TITLE: Time Waits
AUTHOR: Dreiser
EMAIL: dreiser0@earthlink.net
WEBSITE: http://www.dreiser.net/
CONTENT: F/F romance. Don't like it, don't read it.
SUMMARY: Setsuna is sick of being alone and moreover, she's sick of waiting
to someday not be alone. Because of this, she takes action. Go Puu!
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing but my own socks.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I should be working on my C/F fic that I promised everyone
but this idea popped into my head and I had to write it down. Besides, it
was fun writing a short little romance fic that stars Puu. Please don't take
this seriously at all. It was meant mostly as a humorous piece. I'm
personally sick of reading nothing but depressing fics with Puu. She doesn't
have to be angsty all the time, you know.

Time Waits
(and waits, and waits, and waits...)

By: Dreiser


As guardian of time, Setsuna tended to see a lot of things. No, it was more
than that. She also tended to know a lot of things. It was true that time was a 
murky subject. Shifting and changing, sometimes due to the funniest thing. 
For instance, lets say that you decide you'll wear your black pants on Tuesday 
but when it rolls around instead you're in the fancy red pants and suddenly
because of your choice in fashion, you have a date.

Time was a funny thing that way. With all of its changes, making the littlest 
things important in the long run, in the big scheme of things. It was almost as 
if waited until the very last second to show what really mattered.

Now, Setsuna guarded time and because of this, she also waited.

She waited a hell of a lot. I mean, she waited thousands of years for
the Senshi to get reincarnated on Earth so they could battle evil once more
and she could wear a cute little fuku again. Hey, she might be guardian of
time, but it was noted she was a woman of fashion. Even if her tastes might
be off every now and again.

Clothing designers are wacky people, after all.

For almost as long as she waited for the Senshi to reincarnate, Setsuna had
been waiting for her one true love. Okay, maybe not entirely waiting. She'd
done some looking here and there, when she wasn't averting the apocalypse or
watching alternate universes.

Alternate universes were like real life soap operas. Just try and imagine
flipping from universe to universe to see the oddities that occur. A world
where Rei's Tuxedo Kamen? One where Makoto is Sailor Uranus and she lands
Michiru? Or, the best yet, one where she herself had a harem of admirers who
tended to her every need and...

That last one was probably a fantasy but who honestly knows.

Anyway, she looked around for her soulmate or whatever you'd like to call
it. Soulmate sounded so cliché to Setsuna, personally. She would rather call
it something like eternal snuggle bunny or everlasting love maker. Something
like that. But again, like clothing designers, guardians of time are wacky
people.

Which is maybe why Setsuna didn't have much luck in looking for her eternal
snuggle bunny. Everyone she had the slightest interest in ended up with
someone else or there was some sort of mishap in the time stream that she
couldn't see coming to prevent.

She'd never forget that handsome cobbler... run over by an ox drawn cart.
Thinking of him now, she sighed. He wasn't terribly bright but boy could that 
man cobble.

Then there was Endymion, she didn't know what she was thinking with that. 
He was probably the most involved a person could get. Never ending reincarnated
love? Who messes with that? Herself and Rei apparently. But still, she gave
up after a few years of pining while Rei trudged on. Setsuna honestly hoped
that girl had a break through one of these years. She certainly deserved it
for all of the angst she heaped on herself.

Things weren't bad now, certainly not. Everyone was getting along... the
Starlights had poofed back into obscurity, leaving Usagi safe from Seiya's
sex changing advances. Not that Setsuna had anything against Seiya. He was a
nice man/woman alien Senshi person and he/she was quite dashing, in either
form. Even with the leather. Mmm... especially with the leather.

Seeing Mamoru back and with Usagi didn't pain Setsuna any. She was used to
it and besides that, it made her glad to see her Princess happy. What
really got to her was her day to day life with perfect couple number two aka
Haruka and Michiru.

