AN: There's not a lot of Mako and Neph in this chapter, but I had to introduce Ami and Zoi a bit since they're coming up soon and I thought focusing on the boys and girls separately would be nice for a change.
Frog Princess
Chapter 4
Mako sighed and shifted in her sleep. She couldn't remember feeling so comfortable before in her own bed. What had she been dreaming about?
Something about a frog and a fish that spoke.
Stay with me, the fish had said.
Yuck. She hated talking fish.
She felt something tighten around her waist and as she shifted her arm she felt hair on her hand. But it wasn't her hair.
What the !?
Mako jerked her eyes open and found herself face to face with Nephrite. He had one arm around her and she was curled up against his chest.
Her face instantly flooded with heat.
Kami-sama-kami-sama-kami-sama!!!
She was mortified.
Sunlight flowed through the windows on the other side of his bedroom, telling her how late she'd slept. She carefully tried to extricate herself from their embrace, but when she moved he grunted and pulled her closer.
What am I? A teddy bear? She thought hysterically.
Licking her lips nervously she extracted her arm from around his neck and gently shook his shoulder.
"Nakamura-san," she whispered desperately, "wake up."
He frowned and mumbled something, and to her extreme embarrassment buried his head in her neck.
Mako lay there, stunned, trying to make her mind work properly.
I can't stay here like this! Part of her wailed, but the other part treacherously wondered – Why not?
Because! She snapped to herself, and viciously kicked him in the knee.
His eyes flew open and he yelped.
She took the opportunity to roll away from him, but was so enthusiastic about this that she ended up falling off the bed.
"Ow," she moaned. She'd landed on her elbow.
"Good morning, bright eyes."
She heard someone chuckling above her and looking up she saw Nephrite peering at her from the bed, a smirking grin on his face.
"Did you sleep on the floor, Kino-san?" he asked, amused.
"How very...modest of you."
She glared at him. Was he joking with her, or did he really not know?
"I'm going to take a shower," she griped.
"Have fun," he called, stretching back on his bed and watching her walk stiffly out of the room. She could hear him laughing as she walked down the hall.
Oh, he knows exactly what he's doing.
"Thanks for meeting with me, Ami." Mako said glumly as she sat in the booth across the table from the shorter girl. They were slurping hot drinks as the wind whipped through the trees outside. It was starting to turn a bit cold.
"No problem, Mako," Ami replied shyly and smiled.
"But," she added, a cute frown on her face, "is everything alright?"
"Well...I don't know, Ami-chan," Mako said, leaning her head against her hand.
"Is it Nakamura-san?" Ami asked carefully, "I'm surprised you agreed to live with him for the week, I'd be afraid."
Mako smiled.
"Aw, he's not so bad, once you get used to him."
She turned back to find Ami staring at her.
"What?" she asked.
"I – I thought you didn't like him, Mako-chan..." Ami stumbled.
"Well...I don't hate him," Mako said defensively, "I mean...I don't like him..."
She was blushing and it made Ami blush too.
"Oh, Ami-chan," she wailed and flopped her head into her arms.
"I do like him," she mumbled through her arms, "why am I so stupid?"
"Oh," Ami mumured, patting Mako's head, "you're not stupid at all, Mako-chan. It's alright if you like him, I think he likes you anyway."
"What!?" Mako jerked her head up, startling Ami.
"Well.." she stuttered, "he's always joking with you -"
"That's just what he does to get on my nerves," Mako snarled, "I hate him."
"Oh." Ami sipped her drink. She looked very confused.
"But," she said after a moment of intense thought, "isn't his showing you attention an indication that he likes you?"
"I don't think so," Mako frowned, "doesn't he joke with everyone?"
"Not as much as he does with you," Ami pointed out.
"Huh," Mako said.
They both got lost in their own thoughts for a moment, before Mako shook herself and smiled at Ami.
"So, are you excited about that up coming hospital banquet?"
"Not really," Ami mumbled.
"Why not?"
"I don't like parties that much," she cringed, "and I'll have to dress up."
"And," she added in a low tone, "it's a bit boring."
Mako raised her eyebrows.
"Oh, well I guess you don't have to go," she said, "but I thought that technician or inventor or whatever he is that you're always reading about was going to be there?"
Ami instantly reddened.
"Y-Yamazaki-san?" She spluttered, "Yes, he will be there. I think."
"Hm," Mako said, looking innocent, "well, too bad. I'd hate for you to miss a chance to talk to him."
