Theme: Thirteen: Cancelled
Genre: General/Romance/Angst
Version: Animanga/AU
Rating: G

I cannot pretend that I felt any regret/ Cause each broken heart will eventually mend/ As the blood runs red down the needle and thread/ Someday you will be loved - "Someday You Will Be Loved" by Death Cab for Cutie

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In the Language of Flowers
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"Have I missed much?" Ami asked, puffing slightly as she slid in next to Rei at the pick-up counter.

"No," answered Rei. "Just Usagi ordering enough ice cream to feed a third world country."

Ami smiled, because despite Rei's irritated tone, her face was soft and her arms were full of their friend's orders. Instantly, Ami's eyes scanned for blond hair, and found it fairly fast. Minako and Usagi had taken up the window seats at the booth, and were catapulting straw wrappers at one enough enthusiastically. One ball bounced off brown bangs, and Minako and Usagi instantly stopped, looking sheepish.

Ami frowned. "I thought Makoto had a date tonight," she said, finding a similar frown pulling Rei's face.

"Yeah, well," growled Rei. "He cancelled." She pounded her order tray on the counter. "Hey! How long does it take to make a sundae?" she hollered, leaning over to glare at the employees. They glared back.

"Poor Mako-chan," murmured Ami.

"What'd she expect?" replied Rei. "Men have no remorse. Canceling at the last minute..." She seemed about to start another fuss, but a frazzled looking waiter popped up and slammed the missing ice cream onto her tray without a word. Rei seemed pleased with herself. "I'm getting her another sundae. It's the least we can do, you know?"

"That's a good idea," agreed Ami, tapping her index finger softly against her lips. "Hey, I'll be right back, okay? Will you tell everyone I'm sorry I was late? It'll only take a second."

"Sure," said Rei.

It took a considerable amount of strength to haul all their ice cream to the table, and for a moment Rei was a little surly about the fact she'd let Ami run off. She could have used the extra pair of hands. To top it off, after she was done wheezing and plodding her way back to the booth, no one thanked her for the heroic feat of retrieving their orders. While she couldn't blame Makoto, Rei was more than happy to take some resentment out on Usagi, and did so with a hearty pinch.

"Ow!" shrieked Usagi. "Rei-chan!"

"That's for making me get your giant order!" said Rei. "You better appreciate it."

"I do!" Usagi insisted. "And you got an extra ice cream, anyway. You didn't have to do that!"

"It's for Mako-chan," explained Rei, softly pushing the dessert at the melancholy brunette across from her.

Silence descended over the table as all the girls carefully watched Makoto's green eyes open for a second to take in the melting goop. Her head never left the table.

"Thank you, Rei-chan," sighed Makoto.

"You're welcome," said Rei.

"If she doesn't eat it, can I have it?" whispered Usagi.

Rei gave her another pinch as Minako muffled her laughter with the palm of her hand. Under the table, Usagi kicked her partner in crime vengefully. A tussle might have broken out, but that's when Ami decided to make her re-entrance, dropping her bag at Rei's feet and pulling up a chair from another table.

"Sorry I'm late," she said. "Did Rei-chan tell you?"

"No," replied Usagi, scooping a mouthful of ice cream onto her spoon.

"Oh, well, that's okay," said Ami. "I just wanted to pick up a present for Mako-chan."

The long, hopeful silence returned as Ami's timid fingers left her offering under Makoto's nose. The brunette stirred slightly as one eye opened, and then the other popped awake. Picking herself up from the table, Makoto frantically tried to wipe away what was left of her tears to take in what was in front of her.

"Ami-chan," she breathed. "You didn't have to."

"I wanted to," Ami stuttered, beginning to flush red as Makoto smiled blearily at her.

Careful not to crush the petals and leaves, Makoto lifted the rose off the parlor table. It shone a deep crimson in the artificial lighting, and gave a soft scent. Makoto inhaled happily, enjoying the moment.

"You know, Mako-chan," began Minako sagely. "That's probably more than that stupid boy would have done for you."

"Probably," murmured Makoto. Her fingers danced lightly over the feather soft petals. "Probably."

"I wish someone would buy me roses," Minako sighed dreamily.

"They have to dump you first," said Usagi around a mouthful of ice cream. She choked as Rei elbowed her. "Er, sorry, Mako-chan."

"It's okay," replied Makoto. The smile had yet to leave her face, and reached across the table to squeeze Ami's hand gratefully. "Really, Ami-chan. Thank you. It's so beautiful!"

"It compliments you, then," said Ami shyly, turning her face away from Rei as the miko's eyebrows shot high onto her forehead.

Bumping the table harshly, Minako enveloped Makoto in a bear hug. "Aren't you glad you came with us tonight, instead of moping at home?" she asked, grinning.

"Minako!" gasped Makoto. "Don't crush my rose!"

"Sorry!" As the blond pulled back, Makoto's jacket began to ring, ring, ring. Snoopy as ever, Minako made sure to get an eyeful of the name as Makoto pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. "Oh, Mako-chan! Don't answer it!" she blurted, privacy null and void.

"Who is it?" asked Rei suspiciously.

"It's him," answered Makoto. She stared at the face of her phone in disbelief.

"Maybe he's calling to apologize?" suggested Usagi.

"No, Mako-chan," said Minako. "Don't answer it."

"Don't answer it," repeated Rei more aggressively.

Too late. Makoto greeted her ex-date as enthusiastically as she would have anyone else. Rei wiggled irately in her seat, and Makoto had to dodge Minako's sticky hands as the blond tried to wrench the phone from her.

"Stop it!" snapped Makoto, smacking Minako's hands away so she could cover the mouth of her cell. "He's rescheduling our date! I think he's sorry!"

"Who called it!" said Usagi triumphantly.

"Mako-chan, no..." Minako attempted as the brunette got up from the table, chatting merrily to the person who had scorned her a half-hour before. Ami's rose sat forlornly by itself in the middle of the table where it had landed, one of its petals torn. "What's wrong with that girl?" huffed the blond.

Ami picked up the discarded flower, carefully smoothing the ragged edges with her thumb. "She just wants someone to love, Minako-chan," she said. "You can't blame her for that."

"Yes, you can," said Rei. She pressed her lips thin as she watched Makoto from a distance. "Come here, Ami-chan. Sit here." Protesting lightly, Usagi was shoved into the window as Rei tugged Ami beside her, and wrapped a forceful arm around her shoulders. "You never got any ice cream, did you?"

The soft, understanding expression seeping between the hardness of Rei's dark eyes made Ami blink back incriminating tears that suddenly welled to the surface. When Rei handed her a spoon, she took it slowly and placed the rose back on the dirty table top.

"Thank you, Rei-chan," murmured Ami.

"You're welcome," replied Rei softly.

The ice cream went down like rejection: cold and painful.