Hello everyone. So sorry for the delay in this update. I had a myriad of health and personal issues that I had to get through and work out the past couple of months. I'm happy to say the silver lining is now shining upon me and I used the refueled effort to finish this chapter. Writing is one of my few outlets and I'm so happy to now have to energy to focus on it.
I hope you enjoy! I love you all!
Beta'd by AnxietyAvocado
"Black Walls" by Chromatics
"Ugh, I'm so hungry!" Yaten dropped her head back to rest on top of the couch as she whined.
Taiki yawned from her place on the other end, knowing her stomach was going to be demanding something soon, and knowing she felt too lazy to leave the hotel.
"Did you want to get room service?"
Yaten twisted her mouth in thought, the face of someone who has had room service too often. "I guess I could try their pasta since I only had a smoothie for breakfast."
"Their pasta is good," Taiki commented as she reached for the side table to open a drawer and retrieve the menu. "Should we tell Seiya and Usagi?"
The twist of Yaten's face turned into disdain as she shrugged. "Meh… up to you."
Taiki raised an eyebrow. "Well in case they're hungry too…?"
"Sure," she waved a dismissive hand. "You can tell them."
Intrigued by the deflection, her brown eyebrow raised. This felt more purposeful than personality. "Why do I have to?"
"You're the one who brought up asking them!" It didn't take much for Yaten to turn into a sassy green-eyed monster.
"But why are you so adamant about not to be the one to do it?"
"Because!" She contorted her body in disgust. "I hate interacting with them when they're together."
"So they shouldn't eat?"
"No! I'm not saying not to ask them at all. I just don't want to deal with them if I don't have to."
Taiki folded her arms and sat back on the couch, her hunger cues now a second priority.
"Because they're totally sleeping together, right?"
Yaten's wide eyes reflected relief as she gasped and looked at the closed door of Seiya's room to make sure there weren't going to be any surprises in the next couple of seconds.
"Oh my god—I thought I was the only one!" She lowered her voice to a harsh whisper. "They're so obvious!"
Taiki lowered her voice as well. "I don't think I've ever seen them with their hands off each other."
"Yesterday I walked in on them in the kitchen and I swear Usagi's shirt was above her tits."
She leaned in. "Last week we were here watching TV and Usagi was practically in her lap."
"Ew."
"It was so uncomfortable."
"It's like they're teenagers!"
"Well, you know how Seiya felt about Usagi and obviously still does."
"Did Usagi ever feel that way about Seiya, though?"
Taiki shrugged. "I didn't think so initially but maybe there was something before? I can't remember that far back."
"She just… comes off so possessive and clingy of Seiya. I feel like I haven't talked to Seiya in weeks. Even when Usagi's gone, she's glued to her phone."
The brunette sighed and sat back again, contemplating the situation for a few moments. "I wouldn't normally care so much about Seiya's extracurricular activities, but every time I talk to her about the latest message from Kinmoku it's like she's hearing about it for the first time. She's getting too distracted… again. Plus I'm worried something will happen between them and Usagi won't help us anymore."
"Exactly! She's such an idiot." Yaten rolled her eyes. "And it blows my mind that they're so openly… open with themselves. I wonder if Usagi has separated from Mamoru or is divorcing him, like… do you know anything?"
"Of course not but I doubt it. She always leaves in the early afternoon so I assume she's still going home. Plus if anyone would know anything about that, it would be Minako, right?"
"Yeah, she hasn't said anything. That girl can't keep secrets for shit."
Taiki nodded followed by a sigh. "We need to have a talk with her."
"Mina?"
"No, Seiya!"
"Psh, you know she's going to rip our heads off if we have anything to say about Usagi."
"She needs to hear it. She's neglecting her responsibilities. And we're only losing time before we have to return home."
"Well if we can even get Seiya to—"
Before Yaten could finish speaking, the door to Seiya's room opened with Usagi leading the way out. Without a pause in her step, she smiled and waved at the gossiping women.
"Bye, guys!"
Both of their smiles were so fake they looked more like grimaces. "Bye!"
Usagi grabbed her purse from the dining room table and walked to the front door as Seiya followed behind and opened it as they parted with low but audible voices.
"Bye, Odango. Text me when you're home."
"I will. Bye, Seiya."
Taiki grabbed her phone to check the time and then showed her screen to Yaten confirming her earlier observation—it was 2:30 PM on the dot.
