Hi everyone,
Here's chapter 18 of the story.
So, my country is close to a war and as you can imagine, my ass is glued to my chair and my eyes to the screen of my phone and tv. Please pray for the people around the world as we haven't had the greatest start of 2020. With Australian WildFires and wars happening everywhere...Gah.
So, the days flew by and on Sunday I woke up thinking that it's Friday and I have at least five days to write this chapter. As it turned out, I only had two days and a half! But with the superhero by my side, DarkenedHrt101, I was able to finish this chapter today.
I hope you like it. The pace might be slower than the previous chapters, but hey, every epic scene needs a build up, right?
SailorGaurdian314: No worries love. I really appreciate you taking the time to leave me a review on every chapter:) Thank you so much. Let me know your thoughts.
DarkenedHrt101: You're by far the most awesome stalker I've ever had on social media:D:D jk. You're an awesome friend and I really really appreciate the fact that you let me babble about my day and have the energy to go through my story again and again:) I love you babe. Now, sit down and START WRITING:)
Tryntee13: I appreciate your kind words:) Thank you so much. I hope you like this chapter too. Let me know your thoughts.
Syluai: You can leave me a review whenever you want my friend. I just love reading reviews. They inspire me. Yes, in due time I will peel out all the layers of the story. But I'll leave emotional part to the readers. As to why Usagi chose Hiro over Mamoru, well, that's one thing I will leave to you to decide:) Let me know what you think. I kind of loved those moments between Usagi and Mamoru too. I just feel like they were past due for a real heart to heart, don't you think?:D Cheers.
Zanahana: It's Tuesday:D:D And here's the new chapter at your disposal my friend. I would LOVE to hear your thoughts on this one. Especially since some revelations are in here:)
Moon romance: I'm glad you didn't feel the cliffhanger in the last chapter. You might though in this one (MUHAHAHAHA). Let me know what you think.
Oloferne: I'm so sorry to hear about your father. I hope he's feeling better now. I've been praying for him and you since I saw your review my friend. And I hope this chapter could put a smile on your face. Don't be a stranger and let me know how life is. Cheers.
Krys7: I hope you like this chapter too and thank you for sticking with me this long:)
Enjoy everyone.
Golak
The usual noises in the arcade pulled Mamoru out of his daze and he welcomed the distraction.
He took a sip of his extra hot coffee, closed his eyes and tried to focus on his surroundings. The chitter-chatter of customers, cups being placed on saucers, the loud happy music that belonged to the games, the occasional roar of the winners and obvious whines from the losers; he took a deep breath and tried to listen further beyond.
Gradually, the noises started to fade away, as if he'd been sitting outside, as the sliding door to the arcade opened and closed and all he could hear was a distant commotion every once in a while. He took another deep breath and focused harder.
The noises faded further away and now, it was as if he'd been on the other side of the street and the entrance door remained fully closed. He tried hard not to smile; but how could he not, when he could hear birds chirping and rustling of leaves this vividly, while he sat deep inside a crowded arcade?
"Are you...having an epiphany?"
Mamoru opened his eyes quickly and met Motoki's mischievous smile. He'd been leaning against the other side of the bar, a clean white towel thrown over his shoulder and he looked as if he'd been standing there for a while.
"How long have you been standing there?" Mamoru brought up his cup and took a generous gulp of the coffee; it still tasted fresh and warm. He probably just had his eyes closed for less than a minute then. He couldn't help but feel proud internally; not too long ago he had to sit still, for at least 15 minutes to dive this deep into his subconscious.
"Long enough to see that stupid smile on your face."
Mamoru took another sip and held eye contact with his friend over his cup, "Your coffee sucks by the way," he said and gently put the cup on the small white saucer.
"Not sweet enough for you?" Motoki was clearly in a good mood. He usually never spent this much time lingering around on a busy time slot like this; when middle schoolers and teenagers were entering the arcade in groups and solo and devoured whatever it was placed in front of them and gawked at the games and at one another.
"Sweet? Me? Coffee?" Mamoru shook his head, "I knew you'd forget about me once Reika-chan came back in town. But amnesia to this level?"
Motoki laughed and poured him a fresh cup, "I thought since your attitude has changed, maybe your drinking habits have changed too…" he lifted his brows, "what?"
"My attitude has changed, how?"
