AN: Sailor Moon and all its characters belong to Naoko Takeuchi. Story belongs to me. This is a short story that came to mind, had to write it. I'm changing the rating to T, but if I get messages or notices of people thinking it should be M, I'll change it.
I wanted to note, please don't drink and drive. It's bad for everyone. That said, hope you enjoy. First story posted on FF.
xxx
It was 6:36pm. The guests were set to arrive at 7, and there were still quite a few things to do. Usagi peeked through the open door into the living area and saw her longtime boyfriend staring down at a magazine in front of the couch. She had her hands full with pans of appetizers, fresh out of the oven, and she still had to get ready, yet, he was staring at a magazine. Sighing loudly, she continued separating the delicacies in party trays, noting to thank Makoto for sharing her secret recipes. No use arguing with Mamoru and making things more uncomfortable than they already were.
xxx
So that's where the idea of a party came from. Mamoru dropped the magazine back on the table, and picked up a giant bag of chips, dividing it in party bowls. Fabulous party ideas to fall back into fall. That's what the Cosmo magazine his girlfriend had bought a week earlier was all about. That, and fashion. And makeup. And tampon ads. Seriously, he'd have to sit that girl down after this party of hers and explain to her how there were other many important things to worry about, like, jobs and the people that depend on you doing your job.
"Mamo," said his girlfriend interrupting his train of thoughts. "Did you remember to ask Mr. Fukara for the Holiday lights for the balcony?"
She had asked sweetly, but he could hear the annoyance hidden within the question.
He sighed, as his head slumped forward. "No Usa, I forgot to ask him."
She didn't immediately reply, but the look of disappointment was written all over her face.
"If you didn't have time, you could have just told me and I would have done it," replied Usagi in almost a whisper.
Was she trying to guilt trip him?
"Look Usa, I have a lot of things on my mind, important things. I just forgot."
He began to walk away, but stopped before exiting the living quarters. "We'll leave the balcony closed so the lights aren't needed," he said, pulling the curtains of the glass balcony doors closed.
"People are dying and I'm worrying about holiday lights," he mumbled as he disappeared into their bedroom.
xxx
It wasn't long before the guest started arriving. Usagi finished her trademark up doo, and walked to welcome the new wave of guest that included her lifelong friends, Hino Rei, Kino Makoto, Mizuno Ami, and Aino Minako. They chatted happily as they piled through the door bringing bags of goodies and plenty of alcohol.
"Usa!" squealed the blonde and perky Minako. "We missed you last weekend. We went to the new club that just opened, and danced off our hot butts the entire night. Even Ami was twerking with some random guy," she said, dropping the things she was carrying in the kitchen island.
"Was not!" defended the blue haired genius. "I was dancing, but I most certainly was not twerking!"
Rei stepped through her friends and placed two cases of beer down. "It depends on who you ask, 'cause from my point of view, it certainly looked like twerking."
Minako and Rei laughed as Ami turned beat red.
"How were you able to watch her dancing when you were sucking face with that shaggy haired guitarist?" asked Makoto, coming to Ami's rescue.
They all argued as they made their way into the living room. Makoto stayed behind and began opening the entrees she had brought over. Out of the corner of her eyes, she watched Usagi cutting limes way too quiet, and not at all Usagi like.
"Hey girlfriend, everything ok?"
"Hmm? Yeah, just a little exhausted. Those kids are going to be the end of me. I'm teaching first grade now," answered Usagi, trying to put the excitement she wasn't at all feeling into her words. She stopped cutting the limes in front of her when her vision became completely blurry.
Noticing her friend's forcefully hidden pain, Makoto walked over to her blonde hair, and gave her a tight hug. "Well please let those little brats, or whoever is responsible for your… exhaustion, know that Kino Makoto said to cut that shit out, before I go knock some sense into them."
Usagi turned to the tall brunette, who gifted her with a wink before joining the other girls in the living room. Oh how she wished she could tell her about her problems with Mamoru. But in the end, her problems were so insignificant, it wasn't worth worrying her friends over. Everything would turn alright, it always did.
xxx
Haruka stepped out of the limo and looked around, feeling awfully uncomfortable at the stares she was receiving. She had cars. Plenty of them, and didn't see the need to be driven around by Michiru's driver. The aforementioned aqua haired girl had exited the vehicle and stood next to her.
"Are you ready to go inside, or do you need a minute?" she asked without looking at the tall blonde.
Haruka watched the black limo drive away, and disappear into the neighboring streets. She sighed, and turned to the girl next to her. "Maybe this isn't such a good idea. We finally have a minute to address… well, everything that needs to be discussed, and we're here. We shouldn't be here, not like this."
The shorter girl had pulled her smart phone from her clutch and was quickly moving her fingers about answering someone's message. After what seemed like an eternity to Haruka, she put the phone away, and finally turned to look at the tall blonde. "They're our friends, Haruka. That's why we're here. People make an effort for the people they care about. At least most do."
Haruka listened to the clicking of heels as they headed into the tall apartment building, and followed suit.
xxx
The party was in full effect not an hour since it began. Music played through the speakers strategically placed throughout the apartment, as a guy with giant headphones bobbed his head up and down in front of a laptop. The party goers hung out in small groups, drinking, talking and laughing, completely oblivious to the people who were stuck in hospital beds. Mamoru shook his head, and poured himself some whiskey. He wasn't normally a drinker, but to get through tonight, he was going to need at least a few more drinks.
He took a deep breath and downed the entire contents of his glass in a few chugs, feeling the burn of the drink from the tip of his tongue, to the core of his stomach. Placing the glass down, he felt a pair of eyes staring at him from the living room. He made eye contact with Usagi, who turned her gaze to the ground before turning back to her friends and pulling out her best fake smile.
