How Love Should Be
Summary: Usagi is happily engaged to Mamoru. They're labeled as the perfect couple, so what's wrong? Everything. Minako is a single mother who strives to take care of her children. What happens when someone wants to love her? Everything. How should love be?
Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon.
Chapter One
Out of everyone in Japan, there are only two women who knew what love really was. While love is said to be the best thing to experience, it can still be the worst. If one gets passed all the fairy tales with the happy endings, they would realize that sooner. Love has its highs and its lows. One moment, it can change your life; the next, you'll wonder what love really is. Whether you think love is a game or not, it's real and you'll feel the impact it has.
Two half sisters know this to be true. Their names are Tsukino Usagi and Aino Minako. They both thought they figured out what love was as they grew up into the lovely women they are now. However, their one-sided view of love became their downfall. Minako – the oldest sister – thought she was ready for it, if you know what I mean. She did it out of love. Nine months later, she had twins. The man she loved ran away, saying he wasn't ready to be a father. Usagi – the youngest – fell deeply in love. Simple right? Well, she fell hard and had a difficult time getting back up. Does it sound simple now?
These two understand the other side of love. Usagi was cautious and wary when she attempted to find happiness for the second time. Minako gave up altogether. Was there really a person who would love her, despite the fact she had two – not one, but two – kids?
After high school, they had some good times, and they had some bad times. If you will, see how they realized how love should really be…
Usagi sighed as she closed the door behind her. She slid down to the floor. She was exhausted. The sounds of young voices filled the house. Sounds of their little feet hit the floor with rhythm. Then, everything was silent for a few minutes. Usagi smiled and actually thought of sleeping on the floor for a moment. However, the footsteps got louder. The blonde shut her eyes as she was pulled to her feet.
"Thank you for watching them, Usagi! I swear I'll make it up to you!"
Usagi opened her eyes and found herself stuck in an embrace. She looked at the two mini Minakos beaming at her. She smiled at them while patting Minako on the back. This was what happened every other year. When Minako finally admitted she needed a little bit of help, she went to Usagi. Usagi gladly helped her sister out and took care of the twins. Days like these made her wonder if she would have a child someday.
"Don't worry about it, Minako," Usagi sighed as she stepped away from the other blonde. "You needed the day to yourself." Minako continued to thank her with a grateful smile. She then turned to the children. "Who wants ice cream?" she asked.
"I do, I do!"
Usagi giggled as she said her goodbyes and exited the house. A car was parked right a few feet away, waiting for her to get in. She did so with a sigh. The car drove down the street, making Usagi relax a little. She closed her eyes, tired from the day's events. Those two children wore her out. Hana and Yuriko were their names, having fun was their game. Labeled 'The Mystery Children' by Rei, they were your average four-year-olds that caused trouble. They did different things everyday – hence the nickname. They looked and acted like Minako. They blushed when they were shy, and they had scary presence when they were angry – at each other. They smiled nonstop when they were happy, too. It almost made Usagi giggle, knowing that they were truly Minako's kids.
"So, we're heading home?" the driver asked. Usagi nodded. "Then what?"
"I sleep."
"What about me?"
"What about you?"
The driver glanced at the blonde. She hadn't given him any attention at all. He drove her and those devils all around the place all day. He deserved a little something. "Usako, don't you think you owe me for driving you around?" Usagi opened her eyes and stared at her fiancé. "Mamo-chan, I don't want to. I just want to sleep." Mamoru remained silent. He never got anything in return when he helped Usagi. She only thanked him, and that was all. He needed something more than that. He was her fiancé! She could've done something special at least once.
The rest of the ride was silent. Usagi looked out the window and watched the scenery rush passed her eyes. It was like everything was a green and blue blur. Soon, her eyes closed again and she almost fell asleep. However, when the car finally came to a stop, Mamoru said something that made her stay wide-awake.
"You don't want to have angry sex, do you?"
"Usagi, are you okay?"
Usagi nodded as she looked at the ground. "Can I stay with you for a few hours?" she asked. "I know this is sudden, but…" She looked up when she felt hands on her shoulders. "It's alright, Usagi. You're always welcome. You know that." Usagi smiled. "Arigatou, Ami." The blue-haired woman smiled back and invited her inside.
