Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Forty-Three

Mamoru returned to the car almost 40 minutes after he left and stepped inside with hurry, "I'm so sorry," he huffed with exasperation as he put his sunglasses back on and secured his seatbelt in place; Usagi turned her head and smiled softly, "It's okay... too crowded?"

"You have no idea," Mamoru turned to look at her with worry and touched her forehead with the back of his hand, "How are you feeling, love?"

"I'm okay, don't worry," Usagi hummed softly when Mamoru leaned closer to kiss her cheek and looked at him lovingly, "I missed you..."

Mamoru smiled, "I missed you too, Luna Bunny," he tucked a strand of silver hair behind her ear and pulled back to start the car, "Let's get out of here..." he turned to look at his side mirror to drive out of the parking lot when his phone caught him off guard with is incisive ringing, Mamoru looked down at his screen and took the call, "Chieko, good morning,"

Usagi turned to look at Mamoru without him noticing and studied his gestures while he spoke over the phone and came to notice what he had been trying to explain when talking about the relationship he had with the woman on the phone. It was true, she could see there was a familiarity between them by the way he spoke to her. There was no question that they both knew well but it was also very obvious that they were no longer close and while she could see Mamoru smiling, it was very far from being a smile he would give Motoki, her, or any of the girls; it looked a little forced, almost as if he was doing a big effort to be polite and she was sure that if it wasn't for his dark shades, she could see his eyes slowly change to a stormy blue shade. Usagi also noticed his voice sounded a little too distant and he had a frown on his face during the whole conversation; it was clear, they were no longer friends.

A short while later, he finally ended the call and his mood gave a whole 180-degree change when he turned to Usagi with a much more relaxed smile, one she quickly recognized as one only crafted for her, "There is something I need you to do for me," Usagi tilted her head with curiosity, "Oh? What is that?"

"I need you to close your eyes and not open them until I ask you otherwise,"

Usagi tilted her head down to peek at him through her sunglasses with a playful gleam in her crystal blue eyes, "What are you up to Mamo-chan?" In response, Mamoru grinned widely and wiggled his brows playfully, showing a drastic change in his gestures from just minutes ago, "Ah well, you'll know... in time,"

Usagi giggled, "Is this the surprise?"

"This is the surprise," Mamoru nodded, "But I can't say much else because I could spoil you the whole thing so... can you please close your eyes?"

"Alright," Usagi leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes, "I might take this as an opportunity to take another quick nap—I am still feeling a little light-headed,"

"Do you want to go home? We can do this some other day," Mamoru asked worried, Usagi shook her head in response, "Oh, hell no! I love surprises! I want to see what you are up to!"

"You sure?"

"I'm sure, I'm fine... it's just a little dizziness, comes and goes nothing biggie. I had too little sleep," Usagi chuckled, "I'm a Luna Bunny, remember? I sleep all day,"

"Alright," Mamoru chuckled as he drove the car out of the parking lot and took a highway towards their destination; Usagi sighed softly and bit her lower lip, "Mamo-chan,"

"Mm?"

"While you were at the bank, I listened to this talk show on the radio..."

"Yes?"

Usagi put her arm over her face to cover her eyes and took a deep breath, "They were discussing the events of the exhibition but mostly, what it was about,"

"And what did they say?"

"They named it 'Divinity on Earth'… the hosts were discussing how this archaeologist, Casanova Akira, mentioned these ruins were from mythological times and it got me thinking..."

"Yes?"

"Do you think it has something to do with you and your family?"

Mamoru looked over his side mirror to change lanes on the highway and sighed softly, "That is what I am trying to find out, love."

"And what if it is?"

Mamoru pressed his lips in thought, "If it is... well, I have to take charge of this matter and have a talk with her to see what she found—if it's from my family, I have to take it back, whatever that is." Mamoru sensed the worried tone in her voice and reached for her hand resting on her stomach and intertwined his fingers with her, "I won't let anything happen to you," he continued with his eyes on the road, but his warm grip on her hand tightened, "Everything will be alright,"

"I am worried for you, this could easily be a trap..."

"I know, but this also could be the lead I need to know why these ruins are connected to the incidents with Asteria and the Andromedian,"

Usagi wished to be able to look into his eyes, but she had to comply with his request. She brought his hand up to her lips and kissed it softly, "Do you promise you'll be careful, Endymion?"

"I promise, Serenity." Mamoru said in a soft tone and kissed her hand, "Tell me, what else did they talk about?"

"About Cosmic Monarchy—people don't believe it actually exists,"

"Can't blame them," Mamoru mumbled as he took another exit and gave a quick glance at his rear-view mirror to change lanes, "Elysion is from ancient times—there is no record of its existence, that is why I am very interested in knowing why this woman knows about it—about us,"

Usagi tightened her grip on his hand and took a deep breath, "They really wanted you to take the crown—your family, your people... they all wanted you to become King because they knew you would do great things, for all of them, they knew they were in good hands." she pursed her lips to show her annoyance on the matter, "He bothered me—the host, I had to change the station... I couldn't listen to him anymore,"

Mamoru gave his wife's hand a soft squeeze, "Why?"

"Because he said that if there was really a Monarch for this planet, this person would be a total ass—you know, bossy and abusive and that's not who you are, like, at all. If only they knew just how wonderful their Monarch actually is and how much he did and sacrificed to save this planet from extinction and how much he is doing right now so they can live a peaceful life... he would be the first to praise you, I'm sure."

Mamoru widened his eyes as he looked at the road ahead; he didn't really know what to say, he was surprised to hear Usagi speak with such loyalty to his ideals and his perspective. This was clearly another side of her, one that had great knowledge of what it really meant to be a royal and a representative in a divine monarchy and it took his breath away.

"It's okay, love, don't pay mind,"

"But I do pay mind—it's you who they are talking about,"

Mamoru chuckled, "You can't force people to believe something they have not seen before,"

"Well, there's faith—people have faith... then there's religion, politics, philosophy—aren't those all things people can't see and yet, believe in?"

"Well, look at you," Mamoru smiled quite impressed by her sharp take on the matter; Usagi huffed softly, "What?"

"Nothing, your view on this matter... it's amazing,"

"I'm just saying it's unfair for people to judge you that way,"

"Usa, they are not judging me—they are scrutinizing the idea of a Monarch taking care of the whole planet, and, to be honest with you—I don't blame them."

"You are that Monarch,"

Mamoru smiled, finding her passionate argument endearing, "My love, you have to be partial in these types of arguments. You are being defensive because you know me but they don't,"

"What if they still don't believe if you take the crown and you actually become King?"

"That is something I will have to figure out if that moment arrives, until then, there is not much I can do."

Usagi frowned, "You are so..."

"What?" Mamoru laughed, "I am so what?"

"Mature..." Usagi pouted her lips and let out a heavy sigh, "I hate it when you're right,"

Mamoru smiled and brought her hand to his lips to kiss it softly, "I'm sorry?"

