Chapter 6 “Ami-chan, you really don’t have to stay if you have other things to do. I can handle things from here.” It was the Friday after Akira had first had the dream about his pretty assistant. Ami had returned back to work that Tuesday, fully recovered from her bout with the flu, but things were more awkward than ever between them, thanks to the fact that every night, he continued to have the same arousing dream, and every morning, he woke to find himself hard as a rock. Akira didn’t understand what was wrong with him. He tried everything he could think of to stop, even going as far as renting some bad hentai from the local video store, but that had accomplished nothing except garnering him dirty looks from the high school girl who worked there after school and earning him a tired hand. The worst part, though, was having to face Ami at the lab every weeknight. In class, things weren’t nearly as bad, since he had thirty other students to focus his attention on, but working alone with her in the laboratory was pure torture. Back when they first started working together, Akira remembered how sometimes they would become so involved in an experiment, they wouldn’t head home until well after eight or nine o’clock. Now, he couldn’t wait to get rid of Ami, his eyes practically glued to his watch so that he could dismiss her promptly at the scheduled time, regardless of whether or not they were done with the day’s work. Unfortunately, Ami was never easy to get rid of, and even less so as of late. She claimed it was to make up for being out sick for the week, but Akira suspected it had more to do with proving to herself that they could continue working together after what had happened at the game -- another cause of the awkwardness between them, despite his apology -- than playing catch-up. “I don’t mind staying,” she insisted for the third time that night. “Besides, I’m anxious to see the results myself.” Akira sighed and turned his attention back to the experiment he was performing. Ami reminded him a lot of himself at her age, the way she was always willing to work as long as it took to get something done, but while once he would have been impressed with her dedication, her insistence on working overtime was beginning to border on irritating. No, that wasn’t fair to her. It wasn’t Ami’s fault her presence was so bothersome; it was him. Him and his stupid hormones. “Still, don’t you have some homework you need to do?” he asked in another attempt to convince her to leave. “I don’t want to keep you from your studies.” “It’s Friday; I have plenty of time to study over the weekend, so it‘s not a problem staying late tonight.” “What about a date or something? Don‘t you have plans?” At his question, a faint blush crossed his assistant’s cheeks, and Ami quickly looked down at her notebook, scribbling something down on the page. “I…uh…actually don’t date much,” she admitted, pushing a strand of her dark hair back behind her ear. “Not at all, really.” “Oh.” Pushing down the tiny voice in the back of his mind that screamed, “Yes! She’s single,” Akira cleared his throat and hoped Ami hadn‘t noticed his slight faltering. “Really? I thought for sure you would have a boyfriend.” Ami shook her head, her blush deepening. “I don’t have time for that sort of thing. My studies are my number one priority.” “I see.” “What about you, sensei?” she asked after a short pause. “Why are you here late on a Friday night instead of out with your girlfriend?” As soon as the question left her mouth, Ami once again looked down at her notebook in shame, her face as red as tomato. “Gomen nasai. I shouldn’t have asked such a personal question.” “I don’t have one,” he answered simply, ignoring her obvious embarrassment, just as the timer went off to signal the end of the experiment. Grateful for the interruption of a conversation that was becoming much too personal, Akira glanced over at the readings. “Looks like we’re done here,” he announced, taking off his safety glasses. “Ami-chan, take down these results and give me some rough calculations using the formulas I gave you earlier. I’m going to start putting these things away.” With a wave of his hand, he indicated some equipment from an experiment they had performed earlier in the session. “Hai.” Moving out of the way so that Ami could record the readings, Akira picked up a rack of test tubes and brought them over to the sink. He immediately got to work on cleaning them, trying to ignore how cute Ami looked with her eyebrows furrowed together as she concentrated on the math and not succeeding. “She’s your student, Akira,” he silently scolded himself. “That means she’s strictly off-limits. Stop doing this to yourself!” Despite the mini-lecture, Akira couldn’t resist taking another look in Ami’s direction, though she was no longer working on the calculations. The expression on her face had changed to one he never recalled seeing before, and he frowned, asking, “Ami-chan? Is something wrong?” Ami didn’t appear to hear him, reaching for the report from the previous Friday’s experiment when he had been working with Miss Yokoyama and flipping to the results. “I can’t believe it…” she murmured, comparing them to the calculations she had just finished. “Ami-chan?” His voice, louder than before, finally managed to startle Ami from her thoughts. “Oh, sensei!” she exclaimed, craning her neck to see behind her. Her sapphire blue eyes were practically sparkling with excitement. “You have to see this.” “What is it?” Setting aside her scratch work, Ami handed him the previous report and a chart filled with the data and results of the redone experiment. It didn’t take long for Akira to see why Ami was so excited. “Is this right?” he asked, his eyes widening as he double-checked the readings. “I checked the math three times. Every time I ended up with the same result.” “This is… This is…” Akira couldn’t even find the words to convey what he was feeling. After two long years of research, he may just had made his first big discovery. “Ami-chan, do you know what this means if these results are accurate?” he asked, tearing his eyes away from the chart to look over at his assistant. Ami nodded. “This could be a major breakthrough for diabetes research.” “Congratulations, Kitagawa-sensei. I know how long you’ve been waiting to find something like this.” Looking back down at the chart, Akira couldn’t stop grinning at the numbers. His sister Junko, always one of his biggest supporters when it came to his research, was going to be ecstatic when she heard the news. He still had a long way to go before he reached his goals, but the results of the experiment were definitely a step in the right direction. “This is just so…unbelievable,” he said, finally setting the report and chart back down on the table. “Thank you.” “M-Me?” Her eyes widened in surprise. “What for? I-I didn’t do much of anything at all. It was your experiment; all I did was assist you.” “Don’t be so modest. I never could have done this without you, Ami- chan,” Akira insisted, sincere in his compliment. And then he kissed her. Akira had no idea why he did it. At the back of his mind, he must have realized it was wrong, but it was as if somebody else had taken control of his body. His lips pressed against hers, and though she was surprised, Ami responded back with little encouragement on his part. When they finally broke apart, both were breathless. “I’m sorry,” Akira apologized once he realized what he had done. “I -I shouldn’t have done that.” A wide-eyed Ami brought her fingers to her lips as if she didn’t quite believe what had happened. “I…uh…should probably be going. My roommate is probably wondering where I am.” “R-Right.” ***** The following Monday, Akira sat in his office, grading exam papers. It was unusual to find him in there outside his posted office hours, as he felt more at home in the lab than behind a desk, but he knew it was the one place a certain blue-haired lab assistant wouldn’t try to find him. He’d been avoiding Ami ever since that night, even going as far as giving her class a pop quiz that morning just so that he wouldn’t risk having to call on her during a lecture. It was childish and ridiculous, but Akira was at a lost of how