Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon. All rights are reserved for Naoko Takeuchi.

Author's Notes: Thanks to tryntee13, Perfect Beauty, Leslie wjack, yeon, Natasha, Paola, yukikiralacus, Usagi, CherrySerenity-sama, missscatterbrain325, Lady Mischief, Kasienda, and Guest for providing me with reviews.

Hello everyone! How are you? I hope you guys are enjoying Sailor Moon Crystal. I'm really starting to dislike months with five weeks in them. The agony of waiting for one episode is unbearable. I feel like I'll go crazy.

I know it's been a long time since I've updated. It really can't be helped. At least I haven't disappeared off the face of the planet, right? I haven't abandoned this story yet. I don't think I can or else I'll never get the closure I need. Anyway, I wasn't able to respond to your guys' reviews, but they mean the world to me. Thank you to everyone who has been so supportive and have shown interest in this story. It brings joy in my life. Thanks again. I hope I didn't disappoint. Enjoy! Until next update dear readers.

-S2-S2-S2-

Something was bothering her, but she didn't know why. For the past few nights Rei had been plagued with an ominous dream. Recalling the exact details of the dream was a difficult task. However, the emotions the dream elicited were clear-cut. Fear and anguish were the prevailing emotions. Tonight was no different. The dream caused her to wake up at six in the morning. The sympathetic division of her autonomic nervous system was active, causing her to be in the flight-or-fight mode. She jolted up in a sitting position breathing heavily. Her hands were clammy and shaky. Her heart raced. From the previous nights, she knew that falling back asleep would be a problem. Instead, Rei decided to go out for a walk to clear her mind and calm her senses.

Pulling her red cardigan closer to herself, Rei cursed under her breath for not wearing warmer clothes. Her attire consisted of black jeans, a white long-sleeved shirt, a red cardigan, and black flats. Even though it was fall, the weather wasn't too cold. But that was only applicable to the afternoons. The mornings were generally cooler.

Before she knew it, Rei found herself in front of the palace gates. She looked at the palace in wonder and amazement. Only able to steal glimpses of the palace behind guarded steel gates, she felt like a tourist. Memories of her childhood came to mind. Rei's mother had died when she was young and her father was rarely home due to his work as a diplomat. Most of her time was spent with her cousins, Motoki and Mamoru. Her grandfather doted on her. Perhaps it was because he was trying to fill the absence of Rei's parents or that she was his only granddaughter, but whatever it was, Chiba Shiro loved his granddaughter.

They often went on outings and the Emperor would take Rei to Hikawa Shrine. Hikawa Shrine was passed down to Rei's mother; however, after she passed away Motoki's mother headed the temple. Growing up, Rei always looked forward to going to Hikawa Shrine with her grandfather. After school, Rei would spend her time at the temple, learning the customs and practices from her aunt. At times, she would sleep at the temple as if it were her only home. She felt at ease at Hikawa Shrine. Since turning sixteen, Rei naturally took the role as maiden of the temple and completely moved out of the palace. Her grandfather reluctantly agreed, knowing that he would, in a way, lose his granddaughter. But he didn't want to hold her back from what she wanted to achieve in her life.

Rei smiled at the fond memories. She missed the palace. She missed living under the same roof as her grandfather and cousins. Even though the palace was a thirty minute walk from Hikawa Shrine, Rei rarely visited. On the other hand, her grandfather would often stop by Hikawa Shrine to check up on her. She was grateful for that.

A grumbling sound came. Rei looked down at her stomach and then at her watch. It was seven in the morning. She had been awake for an hour and did not eat anything before leaving the temple. The dark haired maiden smiled wickedly. 'The perfect excuse,' she grinned with a cunning glint in her eyes. Walking over to the gate meant for foot traffic, Rei pressed the intercom and announced her presence. The gates unlocked. Opening the gates and closing it behind her, Rei trekked to the palace.

The maiden quickly ran up to the front doors with excitement rushing through her veins as her ebony hair swished back and forth. How long had it been? A week? Two weeks? A month? She couldn't remember the last time she visited the palace. This would surely bring joy to her grandfather. Her stomach was filled with butterflies, nervous at the pending encounter. Upon reaching the steps leading up to the door, the door slowly opened for her. A guard was standing there with the door held opened and he bowed as he saw the princess. Rei quickly placed a finger to her lips and spoke in a hushed voice.

"Is anyone awake?"

"His Imperial Majesty is in the kitchen preparing his morning tea."

