Tag: reinako

Haunt Me

~ sittingoverheredreaming ~ Leave a comment

Leave a “Haunt Me” in my ask, and I’ll write a drabble about a character watching over someone 

You didn’t specify, so I went with probably not what you had it mind! I hope you still enjoy it, and I apologize in advance for the rhymes.

_____

Minako could only anticipate so much. She’d had the hubris, once, to tell Pluto she was prepared for every possibility. Pluto had smiled, the way Pluto smiled that was more gutting than tears, and said she hadn’t.

And Pluto, of course, had been right.

Minako was prepared for war. She was prepared for destruction. For the dwindling of their humanity as they became gods. She’d thought through scenarios of their past taking over, their future vanishing, of their powers forsaking them at the worst moment.

She was not prepared for this.

A weak heart, the doctor had said.

Minako had nearly laughed in his face. No one who’d known Rei a good thirty seconds would call any part of her weak, and certainly not her stubborn, stupid heart.

“It’s consistent with her family history,” the doctor had said, more to the clipboard than to Minako. “If only we had caught it sooner.”

If only I had caught it sooner! It was stupid, not to think of it. To think that superpowers would steamroll all else. To think they were already gods enough to cheat their genes.

Rei lay quiet now, faded like a ghost, like she was already gone. Minako could not bring herself to go in, to hear the slow beeps that went with the lines on the machine she was hooked up to. She must hate it, all the wires. Any moment, she’d wake up and tell the nurses to stop wasting electricity.

Any moment.

Any moment.

Minako was supposed to keep them all safe. She was supposed to watch over them, she’d done everything, she thought, and yet…

She put her head against the glass. She’d relied on more eyes than just her own. Rei was how she saw, sometimes. They were partners, fitting together so fluidly sometimes it felt like they were a single body, filling each weakness with the other’s strength. How would Minako see now? How could she watch over them without her sight?

And who, now, would watch over Minako?

She felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. Pluto smiled at her once more. “There is still hope.”

“You sound like Usagi.” Minako wiped her face. “But you and me, we know how this ends, don’t we? Knowing isn’t the same as giving up.”

Pluto inclined her head in concession. “Acceptance is just as admirable.”

“I haven’t accepted it.” Minako made a fist against the glass. “I can’t accept it, not until I see.”

“We don’t really know then, do we?” Pluto put her hand next to Minako’s, not quite touching, and began to hum softly. The melody struck something deep in Minako’s soul, something old and sad and slow.

“A song for a vigil.”

“The language is lost now, even to me. I have sung for you many times, even as the words forsook me.”

“Do you remember what it meant?”

“Something like a light for ships in the harbor, and stars for ships at sea. I look out for those I love, and love looks after me.” She traced waves across the glass. “I do not know what future lies before us. But I will watch it come.”

Minako could not be sure if the later was part of the song, or Setsuna’s own sentiment. It wove into the song in her head anyway, and she began to hum along. A light for ships at harbor, stars for ships at sea. If you must go where I cannot, I’ll keep watch for thee.

She kept humming as she took her first steps into that sterile room, as she pulled a plastic chair up to Rei’s bedside. The papery sheets crinkled when she took her hand. I know not what lies before us, and may never understand. But I’ll watch it come beside you, we’ll face it hand in hand.

~ sittingoverheredreaming ~ Leave a comment

Mina: aw come on, it’s not fair to say you do all the housework! I always wash the dishes after we eat!

