Love at Fifth Sight
AN: I've used part of a scene from the episode involving Ami, Taiki, Usagi, and Misa as inspiration, hoping it would provide some insight into Taiki's character and more reason for why Ami would like him in the first place. Hope it works!
Part 4-3
Zach nearly choked on his bite of turkey sandwich when he saw Ami standing in the doorway, her cheeks pale with distress.
Unaware of their shock, Keth said, �Yes, I finished work early today so I picked up Zach, here. You must have met before � haven�t you?�
Ami said nothing, her eyes fixed on Zach�s. He looked�older, she thought, even though it was a somewhat silly first observation. His hair was neater than she remembered but still in a ponytail, and he wore tan slacks and what had once been a crisp button-up shirt before his plane ride. She couldn�t recall seeing him dressed up in more than jeans and a t-shirt in high school, besides the tux he had worn for prom.
It was embarrassing, she thought distantly, that she could feel the way she felt about him, and still think he was incredibly handsome. �Why couldn�t he have gotten uglier over the years? Perhaps acquired an unattractive squint, thinning hair, and a potbelly?� she wondered.
He looked quite changed, but his eyes were still that same shade of bright emerald green that had haunted her dreams for months after their last fight.
Since it didn�t look like Ami was going to answer anytime soon, Zach made his suddenly stiff jaws work so he could swallow the food that now tasted like sawdust in his mouth. When he could speak, he said, �Yeah, we�ve met.�
Mina, curious as always and able to hear their conversation from the next room, bounced into the kitchen. �There you are, Ames. Oh, of course they�ve met before, Keth. You two were friends in high school, weren�t you?�
She smiled in reminisce even as Ami and Zach tensed perceptibly. �Oh, yes. You even went to prom together! I have a great photo of you two on the steps of Ami�s apartment.�
�Mina. Mina.� Ami�s voice was so soft she had to speak twice before her exuberant friend hear her. �I�m sorry, but I have to go now.�
�What? But you�re not on call now, are you?� Mina�s surprise was evident, for Ami had planned to stay with her and Serena for another two hours at the very least.
Ami shook her head dazedly, wondering why the room had suddenly become airless, why she suddenly felt seventeen years old again and so unsure of herself with Zach�s penetrating gaze on her. �No, no. But something�s come up, and I have to, I just have to go.�
She turned away, wringing her hands even as Mina walked over to. �Ami, sweetie, are you feeling all right?�
�Yes, I�m fine. But � I can�t remember where I put my purse. Have you seen it?�
Keth was standing with his arms folded, his usually stoic expression giving way to obvious bafflement at Ami�s odd behavior. Zach, on the other hand, was trying to manage his own shock at seeing her so suddenly and the odd sense of hurt that was pulsing through him at her reaction.
�I can call someone for you, or drive you back,� Mina offered, obviously concerned.
Ami forced herself to smile, to look into her friend�s eyes past the confusion and hurt that were swirling inside of her again. �No, I�m absolutely fine, I promise. I�ll call you when I get back so you know I�ve reached home safely. I�m sorry I�m running out like this, but I can�t � I can�t stay.�
�Okay then. Make sure you call me!� Mina called after her as Ami eased through the front door.
Suddenly, Zach was there as well. �Excuse me,� he said to her as he shouldered his way past and through the storm door.
Mina dashed away from the front door to watch them from the window, and even Keth joined her, although he pretended to be disapproving at first. From the dining room, Serena called, �What�s going on, guys?�
________________________________________
Unaware that he had come after her, Ami tried to fit her key into the car door even as her fingers shook slightly. �This is ridiculous,� she thought to herself. �I can do surgery at one in the morning with a child�s life at stake, but I can�t get the damn door open now.�
She had no more time to berate herself, for she nearly jumped out of her skin when Zach spoke her name.
As she turned towards him with a reproachful look on her face, Zach held up his hands, as if to show that he came in peace. �Hey. Don�t be so jumpy.�
�Sorry,� she said stiffly.
�Look, I know this is�rough,� he decided, trying to keep his anger in check. Maybe he hadn�t been so smart that many years ago, but he had been young. They had both been young, and it hadn�t been all his fault. She didn�t need to act like he was some monster now. �But I�m just here for Rei and Jaden�s wedding.�
Ami nodded mechanically. Rei had warned her about it when she had formally asked Ami to be her maid of honor, and Ami had thought she had been prepared to face him again. She just hadn�t expected to come across him so suddenly in Mina�s kitchen, in the middle of the girls� planning session.
�Of course,� she said in a brittle voice when he seemed to expect a response. �I hope you�had a good flight.�
�It was excellent,� he said sarcastically.
Temper put color back into her cheeks. �Well, that�s nice to hear. While I�d like to stay here and chat with you, I�m afraid I have to go.�
Zach snapped, �You don�t really have somewhere to go, do you?�
Ami blushed now. �What are you talking about?�
�Mina was clearly surprised that you were heading out. Well, you don�t have to run away on my account,� he told her, still stung about how unsavory she found his presence.
�I�m not running away, and it�s not because of you,� she replied unconvincingly.
