Chapter 16: Saturday evening
---------------------
Minako glanced down at the piece of paper one last time as she
walked along. Kenjo's directions had been quite clear with lots
of landmarks noted, so she had little doubt that she was in the
right place. As he'd promised, it had not been a long walk from
the bus stop. Looking up, she followed the line of numbers,
counting homes, until she found his, and sure enough, he was
standing outside with a couple of bags. She was amazed by the
joy that came from such a simple thing as the sight of him
waiting for her. The sudden lurch in her tummy warned her of
just how much she regretted that he had to go back to school so
soon. 'It will only be a few weeks, and then he'll be home
again,' she reminded herself.
"Right on time, Mina-chan," Kenjo congratulated her as she
approached. "Did you have any trouble finding the place?"
"No, no trouble," she informed him. "Been waiting long?"
"Not really." For some reason, Kenjo suddenly felt shy, almost
afraid to meet her gaze.
"So, I don't get to meet your parents?" Minako asked laughingly.
"I hope you're not ashamed of me."
"It's a little early yet for parent-meeting, don't you think?"
Kenjo replied, slowly feeling more at ease. He marveled at her
ability to continually make him smile.
"I suppose," Minako admitted, "though 'early' assumes that there
will be a 'later', doesn't it?" Though her tone was teasing, her
expression was anything but. Rei had once told her that you
don't fall in love at first sight, that love grows over time.
Minako knew that it was indeed much too early to talk about love,
but at the same time, she'd never felt like this about anyone.
Even though they had known each other less than a week, only
dated twice, she could sense a connection with him. The depth
and strength of that connection, at least the potential of it,
was awe-inspiring, in both the good and frightening senses of the
term.
Kenjo heard the jest in her voice, but could see the seriousness
in her eyes. "Not an assumption, I hope," he said quietly. "I
don't know where this is going, but I can't wait to find out."
For a moment, Minako lost herself in his eyes. He was everything
she'd ever wanted in a man: caring, intelligent, loving,
handsome, respectful, strong. Now that he stood before her,
the love... no, not love, not this soon... the emotion clear in
his expression, she wondered if she was ready for something like
this.
"Well, I do know where this is going in one sense," Kenjo said,
picking up his bags, "and that is to the train station." Though
he'd purposely broken the mood, he smiled at her warmly, hoping
she'd understand that he knew what she was thinking, and that he
was thinking the same things as well.
"Here, let me take one of those," Minako offered. Clearly, if he
carried both bags, he wouldn't have an arm free, and Mina found
that unacceptable. Taking the smaller bag and draping it over
her shoulder, she laced her other arm around his as they headed
off to the train station. As always, the feel of his hand in
hers made sparks fly.
------------------------
"We're here! Are you ready to go?!!!!"
Usagi's voice echoed throughout the shrine. Naru covered her
ears to spare herself the headache. She'd almost forgotten the
decibel levels, not to mention the pitch, which Usagi could
produce.
Soon enough, a surly looking Hino Rei stepped out of the building
and down the steps to meet them. "You don't have to scream all
the time, you know!"
Naru caught her breath. It had been quite dark in the shrine the
other night, so she hadn't been able to see Rei very well. 'I'd
forgotten how beautiful she is,' she realized. Strangely, Naru
did not feel the twinge of jealousy or regret she would normally
expect upon seeing such a stunningly attractive young woman. She
felt something though, but before she could pin it down, Usagi
was dragging her forward.
"Rei, we're going shopping, not out dancing! What's with the
outfit?" Usagi complained. Usagi had worn a blue flannel shirt
and jeans, anticipating that she'd be trying on lots of outfits
and doing quite a bit of walking.
For her part, Naru had dressed in a fuzzy white sweater and brown
wool skirt. Her mom had told her when she was younger that she
was an 'autumn' and should wear earth tones, so most of her
clothes fit that pattern. She'd been happily surprised when
Usagi had called her last night to ask if she wanted to go out
shopping. True, her friend had mentioned something like that
the other day, but Naru hadn't expected her to follow up on it so
soon. She was even more startled to hear that Rei was coming
along.
Rei stuck her tongue out at Usagi and then greeted Naru with a
warm smile. "It's good to see you again so soon, Naru-san," Rei
said politely. Naru lowered her head and murmured her agreement.
"Oh, that's enough of that!" Usagi declared. "I love you both
and you both love me, so that means, by the Transitive Theory,
that you love each other. None of this formality!" Neither Rei
nor Naru had the heart to criticize Usagi's mangling of
mathematical logic, especially since she seemed so very proud of
herself.
"Fine, meatball head," Rei agreed. "Have it your way. Is that ok
with you?" she asked Naru.
"Hai, Rei-chan," Naru blushed. For the first time in a long
time, she really felt like she belonged. After high school,
she'd been so busy learning her mother's trade that she'd lost
touch with most of her friends. After Umino had dumped her, it
felt like she had no one. That had been the main reason she'd
tracked down Usagi. Naru still didn't completely understand why
she'd gone to the Hikawa Shrine, but she was glad she had.
"You still haven't explained that outfit!" Usagi reminded Rei.
Rei looked up, startled. She'd almost forgotten Usagi was there.
