AN: Yay for writer's block! I'm so sorry. Hope it's worth the wait.
Though the house was quite visible from the beach, the road up to the house was a different matter. The trip took a good twenty minutes and left the main road. When the group arrived, they saw the party was well under way. There were so many people that the party had flooded out into the yard.
The house was three levels. The ground level was nothing more than a room, really, with stairs that led up to what consisted of the main floor of the home. There was a deck that wrapped around the second tier of the house and through the large panes of glass, the Ami could see bodies pressed together as they danced. She saw no open windows but the music was loud enough to easily be heard outside.
The group exited the car and made their way to the glass door leading into the home of their new friend. The closer they got to the house, they could hear splashing and laughter just around the corner and realized the house boasted a pool as well.
They passed several people on the way inside the house and Ami felt so out of her depth, she considered leaving. There were just too many people, loud people, that her comfort level had not only been reached, it was now light years away. She moved closer to her friends and Usagi must have sensed her friend's discomfort, for she reached for the bluenette's hand and gave it a squeeze. Ami looked to her friend and saw the blond smile at her.
They pushed past other party goers and made their way up the stairs. The music was even louder than Ami had expected and it hurt her ears a bit. She looked around the room and realized that's really all it was. The house, or this floor, was an open floor plan. To one side, Ami saw a kitchen, separated from the rest of the room by a bar top. The kitchen sat to the left of the floor plan and to the right were a flight of stairs leading upstairs. To the right the stairs was a glass door, leading out to the deck Ami had seen from the outside.
The middle of the room hosted a stand alone mock fireplace with a tv mounted above it with a couch opposite of that, a love seat to the right and a chair to the left. In the opposite corner of the room was a bar and several people were leaning against it, waiting for drinks to be made. Ami wondered if the mixologist was a professional or a friend of their host. Beside the bar was another set of stairs, leading up to a large landing. Though dark, Ami could see people sitting on a plush bench wrapping around the wall and watching TV. How they could hear anything over the music, Ami didn't know. The rest of the floor was crowded with people dancing and Ami wondered how so many people could be crammed into one place.
"Hey, you made it," came an excited voice.
The group turned to see Shinozaki making his way toward them through the throng of people, a beer bottle in his hand. He wore dark green khaki shorts and a muscle shirt that hugged his figure nicely. His beanie hat, which Ami suspected was his trademark, was still firmly atop his head. He smiled warmly at them all. "Any trouble finding the place?"
"None at all," Minako replied. "Though your house location is deceptive. We didn't realize it was so far off the road."
Shinozaki laughed and blushed a bit, looking chagrined and scratched the back of his head with his free hand. "Sorry, I tend to forget. Most poeple know to get here so I forget sometimes there are people new to town who don't."
"Well," Minako began, "Get us drinks and we'll call it even."
Shinozaki laughed at Minako's brazenness, charmed by it even. But before he could reply, a slightly annoyed voice cut through their conversation.
"Who the hell are all these people in my house, Onii-chan?!"
The group turned to see a tall, slightly annoyed, woman with russet hair in a pony tail come up the stairs and stare at the people around the open floor. She wore a black karate gi and it appeared well worn and faded, as well as the black belt around her waist. She carried a small duffel bag on her shoulder and her face was slightly flushed. Her green eyes finally found Shinozaki and they narrowed at the young man.
Ami felt her heart flutter. The woman came to stand beside her as she continued to glare at their host. She was tall and Ami could see the woman was broad beneath that loose fitting jacket and pants and, briefly, wondered at the strength in the body beside her. She also wondered why her mouth had suddenly gone dry and why her heart rate had spiked.
Shinozaki only smirked at his annoyed friend. "Excuse me, your house?" He chuckled and raised the beer bottle to his lips only to have it snatched from his hand mid-sip.
"She who cleans it," the woman said, snatching the bottle from him, "keeps it." She took a sip from the bottle before Shinozaki could claim it back.
