Promise Me The Sun
By: Tatsutahime
Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon. Naoko Takeuchi does. I am only using her characters for my story. I have also made up a few characters to benefit the plot.
AU: Just to warn you guys before you get too into the story. This isn't rated R for Hentai, though there are going to be some sweet intimate parts. It's rated R for future extreme anguish…which means I'm not guaranteeing a happy ending. Sorry! My goal is to make my stories moving. Just to warn you.
Chapter 4: Reliving The Memories
Mamoru stared bewildered at the young woman before him. "How do you know my name? Do I know you from somewhere?" His deep voice seemed to mesmerize her. Usagi's eyes scanned his entire body. His khakis slightly sagged and his plaid shirt was completely unbuttoned. She could distinctly see his defined chest through his white muscle shirt. His skin was a dark beige…obviously from being in the sun. His muscled arms held his brown jacket. His piercing blue eyes seemed to glow in the moonlight. His face was strong and rigged. 'My god…'
"Miss…? Are you alright?" Mamoru's face softened as he unconsciously stepping closer kneeling in front of her. "I…uh…" Mamoru smiled as she searched for words. He cocked an eyebrow up as he set his jacket aside. 'Whoever she is…she's cute…' She looked up at him, tears threatening to come out. The compassion she felt as she suddenly sprung into his arms, embracing him in a tight hug was indescribable.
Mamoru looked down at the blonde is his arms. 'She seems so familiar…' Confused as ever, he patted her back. "Are you new here? If your lost…" He was surprised to be cut off by a soft laughter. Her head shifted up as she smiled at his concerned face. "Have I changed that much? It's me Dare…Bunny."
Mamoru's eyes widened in piercing recognition. 'Usagi?! My Usagi? She's back?! When? Why? How…' A thousand questions ran through his mind. Usagi shifted her weight into his lap as she waited for him to say something. After seeing her family's…she was curious to she his. Mamoru eyes looked down and wandered as if in deep thought before snapping to meet her pale cerulean eyes. He fell back until he sat Indian style. "Is that really you…? You're back? When…?" he managed to whisper.
Usagi smiled as she nodded. "I arrived this afternoon."
Mamoru pulled her into a tight hug this time surprising Usagi. "I've missed you…" he mumbled as he buried his face into her soft mane. He closed his eyes as he inhaled her soft strawberry scent. Usagi smiled as she wrapped her arms around his neck, running her long fingers though his silky raven hair.
"How have you been?" He asked as he released her. Shifted off of him and laid down, resting her head on his lap. She looked back up at the sky. He unconsciously stroked her silky hair.
"I have been good. How about you?"
"I've been better…"He replied looking away from her. Changing the subject. "Are you on tour? Is Mark here? Or after all these years, they're finally giving you a few days to yourself?" he asked.
"Um…well, something like that."
She watched him tilt his head confused. "How long are you staying? It better be for a couple of weeks or I'll give him a piece of my mind." he joked.
Usagi smiled thoughtfully as she remembered back when she first told her manager that she didn't want to renew her contract…that she wanted to return home. "How's forever?"
Mamoru looked down at her confused. "Forever? But you have to go back to America…don't you?"
Usagi inhaled deeply as her eyes shifted to his face. "I quit Dare."
Mamoru's face held shock and confusion all at once. "Why? As long as I could remember…all you dreamed of was to grow up and be a famous singer."
Usagi looked away from his intense gaze. "Dreams change Dare…I've changed."
"But you had all you wanted. The fame. The money. Adoring fans…Why did you want to give that all up to come back here?" Usagi sighed as she snuggled closer. 'Why do you think you knuckled head?' "I guess I missed everybody. My family…my friends…you…"
Silence fell between them as Mamoru comprehended her words. 'She actually missed me?'
"What about you…? I expected you to be in Med.-school. I had no idea you'd still be here. Are you on vacation?" Usagi didn't realize it but her words stung like acid poured on an open wound. She felt his body stiffen. "Mamoru?" she asked when she didn't receive an answer. She sat up and saw his closed eyes. She brushed a few locks of hair from his face as she asked worried. "Mamoru? Are you alright?" His eyes opened to look at her as tears started to fall. Usagi embraced him as he whimpered slightly. "I'm sorry Dare. Did I say something wrong?"
