AN: Warning, het alert! Shocking, I know, but here's part of a back story that has not been told. If you don't like straight-ness, don't read.


Over the course of the next two hours, numerous cups of tea, milkshakes, and coffee were drunk, countless biscuits and slices of cake eaten, and only Mamoru had the audacity to order a salad. Haruka had teased him by asking if his tuxedo was starting to pinch around his waist. Mamoru wouldn't have minded the quip so much if Michiru hadn't giggled with the others. And his protest that he had gotten leaner since his first stint as Tuxedo Kamen only achieved more laughter. He passed a hand over his face and groaned.

A small hand reached up and removed his, pulling it back down to his lap. Opening his eyes and smiling, he squeezed Michiru's hand, holding it possessively. It had been quite accidental that he had fallen in love with the Senshi of Neptune.

After the first time they met, he hadn't been able to get her out of his mind. He had struggled with his feelings for a long time, knowing that not only was he already in a relationship with someone he loved, but that the woman he wanted was in a relationship with another woman. Distracted and feeling guilty for his straying thoughts, Mamoru had unfortunately found himself having a short temper around Usagi, often shutting her out. If he had really been paying attention to her, he would have noticed her distancing herself from him as well, but his sense of honor and destiny made him stay in the relationship far longer than he should have. Even in the end, he really should have seen it coming.

More weekends, often than not, he and Usagi double dated with Michiru and Haruka. Their solo dates happened far and fewer between. Mamoru had already forgotten the reason they had gone out on the first outing, but he did remember how paranoid he felt thinking Haruka would rear back and punch him for hitting on her girlfriend all through the date. Again, he should have noticed that Haruka had been paying more attention to Usagi, while Michiru mainly talked with him, but he didn't, too caught up in his guilt. It hadn't been until the fifth double date that Mamoru realized he wasn't alone in his pain.

The four of them had gone to an amusement park about an hour's car ride away from Tokyo, all of them feeling certain they wouldn't meet anyone they knew that could interrupt the day. He and Usagi had been good for the first hour of the day, walking around the park together. While not holding hands or touching in any significant way, they still walked side by side. Behind them, Haruka and Michiru were doing the same, Haruka's hands uncharacteristically shoved into her pockets, Michiru clasping her hands together behind her back. It was almost in silent agreement that they split up when they reached the Haunted House.

As they loitered outside the entrance, Usagi latched onto Haruka's arm, the tall blonde being the person closest to her, as she was already shaking with fear. Almost with relief, Haruka slung her arm over his girlfriend's shoulders, boasting that she'd keep Odango safe. Watching the two girls walk away, disappearing behind the door of the attraction, Mamoru let out a big breath he didn't know he was keeping. Trying to appear incredibly smooth, he turned to Michiru. Mustering all the courage he had, he made some joke about them now having to go together, and offered the turquoise haired woman his arm. A slow, sweet smile spread over Michiru's face, and as she accepted, she softly took his arm. Acutely aware of how close they were, Mamoru smiled, trying to ignore the heat he felt radiating out from her body. As the door closed behind them, leaving them in near darkness, Mamoru could swear he felt Michiru press closer to him. They walked forward.

It was actually a decent haunted house, managing to elicit a few breathy squeaks and noises from his companion and sending his heart racing a couple of times. He actually thought it was very cute that Michiru, who was usually so composed and calm, could actually be scared by an amusement park attraction. When a particularly effective prop werewolf popped out from the darkness, Michiru had actually gasped, turning to throw her arms around him. Stunned, he wrapped his arms around her, moaning softly in his head at how fantastic she felt against him.

He hugged her for a wonderful couple of seconds, deciding he'd take as much of the sensation he could. He fully expected her to move away, and even looked down at her to make sure she was even conscious when she hadn't. "Michi-"

"Shh." Her low voice hushed him, and she tightened her arms around his waist. Slowly, almost hesitantly, one of her hands moved up his body, making him shiver. Not believing what was happening, he stared down at her with wide eyes. When her hand stopped at the nape of his neck, Michiru raised her head to look up at him.

