AN: Hello all! This is my first SM story and I'm pretty excited. This is a Mamo/Usa fic so don't be fooled by the beginning. I need to say thank you thank you to Aya Faulkner for helping me continue on until I completed this and for being my beta. I also need to thank SailorMoon489 for also being a beta! Appreciate you both!
I hope you all enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or anything SM related. Rated M for later lemons and for some language.
Chapter 1
Mamoru looked around the now empty studio apartment he called home for the last three years. Sighing he picked up the last box and set it out in the hall. He grabbed his keys and wiggled a single key off the loop. Setting the key down on the counter he gave one last look before locking the bottom lock and shutting the door behind him.
His phone rang in his pocket as he made his way down the hall to the front lobby, box in hand. Of course.
Putting the box in the back of the movers truck he pulled his phone out. The screen flashed a missed call from Seiya, before he could return the call a text chimed in.
Seiya: "You. Me. Drinks tomorrow night. Don't think about backing out! I've seen you twice in the last three years!"
Groaning he sent back a quick text telling him okay. For the last three years he was a short three hour drive from his old home and friend, but it was hard to make that drive often. The phone back in his pocket he was now in the driver's seat, starting the truck he headed back to the place he called home for most of his life.
O.o.O.o.O
Seiya was waiting for him at a high top table along with two beers, "Mamoru!"
Seiya's smile was always infectious, they joined in a quick hug before Mamoru took a seat. "How have you been Seiya?"
"Good! Great, actually! You?"
"Good, happy to be back home."
"It's so good to have you back man." Seiya slapped his arm and took a sip of his beer.
"What have you been up to?"
"Well, my girlfriend and I recently moved in together. Also, I got a promotion at work. What about you? Are you still with that red head….what was her name?"
"Beryl, no thank you. Terrible two months, terrible mistake. So you're really living with a girl, huh?"
"Yeah, finally took the plunge. I really want you to meet her. She's amazing, just truly...remarkable."
Mamoru took a quick sip of his own beer, "This the same one you told me about before?"
"Yeah!"
"So how come on my couple visits I never met her?"
Seiya played with his glass before lifting his blue eyes to Mamoru's, "You aren't the easiest."
Mamoru let out a sharp laugh, "Thanks!"
"I just mean with new people! Especially women it seems. Plus I didn't know how serious it would be."
Mamoru nodded and lifted his glass, "Alright, well I'm very happy for you and can't wait to meet the lucky lady."
Seiya smiled and tapped his glass with his own, "How about two weeks from now? Give you time to settle in?"
"Sounds great, just text me the time and place."
O.o.O.o.O
He heard a muffled "Seiya!" come from their bedroom closet as he was mindlessly scrolling through his phone in the living room. Setting his phone down on the coffee table that was clearly not picked out by him he made his way to the screams. "SEIYA!" the loud screech at the end of his name caused him to chuckle before he opened the closet door to find blonde hair, pale limbs and piles of clothes covering her and all around her.
"What did you do?!"
"Do you like this one on me? Or this one with these shoes? Or.."
"Usagi! Stop." Grabbing her hand he pulled her from the huge mess she created that he knew she would not be cleaning up. "What are you doing? This is just dinner with my friend, you don't have to be perfect." She gawked at him like he grew another head. Yep, he definitely should have just kept his mouth shut. Seeing what he was looking for he grabbed the short sleeved soft pink dress off the floor, knowing it did not show any cleavage and it would keep her cool on the warm July day. "Here, this will be perfect," he handed it to her along with a pair of nude colored flats. With a quick squeal and peck on his cheek she was a blur of hair to the bedroom to change. Sighing he stared down at the pile, "Nope..not happening right now." Shutting the light off and closing the closet door he found her ready in the dress waiting for him to zip it shut.
Finally, only 20 minutes late, they made it to the restaurant to see Mamoru waiting in a booth. "Mamoru!"
Mamoru's head jerked up, a look of relief crossed his face as he stood to meet Seiya for a side hug. "It's good to see you, so sorry we're late. I'd like you to officially meet Usagi, my girlfriend." Mamoru released his arm from Seiya and turned his attention to the blonde at Seiya's other side.