to deal with what had happened in the lab. He knew the kiss was wrong. He was a professor and Ami was his student. It had been a stupid mistake, yet after kissing her on top of the dream he had about her, Akira could no longer deny he felt some degree of attraction toward his pretty assistant. Setting down his red pen, Akira hid his face in his hands and let out a sigh. “Dammit, this is absurd!” he scolded himself. “She’s my student; I shouldn’t have these feelings toward her.” Absurd or not, he couldn’t erase the memory of her soft lips on his, her body pressed against him… Glancing up at the clock hung on the wall, Akira saw that it was nearing five o’clock. It was time he started heading for the lab, but he was reluctant to go, knowing that meant he would have to see Ami. Still, he began gathering his half-graded papers and stuffed them in his suitcase. Halfway out the door, however, Akira turned back, struck by a thought. Thanks to the unplanned quiz, he did have quite a few papers to grade… Would it really be that bad if he decided to take one night off from his research to catch up on his grading? Besides, after last week’s success, they deserved a break. Decided, Akira walked back to his desk and pulled out a piece of the school’s stationary. On it, he wrote: Ami-san I’m sorry, but I will be unable to work with you this evening. I’m behind on my grading, so I have decided to go home and play catch up. You will still be paid for tonight, so consider this a reward for Friday’s success. Enjoy the break, and I’ll see you at tomorrow‘s session. Dr. Kitagawa Akira folded the note in half, then sticking it in an envelope, he placed it in the pocket of his sports coat to be delivered on his way back home. ***** Ami arrived at the lab a little before five, unsure if she should have come or not after what had happened last Friday. Professor Kitagawa hadn’t mentioned anything to her in class, but, then again, he had seemed rather distracted. She didn’t blame him. It had taken almost all her power of concentration that morning to focus on the pop quiz he had given her class, and, even then, Ami was almost certain she had gotten at least one question wrong. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t completely push the memory of the kiss out of her mind. What did it mean? The logical part of her brain kept telling her it was nothing more than overexcitement about the breakthrough. After all, he was her professor, and there were bound to be rules about that sort of thing. However, she couldn’t ignore how wonderful it felt in his arms, or the way her heart had pounded as he brought his lips to hers... “Stop it, Ami,” she ordered herself as she climbed up the stairs leading up to the building. “You’re being ridiculous again. You sound like some kind of love-sick schoolgirl. I thought you decided that you weren’t going to do this anymore. So what if Kitagawa-sensei happens to be an attractive, intelligent man? He‘s also your professor, and you shouldn‘t be thinking of him in that way.” The pep talk helped, and by the time Ami reached the front doors of the research center, she had almost managed to convince herself that the kiss had been nothing more than a silly mistake, devoid of any deeper meaning or attraction. They would probably get a big laugh out of it, then get right back to work. Holding onto that hope, Ami entered the building and flashed her ID card to the man on duty at the front desk. Usually, the man just waved her by without a second thought, but that evening, he held up his hand, motioning for her to come over. “Yes?” Ami said, confused by the summons. “Is there a problem, sir?” “Are you Mizuno Ami-san?” “Yes, I am. Am I in some sort of trouble?” “No, not at all,” he assured her, much to her relief. “I was just told to give this to you upon your arrival.” Opening one of his desk drawers, he pulled out an envelope labeled with her name and handed it to her. “Who gave you this?” she asked as she broke the seal. “Kitagawa-sensei, I believe. You work as his assistant, right?” “Sensei?” Curious, she pulled out the note and read the short message written on a piece of the school‘s stationary. It said that her professor had decided to grade papers at home that night instead of working in the lab, so she had the night off. “He’s not coming in tonight?” “He was only here long enough to drop off the note.” Frowning, Ami reread the note one more time before placing it back in the envelope. It definitely wasn’t like Professor Kitagawa to cancel a lab session at the last minute, especially for something as minor as grading papers, which could have easily been given to a TA to do. Was he avoiding her because of what had happened? “Well, I suppose there’s no reason for me to stay now,” she said, slipping the envelope, along with her ID card, into her purse. “Goodnight, sir, and thank you.” “Ja.” Heading back outside, Ami took a seat on one of the benches near the building, unsure of what she would do with her unexpected night off. She supposed she could go to the library to study, but she knew she wouldn’t be able to concentrate without some answers to the questions currently swimming around in her mind -- most prominently, why Professor Kitagawa had decided to work at home instead of coming to the lab. His concise, professional note revealed very little of his emotions, and for all Ami knew, his decision had nothing to do with the kiss and he really did have a lot of papers to grade. But, somehow, she doubted that. Ami needed some answers. All the what-ifs and second-guessing was slowly driving her insane. If the kiss really had been a stupid, silly mistake made in the heat of the moment, then why was Professor Kitagawa avoiding her? Was it embarrassment? Or something deeper? Ami reached into her purse, pulled out her address book, and turned to the “K” section. At the beginning of the semester, Professor Kitagawa had given her class his home address and phone number in case they had any questions about an assignment. Finding the entry she made, she saw that he lived at an apartment complex not too far from the college campus. After a moment of deliberation, Ami decided she would go to his apartment and get her answers once and for all. ***** When he arrived home, Akira took Mercury for a quick walk, then settled down on the couch to grade papers, all the while trying to ignore his thoughts of Mizuno Ami. He succeeded for a while until a soft knock on the door interrupted his concentration. Opening the door, the last person Akira expected to see on his doorstep was his assistant, holding a cup of steaming coffee in each of her hands. “A-Ami-chan!” he stuttered, unable to hide his surprise. His number one student blushed, offering him one of the drinks. “Um …I hope you don’t mind me dropping by so unexpectedly,” she said, her eyes staring down at her shoes. “I thought you could use some coffee. You like it with two packs of sugar, right?” “Yeah, thanks,” Akira said, hesitantly taking the offered drink before stepping aside, remembering his manners. “Do you want to come in?” Ami nodded, and stepping inside, was instantly greeted by an excited Mercury, who had come to see what was happening. “Oh, what a cute dog!” she exclaimed, crouching down to pet the barking Corgi. “That’s Mercury,” Akira informed her, laughing when the dog started licking her hand. “I think he likes you. Mercury usually isn’t that friendly towards people he doesn’t know.” “Mercury?” Akira was surprised when Ami suddenly glanced up, her navy blue eyes wide. “As in the planet?” she asked. “I didn’t know you were an astronomy buff.” Akira smiled, amused by the common mistake. Most people, when he first introduced Mercury, automatically jumped to the wrong conclusion that he was either named after the Roman god or the planet. Nobody ever guessed Mercury’s true namesake on the first try. “I do have a mild interest in astronomy,” Akira admitted, “but, actually, I named him after the element. I’ve always found mercury to be one of the more fascinating elements.” “Oh.” “So, what are you doing here, Ami-chan?” he asked, the brief joviality between them disappearing as Ami took a seat on the couch. “Didn’t you get my message?” he