The evening had started out innocently enough. Makoto, who had been struggling with some new equations they'd been given, had begged Ami for some extra help with them. Where everyone else at their usual afternoon study session, including Usagi, had seemed to finally catch on, she just couldn't seem to grasp them. Since Ami's Mom had to work that night she had suggested that Makoto just come home with her. They'd get comfortable, order some delivery and tackle the mathematical youma attacking Mako's head. "Sounds good to me," Makoto had agreed. She was really worried about this lesson, math being a subject she hated and really had to work hard at. Gathering up their books, they had bid everyone goodnight and hand in hand, headed out the door. Upon arrival at the Mizuno's house, Makoto had taken their books and headed for the living room while Ami had entered her Mother's study to call in an order for delivery. "Oh my god! What IS that thing?" she heard Makoto exclaim from the other room. "What?" Ami asked, walking into the living room, portable phone in hand. "THAT!" Makoto said, her eyes fixed on the offending object. "It's hideous!" "Oh, that," Ami said, giggling. "That's Mom's new 'buried treasure' she found last week when she went antique hunting. It's a 17th century armoire she found hidden in the back of an old antique shop downtown." "Yeah, it sure looks like it was 'buried' all right," Makoto quipped, looking at how filthy her hand was from just reaching out to touch one of the badly stained double doors on the front of the piece. "I can see why it was hidden in the back." "Makoto! Stop," Ami laughed. "It's really not that bad. By the time Mom has it restored you won't be able to recognize it!" Makoto had looked skeptical. "Really!" Ami insisted. "She seems to have a real eye for this kind of thing," she continued, her eyes clearly showing the deep affection she had for her Mother. "She really enjoys it too, and it gives her a chance to get away from medical stuff every once in a while." "Okay," Makoto relented. "If you say so," she said, reaching forward to pull the smaller girl gently into her arms. Her heart thrilled as she felt Ami snuggle into her embrace. "I say so," Ami replied, her head resting lightly against Makoto's chest, a smile coming unbidden to her lips as she listened to Mako's steady heartbeat. After a few moments of comfortable silence Makoto had said, "you really love your Mom a lot, don't you?" "Yeah," Ami answered from the warm comfort of her lover's arms. "She really had it rough for a while after my Father all but left. Somehow though, she seemed to pull it all together and we made out all right." Makoto rocked her gently as Ami continued. "I worry about her sometimes though. She pushes herself a little too hard sometimes. Like today." "What about today?" Makoto asked. Ami sighed. "Well, she has a twelve hour shift in the ER today and she's really not well." Frowning, she said, "I tried to convince her to stay home, but she just insisted she'd be fine." "Well, you just have to trust her then," Makoto said. "I'm sure if it gets to the point she can't do her job, she'll come home. She wouldn't do anything to endanger her patients would she?" "No..." "Well, then?" Hugging Makoto closer to her, she sighed. "Yeah, you're right, of course. If her temperature starts to go back up she'll come home." "Feel better now?" Makoto asked. "I think so," Ami said, smiling at Makoto. With a slight squeeze, Makoto said, "We'd better get to work or I'll never get done." "Yes, you will," Ami promised. "You'll see! Come on." Taking Makoto by the hand, she led her to the small table in the center of the room where the hated math assignment waited. Two hours, one pizza, and a two liter sprite later, the light had gone on, and Makoto had grinned in delight as the hateful formula had finally made sense. Ami had been amused to see the ferocity with which her girlfriend had attacked the related problems in her assignment, her pencil fairly flying across the paper in front of her as she knocked out one after another. Soon though, Ami begin to find her attention wandering elsewhere... The curve of Makoto's neck as she leaned over her work... The play of the firm muscles just under the smooth, lightly tanned skin of her arm as she worked the yellow pencil in her hand... The adorable way her tongue just seemed to be peeking from between her lips on one side... The way that sleeveless, mock turtleneck seemed to just cling to her in all the right places... "Are you okay Mako-chan?" Ami asked suddenly, a bit surprised at just how breathless she sounded. "I mean, does it feel a bit warm in here to you?" "No, I'm fine," Makoto had answered without ever looking up from her work. There was about her the air of someone with a grim determination to