High-Heeled Swordplay (Sailor Moon, Venus/Kunzite July 14th)

[kikimaye.livejournal.com]

Title:  High-Heeled Swordplay
Rating: T only cuz there's a little language, this is the tamest thing I've ever written.
Prompt:   Sailor Moon, Minako Aino/Kunzite: Swords and sword-play – What is love without the battle and the blood?
Warnings:  not much, like I said this is honestly the tamest fanfic I've written, some sexual tension and swording (so a little blood--squint or you'll miss it) and one or two curse words...
Word count: 6,000+ (I wasn't happy with the gajillion other words so I butchered it and became a little happier but not by much, OP kutos might cheer me up--honestly what am I kidding any kutos, or even a single kuto I'm not picky folk.)
Summary: Sailor Venus needs to teach the senshi swords and decides only one person is capable...Kunzite?
A/N: OMG sorry for lateness!!!!!!  I should have known better than to pick TWO prompts, one of them for a fandom I've never written for.  Where the hell do I get off trying to grow as a writer and kick my problem with meeting deadlines?  I think I want to write the smut attatched to this, I just couldn't get it out and I HAD to get this posted, for my own sanity...I couldn't write much of anything else and that's not what I sign-ed up for.  LESSION:  kikimaye only get's one prompt from now on, unless they're in her comfort zone...Given time to update all my other FFs I could be convinced to continue this FF, with a higher rating. Reviews would help of course, but I promise nothing, I don't want to give this thing power over my muse again. * sniffle * Anyway *slaps self* stop rambling kiki...

 

High-Heeled Swordplay

Venus didn’t want to blame Princess Serenity. Though she’d narrowed it down to having started with the princess’ fearlessness and naive trust of the humans of the earth kingdom.

Namely it causing a certain odango-atama to think it was perfectly safe to sneak down to earth to make kissy faces with one of them. Sure Endymion was a prince...but the people of the moon were forbidden to make visits of any length.

Being the leader Venus had taken it upon herself to teleport to the nearest trace of the royal energy...The burst needed to do a planetary teleport.

Mars had admitted Serenity could have been missing a while. Having bickered with the princess Mars and left her to stew in her rooms. She’d cooled and returned to find the suite empty. Giving the princess about a twenty minute head start. 

There had been a decent walk to Endymion’s shining castle. Before she could find either the prince or princess she’d gotten lost, only to be found by Kunzite.

Sharp grey eyes had been intimate in their perusal of her form, mostly between the bottom hem of her skirt and the sharp heels--still dusty from the walk yes--but still deadly wicked. “Venus-sama did you lose your charge and your way?”

“Kunzite...tell me where they are,” Venus felt slightly unnerved for once in her fuku. She’d gone into battle in her armor, although many saw it as showy and useless (showy yes obviously) it protected what it needed, she protected the rest.

“Celestial Creature can your kind not track each other with your hearts?”

Venus frowned at the pale man, his face a mix of distain and curiosity and she was pretty sure she didn’t appreciate the tone he used when addressing her, or the abilities of those of the moon kingdom. “Her heart is with him,” She admitted. She was smart enough not to go on to explain that Mercury had taken keen notice that the prince and Kunzite, the lead of his shitennou--and the other three shitennou to a lesser extent--were five of the few on earth with power like the people of the moon...yet not...meaning that it was different enough to block the emotional thread between citizens of the moon. In other words their emotional bonds of friends, sisters in arms...princess and guardian.

“I believe my prince is in the rose garden Venus-sama,” Kunzite had kept his distance but his voice...

It had touched her somehow.

So much that not a day passed that her own name in that arrogant tone hadn’t haunted her. She’d gone about her duties and been half-distracted by it for months and her dear princess hadn’t made it easier on her.

It had been Venus’s decision to delegate fetching the naughty princess from her “Taste Testing of Endymion” as Jupiter put it. Nobody--save the shitennou himself--could guess at any other motive other than being too busy to go herself.

