O.O.O

9/11: Prompt: Sink or Swim. After seeing Ami become jealous, Minako makes it clear love needs to "sink or swim" when it comes to her relationship.

A/N: Izou Saitou is Zoisite's human name and has been everytime I write the character.

O.O.O

By The Book

"Can I get you ladies anything else?" Saito asked as she placed two parfaits in front of the two patrons sitting at the counter. Mikoto had run an errand and Saitou was trusted enough to man the Crown Cafe until he returned.

"Yeah," The brunette with the low short ponytail answered with a giggle. "Your number,"

"Sorry but," Saitou's eyes trailed to the corner booth and its occupant Ami sat with her face in a book and a melon soda next to her. "I have someone I'm starting a relationship with."

The brunette didn't miss where Saitou was looking.

"Who? Mizuno?" The girl chuckled dryly. "What does that ice queen bookworm have that I don't?"

"Listen miss," Saitou sighed, attempting to remain calm but the back insults about his girlfriend.

"Naomi," The brunette sang her name with a smile. "It's 'I moan' backwards."

"Listen, Noami-san," Saitou grumbled, even as Naomi's friend giggled at her blatant flirting. "Mizuno-san and I have a blossoming relationship and have decided to take it slow. So although I'm flattered at your offer…,"

"Oh you have no idea what i"m willing to offer," Naomi smiled before popping a spoonful of fruit island ice cream into her mouth. "Hell if you ask nicely I may see if Kimoko here would be willing to join us."

"Naomi-chan," Kimiko gasped, playfullying slapping her friends' arm. She turned back towards Saitou and gave him a glance before shrugging. "Sure I'd be up for it. You're pretty cute."

"Ami-chan," Minako cleared her throat as she noticed her friend's knuckles were turning white. "If you grip that book any tighter you'll probably rip it in half."

"What?" Ami blinked, turning from the scene at the counter to the book she had been holding. She relaxed her death grip and closed her book. "I guess I got a little annoyed at such behavior. Children frequent this establishment."

"Ami, cut the crap," Minako snapped at her friend. She wasn't going to let Ami play the awkward card today. "You two can take things at whatever speed you want but I'll be damned if I am going to watch a fellow soldier of love and justice get cockblocked by some little tart who can't respect boundaries."

"Izou-san and I…," Ami stammered, feeling her cheeks become red as she struggled to find the right words to describe her relationship status. "He and I are…we're taking things slowly."

"There is slow and there is getting hit by a car driven by some petty bitch," Minako explained, wanting to make sure the point got across properly. "Listen Ami-cahan, love isn't a spectator sport. It's all or nothing. Slip or swim."

"I think you mean sink or swim," Ami corrected her. Her eyes turned back to the counter where she saw Naomi lean forward with her arms pushed together to make her cleavage pop. "Still, maybe you're right."

"Damn right I'm right," Minako chuckled, not missing how Naomi was stepping up her game. "Now how are you going to handle this? Should we ask them to step outside or would you prefer to wait until the other girls are here for backup."

"Actually I prefer to do things by the book," Ami expressed as he slid out of the booth taking her heavy textbook with her. She walked over to where Naomi and Kimiko were sitting. Before either of them noticed her, Ami raised her book high and smacked Naomi on the back of the head with the textbook with enough force to knock her off the stool and to the floor.

"What the hell?" Kimiko gasped as saw her friend fall to the ground. She turned in time to see Ami reverse momentum and backhand her with the book, knocking Kimiko off her own stool. The entire cafe was filled with a sense of silence as Ami stood over her defeated opponents. It was only broken as Ami dropped her book onto the counter.

"Listen here bitch," Ami began as she grabbed Naomi by her ponytail and pulled her to her knees. " If I see you so much as glance at my man again, I will shove my foot so far up my ass you'll be able to lick the sweat from the back of my knee. Do you understand me?"

Naomi, stunned by both the attack and by seeing this new side to Ami could only nod. Smiling, Ami grabbed Naomi's parfait from the counter and poured it over her head before releasing her.

"I'm thinking about Okonomiyaki for our date tonight," Ami expressed as she grabbed her book and smiled at Saitou.

"S-sounds good," Saitou stammered as he glanced from Ami to the two girls on the floor.

"Sorry for the mess," Ami apologized and walked back towards her seat. Minako's eyes were as wide as saucers as she watched Ami strut back to the booth and slide in.

"Did I handle that properly?" Ami asked as she took a sip of her melon soda before returning to where she had left off in her book.

Minako could only nod as she made a mental note: Never, EVER flirt with Saitou to make Shinn jealous or get a rise out of Ami. The consequences could be lethal.

O.O.O

A/N: Two down and five to go. I try to express the idea that although she is a good natured and well mannered person, Ami can only take so much before she snaps and is a force to be reckoned with. I've used this same idea to showcase how she develops an almost dominant side in bed to push through her shyness and be able to connect with Saitou properly. In other words, "Don't mess with her man."