Rei: And I always wash the dishes after I pull them out of the cupboard and find they’re still dirty

~ sittingoverheredreaming ~ Leave a comment

For Valentines Rei leaves Mina a sticky note that says “Valentines Day is just a corporate invention to monetize personal relationships so I will not be participating. Love, Rei”

And Mina can’t help but grin because the inclusion of Love means Rei’s starting to crack on it for her

~ sittingoverheredreaming ~ Leave a comment

Harumichi looking for their first apartment: a very fraught process, Haruka’s delicate feelings re:cost battle against her desire to fill Michiru’s every need, after a few tearful discussions they end up in something modest but modern and Michiru has the grace to let Haruka put in a decently fair share of the rent every month

Reinako looking for their first apartment: possibly an actual battle, Rei wants the cheapest place but also has impossible standards, Mina keeps suggesting artist housing as she is a yet-to-be-discovered actress/singer/model/general star but Rei refuses to live in a building full of theater kids, they end up spending their first year in a cramped, dirty studio because they can’t agree on anything but neither is willing to back down from their decision to live together

mina, one last little light

~ sittingoverheredreaming ~ Leave a comment

Mina held the candle between her palms. She’d tried to coax
it to be a roaring fire again, to keep it burning big and bright. But the flame
was small now, dwindling more and more, and she feared all the wood and
kindling would just choke it out sooner. She set it in a little holder on the
windowsill and pulled up a chair.

“It’s just you and me, hot stuff.” She rested her head on
her hand and winked and the candle flame. “Anything you want to do, now that we’re
alone?”

The offer did nothing to get a rise out of the flame. It
flickered on, ever smaller.

Mina pulled it closer. “A blaze of glory is enough on its
own, you know. It doesn’t have to be final.” She cupped her hand to the side of
the burning wick to protect it from any drafts. “You saved her. And me. Isn’t
that enough?”

The candle did not respond.

“No, you’re right, it’s not enough, she’s gonna need saving
again, and if you don’t come back now, you’re not gonna be here to do it. Who’re
you gonna trust to take care of her like you do? You always say I’m not enough
alone.”

The flame seemed a little brighter, maybe. Mina kept
talking.

“You know how I get. Too flighty or too hard, I’m not balanced
without you, and Usagi needs that balance. Can’t you do it for her?”

Dimmer, again. And then dimmer than before.

Mina put her head down. “I need you,” she whispered. “Can’t
you do it for me?”

For a moment, the flame grew large and bright, bigger than
the candle should be able to support. The room grew hot. Mina swore she felt a warm
hand squeeze hers. She closed her eyes and squeezed back, willing Rei to hold
on. They’d find a way to bring her back if she just held on.

But then the light went out entirely; the room went dark and
cold all at once. One single burning ember remained smoking on the candlewick.

Mina pulled it in and watched it pulse with her breath. “This
is it then.” She fought back her tears lest they fall on the candle. “I love
you, Rei. I hope you knew I always did.”

The last red spark faded to black. Mina sat alone in the
smell of smoke and felt the night stretch on forever.

~ sittingoverheredreaming ~ Leave a comment

Sparkle Sparkle It’s a Fic!

My sparklee this year is @tallangrycockatiel, who asked for Mina “helping” Haruka propose. I hope you enjoy it!

It’s Very You
~2K words
AO3 Link

There were times Haruka almost felt smart, or at least knowledgeable.
At the shop, finding the problem with an
engine. Fixing a kid’s bike chain. When she found the best deal at the supermarket,
she felt almost academic, math fell into place and numbers made sense.

But she’d never felt more stupid than in this moment.
Numbers and cuts and prices swam around in the jewelry cases, the over-bright
lighting making everything sparkle, even the price plaques. The salesman looked
down his nose at her. “What is it that you’re looking for?” he asked, as though
she had no business being there. She ought to have cleaned up more, not come
straight from work. She’d changed her shirt, made sure there were no oil stains
on her pants, but the smell gas and smoke clung to her skin and uncombed hair.
But the second the week’s paycheck had landed in her account she’d needed to
come. She couldn’t wait any longer.

“Well, a ring. An engagement ring.”

“Let me know if you have any questions.” He moved away,
keeping his eyes on her until another customer got his attention.

Haruka had a thousand questions, none of which she could ask
him. What is the difference between white
gold and silver and platinum? Why do all the diamonds look so gaudy? What is
a princess cut? Will Michiru like what I
get? Will she say yes? Why won’t anything stay still?

