"First Kiss: Ami/Makoto" by Desslok

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[Author's Note: This story is inspired by my favorite piece of

Ami/Makoto fan art. The art in question can be found at:

http://arcimpulse.shoujoai.com/pages/tukimi.htm ]

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Ami stood up slowly, stretching muscles grown sore from sitting

in one position too long.

"Are we done, Ami-chan?" Usagi called out hopefully.

"No, Usagi-chan," Ami replied fondly, "I'm just taking a short

break. You know that we have exams soon and we cannot afford to

fall behind in our studies."

Usagi's plaintive groan was joined by resigned sighs from the

other three senshi. Rei and Mina exchanged unhappy glances and

turned back to their textbooks. Makoto leaned back against the

wall, watching her friend as she gathered up her pink sweater.

"I think I'm going to step outside for a bit. There's a lovely

moon out tonight," Ami announced. "If any of you have any

questions, I'll just be out on the steps."

"Ok, Ami-chan," Usagi replied. "We'll be good!" As soon as Ami

turned around, Usagi cautiously slipped one of Rei's manga out

from under the study table and hid it inside her textbook.

Ami gently slid the door open and stepped out onto the porch.

Indeed, it was a lovely night. The full moon hung in sky,

illuminating the peaceful grounds of the shrine in a warm golden

light. Though there was a bit of an autumn chill in the air, Ami

simply draped her sweater across her back, letting the sleeves

dangle over her shoulders. She sat down and gazed up at the sky.

'She looks so pretty in yellow,' Ami thought. Truly, she had

needed a break, but not from studying. Makoto was becoming

increasingly distracting and Ami had no idea what she should do

about it.

At first, it hadn't been a problem at all. From the very first

time they had met, Ami had been taken aback by the beauty of this

young woman. Tall, strong, with long auburn hair swept back

casually from her gentle face, she was the epitome of everything

Ami thought was beautiful. Ami smiled gently, thinking back to

those days long ago when they'd first met, struggling to fight

Queen Beryl, trying to find a moon princess who was sitting right

in front of them all along, but mostly just learning about each

other and letting the bonds of friendship grow. Simpler days.

With a sigh, Ami recalled when everything had begun to change.

As if sensing her thoughts, the breeze picked up, bringing a

swift chill. After the Arctic Circle, nothing else seemed cold

any more. Watching her die, selflessly, bravely, showing the

rest of them the type of sacrifices that would have to be made to

enable Sailor Moon to win the day, that was when it had begun.

She vanished and Ami's heart shattered. She barely remembered

her own end that day, so numb had she been. Even after they had

been returned, after their memories were restored, Ami would

still awaken in the middle of the night, shivering in a cold

sweat, tears damp on her cheeks, recalling that day.

It was Ami's way to consider things carefully from every angle,

so she had not rushed to examine her feelings. Instead, she had

let the consciousness of them seep into her over time. She could

not pinpoint the exact time when feelings of friendship had

evolved into something more. There was no single event that had

inspired a shift from simple admiration to definite attraction.

It was one thing to know someone was beautiful, but quite another

to feel that beauty in the very core of your being. Such things

happened slowly, over time.

No, Ami could not identify the moment when she'd gone from loving

Makoto as a friend to loving her completely. Watching her die

had simply been the moment when realization had been thrust upon

her. The years since had only seen those feelings grow stronger.

In so many ways, Makoto was her best friend. The two of them

shared so much in common. Neither knew what it was like to have

two loving parents at home. They shared similar insecurities

about themselves, about their place in life. Each at times felt

like an outsider looking in. Even in those areas where they were

different, their differences complemented one another. Ami was

careful and logical, while Makoto was passionate and impulsive.

Each helped balance the other's shortcomings and enhance the

other's strengths. They just fit together.

Ami sighed happily, wondering if perhaps their friends didn't

realize this as well, if only on a subconscious level. After

all, didn't they always leave room so that Ami and Makoto could

sit next to each other when they went out? Ami blushed slightly

at the thought of how forward she had become over recent months.

She wondered if Makoto noticed how she always stood just a little

bit closer to her than was normal, or how she used any excuse

necessary to touch her. Little things, to be sure, but they were

all Ami had.

She had debated talking to Makoto more than once. Part of her

thought that it would just be easier to get these feelings out

into the open, to have done with it. But, Ami enjoyed her secret

flirting, even if no one would else would ever have noticed it as

such. She didn't want to disrupt the relationships between her

and her friends and who could tell what disruptions such an

announcement would cause. Everyone had been so shocked that Ami

had been the first to figure out about Haruka and Michiru, after

all. How much more upset would they be to learn that, like those

two, she also preferred girls?

With another heavy sigh, Ami decided yet again to simply let

things be. The romantic in her almost enjoyed her unrequited

love....

"Can I join you?"

Ami sat up straight, startled by the sudden voice. Turning her

head, she saw Makoto framed in the light of the doorway.

"Please, Mako-chan," Ami murmured, forcing herself to relax.

"It sure is a beautiful night," Makoto pointed out as she sat

down next to Ami on the steps. "I can see why you wanted to come

out here."

Ami nodded, not trusting her voice at the moment. She could feel

her heart racing and tried to will it to slow down.

