Quixote Complex
Part Two of Three
Author: ChibiCori
e-mail: kamikaze_bunny_eater@yahoo.com
site: www.chibicori.virtue.nu
rating: PG-13 (some sexuality...just a little bit ^_~v)
Disclaimer: I'll keep this basic. Naoko owns Sailormoon. I just jack her characters and make them do naughty, naughty things. :D
Summ: The weird day continues to get weirder and weirder.
Quixote Complex
Part Two of Three
Endymion had been worried that Serenity would find nothing but trouble on her own, but it seemed he was the one who was in trouble. Though finding her wasn't the problem, he simply had to pull on their soul bond. It alarmed him, however, how weak it had become. He couldn't pin point what had worn it down exactly, but he prayed it was not this hatred she claimed to have for him. Or perhaps she did love the suitor, Motoki. For her to love another was a worse fate than for her to hate him.
At the same time, some instinct told him that it wasn't either of those probabilities that had frayed the once sturdy bond between them. The string resonated lightly of age. A great deal of age, an impossible amount of age. After all, he could only have been laid up with his injury at most for a month. Nothing could change that much. And with Serenity alive and well, he could only assume that the Moon Kingdom lived, if not thrived.
Then why was she on Earth? Perhaps for protection? Had the Silver Kingdom indeed fallen? He would have to find one of his aids to tell him of what had transpired while he had been recuperating. Or even better, find Serenity.
Reaching into his power reservoirs, Endymion was surprised to find them somewhat, dusty, would best describe it. They had long remained un-tapped. Which made no sense since he would regularly use his powers, either in his training sessions or on the battlefield. They could not have gained this much misuse in the short time he had rested.
Remembering the thin bond, Endymion chose to ignore the coincidence that the length of time between then and now had again become an issue. He had to find Serenity.
Outside the fruit parlor, Endymion brushed off his gifts and peered at the ground around him. The light pavement and glaring sun above made it hard to make out, but finally, he caught the glint of the silver cord Serenity had left behind. His gaze fastened to the sidewalk, he followed it.
So focused was he on that singular strand only he could see, Endymion never looked up. The modern world zoomed past him, as it usually did, and went unnoticed by the amnesic prince. It wasn't until the bond left the chalk- colored cement of the sidewalk to the dark asphalt of the street that he had moment to pause.
And that was only because of the thin, yet sturdy arm of the old lady waiting at the crosswalk next to him. She reached out bony fingers and halted the young man just before we walked into the busy intersection.
Endymion could only blink as a red blur sped by. It paused slightly as the driver turned and shouted something obscene at him, then went about his way. Endymion stood motionless for a short moment before he finally spoke, "What manner of beast was that?"
It appeared to be a carriage, but no horses drew it. It was faster than any other creature he had ever seen and made an awful noise, like giant gears grinding together. The red-contraption was surrounded by others like it, but they came in all shapes and sizes.
The old woman who had saved his life clucked her tongue and answered, "Kids these days. That young man is going to put someone in a wheelchair, or worse if he doesn't lighten up on the gas pedal."
"Yes, but, what are these machines?" Endymion felt himself captured by the beauty of lines, the sheen of their many-colored paint jobs. Even the gods- awful noise they made held an appeal completely foreign to the wayward prince.
"Machines? You mean cars?" The old woman blinked from behind the massive glasses perched on her nose, "Haven't you ever seen a car before?"
"No."
"Are you Amish?"
"I do not think so." The cars began to inexplicably halt their mad race, and Endymion stepped out to the closest one and ran his palm in reverence, "How long have these remarkable engines been available?"
The driver of the car he had been admiring blasted his horn, then stuck his head out his window, "Hey, hands off the paint-job, buddy!" "I beg your pardon?" Endymion stood straighter, ready to exude some authority before that surprisingly strong, old lady grabbed him by the bicep and pulled him across the intersection with her.
"I had no idea we had any Amish people around Tokyo, but you obviously don't have a clue." The old woman stopped him when they stepped up onto the curb on the other side of the street, then turned him to face her as she lectured, "Cars have been around since before I was born. They can be very dangerous, especially if a nice, young man like yourself steps into the middle of a busy intersection and ends up toothpaste under somebody's Firestones. Don't walk into the street unless it says walk." The woman pointed an aged finger at the blinking sign over their head, "Take care of yourself, and I suggest you get back to your brotherhood as quickly as possible. The Amish don't stand a chance in a city like this."
Endymion just nodded stupidly, then bowed slightly as the old woman shuffled off, still muttering to herself about "those crazy Amish." Shaking his own head, Endymion searched the ground for the silver strand between himself and Serenity, finding it led across the busy street again. As he waited for the "walk" sign to flash, he used the time to appreciate the automobiles, then crossed the street at the signs bidding. So much was different. The cars, the way people spoke and dressed. The old woman had said that the miraculous engines had been around since before she had been born. And that certainly looked like a very long time indeed.
Which only left Endymion with more questions. How long had he been in a dormant state? What had happened to the world he had known, to Serenity's? Was she truly this, Usagi? Perhaps he had mistaken her for Serenity.
Endymion shook his head at that. The girl he had held in his arms earlier had been Serenity. Their bond, no matter how weak it was at the moment, was unmistakable.
He followed the chord down the street a little longer before it took a turn into a lushly green setting. A pathway wound through green grass and heavily leafed trees. Flowers of every shape, scent and color littered beds, and in the center was a softly lapping pond that housed ducks and other aquatic life forms. There was something vaguely familiar about the place, but Endymion didn't realize what it was until he followed the soul bond to a giant oak tree, one he definitely did recognize. This was the tree that he had met Serenity under so many times before the tension between the Earth and Moon had turned irreparably bleak. It was much larger now, but he could feel the love that Serenity and he had shared emanating from it even now. As he drew closer, he could see that it had become the vessel of vandals, its flesh marred with initials in groupings he couldn't understand.
But his attention was immediately diverted when he heard the soft whimper of a girl from behind the massive trunk. Stealthily moving around the tree, he found her there, knees drawn to chest, arms wrapped around her shins tightly. Her face was buried in her up drawn legs, and her slim shoulders shook with her grief. Grief he had placed there.
Fighting the urge to scoop her up into his arms, Endymion forced himself to strategize how to confront her. He did not know the reason for her calling herself Usagi, or calling him Mamoru, but calling her by her true name seemed only to upset her. Perhaps her memory had been erased, or she was under an assumed name to protect herself on this new Earth? Whatever it was, he would have to play the game if he was to get close to her again.
Endymion licked his lips and said the name once in his head, hoping to gain a little familiarity with it before he spoke it out loud, "Usagi?"
