NEW CHAPTER! It's about time, isn't it? I know, I'm a bad
person...I'm sorry! It'll never happen again...I hope! 
Anyway, it's here - so read it and love it. Email me and
tell me what you think, or go to Fanfiction.net and post
a review. I appreciate feedback!!!
Ciao!

*	*	*


	"Don't we need to check in?" Minako asked as they 
passed by the reception desk at the Crystal Palace. Kunzite 
still had his arm linked around her waist as he led her 
towards the back of the lobby, staying characteristically 
silent, leaving her to peer questioningly over her shoulder at 
the receptionist.
	"Guess not," she muttered, and rolled her eyes.
	The casino was surprisingly alive for three in the 
morning. A group of tired-looking senior citizens in Crystal 
Palace t-shirts and sequined hats were already waiting for 
an elevator when Kunzite and Minako approached, and 
Minako smiled politely at them as she and Kunzite took their 
place next to them. Some looked painfully disappointed, 
while others were beaming with weary excitement. The 
elevator arrived and a freshly painted group of women glided 
out, money burning in their designer purses as they headed 
off, presumably, to the tables. The scent of Chanel No. 5 and 
Estee Lauder's Beautiful mixed with Fuzzy Navels lingered 
in their wake as their high heels clicked farther away.
	Minako moved to enter the perfume-laden elevator 
with the exhausted gamblers, but Kunzite grabbed her arm. 
	"We'll wait," he said as she turned to look at him.
	"Okay, whatever," Minako complied, growing too tired 
to object or question. 
	"You're lucky you're so cute," she grumbled with mock 
annoyance as she resumed her place by his side, signaling 
to the gamblers that they could let the doors close. 
"Otherwise, I wouldn't take this crap from you."
	"We're trying to avoid crowds," he returned seriously. 
	Minako rolled her eyes again, and said nothing.	
	The next elevator arrived a couple silent seconds 
later, and Minako waited for Kunzite to enter first this time. 
He did, and she followed. He pressed the button for the 
second floor and leaned back against the wall, closing his 
eyes as he crossed his hands across his chest. Minako 
yawned, leaned against the gold mirrored wall and waited for 
the doors to close and the elevator to begin its ascent. As 
she waited, she noticed how posh the elevator, and the hotel 
in general, was. Rich blue carpet, so soft it looked like velvet, 
covered the floor, and the walls were lined in not only the 
gold mirrors, but a handrail of carved blue glass. It twisted 
and spiraled around the elevator's three sides before 
snaking up next to the door to the ceiling. The ceiling was a 
dome shaped spiral of what looked like gold, accented with 
sparkling pieces of glass, cut to resemble real crystals. It 
accented the décor in the lobby and, as well as Minako could 
assume, the rest of the casino.
	Minako cut out of her thoughts when the doors slid 
shut and the elevator lurched into motion. She glanced over 
to her companion, who was still leaning comfortably on the 
wall, duffel bag resting next to his feet. 
	"Tired?" she asked.
	"You bet," he replied quietly. "I've been awake far too 
long."
	"Me too. Actually, I haven't technically been awake all 
that long, but I was woken from sleep I really needed – 
anyway, are we going to a room?" Minako pried hopefully.
	"We're going to go say hello to Zane first, and he'll 
hook us up."
	"Will he be awake?"
	"Normally, no, but tonight…I think we're all still 
awake."
	-Whoever all of us are,- Minako thought idly.
	"Okay," she said simply. It wasn't worth the fight this 
time, after all, he promised he would explain it. The elevator 
slowed to a smooth halt.
	"After you," Kunzite said as he hauled his bag back up 
to his shoulder. Minako quietly exited.
	-I hope this doesn't take long,- she thought with 
another yawn as they walked down a long, blue carpeted 
hallway. Kunzite was a few paces ahead of her.
	-Maybe I'll get him to explain this to me tomorrow. I'm 
getting really tired, and so is he. That's a good idea,- she 
thought, -I'll tell him to wait till tomorrow.-
	Minako hadn't been paying attention to where they 
were going until she bumped into Kunzite's side. Her ribs 
jarred painfully.
	"Oh!" she exclaimed quietly, "Guess this is our stop."
	He just smiled softly at her and opened the door they 
had stopped in front of.
	The lighting was dim in the unfamiliar room, and 
Minako's eyes hadn't even had a chance to adjust when she 
felt Kunzite's hand grab her wrist and pull her across the 
room with him. As they approached a door on the opposite 
wall, her eyes pulled a desk into focus, along with a few 
chairs and low tables. In her exhausted state, she barely had 
time to recognize it as a waiting room before Kunzite was 
entering the next door. He pushed it open without knocking.
	The room appeared to be a study and office rolled 
into one, with bookshelves lining the walls and a massive 
desk in the middle. Plush leather chairs sat in front of the 
desk, flanked on their outer sides by end tables, on which 
sat various books and small sculptures. A section of shelving 
was removed on the wall to Minako's right to make room for 
a well stocked dry bar. 
	The only source of light came from the moon 
streaming through a floor to ceiling bay window behind the 
desk. The view was mostly hidden by a sheer, sweeping 
curtain, but enough light came through to silhouette what 
looked to Minako like a fat monster. A fat, moaning monster. 