Mamoru shuffled with the cellphone in his pocket. Usagi had put his pager away, but he had already told his interns to contact his cell phone in case an emergency should arise. Feeling the buzz coming on, he realized he'd probably be useless to them anyway.
"Usa, where's the ice?" he turned to see Minako shuffling through the freezer. Usagi came up behind her and helped her search.
She stood up, and scratched her hair. "Mamo, did you remember to buy the ice bags at the grocery store last night?" she asked softly. He hated how she pretended she had to walk on eggshells around him in front of her friends.
He sighed in frustration. "No Usagi, I didn't." It was said a little rougher than necessary, he admitted, but the whiskey he had drank wasn't helping him with the being nice department. He slammed the glass down on the counter top, and snatched his keys from the keyboard. "Anything else your highness would like me to bring?" he asked, attracting the attention of more guests. Annoyed out of his mind, he turned on his heel and left the apartment.
xxx
Usagi stood rooted on the spot. She wanted to move, wanted to tell everybody everything was ok, to let the party continue, but she didn't know how.
"Ok! Move over DJ, mix master Rei is taking over for a bit," exclaimed Rei loudly from the living room, redirecting the attention to herself. She hip checked the guy with the headphones over, and began searching for new music on the laptop. "It's time to dance people!" A complete change of music from hip hip, to latin dance music had everybody standing up in anticipation.
Minako grabbed Usagi's hand dragged her to the living room, giving her hand a squeeze to let her know she wasn't alone. Usagi smiled, understandingly and joined the growing crowd in the living room.
xxx
The cold air outside was a bit of a slap in the face, but it certainly felt better than staying at the party. It wasn't right, what he did, but right now, he couldn't help it. He didn't ask for much, just a little understanding from the person who was supposed to be his biggest support. She was right in some senses. He was over tired, over worked, and definitely under paid, but at the end of the day, he loved what he did. He helped sick kids, and in no way did he find anything wrong with that.
If Usagi had said, take a day off, we'll have a picnic, watch a movie, and just, freaking cuddle all day, he would have been happy. But instead, she loaded him up with things to do, errands to run, and people to entertain. That girl was going to be the end of him. Now, he loved her, there was no doubt about that, but she was overwhelming at times, this being one of them.
There were two small grocery shops near their building, he chose the one further away to help clear his head. Maybe when he got back, he'd be a lot calmer, he'd apologize to his meat ball head, and possibly even enjoy himself.
"Hey there tiger, care for a drink?"
Mamoru came to a halt as a sultry voice caught his attention. Leaning against the wall of a pub was a redheaded girl. She was wearing a very skimpy purple top, showing off nearly all of her breasts, and a barely there skirt. Her long nails matched her hair, and for some reason, reminded Mamoru of hooker hands, err, not that he had ever been up close and personal with a hooker.
"I don't bite, unless you want me to," she said when he failed to reply.
Mamoru cleared his throat realizing her had been staring. "Not today, thanks. I'm making an ice run for a party," he managed to say, pointing behind him. Did alcohol affect him this much? He was usually very smooth with the ladies. Maybe he'd been with Usagi for so long, he'd lost his mojo.
The woman took a step away from the wall, and closer to Mamoru. "I'm sure your friends will be fine without ice a few extra minutes. Come on, I work here. First drink is on me," she said, motioning to Mamoru to follow.
Mamoru looked back in the direction of the apartment. A few minutes wouldn't really make a difference. Plus, Usagi and all her guests were having fun, and had probably forgotten the ice by now.
"I'm Beryl. What's your name?" asked the girl.
"Mamoru."
"Welcome to The Negaverse, Mamoru."
xxx
Haruka walked out of the restroom and walked over to the group of friends she felt most at home with, only to realize Michiru was no longer part of the group. She picked up a beer and chugged half of it in a few gulps.
"Appetizer?"
She turned around to see Makoto holding a tray full of finger foods.
"Usagi made them, but I assure you, you won't get sick," said the brunette, winking.
Haruka smiled and took a fancily decorated mini cake and popped it in her mouth.
"Mmm," she mumbled. "It's good. Did you teach her?"
Makoto smiled proudly. "Sure did."
A flash of blonde appeared from behind Haruka, and Minako was suddenly stuffing a mini cake into her mouth.
"Yum," she said, wiping her fingers on Makoto's apron, and earning a scowling look from the resident chef. She looked over at Haruka, and flashed her infamous V sign. "Dance with me?" she asked, taking Haruka's hand, and pulling her over to where a small crowd was dancing, not giving the racer a chance to reply.
The music had turned electronic, and everyone was dancing in their own unique style. Minako had probably had a few too many daiquiris, because she began to bump and grind into the tall blonde a little more than usual. Haruka chuckled and spun the ditsy blonde, before pulling her close.
"How much have you had to drink tonight?" she asked in a low, sultry voice.
Minako giggled. Her cheeks were flushed, and her pupils dilated. Maybe it was something more than just drinks. "A few drinks, not enough to let you have your way with me," she replied, winking at the tall blonde.
Haruka couldn't help but laugh at the flirty blonde. They had always flirted with each other, even since they met, but they both knew it wasn't anything more than friendly flirting. And despite what the tabloids printed, Haruka had always been loyal to Michiru. Speaking of Michiru, where the hell was she?
Not stopping her dance with Minako, Haruka began to search the room for her girlfriend. It didn't take long before she spotted the aqua haired girl chatting with a hipster looking guy. He had a long black pony tail, and too fancy clothes. His body movements showed way too much confidence around the aqua haired girl; the way he spoke and touched her every opportunity he got. She had never even spoken to the guy, but she already knew she didn't like him.
xxx
Michiru felt the eyes of her girlfriend on her like a hot laser. She looked over the shoulder of the guy she had been talking to, and made eye contact with the blonde. She was dancing with Minako, and of course, Minako was all over her. Normally it wouldn't have bothered her, but with everything that had been going on in their personal lives as of late, it seemed like a slap in the face from Haruka.
