Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Best Friends ❯ Chapter 12

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Chapter 12: Friday night
-----------------

Minako met Kenjo in the foyer of her residence hall. Though she
had been known in the past to make dates linger as long as half
an hour, this evening she was already waiting when he arrived.
She told herself that it was only fair, given that he'd gotten to
their last meeting first. The fact that she'd wiled away an
entire day's worth of classes planning her outfit and hair, and
that she'd actually been ready to go twenty minutes before he
arrived, might have led some to believe that she was just the
slightest bit anxious to see him again. Dinner and karaoke
called for a more casual outfit than the one she'd worn on their
first date. After lengthy consideration, she'd decided on a red
silk blouse and a black leather skirt, with appropriate
accoutrements. Her hair pulled back off of her face, held in
place by a gold clip. A few stray tendrils hung randomly where
they had been placed over the course of thirty minutes. If it
just so happened that such a hairdo provided easy and convenient
access to the nape of her neck, well, surely that was a
coincidence.

"Right on time, Kenjo-kun," Minako said, rising slowly from the
couch where she'd been sitting. She gave him a subtle once-over.
Minako knew that men rarely put a tenth as much thought into an
outfit as they probably should. Still, he hadn't done bad; his
outfit was quite appropriate for a second date: black jeans and
a midnight-blue sweater. Funny, though it had only been a couple
of days, she hadn't remembered how perfectly his hair cut framed
his dark eyes.

Kenjo gave her a sly glance. "Well, there's only so many times
you can walk around campus." Seeing her confusion, he quickly
added, "I was just a little early, maybe an hour or so."

Minako laughed and blushed prettily, sliding her arm through his
as they headed outside, catching up on the events of the last
couple days along the way to the restaurant.

"So, have you talked to Mako-chan," Minako asked eventually.

"Actually, no," Kenjo admitted. "We don't really talk all that
often. It's a quality over quantity thing." Turning to her, he
added, "Besides you told me to wait and there's not really any
way I could talk to her without going into everything."

"Why not?" Minako asked. "Couldn't you just talk about other
things?"

Kenjo chuckled. "She knows me way too well. One of the reasons
we get along so well is that we can't lie to one another,
certainly not about anything important anyway."

"Could you lie to me?" Minako gave him her best coquettish look.

"I doubt it, but fortunately, I don't think I'll ever need to,"
Kenjo replied, returning her look with a dangerously serious one
of his own. Minako smiled subtly and dropped the subject.

"So, I assume you've spoken with her," Kenjo said, encouraging
Minako to elaborate.

"Mmm-hmmm." Minako decided that 'coy' would work well in this
situation.

"And???"

"Oh, well, actually I haven't spoken directly with Mako-chan.
Rei is handling that part of it, or at least she was supposed to
this afternoon."

"Part of it?" Kenjo realized he'd have to change tactics.
Adopting a breathy, self-deprecating voice, he went on, "I
suppose I understand if you don't trust me."

"Oh you!" Minako huffed, sticking her tongue out at him.

Kenjo raised an eyebrow suggestively, but so briefly Minako
couldn't be sure if he'd really done it or not.

"Fine, I suppose I can fill you in," she offered with feigned
unwillingness. By the time they got to the restaurant, Minako
had brought him completely up to speed on what they'd learned.

After settling in and ordering their meals, Kenjo inquired, "So,
that jerk ratted Mizuno-san out to her mom, huh? How is her mom
likely to react?"

Minako shrugged, "No idea. She rarely talks about her mom. I
don't think they're particularly close, but it is her mom. She's
a doctor and I've heard doctors usually have pretty enlightened
attitudes about, well, you know..."

Kenjo nodded, "Yeah, if nothing else I think they get in their
training that it's something you're born with, not something that
you can cure." He sipped his drink. "Of course, everyone's
different. Who knows how her mom will react. Still, if Mizuno-
san really does love Mako-chan, they should be able to sort all
of those things out."

