The moon had already risen into the sky by the time Mamoru Chiba arrived home. He could not help but cast his eyes upwards, the soft, white glow reminding him of her. Turning back, he walked through the main doorway of his apartment building, up the two flights of stairs, and was at his front door. Juggling his bag and a stack of books, he fished for his keys, finding them in the pocket of his slacks; turning the key in the lock, he pushed open the door into the darkness of his apartment.
Depositing his books on the table, he let his bag fall to the floor with a soft thump. For a moment, he thought about making something to eat, but his bed was calling for him. Stifling a yawn, he crossed the room, hand on the doorknob of his bedroom door. It was slightly ajar and as he entered the bedroom, he could see why. There she was, fast asleep against his pillows, her golden locks spilling across the white of the pillowcase. Her breathing was even and deep, one arm tucked beneath the pillow, the other beneath her cheek. The parted curtains allowed the moonlight to shine in, casting her in its soft glow, illuminating her like a goddess. She was moving then, her leg drawing up closer to her abdomen, the blanket long since cast aside. He chuckled, taking in the sight of her, in only his pajama top and her panties.
Mamoru walked towards the bed, shedding his articles of clothing as he went; first his blazer, then the tie and shirt, and then his pants. Reduced to nothing but his boxers, he sat down on the edge of the bed, unable to resist reaching out to touch her. His palm down, his hand ran along the silky smooth skin of her thigh, rising up to gently cup her buttock. She made the softest of noises then, rolling over, blue eyes fluttering open, peering up at him, torn between sleep and lust. "You're home," she murmured, voice soft from sleep, her body stretching out, rolling over onto her back a moment later. "It's late." She stated then, sounding a little displeased, though his hand was rubbing circles against her inner thigh. Sitting up, she pushed his prying hands away, a little pout appearing on her features. "You're working too hard, Mamo-chan." She accused, tilting her head, her hand reaching out to cup his cheek in her palm.
It had been two years since the battle with Galaxia, two long, glorious years. She had almost forgotten what a life like this was like. To be normal. The word felt foreign, still yet. Still, her henshin compact was never far away, tucked into her bag or at her bedside, but no one could blame her for being paranoid. After so many battles, after so much loss and devastation, it was hard to actually believe the peace would last. However, it had, and she had finally begun to let go and relax. Only a few short months ago she had moved into Mamoru's apartment, much to her father's horror (though, he had begun to come around) after a year of more or less living there anyways. They had found their rhythm with relative ease and with Mamoru being increasingly busy due to school and work, Usagi found herself to be the apartment's only occupant more often than not.
He chuckled, reaching up to take her hand into his, giving it a gentle squeeze. "I have a term paper due tomorrow, I had to go to the library after my shift ended." He explained, gently pushing her back against the pillows, leaning over her, his lips hovering close to hers. "Did you have a good day?" Her response was a soft groan as his hand slipped further up her thigh, his blue eyes gleaming as he peered down upon her. With his eyes upon her face, he could see their future, he could see it all; the crystallized peak of a castle, the soft swish of a silk down, the glimmer of a crown upon her silver-haired head. He ran his hand through her still golden locks, knowing their hue would turn to silver in only a few short years. Someday soon she would become the person she had always meant to be. But for him, she would always be his Usako, his clumsy, sweet, and loving crybaby of a girl. She would always be his.
"What?" Her soft vocals filled him, bringing him back, and he realized he'd been staring down at her without speaking for several long moments. His heart was swelling with pride, with joy, with love, and he shook his head, silent as he leaned in to kiss her deeply. She returned his kiss full-heartedly, one hand wrapping around the back of his neck, the other entangled in his dark locks.
A little while later, she lay nestled at his side, fully nude and fast asleep, the blanket drawn up around her shoulders. Mamoru found he was no long tired and in truth, was quite happy just laying there beside her. His mind drifted back, to all the times they had been here before; the times Chibiusa had stayed the night, and the three of them were sandwiched into the bed together. Or the times Usagi and stayed over herself and they had spent their precious hours together, until they were called away by their duties. But no more. He glanced out the window, to where the moon shined high in the sky, the stars twinkling around it, and he offered a silent prayer for the peace to last just a little longer. They all knew a battle of some kind was to come, something that would plunge them into a new Ice Age, something that would force Usagi to awaken as Neo Queen Serenity. And sometime into her peaceful reign, they would come to know the Black Moon Clan yet again. He shuddered, recalling those evil beings, hating them all. However, Mamoru knew this time around, the battle would come out entirely different. They had the power to change their futures, to keep it from becoming the world that Chibiusa had grown up in. He smiled at the thought of his little girl, somewhere in the distant future, lost to them in this time until her birth. He knew she would be born on Usagi's twenty-third birthday, not that long after her crowning. They had some years left to go, but they would pass fast.
As sleep began to consume him, he rolled onto his side, slipping his arms around her, drawing her closer. She sighed in her sleep, little mumblings on her lips as she curled up, allowing him to latch his fingers with hers. He supposed he really had to stop living in the future and start living for the moments that they had then, besides, the future was theirs to make after all.