Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife
Chapter Thirty-Two
As the cool jazzy music continued playing its harmonious melodies in the background and the guests continued to enjoy the wine and fine dining experience with a touch of glamour only a wedding could bring. The happy mother of the bride, Tsukino Ikuko, went from table to table proudly introducing her dashing new son in law; she had to admit that it was something she had wanted to do for years since Usagi tried to keep him away from their numerous family reunions because she knew just how overwhelming they could be with their undying curiosity and incessant questioning, and also, because she was tired of some of Kenji's conceited cousins that did nothing but to show off their daughter's supposedly successful partners and the way they often pointed their finger at Usagi's personality and constantly asked about her taste in men and future.
Ikuko was a happy mother, she was a proud mother of both, Usagi and Shingo, but now that she had gained another son worthy of her undying affection she couldn't help herself from introducing him to everyone that ever dared to even question his existence and what was best, she loved how Mamoru was complying to her silent wish as she lovingly held his arm and let her lead the way. As they came close to a new table, Usagi intertwined her fingers with her husband's when they come to another group of people as Usagi would whisper in Mamoru's ear, 'a new flock' of distant cousins and aunts she barely remembered were anxiously waiting for them and finally meet the new addition to the Tsukino family that by now has caused quite the stir.
Ikuko was the partway of every introduction; it had become a little routine, she would start with a polite greeting to everyone on the table with a kind smile and later would give way to give the spotlight to the newlywed couple to do their part and thank everyone for coming to share their special day with them.
"Usagi, dear—you remember Auntie Kirito." Ikuko turned happily to look at her daughter.
Usagi widened her crystal blue eyes and gave Mamoru a quick worried glance as they walked close to greet the senior woman. She remembered when they were working on the guest list and how she barely remembered most of the names her mother scribbled down on several pieces of paper. Usagi knew she had a numerous family mostly from her father's side but she just never imagined how many would really come for her wedding, considering many lived far from Tokyo; but this woman, she knew she was famous in the family for her being very intimidating and direct.
"Auntie." Usagi smiled softly and leaned down to hold the woman's hands and give her a soft kiss on her cheek, trying her best to sound as casual as possible, "Thank you so much for coming."
"Well, look at my little Usagi," The woman with silvery hair said with amusement; her red lips curved into a big smile "So beautiful, you look like a Princess."
Usagi tilted her head and saluted the rest of the guests seating on the table with her with the same graceful fashion, "Thank you, Auntie, you are so kind," she smiled and tightened her grip on her husband's hand nervously, "Auntie, I want you to meet Mamoru."
Every time they walked to a table, Usagi would squeeze Mamoru's hand to pass the charm torch to him and took as his cue to step in and do his part; nodding his head in chivalry and respect to all the ladies and men present all staring at him with close attention. He couldn't deny the tension that was being under the Tsukino microscope watching every move he made and still deciding their approval, but it was all part of the charm and he completely understood why Kenji acted that way with him when he first step foot in his house when his precious daughter said he was her boyfriend.
"Good evening, it's a pleasure to finally meet you all."
Kirito, the elderly woman, who was probably in her late 60's, took his hand softly while looking at him with awe and quickly adjusted her glasses, "Well, look at you... you are very, very handsome." She turned to her niece with a look of wonder, "Dear, you did a marvelous work keeping this young Adonis a secret." She mumbled, with her intense gaze still fixed on Mamoru, "You have very beautiful eyes," she blinked and turned to face the guests on the table, "There is really no point of comparison between this dashing young man and that Koichi-baka Okami used to date," she turned to Mamoru again and arched her brow, "Good for you, Usagi."
Mamoru blushed three shades of red and turned to Usagi, who was even three shades darker than he was "T-Thank you Tsukino-san." He said softly, trying his best to keep his cool. Kirito waved her hand and smiled "Call me Auntie, we're family now." Her raspy voice suited her personality perfectly. She was the kind of woman who did not have any filters, whatever she was feeling was exactly what she said and maybe, that was the reason everyone had a high respect for her because if she did not like something, she would make it known, loud and clear.
"Auntie." The word felt alien to Mamoru since he was not used to referring to anybody with a family honorific, except for Ikuko who after years of insisting on her part, he had finally started calling her Mama-san. The silver-haired and very elegant and stylish woman re-adjusted her thick, dark colored frames and looked at him; her face did not show any sort of expression but the curiosity lurking behind those thick glasses was obvious and desperate to be verbalized was a classic trait of Tsukino Kirito, one of the Tsukino matriarchs.
"So tell me Mamoru, is your family here with you? I noticed your side at the ceremony was quite lonely—why didn't they come?"
Ikuko widened her eyes recognizing this was one of those moments where the famous aunt put everyone on the red seat and turned to a frozen and slightly uncomfortable Usagi who took a deep breath in response to her mother's frantic stare, "Auntie—" Ikuko tried to explain the situation but Mamoru turned to his mother in law and winked an eye at her to let her know it was alright; he wasn't a stranger to these type of questionings and after all, it was something he never felt ashamed about; he had to handle this alone, the way he felt it should be handled, "My parents passed away a long time ago, Auntie Kirito-san—I am their only son and I have no other blood relatives."
The whole table fell silent waiting for Kirito's reaction to Mamoru's response. The woman looked at him and arched her perfectly shaped brow. Her brown eyes studied him once more as she tightened her lips in thought making Usagi and Ikuko feel quite nervous. "Well," Kirito gave one nod to the young man and raised her glass, "They must be very proud of you." She finally said.
Mamoru looked at Kirito taking a sip of her beverage with incredible elegance and put it back down on the table, "To be the kind of man you are now without a parent's guidance—is admirable. I've heard good things about you, Mamoru, Shingo says nothing but compliments; he clearly admires you and it proves you are a good role model for him—I like that." After a small pause, she finally granted him a proud grin, "I know they are watching over you and I am sure they are very proud and happy you settled down with a girl like our Usagi." She tilted her head and smiled, "You have a family now, Mamoru, and a very large one, you are not alone, anymore."
"Thank you, Kiri—" Mamoru widened his eyes when the woman pulled his arm so he could be at her same eye level, "Auntie." She patted his cheek in a motherly manner making Mamoru chuckle at the gesture, "Call me Auntie." The woman tilted his head a little low and let out a hearty chuckle, "Goodness gracious, you really are beautiful, those eyes sure can take anyone's breath away," patted his cheek again and arched a brow, "Young man, take good care of our little Usagi, she is our sweetheart,"
"I swear, Auntie," Mamoru smiled, "With my life,"
"Usagi!"
A familiar cheerful tone distracted the bride from the much lighter conversation Mamoru was now having with her aunt and smiled widely when she saw Mika walking towards her waving her hand excitedly, "Mika! You made it!" Usagi let go of Mamoru's hand and went to give her friend and co-worker a hug.
"Of course, I did, I wouldn't miss it for anything!" Mika pulled back and gave her friend a quick glance, "You look so, so, beautiful! You should be a model for the magazine!" she laughed, "You know, like getting hired to model… not stepping in to cover for a model,"
Usagi started laughing, "I know, I think I'll have to do it again for the summer campaign," she shrugged her shoulders, "Oh well..." the blonde looked at the young man standing next to her friend and smiled, "Hello,"
Mika blushed "Oh, where are my manners? Usagi, this is my boyfriend Sato Ichiro," she turned to the young man and waved her hand, "This is my friend, Usagi—we also work together in the same department at the magazine." Dark-haired Ichiro smiled and bowed his head in respect for Usagi "It's very nice to finally meet you Usagi-san—I've heard so much about you and now I am finally able to put a face to your name."
