Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Thirty-Eight

The ride back to Tokyo was unexpectedly and awkwardly silent. After going out for dinner and finishing packing the night before, Usagi decided to call it a night and went to bed early still with the bitter thoughts of her husband talking to a woman she now pictured as an exuberant redhead maybe because that was the only type of woman that really made her feel threatened. She looked out the window in silence, half asleep, half-awake because she did not even have a good night's sleep for being thinking about the current matter and also because she was worried about Rei. Sighing, she rubbed her makeup-free face and pushed the AC button off and sighed, "It's cold in here." she muttered hazily.

Mamoru's silence was making Usagi feel even more uncomfortable because he hadn't opened his mouth to speak since they checked out of the hotel and started driving back. He had a talent to mask his emotions, unlike her, who always ended up very emotional when she got upset about something. After several attempts of Mamoru trying to understand what happened to Usagi, he decided it was best to give her the space she wanted and went to bed early as well.

The silver-blonde sighed again, this time, catching Mamoru's attention "What's wrong?" His eyes never left the road ahead of them, but the tone of his voice showed the concern that has been following him around since the day before trying to know what's wrong with her. She turned her head to look at him and after a couple of minutes of deep thought she frowned, "Mamo-chan..."

"Mmm?"

"I've been thinking..."

"Yes?"

"Did you date a lot of girls before me?"

Mamoru frowned but kept his eyes on the road, "What?" Of all things Usagi could have asked him, this was one Mamoru was not expecting at all. Usagi's frown deepened, sensing there was a hint of shock in his sudden question, it was rare of him to answer so ambiguously, "What I asked you, did you have a lot of girlfriends before you met me?"

He turned to look at her for a fraction of a second and then back at the road, "Why are you asking me this all of the sudden?"

"I just want to know—it's been a long ride and my mind wanders, hence my question," Usagi's brows furrowed, "You are three years older than me,"

"Yes, so?"

"Well, you had more liberties. You could date whoever you liked and not being scolded or been told what to do, you didn't have curfews or anything..." Usagi turned to look out the window again, "Also, it's something you've never talked about before."

"I don't get where all of this is coming from,"

"I would like to know..."

"How come?"

"I don't know, I'm just curious..."

"I don't like to talk about it."

"Why?"

"Because, Usa, it's not something I feel comfortable talking about." The tone of his voice in that last statement made the silver-blonde turn to look at him with a curious glare, "Did you treat them badly?"

Mamoru sighed tiredly and he continued with his eyes on the road, there was an obvious tension in his jaw and the grip he had on the wheel, "Usa..."

"You were a mean boyfriend!" Usagi widened her eyes and pointed an accusing finger at him with shock. "Oh, my goodness!" Never in a million years, the blonde would imagine Mamoru, her Mamo-chan, would break a girl's heart and make her cry, "Did you date that many?"

"No." Mamoru exhaled heavily, "Baby, can we please drop this conversation?"

"Why is it so uncomfortable for you to tell me? It's just a simple question."

"Why is it so important to you? I am married to you not whoever I dated in the past."

Usagi sighed with a grunt and frowned angrily, "Fine, don't tell me—I don't care," she raised her hands defensively and turned to look away with annoyance written all over her face, "Sorry for bothering you."

Mamoru sighed heavily and shook his head, obviously confused and a little tired of this odd mood his wife had gotten into since last night. He didn't know where to start, this was the oddest she has ever been since he started dating her and for the first time he didn't know how to read her, he didn't know what to say or what not to say to not make her more upset than she already was, apparently. It was strange of her to be mad at him and it was starting to get under his skin because no matter how much he searched his brain, nothing could come up as a good reason to have made her this mad.

Over the next hour, the drive had slowly turned more somber and quiet to the extent that Mamoru didn't even want to continue listening to anything on the radio and turned it off. This was one of the few times, if not the first Usagi had pushed to the very limits of his patience and gone a little too far by rolling her eyes at him in exasperation. On the other hand, Usagi also remained silent and pretended to be asleep when in fact was more than awake and opened her eyes from time to time wishing to be closer to home and hide under the blankets of her bed. She knew what she had done and that she had made Mamoru feel bad in the process; Usagi noticed he had warned her by calling her baby and still continued digging until the ambient turned uncomfortable. She hated it—this, the awkwardness hanging between them because on top of everything, they were best friends; they never argued or stayed silent this long and it broke Usagi's heart to know she was responsible for it.