It didn't matter what anyone said or tried to claim, Haruka and Michiru,
when they wanted to be, were a million times mushier and predestined than
Usagi and Mamoru could be on any good day. Setsuna knew this as she was
exposed to it almost every time she was at home with them. Part of her
wished she wasn't a few millennia old and was instead Hotaru's age, so she
could block them out with the TV and some Sailor Senshi video games.

Not that she didn't love Haruka and Michiru. Oh no, they were her closest
friends, the ones who probably best understood her annoyance at her lack of
love life and the sense of utter loneliness she had at times. Well, they
understood because they used to have that themselves. Then they met each
other and wham! Color them happy.

Setsuna colored them happy as a strange mix of orange and aqua. It was 
an ugly color that didn't go well in any outfits but still, that was the color of 
Haruka/Michiru happy and together.

The couple didn't like seeing Setsuna unhappy as it tended to warp their
orange and aqua world and she was their close friend/co-mother of Hotaru, so
they took it upon themselves to help her out with solving her lack of
romance woes. And so it begins...

---

Setsuna stared at Haruka and Michiru as if they were bonkers. Utterly and
completely bonkers. Then she took a sip of her tea and stared at them like
that some more. When she was done, she put the cup down and said
skeptically, "You made a chart?"

"A graph," Michiru correctly primly. She smoothed out her skirt then picked
up the pointer which was resting comfortably on the elaborate stand she and
Haruka had bought to display said graph. Never say they didn't put out the
bucks when it counted or even when it didn't sometimes. "One of your various
romance potentials." She whapped the graph hard with the pointer and tracing
it, she said, "We've charted each one and it peaks when you have something
in common with them according to category. Or if they have a quality we
think you'd find particularly appealing."

"I see," said Setsuna as she arched an eyebrow. "Can I ask a question
though?"

"Sure," replied Haruka easily, leaning back in her seat and grinning widely
at Setsuna. She was feeling pretty proud of herself. Not only had the graph
been a great idea, it was pretty damn funny to look at as well. "Ask away."

"Why chibi? And why in their fukus?" asked Setsuna, referring to the way 
the various people on the graph were represented by stickers of them as chibis
and wearing their Sailor Senshi fukus.

"It's funny," answered Haruka and Michiru with smirks.

"I see," Setsuna repeated, sounding all the more skeptical. "Another
question then. Why only Sailor Senshi? I could date someone who isn't one of
us, you realize."

"Yeah, but it would be a pain in the ass," said Haruka bluntly. "Besides,"
she grinned at Setsuna and drawled, "don't tell me you'd be upset to be with
one of them."

"Haruka," said Michiru in a warning. She whapped the blonde on the
top of her head with the pointer then turned to Setsuna. "It would be easier
and better, we think, if you could be with one of the Inners," she explained. 
"I think it would be hard to work around the absences caused from Senshi 
duty with a regular person."

"And we need the new toaster oven we get if we recruit you," Haruka added, 
only to be whapped with Michiru's pointer of death again. "Ow," she groused, 
rubbing her head, "you don't have to be so gung ho with that thing."

"Sorry," said Michiru sweetly, looking utterly adorable but snapping out of
it as she faced Setsuna. "Now," she began as she turned all business,
"you'll notice that when it comes to Rei, you share a lot in common with
your abilities. Since Rei is psychic she does know what it is to see into
the future and to see things that you wouldn't like. We think you'd be able
to share a lot of your problems caused from your duty with her."

"Yeah," chimed in Haruka, nodding her sore head. She paused to smirk big
then leaned into Setsuna and said lowly, "I got one thing to say to you...
catholic school girl."

At this, Setsuna arched an eyebrow yet again and returned the smirk. Michiru
watched this and ran her fingers over her pointer, contemplating if she
needed to use it again. Instead she huffed and said loudly, "Her downfall
though," she traced the graph to the low point on Rei's adjusting line which
tracked her good and bad qualities, pleased to see she had Haruka and
Setsuna's attention once again. "We're afraid will never go away."

"What's that?" asked Setsuna, her lips quirking up in a smile. This really
was amusing.