"Hi! It's nice to finally meet you!" Usagi reached her hand out to him with a smile on her face.
His face remained neutral as he shook her hand, "Same."
"Let's sit, again so sorry about being late." Seiya stepped aside to let Usagi sit in the booth first and slid in after her.
"That was my fault, I wasn't sure what to wear." She smiled at Mamoru and reached for her menu. He raised his eyebrows but just looked back at his menu without saying a word, she scrunched up her face and looked at Seiya who just mouthed 'what?' to her.
Seiya perused his menu before glancing at Mamoru, "How is your new vet practice going?".
Mamoru kept his eyes on his menu, "Fine." Seiya cleared his throat uncomfortably but quickly smiled when he saw the waiter making his way to them.
After they ordered, the one worded answers coming from Mamoru were starting to get to Usagi. Seiya reached his hand under the table and squeezed her knee sensing she was getting agitated which didn't happen often. "So how long have you two been dating?"
Her eyes went wide, shocked that this man could say more than 'yes, no, fine, okay'. "Um..a little over t-two years now." she stuttered still in shock that he could speak. He nodded and went back to drinking his coffee. "Isn't it kind of late to be drinking coffee?" This caused Seiya to shake his head and chuckle and Mamoru's eyes to meet hers. "And hot too, it's really hot out."
A small smirk formed on his face, "I'll be fine, thanks for your concern." Her eyes slit with the sarcastic tone of his reply, but this was one of Seiya's oldest friends, she had to just make it through this dinner.
O.o.O.o.O
"OH MY GOD!" she screamed once they were back in the car.
"Usagi please," Seiya said covering his ears, "small car, loud voice, don't mix."
"How are you two friends? You're complete opposites! How old is he? He seems ollllld with his attitude and one worded answers. There's nothing that kills a conversation more than when you reply with one word!"
Seiya laughed in response to her rambling, "He's 27, only 3 years older than me, we met when I was 10. He's always had a hard time with...um conversations with new people."
She stared at him while he drove towards home, "But you said he was smart, like crazy smart. Didn't seem very smart to me." She crossed her arms and turned her head out the window.
"Look it will get better the more you two get to know each other. Now that we're living together I want both of us to start having our friends around more so we don't become that couple that loses themselves to each other. You can have the girls over anytime you'd like!" She sighed knowing he's always been kind and friendly to her four girlfriends and she would just have to learn to make friends with Mamoru.
O.o.O.o.O
Wiping the sleep from her eyes, she stretched and realized Seiya was already out of bed. Rolling over she came across a note left on his pillow, 'Out of pancake mix, going to grab donuts for breakfast.' With a smile on her face she grabbed her phone to check the time, "nine already." A small 'meow' pulled her attention to the floor. "Good morning Luna, you hungry?" After another meow left Luna's mouth, Usagi swung her legs over the side of the bed and made her way to the kitchen to grab the cat food.
After feeding Luna, she started her new normal Saturday routine since she moved in with Seiya. With as much as he spoils her she needed someway to keep in shape, even if it was only once a week, and as much as she hated running she started to find it freeing. With her pigtails tied together down her back and jogging outfit on she slipped on her running shoes and left the apartment.
Halfway through her run focusing on changing the song on her phone she ran into someone, ending up flat on her back. Sitting up on her elbows she found the last person she would have wanted to knock down. Glaring at her with bluer eyes than Seiya's and dark hair falling into those same eyes, Mamoru. He stood up and pulled out his headphones, making her immediately scramble to her feet and start apologizing. There was something scary about the look on his face that kept her apologizing without letting him get a word in. Not being able to take anymore he covered her mouth with his hand. "Stop." He raised his eyebrow at her, a silent question if he could trust moving his hand away, not breaking eye contact she nodded. He removed his hand and sighed, "Do you stare at your phone while you drive too?"
"Excuse me? YOU must have had your eyes elsewhere or you would have avoided me yourself!"
"I was bent down tying my shoe, I didn't think I'd have to worry about being knocked over." Usagi's cheeks burned red and she mumbled sorry again. "No problem Odango, eyes on the road next time." Before she could respond he was running in the opposite direction, leaving her alone with her dropped jaw.