-Or maybe not-, Minako thought as she shimmied closer to 
Kunzite's back, -Marlon Brando?-
	"Hey Kei," the moaning monster said.
	-Oh, nope,- Minako realized, -It's Zoicite. And…who? 
Or what?-
	"Who's your hooker?" Zoicite asked.
	-Who, me?- Minako thought after a moment. Kunzite 
was glancing her way, so she supposed it was directed at 
her.
	"Hey!" Minako exclaimed, "I'm not a hooker!" –Not 
twice in one night!-
	At this point, the other half of the moaning creature 
perked up. Minako saw the moon catch a flash of blue from 
its noticeably short head.
	"Minako?" the person asked. "Is that you?"
	"…Miss Mizuno?" Minako replied, unsure. -Here we 
go again,- she thought, -Ami's working on a civil case for the 
casino, I think, but uh – last I checked, lawyers didn't have to 
get that friendly with their clients.-
	"Oh, it's Minako?" Zoicite apologized, finally 
separating from his embrace with the blue haired woman, 
the moonlight reflecting off his boyish features. "Figured 
you'd be dead by now. Sorry…"
	"Don't worry about it," Minako assured him 
sarcastically. "Miss Mizuno, weren't you leaving for Mexico 
today? What are you doing here?"
	"Good question, Zane," Kunzite chipped in, 
annoyance dripping off his tone. "What IS she doing here?"
	At this point, Ami was readjusting herself within her 
business suit, and Zoicite was trying to smooth his hair. He 
looked up and adjusted his thin wire glasses before 
answering.	
	"What do you think she's doing here, Kei?" he asked, 
his voice a bit chagrined. "She's got to know about what 
happened tonight, too, don't you think?"
	-Is that how you inform people of things? By making 
out with them?- Minako wondered sarcastically.
	"It's dangerous for her to be here. What if Usagi finds 
her gone?" Kunzite shot back.
	"Minako said it herself - Usagi thinks she left for 
Cancun today for a Christmas vacation."
	"Right, and if she tries to get a hold of her? How is 
she going to explain her cell phone being tracked to right 
here? Are you both mad?" Kunzite asked. The only 
indication he gave of being angered in the least was the 
slight tinge that lingered on the edge of his words, a quiet 
note of aggravation underneath his baritone voice.
	"Listen, I'm leaving tomorrow, Kunzite," Ami asserted. 
"Usagi can't track me by phone, because I already sent it, 
along with my baggage, to Cancun. I'm using Zane's private 
jet first thing tomorrow morning, so I know I'm not going to 
be spotted in the airport. And before you ask, yes, it's okay 
that I'm using Zane's jet, because I'm supposed to be 
'getting closer' to him anyway, since their suit with Crown 
Industries is starting to heat up. Usagi's mainly pissed at Rei 
and Jadeite right now, anyway. I've known the woman for 
twelve years, so trust me – I'm fine."
	Kunzite didn't seem convinced. "Whatever. So neither 
of you have run into any trouble?"
	"No, I left hours before Rei made the call. There's 
nothing that connects me to the Auroure House; I'm clean," 
Zoicite stated, tapping a button on his desk that flipped the 
lights on.
	"Good," Kunzite replied, squinting despite the 
relatively soft lighting. Zoicite cut back in.
	"But we're got troubles beyond Usagi," he said slowly, 
raising an eyebrow as if to indicate that Kunzite should know 
what he was talking about.
	Kunzite tried to sigh but was cut off with a yawn. 
"What now?"
	"Did you forget? Mamoru's coming back soon."
	Kunzite's eyes snapped open wide.
	"Damn, you're right. How soon until he's back?" he 
said, halfheartedly rolling his eyes in disgust at himself.
	-For having survived this night, I think he deserves to 
forget,- Mina thought.
	"Two days," Zoicite informed him. Deftly, Zoicite's 
hand found Ami's waist and he pulled her to his side 
comfortably.
	-The Crown Industries case has been on the books 
for…2 months now,- Minako thought, -Short amount of time 
to be so well acquainted. Of course, Kunzite didn't seem 
surprised in the least to see them together, so maybe…- At 
that exact moment, however, her brain seemed to stop 
functioning. It was reading like a Magic 8-Ball, repeating over 
and over, 'Ask Again Later.' At the moment, she was more 
interested in getting somewhere to crash. Having slowly and 
unnoticeably drifted away from the other three, she now 
settled for leaning against the side of the dry bar, staring 
longingly at the bottle of Vodka that was calling her name. 
She was only half listening to the conversation between the 
gangsters she was associating with, and the they had 
stopped paying attention to her altogether.
	"Shit," Kunzite muttered, and ran a hand through his 
hair. 
	"No kidding. Is this ordeal going to be over by then?" 
Zoicite asked.
	"We can only hope," Kunzite said, "What do you think, 
Ami?"
	"I have every confidence that it will, for us, at least. 
Jade and Rei need to stay away for quite a while, though," 
she conjectured.