Returning her attention to her current companion, she forced a laughed as the guy said something that was supposed to be funny, which of course wasn't. What was his name again? Sam? Simon? Satan? It didn't matter, she had no interested in him anyway.
"Would you like to dance?" he asked, interrupting her wondering thoughts. "I'm sure a talented musician like yourself is an amazing dancer."
Michiru smiled, and walked over to the improvised dance floor, noting how she was only a few feet from Haruka. The guy took advantage of her distraction and pulled her closer to him. The scent of way too much cologne invaded her nostrils and made her wish Haruka would enter her territorial stage and cut in.
"Usa, did you ever get more ice, darlin'?"
Michiru turned in the direction of the slightly annoying voice. It belonged to one of Usagi's friends, a short girl named Osaka Naru. She was holding a pair of empty plastic cups, and a bottle of some mixed concoction.
Usagi's smile disappeared, and was replaced by a worried frown.
"Mamo went to get some, but I guess he's not back yet..." She said, her voice dropping a decibel at the end.
"Oh!" A light squeal escaped Michiru, as her dance partner pulled her to a completely random dip, leaving the top of her breasts directly in his face. He was bold. Too bold for his own good. If Haruka took notice, he'd be in for a rude awakening.
A second later, he pulled her up, and sneaked a hand to the small of her back.
"You're very beautiful, Michiru," said the guy, leaning in uncomfortably close to Michiru.
She was about to push him off, when she heard the sound of a pair of boots she knew all too well, but instead of coming to her rescue, they were walking away.
"I'll go get more ice, koneko," came the voice from the tall blonde, before the front door slammed and she knew Haruka had walked out of the apartment. Maybe coming to this party had been a bad idea after all.
xxx
What in the hell was she thinking? That, jackass, was about to kiss her, and she was letting him! Was it some kind of ruse to rile her up, or was this the way Michiru 'flirted' with her fans? She knew it. Coming here had been a horrible idea. They should have stayed home, addressed the rumors, and put an end to all this, well, bull shit.
She was angry. And she was drunk. And that was never a good combination. It surprised even herself how she kept her anger in check and got out of the building instead of punching that hipster shit for brains in the face.
She was deep in her own thoughts when a small hand grabbed her arm. The frown on her face deepened, as she shook said hand off her arm. She turned, and was completely shocked to see a pair of blonde odangos instead of the sea of aqua hair she had been expecting to find. Then again, who was she kidding? Michiru abandoning a loyal fan for her girlfriend? No way.
"Koneko, what... what are you doing here?" she managed to spit out.
Usagi, who's hand had recoiled at Haruka's aggressiveness, slowly found its way back to the tall blonde's arm.
"I'm coming with you," she said, her gaze getting lost in the city. "People keep giving me looks of pity, and I can't have that right now. This was supposed to be fun, and so far it..."
"...It hasn't worked out quite as planned," finished Haruka for her, giving her an understanding look. She sighed, throwing an arm over Usagi's shoulders and began walking down the street.
xxx
Was this the third or fourth drink? Mamoru had completely lost count, but he should have stopped before he even began. He dug some cash out of his pocket and placed it on the counter top, before heading out to the back to use the restroom.
As he relieved himself, all he could think about was Usagi, and the way she'd look at him when he returned after disappearing like that. Those sad blue eyes. But no matter the crap she put him through, he loved her. So now he would go back with the ice, smile at everyone, pretend he was having a good time, and finish the night in the arms of the girl he was in love with.
He sighed before splashing some water on his face. Last thing he needed was to be picked up by a cop for walking around buzzed. Grabbing a paper towel from the dispenser, he turned to leave, only to find the girl from the bar, Beryl, blocking the door.
"Leaving so soon?" she asked, with no intention of moving out of the way.
"Yeah," replied Mamoru. "I have to get back to my girlfriends party."
"Girlfriend, ey? Why am I not surprised? You are after all," she continued as she walked closer to Mamoru and dragged a finger across his chest. "A very… sexy… man," she said, pausing after each word. "Why don't you ditch your girl's party, and come with me? We can have a party, just the two of us. There's a bed in one of the back rooms."
Mamoru gulped as the girl's hands travelled all over his upper torso. She was a very good looking girl, but he couldn't do this. Not to Usagi. Just as the girl was about to slip her fingers through his waistband, he grabbed her wrists, and stepped aside.
"Sorry, some guys may be into easy girls that throw themselves at them, but I'm not one of them," he said, and walked out of the restroom.
Once again, the cold outside air seemed to be his savior. That had been, oh so stupid going to that pub. He would be lying to himself if he said that girl hadn't affected him. But he had also been honest with himself when he thought of Usagi and how he didn't want to hurt her. They were going through a rough patch, but he did love the girl more than anything.
It didn't take long before he had purchased the ice, and found himself in his kitchen once again. The party was still in full swing, but Usagi was nowhere to be found. He spotted one of Usagi's friends, a girl she had gone to middle school with, laughing to the side with a more few other people.
"Hey Naru," he said, walking over to her. "Have you see Usagi anywhere?"
"Mamoru, hi. She left a little while ago to get ice, but I'm sure she'll be back soon." She smiled at him and continued her conversation with her friends.
Great. Now not only did he have to deal with this party, but he's have to do it alone. He turned and made his way to the living room, surprised it was still in one piece. Remembering the people Usagi was friends with, he had expected his apartment to be completely trashed.
