Part 4

"So, Usagi, have you done your homework, yet?" Luna, my guardian cat asks me.
"What's the big deal?" I ask her. "It's only Saturday! Besides, I still have about an hour and a half of Saturday Morning shows I need to watch. It's only 10:47, anyway."
"I was just trying to get you to learn something." Luna says. "If you are going to be fighting evil, you are going to have to be a lot craftier, smarter, and thoughtful to be able to defeat our enemies successfully, and before more people get hurt than need be."
"Ain't being smart and thoughtful Ami-chan's jobs?" I say. (AN: Just for you, V-chan)
"Isn't," Luna corrects. "'Ain't' is not a word. Even though Ami-chan has those qualities under control doesn't mean that you can't brush up on them. I mean, just because you are a crime fighter, you still have to get an education. You won't get a job with just 'Sailormoon' as an educational reference. I'm just looking out for you, Usagi."
"Yeah," I say, "The only reason that you are 'looking out' for me is because I am the one who will be earning the money that pays for your food. I bet that you didn't know that I might get married and just become a homemaker, like my mother. You don't have to ace school for that."
" I don't doubt you to be a good candidate for that role," Luna implies, "but what if you need to have a job before you get married? You can't just depend on someone to supply for you for the rest of your life. You might actually have to *gasp* WORK. Your mom might want you to get a part-time job so that she and your father won't have to dig into their pockets to give you money for the arcade on top of your allowance."
"Jeez, Lun-chan, I'm only fourteen. You talk like I should know this already." I say.
"Actually," she replies, "You should."
***
~ Merlyna's POV ~
At the scout meeting, that day, the girls noticed that Usagi had been acting a little more strangely than usual.