"Thanks," Rei smiled. "Don't let anyone else know that I'm here. I want to surprise them later on," she winked. The guard nodded in understanding.

With hasty steps, Rei sped through the corridor that led to the dining area. Once there, the girl stopped at the threshold that divided the dining area and expansive kitchen. Holding onto the frame of the entry, Rei peeked her head in and scanned the room. The white ceramic tiles and granite countertops were all familiar to her. There at the kitchen island was an older man dressed in tan slacks and a white dress shirt with a gray sweater vest. He carefully held onto the teapot's handle with one hand while the other hand held the lid in place and poured himself a glass of tea. He took a sip. Rei took the opportunity to clear her throat, making her presence known. The Emperor turned his head.

"Rei!" Setting his cup down, he opened his arms, gesturing for an embrace. Rei eagerly ran up to him and hugged her grandfather. "What a pleasant surprised," he commented while stroking her head. He pulled her back. "Let me get a good look at you and see how much you have grown."

"Grandfather! You saw me a week ago!"

The elder chuckled. "That may be true, but a lot can change over a period of a week."

Examining the kitchen, Rei noted the emptiness. "I see I came early."

"Nonsense! You're welcome here any day, any time. I'm afraid the chefs won't be preparing breakfast until eight. It is the weekend after all. Unless you're hungry and want something right now, this grandfather of yours is happy to make you something."

"Oh Grandpa, you don't need to. I can do it myself." Walking up to the refrigerator, Rei opened it and looked around. "How about eggs and toast?"

"Sound good."

As Rei prepared the simple egg dish, her grandfather walked over to the toaster to make the toast. Small conversation was made ranging from topics such as Rei's schooling and life at the temple to His Imperial Majesty's recent travel abroad for diplomacy. Once the eggs and toast were finished, Rei took the two plates and walked over to the island counter and placed them there. She sat down on a tall bar chair and waited for her Grandfather as he prepared the tea. He brought the teapot to the island counter and sat down next to his granddaughter.

"Oh dear, I forgot the cups." Heading to the cupboards, Shiro struggled to reach for the cups. "Why do they place them so high up?"

"Do you need help Grandpa?"

"No dear, it's okay."

As he struggled with the height of the teacup placement, his shirt rose up a little, revealing skin. It was then Rei saw what seemed like a wound on her grandfather's right oblique. White flashes like electricity attacked her vision. Rei flinched and faintly voiced her discomfort. Rubbing her eyes in an attempt to rid the blurred vision, the raven haired maiden regained her sight after a couple of quick blinks. She glanced at her grandfather's right oblique again, but it was covered by his shirt.

The Emperor noticed the young woman's distraught expression. He voiced his concerns. "Anything the matter?"

Shaking her head to resume her focus at the present situation, Rei gave a reassuring smile. "It's nothing, I was just hungry looking at the food in front of me."

"You didn't have to wait for me."

"And get my head chopped off for being ill-mannered to the Emperor of Japan? No thanks!"

"I would have let it slide," His Imperial Majesty teased. "Let's eat. We have to get rid of the evidence that you made me breakfast or else Mamoru and Motoki will never forgive me."

Rei nodded happily and ate in the company of her grandfather.

"Unngg." Rolling onto her back, Usagi's body felt hot and sweaty. The comforter covering her felt suffocating. Kicking the comforter off of her, she flung her arms to either side of her, making a lowercase t with her body. She stared at the vast white ceiling. 'Where am I?' Her senses were slightly impaired as she tried to readjust her mind and body to the environment she was in. Memories from the previous night were slowly resurfacing. Usagi groaned at her oversight for downing all the crimson contents in the wine glass even though she knew it had a distinct bitter taste.

Her right arm was rising and falling in a constant rhythm. It was an unusual occurrence. Turning her head to her right Usagi could see that her arm was laid across the man's chest. Her eyes looked like they were about to pop out of their sockets. She hastily recoiled back in surprised and landed on the cold floor due to the amount of force she applied. The pain that soon came caused her to hiss in annoyance. Her head and back rested on the floor while her legs were propped up on the bed. Usagi swore at her bad luck and pushed herself back to slide farther away from the bed, allowing her legs to fall to the ground.

"What did I get myself into?" she asked with hands covering her warm cheeks. Quickly sitting up she patted herself and looked at her appearance, relieved to know that her clothes were still on. Turning her head to the man on the bed, she laughed at herself for doubting his morality. 'Of course he would never do such things. What was I thinking?'

