A/N — for some context: as far as which canon (original anime vs. manga / SM Crystal) is this geared towards, I try to blend both anime + manga canon, but with more emphasis / content from the '90s anime, taking place after events from Sailor Stars — with Usagi-tachi still in high-school — not to mention, I couldnt resist throwing in one of my fav scenes (directly from the original anime) :)
also, Im fully aware that Makoto is typical portrayed / described as a brunette, but based on her coloring via manga / SM Crystal, she seems to teeter more towards coppery / red hair, sooo as far as aesthetics, thats my preference!
This is the first time
We'll be having a sleep-over together, right? I'm so happy.
Just by putting on the blankets, somehow,
We can become more honest than usual.
"Actually, I'm not that strong."
"Yeah, I know."
Midnight secret talk.
When we spoke our true feelings,
The teardrops came dripping down,
And we held hands.
Girls are
Complicated living things,
But that's exactly why we can become kind.
We can even make sadness our ally.
"From time to time, I get really lonely."
"So do I."
Midnight secret talk.
Love and friendship.
When these elements came together for the first time,
I was able to become myself.
Girls are allowed
To be a bit greedy
Since they have someone precious to them, right?
We are not alone.
Without even realizing it, soon after their first sleepover with just each other, late night sleepovers became a regular occurrence between the two Senshi. One being orphaned from an early age from a tragic accident, the other single raised by her mother — rarely seeing her sole provider — with her father estranged from her life, only corresponding with postcards occasionally. Both did not mind the inevitable loneliness in their younger years, before discovering their destinies, but after being surrounded with friends and constant emotional support, both also did not want to return to that loneliness.
In each other's company, they found themselves having several heart-to-hearts since their first night together; both girls would confess to some of their deepest, darkest thoughts — or as Makoto would call them 'her stormy thoughts' — of themselves to find nothing but empathy and comfort from the other. Both girls of course enjoyed the rowdy company of all of them together, but… things felt different, more intimate, when it was just the two of them.
What started as seeking comfort turned into genuine enjoyment of the other's company.
Over the course of their hangouts, stay-over's, sleepovers, — starting from junior high and going well into their high-school years — both girls had found they have much more in common than they had initially thought: both with a penchant for reading romance novels, often swapping novels and giving their private feedback on whether it was worth a read or not; both had a soft spot for J-pop, and city pop, and would also trade their favorite albums with the other — with Ami begging Makoto to keep this between them only, and to not to tell Minako, with her reasoning being… vague at best, but respected her wishes all the same; not to mention both had a fondness for poetry — with one moreso reading them, whilst the other for writing — Makoto would sometimes find herself imagining Ami's poems were written as love sonnets for her from a secret admirer … until that line began to blur, and she would slip into fantasies, and imagine Ami's poetry was written with herself in mind… but she couldn't bear telling Ami that, so she kept that to herself.
They even knew smaller details that they would not tell out-loud to the others: one of Makoto's was not even a huge secret, but was also not something she openly talked too much about – being that she loved dancing. She had found a safe haven in dancing that served to be a nice escapism, if cooking did not successfully take her mind off things, or if cleaning could not calm her nerves.
However, a closer-guarded secret of Makoto's was that, in actuality, she swears… a lot… behind closed doors. Typically, Makoto would either mumble a choice word under her breath after getting a bad grade, at a volume only audible to herself, when muttering to herself after a particularly irritating exchange, or otherwise out of sheer frustration; when Ami heard it — heard her — for the first time, it completely threw her for a loop to hear Makoto use such… profane language, and she had only been caught as she had forgotten Ami was there at that time. Truth be told, Makoto has been hyper-aware that her circle of friends don't use adult language – at least not yet, and didn't want to unintentionally offend any of them; thus, has been actively avoiding doing so in the presence of others, especially in an attempt to appear more feminine. After that slip, however, Makoto gradually stopped hiding that aspect of herself from Ami; thus, in turn, Ami would typically laugh when she would hear her favorite swear words leave Makoto's lips, and both girls would have a laugh after the fact, or she took her cue to help if she could tell the redhead needed assistance.
