Go ahead and laugh
Even if it hurts
Go ahead and pull the pin
What if we could risk
Everything we have
And just let our walls cave in

Sleeping At Last, "Heart"

"Again!"

Makoto's voice echoes almost angrily through the dojo. Her students look at her but go through their exercises again, keeping their motions more tight and controlled.

Her students had never seen her like this before. She pushed them hard, sure. She knew they could handle it and they knew they could take it. But there was always an element of fun. There hadn't been any of that in a few days. Their teacher was going through something and it was affecting her. Even her younger students could see it. But they didn't know how to address it.

So they endure Makoto's sour mood, knowing she would work through it without actually hurting them. But, secretly, most of them wished they hadn't come to class and hoped for a reason to leave early.

As Makoto barked instructions, her eyes caught the sight of two blondes walking in front of the large window of the dojo. She recognized them immediately: Usagi and Minako. Mamoru and Rei were also with them, holding umbrellas as the rain came down around them. Makoto held her breath but she did not see Ami pass in front of the window.

Growling at herself for hoping, Makoto rubbed at her face roughly with her hands. Why had Ami started avoiding her? It had something to do with what Ami had said in the truck; loud enough for Makoto to hear, but too soft to understand. Ami had stuttered out something else and Makoto had let her.

What had she said?

"Um, Kino-sensei?"

Sighing, Makoto turned to the student who had called for her. "Yes?"

The boy, not much more than ten, pointed to the rain streaked window. "Someone's tapping on the window."

Makoto turned, confused, towards the window again. It was Minako and she waved when Makoto looked at her. The blonde turned her head and motioned her hand away, saying something. Then she turned back to Makoto and motioned for her to come outside.

Sighing, Makoto turned back to her class. "Take a break, guys," she said as she moved towards the door. Her declaration was met with howls of cheering. Makoto rolled her eyes as she stepped outside into the rain, doing her best to stay under the awning.

"Minako-san," Makoto said, bowing her head. Then she realized the blonde was alone. "Where are your friends?"

Minako waved her hand that wasn't holding the umbrella. "I told them to go on without me. I wanted to talk to you alone."

"And why is that," Makoto asked, crossing her arms.

"It's about Ami-chan," Minako said gently. Makoto's indifference was gone instantly.

Minako hesitated. "She's..." Minako sighed. "She's been miserable, honestly."

Makoto's arms dropped. "Is she okay?"

Minako shrugged one shoulder. "Physically, she's fine." Minako grasped her umbrella tightly. "I told her I wouldn't get involved."

Makoto sighed and it came out as a low growl. "Then why are you here?"

Minako smiled. "I decided to get involved. She misses you."

"She has a funny way of showing it," Makoto growled out. "She completely ghosted me and I have no idea why." Makoto seemed to deflate, her shoulders slumping. "I don't know what I did wrong."

"You didn't do anything wrong, Makoto-san," Minako reassured her. "In fact, as far as Ami-chan is concerned, you did everything right."

Makoto gave her a confused look.

"She's at the cabin right now," Minako said. "Alone. Will be for a while. Why don't you go see her?"

Makoto rubbed the back of her neck, flinching when a raindrop hit her and she took a step closer to the building. "I dunno..."

Minako smiled. "Take a chance. What could it hurt?"

My heart, Makoto thought. She sighed and rubbed at her face again. "We'll be alone long enough to talk?"

Minako nodded. "Even with the rain, Usagi loves food and the arcade too much to stay inside. We'll be a while yet."

Makoto's heart made the decision for her. She turned to quickly head back inside the dojo to dismiss her students. After the dojo had emptied, she locked up, got into her truck and headed towards the Hino cabin.

A short while later, Makoto had pulled into and parked in the driveway of the cabin. The rain was coming down harder now and Makoto stared out at it while sitting in her truck. Was she being stupid? Should she listen to Minako?

"Fuck it," Makoto whispered as she quickly climbed out of the truck and into the rain.

Her pace slowed as she neared the door, the heavy rain soaking through her gi. Makoto raised her hand to knock but hesitated again.

Ami did not want to see her. The petite woman had made that clear by ignoring her calls and texts that first day.

As far as Ami-chan is concerned, you did everything right. Minako's voice echoed through her head. What did that even mean?

Before she realized it, her knuckles knocked on the door, albeit softly.

Too late now, Makoto thought.

