"Psst, Ami-chan. Don't look now, but I think that guy at the counter is checking you out." Not heeding Makoto's advice, Ami curiously looked over her shoulder at her friend's observation. The plain-looking teenager just sucked down more of his milkshake as he eyed the booth that Ami, Makoto, Usagi, Mamoru, Rei, and Minako shared at the Crown. "No," Ami stated, with a tinge of barely noticeable disappointment in her voice. "He's looking at Mina-chan." "He better not be." Rei put a protective arm around her girlfriend, whose grin rivaled the Cheshire cat's. Ever since they toppled out of the closet, public display of affection was rampant between them. It took some getting used to for the rest of the senshi, until they learned to treat it like Usagi and Mamoru's behavior. Mamoru himself always tried to look away politely, but sometimes his eyes would slowly crawl back, until they caught him, and he would look away again as if nothing had happened. As for the Outers, it was hard to tell if they were really surprised or not. Haruka couldn't help laughing while Michiru elbowed her in the side and congratulated them with a smile. Setsuna wore that all-knowing smile that she had on most of the time, as if she had predicted the entire thing and was just waiting for it to happen. Rei was tempted to ask her if she had, neither she nor the others would put it past the time senshi. "I think you should go talk to him Ami-chan. Go strut your stuff and give him your number." Usagi suggested, excited by the possibility of a date for Ami. "What? No! I could never- He's not even looking at me!" "Yes he is. It's hard to tell because of the glare off his glasses. He seems like your type." Rei told her. Ami turned a confused look to her. "How do you know that?" "Umm I don't know..." Rei wasn't expecting to have to explain her baseless assumption. "Because he wears glasses...?" Ami just sighed and sipped her soda. It seemed like everyone was pairing off and now her friends were trying to get a date for "poor lonely Ami". She scoffed to herself. Why didn't they do it to Makoto? Probably because she was so capable of finding someone for herself. Or maybe it just seemed that way because she exuded so much confidence. Ami scratched her chin thoughtfully. What was her type? Ami's thoughts were jarred as her attention, as well as the rest of the table's, turned to someone approaching them. A brown-eyed teen with an easy smile stopped in front of Makoto and delivered a quiet, "Hi." Perplexing to the rest, Makoto kept her head down and focused on the sundae in front of her, swirling the vanilla and chocolate as she pretended not to hear him. "Mako-chan," Minako poked the girl in the side. She pointed at him and mouthed the words, "Cutie. Go for it." Makoto looked around the table and realized she couldn't keep ignoring him. With a deep breath she said, "Hi." "It's nice to see you." He said uneasily, looking at his shoes. Makoto just nodded. "I wish we could talk..." The entire table froze as they realized who it was. Usagi quietly squeaked, but not quietly enough for Makoto not to glare at her. She sighed, pushed her sundae away and rose from the table. "I guess we have to. Come on." She led him out of the Crown to the surprise and bewilderment of the entire group. "Kami! Do you know who that was?" Minako asked excitedly. "Her old sempai! I never saw him before." Usagi answered, also excited. She turned to Mamoru. "He's cute isn't he?" Mamoru looked at her. "He's okay-I mean, why are you asking me that?!" "Wasn't that crazy, Makoto's old boyfriend showing up?" Rei nodded and muttered something, as she and Minako walked home together from the Crown. Minako leaned closer to Rei and slipped her hand into hers. "What's up Rei? You're too quiet." She smiled fondly at her blonde girlfriend and squeezed her hand. "I've just been thinking of something." "Like what?" "Well... My father's coming back soon, in a week or so." Minako looked at the ground instead of Rei, wondering where this was leading, and being a bit nervous about it. "I want you to meet him." Minako closed her eyes briefly. She wanted to squirm badly, but instead she bit her lip. She cursed in her head but immediately waved it off and rationalized that she was Rei's girlfriend, and this was one of things she was obligated to do. "Mina?" Rei enquired on Minako's unnerving silence. She turned a bright smile on and hugged Rei's arm. "I'd love to meet him. I'm sure he'll be... nice." Rei chuckled. "He is nice. Sometimes." Minako smoothed her dress out one more time and shook her hands spastically as she tried to get the jitters out of her system. Her palms were clammy and cold and they trembled slightly. "Okay Minako, deep breaths." She followed her own order and inhaled deeply and exhaled extensively. "You can do this. Just smile and be polite, it'll be okay. It's just for an hour or two, and then it'll be all over. You got this." She jumped as the doorbell rang and checked her watch. 