FYI:
"GOD! How can he be so extremely exasperating? Ow."
"Good. Now maybe you'll shut up."
"Rei, it's not nice to through pillows. Usagi, we have got to talk about this! I mean, we could barely beat the youma last time! We are relying on Tuxedo Kamen far too much! What if he doesn't show up once?" Ami asked, scolding Usagi and Rei.
Usagi's eyes went to the shape of hearts. "Mmmmmmmm. Tuxedo Kamen is so cute
Unlike him."
"Would you leave him alone? You know I have a date with him tonight!" Rei yelled with a pillow ready in her hand.
"You know, I bet you only asked him out because you know how much Usagi hates him," Makoto said, nudging Usagi.
"I'm not going to take this abuse. I'm going home," Usagi said, tramping out the door, and walking him.
"Okay," she said to herself, walking to the center of the park, and sitting down on a bench. "I guess I don't hate him that much anyway. Actually, he's kind of cute. Much like Tuxedo Kamen. Alright. He's downright gorgeous. How could Rei do that to me though? She's psychic! She has to know I like him. I only complain I hate him so much is to cover. I mean, I know I hated him at first, but now. God, I don't know. What do you think, Joey?" she asked.
"Who are you talking to?" An all-too-familiar voice asked.
Usagi's back went straight as a nail, and she said quietly, but distinctively, "No one. Not that it's any of your business."
"Well, I saw you sitting alone, and talking, and I thought I might come and talk to you."
"More like tease me," she snapped
"Alright, alright. You caught me." The guy sat next to her. "So," he said smoothly. "Who were you talking about?"
She laughed, and got off the bench, looking at an extremely handsome face, gorgeous blue eyes, and jet-black hair. "You think I'm going to tell you?"
"Why not?" Mamoru asked. "Is he your flavor of the week?" he asked slyly, winking at her.
"Flavor? What are you talking about?" Usagi asked, shaking her head at him, looking at him like he was crazy.
Mamoru chuckled slightly, and noticed that Usagi looked strangely uncomfortable.
Usagi looked into his eyes, and saw concern creep up into them.
Mamoru reached up, and grabbed both her wrists, pulling her gently toward him. "Sit down, and tell me what's wrong."
"Why should I tell you?" she asked, coldly.
"Well, it doesn't seem like Joey is going to be responding anytime soon," He said, softly.
She laughed, and shook her head. "No, perhaps your right. He's my imaginary friend."
One eyebrow shot up. "Imaginary friend? Man, Odango, I knew you were young, but imaginary friend?"
He saw the anger flush her cheeks, and she started to walk away from him.
"Usagi," he called, and chased after her.
She turned around abruptly. "Why did you go out with Rei?" she asked through clenched teeth.
"Well, I don't think I'm going to tell you that."
"Why not?" she asked, hurt that he wouldn't confide in her.
"Well, you won't tell me what's wrong with you, so why should I tell you why I'm going out with Rei."
She caught his wrists with her hands, and they stopped walking, with her standing in front of him. "Because your madly in love with me," she said with a half-smile.
He threw his hands into the air. "Aw man, you caught me. Well, when she asked me out, I had nothing better to do, so I said yes. I mean, she's a beautiful girl, and I could have some fun with her. Ow! What was that for?" he asked, touching the red mark on the side of his face where he had been smacked.
"Have fun with?" Usagi fumed.
"Jeez! I meant like actual fun. Maybe go roller-blading, talking… you know. Fun. Jeez, Odango Atama, you sure are perverted."
"I know why she asked you out," Usagi said, after they started walking again.
"Really."
"Yes. Well, at least the theory of why."
"Tell tell," Mamoru said.
"Well, supposedly she asked you out because of all the complaining about you I do around her."
He feigned hurt. "Complaining? About me? I'm such a wonderful guy, why would anyone complain about me?"
"Hmmmmm. I wonder, Mamoru-baka. Well anyways, supposedly she's going out with you to hurt me."
"Is it working?" he asked, taking a side-ways glance at her.