'That's a strange thing,' she thought. 'Normally, I can't take my
eyes off of her.' Rei examined herself quickly. She wore a
casual red dress, tight but not clingy, that showed off her
curves nicely. Black nylons underneath matched the black sweater
draped over her shoulders for warmth. Rei didn't really know
what had possessed her to wear something like this for a night of
shopping, but it had just seemed right.
"I think it's a beautiful dress, Rei-chan," Naru offered
tentatively. "It's nice to get a little dressed up once in
awhile, isn't it?"
Rei nodded, moving to stand next to Naru. "Yes it is, Naru-chan!"
She stuck her tongue out at Usagi petulantly, placing her arm on
Naru's shoulders to emphasize their anti-Usagi solidarity.
Usagi pouted in her inimitable way. "Naru-chan! Don't team up
with her! She's always so mean to me!" Even through the feigned
tears, however, ideas were forming in Usagi's mind, plots and
schemes, directed, as always, to making her friends happy despite
themselves. Fortunately, neither Rei nor Naru noticed the
dangerous twinkle in her eyes.
"Enough of your crying, meatball head, let's get shopping!"
-----------------
Makoto waited as patiently as she could. Of course, she had no
idea what time to expect Ami. Depending on how things went with
her mother, it could have been anywhere between early afternoon
and never. 'No, not never,' Makoto admitted to herself, 'Ami
said she would come, so she will.' She could still hear the
words echoing in her mind, "I trust you completely." Makoto knew
that she trusted Ami completely, too.
After spending a great deal of time trying to come up with a
setting as romantic as the candles had been, Makoto had finally
given up. Instead, she had thought long and hard about Ami,
about what Ami would want, what would make her happiest, and then
the answer had come to her. Everything was now ready.
The sound of keys scraping at the door made Makoto's heart jump.
'She's here!' she had time to think, before the door finally
opened.
Ami stepped inside tentatively. After the conversation with her
mother, they had both been quite drained. Each had realized that
they needed some time apart to process what had been said, so
Ami's mother had excused herself soon after. Ami had just lain
on the couch for a good while, gathering up enough strength to
leave the building. In the end, it had been the thought of what
was waiting for her, who was waiting for her, that had gotten her
up and moving.
Taking off her boots, she almost called out, asking if it was ok
that she had let herself in. Ami caught herself, however, and
instead simply announced, "I'm home."
Makoto approached and took Ami's jacket, hanging it nearby.
"Welcome home." Taking Ami's hand with a mysterious smile, she
led her to the sitting area and sat her down in the easy chair.
She had dreamed for so many years about how it would be when the
time came, but the reality was even better than the fantasy had
been. As Ami looked at her questioningly, Makoto brought forward
a tray with a steaming cup of coffee and a homemade cookie on it.
Setting the tray next to Ami, she stepped behind her and gently
began to rub her shoulders. "Welcome home, Ami."
"Oh Mako," Ami sighed, closing her eyes in ecstasy. All of the
tension from earlier dissipated under Makoto's firm fingers.
Warmth spread throughout her whole body, only in part from the
coffee. Ami sipped from the mug and nibbled on the cookie,
allowing herself to enjoy the sensation of being cared for.
Loosening the knots under Ami's skin with practiced hands, Makoto
basked in the glow of domesticity that she had created, that she
had always craved. This was home, this was family, this was
love. The feelings overwhelmed her. She knelt down, wrapping
her arms around Ami from behind and laying her head gently on a
soft pillow of blue hair. Ami set down the mug and reached back
to embrace her girlfriend as best she could. Words whispered
above her ear sent chills down her spine. "I love you,
Ami."
Ami laid her head straight back so that she could look up into
Makoto's eyes. "I love you, too, my sweet Mako. Only you
could see into my dreams and make them come true like this."
Makoto placed a gentle kiss on Ami's forehead and then stood
slowly. Moving to stand in front of the chair, she extended a
hand to Ami. "I believe you owe me a dance, Miss Mizuno."
"Among other things," Ami replied with a steamy smile.
Makoto laughed fondly, "All in good time, my love, all in good
time. We have the rest of our lives." Both young women paused
to let the full impact of that notion sink in. They knew, of
course, that they would have extended life spans serving Crystal
Tokyo and Neo-Queen Serenity. What formerly had loomed as years
of service and duty now radiated with the prospect of a life and
a love shared across the eons.
"Do you think," Ami asked uncertainly, "that we were together
like this during the Silver Millennium?" Though many of those
past memories had surfaced from time to time, most of it remained
quite fuzzy and indistinct.
Sliding her arms around Ami's waist, Makoto sighed "It feels as
though I've always loved you, and I know that I always will."
Ami blushed and began to lead. The gentle ballads playing on the
stereo were barely loud enough to hear but Ami and Makoto danced
to their own music, a romantic symphony that swelled in their
hearts.
---------------------------
"I've got some more blouses!" Naru announced, handing a pile of
clothes to Rei.
"Oh, these are going to look great on her," Rei decided. "You
have a wonderful eye for style, Naru-chan."
Naru blushed slightly, "Thanks, so do you. I love that sweater
you picked out for her. It really sets off her eyes."
"Umm guys...."