Motoki nodded at a customer with a friendly wink and looked back at him, "It's full of sugar and…" he batted his eyelashes with exaggeration, "and fluff—"
"And how is that any different than my usual attitude?" Mamoru sniffed the coffee and fought down the delicious exhale in his throat.
"Yeah, because you're always so sweet and fun to be around…" he looked over Mamoru's shoulder and smirked, "and I think I know the cause…"
Mamoru cocked one eyebrow at him.
"Hey, Hiro-san...how are you?"
Mamoru's hand lingered in the air and put down the cup without taking a sip.
"Motoki-san…" Hiro's croaky voice sounded just behind him and Mamoru tried to keep a stoic face as he felt the other man move around and settle on the stool beside him.
"You look like you could use a cup of tea," Motoki put the towel on the counter and did that weird hand gesture he did with Unazuki; Mamoru never knew if it meant "new customer" or "save me".
Hiro coughed and laughed simultaneously, "I could use a gallon; thanks…"
Motoki disappeared into the kitchen before Mamoru could catch his eye; damn you Motoki.
They sat in silence. Unazuki appeared behind the counter for only a second and placed the steaming hot teapot in front of Hiro. Mamoru saw the pretty smile she gave Hiro and wondered if Hiro ever noticed the way she looked at him.
He sipped his coffee and reveled in the bitter taste that caressed his tongue. From the side of his eye, he saw Hiro loosening the top button of his shirt.
"Not the best time to catch a cold," he said into his coffee cup.
Hiro coughed, "It's the damn weather…," he coughed and cleared his throat, "it's been moody…"
Mamoru winced and fought the urge to apologize to him.
Neither spoke for a while and Mamoru tried to finish his coffee so he could leave; it felt wrong to sit beside the man who had the heart he wanted the most. The turmoil he'd once felt whenever the Senshi were around, was now focused on Hiro. Mamoru couldn't stop the rapid beating of his heart whenever he was nearby and he wondered if Serenity had felt the same way when she had thought Endymion unfaithful. Did her heart pound with the same intensity? Did her insides twitch when she thought of him with another woman?
She's not unfaithful; she just didn't choose you. Fuck. Mamoru didn't know which one was worse; her infidelity or her complete rejection.
"Usagi is Sailor Moon…"
Lukewarm coffee jumped in his throat and this time, it'd been Mamoru who coughed loudly and continuously.
Hiro waited for his hacking coughs to stop; he took small and fast sips of his tea and cleared his throat.
"What?" Mamoru asked, still coughing in disbelief. He knew Usagi had revealed her identity to him; which had been her right. Mamoru had done the same with Ayane after all.
His mind started to turn and he tried to think of an appropriate reaction. Should he act surprised? Does he need to look frightened with disbelief written all over his face?
"And I know you're Tuxedo Mask…"
Mamoru's head whipped around and he finally looked at Hiro; he still stared into his cup and never met Mamoru's wide eyes.
The tiny bell of the sliding door jiggled and someone walked in.
Mamoru felt a familiar presence and he looked at the entrance.
Michiru met him with a polite smile, while Haruka glared as if he'd just murdered her cat.
Well hell; when he thought this day couldn't get any worse.
"Mako-chan is a sweet fairy," Usagi moaned with closed eyes.
Makoto smiled proudly and pushed the little elaborate bento she'd prepared that morning towards her friend.
They'd been sprawled on the slightly damp grass in the schoolyard and having lunch.
The sun was finally out after a few days and the girls had decided to take advantage while it lasted.
"You never know…" Ami had whispered with her usual mysterious intelligence and Minako had lifted a brow at her.
"These are so good Mako-chan. I can't get enough…" Usagi moaned, yet again, and eyed the olive green bento with wide eyes, "thank God. we still have some more—"
"Usa-chan, if this is the voice you use in the bedroom," Minako said from under the Vogue magazine she had covered her face with, "Hiro-kun must give it to you more than once—"
"Minako…" Ami yelped, while Makoto tried to fight down her laughter.
"What? It's true…" Minako lifted the magazine, only slightly, and looked at Usagi with one eye as the other blonde coughed and turned crimson, "and I hope you treat his cock the way you're treating that eclair—"
"Minako Aino…"
"Oh chill, Ami-chan…" she sat up and hugged her knees. Her blonde hair had been tied into a high bun on the top of her head. She looked like the sun goddess rather than the Senshi of love, "you'll have your turn someday too."
"So…" Makoto interrupted in a tone that had been underlined with laughter, "how is prince charming anyway?" she regretted her words almost instantly. Don't put "prince" in that sentence you idiot, she chided herself.
