Remember me? Chapter 13, a sailor moon fanfic

Disclamer: SM characters belong to Naoko Takeuchi. I only own this story. Please don't steal

I can't sleep.
Everything I ever knew
is a lie
without you.
I can't breathe
when my heart is broke in two.
There's no beat
without you.

You're not gone, but you're not here.
At least that's the way it seems tonight.
If we could try to end these wars,
I know that we can make it right.
'Cause baby...

I don't wanna fight no more,
I forgot what we were fighting for.
And this loneliness that's in my heart
won't let me be apart from you.
I don't wanna have to try
girl, to live without you in my life,
so I'm hoping we can start tonight.
'Cause I don't wanna fight no more.

How can I leave,
when everything that I adore
and everything I'm living for
girl, it's in you.
I can't dream.
Sleepless night have got me bad.
The only dream I ever had
is being with you.

I know that we can make it right,
it's gonna take a little time.
Let's not leave ourselves with no way out,
let's not cross that line.

[...]

Remember that I made a vow,
that I would never let you go.
I meant it then, I mean it now,
and I wanna tell you so.

(I don't wanna fight no more - Westlife)

"Wow," Taiki mumbled, as he contemplated the vintage sterling silver fountain pen he held in his hand. "This is beautiful," he said, looking up to his friend. "Thank you."

Seiya shook one shoulder. "I know writers don't really use those anymore," he said, as his sided smile came to his lips, "but I also know how old fashioned you are," he teased, as everyone else around laughed, while Taiki simply glared at him. "And any decent writer should have one of those, so... I figured you'd like it."

"I do," the brunette said, nodding his head. "Very much. Thanks, man."

She looked at them from her position, curled up over the couch, legs bent up, and a small smile made it to her lips. He was always so thoughtful when it came to gifting.

The girls and Mamoru showed up around an hour ago, and they were all sitting by the fireplace, spread around the couches and pillows, opening and exchanging gifts, sharing some good laughs. And he was sitting right across from her, coffee table in between, casually sitting on the carpet floor and resting his elbows over his bent up knees, smiling and joking around with everyone.

This has proven to be the hardest, weirdest, most painful Christmas she could remember. With him right there, smiling and being all nice; it somehow made it worst. Harder.

When he was being rude, making comments and glaring down at her, being the idiot, immature guy she used to hate, it was easier for her to deal with everything. With him gone. Because no matter how much words would hurt, she could always tell herself he didn't know, he didn't remember. For him, nothing ever happened, and he was acting according to what he knew.

But with him being like this, all nice and friendly... she didn't know how to respond to that. She didn't know how to react.

And so she found herself holding herself back, constantly. He had never been the easy to ignore kind of guy, but with him being everything but his charming, relaxed, easy going self towards and around her, it was easier to hold back and just look the other way. It hurt, but it was so much easier than being in the same room with friendly, smiling Seiya.

Because he was that kind of guy; charming, funny, bighearted, caring. And simply magnetic. The kind that would bring a smile to someone's face just by looking at him smiling. The kind that would make her heart stop, with just that smile. The one that made her want to reach out her hand and take his; run her fingers through his hair, brush her fingertips around his nape just to get that one smile out of him again. That soft, small, sided smile that would brighten up his deep blue eyes.

"No problem," she heard his voice again, and she looked up just in time to see him taking a small package, and then looking up to her. "This is for you," he said, with a rather shy smile on his lips, as he offered her the wrapped up, rectangular gift.

Straightening her back up, she blinked, sincerely surprised, as she glanced at the offered gift. Feeling more than seeing all eyes on her, with surprisingly steady fingers, she took the small packaged and opened it, ripping the red paper off. And she blinked again, looking up into midnight blue eyes just in time to see him looking back at her, that half sided, half embarrassed smile of his playing on his lips as he scratched the back of his neck.

"I hope you like it," he mumbled.

She nodded her head, absently, looking down at her present. 'Open your mind and you'll see, you already know how to fly; you just need to spread your wings', said a hand written dedication on the first, yellowish page of the book she now held in her hands.

-.-

He watched her, studying her reaction, trying to figure out if she liked the gift or not. She was staring at it, reading that dedication someone had written on it, years ago.

He hadn't planned on gifting her that book. In fact, he had absolutely no idea of what to get to her as a Christmas present. He didn't really know her that much, and anything he could think of was either too impersonal, or just off. But he had came across that old book while waiting for the old man to wrap Taiki's present, in that old shop that seemed like a gate to another time and place, filled with antic pocket watches and vases, and hats and writing desks. And old, used books, piled up over an old table against a wall. And while waiting for the old man and taking a look around the place, he had found the book, and upon opening it, the words written in there, for some reason, made him think of her.