"No, you're not," Usagi chuckled, "But, I still love you, though,"

"Good, that's all that matters to me,"

-O-

After their little-heated argument, they drove in silence for about twenty minutes but it didn't feel heavy or uncomfortable, it was more like a small moment of peace between them. Mamoru would often reach for Usagi's hand to kiss it every now and then, a gesture Usagi found very endearing but also very sneaky because it was his way to make her feel secure and calm now that they were meeting with the woman that involuntarily caused a ruckus in their early days as a married couple. A short while later, she felt the car stopped moving and heard the radio going mute, meaning Mamoru had turned the engine off, "Okay, we're here—" he turned to put his hand over her eyes, "But don't open your eyes just yet—I'm going to help you to get out of the car."

Usagi smiled and nodded, Mamoru frowned "Don't you cheat on me Tsukino Usagi."

The silver-haired princess chuckled, knowing he was playing the same game she played on him earlier "I won't, I promise—but, just as a friendly reminder... I'm no longer Tsukino..."

"Legally, that is true, but to me, you will always be a Luna Bunny," Mamoru chuckled and got out of the car, Usagi smiled when she heard him open her door and helped her come out with the most of care and held her as they walked down what Usagi suspected was a grass area before stepping inside someplace else, "Can I open my eyes now?" she asked curiously.

"No,"

"Now?"

"Nope,"

"How about now?"

"Just a little while longer, Usako," Mamoru chuckled as he continued leading her until they stopped inside a room full of panoramic windows giving a gorgeous view at a garden full of greenery and flowers everywhere. He smiled as he leaned down to whisper in her ear, "Now, open your eyes..."

Usagi slowly opened her eyes that soon widened as big as the windows in front of her and gaped with surprise when she recognized the room where she was standing. Taking her sunglasses off, she turned to look around and then at Mamoru over her shoulder, "Mamo-chan? This is..."

Mamoru nodded and hugged her from behind and kissed her cheek, "Welcome home, Chiba Usagi."

Usagi looked at him with wide eyes, "W-What? B-But this..." she took a deep breath to assimilate what was going on, "This is the house we saw months ago... way before we got married..."

Mamoru smiled at nodded "Yes,"

"I loved this house,"

"Yes,"

"I fell in love with this house..."

"I know,"

"B-But it was already taken by somebody else... we had to go back to square one and start looking for another place, h-how did you?" her shock was too big her brain couldn't find the right words to express her shock. Mamoru nodded again, "Yes it was, but the people who were buying it had some problems with their paperwork and they had to give it up and it was put on the market again. As soon as I learned about this I stepped in and started negotiations until..." he took the keys out of his jeans' pocket and showed them to her, "We got it."

Usagi covered her mouth and turned to the deck and garden outside, "So... this means... the garden is mine?"

"The garden is yours,"

"That adorable front lawn is mine too?"

"The adorable front lawn is yours,"

Usagi gasped and turned to look at him with wide eyes, "The walk-in closet..."

"All yours, love," Mamoru chuckled, "All yours," Usagi felt her eyes burn with tears, "Oh my..."

Mamoru smiled and placed the set of keys in his wife's hand, "I told you, you didn't have to worry about it."

Usagi looked down at the set of keys in her hand and then back at her husband, "How long have you been doing this?!"

"More than you can imagine..."

Usagi looked down at the set of keys in her trembling hand again and shook her head, still in disbelief "I—" she looked up at her husband without even trying to keep her happy tears at bay and wrapped her arms around his neck, "Why are you so wonderful, Prince of Earth?"

Mamoru smiled and kissed her lips softly, "Because I love you, Moon Princess, as simple as that. There is nothing I wouldn't do for you."

Usagi smiled and caressed his cheek softly but soon their little romantic moment was interrupted by the sound of heels clicking on the hardwood floor, "Mamoru," A soft, yet authoritative voice startled the couple, making them turn to meet the now famous Shimuta Chieko.

Her beauty was undeniable, Usagi admitted and immediately assumed she was older than her, maybe the same age as Mamoru. She had long chocolate hair that reached just below her breasts and was styled in luscious loose curls; her green colored eyes sparkled with her perfectly done makeup and her glossy nude lips. There was an air of high-class and sophistication coming from her due to her fancy clothes and jewelry adorning her body. It was that moment when she noticed the huge diamond ring on her finger screaming to the world that she had been taken by a very, very, wealthy man.

"Good morning," Mamoru turned to look at her but kept all greetings to a minimal level when he saw her walking past the foyer.

"I'm sorry I'm late—I had this client that just would not let me go," Chieko strolled into the large room with her high-end Louboutin's and Chanel bag and handed Mamoru a fancy leather portfolio. "Here, just as we agreed," the tone in her voice was also masked with forced politeness, giving more clues to Usagi that in fact, there was real tension between the two of them. Chieko noticed they weren't the only ones in the room and widened her green eyes when she saw Usagi standing by the window and blinked with surprise, "Oh, hello—Hisakawa Chieko,"

Mamoru turned and smiled at Usagi, "Chieko, this is my wife—Usagi,"

Chieko widened her eyes surprised to find that her ex's new bride was nothing like she was imagining her to be; she had a beauty that went beyond any of her expectations and a presence difficult to ignore. She tried to come up with the warmest smile she could muster and tried her best to keep her old jealous habits under control as she offered to shake hands with Usagi, who, in return did with much grace, "Nice to meet you, Chieko-san,"

"Oh, it's you with who I spoke over the phone the other night, then?" Chieko asked slightly surprised, Usagi nodded with a small smile, "Yes."

"I see, so even you too have to deal with Mamoru's disappearances," Chieko chuckled and turned to Mamoru with a quirked brow, "Old habits never die, I suppose."

Usagi noticed the bitter tone in her words and blinked surprised at her comment but decided to let it pass for now. Chieko stood next to Mamoru and looked down at the papers in Mamoru's hands, "I need you to give these a final glance before you sign them—that's one of the reasons the other couple lost control over the house, they thought everything was in order and ready to go and at the last moment, they had some information wrong and well... the bank doesn't wait."

"Sure," Mamoru mumbled as he started reading, completely ignoring the woman's hungry glare. Usagi noticed Chieko was another name on the list of women who devoured Mamoru with lustful eyes in silence; it almost felt like was flirting with him with all the glances and smirks she gave him, making her believe it was some sort of right all ex-girlfriends had when it came to meet with former boyfriends so they could see what they had let go and swagger like a peacock to show off and spark some old flame. She decided it was best and healthier for her if she put those thoughts aside, and turned to her husband, "Mamo-chan, is it okay if I go see the rest of the house?"

