The Client

Summary: Makoto is Minako's new client and hopes to be with Mizuno Ami. Will Minako fall in love with her client? Probably.

Disclaimer: I own nothing that is mentioned in this fic.

Chapter Six: Getting Closer

After my discussion with Rei, I had decided to go to Makoto's apartment building. Yeah, it seemed kind of rude to do such a thing on such short notice, but I had to! This would be my only chance to get information on Makoto and Ami before it was too late. With that reasoning implanted in my brain, I journeyed to Makoto's apartment building, calling her on the way. Besides wanting to hear her voice now, I needed to know if showing up so suddenly was okay, especially with her parents. Arriving out of the blue would probably give them the impression that I was a strange person, but I didn't really care too much about that. I would worry about that when I got to my destination.

Makoto said coming over wasn't a problem, which made me happy. (By the time I called her, I had already passed my house.) During the walk, I surprised myself by getting to the apartment building without getting lost first. For some reason, the way to the building had burned its way into my memory the last time I had been there. Oh, figuring out the room number was too easy! The numbers were all odd, so that narrowed things down. When I was here last time, the ride on the elevator hadn't taken too long, so the room was definitely on the third floor. Figuring out the room number from here was a snap. In three years, Makoto was would be seventeen. What did that mean? The room number was three-seventeen! If remembering the room number had nothing to with math, one would think I was a stalker.

However, knowing the room number didn't seem important when I spotted Makoto outside, apparently waiting for me. She was wearing her trademark goofy smile, probably knowing I thought this was weird. Stopping myself in front of her, I asked, "What are you doing out here?" Suddenly, she grabbed my waist and pulled me close. Oh, how I wished she did this all the time! Even if she were only joking around, I wanted to be like this with her. Too bad she wanted to be like this with Ami. It felt like something was piercing my heart just thinking about it.

"I couldn't wait," Makoto whispered. I raised an eyebrow, wondering where this was going. "I just wanted to take you now..." I pushed the brunette away as I laughed. She grinned at me as I shook my head. As usual, she was only fooling around. "Idiot," I spoke. "I'm not the one you should be seducing."

Saying that felt weird - or just downright wrong - considering my latest discovery. I certainly did want Makoto to seduce me, and the thought of her 'taking me' didn't sound so bad either. There was something inside me, though, that told me to say what I normally would and act as if nothing had changed. The whole Makoto/Ami thing still needed to be resolved, but I was dreading the day when it was. The idea of trying to prolong it came to my head, but how long could I keep that up? They were already at the stage where I wasn't needed anymore; they could do whatever they wanted at this point. Crap! What the heck was I going to do?

"Oh, don't worry, Minako-chan," Makoto said as she grabbed my hand and dragged me along with her. "You're just my practice. You don't mind, do you?" I grinned at the word 'practice.' There were just so many things associated with the very word! Perhaps, if I were lucky, I could steal Makoto's first kiss! Of course, that's just wishful thinking.

"I hope you haven't forgotten that you're still my client," I reminded her. "Everything comes with a fee. You've just been lucky so far because you're my friend." When Makoto didn't say anything, I sighed. "I used to make a lot of money before you came along," I noted. I didn't really mind that much despite the way it sounded. The crush I had on Makoto compensated for it anyway. Makoto laughed and patted my head, saying she wanted the 'practice' regardless. I would have been happy with just that, but something told me that I couldn't accept it so quickly. Was this a forewarning of the consequences that would follow the 'practice' meetings? Damn these feelings! Why did they have to ruin things for me?

I came to a stop and tugged on Makoto's warm hands, which was still clinging to me. She gave me a curious look, asking me if I there was anything wrong. "Just make sure," I sighed, "you don't fall in love with me." I couldn't believe I just said that. Not only was it hard to say, but now Makoto probably thought I was full of myself. I wondered if she knew I was being serious.

"I can't guarantee much," the brunette grinned as she pulled me close again. Here we go... "You're just so beautiful." I pushed her away again and sighed. "Let's hope this flattery is practice for Ami-san. Now, where are you taking me?"

"Oh yeah!" Makoto exclaimed. "We're going to the grocery store. I keep forgetting to go, but I just remembered after you called me." I mentally shrugged and shook my head. What was Makoto going to do without me? As we continued our walk, I grinned. I stepped in front of her and walked backwards. "Did you're parents just kick you out the house so they wouldn't have to see me?"