Certainly not the awkward tango that was Minako Aino trying to not throw herself like a slutty idiot at Kunzite, an earthling.

She was a couple of decades older moon-wise but aged slower physically. She wouldn’t say that made her wise beyond her years but she wasn’t the teenager she appeared. All the senshi took advantage of the innocent vulnerable stereotype that most had for young girls at one point or another all across the universe and Venus didn’t mind the contrast herself since many an enemy and dignitary alike had underestimated her.

At least until she met Kunzite. Then she’d done some underestimating of her own.

Venus knew that truly, it was...

Queen Serenity’s fault, maybe?

Queen Serenity had been the one to take her aside and inquire as to her ability to teach the other guardians swordsmanship. Although she had on occasion used a sword in battle she knew the queen had sought a higher degree of expertise to guard her only child, especially when she caught sight of the queen bent over a sword-like shape near the crystal tower.

She had yet to venture more than a few feet inside the doors of the prayer room; she relied more on her power and the easier weapons it manifested into, along with her fellow senshi to protect the moon kingdom, its princess. Mina knew, however, that the power inside that room would definitely be her last resort, should her own power fail, and that meant the seemingly idle inquiry of the queen’s was much more than that.

No. No. She had no one to blame but herself. She could have asked some of the palace guards, seen if there was a particular character with enough finesse to do the senshi--the moon kingdom--proud. She might have done that; if she hadn’t soon after the tête-à-tête with the queen had to go find the princess, who had managed to slip out from under Mercury’s watchful eye.

She could have sent one of the other girls to seek out the princess when she snuck off to earth. Even if she’d told the others it was because she felt she was best at teleporting alone so she felt it was the safest way.

In truth things had changed a few months after she had decided to delegate the job. She blamed it on the magic of the moon, specifically the rose garden just as the earth came over the horizon. That and how good a kisser Kunzite was.

Oh damn, she could blame it on that this time around too!

Blame it on the ambush waiting for her as she chased after Serenity that day. Oh what an ambush!

Damn it no! Even with her mind sufficiently made into mush with a quickie against a nearby tree. She shouldn’t have asked Kunzite if he could teach the senshi the art of the sword.

#

“That is your armor?” Kunzite asked with his usual distain as Sailor Moon did a twirl, her hair flying around her like extra limbs.

“Hai, Kunzite-sensei,” Sailor Moon beamed at him as if all was right with the world. And why not? Endymion arrived tomorrow. “I don’t get to wear mine often, Luna had it commissioned for the Lunar Festival Parade.” She did another pirouette, clapping as she thought about last years parade. “I got my own platform.”

“Of course you did,” Kunzite sighed.

She had been shocked when Venus suggested a longer visit to the surface and for all the guardians and for weapon’s training. She had known that Venus spent a decent amount of time on earth since she had to constantly fetch the princess when she visited on her own. That Venus had spoken to Kunzite for more than a word or two was as much of a surprise as the suggestion of a fib to her mom about where they were all going (not the earth of course!).

For a few moments the princess had thought that there was something scandalous and sexy was going on, like her clandestine teleports to Endymion but then there had been nothing but a few days of nothing but sword drills in the less-than-grand (but no less impressive) estate of Kunzite.

They had been the most agonizing three days of Serenity’s pampered life and the agony had everything to do with a serious lack of Endymion. She had kept up with the drills and the calisthenics easily even after finding out how much of a meanie Kunzite was when he was playing sensei.

“I will not spar with you in that...” Kunzite seemed to fish for a suitable word and eventually gave up. “Go and change into one of the gi you were supplied with.  I will wait.”

“Aw,” Sailor Moon frowned and Kunzite watched in surprise as her fuku changed with a shimmer into the gi the senshi and princess’ quarters had been supplied with. They were made of a sturdy crème canvas, both jacket and pants tailored for each girl.