"Impossible love for Usagi," Haruka and Michiru sang out.

"Been there," Haruka snorted, leaning back in her chair and smirking.

"Done that," Michiru finished giving Haruka an attractive wink.

"I see..." said Setsuna, deciding that would be her response to anything she
really didn't have a clear answer for during this line of conversation.

"Next up, Ami," pronounced Michiru, whapping the graph again. "As you can
see, out of all of the Inners, Ami is the one you'd be best able to discuss
your scientific interests and theories with. She's quite knowledgeable and
always curious, so your discussions could range over all things. You
wouldn't have to hold back in that area."

"Plus, you have to remember to look out for the quiet ones," said Haruka
with a confident nod. "That girl is bound to be a spitfire in bed." After
she said this, she scooted back and away from the reach of Michiru's pointer
which seemed to be aimed at her head again.

"And her downfall?" asked Setsuna, taking a sip of her tea. Oddly enough,
she was finding this spectacle more and more entertaining.

"Too nerdish," Michiru sighed with disappointment. "She needs a more adventurous
spirit and zest to her if you ask me. Also..." She trailed off, looking at Haruka.

Crossing her legs, Haruka looked deep into Setsuna's eyes and stated, "We're
pretty sure she's got the hots for Makoto."

"I see," said Setsuna with a smirk, tapping the edge of her cup. "I never
realized." She tilted her head to one side then asked, "And isn't zest a
type of soap?"

"She's playing with us again," said Haruka darkly, looking at Michiru with a
slight scowl. "I don't think we should even explain Makoto's graph to her now."

"Now, now, don't be a sourpuss," Michiru chided affectionately, giving
Haruka a loving smile. She turned to Setsuna and this time, whapped her on 
the top of her head with the pointer before turning back to the graph. "We 
have a job to do."

"That does hurt," Setsuna commented with a wince, rubbing her head as she
looked at Haruka who nodded solemnly at her.

"I told you," said Haruka. Then leaning in, she said in conspiratorial
tones, "Personally, I think she gets a kick out of hitting others with pointy 
metal sticks. It's weird and disturbing."

For this comment and their brief conversation involving her, both Haruka and
Setsuna got whapped on the top of their heads with Michiru's pointer of
death. Then she returned to the graph which was currently featuring chibi
Makoto in her Sailor Jupiter fuku.

"Makoto and you have quite a few common interests and personality quirks,
actually," said Michiru thoughtfully as she followed the line of the graph.
"As you can see, you both love plants, cooking, and the domestic life. Like
you are now, Makoto will someday make an excellent mother. She's often
stubborn and sometimes takes off on her own to deal with problems she feels
are purely her own, but often involve others."

"Mmm," Setsuna murmured, eyeing the graph, more than a little surprised 
to find that on thinking of it, she did have a lot in common with the girl.
Looking to Haruka, she smirked and said, "Don't have anything to add?"

Smiling slowly, Haruka leaned back in her chair. "Nice chest, firm breasts
even though they're too big for even my hands." She sighed thinking of them
only to pale on seeing the pointer just inches away from her head. Coughing
loudly, she added, "But there is that fault she has."

"Being in love with Ami, yes," agreed Setsuna with a nod, sipping her 
tea. "It is bothersome, I know. They will make a cute couple in the future
though. If that's any consolation to you both."

"I told you she was playing with us," Haruka said indignantly to Michiru who sighed 
then went onto the next graph which featured the final Senshi on display, Venus.

"Minako," began Michiru in loud, self important tones, only to pause after
saying this.

"Minako...?" prompted Setsuna with a smile, setting her cup down with a clink.

"Minako," repeated Michiru, reddening a bit as she looked to Haruka.

"Yeah, Minako," said Haruka, coughing and nodding her head.

Setsuna smirked at them both before turning her eyes to the graph that 
they had made for Minako. If it had been a heart monitor then the poor girl
would've been flat lining. Giving a low chuckle, she said, "You couldn't
think of anything I had in common with her?"

