Dark Kingdom 46
Due to the bright lighting, you didn't even notice that it was actually the middle of the night. In the small late night kiosk, Usagi had the opportunity to peek at a wall clock. Half past two. Usually a time when she would lie peacefully slumbering in her warm, soft bed. But she was wide awake, not even the slightest bit tired.
She was too cranked for that. Was it the aftermath of the chase?
Or was it the relatively loud argument she'd had with Mamoru?
She glanced inconspicuously out of the corner of her eye.
He sipped his mug. How much of this brew was he actually drinking?
"Are your parents really not worried?", he asked suddenly and Usagi was so deep in thought that it took her a few seconds to understand the question.
Finally she managed to shake her head: "My mom thinks I'm with you."
Which was also true. Although it wasn't even planned. A more than confusing situation.
"She would definitely not let you out of the house if she knew ..."
"I'm not going to tell her about it," she interrupted, frowning. "Neither from you, nor anything from what happened today."
Mamoru didn't answer. He just kept staring ahead, not even slowing his pace. Did she leave him indifferent or was he just so convinced that she would keep his secret to herself anyway? That serenity frustrated her. In fact, she really didn't feel like talking about her mother now.
Another, in their eyes far more important, topic was still in the room. She had finally found out that this girl, Rei, was not having an affair with Mamoru. But Usagi was still not really reassured. After all, Mamoru could also lie. Or at least he haven't told her everything.
She would love to shake him until he had finally told everything. His secrecy was very attractive, but it was slowly pulling on her nerves. Who the hell was this Rei and why was she around him all the time? And why was she always wearing hardly anything?
"You are dripping."
What? Usagi looked up, confused.
"Your ice cream.", Mamoru pointed to her hand.
That's right, earlier in the kiosk she decided against coffee and preferred a chocolate ice cream. And that was now slowly running down her thumb. She stared at the brown line.
Mamoru took her hand with the ice cream and brought it to his mouth. Usagi watched mesmerized as he licked away the melted ice. Her heart beat faster, she felt the blood rush to her cheeks.
"Thank you."
She cleared her throat when he released her hand again. "Also for earlier.", Mamoru looked at her questioningly, which is why she quickly added: "If you hadn't come.. .."
"Without Diamond, I wouldn't even have gotten through the front door." , he explained, withdrawing from her presence again and sipping his mug.
Usagi registered this with a frown, but didn't want to elaborate on it. She didn't even know what exactly it was between them now. Were they still together? Were they ever?
"Are you friends or something?" , she asked instead. At least she wanted to keep the conversation going.
"Something like that is quite good."
There was silence between them. It wasn't really embarrassing, but somehow disturbing nonetheless. Usagi didn't like that. She wondered what to say, what to ask.
"I don't want to argue with you." ,she admitted, although she usually hated admitting mistakes. But at least it was she who stormed out of the car in anger.
"Now we have at least clarified our points of view." A small smile crept onto his lips as he looked down at her.
Usagi knew immediately what he meant and again felt her face turn deep red.
But that seemed a good opportunity, it couldn't get any more embarrassing between them. So she took a deep breath and asked freely: "Why didn't you tell this Rei about us? Are you afraid she will become selfish and kill me too?"
Mamoru looked blankly at her. Ok, maybe that was a little too far over the target. Great, the queen of faux pas has struck again. Apparently this girl meant something to him and now she had hurt him with her stupid question. Or some other emotion. How should she know if he never allowed a facial expression?
"Even if I did, I wouldn't have let it. But actually ..."
"Are you ashamed of me?", she interrupted indignantly. Oh Usagi, why can't you let people finish before you fuck yourself up?
"No, it is not.", Mister Cool still didn't let himself look at the cards. How did he do that? Maybe she would ask him for a course in it when the opportunity came. But only after she'd melted into self-pity.
"I'm not very good at guesswork, you know?" , she admitted with a sigh. "Do you like me or do you just want ...", yes, what actually?
"Sex?", Mamoru helped her on the point, of course again without a blink of an eye. That unsettled her, which is why she just nodded silently.
"If it only came down to that, I would have taken it long ago."
Usagi paused: "hat sounds pretty arrogant. Who said I would have let that happen?"
Mamoru didn't answer, just sipped his coffee again and gave her a look that not only seemed to turn her legs into pudding, but also her heartbeat into a machine gun volley. She just tried to ignore the butterflies in her stomach and instead just swallowed the lump in her throat until she was finally able to say: "So you like me?", Great, her voice pitch was one Groupies equal that standing in front of their favorite pop star.
Mamoru tried not to smile: "I have feelings for you, yes."
That was enough for Usagi. She grinned from ear to ear, which made Mamoru laugh too. He threw his mug in the nearest trash can.
"We should turn around. This is yakuza area." He looked Usagi up and down. "And not particularly suitable for minors."
"This is not my first time here.", she said indignantly.
Mamoru ignored her objection and was already on the way back: "It's getting late. I'll drive you home."
"I told you I can stay away overnight.", Usagi literally ran after him. How did he manage to cover such a long distance in a few seconds?
He stopped suddenly, she almost bumped into him, turned her head and smiled so charmingly that she had to force herself not to let her jaw drop down: "I like to be a murderer. But I'm also a gentleman."
Usagi made a face: "As far as I'm concerned."
he was about to move on when Mamoru's expression changed. Without warning, he pulled her by her upper arm into a dark alley with him. He pressed her against the wall and pressed against her.
Oops, had he suddenly changed his mind after all?
But why did he not look at her then, but past the house wall? Usagi followed his gaze. She had no idea what to look for. Until she finally discovered it.
Sapphire. He was standing in front of his show-off car. But not alone. Across from him was an older man in a suit, handing him a large envelope. Usagi knew the man. Even from a distance, he reawakened her respect.
"This is your uncle," , she whispered.
Mamoru didn't answer, but the look on his face indicated that he understood what she was saying.
"Does he do business with Sapphire?"
"Usually not. He usually lets that run over me.", he didn't take his eyes off the frightening scenario.
"Does your uncle know that ..."
"No. He knows I work for Diamond. But not in which position."
"Is that why we hide?" Usagi's voice trembled.
Mamoru seemed to have heard that, now looked at her again.
"I'm trying to keep you out of the line of fire."
Usagis heart stopped beating for a moment. There it was again. This darkness in Mamoru's otherwise night blue eyes. This black that she threatened to devour whenever she became aware of its origin. So far she has always been able to hold back this danger. By simply ignoring the fact that Mamoru had a dangerous, even deadly, side. By making her head believe that he was her mysterious protector who made her feel so incredibly beautiful.
What if one day she didn't have the strength to do it anymore? What if at some point she lost herself completely in this darkness? Who should save them when Mamoru himself was the king of this dark kingdom?
"You're probably right," she whispered breathlessly. Her mind spun in circles. Her eyes sought a distraction. She found the ice in her hand. It had long since melted so far that only the half-soaked waffle was left.
Mamoru was so close to her, she felt his warm breath on her face.
Usagi's fingers opened. She saw the ice cream cone fall as if in slow motion, looked again at the person opposite, looked for the dark shadow in his eyes.
She put her arms around his neck, pulled him close and melted into his soft, warm lips.
Mamoru kissed her passionately, pressed against her, eagerly cupped her hips. His mouth peeled off hers and slid down her neck.
"Mamoru." Usagi gasped heavily. "Do we want to go to you?"
He licked her shoulder: "No."
"But ..."
"Gentleman." Was his brief answer before he broke away from her.
Usagi sighed softly and tried to calm her body down again.
