Title: Not everything is always perfect.
Author: Serene Earth
Author's Notes: Hey everyone! This is chapter two of my story, I would like to thank those three people who reviewed my first chapter: ~o~Midnight Dreamer~o~: Marni : and Katana! Thank-you very much for taking your time to review! I hope to get more reviews in the future. So enjoy this and don't forget to review.
"Huh?"
Mamoru sat up slowing, his head pounding vigorously.
"Where am I?"
He tried to stand up only to stumble and fall back on a coffee table. he tried to stand up straightly but failed, even though he didn't ask, his arms were suddenly being supported by another.
"Here you go....let's get you into the kitchen. You hungry?"
Mamoru raised his head to see a site he hadn't expected. A woman that appeared to be about twenty was his little helper. She had her blonde hair pulled into a sloppy bun, her thin framed glasses hung slightly off of her small nose. She was dressed in a plain white blouse and black khakis pants. She guided him into her kitchen which was only three feet in front of where Mamoru was sleeping. He placed himself in a chair as the woman busied herself around her kitchen preparing some sort of concoction. As he felt the affects of his drinking last night kicking in, he rested his head in his hands.
"Hangovers can kill ya....here-"
She lifted his head with her small hands and pushed the glass in front of him.
"drink it...you'll feel a bit better."
He looked at the glass skeptically. 'Can this even be classified as a liquid?' He thought, as he looked at the chunky parts in the glass.
"Come-on hurry up."
She encouraged, Usagi finally got her first good look at him when he lifted his head up. He had black matted hair, and what looked like blue eyes, but she couldn't tell. His hair was almost to his chin and covered most of his face that was unshaven anyway. He picked the glass up, brought it to his lips, letting the red liquid run down his throat.
"Yuck."
His face twisted into disgust as he set the glass back down.
"Well if you hadn't been as sauced as you were last night, you wouldn't need to drink that now would ya Mamoru?"
His eyes widened.
"You know my name?"
She nodded, he gulped.
"uh...not that I'm not grateful for uh what I think you've done but who are you and where am I?"
She pulled out the chair across from him on her little table in her kitchen.
"I shoulda guessed you wouldn't of remembered."
He coughed/choked.
"uh...we didn't sleep together did we?"
Her face flushed visibly.
"I-"
Mamoru interrupted her.
"Listen whatever happened last night I wasn't in control...I apologize for everything but I don't want a relationship at the moment."
Her face went from flushed to anger in...about...uh .5 seconds.
"How dare you! Last night I was walking through the park and got attacked. Your sauced ass came strolling through and got yourself caught in the middle, and after it was all done and past your ass was ready to pass out! I brought you here to my apartment where I had to deal with your ass mumbling the whole way 'bout how 'woman are snakes', and there 'no good' and etc! You passed out at my door and I had to drag you inside and you think I had sex with you? Arghhh!"
She took a deep breath.
"My names Usagi, that's what I told you last night, and that is what I was referring to when I said 'I shoulda guessed you wouldn't have remembered', k?"
Mamoru nodded.
"I'm sorry that I thought that it's just that.."
"it's happened before."
He glared at her.
"Actually it hasn't."
She stood up.
"Oh.."
They both looked at everything except themselves.
"Well I have to head to work. The bathroom is the second door on the right, you can clean yourself up some, and I have some clothes that might fit you."
He looked up at her.
"I'll be gone before you get back."
She moved towards him.
"Do have anywhere to go to?"
He shook his head.
"Then why are you leaving?"
Mamoru looked up at her with a puzzled look, but before he could say anything she interrupted him.
"Look Mamoru last night I coulda got seriously hurt, you helped me so let me help you."
He stood up forcing her to take a step back and crane her neck to look up at him.
"I don't want your hand-outs."
She shook her head.
"What makes you think I'm giving you hand-outs?"
They glared at each other, both being extremely stubborn.
"Tell me what happened to you?"
