For the One I Love

Chapter Twelve

"Swept Away"


After the latest incident between Sailor Star Fighter and the Sailor Senshi, Seiya decided it was time to put some distance between her and the Senshi again. Even though he felt so involved now, and leaving Sailor Moon alone at this point was driving him insane with worry. It was time to concentrate on Usagi as Usagi, and the reason he came back. Especially since he had this deep sinking and unsettling feeling, something bad was about to happen. It wasn't the headaches, or now the dreams. It was just something in his gut, which kept tearing at him ever since he fainted. Things were going to change in this era and soon Seiya wouldn't be able to reach her.

Still, even if he decided to retire Star Fighter for a while, that didn't mean he could just leave them on their own. He always found an excuse to leave a group he was assigned to in class for one project or another, or leave the classroom when they all did, to find a way near enough he could listen in to all the current going on's with their fight against the Black Moon Clan. As far as he could tell, nothing really significant had happened since the night the man called Rubeus died in a fiery trap. Just the appearance of another of Black Moon's lackeys, who apparently had a horrible laugh, and the still occasional chatter of Sailor Star Fighter.

"Hey Dumpling."

"Gah!" Usagi jumped backwards knocking into Ami and Makoto who were following right behind her. "What do you think you are doing? Snooping outside the girl's bathroom!"

"I wasn't snooping." Seiya lied perfectly. "I just came from the guy's bathroom is all. Anyway, I was wondering if I could talk to you a second."

"What?" She asked. Seiya blinked, staring at her as she continued to stand in the doorway of the bathroom with two of her friends. Someone sighed behind her.

"She doesn't get it." Makoto told him. "With Usagi, you have to say it directly. Well, we'll be going then." She grabbed Ami's arm and pulled her past Usagi, walking down the hallway and leaving the two of them alone.

"Huh? Makoto?" Usagi called after her friends, but she just waved her hand not looking back as she continued to walk with Ami. "What was that for?"

"Er… maybe I can talk to you while you're not standing in the middle of the doorway to the girl's bathroom?" Seiya pointed out. Not thinking anything of it, Usagi said 'ok' and they walked down the opposite hallway from where her friends went.

"So what is it?" She asked as they stopped by a window.

"I was thinking, do you want to go with me somewhere tonight?" Seiya had decided this a while ago. If he was going to get anywhere before his feeling turned out to be correct, it was time to make an honest move, or everything he had done up until now would be a waste.

"Somewhere tonight? Where?"

"There's this new cake place that opened up a couple days ago-"

"Yeah they have really good cakes! And lot's of them!" Usagi said excitedly.

"Ah." Seiya said disappointed. "So you've been there then?" She nodded then looked away like she was remembering something, and quickly hid a smile and a slight blush. "Hmm… Ah, I have another idea. So, what do you say, I'll pick you up around six? Dress nice okay!" He winked at her and took off, not letting her get a word in edgewise.

"Eh- Seiya?" Usagi tried to stop him as he walked around her, her hand reaching out to catch a hold of him but Seiya was already speeding down the hallway, leaving Usagi to stand there with her words caught in her throat. As she watched him turn the corner she sighed, "Really…"

Later, when Usagi woke from her nap after getting home from school, she barely had enough time to get dressed before Seiya showed up at the front door. Not knowing where she was going, Usagi dressed as nice as she could without feeling like she had gone overboard. She'd just finished putting her last earring on and headed down the staircase when she could hear the front door open, and Seiya's voice say something followed by a very loud and angry voice yell, "IKUKO!"

Usagi froze on the staircase. "Oh no…"

"What is it, Dear?" Usagi's mother walked from the kitchen to see what the fuss was about. "Oh my." She blushed slightly at Seiya's semi-formal form, standing there in the middle of the doorway holding a bouquet of red and white roses.

"This man says he's here for our daughter!"

"Really? Usagi?" She was still flushed.

"Dad!" Usagi ran from the staircase and into the hallway, immediately placing herself between her father and Seiya. At least now even if he did happen to be in choking distance, Seiya would have time to get away. "Seiya and I are just friends, we're going-" She turned to look at him, and took it all in. He wore a silver button up jacket that was open, and matching tailored pants. Underneath his jacket was a simple white-collar shirt and, in his hands, a giant bouquet. Seiya saw her looking at it and smiled, holding it out to her.

