Learn from the Mistakes of Others
Haruka followed Ami into the kitchen, presumably to help her carry the drinks back out to the others, though she did not keep up the pretense for long.
As she helped put ice into the glasses she looked over at the small woman. Her voice was kind, “I think there might have been some truth in Zoe’s jests.”
Ami blinked at her, setting the pitcher of lemonade down. “Zoe’s jests? I’m not sure I understand.”
Haruka continued adding ice to the glasses, as if she were unaware of the gravity of the conversation she’d initiated with Ami. “You mentioned that Zoe had joked about wanting to be here rather than watching the game with the guys.”
With a laugh, Ami shook her head and picked up the pitcher again to resume pouring. “Oh, I know she was teasing. She’s been looking forward to this game for weeks. She’s just trying to gain sympathy points because she’ll be the only one pulling for England. She’ll be fine.”
Sighing Haruka shifted into the more blunt manner of speech for which she was known. “I’m sure she will be, Ami. I’m sure you’ll both be. But you’ll both be better if you address the issue head on.”
“The issue? I’m pretty sure there is no issue.” Ami shook her head and Haruka decided it might be prudent to stop handling any form of water for the time being. The Water Senshi was rarely angered, but Haruka had known her long enough to know when to tread carefully.
“Most jokes have some sort of truth in them, Ami. And I think Zoe’s did.” She held up a hand. “Hear me out. You are the indisputable queen of logic. If you find my reasoning faulty, feel free to reject it.”
Ami’s eyes were slightly hard, her jaw set, but she set the pitcher down again and nodded, “Go on.”
“Zoe is, I believe, a bit uncertain about how you view her. She may be a Shitennou and a warrior, but she is a woman.” There was something about Haruka’s expression, something that told Ami that this was, at least partially, personal to the Senshi of Wind.
However, Ami raised an eyebrow, rather confused as to what the issue here was, “I’m well aware that my wife is a woman. I’m also rather glad that she is. Otherwise, I cannot imagine we’d be in a romantic relationship.”
“That’s not what I meant, Ami.” Haruka sighed and ran her hand through her hair. “It’s not what you know but how you view her.”
“I don’t quite understand what you’re saying, Haruka-chan. And while I respect that you are speaking out of concern. I believe I must ask you to stop.” Some of the anger had dissipated from Ami, as she tried remind herself of exactly what she had just told Haruka. She knew that this came from sincere concern, and she could even appreciate that to a limited degree.
There was soft laughter from the doorway. “You’re approaching this wrong, Haruka.” The two women turned to see Michiru enter the kitchen. “I love you, but bashing Ami over the head with your opinion is not the way to convince her of anything.” She kissed Haruka’s cheek and then turned to Ami.
“Please, humor me for just a moment while I try to explain what my storm was trying to say.” She gently took Ami’s hand and lead her to the small table kitchen, gesturing for her to sit and then doing the same. “Forget our powers, except for Zoe, how would most see tonight as divided?”
Ami frowned, “I suppose this would be the women and that the men. Except for Zoe, but it’s the Senshi and the Shitennou, so I don’t quite see how that’s relevant.”
“No, darling. You wouldn’t. But Zoe would. All the women--yes, the Senshi, but also the girls, not Senshi themselves-are over here. Except for her. But including Haruka.” She watched Ami whose expression indicated that she was, at the least, listening.
“But-she likes to be considered one of the guys.” Ami shook her head. Perhaps they were right, but she did not understand how it could be a problem. “You should have seen the basket they made up for us, for her really, for the wedding night. Condoms, lube, even a sample pack of Viagra. Zoe thought it was absolutely fantastic.” She smiled a bit at the memory. They’d actually used the condoms and lube, and there were other items less “male” oriented that had been useful as well.
Haruka snorted, and Michiru turned to glare at her for just a moment before turning back to Ami again. “She likes to be considered a guy by them. By the guys. Absolutely. By you? I doubt it.”
“I… I’m sorry. Apparently, I’m rather dull tonight. But I don’t understand how Zoe could possibly think that I view her as anything other than a woman.” This was beginning to give her a headache.