"I'm not answering that," she said icily.
He shook his head. "Fine. I told you something, and now you won't tell me. I think I'm going to cry." He sniffed, and eyed her side-ways again.
"Cry all you want, buster, but I got to go inside. I have homework to do." She started walking onto the sidewalk going up to her house.
"Don't I even get a good-bye kiss?" he asked, looking at her with puppy dog eyes.
She smiled sweetly, and raised one hand, with one finger showing on it. She waved it at him, and shook her head.
He reached up, and acted like he was grabbing something out of the air, put it in his pocket and said, "Thanks." He walked away, whistling the star locket music.
Usagi sighed, and opened the door, only moving out of the way into to have Shingo fly down the porch steps, with a cup in his hand.
She shook her head. "What a day," she breathed. She smiled evilly, and locked the door before Shingo came inside.
Pounding sounded, and Ilene walked into the living room. "What's that noise?" she asked.
Usagi shrugged. "It might be a thunderstorm. I'm not sure."
"Hmmmmm. Ok then," Ilene said, going back to doing her dishes.
Usagi went and played the newest Sailor V video game, while listening to one of her favorite anime songs, White Reflection. "So, Joey," she said, talking to herself. "Why did if feel so much like he was flirting with me? Oh god. Is he just setting me up for a fall? I can't believe Rei! It's not fair! She has to know I like him. A good bye kiss! Yeah right! But if I could kiss him, I bet it would be sweet and yummy," Usagi sighed, and was called for dinner. By that time Shingo had been let back inside, and lets just say he wasn't happy with her.
"Well, Dad, Usagi was walking with a guy today," Shingo said, putting salad on his plate. "He was much older. A high school, maybe college. They were flirting."
Usagi's father looked like he was choking, and by the time his eyes stopped watering from the pain of the food going down the wrong tube, he eyed Usagi. He folded his hands in front of him on the tabletop. "So," he said, trying to be calm and nonchalant. "Who's this boy?" he asked.
If it wasn't under dire circumstances, Usagi would have burst out laughing at her father's activity, but by now, she just broke down and started to cry, about everything; about failure as Sailor Moon, about Rei and Mamoru, about Mamoru himself. She got up from the table with tears streaming down her cheeks, and said in a choked voice, "I'm going for a walk. I'll be back later."
She ran out of the house, leaving her coat and everything there; even her brooch. Her eyes were watering extremely and she couldn't see where she was going, so she didn't seem to notice that one of the cement blocks was slightly higher than the other one.
Sitting on her butt a few minutes later, she curled into a ball, hugging her knees to her chest. She just cried and cried. She heard a car stop, and heard someone honk a horn. She saw Mamoru and Motoki sitting in the red convertible.
Motoki got out, and walked over, picked her up into his arms, and put her in the back seat of the car. Mamoru drove over to his apartment, and Usagi sat there, hyperventilating from the tears.
"I could charge kidnapping," she said through choked sobs.
"Yes," Mamoru said. "But you won't."
"How do you know?" she snapped, glaring at him.
Motoki intervened. "Hey, will you two stop, and act civil with each other for once? Usagi, we saw you fall, and then just start to cry. We noticed that the tears weren't hurt tears. Those stop right away. These tears just kept coming. Please, tell us what's wrong?"
They got out of the car, and walked into Mamoru's apartment.
"I won't tell you what's wrong, because obviously, you don't care!" Usagi said, knowing that it wasn't true.
Mamoru snapped his fingers in front of her face. "Odango," he started.
She stood up off the couch, and backed Mamoru into a corner. "What is it with that stupid name? You know it pisses me off so much, yet you continue to use it. Do you like watching me suffer? Is that why you went out with Rei? You knew it would hurt me, yet you did it anyway. Is there like a big sign above my head that flashes 'HURT ME' in yellow and red colors?"
Mamoru put his hands on her shoulders, and pushed her slowly back toward the couch. "Breathe, girl, breathe."
He sat next to her on the couch, and she cried silently into her hands on her knees. He nodded at Motoki, and Motoki got the message, and walked into the kitchen.
