If Only For One Night, a sailor moon fanfic

Author's note: This fic was a request from vampygurl402 for Arashi Wolf Princess' birthday. Happy birthday, by the way! :)

I've decided to try something different. First, there's no trace of humor (unlike my other stories). Second, the characters were inspired by the anime, though there are some elements from PGSM live action (Minako already being an idol and her personality being more serious than her anime counterpart). Anyway, picture them with the colored hairs and eyes, because that was how I pictured them while I was writing. :)

Disclaimers: Unfortunately, I do not own Sailor Moon. Naoko Takeuchi does.

IF ONLY FOR ONE NIGHT...

"You know..." Minako cooed sweetly from behind, startling a distracted Usagi, "if you intend to keep it a secret, you should try to hide it better." Then she positioned herself beside the other blonde, staring at the same spot Usagi was staring longingly seconds ago. The princess gawked at her and Minako just gave her a conspiratorial wink, elegantly sipping the drink that she had been holding in her hand.

The Moon Princess blinked a couple of times, confused, or at least trying to sound like it. "W-What? I don't know what you're talking about." She stammered, avoiding Minako's knowing stare. That was the lamest of all excuses and Usagi was aware of that, but she could have tried to deny it in a thousand different ways; it wouldn't have mattered. Some things were just impossible to hide from the Goddess of Love.

"I must confess I was surprised when I got your wedding invitation." The Senshi of Love mused, a thoughtful expression on her flawless features. Aino Minako, the famous singer and international idol, was in the middle of a world tour, but she had managed to take a break so she could come to Usagi's bachelorette party and also to the wedding, which would take place on the following day.

"Why would you be surprised? Mamoru and I are engaged for almost three years... I'm already 18, he's already graduated, so it shouldn't be that surprising, right?" Usagi asked rather nervously. But, for the look on Minako's face, she knew the idol wouldn't let it go.

"Yeah... You and Mamoru have been together for ages... Since your past lives to be more precise, right?" She replied with a barely noticeable sigh. "But even so... I always thought you would end up with her." Minako gestured discreetly with her head at the raven-haired girl on the stage. She chuckled quietly as she noticed that Rei had obviously had a few more drinks than usual, otherwise she would have never stepped on that stage to sing karaoke.

Rei hated karaoke.

Usagi stopped breathing as she heard Minako's words. She parted her lips, ready to deny it and call Minako crazy, but instead, she just lowered her head. At this point, she didn't have the strength to lie anymore.

Noticing her friend's distress, Minako went on. "You should take your chance with her. It's not too late, you know?" She suggested, her eyes still on the stage, noticing that Rei had such a beautiful voice for someone who hated singing. The Senshi of Love also noticed Haruka, Michiru, Setsuna, Ami and Makoto near the stage, all seeming to enjoy Rei's performance immensely. While Ami was drinking what it seemed to be water and shyly singing along with Rei, Makoto was with her cell phone in her hands, recording the whole show, and the outer senshi were talking among themselves.

"You're wrong, Minako. I've lost my chance with her. It's too late." Usagi replied in a sad whisper after what it seemed like an eternity, admitting out loud her feelings for the first time.

"It's not." Minako looked away from Rei and her blue eyes searched for Usagi's. "I can't understand why you are stuck on the idea of marrying Mamoru; before you regained the memories of your past life, you didn't even like him." She said firmly. "We die and then we reborn again so we can have different lives, Usagi. What is the point of living the same way, doing the same things, over and over again? We hold destiny in our hands and we should do what we want to, not what we were supposed to do in a previous life."

"Minako... It's not that simple. I'm getting married tomorrow... and Mamoru and I are supposed to rule Crystal Tokyo." The Moon Princess replied, trying to reason with the Senshi of Love.

"Yes, you're getting married tomorrow. Which means that you still have tonight." Minako replied softly as she turned her eyes back to the Senshi of Fire.

Usagi gawked at her again, not believing her own ears. "Are you suggesting that I cheat on Mamoru tonight?! On our wedding eve?!" She asked, shocked, but she was shocked because, deep inside, she had begun to really consider it.

