Chapter Text
Ami blew steam into her hands, her hot breath warming them up for a moment before the cold slipped back into her too-thin gloves. The sun was hidden by clouds this morning, and though temperatures were actually slightly warmer than they had been yesterday, the threat of snow loomed over weather forecasts.
But even still, a softball team practiced on the field, so lightly dressed that Ami felt cold just watching them.
The university campus was almost completely empty this early in the morning. The sole exception to this were sports teams doing early training. Among them, the softball team, whom Ami had gotten to know almost forcibly through her girlfriend.
And there she was now, pitching, a wide smile on her face as she threw the ball at just the right angle for the batter to barely miss it. That being the third strike, and the third player out, the practice teams switched places. Minori turned to Ami, waving an energetic hand and running over to the stands. “Was I great or what?!” She said, too loudly for the morning.
“You were great, but you’re being too loud,” Ami winced.
“Sorry, sorry,” Minori laughed. “Thank you for bringing me.”
Ami nodded. She had a driving license, Minori didn’t. “You should get a license, really.”
“But I don’t have a car,” Minori shrugged.
Groaning, Ami decided to let it go. Minori refused to acknowledge that the car was theirs, not only Ami’s. Sure, Ami had been the one to pay for it, but she was the supermodel, of course she’d pay for the expensive stuff! Or so Ami thought, anyways. She knew why Minori rejected the notion… even if she didn’t agree with her stubbornness. “Yeah, yeah, whatever. You’re gonna miss your turn at the bat,” Ami pointed.
Minori turned for a second. “Right,” she said, though she paused before going. “A kiss for good luck?”
Ami felt a bit of warmth get to her cheeks. “Here? In public?” Ami looked around with some nervousness. As far as the world was concerned, Ami Kawashima was a single woman. Part of the business. It had taken quite an amount of fighting and flaunting her authority as the most beautiful woman in the business currently to convince her managers to let her keep her relationship with Minori.
“Come on, the team already knows, and no-one else is around! Please?” Minori put on a sad, puppy-eyed look.
Ami flushed further. “Alright, fine,” she leaned against the fence, and Minori quickly pressed her lips to hers through the wiring. She did a stupidly loud ‘muak’ sound before breaking the kiss, wearing a dumb smile as she stepped back.
“Go, before I decide to ditch you,” Ami said, pretending to be angry, even though the kiss had warmed her up. The redhead laughed as she walked off, and some of her teammates teased her for a moment as Minori grabbed her bat and walked up to the home plate.
A small smile had also settled on Ami’s face. Since the bus she usually took to school had been out of commission, Minori had asked her for a ride. Ami had even cancelled her morning photoshoot to be able to stay here, watching her girlfriend practice.
Raising clouds of condensed breath came out of the players’ mouths and noses as they ran around the field puffing and huffing. All of them seemed excited about their match next week, so the air in the field was almost electric, with everyone doing their best. It was part of why Ami had stayed. Minori was cheerful most of the time, but seeing her like this wasn’t very common.
When training came to an end, Minori discussed a few things with her teammates before running to the stands once again. She stepped out of the field and smiled. “Alright, that’s it for now. Are you cold?”
“You’re asking me?” Ami asked, surprised. Minori was wearing half the amount of layers Ami was.
“Well, I was just doing sports.”
“Yes, you were,” Ami sighed, standing. “Come on, let’s hurry to the car, you’re gonna catch a cold.”
“Aye, sir!” Minori saluted and jogged off.
Ami shook her head. When she was in range, she pressed the key to unlock the doors, allowing Minori to escape the cold outside. Ami’s car wasn’t extremely fancy—she wasn’t prone to wasting money, no matter how much of it she had—but it was still very modern. It was also relatively small, which she’d specifically wanted to make it easier to park.
She hopped on the driver’s seat and let out a long sigh of relief. Finally away from the cold. She started the engine and the heater. “You don’t have classes today, right?”
“I had one, but the teacher is sick so she can’t make it,” Minori explained. “Which means we’ve got the day all to ourselves,” she said.
Ami smiled as she pulled the car out of the parking lot. “It’s been a while since the two of us had a free day. Have any plans?”
“First of all, a shower, maybe a bath. We could get in together, chill for a while. We haven’t done that in so long…” Minori suggested, waving her eyebrows in a suggestive manner.
