Makoto sighed as she entered her mother's apartment. The last couple of weeks had been tedious. While her Japanese was improving, she still sometimes had a hard time understanding native speakers when they spoke too quickly. This was very apparent at the bakery when dealing with customers and, more often than not, the bakery staff.

Makoto's mother may have trusted and put her faith in them, when it comes to cooking and baking, but their general attitudes was enough to make Makoto want to smack them in the face with a cake pan, fresh out of the oven. Most of the staff weren't that bad, though they did have some issue with a foreigner coming in and taking charge. There was just a way to do things and they were ways Makoto wasn't used to. But some of the younger staff Makoto either needed to put in their place or fire. She wasn't sure yet.

And the cake pan still felt like a good option.

Sighing, Makoto toed off her shoes and moved into the apartment to find her aunt sitting on the couch, watching tv.

"Konbanwa," Makoto said as she fell into a chair beside her aunt.

"Welcome home, Makoto-chan," Chika said, smiling. "How was work?"

Makoto's head rolled toward the direction of her aunt and gave her a flat look before groaning and rubbing her forehead.

"Another headache," Chika asked, growing concerned.

"Yeah," Makoto sighed. "They've gotten worse since I've moved here. And they come out of no where."

"Have you been to a doctor?"

"I didn't see a point," Makoto answered. "They were were always sporadic and gone with a few minutes."

"But you said they were getting worse," Chika countered. "I think you should get it checked out."

"Nah," Makoto said with a slight shake of her head. "I'm just stressed out. That's why they're getting worse."

Chika shrugged and turned her attention back to the tv.

Makoto was silent for a moment. Noticing her mother's absence, Makoto turned her head to look over her shoulder at her mother's bedroom door. Turning back to Chika, she asked, "How is she today?"

"Its a bad day," Chika answered softly. "She's been in so much pain that she's been sleeping most of the day."

Makoto sighed. "Has she eaten today?"

"Some broth," her aunt answered. "But that was several hours ago." Makoto made to stand and her aunt knew she was heading to the kitchen, to make her mother a meal. Chika stopped her. "I've long since stopped asking her to eat when she doesn't ask for food. It only makes her sick."

Makoto eased back into her chair and sighed, eyes closing.

"Why don't you go out tonight," Chika offered. "You can't spend all of your time at the bakery or here. You'll implode."

Makoto chuckled, shaking her head. "I'm not here to party."

"You're here to take care of your mother," Chika said, nodding. "Just like a good Japanese girl." Chika eyed her niece. "But if you don't take care of yourself, too, you won't be good to anyone else." She smiled warmly. "Go grab a shower and put on some nice clothes and head downtown. Relax a bit. It'll do you some good to blow off some steam."

Makoto chuckled and stood, moving toward the bathroom. She had heard of a bar she had wanted to check out but had felt guilty just considering it and so she hadn't gone. Yet. But tonight, it seemed, Fate would push her toward it.


The bar was loud with the sound of thumping music and the patrons trying to talk over it. There were rooms, if one could call them that, that housed different aspects to the bar. One room held several pool tables, dart boards, and a few tall tables and stools. Past that was the dance floor, dark except for the blinking and flashing neon lights. The music was the loudest here. The main room with the entrance door held the bar itself. It was situated in the middle of the floor so patron could easily get their drinks from any direction. There were lower tables and chairs here, as well as a sitting area on a second floor, with more tables and, instead of the typical bar chair, couches. The setting was made more intimate with the lack of lighting.

Makoto made her way from the dance floor to the bar to order a drink. Her outfit, which consisted of simple, hip hugging jeans that flared slightly at the knees and a brown, v-neck shirt with short sleeves, had garnered her a few dance partners and a few free drinks. But none of the women who approached her held her attention very long and soon both she and her partner would move on to someone else.

Makoto leaned her arms against the bar, having gotten the attention of the bar tender and patiently waited her for her turn. She could hear the bass of the music and unconsciously swayed her hips in time with the music. As she waited, another person gently nudged between her and another patron, also flagging over the bar tender. Makoto moved her gaze over the woman beside her and felt her breath catch in her throat.

Not what you would call a beauty queen, the petite woman was beautiful none the less. Her blue hair was cut short and Makoto could see freckles on the pale skin of her that her shirt didn't cover. Viridian eyes moved lower and over the curve of hips and a small rear, showed off in tight jeans.

"Like what you see," came a sweet voice.

Makoto jerked her head up and saw the woman smiling up at her. Makoto hadn't realized she had leaned back from the bar to appreciate the woman's figure. She blushed and the smaller woman smiled more.

The bartender arrived then, asking Makoto what she wanted. She looked at him then back to the smaller woman. "Ladies first," Makoto said, gesturing to the bar tender.