Makoto was happy she didn't have to hide that part of her from Ami; in return, Ami found it… exhilarating when Makoto did swear in front of her. The rush of hearing words considered taboo from her vocabulary said out loud — after living a relatively sheltered life, up until she realized her destiny — but also, there was another layer of familiarity that Makoto reserved for her, and only her.
Ami, however, was more obscure that she was something of a Francophile (an admirer of French culture, and France in general). Makoto had always figured Ami would be more of a Germanophile (similar idea, but of German culture) - what with her almost-transfer to further study medicine in Germany all those years ago, - but the bluenette had once explained it away that her own first name was actually French, meaning 'friend,' as in the phrase "mon ami."
Makoto couldn't help but laugh when Ami had shared that, and especially how she had phrased it at the time; it was just so adorably… Ami! Ultimately, Makoto chalked it up as one of those lovable quirks of Ami's, like her (typically) covert competitiveness — especially when she would get competitive herself to try and beat her last personal best, and her borderline-obsessive study habits,… but would sometimes indulge her — possibly even enable her — all the same, with whipping up classic French entrees and desserts for the two of them.
Both would sometimes make up frivolous excuses to come over, albeit for extra tutoring, or to try out a new recipe. Ami would use that as a clever excuse to be seated by Makoto when it wouldn't be thought as odd to be sitting shoulder to shoulder, and be able to occasionally catch a whiff of Makoto's signature rose perfume. To which Makoto did not mind the extra tutoring; Ami made her studies much easier to comprehend, and it didn't hurt that Makoto also enjoyed the fragrance of Ami's conditioner.
Or, better yet, when Makoto gets curious on what Ami is reading, and starts reading over her shoulder. Most times in the past, when done by acquaintances, Ami would become so flustered, having someone invade her personal space in such a way, and hated the notion.
However, when Makoto did it, it felt so… intimate; Ami would find herself almost encouraging, possibly even enabling, the redhead to continue doing so. In truth, Makoto was also aware that this particular quirk of hers was considered a bad habit to most,… but Ami had never once chastised her for it, and the bluenette would sometimes read at a considerably-slower pace, if she could tell Makoto was also getting engrossed in her book.
Makoto in turn felt especially proud of her clever ruse, which wasn't a complete lie, but did so to ensure Ami was eating better, or at the very least ensure she was eating more than just her typical sandwiches, or her other staple, Cup O'Noodles. She would never tell Ami, but Makoto felt like the bluenette's genius might finally be rubbing off on her, even if a little.
Both girls have spent many a night at each other's apartments, but oftenly, they tend to find themselves at Makoto's home. No matter which home they stayed at, they always shared their bed with the other, both reasoning that their bed was large enough for both – but, in all honesty, both simply enjoyed the occasional cuddles they would awake to, whether Ami would wake up to find Makoto still asleep but curled behind her, or vice versa with Ami's arm around her.
Although both teenagers oftentimes have uninterrupted night's sleep throughout the night together; however, every so often, one of them would wake in-between their slumber, whether to change to a different sleeping position, to use the bathroom, needed a glass of water, what have you.
On one such night, Ami awoke, not needing any such thing, but in her half-asleep state could not stop thinking, dreaming, wondering, pondering, needing to know how Makoto's lips would feel against her own. After several minutes of trying to reason against doing such thing while her closest friend slept, deducing how deep in sleep was she to even consider doing such a thing without her consent, Ami then decided to give herself this, just for this one time.
Just one small kiss… for only a few seconds… couldn't hurt to give in to temptation, just this once,… right?
Ami, against all logic and reason, began closing the distance between her and Makoto.
… But then again, this wasn't the first time the spunky redhead would make her brain short-circuit, and throw all her practicality out of the proverbial window.