Usagi giggled "It's so very nice to meet you too, Ichiro-san, thank you for coming,"
"I knew you were going to find a way to schedule this place, it's so beautiful," Mika looked around with a knowing smile and turned to Usagi, "And you have a lot of guests too!"
"Yeah," Usagi widened her eyes and nodded slowly, "And I am responsible for like… 85% of them,"
"No way!" Mika cracked a laugh and noticed the man in black talking to the guests at the next table, "You've been keeping him quite busy, huh?"
"Yes, poor thing, but I want you to meet him!" Usagi smiled and turned to call for her husband who was still talking to the intimidating Kirito and the other guests from the previous table who was now completely under his elegant charm. Mamoru excused himself from the table and finally caught up to her with a soft smile, "I'm sorry—your mother wanted me to listen to some family stories..."
"Stories?" Usagi arched her brow, "What kind of stories?"
Mamoru chuckled, "About you, of course—the camping incident, for example."
Usagi blushed and widened her eyes while sending fiery glances in her mother's direction knowing exactly what story he was talking about. "P-Please ignore whatever you heard…" Mamoru grinned at her, "Kind of hard to ignore, my dear," he crossed his arms, "All I can do really is ask, what were you thinking?"
"Okay, in my defense it was the first time I had gone camping..." Usagi mumbled with shyness and bit her lower lip, "I will tell you my side of the story—the true one, the only one that counts, later,"
"Alright," Mamoru tried to contain his laughter and nodded with mischief, "Because… I really want to know,"
"I was seven, Mamo-chan,"
"It's alright, I'll wait for the right time to hear the story,"
Usagi knew this was a matter he was going to bring up some point again but for now, she had to divert the conversation from her mother's embarrassing stories to something more cheerful. "Mamo-chan, I want you to meet Mika and her boyfriend Ichiro-san, Mika is my good friend from work,"
Mamoru nodded his head to Mika and shook Ichiro's hand in a casual but respectful way, "So, I finally meet the famous Mika-san, a pleasure, Chiba Mamoru."
"Likewise, Mamoru-san," Mika blushed and blinked surprised "Usa-chan…" the tone of awe in her voice gave Usagi the hint to know that she meant the pictures she has seen on her phone made no justice to the man standing in front of him. Usagi giggled and patted Mamoru's arm playfully, "My one and only."
Mika smiled, "I've heard good things about you, Mamoru-san. It's great to finally meet you, congratulations."
"Thank you, Mika-san, that I hope," Mamoru smiled, "I'm glad you could make it."
"I wouldn't miss Usa-chan's wedding for anything," she turned to the blonde, who looked like she was about to ask something work related but Mika quickly waved her hand with relief, "About that, there was this event she had to go to with Maya, so, we're in the clear." Mika's cheerful face turned somber when she spotted a young woman looking so much like Yuki walking their way, "Oh no... no, no, no,"
Usagi blinked, "Mika?"
"She's here,"
"What?!"
"Speaking of the devil—she did come,"
"Huh?!" Usagi turned and saw Yuki walking hand in hand with what appeared to be her boyfriend, or, fiancé, she no longer knew, "Usagi!" Yuki greeted without minding anyone else and went to wrap her arms around her in the fakest hug she has ever received in her entire life, "You look sooo pretty—your dress oh god, it's so gorgeous!"
"Yuki-san," Usagi blinked and pulled back, "Thank you..."
"This is a lovely venue," Yuki looked around, "Super chic, must have cost you a fortune—well done, lady."
Usagi gave Yuki her best attempt to muster a polite smile while thinking how in the world she knew where her wedding was going to be held; unconsciously, her grip on Mamoru's hand tightened proving her discomfort went beyond annoyance and unease by her presence. With no much else to say to the woman, Usagi tried her best to keep her façade and keep her cool; "Mamoru," she turned to look at her husband with the same forced smile he immediately recognized as the very one she used when she was uncomfortable about something, "Yuki-san works in the same department as Mika and I do, but she is also my boss' assistant."
"I see," Mamoru mumbled, recognizing the name after realizing this was the girl that made Usagi stress out and work until late because she had parties to attend to with the editor in chief, not to mention that she was the responsible behind Usagi's recent insecurities about both of their incomes, the same one that once told her not to let men win—whatever that meant. Usagi's ability to make friends and see the good side of everyone amazed Mamoru to no extent; not that he did not believe in the goodness of people but one of the big differences between Usagi and him was the mere fact that he was a little bit more of a loner and selective with who he talked to, rather than Usagi's more open, free, and not to mention overly friendly spirit. She had matured over the years, that was a fact, but her heart remained the same, deep down, she was still good old Odango.
"Oh. My. God." Yuki widened her eyes as leaned forward to shake his hand, completely ignoring the cold glances coming from Mika and her partner. Mamoru didn't need much to analyze the woman's presence to notice Yuki was heavily influenced by pop culture and how she made a great emphasis to let everyone notice she was the coolest girl with all the designer accessories, clothing, and makeup and couldn't help feeling aghast.
"You are the famous boyfriend! The one from the pictures!" Yuki gaped with surprise and let out a heavy sigh, "Oh my god,"
"Uh," Mamoru blinked, partly confused, and slightly annoyed, "Excuse me?"
"Maya would die if she ever lay eyes on you. Like, she would steal you in a blink of an eye!" She shook her head in amazement and turned to Usagi "You should totally bring him to the magazine! He's a hunk!" She turned to look at him with excitement sparkling in her eyes, "Have you ever modeled before? You should totally model for us... like, you really have to do it. It would open so many doors for you and make good money out of it, like, you have no idea." She giggled and patted his arm ever so casually, "You could even bring Usagi to all these fancy parties and exclusive social gatherings, trust me, they're sooo much fun!"
Mamoru felt bothered by the proximity the woman was taking toward him and frowned with displeasure; he didn't need much to confirm this was the girl he often referred to like the ass kisser at Usagi's work. Much to his surprise, the girl was much more careless and rash than he thought and she harbored everything he disliked in a person. Fake status, fake personality, fake charm—everything in her was fake—her nose included, and now, there she was in her overly expensive Louboutins and Gucci little black dress, holding with her fancy Fendi bag and standing proudly next to a man who she didn't even care to acknowledge, and what was worse, the poor man did not even bother to make his presence known.
Mamoru felt bored merely afterward and lost all interest in continuing a conversation with her. Without paying much attention to the couple in front of him, and without any interest in wasting his energy in introducing himself to the gray presence Yuki had brought along with her, he turned to Usagi and gave her a polite yet cold smile, one she immediately recognized as his classic trademark for 'I honestly don't give a damn about this' and brought her hand to his lips, "I'm going to go get something to drink, would you like anything?" Usagi smiled and felt his grip starting to loosen, a signal she took that he was more than ready to leave, "A glass of wine would be nice." She smiled, Mamoru gave her a nod and bent to kiss his bride on her cheek, then turned to Yuki, who was still gaping at him, "I am not interested in your offer, Yuki-san, not even if I had the time—excuse me." He half smiled and turned to the other couple sitting at the table behind the annoying girl and gave them a much more relaxed smile, "It was a pleasure meeting you, thank you for coming—I hope to see you soon."
