Choices
By: ShadowQueenGalactica
Disclaimer: I do not own anything affiliated with Sailor Moon. I do not own the rights to any of the songs related to Sailor Moon.
Author's Notes: This is one of my older stories, going through and trying to fix all the cringy typos. I'm also going to be adding some scenes that I thought the original was seriously lacking. Hope you guys enjoy the revised version of Choices.
Revised: 4/22/2021
Authors Note: There's been ALOT of changes in the chapter in regards to scenes and dialogue. This chapter is much longer than the original! I hope you all enjoy the changes! I'm so pleased with the changes and additions. Sorry for the delay, I just wanted to make sure the changes/additions I made wouldn't affect the original storyline too much. Happy Reading! :)
Review Replies:
JSanyaz: Thank you so much! :) Lot's of changes in this chapter, new dialogue, and added scenes. This chapter ended up being longer than what I thought it would be lol. Thanks so much for your reviews, I appreciate you taking the time and leaving them! Just makes my day reading them! :)
::Chapter 6: Faltering Destiny::
(Later That Day)
"I'm so bored." Usagi grumbled under her breath, as she walked into the den sitting at the end of the couch where Haruka was sitting on the opposite end, reading an article in a sports magazine. "Can I just-"
"No." Haruka sternly interrupted, hearing her Princess huff out in frustration. Smiling at how Usagi had crossed her arms across her chest when she glanced at her friend, she tried to hide her smile when noticing her friend lean back against the couch with a sullen pout.
"I'm not a child, why are you making me sit in here under house arrest?" Usagi grumbled once more, refusing to look at her friend as she turned her gaze towards the window. Smiling in amusement as the small Kinmoku Princess was chasing after a butterfly, she turned her head when hearing Haruka address her.
"I've already explained this, Neko-chan." Haruka calmly responded, her gaze still on the magazine. "I don't trust you to not get into more mischief than what you already have."
"A lot of that wasn't all my fault." Usagi quipped, frowning when her friend gave her an annoyed look, her brow quirking in a challenging manner.
"Really?" Haruka deadpanned, cutting her gaze to her Princess. "You were forced against your will to go to the party, forced to partake in all the drinking, forced to-"
"Alright I get it, I made some dumb choices." Usagi interrupted her friend, her face turning red with embarrassment, knowing her friend was never going to let her forget her drunken mistakes.
"That is why you're not leaving our sight." Haruka stated with mirth, turning her attention back to her magazine, turning the page to continue reading the article.
'Fine, I'll just have you kick me out.' Usagi thought with amusement, deciding to use the same annoying tactic she used with her mother when she was younger.
Patiently sitting on the couch waiting for Haruka to get settled into reading the article once again, she drew in a deep breath prepared to get under her Guardian's skin. 'Just pretend she's mama.' She thought, trying to draw in her inner child and all the annoying habits she used in the past to get her way when she was told no by her mother.
Glancing over in annoyance at Usagi's insistent squirming on the couch, Haruka tried to ignore the squirming, she noticed her friend dramatically throw her head back over the armrest a deep groan escaping her lips before she whined.
"I'm sooooo bored, Haruka-chan." Usagi groaned out, releasing another deep agitated sigh. "UGH!"
"Go get a book or a magazine." Haruka suggested, growing irritated as another exasperated sigh escaped her friend's lips.
"I feel so trapped in here." Usagi whined, her bottom lip pouting as she began to wiggle around in her seat, being sure to move around enough to where it would disturb her friends' focus as she tried to read the article once more.
"Neko-chan, for the love of everything, will you stop wiggling around." Haruka snapped, cutting her gaze at her friend with annoyance. "I can't focus on what I'm trying to read."
"Oh." Usagi responded, feigning the look of innocence. "I'm sorry, I can't get comfortable for some reason." She muttered, trying her best to not smile as her plan was working. 'Don't stop, keep going. She'll want to kill you, but she won't.' Her mind encouraged with mirth, then frowned. 'I don't think she will at least.'
Sitting still for a few moments longer, she then turned onto her back, her head resting against the middle cushion, her legs dangling over the armrest as she stared at the wall smiling when she noticed a clock. Watching the second hand making its way around the clock, she hid her smile as she began clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth with the steady tick of the second hand making its rotation around the clock.
::Click::
::Click::
::Click::
::Click::
::Click::
'It's working!' Usagi thought with amusement, carefully glancing over to see Haruka's grip was tightening onto the magazine with each click of her tongue. 'I knew this would get her, mama would have already folded by now.' She thought, surprised at how much patience Haruka possessed.
::Click::
::Click::
::Click::
::Click::
::Click::
Hearing a sharp intake of breath from her friend, Usagi fought with every ounce of her control to not laugh at how easily she was getting on her Guardian's nerves. Feeling Haruka shift slightly, she could hear the page turn as her friend stubbornly insisted to ignore her.
"UGH!" Usagi groaned out once more before she continued to click her tongue along with the clock once more.
'I'm going to kill her.' Haruka thought with annoyance, her grip tightening on the magazine as she tried to hide her irritation at her friend's sighs, grunts, constant wiggling on the couch, and now insistent tongue clicks broke the silence of the room and her focus as she tried to read.
"I'm sooooooo bored…" Usagi drawled out again as she turned onto her side on the couch, then turned again onto her opposite side, acting as if she couldn't find a comfortable position.
"That's it!" Haruka shouted, abruptly standing and tossing the magazine onto the coffee table in her irritation.
"What?" Usagi abruptly asked, turning her innocent gaze up to her friend. "What's wrong, Haruka-chan?" She asked, feigning worry.
"Get out, Neko-chan." Haruka sternly ordered, pointing towards the hall. "I need you to leave the room, now."
"What? Why?" Usagi asked, making sure to sound hurt. "I didn't do anything wrong, Haruka-chan."
'You've been driving me to the brink of wanting to strangle you.' Haruka thought with frustration, wanting to voice the level of irritation she felt towards their Princess at that moment. 'She better not make me regret this.' She thought, looking at the blonde in disbelief by her friend's ignorance of how annoying she could truly be. "You can go sit on the porch Neko-chan, I'm sure the other's would be better company." She insisted, giving her friend a stern look. "Don't venture off any further from there." She warned.
"I won't, thank you Haruka-chan." Usagi excitedly stated, abruptly lifting herself from the couch to go retrieve her jacket and shoes before her friend changed her mind.
Shaking her head in annoyance at her friend's quick departure, Haruka lifted her magazine before she sat grateful for the silence once more as she continued to read in peace.
"You're such a softie." Michiru teased as she walked into the den, mirth in her voice.
"Really?" Haruka deadpanned, raising her brow as she looked up at Michiru. "Please explain." She prompted, smiling with amusement.
"I was wondering how long she could go before you cracked." Michiru responded, gently laughing with amusement as she sat on the couch beside her lover. "You realize she was doing that so you would kick her out of the room." She explained, glancing over at the sound of hurried footsteps against the steps of the stairs, their Princess rushing past the living room moments later, the front door loudly closing behind her upon her departure.
Turning her smug gaze back to her lover, she leaned in her lips against her ear as she spoke in a hushed voice. "I'm pretty sure, I remember you saying that she wasn't stepping one foot out of the cabin." She reminded the sandy-haired woman, watching Haruka smile as she leaned back resting her back against the soft plush couch.
"She can't leave the porch, so technically she's not leaving the cabin." Haruka smugly stated, watching Michiru smile with amusement.
"If you say so." Michiru gently stated, before resting her hand against Haruka's thigh, trailing her fingers delicately against her partner's leg. "I'm bored as well, Ruka-chan." She playfully stated, prompting a chuckle from Haruka.
Happily stepping out into the brisk air, Usagi smiled at her small victory as she looked up at the bright afternoon sky. Walking towards the three steps that led up to the large covered porch, she silently sat on the porch, unaware she was being watched from behind.
"I see they let you out." Yaten teased, watching his friend abruptly turn her head and look at him.
Turning her head to see Yaten was stretched out on the wooden porch swing, Usagi smiled at her friend's wry comment before speaking. "Yes, I was able to convince Haruka-chan to let me venture outside." She responded with a chuckle, a big smile spreading across her lips to her small victory. "Where are Taiki-chan and Seiya-chan?" She curiously asked, glancing around to see the three were nowhere in sight.
"They took one of the trails and went for a walk with Kikyo-sama." Yaten explained a bored sigh escaping his lips. "I stayed behind, I don't care much for being outdoors." He said with a frown.
Smiling at his comment, Usagi leaned back boredly exhaling before lying back on the porch. "I wish I wasn't a Princess sometimes, I just want to have a normal life." She sighed, then quickly raised when hearing her phone ring. 'Please don't be Mamo-chan.' She anxiously thought, removing the phone from her jacket pocket. Looking at the screen, she smiled at the name on the phone as she stood and answered the phone. "Hello."
Noticing the smile that spread across Usagi's lips as she looked down at the phone, Yaten watched her stand as she answered the phone. Wondering if it were Mamoru as she walked further away from him, he was glad his brother wasn't there seeing how she lit up and laughed at the conversation she was having with her fiance. Watching her turn a bright red, blushing at something that was said, he abruptly realized it wasn't Mamoru she was talking to. 'She's going to get into more trouble if she gets caught.' He thought with amusement, a smile spreading across his lips at the blonde's persistence of not heeding her Guardian's warnings and concerns. 'Why is she so drawn to him?' He curiously thought, still unable to shake the suspicions and unease he felt about Usagi's classmate.
"I do not!" Usagi cried out, her face turning a brighter shade of red. Noticing Yaten was watching her with amusement, she quickly turned her back to him before quietly speaking. "I'm going to message you, I'm with my friends today." She explained, then smiled at his comment. "Yes, alright, bye." She said, lowering her phone and ending the call. Leaning against the wooden banister of the porch, she swiftly typed her message a smile still spread across her lips.
Usagi: Sorry about that Yumiko-chan, I have my Guardians here along with my friends. I don't want to risk getting caught talking to you.
Yumiko: Where are you? I tried stopping by your apartment this morning. I was hoping you would go to the batting cages with me.
Usagi: I'm staying at the lake for a few days. They don't want me in the city after what happened the other day.
Yumiko: Which lake? I don't want to be too far from you in case you need me.
Usagi: I have my two Guardians here with me, I'll be fine for a few days. The others stayed behind to see if she would come out of hiding to look for me again. I don't think she will, this is just a waste of time. I would rather be back at the apartment than trapped here.
Yumiko: You mean here, spending time with me?
Gently laughing at the message, Usagi nervously bit her lip wondering how she should respond to the message. Thinking for a moment, she softly exhaled before quickly typing her reply and pressing send.
Usagi: Do you miss me? It sounds like you do.
Yumiko: Yes.
Yumiko: Why are you avoiding my question?
Usagi: I'm not. I'm at Tama Lake, we're in cabin number four.
Yumiko: Are you inviting me to stop by?
Usagi: I'm inviting you to help me have some fun. I feel like I'm being held here as a prisoner. You can't get caught, if they see you, they won't let me out of the cabin for the duration of the stay.
Yumiko: I'm leaving now, I will be there in an hour.
Usagi: I'll be watching for you. Thank you!
"Who are you talking to?" Yaten curiously asked, wondering if the blonde would tell him the truth.
"Just a friend." Usagi responded with a smirk as she placed the phone into her pocket.
"You know you don't have to lie to me. I'm not your Guardian, it's none of my business what trouble you want to get yourself into." Yaten smirked, watching Usagi look up at him in surprise.
"Then why are you asking, if it's none of your business?" Usagi retorted back, smirking back at him as she walked past him to go back into the cabin.
"Please be careful around him, Usagi-chan." Yaten cautioned, watching the blonde suddenly stop at his words.
"What?" Usagi abruptly asked, stopping and turning to look at Yaten with disbelief.
"You heard me, there's something about him that I don't trust. Taiki-chan and Seiya-chan can feel it as well when he's around you." Yaten explained, concerned for their friend's safety. "Just promise me you'll be cautious around him."