Usagi's head jerked up and her red-rimmed eyes simultaneously filled with new tears and renewed anger, "Mamoru-baka, what are you doing here?"
Endymion winced at the tag-on she used with his other name. He did not know what "baka" meant, but he could only guess that it was not an endearment, "I was worried about you."
The blonde woman-child snorted, something that Serenity had never done, and it only increased his concern another leap and bound as she snarled at him, "Shouldn't you be more worried about yourself? You're the one who got slapped, remember?"
"I was not expecting that." Endymion sat down, without waiting for an invitation, before he looked at her with heated eyes, "It will not happen again."
"Not if you don't leave, now." Usagi spat, uncomfortable with how comfortable he seemed to be, "I don't want you here."
"But I want to be here."
"I don't care what you want." Usagi narrowed her eyes as the man next to her only leaned back against the tree and made himself right at home. She expelled a frustrated breath and stood stiffly, "Fine, I'll leave."
But his hand shot out and manacled her wrist, just like earlier, trapping her before she could make good her escape, "Think about that before you act."
Usagi pulled at her wrist, but his grip was uncompromising. What was with the jerk today? Did he really get such great kicks out of tormenting her? But she voiced none of those questions as she yanked at her arm once again and asked instead, "Why?"
"If you leave, I will follow." Endymion's eyes were as hard and unyielding as his hand about hers, "And I like it here. I could not pick a better place for us to talk."
Usagi gasped, trembling as she felt herself sink into the deep blue depths of his glorious eyes. She had never noticed how easily one could become completely entranced by those eyes, how easy it would be to forget everything and just be. But one stomp of her foot released his powerful spell, and she began to pull with all her might at his hold, "Let me go, Mamoru-baka!"
"Never."
That one word, that simple utterance sucked all the fight out of Usagi. She drew a sharp breath and let her arm go lax before she dropped to her knees in front of him. The desperation on her face grew more apparent when she spoke, "I could run. I could hide."
Endymion lifted his free hand to trace the line of her face as he leaned forward to whisper for her ears only, "I would chase you. I would find you."
Usagi felt her heart sing and break at the same time. Sing because what he said had sounded so earnest, so full, so everything she had ever wanted to hear. And it broke because she knew it couldn't be any of those things. Not if Chiba Mamoru had said them.
But, still...if only she could trust those shining eyes, "No, Mamoru. Don't say that."
"Why?"
"Because it isn't true! You and I both know that." Her eyes, wet with fresh tears searched his features as she remembered, "Motoki-san said you had hit your head earlier. That is the reason you're saying all this. You need rest, and when you wake up tomorrow, you'll realize what a huge mistake all of this had been."
Endymion shook his head, ignoring the splurge of jealousy at her mentioning the suitor's name. His grip on her hand loosened and shifted down to capture her fingers. Drawing her into him, he pressed her palm flat against his chest, where his heart thumped wildly beneath her reluctant touch, "No. You and I have never been a mistake. Ser-Usagi, I love-"
But the very willing touch of the fingers of her other hand on his lips halted him mid-declaration, and the desperation in her eyes became palpable as she shook her head violently, blonde curls un-tucking from behind her ears and framing her face wildly, "No. Don't say it."
Endymion took the hand at his mouth into his so that he held both her hands to his chest, clenching them tightly, unwilling to let go, "But-"
"Promise me." Tears fell free from her lashes and trailed down her face, which drew even closer to his with her plea, "Promise me you'll never say that again."
Endymion only looked into her eyes briefly, before leaning forward and gently kissing each, tear-soaked eyelid. Usagi simply shuddered into him again and relished the intimate moment before he finally released her totally.
There was a moment of silence as both decided what to do next. He had not answered her request, but Usagi took his silence as a yes. She knew she should leave it at that, turn away and go, as she had wanted to with every fiber of her being a moment ago.
But that was a moment ago, and now she was looking for any excuse to stay.
"Why did you come here?" Endymion suddenly spoke, rattling Usagi from her self-conflicting thoughts, giving her exactly what she had wished for.
"I don't know." Usagi shrugged, then settled down next to the sullen, dark- haired boy who had turned her life upside down in the lapse of one hour, "This is just where I come to think."
Usagi glanced at him from the corner of her eyes, waiting for a zinger. Something like, "Think? You?" That would be something she'd expect, but, like everything else today, she got, "Why is that?"
She shrugged again, "It's beautiful here. I like what the tree stands for."
"What does it stand for?"
Usagi turned to face him, shooting him an incredulous look, but he was gazing intently on the carved up bark of the tree they sat under. He looked so open at that moment, like he trusted her completely. Usagi had never seen Mamoru look like he did now, relaxed in a white button-up Oxford shirt and khaki slacks. Peeking from between the lapels of his shirt was a leather chord and medallion that glinted in the soft sunlight. It captured her attention as she licked her lips once again, her mouth suddenly dry. What was his question again?
"What?"
"The tree, what does it stand for?" Endymion returned his attention back to Usagi, and was amused to find her staring openly at his chest. Amused and pleased. He had not promised her not to say he loved her anymore, and even if he had, she had not made him promise to not show her he did. But that she had stayed and was in fact, aroused in his presence, boded well for him.
"Oh, it, uh-"Usagi stopped herself with a giggle and swift shake of her head before she dragged her eyes back up to his, "There is a legend about this tree. I'm surprised you haven't heard it." When he made no comment on whether he knew the tale or not, she continued, "According to legend, a pair of forbidden lovers used to meet under this tree. This was supposed to be a long time ago, an Earth long forgotten. But for as long as recorded history, true soul mates have been drawn to this tree. This place is booked through the next century for weddings."
Usagi flushed and tucked her stray curls behind her ears, breaking their eye contact suddenly and looking out at the glittering pond. She was such a dope, sitting here beneath this beautiful, old tree, waxing romantic with the man she just made promise not to tell her he loved her. What a goofball!
Endymion smiled at her sudden shyness, taking the moment to watch her. She was so different. She wasn't Serenity, but she was at the same time. It was difficult to pinpoint where one began and the other ended. She had the same heart, the same easy smile, the same bottomless eyes he wanted to wrap up in and never leave. However, the heart was stronger now, the smile more open and real, the eyes held a fire and vitality he didn't recall in the Serenity of old. She acted...she acted as if she hadn't been born and bred to be the queen of a vast empire.
So, this was Serenity had she not had the ties and duties of destiny that had bound her before. She was more an enigma now than she had been when she first appeared in his family's gardens.
