A.N. Sorry that it has taken so long for me to get this chapter out.
Between babysitting, work & a totally cool girls night with my 4 friends,
I've been busy lately. PLUS, I've been having trouble with FF.net. Guess
which song I'm listening to right now: 'Papa Don't Preach' (Madonna
version) it sort of fits with the story, lol. NEway, enjoy my fic. Review,
onegai! ^_^
Disclaimer: I don't own SM or any of its characters. If I did, I wouldn't be writing fan fiction. ^_^;
Chapter 5
"Did you hear what happened to Katsuo-san?" Two boys were talking as they walked into the arcade. Motoki instantly tilted his head to hear the conversation.
"No, what happened? I only heard that he was brought to the hospital." The second boy said.
"Apparently he was attacked by a gang on his way home last Tuesday." The first boy said. "He didn't say anything else though. He refuses to say who it was."
"I didn't even know that there were any gangs in Juuban."
"Me neither."
"How bad was he hurt?" The second boy asked.
"Pretty bad. He looks like Hell. He's got some broken ribs & a broken wrist, & his face is all cut & bruised." The 1st boy answered. Motoki couldn't help but burst into laughter, earning a strange look from the 2 boys & the other people in the arcade.
*~*FLASHBACK - Tuesday*~*
Makoto waited around a corner from where Katsuo was at a friend's house. It was ten o'clock & thanks to Naru's eavesdropping, she knew that he would have to leave soon.
He's coming your way! Naru told Makoto over a little wrist communicator Ami had given them.
"Thanks, Naru-chan." Makoto replied.
Be careful! Naru said before slipping out of her spot in a tree further down the street & running off. She had to provide an alibi for all of them in case they were suspected.
Makoto tugged at her shirt & made sure her hair & make-up were all right. "Perfect." She smiled in satisfaction at herself in her compact. Katsuo turned the corner & crashed into her. "Oops! I'm so sorry." She batted her eyes innocently, in his arms. "I wasn't watching where I was going."
"It's okay. It was my fault." Katsuo replied. "You're Makoto-chan, aren't you?"
"Yes. That's me." She smiled. "Actually... I have to admit... I was waiting for you."
"Oh?" He raised an eyebrow, as he looked her up & down. She forced to keep the disgusted look from showing on her face, not to mention slugging him before the right time. "Is that so?"
"Yes. I've been thinking about you a lot lately." The plan they had been working on for a week was going perfectly so far.
"And..." He smiled.
"And I've been talking to my friends about you too. Rei-chan REALLY wants to see you too."
Rei stepped out of the shadows of an alley & walked over slowly. "Hey." She smiled seductively.
"Hey." He gulped. 'Wow! I'm so lucky.' Katsuo thought to himself.
"Why don't you come with us?" Rei grabbed one hand lightly & Makoto took a hold of the other.
"We'll give you a night that you'll never forget." Makoto grinned slyly as they led him to the dark alley.
"That's for sure." Ami & Minako stepped out from either side of him.
"What's going on?" Katsuo looked around, still with an amused grin on his face. STILL not cluing in.
"We know what you did to Usagi-chan." Rei grabbed onto his hand tighter & hit him up against the wall.
"We don't like people who hurt our best friend." Ami said.
"You're going to pay for laying your hands on her." Minako closed in.
"I don't know what you're talking about." He played dumb.
"Shut-up!" Makoto's fist hit him hard across his face.
"Doesn't hurt." He groaned. "Is that all you got?"
"Hardly." Rei laughed. Minako & Rei both grabbed an arm & threw him to the ground. She kicked him in the side.
"Aren't you going to fight back?" Ami pulled his head up by his hair to face her own. "... Little boy?"
"Yeah, come on. Give us your best shot!" Makoto pulled him up by his shirt collar. "You don't really want to beaten by four girls... especially ones that are younger than you!"
"You'll be a laughing stock!" Minako taunted him.
Makoto pushed him to provoke Katsuo more. That was all she needed to do because he lunged at her with his fist clenched. She ducked & easily dodged it, punching him in the stomach & knocking the wind out of him in the process.
Katsuo fell to the ground, holding onto his stomach. Ami kicked his back. "Aw... are we hurting you?" She stomped her foot down on his wrist as he screamed in pain.
"Can you feel it yet?" Rei teased.