Once the door closed, Seiya made her way to the living room and plopped down in a chair, emitting a loud yawn as she sunk into the cushions. She kept quiet otherwise as her eyes focused on the television screen.
Meanwhile, Taiki and Yaten kept looking at each other with intense facial expressions in an effort to silently urge the other to start a conversation. This couldn't have come at a more perfect time, but neither of them wanted to be the one to talk first.
Eventually, Taiki became too annoyed with their silent squabble, composing herself before speaking.
"Hey, Seiya, we're thinking of ordering lunch. Do you want anything?"
"No, thanks, I'm fine. Odango and I already ate."
Yaten swiveled her head to face Taiki, obscuring from Seiya that she had two fingers in a V-shape around her mouth while sticking and waving her tongue out in ridicule. Taiki covered her own mouth with her fingertips to hide her smile and hold in her laugh.
"Oh," she cleared her throat. "What did you eat?"
"Pizza," she responded while expelling another yawn.
"Where did you get pizza?" Yaten piped up with aggressive suspicion.
"That buffet place a couple of blocks down." She pointed behind herself.
"The one we talked about going to since we got here?"
Seiya nodded. "Yeah."
She scoffed. "Where was our invite? Taiki and I would have liked to go too."
Her scared and confused blue eyes darted in between an incensed Yaten and intrigued Taiki, hoping the latter would berate the former for getting pissy at something so small. But as the silence endured, she realized she was on her own, while also unable to shake the fact something was off with them.
"Sorry, I forgot you guys wanted to go." She kept her tone composed as she held up her hands in defense. "We can go tomorrow."
"Is that going to cut into your time with Usagi?" Yaten folded her arms as she was just getting started.
"What does that mean?" Her tone now matching Yaten's, Seiya wrinkled her brow and looked to Taiki for the voice of reason.
But the tall one only shrugged. "Well, will it?"
It was worse than she thought—Taiki was on Yaten's side. That's never happened… Or at least hasn't happened in a while. Long while. What the fuck was going on?
"Okay… What the fuck is going on?" Once again she looked in between the two women on the couch and prepared her defenses to the maximum level.
"You tell us," Yaten snapped.
"The fuck do you mean?"
"You know exactly what we mean!"
"No, I don't!"
"Don't play dumb! I know you think we are, but we know everything you're doing!"
"I'm not! What am I doing?"
"Don't make me tell you, you know what your problem is—"
"Oh my god, Taiki, for fuck's sake!" In no mood to play any more guessing games, Seiya cut Yaten off as she gestured an arm out toward her and looked at the brunette once again. "What the fuck is she talking about?"
Yaten snapped her body around to face Taiki and provide her rebuttal, also gesturing her arm out toward Seiya. "She's obviously playing dumb!"
Taiki straightened up and pressed her palms together to maintain a neutral energy before placing a hand on Yaten's shoulder.
"Yaten, we need to be as straightforward with her as we want her to be with us." She moved her free palm gently between her chest and out toward Seiya, perhaps as a way to calm the tumultuous waves already in motion between them. They were probably about to get bigger.
The lead Starlight threw her hands up before dropping them on the armrests with loud thuds. "Yes, please! That would be very helpful!"
Given Seiya's defensiveness, Taiki began to regret allowing Yaten to talk so much. She took in a breath and looked into Seiya's blue eyes before diving into her sugar-coated bluntness.
"We know what's going on with you and Usagi, and we're very, very concerned."
She scoffed and rolled her eyes, an expected response due to the sensitive topic with no help from Yaten stoking the flames.
"What are you concerned about?"
"What is there not to be concerned about?" Yaten was convinced Seiya was a mind-reader.
Taiki held up a pointer finger to silence her and follow through on her earlier statement.
"We are concerned that she is distracting you from our mission. Not to mention it's just plain wrong to be messing around with her. She's married and we need her help at home. We don't want things to get complicated as a result of this affair you're having with her."
"We're not 'messing around,' okay? We have a connection. We—" Seiya stopped herself to take a breath and think through her response to not sound so inelegant and juvenile.
"We get it." Taiki conceded. "We know she's been depressed and hasn't been herself—"
"She is herself. She's just going through a process and I'm helping her through that."
"In her pants?" Yaten raised an eyebrow.
"Sometimes—yes!" Was she happy now? Seiya had to use every muscle to not use every muscle to go for her throat.
"But why doesn't she go to her husband for help?" Taiki asked.
"He's useless and busy. He doesn't understand what she's going through. That's not my fault."
"But it doesn't mean it's your business to get involved."
"She came to me. She made it my business. She needed me."
Yaten finally started to focus. "She needed you, like—Seiya-the-person you —or a therapist?"
"Yes, me. She can't tell any therapist what all she's been through as a guardian. I know what it's like to go through what she's going through. You guys have no idea how lonely it is and I need to be there for her."
"Fair." Taiki could sense the tension building again and didn't want to let the waves get too high. "But why does it have to involve sex?"
"Why does it matter that it does?"
"She's mar-ried!" Yaten enunciated as she slapped the couch's armrest with each syllable.
And there it went—the full-on tidal-wave had crashed and was now destroying every creation in its path. Even as Taiki laid a hand on Yaten's arm to placate her, she didn't feel it; she didn't feel anything other than her suppressed rage. Soon Taiki realized it was Yaten who was the one to worry more about losing her cool than Seiya, and that maybe she should have had this talk without her… There was a reason she was banned from negotiations and diplomatic visits back home.
"And that's our business!"
"It's not your business at all! It's hers and Mamoru's!"
"Do you think she didn't try talking to him? She's been having issues for months before we got here! It's not my fault he's useless!" Was it months… or weeks? Nonetheless, Yaten didn't know the details and Seiya could say anything. And she would to defend Usagi.
"But it's still your fault that you're her sidepiece!"
"So what? It's my problem. I will deal with it!"
"But you're not focused on the real reason we're even here anymore!" Taiki found an opening back in the argument. "You're not listening to any of the messages we're getting from Kinmoku. You're not talking to us. When she's around you, you're not around us. And even when she's gone you're barely present."
"My headset's broken, okay? But we get the same messages on all of ours so I didn't see the big deal in saying anything. We always get together to discuss them anyway."
"But otherwise, she takes up all of your time."
Seiya shrugged off the observation. "So what? What else is there to do here? I've been hanging around you both all my life. We've got what we came for—we secured Sailor Moon's help—so let me have my fun."
"But our planet is at stake. What if something happens between you two?"
"She won't abandon us. You know she wouldn't do that."
"We didn't know she'd ever fuck you." Yaten quipped. "But here we are."
"Yes, here we are. Are we finished?" Rolling her eyes, Seiya stood up and began to make her exit toward the front door, answering her own question.
"Wait, Seiya!" Taiki jumped off the couch in near panic and followed her where she was already slipping on a pair of sandals. "Hold on!"
"We're done here."
"What are you expecting to happen with her?"
"I don't know."
"What do you mean you don't know? So you're just fucking in the wind?" She hurried her steps to make it just in time to lean on the door in which Seiya was in the process of opening. However, with Taiki utilizing her full weight, Seiya tried pulling on the knob a few times but only managed a few inches ajar at best.
"Taiki, let me go! I'm done with this!"
" I'm not done." She held her ground as strongly as her glare, her bare feet keeping the perfect traction on the floor to prevent Seiya from escaping.
"It doesn't matter! Why does it matter so much to you? Everything is fine!"
"Everything is not fine!"
"Odango is still going to come to Kinmoku to help us! No matter what happens! What else do you want?"
"I want to make sure you're okay!"
"I am okay! I'm more than okay! I've never been happier in my life!" Seiya screamed from the depths of her throat to make them understand. Why wouldn't they understand? "Just please let me have this! Before I have to go back to an empty, meaningless life—just let me have this! Let me have her!"
"So you don't plan on this lasting then?"
The tension suddenly dissipated with Seiya taking a couple of moments to finally think about her words and the future—what she wanted to happen versus what was most likely to happen. She then removed her hands from the knob to run her fingers through her hair, sniffling as if she were on the verge of tears but yet couldn't bear to let them fall just yet.
"What are your plans with her, Seiya?" Taiki repeated with more tenderness in her voice.
"I don't—I don't know."
"Is it a casual affair that will naturally dissolve once our mission is complete or does she have plans to divorce Mamoru and be with you? What is to come from all this? What do you want from this?"
The further questioning then made Seiya go stiff. With arms crossed and shoulders low, she faced Taiki with an uneasy stare, gulping as her brain escaped via the ejection seat, leaving her heart tail spinning to its death. Her silence and eyes betrayed her.
"She doesn't plan to leave him." Yaten walked up, her compassion rusty enough to carry tetanus. "If she hasn't by now, she won't ever."
"That's not what we want," Seiya defended meekly.
"We?" She guffawed. "So it's just a meaningless affair then? You seriously don't want her to leave Mamoru for you?"
Yes. A thousand times yes Seiya did want that. Their affair was only the tip of the iceberg of all the things she could do for her… would do for her. If only Usagi would let it happen… would allow her to love her more… But that was yet to be discussed. And she was yet to find the courage to bring it up.
"I'm just… I'm just trying to help her… I'm not trying to ruin her marriage…"
Taiki couldn't help but drop her jaw. "Wha—What do you think you're even doing? You're sleeping with a married woman! How can you think that doesn't ruin a marriage?"
"It's not just about sex. I'm the only one she can talk to. I'm the only one she trusts."
"If it's that deep then why is she still with him?"
"They have a destiny together. It could devastate the universe if they divorced. It's complicated—"
Yaten's cackle echoed throughout the whole room. "Oh my god, stop lying to yourself! She's playing with you, Seiya! You're a distraction, a fun time, a therapist… a dumb bitch!"
Had Taiki not been looking in Seiya's direction, she would have missed the millisecond it took for her to grab the sandal from her foot to use as a weapon as she stepped toward Yaten. The brunette was thankful for her height that could prevent the two loose cannons from getting their crosshairs in focus, her arms on Seiya's shoulders to keep her a safe distance away while Yaten aimlessly blasted insults from behind.
"She's using you just like she's using her husband!"
"Go fuck yourself, Yaten! She's not like that!"
"She uses him to provide and you to fuck!"
"Shut up!"
"She knew all along you were stupid enough to fall for her bullshit!"
"She's the one saving us! Shut the fuck up!"
Taiki got another word in, turning her head to the side to yell, "Yaten, shut up!" She was going way too far and officially blamed her for why the conversation had descended into a primitive playground fight.
"Why should I shut up? I've shut up long enough! I've shut up too much! I should have said something the moment I suspected you two! Now Seiya's fucked everything up!"
"Yaten, I'm serious, back off—"
It was only for a moment, a flash, a blink… Taiki turned her head further to yell at Yaten and lost her focus on keeping Seiya at bay. The heightened emotions of all three of them had her distracted and she made a point that Yaten would be the one who needed to be monitored and disarmed. But this was Usagi they were talking about—of course, Seiya was going to do anything to defend her honor. Taiki should have known their lifetime leader would take any opportunity to make her move. The way she maneuvered in half a step—graceful, swift, acute—it happened so fast that the sound of the bottom of Seiya's sandal meeting Yaten's cheek had a lag time of a full second even from a couple of feet away.
To be fair, Taiki couldn't blame her. Yaten was out of line many times.
But now so was Seiya.
The heaviness of the silence was weighed down by all parts wrath and devastation. Thus, as far as Seiya was concerned, she accomplished her goal—shutting Yaten up. However, she was just as in shock with herself as she dropped her sandal to the floor with no further move to comfort or run away. Yaten stood still with her face turned to the side, her cheek yet to show evidence of the attack. But the pulsating audacity was ever-apparent and flowing through her bloodstream, her eyes catching sight of something shiny on the dining room table.
Taiki gulped as she laid a delicate hand on her shoulder. "Yaten… are you okay?"
She straightened up, flicking her head to move her bangs out of her eyes, a smirk cut across her face as she stared daggers at Seiya.
"She really does have you in the palm of her hand, does she?"
Seiya bit into her lips as her eyes became glossy to suppress further violent action. Or maybe it was to suppress crying about the fact that Yaten managed to voice every single one of her deepest, darkest fears in a span of five minutes.
"Yaten," Taiki squeezed her shoulder, her voice shaking as she was still processing what happened. "Are you okay? Let's sit down and check your face—"
"I'm fine," she snapped. "It's Seiya here who needs to be checked out."
"Yaten," Seiya began as she allowed a tear to fall. "I—I'm sorry—"
"No, you're not."
"Yes, Yaten, I am. That was out of line."
"You're damn right it was."
Seiya took a breath, her patience and sympathy already wearing thin. "I know. I let my emotions get the best of me."
"Oh, they've gotten more than just the best of you."
Not even a shoe slap to the face could knock any sense into her. Seiya shook her head as she slipped her foot back into the sandal and wiped her chin of her few fallen tears, her eyes now narrowed. Now she was done trying to be nice.
"I am sorry, Yaten. You can accept my apology or not."
"Or what?"
"Yaten!" Taiki put her other hand on her shoulder. "Stop being a fucking idiot!"
"I think that award should go to our great leader over here! She has a habit of fucking the worst people she can think of!"
"Says the person who's been laid the least out of all of us!" Seiya sneered.
"Yes—it's harder for those of us who have standards—aka single people!"
"And yet that bar is still too high for you!"
"But it was low enough for Usagi!"
Taiki groaned, knowing she had to separate these two as soon as possible. Everything she worked for had devolved into something personal for the both of them and had thus lost all its meaning once the sandal came off. She began to guide Yaten backward, closer to the dining room table.
"Leave her out of this!" Seiya continued.
"She's half the reason we're even fighting right now! You're both too horny for your own good!"
"At least the horniness is mutual."
"And for what—the expense of Kinmoku? You're putting a lot at risk for a little ass!"
"It's not just sex!"
"Maybe not for you, but guess what? She's the one going home to Mamoru every day while you're stuck here alone sniffing your fucking fingers! You're a dumb bitch and you're ruining everything for us!"
Yaten shifted out of Taiki's grasp, another botched holding task on her part, and grabbed the large decorative vintage glass bowl sitting in the middle of the dining room table with both hands.
"You might have her but she is not yours!"
"Fuck, Yaten!"
Even though Taiki was beside her and not the target, she turned away and ducked with her arms protecting her face. Seiya acted fast too as she crouched to avoid the oncoming glassware hurling toward her head before it crashed into hundreds of flying shards once coming into contact with the door behind her. Yaten herself even had to take measures of self-protection from how far some of the pieces shot across the room. Time seemed to freeze as no one dared to even breathe until they were sure all the glass had finished falling.
Seiya opened her eyes first, scanning her legs for anything dripping red. As far as she could tell, she was spared and straightened up to carefully swipe down her arms and torso at some small pieces and dust. Once those were clear, she then wasted no time to resume her ire toward the shorter Starlight.
"Yaten, what the fuck? Are you fucking crazy? What the fuck is wrong with you?"
However, too distracted to clap back, Yaten's eyes widened in fear while staring seemingly at Seiya's feet.
Taiki's violet hues were also staring at the same place but she at least was able to move enough to point and speak.
"Seiya, your leg."
She looked down toward the direction of the pointing, soon noticing a thick, rapid trickle of blood flowing down her right leg and pooling into her sandal and onto the floor. From her angle bending further forward and turning her knee out, she could finally see a large piece of glass protruding from the back of her thigh. While she was too shocked to feel and process any pain just yet, she looked up to start running her mouth at Yaten again, only to be taken aback by the sight of multiple tears streaming down her horrified face.
"You really are a dumb bitch. Why didn't you move?"
"Oh my god, Seiya!"
"Hey, Odango—"
"Are you okay? Oh my god, what happened?"
"Yes. Still kind of high from the meds right now but feeling okay!"
Usagi put a hand over her mouth as she looked at the large bandage on Seiya's leg, her eyes holding dire concern. "What happened?"
"Eh… um…" Seiya was trying to keep control of her words despite the medically-induced haze. "A piece of glass flew into my leg—"
"How?!"
"Yaten, uh… threw a glass bowl."
"She threw a glass bowl?"
"She throws things when she gets hungry."
"Was she throwing it at you?"
"Yeah… Kind of."
"Why?"
She was not about to tell her they were fighting about her. She was not about to make Usagi worry. And she was not about to admit she was the first one to strike. In fact, she decided Usagi was not to know any details.
"I pissed her off. It happens all the time."
"What—her throwing things?!"
"Well, that too—"
"Ugh I'm so sorry, Seiya, come in! Let's get you off your leg!"
Usagi stepped back and opened her front door wider for Seiya to limp inside the house. Though she couldn't feel the full pain of her wound, she tried to keep pressure off as the weight of her duffle bag across her torso made it more challenging. She was in the midst of kicking her shoes off when she heard some caring words from a scary voice.
"Let me get that for you."
