Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Kishikata no Eos ❯ Love ( Chapter 8 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Kishikata no Eos

Chapter Eight -- Love

Escorted by a swarm of Vegan patrol fighters and Lunar short range attack craft, the crippled _Prometheus_ made her way back to the spaceport. The rest of the fleet awaited the crew, erupting in a roar of raucous applause as the Princess led the officers down the ramp. Dawn slipped away, relatively unnoticed, and attempted escape through the spaceport work area.

"I heard you had quite the adventure this past week." Theo stepped out of an office, followed by the admiral of the Lunar Navy herself. "Something about you single-handedly saving the day with a barely functioning TPA, that sound about right?"

Dawn squirmed uncomfortably. Her hands, now healed after three days of being coated with blue salve, clasped behind her back. "I just did what they asked," she managed to reply.

Sailor Uranus clapped her on the shoulder. "And you did extremely well. On behalf of the entire Lunar Navy, thank you."

The auburn-haired Guardian nodded mutely, wondering how quickly she could get out of there before someone else accosted her. "You're welcome," she answered, looking to change the subject. "How's Eos doing, Theo? Is she doing any better?"

"As well as can be expected confined to a bed and pregnant with triplets," he replied wearily. "She's miserable, even though she won't admit it."

I would be, too, she thought to herself. "Well, tell her I said hello," she answered politely. "And not to be rude, but I really don't want to be near a ship for quite some time, so if you don't mind..."

"Certainly." Sailor Uranus waited until Dawn was out of earshot before nudging Theo. "That's her? The one that the guards were talking about before the briefing yesterday?" Theo gave a grunt of affirmation. "But she's so..."

"Normal?"

"After what she accomplished, I'd call her anything but normal," Uranus replied. "From what I know of Rainault, she's a bit rough around the edges for his usual tastes."

The tall Isbanni chuckled, hands in his pockets. "This coming from you? Good one, boss."

She folded her slender arms across her chest. "It's nothing against her; hell, that's just one more reason to like the girl." Clearing her throat, Uranus turned to look at the _Prometheus_. "Damage report time. Coming?"



News of Dawn's adventures on-board had preceded her arrival at the Palace. The instant she set foot inside, the palace guard began a wave of cheers and whistles. Embarrassed, Dawn ducked her head as the shyest of smiles played on her lips. She hadn't done anything special, as far as she was concerned. Wanting to avoid any more attention, she quick-stepped towards the stairs. By the time she passed the doors leading to personal living quarters, she was running, book bag bouncing against what remained of her plasma burn. It stung like hell, but she wasn't about to slow down. Breathlessly, she slammed her palm against the panel and rushed inside.

And stopped, and gasped, and stared in awe.

And, as was her modus operandi in such situations, swore in shock. "Well, shit," she exclaimed to the empty room. Hanging from the top of her armoire, a simple yet elegant creation of a dress moved ever so slightly with the rush of incoming air. Dawn reached out a tentative hand towards one of the bell sleeves. Fabric slipped over her fingertips, the lavender hues a perfect compliment to her skin tone. The bodice of the dress began in a soft twilight lavender, hues darkening to a cool indigo through the skirt. Bodice and neckline were hemmed in a lighter shade of violet, with a bow of matching colour at the back of the dress as well as a sash intended to be tied about the neck of the wearer. Holding her breath, Dawn lifted the skirt, marvelling at the train that draped gracefully towards the floor. She couldn't find words to describe it... pretty, beautiful, gorgeous, none of them seemed adequate.

She couldn't try it on, not before a shower, at the very least. Even then, part of her worried that she might tear something or snag the fabric if she dared to do more than just admire it on the hanger.

"Why'd you run off like that?" Rini demanded as the door opened. "You were an important part of the team, and they wanted to thank you in public with the rest of them, and..." The Princess trailed off, catching sight of the opulent display that hung on Dawn's armoire. "Where'd you get THAT?" It came as more of an accusation then a question. "I know we didn't buy anything like that when we... oh my. He MADE you a dress," she declared, eyes widening. "Did you ask him for that?"

Dawn whirled about, shaking her head 'no' emphatically. "Of course not, Rini! I wouldn't do that, I don't ask people for stuff, especially expensive things like this."

Rini reached out and rubbed part of the skirt between her fingers. "Expensive is right," she commented. "Know how much this stuff costs per yard?"

"I'd rather not," she answered as guilt and giddiness vied for the chance to command her reaction. "You wouldn't happen to know if he does this for all of the women he's..." She stopped herself, unwilling to find the words to complete the question. It wasn't going to bother her, she'd promised herself that while on the _Prometheus_ after her conversations with Kit. Still, if he had expended this kind of energy on the other ones...

"Nuh-uh. And he never does work for free. Not for Mom, not for anyone. This is a first, as far as I know." Rini's attention turned to the bodice, and the pale violet accents.

"Oh." /That means you're special, like he said before,/ the little voice reminded her. /He made this just for you, see?/

"Aren't you going to try it on?" Rini sat down in a chair to wait.

"No, I can't. Not now, I mean," she stammered. "First off, I need a shower." Rather than head for the bathroom, Dawn picked up her sandals and slipped them on, one hand on the wall.

"Shower's the other way."

"Later," Dawn answered. "I've gotta find Bren and thank him."

"Bren? Thank him? But you just got back, and you're a mess," she pointed out none too diplomatically.