"Haven't you heard a man's home is his castle," he remarked, raising the reclaimed bottle to his lips. Once again, the bottle was snatched away before her could take a proper drink from it.
"You don't have a castle, that's why you're sleeping here," the woman snarked, taking another victory drink. She smirked at him over the bottle.
The group of friends were unsure how to respond to the display before them. It seemed similar to how they would act towards one another but at the same, it was very antagonistic. Shinozaki pouted for a moment before laughing.
"Have you met my new friends, Koto," Shinozaki asked, motioning towards the girls and Mamoru. The group made their introductions and the brunette took them all in. Ami flushed when those piercing green eyes lingered on her the longest. Was that a hint of a smile Ami saw?
"Kino Makoto," was the brunette's reply. She passed the beer bottle back to Shinozaki, their game now done. "I wish you had told me we were having a party, Zaki, I would have showered at the dojo."
"That's what you get for not knowing better," he replied with a smirk.
Makoto huffed. "Well, I'm going to go do so now. I'll be back in a bit." Makoto's eyes fell to Ami again before she moved past them and into the crowd. Ami tuned out the conversation that had started up as Makoto walked away and watched the brunette disappear. Her blue eyes found the woman a moment later, climbing the stairs that led up to the landing with the tv. She disappeared through a door Ami hadn't noticed before due to the darkness.
Ami was pulled away from her thoughts when she felt a hand tugging on her own.
"Come on, Ami-chan," Minako said happily, dragging her toward the bar. Ami noticed the others had begun to make their way to it without prompting from the blond. "Let's get a drink!"
Ami didn't drink, despite Minako's attempts at shoving drinks into her hand. She had a bottle of water at some point but Minako had been able to get it away from her in an attempt to get Ami to drink. Ami hadn't bothered to get another one.
Ami sat at the bar, turned so she could watch her friends dance with each other. Minako seemed to be dancing with anyone who remotely looked in her direction and eventually Rei had made her way to the bar as well, standing beside the bluenette.
"Does it bother you," Ami asked, just loud enough to be heard over the music.
Rei shook her head, taking a sip of her fruity mixed drink. "No, not any more. I realize it's just how Minako is. She likes to be the center of attention."
Ami nodded as she folded her arms over the back of the stool and rested her chip atop them. "She hasn't changed much since we were kids."
"And I suspect she will never change," Rei said in agreement. "But I wouldn't want her any other way." Rei smiled at Ami before moving towards her girlfriend. The raven haired woman easily pulled Minako away from her current dance partner.
Ami smiled at that. She had met a few other people that Minako had dated. Though not one to be unloyal, Minako loved to flirt and have people fawn over her. Her previous partners had a problem with it and attempted to keep Minako from 'wandering.' The end was always the same: a depressed Minako and a relationship that had ended. Ami was happy to see that, maybe, Minako had found what she needed in Rei; a loving partner who understood her and trusted her enough to not betray what they had.
Ami felt a pang in her chest and suddenly found herself lonely. She wouldn't admit it to anyone, but she felt jealous of Usagi and Minako at times. They seemed to have so many of things she wanted and felt she couldn't have; a loving family that was actually there for each other and significant others who loved them. Ami had such a hard time relating to people, she wondered if she could ever have what her friends did.
"You look so sad," came a voice beside her. Ami startled and turned to see Shinozaki smiling at her over his shoulder, waiting for his drink to be made. "You okay?"
Ami smiled. "I'm fine, thank you for asking."
The young man gave her a crooked grin and turned to watch the bodies moving together in time with the music. "Don't you dance," he asked casually.
Ami shrugged. "No one's asked me." Something she was glad for. If what displayed before her was considered dancing, she wasn't sure she wanted to participate.
"Let's change that, then," he replied. He downed his newly acquired drink and placed the empty glass on the bar top. He grabbed Ami's hand and gently tugged her off the bar stool. "Come on!"