"Likewise, Mamoru-san, be sure Usagi-chan and I will think of something to do one of these days." Mika smiled and waved her hand. Mamoru nodded, "I bet you will. Looking forward to it," He smiled at Mika's boyfriend and shook his hand again, "Nice meeting you, Ichiro-san,"
"You too, Mamoru-san," the young man grinned, "I guess we'll be seeing us pretty soon," he chuckled, "And hopefully next time it's just us,"
Mamoru cracked a chuckle, "Oh, yeah, for sure." He nodded, "Enjoy the evening, if you need anything let me or Usa know,"
"Thank you so much for having us, Mamoru-san," Mika smiled, "We sure will."
Mamoru nodded and turned on his heel to walk straight to the bar while saluting people on his way who were still eager to congratulate him when a pair of arms wrapped around his waist from behind; in an instant jolt Mamoru turned to find Mei grinning at him with excitement, "Mamoru-oniisan!"
"Mei-chan!" Mamoru beamed a smile at her, feeling instantly recharged by the young lady's good energy, "I was starting to wonder where you were!"
Mei chuckled and pointed the table where Tao and her father were sitting and waving at him, "We didn't want to interrupt you, you've been up and down all evening," Mamoru smiled and cupped the girl's cheek, "Mei-chan, you never interrupt me!" He turned to the people dancing and smiled. He remembered not long ago when he visited Benjiro at the store, he told him he enrolled Mei to dance classes on her undying request but now that she was there, she had become a little shy to a point of being miserable most of the time because she was bullied for her chubby appearance, as they would often leave her in the background and giving the spotlight to the thinnest girls, crushing her confidence and staining her usual bright and carefree character and making her quit altogether, something Mamoru could not allow for her to ever experience.
"So, lovely Mei-chan, would you grant me this dance?"
"W-What?" Mei blushed, Mamoru smiled, "A little birdie told me you've been taking dance lessons,"
Mei widened her big round eyes, "Y-Yes," she blushed, "But… I'm not very good at it,"
"Why do you say that? You've always been good at dancing,"
"I'm too heavy to dance,"
"Says who?"
"Everyone at class,"
"Please, and you believe them?"
"Well… I never get picked for anything," Mei shrugged her shoulders, "So, I guess I am not that good. I am going because Papa says I dance just like Mama and that makes him happy."
"You do, you do dance like Mao-san," Mamoru smiled "So, would you?"
"What if I step on your feet?"
"You won't,"
"I don't know how to dance like that… I most likely stink,"
"Well, what if you don't?" Mamoru arched his brow, "You'll never know if you don't try." He smiled, "Come on, I need a dancing partner, mine is over there dealing with an obnoxious girl,"
Mei chuckled and held Mamoru's hand and let herself be lead to the dance floor; she looked at him with an adorable blush in her cheeks as she felt his hand resting on her back and placing one hand on his shoulder, "Just follow my lead, don't think of anything else… just go with the flow," he said softly as he took the first step and gave a slow turn with Mei; soon after Tao spotted them dancing and urged her father to watch, "Papa, look! Mei-chan's dancing!"
Benjiro couldn't help the tears gleaming in his eyes as he watched his precious little girl regaining her confidence in something she loved so much to do and that reminded him so much of his beloved late wife.
"Mamoru-oniisan is helping her," Tao said with blessedness and smiled widely, "Look at her go!"
Back on the dance floor, Mamoru smiled and turned again with Mei perfectly following his lead, "And you say you stink at this? You're even better than I am!" Mei chuckled and squealed with delight when he held her hand and gave her a twirl and later came back to her initial position; Mamoru leaned down and stump his forehead with hers gently, "Don't let them bring you down, Mei-chan. If you don't feel valued in that school, there are better ones where your talents can truly be appreciated."
"Really?" Mei widened her eyes, "You think so?"
"Absolutely," Mamoru nodded, "If you don't like that school, leave it—but leave it to find a better one, don't quit. Don't leave your dream of becoming a dancer, Mei-chan, don't choose to be miserable, alright?" Mei smiled, "Alright,"
"Promise?"
"I promise, Mamoru-oniisan,"
"Good girl,"
O—o—O
Yuki saw Mamoru finishing his dance with the young girl and walk with her to a table close to the pond and turned to Usagi who was trying to have a much more comfortable conversation with Mika and her boyfriend. "Oh my god, Usagi, I can't get over it—your husband is so gorgeous!"
Mika shook her head and shot a cold glare at Yuki, who was still gaping at the image of her co-workers' husband. Usagi sighed, the comment, of course, did not feel like something a friend would say to another friend, this had a more lustful, objectified flair and the blonde did not appreciate it; she turned to Yuki who was not sitting across from Mika and Ichiro, "Uh… thank you."
"Seriously, you need to bring him to the magazine," Yuki mumbled and grinned with excitement, "Plus, he's such a flirt! He has this suave vibe… my goodness,"
"What?" Usagi frowned and shook her head, "I'm sorry Yuki-san, but, I have to ask... how did you know this was the venue for my wedding?"
"Maya told me," Yuki took a sip of her wine, "I saw she wrote it on her agenda, she couldn't make it—obviously—but she wanted me to come and give you her congratulations, she was very pleased with your designs, so, ta-dah!"
"Ta-dah, indeed..." Mika muttered as she leaned into her glass of wine to take a sip; Usagi sighed, "I see..." she turned to the guy sitting next to her on the table and arched a brow, "I'm sorry, I don't think we've been introduced. Tsukino Usagi, I'm the bride of this wedding—are you Yuki-san boyfriend?"
"Oh! Yes, sorry," Yuki giggled and waved her hand "I was so busy admiring your husband that I completely forgot to introduce you two, this is Orochi."
Usagi arched her brow by the lack of interest in Yuki's to introduce who she supposedly called her fiancé and turned to the young man who barely made an effort to look formal, clearly, he was not in good terms with proper etiquette and manners and nodded, "Nice to meet you Oroshi-san."
The man was obviously uncomfortable and upset by Yuki's lustful comments about another man just nodded in response to Usagi's greeting. Usagi turned to look back at the girl wearing black and sighed with resignation to her presence, not even on her wedding day she could get rid of her. "Well, thank you for coming..."
"Oh, there is nothing to thank me, I had nothing better to do anyway,"
Usagi arched her brow, "Mika was telling me you had a social meeting with Maya, so, I really wasn't expecting to see you here, right Mika?"
Mika nodded in silence and took a sip of her rosé leaving a very startled Usagi wondering what might have happened to her so suddenly since she was fine and happy just minutes ago. She knew Mika's personality was one of those you just could not play with, and even when she has had several differences with Yuki, she found it really odd that it looked like she felt intimidated by the girl. It didn't pass long for her to realize what was happening. "Oh, no... oh, dear," she mumbled with dread as she watched Yuki continued her babbling without noticing the blonde's shocked expression, "Yes, you know how she is…" Yuki shrugged one shoulder, "She needed me there but she sent me here to congratulate you."
