NOTE BEFORE READING: I know that Mamoru was only supposed to be in America for a year, but I changed it to two years because I wanted Usagi to already be graduated from high school by the time of his return in this fic. (That means everybody is over eighteen, although there are some references to them having had sex before he left.)
Welcome Home
Five more minutes until Mamoru's plane was scheduled to land at Narita International Airport.
Usagi bounced on the balls of her feet, unable to stand still. Mamoru had told her it would be best if she arrived about thirty minutes after landing to give him plenty of time to go through customs and retrieve his luggage, but for once in her life, she was early, not wanting to wait even a second longer than necessary to see him again.
Two long years had passed since Mamoru left for America, moving to a city called Cambridge in Massachusetts. To the surprise of both of them, Harvard had extended Mamoru a second invitation to participate in their highly prestigious fellowship program a year after he had been "declared missing" during his first ill-fated flight across the world. Mamoru had initially intended to decline, not wanting to leave her again after everything that had happened with Galaxia, but Usagi knew it was a huge opportunity for him – one that certainly would not be given a third time. It's only for two years, she had told herself as she saw him off at the same airport, clinging to him until the very last second. Armed with the knowledge that they were destined to be together for at least another nine hundred years or so, two years was nothing. She couldn't be selfish; Mamoru was following his dreams.
Yet it had still felt like forever.
At least this time they had been more proactive in their plans to keep in contact. Usagi had made it clear when she encouraged him to take the fellowship that she wasn't going to accept "I'm too busy" as an excuse not to call, and Mamoru had faithfully kept his promise, calling her once a day on their communicators in order to save on expensive international phone calls. (Luna hadn't been thrilled when she found out that they were taking advantage of their communicators for non-Guardian business, but it wasn't as if there were any new enemies to be on the look-out for. Things had been blissfully peaceful on the superhero front while Mamoru was gone, with not a single attack since the final battle against Galaxia.) Unfortunately, due to the thirteen hour time difference between Cambridge and Tokyo, the best time for him to call was usually around five o'clock in the afternoon his time, which meant Usagi had been awakened at six a.m. almost every morning for the past two years by her communicator beeping in her ear. Losing a bit of her beloved sleep was a sacrifice she had been more than willing to make, though, if it meant being able to hear Mamoru's voice and assure herself that he was still safe and sound, that he was alive…
"Usako?"
Usagi sharply inhaled, her eyes roaming around the immediate vicinity until she located the owner of the voice standing only a few meters away from her.
"Mamo-chan…" Tears welled up in her eyes at the sight of Mamoru standing underneath the "Arrivals" sign, a large suitcase clutched in one hand and his carry-on bag swung over his opposite shoulder. It was him, really him. She had seen his handsome face every day on her communicator's tiny screen, of course, but that hardly compared to seeing him – all of him – in the flesh. Her feet began moving toward him on their own volition, her heart jumping for joy. "Mamo-chan!"
Mamoru set his luggage down on the floor just in time for Usagi to run over and throw her arms around his neck. Returning the embrace, he hugged her tightly in his arms.
"I'm home, Usako," he said softly in her hair.
Usagi sniffled, burying her face in his shoulder. She couldn't stop the tears from flowing, so relieved he had safely made it home. "Welcome back," she wailed, almost certainly catching the attention of the people milling around them.
Mamoru wasn't one for the spotlight, but despite her embarrassing display, he didn't let go, continuing to hold her close as she sobbed into the fabric of his favorite green blazer. He rubbed soothing circles on her back, murmuring unintelligible words of comfort until her cries finally softened.
"Sorry." Usagi pulled back, fumbling for the handkerchief in her pocket to wipe her face. "I promised myself I wasn't going to cry when I saw you." She dabbed at her cheeks, grimacing at the trace of pale pink blush that had rubbed off onto the white fabric. "Ugh, so much for all the time I spent doing my make-up this morning… I must look like a mess." At least she had the foresight to wear water-proof mascara...
"No, not at all," Mamoru said, brushing away one last remaining teardrop with his thumb as he brought his hand to the side of her face. "You look beautiful."