Chieko widened her eyes and turned to Mamoru who was giving his wife the warmest of smiles, "Of course, love—go ahead. I'll catch with you in a minute,"

"Excuse me," Usagi smiled at Chieko and took her way to the master bedroom, leaving Chieko and Mamoru alone. The silver-haired princess felt this was a good moment to call Minako and give her the news but realized she didn't have her phone with her and remembered she had left it in the purse she unconsciously left in Mamoru's care, "Oh, shoot, my purse..." she turned on her heel to get it back but froze and leaned behind a wall on a small hall that led to a guest bathroom when she heard Chieko chuckling. Usagi knew this was not the right thing to do or not but her curiosity was too big to ignore at this point.

"What is it Chieko?" Mamoru asked with slight disinterest as he continued reading the papers in his hands. Chieko arched her perfect shaped brow and looked at him cynically, "Mamo-chan?" she let out another chuckle, "Since when?"

Mamoru kept his eyes on the papers, completely ignoring Chieko's jealous glare, "It's a nickname she gave me when we met,"

"Well, that's interesting..." Chieko scoffed, "You never wanted me to give you a nickname,"

"Hunk can hardly be considered a nickname, it's a label and you know how I feel about that," Mamoru muttered and let out a soft sigh, "I see you haven't changed,"

"Me?" Chieko laughed, "Why should I?"

"Is that how you like to call your husband?"

"No, my husband doesn't like anything," Chieko rolled her eyes and began pacing around the large vacant room, "I wonder if the divorce will give him some sort of excitement or at least make him notice I exist." This was enough for Mamoru to look up at her, "You're getting divorced?"

Chieko chuckled and turned to look at him over her shoulder, "My, I thought you knew,"

"Why would I know about your personal life?" Mamoru arched his brow, "I'm not the kind of person who likes to gossip,"

"You're a different species, Chiba Mamoru," Chieko arched her brow and sighed, "I know you see my father regularly. I thought he mentioned it, you know, because of the closeness, his loyalty to your parents, and the fact that you are his client..."

"He didn't tell me and—"

"—You never asked, I know,"

"I'm surprised," Mamoru frowned, "Wasn't he supposed to be the wealthy man you deserved to marry? He didn't have enough money to please your needs?"

"Oh no, dear, don't mistake my situation... he has money," Chieko pursed her lips and crossed her arms, "But he turned out to be the kind of man that doesn't like to keep his fortune for just one woman,"

"I'm sorry to hear that." Mamoru looked down at the papers in his hands, making Chieko laugh softly, "Are you, really?"

"Yes, I am. I'm not a monster," Mamoru frowned at the pun he used and sighed, "What does Ikio say about all this?"

"He doesn't know the real reasons why I am getting divorced—but obviously, he's not happy..." the woman wearing a fancy white silk blouse and white wide-leg palazzo pants turned to look at her former boyfriend, "He wasn't you after all. I see you only get better with time—you have somehow managed to surpass the normal standards of gorgeousness,"

"Chieko," Mamoru's voice had a warning tone to it, he shook his head with a displeased frown, "Don't..."

"You didn't even tell me when you got engaged!" Chieko looked at him with hurt, Mamoru arched his brow "Uh, I'm sorry?"

Chieko frowned, "And I know you attended Nishimura Reika's wedding... Daichi was there, he saw you... he told me you were the groom's best man and that you acted like you didn't know him,"

"I don't know him," Mamoru shrugged his shoulders with disinterest and crossed his arms with a confused look, "I honestly don't know what to say, he wanted a handshake in solidarity or something? I don't understand..."

"Well, a greeting would have been nice,"

"Why does it bother you so much? He's your friend, not mine."

"Mamoru," Chieko shook her head, "We crossed eyes at that New Year's Eve party at the Conrad and you gave me the coldest of glares, you looked at me like we were strangers..." she frowned, "And since when you do all the things you didn't want to do with me when we were together? Huh?"

"What did you expect me to do, Chieko? You wanted me to go to your table and catch up at the New Year's Eve party and act cool?"

Chieko sighed with annoyance, "Well, yes... that is what ex-boyfriends do,"

Mamoru shrugged his shoulders, "You were with your friends, I was with mine and my fiancé. I had no reason to go to your table, I had nothing to tell you then..." he narrowed his blue eyes, "And there is still not much I can tell you now, except for the business we have at hand,"

"I wouldn't have found out you got married if it wasn't for my father!"

"Chieko," Mamoru let out an exasperated chuckle, "Again, what did you want me to do? We haven't spoken in twelve years and still, you were expecting an invitation to my wedding?"

-O-

Usagi was utterly surprised to hear Mamoru speak with so much detachment and coldness to the woman; he was being polite but the tone in his voice hinted that there was more he preferred to keep to himself; he sounded upset rather than just annoyed, he was uncomfortable. The silver-blonde felt guilty for eavesdropping on their conversation but she couldn't deny that she was also very curious to know if there was more to what Mamoru told her about Chieko.

-O-

Back in the empty living room, Mamoru shook his head and let out a dry, sarcastic chuckle, making Chieko feel a little frustrated and shook her head, "What's so funny?"

"Why are you doing this?"

"What?"

"Why are you arguing with me like if any of this still mattered?" Mamoru frowned, "I found out you got married the same way years ago. You made sure to let the world know you were marrying a wealthy man, why are any of the things I do an issue to you now?" he narrowed his deep blue eyes, in response, Chieko crossed her arms while letting a heavy sigh, "Because we were close,"

"That was a long time ago," Mamoru said softly, "But things change Chieko, people change, you better than anyone knows this."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Chieko put her hands on her waist expressing her annoyance, "Eh, Mamoru?"

"It means that no matter how close our families were... you and I were not meant to be together." Mamoru closed the portfolio in his hands and looked at her, "Chieko, you had other interests, you wanted to live a luxurious life and I just wanted to survive. I had lost my family, my memories and friends—I had to start over."

"Still," Chieko shook her head with denial, "We were supposed to end up together,"

"We didn't have anything in common," Mamoru said in a more relaxed tone, "You wanted to end up with a wealthy man so you could get out of your house and live by your own rules and I just couldn't care less about the money or any of that lifestyle you love so much. I didn't even know what I had it until I became a legal adult and still, most of it is still in the bank—the majority of the things I have, I got them with my own effort and with the money I earned on my own."

"You were supposed to be that wealthy man for me, you were that man... you just didn't want to admit it, you preferred to live like a—"

"No, Chieko, I was an orphan." Mamoru's eyes turned darker as he looked at her, his voice deepened, showing his discomfort for being having this particular conversation with her, "An orphan with no money, no future, and no class—a mediocre, a nobody. Is that how it was?" he shrugged his shoulders, "The amnesia caused by the accident may have cut some of your words."

Usagi covered her mouth with shock to learn the truth behind those two was a painful story and now she understood why it made Mamoru so upset to even mention it, why he preferred a low-key lifestyle and why he disliked so much the word hunk. At the other side of the wall, Chieko looked at her ex-boyfriend with wide eyes and let out a heavy sigh, "Mamoru, when you're sixteen years old you say too many stupid things... like you and your absurd dreams about a silver crystal and a girl of hair of moonbeam asking you to find her, remember?"

