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*_* MARMALADE MERCURY *_*EP 14a: QUALIFICATION OF LOVE - THINGS AREN’T GOING AS PLANNED |
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Greg bit into an apple as he scanned over the note on the kitchen table. It had been left there by Ami's mother, and it indicated that she'd had to switch shifts with that Dr. Tavolite guy, which in turn meant that she wouldn't be able to hold the "family" barbecue that had been informally set for this weekend. She promised to make it up to them somehow.
He was starting to realize that Mrs. Mizuno’s absences from the house were par for the course, and not merely due to that big medical conference she’d helped to organize the previous weekend.
Shrugging, Greg went to retrieve the toast which had popped up. Sitting down at the table, he proceeded to eat his breakfast while considering the last couple of days.
Ami had made a decision. Which... had to do with Urawa and Minako? At least, that was what he'd deduced from Ami's mood after the quiz match, followed by the discussion out front with Urawa the previous night. (Good thing he'd remembered to go back out and retrieve his bicycle before going to sleep.) Had Ami chosen him for a relationship by default?
Was such a thing even possible?
The truth was that, the last couple days, he'd deliberately avoided talking with Ami about the situation. He'd sensed trouble as soon as Ami had asked him about Minako and Urawa making a good couple, because the whole Minako and Urawa situation didn't ring true somehow.
Granted, he knew Minako could be a fast mover, and if Sewaya liked Minako then why couldn’t his cousin Urawa develop a similar interest? It wasn’t impossible.
But then, Minako might instead need help with her schoolwork and not want to approach Ami. Urawa could be giving Minako tips on dealing with his cousin. Heck, Minako might even be trying to learn chess to try and impress Greg himself in some way!
No, they weren't going out. And once Ami realized that she was overreacting, the situation was likely to stalemate again.
Greg shook his head. There was no way he could be in the running forever. But Ami, she was so... so... words failed him. They always did when it counted.
Greg sighed. Well, it didn’t matter. He'd taken Friday off work to avoid seeing anyone, going to that nice scenic pond again for some self care. After all, he’d be working all this weekend, in place of last weekend; Greg couldn't in good conscience cancel out on Motoki two weeks running. Even if last night's encounter out front indicated another shift in Ami’s choices and decisions.
Greg mused briefly on whether anything would have happened between Ami and Urawa if he hadn't arrived. Probably not? But... well, no, he didn't want to think about it. Placing his dishes in the sink, Greg glanced briefly over towards the stairs - it seemed Ami was still asleep - then he headed out the front door.
*****
Ami heard the door close downstairs. She was still sitting in bed, feeling mysteriously drained of energy. She knew it wasn't some youma attack though, as even if the Senshi stuff wasn’t all behind them for now, that had a different feel to it. No, this was Ami feeling her decision weighing heavily on her.
She had picked Greg.
Was it because she'd thought Urawa was right for Minako? Or because she’d thought Greg was right for her?
Well, she hadn’t told Greg. Why not?
Going back to waffling on Urawa and Greg now really wasn't a viable solution. Meaning she had to either do a 180 or a 360. Or maybe she should work on some trig first? Her stomach grumbled indicating there was breakfast to consider too. But both those options required getting up.
With a sigh, Ami rolled out of bed and went to peer out the corner of the window, wondering if she’d spot Greg walking away.
Instead, she saw Minako approaching. Ami hurriedly got dressed.
*****
“I didn’t mean to interrupt your breakfast,” Minako apologized, following Ami into the kitchen.
“No, no, it’s fine,” Ami assured. “I saw you coming, and figured no time like the present in terms of clearing the air between us. I’d only be staring into a fruit salad and worrying about why you’d come if I hadn’t let you in. You want some too?”
“Uhm, sure,” Minako replied. She leaned back against the wall, clasping her hands behind her head. “So, Ami, here’s the thing. I have a fan club now.”