"I hope so," Minako agreed. "I know you don't know Ami-chan very
well, but she really is sweet and I just know that she and Mako-
chan will be very happy together." She sighed happily thinking
of her friends. For a moment, they sat, both content to rejoice
in the anticipation of their friends' happiness.

Soon, the food arrived and their date moved along in typical
second-date fashion. Questions and discussions moved from the
mundane to the more personal. Tales of past joys and sorrows
were shared. Personalities emerged as conversation became
increasingly less guarded, more open. Each sought to glimpse the
secret, special places inside the other. And so, dinner passed.

At the karaoke club, sly comments about the skills, or lack
thereof, of the other patrons began to create and enhance the
atmosphere of "we" between them. Minako chose songs to sing
which would emphasize her fine singing voice, and also set an
appropriate mood. Kenjo used his song selection to share parts
of his inner self, and also to reveal his growing interest and
fondness for her. After the first song or two, when either one
performed, they sang only for each other. Whether from the
stage to the back of the room, or across their small table, their
eyes rarely parted. Conversation was difficult in such a place,
but volumes of information were shared through things like the
tilt of a head, the light brush of fingers on the tabletop, a shy
smile or a knowing gaze. Without words, agreement was reached,
bills were paid, and Minako and Kenjo headed back out into the
night.

The silence that the club had forced upon them lingered as they
walked. Minako basked in the comfort of it and soon found
herself pressed against Kenjo's side, her head lying gently on
his shoulder. He wrapped an arm around her and laced his
fingers with hers, wishing she lived miles more away. The dorm
loomed in the distance, however, much to both of their regrets.

"I'd say I had a lovely time," Kenjo finally said quietly, "but
it wouldn't come close to covering it. You're incredible." He
looked at her with wonder sparkling in his eyes.

Minako smiled, stopping him with a squeeze as she stepped in
front of him and took both of his hands in hers. "Come on,
there's something I want to show you," she said eagerly, dragging
him down a side path.

Following her happily, if not a little nervously, Kenjo soon
spied their destination. Just a block away from her residence
hall, there was a small playground. When she noticed that he'd
figured out where she was taking him, Minako giggled and took off
ahead of him, forcing him to run to keep up. Stopping in front
of the swing set, she sat down as demurely as possible and looked
up at him expectantly. Kenjo stood there with a wry grin,
waiting.

"Well," she demanded, "aren't you going to push me?"

Kenjo bowed floridly and moved around behind her. Carefully, he
took her by the waist, trying not to think too much about how
that felt, and pulled her back. As he released her, she
gleefully squealed "Wheeeeee". With light pushes on her
shoulders, he propelled her forward over and over again until he
actually felt a light sweat beginning to form. Once in awhile,
she would turn, usually to insist on going higher. When she did,
Kenjo found it hard to breathe. Her entire face glowed and he
found himself bathed in the radiance of her energy, her
happiness, and her charm.

After a few minutes, his pushes became less effective, as he let
his hands linger on her back. Minako grew more quiet, though no
less happy, until she came to a complete stop. Kenjo stepped in
front of her offering her both hands. When she took them, he
pulled her to her feet and forward into his arms, which he locked
around her waist.

Laying her hands on his shoulders, Minako smiled up at him. "I
think you're incredible, too," she murmured. As he leaned down
slowly, so very slowly, she closed her eyes. His lips touched
hers and she felt her heart race. One of Kenjo's hands slid up
her back to the base of her neck, fingers slipping into her hair,
as he felt her lips part. Her hair smelled like strawberries and
cream; she tasted like heaven.

After an eternity captured in a moment, they parted, hands and
arms still locked about one another. Her expression was serious,
hopeful, with just the slightest tinge of worry. Kenjo smiled
gently, twirling his fingers behind her ear. "Your hair is so
soft," he whispered. The worry vanished and Minako laid her head
on his chest, hugging him tightly. Part of her longed to kiss
him again, if not throw him onto the ground and ravish him
completely. However, the better part of her wanted nothing more
at the moment than to stand in his arms, letting him play with
her hair, feeling his chest rise and fall beneath her.