The seconds stretched into infinity and Ami didn't come to the door. Makoto swallowed her thudding heart back down her throat and knocked again, just a bit louder.

Again, nothing.

Ami wasn't going to answer.

Makoto's heart was thundering inside her chest, threatening to break free. One more time.

She knocked again. And as she lowered her hand, the door slowly opened.

And there Ami was, staring up at her. She was wearing what looked like pajamas and her hair was wet, like she had just had a shower not too long ago. Makoto's gaze softened at the sight of her.

And just like that, Makoto's anger was gone.

"Ami," Makoto whispered.

Ami looked up at Makoto for a moment before her face screwed up and tears suddenly began streaming down her face. "Mako-chan.."

Makoto was inside the house in an instant, pulling the shorter woman to her and holding her tightly. Ami did the same, her arms around Makoto the moment she was near, holding her as close as she could. Makoto ducked her head, pressing her face against Ami's temple. Makoto was sure she was whispering to Ami, but she couldn't be sure what she was saying. Anything to calm the younger woman.

Makoto pulled away and Ami whimpered and tried to pull her back. But Makoto didn't move too far away, just enough to bring her hands up to wipe Ami's face dry. Then Makoto did what she had wanted to do the last three days: she bent her face down and kissed Ami.

It was soft, gentle, their lips barely brushing against each other. As Makoto began to pull away however, Ami grasped the front of her gi and pulled her back down. She kissed Makoto, again and again, whispering, "Please," in between each kiss.

Makoto grasped Ami's face fully and deepened their kiss. Ami whimpered and dug her fingers tighter into Makoto's gi before her hands moved to the belt around Makoto's waist. Ami tugged on it until it loosened, allowing her small hands to open the jacket and run her hands up to Makoto's broad shoulders. The Amazon wore a tank top beneath her gi jacket but growled into Ami's mouth when she felt the smaller woman's fingers along her bare skin.

Makoto pulled away and turned to shut the door. When she turned back to Ami, Makoto was pleased to see Ami looked how she herself felt.

"Bedroom."

Ami nodded and grabbed Makoto's hand and quickly leading her upstairs and to her room. Her bed was small compared to the others in the house, but Ami wanted to be as close as possible to Makoto right this moment. The bed was perfect for that.

She shut the door just as Makoto kissed her again. The older woman shrugged off the gi jacket and grasped Ami by her hips, pushing her backwards towards the bed. When the backs of her knees hit the bed, Ami looked up at Makoto, gasping for breath.

"Are you sure," Makoto asked softly in the dim darkened room, her breath tickling over Ami's lips.

Ami looked up at Makoto for a moment before lifting and pulling off her over-sized shirt. She brought her arms down to her sides and let the shirt slip slowly from her fingers. "Please," was Ami's soft response.

It was Makoto's turn to whimper. She kissed Ami again, gently pushing her down onto the bed. Ami's hands snuck beneath Makoto's tank, her fingertips caressing along the taller woman's abdomen.

Makoto moaned as she lowered herself onto Ami, her hips resting between Ami's thighs.

Things were going much too fast. Makoto had only come over to talk. But as Ami tugged her shirt off and tossed it aside, small hands palming her breasts, Makoto wondered why it mattered. Reconnecting with Ami physically mattered so much more right now.

Makoto kissed down Ami's throat as the smaller woman clung to her. Ami's legs squeezed her hips when Makoto bit her collarbone.

"Mako."

Makoto had missed the way Ami's voice deepened when she called her name. Had it only been three days? It felt like forever.

Makoto's hand traveled down Ami's body, gripping her hip gently before she pulled up and away from Ami. Ami's hands clutched at her, trying to pull her back. Makoto bent down and kissed Ami fiercely before breaking the kiss to sit back. She reached for Ami's drawstring bottoms and pulled them down, taking her underwear with them as well, and tossing them to the floor beside the bed.

Ami laid beneath her, naked and beautiful, her chest heaving. Makoto groaned and leaned over her the smaller woman, taking her lips in another deep kiss.

Ami moaned and pressed into her, her arms wrapping around Makoto's shoulders.

Impatient, Makoto moved her hand to cup between Ami's legs. Ami moaned again, lifting her hips to press against Makoto's hand. Makoto's fingers teased her, slick heat meeting her fingertips.

Makoto's impatience won out. She slid her long fingers inside Ami and Ami cried out her name.