inquired, realizing as soon as it was out of his mouth that it was a stupid question. “Of course you did, or else you wouldn't have known I was home. But how did you get my address?” Ami nervously stirred her cup of coffee with a shaking hand, her eyes refusing to meet his. “Um…you gave us your home address and phone number at the beginning of the semester, remember?” she reminded him. “You said we could contact you if we had a question about our work.” “Oh, work!” He fought to hold back a sigh of relief. She hadn’t come to discuss the kiss after all. She just needed help with an assignment. “So, what are you having trouble understanding?” Akira asked, setting his coffee down beside the test papers and heading toward the bookshelf. “I noticed you didn’t bring your book with you, but that’s okay. I have a student copy you can borrow.” “Huh?” His finger stopping on the bind of the book assigned for Ami’s class, Akira turned back to see she had stopped stirring her coffee, and instead was staring at him with wide, confused eyes. His heart sunk as he realized that she had not come for a tutoring session as he had hoped. “I see,” he said, bringing his hand back down and sighing. “Ami-chan, if this is about --” “I just wanted to see if you wanted some help,” she interrupted before he could finish, blushing. “I mean, since I was supposed to work tonight, I don’t have any other plans, so I thought you might want some help grading the exams.” “The exams?” he repeated, her words not quite sinking in until he glanced over at the stacks of papers sitting on the coffee table. “Oh, the exams! Well, sure, I suppose I could use some help…” “Great!” Still not entirely sure what to make of Ami’s surprise visit, Akira sat down on the couch, purposely as far away as possible from his pretty student, and handed her the stack he had yet to grade. “Here, you can look over the multiple choice part of the exam,” he suggested, also handing her a red pen and the answer key. “If it’s wrong, put an ’x’ beside the question and circle the right answer. If it’s right, leave it blank. Okay?” She nodded. “Sounds easy enough.” Getting to work, an awkward silence fell between them. No matter how hard he tried, Akira could not concentrate on grading, wondering if Ami really had just come over to help or if she had wanted to see him about the kiss. Certainly, she couldn’t have forgotten it so easily. The memory of that moment still burned on his lips like a tattoo, but he didn’t dare bring the subject up himself, though he knew he should. As much as he wanted to deny the kiss had ever happened, Akira realized the only way they could get past that misguided moment of passion was to get everything out in the open. Decided, Akira set down his pen and glanced over at his student, running a hand nervously through his hair. “Um, Ami-chan,” he began softly, “I think we need to talk.” “Talk?” Setting her papers aside, Ami reached for the cup of coffee she had set on the table in front of them and took a sip. “Talk about what, sensei?” she asked, her voice slightly trembling. “Is something wrong?” “Yes…no…well, maybe,” he answered, trying desperately to find a way to approach the subject with the least amount of embarrassment as possible. “You, see, about that night… We did something…” He never got the chance to finish, for at that moment, the uncovered cup of coffee in Ami’s shaking hand fell onto her lap, spilling onto her dress and seeping into the fabric of his couch. Horrified, Ami jumped up and slapped a hand over her mouth. “Oh! I’m such a klutz!” she said, her voice muffled. “I’m so sorry, sensei!" “It’s okay, Ami-chan,” Akira replied, heading to the kitchen for some towels to clean up the mess. To be truthful, he was rather glad for the distraction. “Did you burn yourself?” The blue-haired girl shook her head, still staring at the large brown stain on the couch. “No, the coffee was already cool, but your couch…” “Don’t worry about it.” Coming back, he handed Ami one of the towels to dry herself off, then kneeled down beside the couch and spritzed it with a special homemade solution he made for such occasions. “This will get that right out,” he assured her, using the other towel to rub it in. “For now, why don’t I put that dress in the washer before the stain sets?” “Oh, no. I don’t want to be a bother…” “It’s not a problem. Go to my bedroom and look in the second dresser drawer. I have some oversized T-shirts in there you can wear while you wait. The room’s the first door on the left.” Ami hesitated, but finally bowed in gratitude. “Thank you, sensei,” she said before leaving. ***** Upon entering her teacher’s bedroom, Ami turned on the lights and immediately shut the door behind her, her breathing heavy and her face brightly flushed. She couldn’t believe what a mess she was making of things. Why couldn’t she just ask him about the kiss like she planned? If it truly meant nothing, then talking about it shouldn’t be so difficult. Right? The truth was, though, that Ami no longer knew what to think about what happened. She thought she had it figured out, but the moment Professor Kitagawa opened the door, all her resolve flew out the window, replaced by an unfamiliar feeling in the pit of her stomach. “Oh, what have I gotten myself into?” she moaned, looking around the room until her eyes landed on the neatly-made bed. Ami blushed, suddenly realizing that she was indeed in a man’s bedroom. It was her first time, and though the room was rather plain and nondescript, lacking in masculine details except for a couple of anime wall scrolls depicting scantily clad women and some sports memorabilia (mostly baseball), she couldn’t help but feel embarrassed. Not even in all the times she had visited Mamoru’s apartment with Usagi and the others had she ever peeked in his bedroom, much less stepped inside. “I shouldn’t be in here,” she whispered to herself. “This is wrong. It’s improper. He‘s not even my boyfriend…” “Ami-chan, did you find them?” Professor Kitagawa called from the living room, nearly causing Ami to jump out of her skin. “It’s the second drawer.” “Oh…uh…” Walking over to the chest of drawers standing in the corner, Ami pulled open the correct drawer and blindly grabbed the first T-shirt she could find. “Yes, I found one!” she called out, quickly shutting the drawer close lest she see something she shouldn’t. “I’ll be out in a couple of minutes.” “No rush. Take as long as you need.” Sighing, Ami held up the “Rolling Stones” T-shirt she had grabbed and blushed when she noticed that it wasn’t very long at all. If she was lucky, it might cover the important parts, but it would have to do. There was no way she was going to dig through Professor Kitagawa’s things again for another T-shirt, so taking a deep breath, she undid the buttons on the front of her dress and let the garment fall to the floor. She felt unbearably self-conscious as she stood in the middle of the room, clad only in her bra and coffee-stained panties. The cool air of the room danced across the exposed areas of her skin, leaving behind tiny goosebumps, and Ami gasped when she noticed the outline of her erect nipples even through the fabric of her bra. Embarrassed, she pulled on the T-shirt and yanked as hard as she could on the hem, hoping against hope that it would somehow grow an extra three inches of fabric. A knock on the door a few seconds later startled her. “Are you decent, Ami- chan?” Professor Kitagawa asked from the other side. “I’ll take that dress now.” “Oh, the dress…” Bending down, Ami picked up her clothes and headed to the door. “Here you go,” she said, opening the door only wide enough that she could stick her arm through to hand him the dress. Unfortunately, the crack was also wide enough for her professor to get a partial glimpse of one of her legs, made longer by the fact that the bottom of the skimpy T-shirt barely skimmed past her hips. As he reached for the dress, Ami saw his eyes momentarily look downward, checking her out, and though it was only for a second, she felt as if her entire body was on fire, burning from embarrassment. “U-Use the g-gentle cycle, please,” she stuttered, refusing to meet him in the eye. “H-Hai!” he replied, equally rattled. “I’ll do