A/N: Eep! O.o I didn't actually expect to take off the full 7 days. O.o sowwie... well... on with it then! First off, thanks to the reviewers that I didn't have anything to reply to, though the sentiment is still appreciated. n.n
pretend2besome1: n.n tankies hmm... pairing, fun, easily imagined, basically then? n.n I hear a lot of that apparently... --shrugs-- tankies again anyway.
Dark Elena: --smiles innocently-- Ara? I thought I had written that part carefully... other than the single line that she actually says it, does it really sound like Ami-chan doesn't... mm! --zips up mouth- never you mind never you mind. Let's just wait and see... 9.9...
- And of course they didn't need to do that. It's actually rather mean to Ami. If you push Mina/Rei to be canon, and of course Mamo/Usagi, that leaves Mako and Ami. If Mako ups and marries, that leaves Ami as the only one without somebody. ;; So mean!
- And will do about the Minako teasing thing. n.n tis fun to write too, when the opportunity arises.
- Hmm... okies, I think I have a place in mind to let Artemis have his first appearance here... -grin- of course, the romance must step forward to get there- cuz it's just no fun elsewise. n.n
- --still eyes that cleaver warily--
chatterbox-hikaru13: How many times have I been called evil in this story's reviews alone? --sighs innocently-- And even /that/ was a cliffhanger? Geez... you'll never survive waiting for me to update if you can't even take that... :P (j/p, j/p...sorta) Mm. Well, Usagi does seem like the type that would have intuition without realizing how good it was... How else would she pass her tests? ;) Gut instinct go! And ah, their special friend is actually very close by... I will have 'em revealed in this chapter, so... n.n It's probably not what you think... and it's potential worth was watered down by the confession early on darnit...
trp0522: I never did get to see the Omakes... though I /have/ heard that line quoted before... do you know where I can find them? (translated, right?) --nervous laugh-- oh, right, the tea... I completely forgot that was a Shizuru tendency... seriously, I did. n.n Ah well, it all works out...
- mm... like I said before, I agree with the Amy/Usagi thing, but setting up a line between Mako and Motoki is far easier than the moon-canon-canon pair. And I personally have nothing against Mamo/Usa, so I don't want to get into that... but whatever, love can be messy like that...
- I think both the proposals were dull. It's a sign! By Motoki catching the bouquet, it means he has, as Aoi from YUA insists, "the heart of a woman". That said... he shouldn't even /want/ to marry Mako. -throws a pebble at his legs- so go away! Shoo! Mako's too good for you! (Strangely enough, Mako is not my fave char. She is cool though. And Motoki isn't)
Lokiador: Ah, I get the overshadowing thing. n.n You're right; which means it'll be all the more fun to see if I'm up to making such an apparently simple thing worth being the main attraction. n.n Stay with me here and see what happens, one way or another, onegai! n.n funfunfunfufufufu...
Payne N. Uranus: -grins at your penname before anything else- Thanks for the review, and woot! This story is tied for personal number of reviews for a story... -heart- so thank you!
And... that's all for now. -phew back to normal lengths roughly- Still took up a page...-sigh- Oh wells.
Disclaimer: I own nothing that isn't mine to own. Got it yet?
Chapter 9
"Someone as close as her best friend could have fallen in love with her and she wouldn't have the slightest clue- Rei-chan's really so dense after all..."
"What do you expect? How would you feel if you suddenly heard that your best friend was in love with you?"
"We'll just go for a distant visual check- if they're okay, we'll come back alone; if they're not, we'll go check on them and get help and all that. Okay? Can we go?"
"Do you see them yet? Over."
Rei was still groaning as she muttered into the walkie-talkie Usagi had "conveniently" forgotten to take out of her bag. "No." What was she doing with five of them anyway?
"Rei-chan, you're supposed to say, 'Over'!"
She heard Minako giggle. "Yes, you really should, Rei-chan. Over."
Rei shook her head. Suddenly, she caught sight of the two in question and ducked behind a nearby tree. She hissed, "I see them. About forty yards to the right of the shrine steps." After a pause, Rei sighed and added, "Over."
"On our way, Over!"
Rei peeked around to watch their target. Mako-chan had both hands pressing against the trunk of a tree, trapping Ami between them. Her head seemed bent towards Ami's... was Minako right after all?
"Ooh... looks juicy, doesn't it?"
Rei was about to exclaim and turn around when a hand went swiftly over her mouth. She could still feel the chillingly familiar breath on her ear... Wait? Familiar? Since when?
Minako giggled as she slowly withdrew her hand. "Quiet now, Hino. Don't want them to find us..."
"Indeed..." Rei started a little when Usagi slowly stood up beside them, her eyes glinting. "We certainly can't. But doesn't it sound like they're talking? Let's get closer."
"Hold it," Rei hissed, grabbing hold of Usagi's arm. "You just said we'd get a visual check, and they're obviously fine. You said we'd go back afterwards."
Usagi pouted. "But aren't you curious? We're already here and all... what harm could it do?"
Minako looked up thoughtfully. "Well, if that were me there, dealing with post confession material, I certainly wouldn't want to be disturbed by a third party."