Makoto didn't try to be gentle. She didn't set out to hurt Ami, that wasn't her intention. But part of her anger from the last three days came back and she became possessive, and her thrusts were rough, hard. Ami took it, her hips rolling to meet Makoto's fingers each time. And if Ami's cries were any indication, she was enjoying every moment of it.

Makoto buried her face in Ami's throat, grunting with each thrust of her fingers. After a moment, she began to kiss down Ami's throat, her chest. Just a taste. She needed just a taste.

"No," came Ami's plaintive cry. She tugged at Makoto's bare shoulders, her fingertips pressing into the back of the Amazon's neck. "Please, please stay with me."

Makoto couldn't deny Ami what she wanted. She leaned back up and kissed Ami gently, stark contrast to her thrusting fingers. Ami gripped Makoto's shoulders, sobbing with each movement Makoto made.

"I love you," Ami said between breaths. "I'm sorry, I love you."

Makoto faltered for a moment, her movements halting. "Ami..."

Ami cried out and leaned up to kiss Makoto. "Please, please don't stop. I need..."

Makoto understood and pushed her fingers deeper inside the small woman beneath her. She curled her fingers and Ami went rigid beneath her, calling her name...

Some time later, after they caught their breaths and their skin had cooled, the two lay beneath Ami's blanket. Ami's head rested against Makoto's arm and Makoto's other hand gently brushed Ami's hair away from her face. Makoto was waiting, as patiently as she could; Ami hadn't spoken since they made love.

Ami's eyes were downcast, staring at Makoto's throat but the brunette was sure Ami didn't see her. Makoto couldn't take the silence anymore.

"Why didn't you say something sooner," she asked quietly.

"Hmm," Ami intoned, finally looking up at Makoto. Ami blinked her eyes into focus.

"You said you loved me," Makoto replied. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Ami ducked her head again. "I didn't think you'd care."

"Ouch," was Makoto's sarcastic reply.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that," Ami quickly said, looking back up at Makoto. "I just... I didn't think you'd feel the same and I didn't want to put that on you." Ami lowered her eyes again. "I just got scared and I panicked. It's only been a week! I shouldn't feel this strongly about you and I do and I don't know what to do about..." Makoto could hear the tears in Ami's thick voice.

Makoto was silent for a moment. Then, "What did you say in the car Saturday?"

"When you dropped me off," Ami asked, bringing a hand up to wipe at her eyes.

"Yeah."

Ami sighed, to steady herself. "That I loved you."

Makoto nodded and fell silent again.

Ami felt the air around them thicken and felt herself begin to panic again.

"It has only been a week. And we shouldn't feel this way," Makoto agreed.

Ami's breath caught and she quickly looked up. "We?"

Makoto's eyes caught hers. "Of course I'm in love with you," she confessed. Makoto focused on Ami's hair as her fingers played with it. "I've felt the same way just as long as you have. But. Like you said, it's only been a week. I didn't want to scare you off. You'd be leaving soon anyhow and I wanted you with me for as long as possible."

Ami's heart rate picked up again at the confession and she felt a blush blaze across her face. She kid her face in Makoto's neck.

They were quiet for a long while.

"I leave Friday," Ami said softly.

"I know."

"What will we do," Ami asked, glancing up at Makoto.

Makoto shrugged. "I don't know. Enjoy our last couple of days together. After that..." Makoto trailed off.

"I don't know," Makoto said again.

Ami sighed and leaned her head against Makoto's chest. She could feel her chest tightening and anxiety set in.

"Mako-chan, are we...okay?"

Were they?

After a brief moment, Makoto smiled and kissed the top of Ami's head. "We're okay."

A small smile crept along Ami's face. She pushed herself closer to Makoto, which wasn't difficult in the small bed, her hand at Makoto's hip pulling her closer.

Minako hadn't heard anything from Ami all afternoon. What was more surprising was Makoto's truck was still in the driveway when the group returned home that evening. After convincing accident prone Usagi to stay behind, Minako crept up the stairs to Ami's room. She listened intently, but even as she neared the bluenette's room, Minako heard nothing.

Minako knocked lightly and after a moment, peeked inside the bedroom. Even in the dark, Minako could make out the strewn clothes on the floor. But what interested her more was the body she saw in Ami's bed that definitely wasn't Ami, though her small hand was resting at the larger figure's back. There was no guessing necessary on who it was in Ami's bed.

Minako smiled and shut the door gently as to not disturb the sleeping pair.

AN: Hey. Hey. Hey. ...There's only two chapters left...