The story takes place after the Doom Tree. I hope you enjoy this!

I do not own Sailor Moon.

Usagi smoothed her hands down her skirt, and nibbled on her bottom lip. A light breeze blew her hair in front of her face, and she impatiently brushed them back with trembling hands. Her heart thudded painfully against her chest as she scanned Tokyo University's quad. Resisting the urge to pace, she leaned firmly against a large tree. She glanced around the quad again before letting her head fall back against the tree in exasperation.

"This so stupid," muttered Usagi. Her friend's voices echoed as she wondered if she should abandon this plan.

"Odango, I don't it's a good idea." A twinge of worry softened Rei's usually sharp, violet eyes. "You should just wait."

"Well!" Mina's hands banged down on the table. "I think it's a great idea! You guys are in love! L – O – V – E! Love!"

Lita giggled, and chimed, "I'm with the goddess of love over here. Usagi-chan, he loves you. He'll be ecstatic!"

Ami glanced over from the top of her book, and shook her head. "I actually agree with Rei this time. This may turn out to be more trouble for him and you."

Usagi nodded, and looked down at her hands. "I know guys. I just … I just really need to this. To keep me sane."

She fiddled with her skirt as she looked over Tokyo University's campus again. Mamoru and her have been dating a little over six months now, and though it had been wonderful she couldn't help but notice that something was missing. When they weren't out on a date, they were at his apartment, or with her friends. He was a large part of her life. Unfortunately, it seemed that she was not a part of his life. She had asked him over and over again if she could perhaps meet his friends. But no matter how many different ways she asked, the answer was always the same.

"Mamoru, wouldn't it be nice if we could have a dinner party with some of your friends?"

"Usako, all of my friends are extremely busy. They all have jobs and classes. They really don't have time to just hang out. But I'll see what I can do about it." Then, he would just smile at her. That same damn, smile every time. She had grown to hate that smile. Not surprisingly he never saw to it. He never invited her to meet his friends, and after six months she still did not know who his friends were. Six painfully blissful months, and Usagi was still in the dark about his life. She looked down and realized that she had bunched her skirt into tiny fists. She knew she was being unreasonable, but she couldn't help it. All the insults and disappointed looks she had tried to ignore over the years had built up in the back of her mind. Her self-confidence was barely holding on, and she needed to know that Mamoru wasn't hiding her because he was ashamed.

"Please Mamo-chan … don't break my heart." Her courage continued to drain as the minutes passed. This was ridiculous. Of course, he wasn't ashamed of her. Why would he be dating her if she embarrassed him? She pushed away from the tree and began pacing. Was this not a betrayal of Mamoru's trust? What good would come out of this surprise? Nothing. That's what. The minutes continued to tick. Was she not just proving that she was an unconfident child by doing this? Was this necessary? Rei and Ami's words trickled through her through her thoughts again. Weren't they the reasonable ones? Yes, they were. She stopped pacing and decided that she was being predictably stupid and paranoid. Her courage dissipated. Inhaling deeply, Usagi quickly turned to walk away but realized it was too late.

Mamoru's tall form came over the hill, and she couldn't help but smile at his relaxed posture. He had a book bag slung over one shoulder, and was joking around with Motoki. A handsome smile spread across his face as he laughed at something the blonde man said. Her trembling stopped as she saw the joy in his face. This man was the love of her life. How could she have doubted him? She watched as Motoki gave a friendly wave before jogging in the other direction away from her - presumably to another class. Usagi tilted her head as she watched the fair man. She'd been irrational. Mamoru had not kept his friends from her. Motoki was proof of that! She quieted the little voice pointing out that she had already been friends with Motoki before Mamoru. It was good enough.

Mamoru was getting closer, and she knew that he would soon spot her. Usually, he would have been able to sense her right away through their link, but she had put up a block in order to prevent him from sensing her. Unfortunately, it meant that she could not sense him either. Mamoru was now a few yards away from her, and was facing in the direction to the left of her. She admired his profile for a second before walking towards him. He really was a beautiful man wrapped in powerful muscles and sinews. She hesitated for a moment as she realized that he had stopped walking. His cobalt eyes kept trained on the horizon. What was he waiting for? Surely he'd seen her through his peripherals by now? It was unlike him to be so inattentive to his surroundings. She prepared herself to call out his name but someone beat her to it.

"Mamoru-chan!"

Usagi's footsteps halted as she looked for the owner of the lovely voice. Her blood chilled as her eyes targeted the exquisite blonde walking over towards her boyfriend with three other people. She assessed the other people first – a woman and two men. The woman had waist length, wavy, reddish-brown hair. A light dusting of freckles ran across her cheeks, and hazel eyes completed the lovely package. She seemed a few inches taller than Usagi. Jealously unfurled within her. She would never be that exotically beautiful. She switched her attention to one of the men. One of the men was as tall as Mamoru. She admired his thick chestnut hair and kind, brown eyes. He was almost as attractive as Mamoru. Almost. The other one was a few inches shorter than Mamoru, and was a bright red head. Usagi wondered if he was related at all to the other girl because similar freckles and eyes graced his face. Amusement and mischief shined in his eyes as he gently placed an arm around the brunette.