"It's not your fault. It's just that ugh…nevermind."
"Tell me. You' can trust me." Usagi said softly.
"It's none of your business!" He snapped suddenly. Usagi was completely taken back in surprise. She looked away in fear. "I'm sorry." She whispered as she quickly got up and started down the hill.
~*~
Usagi wrapped her arms around herself as she quickly ran through the fields. The cool air that blew past her made her shiver. That happened 5 minutes before replayed in her mind. 'It's not of your business!'
She has never seen him so angry before. Tears fell as she silently scowled herself. 'You're such a fool Usagi. Always opening your mouth and talking without…' Her thoughts was cut short when she tripped and fell hard into the cold metal railroad tracks. Her skirt ripped and a large scrap appeared from her mid thigh to her mid calf. She whimpered in pain as she brought her knees up to her chest and covered her head in her lap. 'Why do I have to be so clumsy?!' she thought now crying openly. She was a little less than a mile home. She knew she couldn't make it. She felt cold and alone.
Moments later she felt someone drape a warm jacket over her bare shoulders. She head snapped up in fright. "Who's there?!"
"It's Okay Buns. It's me." She turned slightly to see Mamoru behind her. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have yelled. Are you alright?" he asked as he looked down at her.
Usagi looked at him uncertainly before whispering. "I fell."
Mamoru then noticed her blood stained skirt. He cursed loudly but stopped when he noticed her look back down ashamed.
"I'm sorry…Buns…" he started. 'She must think I'm a monster' "…Here, let me take you home." Usagi looked up as he carefully lifted her up off the ground and headed home. She was so light and fitted perfectly in his arms. 'This feels so right…'
The way home was walked in silence until Usagi spoke. "I'm sorry Mamoru…I didn't mean to cause you so much trouble…" she said as she snuggled closer to his body. She avoided his eyes, ashamed of herself.
Mamoru stopped in front of her house and looked down in surprise. He was surprised she was still talking to him after what he did. "Bunny…it's not your fault…It was all me." He said as he started to knock on her front door. He didn't expect her to climb back up a 2 story house to get into her room in her condition. A note on the door caught his attention. It read:
Dear Usagi,
Your aunt Kakuru got into an accident.
We went to visit her in the city hospital.
We came to wake you but you were gone.
Your father and I took Sammy with us.
We will be back tomorrow afternoon.
Lots of Love,
Mom
Usagi looked at Mamoru. "Please don't leave me alone…"
Mamoru almost melted when he saw her pleading face. "I would never dream if it. I'll take you to my house." He said as he picked her up and carried her next door.
When they entered the house, he knew at once he father was gone away on business. He would've been up still. He closed the door and carried her upstairs. He gently laid her down on his bed before going into his joining bathroom. He got a clean cloth, a bowl of water, and an ace bandage before going back into his room.
Usagi's back was turned to him as he entered the room. Her attention was fixed on the poster she had sent him years back.
"I can't believe you still have this."
Mamoru smiled as knelt in front of her. "I kept everything you sent me."
Usagi blushed looking away from him. He placed the bowl of water beside him as he dipped the cloth into the warn water. "Where are you bleeding?"
Usagi's full attention turned to him. She blushed harder. "Um...it's here…" She said as she carefully lifted her skirt up. Mamoru inhaled sharply as she revealed her long shapely legs. To his relief, she stopped mid-thigh. He almost gasped at the long cut. He slowly pressed the cloth to her smooth skin.
