Tsukino Usagi wasn't an idiot. She took great comfort in knowing that the people around her that she considered important understood this. "It's not that you're not smart, Usagi," she had once heard (from Mizuno Ami, who she counted as one of her best friends), "it's more that you're lazy..." The pronouncement had been delivered after Usagi herself had sheepishly asked Ami, the smartest girl in the world, in her opinion, if she thought she was, indeed, stupid. Ami had answered in her usual matter-of-fact manner, but also patted her hand and smiled. That was the good thing about Ami; she wouldn't lie to you, but she wasn't mean about it.
So, no, Usagi wasn't stupid. Which was why, after dragging her friend to the arcade for old time's sake, and then watching her decimate eight players in a space fighter game alongside a partner she hadn't known (at the time) was any good, she was able to work some things out. Ami had stepped out of the game's cabinet, searching curiously for who was flying the other ship as her ally, and, of course, Usagi also wanted to know. So, after giving her friend her congratulatory hug, she turned and watched Omura Jaima stepped out and gave Ami a thumbs up.
Ami had blushed. And Ami had only blushed at a boy one other time. And Ami had liked that boy.
She had thought her friend would run away, especially when Jaima's friend had dragged him by the elbow to where the girls had been standing (not that Jaima had struggled much). Amano and Usagi had spent the next fifteen minutes gushing about the spectacle they had just seen, while Ami and Jaima simply blushed and muttered that, really, the other one had done most of the work.
It was awkward. It was uncomfortable. It was so cute!
Of course, Usagi had already suspected that Ami liked the boy who sat two seats behind her, because she had taken to studying with him instead of with her and the rest of the scouts. But to notice her blush, out here in public, was all the confirmation she needed.
She'd almost squeaked in pleasure, but held it back as a plan entered her mind. A devious, wonderful, awesome plan, the plan to give Ami more time with this excellent flying partner, and study partner, and, to hear her say it in what was, for Ami, practically gushing, storyteller, and give the other scouts the chance to size him up.
Slowly, without Ami noticing, Usagi's face turned more and more catlike.
Ami Mizuno licked her lips. Right. This shouldn't be hard at all.
She walked through the field to where Jaima and Amano were eating lunch. She had talked to him. She had been the one to invite him to study, after all. She could do this.
... Right?
She stopped near the table, and that was when Amano spotted her. He grinned, winked, and stood up to leave. "Hey, Mizuno," he said, passing her. Jaima also looked up, but blushed and looked down almost instantly. It was, in a way, frustrating that he still did that. It was also, in a way, charming.
It did nothing to soothe her nerves, though.
"Excuse me, Jaima?" She swallowed thickly when he looked up, evidently fighting the onset of a blush and losing.
"Yes..?" He swallowed and cleared his throat, since his voice had come out a bit raspy. "Yes, Ami?"
She looked at him for a moment, causing him to blush more deeply and drop his eyes. This time she wasn't as frustrated, because she, too, was starting to blush.
"Um." It was not a particularly intelligent way to begin an invitation, but nothing had come to mind, and she felt the need to say something. "I was... I was wondering."
Where were the words? They were simple words. They didn't have to be brilliant words, just plain words! She scanned the table, the chair, everywhere except where the person she wanted the words to go to sat. But none of them contained inspiration.
"Do you know what the assignment was..?"
Oh. Oh no. She didn't.
She did.
Jaima blinked up at her, quizzically and, perhaps, a little disappointed, but he smiled nonetheless. "Oh, yeah... chapters eight, nine, and ten. But I think she was joking about chapter ten. I... I mean, I hope she was. It's a long chapter." Jaima smiled at his joke, and Ami tried to smile back, but she was too disappointed in herself.
"Thank you," she said, then turned and walked off, ducking her head. She had never felt so stupid.
Usagi watched her friend hurry off, blushing still. Her head was ducked, and Usagi knew that was a bad sign, because unless her face was in a book, Ami's head was always high.
She chewed her lip. What had gone wrong? How had it gone wrong? Was he stupid? That had to be it. The boy was stupid. Well, Ami liked him, so it was up to-
"Usagi, what are you doing?" The voice was high, sweet, yet filled with an unmistakable air of resignation, as if Usagi had been trodding in someone else's garden. And, in a way, she had.
"Minako," she yelped, turning swiftly and only barely managing to keep her feet. "I didn't hear you walk up!"