7:14, Rei really wanted to make sure she was on time and she was, to Minako's own amazement. "Wow. I must really be nervous." "Don't be Mina; you'll be great, if you just behave yourself." Minako glared at her white furred cat, who sat on her bed and cleaned himself. "What do you think Artemis, I'm going to start a food fight with the guy? Never mind being Rei's father, this... phantom of a man, he's a senator too!" "That is quite a lot of pressure." "Thanks, I just realized that." She said with biting sarcasm. Artemis rolled his eyes. "Don't bite my head off. Rei's the one that you're doing this for." Minako sighed. "I know." She twirled one last time in the mirror and grabbed her purse and jacket, heading for the door. "And If I get one thing out of this night I hope she's happy." "Hurry up the cab is waiting." Was Rei's greeting to her. "I'm coming, I'm coming..." "We're meeting Dad at the restaurant." Rei told her once they were off in side the cab. "You're nervous aren't you?" "Not really." Minako lied. "Then stop tapping your foot like that." Minako frowned at Rei's teasing laughter. "Shut up Rei. Can you blame me?" Rei continued smiling and put a hand on her leg. "No, not at all. You look really, really, really, good by the way." The tightness in Minako's stomach subsided momentarily as the cab pulled up in front of the restaurant. She followed Rei nervously to the table where the Senator was seated. "Rei-ko, sweetheart, look at you!" In his suit and tie with dignified touches of gray hair at the temples, the Senator hugged his daughter, who did her best to give him a one that he wouldn't pull away from. "You look more like your mother, every time I see you." Rei tried not to roll her eyes. "I'm glad to see you Dad. I've brought someone that I'd like you to meet." Minako emerged from behind Rei and smiled timidly. "Oh! You didn't tell me you were bringing a friend, Rei-ko." The Senator shook Minako's hand with a courteous smile. "How are you, sweetheart? Have a seat." They all sat, but not before Minako shot Rei a dismayed look. "You didn't tell him I was coming?" She whispered through clenched teeth from behind a menu. "I didn't have a chance." Rei whispered back. "So what's been going on with you Rei-ko? You've stopped calling me." "Only because you stopped calling me." The Senator pulled at his collar and Rei ignored his pained expression. "Well, Dad, some important things happened recently." "Oh?" "Yep," Rei looked at Minako. "I'm, uh, kind of... well no, I am seeing someone." Minako choked on her water. "Oh dear, are you alright?" The Senator asked worriedly. Minako looked at Rei and her eyes conveyed the message of confusion, shock and distress. "Rei?" The Senator's eyebrow rose at the level of familiarity between his daughter and her friend. "Okay... It seems like both of us would like to know what you mean, Rei-ko." Rei sighed. She decided she'd jump in with both feet before she changed her mind. And the way Minako was looking at her wasn't helping. "Well, Dad... Minako is my-" Senator Hino's eyes went to Minako's hand scraping the edge of the table. His eyebrow rose further. "She's my girlfriend." The momentary silence between the three of them was palpable. Rei briefly wondered if she had done the right thing or made a huge blunder. Minako's heart went from beating sporadically to just stopping altogether. The Senator rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He spoke first. "Your girlfriend... As in you are a-- Taking part in a different kind of-- She and you-" "Yes." Rei nodded solemnly, just imagining what could be going on in his head at the moment. "This is true?" He addressed Minako. She tried a few times to find her voice, but failing to, just nodded. The poor girl looked like a deer in headlights. "I see." "Good evening, tonight our specials are fillet mignon, chicken cordon bleu, and the house soup is French onion. Are you ready to order or do you need more time?" Rei glared at the waiter. "We need more time, thank you." She told him acidly. She put a hand on Minako's, who seemed to have come back from a trance at Rei's touch. "Well? What