There was only one person she trusted to give her at least
mostly honest answers. She slipped outside to make a call and not fifteen
minutes later, Minako rolled up. She kicked out the stand on her bike and slid
her sunglasses up over her hair and she had never looked more like a hero.

“Trying to save the environment?” Haruka asked with a weak
chuckle.

Mina grinned. “If Rei is gonna chew my ear off all the time
about it, I just have to outdo her. But now buddy, I’m saving so much more than
the ozone layer.” She slung one arm around Haruka’s shoulders. “I’m here to save
you from yourself.” She swung her other arm wide and stared into the distance.

“Mina.”

“Please. Your dramatic lesbian ass has no room to talk,” she
said with an eyeroll, but then she gave her hand a squeeze.

The nice thing was, Haruka supposed, Mina looked like
someone you’d expect to see in a jewelry shop. Maybe not for nice reasons, and
certainly not for true reasons— Mina’s money was all her own, however little
she had—but she looked the part. Her hair was long and silky, her clothes
looked straight out of next month’s magazines. The man behind the counter gave
her a very different look until she looped her arm into Haruka’s.

“So what’s your budget?”

“Well.” Haruka felt her cheeks warm. “Just about two
thousand.”

“Ah just—“ Mina stopped. “Just two thousand?”

“It’s below the average, but—“

“Where did you get two thousand dollars? I know your butch
pride won’t let you touch a cent of the Kaioh millions.”

“I saved. For a while. A couple years.”

Mina let out a low whistle. “Christ. Every time I think you’ve
reached peak sap, there you go, sailing to new heights.”

“It’s important.”

“Oh Haruka.” She rubbed her back between her shoulders. “I
know. We’ll find you a good ring.”

It wasn’t, at the end of the day, the fanciest ring. It hadn’t
even reached the top of Haruka’s budget; prices jumped instead of increasing
gradually. But she’d been able to insure it, and Mina assured her it was nice.
A simple silver band with a single small diamond, set off by two smaller
sapphires.

“She’ll love it, buddy,” Mina assured her in the car after
they’d strapped her bike to the back. “You did good.”

“Yeah?” Haruka let herself relax into her steering wheel,
but the weight of it all still consumed her.

Mina smiled and patted her shoulder. “Yeah. When are you
popping the question?”

Warmth crept up under Haruka’s collar. “Well. I don’t… I’m
not quite sure.”

“You bought the ring without a plan?”

“Not without a plan, I have lots of plans. I just… I just
don’t know what one is right.” Haruka swallowed hard. She’d been trying to plan
for months, but everything felt subpar. “I want it to be perfect.”

Mina snorted. “You’re ridiculous. She’s saying yes no matter
how you ask.”

“That’s not the point!” Haruka glanced over. “Do you really
think so?”

Mina looked up a raised her hands in plea. “God save the
lesbians from themselves. I’m sure the only reason Michiru hasn’t asked you to
just get hitched already is she knows it would wound your fragile butch
sensibilities.”

“You think I waited too long?”

“Christ, Haruka, not the point I’m making. I’m trying to say
she’d marry you in a heartbeat. You’re soulmates or whatever sappy thing you
want to call it. You’re going to ask in some amazing way, and she’s going to
say yes.” She pulled the lever to recline her chair. “And if you’re nervous,
you’re lucky enough to have me here to help.”

“Would you?”

“I’m not about to spend the next sixty years of my life
listening to you brood about how your proposal wasn’t good enough.”

“That’s an exaggeration.”

“Buddy, I’ve known you too long to believe that. Now—“ She sat
up and folded her hands over her knees. “Pretend I’m Michiru and we’ve just sat
down after a beautiful moonlight walk on the beach.”

Haruka could picture it—the salt smell of the sea spray
dancing with Michiru’s perfume, the wind floating through Michiru’s hair and
dress. The waves crashing in time with the thump thump thump of Haruka’s racing
heart, Michiru turning to Haruka expectantly and every word, every breath
catching in Haruka’s throat and—

Haruka pulled the car to the side of the road. “I can’t do
this. Nothing I say can be good enough.”

