A/N: ^^ After a couple of days scribbling down and obsessively ripping my notebook out of peering eyes' hands ((0.o Eyes have hands? ^^ The people who had those eyes, then. XD)), THIS is the result. =3 Somehow I'm finding it harder and harder to KEEP MINAKO IN LINE! XD
DISCLAIMER: Naoko Takeuchi owns Sailor Moon and every feeling emotionally put in that made and MAKES it awesome. ^^ I own only this odd idea. *grin*
It's Easier To Be Me: Especially In Front Of You
"Mako-chan. . ."
Morning came with a dark murmur of remembrance and Makoto buried her head in her pillow, sighing as her trademark ponytail rubbed against the downy feathers and forcing her head to lay sideways for comfort.
So Minako really hadn't been that bad of a counselor.
At least the Senshi of Love had a hands-on approach about her.
Unbidden, a smile came to her face when Makoto thought of the Senshi of Fire. She was sure Rei had her hands full. Pushing herself up with her arms, Makoto relished the easy burn of her lower back as she stretched under the covers and held it for a moment.
*THUMP*
Squinting over the edge of her bed, it took a moment for Makoto to recognize Ami's disgruntled form sprawled out on top of a snoring Usagi by the side of her comforter. Apparently the girl had slept up on top with her and had now just fell with the movement of her stretch.
The thought made her blush slightly.
Groggily reaching down, Makoto ran a hand through the blue-haired girl's curls and smiled wearily as she looked around and spotted Minako curled up with a spooning Rei. It had felt good to let it out in one of her closest friend's arms instead of just taking it out on the skies and making the heavens cry with her rage.
Her head was throbbing with the usual intensity she normally had after one of her moments, but last night's confession left her with the feelings of freedom to express herself more. Still, the Senshi of Lightninng felt as if she'd been encased in rubber and squeezed.
Under her Ami shifted, and before Makoto could draw away, blue eyes opened and looked straight at her.
Instantly Ami colored and Makoto could only smile down at the girl as that familiar feeling returned to the center of her chest, making her vividly away of her new knowledge.
"Y-You were turning in your sleep and you fell twice, so after Minako-chan and Rei-chan wrestled you back up, they asked me to sleep b-beside you."
Feeling her eyebrows raise, Makoto could only chuckle.
"Thank you, Ami-chan. I could have had a coma, hitting my head on the floor so much. Did I squish you any?"
Her best friend shook her head and carefully rolled off of Usagi, covering the blonde with a blanket. Straightening to her full height, Ami looked ever the rumpled shy angel in her blue pajamas with wide-awake deer eyes.
"I was on top- o-of the blanket, so I basically just had you p-pinned underneath."
Ami looked down at her toes, and Makoto chuckled again.
Drawing herself up to a sitting position of criss-cross apple-sauce, the brunette patted the rumpled spot besides her. Once Ami carefully settled herself primly on the edge, still looking down, Makoto grinned.
"I didn't know you liked to dominate, Ami-chan."
There was a mushroom-cloud of red blush raising at the top of Ami's head, and Makoto drew her in a hug when the blue-haired girl started to bolt.
"Hahahahah, no, Ami-chan, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it, even as a bad joke. But really, thank you. I was kept warm last night."
There was a jerked wiggle in Makoto's arms and she wondered at how Ami could ever be labeled the Senshi of Ice. The smaller girl was so warm, so alive, with only a look she could make her melt. . .
And what about her?
What was she doing?
It felt good, really, to wake up and find Ami there, and laugh, especially after last night, but. . .
"Mako-chan?"
Her eyes jerked open and Makoto realized she'd rested her chin on top of Ami's head and had fallen asleep for a second. Almost as if she was possessed, Makoto snuggled closer to the sweet warmth and lowered her head, gently nuzzling the trembling blue locks.
"I'm sorry, but you're so comfortable to hug. . ."
"M-Mako-chan! I-I can't breathe. . ."
