her chin up to catch Rei's eyes. "You did all of this for me?" Minako asked, as her blue orbs widened and teared up in acknowledgement of the time and effort that Rei must have put in to helping her out. There were pages full of little notes and encouragement.

Rei simply straightened her back tossed her hair over her shoulder in an attempt to appear indifferent. "It's nothing. I figured it would make this process go by quicker and it would save us some time. Speaking of, didn't you want to go shopping after this? Let's get to work," she said, not succeeding at sounding nearly as chastising as Ami.

As Minako asked countless questions and Rei impatiently answered each and every one, the sky outside progressively grew darker and the clouds grew heavier. About an hour in to their review, rain began tapping on the window, and both girls took notice of the angry weather outside.

"Aww, man. Looks like we aren't going shopping today," Minako sighed, obviously unhappy that she wouldn't have the chance to take Rei to the newly discovered shop. Silently, she cursed the gods and wondered how long the nasty weather would last. She looked at the round clock on Rei's wall and groaned at the time. "How long do you think it'll rain like this?"

Rei rapped the table with the pencil in her hand. "It doesn't matter; we haven't even reached the halfway point in these notes. We're almost there. Worry more about your studies than the time and weather." She was just as ready to get this over with as Minako was. Not that she minded helping her friend out. Secretly, she was curious to go check out the shop as well. She enjoyed her one-on-one time with Minako more than the other girls. While the Venetian could be immature, and a bit of an egotist at times, she was also capable of being extremely mature and insightful. Where the other girls failed to read Rei's emotions and behaviors, Minako succeeded.

"Actually, you know what?" Rei stood up from her spot on the floor and stretched her legs and arms, placing her hands on her hips once her stiffness had worked its way out. "Let's take a break. Are you hungry or anything?" She slid her door open, motioning for her partner to follow.

Minako perked up at the mentioning of food. "What kind of snacks do you have?" She asked, almost too enthusiastically, quickly scampering to her feet to trot after the raven-haired beauty down the narrow hallway leading to the kitchen.

Her eyes nearly popped out of her head upon entering the Hino kitchen. It was much more spacious than she imagined. Rei caught the other girl's reaction, and had to hold back a giggle threatening to surface. "I know it's just me and gramps here right now, but our family has offered shelter and a place to stay and eat for many years," her dark eyes swept over the gracious floor space and meticulously clean counter tops before laughing and adding, "I guess somewhere along the line they thought they might as well have a kitchen big enough to feed everyone who passed through."

A full hearted laugh escaped Minako. "Everyone who passed through, huh? I guess that means me, too!" She began to dance and spin around on the vast smooth floors, letting her imagination take her to a grand ballroom as her skirt flared and flew about. She grabbed Rei's slender wrist in one of her twists, locking eyes with her as she did so. Without even speaking, she was insisting the Martian dance with her. The glint in Minako's eyes sent a quick shiver up the startled girl's spine. She didn't verbally protest, however, she did roll her eyes. The other girl let out another laugh as they both waltzed around the room, momentarily forgetting about studying, shopping and food.

A clash of thunder startled both girls and they crashed into each other, followed by an eerie sound of electricity wavering throughout the house. They had a split second to face each other and graze noses before the house fell into a stormy blackness.

A flash of lightening showered the sky as another roll of thunder arrived with it simultaneously. "Rei-chan," Minako yelped, grabbing at her companion's shirt, her eyes refusing to adapt to the darkness. Evidently, she was the only one of the two who wasn't partial to stormy weather. Boy, would Makoto get a laugh out of this, Minako couldn't help but think.

Rei pulled away from her frantic friend a fraction. "I'm going to find a flashlight or a candle. Hold on a minute." She put her hand on the other young woman's shoulder reassuringly. As she lifted the hand to turn and leave, the blonde grasped it tightly. "Don't just leave me here alone! I don't like it," Minako whispered. A bright blush lit up Rei's cheeks at the fingers interwoven with her own.

In the darkness between them, briefly, some sort of light sparked. Before either girl could focus on the source of light, lightening filled the room again and the lights flickered back on.

The two young women stood in the middle of the kitchen motionless. "Candles," Rei whispered, pulling her hand away from Minako's, "I'll go grab some candles before the lights go out again. I'll be right back." She quickly turned her back to the blonde still frozen with her hand slightly outstretched, which she slowly let fall to her side.

What was that? A spark. Electrical? We must have shocked each other. Rei let the questions and her own answers roll through her conscience as she quietly made her way down the corridor. Her mind didn't have long to wonder before she heard the restless Venusian's voice attempting to reach her.

"Don't forget to feed me!" Minako yelled after the miko tauntingly. Rei was halfway down the hall, but heard the playful demand. She quickly grabbed as many candles as she could carry and sauntered back into the kitchen, where she found her friend head first in the refrigerator.

Well, this was shorter than I wanted it to be, but it's a start. Especially considering how long it's been since I've written a story like this (stories with two characters make me feel like I'm redundantly addressing them, so I'm sorry!). Anyway, read and review. This is a project I plan on finishing, so I promise I will update (maybe not on a weekly basis due to school and work, but updates will happen).

Until next chapter!