"I'm sorry Hotaru and Setsuna couldn't be here, kiddo! Its just you and me till Michiru gets home. So, ya wanna play some vids?" "Tell me a story instead!" "Story? I'm not too big on stories. Michiru usually handles that. What kind of story? Not something with whiny princesses in towers simpering about Prince Charming, I hope." "I want to know about Auntie Ami and Auntie Makoto." "Oh. Well. Ok. What do you want to know? Shouldn't you be asking your mom about this stuff?" "She already told me what she knows but I want to know more." "Um, yeah. Ok. Well, when two people love each other..." "You can start after Ami ran out during karaoke! That's where Momma left off." "Ohhhh, that story. Well, it's kind of personal. Makoto told me about it not too long after. We'd wanted to compare notes, you know?" "But Ami and Mako already told me some of it. I'm sure they wouldn't mind. It is a love story, isn't it? Mommy always says there's nothing more important than love!" "Ok ok, I'll tell you, but please, give it a rest. Its bad enough hearing that trite crap from your mom when we're 'working'. Now where to begin..." --------------------------- It took a moment for Makoto's eyes to adjust to the lights outside. Streetlights and neon glared off of passing cars and black streets as a cold wind buffeted her. "Think, baka, think. Its Ami, you know her better than anyone. Where would she go? Damn you, Usagi, why did you have to pick a song like that. What am I going to say? All a misunderstanding, I don't love you, I just... I was thinking of my old sempai. That's it. I should send that ass a check to pay him back for how much I use him. She'll laugh, I'll take her home, all will be well. But where, where would she go?" Looking down the street, Makoto shielded her eyes from a particularly bright glare. "It hasn't been raining, what's causing that?" she thought as she moved slowly in that direction. When she realized what it was, she gasped. A trashcan, frozen solid, shone underneath a lamppost. Further down the road, another patch of light. A tree, each leaf covered in a delicate layer of frost. Makoto started to run, following the trail and calling Ami's name. She found her kneeling at the edge of a pond in the neighborhood park. Makoto quickly noticed the crystals hanging from the grass nearby, but soon all of her attention was focused on her quarry. Wrapping her arms around herself tight, she moved to stand beside her closest, dearest friend. "Ami, I just wanted to say... you see..." "Just stop, Makoto, please. Don't say anything, I can't handle that now," Ami barked between gasps. Tears clung to her cheeks, which almost matched her hair from the cold. "I... I... just need to be... alone!" The last word escaped with a wail of pain that stabbed deep into Makoto's heart. The tears flowed freely again as Ami slumped down to the ground. "Please, Ami-chan, please, don't cry. Let me explain." "NO! Don't! I can't take this, not from you! Not From You!" Ami glared up at Makoto through blurry eyes. "Ami... don't," Mako replied quietly, her own tears welling up now. "Stop it!" Ami jumped to her feet and assumed a battle stance. "Don't you get it, I never wanted to sing that song, I never did. Usagi made me. I hate her, I hate all of you. Why couldn't you all have just left me alone? I didn't know any better! You can't be sad if you don't know what happy is! I was... I was fine, I would have been fine." Makoto stepped forward slowly, opening her arms. No matter what she felt, no matter what worried her, nothing was more important to her than this delicate soul, this fierce, brilliant, perfect being laid bare before her. "It's ok, Ami." "Shut up! Just shut up!" Ami screamed. As Makoto moved closer, Ami growled and began pounding on her friend's chest with her fists. "Its all your fault, damn you, Mako. Why did you have to do this to me? Why!" Makoto shuddered. Though Ami was not hitting her enough to bruise, each blow struck straight at her heart. "I'm sorry, Ami. I didn't mean for it to happen." "Shut up, I told you! I'm so tired of it! I study and I work and I take care of the apartment and fighting the Negaverse and the Dark Moon, all of it and there didn't used to be anything else but now I can't imagine being without you. And when you leave me, I ache inside and when you aren't there, all I want to do is be where you are and I don't think I can imagine living without you and just when I think I can handle how I feel you go and sing that song and rip my heart out and I just can't fake it anymore I can't pretend I don't love you anymore but I can't lose you and..." Ami stopped punching and collapsed against Makoto's chest, wheezing between her sobs, burrowing her head to try to escape everything. Makoto froze. "What is she saying? She's not mad because I love her, she's mad because... because she loves me?" Makoto didn't say anything, she just held Ami tight. The more Ami drove her face against her, the tighter Makoto drew her arms together around the young girl's back. As Ami's breathing slowly settled down, Makoto