DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own Sailor Moon or anything in it save for my own characters, Outai and Mooney. All credit goes to Nakao Takeuchi.
Warning: Blood and violence.
"She wasn't in school today, either." Mamoru could hear Usagi saying. Once again, the topic was Outai. "I hope she's okay."
"It's probably nothing." he said, and took a moment to steal a glance of his blond haired, blue eyed beauty of a girlfriend. As ditzy as she was, as much of a crybaby as she was, she had grown, and he loved her deeply.
A soft breeze tussled his ebony hair a bit as blue eyes studied blue eyes. He could feel a warm smile stretching across his face, almost as if to spite the pain he had been feeling in his chest almost constantly for weeks now. It wasn't enough to stop him from anything, yet, but he knew something seriously wrong was going on with the Earth. However, he had not confided this to his Usako just yet. He did not want to worry her. She had enough concerns with just Outai as it was, and that wasn't even touching the subject of this taint she kept talking about. Maybe it was the taint that was causing this pain.
"I don't know," she said, worry marring her face, like that of a little cherub, at least to him. "The last time she was out of school, she was gone for a week, and came back dressed for winter. We didn't find out until later that she was hiding...scratches...all over her body."
"Scratches? Was she attacked?"
"Only by herself."
"Well, maybe we should go check on her, then. I'll go with you."
The real reason behind wanting to see this girl was to tell her off for worrying his Usako so much, though he supposed she had good reasons. Usako had told him everything, from her not quite earned status as a bully, to her being Sailor Andromeda, to her home that had been destroyed, even to her doing everything to push them away so they would not have to pay the price that she did. She sounded like a kind enough person, but a little too full of herself.
"Thank you, Mamo-chan!" she said happily as she gave his arm a big hug.
Dates like this alone with his Usako were rare, and usually spent shopping or watching a movie, but occasionally it was spent sitting on a park bench and chatting, just for the presence of each other. Today was one of those times, and it irked him a little that they would have to cut it short to check on a girl who couldn't get over her past, but only a bit, and that was easily squashed. He stood up, letting Usagi cling to his arm like a lamprey.
"You'll have to lead the way. I don't know where she lives."
As it turned out, Outai's apartment was not far from Usagi's house. It was a tall building, with what looked like a hundred apartments in it. It was not a shabby place, either, though the apartments looked like they might be a little small. Well, not much room was needed for just a girl and her cat. He wondered briefly about her parents, but put the thought aside. It was none of his business.
It was Usagi who knocked on the door, but there was no answer, not at first. It took a few moments, but he could hear a scratching at the door, as though her cat wanted out. He wondered if the cat was allowed outside - he wasn't sure if it was strictly an indoor cat, or if it could go outdoors safely, or as safely as anyone could be, with this taint floating around.
"Mooney, it's me, Usagi."
Another moment of silence, before the door peeked open just enough to reveal one azure eye and a tuft of black hair. The door closed again, and he could hear something metallic sliding against something else, followed by a metallic click. The door opened wide, and he saw someone about Usagi's age, far too pretty for his own good, or so Mamoru thought. His hair was black and his eyes azure blue, but he wore a white t-shirt and blue jeans that were several sizes too big, and the ears and tail of a cat. Perhaps he was into cosplay.
"Who's this?" the boy said, not unkindly. His voice was rough, in a way, almost hoarse, but it was playful, like a kitten.
"This is Mamoru, my Mamo-chan." Usagi said. "It's okay, he knows about Outai. He won't tell anyone."
Mamoru thought the boy glared for a moment, before opening the door wider to invite them in.
"Come on in. I'll make some tea."
Usagi was the first one in, followed by Mamoru. Shoes were removed at the door, and he took a moment to notice that one pair of slippers were by the door, as well as a pair of hiking boots, but the shoes she would normally be wearing for school - much like Usako's school shoes - were not there. As they made their way into the living room, he was surprised to see that there was a separate bedroom and bathroom. Perhaps the apartment was bigger than he thought it would be, though still small. He took a seat next to Usako on the couch.
A few minutes later, the boy - Mooney, he thought he heard Usagi call him - returned with a wooden tray with a small tea pot and three tea cups all in thin white porcelain and set it on the table just in front of the couch. After pouring and serving the tea, he himself took the love seat adjacent to the couch.
"I don't think we've been properly introduced." the boy said, "My real name is Moonstar, though Outai calls me Mooney. Her real name is Aurora, just so you know. She abandoned that name when I found her and told her what she is. The little fool said it suited her better. She should know by now she's not alone any more..."