"He's harmless, Yaten-chan." Usagi responded with a light laugh, smiling at her friend's concern for her. "I'm going to be sneaking out in an hour. Will you guys watch Kikyo-chan for me?"
"You don't have to ask us to watch her for you." Yaten said, chuckling in amusement. "She's our responsibility to protect, you don't have to worry about leaving her alone anymore."
"Sorry, it's just become a habit." Usagi apologized gently laughing as she walked towards the door once more. Stopping at the door, she nervously exhaled before turning her gaze to her friend once more. "Please don't tell them what I'm up to." She pleaded, before opening the door and casually walking into the cabin once more.
"I won't unless he gives me a reason to." Yaten responded as soon as the door shut. Softly exhaling, he leaned back against the swing once more, closing his eyes and enjoying the peace and quiet of nature around him.
(One Hour Later)
Feeling her phone vibrate in her pocket, Usagi smiled as she lifted the phone from the table and looked down at the screen to see Yumiko had messaged her. Placing her phone back into her pocket, she stretched her arms as she looked at her two friends who were seated across her, both sipping at tea, a book in front of Michiru, and another sports magazine in front of Haruka. "I'm going to go take a nap, there's nothing else to do." She announced as she stood and pushed her chair back into its place at the large table.
"Don't sleep too long, we're going to be starting dinner soon." Michiru responded, watching her Princess abruptly stop before turning to look at her.
"How long from now?" Usagi asked, then realized how suspicious she sounded. "So I can set an alarm on my phone to wake me." She explained, watching Michiru look to Haruka then back towards her before she spoke.
"Probably in two hours or so." Haruka responded, glancing up at her Princess. "We can wake you, Neko-chan."
"It's alright, I've got my alarm set already." Usagi responded, quickly placing her phone into her pocket as she left the room. Hurrying toward the stairs as soon as she was out of her two friends' line of sight, she noticed Yaten descending the stairs on her way up. "Is Kikyo-chan napping?" She inquired as she stopped for a brief moment.
"No, she's outside playing, Seiya-chan is keeping watch over her. Why?" Yaten curiously asked, then realized an hour had already passed. "Oh." He stated, realizing his friend was executing her plan of escape.
"I'm taking a nap, for a couple of hours." Usagi explained, watching him nod his head with understanding to the meaning behind her comment.
"I won't let her disturb you." Yaten responded, frowning as his friend smiled her thanks before dashing up the stairs once more. 'She's going to be in so much trouble if she's caught.' He thought with amusement, knowing the blonde would probably have to endure a harsh lecture from both Haruka and Michiru if she were caught. Chuckling to himself, he shook his head in mirth, grateful they were not the ones in charge of Usagi's safety. 'I don't know how any of her guardians keep up with her, she has to be utterly exhausting to keep up with.' He thought in amusement.
Slipping her jacket on as she entered her bedroom, Usagi hurried towards the window carefully and quietly raised it open hoping to not bring any attention to herself. Bending down, she lifted the fire escape ladder she'd discovered in her closet earlier that afternoon, attaching and securing it to the window.
Releasing the ladder over the sill, she watched it automatically extend down within a matter of moments. Carefully climbing out the window, she slowly descended the ladder, quickening her steps as she became more comfortable with the wobbly descent. Seeing she only had a few steps left, she braced herself before leaping the short distance down.
Stumbling slightly as her feet met the ground, she looked up at the ladder with a smile of accomplishment from her escape. Glancing around to make sure no one had seen her, Usagi smirked as she ran along the back of the cabin making sure to stay low so she wouldn't be spotted from the windows. Reaching the end of the cabin, she smiled spotting Yumiko's car parked at the cabin next to theirs a short distance away.
Nervously exhaling in fear at the thought of being caught, she burst forward in her bout of courage as she ran towards the car as quickly as she could. Noticing Yumiko was laughing at her, the closer she reached the car, she glared at him as she opened the passenger door getting into the car with a huff. "What's so funny?" She demanded, playfully glaring at her friend.
"You, that was quite comical, Usagi-chan. I don't think I've seen you run that fast at a game." Yumiko responded, laughing more as she glared at him before turning her worried gaze towards the cabin.
"We should go, I don't know if they saw me leave." Usagi urged, as she shut the car door. Putting her seatbelt on, she felt more at ease as the car began to reverse and no one reacted to her sudden departure. Glancing towards Kikyo as they reversed from the graveled path, she smiled at how innocent and carefree the toddler looked, playing in a pile of leaves as Seiya stood by watching over her. 'I don't want to lose either of them.' She sadly thought, turning her attention as she spoke.
"Thank you for coming to my rescue, Yumiko-chan." Usagi gratefully stated, a soft sigh escaping her lips before turning her gaze to her friend. "They won't let me venture any farther than the porch, I was about to lose my mind with boredom."
"You're welcome, what do you want to do first?" Yumiko curiously asked, glancing over at his friend with an amused smile.
"It doesn't matter, but I only have two hours before I need to go back." Usagi frowned, sighing in frustration.
"I know where we can go, I passed the sign on my way here." Yumiko responded with a chuckle.
"What is it?" Usagi curiously asked, raising her brow in curiosity.
"Something you will enjoy, don't worry." Yumiko assured his friend, chuckling at her curious nature.
Walking along the dirt path, Usagi smiled as a flock of birds flew over as she looked up at the towering trees above her. "It's so peaceful here." She sighed, closing her eyes at the soothing sounds of nature around her. "I wish I could stay here all day."
"Why do you let them control your every decision?" Yumiko curiously asked, leaning against a tree where he was watching his friend take in the beauty of the nature trail.
"I don't." Usagi defensively responded, blushing with embarrassment at how true her friend's words were. "I'm here with you, aren't I?" She challenged back instead.
"Only because you snuck out." Yumiko deadpanned, chuckling with amusement as his friend blushed more at his comment. "You're a Princess, my friend, leader of the legendary Sailor Guardians. You defeated not only Sailor Galaxia but Chaos. Why can you not stand up for yourself against two of your own Guardians?" He challenged, frowning when he noticed her look away in shame, tears shining in her eyes. "You should be commanding them, not the other way around." He advised, not wanting to step out of line, yet wanting to make a point to his friend.
"This is the way it's always been." Usagi softly stated, tears shining in her eyes. "They're stronger than us, more experienced fighters, we trust their judgment." She explained, wrapping her arms around herself in comfort, a sigh escaping her lips. "I-"
"Usagi-chan, this isn't fair to you. You deserve to choose what you want. They should not get to have a say or control of your future, your life." Yumiko insisted, frustrated that his friend was not standing up for herself. "If you accept this gift I have bestowed you, you're going to have to learn to stand up to those who-"
"What would you have me do?" Usagi demanded, her voice wavering as tears streaked her cheeks. "If I don't marry Mamoru-chan, Chibi-Usa will not be born. They would never forgive me if I prevented her birth, they would hate me for destroying something so precious and fragile."
"How do you know so much about your future?" Yumiko demanded in his frustration, unnerved at the thought of knowing one's fate before it ever happened.
"It's a long story." Usagi softly stated, brushing some tears from her cheeks as she shakily exhaled. "I wish I could leave with you. I want to, you don't know how badly I want to leave this behind and start over and choose a future for myself." She painfully admitted, brushing the tears from her cheeks, as she stared out at the endless stretch of trees that surrounded them. "But I can't-"
"You can, but you won't." Yumiko snapped, walking forwards and resting his hands on her shoulders. "You're just as stubborn as he was, that's what got him killed." He softly stated, sadly smiling at the thought of his fallen friend.
"Who?" Usagi curiously asked, turning her head and looking into his sad gaze.
"Perhaps I will tell you if you truly consider my offer." Yumiko responded instead, seeing the curiosity shining in his friend's eyes. "If you accept the power of the cosmos and leave with me, you will be treated with the respect you deserve." He insisted, looking into her tear-filled eyes. 'You're stronger than this my friend. Why will you not see your true potential and accept this gift that has been bestowed to you?' He sadly thought.
"Why me?" Usagi abruptly asked. "Why does it have to be me?"
"Your power activated the brooch during your final battle with Chaos. That brooch has remained dormant, an empty shell for many millennials until your energy awoke its power." Yumiko explained, watching his friend look at him with shock. "There are darker powers in the realm I call home. My planet and its neighboring planets have not had an appointed Guardian due to the brooch not finding any worthy of if its power. You, my friend, are worthy of it, the brooch chose you, Usagi-chan."
"It's wrong, I'm not worthy of anything. I shouldn't be a Sailor Guardian, I've never been a strong fighter." Usagi stated, tears streaking her cheeks. Feeling Yumiko rest his hand against her cheek, she tearfully looked up into his gaze watching him smile down at her.
"You have the heart of a true warrior, you don't have to have strength, my friend. You just have to have a pure heart, a heart that wants only peace and prosperity for all." Yumiko responded, watching his friend smile at his words. "Besides, that's why I'm here." He smugly boasted. "I will be your strength, I am sworn to protect the messiah of the cosmic realm." He said as his clothing melded into his armor.
Taking her hand into his, he smiled as she blushed as he rested his hand against his breastplate over the seven-pointed star sigil on his armor. "I am here to serve you, my friend, I will be here waiting until you're ready for me to escort you home."
"Home." Usagi softly stated as she looked at the sigil her hand was resting over. "My friends, my family, I- I don't know if I can leave them." She tearfully admitted, fresh tears streaking her cheeks.
"I promise Usagi-chan, you will be allowed to move freely amongst the galaxy. You will still see your friends and family as much as you wish to." Apollo promised his friend, his armor melding back to his clothing.
"This is so much to take in." Usagi stated, feeling overwhelmed from all the new information she'd been given. "I-"
"As I said, this is your decision." Yumiko responded, giving his friend's hand a gentle squeeze of encouragement before releasing her hand and lowering his other hand from her cheek. "You will always have my loyalty and my friendship for as long as you want it, my friend."
Smiling at his words, Usagi abruptly looked down when hearing her alarm on her phone begin to go off. Lifting the device from her jacket pocket, she silenced the alarm before tucking it back into her pocket.
"What was that?" Yumiko asked with an amused chuckle.
"I need to go back, they'll be expecting me back down for dinner soon." Usagi responded with a frown. Hearing her friend sigh in frustration, she frowned knowing he was right about her. 'I'm a nineteen-year-old college student and I'm still letting them bully me.' She sadly thought, embarrassed that her Guardians still treated her like a child. "Yumiko-chan, will you come back tomorrow? I won't sneak out this time, I want to try something and I may need you to step in and help." She nervously requested.
"What are you planning?" Yumiko curiously asked, smiling at how nervous she was suddenly acting.
"I want to stand up to them. If I have you there, I'm hoping I won't back out of it." Usagi explained, hearing his soft chuckle.
"Of course, I'll come back." Yumiko stated, proud of the young woman standing in front of him. "I'll text you when I'm leaving my place."
"Thank you, Yumiko-chan." Usagi said, stepping forward and gently kissing his cheek.
Waving to her friend as he drove away, Usagi quickly hurried towards the back of the house hoping the ladder would still be where she left it. Sighing in relief when seeing it had not been disturbed, she grabbed onto the ladder, making the shaky ascent to her bedroom window once again. "Why couldn't there be a tree?" She muttered, feeling more comfortable climbing a tree than the escape ladder.
Climbing back through the window, Usagi gasped feeling her foot catch against the window sill as she roughly crashed against the floor with a loud 'THUD'. Signing out in frustration at her noisy entrance, she swiftly stood and turned back to the window quickly removing the ladder as quietly as she could from the window, her focus on hiding any evidence of her departure from the house. "This was too easy." She muttered, laughing as she kneeled to roll the ladder once more.
After rolling the ladder back together the way she'd found it, Usagi secured the straps quickly placing it back into the closet, unaware of the occupant in the room that had been watching her in silent amusement the entire time.
Closing the closet door, she turned and let out a startled gasp seeing Seiya quietly sitting on her bed, his back against the headboard, a smirk spreading across his lips in reaction to her surprised gasp when she finally took notice of him being in the room with her. "What are you doing in my room?" She quietly demanded, nervously looking towards the bedroom door.