began to murmur comforting words and slowly stroked her hair. "Shh, its ok, Ami-chan. Its ok. Let it all out. Its all ok." "It's not ok," Ami mumbled, trying not to cry again. "I'm sorry, Mako, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything. Maybe I'm coming down with something." "I love you, Ami-chan." "I'm sure its just that I'm not feeling well, too much smoke in there. I'm really all right, please, I didn't mean anything. Please don't be mad at me." "I love you. With all of my heart, with all that I am and with all that I ever hope to be, I love you." --------------------- "Ohhh, that's so sweet. I love part of that story, Haruka-chan." "Shhh! Auntie Michiru! We're just getting to the good part." "I'm sorry, Chibi. I'll be quiet. I just wanted Haruka to know how very much I admire her storytelling. She doesn't think she does it very well." "Well, parts of this story aren't that unfamiliar." "You left bruises, my love. You're a bit stronger than sweet little Ami." "Get on with the story!!!!!!!" "Ok, ok kiddo, keep your panties on. So, anyway..." --------------------- Ami froze. This just couldn't be. Why would Makoto say such a thing? Ami was trying to give them both an out, something to cling to so they could pretend this horrible night never happened. Maybe Makoto was still mad at her, but if so, why did she keep saying that. Ami knew Mako was not a cruel woman. Could she? Suddenly, she became aware of just where she was. She could feel Makoto's breasts pressed against both of her cheeks, Makoto's fingers idly stroking the base of her neck. Makoto filled her senses and for a moment, Ami thought she'd pass out from the sensation. Tentatively, she lifted her head. "Makoto? Mako-chan? What are you saying?" "You know, for a genius, you're pretty slow on the uptake sometimes," Makoto laughed gently, lowering her gaze to meet her friend's. "I don't know how to say it any better so I'll just have to say it again, and again, and again, till you believe me. I love you." Ami's eyes dropped to the ground. This couldn't be happening. How could a dream come true when you'd never even allowed yourself the luxury of dreaming it? Genius? Ami doubted at that moment that she could count to four. All that she heard, all that existed in her mind were those words. "I love you, Ami-chan, and I'll never get tired of telling you." Keeping her face pointed down, Ami lifted her eyes. She could barely see Makoto through the moisture clinging to her long lashes, and yet she found herself lost in the deep emerald sea that threatened to wash her away entirely. "You... you love me?" she whispered in awe. "I've loved you since I first saw you. You are the best friend anyone could ever dream of; you're the most brilliant person in the world; you are kind, sweet, gentle, caring and, I must say, a SuperHottie!" Ami lost feeling in her toes as all the blood in her extremities went to her face. A light mist rose around the two of them as the warmth that slowly infused Ami's core radiated out into the cold air. Shyly, she reached up and laid her hand against Makoto's cheek. "No, Mako-chan," she giggled, "I'm nowhere near as beautiful as you are." Standing up straight, she took Makoto's face between both of her palms. "I love you, too, Mako-chan. I think I have for a very long time now, but I was too silly to realize it." "We both were, my love. You know everything, but you couldn't even figure out that you loved me. I'm not afraid of anything, but the thought of sharing my feelings with you made me run screaming. Well, it would have if you hadn't beaten me to it." "Oh Mako-chan! I do love you, I do! I guess we have both been quite silly," Ami said with a shy smile. "Now, I think its time we stopped," Makoto replied in a sudden, dangerously serious tone. Gently, she pulled Ami forward, tilting her head, and kissing her softly. At the touch of Makoto's lips, Ami gasped and let her love draw her into a complete embrace. Seizing the opportunity of this deep breath, Makoto drew Ami's lower lip between her own, pulling gently. Her hands traced lines across Ami's back as they moved up into her hair. Carefully, she slid her tongue across her love's mouth. Makoto was quite startled when Ami growled and pulled her down, kissing her passionately. Her eyes shot open and found Ami's gaze drilling into them with a fierce blue fire. "Oh my! Ami!" Makoto murmured as Ami dragged her to the ground with a snarl. ----------------- "I think that's a good place to stop, don't you Haruka-chan?" "Huh? What? Oh! Umm, yeah! Sorry, Michiru, I got a little carried away." "Awww! I want to hear the rest of it!" "Sorry, kiddo! They lived happily ever after, how about that! Maybe when you're 16 I'll tell you the rest." "Haruka!" "Kidding, Michiru-chan, kidding! 21, at least." "I wanted to hear all the [yawn] story." "Time for bed now, kiddo. Say night night." [yawn] "G'night." "And if I know you, my Haruka-chan, you'll be wanting to go to 'bed' now too?" "If you insist, Michiru! I'll race ya!"
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