O.o.O.o.O
Seiya heard the door slam sooner than he expected, "Hey babe, run go that well?" She grunted at him while taking her shoes off, walking up behind her he saw the scrape on her elbow. "Hey, what happened here?"
Usagi let out a noise that sounded similar to a growl, "I ran into your friend! Of course the first impression wasn't enough, I just had to knock him down too!"
He scrunched his eyebrows at her, "my friend?"
Heading for the bathroom she sighed, "Yes, YOUR friend, that boring baka Mamoru."
"Well that's not very nice."
"He called me Odango! That isn't very nice either."
"Usagi, c'mon-"
"Stop, I know, I will be fine and I will play nice when he is around. Can I just shower? I feel gross and my elbow hurts."
He backed away to the bathroom door, "No problem, I'll try to save you a donut."
"THERE BETTER BE A DONUT WAITING FOR ME!" She scream over the running water and closed bathroom door.
O.o.O.o.O
Back at his condo he was mumbling to himself putting his shoes, phone, headphones, everything into its perfect place when Motoki snuck up behind him, "Who you talking to?"
Jumping and turning around he let out a short breath. "No one, myself."
Motoki laughed, "I can see that, what about?"
Heading off to his room hoping to get away from Motoki with no such luck he groaned, "Fine, Seiya's girlfriend knocked me down on my run, I don't get it she's not his type. She's so talkative and hyper."
Motoki leaned against Mamoru's dresser with crossed arms, "That sounds like Seiya though. A perfect match."
"No, you don't understand, Seiya is the talkative one and he is hyper but around her he lets her monopolize the conversation and just smiles while staring at her." Rolling his eyes he searched through his closet.
"Haven't you met her once?"
"Twice as of this morning. That's all it took! I've been gone a few years working to be able to start my own vet practice here and this is what I come back to."
"You never like any of your friend's girlfriends though."
He stopped picking out clean clothes to turn and look at Motoki, "That's not true! I love Reika!"
Motoki laughed again, "Yeah because you knew her first and because she's always out of town, leaving me to live with your sorry ass."
He shrugged and grabbed his clothes and towel, heading to the bathroom, "Don't follow me to the bathroom or we will have to rethink this living arrangement."
O.o.O.o.O
"I invited the girls over for some Saturday night fun, I forgot to ask you, is that okay?" She stared at him in the mirror as she finished putting her hair up into her infamous two buns.
"Usa, you don't have to ask to have your friends over, it'll be fun. Why don't I invite Mamoru and his roommate over?"
"Yeah, we can release Minako on him." She avoided his eyes, pretending to be fixated on making her hair perfect, trying to hold back her grin.
"Usa….play nice, no allowing Minako to bombard him." Not being able to hold it back any longer, she doubled over laughing picturing the scenario in her head. "Usa…"
"Fine! Fine! We'll all play nice."
Seiya smiled and wrapped his arms from behind her and whispered in her ear, "Thank you. You look beautiful by the way." She smiled in the mirror at him before she turned in his arms.
"So how beautiful we talking?" He smiled down at her and leaned in for a kiss right as a pounding on the door came, stopping him in his tracks.
"If we stay really quiet they won't know we're here, ten minutes-" Usagi laughed and pulled away to go to the door shaking her head, "Nooo, Usa, ten minutes!"
"Hush, we will have all of Sunday together, just you and me." She looked over her shoulder at him with her hand on the doorknob noticing his head hanging with a fake pout on his face.
"Usaaaaaagi! You invite us over and take forever to let us in? How is it we've come to you and you still manage to be late?!" Rei yelled from the otherside making her roll her eyes before she opened the door to see her four friends squealing at her.
O.o.O.o.O
Mamoru grabbed his phone while toweling his hair and groaned. "You have got to be kidding me."
Motoki looked up from his laptop at Mamoru, "A - I think we should have a shirt required rule in the common living areas. B - who is kidding you?"
Dropping the towel from his hair he glared at Motoki, "Seiya wants me to come over for a get together at his place."
"He's your friend, what's wrong with spending time with him?"
He rolled his eyes at the grin on Motoki's face, "Ha ha. You know why. But guess what you're invited too so get ready."