"That is... um, a very kind… gesture." Usagi mumbled, not really paying attention to anything Yuki was saying anymore, instead, she was still connecting the dots to what was going on. Yuki smiled and ordered another glass of wine to one of the waiters while making small talk with Mika and her boyfriend about work. Usagi looked at her with a pale face of disbelief just to see Yuki was there talking like if nothing had happened, but sadly it did, and Mika was showing it clearly and Usagi now knew why, "Oh god," she mumbled with horror.
The man Mika told her about, the very one she once described as a terrible cook, the one who did not care enough for her to come back for his belongings and who never took a shower on Sundays was no other than Oroshi, and the girl he found 'more interesting' was no other than Yuki. Everything made sense making Usagi feel incredibly guilty for being so ignorant about the matter.
"Oh god, oh god..."
"Usagi?" Mika frowned with worry, "You okay?"
Usagi took a deep breath and nodded, "Um, could you excuse me... for just one minute?"
"Uh, yeah, sure." Mika answered very confused, "Are you sure you're okay?"
"I'll be right back," Usagi turned with hurry and tried to attempt to make things better for her friend's sake as she quickly went to find her ultimate life saver and maid of honor, "Minako-chan! Minako-chan!"
Close by, Minako widened her bright blue eyes and immediately turned at the sound of her friend's urgent call, "Usagi-chan! Are you okay?" She blinked with worry, "You're hyperventilating,"
"Yes..."
"Are you okay?"
"No…"
"What's wrong?"
"I need you to do me a huge favor, please." Usagi brought her hands together like she was praying for a miracle, Minako stood up and nodded "Sure hun, anything, what's the matter?"
Usagi sighed heavily, "Could you please find a seat for my friend Mika and her boyfriend at another table?" Minako looked at Mika's direction and widened her eyes again, "Oh, hey! The annoying girl came!"
"Yes!"
Minako frowned, "Wait, what the hell is she doing here?!"
"She invited herself,"
"She what?"
Usagi sighed, "Long story short, my boss sent her here to and I quote, 'congratulate me personally'."
Minako blinked, "Huh," she bit her lower lip, "How lovely on her part..."
"I know," Usagi rubbed the bridge of her nose with annoyance, "Mamo-chan aborted the conversation minutes after she arrived and now she's making Mika all uncomfortable, I need an alibi." Minako cracked a hearty laugh, "Mamoru did what?"
"I'll tell you the whole story later..." Usagi sighed softly, "But it comes as no surprise that he's no peaches and cream when he doesn't like someone and he's clearly stated to me in the past he can't stand her." Minako chuckled and patted her friend's bare shoulder and nodded, "No worries, Usa-chan, leave it to me—I got this, I'm a pro."
"B-But I need a distraction..." Usagi mumbled, "I told them I would be right back,"
"Just fake someone's calling you or something,"
"Minako-chan, I can't do that!"
"It's your wedding! You can do whatever the hell you want!" Minako arched her brow and chuckled, she turned over her shoulder and spotted Motoki looking at their direction and nodded her head in his direction, "Go with Motoki, go,"
"W-What?"
"Go, go,"
Minako made her way to Mika's table thinking it was the perfect time to put her acting skills to practice as she looked at the dark-haired woman looking miserable sitting next to another that just didn't seem to stop talking anytime soon and opened her arms like an old friend would when trying to give an old friend a hug, "Oh. My. God! Mika-chan!" She squealed with delight and charm. Mika widened her eyes, surprised to see the blonde coming her way and talking to her with so much familiarity. Yuki turned surprised to see the blonde walking towards them and frowned, "Who is she?" she asked confused.
Mika ignored Yuki and quickly stood up and tried to remember if she had seen Minako before. The blonde in return gave her the friendliest of hugs and kissed her cheek "It's been so, so, so long! How are you?!"
"Oh," Mika blinked "I—um..." Minako pulled her closer and whispered in her ear "Usagi-chan sent me to rescue you from this table, follow my lead." Mika smiled widely with gratitude and responded to Minako's hug with so much relief, "Oh my god, yes I know! How have you been!?"
"A-mazing!" Minako beamed a smile at her, "W-What are you doing here?"
"I work with Usagi-chan at the magazine."
"No way!"
"Yes!" Mika frowned, "Wait, what are you doing here?"
"I've been friends with Usa-chan since Junior High! What a small world!" Minako patted Mika's shoulder with enthusiasm, "Well it's been ages since I last saw you—is this your beau?" Mika chuckled, "Yes."
"Well—I want to know everything you've been up to lately! Naru-chan will be so excited to see you too! You must seat at our table!" Minako grabbed Mika's night purse and motioned to follow her, "Come on!" She turned to Yuki and flashed her a smile, "Excuse us,"
Mika turned to her boyfriend who immediately stood up and followed her to a table closer to Usagi and very far away from a still very confused Yuki and her dull boyfriend Oroshi. Once far from them, Mika smiled at the blonde with tremendous gratitude, "Thank you so much, you truly saved us back there."
"Ah, don't mention it. It was my pleasure!" Minako giggled in complicity, "By the way, I think we haven't met, I am Aino Minako—Usagi's best friend and maid of honor."
"Awata Mika," The dark-haired said, "And this is my boyfriend, Sato Ishiro." The young man bowed his head, "Very nice to meet you, Aino-san, thank you for the favor,"
"Of course, very nice to meet you both. I have heard so much about you Mika-san. It's so good to meet you finally!" Minako smiled as she reached for the table where Naru was seating with Umino, Motoki, Reika, Yumiko—Usagi's makeup artist, and the Shitennou, "I think you will be more comfortable seating here, plus, it's closer to Usagi-chan—she keeps rounds on these tables. You know, we're kind of her VIP." She winked her eye at her making Mika feel more relaxed.
"Thank you so much." Mika smiled and turned to greet Naru, who she quickly recognized for the many times she has visited Usagi at work in name of Osa-P jewelry store and later Yumiko who she instantly recognized. From the other side of the garden, Usagi watched her friend and boyfriend had started talking to Naru and Umino and immediately felt a wave of relief, "I love you." She mouthed the words at Minako, who was taking her seat at her table again.
"What was that all about?" Usagi heard Mamoru asking as he joined her back on their table; Usagi sighed with relief and took a sip of her rosé wine, "Hey! There you are!" She smiled, "You handsome ditcher!"
"What?" Mamoru laughed; Usagi pouted her lips, "You totally ditched me back there..."
"I'm sorry, love," Mamoru kissed her hand, "But, I really can't stand her,"
"I know, trust me, I can't either..." Usagi mumbled and sighed, "But I'm glad everything got settled,"
"What do you mean?" Mamoru frowned as he took a sip of his red wine; Usagi leaned closer to him "I didn't know Yuki's 'fiancé' was Mika's former boyfriend." Mamoru arched his brow with shock, "Seriously? That guy?"
"Yep,"
"But he's a lump... he barely mumbles a word."
The blonde shrugged her shoulders "Hey, don't ask me—I married you."
"Okay," Mamoru chuckled, "Is that supposed to mean anything?"
"No," Usagi giggled "Just that—you are not very friendly."
"What?" Mamoru frowned, "Of course I am..."
"Please, you're so elite," Usagi scoffed as she took a sip of her rosé, "And you couldn't be colder with Yuki-san because it was already impossible."