"What are you doing, Usagi?" The beautiful blonde girl quirked an eyebrow, and Usagi felt as if she had been caught sneaking cookies again. She poked her fingertips together.
"I'm... it's... Mina, it's just so cute! Ami likes that boy, over there, see? And I thought, well, why don't I see what happens with them together, so I set up a movie night, remember, and I said you can bring a friend! But we're Ami's friends, except for Omura over there, so she'd bring him, right? That's what I thought, but she either got turned down or she chickened out," she gasped, not for breath but in revelation, "what if she chickened out?"
Minako stared down at her with hooded lids, and Usagi could feel herself wilting. "So, you're trying to set Ami up with a boy you think she likes?"
Usagi had thought it was brilliant not five seconds ago, but now she wasn't sure. "Y-yes..."
Minako continued to pin her with her stare, but shortly, unable to resist, grinned. "Count me in!"
Usagi's grin matched Minako's. "Oh, Mina, you should see them, it's so cute!"
Jaima had seen a lot since he'd come to this particular school. He'd done things that he hadn't imagined doing. Mind, they were mild things, such as getting a job and talking to the pretty girl he'd been pining over for months, but many boys don't manage that much, so in reality, he was ahead of the curve.
Not much scared him, really. He wasn't often a target of bullies, and besides, Amano usually came to his defense when he was, and he wasn't prone to taking risks.
Seeing two blonde girls standing in front of him with eager and mischievous smiles on his face... that was scary.
Amano didn't think so, of course. He was grinning like an idiot. To him, this had to be his wildest dream come true. Jaima had no intention of imagining what that dream might be. Not in a million years, thanks.
"It's just that you're new, and we thought that it might be nice to, you know, welcome you to the school!" Tsukino Usagi, who almost always sat with Ami at lunch, grinned at him. It was a very friendly grin, but there was a twinkle in its depths that told him not all was what it seemed.
The other girl's smile was easier, and the twinkle better hidden, but now that he knew what to look for, he could see it, too. Something was up. Having been victim of his share of pranks, he was naturally wary, but their association won out.
"Well... yeah. I'd like to come." He glanced to the side at Amano, who was still grinning at the girls.
Usagi turned, almost practiced. "What about yo-"
She hadn't even finished when Amano stood up, pumping a fist. "Yeah, I'll go! Yes!" Jaima pulled him down, glaring. Amano smiled like a little boy who'd been locked in a candy store all night.
"Well," Minako said, still grinning, but looking as if she'd love to have an excuse to leave, "that's settled then! We'll see you two tomorrow night!"
As the two girls sauntered away, Jaima glanced back at them and shrugged. He looked at his friend and rolled his eyes. Not because he thought anything the two had said was deserving of the derogatory act, but because Amano was doing quite a bit more than glancing. Jaima didn't even know if staring was the right word. He was afraid that drool would be involved soon.
Before he could protests, Amano stood up. "I'm going to go see what time, OK? OK!" Without letting Jaima answer, Amano trotted away toward the two blonde girls. Jaima sighed.
Amano caught up with the two just as they turned a corner. "Hey, Tsukino, Aino! Wait up!"
The two looked at each other and stopped, allowing Amano to catch up. When they did, he didn't give them time to ask what he wanted. "I know what you're up to," he said, narrowing his eyes.
Usagi waved her hands frantically. "We're not up to anything! We just thought he'd like to- I mean, he's spending so much time with Ami- " She only stopped because Minako nudged her.
But Amano simply grinned. "If I can help at all, let me know."
It wasn't odd to any of the parents that their daughters went to Rei's shrine. They were together a lot. They were a regular girls club, despite going to different schools when it all began. Even Rei's grandfather didn't seem to think it was so odd. Secretly, in fact, he was happy that she had friends. He had been worried. It was a little bit odd, to him, that the quiet one with blue hair wasn't with them that night, but even so, sometimes one or the other would be gone and the other four would carry on as if the girl was still with them. And sometimes they had older girls with them as well.
Tutors, he guessed.
So when Ami didn't show up, he didn't pry. It wasn't his place. As long as Rei was happy, he was happy.
"All right," said the raven haired girl, narrowing her eyes. "Let me see if I understand this." Minako nodded her consent, but it wasn't as if her shaking her head instead would stop Rei. "You," she said, pointing at Minako, "are bringing a boy?"
Minako grinned, but blushed a bit. "No! I'm not bringing a boy!"
"Ami's bringing a boy," Usagi piped in cheerfully.