"Earth to Usagi, come in, Usagi," Makoto said while waving her hand in front of Usagi's face. Usagi slowly came back from her memories of the events of earlier that morning with a soft, "Huh?"
"Odango Atama, if you were paying *any* attention at all, you would know that Ami-chan has a very good plan to find out where the Dark Kingdom is, and track the enemies so that we know where they are going to strike next. Get it together Usagi-baka!" Rei berated.
"Yes, actually, if I could somehow get a homing device on Zoicyte, then maybe I would be able to track him back to his home base," the patient Mizuno Ami said. "There was also another factor that I had found out in my research of the attacks. The more negative energy a certain area has the more likely the Dark Kingdom will attack. So, if I could somehow place sensors around Tokyo, then I would be able to find out where the enemy was going to strike before they stroke. In theory, that is."
"I, for one, think that this might be the answer that we have been looking for," Luna said. "I just need to check in with Central Control, and I would be able to get the plans made up by tomorrow." She looked over at Usagi, who still had a glazed over look in her eyes. The cat walked over to Usagi and yelled in her ear, "USAGI, PAY ATTENTION!!!" Usagi immediately snapped to attention and knocked Luna over.
"What did ya do *that* for? I *was* paying attention," Usagi said in her defence.
"Oh, really?" the black cat replied, picking herself up. "Then what did Ami just say?"
Usagi was at a loss for words. "Um," she started, "She was saying something about... the... Negaverse?"
"Very good Usagi. Do you care to tell the rest of the senshi exactly *what* she was saying about the Negaverse?" Luna said in a Teacher-mocking tone.
"Um," she said, "Not really."
"Usagi," Luna said in a warning tone.
"Okay, so I kinda spaced out for a moment or two," Usagi admitted. "I have a lot on my mind right now."
"Such as," Luna prompted.
"A youma attack this morning," Usagi said. "I tried to contact you guys but I didn't have enough time. I dusted him though, so that's a good thing."
"Well, Usagi, good for you,"Luna said, sincerely. "Your first youma alone and you dusted it. You seem to be taking on your responsibility quite well. All of you are, even with school and just growing up you've managed to adapt so well." She looked pretty darn proud of her senshi, if you want to know.
"I wasn't exactly all alone," Usagi said. "Tuxedo Kamen helped me too."
"Aha!" Makoto shouted, scaring the senshi, "I know that look in your eyes. Something happened, didn't it?"
"No," Usagi fibbed, "He went away like always. The guy *never* sticks around, am I right?" 'Please believe me, Mako-chan, please.'
"Well, too bad, Usagi." Makoto said. "Better luck next time!"
"Thanks," Usagi said.
"Now, about the Negaverse..." Luna said. Usagi didn't hear her; she was thinking, still, about that morning, tears brimming in her eyes.
~Flashback~
Tuxedo Kamen glared at Sailormoon with Lust-filled eyes, and she trembled slightly.
"Gomen, Sailormoon," Tuxedo Kamen said, turning slightly away, letting go of her. "Gomen nessai."
"For what?" Sailormoon said, still woozy from the kiss. "The kiss? It was the best kiss ever in the world, Tuxedo Kamen. Still, it was my first kiss, so I wouldn't know."
"For kissing you like that without asking," he replies, with a look of shame on his face. "I never ment for that to happen, I just had to kiss you. Gomen nassai, Sailormoon." With that said, he jumped onto the tree and layed down.
"Tuxedo Kamen," Sailormoon called, "Come down here! I forgive you already. It's not like I tried to pull back or something. I wanted it just as much as you did, maybe even more."
She walked up to the tree and leaned against it, arms crossed in front of her chest. "You know, if you hadn't of kissed me I would have kissed you." 'Eventually.' she added silently.
Tuxedo Kamen jumped down from the tree and stood in front of her. "Really?"
"Really," she affirmed. He leaned on the tree, facing her, with both hands, one on either side of her slim body. She un-crossed her arms as he leaned in, trapping her against the tree and his hard, muscular body.
"Well," Tuxedo Kamen asked. "Would you have done this?" his lips swooped down and claimed hers once more. She grabbed his body and pulled him to her even closer still. His hand slid up her leg, under her skirt, up her stomach, to cup her breast lightly. As he gently squeezed her breast, she let out a long, loud moan. Their lips parted for a second, as they were still in each other's embrace, and they looked into each other's eyes. Pure want was easily seen on both their faces; though it was much closer to a need.
"Sailormoon," Tuxedo Kamen gasped out. "Maybe we should stop before things get too out of control." He stepped away from her and out of her embrace, though he hurt physically from doing so. He wanted her so much, still, he felt as if he had to protect her. 'Even if it's from myself,' he said silently.
Sailormoon walked up to Tuxedo Kamen and put her arms around him. "It already has," she whispered to him. They kissed again, as they were meant to, and they pulled away. They looked at each other for a long time before he finally spoke, asking the question that he needed to ask. He knew if he said nothing, they may both regret what they were about to do, no matter how much they were in agreement of how much they wanted it.
"Sailormoon," he said. "I don't think this is a good idea, but obviously the Gods tell us to be together." He thought of how to say the next words without coming on too strong or to passive. "What we do from now on is our buisness. No one has to know, but if you want to talk about it with somebody else, that's fine, I won't stop you. I still need you with me right now, Sailormoon. Stay with me for now, so it's just us. That's all we have right now, just you and me." Then, he said the words he had wanted to say to her ever since that first time he saw her from the ledge in the OSAP jewlery store.
"I love you, Sailormoon. I always have, I always will. And, I will always protect you." He laid her down on the ground and laid next to her, looking at her.
"I love you too, Tuxedo Kamen. I don't know why, but I feel as though I always have and always will, too. I want to protect you too, forever." She answered as solemnly and truthfully as she had ever said something.
"Are you sure you want to go on?" he asked. "We can stop right now and not go any further, and I won't force or seduce you into anything you don't want to do." 'But it will take a lot of will power on my part, still, as long as she doesn't feel uncomfortable. I won't even think about her if she doesn't want me to.' "I'm going to let you decide what happens from now on. I won't do anything unless you tell me to do it, okay?"
"Okay," she answered matter-of-factly. She crawled on top of his larger frame and said, "Tuxedo Kamen?"
"Hai," he replied.
"Anything is okay with you?"
"Hai, anything."
She leaned down to his ear and whispered the four words they both wanted to hear right then and there. He knew what she wanted, but he waited until those words were spoken.
"Make love to me."
With that, he took her into his embrace and to the moon of ecstasy and passsion.

~4 hours later (about 8 am)~

They lay parallel under his cape asleep, still intwined in the most intimate of embraces. A breeze chilled Sailormoon, making her reflexivly pull up the cape some more in her sleep. The slight movement awoke Tuxedo Kamen, who was still wearing his kamen on his face. He looked over at the beautiful young woman still in his arms and smiled, stroking her long, golden hair.
'I'm so happy. For the first time,' he thought, 'I don't feel like I'm alone anymore.' With a quick glance to the sun, he saw it just over the hedge. 'Shimatta, I'm going to be late for work!' he transformed to get his clothes on, and took the naked Sailormoon into his embrace. "Sailormoon,"he whispered, shaking he slightly.
"Hmmm?" she said beginning to stir. She opened her eyes sleepily. "Tuxedo Kamen?" she said.
"Hai," he said back. "You need to get dressed now, Sailormoon." She did as she was told and then stood up by herself. "Now," he told her, "I need to go, so I will be saying 'ja ne' for now." And before she could blink, he was gone.
"What?" she asked out loud, not particularily to anybody. 'I don't understand. Why did he leave? Did I... do something wrong?' and with those thoughts, she bagan to cry.
~End flashback~
Usagi was trying to hold back her tears, when all of the senshis' communicaters started beeping, indicating that there was a youma within 500 feet of where they were.
"Let's go you guys," said the ever-ready Sailormars, already transformed. With that, they were hot on the youma's trail.

End Part 4