After what felt like an eternity, Mamoru felt like he needed to take some fresh air to clear his head and parked at the first gas station in sight and turned the engine off. With a heavy sigh, he took his dark shades off and looked at her with a strong, serious glare, "What's going on?" Usagi turned surprised and widened her eyes, "About what?"

"I don't know—you tell me." Mamoru frowned, "You've been acting strange since yesterday afternoon, we were doing fine and then all of the sudden you turned distant and weird,"

"What makes you think I'm being weird?"

"The only way you would skip a meal and go to sleep early is because something is bothering you, Usa,"

Usagi licked her lips and averted her gaze from his, "I'm fine. I'm worried about Rei-chan, that's all..."

"And somehow Rei has to do with me dating other people before you? I don't get it," Mamoru arched his brow and shrugged his shoulders as he waited for an answer from his wife, one that never came. "Usa, please talk to me."

Usagi felt her cheeks turn hot, she wanted to blurt everything that has been drilling her mind for the last 24 hours but she was aware things could get way worse if she said she went all psycho mode and checked to the very last of his messages and calls. Instead, she preferred to keep pushing the topic aside as far as she could and hoped for the best. She shook her head, "I'm sorry—it really is because I'm worried about Rei-chan. I was just curious—I was just trying to start a conversation, that's all, I didn't know it was going to be a problem."

Mamoru sighed heavily and leaned his head back in his seat, feeling beyond exhausted. He watched the cars in the distance going and leaving in silence for a couple of minutes and exhaled, "Alright, since you are so eager to know," he turned his head and looked at her, "No. I didn't go out on dates with a lot of girls. I was thirteen, you don't have many liberties when you're thirteen years old."

"I wasn't talking about dates, but actual girlfriends," Usagi mumbled softly, still carving her way to whatever truth she so desperately wanted to hear. Mamoru had this unreadable look on his face that was making her feel nervous because she didn't know what kind of answer she was going to get in return. "No Usa, I did not have a lot of girlfriends before you, just one—when I was fifteen,"

Usagi blinked with genuine surprise, she was not expecting to hear him say he did have a romantic relationship with someone else before her. She never asked anything like this to Mamoru before because she knew he preferred to keep some things of his past behind him, and while she totally respected it, she never really thought he would date anyone given the circumstances of how he was living and what he was doing during that time. Usagi noticed traces of annoyance in his voice but her own insecurities and restless thoughts made her want to know more about this despite making him feel uncomfortable. She wanted to know more, she wanted to dig deeper into the matter until she was satisfied; she just had opened the Pandora's box she knew her husband had for life and now she had to deal with whatever came out of it, good or bad, "And... what happened?"

Mamoru saw a gleam in Usagi's eyes that gave away her feelings. If this was going to settle things, he had to comply and at this point, if he didn't give a proper answer it was only going to unleash a fight he didn't want to have—not with her. "Nothing happened. We were stupidly young to be in a relationship."

"I was fourteen when you started dating me," Usagi said slightly hurt "Wasn't I stupidly young for you to go out with me?"

"No Usa, you weren't." Mamoru leaned back in his seat, "You are different, you have always been. Your kindness and courage captivated me since the very moment I saw you for the first time, I fell in love with you,"

"Are you saying that you didn't love this girl?"

Mamoru shook his head "No, Usa. I did not love her. We were close... that's all I can really say." his gesture would be one of comfort and reassurance, but his voice said more than just that. He was genuinely upset about having to talk about it; Usagi noticed there was no empathy in his voice, there was no sweet reminiscence, instead, it looked like there was more to that breakup Usagi was no longer sure if she wanted to push his patience a little further to make him give her more details about it. Realizing what she had done, Usagi bit her lower lip and felt terrible for being all paranoid and for straining the last moments of their honeymoon that could have been perfect but the damage was already done.