Minako smiled and ran her fingers through her long, lustrous blonde hair, which was hanging loose down her back, but her smile never reached her eyes. "I have a simple way to look at it, Usagi. I think that what happens in your heart is more important than what happens with your body." She saw Usagi confused expression, so she decided to explain further. "If you were asking me if you should just have sex with someone else, I would vehemently say no. But when it comes to Rei, I know it's not just sex. You have feelings for her since forever and it didn't take a Goddess of Love to notice it." She finished her drink, placing the empty glass on the nearest table. "Your heart has been cheating on Mamoru for years. You mind has also been cheating on him for years. But why would you think that what your body does is more important than what lies in your heart and in your mind?"

Usagi was frowning deeply, her mind working at full speed. Should she really be with Rei tonight? Should she really forget about the fact that she was getting married tomorrow and throw herself in her senshi's arms if only for one night?

"Come on, Rei, sing a song for the bride!" Usagi and Minako heard Haruka crying out once the Senshi of Fire finished singing whatever she was singing before. Then Michiru elbowed her girlfriend, who winced in pain. She knew Haruka shouldn't encourage the raven-haired girl to do something... stupid.

But apparently it was too late.

"Good call, Haruka!" Rei nodded enthusiastically, before her eyes searched around for Usagi. And when Rei's burning amethysts found Usagi's blue orbs, the princess felt that familiar warm sensation, followed by shivers running up and down her spine. Rei was silent, their eyes still locked together, and Usagi noticed a sad expression on the raven-haired girl's face. Rei then broke their stare and walked to the karaoke machine, choosing a song she thought it would be perfect. What did she have to lose, anyway?

"Here's to the most beautiful bride ever." Rei stated grimly as she raised her glass to the Moon Princess standing several meters away from her, while Usagi just stared at her, stunned.

A ghost of a smile touched Minako's lips as she watched the whole scene.

...and the night goes by so very slow
Oh, I hope that it won't end though

Alone

Everyone's jaws dropped and Haruka saw Michiru's disapproving look at her once they heard which song Rei was singing. The Senshi of Wind sighed, then she shrugged. It was about time Rei confessed her feelings properly. Maybe she and Usagi would still have time to figure things out.

You don't know how long I have wanted
To touch your lips and hold you tight
You don't know how long I have waited
And I was going to tell you tonight
But the secret is still my own
And my love for you is still unknown

Alone

Usagi was with her big blue eyes widened. Never in her life had she expected to hear such a straight confession coming from Rei's lips. Up to this point, the ever so reserved miko had never done more than looking at her in that fiery way of hers.

But beside the glances they shared, Usagi knew there was also this feeling between them, this thing she couldn't find words to describe... something that she had tried so hard to deny and to suppress.

Minako, though, knew this feeling was love and this thing was attraction, even if Usagi didn't want to admit it. She just silently hoped the Princess would stop fighting against what her heart was telling her. But at least drunken Rei was doing something about it.

Till now I always got by on my own
I never really cared until I met you
And now it chills me to the bone
How do I get you alone?
How do I get you alone?

As Rei finished the song, she didn't even bother to wait for the round of applause. She placed the microphone on the small table next to the karaoke machine and left the stage without saying goodbye to her friends. She needed to get out of there, she just wished she could forget, even for just a second, that the girl she loved was getting married tomorrow. While Usagi's fairytale was about to begin, a life of solitude was about to become Rei's reality. And knowing that she would live a long life alone, watching Usagi and Mamoru being together, wasn't very encouraging... to say the least.

From where they stood, Minako and Usagi just watched as the raven-haired girl left hurriedly. Usagi didn't notice Makoto's dumbfounded expression, nor Ami's sighs of frustration. She didn't notice Michiru pinching Haruka's arm nor Setsuna rolling her eyes at everything that had just happened. She was staring intently at Rei, watching as the girl disappeared into the night.

"Well, I think this song was a sign." Minako said while reaching for her purse. "I'm going back to the hotel, but I would be heading to the Hikawa Shrine... if I were you, of course." She stated with a smile, but Usagi never noticed it was a sad one.

"Why did you do that?" Artemis asked, perplexed, putting his head out of Minako's purse once they were alone in her car. "Why did you encourage her to go after Rei?"

Minako was about to turn the engine on, then she sighed and answered without looking at Artemis. "Are you worried about Crystal Tokyo? Because honestly, Artemis, you-"

"I'm worried about you!" He stated sincerely, his voice louder than he had intended. Then he inhaled deeply and slowly let the air out of his lungs, softening his tone. "Minako..."

"Don't." She replied through gritted teeth, still avoiding his stare.