that.” “A-Arigatou.” Closing the door after he left to put the dress in the washer, Ami exhaled loudly, trying to slow her rapid heartbeat. She really was an idiot. Why on Earth did she ever think it would be a good idea to go to Professor Kitagawa’s apartment and confront him about the kiss? She was no good with confrontations in the first place, and the delicate subject matter just made things worse, even without the fact that she was currently standing half-dressed in her male teacher’s bedroom. Ami wished there was some way she could simply leave and forget the whole thing had ever happened, but, until she got her dress back, she was virtually confined to the bedroom. She couldn’t even fathom returning back to the living room, dressed as she was, so giving the hem one last tug, she hesitantly took a seat on the edge of the bed and tried to imagine that it belonged to one of her friends. The illusion worked for a little while but shattered when the door creaked opened a short time later and the professor stepped in. “Your dress should be dry soon, Ami-chan,” he announced. “I just transferred it to the dryer.” “Arigatou,” Ami replied softly, looking down at the clenched fists in her lap. “I’m sorry I caused so much trouble. I’ll pay for the damage to the couch.” “Not necessary. The solution got rid of the stain completely.” “Oh.” “Ami-chan?” “Yes?” Professor Kitagawa sighed, running a hand through his hair. “About what I wanted to discuss earlier…” Knowing exactly where he was leading, Ami felt her heart jump to her throat. Whether she liked it or not, it appeared she was going to have to deal with what happened at the lab. “Yes, sensei?” “What is the real reason you came here tonight?” Though she was tempted to lie, Ami couldn’t force the words to her lips. Gathering all of her courage, she took a deep breath and finally admitted the truth. “I came here to discuss what happened last Friday,” she confessed. “The kiss?” he guessed. “I suspected as much.” The professor took a seat beside her, careful to keep a respectable distance between them. For a long moment, they just sat there, quietly, until Ami couldn’t take the silence any longer. “W-What did it mean?” she finally asked, self-consciously tugging on the T- shirt. “I mean, was it simply excitement over the breakthrough, or…” “Or was it something more?” he asked, taking the words right out of her mouth. Ami nodded, and he sighed. “ I don’t know. I’ve been reliving it over and over in my head, but I haven’t gotten any closer to a concrete answer.” “That makes two of us.” “It’s very possible that we were simply overwhelmed by the elation of our success,” he rationalized. “It was exciting, and it was only natural that we wanted to share that excitement with each other.” “Yes, that’s what I was thinking as well,” Ami agreed. “There you go, then. We were caught up in the moment, that’s all.” Ami exhaled, feeling as if the weight of the world had been lifted off her shoulders. How silly of her to think there was something more between her and her teacher. “I’m so relieved!” “Me, too.” Smiling, the professor glanced over at Ami, his deep green eyes meeting hers, and rested his hand over her own. It was meant only as a friendly gesture, but Ami was surprised to feel a small jolt of electricity run through her body, as if they were two magnets being drawn together from opposite poles. No matter how much she resisted, she couldn’t look away. He really was quite handsome… If asked later, Ami wouldn’t be able to confirm who truly made the first move. They were both drawn to each other, their lips hesitantly coming together in a soft kiss. Ami closed her eyes, surrendering to his touch, and when he brought his hands to the side of her neck, deepening the kiss, she didn’t pull away. A tiny voice in the back of her mind whispered that what she was doing was wrong. He was her professor, a man she greatly admired. If anyone ever found out… But she couldn’t deny her feelings any longer. Moaning, Ami let herself fall back on the bed, their kiss gaining intensity. Sensations she never felt before coursed through her body. His hand found its way to one of her exposed thighs, and as he ran it up and down the sensitive skin, it elicited a surprised gasp from Ami. “Gomen nasai, Ami-chan,” he apologized, immediately stopping to run the hand through his hair. “I shouldn’t have done that.” Ami shook her head, shyly reaching for the hand and putting it back where it belonged. “No, I liked it,” she assured him. “Don’t stop.” “Are you sure?” In answer, she simply pulled his head back down to her and kissed him, silently encouraging him to resume where he had left off. As their passion play continued, Ami gradually found herself growing bolder and less inhibited. Her fingers reached for the bottom of his shirt, and grabbing it, she helped pull it over his head, exposing the professor’s lightly toned torso. He smiled down at her, and returning the favor, he pushed up her own T-shirt, landing soft butterfly kisses upon her stomach and chest. Ami thought she would die from the overload of sweet torture rising inside of her, and whimpering, she guided his hands to the cups of her bra. Her nipples were hard and erect, evident even through the fabric, and she moaned loudly as the professor began tracing his thumbs over the outline. A few minutes later, he undid the front clasp of her bra and pushed it out of the way. “Sensei…” she whispered, her fingers raking through his ink-black hair. Looking up at her, her professor shook his head. “Call me Akira, Ami,” he told her before turning his attention back again to her breasts, which were finally free from their confinement. “Kami-sama, you’re beautiful…” Ami’s cheeks burned as the professor -- no, Akira, she reminded herself -- took a nipple into his mouth and gently began to suckle her. Things were moving far quicker than she had intended, but Ami had no desire to stop, her normally good judgment clouded by the pleasure she was receiving. It wasn’t until she felt a hand reaching for the elastic waistband of her briefs that the true extent of what they were about to do hit her, and her entire body stiffened. “Stop!” Ami gasped, her eyes opening to see Akira staring down at her in concern. Removing his hand from her hip, Akira partially propped himself up and sighed. “I’m moving too fast, aren’t I?” he asked. “I’m sorry, Ami. I didn’t mean to let things go this far…” “N-No, that’s not it,” she stuttered, trying to wrap her mind around the situation. She did want to be with him, truly she did, but Ami knew she couldn’t risk ruining the future she had worked so hard to achieve. “It’s just that… Well, um… Do you have…?” Ami blushed, too embarrassed to say the words aloud. Luckily, however, Akira was able to fill in the blanks. He reached over her for the drawer to his nightstand and pulled out a condom. “Protection?” he asked. Ami nodded, and setting the condom aside for later, Akira looked her straight in the eye. “Are you absolutely positive, Ami?” he demanded to know. “If you aren’t, then tell me now. We don‘t have to do this if you aren‘t ready.” One last warning bell went off in the back of her mind, but ignoring it, Ami reached for his hand and placed it back on her hip. “I’m ready,” she said. ***** “Beaten by a girl! I’ll never be able to show my face on that court again. I knew I should have taken you to the batting cages instead.” Exiting the elevator of her apartment building, Makoto smiled at her companion‘s grumbling. Asanuma had shown up unexpectedly at the restaurant after work and challenged her to a game of basketball at the nearby neighborhood court. Since it had been a while since she had gotten the chance to play, Makoto had readily agreed, and, though she was a bit rusty and out-of-practice, she had managed to squeak out a narrow victory over the economics major. He wasn’t taking it very well and had been trying to get a rematch ever since they had left the court. “It was only by one point, Asanuma-kun,” she reminded him, trying to make him feel better about the loss. “Nothing to be embarrassed about. Besides, I doubt anybody was watching.” “Then apparently you failed to notice that group of high school boys standing on