Hello darlings (I've been watching Downton Abbey, so my vocabulary is now very much British!)
I'm sorry if you were disappointed to receive the email alert and thought "oh God, she finally updated INTL," just to have your hopes crushed!
I promise you that I'm vigorously working on the new chapter of "It's never too late". But I feel that the story has entered its pinnacle and it is very important to me not to rush anything. I was a little criticised on my first story "Her Eyes" about how fast the last two chapters ran. I'm trying to avoid making that mistake again.
So please, bear with me a little longer. I can promise you that the new chapter is going to be great.
This little story is just something that has been on my mind, at least the whole plot had been on my mind for a while. And well, Vancouver has been nothing but rain and slippery roads for the past few weeks, and you know what, one's get tired and bored!
Anyways, Voila! Here's a foggy/rainy/slippery day one shot story about our beloved couple.
I'm not sure if you have any memory of duchess (princess) Rubina in Sailor Moon SuperS? If not, let me refresh your memory.
She was the pretty young princess (her appearance resembled Princess Diana actually!) that chose to run away from her duties as a princess. In doing so, she met Usagi and Chibi-Usa in the fire festival and ended up spending her "freedom" day with them. At some point, she meets Mamoru who knows who she is and urges her to return to her home, to people who are worrying about her and love her. During this brief interaction, the duchess sports a very well-known blush (the one that seemingly every woman has when speaking to Mamoru during the show). The Chiba family (you know who they are!) give the duchess a ride back to her hotel at the end of the episode, where Rubina thanks all of them, Mamoru especially, for showing her the path (she directs her gratitude towards Mamoru with the same blush!)
This episode inspired me to come up with a lengthy one shot.
Anyways, I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed putting it into words!
Enjoy.
She could still hear the faint humming of the cars even though her room was probably on the very last floors of the luxurious hotel.
Tokyo was always lit with lights and rowdy with murmuring voices.
Her dark eyes wondered away from the darkness of the room and ventured out to the sky. The moon was breathtaking; it really didn't need all the little shining stars around it, the young princess thought, the moon was always gorgeous on its own.
"Duchess?" the whispered like call jolted her out of her own world.
"Yes?"
"Would you like to eat some dinner?"
She pondered a little before nodding her head in the dark, "I'm not hungry. Thank you."
The young hotel maid regarded the silhouette of the young royalty for a moment before exiting the room and closing the door with a faint click.
Princess Rubina stared out the window once again, wishing upon stars that she would meet him again.
"But Mamo-chan, you promised," Usagi whined as she regarded her boyfriend with a displeased look and a deep pout.
"I'm sorry Usako. Everyone in our class is going, and besides, it's going to look great on my application," Mamoru said as he continued typing without pause.
The petite blonde stared at his hands as they clicked and clacked swiftly on the keyboard, making words she was sure she would blank out at. And even though his typing was fast, Usagi couldn't help but notice how his fingers seemed to flow over the little keys, long and soft digits moving gracefully as if performing the most exquisite piece ever heard on a piano. Her face heated up when she remembered how those same hands had made small circles and patterns against her skin not too long ago.
"Usako?" her vision cleared and she met Mamoru's apologizing eyes, "I'll make it up to you, okay? I promise," he said as he stood up and stretched out his arms.
"I'm holding you to that Mamo-chan," she said, suddenly back to her cheery self as she thought of all the things Mamoru could, would, do to make amends with her for bailing out on their date.
"Oh man, I hate late hour conferences, I mean, why can't they schedule something around like nine in the morning?" Kobayashi complained as he flopped down on a seat next to Mamoru.
"The earliest you've woke up this week was 10," Mamoru pointed out as he nodded his head to a classmate settling on a row ahead of them.
"Noon, then," the brown-haired man declared.
"It wasn't mandatory. You should've just skipped it,"
"And have you get all the extra points on your application? I refuse to let you win everything Chiba-san…" he half-joked and Mamoru chuckled. Leave it to Kobayashi to make a competition out of a humanitarian conference, amongst so many other things.
They both turned their attention towards the podium when the screeching sound of the microphone was heard. Mamoru cringed, Kobayashi wailed!
"Sorry," the middle-aged woman behind the mic said with an apologizing bow. She waited patiently as the chatter of audience slowly died down before she cleared her throat and gave them a gentle smile, "First of all, let me thank everyone of you for being here tonight. I always know that the world is not totally off track when I see a room filled with young and ambitious faces, eager to make our society a better place. And I praise you for it," she did another half bow as the crowd applauded.