Getting on her hands and knees, she cautiously crawled around the bed until she reached the side where Mamoru was soundly asleep. Usagi noted the early time on the nightstand, grateful that he wasn't awake yet. On her kneeled position, her cerulean eyes scanned Mamoru's appearance. Even in his unconscious state, he was undeniable handsome. From his sharp nose and jawline to his long legs, everything about him was perfection. It was as if his chiseled features were designed by the gods. Carefully, she swept away the stray locks that fell over his eyes and smiled. Usagi sighed to herself. Her heart and mind were captivated just by his presence. When did she become so lucky? Being engaged to Japan's most desired man seemed surreal. She really wouldn't mind waking up to this scene every morning. It wasn't just his Adonis-like appearance that was attractive, his kind and reliable personality was appealing as well. From his gentle gestures to his firm but tender tone when he spoke to her were what made her fall for him. It was like a dream. And that was what it was…a dream. Usagi knew this wasn't right. Their relationship wasn't fated; it was forced. Had their families not been involved, had they met under different circumstances, things might have been different. Denying what her heart wanted was painful. Even in the arranged engagement they were in, she wanted to stay. To know more about him, to share experiences with him, to be more than friends, Usagi wanted all these things.

But did he feel the same way? He had a knack for concealing his emotions. Not once had Usagi heard him protest this marriage. It was possible he was holding back because he did not want to upset or disappoint his grandfather. Mamoru was a reliable person after all. Even so, he wasn't the type of person to be controlled like a puppet. Perhaps he was waiting for the right time to voice his desire to end this arrangement. After all, he still had another in his heart and from what Usagi deduced from his conversation with Motoki, Mamoru was still waiting for her, that girl named Minako. Any girl would have given up anything to be in her "rags to riches" position and would try anything to acquire Mamoru's heart regardless of his past. But Usagi knew this wasn't right. She wasn't that type of person and becoming one didn't suit her. She had to stay strong. She had to put an end to this engagement.

"Maybe in another lifetime," she whispered. A stray tear escaped and tricked down her face. "I won't hold you back, Mamoru. That I promise you."

It was easier said than done. She still needed time. She knew that if she stayed any longer her walls would break and the steady resolve she had until now would be all for nothing. She would give in to her desires to be with him. Shaking her head, Usagi couldn't let that happen. Inside her heart, she felt conflicted. Her heart was weak, but her mind was strong. Standing up, she let a sad sigh escape and turned to head out of the room. With one hand on the doorknob, she took in one last glimpse of the sleeping prince, knowing that she would never have the chance to set her eyes on such a picturesque sight after today, wanting to engrave it in her memory. Quietly, she left the room and closed the door. Once the door was closed, Usagi leaned against it with her head lowered, feeling as if all of her energy was drained.

"Usagi!"

The voice startled her. Lifting her head, Usagi's gaze met friendly dark brown eyes. She straightened her posture and watched as Rei walked towards her from Mamoru's bedroom door. "Rei, what brings you here?" she asked.

Approaching the dazed blond, Rei offered a kind smile. "Dropped by to visit," the maiden replied. "Do you know where Mamoru is?"

Usagi stood still, afraid to breath. "N-no i-idea," she stuttered, hoping that Rei didn't catch on.

"That's weird. I didn't see him this morning. I wonder if he went out for his usual morning run early today." Examining Usagi's appearance, Rei couldn't help but laugh. "What were you doing last night?" With a puzzled look, Usagi looked at her clothing. She still had on the clothes she wore yesterday. Wrinkles and folds on her shirt were displayed prominently. Usagi's messy hair was no better. Stands were sticking out everywhere and her odangoes were sagging. "Your poor odangos," Rei lamented as put her hand to an odango thinking about what she could do to help.

"Reeeii-chaaan," Usagi groaned. "Spare me, I had an eventful night."

"R-rei…Rei-chan?"

Usagi quickly covered her mouth and her eyes widened at the accidental slip-up. "I a-am so sor-"

"No one has ever called me that besides my family." Rei took hold of Usagi's warm hands in hers. "You're the first in a long time. People usually walk on eggshells when they're around me because of my status…" The loneliness was clear in Rei's speech. "You're different Usagi, that's why I took a liking to you. Please continue to address me as that. Ne, Usagi-chan?"