"I should be asking you where you've been, Odango?" Seiya curiously quipped as he stood from the bed. Walking towards the window, he peeked out the open window looking down at the drop below before turning and looking at the silent blonde. "So where did you go?" He curiously asked, stepping aside as she shut the window.
"For a walk." Usagi nonchalantly answered while closing the window. "I needed some fresh air." She stated, turning and walking towards the bedroom door.
"Who did you go on a walk with?" Seiya prompted, gently grabbing her hand to stop her as she walked past him. "You could have asked me, I would have snuck you out." He said, smiling more when he watched her blush. "Seriously though, was that your friend Haruka-san threatened?" He attempted to casually ask, unable to hide the tinge of jealousy in his voice.
"Yes, and his name is Yumiko." Usagi responded, noticing Seiya briefly frown at her confession. "Why do you care if I'm with him or not?" She challenged, quirking her brow up in curiosity, a smirk spreading across her lips. "Are you jealous?" She teased, startled by his reaction to her tease when he blushed at the question.
"I don't trust him, Odango." Seiya cautiously stated instead, watching her reaction go from humor to anger before she abruptly wrenched her wrist from his gentle hold.
"He's one of my friends, Seiya-chan." Usagi snapped, glaring at the man that stood before her. "He's been the only one I've had to talk to about things that I can't with Rei-chan." She snapped, trying to explain to her friend that Yumiko could be trusted. "Most of the girls aren't here anymore since we've graduated high school." She softly stated, tears streaking her cheeks at the thought of her friends who were spread out across the globe. "I just have Rei-chan now to talk to about things and she's always busy with the temple. I've never been close with Haruka-chan and the others, they've always kept their distance from us." She said with a frown.
"Where are the others?" Seiya asked, surprised to learn that Usagi's Guardians were no longer located in Tokyo to provide protection to their Princess. "Odango." He worriedly asked, noticing tears beginning to shine in her eyes as she averted her gaze to hide her pain.
"Studying abroad." Usagi softly stated, sniffling as she brushed her tears away with a tearful exhale before turning the focus off of her as she turned her accusing gaze up towards him. "You should be ashamed of yourself." She snapped, watching him look at her with surprise and confusion from her comment.
"What did I do?" Seiya demanded, surprised by her sudden attack.
"How dare you judge Yumiko-chan when you don't even know him. I remember when you were in the same position as him." She stated, unable to hide the frustration in her voice. "You of all people should remember how persistent Haruka-chan and Michiru-chan were trying to keep me away from you. They're treating him the same way because they see him as a threat just as they saw you as a threat." She stated, lowering her head as she softly exhaled. "Now look where you're at, you've earned their respect, they're allowing you to stay at my apartment of all places."
"He's not a Sailor Guardian, our circumstances are different than his." Seiya calmly interjected. "We had a common enemy we had to face for the sake of our survival." He insisted, noticing Usagi stop herself before she spoke any further in her growing frustration.
"He's still a-" Usagi snapped in her frustration before growing silent in time. Shaking her head in exasperation, she released a soft sigh of disappointment before looking up at Seiya with disappointment. "You're just as bad as they are, Seiya-chan. Judging him before you can get to know him." She scoffed, not allowing him to speak before turning away from him and walking out of the bedroom with irritation.
"Odango wait." Seiya pleaded, then sighed out in frustration as she ignored his pleas leaving him alone in the bedroom. 'I don't want to see you get hurt.' He worriedly thought to himself, before quietly leaving the bedroom in irritation. 'Why does she have to be so damn stubborn!' He thought with exasperation.
Picking at her dinner, Usagi lifted her fork forcing herself to take a bite to not alert her friends something was bothering her. 'Am I making the right choice? Should I call Yumiko-chan and tell him I've changed my mind. Who am I kidding, I've never been able to hold my own against any of my Guardians. I will never be seen or treated with respect, not until it's time for Serenity to awaken Crystal Tokyo.' She glumly thought. Too lost in her thoughts she didn't notice the exchange of looks between Haruka and Michiru or the worried glances Seiya would discreetly give in her direction.
"Neko-chan." Haruka gently stated, resting her hand against her friend's arm in worry. "Are you alright? You're extra quiet this evening."
"Just worried, I guess." Usagi muttered, shoving another forkful of food in her mouth to avoid speaking for the moment.
"About what?" Michiru urged, looking at her friend in worry.
'Things I obviously can't control.' Usagi bitterly thought, a frown evident on her face for a brief moment. 'I just want you all to see who Yumiko-chan really is, an ally, my friend.' She thought with frustration, wishing she had the courage to speak her mind instead of remaining silent like a coward. "It's nothing." She finally muttered, knowing she'd only be wasting her time trying to convince her two friends that Yumiko was not a threat.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Haruka asked, then glanced up noticing the Seiya and Yaten were looking at Usagi with concern as well. "We can step outside, go for a walk?" She suggested, hoping her Princess would be willing to let go of whatever was bothering her if they were outside alone away from prying ears.
"No." Usagi softly stated, shaking her head at the suggestion. "It's nothing important, Haruka-chan." She said with a shrug of her shoulder. "Just school stuff, life in general." She muttered, taking another bite of her meal.
"Is everything alright at school?" Michiru prompted, concerned that the rambunctious Kinmoku Princess was interfering with her friend's studies. 'Did we make the right decision allowing them to stay with the Princess?' She worriedly thought. 'Perhaps they are too much of a distraction.' Glancing over at the small Princess, she cringed as the child grabbed a handful of food, most of it spilling on the floor and her small lap before she could bring it to her mouth. 'How Usagi-chan has not lost her mind, I do not know.' She thought with admiration, a smile spreading across her lips. 'Our Princess has the patience and heart of a saint for tending to his child.'
"Kikyo-sama, you have a spoon, quit eating like a wild animal." Yaten scolded, dusting the food from his pants as it was scattered by their ravenous princess. Glancing up at the sound of a chair sliding against the floor, he watched as Usagi lifted her plate and glass before silently leaving the table.
"I'm going to be outside on the porch." Usagi stated, not giving her Guardians time to respond as she discarded her dish and cup onto the counter before quietly exiting the room.
Feeling the tension in the room grow thicker as Usagi exited the room, Seiya shifted uncomfortably wishing someone would initiate a conversation. "So…" He trailed off, setting his fork down onto the table gently clearing his throat. "Is anyone going to ever tell me what the story is behind the Halloween party?" He asked, glancing over as Haruka choked on her drink, Michiru patting her partner's back to ease her fits of coughs.
"I can't believe I forgot to tell you." Yaten cried out, bursting into laughter at the memory of their friend. "Though, Taiki-chan and Haruka-san are the main ones who experienced her drunken excursions. They have all the good details, I missed everything." He pouted.
"Drunk?" Seiya asked in shock. "Odango was drunk and I missed it!"
"She's quite comical when she's had too much to drink." Taiki added, smiling in amusement at the memory. "I couldn't believe it was her when I first arrived." He chuckled. "She was wearing this cat costume and when she lost-" He paused, stopping from his laughter for a moment to compose himself. "When she lost her cape, well, her friend's cape she-"
"That's enough." Haruka sternly stated, glaring at the three. "All you need to know is she made some poor choices." She snapped, glaring at Seiya, then turned her angry gaze towards Yaten and Taiki. "Our Princess is not to be made a mockery of." She warned as she angrily stood.
"Ruka-chan." Michiru softly stated, trying to ease her partner. "It was only an innocent question, he wasn't here yet when the incident occurred."
"It doesn't matter." Haruka snapped, shrugging away Michiru's touch in her anger and irritation as she continued to glare at Seiya. "I don't trust you around Neko-chan, I never have and I never will." She sneered, glaring at the raven-haired man. "You're just like the other one at the university, both of you won't take a hint and stay away from her." She jeered.
Growing uneasy under the cold scrutinizing look, Seiya immediately stood glaring at the sandy blonde-haired Guardian wanting to prove she didn't intimidate him in the least sense. "Odango is my friend, nothing more. I know my place with her, she made that perfectly clear before we returned home." He said, his heart painfully panging at the open admission. "I won't stop being her friend though, Haruka-san. That is something she can only take away from me, no one else." He snapped, glaring at the sandy-haired blonde before he angrily left the room in a huff.
Following the man out of the kitchen with her gaze, Haruka sighed out in frustration before angrily leaving the room in a huff.
Gently clearing her throat, Michiru softly exhaled as she lifted her napkin and wiped the corners of her mouth. "If you'll please place your dishes on the counter when you're done, I will take care of these later." She calmly requested, before silently standing to go and see if she could ease Haruka from her sudden agitation.
Waiting until Michiru was out of the room, Yaten abruptly turned his gaze towards his brother looking at him with shock. "What the hell was that?" He asked in shock.
"I don't know." Taiki quietly responded. "Perhaps us being here is not a good thing." He said with a frown. "Those two have never fully trusted us." He sighed, shaking his head with frustration.
::BUZZ::
...
::BUZZ::
Turning her gaze from the star-filled sky to look down at her phone sitting next to her on the porch steps, Usagi softly exhaled not wanting to speak with anyone at the moment. Lifting her phone she unlocked the screen and exhaled once more seeing the text messages were from Mamoru. 'How have we gotten to this point?' She heartbrokenly thought, tears welling in her eyes. 'When did we go from lovers to mere acquaintances. I can't remember the last time we had a meaningful conversation where we connected like we used to. Did we ever truly have that?' She miserably thought. 'Everything has been predestined for us, we never really had a say in any of this.'
::BUZZ...BUZZ...BUZZ...BUZZ…::
Frowning as the phone began to ring, Usagi swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat before answering the phone. "Hello?"
"Usako." Mamoru sighed in relief, a chuckle escaping his lips. "I thought you weren't going to answer again."
"Sorry, I've been busy." Usagi stated, turning her gaze back up to the star-filled sky.
"How have you been?" Mamoru asked, trying to fill the awkward silence and engage in a conversation.
"Busy with my classes." Usagi responded once more.
"Same here." Mamoru stated, gently clearing his throat. "Anything exciting going on?" He prompted missing the calls when she would do all the talking and leave very little room for him to get a word in. 'When did it get to this?' He thought with a frown. 'When did the roles reverse and I became the one to do all the talking?'
"No, not really." Usagi stated, turning her gaze down to the ground smiling when she noticed a moth fluttering on the ground near her. "You?" She asked, hearing a soft exhale escape his lips.
"No nothing really, we had a charity banquet a couple of weeks ago for the hospital. Went with some colleagues at the hospital." Mamoru stated, smiling at the memory. "I really had a lot of fun, met some amazing people."
"Mmm...sounds fun." Usagi stated, only half-listening to the conversation. "Look it's late here, I have a busy day tomorrow, so-"
"It's fine, we can talk again later." Mamoru interrupted her, disappointed the conversation was already ending. "I lov-"
"I've got to go, Mamoru-chan." Usagi abruptly stated, hearing his muffled words as she ended the call in a hurry.
"Usako, wait." Mamoru stated, then sighed in frustration as the call was disconnected. 'How did we get to this point in our relationship?' He miserably thought, still looking down at the phone. "Usagi." He softly stated, tucking his phone into his pocket before turning and entering a small cafe once more.
'I'm sorry' Usagi heartbrokenly thought, tightly closing her eyes as tears streaked her cheeks. 'I don't know why, but I feel so torn right now.' She thought, bringing her knees to her chest as she quietly cried. "I'm sorry, I don't know how much longer I can keep this up."
(The Following Day)
Glancing out the window, Haruka frowned when seeing her Princess was still sitting on the porch, her gaze towards the small road that led to the cabins. "She's up to something." She said glancing over at Michiru who quietly stood beside her.
"Usagi-chan?" Michiru asked, smiling briefly with amusement. "Not our Princess, she doesn't have one mischievous bone in her body." She sarcastically stated, prompting a chuckle from Haruka. "I do agree with you, she barely touched her supper last night, then her breakfast again this morning." She said, remembering how quickly her friend had excused herself from the table during both meals. "She's been on the porch all morning, hasn't she?"