Makoto's brow furrows. "So, if Ami's bringing the boy, why isn't Ami telling us about it..?"
Usagi and Minako looked at each other with identical grins of mischievous guilt. "... Well," began Minako, and Rei could already feel her hand come up to cover her face in exasperation, "she doesn't know the boy is coming..."
Makoto was still confused, or perhaps trying to point out that the plan had its flaws. "So... you're bringing a boy for Ami..?"
"Right," chirped Usagi, convinced that there were no possible flaws in this brilliant plan to play matchmaker with their genius friend.
"And how did the boy know about this..?" Rei had, indeed, covered her face in her hand, muffling her voice, but no one could mistake the dripping condescension in it.
"Well, I invited him," Usagi said, and Rei pointed.
"So you're bringing the boy!"
"For Ami!"
Makoto showed her exact the exact extent of her understanding of the situation. She leaned back, made a face like she had eaten a pickled egg, and said, "Why?"
Usagi leaned forward and took Makoto's hands. "Mako, you should have seen her yesterday! She walked right up to him and then walked away like he'd scored better than her on a test!"
"A math test," Minako supplied, her face serious.
"A math test," agreed Usagi, earnestly. "And she won't talk to me about it!" Usagi looked at the other three. "You know I don't usually like to push things like this," she said, ignoring the indignant snort from the raven haired shrine girl, "but I think Ami really likes this boy, and… well, she's always there for us…"
There was silence in the room, and though no one actually looked, it was obvious that they were all waiting on Rei. Minako and Usagi, after all, were spearheading this little campaign, and Makoto was willing to go along, so long as Ami wasn't actually against this and the blonde pair was trying to do it anyway.
Rei rolled her eyes. "Fine, fine. What about his friend?"
Minako sighed. "He was sitting right there, and…" She looked at Usagi, who bit her lip and nodded. "He wants to help."
Rei's eyebrows shot up at this bit of information. "That's… interesting," she whispered, then smiled. "What movie will we be watching?"
Makoto grinned. "'Jump Kick Three'!"
"Awww," Usagi whined, "We watched 'Jump Kick Two' last time!"
"Which is why we should watch 'Jump Kick Three' this time! It's the best in the series!" Makoto looked between the other two girls, but Rei was staying out of it, and Minako shook her head.
"We need to watch 'Kiss From Home'!" When the others didn't readily agree, Usagi's eyes widened. "It'll be perfect to set the mood!"
Minako raised her hand. "I have the perfect movie, guaranteed to get Ami into this boy's arms before it ends." She grinned, reaching into her bag, and pulled out a movie with a desiccated woman's face staring out, her blood filled mouth open in a rictus of pain and anger. "Walking Corpse!"
The other three girls reacted with varying expressions. Rei's face was a mask of stone, Usagi's was wide open-mouthed shock, and Makoto's was interested in the movie. Minako smiled serenely through the entire moment.
"Trust me, girls. Nothing gets a girl into a guy's arms faster than good old fashioned horror movies!"
"What do you mean, you're not coming tonight?"
Ami kept her eyes on her book, either unable or unwilling to look Usagi in the eye. "I don't have the time to waste, Usagi. I must catch up on my studies."
Usagi's blink was almost audible. "Aren't you three chapters ahead of the class?"
"Yes," Ami said, a small blush creeping up to her cheeks. "O-only three chapters. I've fallen behind..." It was a lame excuse, and Ami seemed to know it.
"Ami, you're the smartest girl in the school! Your grades are the top of class. My grades have raised since we've started studying together!" Usagi sat next to her friend, who kept her eyes on her book. "Pleeeeeeaaaaaase Ami?"
Ami looked at her, which was, at least, an improvement. After a short while, however, she turned back to her book. "I'm sorry, Usagi, but I really need to study."
Usagi tried every trick she knew. She tried giving her the longing, puppy dog look. She tried wobbling her lower lip. She even tried a slight whimper. Nothing worked.
When she returned to the rest of the group, they needed no words to figure out what happened. Rei's lips pressed together, but she offered up no criticism.
Minako, however, was another story. "Did you try the puppy dog look?"
"Yes," Usagi said miserably. "I even trembled my lip. Nothing."
"Well, what about the whimper? The whimper always works!"
Usagi looked up, her eyes haunted. "Twice," she whispered, mortified. "I tried it twice, and she didn't even flinch...!" She stared at Minako for a brief pause before whispering, in abject horror, "What's wrong with me..?"