Mamoru put his sunglasses back on, opened the gas compartment and without saying anything else, stepped out of the car to load more gas while leaving a very guilty feeling Usagi inside. "Stupid Usagi—" she muttered and covered her tear stained face with the long sleeves of her soft grey sweatshirt, "Stupid, stupid, Usagi, what have you done?"

O—o—o—o—O

Earlier that morning, Rei had woken with a stronger sense of reality and more resigned to what happened the day before. Jadeite's words helped her come into her senses and realize that after all the pain, all the absence she might feel clouding her heart at the moment, she had to live to keep his legacy alive. She walked out of her room to start on her daily chores until it was time to receive her grandfather's ashes and start the necessary arrangements for his memorial ceremony later that afternoon. She looked up at the sky and found strange that neither Phobos or Deimos were around to have breakfast.

"Rei-chan... you're awake!" One of the shrine maids said with surprise and relief.

"Jun," Rei said softly and smiled "Good morning."

"H-How are you feeling?" The maid, a woman reaching her fifties asked with worry. Rei hid her hands inside her sleeves and walked over to her, "You know, he will always be missed, I will always miss him but—we have to do whatever is necessary to keep his memory alive. We must honor his kind heart."

"I prepared some breakfast—if you wish to eat something." Jun said in a motherly tone, one that made Rei smile in gratitude for being with her in moments like these, "Thank you Jun, for everything."

The woman smiled, she had been friends with the late priest for many years, way before Rei even arrived at the shrine but decided to move in and help in everything she could the moment he fell ill and could not perform as high priest anymore. "It is my pleasure Rei-chan—I cared for your grandfather very much. I know times are going to be different without him here, so if you wish me to be gone I will totally understand."

"G-Gone?" Rei widened her eyes "Why do you say that?"

"I know Yuuichiro-san left the shrine, you asked him to leave."

Rei sighed, "Yes, yes—I did, but for different reasons. It was his time to leave and find a new path. It had nothing to do with my grandfather being gone." Jun widened her eyes with genuine shock, "Oh..." she covered her mouth, "I am so sorry..."

"It's alright Jun, our strained relationship was more than obvious to anyone." Rei finally admitted what the woman had been suspecting for months. "We will have to do more around the shrine but it is for the best, have him gone." she smiled softly, "If you want to stay, of course,"

Jun smiled "I would want nothing else, Rei-chan,"

Rei tucked a strand of greyish hair behind the woman's ear and tilted her head, "Thank you for everything you have done for us, Jun," she turned and sighed softly, "Well—I must start my chores, feed my beloved crows for example."

"They have been fed,"

"What?"

Jun nodded and turned to look outside, "Yes, a handsome blonde man has been around doing the chores since very early this morning. He hasn't left your side since yesterday."

Rei widened her eyes "B-But... I thought he left..."

Jun shook her head, "No, no. Poor man... he slept on the floor in your room—I offered him one of the guest rooms but he declined, he did not want to leave your side." Jun gave the priestess a playful look, Rei-chan," she leaned forward with curiosity gleaming in her maroon eyes, "Who is that dashing young man?" Rei blushed "H-He is a friend of mine, from a very long time."

"I have never seen him before. Well—not until he stayed with the other three men at one of the cottages."

"They're all brothers," Rei said softly "They lived far away but they have returned and needed a place to stay for a while."

"Well, I must say, he is very handsome."

Rei's blush intensified "Jun..."

"Well, he is!" Jun chuckled "I will have to admit that he is even more handsome than Yuuichiro-san and for the looks of it, he cares for you very much." Rei smiled and turned to look at his direction and spotted him cleaning the porch, "He is a very special person." With a soft smile, she turned and walked towards him in silence; the blonde noticed her minutes after and smiled softly at her, "Good morning,"

"Look at you all concentrated in your sweeping," Rei smiled softly, "Good morning,"

Jadeite chuckled "Ah yes, I will take this as my morning training—it is hard work."

"You didn't have to," Rei tilted her head, "Jun told me you have been working since very early in the morning. You even fed Phobos and Deimos."