Usagi was still glaring at Minako as she took a smaller bite of the chocolate eclair and swallowed the way a normal person would, "He's fine. I mean, he had a little cold and I haven't seen him for…" she looked at the sky, "almost 4 days now?" she took another bite; this time, a little bigger, "wow...I didn't notice it had been that many days," she swallowed and took another generous bite, "I should probably visit him today…" she devoured the rest of the sweet treat.
"See here ladies?" Minako scooted closer to Usagi and looked at the other two girls, "This is exactly how you can give an erotic blow job," she ignored Ami's horrified yelp, "you start slow," she took Usagi's chin in her hand, "how Usa-chan did just now; small tiny bites and nips at first," she removed her fingers from Usagi's flesh and waved it in front of Ami, "hey, Ami-chan. I'm talking to all of you, you know," she lifted one eyebrow, "think of this as free sex ed... and then, you start to get more intense. Pull as much of the cock—"
"Can't you…" Ami shrieked, "can't you at least not say that word?"
Minako pouted her lips innocently, "What else should I call it?" she looked at Makoto's bento, "eclair...let's call it eclair…"
She folded her legs; perfect soft knees peeked from under her school skirt, "So, you hold the eclair this way," she grabbed the final sweet from the bento and ignored Usagi's cry of protest, "you hold the eclair this way and little by little, push more of into your mouth…"
It could be worse, Ami thought; at least, she wasn't exactly illustrating the act on that poor, delicious chocolate eclair.
"And then…" the blonde said as she put the rest of the eclair in her mouth and chewed, "just like our dear Usa-chan here, you devour the damn thing; deep throat—"
The sound of Usagi's communicator stalled Minako.
"Thank God," Ami cried.
"Usagi-chan, are you at school?" Luna's tiny face appeared on the screen, "I need all of you to gather at the Shrine after school."
"What? Why?"
"Something is coming…" Luna said as she dropped her voice, "and we need to figure out what it is. I'll ask the Outer to meet us there as well...ask Chiba-san to come too."
She cut off the line before Usagi could say anything else.
Well...hell. Usagi looked at her friends.
Ami looked away. Makoto busied herself with putting dirty cutlery and used napkins away.
Minako looked straight at her and smirked.
Usagi sighed with defeat and pushed opened the tiny cover of her communicator.
The sensation tickled his nose and he readied himself for another sneezing fit.
It never came; this was the worst part of a cold. Watery nose and eyes and burning throat be damned. At least, they didn't trick him every half an hour.
Hiro threw himself on his bed and tried to breathe through his mouth. Fuck, this was not the time for him to get sick. He had finals to prepare for, interviews for internships. Damn it to hell, he had a huge game in a few days. How the hell was he going to play when his eyes were putting the Niagara falls to shame?
He closed his eyes and tried to will his mind to shut off and let him rest.
"You really need to talk to Usagi…"
"It's not about her...it's about you…"
He hadn't been certain about his suspicions, but Mamoru's face had spoken louder than words.
Fuck. He was Tuxedo Mask. The reserved handsome boy he'd met the first week of Med School was the town's beloved superhero and Usagi's comrade. Hiro didn't know how to feel about that.
His mind had been a jungle of nonsense ever since he'd left the arcade. He'd been so occupied that he had forgotten about his doctor's appointment altogether; he had to turn the car around only a block from his apartment.
When he finally got home, with a huge bag of medicine in one hand and a bigger bag of soup essentials in the other, he'd seen his answering machine flash.
"I hope you're feeling better today," Usagi's voice sounded so clear as if she'd been standing right in the middle of the room, "I really wanted to come visit you today. But something came up and I have to meet the girls...you know…," he flinched; every time she mentioned anything that would have meant "Senshi" business, he recoiled.
He kept remembering that time, almost half a year ago, when the sudden explosion sounds down the campus street had him and a classmate run to where agonized screams could be heard. People had been running in the opposite direction, screaming and crying in fear.
Hiro had counted five bodies slumped around the pavement. He'd tried to get to a little boy who'd been hiding behind a car and screaming.
That creature, he knew they were called youma now, was throwing balls of energy and evil from right to left and Hiro didn't know how to dodge them. He waited for it to look the other way and then he ran as fast as he could. The youma noticed him the last second and before its energy ball could hit him, Hiro had taken refuge behind the car.