"Yes." Haruka confirmed, a worried frown settling on her face before she sighed out in both frustration and worry. "I don't understand why she's acting out, she's never done this before, why now?"
"She's always had the girls to keep her occupied, she's alone now. This is new for her, so this must be how she copes with it." Michiru gently stated. "Our Princess thrives on companionship, she wasn't meant to be alone, you know this."
"She still has Rei-chan, us, but she doesn't respond to any invitations we extend out to her." Haruka stated in frustration, taking notice of her Princess looking down at her phone once again. "He's the reason she's drawn herself away from us, that blonde-haired prick at the University." She spat.
"Yes, he's part of the reason." Michiru concurred with an amused smile at Haruka's comments. Turning her head from the living room window when hearing Kikyo's happy chatter, she watched as the small child was escorted by Seiya as they went outside. 'She's not as dependent on Usagi-chan since those three have returned.' She thought, grateful the small toddler was giving their Princess some space. "The Kinmoku Princess has helped keep our Princess occupied." She added with a smile, turning to look at Haruka. "Perhaps, them being here isn't so bad? After all, they have been keeping her busy and preventing her from spending time with him."
"Yes, she-" Haruka said, then grew silent watching a black sports car pull up into the driveway stopping behind Usagi's car. "Dammit, Neko-chan." She angrily growled, watching the blonde exit the car with a bright smile as Usagi happily ran forwards and embraced him.
"I'm going to kill him!" Haruka snarled, angrily exiting the living room.
"Oh, Usagi-chan." Michiru sighed out in frustration, shaking her head with disappointment. "When are you going to learn to listen." She muttered, knowing it was going to take a miracle to keep Haruka from holding back on the blonde-haired visitor.
Not wanting to cause any more of a scene than what Haruka was about to display, Michiru drew in a deep breath as she calmly walked to the front door, wincing slightly as the door slammed shut from Haruka's angry departure. 'We warned you, Princess, now you will have to deal with those consequences.' She thought, wishing her friend had listened better to their warnings. 'This is going to hurt her, but it must be done.'
Noticing his friend was on her phone again, Yaten smiled in amusement as he silently watched his friend from where he was lying once again on the wooden porch swing. "You sneaking off again?" He asked, watching a smile tug at the corner of her lips confirming his suspicions.
"No." Usagi stated, lifting her gaze from the phone and looking over at her friend. "I invited him to stop by." She said, smiling more at the shocked look on Yaten's face.
"You what?" Yaten asked in disbelief. "Are you crazy? You know Haruka-san is going to go postal on him."
"No, I won't let her." Usagi calmly responded, squaring her shoulders as she tried to hold onto what little courage she still had a tight grasp on as she awaited Yumiko's arrival. "He's almost here, he said-"
"Usa-chan!" Kikyo excitedly squealed, running towards the young woman as she and Seiya exited the cabin.
"Kikyo-chan!" Usagi responded, mimicking the child's excitement. Smiling as the toddler happily embraced her, she lifted the child resting her into her lap from where she was sitting on the porch steps. "Are you going to play in the leaves again today? You had a blast playing in those yesterday." She said remembering watching the child at one point from the kitchen.
"Leaves." Kikyo excitedly stated as she pointed towards the pile of leaves. "Usa-chan, go." She urged, taking the woman's hang and tugging as she crawled out of her lap. "Go-go."
"Your Usa-chan can't leave the porch." Seiya explained to his Princess, turning his gaze towards the blonde to see Usagi glance back at him. "She's misbehaved." He teased, noticing a mischievous smile spread across her lips at the comment.
"I have, Kikyo-chan." Usagi calmly spoke, then glanced at Seiya. "I probably need to be punished." She said, bursting out into laughter Seiya's cheeks grew a bright red from the comment. Proudly smiling at the fact she managed to make him blush, she glanced down as Kikyo slid the remaining way out of her lap before taking off in the direction of the pile of leaves near one of the larger trees in the large yard. "Your Princess is escaping." She stated in mirth, watching Seiya snap from his embarrassed state and curse as he swiftly went in pursuit of the retreating toddler.
"Kikyo-sama, wait!" Seiya called out, quickly going after the fleeing toddler.
'I can't believe I said that in front of Seiya.' Usagi thought as she blushed at her sudden bold move towards him. "I've been around Yumiko-chan too long." She muttered, smiling in amusement at the thought. Snapping from her thoughts when hearing the crunch of gravel from the driveway, Usagi smiled as she watched as the black sports car parked behind hers. Squealing in delight, she swiftly ran from the porch as Yumiko emerged from the car. Happily embracing him, she heard his soft chuckle as he embraced her back.
"You miss me?" Yumiko teased, watching her blush.
"I'm so nervous." Usagi admitted, her stomach twisting with anxiety at the thought of what she was preparing to do. "I-"
"I'm past done with you! I warned you, I told you to stay away from her!" Haruka angrily sneered, storming out of the cabin, fists clenched at her sides. "Neko-chan go inside, now." She angrily demanded. "We'll talk about this-"
"No." Usagi sternly stated, protectively stepping in front of Yumiko even though she knew he had the strength and power to defend himself. "Leave him alone Haruka-chan." She demanded, her voice strong and commanding.
"Excuse me?" Haruka scoffed, shocked that their Princess spoke up against her. "I'm not in the mood right now, Usagi-chan. Move aside now-"
"No!" Usagi shouted, taking a bold step forward. "You're going to listen to me for once, Haruka-chan!" She demanded, the tight nervous knot in her stomach beginning to ease as she stood up to her Guardian. "I'm tired of being treated like a child, being told what to do, who I can and can't see." She urged, trying to stay calm and hoping her friend would listen to her words. "I asked Yumiko-chan to stop by for the afternoon, I'm tired of being trapped in the cabin like a prisoner. I'm going to have some fun today, and I wanted to see my friend."
"Dammit, Neko-chan." Haruka angrily cursed. "When are you going to-"
"Don't interrupt me, I'm not done speaking." Usagi commanded, noticing Haruka was taken aback by her sudden stand against her. "I'm going to go spend the day with Yumiko-chan, we will still be nearby so you can see us." She said, turning her gaze to Yumiko for a brief moment. "I was thinking about the boat docks?"
"That's fine, whatever you want to do." Yumiko said, proudly smiling at his friend as she stood up to the overprotective blonde. 'This is how a leader should command her attention.' He proudly thought, knowing his friend was ready to embrace her new responsibilities if only she would accept them.
"Don't threaten him anymore, Haruka-chan." Usagi warned, glaring up at her seething friend. "If you threaten him, you're threatening me." She snapped, before boldly grabbing onto Yumiko's hand turning her gaze towards him. "Let's go." She insisted, leading him in the direction of the boat dock.
"Yes ma'am." Yumiko teased, as he allowed Usagi to lead him by the hand towards the boat docks. Glancing back, he smirked, seeing the look of complete shock on the blonde's face. Flashing her a cocky grin, he watched her angrily turn and storm towards the cabin once more, defeated and embarrassed. "I don't think she's going to be telling you what to do for a while." He chuckled, turning his gaze back to his friend. "What's wrong?" He worriedly asked, noticing tears streaking her cheeks. "Are you alright?"
"I've never spoken to any of them like that." Usagi tearfully stated, tears streaking her cheeks. "I'm a terrible friend." She guiltily stated, her remorse evident in her voice.
"No, you're not." Yumiko sternly insisted, seeing how much his friend's actions were hurting her. "You're a wonderful person, don't ever think otherwise." He urged, watching her sadly smile her thanks as she glanced up at him. "Come on, let's go to the docks and we can talk some more."
"Where is she going?" Michiru demanded, still standing in shock at the exchange between Usagi and Haruka. Watching their Princess take Yumiko by the hand and lead him in the direction of the boat docks, she turned her gaze back to Haruka seeing the anger in her lover's eyes. "Ruka-chan I-"
"Not now." Haruka sneered, angrily walking past Michiru as she angrily entered the cabin. "I need to make a call."
"Ruka-chan, what are you going to do?" Michiru worriedly asked, turning and following Haruka back into the cabin. "Don't do something you'll regret." She pleaded.
"This is something I should have done when we first started having these issues." Haruka angrily retorted, turning and glaring at Michiru. "Instead, I let you and Hotaru-chan talk me out of it."
"Don't." Michiru sternly stated. "If you do this, she may never speak to you again."
"I don't care." Haruka angrily stated. "She's going to mess up everything with this erratic behavior."
"At least calm down before you-" Michiru pleaded, growing silent as Haruka took her anger out on her.
"I'm not calming down, not this time! I'm not backing out this, she's going to mess everything up!" Haruka angrily sneered.
"Fine." Michiru calmly responded, her lips tight with a line of anger. "You're obviously in control of the situation. I'll let you take care of everything then." She scoffed, angrily turning and walking away to her room.
Watching Michiru angrily walk away, Haruka noticed Taiki and Yaten standing in the doorway of the kitchen. "Don't you two have better things to do?" She sneered before angrily walking into the bedroom slamming the door shut.
"What just happened?" Taiki asked, glancing at his brother.
"I don't know, but we obviously missed out on something." Yaten stated before sighing out in disappointment wishing he'd not tagged along to go inside with his brother to fix Kikyo her drink. "Come on, Seiya-chan was outside with Kikyo-sama." He ushered, motioning his brother to quickly follow him. "I'm sure he knows what's going on."
Watching his friend's relentless pacing from where he sat on the dock, Yumiko gently chuckled, smiling up at his friend as he patted the spot next to him. "Will you sit down, and stop your pacing already? You're starting to-"
"I can't believe I did that." Usagi interrupted, fresh tears welling in her eyes as she felt her overwhelming guilt continue to consume her. "I don't want to go back to the cabin, she's going to scream at me, I just know it." She bemoaned, covering her face with her hands as she groaned out in frustration. "Why did I do that, Yumiko-chan? That was so stupid of me! I-"
"You had to, Usagi-chan, it looks like you should have done it a long time ago." Yumiko calmly responded, smiling as she finally stopped pacing and sat across from him. Scooting closer, he leaned forward taking her hands into his, giving them a gentle squeeze of assurance as he spoke. "You did great, Usagi-chan. Do you at least feel any better since you stood up to her?"
"Yes, a little." Usagi quietly admitted, smiling up at her friend. "I didn't think I would ever have the courage to do that."
"That's all that matters." Yumiko insisted, a smile spreading across his lips before he spoke. "You were so authoritative, I've never seen that side of you before, it was kind of hot." He teased, laughing when his friend suddenly blushed a deep red, jerking her hands from his.
"You perv." Usagi muttered, hearing him only laugh more at her comment. Getting up she walked towards the edge of the dock looking out at the lake, watching a boat glide gracefully across the water. "Who were you referring to when you said, I was as stubborn as he was?" She curiously asked, keeping her gaze on the water. "Ever since you made that comment, I can't shake it from my mind." Hearing his footsteps approach, she felt him stand beside her as he stared out at the lake, his hand resting gently against her back.
"Another time, when we're alone." Yumiko quietly answered, standing close to his friend a smile spreading across his lips
"We are alone." Usagi retorted, then glanced back when Yumiko shook his head at her statement. "I think you're seeing things." She teased, her eyes widening in surprise when Kikyo's excited giggles soon sounded as the toddler and Seiya approached the boat dock. "Jeez, you have better hearing than me." She muttered, prompting a chuckle from her friend.
"Yumi-chan!" Kikyo excitedly shouted, happily running towards the young man.
"Hey, munchkin." Yumiko greeted, smiling as he scooped the toddler into his arms. "I've missed seeing you." He said, smiling more as the toddler happily embraced him.
"Sorry for interrupting, Odango, she kept asking for you." Seiya apologized, as he reached the dock. Cutting his gaze towards the man holding his Princess, he decided to swallow his pride and properly introduce himself as he extended his hand out towards Usagi's friend. "I'm Kou Seiya."
"I'm Yumiko, nice to meet you Seiya-san." Yumiko responded, noticing the wary look Seiya was giving him as they shook hands. Smirking at the tight grip Seiya had on his hand, he could see the jealous spark in Seiya's gaze as he glanced at him then to Usagi. "You've got a strong grip." He chuckled, watching Seiya smirk at his comment. "Do you play sports?"