Usagi's eyes widened, "The silver crystal..." she mumbled softly, "A girl... with hair of moonbeam..." she blushed, knowing the girl calling for him in his dreams was her, giving total sense to why he loved her hair so much.

Mamoru sighed tiredly and handed Chieko the portfolio, "I want to make some changes to these, for starters, the house is under my name,"

"Yes, so?

"I want the house deed to be under Usagi's name,"

"Seriously?" Chieko widened her eyes, "Yes, seriously," Mamoru answered dryly.

"But you're paying for this property,"

"So?"

"The most logical thing is to make the deed under your name. Do you have any idea how long it's going to take me to get the notary make these changes?" Chieko frowned when she saw Mamoru smiling with his arms securely crossed over his chest, "What?"

"Isn't that why you are supposed to be the best in the field? You mentioned this over and over while we spoke on the phone, remember?"

"I am the best," Chieko arched her brow, Mamoru chuckled "Okay, so... why is this a problem?"

"I do not find the changes necessary, that's all—if you're already married to her."

"I love her, she is my wife—the house is hers, end of story." Mamoru's tone remained soft and warm, almost friendly, proving he was really over what happened between them, "I talked to your father—he is informed of this, I went to the bank and gave notice of the withdrawal, everything should proceed smoothly and without any problems from this point on,"

"Mamoru..." Chieko looked at him with surprise, realizing that the man she knew since forever had finally moved on from his somber past. Like she said, Chieko and Mamoru were close. They were friends during their childhood and somehow Chieko felt it right whenever their parents mentioned how they would look good together if they became a couple. It was a standard idea that it was slowly implanted in her mind and she liked it, she could see herself growing up and marrying him in the future.

Their social status was no secret to her; she was aware of her father's wealth and also knew Mamoru's family was very wealthy due to his father's good position in the stock market and his many financial affairs. Things took a drastic change when the accident happened Mamoru's life changed completely, starting with the fact that he had lost his memories.

Years later, she found him by accident on a trip to a local store and saw him working as a cashier. The rich kid she remembered was now being replaced by a very silent young man who worked to pay his bills. It didn't take them long to become friends again and they later started that relationship she once thought would end up in marriage, but his past and his current life was too real and confusing for her and eventually caused the relationship to end and not in the best of terms. Chieko remembered Mamoru often talked about a girl with silver hair calling for him on his dreams and she always talked about how come he couldn't use his parent's money to go back to his old lifestyle and live the life of a rich kid and how it always led to heated discussions and disappearances from Mamoru. At sixteen, Chieko felt disgusted and annoyed by his life choices and by how he didn't want to be part of that life she constantly bragged about they could have to a point where he wasn't feeding her expectations and ended up spitting all those poisonous and hurtful things at him before they parted ways.

Chieko lowered her gaze and slowly come out of her façade; she took a deep breath and remembered the many times she asked her father about him, in her mind, hoping to find some peace inside her mind and believe she did the right thing by giving up on him but she would always be surprised to know he went for an achievement after another. Chieko never really let go of that dream of marrying Mamoru, and she never really stopped digging about his life, no matter how much she preached she was over him but the more she dug, the more she learned how Mamoru remained faithful to his wishes to become someone in life and how he had succeeded, both in his career and in his personal life and it was then when she understood what she had lost.

"How—" Chieko made a paused and took another deep breath, "How long have you known each other?"

Mamoru looked at her and leaned his back on a window, "Quite some time—I was seventeen when I met her."

Chieko swallowed and nodded, "I see—" she finally took the courage to look into his enchanting, deep blue eyes, noticing there was something different in them, "She seems to care for you, very much."

A small, but genuine smile caught Chieko's attention when Mamoru nodded, "And I care for her, very much. This is little compared to everything she has done for me over the last ten years," he sighed softly and turned to look away, finally putting a silent end to their walk down memory lane and frowned, "Do you have a pen with you?" Chieko sighed and looked inside her purse and bit her lip, "No... I must have left it in the car—I'll go get it,"

"No, it's okay, I'll go get one from my car. I'll be right back," Mamoru said softly and walked out of the house, giving Usagi the perfect opportunity to walk back without being noticed and have a little tour around the master bedroom. She walked marveled at the large adjoined bathroom and spacious walk-in closet with a wide smile, mentally thinking she needs to give Mamoru a fair share of the space for his things, considering how tight it is now that she moved into the apartment but the conversation she overheard was still too fresh in her mind to put it aside.

"It's quite the closet, I must say."

Usagi widened her crystal blue eyes and turned to Chieko who was now standing by the bedroom door with her arms crossed. She must have been too deep in thought that she did not even notice when Chieko joined her in the room, she turned to look around and frowned slightly when she noticed Mamoru was nowhere in sight, "Is Mamo—"

"He went to his car to get a pen... he'll be right back," Chieko interrupted Usagi with a slightly dry tone in her voice. She turned to look at the closet and half smiled, "'It's perfect for her' —those were his words when he started the bid on this house,"

"You..." Usagi blinked surprised, "Those were the papers you wanted him to sign the night you called..."

Chieko nodded, "I own a real state agency and this house has been in a long battle for months. Mamoru competed with many others that weren't backing down on getting this property... it was a tough battle but, in the end, he turned out to be victorious."

Usagi smiled at the pun, even in his daily and normal life he still had that spirit of a warrior. Chieko took a deep breath and walked into the room, the sound of her heels clicking on the hardwood floors was the only thing keeping them company, "You must be wondering why I speak to him with such trust and closeness," she looked over her shoulder and half smiled, "I don't know if he told you but—"

"You two have known each other for many years... I know." Usagi interrupted Chieko, surprising the woman in white, "I must say I am surprised he even mentioned I exist." Chieko chuckled softly, but Usagi noticed there was a heavy hint of sadness tainting her words.

"Our families were close—my parents were very good friends with his parents and well, we became close friends as well," Chieko walked to the large window and clicked her tongue with marvel, "Wow, this terrace is a dream... this master bedroom is just, perfect. I would arrange a seating area near the fireplace... it's a good place for reading and still being able to admire the garden outside in the winter time." she sighed softly, and turned to Usagi, and saw her curious glare, knowing this was something she couldn't just put aside, not with her—his wife. "We dated a long time ago..." she closed the panoramic window slowly, "But it didn't work out, obviously."

Usagi didn't know what to say but the look in Chieko's eyes was more than enough to let her know that she was being miserable inside, despite all of her success as a realtor, her beauty, and money. She looked lonely and by the way she heard her speaking to Mamoru, she was in pain and most of it was because she now knew what she had lost over her own ambition.

Chieko didn't wait for a response from the silver-haired beauty standing just a few feet away from her and smiled softly, "I would be lying if I say I am not surprised... Mamoru is one man too hard to get and impress," she turned, "But since we started all this process, his sole purpose was to make you happy. He said wanted this to be a surprise for you, so he tried his best to keep it a secret... the night I called, it was because I really needed him to confirm some information... it was urgent, I had no other option but to ask my father for his home number."