He was about to head back to the kitchen to grab a water and try to sober up, when he felt a pair of eyes burning a hole through his skull. It didn't take long before he made eye contact with Rei. He tried to smile at her, but it only deepened her frown.
He had met Rei shortly after meeting Usagi. The priestess had even pursuit him romantically, but he had never felt anything for the girl other than friendship. She was beautiful, no doubt about that, but her over willingness to please and desperate need for attention made her slightly annoying. His friends had urged him to at least sleep with her before dumping her, but that's when he began to really notice Usagi. And he knew if he slept with the priestess, Usagi would have nothing to do with him. She was a loyal friend like that. Taking one last look at Rei, he went back to the kitchen, grabbed two beers, and sneaked out to the balcony.
The lights were turned off, but it was better than way. No one would wonder out there and bother him. He leaned over the railing, took in a deep breath and looked over the city. They lived on the 29th floor, giving them a beautiful view of the city. His income and Usagi's teaching salary combined wouldn't be enough to cover their living quarters, but thankfully the trust his parents had left him allowed for investments that let both him and Usagi live comfortably.
Speaking of income, he took out his work pager he had easily found hidden behind the cookie jar, and began reading through his messages. None were emergency pages, most were statuses of the cases he was working on. He was almost done with all his messages when he got to one about a young boy who had been in a car accident a few days back. The boy had gone into cardiac arrest while he recovered in the ICU, but they were able to bring him back.
Mamoru's jaw clenched as he let out a string of curse words. He should have been there. "Mother fu-"
A giggle stopped him mid curse. His head snapped to the side to see the silhouette of a girl sitting on a chair near on the opposite end of the railing.
"I'm sorry, I just never took you for the cursing type, Mamoru."
Mamoru's frown dissipated as he recognized the girl as Michiru. He could feel the warmth seeping into his cheeks and was glad for the darkness that hid it. "I apologize, I didn't realize anyone was out here," he said, making sure no one else was out there with them.
"Don't worry, it's just me," she said, offering the seat next to her.
Mamoru took the seat and sighed. "Don't tell me you're out here escaping the crowd too?"
Michiru was quiet for a moment before answering. "Yeah, for the most part."
Mamoru couldn't help but stare at the girl sitting next to him. It was almost hard to see her as Usagi's friend, for they had very little in common. Michiru was an accomplished violinist, and a gifted artist. It was almost hard to picture what the two talked about when they got together.
He looked down at the two beers he was holding in his hands, and extended one over to the violinist.
"Beer?"
xxx
The tall blonde couldn't help but laugh as Usagi jumped and ran around a motorcycle parked outside the convenience store they had just bought ice at. Apparently, it was decorated with stencils of Usagi's favorite manga characters. The young blonde looked like a kid on Christmas morning. Haruka set the bags of ice down, and walked closer to Usagi, who kept babbling on and on about the manga. It was strange how seeing the girl so happy made Haruka feel happy as well. Thinking about it, this was the first time in a long time that Haruka laughed. It was a quality of Usagi's. Making people laugh and smile.
"When is the last time you went on a bike ride?" asked Haruka.
As soon as she had asked the question, she regretted it immediately. Usagi's happiness went out like a light switch.
"I've actually never ridden one," replied Usagi. She gave the bike a last glance, sliding her fingers across the seat before walking over to Haruka. "Mamo use to have a motorcycle and always said he'd take me out for a spin, but he never did. Then he got busy, and sold it."
The way Usagi spoke broke Haruka's heart. That girl made so many people happy, and was so easily made happy, how can one jackass mess that up?
"Tell you what," said Haruka before picking up the bags and turning to the sidewalk. A boy was walking by in the direction back to the apartment. "Excuse me," she said, making the boy turn to her. He was a teenager, about 13 or 14 years old.
"Are you headed down past 14th and Tekku street?"
The boy seemed surprised to have gotten stopped, but not as much as when he realized who had stopped him. His eyes got wide, and jaw fell almost to the ground.
"You… you're, Tenoh Haruka…" said the boy. "The racer! Whoa!" He nearly jumped out of his shoes as he made his way over to Haruka. "I'm a huge fan! I follow all of your races, and man, you're amazing!" Taking off the cap on his head, he reached into a pocket and pulled out a marker. "Can I have your autograph?"
Haruka smiled at the kid, and took the cap to sign it. "I was wondering if you'd do me a huge favor."
"Anything!" the boy answered enthusiastically.
"I have these two bags of ice I need delivered down the street," she said returning the cap and motioning to the melting bags of ice near her feet. She took out her wallet and pulled a couple of bills. "I'll reward you, of course."
The boy was even more awestruck, if that was possible, as he saw the amount Haruka had given him.
"Yeah, of course!"
Haruka gave the boy instructions on where to deliver the ice, as Usagi watched.
"What was that about?" asked the younger blonde.
Haruka winked at her before flashing her famous smirk. "You'll see," she answered, before taking her by the hand and pulling her down the street and away from the party.
xxx
Michiru came to a sudden halt, the waves of her dress taking an extra second to catch up to her. Mamoru's large hand felt warm where it rested on her waist, making a light pink tint coat her cheeks. Apparently he noticed because he let go as the next salsa song came on, yet he remained in close proximity.
"Well that was fun," said Michiru, catching her breath.
"Yes, a little different from the last time we danced," replied Mamoru, recalling the time they had shared a waltz at their mutual friend, Edwards' estate.
"Indeed. I have to ask though," said Michiru, subconsciously biting on the tip of her index finger. "Where did you learn how to dance salsa? I mean no disrespect, but you don't seem like the dancing type."