	"I'm calling Nephrite first thing in the morning – if he 
hasn't checked on them, he needs to," Kunzite said.
	 "Right. So are you planning on doing anything?" 
Zoicite asked.
	"Yeah. Between Minako and I, we've taken down six 
of Usagi's thugs, which, no matter what you say, Ami, I'm 
sure has pissed her off. That woman is determined to get me 
no matter what, and this whole thing Rei and Jade thing is 
just going to add insult to injury to her, because it just 
cinches that Minako's in on this. To be safe, I'm going to hop 
town before Mamoru gets here. Just to be safe; just long 
enough to let things blow over. Then we can continue as 
planned.
	Minako's ears perked up at the mention of her name, 
and she paused halfway through stuffing the bottle of Vodka 
in her purse. -Hmm, he's speaking as if we're together in 
this. Go figure,- she thought, and continued wedging the 
bottle in there. Nobody took notice.	
	Apparently she wasn't the only one who took note of 
Kunzite's comment, though.
	"Looks like you're keeping her around then," Zoicite 
said with a smirk on his face. He glanced over in Minako's 
direction right as she was zipping her purse. She darted her 
eyes up and smiled weakly. She was definitely getting tired 
of this.
	"She'll be killed if I don't. It's in her best interest, trust 
me," Kunzite defended himself. "The last thing I would need 
right now is a dead body on my hands."
	"Isn't that the truth," Zoicite agreed.
	-They speak as if they're accustomed to having things 
like that just be dropped into their care. Well…you know 
what? I don't care if they do! I…I'm just going to sleep, and 
then I can figure it all out in the morning. Yeah,- she thought, 
a resolution now in her head.
	"So can you put us up for the night?" Kunzite asked 
finally, and Minako inwardly rejoiced. 
	-Sleep!- she exclaimed.
	"Sure thing, Kei. Get some rest. You've got a day 
before you get out, you know; you may as well enjoy it. 
Show Minako around," Zoicite encouraged, opening one of 
the many drawers in his huge desk. He knelt down to 
rummage through it.
	"Call Nephrite in the morning to make sure Jade and 
Rei are good, and other than that, I think we're covered. Do 
you think we need to do anything else?" Ami asked.
	"Um…just try to clean up all the shit at the Auroure 
House before Mamoru gets back. If he doesn't ask about the 
incident, Zoi, don't offer. Ami, you'll be gone before then, and 
Minako and I will be on our way out. Sound good?" Kunzite 
asked, motioning to Minako that they were about to leave.
	-Thank god,- she thought, -I thought that was never 
going to end.-
	The bottle pulled heavily on her shoulder, and Minako 
couldn't have been happier to feel its weight under her arm.
	"Sounds like a plan. Here's a key for the roller's suite 
on the top. The one you said you liked last time you came," 
Zoicite said, handing Kunzite a laser cut key and plastic 
card, "You know, with the – anyway, here's a card for the 
elevator. I'll get someone over to the Auroure house to clean 
up what the police went through. Now you two go, get some 
sleep. I'm about to do the same myself." 
	He and Ami walked them to the door.
	"Let me know when you're ready to hit the tables 
tomorrow," Zoicite said to Kunzite, and then winked at 
Minako. "Maybe you'll bring Kei some luck."
	"If I'm lucky, I'm going to keep that to myself," she 
said mischievously, and her blonde host smiled.
	"Suit yourself, sweetheart. Enjoy your stay, you two. 
Kei, meet me in here tomorrow morning…we've got some 
things to discuss."
	"No shit, man," Kunzite replied, leading Minako away 
from the door, "I'll be down early.  Goodnight, you two."
	"Goodnight, Ami!" Minako called, allowing herself to 
be pulled from the couple. She didn't bother to say goodbye 
to Zoicite…he thought she was a hooker.
	The ascent to the suite was a silent, sleepy one. The 
adrenaline pumping through her all night had given way to 
soothing endorphins, and the quiet company she was in was 
doing nothing to aid her state. After gawking a moment at 
the massive flat they had been given access to, she allowed 
herself a few minutes to survey the place before giving 
Kunzite a shitty excuse for not wanting to hear about 
everything that was going on.
	"You know," she muttered as she pulled the stolen 
Vodka bottle out of her purse, "It's not that I don't want to 
know about all this – I do! Really, I want to know badly…but, 
can we just talk tomorrow, I mean, will you tell me in the 
morning?"
	She paused to take a swig of Smirnoff, waiting for a 
response. He smiled and cocked a pitying eyebrow.
	"Minako, go to sleep," he said simply.
	She set down the bottle. "Thank you." 
	"You can have the bed in the master bedroom, if you 
want it," Kunzite offered as she was headed over to the 
massive leather couch. She stopped and turned, mentally 
surveying her options. 
	"If you're just offering that because you feel like you 
have to, then say so now, because I'm not going to be 
generous and insist on sleeping on the couch. Speak up or 
I'm actually going to take you up on your offer," she warily 
asked him.
	"No, I don't mind," he insisted, heading over to where 
she had set the Vodka bottle. "Where'd you get this?"
	"I stole it from Zoicite," she said with a shrug. "Now 
are you sure?"