Jadeite smiled and wiped a couple of sweat drops from his forehead with his arm "Ah, but of course those are their names," he sighed softly, "I didn't want to leave just like that and also, I know this day will be also a difficult one, I just wanted to make it easier for you as much as I could."

"You most certainly did, thank you." Rei looked down and sighed softly "But, your words really helped me put my feet on the ground and accept things as they come and make the best of it." Jadeite leaned his weight on the broom and smiled with a nod, "That is correct," he gave her a small smile and turned to look away, "Well, I believe my work here is done. It is time for me to leave."

Rei widened her eyes, "Y-You're leaving?" she bit her lower lip "You won't stay for breakfast?"

The blonde general chuckled and shook his head, "I have to go and see how Zoisite is doing, but first, I have to go home and take a bath, I stink." He walked down the porch and handed the priestess the broom, "I will be back for the memorial, I will see you then," he chuckled as he walked away, "It baffles me, Mars, this is another side of you I never imagined I would get to see but it is more like the Mars I met so many years ago—I'm glad."

Rei held the broom with wide eyes as she watched the blonde walking away and somehow, she felt like something in her wanted to burst. Her hands wanted to reach out for his and held them for as much time as possible, her arms wanted to stretch out to stop him from leaving; she wanted him to stay but at the same time she knew she had to let him go. The attraction was there but he has made himself clear; he was no longer going to pursue her and it made her think that not even Yuuichiro would have such attention with her if she had said something that could have made him feel bad.

Rei had broken Jadeite's heart and yet, he had managed to put his own anger, pain, and frustration aside to come to her aid and be with her until she felt better to move on her own. She let out a heavy sigh and closed her eyes, "Oh Father... I wish you could be here."

Her amethyst eyes opened wide when a strong presence caught her attention and turned to find Ares sitting on a large stone, close to the shrine. It was strange to see him without his characteristic golden armor, instead, he wore a deep burgundy royal uniform with golden lining and his dark, and heavy cape emphasized the ashy gold of his hair and the pale color of his eyes. As always, his long sandy-colored hair was tied in a low tail, letting it play an eye-catching pattern as the wind blew his locks. Despite his age, which Rei imagined was significant, his beauty was exceptional; Rei couldn't define his age, she wanted to see him as a man in his mid-forties because that was the politician's age but Ares was really difficult to catalog under a certain range and while she could see the knowledge and power of someone who represents war itself in his intense grey eyes, there were still traces of youth in his face and well-toned body. He really was an ageless being—a full kami as her grandfather used to say. The priestess looked at the man with surprise and for some reason found herself unable to say a word. She was not expecting to see him responding to her calling in a flash of light. "Mars," he greeted with a warm tone in his voice.

"A-Ares..." Rei still held her surprise. Ares arched a brow and gave his daughter a side smile, "Please excuse my intrusion—I heard the word Father coming from your lips and I immediately thought you were calling for me."

"Y-You were close enough to hear me?"

"I am always close, Mars," Ares sighed softly, "Even when it does not look like it."

Rei curled her fingers around the broom tightly and let out a soft sigh, trying her best not to break again and start crying like a little girl lost in the woods, "I know—what you did..." she looked at him with teary eyes, "Ojisan told me everything the night before his passing," Ares smiled sadly and lowered his head, "He was an exceptional man—his soul now rests peacefully in the fields of Elysium—I personally asked Hades to grant him access and made sure his soul arrived safely."

Rei's eyes widened and could feel fresh tears threatening to fall "You really did that?"

"I will always thank Serenity for guiding your soul to this family so I could contact Eiji and ask him to look after you," Ares smiled sadly, "Always so considerate, the Lunar Queen. Always thinking in other's best interests before hers."

Rei felt her heart warm at the sound of Ares calling her grandfather by his name, demonstrating that there was indeed a connection and friendship between them. The Lord of War remained in his sitting place but he looked at his daughter with loving eyes, "I just could not leave you, my dear Mars, I could not."

"You were the one who taught me how to pray to the fire—you were there." Rei said softly, "I always thought I was imagining things... I thought it was a dream."

