looks around nervouslyMy Harry Potter peeps are going to murder me if they see this... shifty eyes Oh well... I've been re-reading some Sailor Moon fanfictions lately, and was inspired. I know, I know, the plot isn't very unique, but that doesn't make it any less fun to write about. XDDDDD Anyway, enjoy it. :)
Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon. I know. I can't believe it either.
When Mamoru entered the Arcade, he immediately felt uneasy and his grip tightened unconsciously around the book clutched in his hand. Something was wrong. Something was off today. He couldn't put his finger on it though…well, he couldn't until his gaze moved to the counter and he realized what was out of place. Odango Atama was sitting on one of the stools, but instead of gobbling down an ice cream sundae or flirting coyly with Motoki, she was slumped over, her small frame wrapped protectively within Motoki's embrace. The light seemed to have gone out of her and her face was flushed from crying, the wet trails from her tears glistening on her cheeks wetly. Motoki was looking down at her with the most concern Mamoru had ever seen him look at anyone with. Something was direly wrong.
Mamoru couldn't help standing and staring. He had never seen Usagi honest-to-God crying. Wailing at the top of her lungs and pouring crocodile tears, but never like this…never so brokenly. It cut him straight through, and suddenly he knew what Motoki meant when he said that seeing Usagi on a low day was like having the happiness plucked from your soul. Seeing her like this tore him apart inside. He suddenly felt sick as he thought about all of the terrible things he'd said to her in the time they had known one another. If anything he had ever said had taken this affect on her…his guilt would consume him. But it never had. And Motoki had never said anything, and Mamoru was positive that if he had ever gone that far he would have. And so would her friends. None of them would let someone hurt her like she was hurting now without paying the consequences. Mamoru vowed to himself to watch his words the next time they met, he couldn't risk doing…this to her.
He slowly made his way up to them, hesitating, unsure of what he should say or do. As he got closer, he felt anger begin to stir up within him alongside his concern. What had happened? And who had done whatever it was that had her feeling like this?
Motoki caught his eye as he edged nearer and he shot Mamoru a warning glance that made his insides squirm with guilt. Surely Motoki knew that he wasn't about to start in on her when she was like this? He slid onto the stool beside Usagi's and watched with a strange fire in his stomach that made him want to shove himself between Motoki and Usagi and take his place. But he was just being silly. Motoki was much better at this sort of thing than he was. He found that that thought didn't comfort him.
"Shhh…it's okay Usagi-chan…" Motoki murmured, his voice soft, low, and tender. "Everything's going to be okay."
Usagi's sobs were quiet and heart wrenching. She clutched to Motoki's body as though he were her last remaining life line, her tears soaking into the material of his shirt.
Motoki carefully lifted one arm from around her and gently stroked the flyaways from around her temple back behind her ear. The fire in Mamoru's stomach grew, expanding into his chest, and he had to grit his teeth to stop from trying to hit his best friend. "Why don't you tell me what happened, Usagi-chan?" he said softly. He delicately ran his fingers over her cheeks, trying to wipe her tears away, but more merely replaced them.
Usagi's ragged breathing hitched a few times as she opened and closed her mouth and her tears began falling more steadily again. Mamoru's temper flared. He was doing it wrong! She should feel better by now! But after a few more gasping breaths and the tightening of her hands around the fabric of his shirt, she choked out, "I—It's s—stupid!"
Both Motoki and Mamoru's eyebrows drew inward. "Don't be silly, Usagi-chan. You wouldn't be crying like this if it was something stupid," Motoki replied.
'Of course not. What a ridiculous idea!' Mamoru thought, frowning.
"Come on please, Usagi-chan?" he pleaded.
"I—I—I don't know, M—Motoki-Onii-san…" she replied, her voice only catching a little this time. She was calming down, although tears still streaked steadily down her face.
"Please, Usagi-chan…I don't want to see you like this anymore," Motoki said quietly, his tone hurt.
Usagi swallowed, turning her face to look up into his, her eyes widening as her misery was briefly forgotten. "Onii-san!" she said, her voice echoing her distress.
Mamoru scowled, 'This is about HER you baka!'
Motoki flushed and shook his head, looking away. "I'm sorry, Usagi-chan. I shouldn't have said it like that. I'm okay, I promise. Please, just tell me what's wrong. I hate it when you hurt like this."
Usagi's eyes dropped again and for a moment, her only response was to tighten her hands on his shirt. Mamoru glared at Motoki. Great, he had only succeeded in shutting her down again. Then came her voice, so quiet they both nearly missed it.
"I'm so ugly, Motoki-Onii-san…and stupid, and klutzy, and selfish…! I don't deserve to have friends like you and like Ami, and Rei, and Mako, and Minako, and—and—" Her voice broke again as her sobs slowly began to renew themselves. Mamoru's heart broke for her, and for himself all at once. She didn't think of him as a friend. Of course she wouldn't. He was the one who said horrible things like that to her.