“Because, darling, insecurities are, by definition, irrational. I doubt that you two only have sex via strap-on, and we know that you both referred to her, in relation to Charis, as ‘Zoe-mama’,” Haruka snorted again, but was this time ignored by her wife, “from the beginning.” Michiru’s expression was gentle. There was no trace of patronizing in it, and she realized that the two of them must have gone through something similar.
“Thank you.” Ami did not smile, there was too much she had to think about to smile just yet, but she did nod and gently squeeze Michiru’s hand as it still held hers. “You’ve given me a lot to think about.”
Haruka rolled her eyes and moved over to the two, grabbing Ami's shoulders and forcibly turning her to look at her. “No. That was absolutely not the point. You will not spend tonight over thinking this. It’s a minor issue. One that can be solved easily by just doing something small to let Zoe know that you do, in fact, think of her as a woman. But you will absolutely not spend the rest of the night withdrawing into yourself and worrying over this. Am I understood?”
There was a note of command in Haruka’s voice, and Ami had to admit that the other woman was correct in her assessment of what her reaction would have been. So she smiled a bit sheepishly and nodded, “Suggestions?”
Michiru giggled as her free hand reached up to grab Haruka’s, easing some of the pressure off of Ami. “I found that dragging one’s wife to a spa treatment that she will pretend to hate but secretly love is fairly effective.”
Haruka rolled her eyes but winked at Ami. “We’ll watch Charis. Hotaru seems to have claimed her anyway.”
“Thank you.” Ami’s smile widened and she stood, hugging them both.
***
The first half had ended scoreless, but Zoe had found that she could not fully focus on the game, or even the ways the guys teased her every time South Korea got the ball. When her cell went off and she quickly went to look at the message, she even ignored the four, simultaneous, imitations of whips.
Spa Day, Tomorrow. Just me and my girl?
Zoe smiled and responded, Not my thing, but whatever makes you happy, Babe. Love ya. Hope you’re having fun.
Closing the phone, Zoe grinned and flipped off the men before getting up, “Round of beers?"
As she helped put ice into the glasses she looked over at the small woman. Her voice was kind, “I think there might have been some truth in Zoe’s jests.”
Ami blinked at her, setting the pitcher of lemonade down. “Zoe’s jests? I’m not sure I understand.”
Haruka continued adding ice to the glasses, as if she were unaware of the gravity of the conversation she’d initiated with Ami. “You mentioned that Zoe had joked about wanting to be here rather than watching the game with the guys.”
With a laugh, Ami shook her head and picked up the pitcher again to resume pouring. “Oh, I know she was teasing. She’s been looking forward to this game for weeks. She’s just trying to gain sympathy points because she’ll be the only one pulling for England. She’ll be fine.”
Sighing Haruka shifted into the more blunt manner of speech for which she was known. “I’m sure she will be, Ami. I’m sure you’ll both be. But you’ll both be better if you address the issue head on.”
“The issue? I’m pretty sure there is no issue.” Ami shook her head and Haruka decided it might be prudent to stop handling any form of water for the time being. The Water Senshi was rarely angered, but Haruka had known her long enough to know when to tread carefully.
“Most jokes have some sort of truth in them, Ami. And I think Zoe’s did.” She held up a hand. “Hear me out. You are the indisputable queen of logic. If you find my reasoning faulty, feel free to reject it.”
Ami’s eyes were slightly hard, her jaw set, but she set the pitcher down again and nodded, “Go on.”
“Zoe is, I believe, a bit uncertain about how you view her. She may be a Shitennou and a warrior, but she is a woman.” There was something about Haruka’s expression, something that told Ami that this was, at least partially, personal to the Senshi of Wind.
However, Ami raised an eyebrow, rather confused as to what the issue here was, “I’m well aware that my wife is a woman. I’m also rather glad that she is. Otherwise, I cannot imagine we’d be in a romantic relationship.”
“That’s not what I meant, Ami.” Haruka sighed and ran her hand through her hair. “It’s not what you know but how you view her.”
