"I haven't even talked to her since she turned 18. Not really anyway." He mumbled stepping inside the elevator. She was about 21 now. He hadn't realized it had been three years. They ran into each other, literally, a couple times a year, but that was it. He had been busy going to college then the academy and she had been going to high school. He wondered what she was doing now, but it was no more than just wondering. He tucked the backpack under the seat of his bike then drove off to find a telephone booth.
"I should have just checked at work." He mumbled to himself as he pulled over. There were two Tsukino's and he guessed it was the one in the apartment. She wouldn't still live at home. A few minutes later he pulled up to a middle class apartment building and parking on the street he took off his helmet and grabbed the bag. He entered the building only to find a fight going on.
"My lease isn't up for two more years. You can't kick me out! It's against the law!" A voice cried with anger and anguish. Mamoru recognized it immediately.
"I own the building and if I say you're out, your out. You will receive your deposit, and any amount you've paid, but you will not stay here a day more. Understand?" Whoever that was didn't sound very nice, and Mamoru waited for someone to come out of the office. Usagi slumped out holding a handful of papers with a notice of eviction on top. She saw him and almost couldn't find anything to say.
"What are you doing here Mamoru-chan? Following me around this time?" There was no feeling behind the words, and they both knew she didn't mean them.
"I came to drop this off but..." He held out the backpack by a strap and Usagi took it from him with shaking fingers.
"Thank you. I'd invite you up to my apartment, but I have to get packing and find somewhere else to stay. I'm guessing you heard?" Her blue eyes were brimming with unshed tears and she looked so downcast, that Mamoru couldn't help but fell empathy towards her.
"Yeah I did. Would you like some help? I'm not doing anything." Good one Chiba. Offer the one girl who hates you help. To his surprise she nodded.
"Actually, I could use some help. I don't have much stuff, but I can't carry the boxes down all by myself. You sure you don't mind?" She looked up at him with those soulful eyes and there was no way he could say no.
"I don't mind, odango atama. Come on let's get started." He tried to tease her but she didn't fall for the bait.
"Alright. This way, and don't call me that." She mumbled and headed toward the stairs. It wasn't until then that Mamoru noticed the out of order sign on the elevator. She started up the stairs her long hair trailing behind her. It took all of Mamoru's strength not to watch her backside since she was still wearing her short skirt. He flushed red, but managed to get it under control by the time they reached the third floor.
"Well now I know how you stay in shape." He remarked as they stopped so she could unlock the door on the stairs. She held it open, then shoved the door jam down so it wouldn't shut behind her. He followed her down the hall to room 313 and waited while she opened the door again. She flipped on the lights and stepped inside. He did too looking over the room at the same time.
It was a one room apartment with a kitchen in one corner and a bed in the one diagonally from it. There was a bathroom across from the bed, but the door was shut. The bed was a mattress on a rickety stand with cute bunny sheets on it trying to hide the fact that it was falling apart. The carpet was a sickly green with a few spots on it and the linoleum of the kitchen was coming up off the floor. The only other pieces of furniture was a makeshift bureau and a small T.V. on top of it. Mamoru felt sick just looking at the room although it was spotless and smelled clean.
"I know it isn't much." She said noticing his reaction. "But for what I can afford it works. I'm not here much anyway." She went to the small closet, and pulled out a few folded up boxes and began unfolding them using packaging tape to hold them together. Mamoru started unfolding one, and when she was done with hers she taped it up. Soon they had about eight boxes. Usagi took the clothes from the closet at put them in two of the boxes and taped them up getting her long golden hair caught in the tape.
"Damn it." She swore softly carefully getting it free. Mamoru looked at her closely for a moment wondering, but he knew it couldn't be. He was distracted when she took the drawers from the bureau and started dumping them in boxes too. He didn't have time to see what the contents were before they were taped up and stacked next to the door. She handed him a box.
"Go into the kitchen and put anything not perishable in a box. There's some soup cans and dried stuff. The milk and juice you can pour down the drain." She didn't wait for his answer and went to strip the bed, packing both the sheets and a comforter into one of the two large boxes. She put a lamp on top of the comforter and taped up that one too, then taking the other large box she went into the bathroom. A few minutes later she taped that one too and set it by the door also. By then Mamoru was done with the kitchen. The whole while he had been thinking.
"Do you have a place to stay?" He asked her softly. She looked up at him and shook her head.
"I was going to try to call someone, but I can always spend the night in my van if I can't find somewhere." She took the last box and went around the room putting anything she had missed into it. Mamoru saw a large stuffed bear disappear into the box and his heart did something it hadn't done for years. He actually cared what happened to her.