Rei glared at Usagi. "See?"
Usagi continued to pout. "But... but... What will I tell Motoki-chan?"
Minako and Rei hissed at the same time, "Nothing! Don't tell him anything about this!"
Usagi's pout deepened in sorrow. "But why? Mako-chan's married! And as the news reporter of our little circle-"
Rei glared at her. "We- said- say- nothing. Especially if you don't know the facts. It could just be a complete misunderstanding." Though that's doubtful at this point...
Minako nodded in agreement. "Usagi-chan, if you promise not to meddle in this thing with Ami-chan and Mako-chan, I'll give you a ticket to my concert in two days."
Rei blinked. A concert that soon? No, what am I saying, for someone like Minako, that's almost late.
Usagi readily agreed, smiling wide. Rei sighed. Crisis diverted, for now, at least.
It just had to be then that Ami-chan's voice was raised, enough for them to hear it from their hiding spot.
"Mako-chan! Let me go!"
"No! Not until I know! Tell me... please!"
"Mako-chan!"
The voices quieted down, but they still seemed to be talking.
Rei was growing uncomfortable. "Guys... we really shouldn't be interrupting them..."
Minako caught the same vibe. "Mako-chan obviously needs this. Either way, no matter what decision Ami-chan makes... Mako-chan needs it... in order to move on."
Usagi looked between them, her intuition failing her. "Eh? What'dyou mean? Why would Mako-chan need... this? Doesn't it look like the both of them are hurting?"
Minako looked away. "Sometimes, when it comes to love, you need to be hurt before you can be healed."
Rei murmured, "Then again, sometimes the damage runs too deep to heal, but that's what friends are for." She turned away, and started walking. "Come on, we'll wait for them upstairs, and leave the door open for them."
Usagi stared as Minako silently followed Rei's lead. She looked between them, and her two other friends. "W-wait!" She stage whispered, running after them. "You really think it's okay to leave them like this?"
She didn't receive an answer, but with one last look back, she didn't have the heart to argue with it. Instead, she prayed that it would be resolved peacefully, with no more harm than necessary, if any was necessary at all.
---------------O.O!
Makoto grit her teeth, her head hung low, as she pushed away from the tree. "It's that way, isn't it? I ruined our friendship... to have felt this way about you... you must hate me, right?"
Ami leaned against the tree, her hands grasping at... she blinked, raising her hand. She sighed, hugging the item to her while Makoto's back was turned. "I... brought your favorite... I know it was supposed to be for Minako... but for some reason... I found myself picking it for you instead."
Makoto went rigid, and she slowly turned. Ami held the bottle out to her. "I never gave you a wedding present. I'm sorry. I..." Ami smiled a little, looking away. "One more night... like the first time... we drank together. I don't hate you, Mako-chan. And I don't want to stop being be-... close friends. So..." Their eyes met, and it was then that Makoto realized what was wrong. It wasn't her fault. But it was too late to change the clocks now. "So will one night be enough?"
"...Ami-chan..."
Ami looked up at her questioningly.
"Is it alright... to... to hug you?"
Ami smiled. "If this had happened years ago... before growing up changed me... just a little too much..." She stepped forward, and wrapped her arms around Makoto's middle. "If it was like that... I'm not sure I would have had the courage to answer you with, 'Tonight... for tonight... I want to make your dreams come true. Every single one... that I can. In a night.'"
"Ami-chan... are you... serious?"
Ami snuggled deeper as Makoto wrapped her arms around her. "A doctor should have no right to lie to those she sees in pain. All I want to do is help you heal."
Makoto's body started to shake, and at first Ami couldn't tell what it was from. She heard laughter. She felt the tears raining down on her own heart. "It'd be suicide..." Makoto whispered with a resigned smile, "To let me know for sure how it could have been. To live away from that sort of bliss... after truly knowing it. To make my dreams come true... would really make me break my wedding vows. I know this and yet... and yet..."
"Mako-chan?"
Makoto broke away from the embrace, carefully extracting the wine bottle from Ami's hands. She did her best to smile, even though tears ran down her eyes, just like that day, or days, so long ago, when she waited stubbornly for a princely date that never came. "Let's meet up with Minako-chan and the others. This bottle is too big, and too great, to keep between us anymore. It's better... to share, so our own cups don't overfill, right?"
Ami stared at her a moment, before her own smile appeared. Not forced, but not happy. "Yes... let's do that."
Makoto smiled a little wider after roughly rubbing her eyes. "Let's go then. Though... did you bring anything else? We might need extras to... well..."
Ami genuinely smiled before she sighed and looked up at the first stars. "You heard them listening in too, huh?"
Makoto changed her smile accordingly. "Usagi hasn't changed after all."
Ami shrugged helplessly as she tugged Makoto's hand. "Let them believe that everything is fine between us. And with Usagi's magic, it will be completely true before long."
Makoto looked at the hand intertwined with hers, honestly surprised. Suddenly, she grinned, the sadness and anxiety from before slowly slipping away. "Want to make a bet? See which one of us can get Usagi the most drunk."