Mamoru sat down and sighed as he buried his head in his hands, giving in to this plain woman's request.
"It's a simple story."
He sighed again and focused on the wall.
"My parents were rich snobs who didn't know what birth control was-"
He gave Usagi a sad smirk, as her face turned into a scowl for him not giving her more. He decided to continue, though he didn't know why.
"-They decided to leave me on the street corner when I was a year old. What they didn't know was that my father's brother heard about what the two were planning to do with me. He took me with him after they left. I was raised by him and my aunt, I believed that they were both my parents......as they wished me to believe. When I was eighteen they opted to finally tell me *pause* that my parents hadn't wanted me and I went rebel. Sex every night, stealing and fighting was my life till a year later when I thought I met my soul mate. She was sexy, sassy, and clever."
He gave a cruel laugh.
"She told me that she always wanted a house and two kids. And hell, who was I to deny her anything. I used the money that I had stolen over the year and bought a little apartment for us. I went back to school to be a business man, and during it I had three part-time jobs on the side. I made a bit of money but the only parts I saw of it were the bill parts, Ann took all the rest...she didn't work, she sat at the apartment or at bars all day. But I thought she loved me...so I was happy."
Mamoru stopped and saw Usagi's expression. Her face resembled one of curiosity, not pity or laughter like others who he told his story to. Usagi put her hands over his.
"Go on...I'm listening."
He nodded.
"So one day I came home and she told me that she wanted more money from me and a bigger house. I told her that maybe if she got job...and well she went off about how a woman should be at home, not working. I thought about how I could make some more money and I talked to some co-workers and they gave me some great stock advice. I pulled all of my savings out of the bank and got the papers to invest in the companies...I left it in the top drawer in my dresser. I told Ann about it, and the next day I went to work then school then work and back home. But when I came back home it was empty...all the furniture had been taken and my top draw emptied. The snake had taken everything from me, and the worst part was she was now stinkin' rich. I stopped going to college and work, I used up the rest of my money on liquor and beer. I got evicted from my apartment and was forced to live on the streets. Ann and I had been 'together' if that's what you want to call it, for a year. Which would make it two years since I had left my uncle's."
A tear ran down his face. He couldn't understand why he was telling her all of this but he was, and she was listening.
"I found my way to my uncle's one night while I was drunk. He, of course, took me in and let me stay with him. I constantly got drunk and stole his money to get more beer and gamble. If only I had realized that he couldn't handle much more...you see my aunt had died a few months after I had left the first time...she had cancer, but they found out much too late. He was weak and I didn't help him at all. He died of a heart attack a year and a half after I moved in with him. Since he was weak he had to stop working and I took most of his money that he had in the house so I after he died I went to the streets. I stole and got drunk every night, and I'd wake up god knows where and do it all over again."
Mamoru let his head fall to the table with a thud.
"He was the only person that truly cared for me and I let him die because he had to take care of me. If only.."
His face was suddenly grabbed and lifted roughly up from the table, she brought his face to hers.
"Enough with the 'what if's' and 'if only's'! Get over yourself and prove to your uncle that all of his love wasn't wasted on some spoiled little selfish brat! Prove to Ann that your not the weak person you used to be!"
Her tone softened from the harsh tone she had used a second ago to a whisper.
"And most importantly prove to yourself that your not a failure! And that regardless of what your parents did or believed, that you have potential and a passion for life! Get out there and take back what's yours. Finish college and find a great job, then rub it in all there faces."
Mamoru wiped at the tears that were falling from her eyes as she finished.
"Thank-you Usagi."
She gave him a small smile.
"For what?"
He sat back in his seat.
"For welcoming a complete stranger into your home and encouraging him. But importunely that won't happen, I'm all out of opportunities to better myself. I'll be leaving like I planned before you get back."
Usagi sat looking dejected, she stood up and moved to the entrance of the kitchen.