the sidelines and checking you out, nearly drowning in their own drool,” he teased, causing Makoto to blush. “They were not!” “I know what I saw.” “If they were watching anything, it was the way you kept showing off, attempting all those three pointers,” she insisted, pulling out her keys as they reached the door of Penthouse 3. “So, would you like to come in for a few minutes? I could make us some lemonade.” “Sure, lemonade sounds great.” She smiled, and unlocking the door, they entered the dark apartment. “Ami- chan, I’m home,” Makoto called out, flipping on the light switch as they slipped out of their shoes. “Sorry I’m late. Asanuma-kun came by after work and we decided to go shoot some hoops.” Surprisingly, however, nobody replied. The living room was empty, and glancing over at the door leading to the kitchen, Makoto could tell the light wasn’t on in there either. “That’s weird,” she commented, looking around the room for a note. “I thought for sure Ami-chan would be home by now.” “Maybe she went to bed early,” Asanuma suggested, taking a seat on the couch and wiping away the sweat on his forehead with the bottom of his shirt. The basketball he had carried home sat beside him. “It is pretty late.” “Maybe.” Makoto headed to Ami’s room and lightly knocked on the door. “Ami- chan?” she called, opening the door a crack and looking inside. She found it also empty, the bed still neatly made and Ami’s dolphin-printed pajamas folded and sitting on an armchair in the corner, waiting to be changed into for the night. “She’s not here,” Makoto announced, coming back to the living room after also checking the bathroom and her own bedroom across the hall. “Are you sure?” Makoto nodded, wrapping her arms around her waist. She was beginning to worry. In the year or so since she and Ami had moved in together, her roommate had never stayed out so late without telling her. Ami always made sure to leave a note or call when she knew she would be late. “I have no idea where she could be…” she murmured to herself. “Hey, Mako-chan, did you notice you have a message on the answering machine?” Asanuma asked, breaking Makoto from her thoughts. Makoto, glancing over at the phone, felt some relief when she saw the red light blinking on the machine. That was surely Ami. She walked over to the phone and pushed the button to play the message. “Mako-chan, it’s me, Rei. I’m calling about the double birthday party we’re having for Minako-chan and Setsuna-san. It turns out Setsuna-san is allergic to coconut, so it’s a no-go on the cake we decided on earlier. We’ve came up with some ideas, but, since you’re making the cake, you have final say. Call me back tomorrow, and I’ll go over the list with you. Ja ne!” Makoto erased the message, frowning. For a moment, she considered calling Rei back on the off-chance Ami had gone to the shrine, but, if she had, then surely Rei would have mentioned it when she called, so that idea was quickly discarded. Instead, she picked up the phone and dialed the familiar number of Ami’s cell, getting her answering service. Makoto left a message asking her to call back, and, upon hanging up, she looked over the list of contacts beside the phone. One entry immediately stood out from the others as it was the newest number put on the list and written in blue ink instead of the black used for the others. Once again reaching for the phone, Makoto dialed the number of Tokyo University’s premier research center. “Moshi-moshi, you have reached the Institute of Medical Science,” a bored- sounding man answered. “May I help you?” “I hope so,” Makoto said. “I’m looking for my roommate. She’s supposed to be working there tonight.” “Name?” “Mizuno Ami-san. She’s Kitagawa-sensei’s lab assistant.” “Mizuno-san?” There was a short pause as the man typed something onto his computer. “Would she happen to have short, blue hair and sometimes wears glasses?” he asked. “Yes, that’s her. Is she still there?” “Gomen nasai, Mizuno-san left hours ago,” he replied. “Kitagawa-sensei left her a note explaining that he would not be able to come in tonight, so she decided to leave.” “Oh.” Distractedly, Makoto began twirling the phone cord around her finger. “Did she happen to mention where she was going after she left?” “I’m sorry, she didn‘t.” “That’s okay,” she sighed. “Thank you for your help.” After hanging up the phone, Makoto turned around to find Asanuma standing right behind her, resting a comforting hand on her arm. “Ami-san isn’t at the lab either?” he asked softly. Makoto shook her head, appreciating his concern. It was only Asanuma’s presence that kept her from completely losing her mind over her roommate’s mysterious absence. “No, apparently her professor took the night off, so Ami-chan left hours ago,” she told him, repeating what the man on the phone had told her. “Maybe she went to the library to do some studying,” he suggested. “The library closed over an hour ago.” Sighing, Makoto walked over to the couch and took a seat, all thoughts of the promised lemonade from earlier forgotten. Neither of them were very thirsty anymore. “I have no idea where else she could be,” she said, burying her face in her hands. “It isn’t like Ami-chan to be out so late without calling.” Taking a seat beside her, Asanuma frowned. “You don’t think…something bad has happened, do you?” Glancing up at Asanuma, Makoto felt her heart tighten in her chest. There were few people outside the senshi and Mamoru who knew her secret identity as Sailor Jupiter, and Asanuma was one of them. She immediately understood what he meant by "something bad,” and it made her blood run cold. Had Ami been attacked by a new enemy? Things had been peaceful ever since Galaxia, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t possible. And if Ami had come across something, she probably had no way to contact the others. She and the rest of the senshi, including Makoto, had grown lax in wearing their communicators, assuming that they were no longer necessary. “Come on, let’s go look for her,” Makoto said, jumping up from the couch and getting in position to transform. “Jupiter Crystal Power, Make-up!” ***** The next morning, instead of her faithful alarm clock, Ami was awakened by somebody’s wet tongue excitedly licking her cheek. She groaned, and Ami nearly had a heart attack when she slowly opened her eyes and came face-to-face with a pair of dark brown eyes looking down at her from a furry face. “Mer-Mercury?” she gasped, recognizing the Corgi as Professor Kitagawa’s dog. The dog barked in reply, and Ami felt the mattress shift beneath her as her bedmate rolled over on his side. “Hey, I think he likes you, Ami,” the bare-chested man said, smiling as he petted the dog. “Mercury isn’t usually so friendly when I have somebody sleep over.” “S-Sensei?” Ami stared at her professor’s pectorals and blushed, the events of last night slowly coming back to her. Had they really…? She got her answer when the professor climbed out of bed, unashamed of his nakedness, and pulled on a pair of boxers. He headed to the bathroom, and Ami, finally aware of her own nudity, pulled up the sheets to cover her exposed breasts. “What have I done?” she whispered to herself, sitting up in the bed and distractedly petting Mercury, who had taken it upon himself to rest his head on Ami’s lap. With the passion of the previous night nothing more than a fuzzy memory, Ami realized that she had potentially made a horrible mistake. No, correction -- she had made a mistake. There was no doubt about it. Mizuno Ami simply did not jump into bed with a man she barely knew, especially when that man happened to be one of her professors. She couldn’t believe she had allowed herself to be overtaken by her hormones like that. As a scientist and future doctor, Ami was well aware of the biological urges to engage in sexual activity, but she’d always thought she was somewhat above all that, focused solely on her studies and duties as a senshi. Apparently, though, even she was only human. “D-Do you do this often?” Ami asked, feeling the need to fill the silence that had fallen over them with conversation. “What?” Akira asked from the small bathroom. His voice was slightly muffled as he brushed his teeth. Embarrassed, Ami