Ares nodded his head, "I was not allowed to be close to you because of my jurisdiction as God of War, also, because I was trying to keep you as far away from Olympus. Things since the fall of the Lunar Kingdom have not been the same. Eiji became my eyes and ears and every time he prayed, he was letting me know how you were doing." Ares chuckled, "I always found it so ironic, a man praying to the God that brings War, but he always did and I was grateful. It sure made my days brighter and gave me the strength I needed when I felt I could not carry on,"

"What makes it different now? Why can you be here now when you couldn't before?" Rei asked with curiosity. Ares tilted his head, "Because things are different now, Mars." The cryptic tone in his voice made Rei realize the truth behind his riddled words, "Because when war is close, you have to be there. Is that it?" The priestess frowned "Is that why you are here? Because you are about to bring war to this planet?"

"War has already begun, dear Mars. It began a long time ago," Ares said in a low tone, "Since the fall of the Lunar Kingdom—like I said, things have never been the same. The Alliance that kept this galaxy and Olympus protected as a whole and in peace was broken the moment Serenity gave her life to seal Metallia away. Olympus has become a much darker place and it has only been intensified by the events that have been happening lately on this planet."

"Is that why you guided Megumi-san here?"

Ares shook his head, "That girl's fate was sealed the moment she held that weapon and protected it. It was a request from Geb—Gaia's father, and I had to obey that request. They were close friends of mine and I knew I had to do some damage control and prevent a crisis in the near future so I looked out for her from a distance, but it was the weapon she carried with her what guided her to where she had to go—it could not fall into the wrong hands, by any means."

Rei frowned and went back to sit on the porch, "We don't even know who we are fighting against, we don't know their motives—they're so strange and sporadic and their attacks are reckless and erratic."

"He is measuring the situation."

"He?" Rei frowned, "Who is he?"

Ares sighed and went to sit next to her, "The Andromedian,"

Rei's widened her eyes "W-What?"

"I have my reasons to believe he is being manipulated by a bigger force—a very dangerous being. This isn't something he came to do on his own. While the Andromedian might have been strong enough to be given the rank of Commander of the Lunar Army back then, he did not have the influence and the means he has today." He turned to look at his daughter and narrowed his grey eyes, "Mars, things are complicating... the time to rise up in arms is not far away,"

"What is he after?" Rei dared to ask, despite the growing fear in her chest.

"Revenge," Ares exhaled, "Things were not supposed to go this way," the blonde god closed his eyes for a moment, "Gaia's son was not supposed to be awakened and I know that wherever she is, she is cursing my name for having told her son the truth that has been hunting their dynasty for centuries, but it was the way destiny played its cards for everyone—even him, who was supposed to be suppressed until his death."

"Is he really a monster, Father?" Rei's voice quivered, "Is he really what they all say about him?"

Ares smiled softly "You care about him."

"Of course, I care about him, he is one of my best friends and he is now married to my Princess," Rei said with a defensive tone in her voice, "We all practically grew up together. We've come a long way... we all have fought together for the same cause, I do not believe—"

"So I heard—that they got married." Ares interrupted his daughter and turned to look away, "The High Gods are not happy about it. It is a bond that should never have to happen but like Chronos used to say, there are some things that cannot simply be helped. You do not tell fate how to its work." A sad smiled crossed his handsome face, "Yes Mars, he is part of a very strong dynasty and the power he holds is not to be taken lightly, but unlike the many Polemarchos I have trained over the years, the Terran Prince was not created for the god's convenient purposes, sadly his training has a purpose and yes, his killing nature is there; when he is commanded to fulfill a task, he will excel at it but his mother nurtured him with benevolence and that is what separates him from the rest. I stand by Serenity's belief and say he is Princess Serenity's perfect match and protector but also, he is the protector of this planet and sooner or later, you will have to step aside and let him fight like the warrior he was destined and trained to be." He sighed softly, "The gods repudiate him because he was not supposed to exist. A union between an ancient divine being and a mortal never brings an offspring—his birth challenged the laws of divine nature and they have never accepted it as such. To them, the Terran Prince is a threat because he is a strong link between the two realms. Mortal and Divine."

"So, it's true then, they are looking for him."

