See Previous for Disclaimers.
PS: Certain parts of this fic are dedicated to my beloved friend Skittle Fairy. You know which ones, and who you are, babes.
"Listen to Rhythm of the Falling Rain" Chapter 1: The Problems
Ami sat on her bed, for once not thinking about homework, or school. Ami sat on her bed and did nothing. Ami sat on her bed, and tried to not think of anything. Ami sat on her bed and cried. Ami sat on her bed, because she could not move. Ami sat on her bed.
It had been a couple of weeks since Makoto had left. A couple of days since Ami's heart had been broken. Shattered. Scattered to the four winds to never be put back together again. Well, a little over dramatic, but still, it wasn't fair that Makoto left. They were getting along so well, they had grown closer after the final battles. So why did she have to leave? Why did she choose to leave? Why did she drop everything, including Ami's heart, to leave Tokyo? Ami sat on her bed and cried.
Makoto sighed as she unpacked her last box. She waited to unpack this one for a reason. Besides being the smallest, this one contained pictures. Not very large pictures, pictures that you would find on a end table, or a coffee table. One by one, Makoto removed the pictures, remembering each occasion with a bittersweet smile, and a tug at her heartstrings. Ami and Makoto; Ami, Minako, and Rei; Ami, Makoto, and Usagi. Ami, Minako, Makoto, and Rei. The Outers; Chibi-Usa; and Ami A picture of her parents. A picture of her grandmother. All these memories she pulled out of the box, almost too much. Ami swimming, The Inners standing, Haruka and Michiru were doing a concert, Hotaru and Chibi-Usa playing a game while eating candy. Makoto closed her eyes as she remembered Ami's laugh, Usagi and Rei's battles, and Minako's erratic advice. Ami's smell, the Outer's music, Ami's eyes, Ami's lips, Ami's special little twinkle.
Makoto slammed down the picture she was holding, before falling boneless onto the couch. Why did she leave? What made her leave? What convinced her heart that this was the best? What blinded her from friend's love and companionship? Why? 'You love her, but she does not love you. You can't stand to see her without being able to hug her, kiss her, make her scream out your name in ecstasy.' A voice in Makoto's head whispered these truthful poison words.
'You'd rather be away from her, where you don't have to worry about slipping, then be near the Goddess that you love so much.' The voice continued, using Makoto's voice. A vision of her telling sweet Ami her feelings, baring her heart and soul before the Ice Goddess, only to have them crushed like an insignificant bug under Ami's perfect foot. 'I hate you!' Ami's voice hauntingly flowed through Makoto's mind. 'You disgust me! Don't ever come near me again!' Makoto closed her eyes and sighed, trying to stop the flow of tears before they started. Sitting down, Makoto put her hands on her face. "Oh Ami." She said, before succumbing to her tears.
Laughter filled the street as two girls walked down a near empty street. Both had a small coffee with loads of whip creme in their hands. "So then he turned around to tell her off even more, and she decked him! He was on the ground and crying like that!" Ami giggled at Makoto's story. "This guy was the biggest bully in the school? And she took him down like that? That must have been priceless!" Makoto grinned, "After that, everybody stepped out of her way, and directly into his. He never had a peaceful day after that." Ami gave a small smile and sat upon a minute wall that bordered the empty street. She then took a petite sip from her cup, leaving a smidgen of whip crème on her nose. Makoto smiled before moving closer to Ami. "Hey Ames, you have some whip crème on you nose." Ami blushed and went to wipe it off, when she found her hand captured by Makoto's. "Let me get it!" the brunette said playfully, before moving to lick off the crème. "Mako!" Ami shrieked, and then laughed as she leaned away from her friend. Makoto smiled, before taking out a kerchief and slowly cleaned Ami's nose, slowly moving closer. She slowly lowered her hand, and even slower moved closer still to Ami. Keeping her eyes on Ami's. She leaned in, almost kissing. Ami slowly closed her eyes, and moved closer as well. Their lips were almost touching, when a loud beeping caused them to jump apart and blush painfully. They were both breathing slightly hard when they answered their communicators. "Yes." They both said, when the screen materialized, and they saw Minako. The blonde gave them a large smile when she saw their flushed appearances, before quickly getting down to business. "There's a small youma near you guys, seems to be causing some trouble, why don't you guys get it. You two should be more than enough." Both girls nodded before putting their communicators away. Looking at each other, then away, both girls called out their transformation command, before transforming into their alter egos. Looking at each other one more time, the tow girls ran off, nothing left of their almost kiss, except for two coffees, with melted whip crème.
Ami sat up again haunted by that dream-memory…thing. She sighed as she remembered that almost kiss. She closed her eyes and remembered Makoto's warm breath on her lips, the gleam in those beautiful deep emerald eyes. She sighed again, and fell back onto her pillow. "Why did you leave Mako? Are you ashamed of what almost happened?" Ami slowly fell asleep, not noticing the teats that slowly slipped down her cheeks.
Makoto sat at her desk with her head in her hands. Tears slipped in between her fingers as she sobbed. She left to get rid of these damn dreams. But noo-oo. They had to follow her around, filling her heart with memories and fantasies and wishes of shoulda, coulda, woulda's. Should have kissed her, could have kissed her, would have kissed her if that stupid communicator hadn't gone off. 'Those damn dreams. I hate this, why can't I forget? Why won't they leave me alone?' Makoto slammed her fist into the wood of her desk, not noticing that the wood cracked and splintered under the force of her blow. She sobbed harder, her body wracked with memories that were intermingled with dreams. Almost kissing Ami, kissing her, the kiss being sweeter than imagined. Making love under the soft glow of the moonlight. Sweet Sarah McLaughlen, hard fast Rammstein type love that usually ended up with whip crème, strawberries and cherries thrown every where. In between silken sheets, up against the door… all these flashed through her head, making her weep harder with the intensity and passion.
Her tears did not stop, not even when she fell asleep, slumped over her desk, holding a picture of her blue-haired Ice Angel.