"I know, I know..." Mamoru sighed and put his glass down, "I'm sorry but she gets on my nerves," he frowned "Why did you invite her in the first place is far from my comprehension, and, just so we're clear, I am not elite."
Usagi chuckled, "See, that's the thing, I didn't. My boss sent her to congratulate us and since she manages her agenda, she saw the location of the garden." She smiled at the waiter who brought their dinner and turned to Mamoru again, "I gave her an invitation out of courtesy and well—she sent her in her place."
"Hmm... how thoughtful of her," Mamoru mumbled and quickly got interrupted by Shingo clicking his glass with his fork to call for everyone's attention, "The father of the Bride would like to say some words."
"Oh, god…" Mamoru mumbled under his breath and took another sip of his wine, making Usagi chuckle, "I know, this is going to be interesting..."
"Thank you, son," Kenji stood up with his glass of wine in hand and bowed several times to acknowledge everyone in the venue, "Good evening everyone. For those of you who don't know me, I am Tsukino Kenji, father of the beautiful bride," he motioned his glass toward Usagi, "My beautiful daughter, Usagi."
"I think Papa's a little tipsy," Usagi mumbled with worry. Mamoru frowned, "What? He didn't say anything wrong,"
"I have the pleasure of giving a few words to the newlywed couple but I have got to admit that I am a bit nervous today and not because I'm making a speech, but because I've been married for almost 27 years and I'm not used to speaking for longer than 30 seconds without being interrupted, so please bear with me." Ikuko gently smacked his arm and let the man continue.
"I'm telling you,"
"Usa… have a little faith,"
"On behalf of Ikuko and myself, I would like to welcome you all and thank you for coming to celebrate the union between Usagi and Mamoru. I would also like to thank everyone who has helped out with the wedding preparations in whatever way, big or small, you've all played your part to make this day possible... so, cheers to you too."
Minako smiled widely and raised her glass at the other side of the garden and turned to the other girls who knew were the bride's allies during all the planning; Kenji smiled in acknowledgment and turned to the couple and then at the crowd, talking like a pro on stage. "Now, I have learned it is a tradition in weddings for the father of the bride to share some stories about her but don't worry Usagi, I promised that I would not say anything that might embarrass you in my speech and I'll keep that promise intact."
Mamoru smiled and leaned closer to his wife's ear, "I think your mother is taking care of that," his warm chuckles made Usagi blush and pinched his nose playfully, "You're so mean..."
"But, what I really want to share is how proud I felt giving you away today. You look like a Princess in your white gown and even though I'm always saying that big boys don't cry, I must retract my words and say that they do at their daughter's wedding. Usagi, everyone who knows you will agree that you are a kind, caring, bubbly, fun, loving, and a brilliant young woman, your Mama and I love you very much and we are very proud of you... we couldn't wish for a better daughter."
Usagi tried to hold her tears with a big smile on her face in gratitude and great emotion but her eyes soon widened when she felt Mamoru's hand holding hers to dear life as her father continued with his speech.
"See?" Mamoru nudged his wife's shoulder, "And you said he was tipsy..."
"And now, we come to Mamoru…"
Usagi gave her husband a side glance and a playful smirk, "Good luck,"
Kenji smiled, "Don't look so worried Mamoru… I will be kind and considerate this time. You see, most parents of the bride would be worried that the groom would turn up drunk from the night before but with Mamoru, we were more worried that he might have to take an extra shift at the hospital prior his wedding day."
The crowd chuckled at Kenji's little joke making Mamoru blush. Usagi giggled and turned to her husband, "Still having faith in Papa?"
"Yeah, no… he's tipsy alright,"
Usagi chuckled and held his hand from under the table; at the other side close to them, Kenji continued, "But on a more serious note, it's normal at this point to welcome the new son-in-law to the family but Ikuko and I have always treated Mamoru as part of the family—yes, as crazy as that sounds." The man smiled when he heard everyone chuckling again knowing for a fact that he is one overprotective father and that it might have been an impossible task for Mamoru to earn his trust in the first months of dating Usagi. "It's no secret that I gave this poor young man a hard time in the beginning, but as much as I wouldn't like to admit it, we liked you from the very first moment we met you. It was obvious that you adored our Usagi and to be honest, we were a bit relieved that she met somebody normal."
"Seriously, Papa needs to stop drinking for a while,"
"Yeah, totally,"
Mamoru and Usagi blushed, knowing what their friends were probably thinking. Normal was not a word to describe any of them in the first place; and after all that has been happening to them is the last few weeks, talking about normality was a big irony in their lives; the comment felt like a bucket of bricks followed by one with ice cold water over Mamoru's head but he had to be grateful that Kenji only knows that part of him that makes him look normal before his eyes.
"Over the years, our first instincts have been proven right and we see you more as a son than just a son-in-law, so remember that if you ever need our help or support we're always there for you as well as Usagi. Everyone can see how much you love our daughter, you are a very bright and hard-working young man and I know you are going to be a great dad when that moment arrives."
Usagi smiled and turned to look at a still blushing Mamoru and tug his hand playfully as she enjoyed every second of this unexpected moment at his handsome face flushed with shyness.
Kenji smiled, "You also have a cracking sense of humor and even though you might be embarrassed to show it, you have a caring and sensitive side too."
At this comment, the shitennou widened their eyes with surprise and turned to look at each other, Kunzite blinked confused, "Cracking?"
"Sense of humor?" Jadeite tilted his head, a little confused and turned to Zoisite, "Him, really?"
"I mean… he is… but," Zoisite shrugged his shoulder, also very confused "That is somewhat unexpected..."
"The stars may have aligned in a peculiar way somehow," Nephrite took a sip of his wine. "That is my theory,"
All four men turned to Kenji who was still giving his emotional speech a few tables away from them, "I know for a fact that for you meeting Usagi has made your life complete, and I know our dear Usagi will mold you into the perfect husband but I'm sure you're a modern man and like the idea of equality as much as I do. And whilst you have each other, don't forget that you'll always have the support of your family and friends." Kenji smiled and raised his glass, "So, I would like to propose a toast… here's to the past and for all that you've learned, to the present, and for all that you share and to the future, for all that you look forward to together. So, please let us all raise your glasses and join me in a toast to the Bride & Groom. Cheers!"
"Cheers!" The guests said in unison and clicked their glasses with one another. After the heartfelt speech provided by the bride's father, Kunzite, Jadeite, Zoisite, and Nephrite found it incredibly enlightening and entertaining since they got to see how the unbreakable royal prince they knew had to go to such great lengths to earn the man's respect and appreciation for taking his beloved daughter away. Jadeite grinned and raised his glass along with all the guests in support of Tsukino Kenji and turned to Zoisite, "Back then... it would have to be the other way around,"
Zoisite chuckled and took a drink of his red wine, "I give you that," he put his glass down and cleared his throat, "Although, it this man was in fact, the Princess' father back then... there would not have been much of a difference."
"I would have to say that it would have been more of a conciliation rather than a toast—" Nephrite turned to his comrades, "Royalty is complicated,"
"It is complicated when it involves divine beings," Kunzite put his glass down and leaned back in his chair very casually, "But I suppose that is a good reason as to why he was never really comfortable with all the protocol his title entails."
