I don't own Sailor Moon! Sorry, but I'll only forget if I don't do it now.

So, hi, everyone. I'm trying to find the inspiration for The Gig – and it will come, I'm around halfway through the next chapter – but in the meantime, watching Sailor Moon S has got me wanting to include the Outers in a story for once – now I know firsthand what they're like. And they're awesome. So as I suffer through SuperS without them (though the emergence of Usagi the Ninja was particularly entertaining), I intend to vent with something darker than my previous efforts.

Rated T for drama, sex, and probably language. Mature stuff. Obviously. And I don't think I'm being too cautious.

Alors…

IMPORTANT INFORMATION (for your reading pleasure)

SUMMARY:

Why does all the drama happen at once? Rei and Minako's half-relationship is at stake when Rei's father thinks it will put his reputation as a politician in jeopardy – and he's willing to kill by proxy for it! Meanwhile, Ami doesn't seem herself and keeps disappearing – can Makoto find out what's wrong as she battles her own unrequited feelings for the coy genius? At the same time, Mamoru's proposal attempts are thwarted when Haruka gets the same idea for Michiru, and at any rate Usagi is having meltdowns at the prospect of Chibi-Usa and Hotaru becoming an item! Can everyone work things out in time? And who is Setsuna crushing over? Shoujo-ai!

PAIRINGS

Rei/Minako, Ami/Makoto, Haruka/Michiru, Hotaru/Chibi-Usa, Mamoru/Usagi, Minako/Setsuna, Rei/Usagi

AGES

Okay, I'm working on the assumption that Chibi-Usa turned nine at some point during S, so I'm going with a four-year age-gap between her and Hotaru, and so on. Also, not sure about Setsuna's age in the series (even Wiki doesn't know!) but I'll go with 20. If you can correct me on that, I'd be grateful for the information.

So, in the story…

Chibi-Usa: 14
Hotaru: 18
Inners (Usa, Rei, Mina, Mako, Ami): 20
Haruka and Michiru: 21
Setsuna: 25

Floodgates: Prologue

Denim slipped over smooth skin. She watched as Aino Minako stood, sliding her jeans up onto her hips; covering parts of her which minutes earlier Rei knew had been hers.

This wasn't love. This was something far less painful.

Burning violet eyes met sultry blue. As the heat built between them, and the miko's eyes flicked longingly from the luxury of those bubble-bath orbs to the skin beneath the hot pink blouse falling off her shoulder, she recalled again how they had gotten here.

It had begun just over two months ago, one fateful evening when Minako was returning home to the shrine. The year before, she had been kicked out of halls at university to make way for the freshmen. Her parents having moved to France, Rei had offered her a room in exchange for help around the jinja.

Upon her arrival, she had discovered in the sunset glow that none of the chores had been done. Naturally concerned for her stickler-for-rules 'employer', Minako had quietly opened the sliding door to Rei's room to find her lying on her bed, hands behind her head, staring hard at the ceiling. Used to her best friend's many funks, Minako had once again resisted her natural instinct to ask what was wrong and already resolved to leave her to it, when the psychic spoke up without looking in her direction.

"Mamoru came over."

The blonde was curious, but still hesitated for a moment before entering the room fully. She walked slowly towards the bed, perching nervously on the edge. As Rei's roommate, she was used to be caught in the crossfire of moods like this.

She eventually found the courage to bring her gaze to meet the miko's, only to feel indignant that Mars was still looking at the ceiling. Minako was on the verge of checking if there really was something more interesting than her face up there, but somehow restrained her normal comedic habits. But this urge fell completely with what Rei said next:

"He's going to propose."

Minako unwillingly felt the shock jar her system; the tears spring to her eyes. They had always confided in each other over everything; and their mutual love of Usagi had been a more difficult confession. They had both felt the desire from the day they met her, and these feelings had only deepened with time, surpassing friendship and devotion to ultimately result in negative responses at their princess' utmost joy.

It was a foolish reaction for them both, of course – they had met Chibi-Usa, they knew of the Silver Millennium and of Crystal Tokyo; so why did this current event suddenly make the facts all the more painful?

Rei's face contorted in bitterness. "He wanted our advice on what ring to get."

When those fierce violet eyes finally met hers, she saw that they too glistened with tears – angry where Minako's were sad.