Usagi's gaze was fixed on Mamoru. 'This is so embarrassing…'
"My uh…my mom died of cancer last year." Usagi gasped softly as Mamoru continued. "My dad and I spent thousands on her chemo treatment. We struggled so hard to find money after we went broke to keep her in that hospital. She was so ill…I cried whenever I went to see her. She grew so thin and tiny…to just about your size." Usagi listened intently as Mamoru spoke. Warm tears slid down her face as it pained her to see him so troubled. He placed the towel aside and started to rub ointment on her wound, which had already begun to scab. Her breath quickened then she felt his rough hands rub against her skin. "I was supposed to go off to that private Sacakimoto collage a few months after you went away. But by then, my college savings went from around 7 thousand to pennies. My dad goes off into the city for weeks at a time to work for some money and I do whatever I can around here. He was home today but he's gone again already. I've saved up about 3 thousand already but it's not enough for me to register for any college this fall."
"Maybe in a couple of years I'll have enough I dunno." She stared at him stunned as he finished. He looked up at her. She now understood why he had snapped at her back in the field. She felt so awful. Mamoru looked down and picked up the bowl of water, the towel and the bandage. He placed it into the bathroom before going into his closet. He pulled out a pair of pajama bottoms and handed it to her. "Here…I'll be downstairs. I'll be up in a few minutes. Do you want anything to eat?"
Usagi shook her head slightly. She watched as Mamoru started out of the room closing the door behind him. "Mamoru?" Mamoru turned around at her voice. He smiled as he heard her whisper. "Thank you."
~*~
Usagi turned her attention back to the poster on the wall above his bed. The summer dress and the straw hat she wore made her look much like a child. 'That was almost 4 years ago…I've grown up…and so has he. He's gone through so much…' she thought sadly as she moved off his bed and into his bathroom. She looked into the mirror and ran a hand through her hair. She didn't recognize herself at all. She looked back into the bedroom at herself smiling happily on the wall before looking back into the mirror. A long pale wavy mop replaced her once short golden blonde hair. Her eyes seemed to have gotten paler, if possible with a dark shadow behind them. Her nose was still a little pink from crying.
She shook her head as she started to take off her skirt and put on his pajama bottoms. Since Mamoru's frame was much bigger than hers was, she had to pull the drawstring until it couldn't go anymore. She took a hair tie off her wrist and tied she hair into a ponytail. She washed her hair and took one more, long look into the mirror before turning off the lights and entering the bedroom. She folded up her skirt and placed it in the carpet before lying down on her side. She thought back to the times when they were very still close. She was about 6. Usagi smiled when she thought how much time they had spent together. They were inseparable. They would sleep over each other's houses almost nightly. 'We were so happy…' she thought. 'Then suddenly we were a bit older and things got weird…' She closed her eyes trying to picture them together.
~*~
He walked slowly downstairs with a pair of pajamas in his hand. He couldn't believe she had told her the WHOLE story of what had happened to his mother. He hasn't told anyone that…not even his best friend Andrew. He didn't want anyone to pity him. Then out of the blue, one girl enters his life and he spills out his heart and soul. 'But that's just it Mamoru. She isn't just any girl. She's Usagi. '
He entered the downstairs bathroom and started changing. He was completely exhausted. He splashed his face with cold water. 'She's changed so much…' He exited the bathroom and started back upstairs. He quietly knocked on the door before entering. "Hey Buns are you…?" Mamoru peaked inside to see Usagi peacefully sleeping on his bed. He smiled thoughtfully as she approached her. Her patch skirt was folded neatly on the floor. He pulled up his blankets over her petite body. 'I thought she was beautiful before… now she's turned into a goddess.'
No matter how much she had changed, he still trusted her. She was his Usagi that he promised to protect. Mamoru quietly went to his closet and took out an extra blanket before lying down on his couch. He took one last look at his angel before turning off the lights.
What he had not idea of was that a part of her died when she was away in America…That behind her content, happy act was a lonely girl crying out for relief.
AU: Almost a cliffhanger. I tried to make this one longer. What do you think? Please Review. Check out my other stories, The Protector and Cry For Me. Till next time!
PS. If anyone's interested, I'm looking for an editor. Just someone I could send my chapters to before I post them. They would tell me if there are any mistakes I missed and stuff like that. One of my reviews suggested one would be helpful. If you want the job, please e-mail me.