They seemed to fit her, and he figured, out of anyone else, she'd be able to understand the words. And, maybe she would also like the book, even if it was an old copy, instead of a brand new one.

But now it seemed like a rather lame gift, and a really stupid idea to give it to her. "I know it's silly..." he started to say, to apologize.

"How did you know?" she asked, looking up at him.

He frowned. "Know what?" he asked back, confused.

"Jonathan Livingstone Seagull," Michiru said, reading the title, and smiling up to him. "It's her favorite book."

"Oh..." he mumbled, blinking.

The look in her eyes, as if she was searching... something... That same sadness he had seen in those green orbs earlier that day, filling her eyes again as she looked at him. As if waiting for him to give her some kind of answer to a question she hadn't asked.

It was kind of disturbing. It made him uncomfortable, just as much as it intrigued him. It made him wonder, not for the first time, what was it about her that seemed so different. Intriguing, alluring, and as unreachable and unreadable as always.

And her eyes... there was something in her eyes. Something deep, silent. Latent and waiting. And just so confusing.

He shook his head, clearing his mind. "I... I didn't know," he said, frowning lightly now. "I'm sorry, I'm sure you already have a copy..."

"No," the blonde said, shaking her head, as she closed the book and held it to her chest. "It's perfect."

"Yeah, the copy she has can now take a retirement," Hotaru teased, giggling, and successfully breaking the suddenly heavy, kind of emotional mood that had fallen over the living room, as everyone around laughed along with the teenage girl.

"Yeah..." the blonde chuckled, taking her bangs out of her eyes and lowering her gaze for a moment, whether if it was in embarrassment or not, he couldn't tell, before looking up into his eyes again. "Thank you," she said, in a low, husky yet soft tone. "I'm sorry I didn't get you anything..." she apologized, now glaring at the innocently looking Setsuna, as the dark green haired woman took a sip from her tea, smiling unaffected, "I didn't know you guys were coming."

"It's ok, don't worry," he assured her, shaking his shoulder. "I'm the one coming into your house for the holidays," he said, now looking at Setsuna and Michiru, smiling to them all, "so thank you for having me."

"You're very welcome," Setsuna said, smiling at him.

"My turn!" Minako exclaimed, breaking the tranquil atmosphere and jumping in her seat, as she took a gift from under the tree. "Hey, Rei, catch!" she exclaimed, throwing the box into the air, across the coffee, as the Miko girl caught it right on before it could hit the glasses resting there and ruin the carpets.

He chuckled at the blonde's antics, and then smiled at Rei's big, bright smile as she opened her present. Soon everyone else joined in, getting back to exchanging gifts and jokes alike as the ripped wrapping papers around them kept on growing in volume.

His eyes traveled to the silent, tall blonde woman curled up over the couch. Face half hidden under the turtleneck of her teal sweater, covering her chin as she held it there with one hand. The other resting over her bent up legs; long fingers brushing against the covers of her book as she looked at it, with the smallest, faintest of smiles playing on her lips. She looked deep in thought, lost in her own little world, and he wondered what she was thinking of. If maybe she was thinking of that mysterious boyfriend of hers.

He frowned. He really wanted to know this guy, to meet whoever had the guts not only to date her, but to court her in the first place. She could easily beat the daylights out of anybody, with a nose and a few bones getting broken in the process, and the fact that this guy had dared to even flirt with her... the guy had balls, that was for sure.

But he wasn't sure he liked the idea of her dating some guy. It changed things.

It changed everything.

It forced him to look at her in a different light, to see a completely different side to the heartless butch he always thought her to be. A side he had started to see glimpses of when he saw her crying. Or the other night, when he saw her moving to the music on that dance floor, in a way he never thought possible of her, all sensual and magnetic, though subtle at the same time; all legs and arms and -he gulped- curves. A side he had heard of, by Hotaru or Usagi and the rest of the girls, who unconditionally loved the racer for reasons and treats attributed to her that he just never saw in her before.

A side that was now showing him those reasons, and how true they were. Because, though strong and certainly dangerous, she was also caring. Soft, even, with a heart she zealously kept away from the world, for only those she cared for to see and know about. She was fun and easy to be around -when she was not threatening with biting his head off, of course-; with a bit of a wild nature and a free spirit, judging not only by her past relationship with Michiru, but also by her career. Just now, with this new side of her out in the light for him to see, he realized, she was an intriguing woman of many faces.

And as he sat there, looking at that soft, small smile of hers decorating her features, and how her blonde bangs fell over her green eyes, he wondered, how many sides there where? What else about Haruka Tenoh he didn't know of?