Chuckling at that irony, Endymion lifted his arms over his head and fell onto his back, staring up at the green canopy of the same tree he had looked up at the first time he and Serenity had...
"Those forbidden lovers. What did they do under this tree, I wonder?" Endymion closed his eyes and allowed the memory of their first time wash over him. And he was perfectly content to relive that moment over and over again until he felt the ground next to him shift as her weight fell next to him. He pried an eye open and saw her lying beside him, her own gaze intent on the area over them.
"I wouldn't know. Things that forbidden lovers do, I guess." She turned her head and caught him staring at her, and she smiled softly and flushed again as she whispered, "I really, don't know."
Endymion wanted so badly to reach out and pull her over him, to remind her of exactly what forbidden lovers do. But they were in public, and her timid smile showed him exactly how much she didn't know. Which couldn't be possible since they had...what was happening? None of this made sense!
"This tree," Endymion suddenly spoke, changing his internal subject with external query, "if it is so sacred to lovers, why have they hacked into it as they have?"
"Hacked?" Usagi's brows puckered in thought before they lifted with realization. Rolling over onto her stomach, she stretched out a hand to finger one of the carvings on the trunk, "These? Well, it is said that if you carve the initials of yourself and the one you love into the bark, you'll stay with that person forever."
"And people believe that brutalizing a poor tree will really do that?" Endymion lifted a cynical brow at that.
Usagi laughed at his skepticism before she nodded enthusiastically, "It's worked for my parents so far."
Endymion's head shot up at that. The Queen? Had she found a new consort in the time he had-
"There it is," Usagi pointed at a tiny spot in the middle of the other scrawled letters, "T.I. plus T.K. Takuechi Ikuko and Tsukino Kenji. Daddy carved these in the trunk the night of his first date with my mother."
"Those are your parent's names?" Endymion asked, his confusion now fully compact. If he had any clue to modern proverbs, he'd probably say that he wasn't in Kansas anymore.
But Endymion wasn't, so let's just say he wasn't in the Silver Millennium anymore.
"Yep, I know. Tsukino Usagi, it's a pretty funny name. Especially translated into English." Usagi tilted her head as she read the initials in her line of sight with a wistful sigh.
"What does it translate to?"
Usagi looked at him like he'd grown another head before she balled up a fist to punch him. But true to his word, the punch never hit home as he caught it effortlessly. Not that she had meant to hit him hard, or with any malice, but Usagi's eyes widened in complete surprise before she stuttered, "N-now I-I-I know you h-hit your head to h-hard. It means 'Rabbit of the Moon.'"
"Oh." Endymion said simply. And instead of simply dropping her hand, he opened the fist with his fingers until their palms lay flush to one another, then laced his fingers through hers and held tight. Usagi simply watched as he did this with round eyes before she said, "I should go home."
"I'll take you." He offered and stood, his hand still holding firmly to hers and pulling her up after him.
"That isn't necessary." Usagi began to protest, but Endymion simply turned a stare at her that told her without words that he was not to be dissuaded. So Usagi simply shrugged and took the lead, managing to disengage her hand from his. She also managed to dismiss the empty aching left in the palm of her hand at the loss of the contact with only a little bit of difficulty, thank you.
Endymion followed faithfully, his head swimming with questions. Nothing was familiar, everyone was dressed strangely, the only thing he recognized was in the window of some shop. And that was the costume worn by some superhero/idol named Sailor V, and even that was different than the fuku worn by the senshi that protected Serenity on the Moon. The buildings were taller than anything he had ever seen before. Nobody smiled or acknowledged one another as they passed, but they may have been because of their vast numbers crowding the safe place to walk. A horn from one of those magnificent engines startled Endymion and he blinked in succession as the operator of the machine stuck his head through the window and shouted something he could only guess was instructions on how the operator in front of him should operate his engine. Something about putting something somewhere where the sun didn't shine.
Endymion had been so intent on watching the scene unfold as the second operator had actually stepped out of his engine into the dangerous walking area to confront the first with his own thoughts on the matter that he did not see Usagi stop. And if it hadn't been for the years of intensive battle training, he probably would barreled right through her. Luckily, from the corner of his eye he caught her halted form and instinctively took a step back rather than forward. Usagi smirked at his poise, then looked at him expectantly.
For what, exactly, Endymion couldn't fathom. So he clasped his hands behind his back and struck a pose of prone patience and returned her look just as expectantly.
To which Usagi rolled her eyes, "We're here."
Endymion fought confusion as he looked at the window boasting a woman's statue wearing some gaudy and extremely brief frock, "You live here?"
"No." Usagi shook her head and threw up her hands in resignation, "I've made up my mind. That knock to your head has killed any of the brain cells you had left in that thick skull of yours. Maybe you shouldn't be driving at all."
Endymion's ears immediately perked up, "Drive?"
"Yeah, drive. Driving is what people do in their cars." Usagi stated slowly, as if he was too daft to understand if she spoke at a regular pace. And Endymion would have taken offense if he hadn't followed her hand gesturing to the apple-red, sleek, very-fast-looking engine next to them.
He didn't want to believe her at first, but the look on her face when he looked back at her told him it was no jest. A grin Endymion was sure had never stretched his face so tight before split through his confusion as he took a step towards the engine and lifted a reverent hand, halting just before he made contact, his eyes flying to Usagi's in a degree of trepidation and asked, "May I touch it?"
Usagi snorted, which Endymion decided he didn't like her doing that much, whether she remembered who she was or not, and answered, "It's your car, you can do whatever you like to it."
"My car?" Endymion let his hand drop onto the smooth surface, and if possible, his grin grew, "This is my car?"
Usagi didn't answer, because one, it was a really stupid question. Of course it was his car! The second reason, and more dominant one at that, was that his expression was too beautiful at that moment to spoil it with any tarty swing she could take at him. She had never seen him look so absolutely elated before, so perfectly content with everything around him.
Which kind of wigged her out. Mamoru was supposed to be melancholy and morose all the time, not looking at a car he's owned at least since she had known him like a puppy in a pet shop window, "Okay, you should definitely not drive. I can just walk from here."
"No." Endymion replied shortly, his beautific expression raining over her as he finally looked up from the car's exterior, "Please, my lady, allow me to escort you home, in my car."
He was such a gentleman about it, Usagi found herself ready to forget that the invitation sounded suspiciously like an excuse to say, "in my car," and smiled back at him, "Then get the keys and unlock it."
