Wake Up to Love by Naia Zifu "So, Taiki-san, how long are you three staying this time?" Ami asked. "Just a couple of weeks." "That's all?" she cried. "But that's so short!" "I know, but it can't be helped. The longer we're away from our planet--" "I understand," Ami said. "And how much of those two weeks did you plan on avoiding me?" "Ami-chan, if I didn't want to see you I wouldn't be here!" Ami went on tiptoe to give me a peck on the lips. "Well, I'm glad you're here now, Taiki-san. I've missed you! I swear not a day has gone by I haven't thought of you at least once!" "It's been the same for us," I said. "I think we annoy our princess, talking about Earth so much. It's ironic; all that time, all we wanted to do was get home, but once we got there, all we could think about was coming back here!" "So have you got a place to stay while you're in town?" Ami asked. "I know it's not much, but if you've got nowhere else, you could always. . . stay here with me, if you like." I was surprised she would be so forward! I knew she was eager to get into my mind, but my pants as well, and so soon? "Actually, yes," I said. "Yes, we have a place, I mean. We're staying at Ten'ou-san's. I should probably be getting back there now, in fact-- if I'm gone too long my friends will worry." "They won't worry," Ami said, "they know you're with me. Don't you want to stay and catch up, just for a while?" "But the pizza--" "It's better cold anyway." "But Nami-chan will--" "She'll understand," Ami said. "Now, if you're through with the flimsy excuses, have a seat and make yourself at home." But this wasn't the same homey place I'd picked her up at before. Ami had moved out of her mother's place and now lived in a small, sparsely-furnished flat near the university. There was a small kitchen area on one side, with appliances so old they were avocado. Her computer sat on a makeshift desk of plastic crates and plywood. The green plaid sofa was made out into a bed, and the only other seating in the room was a worn brown chair with an endtable and reading lamp beside it. There were a couple of small paintings on the walls, a poster of Einstein showing his tongue, and on one wall a large collage of photos featured happy occasions with her friends. Our photos were there, too, but only as men, and only Three Lights publicity shots. Suddenly I heard the click of a shutter and saw a flash of light from the corner of my eye. "For my wall," she said. "I hope you don't mind. You're so beautiful as a girl, Taiki-san, so statuesque!" I blushed and mumbled a shy, "Arigato." Ami smiled and snapped a picture of my demure expression. "So what have you been doing with yourself these past few years?" she asked. "Helping rebuild cities and restore the ecosystem, of course," I replied. "In my spare time I work on my memoirs and publish volumes of poetry. What about you?" "Going to school year-round, doubling up on courses, trying to get through as fast as possible." "My stars, girl," I cried, "when do you sleep?" Ami laughed wearily. "Very rarely." "Oh, Ami-chan," I said, stroking her hair, "you'll burn your- self out that way! You know it takes years to become a doctor. Why the rush?" "Because anyone can be a doctor in ten or twelve years," she replied. "I'm supposed to be a genius; I've got to be able to do it in half that!" "Ami-chan, you don't have to prove yourself to anyone," I said. "We all know what a genius you are already!" "Easy for you to say! You're the main reason I push myself so hard," she said, tears shining in her big blue eyes. "I had the highest IQ in recorded history, and was quite proud of that, until you came along. Not only are you just as smart as me, but you're beautiful, talented, a great musician and poet-- you've got everything!" "Not quite everything," I whispered. I gently lifted her chin and leaned in for a long, passionate kiss to rival her own "good-night kiss" from our first date. Ami seemed shocked. "Taiki-san. . .whatever happened to taking things slowly?" "It's a two-week trip," I replied. "I thought we should accelerate the timetable a bit." "Well, if that's how you want to play it. . ." Ami smiled and went on tiptoe to kiss me again, while her fingers fumbled open my shirt buttons. I pushed her away and turned around to button up again. "Don't. . .please. . .I'm not ready for that yet," I protested. "Gomen. I just thought--" "It's not your fault," I said. "I just. . .I'm. . .I should go." I started for the door, but Ami stopped me. "Don't go!" she called. "I won't do it again, I promise. We can just sit and talk like civilised people. I won't try to force you into anything you're not ready for." Then she pouted so sweetly I had no choice but to cave in. "Well, all right," I agreed at last, "but just for a while, then I have to get back, okay?" So Ami produced a decent bottle of wine, and we sat on her sofa bed for hours filling each other in on what happened since last we met. "They cast her as a dead girl?" I asked in disbelief. I was already tipsy at the time, so the idea of Minako in such a role sent me into hysterics! Ami didn't seem intoxicated at all. "A zombie, yes," she replied, "the walking dead. You'd think someone as pretty as her can't look dead, but those make-up artists are amazing! To see her in full costume, you'd hardly even know her!" "Well, everyone's got to start somewhere," I said. "What about Kino-san? What's she doing now?" "Trying to become the Japanese Martha Stewart!" "Martha who?" "Amerika-jin home and crafts maven," Ami replied. "Mako-chan's done a pilot for a similar show, and if all goes well, it could be picked up as a mid-season replacement. But you still haven't mentioned your family, Taiki-san. Weren't they restored with the rest of your planet?" "Not everyone returned," I said quietly, "only those who died when their Starseeds were stolen." "And your parents?" "At home asleep when their building collapsed," I said. "Neither survived." "I'm so sorry!" Ami cried, and threw her arms around me. "Are you okay?" I shook my head. "I still miss them, Ami-chan," I sobbed. "We didn't always agree-- what family does?