Ami blushed as she was pulled over to where everyone else was dancing. "I didn't mean- I wasn't asking- uh..." Ami stuttered over her protest as her new friend pulled her onto the makeshift dance floor.
"We won't do what they're doing," he said, turning to face the bluenette. Shinozaki smiled at her kindly and lightly held her hands in his. He moved closer to her, though kept enough room between them that a third person could have easily slipped between them. Shinozaki moved with the music though did nothing more than sway back and forth to the music and guided Ami to do the same, nothing sexual in their movements.
After a moment, Ami relaxed and smiled, though she felt her face was still burning. Shinozaki released her hands but they stayed close as they danced. He continued to smile at Ami kindly, even making her laugh when he began to sing, horribly, to the pop song currently blasting through the speakers. What made it so funny was the pop singer was female and Shinozaki began acting as if he was the singer, batting his eyes and exaggerating his body movements to appear overly effeminate as he acted out the lyrics.
As the song changed, Ami stepped away from her dance partner and smiled up at him. "Thank you for the dance, Shinizaki-san," she said, with a small bow.
He smiled and waved his hand. "No need to be so formal. Besides, it was my pleasure. Hope to do it again," he replied honestly.
Ami found her smile growing. "I would like that."
Shinozaki smiled again before moving on to find another dance partner. Ami stood quietly for a moment before realizing she was standing in the middle of a group of gyrating people. Ami flushed and attempted to make her way back to a secluded corner but didn't have the confidence to push past the wall of people.
The music changed again and this song contained a hard percussional beat. Ami felt the floor beneath her feet shake a bit as the dancers around her stomped in time with it.
"I'm so proud of you, Ami-chan!"
Ami blinked and turned to see Usagi beside her. "Why, Usagi-chan," Ami asked.
"You danced with someone and didn't pass out," Usagi said with a wide smile.
Ami's face fell in annoyance. "Thanks," she said flatly. The bluenette looked around and then asked, "Where's Mamoru-san?"
"Getting us drinks," Usagi said. "Where did Shinozaki-san go?"
"To get another dance partner," Ami replied. When Usagi's face fell, Ami smiled kindly at her. "It was just a friendly dance, Usagi-chan." Ami's smile slipped a bit. "He probably just felt pity for me."
"Ami-chan," Usagi said sadly, but wasn't sure what to say to her friend.
Movement out of the corner of Ami's eye caught her attention. She turned and saw Shinozaki's friend Makoto. Hair still damp from her shower, the woman wore faded jeans and a v-neck tee shirt, both hugging her body comfortably and offering a pleasant view. The woman's arms were raised slightly above her head, her hips swaying to the music, and her eyes closed.
A hand crept over Makoto's hip, coming to a rest on her lower stomach and it was then that Ami realized the brunette was dancing with someone. The man held Makoto possessively against him but the bluenette felt that if Makoto didn't want him touching her, he wouldn't be. Their bodies moved together, nearly grinding to the music.
Ami stared, unable to move at the display before her. Makoto's hips moving in such a way that, for an instant, the younger woman wondered what it would be like to have that body against her own, the taller woman's hands on her body like the ones on the brunette's body.
Her throat dry as she swallowed hard, Ami's heart hammered in her chest as she let her eyes wander over the frame of the brunette. She felt her face flame when Makoto's eyes opened and connected with hers, a small smile on those lush lips.
"Ack, Ami-chan," came Usagi's shrill voice beside her. "Are you alright?! Your nose is bleeding!"
After assuring her friends she was, in fact, alright, Ami had moved out onto the deck to be alone for a while. It was quiet out here, though she could still hear the thump thump of the music inside. She could also hear the laughter of the people who had stumbled downstairs and outside. She sat on the wooden three seater bench and looked out over the hill side to the beach she and her friends had been at just a a few hours ago.