After the cold morning, nothing appealed to Ami more than a hot bath. And the idea of spending it with Minori only added to the effect. “Alright, but nothing sexual, last time we did that I almost pass out.”
Minori laughed. “I guess I can live with that,” she accepted.
Minori let out a long, satisfied sigh as she leaned back on the tub. It was small for two people, but she and Ami didn’t mind. Ami’s chest pressed against her back, and Minori had to hold back her arousal. They had a full day ahead of them, there’d be time to be naughty later. For now, she enjoyed the hot water and the arms of her girlfriend around her.
“I was thinking of getting a bigger tub,” Ami mentioned.
“Wouldn’t that increase rent?” Minori asked.
Even though she was behind her, Minori could feel Ami’s deadpan. “I wouldn’t increase your rent for my whims,” she clarified.
Minori shook her head. “No, we agreed that you’d charge me fair rent. That includes modifications,” she insisted. This house was Ami’s—a gift from her parents—and though Ami didn’t want to, Minori had forced her to charge her half of what this house would normally cost if it was up for rent. They’d even called a real estate agent to make sure the price was correct. The day Minori’s rents accumulated to half the house’s total price would be the day she’d stop paying rent, but not a second sooner.
She knew it bothered Ami, but they had been together for four years already, so each of them knew to deal with the quirks of the other. Minori needed to feel like she was earning her independence.
Ami sighed, kissing the back of Minori’s head. “I really do wish you’d let me spoil you a bit more, you know?” she said. “It’s common for couples to invite each other out or give each other gifts,” she explained.
“I let you spoil me for our anniversary, my birthday and other holidays, though,” Minori said. Special occasions like those were places where she could make concessions without feeling too guilty.
“C’mon, you know what I mean,” Ami refuted. “There’s this fancy restaurant that opened five minutes away, I know you’d never want to spend the money it costs, but I wanna take you there.”
“Is the food good enough to justify the price?” Minori asked.
“I don’t know! That’s why I wanna try it!” Ami explained. “And if it’s bad, I don’t want to set you back on money with a split bill.”
Minori hummed, thinking. She hated it when Ami tried to be sneaky about stuff like this, but if she was so honest about it, then… “Oh, alright. I’ll let you invite me the first time. If we end up liking it enough for me to want to go back, we’ll split the bill afterwards, alright?”
Against her hair, Minori could feel Ami smiling. “Wait, you serious? I didn’t think you’d agree!” she said, sounding excited. “Wanna go tonight?”
“Tonight? If it’s fancy, won’t you have to make a reservation?”
Ami snorted. “Please, I am the Ami Kawashima,” she spoke with the high-and-mighty voice she usually had when doing interviews and such.
With a chuckle, Minori nodded. “I guess that’s true. Alright, let’s do it.”
Ami’s arms suddenly tightened around Minori. “Great! I hope it’s a good place. If it’s not, I’m going to obliterate it on my next interview.”
“Scary,” Minori smiled. She hadn’t expected Ami to sound so excited about it. Maybe she should make a few more small concessions here and there, if they would make Ami this happy. She’d have to think about it some more.
Ami put the phone down and smiled. “Alright, reservation made. They instantly offered me a table as soon as they heard who I was,” she said with some pride.
Minori, making them lunch, nodded in acknowledgement. “Which time?”
“Eight. Works for you?”
“Sure,” she said, focused on the onions she was frying. “How are you gonna justify me being with you, though?”
“What do you mean? We’re ‘best friends’,” Ami said with a smirk. She and Minori had been caught out in public a few times, but that was all they needed to justify it. People ate it up without even questioning it. They’d rather not even consider the possibility that there was something else between them.
It annoyed Ami, but if she wanted to keep her job, she couldn’t do much about it. Once she’d saved enough to be set for life she’d probably just retire and come out of the closet, though.
“Oh, I’ll ask for a cab. You’ll probably want to drink, right?” Minori asked.
Ami rolled her eyes. “I won’t get drunk.”
“Doesn’t matter! A single drop of alcohol and you’re banned from driving.”
“Alright, alright, I’ll call a cab later,” Ami gave in. “But I’ll also be paying for it.”
“… just this once,” Minori replied.