Rei nodded enthusiastically at Naru, tossing some of the blouses
over the door of the dressing room stall. "This will go perfectly
with it, too." Raising her voice, she instructed, "Put this one
on and then the red sweater! What's taking you so long, meatball
head? We have lots more for you to try on!"
"Guys? Ummm..."
"Oooh, have you seen that new boutique they just opened over by
the record store?" Naru asked excitedly. "They had a pair of
shoes in the window that would really complement this outfit."
"The red ones? I saw those! Of course, if she tried to walk in
heels like that, she'd probably fall over!"
Naru laughed, "Yeah, but she wouldn't have to walk that far for
us to see them on her. Besides, she needs to learn eventually."
"Hey!" Usagi shouted.
"What?" Rei and Naru replied, annoyed at being interrupted in
their fun.
"I am _not_ some sort of KISS doll for you both to play with!"
Usagi complained. Normally, she enjoyed being the center of
attention, but, despite the fact that Rei and Naru were
completely focused on getting different outfits for her to try
on, Usagi felt like her role tonight could have been served just
as well by a pretty blonde mannequin.
Rei and Naru exchanged confused glances and shrugged their
shoulders. "So, after we're done here, we'll go over to the shoe
store?" Rei asked.
"Sure, maybe we can get some ice cream on the way at the food
court." Naru suggested.
As Rei and Naru began comparing their tastes in ice cream, Usagi
ruefully put on the blouse and sweater as Rei had ordered. 'The
things I go through to make my friends happy.'
------------------------
"So, how did it go with your mom?" Makoto asked. After a
wonderfully lingering dance, they had settled together on the
couch. Makoto sat upright in one corner with Ami's head in her
lap. Ami lay on her side on the rest of the couch, sighing
happily as Makoto ran her fingers through her hair.
"You have no idea how wonderful it feels when you play with my
hair like that," Ami purred.
"I love your hair almost as much as I love touching you," Makoto
grinned, "but you're not getting out of it that easily, love.
How did it go?"
Ami took a deep breath and rolled onto her back so she could look
up into Makoto's eyes. "As well as can be expected, I suppose.
She really does love me, but I don't think she's had much
experience expressing her feelings, so sometimes she doesn't do
it very well."
Ami went on to describe her conversation with her mother. Makoto
nodded, asking questions now and then to better understand the
emotions surrounding the words Ami reported. As Ami talked,
Makoto's admiration and respect for her grew and grew. Since her
own parents had died before she hit her 'rebellious teenage
years', she was unsure if she ever could have stood up to them
the way Ami had to her mom. "I'm so proud of you, Ami."
Ami smiled happily, warming herself in the love shining on
Makoto's face. "Say it again, Mako."
"I'm proud of you?" Makoto repeated uncertainly.
"No, guess again," Ami challenged her.
"I love you, Ami," Makoto whispered, leaning down.
"That's it. Please, never stop saying it," Ami responded. Slowly
she sat up, bringing her face to meet her lover's. "I love you,
Mako. I love you, I love you, I love you."
Any further repetition was forestalled as their lips came
together tenderly. Makoto cradled Ami in her arms, kissing her
softly, tickling her lips with the tip of her tongue. Ami
giggled and took Makoto's lower lip between her own, tugging on
it gently. Gradually, Ami shifted her body, lifting herself up
until she could ease Makoto back onto the couch and lie down on
top of her. Playfulness graduated to passion as Ami nibbled her
way along Makoto's jaw line to her neck just behind her ear.
Makoto held Ami close, her hands kneading the smaller girl's
back. Dimly, Makoto recalled something Kenjo had once told her,
something about what it really meant when a guy rubbed a woman's
back. 'Boy, he wasn't kidding,' she realized.
Suddenly, Ami sat up, staring down at Makoto with a blue fire in
her eyes. "Mako, you can, if you want to..." she said in a husky
voice. Grabbing Makoto's arms by the wrists, she pulled her
hands around from her back and placed them at the bottom of her
blouse.
'Give me strength,' Mako pleaded silently. The passion burning
in Ami's eyes almost blinded her. "Ami, love, I want to, but
let's take things slowly, ok?" The passion dimmed, replaced by
uncertainty so quickly that Makoto felt like crying. Quickly,
she moved out from under Ami and took the young woman in her
arms, hugging her tightly.
"You don't want to?" Ami murmured in confusion. Every part of
her body ached for Makoto; she'd been able to think of little
else for days now than being with her. Ami had never felt this
kind of urgency, this desperation, in her entire life, and now it
was if someone had dumped a bucket of cold water over her.
"Oh darling, I do, I do want to, and I want you to," Makoto
hurried to explain. "I want to be with you completely, to kiss
you, to touch you, to feel your hands, your kiss, everywhere."
"Then why?" Ami began to ask.
Makoto sighed, trying to form the words she'd been preparing all
day. "I love you, Ami, and I don't want to do anything to
jeopardize that. I'm just afraid that if we move too fast, too
soon, it will confuse us both. I've never been like this with a
woman before. I've certainly never been like this with someone
I've loved the way I love you before."
"I've never been with anyone," Ami admitted shyly, beginning to
understand.
"Ami, we have all of our lives to share ourselves completely.