"This is for you."

She hesitantly began to reach her hand out, recoiled it, and then reached out again. "T-thank you…" Usagi blushed holding the buddle of flowers against her chest, taking in their sweet fresh fragrance.

"Just friends huh?" Kenji Tsukino pointed a finger at her daughter, then swiveled around and pointed it in Seiya's face. "Just what are your intentions with my daughter? Huh?"

"Oh Honey relax…" Ikuko Tsukino smiled and took her husband's arm, drawing him back. "Usagi, you go have fun."

"R-right." Usagi slipped her shoes on, grabbed her jacket and pushed by her parents and Seiya without a word, keeping her eyes forward. Seiya bowed, and followed. As he was shutting the door Usagi heard her parents speaking.

"Hm, that wasn't the same boy from before was it?" She asked.

"What? There's more than one boy? Usagi!" Kenji cried.

When Seiya met up with Usagi around the corner of her house, she was clutching her face in both her hands with her head down, beat red. "I don't believe this…"

"Your father just loves you." Seiya smiled.

She threw her hands up in the air and started to walk. "That's it. I'm going home! I'll sneak through the window!"

"No Usagi!" Seiya caught her hand. "It's fine, really." He laughed. "By the way, you're beautiful."

"Uh, thanks." She looked away for a moment as he took his turn taking her in. Nothing really surprised him; Seiya already knew Usagi was breathtaking in every way. Her dress was red, falling to her knees where it bunched slightly. She had beaded spaghetti straps covered up by a short form fitting black silk jacket. Black straps wound up from her heel forming a bow by her ankle. "So… where are we going?" She asked.

"First, I was thinking maybe we should get some food?"

"Alright." Usagi smiled, honestly hungry.

"Alright." Seiya smiled back, reaching out his hand.

"What?"

"Your hand." She hesitated. "Come on, it's part of the experience."

"What experience?" Usagi said, passing him. "Come on. I won't get lost."

"Suit yourself."

Seiya grinned and set off after her. He knew she wouldn't take his hand, she was too stubborn, but that was just one of the many things he loved about her. He wouldn't give up by any means though… he could be stubborn too.

Seiya took Usagi to a restaurant she had never heard of before and soon understood the level of dress Seiya suggested. It not only looked expensive, it was expensive, causing Usagi to ask him about the price and him assuring her she could order whatever she wanted as long as she only got a "normal person's portion."

As time passed, Usagi completely forgot to be on her guard because she didn't want Seiya to get the wrong impression that she believed she was, and allowed him, to take her on a date. Everything around her just felt natural. Sitting there, looking at him, and talking to him, deep in conversation. It was as if they were the only two people sitting in the entire restaurant.

They talked for a little under two hours: about Usagi and her friends, school, dreams, as much about Seiya as he would allow, his school rules breaking job, family, music, TV shows, and comics, before they realized how long it had been. Seiya paid for the meal, and they both left the restaurant to go catch a taxi. The taxi ride was more quiet than their conversation in the restaurant, but not completely silent. Some random chit-chat here and there, until they finally reached their destination.

"Palette Town?" Usagi asked getting out of the car.

"You've been here before right?"

"Well, yeah. Not in a while though. Don't you…think we're a bit overdressed for this?"

"Nah it will be fine. Come on." Seiya held at his hand and again, Usagi looked at it. She walked over to him, not taking it.

"Lead the way then." She smiled.

Overdressed to do more of the adventurous activates, Usagi and Seiya spent most of their time looking at the different shops. Usagi fell in love with one that had beautiful and delicate looking cakes, along with different tea sets. Seiya bought them a couple of the cakes, and they sat around the giant marble statue of four women in Venus Fort to eat them. After the cake, the two of them headed over to the arcade, where they tied for first place at racing, Seiya won a shooting game, and Usagi won a stuffed monkey that she said resembled Seiya when he squinted his eyes.

"So now where too?" Usagi asked

"You'll see, this way…"

"Seiya!" They turned around at the sound of a woman calling his name, to see Hitomi jogging towards them.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" He walked towards her a bit.

"My mom came back, this time with my whole family. My younger sister and brother really wanted to come here. Wow you look nice, what's the occasion?"

"She is."

"Oh!" Hitomi followed Seiya's direction of vision until she saw Usagi, standing slightly behind him. "Tsukino-san, hello. You look wonderful too."