"I have an extra room at my place... it's not much, but you can stay there till you find somewhere." He offered. She stopped in the middle of taping up the last box and looked him. She wasn't watching where her hair was going and it got stuck in the tape again but she didn't notice.
"Are you sure? I mean we always fight, we have since we were little, and what would you're girlfriend have to say about it? I doubt she would want someone you barely know staying there." There was such hope in her eyes, that he almost couldn't bear it.
"I don't have a girlfriend, and we haven't fought since I got here. I'm sure we can manage at least for a bit." He grinned at her, and for the first time that night she smiled.
"I can't thank you enough." She jumped up to hug him not realizing that her hair was trapped until she yanked it painfully. "Owww!" Mamoru hurried to help her before she it came out. Once she was free, she hugged him wrapping her arms around his neck. Mamoru breath caught in this throat as his arms went around her waist. They both felt a small tingle wherever they touched, but neither one thought anything about it.
"Odango... Usagi. Can I ask you something." He whispered still holding on to her. She seemed reluctant to let go, and when he thought about it, he didn't want to let her go either. She leaned back to look up at him, but was still in his arms.
"Sure thing. What is it?" She looked up into his deep blue eyes with her cerulean own watching his face.
"Why are you getting kicked out? Like you said if you're lease isn't up, then you shouldn't be evicted as long as you pay." He saw pain flash in her eyes and wondered what he'd said. She left the safety of his arms and went to finish taping the last box. He wondered if she was going to answer.
"Yoshido down there, the guy I was arguing with, thought he was my boyfriend. I told him I wasn't numerous times but he still believed he was. Somehow he got a key to my room and decided that he was going to come visit one night..." Here she cut off and she looked away from Mamoru so he wouldn't see the tears. Mamoru had a horrible feeling that he knew what had happened, and he moved to Usagi and touched her shoulder gently. She jumped looking at him and once he saw her eyes, he knew.
"O God! Did you can the police?" He was horrified and angry that any man could do such a thing to such an innocent woman. She looked down again as tears escaped her eyes. She nodded.
"Yeah but they didn't do anything. He told them that I was making it up to get free rent when I had already paid till the end of next year. They believed him." She was trying hard not to cry and he could see it. Kneeling down he put his arms around her drawing her into a hug.
"It's okay. I'll take care of you." He whispered. She nodded dumbly then started to cry. He sat down on the floor pulling her into his lap letting her get the tears out. Tenderly he rubbed her back even though his mind was filled with dark thoughts. He wanted to kill the jerk that had done this to her, to strangle him slowly and watch him die. It was a nice thought, but he had more important concerns. Usagi finally managed to stop her crying and she wiped her red eyes with her sleeve.
"I'm sorry Mamoru-chan. I didn't mean to cry." She was more upset that she had cried in front of him than why. He hugged her again then helped her up.
"Don't worry about it. Let's get this stuff packed up and get out of here." He said firmly grabbing one of the boxes then opening the door. She grabbed another one and lead the way out and down the stairs. In the lobby there was no one around as they carried the boxes through the large room and out to the parking lot. Usagi led him to a small Volkswagen van.
"Can you carry two for a second?" She asked him and when he nodded she stacked her box on his the hurried to open up the back. She took the box back and carried it into the van then reached out for the other one. She shut the van and they went back inside for the next load. This time eyes followed them across the room. Mamoru's skin began to crawl but he ignored the man until all the boxes were out. Usagi went upstairs to make one last check of her apartment, then hurried back down.
"It's all empty. I need to get my money back for rent and the deposit." She turned to the office and faced Yoshido. He handed her an envelope which she promptly opened. Satisfied she turned back to Mamoru. "It's all here." She tucked it in her backpack, and went to the doors. She didn't ear what Yoshido said, but suddenly Mamoru moved and the man was on his back hands covering his nose.
"I'll call the police on you man!" He cried out nasally. Mamoru laughed coldly.
"I am a cop moron. Stay way from Usako or you'll get more than a bloody nose." He said his tone filled with ice. Usagi got two shocks in that sentence. One she hadn't known Mamoru was a cop, and two she had never heard him call her that before. She kinda liked the name, and since this wasn't the time to mention it, she didn't say anything. He looked at her and the cruel look in his eyes faded. "Come on." He put an arm around her shoulders and led her out to her van.
"You didn't have to do that Mamoru-chan. He wasn't going to do anything to me." Usagi leaned against him for a moment then got into her van. She held the door open and looked at him. Mamoru shrugged.
"After all he's done, he deserved a lot worse. Now come on. I'm parked out front." He shut her door, and walked around the side of the building to the front and got on his bike. Usagi pulled her van around and waited for him. Mamoru revved the engine angrily, then shot off before he remembered to wait for her, but she had managed to keep up. He grinned at her through his helmet then concentrated on the road. A few minutes later he pulled up to his own apartment building and showed her the way to guest parking. He took the space next to her for his bike, then helped her out of the van.