He was lying, but Usagi didn't care, a natural blush warming her cheeks. "Come on, you must be exhausted. Let's get you home." She grabbed the smaller of his two bags – the rest of his things had already been sent ahead to his apartment – and took his hand, leading him outside to the nearby bus stop.
Despite his insistence he really wasn't all that tired, Mamoru fell asleep almost as soon as they took their seats at the back of the bus, resting his head against her shoulder. Usagi didn't have the heart to wake him, smiling softly as she kissed the top of his dark hair.
She still couldn't believe he was finally back. She pinched the back of her right hand, the sharp burst of pain assuring her that this wasn't another one of her dreams, that this truly was reality. They may have talked almost every day while he was in America, but there was still so much to catch up on. Usagi couldn't wait to go on a date to the new Korean BBQ place that had opened up in Juuban a few months ago or show him some of the new games Motoki had added to the selection at the arcade... The girls were excited for his return as well, especially Ami, who had easily passed the notoriously difficult entrance exams and was now a freshman student at Mamoru's alma mater, KO University. Usagi had already agreed to bring him by Crown tomorrow afternoon for a surprise "Welcome Home" party, but as for today… She stifled a happy giggle, hoping he would like the special surprise she had in store.
"Mamo-chan, time to wake-up," Usagi said, gently shaking his arm when the bus rolled to a stop near Mamoru's apartment building a few minutes later.
He startled awake, blinking his bleary eyes as he looked around in mild confusion. "Usako?"
"It's time to get off. We're at the station near your apartment." Usagi stood up, throwing his small bag over her shoulder. "Come on."
When they finally reached his apartment on the third floor, Usagi unlocked the door with the key he had given her and opened it with a flourish. "Welcome home!" she said, setting his bag down on the floor in order to change into her usual pair of bunny slippers.
Mamoru stepped inside after her, smiling as he looked around the pristine apartment. She had spent yesterday afternoon cleaning in anticipation of his return, dusting and vacuuming and changing all the linens. "Thanks. It's good to be back."
"I tried to drop by every couple of weeks or so to clean and check up on things." While he changed into his own fuzzy slippers, Usagi headed straight toward the kitchen and reached for the cheerful bright pink-and-white polka-dot apron hanging next to Mamoru's simple black one on the wall next to the refrigerator. "Oh, and I bought some groceries yesterday so you don't have to worry about shopping for a couple of days," she said, tying the apron's belt into a messy bow behind her back before pulling out a large pan from one of the bottom cabinets. "I was thinking of making us some curry? Mako-chan taught me this really yummy recipe for chicken curry. It's so easy to make that even I can't screw it up."
"Sounds delicious," Mamoru said, walking over and rolling up his sleeves. "I'll help."
"No!" she shouted as she turned around, Mamoru giving her a surprised look. "I mean, no, you should go take a nap," Usagi said in a more normal tone of voice, waving her hand in the direction of his bedroom. "I can handle the curry on my own. Don't worry about it! It's not like I'm going to burn down your apartment." She decided against mentioning the fact she had set off the fire alarm in Makoto's apartment the first time she tried making the curry (mostly) on her own. That was months ago, though, and she had improved a lot since that first disastrous attempt. Even Rei agreed that her version was almost as good as Makoto's, which Usagi considered high praise.
"I already took a nap on the bus," he reminded her. "Besides, it's best to stay awake if I want to get over this jet lag as quickly as possible. I'll be fine with a cup of coffee."
"But –" This was messing up her grand plan of making Mamoru a delicious homemade meal to welcome him back! She had worked so hard to learn the recipe from Makoto, wanting to impress Mamoru with her new cooking skills...
"I suppose I could use a shower, though." Mamoru sniffed at the collar of his button-down shirt, his nose crinkling. "I smell like an airport."
"Yes, a shower!" Usagi latched onto the idea, gently pushing him toward the bathroom down the hall. "In fact, go take a nice, long relaxing soak in the tub while you're at it. I'll call you when lunch is ready."