Mamoru forced himself to look away from said finger, and ran his fingers through his hair. "There's a lot more to me than meets the eye." Turning around, he grabbed his beer, only to find it empty.
"I'm gonna go grab a drink, do you want something?"
Michiru leaned against the railing, letting the wind freshen her up after that dance, her aqua locks now the ones dancing around her. Mamoru had read her performance reviews from time to time. She had been referred to as a mermaid, and at that moment, there was no better word he could have used to describe her.
"Yes, thank you. I'm parched!"
Mamoru carefully opened the door and snuck inside the apartment. There were less than half of the people that were there before. It was getting late, and it was understandable that people started heading home. He made his way to the kitchen and opened the fridge. There should have been water bottles somewhere, but he could not find them. Instead, he took the next best thing he could find. Wine.
After grabbing two glasses, he spotted two new bags of ice on the sink, and even in his current state, he could tell they were not the ones he had purchased. Usagi must have brought them. He wondered where she was, as he hadn't spotted her in the living room. For a second he felt guilty he was spending so much time with Michiru, but it went both ways. Usagi wasn't spending her time with him, which meant she was somewhere having a good time with her other friends.
The time he had spent outside talking and dancing with the violinist had actually been very enjoyable, so why stop to worry about that now?
xxx
"Weeeeeee!"
Even through the helmet, Haruka could hear Usagi yelling in delight as she revved her engine and drove faster through the nearly empty streets, and away from the city of Tokyo. She felt the arms of the younger girl tighten around her torso, and couldn't help but smile at how surprisingly good that felt.
She drove like this for an additional 15 minutes, ignoring the time of night, until she made it to a semi secluded cliff that over looked the ocean. It was her favorite place to go when she need to get away.
Bringing the bike to a stop, she brought the kick stand down, and removed her helmet.
"You can let go of me now, koneko," she told the younger girl, who reluctantly did as she was told before removing her own helmet. She stood up and walked closer to the edge of the cliff.
"Wow Haruka, this is absolutely beautiful!" she said, as she twirled around, allowing the salty air to lift her hair and skirt.
Haruka walked over to join her where she stool. "You certainly can't deny the view."
They stood in silence for a few minutes, watching the waves crash against the rocky cliffs. When Haruka looked back at Usagi, she had her arms wrapped around herself, and even in the moon light, she could tell the usually bright blue eyes were full of tears.
"Koneko… what's wrong?"
Usagi stifled a cry, and wiped a tear from her cheek that had escaped her watery eyes.
"Don't take it the wrong way," she said, grabbing Haruka's arm. "Cause I'm totally enjoying myself here with you, but, it makes me… wonder what's wrong with Mamoru and I… Why we don't do things like these anymore. Why he's not the one here with me… Ever since he started his residency, he's never home. And when he is, he's always tired, always busy. Grumpy even. All he can think is about the hospital, and the kids he's helping." A chuckle escaped the younger girl as she looked up at Haruka. "I bet I must sound super selfish, wanting my boyfriend to spend time with me instead of helping kids that are dying. It just gets… lonely."
Haruka sighed, and wiped a tear from the shorter girls face before bringing her in for an embrace. "Don't worry about it, Koneko. I understand you more than you realize."
Usagi looked up at Haruka in question. The tall blonde smiled, and rested her chin on top of Usagi's head. "Michiru and I, things are a little rough at the moment. She's always traveling, and so am I. We used to make an effort to meet each other, even for short moments when we were abroad. But now, we rarely see each other. And the damn tabloids don't help. We try to ignore them, but they're freaking everywhere. Michiru's new man. Haruka and her groupies. Michiru seen having romantic dinner with some actor. Haruka kissed a team car girl. The list goes on and on. It gets hard to ignore all of them." Haruka released Usagi, and they both sat down looking over the ocean next to each other. "I've suggested we slow down, but to Michi, her career comes first…"
Usagi rested her chin on her tucked in knees. Haruka had never seen the younger blonde so forlorn. She stood up and walked back to her motorcycle, where she took out a pair of 40oz from her tank bag. Without saying anything, she sat back down and handed one of the bottles to Usagi.
xxx
"So you're working at the hospital now you said?" asked Michiru, sipping on her wine, making a mental note that this would be the last glass.
"Yeah. I uh, actually just started on my pediatric surgery fellowship. It's been, hectic to say the least," replied Mamoru refilling his glass with wine.
"Oh wow. Impressive."
Mamoru chuckled and turned to Michiru. "If you would be so kind as to tell that to Usagi, because she seems to not understand that."
Michiru raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"She insisted I take the entire weekend off for this party. When I walked out here, those uh, French words I said? A kid had gone into cardiac arrest, and I wasn't there to help him." Michiru's face turned to worry. "He's fine, the kid. But still. I would have liked to have been there for him."
Michiru reached and gave his leg a squeeze. "I get you one hundred percent," she said. "Not that my career is as important as what you do, but, I've worked very hard to get to where I am. I've spend countless hours perfecting my ability, and now that I'm finally where I want to be, Haruka expects me to just stop, as if the world will wait for me…"
xxx
"She's out cold!" cried Minako, laughing as she took a picture of her passed out genius friend whom currently occupied the couch.
"Don't be a dolt, Minako. She passed out because she's tired. She had maybe one drink!" Makoto said, once again defending her friend, as she picked up empty bottles and cans into a trash bag.
Minako grinned mischievously. "I don't buy that, Mako, but good try."
"Hey guys?" said Rei, joining them in the living room. "Usa is not in her room. Did you guys ever see her come back?" She was worried, the frown on her face evident.
"She must have," said Makoto. "There was more ice in the kitchen besides the bags Mamoru had brought," said the tall brunette, pointing at the kitchen.