Her mind began to rush around in a frenzy and after a long moment, Ami removed her smart phone from her pocket. The thoughts that seemed to be rushing around in her head were of the brunette and for the life of her, Ami couldn't figure out why. She wasn't gay herself she reasoned, so why had the moment the brunette showed up had her heart begun to beat wildly? And then that dance , their eyes connecting, and Ami's fingers twitching with the want of touching those hips...
Ami coughed as she flipped through the apps on her phone. She finally located what she wanted, an old favorite book she had downloaded so she could read if she had nothing else to do. And while her mind had plenty to focus on, Ami currently did not want to dwell on those thoughts, least of all in a public place.
As she scrolled through the digital pages of her book, Ami registered the deck doors opening and closing beside her but didn't look up, too engrossed in her book. She did stop reading however, when she felt a presence beside her.
"Mizuno-san, right,"came a smooth voice above her. "Somehow, I just don't see you as the facebook type."
Startled, Ami jumped lightly in her seat, clutching the phone to her chest and glanced up. Makoto stood beside her, beer in her hand, with a broad grin on her face.
Ami blushed at the presence of the woman. "I- uh...I wasn't on facebook," Ami said, stuttering slightly. "I was reading."
Makoto's smiled widened a bit. "I see." The brunette motioned toward the opposite end of the bench. "Can I sit down and join you?"
Ami blinked, her face becoming warmer. "Uh, sure."
Makoto smiled brightly at her and moved to the opposite end of the bench to take a seat. "So, how long are you in town for," Makoto asked before taking a sip of her beer.
Ami smiled. "Two weeks. My friends and I arrived today."
Makoto nodded. "What hotel are you guys staying at? Hopefully one of the good ones."
Ami chuckled. "No hotel. My friend's girlfriend has a house here. Well, it's her father's, but he gave us permission to use it. According to Rei-san, her father doesn't use it often."
"So what made you guys come here?"
"I didn't have a say in the matter," Ami replied with a smile. "I think the main reason was that it's the beach and we have free accommodations."
Makoto laughed. "I would have picked here, too, for that reason." She took another drink, tilting her head back slightly to finish off the bottle and then smiled at Ami. "So, if you had had a say in the matter, where would you have gone?"
Ami shrugged. "I don't know," she answered truthfully. "I would have been just fine staying at home and studying. As it is, I'll be two weeks behind on my summer studies as I have been forbidden from doing homework while here." Ami looked a bit annoyed about the prospect and Makoto chuckled.
"College courses," Makoto asked and Ami nodded. "What are you majoring in?"
"You're being awful nosy," Ami observed with a smile.
Makoto's eyes widened a bit and she blushed in embarrassment. "I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to be. I just wanted to get to know you a little better." She scratched the back of her head and looked away before standing.
"I'm sorry," Ami immediately said. "I was only teasing. You don't have... to... " She trailed off and sighed. Ami 'Socially Inept' Mizuno strikes again, she thought.
Makoto gave a small, grateful smile and waved her empty beer bottle. "I'm going to go grab another drink. Would you like anything while I'm in there?"
Ami smiled and nodded. "A water would nice, thank you."
Makoto's smile grew before she walked back inside. A moment later, Minako popped outside.
"So this is where you've been hiding," the blond exclaimed, a drink in her hand.
"I haven't been hiding," Ami protested. "You knew I was out here."
"You've been out here a while," Minako countered. She turned and looked inside for a moment before turning back to Ami, a wide grin on her face. "Making new friends, huh?"
Ami blushed. "Kino-san is very nice," she replied.
"Not bad on the eyes, either," Minako responded.
"I guess," Ami said. "But I'm not g-"
"You're not gay," Minako said, cutting Ami off. "Right." Minako gave Ami a 'I know something you don't know' smile just as the door to the deck opened. Makoto stepped through, confused by the blond speaking to Ami. Minako smiled at Makoto before shoving the drink she held into Ami's hands. "I'll talk to you later," Minako said with a wink. She smiled up at Makoto again before disappearing back into the house.