When she first met Makoto, being introduced by her first new friend at the time — and fellow Sailor Senshi, long before any of them even knew of their missing Princess — Usagi, Ami recalls feeling… stunned when this same girl – their newest classmate, transferred from a new school — with all her wild coppery hair pulled back into a high ponytail, stood up from her seat, showcasing her tall stature: for lack of better words, this girl was stunning, pun intended. Makoto may have noticed both her and Rei's reaction to her height; if she did, she was polite enough to not make any mention of it, and not make the moment awkward thankfully.
Ami remembers noting that Makoto must've transferred very recently, as she was still wearing her old school uniform; come to find out, her new school uniforms didn't even fit her – a cruel joke of sorts, making the taller girl possibly feel even more self-conscious, sticking out like a sore thumb, but… Ami supposed that was also part of her charm: it was highly unlikely you could ever forget meeting a girl quite like Makoto.
Shortly after introductions, Usagi and Rei then went right into their bickering, and arguing… yet again, but it all seemed to amuse Makoto, watching them go back and forth with each other. Granted, the two's arguing can be highly entertaining in the beginning, but with it being practically an everyday occurrence,… the joke now wasn't so funny. But, when that tall beauty remarked how they must've been great friends, musing that 'the more you argue, the closer your friendship is.'
Ami couldn't hold in her own amusement, hearing those sage words, and the look left on both Usagi's and Rei's faces… simply priceless. Then something… unexpected, and equally unpredictable, happened: that same gorgeous stranger had then set her sights on — or so she had initially thought, but turns out Makoto only approached her to pet Luna. Ami vaguely recalled Usagi speaking, but she couldn't focus on her words. Ami felt herself being pulled, entranced with Makoto's close proximity: her rosey fragrance, her smile, her infectious laugh, her… her.
Ami could still never define it in words, but she felt… something, watching this intimidating statuesque beauty exposing her soft side, scratching Luna's chin, letting down her guard just enough, smiling and laughing at Luna's pleased disposition. Was she really someone meant to be feared? Even if the girl had been in fights before, whether in self-defense or otherwise, Ami knew firsthand that her classmates and peers alike could be cruel, and spread mistruths around about anyone who stood out to them, whether the reason being was due to earning top test scores on a consistent basis, or just being one of the tallest students at their school. So, ultimately, how could Ami find it in herself to fear the statuesque redhead when she was so clearly… soft?
From that one moment, Ami recalled how time seemed to stay still for her, looking at Makoto's smiling face, her towering frame bent over, cooing at her friend's cat. How she felt a rush of blood on her cheeks, and her heart pounding loudly at the lovely sight before her, and how the only one anchoring Ami to Earth was this new stranger.
Also from that moment, whether the bluenette chose to acknowledge it or not at that time: she has been completely smitten with Makoto Kino ever since.
Ami had always thought herself a sapiosexual — solely attracted to one's intelligence, whether romantically or otherwise — if she were to ever fall for someone. Before meeting the redhead, Ami had never experienced that impulsive attraction most of her fellow classmates were starting to pine over — if Ami was anything, she was most definitely not impulsive. She had begun to wonder she may possibly be asexual / aromantic, and had accepted + made peace with that possibility. However, all that changed within less than a minute after meeting the not-yet-discovered Sailor Jupiter.
That wasn't to say Makoto was a lummox; oh, far from it! Makoto definitely had her razor-sharp common sense, and her street smarts – as she had been living on her own, depending on only herself, since she had started junior high. Her studies were maybe not her top-priority — which was ultimately understandable, considering her… circumstances — but that still did little to stop the bluenette from consistently encouraging her to study, whether for their entrance exams, their finals, or for the sake of not falling behind academically.
Credit to Makoto's innate intelligence, Ami had noticed the redhead would catch on very quickly to their subject matter during their tutoring sessions: she simply learned differently, and would sometimes need help redirecting her attention, from her intrusive thoughts, back to her studies. Ami had briefly wondered if Makoto maybe had an attention-deficit disorder, whether hyper or standard, but ultimately thought it wasn't her place to unofficially diagnose her friend.