Usagi felt her heart skip a beat inside her chest, all the secrets he had been holding, all the messages she read, the emails, the missed calls and his secret escapades, they all served to the sole purpose of creating the perfect surprise for her, just like Minako had suggested. Chieko took a step closer to Usagi and arched her brow "You're beautiful, there is no question about that, but you must be a very, very special woman to have him look at you the way he does—it's definitely something I have never seen before,"

"Chieko-san, I—" Usagi blushed, Chieko crossed her arms and shook her head, "It's alright, Usagi-san, you don't need to say anything." she sighed softly and looked at the silver haired princess, "Mamoru can be a little too independent and he tries to do everything himself, but he's the kind of person that once you earn his trust and break that protective shell of his, he will literally do anything for you—I can see that now." she frowned, "Keep in mind a man like that is very hard to find. Chiba Mamoru is a different species... I've always said it, he is like a fairytale Prince."

Usagi widened her eyes as she heard the woman trying her best to describe her loss and realized that beyond all, they were just two women on the verge of tears over the same man but for two very different reasons, "Chieko-san..." Usagi breathed, Chieko shrugged her shoulders and looked up, trying to fight her own tears.

"Ah, there you are..."

Usagi looked at Mamoru walking into the room with the leather portfolio under his arm, "I was looking all over for you,"

"I had to come and see this closet again, I can't believe it's mine," Usagi chuckled, Mamoru wrapped his arm around her shoulders and handed her the portfolio and pen, "Well, you might want to make it official then." Usagi widened her crystal blue eyes and looked up at him with all seriousness, "Mamoru... are you sure?"

Chieko swallowed her pain in a big, silent gulp and looked at Usagi with her new regained façade and walked to stand next to him, "This house has been yours since the moment this man began fighting for it. It's only natural that it ended under your name,"

"B-But..."

"Oh, honey, if a man wants to buy you a house, you don't say no—you never, say no."

"These are not the official deeds, but, it will notify the notary the authorization to make the changes that are needed to be done," Mamoru said softly; Usagi blushed and turned to Mamoru, then at the papers in her hands and took a deep breath as she walked over a small table by the window and proceeded to sign the papers under the dotted line, right above Mamoru's strong, yet minimalistic signature. Signing these papers had a deeper meaning for Usagi than just knowing it was the acquisition of a home; it was the symbol of a dream they began creating more than a lifetime ago and a promise to fulfill together for as long as their own given divinity allowed them to. It was the beginning of a new era, one when her identity as Serenity had more presence and one where her voice was heard and supported and no longer played the role of a weak and vulnerable princess waiting to be adorned with strings of immaculate pearls.

Usagi handed Mamoru the pen and looked into his prismatic blue eyes with tears in her crystal blue eyes, "Thank you..." she breathed, "Thank you so much..."

"No, thank you... for loving me," Mamoru kissed her temple and leaned down to her ear, "There is nothing I wouldn't do for you, mea Serenitati."

It wasn't a lie, Chieko could see the devotion in Mamoru's eyes, confirming it was nothing she ever saw in him before. There was so much love and passion, like if they were the only ones in the room and then that smile he had on his face, one so charming it could warm the coldest of rooms. Chieko looked at the couple with a hint of sadness and cleared her throat to break their little romantic moment, "Well, the house is yours, Usagi-san."

Usagi turned to Chieko with a blush on her cheeks, "Thank you for everything, Chieko-san."

Chieko nodded and turned to Mamoru, "I will talk to my father later today to let him know of the negotiation status so he can do the necessary paperwork for the payment and the deed—expect more calls and probably a few more meetings, very soon."

"Sure," Mamoru's arm tightened around Usagi's shoulders, Chieko noticed and took it as her cue to leave, "Well I have to go, but, I have something to give you first. I don't normally am as considerate to my clients since I tend to deal with a lot of pretentious people..." she went to get her purse and walked back with a bottle of the finest champagne in existence, "Here. It's for you to celebrate your new home,"

Usagi widened her eyes and looked at Chieko, while taking the beautifully crafted bottle of champagne with a golden cap, "Chieko-san..."

"It's just a little something, you know, to compensate you for all the hassle." Chieko waved her hand and smiled softly as she turned to Mamoru, making it more than obvious what she meant by those words. Mamoru gave Chieko a genuine smile in gratitude, the first one since they met again, "Thank you Chieko."

"It's a very beautiful house... congratulations," Chieko patted his shoulder and turned on her heel, waving her hand in the air without looking back at the couple, "I have more pretentious people to meet, more houses to hunt and more checks to cash—sayonara."

Usagi looked at the woman walk out of their lives the same way she walked in, like a faint memory from the past. She turned to Mamoru and cupped his cheek with her free hand and smiled, this time not holding her tears any longer "I promise I will look out for you, care for you, and love you for all eternity—it doesn't matter the life we choose to live and how we live it, it doesn't matter our pasts... the only thing that matters from now on is our future."

Mamoru wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her up, "What if this house turns into a palace?"

Usagi smiled, "It would still be our home and I would make sure to make it very special and cozy for us,"

"Usa..." Mamoru leaned his forehead on hers, "I don't know what's ahead of us... I don't know what it's going to happen but—"

"I know..." Usagi closed her eyes and smiled, "I don't care if I have to face the entire divine world... as long as I am with you and get to spend my life with you." Mamoru exhaled softly and closed his eyes, his lips brushing softly against Usagi's, "I am forever yours, Serenitati."

"Forever yours, Endymion... I am, forever yours." Usagi tilted her head and kissed her husband to her heart's content.

O—o—o—O

Rei blew the steam of her green tea as she looked up at the morning skies. It had been a quiet morning at the temple and since her chores had been cut in half since her grandfather passed away and she has been accompanied by Jadeite, Luna, Artemis, and Jun—everything has been more tranquil and quiet.

Her thoughts were soon interrupted by the sound of footsteps coming her way and turned to find Jadeite carrying a tray with what appeared to be steamed buns, "Care to have some breakfast?"

Rei looked at the blonde general take a seat next to her and put the tray in between them, "I was told by Jun that you haven't eaten anything and soon it will be noon," he turned to look at her and tilted his head, "Mars—we have talked about this... you need to eat,"

"I know, I know... it's just that..."

"What?" Jadeite frowned, "Did something happen?"

"The fire... it's speaking to me again," Rei exhaled softly, pursing her lips in thought "I am worried Jadeite,"

Jadeite sighed and turned his head to look at the garden and cherry trees, "We all are Mars but all we can do is to do our best and that is to fight." After a few minutes of silence, he continued "But it would be much better if you just ate something."

"You shouldn't worry about me this much—I'm alright..." Rei looked down at the freshly made bean buns with shame, "I have done nothing but give you worries and troubles."

"Looking after you is no trouble for me," Jadeite said softly while still looking at cherry trees contrasting against the clear blue sky, "It is what friends do," he turned and arched his brow, "In my time—that is what friends did for those they cared about, I do not know a damn thing about this time..."