Let's not jump too far ahead right away just because..."
"Because it feels so wonderful?" Ami concluded. Slowly, her
hormones ceded control of her brain back to its rightful owner.
"Oh Mako, I'm sorry."
"Don't be, love," Mako stroked Ami's cheek lovingly. "Don't ever
be sorry for wanting me. You don't know how badly I wanted
to..."
"I think I do," Ami reminded her with a sly smile.
"Ok, maybe you do," Makoto agreed, blushing. "Maybe we should
check on dinner?"
Ami stood and pulled Makoto up into her arms, hugging her tight.
"I think that's a good idea, my love. After dinner though, well,
I was really enjoying what we _were_ doing..." Ami turned bright
red as the nature of what they were discussing hit her all at
once.
Makoto responded with a deep, languorous kiss. "I can't think of
a better dessert." The color in Ami's cheeks and her shy smile
as she nodded in agreement made Makoto's heart race. A few
kisses later, they adjourned arm-in-arm to the dining room for
dinner.
--------------
Eventually, Minako pulled away from Kenjo, taking a quick nip at
his lower lip as she usually did. She leaned back against his
hands locked behind her waist. The feel of his strength as he
supported her made her quiver. She never wanted to stop kissing
him but... "Your train is leaving in a minute or two; that was
last call."
He grinned regretfully, "There aren't any later trains today, I
checked." Drawing her into a tight embrace, he added, "You're
right, I'd better get on board. Thank you, Mina-chan, for
everything."
"Thank you, Kenjo-chan," Minako replied. "Promise you'll email me
when you get there so I know you made it safely?"
"No, can't do that, sorry," he answered. Feeling her tense up,
he quickly added, "I plan on calling you instead."
She giggled and nuzzled against his chest. "I guess that'll be
all right." The conductor began to ring a bell furiously, so
Minako pulled herself out of his arms and handed him his bag from
the platform floor.
"I'll call you tonight, and I'll be home at the end of the
semester," Kenjo informed her, trying to capture every aspect of
her with his eyes the way that a man in a desert laps up every
drop of available water.
"I was wondering," Minako asked, twisting her foot and looking
down shyly. "will you be home by the last weekend in December?
You see, they're having a Winter Formal at school and I thought
maybe..."
"I'd love to," Kenjo beamed.
Minako smiled in return and then shoved him. "Now get going!"
After one last desperate gaze, Kenjo turned and headed for the
train, dashing to climb aboard just before it started to pull out
of the station. Setting his bags down quickly, he grabbed the
bar by the entrance and hung out the doorway waving back at
Minako.
Mina returned the wave, watching as the train whisked him out of
her life. 'Only for a little while,' she mused. As she walked
toward the exit, she began to plan for the Winter Formal.
--------------------------
The tumultuous frenzy of shared passions receded before Ami and
Makoto sat down to dinner. Working together in their natural
way, they quickly set the table and served each other. When not
losing themselves in happy dazes, gazing into one another's eyes
or marveling at their own good fortune, the two young women
filled each other in on all of the doings of the week. Ami
relayed the full story of how she dealt with Urawa. Makoto
shared what she knew about the progress of Minako's relationship
with Kenjo. Between the two of them, they pieced together what
Mina, Usagi and Rei had been doing to help them. They argued, as
they often had before, about the nature of Rei's feelings for
Usagi. Makoto maintained that they were simply very close
friends, but Ami had her suspicions about the depth of Rei's
regard for the Moon Princess. In the end, they made some
tentative plans to try to help find someone for the raven-haired
miko. Throughout the meal, both Ami and Makoto reveled in the
simple joy and comfort that came from being together and being in
love.
Like the old married couple they now hoped to be someday, the two
young lovers moved to the kitchen after dinner to clean up the
pans and dishes. Though they had much more incentive than usual
to finish the job quickly, they managed to get through the
exercise without breaking anything. Setting the last plate in
the rack to dry, Ami glanced over at Makoto, "So, I guess we're
done."
Makoto nodded shyly, having trouble finding any words to reply.
Ami took Makoto's hand in hers and led her out of the kitchen.
Makoto instinctively moved toward the couch, but Ami tugged her
in the opposite direction. Sensing Mako's confusion, Ami smiled.
"In a bit, my love."
Drawing Makoto behind her, Ami headed out onto the balcony. "Did
you know that this is one of my favorite places in the whole
world?" she asked as she walked over to the edge. Placing her
hands on the wall there, Ami leaned forward so she could see the
sky between the buildings that surrounded them. High above, the
moon shone brightly, almost full. Despite the lights from the
city all around, Ami could make out some of the brighter stars
twinkling above. A gust of wind brought a quick chill, but
nothing like the chill she got when she felt Makoto slide her
hands around her waist. Leaning back, Ami let her head rest on
Makoto's chest, drinking in the warmth that engulfed her.
"I love you, Ami," Makoto whispered, resting her chin in the soft
folds of Ami's hair. Never had Makoto felt so at peace, so
content, so full of joy and happiness.
And in that moment, Ami realized that she finally felt complete
and whole, that all of the love in her heart had found a safe
home in the love and warmth of this incredible woman behind her.
Without another word, she led Makoto back inside where the two
young lovers began the rest of their lives, together.