Regardless of their differing intelligence levels, Ami has found herself ironically head-over-heels for Makoto since that fateful afternoon. To her, Makoto beautifully represented everything Ami is not: her unmatched strength, her raw power, her towering strength, her toughness, her ever-present confidence, that sense of danger she can evoke instantaneously, her untamable beauty…
Although Makoto may never appreciate her own rugged mannerisms, Ami adored them. For as long as they've known each other, her hardiness has always been balanced harmoniously with her undeniably feminine qualities, as well as her adorable penchant for girly things, her gentleness, her moments of bashfulness, her unyielding kindness, those short blips of when she would let her walls down for her, and only her.
Laying this close to Makoto — both girls laying on their sides, facing each other — with the moonlight from her bedroom window illuminating her sleeping figure, Ami's eyes danced all over Makoto's sleeping face, taking in all of her favorite features of her tall friend. Her calm expression with no sign of distress — Makoto was truly a gorgeous girl, and wished at times that the redhead wouldn't doubt her own beauty, – her defined and sculpted eyebrows, her wild copper waves and curls — now loose from her typical high ponytail, free-flowing around her like a forest goddess,— those curly tendrils framing her face as she slept, her tall stature with her toned physique and her unparalleled physical strength: Makoto was a wonderful amalgamation of both rugged yet unquestionably feminine qualities that was completely irresistible to Ami, ever since their very first interaction; Ami has more than once compared her friend to that of a wild rose, blooming amongst common flowers, much like herself — her cute nose, her dazzling green eyes when awake — Ami especially adored her emerald green eyes, and would have to stop herself from blatantly staring many times as of late — and her lips…
Now Ami could not tear herself away from unashamedly staring at Makoto's lips. Her lips… they look so plush, with a rosy tint, — practically inviting her to kiss. Ami immediately cringed, disgusted at her own internal dialogue, hated that she was thinking this way about her closest friend,… but that ultimately did little to stop the pull Ami felt towards Makoto's lips.
What would Makoto say? What would she think, if she knew Ami had harbored these kinds of… feelings for her?, let alone had continued harboring them, and desired her for so long? Her dearest, closest, very-heterosexual friend — who has only had eyes for boys since they first met?
… except for that time with Haruka, but that all but lasted for maybe one afternoon; to which Makoto never looked at another woman like that again.
If only Makoto would give her a chance… Ami would never let Makoto feel that she was not good enough, remind her everyday that she was more than enough, would always ensure that Makoto knew just how beautiful Ami found her daily.
Ami continued inching closer to Makoto; try as she might, Ami could no longer try to stop herself, could not listen to logic and reason to resist her deepest desire. The bluenette could now feel her friend's breath against her face. Ami could only smell the cherry flavoring from Makoto's favorite lip balm, and needed to also taste it on her own lips now.
Pressing her lips against the taller girl's, Ami got to feel that her lips were indeed as soft as they looked. Her head swam with the heady feeling of Makoto's scent as a blend of floral, woodsy, and sweet desserts all at once; she also never knew cherry could taste so divine. Her heartbeat was drumming at a deafening volume in her ears, euphoria and the sensation of fluttering butterflies kicking into overdrive. However, despite feeling overwhelmed at the intensity of her feelings for Makoto, she did not feel that same sense of stress and dread when hives would start blistering and spreading across her skin. But why? Why didn't the action of kissing her friend, let alone the thought of the act, break her skin out, akin to receiving love letters in the past?
Despite herself feeling initially flattered by receiving love letters, were her hives potentially caused by an allergic reaction to specific bacteria? It's a possibility, but the range is too wide to know for sure.
Something psychological? Seems likely.
Could it be maybe because… she was actually attracted to Makoto?, in a romantic sense?
Ami's cheeks pinked at the thought, but… it seemed the most likely reason.
The bluenette rested her head back on her pillow, her head still turned towards her sleeping friend. She could not help but again be taken aback by her beauty, breathing peacefully, like she wasn't a towering pillar of strength during waking hours.