For a moment, Endymion looked at her like he didn't know what she was talking about it. Because, of course, he didn't, but was familiar with the term "keys." Certainly, the "keys" to the machine would have to be on his person. Fishing through the pockets of his pants, he found what he assumed to be the "keys" to the engine. A contraption reading lock, unlock and arm caught his attention, as did the key chain that declared that – to paraphrase – "Manure Happens, Get Off My Road." Selecting the button reading "unlock," Endymion could only choke on a bubble of ecstatic laughter when there was a click and the door handle under his free hand opened for him. Holding his arms outstretched to either side of him, he posed in victory.
Usagi only lifted a blonde eyebrow and twirled her index finger in tight circles as she circled the front of the car, opened her door and said sarcastically, "Give the man a medal, he can unlock a car."
Endymion joined her in the leather-upholstered, bucket seat behind the steering wheel, before arching up to retrieve an umbrella he had sat on. He handed the umbrella to her and searched the car over in an exploratory manner that sent that earlier repressed unease trickling down her spine again, "Um, are you sure you can-"
He found the ignition and slipped the key in effortlessly and turned the engine as the words rolled over her tongue. Sticking his head out the window, he turned the wheel and noticed the wheels move in response. When his foot hit the gas pedal he was rewarded with the roar of the active engine and his grin became unholy as he looked at Usagi, "I had figured as much."
"What?"
Endymion didn't answer as puzzled over the stick shift in the console between ancient prince and thoroughly modern girl before putting a confidant palm over the black-lacquered knob on top. The machinery seemed somewhat familiar, the answers to his questions coming from somewhere inside of him he couldn't zero in on. He was sure that the engine and its components were completely alien to him, so the insight couldn't have come from some long past memory. The idea of some foreign entity sleeping within him didn't make much comfort for him, but then, it was helping him drive a car. He couldn't complain.
Inexplicably, Endymion reached over his head to the sun-visor, and retrieved a pair of sunglasses, which he had no idea they were sunglasses. None the less, he pushed the glasses up the bridge of his nose, looked at Usagi with one corner of his mouth tilted at the same angle as one dark brow above the rim of the sunglasses and revved the engine before shifting the gears into drive and peeling out of the parking space into the steady stream of mid-day Tokyo traffic.
He chose to ignore the squeal of distress erupting from Usagi's side of the car. He had the need. The need, for speed.
^_~ ^_~ ^_~ ^_~ ^_~
Usagi had decided, without any reservation, that she was lucky to be alive as Endymion pulled to a rather violent stop in front of her house. Her pulse still jumped at a hyper-active speed where her jaw and throat met, sweat had gathered at her hairline and she was sure she had to be flushed bright pink and breathing like a track star after the last stretch of a cross-country meet.
It had not been the smoothest ride of her life, and if it hadn't been for what she had called, and then Whacko-Mamoru kept paraphrasing as the "Oh- Manure-Bar," – she had no idea where his sudden aversion to the word he was replacing "manure" with came from – she would probably be a babbling wreck right about now. Too many close calls for her taste.
"Thanks for the lift, Tenou." Usagi muttered as she ran a shaking hand through one ponytail.
Which Endymion snagged into his, scaring the crap out of her even further, "Are you all right? I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking. I just got caught up in the engi-car."
His tone was genuine in his apology, and Usagi's scowl softened some as she used her free hand to pat his hand entrapping hers. He was feeling awfully free with the hand-grabbing today, and Usagi tried gently to extract hers, but of course, his grip was as firm as ever, "That's okay. But I should really get going-"
"Serenity-." Endymion caught himself, but he still felt Usagi still next to him, "Usagi, don't go."
Usagi held her sharp intake of breath a few seconds before releasing it slowly and looking into his eyes, hoping he'd see the truth she was trying to get across to him, "I don't know who you think I am, but I'm not her."
"But, you are." Endymion protested, his free arm reaching up to cup her chin.
Usagi evaded his gesture and pierced him with eyes a vivid and clear blue, "No, I'm not. You seem to idolize this dream girl of yours way too much for me to be her." His mouth opened to argue, but she shook her head resolutely, "Come on, Mamoru. It's me. Usagi. You can't stand me, remember?"
To which Endymion answered with a firm shake of his head, "No, I don't. That just isn't possible."
"Don't." Usagi shot him a look that was supposed to be dirty, but only thinly veiled her desperation, "You promised me."
"I did not promise anything," he whispered, his hand tightening over hers, "And what you asked me to not say, they were just words. You can never ask me to stop feeling the meaning in those words."
His eyes bore into hers, willing her to believe him. And the funny thing was, she found herself inclined to do exactly as those midnight peepers bade her. She felt herself melting into him, a vain attempt to absorb much of this wonderful man as much as she could before he went all Jekyll and Hyde on her again. Wouldn't it just figure that she got the monster most of the time and not the dashing prince?
Endymion watched as her eyes unfocused and felt his own pulse leap and bound in his throat. She was still pink from the ride over, and though her breath had steadied itself mere seconds before, it audibly caught in her lungs as he sensed her arousal. Her lips were parted in her fight for breath, and they looked as soft and sweet as he had last remembered them. Unable to resist, Endymion leaned forward to relive the memory in the here and now.
Usagi was perfectly content to let him too, since this whole screwy day had to be a dream. And really, what was the harm in letting a specter of her famously vivid imagination steal a kiss or two? Even if she had never dream-kissed Chiba Mamoru before, there was a first time for everything. Real-life Chiba Mamoru never had to know.
And Usagi was rather happy in her wishful reasoning until she poked herself rather viciously with one of the spokes of the umbrella she still held in her lap. Gasping back into reality, Usagi's eyes widened as she realized that her lips and Endymion's lips were scant millimeters from meeting in a very intimate way. A small yelp erupted from her throat and she quickly drew back before she unbuckled the strap on the umbrella and popped it open between herself and Endymion's invading lips.
Where Endymion had expected the gentle welcome of her kiss, he got instead a smacker-full of nylon. His eyes shot open and looked incredulously at the contraption in front of him, before swatting it down to discover Usagi's seat vacant, the passenger door flung open and Usagi bounding up the steps of her front stoop. She turned only a quick look over her shoulder at the vehicle containing the madman she had barely escaped a romantic liaison with before she threw her open front door and disappeared into the interior of her home with a slam of the door behind her.
Endymion found all he could do was blow an agitated breath out the corner of his mouth before the still open umbrella escaped his grasp and the same spoke that had jabbed Usagi out of her dream-state, poked the Prince of Earth in the eye.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!
Part Two is outta here! Stay tuned for part three!
If you liked, let a gal know:
kamikaze_bunny_eater@yahoo.com
And be sure to visit the site:
www.chibicori.virtue.nu
Hasta!