.-.

She was the first to step out, excusing herself by saying she needed to start the car and warm the engine, while making room on the backseat, taking the gifts her father had showered her with into the trunk. Which wasn't a complete lie, but it wasn't the truth either.

She just needed some air.

She just couldn't take it anymore. Being away from him was so much easier when he was acting like a stupid teenager. But forcing herself to stay away from him when he was all smiles, distancing himself from the boy she had first met with every passing minute and resembling more and more the guy she had fallen in love with... she just couldn't do it. She kept catching herself looking his way, and she really didn't want him to catch her doing so.

The last thing she needed was him finding out about, well, everything, in the completely wrong way.

She didn't even know which was the right way. But with everyone around, staring at them, with the very real possibility of Seiya going ballistic at the news, completely ruining the holidays for everyone was definitely not it. And she just wasn't ready to face him yet. Specially not today.

Being in the same room with him was suffocating. And when she stepped outside and the winter wind hit her face, blowing against her warm cheeks and making her short hair dance around in her head, she welcomed it. And she stood there for a moment, taking deep breaths, bathing in the fresh, cold air, hoping for the cold wind to cool down the turmoil inside her.

Raising a hand and massaging her temples, she stepped away from the doorway, walking up to her car. They were just about to go to the play at the park, and she really did need to make room for Setsuna and Hotaru. And she also needed to hide one small gift her father had given her that was meant for one specific singer.

But as she approached her car, a movement on the bushes right behind her made her frown. She heard fast footsteps reaching her, and the wind suddenly wrestling in her ears alerted her. Instincts kicking in, she was able to move to a side and dodge the upcoming hit to her head just in time, turning around and facing the boy who couldn't be older than nineteen, waving a baseball bat in his hand and sending a menacing, threatening look her way.

"We don't wanna hurt you, blondie," said a voice behind her, and from the corner of her eye she saw a second guy now walking around her car and approaching her as well. "Just give us the keys."

She frowned, suddenly getting royally pissed off; as if her day wasn't bad enough already, now some teenager bad guys wannabe wanted to high jack her car?

They were not armed, and she knew it. They would have shown it to her already if they were. And they didn't look particularly strong; she could take them down easily. But as every single fiber, every muscle in her body tensed up, ready to defend herself, every single cell in her brain screamed at her the reasons why she shouldn't engage into a fight.

Damn it!

.-.

He was seeing things.

Yes, that had to be it. There was no soft, friendlier side to her. She was just playing nice and keeping quiet for the sake of Christmas spirit. Hotaru or Michiru had probably asked her to be nice, just like Taiki and Yaten did with him, and everything would be going back to square one after the holidays.

And really, what reasons did he have to really think there was a softer, nicer side to her? What reasons did she have to be nice to him? They had friends in common, and he was willing to take a deep breath and be civil. But the truth was he really couldn't find one valid reason to try and be friends with her.

Except for that strange feeling... that something that lured him to her, every time. He didn't know how long it has been there, or when did it first started. He wanted to blame it all on that kiss, but he knew that was not quite right. The memory of her lips still haunted him, yes, but it was the memory of her tears that really troubled him. Her tears, and that feeling he first got from her back at Makoto's place, as if her energy, her aura had changed somehow from what he remembered, and it had triggered something in him. As if a memory of something wanted to come up, and that nostalgia he was left with after being unable to recall his own dreams had made his mind somehow add her to those strange flashes -that may or may not be actual memories- he kept on having. Because her face, her voice hadn't been there when those flashes first started, he knew, her tears had somehow reminded him of... whoever the woman in lingerie was.

He was losing his mind. That was for sure.

Shaking his head, he made his way to the door. The ladies were still cleaning up, taking empty glasses and leftovers to the kitchen, and though he should probably help them out -or at least offer to-, he figured, there were many helping hands already. And there were still a good few minutes to go before they would all get ready to head out to that play, but he just needed some fresh air to try to clear his mind.

Taking only his jacket and not bothering with the gifts, knowing he could go back inside and get them when it was finally time to go, he stepped out, smiling upon the cold air meeting his face. But the smile disappeared in a matter of seconds upon the scene waiting for him there.

.-.

The bat swung her way, and she dodge it easily, stretching her leg out in a kick an meeting soft flesh, forcing the boy down to the ground, and then kicking the bat out of reach. Turning around, she was fast to stop the punch the second guy threw at her with her hand, delivering a punch herself with the other one, right in the face. A satisfied frown coming to her face as the guy stumbled backwards, nursing his now bleeding nose.

"Fucking bitch!" he exclaimed, growling at her. "You broke my nose!"