"How about this?!" Minako kicked him hard in the ribs.
"And this?!" Rei kicked him again.
"Get up & fight!" Makoto shouted. "Is that all you got?" She repeated his earlier words. "Come on! Hit me!" Ami & Rei lifted him up off the ground, standing him up as they all stood around him.
Katsuo managed to get one hit on Makoto before she struck him down again. After more kicks & punches from the 4 girls, they let him lay crying & bleeding in the alley. "Tell anyone about us... & we'll come back for you again." Ami threatened him.
"With more people." Minako added.
"We won't let you off so easy next time." Makoto sneered.
"This was nothing compared to what you did to Usagi. I promise you... you will regret that day for the rest of your life." Rei pushed his face down into the dirty pavement of the alley before they walked off.
*~*END FLASHBACK*~*
That had happened about 2 weeks earlier. It was now one week before school started, and 1 day before Usagi's family was due to return home. Usagi was almost 2 months along & was dreading her family's arrival home. She had heard about what had happened to Katsuo, part of her was glad, but the other part didn't see how it had helped. It hadn't changed the past, what he had done to her. It didn't change the future either, she was still pregnant, and she was still going to have his baby... her baby.
"I can't do this." She said to herself. "I can't tell them. They'll be so ashamed of me. I've disgraced my family!" She looked around the kitchen and saw the knives inside of a half-open drawer. "I should just end it all right now. Before I have to face them. Before I have to face Shingo, Mama, & Papa."
*~*~*~*~*
"No! Stop!" Mamoru woke up from a terrible nightmare & sat up in his bed. He had beads of sweat over his entire body & the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end.
He shakily stood up & walked over to his phone. He quickly dialled Usagi's number. "Usagi?" He asked as she answered.
Mamoru-san? Usagi asked in reply.
"Are you alright?"
Yes. Why?
"I just got a little scared. I had a nightmare& it really fried my nerves. Are you SURE you're fine?"
Yeah.
"Would you care if I came over for a little while?"
Well...
"PLEASE, Usagi!" He begged.
Okay. For a little while... She gave in.
"I'll be right over." Mamoru hung up & quickly got ready. That dream of his really was a shock to his system... suppressed memories were flooding back & he figured that it would be safer to walk than to drive.
*~*~*~*~*
"What's wrong?" Usagi asked as she opened the door.
"I don't like you staying here all alone." Mamoru looked around the empty room as he walked into her house. "It's dangerous."
"I keep my doors & windows locked. Nobody can get in."
"I'm more worried about YOU than someone else hurting you."
"What are you talking about?" Usagi felt guilty as she remembered her thoughts right before he had called.
"I had a nightmare."
"I know, you told me when you called." She said. "Why does it have you so worked up?"
"Usagi, promise me that you won't try to hurt yourself." He grabbed her hand lightly. "Please, promise me."
"Mamoru-san, you're scaring me." Usagi's eyes brimmed with tears & she took a step back from him as he still held onto her hand.
"Promise me." Mamoru repeated.
"Alright. I promise." She said.
Mamoru sighed in relief. "You can come to me if you ever need anything. No matter what it is, I'll help you out, okay?"
"O-okay." Usagi stuttered, still confused about why he was acting so weird.
"Alright. I'll see you later." Mamoru smiled and left.
*~*~*The Next Day*~*~*
"Shingo?" Usagi walked into her room after dinner & found her brother sitting on her bed. "What are you doing in my room?"
"You've been avoiding me since we got home this morning... are you mad at me?" Shingo looked up at Usagi as she hung up clothes in the closet so that she wouldn't have to look at him.
"No. I'm not mad at you."
"Well, are you mad that you don't have the house to yourself anymore?"
"That's not it."
"Well then what is it?"
"Did Papa & Mama put you up to this?"
"No. It's just that I haven't seen you in two months & I was excited to see you again & you act like this."
"You were looking forward to seeing me again?" Usagi looked at him for the first time that day. "You missed me?"
"Of course. You're my big sister." Shingo laughed. "Didn't you miss me?"
"Yes." She admitted.
"So how is you job going? Have you been fired yet?"
"No. As a matter of fact I HAVEN'T been fired. I've been doing a good job."
"The house was clean. I was surprised. The only time you usually clean is when you're depressed over failing your exams."
"Yeah." Usagi looked absent-mindedly out her window.