"Looks like you were thinking about something pretty intense,"

Makoto noted. "Anything you want to share?" She turned her head

towards her friend. Ami blushed deeply and dropped her eyes

demurely toward the ground ahead of them.

Makoto's heart caught in her throat. The moonlight glittered on

Ami's hair and shone on her flawless skin. She gave silent

thanks to every martial arts instructor she'd ever had for all

the training in self-control that she'd received over the years.

At moments like these, within arm's reach of her heart's dream,

she needed every scrap of discipline she could muster.

So lost was Makoto in the vision of loveliness before her and her

own tumultuous emotions that she didn't notice that Ami hadn't

responded to her question. Reluctantly, Makoto tore her eyes

from Ami's perfection to the mere splendor of the moon.

"It is a beautiful night, Mako-chan," Ami finally whispered.

"Very romantic." She blushed even more deeply as she realized

what she had just let slip.

Makoto sighed and let her thoughts drift along familiar pathways.

Usually, she only allowed herself such fancies late at night,

alone at home, far from their source. Here, now, sitting so

close to the one who lived in the center of her dreams, she felt

a rush of warmth on her skin. She felt suddenly daring and

reckless, without knowing why. "Romantic is a very good word for

it, Ami-chan. It's the perfect night to talk a stroll with

someone you love."

"Or just to sit and enjoy the evening," Ami added, unable to

believe how brazen she had become.

"Ami-chan?"

"Yes?"

"Have you ever thought about what it would be like to be in

love?"

Ami swallowed and took a deep breath. She could feel her muscles

quivering, so she placed her right hand flat on the porch to

brace herself. Acting on instinct was something new and

exhilarating, she found. She would not let logic derail her

this night.

"I am in love, Mako-chan," she whispered.

Before Makoto could react, Ami took the final plunge. Looking up

into the moon, she let her thoughts flow freely. Her warm smile

lit up the night as she began to elaborate.

"I am in love with the most wonderful person in the world, Mako-

chan. Someone who is my very best friend and yet so much more.

Someone with whom I have grown, who has taught me about life and

about myself. Someone whose beauty and elegance are breathtaking

as well. Someone who I have fought and died beside."

Until the last sentence, Makoto did not think her heart could

sink any lower. However... fought and died beside? That could

only be one of a small group of people. A miniscule flicker of

hope lingered inside her, flamed by a morbid curiosity if nothing

else. "This person sounds like the luckiest person in the world,

Ami-chan, to be cared for so deeply," she said cautiously.

Ami laughed quietly, "I'm not so sure about that, since she

doesn't even know."

'She?' Makoto's heart raced. Not Urawa, then. Not Mamoru. She

who Ami had fought and died beside? Makoto's odds had just

increased significantly! She became painfully aware of the

proximity of Ami's hand to her own on the porch.

Gathering herself, Makoto reached a decision. She had learned a

great deal over the past few years, but the one lesson that had

come through loud and clear over and over was the power of Love.

Their princess had demonstrated time and again that nothing could

stand in its way. Makoto decided that it was time to take the

plunge.

With a warm smile, she turned her head to face Ami. She could

see the moonlight reflected in her perfect blue eyes as she gazed

off into the sky. Laying her hand gently on top of Ami's, Makoto

said, "I am the luckiest person in the world, Ami-chan, if it is

me who has your heart, because you certainly have mine."

Somehow, Ami remained calm, even as every one of her dreams came

true in that one moment. The warmth of Makoto's hand on her own

spread throughout her body and she understood something at long

last. She'd known all along that Makoto felt the same way about

her. She just hadn't let herself see what had been right in

front of her all along.

"I love you, Kino Makoto," she said firmly, shifting her body so

she could look her beloved in the eye.

Suddenly overcome by the torrent of emotion, Makoto could not

find any words to respond. Tears welled in her eyes and her

smile quivered on her lips. "Oh Ami, I..." she managed to

sputter out.

"Shhh," Ami replied softly. "Everything is going to be fine from

now on." To demonstrate her point, she leaned forward slowly,

raising her free hand to lightly brush the teardrops from

Makoto's cheek. Her lips found Makoto's and pressed tenderly

against them. Makoto brought her arms up and wrapped Ami in a

firm embrace. Neither young woman noticed the sound of the door

sliding shut behind them.

"I told you so," Minako said in a hushed tone to Usagi and Rei as

the three of them returned to their places around the study

table.

"Oh, it was soooo romantic," gushed Usagi, wiping away tears and

blowing her nose noisily into one of Rei's handkerchiefs. "I'm

so happy for them!"

"It's about time," Rei grunted. "They've been mooning over each

other for months now."



"What is that supposed to mean?" Usagi declared.

"'Mooning' is just an expression, meatball-head!" Rei retorted

hotly.

"Mina-chan, I think Rei is being mean to me, but I can't prove

it!" Usagi wailed.

Minako only smiled, even as she peeked one last time out the

window. She didn't imagine that Ami and Makoto would be out

there long, but she hoped they made the most of the time.

Turning back to watch Rei and Usagi brawling, she laughed. The

more things changed, the more they stayed the same.

"Omedetou, Ami-chan and Mako-chan," she said quietly. Then, she

got back to work.