“The others are not wearing that nonsense are they?”

“Nonsense?”

Serenity glanced up to see the senshi had finally caught up. “He doesn’t like the fuku.”

Oh no, he loves the fuku, trust me, Venus didn’t let the small frown of disapproval slip as she mentally protested. “If I’d have known you were going to take off your armor I wouldn’t have let you leave without us,” Venus chastised.

“Armor?”

“Yes,” Venus turned blue eyes on her favorite shitennou but didn’t skimp on the haughty demeanor.

If there was one thing she’d learned Kunzite didn’t do PDA. In fact, he held as much icy distain for Venus as anyone else, excluding his prince.

She was pretty pissed when she figured out his dirty earth trick. Although it turned out to be an unconscious action by the shitennou. He just had a frosty tight demeanor professionally. So frosty that to stand in any place that could be construed as “public” with Kunzite and it was easy for a girl to forget he was a closet touch fiend. It made her body yearn for any physical touch, just knowing that behind those cool eyes he was hiding an ache just as fierce. And sometimes that longing made their more innocent public interactions not-so-innocent.

And too bad for Kunzite Venus had learned how to thaw him.

“I know you of the moon are made of sterner stuff than us inferior earth-born but your bare skin cuts as deep as any does it not?” Kunzite turned to the approaching guardians each in their colorful uniforms. Kunzite had always thought them for looks, that they had real armor for battle. That they couldn’t be that reliant on their powers!

“We told you already,” Mercury efficiently handed out the wooden bokken, noticing with a small pause to heft one in her hand that the practice swords were considerably heavier than the swords they’d started with three days ago (which had been heavy in comparison to their weightless natural senshi weapons).

“That you have rapid healing and tougher skin...” Kunzite nodded his gaze following Venus as she started toward the other side of the room, giving herself space to stretch and warm-up with her sword as per routine, breaking a rule using the sparring area for anything but what it was named for. “Venus-sama?”

“Sure do,” Venus agreed with his assessment, making sure the girls all started their warm-ups along the edge of the sparring area. Serenity was trying to retie one of her pigtails and Venus let her screw around because if she didn’t get that mane tamed there would be no sword-anything today. “I could also kick your ass with these sexy “vulnerable” legs before you could get in close to slice them.”

That earned her a chuckle from the girls as they each clustered around the flustered Serenity, who was starting to get tangled in her loose hair. Venus made sure to stay aware of Kunzite’s proximity as she did a stretch toward the ceiling, like the one she did when she first woke up in the morning.

“In those shoes?”

“Hell yes, Kunzite-sama,” Venus let her eyes meet his a moment before she rested the slightly curved bokken over her shoulders so she could stretch her arms over it.

Venus knew just how much the man loved the wicked orange heels so made sure her grin reflected that as she moved her eyes back to a random spot on the wall as if concerned with her stretching only, maybe even unaware of his movements. With her arms curled over the length of wood resting across her shoulders she leaned over to stretch her back.

“I don’t believe you.”

“Isn’t that just too bad?” Venus teased waiting until he was watching before bending over to stretch her hamstrings. She easily followed Kunzite’s progress over the tatami mats with her ears as he moved closer and around the back to get a better view of her ass in her skirt.

At least that’s what she thought he was up to until she heard the unmistakable sound of his sword being drawn. “Why don’t you show me Venus-sama?”

Instead of showing any signs of weakness Venus made sure to stretch down far enough to flatten her palms to the floor, lowering her head to peer back up at him through her legs. “But Sensei I don’t have a weapon to counter your scary sword,” She lowered her voice so it would be unintelligible over the distance through all that golden hair, even to the senshi’s senses.

Kunzite’s gaze flickered to the other senshi, each occupied with their own stretch routines, the only requirement to incorporate their weighed training swords. “I will not train you in such ill-suited attire...I believe I’ve shown you what it’s good for.”