Mooney was obviously upset at something the girl had done, and Mamoru felt a little sorry for him. He could tell the boy loved Outai - that much was as plain as day, to him; it was a guy thing he supposed - but he doubted the feelings were returned.
"Well, anyway, it is nice to meet you, Mamoru. Usagi told me a bit about you yesterday. Well, to be honest, she almost couldn't stop talking about you. So, what brings you two here today?"
"Is Outai okay?" Usagi said. Worry was still clear in her blue eyes.
"I hope so. She didn't come home last night. I thought she might have stayed the night with one of your friends. I hoped she had."
Mamoru and Usagi exchanged glances. He had thought as much as well, because her shoes were missing. So why wasn't she at school today?
"Usako says she wasn't at school today." he said grimly. "She's afraid for her safety."
Alarm flashed bright in Mooney's eyes, as well as fear, but that's the only sign he saw that either existed in the boy. His face did not change.
"She's not the only one to worry." the boy said softly, setting his tea cup down on the wooden tray and standing. "When I get my hands on her, I'll give her a lesson she won't forget any time soon on worrying people."
"I hope you don't plan on hitting her." Mamoru said gruffly. He did NOT like people who abused women. Mooney just looked at him as though looking at an alien.
"What? No! I would never hurt her. But I AM going to give her an earful."
"Well, you'll have to wait in line. I think there's a few others who would like to do the same." Mamoru said.
"Well, I call dibsies, then." Mooney said, making his way to the front door. "Please excuse me, though. I'm going to go look for her."
"Wait up!" Usagi said, standing quickly. He was not far behind her, "We'll help you look."
"Thanks." the boy said, a grateful smile spreading on his face. "I appreciate it. As I say, the more, the merrier!"
The sky was growing dark as Mamoru continued walking down streets and alleys, parks and parking lots and buildings, calling out Outai's name. It had been agreed to search from three different directions, each person making small circles, spreading outward from the apartment complex. To save a little time, Usagi had used her communication watch to contact each of the other soldiers and ask if they had seen her at all that day. None had, so at least he knew where not to look.
Still, the search had gone on most of the afternoon, and it was getting well into the evening. The sky above was black, dotted with a few vague stars as it faded gently to a deep navy blue. As it reached the horizon, the sky faded to shades of purple, red, fiery orange, and bright yellow, where the sun was just disappearing below the trees and buildings. It was a sunset he would have liked to watch with Usako, not looking for an emotional, self-inflicting friend with problems.
Suddenly, he heard a cry in the distance. Thinking his Usako might be in trouble again, he changed into Tuxedo Mask. Unlike the senshi, who took time to change, there was no changing. One moment he was Mamoru Chiba, black hair, blue eyes, blue slacks and a yellow button up t-shirt, the next he was Tuxedo mask, in a black tuxedo with a snowy shirt, black cape lined in red, black top hat, white face mask, white gloves, a stick that could extend, and a plethora of red roses that he could summon out of no where and strike with deadly accuracy. He didn't know what kind of red rose they were, just that they had to be as strong as steel, for some of the strikes he made.
The cry he heard was only a block away, but it wasn't that that he followed. He followed a brilliant white light he saw in the distance, just a few blocks away. That could be Sailor Moon, or it could be one of the other senshi, though that was not as likely.
As he ran down the street, a sudden, intense pain clutched his heart. It was as though someone had gripped it in their hand and gave it a fierce squeeze. He stumbled for a moment, clutching at his heart, hoping to make the pain stop. After moments - small moments, but what felt like an eternity - the pain was gone as quickly as it had come. Or as gone as it could be. The usual pain was still there, but not enough to stop him. He stood, and continued down the abandoned street.
As he drew nearer to what looked like an empty parking lot, inhabited by a garbage dumpster and nothing else, he saw a dome of light surrounding someone he couldn't quite make out. Surrounding that small dome - certainly it was not big enough for him to stand in, and perhaps not even Usako could stand in it - that seemed to pulse with light, growing bright, growing dim, as though fighting to stay in existence, was a mob of people, screaming, clawing and beating at the dome and at each other.
There were more people than he could throw roses at for the moment, and even if he did, he knew they would turn on him. He could feel something from them, a wrongness, something vile that made his chest hurt more, though he tried his best to ignore it. It was like trying to ignore a rabid lion on the loose. To avoid their attention, at least for a moment, he made his way up to the top of a low building, probably the building that the parking lot went to. It looked to be a small grocery store.