"Well, they are happy—that is all that matters," Jadeite smiled, "Protocol or no protocol—he did what he wanted in the end and married his beloved Princess." His eyes soon caught a certain priestess over to Usagi's table and sighed softly, catching the generals' attention, "Could you love her more?" Zoisite arched his brow.
"I told you already, I do not love her," Jadeite frowned, "You are halfway there..." Nephrite chuckled, "You haven't taken your eyes off her all evening,"
"Well, you have not taken yours off Jupiter either," Jadeite turned to his brown-haired friend, then to Zoisite "Or yours off Mercury," and finally his gaze landed on Kunzite and sighed, "And you... well, you are whole other story."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Kunzite frowned, Jadeite crossed his arms, "It means that unlike any of us... you are dying to go to talk to her but you will not do it because your ego does not allow it."
"You are talking gibberish," Kunzite muttered under his breath and took a long gulp of his red wine, "Pure and crazy gibberish,"
"No, you want to know what is complete gibberish? Having this lovely music playing in the background and not taking advantage of it," Jadeite took one final gulp of his drink and stood up as he arranged his tie and buttoned his formal jacket. He turned to his fellow comrades and friend and smiled, "I am sorry my brothers, but, I am feeling like celebrating. This is truly a milestone in the Prince and Princess' lives and I am not going to let it pass by unnoticed, I will join their happiness, so, if you excuse me... I will go find myself a dancing partner,"
Nephrite arched his brow, "Is he drunk or something?" Zoisite sighed, "Most likely, but, he is right you know? This is not just any celebration... it is our brother's wedding day. And while things might not be as clear with the girls as much as we would like them to be, they have been kind enough to acknowledge us and treat us fairly,"
Kunzite rolled his eyes and mumbled indistinct chatter with a scoff. "Oi, are you trying to suggest something?" Nephrite asked nervously, Zoisite shook his head, "I am only stating something obvious, Nephrite, you must admit that they are the only ones who truly understand us so we might as well try to earn their trust again and we are not going to achieve that if we stay here and just wait for a miracle to happen..." The blonde turned to his older brother "And that applies to you too..."
Kunzite sighed, "Just go... Mercury is alone, stop trying to justify your unyielding desire to go and talk to her," he turned to Nephrite and waved his hand dismissively, "The same goes to you—just go, leave me be."
Both generals didn't have to be told twice before they finished their glasses of wine to arm themselves with courage enough to go and talk to the girls. He leaned back in his chair and looked at the prince slow dancing with the princess, both caught up in their own little world without paying much attention to the cheers and joyful glances from their family and friends and could not help but smile; unlike how he appeared to be, he was ecstatic to be there and witness such a beautiful moment between them. If there was somebody who witnessed the princes' constant struggle to be with the moon princess back then was him, and despite all five being incredibly close, he was the only one that got to see Endymion's most vulnerable state.
At the dance floor, Mamoru slowly twirled Usagi, with enough care not to make her trip with the long layers of her sparkly gown. Kunzite silently admired the beauty of their couple's union, how good they looked together and how much love and devotion they showed for each other. At that moment he couldn't help but wonder if that was something that could happen to him someday; Kunzite was aware that his relationship with Venus did not gain the strength it needed to overcome the passage of time or any obstacle stepping in their way like the one Prince Endymion nurtured with Princess Serenity, but he was certain of what he felt for her and it was clear that she too had strong feelings for him—at least once.
Kunzite's gray eyes landed on his fellow comrades and soul brothers dancing with the senshi, much to his surprise, Jadeite managed to convince Rei to dance and so did Zoisite with Ami, while Nephrite was beyond entranced in a private conversation with Jupiter as they got themselves another glass of wine before heading to the small pond in the distance. He sighed heavily for the hundredth time because it was the only way to keep him grounded but the facts were there, Venus was doing her best to avoid him at any cost.
Without her noticing, he had been studying her all night—it was incredible just how beautiful she was to him, with her golden hair in an elegant up-do, the way the soft and flowy fabric of her gown clung to her every curve and the way her smile could lit up the entire venue. The unbreakable shitennou was completely smitten with her beauty and charm but to his bad luck, she did not return the feeling.
It was becoming exhausting to see her walk all over the garden, dancing and laughing with other men that weren't him that he better decided to get himself a new glass of wine and have a stroll around the enchanting garden by himself.
O—o—O
Usagi wrapped both arms around Mamoru's neck and smiled as they continued their slow dance, "What?" Mamoru chuckled when he noticed the curious gleam in Usagi's eyes; the silver-blonde tilted her head to the side as she looked at his deep blue eyes, "I never got to ask you... how is that you know to dance this well?"
"Hmm..." Mamoru arched his brow and shook his head, "I honestly don't know,"
"Ah, so this is something you learned back then..." Usagi giggled, making Mamoru smile, "Most likely,"
"Who taught you?" Usagi combed a piece of his hair back with her fingers and smiled, "Who taught you to be this charming?" Mamoru blushed and chuckled, "Usa..."
"Well, you are!" Usagi laughed, "You really are a prince charming,"
"The Queen did—" Mamoru said softly and gave Usagi another slow turn, "To answer your question..."
"The Queen..." Usagi widened her eyes in awe, "Did she really?"
"Yes," Mamoru simply answered and leaned down to rest his forehead on hers, "But that charm you talk about is something only you can wake in me,"
"See? There's the charm again..."
"All you my dear, it's all you," Mamoru closed the gap between them with a chaste kiss, one Usagi couldn't resist responding with the same overflowing sense of love and joy.
O—o—O
"They're so cute together..." Ami said softly as she peered at the newlyweds dancing in the middle of the dance floor and smiled, "I'm so happy to see they didn't cancel their wedding plans,"
Zoisite continued the lead in their dance and smiled, "That is true, with all that has happened... but, to be honest with you, we all knew he was not going to leave her, the bond they share is too strong to be broken so easily,"
"Yes, you're right," Ami smiled softly and tried her best to keep her cool. Silence suddenly fell between them and despite not being uncomfortable around each other, they were both nervous and struggling to keep the conversation flowing. This was the first time they shared time alone since they came back and the attacks started happening; Ami gave the general a friendly glance from time to time but she has always known just how bad she is when it comes to socialize with other men and get past that invisible barrier that keeps her from showing a more relaxed version of her. She had gone past that shy wall with Motoki and Mamoru because they have been working together for more almost two years and they had gone through a lot that helped solidify their bond but with someone like Zoisite, well, that was a whole other story. She thought that talking to him was even harder than it was talking to Akashi when she still liked him and it completely froze her thoughts—she was a girl allergic to love letters after all.
The music piece soon came to its end leaving both wondering just how could they take a leap and break that wall that was encasing all that awkward energy around them when clearly, they were both trying very hard to become friends.
O—o—O
Mamoru was busy talking to some friends from Med School when he saw Benjiro walking along Tao and Mei and excused himself from the conversation, "Mamoru-kun, what a lovely evening, thank you so much," Benjiro waved his hand at Mamoru.
"Thank you, Benjiro-san," Mamoru smiled, "You're leaving?"
"Yes, it has been a long day and tomorrow I have to be up early, you know, I have to welcome one of the providers with new merchandise," Benjiro smiled, "You know how it goes,"
Mamoru chuckled, "Yeah, I do. Well, I am really glad you enjoyed yourself the evening."