Ami found herself swooning, looking over at Makoto — again. Geez, I've really got it bad,… don't I?, Ami mused to herself, before closing her eyes and feeling herself fall to sleep shortly after.
Makoto's eyes fluttered open several hours later, still in the dead of night, her bladder close to bursting: a cruel punishment from drinking too much chamomile tea before bed. She groaned, getting up from her comfortable spot, hurrying to the bathroom to return to her warm bed as quickly as possible.
After finishing, and washing her hands, she rushed back to her spot, laying back on her side — facing Ami — and closed her eyes to try and will herself back to sleep… only to find sleep was eluding her now.
With her mind running rampant with thoughts, and still processing her day hours prior before bedtime, she smiled. This night, like most others with Ami, had been filled with smiles, laughter, and merriment. Opening her eyes, she looked over at Ami who was deep in sleep now; it was probably creepy of Makoto to be watching the bluenette like this while she slept, but Makoto quickly reasoned with herself that she needed something calming to try acclimating herself back to sleep; conveniently, watching Ami slowly breathing in, and out,… Makoto could feel herself start to relax at the sight.
The moonlight falling on Ami, her sleeping figure, illuminating her silhouette just right, and highlighting the outline of her sleeping figure, her silky blue hair, some portions of her face,… but she was finding her attention was instead focusing on her lips.
Fully taking in Ami's sleeping face, but being especially drawn in by her friend's beauty: Ami is truly that beauty that poets would wax poetry over, and who could blame them?
Her superior intelligence has always made her a force to be reckoned, but just looking at her sleeping friend; Ami has always been the picture of femininity personified, and represented absolutely everything Makoto is not, and could never hope to be: with her shorter dark-blue locks framing her delicate face, her lithe build, her petite stature, not to mention her sweet and demure deposition, her soft features with complexion like glass skin, her long fingers and soft hands, her large mirror-pool blue eyes when awake — looking into them, you could drown in their blue depths — and her lips… they almost had a coral hue to them, which made them all the more alluring.
She looks so pretty, all peaceful like this. I wonder what it'd be like to kiss her…
That involuntary thought threw Makoto for a loop, and promptly felt her heart skip a beat at said thought. Although she was not actively pursuing any dating opportunities up until now, Makoto also knew she had only ever thought of boys in a romantic sense — comparing every boy she has crossed paths with to her senpai from her previous school, and yet here she was, thinking of her dearest friend in a very non-friendly way,… or maybe too-friendly — depending on how one would look at the situation.
Makoto quickly turned over — facing away from Ami — as a knee-jerk response to her spontaneous question, suddenly unable to look at her friend with that thought running rampant in her head.
Am I losing it?! I could never…! Especially not with Ami! It's bad enough I'm a lumbering girl-giant. She would probably hate me for even thinking like that about her, or worse, be forever disgusted with me. I- I could really never…
After a few more minutes passed, she felt her heart calm down enough to risk looking over at the still-slumbering bluenette again. Looking at Ami again under new light — quite literally, — she really could not deny it to herself any longer: Makoto has long acknowledged, even accepted, that all four of her best friends were very pretty — all much prettier than herself — but Ami? She's always been a beauty, on a league of her own, no questions asked,… even if the bluenette failed to see it, let alone acknowledge herself as such.
Ami had always valued brains over looks, which was something so… Ami, which also happened to make her gorgeous blue friend utterly adorable.
Thinking back to when they all met, being introduced by her new classmate – and hopefully her newest friend – Usagi, they all exchanged polite pleasantries, but didn't pay mind that both the bluenette and brunette gawked when she stood up from her seat. Makoto was used to those reactions, after all, but both recovered quickly enough from their shock, which was nice, to say the least.
Makoto had mentally noted that the bluenette, holding a cute kitty-cat, was wearing the same school uniform as Usagi; clearly also a classmate at her new school, but the raven-haired girl — at that time, Makoto noted that she went to a different school, but also didn't pay that much mind at the time — it wasn't too uncommon for friends to be going to different schools from each other, after all.