Below, he could just see inside the dome of light. Inside was a girl with black hair in a complex braid, tied with a black ribbon. Surprisingly, she wore a white bodice with black shoulder pads and ribbons and underskirt and boots, with a golden skirt, shoulder flap, and crescent moon and star both on her choker and on the ribbon on her chest. In her hand was a long staff with a crescent moon lantern on the end, which she was leaning on heavily. He recognized her as the senshi that had healed the primary school Chibiusa attended. Her knees suddenly slumped beneath her, and she slid down the staff to the ground, holding the staff upright as though it meant her life. Perhaps it did, because the lantern was still glowing, pulsing in time to the pulsing of the dome.
This must be Sailor Andromeda, and she looked not only tired, but beaten. New wounds crossed old on her arms, shoulders and back, wounds that looked like they had come from claws. Bruises dotted her like the vague stars dotted the sky, some as long as his hand and narrow, as though she had been beaten with a pipe. Her cheek was swollen, and she had a slash along her scalp some place that dribbled blood down her face. She was a train wreck, and that dome was about to come down any moment now. Why hadn't she healed these people, as Sailor Moon said she could?
Not thinking twice, he pulled a handful of roses from no where - or he thought it was no where; he didn't know where they came from, but they were an extremely useful tool, if a romantic one - and threw them at the mob trying to break down the dome of light. As usual, each one hit it's mark, planted between the right shoulder blade and the spine, though not deep enough to hit a lung. He didn't want to kill them. Still, it was enough.
Those in the crowd turned to face whoever had thrown roses at them, but they didn't see anyone. It was time for his speech.
"Twenty on one is hardly a fair fight. Gentlemen ought to know not to hurt a maiden." he said. None of them seemed to understand what he was saying. Or, if they did, they didn't care.
Listening or not, those that faced him had somehow got the attention of the others who had been beating at that dome of light. Well, at least it wasn't Usagi in that mess, though he thought she might be needed in this, if Sailor Andromeda had not, or could not, heal them.
Fortunately, his plan had worked, or what plan it could be called - he still had yet to come up with a way to fight so many until help could arrive, if it did. Unlike the others, he had no way of contacting them - and the crowd of what he assumed were tainted men and women came at him. Most tried to scale the building, with no luck, but some had found the exterior fire escape he had used to get on top of the building. He thought he could take them, if they came one at a time.
The first one made it to the top of the building and rushed him. He was near the edge, so he couldn't very well jump aside - if he did, they just might fall over it to their death - but he did manage to beat one across the temple, sending it to the ground in a crumpled heap. It hadn't been enough to kill, but he didn't envy the headache they would wake up with.
A second one rushed at him, stepping over the first, with a bat in hand, swung at his head. He deflected the blow with his stick, but had not been prepared for the fist that followed. It connected with his cheek, sending him stumbling to the side, away from the edge of the roof, and he could feel something wicked, like a rancid slick of oil on water, seeping into his soul. The pain in his chest flared, and he fought it down ruthlessly. He managed to dodge another blow at the last second that had thrown the person off balance enough for him to kick them in the gut, then beat them over the head with his stick, knocking them out. The worst part was, the kick alone sent more of that vileness seeping into his soul, and the person hadn't even registered the pain or the loss of breath. It had been trying to kick a stone.
In the moment it took to knock the second one down, a third had managed to get close enough to put their hands around his throat. Being behind him, he couldn't reach them well enough to get them away - they seemed to hold him at arms length. As silver and black began to rim his vision, a sure sign that the loss of air was causing him to lose consciousness, he heard a weak and tired voice.
"Star...Children..."
Mamoru could see a rain of spheres of light exploding from some place, each sphere hitting a tainted person, sending them sprawling. One had fallen from the fire escape - he could hear their body hit the ground, without so much as a scream of terror along the way - and the one choking him suddenly fell back. None of the tainted that had been hit registered the pain, though. They had merely been knocked aside, but it was enough. The taint that had oozed into him from the person choking him made him want to vomit.
Already, rage began to take him over, and he could hear a voice whispering, soft and seductive, but growing louder, more impatient for him to kill, maim, and destroy. He fought it as hard as he could, but with how hard he had to fight the pain in his chest, stronger with every moment with the taint, he wasn't sure how long he could last. He only hoped Usako could get here in time. Strange, how he had to rely on his Usako to save him, when it was always the other way around. Darkness enveloped him.