"I should have just checked at work." He mumbled to himself as he pulled over. There were two Tsukino's and he guessed it was the one in the apartment. She wouldn't still live at home. A few minutes later he pulled up to a middle class apartment building and parking on the street he took off his helmet and grabbed the bag. He entered the building only to find a fight going on.
"My lease isn't up for two more years. You can't kick me out! It's against the law!" A voice cried with anger and anguish. Mamoru recognized it immediately.
"I own the building and if I say you're out, your out. You will receive your deposit, and any amount you've paid, but you will not stay here a day more. Understand?" Whoever that was didn't sound very nice, and Mamoru waited for someone to come out of the office. Usagi slumped out holding a handful of papers with a notice of eviction on top. She saw him and almost couldn't find anything to say.
"What are you doing here Mamoru-chan? Following me around this time?" There was no feeling behind the words, and they both knew she didn't mean them.
"I came to drop this off but..." He held out the backpack by a strap and Usagi took it from him with shaking fingers.
"Thank you. I'd invite you up to my apartment, but I have to get packing and find somewhere else to stay. I'm guessing you heard?" Her blue eyes were brimming with unshed tears and she looked so downcast, that Mamoru couldn't help but fell empathy towards her.
"Yeah I did. Would you like some help? I'm not doing anything." Good one Chiba. Offer the one girl who hates you help. To his surprise she nodded.
"Actually, I could use some help. I don't have much stuff, but I can't carry the boxes down all by myself. You sure you don't mind?" She looked up at him with those soulful eyes and there was no way he could say no.
"I don't mind, odango atama. Come on let's get started." He tried to tease her but she didn't fall for the bait.
"Alright. This way, and don't call me that." She mumbled and headed toward the stairs. It wasn't until then that Mamoru noticed the out of order sign on the elevator. She started up the stairs her long hair trailing behind her. It took all of Mamoru's strength not to watch her backside since she was still wearing her short skirt. He flushed red, but managed to get it under control by the time they reached the third floor.
"Well now I know how you stay in shape." He remarked as they stopped so she could unlock the door on the stairs. She held it open, then shoved the door jam down so it wouldn't shut behind her. He followed her down the hall to room 313 and waited while she opened the door again. She flipped on the lights and stepped inside. He did too looking over the room at the same time.
It was a one room apartment with a kitchen in one corner and a bed in the one diagonally from it. There was a bathroom across from the bed, but the door was shut. The bed was a mattress on a rickety stand with cute bunny sheets on it trying to hide the fact that it was falling apart. The carpet was a sickly green with a few spots on it and the linoleum of the kitchen was coming up off the floor. The only other pieces of furniture was a makeshift bureau and a small T.V. on top of it. Mamoru felt sick just looking at the room although it was spotless and smelled clean.
"I know it isn't much." She said noticing his reaction. "But for what I can afford it works. I'm not here much anyway." She went to the small closet, and pulled out a few folded up boxes and began unfolding them using packaging tape to hold them together. Mamoru started unfolding one, and when she was done with hers she taped it up. Soon they had about eight boxes. Usagi took the clothes from the closet at put them in two of the boxes and taped them up getting her long golden hair caught in the tape.
"Damn it." She swore softly carefully getting it free. Mamoru looked at her closely for a moment wondering, but he knew it couldn't be. He was distracted when she took the drawers from the bureau and started dumping them in boxes too. He didn't have time to see what the contents were before they were taped up and stacked next to the door. She handed him a box.
"Go into the kitchen and put anything not perishable in a box. There's some soup cans and dried stuff. The milk and juice you can pour down the drain." She didn't wait for his answer and went to strip the bed, packing both the sheets and a comforter into one of the two large boxes. She put a lamp on top of the comforter and taped up that one too, then taking the other large box she went into the bathroom. A few minutes later she taped that one too and set it by the door also. By then Mamoru was done with the kitchen. The whole while he had been thinking.
"Do you have a place to stay?" He asked her softly. She looked up at him and shook her head.
"I was going to try to call someone, but I can always spend the night in my van if I can't find somewhere." She took the last box and went around the room putting anything she had missed into it. Mamoru saw a large stuffed bear disappear into the box and his heart did something it hadn't done for years. He actually cared what happened to her.
"I have an extra room at my place... it's not much, but you can stay there till you find somewhere." He offered. She stopped in the middle of taping up the last box and looked him. She wasn't watching where her hair was going and it got stuck in the tape again but she didn't notice.