"I'm going to go get some ice cream... do you want to come with me? I still have to tell you about all of the stuff that happened on vacation." Shingo stood up from her bed & walked to her door.
"Maybe next time." She smiled.
"Are you sure... isn't ice cream your favourite food?"
"It is... but I don't really feel like having any right now." She pulled some money from her pocket. "Here. My treat."
"Thanks! I think I'm going to like having a sister with money." Shingo laughed & went to go buy ice cream.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Usagi sighed as she sat in her room. Shingo was still out & her parents were downstairs watching TV. She took a deep breath & walked down the stairs to her parents.
"Are you alright, Dear? You look like you've seen a ghost!" Ikuko (her mom) immediately noticed her pale face & shaking body.
"Mama, Papa, I have something that I've got to tell you. I was going to say over dinner but I don't want Shingo to know yet."
"Well what is it, Sweetie?" Kenji (her dad) asked.
"I have a little problem..." Usagi wrung her hands nervously in her lap as she sat down. Kenji turned off the TV. "You see... after you left... something happened..."
"Did you get fired?" Kenji asked.
"If that's the problem, you don't have to worry so much. It's just an arcade." Ikuko smiled.
'Why does everyone assume that I'm going to get fired?' Usagi thought to herself. "No. I haven't been fired. It's worse than that..."
"Worse? Did you break something?" Ikuko asked.
"No. I'm- I'm-" Usagi shook more & stuttered horridly. She was so afraid of her parent's reactions to what she was about to tell them. "I know this isn't something you ever would've expected, & I know that it will make you angry...but..."
"What is it?"
"I'm pregnant." Usagi squeezed her eyes closed tightly, not able to look at the shocked expressions on her parents' faces.
*~*~*~*~*~*
"Mamoru-san." Usagi whimpered. "You said I could come to you for anything, right?"
Right.
"I need your help... can I come to your place right now? Would you mind?"
Of course I wouldn't mind. Do you want me to pick you up?
"That wouldn't be the best idea... I'll see you soon... thank you so much Mamoru-san."
No problem. Are you all right?
"No. I'll explain everything when I see you." Usagi hung up the phone & quickly scribbled something down on a piece of paper; she left it on her bed. Usagi crept over to her door & listened to her parents' voices talking in their bedroom... her mom was crying. She slipped quietly out of her bedroom & down the stairs, a backpack over one shoulder as she slipped on her shoes & snuck out the front door.
She ran most of the way to Mamoru's apartment & he met her outside the building. She sobbed into his chest as she tried to tell him what had happened. He invited her up & poured her some tea. "What happened?" He asked after she had calmed down.
"I told them." Usagi said quietly. "I told them... & they didn't like it too much. They kept on saying things like 'How could you?' & 'I thought you were smarter than this.' I didn't know what to say. I had to get out of there."
"Did you tell your brother too?" Mamoru asked.
"No. I couldn't face him. My parents must've told him by now. He probably got home right after I left." Usagi said sadly. "Do you know what he said to me, today? He said that he missed me. How can I face him again..?"
"You'll have to face him eventually... you can't stay away from home forever. Plus, he'll miss you even more if he doesn't know where you are."
Usagi looked down.
"You ran away from home?" Mamoru guessed the obvious.
"I couldn't tell them what really happened. My mom asked me who was the father & I was so ashamed... I couldn't think straight, all I could say was 'I don't know!' even though I knew. Of course, saying THAT just made it worse." Usagi said. "I told them that I wanted to keep the baby & they said that I couldn't as long as I lived in their house so I left."
"Where are you going to stay?" Mamoru asked her.
"I don't know."
"You don't know?" Mamoru blinked. "You can stay here if you want. I wouldn't mind." He offered.
"But... you're a man..."
"You can trust me, Usagi. I won't hurt you, & I won't let anyone else hurt you either."
"What if people found out that a pregnant girl was living with you? They would think that you were the one..."
"I don't care about that. I don't care about pointing fingers & strangers talking behind my back. We both know the truth, anyway. What I DO care about is having you somewhere safe, I don't want you to have to start living on the streets or something like that."
"But-"
"I know it's hard for you to say yes because I'm a man & not the type of person that you would feel secure being alone with right now... but give me a chance to prove myself. I was the first one that knew about your situation, didn't I help you out a lot then?"