“So we’ll work on it.” Minako tossed her hair. “I have a
plan.”

The shrill of a whistle cut through Minako’s apartment. “Alright
soldiers. Welcome to proposal camp day one.”

Rei crossed her arms. “I didn’t agree to this.”

“And I’m pulling rank as your commander so you don’t have
to.” Mina grinned. “I needed a stand in snooty lesbian, and you fit the bill.”

“I’m not—“

“Michiru isn’t—“

Mina blew her whistle again. “No sass. I trained you better
than this.” She pointed at Haruka. “You need to find the right way to propose.
We’re going to roleplay scenarios until you find the right one.”

“I’m not sure—“

Mina blew the whistle.

“Okay.”

“Scenario one. Dinner.” Mina shuffled them into chairs on
either side of a TV tray. “Now. I know my dear butch puddle, and I’m vetoing
any ring-in-a-drink or food thing. It would go to the wrong table, and you
would cry for a month.”

Haruka’s stomach sank as she realized the logic. It had been
an idea, a leading idea, and it was bad. Were all her ideas wrong?

“Now. Imagine. You’ve just finished eating. The waiter has
not yet brought the check—“

“That’s important,” Rei cut in, “because they may waive the
bill for the occasion.”

“Thank you Madame Cheapskate. Now. You’re in candlelight, you’ve
just eaten a nice meal, the ring is in your pocket. Go.”

Haruka looked across the tiny table at Rei. Her heart raced
even as she tried to focus on how different she was from Michiru. “I… I um. I
have something to ask you.”

“Shoot.”

Mina cleared her throat.

Rei huffed. “Fine. What is it, love?”

“Well. There’s something important I want to ask.”

“Yes, you said.” Rei crossed her arms. “What is it? …Dear.
What is it, dear?”

“I… I love you very much. And I will love you forever. So
what I want to say is—what I want to ask is…” Haruka swallowed hard. “Will you
marry me?”

“No.”

Tears welled up in Haruka’s eyes. “No?” It was Rei, but Rei
knew Michiru. Rei knew what Michiru would want, probably, and it wasn’t this.

Mina blew the whistle. “Penalty to the snooty lesbian.
Unrealistic answer.”

“Oh please. I’m not saying yes to anything less than
perfect.”

“Not you. Michiru.”

Rei tapped her fingers on the table. “If the point is to teach her how to propose, then she’s not
going to learn unless we’re hard on her.”

“That is not the point.” Mina put her face in her hands. “You’re
dismissed. I have a better idea.”

By the time Haruka had dried her eyes, Rei was curled on the
couch and Mina had changed outfits. It took Haruka a moment to process the
pants, the button-down, the way her hair was pinned up…

“Oh no. Mina…”

“No no.” Mina gestured widely. “Right now, I am Haruka. And
you—“ She hooked a string of fake pearls around Haruka’s neck—“are Michiru. And
I, Haruka Tennoh, most romantic of noodles, have just taken you out to a nice
dinner, and now am inviting you on a walk about town.” She offered Haruka her
elbow. Haruka took it in her best attempt at a lady-like fashion.

Mina led her around the couch. “Did you enjoy dinner, my
love?”

“Um. Yes.”

“Good good. The moon is beautiful, just like you.” Mina
touched Haruka’s nose. Haruka grimaced. “There’s been something on my mind
lately, you know.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Indeed, my beautiful mermaid flower. I think we’re ready to
take the next step in our lives.” Mina threw herself down on one knee. Haruka
tried to remember if she every called Michiru a beautiful mermaid flower. It
sounded ridiculous. Maybe she was ridiculous, maybe the whole thing was
ridiculous.

“Will you marry me?”

Rei snorted from the couch.

“What now, flame brains?”

“It all seems very unromantic. Stiff.”