pulled the sheets even closer to her. “Have girls sleep over?” “Nah, you’re the first since…last week.” “Oh.” “Ami, it’s a joke,” he teased, spitting his toothpaste into the sink before coming back to the door. “You’re supposed to laugh.” Frowning, Akira rubbed the back of his neck. “Maybe I need to work on my delivery…” Ami, relieved to hear that, managed to force out a small, nervous giggle, but it was far from convincing. She gently pushed Mercury off her lap, and gathering the sheets around her, she fashioned a makeshift toga before shuffling over to the bathroom, where Akira had begun shaving his face. “Your delivery was fine,” she assured him. “I’m just not…used to this.” “That’s right. I forgot, it was your first time, wasn’t it?” he asked, setting down his razor. “Are you sore?” Until he mentioned it, Ami hadn’t even noticed the slight soreness between her legs. The pain was dull, though, and she brushed it off as nothing. “A little, but it’s not too bad.” “You sure?” She nodded and smiled shyly as she leaned against the frame of the door. Ami had to admit that her first time making love to a man was hardly the romantic, world -shattering event she had expected, but it had been a very pleasant experience once she had gotten over her initial discomfort. “I-I feel fine,” she said as Akira resumed his shaving. “But now that you know my history…um…” Ami bit down on her lip, unsure of how to proceed with the question sitting on the tip of her tongue. Despite Akira’s assurance that his comment from earlier had been only a joke, it did make her curious as to how many women Akira had slept with before her. He had not been a virgin -- of that she was almost positive, even if there was no physical way to tell with a man. He had known exactly what to do and what to expect, and his technique, though she had nothing to which to compare it, seemed practiced and secure, unlike hers, which had been hesitant and awkward. “You want to know mine?” Akira guessed once he had finished shaving and washed the rest of the foam off his face. “Y-Yes, but you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” she said, looking down at the linoleum floor of the bathroom in embarrassment. “I shouldn’t have asked. It‘s really none of my business.” “Ami, after what happened last night, it certainly is your business. You have a right to know.” Coming over, Akira rested one hand on her bared shoulder and lifted her chin with the other. “Don’t be embarrassed to ask. For all you know, I could have slept with a hundred different women and be infected with every STD known to man.” “You aren’t, though, are you?” she asked, her eyes going wide. Ami hadn’t even considered the possibility, despite all the lectures and pamphlets her mother had made her read as a supplement to sex education. Chuckling, Akira shook his head. “Another joke, Ami,” he replied, much to her relief, “but the message behind it is serious, as I am sure you are well aware, so go ahead and ask me whatever you want to know about my sexual history. I have nothing to hide.” “Okay… How active are you?” “Not as active as you seem to think,” he answered. “If you want to know the truth, I’ve only had three other partners before you, and all three were long term relationships. I don‘t treat sex lightly.” “That’s good to know.” Turning back, Akira opened the medicine cabinet above the sink and pulled out an extra powder blue toothbrush for her to use. “Here, I’ll let you take a shower while I see if I can find anything for breakfast,” he said, handing her the toothbrush and brushing past her to get back to the bedroom. “I’ll also get your dress. It should be dry by now.” “Okay, thanks.” Once Akira had left, Ami closed the bathroom door behind him and went over to the sink to brush her teeth. She started to reach for the tube of toothpaste he had left out for her to use, but catching her reflection in the mirror, Ami instead set her toothbrush down on the counter and shyly began unwrapping the sheet she wore around her body, letting it fall to a heap on the floor. Other than the faint soreness she felt, Ami didn’t feel much different from before she had lost her virginity. She wondered if it was the same visually. Of course, logically she knew sex didn’t change a person’s physical appearance, but maybe other people would see her differently. Maybe she had a different aura or presence, something that would hint to others that she had become a woman. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, Ami didn’t really see much of a change, but she did notice a couple of bruises on her neck and chest, some even lower on her body, which caused her to furrow her brow in confusion. “Where did these come from?” she wondered aloud, then blushed furiously when she realized they were in fact hickies. Ami had only seen one once before, a couple of years ago when Usagi came to school unaware Mamoru had given her one on the neck during a make-out session the night before. Still, there was no mistaking that the marks on her body were of the same nature as the one she had seen on Usagi. Embarrassed, Ami looked away from her reflection and started brushing her teeth. Once that was done, she then got in the shower, warm water pelting down on her as she tried to force herself to calm down and relax. That was easier said than done. Sometimes, Ami really did wish she could be more like Usagi and Minako. One of the curses of being a so-called “genius” was that her brain worked almost twenty-four/seven, and, whenever she was stressed over a problem or situation, it was difficult to turn it off. No matter how hard she tried to put the previous night out of her mind, she kept remembering how good it had felt and how definitely wrong it was. Or was it? On an intellectual level, Ami knew that sleeping with her professor was not the smartest idea. In fact, it might have been the single most stupid thing she had ever done in her entire life. If the school ever found out, Akira would most likely be fired and she might be expelled. Yet, a part of her -- the secret part Ami had always denied existed -- didn’t care, and the feeling rather scared her. She was glad her first time had been with him. Akira had been a kind and gentle lover, and there was no denying they had chemistry -- and not the kind he lectured about in class. Whether or not there was love, Ami wasn’t sure, but definitely there was mutual attraction and respect. When looking at it from that point of view, was what they did really all that wrong? If they hadn’t been student and teacher and it had happened, wouldn’t they deserve the chance to see where things could go between them? Turning off the showerhead, Ami groaned as she leaned her forehead against the tiled walls, water dripping down her body. “What am I supposed to do?” ***** Exiting the bedroom after putting on some pants, the first thing Akira did was head to the dryer and pull out Ami’s dress. It was dry, but unfortunately, also very wrinkly after being left in the dryer overnight. Frowning, he pulled down the board hidden behind a panel beside the washer and plugged in the iron. He then got to work, silently cursing himself as he smoothed out the wrinkles. Though he had tried to pretend everything was normal when he woke up that morning and discovered Mizuno Ami sleeping next to him in his bed, Akira could no longer ignore the facts. He had slept with one of his students, and, even worse, taken her virginity. What was he thinking? No, that was the problem. He hadn’t been thinking last night. If he had been, he would have put a stop to it before things went too far. An imprudent kiss given in the heat of the moment was one thing, but taking her to bed… No wonder Ami had seemed so jittery and embarrassed when she got out of bed. She probably felt as if he had taken advantage of her, which was most likely true. She had consented, yes, but hormones had a way of making people do things they normally wouldn’t have done under different circumstances. Why hadn’t he heeded Dr. Nakajima’s warnings, especially after he had that dream? The older man obviously had seen something Akira couldn’t, or, more than likely, wouldn’t allow himself to see. As ridiculous as his suspicions had