"Usako?" he said slowly.
When she looked at him with confusion in her eyes, he looked from eye to eye slowly. "I have a confession to make," he said softly.
She looked at him expectantly. "What?" she asked.
"I didn't go out with Rei-chan."
"Nani jigoku?"
He laughed. "I didn't go out with Rei-chan."
"What are you trying to say?"
"It was all an act we planned out. To make you jealous. I had fallen in love with you, and liked any attention that I got from you. Rei knew you liked me back, and told me. Then we got this brilliant idea, and it worked. Now, here you are, in my living room, with me confessing my love for you."
She gulped, and licked her lips. "Are you serious?"
He nodded his head slowly. "You don't know how right you were when you said I was madly in love with you. So, do you have anything to say to me?" he asked with one eyebrow raised.
She smiled, and shook her head. "Hmmm. Let me think about it. Nope, not to my extent of knowledge."
He laughed, and pulled her to him, bringing his lips onto hers, savoring the sweet taste. He sighed against her, and started to lick her lips, tracing them with his tongue. She laughed, and Mamoru took the oppurtunity , and pushed his tongue into her mouth. She moaned as he started stroking her tongue with his, and put her arms around his neck. His hands moved to the small of her back, and pushed her slowly against him. With his tongue still probing her mouth, he cupped her butt in his hands and lifted her into his lap.
They suddenly broke apart when they heard an "ahem". They both started blushing, and Usagi jumped off his lap, when they saw Motoki standing in the doorway.
Usagi licked her bruising lips. "Motoki-san," she started.
"Don't even bother. You guys are so perfect for each other, it's not even funny," he walked back into the kitchen, and Usagi looked at Mamoru.
"Mamo-chan," Usagi started to say, right as Mamoru said, "Usako."
"You go," Usagi said.
"Usako? This might sound lame after me just admitting my love for you, but would you be my girlfriend?"
Usagi laughed, and leaned over and kissed Mamoru. "Of course. And fyi, I love you too."
"GOD! How can he be so extremely exasperating? Ow."
"Good. Now maybe you'll shut up."
"Rei, it's not nice to through pillows. Usagi, we have got to talk about this! I mean, we could barely beat the youma last time! We are relying on Tuxedo Kamen far too much! What if he doesn't show up once?" Ami asked, scolding Usagi and Rei.
Usagi's eyes went to the shape of hearts. "Mmmmmmmm. Tuxedo Kamen is so cute
Unlike him."
"Would you leave him alone? You know I have a date with him tonight!" Rei yelled with a pillow ready in her hand.
"You know, I bet you only asked him out because you know how much Usagi hates him," Makoto said, nudging Usagi.
"I'm not going to take this abuse. I'm going home," Usagi said, tramping out the door, and walking him.
"Okay," she said to herself, walking to the center of the park, and sitting down on a bench. "I guess I don't hate him that much anyway. Actually, he's kind of cute. Much like Tuxedo Kamen. Alright. He's downright gorgeous. How could Rei do that to me though? She's psychic! She has to know I like him. I only complain I hate him so much is to cover. I mean, I know I hated him at first, but now. God, I don't know. What do you think, Joey?" she asked.
"Who are you talking to?" An all-too-familiar voice asked.
Usagi's back went straight as a nail, and she said quietly, but distinctively, "No one. Not that it's any of your business."
"Well, I saw you sitting alone, and talking, and I thought I might come and talk to you."
"More like tease me," she snapped
"Alright, alright. You caught me." The guy sat next to her. "So," he said smoothly. "Who were you talking about?"
She laughed, and got off the bench, looking at an extremely handsome face, gorgeous blue eyes, and jet-black hair. "You think I'm going to tell you?"
"Why not?" Mamoru asked. "Is he your flavor of the week?" he asked slyly, winking at her.
"Flavor? What are you talking about?" Usagi asked, shaking her head at him, looking at him like he was crazy.
Mamoru chuckled slightly, and noticed that Usagi looked strangely uncomfortable.