do you think?" She retracted her hand as she realized the Senator was looking at them peculiarly. "I'm not sure. How did this happen?" Rei nodded to Minako. "Why don't you tell him?" Minako wanted to yell "No, you're the one that got us into this!" but instead faced the Senator and explained, "It just happened. Your daughter and I like each other very much. It may not be your traditional love story, but we are together." She frowned at the blank expression on his face. "Are you telling me that you two are in love?" Rei nodded. "Yes, we are." The Senator rubbed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. He turned to the nearest waiter. "I need a whiskey sour as fast as possible." He faced the girls again and leaned back in his chair. "I very much doubt that two seventeen year old girls know much about love. I'll allow you to continue this... friendship for now, but I expect you to grow out of it. Your friend can pursue any path that she wishes, but as for you Rei-ko, you're my daughter. You're not fit for such things." "Have you decided yet?" The waiter returned. "I'll have the fillet mignon. Well done, please," The Senator ordered as if what just happened was a customary occurrence, and that his daughter and Minako weren't sitting across from him broken-hearted and bewildered. "Girls, what'll you have?" Minako gave the good public servant a dirty look and rose from the table. "I'm sorry, I suddenly feel sick. It was... 'Nice' meeting you, Senator Hino." "Where are you going, Mina?" Rei took her hand, aware of her father's eyes on them, which is partly why she did it. "Home, I can't stay." "I'm going with you." "No." Minako squeezed Rei's hand. "You stay. Try to have a good time with your father. I don't think I would." "Bye. Feel better." Senator Hino said to Minako's back as Rei sank down into her seat. "You should try the lobster here, it's excellent." "And then he was like 'You're not fit for such things'! I wanted to say something, but Rei didn't even say anything, so what could I do?" Minako explained the previous night to Makoto and Ami as they sat at the counter in the Crown. "So I just left and made Rei stay. I haven't talked to her yet." Makoto shook her head sympathetically. "That really bites, Mina-chan. But look on the bright-side, at least he didn't get into a rage and forbid you two to see each other. If you think about it, it could've been a lot worse." "I guess you're right Mako-chan. But I don't understand why Rei didn't tell me she was gonna pull a stunt like that in the first place. She didn't even tell her father that I was going!" "Maybe she felt like it was something she needed to do." Ami offered. Minako scoffed at the idea. "Well, I know that telling my parents about us is something that I do not need to do." Makoto chuckled quietly. "I guess I'm lucky I don't have to worry about stuff like that." Both Minako and Ami felt bad and put a hand on Makoto's shoulder. Then Minako remembered something and grinned mischievously at her friend. "You still didn't tell me what happened with you and your ex-boyfriend." Makoto just smiled shyly and stared at her lap. "He's not really an ex anymore." Minako gasped and Ami's eyes widened. "You got back together?" Minako's voice was high with excitement. "I'm so happy for you!" "Thanks Mina-chan." They both turned to Ami for a reaction. The blue-haired girl smiled quietly and her hand patted Makoto's back. "Good for you, Mako-chan." Minako smiled to herself, as the self-proclaimed Goddess of Love, she was always glad when other people found someone. As she pondered the possibility of a double date, her thoughts were interrupted by a daisy suddenly thrust in front of her face. She turned around to find Rei smiling affectionately at her. Minako immediately put her arms around her and squeezed. "I'm sorry you had to go through with that." Rei whispered in her ear. Minako stroked her thick black hair that cascaded down her back. "Its okay, it's okay," she whispered back. "I'd do it again, if you wanted me to." Rei buried her face into her girlfriend's neck. "I love you so much, you have no idea." "I love you too." Makoto and Ami sat there and couldn't help smiling as the warm and fuzzy feeling came over them. "So damn cute." Makoto remarked to Ami who simply sighed and turned her eyes elsewhere. Makoto chuckled quietly to herself, guessing why Ami chose to be silent. "Well guys, I'd love to stay for this heart-warming scene, but I have to go." "Where are you going?" Rei asked, finally pulling away from Minako. "Somewhere." Makoto