Benjiro gave him a nod and grinned with content as he gave his youngest daughter a quick glance, "More than you can imagine." He looked at him again, "Thank you, Mamoru,"
"My pleasure," Mamoru gave the older man a pat on his shoulder; Tao was watching Usagi talking and saying goodbye to some people who were also about to leave the venue and smiled, "She's so pretty... she looks like a princess from a fairy tale,"
Mamoru looked at Tao and smiled, "Would you like to meet her?" Tao's immediate gesture was to blush, "Really?"
"Of course," Mamoru chuckled, "Do you?"
Mei and Tao's eyes lit up with excitement, "Yes!"
Mamoru realized they had been so busy attending their guests, mostly from the bride's side that he hadn't had a chance to properly introduce her to them and turned to Usagi who was now walking back with an envelope and a bottle of sake in her hand, "Mamo-chan, Uncle Tatsu gave us this as a wedding present," she blinked when she saw him talking to the girls and she instantly gave them a friendly smile, "Oh! Hello!"
Mamoru held Usagi's hand and smiled, "Usa, I want you to meet Shimizu Benjiro-san, he is my very dear friend and mentor,"
Usagi blinked, completely shook to see the man looked nothing like his name sounded but she quickly dismissed it and came forward to shake his hand, "It's so very nice to meet you, Shimizu-san,"
Benjiro let out a hearty chuckle, "Oh no, child, please call me Benjiro, there is no need for any honorifics, not with me," Mamoru smiled and turned to the girls, "And these lovely ladies here are his daughters, Tao and Mei,"
"Oh!" Usagi immediately let her charming persona shine through, "Hi! I'm Usagi, it's so very nice to meet you,"
"It's so very nice to meet you too, Usagi-san," Tao bowed her head slightly, "I was just telling Mamoru-oniisan you looked so pretty,"
Usagi blinked startled, "Oniisan?" She turned to Mamoru quickly and then at the girls, Mei nodded, "Mamoru-oniisan watched over us when we were little, before Mama passed away a few years ago,"
"He worked at the store with Papa and Mama," Tao added to clear any further confusion. Usagi's eyes widened when she realized these girls were part of Mamoru's past and she felt instantly drawn to their sweet energy and how they spoke of her husband with such a loving and caring way. Moved to tears, Usagi leaned down to be at their height and smiled, "You two are very beautiful ladies. It makes me incredibly happy to finally meet you,"
"Watching over you is nothing compared to the many pranks you played on Mamoru-kun," Benjiro chuckled and turned to a chuckling Mamoru, "Can't argue that, Mei-chan was the mastermind of every single one of them."
Usagi laughed and turned to the girls, "Did you, really?" She beamed a smile, "Did you really put his patience to the test?" Mei squinted her eyes slightly and chuckled, "Just a little,"
"To be honest," Usagi leaned forward and brought a hand close to her lips, "I do that too,"
Both girls started giggling in complicity with Usagi, something that truly warmed Mamoru's heart. Usagi cupped their cheeks and smiled, "Thank you for coming,"
"Thank you for having us," Tao said softly, Mei nodded, "Can we see you again?"
"Of course you can," Usagi smiled, "I will tag along with Mamo-chan next time he visits you, I promise,"
Benjiro turned to both Mamoru and Usagi and bowed his head, "It was a very lovely evening, thank you so much for inviting us to share this special day with you."
"Our pleasure, Benjiro-san," Mamoru smiled and bent down to give the girls a big hug, "I will see you soon, okay?"
"Yes, Mamoru-oniisan," both girls said in unison. Mamoru turned to Mei once he parted, "And remember what we talked about."
Mei nodded, "I promise,"
"Alright," Mamoru smiled and waved his hand, "Good night,"
"Goodnight," Benjiro waved his hand and walked away with his daughters. Usagi held Mamoru's hand and squeezed it tight, "They're adorable," she looked at him, "Thank you for introducing them, I know it's hard for you to talk much about what happened before we met, but, I really appreciate these little moments,"
"My pleasure, love," Mamoru leaned closer and kissed her softly, "I can tell they loved you,"
"Really?"
"Yeah,"
"I wasn't joking, when I said I would tag along with you,"
"I know." Mamoru kissed her hand, "We will go see them soon."
Usagi smiled and cupped her husband's cheek, "I love you… to the Moon and back—"
"–To the world we belong, I love you too, Buns." Mamoru leaned closer to kiss her again.
O—o-O
After enjoying the lovely evening that went on for more than expected between many cheers for the newlyweds, many laughter, dancing, pictures, jokes, and a very much awaited chocolate cake, the night was finally coming to its end and some of the guests were starting to take their leave while others felt the night was still too young to end the celebration, like Haruka, who was dancing with Hotaru on the dance floor while Michiru kept an eager conversation with Rei and the other girls.
After their little emotional moment, Mamoru went back to talk to his friends from Med School while Usagi decided to go back with the girls; feeling like there was no need to keep the formal protocol anymore, Usagi took her heels off and walked barefoot over to their friends' table and sat with exhaustion. "Hi..."
"Tired?" Rei asked between chuckles, Usagi sighed softly and nodded, "I'm exhausted, almost dead," she slouched back in her seat, "I could fall asleep right here on this table, right now."
Ami giggled, "You sure danced a lot Usa-chan," she pointed the pearl colored sky-high stilettos "And in those super high heels—that is some accomplishment." Usagi chuckled and took a sip of water, "If I don't wear heels like these I would look like a tiny rabbit next to Mamo-chan, he's too tall." She sighed with content and exhaustion, "Did you guys enjoyed the wedding?"
"It was beyond perfect," Rei nodded, Ami smiled "Beautiful—is it what you dreamed of?"
Usagi nodded, "It was—and more. I loved every minute of it,"
"And the ceremony... those vows... oh dear… sooo beautiful," Makoto dried a tear that threatened to roll down her cheek, "You guys are too cute, you made me cry!"
"Yes!" The girls said in unison, "It was such an emotional moment,"
"It truly was," Usagi blushed and turned to the dance floor and smiled widely when she saw the tall blonde dancing with the black-haired beauty, "That is so adorable," she turned to Michiru, "She has grown so much."
Michiru nodded and raised her glass "That's right, she is now our lovely teenager."
"Very much like we were when we—you know," Rei mentioned and shrugged her shoulders. Setsuna nodded and sighed softly while resting her chin on her hand "Time doesn't stop, not even for a senshi like her."
"True," Usagi smiled and waved her hand at Naru who was walking towards her "Naru-chan!" The redhead looked at the girls and waved her hand, "We barely had a chance to talk, but I saw Mika-san!" She said excitedly. Usagi exhaled with tremendous relief again, "I know, if only I knew better I would have given her a seat at your table since the very beginning and save her such an uncomfortable moment." Naru looked at her friend with puzzlement "What do you mean?"
Usagi pulled herself to sit straight in her chair and sighed softly, "To sum things up, Mika's ex-boyfriend came with our co-worker as her boyfriend."
"Oh no, that's bad..." Naru widened her eyes, Usagi released a puff of air, "Yeah, tell me about it. Genuine drama, I panicked when I found out."
"So, what did you do?" Naru frowned with curiosity, Usagi turned to Minako with a big smile on her face, "Minako-chan saved the night and took her duty as my maid of honor very seriously—she's a wizard!"