Kenjo leaned down slightly and laid a soft kiss on the top of her
head before resting his cheek there. All too soon, he pulled
away, relishing her sigh of disappointment as he did. "I think
I'd better get you home. It's getting late," he reluctantly
pointed out.

"I know," she sighed, letting him lead her back toward the dorm.
"When do you have to head back to school?"

It was Kenjo's turn to sigh. "My train leaves tomorrow night."

Minako nodded. They had reached the entrance and other students
bustled around them. "Thank you, Kenjo-chan, I had a wonderful
evening." As she had hoped, Kenjo grinned broadly, getting the
cutest little shade of pink near his ears.

"When will I see you again, Mina-chan?" he asked anxiously.

Minako stepped forward and placed a light kiss on his cheek.
"Sooner than you think, I'm sure," she whispered. With a
mischievous grin, she turned and went inside. Kenjo headed home
in a happy daze. He was almost to his front door before he
remembered he had an appointment in the morning on the basketball
court!
-----------------

Urawa Ryu sat in the quaint cafe he'd found across the street
from Ami's condo building. Swirling a biscotti in his espresso,
he congratulated himself once again on the success of his
efforts. Dr. Mizuno had been very receptive to him and had
assured him that she would put a stop to the efforts of that
tramp Kino to seduce her daughter. While Ryu felt the occasional
twinge of guilt at having slightly distorted his account, such
regrets were few and far between. Besides, even though he
hadn't had the evidence he'd claimed, he had probably still been
right. Ami was no lesbo; her own love for him confirmed that.
She was just shy and a bit confused. Who even knew what kind of
mind control powers "Sailor Jupiter" might have anyway? A pure,
trusting soul like Ami's would never guess that one of her
comrades-in-arms was plotting to warp her mind for her own sick
purposes. Suddenly, things became clear. Maybe this wasn't a
sudden event, but something that had been going on for a long
time. After all, the mental manipulations of that dyke Kino
might have been going on for years. No wonder Ami always backed
off when he asked her to date him!

'I'm a hero!' Ryu realized. 'I'm going to save her life just like
she saved mine.'

"Urawa-san?" A stern female voice sounded from behind him. Urawa
couldn't place it at all. Turning, he spilled his coffee. Ami
stood there, hands crossed over her chest, looking quite serious.

"Ami-chan?" he asked, hastily controlling the spill with napkins.

"No!" she lashed out before he could continue, "You have no right
to call me that. You may refer to me as Mizuno-san, for as long
as you have the right to speak with me at all, that is."

Ryu put on his best 'innocence personified' look. "But, what's
wrong? Are you angry about something?"

Ami noticed the rest of the patrons beginning to focus on them,
so she slid quickly into the booth across from him. She'd had
all day to prepare for this conversation. Usagi had not only
given her the information, but also the perspective and the
strength to deal with this person. So many things that she'd
ignored over the years, things she'd been unwilling to react to
based on some lingering sense of responsibility for one whose
life she had saved twice, now made perfect to sense to her. Her
friends had been right about him. Much as she hated being wrong,
Ami despised being made a fool of even more.

"I would be angry," she informed him calmly, "but you are beneath
such a strong emotion. For years, I have counted you as one of
my good friends, perhaps my best male friend, after Mamoru. I
have listened to your problems, helped you deal with your powers,
put up with your unwillingness to accept the boundaries I sought
to place on our relationship..."

"But Ami-chan," Ryu interrupted, "our love knows no bounds.
You've been manipulated by your so-called friends. It came to me
in a vision. Kino is twisting your mind against me!"