Rei chuckled softly, "I believe it is the same as in your time—friendship never gets old."

"Well then, do not see yourself as a problem for me—I do this gladly," Jadeite said softly, "Even if it is the last thing I do... allow me to be your aid."

"The last thing you do?" Rei frowned, "Why do you say that?"

Jadeite turned to face her and gave her a sad smile, "We have a duty Mars, as Shitennou we are to look out for our Master's safety—we were chosen by Her Majesty the Queen to serve, guide, and protect Prince Endymion no matter the cost, no matter the consequences."

"The consequences?" Mars shook her head, confused by his words "W-What do you mean by that?"

"It means..." Jadeite took a deep breath and exhaled, "It means my dear Mars, that even if we gave our lives in battle, our Prince must be the last one standing—think of us as Endymion's protective shield." he shook his head and averted his gaze to avoid to see the worry in her beautiful purple eyes, "We do not know what it is ahead of us but whatever that is—it is most likely he will be given a task to serve his position as warrior. It seems this battle not only concerns us—if Ares is involved, it most likely concerns all the universe."

"Do you think Mamoru will be called by him?" Mars frowned and put her empty cup down. Jadeite sighed softly, "He is a Polemarchos whether those up in the heavens agree or not and he will fight like one," Jadeite's face stiffed a little, leaving no trace of his boyish gestures, "Divinity was part of our studies and as warriors, it was only natural for us to know about the God of War and his army of strong warriors—the ones that protect Olympus and the universe from a distance... Endymion is part of that league, like I said, whether the gods or Endymion himself likes it or not." The blonde brought one knee to his chest and hugged it casually, while the other still hung from the tall porch, "Endymion is aware—he may not show it, he may not say anything about it but he is aware and he is informed. Kunzite will contact him any time now to let him know of this woman's whereabouts—the archaeologist. He is just giving him the chance to spend some quality time with Princess Serenity before it happens, whatever that is meant to happen."

Rei widened her eyes, "I don't understand..."

Jadeite shook his head, "Once Endymion finds this woman, the enemy will appear. They are looking for him, everything that has been happening is to catch his attention. Endymion is not being careless Mars, it is because he cares too much for his people, this planet, and the Princess that he has been avoiding greater damage by staying under the radar so they cannot find him and have enough time to plan a strategy."

"Jadeite..." Rei felt her heart beating with amazing force in her chest, "Just... what kind of power does he have?"

"I have never seen it," Jadeite bit his lip and shook his head again, "I believe none of us have except for Megumi and whatever she witnessed, I am sure it was only a small fraction of it." He narrowed his grey eyes in remembrance, "When I was a child, I heard this tale about the mystical Queen of Earth but I honestly thought it was just that—a tale."

"How did it go—the story?" Rei asked with much interest, Jadeite shrugged his shoulders, "It was said that she once fought against evil dark forces and saved Earth from catastrophic damages with a golden light as bright and warm as the Sun itself. It was a story that slowly washed away from history and became just a folk tale, but my mother was a witness of that moment. She said an intense light engulfed the once Goddess of Earth and cut through the darkness and sealed it away with her golden sword. He smiled sadly, "My mother told me she went desperately looking for the Goddess Queen days after these events because I was born weak and sick... it was then when Queen Gaia gave her a Jadeite stone; hence, my name."

Rei widened her eyes with awe, "Is that why your names are all from mineral stones?"

Jadeite nodded, "We later learned of course, that Queen Gaia gave those blessed stones to those chosen to carry them—we all have a story behind our name." He slowly stood up, "Queen Gaia was powerful but unlike Endymion, she was not one with the sacred stone, she could use it but never mastered it. That is why we must protect him, Mars, because the lifeforce of this planet is linked directly to that stone and its protector and right now, Endymion is his own worst enemy because he will do whatever is necessary to win this war and protect Princess Serenity from the claws of darkness."

"So what can we do?" Rei looked at him desperate to have more answers, something that could give her the strength and tools to have the advantage in this new battle. Jadeite looked at her, "First, we must bring Megumi with us—"

Rei widened her amethyst eyes, "Why? She is being taken care by—"

"The Outer Senshi, I know," Jadeite shook his head, "But they are hesitant, and one of them still believes it is dangerous to keep your Princess close with our Prince. To be honest, I still have my doubts..."

"Haruka-san..." Rei said softly, Jadeite nodded "To win this we need to be united and besides, she was only going to stay with them until Endymion and the Princess returned from their wedding travels. We must cut any possible links that would allow the enemy find Endymion, just because they have not gone after her anymore does not mean they are not aware of Megumi's existence, after all, she is responsible for his awakening."

"I understand," Rei nodded, "I will bring her here—it is only natural for her to stay close to her family."

Jadeite sighed and nodded, "Yes, we are a small family of strangers now."

"You're not strangers," Rei frowned, "You're everything but strangers."

"A Prince, a maid, and four men from different families can hardly be called a family." Jadeite chuckled softly and sat on his previous spot on the porch, Rei moved closer and rested her hand on top of his "A family is not always related by blood—it is with who you feel safe, with who you laugh, with who you cry. Usagi and the girls are my family, Mamoru, Luna, and Artemis are also part of that family and now, so are you,"

Jadeite smiled, "I suppose you are right."

"A little dysfunctional I must say..." Rei said softly, making Jadeite share his contagious laughter with her "What?"

"A little?" The blonde said between laughs, "We are all crazy."

"What better reason to make us family than craziness?" Rei chuckled, Jadeite wiped a tear of laughter from the corner of his eye and sighed, "I believe you have a point there, Sailor Mars..." he looked at her and smiled, "I am glad I made you smile." Rei looked at him with wide eyes and blushed softly, "I... don't—"

Jadeite chuckled softly, "Do not panic Sailor Mars, it was just a compliment, not a marriage proposal,"

The priestess looked away and tried to calm the wave of new feelings she's been experiencing since the blonde general made himself clear about his intentions with her. He had been with her every day until very late at night helping her manage and clean the shrine. Since the high priest's passing, he has not left her side despite having the company of both lunar advisors and Jun, the cook. Rei had spent her nights thinking how different had been if he followed their steps and lived like a normal human being in their era; maybe she would not have been that harsh with him, maybe she would not have broken his heart or maybe he would have been with a different person. A slight frown crossed the priestess' delicate features every time she pictured the blonde man being this attentive with a different woman, she couldn't, she didn't want to—and then, she realized it, the truth behind her feelings.

Like a man of his word, Jadeite did not make any moves and did not attempt anything that would make her think he still had feelings for her, in fact, she was surprised by how he despite being so gentle and charming towards her he still managed to keep his distance. As soon as the sun began to set he would go back to his place with the other Shitennou, leaving her with all those mixed feelings and the need to see his smile a little while longer; it was difficult for her to admit it, but the truth was that she cared for the general more than she ever imagined she could.