"Are you sure? I mean we always fight, we have since we were little, and what would you're girlfriend have to say about it? I doubt she would want someone you barely know staying there." There was such hope in her eyes, that he almost couldn't bear it.
"I don't have a girlfriend, and we haven't fought since I got here. I'm sure we can manage at least for a bit." He grinned at her, and for the first time that night she smiled.
"I can't thank you enough." She jumped up to hug him not realizing that her hair was trapped until she yanked it painfully. "Owww!" Mamoru hurried to help her before she it came out. Once she was free, she hugged him wrapping her arms around his neck. Mamoru breath caught in this throat as his arms went around her waist. They both felt a small tingle wherever they touched, but neither one thought anything about it.
"Odango... Usagi. Can I ask you something." He whispered still holding on to her. She seemed reluctant to let go, and when he thought about it, he didn't want to let her go either. She leaned back to look up at him, but was still in his arms.
"Sure thing. What is it?" She looked up into his deep blue eyes with her cerulean own watching his face.
"Why are you getting kicked out? Like you said if you're lease isn't up, then you shouldn't be evicted as long as you pay." He saw pain flash in her eyes and wondered what he'd said. She left the safety of his arms and went to finish taping the last box. He wondered if she was going to answer.
"Yoshido down there, the guy I was arguing with, thought he was my boyfriend. I told him I wasn't numerous times but he still believed he was. Somehow he got a key to my room and decided that he was going to come visit one night..." Here she cut off and she looked away from Mamoru so he wouldn't see the tears. Mamoru had a horrible feeling that he knew what had happened, and he moved to Usagi and touched her shoulder gently. She jumped looking at him and once he saw her eyes, he knew.
"O God! Did you can the police?" He was horrified and angry that any man could do such a thing to such an innocent woman. She looked down again as tears escaped her eyes. She nodded.
"Yeah but they didn't do anything. He told them that I was making it up to get free rent when I had already paid till the end of next year. They believed him." She was trying hard not to cry and he could see it. Kneeling down he put his arms around her drawing her into a hug.
"It's okay. I'll take care of you." He whispered. She nodded dumbly then started to cry. He sat down on the floor pulling her into his lap letting her get the tears out. Tenderly he rubbed her back even though his mind was filled with dark thoughts. He wanted to kill the jerk that had done this to her, to strangle him slowly and watch him die. It was a nice thought, but he had more important concerns. Usagi finally managed to stop her crying and she wiped her red eyes with her sleeve.
"I'm sorry Mamoru-chan. I didn't mean to cry." She was more upset that she had cried in front of him than why. He hugged her again then helped her up.
"Don't worry about it. Let's get this stuff packed up and get out of here." He said firmly grabbing one of the boxes then opening the door. She grabbed another one and lead the way out and down the stairs. In the lobby there was no one around as they carried the boxes through the large room and out to the parking lot. Usagi led him to a small Volkswagen van.
"Can you carry two for a second?" She asked him and when he nodded she stacked her box on his the hurried to open up the back. She took the box back and carried it into the van then reached out for the other one. She shut the van and they went back inside for the next load. This time eyes followed them across the room. Mamoru's skin began to crawl but he ignored the man until all the boxes were out. Usagi went upstairs to make one last check of her apartment, then hurried back down.
"It's all empty. I need to get my money back for rent and the deposit." She turned to the office and faced Yoshido. He handed her an envelope which she promptly opened. Satisfied she turned back to Mamoru. "It's all here." She tucked it in her backpack, and went to the doors. She didn't ear what Yoshido said, but suddenly Mamoru moved and the man was on his back hands covering his nose.
"I'll call the police on you man!" He cried out nasally. Mamoru laughed coldly.
"I am a cop moron. Stay way from Usako or you'll get more than a bloody nose." He said his tone filled with ice. Usagi got two shocks in that sentence. One she hadn't known Mamoru was a cop, and two she had never heard him call her that before. She kinda liked the name, and since this wasn't the time to mention it, she didn't say anything. He looked at her and the cruel look in his eyes faded. "Come on." He put an arm around her shoulders and led her out to her van.
"You didn't have to do that Mamoru-chan. He wasn't going to do anything to me." Usagi leaned against him for a moment then got into her van. She held the door open and looked at him. Mamoru shrugged.
"After all he's done, he deserved a lot worse. Now come on. I'm parked out front." He shut her door, and walked around the side of the building to the front and got on his bike. Usagi pulled her van around and waited for him. Mamoru revved the engine angrily, then shot off before he remembered to wait for her, but she had managed to keep up. He grinned at her through his helmet then concentrated on the road. A few minutes later he pulled up to his own apartment building and showed her the way to guest parking. He took the space next to her for his bike, then helped her out of the van.