"Yes."

"And what will happen if they do?"

Ares caressed her daughter's cheek "You have to be strong and protect your Princess, this is not a battle she can step into and win with hopeful thoughts and love. It is a battle of annihilation."

"Are you saying that you're going to fight against us?" Ares saw traces of fright and concern in Rei's amethyst eyes as she looked at him, scared and confused. Ares cupped her cheek "I would never go against my own daughter." He looked down at her hands and took them into his large ones allowing his warm energy soothe her troubled heart, "We share one power Mars, but you are the good that was never harvested in me when I was created—you are the Senshi of Fire and War. A Sailor Senshi who fights for justice with courage when times get tough, remember who you are with pride and do not hold back."

"Papa... I have missed you so much." Rei whispered and leaned closer to him, surprising the god. Ares felt a wave of nostalgia and melancholy as he felt her head resting on his shoulder. All he has ever wanted for so many years was to be able to hold his daughter in his arms; closing his eyes he wrapped his arms around her and held her in a warm and loving embrace, "My sweet daughter," he whispered in her ear, "Do not be afraid. I will always be here for you."

Rei sighed with relief in his arms; she felt protected and loved and slowly began to understand and value her legacy as Sailor Senshi. Like he had said, she was awoken to fight for good alongside her comrades and soul sisters. She was not alone or abandoned, and as she snuggled into her father's arms she could feel being nurtured with his strong energy. Ares felt like he had achieved his biggest accomplishment; he finally could be near his daughter as he had wished for what felt like an eternity. All of his sacrifices and many battles along the way had become worthless compared to this moment with his daughter, his most sacred treasure. He opened his grey eyes and smiled sadly, "I am afraid our time has come to an end."

Rei opened her eyes and blinked startled, "Why?"

Ares pulled back, ending the embrace and caressed her cheek with his hand "You have visitors," he turned to look back and then back at her "I am always with you—even when you cannot see me."

"Hino-san."

Rei was surprised by Ares's sharpness and turned to see the two men from the day before when she and noticed one of them had a wooden urn wrapped in a cloth in his hands.

"Good afternoon...I'm sorry... I was..." she turned to the porch and found Ares gone, then turned to the two men in front of her "Never mind,"

The man holding the urn walked closer to the priestess and handed it with the most care, "Everything was made according to your wishes and Hino Eiji's will."

Rei extended her arms and took her grandfather's ashes with care and endearment in her arms. She looked at them and smiled softly "I thank you, for your attention."

The second man took an envelope from his briefcase and handed it to the priestess, "The young man that was here with you yesterday asked me to bring you all the paperwork issued for his passing, including medical exams and arrangements for his funeral processing. It is very unusual for us to being asked to deliver all the proper information in such short amount of time, but not impossible. You will find his death certificate and other belongings inherited to you inside of this envelope. You were fortunate to have such good advisor on your side."

Rei held the large white envelope; surprised Jadeite had such detail and care to do all the necessary to spare her of all the confusion that was to deal with her grandfather's passing and processing. "Thank you."

"We are deeply sorry for your loss," both men bowed in deep respect, "We knew Hino-san for many years, and we knew you were very important to him so he made sure to leave everything in order before his passing. He wanted you to live without any worry."

"Ojisan..." she whispered, feeling a small lump in her throat. Both men bowed again and turned to leave, "If there is anything else you might need in the future, please contact us, Hino-san."

Rei nodded "Thank you." with a soft sigh, she looked down at the wooden urn in her arms and brought it closer to her and closed her eyes, "I promise to always honor your memory, Ojisan. I will dance once again, one day. I promise."

O—o—o—o—O

Mamoru opened the door to their apartment and tossed the keys on the strategically placed plate on the table in the foyer carelessly and walked straight to the bedroom in silence carrying Usagi's suitcases in one hand his duffle bag with the other. Seconds later Usagi followed and entered the apartment, closing the door behind her.