Usagi looked into his eyes, and saw concern creep up into them.
Mamoru reached up, and grabbed both her wrists, pulling her gently toward him. "Sit down, and tell me what's wrong."
"Why should I tell you?" she asked, coldly.
"Well, it doesn't seem like Joey is going to be responding anytime soon," He said, softly.
She laughed, and shook her head. "No, perhaps your right. He's my imaginary friend."
One eyebrow shot up. "Imaginary friend? Man, Odango, I knew you were young, but imaginary friend?"
He saw the anger flush her cheeks, and she started to walk away from him.
"Usagi," he called, and chased after her.
She turned around abruptly. "Why did you go out with Rei?" she asked through clenched teeth.
"Well, I don't think I'm going to tell you that."
"Why not?" she asked, hurt that he wouldn't confide in her.
"Well, you won't tell me what's wrong with you, so why should I tell you why I'm going out with Rei."
She caught his wrists with her hands, and they stopped walking, with her standing in front of him. "Because your madly in love with me," she said with a half-smile.
He threw his hands into the air. "Aw man, you caught me. Well, when she asked me out, I had nothing better to do, so I said yes. I mean, she's a beautiful girl, and I could have some fun with her. Ow! What was that for?" he asked, touching the red mark on the side of his face where he had been smacked.
"Have fun with?" Usagi fumed.
"Jeez! I meant like actual fun. Maybe go roller-blading, talking… you know. Fun. Jeez, Odango Atama, you sure are perverted."
"I know why she asked you out," Usagi said, after they started walking again.
"Really."
"Yes. Well, at least the theory of why."
"Tell tell," Mamoru said.
"Well, supposedly she asked you out because of all the complaining about you I do around her."
He feigned hurt. "Complaining? About me? I'm such a wonderful guy, why would anyone complain about me?"
"Hmmmmm. I wonder, Mamoru-baka. Well anyways, supposedly she's going out with you to hurt me."
"Is it working?" he asked, taking a side-ways glance at her.
"I'm not answering that," she said icily.
He shook his head. "Fine. I told you something, and now you won't tell me. I think I'm going to cry." He sniffed, and eyed her side-ways again.
"Cry all you want, buster, but I got to go inside. I have homework to do." She started walking onto the sidewalk going up to her house.
"Don't I even get a good-bye kiss?" he asked, looking at her with puppy dog eyes.
She smiled sweetly, and raised one hand, with one finger showing on it. She waved it at him, and shook her head.
He reached up, and acted like he was grabbing something out of the air, put it in his pocket and said, "Thanks." He walked away, whistling the star locket music.
Usagi sighed, and opened the door, only moving out of the way into to have Shingo fly down the porch steps, with a cup in his hand.
She shook her head. "What a day," she breathed. She smiled evilly, and locked the door before Shingo came inside.
Pounding sounded, and Ilene walked into the living room. "What's that noise?" she asked.
Usagi shrugged. "It might be a thunderstorm. I'm not sure."
"Hmmmmm. Ok then," Ilene said, going back to doing her dishes.
Usagi went and played the newest Sailor V video game, while listening to one of her favorite anime songs, White Reflection. "So, Joey," she said, talking to herself. "Why did if feel so much like he was flirting with me? Oh god. Is he just setting me up for a fall? I can't believe Rei! It's not fair! She has to know I like him. A good bye kiss! Yeah right! But if I could kiss him, I bet it would be sweet and yummy," Usagi sighed, and was called for dinner. By that time Shingo had been let back inside, and lets just say he wasn't happy with her.
"Well, Dad, Usagi was walking with a guy today," Shingo said, putting salad on his plate. "He was much older. A high school, maybe college. They were flirting."
Usagi's father looked like he was choking, and by the time his eyes stopped watering from the pain of the food going down the wrong tube, he eyed Usagi. He folded his hands in front of him on the tabletop. "So," he said, trying to be calm and nonchalant. "Who's this boy?" he asked.