Ever avoidant of revealing her emotions in public, however, Rei sat up and evaded Minako's gaze once again. Telling her all of this was just another attempt to ease the hurt that hadn't worked. The exchange had proven itself meaningful only to the point of having the Senshi of Love share her pain.

In her turmoil, however, she failed to notice her kimono had been pulled open slightly from her shifted weight, revealing a patch of bare collarbone. To Minako's shame – to the insult of her unrequited love – she did. She watched the miko's chest shudder as she fought back sobs, and it filled her with another, different need.

Gently, she leant over to cover Rei's shoulder. The sensation of those delicate fingers moving against her flesh sent a shock through Mars as well, and she met that soft blue gaze one more time – for this time, she would find herself unable to pull away from it.

Simultaneously, they felt themselves moving forward tentatively, watching each others' full lips get closer to their own.

Then something seemed to snap.

Venus leapt into Mars' waiting arms, forcing their lips together as her hands began to stray beneath the brunette's kimono far less innocently than before. Rei fought her the way she did everything else – by giving as good as she got. Hurriedly, she slipped her hands under the blonde's tank top, and the other girl's arms rose compliantly for her to remove it.

Soon Minako's bare back crash-landed on Rei's mattress. Mars winded her as she fell on top of her, and Venus barely had time to take in more air before the miko's tongue forced access to her mouth, hot breathing smothering her senses.

When they awoke the next morning, their feet caught in the tangled sheets and their skin clammy from sweat, it took no words. One look told them that this would happen again. And why fight it? They had the trust, the living arrangement, and the sex drive to boot… it was beyond a perfect arrangement.

And so, as Minako followed Rei into the shower, it was sealed with bites on shoulders under the rhythm of thundering pulses. Love whoever you want, but ultimately, you are mine. Under this roof; under the surface, you are always mine.

So what had drawn her to the Senshi of Love that night? Maybe it was still those captivating eyes – that look she had as she draped herself over Rei's bed, and illuminated the otherwise modest décor so as to become the only object of importance within it. That deep nymph-like stare revealed maturity beneath the obliviousness; heat beneath those fleeting school-girl fixations.

They showed that Sailor Venus was not a stick of rock candy that was sweet all the way through. In some respects, she was as tormented as the miko herself, but put up an almost admirable façade of naivety that Rei hadn't the strength to uphold. Maybe, therefore, that siren's lyrical voice, one which called to her, begged to be tainted again, relieved Rei of blame – compromised her fear of stripping innocence from everything she touched. After all, she knew all too well that loss followed her everywhere, and so the need to keep out innocent souls had overridden her desire to not be lonely.

In this way, maybe that was the attraction for Minako. When someone didn't seem to wear their heart on their sleeve, it made their emotions all the more real when they finally did appear. As a stoic miko with high defences, and a tongue and glare that could cause the same unnecessary devastation as a nuke in a swordfight, Rei was the safest bet Minako had when it came to not getting hurt again.

Of course, there was admittedly a second, darker motive behind Minako's ideal. After all, a Shinto priestess and a Catholic schoolgirl? The amount of passion held back by her pride and inhibitions was something she had always been eager to discover, albeit she hadn't fully realised it until that night. Moreover, she was the ultimate challenge – ironically when compared with Rei's self-assessment, Minako believed that she was the purest person in the world. The very thought of the hardened Fire Senshi tumbling her own fortress, of relinquishing control, all for her, made Minako shiver with the power rush.

In her daze of reminisce, she was caught off-guard when Rei grabbed her shoulders, slamming her back into the wall and kissing her hard.

No, this wasn't love. They were… she tried to phrase it more delicately than Rei did, but eventually resigned to her turn of phrase. 'Fuck-buddies'. They were each other's emotional release, with no strings attached. A perfect arrangement for the Warriors of Love and Passion; both of whom should have known better than anyone.

The casual nature of the arrangement, therefore, was certainly no reason to alert the others – why cause upheaval for a bit of fun? Besides, the stolen moments and whispered dirty talk; the danger, the secrets, the sweetly agonising waiting game whenever they weren't alone – they were the best parts of all this.

And as a smirking Rei tore the heated touch away and headed out the door, with a flustered and horny Minako in tow, the lies were about to start all over again.

Opinions? R&R! Sayonara!