sounded at the time, his former professor had been right. Akira was attracted to Ami. She was smart, kind, and unbelievably beautiful, the three things he looked for in a woman. Quite frankly, if he hadn’t felt anything for her, he would have thought there was something wrong with him. “I really am an idiot,” he muttered to himself, turning off the iron after getting out the last stubborn wrinkle. After putting his ironing supplies back where they belonged, he draped the pretty yellow frock over his arm and headed back to the bedroom, knocking lightly on the door. When nobody answered, Akira assumed Ami was still safely in the bathroom taking her shower, so he pushed the door open and laid the dress on the trunk at the foot of his bed where she would be certain to see it when she came out. He then turned to leave, but hearing the soft hissing sound of water running, Akira paused, an image of his student’s glistening, wet body flashing in his mind. He wondered, would she mind if he joined her? “No, stop thinking of her like that!” he ordered himself aloud, fighting his arousal. “What are you? Fifteen, again?” Just then, he heard the water stop. Akira jumped, and realizing that meant Ami would probably be coming out in a matter of seconds, he hurried back to the kitchen to get the breakfast he promised. A few minutes later, Ami emerged from the bedroom, fully dressed in her clothes from yesterday and her wet, blue-black hair slicked back behind her ears. She appeared to have overcome some of her nervousness from earlier, but still, she averted her eyes as she entered the kitchen and took a seat at the small table. “Cocoa Puffs?” she asked, surprised when Akira set a bowl in front of her and began pouring the chocolate cereal. It was the first thing she had spoken since she sat down. Akira shrugged as he took the seat across from her. “Sorry, it was the best I could do on such short notice,” he apologized sheepishly. “I don’t keep much food around here since I usually eat my meals on the run. I guess I could run out and get us something from McDonalds if you would prefer something hot…” “No, don’t go through any trouble,” she said, shaking her head as she reached for the milk. “Cocoa Puffs are fine. I love them.” After that brief exchange, they each turned their attention to their breakfast, an uncomfortable silence falling between them. Neither of them wanted to broach the subject that Akira suspected was weighing heavily on both their minds. How exactly did one act in the situation in which they had foolishly gotten themselves into? Setting down his spoon, Akira cleared his throat, deciding he might as well be the one to get things started. Ami obviously had no intention of discussing last night any further. “Well…this is strange, isn’t it?” he asked, trying to keep his voice as casual as possible. The blue-haired girl nodded. “A little,” she agreed, her eyes still focusing on the bowl of half-eaten cereal in front of her. “Do you regret it? What we did last night?” Navy blue eyes finally glanced up, and involuntarily, Akira drew in a breath. Selfishly, he wanted her to say she had wanted him as badly as he had wanted her, that he had not taken advantage of her and stolen her innocence. What they had done was wrong, but at least if he knew for certain that she had had been a willing participant, it would lift some of the burden of his guilt. Ami was quiet for a long moment as she considered the question. She then set her spoon down beside her bowl and placed her hands in her lap. “No, I don’t regret last night,” she answered, her voice soft but amazingly calm considering. “I thought about it a lot while I was in the shower, and while in my head, I know it was wrong, in my heart…I was glad it was you.” “Really?” Akira asked, surprised by the response. She shyly smiled at him. “You’re an excellent teacher,” Ami remarked. The innuendo behind those word didn’t fail to get past him, and Akira actually blushed, the tables turned. “Thanks, I guess…” he mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. “But what about you?” Ami asked. “Do you regret it?” Did he regret it? That was a question Akira wasn’t quite sure he could answer. If he had met Ami at some other place, at some other time, the answer would be “no.” After all, he was a single, sexually-active, adult male who had soberly and responsibly slept with a woman he happened to find attractive; it wasn’t as if he hadn’t done it before, though his previous encounters had all been in committed relationships. In normal circumstances, he probably wouldn’t give it a second thought. However, she was his student, and that made the situation far more complicated than just a one-night stand. “Ami, listen to me,” Akira said, running a hand nervously through his hair. “I am attracted to you -- unbelievably attracted. You’re smart, sweet, and sexy as hell, and if you weren’t one of my students, I would very much enjoy pursuing a relationship with you…” “But?” “But you *are* one of my students, and the fact remains that most people would consider what happened last night strictly taboo.” “I know.” Ami reached across the table, placing her hand over his. “But who cares what other people think? We were two consenting adults; we didn’t do anything illegal.” “It doesn’t matter. If anybody found out about this, I could lose my job and your reputation would be ruined.” Akira sighed. “As much as I hate to admit it, I think we made a mistake last night. I shouldn’t have let things progress so far. And the worst thing of all is that I took something of yours that you will never get back.” “You didn’t take anything I didn’t want to give,” Ami insisted, “and if you care about me the way I care for you, then I don’t see anything wrong or dirty about what we did or why it has to end.” “Ami, are you listening to me? We can’t continue this relationship, no matter how much we both might want it. Last night has to be a one-time thing.” “Does it? As long as nobody finds out about us, what is the harm?” At a loss about what to say to convince his student that a relationship between them would be a bad idea, Akira stood from his chair and poured himself a cup of fresh coffee, hoping the jolt of caffeine would help wake up his brain. Neither of them were thinking straight at the moment, their night of forbidden pleasure still too fresh in their memories. They needed to be smart about what had happened. As romantic and exciting as a clandestine affair sounded, Akira knew it just wasn’t logical, and he was sure Ami would come to the same conclusion herself eventually, once what they had done had truly sunk in. “You deserve better than a secret lover, Ami,” Akira said finally after a long silence, setting his half-empty mug down on the counter behind him. “Don’t you want a boyfriend you can show off to your friends and not worry about who will see us?” Shaking her head, Ami rose from her seat and walked over to where he stood. Her hands, hesitant at first, found their way to his shoulders, and deep blue eyes, the color of finest sapphire, stared up at him, pleading. “All I want is you, Akira,” she declared, her soft voice nevertheless filled with conviction. His resolve weakened, Akira smiled down at his new lover, brushing a wet strand of hair out of her eyes. “That’s the first time you ever called me that,” he commented. “And it won’t be the last.” ***** When Ami arrived back at the penthouse later that morning to change clothes before her first class of the day, she was careful to make as little noise as possible as she pulled out her keys and unlocked the door. It wasn’t until she had entered the apartment building that Ami remembered that she had completely forgotten to call Makoto the previous night; thus she hoped her roommate was still in bed so that she could have some time to make up a suitable excuse for staying out all night. Unfortunately, though Makoto was asleep when she came in, the brunette had decided to camp out on the living room couch, more than likely waiting for her to come home, and green eyes popped opened as soon as Ami closed the door behind her. “Ami-chan, where in the world have you been?” Makoto demanded to know, sitting up and rubbing the final remnants of