"But you and Rei-"

"There's no 'me and Rei'! There never was! At least, not since our past life." Minako added grimly, her hands wrapped tightly around the steering wheel. She could feel her eyes watering, but she silently told herself she wouldn't cry... not anymore. "I know what you're thinking; you're thinking that I should have told Rei about my feelings for her. That I should have told her about our relationship during the Silver Millennium, since she doesn't remember. But it wouldn't have mattered, for in this life time she fell in love with Usagi even before she met me. The truth is... I never really had a chance."

"It's my fault..." The white cat muttered, dejectedly, lowering his head. "If I hadn't kept you away from the others for so long, while you were fighting as Sailor V, then maybe you would have had your chance."

"What's done is done, Artemis. And it's not your fault. I agreed with that, remember?" Minako smiled weakly at her guardian, but he could easily see through her façade. "Let's go back to the hotel." She said firmly and Artemis decided he wouldn't push her anymore. It was obvious that Minako had already made up her mind.

Rei ran up the shrine steps as fast as she could. She tried to wipe the tears away with her hands, but they just wouldn't stop coming. Of all days and nights she had had to confess her feelings, she had just to pick up the wedding eve. And she didn't even had the courage to face Usagi after that little performance of hers.

Pathetic...

Rei sobbed as she got in the shrine. It seemed so big now that she was all alone in there. She even wished Yuuichirou was around. He probably would be asking questions about where she had been, if she had been drinking and why she was crying, so she would have the perfect excuse to scream at him and get distracted from her painful thoughts. But he was at a spiritual retreat with her grandfather, and she would have gone with them if it wasn't for Usagi's wedding...

Usagi...

As much as Rei tried, she couldn't keep her mind away from her princess. And tomorrow, at that time, the girl she loved would be lying in someone else's arms, kissing and whispering promises of undying love. Rei rested her forehead on the wall and closed her eyes, trying to suppress her tears, but to no avail.

"Rei?"

And now she was hallucinating, for she had just heard her princess sweet voice calling her name. Ignoring the trick of her mind, she just sighed and shook her head in denial.

It was when she felt two slender arms tentatively wrapping around her waist.

Rei widened her eyes and looked at her midsection. She was truly stunned when she saw Usagi's familiar hands pressing against her stomach, bringing her close.

A hallucination had never felt so real.

Slowly turning around in the girl's embrace, Rei parted her lips when she stared at Usagi's deep blue eyes.

"You left the door opened... so I just came in." Usagi whispered, caressing Rei's cheek with one of her hands, wiping away her tears, while her other hand was on the raven-haired girl's back, running up and down soothingly.

"Usagi..." Rei muttered her name, still not believing that she was really there. "What- What are you doing here?"

"You said, or rather sang, that you wanted to get me alone." The blonde smiled shyly, feeling her heart pounding faster and faster against her chest. She was pretty sure Rei could even hear her heartbeat. "So here I am, Rei. Alone. With you."

Rei was at a loss of words. Now that Usagi was there, right in front of her, the Senshi of Fire wasn't really sure of what to do... or what to say.

Usagi inhaled deeply and closed her eyes for a brief moment. "Did you mean what you sang, Rei? Do you really want to kiss me and hold me in your arms?"

"More than anything in the world." Rei answered in a heartbeat. "And this goes for all your questions. I've tried so many times to tell you, but I never had the courage to do it... I didn't want to scare you and drive you away from me. I was afraid I would jeopardize our friendship, so I told myself I would never act on my feelings for-"

"Never?" Usagi softly cut Rei off, looking at her intently. "Not even if I wanted you to? Not even if I asked you to?"

And again Rei was speechless.

Gently Usagi brushed her thumb on Rei's slightly parted lips, staring directly at them for the first time. They were so inviting and she was captivated by how soft they felt. Usagi also noticed they were trembling under her touch and Rei's warm breath was tickling the tip of her fingers.

Now the hand that was previously caressing Rei's lips was brushing her dark hair aside. Slowly Usagi ran the tip of her nose along Rei's jawline, taking in the magnificent scent of her senshi. By that time, Usagi was pretty sure she had already lost whatever self-control she had. She knew she shouldn't, but she just couldn't stop it anymore.