"Nope. They've seen you before anyway, and I'm sure they like you."

I tilted my head curiously, wondering when they saw me. "Really? I don't remember seeing them…" Makoto laughed and crossed her arms. "You could say my parents are ninja," she bragged. Wow, that actually made sense. This explained where Makoto got her hiding skills. "Are there any chances that I might see your parents?"

"I don't think so. They're that ninja."

Makoto didn't look at me when she said it, and there seemed to be a bit of sorrow – is the word too strong to use here? – in her voice. I didn't question her. Maybe I was thinking too hard. Instead, I carried on a regular conversation until we got to the grocery store. Of course, once we were inside, I got down to business.

"Alright, Kino, what's up your sleeve?" I asked. "The hiding, the secretiveness, the Ami! I know you're up to something." Makoto grabbed a cart and shrugged, trying to hide a grin. I began pouting and crossed my arms. There was silence between us, and it annoyed me. Now, she was just messing with me, and I was not one to be played with.

"Mako-chan."

She glanced at me from the corner of her eye – her face had turned serious for a second. It made me wonder if the tone of my voice had affected her in some way, though the thought didn't last long. She turned her head away from me and started laughing, covering her mouth in an attempt to silence herself. My eyes narrowed as I stared her down. If calling her name didn't work the first time, what would? I would have gotten the information I wanted by now, but she didn't see me as a threat at all. Why did she have to make things so complicated?

"Alright, alright!" Makoto said at last, waving her hand at me. "I was going to tell you and Usagi-chan something tomorrow about Ami, but you're so persistent."

No honorific? Did that mean…? No! It couldn't be! Tomorrow was supposed to be a good day! Things were supposed to look up for me! Had everything already fallen in place? No! This wasn't good! I stared at the brunette, leaning towards her in curiosity. I hoped she wouldn't say what I thought she was going to say…

"Ami told me she liked me, but I didn't tell her about my feelings just yet."

Looking at her with confusion, I asked, "Why not?" Of course, I was pleased to hear that they weren't officially together, but they were close to taking that final step. Now, it seemed that Makoto was controlling whatever happened between them; all she had to do was say three words and she would have what she wanted.

"Just playing hard to get is all," Makoto grinned. "Wouldn't you say that's clever of me?" I cracked a smile and shrugged. "I guess. Nice one, Mako-chan." She gave me the thumbs up and finally began concentrating on her grocery shopping.

From that moment on, we were completely silent. I stared into space as I walked alongside Makoto, wondering what would happen once she and Ami were together. Well, it was obvious that I couldn't get any closer to Makoto. Ami would be the most important person on her mind, and that's not what I wanted. I wished that there would be a time where Makoto saw me and only me, loved me and only me. There was no possible way that I could somehow sabotage Ami's chance with the brunette, considering how far things have gotten. All hope seemed lost, but there had to be something that could be done…right?

"Hey, Minako."

I blinked when I heard my name without an honorific and felt Makoto's hand firmly hold mine. It was very warm (unless I was just cold), causing me to give her hand a squeeze automatically. (There's a story behind warm things and I, but that's for another time.) I looked up at her and tilted my head in curiosity.

"I've noticed something about you recently."

Raising an eyebrow, I said, "Oh? What might that be?" We walked into an aisle with a whole bunch of snacks, our eyes never meeting. She looked focused, her eyes scanning all the snacks on the shelves as if all that mattered was her grocery shopping. At first, it seemed like she was only trying to make conversation, but I realized that it was more than that. Holding hands wasn't required to start conversations. Surely, this meant something very important.

"You look sad when you're deep in thought."

We stopped walking, and she took a moment to look at me. Her emerald eyes, that focused expression still on her face, her warm hand, it made me speechless. It made me visibly tremble. It made me breathless. I could have melted right then and there. Why did I react that way? I didn't understand it entirely, since I've never felt this way with a person that I've liked in the past. This was truly mind-boggling.

Suddenly, Makoto lost her serious demeanor and moved her hand away from mine, placing it on my arm. "Minako, are you alright?" she asked worriedly. "You're starting to look a bit pale." Oh no. I was starting to lose it. Her touch and entrancing eyes were driving me insane. I was starting to get a bit lightheaded. This wasn't good at all.