Ami smirked. It was unusual for Minori to be so lenient. While from the outside their friends thought Ami was the one taking the reins of the relationship, in practice it was more often than not the redhead who called the shots. Not that Ami minded, Minori was a peculiar person. If Ami couldn’t handle it, their relationship would’ve ended years ago. Plus, when push came to shove, Minori accepted help. She’d let Ami hire a private tutor to help her with her exams last year. She was stubborn, but not stupid.
And, of course, Ami did have basically a complete control over their public life. Being the famous of the two, she needed to take care of her image, and Minori put up with her without ever complaining. It was a working balance.
Well, Ami also had control on the bed, but that was another matter.
“What’s with the smirk?” Minori narrowed her eyes at her, as if reading her thoughts.
Ami chuckled. “Nothing, nothing,” she said, making a dismissive gesture.
“Should we take another bath before going?” Minori asked, snuggling closer to Ami’s naked body.
“Probably,” Ami said, absently caressing Minori’s bare back. She loved doing that, saying she liked to feel Minori’s muscles. “We’re a bit dirty. Maybe we should’ve done this before bathing.”
“I was all sweaty and…” Minori started, but trailed off as Ami raised an eyebrow at her. “Yeah, yeah, I know,” she smiled. They’d done it enough times after Minori’s practices for her to know that was not an argument. “I still think we should’ve done it in the bath.”
“Oh, save it. You go first, I’ll call us the cab service I use when going to parties and such and prepare what I’ll wear.”
Minori frowned. “But I wanna get in together again,” she said, pouting.
“I’d rather not risk it,” Ami explained. She shifted a bit and placed a kiss on Minori’s forehead. “Come on, let’s get up.”
“No. World cold and harsh. Tiddie warm and soft,” Minori refused, sinking deeper into the blankets and burying her face in Ami’s chest.
Ami laughed. Minori smiled. “Come on, honey, we’re gonna be late if we don’t start getting ready.”
Minori held back a soft gasp. Ami only ever used pet-names in special occasions. “If you don’t start getting ready. I take a fraction of the time you do to prepare,” she said instead. “Maybe you should shower first, sweetie.”
After a few moments, Ami sighed. “… I don’t want to get up either…” she admitted. It was Minori’s turn to laugh. “Alright, let’s take a shower together. Shower, got it? And keep your hands to yourself.”
“Suuureee…” Minori replied as she slowly started to get up, followed by Ami, who was giving her a suspicious look. Minori gave her the most innocent smile she could muster before getting fully out of the sheets.
“I can’t believe you made me to do that,” Ami said as they waited for their food.
Minori gave her the smirk she always used whenever she’d gotten away with something like this. “We were both still horny, it was inevitable. And you didn’t collapse! Know what this means?”
“Oh, shut it,” Ami replied, annoyed. Minori had ended up acted so damn sexy during the shower that Ami had been the one to break her own rule. That had caused them to lose a lot of time, so Ami wasn’t anywhere as prepared as she wanted to be, wearing a slim black dress and only light makeup. Of course, she knew she still looked perfect, but she was Ami Kawashima, she needed to look beyond perfect.
Most of the time, anyways. She wouldn’t let that bother her today. The restaurant was nice. On the fifth floor of a nice hotel, it overlooked the nearby neighborhood, and though it wasn’t a stunning view, it was still nice. Minori had chosen to wear an attire a bit fancier than she usually would, a light-grey suit with a rather short skirt. Coupled with a simple but effective ponytail and a cute hairpin to keep her bangs out of the way, she was looking stunning.
The inside of the building was cozy, too. The floor had been fitted with a brownish stone Ami didn’t know the name of, but it almost looked like wood. The tables and chairs were black, contrasted with white cushions and tablecloths. There was a fair number of people around, too, and Ami had seen them turn to her and whisper things.
To be fair, if any one of them took a pic and posted it on social media, Ami would have a hard time explaining why her and her ‘friend’ were out on what was clearly a romantic date. But at this point, she honestly didn’t care.
“Oh, hey, did we remember to buy some milk?” Minori suddenly commented.
Ami hummed, thoughtful. “Wasn’t there some still in the fridge?”
“Not since yesterday, hence the question.”
“Then not. I’ll try to get some tomorrow after work.”
“Well, if you’re gonna do that, you may as well also buy the rest of the day’s groceries if you don’t mind.”
“Sure. Text me a list with what you want.”
Minori smiled. “Alright, I’ll be sure to send a bunch of ‘you’ too,” she said.