Motoki stopped laughing, "Wait...what?"
O.o.O.o.O
"'I'm sorry, Professor, but I couldn't complete my homework because of Poor life choices.' Ha! Okay, poor life choices is the winner because that is my life."
Minako jumped up and down in her seat, "Mine Mine Mine!"
"Of course! Usagi always picks Minako's cards." Rei said sighing.
"Hey! Don't be jealous that you aren't better at Cards Against Humanity. It's about knowing the reader." Minako stuck her tongue out and grabbed the card from Usagi just as a knock came at the door.
"Oh thank God. I'll get it!" Seiya opened the door to find Mamoru and Motoki.
"Hey Seiya, you remember Motoki right?"
"Yeah, great to see you again. Come in, come in." As Mamoru walked in he handed a bottle of wine to Seiya, "I wasn't sure what kind of gathering you were having."
"No problem! You didn't need to bring anything, but we appreciate it." As Seiya put the wine in the fridge he heard a rupture of laughter from the living room. "The girls are in there playing a game and we have pizza coming." All three men walked into the living room just as Rei threw the pile of cards from the middle of the coffee table in the air.
"Well I guess that game went quick," all five girls turned and looked at the three men and tried to contain their laughter.
"What's next?!" Usagi bounced to Seiya's side and kissed his cheek.
"Well introductions would be nice."
Usagi turned her attention to Mamoru and put on a fake smile that anyone could see through. "Oh of course, where are my manners Mamoru. Ladies, this is Mamoru and his roommate...um?"
"Motoki."
"Yes, Motoki, hi I'm Usagi. This is Mamoru and Motoki. Gentlemen, this is Rei, Minako, Mako and Ami."
"Hello," rang out in unison amongst the group.
Minako sat up in her seat, "Wait, this is Mamoru?"
Mamoru raised his eyebrows at Usagi and Seiya cleared his throat. "Uhhh, yeah, Seiya's friend." Usagi sat back down next to Minako and nudged her.
O.o.O.o.O
Her friends were the worst! She let her hair down, plugged her phone in and threw back the covers on the bed with a huff. The absolute worst!
Seiya walked into the bedroom and put his phone on the charger, "I think that went great! See all of our friends getting along, this couldn't be more perfect." He leaned over and kissed her on the side of her head. "I'm going to take a quick shower."
She smiled up at him and as soon as his back was turned she was scowling again. The worst friends and boyfriend ever!
~*~*~ Earlier that night ~*~*~
Mamoru sat in the recliner facing the group of girls, "So Odango, I'm surprised you're here."
Usagi looked up from the coffee table with a confused scowl, "Why wouldn't I be here? It's my home."
Mamoru leaned back and put his ankle on his knee in the typical man fashion. "Oh no I know, I just mean I figured you'd still be picking out an outfit instead of out here."
He gave her a half smirk as her eye started to twitch while the girls were trying to hide their giggles.
Seiya clapped a hand on Mamoru's shoulder laughing nervously, "Drink Mamoru?"
Mamoru looked up at Seiya with a smug look on his face, "Sure why not?"
After Mamoru had gone in the kitchen with Seiya and Motoki she turned her glare on her friends. "What was that?! I told you, he is so rude!"
Rei shrugged, "Yeah but Odango, that's a good one."
Usagi glared directly at her making Rei grab her hand and squeeze it lightly. "Relax, we're here, we'll help."
The men came back in the room each with two glasses. "Alright, who wants white and who wants red?"
A glass of white wine was handed to her by Seiya while the girls told them what they wanted, the remaining glasses were set on the coffee table. They went back to the kitchen to grab two more glasses and the bottles of wine.
"Mmm, this is really good. Which one is this honey?"
Seiya returned with the bottle he had poured hers from, "Umm looks like it's the one Mamoru brought."
"Of course," she mumbled under her breath but still loud enough for Mamoru to hear.
"Yeah I'm surprised you're old enough to drink."
She whipped her head towards him with daggers in her eyes, "I'm twenty-two!"
"Twenty years older than I would have guessed," taking a sip of his wine she could still see the smug smile on his face.
Ami cleared her throat, "So Mamoru what do you do?" In that moment Seiya couldn't be more thankful for Ami.
