Fighting The Fall
Sum: Mamoru has to leave for America and Usagi has an unbelievable run-in with an superstar. What happens next?
June 7, 2010
AN: This was inspired about a year ago by the song I won't say I'm in love, you know the Hercules song by Meg/Neg, and there was a fan vid. I never did anything with the idea that popped into my head, and rereading the comment I left because someone left me one in return just now and I have come up with a whole new idea, though the basic thought is still there.
Chapter 1
Usagi swirled around her tea, not listening to the three boy-struck girls across from her, and even when Ami pitched in her opinion, Usagi couldn't be roused from her thoughts. So when the girls asked her for her opinion, she had no answer to give, she hadn't been up on the latest celebrity gossip this year, there had been too much going on for her to focus on that.
She glanced up at her four concerned senshi and mumbled something about Mamoru going to New York. They started questioning her on it, and she gave them the answers they wanted and then she lapsed back into silence, thinking back into her memory for her own answers.
Mamoru and her stood on a bridge, he had asked her for a walk, and she loved to spend time with him so she didn't think anything of it. She didn't think anything of it and when he stopped her in the middle of the secluded bridge, she had hoped it was for a romantic moment, timed perfectly. However she should have known better, at least he wasn't breaking up with her this time. He took her hand into his and looked down at her with dark blue eyes that looked excited and nervous at the same time, and Usagi knew somehow that she shouldn't get her hopes up, this wasn't going to go well for her.
"Usako I have some news. Remember that thesis I was working on?" How could she forget? It had been one of the excuses he'd pulled on her many times when he broke up with her two years ago and it had been something he claimed many times since when he couldn't follow through with a date. Instead of saying something she might regret, she nodded, wondering where this was heading now. "Well it got sent to a school in America and they want me to come out for a year. I wouldn't be able to come back until I completed my schooling, is that ok?"
He was asking her for her permission, it was a major difference from before, but he also asked it after the fact and didn't talk to her about it before his decision was already made, when he was first thinking about leaving her for an entire year, to get away from her and do what he wanted to without being interrupted. He looked like he was waiting for her to object but also hopeful that she would let him go without a fight. Because he was going, whether she liked it or not, she realized with sudden clarity. "Go on Mamo-chan, why shouldn't you go to America?" She put as much enthusiasm into her voice as she could muster and she hoped it was enough. It must have been, because he continued like she hadn't said anything at all. Inside she felt her heart breaking all over again and each time it felt smaller and smaller.
"It'll be great, I get to work with all of these different professors, it's the opportunity of a life time." And because it was important to him, she listened and partook in the conversation though she really wasn't interested. All she wanted to do was flee and go home to cry into her pillow. However she was denied even that small joy as she had to come meet the girls. So while he talked, she turned towards the water and looked down at her solo reflection.
That was all she was these days, by herself. Chibi-Usa left and went back to the future, and now Mamoru was leaving her too that the daughter he loved so deeply wasn't there to keep him tied to Usagi. Chibi-Usa's absence on top of Mamoru's was like a sever to one of Usagi's assurances, that she was the product of Mamoru and her love. Mamoru's shadow joined her reflection but he wasn't quite visible, just like he wasn't quite there with her now. He surfaced from his own personal ecstasy to ask her something and she perkily replied, and he continued on.
He obligatorily walked her home and kissed her on the cheek once they got to her outer gate. He watched her head in and once she disappeared behind her front door, she watched him leave.
Even going back into her memories, she didn't find any answers in there, only more questions, and more fears. At the time she hadn't been so critical, just felt like her world was crashing in on her and with another assurance to her friends; she left the café to head home.
Usagi sat at her window, the picture of her family in her hands. Not the one that raised her, but the one she would someday have for thousands of years. IF letting Mamoru go wasn't a mistake that would forever change that future. She stared down at that happy memory and felt herself falling back into other memories, happy ones between her and Mamoru or the three of them together. Usagi hugged the photograph to her chest and stared out the window at the stars shining above them. She might have fallen asleep because the next thing she knew, Luna was calling her name and asking her if she was all right.
Moving away from the window Usagi plopped down onto her bed and looked up at her poster strewn ceiling, some things hadn't changed, no matter how much motivation she had to take them down, she never managed it. "Are you really all right?" Luna pressed, jumping onto the bed and lying next to Usagi's head.
It took her a long moment before she answered, and answered truthfully. "I am happy for his opportunity, it's what he wants and I am glad for it. But I don't want him to leave, I'll be very lonely and sad. All I want to do is tell him NO! Don't go!" She was half way between anger and tears. "But that won't do any good. He'll still go and he might hate me for trying to stop him." Usagi pressed a sleeve against her burning eyes.