Minako put her phone away and crossed her arms. "She's fine," she said, waving her friends off. "I saw Mamoru sneaking out to the balcony with two glasses and a bottle. They're probably out there having some great make up sex. I'm totally jealous!" Minako walked across the room to peek outside. As she was about to peek through the curtain, Rei caught her hand.
"Don't do that Mina," she whispered. "They were having a rough day, and if they are out there making up, you'll ruin it by being nosey."
"Fine!" said Minako exasperated before walking back to the couch, where Makoto was lifting Ami. She went around and pulled one of Ami's arms over her shoulder. "But you're no fun!" she whispered loudly to Rei, before walking out of the apartment with Makoto and Ami.
Rei rolled her eyes and followed her friends. She was about to close the door, when she looked back to the balcony. Something about all of this didn't feel right.
xxx
Laughs echoed throughout the cliff, as a pair of blondes laid on the ground, unable to hold back their laughter. Usagi wiped away a tear falling from her eye, this time from the uncontrollable laughter.
"You are too much Haruka!"
The tall blonde sat up and grabbed her stomach. "I'm too much? Right, Miss I sent everyone to the hospital 'cause I made a batch of bad cookies," she said, letting her head fall back. It was getting late, because her body suddenly began to feel heavy, although more than likely, it was the alcohol. "I think we're going to have to call a cab to come get us."
Usagi stopped laughing, and scratched her head with a single finger. "Yes, we definitely don't want to do any drinking and driving."
Haruka bit her lip. "Actually, I had been drinking before we came over here. It's not the first time I've done this," she said, turning to Usagi. "I just don't trust you to not fall asleep holding onto me while we're on the bike."
"That doesn't sound too bad, actually…"
Haruka's head shot to the blonde. "Falling off the bike? Trust me Koneko, you don't want to-"
"No, I meant the falling asleep holding on to someone…"
She didn't like that comment or the pain that came with it. Haruka stared at the younger girl sitting under the moonlight, glowing under it, and failed to understand how much of an idiot Mamoru was to allow this girl to feel lonely. She was beautiful, sweet, funny, and kind to everyone. And all she wanted was a little affection.
Reaching over, she grabbed Usagi by the chin, and pulled her in for a kiss.
xxx
Michiru was laughing. She couldn't remember the last time she had laughed this much. Her cheeks even hurt at this point.
"That's hilarious, I can't imagine being caught in that position. It's like almost something out of a soap opera!" she said, shaking her head.
Mamoru tilted his chair back a little, hoping the buzz he had wouldn't cause him to lose his balance and fall in front of Michiru. "Tell me about it. About 6 interns had to be given shots for the syph, and everyone signed a contract stating that on call rooms were for sleeping, not fooling around. It was great."
"Wow," said Michiru, standing up. She swayed a little, realizing she had drank far more than she was used to. "While I'm loving your hospital stories, I'm afraid I have to use the powder room."
They both went back inside, surprised to see the apartment completely empty
"This way," said Mamoru as he led Michiru to the guest restroom.
He heard the clicking of the lock and walked over to the living room. The only thing left of the party was a radio that had been left turned on. He made his way over to the bedroom and found it empty. Maybe Usagi had left with Rei or Minako to spend the night, angry because he had disappeared the entire night. Whatever, he was not in the mood to deal with that tonight. And he had no regrets, as the time he had spent with Michiru was nothing short of fun.
Mamoru was making his way back to the living room, when in the hallway, Michiru stepped out of the bathroom, and ran right into him. He held onto her, their chests pressed together, as he leaned on the wall for support.
They stared at each other for a minute without saying anything before Michiru finally pulled back. "It's really late. Thank you for your hospitality, but I should call my driver to come get me…" she said, searching for her phone. "I left my purse and phone outside, I'll just run out to get them."
Outside suddenly felt a lot colder. Michiru paused, before walking to the corner and grabbing her belongings. She turned to leave, but was stopped by a tall body blocking her way. She looked up into set dark blue eyes, and felt goosebumps spread all over her body.
"You're cold…" It had been delivered as statement, not a question.
Michiru felt herself swallow, and then, his lips were on hers.
xxx
A moan escaped Usagi, as Haruka kissed her neck. The young girl laid on the cold ground, with Haruka on top of her. Haruka paused her ministrations to breathe and looked down at the petite girl. Usagi's light blue eyes stared deep into Haruka's teal ones, before wrapping her hands around the racer's neck and pulling her into a kiss. The kiss was needy. Passionate. Aggressive. Both pouring all their bottled up emotions into it. Tongues clashed together, causing both girls to moan into the kiss, as a need began to build inside both of them.
Haruka kissed Usagi's jaw, and followed her body down to her neck, then collar bone. One hand had wrapped around her waist, under her shirt and against smooth skin. The other she used to support herself up. Her kissing continued onto the valley of Usagi's breast, and stopped where the buttons of her blouse began. She could feel the urge of the smaller girl beneath her, as she tugged on the short blonde locks and urged her to continue.
Expertly using her teeth and tongue, Haruka began unbuttoning every button, until the blouse was completely open. She kissed and licked at Usagi's navel, and felt the rise and drop of every pant from the smaller girl. Kissing her way back up, she stopped at the pink lacy bra, and bit at the nipple through the fabric, earning a sensual growl from Usagi, her other hand massaging the other breast.
The moaning was driving her crazy. Making her feel things she hadn't felt in a long time. Her thoughts were interrupted when Usagi rolled them over and stared at the older girl. She was breathing hard, and her hands were shaking. Haruka began to rise, when the lips of the younger girl pushed her back down, kissing her, and taking the control from the tall blonde.
xxx
Michiru was pressed against the wall, Mamoru pressing into her. Mamoru's tongue needed only ask permission once, before it was given access. It was a hungry kiss. Desperate almost.