Venus saw the swing of Kunzite’s sword in time to duck her head and roll away. She was too busy rolling to her feet and spinning to acknowledge the small cut he managed to land on her calf instead of the hamstring he was aiming for.

Blue eyes met grey, both aware of nothing but each other. Intimate but not sexual. Not yet.

The other senshi went still, each still in the act of stretching but--as always--ready to reconsider an outsider’s attack. Serenity was still struggling with her hair instead of stretching and was still distracted by it when Kunzite lifted his very real sword.

“Is that it?” Kunzite’s voice lowered, both in volume and timber. “Are those the moves you boast of?”

“Try again while I’m not distracted cheater,” Venus stuck her tongue out at her lover as his fingers tightened on his sword hilt until his knuckles were white.

Again his voice came out in a rumbling purr that succeeded in reaching her ears alone. Well her ears and other places of her anatomy. “I would much rather punish you for your impertinence in bed woman.”

Ignoring the trickle of blood tickling down the back of her calf Venus couldn’t do the same with that voice, nor the fantasy that flashed through her head at the voice’s suggestive words. The glow of lust must have been obvious, or the bastard was expecting it because he chuckled low, a knowing smile curving his sexy lips. “You wanted to spar today, grab a practice sword and I’ll show you what defeat looks like.”

“Che, practice sword,” Was the only warning she received before he lunged.

The only thing she had time for was a girlie (and dead sexy) pirouette out of the way. “Then give me a sword!”

“Venus-sama...” Kunzite danced a few steps back and relaxed his stance, although he kept his sword at the ready. “You can’t expect me to give an untrained child like you a real blade.”

“I’m not some whelp off the street,” Venus felt her ire rise even if she still wanted to rip the black gi off of the pale-haired man with her bare hands. “I know weaponry, swords and daggers included, and I know how to fight.  And all in these heels.” She made sure to let her leg drag, pointing her toe so she could show off the orange heel and her leg teasing Kunzite and his blade.

Kunzite turned and his blade swung out making the move look casual and Venus barely curled her leg back out of the swordpoint’s arc. As he swung the blade toward her again she stepped back a few quick paces, and that itself was graceful in such tall heels. He knew she was a graceful warrior, had seen her go through katas in the handful of mornings they’d had together, had seen her show off her powers.

She had made the move for her waist casual enough to take Kunzite unawares but he easily recognized the golden chain of light as it flashed toward his face and was able to react appropriately. Unfortunately he had only seen the weapon and not fought against it--nor the fair-haired warrioress in a serious fight--so even though he was fast enough to block the Love Me Chain he didn’t anticipate the force causing her weapon to wrap several times around his.

“Guess I’ll just fend for myself?”

“I ask for swordsmanship that inspires poetry and you give me a whip?” Kunzite’s eyes widened momentarily as Venus surprised him with not only a sudden tug but also the strength in the petite gloved hand behind said move.

He tried his best to keep his distance from her irresistible curves when others were present, and for good reason. She was a sweet acid that ate clean through his control, she made him useless. Even with a sword.

The one currently in his hand anyway.

Their twisted weapons kept them from crashing together but there was no helping the skyrocketing sexual tension, as their legs brushed.

“A weapon is a weapon.” Venus let a slow wicked grin curl her lips as she whispered, “Even if you don’t understand and master it. The girls and I have weapons even the great Kunzite-sama is weak to.”

“Woman...”

Venus couldn’t suppress a shiver at the deep rumbling warning in that single word and she knew Kunzite felt it but he said nothing. After tugging a few moments at their interlocked weapons Venus managed to step up onto his thigh so she could push off of it and separate them. The whip made a painful grating noise as it reluctantly released the sword and soon they had a good four feet of space between them again.

It was about that time the princess managed to waylay her hair with both Mercury and Jupiter’s help. She was pretty quick to feel the heavy tension of the other guardians and that in combination with the sight of real weapons clashing was enough to send even the most-times oblivious Serenity pushing the senshi aside to start for the sparring mat.