"Yeah, well... this is more important than a shower." She checked her reflection in the mirror and messily pulled her hair back with a white scrunchie. "You're not planning on going anywhere are you?"

"Me?" Rini exclaimed. "Hell no... there is a bath, massage, and pedicure waiting for me when I get back to my suite. There is a small dinner planned for the crew of the _Prometheus_ later, which you need to be sure to attend here..."

"Back in time for dinner. You got it," Dawn replied with a nod. "I'll be back before then, I think.

"You think? But Dawn..." The doors shut, effectively saving Dawn from any further explanation as she raced out of the palace, hoping that she remembered the way to Breandon's place, now that it was daylight.



Dawn held her breath as she tiptoed into the shop, awed by the countless dresses displayed in cases and on mannequins. The main room empty, she passed elegant mannequins and opulent display cases as she crept to the back. She knocked tentatively on a door behind the main counter.

"Ow!" She could hear rattling and movement noises, then the door cracked open. Breandon had his thumb stuck in his mouth. "Yes?"

"I'm sorry, " she immediately apologized, stepping back. "I didn't mean to disturb you, I just wanted to find you and..." She swallowed. "Is this a bad time? I mean, I could come back."

He shook his head. "You've already interrupted me now, so it's hardly worth your going and returning. Is there a particular thing, or did you just miss me that much?"

"Sorry," she repeated, ducking her head. "I just wanted to thank you before I did anything else." Dawn gave him a shy smile. "It's beautiful."

He put on a blank expression. "What is this?"

"The dress. The one that was hung in my room when I got back this morning from the trials on the _Prometheus_." She frowned. "At least, I thought it was one of yours..."

Putting his nose into the air to make her laugh, he declaimed, "My style is inimitable, and anyone who tells you differently must be punished!"

She giggled, winking at him. "That, and it's identical to that one drawing in the back of your sketchbook," she pointed out slyly.

He flushed dull red. "I knew I shouldn't have let you look through there."

"Maybe." A pause, and then the same gentle smile returned to her face. "It's absolutely beautiful, regardless. Thank you."

He smiled back, reaching out to touch her arm. "A woman like you deserves beautiful things."

"If you say so." She ran a hand through her mussed ponytail, embarrassed by the flattery. "Um, well, sorry to bother you, I'll let you get back to your work..."

"Must you leave?" He closed his hand around her wrist. "It's been a week ... "

"Actually, seven days and nine hours," she corrected softly. "And no, I don't have to be back until dinner. Rini said something about doing something afterwards, but I dunno." Dawn shrugged.

Breandon stared, peridot-green eyes wide. "You counted /hours/?" He pushed her before him and emerged from the doorway, closing the door behind him.

"I missed you." Dawn whispered, now looking down at the carpet. "And besides, minutes would have taken too much concentration," she joked softly.

He looked at her, blinking, then burst out laughing. "Come upstairs, my lady of the sunrise. I'm sure we can think of something to do until dinner."

"I don't doubt that." Dawn followed, now wishing that she'd bothered to do something like brush her hair or wash her face after getting back to her suite. She waited for him to open the door to his apartment, self-consciously picking at the frayed edge of her t-shirt. "What were you working on?"

He touched his fingertip to the lock pad. "Many people have commissioned gowns for the holiday season."

"But it's barely October," she replied. "Besides, what do they do here for the holidays?"

He knelt to remove his shoes. "Do you really think I can complete one of those dresses in less than a week? I have had commissions for next year already." He flung himself down on the futon.

Her sandals left next to his shoes, she followed suit and immediately burrowed under his arm. "Handsome, talented, and in demand," she teased. "My, I should be so lucky that you can manage to squeeze me into your busy schedule."

He hugged her close, running fingers through her ponytail. "I think I can always find time for you, my darling. Tell me about the trials, will you?"

Dawn lay back against him, eyes closing. So nice, so warm and secure... "Well, they spent the first three days testing propulsion, warp drives, manoeuvring limitations, that sort of thing. Met the crew, they seemed nice enough," she added. "Their chief engineer took me on a tour of the entire engineering space on the fourth day, that was cool. And then the next few days, well..." Dawn's eyes opened. "We kinda ran into some problems."

"No wonder you're tense," he commented, beginning to massage her shoulders and neck. "Relax, imp, it's over."

"Ow!" She sat up as his hands brushed against the tender skin of her shoulder blade. "Careful..."

He jerked his hands back. "Who hurt you? By the gods, I'll take them apart with my bare hands!"

"It's nothing, I'm just still sore," she soothed, sitting up and turning to face him. "We got attacked, and they had me use the TPA against a handful of fighters." She rolled the sleeve up, showing a spectacular gash surrounded by a field of black, blue, and greenish-purple. "It looks much worse than it is, really."

"You ... got ... attacked ... ! Is this how they protect a Guardian? I'm going to have words with someone about this ... " Breandon smacked a fist down. "Ow."

She replaced the sleeve and took his hand in hers. "I'm the one doing the protecting, remember? It's in my job description." She gently lifted his hand to her lips and placed a kiss in his palm. "Everything's okay now."

He curved his hand around her cheek. "I couldn't bear the thought of something happening to you." He pulled her into his chest, hugging tightly. "I missed you so much." /Too much/, he thought.