One of Mamoru's hands was tangled in Michiru's nape locks, while the other was tightly holding on to her ass. Her hands were on his neck, his back, his chest. He could feel his desire growing within him, and was sure at this point, Michiru felt it too.
The feeling of Mamoru's desire was not unfamiliar to her, just one she hadn't felt in a long time. She could feel his member pressing against her navel, and pressed back against it, enjoying the grunt coming from the dark haired man.
Mamoru stretched out his arm towards the wall to brace himself of the effect the violinist was having on him, but instead of holding himself up, he pushed back, causing him to stumble back, and fall into the chair Michiru had been sitting in before. Not letting go of the violinist, she landed on his lap, effectively straddling him, and grinding into his member.
He groaned again, before burying himself in her breast. The chiffon slip dress she was wearing allowed him to easily pull down one of the straps, and uncover the breast that it hid. The fact that she was wearing no bra, nearly bringing him over the edge. He wasted no time in latching on to the breast, as his other hand teased the nipple of the other through the fabric.
xxx
They had rolled around a bit now, fighting for dominance. And now Haruka was winning. She had Usagi pinned down, her wrists to the sides of her head as Haruka grinded her thigh between Usagi's legs. The younger girl had been wearing a skirt, making things so much easier for the both of them.
She let go of one of her wrists and reached down to the back of her thighs. Slowly, she inched her way up the smooth skin, expertly moving her fingers to the inside, until she felt the heat radiating from the shorter girls core.
Usagi shivered as long fingers touched her through her panties, blushing at how ready she was.
xxx
Michiru was enjoying herself so much, she hadn't realized she had begun grinding herself into Mamoru. The feel of his member pressing up against her was beyond arousing. Her hands were on his back, pressing his face onto her chest as much as possible. He felt so hard, all over. Grabbing his shirt from the back, she pulled, causing him to release her to allow the shirt to go over his head.
His chest was strong, defined, and Michiru allowed her fingers to trace his muscles down to his stomach, all the way to the thin line of hair under his belly button. Her fingers sensually began to undo the button on his trouser, and lowered the zipper.
Mamoru once again kissed the girl, his breathing labored as he felt delicate violinist fingers wrap around him. He had to do something, at this rate, he would be done before he even began.
xxx
Usagi felt lost. Almost as if she were floating. Or falling. She wasn't sure. What she was sure of was that she didn't want it, whatever that feeling was, to stop.
She clung onto Haruka for dear life. Completely unwilling to let her go. Her scent was intoxicating. It was a smell so peculiar, it could only belong to the tall blonde.
Pulling her up by her sandy blonde hair, Usagi stared into teal eyes once more. They were darker than normal, but as beautiful as ever. She traced her jaw, and lips with her finger, admiring every detail of the racer.
"You're so beautiful," she said in a whisper.
The tall blonde smiled and caressed the side of Usagi's face. "And you're out of this world."
They kissed once again, softer, more sensual. Haruka's hand made its slow decent down to Usagi's abdomen, feeling how the muscles contracted at the contact. She slid her fingers down her pelvic area, arriving at pink bunny panties. Moist bunny panties. And began to rub.
xxx
Michiru gripped Mamoru's hair tightly as he entered her. It was not an unfamiliar feeling, but it was different than what she was used to. It was hard to define exactly what it felt like. Not wrong, or right, just, different.
She felt her body adjusting to accommodate him as he began moving in and out. The discomfort was fading fast, and was being replaced by a most pleasurable feeling. Slowly, she began to rock her body back and forth in unison with his, pants and moans coming from them both.
Michiru could feel how she was losing herself in the moment. Her nails dug into Mamoru's back, as he buried his face in her breasts. A grunt escaped her, as he bit down on her breast. She was going to yell at him, when she was suddenly yanked up, and pushed against the railing.
Her hands gripped the cold metal, as large sturdy hands held her hips. Mamoru wasted no time in entering her from behind.
xxx
Haruka's top had been thrown somewhere on the ground, as both girls continued kissing and touching everything. The skin to skin contact doing wonders for them both.
Usagi let her hands roam and touch parts she'd never touched before, her boldness coming and going, but never lingering for long.
Haruka could feel the buildup in her stomach, and she yearned to touch, and taste the younger girl. Both their breaths were labored, chests quickly raising and falling. Her long fingers traced the skin along the ribcage of the girl beneath her, continuing their downward path, until the skin was obstructed by pink fabric. She slid two fingers inside the panties by the hipbone, and began to pull them down.
"Wait!"
She froze at the sound of the word, her jaw clenched.
"I... I'm… sorry," said the low, saddened voice. She heard Usagi gulp as she tried to control her breathing. "I'm so sorry, I can't… I can't do this… I… love Mamoru…"
Haruka lingered in place for a few seconds, before gifting the young girl a kiss on the forehead, and moving to sit next to her. She grabbed her wrinkled shirt, and rearranged it before putting it on. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Usagi pulling her blouse closed, before the tears came.
She sighed audibly. This hadn't been what she had planned. She just wanted to take the happy blonde out for a spin, hear her laugh, and make her forget her problems. But not this.
She thought of Michiru too, the person she had subconsciously blocked out since she left the party. Whatever issues they had to work out, this wasn't the answer. And she definitely didn't deserve this.
Soft sobs were coming from the girl sitting next to her, but at this point, consoling her would only make both feel worse, so she let her be. Instead, she pulled out her phone and called for a cab.
xxx
"I'm sorry."
He kept repeating those words over and over, and she just wanted him to shut up. The dress was ruined, how would she explain the stains at the dry cleaners? She could feel the remains of this horrible mistake dripping down her leg.