finish a hated and unwanted task. "Oh," Ami said, a bit disappointed. "It must be just me then." "Uh," Makoto had grunted in acknowledgment. "Do you mind if I step out for a few minutes?" Ami inquired. "No, no. That's fine sweetheart," Makoto said, eyes still fixed on her work, never seeing the blush that covered Ami's face at her endearment. "Do whatever you have to do. I'll be all right here." "Okay, love" Ami responded, her blush deepening. "I'll be right back." Makoto lost all track of time as she worked through her final homework assignment. She was totally unaware of Ami's return a short time later until she heard her voice from behind her. "How's it coming?" Ami asked. "Great!" Makoto answered. "I'm almost finished!" she said, head still bent over her work. Ami giggled softly. She had the distinct impression of a race horse headed down the home stretch. "So," Ami inquired. "How much longer?" "I'm on the last one now," Makoto said. "Say, you know this wasn't so bad once I got the hang of it." "I never doubted you for a minute, love." "Thanks Ami!" Makoto said with a warm smile as she finished the last problem. "I never would have gotten this without your help. Say, would you mind looking over these for me? Just to make double sure I didn't screw them up somewhere?" "Maybe later," Ami said, her lips next to Makoto's ear as her arms encircled her shoulders from behind her place on the couch. "I have something else I'd prefer to 'look over' right now." Pleasantly surprised, Makoto turned to meet Ami. "Is that so?" she asked. "Oh yes, most definitely!" she whispered as she leaned further over the couch to meet Makoto's eager lips. All thoughts of time or math fled before the wave of feelings ignited by their kiss. Turning slightly in the circle of Ami's arms, Makoto placed a hand gently against the back of her Ami's head to steady her as they deepened their kiss. With great care, Makoto pulled the smaller girl over the back of the couch and into her arms, vividly aware of the wash of her emotions in the rapid beating of her heart. "I love you, Ami," she said into Ami's thick, blue hair as she held her close to her heart. "Oh Makoto," Ami replied, her voice barely discernible as she caressed Makoto's cheek. "I love you too, so very much!" With a renewed hunger, the young lovers resumed their kisses, both starting to feel the rise of a passion that was still so new to them. Holding Ami in her arms, Makoto started to realize that Ami had slipped into something more comfortable...and very familiar when she'd left the room. Delivering a line of soft kisses down the side of the delicate neck before her, Makoto said, "m-m-m, that shirt looks kind of familiar." "Does it?" Ami asked, her eyes closed as her head rolled slightly to the side to provide Mako with easier access. "Seeing as it's mine, yeah," Makoto answered, working her way across Ami's collarbone with teasing nibbles. "Well, it's mine now," Ami said, running her fingers through Makoto's hair, freeing it from it's customary pony tail. "What if I want it back?" Makoto asked as her hands slid under the shirt in question and moved softly, but firmly up either side of Ami's spine. "Then you'll just have to take it," Ami whispered, looking into Makoto's eyes, the fire in hers plainly seen. "Ami-love," Makoto whispered back as she lowered the shirt over Ami's shoulders and kissed her deeply and passionately, a kiss Ami returned with vigor. "Ami?" The voice came out of nowhere and was accompanied by the slamming of the front door, and a violent sneeze. "Ami? Are you home?" "Oh..." Ami said, her eyes as big as saucers as she looked at her lover in desperation. "God!" Makoto finished, the icy, cold finger of fear slipping down her spine. ********************************************************************** "Oh. My. God!" was all Minako could say, horror written across her face as she stared at the young couple seated across from her on the love seat. Rei was aghast. "You've got to be kidding! I'm mean, she actually walked in on you two?!?" "Well no, not exactly," Ami said. "It wasn't quite that simple." "Is it ever?" Haruka asked with a wide grin. "No!" Makoto moaned, from behind the shield of her hands, still refusing to looked at the others. "Steady, love," Ami soothed, rubbing Makoto's back in comfort. Smiling at the rest of the group she said. "She's right though. I guess these things can never really be simple." "So what happened next?" Usagi asked, leaning forward in anticipation of a juicy tale. "Oh, never fear," Ami assured her. "It gets better..." "Better?" Makoto asked, giving an incredulous look to her partner, one eyebrow raised in question. "Hush love! I'm telling this one." Ami said with a wink and a smile at her uncomfortable lover.
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