I love you.

Ami simply stared at Makoto, eyes wide. She did not just say those words out loud.

"What was that," Makoto asked sweetly. She smiled, obviously having not heard Ami's unintentional confession.

"I'd love to," Ami said quickly. "See you tonight, I mean."

Makoto's smile widened and she kissed Ami again before the younger woman climbed out of the truck. Ami smiled and waved after Makoto as the brunette drove off before hurrying inside out of the rain, even as her stomach lurched. She entered the cabin and closed the door, leaning her back against it and stared down at the floor.

Ami's entire body felt heavy as she replayed her goodbye with Makoto over and over in her mind. The words she had spoken were a surprise even to her. Ami hadn't meant to think them, let alone say them out loud. But she had. And every fiber of her being knew them to be true.

She was in love with Makoto.

There was a tightness in Ami's chest that began to spread. Her breath came out in pants and she felt her palms began to sweat. Her throat felt dry and her knees weak. She began to tremble and slid down the door and into the floor. Her face fell into her risen knees and her arms wrapped around her thighs. Ami could feel her throat tighten and eyes sting before the tears began to flow down her hidden face. What was she going to do?

"Is that you, Ami-chan," came Minako's sweet and teasing voice. "How was your da-" Minako rounded the corner from the other room and the sight of Ami crying on the floor greeted her. She stopped and called Ami's name softly and when she got no response she called, in nearly a panic, "Usagi!"

Usagi appeared at her sister's side nearly instantly, a worried expression on her face. "What's wrong?"

Minako simply stared at Ami and when Usagi realized her friend was sobbing in the floor both girls instantly went to their friend, taking a seat on either side of her. They each wrapped an arm around the bluenette and held her tightly between them. Ami's sobs came harder at the gentle and caring gestures.

"Ami, what's wrong," Usagi asked after a moment. "What happened?"

Ami mumbled something into her knees. The twins looked over her head at each other, shook their heads and Minako replied, "What was that, sweetie?"

"I said," Ami replied, lifting her head and wiping her face, her glasses shoved up onto her head, "I'm an idiot."

"Why do you think that," Usagi asked. She felt Ami tremble and the blonde moved closer to her friend.

Ami swallowed the lump in her throat, tears still streaming down her face. After a few long moments of wiping her face, Ami finally answered, "I told Makoto I loved her."

Usagi and Minako looked at each other again before focusing on the smaller woman in their arms. "What did she say," Minako asked.

Ami sniffed. "She didn't say anything. She didn't hear me and I corrected myself in a panic."

"Well," Usagi offered, "Maybe you should just tell her?"

"Yeah," Minako agreed. "She could feel the same way."

Ami was already shaking her head. "This is just a summer fling for her," she said. "That was the whole point of the arrangement."

The twins had nothing to say to that. Instead they hugged their friend tighter as Ami lowered her head back to her knees.

"Let's get you upstairs," Minako finally said. "You'll feel better being in your bed versus the hard floor." The blondes stood and gently tugged their friend up with them and guided her upstairs.

Once they reached Ami's room, they decided to give Ami her privacy. But before leaving, Usagi asked, "What are you going to do?"

Ami shook her head. "I don't know."

"You let us know," Minako said, hugging Ami one last time. "We'll support your decision no matter what, ok?" She pulled away and looked Ami in the eyes the best she could what with Ami's face being downcast. Ami nodded. "We'll be downstairs if you need us. We're here for you, no matter what you need."

Makoto tapped her steering wheel, concern written on her face. She hadn't heard from Ami all day, which was unusual for the bluenette. Normally Ami would send a text, typically just a smiley face as she was too shy to type much out, and send that to Makoto sometime during her day. It always made Makoto smile, causing a warmth to blossom in her chest, happy to know the younger woman was thinking of her.

But today, nothing.

Ami had acted differently after their kiss that morning. She had said something, though Makoto hadn't caught it as it had been said so softly. Then she saw the panic written on Ami's face the smaller woman had tried, and failed, to mask. Makoto didn't push it and went along with Ami's facade; if Ami didn't want to divulge, then Makoto wouldn't push it.

But as the day dragged on and Makoto heard nothing from Ami, Makoto began to worry what was wrong. She had finally texted Ami, asking how she was and got no response. Maybe Ami had been out all day with her friends and hadn't realized Makoto had texted her? Makoto was content to believe that.

But now she was parked outside the Hino residence and had sent another message to Ami, letting her know she was here. And still nothing. That was ten minutes ago.

"Something's wrong," Makoto finally said to herself. She climbed out of the truck, the pouring rain from earlier in the day having slowed to a drizzle, and walked up to the cabin door and knocked. It only took a moment before the door opened, blonde with a bow in her hair answering the door.

"Minako-san, right," Makoto asked. Minako smiled.

"Makoto-san," Minako greeted. "What can I do for you?"

"I was hoping you could tell Ami I was here," Makoto said, perhaps a bit too hopefully. "She hasn't answered any of my messages today."

The smile on Minako's face slipped. This is what Ami plans on doing, she thought to herself sadly. She looked over her shoulder at the stairs behind her that led to the second floor before sighing and turning back to Makoto. "I don't think she wants to speak to you, Makoto-san," Minako said regretfully.

Makoto could feel her heart breaking. "Why?"

"I think that's best left between the two of you," Minako answered sadly.

Makoto raked her fingers through her hair. She looked at Minako a moment longer before turning to head back towards her truck.

"For what it's worth," Minako said before Makoto could get too far from the door, "I am sorry this is happening."

Makoto nodded at her, unable to say anything else as she felt her chest tightening. She climbed back into her truck, turned the ignition, and headed home alone.