sleep out of her eyes. “Do you realize how worried I’ve been?” Her heart jumping in her throat as she turned back around, Ami felt like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car. She mentally cursed her bad luck. What could she possibly tell Makoto about last night? She couldn’t exactly say, “I spent the night at my male professor’s apartment, and oh, by the way, I lost my virginity.” “G-Gomen nasai, Mako-chan,” Ami stuttered, her mind racing as she tried desperately to come up with a cover story. “I know I should have called…” “Why didn’t you?” “Um…why didn’t I call? Well…” Closing her eyes, Ami blurted out the first excuse she could think of. “The battery in my cell went dead,” she said, hoping Makoto would believe her. The brunette on the couch frowned, obviously not buying the story. “And there wasn’t another phone you could have used?” Makoto asked, standing and crossing her arms over her chest. Ami noticed she hadn’t even changed into her nightclothes, still dressed in jeans and a Cutie Honey T-shirt. “Where were you, Ami-chan?” she inquired again. “I know you weren’t at the labs all night. I called the front desk, and they told me Kitagawa-sensei didn’t come in last night except to leave you a note, which you had picked up a couple of hours before I called. You really worried me! I even went looking around the neighborhood for a while as Jupiter, thinking maybe a new enemy had begun its attack and you were in trouble. I didn’t find anything, but if you hadn’t returned when you did, I was going to call the police.” Hearing that, Ami looked down, ashamed. Makoto was such a good friend, worrying about her like that. Ami was unaccustomed to having somebody looking after her. During her teenage years, she had pretty much come and gone as she pleased. Her mother was always so busy with her duties at the hospital, so days could go by without them even crossing paths. Her workaholic tendencies had made it very easy to keep her mother in the dark about her secret life as Sailor Mercury, but it was becoming obvious that Ami wouldn’t be able to do the same with Makoto. “Mako-chan, I didn’t mean to make you worry,” Ami said apologetically. “I’m sorry I caused you so much trouble…” Makoto sighed, pushing back a loose strand of curly hair behind her ear. "It’s okay,” she replied, “but I really think I deserve an explanation. You still haven’t told me where you spent the night.” “An explanation?” Ami knew she was stalling, but she didn’t know what else to do. A part of her wished she could tell Makoto about what happened with Akira. There were so many questions she had for her slightly more experienced roommate. Excluding her brief infatuation -- if it could even be called that -- with Mercurious, her arch rival during the high school practice exams whom she had never even met, Ami had never been in a true relationship before. In fact, she still broke out in hives whenever she received a love letter, though not as badly as she used to. Dating was a complete mystery to her, and, while Makoto had gotten her heart broken by the sempai from her former school and hadn’t dated anybody seriously since, that was still more than Ami could claim. On top of that, Ami absolutely hated lying, especially to one of her closest and dearest friends. However, at least for the moment, she understood it was prudent for her not to say anything, even to Makoto. Ami doubted she would intentionally reveal their secret affair, but there was always a risk of Makoto slipping up and saying something damaging. “The truth is,” Ami began after a long pause, taking a deep breath, “I went to my mother’s. She’s been wanting to spend more time together, and, since Kitagawa- sensei gave me the night off and I knew okaa-san didn’t have a shift, I decided I would surprise her with a visit. We spent most of the night catching up, and by the time I realized how late it had gotten, the buses had stopped running, so I just stayed there for the night. That’s all.” “But why didn’t you use Mizuno-sensei’s phone to call and let me know?” “I guess I forgot. Like I said, it was really late when I decided to stay, and I was very tired. I’m sorry.” “Well, I suppose that makes sense,” Makoto mused. Ami still didn’t know whether her roommate believed her or not, but the brunette smiled and pulled her into a hug. “The important thing is that you’re home and you’re safe,” she declared, giving Ami a hearty squeeze before pulling away and wagging a stern finger in her face. “But the next time you decide to pull an all-nighter…” “I’ll remember to call. Promise.” ***** As soon as Ami had left for class, Makoto went over to the phone and dialed Asanuma’s number. After they had spent half the night walking the streets of Tokyo looking for Ami with no success, she had promised him she would call the second she heard any news. “Moshi moshi,” a tired male voice answered after the third ring. It sounded as if he had gotten about the same amount of sleep she had, which wasn’t much. "Asanuma speaking.” “Asanuma-kun, it’s me. Sorry about the early call.” “Mako-chan?” His voice perked up a little. “Did you hear from Ami-san? Is she okay?” “She’s fine,” Makoto assured him. “She just came home a little while ago to change for her classes.” “That’s good to hear. I know how worried you were about her. Did she tell you where she spent the night and why she didn’t call?” Makoto frowned, remembering the strange excuse Ami had given her when she came home. “Well, Ami-chan claims that she spent the night at her mother’s apartment. Evidently, she went over for a visit when Kitagawa-sensei cancelled the lab session and lost track of time.” “Claims? You don’t sound like you’re very convinced.” “I’m not sure I am, to be honest with you,” she confessed, feeling terrible for doubting Ami’s story, yet unable to shake the suspicion that something wasn’t quite adding up. “I mean, it’s a perfectly plausible story, but I don’t get why Ami didn’t call me. She says the battery on her cell was dead, but she could have used her mother’s phone.” “Maybe she forgot?” he suggested, to which Makoto started shaking her head, though she knew he couldn’t see her. “That’s what she says happened, but Ami usually doesn’t forget things like that.” “There’s always a first time for everything, I guess. Besides, what reason would Ami-san have to lie to you, Mako-chan?” Asanuma had a point. Try as she might, Makoto couldn’t come up with one single explanation for Ami wanting to lie to her about her whereabouts the previous night. Maybe the story really was as simple as Ami forgetting to call. Even geniuses were allowed to forget things occasionally. Still, Makoto couldn’t ignore her gut feeling that sensed Ami had not told her the whole story. Something had been different about her roommate that morning. Makoto couldn’t quite put her finger on what it was, but there was definitely something “off” about her. “Maybe you’re right, Asanuma-kun,” Makoto said with a sigh, deciding to keep her suspicions to herself. With no proof, nobody would believe her even if she tried to explain her feelings. It wasn’t as if she was known for her intuitive feelings like Rei and Michiru were. “Maybe I am thinking too much about it. Ami-chan‘s not the type to lie.” “The important thing is that she came home safe and sound. At least she was’t attacked by a new enemy or anything like that, right?” Actually, the thought that maybe Ami had been attacked the night before briefly crossed her mind, but Makoto was reasonably sure that Ami would not keep something as important as that a secret, not when the fate of the world might be at stake. “Right.” “Anyway, I should probably get ready for class,” he said, fighting back a yawn, “not that I’ll be able to pay much attention…” “I’m sorry for keeping you out so late last night,” Makoto apologized. “It’s fine. I was happy to help you look for Ami-san.” “Thank you again for that. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t been there to keep me sane…” “It was nothing. Anytime.” DISCLAIMER: Sailor Moon is the property of Takeuchi Naoko. AUTHOR'S NOTES: Any comments or criticisms can be sent to me at ElysionDream@aol.com. Thanks to my editors, Starsea and I Abibde/Samuraiter.