Star Children had pushed several of the tainted off balance, sending one to their death - another to add to her list of sins, which was quite long now - and she said a quick prayer for their soul, though she could tell it had been consumed completely by the taint. Even if they hadn't fallen, they would have become a vegetable, if she had the energy to heal them. As it was, she was drained, and would change back into Outai any moment now.
Her body ached from head to toe, every inch of her burning with pain in different injuries. She was fairly sure she had bruised a few bones, and one toe was broken. However, as much as she wanted to rest, as much as she just wanted to go to sleep and not wake up for ten hours or more, she had no choice. The tainted had stopped their move to the ceiling, and had started coming after her again. Worse, the man in the black tuxedo, white mask, and red lined cape was with them, snarling, bearing a black stick with a white tip. She had seen him before, when she had healed that school full of tainted children, one of her biggest victories, as well as one of her biggest losses. She had never had so many die before she could arrive before that day, and though she had healed everyone, and had been there fast enough to prevent anyone from being too far changed, she still counted those killed by the tainted as a loss against her personally.
It took quite a bit of effort, and quite a bit of leaning on her staff, but she managed to pull herself upright. However, the barrier around her was gone - it had taken the last of her energy just to cast Star Children, to saved the masked man who had come to her aid - she had seen him being strangled from behind, and Sunlight would have been too big of a spell for her to cast - fighting all night the night before, as well as all day had drained her completely. She hardly had the energy to stand, to stay awake. She knew she couldn't fight like this, but she had to, because she had no other choice. She could not afford to fall here. The world could not afford it.
Suddenly, a ball of fire whizzed by her head. She could feel the heat of the blaze as it passed her by and hit the closest tainted person to her, lighting them into a walking flame. She watched in horror as they slowly burned to death, not even screaming, not even aware they were burning. She looked behind her, and emerald green eyes met azure blue. Azure blue, that was really pissed off. It was kind of scary, really.
"There you are!" Mooney said as he approached her. Strangely, instead of the too-big shirt and pants he always wore, he was wearing a black breastplate with silver vines and a silver moon and star in the middle of his chest, covering a deep blue cat, as well as polished black boots that came to his knees, covering deep blue pants. A sword was tied at his hip. "I've been worried sick about you! What the hell have you been doing? You look like you've been pulled through a blackberry bramble!"
She didn't explain. She didn't have time to explain. Suddenly, one of the tainted had decided to rush Mooney, but she wasn't going to let them touch him. She wouldn't let them taint him, especially when she couldn't afford the energy to heal him. Even if she had tried, she would not have been able to, so instead she knocked them down with her staff. They did not stay down long, but it was enough to snap her fried - who looked incredibly handsome in that outfit, she was embarrassed to admit to herself - out of his reverie of anger.
Mooney began to draw his sword, but in the same motion that had taken one of the tainted down, she pushed it back into it's sheath with her staff.
"Let's not kill any more people. I already have too big a bill to pay to the butcher."
Mooney paused for a moment, his face and eyes unreadable. At the moment it seemed a tainted person could take him down before she could knock them down, he extended his foot in a powerful side kick that sent them stumbling back several feet. And that's when she realized they were surrounded.
"Dead Scream!"
"World Shaking!"
"Deep Submerge!"
Out of nowhere, she heard three voices, and out of no where three balls of energy appeared, knocking more of the tainted back. Some were down on the ground, and getting back on their feet quickly. They were burned and haggard, but none even registered that they were hurt.
"Love me Chain!"
A golden chain of hearts wrapped around one that had come up behind her without her noticing, wrapping them from shoulders to knees, and suddenly they were yanked backwards.
"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"
Streams of water pushed more of the tainted away, as well as soaking them from head to toe.
Outai and Mooney both looked behind them, and Mooney sighed with relief to see all of the other Sailor senshi behind them, waiting and ready to attack, if needed.
"Everyone..." she said weakly, but she could hardly say that. Holy, but she wanted to sleep!
"Andromeda," Sailor Moon said as they all approached her, "when we didn't see you at school, we came to visit, but you weren't home. Everyone was worried. Where were you?"
"No time." she said, trying to make herself sound stronger than she knew she was. "They all have to be healed. A man in a tuxedo came to help me, but he's been tainted, and is running with them, now."
Sailor Moon's eyes seem to open as wide as they could go, and she could see horror in her eyes. Horror, and disbelief.
"He can't..." she said quietly, "Tuxedo Mask can't be...You must be mistaken!"