Rei rolled her eyes as she stood. "Get everything set up, Minako. Makoto, I'm going to need your help." Makoto nodded and stood. Minako and Usagi blinked at Rei.
"What are you going to do," Minako asked, suspicion in her eyes.
"I'm going to go pick up Ami," Rei said, her eyebrows rising.
"B-but," Usagi gulped, "She said no!"
Rei rolled her eyes and continued out the door. "Just make sure everything is ready before we get back!" she called over her shoulder.
"So," Makoto asked when they were well on their way to Ami's house. "What's the plan?"
Rei actually chuckled. "I have no idea, but it has to be better than Usagi's melodramatics!" Makoto laughed with her as they walked to Ami's house.
They knocked on the door, and it was opened by a woman who could only have been either Ami's future self, or her mother. Dr. Mizuno was a busy woman, and was usually out, but the Scouts had met her once or twice. She smiled, but it was a tight smile, and Rei got the distinct impression they either were or had been blamed for something. "Hello, girls," Dr. Mizuno said, not entirely unkindly. "Ami is in her room... Studying."
Rei looked at Makoto, and Makoto at Rei. The pause before and emphasis on the last word was not lost on either of them. Rei smiled in return, hoping the creeping unease in her gut was not showing on her face.
"She must have forgotten that we were going to watch some movies tonight," she said. "May we go get her?"
Dr. Mizuno's demeanor didn't change so much as relax. The cordiality she had displayed came more easily, and her smile, though still tight, reached her eyes. "I would," she said, with the air of someone choosing their words carefully, "appreciate that."
Makoto smiled at Ami's mother, and Rei bowed. Together they walked up the stairs, stopping at Ami's open door and peering in.
To anyone who only knew Ami by her reputation, the four different open books and two notepads would have been expected. Ami was the Smartest Girl in the Class(tm), who spent her nights holed away in a darkened room and poured over books with only a desk lamp providing light. This was what was expected, and therefore accepted as the norm.
To her friends, to those who really cared about her, this was so far from the norm that it seemed alien. Of her friends, only Usagi knew the former lengths Ami had gone in her studies Usagi also knew, and made sure the rest of their true friends knew, that it wasn't because she wanted to flaunt some sort of academic superiority, but because she felt she had nowhere else to turn. Ami, when she had earned her reputation, had been close to friendless.
Rei and Makoto had never seen this side of Ami, and Usagi, if she had, would have been much more worried than she had seemed before.
"Hey," Makoto called, eyebrows disappearing behind her bangs. "Did you forget about movie night?"
Ami had straightened as soon as Makoto spoke, her back tense, and her voice shook when she answered. "I told Usagi that I wasn't coming tonight."
Rei scowled. It was supposed to be a ploy to get her to spend time with this new boy. She had counted on nervousness and perhaps some stammering. The Ami she was confronted with was formal, stiff, and, worst of all, resigned. Rei began to move backwards, but Makoto stepped into the room.
"Huh. Must have missed that," she said brightly. "Well, we're here now. Let's go together."
"I'd rather not," Ami said, as if dreading the idea rather than finding it frivolous. Makoto looked back at Rei, rolled her eyes, and stepped in. She seemed to loom over Ami, even though her posture was the same as it always was among the scouts.
"I could pick you up and carry you over my shoulder," she said, casually, not even a forced casualness, but as if that very idea was the most reasonable thing she could offer. "I don't mind, really."
Ami looked up at her, wide eyed, and blinked when Makoto didn't look away or hide a smile. She looked down at her blouse, a t-shirt, really, and casual pants, and then looked up at Makoto. Swallowing, she stood. "Let me get my jacket."
Dr. Mizuno seemed a little surprised to see the three girls walking down the stairs. Ami stopped in front of her, looking at her with semi-pleading eyes. "Is it all right if I go see some movies with my friends, Mother?"
Dr. Mizuno smiled, a genuine warm smile that had anyone been as close to her as Ami was, would have spoken volumes, but not the words that Ami was hoping for. "Of course, dear," she said. "You have fun."
It was only owing to Ami's non-demonstrative nature that her jaw did not hit the floor. Before any words of protest could be voiced or heard, Makoto and Rei had swept out the door with Ami between them.
Amano had to admit: He was very impressed with the fact that Jaima didn't chicken out until they reached the door to Usagi's house. He had taken the precaution of walking behind his best friend, trying not to be obvious about it, but now it seemed wasted.