O.o.O.o.O
"Grrr!" She got in bed and started lotioning her hands. "Ohhh, you're a vet? You save puppies?! Do you work out? Are you single?"
Usagi mimicked her traitorous friends in a sarcastic high pitched voice. Help her butt! She heard the shower turn off so she turned off the light and crawled under the covers to pretend to be asleep.
After a couple minutes she heard the bathroom door open and felt Seiya crawl under the covers whispering, "Usa?" She laid completely still and slowed her breathing, he sighed and laid back getting ready to fall asleep himself.
O.o.O.o.O
Usagi squinted as the sun started shining through the blinds, groaning she started to move the covers back.
"No, no I don't think so." She felt an arm around her waist and was pulled back against a hard chest. "You told me I get all of Sunday, just me and you."
Feeling Seiya's lips on her neck she figured she could be mad at him later. Smiling she rolled over pulling the covers with her up over their heads and kissed him.
O.o.O.o.O
Mamoru walked inside of his apartment, just beating the sun with his run. He didn't want a chance of running into Odango again. He did have to hand it to her though, she had good taste in friends. He really liked her friend Ami, who just finished her four year degree and is moving on to Medical school, something he originally wanted for himself but somehow he went the vet route. Probably his lack of interest in people.
Alright, enough thinking about his friend's girlfriend and her friends. Time to get some house cleaning done on his last day off.
Walking into Motoki's room he grabbed one of his dirty socks and tossed it on his face. "Motoki! Wake up!" Groaning he knocked the sock on the floor and rolled over on his stomach.
"We only have so many weeks left before we gotta be out of here and we need to start searching for a new condo. Get up!"
O.o.O.o.O
After spending all morning with Seiya in bed, most of the time spent cuddling, she finally talked him into letting them eat. Grabbing the pizza from the night before out of the fridge she put a couple slices in the microwave.
Seiya sat down at the kitchen counter and played on his phone. "So last night was fun, right?"
She looked over at him and back at the microwave, "Sure."
Setting down his phone he looked up at her, "Okay, I don't get it, everyone was laughing and having a good time."
"Yes, everyone was laughing at Mamoru and his every joke that happened to be about me. He doesn't know me, I don't get why he dislikes me so much."
"He doesn't dislike you! He was just messing around, you know having fun."
She crossed her arms and stared at the microwave, "Didn't seem fun to me."
Seiya stood up and came to her side. "What can I do? I don't know what to do with this situation."
Usagi shook her head, "I'm sure it'll all work out, I'm probably being oversensitive."
She wrapped her arms around his waist and wondered if it really would work out. She's never had anyone dislike her before, no matter what Seiya says it feels like dislike. The microwave dinged and she brought the pizza to the kitchen table where they ate in silence.
O.o.O.o.O
Over the next month Seiya was starting to lose his cool with his girlfriend and Mamoru. Every time they all went out or stayed in together they were at each other's throats.
At the movies Usagi dumped a bucket of popcorn on Mamoru's head after he made a comment about her probably not being able to read the subtitles.
At a restaurant Mamoru knocked a waiter, holding a tray full of food, over with his chair while arguing with Usagi.
She poured glitter in Mamoru's shoes but that one kind of backfired because he dumped them out in their entryway before he left.
They were kicked out of a bar, A BAR, due to disturbing the other guests.
He had received countless noise complaints from the landlord because of them.
Her girlfriends even avoided coming over because of her and Mamoru.
He couldn't take it anymore, but what could he do?
His mind was made up, he had to stick them somewhere with no escape.
O.o.O.o.O
It's a Wednesday night and Seiya decided tonight would be a good night to go out? Didn't he understand he has to be up early?
Walking up to the counter he greeted the host with a smile, "Hello, I believe the reservation is under Seiya?" Looking down at the computer the host nodded and led Mamoru to a small room, "The timer will start when your other party arrives."
A few minutes later he heard the door open and saw blonde hair and big blue eyes along with the host greet him. He looked around them expecting to see Seiya, much to his disappointment there was no one else.
Usagi turned and looked at the host as he started to shut the door, "Wait! There's supposed to be three of us."