The bluenette smiled and ordered three drinks; two mixers and a bottle of water.

Makoto leaned down close to the smaller woman and spoke into her ear, "Are you here with friends or is all that liquor for you?"

"Friends," she answered, smiling. Makoto felt a thrill when she pulled back and saw a slight blush on the woman's face. "The water is for me."

Makoto nodded and the bar tender returned with the drinks. Makoto stopped the younger woman from paying for the drinks as she reached for her own wallet. "Add another water to that, will you," she asked, taking out a few bills. The bar tender nodded and took out another bottle of water from below the bar. Makoto paid and picked up her own bottle.

"You didn't have to do that," The bluenette said, picking up her own water bottle and the two mixed drinks.

Makoto smiled and took one of the drinks from the smaller woman's hands. "But I wanted to." The bluenette gave Makoto an odd look when she took one of her drinks from her. "So you don't spill them. I'll follow you," she said, motioning her head that the bluenette should lead.

The woman smiled and walked away from the bar, amazon in tow. The smaller woman moved to the section that held the dance floor. She carefully moved past the gyrating dancers, careful not to spill her drinks. Makoto couldn't help but smile at the smaller woman's deliberate movements as she guided her to a darkened corner.

Makoto stopped when the smaller woman did and could hear a growl of annoyance come from her. Makoto looked past her and into the corner to see two women necking in the dark corner, oblivious to those around them. Makoto was about to suggest another place when the other woman walked over to the couple and nudged the one with lighter hair with her hip.

"Here are your drinks," she said loudly.

The couple turned toward them then and Makoto could see the blond hair of the woman her new friend had just hip bumped. Giggling she took the proffered drink.

"Thanks, Ami-chan," she said loudly, taking a sip and then smacking her lips. The blond caught sight of Makoto then and smiled. "Who's your friend?"

The smaller woman startled and turned back to the amazon. "I forgot," she said, blushing. "This is...uh..."

Makoto smiled and stepped forward, offering the other mixed drink. The blond's companion took it, eyeing Makoto with a wary look. "Makoto," she offered, looking at Ami. "My name is Makoto.

"Makoto-san," Ami said smiling before tuning back to her friends. "This is Minako-chan and Rei-chan." She turned back to Makoto and Makoto saw her blush again. "And I'm Ami."

Makoto smiled. "Ami-san, would you care to dance?"

"She would love to," Minako answered before Ami could. She then stepped away from her girlfriend and shoved the bluenette toward the dance floor. "Have fun," she called, waving at the pair.

Makoto led the way with Ami in tow. Safely away from the enthusiastic blond, Makoto looked to Ami. "You don't have to if you don't want to. I'd understand if you'd rather not," Makoto said, smiling warmly at Ami. Though she would have let Ami walk away from her, she hoped the smaller woman would stay.

Ami looked over her shoulder at her friends before sighing at the blond's antics. She turned back to Makoto. "I would love to actually," she said as she moved closer to the amazon.

Makoto smiled and moved closer to the bluenette their bodies moving in time with the music. Makoto brought her hand up to Ami's hip, pulling her closer. She smiled when Ami blushed but didn't pull away, bringing her own hand up and resting it at the small of Makoto's back.

As the night wore on, the dance floor patrons seemed to close in around them. While neither usually were comfortable in such surroundings, the two women had lost them selves in their partner. The water bottles long since forgotten, Ami's hands gripped Makoto's hips while Makoto's hands brushed back through blue hair.

Makoto dropped one hand from Ami's hair to caress her back instead and was rewarded with a shiver. Makoto smiled and leaned close to Ami's ear and breathed into it. Ami moaned, just loud enough for her dance partner to hear, her hands moving from Makoto's hips to lightly scratch at her back. Makoto pulled away from Ami's ear and moved toward her lips instead. Before their lips could meet, however, a vibrating in Ami's jean pocket startled the both of them.

Ami jerked back and Makoto blinked. Blushing and growling, Ami pulled her phone from her pocket. Sighing at the caller ID, she turned back to Makoto.

"I have to go," she sighed. "It's the hospital, I'm on call. I'm so sorry." She actually sounded like she was.

"You're a doctor," Makoto asked, following Ami off the dance floor.

Ami nodded. "I am." She turned and smiled at Makoto. "I hope to see you again," she said before she pushed through the exit door.

Makoto smiled to herself. "Me, too," she said, before another headache made itself known. Grumbling, Makoto also left the bar, but didn't bother looking for the bluenette. Instead, she flagged down a cab and headed home.

Ami leaned against the building, trying to get her raging hormones under control as she watched Makoto leave. When the cab was gone, and Ami was sure no one was around, she pulled out her phone and began trekking down the street.

"Mercury here, where do we need to meet?"