Usagi gathered the courage to finally assess the blonde that had called her boyfriend's name. Her tall, slender body was only a head shorter than Mamoru's. A generous bosom peeked out from a modest tank top, and tight jeans accented deep curves. Blonde curls fell elegantly around a small, delicate face. The girl's mouth seemed to be stuck in a permanently perfect pout, and white teeth gleamed out from behind her lovely smile. Dread crept through Usagi and gripped her heart as she finally noticed her eyes. Tilted cat eyes framed shocking gray. She knew without a doubt that this girl was the type of girl everyone imagined Mamoru to be dating. Usagi found herself praying desperately that Mamoru would greet the beauty as he greeted everyone else in his life: distantly. Her prayer went unanswered. She could only watch as Mamoru waved to the group with a large grin.

"Keiko-chan! What took you guys so long?"

Usagi blinked back tears as her boyfriend readily accepted the slender arm wrapping around his. She couldn't watch anymore. Rei and Ami had been right. Nothing good had come out of this. She quickly retreated into the shadows of the tree, and closed her eyes. This had to be some sort of a nightmare. All of her shortcomings burst through the floodgates of her mind. Usagi stared at Keiko-chan as she leaned against Mamoru. Next to that woman, Usagi resembled a child. No curves or breasts. Her eyes were too large for her face, and her mouth too small. Unlike, Keiko there was nothing proportional about her. She was no beauty. She was not smart. Instead, Usagi was clumsy, silly, air-headed, and lazy. There was nothing good about her. She had nothing to offer him but her love. Suddenly, that didn't seem like enough. Despair clawed at her throat as she struggled to keep under control. She cradled her head in her hands as she tried to convince herself that there was an explanation for all of this. She was being unreasonable. Irrational. Just like always.

Suddenly, Usagi's head snapped up and wide, blue eyes met with cold, angry ones. Mamoru's emotions quickly thrummed through her as he pulled away from Keiko: shock, anger, and a trace of guilt. Usagi stood rooted to the ground as she watched her love storm over towards her. She had somehow let down the block during her inner turmoil, and he had sensed her right away. She wanted to run away from him, but she couldn't. Usagi swallowed as he closed the space between them with long, purposeful strides. As he soon as he reached her he grabbed her wrist and pulled her behind the tree.

"What the hell are you doing here, Usako?" Mamoru's midnight blue eyes blazed with quiet anger. She snapped her wrist out of his hand before backing up a few feet. She rubbed the area gingerly, before meeting his eyes. She tried to sense his emotions, but realized that he had put a block as soon as he had reached her. Angered by her silence, he took a step towards her. "Are you skipping school? You know you can't do things like that!"

She jerked back as if hit. How dare he act like she was in the wrong here? Usagi straightened her back and marched over to him. She jabbed at his chest hard with each word. "Don't treat me like a child!"

She pulled back and walked a few feet away before he could reach her. She whirled back around to look at him. She snarled, "What's with the barrier, Mamo-chan? Hiding something from me?" He opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off.

"Don't bother with lies! I felt it before you put up the barrier! The guilt! Just what exactly are you feeling guilty about?" Anger was so much easier to handle than heartbreak. Usagi savored it as it continued to build in her heart. Mamoru's friends approached cautiously behind him. She clenched her jaw as she saw Keiko's pretty hand nest on Mamoru's shoulder. There was definitely familiarity between the two.

"Mamoru-chan? What's going on?" Keiko had the nerve to glare at Usagi.

"Yes, Mamoru-chan. Please do tell. What is going on here?" Usagi shuddered as she heard her own voice. She had never spoken to anybody in that manner. She glanced at the curious gazes of the others before landing on Mamoru again. She could practically hear Mamoru thinking as he slowly pulled away from Keiko. He ran his hands through his hair before sighing softly. He met her gaze, and said," I'm sorry Usako."

Before she could even ask what he was apologizing for exactly, the barrier was gone. Mamoru's emotions flooded her body, and she took a step back to steady herself. She could feel it now. The guilt, the shame, and the confusion. They seeped through every crevice of her mind and body, and she realized that Mamoru had been safeguarding these emotions even without the barrier. How long had he been hiding this from her? A sob choked passed her lips with one word. "Why?"

His silence revealed more than anything he could have said. Usagi pivoted on her heel, and sprinted away. She needed to get away. She wanted him to come after her. She knew he wouldn't.

There will be more dialogue in the next few chapters, and the other characters will be revealed as well. I hope you enjoyed the story. It's been a while since I've written anything so it may be a bit rusty. Critiques are welcome.