Cori (A WAFF Princess)
Part Two of Three
Author: ChibiCori
e-mail: kamikaze_bunny_eater@yahoo.com
site: www.chibicori.virtue.nu
rating: PG-13 (some sexuality...just a little bit ^_~v)
Disclaimer: I'll keep this basic. Naoko owns Sailormoon. I just jack her characters and make them do naughty, naughty things. :D
Summ: The weird day continues to get weirder and weirder.
Quixote Complex
Part Two of Three
Endymion had been worried that Serenity would find nothing but trouble on her own, but it seemed he was the one who was in trouble. Though finding her wasn't the problem, he simply had to pull on their soul bond. It alarmed him, however, how weak it had become. He couldn't pin point what had worn it down exactly, but he prayed it was not this hatred she claimed to have for him. Or perhaps she did love the suitor, Motoki. For her to love another was a worse fate than for her to hate him.
At the same time, some instinct told him that it wasn't either of those probabilities that had frayed the once sturdy bond between them. The string resonated lightly of age. A great deal of age, an impossible amount of age. After all, he could only have been laid up with his injury at most for a month. Nothing could change that much. And with Serenity alive and well, he could only assume that the Moon Kingdom lived, if not thrived.
Then why was she on Earth? Perhaps for protection? Had the Silver Kingdom indeed fallen? He would have to find one of his aids to tell him of what had transpired while he had been recuperating. Or even better, find Serenity.
Reaching into his power reservoirs, Endymion was surprised to find them somewhat, dusty, would best describe it. They had long remained un-tapped. Which made no sense since he would regularly use his powers, either in his training sessions or on the battlefield. They could not have gained this much misuse in the short time he had rested.
Remembering the thin bond, Endymion chose to ignore the coincidence that the length of time between then and now had again become an issue. He had to find Serenity.
Outside the fruit parlor, Endymion brushed off his gifts and peered at the ground around him. The light pavement and glaring sun above made it hard to make out, but finally, he caught the glint of the silver cord Serenity had left behind. His gaze fastened to the sidewalk, he followed it.
So focused was he on that singular strand only he could see, Endymion never looked up. The modern world zoomed past him, as it usually did, and went unnoticed by the amnesic prince. It wasn't until the bond left the chalk- colored cement of the sidewalk to the dark asphalt of the street that he had moment to pause.
And that was only because of the thin, yet sturdy arm of the old lady waiting at the crosswalk next to him. She reached out bony fingers and halted the young man just before we walked into the busy intersection.
Endymion could only blink as a red blur sped by. It paused slightly as the driver turned and shouted something obscene at him, then went about his way. Endymion stood motionless for a short moment before he finally spoke, "What manner of beast was that?"
It appeared to be a carriage, but no horses drew it. It was faster than any other creature he had ever seen and made an awful noise, like giant gears grinding together. The red-contraption was surrounded by others like it, but they came in all shapes and sizes.
The old woman who had saved his life clucked her tongue and answered, "Kids these days. That young man is going to put someone in a wheelchair, or worse if he doesn't lighten up on the gas pedal."
"Yes, but, what are these machines?" Endymion felt himself captured by the beauty of lines, the sheen of their many-colored paint jobs. Even the gods- awful noise they made held an appeal completely foreign to the wayward prince.
"Machines? You mean cars?" The old woman blinked from behind the massive glasses perched on her nose, "Haven't you ever seen a car before?"
"No."
"Are you Amish?"
"I do not think so." The cars began to inexplicably halt their mad race, and Endymion stepped out to the closest one and ran his palm in reverence, "How long have these remarkable engines been available?"
The driver of the car he had been admiring blasted his horn, then stuck his head out his window, "Hey, hands off the paint-job, buddy!" "I beg your pardon?" Endymion stood straighter, ready to exude some authority before that surprisingly strong, old lady grabbed him by the bicep and pulled him across the intersection with her.
"I had no idea we had any Amish people around Tokyo, but you obviously don't have a clue." The old woman stopped him when they stepped up onto the curb on the other side of the street, then turned him to face her as she lectured, "Cars have been around since before I was born. They can be very dangerous, especially if a nice, young man like yourself steps into the middle of a busy intersection and ends up toothpaste under somebody's Firestones. Don't walk into the street unless it says walk." The woman pointed an aged finger at the blinking sign over their head, "Take care of yourself, and I suggest you get back to your brotherhood as quickly as possible. The Amish don't stand a chance in a city like this."
Endymion just nodded stupidly, then bowed slightly as the old woman shuffled off, still muttering to herself about "those crazy Amish." Shaking his own head, Endymion searched the ground for the silver strand between himself and Serenity, finding it led across the busy street again. As he waited for the "walk" sign to flash, he used the time to appreciate the automobiles, then crossed the street at the signs bidding. So much was different. The cars, the way people spoke and dressed. The old woman had said that the miraculous engines had been around since before she had been born. And that certainly looked like a very long time indeed.
Which only left Endymion with more questions. How long had he been in a dormant state? What had happened to the world he had known, to Serenity's? Was she truly this, Usagi? Perhaps he had mistaken her for Serenity.
Endymion shook his head at that. The girl he had held in his arms earlier had been Serenity. Their bond, no matter how weak it was at the moment, was unmistakable.
He followed the chord down the street a little longer before it took a turn into a lushly green setting. A pathway wound through green grass and heavily leafed trees. Flowers of every shape, scent and color littered beds, and in the center was a softly lapping pond that housed ducks and other aquatic life forms. There was something vaguely familiar about the place, but Endymion didn't realize what it was until he followed the soul bond to a giant oak tree, one he definitely did recognize. This was the tree that he had met Serenity under so many times before the tension between the Earth and Moon had turned irreparably bleak. It was much larger now, but he could feel the love that Serenity and he had shared emanating from it even now. As he drew closer, he could see that it had become the vessel of vandals, its flesh marred with initials in groupings he couldn't understand.
But his attention was immediately diverted when he heard the soft whimper of a girl from behind the massive trunk. Stealthily moving around the tree, he found her there, knees drawn to chest, arms wrapped around her shins tightly. Her face was buried in her up drawn legs, and her slim shoulders shook with her grief. Grief he had placed there.
Fighting the urge to scoop her up into his arms, Endymion forced himself to strategize how to confront her. He did not know the reason for her calling herself Usagi, or calling him Mamoru, but calling her by her true name seemed only to upset her. Perhaps her memory had been erased, or she was under an assumed name to protect herself on this new Earth? Whatever it was, he would have to play the game if he was to get close to her again.
Endymion licked his lips and said the name once in his head, hoping to gain a little familiarity with it before he spoke it out loud, "Usagi?"