Mina stood up. “And how would you do it?”

Rei snatched up the ring box and dragged Minako by the wrist
over to the TV stand. She slammed the box down. “Well?”

Mina burst out laughing. “It’s very you, for sure.”

“You’d marry me if I asked.” Rei’s face flushed red.

“Then I’m lucky you’ll never ask, aren’t I?”

“Guys.” Haruka grabbed the ring and stuffed it back in her
pocket. “I think I’m good. I’m going home.”

“You got a plan, buddy?”

“Yeah,” Haruka lied. “I got a plan.”

She got in her car feeling even less sure than she had at
the beginning. Rei had been right; everything was artificial. Haruka couldn’t
propose the way Rei had, but something in it rang truer than the rest. It wasn’t
fireworks spelling out the question and it wasn’t a band swelling at the perfect
moment, it wasn’t even a planned evening. It had been Rei, pure and simple. And
right.

Haruka mulled it over on the drive. There had to be a right
way. Not asking wasn’t an option. Waiting didn’t even feel like an option. She’d
waited for the ring. She could wait for a thousand other things, or she could
be through with waiting. She could do it now. She could. She would.

She stopped at a corner store for some roses. When she got
home, Michiru was already there, reading on the couch with her legs curled
under her. She rose an eyebrow and smiled over her book at the flowers. “What
occasion have you found today?”

Haruka smiled back. The words caught in her throat, again,
but she’d push through this time. She snuggled into Michiru and let her look at
the flowers. “Do you like them?”

“They’re lovely, Haruka.”

“And this?” She pulled the ring box from her pocket to open
before Michiru’s eyes. “Do you like it?”

“Haruka,” Michiru said in a gasp. She reached up to the
ring, her hand stopping just short.

“Michiru.” Haruka’s heart raced. “Will you marry me?”

“Oh Haruka. Yes.”
Michiru pulled her in to kiss.

Haruka broke into tears the moment their lips touched. “Do
you mean it?”

“Nothing would make me so happy as having you as my wife.”

“I want to be your wife.” Haruka pulled her close. “I’m
going to be your wife.” She slipped the ring onto Michiru’s finger. It slipped
around, a little too big. Haruka had not thought to check Michiru’s size.

“It’s perfect.”

Haruka looked down. “I tried.”

Michiru pulled her face back up and wiped her tears. “Haruka,
love, I couldn’t be happier.”

~ sittingoverheredreaming ~ Leave a comment

I think, especially as she gets older, Rei talks a lot in her sleep. It’s rarely anything sensical, but sometimes when they’re together Minako will sit up and listen. It’s her secret little piece of Rei that she’ll never mention to anyone, not even Rei herself.

Rei and Mina, “Are you fucking kidding me?”

~ sittingoverheredreaming ~ Leave a comment

This one is on AO3 too, since it’s over 1K

—

“So then she leaned over, and said—“

“Mina, I really don’t have time to listen to this.”

But Mina would not be deterred form her plan so easily. “Aw,
come on, Rei, you’re great at listening while you work. And this girl is so perfect,
I—“

“I don’t think she sounds that great.” Rei grabbed a broom
and headed out to the front of the shrine. Mina followed with a huff.

“Well you wouldn’t, no one’s good enough for the almighty
Rei Hino.” Rei swept faster. Mina trotted along. “But for me, she’s wonderful, an
absolute ten.” She extended her arm in an arc for emphasis, like this girl had
all the goodness in the whole world.

Rei merely flicked her eyes over. There were days when her
fire burned close to the surface, threatening to consume everything, and other
when she buried it deep under an affected coldness. Mina was unsure if it was
lucky she’d caught her in the latter or not. “So what you’re saying is you’re
settling.”

“That is the opposite of what I’m saying, actually.” Mina
grabbed the broom from Rei and spun it around in a dance. “I’m saying I like
her a lot. More than I’ve liked anyone before.”

“Oh please.” Rei snatched the broom back. “You’re not going
to stay this happy with her. She’s flawed like everyone else.”