Ami lived in a simple apartment. It always reminded Usagi of Makoto. She used to be the only one who lived in an apartment. Now, Ami lived in one. Hell, no one knew where the brunette was anymore. Usagi thought she might have moved. Of course, the others doubted that, but she knew they thought that that was what happened.
"Would you like anything?"
Usagi was silent for a moment. She followed Ami to the kitchen and sat in a chair. "Water please." She took a deep breath and let it out as she stared at the floor. She listened to the refrigerator open and close. "Did anything happen between you and Mamoru?" Ami asked.
"Yeah, but it's the usual."
Usagi lifted her head, finding her friend glaring at her. "How can you be so casual about this?" Usagi shrugged. She stretched a little before continuing. "He threatens me, and then I give him what he wants. That's how it works." Ami sat next to her as she gave the blonde her water. Usagi drank the cold liquid slowly and then stared at Ami. "Why do you let this happen? You deserve better than this," the blue-haired woman stated softly.
"I'm doing this for my family. This is something my father wants," Usagi answered. She sighed as she rubbed her neck. "I have to please him, even if it means enduring this for the rest of my life." She gained a disbelieving look from Ami, but she ignored it as she continued drinking the water. When the glass was empty, she set it on the table. "You know, Usagi, Minako told me stories of your father," Ami spoke. "She told me that he had a shotgun. Is there a reason for that?"
Usagi gulped. Minako wasn't supposed to tell anyone about that. That was supposed to be a family secret. That idiot could never keep her mouth shut. "It's to kill anyone who hurts you or Minako, ne?" Ami grinned as she tilted her head. Usagi glared at her friend. "Are you patronizing me?"
"If you know what that means…"
"Excuse me?!"
Usagi chased Ami around the apartment. The blue-haired genius was about to expand her vocabulary.
"Can I get these charms?"
"Of course."
"I want that one! I want that one!"
Minako sighed as Hana tugged at her hand and pointed at the lucky charm she wanted. Yuriko stuck close to her mother as she held her hand tightly. "Okay, I'll get that one, too, please."
"Of course."
Minako reached for her wallet in her pocket until she was stopped. "For you, it's free." Minako grinned at the woman. "Rei, your inner miko is showing." Rei smiled sweetly, staring at Minako with an innocent look as she tilted her head to the side. Minako guessed that that took years of practice. "If my 'inner miko' was showing, little Yuriko and Hana would have to live with Usagi for a very long time," she said. Yuriko inched closer towards Minako. Hana leaned against her mother. It was obvious that they had a little fear of Hino Rei.
"Well, thanks for the charms," Minako smiled. Rei shrugged. "I don't see why you need them. You can get anyone to…"
"That's what you always say," Minako interjected. "I'm still watching TV with my kids and eating ice cream almost everyday. I think I need the charms." Rei sighed and shrugged. With a wave, Minako left with Hana and Yuriko trailing behind her. "Wow, they didn't say a word to me," the miko muttered. "That was surprising."
"Actually, they're scared of you. That's not surprising. Your anger issues used to scare me. That sweet and innocent look freaks me the hell out."
Rei rolled her eyes. "Shut up and get to work."
Minako was hesitant to knock. The commotion she heard behind the door scared her. Thankfully, Hana did it for her. The girl fidgeted with excitement. She loved the sound of destruction. Yuriko squeezed her mother's hand. She hoped nothing was happening to Ami.
"Who's getting patronized now, Ami!?"
When no one answered the door, Hana decided to open it. "Hana!" Minako scolded. Hana ran in to find Ami lunging towards Usagi. They looked up and recomposed themselves. "Hi, Minako….what brings you here?" Usagi laughed nervously. "You wanted a lucky charm and Mamoru said you left and so I came here because you come here a lot…." Minako answered quietly. Ami and Usagi looked at each other. The blue-haired woman pushed her forward.
"Get your lucky charm."
Usagi groaned. "Don't say it like that. That makes me want the cereal." Hana giggled while Yuriko cracked a smile. They liked Lucky Charms. "Get your lucky charm, Usagi," Ami grinned, causing Usagi to glare at her. Minako stood there, wondering what happened to the old Ami. She never grinned back then. She was the innocent one of everyone. Now…she let Usagi get to her.