Usagi's head jerked up and her red-rimmed eyes simultaneously filled with new tears and renewed anger, "Mamoru-baka, what are you doing here?"
Endymion winced at the tag-on she used with his other name. He did not know what "baka" meant, but he could only guess that it was not an endearment, "I was worried about you."
The blonde woman-child snorted, something that Serenity had never done, and it only increased his concern another leap and bound as she snarled at him, "Shouldn't you be more worried about yourself? You're the one who got slapped, remember?"
"I was not expecting that." Endymion sat down, without waiting for an invitation, before he looked at her with heated eyes, "It will not happen again."
"Not if you don't leave, now." Usagi spat, uncomfortable with how comfortable he seemed to be, "I don't want you here."
"But I want to be here."
"I don't care what you want." Usagi narrowed her eyes as the man next to her only leaned back against the tree and made himself right at home. She expelled a frustrated breath and stood stiffly, "Fine, I'll leave."
But his hand shot out and manacled her wrist, just like earlier, trapping her before she could make good her escape, "Think about that before you act."
Usagi pulled at her wrist, but his grip was uncompromising. What was with the jerk today? Did he really get such great kicks out of tormenting her? But she voiced none of those questions as she yanked at her arm once again and asked instead, "Why?"
"If you leave, I will follow." Endymion's eyes were as hard and unyielding as his hand about hers, "And I like it here. I could not pick a better place for us to talk."
Usagi gasped, trembling as she felt herself sink into the deep blue depths of his glorious eyes. She had never noticed how easily one could become completely entranced by those eyes, how easy it would be to forget everything and just be. But one stomp of her foot released his powerful spell, and she began to pull with all her might at his hold, "Let me go, Mamoru-baka!"
"Never."
That one word, that simple utterance sucked all the fight out of Usagi. She drew a sharp breath and let her arm go lax before she dropped to her knees in front of him. The desperation on her face grew more apparent when she spoke, "I could run. I could hide."
Endymion lifted his free hand to trace the line of her face as he leaned forward to whisper for her ears only, "I would chase you. I would find you."
Usagi felt her heart sing and break at the same time. Sing because what he said had sounded so earnest, so full, so everything she had ever wanted to hear. And it broke because she knew it couldn't be any of those things. Not if Chiba Mamoru had said them.
But, still...if only she could trust those shining eyes, "No, Mamoru. Don't say that."
"Why?"
"Because it isn't true! You and I both know that." Her eyes, wet with fresh tears searched his features as she remembered, "Motoki-san said you had hit your head earlier. That is the reason you're saying all this. You need rest, and when you wake up tomorrow, you'll realize what a huge mistake all of this had been."
Endymion shook his head, ignoring the splurge of jealousy at her mentioning the suitor's name. His grip on her hand loosened and shifted down to capture her fingers. Drawing her into him, he pressed her palm flat against his chest, where his heart thumped wildly beneath her reluctant touch, "No. You and I have never been a mistake. Ser-Usagi, I love-"
But the very willing touch of the fingers of her other hand on his lips halted him mid-declaration, and the desperation in her eyes became palpable as she shook her head violently, blonde curls un-tucking from behind her ears and framing her face wildly, "No. Don't say it."
Endymion took the hand at his mouth into his so that he held both her hands to his chest, clenching them tightly, unwilling to let go, "But-"
"Promise me." Tears fell free from her lashes and trailed down her face, which drew even closer to his with her plea, "Promise me you'll never say that again."
Endymion only looked into her eyes briefly, before leaning forward and gently kissing each, tear-soaked eyelid. Usagi simply shuddered into him again and relished the intimate moment before he finally released her totally.
There was a moment of silence as both decided what to do next. He had not answered her request, but Usagi took his silence as a yes. She knew she should leave it at that, turn away and go, as she had wanted to with every fiber of her being a moment ago.
But that was a moment ago, and now she was looking for any excuse to stay.
"Why did you come here?" Endymion suddenly spoke, rattling Usagi from her self-conflicting thoughts, giving her exactly what she had wished for.
"I don't know." Usagi shrugged, then settled down next to the sullen, dark- haired boy who had turned her life upside down in the lapse of one hour, "This is just where I come to think."
Usagi glanced at him from the corner of her eyes, waiting for a zinger. Something like, "Think? You?" That would be something she'd expect, but, like everything else today, she got, "Why is that?"
She shrugged again, "It's beautiful here. I like what the tree stands for."
"What does it stand for?"
Usagi turned to face him, shooting him an incredulous look, but he was gazing intently on the carved up bark of the tree they sat under. He looked so open at that moment, like he trusted her completely. Usagi had never seen Mamoru look like he did now, relaxed in a white button-up Oxford shirt and khaki slacks. Peeking from between the lapels of his shirt was a leather chord and medallion that glinted in the soft sunlight. It captured her attention as she licked her lips once again, her mouth suddenly dry. What was his question again?
"What?"
"The tree, what does it stand for?" Endymion returned his attention back to Usagi, and was amused to find her staring openly at his chest. Amused and pleased. He had not promised her not to say he loved her anymore, and even if he had, she had not made him promise to not show her he did. But that she had stayed and was in fact, aroused in his presence, boded well for him.
"Oh, it, uh-"Usagi stopped herself with a giggle and swift shake of her head before she dragged her eyes back up to his, "There is a legend about this tree. I'm surprised you haven't heard it." When he made no comment on whether he knew the tale or not, she continued, "According to legend, a pair of forbidden lovers used to meet under this tree. This was supposed to be a long time ago, an Earth long forgotten. But for as long as recorded history, true soul mates have been drawn to this tree. This place is booked through the next century for weddings."
Usagi flushed and tucked her stray curls behind her ears, breaking their eye contact suddenly and looking out at the glittering pond. She was such a dope, sitting here beneath this beautiful, old tree, waxing romantic with the man she just made promise not to tell her he loved her. What a goofball!
Endymion smiled at her sudden shyness, taking the moment to watch her. She was so different. She wasn't Serenity, but she was at the same time. It was difficult to pinpoint where one began and the other ended. She had the same heart, the same easy smile, the same bottomless eyes he wanted to wrap up in and never leave. However, the heart was stronger now, the smile more open and real, the eyes held a fire and vitality he didn't recall in the Serenity of old. She acted...she acted as if she hadn't been born and bred to be the queen of a vast empire.
So, this was Serenity had she not had the ties and duties of destiny that had bound her before. She was more an enigma now than she had been when she first appeared in his family's gardens.