-- but I loved them. Their last impression of me was as an angry, spoiled girl who stormed out on her own family. They must've died thinking I despised them!" "We've all said things in anger we didn't mean, Taiki-san. Even if you argued, I'm sure they knew how much you really cared." "I swore on their graves no more loved ones would die without my telling them how I feel," I said. "I've told everyone back home already, but. . ." I took a moment to compose my thoughts, while Ami sat breathless, nervously biting her lip. "I've admired you so long as a pretty girl, an academic rival, the girl who taught me the importance of dreams and romance. . . If not for the mission and my damned secrets, we might've had something before. Even now I'm not sure if it's possible, given the distance, but I'd like to try." "You mean exclusively?" she asked. "Like a real dating couple?" "Of course," I replied, "if you'd have me." "Oh, Taiki-san," she whispered, tears sliding down her plump cheeks, "aishiteru!" "A-aishiteru," I replied, testing the word out. It felt right, so I repeated it more strongly, and kissed her salty tears away. My next clear memory was being awakened the next afternoon by a ringing telephone. I found myself lying prone on Ami's sofa bed without a stitch of clothing on! The ringing sent shockwaves of pain through my head, and sun- light streaming through the window hurt so I could hardly open my eyes. Ami hopped out of bed from beside me and ran for the phone. "Moshi moshi," she answered, too cheerfully for someone who's just been woken up. "Yes, she's still here. We, uh. . .I was still shaken up from the fight yesterday, so I asked her to stay the night just in case. Would you like to talk to her? Okay, hold on. Taiki-san? It's Nami-chan. She's asking for you." I slowly sat up and rubbed my eyes. Ami waited patiently with the phone while I pulled my shirt over my naked body and fumbled closed a couple of buttons at my chest. Then I brushed my hair out of my eyes and put on my glasses as I stumbled to the telephone. "This is Taiki," I said sleepily. "Taiki-san, you didn't come home last night!" Nami scolded. "I was worried something had happened to you!" "I was here all night with Ami-chan," I said. "And you didn't even have the courtesy to phone?" I couldn't help laughing at that. She was adorable when she talked like a grown-up! "Gomen," I apologised. "I'll remember next time, I promise." "But you missed pizza and ice-cream and late-night Monopoly!" "Gomen," I said again, "that does sound like fun. I'm sorry I missed it." Now if I could just remember what I missed it for. . . Nami sighed. "Well, we're having a Senshi meeting at three. Will you and Ami-san at least be there?" "Senshi meeting?" I repeated. I never knew there was such a thing! "Where is it?" "Rei-san's place," she replied. "Ami-san knows the way." I was tired. I was hung over. I felt like going nowhere. Ami leaned in to answer, "We'll be there." "Great! I'll see you then." I heard another voice in the background, and Nami said, "Oops, gotta go now, Taiki-san; time for lunch. See you at the meeting later. Ja!" There was a blinding flash of light as I hung up the phone. Ami had her camera back out and was taking photos of me dishevelled and nearly naked! "That's it!" I cried, lunging after her. "Give me that camera!" Ami giggled and ran from me. My longer legs should've let me catch her easily, but she kept darting around the furniture to avoid me! Finally I took a flying leap and tackled her onto the sofa bed. The camera flew from her hand and hit the floor with a click and a flash. We looked at each other and burst into giggles. "Now there's a photo that'll require explanation!" I said. Ami smiled and stroked my cheek. "Taiki-san, people in love needn't explain themselves to anyone!" But there _was_ one explanation I needed to hear. "Ami-chan, what happened between us last night?" "Well, I found out you shouldn't drink," she replied. "You were tipsy on just the second glass!" "How many did I have?" "We finished the bottle between us," she said. "No wonder I don't remember much!" I should've told her we Kinmokuseijin can't hold our liquor; our unique chemistry and extremely low body fat ratio mean we get drunk easier than the average human. "I hope I didn't make too big an ass of myself!" "You were a sweetie!" Ami said. "We kissed and cuddled all night, and you sang me love songs." "Naked?" "Silly, you had to get undressed so I could massage you!" she said. "Yes, massage, the obvious answer," I said