“Well, Rei, the thing is, it’s actually possible to see
someone’s flaws and like them anyway. We do it all the time. Look at Usagi, we
love her to pieces, and she’s got flaws the size of an ice cream truck.”

“That’s different. Usagi is good.”

“And my animal-shelter volunteer hottie isn’t?”

Rei made a non-comital noise and moved to the stairs. Mina
followed, her own temper starting to flair. “Nuh-uh, don’t just walk away. I
want an answer. I want to know what your problem is with someone you’ve never
met and who you literally only know good things about.”

Sweeping the steps apparently took all of Rei’s focus.

“While we’re at it, let’s also throw in your problems with Yomi
and Torako and Mik—actually, I’ll give you a pass on him, being a man and all.
But everyone else.” Mina slid down the rail a little ways to land in front of
Rei. “I want to know.”

“I actually liked Miki best,” Rei said, with all the disinterest
of someone considering different toothpaste brands. “He just wasn’t right for
you, like all the others.” She skirted around Mina to get to lower steps. “And
you can’t disagree with me, because you
broke up with them all in the end.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Like a preschooler, Mina was
overcome with the urge to yank Rei’s long black hair. If they hadn’t been so
precariously arranged on the stairs, she might have done it. “You know why I broke up with them. I was stupid
enough to think you had a reason to dislike me dating. But you kept proving me
wrong.” She wanted Rei to turn around so badly, to take this face to face. “So
today I thought maybe you really were holding my partners to high standards, and
I made a girl up. A lovely, perfect girl. But you couldn’t be happy for me
then, either.”

“So you’re mad your lie didn’t work.” As she spoke her voice
lowered to a growl, anger breaking through her cool act.

“I’m mad because I can’t do it anymore. Either give me a
reason, or stop fucking doing this.”

Rei paused, but still did not turn. “Fuck you or fuck off,
then?”

There had, of course, been times in Mina’s life when she’d
felt this angry. She’d faced true evil with all the hatred Usagi could never
muster. But this was worse, somehow, in that she’d expected something else. “That’s
all you see in me then. Fine.” She would not let Rei invoke her inner demons. Mina
ran down the stairs without care, the childish thought that if she did fall,
Rei would feel as bad as she deserved to, occasionally running through her mind.
Fortunately, perhaps, she was too sure-footed for that. She arrived at the
bottom upright and out of breath. Part of her wanted to look back, the rest of
her urged her to keep going.

But something clattered down the stairs behind her. Rei’s
broom rolled to a stop against her heels.

Mina took a breath and waited. The sound of Rei’s footsteps
soon drew near, uncharacteristically hesitant. She stopped short of picking up
the broom.

“You and I also have truck sized flaws.” Rei paused, but
Mina wasn’t ready to give her anything, not even acknowledgement. “It’s easy
for me to focus on that. You’re loud, and ridiculous, and sometimes you test
people in stupid ways, because you can. And…”

She went quiet for a long while. Mina waited. Rei’s softer
feelings were like a deer hiding amongst barrels of gunpowder, a wrong move could
do much worse than scare them off for a bit.

“And worst of all, you know all my flaws better than anyone.
And maybe they’re more of a semi than an ice cream truck, and if you’re
standing so close it must be impossible for you to see anything else.”

Mina felt the real crux of the matter still coming.

“Maybe I don’t want you to see anything else,” Rei said, her
voice barely above a whisper. “Isn’t it easier if we don’t?”

“I don’t quite have your talent for that.” She tried to
judge if now was the time to turn around, but decided not to risk it. “I don’t
think it’s easy at all.” Mina could feel how close Rei was. The distance
between them felt electric, though if it was a current drawing them together or
a fence keeping them apart she couldn’t tell.

“Maybe I can work on it.” Rei picked up the broom. “Maybe I
will.”

Mina finally turned to look back as Rei started up the
stairs. In spite of everything, she found herself smiling.