Ami’s hand nearly slipped as she was cutting the apples. “O-kay? Like, a Sailor Venus thing, all anonymous...?"
“Nope!” Minako said brightly. “Three upper classmen at my school. Approached me after school on Friday. It changes everything, right?”
Ami stared blankly.
Minako realized she needed to elaborate. “Okay, well, first of all, means I’ve still got it,” she said, winking.
Ami rolled her eyes and resumed cutting.
“For another, it means I’ve got people at school who will help keep Sewaya off my back, whether I’m dating or not,” Minako added. “They’re nice and protective of me that way. And finally, it kind of crystallized things for me with Greg, finally.”
Ami flinched again.
Minako sighed. “I’m gonna stop talking until you’re done with the knife.”
“S-Sorry. I’m being careful, really.”
Minako made a face. “If you’re sure. Thing is, Greg’s someone who got away from me once. I mentioned he happened before the whole Sailor V thing, right?”
Ami nodded.
“Good. Thing is, ever since then, I can write off the relationships that don’t work out as, hey, I’m the Senshi of ALL love, it’s not my time to settle down yet, it’s destiny or whatever. Get ‘em next time.”
Ami scraped the chopped apples into a bowl with some grapes. “And so the issue is, Greg’s returned to present you with that next time.”
“Yes. Wait, no. Wait, what?”
Ami turned. “What?”
Minako rolled her eyes. “Look, the issue is, if Greg rejected me back then, it couldn’t have been a Senshi destiny thing. Not yet. Meaning maybe there’s something about me that turns people off, and he only SAID it was about him because he was being nice. So ever since, it could be that thing sabotaging my relationships. Not destiny. So, aha, brain flash! If me and Greg go out again, post-Senshi, and it STILL doesn’t work, then BANG! At last, I’ll know for sure it’s been about destiny all along. Isn’t that logical?”
Ami’s head tilted to the side. “That's... uh, okay? But then what if you, um, went out with Greg and it did work?”
Minako grinned. “That would confirm that I’m irresistible,” she said. “It’s win-win. Which brings us right back to the question I asked you weeks ago that started off this whole mess.” She pushed away from the wall. “Ami, would you have objections to me going out with Greg?”
Minako quickly moved to take the bowl of fruit out of Ami’s jittery hands.
“C’mon, Ami,” Minako insisted. “You remember that talk, yeah? At the time, you said it was okay - at the moment. Well, what’s the moment say now? Stop thinking, Ami, just SPEAK.”
“Y-Yes,” Ami rasped.
Minako beamed. Then frowned. “Wait. Yes, you spoke, or yes, you have objections?”
“Yes, I d-d-do object to you going out with Greg,” Ami said, her eyes widening a little as she said it, as if she was only then realizing what she was saying.
Minako set the bowl back down to grasp Ami by the hands. “Ah-HA. Meaning you’re fine with Urawa going out with me, but not Greg going out with me?”
Ami swallowed. “Apparently?”
Minako nodded. “There we go then. Now you know. Sorry for using perverse psychology.”
Ami’s brow furrowed. “Uh... you mean reverse psychology?”
Minako gestured vaguely. “Call it whatever. Look, I kinda get what you meant about that “next time” thing too, yeah? Greg leaves me, then suddenly he turns up, and oooh. Urawa leaves you, then suddenly he turns up, and oooh. So we’re both all, oooh, do we risk it again? And I think I would with Greg, if there wasn’t something more important at stake.”
Namely, her friendship with Ami, but Minako decided not to break momentum.
“Similarly, you might with Urawa - if there wasn’t something more important to you. Hmmm? If you know what I mean, Ami?” She wiggled her eyebrows.
“But Greg hasn’t even said he likes me yet!” Ami blurted.
Minako released Ami, frowning and rubbing her chin. “No? Huh. Fail for him. Thing is, he does keep his distance from everyone, always has. But I’ve noticed that around you, he seems different. And Greg’s more about actions than words, maybe that’s the problem. You want me to go talk to him next?”