"No," the couple said morosely.

"Well, at least she doesn't have any faults then," Setsuna continued to
chuckle. Rising to her feet, she regarded the chibi Sailor Venus who was
giving her patented v shaped sign with her fingers. "I guess that makes her
as much a candidate as anyone else, hm?"

They watched as Setsuna walked out of the room then Haruka looked up at
Michiru and smiled slowly. "I think we know who she's going after now, don't
we?" she drawled in her best naughty tones.

For a response, Michiru whapped her with the pointer.

---

Minako was god of video games. Or at least she was god of Sailor V video
games. This was mostly because she figured that if people were poaching her
original identity to make games off of it then she was obligated to do her
very best to beat them all. Still, she really wished she was getting some of
the profits from them. If she was then she'd be rich and she could live on a
deserted island with only a legion of devoted fans to serve her.

Sometimes she wondered if that's what Crystal Tokyo was going to be like for
Usagi. Other than the deserted island part. Ah well, it wasn't for her to
find out. At least, not yet. That's why she was busying herself with playing
the newest Sailor V game in the arcade. She was doing pretty damn well too,
at least until someone stepped in next to her, popped in a coin and suddenly
Sailor V was challenged by a new enemy.

Her first instinct?

Destroy them! Utterly at totally! Sailor V showed no mercy to her enemies
and neither did Minako. Mostly because she used to be Sailor V and well...
yeah, that was that. So Minako didn't show mercy to her opponent and she
quickly unleashed a barrage of secret moves on them but was surprised to
find the person next to her, whom she hadn't had time to glance at, she was
too busy trying to decimate them, was managing to hold up against her.

That was it. She now had to release the big guns. There was no surviving for
those who dared to stand in the way of Minako's undefeated reign when it
came to Sailor V games. Pushing an elaborate and headache inducing series of
buttons, Minako produced the most powerful, and stupidly named, attack they
had given her in this video game.

Sailor V's These Boots Are Made For Stompin' attack. To make the 
attack worse yet, as it went on a techno version of the song by Nancy Sinatra
played, but with the lyrics altered to say stomped and emphasized the
shouldn't be playin' portion of the song.

Yes, that was the attack and yes again, the creators of the video game 
were idiots, despite the fact they had already made millions off of it. The
entire situation made Minako want to weep.

But despite it's horrendously titled name, the attack was effective and her
victim... ehh, opponent was now reduced to a slimy mass of goo. Minako
laughed her triumph laugh, which according to Artemis was really freaking
scary, then turned to face them finally so she might further gloat in her
victory and see the pain etched on their loser features.

Then she froze on seeing Setsuna smiling at her.

"Setsuna-san," squeaked Minako, her eyes bulging out. She quickly
whipped her head around the taller woman and searched for the person she had
played but there didn't look like anyone nearby had just left the game. That
meant... "Ehh," she laughed nervously, turning back to look at Setsuna who
arched an eyebrow at her. "Good game?"

"Yes," laughed Setsuna quietly, "it was a lot of fun while it lasted. I don't
think I got even a shot in at the very end." She smiled warmly at Minako and
said, "You're very good."

"Only at Sailor V games," confessed Minako, rubbing the back of her head. 
"I sort of see it as my duty to be good at them, you know. How embarrassing
would it be if the real Sailor V couldn't beat her video game foes?"

"Valid point," said Setsuna with a chuckle. She nodded to the game and
asked, "How far are you in this game? Close to beating it or could you be
pursuaded to have lunch with me?"

Her blue eyes lighting up, Minako smiled widely and exclaimed brightly, 
"I can definitely take a break for that!" Walking with Setsuna out the door,
she asked, "Where do you want to go?"

"The café you always eat at?" suggested Setsuna easily, slowing her walk and
smiling again as Minako bounced to her side, beaming at her. "Or would you like 
to try somewhere different?"