"Now, let me ask our speakers to join me on the stage. We have an interesting panel for you tonight. Philanthropists and human-rights activists, and one very special guest, who were once students just like you; in fact, some of them are still in school and it warms my heart to see this generation's willingness to lend a hand to people in need," she made an elegant gesture with her hand to stop the crowd from clapping any further, "my name is Ito Aiko and I am honoured to be your host for the night. Please join me in welcoming our guest speakers on the stage," she then turned towards the back of the podium and started clapping.
"1, 2, 3…5 speakers? Man, we are going to be here all night," Kobayashi mumbled as the panel took their seats and the crowd around them started murmuring, "What's going on, is that…" he wiggled on his seat to get a better look at the blonde who was adorned in a dark blue pleated skirt and a white shirt. A small medallion shining on her chest, "Isn't that, that princess…wait, her name is on the tip of my tongue…"
"Princess Rubina," Mamoru whispered, his eyes following the tall beauty as she straightened her back and crisscrossed her ankles with an elegance only a princess could possess.
"And with that, let my parting words be a tribute to Mother Theresa who once said: 'peace begins with a smile,'. We can only achieve peace if our minds and hearts are in sink with one another, and that smile…" she paused and looked around the room, "can belong to every single one of you. Thank you," the princess let out a deep breath she hadn't even realized she was holding in when the uproar of clapping registered in her mind. Her eyes wandered the crowd and tried to locate the familiar face once again. She wasn't sure if she had seen right, and she wondered for a moment if her mind was playing tricks on her.
"Shall we princess?" she came out of her reverie when Ito-san gestured to the backstage, letting her know that they had to leave the podium.
She was let into a small room that was adorned with a beautiful bouquet of lilies, the same one that one of the activists had handed to her as soon as she had stepped on the stage. On the small table in the middle a tray of refreshments, along with a green teapot was placed; the small beige couch seemed comfortable, "Thank you so much for joining us tonight your highness. I was truly overjoyed when Maeda-san informed me that you would be able to spare a few hours of your time," Ito-san said with a polite smile.
Rubina offered a similar smile and leaned back against the couch, "It was an honour to be here Ito-san. Your organization has done a tremendous work in promoting awareness on world issues. I am fascinated by the amount of work you and your team have done," she said with genuine awe.
The older woman's smile widened, "I'm humbled by your words princess. But to be completely honest, I am very proud of my team. They inspire me every day and with each passing moment, I am more confident that our hard work will pay off in a near future. The world is entering a new era, with new technologies and new challenges; and I think it is important more than ever to protect our values."
The princess smiled gently once again as she accepted a cup of lavender green tea from Maeda-san.
"We decided to skip the Q and A session and instead, let our audience chat and mingle with the speakers after the talk. Would you like to join us, your highness?" Maeda-san asked; his hopeful eyes betraying his calm exterior.
She was tired and the nude pantyhose she was wearing was rather uncomfortable. She was determined to reject the old college professor's request when an image of his eyes flashed in her mind.
What if her mind hadn't played any trick on her?
"I would be delighted Maeda-san."
"Should I bring you a ladder?"
Kobayashi ignored Yuki's snide comment and kept bouncing on his toes to be able to look above everyone's head, "I don't see her…" he said, "Do you think she left?"
Mamoru took another small sip of his soda and rolled his eyes, "I thought you were bored and wanted to leave," he raised his eyebrows as soon as the other man glanced at him.
"Can you blame me? That third speaker went on and on…I thought I was never going to see the end of it!"
"You seem to enjoy the princess's' speak though," Yuki mocked once more. She was about to continue her teasing when a voice interrupted them.
"Chiba-san, I'm so glad you could make it," Maeda-san walked up to the group as his students bowed to him dutifully.
"I wouldn't have missed it Sempai. It's a great cause," Mamoru answered politely, his soda can abandoned at a nearby table.
The professor nodded his head at Kobayashi and Yuki before turning his head towards a nearing figure, "Your Highness, may I introduce some of my best students," his tone was courteous and gentle.
Mamoru felt how Kobayashi tensed up beside him, sucking in a deep inhale and he couldn't help the small titter that left his throat.
The princess stopped in front of them, Ito-san at her toes.
She was much more poised than the other night, and Mamoru couldn't help but think that she was probably a little uncomfortable as well. She seemed like an ordinary girl that night, he had spoken to her as if she was an ordinary girl, but tonight, she was a true royalty.
He did a bow, along with his friends, and noticed that the chatter around them had died down; it was not an everyday occurrence to meet a live princess after all.
An image of a certain perky blonde flashed in his mind's eye, reminding him that he got to see one hell of a royalty every single day; and what a royalty she was. If anyone met Usagi right now, they wouldn't believe how her future-self would behave, all elegance, soft curves and tender genteel; he smiled inwardly, realizing how he adored and cherished the clumsy and cheerful side of her, as much as he would love the sultry and gracious queen she would become.