After the uncomfortable moment at the gas station, the rest of their trip was tense and silent. Usagi felt terrible for what happened because she was more than aware that it was because she turned paranoid and over dramatic for something she was not even sure was happening. She let insecurities she did not even know she had taken over her and hurt Mamoru in the process. She never liked it when he was that serious and distant, he would never say anything or do anything hurtful but just the distance put between them was oppressive. With a heavy sigh, she walked to the living room to open the curtains and allow the remains of the afternoon sun warm the cold living room and took a deep breath before walking to the bedroom when she noticed her husband was nowhere around. The second she stepped foot into the room, her crystal blue eyes widened when she saw him lying upside down on the bed with his head hidden under a pillow. It was so strange to see him like that, it was like he was avoiding all contact with the rest of the world, which made her feel guiltier for her recent behavior.

She stood by the door, not really sure if she should go to him or not. She didn't know what to do, but she felt she had to do something or at least try to do some damage control. She walked to her side of the bed and sat next to him, "Mamo-chan?" she softly put her hand on his lower back and bit her lip nervously, "Are you okay?" she started rubbing his lower back softly and sighed when did not get a response from him. She looked down and closed her eyes with shame, "I'm sorry—I'm so, so sorry." She decided to go a little further and slid her hand under his t-shirt and caressed his skin for a minute before leaning down and kissing the small part of exposed skin before she turned to walk away; her eyes blinked with surprise when she felt his hand holding her wrist to stop her from going away. He pulled the pillow away from his head turned to look at her, "Why are you sorry?" Usagi noticed there was a hoarse and tired hint in his voice.

"Because I was weird... and made you all weird," Usagi sighed. Mamoru frowned and slowly pulled her to the bed until she laid next to him and wrapped his arm around her waist, "I just wish you could tell me what made you all weird." He murmured and closed his eyes again. Usagi realized there was something wrong with him and touched his forehead, "Mamo-chan... are you okay?"

"I have a migraine that's all—it's been drilling me all day."

Usagi widened her eyes "Why didn't you tell me?! I could have driven!" The comment made Mamoru popped one eye open and frown, "You don't like to drive..."

"No, but for you I would have taken the wheel and tried my best to take us home safe and sound. That's why I learned how to drive in the first place—for emergencies,"

"This isn't an emergency," Mamoru mumbled and closed his eye again, "It's just a headache,"

"But it's a bad one," Usagi frowned, "To me it is, that is an emergency." She snuggled closer to him and slowly started to run her fingers through his hair, knowing it was something that made him feel better whenever he felt stressed. Mamoru smiled softly at the gesture, "It's okay Usa, I'll be alright I just need to rest for a while,"

Usagi leaned closer and took a deep breath, "I love you," she whispered, "I love you, so much..."

Mamoru opened his eyes and caressed her back, "I love you too."

"No, but—I love you a lot." Usagi bit her lower lip when she saw Mamoru giving her a much warmer smile, the one smile that made her lose all reason. The one that always captivated her and made her feel all weak and soppy, "I love you a lot too," Mamoru said softly, making Usagi blush, "No, Mamo-chan—but I love you like, a lot—lot." The comment finally cracked the awkwardness between them, Usagi noticed Mamoru was already feeling better when she saw him smiling and chuckling, "That's a whole lot of lot."

"A lot," Usagi wrapped a leg around his waist with mischief, "A lot," she moved closer to him and caressed her lips with his "A lot..."

Mamoru looked at her with fascination, "You know I can't control myself when you do that," he knew what she was doing, silently admiring how she had mastered the art of seduction. Usagi kept caressing his lips with hers and enjoyed how his raspy voice started to change into one with more passion, the same that made his eyes turn a darker shade of blue and looked into her soul. Usagi pulled back just an inch and smirked, "What? This?" she tightened her leg around his waist and giggled softly.