"Yes." She answered. "Alright. I'll try it for a little while."
"You won't regret it, Usagi. You can have my room, there's a lock on it if it would make you feel more secure, I can crash on the couch." Mamoru said.
"I can't take your room from you. I'll be fine on the couch."
"Nonsense. There is no way I'm making you sleep on a couch. The bed will be better for your back, anyway."
"Thank you, Mamoru-san."
"You don't have to call me that. You can just call me Mamoru." He smiled at her & she smiled back.
"Mamoru-sa- I mean- Mamoru... can I ask you something?"
"Sure. Ask away." He said as he discretely removed all of the sharp objects from his room & the adjoining bathroom.
"Why do you care so much? Why are you so concerned about me?" Usagi asked.
Mamoru stopped what he was doing & walked over to her slowly. "Usagi, there's something I should tell you... about my past."
Usagi looked nervously at him as he pulled out a picture of a girl, who looked about her age with long black hair & dark green eyes. She took a step back, her immediate thoughts of Mamoru once doing the same thing as Katsuo. The picture looked too old though... from at least ten years ago. She looked up at him, puzzled.
"Her name was Miyako. She was my sister at a foster home that I used to live at." Mamoru said.
"Foster home?" Usagi blinked.
"My parents were killed in a car accident when I was little. I was the only one who survived so I was sent to an orphanage & eventually moved in with a foster family. Miyako-neechan was a foster child there as well. She looked out for me when I was teased at school & we were pretty close, even though she was 6 yrs older than me." Mamoru explained.
"What happened?"
"She committed suicide, on March 7th, 9 years ago. I found her, the morning of her birthday."
"Oh, I'm so sorry." Usagi handed the girl's picture back to him. "That's awful."
As Mamoru took the picture from her he grabbed on to her hand. "She killed herself... because she was being raped. It was the only way she felt that she had out. After all of the times she helped me I couldn't help her... I don't want to make that same mistake again." He said. "THAT'S why I care so much. If I can help you at all I want to."
"Mamoru..." Usagi placed a hand on his arm. "You've helped me so much already." She hugged him, for only the 3rd time since she had known him. She had a problem trusting guys... but with Mamoru, she felt safe.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Okay, not much more to go now. I hope you enjoy my fic so far, please review. The next part will probably skip pretty far ahead, a few months at least. Please stay tuned. ^_^
Disclaimer: I don't own SM or any of its characters. If I did, I wouldn't be writing fan fiction. ^_^;
Chapter 5
"Did you hear what happened to Katsuo-san?" Two boys were talking as they walked into the arcade. Motoki instantly tilted his head to hear the conversation.
"No, what happened? I only heard that he was brought to the hospital." The second boy said.
"Apparently he was attacked by a gang on his way home last Tuesday." The first boy said. "He didn't say anything else though. He refuses to say who it was."
"I didn't even know that there were any gangs in Juuban."
"Me neither."
"How bad was he hurt?" The second boy asked.
"Pretty bad. He looks like Hell. He's got some broken ribs & a broken wrist, & his face is all cut & bruised." The 1st boy answered. Motoki couldn't help but burst into laughter, earning a strange look from the 2 boys & the other people in the arcade.
*~*FLASHBACK - Tuesday*~*
Makoto waited around a corner from where Katsuo was at a friend's house. It was ten o'clock & thanks to Naru's eavesdropping, she knew that he would have to leave soon.
He's coming your way! Naru told Makoto over a little wrist communicator Ami had given them.
"Thanks, Naru-chan." Makoto replied.
Be careful! Naru said before slipping out of her spot in a tree further down the street & running off. She had to provide an alibi for all of them in case they were suspected.
Makoto tugged at her shirt & made sure her hair & make-up were all right. "Perfect." She smiled in satisfaction at herself in her compact. Katsuo turned the corner & crashed into her. "Oops! I'm so sorry." She batted her eyes innocently, in his arms. "I wasn't watching where I was going."
"It's okay. It was my fault." Katsuo replied. "You're Makoto-chan, aren't you?"
"Yes. That's me." She smiled. "Actually... I have to admit... I was waiting for you."
"Oh?" He raised an eyebrow, as he looked her up & down. She forced to keep the disgusted look from showing on her face, not to mention slugging him before the right time. "Is that so?"