"That I am, Usa-chan! Being a bridesmaid is though work!" Minako said, making Naru chuckle "It sure is, I remember when I was my cousin's maid of honor—it sure was something."
"I was your maid of honor," Usagi raised her hand, "And you were a bridezilla."
Naru widened her eyes "I was not!" She blushed crimson red. Usagi laughed and took another sip of her water; the red-haired girl nudged her friend and took a seat next to her "So, where's the honeymoon?"
Usagi put her glass down and shook her head, "I'm not sure if we will be able to go on a honeymoon, Naru-chan,
"Why?"
"Mamo-chan's job. The hospital did not give him permission to leave for too long but it's okay, we can plan something in the near future. I am okay with just staying at home—I still got my vacation leave."
"You got permission from your job? Wow, that's great! I mean... knowing how though your boss can be sometimes," Naru looked at her surprised, knowing how strict they could get at the magazine. Usagi smiled and leaned back in her chair much more relaxed, "Yes, fortunately, I get to stay at home and sleep all day."
"Um… Usa?" Makoto arched her brow "I remind you that you are a married lady now—you can't sleep all day." Naru shook her head and laughed, "Oh, no you can't—that's for sure."
The girls giggled and watched Umino stand next to Naru and readjust his glasses which over the years modernized, making him look more in trend than those round, thick glasses he used to wear in junior high. "Ready to go, Naru?" He asked softly, Naru smiled at her husband and nodded, then turned to her friend "I'm really happy for you Usa-chan, really, really happy." Usagi leaned over and wrapped her arms around her friend "Thank you for everything Naru-chan." she turned to the guy standing next to her "Thank you to you too, Umino."
Umino smiled and nodded "I'm glad we were part of your special day Usa-chan." he turned to her friends and waved his hand "Bye girls."
"Bye guys!"
After saying goodbye to some of his friends, Mamoru joined the girls and took a seat next to Usagi at the table and poured himself a glass of wine with one of the bottles and clean glasses Minako grabbed from the bar. Usagi turned to look at him and patted his back softly, "Tired?"
"Exhausted," He mumbled and took a sip "I'm falling asleep..." Usagi giggled and combed his hair back, "Who would have thought that getting married was so exhausting, right?" Mamoru turned to look at her and chuckled, "I know..."
Motoki walked over and sat next to Mamoru "Man, Usagi-chan's family sure is big!" Makoto nodded, "Yeah, a lot of people came!"
"Most of them were from Papa's side," Usagi sighed tiredly softly, "Although, I didn't recognize most of them at first. It's been so long since I last saw them—I stopped going to their annual family reunions because, well, we had to save the world,"
The girls chuckled at her casual comment, Motoki patted Mamoru and cracked a laugh, "You two can barely stay awake," he grinned, "But I totally understand, I remember my wedding and it sure is exhausting,"
"Why? Because of all the crying?" Mamoru turned to look at him with a smirk on his face. Minako threw her head back in a fit of laughter and pounded the table with both hands, "Oh my god, I can't get over this! It's too funny!"
"Wait," Motoki sweat dropped "Did I cry that much? Like, in all seriousness..."
"YES!" Everybody said at the same time, startling the blonde. "Motoki, I honestly didn't know what to do—I've never been so uncomfortable in my life. As your best man I was supposed to help the ceremony go smoothly but damn," Mamoru laughed, "And I couldn't find a freaking tissue."
"Hey, I gave you a tissue! I saved the ceremony!" Usagi said between laughs, "But yeah, Motoki-oniisan, you were a complete mess,"
"Nah," Motoki frowned with disbelief, "Really?!"
"You were a total wreck, honey," Reika said, patting Motoki's back. The blonde sighed and looked at his friend with mirth "Well, at least we all know now that you have feelings too."
"I have feelings," Mamoru said between chuckles, "I guess I am not entirely a robot,"
"After today I believe it now. So, Chiba-san, are you taking days off?" Motoki asked his friends; Mamoru turned to look at him and gave him a pleading look to avoid any comments regarding the situation at the hospital for Usagi's sake.
"Yes, finally! Woohoo!" Usagi threw her arms up in the air "Well deserved vacations!"
"I'll take care of whatever issue comes up," Motoki patted Mamoru's shoulder, "And keep my eyes open, so, you take very much needed rest,"
"Thank you, Motoki." Mamoru smiled at his friend, Motoki sighed and stood up "Well, this sobbing gentleman is leaving—I have to be very early at the hospital tomorrow."
"Hey, Motoki," Ami looked at him, "Is it possible to schedule me to assist you? I don't want to be near Satomura-san."
Mamoru turned to look at her surprised by her words, the same was for Motoki. It was strange to hear the bluenette speak with such displeasure, "I will see what I can do Ami-chan, don't worry." Ami smiled with relief, "Thank you."
"Hold on... are we missing something here?" Minako frowned and turned to Ami, "Satomura... Satomura... wait, is this the guy you liked from the hospital?" All eyes were now on the blunette's flushing face, "No,"
"What happened?" Makoto frowned, Ami sighed tiredly also trying her best to avoid why she was despising the young doctor so much for Mamoru's sake, "Nothing happened... he turned out to be a jerk, that's all."
"Ah, dammit," Makoto pounded the table with her fist, "Want me to crack his bones, Ami-chan?" Ami laughed, "Actually, it doesn't sound like a bad idea, Mako-chan, but, I'll let you know,"
"Ugh, another one to add to the blacklist," Minako raised her glass, "Cheers!"
"Cheers!"
"I'll call you whatever happens—enjoy your time with your wife," Motoki patted Mamoru's back, "Thanks, Motoki," he turned to hug Reika, "Thank you for coming,"
Reika smiled, "Of course! I loved it, it was a beautiful wedding." She gave Mamoru a sweet hug, then Usagi and waved the girls goodbye.
"Mamo-chan, I'm so sleepy..." Usagi leaned her head on Mamoru's shoulder and yawned softly, "I can barely keep my eyes open…" Mamoru smiled, "Yeah... me too... let's go home," he turned to Megumi and arched his brow "Are you going to be alright?" Megumi nodded with a smile, "Yes, Your Highness, I promise,"
"Of course she is going to be alright!" Haruka said, "She's been with us before and we are more than happy to have her as our guest," Setsuna nodded with a smile, "Don't you worry about her Mamoru, she will be fine." She turned and looked at Hotaru talking to Megumi "Also, since everything was revealed, she has been more friendly and open, which is good."
"She is very nice," Michiru said softly and smiled, "And we have enough room for her."
"Also, we have the time to keep her company all day, since the girls have to work and all," Haruka said softly, "So don't worry about a thing, she's safe." Mamoru smiled "Thank you," his eyes landed on Haruka "Really."
Haruka half smiled, getting the hint of his words. It was more than just a plain thank you, it was because somehow, she understood that after everything they learned, he was deeply committed to Usagi.
The blonde did not need more proof to validate Michiru's argument, their vows were enough to leave that clear. They loved each other too much to be separated by errors committed in the past and by other people. This was another time, a better one. It was time to start the new chapter of their lives—the way they always wanted.
The Divinity Series is rated M. Cursing, violence, and intimacy may occur.
I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters.
AN: I want to thank you for your kind messages. It really means a lot and it gives a great boost to the inspiration.