Another night, another dark street for Makoto Kino to stroll down, alone. The statuesque, pony-tailed brunette had gotten used to these walks by now. Not too many men to 'accidentally' bump into her; not too many young punks to harass her or make fun of her height; and--thankfully for her--not too many people on which to take her frustrations. She could just as well put any and all offenders in the hospital in short order, but it would be for naught, since there'd always be more to replace them. Those who knew of her steered clear of her Even the rare fool who'd dare try to bother Makoto on her way home thought twice before getting into punching range.. She was not to be tangled with, a tiger on the prowl, and that was one of the reasons why she was always a solitary prowler. Makoto was about to reach her apartment building when she heard the "click-click-click" of someone running toward her. She turned to attack, but changed her stance when the runner came nearer. "Minako?" Sure enough, it was Minako Aino, in her guise as Sailor Venus, running full speed with her arms spread out and hands pointed up. Her long blonde hair streamed behind her like a golden flame trail. Makoto thought she looked funny running that way, as if she was a plane preparing to-- "Take off!" The blonde woman with the large red hair-bow shouted as she ran straight up to Makoto, leapt up into the air, vaulted off of Makoto's shoulders, and did a flawless double summersault with a full twist. The young heroine landed a few yards away under a conveniently-placed streetlight, feet together and planted firmly on the ground. She threw up her arms in triumph and waited for the roar of the non-existent crowd. "And she stiffs the discount!" she cried victoriously. Makoto was not impressed. She strode over to the smiling blonde and corrected her. "Um...I believe you mean 'sticks the dismount', though I didn't appreciate being used as a pommel horse." "Uh-oh," Sailor Venus said doing her own color commentary. "Looks like she's gonna get low marks from the Russian judge!" A quick check to see if anyone else was watching, and Sailor Venus disappeared in a flash of brilliant golden light and metallic sparks. In her place stood Minako Aino, the large red bow in her hair the only remnant of her previous visage. "Come on, Mako-chan. You gotta admit it was well-done. Besides, it got your attention, didn't it?" That much was true, Makoto thought to herself. "You could have found a better way of doing so. I'm sure you wouldn't try that with Rei." Minako paused for a moment and played the scene out in storyboard form in her mind: her running toward Rei; the miko hitting her in the forehead with a spirit ward; her flying through the air on fire; and finally her ashes being serenely swept away by the shrine priestess. "Hmm...I guess you're right. Though I'd probably find a different way of...ahem, 'jumping' Rei-chan!" Minako finished the sentence with a wink and a grin. Makoto just shook her head. "You're certifiably crazy, you know that?" "Not yet...the certificate should arrive in four to six weeks," Minako said matter-of-factly. "Until then I'm 'unlicensed' crazy!" At a loss at how to respond to that, Makoto changed the subject. "To what do I owe this bit of lunacy, anyway?" "Oh, I wanted to talk to you about something. I just wanted to confirm some suspicions I had, that's all." "And that would be...?" Makoto raised an eyebrow. "Well, let's see...how do I put this delicately?" Minako paused, grinned, and then whirled around dramatically, pointing her finger at Makoto as if she was a trial lawyer interrogating a witness. "You're in love, aren't you! Don't deny it! I've seen the evidence!" "MINAKO!!" Makoto was shocked by Minako's 'delicate' tactic. "Ah-ha! Then you don't deny it!" Whatever gesture Minako was about to make was cut short by Makoto grabbing her by the waist and hauling her into the apartment building. "Objection! The witness is harassing the prosecution!" Makoto held Minako's head to the wall of the vestibule with her hand over Minako's mouth while she used the other to fish out her keys. "I'll let you go if you just shut up long enough for us to get in my place, deal?" Minako flashed up a "V" with her fingers and nodded. Makoto opened the door and headed for the elevator, still holding Minako's head in her hand. Minako gave her a puzzled look, but Makoto answered angrily, "I changed my mind." --- Minako rubbed her jaw as she sat on the futon in Makoto's living room. She watched as the apartment's owner took off her jacket and put it away. Makoto then returned and plopped herself next to the pouting blonde. "That hurt, you know! You should learn to be more gentle." Minako whined. "I wouldn't have to be so rough if you weren't so crazy," Makoto barked back and then caught herself. "I-I'm sorry, Mina-chan. You surprised me, and I had to do something to keep you quiet" "Kissing me would've worked," Minako smirked, her pain quickly forgotten. "But I think those lips are reserved for someone else. Come on, spill the peas!" Minako bounced with excitement, awaiting the juicy details. However, Makoto defused her, "I-I can't..." She then went into the kitchen. leaving a pouting Minako behind. "Fine, I'll just wait here." Minako patiently looked around the living room, and then decided to let her mind wander with her. 'No pictures...not even of her parents. No stuffed animals, no knick-knacks, no real personal items at all. Just cookbooks, gardening magazines, plants, and the basics. She really is alone.' Makoto returned with two cups of tea, and handed one to Minako, the herbal scent rousing the girl from her musings. She had noticed that Minako's demeanor had changed from playfully aggressive to caring. "Mina-chan, I can't. It's Ami. I can't...love....her" Makoto's voice was barely above a whisper "What do you mean you 'can't'? Of course you can. You're a person, she's a person. You love her, I'm certain she loves you. You love each other...happily ever after." Minako's simplicity took Makoto aback. "No, Mina-chan. I didn't say I -don't- love her, I said I -can't- love her. I can't really love anyone...not, not that way anymore." "So you DO love her!" Minako beamed. "Well, all you have to do is tell her and get rid of that whole 'can't' thing, and you'll be fine." The brakes suddenly applied in Minako's head. "What do you mean you -can't-?" "I mean I can't open my heart like that again. I've been hurt too many times, Mina-chan. Sure, I chase boys just as well as you and Rei do, but I never go through it with, because I know I'll only get used and dumped in the end. It's all a show. I'd rather be alone to be hurt again." Makoto looked away from Minako, trying to hide her tears. For once, Minako was at a loss for words. She knew what Makoto said was true; she had known the girl long enough to have seen it with her own eyes. Being the senshi of love, however, Minako found her voice and used it to try and console her friend. "Mako-chan...you can't live without love. You can exist, but you can't live. It could be that you just haven't found the right person. You can't just give up. You know what they say...'if you fall off a horse, just get back on and drive it'!" Makoto allowed herself a momentary smile "What if that horse stomps you when you're on the ground?" "Ami wouldn't do that!" Minako's loudness surprised even herself. "But she could," Makoto shot back. "I couldn't bear that. Not from her. I don't want to take the chance of that happening." She started to rise from the futon, but Minako gently took her hand. "Hmmm...I see you're going to be difficult, as usual. So I'm going to have to resort to more spastic measures." Minako closed her eyes for a moment, took a deep breath and spoke to Makoto as softly as possible. "Look into my eyes and tell me what you see." Makoto glanced over at Minako. "They're big and blue." "No, Mako-chan...don't look -at- my eyes, look -into- them, deep and long and hard, and tell me what you see." "Fine," huffed Makoto, if just to humor the girl. She turned to look, and saw that Minako was mere inches from her face, giving her full view of her beautiful eyes. "They're big and blue...a really pretty blue...and they're deep...they seem to...go on...for...ev...er.." Makoto felt herself fading into Minako's eyes. She also felt something warm on her lips.......something warm and wet, comforting and healing. She tried to resist for a moment, but her mind and body wouldn't respond--it felt too good. She let the feeling overtake her, and soon she was gone.
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