Kunzite rolled his eyes and drew out his words slowly. 
"You…can…have…the…bed. Besides, there's 
another room, anyway."
-Guess I didn't check this place out as well as I 
thought I had.-
	"Fine," she said, throwing up her hands in defeat. "I'll 
see you in the morning. You still owe me an explanation."
	He smiled and winked as he threw back the Vodka, 
shotgunning fast enough to make a Frat boy proud.
	-How can he be so sexy while chugging Smirnoff like 
John Belushi?- she wondered as she turned and walked to 
the master bedroom. Closing the door, she stripped off the 
top two layers of her clothing, landing her in a camisole top 
and her white and black lace thong. 
	-I didn't bring any extra clothes. Guess I'm stuck in 
this,- Minako thought as she flipped off the overhead light. 
She crashed in the insanely huge bed and piled the covers 
around her, breathing in the soothing scent of clean linen. In 
the silence, worrisome thoughts filled her head, making her 
toss uncomfortably in the darkness. Her diaphragm 
throbbed, sending shocks of pain to aid in her restlessness.
	-Is my apartment going to be okay?- she thought, -
Ugh…I don't even know what I'm needing to be safe from. 
This is ridiculous. And where's my car? It had better come 
out of this unscathed. For that matter, I'D better come out of 
this unscathed. I'm going to drill Kunzite tomorrow morning – 
maybe I can catch him before he goes to see Zoicite. You 
know, I don't think I like him very much. Zoicite, not Kunzite. 
Hooker, my ass. I do believe I'm starting to like Kunzite. A 
lot. He's quite the kisser…-
	Her thoughts trailed off eventually, after an 
undeterminable amount of time spent  thinking random, 
disjointed, worried thoughts. With covers thrown askew and 
her brow furrowed, she finally drifted off to sleep, the clock 
burning a steady green as it approached the three o'clock 
hour. 

	It wasn't until well after the clock had passed around 
three again that Minako finally woke up.  Four-fifteen was 
shining brightly in her eyes as she groggily opened them, 
unwrapping the covers from her neck.
	-How the…what the fuck did I do…- she thought 
disgruntledly as she dislodged herself. She sighed loudly 
and ran a hand through her hair.
	"Guess I missed him before his meeting," she 
muttered. She spent a moment adjusting to the light that was 
streaming out of the balcony windows before pulling herself 
out of bed. She drew in a sharp breath as her ribs screamed 
their disapproval of her sudden movement. Lifting her 
camisole, she examined them gently. 
	"Ouch!" she yelped as she pressed on a bright purple 
bruise. Not knowing the first thing about injuries, she simply 
gave herself a once-over, assumed the best, and moved on.	
	 After aimlessly wandering around the huge roller's 
suite for about a half hour, admiring artwork, architecture, 
and extravagance that she had missed the night before, she 
decided to take advantage of the giant bathroom and bathe. 
Choosing between the blue marble Jacuzzi and the multi-
head shower ate up about ten minutes, but the bathtub 
finally won. She relaxed in there amidst a sea of bubbles that 
would make Mr. Clean gag, reveling in the massaging jets 
against her sore muscles. She effortlessly wasted another 
hour before deciding that maybe it was time to find her MIA 
companion. 
	-Or maybe I'll just hit the tables on my own,- she 
thought as she fixed her hair, still clad in her towel.
	-You have no money.-
	-Or clean underwear. Guess I get to go commando 
tonight.-
	-Okay, maybe I'll find Kunzite.-
	The hint of something black and shiny caught 
Minako's eye as she passed Kunzite's duffel bag on her way 
back to where she had stripped her clothes off the night 
before.
	"My dress!" she said aloud as she pulled the garment 
from the bag. "Pretty fuckin' convenient!"
	-He must have brought this just for me,- she thought 
as she smoothed some of the wrinkles out. –How 
considerate. Hmm…wonder what else he's got in here?-
	She knelt down, laying the dress on the ground, and 
plundered through the bag.
	-Guns, ammunition – oh, that's great,- she thought, 
continuing her search, -An unmarked bottle of pills…yeah, 
that's what's helping him with his damn leg. What else? 
Hmm…passport, a change of clothes, holy Jesus in heaven! 
Enough money to buy this hotel…okay, Kunzite knows how 
to pack. Hey! He brought my shoes!-
	She happily surveyed the heels, pleased that despite 
the nightmare that was last night, he had still brought 
something for her to wear. 
	-So considerate!- she thought perkily as she gathered 
the dress and shoes, bouncing back to the master bedroom. 
	She emerged minutes later, dressed, groomed, and 
armed with a new thought.
	-You shouldn't, Minako,- her moral side told her.
	-DO IT,- her naughty side screamed. -Money is good!-
	-It's not yours – for all you know, it's drug money!-
	-Yeah, drug money that can get me to the tables. I 
don't give a shit where it came from…I won't spend much of 
it.-
	Her conscience didn't speak again. Sometimes, 
Minako noted as she stuffed the wad of cash in her purse, it 
was helpful to have an easily corruptible moral side.  She 
snatched the key off the countertop and was out the door in 
five minutes.