The odangoed girl stood there, stunned at the response and her request. Usagi felt empathy for the raven princess in front of her. Ever since she entered Kai, she understood what Rei had gone through. The sentiments of feeling alone in the world were shared by the two even though their situations were very different. In response, Usagi squeezed Rei's hand for comfort and support. "You can count on me." Rei's eyes lit up at the reply. The two girls exchanged friendly smiles, knowing that their relationship was slowly growing to one where they would be there for each other no matter what. The door behind Usagi slowly opened. Dread formed in the pit of Usagi's stomach.

"Mamoru! There you are! I have been looking for you," greeted the annoyed dark haired girl.

'Why, why now? He was still asleep when I left,' the panicky blond thought.

Realization suddenly struck Rei as she noticed that the door Mamoru came out of wasn't his room. "What are you doing coming out of there?" Her gaze switched to Usagi, who stood there like a cornered bunny. "What are you two up to?"

"N-nothing!" Usagi replied a little too impatiently. The girl cursed herself for her quick response, knowing that it would only make Rei misunderstand even more.

"Is that so…" Rei smirked. Her devious eyes scared Usagi. Usagi looked around nervously. She stared at Rei's forehead, hoping that it would seem as if she was making eye contact. All she wanted to do at that moment was become invisible. If only.

"Rei, what did you want to see me for?" Mamoru inquired to break the uncomfortable atmosphere. Even without seeing her face, he could feel that Usagi felt embarrassed and uneasy. Mamoru wanted nothing more to embrace her and melt away her uneasiness. If only his cousin wasn't here.

"Oh, that." Turning to Usagi, Rei gave her a reassuring smile. "Usagi-chan, could you give us a moment?"

"Sure…" Usagi observed the two cousins curiously before departing.

Turning to the tall man, Rei was unsure how to start the conversation. She bit her lip, trying to form coherent thoughts to relay to Mamoru. Her left hand subconsciously stroked her upper right arm.

"Rei, what's wrong?"

"It's…it's Grandpa," she spoke barely above a whisper.

"What about him?" Only to the untrained eye would Rei seem composed. But Mamoru had never seen his cousin so frazzled like she was right now. She seemed like an unstable nervous wreck. Her body seemed to shake uncontrollable, but Rei managed to control her reactions and kept it minimal.

"The scar. It's him. He's the one with the scar."

Surprised, Mamoru probed a little more. "Are you sure?" He didn't doubt Rei for a second, but he wanted to hear a verbal confirmation from her.

"My instinct is never wrong. I'm positive!" she affirmed. "But what I don't understand is how he could be the obstacle when it was him who put you and Usagi-chan together."

Rubbing his chin, Mamoru was deep in thought. "That is strange. What exactly is his agenda? Rei, can you perform another fire reading?"

"I can try."

"Get back to me when you find something. I'm going to look around on my end and see if there's anything suspicious with Grandfather's activities."

"Hmm," Rei nodded. Grabbing hold of Mamoru's hand, she held onto him with both of her hands as a way to warn and comfort him. "I hope you're prepared for whatever comes your way."

"As do I," Mamoru confessed, giving her a comforting squeeze to let her know that he would be okay.

The entire day was spent looking for the elusive blonde princess. Since their brief encounter this morning, Mamoru wasn't able to get a glimpse of her since. He asked around. She wasn't at Blending Gift. Motoki had informed him that it was her day off today. The maids hadn't seen her inside the palace. Her room seemed vacant, void of any presence. Mamoru had to give her credit. Usagi was very good at disappearing into thin air. He needed to clear his head and decided to head out to the Imperial Gardens, one of the many places he found solace in. It was late in the evening and the weather was getting chillier. Mamoru pulled his black coat closer to his body.

Leisurely walking around, he thought about what had happened last night. Usagi said that she was still dreaming of him confessing to her. What did that mean? Was Usagi interested in him? "My heart can't take it anymore. The doki-doki hurts." Her heartbreaking words kept playing in his mind like a broken record. Mamoru wanted to know for sure what her feelings were. Why was she holding back? And then he asked himself. Was he being a hypocrite? He held back his feelings too. He wasn't any better. But that wasn't the case now. Mamoru was sure of his feelings. He knew he liked Usagi. When did it start? Perhaps it was the day he first saw her sleeping under a tree in the Imperial Gardens. She seemed so fragile, like she was going break if he touched her. The sun kissed her skin, giving her a beautiful radiance that even the goddess of love would be jealous of. The dark haired man smiled at the memory.