As if to prove Outai's point, the man in the tuxedo - apparently named Tuxedo Mask - lunged at Sailor Moon, and it was all Andromeda could do to push her out of the way. Well, perhaps it was not that hard; all she had to do was fall on the girl and knock her down before Tuxedo Mask could reach her. It was not a moment too soon.
Tuxedo Mask flew past them, but quickly turned and lunged again, this time with his stick raised to attack. Mooney caught the stick with his sword - he could draw faster than she could see it, if it came down to it - and pushed it aside.
"Mooney, don't hurt him!" she said, but Mooney already seemed to know. She could see him making the extra effort to make non-lethal blows.
"Andromeda, why haven't you healed them?" Sailor Moon said, standing. She herself didn't even try to stand. She knew her knees would not hold her weight.
"I..." she hesitated. She didn't want to admit she had over exerted herself. "I can't...I don't have the energy. I'm surprised I haven't changed back yet."
"If we combined our strength," Sailor Mercury said, "could Sailor Moon handle them?"
"Yes," she said reluctantly. She didn't want them to be the ones to heal these people. None of them would recover, "they are weak enough. At least right now. Two of them are nearly to the point of being a vessel, though, so if you don't hurry then you won't be able to heal them."
Sailor Moon merely nodded, and the others looked directly at her. Outai was fairly sure that wasn't needed for what they were going to do, but they did it anyway.
"Mercury Eternal Power!"
"Mars Eternal Power!"
"Jupiter Eternal Power!"
"Venus Eternal Power!"
"Chibi Moon eternal Power!"
"Uranus Eternal Power!"
"Neptune Eternal Power!"
"Pluto Eternal Power!"
"Saturn Eternal Power!"
As each senshi said those magical words, each began to glow in a different color. Mars glowed red, Jupiter green, Venus gold, and Mercury blue. Chibi Moon glowed pink, Neptune teal, Uranus gold, Pluto deep purple, and Saturn pale purple. Each senshi's glow began to meld together into sailor moon, and a glowing stone in her locket came out into her hands. She raised it above her head, and Outai could feel it's power, much like her own, full of warmth and peace.
"Silver Moon Crystal Power!"
Brilliant bright white light exploded from the gem, washing the entire area in it's light, washing away the taint she could feel on all of the other tainted that still lived, including the two who were nearly vessels. Tuxedo Mask, as well as all the others, dropped to the ground unconscious, baring only a few scratches from Mooney's sword that she knew wouldn't even need stitches. Mooney, though, bore quite a few bruises. Fighting non-lethally with a sword was much more difficult than fighting with fists and feet, but had allowed him to deflect that stick more often than not.
Mooney heaved a sigh of relief as the light dimmed to nothing, and Sailor Moon collapsed on the ground next to her. Concerned for their friend, the rest of the senshi surrounded her.
"I'm okay, everyone," Sailor Moon said, "I'm just tired. Andromeda is worse off than I am."
Everyone stared at her, now. With the scars beneath still raw and healing, it was difficult to tell what wounds were new and what were not, save for the ones still bleeding. Some looked at her as though chiding her for hurting herself, but all in all there was some degree of concern in their eyes. Why? Why would they worry about someone who was cold to them, tried to push them away, and had murdered people?
"I'm alright." she lied, "Just tired as well, and planning to sleep for the next twenty-eight hours straight."
"Where were you?" Sailor Mercury said, looking nearly as concerned as Sailor Moon. Oddly, Tuxedo Mask was awake and with them now. "We were all worried."
"Especially me." Mooney said, standing over her with hands on his hips. He was definitely not happy. "Why didn't you come home last night?"
"I was jumped on my way home. I've been fighting constantly since."
That was the truth, completely. On her way home, after healing Sailor Saturn with help from Sailor Moon, she had been jumped by a rather large group of the tainted. What they fought just now was the last of them. Oddly, the tainted didn't even seem to register the need for food or sleep.
"Why didn't you call for help?" Sailor Mars said.
"I didn't have a means to do so. Nor did I have the time, and it took all I had just to stay alive. I did run from them, but they are growing faster, as well as stronger. I couldn't find anywhere safe to hide. The taint inside me draws them to me, so it was easy for them to find me."
"That's why you tried to push them away." Sailor Saturn said, kneeling in front of her. Her dark eyes seemed to carry a great weight, one that Outai could sympathize with. "Aside from not wanting everone tainted, aside from not wanting them to have to go through the pain of having to kill someone, or heal someone who would only be a vegetable afterward, you didn't want them hurt by the tainted that follow you because of your own sealed taint."
