"Well.. I guess that's.. all of it."
Closing her book for good, the bluenette swallowed deeply. The sudden lull in conversation made her nervous. Her eyes swept over the younger woman sitting beside her appraisingly. In truth, Hotaru didn't need her tutoring. But Haruka had come and asked Ami personally, so she wasn't going to deny a fellow soldier. In hindsight, it probably had a lot more to do with Hotaru being as much as a genius recluse as herself, but she doubted anyone had thought this would happen.

The thought sent a hot blush searing through her features as she felt the younger woman regarding her, a studying expression on her features. Then Hotaru was leaning closer, the world frozen around them and Ami's eyes locked with deep pools of dark shades of purple.

No... I shouldn't...
Delicate lips gently landed on her own, hushing every protest she might have had on her mind. Against her screaming instincts, Ami melted into it. She leaned her head for better access, bringing a hand up to lay it upon the soft skin of the woman's neck.

And then in an instant, the whole world shattered around her. She dimly registered the sound of a sliding door. Her head snapped around so fast the world was a blur. She tried to pull her hands away, but their bodies were too deeply entangled. A gasp, a curse, and then she was staring at Haruka's face; the lines of rage coloring her features darker than she'd ever seen before and she was bearing down on her.

A sickening slap, deafening to the silence around them and then all she knew was the white-hot pain. It seared through her face, crawling, hot and burning across her features. The shock of it was making her numb.

"Papa!"

Another curse and the shuffle of feet, the soothing whispers of Michiru wafting to her ears. Ami dimly realized she was laying on the floor, her hand gingerly testing her swollen cheek. Her vision was swimming from the pain, and she opened them blearily to see Hotaru bending over her, concern on her features.
"Are you okay?"

A cough escaped her, the metallic taste of blood filling her mouth. Her voice sounded alien even to herself, raspy with pain. "S'okay. I think we may have surprised her." The bluenette tried to smile up at her, but it quickly turned into a grimace of pain, the motion pulling painfully at the already throbbing muscles.

"Taru, com-"
Haruka's angry voice was immediately cut through with a calming shush, one that seemed too calm for the current situation.

Michi, she thought. Gratefulness filled her features and she laid her head back tiredly. Her vision was filled with the angry slant of Hotaru's eyes, taking in something out of her line of vision. The voice of the younger girl was cold and seemed to have a sobering effect on the room. It was easy to forget how dangerous the unassuming body before her could be.

"Hold on."
She blinked up at glimmering purples, the concern clean on them and her words a whisper. "Let me see."

Ami shook her head, her logic taking over the pain. Haruka was seething, and Michiru was barely containing her. The bluenette tried to wave Hotaru off. "No, it's oka-"

"I'll stain your other cheek." Hotaru's voice was cold and hard with anger, her impatience seething in frustration.

Ami only gulped and nodded, relenting in submission and letting the hand on cheek fall away. It was eerie, the way that Hotaru could switch between modest Hotaru and something... more. She knew it was Hotaru's protectiveness over her that was pulling the threats from her mouth, but it was unnerving just the same.

"Hime-chan, it's time to go." Haruka's voice was laced with anger, her temper very near its breaking point. Only Michiru was keeping this situation under control. To add to the tension, her gentle voice was wafting through the room, sing-song but thick.

"Ho-chan, I think it's best if-"

"Give. us. a minute." The responding voice that cut through the air was that of Saturn's, not the youngest girl in the room. It left absolutely no room for argument and she could even hear the motions outside her field of vision still. In the back of her head, Ami smiled at the irony of it all. Hotaru was, after all, her papa's daughter.

A thick gulp, but otherwise there was no response. And then soft purples were falling to her own features again, the anger in them gone as a soft hand laid itself on Ami's cheek, Hotaru's words a gentle whisper. "Here, let me help..."

Ami closed her eyes, the warm light bathing over her swollen features. It was almost burning hot, but in a weird way it didn't hurt. And then the hot light was fading from her face, and the pain was gone where once it had been. Already, the pounding thrum of it was fading, the flow of blood inside her mouth seemed to slow. Ami blinked. "Wow... Thanks."

Hotaru only smiled down at her, her eyes glancing away to catch something only she could see. A conflicted smile fell to her features and then darkened.
"I... I should go."

Ami only nodded quietly up at her, and suddenly the warmth disappeared. She sat up wordlessly, shock still on her features and Hotaru gathered up her books and was walking away in what seemed like an instant. Haruka set possessive arms around her daughter, shooting a stony, unapologetic look to Ami before turning wordlessly. She wrapped both arms around her daughter's shoulders in a death grip, forcing the girl to walk in front of her. Michiru cast an apologetic look over her shoulder, then turned her attention back to keeping a firm hold on her girlfriend's arm, lest the racer turn her wrath back on Ami again.

The flustered bluenette just sat there, alone in the room as the silence settled around her. With a jerk, she started to jam her books frantically into her bag, her eyes roving over surfaces in a hurried, alarmed rush.
"Hey... what happened in here?"

At Rei's confused voice, Ami's eyes snapped around, surprise clear on her features. She took in the woman standing in front of her in a quick, assessing sweep. How long had she been out there? How much had she heard? The miko stood with confusion and worry clear on her features, a slight glint of sweat on her forehead as she leaned on her broom, lightly panting. Ami gulped.
"Uhh...What?"

Rei padded in quietly, leaning broom on door as she shuffled in.
"Haruka. Michiru dragged her outta here as if she had seen Seiya or something. You okay?"

Ami let her eyes fall to the floor guiltily, slowing in her motions as she dropped another book into her bag and closing it slowly, purposely drawing out her motions.
"Yeah.. it's nothing. Haruka's just been having a pretty bad day."

A pause, and she could feel the miko studying her.
"...Oh..?"

Ami nodded. "Yeah, I-.. I should go. I'll see you around." With that, she brushed past the woman before she could pry any deeper and disappeared to the solace of the streets.