"Hey little man…" he'd put both hands on the little boy's shoulders, "wanna get out of here?"
The kid had balled his small hands around Hiro's neck as he'd lifted him up and into his arms.
The clock clicked and Hiro couldn't find a way out. He could feel the child shivering in his embrace and though the whole mayhem ate away his courage he knew he had to save that boy's life.
"Evil spirit...disperse…"
He heard a loud girlish shriek just then, followed by distant roars of happiness from the people on the street.
There, close to where the youma was nursing a nasty wound, he saw four Senshis attacking it full force.
"Jupiter...thunder...power." The thunderbolt distracted the youma for the slim blonde dressed in an orange outfit to blast it with a powerful energy.
"Are you hurt?"
Hiro had jumped out of his skin, and unconsciously, his hold on the kid had tightened.
He'd looked into the blue eyes of a Senshi dressed in a lighter shade of blue, "Is he hurt?"
Hiro had shaken his head and when Sailor Mercury distracted the youma once more, he was able to escape.
He had watched them fight with courage he'd never seen in his life; these women, girls, fought like mythical heroes.
"Where the hell is Sailor Moon?" He'd heard one of them yell and just then, a fifth person had jumped down out of nowhere in the sky.
"I'm sorry I'm late…"
Hiro knew her. Amongst all the other Senshi, Sailor Moon had been the most popular one; she was the leader after all, and people who followed their news on a daily basis, said that she had been there from the beginning, "She fought alone for a long time," an elderly woman had once said on the 5:00 o'clock News.
Hiro watched her, mesmerized, as she dodged an attack and marched towards the youma. She looked glorious in her mini skirt and golden blonde hair that trailed behind her like a phoenix's proud flight feathers.
She looked like an ancient hero who'd been summoned by a great power to save their city; she was invincible…
Sailor Moon's loud painful cry had pulled Hiro out of his haze and he watched in utter panic, as the heroine fell on her back.
She hadn't moved for a minute and people around Hiro had started to call out her name; he'd soon joined in.
Sailor Moon, Usagi, had defeated the youma that day and many more after that.
But that memory had been haunting Hiro the moment Usagi had stood in the middle of his room, covered by a thin sheet on his bed, and told him that she was the city's most beloved heroine.
That day, Sailor Moon had been lucky to have avoided the youma's evil attack as she had rolled on her back and her Senshi protected her.
What if next time no one was there and she had to fight alone?
What if when her Senshi were trying to weaken those villains, it zoomed in on her and attacked her when she was hurt and laying on the pavement?
"I might not be the most trained Senshi, but I'm the most powerful…" Usagi had told him once, "and even if I fail as a leader, I have the best backup a girl could wish for."
Hiro had smiled at her reassurances, but deep down, the bile of fright he'd felt every time her communicator had gone off and she had run to the forefront of danger remained.
He opened his eyes and sat on the bed.
The sun was already gone and the moon shone in its rightful place in the sky. The room was stark dark but he didn't have the energy to walk the four steps to the switch and turn on a light.
Mamoru hadn't denied anything when Hiro had told him how he had put the pieces together, "No wonder why you work this hard to become a doctor," he'd told him.
Mamoru had shaken his head at Unazuki, when she came by and asked if they needed anything else, "Well, now you know," he said in a low voice as his eyes darted around, "what more do you need to know?"
"Well, for one thing, I want to know who the fuck gave you the right to kiss my girlfriend…" he really hadn't intended to bring that up; but seeing Mamoru so nonchalant, so untouched by what had transpired between the three of them, provoked his jealousy.
A flicker of a foreign emotion Hiro was not quite used to sharpened Mamoru's eyes and then, he'd looked away.
"You two fight alongside each other…" though his throat burned like the last floor in hell, he noticed how his voice had risen; he tried to calm himself, "I get how trauma and loss and pain can bring two people close together. But you fucking…" Unazuki came behind the counter to retrieve a tray of glasses and the two of them had smiled stupidly at her.
"But you fucking told me that you 'barely' know her…" he resumed once she was gone, "she even lied to me and said she knows you from 'around'. So tell me, how the fuck does knowing each other, barely from around, end up in making out...more than once…"
He could see how Mamoru flexed his fingers as he threw those words at him, but he never dropped his eyes from Hiro's face; and the way he stared at him, irked Hiro to the bone.
A fit of nasty coughs shook his body and he covered his mouth with his sleeve.