It was Mars that caught the headstrong princess before she could set foot on a sparring mat without a weapon, a rule that had been stated the moment it had been introduced to the naive blond. “Kunzite-sama?” Serenity called her voice already sick with worry as her blue eyes darted from the back of the pale-haired shitennou to Venus’ near identical eyes as they darted toward the sound of her princess’ trembling shout.

“Serenity don’t worry, I’m just showing Kunzite-sama he chose the wrong senshi to challenge to a swordfight,” Venus gave twirl of her wrist, the chain in her hand spinning in a glinting circle.

“We’re here to learn swordplay,” Mars reminded her leader.

“No, you are, I know a fair bit already,” Venus murmured surprising her long-time friends. “It just kind of happened.”

Kunzite missed the collective exchange as the senshi shared knowing looks at the blonde’s words. Each of them had their own special weapon, a type that came intuitively, with their senshi powers; they had all thought Venus’ had ended with the whip. It made each of them wonder why they were learning swords from an earth-born, one most of the senshi only half-trusted.

“Venus-sama?” Kunzite’s rumbling voice did the trick and he caught her sharp blue eyes as they came to meet his. She swung her arm forward and caught the other end in her hand, the momentum wrapping the last foot of chain around her gloved fingers.

“Yes?” She murmured, concentrating on her weapon as she lowered her arms and stretched it out in front of her, hands shoulder-width apart.

“What are you up to?”

“Showing you that swordsmanship you mentioned wanting to see,” She focused her attention on the golden chain spanning between her fists her lips slipping over words to invoke it into a different unaccustomed shape, “Venus Wink Chain Sword.”

Understanding that the invocation might mean something he couldn’t handle--being unknown--Kunzite lunged. He was taken by surprise as a bright flash of yellow light arched across the space between her hands, crackling across the golden chain as if she were going to inflict a charge of ki like he’d seen her do on occasion. She didn’t seem worried, didn’t even step back as he came at her and as his sword came down on her without hesitation she angled the chain in her hands so that it easily blocked his blow.

Grey eyes darted to the gleam of gold between her hands and was surprised to see that she had solidified the golden light to strengthen her chain. Although smaller, the senshi leader had no problem getting good enough footing--even in heels--and not only countered the sword swing, but pushed back hard enough to send Kunzite stumbling back.

The fight hadn’t been nearly taxing enough for him to feel this pumped up. Kunzite could feel his heart pounding in his chest in a racing rhythm, making him tingle in anticipation as he quickly caught his balance and moved back in for another attempt.

Venus’ arm swung out, only holding one end of her reinforced chain catching her lover by surprise again as the weapon knocked his aside with no trouble as he thrust toward her. Then Kunzite saw what she had done, combining ki and weapon to make a solid sword.

Venus had never told him a senshi’s powers came to them naturally, be it their ability to manipulate ki or the effortless proficiency over the coincidental shape some of their attacks shared with more mundane weapons, a whip and sword in her case. She was sure that omission was why Kunzite seemed pleased rather than dismayed by her surprise attack. He didn’t know yet how hard she could beat his hide.

“You look smug Kunzite-sama,” Venus moved a few steps closer, exchanging blocks and swings with the earth-born warrior.

“Why didn’t you tell me you had a sword?”

Thinking he’d figured her out already--Venus could see it in his face, like other enemies he underestimated her--Kunzite pushed forward as their blades locked. They slid together with hardly a sound until the hilt of his sword came into contact with her hand guard (only a few lengths of chain and ki wrapped around her knuckles).

She showed no discomfort as his weight came behind the blow. She dug her heels into the spar mat and used a two-handed type of grip to push back with equal force to match him.

Kunzite knew his woman was strong. He had seen the people of the moon fight; fought his fair share of their more ignorant riff-raff. He thought of them as different--even Venus--but he didn’t yet know just how much Venus could show him.