“NO,” Ami said firmly. She pinkened a little and finally went to get some cutlery. “Th-that is, no, thank you. And know that I do appreciate you taking the time here with me.”
Minako nodded. “I hope it’s helped a little?”
“It's... clarified something,” Ami admitted, smiling. “So that’s good.”
Minako nodded again. Things had been clarified here for her too. She decided she wouldn’t even mention the other piece. The fact that a member of her fan club was called Alan. Alan, the same name as the man she had once loved in London.
It had been on her second trip there... after Greg, after becoming Sailor V... Alan, whom she had then lost in love to her best friend. It made her wonder. Was she now losing someone else from her past, namely Greg, to another friend?
Was she really okay with that?
Given Ami’s reactions here towards Greg, Minako found that yes, it was okay. Maybe Ami was just too cute about it. Maybe time did help to heal all wounds. Or maybe it got easier, the more it happened.
Minako smiled back. “Yay!” She moved to sit at the table as Ami brought the fruit over. “Want to hear more about my fan club then?”
*****
It happened without warning. Greg simply turned around, and there was blue-haired-library-guy, standing directly behind him.
“Hi!” library-guy said, with a smile and a wave. “I’d say this was coincidence, but I heard that you were working here. So it’s not. At all.”
“The key word there is working,” Greg noted. He took a quick look around the Game Centre. Alas, no one was flagging him down, so he moved to the side to pretend to be checking something out with the video game there.
The guy was not dissuaded. “I take it you don’t even check out the archives of Umino’s “Lunchtime Views” show at school, huh? Darn. Too busy with your creative writing books?”
Greg rolled his eyes. “Sure, let’s go with that,” he said, wiping at invisible dust.
For a moment, there was silence.
Greg glanced over his shoulder. Nope, the guy was still there, smiling. “What, do you spy on everyone who reads up on writing in the library?” Greg asked, before he could stop himself. Bad move, encouraging conversation!
“No way,” came the reply. The guy then snapped his fingers. “But did I mention that in addition to the books at my place on writing, I also have several on... genealogy?” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively, leaning closer.
“I have to get something from the back,” Greg grumbled, pushing past him.
If there wasn’t any work to be done out here, maybe he could find something job related to do elsewhere that would allow the mystery guy to take the hint.
*****
Minako realized she had a problem. After having left Ami’s place, it had only made sense to touch base with Urawa, in much the same way as he had called her last night... but the news she had? It wasn’t good. Not as far as Urawa was concerned.
Because Ami had all but admitted that Greg was still her choice, despite (or because of?) their interference.
Minako knew that, if she told Urawa that on the phone, he might march back over to Ami’s place, the way he had last night. To plead his case again, or something. Minako didn’t think that would help. So she had to tell Urawa the news in person.
She’d forgotten that Sewaya didn’t live that far away from his cousin.
“Minakoooo!” the orange haired nuisance called out.
She definitely had a problem. Urawa’s place was out, Sewaya would flip out at them. Her new fan club wasn’t around, and at any rate, was of limited use away from the school. Standing up to Sewaya herself might only cause an even worse scene.
She glanced over her shoulder. He was still chasing after her. She had to somehow lose Sewaya in the crowd around them.
Maybe she could fake right, cut left, and duck into the Crown Game Centre? He might not hang out there for long, not if people recognized him as the guy who’d lost that video game competition a week ago. She picked up her pace.
*****
“Shouldn’t you be, you know, working?” Mamoru remarked. He jerked his thumb from where he sat at the Crown Cafe, over towards the Game Centre.
Motoki grinned back, sliding into the available seat next to his friend. “Shouldn’t you be, you know, sharing a drink with Usagi, not Kato?”
Kato let out a quiet laugh from the third seat at the table. “You’ve both got a point?”
Mamoru rolled his eyes. “I’m going boating with Usagi tomorrow. And I didn’t come here with Kato, she just kind of turned up and joined me.”
