The calm and clear afternoon in the middle of the fall was interrupted by a single powerful statement.

"Rei and I are going to get engaged." Makoto announced

Time seemed to stand still to both Rei and Makoto. Half of a ricecake stuck out of Usagi's mouth. Ami held onto her book while her face slowly gained a darker red hue. Minako just looked on with a gaping mouth and two unblinking eyes. Chibiusa turned her head and had the most normal expression of the group. Rei wished that the others could have been here; Michuru and Hakura would have clapped and congratulated the new couple, Setsuna would nodded and move on, and Hotaru would have the same expression as Chibiusa.

Minako opened up first. "Congrats…"

"I think we need to explain." Rei turned to Makoto while patting her shoulder. "Should I start…"

"May I?"

"Go ahead!" Rei giggled as she kissed Makoto on the cheek.

Makoto cleared her throat. "Okay…you girls remember our fight with the giant Gojira-wannabe six months ago?" The other girls nodded their heads, both in remembrance and acknowledging they were still alive and conscious. "Okay, okay. Makoto and I got trapped inside of a building, right?"

"And…" Minako fixed her jaw so it could work properly again. "…I remember seeing Makoto carrying Rei out of the building. Both were in their regular clothes, minus Makoto's shirt, which she ripped off to make a bandage for Rei's head…"

"I leapt into the building to avoid being hit by the monster's tail." Rei started to explain. "However, I bashed my head into a concrete wall. I…" Rei trailed off, obviously not having some good memories about that day. "…couldn't move. All I could was watch the blood from my head seep out…"

"I found her." Makoto cut off Rei with a prompt hug. "I had to move her; the monster reached inside of the building to grab her. Thankfully, Usagi managed to hit it with her tiara attack…" Makoto pointed to said girl, who smiled and nodded. "…so I thought it would be safe to depower the both of us and tend to Rei's injuries. I bandaged her up, got her out and got her to the nearest hospital while the others finished off the monster." She breathed out. "Touch-and-go for a bit. Didn't leave her side…" Now it was Makoto's turn to shake a bit. Rei took ahold of Makoto's hand and firmly grasped it.

"I don't remember Rei being in a hospital…" Ami asked. "I'm guessing you didn't stay long."

"I healed fast enough to get out fairly fast. "Rei flipped her hair around to reveal a small surgical scar. "Still had to get this though." She continued. "I got a little sedative to calm me down…but then I started to say somethings I wanted to keep secret." She started to blush. "I'm just thankful that only Makoto heard me." Makoto wasn't the one to blush, but a slight red tint appeared on her cheeks. "She confronted me after the fast operation…"

"And I admitted I had a little thing for her myself." Makoto looked down. "And then Rei ruined the moment by grabbing me."

"I was still feeling a little drowsy!" Rei defended herself. "Not that you minded last night…"

"That's different!" Makoto laughed out.

"I'll take my leave now." Chibiusa blankly stated. "I know better." She put on her backpack and walked off without another word.

"Anyway." Rei picked up where they left off before Makoto took the conservation onto a different track. "After I fully regained my senses, I asked Makoto on a private date. Just to test the waters, you know?" She took a sip from a long-cold coffee. "A meet-up at a good restaurant I found, Nothing that special…"

"And then we engaged in a full minute-on kiss out in public." Makoto tapped her hands together. "Got us a few weird looks…but I gave the onlookers a evil eye and they returned to their seats. We paid, and went to my home to spend the evening together…"

"I THOUGHT YOU SAID YOU WERE LEAVING!" Usagi barked towards a peeping Chibiusa. The little girl let out a scared 'eep' before beating a hasty retreat."Sorry, continue."

"We didn't do anything that sexual…hell." Rei sighed. "Makoto gave me her bed while she slept on the couch."

"I like sleeping on my couch!" Makoto defended herself. "It's a nice, comfy couch! You all should sleep on it at least once!"

"Anyway…" Rei patted Makoto on the head to calm her down. "After spending a night together; a good movie and some buttery popcorn later, we both decided to continue like this and see where it took us…" She put her hands in the air. "And then just last week, Makoto gave me this…" She reached into her pocket and pulled out a shiny ring with two gems; one ruby and one emerald. "…we're going to tell you guys earlier…but we got cold feet each time." Rei put on the ring, feeling ready to display it out in public. "I think now we're going to stop hiding and just admit it loud."

"REI HINO AND MAKOTO KINO ARE GETTING MARRIED IN TWO MONTHS!" Makoto shouted at the top of her lungs, alerting everyone in the café. Some people got up and left, and others clapped and cheered. "We still haven't decided who's the bride and the groom, and whose last name is going to change the first letter."

"Rei Kino…Makoto Hino…" Ami tapped a finger on her chin. "Not much of a difference there…"

"Can I come?" Chibiusa poked her head around the corner again, right before Usagi's mean face forced the little girl into her final escape.

While the other girls talked vibrantly with the new couple, Minako poked at her food. Rei and Makoto were definitely in love. Holding each other's hands, kissing the other every so often, talking passionately about their love…Minako pined for such things. Love like that never came to her before. She had a few boyfriends before, but they never got anywhere far nor anything as strong as Makoto and Rei's relationship. Minako's eyes turned to see Usagi returning to the table with a small heart-shaped chocolate cake decorated with a fine ganache.

Minako long wanted to share such a cake with Usagi. Perhaps she would the courage to speak up one day….

…no.

No.

Not one day. Now.