"Usagi, don't..." Rei breathed, closing her eyes with a long suffering expression, feeling her legs weakening as Usagi's lips brushed softly against her neck. Rei knew if her princess kept doing that, she wouldn't be able to resist any longer. Then, forcing herself to act rationally, Rei said the words she knew she would regret in a few seconds. "We can't do this... What about M-Mamoru? Usa, you're getting married tomorrow and-"

"Rei, just for tonight, let's forget about everything and everyone else. This is about us." Usagi replied softly, despite of the guilt she was feeling. She knew what she was doing was wrong in so many ways, even though she had agreed with Minako's line of thought, but there was no turning back now. "Unless... unless you want me to go away..."

"No!" Rei's voice was louder than she had intended. "I- I want you to stay." Her voice was barely audible when she spoke again. "It's just that I don't want you to regret it."

"Neither do I." Usagi answered sincerely and she used her fingers to raise Rei's chin so their eyes could meet again. "And that's why I'm here, Rei. Because I don't want any regrets. For the first time in my whole life I'm really following my heart. So please don't stop me unless you really want me t-"

But Usagi paused mid-sentence once she noticed Rei was slowly leaning forward, eyes fixed on her lips. However, Rei stopped for a moment and their eyes met again, as if she was silently asking for the blonde's permission to go on. Usagi responded by cupping one of Rei's cheeks in her hand, completely aware of the fact they both were trembling in expectation. Butterflies danced in her stomach and for a brief second, she wondered if Rei was feeling exactly the same.

So they closed their eyes and soon their lips met in a soft, heartfelt kiss. Rei hugged Usagi by the waist, pulling her closer, as the petite girl placed both arms around her senshi's neck. Then Rei switched places with her and now Usagi's back was pressed against the wall... and Rei's body was deliciously pressed against hers.

As she felt the tip of Rei's tongue teasing her bottom lip, Usagi granted her full access to her mouth and both girls moaned low as the kiss deepened. Long fingers grabbed dark hair, rhythmically stroking through the thick strands. Meanwhile, Rei pulled her lips away from Usagi's to explore her princess' neck, kissing and sucking the spot right below her earlobe.

"Rei..." Usagi moaned in appreciation, encouraging her to go on. The princess felt her body moving on its own accord and she shut her eyes as she became even more aroused. When she opened her eyes again, blue orbs saw two burning amethysts gazing at her. And there Usagi saw so much love and devotion... that if she had any doubts about being with Rei, that stare alone would have just brushed them away.

Shaking hands proceeded to unbutton Rei's shirt. Usagi caressed Rei's stomach, mesmerized at how soft yet firm her skin felt under her touch. She didn't even blink when she noticed Rei's body responding to her, skin shivering and muscles contracting.

Rei, on the other hand, took a minute just to watch, amazed, as Usagi's hands explored her body almost reverently. The blonde only stopped when she noticed one of the sleeves had slid off Rei's shoulder, exposing white cream skin. Usagi unconsciously stopped breathing. That was the most sexy thing she had ever seen: Rei was with her hair slightly messed up, face flushed and lips parted, while staring at her.

Goddess of Passion had never seemed more appropriate to describe Rei. And now, more than ever, Usagi wanted to feel her, to taste her, to make love to her.

Unable to hold any longer, Usagi captured the priestess' lips again in a searing kiss and wrapped her legs around Rei's waist. Instinctively the Senshi of Fire took both of them to the futon, lying on the top of her princess, returning the kiss with the same enthusiasm.

Rei began to take Usagi's clothes off, but she stopped midway, staring at the blonde through half-lidded eyes. "Usa... are you really okay with this?" She knew things were going too fast; not that Rei was complaining, but she just wanted Usagi to be sure.

The princess looked at her lovingly and smiled sheepishly. "Would you believe me if I told you that I have dreamed of this over a thousand times?" She whispered and she saw Rei's eyes shining bright at her. "Please go on, Rei... don't stop. Give yourself to me, just like I'm giving myself to you."

Usagi watched as Rei stripped her with an amazing tenderness and those amethyst eyes burned at the sight of her naked princess.

"Usa..." She breathed, staring unabashedly at the girl below her. "You are even more beautiful than I could possibly have imagined." But when Rei realized she was devouring Usagi with her eyes, she blushed and forced herself to look at her princess' face. "I'm... I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, uh-"

Usagi giggled, feeling incredibly comfortable even though she was having her naked body thoroughly analyzed by her bodyguard. "That's okay, Rei... You can stare. I don't mind."