Ami put an end to Ryu's ranting with a firm slap on the face.
"How dare you say anything about my friends! How dare you even
imply such things. I would have happily given you my friendship,
but it was never enough for you. Well, now you have lost that.
I could have almost understood your betrayal. For awhile I
wondered if it was something that was my fault. Now I see you
for what you really are, a poor, deluded, sad example of a man.
I pity you." Ami shook her head sadly, trying to remember the
boy who had been her friend but seeing only the demented man he
had warped into. She wondered briefly if this wasn't the result
of carrying so much evil inside himself for so long, but recalled
that none of the other crystal carriers had turned out to be so
reprehensible. Not for the first time that day, she lamented her
own failure to see him for what he truly was long before.

Ryu held his cheek, still stained red by the force of her hand.
"You can't treat me like that, Ami-chan," he sputtered, a wild
light forming behind his eyes. "You can't fight your destiny.
If you won't accept what they're doing to you, then maybe I'll
have to play by their rules."

"What does that mean?" Ami asked cautiously.

Ryu laughed harshly, "I didn't tell your mother everything I
could have, you know." Seeing understanding slowly dawn on Ami's
face, he grinned maliciously. "That's right. It would be a shame
if she found out, if the whole world found out, about your secret
identity... Sailor Mercury."

Ami sat and thought for a moment and Ryu celebrated his victory.
She would be angry with him, of course, but once they were
together, once he possessed her fully, body and spirit, then she
would understand. She'd thank him. He felt a stirring in his
loins as he gleefully imagined the ways in which he'd make her
understand.

Again, his revelry was disrupted by a slap across the face. "I
saved your life, twice. I can see that means nothing to you
now." Ami sighed and pulled out her hand-held computer.

"Don't do that again," Ryu declared in a hot voice. "And don't
think I won't tell everyone about you!"

Ami smiled serenely, all the while punching buttons on the
device. With a happy nod, she raised her eyes to his. "No, you
won't. I may have been blind about you before, Urawa-san, but
never mistake me for an idiot. Do you really think I would have
come here not having considered your possible reactions? True, I
assessed a probability that you'd stoop this low that, in
retrospect, is much too low. Still, the possibility did occur."
She held out the screen so he could see what was displayed there.

With a sense of foreboding, Ryu leaned forward and examined the
screen. There were multiple windows, overlapping, and it was a
small display to begin with, but he could very clearly make out
what was going on. Ami had compiled a complete dossier on him.
Somehow, she'd worked her way into his private files and email
and had found multiple instances of him bragging about cheating
on tests, money taken in sports or casino bets, women he'd
seduced, and other illicit things all done using his psychic
powers.

Sensing that he'd gotten the gist, she pulled the device back.
"You lied to me about the way you used your powers, Urawa-san,
but now I'm glad you did. Not only will I release all of those
documents to the most interested individuals, I will ensure that
all of the darkest corners of your pathetic personality are aired
for the world to see. After that, people wouldn't believe you if
you told them the sky was blue, let alone whatever fallacies you
might dream up about me."

Ryu clenched his fists, his world crumbling around him. His
first instinct was to smack her around for her audacity.
Fortunately for him, he knew that she was a sailor soldier and
could undoubtedly wipe the floor with him if he tried.

Ami noted his behavior and nodded. "As I expected. Now, this is
what is going to happen. I know you have a twisted view of me,
but let me make this quite clear. I do not fool around when it
comes to my friends and I have fought much more difficult foes
than you. You are going to leave this place and you are never
going to see me again. You will not call me, write me, follow
me, spy on me, or ever seek to contact me again. I can't stop
you from thinking about me, but you will not speak of me with
anyone. If anyone asks, we had a falling out and don't speak any
more. That is, in highly expurgated form, the truth. On my
part, I am going to try to forget you, except as a lesson learned
about how to see people for what they are, not what you wish they
were. If anything unusual comes out about me or any of my
friends, I will release everything I've shown you, and also take
a variety of actions that I haven't seen the need to reveal to
you. You had best hope that someone else doesn't let any secrets
out, because if they do, I'm going to assume it was you. Since
you are not stupid, I know that you understand and thus, I will
not take questions. Goodbye, Urawa-san."