“Did she now,” Motoki mused, looking towards her. Kato flinched, and looked at the ground.
Mamoru folded his arms. “Your job, Motoki?”
“Eh, Greg had it covered last I checked. He’s a responsible guy, I can take five minutes,” Motoki said, gesturing airily. “I’m more worried about my friends right now.”
Mamoru lifted an eyebrow. “Worried?”
“Yeah.” Motoki rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s just, maybe it’s me, but have romantic tensions seemed higher than normal of late? At least in this part of town?”
“I hadn’t noticed,” Mamoru said, reaching for his cup.
“Minakoooo!” came a plaintive cry. The three of them turned to see the orange haired boy from the challenge last week. He looked up and down the street before walking into the Game Centre.
Mamoru paused. “Though now that you mention it..."
“What’s your point?” Kato broke in quickly.
Motoki sighed. “I just think, if people are feeling something, it might be better to get it all out in the open. To prevent any awkward misunderstandings later?”
Mamoru felt his eyebrow start twitching. He pulled back from his drink. Was Motoki implying that he had feelings for Kato? Because he didn’t. “Misunderstandings like what?”
“Like me?” came a fourth voice.
Mamoru turned his attention away from Motoki, and over to the guy with blue hair who had approached them. He looked familiar. “I met you yesterday,” Mamoru recalled. “Kaijin, right? From Usagi’s school?”
Kaijin offered a mock salute. “Kaijin Taylor, at your service. It’s weird, yesterday you were here with the lovely Usagi Tsukino, and now you’re with... who, exactly?”
“Kato. Kato Sujigaki,” Kato introduced herself, smiling hesitantly.
“Pleased to meet you,” Kaijin said, nodding. “See, Mamoru, it’s easy for a person to get the wrong impression here, and think you’re some kind of playboy.” Kaijin hooked his thumbs into his belt loops. “Good thing I’m smarter than that, eh?”
“Good thing,” Mamoru said, not at all amused by the insinuation. Perhaps in part because Usako might be inclined to believe such a wild flight of fancy. “And do you even have a reason to be inserting yourself into our conversation?” he demanded.
“Well, sure,” Kaijin said with a smile. He turned to look at Motoki. “I’m afraid I scared your assistant into the back, and someone responsible needs to be on hand if orange-hair there causes trouble. Meaning I think that’s you.”
Motoki sighed. “Figures.” With what looked to Mamoru like a pointed stare at Kato, he rose back to his feet. “No rest for the weary.”
“Also,” Kaijin added, pulling a paper out of his pocket, “if you could maybe give this to Greg later? It’s my phone number. I wasn’t able to get it to him, but I’m sure he’ll want it later, and it’s unlisted. Know that I wouldn’t ask you if it wasn’t important.”
“Sorry, I’m not your messenger,” Motoki said, pushing Kaijin’s arm away. “I don’t want to get involved in all the relationship drama.”
Turning his back on the others, Motoki strode back towards the Game Centre. He tried to quickly get a read on the situation. It seemed like the orange-haired kid - Sewaya, that was his name - had pushed his way past a number of people to get inside, but he was now simply standing there looking forlorn.
“If I can’t catch you now?” Sewaya called out after a moment. “That’s it. I give up.”
Of more importance, his shoving meant someone had spilled their drink by the entranceway. They’d need to get that cleaned up, and Greg was nowhere to be seen. “Seriously?” Motoki mumbled.
Usually, the guy was so dependable. Motoki quickly threaded his way to the back, reaching out and jerking open the door of the broom closet, to get the mop.
The two people inside the broom closet turned to face him, their eyes wide, their bodies pressed up against each other. One of them was Greg Anderson. The other was Minako Aino.
Two broom handles clattered down against the floor, as Motoki heard a collective gasp erupt from the people standing behind him.
<commercial break; Ami, Greg and Kaijin skating, they trip over Ami's computer.>
