Title: Forever is a Beginning Continuing to End
Theme: Optional Theme Twenty-Eight: "The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of the mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one." - J.D. Salinger
Genre: Romance
Version: Manga
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Mamoru will love Usagi forever.
"Usako!" I hollered, my gloved hand reached out towards her small figure racing towards the edge of the crevice. The ethereal glow of the Holy Grail illuminated the white of her sailor fuku, contrasting against the darkness of Pharaohs 90's descent upon the bay area of Tokyo. The tails of her sheer back ribbon trailed behind her, billowing up with the heat and arcing into the maroon tinted sky like delicate wings. Her long blonde hair, normally head back by simple buns, brushed against the fullness of her cheeks.
"Odango-atama," I taunted poking at one of the lumps of hair a few years ago when we had first met. She was a junior high student, the long skirt of her school girl uniform flourished about her short legs as she pivoted to engage me as a long standing antagonist.
"U-sa-gi," she gritted pulling away and shielded the injured hair bun with her petite hands. She stuck out her lower lip at me, brows furrowed, and launched another one of her verbal attacks on my character that only made my heart ache to silence her speeding lips. "And that's the truth, Chiba-san!" she huffed, sticking her tongue out to infuriate me while shaking her fist. I wanted nothing more but to take that pink numb in my mouth, swirling it with my own, and wrap my arms around her shapely waist until her little pounding fists turned into gentle caressing.
It wouldn't have mattered that it was late afternoon on a busy sidewalk in Juuban. That she was only fourteen and arguably insipidly stupid and childish in her bunny inspired wardrobe. That I was nearly seventeen and well respected and increasingly ashamed that I was simply not ashamed at watching her chest heave from flustered anger. The scarlet uniform bow fluttered quite prettily. When I could only offer a cheeky grin in reply, her nostrils flared and she stormed off in the opposite direction.
"It's better this way, Mamoru," I told myself as I rubbed my chest, wincing at her depature.
"Tsukino-san...I love you," I whispered into the darkness, tentatively feeling for her face. Wetness pooled in the palms of my hands and I recognize her voice in the muffled heaving resonating above my head.
"U-sa-gi," she replied softly using her thin gloved fingers to push my hands towards her cheeks.
I could feel the tension of her cheek muscles tighten as I rubbed my thumbs across her cheek bone and brow. "Usagi...I can't see, are you smiling?" Her voice choked as she buried her face into my hands, lashes fluttering against the roughness of my skin. "Usagi, smile, you still have the world to save from Metalia."
She rubbed her face up and down in my hands before pulling away, I felt my back lift slightly from the ground as I stretched to search for her. "Don't worry, Chibi-san, I'll be right back."
"Mam-o-ru" I teased as I felt a small gust of wind pass over me, her fuku clad self leaving to become Sailor Moon once more.
"Mamo-chan!" her round arms grasped me by the middle as she threw her weight into my back. I could feel her cherubic face snugging against the fabric of my pink shirt.
"Usako," I greeted warmly turning inside of her arms to face her, pushing her messed bangs away from her eyes. Her face was alight with happiness, grinning from cheek to cheek, but her eyes circled across my face. "What is it, Usako?"
A small breath escaped her pillow lips as she let go of my waist in favor of my arm and led me towards the lake in the center of the park. The hem of her pink dress adorned with white bunnies lightly brushed the side of my leg as we walked, her steps hurried with my long strides. She abruptly stopped and began peering around our immediate area, not knowing that in only a few short minutes a pink haired child would ruin all her planning. "Usako?" I questioned as she finished checking behind a nearby empty bench. She giggled in reply, flushing.
"I just had to make sure, Mamo-chan," she laughed nervously, pressing the tips of her fingers together, "because I love you, too." I threw both of my arms around her bunny dressed self and embraced her as if we were on a busy sidewalk in Juuban so many months ago.
"Mamo-chan?" Usagi questioned softly, pushing curls of pink hair away from Chibi Usa's sleeping face. Our little time traveler was nestled safely in a large blanket, presently on my couch. Usagi was bent over her, admiring her small features and touching her own in comparison.
"Yes, Usako?" I answered settling myself down beside her and kissed the top of her nose once she finished tapping it.
"Mmm..." she leaned against my shoulder. I absently fiddled with one of her buns, loosening it from the side of her head. "Chibi Usa means we'll be together in the future."
"And happy," I added, recalling Chibi Usa's stories of the King and Queen of Crystal Tokyo.
"Forever?" she asked softly, pulling away from my shoulder to look up at me.
"Forever," I smiled, tugging her other bun free before rising from the floor. She gave me a quizzical look, pushing herself off the carpet to join me.
"I'll be with you forever," I breathed engulfing one of her hands with my own and leading her towards the bedroom door, "I'll love you forever." She flushed, shyly looking up through her long bangs, before crossing the threshold of the doorway.
Super Sailor Moon smiled in response, her large pale eyes squinting in reassurance, as she hurled her body into the black mass of Pharaohs 90 and dissolved from sight.