Makoto stood there, a bottle of beer in one hand and a bottle of water in the other, blinking at the backside of the blond. She looked back to Ami with a raised eyebrow and gave a confused chuckle. "Okay?"
Ami smiled up at Makoto before closing her eyes and sighing. Without thinking, she raised the glass to her lips but stopped when her lips brushed against something soft. Ami opened her eyes and blushed as she realized her lips were resting against Makoto's skin; the brunette had covered the top of the glass with her hand. Ami caught sight of Makoto's other hand which now held both bottles.
"Not to sound bossy, but you probably shouldn't accept drinks from strangers," Makoto said, gently taking the glass from Ami and setting it on the railing behind her. She turned and gave Ami the water bottle, who, still blushing, smiled up from her seat.
"But you just gave me one," Ami said. She waved the bottle at the brunette playfully. "Should I not accept it?"
Makoto smirked down at her, placed her hand on the lid of the bottle and gave it a twist. Several plastic pops were heard as the bottle was freshly opened. "You shouldn't accept open drinks from strangers."
Ami hung her head with a smile before glancing back up at Makoto. "Thank you for trying to keep me safe. But that wasn't a stranger." Then Ami giggled and Makoto smiled at the sound of it. "Even though she is strange. That was Minako-chan. You met her when came home and yelled at your brother for having so many people over."
"Oh yeah," Makoto said with a nod. "It was dark, I couldn't really see her too well to remember her," the brunette elaborated before raising the beer to her lips.
Ami smiled and felt her face burn once again as she watched Makoto drink. "But you remembered me."
It wasn't a question and a part of Ami delighted in the fact Makoto blushed. Makoto's only response was to lower her beer bottle and to look at Ami and smile, her green eyes twinkling. Ami smiled back, her heart thudding in her chest before taking a sip of water.
The two women sat and talked, getting to know one another better. Ami learned Makoto co-owned the dojo she had been speaking of earlier, the other owner being her sensei; and Makoto learned, and was amazed, to find Ami had just passed her fourth year of med school and wanted to open her own family practice.
As the night wore on and the two women spoke, Ami had become more and more relaxed in the taller woman's company. At some point in their conversation, Makoto had moved closer to Ami and had begun to lightly play with the strands of hair at Ami's temple while speaking to her. Ami had startled at first and Makoto had intially pulled away with an apology. But Ami had smiled at her and had given Makoto the okay to continue, if she wanted to. A shiver went through Ami when Makoto raised her hand and fingered the short blue strands once again.
A knocking on the window behind them jolted them apart. They turned to see Minako, face flushed from her drinking no doubt and eyes wide from the scene before her, pointing back into the room. She mouthed the word LEAVING and Ami nodded in understand. Minako nodded too, her eyes dancing between the two women before walking away from the window.
"I guess I should get going," Ami said as she stood.
Makoto stood as well, a bit wobbly from her own alcohol intake, and smiled at Ami. "I hope you had fun tonight, Mizuno-san," Makoto said quietly.
Ami smiled and nodded. "I did. I hope to see you again, Kino-san."
Makoto's smile grew. "I'll be sure to pester my brother for another party to invite you to."
Ami's perpetually red face grew hotter as she turned toward the door. "Good night, Kino-san," the smaller woman said softly before disappearing inside.
Makoto walked to the railing of the deck and looked down into the front of her home. A moment later, a group of people stumbled out into the lawn with Ami in tow. A dark haired woman gave Ami something, presumably her car keys and everyone climbed into the car.
As Ami moved to the driver's side, she turned and looked up at the second floor deck. She smiled and waved and Makoto felt herself grinning widely as she returned it and then watched as Ami herself got into the car and drove away a moment later.
AN: I stole Makoto's and Shinozaki's banter from the show Roseanne. I also think I made Minako a bit pushy as well. Oops. Hope you enjoy it! Back with more, soon!