Ami sucked in her breath, her eyes big.
"Do you think he'd really talk to me?" she whispered.
Mako bit her lip so she wouldn't laugh and nodded.
"Ah," Ami sighed, and stared dreamily out the window.
Mako chuckled. Ami-chan sure does have strange taste in idols.
Then her smiled turned to a scowl.
Speaking of strange tastes...What am I going to do about mine?
Nephrite shifted nervously in his seat. He'd decided to follow Mako-chan's advice and meet with his friends from high school. So while she was out running errands and meeting with her friends, he was waiting in a coffee shop, tapping his foot on the floor and trying to think of a good icebreaker.
When did I start thinking of her as 'Mako-chan'? He wondered idly.
She looked so embarrassed this morning, he chuckled, remembering Makoto's expression.
She really is a funny girl.
He smiled.
"Hey stranger," he heard a light voice behind him and turning he found Jadeite's blue eyes regarding him in amusement.
"Hey, Takanashi, what took you so long?"
Jadeite smiled and sat down.
Out of the four of them, he and Jadeite were the closest, both in age and sense of humor. While the Jadeite he remembered had been much more closed off and less willing to smile than the man before him, he attributed this to simply growing up.
"Where's the rest of the gang?" he asked.
"Well," Jadeite said, "Kunzite had to work, but he'll be here eventually, and as for -"
He broke off and smiled suddenly. Nephrite turned around to see what he was looking at and discovered a young looking, delicately built young man with dishwater blond hair walking to their table.
"Zoisite!" he cried happily and smacked the young man on the back, making him stagger into the table.
"Hello, Nephrite," the younger man coughed, steadying himself, "I'm glad to see you too."
"Still as pretty as a girl, aren't you?"
Zoisite's beautiful green eyes narrowed.
"Still as oafish as an ox, aren't you?" he retorted.
Nephrite only chortled.
Jadeite sighed.
"Some things never change," he muttered, but he could tell that the two men were extremely happy to see each other, regardless of what their arguing might have indicated.
"So, what have you been up to since I last saw you both?" he asked.
"Well," Zoisite began, "I'm working as the head engineer and technician for the Saito Medical Company."
"Really?" Jadeite asked, interestedly, "what do you do?"
"Mostly just design new medical equipment," Zoisite shrugged, "sometimes I publish articles, but not very often."
"Sounds like a lot fun," Nephrite commented sarcastically.
"I don't come home drunk every night," Zoisite agreed acerbically, "but it pays the bills."
"Please, there are impressionable minds close by," Jadeite interjected, "namely mine."
"I thought you were talking about the kid," Nephrite smirked in Zoisite's direction.
Zoisite tossed his hair over his shoulder and huffed.
"What have you been up to, Jade?"
Jadeite smiled thinly.
"Until a four weeks ago I was working for my father's business company. Now I've started working with Kato's company here in Tokyo."
"Ah," Nephrite winked, "that wouldn't have anything to do with Miss Ice-cube would it?"
"Actually, my father and I had a...disagreement, but I was heavily influenced by Hino-san, as well." he added.
"Who is Hino-san?" Zoisite asked.
"She's Jadeite's girlfriend," Nephrite answered, "but she's about as cuddly as a thorn bush."
Jadeite merely chuckled quietly.
"You just have to get to know Rei," he said, "although she'd probably kill me for saying so, she's actually very affectionate when she wants to be."
Nephrite coughed into his hot tea as Zoisite rolled his eyes.
"But how are things with you and Kino-san?" Jadeite asked, calmly sipping his own tea.
Nephrite stopped coughing and frowned.
"Oh, what?" Zoisite countered, "Not so quick to talk when it's your turn, are you? Tell us about Kino-san."
"Kino-san and I are a perfectly ordinary and loving couple," Neph replied affably.
"Uh-huh," Zoisite smirked, "and I'm the king of England."
"I think you mean 'queen'," Nephrite murmured.
"What did you call me?" Zoisite's eyes flamed in instant fury.
"Are you seeing anyone, Zoisite?" Jadeite interjected quickly.
Immediately the younger man quieted down.
"Not at the moment," he replied stiffly, "I'm too busy with work."
"Right," Nephrite sniggered into his tea.
Zoisite shot him a dirty look.
"I will have you know that I could have any girl I wanted," he boasted, "they don't give me a minute's peace at work."