But watching Usagi and Rei bicker, and go back and forth with each other… for lack of better words, it was entertaining to watch, at least for Makoto as a first-time spectator. She couldn't help but comment that the two of them get along quite well, making a quip on what her father would muse, 'the more you argue, the closer your friendship is.'
Usagi's and Rei's expressions were priceless at that, but that was when Makoto had the cutest giggle; Makoto still doesn't know how to put it into words, but she felt… something, knowing that she made one of them — the pretty girl — laugh, agreeing with her sentiment, and her giggle wasn't her own expense. That was when Makoto opted that she wanted to get closer, to befriend that pretty girl in particular, and zeroed-in on the kitty in her arms. Usagi had then chimed in that the cat, Luna, was actually hers, but that didn't matter: all that mattered was Luna was receptive to her chin-scratchies, and that the pretty girl had her big pretty blue eyes fixed on her. Truth be told, Makoto has always been a sucker for blue eyes in particular.
Did she recall correctly that Ami was blushing in that moment?
If anyone would've told her that this same pretty girl was the Ami Mizuno, easily the top-ranking student at her new school, Makoto probably would've laughed in their face.
Letting her mind continually wander, why did she just have such a physical reaction just now to an otherwise-innocent question? She has thought of kissing boys many times before, and never had such an… instantaneous reaction like just now. Makoto still thought about being kissed from time to time; a major milestone that she has wanted to reach since she had first felt the rush of her budding hormones, and began choosing her obsession of romance films over her favorite kung-fu / action movies.
Makoto had never mentioned to her friends, nor did any of them really ask, most likely everyone assuming they already figured it out without needing to ask — despite having a shred of a dating history before realizing her destiny: she has never been kissed before.
And, although she did have at least one chance to kiss her senpai way back then, something held her back from seizing that moment. Something she could not reason, nor ignore,… so she didn't go through with it.
Makoto had since beaten herself over missing her opportunity, opting to never let a chance for love slip through her fingers again; but now, she felt she can now look back, and trust that her intuition had actually led her to making the correct decision back then.
Her senpai had essentially replaced her so quickly, and with a girl in his class — someone who was closer to his age — breaking Makoto's heart in the process. Looking back now, Makoto has the mindfulness to see that, no matter what she would've done to keep her senpai — to make him happy, — the outcome would've been the same: he still wouldn't have chosen Makoto, and would leave her to pick up the pieces by herself.
It was a painful realization, but one Makoto also needed; to not only accept, giving her the closure she didn't realize she needed until she had it, but to also move on from his shadow, and end his perpetual haunting over her.
Shifting her thoughts away from her old senpai, Makoto began retracing her thoughts of the bluenette sleeping next to her, and let her thoughts wander further. Why did she even make such a big deal about this, anyway? Was the idea of kissing Ami really that… shocking?
Of course not! Ami was a gorgeous girl! Anyone could only wish to be so lucky to share a kiss with Ami!
But beyond that, Ami was undoubtedly the sweetest girl she has ever had to pleasure of knowing. All of her friends, Makoto felt beyond lucky to have now, but Ami in particular? She had never once felt the sting of judgment from her — that familiar pang when she knew even Usagi would still give her on occasion. Especially when Makoto wanted to chase a particular boy, to seize that opportunity for love wholeheartedly, willing to chase it to the ends of the earth, just so she didn't need to think back on it, and regret not taking that chance when she had the opportunity to do so.
Ami had never shot down her impulsive nature as dumb, or idiotic — even when everyone else would. Ami was always so sweetly mindful of her feelings, and always supported the redhead through victories and losses alike. She always offered her shoulder to cry when needed, and has been the one who would root for Makoto the loudest when she needed that emotional support.
Ami was just… so wonderfully different from everyone else that has come and gone throughout her life.
