Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Super Sailor Mercury: Shattered Ice ❯ Chapter 9

Super Sailor Mercury: Shattered Ice

Part Nine

Ami Mizuno felt a moment of pure dread as she walked towards the busy highschool. Normally, going to her classes would put a little spring in her step, but it was that day once again. Valentine's Day. She pushed her short blue hair out of her eyes, squaring her shoulders in her boy's school uniform as she strode on.

As Ami walked through the halls she made herself smile, the white line of her scar bold on the bridge of her nose. The girls called out their warm greetings to her, a few young men tossed her mild frowns at her bold behavior and, she noted with a weary sigh, there several young women waiting for her by her locker.

'And so it begins,' Ami thought as she stood in front of her locket.

"Good morning, Ami-sama," the girl's face was beet red, a package clutched to her chest.

"Good morning, Katie," Ami smiled back, glad she had a good memory for names.

If it was possible Katie went redder. "Here," she passed the box over before adding, "Happy Valentines Day!" And with that, she all but fled. The other girl's went through much of the same ritual, finally leaving her alone.

Her cheeks flaming Ami put the girl's three boxes of chocolates in her school bag, then she hesitated as she grabbed the handle of her locker door. "I might as well get it over with," Ami sighed, firmly pulling the door open and letting a small flurry of cards fall from the compartment to land all around her feet.

"You want some help with that?" Haruka asked with a impish little grin as she walked past Ami to her own locker.

Ami knelt down, scooping up the envelopes and putting them in a shopping bag that she had brought. "You probably have your own to deal with," she smiled.

"She's got you there," Michiru smirked.

"At least now they're mostly focused on Ami," Haruka noted as she opened up her own locker, unleashing a smaller pile of cards for her.

"What's that in the back of your locker?" Michiru noted, curiously taking a look over Ami's shoulder before going to her own.

Reaching deeper inside Ami pulled out an expertly wrapped box. She flipped up the card that was attached, reading 'To Ami, from S.' She blinked before saying, "I wonder who it's from?"

Michiru and Haruka exchanged a long look before shaking their heads. "I think you'll be able to figure it out," Haruka murmured. She blinked in surprise as Ami carried the love letters with her in the bag, "I thought you usually threw them out?"

Ami shrugged awkwardly, "Normally I would, but this is Valentine's Day. At least I owe them the effort of trying to read all of them." She looked down at the bulging bag, "Somehow."

"That's good of you," Michiru said gravely. After Ami left them she looked over at Haruka, "Ami can be remarkably clueless about this kind of thing. What if she doesn't figure it out?"

"Setsuna could have just signed it," Haruka pointed out to her dryly, "she might not want Ami to know it was her."

Michiru made a face, "I think I'm getting a headache."

Ami went into her homeroom class, blinking in surprise as she walked over to her assigned desk. "Oh dear," she murmured, shifting the boxes of chocolates that had been left on top of her desk by various classmates.

Her classes seemed to be remarkably long and tedious that day as Ami tried her best to concentrate. It didn't help that her thoughts were occupied by trying to determine the identity of the anonymous gift giver. Of course, there was one obvious suspect...

Ami slipped out on the lunch break, carrying the bento box and chocolates as she strode towards the nurse's office. She tapped on the door, and Setsuna called out, "Come in."

The black haired woman smiled as Ami entered, her reddish eyes glowing with a kind of simple pleasure. 'It's her,' Ami realized, 'of course it's her.' She walked inside over to where Setsuna sat there by her desk.

"Well, isn't that interesting," Setsuna smiled slightly as she nodded at the box of chocolates that Ami carried. She poured them each a cup of tea, pushing one over to where Ami sat.

"Found it in my locker this morning," Ami put them down on the desk, sitting down by Setsuna, "I wonder how it got there?"

"An admirer must have come early," Setsuna mused, looking down to avoid Ami's gaze, "to slip that inside there."

Ami felt her cheeks redden, "I was a bit surprised, to be honest. I hadn't quite realized that this person was an admirer."

Setsuna looked up to meet Ami's eyes, and Ami was a bit surprised to see fear in them. "I hope you weren't... disappointed," Setsuna said softly.

"It was just a bit unexpected," Ami reached out, tentatively putting her hand on Setsuna's, "but pleasantly so."

Setsuna smiled in relief, "I'm glad."

They sat there for a few moments in silence, then Ami frowned at Setsuna slightly. "You might have said something to me earlier," she scolded gently as she picked up her cup, taking a graceful drink of her tea.

Setsuna shrugged, "I thought about it, but I didn't want to spring this on you." She smiled wryly, "You've been very difficult to get to know."

Ami blushed, "Fair enough." She opened the gift carefully, setting aside the paper to reveal the chocolates within. "Want one?" she held up the open package to Setsuna.

"Thank you," Setsuna plucked a chocolate out, biting through half of it, savoring the taste. She offered the uneaten half to Ami wordlessly.

'An indirect kiss,' Ami thought with a blush, but she still took the chocolate into her mouth, enjoying the sweet melting. "And thank you," Ami murmured.

"We'd better get to eating our lunches," Setsuna offered with a soft laugh, "or lunch hour will run out at the rate we're going." She picked up her own cup of tea, washing down the sweetness of the remaining chocolate.

Ami unwrapped her bento, popping the lid off, "Too bad."

"Haruka and Michiru suggested I invite you over for dinner tonight," Setsuna noted as they settled down to eat, "as they're going out on a romantic evening together."

Ami took another drink of her tea to wash down some food then raised an single eyebrow, "And are you going to follow their suggestion?"

"What do you think?" Setsuna asked.

"Dinner for four could be good," Ami agreed. Setsuna looked curious and she added, "I doubt we can just leave Chibi-Usa and Hotaru to fend for themselves."

Setsuna chuckled softly, "Good point. I forgot they left her with me, to be honest."

"I occasionally get surprised to come home and have Chibi-Usa there waiting for me," Ami murmured as she scooped up some rice, "even though I've been caring for her for months."

"You make a remarkable parent," Setsuna said with a little smile on her face, delicately eating some fried beef from her lunch.

Ami actually looked suspiciously at Setsuna a second, food half way to her mouth. "You can't be serious," she finally said, "I feel like I'm bumbling my way through."

"Join the club," Setsuna answered serenely. She took a thoughtful drink of her tea, "I suspect if you asked your mother, she'd tell you much the same thing."

"Don't even mention my mother," Ami groaned, "you have no idea the amount of teasing I've been getting from her."

Setsuna's eyes twinkled with her amusement but she kept her voice perfectly level as she said, "You poor thing."

Ami smiled at her dangerously, "Just you wait." She drank more tea, "Once I tell my mother about this," she nodded to the chocolates, "she's going to decide you're serious about me. That's when the motherly interrogation starts."

Setsuna paused, "Having met your mother, I suspect I'm in trouble."

"Oh yes," Ami agreed. She paused, "Mom was already asking me pointed questions about why you, Haruka and Michelle were all living together."

"She doesn't think we're..." Setsuna blinked, her cheeks going red.

Ami just laughed softly,

To be continued...