The soft cry slapped Makoto to her senses and the taller girl quickly let go of that precious warmth, her blood and heart just pounding in her ears, and Ami gasped for air, and the smaller girl might as well have just hit her, what was wrong, THIS was wrong-
"Mako-chan, it's fine. Calm down. S-See?"
And warmth settled around her as Ami shyly moved closer, that red blush just making those beautiful pond pool blue eyes even brighter, moving closer, just slowly wrapping her arms around Makoto and just clinging, the most simple raw touch of a hug.
Makoto couldn't really breathe, there was that pressure right over her chest and. . .
"A-Ami-chan."
And Makoto pushed Ami away, hopping quickly over Usagi and across the room, her long legs flashing strength and lightning as they took her across the room in a pair of dark green boxers. The Senshi of Lightning opened and slammed the door in one breath, leaving Ami to strain to hear the anxious, "Ami-chan, bathroom, bathroom, gotta go cook breakfast, and clean, and make that food. .!"
Unbeknownst to her, blue eyes twinkled in amusement after the pony-tailed brunette, shaded over quickly with a flip of blonde bangs as Ami fell sideways onto Makoto's bed, closing her own eyes as she enjoyed her best friend's receding warmth.
"I can't believe there's been so many youma attacks the past few weeks! Don't you think they'd have anything better to do than attack us all the time?"
Minako whined her troubles to the treetops of the supposedly secluded trail, Makoto rolling her amused green eyes good-naturedly beside her.
"You know they just can't keep away from you."
Laughing, the Senshi of Love looked over at her friend and turned into a flurry of orange and yellow color as a tree root claimed the tips of her toes and foot.
"Aaack-!"
Makoto instinctively dove, shoving down the reflex to just grab the back of a collar and pull, instead enveloping Minako's waist in her arms and keeping the blonde upright.
"You okay?"
"Yes."
The on-hand reply surprised Makoto.
Before she could ask, Minako spoke up.
"Are you?"
Blinking, the brunette steadied her friend and pulled away, cocking her head. She was curious as to the hand remaining a little too long on her arm.
"Sure. I'm not THAT out of shape for this hike, you know."
Playfully nudging Minako, Makoto grinned and walked as if to push by. Again, to her surprise, Minako used an arm to wrap around her right hand as she passed, the blonde clinging a little too close for just safety comfort.
"Mako-chan, I mean the whole part of your feelings. Are you okay?"
Glancing down in confusion at the hand on her arm, Makoto furrowed her eyebrows, struggling to understand. Looking up, she was lost in the intensity of that blue gaze and immediately tried to blink, breaking the hold Minako seemed to have on her with her eyes.
It wasn't unnerving, it was just. . . wierd.
And then it hit her.
"M-Minako-chan, thank you so much for letting me cry on you that time. I really needed that, but now I just think that I need to meditate, work it out physically."
The blonde nodded, but didn't blink. A soft sound of musing came from her, and Makoto tried to forcibly walk again up the trail, wishing the others were here and not that she had to walk with Minako to meet them.
Suddenly a grin broke out on the Senshi of Love's face.
"Sounds fun. Can I join in for a round?"
Jerking, Makoto pulled away, almost roughly, and the brunette cursed herself as Minako jumped a bit, hands coming to clasp behind her to find balance against the tree she was thrown into.
"Damn it, Minako-chan, I'm sorry. I don't know what's happening, I've been feeling really nervous and I think it's because of this whole thing-"
That hand again.
It came to rest on her shoulder this time, but Makoto felt more comfortable when it landed on the light green material of her armless collar suit. Yet this time Minako looked at her, and it was serene somehow, almost laughing, those blue eyes serious one minute, then oh-so-playful the next.
"No, Mako-chan. I'M sorry. I just can't help but notice you not going after any guys anymore, especially at that last visit to the overcrowded Crown. So I was wondering if I should test you."
Makoto stared at the blonde in front of her, then shook her head.
"But Minako-"
"I'm sorry, Mako-chan. I'm the Senshi of Love, and though I can feel this agitation just coming off of you, I know it's for Ami-chan. But get this, do you find me attractive?"
