AN: I'm ALIVE! I survived my first semester of grad school (*waves roses and cries toward an imagined crowd*). I'm really sorry this has taken me so long, but I honestly haven't had time. When I do have time, the last thing I want to do is try creating something. Usually I just mindlessly watch YouTube until I fall asleep or desperately talk to actual human beings to get some social interaction that's not academic.
But at last, I have a new chapter! And we're moving out of the club, finally! Sorry about how long we stayed there, but I was building character. So, without further ado, I hope you remember what's been happening because...
Chapter 13:
Mamoru wasn't actually surprised that he was now currently watching Usagi practically flee from him across the dance floor. Unsurprised, but also unhappy.
Because with about all the gentleness of a punch to the gut, he had realized that Motoki was right. He liked Usagi. Or as Motoki would have put it, he liked Usagi. Oh, Mamoru didn't miss the irony of the fact that the woman who had finally caught his attention was the same girl he had relentlessly teased for her clumsiness, immaturity, and bad grades so many years before. Because who in their right minds would have ever pictured them together? Well, he could think of one arcade owner who could probably claim that honor, but besides that? The notion itself was completely ridiculous! But he could no longer deny it was true.
Not after feeling completely murderous at the thought of another man touching her without her permission. He didn't really like the idea of another man touching her at all, but he could at least admit that it wasn't his place to have a say in that matter. Yet. But she hadn't wanted the attention of that other man and suddenly it was like he had lost control. And then, to feel her pressed up against him, to imagine what it would be like to touch her because she wanted him to and then to get so close to finally pressing his mouth against the lips he hadn't been able to stop thinking about since Wednesday…
And as soon as he came to grips with his attraction to Usagi, his brain presented him with another surprise: this attraction wasn't new. No, this feeling had been there for years and he hadn't even noticed! How had he not known? Did he like delving into his own emotions? No. But he also liked to consider himself to be a pretty practical person. How could he have missed it all this time? And what the hell was he supposed to do now?!
Surprisingly, that was the easiest question to answer. Because now that he knew, now that he could admit to himself that he was not only attracted to Usagi, but utterly and completely captivated by her, there was really only one option.
He had to convince her to see him the same way. As a man worthy of her affection. Or at least convince her to give him a chance. But how was he supposed to do that? He didn't even have an excuse to see her again before he had to leave for Kyoto, possibly for good.
Mamoru imagined the look on Usagi's face if he showed up at her door and tried to ask her out. She would probably stare at him like he had grown horns and a tail and then slam the door in his face. Or maybe she would laugh at him. He grimaced. He didn't like the idea of that. But what other options did he have?
"Hey, Mamoru!"
Mamoru broke out of his reverie to find a very sweaty but happy Motoki walking his way with Reika in tow.
"Did you get to dance at all?"
Mamoru grunted as his friend waved over the bartender to order some waters. "Not exactly."
Reika raised her eyebrow at him, "How did you manage to do that? This place is crawling with dance partners!"
Motoki laughed, passing one of the glasses to his fiancée, "Don't underestimate Mamoru's ability to avoid fun, my dear. He's had years of practice."
Mamoru rolled his eyes, but didn't bother to deny the accusation.
"Besides," Motoki said, after gulping down half of his glass, "Perhaps he just didn't find the right partner."
He wiggled his eyebrows a bit and Mamoru did his best to keep his expression flat. Motoki didn't need to know of Mamoru's great epiphany concerning Usagi just yet. Once he did, he would be impossible to live with. Trying to avoid their eyes he waved the bartender over and ordered a Scotch. Perhaps another drink would calm him down a bit. Or maybe if he knocked back enough he wouldn't have to deal with all these new emotions until tomorrow.
"You know, Mamoru," Reika said, watching him carefully as he drummed his fingers on the bar. "There's nothing wrong with going and asking a girl to dance if you're interested. Or I'm sure one of our friends would be willing to dance with you. Usagi perhaps?"
Mamoru felt himself smirk as he made eye contact with her over the rim of her glass. To an untrained observer, she looked completely innocent, but he knew better. Motoki was nosey, yes, but he was also very blunt. Reika, on the other hand, was subtle, and she had the uncanny ability of asking or suggesting things in such an innocent way that you couldn't possibly question her motives and still sound sane. It was both impressive and disconcerting.