It was, actually, a little bit odd. Jaima had never really been comfortable around girls, at least not in the time Amano had known him. To see him not trying to make excuses to go back home or not go to a place where, more than likely, they would be outnumbered three to one by girls, was a little alarming. Mizuno, obviously, was having a good effect on him.
It didn't hurt knowing that Jaima would be fixated on Mizuno all night, leaving the rest to him. It wasn't his primary reason for going, but it was a very, very close second.
At the door, however, the old, wary, quietly panicky Jaima showed up. He raised his hand, lowered it, and turned. Amano was right behind him.
"Um, look. I... I think I'll just, you know... go." When Amano looked at him with that sideways, smirking look, Jaima coughed discreetly. "I, you know... I shoul-"
"Study? Uh uh. The only reason I got invited was because you were the one they wanted. If you go, they'll see me out here and tell me the party's over 'cause they want to wash their hair or something. You're staying."
Jaima gave Amano a pleading look, but when he didn't back down, he hung his head and turned, knocking on the door.
The girl with the pigtails, Usagi, opened the door. She looked a little bit nervous, but the expression was hidden by a bright smile. "You're here!" she said, a little too loudly, and Jaima smiled, looking more like he might be ill than he was actually glad to be there. He bowed, removing his shoes, then, subtly, looked around.
There was the other blonde, Minako, and a small girl that looked like a smaller version of Usagi with pink hair. She looked at the two boldly, then stood and walked to them, peering up at them.
After a small while, Jaima looked at Usagi, and the smaller girl elbowed Usagi in the hip.
"Ow, you little virus!" yelped Usagi, then she realized. "Oh! Jaima, Amano, this is my, er, cousin, Usa. Usa, these are friends of ours from school, who we are getting to know... for... reasons..."
The girl blinked at Usagi, then rolled her eyes, then widened them. She opened her mouth to speak, then closed it tightly.
"Come in, come in," gushed Usagi, again started out of an awkward silence, without the prodding from the younger girl this time. "Minako's setting up the movie, and Mamoru's in the kitchen making popcorn!"
"Mamoru," Amano asked. The name sounded like a boy's name...
"Yes," Usagi said with the first truly genuine smile Amano'd seen on her since she'd opened the door. "He's my boyfriend."
Amano smiled a bit, hoping it hid the disappointment rising in him. Then, looking in the living room, he remembered; Usagi was cute, yes, but she had four other friends, and only one of them was pre-claimed by his best friend.
Ami had been subdued for the entire walk from her house to Minako's. It was not entirely a long walk, and she was used to walking anyway, but as she got closer, it seemed as if it were harder to make the trip.
"I really should be studying," she tried, but Makoto looked at her, eyebrows up in her hairline.
"Why?" she asked, blinking in what she must have thought was an innocent manner. "Midterms are over. We don't have a test for another little while. And you're ahead of the entire class by years."
Ami cleared her throat. "Becoming a doctor takes... takes a lot of effort... just being ahead isn't always enough..."
"You know," Makoto said slyly, "some recent findings say that studying too hard can actually be worse for you than studying a little bit at a time." She smiled, taking in Ami's skeptical, dark look. "According to the Nokiyama Tech study of January, 2008."
Ami's eyes widened, and she blinked, then pursed her lips, staring resolutely ahead. Rei lagged back a little, and Makoto, taking it as a signal, did as well.
"What--?"
Makoto grinned. "I've been saving that for the right moment! I can't remember where I read it, but it's true! This Jaima better be worth it!"
Jaima watched from the foyer doorway as Amano introduced himself to Usagi's friends. Ami's friends. It was, he felt, a little strange, this situation that he'd found himself in. He knew that these girls were friends with Ami, and yet she was nowhere to be seen.
Amano seemed to be happy enough. Jaima had been afraid he would hit on any girl he'd seen, but he was, surprisingly, sedate.
He stood in the doorway, watching Amano approach Minako and Usa on the couch, sitting with them and striking an immediate conversation. Minako adapted well, but even Usa, who seemed wary at first, warmed up to the boy. Jaima had always envied Amano's ability to talk to anyone. Usagi and Mamoru came out of the kitchen, holding two large bowls of popcorn. She looked up at him with an easy smile on her face, Mamoru's lips curling into a grin of his own.
It had been like this since Middle School. He was on the outside looking in, unable or unwilling to talk to anyone. Before, it had been all right. Amano did the talking, and Jaima simply watched. But recently, without him realizing it, he found the feeling was foreign, oppressive.