Further along his walk, it was then that Mamoru discovered Usagi sitting on the rail of the wooden bridge that was overlooked the pond in the Imperial Gardens. The bridge allowed access to view the floating lily pads and lotuses as well as the majestic blue water. Her feet swung back and forth in small motions. Once again, just like the day he found her slumbering in the Imperial Garden, she took his breath away. Usagi wore black shorts with black tights and a pink three-fourths sleeve white polka dot shirt. Mamoru frowned, not liking her attire. It was a chilly evening and she wasn't dressed appropriately. With quick strides, he stood behind her and took off his jacket, placing it on her shoulders. Feeling the sudden weight, Usagi turned her head and made eye contact with midnight blue. She turned back and stared at the water, not knowing what to say. Usagi placed her hand on her shoulder, trying to remove the jacket. Mamoru placed his warm hands on top of hers, stopping her. He was shocked to feel her cold hand underneath his. It was as if he was touching death himself. Usagi nodded in understanding. Mamoru could feel the tension.

"Usagi, we need to talk."

That was what she was afraid of. Usagi didn't know what to do. What were they going to talk about? A string of thoughts ran through her mind. She wanted to run at that moment. Silently, she braced herself for what was about to come. Nodding her head, she signaled Mamoru to continue.

"Why do you keep avoiding me?"

"I'm not avoiding you," came her cool reply. "You're misunderstanding."

"Usagi, I know what you're doing."

"And just what am I doing?" she asked while revolving her body around to face him. Her eyes were void of any emotion. She was holding back and putting up a barrier. Mamoru knew it.

"You're avoiding me. Anything you say to counter is meaningless," Mamoru stated. "What I want to know is why."

The charade was up. She had to play her cards right or else she would lose at this battle. Gathering up her courage, she gave off an overconfident aura. "You caught on. I'm not surprised." Folding her arms, she looked into his eyes straight on. "The reason is simple and I've voiced my opinions before. I want to end this engagement. It's meaningless. And if putting a distance between us will help, I'm willing to go that route. What I don't understand is why you haven't done anything." Mamoru was about to speak when Usagi put a hand up to stop him. "It doesn't really matter. I can do this myself. Just sit tight and enjoy the show."

It infuriated him a little. Why was she being like this? Her attitude took a complete one-eighty turn. He wasn't used to her arrogant attitude. Was she putting on an act? Usagi wasn't sure where her haughty attitude came from. It surprised her a little, but it seemed to have worked. She couldn't read Mamoru's expression, which made her afraid as she worried whether he would see right through her.

"To be honest, I could have talked to Grandfather. If I objected to his marriage, he would have let me end this. But do you know what I haven't brought it up to him?" Her head tilted slightly, wondering what he was getting at. Mamoru continued. "If I didn't like you, I would have, just like you, tried every possible way to avoid you."

"What are you getting at Mamoru-san?" Usagi questioned with raised eyebrows.

The tall man chuckled at her endeavor to further put the distance between them by using honorifics. "I know how I feel and I know how you feel."

A wry grin marred the young girl's face. "You say that as if you know my feelings."

"I heard what you said this morning." Usagi froze. Her heart began to pound in its confinement, wanting to break out. Her hands began to fidget. She willed them to stop, but to no avail. Mamoru could that her façade was slowly shattering. Her emotions and thoughts were running a mile a minute. Grabbing her shoulders, Mamoru tenderly held her. "Next lifetime? Why not this lifetime?"

"You…y-you heard me?" the blond incoherently murmured. She could feel a lump forming in her throat. "T-things…things are different," she answered, looking away.

"How so? We share the same feelings for each other. Why can't you just accept that?" His soothing voice was no help. Usagi could feel her walls breaking. She didn't like it one bit. "Give me one reason, besides the fact that this is an arranged marriage, why we can't be together."

Usagi knew she would hate herself. But she had to. It was the only card that would give her the upper hand. She braced herself, wanting to seem confident in her words and to prove to him that whatever he was spewing was nonsense.

"I don't think you can handle it, Mamoru. Save us both the trouble and end this."

"No, I have to know."

Taking a deep breath, she finally played her card. "Minako," was her simple response.

Mamoru stayed silent. His grip on her weakened and his hands fell to his sides. Usagi regretted it, but she was trapped into a corner and that was the only way she could escape. She had no other choice. Her heart felt like it was being ripped into a thousand pieces. Mamoru's face was unreadable. But if she would guess, Usagi would think that her simple statement made an impact. Producing a smug look, Usagi kept her emotions in check and rebuilt her façade.