"I used to play baseball and some football." Seiya boasted, growing annoyed when Yumiko smirked at his response.
"Usagi-chan and I go to the batting cages for extra practice since the season is over. Perhaps you should join us next time." Yumiko suggested watching Seiya raise his brow in surprise. "Then again, your skills are probably lacking." He commented, noticing the anger immediately in Seiya's gaze. "You would probably want to watch, I wouldn't want you to embarrass yourself in front of-" He taunted, growing silent as Usagi abruptly swatted his arm.
"Yumiko-chan." Usagi snapped, looking at her friend in surprise. "I'm sorry Seiya-chan, he's got a big ego since he's Team Captain." She apologized, stunned at Yumiko's comment.
"That hurts, Usagi-chan." Yumiko responded, feigning hurt. "I don't have a big ego, I just embrace my strengths that's all." He boasted.
"Seiya-chan is an excellent baseball player." Usagi defended, turning her focus on Seiya for a moment before turning her attention back to Yumiko. "If it wasn't for him pushing me in High School to keep trying, I probably wouldn't be on the team right now."
Smiling at her kind words, Seiya noticed the way Yumiko cockily raised his brow at her words, before turning his smug gaze at him. 'He's such a cocky bastard.' He thought with annoyance. 'I'll show him.' He thought with determination, wanting to prove he was a better baseball player. "I'll join you two, just tell me when." He calmly stated, a glint in his gaze, wanting the blonde to know he accepted his challenge.
"Are you alright with this arrangement, Usagi-chan?" Yumiko confirmed, glancing over at his friend. "I don't want to be solely responsible for any embarrassment he may-OW!" He cried out when she smacked his arm once again with more force.
"Be nice." Usagi scolded, a sigh of exasperation escaping her lips. "Yes, I'm alright with all three of us going together for practice." She confirmed, watching Yumiko nod and smile at her acceptance of the arrangement.
"Great." Yumiko stated, smiling over at the raven-haired man. "We'll see how skilled you really are." He snidely stated, smirking as Seiya narrowed his gaze at him in response.
Sensing the tension between the two men, Usagi quietly turned her back to them looking out at the lake once more wondering if she'd made the right choice allowing those to be near one another with bats. 'This is going to be a bad idea, I just know it.' She thought with exasperation.
Looking down at the phone in her hand, Haruka shakily exhaled as she ran a hand through her hair in frustration. "I've done the right thing." She muttered, trying to convince herself she'd made the right decision as she stood and tucked her phone back into her pocket.
"Are you sure about that?" Michiru wryly asked from where she'd been silently standing at the window watching their Princess excessively pacing on the boat dock. "She feels guilty for her actions." She said with mirth. "She truly doesn't possess a mean bone in her." She said softly exhaling in disappointment. "She's always been soft, that's why we've had so many close calls with enemies in the past. She always lets that big heart of hers get in the way."
"I don't want to talk about her right now." Haruka snapped, still livid that the younger blonde had stood up to her. "She's never spoken to me like that." She muttered in her anger. Feeling a shift of movement against the bed from behind her, she felt Michiru press herself against her back, her arms embracing her before her chin gently rested against her shoulder.
"Perhaps we should take your mind off of her then." Michiru purred into her ear before gently nipping at her lover's ear. Smiling at the soft hitch in Haruka's breath, she smiled as she trailed soft kisses down her lover's neck, soon lingering in one spot.
"Michi…" Haruka groaned, her eyes closing, trying to suppress her moan from the gentle nips as Michiru soon found and focused on her weak spot between her neck and shoulder.
"Take off your shirt." Michiru ordered, reluctantly leaving her partner's neck as the blonde quickly loosened the buttons, soon discarding the shirt onto the floor. "Lie down." She instructed, straddling her partner and leaning down as she pressed her lips against Haruka's for a lingering kiss, each pouring their yearns and wants into the kiss.
"Michi…" Haruka moaned out, her lover's hands cupping her bra-clad breasts. "I...dammit, I hate how you get me so da- damn flustered." She moaned out, feeling herself growing hotter under the sensual touches and soft kisses Michiru trailed between her breasts, down her stomach, and stopping at the waistline of her pants.
"Say it." Michiru ordered, grinding her hips against her lover as she leaned down sliding her tongue against Haruka's tone stomach, sending shivers to run through the blonde.
"I want you." Haruka moaned out, her back arching to the hot, sensual caresses of her lover's tongue against her. "Oh, god…"
Sitting under a tree reading one of the books Michiru had lent him earlier that morning, Taiki glanced up when hearing his Princess's delighted squeal. Watching the toddler being lifted and placed onto Yumiko's shoulders, he watched as Kikyo lit up with excitement as she tightly clutched her small hands into Yumiko's hair, taking a tight hold. Chuckling when seeing the wince on Yumiko's face, he knew the pain he was feeling having experienced the tight grip himself during Kikyo's tantrum.
Noticing how close Usagi and Yumiko were walking alongside one another as they were engaged in their conversation, he felt a tug of a smile pull at the corner of his lips seeing his brother was about to blow a gasket, failing miserably at hiding his jealousy. 'When will Seiya accept she will never return his feelings.' He thought, softly exhaling before shaking his head in silent frustration at his brother's stubbornness and refusal to let Usagi go from his heart.
"The baka." Yaten muttered, from where he was standing leaning against the tree.
"Which one, Seiya-chan or Yumiko-san?" Taiki asked, prompting a chuckle from Yaten.
"Both." Yaten responded as he turned his gaze towards Usagi who was laughing at something Yumiko said. "She's utterly clueless to what power she holds over those two." He said with mirth. "If she were truly a vindictive woman, she could easily have the two of them eating from her hand."
"It's dangerous to have that kind of appeal, wars can be caused by this, Kingdoms destroyed." Taiki quietly added.
"I know it's probably going to hurt her, but it will be best when we find our own place, it will be best for both Seiya and Kikyo-sama." Yaten stated, knowing their brother would never be able to move on if they did not begin to distance Seiya from Usagi soon. "He's going to get hurt again if he's not careful." He sighed in disappointment.
"As you said, she's utterly clueless." Taiki sighed back, with a sad shake of his head. "I truly believe she didn't mean to hurt him before, she really thought Seiya just wanted friendship."
Nodding his head in agreement, Yaten frowned watching his brother stand on the opposite side of Usagi, easily taking her attention from Yumiko. Noticing the blonde frown at Seiya for taking Usagi's attention from him, Yaten watched him instead turn his focus to Kikyo as they walked towards a tree where a shrub with white blooms grew underneath.
Keeping his focus on his Princess as Yumiko lowered her to her feet, he watched the blonde kneel and pick a bloom from the shrub handing it to their young Princess. Watching Kikyo light up with delight at the gift, he took a step forward to go stand with his Princess then relaxed as Kikyo instead turned to rush away from Yumiko to show them the flower she'd been gifted.
"Ten-chan! Ki-chan! Flower!" Kikyo excitedly called out, as she ran towards her two guardians.
Smiling as Kikyo ran to where Taiki and Yaten were, Seiya shoved his hands in his pockets, his stomach nervously fluttering at the rare moment alone with Usagi without his brothers or his Princess interrupting. "I'm sorry, Odango."
"For what?" Usagi asked, abruptly looking over at Seiya.
"For what I said the other day, you're right." Seiya said, cutting his gaze over at Yumiko who was still standing at the bush admiring the white blooms. "He's your friend, I shouldn't be-"
"Jealous?" Usagi quipped, then frowned as Seiya snapped his response.
"No." Seiya snapped, immediately turning his head to try to conceal his blush.
Surprised by the unexpected sharp response, Usagi felt her stomach nervously twist as he turned his gaze from her. Realizing she'd gone too far with the comment, she lowered her gaze in embarrassment and hurt from his reaction.
"I know your heart belongs to another." Seiya softly stated, turning his head in the direction of the lake once more not seeing the hurt in Usagi's gaze as she unconsciously reached for the ring on her finger.
"Yeah." Usagi softly stated, her hand automatically fidgeting with the small ring on her left hand. "I'm sorry, that was stupid of me to say." She apologized, tears shining in her eyes. 'Baka!' She angrily thought, wishing she had not made the childish comment. 'You're not a teenager anymore! That silly little crush he had on you has already passed. He probably had someone he cared deeply for on Kinmoku.' Her mind chastised. Embarrassed that she'd angered him, she decided to give him some space as she quietly turned and went to where Yumiko was still standing admiring the blooms.
"Have you two decided on a date for the wed-" Seiya asked, swallowing the lump in his throat before he turned towards the blonde to see she was already walking away. "Odango?" He quietly stated, wondering what he'd done. "Dammit." He muttered, turning away and walking in the direction his brothers and Princess were standing under a tree.
'You need to stop this foolish notion that she cares for you. She's with her Prince, you're nothing but a Guardian, you're not worthy of a Princess.' He angrily thought with himself, his heart painfully panging at the thought of losing the vibrant blonde who'd stolen his heart so many years ago. 'She just wants to be friends, that's all she'll ever want from you.' He heartbrokenly reminded himself.
Turning his head at the sound of footsteps approaching, Yumiko frowned with worry seeing unshed tears shining in his friend's eyes. "Are you alright?" He worriedly asked, watching her force a smile and silently nodded her head.
"It's a spirea." Usagi said, motioning towards the white blooms to try and take the focus off of her. "I love their scent." She smiled leaning down and sniffing the soft scent of the delicate flowers.
"They are quite beautiful, yet I'd rather admire you." Yumiko boldly responded, chuckling when Usagi blushed.
"I'm getting hungry." Usagi stated instead, nervously looking in the direction of the house. "I don't want to go in there though." She muttered.
"Don't." Yumiko sternly instructed, watching his friend abruptly look at him in response. "Don't let your fear control you, if you cross paths don't back down, hold your ground and fight your battle."
"That's not helping." Usagi nervously whined. "You don't know how scary Haruka-chan can be when she's really angry, and I'm pretty sure she's pissed at me." She said softly exhaling in her worry and guilt.
"She's had it coming." Yumiko insisted. "For the short time I've known her, she's been nothing but controlling and pushy." He insisted. "She's treated you with little respect, you are a Prin-"
"Not in this life I'm not." Usagi quietly interrupted her friend, quickly glancing towards the others to make sure they did not hear Yumiko's near slip of the tongue. "I'm just a college student and Sailor Guardian when I'm needed." She said, resting her hand against her jacket pocket where the brooch was safely nestled inside. 'How does he know so much about my past?' She curiously thought, wishing she could be alone with her friend long enough to get more of her questions answered. 'Something always happens, we never have any time alone.' She thought with frustration.
"Does it bother you?" Yumiko curiously asked.
"What? Having to be three different people in one body and mind?" Usagi asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "No, not at all. My life is just peachy, it has to be."
"Yes, I can see that you enjoy every bit of it." Yumiko quipped, a smile spreading across his lips as he chuckled. "You and I need to find a way to be alone." He said plucking a blossom from the bush and taking a step forward, closing the small distance between them.
"Yumiko-chan." Usagi softly stated, her cheeks turning bright red from the sudden closeness. Feeling him tuck the bloom into her hair, she watched him smile as he took a step back giving them a small space between them once more. "Let's go make some lunch, you promised me you would show me how to make curry."
"I did." Usagi responded with a smile, watching him offer her his arm. Linking her arm with his, she walked beside him as they quietly walked towards the cabin.
"My Usa-chan!" Kikyo happily called out.
Stopping and turning, Usagi smiled as she scooped Kikyo into her arms as she reached them. "Kikyo-chan." She greeted, hugging the small child as she happily embraced her before raising the small spirea for her to see. "Did you get a flower too?" She asked, smiling at how much excitement Kikyo was expressing over the small bloom.
"Yumi-chan." Kikyo stated, pointing towards the young man, then lit up when she noticed the bloom in Usagi's hair. "Flower, Usa-chan." She gasped, excitedly pointing towards the bloom in the woman's hair.
