(no subject)
(1) First Date- Hotaru blushed heavily as she gingerly took the flower Sephiroth offered her. She had no idea how to respond to the gesture. She was furious at Chibi-Usa and the Asteroid Senshi for leaving her in this awkward situation. Her pulse was racing too fast, she felt light-headed, her cheeks felt hot, and she felt like she couldn’t catch her breath despite the fact that she was standing perfectly still.
---
“Girls pay attention!” Hotaru snapped. Practice had only just begun; not more than ten minutes had past and already the five girls had made their disinterest in training clear. There was a large amount of whispers and giggling going on amongst them. She felt both a little irritated and hurt that she wasn’t being let in on the secret; she and Chibi-Usa had always had a close bond despite their difference in age.
The giggling abruptly stopped the moment Sephiroth appeared. He always had a solemn air about him that often encompassed everyone around him. Hotaru sighed with relief. Finally, someone who could sober the girls up in less than a minute and help her kick their rear ends into practice mode.
He didn’t smile at her, but that wasn’t unusual for him. On the rare occasions he did smile, it was when the two of them were in private usually sparring with one another on the practice field. He was wearing his usual distinctive clothing, leather coat and pants, black boots with a variety of harnesses, belts, and buckles, and the Masamune sheathed at his side. However, in his right hand he carried a dark purple rose.
“What on earth is he doing with a flower?” thought Hotaru. Aloud she said, “Roses aren’t the most masculine weapon of choice, but as has been proven by King Endymion, they can be effective if not deadly.”
She was surprised when he flinched at her teasing remark.
---
Sephiroth flinched at her teasing remark when normally he would’ve brushed it off or come back with a cutting remark of his own. In the scenario he’d been forced to practice with Sailor Venus it wasn’t half this difficult. He’d gruffly offered her the flower, asked his question, and she jumped up with a squeal of glee and immediately accepted his offer. Of course, this was Sailor Venus who apparently had some crazy love goddess complex and had made it her unofficial duty to be a matchmaker.
---
He’d no idea how to do this. He felt uncomfortably on edge, especially in the presence of Chibi-Usa and her friends. They grew silent as he approached; their eyes simultaneously locked on him. They knew. He was surprised that Hotaru much less the entire of Crystal Tokyo didn’t know what he was about ask. Minako was hardly subtle much less good at keeping secrets. Chibi-Usa nodded.
“Come on girls. I think Mako-chan is baking cookies!” she said before thankfully taking off with her friends in tow.
---
He’d never really cared for company of Sailor Venus. She was the loudest, most boisterous, and ultra-feminine of the Senshi perhaps only to be rivaled by Sailor Moon. However, she was an expert when it came to this sort of thing, and as much as he hated to admit it, Sephiroth needed help, specifically hers.
He swallowed his pride and approached her.
“I like…” he started. No, that’s not right his ego shouted at him. “I want to…” That sounded too demanding. “Hotaru is very…” Beautiful, passionate, intense, strong,, fascinating… his brain began reciting the long list of adjectives it’d been keeping locked away. “attractive,” he finally finished. And I want to spend as much time with her as possible. “And I would like to spend time with her outside of training. Could you…” He gritted his teeth. “Could you explain…inform me of the best way to approach her?” There he’d asked for her help without telling her everything or letting her know how desperately in need of help he was.
“So what you’re saying is that you like Hotaru and want to ask her out on a date?” Sailor Venus asked.
She’d summed up everything so bluntly. What the hell, if she knows, she knows, so long as she’s willing to help me. “Yes,” he replied curtly.
“I knew it!” she cried, jumping up and clapping her hands together with excitement.
She’d originally had some elaborate set-up that involved hundreds of candles, rose petals, live doves, lavish decorations, and a twenty-course meal that included tons of champagne and every single aphrodisiac imaginable. Sephiroth had stood his ground and promptly said “No” to all her complicated and overly romanticized scenarios. Sephiroth wanted to do this on his terms, and in a way that wouldn’t overwhelm Hotaru which might result in her refusing him or worse, cause him to lose her friendship.
He settled on the practice field during the young senshis’ training period-a place he was comfortable with and a time he knew she would definitely be there. Minako insisted that he bring Hotaru a gift of some sort. A bouquet of flowers she said was traditional, but he thought it would be rather awkward carrying a large mass of exotic and colorful flowers onto a practice field. He settled on a single rose in what he assumed was not only the color of her senshi uniform, but her favorite color as well; she certainly wore enough of it.