"Yeah…I'm going home now." Minako gave Usagi the charm and went on her way. With her kids following her, Ami and Usagi waved as they went out the door. When it was closed, they sighed. "Now that she thinks you've lost it and I'm weird, I think we should downplay these visits," Usagi suggested. Ami agreed.
The two began cleaning their mess. After thinking about it, Ami couldn't believe Usagi made her do that. Sure, she had fun, but this wasn't her. She had always been the levelheaded one. Rei and Makoto would be surprised to see her like this, just as Minako was. "Speaking of Makoto, where'd she go?" she wondered out loud. Usagi opened her mouth to speak, but she was interrupted.
"Knock, knock."
Usagi and Ami looked up to find Mamoru leaning on the doorframe with his hands on his hips. Usagi knew exactly what that meant: he thought something was going on. Wasn't this just wonderful?
"Leaving the door unlocked is careless, Ami-san," he sighed. The blonde walked up to him and whispered, "What are you doing here?" As he leaned toward her, he pulled her close. "I've always wondered why you aren't home around this time. I think I figured out why." Usagi turned to her friend with a fake smile, saying she would see her later. Ami nodded and watched the door close as the other two left. That smile Usagi gave made her worried. She hoped Mamoru didn't do anything to Usagi.
Usagi and Mamoru walked down the hall quickly. "Ami and I were just having fun," the woman said. "Nothing happened." Mamoru chuckled with a nod. "Good. Kenji-san would be upset if he found out something like that happened. We're together for a reason." Usagi remained silent for a moment. She hated it when he pointed that out. "Well, Mamo-chan, I love you and only you. Besides, why would I want to cheat on someone like you?" She leaned closer to him and grasped his hand tightly.
Mamoru grinned, knowing what that gesture meant: seconds. He loved this woman more as the days went by.
Minako sighed as she lied on the couch. She stared at the charm she had gotten from Rei. It had been a week, and she had had no luck at all. Hell, these charms never brought any luck to her. She felt so ripped off even though she didn't pay for it. She tossed it up in the air and caught it. She did it again. A smile stretched across her face after a while. She was having fun. Maybe this was the true purpose of the charm.
"Mama! Mama!"
Minako sat up to find Hana running towards her. "Yuriko's throwing stuff at me!" she shouted. "Hora! Hora!" She pointed to her forehead and arm. There was a small bump on her forehead and a huge one on her arm. "Hana, those are mosquito bites. Don't scratch them," Minako sighed. "And stop trying to get your sister in trouble." Suddenly, Yuriko came from nowhere and threw a crayon at Hana.
"See?"
"Yuriko, stop throwing crayons at your sister."
Yuriko ran away from the scene. She came back with a marker. Her mother only said to stop throwing crayons, so she went to the next best thing. However, before she had the chance to throw it, Minako blurted, "If throw that marker, Makoto-sama won't come back!"
Yuriko hesitated, giving Hana the chance to pounce. She pinned Yuriko to the floor, making her squirm around to get free. When that didn't help, she thrashed around violently, throwing Hana off of her. She threw the marker to the ground and lunged for her sister. Minako rushed towards them and picked Yuriko off the floor. The smaller blonde struggled to get free but gave up. Hana glared at her.
"Hana, go to your room," Minako ordered. "Don't come out until I say you can." The girl shook her head, deciding that she wasn't going to move an inch. "Go to your room now," Minako repeated, gaining a deadly look. Hana dismissed it because she always used that face. She stood up and walked to her room.
Minako set Yuriko on the floor. The girl was going to run, but Minako grabbed her arm. "Don't throw things at your sister. If you do it again, I'll make sure your next punishment is worse than sitting in your room." Yuriko tore herself from her mother's grip and ran to her room. Minako sat on the couch. She knew those two wouldn't fight anymore. Yuriko wouldn't have to guts to start anything, and Hana wouldn't have to fight back. It was simple.
Then, there was a knock on the door.