Chuckling at that irony, Endymion lifted his arms over his head and fell onto his back, staring up at the green canopy of the same tree he had looked up at the first time he and Serenity had...
"Those forbidden lovers. What did they do under this tree, I wonder?" Endymion closed his eyes and allowed the memory of their first time wash over him. And he was perfectly content to relive that moment over and over again until he felt the ground next to him shift as her weight fell next to him. He pried an eye open and saw her lying beside him, her own gaze intent on the area over them.
"I wouldn't know. Things that forbidden lovers do, I guess." She turned her head and caught him staring at her, and she smiled softly and flushed again as she whispered, "I really, don't know."
Endymion wanted so badly to reach out and pull her over him, to remind her of exactly what forbidden lovers do. But they were in public, and her timid smile showed him exactly how much she didn't know. Which couldn't be possible since they had...what was happening? None of this made sense!
"This tree," Endymion suddenly spoke, changing his internal subject with external query, "if it is so sacred to lovers, why have they hacked into it as they have?"
"Hacked?" Usagi's brows puckered in thought before they lifted with realization. Rolling over onto her stomach, she stretched out a hand to finger one of the carvings on the trunk, "These? Well, it is said that if you carve the initials of yourself and the one you love into the bark, you'll stay with that person forever."
"And people believe that brutalizing a poor tree will really do that?" Endymion lifted a cynical brow at that.
Usagi laughed at his skepticism before she nodded enthusiastically, "It's worked for my parents so far."
Endymion's head shot up at that. The Queen? Had she found a new consort in the time he had-
"There it is," Usagi pointed at a tiny spot in the middle of the other scrawled letters, "T.I. plus T.K. Takuechi Ikuko and Tsukino Kenji. Daddy carved these in the trunk the night of his first date with my mother."
"Those are your parent's names?" Endymion asked, his confusion now fully compact. If he had any clue to modern proverbs, he'd probably say that he wasn't in Kansas anymore.
But Endymion wasn't, so let's just say he wasn't in the Silver Millennium anymore.
"Yep, I know. Tsukino Usagi, it's a pretty funny name. Especially translated into English." Usagi tilted her head as she read the initials in her line of sight with a wistful sigh.
"What does it translate to?"
Usagi looked at him like he'd grown another head before she balled up a fist to punch him. But true to his word, the punch never hit home as he caught it effortlessly. Not that she had meant to hit him hard, or with any malice, but Usagi's eyes widened in complete surprise before she stuttered, "N-now I-I-I know you h-hit your head to h-hard. It means 'Rabbit of the Moon.'"
"Oh." Endymion said simply. And instead of simply dropping her hand, he opened the fist with his fingers until their palms lay flush to one another, then laced his fingers through hers and held tight. Usagi simply watched as he did this with round eyes before she said, "I should go home."
"I'll take you." He offered and stood, his hand still holding firmly to hers and pulling her up after him.
"That isn't necessary." Usagi began to protest, but Endymion simply turned a stare at her that told her without words that he was not to be dissuaded. So Usagi simply shrugged and took the lead, managing to disengage her hand from his. She also managed to dismiss the empty aching left in the palm of her hand at the loss of the contact with only a little bit of difficulty, thank you.
Endymion followed faithfully, his head swimming with questions. Nothing was familiar, everyone was dressed strangely, the only thing he recognized was in the window of some shop. And that was the costume worn by some superhero/idol named Sailor V, and even that was different than the fuku worn by the senshi that protected Serenity on the Moon. The buildings were taller than anything he had ever seen before. Nobody smiled or acknowledged one another as they passed, but they may have been because of their vast numbers crowding the safe place to walk. A horn from one of those magnificent engines startled Endymion and he blinked in succession as the operator of the machine stuck his head through the window and shouted something he could only guess was instructions on how the operator in front of him should operate his engine. Something about putting something somewhere where the sun didn't shine.
Endymion had been so intent on watching the scene unfold as the second operator had actually stepped out of his engine into the dangerous walking area to confront the first with his own thoughts on the matter that he did not see Usagi stop. And if it hadn't been for the years of intensive battle training, he probably would barreled right through her. Luckily, from the corner of his eye he caught her halted form and instinctively took a step back rather than forward. Usagi smirked at his poise, then looked at him expectantly.
For what, exactly, Endymion couldn't fathom. So he clasped his hands behind his back and struck a pose of prone patience and returned her look just as expectantly.
To which Usagi rolled her eyes, "We're here."
Endymion fought confusion as he looked at the window boasting a woman's statue wearing some gaudy and extremely brief frock, "You live here?"
"No." Usagi shook her head and threw up her hands in resignation, "I've made up my mind. That knock to your head has killed any of the brain cells you had left in that thick skull of yours. Maybe you shouldn't be driving at all."
Endymion's ears immediately perked up, "Drive?"
"Yeah, drive. Driving is what people do in their cars." Usagi stated slowly, as if he was too daft to understand if she spoke at a regular pace. And Endymion would have taken offense if he hadn't followed her hand gesturing to the apple-red, sleek, very-fast-looking engine next to them.
He didn't want to believe her at first, but the look on her face when he looked back at her told him it was no jest. A grin Endymion was sure had never stretched his face so tight before split through his confusion as he took a step towards the engine and lifted a reverent hand, halting just before he made contact, his eyes flying to Usagi's in a degree of trepidation and asked, "May I touch it?"
Usagi snorted, which Endymion decided he didn't like her doing that much, whether she remembered who she was or not, and answered, "It's your car, you can do whatever you like to it."
"My car?" Endymion let his hand drop onto the smooth surface, and if possible, his grin grew, "This is my car?"
Usagi didn't answer, because one, it was a really stupid question. Of course it was his car! The second reason, and more dominant one at that, was that his expression was too beautiful at that moment to spoil it with any tarty swing she could take at him. She had never seen him look so absolutely elated before, so perfectly content with everything around him.
Which kind of wigged her out. Mamoru was supposed to be melancholy and morose all the time, not looking at a car he's owned at least since she had known him like a puppy in a pet shop window, "Okay, you should definitely not drive. I can just walk from here."
"No." Endymion replied shortly, his beautific expression raining over her as he finally looked up from the car's exterior, "Please, my lady, allow me to escort you home, in my car."
He was such a gentleman about it, Usagi found herself ready to forget that the invitation sounded suspiciously like an excuse to say, "in my car," and smiled back at him, "Then get the keys and unlock it."