She snuggled herself under his chin, sighing blissfully. "I missed you, too. More than I thought I would. Funny, huh?"

"Not at all," he murmured into her hair. "I should be quite upset if you did not miss me." He kissed the sunset-red strands.

Dawn's fingers played idly with the buttons at the neck of his smock. "You don't think it's possible to miss someone too much?"

He blinked, looking stunned. "You aren't by any chance a telepath, too?

"I hope not," she laughed ruefully. "One set of superpowers is enough, thank you very much." She stroked the underside of his chin with the back of her hand. "I just... well, I get immersed in things. One track mind, bordering on obsession. If I get 'smothery,' just let me know."

He attempted to kiss her ear, missed, and got a mouthful of hair. "I should very much like you to be immersed in me." Putting a hand under her chin, he tipped her face up and kissed her mouth. The silence lasted for quite some time. Breaking the kiss, he smiled at her. "Well?"

"Happily drowning," she breathed softly, peering at him through her lashes. She relished the touch of his hand against her face, warm breath on her cheek... "You?"

"Oh, quite, quite content." He smoothed a hand over her shoulder, gently caressing.

"That's good." Dawn raised herself up slightly, pressing her nose to his. "Now," she began in a playful whisper. "How did you think to pass the time?"

He insinuated a finger under the collar of her shirt. "I'm sure we can think of something, don't you?"

"Something tells me that you already have." Closing her eyes, she brushed her lips lightly against his. "Care to elaborate?" she murmured softly?

"I don't want to frighten you again," he whispered against her lips. He lowered his head to kiss her collarbone, then looked back up into eyes as dark as creamed coffee.

She shivered, thrilling in the sensation. "I'm not frightened," she breathed, closing her hand about his and willing the slight tremble to cease. Eyes still locked on his, she brought his hand up to her chest.

He startled himself by fumbling slightly. /Since when do I get nervous at seducing a woman?/ he thought. /Since the woman is her, dimwit/, a treacherous -- and honest -- part of himself replied. Slowly, savouring each moment, he undid each button. She watched, heart pounding as cool air hit the skin on her chest and stomach. /Scared? No, I don't think so... anxious? Maybe... but it's just so nice.../ Dawn brought up a hand, twining soft strands of mahogany hair about her fingers. Breandon's confidence grew as Dawn didn't shy away. Kissing her again with rising passion, he slipped both hands beneath the sides of the shirt, now swinging freely. The skin was cool and silken, pale even for Dawn with lack of sun. "You're beautiful."

She glanced down at her bared skin, blushing. "If you say so," she murmured.

"When have I ever lied to you, rose of the sky?"

"I don't believe you have, ever." She caressed the side of his face, ignoring the little voice of reason that smacked of disapproval. Reason be damned... she pulled him closer, eyes closing with a soft and innocent request. "More?"

Obediently he complied, kissing again while his hands did a complicated dance that resulted in her shirt vanishing somewhere in the vicinity of the floor. He passed his fingers down her back with the lightest of touches. A contented hum escaped her throat, and one hand drifted to the zipper of the work smock he wore. Tentatively, she tugged gently at the metal tag, revealing skin to the centre of his chest. Dawn groped at the fabric, her fingers grazing warm skin in her attempts.

A slight chuckle escaped Breandon as he began to transfer his attentions to her throat. "Don't stop there, imp," he murmured, the movement of lips against her skin tickling.

"Hmmmmmm?" Eyes still closed, she managed to completely unzip the smock. Fingernails raked over his ribcage slightly more aggressively than she'd intended, owing in part to his discovery of a very sensitive patch between ear, jawline, and neck. A delightful shudder enveloped her, prompting gooseflesh to appear. His shudder echoed hers. Nimbly he removed her bra and began to caress her breasts, leaning over them in an effort both to escape her none-too-delicate attentions and to attempt a distraction. Her eyes flew open and she gasped at the sensation of his hands against her skin, back involuntarily arching as she clutched at the sides of the smock. "That's... you're... I'm..." Mind racing, breathing rapid, she swallowed hard and felt another rush of warmth over her skin. "Breandon, I..."

He lifted his head, eyes bright. "Yes?"

/Well, don't stop!/ "You're wearing more than I am, at the moment," she pointed out breathlessly.

He grinned. "You seem to have made a good start at changing that; what's stopping you now?"

"It's a bit hard to concentrate on that when you're..." She stopped, flushing as she realized she was very bare from her waist up. "Distracting me with other activities."

He leaned forward and nipped at her earlobe. "You shall have to learn not to be distracted," he breathed.

"Or perhaps, to distract you just as effectively," she whispered devilishly, gritting her teeth at the oh-so-pleasurable shiver that ran down her neck. She traced the outline of his jaw to the side of his ear as she sat up, tugging at the smock in a more aggressive manner. Her lips followed the same path along his skin, the tip of her tongue flicking against the top of his ear. "Is it working?"

He gasped, "What kind of lover would I be to give away my secrets so easily -- Dawn! How am I supposed to retain control if you do that?"

"Try harder," she purred between nibbling on the skin along his neck and relieving him of the smock. She hung it over the side of the futon before loosening the tie in his hair.

He traced a fingertip down the muscles of her arms, admiring their definition. Wickedly, he replied, "What if I don't want to?" and kissed her again before she could answer. She fell back into the cushion, pulling him with her until she lay with her hair hanging off the edge. Pulling back slowly, Dawn gazed up in open adoration at Breandon, whose own hair now covered her otherwise naked torso.

