Memory, Once Forgotten

By: SilverLunarStar

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN SAILOR MOON! It respectfully belongs to Takeuchi-san. Plot belongs to me. Most of the "flashback" is word for word of the movie except for the part after Chibi Mamoru takes the rose from Chibi Usagi; I made that up!

-----------------

"Are you sure you're alright Usako?" asks a very worried Chiba Mamoru.

Tsukino Usagi sighs, exasperated. "Mamo-chan, how many times do I have to tell you? I'm okay!"

The tall, dark haired male smiles sheepishly. "Gomen ne… demo, I…" His eyes darken at the thought.

The blonde girl sighs, rolling her eyes. Plopping down on his lap as gracefully as only Usagi can, she gently moves his bangs from his eyes. "I know," she says simply, looking up at him.

He lets out a sigh, hugs her close to him, buries his face in the crook of her neck, and plants a gentle butterfly kiss there. He rests his head on her shoulder as he feels her small hands play with the hairs on the back of his neck.

She absentmindedly plays with his dark hair, remembering how she felt when Fiore took him away from her, the way her Mamo-chan had so suddenly thrown himself in front of her, like he had so many times before. But, unlike all those other times, this time, he hadn't shielded himself with his cape. She shudders now, thinking about the pain she felt herself, along with the pain she sensed through their link, his pain, knowing it paled in comparison to the pain he himself must have gone through.

Mamoru lifts his head up and looks at her worriedly, feeling her tremble.

Usagi lets out a quivering breath and fully wraps her arms around him. "I know just how you feel Mamo-chan; I felt the same way when you took the attack that was meant for me. And when Fiore took you away from me…" Her eyes fill with tears. "I thought I'd never see you again. I felt so lost and alone, even when I had the Scouts by my side. I didn't know what to do, I felt so weak without you. If it weren't for them snapping me out of it, and our Little One knocking some sense into me, we probably would have never saved you. I'm not strong enough…" She trails off. "I love you and I know I don't deserve you. You deserve someone so much better, someone mature, smart, beautiful, graceful… Everything that I'm not," she finishes, looking away from his intense, ocean eyes.

"Usako," he begins, looking at her disbelievingly. Why does she think so little of herself? Sure, she is a klutz, a crybaby, she gets bad grades more often than she should, there's no denying that, but doesn't she see that all these qualities, and more, are what make him love her? Apparently not, but she it's high time she knows this. "Usako," he repeats. "I don't want anyone else; I don't need anyone else, but you. Why would I, when I already have someone who is mature, smart, beautiful, graceful…?"

She looks at him incredulously.

"…A klutz, a crybaby, someone who gets bad grades," he continues, with a mischievous smile, looking down at her. Seeing her look down at her lap, he frowns. "Usagi," he says slowly. He gently takes her chin in his hand, moving her gaze to him. "I don't care if you're a klutz, you can be graceful sometimes. Everyone has their moments where they have a klutz attack. Sure you cry a lot, but that just goes to show that you have feelings and aren't a cold-hearted person. Heck, you're far from that, you're a warm-hearted person, and the most kind-hearted one I've ever met at that."

She gives him a small smile.

"As for you're grades…"

She frowns at that.

"You, as well as I, know that you can do better than that, you just have to set your mind to it. I know it's hard and you get distracted easily…" he teases.

She pouts. "Not my fault," she mumbles.

Chuckling, he looks down at her pouting lips. "I know," he says. "I know it isn't." His eyes sparkling, he concludes, "You're more than anyone could ever ask for, and more than I deserve." With that, he seals her lips with his in a gentle kiss.

Sighing, Usagi responds back, pressing her soft lips onto his.

Breaking the tender embrace, he finishes, "And you are mature, contraire to what others may believe. You show that more and more everyday as Sailor Moon and, more importantly, as Usagi. You're great leader, who cares and will do anything for your friends and loved ones. I love you for all these qualities and more Usako. It scares me, that you're willing to sacrifice, everything, even your life, for us. You proved that tonight. I was terrified. I didn't, don't, know what I'd do without you. I felt incomplete, as if my heart and soul were torn in half.