�Yeah. Right.�
She glared at him. �Look, I don�t know what your problem is, but ��
�My problem? You think I have a problem?!� His voice cracked like it hadn�t done since before they had met again in high school.
Ami stared at him with wide eyes. The jump in his voice and the affronted expression on his face were too much for her in such a state, and she couldn�t help the giggle that came out.
To his surprise, Zach felt an unexpected smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. �I�m glad someone thinks it�s funny,� he muttered.
When she stopped smiling again, he said quickly, �Look, I know we don�t have the past track record, but we both know why we�re here and how special this is for Rei and Jaden. So why don�t we just�call a truce. If you don�t want to talk to me, you don�t have to. But we won�t treat each other like poison, and we have to be able to stand each other�s company for at least the fifteen minutes it takes to get down the aisle.�
�All right,� Ami agreed quietly.
�Shake on it?� he asked, offering his hand.
Ami stared at the open palm before her nervously. Hesitantly, she put her fingers in his, pulling her arm back as quickly as possible when she felt an odd warmth spreading through them.
Similarly caught off guard, Zach stuck his hands in his pocket. �So. You really have somewhere to go to, or are you going to go back and help plan this thing? I promise I�ll stay out of your way. Keth and I will sit in the living room and do manly things befitting our manly selves.�
She felt herself smiling again, even though she could have sworn she shouldn�t be. �All right,� she said again, this time sounding more sure of herself.
________________________________________
Mina and Serena were back in the dining room by the time Ami and Zach returned, and they were careful not to treat her reappearance as anything out of the ordinary. Zach and Keth, as promised, retreated to another part of the house and hadn�t emerged by the time Ami and Serena left.
As soon as they were gone, Mina went upstairs to call Rei, sure that Zach was out of the way with Keth.
Rei was out of work by this time, relaxing in the living room as Jaden was taking his turn cooking dinner. From the curses and bangs emanating from the kitchen, she was wondering how many more minutes she would hold out before she went to help him. When the phone rang, Jaden called eagerly, �I�ll get it!�
�Oh, no,� Rei said, passing through the kitchen as he rushed to wash his hands. �You�re busy, honey. I�ll get it.�
His shoulders slumped as he returned to the cutting board. They slumped lower when he heard Rei�s words and determined that the call wasn�t for him. There was no escape from the evil stove and that sharp, sharp knife.
He could have cried when he heard: �Hi Mina. No, I�m not busy. What�s going on?�
Mina sat down her bed, prepared for a good chat. �You�ll never guess what happened today. So Sere and Ami were with me at home, and then Keth brought Zach home from the airport, and��
�What?� Rei cut her off. �Keth did what?�
At Jaden�s curious look, she shut herself into the other room to talk in private.
Mina repeated, �He brought Zach home from the airport. Anyway, I didn�t think it would be such a big deal, but Ami and Zach took one look at each other and totally freaked.�
�Oh no,� Rei moaned. �I can�t believe this happened. They weren�t supposed to meet until next week! At the very earliest!�
�I�m so confused!� Mina complained. �You should have warned me. I didn�t know what the big deal would be. They got along fine in high school� if you ask me, there were some major sparks there. I thought they just lost touch over the years!�
As quickly as possible, Rei narrated the short version of the falling out Ami and Zach had had. �So they both knew they would be attending the wedding, but I guess meeting so suddenly caught them by surprise,� she finished up. �Oh, I wish it hadn�t happened! Is Ami all right?�
�Well, she seemed fine when she left,� Mina answered, �but at first she was out the door before you could say �boo.� But then, wait until you hear this! Zach went after her, and they were talking by her car. Keth and I couldn�t hear a word, but if you ask me, they seemed pretty steamed at each other.
�But somehow, they started laughing! Can you imagine? And then they came back inside, and Ami tried pretending that nothing had happened, but clearly, something was going on.�
�What?� Rei asked in surprise. �They�re okay?�
�I think �okay� is pushing it, but he got her to come inside. They didn�t see each other again before she left.�
�Okay. That�s fine. That�s good.�
Mina tried to calm her friend down. �Don�t stress, Rei. I�m sorry! I didn�t know!�
�I know, I know. I should have warned you too, but I guess I was putting it off because I�ve been a little worried about it.�
�Well, stop. They�re grown ups, not teenagers with raging hormones; they can handle a little sexual tension.�
Rei groaned again. �Mina! Ami�s engaged, remember. To Taiki.�
�Oh. Right. But still, to be perfectly honest, I think Zach�s way hotter than Taiki.�
�Mina. You�re married to Keth.�
�Oh, I know, and he�s the best looking of them all! Sorry Rei, but he�s just way yummier than Zach and Jaden. Maybe not the two of them combined, though. Just kidding, sweetie!�
Rei rolled her eyes, assuming her last remark had been directed at Keth. �Uh huh. Anyway, I know Zach�s having dinner with you two tonight, but can you tell him to come over for dinner tomorrow? Oh no, never mind, we can�t do tomorrow night. The night after that. I�m sure I won�t get a word out of Ami, so I want to grill him.�
�But I want to be there, too!� Mina complained.