Outai looked at this senshi. She was so young - barely into her final year of middle school, or perhaps her first year of high school - but her eyes held the weight of knowledge, almost like death waiting. Outai knew she had the power of death, as a senshi, but she hadn't realized she had the power of wisdom, too. Slowly, she nodded her head.
"I guess this means we'll have to stop being lazy." Sailor Neptune said.
"Save that for the bedroom." Sailor Uranus said, shooting a glance at Neptune that Outai could swear were bedroom eyes. So. It was like that between them. Well, she couldn't judge them for it, and wouldn't if she could.
"I think they mean that we'll have to keep our eyes open and sharp, or we'll be overrun by tainted." Jupiter said, and for some reason they all seemed to be blushing. Even Sailor Pluto. "We're not going to leave you to do this alone, Andromeda, and that's that."
Outai sighed in resignation and slumped her shoulders. There was no way she was going to keep them at a safe distance, now, no matter how hard she tried.
"Alright. But please, don't make Small Lady over there do what we have to do. She is strong, I know," she said, to prevent an argument from the little one, who seemed to be glaring at her now, "but she is too young, too pure, to do what needs to be done. Sailor Moon has already started her own butchers bill, and that will cost her in the long run, but Small Lady shouldn't start up her own just yet."
"I'm not going to just sit aside and be useless!" Sailor Chibi Moon said, her red eyes afire with fury .
"I never said you would be. Your help would be greatly appreciated, Small Lady. But please, only as a means to support Sailor Moon and the other sailor soldiers. You mustn't ever take a life, or heal someone that will only be a vegetable when you do. For the sake of everyone, you must stay pure and whole."
The girl crossed her arms across her chest, pouting in a rather cute way, but she acquiesced.
"Well, now that that is FINALLY settled," Mooney said as he knelt down in front of her, his back to her, "and I say 'it's about friggin' time!'," he added in a low voice, meant for her ears only. She knew he was talking about her acceptance of their help. "Andromeda needs sleep, badly. And if she budges for anything more than food or the bathroom for said twenty-eight hours, I'll tie her down and make sure she gets some sleep. I've learned about herbs in my time here, and I know just the concoction to knock you out, so don't even try it."
"I don't plan to." she said honestly. "I don't think I could even move that much."
It had taken the help of Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Uranus to push Outai up enough on his back for him to carry her piggy-back style, but he somehow managed to get home with her on his back. He knew she was too weak to even stand when Sailor Moon stood and she did not, just after Tuxedo Mask had tried to attack them, and knew he would have to be the one to carry her. She was kind of heavy, being a dead weight, or nearly so, but he hadn't minded. It was his own penance for not even thinking that she didn't know those girls well enough to spend the night with them, for not even thinking that things might not be okay until Usagi had come and asked about her.
The fact was, he should have gone home with her, to make sure she was safe, but he had not. He had gone home before her to get dinner ready - it was his turn last night to cook - when he should have stayed by her side. He was supposed to protect her, not just because her mother's final, coherent words were orders for him to protect her, but because he wanted to. He tried to give her the space he knew she needed, the space she wanted, and in doing so he gave her so much space that she got into trouble with it. He would just have to stick to her like glue from now on, no matter what she said. He wasn't going to let this happen again.
He could feel a warm breath on the back of his neck, and he blushed, and nearly jumped, before he realized that Outai had fallen asleep on his back. His nerves settled after a few moments, but the blush didn't go away until he somehow managed to get the door open to the apartment and got her into bed, still in her school uniform.
Author's note: So, it seems the chapters are getting longer. The last chapter was over 8k words, and this one is over 6k, where I've been averaging 4k. 8D And Tuxedo Mask got tainted! Oh noes! Anyway, here's a few explanations, just in case some of you haven't figured it out:
'friggin': slang for 'freaking', which is a euphemism for 'fucking'. IE: 'It's about friggin' time!' versus, 'It's about freaking time!', which is a euphemism for, 'It's about fucking time!'. Trying to make it somewhat child friendly. Yes, I know I fail.
'dibsies': kind of a child-like way to 'call dibs', which means to call ownership, or first choice on something. Basically, calling dibs is like saying, 'Me first!'. Fairly sure you all know both of these, but for all I know some kid could be reading it and not know what it means.
Anyway, I hope I'm getting the original characters right! And thank you all for the lovely reviews! Keep them coming! I eat them up! No, seriously, they are tasty. ;D Next update comes when I can get around to it. ;D