"But... I want to do more than just to stare at you..." Rei whispered as she closed the distance between their bodies.

Now they were feeling each other's naked skin pressed against one another. Pink polished nails buried in the raven-haired girl's back as Rei's skillful hands danced up and down between Usagi's thighs. Then, as she felt Rei inside her, moving, teasing and pressing against her inner walls, Usagi moaned her lover's name over and over again.

And if they both wanted to forget about everything and everyone else that night... they certainly succeded.

Even before Rei had opened her eyes, she felt Usagi's scent on her pillow and smiled blissfully. The next thing she noticed was that her body was a little sore after the night before, which made her smile grow even bigger and she stretched her arm to reach for the girl lying next to her.

Then Rei frowned as she noticed Usagi wasn't there.

"Usagi?" She called, but there was no response. "Usagi, are you there?"

She tried to concentrate so she could track her princess, but she couldn't sense her aura, which meant that the girl wasn't anywhere around. For a moment, Rei thought last night had been just a dream, just like many that she had had before. But when she noticed Usagi's note on her desk, she wished last night had been a dream, indeed.

"I had to go. I'm sorry, Rei."

So that was it. Usagi was probably feeling so guilty, that she had decided to leave without talking about what had happened between them.

Rei let out a long sigh. Deep inside, she could truly understand. She always knew her princess had a duty to perform and that wouldn't change overnight, no matter what.

Taking small steps, Rei walked over to her closet to change into her shrine attire. She also had her own duties to perform and she was thankful for that. Maybe her chores would help her keep her mind away from a certain blonde girl, at least for a little while.

Once she opened the closet door, she stared at the dress she would be wearing in a few hours. To make things worse, she was Usagi's Maid of Honor; a request that she hadn't had the heart to deny her princess. But, at this very moment, she sincerely wished she had declined.

For a minute, Rei considered not attending the wedding. People would ask questions, sure; she was Usagi's best friend after all, so why wouldn't she be there? But she knew her princess would understand her reasons.

Then Rei shook her head, dismissing that idea. Usagi needed her there, despite of all that had happened between them. She would understand Rei's absence, but she would also feel sad for not having her best friend beside her. Rei would have her heart broken in a thousand pieces once she heard her princess say I do, but that was destiny for her. Unless she was planning on avoiding Usagi for the rest of her immortal life, Rei knew she would have to get used to seeing Mamoru holding the girl she loved in his arms.

Maybe, eventually, she would learn how to deal with the pain.

At such early hour, there weren't many people around the Juuban Park. The sun had barely risen and Usagi noticed the first rays of light appearing in the sky. Smiling sadly, she lowered her head and saw her tears decorating her outfit. The same outfit Rei had taken off last night.

Last night...

It was amazing, just like she thought it would be. Rei was gentle, but also fiery and passionate, and in her senshi's arms she had discovered wonderful new sensations; sensations she never knew that could exist.

She absently wondered if anything could ever compare to that.

And then there was this feeling of protection she felt when she fell, exhausted, in her senshi's arms after they had made love for hours. She was drowsy, but she could remember Rei's sweet voice whispering that she loved her, just before the raven-haired girl placed a soft kiss on her forehead and hugged her closer. And if she closed her eyes, Usagi could even feel Rei's lips still burning on her skin.

But when she woke up, hours later, she reached for her cell phone. She had never told her mother she would be spending the night out and, by that time, Ikuko was probably worried sick. But apparently her mother had just assumed she would be with one of the girls, since there wasn't a single message from her on Usagi's cell phone.

Instead, there were three messages from her fiance.

Mamoru...

He really, really didn't deserve that. There, in Rei's room, staring at her sleeping figure and then at Mamoru's loving messages, Usagi felt the guilt overwhelm her.

She recalled that Mamoru was patiently waiting for their wedding night. She had always told him she wanted to wait until they were married, for she didn't feel ready to take that step yet. And last night... last night she had given herself so easily to Rei, because it felt incredibly right. She didn't have any doubts or hesitations regarding Rei and everything had been so wonderful... so wonderful that it only made her feel more guilty.

There were so many things in her mind and she just had to leave the Hikawa Shrine so she could be alone to think. Usagi had to figure things out on her own. She thought of calling Minako for some guidance, but then she dismissed the idea for she knew it was her decision and hers alone to make.