"Pleasure to meet you," the princess's' soft voice penetrated his ears and he raised his eyes towards her.
"It's an honour to meet you, Your Highness," Mamoru said, side staring at Kobayashi who was looking at her as if she was an unknown creature, his mouth a little gaped. He cleared his voice softly, trying to get his friend's attention.
"You're gorgeous…" Kobayashi mumbled and as soon as the words left his mouth, his whole face turned beet red, "I mean…I…wha…It's an honour, your majesty, I mean…" he stuttered, looking at the princess with wide eyes, shaking his head vigorously as if trying to find an escape.
Yuki seemed to take pity on her embarrassed classmate, "We enjoyed your speech very much, your highness. It was very inspirational and encouraging," she said, and she was able to distract everyone out of their suppressed laughter, except for Kobayashi who was still shaking his head.
Rubina smiled at the smaller girl with distraction.
She was unfocused, and she knew the cause.
It turned out that her mind was telling her the truth after all, and as her eyes landed on him once again, she knew the tugging of her heart was not a sign of stage fright anymore.
"Can you move any slower?"
"Can it Hino, I was half asleep you know. I can't force my brain to pace up," Usagi hissed as she lazily threw on her jacket and smoothed out the edges.
Rei rolled her eyes and stood up from the blonde's bed, "speak about the things you actually have Odango," she flicked Usagi on the forehead.
"Why you…" Usagi's eyes narrowed and she slapped Rei's hand away. The miko's laughter further irked her.
"Why is this important again?" Usagi asked as they stepped out to the dark street.
"You called me in the middle of the night to talk about that stupid movie the other night! Why was that important?" the other teenager shot.
It was Usagi's turn to roll her eyes heavenward, "jeez, Rei-chan. You don't need to get back at me all the time."
"Payback is a bitch Tsukino," the miko said, as she wound her arm around Usagi's forearm, "now move it."
"Chiba-san, how are…um," she paused for a moment, trying to remember if she was getting the names correctly, "…Usagi and Chibi-Usa," she continued quickly before Mamoru could finish her sentence.
He smiled, much like the way he'd smiled at her the other night, and her heart clenched once more.
"They're fine, your highness…"
"Rubina…" she urged him with bright eyes, "please, I think we're past formalities," she could feel the blush rising on her cheeks as he chuckled and nodded his head in agreement, "as you wish, Rubina-san. My informal name, then, is Mamoru," he added.
'Mamo-chan…' a small voice whispered in her mind and she tasted the name; it would be highly inappropriate to call him that, right? Her cheeks burned brighter.
"Mamoru-kun, are you ready?" Yuki came up to the pair, eyeing Rubina as she did so, "for dinner?" she added when she met Mamoru's questioning gaze, "you can't bail on us Mamoru-kun, not this time. You promised," she folded her arms against her chest and raised an eyebrow at her raven-haired classmate.
Mamoru was hesitant. He'd already missed his date with Usagi that evening, and he was hoping to at least speak to her on the phone before she went to bed.
Looking at his watch, he sighed; she was probably already asleep anyways.
"Why don't you join us, your highness?"
His head shot up and looked at the two girls. Typical Yuki, he thought, treating everyone as if they were her close friends; without a care for their status and titles. It was why Mamoru enjoyed her company. She always treated him like he was anyone else; unlike his other female classmates!
Rubina was uncomfortable. She wasn't used to this kind of treatment from anyone; saved for the little blonde and her cousin the other day! But the two girls with strange hairstyles hadn't known who she was! Would they have befriended her that easily if they'd known?
'He's going to be there,' that voice whispered in her mind again and her reply was instantaneous, "You won't mind personal guards?" she asked sheepishly, glancing at Tanaka-san who was standing a few steps away from her.
Mamoru laughed this time, "I make friends with personal guards faster than you'd think," he looked at her, the smile still lingering on his lips.
God…those eyes.
Was it possible to blush even more?
"To princess Rubina and her new group of friends," Yuki raised her sake while the other occupants of the table mimicked her.
"To princess Rubina," Kobayashi and Mamoru said at the same time.
Rubina smiled with reddened face and bumped her own sake glass with the group; she quickly looked away when her eyes met Mamoru's blue ones.
They were on their second glasses, saved for Mamoru who was still sipping on his first and laughing at Kobayashi's teasing, "Come on Mamoru-kun, you can do better than that," he said, trying to pour more sake in his half-empty glass, "we won't tell your girlfriend," he wiggled his eyebrows, as if he knew something hidden from everyone else.
