Okay, fourth chapter time! I've got my music; we're all angsty so we're all set. (I wrote twenty-two pages for Fade Away and I decided to take a break.) Things are about to start escalating! Part of me is wondering if that's necessarily a good thing…
Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon.
Warnings: Angst. Crimony. Unwanted people from certain manga that may be predecessors to certain manga.
Will Hotaru be any good at her job? Will Setsuna con her into anymore jobs? Was that last chapter the best demonstration of Hotaru's seductress prowess? Or will she actually pull through with this? Will Yaten continue to be sort of an ass to everyone? Will Rei continue to be cool? Why is Rei so damn cool in this story anyway? Why is Rei so damn cool, period? What the hell is with these questions? Why do I even bother asking them? I don't really know but I'll go find if you can just…
Close Your Eyes
Chapter Four
"Yes!" Usagi cheered as the youma died. It was always a relief when the youma did finally kick the bucket. At least she wouldn't have to worry about anyone getting hurt.
"Good job Usagi-chan!" Minako de-transformed with the rest of them.
"Good job everyone." Ami seemed to be correcting but had a cheerful smile as she closed her computer and put it in her pocket. "I suppose we should head home now, our parents are probably very worried."
"I'm sure my grandpa is out cold by now but yeah." Rei checked her watch. "Geez, I hope I don't accidentally sleep in. The nuns will throw a fit."
"Rei…" Minako began. "Why do you go to a Catholic school when you're a Shinto?"
"My dad pays for the school." Rei rolled her eyes. "I guess he thought it would make up for not being a real parent."
"It sounds like a really nice school." Ami tried to put the best face on it.
"Hey, what's this?" Makoto bent down and picked something off the ground. They all looked up with interest. "It's a playing card…it's an—"
"An ace of hearts." Minako finished, looking as if she was in a daze as she reached out for the card. "But…how?"
"What is it Minako-chan?" Usagi asked as Makoto handed the card to Minako who looked at it for a moment before holding it against her chest.
"Nothing." Minako shook her head. "It's stupid, let's go home."
"Are you—" Usagi was cut off as Minako waved and ran off. "Sure?"
"What was that about?" Makoto asked the other three.
"No idea." Usagi shrugged. She looked at Makoto's confused expression, Ami's concerned and worried one, to Rei's one which was hard to decipher. It looked like Rei desperately wanted to say something but wasn't.
Does Rei know something that the rest of us don't?
And if she does…why won't she tell us?
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Motoki looked up at the clock. It was almost time. Give it another ten seconds and it would happen, just like every other day.
The little bell on the door jingled and in walked Minako and Rei, chatting and waving a little at him. Then came in Ami, Makoto, and Usagi. Five cute girls. His job ruled.
"What can I get you ladies?" Motoki asked them, walking up to them jovially.
"I got my allowance!" Usagi cheered. "I want French fries and a triple fudge sundae. Extra fudge please."
"Okay and the rest of you?" Motoki inquired.
"Wait a second…" Minako began counting out her change. "Uh, four cokes."
"I'll be right back." Motoki winked at them and saw Usagi peering curiously around the place. "Oh, Mamoru isn't here yet but I'm sure he will be soon. I bet that date really broke the ice."
"Date?" Minako and Makoto's jaws dropped. "How come I never heard anything about this?"
"It wasn't really…" Usagi blushed and pushed her two index fingers together.
"What are we talking about?" Seiya popped up next to the table.
"Usagi and Mamoru's date." Minako answered absently, not really seeing who was asking. "So, wait, I'm confused, how come Motoki knows and I don't?"
"Hello, Usagi-san." Mamoru had come in as well. Minako looked up and saw Mamoru and Seiya openly glaring at each other.
"Uh oh." Makoto whispered to Ami who decided now was a good time to get involved in a book. Motoki walked off with his pad quickly. "I have a bad feeling about this."
H-Hello." Usagi blushed again.
"So, Usagi-chan, I was about to go to an art museum but it would be totally boring unless you come." Seiya gave her a winning smile.
"Um…" Usagi glanced at Mamoru and then Seiya. "I don't know…"
"Why would you take this Odango Atama there? She wouldn't know a painting from a crayon drawing." Mamoru was glaring at Seiya but not realizing that Usagi's face was rapidly turning a shade of angry red.
"I would too!" Usagi stood up, slamming her hands on the table. "You know what? I think I'll go with you Seiya-kun." She looked at Mamoru with her angry challenge.
"You're not going with him!" Mamoru protested almost without thinking.
"I can do whatever I want Mamoru-baka!" Usagi turned on her heel and stormed out of the arcade.
"Run Chiba." Rei remarked sharply to the dark-haired young man. The others looked at her curiously and Mamoru half-smiled at Rei before running after Usagi. Seiya finally recovered and decided to go after them.
He was just running out of the building when a woman stopped him.