was being unusually private. Ami looked from Makoto to Rei and Minako and back to Makoto. She looked as if she wanted to grab hold of Makoto's leg and make her stay. "Don't go." Under scrutinizing looks, she added, "It's still early. Stay a little more. Please." There was an inch of desperation in her voice that no one caught. "Sorry, Ami-chan, can't. I have things to do." the brown-haired girl replied cryptically with a secretive smile. Minako threw her head back and laughed. "You mean you have someone to do!" Makoto rolled her eyes at her mischievous friend. "You're real low key Mina-chan. Anyway, I'll see you guys later, bye." Ami waved weakly to Makoto's retreating form. She sat dejectedly in her seat and cautiously looked over at Rei and Minako. Minako was feeding Rei ice cream and the miko tried to take it as provocatively as possible. Ami caught herself before she made a face. They were her friends, and of course she was happy for them. They had everything they wanted in the other person, they were in love, they just happened to make it work, somehow. She was definitely happy for them. So why did she get this strange feeling every time she was around them? Or at least every time they acted like that. 'Oh God,' Ami put her hand over her eyes as she had an epiphany. 'I can't believe I'm jealous of them.' Usagi's raucous laughter approached them and Ami looked up, grateful that she wouldn't be alone. Upon seeing Usagi leading Mamoru by the hand to the counter she immediately decided that this situation would be too much. She thought it over briefly, wondering why she never had that feeling around Usagi and Mamoru, now only with Minako and Rei. Maybe it was because they were bonded by destiny. Maybe because they weren't as exciting. She shook her head. She knew why. And she'd just have to forget about it. "Hi Ami-chan!" Usagi greeted, extra-bubbly and energetic today. "Hello Usagi-chan, Mamoru-kun. I'm sorry, I was just leaving." "Already Ami-chan?" Minako asked as Rei fed her a cherry. "Yes..." She gave them a peculiar look as Minako rolled the cherry around in her mouth. "I just remembered I have cram school today. So I have to go prepare my books." That was enough to let her off the hook, so she zipped off barely hearing their goodbyes as she was out the door. Rei and Minako giggled like naughty schoolchildren as they ran up the stairs of the shrine hand in hand. Rei stopped short in their sprint to the bedroom and put a finger to her lips before Minako could ask what was wrong. She listened carefully. "Damn it," she swore, "Grandpa's home. He said he was visiting another shrine and wouldn't be back until late." Minako couldn't hide her disappointment. "Well, it's okay. We can go to my house and put Artemis outside and turn the volume of the stereo up really loud." Rei grinned at her girlfriend's cheekiness. "I like that idea. Okay, we have to make sure he doesn't hear us-" "Rei, my child, are you home?" "Leave," Rei finished, cringing. She cursed again under her breath. "Yes, Grandpa, I'm home." "Then come here, there is someone I'd like you to meet." The old man called from the living room. Rei made a face and Minako laughed at her. She kissed her girlfriend lightly and started towards the door. Rei grabbed her wrist. "Oh no you're not." "Rei! He wants you to meet them, not me! Let go." "Uh uh. There's still a chance I can get out of this." She practically drug Minako behind her into the living room. Her grandfather, Yuuichiro, and a girl that she didn't know were there, sitting and watching her. She bowed to them. Yuuichiro got up energetically at the sight of Rei and upon seeing Minako standing behind her restrained himself and weakly waved to her. Minako impatiently waved back, peeved that Rei was holding her hostage. "Ah, I see you've brought Minako-san." Her grandfather observed. "Yes, Grandpa, we were just on our way to Minako's house." "Oh, for what?" Minako put a hand over her mouth and quietly giggled as she wondered what would happen if they told the old man the truth. Rei jabbed her gently with her elbow, to which she giggled harder. "Oh nothing really, Grandpa." "Well good, I need you here anyhow." He finally turned to the girl; who was sitting there the whole time quietly, her brown eyes on Rei and Minako, and a peculiarly amused smile on her fine face. "This is Tora Akako. She's from a shrine in a Yokohama, the granddaughter of the shrine master over there." Rei inclined her head slightly, as did the girl. "Nice to meet you, Tora-san." "Please, call me Akako." The