If it wasn't under dire circumstances, Usagi would have burst out laughing at her father's activity, but by now, she just broke down and started to cry, about everything; about failure as Sailor Moon, about Rei and Mamoru, about Mamoru himself. She got up from the table with tears streaming down her cheeks, and said in a choked voice, "I'm going for a walk. I'll be back later."
She ran out of the house, leaving her coat and everything there; even her brooch. Her eyes were watering extremely and she couldn't see where she was going, so she didn't seem to notice that one of the cement blocks was slightly higher than the other one.
Sitting on her butt a few minutes later, she curled into a ball, hugging her knees to her chest. She just cried and cried. She heard a car stop, and heard someone honk a horn. She saw Mamoru and Motoki sitting in the red convertible.
Motoki got out, and walked over, picked her up into his arms, and put her in the back seat of the car. Mamoru drove over to his apartment, and Usagi sat there, hyperventilating from the tears.
"I could charge kidnapping," she said through choked sobs.
"Yes," Mamoru said. "But you won't."
"How do you know?" she snapped, glaring at him.
Motoki intervened. "Hey, will you two stop, and act civil with each other for once? Usagi, we saw you fall, and then just start to cry. We noticed that the tears weren't hurt tears. Those stop right away. These tears just kept coming. Please, tell us what's wrong?"
They got out of the car, and walked into Mamoru's apartment.
"I won't tell you what's wrong, because obviously, you don't care!" Usagi said, knowing that it wasn't true.
Mamoru snapped his fingers in front of her face. "Odango," he started.
She stood up off the couch, and backed Mamoru into a corner. "What is it with that stupid name? You know it pisses me off so much, yet you continue to use it. Do you like watching me suffer? Is that why you went out with Rei? You knew it would hurt me, yet you did it anyway. Is there like a big sign above my head that flashes 'HURT ME' in yellow and red colors?"
Mamoru put his hands on her shoulders, and pushed her slowly back toward the couch. "Breathe, girl, breathe."
He sat next to her on the couch, and she cried silently into her hands on her knees. He nodded at Motoki, and Motoki got the message, and walked into the kitchen.
"Usako?" he said slowly.
When she looked at him with confusion in her eyes, he looked from eye to eye slowly. "I have a confession to make," he said softly.
She looked at him expectantly. "What?" she asked.
"I didn't go out with Rei-chan."
"Nani jigoku?"
He laughed. "I didn't go out with Rei-chan."
"What are you trying to say?"
"It was all an act we planned out. To make you jealous. I had fallen in love with you, and liked any attention that I got from you. Rei knew you liked me back, and told me. Then we got this brilliant idea, and it worked. Now, here you are, in my living room, with me confessing my love for you."
She gulped, and licked her lips. "Are you serious?"
He nodded his head slowly. "You don't know how right you were when you said I was madly in love with you. So, do you have anything to say to me?" he asked with one eyebrow raised.
She smiled, and shook her head. "Hmmm. Let me think about it. Nope, not to my extent of knowledge."
He laughed, and pulled her to him, bringing his lips onto hers, savoring the sweet taste. He sighed against her, and started to lick her lips, tracing them with his tongue. She laughed, and Mamoru took the oppurtunity , and pushed his tongue into her mouth. She moaned as he started stroking her tongue with his, and put her arms around his neck. His hands moved to the small of her back, and pushed her slowly against him. With his tongue still probing her mouth, he cupped her butt in his hands and lifted her into his lap.
They suddenly broke apart when they heard an "ahem". They both started blushing, and Usagi jumped off his lap, when they saw Motoki standing in the doorway.
Usagi licked her bruising lips. "Motoki-san," she started.
"Don't even bother. You guys are so perfect for each other, it's not even funny," he walked back into the kitchen, and Usagi looked at Mamoru.
"Mamo-chan," Usagi started to say, right as Mamoru said, "Usako."
"You go," Usagi said.
"Usako? This might sound lame after me just admitting my love for you, but would you be my girlfriend?"
Usagi laughed, and leaned over and kissed Mamoru. "Of course. And fyi, I love you too."