"It felt close to how I felt before I met you, but even worse. The only thing that satisfied me before was helping people and the dreams I had of you as Serenity. But when that wasn't occurring, only emptiness plagued me. When I first bumped into you and we started arguing, I actually had something to look forward to each day. When you…" He gulps. "Died…" he rasps out, his throat dry. "I didn't… know what to do. Half of me denied that you were gone. I know that I can't, won't, live without you. Every time we go into battle I'm always afraid to lose you. I've lost you one too many times already." He pauses, trying to collect himself. "Without you… there's nothing left for me. I now know what life is like with you and as selfish as it may be, I don't ever want to live without you."

"Well I guess we're both selfish then," Usagi responds with a smile. Planting a kiss on his cheek, she asks, "By the way, did you remember how we first met?" She looks at him with inquiring eyes.

Seeing her look at him, he avoids her gaze, stuttering. "We, I-uh, that is to say…" Locking eyes once again, he knows he can't lie to her. "No," he admits.

Pouting exaggeratedly, she responds, "Well then, I guess you need a personal reminder so it'll stay in that head of yours." She gently taps his forehead with her index finger, before placing her own forehead against his, images filling their minds.

In the trauma wing of the hospital, a young boy, around ten, sat on the side of a bed, crying. Since he was occupied, walloping in his misery, he didn't notice a little blonde girl around three or four, entering the room, until she came over to him, placing her hand on his, resting her head on his lap.

Curious, he looked down at her, his cheeks stained slightly pink, and asked, "Who are you?"

"Watashi wa Usagi. Why are you crying?"

At her innocent question, tears well up once again. Turning his head, he responded, "Because my friend' leaving, and I'll never see him again. And," he sobbed, "he's the only friend I've got." He looked down, feeling slightly ashamed at his confession.

"No he isn't."

Startled, he looked at her again.

"'Cause from now on, I'll be your friend too." Lifting her head up, but never removing her hand from his, she informs her new found friend, "My mommy just had a baby boy today, and I got these roses for her. Here." Taking a bloomed rose from the half a dozen roses she was carrying in her left hand, with her right one, she handed it to him. "It's a present."

Surprised, the rose color returned to his cheeks. "Arigato Usagi-chan." He reached out and plucked the rose she presented him with from her hand. Brining it under his nose, he inhaled the flower's sweet fragrance. Looking at it closely, he asked, hesitantly, "Would it be alright if I gave this to my other friend?" He winced inwardly, it sounded pretty ungrateful, him giving a gift she had presented him with.

Much to his relief, her smile brightened and she nodded her consent.

He returned her smile.

"Usagi! Usagi-chan!" an adult, male's voice was heard, echoing outside, in the hallway.

The said girl giggled. "Oppsy, I left oto-san in a hurry when I heard you crying. I better go." She kept to herself that it was the feeling of loneliness, his loneliness apparently, that had led her to him. Removing her hand from his, she made to leave. Before exiting completely, she turned around at the doorway, facing him. "Don't worry, everything will be alright."

With one last smile, she left.

"One thing you were right about is that everything did turn out alright in the end," Mamoru comments.

"Told you so." Usagi smirks.

Gazing down at her beautiful, blue eyes, he cups her left cheek and seals their lips in a gentle kiss. 'Yes, you did,' is his final thought, before losing himself in the passionate embrace.

Owari

-----------------

Just a small fic I needed to get out of my system. It probably doesn't even come close to how I originally intended it to be but finally, after a year or two, it's finally COMPLETE!!!

For those of you reading We Met in Hong Kong I'm hoping to have it done by the end of the month. There's only four chapters left!

And for those of you reading She's My WHAT?!?!?! I'm hoping to have it done this year too. I finally have the R Season on DVD!

I'll be posting up a few one-shots about every week. I have four more completed ones to post. Then there are a few poems that I wrote back in ninth grade about Cardcaptor Sakura.

I hope you enjoyed this short fic!

Lots of love,

Eli