"Okay, okay, I'm going!" he said, laughing as he grabbed his suitcase along the way.
Usagi poured a bit of curry sauce into a small tasting bowl and brought it to her lips, letting out a loud moan as the rich flavor hit her tongue. Not too spicy, not too mild… Yes, this was definitely her best batch yet! She silently thanked Makoto once again for all her help in teaching her the recipe as she turned down the burner and began scooping generous servings of rice from Mamoru's rice cooker onto a couple of plates. She then added the curry sauce beside the rice and set the plates on the small dining table, placing them across from each other.
"There, perfect!" Usagi said, adjusting the beautiful arrangement of red and white roses sitting at the center of the table. The preparations for Operation: Welcome Home Lunch had gone off without a hitch once she managed to convince Mamoru to go take a bath.
Speaking of which, where was the guest of honor? Usagi had expected him to come back out once he finished bathing to grab that cup of coffee he had mentioned earlier – she had already poured him a fresh cup with two scoops of sugar, just the way he liked it – but she hadn't seen Mamoru since he had disappeared down the hall. After taking off her apron and hanging it back on the hook, Usagi took a moment to freshen up, wiping a bit of curry sauce off her chin, then went to go find him.
She first checked the bathroom. He was no longer there, but she did find a load of dirty clothes tumbling in the washing machine. Typical Mamo-chan, she thought with an affectionate roll of her eyes. He hadn't been home for even an hour, and he was already doing chores.
Well, if Mamoru wasn't in the living area or the bathroom, that left only one other possibility. Moving one door down, Usagi lightly knocked. "Mamo-chan? Your lunch made with love is ready!"
No answer.
Frowning, Usagi twisted the doorknob and pushed opened the door to peek inside.
She found Mamoru napping on his bed, his half-unpacked suitcase opened beside him. Usagi stepped further inside, keeping as quiet as possible as she tiptoed over to his bedside.
He must have been even more tired than she thought. Mamoru hadn't even finished buttoning his clean shirt, his dark hair still damp from his shower. Usagi's eyes lingered over his partially exposed chest and abdomen, her cheeks warming as she bit down on her bottom lip.
He's going to catch cold if he sleeps like that, she thought, shaking her head to dispel the arousing images from her mind. Usagi glanced around the room, spotting a throw blanket tossed over the chair in the corner where Mamoru liked to read in the evenings before going to bed. She grabbed the blanket and covered him with it, Mamoru only stirring long enough to roll over on his side.
She turned to leave, but pausing at the door, she looked back over her shoulder. Was it really okay to let him sleep? Mamoru had said it was better for him to stay awake if he wanted to get back on Tokyo time as soon as possible…
Usagi walked back over to the bed and crawled onto the other side, tenderly reaching over to brush a damp lock of dark hair off of his forehead. He looked so peaceful, it seemed almost a shame to wake him, but knowing Mamoru, he'd appreciate her not letting him ruin his sleep schedule.
"Mamo-chan…"
"Mmm…" His eyes remained closed as he pulled the knitted throw blanket tighter around his body.
"Mamo-chan, wakey, wakey," she tried again in a sing-song voice, running a finger down the bridge of his nose.
In a remarkable imitation of Usagi, Mamoru buried his face in his pillow and mumbled, "Don't wanna."
Usagi covered her mouth with her hand, stifling her giggles. Sometimes, he could be unexpectedly cute. "I thought you said you didn't want to take a nap," she reminded him.
"Past me was an idiot," Mamoru said, his eyes fluttering open as he lifted his head off the pillow, "but he's probably right." Rubbing at his right eye, he let out a soft yawn. "Is lunch ready?"
"Yeah, but it'll keep if you want to sleep a little longer." Curry usually tasted better the next day, anyway.
"No, no, I really should get up." Propping himself up on his elbow, Mamoru smiled. "Boy, you're a sight for tired eyes," he said, caressing her cheek with his free hand. He let out a sigh. "Tell me this isn't a dream. Tell me you're really here, and not another figment of my imagination."