	The scene was slightly more than vaguely reminiscent 
of Minako's fateful Christmas eve. The crowded room, the 
search…she had found him almost as quickly as she found 
the blackjack table, both to her relief and annoyance. On the 
elevator ride down she was feeling anxious at his 
disappearance and hoping he was safe, but finding him 
gambling amidst a group of fawning women wasn't exactly 
what she would have preferred. She pursued him quietly, 
snaking down the gilded staircase with the stealth that came 
so naturally to her. 
	-God, does he look delicious tonight,- she thought as 
she brushed past the lines of video poker machines, 
watching his back with a predatory grin. Oh, this was too 
much fun. He had the tailored, sexy appeal that had 
charmed her on Christmas eve, and the déjà vu prompted 
Minako's thought that perhaps she could have a little fun 
with her advantageous position. She stalked across the 
plush carpet of the casino floor and approached his back 
with the grace of a panther and the confidence of a lover. 
The adoring women parted and gave Minako the opportunity 
to spoon herself against Kunzite's back. Placing one hand 
on his hip and another on his back, Minako stood on her 
tiptoes and leaned into his ear.
	"Decide to start without me? she whispered.
	And really, for all its dramatic value, she should have 
known better to think that he would have been phased. The 
composed man didn't flinch or bat an eyelash, he just 
smirked and gave a quick glance over his shoulder.
	"Did you finally wake up?" he asked, studying the 
cards in his hand. "Hit me," he told the dealer.
	"Yeah, why didn't you come back up?" Minako asked. 
The dealer looked slightly agitated.
	"Sir, you have eighteen. I suggest you stay," he 
urged.
	"No, that's quite alright," Kunzite said politely before 
turning back to Minako, who was now standing by his side. "I 
got busy," he said to her.
	The dealer placed the three of clubs next to Kunzite's 
existing hand. The crowd applauded quietly and the dealer 
slid a hefty pile of chips in his direction.
	"Cash them," he told the dealer, and the older man 
nodded, taking the pile Kunzite had accumulated. "Let's get 
something to drink."
	"I want to play craps," Minako urged as they walked 
away from the blackjack table.
	"You don't have any money."
	"Yes, I do."
	"Did you steal it from me? I see you found the dress, 
by the way."
	"Yeah, thanks for packing it. What if I did?"
	"Forget about it. You're not gambling that money 
away. It's got to get us through at least the next week."
	Minako contemplated for a moment as they sat down 
at the bar. She sighed and implemented a plan that had 
worked countless times on countless men before him.
	-Desperate times,- she thought, and leaned forward 
on the stool, pushing her ample cleavage over the top of her 
dress just slightly as she crossed her arms in her lap.
	-That's not going to be enough,- she noted as he 
searched for the bartender.
	"You wanna make a bet, then?" she asked, dropping 
her voice to a sultry alto.
	-That got his attention,- she noticed with a smile.
	"Yeah, I'll bet that you've got a nice gambling problem 
to go along with that drinking bit of yours," Kunzite 
suggested, his eyes searching her curiously.
	Minako ignored the comment.
	"One game, five thousand dollars. If I win, I keep the 
money…and you buy me something to support my 
alcoholism. If I lose, I pay you back double," she offered.
	-I can't pay him back anything,- she warned herself.
	"You can't pay me back, Minako. Don't make bets you 
can't keep," he voiced her thoughts.
	"Well if I can't pay you back, then maybe you can 
think of another way for me to work off a debt," she said, the 
words coming out of her mouth before she really had a 
chance to consider what they meant. But then again, she 
was feeling good tonight. And Kunzite…well, he'd be worth 
it. 
	-Assuming I lose, that is,- she reminded herself.
	Kunzite stopped in the middle of his attempt to flag 
the bartender down. He raised an eyebrow in Minako's 
direction and smirked.
	"I'll take that bet."
	And with that, they were off to the Craps table, drinks 
having been forgotten. After cashing in five thousand dollars 
worth of chips and waiting for her turn to throw, Minako's 
heart was racing. Either way, she was winning, theoretically, 
unless Kunzite's idea of paying back a debt meant that she'd 
be doing something stupid, like his laundry. 
	When the dice came to her, the small bits of plastic 
were cool in her overheated hands. She'd never placed a bet 
this high before, and even though she'd justified in her head 
that there was no losing, her heart couldn't help but flutter. 
Kunzite stood at the opposite end of the table awaiting her 
roll, and Minako winked at him as she shook the dice in her 
clasped hands. People around the table cheered her on as 
she brought the dice to her lips and kissed them gently. With 
a small grin, she tossed them on the table.
	The dice caught the light on their way down, flashing 
like fireflies in slow-motion before they hit the table. They 
scattered and bounced to opposite ends before tumbling to a 
halt. Everyone gathered around the table leaned in to see 
what numbers had been thrown, and they erupted into a 
cheer before Minako could catch more than the "1" that had 
landed closest to her. She glanced down the table and 
caught a glimpse of the "6" that had also ended up on top, 
and couldn't help the smile that broke out on her lips. She 
looked up at where Kunzite was standing only to find him 
gone, the crowd having filed in the spot where he was. 