He felt a movement beside him and when he was able to breathe normally again, Mamoru pushed a glass of water towards him, "You really need to see a doctor."
They sat in silence as Hiro took big gulps of warm water.
"I think you need to talk to Usagi…" Mamoru took out a few bills from his wallet and folded them neatly under the saucer in front of him, "whatever I say right now...it's not going to be fair; not to her or you…" he looked beyond Hiro's shoulder and nodded farewell; probably at Motoki, "all I can give you is the comfort of punching me in the face."
Hiro looked at him with confusion, underlined with sarcasm and tried to not cough anymore.
"I did this despicable thing to you; it was an act of cowardness more than anything else. Because I couldn't deal with my own feelings. And I hurt so many people…" he stood up and put on his coat, "you, Ayane, Usagi...especially Usagi; I think if anyone should ever punch me square in the face, it should be you."
Hiro frowned at him.
"I'll be outside."
It took him a while to gather his wits and put back the many layers he had on. But once outside, he saw Mamoru leaning against the bus stop bench. He walked up and stood right in front of him.
They stared at each other, each one with their own agenda and unbeatable feelings they felt inside. Yes, Hiro wanted to punch the shit out of him so much. The image of him kissing Usagi popped into his head and the primitive anger he had felt that very first night, gripped his throat.
It's not that he kissed her, someone whispered in his head; they kissed; she was a willing participant.
The realization threw him off. He didn't know where that tiny voice came from, but fuck...how could he have been so blind?
So instead of punching his friend for his betrayal, Hiro had walked away.
And now, as he sat on the bed in his darkroom, with pain shooting in his throat and his head and all over his body, he tried to put more pieces of the puzzle together.
But his body was sick and his mind was weak. Exhaustion took his remaining energy away and he fell asleep.
Ami knew that the smile on her face, only made her look weird and uncomfortable.
She couldn't help it though; whenever she was in an awkward situation like this, that fake and shaky smile appeared on her lips and if someone really paid attention, they would've probably noticed the slight twitch of her right eye too.
She took a sip of the mint green tea Rei loved so much and looked around the room.
Her eyes wandered from Makoto's equally stressed out visage to Setsuna's calm demeanor. Michiru sat by the chabudai table with her legs tucked under her. The emerald green dress she was wearing was so beautiful that for a moment, Ami couldn't look away from her; she really looked the epitome of elegance and beauty.
Haruka sat beside her with that usual cool air around her; she was leaning over the table and looking over the map of Tokyo Luna had shoved at them. Her eyes burned with longing every time Usagi's name was brought up. They hadn't seen each other since all truth had laid bare in front of them.
Mamoru had walked in with Haruka and Michiru, looking more uncomfortable than Ami had ever seen him.
"We met at the arcade," Michiru had explained; as if telling them what day it was, "so we asked Chiba-san to give us a ride…"
Rei had shared a look with Ami then; since when did Haruka leave her bike at home and walk to anywhere?
"My bike was sounding weird." Haruka had grumbled under her breath and made it clear that this had all been Michiru's plan.
Mamoru was sitting close to the sliding door with his back leaned against the wall. His hair was slightly damp and pushed back and his eyes and thick eyebrows were more vividly visible; Ami blushed; he really was a handsome man.
The sliding door opened and Rei and Minako walked inside. Rei held a small tray.
"Yes, that needed two people's attention," Haruka mocked and pushed away from the map with irritation.
Rei lifted an eyebrow and settled the snacks in the middle of the table, "So, we needed to talk in private. What's wrong with that?"
"Nothing good comes out of a 'private' talk—" Haruka reached out and grabbed a strawberry.
"So…," Michiru looked around the room, "where is Usagi-chan? Wasn't she with you at school?"
Ami tried to avoid looking at Makoto; because one look from that girl and she would burst out laughing, "She was. But she was late this morning...and, well—"
"She's got detention…" Minako looked at her wristwatch, "she must be out now though."
There was a chorus of muffled laughter and Ami noticed the tiny smirk on Mamoru's face.
The sliding door pushed open with force and Usagi stood at the threshold, eyes popped out and panting hard, "I'm here…" she panted and hunched down to catch her breath, "I'm here…"
She stood straight and fanned herself with both hands, "Seriously Rei-chan, those stairs will kill us all someday…" she took off her Mary Janes and stepped inside. Mamoru had stood up the moment she had opened the door violently and was now following her with his eyes.
