Fandom: Sailor Moon
Title: Soul Mates
Pairing/Character: Mamoru/Usagi, the gang
Rating: G
Disclaimer: SM © Naoko Takeuchi. No copyright infringement intended.
Summary: When Mamoru decides to go to America, both he and Usagi find themselves overwrought with doubts and fears.
Notes: Written for the quick drabble challenge (1,000 words, theme letter) at the_circlet on livejournal.
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This time of year was the hardest. There was so much to study for; formulas to memorize, literature to be analyzed, practices on how to translate random English sentences, and history to be recited.
Coffee became the only haven, and sleep was something one did only after the finals were over and done with it, for who could enjoy sleep or actually get to sleep for more than a few hours when your whole body was anticipating failure?
A strong will to secure a future and at least come out on the other side relatively unharmed was the only thing on Mamoru's mind. There was no space left in his mind for anything else.
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Usagi knew to stay as far away from Mamoru for as long as she could when he entered his serious 'Don't interrupt me when I'm studying unless you're on fire and dying' mode. But the fact that they had so little time before he left for America spurred on the urgency she felt to see him every single moment.
So far though, only an hour had passed since she last left him at his apartment to resume his studying. Honestly though? It felt like an eternity, and Usagi did something she swore she'd never do in her lifetime to relieve the strong itch she had to pounce on her boyfriend and remind him that, in the grand scheme of things, there were much better things they could be doing. Usagi started studying herself.
It felt like a virus: somehow seeing Mamoru so concentrated on his studies transferred that energy into her- whether or not she liked it.
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"When is Mamoru-san leaving," Ami asked, glancing toward the front of the group at Usagi, who looked less than her bouncy, cheerful self today.
"Today at five," was her friend's soft reply.
Makoto's eyes shifted harshly to Ami's as if to say 'Why in the world are you bringing that up?'
"I just thought you two would be spending every hour together until he had to go," Ami justified.
"I wanted to, but he said that all he was going to be doing was packing and it'd be boring for me."
Rei tuned into the conversation. "I'm sure he doesn't want to go, Usagi-chan, but he has to. This is the opportunity of a lifetime! He'd be a fool to give it up."
"I know, and I would never want him to stay just because of me. But I'm worried."
This time it was Minako who piped up. "Worried about what?"
Usagi glanced down ashamedly. "W~elll, what if he…" She stopped mid-sentence, visibly struggling with her words.
The other four girls waited patiently.
And waited.
And waited.
"Odango-atama, would you just spit it out already," Rei clearly shook with impatience.
Usagi sighed, frustrated with herself. "I'm just worried that he'll meet someone over there, and forget all about me."
"Meet who? The president?"
"No, Rei-chan, I mean a girl. A girl who's perfectly suited for him- one who's charming, smart, and beautiful, certainly all the good things that I'll never be."
"Usagi-chan, if Mamoru-san wanted to go out with that kind of girl, he already would have." Ami said reasonably, despite Makoto ardently flailing her arms to stop her friend's speech. What was wrong with them all? Couldn't they see that Usagi was hurting and needed sympathy from her friends?
"Odango-atama, just because Mamoru-san is going to America doesn't mean that he'll hook up with every pretty girl he encounters."
Usagi looked up at that, a pitiful hope in her eyes. "Do you really think so, Rei-chan?"
But before Rei could answer, Minako beat her to it, "Usagi-chan, you and Mamoru-san have the greatest love on earth. You two are soul mates! Mamoru-san isn't going to throw all that away on some floozy he meets."
All the girls nodded, Usagi feeling a bit better than before. Of course she knew that Mamo-chan loved her as much as she loved him. Could the unknown future really break the bond that they spent so long creating? And wasn't she so silly to not trust him, the man she had sworn all her love and life to, even in a time long past?
Suddenly she knew what she had to do. "Thanks, guys! I'll see you later; I have to go do something really quick."
Usagi and her pigtails blazed on down the street, leaving her friends in a confused state.
"I wonder if it was something we said," Ami asked curiously.
Makoto, Rei, and Minako shrugged simultaneously.
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Mamoru gazed out the window of his plane, thinking that maybe this was the greatest mistake of his life. What was he doing leaving his home, his friends, and his girlfriend behind to chase something that looked beyond his reach?
He should've just stayed behind and enjoyed the comfort of his life. That would have been far easier to handle.
Sighing deeply, he looked down at the envelop staring back at him innocently. It was a surprise, to say the least, to get this from Usagi.
Maybe she wanted to break up, and figured this was the only way to do it? But that didn't explain her reaction to the ring he gave her then (and he was still reeling from having the courage to give it to her; seemed like he was always taking chances these days).
Opening it up quickly, he was greeted with Usagi's- rather poor, but cute attempt at- kanji covering the whole page. He finished reading it, but started over again.
Outlined there for him in black and white were the whole of Usagi's emotions, and the pure honestly in them still took him by surprise.
It was essentially a love letter, written amidst random outbursts of goodbye and several 'I'll miss you,' and 'I love you,' and pleas of 'Please don't forget about me.'
He might not have known what he was heading into, but he knew what was waiting for him when he got back.