She felt a cold nose press against her cheek. Usagi's eyes peeked out from beneath her arm and slid over to Luna, expectantly. If cats had features that could show what they were thinking, Luna's would have been twisted in reluctant practicality. "You've matured so much from the girl I once met a long time ago. I almost believe you to be stronger and wiser than the princess who wouldn't give up her love and sent us all to this future. You are able to let him go, assured that he will come back to you, and knowing if you don't let him go, he maybe wouldn't. But tomorrow you have to send him off with a smile, so he knows just how strong you are." Luna nudged her again when Usagi's eyes widened at the idea and then a grin spread across the young blond's face. She liked Luna's idea.
Seiya glanced through the crowds gathered around him and his brothers and in the distance he saw a blond and a dark haired man standing by the windows of a flight getting ready to depart. The man leaned down and blocked the blond out of his view so they could share a kiss, even though they were in a crowd the man was still protecting her honor. It was something that Seiya wanted, not necessarily that girl, but that kind of relationship, both of them going onto a trip together. Even though there were thousands of girls throwing themselves at him and his brothers, he didn't want the easy ones. He wanted one that was interested in him and not his status. Yaten jabbed an elbow into his back and he turned just in time to be blinded by a flash of light from a camera and to be deafened by a massive squeal.
Meanwhile Usagi couldn't help but cry. "I was going to see you off with a smile. Stupid tears." She rubbed at them as Mamoru placed his hands on her shoulders.
"It's all right. I didn't think you were going to come, with school and all."
"I couldn't just sit in class while you boarded a plane on your own with nobody to say goodbye." She argued and Mamoru chuckled.
"I am glad you came Usako. I have something for you." He pulled out of his breast pocket a small black jewelry box and handed it to her.
She opened it almost fearfully, wondering what he could possibly give her and her breath caught. "This is-" an engagement ring? She almost didn't want to believe it, she had to be mistaken.
"Yes." He took the ring out of the box and placed it on her left ring finger and she had trouble breathing as it looked perfect there, the heart surrounded by diamonds. "I love you Usako." She didn't say anything and he leaned down for a kiss, her eyes had said enough.
The flight was calling for last boarding and Mamoru pulled back. "I won't be able to call or write for a little while, it'll be really busy."
"That's all right. I will write you every day." Usagi countered and latched onto his arm. "Now come on, you don't want to miss your flight."
A commotion down the airport caught their attention and at first Usagi's heart began to race, that kind of noise usually led to one thing, but it was cheering and screaming of excitement, not fear. "What do you think it is?" Usagi asked trying to get a better look, but it was only a sea of colors, and nothing telling.
"Probably some type of celebrity." Mamoru looked down to her. "Now let's go?"
Usagi nodded and her path with Mamoru intercepted the irritated Seiya's and the two brushed shoulders as they walked. Usagi looked behind her at who she had run into just as Seiya did the same, their eyes locked before the connection was broken by outside forces and Usagi showed Mamoru to the gate, where they shared one last kiss before he took off for a year. Seiya was ushered outside with his brothers by the security guards and into their limo.
Usagi wandered outside to the buildings near by and watched as his plane took off into the sky. "Be careful Mamo-chan." Usagi looked down at the railing she was leaning against and saw the engagement ring on her finger. She began wondering what he was going to do with the ring if she ended up going to class, but maybe he had hoped she would come, and he had been kept it on him in case that happened. Or he had never meant to give it to her, only kept it in case he needed to pacify her or was planning to give it to someone else in America. Why wouldn't he give it to her between announcing his trip and leaving? Although to be fair, it had only been a week and that was a little mean on his part, or very smart, given she couldn't freak about it for six months then, and get the pain over quickly, or at least part of it. Now at least it was only a year and not a year and a half of worry.
Usagi watched as the plane left Tokyo and disappeared into the sky and continued to watch for a while longer and then she figured it was probably somewhere over the Pacific. She pushed away and headed back to school. She had her mother write her a note, saying she had an appointment and that's why she was late. Her mother was a sucker for romance, no doubt Ikuko was hoping that Usagi was able to convince Mamoru to stay and possibly get an offer of marriage in return. Usagi rolled her eyes; well she kind of got half of that, if that was really what it was. He never actually asked for her hand in marriage and they had never talked about it. It was a little rude of him to assume just because they were married in the future meant that he didn't have to ask her now. Especially with their history or at least because of it.