Makoto stumbled physically at Minako's words this time, drawing away and automatically shaking her head. In the spring heat her armless collared suit had seemed perfectly fine with the weather, but now she was on crackling fire from blushing at the unsaid question.
Choking out a wierd sound, Makoto only got out incoherent words before Minako laughed gently and stepped towards her. It was only her self-taught rules of not backing down from an opponent that kept her from turning tail and running.
"Mako-chan. It's okay. I only asked this, but it's pretty obvious to everyone around that I'm at least the stereo-typical ideal of what you'd like in a girl or woman, yes? Remember that guy you skated with? Blonde, buff, and handsome? Tadaaaa!"
Staring at Minako, Makoto just broke down as the situation hit her funny bone. Laughing hysterically, the taller girl just lost it as she went to the nearest tree and hit it with a boneless fist, trying to get the wierdness out of her system.
"M-Minako! *gasp, giggle* I-I. .! Bwa-hahahahaaa! I, I um, ahem. Okay."
Straightening back from the tree, Makoto looked over at the smiling Minako and hiccuped, tears in her eyes. Walking back to the path where her friend waited, the two resumed walking normally now, no pretenses held.
"Look, Minako-chan. I do find you attractive and all, but. . . I'm sorry, but I don't LIKE you like that."
Snickering, the Senshi of Lightning and Thunder raised a hand to her head in her trademark comic pose. Somehow the thought of liking Minako like THAT, even when she was one of her best friends, and Minako going the lengths of trying to find that out for her. . .
Well, it only struck her as funny.
"But thanks anyway. I'm fine with me now, it's pretty much all better, only now I just. . . I'm just trying to straighten things out. I'm sure I'll know someday. Because this time I'm not going after every guy I see, and I'm certainly not doing that with girls."
Smiling, Makoto looked skywards as she walked.
"It's more scary with girls. I mean, with guys you can just be yourself, however you want, but with a girl, it's. . . You just know that they know better than guys, and you actually have to put up pretenses. So, that's why, Minako-chan."
Stopping, Makoto turned towards her friend as she reached the bottom of the hill that would top off to the end of the hike and the cave. Minako turned too and smiled, nodding as she recalled Makoto's meaning.
"I'm glad you care enough to help me, Minako-chan. I'll be fine, now, and it meant so much to me you listened when I broke down like that. And I'll continue to lean on you for advice, so thank you, Minako-chan."
The blonde looked at her, blue eyes grinning in happiness, and Makoto could only laugh as Minako glomped onto her as she always did. Reaching out, Makoto gave the smaller girl an enthusiastic bear hug, affectionately ruffling the blonde locks. Looking past her friend's shoulder to the path behind them, the brunette wondered how amazing a walk could be.
Only a couple of minutes ago she was so confused as to Minako's behavior: now she knew!
Pulling away, Makoto didn't notice the sudden tension in Minako's pose, only the blonde's insistent pushing at her shoulders. Giving her room to breath, the Senshi of Lightning only had time to turn and recognize a familiar aura of burning fire and the sight of a fist coming up solidly to slam into her face.
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A/N: The blonde guy Minako supposedly was using to look at Makoto's standards was the guy Makoto danced with in ice skating. *grin* JUST watched the episode, and apparently he's a youma. And a pretty cool one, too. *snicker* Pervert who peeks on in dreams. I think I liked his partner more. Oooooh, Moon Gorgeous Meditation is my most fave Sailor Moon attack now! XD Why not just use it like a sword? XD ((Actually, maybe it that 'Reamless' guy I'm talking about. ^^;)) *laughs like crazy* XD And as for the Remless, 'Ponko', I love the explanation on YouTube for the legend: A snail yokai came on board a ship, stole all the crews' testicles, and 'Ponko' is Japanese for that. Well, 'kintama', supposedly. XD And lookit what the youma did to those balls! XD
Eheh. ^^ The reason why I wanted to end it was because I thought of a new plot twist! XD I should have added comical angst to this. 'Cause it's gonna be fun! X3 Thanks for reading, take care, ja! XD