---------------------
Minako glanced down at the piece of paper one last time as she
walked along. Kenjo's directions had been quite clear with lots
of landmarks noted, so she had little doubt that she was in the
right place. As he'd promised, it had not been a long walk from
the bus stop. Looking up, she followed the line of numbers,
counting homes, until she found his, and sure enough, he was
standing outside with a couple of bags. She was amazed by the
joy that came from such a simple thing as the sight of him
waiting for her. The sudden lurch in her tummy warned her of
just how much she regretted that he had to go back to school so
soon. 'It will only be a few weeks, and then he'll be home
again,' she reminded herself.
"Right on time, Mina-chan," Kenjo congratulated her as she
approached. "Did you have any trouble finding the place?"
"No, no trouble," she informed him. "Been waiting long?"
"Not really." For some reason, Kenjo suddenly felt shy, almost
afraid to meet her gaze.
"So, I don't get to meet your parents?" Minako asked laughingly.
"I hope you're not ashamed of me."
"It's a little early yet for parent-meeting, don't you think?"
Kenjo replied, slowly feeling more at ease. He marveled at her
ability to continually make him smile.
"I suppose," Minako admitted, "though 'early' assumes that there
will be a 'later', doesn't it?" Though her tone was teasing, her
expression was anything but. Rei had once told her that you
don't fall in love at first sight, that love grows over time.
Minako knew that it was indeed much too early to talk about love,
but at the same time, she'd never felt like this about anyone.
Even though they had known each other less than a week, only
dated twice, she could sense a connection with him. The depth
and strength of that connection, at least the potential of it,
was awe-inspiring, in both the good and frightening senses of the
term.
Kenjo heard the jest in her voice, but could see the seriousness
in her eyes. "Not an assumption, I hope," he said quietly. "I
don't know where this is going, but I can't wait to find out."
For a moment, Minako lost herself in his eyes. He was everything
she'd ever wanted in a man: caring, intelligent, loving,
handsome, respectful, strong. Now that he stood before her,
the love... no, not love, not this soon... the emotion clear in
his expression, she wondered if she was ready for something like
this.
"Well, I do know where this is going in one sense," Kenjo said,
picking up his bags, "and that is to the train station." Though
he'd purposely broken the mood, he smiled at her warmly, hoping
she'd understand that he knew what she was thinking, and that he
was thinking the same things as well.
"Here, let me take one of those," Minako offered. Clearly, if he
carried both bags, he wouldn't have an arm free, and Mina found
that unacceptable. Taking the smaller bag and draping it over
her shoulder, she laced her other arm around his as they headed
off to the train station. As always, the feel of his hand in
hers made sparks fly.
------------------------
"We're here! Are you ready to go?!!!!"
Usagi's voice echoed throughout the shrine. Naru covered her
ears to spare herself the headache. She'd almost forgotten the
decibel levels, not to mention the pitch, which Usagi could
produce.
Soon enough, a surly looking Hino Rei stepped out of the building
and down the steps to meet them. "You don't have to scream all
the time, you know!"
Naru caught her breath. It had been quite dark in the shrine the
other night, so she hadn't been able to see Rei very well. 'I'd
forgotten how beautiful she is,' she realized. Strangely, Naru
did not feel the twinge of jealousy or regret she would normally
expect upon seeing such a stunningly attractive young woman. She
felt something though, but before she could pin it down, Usagi
was dragging her forward.
"Rei, we're going shopping, not out dancing! What's with the
outfit?" Usagi complained. Usagi had worn a blue flannel shirt
and jeans, anticipating that she'd be trying on lots of outfits
and doing quite a bit of walking.
For her part, Naru had dressed in a fuzzy white sweater and brown
wool skirt. Her mom had told her when she was younger that she
was an 'autumn' and should wear earth tones, so most of her
clothes fit that pattern. She'd been happily surprised when
Usagi had called her last night to ask if she wanted to go out
shopping. True, her friend had mentioned something like that
the other day, but Naru hadn't expected her to follow up on it so
soon. She was even more startled to hear that Rei was coming
along.
Rei stuck her tongue out at Usagi and then greeted Naru with a
warm smile. "It's good to see you again so soon, Naru-san," Rei
said politely. Naru lowered her head and murmured her agreement.
"Oh, that's enough of that!" Usagi declared. "I love you both
and you both love me, so that means, by the Transitive Theory,
that you love each other. None of this formality!" Neither Rei
nor Naru had the heart to criticize Usagi's mangling of
mathematical logic, especially since she seemed so very proud of
herself.
"Fine, meatball head," Rei agreed. "Have it your way. Is that ok
with you?" she asked Naru.
"Hai, Rei-chan," Naru blushed. For the first time in a long
time, she really felt like she belonged. After high school,
she'd been so busy learning her mother's trade that she'd lost
touch with most of her friends. After Umino had dumped her, it
felt like she had no one. That had been the main reason she'd
tracked down Usagi. Naru still didn't completely understand why
she'd gone to the Hikawa Shrine, but she was glad she had.
"You still haven't explained that outfit!" Usagi reminded Rei.
Rei looked up, startled. She'd almost forgotten Usagi was there.
