The Dance
Ami sat in the living room of the mansion and let out a sigh.
Haruka and Michiru had to go out for a charity event, and Hotaru was
still young enough that they didn't think it prudent to leave her home
alone. Naturally Ami, being the most responsible of the Senshi, was
their first choice of babysitter. She said yes of course; she got along
fairly well with the young Senshi of Death, and even if the Outers
seemed a bit distant at times they were nice enough once one got to know
them.
Hotaru had just gone to bed for the evening, leaving Ami alone in the
large mansion the Outers lived in. Today was an anniversary of sorts for
Ami, one which brought with it feelings of melancholy and an unwelcome
somberness to the young genius. She closed her eyes, allowing the
bittersweet memories to return.
----
It was a year ago today that it happened, during the Tozei University
Campus Fair. There was a dance party in the gymnasium, and she, along
with the others, had shown up dressed for the occasion. But none of them
were dressed as elegantly or as beautifully as Makoto. The taller girl
had chosen a low-cut black dress with a red rose print that took Ami's
breath away. She'd never seen her friend look so radiant, or felt such
longings as she did when she first saw her showing the dress off to
everyone outside the gymnasium.
Once inside the dance party, however, nobody came near Makoto; they were
all intimidated by her height (and perhapse her beauty as well). Ami
still didn't know where she got the courage to ask Mako-chan to dance
with her, but somehow she did, and somehow the brunette accepted.
It had only been the briefest of minutes they actually shared together,
but for Ami it had been heaven. At the time the blue-haired Senshi
couldn't stop looking into Makoto's translucent green eyes as they
glided across the dance floor, her heart feeling as if it would burst as
they both smiled happily at one another. Carried away by the moment, she
took a deep breath and decided that it was finally time to confess her
feelings to her friend.
That was when he showed up.
----
Ami opened her eyes sadly. Tiger's Eye, a member of the Amazon Trio, had
disguised himself and snuck into the university dance party, asking
Makoto to be his dance partner before she could open herself to the
brunette. Mako-chan became infatuated with her new blond-haired dance
partner, further breaking Ami's heart at the time.
It was a year ago. And here she was a year later, in a large house,
feeling empty and sad. Also, she just so happened to be wearing the same
green dress she'd worn the year before at the party. With Hotaru
sleeping soundly and her alone now, she felt the need to somehow do
something to mark the occasion. She looked over to her left, where
Haruka and Michiru's collection of CDs sat next to a large stereo
system. Getting up from her seat, she walked over and began to browse.
There was classical music of course, as well as light jazz and a few
albums by some of the more popular idol singers that she guessed
belonged to Hotaru. Then something caught her eye; an album by a singer
her mother had been a fan of when she was Ami's age.
As quietly as possible, Ami began moving the living room furniture back
in order to leave her a small clear area in which to move around in. She
then went back to the rack and grabbed the CD.
------
Makoto angrily wiped another tear from her eye as she sat in the back of
the taxi.
----
Her date had turned out to be a disaster; all throughout the movie she'd
been kept busy fending off his unwanted advances. The jerk must've been
part-octopus, his hands were everywhere. Then, after the film, he
suggested they go for a stroll in the park. He took her off guard when
he roughly grabbed hold of her, intending to take advantage of the fact
that no one was around.
She returned the favor, surprising him with a quick jab to his throat,
followed by a hip-toss. He lay on the ground, coughing and groaning as
he clutched at his throat while Makoto quickly turned on her heels and
stormed angrily off.
----
She looked down at her wrist, and saw the small bruises he'd left behind
when he'd grabbed her. She wasn't even attracted to the guy, not really.
She'd been over her senior for a while now, and anyways the creep didn't
even resemble her ex. She didn't know why she even bothered to agree to
a date with him in the first place.
No, that was a lie. She knew.
She agreed to date him because she wanted to feel normal. And normal
people didn't nurse crushes on their best friends.
Of course there was Haruka and Michiru, and they were perfectly normal
(well, more or less), but Makoto had never felt this way for another
woman before. She wasn't even sure when she started to have feelings for
Ami, but she knew it had been for a while now.
But then, how could anyone not love Ami? The blue-haired girl was always
there for her, both as a fellow Senshi and as a friend. She was a great
listener; no matter how busy she might be, she always had time to spend
with Makoto and hear her out, offering advice and encouragement. She
also had quite possibly the cutest face the taller girl had ever seen.
And right now, as Makoto continued to rub her wrist, all she wanted to
do was see her again.
She'd called Ami's apartment, and her mom told her she was babysitting
Hotaru tonight. She'd hailed a cab, given the driver directions, and now
found herself pulling up to the front of the Outer's mansion. She paid
the cabbie, turned to the front door, and walked over. She was angry,
and her wrist hurt, but most of all she felt a lonely longing in her
heart. She was in love with Ami, but she knew she could never tell her;
the thought of losing Ami's friendship was incentive enough for Makoto
to keep her mouth shut. So she kept her true feelings bottled up, wiped
away another tear (whether it was from the events earlier that day or
her longing for her friend she neither knew nor cared) and opened the
door.