"Minako?"

I stepped back carefully and flashed her a weak smile. "I'm fine," I tried to reassure her. "I think I just need to get some fresh air." Slowly turning around, I tried to walk away but stopped after only two steps. Makoto's hand had found its way back to mine and stopped me in my tracks. "I'll take you home, make sure you get there safe," she stated. The tone in her voice told me not to argue, but I didn't want to listen. I had to get away from her as quickly as possible. Any more time spent with her would only make things worse!

"No, no, it's fine," I murmured. "I'm fine." Makoto gently pulled me closer to her and turned me around. Once again, our eyes met. Wordlessly, she told me that she was going to take me home at that very moment, and there was nothing that I could do about it.

That determined look and her soft, warm hands were too much for me to handle. Letting out a sigh, I leaned against her and shut my eyes. She called my name again, but I didn't move. Every time I heard her voice, it seemed farther away as seconds passed by. Before I knew it, everything became silent.

Wherever I was right now, it was warm. Like, seriously warm. If I had died and gone to heaven, heaven was pretty damn warm. Like, really warm.

I curled up into a ball and clutched what felt like a blanket, sighing blissfully. That's when it hit me. I wasn't dead. Heaven wouldn't have blankets (to the best of my knowledge), and there would be blue skies and little cherubs flying about, not darkness. Opening my eyes, I found a dark room. From what I could make out, the room was pretty empty. The only thing worth noting was a silhouette of a dresser. Where the hell was I?

Sitting up, I scrambled out of the bed as quickly as I could. Cautiously, I walked over to the door, trying not to make any noise. Had I been kidnapped? What happened at the grocery store? Where was Makoto? My parents were probably worried about me, since I didn't get home! How was I gonna get out of here?

Twisting the doorknob, I sneaked down the hall until I got to the end. I took a deep breath as I prepared myself to look around the corner. Slowly, I leaned forward, peering in the new room and finding no one. However, upon closer inspection, the room wasn't new at all. The lights weren't on in the room, but another room's lights were. I walked into the slightly illuminated room, recognizing it as Makoto's living room.

Releasing a sigh of relief, I ventured off to the kitchen. That was the only place Makoto could have been. The bright light hurt my eyes for a moment as they tried to adjust. When I was able to see, I saw Makoto sitting at the table. Her back was facing me, and she didn't greet me at first, so my presence hadn't alerted her. She was tapping her foot as she drank from a mug. She looked so unnerved, and I wished I could do something to make her feel better.

"Mako-chan?"

How such a small, quiet voice could have been heard, I'll never know. Instantly, she turned around, setting her cup on the table. She jumped out of the chair and embraced me. "Minako, how do you feel now?" she asked frantically. She pulled away and put her hand on my forehead. I giggled and stepped back, afraid her touch would do whatever it did at the grocery store. "I'm fine now," I said. "Honestly."

Seeing the smile on my face, Makoto accepted my response. She smiled back and let out a worried laugh. "You scared me!" she exclaimed. "You just fainted on me, and I had no idea what to do." She sat down at the table and took a sip of her drink, motioning at the clock on the wall. I gasped at the time that I saw – it was past midnight!

"I've been drinking coffee for a while now," Makoto continued. "I wanted to be up when you came to. I was planning on taking you home, but you were knocked out." I shook my head and groaned. "What about my parents?" I murmured to myself. "I used your phone to call your house. Told them you weren't feeling well, so you would return in the morning," Makoto explained. A smile reappeared on my face, glad that I wouldn't get in trouble when I got home. I hugged my savior and kissed her cheek, thanking her for putting up with me for so long. She gave me a pat on the head, saying it was no trouble at all.

Once Makoto was done with her coffee, she stood up and stretched. "There's school tomorrow, so we need some rest," she yawned. "Well, I need it anyway. You've been sleeping for hours." I crossed my arms and pouted. "Can't you stay up with me for a bit longer?" I asked. "Just until I get tired?"

"Who knows when that will be?" Makoto muttered. "You're too energetic." I said nothing and let my undeniable puppy dog eyes do the talking for me. Makoto stared at me, at first with an uninterested look. With time, however, she gave in and agreed to stay up with me. Naturally, I was happy about that. I just hoped that I wouldn't faint again.