"Yes. I've been thinking about you a lot lately." The plan they had been working on for a week was going perfectly so far.
"And..." He smiled.
"And I've been talking to my friends about you too. Rei-chan REALLY wants to see you too."
Rei stepped out of the shadows of an alley & walked over slowly. "Hey." She smiled seductively.
"Hey." He gulped. 'Wow! I'm so lucky.' Katsuo thought to himself.
"Why don't you come with us?" Rei grabbed one hand lightly & Makoto took a hold of the other.
"We'll give you a night that you'll never forget." Makoto grinned slyly as they led him to the dark alley.
"That's for sure." Ami & Minako stepped out from either side of him.
"What's going on?" Katsuo looked around, still with an amused grin on his face. STILL not cluing in.
"We know what you did to Usagi-chan." Rei grabbed onto his hand tighter & hit him up against the wall.
"We don't like people who hurt our best friend." Ami said.
"You're going to pay for laying your hands on her." Minako closed in.
"I don't know what you're talking about." He played dumb.
"Shut-up!" Makoto's fist hit him hard across his face.
"Doesn't hurt." He groaned. "Is that all you got?"
"Hardly." Rei laughed. Minako & Rei both grabbed an arm & threw him to the ground. She kicked him in the side.
"Aren't you going to fight back?" Ami pulled his head up by his hair to face her own. "... Little boy?"
"Yeah, come on. Give us your best shot!" Makoto pulled him up by his shirt collar. "You don't really want to beaten by four girls... especially ones that are younger than you!"
"You'll be a laughing stock!" Minako taunted him.
Makoto pushed him to provoke Katsuo more. That was all she needed to do because he lunged at her with his fist clenched. She ducked & easily dodged it, punching him in the stomach & knocking the wind out of him in the process.
Katsuo fell to the ground, holding onto his stomach. Ami kicked his back. "Aw... are we hurting you?" She stomped her foot down on his wrist as he screamed in pain.
"Can you feel it yet?" Rei teased.
"How about this?!" Minako kicked him hard in the ribs.
"And this?!" Rei kicked him again.
"Get up & fight!" Makoto shouted. "Is that all you got?" She repeated his earlier words. "Come on! Hit me!" Ami & Rei lifted him up off the ground, standing him up as they all stood around him.
Katsuo managed to get one hit on Makoto before she struck him down again. After more kicks & punches from the 4 girls, they let him lay crying & bleeding in the alley. "Tell anyone about us... & we'll come back for you again." Ami threatened him.
"With more people." Minako added.
"We won't let you off so easy next time." Makoto sneered.
"This was nothing compared to what you did to Usagi. I promise you... you will regret that day for the rest of your life." Rei pushed his face down into the dirty pavement of the alley before they walked off.
*~*END FLASHBACK*~*
That had happened about 2 weeks earlier. It was now one week before school started, and 1 day before Usagi's family was due to return home. Usagi was almost 2 months along & was dreading her family's arrival home. She had heard about what had happened to Katsuo, part of her was glad, but the other part didn't see how it had helped. It hadn't changed the past, what he had done to her. It didn't change the future either, she was still pregnant, and she was still going to have his baby... her baby.
"I can't do this." She said to herself. "I can't tell them. They'll be so ashamed of me. I've disgraced my family!" She looked around the kitchen and saw the knives inside of a half-open drawer. "I should just end it all right now. Before I have to face them. Before I have to face Shingo, Mama, & Papa."
*~*~*~*~*
"No! Stop!" Mamoru woke up from a terrible nightmare & sat up in his bed. He had beads of sweat over his entire body & the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end.
He shakily stood up & walked over to his phone. He quickly dialled Usagi's number. "Usagi?" He asked as she answered.
Mamoru-san? Usagi asked in reply.
"Are you alright?"
Yes. Why?
"I just got a little scared. I had a nightmare& it really fried my nerves. Are you SURE you're fine?"
Yeah.
"Would you care if I came over for a little while?"
Well...
"PLEASE, Usagi!" He begged.
Okay. For a little while... She gave in.
"I'll be right over." Mamoru hung up & quickly got ready. That dream of his really was a shock to his system... suppressed memories were flooding back & he figured that it would be safer to walk than to drive.
*~*~*~*~*
"What's wrong?" Usagi asked as she opened the door.