"It's really, really me." Usagi kissed the inside of his wrist, assuring him that she was indeed the real, genuine article. "And you're really home." For good, hopefully. As amazing an opportunity as Mamoru's fellowship was, she doubted she would be able to survive another long separation.
"I missed you."
"Me, too," she whispered, trying her best not to cry. "So, so much."
Usagi lay down beside him. For a long moment, they simply stared at each other in quiet contemplation until Mamoru made the first move, bridging the small gap in between them and brushing his lips softly against hers in an unspoken question. Usagi kissed him back in reply, her hands roaming down his exposed chest. Her fingers began unfastening the rest of the buttons near the bottom of his shirt as a long-suppressed desire ignited within her, threatening to consume her.
When she finished, Usagi rolled over on her back, and Mamoru's hand, which had been glued to her cheek, slowly moved downward, traveling over the peaks of her breasts and the soft rolls of her stomach until it disappeared underneath the hem of her cute floral-print dress. She gasped into his mouth as his fingers began rubbing her through her panties, a pleasant warmth pooling within the lower half of her body. Though it had been two years, it didn't take long for Mamoru to remember the familiar rhythm, stroking the growing fire inside her to an even greater intensity.
"More," she moaned in between feverish kisses. Usagi wanted – no needed – more than his fingers, or even Mamoru's amazing tongue. She needed to feel him inside her, to be as close to him as humanly possible.
Mamoru, needing no clarification, stopped what he was doing and moved in between her spread legs, kneeling on his knees. While he was busy unzipping his fly, Usagi sat up and pulled her dress over her head, her lace bra following soon after. Mamoru had barely managed to push his jeans down to his calves before she pulled him down on top of her, kissing him passionately.
He kicked his jeans the rest of the way down his legs, and they fell with a soft thud to the floor. With the jeans out of the way, Usagi was able to feel his hardness pressing against her through the fabric of their underwear. She moaned into his mouth, sliding her hands underneath the back of his unbuttoned shirt. Just as she was about to slip her fingers underneath the waistband of his black cotton boxer-briefs, however, Mamoru froze.
"No, wait, stop, stop," he said, pulling away. "We shouldn't do this."
Usagi fought the urge to pout, propping herself up on her elbows. "Why not?" It wasn't as if they hadn't done it plenty of times before he left. The night before his departure, she had lied to her parents and pretended to stay over at Makoto's apartment to "study", only for her to actually spend the night at Mamoru's, the two of them making love in his bed almost until morning, indulging in the touches and kisses they would soon be long denied.
He sighed, running a hand through his wet hair. "Sorry, I don't have any condoms on hand. I didn't need any in America."
She breathed a sigh of relief. Was that all? "Oh, don't worry about it. We don't need one," Usagi said, glad to hear that he hadn't had any use for condoms while he was abroad – not that she ever thought he might cheat on her! (Well, at least, not seriously. It would be a lie to say the thought of him having a one-night stand with some pretty American coed never crossed her mind, especially on the rare occasions when he was late making his daily call, but in the end, she did trust him.)
Mamoru frowned. "Yes, we do, Usako. Don't you remember what Setsuna-san said? About how the future isn't set in stone? Even if Chi–"
"No, I meant, we don't need one because I'm on the Pill," she clarified. "I started taking it a couple of months ago since I knew you were coming home soon."
"Oh, thank God!"
With that matter settled, he resumed where he left off, trailing kisses down her neck. Usagi giggled, the faint stubble on his cheeks ticklish against her skin. She once again reached for the waistband of his boxer-briefs, pushing them down as far as she could manage until Mamoru got the message and finished the job.
Hooking his thumbs onto the sides of her damp panties, he did the same for her, sliding the lacy fabric down her legs and tossing them on the floor. "God, you're beautiful," he murmured, taking a moment to stare at her fully nude body.
Heat warmed her cheeks as she returned the stare, drinking in the sight of his lightly-toned muscles and engorged cock, a bit of pre-come already leaking from the tip. "So are you," she said, giggling again before correcting herself. "Handsome, I mean. Sexy."
