Title: Like Chocolate
Author: Raya
SM Monthly Challenge Theme 19JAN06: Addiction (Optional)
Genre: Humor
Version: Anime
Rating: G

Disclaimer: All characters are owned by Takeuchi Naoko. I have merely converted them into dolls for a while.

A/N: Well, I do have an Usa/Mamo Valentine's story that I wrote in my LJ for the smmonthly challenge community, but it looks like I forgot to save it to a file. I'll try to upload it for you guys sometime this weekend. In the meantime, it's not really Valentine's related, but it is about a very important part of Valentine's... Well, okay, so only the title and the treat, but... (smile) Enjoy! - Raya

Like Chocolate

"I most certainly can." Ami drew back and glared indignantly down at Minako from her place on Rei's veranda. The blonde was sitting was sitting a little further down on Rei's front steps next to Usagi, while Makoto had chosen to prop herself up on the veranda rail. In the yard, Rei paused in her futile attempt to sweep up the sakura blossoms, and turned to look up at her friends.

"No way, Ami-chan. I don't believe you. There's no way you could do it. What do you think, Mako-chan?" Minako asked as she looked over to the taller girl and stuffed another of Makoto's homemade brownies in her mouth.

"Hnn... I don't know. I mean, it would be really hard for her, sure, but Ami-chan's got a lot of will power..." Makoto replied thoughtfully as she nibbled on her own brownie.

"Yeah, but we're talking books here. There's no way Ami could go a whole day without reading, much less the entire Golden Week," Minako argued as she batted Usagi's hand away from another brownie. "That one's mine, Usagi-chan. Pick another."

"But, it's the biggest one," Usagi pouted. "And besides, you're still working on that one. Ah! Rei-chan!" she whined in protest. "I wanted that one!"

"Too bad. You snooze, you loose," Rei teased as she lifted the brownie for a bite. She drew back as she bit down on the chocolaty treat, and glared at Minako who had attempted to snatch it away from her.

"Oh, c'mon, Rei-chan, that one was mine! I called it!" Minako called as she stood up and attempted to snatch the brownie again.

"Eat the one in your hand, and leave mine alone," Rei growled back at her. "Glutton."

Minako studied her a moment, noting the broom that was still in the miko's left hand, and then settled back down on the steps. "Addicted," Minako said breezily as she flipped her long golden hair over her shoulder and shoved the remaining bite of her brownie into her mouth. "Just like Ami-chan," she added as she swallowed.

"I most certainly am not," Ami protested again. "You are the one with all the addictions!" she argued logically. "Video games, chocolate, sweets, manga, boys... The list goes on."

"You forgot festivals, movies, food, sleep, idol-chasing..." Usagi broke off with a yelp as Minako thwacked her on the forehead.

"You're a fine one to talk, Miss 'I can't get enough Koda-chan, Motoki-oniisan please bring me a chocolate shake and a double-decker-super-deluxe-burger, and oooo there's Mamo-chan!'," Minako teased.

"Mamo-chan? Where? Where?" Usagi looked around frantically, and then turned back to Minako with a frown. "That wasn't nice." Her frown deepened. "And why did you call him 'Mamo-chan'? That's my name for him!"

"Yeah, yeah, sorry. Anyway, my point is that we all have our addictions, and Ami-chan's is books," Minako said as she selected another brownie off of the plate.

"I am not addicted," Ami protested again. "I want to be a pediatrician, so of course I read and study a lot. It's not easy to get into medical school, you know."

Minako and Usagi nodded while Makoto and Rei watched with amusement. "Try it," Makoto said suddenly. All of her friends turned to look up at her. "Try it. One week without reading anything but signs and menus. No books. No magazines. No journals or internet. Golden Week starts tomorrow. That would be the perfect opportunity. We all know you've already got all your homework done."

"But, but..." Ami sputtered. Usagi looked between Makoto and Minako, her azure eyes wide with shock.

"Yeah, try it!" Minako agreed enthusiastically. Suddenly, she frowned. "And no cheating with books on tape or something like that. One entire week without reading or studying."

"But..." Ami said more weakly.

"And if you fail, you have to buy lunch for all of us at the festival on Friday," Rei chimed in.

"Yes!" Minako exclaimed enthusiastically as the others all turned to stare at Rei. "Food!"

"That's not fair," Usagi protested. "A whole week? Ami-chan can't do that!"

Suddenly, Ami's blue eyes hardened. "Yes I can," she said firmly as she rose and walked down the steps to take the last brownie off of the plate. Usagi and Minako both pouted up at her. "You just watch me."

"Or so I said," she mumbled a few hours later as she let herself into her silent apartment. As she walked into her bedroom, her eyes went immediately to the copy of The Woman With a Worm in Her Head that was sitting on her desk. She had had to put it down in the middle of a very interesting chapter, and she was dying to know what happened next. Resolutely, she ignored it.

She ignored it again the next morning. She ignored it the next evening, and the morning after that. But on the second evening, she touched it. Her hands caressed the cover, even as she justified herself by saying she was just moving it to the bookshelf where it wouldn't tempt her anymore. Somehow, it ended up on her nightstand instead.

It was set so precariously that she knocked it off by accident the next morning when she got up. Fortunately, when it landed, it opened up face down. 'Oh, good. Minako-chan and Usagi-chan eat so much...' she thought to herself, trying to deny the disappointment she felt. She put it on the stand once more and tried to forget about it during the day.

She 'accidentally' knocked it down again later that evening, and this time it landed face up. Ami was not able to avert her vision in time, and realized that her bookmark had moved. Before she knew it, she was on the floor with her back against her bed and the book propped up on her knees. 'They can't eat that much, can they?' she thought in resignation. 'I'll have to listen to Minako-chan crow about this. If I tell them, that is...' she hesitated, but the temptation was too great. Throwing all her restraint and good intentions to the wind, she let her eyes drift down to the page and, with a relieved smile, lost herself in the wonderful world of knowledge.