Ryu sat in a stupor, unable to think, let alone respond, as Ami
deliberately rose and exited the cafe without looking back.

For her part, Ami returned home and collapsed on the couch. It
had taken just about every ounce of energy she possessed to get
through that horrible business and she felt completely drained.
She couldn't even imagine going through such an intense
conversation with her mother. After all, Urawa was just a pest,
but her mother was... well, her mother. Some time later, Ami
got up once again and left the building, noting as she did that
the cafe was empty. She needed something, and for once, she knew
exactly what it was.

------------
Makoto tasted the sauce once more to verify that it was done and
moved it to a side burner to simmer. Around her, people bustled
back and forth, shouting orders, carrying pots and trays,
stirring, mixing, arranging, and doing all those other things
required to feed hungry people in style. Normally, she loved
Friday nights, as working in the restaurant gave her a true taste
of what it would be like when she opened her own place.

Tonight, however, she found herself distracted. No matter how
she tried to shunt aside thoughts and feelings unrelated to
cooking, they kept creeping back in. Worries, hopes, desires,
plans, all revolving around one petite young woman with
bottomless eyes and a touch as soft and powerful as the ocean
tides.

"Hey Kino!" A shout from one of the busboys disrupted her
distraction. "One of the customers insists on complimenting you
on that bearnaise sauce. How much did you pay to have someone
come here and do that?"

Makoto glared at the guy, "I don't need to pay for compliments,
Tetsuo-kun. Which table is he?" She set down her spoon and
moved over toward the doors to the dining room.

"It's not a 'he', it's a 'she' and she's at table 9, a loner.
Hot little thing, too. Maybe she'd like to try some of my
'special sauce'." Tetsuo laughed crudely, dropping off the dirty
dishes and heading out to bus some more tables.

Looking out, Makoto gasped, though she'd had a hopeful suspicion.
Taking off her apron quickly, she tossed it over a peg on the
wall and yelled "I'm taking my break now! Back in a bit!" toward
the head chef, who waved with disinterest. She darted a furtive
glance at her reflection in the hanging cookware, but couldn't
see exactly how disheveled she might look. Thinking that was
probably for the best, she headed over to table 9.

"I understand you enjoyed my bearnaise sauce, thank you for the
compliment, ma'am," Makoto announced formally, bowing slightly.
As she rose, a chill went down Makoto's spine. Ami truly looked
like a dream come true as she sat there in a blue vest over a
white frilled tuxedo shirt and blue jeans. 'Even better than the
dream,' Makoto realized, feeling suddenly warm.

Ami caught a glimpse of the color rising on Makoto's face and
smiled shyly, gesturing toward the empty chair at her table. "It
was simply exquisite. Will you join me?"

Makoto returned the smile and sat down, unconsciously
straightening her hair as best she could. "I can only stay for a
few minutes; I'm on my break," she informed Ami.

Ami nodded, but said nothing. Instead, she contented herself
gazing at her friend. Even though it had only been a couple of
days, it seemed as though she hadn't seen Makoto in weeks.
Makoto submitted to Ami's scrutiny without complaint, though the
color rose steadily until it matched her ever-present earrings.

"I wish I could watch you work," Ami finally said. "I enjoy
watching you cook at home so much. I can only imagine how much
more interesting it would be to watch you do it on a larger
stage."

"Not much to see, unless you like watching people scrambling in a
hot kitchen," Makoto laughed.

"I like watching you do something you love," Ami explained in an
intense tone that added to the goosebumps along Makoto's skin.
Again, they sat for a bit just gazing at one another.

This time, Makoto broke the silence, "So, I hear you had
breakfast with Usagi-chan."