"I believe that this conversation is over." She hopped off the wooden rail and took off the coat Mamoru had lent her. It was strange. Why did parting with the piece of clothing seem as though she was parting ways with the man before her…indefinitely. She carefully laid the jacket on the wooden rail. Turning away from him, she took one step forward before stopping and angling her head to the side. "Don't ever bring up this topic again, Mamoru."

He stood there in a trance. It wasn't until Usagi began retreating that he felt like she was going to disappear forever. His heart beat with worry and fear. With his long legs, Mamoru was able to catch up to Usagi. His arms wrapped around her waist and he enveloped her. The action started Usagi.

"You're such a cold hearted girl." The comment wasn't spiteful, rather it sounded forlorn. Turning her around to face him, Mamoru sadly smiled. "If that was supposed to be your plan to deter me, you have failed."

"What?" She did not understand the situation. The odangoed girl was sure her plan would work. What went wrong? It was perfect. It should have worked!

"It seems you don't have very good hearing." His warm lips kissed her forehead as a way to soothe her scattering emotions. "I said I knew how I feel." Mamoru rested his chin on the top of her head. "And what I feel is love for you, Usako." The term of endearment was what did it. Usagi placed a hand over her heart, feeling like it burst at any moment. Finally, she broke down into tears. Mamoru enveloped her in his arms and held her like a safe cocoon. His heart went out to her, knowing how much of an internal struggle she had been through. "Shhh…it's okay. Let it out."

"Th-this…I-it wasn't supposed to be l-like this," Usagi hiccupped. "S-stop. Stop, l-let me go!" she cried as she wriggled, trying to get away. She knew that if she stayed in his arms any longer any hope of putting up her walls again would be futile. "You're ruining me! You're ruining my plans!"

"What plans?" he asked, holding her firmly. "For us to separate? For us to end this arrangement?"

"Yes!"

"Those plans went out the door once we developed feelings for one another."

Putting her hands on his chest, Usagi pushed away from him, giving the two a little distance. Mamoru still held on to her knowing that if he dared to let go, he may never see her again.

"You're a dirty liar! I don't have feelings for you!"

Mamoru couldn't help but laugh at her attempts. "Usako, stop trying to kid yourself. You know it. I know it. I can read you like a book."

"This isn't fair," she sobbed. "Things aren't supposed to be like this."

"Why are you trying so hard to be swayed otherwise?"

"Because this arrangement was never meant to be! A forced marriage can never be a happy marriage."

"And where did you get that idea from?"

"I…I…" Where did she get the idea from? She wondered that herself. Perhaps from the stories she had heard. From the media? "It doesn't matter where. It's just unsound and rare. Just please, Mamoru, please don't make this harder than it is."

"No," he replied. "You stop making it harder than it is. Why can't you give us a chance?"

"I'm afraid," Usagi whispered.

"Of…?"

"The consequences. What the future holds."

"You won't know until you try." Looking up at him with her doe-like eyes, Usagi searched Mamoru's sapphire orbs, seeking his intentions and the truth to his words and emotions. He was genuine. "I'm here for you, but I can only meet you halfway. What will you do?"

Usagi mulled over the situation at hand. What would she do? Fears still held her back. She didn't expect Mamoru to confront her. Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine him confessing to her in real life. It was only in her dreams that happened. However, this wasn't a dream. Mamoru turned her world upside down. He made her feel things she wasn't used to. It was clear that she had feelings for him. She tried to dismiss them as just a passing interest for him, but as time passed it didn't feel like a passing interest. Unable to put a finger to it, she ignored her heart's doki-doki. When he confessed to her that he wanted something more from her than friendship, her heart felt like it was released from its confines. It was as if her heart was performing somersaults of joy. She felt like she could breathe. She felt free. Free, but afraid. Was it acceptable to pursue a relationship with him, knowing that this may not be fated?

"Usako?" Mamoru watched her expressions as she deliberated. He wanted an answer, but he didn't want to rush her. Was he being inconsiderate? Caressing her soft face, he produced a warm smile. Usagi could feel the back of her spine tingle at his affectionate touch. "I won't rush you. You can have time to think about it." Removing his hand and letting it fall to his side, he stepped back from her. "I can wait. Take your time. I just wanted you to know where I stand." With that he rotated on his heel, intending to give her some space and time. Five seconds later, small cold hands reached out to him. Mamoru stopped in his tracks and turned his head back to see her cerulean spheres looking up at him as if it was looking right into his soul. The words that come out of her lips made his heart skip a beat.

"I'll meet you halfway."