"I don't like you staying here all alone." Mamoru looked around the empty room as he walked into her house. "It's dangerous."
"I keep my doors & windows locked. Nobody can get in."
"I'm more worried about YOU than someone else hurting you."
"What are you talking about?" Usagi felt guilty as she remembered her thoughts right before he had called.
"I had a nightmare."
"I know, you told me when you called." She said. "Why does it have you so worked up?"
"Usagi, promise me that you won't try to hurt yourself." He grabbed her hand lightly. "Please, promise me."
"Mamoru-san, you're scaring me." Usagi's eyes brimmed with tears & she took a step back from him as he still held onto her hand.
"Promise me." Mamoru repeated.
"Alright. I promise." She said.
Mamoru sighed in relief. "You can come to me if you ever need anything. No matter what it is, I'll help you out, okay?"
"O-okay." Usagi stuttered, still confused about why he was acting so weird.
"Alright. I'll see you later." Mamoru smiled and left.
*~*~*The Next Day*~*~*
"Shingo?" Usagi walked into her room after dinner & found her brother sitting on her bed. "What are you doing in my room?"
"You've been avoiding me since we got home this morning... are you mad at me?" Shingo looked up at Usagi as she hung up clothes in the closet so that she wouldn't have to look at him.
"No. I'm not mad at you."
"Well, are you mad that you don't have the house to yourself anymore?"
"That's not it."
"Well then what is it?"
"Did Papa & Mama put you up to this?"
"No. It's just that I haven't seen you in two months & I was excited to see you again & you act like this."
"You were looking forward to seeing me again?" Usagi looked at him for the first time that day. "You missed me?"
"Of course. You're my big sister." Shingo laughed. "Didn't you miss me?"
"Yes." She admitted.
"So how is you job going? Have you been fired yet?"
"No. As a matter of fact I HAVEN'T been fired. I've been doing a good job."
"The house was clean. I was surprised. The only time you usually clean is when you're depressed over failing your exams."
"Yeah." Usagi looked absent-mindedly out her window.
"I'm going to go get some ice cream... do you want to come with me? I still have to tell you about all of the stuff that happened on vacation." Shingo stood up from her bed & walked to her door.
"Maybe next time." She smiled.
"Are you sure... isn't ice cream your favourite food?"
"It is... but I don't really feel like having any right now." She pulled some money from her pocket. "Here. My treat."
"Thanks! I think I'm going to like having a sister with money." Shingo laughed & went to go buy ice cream.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Usagi sighed as she sat in her room. Shingo was still out & her parents were downstairs watching TV. She took a deep breath & walked down the stairs to her parents.
"Are you alright, Dear? You look like you've seen a ghost!" Ikuko (her mom) immediately noticed her pale face & shaking body.
"Mama, Papa, I have something that I've got to tell you. I was going to say over dinner but I don't want Shingo to know yet."
"Well what is it, Sweetie?" Kenji (her dad) asked.
"I have a little problem..." Usagi wrung her hands nervously in her lap as she sat down. Kenji turned off the TV. "You see... after you left... something happened..."
"Did you get fired?" Kenji asked.
"If that's the problem, you don't have to worry so much. It's just an arcade." Ikuko smiled.
'Why does everyone assume that I'm going to get fired?' Usagi thought to herself. "No. I haven't been fired. It's worse than that..."
"Worse? Did you break something?" Ikuko asked.
"No. I'm- I'm-" Usagi shook more & stuttered horridly. She was so afraid of her parent's reactions to what she was about to tell them. "I know this isn't something you ever would've expected, & I know that it will make you angry...but..."
"What is it?"
"I'm pregnant." Usagi squeezed her eyes closed tightly, not able to look at the shocked expressions on her parents' faces.
*~*~*~*~*~*
"Mamoru-san." Usagi whimpered. "You said I could come to you for anything, right?"
Right.
"I need your help... can I come to your place right now? Would you mind?"
Of course I wouldn't mind. Do you want me to pick you up?
"That wouldn't be the best idea... I'll see you soon... thank you so much Mamoru-san."
No problem. Are you all right?
"No. I'll explain everything when I see you." Usagi hung up the phone & quickly scribbled something down on a piece of paper; she left it on her bed. Usagi crept over to her door & listened to her parents' voices talking in their bedroom... her mom was crying. She slipped quietly out of her bedroom & down the stairs, a backpack over one shoulder as she slipped on her shoes & snuck out the front door.