Already he feared she was stronger. Those delicate muscles that showed in slim bulges along her limbs were deceptive. She looked fierce in her fuku but still very female.

He’d only seen her as a princess once and it had been the night he’d found himself in love with the enemy.

Yes “enemy” even if he had one in his bed, where he slept a trusting slumber curled in those silken strong limbs. Like being tangled in spider silk all soft but strong as steel.

The earth could only trust the earth, not the ones that had been their self-appointed “caretakers” peeping from their view on the moon. Not even the love he had for this woman could diminish that ideal in his head.

Kunzite gave the woman her space, noticing her chest heaving as she tried to slowly breathe but could only manage a pant. “Are you all right?”

“Fine. Of course,” Venus stepped forward to attack; he blocked then countered but she did a block of her own. She used their locked weapons to twist his sword flat between them so that when she stepped into his space and her body sandwiched his sword to his chest, he wasn’t cut. Before he could gain his freedom Venus showed him the advantage to her multi-shape weapon by slipping it free of the jumble of their sword-arms.

Thinking she had just naively spared him a cut--and thereby a point in this silly-yet-serious game--Kunzite was surprised when her arm swung around to score with her Love Me Chain. Kunzite removed a hand from his trapped sword to throw up in defense but where the move would have earned him a wound and stopped a sword the end of the whip instead curled around his arm and lashed out for his face

A grimace contorted his face as the tip of Venus’ weapon cut into his face, just below his eye and continued to wrap around his forearm. As their bodies pressed together--tighter than an embrace--Kunzite’s eyes searched his lover’s beautiful face, from the wicked grin on her lips to the laughter in her vivid blue eyes.

“Stop it!”

Serenity’s trembling shout was like a rock through the fragile shell encasing the two in their own little world. Venus knew that Serenity hated to see people argue, worse yet for it to escalate to physicality; she was a gentle soul through and through. It would obviously be even worse if she should personally know the people involved, one her beloved’s ally and trusted friend the other her ally and trusted friend.

Even knowing this it still surprised Venus--who was still in shock over the complete cocoon she had put herself in mentally--when the docile princess captured her arm to pull them apart. “Mina please calm down!”

Venus gently disengaged from Kunzite to turn and face Serenity, noticed the gossiping senshi some feet behind her and her eyes widened as she realized just how oblivious she had become. She thought over the quick strategy she had been moments from putting into action, using elements of both swordplay and womanly seduction. In front of the others. “Sumimasen!”

A delicate snarl curled Kunzite’s lip and Serenity felt a small pang of satisfaction when the expression served to remind him of the fresh cut on his face.

Painfully.

Serves him right for starting a fight like a bully, Serenity thought. “Don’t apologize, just stop!” Serenity shook her head and moved to take her guardian’s hand trying to ease the tight grip of Venus’s fingers wrapped in a few lengths of her Love Me Chain. “I think you have both proven your points.”

“But--” Kunzite started to protest.

“I don’t want fighting,” Serenity tried to keep her face smooth but a frown marred her brow. “Please, no fighting between us.”

“Hai,” Venus put away her weapon even as Kunzite lifted his. “I’m done for today,” Venus said in a hushed whisper as she lifted her eyes from the gleam of her jeweled belt to see the resolve in her lover’s gaze. Her heart skipped a beat in excitement as she saw the gleam of battle in his silver eyes.

“You are done when I say you are--"

“Kunzite-sama?” Serenity put a question of his sanity in her voice. “Today’s lesson is over.”

“Aw don’t be a baka,” An annoyed voice grumbled, Mars.

A blush hit Venus’s face and blazed on her skin. Damn I totally lost it! She cursed mentally as she looked over at the other senshi waiting nearby all now silent and observant. After only a moment of Mars’ quizzical look Venus gave a stiff bow of her head in general to the room’s occupants before making a hasty exit, eyes locked to the floor.