sarcastically. "How could I have missed it?" "I found the sweetest little rose right here on your back," she said, slipping her hand under my shirt to stroke it. "How long have you had it?" "Exhibit 'A,' why Taiki Kou shouldn't drink," I said, blushing. "First Kinmokusei New Year back; a few drinks, a bit too much nostalgia for Earth, and I woke up hung over, with an indelible rose. It's so embarrassing!" "Don't be embarrassed, Taiki-san!" she said. "It's so beautiful!" "One of the things I miss most about Earth are the roses," I said, "especially the white ones, with their perfect snowy petals and glossy green leaves. . .sometimes I even miss the thorns!" "Don't you have roses on your world?" "We have a plant that looks similar, but it's a nuisance! It grows on long, creeping vines, choking out all other vegetation, and it smells kind of like rotten eggs. Nobody likes it." "No wonder you miss roses so much!" Ami said. "So why be so embarrassed of this one?" "I hate not being in control of my own actions," I said, "it frightens me! That's why it's important to know what happened between us last night. If we had sex and I don't remember, how will I ever forgive myself?" "Don't worry, Taiki-san, you're still a virgin," she said bitterly, "though not for lack of trying. . ." Seeing my relieved expression, she realised, "Oh my god, you really _are_ a virgin, aren't you? I had no idea! I thought you just didn't find me attractive enough!" "Ami-chan, I find you very attractive!" I said. "I just want our first time to be special. I don't want to cheapen it by getting drunk and forgetting it all in the morning." "I understand. Take all the time you need; I won't pressure you anymore," she promised. "But, Taiki-san, it would be much easier to keep my word if you weren't lying on top of me." I blushed as I suddenly became aware of the arrangement of our bodies. We were a clothing layer and an intent away from sex! I apologised profusely and rolled off her. "But, Ami-chan, you've seen me drunk and naked," I said. "There's no need for such formal terms anymore." "Then can I call you 'Kou-chan?' " she asked. No-one had called me that in so long it hardly felt like my name anymore! But coming from her, it sounded just perfect. I smiled and nodded. "I'd like that." "I wish we could stay here all day, just like this," Ami said, "but we promised Nami-chan we'd make that meeting, remember? We've got to shower and get ready!" "I hog the hot water," I confessed, "so you should go first." "Actually, I thought we might save time and go together," she said, starting to unbutton her blouse. "Don't worry, Ta-- Kou-chan, I promise I won't make you do anything you're not ready for." "You're evil!" I cried. But Ami just giggled and undressed right in front of me, with- out embarrassment, as if I weren't even there. Though I knew it was rude, I couldn't help ogling the soft curves of her body. Human girls may have more body fat, but they certainly do store it well! "I know I must look fat compared to girls where you're from," Ami said. "Ami-chan, if the girls back home looked like you, I might not still be a virgin!" Ami blushed and giggled, and I was proud of myself for choosing such a good answer. It seemed I'd already hurt her by rejecting her advances the night before, and I couldn't bear the thought of hurting her again under any circumstances. "Come now, into the shower with you," she said, "and if you're good, I may even help you wash your. . ." she stared at my breasts, but instead finished, "back." Despite my protests, she did both, and most of the rest of my body as well. She even gave my hair the most thorough washing it'd had in ages, taking time to scrub every inch of my long brown ponytail. In my innocence, I could bring myself to wash little more than her back. Fresh from the shower, I started to redress in my own clothes, but Ami wouldn't have it. "There's no point in showering just to put on dirty clothes, Kou-chan. Why don't you borrow something of mine?" "Won't your things be a little small for me?" "You wear a leather bikini and you're worried _my_ clothes are too small?" "One, I can't help its design; it comes with the henshin," I protested. "Two, at least it's a leather bikini that fits!" "And you do look good in it," she said, holding up dainty dresses, all of which looked freakishly short for my body. "But I think this will be just lovely on you!" Her calf-length, yellow floral dress became a baby-doll on me. And of all the things tall, conservative-looking people shouldn't wear, it just had to have a Peter Pan collar with a little fabric rose at the front! "I'm not wearing this," I said. "I look stupid! My friends will mock me, your friends will mock me; I'll be publicly humiliated!" "Oh, don't exaggerate! It's a bit short, but you look fine!" she insisted. "Now, sit." I hesitated. "Doshite?" I asked, wondering what further humiliation she had planned for me. "Anything but make-up; I look like a drag queen in make-up!" Ami giggled. "Do they even have those where you come from?" "Well, no," I admitted. Just one more thing that was hard to explain back home, to a race with no concept of fixed gender or orientation! "Don't worry, Kou-chan, it's nothing like that," she promised. I complied, and Ami sat patiently detangling my hair with a wide-toothed wooden