"Exactly that," Mamoru looked at her with raw desire making Usagi feel helpless against his charm; she knew she had lost her own game when her body no longer responded to her command and just wanted him to take over. When she said she loved him a lot, she meant it, and she wanted him to know. "Don't." She looked at him lean closer to her and didn't think it twice to respond and give in to the passionate kiss that slowly roamed down her neck and shoulder. Usagi mentally thanked her sweatshirt was large enough for him to pull the neck down and expose her shoulder and neckline. Her hands slowly roamed his back until she reached the bottom of his t-shirt, pulled it up and threw it away. Between gasps for air and soft moans, she continued kissing and undressing him. Usagi felt the stress and guilt slowly being ripped away with every piece of clothing Mamoru took off her and let any remains of doubt in her turn into longing and passion as they made love under the covers. She felt the pure bliss of his warm body touching hers, his hands caressing every inch of her skin with extreme care and delicacy to a point it drove her to the very edge of reason; she could not get enough of him, she could never get enough of him and she made sure to make him understand how much she meant when she said she loved him, a lot.

Mamoru rolled onto his back so she could be on top of him and opened his eyes, both breathing heavily and gasping for air. The continued expressing their love through whispers of sweet words, passionate kisses and caresses until they both reached to the deepest point of pleasure. Mamoru opened his stormy blue eyes and looked at a flushed Usagi still trying to catch her breath and biting her lip sensually while looking down at him, "See?" she smiled, "I love you, a lot."

Mamoru smiled and pushed himself up to kiss her softly on her lips before laying down again and take a deep breath, "I love you too—a lot." Usagi leaned down and wrapped her arms around his neck and started to comb his hair back, "I want to stay like this forever,"

Mamoru caressed her waist and brought her hand to his lips and kissed it softly, "That sounds like a plan, but, wouldn't that be dangerous?"

"Why?" Usagi chuckled, Mamoru caressed her lower back in a random pattern and sighed softly, "Because you would get all grumpy for not having anything to eat, you would be bound to be here, with me." The lunar girl chuckled and rolled down to rest on her side and let out a soft breath, "That's not a problem for me," she tapped Mamoru's nose gently and let out a much heavier sigh, one that slowly brought her back to reality. "I feel guilty for feeling this blissful when I know a dear friend of mine is sad."

"Don't," Mamoru tucked a strand of her hair that had managed its way out of her long, now messy braid. "One thing doesn't have to do with the other—you are not rejoicing in what happened, she has your support and that is what truly counts."

"I guess you're right..." Usagi rolled onto her back and pursed her lips. The couple stayed silent for a couple of minutes while looking at the ceiling like if it held some sort of answer. "I wonder if there's going to be a memorial,"

"Let's go see her," Mamoru looked for her hand and kissed it softly then turned on his side to sit when a familiar ring interrupted their intimate moment. Usagi immediately froze on the bed when she recognized the tone of Mamoru's phone whenever someone sent him a text and tried to avert her mind from the same demons that had haunted her on the last days of her honeymoon but she couldn't ignore Mamoru's interest in checking what he had received before muting the phone and put it back on his nightstand.

"Who is it?" Usagi asked softly with a weary tone in her voice as she watched her husband rubbing the bridge of his nose, "Random number."

Usagi found it strange that he would hesitate a minute before answering allowing her fragile self-esteem welcome those demons again and start playing games with her mind and put her patience to the test once again. She sat on the bed and tried to hold the tears forming in her eyes, she closed them for a minute and tried to hold the heavy lump she felt in her throat, "I am going to take a quick shower... it's been quite a long day." She heard Mamoru say as she tried to fight the idea of her husband cheating on her and crawled to sit behind Mamoru and wrapped her arms around his bare chest and started to kiss his toned back, thinking if there was another woman trying to avert her husband's attention from her, she would do something about it to prevent it.

Usagi wrapped the silky sheet around her and went to stand in front of Mamoru and pulled the hair tie to let her long silver-blonde hair fall like a halo around her face and exposed shoulders, "Usa..." he mumbled with bedazzlement. Without saying another word, she held his hand and pulled his arm to let him her intentions, making him blush. Mamoru smiled at her and wrapped his arms around her waist tightly and looked down at her with wonder, "You're a naughty, Princess..." he whispered in her ear, his warm breath tickled her ear making her smile; Usagi looked up at him straight in the eye and kissed him softly on the lips, "Well, that's your fault, my Prince, you are a very gorgeous man..." she whispered sensually and squealed in delight when Mamoru lifted her in his arms and carried her to the bathroom and closing the door behind them.

I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters.