After bandaging Mamoru after the attack from Luna the girls took Usagi shopping to distract her from her recent questioning about why Luna was angry. Mamoru begged to come with them to protect Usagi but they knew that if Usagi even once looked into those eyes she'd know everything. Mamoru finally gave up and went for a walk with Luna to discuss the portal.
"So you say you saw the portal open? How close was it?" Mamoru asked feeling brave and secure in the broad daylight.
"I could have bet it was right on top of the temple," Luna frowned. "I'm very surprised you didn't see it."
"Do you think you might have... been...ummm... seeing things... hehe..." He tried testing Luna's mood.
A sharp glare from Luna made him be quiet.
"I am positively sure it opened over there. Artemis must have seen it. Let's go check at Minako's house to ask him" Luna leaped over a fence and sprinted down the street leaving Mamoru to his thinking.
'I wish so much I could tell Usagi.' He heard an imagined reply from his girlfriend saying 'tell me what' her eyes full of innocence but a noticeable quality of knowledge and a great deal of fear. She would tap him on the shoulder and beg, then demand an answer with those deep blue eyes. Then she'd see it. It needed no words between them. She'd see the danger she'd know why they had the night at Rei's. Her eyes would fill up with the decades of fear and horror built up from everything she's seen. It would creep up but she would blink it away in a second. She is strong. But I'd see it. 'The girls were right if Usagi even looked at me, I'd give it all away'.
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"So, you haven't told Usagi yet" Artemis said with slight disapproval in his voice.
I shook my head solemnly. Remembering the eyes I added, "It's for the best. You know I hate to keep secrets from her, even more than you do. But it's for the best."
"We know, " Luna said consolingly.
"We'll have to tell her sooner or later though. Why not now so she's prepared?" Artemis asked looking for reason other then "scaring" the queen of the Silver Millennium.
I frowned. "I'll tell her. Tonight. She has to know."
"Yes, it would be best to hear it from you." the room sat in a sympathetic silence. The clock on the wall ticked the seconds away slowly.
"Anyways I've got to go. I'll see you guys later." I waved goodbye to Luna and Artemis and left the room.
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"Oh yeah! More food! YUM!" Usagi and the girls had just stopped for lunch at the mall. Of course Rei looked sourly at Usagi but then her eyes turned soft, she couldn't look at their queen. It didn't feel right to hide anything from her. She quickly glanced away but Usagi caught her eye. She stopped eating, noodles halfway to her mouth. Ami coughed nonchalantly staring glassy eyed out the window. All the other scouts were zoned out as well.
Usagi's face turned white. Her eyes turned a dull grey and she lost use of her words. She had seen it. In Rei's eyes. The new enemy, was here. Makato all of a sudden turned towards her and Usagi set her face to excited again and started munching slowly at her food pretending to stare off into space. 'this is BAD. It was the man who was following me around!' Out of habit she glanced around, and there he was! He was dressed in a long dark trenchcoat-type grey suit. His gray pants hung over shiny, black boots. He glanced up hoping to catch his face but when she looked back he was gone. She paled once again this time not able to repress it before Ami saw her. Ami jumped in shock.
"Usagi are you okay?" She asked.
"Umm... yes I'm fine," I stuttered, then I snapped out of it. "Must be the food"
"I told you, you ate too much!" Rei jumped in making the situation normal again.
Usagi laughed shakily and hoped my friends didn't notice. Usagi figured the food poisoning gig worked because we left and they excused my behaviour.
Usagi wasn't looking forward to the long walk home by herself. Luckily her friends weren't easily shaken and they made her agree to let them walk her home. 'Oh well five eyes to watch out for that man are better than one' Usagi thought.
Usagi was tense and on the lookout the whole walk home but so was everyone else so they didn't notice. She thought she saw the mystery man in the corner of my eye but she wasn't sure. As soon as she turned to get a better look there was only a stray cat moving in the shadows. When they were almost at Usagi's house Mamoru pulled up beside then. He asked Usagi if she'd like to go to his apartment for a while. She gladly agreed knowing that he could keep her safe. He was avoiding her gaze. 'He knew and he hadn't told me!' I let out a gasp.
"What's the matter?" He said his voice was full of concern but he didn't lift his eyes off the road. He was pretending he was concentrating very hard on this one blade of grass just off the side of a nearby fire hydrant.
Usagi begged him with her thoughts, 'Look at me! Please! I need you're help!'
He looked up. He hid it well but she noticed behind his grin and his foggy almost unreadable eyes the fear of looking at me. He knew. There weren't any secrets but she was still shocked. She felt my jaw drop and tears formed in my eyes. 'How could he keep a secret from me!' He quickly looked away knowing that he had not hid what he was feeling. It was impossible, he knew that but he felt that he had to reassure me. Too bad he failed.
We arrived at his apartment. Usagi locked her gaze into his. Forbidding him to look away. She took his information and he took mine. She saw Luna's eyes the portal opening all over again. Replaying the dreadful night. He found out she had found out the information from Rei and that she had seen the man, what she thought was, two more times.
Usagi broke down, she ran to him and sunk into a familiar spot in his powerful arms. Today they were not as reassuring for he could not reassure himself, let alone her.