“I don’t quite understand what you’re saying, Haruka-chan. And while I respect that you are speaking out of concern. I believe I must ask you to stop.” Some of the anger had dissipated from Ami, as she tried remind herself of exactly what she had just told Haruka. She knew that this came from sincere concern, and she could even appreciate that to a limited degree.
There was soft laughter from the doorway. “You’re approaching this wrong, Haruka.” The two women turned to see Michiru enter the kitchen. “I love you, but bashing Ami over the head with your opinion is not the way to convince her of anything.” She kissed Haruka’s cheek and then turned to Ami.
“Please, humor me for just a moment while I try to explain what my storm was trying to say.” She gently took Ami’s hand and lead her to the small table kitchen, gesturing for her to sit and then doing the same. “Forget our powers, except for Zoe, how would most see tonight as divided?”
Ami frowned, “I suppose this would be the women and that the men. Except for Zoe, but it’s the Senshi and the Shitennou, so I don’t quite see how that’s relevant.”
“No, darling. You wouldn’t. But Zoe would. All the women--yes, the Senshi, but also the girls, not Senshi themselves-are over here. Except for her. But including Haruka.” She watched Ami whose expression indicated that she was, at the least, listening.
“But-she likes to be considered one of the guys.” Ami shook her head. Perhaps they were right, but she did not understand how it could be a problem. “You should have seen the basket they made up for us, for her really, for the wedding night. Condoms, lube, even a sample pack of Viagra. Zoe thought it was absolutely fantastic.” She smiled a bit at the memory. They’d actually used the condoms and lube, and there were other items less “male” oriented that had been useful as well.
Haruka snorted, and Michiru turned to glare at her for just a moment before turning back to Ami again. “She likes to be considered a guy by them. By the guys. Absolutely. By you? I doubt it.”
“I… I’m sorry. Apparently, I’m rather dull tonight. But I don’t understand how Zoe could possibly think that I view her as anything other than a woman.” This was beginning to give her a headache.
“Because, darling, insecurities are, by definition, irrational. I doubt that you two only have sex via strap-on, and we know that you both referred to her, in relation to Charis, as ‘Zoe-mama’,” Haruka snorted again, but was this time ignored by her wife, “from the beginning.” Michiru’s expression was gentle. There was no trace of patronizing in it, and she realized that the two of them must have gone through something similar.
“Thank you.” Ami did not smile, there was too much she had to think about to smile just yet, but she did nod and gently squeeze Michiru’s hand as it still held hers. “You’ve given me a lot to think about.”
Haruka rolled her eyes and moved over to the two, grabbing Ami's shoulders and forcibly turning her to look at her. “No. That was absolutely not the point. You will not spend tonight over thinking this. It’s a minor issue. One that can be solved easily by just doing something small to let Zoe know that you do, in fact, think of her as a woman. But you will absolutely not spend the rest of the night withdrawing into yourself and worrying over this. Am I understood?”
There was a note of command in Haruka’s voice, and Ami had to admit that the other woman was correct in her assessment of what her reaction would have been. So she smiled a bit sheepishly and nodded, “Suggestions?”
Michiru giggled as her free hand reached up to grab Haruka’s, easing some of the pressure off of Ami. “I found that dragging one’s wife to a spa treatment that she will pretend to hate but secretly love is fairly effective.”
Haruka rolled her eyes but winked at Ami. “We’ll watch Charis. Hotaru seems to have claimed her anyway.”
“Thank you.” Ami’s smile widened and she stood, hugging them both.
***
The first half had ended scoreless, but Zoe had found that she could not fully focus on the game, or even the ways the guys teased her every time South Korea got the ball. When her cell went off and she quickly went to look at the message, she even ignored the four, simultaneous, imitations of whips.
Spa Day, Tomorrow. Just me and my girl?
Zoe smiled and responded, Not my thing, but whatever makes you happy, Babe. Love ya. Hope you’re having fun.
Closing the phone, Zoe grinned and flipped off the men before getting up, “Round of beers?"