comb. She knew how to work out the worst tangles without pulling. She even knew enough to start at the bottom and work her way up. I was impressed; even doing it myself, it always pulled at least a bit! "You have such gentle hands," I said contentedly. "You've seen my friends; I get lots of practise!" she replied. "Yours is nicer, though; baby-fine and soft as silk. You're so lucky!" "I thought you hated it before." "You never let me play with it before," Ami said. "Now what do you say to some nice curls?" "Too straight and fine," I said, "they never hold." "Then maybe we'll leave it loose instead." "Just my customary ponytail, please." "Kou-chan, you're a girl this time! Have some fun; try some- thing different for once!" I shrugged. "Fine, then. Do what you want." Ami squealed and thanked me with a kiss. Then she took a glittery blue box full of accessories from a shelf, and hummed cheerfully while she toyed with my hair. "I'll venture a guess you've never had long hair." "No, even as a child my mother always kept it short," she said. "But I don't mind; even though I love to play with friends' hair, I'm a low-maintenance kind of girl myself." "You pull it off really well," I said. "Arigato," she replied. "You, too, Kou-chan. Is yours a common style where you're from?" "Sure, if you happen to be a schoolgirl, nun, or Sailor Senshi." Ami laughed. "A nun? Seriously?" "Yes. What's so strange about that?" "Just another quirk that makes me want to visit your world," Ami said. "I keep meaning to ask, how do you fly unaided across the galaxy so quickly?" "Didn't you know? There's a giant space portal just past Pluto," I joked. Ami laughed and punched my arm. "I'm being serious!" she said. "For the first time it feels like we might have a chance as a couple, and you'll be leaving in two weeks! I can't stand the thought of losing touch again at a time like this!" "We're Hoshi no Senshi-- our bodies are made for streaking through space at lightspeed," I said. "How do you get around?" "If we all work together, we can teleport, but we've never tried a jump to the other side of the galaxy! I don't know if we could make it to your world from here." "No wonder your system's remained so isolated if, even combined, you haven't the power to reach other inhabited worlds." "So how will we keep in touch once you're gone?" "We've got two weeks and the two sharpest minds in the galaxy to find out." "Well, when you put it that way, I'm sure the two of us will figure out something," Ami said. Neither of us spoke again for several minutes. For my part, I'd already begun work on our problem, but I could only guess what went through her mind while she hummed to herself and toyed with my hair. Was she ignoring me for my insufficient answer, or did busying her hands help her concentrate, the way it sometimes helped me? "All finished back here," she said at last. "What do you think?" Ami draped my hair over my shoulder for inspection. She'd actually woven it, like basket straw, for half its length. Then she tied it off with thin green ribbons, the loose ends of which hung the rest of the way, and placed little silk violets all over at random. The whole thing was gaudy and not like me at all, but. . . "It's beautiful," I said, and rewarded her with a kiss. "Arigato." "I'll do something new with it every day, if you'll let me," she said. "Now, about the rest, have you ever considered--" "No," I said firmly. "You may dress up the pony all you want, but that's it." "Touchy about the forehead, eh?" Ami guessed. "Right, I got it!" I opened my mouth to protest, but could think of no suitable excuse. "Let's just go," I said. "You know if we're late, Nami-chan will never let us hear the end of it!" "True," she said. "Should we arrive separately, do you think, for appearance's sake?" "Doshite?" I asked. "I have nothing to hide." "But our friends--" "If they don't know already, they will soon enough. Denying it will only make things worse." "So we should just waltz in there holding hands and trust them to understand?" There was a look of panic in her big blue eyes. I could tell her friends' opinions meant a lot to her. "That's exactly what we'll do," I said, taking her hand. "Your friends are good people, Ami-chan. They'll understand." But still she hesitated, biting her lip. "If it makes you feel better, I can change and go as a boy instead." "Oh, don't do that!" she cried. "I spent half an hour fixing you up; it would be such a shame to waste it!" "I'll go like this, then," I said with a shrug. Inside I cursed my luck, having tried and failed to get out of being seen like that. "But if your friends ask?" "I'll tell them the truth," she said, "that I love you for your heart, not what's on the outside. You're perfect to me, Kou-chan, whether as a boy or a girl." "That's all the response you need," I said. "Now, iko. It won't do to keep the other Senshi waiting, especially at an important time like this." ©2001 Naia Zifu, all rights reserved. Unabara Nami is my own original character, but Taiki and Ami are SM characters I don't own rights to. As always, I'm not trying to make money off anyone else's ideas. This was written to expand on the night Taiki went missing in "Nami and the Night Visitors," so if you haven't read that yet, read it now and parts of this may make more sense to you.