'That's a strange thing,' she thought. 'Normally, I can't take my
eyes off of her.' Rei examined herself quickly. She wore a
casual red dress, tight but not clingy, that showed off her
curves nicely. Black nylons underneath matched the black sweater
draped over her shoulders for warmth. Rei didn't really know
what had possessed her to wear something like this for a night of
shopping, but it had just seemed right.
"I think it's a beautiful dress, Rei-chan," Naru offered
tentatively. "It's nice to get a little dressed up once in
awhile, isn't it?"
Rei nodded, moving to stand next to Naru. "Yes it is, Naru-chan!"
She stuck her tongue out at Usagi petulantly, placing her arm on
Naru's shoulders to emphasize their anti-Usagi solidarity.
Usagi pouted in her inimitable way. "Naru-chan! Don't team up
with her! She's always so mean to me!" Even through the feigned
tears, however, ideas were forming in Usagi's mind, plots and
schemes, directed, as always, to making her friends happy despite
themselves. Fortunately, neither Rei nor Naru noticed the
dangerous twinkle in her eyes.
"Enough of your crying, meatball head, let's get shopping!"
-----------------
Makoto waited as patiently as she could. Of course, she had no
idea what time to expect Ami. Depending on how things went with
her mother, it could have been anywhere between early afternoon
and never. 'No, not never,' Makoto admitted to herself, 'Ami
said she would come, so she will.' She could still hear the
words echoing in her mind, "I trust you completely." Makoto knew
that she trusted Ami completely, too.
After spending a great deal of time trying to come up with a
setting as romantic as the candles had been, Makoto had finally
given up. Instead, she had thought long and hard about Ami,
about what Ami would want, what would make her happiest, and then
the answer had come to her. Everything was now ready.
The sound of keys scraping at the door made Makoto's heart jump.
'She's here!' she had time to think, before the door finally
opened.
Ami stepped inside tentatively. After the conversation with her
mother, they had both been quite drained. Each had realized that
they needed some time apart to process what had been said, so
Ami's mother had excused herself soon after. Ami had just lain
on the couch for a good while, gathering up enough strength to
leave the building. In the end, it had been the thought of what
was waiting for her, who was waiting for her, that had gotten her
up and moving.
Taking off her boots, she almost called out, asking if it was ok
that she had let herself in. Ami caught herself, however, and
instead simply announced, "I'm home."
Makoto approached and took Ami's jacket, hanging it nearby.
"Welcome home." Taking Ami's hand with a mysterious smile, she
led her to the sitting area and sat her down in the easy chair.
She had dreamed for so many years about how it would be when the
time came, but the reality was even better than the fantasy had
been. As Ami looked at her questioningly, Makoto brought forward
a tray with a steaming cup of coffee and a homemade cookie on it.
Setting the tray next to Ami, she stepped behind her and gently
began to rub her shoulders. "Welcome home, Ami."
"Oh Mako," Ami sighed, closing her eyes in ecstasy. All of the
tension from earlier dissipated under Makoto's firm fingers.
Warmth spread throughout her whole body, only in part from the
coffee. Ami sipped from the mug and nibbled on the cookie,
allowing herself to enjoy the sensation of being cared for.
Loosening the knots under Ami's skin with practiced hands, Makoto
basked in the glow of domesticity that she had created, that she
had always craved. This was home, this was family, this was
love. The feelings overwhelmed her. She knelt down, wrapping
her arms around Ami from behind and laying her head gently on a
soft pillow of blue hair. Ami set down the mug and reached back
to embrace her girlfriend as best she could. Words whispered
above her ear sent chills down her spine. "I love you,
Ami."
Ami laid her head straight back so that she could look up into
Makoto's eyes. "I love you, too, my sweet Mako. Only you
could see into my dreams and make them come true like this."
Makoto placed a gentle kiss on Ami's forehead and then stood
slowly. Moving to stand in front of the chair, she extended a
hand to Ami. "I believe you owe me a dance, Miss Mizuno."
"Among other things," Ami replied with a steamy smile.
Makoto laughed fondly, "All in good time, my love, all in good
time. We have the rest of our lives." Both young women paused
to let the full impact of that notion sink in. They knew, of
course, that they would have extended life spans serving Crystal
Tokyo and Neo-Queen Serenity. What formerly had loomed as years
of service and duty now radiated with the prospect of a life and
a love shared across the eons.
"Do you think," Ami asked uncertainly, "that we were together
like this during the Silver Millennium?" Though many of those
past memories had surfaced from time to time, most of it remained
quite fuzzy and indistinct.
Sliding her arms around Ami's waist, Makoto sighed "It feels as
though I've always loved you, and I know that I always will."
Ami blushed and began to lead. The gentle ballads playing on the
stereo were barely loud enough to hear but Ami and Makoto danced
to their own music, a romantic symphony that swelled in their
hearts.
---------------------------
"I've got some more blouses!" Naru announced, handing a pile of
clothes to Rei.
"Oh, these are going to look great on her," Rei decided. "You
have a wonderful eye for style, Naru-chan."
Naru blushed slightly, "Thanks, so do you. I love that sweater
you picked out for her. It really sets off her eyes."
"Umm guys...."