"Oh, gomen ne." A mature female voice told him and he looked up to see swirling garnet eyes. "I'm very sorry but I don't know the way to the subway station and me and my niece are a bit lost." Seiya turned from the older green-haired woman to the younger pale girl next to her.
"I know you." Seiya recognized the shy lavender eyes trapped behind large glasses. "I ran into you the other day, didn't I?"
"Um, yes." The girl's pale face went pink.
"Oh you two know each other?" The woman's smile seemed almost too pleased. "Why don't you introduce me to your friend Hotaru?"
"I'm Kou Seiya." Seiya supplied, shaking the older woman's hand. "Actually, I don't know your niece's name."
"I-I'm Tomoe Hotaru." Hotaru supplied shyly. "And this is my aunt, Meioh Setsuna."
"It's very nice to meet you Kou-san." The green-haired woman bowed her head and as her head rose and her eyes met his, she said something very strange. "I hope that the olive blossoms come soon."
"What?" Seiya's eyes widened.
"Oh, sorry, I was just commenting." Setsuna blinked innocently. "How about those directions?"
"Okay…" Seiya gave directions, completely forgetting Usagi and Mamoru for the moment.
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I feel stupid.
Usagi sniffled as she sat on a park bench. She had broken into tears and she had next to no idea why. It seemed like she was very frustrated. Every time she tried to be nice to Mamoru and it seemed like they were becoming friends, something like this would happen.
I don't understand it at all…
And why can't he be nicer to Seiya? Why does he seem to hate him?
She wiped at her eyes with the back of her sleeve. She tried not to be such a baby about things but she knew that often she acted like a little kid.
"Is it alright if I sit here?" Mamoru's voice asked her. Usagi turned her reddened eyes up towards him.
"Go ahead." Usagi tried to shrug and pretend she didn't care but she had never been very good at that. "Why are you here? Do you want to make fun of me more?"
"No…" Mamoru closed his eyes for a moment. "I just…couldn't let you go with Seiya."
"Why not?" Usagi turned towards him in confusion. "Why can't you?"
"I can't really answer that…" Mamoru trailed off.
"Seiya's really nice." Usagi put in. "I don't know why you two don't seem to like each other but maybe if you tried to be friends, it would work out."
"Seiya and I can't be friends." Mamoru shook his head.
"Everybody can be friends." Usagi protested. "Why don't you two like each other?"
"You can't be friends with those who have the same goal, not if them reaching their goal means you won't reach yours." Mamoru took a deep breath. "To see Seiya there, asking you to go with him…that's why I can't like him."
"I don't get it." Usagi felt even more bewildered then she had before.
"Maybe you will one day." Mamoru smiled at her. "Gomen nasai, Usagi-san."
"It's okay…" Usagi accepted his apology. "I have to go home now, or my mom will start to worry."
"I'll see you then?" Mamoru and she stood up. Usagi was looking up at him as though she didn't know quite what to make of him.
What is it that he's saying?
And why does he look at me like that?
He came to apologize…like he really cared about me…
Usagi gave Mamoru a quick hug and then ran off, waving good-bye. Mamoru stared after her in amazement for a few moments.
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"Ahhhh, no way!" Minako giggled over her cup of tea. She was hanging out at Rei's house and right then they were sitting across from each other at Rei's house. "So Mamoru is in love with Usagi?"
"Yeah, pretty much." Rei shrugged. "Couldn't you tell?"
"Well I thought so." Minako rolled her eyes. "But that's completely different from you saying it! Then it means it's true because you're psychic! I wish I was!"
"It's not always a gift…" Rei looked down at her teacup with a serious expression. "To see into people's minds, sometimes not even intentionally…seeing things that others can't. And then you can't say anything most of the time because it feels wrong. Like you spied on that person without them knowing."
"So…you know all sorts of things…about all of us…right?" Minako asked slowly.
"Yes." Rei answered truthfully, not wanting to meet Minako's eyes. She could feel Minako's nervousness and her underlying regrets about a past she couldn't change.
"Oh." Minako didn't seem to want to question if Rei knew anything more then that. "So…I bet you know who Tuxedo Kamen is!" Rei choked on her tea.
"Um, yes, yes I do." Rei recovered quickly.
"Who is it?" Minako asked eagerly.
"I'm not telling you." Rei sighed. "I just can't. You'll find out one day."
"Tell me now!" Minako whined.
"No." Rei shook her head.
"Awww, you're so cold Rei." Minako giggled. "Oooooooh, is it someone we know?"
"Perhaps." Rei decided to just be vague.
"Urgh." Minako looked frustrated. "Fine, don't tell me then." Her eyes caught Rei's violet ones for a moment.
Do you know my secrets Rei?
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Sorry it took so long AND that the chapter is short. I just kept trying to remember what I had written and I didn't think I had written it right and blah blah blah. A whole bunch of stuff happens in the next chapter! I just needed a transition chapter. I promise. Plus there's no more chapters to re-write after this so updates will become more regular. I'll probably post the next chapter really soon just because I feel bad I've been bad about updating this.