Ami's eyes widened. "Mako-chan! Why? As a doctor-"
Makoto shook her head. "There's not enough here to make her sick or anything anyway. Hung over, naturally, if this is the same potency as last time. It's just to make sure our secret tonight stays secret, you know?" Makoto winked.
Ami stared at her for a moment, before lowering her head with a sigh. "What do I get if I win?"
Makoto considered it as they started up the shrine steps. "Ah! Usagi probably finished off all the pastries by now. It actually came out really good, you know! So... if you win, I'll bake a whole batch just- for- you."
Ami considered it in an overdramatic way. "Then... if you win... I'll give you this book I think you'll really like."
"Which book?"
Ami smiled. "It's- a- se-cret. But I'll make sure to write a note in it."
Makoto smiled and shook her head. "Deal. And no fair getting help from Rei or Minako- if they got any heads up on it, we'd never win. But they get their share too, got it?"
Ami nodded. "I know. And, like before, the most important rule is-"
Makoto started running up the steps, grasping Ami's hand comfortably. "What else? To have some fun!"
O.O---------------...
"NO! Absolutely not!"
"Awww come on, Rei-chan-! Just a little?"
Cheeks and ears bright red, Rei sat rigid in her seat, while at the same time trying to forcefully pin down the two nosy companions who were desperately curious to see Rei's Aino Collection.
Minako, impervious to her glare but waiting until the last moment to show it, leaned closer to Rei, as they were along the same length of the table, and looked at her with big, doll-yet-puppy-like eyes.
The archnemesis of the glare-of-doom.
Rei continued to attempt to fight the losing battle, never even noticing that Usagi had sneaked out of her sight once Minako had her distracted. Distracted by those beautiful brown eyes... full of warmth... of love... Rei roughly jerked away, the blush having deepened, trying to quash the feelings welling up within her back to an endurable point.
Just in time to hear Usagi cant, "I- found- it!"
Rei whirled around, now conflicted as Minako got up to join Usagi. After gathering her wits, she hurried towards her closet, where Usagi and Minako were currently sifting through one of the boxes of merchandise she had stowed away behind her clothes...
"Wow! How cute! It's a plushie, Minako-chan! I didn't even know they had these of you!"
"Trading cards! When were there trading cards? Aiyah... I really need a talk with that publicity manager or whatever... Rei-chan, where did you get these?"
Rei slunk down, her bent legs flanking her as she stared off into space, as if the world had come to an end.
"Rei-chan?"
As Usagi continued looking through it, Minako freed her hands of merchandise and crawled over to where Rei had stopped. She waved a hand in front of Rei's eyes, to no avail. How curious, Minako thought to herself. Did she pass out from shock?
A mischievous grin crossed her lips as an idea came to her. Leaning forward even further, she whispered into Rei's ear, "Rei-chan is so lucky. She has so much irreplaceable merchandise... not to mention she's her idol's best friend... AH-Rei-chan!"
Rei, after having only registered that Minako had said 'her' idol's best friend (insinuating that Minako was Rei's), yelped and fell backward, her knee catching Minako's stomach thereby causing her to lose balance.
The end result? Makoto and Ami came in all cheers to see Minako half-pinning and half-lying-on-top-of Rei.
"Oh-ho... looks like the party's already started huh? And to think you're alcohol free now too...!"
But Rei had once again blocked out the world. Minako's long hair framed her face, providing a shroud of darkness, preventing others from seeing how their eyes met, their lips parted, dreams flashing before them in a flurry of desire...
It did not help that in the confusion, one of Minako's hands had fallen over Rei's heart, as if she were trying to grab hold of it, instead of the ground beside her, like the other had.
It also did not help that Rei's knee, which was at first on Minako's stomach, had slipped just barely between the idol's legs instead.
It also did not help... that the aforementioned things prevented either of them from keeping up the shields of immorality that had kept them apart for so long.
A/N:... and... there ye have it! n.n sorry for making you wait! I can usually finish it in one day, but I started too late yesterday, so I had to finish it today (not to mention I had a wee bit of writer's block). Ah, and though I like reviews just fine, if you do want to review, please give me some commentary I can respond to? As much as you say "Please update soon"... I'll being doing that anyway, so... yeah. n.o...
Also, I was watching the Special Act (the one with everyone) of PGSM. (This is my second time) I never realized before how cute Ami-chan is without her glasses... or how totally cool Minako was... first with that kick and then with the motorcycle entrance... n.n! Rei-chan, of course, has always been great, especially her eyes and all... --daydreamy mode-- Stupid green buggy. Motoki is way too obsessed. -huggles Mako dollie- Stay away, I said! Just stay away! Even if she's not with a Senshi, Mako-chan can do SOOOOOooo much better than Motoki!
Though... if I think about it... she's never really had the greatest taste or luck with men (maybe that's a sign from fate). -sighs-
Okay, ciao! Matta raishuu! (See you next week!)
Oh, P.S. I'm going for roughly ten wholesome reviews, though the actual amount won't change when it strikes my fancy to spend the time to write (so don't feel you have to force the number up alone). K, k, ciao!