Makoto has made many, many attempts to find love in her young life. All those attempts, ultimately turning out to be disasters, and failures. What would she do if seizing that opportunity with Ami also ultimately turned out to be a failure? How could she ever cope with that… loss?
But… what if it didn't turn out to be a failure? What if taking that chance with Ami turned out to be everything I've always wanted, but I'm just too much of a chickenshit to really take that chance? To take the right risk?
Closing her eyes in deep thought, trying to center her thoughts, Makoto decided to go ahead and continue entertaining her intrusive thought, even taking it a step further: say she did actually kiss her, wouldn't that make Ami her first kiss?
But Ami's a girl! Surely, if my first kiss is with a girl, then it cancels out, and doesn't really count,… right?
Again daring to look over, and fully taking in Ami's serene face while she slept,… Makoto could only heave a deep sigh, finally coming to terms with the truth within herself.
… yes. If my first kiss is with Ami, it would definitely count,… and I think I'd want it to.
Makoto felt herself being pulled, gravitating towards Ami's sleeping face. Her thoughts all swirling, unable to have any single focused thought… until she began focusing on Ami's lips; then Makoto only had one goal zeroed-in in her mind, and was closing the distance between them.
Was it strange that she wanted this kiss from her friend? Not just wanted, but desired it with a burning need. She had really hoped not, but still did not want to admit to such a thing, at least not just yet; Makoto would hate if such a thing would damage her close friendship with Ami, or worse, if Ami would start avoiding her from then on.
What would Ami say if she knew Makoto didn't only view her in a non-platonic sense? If she knew that Makoto desired her?
What would Ami say if she knew harbored these kinds of… feelings for her? That Makoto didn't just view her as her friend only? If she knew that Makoto desires her like… that?
WAIT! What if Ami doesn't even want this? Would I really steal Ami's first kiss like this?
That thought washed over Makoto over a cold shower. There was no way she could do that to her friend, let alone her closest friend who she valued above all else.
… but before she could back away from Ami's side, and denounce herself completely for thinking of stealing a kiss from Ami, she also reasoned that she may never get a perfect opportunity quite like this again.
Before she could chastise herself for what she was about to do, Makoto pressed her lips delicately on Ami's.
Within that kiss, it confirmed every question she had been asking herself as of late; any lingering doubts all dissipated within seconds. Her senses were surrounded by Ami's presence: her aroma — in one word, Ami smelled fresh, akin to a clear water stream, fresh rain, and like blooming water lilies somehow all at the same time. The pleasant mix of smells gave Makoto a vivid mental image of her favorite spot at her neighborhood park back in her childhood; that park was likely still standing, but Makoto hadn't thought of that place in so many years. Makoto could almost swear she could taste the faintest hint of cherry on her lips… but surely that must've been her imagination, right?
Her heartbeat was deafening to her own ears, adrenaline coursing through her veins, Makoto also felt euphoria, and the feeling of fluttering butterflies in her stomach, kicking into overdrive: the exhilaration was all infectious for Makoto.
Makoto found herself wishing that Ami was awake, would wind her arms around her taller frame, run her long fingers through her curls and waves, would deepen their kiss, maybe even open her mouth against her own,… but for now, this much will suffice for Makoto.
Before the redhead could make things worse for herself, she moved back to her original spot of the bed, again facing Ami, still sleeping peacefully, completely unaware to her friend's inner turmoil. Then again, how could she know? Makoto internally reasoned that this exact scenario was painfully common, but it still didn't make the situation any easier, or take the sting away.
Maybe someday, she will bite the bullet, and tell the bluenette her true feelings for her. It would be only fair to her: Ami deserved to know the truth, after all, and they would take it from there.
Even if Ami did not ultimately return her feelings, and would then let Makoto down gently, in her sweet Ami way, it would be okay. As long as they would still stay friends after the fact, that much would be fine with her.
But, in the meantime, Makoto just wanted to be selfish for a little while longer, and keep this secret to herself, and continue having Ami by her side as they are now.