Mars snickered as she shook her head in disbelief and swung the bokken in her hand like a baton. “You know if you were acting like a true sensei you’d meet us as equals.”

“How would that help at all?” Kunzite shook his head as his eyes stared in outraged disbelief after the blond.

It wasn’t that she had the audacity to cut his face--his face!--but that she could bring him to a state of such madness that he had been scant moments from using her own whip to tie her to one of the support posts scattered through the room, and reminding her she liked being at his mercy--to bring him to such a frenzy and then leave! His barely contained arousal ached as his blood sang out for him to follow and continue his battle, show her his superiority.

Although he didn’t show it Kunzite was grateful for the distracting upward crawl of Mars’ eerie power, in preparation to counter his real sword like her leader just had. “You’re the one using a real sword.”

“You should realize the importance of a melee weapon,” Mercury murmured, her bokken held casually point down.

Kunzite had recognized her stance day one. Fencer. The blue-haired girl had been taught well if her stance and drills were any indication, but he wasn’t using foils. They all had the ability to learn more weaponry, but they were heavily reliant on the senshi powers. Some of the enemies Endymion’s forces had met had eaten ki-based attacks like a midday snack.

When that failed them Venus hoped the shitennou’s sword mastery would shore up the girls’ chances. At least that was the half-truth Venus has foisted on him a few weeks ago. Ironically they hadn’t had a single moment to themselves since the start of this training exercise so Kunzite had yet to press her for the other half of her reasoning.

“Are you girls done talking?” Kunzite asked, noticing for the first time that Mars wore heels as well, although hers weren’t as tall. “Mars-sama your shoes.” The sight of them brought back the slightly more wicked orange heels of his lover. Kunzite had to admit their effectiveness as a distraction, most of the fight he had fought off images of other times she’d worn the shoes and nothing else. His imaginings had wreaked havoc on any of his attempts to calm his heartbeat while sparring earlier and he wasn’t pleased to notice that now more than ten minutes after the scant minute of swordplay it was still thudding in his chest.

Honestly he had been tempted this morning to let them try sparring in their fuku, to show the senshi their uniforms’ weakness. Then Venus had gone on about shoes that had no place on a warrior.

Fucking women.

No, Kunzite shook his head mentally. Fucking obstinate Minako. Just my woman, he corrected as Mars stepped out of her high heels at his words.

Mars didn’t argue she wanted to learn something. This would only make her more agile, as warrior and in life. “Oh, and the skirt?” Mars started moving closer, enough that Kunzite lifted his sword defensively and she mirrored the move with her bokken. “Doesn’t just look good, it’s a strategic weapon,” She was careful to catch the flat of his blade with hers; giving it a few light knocks. Serenity had tried it in a teasing manner without thinking first and her bokken had gotten cut right in half.

“It had better be a damn good weapon for the lapse in defensive armor,” Kunzite watched her roll her eyes.

Mars gave a small bow to Kunzite, her sword still raised defensively even when he returned the bow instead of swinging at her neck. As they both turned to bow to the other senshi Serenity gave an exasperated groan and lowered to sit, finally starting her daily stretch routine.

Kunzite made sure Mars had taken the damn shoes off before coming onto the sparring mat and caught her mid bow. With just a glance he could tell Venus’ skirt was cut even shorter... He hadn’t realized his folly until the tip of Mars’ bokken tapped his cheek just below the cut of Venus’ earlier attack.

“Che, Kunzite-kun,” Mars chuckled as his eyes shot from her ass to her wicked dark eyes. For a moment Kunzite’s heart stuttered at the idea that Mars had misinterpreted his stare as lecherous. “That was almost child’s play...” Came whispered, only for him and his heartbeat stalled again thinking she couldn’t misunderstand because she knows our secret it was all there in the gleam in her eyes.

Kunzite cursed and brought his sword up as he stepped away, swatting her bokken away with a dull thwack! “You have proven your point.”