girl insisted. "Yes you'd better." The old man interjected. "Akako-san will be staying for a good amount of time. Her grandfather thinks it a rich experience for her to learn from someone like you." "Like me?" Rei repeated incredulously. Minako also looked on in surprise. "Don't underrate yourself, Rei," Yuuichiro piped in, quite unexpectedly. He blushed as he realized everyone was looking at him. "I mean your relationship with the sacred fire. It would be useful for Akako-san to learn something like that from you." Rei was still astonished. She smiled complacently, it was all very flattering. "I guess so. Then, welcome, Akako-san. I hope this will be an enlightening experience." "I have no doubts" The black-haired Akako replied with a pleased smile. Minako raised an eyebrow at the occurrences of the past ten minutes, and wondered why she was even there. And she also wondered why Rei was still smiling. "What an ego," She whispered teasingly to Rei who pretended to glare at her. "Freddy, honey, what are you doing?" Makoto asked through clenched teeth, trying to keep a smile on her face. Freddy continued to smother his lips against Makoto's neck and let his hands reacquaint themselves, as she tried to open the door to her apartment. "I just wanna pick up where we left off, baby." "I don't think that's where we left off." She told him as politely as possible. She turned to face him so she could control his hands. "What? I thought you missed me. You said you missed me. That's what you said. You missed me right?" Makoto smiled and tried to reassure him. She remembered him being a little less insecure. "Of course I did, but, I think we should talk first." "Talk? About what?" His face clearly showed how he felt about that idea. Makoto was finally able to get her door open, so led him inside as she answered him, "Well, I haven't seen you in a long time. Long time." She felt the need to overstress that part. "And we didn't exactly part on the best of terms." Freddy chuckled as he remembered. "Yeah. You almost hit me." Makoto tapped her finger to her lips as she dug the scene out of her memory. "No, I think I did hit you." "No you didn't. If you did, it didn't hurt." "Oh yeah?" "Yeah. I would've remembered if a girl hit me and it hurt." Makoto just smiled and Freddy smiled back at her. Her blow to his shoulder may have caught him by surprise, but made him stumble back and yelp in pain all the same. "Oh I'm sorry honey! I didn't mean to do it that hard!" She guided him to the sofa and sat him down, a hint of sadistic delight in her voice. "Okay, I get it Makoto. You hit me, we'll talk." "Alright, let's talk." She took a seat on the sofa next to him, not to close, but not very far away. Neither of them enjoyed the ensuing silence too much. "Y'know for a conversation to happen, someone has to say something." She prodded. Taking in his shrug and bored expression, she sighed. "I guess it'll be me." She thought back to the day they broke up, now a cloudy memory, but with some very vivid details, the gazebo, the rain, the tears. So long ago, and now she could finally ask him what she's been burning to know ever since. "Why?" Freddy looked at her strangely. "Why what?" She shook her head at him. "Don't be stupid. Tell me. Why?" He exhaled heavily and fidgeted with the zipper on his jacket. He knew this was coming and kicked himself mentally for not preparing for it. Now he'd have to tell the closest thing to the truth. "I don't know why Makoto." His eyes met hers, and as honest as he sounded she didn't look like she was buying it. "She was just, there. I knew I had you but... It was a dumb mistake. I was a stupid kid." Makoto gave him a dubious look. "So what are you now?" He shrugged. "Not a stupid kid? Look, it doesn't matter-" "It does matter, Freddy. You have no idea what I felt like when we broke up. You have no idea what happened to me afterwards. I thought we were in love." She laughed sardonically at herself. "I was insane. Every other half-decent guy reminded me of you." He smiled at this and put a hand on her knee. Makoto was surprised at how good and secure that simple gesture made her feel. She missed that feeling. "If it's worth anything now," He began in a half-whisper close to her ear, "I'm sorry. All I want to do is start over with you." She took his hand, trying to hold back the emotions stirring her insides. She let him guide her chin so she faced him and took her lips in a gentle kiss. Makoto sighed, remembering how amazing he could be.
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