"What are you looking at, imp?" he asked, laughing and flipping his hair over his shoulder in a smooth, practised motion. He had a nice, flat stomach and strength enough to hold his upper body over her without a hint of strain.

"You." It was spoken softly and honestly. "Just you."

His mischievous expression softened into something more ... Dawn couldn't come up with a word for what he looked like now, but it was definitely something she liked. He reached down and gathered her close to him, managing with some effort to get them both arranged in comfortable positions. He laid one hand flat on her stomach.

"Yes?" Dawn covered his hand with hers.

"Merely admiring your beauty, my angel of the sunrise." The hand slipped lower.

She beamed, eyes closing. "You say the nicest things," she murmured.

His warm laugh rumbled her spine, and the hand slipped beneath the waistband of her pants. "I speak only the truth."

She stiffened slightly at the touch, opening one eye. The little voice of reason was screaming, and apprehension had begun to set in.

He stopped, immediately. "Be easy, Dawn."

"I'm trying," she attempted calmly, the smoothness in her voice contradicting the rigidity of her posture.

He placed both hands on her shoulders. "You have only to say. I am at your command, my lady."

"I..." She faltered, turning her head into the cushions. "I don't know if..."

"Talk to me," he suggested. "Explain your fears to me."

At that, Dawn screwed her eyes shut and let loose with the stream of consciousness that had built up within the past week. "I'm not afraid of physical stuff, as a general rule, although sheer lack of experience would contribute some degree of anxiety. So, there's that... but the fact that they're going to make me leave at some point keeps echoing in my head, no matter how much I try to forget it," she rushed. Lines appeared in her forehead as she frowned, concentrating on finding the right words, the right combination that wouldn't hurt but still communicate the right array of emotions and questions that had plagued her since that first kiss at Greynn's. "And I can't do anything halfway... body, mind, soul, it's all interconnected and that means that... that..." She swallowed hard, opening her eyes as her hands closed about his wrists tightly. "I can't figure out what's going to hurt less when all of this has to end." She choked on the last words, eyes closing again tightly.

Breandon's arms closed about her. His eyes were faceted with tears. "Oh, my dear ..." He pulled her close, burying his face at the join of neck and shoulder. "I will do anything you tell me to -- I will do anything to make you happy. Just tell me what to do."

"I'm already happy." She cradled his head, weeping softly despite her words.

"Please don't cry," he said, voice muffled. He clutched at her.

Dawn's tears dried on her cheeks as she stroked Breandon's hair. "I won't," she promised. "I won't cry any more."

He pushed back against the futon's cushions. "Dawn, I want to take advantage of the time we have together. As much advantage as possible. If we must be parted, then let it be with as many good memories as we can make!" he pleaded.

She reached for him, nodding mutely. Better to live in the moment and be happy than to waste time dreading the future, she thought. "I... I do too. I don't believe that this wasn't supposed to happen."

He took her hand, kissing it fiercely. "Who told you this wasn't supposed to happen? Everything is meant, and so were we, and don't you ever believe anything else!"

"I won't." Dawn's eyes travelled from her hand in his grasp to his face, and she lifted a finger to trace his lips. "I..."

"Hush, now," he said against her finger, and ensured her silence with his mouth against hers. His other hand rested in the small of her back, holding her close against him.

"I love you," she murmured, her form moulding to fit against his. Warm, and secure, and right, and... /perfect/. He started. "What?" Dawn pulled back, searching his expression for an explanation. "What is it?"

"I never expected that of you."

"Expected what?" The question tinged with guilt, she wondered what she'd done wrong now.

He touched her face gently. "That you would love me, and say so. Oh, don't look at me like that. You look like a puppy who's been kicked."

She ducked her head. "But why shouldn't I tell you? You should know at least that much."

A sigh. "I did not say you should not tell me, my dove of the moon. I merely said I did not expect it." He tipped her chin up. "Shall I essay a distraction, or do you fear what I might do?"

"I trust you."

He looked long and steadily into her eyes. "Then come." He rose, disentangling from her, and paced deliberately toward the back of the apartment.

She watched him disappear into one of the rooms before placing both feet on the floor. Suddenly light-headed, she put out a hand to steady herself. Her blouse lay on the floor, partially concealed by the discarded bra as well as a fallen pillow. For an instant, Pluto's warning echoed in her mind. /You're responsible... I hold you responsible for anything that may result.../

Dawn stood, shedding her denim jeans and the rest of her undergarments. Resolutely, she padded silently along the same path Breandon had taken, stopping in the doorway. He, too, was clad in nothing but hair, although in his case it was more like a robe of hair. He held his arms open to her, and she came slowly.

"Don't hurt me?"

"I won't."

They were never sure, afterwards, who had asked and who had answered. The question, and reassurance, were enough.

The afternoon sun cast long shadows in front of Dawn as she returned to the Palace. Eyes on the marble floor, she attempted nonchalance on her walk to her suite. A contented sigh escaped her lips as the door shut behind her. Sandals kicked off, she flopped in the blue armchair and closed her eyes. The most blissful of smiles found its way to her lips. She imagined herself still tangled in navy silk sheets, her check against his chest as she lay somewhere between breathless wonder and ecstasy. Dawn had wanted to stay with him for the rest of the night, but duty compelled her to dress and leave, with a promise to see him again as soon as she could.