Motoki caught Mamoru's eye over Usagi's shoulder as he rubbed her back soothingly. Mamoru cringed, looking away. The look said so much. It assured him that this was not his fault, but also drove home his vow to be more careful with his words. He had come within a hair's breadth of hurting her like this more times than he could count. "Usagi-chan, you are not any of those things," Motoki said firmly. "You're beautiful, sweet, caring, and—who told you all of that? What baka convinced you of something so blatantly untrue?" he demanded.
Mamoru strained to hear her reply. He wanted to know too. He was going to go beat the ever-living daylights out of them if he got half the chance.
Usagi shook her head slowly. "It is true! They all believe it!" she sobbed.
Motoki's frown deepened. "'They'? Who is 'they'?"
"The—the girls at my school," she managed. "They—they said no one—no one—would ever—" A sob tore from her throat and Mamoru's chest felt heavy with anger and distress. Stupid—idiotic— "—love me!" Usagi finally burst and Mamoru scowled. Well that was obviously untrue—he loved her.
And suddenly his heart skipped a beat as he realized what he had just admitted. He…he loved her. He loved Odango Atama. Usagi. His Usako. …He liked the sound of that. He hit himself in the forehead with one hand. 'Great, way to realize this at an opportune moment you baka,' he thought irritably.
Motoki was trying to comfort her again. "Don't be ridiculous, Usagi-chan. They're just jealous. Dozens and dozens of people love you. I love you, Usagi-chan," he said insistently.
"N—No!" Usagi whispered. "Not just l—love. In love."
Motoki's eyes widened. His reaction was the same though. "What? Usagi-chan, that's absurd. Of course someone will love you. How could they not?"
"Exactly," Mamoru said, unaware that he was speaking aloud.
Motoki stared at him in surprise and Usagi turned to see him, her face immediately reddening and her eyes welling up with tears even further. "Oh my gosh… Mamoru-baka, how long have you been sitting there?" she cried despondently.
Mamoru's face felt very warm. Stupid, stupid, stupid! "The entire time…" he said quietly.
Usagi let out another sob and whirled around again, burying her face in Motoki's chest. "Oh no…!" she wailed.
Mamoru's heart twisted painfully in his chest at her reaction. He supposed he deserved it though. Motoki was now eyeing him consideringly with a look that said, 'Well? Now you've gotten into this, so SAY something.'
"I can't believe you heard all of this…!" she whispered, horrified.
"Odan—I mean, Usagi-chan, Motoki-kun is right. Those girls are all idiots, they have no idea what they're talking about. They're only jealous because they know you're the one all the boys want to go out with," he said, honestly. For a minute, Usagi simply sniffled in response, but then she slowly lifted her head, peering back at him hopefully over her shoulder.
"Why are you saying this Mamoru-baka? Usually you agree with them," she said, suspiciously.
Mamoru cringed. "That's because I'm a baka. I didn't think you took me seriously." A brief look of sickening horror crossed his face and he whispered, "You didn't…did you?"
Usagi glanced down and then shook her head murmuring softly, "No."
Mamoru looked immensely relieved. "I wouldn't have said any of it if I thought I might hurt you, Usagi-chan," he said seriously.
She nodded. "I believe you."
"Trust me, Usagi-chan," he said earnestly, leaning forward. "Any guy would be lucky to fall madly in love with you, so don't listen to those moronic girls."
Usagi's face colored and she turned her face slightly toward Motoki's chest again in embarrassment. "Do you…do you really think so, Mamoru-baka?"
Mamoru smiled ruefully. "I know so." At that, Usagi met his eyes and his face began to warm up again and he looked away. 'Whoa, watch it Chiba!' he thought.
When Usagi spoke again, her voice was filled with a soft, but strong sense of hope. "Mamoru-kun?" she said, drawing his gaze once again. "Do you think I'll fall in love with a boy like that soon?"
Mamoru's breath caught in his chest. Should he--? "Yes," his mouth answered resolutely. "Very, very soon. …I hope." He added almost inaudibly.
A tiny smile crawled across her lips before she turned and threw her arms around a very pleased and bewildered looking Motoki. "Thank you so much, Motoki-Onii-san. You're the best!" she exclaimed, her spirit suddenly recovered.
He smiled and squeezed her tightly. "Anytime, Usagi-chan." When he released her, he smiled knowingly at Mamoru, whose gaze dropped to his hands, and he slipped away, back to work.
Mamoru was beginning to think he had been an idiot, saying something like that, when Usagi turned and her arms moved quickly around his neck, tucking her head next to his and pressing her body to his. Then all thought processes Mamoru had ever had shut down.
"Thank you, Mamoru-kun," she whispered. "You helped most of all."
He finally managed to suck in a shaky breath, and he reached trembling hands around her body to rest on her waist and back. "Of course, Usagi-chan," he whispered in return. "I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it." He thought about that for a second and then said, "Wait, I take that back."
Usagi giggled and pulled back a little, her hands sliding down his chest, sending delicious shivers up his neck and throughout his body before letting them move to clasp one another behind her back. "So you really think there's a boy who will fall in love with me coming?" she asked shyly, a smile dancing in her eyes.
Mamoru blushed again for what seemed like the hundredth time and cautiously put his hands on her waist before gently pulling her back to him. Then he murmured in her ear, "He's already here."