Chapter 15

The next morning the sun shone warmly on the sleeping figures of a tall, raven-haired young man who was gently cradling a small blonde woman to his chest. She clung tightly to his shirt, her small hands wrapped tightly around a fold in the material, trying to prevent her from falling off the narrow couch where they had fallen asleep the night before.

As the light from the morning sun shone in his eyes, the man mumbled, squeezing the woman in his arms. This caused her to roll right off the couch, landing with a THUNK on the carpeted floor.

"OW!" Exclaimed the blonde as her head hit the floor. "M-A-M-O-R-U!!." she whined, looking up at his sleeping form, which was now sprawled over the entire width of the couch. As she leaned over him, she caught site of his sleeping face, so calm and peaceful, like a child.

She sighed. Reaching over and gently brushing his raven bangs back from his closed eyes, she whispered, "Mamo-chan…." Her warm breath tickled his face as she leaned over to give him a light kiss on the forehead.

Mamoru murmured incoherently in his sleep. His eyes fluttered open as a knock sounded from the direction of the door.

"Oh brother…." Usagi muttered, walking to the door amidst the remains of last night's romantic events, enjoying the sparkling on her finger from her new engagement ring.

"Hey Usagi!" Kevin greeted her. "Is it safe to come in?"

"Huh? Oh… Kevin." stated Usagi sleepily. "Yeah… fine, just fine."

"Wow! What happened?" asked Kevin, looking at Mamoru snoring away on the couch.

Usagi smiled at him, holding out her hand.

Kevin stared at her in shock as he took in the sight of the ring, before beginning to clean up.

"What time is it?" Usagi asked.

"Uh, three o' clock." Kevin responded, picking up the scattered candles and remains from last night.

"What!?" Usagi demanded, looking a little alarmed.

"Three o' clock." Kevin repeated. "Oh, and the choir master told me to tell you that the trip date has changed to this Thursday, and he wants you and Mamoru to report to his office at 9:00 am Monday morning. Something about a new student that claimed to know you."

"A new student?" Usagi wondered aloud as a loud yawn escaped the previously sleeping figure on the couch.

"Usagi?" Mamoru's voice questioned.

"Mamo-chan!" Usagi exclaimed, running around to sit on his lap.

"Finally awake?" Kevin questioned dryly.

"Yeah, no thanks to you." Mamoru shot back. "Is there anything to eat around here?"

Kevin raised his eyebrows "With Tenshi here? You've got to be kidding me!"

"Kevin!" Usagi exclaimed, jumping up and pounding his back with her fists.

"Ack! Just kidding, just kidding!!" Kevin shouted, running into the kitchen with Usagi hot on his heels.

"You better be." She stated, sticking her tongue out at him and trying to act tough.

"Hey, isn't that tongue thing reserved for Rei?" Mamoru questioned, watching as a tongue war erupted before his eyes, and wondering what ever possessed him to wake up.

Both turned and stuck their tongues out at him, causing Mamoru to burst out laughing.

After a delicious breakfast of eggs and toast, Usagi started gathering up her things.

"Mamo-chan, I'm going home. It's obvious I'm no longer wanted or needed here." Usagi stated, giving Mamoru a kiss on the cheek as she watched the guys getting ready to clean up the apartment. "See you tomorrow at 9:00 am."

"Bye-bye Usako." Mamoru said, giving her a light kiss on the forehead as she rushed out the door.

Girl's dormitory:

Usagi unlocked and entered the dorm room she shared with Ami, only to find a large pair of shoes discarded at the doorway. Curious, she wandered inside calling,

"Ami-chan, who's shoes are those?" in Japanese.

Muffled voices sounded from Ami's study as Usagi approached. 'What's going on?' she wondered as she knocked lightly on the door.

"Usagi-chan?" Ami's voice questioned from within.

"Hai!" Usagi responded, pushing open the door to reveal Ami sitting at her desk with an attractive American. "Who's that!"? Usagi demanded, pointing at the man.

"Usagi-chan, don't point." stated Ami, shocked at her friend's lack of  manners.

"Uh, hello." The man greeted her uncertainly, watching the short exchange, and wondering what they had been saying.

"Usagi, this is Greg. Greg, this is my roommate Usagi." Ami said, introducing them.

"Hello Greg." Usagi said, smiling.

"Hi…" he replied, unheard as she turned to talk to Ami in Japanese again.

"Ami, I have so much to tell you! Just look!" she said, showing Ami her ring.

"Usagi!!! Did Mamoru-san…."

"HAI!" Usagi replied, grabbing her friend's arm and dragging her out of the room.

Greg stared after them, wondering what had just happened, and thinking about signing up for a Japanese course.

"Oh Ami, it was *so* romantic! The music, everything. Mamoru even cooked for me!!" Usagi squealed with happiness.

"Usagi, you're *so* lucky!" Ami exclaimed, admiring her friend's ring. "It's beautiful!"

"I know, but it could have been just some lump of copper and I would have loved it. He spent so much!" Usagi's happiness reflected in her eyes, which absolutely shone. "Mamoru is mine, mine, mine, mine, mine!"

Ami laughed, thinking, 'Yes, Usagi. And he always has been.' Before jumping up as she remembered that Greg was still there.

"Greg!" she called out.

"What?" he responded to her shout.

"Come here!" This cry was answered a few moments later with his appearance in the living room.

"Ami, why is he here?" Usagi questioned in Japanese

"Usagi…Greg is my….boyfriend…and we were…uh… studying." Said Ami, still in Japanese, and covered from forehead to neck with a bright-red blush.

"Ami…" whined Greg, "What are you saying?"

"Oh, nothing important." she teased him.

Greg just raised an eyebrow to that remark, and proposed that they go out for dinner.

The next day (Monday):

Mamoru knocked on Usagi's dorm door at 8:30 am sharp, hoping that she was up and ready.

"Ready to go?" he asked her when she opened the door.

"Hai!" she responded, linking her arm through his. Arm in arm they strolled across the campus to the auditorium, where the music instructor had requested to meet with them.

"Ah! Usagi and Darien, you're here." he stated, walking up to them with a young man in tow.

"Good morning!" They simultaneously greeted the professor. They then turned to the new student, and Usagi's jaw dropped in shock.

"Hello, Usagi." he said with a smirk.

"Hello, Seiya." Usagi replied, moving closer to Mamoru and feeling his arm tighten about her waist possessively.

"Good, I see you know each other already." the professor said. "Seiya here has joined the choir, and will be coming on the trip. I thought that you could show him around campus; maybe introduce him etc." And he walked off, leaving the young people to themselves.

The three Japanese students stood looking at each other, Mamoru and Seiya giving each other challenging looks.

Before long Mamoru demanded, "How do you know Usagi?"

Seiya smiled and replied calmly, "I was about to ask you the same thing."

"She's my fiancée." Mamoru replied, not liking how Seiya just seemed to shrug it off, smiling smugly at him before deadpanning,

"We'll see about that…"

Meanwhile…

In a shadowed corner, Melanie watched the exchange, wondering who the handsome man was.

"Damn!" she said to herself, "Who is that guy?"

She stared hungrily at Seiya,

"Although," she thought to herself, "Darien is much hotter."

as she followed the trio at a safe distance noticing Mamoru's over protective behavior and the way that Seiya kept eyeing Usagi and trying to make her laugh.