Yay, a new story! Actually, I've just about finished the whole damned thing, believe it or not. Leave it to me to write the prologue LAST. This was supposed to be a one-shot, but quickly grew into a story that'll be about 5-6 chapters long. I hope yall enjoy it, and if you do, please leave me some love by way of a review. Reviews make me squeal with happiness! Just ask my husband! When I start squealing and kicking my feet in glee, he mumbles, "sounds like a review to me… wish you'd make that noise for other stuff…" ^_^
"Hey, Stranger." Sailor Moon beamed when the golden-haired warrior turned and smiled at her. "There's a bank robbery up the street. Feel like kicking some ass and taking some names?"
"Hells yes. Come on." He scooped her up without hesitation and she knew she wasn't imagining things when he held her a little tighter than necessary. Why didn't he just make a move already? God, they'd only been fighting together for nearly a year, and she knew that the way he looked at her was anything but plutonic.
They dropped down right outside the bank and busted through the locked doors without hesitation. Stranger darted forward and bent the muzzle of the gun pointed at the hostages before the robber could even fire, while Sailor Moon beat the shit out of another one. He quickly incapacitated a third robber when he aimed a pistol at the heroine.
Compared to fighting youma, this was a piece of cake. They tied up the robbers and graciously accepted the thanks of the hostages, but they really needed to take off before the cops arrived. One thing they both hated more than anything else was having to deal with the police and photographers.
Stranger pulled her to him took off into the night sky, and set her down carefully on a nearby rooftop. "Well, that was easy. Anything else you might need help with?"
Sailor Moon grinned. Was he flirting with her? About damn time, in her honest opinion. "I'm not sure. Anything you might need help with?" Her eyes flicked appreciatively over his muscular form. Hopefully he'd take the hint for once. Maybe she should fake a fainting spell and he'd try to give her mouth to mouth. Yeah, in her dreams.
Kami, he wanted to kiss her. He settled for pulling her to him in a tight embrace, and wondered if he was imagining things. Did her fingers just linger against the skin above his jacket collar? He let his own hand stroke against her spine, but only for a moment. "You're not hurt, are you, Moon?"
Sailor Moon snorted at the idea. "Not even a bruise. Thanks for helping, though, it's always good to see you." Her eyes fluttered shut for a moment when she could have sworn his cheek brushed against hers. She returned it without hesitation. Damn it, if he'd only make a move! Fine, she'd make one. "You want to go get some coffee or something?" She asked hopefully.
Stranger stiffened a little at the idea. Was she asking him out? Or was it just a friend thing? Kami, he had to stay out of the friend zone with this woman, it would drive him insane if she ever started thinking of him as an older brother. He sighed. "Probably not a great idea, you know? Sailor Moon and the Golden Warrior walk into a coffee shop…"
"Sounds like the start of a bad joke," she laughed. She pulled away from his embrace, afraid she'd do something stupid if she let him hold her a moment longer. He didn't want her, it was as simple as that, and she knew he wasn't an idiot. Only an idiot would have ignored all of the hints and signals she'd been giving him for six months. She kissed his cheek softly. "I guess I'll see you next time, then. Bye, Stranger."
Stranger groaned and sagged against the door that led to the rooftop. "Why can't I just make a move, already?" Next time. That had been his mantra for the last six months. He'd say something, or do something to know let her know how he felt. Next time.
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"Hey, beautiful."
Usagi looked up at the gorgeous man gazing down at her and smiled. "Hey, Stranger."
"Let's get you out of here, huh?" He scooped her into his arms effortlessly and took off, carrying her out of the dark cell she'd called home for the last six days. She squeezed her eyes shut as the sunlight hit them, burning bright red spots into her head. Usagi relaxed against him and kissed his mouth, just as she'd wanted to do forever. "I love you, Stranger."
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Usagi screamed in pain and rage when a whip cut into her back, waking her instantaneously. She kicked out at her attacker, but after six days with barely any water and not a bite of food, she was as weak as a newborn kitten. "I'll kill you," she croaked.
God, she'd been free! Why did her dreams have to torment her so! She'd had a different variation of them every time she'd closed her eyes, and recently, they'd been her only solace. All hope of being rescued had died in her that morning when her captors had informed her of her Senshi's deaths. If they'd just let her sleep now, let her die… at least she'd die being held by someone she loved. Even if he was only a dream.
"You can try, princess," the youma laughed, "but without the Silver Crystal, I think you're going to have a hard time of it. You couldn't fight your way out of a wet paper bag in your current state.
Usagi sank to her knees as the whip tore into her skin once more, and bit down on her lip to keep from making a sound. Her voice was already ragged from all of the screaming, and she had learned quickly that her captors tended to leave her alone when they couldn't get a reaction out of her.
She cataloged her injuries, as had become her habit, while she took the beating without complaint. The only indication that it hurt was the occasional flinch across her face, and the tightening of her jaw.
Her ribs ached from the initial fight, when she'd been kidnapped and drug into the blackness that surrounded her. They were knitting, but they screamed if she breathed too deeply.
Her head still hurt from a blow she'd taken on the second day, when she'd futilely tried to stab a youma with a piece of a beer bottle she'd found. They'd used the bottle to carve into her chest and her face. She'd been vain about her face before they'd taken her, but now she barely gave a shit. It was everything she could do just to keep the cuts from getting infected from the piss and shit that she'd been forced to sleep in.
Her leg had been broken on the fourth day, and it still screamed every time she moved, though she gave no outward indication of the level of agony she was in.
And throughout all of these injuries had been the constant whippings. They'd demanded answers. Where was the Silver Crystal, who were her allies, who was the Golden Stranger, what were their real identities? She'd clammed up, and had been secretly grateful when they'd punched her in the throat, removing any ability to talk for the first two days. During that time, she'd managed to strengthen her resolve, her refusal to give them an inch.
The only inch she'd give them would be their own deaths, when she finally figured out a way to take them with her.
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"Still no sign of her?" Rei asked softly. She wiped at the tears in her eyes when Ami, Makoto and Minako entered the shrine. This was all her fault. She should have been there to protect Usagi, should have been there to die for her if her sacrifice would have saved her best friend and leader. Rei regretted every ugly word she'd ever said to Usagi, and wished desperately that she could see her again so she could take every bit of it back.
"No," Ami replied thickly. She'd done her share of crying as well; they all had.
"Maybe she's…" Minako shook her head violently. "No, we can't believe that. She's alive somewhere, we just have to find her."
Makoto flopped down next to Rei and shook her head. "Any sign of the Golden Warrior? He's fought with Usa a lot more than any of us in the last few months. If anything, he deserves to be told."
"He also deserves to be told how Usa felt about him… if we can't find her," Rei added gently. "She… she had it really bad. The day before she was taken, they stopped a robbery, and she felt like he'd been close to finally making a move." She sighed bitterly. "I wish there was some way to contact him. What did Mamoru say?"
The other three girls groaned, and wore expressions ranging from embarrassment to outrage. "He's finally on his way back from university in America," Makoto grumbled. "Fucking asshole. The love of his life goes missing, and he actually bothers to ask permission from his professors before taking off."
"What a jackass," Ami snapped. "What?" She asked, when everyone just looked at her in surprise. "He is!"
"Yeah, we just didn't expect you to actually say it," Minako said dryly. She shook her head. "Look, we all keep a watch, just as we've been doing. Every night. And if you see Stranger, you stop him, even if it means getting the shit beaten out of you."
They all nodded, willing to do anything at this point to save their fallen comrade.
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"Kami, I love you so much."
Usagi lifted her hips against him in encouragement. "I love you too, Stranger." She'd been about to say more, but his mouth cut hers off as he assaulted her lips with his own. Gone were the sweet kisses from before; this was a primal mating of tongues that demanded her complete surrender to him.
She gave him that surrender without restraint when he took her.
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Usagi was snapped out of her dream when a whip bit into her back again, and she turned and flew at her attacker with renewed strength. Fucking hell, they taken everything from her, even her dignity, and they would not take this from her. Dreaming about rescue was over at this point, but dreaming about Stranger making love to her… damn it, it was all she had left, and she would die happily if her heart stopped beating in her sleep.
She snatched the whip from her tormentor's hands, and savagely beat the youma until she was forced to shift her weight back. Her leg collapsed out from under her, but she continued her assault on his legs, so lost was she in her fury.
"Aw, did we wake you from a good dream?" A female youma asked knowingly. "I hope it was worth it, because now we'll just beat you even harder." She shoved the incompetent lackey behind her and yanked the whip from the girl's hands before proceeding to savagely beat her over the face with it.
Usagi had a flicker of gratitude wash over her when she felt a thud on the back of her head, saw stars, and fell unconscious. At least she'd goaded the stupid bitch into giving her exactly what she wanted.