Author's Note: Sorry about the wait on this one! Promise I'm still on it.
Ami sat in the coffee shop chewing gently on her nail as she watched across the road. She had been in the shop watching the road for about 30 minutes. She had no idea what his schedule for work was like and he very well could have already been inside the flower shop or not even working today.
She frowned, leaning forward on the hand she was previously molesting. She wasn't sure what she even planned on doing or why she was doing it. All she knew is that she had to talk to Zoisite about what had happened the previous day. Or, at the very least, she had to see him to make sure he was still alright.
She squashed the final thought with a giant gulp of her hot coffee. She would admit that she was slightly worried about his well-being but she wasn't ready to dwell on such a thing. Plus, she would surely know if any of her friends had done or planned to do anything about what they had heard.
No sooner had the thought crossed her mind did she see two blonde girls walking down the street, each with a cat in their arms and in the company of a tall dark haired man. She sank in her seat, frowning. She knew they wouldn't be able to see in the coffee shop windows; they were tinted far too dark for that. However, that didn't make her any less paranoid about them sensing her presence. Of course, they too were in this neighborhood, probably investigating, without tell her. So, she could certainly make the same claim.
She watched as the stopped across the street from her and talked for a moment before Minako lead the way into the store. About five minutes later, the exited again, looking fairly defeated. Ami jumped a little as Minako pointed towards the shop where she sat. Usagi and Mamoru nodded, the former looking completely thrilled, and started across the seat.
Ami very quickly moved into a secluded corner and grabbed a nearby magazine, in case they came to check around the corner where she sat. She couldn't see them from where she was and she didn't hear them for a few very long moments. Eventually, she heard Usagi's voice from the other side of short wall separating her and the rest of the seats. She held her breath as she heard them plop down just on the other side.
"Well, that was a bust," Minako whined once they got seated. "He wasn't there and it didn't really sound like him from the way the woman talked. The lady didn't seem at all brainwashed and there wasn't an evil feeling in the air."
"As alarming as the original claim was, I think there's no reason to harass the man. I also felt nothing," Luna agreed and Ami mentally cheered her on. She was up for any idea that would keep the girls from poking too much into this.
"Maybe it's just been too quiet for too long. Makoto saw someone who resembled an enemy and instantly felt scared," Artemis reasoned. "You haven't felt anything, have you, Mamoru?"
"Nothing. The stones are just as the always are. I tried to talk to them after you called this morning but I honestly hadn't in over a year. They may have finally moved on from there," Mamoru stated and Ami could tell he was deep in thought. "I wouldn't put much stock into me not being able to contact them. Plus, if it is him, they have set up a pretty intricate back story with little use. We've had evil use flowers before but nothing so small scale."
"Yeah," Minako voiced again. "If it is somehow him he seems to want to stay out of the spotlight anyways. We can keep ears open without intruding too much, I guess. What about you, Usagi?"
There was silence for a second and Ami assumed Usagi was finishing a bite of whatever dessert she'd chosen. Finally, she spoke, "I don't think we should worry about it for now. I certainly agree with you guys on that. At least, we'll be ready in case anything comes up."
The rest of the group seemed to take that as the final comment and it was quiet for a moment as the group sat and finished their snacks. Usagi had matured immensely over the years. College had treated her very well and she was focusing on government and economic classes, something that surprised every one of her friends. She wanted to be as prepared to be queen as she could, she stated, and felt this was the best way. Even more to the amazement of her friends, she was quite good at it and seemed to enjoy her courses.
After a few more minutes of small talk, Ami heard the group leave the table. She sat still for another five minutes, wanting to make sure they were well out of the area before she moved. She felt completely ridiculous and entirely guilty. She shouldn't be hiding from her friends; she certainly shouldn't feel like she needed to be.
She finally rose from her seat with a sigh, carrying her cup to the trash and standing in front of the window for second. Suddenly, something familiar caught her eye. A vaguely family blonde hair man was walking towards the flower shop. It took her a moment to fully recognize Zoisite, for his hair was even shorter than Jadeite's.
She stared for a moment as he entered the shop and, before she knew it, she was rushing out the door and across the street. As she pushed open the door of the flower shop, she was extremely glad it was empty. She could only imagine what she looked like at the moment.
"Zo…. Zachary?" she called out and a second later he appeared from the back.
His looked of confusion amplified as he saw her standing in the doorway, half panting. He definitely let out a 'huh' in the next moment as she rushed across the room and threw her arms around him.
"I was worried," she mumbled but then quickly seemed to realize what she was doing and step back furiously. Her face was as red as the roses that sat on the counter.
He scratched the back of his next, matching her red face, "I… Oh?"
He seemed to be having trouble finding his words and she didn't seem like she was doing much better. She stared at the ground and offered no answer.
"Well," he finally said after a long moment of silence, "I just came in to request a couple weeks vacation. We can go… talk?"
She nodded, barely noticeably. Without another word, he placed a hand on her back, called a goodbye over his shoulder, and led her out the door. She immediately turned right, wanting to stay as far from her friends as possibly at the moment.