What he saw in her eyes in the dark of the haunted house at that moment would always stay with him. It made his heart lurch, his body suddenly fill with heat. With almost no prompting from her hand, Mamoru leaned down, kissing the woman he loved. Michiru did not hesitate to kiss him back with the same urgency.

They both knew they wouldn't be able to stay in that embrace for long. But for those wonderful few minutes, they acknowledged each other. They both felt the passion they had denied, communicating it with lips, tongues, hands clutching around each other. But the moment could not last. As they slowly moved away from each other, Mamoru knew he had just fallen off the tallest mountain he could find. If the ground didn't break him, would he be able to climb back up with Michiru?

Walking the rest of the way through the attraction, they didn't speak, and Mamoru noticed they were both making a decisive effort not to come into contact with each other. Taking the time to get his body back under control and try to remove any signs of the kiss, the exit door quickly appeared. It was lit brighter than the rest of the house. Pausing, both of them standing silent, Mamoru decided he'd step up and make the first move, "Give me your cell phone." His voice sounded loud, the creepy haunted house music not crucial by the exit.

Flinching, probably not expecting him to say anything, Michiru looked up at him, searching his gaze. Her eyes really were an amazing color, he marveled, as he could see them better in the light. What made them different than Usagi's, that they drew him in? It wasn't just the color, he knew. It must be the experience and strength that shone through. No, it wasn't anything so simple like that. It was her. It was Michiru herself that made her eyes so powerful, he thought to himself.

He was so caught up in losing himself in her eyes that he didn't notice when she had gotten her phone out of her bag, as she managed to do so without looking away from him. When it suddenly came into his line of vision, he blinked, a hand instantly coming up to remove it from in front of his eyes. Michiru giggled softly, smiling at him impishly.

She looked so beautiful emotion welled up inside him so strongly he couldn't look away. Mamoru regretted not tangling his fingers in her turquoise hair when they kissed, sure it was as soft as it looked. Her lips, slightly open as she looked back up at him, looked so tempting, he unconsciously leaned forward. Once he had tasted them, he would do anything to taste them again.

"Mamoru-san. Why did you want my phone?"

Realizing what he was doing, Mamoru snapped up, looking down at her phone to try to hide the stupid expression on his face. Quickly dialing in his cell phone number and saving it in her phonebook, he hoped Haruka wouldn't find it. Finished, he handed it back to her, swallowing when their fingers met. "There. I programmed my phone number."

He didn't have to explain what that meant.

Somehow, when they stepped out of the haunted house into the bright sunlight, they managed to look like nothing had happened. Haruka and Usagi were waiting under the shade of a tree, his girlfriend perched on the fence Haruka was leaning against. Accepting the taller blonde's hand, Usagi jumped down and made her way over to him. As she moved away to rejoin her girlfriend, Michiru's hand softly bumped against his, sliding away and leaving a trail of heat where their skin had touched.

Looking down into the calm blue eyes of the girl he was supposed to be aching for, the full ramifications of what he and Michiru had done crashed down on him. Looking up as he and Usagi moved to continue their path to the next attraction, Mamoru caught Michiru's gaze for a split second. In that brief connection, he knew she felt it too.

Somehow, despite the increased tension in the group, the date had ended with no punches thrown.

After that, each double date got worse. Now, Michiru was spending more time with him than Haruka, who was almost always with Usagi. It wasn't long until he and Usagi stopped acting like a couple at all, each treating the other like a treasured friend. Because they had never been very big on affection in public, and only slightly more amorous in private, he didn't notice when the end of a date changed from them hugging and kissing each other sweetly to Usagi kissing him briefly on the lips, then to a small peck on his cheek, till finally only the hug carried through, accompanied by a small smile. They also started to never bother spending any time together privately.

The only time it seemed he and Usagi had a relationship was when they were at Senshi meetings. Unconscious agreement between Mamoru and Usagi kept them sitting together. However, that too, ceased when both affairs came out in the open.