Seiya's chest collapsed when she looked up to see Mamoru striding towards them sporting a pair of joggers and a tee shirt—his hair wispy and devoid of product while wearing a welcoming smile on his face.
"Oh, hey—!" Her voice cracked and then gave out.
"Hey!" Mamoru relieved the Starlight of her load and slipped it on his shoulder. "How's the leg?"
"Uh… good. Can't feel it!"
He chuckled. "Good."
"What are you doing here?" Nervousness and opioids didn't mix well for subtlety.
More chuckling. "It's my day off. I'm off for the next three days actually."
"I'm sure it's much needed," she grimaced as she looked at Usagi. That work schedule was some news she would have appreciated earlier through a text.
"I'll put this in the guest room." He announced as he turned his body.
Seiya's chest built itself back up only to collapse again. "The guest room?"
"Oh, yes!" Usagi answered. "As our guest, you will get the extra room."
No, not good. The guest room was not good. That was too intimate, that was too close…
"No, that's okay! I know you use it, Mamoru. I can take the couch."
"Nonsense—it doesn't get used at night so it works out." He calmly insisted. "And if I'm here, I can sleep with Usa."
"But what about the bed sheets? I sweat a lot when I sleep."
"We have a shikibuton we can roll out if you prefer."
"I can always change the bedsheets too!" Usagi couldn't be more accommodating, and she would be as much as she needed. "We have several sets so it wouldn't be a problem."
For the first time in her life, Seiya prayed to any god out there paying attention to hush the blonde.
"Ah well… I also sleep late. That might mess up your schedule when you come home."
"How late do you sleep?" There goes Mamoru asking reasonable questions.
"You don't sleep that late," Usagi responded in her place. "You're usually texting me at seven, seven-thirty."
"Right. Aren't you home by then?" Seiya pivoted back to Mamoru.
"That works out perfectly. I don't get home until about eight-thirty, nine o'clock since I work out after my shift. "
Fuck. This wasn't good. Staying in a bedroom made her feel like she was intruding, exploiting the sanctity of their home. Yes, she trespassed on the sanctity of their marriage but to move onto this new physical territory made it feel too real. Made it feel like finally that what she was doing with Usagi was—
"So that settles it." Usagi beamed as she wrapped her arm around Seiya's. "We'll show you to your new room."
There was as much arguing left in the limping Starlight as there was negotiating with the couple, and Seiya was promptly led toward the guest room practically against her will.
"And Mamo can check on your injury too to make sure it's healing properly!"
"Yeah, what happened there, Seiya?" Mamoru cocked an eyebrow as he set the duffel bag atop the bed.
"Yaten threw a bowl at her!" Usagi answered in her place once again, her eyes wide displaying a flicker of planned vengeance.
His brow raised even higher. "Why did she throw a bowl at you?"
"I forget. It's stupid stuff." Seiya gulped to try to keep herself from sweating more than she already was. "We've all been around each other for so long, the dumbest things can set us off."
"Couldn't have been that dumb if you have to stay here with us."
"Eh… she's always had anger issues. We just need a couple of days to cool off."
Mamoru folded his arms and nodded, understanding that she had no intention of opening up, at least to him.
"Well, you're more than welcome to stay as long as you like. Our home is your home."
"No, no… there's… no need to say that…" Seiya mumbled through the lump in her throat.
"I know ever since you and Usa became close, her anxiety has gotten much better. And she's been much happier. It's better that you're here as far as I'm concerned."
This should have been such an exciting moment, a step beyond her dreams that was worth celebrating; it was as if Mamoru was trying to make their affair easier, practically tucking them into bed together. Instead, Seiya nearly felt sick to her stomach, releasing a low groan and curling one side of her upper lip.
"Are you okay, Seiya?" Asked Usagi as she placed a hand on her back.
Mamoru interjected. "Those pain meds must be hurting your stomach. You should eat soon." He paused to check his watch. "I ordered dinner not too long ago. It should be here soon. Usa said you liked burgers so we got you one. But if you need to eat something sooner, we have some snacks. That is if Usa will allow you to touch hers."
"Of course! Mamo and I like different snacks so there's plenty!"
"That's a lie." He smirked and then winked. "I have to hide mine."
"Mamo!"
The cute exchange gave Seiya enough of a gag reflex that she placed her fingers over her lips. This was wrong. She shouldn't be here witnessing such a moment, eating their food, sleeping in their bed… sleeping with his wife…
"Uh… I… thank you."