“Then go tell that to Mina,” Jupiter grumbled, tugging her ponytail tighter with both hands, bokken propped up on the toe of her (high heeled) boot and braced high enough on her thigh to disappear up the skirt of the fuku so popular a topic this sword lesson. “I’d rather learn without having to worry about scars.”

“How shameful to get a lasting wound from a practice spar,” Kunzite kept his gaze on Mars, who was innocently swaying her hips causing her short skirt to swish back and forth, still holding her bokken ready to defend. Always on guard while in the sparring area.

“Maybe Makoto and I could work on the basics so as to make the most of your time Kunzite-sensei?” Mercury suggested her sword still positioned like she was ready to go en garde at any moment.

“If you get Mina back here we’ll each have a partner, taking your rather sharp sword out of the equation,” Jupiter purred and Kunzite lowered the point of his sword.

“No fun!” Mars grumbled and went back to retrieve her heels when it looked like she wouldn’t get an erotic sword fight with Kunzite. Must be Mina...

Damn blond enchantress! “I expect progress when we convene tomorrow,” Kunzite grudgingly caved.

“Same time, hai!” Jupiter clapped her hands together before bowing over them.

Kunzite waited until Mars stepped out of the sparring ring before sheathing his sword. “Shore up each other’s weaknesses today,” He instructed before making a decisive move toward the exit Venus had used.

The moment he moved within range of Mercury he drew with lightning speed and around him each façade of practiced aloof loitering became stanced for battle. The block Mercury managed in her split second--excellent reflexes--unfortunately showed the weakness of her form. The delicate wrist flicks that served to guide away a weaker fencing foil wouldn’t hold his heavy sword for long.

“Tsk, tsk Kunzite,” The flat end of Jupiter’s bokken tapped that same spot Mars had, right under the cut Venus had inflicted. Kunzite sighed and reined his temper in at the deliberate bait of both senshi.

With just a tiny move of his head Kunzite saw Mars. She had knelt to put on her shoes but had only managed to get one on, her bokken poised to back up her hand, which was thrust in front of her, fingers splayed, palm outward, ki crackling and snapping like an invisible bonfire.

“I include you in this Serenity-hime,” Kunzite caught the princess’ bright blue gaze, surprised to see her on her feet, bokken abandoned on the floor. The pacifist princess was however standing with fists clenched like she knew how to use them.

Along with looking like she was ready to throw a knock out punch the princess seemed anxiously concerned. Kunzite figured it was her usual reaction to violence, and he for once wished for the smile he’d once thought insipid because maybe...maybe these moon children weren’t so naive...

Best to get this over with.

Kunzite stepped back and put his sword away before sizing up the scantly-clad girls with a quick sweep of his eyes. Tiny fuku aside, to forget these women were guardians--even Serenity innately as a moon-born--would be death.

Trying to hide his surprise Kunzite left the building quickly turning his focus on finding Venus. Instead of distracting him, his knew mindset for the senshi colored his lover in a light he’d never truly seen her under before. A warrior, a soldier.

Even if the proof of her attitude regarding the seriousness of their swordplay showed clearly on his cheek, Kunzite knew Venus had held back. He hadn’t known of her skill--hell it was a secret Venus had kept with only herself until today--but he was shitennou enough to see and feel the power in her sword.

With the new mindset Kunzite made his way to his lover’s quarters. Being the second most frequent moon-born to visit earth Venus had her own suite unknown by any other moon-born, even Serenity, the planet’s most frequent guest. The Moon Princess had her own suite of rooms at the palace in Elysion however; a tones throw from Endymion’s for propriety’s sake.

There was no way he could let things stand this way between them, it was more painful to his pride than the cut she had inflicted on his face, that the wound might have been done with no effort. He had to find his tiny warrior to pay her back for molesting him during their swordfight by taking care of the arousal she had incited, still burning very hot inside. She would answer his questions before he was done with her. And then?

Rematch!

Of course.