SailorStar9: Anyway, prologue goes up. This is Chapter 1. To all my non-reviewing readers, I love you all! Will love you more if you review! *hugs all round!*
Disclaimers: Nothing here is mine, well, except the plot and the pairing.
Chapter 1: When We Were Young
"Friendship is like a river that parts," Yamato's lone voice began. "That strings our hearts together…" Ami had been surprised to find the hidden track at the end of 'The Teenage Wolves' trial album. "Out of all songs, why did he…"
"Good evening, Mizuno-senpai." Miyako was on the phone. "What are you up to this lovely evening?"
"Inoue-kouhai." Ami greeted. "Nothing much, really. Just preparing for exams."
"Exams?" Miyako echoed. "Just like Kido-senpai, huh? What are you listening to?" she asked, ears straining to catch the lyrics. "I didn't know you liked… omigod that sounds like Ishida-senpai! You found that song he recorded, didn't you? You were holding out on me, senpai!" she whined when Ami finally hit the 'stop' button. "But what's so special about that song that you'd… omigod! He recorded it for you, didn't he? That's so romantic! He really wants to patch up with you!"
"But, Miyako, Yamato didn't…" Ami's protest was cut off.
"Can't talk right now, gonna find the track." Miyako hung up.
With the song still playing in the background, Ami toyed with the snow globe on her table as she went down memory lane.
Flashback
"Hold the door!" the nine-year-old Yamato called, rushing towards the lift. "Thanks." He panted, running into the elevator and the doors shut. "You…" he blinked, recognizing the person holding the door. "Good morning."
"Good morning." Ami nodded in greeting.
"By the way," Yamato started. "Thank you, for the cookies yesterday."
"Don't mention it." Ami replied. "Consider it a housewarming present."
"Ah…" Yamato nodded.
"This is a surprise." Yamato mused, taking his seat beside Ami after the homeroom teacher introduced him to the class. "First neighbours, then classmates, and now seatmates."
"No kidding." Ami agreed.
"Mizuno, Ishida!" the teacher hollered. "No whispering in class!"
"Yes, sensei!" the two seatmates chorused.
"I'm home!" Ishida Hiroaki called, entering the apartment that evening.
"Welcome back, dad." Yamato greeted his father.
"Oya, what a cute visitor." Hiroaki spotted Ami in the living room.
"I apologize for the interruption, Ishida-san." Ami bowed.
"No worries." Hiroaki assured. "Would you like to stay for dinner?"
"I'll hate to impose." Ami shook her head. "Besides, we've just about finished."
"I'll see you to the door." Yamato offered and walked Ami out of the apartment. "Walk you to school tomorrow?" he proposed.
"Okay." Ami nodded shyly.
"Quite a cute girlfriend you have, Yamato." Hiroaki ruffled his son's hair.
"DAD!" Yamato exclaimed.
"You're blushing, sonny." Hirako grinned.
"So I hear the two of us are an item." Yamato chuckled, over video-cam the next day.
"So I hear." Ami nodded. "Sorry."
"You'll get used to rumours in my line of work." Yamato assured. "If I've got to be rumoured in love with someone, I'm glad it's the one I'm actually in love with. Unfortunately, now 'our' song's gone into heavy rotation on local radio," he shook his head and sighed. "Makes me wish I'd never recorded that thing on the album."
"You're too hard on yourself." Ami chided.
"I shatter the high notes." Yamato protested.
"But you sound so cute doing it." Ami teased.
Yamato grinned, but quickly realized, "Wait, you're serious, aren't you?"
Ami just smiled, "I'm afraid those rumours might be partly my fault."
"How so?" Yamato blinked.
"Miyako caught me listening to your song last night, and because I shut it off when she heard it, she assumed you must've done it for me." Ami explained.
"Well, if it's Miyako, can't say I'm surprised, given her network." Yamato mused. "Just give her one night and an open phone line, and she'll have the whole country alerted by morning. And more than that," he smirked. "I hear it's starting in Europe and America, too."
"My face all over world-wide media?" Ami blanched. "But I can't…"
"Just kidding." Yamato grinned. "We aren't that big yet. Hey, Ami." He started. "I'm serious, about you being the one I'm in love with."
"What about…" Ami blinked.
"Sora backed off." Yamato replied. "She knew she never had a chance."
SailorStar9: Okay, this chapter is finally down. Read and review folks.