"This is a shrine for crying out...people come here for peace and quiet…" Usagi plopped down on the tatami and snatched a handful of strawberries from the tray.
"Those people are not usually late to everything," Rei retaliated, "why are you always late?"
"It's not my fault…" Usagi cried with her mouth full and that's when she noticed Mamoru; she blushed and gave him a glare, "I just haven't been sleeping well…"
Ami noticed how Mamoru turned red as well and looked away from Usagi, but she also noticed the tiny smile on his face.
"Well...now that we're all here...an hour later than we were supposed to meet, but…" Luna sent Usagi a chiding look, "Artemis and I have been observing the last few attacks. And we believe that there's a pattern to them…" she paused and pursed her little kitty lips together, "is there something wrong Haruka-san?"
All eyes went to Haruka, who'd been staring at Usagi from the moment she entered the room.
"Won't you even look at me?" she leaned forward and tried to catch Usagi's eye.
Usagi swallowed her fruit and kept her eyes down.
"Kitten…"
"Haruka-san, I think…" Luna paused when Michiru motioned at her.
Haruka scooted towards Usagi and tilted her head, "You have to let me explain…"
"There's nothing to explain," Usagi said, still looking away from her, "I'm not mad...I'm not," she emphasized when Haruka sighed heavily.
"You can't even look at me."
Usagi took a deep breath and finally, met Haruka's eyes. She stared at her but just for a second, before looking away, "I'm sorry…I just…" she fidgeted with her fingers on her lap; she always did that whenever she was stressed out; Ami's heart went out to her friend.
"I just keep remembering that night...I keep seeing the way you smiled at me…"
Haruka's eyes widened.
"I'd been so happy to see you there. And the way you held me close all night...and now...I know why you did that and it just…" Usagi's voice broke.
The silence that settled in the room was unbearable and Ami didn't have the heart to look around; she didn't want to see the agonized pain on her friends' faces.
"And it just…" Usagi continued, "annoys me to hell…" she suddenly looked up and straight at Haruka's confused eyes.
"What?"
"What the hell were you thinking listening to dumb and dumber here?"
"Hey…" Rei's protest fell on deaf ears.
"Do you remember one single time that their 'plot' worked in anyone's best interests?" Usagi leaned forward, to the point that her nose almost touched Haruka's. The other woman leaned away.
"I just thought…"
"And you lead me on, Haruka Tenoh. I thought you really really liked me; back then—"
"I did like you—"
"No, I mean...really really…"
"Aww...did we have a little crush on Sailor Uranus?" Minako only stopped when Mamoru threw her a nasty look.
"I'm not mad at you Haruka-san...I'm mad at your idiocy…" she paused and looked around the room, "What?" she rolled her eyes, "fine… it's one of Ami-chan's words."
"Silence…"
Luna's back was arched and she looked ready to attack; Artemis scooted away from her.
"I didn't ask you here for this. We don't have time to go over resentments and past issues. We have an enemy to defeat and a city to save. So wipe away that stupid grin Minako-chan. Rei, pay attention. Usagi, for the love of God, act like the leader that you are. Makoto-chan…" she looked at the brunette who'd been sitting there quiet the whole time, "your hair is getting too long; you need a haircut. Ami-chan, don't feed Usagi words she might use against us all…"
"Really girls, you need to behave," Haruka wiggled her brows at Makoto.
"And you, Haruka-san…" Luna's eyes zoomed in on the blonde, "stop with the puppy eyes and the innocent look. And stop giving Mamoru-san the stink eye—"
"Why is he here? Isn't this a 'Senshi' meeting?" Haruka turned her head towards Mamoru, "Can anyone imagine him with a fuku?"
Michiru's polite giggle was lost in the loudness of Minako's uproarious laughter.
"He's part of the team…" Artemis spoke for the first time, "and let's not forget, this is his planet. He has the power of Earth behind him—"
"Wait a minute…" Makoto waved her hands, "when you say the 'power of Earth', do you mean he can control everything that goes on around here?"
"Well, I guess—"
"Are you fucking kidding me?"
"Makoto-chan, language…"
"Are you making the weather this shit that it is lately?" Makoto put both hands on her hips in her seated position and glared at Mamoru.
He lifted his shoulders up.
"Damn you, Chiba...I get a headache every single day—"
Finally, it was Setsuna's courteous warning that settled them down.
