Just a bit of Ami/Mako fluff. The idea planted itself in my head awhile ago. Standard disclaimers apply, if I owned Sailor Moon I'd have a lot more money, and probably be Japanese, which would be kind of weird, since I'm not.

"See you tomorrow, Mako-chan," Ami called over her shoulder on her way out the door. She wasn't sure, but Makoto thought she might actually get more than a 75 on this paper. Granted, it had taken three solid hours of work, with Ami hovering around her the whole time and pointing out errors, but she felt confident thant it would at least get her a decent grade, if not a fantastic one.

She walked over to the door and turned the lock. Since she wasn't planning on going out again, it seemed as good a time as any Stifling a yawn with the back of her hand, her eyes drooped and her head fell forward. Three hours of homework had apparently taken a lot more out of her than she realized.

Makoto's eyes slid open again. Dropping to one knee, she examined the sheet of paper that had caught her eye. It must have fallen out of one of Ami's books, for it rested on the floor, the torn edge where it had been ripped out of a notebook caught under the leg of her coffee table. There was writing on the other side. She picked it up and, despite a small stab of conscience, flipped it over. Something told her not to. She should put it aside somewhere and return it to Ami at school tomorrow. However, curiosity got the best of her; Makoto made her way to the couch and flopped down.

Sometimes, I think that I will always be alone. Usagi has Mamoru, Rei and Minako... well, perhaps they haven't figured it out yet, but they'll find each other that way before long. Mako-chan will eventually find that sempai she's been looking for for so long. I have to wonder what it is that makes all of these young men reject her. They're fools, every one, of course.

Ami thought about that sort of thing? She didn't really know why, but Makoto had never considered Ami as someone who worried about romance. She always seemed satisfied with her books and papers, but then, why shouldn't she want someone? She had to be lonely too, sometimes. Maybe, just maybe, that was why she was always so engrossed in her studies. Makoto shook her head. And what on earth did she mean about Rei and Minako?

I just wonder if there's anyone out there for me. I thought, perhaps, that Urawa might... but no, there's a reason we were never more than friends. I think the girls think that I liked him, and I'm certain he's always had his own feelings for me. It's not true, though. I suppose I can understand them thinking that, since I've never shown any interest in anyone else... but they're all so boy-crazy, I wonder if they would understand? Perhaps I should talk to Haruka and Michiru. But then, how would they help? I already know I'm a lesbian.

Makoto dropped the paper into her lap as if it had burnt her. Ami-chan was gay? The sweet, innocent one who never thought about such things? She supposed that, in a way, it made sense. Ami never had shown any interest in any boys, but no one had ever looked to see if she showed interest in girls, had they? And it made less sense that Ami, at seventeen, simply had no interest at all in romance. She reached for the paper again. She should stop reading, she knew, this was incredibly private, but Makoto didn't think she could stop herself if she'd tried to anyway.

I wonder if anyone will realize how terrifying that thought is. I'm not about to hide who I am, or be ashamed of myself for something so foolish, I haven't done so with anything else that makes me different, but... this is just one more thing that makes me not like most other people. I wish, sometimes, that I didn't always have to think everything through. I would love to be able to just jump into something, without thinking about the consequences.

The unfortunate thing about it all is that I know I could deal with it, if I could tell my friends. I'm just so scared that they won't understand. Rei and Minako haven't figured each other out yet, so I don't know if they've sorted themselves out. Makoto just makes me wonder. I think she's not as straight as she thinks she is, but maybe she's not entirely gay, either. I think that when it comes down to it, she'll fall for someone based far more upon who they are, with gender little more than an afterthought.

I've even thought about who my dream girl would be. Or at least, what she's like. I know she's tall, and strong, but soft. The kind of person you can lean into, and get lost in; in their scent, in their arms. When she holds me, I want to feel utterly held, safe and secure. Maybe she's a little bit wild, too. Not unstable, just crazy enough that she can make me a bit more impulsive. She likes to cuddle, and take care of people in her own way, just as I do. I wish I knew who she was, I wish I could find her.

But maybe these are just silly, girlish fantasies. I'll probably never find that girl who will sweep me off my feet. Of course, not telling anyone I like girls in the first place makes that even more unlikely. Perhaps I should just come out and say it. I don't know...

Makoto sat there for a long moment, chewing on her lip and staring at the paper. What did this mean? Ami was gay, Rei and Minako were, apparently, both gay, but hadn't figured it out yet. Was she, too? But she'd been attracted, legitimately attracted, to an assortment of men. Her head flopped back and the paper slipped out of her fingers, fluttering gently to the floor. Eyeing it, Makoto wondered if it knew the havoc it had just wreaked inside her brain.

Then she thought back to the day she met Ami. Hurrying to scratch Luna under her chin, hoping that anyone who'd seen her staring at the blue haired girl holding the feline would assume she was just looking at the cat. Picturing Ami, standing there that day three years previous, her breath caught. Then there was Haruka, which was a whole 'nother ball of wax. She sighed tiredly.

Strong and tall and wild, hmm? She smiled softly as a faint suspicion grew. She laughed quietly to herself as she headed to bed. Well, if anyone could make Ami spontaneous...

As Makoto lay down, she couldn't remove the smile from her lips. Ami may be brilliant, but Makoto had her own talents. Tomorrow she'd put them to a better use than they'd ever seen before.

Ooh, suspense. But not really, since I'll be posting part two/the conclusion shortly. .