Chapter 3
Genuine
Amarah opened her eyes slowly. For a moment she was puzzled. ~What? Where am~. She looked around and realized she was in her apartment. ~I must have dozed off~ she thought. Then she looked up and realized that she was sitting next to Keito still, on the sofa. ~Oh my gosh, how long have I been asleep? I can't believe he's still here! What happened?~ Then Keito looked down at her and smiled.
"I thought you'd never wake up, sleepyhead," he said with a laugh. Amarah blushed.
"What time is it?" she asked nervously. Keito glanced at his watch.
"Seven thirty." Amarah frowned. That was impossible- after all, the sun was still on its way up into the sky...She gasped.
"Seven thirty... in the *morning*??????" she asked incredulously. Keito laughed again.
"Yeah, that's about right." She jumped up and began to panic.
"I was supposed to meet Michelle at the café half an hour ago- and I-then you- you were here all night?"
"Yeah, but I fell asleep eventually, don't worry about me." Amarah ran around, trying to brush her teeth and comb her hair and check her makeup all at the same time.
"Hey, take it easy!" said Keito, "She's not going to mind if you don't come one time, now is she?" he said in a reassuring voice. He walked over to her and gently ran his fingers through her hair.
"Why don't you and I take the day off? We can walk around downtown, see a movie, maybe grab something to eat? Come on, it'll be fun!" Amarah looked up at him, trying to stay calm despite the battle going on in her head. ~Are you kidding? Michelle's going to worry about you. Besides, what if something happens? He doesn't know you're Sailor Uranus. What if you have to transform or something?~ **~No, it'll be fine. He's right, you know. You could use a day off, a break from routine. Why don't you go?~ Amarah hesitated, and finally said, "Oh, what the heck. Sure, let's go!" Keito smiled.
~This is too easy.~
Meanwhile at the café, Michelle checked her watch nervously. ~Where is she?~ she wondered. Amarah was almost an hour late. ~The least she could have done if she couldn't make it was call~ she thought, somewhat bitterly. Michelle waited...and waited...but no Amarah. Eventually, she gave up. She paid for her coffee and left, puzzled and disappointed.
That day, while Amarah and Keito strolled along downtown, he gently held her hand the whole way. At the movies that evening, he put his arm around her. Every now and then she would catch him staring at her out of the corner of her eye. Amarah noticed all this, and was rather pleased. The nagging voice in her mind, the one that argued against romanticism, had faded away, and she was glad. Keito was the only one with a dilemma now. Sure, he had a mission. That was why he was here. He just had to distract her, to confuse her. ~To break her heart,~ he thought bitterly. The mission wasn't important anymore. Now, those subtle touches were not rehearsed, were not part of a plan. One more look at her dispelled any idea of following his orders. He could never hurt Amarah.
Genuine
Amarah opened her eyes slowly. For a moment she was puzzled. ~What? Where am~. She looked around and realized she was in her apartment. ~I must have dozed off~ she thought. Then she looked up and realized that she was sitting next to Keito still, on the sofa. ~Oh my gosh, how long have I been asleep? I can't believe he's still here! What happened?~ Then Keito looked down at her and smiled.
"I thought you'd never wake up, sleepyhead," he said with a laugh. Amarah blushed.
"What time is it?" she asked nervously. Keito glanced at his watch.
"Seven thirty." Amarah frowned. That was impossible- after all, the sun was still on its way up into the sky...She gasped.
"Seven thirty... in the *morning*??????" she asked incredulously. Keito laughed again.
"Yeah, that's about right." She jumped up and began to panic.
"I was supposed to meet Michelle at the café half an hour ago- and I-then you- you were here all night?"
"Yeah, but I fell asleep eventually, don't worry about me." Amarah ran around, trying to brush her teeth and comb her hair and check her makeup all at the same time.
"Hey, take it easy!" said Keito, "She's not going to mind if you don't come one time, now is she?" he said in a reassuring voice. He walked over to her and gently ran his fingers through her hair.
"Why don't you and I take the day off? We can walk around downtown, see a movie, maybe grab something to eat? Come on, it'll be fun!" Amarah looked up at him, trying to stay calm despite the battle going on in her head. ~Are you kidding? Michelle's going to worry about you. Besides, what if something happens? He doesn't know you're Sailor Uranus. What if you have to transform or something?~ **~No, it'll be fine. He's right, you know. You could use a day off, a break from routine. Why don't you go?~ Amarah hesitated, and finally said, "Oh, what the heck. Sure, let's go!" Keito smiled.
~This is too easy.~
Meanwhile at the café, Michelle checked her watch nervously. ~Where is she?~ she wondered. Amarah was almost an hour late. ~The least she could have done if she couldn't make it was call~ she thought, somewhat bitterly. Michelle waited...and waited...but no Amarah. Eventually, she gave up. She paid for her coffee and left, puzzled and disappointed.
That day, while Amarah and Keito strolled along downtown, he gently held her hand the whole way. At the movies that evening, he put his arm around her. Every now and then she would catch him staring at her out of the corner of her eye. Amarah noticed all this, and was rather pleased. The nagging voice in her mind, the one that argued against romanticism, had faded away, and she was glad. Keito was the only one with a dilemma now. Sure, he had a mission. That was why he was here. He just had to distract her, to confuse her. ~To break her heart,~ he thought bitterly. The mission wasn't important anymore. Now, those subtle touches were not rehearsed, were not part of a plan. One more look at her dispelled any idea of following his orders. He could never hurt Amarah.