Minako looked around nervously as the dealer slid her pile of 
chips towards her.  The crowd quieted down and the dealer 
prepared for a new game.
	"Double or nothing," Kunzite whispered in her ear, 
mimicking the style of her greeting earlier. Minako looked up 
from her chips and glanced over her shoulder.
	"Just between you and I. Put down five hundred on 
the table, if you roll a seven, I'll give you ten thousand and a 
bottle of whatever you want," he continued, his breath warm 
on her ear.
	"And if I lose?" she asked.
	"Then I'm only out five hundred dollars to the house," 
he replied, his voice dropping. His hand snuck around her 
waist. "Because I know you'll pay me back the rest."
	"Yeah, I'll pay you back the other 9,500," Minako said 
sarcastically.
	"No, you'll pay me back the 19,500. You said you'd 
pay me back double, remember?"
	"Oh, right," she laughed, "Because, you know, I've got 
that on me, I just left it in the pocket of my jeans. Sure, I can 
pay you back!" 
	"Hey, you said yourself…money isn't the only way to 
pay off a debt," he muttered, allowing his lips to brush softly 
on the skin just below her earlobe.
	Minako shuddered softly and contemplated for a 
moment. Literally, it was just a moment. He was still meshed 
against her back and his hand had found its way to resting 
comfortably on her stomach, and in all honesty, her mind 
had been made up from the moment he said 'double or 
nothing.' She wasn't very good at refusing a good bet, and 
the combined physicality made it irresistible. For once, she 
didn't care whether she won or lost. Both had promising 
rewards.
	She placed the five hundred down the next game, and 
got the dice from the dealer. Kunzite was still pressed up 
behind her as she gave the dice a quick shake, and for 
superstition's sake, she kissed them again, glancing over her 
shoulder suggestively. Seeing the carnal twist of a smile on 
Kunzite's lips prompted her to turn around in his grasp and 
press her lips firmly to his as she tossed the dice 
haphazardly behind her. Shocked only momentarily, he 
returned the kiss with fervor, both of them completely 
ignoring the outcome of her roll. Kunzite snuck a glance at 
the table.
	"You lose," he muttered against her lips, not bothering 
to break off the kiss.
	"I don't care," Minako replied, reaching around his 
neck. He pulled away from her.
	"Call it a night?" he asked.
	"Definitely. I've got an outstanding debt with the 
house. I ought to stop while I'm ahead."
	"Oh, I think it's a little late for that."
	As he led her away from the table, Minako caught a 
glance at her roll before the dealer cleared it away. It was a 
six.
	-I almost had ten thousand dollars,- she thought 
wistfully. She looked over at Kunzite. -Money is good. Eh, oh 
well.-
	They exited the casino arm in arm, an expectant 
silence between them as they approached an empty 
elevator, paces quickening mutually to avoid company on 
their ride up. Kunzite hit the close button, and before the 
metal doors even had a chance to shut, he had backed 
Minako into a tight embrace.
	His kiss caught her off guard and she felt her knees 
buckle slightly. The elevator surged into motion and sent her 
head reeling. Kunzite's hands were searching ever higher on 
her body, and she quit resisting his insistent grip when his 
kisses left her mouth and began to travel down to her neck. 
Their bodies grinded into each other and she pulled gently 
against his broad shoulders, lessening the already tight 
space between them. She gave a soft moan and grinned, 
regaining her senses and wit. As much as she wanted to just 
let his lips continue massaging her overheated skin, she 
opted for waiting. Elevators were a turn on, definitely, but 
she decided to have a little fun instead.
	"This is great and all," she said playfully as he 
pressed her back against the wall, his hand grasping her 
breast firmly, "But we haven't even discussed how I'm going 
to pay you back, you know."
	Kunzite stopped and cocked an eyebrow at her.
	"What?" he asked.
	"Well, ten thousand dollars is a lot of money," Minako 
reminded him, "I'm not sure if this would really be sufficient 
payback. Maybe we should wait to figure out something 
that'll be worth the money. I want to stay true to my word, 
you know."
	Kunzite licked his lips and thought for a moment, half 
of his mouth twisting into an impish smile.
	"Fair enough," he agreed, and released her from his 
tight hold.  He took a quick look above the elevator doors. 
"Besides, this is our stop."
	And as if on cue, the doors opened with a cheerful 
ding.
	"After you," Kunzite offered with mock politeness.
	"Don't mind if I do," Minako replied and brushed past 
him with a coy grin.

	By the time they had made it down the hall and into 
their suite, the air between them was palpable. Minako's 
walk was swaying and provocative, and Kunzite's steely 
gaze hadn't left her body. She was all business as she 
lounged out onto the black couch, kicked off her shoes, and 
crossed her legs, allowing her bare skin to be revealed 
beneath the slit of her dress. She pulled the clip from her 
hair and let it cascade down onto the back of the settee.
	"You do realize," she began, "That you're basically 
paying ten thousand dollars for sex."
	"Oh, we're going to have sex?" Kunzite asked, faking 
surprise, and uncapped the Smirnoff Minako had stolen the 
night before. "Hey, you know, if that's what you were wanting 
to do," he gave in innocently.