"And you had lunch with Rei-chan," Ami countered.

"I'd say that I suspect our friends are up to something," Makoto
suggested, "but I already know for sure that they are."

Ami nodded, now blushing herself.

Makoto went on, "Did you handle things with Urawa-san?" She knew
there was no need to compare notes or explain. They both
understood their friends well, and each other even better.

"He's been taken care of," Ami sighed, some of her exhaustion
peeking through.

Makoto reached out and laid her hand over Ami's protectively. "I
can guess what that took out of you. I can't imagine what I
would do if Kenjo-chan ever tried such a thing."

"I doubt you'll ever have to worry about that," Ami replied,
turning her hand over so it could clasp Makoto's. "I don't think
he is anything like Urawa-san."

Nodding in agreement, Makoto asked, "Are you going to be all
right? I might be able to get the rest of the night off." Her
expression betrayed the unlikelihood of that, however.

Ami shook her head, squeezing Makoto's hand. "I'll be fine,
Mako-chan, you don't need to do that. Besides, you need to rest
up for your big game tomorrow. I just know you'll win."

Makoto frowned, obviously more than ready to dispense with the
game entirely if Ami needed her.

Ami reassured her again, "I'm fine. You've already helped me
more than you know." She looked down at their joined hands,
lightly stroking Makoto with her thumb. "You know, it's funny.
We haven't even kissed yet, but I feel like we've been dating for
weeks, if not years."

Makoto dropped her eyes, suddenly shy, but resisted the urge to
pull her hand back. Ami reinforced that decision by grasping it
with her other hand, now caressing it with both thumbs. "I... I
know what you mean, Ami-chan. Part of me thinks we have so much
to talk about, but another part wonders why, when we both already
know." Cautiously, she raised her gaze back to Ami's.

Ami reached out slowly and dusted some flour off of Makoto's
shoulder, then brushed a stray lock of hair off of her face,
letting her fingers linger on the nape of her neck. Closing her
eyes and taking a deep breath, she pulled her hand back to join
the other, holding Makoto's captive. "I've still got one thing
to take care of, Mako-chan," Ami tentatively told her.

This time, Makoto offered a reassuring smile and squeeze. "Your
mother. That's not going to be easy, Ami-chan. Are you sure you
want to?"

"I do. I think I can. I hope I can," Ami sighed.

She seemed so suddenly vulnerable that Makoto wanted nothing more
than to wrap her in her arms and take her far away from
everything. Instead, she did the only thing she could think to
do, to offer up the kind of support that she knew her love would
need. "Ami-chan, you've been my best friend for so long now that
it's like you've become a part of me. My best friend, and so
much more. I will always be here for you, no matter what she
says or does, no matter what anyone thinks." Her tongue faltered
at the last, as her heart leapt from her chest and caught it up.
She willed the tears to stop, but didn't expect to succeed.

"Hey Kino! Break's over and you're needed back in the kitchen!"
Tetsuo informed her, passing by with a full tray of dishes,
obviously too preoccupied to notice her situation.

Ami grasped Makoto's hand tightly and then reluctantly let go.
"You should go, I don't want you to get in trouble. Thank you.
I think that's just what I needed."

Makoto struggled to get a hold of herself, forcing both tears and
heart back to their places. She felt exposed and incomplete, as
if she was waiting for something.

Rising from the table and slipping her jacket on, Ami crossed
over to Makoto and leaned down to whisper in her ear.

"I love you."

Her lips paused briefly to place a surreptitious kiss on
Makoto's earlobe before she rose again. More loudly she said,
"I'll see you tomorrow!"

Makoto stared at Ami in ecstatic disbelief. Just before the
young girl left, she managed to catch her eye.

"I love you" she mouthed silently.

For the rest of her shift, she saw nothing else but the smile
with which Ami had responded to her message and heard nothing
else but those three words which had changed her life forever.