"They probably want to swap beauty secrets with you," Neph replied.
"You're just jealous because you look like a mountain goat."
"That's really mature."
"Speaking of maturity, I was hoping I could introduce Chiba-san to my grown up friends," a deep voice spoke above them, "but I can't seem to find them. Would you little boys happen to know where they are?"
"Hi, Kunzite," Neph and Zoi chorused.
Jadeite rose to welcome Mamoru to the table. The dark haired man looked a little stiff.
"I didn't mean to intrude on your party," he said, "I know that you must have a lot of catching up to do."
"No worries," Neph grinned, "we can always use another man around to balance out Zoi's unnaturally high estrogen levels."
Zoisite ripped his napkin into two pieces but said nothing.
"Um," Mamoru coughed.
"Don't pay any attention to them, Chiba-san," Kunzite said quietly as he sat down.
"They're always at each other's throats. It's how they show their affection for each other."
"Oh," Mamoru smiled, relieved, "I don't mind. That's how it was between me and Usagi when we first met."
"This is interesting," Neph commented, "you mean to tell me that sweet child was mean to you?"
"Well," Mamoru frowned slightly at hearing the words 'sweet child', "we were both pretty mean to each other. But after a while we realized it was because we really liked each other."
"Huh." Nephrite looked as though he'd just realized that two and two make four.
"Earth to Nephrite," Zoi waved a hand in front of his friend's face.
"Anyway," Jadeite remarked, "it's nice to see that you're happy now, and soon to be married too, right?"
"Yes, in the spring."
"And you too, Kunz, if what I hear is true."
Zoisite and Nephrite's jaws dropped simultaneously.
Kunzite sighed.
"I don't know why I keep thinking it will stay a secret," he said comically to himself, "it is Mina we're talking about."
Mamoru burst into laughter.
"That's the truth."
"I'm stunned," Zoisite blinked, "you're really getting married? What's she like?"
"Aino Minako is a friend of Mamoru and his finace, Usagi," Jadeite explained, "she has a very...bright personality."
"I thought they were twins," Neph complained.
"Sorry to disappoint," Kunzite answered heavily, "but I think one of Mina is enough."
"If you really loved her you wouldn't say that," Nephrite accused him.
"You date her," Kunzite answered, "and then tell me that again."
"So you haven't seen each other since high school," Mamoru broke in, "that's a long time. You must have been really close."
"We were," Zoisite smiled, "we even had our own club."
"Yeah," Mamoru nodded, "I heard about that, what was it?"
"Well, you see -" Zoi began.
"It wasn't that important," Kunzite cut in sharply, "the point is that we spent a lot of time in each other's company."
Mamoru looked confused but didn't say anything.
"We were always playing jokes on people, getting into fights, that kind of thing," Jadeite explained.
"If I remember correctly," Kunzite commented, "you and Neph were the ones who came up with the jokes, and Neph was the one who always got caught or ended up fighting."
Jadeite shrugged.
"At least we didn't have our own fan club," Neph snorted, eying Zoi pointedly.
"I can't help that women find me attractive," he snipped.
"It wasn't just women, I think," Neph suggested, smirking.
"What do you know?" Zoi sneered, "You had a different girl each week anyway."
"Yeah, but as popular as we both were, I don't think anyone could hold a candle to Kunz," Neph grinned, "he pretty much had the entire school wrapped around his little finger – including the teachers."
Kunzite frowned and sipped his tea.
"It sounds like a lot of fun," Mamoru commented, smiling wistfully, "I never really had that many friends in high school. Just Motoki, really, and I haven't seen him in forever. We were never really as close as you all seem to be."
Nephrite met Jadeite and Zoisite's eyes. They all seemed to share the same thought.
"Should we do it?" Zoi asked.
"I think we should," Neph nodded, "I approve of Chiba-san."
"I'm game," Jade answered.
They all whirled on Mamoru and he leaned back in his chair, startled.
"Chiba Mamoru," Zoisite hissed dramatically, "we are about to induct you into the most sacred and secret of all clubs, do you wish to become a member?"
"Uh..." Mamoru gulped and looked frantically to Kunzite, who smiled.
"Go ahead," he answered, "they'll only force you to do it later it you don't agree now. That's what they did to me," he added sadly.
"Ok?" Mamoru squeaked.
"Excellent!" Nephrite cried.
"Raise your right hand and put it over your heart!"
Mamoru raised his hand shakily.