He sighed, giving a small smile, and backed into the foyer. He could slip out easily. He slipped on his shoes and reached for the doorknob.
The knock startled him.
His hand was already on the knob, so it was an easy thing to turn it and pull the door open. There was a tall girl with brown hair pulled back into a high ponytail, and a girl with long, flowing black hair, but Jaima's eyes fell instantly to the deep blue, widening eyes in the middle. He blinked, and felt his face heat up. Jaima's eyes instantly fell to his feet, and so he missed the growing blush on Ami's face as well. Makoto and Rei, however, did not.
Rei blinked, looking at Makoto with a bemused expression, and Makoto took her elbow and guided her inside, leaning over to mutter to the dark haired scout, "Totally worth it."
Ami regained her composure long before Jaima did, raising her eyes to his face, and then down to the ground, wondering if he was staring down there because something was wrong. She blinked at the sight, then looked at Jaima's head.
"You're leaving?"
She looked down again, focusing on the shoes that were on his feet. Jaima swallowed, looking up, now seeing the top of her head.
"Um. I... that is..." He sighed. "I... no?"
Ami looked up at him, her face expressionless, and Jaima sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I didn't know you were coming. I... I just felt out of place..."
"And now?" She looked down again, trying to hide her blush, but focusing with all of her strength on what Jaima might say.
"And now... I..." Jaima's voice wavered, and the next words were very quiet, as if he were saying this for only her to hear, though no one else was close enough to listen in, "am very glad I didn't leave earlier."
Ami dared to look up, her eyes meeting Jaima's. He blushed, but did not, seemingly could not look away, and there was a small smile beginning to curl on his lips, one she felt her own face beginning to emulate.
She didn't know how long they had stayed in the foyer until Makoto's voice made them both start. "Hey! We're going to start the movie without you two if you don't get in here!"
Jaima's head ducked, and he smiled, gesturing for her to enter ahead of him. She walked into the room, trying desperately to hide her blush but not bothering to do the same with the smile, which, inexplicably, had remained on her face. She ignored the looks between Usagi and Minako, and between Rei and Makoto, taking it all in without reaction. She could hear Jaima taking off his shoes behind her, felt his presence as he stepped up behind her.
Something else had caught her attention, and prevented her from moving for a moment. The couch, which was where they sat to watch the movies, usually had everyone sitting on the seat or in front of it. Mamoru, who rarely came, was sitting on a small chair next to the couch, when he usually sat on the seat, Usagi on the floor in front of him. On the other end of the couch were Makoto and Rei, Usa sitting in the tall brunette's lap and the raven haired scout perched on the arm of the sofa. Amano sat on the ground on the corner of the couch, still speaking animatedly to the two girls. Minako was standing up, next to the TV, but what had caught Ami's attention was the large space in the middle of the couch, standing open when usually it would be filled.
Minako put the DVD in the player and walked to the couch, sitting on the ground next to Usagi, confirming Ami's suspicions.
She bit her lip, looking at all of her friends, who gave no indication that anything was amiss. With a sigh, she walked to the couch, sitting down and looking at Jaima, who, it seemed, had also caught on.
To his credit, he didn't react with more than a light blush, crossing the room and sitting next to her as if it were the most natural thing in the world. The act alone gave her a warm feeling that she was sure wasn't simply because he played along.
"OK," Minako said, the smallest hint of smugness in her voice. "The movie tonight is..." she paused, dramatically, pulling the DVD cover up for all to see, "Walking Corpse!"
Jaima coughed lightly. "Um..." he glanced at Ami, then past her at Makoto. "Is... this a good idea?"
Ami bit her lips, this time to keep herself from chuckling. None of the other girls, nor Mamoru, were as discreet. Makoto snorted in amusement, Rei chuckled, and she heard Usagi murmur darkly under her breath. Usa, still in Makoto's lap, rolled her eyes. "I've seen worse."
Jaima blinked, looked at Amano, who shrugged, and then at Ami. Ami smiled reassuringly, earning a similar smile from Jaima. She could have sworn she heard Usagi whisper, "so cute", but let it go. Without another word, Ami sat back and watched the movie.
It was everything he'd hoped, but nothing he'd expected.
Not the movie. The movie was as bad as he had thought it would be. It was overly gory, the plot was nothing but an excuse to show as much gore as possible, and the acting was either overdramatic or wooden.