Mamoru simply laughed and shook his head, "I have an early class tomorrow morning, and…"
"You always have early classes Mamoru-kun. Live a little," Yuki cheered and grabbed the sake bottle from Kobayashi, "I'm surprised how you are with someone like Usagi-chan, I mean," she managed to fill Mamoru's glass and wink at him at the same time, "she's so lively and bouncy and…" she paused, sake bottle still clutched in her hand, "and loud!"
Mamoru laughed again, "well you know what they say…" he brought his glass to his mouth, "couples should complement each other," he took a longer sip this time.
Rubina watched him with interest, learning more things about him as the night went on.
She'd learned that he was going to be a doctor, a pediatrician. She'd learned that he volunteered at the local orphanage in Minato, where he spent some of his weekends with the children, "they call him 'onii-san," Yuki had declared, it was probably why Maeda-san was so eager to introduce him to her, "he's a humanitarian at heart," the old professor had told her.
She now knew that he was the student at the school; the straight A kind, with a full scholarship and all. The kind that excelled at everything and was probably envied by everyone.
She learned how his eyes brightened up when he'd speak about the children at the orphanage, how his lips would rise into a small smirk when his friends would tease him relentlessly. How he was oblivious to the waitress's obvious flirtatious tone, asking him, and only him, if he needed anything else.
She'd learned all of this by simply staring at him, taking extra cautious not to get caught. How would it look like, she wondered, if the esteem princess was seen eyeing an ordinary college student, no doubt with a blush on her face?
"How is Usagi-chan these days?" the other girl's voice made Rubino focus on her surroundings once more.
She looked over at Mamoru, noticing the tiny amused smile on his face, "she's fine. Busy with school and her friends…"
"And video games," Kobayashi interrupted as he chucked down the remaining liquid in his glass.
Mamoru raised an eyebrow at him, "yes, and video games."
"How old is she?" Rubina asked with genuine interest. She had deemed the girl no older than 15, aside from her obvious childish demeanor, she had this quality about her that the princes just couldn't name.
"She'll be 16 in a few months," he answered politely and she frowned a little, "isn't she a little young Mamoru-san?" she couldn't help but the question, a little curious, a little intentional!
"Thank you," Kobayashi suddenly cried out, making the other three jump out of their skins. The princess glanced over at Tanaka-san was moving towards her and stopped him with a small shake of her head.
"See Chiba-san, I told you she's too young for you," the brown-haired man continued.
As a princess, Rubina was taught from a very young age how to read body language. How to understand signs of satisfaction, misconduct, bluff, irritation in a political meeting. When the other person was always trying to seal their true colours from her.
So it didn't take long for her to notice that Mamoru was quite bored of the conversation they were having. Either because it was almost 10:00 pm, or because he had had the same conversation with the other guy numerous times.
"Be quite Kobayashi-kun, mind your own business," Yuki snapped at her friend and took away his sake glass, "I think you had enough," she held the bottle out of the man's reach.
From the side of her eye, Rubina saw Mamoru trying to suppress a yawn and for some reason, she panicked. She hadn't been able to speak to him, without his friend's comments and interference.
She really wanted to spend some time with him. Just a little longer. He was probably the first man that had treated her as if she was anyone else. Not caring about formalities, courtesies and the royal extravagant.
And she couldn't help herself but be drawn to him.
"Mamoru-san?" she leaned towards him, getting his attention. He looked over at her and leaned closer as well.
Her voice was low, concealed almost in the loud bantering of their other two companions.
"I would love to hear more about the orphanage," she said quickly, all the while ashamed of the fact that she was half lying, "I'm visiting a juvenile correction center tomorrow and I think," she paused, trying to put the pieces in her mind together, "I think I can use your brain on a few ideas I have," at least that part wasn't totally fictional!
He seemed hesitant again, a fact that saddened her a little, but then, princess Rubina didn't know Chiba Mamoru that well. She didn't know the gentleman that lived inside of the young man; and without knowing, she had touched on a very important topic to him.
"I know a small kissaten nearby," he said after a moment, "I hope you like tea," he continued and then turned his head towards his friends.
Rubina turned to look at Tanaka-san with a victorious smile, thinking of all the reasons she could give her bodyguard to stay in the car.
"Didn't we just pass that building?" Usagi asked with confusion.
Rei was looking around, knowing too well that she had probably gotten them lost, but rather unwilling to break the news to Usagi.
"Come on, this way," she said, putting more speed in her pace.
"Rei-chan, it's almost 11:00 I'm tired…," Usagi whined before a grumbling sound made her stop in her tracks, "…and I'm hungry. Are you sure you have the right address?"