The cats were able to share their findings with them; how the last attacks had gained much more strength and how those youmas shared some interesting characteristics; "They don't use people anymore," Luna announced, "these youmas are pure evil. That's probably why they are more powerful than before."
They had pinned the map on the areas the attacks had been more frequent, "They used to attack random places, but lately, they've been targeting busier places. Malls, parks, train stations…"
No one said a word as they showed them evidence after evidence. Setsuna answered a few questions Luna had about the timeline, but it was apparent that even she hadn't been much help.
Mamoru had come closer to the table and was sitting beside Ami who tried to contain her laughter every time Usagi gave him a side glance and looked away like a middle schooler.
Luna was finished sharing the information and they had started to talk over each other once more. Mamoru's eyes were glued to the map and Ami recognized the look on his face; she had seen it so many times at the arcade when he studied.
"What is it Mamoru-san?" she asked and she too stared at the map.
He didn't answer her right away; instead, he pulled the map towards himself and studied it closer, "Can I have a pen?" was the first thing he'd said since he had walked in with the Outers.
Rei handed him a red pen and he started connecting all the spots Luna and Artemis had pinned down.
The room was settled in silence once more as they all watched his hand smoothly work on the map. When he was finally done, he took a deep breath and pulled himself away from it.
"I think they're trying to send us a message…" he said and looked up at Usagi. She stared right back at him with wide eyes.
Ami started typing rapidly on her small computer.
"I need to do a reading," Rei stood up quickly and went outside; Michiru followed her.
"And I think you need 24/7 protection…" Mamoru dropped the pen on the map but didn't drop his eyes from Usagi's confused face.
There, right on the map Luna and Artemis had pinned messily, with their kitten paws, Mamoru had connected the pins in perfect sync with red ink, pulling out a perfect crescent moon. An image that gripped their guts almost instantly.
"We'll all stay at the shrine," Minako's voice reminded Ami of Sailor Venus, "and I mean all of us; if the princess is in danger...so is the prince."
Ami felt that uncomfortable smile settling on her lips once more.
Hiro woke up to the shrill of his phone.
It took him a few seconds to remember where he was. The room had gotten even darker now that the moon hid behind clouds.
"Hello?" he answered in a gruff voice and coughed right after; damn it, he'd forgotten to take his medication.
"How are you feeling?" Usagi's voice sounded so small, but in his sick state, Hiro didn't notice.
"Like I've been to hell and back…" he coughed, "no...I don't have a fever. But my throat is killing me…" he walked around his kitchen and poured himself a warm glass of water.
"Yeah I did...she said it's just the flu. It'll go away soon, hopefully."
"I want to come over—"
"Don't…" Hiro said hurriedly, "the whole apartment is contaminated with bacteria and my nasty cold. You'll drop down too…"
"But I really want to see you…"
Hiro moved the phone away from himself and sneezed, "I know. I want to see you too. But not like this...I promise to give you a call when I feel better."
"You promised." she said and then her voice dropped lower, "so...I wanted to let you know that I'm staying at the shrine tonight."
Hiro waited for the next sneeze for a second, but it never came, "Okay."
"I mean, we're all staying at the shrine tonight…"
"Is everything okay?"
"Yes. Everything's totally fine. We just need to huddle up. That's all."
Something was eating at Hiro; he couldn't really say what it was. But the tone of Usagi's voice made the hair on the back of his neck stand up.
"Don't shut me out Usa. Tell me what's happening?" he pleaded.
"There's nothing urgent. Honest...we just have to be a little cautious, that's it. And it's not the first time we've crashed Rei-chan's place…"
"We all work together...and I think, if only one is missing, the rest is doomed for the worst." He remembered Usagi's voice from a few weeks ago.
Did that mean?
"So...by 'we', do you mean all of you?" he asked and tried hard to keep his voice collected.
"Yes...even Haruka-san, Michiru-san and Setsuna-san will stay—"
"Is Tuxedo Mask a part of the group too?"
Usagi paused and Hiro heard her sharp intake of breath.
"Well...he's a part of the team. So—"
"I saw Mamoru today. Did he tell you?" the pain in his throat felt like a million swords going straight through him and he tried to gulp down the saliva that wasn't there.
Usagi didn't say anything and Hiro figured that he was done playing games.
"You can ask all about it tonight then…"
And without waiting for a response, he said a quick goodbye and hung up the phone.
Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or its characters. All rights reserved for the amazing Naoko Takeuchi. I just own the story I tell.