	"Did you have something else in mind?" 
	"Ten thousand dollars IS a lot of money…I don't think 
I'd give Aphrodite herself ten thousand for sex. I thought 
maybe I'd make you do my laundry for a week or 
something," Kunzite offered as he rid himself of his stylish 
tuxedo jacket.
	"I'd rather do you than do your laundry!" she laughed 
as he joined her on the couch. The comment was meant to 
just be joking, but Kunzite set his glass on the table and 
looked over at her with an expression that was nothing short 
of dead serious. With a soft, wicked laugh, he leaned in 
towards her, balancing his weight above her while he 
supported himself on his hands. He drew himself as close to 
Minako as he could, waiting for her eyes to flutter shut in 
anticipation of his lips meeting hers. Her breath quickened 
expectantly as her top and bottom lashes met gently, her 
neck arching back slightly, exposing her long neck.
	-Kiss me,- her mind screamed.
	Breathing gently against her lips, he opted to take a 
quick nip at her bottom lip before whispering, "Is that so?"
	Minako's eyes snapped open.
	Not appreciating his little tease, she took the initiative 
and, using both her hands and all her weight, pushed him 
flat on his back. Before he could react, she snaked herself 
up his body to where her left thigh pressed against his groin 
and her body crushed into his. She held him down with her 
hands on his chest and dug in her manicured nails slightly, 
marveling in his smooth, flat pecs.
	"What do you think?" she asked before pressing a 
languid kiss on his waiting lips. Kunzite didn't bother to 
respond verbally, and immediately reached around to grip 
her rear, pulling her body up tighter against his own. He 
simultaneously rediscovered the breast that he had ventured 
to grasp in the elevator, and after a moment, Minako moved 
to start getting him out of his confining dress shirt. Neither of 
them bothered to break the kiss until after an 
indistinguishable amount of time, when an attempt to change 
positions landed them both on the floor.
	Minako yelped in pain as Kunzite's weight 
compressed her sensitive ribs, jarring both her nerves and 
her mood. Reflexively, he pulled back as she flinched 
painfully.
	"Are you okay?" he asked quickly, showing a 
surprising amount of concern. "What happened?"
	"It's just my ribs," Minako groaned, holding her left 
side gently, still sprawled on the floor.
	"Oh, they're still bothering you?"
	-Is he kidding?-
	Minako looked at him incredulously, trying to decipher 
if he was being honest.
	"Um, yeah, a little bit," she said, pulling herself into a 
sitting position. Kunzite's expression was caught somewhere 
between concern and lust as her attempt to sit up made her 
breasts unintentionally heave over her top. Forcing his eyes 
away from her chest as she fully righted herself, he focused 
his steely blues into Minako's aquamarine ones. Minako's 
breath caught in her throat under his very intimidating, very 
sexy stare. She felt like she was under his enchantment, 
hanging on to his gaze with the desperation of a person 
stranded in the desert. His eyes were her water, and she 
drank in the sight of them as she waited for him to speak, to 
move, to do anything.
	"Let me see them," he finally said. It was partially a 
kind request, partially a command, and both produced the 
same reaction out of Minako. She had given up on being 
witty and coy; at this point, she knew what she wanted and 
fully intended on getting it.
	-Funny,- she mused, -And I was supposed to be 
paying him back.-
	"In the bedroom," she answered simply, and brought 
herself to her feet. Kunzite was barely a moment behind her, 
taking part of her weight in an unnecessary but nonetheless 
appreciated motion. She smiled up at him and he took the 
opportunity to kiss her again.
	-Is he a drug or something? God, every time I kiss 
him I feel like I can't get enough – OH!- she thought, 
interrupted when he effortlessly lifted her legs around his 
waist. He didn't break the kiss, even as Minako moaned 
against his lips and wrapped herself tighter. Mentally, she 
reminded herself that this was the reason why she liked both 
tall and strong men. Kunzite certainly didn't have a shortage 
of either, she happily realized. Before she knew it, she was 
being laid gently onto the master bed, at once lost in the 
pillowy depths of the comforter. After a long moment, 
Kunzite pulled back to look at Minako. Her lips were swollen 
and her breathing was heavy as he once again asked, no, 
told her to show him her injured ribs.
	-He's going to see them and it's going to ruin the 
whole fucking mood,- she thought angrily, but she knew it 
was inevitable – the top was coming off eventually. With a 
sigh, she licked her lips and started undoing the small silver 
hook and eye closures that lined the bodice of her dress, 
each one revealing a bit more flesh as it unsnapped. From 
his position sitting beside her on the bed, Kunzite watched 
intently as the white hollow between her breasts was 
exposed. Minako's fingers nimbly continued their descent, 
unhooking eyelet after eyelet until finally her whole top was 
undone. Her grip on the fabric prevented it from showing any 
more than a small strip of skin about  three inches wide 
down the middle of her abdomen, and Kunzite's expression 
relaxed slightly.
	"It doesn't look bad," he told her quietly, "I think you'll 
be o – oh, holy shit."