"Yes, I'm sure Odango… I mean," Rei stopped a few steps ahead and looked around, "at least I think I do. Uuuuurg," she took a glance at her watch and threw her hands up in irritation, "I've probably already missed it anyway. They said the show would go on until 10, at the most," she said.
Usagi walked towards her friend, "I'm sorry Rei-chan, I know you really wanted to see the performance," she grabbed her friend's hand, "can we now please find the way back home? I need to be fed," she pouted and gave Rei the best puppy dog eye she could manage.
Themiko rolled her eyes for the millionth time that night, with a certain amusement more than anything else, "come on Odango. Let's find you some food."
The small tea house was located in one of the lower key areas of Roppongi, tucked away in a small street with little shops and a small bakery surrounding it. Rubina looked around the wooden interior of the tea house, all dark colours, and musky smell. The shopkeeper was a gentle who'd smiled at them the moment they had entered through the sliding door. The place was almost empty, if you didn't count the man sitting alone near the front, and the middle-aged couple talking quietly with one another.
Her eyes settled back on the dark-haired man sitting across from her. He was twirling around the tea in his cup, his eyes watching the action intensely. She looked at his hands, long fingers and clean nails, graceful; 'and warm?' she thought to herself and immediately smacked herself internally.
What was she doing, thinking things like this? The man in front of her was taken, he had someone in his life…'but, what if…maybe…'
"I hope you don't mind me choosing the place," Mamoru's voice rose, "I just thought," he half shrugged, "maybe you wanted to keep a low profile?"
The princess smiled; she had wanted to keep a low profile indeed, which is why she had left her royal medallion in the car; along with Tanaka-san.
"Do you come here often?" she asked as she picked up her white teacup;
He finally looked up and met her eyes, "Not really no," he stopped playing with his cup and looked around them, "I came across this place a while ago; it suddenly started pouring rain and I had to take shelter somewhere. And as soon as I walked in, it gave me a feeling…"he paused and met her eyes with a quick glance again; he let out an embarrassed laugh and scratched his neck, "I'm not making sense, am I?"
She couldn't take her eyes off him. She had never met anyone who was so normal, so himself…so…so…
"May I ask you something?" his question cut her off-guard, and she found herself dumbfounded for a moment; she only nodded once; his eyes were boring into her, she couldn't look at his eyes anymore.
"Is it hard? To be a princess I mean," he leaned forward in his seat.
She was at a loss for words. She hadn't expected that question at all. She had plotted this "talk" with him, thinking that she would have to exchange ideas and visions with him the whole time. This conversation was friendly, intimate…she thanked the stars for her luck.
"I suppose so…the responsibility," she said after a moment of finding the right words, "the responsibility is sometimes, overbearing…I feel its weight on my shoulders all the time," she said, not knowing why she was being this forward and open with a man that was very much a stranger; she kind of fancied him of course, but he was still a stranger.
But he was listening to her attentively, a kind that was not out of politeness or respect, but complete and utter fascination.
She could clearly see it in his eyes. She was a junior politician after all.
"I..."
She had barely opened her mouth when the sliding door opened sharply, announcing the entrance of new customers.
"Those low life, idiot, stupid boys…" a loud screech penetrated their senses and Rubina blanched at the scream. Loud and sudden noises were always considered a threat in her world.
She looked up at Mamoru who had stood up and turned as soon as the door was opened.
"Let me go at them…" the slim girl shouted once more as she was pushed into the tea house by someone else.
"Calm down Rei-chan…"
Rubina noticed how Mamoru's back suddenly tensed as he stood up taller. She eyed the entrance with curiosity, wondering what he'd seen.
The sliding door was closed finally, the angry girl fully inside, along with a whirl of gold and blue.
The princess's' eyes widened.
Wasn't that…
"Usako?"
Both girls turned towards them quickly, the blonde's hands still on the taller girl's shoulders. They looked at Mamoru with wide eyes and apparent fright; they looked like children who were just caught eating the last piece of the pie!
"Mamo-chan?"
Mamoru walked towards them, gesturing to the old shopkeeper with his hand, as if saying "it's okay, they're okay!"
"What are…what are you doing here?" the girl asked as Mamoru stood before them; she had to crook her head to be able to look at him.
"What are you doing here?" he asked instead, doing a once over on both girls, "What happened? Why were you yelling?" he continued as he gestured towards their table, "come on, sit down," he said.
Both girls looked over at her and she found herself smiling at them, a little nervously, and nodded her head in acknowledgment.
Usagi looked at her with a little frown on her face and then looked back at her boyfriend, "Mamo-chan?" her tone was a little demanding, and maybe a little hurt.