"T-thank you, Ayuma-san."

"Are… you two on a date?" She asked

"Well, I say yes and she says no, so we're kind of in-between." Seiya laughed as Usagi rolled her eyes. Hitomi looked between the two.

"I see…"

"Hitomi!" A small boy called.

"Ah, that's my family. I better go. Nice seeing you again Tsukino-san." She bowed and left, catching up with a small brown haired boy about elementary age and a girl with dark brown hair about junior high age. They stood next to two adults, which Usagi assumed were her mother and father.

"Are you ready?" Seiya turned back to Usagi who was still staring after Hitomi.

"Yeah."

It was dark outside now, and the line to the Ferris wheel seemed never ending. But as Usagi stopped to get in line Seiya kept walking, pulling two tickets out of his hand. "I bought them in advance." The man at the gate opened it and let them through, taking the tickets from Seiya. They sat opposite each other as the ride began to move.

"Thank you, for today." Usagi said. "It was really fun."

"No problem. Of course…" He grinned at her. "It was with me, so it's bound to be fun."

"Geez, aren't you modest?"

"No, I just tell the truth."

"Even if it hurts others?" Usagi leaned forward, teasing him, but Seiya answered with a straight face.

"Yes."

"Eh?" Usagi leaned back in her seat, staring at him.

"I think… that not telling the truth, especially to yourself, can hurt more. To others… and yourself. Sure hiding some things might make you and those around you feel better for the moment, but when they do learn the truth, they will be hurt you kept it from them. And when you learn a truth about yourself and finally except it… it might be too late. Do you disagree?"

"I'm… not sure. Someone can lie to you, because they love you right? So, how does that work then?"

"You mean, like lie to you to protect you?" Usagi nodded to his question. "I think, then they must be a coward. Because, if two people truly loved each other, they would work something out together, to protect each other. Unless of course the one doing the protecting, thought the other person weak."

"That's not true!" Usagi shouted. "Lying to protect the one's you love, isn't weak, it's just another form of love… I'm sorry…" She added when she saw the taken aback expression on his face.

"I guess then… it depends on how you look at it." When she looked at him, he smiled and continued. "Some people might find that lying is a weak act, and that being able to tell the truth takes strength. Other people find that it takes great strength to be able to lie to those they love."

"Ah… thank you." Silence fell around them. Usagi watched out the window and Seiya watched her. It was like the first time they had ridden a Ferris wheel together. He was captivated by her, and this time no image of his princess came into his mind, he only saw her.

"Dumpling… do you… do you still think your boyfriend loves you?" She didn't move but continued to keep looking forward, like she had done the last time he was brought up like this.

"I don't know. I hope so."

"And if he doesn't… can I steal you away?"

"Eh?" The atmosphere inside the carriage became intensely warm. Usagi felt as if she had been glued to her seat as she looked into Seiya's unfaltering determined eyes. Striking blue, and full of her image.

"I think… I'd very much, like to be your boyfriend, Dumpling."

"Seiya, don't…" She nervously laughed.

"I'm not joking around this time, if you'll have me…" Seiya leaned forward in his seat, closing the gap between them as their carriage rose to the top of the wheel, and swam with stars. Usagi broke her flushed gaze and gasped, taking in the outside view. They were surrounded by faint shooting lights.

"Oh wow, a meteor shower!"

Seiya slid back into his seat, "I guess that means it's time to go then."

"Time to go…?"

"Catch a bus."

The Ferris wheel stopped after they rode the rest of the way down in silence. Seiya helped her out and they walked towards the exit to catch another taxi, which would drop them off at a bus stop in front of a science museum. All the while, Usagi felt a new burning sensation in her chest. They quietly sat together on the bus, shoulder to shoulder. The bus was taking them to an observatory that was having a special viewing of that night's meteor shower.

"Usagi, we're here."

"Hmm? Oh right, sorry…" Seiya frowned at her response.

"Look, I didn't mean to…"

"All right! Welcome to this observatory tonight! We'll all head up to the viewing room right now, and I'm sure all of you will get to experience something very spectacular!" The crowd began to move, muttering in excitement as they followed the directors into the building. Everyone took the elevator up as far as it could go before having to take the stairs the rest of the way. As they walked inside, the crowd gathered around the giant telescope in the middle of the room as the man who led them began to talk about it and the happenings of that night.