�No! The less people there are, the more he�ll open up.�
The blonde perked up at that. �So you�ll share all the juicy parts with me?�
Rei sighed. �I�m not sure there are supposed to be juicy parts in this, Mina. But yes, I�ll update you after. So make sure he�s here the day after tomorrow, all right?� At Mina�s cheery affirmative, she hung up the phone.
�What�s up?� Jaden asked, his apron still on as he opened the door.
�Nothing.� Rei smiled at him innocently, deciding to keep him in the dark awhile longer.
He complained, �You girls are always leaving us out of the loop. Come on, I know Keth did something. He never does anything wrong, so you have to tell me.�
�Keth didn�t do anything. And we�re having dinner with your brother on Tuesday.� With that, Rei strolled out of the room to check on dinner.
________________________________________
That night, Ami was going over charts and leaving her usual meticulous notes for the next resident on shift on her patients. She was barely listening to one of her fellow interns telling her a story about her cousin, who wanted to enter a certain surgical subspecialty and had had to carve a nose from a bar of soap during his interview.
As her friend concluded the story and Ami responded in the appropriate fashion, she checked her watch for the time. Taiki would be picking her up for a late dinner soon, and she was starving.
She finished up quickly, sure that her comments were both legible and comprehensive. �I�m going to head out now, Maria. See you tomorrow.�
�Bye, Ami!�
She walked out of the ward and spotted Taiki sitting patiently in the waiting room by the entrance she always exited from. �Hi,� she greeted him warmly as he stood.
�Hi back,� he said. �How was your day?�
She was about to answer when Maria called her name again. Frowning, she and Taiki moved to meet the other woman.
�Oh, Ami, I�m so sorry to keep you, but I was just talking to Anna, and she seems so upset about the surgery tomorrow. None of the other interns are as familiar with her as you are, and I was wondering if you could just take a second to talk to her.�
Ami agreed quickly, then glanced at Taiki, who nodded benignly. He trailed them into the ward, and no one remarked on his presence even though he stuck out like a sore thumb.
Anna was twelve, and very bright for her age. She and Ami had gotten along right away from the time they had spent together. Tomorrow, she would be undergoing a risky surgery that surgeons from across the country would be participating in.
She looked up happily as Ami entered, and her eyes rested curiously on the very tall, brown-haired stranger behind her. �Who�s that?� she asked.
�Oh � this is Taiki Kou, a�friend of mine.�
He smiled and nodded at her. �Hello, Anna. It�s a pleasure to meet you.�
�Hi,� she whispered. Her eyes widened suddenly. �I�ve read your work. Sometimes we read your articles for social studies class. I really liked it, especially the piece on��
Ami felt regret wash through her as she realized she wasn�t keeping up with Taiki�s work and couldn�t remember the piece Anna was so familiar with. Taiki chatted with Anna for a few moments, taken by this young admirer of his.
Finally, when Anna looked back at her beseechingly, Ami drew up a chair by her bed. �Maria says you�re a little worried about tomorrow. Maybe you�d like to talk about it with me?�
Anna moved her finger across the sheets restlessly, smoothing out the wrinkles. �Will you tell me again about the procedure? You make it sound so much less scary when you go through it, step by step.�
Patiently, Ami did so, simplifying what would be done and explaining things in such a way so they were understandable and less frightening. At the end of her recital, Taiki himself thought he had a good grasp of what would be happening.
Anna seemed to be fine while Ami was speaking, asking questions here and there. But when Ami was done talking, she burst into sudden tears. �I�m still so afraid. I don�t want to die,� she sobbed.
Ami felt her heart contract in her chest. �Oh, Anna.� She had done this before, and searched for the right words to calm her down. She couldn�t say, �Don�t be afraid. You won�t die� because they had been told not to make promises they could keep. But she could reassure her as best as she could, do her best to make sure Anna was in the best possible condition for her surgery and recovery.
To her surprise, Taiki spoke up, making Anna lift her head and focus on him. �Don�t be frightened. The most important thing to do is believe you�ll get better. You have Ami here, and a group of very talented doctors who will all be watching over you. They�re going to do their very best, and you have to believe in them and yourself.
�I�m not a doctor myself, as you know � far from it. But I�ve heard of many cases where faith pulls people through. You have to believe in yourself.�
As they were walking towards the car a few moments later, Ami glanced at him, this confusing, complicated, complex man she had promised to marry who still surprised her after more than seven years together. �Thank you,� she said quietly, feeling that her words were inadequate.
The intimacy that had been present in that small room seemed to have evaporated. He only gave her an oblique look before he turned his gaze straight ahead again. �I wasn�t sure if I spoke out of turn.�
�No. It was certainly unconventional, but I think you really helped her. What a coincidence that she knew of you.�
He only nodded and didn�t say anything else.
Ami sighed, looking out at the gathering darkness outside her window as they left the bright lights of the hospital behind. She knew speaking to Anna had touched him � it had to have touched him � but she wished he would talk about it with her now instead of shutting her out.
Love at Fifth Sight
Infinite Ice