"I know, it's pretty isn't it." Usagi asked, smiling as she continued towards the cabin, Yumiko walking closely beside her.
"You want some lunch munchkin?" Yumiko asked, glancing back at the three young men to see they were following behind them at a distance. "Your Usa-chan is going to allow me to cook lunch."
"Eat." Kikyo stated, pointing towards the cabin.
"Alright, let's go get some lunch." Yumiko responded with a chuckle, turning his gaze forwards. 'Should I reveal myself to them, I know they can sense I'm not a terran.' He considered for a moment, growing annoyed at the thought of the looks he received from the three young men and Usagi's guardians when he was around his friend. 'No, I'll wait until she makes her decision, I can't risk them interfering in my mission. We need her, she has to agree to help us.' He desperately thought, glancing over at his friend as she held the Kinmoku Princess close against her. 'No matter what, I have to get her to leave this planet willingly.'
Waking to the smell of lunch cooking, Michiru groggily opened her eyes glancing over to see Haruka still lying beside her, the blankets falling from her at one point in her slumber, leaving her bare body exposed. Not wanting to disturb her, she quietly slid out of bed gathering her clothing as she quietly dressed. 'I knew that would relax her.' She mischievously thought, a smile spreading across her lips glad her lover had welcomed the distraction.
Slipping her dress back on, she quietly walked to the small vanity where she lifted her brush and straightened her unruly hair. Spritzing a few sprays of her body spray, she glanced at her slumbering partner before quietly slipping out of the bedroom. 'I hope Usagi-chan isn't cooking.' She worriedly thought, knowing their friend was a disaster in the kitchen.
Passing the living room, she glanced in the room to see Taiki sitting on the couch reading a book to Kikyo who was sitting in his lap, her head bobbing as she fought to stay awake. Smiling with amusement, she turned her attention forward as she neared the kitchen.
::CLATTER::
Cringing at the sound of something metallic falling against the floor, she sighed in exasperation when hearing her Princess laugh in response to the fallen object. 'Oh no, is she cooking?' She worriedly thought, hurrying her steps. Preparing herself for a mess, she found her friend sitting on the counter, instructing Yumiko as he was stirring something in a pan. "Why are you sitting on the counter and near to the stove of all things?" She scolded, sighing in frustration as she walked into the kitchen.
"I'm teaching Yumiko-chan how to make curry." Usagi explained in her defense while motioning towards her friend who was making lunch. "He's doing a fantastic job." She commended, watching her friend smile and chuckle.
"You make it sound like you doubted my skills." Yumiko teased, watching his friend smile more at his comment.
"Get down from the counter, Usagi-chan." Michiru instructed, watching her Princess scowl before sliding off the counter. Glancing over at the table, she noticed Seiya and Yaten were engrossed in playing a card game.
"You're cheating!" Yaten snapped, slamming his cards down on the table in frustration. "I know you're cheating, you cannot keep getting these pairs." He accused, in his frustration over his losing deck.
"It's not my fault you're terrible at this game." Seiya chuckled, ignoring his brother's scowl and glare in response to his comment.
"Usagi-chan, what's next?" Yumiko asked, watching his friend smile and look down at the meal he was prepping.
"It's ready, I'll grab the plates." Usagi said as she turned to the cupboard and started grabbing enough plates for everyone. "What do we want to do after lunch?" She asked, glancing over her shoulder to look at Yumiko.
"I don't know, we can go walk around again. Maybe go back to the nature trail." Yumiko suggested, hoping his friend would get the hint.
"Sure, that was fun." Usagi responded, then cringed as Michiru spoke.
"What nature trail?" Michiru inquired, raising her brow in question. "This isn't the first time he's been here, is it?" She inquired, turning her accusing gaze towards the blonde-haired man. "When was he here, Usagi-chan?" She demanded, giving her Princess a stern look.
"Yesterday." Yumiko smugly boasted. "She snuck out of the house to-"
"That doesn't really matter anymore, now does it?" Usagi abruptly interrupted her friend before nervously laughing. "It's in the past now." She stated with a nonchalant wave of her hand as she briefly glared at Yumiko before resting the plates she was holding onto the counter.
"I know what we can do later tonight, Kikyo-chan will enjoy it." Usagi gasped, a sudden idea popping into her head hoping to divert the conversation. "Let's build a campfire later tonight, we can sit around it, roast marshmallows, and watch the stars." She suggested hoping she was successful in taking the focus off her little adventure from the day before.
"Sounds great." Yumiko said with a smile, looking forward to spending more time with his friend. "I think there was a small store on the way here, they might have some marshmallows. We can go pick up some after lu-"
"No." Michiru sternly interrupted, watching her friend abruptly look at her in surprise. "He needs to leave before dusk, after all, he does have a long drive home." She added, sending a glare towards the young man.
"He can always stay the night here, the couch pulls out into a bed." Usagi offered, ignoring the anger flashing in Michiru's gaze.
"Usagi-chan." Michiru insisted, trying to hide the anger in her voice.
"Michiru-chan, go ahead and fix yourself a plate, there's plenty of curry." Usagi responded instead, turning her back to her friend as she began to gather some drinkware from the cupboard.
"No thank you, Usagi-chan. I'll eat later with Haruka-chan." Michiru politely declined, not seeing the hurt in her friend's eyes as she silently turned and exited the room.
"Alright, more for us then." Usagi muttered, shrugging her shoulder as she grew annoyed at her friend's decline to the meal.
Sensing the tension in his friend growing more, Yumiko frowned as he glanced back towards the doorway where Michiru had exited. "Let's go eat on the porch." He suggested, lifting a plate from the counter to prepare their plates.
Nodding her head at the suggestion, Usagi softly exhaled as she silently stood and watched Yumiko prepare two plates. 'I should have kept my mouth shut, now I have Michiru-chan mad at me.' She thought with frustration, smiling her thanks as Yumiko offered her plate of curry. Following her friend out of the kitchen, she didn't notice Seiya's worried gaze on her as she and Yumiko left the room.
(Later That Evening)
Watching the flames flicker and dance, Usagi glanced down feeling Kikyo snuggling against her, smiling as the toddler was fighting to stay awake, her small head bobbing to the side. "Are you sleepy, Kikyo-chan?" She gently asked, shifting the child in her lap to make her more comfortable as she rubbed her back to soothe her further into sleep.
"I'll take her in when she falls asleep." Seiya quietly stated, glancing over at his tired Princess who was sitting in Usagi's protective hold. "She's really attached herself to you." He said, watching Usagi smile at his words.
"I'm going to miss her whenever you guys move out." Usagi softly stated. "I've gotten accustomed to her being there with me, it's going to feel so empty again after you four find a new place."
"We'll still bring her over to see you, if you would like." Seiya assured the blonde, growing concerned when noticing tears shining in her eyes.
"Of course I still want to see her." Usagi retorted, sadly smiling as she drew Kikyo closer against her.
"We're going to start looking for a place as soon as we get home tomorrow. We don't want to be an inconvenience to you any longer." Seiya explained, watching Usagi immediately raise her brow before looking up at him in surprise.
"An inconvenience?" Usagi asked, raising her brow at their excuse for leaving. "If you were an inconvenience, I would not have invited you all to stay with me, Seiya-chan." She stated watching Seiya smile at her words before chuckling. "It's been nice having you all there." She said, turning her gaze back to the campfire, to hide her blush.
Smiling at her confession, Seiya quietly turned his gaze towards the flames of the campfire, his smile faltering at the thought of having to leave. 'I hope we can find an apartment near hers.' He thought with hope, knowing he didn't want to be very far from Usagi either. 'I'm going to miss having you so close, I know you're safe when I'm with you.' He worriedly thought.
Glancing down when hearing soft snores sound from Kikyo, Usagi smiled down at the slumbering child, carefully tucking back some stray strands of red hair behind her small ear. 'I'm not ready to lose you yet.' She sadly thought. 'I know you're safe with me.'
"Usagi-chan?" Taiki asked, watching his friend snap from her thoughts abruptly looking up at him.
"I'm sorry, what were you saying, Taiki-chan?" Usagi apologized, not noticing he'd been standing behind her or addressing her.
"I was asking if you wanted me to take her inside? I'm going in for the night, so I'll listen for her if she wakes." Taiki repeated, watching Usagi smile and nod her head.
"Sure, if you want to, thank you." Usagi quietly responded, carefully standing and resting Kikyo into Taiki's waiting arms. "I'll be up later tonight. If she needs me, come and get me." She instructed, watching her friend smile and nod his head.
"It's not going to be a problem, I don't mind staying up with her if she wakes." Taiki responded with a polite smile, not noticing the hurt in his friend's eyes from the polite decline of retrieving her.
Watching Taiki carry Kikyo towards the cabin once more, Usagi abruptly turned when feeling something thump against the back of her head. Looking down at the marshmallow on the ground, she looked over at Yumiko who was mischievously smiling.
"You want a marshmallow, Usagi-chan?" Yumiko asked, holding up a stick and a bag of marshmallows.
"No thanks." Usagi responded, quietly sitting and turning her gaze up towards the star-filled sky.
"Are you sure?" Yumiko confirmed while he busied himself placing a couple of marshmallows onto the stick he was holding. "Come on, this was your idea, Usagi-chan." He chuckled, then frowned when she didn't respond to the comment. Noticing something was bothering his friend, he glanced over at Seiya noticing he was also looking at her with concern. "Are you alright? You're being unusually quiet tonight."
"Thanks for calling me loud." Usagi retorted, smiling up at her friend.
"I'm not calling you loud." Yumiko immediately defended himself, chuckling in amusement. "You just act like something is bothering you that's all."
"Nothing is bothering me." Usagi lied, shrugging her shoulders. "I'm just thinking about things." She said watching him smirk at her response.
"Things?" Yumiko deadpanned, raising a brow in question. "That's kind of a vague answer, don't you think."
"It is not a vague answer." Usagi retorted, only to have Yumiko scoff at her response.
"I have to agree with him, Usagi-chan, it's kind of vague." Yaten agreed with a nod of his head, chuckling when she glared at him.
"I don't want to go back into the cabin." Usagi muttered, a deep sigh escaping her lips. "I'm not ready to face Haruka-chan yet, I feel terrible about how I spoke to her."
"Why?" Yaten bluntly asked. "If you ask me, she's needed to be put in her place for a long time. You're their Pr- friend." He stated, abruptly correcting his near slip in front of Yumiko. "She shouldn't be speaking to you like she's above you. They've never shown you the full respect you deserve to be treated with." He explained, watching Usagi smile at his words before she spoke.
"Thank you, Yaten-chan." Usagi responded, then softly exhaled. "I still need to apologize though, she's my friend, I should have never spoken to her like-"
"It's not alright how they treat you." Seiya insisted, watching Usagi tearfully look over at him. "If you apologize to her, it's only going to give her the impression that you were in the wrong, and she's going to continue to treat you the way she has in the past."
"He's right, Usagi-chan." Yaten agreed with a nod of his head. "You didn't see her reaction when she came back into the house." He added, chuckling at the thought of Haruka storming into the house earlier that afternoon. "I've never seen her so furious, you actually humiliated her like she's done you so many times."
"This isn't making me feel any better." Usagi groaned out, burying her face in her hands, her guilt growing more.
"Quit with the pity party already." Yumiko teased, tossing some more marshmallows at her. "We're supposed to be having fun Usagi-chan, remember?"
"Yes, I remember." Usagi quipped, smiling up at his words. "Are you sure you don't want to stay the night?"
"I should probably go back to the dorms tonight, I don't want your friend murdering me in my sleep." Yumiko teased, prompting an amused smile from his friend.
"I don't think Haruka-chan would get that carried away." Usagi giggled, smiling more as Yumiko chuckled at her comment. "Do you want to come back tomorrow? I mean, if you want to, no pressure." She nervously responded, not noticing Seiya tense at her extended invitation for Yumiko to return.
"So if I said I had plans, then you would be disappointed?" Yumiko teased, watching his friend smirk before she responded with a shrug.
"I suppose I would just have to find something else to occupy my time with." Usagi responded with a mischievous smile and nonchalant shrug.