On her way back, she had contemplated leaving the dinner early to sneak back to his apartment again. Dessert could be considered optional, and a sore shoulder would be met with appropriate sympathy after her bout with the TPA. She could excuse herself and then sneak past the guards. They never questioned where she ran off to...

"Dawn? Are you back yet?" Rini called via intercom seconds prior to letting herself in.

"Yeah," came the dreamy response. "Back in time for dinner, like you said."

Rini stood in the doorway, head tilted ever so slightly to the left as she observed the Guardian. "No shower yet?"

"Nuh-uh." In her mind's eye, she played back each kiss, each cool caress against impossibly hot skin, each velvety whisper... she gave an involuntary shudder and a giggle escaped her throat.

"You okay?" Rini frowned.

"Oh, I'm perfectly wonderful," she answered, stretching her hands above her head. "Why do you ask?"

"You're acting awfully strange." Rini's eyes narrowed, and then widened as her jaw dropped in realization. "You didn't..."

"Didn't what?"

"IT. I mean, you and he... the two of you..." She found it fairly challenging to speak in complete sentences. "How COULD you?"

A Cheshire grin showed that Dawn had decided to ignore the accusatory delivery. "Quite easily," she purred contently. "I followed along quite well, he's an excellent instructor...."

"DAWN!" Rini shrieked. "I didn't ask for details, and when it comes to him, I don't WANT details. By the Crystal," she muttered. "I thought you just went to thank him for the dress."

"I did. The rest was spontaneous." She swung her legs around and stood up. "And wonderful," she gushed. "Perfect and intimate and secure and romantic and just... perfect," she concluded, mind still reeling from the midday activities. Who cared about being coherent?

Rini shook her head, her expression one of shock. "If Pluto finds out... if Mom knows... oh this just isn't good," she fretted aloud.

"Why not?" Worry entered her voice, and that kicked puppy expression stole the proverbial sparkle from her eyes.

Rini glanced at Dawn, and her frown lightened. "Never mind," she answered, defeated. "C'mon, you need to get ready for dinner."

"Don't do that," Dawn pleaded. "Don't tell me I've done something wrong, and then brush it off."

"It's not that you've done something wrong," Rini swiftly answered with false reassurance. "This just becomes complicated."

Dawn rolled her eyes, a melodramatic gesture that indicated she didn't think things could get any more complicated. "Well, for the record, I am not going to admit to doing anything wrong. I did NOTHING wrong." Disappearing into the walk-in closet, she allowed her voice to provide the air of confidence that a worried expression couldn't convey. "I enjoyed myself thoroughly. I enjoy his company thoroughly."

"Well, you'd better start acting more like yourself at dinner," she called. "Otherwise, Pu's gonna suspect something... and so will other people who know about you and Breandon."

Now a satisfied smile stretched from ear to ear. "Yeah, like who? I can count the number of people I've mentioned Breandon and me to on one hand."

"Try almost everyone."

Dawn poked her head out of the closet. "Excuse me?"

Carnation pigtails shook from side to side in disbelief at the young woman's naivete. "You and I haven't been here, but he has. How do you think he's kept away his gaggle of former lovers?" Rini pointed a finger in Dawn's general direction. "You. He tells them about you, they gossip. The guards here who've encountered you, they gossip, too. His whirlwind courtship of you is the most popular subject of conversation among the Crystal Tokyo elite."

"Why do they care?" Annoyed and fearing dinner more by the minute, she disappeared into the safety of the closet once more. Stupid stuck up people, it was none of their business as to how she chose to spend her time, especially when it came to Breandon.

Rini threw her hands up in the air. This was going absolutely nowhere. Dawn was in some kind of denial and clearly didn't want to hear the truth. Rini figured she had experience versus Dawn's want to turn a blind eye to the cattiness and harsh gossip that went hand in hand with being a member of Court. "Just because," she called back in exasperation. "Get dressed and get me in an hour for dinner, okay?"

A snippy "Yes, your Highness," echoed from the closet, followed by an irate Guardian slamming the bathroom door behind her. Rini exited the suite in a similar huff, promising herself that Breandon would have an earful from her concerning his activities with Dawn the next time he was unfortunate enough to meet her.

Fifty-seven minutes later, Dawn arrived at Rini's door in a rich chocolate brown sleeveless sheath dress that played up her pale skin and brought out her eyes. Still annoyed at the comments from earlier, she knocked twice and then stepped back. Hands clasped in front of her, Dawn surveyed the hallway. A lone figure with spiky blond hair attempted a smile, which Dawn returned out of sheer habit. Rather than stay at his post, he bobbed his head in greeting as he approached her.

"I'm sorry if having that dress delivered to your room was out of line," he apologised sheepishly. "Rainault-san insisted upon it."

Her mouth opened in surprise. "Sorry? Oh please, don't be," she recovered, the smile on her lips now genuine. "It was a wonderful gesture, thank you."

"You're welcome," he beamed. "Have a good night, Miss Connolly." A quick bow, and he hurried back to his post, leaving Dawn slightly more relaxed when Rini emerged. A delicate strapless dress patterned with white and pink roses sharply contrasted the dark expression on her face.

"Your hair's dry," she observed sullenly.