"Usagi, I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable."

"No, really. You didn't… " She blushed.

"Ahh, I see. I made you realize your true feelings for me."

"What?" She rounded on him. "What makes you think that!?"

"You're blushing. Badly." He laughed.

"You caught me off guard is all! I'm not used to people just suddenly saying that kind of stuff to me! No girl is!"

"Alright, alright. But…" He said grabbing her hand. "I want you to know, I meant everything I told you."

"As everyone takes turns viewing the shower, we're going to go ahead and start a simulation that will let everyone waiting, experience some of the magic in here as well." There were oohh's and aww's along with some clapping as the entire room went pitch black and filled with millions of tiny multi-colored glowing lights. "Why don't you two go ahead and look first?"

Usagi moved away towards the telescope as fast as she could, sitting in the chair and getting instructions on how to work it. When she was done getting a brief idea of how to use it, Seiya followed and stood behind her.

"What do you see?"

"Stars." She replied. "Beautiful stars."

"Yeah, they are aren't they?" Seiya leaned more against the seat, his head hovering over her shoulder. She could feel his breath tickling her ear when he spoke, almost with a passion, which she found drawing her in. "It's better being out there with them though, you know? Instead of just watching from Earth. To float amongst them yourself in space, getting to see everything up-close, nothing can be compared to it."

"Yeah..." She smiled, lost in depths of outer space. "But, if they love space so much, why do you think some of them decide to fall to Earth?"

"They come to Earth… because they fall in love." Something in his voice made her spin around and stare at him. It wasn't sadness or loneliness… or maybe it was both. Whatever it was, right then, Usagi felt the stinging feeling in her chest intensify, and something inside her began to ache.

"Seiya you…" All words were lost. Instead, there was only the silence of lips pressed against one another. Seiya slipped his hand in her hair as Usagi sat there unmoving, slowly closing her eyes. Eventually they broke apart, and looked at one another.

"I told you… didn't I?" He smiled. "The next time… it wouldn't just be on the cheek." He leaned back into the telescope, not giving her anymore time then to let out a staggered breathe and look up wistfully into his eyes. Taking his turn with the telescope, Seiya wrapped one hand back into her hair, and to his surprise, found her hand reaching out to gently touch his.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"So…I'll see you at school."

"Yeah, at school." After the observatory, the bus took them back to the museum, where Seiya had their third taxi waiting for them. First the taxi driver would swing by Usagi's house and drop her off at home, before taking him to his apartment. He stood with Usagi in front of her house as the cab waited for him across the street.

"Thank you for coming with me. Let's do it again sometime."

"A-alright."

"Goodnight, Dumpling." Seiya bent down and kissed her on the forehead before walking away and getting into the taxi, leaving Usagi behind to watch him go. She stood there watching the corner on which he had disappeared, and felt something hot start to form in her eyes. As she turned to go, she saw someone standing at the other corner, leaning against the wall head down.

"Ma…"

"Did you enjoy your date?"

"Mamo-chan!" Usagi squeaked loudly, her voice caught in her throat. "What are you… why are you…"

"I ran into Chibi-Usa and told her I would walk her home. Did you two have fun?"

"No Mamoru! It's not like that!" Usagi panicked. "Seiya is just a friend! We're not dating! The one I love is-"

"I'm happy for you Usagi." Mamoru looked up from the ground, smiling at her. Usagi took a deep breath and swallowed the air that came in. "I really am. It's about time you moved on too."

"Mamo-chan!" But he didn't answer her, he turned and walked away, showing Usagi nothing but his back. "Mamo-chan!" She took another deep breath as his name faded into the air, reaching no one. Body shaking, Usagi turned her back as well, and made her way into the house.

She managed to dodge her parents and went up into her dark room. The flowers Seiya had given her earlier that night were in one of her mother's vases on her nightstand next to her bed. She set the stuffed monkey down next to them and without changing, fell atop it. Without any warning, uncontrollable tears began to fall from her eyes.

"I don't understand…" She looked up at the nightstand through the pillow she was clutching to her face. In-between the stuffed animal and the flowers sat a frame that held a picture of herself and Mamoru, smiling. "I don't understand anymore…" The last image Usagi saw as she closed her eyes and went to bed, were the flowers and the picture, side by side, neither one fading from her sleepy memory before the other.