	Halfway through his diagnosis, Minako had peeled 
back her unhooked bodice, revealing one half of an 
unmarred torso, two breasts, and a bruise that could have 
passed as a Mardi Gras decoration with its purple, green, 
and yellowed patches. By the size of it, it could have passed 
as a whole Mardi Gras float, and Minako looked away, 
suddenly ashamed of her body.
	Kunzite stared disbelievingly, eyes riveted to her 
discolored injury.
	"Did it look like this last night?" he asked.
	"Not quite as bad," she replied, lying only slightly.
	"Why didn't you say anything?"
	"It doesn't hurt," she lied again.
	"Bullshit," he called her bluff.
	Minako looked up at him. "You had a bullet in your 
leg. You think I was going to complain about a freaking 
bruise?"
	"Minako, this is slightly more than a bruise."
	"I told you I thought something was broken!"
	"Well damn! You…you should have been more 
insistent or something."
	She flinched as he reached out a hand to touch her 
sensitive skin. He pressed on it with the gentleness of a 
doctor, and paused after a moment to rub it soothingly, his 
touch feather-light. Minako couldn't help but giggle.
	"That tickles!" she exclaimed.
	"You're going to have to take it easy," Kunzite told her 
soothingly, moving his hand over to the part of her torso that 
wasn't bruised. He slid his hand up and down the bare skin, 
tracing a line that barely reached the bottom of her exposed 
breasts to the waistband of her skirt. He fingered it gently as 
a smile crept onto his face.
	"That means no exerting yourself in strenuous 
physical activities," he instructed.
	Minako grinned.
	-Yeah, right,- she thought. -Exert this.-
	She reached her hand up to his chest and fingered 
one of the buttons that hadn't been undone yet.
	"Guess that mean's you're on top, then. So can I still 
do this?" she asked innocently as she unbuttoned it.
	He laughed. "Yeah, I don't think that counts as 
strenuous."
	"Oh, good."
	A minute later, Minako smiled as she reached the last 
button. She sat up against the pile of pillows that lined the 
headboard of the bed and drew her legs up beneath her. 
Kunzite slid in closer to her, drawn in by her wicked grin.
	"And I can still do this," she whispered as she pushed 
the shirt off his shoulders. He tossed it to the floor and 
leaned in closer to her.
	Minako gently raked her nails down his bare chest. 
His cool skin sent sparks up her arm, and she looped her 
fingers in his belt. She noticed his sexy smirk as she used 
one hand to undo his belt buckle and slide the leather from 
around his thin waist. 
	"And I guess keeping that around would tempt us into 
being strenuous," she giggled as she tossed it on the floor 
beside the discarded shirt.
	-Oh, God, this is fun,- she thought as increasingly 
naughty ideas invaded her head.
	Pressing her bare breasts together, she climbed onto 
her hands and knees and leaned in towards him. Using her 
right hand to unto the button and zipper on his pants, she 
placed a line of kisses from the lean line of the bottom of his 
neck to his ear. Just barely, she tugged on his earlobe with 
her teeth as she fingered the waistband of his boxers. She 
could feel his breath catch as she reached her hand down 
beneath the black silk, his flesh now a hot contradiction to 
the chilled silk.
	"Can I still do this?" she whispered before running her 
tongue along his ear. She didn't have to wait for a response, 
for in a moment's time she had been pushed back against 
the cushiony pillows. His bare flesh pressed against her own 
as he assaulted her lips, his hands now exploring freely. He 
pulled away after a short moment.
	"Only if I can do that," he replied. Minako didn't 
respond with words, but her thoughts on the issue was clear. 
Their embrace wasn't interrupted for a long while afterward.
	They lay in the afterglow a few hours later, having 
tested how strenuous their physical activity could be quite a 
few times. Articles of discarded clothing had been strewn on 
and around the bed, and the covers, now being used for 
their proper purpose, were mussed and tossed to where they 
resembled a white cloud.
	"Was that worth ten thousand dollars?" Minako asked 
softly as she traced a lazy hand over Kunzite's bare chest. 
She was half-spooned onto his side, and he wrapped a 
protective arm around her as he gently avoided her bruise. 
He sighed contentedly and arched his free arm back to 
support his head.
	"Princess, that was priceless," he replied, looking 
down at her with his most charming smile.
	Minako grinned back. "Liar," she accused, and 
jokingly punched him in the stomach. "If I were you, I 
would've wanted the money."
	Kunzite yawned. "That's because you don't have a 
gorgeous woman laying naked beside you That'll do a lot to 
sway a man's interests."
	Minako felt her cheeks redden slightly, and she, too, 
yawned a moment later. She could feel Kunzite's breathing 
falling into a slow rhythm, and knew he was on the verge of 
sleep. She wasn't far off, herself, and the constant thudding 
of his heart was sounding more and more like a lullaby. His 
voice startled her a moment later. It reverberated softly 
through his chest and into her ear, and she jumped slightly.
	"Remember when I said I wouldn't pay Aphrodite ten 
thousand dollars to have sex with me?" he muttered softly.
	Minako didn't open her eyes, and gave a simple, 
"Mmhmm."
	"Well - I just did."
	A smile was plastered on Minako's face as she fell 
into a contented, much needed sleep.