Pausing to consider that if they went to the café, the other Inners might 
be there and for some reason, she rather felt like having some time with
Setsuna alone. This might be a good chance to get to know the remote
guardian of time. Then again, she looked up at Setsuna who was still smiling
warmly at her, face open and kind as she gazed at the blonde, she didn't
seem remote now. No, not at all. Was this how Hotaru, Michiru, and Haruka
got to see her? If it was then they were lucky and Minako hoped Setsuna
would share it more with all of them.

"Somewhere different," said Minako finally, returning Setsuna's smile. "Of
your choice."

"I know just the place," Setsuna replied in vaguely mysterious tones,
hooking her arm in Minako's and leading her down the street. Minako blinked
at this action but quickly smiled again and hurried up her pace to keep up
with the taller woman.

They finally ended up in a small French bistro and looking at the menu,
Minako frowned on noticing there wasn't any prices listed. "Uhm..." she
began, looking to Setsuna who glanced up from her menu to smile at her 
on hearing her speak. "How much is this stuff?"

"Don't worry," Setsuna reassured, turning back to her menu, "it's my treat.
Just pick whatever you think you'll like the most. Consider it a gift to the most
beautiful of the Senshi."

Reddening at this, Minako nodded at this and when the waiter came, she
ordered just like Setsuna said she should. She ordered the one thing that
looked interesting to her. Unfortunately, it happened to be something that
was flambé. Which Minako had no idea meant it would come to her on fire,
this happened to be an interesting turn of circumstances that involved a
pitcher of water from another table and a soaked and grumpy waiter.

But still, it did cause Setsuna to give him a hefty tip.

Her shoulders slumping, Minako didn't look at Setsuna as they exited the
restaurant, sure that everyone in there was laughing over the situation as
they walked away. Peering into the bistro, she was met with a couple
pointing her way and the girl giggling demurely and she turned red. Facing
the window, Minako scowled and shouted at them, "Not everyone knows what
flambé is, you know!"

"Minako?" asked Setsuna carefully, fighting to keep the smile from spreading
on her lips. When the blonde Senshi looked her way, she said, "It's all right. I 
did the very same thing myself."

"No you didn't," Minako groused, getting a little sick of Setsuna's ultra
nice attitude today. What was with the time guardian anyway? She never spoke
with anyone other than the Outers and now she was suddenly Miss Friendly?
What was going on? "That has to be a lie and you know it."

"Well, I didn't react quite the same way you, like it was a fire hazard, but
I was a tad clumsy back then and the meal ended up on the floor where it
came into contact with the fancy drapery which caught on fire and well..."
Setsuna smiled wryly at Minako and shrugged. "They had insurance."

"You didn't," said Minako, sounding amused but disbelieving, "there's no way
that you did that."

"I did," said Setsuna with a solemn nod although her eyes were twinkling as
she spoke. "I was barred from their restaurant and from that day forward
every place in that district considered me to be a fire hazard of the highest 
degree. I even had a nickname... Sets You On Fire. I had to hear it every time 
I went there to get some groceries."

"Setsuna!" cried Minako with a laugh, shaking her head. She studied the 
tall woman then smiled, hooking their arms and starting down the street. "How
long did it take for them to forget it?"

"I'm not sure," said Setsuna thoughtfully, tilting her head. "We could go
visit and see."

Laughing again, Minako sighed, looking ahead and into the crowd of people 
on the street. She wasn't sure where they were going but she did know one
thing, she was having fun. "This is nice," she said finally. Feeling Setsuna's 
eyes on her, she continued, "We don't get to spend much time together so 
I never knew what you were like. I never knew you could be like this."

"Like what?" Setsuna prompted gently.

"Fun," said Minako simply. She paused to form a horrified expression and she
stood in front of Setsuna, saying quickly, "I didn't mean it that way! To sound 
like you're boring and--"

"Minako," interrupted Setsuna with a smile, placing her finger softly over
the blonde's lips. "It's all right. I know how serious I can sometimes get.
I'm afraid it comes with the job." She gazed at her for a long while then
said, "I think you know what it's like... to feel that way as well."