Maybe it was his smile, the soft and playful sound of his voice, his golden hair, the cool gray tone of his eyes and how they squinted slightly every time he laughed, his curious and joyful character or maybe his silly jokes, or how serious he could get to be. These past few days Rei has met a different side of Jadeite she never thought he had, behind that never-ending sarcastic character was a caring, serious man. He didn't hesitate to take matters into his hands when she felt like the world was crushing against her with her grandfather's passing and was even more surprised when he looked after her despite her being so blunt and unapologetic with him. She looked at him in silence and thought how he has not left her side and yet has not asked for anything in return, like Yuuichiro did.

Jadeite smiled softly, "Well, are you finally going to eat or not?" Rei blinked at him then at the buns on the ceramic plate in front of her, "I suppose..."

"You suppose?" Jadeite frowned and shook his head, "I have no idea what these are but they smell and look delicious,"

"Why don't you try one?"

"What?"

"Try one," Rei smiled and put a bun on a smaller plate and handed it to him, "They're called nikuman and they're usually filled with pork. Nothing strange about that, now is it?"

"I suppose not," Jadeite looked at his steamed bun and pursed his lips, "I was not lying when I said you had strange food,"

"What did you eat back then?" Rei crossed her arms, "What's so different?"

Jadeite looked at Rei and shrugged his shoulders, "Well, we used to eat stews, casseroles, fish, freshly baked bread... oh, that royal cook really knew her trade." He grabbed the bun and took a bite, immediately savoring the sweet and tangy glaze of the pork filling in contrast with the moist, almost chewy dough of the rice flour bun, "Oh..."

Rei smiled, "Jun is an expert at making steamed buns. Her family is Chinese and learned the trait from her great-grandmother when they used to sell buns for a living. When we were in high school, the girls would come here after school and we would eat them by the dozen." Jadeite's lips curved into a soft smile and let out a chuckle, "That is a lovely image,"

"Wait until you try the sweet version of these..." Rei trailed off and blushed, Jadeite's smile didn't fade as he proceeded to finish the bun, "These are great, but you know what is not?"

"What?"

"You, not eating them."

Rei blew her bangs and grabbed one, "Alright, alright—I'll eat, but don't expect me to eat all of them, you have to help me too,"

"As long as you keep eating," Jadeite grabbed another and ate in silence, both enjoying their company under the afternoon sun; he looked up at her and watched her in silence how she ate with such delicacy. Her elegance and poise were enchanting for him, he loved everything about her; her eyes, her smile, her pouty lips, her raven hair but mostly her loyal and determinant character making him think, how much he loved to spend his days with her, partly ignoring that his time might be limited and that soon enough, he had to return to where he came from.

O—o—o—o—O

Usagi sat across from Mamoru on a table at the terrace of a café and took the menu from the waitress with a big smile on her face, "Ah, thank you..."

"Can I offer you anything to drink?" The young waitress asked both, Usagi turned and blew her bangs, "I'll have an iced mocha but can you add extra chocolate?"

"Sure," the waitress smiled and turned to Mamoru who was giving her a polite smile, "I'll have black coffee, thank you."

The waitress looked at the man with a blush and nodded before leaving to get their beverages. Once alone, Mamoru tilted his head low and peered through his glasses at his smiling wife, "Extra chocolate?" Usagi looked at him and chuckled, "What? I'm happy."

"Well," Mamoru smiled and looked down at the menu, "Then eat all the chocolate you want."

"Chocolate's your favorite too, how come you never order anything more... chocolatey?" Usagi tilted her head with curiosity, Mamoru nodded and looked down at his menu, "It's true, I do love chocolate—I just don't love it on a beverage,"

"What? You don't like hot cocoa?" Usagi widened her eyes in shock, making Mamoru chuckle "I do, but just during winter-time and not every day."

"You make no sense," Usagi mumbled, Mamoru widened his eyes and cackled, "What?"

"Well, you should be joining me on this chocolate train... you're always drinking bitter coffee." Usagi pouted her lips excitedly, "Oooh! Pancakes!" she looked at her still, surprised husband and flashed him a big smile "Can I order pancakes?" Mamoru smiled, "I don't know, can you?"

"I mean, it's past noon..." Usagi bit her lower lip as she looked at other possible options to eat, Mamoru closed his menu and put it aside to lean closer to his wife, "And?"

"You are always making fun of how I want pancakes all the time," the silver-haired looked shyly at him and sighed, "But, it kind of it's your fault,"

"How come it's my fault?" Mamoru chuckled with surprise, Usagi pouted her lips again "Because you're the reason I became addicted to them... you know how to make good pancakes, they're always so fluffy and buttery, I don't know how the heck you do it."

Mamoru laughed softly, "Usako, if you want pancakes, order pancakes and ask them to add the extra sprinkles, chocolate chip, whip cream, caramel, cherries, or whatever sugary bomb you like," he flashed her a toothy grin and pinched her nose gently making her wife giggle as she put her menu down, "Fine, but don't give me a long lecture on how I can become diabetic after I eat the whole thing..."

"Well, you can become diabetic..."

"Mamo-chan,"

"I'm just saying..."

Usagi chuckled, "Ok, pancakes it is—I'll go wash my hands... can you order for me?"

Mamoru nodded and looked down at the menu again, "I'll order for you, don't worry."

"Don't go anywhere,"

"Nope,"

"Okay..." Usagi smiled, "Mamo-chan?"

"Yes?" Mamoru kept looking down at the menu; Usagi stood from her chair and bit her lip, "Can I have a kiss?" Mamoru stopped reading immediately and looked up at his expectant wife, "You really don't need to ask me such thing, I'm all yours," he smiled and pulled her closer, "Come here,"

Usagi leaned down and kissed him to her heart's content now that they were the only ones there. Like any other couple in love, they would show their affection in public by holding hands or give the occasional sweet peck on the cheek or lips but they liked to keep their relationship a little more private, meaning they didn't like to show off by giving any sort of extreme passionate shows of affection in public, to them it was more special to keep that part of their lives just for them and only taking advantage whenever they knew were alone or when they were at a place where they had enough privacy to have their own little moments of passionate affection.

Usagi really enjoyed these sweet gestures and she loved how Mamoru was always willing to grant her every wish, despite knowing he was much more hermetic when it came to showing his feelings but she did notice that he had slowly learned to loosen up and be more affectionate in public, a thing, she found really endearing. Seconds after she ended the kiss and walked back into the restaurant to go to the restroom; the waitress went to leave their beverages and take their order when Mamoru felt a nudge in his chest that gave him notice what was going on. He waited until he was alone and closed his eyes to respond to the calling; in a fraction of a second, he felt his surroundings freeze as he entered into another plane, and opened his eyes to find the white-haired general before him in his military uniform. The general bowed his head in respect and quickly looked up, "Master,"

Mamoru tilted his head down to look at his friend and right hand, "Kunzite, did you find her?"

