AN: I'm moved in! Well, sort of… All my furniture is set up, but I've still got some stuff to unpack and I really need to acquaint myself better with the area. But what better way to ignore the fact that I'm miles away from home than by writing a little bit of fanfiction?
Just a warning – Motoki and Mamoru ended up talking even more than Minako and Usagi, so I decided to split this scene into two chapters and this one is the shorter part.
Chapter 4:
Walking through the streets of Tokyo, Mamoru had felt a bit like an outsider, a tourist in the city he had grown up in, but when he walked through the doors of the Crown Arcade – greeted with the familiar rush of cold air and the smell of fried food – he felt oddly at peace, even surrounded as he now was by the screams of small children, the chatter of preteens, and the loud squeaks and whistles of the arcade games. This, Mamoru thought smiling, is what it must feel like to come home.
It had always struck him as strange that he had never really felt at home anywhere but here. His orphanage had not been home, that much he knew for sure, but even the apartment he had slept at and cooked in and generally lived in, in the years between the orphanage and America, had never felt like that to him. America had been an adventure, and while stepping off the plane back in Japan had given him the inevitable thrill of return, his apartment in Kyoto now felt much like his apartment in Tokyo had before – a place for him to rest and nothing more. No, this, this was home.
Mamoru smiled as he caught sight of a head of sandy blonde hair bouncing around behind the counter. With quick steps, he found his way to the stool he had always claimed as his own and schooled his expression into one of boredom. He remembered it being the one he had often sported at this very spot, unless he was conversing with Motoki or fighting with Usagi.
He watched as Motoki finished drying a glass and then yelled something about a hamburger into the kitchen area, fighting a grin. This was going to be good.
Motoki whirled around then, whipping out his small notebook and pen as he did so, "And what can I get for – " Mamoru couldn't stop the grin anymore as he watched Motoki's eyes widen in surprise. "you?"
Mamoru placed his chin in his hand, chuckling as Motoki gaped at him like a fish. "Be careful, Toki, or you'll use up all your customers' oxygen."
At that, Motoki broke into a huge smile, reaching across the counter to clap Mamoru on the back, "What the heck are you doing here? Mr. Executive Big Shot" he grinned slyly, "gracing my small establishment with his presence." He placed his hand over his heart and swayed, "Whatever did I do to deserve such an honor?"
Mamoru laughed, "Oh can it, Motoki. Can't a guy want to visit an old friend?"
Motoki chuckled as well and then shook his head, bemusedly. "I just can't believe you're here! What has it been? Almost – "
"Ten years," Mamoru finished, nodding. He and Motoki had kept in touch, of course, even occasionally met up – but it felt different seeing him here, where they had so often chatted about work, school, and life in general. Motoki had been the first friend Mamoru had ever really had and, seeing him now, Mamoru felt a twinge of regret that it had taken him this long to come visit. Early on, part of him had wanted to return to the Crown so badly he had ached a bit, but another, larger part had been scared that in coming back he would find everything changed, and the happy memories he had treasured for so long would cease to feel real. Then, as time passed, Mamoru just couldn't justify wanting to visit a childish arcade when he had so much work to do, and so he never did. Until now.
Motoki grinned, "Well I'm glad you're here. How have you been? What are you up to?"
They quickly fell into their normal pattern of companionship, talking easily about life and business. Mamoru had known for a while that Motoki had gained ownership of the Crown. Part of him had been a little surprised – there had been a time when Motoki had talked about going to grad school and becoming a teacher or heading to med school to become a pediatrician, but Mamoru, too, had not exactly followed his own dreams, so he couldn't really blame his friend. And besides, every time they talked Motoki always seemed so…happy.
When Mamoru finished filling him in on his own business and his reason for being in Tokyo, Motoki whistled, "CEO? That would be awesome! And you'd live here again?"
Mamoru nodded, sipping at the coffee his friend had offered him not long after their greeting. "I think I stand a pretty good chance to get the position, too. The meeting I had yesterday went really well and while they had to cancel a meeting today, I do have one more tomorrow. Then, I'll have to wait until Monday to know their decision."
"A whole weekend of waiting?" Motoki grimaced, "That sounds awful."
Mamoru shrugged, "Yeah, but what can you do? I thought I'd use the time to explore Tokyo a bit more. See what's changed."
Motoki grinned, "I'm sure you'll find plenty to keep you busy this weekend. Hey, if you want, you, me, and Reika can go out for brunch on Sunday or something!"
Mamoru nodded, "Sure. How is Reika?"
He raised his eyebrows when Motoki blushed. "What?"
"Well, it's just that, I hadn't had the chance to tell you yet..."
"Whaaat?" Mamoru asked, slowly and little worriedly. Normally Motoki couldn't stop gushing about his girlfriend. He'd never seen him so flustered.
"Well it only happened last week, and it's still so new..."
"Toki, just spit it out!"
"Reika and I are engaged!"
Mamoru's mouth dropped open, but then he quickly exchanged it for a grin. "What? Oh man, that's great!"
Motoki beamed. "Thanks! I just figured, you know, we'd been dating for a while and – "
"It was about time."
Motoki, smiled again and Mamoru chuckled. He was very happy for his friend and actually a bit surprised it had taken them this long. Though, come to think of it, Reika hadn't really finally settled in Tokyo until recently – her research taking her all over the place for a while. Motoki had never really minded, though, and somehow they had made it work. Mamoru felt a small twinge of envy, but then quickly brushed it off. If anyone deserved to be this happy, it was Motoki.
"And, of course, you'll be my best man." Motoki said, grabbing some baskets from a busboy and throwing out the trash.
At this, Mamoru's eyebrows shot up into his hairline. "Really?"
Motoki looked at him surprised, and Mamoru tried to cover his shock. "I mean, of course I will, I just... I didn't think you'd want me to." He finished, mumbling a bit.
"Of course," Motoki smiled, leaning on the table, "You're my best friend." Then he turned away to give the dark haired man a moment to adjust. He had always known Mamoru wasn't great about expressing his feelings – sometimes acting cold and distant even to those he was closest to – and Motoki had always tried to be careful about displaying his own feelings too openly, worried it would make his friend uncomfortable. He had always thought Mamoru realized, though, just how much he meant to him. But maybe not.
When he turned back around, Mamoru had school his expression back into a nonchalant grin, though Motoki thought his eyes were shining just a little bit brighter.
"Well then it's settled," Mamoru said, "But I'm not hiring you a stripper for your bachelor party." He pointed his finger accusingly at Motoki, who held up his hands in a show of innocence.
"No way would I want one! Reika would kill me."
They both laughed at this and then Motoki began wiping down the counter as Mamoru nursed his coffee, a comfortable silence falling between them.
A few minutes later, however, the sound of the old Sailor V game starting quickly caused Mamoru's ears to perk up and, with a grin, he remembered part of the reason he was here.
"Actually, Motoki, you're not the first old friend I've seen since coming back."
AN: Aww, I love Toki :) He knows Mamoru a lot better than Mamoru seems to know himself. And next time, we'll get to see just how much!
I was going to wait a little bit to post the next part of their conversation, but if I get some nice reviews, maybe I'll post sooner ;)