Mamoru met her gaze nonchalantly, "let's sit," he repeated and then grabbed Usagi's hand and pulled her gently.
They all stood there for a moment, eyeing one another before Mamoru cleared his throat and made introductions.
"Usako, you remember princ…Rubina-san, right? Rei-chan, this is Rubina-san…an…acquaintance of mine," he added with a pause.
The raven-haired beauty bowed slightly to her, but the suspicious look she had been giving Rubina from the beginning hadn't stopped.
"It's nice to see you again Usagi-chan," the princess said with a gentle smile, albeit pretentious; the last thing she wanted was to be seen by Mamoru's girlfriend in fact; no matter how much she liked her.
"Um, you too Rubina-san," the little blonde mumbled and settled on a chair adjoined Mamoru's.
"So, what are you doing here? Better yet, what are doing out this late?" Mamoru asked Usagi, who was still sporting the little frown.
"Uhh…we wanted to," she paused and looked at her friend.
Rei was still eyeing Rubina, and failing at trying to be discreet, "Amuro Namie was performing at Kaguwa tonight and I got tickets from a classmate. I didn't want to go alone, so…" she immediately averted her eyes when Rubina looked at her, "I asked Usagi-chan to go with me,"
"Kaguwa? How did you end up here, then?" Mamoru's question was obviously addressed at the raven-haired teenager, but his gaze was still at Usagi, who was looking away from him.
"We got lost…" Rei answered absentmindedly, her eyes were back on Rubina, "I'm sorry, but who are you again?"
She took another sip of her now cold tea and smiled slowly, "I met Usagi-chan and Mamoru-san at the fire festival the other night, and they were kind enough to give me a ride back to my hotel…"
"Oh my God..." Rei suddenly cried, making them jump out of their skins, "Rei-chan…" Usagi hissed at her friend.
"You're her …that princess," the miko exclaimed excitedly, ignoring Usagi's protest altogether.
The petite blonde watched her friend with confusion and then looked back at Rubina, "what princess?" she did a double take on Rubina, "what are you talking about Rei-chan?"
"Oh Usagi...don't you watch the news?" Rei had obviously realized how loud her voice was; she'd probably noticed Rubina's quick intake of breath when she had yelled her identity, because now she was whispering, "What am I saying, of course, you don't!" she sighed.
Usagi's little face immediately turned sour, "Yes I do…sometimes."
"Why were you yelling? Who were you yelling at?" Mamoru intervened as if the last minute of the girl's conversation hadn't happened at all.
Rei did a dismissal gesture with her hand, "at some silly boys who thought they're better than us," she looked at Mamoru who raised his eyebrows, "they were being rude, so I put them in their place."
"Picking up fights with boys this late at night…Rei-chan you never seize to amaze me," Mamoru said as his eyes settled on the blonde beside him again, "do you want anything to eat?" he asked her gently, even though she was still looking away from him.
"I'm not hungry,"
"Weren't you close to fainting 10 minutes ago? Deafening me with your loud wailing?"
"I DID NOT,"
"Did too,"
"Did not…"
"Enough," Mamoru's stern voice rose above their bantering, "I'll order something for you both," he stood up, "Usako, wanna come with me?"
"No," she said and folded her arms against her chest.
Mamoru watched her for a second, before letting out a semi-frustrated sigh and walking away.
Rubina could tell that the small blonde was mad; it was probably not the greatest feeling to see one's boyfriend with a random woman, late at night in a tea house! She really couldn't blame her. But a tiny part of her was being rebellious, telling her that what she'd done wasn't wrong. She was simply having tea with a new friend.
"What are you doing here with Mamo-chan, Rubina-san?" Usagi's straightforward question took the princess by surprise and she found herself stuttering a little.
"We met at a conference tonight, you know…the one…" Usagi's face expression told her that she did know which conference she was talking about, "well, then. And afterward, we went to dinner with Mamoru-san's classmates, Yuki-san and Kobayashi-san…"
"Where are they?" the blonde asked suspicious.
Rubina glanced at where Mamoru was speaking to the old man, hoping that he would come to her rescue; dealing with jealous girlfriends wasn't her best forte!
"Well, we wanted to talk about some of the ideas I have about local orphanages and…"
"I ordered you some snacks, they really don't serve food here," his voice washed over Rubina and she exhaled, letting the tension of the last two minutes leaving her body.
He settled back on his seat and turned towards Rubina, "I ordered some more tea for you Rubina-san," he said as he eyed her cold and abandoned cup.
The smile she gave him was a little too bright, a little too obnoxious maybe, but she couldn't help herself, "Arigato Mamoru-san."