Rei nodded enthusiastically at Naru, tossing some of the blouses
over the door of the dressing room stall. "This will go perfectly
with it, too." Raising her voice, she instructed, "Put this one
on and then the red sweater! What's taking you so long, meatball
head? We have lots more for you to try on!"
"Guys? Ummm..."
"Oooh, have you seen that new boutique they just opened over by
the record store?" Naru asked excitedly. "They had a pair of
shoes in the window that would really complement this outfit."
"The red ones? I saw those! Of course, if she tried to walk in
heels like that, she'd probably fall over!"
Naru laughed, "Yeah, but she wouldn't have to walk that far for
us to see them on her. Besides, she needs to learn eventually."
"Hey!" Usagi shouted.
"What?" Rei and Naru replied, annoyed at being interrupted in
their fun.
"I am _not_ some sort of KISS doll for you both to play with!"
Usagi complained. Normally, she enjoyed being the center of
attention, but, despite the fact that Rei and Naru were
completely focused on getting different outfits for her to try
on, Usagi felt like her role tonight could have been served just
as well by a pretty blonde mannequin.
Rei and Naru exchanged confused glances and shrugged their
shoulders. "So, after we're done here, we'll go over to the shoe
store?" Rei asked.
"Sure, maybe we can get some ice cream on the way at the food
court." Naru suggested.
As Rei and Naru began comparing their tastes in ice cream, Usagi
ruefully put on the blouse and sweater as Rei had ordered. 'The
things I go through to make my friends happy.'
------------------------
"So, how did it go with your mom?" Makoto asked. After a
wonderfully lingering dance, they had settled together on the
couch. Makoto sat upright in one corner with Ami's head in her
lap. Ami lay on her side on the rest of the couch, sighing
happily as Makoto ran her fingers through her hair.
"You have no idea how wonderful it feels when you play with my
hair like that," Ami purred.
"I love your hair almost as much as I love touching you," Makoto
grinned, "but you're not getting out of it that easily, love.
How did it go?"
Ami took a deep breath and rolled onto her back so she could look
up into Makoto's eyes. "As well as can be expected, I suppose.
She really does love me, but I don't think she's had much
experience expressing her feelings, so sometimes she doesn't do
it very well."
Ami went on to describe her conversation with her mother. Makoto
nodded, asking questions now and then to better understand the
emotions surrounding the words Ami reported. As Ami talked,
Makoto's admiration and respect for her grew and grew. Since her
own parents had died before she hit her 'rebellious teenage
years', she was unsure if she ever could have stood up to them
the way Ami had to her mom. "I'm so proud of you, Ami."
Ami smiled happily, warming herself in the love shining on
Makoto's face. "Say it again, Mako."
"I'm proud of you?" Makoto repeated uncertainly.
"No, guess again," Ami challenged her.
"I love you, Ami," Makoto whispered, leaning down.
"That's it. Please, never stop saying it," Ami responded. Slowly
she sat up, bringing her face to meet her lover's. "I love you,
Mako. I love you, I love you, I love you."
Any further repetition was forestalled as their lips came
together tenderly. Makoto cradled Ami in her arms, kissing her
softly, tickling her lips with the tip of her tongue. Ami
giggled and took Makoto's lower lip between her own, tugging on
it gently. Gradually, Ami shifted her body, lifting herself up
until she could ease Makoto back onto the couch and lie down on
top of her. Playfulness graduated to passion as Ami nibbled her
way along Makoto's jaw line to her neck just behind her ear.
Makoto held Ami close, her hands kneading the smaller girl's
back. Dimly, Makoto recalled something Kenjo had once told her,
something about what it really meant when a guy rubbed a woman's
back. 'Boy, he wasn't kidding,' she realized.
Suddenly, Ami sat up, staring down at Makoto with a blue fire in
her eyes. "Mako, you can, if you want to..." she said in a husky
voice. Grabbing Makoto's arms by the wrists, she pulled her
hands around from her back and placed them at the bottom of her
blouse.
'Give me strength,' Mako pleaded silently. The passion burning
in Ami's eyes almost blinded her. "Ami, love, I want to, but
let's take things slowly, ok?" The passion dimmed, replaced by
uncertainty so quickly that Makoto felt like crying. Quickly,
she moved out from under Ami and took the young woman in her
arms, hugging her tightly.
"You don't want to?" Ami murmured in confusion. Every part of
her body ached for Makoto; she'd been able to think of little
else for days now than being with her. Ami had never felt this
kind of urgency, this desperation, in her entire life, and now it
was if someone had dumped a bucket of cold water over her.
"Oh darling, I do, I do want to, and I want you to," Makoto
hurried to explain. "I want to be with you completely, to kiss
you, to touch you, to feel your hands, your kiss, everywhere."
"Then why?" Ami began to ask.
Makoto sighed, trying to form the words she'd been preparing all
day. "I love you, Ami, and I don't want to do anything to
jeopardize that. I'm just afraid that if we move too fast, too
soon, it will confuse us both. I've never been like this with a
woman before. I've certainly never been like this with someone
I've loved the way I love you before."
"I've never been with anyone," Ami admitted shyly, beginning to
understand.
"Ami, we have all of our lives to share ourselves completely.
Let's not jump too far ahead right away just because..."