But sitting next to Ami, that was everything he'd hoped.
It was a little too soon to feel as if he'd accomplished any goals, but at the same time, those goals felt as if they could be accomplished.
He glanced at her. Not the fleeting, half guilty glances of their first meeting, not the curious, indulging glances of their study sessions. This was natural. This was almost conversational. 'Are you enjoying the movie?'
'Not really... It's not my style.'
'Mine either, to be honest... But my friends seem to enjoy it.'
'Mine, too. And the company is... Wonderful.'
Jaima had no real idea if Ami felt the same way. He found, when the thought lingered longer than he liked, that he wasn't going to worry about that detail; she wasn't pulling away, and she didn't look disappointed. She looked as if sitting there, with him, holding his hand, was not a Bad Thing at all-
Jaima blinked, looking down at their hands, loosely together, fingers wrapped around the edge of palms, clasped, not just resting together. He didn't know who made the contact, who curled the hands together, and his eyes whipped to the screen, as if staring at their hands would call her attention to it. As if calling her attention to them would make her pull away. Instead, she felt a light squeeze, and looked from her lips (the lower one under her upper teeth endearingly) to her face (flushing a becoming pink) to her eyes, which twinkled at him in amused confusion. Did she not know either? Did she initiate the contact?
Did it matter? She was smiling, and enjoying herself, and if holding his hand affected that at all, it was for the better.
Jaima allowed himself to be content for the rest of the night.
He couldn't say he wasn't enjoying himself, but he definitely wasn't enjoying the movie the way it was meant to be enjoyed. That much was evident by the reactions of their comrades. Amano and Makoto, in mirrored postures: wide eyes, knees up, hands covering their mouths and holding in shrieks. Usagi clinging to Mamoru, hiding her face in his neck, as he watched with narrowed eyes, as if the movie were a threat, and he had to protect Usagi with his life. Rei looking green and wincing. Minako shrieking unabashedly with little Usa, both clinging to Amano, who would have been in heaven if not for Usa's obvious youth and the fact that the movie sent chills of terror up his spine.
Surrounded by this were Jaima and Ami, sitting where they had been plunked on the couch, between Makoto and Usagi, watching the movie with mild interest, but no real fear. More and more, they looked at each other, more and more they smiled when their friends squeaked or moaned or quailed, Jaima rolling his eyes and Ami wrinkling her nose in their visual, private conversation.
Though they thought that they weren't noticed, though they hadn't even noticed themselves, at first, at least three of the others had taken an interest in Jaima and Ami's hands. Usagi, the first time she had hidden her face against Mamoru, had squealed, but not because of fear. She had seen Ami and Jaima's hands clasped together. Only the movie's gory scene had hidden her sudden outcry from the rest of the group.
Except for Rei. Because Usagi screamed at the slightest provocation, Rei was too attuned to the differences in Usagi's voice to not notice that the scream was not a scream of fear. She looked up, sharply, and followed Usagi's eyes to the cause of the squealing. Her head whipped to the screen so quickly that she hit Minako in the face with her long hair.
Minako, of course, was alerted to the situation because of that, but she was more discreet, closing her eyes and clenching her jaw to keep herself from smiling. The others, she was sure, saw Ami and her friend's hands, but Minako had glanced up at their fellow scout's face, and, noting the small, beatific smile on it, and couldn't help but be satisfied.
"I don't get it," complained Amano. He, with four of the girls, were sitting in the living room, while Mamoru, Jaima, Ami, and Usa all took dishes into the kitchen, cleaning up.
Minako rested her chin on her knees, smiling softly as the others talked around her. Rei, distrustful of the boy in their midst, simply watched, and Makoto was looking thoughtfully at the carpet. Usagi, however, was fit to burst. Only a quelling look from Minako kept her from talking.
"I mean, when you held up the movie, I thought it was a stroke of genius!" Amano bounced his fist on his knee, looking thoughtful. "And, hey, it scared me. It scared most of you." He shrugged. "So why weren't they... even reacting?"
"Ami was holding his hand!" Usagi gushed, causing Makoto and Amano to gape at her. Rei caught Minako's eyes and rolled her own. Minako merely grinned. She had known that Usagi would be the one to tell, but, in truth, she was too interested in what Amano thought of the whole thing. If anyone knew this new boy in Ami's life, it was his best friend.
"Really," Amano said, recovering from his shock and, now, looking thoughtful. "That's interesting." The four girls looked at him, but he continued to look thoughtful and offered no explanation.