So she sat on a swing at the park and tried to ignore the pain in her head, as well as the pain in her heart, so she could focus on what to do.

What to do?

She had to tell Mamoru. But what would he say about it? She was absolutely sure she wouldn't even be able to stare him in the eye when she told him what had happened between Rei and her.

But... what if she didn't tell him? It would certainly spare him the pain. And she was pretty sure Rei would never say a word about last night, if she asked her to, so everything could go back to the way it was before. Right?

No. Who was she kidding? She herself would never be the same again.

What to do?

She rose from the swing and laid on the grass, covering her eyes with her hands. After a couple of hours doing nothing but think, Usagi sighed and got to her feet. She had made her decision and she felt she was the worst person in the world for what she was about to do.

But there was no way out. She had no other choice.

So Usagi walked out of the park, trying to wipe away all the tears that insisted on falling. She was utterly devastated for she knew she was about to break someone's heart. And not just someone. Someone she really loved and cared about.

A light breeze blew and from where she stood, Usagi saw Rei's beautiful hair shaking in the wind. She was wearing her priestess attire while sweeping the floor. Usagi smiled weakly as she recalled that, even though she was a High Priestess now, Rei would never stop doing those simple chores.

She silently approached her friend and parted her lips, not knowing exactly what to say. Her eyes were filled with tears as she took a carefully look at the girl before her. Rei looked so beautiful...

"I didn't expect to see you anytime soon." Rei said softly without stopping what she was doing, her back still turned to Usagi. "Don't bother to try and be stealthy; your aura is too strong for me not to notice, Usagi."

The Moon Princess blinked a couple of times as she was caught off guard. "I didn't intent to surprise you, Rei. It's just that... I really didn't know what to say." She whispered, feeling a lump in her throat as she noticed Rei still hadn't turned around to face her. "Rei, I... I wanted to... I mean, I just... I'm... sorry." Usagi's voice trailed off as she said the last word.

"It's okay... I understand." The priestess was careful enough not to let the sadness show in her tone. She didn't want to upset Usagi or make her feel even more guilty. "Let's just forget this ever happened."

Usagi frowned, feeling her heart sting at those words and she just couldn't hold the tears anymore. "You make it sound so easy, Rei... Can you really just forget this ever happened?"

Finally Rei stopped sweeping and turned around to face her princess. It was only at that moment that Usagi saw Rei's face; her eyes were swollen and her cheeks were incredibly red. It was obvious that she had been crying... a lot.

"No, Usagi. Not even if I tried I would be able to forget the taste of your lips... or how soft your skin felt under my touch." Rei admitted with a sad smile, staring directly at her now. "I will never forget your voice whispering my name, over and over again, like you did last night. I can still feel the warmth of your body pressed against mine and I know I won't be able to forget it either, for this was the best thing I've ever felt in my whole life."

"So why did you tell me to forget, Rei? It meant the world to me! How could I just choose to forget?" Usagi sobbed and she saw her senshi quickly dropping the broom on the floor and getting close to her.

"I thought that was what you wanted..." Rei whispered and lowered her head, and it was obvious she was hurting. "You left while I was sleeping... you never said goodbye or-"

"Are you still mad at me for that?" Usagi asked in a small voice, glancing tentatively at Rei, feeling somewhat ashamed for her behavior. "Are you still mad because I left you alone?"

Sensing her princess' distress, Rei caressed the blonde's cheek with the back of her fingers and gave her a sincere smile. "I'm not mad, Usa... I could never be mad at you. You know that."

Then Rei widened her eyes, surprised, as she felt Usagi throwing herself in her arms and hugging her tightly. The priestess returned the hug and, as Usagi placed her cheek against her chest, Rei began to run her fingers through her blonde hair.

"I'm glad you're not mad at me, Rei, because I need you so much right now. I need my best friend like I've never needed before." Usagi said through tears, stammering over the words.

Best friend. So that's what she was... what she would always be. Usagi's best friend. Rei sighed, putting her frustration aside. Friendship would be enough. It had to be.

"I'll always be here, Usa... I'll always be with you, no matter what." Rei said, reassuringly, still caressing her princess hair. "Please, don't be sad. Everything's going to turn out just fine and nothing will ever change between us. I promise I'll even be there at the altar, by your side. And, speaking of that, we only have a few hours before your wedding, so you better stop crying like a baby or you will look like hell in your wedding pictures."