"Tell me about your quirks. Ones that I don't already know. I'm sure it'll be hard to think of one that I haven't seen, but do try."

I playfully hit Makoto's stomach, laughing all the while. We were both sitting on the couch, keeping warm with one big blanket. Makoto was sitting upright while I sat the long way – my legs were on top of hers, making a cross shape. One hand rubbed my feet and ankles, and the other rubbed my thighs. If I didn't know better, I would say she was trying to hook up with me. In the past, clients have ended up falling for me, so Makoto wouldn't be an exception, right? Unfortunately, I knew better, and I knew she was the exception.

"I go crazy over warm things," I finally answered. She gave me a look of amusement, apparently expecting no less from me. "Warmth always reminds me of love, no matter what kind it is," I continued. "When I was little, I would sleep between my parents in their room, and it was always so warm.

"A few years ago back when I met Usagi, she always tried hard to be my best friend. Sometimes, we'd hold hands while walking down the street, we'd hug when something was wrong, we'd sleep in the same bed at a sleepover, and so on. She was always warm, and love just naturally oozes out of her. That's about it."

Makoto gave my thighs a pat, chuckling at my explanation. "That's so cute," she said. "You're cute." My heartbeat sped up as I blushed. Part of me was ecstatic to hear that Makoto found me cute, but at the same time, the tone in her voice made it obvious that she meant it in a "big sister, little sister" kind of way.

"T-tell me something about you," I stuttered. "You're so…mysterious." Makoto laughed and shook her head, stating there was nothing to say. I crossed my arms and gave her a disapproving look. I knew there was something that she hadn't told me. The only think that I knew about her was that she was goofy, loved cooking, and was a great friend. Surely, there was something new that I could learn.

"Come on, there's a lot to say, I bet," I pressed. I tapped my chin as I thought of a question to ask. Picking one was pretty hard since I had so many in my head. After a few minutes, I found the perfect one. "How long have you lived here?" I asked. Makoto simply shrugged, staring at the wall on the other side of the room. Her hands were still rubbing my ankles and thighs. It soothed me, making me a little tired as time passed.

"A while."

I stared at her, unsatisfied with that answer. It seemed as though she didn't really want to talk about herself. I couldn't let her get off so easy. I had to learn more about her no matter what.

"Are your parents ever here with you? Are they here right now? They didn't mind me staying for the night?"

Makoto laid her head back with a sigh and turned to face me. Everything felt kind of awkward all of a sudden, and I didn't like where this was going at all.

"I live by myself."

"Really? Don't you get lonely? Don't your parents miss you? Are you emancipated?"

"Yeah, really. I do get lonely. I don't know if they do. I'm not emancipated."

"If you get lonely, why don't you ask them to live with you?"

"They aren't alive."

Well, aren't I an idiot? I can't believe I kept asking questions when it was obvious that she didn't want to answer. She must be really annoyed with me. Why am I so stupid?

"But hey, don't worry about it," Makoto smiled when I said nothing. "I've been fine up until now." That smile got wider the longer the silence, and I couldn't help but crack a smile myself. I swear, she was the goofiest person I had ever met.

Patting my knees, she yawned, "Time for bed now. You have to go home tomorrow." Snuggling up closer to her, I shook my head. "But I don't want to go to sleep," I protested. "I want to know you more." Another chuckle came from Makoto as she rubbed my arm. She had no clue how much I loved her warm hands.

"You're so eager to learn about me. You're different than a lot people."

"Does that turn you on?"

Both Makoto and I laughed at my comment, not caring if we disturbed the neighbors. Cuddling even closer to her, I held her tight and sighed. "I just want to know a lot about you – more than anyone else knows," I explained. I looked up into Makoto's eyes shyly, hoping she didn't think I was being creepy or weird. From what I saw in them, she didn't think that at all.

That night, we stayed up until the sun began to rise. Still holding on to her, I fell asleep in her arms, which held me tightly and securely. Under one blanket, our bodies were intertwined in a warm, tangled mess.

To be continued…

Finally, I got a chapter out :D That makes me very happy, and I hope you feel the same! Til next time

Serenity101