"Yeah, figured I'd try to not embarrass you," Dawn quipped, fingering the loose curls that fell over her shoulder.

"Good." Rini started off down the corridor, Dawn keeping step several feet behind her. The personal dining area in the Royal Family's living quarters had been declared more than adequate for the hosting of a small dinner party. The officers and their guests would be the only people there, which put Dawn at ease. Nothing to worry about.

Kis kept her hand firmly placed on Breandon's shocking-pink sleeve. When he'd stopped by to pick her up, her eyes had almost fallen out of her head. She'd tried -- briefly -- to remonstrate with him, pointing out that there was little need to antagonise anyone -- keeping to herself the thought that he'd done that superbly if accidentally already.

He hadn't seemed to care, only waited out her words with his usual urbane air.

And now they were here, and Kis could only be thankful that at least she /knew/ most of the people here. Maybe she could do a little damage control ... since the two parties most involved didn't seem to give a damn, fat or skinny.

The whispers began as soon as they entered the room.

"She did not," Rini breathed in a fury. Her nostrils flared in a most unbecoming fashion as she and a good many of the rest of the guests stared at the pair that entered the room. Next to her, Dawn went near-ashen at the sight of Breandon. Kis had mentioned that Bren was a friend, so having brought him made sense enough on that count. At the same time, Dawn hadn't anticipated seeing him so soon, and among so many people she knew.

Kis circled the room with Breandon, at times forcibly holding him back from striding across to Dawn. "Do you want to give them even more to talk about?" she hissed in his ear. At any other time, she might've found his rapidly altering expressions amusing -- but right now it was just that much more information for the gossip brokers. She took the long way around the room to Rini and Dawn, smiling and chatting. Hello Duke, is the ship ready, hi Akiko, you look lovely tonight, Derrelli what a nice surprise to see you in something besides robes ...

The Princess spun Dawn about to face her, keeping her from Breandon's eyes. While Dawn regained her balance from the rough shove, Rini took the opportunity to send the nastiest of socially acceptable glares in Kissuiko's direction. She was not about to have her parents' reception become a hotbed for gossip, especially when it came to that man. An arm caught Dawn and helped her from crashing into a table.

"Bad shoes, maybe?" Hoshi had separated herself from Derrelli and held two glasses out to the Princess and Guardian. "Here, you look as if you might need this."

Dawn nodded gratefully and knocked back half of her champagne. Rini cleared her throat in clear disapproval and sipped, eyes watching the ostentatious pink shirt and its owner make their way about the room.

"That's a lovely dress, your Highness," Hoshi began, making a stab at conversation. "Yours too," she added to Dawn.

Fingernails tapped nervously against the stem of her glass. "Thank you," she managed without choking on the words. "So, um, is the ship going to take long to repair?"

Hoshi laughed merrily. "Aki-chan has her work cut out for her. I bet she'd let you shadow her, if you could fit it into your schedule. See, they start with main engineering, and then they go to primary weapons, and..."

With Hoshi unknowingly providing an adequate distraction, Rini stole away from the pair and made her way towards Kis and her 'guest.'

Breandon was beginning to regret the impulse that had caused him to accept Kis' invitation. He wasn't getting to be with Dawn any, Rini was shooting Glares-of-Death in his direction, and the shirt itched. Madly.

He resigned himself to being Kis' token male for the evening and began to plot ways to get Dawn alone many times over the next few days.

"Her royal Pinkness, five o'clock," Kis muttered under her breath as Rini deliberately ignored Duke's greeting and sauntered up to Breandon. Keeping a firm grip on his arm, Kis forced a smile to her face for the obligatory greeting. "Good evening, your Highness."

"Rainault." It would be the most cordial thing out of Rini's mouth to him for the majority of the evening. "What prompted you to show up?"

Breandon released Kis' arm to sweep a flourishing bow. "I was asked, of course." He bowed to Kis with gratitude. "I am wounded that you are not overjoyed to see me, Your Highness."

"I'll leave that for others you've managed to bewitch," she answered in an overly polite tone. "Might I have a word with you in private, if you can tear yourself away from your date for this evening?"

Kis narrowed her eyes at the diminutive Princess. "Technically, he's MY date, but I'll be more than happy to share." Releasing his arm, she gave a quick curtsy. "Now play nice."

Rini held composure until Kis was out of earshot before letting loose on Breandon. "Are you out of your god-damned mind?" she hissed.

Breandon blinked. He'd definitely anticipated being the cynosure of all eyes and the subject of all gossip, but bearing the brunt of the Princess' anger hadn't crossed his mind. Granted, with Dawn's temper it was probably for the best, but still.

"I don't know what you mean," he said stiffly. "Have I offended more than usual?"

"Offended? Oh, it's more than just a simple case of offending," she snapped. "You are going into territory that you should have avoided out of common sense and decency."

"Elucidate."

"Eluci..." Rini gripped the skirt of her dress to refrain from jabbing Rainault in the chest with recently manicured nails. "You know who she is, where she's from, and why she's here. And yet, you have to go and play your bedroom games with her." Bright patches of red showed on her cheeks as her temper built.

Breandon spat, "It would be nice if you didn't make assumptions. Again."

"Again?" Rini seethed. "Oh, you mean about Ashe? Gosh, what did I assume... that you told him to seriously consider the Star Hunters? Weren't you the one who told him to think it over?"