"Well I guess it's a good thing I don't have plans tomorrow, I can't have you causing any trouble without me." Yumiko boasted with a smug smile. "According to your friends, I'm the bad influence." He scoffed. "They obviously don't know you too well."
"Don't flatter yourself, I don't need you to cause trouble. I've been managing a lot of that on my own lately." Usagi retorted, with a soft huff. "Though it's more fun when I have someone getting into trouble with me." She added with a smile.
"It really is, isn't it?" Yumiko chuckled, nodding in agreement to his friend's comment.
Smiling in amusement at the playful banter between the two, Yaten glanced over at his brother to see Seiya abruptly stand and walk away. Glancing back to Usagi, he was surprised as Usagi grew silent as she took notice of Seiya's immediate departure, her gaze following his retreating form for a few short moments before she quickly stood and went after him. 'Well, this trip keeps getting more interesting. Could she have feelings for Seiya-chan as well?' He thought in shock, suddenly remembering the conversation he'd had with her shortly after his arrival.
(Flashback)
"I figured you and Mamoru-san would be married by now." Yaten stated, giving his friend his full attention as he set his fork down.
"I haven't seen Mamo-chan in almost a year." Usagi quietly replied, tears shining in her eyes at the thought of the strain the distance was putting on their relationship.
"What?" Yaten asked in surprise, shocked by her open admission. "Why has it been so long?"
"He's in his third year of medical school, he's started his internship at the hospital so he has his responsibilities there." Usagi explained, wiping a few stray tears from her cheeks.
"Why didn't you go to America to be with him? Did he not ask you to go with him?" Yaten curiously asked, watching his friend silently shake her head before she spoke.
"No, he asked me, I declined." Usagi admitted, keeping her tearful gaze down. "I didn't want to be a distraction." She explained, forcing a smile as she looked up at Yaten. "We can get to know one another again, when he finally returns home." She said as she quietly stood.
(End of Flashback)
"Seiya-san, he has feelings for her doesn't he?" Yumiko curiously asked, watching Yaten snap from his thoughts abruptly looking over at him. "Well?" He asked, smirking as the silver-haired man hesitated to answer. "I'll go first then, Usagi-chan has feelings for him." He bluntly stated, watching Yaten look at him with shock. "She's talked about him on more than one occasion in the past." He said smiling at the thought of how his friend would light up when she spoke of Seiya. "In fact, for the longest time, I assumed he was the fiance." He chuckled, noticing the stunned look on Yaten's face. "Did you not know?" He asked, bursting out into laughter at the look on Yaten's face.
"No, I always assumed it was only him that had feelings for her." Yaten quietly responded still in shock over Yumiko's bluntness. "What about you, Yumiko-san?" He asked, watching the blonde look at him with confusion, before smiling and chuckling at what he'd implied.
"No, I don't have feelings for her, not anymore." Yumiko admitted, knowing his feelings had been extinguished the moment her true identity had been confirmed. "I've given up trying to steal her heart." He responded with a nonchalant shrug. "I prefer to be friends with her anyway, she's become more like a sister to me. I'm afraid if I were to ever get into a relationship with Usagi-chan, it would change everything we already have. I don't want to ruin our friendship, she's really special, I don't want to lose her."
"You were just flirting with her though?" Yaten retorted, growing annoyed as Yumiko smiled over in Usagi's direction before he spoke.
"It's what we do, Yaten-san. We mess with each other, we compete with one another when we're on the field, we're just friends that's all." Yumiko explained, smiling at all the times he'd spent with the vibrant blonde.
"What happened at the party?" Yaten demanded, glancing over his shoulder to make sure Usagi was still with Seiya. "If you-"
"We had too much to drink at the party, nothing happened." Yumiko abruptly interrupted. "I- I don't think I would have ever forgiven myself if we had gone any further than we did." He admitted glancing over at his friend for a brief moment. "For once, I'm grateful her friend was being overbearing and was at the party that night to step in. I don't remember everything, but I remember enough that we both would have regretted what would have happened."
"What did you two exactly do?" Yaten insisted, wanting to know how much Yumiko remembered from that night. "Usagi-chan says she doesn't remember much of anything from that night."
"I remember we were on our way to the dorms. We didn't get too far, she was having issues with her shoes and we kept stopping." He said chuckling at the hazy memory. "Then at one point we ended up on the ground and I lost my self-control with her." Yumiko admitted, his cheeks growing warm from blushing. "Haruka-san has every reason to hate me, and not wanting me near Usagi-chan." He admitted, turning his head and looking away ashamed. "I can't help myself though, there's always been something about Usagi-chan that draws me to her. I don't like being away from her for very long."
"I know what you're talking about." Yaten softly stated, keeping his gaze on the flames of the campfire. "When we first met Usagi-chan, it felt like there was something that kept drawing us back to her. Her light, it shines so brilliantly."
"I'm glad it's not just me that feels this way." Yumiko responded, glancing over to see Usagi and Seiya beginning to step in closer towards one another. 'Don't be afraid, just tell him, Usagi-chan.' He thought, knowing his friend deserved to be happy.
"Don't flatter yourself, I don't need you to cause trouble. I've been managing a lot of that on my own lately." Usagi retorted, with a soft huff. "Though it's more fun when I have someone getting into trouble with me." She added with a smile.
"It really is, isn't it?" Yumiko chuckled, nodding in agreement to his friend's comment.
Looking over when she noticed Seiya abruptly stand and walk away, Usagi worriedly watched as he walked towards the cabin. 'What happened? Why is he leaving?' She worriedly thought, as she stood and quickly went after him. Hurrying her steps to catch up with him, she reached out gently grabbing him by the hand stopping him. Hearing his soft gasp, she watched him turn and look at her with surprise. "Where are you going, Seiya-chan?" She worriedly asked.
"I'm getting tired, I'm going to call it a night, Odango." Seiya lied, watching her look at him with worry.
"Are you sure, I didn't do anything, did I?" Usagi worriedly asked, already having two of her friends angry with her. 'I don't want you mad at me too.' She thought, her stomach dropping at the thought of Seiya being angry with her. Feeling his thumb brush the back of her hand, she blushed at the sudden realization she was still holding onto his hand. Feeling him tighten his hold on her hand as she tried to release her grip, she felt her stomach nervously flutter from the gesture. Looking up at him, she felt their gazes meet soon finding themselves lost in one another's gaze. "Seiya-chan I-"
"Do you have feelings for him, Odango?" Seiya abruptly asked, trying to hide the slight waver in his voice, fearing another rejection from the blonde.
"What?" Usagi asked, suddenly confused by this question. "Are you talking about, Yumiko-chan?" She asked before laughing at the question. "He's just a friend, that's all, Seiya-chan." She assured him, not hearing his soft sigh of relief as she glanced towards her friend who was talking with Yaten. "Why are you asking me that?" She curiously asked, a part of her hoping he would confess he still felt something for her.
"No reason, Odango. I- I just thought- well, I heard about the party. I don't know the full story, but-" Seiya nervously stammered, grateful the cover of night was hiding his blushing face as he stumbled over his words. 'Damn, what is wrong with me?!' He thought, unable to form a proper sentence due to his nerves.
"Nothing happened, though I wish I could say the whole night never happened." Usagi admitted, turning her head in her embarrassment. "I don't do well with alcohol." She admitted with a nervous laugh. "Both of your brothers saw me make a complete fool of myself that night. I honestly don't remember much from that night." She muttered, then gasped as he gently cupped her chin turning her gaze towards his once more.
"It's a good thing I wasn't here yet, I probably would have done the same as Haruka-san." Seiya admitted, watching Usagi look at him in surprise. "Why did you go, you don't seem like the type that would-"
"That's why I went." Usagi interrupted, turning her face from his touch. "Everyone on the team thinks I don't know how to loosen up or have fun so I wanted to prove to them I could let loose and have fun."
"You just had too much fun." Seiya teased, watching her smile at the comment before she spoke.
"Yes, a bit too much." Usagi admitted, gently laughing at the situation she'd put herself into. "Please believe me when I say I don't feel that way about Yumiko-chan." She urged, not realizing she'd tightened her hold on Seiya's hand. "He's like a brother to me, a very flirty, overprotective brother." She added, easing when Seiya chuckled at the comment. "He's not a threat, he's actually quite protective over me." She stated, not wanting to give away too much. "Besides, my heart was stolen by another." She said, a nervous breath escaping her lips as tears shone in her eyes. "It took me losing him, to realize how much of a fool I was for letting him go." She tearfully admitted, her voice wavering as she spoke. "I- I never got to tell him, that he was good enough for me." She explained, growing more nervous as Seiya looked at her in shock. "It's been one of my biggest regrets." She admitted, her cheeks burning from her blushing from her confession.
"Odango." Seiya softly stated, shocked by her admission. "I-" Not knowing how to respond to her sudden profession, he nervously reached up, caressing her cheek as he tenderly brushed the stray tears from her cheeks with his thumb. "What about Mamoru-san?"
"I haven't seen him in over a year, he- he doesn't have time for me anymore. I know it's selfish, but I- I feel like he's only with me because of our past." Usagi admitted, her voice small and defeated. "I don't want to marry him anymore, Seiya-chan. I- I know that makes me sound like a terrible person, but I- I can't keep pretending to be happy, I don't want to live this lie anymore. I'm so tired of acting like nothing is wrong, that my relationship is perfect when it's not." She tearfully admitted, swallowing the lump in her throat before she continued. "I thought our love would never falter, but we've been away from one another for so long. We've grown apart over this past year." She quietly stated, tears streaking her cheeks as she admitted the faults in her relationship.
"How long have you felt like this?" Seiya asked with shock, his voice almost a whisper.
"Long enough. I've had all this time to myself and it's allowed me to really put my life in perspective. What my future will become if I stay with him, I don't want that future for me. I want to choose the path that I take for my life, I want to make my own choices. Who I want to spend the rest of my life with." Usagi quietly answered, nervously reaching up and resting her hand against his cheek. "I'm in love with you Seiya-chan, I need to know if you still feel the same?" She asked, preparing herself for the blow of his rejection. 'Have I waited too long? What if he's moved on, abandoned his feelings for you.' She nervously thought, her heart soon dropping as his hesitation to respond grew more.
Feeling her heart break from the prolonged silence, Usagi tearfully forced a smile, her hand dropping from his cheek. "I'm sorry, I'm such a baka." She tearfully stated, abruptly turning and quickly walking to where Yumiko and Yaten were sitting. Forcing her tears back, she swallowed back the pain of the silent rejection wondering if that was how he felt that day on the school roof. 'I lost my chance.' She heartbrokenly thought, a stray tear streaking her cheek.
Watching in shock as Usagi quickly turned and walked away from him, Seiya felt his world crumble knowing his stunned silence to her confession had given her the wrong impression. "Odango." He softly stated, watching her soon reach the others, immediately sitting next to Yumiko. Feeling his heart pang with pain and more guilt as she rested her head against Yumiko's shoulder seeking comfort. Feeling uncomfortable when Yaten and Yumiko both looked at him with an accusing gaze, he immediately turned, retreating to the cabin not wanting to face the biggest mistake he'd just made. 'I'm sorry, I'm such a damn fool.' He regretfully thought, turning in frustration as he retreated towards the cabin once more.
"What happened?" Yumiko worriedly asked, watching his friend tearfully sit next to him. Seeing she was on the verge of crying, he could see her struggling to hold back her tears.
"Nothing." Usagi snapped, unshed tears shining in her eyes. 'Don't cry.' She chastised herself. 'You knew there was a chance he would reject you.'
"Something happened, Usagi-chan." Yumiko insisted, glancing up to see Yaten was looking back in Seiya's direction. 'Was I wrong, does he not care for her?' He thought with shock, glancing back over when he felt Usagi rest her head against his shoulder seeking his comfort.
Wrapping his arm around her shoulder, he gently cleared his throat before he spoke. "Let's go for a walk." He suggested, relieved when she nodded her head in agreement to the suggestion. "Come on, let's go talk about it."