Ami leaned forward on the table. “Oh, you’re gonna have plenty of that tonight after we get back,” she said in a suggestive tone. The comment caused Minori to pause, her face growing a bit red.
“You’re unfair,” Minori said. “You’re too pretty…”
“Thank you,” Ami smiled widely. Before they could continue, the waiter came with their food. The portion was bigger than Ami was anticipating, for which she was thankful. At least she wouldn’t feel like it was wasted money… unless it wasn’t tasty.
Minori finished her plate and found herself full. Spaghetti was such a simple meal, but one that she could always use to judge the quality of a place. And that had been one of the most delicious plates of spaghetti she’d ever had.
Of course, all the carbs she’d eaten would force her to go on a light diet for a while, but it had certainly been worth it.
“Want some dessert?” Ami asked.
“Think they have fruit?”
“I think I saw it on the menu. A sliced fruit bouquet, I think it was.”
“What’s that?”
“They stick a bunch of slices of fruit on sticks and bring it to you in a bottle or something like that. It looks like a flower bouquet. They’re usually shaped or arranged to look like flowers too,” Ami explained.
Minori lifted an eyebrow. “Sounds kinda wasteful.”
Ami shrugged. “I’d assume the cooks eat the leftovers, or maybe they get used in some other dishes,” she said.
Well, that made sense. “Hmm… Well, then let’s ask for some,” she said. She’d refused from looking at the menu earlier, not wanting to know how much she was making Ami spend. If she knew, she’d probably refuse from asking for dessert.
Ami called for the waiter. She asked for the fruit bouquet and for two small coffees. Minori simply looked at her. It was incredible how Ami could capture the attention of others without even trying. Even the waiter, simply taking an order as was his job, hung on her every word as if it were the most interesting thing he’d heard in his entire life. Sometimes Minori even felt a bit jealous of this, feeling like only she was meant to look at Ami that way.
But such feelings were silly, because as soon as Ami finished speaking, she turned to Minori again and the small smile on her face was the one she only ever used for her. It was a good thing Ami had never realized what that smile did to her. If she used it for evil, Minori would have no way of ever counter-attacking. “What are you looking at?”
“Your beauty,” Minori admitted.
“Well, I can’t blame you,” Ami said, doing a hair flip—but the rose tint of her cheeks informed Minori that the move had been effective.
A few minutes later, the waiter came with a massive bouquet of sliced fruit and the coffees.
“Here, say ‘ah’,” Minori said, picking up a stick with some banana on it.
Ami hesitated for a moment before shrugging and going for it. Minori smiled as she too picked a stick and gave it to her. It was a silly thing, kind of uncomfortable, but she was happy to be fed until the stick Ami had picked ran out of fruit. “If someone took a video of this I’m done for, no amount of excuses will suffice,” Ami said. She didn’t sound too worried, though.
“Oh well, I’m sure there’s a market for bi-tier models too,” Minori said.
Ami deadpanned. “Really now?”
Minori shrugged, smirking.
Shaking her head, Ami picked more fruit. “Let’s finish this, I want to go back and pay you back for that horrible pun.” Ami’s eyes were serious as she leaned on the table, resting her chin on a hand. She made a deliberately lascivious show of eating another bite of fruit. Her stare was intense and drilled into Minori like a power tool.
Minori felt a wave of heat run through her like a pulse. “Gotcha,” she said, and began eating as fast as she could.
Ami sighed into Minori’s hair, wrapping her arms around her, their legs intertwined and unmoving. With the covers protecting them from the cold, neither of them had any intention of moving.
“It’s back to normal tomorrow, eh?” Minori said. “It makes me kinda sad.”
“We don’t get many free days, do we,” Ami said with defeat. “You classes get more complicated, I get more popular by the day…” she sighed again. “Vacation’s still a long way ahead, eh?”
“Yes, I guess,” Minori snuggled against Ami’s chest. “But we still had today, so it’s fine,” she concluded.
“You’re right,” Ami smiled kissing Minori’s head and caressing her back. After a second, she yawned. “I’m so tired…”
“We did it more today than in the last month together, I think.”
“Probably. It’s gonna hurt tomorrow,” Ami chuckled.
“It was still worth it,” Minori determined.
Ami nodded. “Every second of it,” she agreed.
And like that, feeling warm and fuzzy inside, she slowly felt herself grow heavier and heavier. Soon, tiredness took her.
She had good dreams that night.