"Of course. Relax. We're here if you need anything." Mamoru didn't think too much more of her uneasiness and began to back out of the room.
"I'll let you girls get settled together. I have some work to finish before dinner gets here."
"Okay, Mamo!" Usagi watched him leave the room before turning to Seiya with a grin.
"Let's sit!"
"Sure." She felt as if she stood any longer she would actually vomit. Once situated on the edge of the bed with Usagi, the blonde threw her arms around her and rested her head on her shoulder.
"I can't believe you're here."
"Me too," she softened at her touch yet couldn't help but add, "and Mamoru."
"Hmm?"
"I can't believe he's here too."
She shrugged. "He gets a few consecutive days off here and there. The hospital is trying to get better about that. Does that bother you?"
"No! I was just surprised."
"Well, I didn't think about telling you because I was more concerned with how you were. What happened?"
"It was nothing, Odango." Seiya forced a smile. "Just Yaten taking things too far like she always does."
She nodded before scooting back behind Seiya, sitting on her knees as she began to run her hands through her hair.
"It was about me, wasn't it?"
Seiya couldn't think of anything to say or do at that moment. How was she so transparent? She felt she evaded their multitude of questions so well…
"N—no… of course not, Odango—"
"Then about us then?"
A sigh was all her body would allow her to do. The jig was up. Any more attempts to lie were an insult to Usagi's intelligence.
"They're on edge because of this impending war. So then everything else is made a bigger deal than it is. They're just afraid."
"That something might happen between us and I won't want to help?"
"I… I told them you would never do that."
"Kind of similar to back then. They never really trusted me."
"They do trust you. It's me they don't trust."
"Of course, I would still help. I'm doing this for me too, not only for you or them."
"Good. They should understand that. And I hope they do by now."
"But why don't they trust you, though?"
Seiya chuckled, the weight of her heart easing up now that she was able to be semi-transparent and validated. Plus the feeling of Usagi playing with her hair felt so therapeutic.
"Don't worry about that, Odango."
"Seiya! Come on!" She tugged on her dark locks playfully. "Stop keeping secrets from me!"
"I'm not! It's not a big deal!"
"Well if it's not a big deal, can't you tell me?"
She rolled her eyes knowing she set herself up for that one. "I just have kind of a messy track record. That's all."
"Track record? Like with partners?"
"Yes."
Usagi nodded with a 'hmm.' "Messy how?"
"I… tend to get involved with… complicated people."
"Complicated people?"
"Well as a guardian, every person I get involved with is complicated because I'm not allowed to marry or even be in a relationship for that matter. Taiki and Yaten are more careful with who they associate with and I… tend to seize the moment." She chuckled nervously.
"Am I complicated?"
She had to force the bunhead to pause in her updo to turn around and give her a side-eye. "Do I really have to answer that?"
Usagi blew a humored breath through her nose. "Well, Mamo is working over half the time. I feel like it's been pretty uncomplicated between us."
"Well… you're still married to him… That's complicated."
It then got silent and uncomfortable, but then Usagi was about to make it just uncomfortable.
"Does it make you nervous to stay here?"
Seiya opened her mouth, a few moments passing before words left. "A little."
"Only a little?"
"I just… didn't expect to see Mamoru."
"Well, he does live here."
"I mean not so soon. I thought he'd be at work by now and I could… more or less ease into seeing him."
Usagi chuckled. "Well… I'm sorry I didn't warn you. But don't worry about it." She sat back and retracted her hands from Seiya's head to indicate she was finished. "Everything will be okay."
The Starlight fingered her locks to feel half of her hair up in two buns. "Did you put my hair up in odangos?"
"It's the only hairstyle I know how to do!" Usagi put both hands up to her cheeks as she held stars in her eyes. "You look so cute! You remind me of Luna in her human form."
Seiya turned around to face her. "Luna has a human form?"
"Yes! It's kind of a long story but basically, a long time ago she fell in love with this guy and he believed in this moon princess and she wanted to be her for him so I helped turn her into a human for a night. It was so cute!"
"Aww, who was the guy–Artemis?"
"No. This astronomer who picked her up off the street one day."
Yep, that definitely sounded like a long story. Seiya nodded along while having so many questions pop up in her head. "Where is Luna anyway?"