It had been such a relief when everyone came clean. The only thing that really surprised Mamoru about Usagi (other than the fact that she had fallen in love with another woman, something he had no problem with. In fact, he secretly found it funny that his ex-girlfriend had left him for the woman his girlfriend had left to be with him.) was that it had been she who had told him first, alone, and in his apartment.

While she hadn't named the woman she was seeing at that point, excitement raced through his body anyway. It just made so much sense if it was Haruka, he thought, his mind suddenly pointing out everything odd he had observed between them.

And while he would have loved to been able to feel only happiness at her news, he couldn't say that that was true. At that time, he had loved the young blonde for about two years, seen the future they were supposed to have together, and met the daughter they had conceived together. Even though he wasn't in love with Usagi anymore, and would be truly happier with Michiru, he still felt a little pain and sadness at the news she had been cheating on him and had found someone else.

When his only reaction seemed to be a small smile and a dropping of his shoulders while saying he would support her, Usagi looked like that was the last thing she had really expected. However, when he suddenly enfolded her into a tight hug, needing to feel her next to him one last time, for the first time in a long time she truly hugged him back.

It was a bittersweet hug. He held her close, eyes closed, trying to commit everything into his memory. The feeling of her arms around him, the smell of her hair, and the soft pressing of her body against his… He felt emotionally better than he had in ages. He knew he still had to admit his own infidelity, but for that moment, it didn't matter.

Drawing in a deep breath and sighing it out, pulling back, Mamoru looked into Usagi's eyes. They had started tearing, and he could see that even though she didn't love him as much as she had, she was hurting. Knowing that what he would tell her would affect her the same way it had affected him, he grabbed her hands into his, trying to figure out the best way to tell her with the least hurtful words.

Finally, the direct way seemed the best. It was much like Usagi's admission, but he didn't hesitate to pull her into another hug when she started crying. She clung to his shirt, trying to speak, her sobs ruining any chance he could understand them. Feeling her shake in his arms, he was surprised to realize that it wasn't only her trembling. And she wasn't the only one crying. Unbidden, tears came to his eyes, stinging behind his eyelids. Holding her on the bed they had never used, tucked safely away in his apartment, they had cried together.

Looking up from his and Michiru's clasped hands, Mamoru watched as Usagi grinned widely, laughing at something silly Haruka had said. The blonde almost glowed, her face completely open. She looked happy.

Catching Haruka's gaze, he held it. Slightly tilting his head in the direction of Usagi, he nodded firmly. Only when the woman nodded back, just as serious, he let a big smile cross his face, nodding at her again. Her eyes flicked over towards Michiru, and she nodded. Holding back another smile, he nodded again. It was her turn to smile, nodding back. In their own way, they were confirming that the other made their exes happier than they ever could, reaffirming their support and acceptance.

Distracted by a tug on his hand, Mamoru turned his attention back to the half of the table where Usagi and Michiru sat across from each other. He quickly realized that the tugging hadn't been a sign to pay attention. Instead, it appeared that Michiru had finally given in and was explaining to Usagi exactly what they had meant by the word 'whipped'.

Trying so hard to keep back laughter, his girlfriend was jerking her arms whenever it seemed like it was particularly tough not to. He grinned, watching the amusement that danced in her eyes. Feeling his gaze on her, Michiru turned her head and smiled at him. Mamoru marveled again at just how much he was in love with her.

While outwardly Michiru was often calm and reserved, Mamoru knew what an amazing, vibrant and passionate woman she was. Most people only saw her passion when she played the violin, but he had learned to see it in everything she did. A simple touch, a simple glance, and he knew exactly how she was feeling. She often smiled in amusement, as she seemed to find humor in everyday situations.

Her smiles were magical, her fingers soft and confident. Her body made him ache for her, but it was her mind that turned him on the most. Her turquoise hair was always perfect except for when she was painting, and that was almost when he loved her the most. Her voice, after a hard battle, was soft and serious as she admitted her fears and doubts, her pain and sadness. And her eyes, when she looked at him, were the most beautiful color he had seen in the world.

He was thankful that he made her happy, too. She certainly made him.