The host looked at his tablet and back to them, shaking his head no, "There's only two people reserved for this escape room. Have fun!"
With that he shut the door and locked them in. Panicking Usagi ran to the door he just shut and started screaming to let them out.
Mamoru grabbed her wrist to get her attention and she jumped. "We have to find a key in here to get in the bigger room, then complete those clues and we'll be free."
Usagi looked at him nodding and then began searching the almost bare room. "Where's Seiya? I thought he was with you."
Looking over at him with shock in her eyes, "He said he was with you."
Mamoru groaned, "Of course, Seiya set this up."
Usagi tried opening the clock on the wall, "Why would he do that?"
Mamoru stood up after finding the key under a loose carpet tile, "Isn't it obvious? He wants us to get along. If you wouldn't complain about me we wouldn't be here."
She followed him through the door he just unlocked gaping at him, "Me?! How about if you weren't calling me names and picking on me in front of him we wouldn't be here. You started all this!"
Mamoru began lifting pieces off the closest table in the room, "I started this? You were the one who was rude and left someone you've never met waiting in a restaurant by themselves for over 20 minutes. You were also the one who knocked the person you left waiting down in the street."
Usagi started opening drawers trying to keep her irritation and anxiety down, "I wasn't the person that didn't know more than four words or called someone names after they apologized or humiliated someone in their own home in front of their friends."
Usagi found a clue that Mamoru quickly snatched out of her hands, "It's math, I'm sure that's not up your alley."
"See! Right there, proof you're at fault baka."
Mamoru's head snapped up from the clue making direct eye contact with her, "What did you call me?"
Usagi had a satisfied smile on her face, "Oh, do I need to speak slower? I said baka, that is spelled B-A-."
"That is very rude to call someone. I didn't think little girls were allowed to use those words."
"How is that worse than what you call me?!"
The host came over the intercom letting them know they're down to forty minutes. "Grrrr, see you're going to make us lose because your head is so far up your-."
"Hey! Why don't you go look for more clues!" Stomping her feet Usagi went back to looking around the room.
Staring closely at a mirror her breath fogged a corner of it and she realized there was writing where the fog was before it disappeared. Looking down she saw a teapot that had an on and off switch, flipping the switch on, steam started coming out of the spout, she used the steam to fog the mirror and called Mamoru over.
Mamoru took the pen and paper he was given when he entered the first room and wrote down the code from the mirror. Without saying, they made a silent agreement to not talk and to just work on getting the clues to get out of there. Mamoru had found all of them except the two Usagi found, they were down to ten minutes and one clue left to get out. Mamoru had his hands in his hair frustrated that he couldn't figure out where the key was to get out and he did not take losing well.
Stupid Seiya.
Running his hands down his face he heard a click and Usagi squeal. Looking over she had taken their two chess pieces to the chessboard attached to the wall and figured out the two spaces she needed, once the chess pieces stuck to the chessboard it popped open a secret drawer with the key inside. He couldn't believe it, he figured out almost everything and she was the one who solved the last clue. This had to be some sick joke.
Mamoru walked over to the drawer, pulled out the key and unlocked the door to freedom. Usagi ran around him and out the front door of the building gasping in air like her life depended on it.
"Fresh air, oh thank goodness fresh air!"
Raising her arms above her head and tilting her head back to the moon taking in deep breaths he couldn't stop himself from looking at her.
Opening one eye towards him she saw him staring so he cleared his throat and looked up at the moon. "What?"
He shook his head and shrugged his shoulders.
"Hey," he looked over acknowledging he heard her, "Do you need a drink?"
He raised his eyebrows and quietly laughed. "Sure, sounds good." He looked at his phone, "It's almost ten, might as well keep going."
Usagi grinned, "Exactly! Besides Seiya ditched us. We can make him suffer a little longer thinking that we killed each other. Maybe, I'll just use the kids' naptime tomorrow to sleep too." Usagi turned towards the parking lot.
"Kids?"
Usagi nodded, "Yes, at the daycare I work at."
"I didn't know you worked at a daycare."
"You never asked."
Mamoru stopped and Usagi looked over her shoulder at him. "No, I didn't. Did I?"
"Nope. Now did you drive because I used a cab?"