---
“Thank you,” Hotaru replied politely.
“I…” Sephiroth faltered for a moment.
Hotaru looked at him expectantly. I don’t really know what to say or how I feel. I just want to be with you, ran through his mind.
Taking care to follow Minako’s exact words, he said, “I was hoping we could spend some time together and get to know each other more.”
“Did Minako put you up to this?” Hotaru asked suspiciously. That would be something she would do. She’s always trying to coax me into dating someone. I bet she’s been planning this since she saw us dancing together at the ball, Hotaru thought.
What did she not think he could be capable of asking her out of his own accord? That he wasn’t attracted to her in his own right and that he was doing this and making an idiot of himself because Sailor Venus was manipulating him or that he felt sorry for her?
“I just thought you might want to something besides fighting!” he retorted angrily.
Hotaru felt indignant. “And what did you have in mind, a candlelit dinner for two?” she asked sarcastically. While one part of her thought the idea was highly romantic and secretly cherished it, the other part found the situation highly unimaginable not to mention awkward.
Fuck, Venus’s script. “It’s just us eating lunch together outside on a damn blanket! We can spar afterwards if you’re that put out about it!”
“Oh,” said Hotaru, subdued. He really does mean what he says. He probably planned a lot of it with Minako, but…he is sincere.
The two stood in silence for a moment facing each other.
Hotaru felt a little remorse. She gave Sephiroth an apologetic smile, “I’m sorry I jumped to conclusions. I’d…like…to go to lunch with you…outside on a blanket.”
"Minako said it was called a 'picnic.'”
“Well, I wasn’t sure…and picnic sounds more like a…”
“A date?”
“Are you asking me on one?”
“Would you like to go on one? If not, we can always go back to slamming each other into the ground.”
Hotaru laughed brightly. “Let’s try something new,” she said.
Her eyes sparkled with delight, and Sephiroth felt some of his lost dignity returning. He puffed up his chest and did his best to look masculine. He offered his arm to Hotaru. She tucked the rose he’d given her behind her left ear, and lightly set her hand on his arm; a pleasant tingling spread over his body, and he felt his mouth naturally begin to curve into a smile.
---
“Girls pay attention!” Hotaru snapped. Practice had only just begun; not more than ten minutes had past and already the five girls had made their disinterest in training clear. There was a large amount of whispers and giggling going on amongst them. She felt both a little irritated and hurt that she wasn’t being let in on the secret; she and Chibi-Usa had always had a close bond despite their difference in age.
The giggling abruptly stopped the moment Sephiroth appeared. He always had a solemn air about him that often encompassed everyone around him. Hotaru sighed with relief. Finally, someone who could sober the girls up in less than a minute and help her kick their rear ends into practice mode.
He didn’t smile at her, but that wasn’t unusual for him. On the rare occasions he did smile, it was when the two of them were in private usually sparring with one another on the practice field. He was wearing his usual distinctive clothing, leather coat and pants, black boots with a variety of harnesses, belts, and buckles, and the Masamune sheathed at his side. However, in his right hand he carried a dark purple rose.
“What on earth is he doing with a flower?” thought Hotaru. Aloud she said, “Roses aren’t the most masculine weapon of choice, but as has been proven by King Endymion, they can be effective if not deadly.”
She was surprised when he flinched at her teasing remark.
---
Sephiroth flinched at her teasing remark when normally he would’ve brushed it off or come back with a cutting remark of his own. In the scenario he’d been forced to practice with Sailor Venus it wasn’t half this difficult. He’d gruffly offered her the flower, asked his question, and she jumped up with a squeal of glee and immediately accepted his offer. Of course, this was Sailor Venus who apparently had some crazy love goddess complex and had made it her unofficial duty to be a matchmaker.
---
He’d no idea how to do this. He felt uncomfortably on edge, especially in the presence of Chibi-Usa and her friends. They grew silent as he approached; their eyes simultaneously locked on him. They knew. He was surprised that Hotaru much less the entire of Crystal Tokyo didn’t know what he was about ask. Minako was hardly subtle much less good at keeping secrets. Chibi-Usa nodded.