"Anyway," Makoto said, "I can't believe they didn't react at all to that movie." A shudder ran up her back as she looked toward the kitchen.
Therein were Jaima, Ami, and Mamoru. Jaima handed Ami a large bowl, which she instantly took to drying, and handed it to Mamoru to put away. Usa watching in a corner, hugging herself, unmindful of the concerned glances Mamoru was throwing over his shoulder.
With a nod, Mamoru turned to Jaima. "So, you didn't seem impressed with the movie," he said apologetically, but Jaima shrugged, grinning sheepishly.
"Yeah, I don't usually like horror movies," he said, softly. "It's just... I've never really understood zombies. I mean... It's just a bunch of slow, walking corpses." He chuckled and shook his head. "I guess I just can't be scared of something stumbling at me like they had a bad sunburn."
"Well, with the rate of decay they show, even early on, it's a wonder they can move at all," Ami chimed in, eyes wide, a sure sign that she was gearing up for a long, complicated explanation. Mamoru fought hard not to roll his eyes, but it was Usa who forestalled her.
"B-but, there's so many of them! And they keep... coming and coming..." She looked up, her brow furrowed, eyes beginning to show signs of tears. Mamoru squatted to her level, smiling at her.
"It's only a movie, Usa," he said, softly, and Ami nodded. Jaima followed suit, uncomfortable trying to comfort a little girl who he had never met, alongside two people she obviously knew very well. However, Usa seemed to take Mamoru's words to heart, hugging him and allowing herself to relax.
"O-okay. I think I'm going to go out there now..." She walked out, her head up and back straight, putting on an air of unconcern. Jaima chuckled and rinsed the last bowl in the sink, handing it to Ami with almost practiced ease.
"I think I should go myself," Ami said, reluctantly. Jaima was looking into the sink, but Mamoru looked at the two of them, and it was obvious by Ami's glance in Jaima's direction that she didn't want to go.
Jaima turned to her. "May I walk you home?" he said, oddly formal, sucking his head and rubbing the back of his neck.
"Oh!" Ami said in a soft, surprised voice. "I... I couldn't ask you to do that, Jaima. My house is in the opposite direction to yours from here..." She looked up at Mamoru, who feigned ignorance.
Jaima straightened, meeting Ami's eyes. "I know. But I'd still like to."
Ami blinked up at Jaima, her cheeks beginning to gain a rosy tint. "A-alright," she said, swallowing, then smiled. The two stared at each other for a short time until Mamoru, putting the bowl away, cleared his throat. Jaima stuck his hand out.
"It was nice meeting you, Mamoru," Jaima said, giving a firm, short handshake. Mamoru smiled and nodded. Ami waved, and the two left.
Mamoru stepped just out of the small kitchen, watching as the two made their goodbyes. There was a sense of restrained emotion among the larger group, the ones who would be trailing to their own homes, or staying over, after the pair left. Anticipation, it seemed, and excitement. But something else, about the two, about the way they stood, made Mamoru remember something, something that happened a long time ago, with another couple.
With a flash of insight, he suddenly understood what the night was about, and shook his head and chuckled.
The pair walked out the front door, with Jaima allowing Ami to precede him, and, after a short time, Usagi, Minako, Makoto, and Amano all walked out. Rei turned to Mamoru, rolling her eyes and following. Mamoru walked to the door, shaking his head.
Jaima and Ami were a half a block away, walking side by side. Their hands were at their sides, but, slowly, they reached out, almost unconsciously, and their hands met just as they turned the corner.
The group stood in silence, until, unable to contain themselves, Usagi and Minako squealed.
"Oh, for crying out loud!" Rei hissed, pushing against Usagi's back, guiding her into the house. "They probably heard that!"
"But Rei! It's so cute!"
"Inside! Now!"
Rei needn't have worried. Neither Ami nor Jaima had heard anything, speaking, animatedly, about how unbelievable zombies really were.
This one took a loooong time! I'm sorry to anyone who waited for that loooong time, I had a lot of work and home related messes to clean up!
Huge thanks to Umbrae Calamitas for constant encouragement, and to RadiantBeam, who, as always, continues to be an inspiration for this little series. Both of your encouragements and your red pens have really helped me!
This story is integral to the series: It introduces my main OCs to the main cast and starts them interacting. It was a true test to speak with all of those "voices" and try to get them right: I hope I did them justice.
Please review!