A tall woman knocked on the door and looked up at the sky for a moment. The sun had gone down, and the moon had taken its place in the sky. She then looked at the ground, noticing her sneakers were worn out. She'd have to buy new ones soon. Her jeans were shredded at her knees. Dirt covered some areas of the blue fabric. She hid a yawn behind her hand. All the walking she had done made her tired. Not to mention that fight she had had about an hour ago.
She knocked on the door again, wondering why no one was answering the door. She held her bag with a sigh and adjusted her baseball cap slightly. Putting her free hand in her pocket, she waited. Soon, the door finally opened. There was silence for a moment. The woman in front of her was beautiful, causing her jaw to drop. The woman covered her mouth. "Are you okay, miss?" she asked.
"What's with the 'miss,' Minako? I'm younger than you, remember?"
The tall woman took off her cap with a grin. "You can't tell me you forgot me already," she said. Minako gasped. "Makoto?" The brunette nodded, waiting for Minako to jump her. That was exactly what the blonde did. She hadn't seen her for almost a year. Makoto had just left, and no one seemed to know where she went. Now, Makoto was showing up out of nowhere. She had gotten slightly taller. Her hair was shorter – only inches passed her shoulders. Her bangs almost overshadowed her eyes. She definitely looked as strong as she was. There was no physical trace of the old Makoto.
Pulling her inside, Minako put her hands on Makoto's shoulders. "What happened to you?" she asked frantically. "You look like you had a fight!" Makoto laughed as she rubbed her neck. "I did. But don't worry, I won." Minako shook her head. She hated how Makoto thought of this as no big deal. It was never a big deal to her. "Um, Minako, you wouldn't mind if I stayed here for the night, would you?" Makoto asked slowly. "My place is kind of far so…" Minako nodded as the other woman trailed off. "Of course you can."
Makoto smiled a goofy smile. "I owe you one, Minako." The blonde dismissed it with a wave of her hand. Makoto kissed her cheek. "Out of all the others, I liked you the best, you know that?" she said. Minako blushed as she looked down at the floor. "T-thanks, I guess." There was silence for a few minutes. Minako turned away from her tall friend. Biting her lip, she tried to figure out what to say.
"You can go take a shower," she began. "I can wash your clothes for you." Minako squealed when she felt herself lifted off the floor. "Thank you, Minako, you're the best!" Makoto exclaimed. Suddenly, rapid footsteps were heard. Whispers of excitement filled the air. As Makoto set Minako on the floor, the brunette saw two little girls jump on the couch. Before she knew it, they leaped towards her. One had her arms wrapped around Makoto's neck while the other had slid down to her leg.
"Makoto-sama! Makoto-sama!"
Minako rolled her eyes at the honorific. It was always 'Makoto-sama' this and 'Makoto-sama' that. When would she be called 'Minako-sama?'
Makoto laughed as she put her hands on her hips. "Yuriko, Hana, what are you doing here?" she asked. "We live here, silly," Yuriko, the one holding on to her leg, giggled. Makoto slapped her forehead. "I completely forgot. Forgive me?"
"Of course, Makoto-sama!" Hana yelled in her ear. Makoto shut her eyes tight. Hana was definitely louder than before. "Yuriko, Hana, who said you could leave your room?" Minako asked. Both girls stared at her. Then, they glared at each other. Their feelings were suddenly rekindled. Makoto placed Hana on the floor and watched the two run to their room. Makoto sighed, wondering what had happened to them. However, she decided it was best not to ask.
As the brunette walked towards the bathroom, Minako smiled, definitely feeling lucky. She would have to thank Rei for the charm.
Rei heard heavy breathing outside of her room. She opened her door and looked around, wondering where the sound was coming from. Soon, she saw Usagi running towards her with tears streaming down her face. Her arms were instantly wrapped around the miko's neck. "Usagi, doushita no?" she asked.
"I hate this, Rei. I really do."
Rei tore herself from the blonde. "Hate what?" The blonde didn't answer. Instead, she pressed her lips against the miko's and let every rational thought disappear.
--End Chapter One--
Hora-look
Doushita no-what's wrong
Suddenly, I felt like making another fic, even though I still have a few in progress. Please review. Til next time
Serenity101