She was greeted by the sight of Ami bent over in front of a stereo
system, adjusting the volume and certain other knobs before placing a CD
into the machine. She selected a song and, as Makoto looked silently on,
she stood up, holding her arms up in front of her as if there was an
invisible dance partner. A piano began to play forth from the speakers,
and then a woman started singing in a high, haunting voice.
Out on the wiley, windy moors
We'd roll and fall in green.
You had a temper like my jealousy:
Too hot, too greedy.
Ami smiled as she closed her eyes, her body swaying to the music as she
danced with her imaginary partner.
How could you leave me,
When I needed to possess you?
I hated you. I loved you, too.
Makoto didn't move, didn't even dare breathe. She was transfixed by the
site in front of her. Ami was always so reserved and quiet, and to see
her dancing in Haruka and Michiru's living room with an imaginary
partner to the ethereal music pouring forth from the sound system was
almost too surreal.
Bad dreams in the night.
They told me I was going to lose the fight,
Leave behind my Wuthering, Wuthering
Wuthering Heights.
She was so beautiful, the girl with the blue hair and the green dress,
that Makoto could feel a lump in her throat as...
It was then that she realized she'd seen her in the dress before. A year
ago, wasn't it? At that dance at that university. The smallest glimmer
of hope emerged deep within Makoto's bosom. Had the dance really meant
that much to Ami?
And was it because they danced together?
Heathcliff, it's me--Cathy.
Come home. I'm so cold!
Let me in-a-your window.
Ami continued to dance, but her smile had vanished. The old melancholy
was back; this wasn't the university auditorium, and she wasn't dancing
with Makoto. She was alone in the Outers' mansion, dancing with nobody.
Suddenly, she felt a soft hand brush against hers. She opened her eyes
with a start, a familiar pair of green eyes meeting her deep blue ones.
Heathcliff, it's me--Cathy.
Come home. I'm so cold!
Let me in-a-your window.
Ami's mouth hung open; she tried to say something even as she could feel
herself start to blush under Makoto's gaze. She'd just been caught
dancing around like a fool while she was babysitting, and by the person
whose opinion meant more to her than anyone else's. What was Mako-chan
doing here anyways?
Before the mortified young woman could collect herself, Makoto stepped
closer and, still holding her hand, put her other arm around Ami's back
as she began to dance with the blue-haired Senshi.
Ooh, it gets dark! it gets lonely,
On the other side from you.
I pine a lot. I find the lot
Falls through without you.
I'm coming back, love.
Cruel Heathcliff, my one dream,
My only master.
Ami stared wide-eyed at her friend as they danced together in the small
room. This was a dream; it had to be. Makoto was supposed to be on a
date, why would she suddenly show up here at the mansion? She reached up
a tentative hand, touching the taller girl ever so lightly on the cheek.
Makoto's heart felt like it would soar out of her chest. Ami, her best
friend, was stroking her cheek! She smiled down at the smaller girl as
she reached over, gently stroking the side of Ami's neck.
Too long I roam in the night.
I'm coming back to his side, to put it right.
I'm coming home to wuthering, wuthering,
Wuthering heights,
They both saw it there as they swayed to the music in the living room;
the pain, the loneliness, and the longing. Ami kept her one hand on
Makoto's cheek as she stood on her tiptoes, closing her eyes as Makoto
closed the gap.
Heathcliff, it's me--Cathy.
Come home. I'm so cold!
Let me in-a-your window.
Their lips came together, Ami's heart melting as Makoto continued to
stroke the side of her neck. The taller girl began to suck on her
friend's lower lip, getting a low moan of appreciation in response from
the object of her affections.
Heathcliff, it's me--Cathy.
Come home. I'm so cold!
Let me in-a-your window.
Makoto opened her mouth slightly. Ami cautiously slid her tongue in past
her friend's soft, full lips, and soon felt her taller friend's tongue
rubbing up against hers.
Ooh! let me have it.
Let me grab your soul away.
Ooh! let me have it.
Let me grab your soul away.
You know it's me--Cathy!
They were no longer dancing, yet neither seemed to care. Ami's hands had
lowered, resting on Makoto's hips as the brunette hugged her close, lost
in the moment. It was like a fairy tale, and yet here she was with the
woman she loved in her arms. Her botched date and sore wrist were
forgotten as she deepened the kiss.
As they stood there, their lips locked and holding one another while the
music washed over them from the speakers, they were unaware of the front
door opening.
Heathcliff, it's me--Cathy.
Come home. I'm so cold!
Let me in-a-your window.
Haruka, dressed in slacks, a white dress shirt and tan sports jacket,
and Michiru, dressed elegantly for an evening out in a beautiful dark
blue dress, looked wide eyed at Ami and Makoto, then at one another,
then again at their two friends and fellow Senshi kissing in their
living room.
Heathcliff, it's me--Cathy.
Come home. I'm so cold!
Let me in-a-your window...
"Well..." Haruka murmured out of the corner of her mouth so that only
Michiru could hear her, "Now do you see why I wanted to stay home? Look
at all the things we miss when we go out."
-Finis-
------
Inspired by the song Whuthering Heights by Kate Bush.
For Helena.
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