Butterflies danced in her stomach as Mamoru's lips curled up in a grin, and unexpected nerves overcame her as he tenderly brushed her bangs off of her face. They had done this plenty of times before, yes, but after so long apart, somehow it felt like the first time all over again, and her heart raced as Mamoru lowered himself over her, his lips capturing hers once again in a soft, gentle kiss.
Usagi wasn't the only nervous one. She pressed a palm over his chest, comforted to feel his heart pounding in symphony with hers. She murmured his name in quiet reassurance, wrapping her arms behind Mamoru's back as she pulled his familiar weight even closer against her. Whatever remaining jitters faded away as their kisses gradually became more ardent, heat spreading over the surface of their naked skin with every intimate caress.
Reaching between their bodies, Usagi wrapped her hand around his cock and guided it toward her entrance. Mamoru let out a soft groan as she teased herself with the tip, rubbing it over her throbbing clit several times before finally allowing him to slowly slip inside.
"Mamo-chan…"
She held onto his broad shoulders, gasping as Mamoru began rocking his hips against her. God, how she had missed this...missed him. Staring up into Mamoru's deep blue eyes, Usagi lost herself in the rhythmic motion, her mind free of any thoughts other than of the man she loved more than anything in the world.
The fire from before had reignited, threatening to burst into a full-blown blaze. Her breathing quickened, and her toes curled into the sheets as her desire reached fever-pitch. It wasn't often that Usagi got off on only intercourse alone, but it had been so long, and she was so unbelievably turned on, that she cried out, her entire body shuddering in ecstasy.
It didn't take long for Mamoru to follow. With a few final thrusts, he climaxed, an unfamiliar warmth filling Usagi as he emptied himself inside her for the first time. His sweaty forehead fell on her shoulder, the two of them panting heavily as they struggled to capture their breaths.
"Um...I should probably go wash up," she said after a couple of minutes had passed, becoming acutely aware of the wetness leaking between her legs.
"O-Oh, right. Of course." Mamoru lifted himself off of her and moved to the side, allowing Usagi to get up and waddle ungracefully to the bathroom down the hall.
She mentally made a note to have a towel on hand the next time they had sex.
Mamoru had yet to get dressed when she returned a few moments later. Usagi rejoined him in bed, using the throw blanket to cover their naked bodies as she snuggled up against him.
"Hey, Usako?" he said, breaking the comfortable silence that had fallen between them.
"Hmm?" Despite the fact that she wasn't the one who had just endured a twenty-hour flight halfway around the world, Usagi's eyelids had begun to droop. It was a struggle to keep them open, her body all warm and relaxed, wrapped up in Mamoru's comforting arms. Not even the faint reminder at the back of her mind that there were still two plates of delicious chicken curry waiting to be eaten was enough enticement to make her want to get out of bed any time soon.
Mamoru gently ran his fingers over the arm she had thrown over his stomach. "I've been thinking… Now that I'm back, how do you feel about moving in together?"
That woke her up.
Usagi lifted her head from his shoulder. "Me, moving in here?"
"Yeah, or we can look for a new place together, if you want, but I know this apartment is close to your school."
Indeed, it was. The close proximity to Mamoru's apartment, in fact, had been one of the main reasons why Usagi had chosen to attend that particular college...along with it not being particularly difficult to get accepted to. She couldn't deny a part of her had been hoping he would ask her to move in when he returned, but…
"Are you sure? Moving in together is a pretty big step."
"Positive." Smiling, he pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear. "I've been away from you for far too long, Usako. It just made me realize once again how important you are to me...how much I truly love you."
"Mamo-chan…"
"So, what do you say? If you need a little more time to think it over, then –"
Usagi shook her head. She didn't need any time at all. She knew exactly what she wanted to do. Smiling, she straddled Mamoru's lap and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Let's do it," she said, landing a peck on his nose. "Let's move in together!"
DISCLAIMER: Sailor Moon is the property of Naoko Takeuchi.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This fic was written Day 6 of UsaMamo Week 2022, Theme: Family. I hope you enjoyed it!