She ran most of the way to Mamoru's apartment & he met her outside the building. She sobbed into his chest as she tried to tell him what had happened. He invited her up & poured her some tea. "What happened?" He asked after she had calmed down.
"I told them." Usagi said quietly. "I told them... & they didn't like it too much. They kept on saying things like 'How could you?' & 'I thought you were smarter than this.' I didn't know what to say. I had to get out of there."
"Did you tell your brother too?" Mamoru asked.
"No. I couldn't face him. My parents must've told him by now. He probably got home right after I left." Usagi said sadly. "Do you know what he said to me, today? He said that he missed me. How can I face him again..?"
"You'll have to face him eventually... you can't stay away from home forever. Plus, he'll miss you even more if he doesn't know where you are."
Usagi looked down.
"You ran away from home?" Mamoru guessed the obvious.
"I couldn't tell them what really happened. My mom asked me who was the father & I was so ashamed... I couldn't think straight, all I could say was 'I don't know!' even though I knew. Of course, saying THAT just made it worse." Usagi said. "I told them that I wanted to keep the baby & they said that I couldn't as long as I lived in their house so I left."
"Where are you going to stay?" Mamoru asked her.
"I don't know."
"You don't know?" Mamoru blinked. "You can stay here if you want. I wouldn't mind." He offered.
"But... you're a man..."
"You can trust me, Usagi. I won't hurt you, & I won't let anyone else hurt you either."
"What if people found out that a pregnant girl was living with you? They would think that you were the one..."
"I don't care about that. I don't care about pointing fingers & strangers talking behind my back. We both know the truth, anyway. What I DO care about is having you somewhere safe, I don't want you to have to start living on the streets or something like that."
"But-"
"I know it's hard for you to say yes because I'm a man & not the type of person that you would feel secure being alone with right now... but give me a chance to prove myself. I was the first one that knew about your situation, didn't I help you out a lot then?"
"Yes." She answered. "Alright. I'll try it for a little while."
"You won't regret it, Usagi. You can have my room, there's a lock on it if it would make you feel more secure, I can crash on the couch." Mamoru said.
"I can't take your room from you. I'll be fine on the couch."
"Nonsense. There is no way I'm making you sleep on a couch. The bed will be better for your back, anyway."
"Thank you, Mamoru-san."
"You don't have to call me that. You can just call me Mamoru." He smiled at her & she smiled back.
"Mamoru-sa- I mean- Mamoru... can I ask you something?"
"Sure. Ask away." He said as he discretely removed all of the sharp objects from his room & the adjoining bathroom.
"Why do you care so much? Why are you so concerned about me?" Usagi asked.
Mamoru stopped what he was doing & walked over to her slowly. "Usagi, there's something I should tell you... about my past."
Usagi looked nervously at him as he pulled out a picture of a girl, who looked about her age with long black hair & dark green eyes. She took a step back, her immediate thoughts of Mamoru once doing the same thing as Katsuo. The picture looked too old though... from at least ten years ago. She looked up at him, puzzled.
"Her name was Miyako. She was my sister at a foster home that I used to live at." Mamoru said.
"Foster home?" Usagi blinked.
"My parents were killed in a car accident when I was little. I was the only one who survived so I was sent to an orphanage & eventually moved in with a foster family. Miyako-neechan was a foster child there as well. She looked out for me when I was teased at school & we were pretty close, even though she was 6 yrs older than me." Mamoru explained.
"What happened?"
"She committed suicide, on March 7th, 9 years ago. I found her, the morning of her birthday."
"Oh, I'm so sorry." Usagi handed the girl's picture back to him. "That's awful."
As Mamoru took the picture from her he grabbed on to her hand. "She killed herself... because she was being raped. It was the only way she felt that she had out. After all of the times she helped me I couldn't help her... I don't want to make that same mistake again." He said. "THAT'S why I care so much. If I can help you at all I want to."
"Mamoru..." Usagi placed a hand on his arm. "You've helped me so much already." She hugged him, for only the 3rd time since she had known him. She had a problem trusting guys... but with Mamoru, she felt safe.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Okay, not much more to go now. I hope you enjoy my fic so far, please review. The next part will probably skip pretty far ahead, a few months at least. Please stay tuned. ^_^