"Hey! What's going on here?"

A shiver ran through her spine at the voice.

If there was anything, anything at all she absolutely knew about him, was his knight in shiny armour tendencies. And she knew, he really, really shouldn't get into a fight right now. Not when there was a bat somewhere around; he had just woken up from a coma, with a broken leg that had just healed, and bruised all over. She didn't want him getting hurt again.

She turned around just in time to see the boy jumping up again, ready to face the newcomer, just as Seiya approached them. That set frown she knew all too well coming to his features as he studied the boy's movements; dodging the punch coming his way just in time, tucking the boy's hand under his arm and then delivering a punch himself.

And as the boy growled out, bending over in pain, she was barely able to duck a hit herself; the guy's fist inches away from her face, as she lost her balance and stumbled backwards.

And she grunted. With Seiya suddenly getting into the fight she got distracted, giving the advantage to her opponent.

Everything happened too fast.

She stopped a second fist with her own hand as the alarmed voices of Taiki and Setsuna told her they had stepped out of the house, surely alerted by the noise, and a painful grunt reached her ears. She didn't need to turn around to know, the boy had somehow managed to hit Seiya, and as she readied herself to gift the guy with another strong punch on his already sore, bleeding nose, she heard the wind agitatedly wrestling against her again, alerting her.

Green eyes going wide opened upon the hit. She saw white, barely able to let out a chocked, painful gasp. Shaking hands flying to her abdomen, her legs trembled, and she fell to the floor, down on her knees.

.-.

"Hey!" Taiki yelled, running up to Seiya, just as the kid managed to free himself from the singer's grasp, hitting his face with his elbow and making Seiya stumbled back.

At the sound of his voice, the boy took out running, and he knew better than to go after him; street robbers were used to running away, and right now, Seiya's broken, bleeding lip worried him more. But as he reached the singer, taking him by his arm and making sure it really was only a broken lip, a chocked sound reached his ears, and he turned around.

His eyes going wide opened and all blood leaving his face as he saw her falling down to her knees, hands on her stomach, and yet another chocked gasp.

"Fucking bitch!" the guy who had just punched her growled out, wiping the blood that kept on coming off his nose, before turning around and taking off, disappearing fast.

"Haruka!" Setsuna exclaimed, flying to the blonde, kneeling down next to her with a worried expression all over her face. "Haruka! Are you alright?"

Placing one shaking hand on the snowed grass, the blonde tried to straighten up, only to let out a whimper, folding herself back on hand and knees again and trembling.

"What's going on?" was Rei's worried voice, as everyone else came rushing through the door to see what was all the ruckus about.

"Haruka!" Michiru exclaimed, worriedly, running to the blonde. "Are you ok? Can you stand up?" she asked, frowning worriedly up to him when the only answer she got was yet another whimper.

"What happened?" Taiki practically growled, now turning back to look at a blinking Seiya, as he nursed his bleeding lip.

"I-I don't know," he mumbled, blinking once more, before a frown came to his face as he looked at the blonde.

"Haruka..." Michiru called out to her, softly, cupping the blonde's pale face in her hands, and frowning. "Are you alright?"

The blonde winced, tightening her jaw for a moment, before letting out a gasp. Green eyes filling with tears. "God... it hurts..." she chocked out.

His blood froze as he saw the racer; her face was incredibly pale, and she looked as if she was just about to pass out.

This can't be good, he told himself, worriedly.

"She ok?" Seiya asked, wiping the blood off his lips, and taking a step forward.

But Taiki stopped him, placing one strong hand on his chest. "You've done enough."

"What? I didn't do anything!" he defended himself.

"She's not supposed to be fighting!" Taiki growled at him. "And neither are you!"

"Help me get her to the car," Setsuna said, taking Haruka's arm around her own shoulders and trying to help her up, as she looked up at Yaten, who was by now standing right next to them. "Hospital. Now," she said, as the only, resolute explanation when green eyes blinked up at her.

Yaten was fast to help, going to the blonde's side and helping the olive skinned woman, as Michiru unlocked the car, getting into the driver's seat.

"I'm going with you," he said, walking up to the car too.

"What?" Seiya's voice made him turned around. "Come on, I've seen her taking blows way harder than that."

But again, Taiki stopped him before he could get anywhere near the car. "You better pray she's ok," he warned him. "Because, trust me, if anything happens to her, you'll hate yourself for the rest of your life."

"What?" the singer asked, blinking both in confusion and in anger.

"She's pregnant, you idiot."

Next on "Remember me?": "I'm on the freaking pill. I'm not supposed to be late. That's the whole point!"

A little flashback!

Meanwhile, any thoughts? XD