"Oh yes," Motoki said, a little too enthusiastically in Mamoru's opinion, "Why don't you ask Usagi to dance, buddy?"
Mamoru cleared his throat and tried not to sound murderous as the remembrance of what happened earlier came back to him, "Usagi had a bit of a…difficulty on the dance floor earlier. It turns out this guy from her work who asked her to dance didn't have the best intentions." He held his hands up quickly to ward off his friends looks of surprise and worry. "She's okay now, I made sure, but I don't think she's going to want to venture out again tonight."
Motoki set his glass down with an uncharacteristic frown and Mamoru could tell that he was angry. "That's-that's awful! You sure she's okay?"
Mamoru nodded and picked at some lint on his pants, noting with only slight interest that his hand was shaking. "She was a bit shook up at first, but she seemed fine when she headed back to her friends."
"That's good," Reika said, laying her hand on Motoki's arm as if to help diffuse his anger, but she too looked upset. Mamoru wasn't surprised to see his friends reacting so strongly to the news that someone had tried to hurt Usagi – who could ever want to do her harm? – but it did make him ache again at the thought of how much he had missed. From the way the girls had greeted Motoki at the arcade and quickly started conversations with Reika earlier, he could tell how close they had all gotten over the years. He had never really been friends with Usagi's group, but they had been a part of his routine, a part of his life before he left, and it was clear to him now that he was an outsider again. And with what had happened earlier – with Usagi running away from him – had he scared her? Was he any different than that Seijuro guy?
He clenched his fists against the bar at that thought and shook his head. It hadn't been the same, he knew that. She may have been scared, but not because of him – at least, not directly. But did she really hate him? Could she maybe hate him less now, after tonight? And did it matter? If Mamoru hadn't been there… he took a deep breath and tried not to continue on that line of thought. Usagi was safe, she was okay, and if he left Kyoto not seeing her again, at least he would know that.
The bartender came back with his Scotch then and Mamoru reached for it quickly.
"Who was that guy anyway? Is he still here?"
Mamoru downed the Scotch in a way he normally would have cringed at, but tonight the burn felt good. Setting the glass back down he looked up at his friend and allowed a grim smile to pull at his lips. "I had a little talk with him. I don't think he'll be bugging her anymore."
Even to his own ears, his declaration sounded rather sinister, but Motoki only nodded and Mamoru felt a small surge of relief at the trust Motoki obviously placed in him. Usagi was like a younger sister to Motoki, but Motoki seemed to realize – even if Mamoru hadn't yet revealed to him his own feelings – that he wouldn't let anything bad happen to Usagi.
The music and chatter continued around them, but for a few minutes the trio was silent. After a little while of staring at the dancers without seeing anything, Mamoru turned back to his friends to see them silently trading meaningful glances. Facing them completely, he caught their gazes and raised his eyebrows in silent questioning.
Motoki just shrugged and nodded at Reika who quickly set her glass down. "When I was talking to Rei earlier, she mentioned that the girls are all getting together to go to a carnival that's in town this weekend and she invited us to join. She told me to invite you as well."
"I know it's not really your scene, buddy." Motoki added, "But it should be fun."
Reika nodded, "Everyone will be there."
Her slight emphasis on "everyone" let Mamoru know what she was up to, but he was too happy to care. Tomorrow, he could see her tomorrow! This was it. This was his chance. Screw the thought of just knowing she was safe – this would be the perfect opportunity to hint at his intentions without knocking down her door. Or, at least, the chance to make her not hate him. That's it Chiba, baby steps.
Carefully concealing all of these emotions behind the mask he had taken years to craft, Mamoru cocked his head to the side as if in thought. After a few moments, he shrugged and gave his friends a small grin, "Why not?"
After waving goodbye to her friends, with the promise to Rei that she would be ready promptly at 12:30 tomorrow, Usagi collapsed with a groan onto her bed.
The night had not gone as she had anticipated.
First her disastrous attempts to flirt with Mamoru and then that awful dance with Seijuro – Usagi shuddered in remembrance and then sat up with a sigh. At least now she would have a good excuse to avoid him.
And Mamoru? Usagi tried to ignore the way her stomach clenched when she thought of his mouth near her ear, his voice huskily murmuring her name, the feel of him pressed against her so intimately, his eyes staring down at her as if he – as if they – no!