Slowly, but maybe rougher than necessary, she pushed him off of her, and moved off to the side. "I need to go. This… was a mistake."
There was a sound of something zipping.
"It… should have never happened. I love-"
"I know," replied Mamoru not letting her finish.
There were no words left to say. They had both royally fucked up, and they knew it. Picking up her clutch from the floor, Michiru opened the balcony door, and left.
Mamoru stood rooted in place. He felt sick. The alcohol, the dirty deed, the combination of both. Finally snapping out of his stupor, he stumbled inside, and made his way to the bathroom. Barely making the last two steps, he emptied the contents of his stomach into the toilet bowl. He sat there for who knows how long, chucking and heaving, until it turned into dry heaving, and finally, stopped all together.
He sat on the floor, guilt eating him up. How could he have betrayed his Usako like that? He had been upset, and drunk, but that was no excuse. Would she stay with him after what he did? Would Michiru tell her? Should he tell her?
His head felt like it was going to explode. His body hurt. It felt, dirty. He peeled of his clothes, and slowly, he crawled into the shower, turning on the hot water.
Mamoru flinched as the water stung his body, but he didn't care, and didn't dare to leave. He could still feel Michiru on him. Her scent lingered on his skin. Would Usako be able to smell her on him? Would his smell remain on the violinist? She also had her partner to think about. If the racer found out, she would kill him. But maybe he deserved whatever she would do to him, after what he had done.
xxx
The taxi ride was way too short to allow her think. She had betrayed Mamoru, his trust and their relationship. What would he think? Maybe this was it, the end of a twelve year relationship. Tears quietly fell down her face as she stared out the window of the cab. The sky a warm color, dawn about to break.
Haruka had stayed behind. She wasn't sure what the blonde racer would do, but she assumed she would tell Michiru. She wanted to ask, but she couldn't look at her. She was too ashamed of what she had done to both of them.
Getting off the cab, she looked up at the quiet building in front of her. Mamoru was probably still sleeping. Angry she disappeared the night before most likely. But nothing compared to what he would be when she told him the truth. She took a deep breath, and headed inside.
The apartment had been cleaned up. It needed details here and there, but no real signs of a party were visible. Most likely the girls had cleaned up before they left. The girls. What would they think of her when they found out? She shook of her thoughts, and began to walk toward the bedroom. The first and most important thing would be Mamoru, she would worry about the girls later.
As she was making her way towards the room, she noticed the balcony door was slightly ajar. She was about to close it when she heard soft footsteps coming from the room. Mamoru was standing there. He was wearing grey sweatpants and a white tee shirt. His hair was still wet from a shower.
Avoiding his gaze, she once again resumed her task to close the balcony door when she noticed something on the floor. Two glasses spilled over, a bottle of wine, and… black lacy panties? Looks like someone had spent the night having fun in the balcony.
A smile almost escaped her, as she closed the door. Now was not the time to worry about that. The panties' owner would probably ask for them back at some point. She turned back to the man in front of her, only to notice it was now he who wouldn't look at her. He hid his eyes under his bangs. He looked… ashamed.
A sinking feeling came to her stomach as she turned to the abandoned panties.
xxx
The sound of water splashing echoed throughout the walls of the indoor swimming pool. Michiru had never gone home. In fact, she hadn't even had an ounce of sleep, yet here she was, at her father's estate, pushing her body to the limit swimming laps harder than she ever had before.
She was still shocked at her actions. There was no excuse for betraying Haruka that way. Haruka had been everything to her for so long. Her best friend, her family, her soul mate. She squeezed her eyes, the tears getting lost in the swimming pool's water.
Her body ached, and every muscle within her was begging her to stop, but she couldn't, not yet. She could still feel him within her, inside her. And there was no way she could face Haruka feeling this way.
Despite what the tabloids said, infidelity had never been an issue with them, and they both knew it. But Haruka was extremely protective, and territorial. And despite how well she knew the tall blonde, there was no telling how she would react. She wondered if Mamoru would tell Usagi. Maybe he wouldn't. Maybe it would be best to bury it completely and forget it ever happened.
Footsteps echoing broke her out of her thoughts. Soft. Calculated. Footsteps she knew could only belong to one person. Michiru finished her lap, ending on the end of the pool farthest away from the blonde, as if that distance would give her time to figure out what she needed to do.
She exited the pool, and grabbed a towel that someone, most likely her father's butler, had left for her on a lounge chair. She dried her hair, and face, buying every possible second of time she could. Finally, she looked over at her partner standing on the other end of the pool, looking almost as lost as she felt.
They made eye contact and begin walking to each other, the tension in the large room almost tangible. They were maybe ten feet apart, when Haruka suddenly halted. Her eyes were strained, a frown of disbelief on her face. Michiru stopped on instinct, realization slapping her in the face. Her walk was off. She was sore, and her walk was off. Teal eyes stared into deep blue ones, the world around them disappearing.
xxx
Epilogue
Two men scrolled through a digital camera in the confines of a stifling apartment.
"It's her! It's totally her!" said the first.
The other scrunched his face and brought the camera closer to his face. "How can you be so sure? It's… too dark. It could be anyone."
The first snorted and pulled the camera away. "It's not. You can make out her hair and dress. Her hair is too unique to be anyone else."
Both men leaned in again as they scrolled through the pictures they had looked at minutes before.
"Ok, if you're right and it is her, who's that?" asked the second man. "It doesn't look like the racer."
The first man turned the camera off and put it in his pocket where it would be safe. He grinned from ear and turned to his friend. "It most certainly does not." He licked his dried lips. "Do you have any idea of what this means?"
"It means we hit the jackpot!"