"Sometimes," Minako admitted quietly. Gazing up at Setsuna, she noticed for
the first time, that light in her eyes. One of hope and... blue eyes went as huge 
as saucers before Minako formed a sly smile on her features. Well, well, maybe 
their entire meeting did make a bit of sense. "Come on!" she declared suddenly, 
grabbing Setsuna's hand in her own and dragging her off. "I want to take you 
somewhere right now!"

The only thing that Setsuna could do was to allowed herself to be dragged
away. Of course, it wasn't like she exactly minded being dragged anywhere by
the likes of Minako. Who would?

---

When Minako was done dragging Setsuna, they ended up in a deserted portion
of a nearby park. One that had an old fountain that was falling apart but
was still somehow charming to Setsuna's eyes. She sat down on the edge of it
and looked at Minako who was now pacing in front of her as her mouth opened
and closed silently, as if she was having a conversation with herself.

"Minako?" asked Setsuna, tilting her head to one side. As entertaining as it
was to watch the girl converse with herself, she thought that she'd been
brought here for some reason. Being a halfway curious person, she wanted 
to know what that reason was.

Whirling around to face Setsuna, the blonde Senshi smiled hugely then she
pointed at the guardian of time and exclaimed, "And that's that!"

"What is what?" Setsuna arched an eyebrow and held back the urge to chuckle.

Looking from side to side, Minako frowned at Setsuna. "I said that all to
myself, didn't I?"

"I'm afraid so," said Setsuna humorously as she gave a nod.

"Damn," said Minako under her breath. "Oh well," she shrugged, "I'll just
start again from the top." Clearing her throat and facing Setsuna, she
opened her mouth to speak but froze. Giving another frown, she muttered,
"Forget it. This is too much work. I like the direct approach better."

The next thing Setsuna knew, Minako's lips were on hers and Minako herself, 
was on Setsuna's lap, her hands laced in thick green hair, drawing them closer
together. The blonde's lips were sweet and her tongue was warm and eager 
as it pressed into her, opening her up to deepen the kiss as she leaned forward. 
So caught up in the feeling, in the sensation of the moment, Setsuna moved her 
hands from gripping the edge of the fountain to run over Minako's body.

Unfortunately, with her doing that and Minako leaning forward the harsh
mistress that was gravity took over. She knew it was now that she could make
the Senshi her bitch and she decided to do that with all of the swiftness of a 
teenage track star. They went falling into the fountain, wet as can be, but their 
kiss uninterrupted until Setsuna realized water wasn't good for her outfit.

Then they went bursting up from the fountain, Setsuna leaping out of it and
fussing over her outfit while Minako sat there, watching her the entire time
with a satisfied smirk on her features. Feeling those eyes on her, Setsuna
paused to look at Minako and put her hands on her hips.

"What?" asked Setsuna peevishly, blowing a wet lock of hair from her eyes.

"That's what you get," began Minako with a playful drawl, her eyes
twinkling, "for trying to seduce me of all people. Don't you know I always
do the seducing?" she asked as she rose up in the fountain, looking ever
like the goddess of love she proclaimed to be. "And that," she smiled wider
and flipped her blonde hair over one shoulder, "is that!"

Seconds later, Setsuna was in the fountain again, tackling Minako in an
embrace, both of them soaked as yet another make out session was instigated.
They wouldn't be removed until one of the more scandalized park visitors
informed the authorities and they were forcibly told to take their business
elsewhere. To which Minako replied wickedly, "What business? This is all fun."

Then they ran off, laughing like children, high on life and probably a
little giddy from all of the exposed pruning they'd experienced from their time 
in the fountain. Setsuna was particularly happy because her wait, it was 
finally over. Time had rewarded her and she now had her eternal snuggle
bunny that would be hers until the end of their days.

It was too bad they ended up severely bed ridden because of their antics. Oh
well, Setsuna thought with a sniffle and a cough before she rang her bell to
get slave girl Haruka to fetch her more tea. She had known that would happen
from the very beginning.

-End-