“Come on girls. I think Mako-chan is baking cookies!” she said before thankfully taking off with her friends in tow.
---
He’d never really cared for company of Sailor Venus. She was the loudest, most boisterous, and ultra-feminine of the Senshi perhaps only to be rivaled by Sailor Moon. However, she was an expert when it came to this sort of thing, and as much as he hated to admit it, Sephiroth needed help, specifically hers.
He swallowed his pride and approached her.
“I like…” he started. No, that’s not right his ego shouted at him. “I want to…” That sounded too demanding. “Hotaru is very…” Beautiful, passionate, intense, strong,, fascinating… his brain began reciting the long list of adjectives it’d been keeping locked away. “attractive,” he finally finished. And I want to spend as much time with her as possible. “And I would like to spend time with her outside of training. Could you…” He gritted his teeth. “Could you explain…inform me of the best way to approach her?” There he’d asked for her help without telling her everything or letting her know how desperately in need of help he was.
“So what you’re saying is that you like Hotaru and want to ask her out on a date?” Sailor Venus asked.
She’d summed up everything so bluntly. What the hell, if she knows, she knows, so long as she’s willing to help me. “Yes,” he replied curtly.
“I knew it!” she cried, jumping up and clapping her hands together with excitement.
She’d originally had some elaborate set-up that involved hundreds of candles, rose petals, live doves, lavish decorations, and a twenty-course meal that included tons of champagne and every single aphrodisiac imaginable. Sephiroth had stood his ground and promptly said “No” to all her complicated and overly romanticized scenarios. Sephiroth wanted to do this on his terms, and in a way that wouldn’t overwhelm Hotaru which might result in her refusing him or worse, cause him to lose her friendship.
He settled on the practice field during the young senshis’ training period-a place he was comfortable with and a time he knew she would definitely be there. Minako insisted that he bring Hotaru a gift of some sort. A bouquet of flowers she said was traditional, but he thought it would be rather awkward carrying a large mass of exotic and colorful flowers onto a practice field. He settled on a single rose in what he assumed was not only the color of her senshi uniform, but her favorite color as well; she certainly wore enough of it.
---
“Thank you,” Hotaru replied politely.
“I…” Sephiroth faltered for a moment.
Hotaru looked at him expectantly. I don’t really know what to say or how I feel. I just want to be with you, ran through his mind.
Taking care to follow Minako’s exact words, he said, “I was hoping we could spend some time together and get to know each other more.”
“Did Minako put you up to this?” Hotaru asked suspiciously. That would be something she would do. She’s always trying to coax me into dating someone. I bet she’s been planning this since she saw us dancing together at the ball, Hotaru thought.
What did she not think he could be capable of asking her out of his own accord? That he wasn’t attracted to her in his own right and that he was doing this and making an idiot of himself because Sailor Venus was manipulating him or that he felt sorry for her?
“I just thought you might want to something besides fighting!” he retorted angrily.
Hotaru felt indignant. “And what did you have in mind, a candlelit dinner for two?” she asked sarcastically. While one part of her thought the idea was highly romantic and secretly cherished it, the other part found the situation highly unimaginable not to mention awkward.
Fuck, Venus’s script. “It’s just us eating lunch together outside on a damn blanket! We can spar afterwards if you’re that put out about it!”
“Oh,” said Hotaru, subdued. He really does mean what he says. He probably planned a lot of it with Minako, but…he is sincere.
The two stood in silence for a moment facing each other.
Hotaru felt a little remorse. She gave Sephiroth an apologetic smile, “I’m sorry I jumped to conclusions. I’d…like…to go to lunch with you…outside on a blanket.”
"Minako said it was called a 'picnic.'”
“Well, I wasn’t sure…and picnic sounds more like a…”
“A date?”
“Are you asking me on one?”
“Would you like to go on one? If not, we can always go back to slamming each other into the ground.”
Hotaru laughed brightly. “Let’s try something new,” she said.
Her eyes sparkled with delight, and Sephiroth felt some of his lost dignity returning. He puffed up his chest and did his best to look masculine. He offered his arm to Hotaru. She tucked the rose he’d given her behind her left ear, and lightly set her hand on his arm; a pleasant tingling spread over his body, and he felt his mouth naturally begin to curve into a smile.