"I TOLD him not to jump without thinking. I TOLD him, Highness, that making choices based on what was wanted of him and not what he wanted was a bad idea." Breandon stared at Rini, eyes flat. "Get over it."

"Is that what you're going to tell Dawn when it's time for her to leave? To just 'get over it?'" It was a low blow, but playing fair was the furthest thing from Rini's mind.

"Don't be a fool," he replied coldly. "Even you can change, though I've seen precious little evidence of that thus far tonight."

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

He sighed, out of patience with the whole game. "It means, my dear, that I have changed. That this is no longer a 'game' to me, and I intend to protect Dawn from the results of my life as far as I may."

Rini's mouth opened and shut as if she wanted to reply to such a declaration, but the appropriate words had escaped her. A hand came to rest on her shoulder, and she jumped in surprise as her own mother came up to them. "Engaging in witty conversation again, are you?" Serenity asked in a wry tone.

Breandon immediately sank to one knee.

"Oh, don't do that here," Serenity chided gently. "Rini, why don't you go mingle with the crew? You were technically in command throughout the entire ordeal. It's not good manners to separate yourself like this."

Rini gave her mother a curtsy while Breandon received one last scowl before she left in a huff.

"My gratitude," Breandon murmured, rising to his feet but keeping his eyes downcast.

Silver-white curls swayed as Serenity shook her head. "My apologies for her cornering you. She's relatively protective, moreso than her own parents, as it would seem." She delicately cleared her throat. "And pardon for my reliance upon idle Court gossip, but you and the Guardian have been spending quite a lot of time together since she's arrived."

"We have," he acknowledged, determined to give nothing away under that cool blue gaze.

"Good for the both of you, then," she answered, the corner of her mouth lifting in a royally discreet smile.

Breandon blushed under that smile as he hadn't blushed since before Dawn left on the _Prometheus_. "Thank you," he whispered, humbled once again by the power and wisdom of his Queen.

"You're quite welcome," she whispered back. "Always a pleasure, Breandon," she finished, turning to leave.

He stood there, looking after her, loyalty and a vague, ill-defined envy of King Endymion burning in his heart. "Oh, to love such a woman."

"How about this one?" Dawn's voice came from behind him. "Granted, I'm not royalty..."

He started, gracelessly. "That hardly matters."

"You're certain?" A twinkle in her eyes showed she was just teasing him. "I'm sure I could dredge up a title somehow."

He smiled at her. "Isn't 'Guardian' enough?"

"I suppose." Her hand, icy from sheer nerves, found their way to the crook of his arm. "Kis asked you to come along?"

He covered her hands with his warm ones and confided, "I think she understood how much I-WE missed each other."

"Think so?" Dawn allowed herself a dreamy smile while lost in peridot-green eyes. "That's nice of her."

He had to laugh at her expression. "Stop that," he chided fondly. "You have to pay attention to your crew mates, not me."

She poured on the soppiness for a moment longer, then forced herself to examine the rest of the group. To her surprise and embarrassment, many of them had focused attention on the corner of the room where she and Breandon stood. "From the look of things, it seems like they'd rather watch us than chatter amongst themselves," she noted nervously.

"I think they're doing both," he noted.

"Is that good or bad?"

"Both."

Dawn swallowed, unsure of what to do next. Across the room, Kis managed a thumbs-up unseen by everyone else. Off to the right, Rini glowered at Breandon as Akiko and Hoshi worked to distract her with conversation. Seeing the Princess, Dawn chuckled softly in satisfaction.

"She's just mildly upset having you here," she said softly into his ear. "Everyone else is just surprised."

"I think 'mildly' is an understatement, love," he whispered back. "Go, circulate. I'm an ornament tonight."

"And a gaudy one at that." She kissed him on the cheek before lifting her hand from his elbow. "If you're still doing things for me, promise to never wear that again." She gave him a slight curtsy, eyes dancing.

"If you insist," he sighed mournfully. "I thought I cut a dashing figure, but as the love of my life commands ... " He flipped his hand at her, shooing her off, then assumed a pose as the melancholy artist until Kis returned.

Coming up behind Rini, Dawn nudged Kis gently. "I think your date would prefer your company to mine this evening," she began such that the Princess would catch every word. "I think I'm boring him."

"Is that so?" Kis gave Dawn an appreciative once over. "I'll have to talk to him about that then... you wouldn't bore me."

"I'm flattered," she responded smoothly. "Thanks again, Kis."

"Any time, baby girl." Kis departed, leaving Rini to fume at Dawn in open company.

"If you're QUITE finished," she hissed, "it's time to take our seats for dinner, unless you feel it necessary to cause an even greater spectacle tonight."

Dawn glanced to Akiko and Hoshi, who were doing their best to not appear too terribly shocked. "I'll wait until dessert, I think," she said airily. "Let everyone eat and gossip before giving them any more to talk about."

Fortunately for all involved, dinner was enough to occupy everyone's mind for a while. Dawn, seated at the opposite end of a table from Breandon, noticed that he seemed to be keeping his seating partners in stitches. She shrugged.

He'd always be a social butterfly, and she'd better resign herself to that, she decided. There couldn't be a better time to start than now. And as dessert appeared on tiny crystal plates before them, she plunged back into the fray.

"Now, if Akiko's overseeing reconstruction, where does that leave you?" she asked Derrelli politely. "You don't have a ship to command."