He smiled back at her and averted his eyes back to his gloomy girlfriend, "how's Chibi-Usa?" he asked her, bending his head slightly so he could catch her eyes.
Usagi turned away some more and mumbled an incoherent "okay".
He was about to say something else when a younger man appeared at their table and started putting down a few plates. Rei poured fresh steaming tea into four cups, setting one in front of Usagi.
"Weren't you hungry?" Mamoru asked Usagi when she only eyed the food spread in front of her, without so much as lifting a finger.
"I lost my appetite," she said under her breath and then looked at her small pink wristwatch, "I'm late. Rei-chan, are you ready to leave?"
"Leave? We just got here. Besides, if we knew where we were, we would've gone home by now Usagi-chan," Rei answered with a roll of her eyes.
"Eat and then I'll get you home," Mamoru said gently, as he put a small sandwich on the empty plate in front of Usagi.
"Is past my curfew, besides," she looked between her boyfriend and the elegant blonde beside him, "I'm sure your conversation with Rubina-san is not finished yet," she made a move to stand up when a warm hand settled on her shoulder, "it's already well past your curfew; I'll speak to Tsukino-san," Mamoru said in a soft tone, "and whatever Rubina-san and I want to talk about, we can say it in your presence," he tried to keep his touch light and undemanding, but Rei could see a certain desperation in his eyes.
Usagi pondered for a moment before settling back on her seat. The same hand that was on her shoulder traced a soft line on her neck and worked its way up to her cheek, "Usako," he called, his tone only recognizable to a lover that had lived more than one lifetime to be with him; and she finally met his eyes, "please eat your sandwich."
She stared at his eyes and Rubina felt her stomach do a weird twist.
Rei handed a fresh cup of hot tea to her friend who was setting a new record for devouring a sandwich under 30 seconds.
Rubina watched the girl with wide eyes. She had never witnessed a girl eat like that; scratch that, she'd never witnessed anyone eat like that!
"So Rubina-san, you were saying?" she glanced back at Mamoru who was turned towards her once more, apparently unaffected by the way his girlfriend was choking herself to death!
"Um…I," her eyebrows went up when Usagi swallowed down the last bite of her meal, a satisfied smile on her face.
Mamoru followed the princesses'' eyes and looked softly at his own princess, "better?"
Bright blue eyes, underlined with a satiated hint looked back at him, "much," she said as she gave him a tiny smile; even though he could still see the uncertainty in her eyes.
He found himself drawn to her; two lifetimes, endless challenges, multiple deaths and crawling back to life hadn't changed the fact that she could still take his breath away.
Rubina quickly averted her eyes, feeling a blush rising on her face again; but this time, for a totally different reason.
She wasn't used to this kind of display of affection; in her world, feelings were sealed and hidden, never to be shown to the public. Even if it was as simple as kissing the forehead.
Rei cleared her throat, "Could you please? Single people are sitting here you know," she teased, although a familiar smirk was plastered on her face.
Usagi's face turned red and Mamoru smiled at her discomfort; he never thought he'd see the day that his action would embarrass Usagi; but then again, looking at the tiny lines around her mouth, he knew she was anything but!
Just then, the sliding door was pushed open and a bark of laughter rushed inside, along with heavy, uneven footsteps.
"Oy, jiji*," a slurred voice called, "give us sake eh?" all heads were turned towards the two teenagers who were trying to occupy a table near the entrance and failing miserably in their drunken state.
Usagi gasped when she saw them as soon as Rei let out an irritated huff, "those idiots…"
"Do you know them?" Mamoru inquired even though he had a good guess of exactly how the girls beside him knew those boys!
"They're the idiots that tried to bully us…" Rei hissed.
Mamoru raised his eyebrows, "and I suppose, they didn't succeed?"
Two sets of large eyes regarded him with mockery, "Mamoru-san…" Rei started.
"Have you met us?" Usagi finished, her lips pushed out, one eyebrow raised, the exact same face she always made when Mamoru would ask the most obvious question, like 'are you hungry?' when she'd meet him after school at the arcade.
"Yo, look who's here…" they all turned once more, "It's the ninja girls," one of the boys said. He had a tiny stud earring in his left ear and the collar of the black jacket he had on was a little torn, "What up koibito**?" he rose from his chair and neared their table.
"Get lost," Rei hissed noticing how Mamoru draped his arm behind Usagi's chair.
"Come on now, we mean no harm," he added with a grin, doing a once over on Rei with a glint in his eyes, "we just wanted to talk," he was probably no more than 17, Mamoru thought, and definitely an amateur drinker; he'd seen the way they had chucked down the sake and grimacing at the taste!