For a moment, Endymion looked at her like he didn't know what she was talking about it. Because, of course, he didn't, but was familiar with the term "keys." Certainly, the "keys" to the machine would have to be on his person. Fishing through the pockets of his pants, he found what he assumed to be the "keys" to the engine. A contraption reading lock, unlock and arm caught his attention, as did the key chain that declared that – to paraphrase – "Manure Happens, Get Off My Road." Selecting the button reading "unlock," Endymion could only choke on a bubble of ecstatic laughter when there was a click and the door handle under his free hand opened for him. Holding his arms outstretched to either side of him, he posed in victory.
Usagi only lifted a blonde eyebrow and twirled her index finger in tight circles as she circled the front of the car, opened her door and said sarcastically, "Give the man a medal, he can unlock a car."
Endymion joined her in the leather-upholstered, bucket seat behind the steering wheel, before arching up to retrieve an umbrella he had sat on. He handed the umbrella to her and searched the car over in an exploratory manner that sent that earlier repressed unease trickling down her spine again, "Um, are you sure you can-"
He found the ignition and slipped the key in effortlessly and turned the engine as the words rolled over her tongue. Sticking his head out the window, he turned the wheel and noticed the wheels move in response. When his foot hit the gas pedal he was rewarded with the roar of the active engine and his grin became unholy as he looked at Usagi, "I had figured as much."
"What?"
Endymion didn't answer as puzzled over the stick shift in the console between ancient prince and thoroughly modern girl before putting a confidant palm over the black-lacquered knob on top. The machinery seemed somewhat familiar, the answers to his questions coming from somewhere inside of him he couldn't zero in on. He was sure that the engine and its components were completely alien to him, so the insight couldn't have come from some long past memory. The idea of some foreign entity sleeping within him didn't make much comfort for him, but then, it was helping him drive a car. He couldn't complain.
Inexplicably, Endymion reached over his head to the sun-visor, and retrieved a pair of sunglasses, which he had no idea they were sunglasses. None the less, he pushed the glasses up the bridge of his nose, looked at Usagi with one corner of his mouth tilted at the same angle as one dark brow above the rim of the sunglasses and revved the engine before shifting the gears into drive and peeling out of the parking space into the steady stream of mid-day Tokyo traffic.
He chose to ignore the squeal of distress erupting from Usagi's side of the car. He had the need. The need, for speed.
^_~ ^_~ ^_~ ^_~ ^_~
Usagi had decided, without any reservation, that she was lucky to be alive as Endymion pulled to a rather violent stop in front of her house. Her pulse still jumped at a hyper-active speed where her jaw and throat met, sweat had gathered at her hairline and she was sure she had to be flushed bright pink and breathing like a track star after the last stretch of a cross-country meet.
It had not been the smoothest ride of her life, and if it hadn't been for what she had called, and then Whacko-Mamoru kept paraphrasing as the "Oh- Manure-Bar," – she had no idea where his sudden aversion to the word he was replacing "manure" with came from – she would probably be a babbling wreck right about now. Too many close calls for her taste.
"Thanks for the lift, Tenou." Usagi muttered as she ran a shaking hand through one ponytail.
Which Endymion snagged into his, scaring the crap out of her even further, "Are you all right? I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking. I just got caught up in the engi-car."
His tone was genuine in his apology, and Usagi's scowl softened some as she used her free hand to pat his hand entrapping hers. He was feeling awfully free with the hand-grabbing today, and Usagi tried gently to extract hers, but of course, his grip was as firm as ever, "That's okay. But I should really get going-"
"Serenity-." Endymion caught himself, but he still felt Usagi still next to him, "Usagi, don't go."
Usagi held her sharp intake of breath a few seconds before releasing it slowly and looking into his eyes, hoping he'd see the truth she was trying to get across to him, "I don't know who you think I am, but I'm not her."
"But, you are." Endymion protested, his free arm reaching up to cup her chin.
Usagi evaded his gesture and pierced him with eyes a vivid and clear blue, "No, I'm not. You seem to idolize this dream girl of yours way too much for me to be her." His mouth opened to argue, but she shook her head resolutely, "Come on, Mamoru. It's me. Usagi. You can't stand me, remember?"
To which Endymion answered with a firm shake of his head, "No, I don't. That just isn't possible."
"Don't." Usagi shot him a look that was supposed to be dirty, but only thinly veiled her desperation, "You promised me."
"I did not promise anything," he whispered, his hand tightening over hers, "And what you asked me to not say, they were just words. You can never ask me to stop feeling the meaning in those words."
His eyes bore into hers, willing her to believe him. And the funny thing was, she found herself inclined to do exactly as those midnight peepers bade her. She felt herself melting into him, a vain attempt to absorb much of this wonderful man as much as she could before he went all Jekyll and Hyde on her again. Wouldn't it just figure that she got the monster most of the time and not the dashing prince?
Endymion watched as her eyes unfocused and felt his own pulse leap and bound in his throat. She was still pink from the ride over, and though her breath had steadied itself mere seconds before, it audibly caught in her lungs as he sensed her arousal. Her lips were parted in her fight for breath, and they looked as soft and sweet as he had last remembered them. Unable to resist, Endymion leaned forward to relive the memory in the here and now.
Usagi was perfectly content to let him too, since this whole screwy day had to be a dream. And really, what was the harm in letting a specter of her famously vivid imagination steal a kiss or two? Even if she had never dream-kissed Chiba Mamoru before, there was a first time for everything. Real-life Chiba Mamoru never had to know.
And Usagi was rather happy in her wishful reasoning until she poked herself rather viciously with one of the spokes of the umbrella she still held in her lap. Gasping back into reality, Usagi's eyes widened as she realized that her lips and Endymion's lips were scant millimeters from meeting in a very intimate way. A small yelp erupted from her throat and she quickly drew back before she unbuckled the strap on the umbrella and popped it open between herself and Endymion's invading lips.
Where Endymion had expected the gentle welcome of her kiss, he got instead a smacker-full of nylon. His eyes shot open and looked incredulously at the contraption in front of him, before swatting it down to discover Usagi's seat vacant, the passenger door flung open and Usagi bounding up the steps of her front stoop. She turned only a quick look over her shoulder at the vehicle containing the madman she had barely escaped a romantic liaison with before she threw her open front door and disappeared into the interior of her home with a slam of the door behind her.
Endymion found all he could do was blow an agitated breath out the corner of his mouth before the still open umbrella escaped his grasp and the same spoke that had jabbed Usagi out of her dream-state, poked the Prince of Earth in the eye.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!
Part Two is outta here! Stay tuned for part three!
If you liked, let a gal know:
kamikaze_bunny_eater@yahoo.com
And be sure to visit the site:
www.chibicori.virtue.nu
Hasta!
Cori (A WAFF Princess)