He swallowed a spoonful of chocolate mousse. "I have a ship to reprogram," he corrected. "Can't sit around and let her take all of the glory, can I?"

Dawn laughed merrily in reply, brushing away a strand of hair from her face. Such movement brought her elbow dangerously close to her water glass, and she shot out a hand to keep it from falling over.

"Oh, that was graceful," Rini muttered nastily next to her. "I'm sure your designer would think you ever so refined doused in ice water. You should try the mousse, that would at least match the atrocity of a dress you picked." Smugly, she turned her attention back to a conversation between several of the weapons crew.

Tears stung at the corners of Dawn's eyes as her throat went tight. Swallowing hard, she gave Derrelli and Hoshi a strained smile. "I'll have to make time to come by. If you'll pardon me, I need to go take care of that plasma burn," she lied. Standing up, she afforded Rini the smallest of bows before making her way towards the door, chin held high in an effort to not lose her composure.

At the far end of the table, Breandon laid his spoon down on the edge of his dish, bestowed a dazzling smile around the room, and followed Dawn out without so much as an excuse. His face, before his back was turned, could be seen to be drawn into an expression of uncharacteristic anger.

"He's never done /that/ before," someone muttered, just audibly, before a fresh outburst of gossip obscured anything farther than a foot away from a listener.

Out of the dining room, Dawn pulled her sandals off and began running down the corridor. The dress kept her from anything more than a quick jog, and she gave up halfway to the main door. Her shoes fell to the ground with a soft thud and her shoulders slumped forward.

Warm arms encircled her from the back. "What did she say?"

"That my dress was ugly, and that I should have tried to spill the mousse instead," Her voice cracked and she lost all composure. Dawn turned around and buried her face in his shoulder, crying softly.

He pulled her over to a bench against the wall, pushed her down, and held her head against his chest, murmuring nonsense softly.

"First she gives me crap for lack of experience, then she acts like I've committed the biggest crime, and she has the gall to tell /me/ not to embarrass her at dinner..." She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, streaking mascara across her face. "It's not fair," she choked out, gripping the offensive shirt before bursting into tears again.

He smoothed her unruly hair. "No, it's not."

She sniffled a few times in a rather unladylike fashion before wiping her eyes and attempting a smile. "Sorry... I'm usually not this high maintenance," she said by way of apology. A pause, and she fingered the front of her dress. "It's not that ugly... is it?"

"Not particularly," he commented, eyes raking her in a way that brought the events before dinner vividly to mind.

She blushed furiously. "Don't do that, people might be watching us," she stammered. "Unless you really want to give the guards a really juicy bit of gossip to spread around."

"Don't look now," he whispered, "but I'm pretty sure they've got some pretty juicy gossip already." He nibbled her ear, clearly uncaring of gossip.

A sharp intake of breath proved that he'd hit upon a rather sensitive spot. "Breandon! They're right in the other room," she said quickly, eyes flickering towards the door. "What if they... oh, my... oh, dear..." Trailed from ear to the side of her jaw, Breandon's attentions made her far less than coherent.

"Oh, good, you're feeling better," he breathed. "Since we've already left the dinner, maybe you'd like to go somewhere more ... private?"

"Mmm-hmmm," she murmured. To hell with Rini and to hell with propriety, she thought resolutely.

He attempted to scoop her up in his arms and failed, making a great noise that echoed up and down the hall. Dawn tried to shush him, giggling. Giving up, he snatched her hand and pulled her into a hushed run punctuated with laughter. He seemed to know his way around far better than she did, but that didn't do a lot of good when he literally ran smack into a tall, blonde figure wearing blue and gold.

"My, someone's in an awful hurry." The light-hearted tone of Sailor Venus greeted the pair as she steadied herself with a hand to the wall. "Dinner over so soon? Didn't want to wait for dessert?"

Breandon turned very red in the face, stammered, and could not get a word out.

Eyes twinkling in knowing fashion, she turned her gaze on Dawn. "Perhaps you were going to take him back to your quarters for dessert, then," she offered.

"Mina!" Dawn hissed, utterly forgetting title and rank. "Geez, we were just... um, well, we were..." She looked to Breandon for assistance in the fabrication of a feasible excuse.

"Dawn has to stay in shape," he said, knowing it for a feeble excuse. "So we were just taking a little run before dessert ... "

"Don't lie to me, dear. It's not becoming," she laughed.

Dawn sighed, defeated. "Fine... Rini's being a wench about us being together, she snapped at me, and I'd rather be alone with him for the rest of the evening." She paused, then eyed Venus. "You're not gonna tell anyone, are you?"

Venus' eyes twinkled. "I suspect I could be persuaded to ... assist in your romantic endeavours."

Dawn's face lit up, making smeared mascara appear comical. "Really? What kind of persuasion?"

She regarded them both with a greater element of seriousness, putting a finger to her chin. "Make each other happy," Venus told them, blue eyes steady. The pair drew themselves up under that earnest gaze. "Make each other happy, and be joyous in one another. Don't let your problems come between you. Love one another. As long as you do that, I'll aid you."

Dawn bit back a comment about Mina getting poetic in old age, and instead turned to Breandon. "I'm all for that. What about you, doll?"

He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close. "I thought I'd already promised all that to you."

"Just checking." She beamed happily, lost against in peridot-green eyes. "So, what's the plan?"