"Let these two fine people," he pointed at Mamoru and Rubina with his eyes, "have their date…" Rei didn't need to look at Usagi to know how her eyes had narrowed, "and the four of us can have a little fun of our own,"
"Listen," Mamoru's voice wasn't loud at all, but there was a firmness there, a tone of authority that made the boy stop dead in his gibberish.
His friend rose halfway from his seat.
Rubina inhaled firmly; was he going to start a fight with this kid? Was he even the fighting type? Why did she care anyway? And why, oh why did her heart twist with jealousy?
"She'd obviously not interested," Mamoru was saying, his eyes looking at the boy intently, "why don't you go seat with your friend and let us finish our conversation?" the hand that was on the back of Usagi's chair settled on the blonde's shoulder, his long fingers lost in strands of blonde pigtail.
Later that night, when Rubina was finally alone in the confinement of her hotel room, she'd review the same scene over and over again, never understanding what made the boy to raise his hands without so much as a tiny fist.
"I think it's time to go home," Mamoru said, when the two drunk teenagers left the parlor, "Rubina-san?" he addressed the princess, whose eyes were glued to his arm, still wrapped around the tiny blonde who was speaking to her friend about how awesome her "Mamo-chan" was.
Rubina walked shoulder to shoulder with Mamoru as they walked out of the narrow street. Her head was bent slightly, lost in her own world, not deep enough to overlook how his hand was holding his girlfriend's petite one; firmly, but delicately. She even noticed how his thumb was making tiny circles on her skin.
She shook her head. How desperate and pathetic could she be? Noticing all the little things that didn't concern her.
"Well there's Tanaka-san, and he doesn't look happy," the princess said with a smile as she whirled around to face all of them.
"I had a great time tonight Mamoru-san, thank you," she met his gentle blue eyes, probably for the last time she thought, and smiled.
"It was a pleasure Rubina-san. You are full of great ideas and I'm sure you're able to make them a reality," he said with a smile that made her blush for the millionth time that day.
She followed his line of sight and looked down at the slim girl attached to Mamoru's side. Her round face was glowing with youth and carefreeness, 'and love', a tiny voice whispered in her mind.
Usagi's face in that moment was engraved in the princess's mind. Years and years later, she would look back at that same moment, remembering the teenager's bright eyes and thanking the universe that had chosen her as their queen.
"Usagi-chan, take care of yourself," she said and the blonde smiled up at her and Rubina noticed with a jolt that that was the first time she had smiled at her all night; she cursed herself for making this girl uncomfortable with her irrational attraction to her boyfriend.
"You too Rubina-san…your highness," her smile turned into a full grin and something blossomed in Rubina's heart.
She extended her arm and touched the smaller girl's cheek as if touching a younger sibling's face; she ignored the way her eyes went wide as she looked up at her with confusion.
"Stay the same Usagi-chan," she whispered, "never change," she retrieved her hand and held it to her chest.
The teenagers shot each other a confused stare; 'he understands,' Rubina said to herself when Mamoru's eyes settled on Usagi and his smile only got bigger.
She walked slowly towards her awaiting ride, knowing well that she'd have to put up with Tanaka-san's sour mood, being left alone for several hours in the car.
She heard Rei's "what was that about?" and Mamoru's deep laughter.
She closed her eyes and exhaled.
She'd remember that moment forever.
A simple moment in time.
"Do you need anything else your highness?" the housemaid asked as she settled behind her work desk.
"No, thank you," she nodded her head and started scrolling down the endless emails in her inbox.
She stopped at one and smiled. It had been a while since the last time they had shared an email. She was so busy with the development of the new orphanage project and she could only imagine what he was going through in med school.
They tried to keep in touch though, exchanging ideas and sharing bits and pieces of their personal lives.
She clicked on the email and skimmed the content quickly.
A big smile came to her face and she faced the door, "Aimi-san," she called, "please bring me a glass of champagne," she said to the house maid that came through the door, "I'm celebrating," she explained and the maid smiled.
Rubina's dark eyes went back to the screen.
Her smile got bigger when she read the line once more.
"I'm giving her the ring tomorrow…"
The End.
*Jiji: I was trying to find out how a rude person might address an elderly, and this word came up. I suppose it means "old geezer"! if it doesn't make sense, I apologize to all my Japanese friends out there. I tried!
**Koibito: means sweetheart. But again, I obviously don't speak Japanese (I wish I could!) and so the words I find on google might not send the correct meaning. I apologize again if I'm not making sense!
Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon and its fabulous characters in any way. I wish I did! But I don't! All the delightful rights of this wonderful manga/anime and its characters belong to Naoko Takeuchi.