"Your not the only one who had to live a hard life...I've been through hell and back. Someone gave me one last chance, and all they asked in return was that I do the same for another. This is your chance Mamoru, take it or leave it. If your still here when I get back...we'll talk."
Mamoru stood up and walked to where Usagi stood the second before. He watched her retreat to her room at the back of her apartment. He tried not to think and opted to look at her apartment, there was only three doors in the hallway, the furthest back was hers, the bathroom on the right and another door on the left. He turned his attention to the living room, with a dark hunter green couch, in front of it laid a black legged coffee table with a glass top. Dark hunter green curtains covered the doors to the balcony, a small TV and V.C.R laid on a wooden stand about three feet in front of the coffee table.
'She has good taste....' Mamoru thought before he walked into the living room and got the blanket and pillows off the floor. He placed them on the couch and laid down once more. The last thing he saw before he went back to sleep was Usagi staring down at him waving good-bye.
*Later that night*
Usagi struggled to unlock the door and carry the two bags of groceries she had.
"Damnit...stupid bags...."
She mumbled to herself. She accidentally dropped one bag to floor and liking the idea of having nothing to carry, she dropped the other bag. As the second bag landed with a loud *thump*, she pulled out her key to unlock the door, only to find that the door was already open and a very nice looking male was staring at her with a smirk on his face.
"Do you want some help...maybe come into your own apartment, or just stay out there and stare at me."
Usagi blinked her eyes, recognizing the familiar voice.
"Wow, you clean up real nice."
Mamoru smiled. Usagi took notice of his features for the second time. His jet black hair was shorter, now it came to his eyes, and his face was shaven, and she now had a perfect view of his mysterious blue eyes which were almost as dark as midnight. Usagi picked up her bags and handed one to Mamoru. She went straight to the kitchen while Mamoru closed the front door and locked it.
"We need to talk."
Mamoru said as he brought the bag into the kitchen and set it on the small kitchen table.
"I know and thanks for bringing the bag in."
He nodded and started unpacking the bag and helping her put the items away.
"So how much rent will I be paying if I stay here?"
Usagi looked at him thoughtfully.
"Who said you were staying here?"
Mamoru looked at her, confusion written all over his newly shaven face.
"Well...uh."
She raised her hand to stroke her chin.
"Wait...I guess you'd have to stay with me...if your going back to school."
She said more to herself then Mamoru.
"Mamoru tell me, what exactly are your plans? 'Cause I work as a manager for a restaurant, I don't make a lot...I have barely enough to pay rent on this shack."
Her hand waved around to her surroundings.
"Well...I want to go back to school and then get my own business."
Usagi nodded...full in thought mode again.
"Alright so we do this....I continue working and paying the rent....I can buy you some clothes, but the only problem is if that I buy you some clothes there goes next weeks groceries. So you get enrolled in your little business school thingy and I hate to ask this of you but you'll have to get a part-time job or a job on the weekends. Just so that you can buy groceries for us."
Mamoru interrupted her.
"So let me get this straight, you pay for rent and clothes, and I pay for groceries. And that isn't too unfair to you?"
Usagi waved a hand at him.
"That's because your also going to do chores, and because I'm the bread maker of this household, you'll get the butt load of the chores."
Mamoru and Usagi stared at each other for a few seconds, understanding could be seen in both there eyes. They both smiled.
"aww...now that's unfair Usagi!"
Usagi gave a fake scoff.
"Why you ungrateful peasant! I'm a princess, I insist that you not delay and get to your chores this instant!"
Mamoru stared at Usagi's fake English accent, his lips twitched right before he broke out into full laughter, Usagi laughed with him like it was a contagious virus.
**
Hehehe...alright so it wasn't much longer! I apologize! I'm trying to get these chapters to you faster, I really am. But there's only one problem....I got only three reviews!!!! This made me want to cry!!!!!! I want to know if I'm actually entertaining some folks! That's my purpose for doing this...for the enjoyment of others. So please review for little old me!