"Yes," Kunzite looked up at his prince with certainty, "She is staying in a condo close to the bay, at the 20th-floor number 2098—Endymion, I must warn you, she is not alone."

Mamoru nodded slid his dark shades all the way up gave his friend a knowing glare, "The shadows... I know," Kunzite nodded, "The energy surrounding her is heavy, are you sure about this?"

"I need to see what she has found. I need to see with my own eyes why they are going after her and how much did she find." Mamoru shook his head gently, "I won't be able to keep suppressing my energy any longer—they will appear soon enough. We must be very careful and tie any loose ends before we counter-attack."

Kunzite frowned, "Princess Serenity..."

Mamoru looked at Kunzite with dark eyes, "Serenity is strong enough to fight the enemy alongside her fellow Senshi and us, but it's not only about the shadows anymore, there are more involved—if anything happens, you know what to do."

Kunzite nodded, "I solemnly swear to guard her with my life—Jadeite, Nephrite, and Zoisite have been informed and ready to follow your command."

"Thank you, Kunzite." Mamoru nodded and slid down his shades again, "Wait for the sign, I will contact you soon."

Kunzite bowed his head, "Yes, I will have everything ready,"

Mamoru nodded and shut the connection between them and slowly returned to reality. He opened his eyes and saw Usagi was walking back to their table and tilted her head, "Why so gloomy Mamo-chan?"

Mamoru smiled softly, "It's what it usually happens to me every time you are not around,"

Usagi giggled and took a seat closer to him and reached for his hand, "What a coincidence! The same happens to me when you are not around," she looked down at her delicate fingers caressing his stronger ones and bit her lower lip, "I'm sorry for asking you about Chieko-san... and everything that happened in these last couple of days,"

"It's alright, Usa, let's move past it," Mamoru kissed her hand and slid his glasses back up elegantly with his finger, "Let's not focus on that anymore,"

"I should have known better..." Usagi sighed softly, making her husband narrow his deep blue eyes behind his dark shades, "What do you mean?"

"I didn't know she was an important part of your life..." Usagi looked up at him and took her sunglasses away from her face, "I accidentally overheard your conversation with her..."

"Ah..." Mamoru sighed softly, "Usa..."

"When you said you didn't love her that day, I never imagined there was such a sad story behind it—she broke your heart," Usagi mumbled sadly, "You did care for her... and..."

"Hey..." Mamoru intertwined his fingers with hers and leaned closer, "That was a long time ago. We were close yes, but if you say you overheard the conversation then you probably remember I said we didn't have anything in common." he arched his brow and nodded, "Yes, she broke my heart because she basically called me worthless for being an orphan. I worked early morning shifts and late-night shifts at a local store Usa... I barely made enough money to survive because I wasn't old enough to claim my parent's inheritance, but I just didn't want to live in the orphanage anymore. I moved out when I turned fourteen and went to live in this tiny room way before I moved to our apartment. During that time, is when we met again and had this brief relationship at fifteen—but her ideals were different from mine and a year later it all came to an end." he paused and shook his head dismissively, "She took things for granted and thought the easier choice was to marry her childhood friend, but the truth is Usa, I was already looking for you."

Usagi cupped his cheek with her hand and smiled softly, "Really?"

"I never felt complete..." Mamoru chuckled softly, "Sounds crazy, I know, but even when I didn't understand anything and things didn't make any sense, I knew you were talking to me and I was certain that someday I was going to find you, one way or another—I was going to find you. The girl with the hair of moonbeam,"

Usagi blushed, "She knew about your dreams and the crystal..."

Mamoru nodded, "Yes, I told her a few times but she thought it was stupid," he leaned back and sighed softly, "Like I said, we didn't have anything in common, we were together because that was our safest option. We were alone in our own different way, her parents were always busy, mine died—it was just us against the world but she wanted a life I never cared about having."

"But she did love you," Usagi said softly, "Deep down her harsh words and own ambitions... she loved you."

Mamoru tugged her hand gently and exhaled, "I don't know Usa, she wanted me for different reasons..." he smiled sadly at his wife, "It was the same issue as it was back then—they only wanted the title, a crown on their heads... the status of being attached to a royal but they didn't really know a single thing about me. A perfect example would be Beryl, would you say Beryl loved me?" Usagi widened her crystal blue eyes and pursed her lips, "Um... well..."

Mamoru chuckled, "Putting all of her craziness aside, do you actually think she really cared for me?"

"Point taken," Usagi sighed softly, "The same happened to me... suitors wanted me because of the crystal and because I was the Moon Princess but they didn't really show any interest for my own dreams or wishes... Athamas is my perfect example,"

"You, on the other hand, you always knew how to decipher me and you were never dazzled by my title. Up to this day, you are the only one that truly understands me and I love it," Mamoru kissed her hand softly, making Usagi blush, "I love you, a lot."

Mamoru smiled, "I love you too, Buns."

"I honestly don't know how I can keep up with you..." Usagi said jokingly, making Mamoru laugh, "I don't either, but here I am, madly in love with you. I am helpless around you, Serenity. You are the strongest woman I know and you take my breath away, every single day."

"Really? Usagi felt her eyes tingle with the burning feeling of fresh tears in her eyes, "You think I am strong?" Mamoru smiled and leaned his face on his hand and let himself be captivated by Usagi's beauty and gentle self; he flashed her a sensual grin, "The strongest,"

The waitress appeared seconds later with their orders, interrupting their little private moment as she placed their food in front of them; Usagi took a deep breath when she looked at her high stack of fluffy pancakes with all the sugar her petite body could handle, "Mamo-chan! You ordered my pancakes with extra sprinkles and chocolate chips!?" Mamoru chuckled as he cut a piece of his frittata, "I know, I'm the worst doctor there is..." he looked at her with a smile, "But whatever makes you happy, Sugar Bunny."

Usagi giggled at her new nickname and proceeded to cut one fluffy pancake, "Wow, it even has fudge in between! You really went all the way when ordering this! I'm very surprised, my Prince,"

"Although, I think you should consider drinking something less sweet with those pancakes..." Mamoru looked at the large stack of pancakes and started having second thoughts for ordering such extreme request for his wife. Usagi frowned with curiosity as she took a sip of her iced mocha, "Why?"

"Isn't it a little too overwhelming? All the sugar... all that chocolate... isn't that too sweet?" Mamoru gave his wife an amused glare, Usagi chuckled and arched her brow, "Ah, hello? Did we just meet?"

"Right," Mamoru laughed and shook his head, "Fine, okay..." he sighed in defeat, "I don't know why I even keep on trying..."

"Endymion?"

"Yes, Serenity?"

"I love you."

"I love you too—a lot."

"To the Moon and back?"

"All the way back the world where we belong, Princess, and even beyond."

A/N: For a few more references for this chapter, read "Perfect timing, terrible lighting" and the most recent, "Shades of Blue: Midnight" from Divinity: A day in the life, a small collection of extra chapters.

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