Usagi snorted. Mamoru was not attracted to her, at least not actually. So she had looked hot tonight. She knew it. Minako hadn't worked on her hair for an hour for nothing and that dress! But that didn't change the fact that he thought she was stupid and klutzy and a crybaby.
Lifting herself off her bed with a groan, Usagi moved to her bathroom to begin taking off her make-up. Cringing at the state of her face, she set to work washing up and trying to forget everything about the night except her friends.
Of course, that just made her think about their attempts to get her to admit Mamoru was hot which brought her right back to her original issue. Even when they weren't here her friends kept bringing him up!
Yes, he was hot – how many times did she have to say it? But he was also arrogant, distant, and mean. Usagi nodded at her freshly scrubbed self. She didn't want to date someone like him!
Besides, she thought to herself, even if I did – which I don't! – he's probably seeing like five different girls in Kyoto, the prick.
Minako's question and his answer swam into her head, but she shook it off. Just because he said he was single didn't mean he wasn't dating around. Prick. Not that she cared or anything.
Shimmying into her night gown, Usagi set to brushing out her hair in careful strokes to avoid tangles the next day.
After all but running away from Mamoru, her friends had greeted her with worry in their booth. She could only surmise she must have looked about as freaked out as she felt. At their insistence, she told them what happened (on the dance floor anyway) hoping to avoid Makoto going to jail for murder, though even with a rather adapted story Mako-chan had all but broken the table in two, only staying in the booth because the other three girls piled on top of her at Usagi's insistence. They had all looked about the same, though – even Ami had looked pretty murderous as she all but pored more water down Usagi's throat.
Usagi had been able to tell that they also looked a bit guilty, presumably because they had let her dance with him. She calmed them down as best she could by assuring them that nothing had really happened, Mamoru had helped her, and Seijuro had left, which she could only assume was true. At first, she had been worried that Minako would latch onto Mamoru's role as her hero, but she should have known better. Mina wouldn't have pushed something like that after what had happened.
They had all left the club not long after, only waiting long enough for Rei to call them a cab, and after being fussed over the entire drive, Usagi had insisted she did not need to be tucked into bed, though she did allow Mako-chan to walk her to her door.
No, it hadn't been the night they had planned on.
Falling into bed with a yawn, Usagi closed her eyes only to open them at the sound of her phone. She had forgotten to put in on silent.
Rolling over, she saw her screen illuminated with a text from Rei:
Forgot to mention, Mamoru might be at the fair tomorrow. Thought you should know.
Fighting the sudden urge to throw her phone, Usagi threw herself into her pillow with a groan.
Why me? She thought desperately, I'm a good person! I give spare change to people on the street and I hold the door for old ladies. What more does the world want!
She had thought she wouldn't have to see him again before he left, already planning not to go to the arcade for another week just in case, and now? What was she supposed to do? How was she supposed to act?
First, she showed up looking like, well god damn hot, but not at all like herself. Then, she flirted with him, got relatively drunk, almost fainted on the dance floor while getting groped so he had to sweep in and save her, and then she had fought with him! That in itself was not new but she had almost-almost kissed him!
Usagi groaned again. This was all too much. How could she face him now? And how, exactly, did she feel about him?
With a gasp, Usagi shot up. Where had that question come from?! It must be that damn Minako getting into her head!
So what if his voice made her heart quiver – it was obviously with anger! So what if his eyes made her knees weak – it was simply the side effect of feeling like a klutz around him! So what that his hand on her skin made her body heat, and her breath quicken, and her stomach tighten – it was simply…simply…
Usagi searched desperately for an explanation. Alcohol! Her mind joyously supplied. Yes, alcohol! She thought triumphantly. She had been drunk, he most likely had been too, and with the lights and the music it had all just been a trick of the mind!
Having sorted all of that out, with a satisfied nod Usagi curled back under her covers, promising herself that she would simply avoid the Baka as much as possible and have fun at the fair with her friends. No problem.
It would be easy!
AN: That's what she thinks! Muahahahahaha!
I'll try to have new chapters up soon, but I'm home and I can't make any promises. Thanks so much to those who have been sticking with the story.
Reviews are greatly appreciated :)