"Don't worry about it, Rei." Usagi let out a long sigh. "I won't look like hell in my wedding pictures, because there won't be any. I've just called off the wedding."

"W-What?" Rei muttered with eyes widened. She wasn't really sure if she had heard it right.

"I've canceled it." Usagi repeated, raising her head to stare at Rei. "Today I left before you were awake because I needed some time to think. I had to make a decision and I had to do it alone. And when I pictured myself getting married, it wasn't Mamoru who I wanted there by my side. It was you. The thought of not being with you was more terrifying and more painful than the thought of facing Mamoru and my family to tell them that I didn't want to get married anymore. But even so, even though I had made up my mind... it wasn't easy to say those things to him. He really didn't deserve that."

"You... you told him everything?" Rei asked, stunned, obviously referring to the night before.

"Yes, Rei. I had to tell him." Usagi closed her eyes for a moment and Rei could notice her princess' sad expression. "I had to give him a very good reason to call off the wedding today, right? So I told him... and just as I expected, he didn't take it well. It was excruciating to see him so devastated... and the fact that I was the one who had hurt him so deeply is still killing me."

"Oh..." Rei breathed, still holding Usagi in her arms. "Usa... I- I really don't know what to say..."

"You've already said what I needed to hear, Rei." Usagi smiled at her senshi. "You said that you will always be by my side and that's all that matters to me."

"I'll never leave you alone, my princess. But... would you still want me by your side if I told you that I'm happy, even after hearing that you have broken Mamoru's heart so you could be with me?" Rei asked sheepishly.

"Actually... would you think I'm a bad person if I told you that I'm also feeling happy and relieved?" Usagi returned the question.

"Not at all, my princess." Rei whispered, as she hugged Usagi again. "Not at all."

In a fancy hotel room, somewhere in Tokyo, Minako's communicator rang.

"Could you answer it for me, Artemis?" The idol cried out from the bathroom. She was still wrapping a towel around her head and she knew she wouldn't be able to dry herself in time to pick up the phone.

As she finished her task and stepped into the bedroom, she saw Artemis' green eyes uncharacteristically wide opened.

"What's wrong?" She asked worriedly as she noticed his stunned expression.

He closed his mouth, which was hanging open in shock, then he opened it again so he could answer Minako. "It was Usagi. She has just told me that the wedding is off."

Minako got paralyzed for a brief moment and then she felt her legs weakening, so much that she had to sit on the bed.

"I see..." She muttered. "Good. So I guess she really heard my advice and headed to the Hikawa Shrine last night."

Artemis only nodded in response and it devastated him to see all the pain in Minako's blue eyes. "Mina?"

"Don't worry about me, Artemis. I'm fine." She gazed at the window as she answered. "I'm actually happy for them. They truly deserve it. I mean, they've been in love with each other for so long... It wouldn't be right if Usagi got married to someone else." She stated sincerely and Artemis felt his heart breaking at the sight of Minako. How she could be so selfless was beyond him.

As if she was reading his mind, Minako forced a cheerful expression on her face. "Don't feel bad for me, Artemis. Look at the bright side: you're still the only one for me."

"Minako..."

"Come on." She suddenly rose from the bed. "Let's pack! Since there's no wedding to attend, I can use a couple of days to take a little vacation. I don't know about you, but I would love to go to the Caribbean!" She winked at him and walked to her closet, grabbing her clothes and putting them on the bed.

"Aren't you going to say goodbye to the other girls?" He asked warily.

Minako smiled at him, then she shook her head in denial. "I'll send them a message. It's just that I... I guess I'm not ready to see them together... yet. But eventually I'll be fine, so don't you worry!" She gave him a 'V' sign before she took him in her arms and gave him a kiss on the nose. If he could, Artemis would certainly have blushed at her display of affection.

Apparently ignoring his guardian's reaction, the blonde girl looked intently at him. "Thank you..." She said with a voice thick of emotion, earning a curious look from him.

"For what?"

"For always being with me... and never leaving me alone."

Author's note:

I feel bad for Minako, because she's one of my favorite characters, but... this time I had to break her heart. Fortunately, I can make it up to her in my other fic, "In the Corner of Her Mind", which revolves around her and Rei and its based on the PGSM live action universe.

Thanks for reading and let me know what you think.