Nodding her head to his suggestion, Usagi quietly stood, following alongside her friend in the direction of the docks. "I can't believe I did that." She groaned out in frustration as soon as they were far away enough from Yaten.
"What happened?" Yumiko worriedly asked, glancing back to see Yaten was returning to the cabin where Seiya had already retreated.
"I'm such a baka, I told him Yumi- Yumiko-chan." Usagi stated, pausing as her voice choked, thick with tears.
"I told him how I felt, that I- I loved him. He just looked at me, he- he didn't say anything." Usagi tearfully stated, her tears streaking her cheeks. "I- I want to go home. I can't face him right now, I'm so embarrassed."
"Let's go get your things, I'll take you home tonight. I need to be leaving soon anyway." Yumiko offered, watching her abruptly look at him in surprise.
"Really?" Usagi asked, brushing the tears from her cheeks.
"Yes, really." Yumiko responded, chuckling as he drew her closer for a hug. "It's going to be alright, maybe he wasn't expecting your confession, perhaps you put him in shock." He reasoned, watching his friend tearfully nod. "Come on, I'll help you pack." He offered as they turned and walked in the direction of the cabin once more.
Shutting his bedroom door, Seiya angrily paced the room for a few moments before sitting on the bed burying his face in his hands, sighing out in frustration from his stupid mistake. "Dammit, you baka." He snapped. "She tells you she loves you and you just stand there!" He angrily snapped at himself. "You just-"
::Knock Knock::
Hearing a soft knock on the door, Seiya abruptly stood hoping and praying it would be Usagi. "Come in." He called out, taking in a deep breath to try to calm his nerves. Frowning when he watched his brother walk into the room, he returned to the bed sitting in a huff. "I screwed up." He groaned.
"What happened?" Yaten inquired, shutting the door and leaning against it, looking at his brother in question. "Usagi-chan came back upset after talking to you, Yumiko-san is trying to-"
"She told me she loves me." Seiya interrupted, tears shining in his eyes a smile spreading across his lips. "She loves me, Yaten." He said, happily smiling as a few stray tears streaked his cheeks.
"I'm so confused." Yaten muttered, shaking his head in exasperation. "Normally when one professes their love, there's usually happiness in the end. I didn't see anything happy about Usagi's body language when she came back, so what did you do?"
"I froze." Seiya confessed, sighing out in exasperation. "I just stood there and I didn't respond to her. I- I didn't know what to say, I didn't-"
"You baka." Yaten groaned out in exasperation, shaking his head in disbelief, a chuckle slipping from his lips at a sudden thought. "You just probably destroyed any chance of-"
"I know." Seiya snapped, glaring at his brother's lack of empathy for his situation.
"Well, are you going to give up on her now?" Yaten nonchalantly asked, watching his brother scowl in response to his question. Raising his hand before his brother could angrily lash out at him, he smugly smiled before speaking. "I'm only asking a question, Seiya-baka. It seems the fates are on your side and giving you a second chance. What are you going to choose, friendship or the chance of love?"
::Knock Knock::
Glancing up from the book he was reading, Taiki glanced over at his slumbering Princess to make sure she'd not been disturbed. Marking his place in the book, he quietly stood from the small writing desk as he made his way to the door.
Opening his door, Taiki was surprised to see Yumiko standing outside his door. "Yumiko-san, can I help you?" He asked, wondering why the man was at his door.
"Usagi-chan wanted me to bring these to you. She's downstairs leaving a note for Haruka-san and Michiru-san." Yumiko responded, raising his other hand to reveal his friend's car key.
"I don't understand? What's going on?" Taiki asked, looking at the key that was dangling from Yumiko's hand.
"Usagi-chan is leaving with me, she said you could use her car unless you four would rather ride with the other two." Yumiko stated, chuckling when Taiki immediately accepted the car key. "That's what I thought." He smugly stated before turning and walking towards the stairs.
Looking down at the key in his hand, Taiki wondered what had happened to cause their friend to suddenly leave with Yumiko.
"Wait." Taiki stated, watching the blonde stop and turn to look at him. "Is everything alright with Usagi-chan?"
"Ask your brother." Yumiko scoffed, not allowing the brunette to speak as he turned and continued down the stairs.
"Which one?" Taiki muttered, knowing Yaten could be brash at times with his comments and Seiya who was still deeply in love with their friend. Softly sighing in frustration, he decided it would be best to wait until either party calmed down before he questioned them on the incident. "This trip has been a disaster.' He muttered, sighing out in frustration.
"Well, it seems the fates are on your side and giving you a second chance. What are you going to choose, friendship or the chance of love?" Yaten inquired, watching his brother look at him with a brief moment of hesitation. "You don't want this?" He asked in surprise. "After all these years of pouting and sulking, you-"
"I do want this, I want this more than anything." Seiya insisted, raking his fingers through his hair in frustration. "She's-"
"She's what?!" Yaten demanded, growing impatient with his brother.
"She's a Princess!" Seiya shouted, standing and glaring at his brother.
Snorting at his brother's comment, Yaten shook his head as he chuckled. "Usagi-chan is the furthest example of Princess material, she identifies herself more of a Guardian than a Princess." He scoffed. "She may be a Princess, but has she ever treated us any differently?" He asked, challenging his brother to prove him wrong. "She's a reincarnated Princess, you baka, she's not a Princess of this planet. She has no power or authority over anyone except her Guardians. This is not Kinmoku, she doesn't have protocols or other standards she has to follow, not like our Queen had to follow like our Princess will have to follow if we were to ever get the chance to return home."
"I don't deserve her, Yaten-chan. I could never give her what her Prince can, I'm never going to be worthy of a Princess." Seiya painfully admitted, growing silent as he sat on his bed a sigh of exasperation escaping his lips. "It doesn't matter, she probably hates me now after what I did."
"She will if you don't fix this while you can." Yaten responded with an exasperated huff, shaking his head in silent frustration at his brother's sudden lack of confidence. "You've been given this chance to take what you have desperately wanted since our first visit. Now that you have this opportunity, you're choosing to hide like a coward in your own fear and self-doubt." He scolded. "What happened to the cocky, overly-confident Seiya that didn't back down on trying to woo-"
"I wasn't good enough then, what makes me worthy now?" Seiya softly stated, his heart panging at the thought of Usagi's silent rejection that fateful day atop of the school rooftop. "I-"
"I can't take much more of this pity party." Yaten groaned out in frustration. "Do whatever you want, if you want to ruin this one last chance then you have no one to blame but yourself." He snapped, turning and leaving the bedroom. "I really thought you cared about her, obviously it was just a silly little crush." He retorted before shutting the door behind him.
Turning on his side, Seiya glared at the closed door as his brother's harsh words still taunting him. Tearing his gaze from the door, he rolled onto his back once more, sighing out in frustration as he stared up at the ceiling trying to sort through the endless doubts and fears that kept fueling his self-doubt. "Yaten-chan is right, she may be a Princess, but she doesn't treat us or her own Guardians differently." He stated aloud, smiling at the thought of the vibrant high schooler he'd fallen in love with so many years ago.
"I didn't fall in love with the Moon Princess, nor Sailor Moon.' He thought, his smile widening before he spoke. "I fell in love with Tsukino Usagi, the only one who didn't care that I was an idol. She saw me only as Kou Seiya, nothing more." He thought aloud, as he abruptly raised. "Dammit, I'm better than this." He snapped, raking his fingers through his hair to smooth it back into place. 'She said she loves you, now go tell her you feel the same.' His mind chastised as he opened his bedroom door and stepped out to go to Usagi's room and beg for her forgiveness.
Abruptly stopping when he noticed Yaten and Taiki were standing outside Taiki's bedroom door quietly talking to one another, he watched both of his brothers turn and look over at him as he stepped out into the hall. Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, he soon walked past them only to stop when Yaten grabbed his arm.
"She's not going to be in there." Yaten stated, watching Seiya look at him in surprise.
"What do you mean she's not in there?" Seiya asked, looking over at Usagi's bedroom door. "Is she still outside?"
"Yumiko-san brought me her car key earlier." Taiki explained, reaching into his pocket and removing the small key. "She went back to the city with him, she wanted to go home."
"What?" Seiya demanded, shocked at Taiki's comment. "Why?"
"Why do you think?" Yaten snapped, looking at his brother in obvious annoyance. "She's obviously embarrassed, she probably wants to be alone since you rejected her."
"Wait, what?" Taiki demanded, looking at Yaten then towards Seiya for confirmation. "What the hell did I miss?"
"Usagi-chan admitted her feelings and Seiya-baka froze on her." Yaten snickered, taking a step back as Seiya glared at him looking as if he was ready to murder him with his angry gaze. "Well, you did." He jabbed, not caring if he hurt his brother's ego in the process.
Thinking for a moment, he tapped his chin, a smirk spreading across his lips as he spoke. "Since Usagi-chan went home, obviously embarrassed from the rejection, that means we're probably not going to be welcomed for much longer at her place." He quipped, immediately sidestepping as Seiya took a swing at him.
"Shut the hell up, Yaten-baka!" Seiya angrily sneered, angering more when he missed his strike against his brother as Yaten easily avoided the cheap shot he was trying to take.
"Both of you, stop it!" Taiki quietly scolded. "Kikyo-sama is trying to sleep!" He snapped, before sighing out in exasperation while glancing into the bedroom to see their Princess was still asleep. "I was going to wait until Usagi-chan came back in to move her, but I'll leave the Princess in my room tonight. I can sleep on the floor, I don't mind."
"Take my room." Seiya stated, reaching into his pocket and removing his brooch. "I'm going back to the city, I'll use the Sailor Teleport to travel by starlight. I should be able to get to the apartment before she does. It will give me some time to sort through my thoughts and figure out how I'm going to fix my mistake." He sighed, looking up at the two. "I'll be back later tonight, hopefully with Odango."
"Good luck." Yaten stated, before smirking. "You're going to need it now."
Rolling his eyes at his brother's jab towards Seiya, Taiki looked at Seiya with concern before he spoke. "Are you sure-"
"I love her." Seiya interrupted, his hand tightening around his brooch. "I've been given this second chance, I just hope I didn't mess it up."
"Yes, we know this." Yaten retorted while rolling his eyes at his brother's endearing and sentimental words. "So what are you waiting for?" He asked, watching his brother smile at him before turning and hurrying the direction of the stairs. "He's such a baka." He muttered, smiling in amusement as he walked towards his bedroom.
"Yaten-chan." Taiki stated, watching his brother stop and look at him. "Why are you encouraging this? What if she ends up hurting him again?" He cautiously asked, surprised by his brother's approval of the situation.
"I don't think she is, Taiki-chan, not this time." Yaten stated, knowing their friend was no longer happy with her relationship to the Earth Prince. "I just have a feeling that things will work out this time." He stated instead, thinking about how Usagi had confided in him her doubts and hesitations in regards to her relationship and her future with the Earth Prince. "Goodnight, Taiki-chan. We may have just gained a sister if Seiya didn't botch this up too badly." He stated with an amused smile as he turned and walked in the direction of his bedroom.
"Goodnight, Yaten-chan." Taiki responded, briefly frowning at Yaten's comment. 'This isn't going to end well, Seiya's interfering in something that shouldn't be. Haruka-san and Michiru-san will not accept this, they will interfere.' He worriedly thought, fearing for Seiya's safety. Shaking his head, he released a sigh of frustration wishing he'd stayed outside so he could have stepped in and possibly intervened and prevented the situation from happening. 'Why am I always the last to find out about these kinds of things.' He thought with frustration, deciding to read for a bit longer to clear his troubled mind.
To Be Continued...
Revised: 4/22/2021
Hope you enjoyed the revised version! I am so happy with these changes, I felt the original was too rushed and these changes reflect the feelings that Usagi and Seiya would be feeling. For those who read the original, I hope you enjoyed the additions/changes. I will be starting my revisions on Chapter 7 soon. Keep an eye out for updates. Sorry for the long wait! Hopefully, the next one will not take as long.
If you enjoyed the chapter, leave me a review and let me know. I enjoy reading and responding to reviews! :)
-ShadowQueenGalactica
