Minako awoke to the sound of thunder rumbling in the distance, small flashes of lightning dancing across the sky. ‘There’s no going back now,’ she thought to herself, looking away from the window and back towards Kunzite’s sleeping face. She slipped out of bed and put on his white General’s jacket that had been left lying on a chair, attempting to cover her nude form. Much like the robe she had worn earlier, his jacket was large on her and hung past her thighs. She enjoyed the feeling of wearing his jacket, as it gave her the feeling that he was hers, like she had a right to keep him all to herself. She walked out onto the balcony and stared off into the distance. This was her favorite part of the whole castle – she could spend hours just standing here looking out over this land. The wind picked up giving her a chill as she wrapped her arms around herself. Her hair blew lightly in the breeze wrapping around her body. She leaned against the stone and closed her eyes enjoying the feel of the cool air brought in by the approaching storm.
Warm arms wrapped around her, startling her from her thoughts. “I’m not going to let you run away this time.”
She smiled and leaned into his body. “I’m not going anywhere.”
He had felt her body shift away from his in bed and reveled in the sight of her nude form as she stood and slipped out the french doors. His body ached to have her back in his arms, but he was enthralled by the sight of her standing on his balcony. She looked so fragile standing there in his jacket while the wind blew her long hair around her. He continued to watch as the lighting flashed, highlighting her tresses, giving her the appearance of a golden aura. As she leaned forward against the stone siding she looked as though she might take flight at any moment. He climbed out of bed and pulled on his pants, approaching her quietly.
“That’s good,” he whispered into her ear. “After tonight I may never let you leave my side again.”
“Is that what you feel, or are those just words?”
“I don’t know what I feel, Minako, it’s a little soon for us to decide that. Is it my love that you’re waiting for?”
“I agree that it’s too soon for a fairy tale ending, but I need something from you. I gave myself to you, and that’s not something that I can ever take back. If you were to just dismiss me as if I was some mistress you no longer desired…. I don’t know…”
The wind began to pick up, blowing his long hair so that the silvery ends tangled with the golden strands of hers. “I promised you that I would never do that, Minako. You make me happy and that’s what matters for right now. I don’t want to give you false words and disillusioned hopes. Let’s just be content and enjoy the moment.”
She turned to face him, his embrace holding her close. Fat rain drops began to fall on them and they were both soaked within seconds, the approaching storm had been lost to them until now. “Maybe we should go inside.”
“We could,” Minako paused as if in thought, “or we could stay out here.”
His thoughts of her implication made him audibly groan. “Do you know what you’re doing to me?”
“I do,” she simply replied. “The question is do you know what you’re doing to me?”
“I will take you right here where we stand if you tell me that.”
“I might not stop you.” Her eyes reflected his and he knew that she didn’t fear him anymore. He slowly lowered her onto the balcony and began to kiss her as the rain pelted down on his back. Her hands reached to his waist and tugged at his pants to which he helped to quickly dispose of. He looked down on her and undid the buttons of the jacket exposing her bare skin to the elements.
“Have I told you how sexy you look in my jacket?”
“Is that before or after you have removed it?” she teased.
“Both. You do wicked things to my mind, Minako. I won’t be so gentle this time.” He thrust into her not giving her the chance to speak. His mouth closed over hers to muffle her cries while the sound of the thunder blocked out the rest. She pushed back against him, learning his rhythm. The sensation of her orgasm pushed him over the edge and he finished in her again, unable to hold back. “So perfect,” he whispered into her ear, his fingers wound tightly into her hair.
She kissed him and moaned as he pulled out from her for the second time that night. He stood up and pulled her to her feet, bringing her body against his. She looked up into his eyes, mesmerized by the intensity staring back at her. His hair clung to his shoulders and back, the silver coloring standing out against the deep tanned color of his skin, only further adding to his sex appeal. This man had the body of a god with his toned physique and tall slim build, and she knew that time would never do anything to make her tire of his image. That single thought with the one singular word brought everything in her mind to a halt - time. It was suddenly clear to her why he could never be hers. She may never tire of his image, but someone of his experience would certainly tire of hers. She would be replaceable in his eyes, married or no. It didn’t matter if she wore his clothing and pretended he was hers; it was all only an illusion. “Maybe we should head back inside now and dry off.”
“You’re starting to shiver,” he said, feeling the chill moving through her body. Despite the warmth of the summer evening, the rain drops fell cold and heavy against their warm bodies. With one last stolen kiss he ushered her inside and pulled the saturated jacket from around her shoulders. Minako remained near the balcony doorway and squeezed the water from her long tresses causing a flow of liquid to spill onto the floor.
As she worked on purging the moisture from her hair, Kunzite crossed over to the bed and picked up their discarded robes from the floor. He draped his loosely around his shoulders, more concerned about drying her off to stop her shivering. She smiled at him as he wrapped the warm cotton material around her and held her back against his chest. They stood there for several moments, watching as the intensity of the storm began to fade back to nothing more than dull rumbles in the distance.
“How many times have you stood here like this?” she asked him, her voice so soft that he could barely hear her.
“Not many,” he answered her casually. “I rarely have the time to watch storms rolling in.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
He could feel her body tensing against his and pulled her closer trying to ease her discomfort. “No,” he murmured into her hair. “Never like this.”
She thought his words would set her mind at ease, but instead they only made her wonder more. Was he telling her the truth, or only what he assumed she wanted to hear? Her body ached and a sleepy feeling was starting to wash over her mind making her doubt any of her thoughts at that moment. He told her that she meant something to him, and he told her that he would not think any less of her for her decision to sleep with him even after she told him that she wouldn’t. Things had started becoming complicated and she wondered how much more differently things would be if she had never found an interest in this man in the first place. Could she have married him and slept with him? Would he have been as gentle with her if he didn’t have her cooperation? The thought unnerved her and she pulled away from him, blotting at her skin with the robe to remove any residual moisture from her skin. “Would you mind if we went to sleep now?” She looked over her shoulder at him and smiled softly. “We’ve had a fairly eventful night.”
“Of course,” he answered calmly. He watched her as she slowly climbed into the bed and pulled the covers over her legs, her robe tied tightly at her waist. She looked up at him, waiting for him to move, but her eyes only served to keep him captivated where he stood. Slowly he broke himself free of her stare and walked over to the bed, climbing in beside her. She immediately curled her body against his and he wasted no time in encircling her with his arms. Her breath came out warm against his shoulder and he smoothed away her damp hair, twirling the tendrils and placing them above her head on the pillow. A sigh passed through her lips and she promptly fell asleep leaving him to wonder what had suddenly changed between them over the past few moments.