"Because it feels so wonderful?" Ami concluded. Slowly, her
hormones ceded control of her brain back to its rightful owner.
"Oh Mako, I'm sorry."
"Don't be, love," Mako stroked Ami's cheek lovingly. "Don't ever
be sorry for wanting me. You don't know how badly I wanted
to..."
"I think I do," Ami reminded her with a sly smile.
"Ok, maybe you do," Makoto agreed, blushing. "Maybe we should
check on dinner?"
Ami stood and pulled Makoto up into her arms, hugging her tight.
"I think that's a good idea, my love. After dinner though, well,
I was really enjoying what we _were_ doing..." Ami turned bright
red as the nature of what they were discussing hit her all at
once.
Makoto responded with a deep, languorous kiss. "I can't think of
a better dessert." The color in Ami's cheeks and her shy smile
as she nodded in agreement made Makoto's heart race. A few
kisses later, they adjourned arm-in-arm to the dining room for
dinner.
--------------
Eventually, Minako pulled away from Kenjo, taking a quick nip at
his lower lip as she usually did. She leaned back against his
hands locked behind her waist. The feel of his strength as he
supported her made her quiver. She never wanted to stop kissing
him but... "Your train is leaving in a minute or two; that was
last call."
He grinned regretfully, "There aren't any later trains today, I
checked." Drawing her into a tight embrace, he added, "You're
right, I'd better get on board. Thank you, Mina-chan, for
everything."
"Thank you, Kenjo-chan," Minako replied. "Promise you'll email me
when you get there so I know you made it safely?"
"No, can't do that, sorry," he answered. Feeling her tense up,
he quickly added, "I plan on calling you instead."
She giggled and nuzzled against his chest. "I guess that'll be
all right." The conductor began to ring a bell furiously, so
Minako pulled herself out of his arms and handed him his bag from
the platform floor.
"I'll call you tonight, and I'll be home at the end of the
semester," Kenjo informed her, trying to capture every aspect of
her with his eyes the way that a man in a desert laps up every
drop of available water.
"I was wondering," Minako asked, twisting her foot and looking
down shyly. "will you be home by the last weekend in December?
You see, they're having a Winter Formal at school and I thought
maybe..."
"I'd love to," Kenjo beamed.
Minako smiled in return and then shoved him. "Now get going!"
After one last desperate gaze, Kenjo turned and headed for the
train, dashing to climb aboard just before it started to pull out
of the station. Setting his bags down quickly, he grabbed the
bar by the entrance and hung out the doorway waving back at
Minako.
Mina returned the wave, watching as the train whisked him out of
her life. 'Only for a little while,' she mused. As she walked
toward the exit, she began to plan for the Winter Formal.
--------------------------
The tumultuous frenzy of shared passions receded before Ami and
Makoto sat down to dinner. Working together in their natural
way, they quickly set the table and served each other. When not
losing themselves in happy dazes, gazing into one another's eyes
or marveling at their own good fortune, the two young women
filled each other in on all of the doings of the week. Ami
relayed the full story of how she dealt with Urawa. Makoto
shared what she knew about the progress of Minako's relationship
with Kenjo. Between the two of them, they pieced together what
Mina, Usagi and Rei had been doing to help them. They argued, as
they often had before, about the nature of Rei's feelings for
Usagi. Makoto maintained that they were simply very close
friends, but Ami had her suspicions about the depth of Rei's
regard for the Moon Princess. In the end, they made some
tentative plans to try to help find someone for the raven-haired
miko. Throughout the meal, both Ami and Makoto reveled in the
simple joy and comfort that came from being together and being in
love.
Like the old married couple they now hoped to be someday, the two
young lovers moved to the kitchen after dinner to clean up the
pans and dishes. Though they had much more incentive than usual
to finish the job quickly, they managed to get through the
exercise without breaking anything. Setting the last plate in
the rack to dry, Ami glanced over at Makoto, "So, I guess we're
done."
Makoto nodded shyly, having trouble finding any words to reply.
Ami took Makoto's hand in hers and led her out of the kitchen.
Makoto instinctively moved toward the couch, but Ami tugged her
in the opposite direction. Sensing Mako's confusion, Ami smiled.
"In a bit, my love."
Drawing Makoto behind her, Ami headed out onto the balcony. "Did
you know that this is one of my favorite places in the whole
world?" she asked as she walked over to the edge. Placing her
hands on the wall there, Ami leaned forward so she could see the
sky between the buildings that surrounded them. High above, the
moon shone brightly, almost full. Despite the lights from the
city all around, Ami could make out some of the brighter stars
twinkling above. A gust of wind brought a quick chill, but
nothing like the chill she got when she felt Makoto slide her
hands around her waist. Leaning back, Ami let her head rest on
Makoto's chest, drinking in the warmth that engulfed her.
"I love you, Ami," Makoto whispered, resting her chin in the soft
folds of Ami's hair. Never had Makoto felt so at peace, so
content, so full of joy and happiness.
And in that moment, Ami realized that she finally felt complete
and whole, that all of the love in her heart had found a safe
home in the love and warmth of this incredible woman behind her.
Without another word, she led Makoto back inside where the two
young lovers began the rest of their lives, together.