Jade is still alive and kicking so naturally she has to update! So here it is a new chapter of Close Your Eyes! Thanks to those that reviewed. I'm glad you like the plot so far. ^_^. And I totally forgot to answer someone's question! Sorry! Melody's Song, yes, yes he did. But my fanfic is taking from both the manga and the anime so I'm taking the manga way where he does know! Sorry if that confused some of you. Kristina Arcadia Valor, yeah I know, I love all Hermione and Ron interactions! And the quote fit so well!
Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon.
Warnings: People. Stuff. Places.
Will Usagi figure out that Mamoru is hopelessly in love with her? Will she be able to choose between two wonderful young men? Will Yaten make an appearance in this chapter as the author loves him so much? Will Setsuna entangle more people in her twisted web of doom? Will Minako reveal what everyone who's read Codename wa Sailor V already knows? Will Tuxedo Kamen be revealed? Does anyone care because they already know who Tuxedo Kamen is? Will the love triangles become love octagons? Will Artemis and Luna get a bigger part in this chapter then in previous ones? Will this chapter have angst? Do you even have to ask? Just hold out your hands and...
Close Your Eyes
Chapter Five
"If you want to destroy
my sweater,
Hold this thread as I walk away,
Watch me unravel I'll soon be naked,
Lying on the floor, I've come undone,"
-Undone (The Sweater Song) by Weezer
Mamoru stretched out a little on his couch. He had absolutely nothing planned for that evening except homework. He didn't know that his plan was about to be replaced because he had no idea what Rei had been up to that afternoon.
The telephone rang and Mamoru reached out to answer it.
"Moshi moshi, Chiba residence." Mamoru said automatically.
"Um, Mamoru-san?" A cheery voice asked hesitantly.
"Usagi-san?" Mamoru thought he must be hearing things. Why would Usagi be calling him? Where did she even get his number?
"Er, hi, Rei-chan told me that you wanted to ask me something. She gave me your phone number." Usagi's answer made Mamoru's eyebrows twitch. Did Rei live for this sort of thing or something? "What's up?"
"Well..." Mamoru searched his mind. He couldn't think of one thing that he'd possibly have to ask Usagi that she would think was normal. "What are you doing tonight?"
Smooth Chiba. Now what?
There was a clacking sound that Mamoru was still trying to figure out when a nervous giggling Usagi started talking again. "Ah, gomen, I just dropped the phone. Nothing really, well, I mean I have homework..."
"Oh? I still have to do my homework." Mamoru's mind worked fast. "Do you want to...um do your homework at my place?"
There was yet another loud clacking noise as Usagi dropped the phone again. "Okay, um, I can be there in an hour."
"Great." Mamoru then proceeded to give her directions. "See you then."
"Bye." And with that Usagi hung up the phone on her end. Mamoru hung up the phone but then had to pick it up again and dial a number.
"Hino residence, you are speaking to Rei." The feminine voice on the other end announced.
"Rei!" Mamoru reprimanded. "What did you do?"
"I'm helping things along." Mamoru could practically see Rei rolling her eyes. "And if you didn't ask her out on a date after a woman took the time to call you, I should just let Seiya have her."
"We're not going on a date; she's just coming over to do her homework." Mamoru spoke in a sigh.
"Well, why are you talking to me about it?" Rei questioned. "Is your apartment clean? Do you have enough food? Do you have something to drink? Get working Chiba!" And a clicking noise announced Rei had hung up.
Mamoru sighed as he wondered how exactly Rei had just turned it around on him. He straightened some cushions and put some stray books back in the bookshelf. That was all he really needed to do in the way of cleaning. He went into the kitchen and opened up the fridge. Nothing in there but a half carton of milk and half a dozen eggs. Mamoru needed to go grocery shopping but decided he could just order take-out. He left his apartment unlocked as he only intended to go down to the vending machines but when he got down there, he found that they were out of order. This meant he would have to go down to the convenience store.
What are the chances Usagi will get back before I do?
Mamoru left the building, forgetting he hadn't locked his apartment door.
----------------------------------
"It took way less time then I thought it would to convince my parents." Usagi cheered as she got off the bus in front of the apartment building where Mamoru lived. Of course this had mostly been in due to her mother.
She read the directions carefully before proceeding. She walked up the stairs with her books until she got to his floor. Usagi knocked on the door but there was no answer. She looked at her piece of paper again.
It's the right number.
She turned the doorknob and was surprised when it opened.
"Hello?" Usagi called into the empty apartment. "Mamoru-san?" No answer.
He won't mind...
Usagi tiptoed into the apartment, setting her book bag on the glass coffee table before going into the next room, wondering if he was in there.
She had entered the kitchen where she opened the refrigerator door.
"It's practically empty." Usagi commented in dismay before her grumble in protest. "And I didn't eat before I left."
Still, being here puts me at ease. I don't understand why.
Why does he live by himself?
Usagi realized she had never heard Mamoru mention his family before. They hadn't really talked that much about themselves to each other but in the little conversations they did have, he hadn't mentioned his family.
Her stomach rumbled again. "Better see to that." Usagi told herself.
---------------------------
Mamoru closed the door behind him, his habit of listening for something came, almost without thinking about it. But there was a sound.
An odd sizzling sound and someone humming. His eyes opened quickly. Was he imagining it? Then he spotted the book bag on the table. He went into the kitchen.
He was greeted by the sight of Usagi trying to make eggs sunny side-up and humming to herself.
Mamoru cleared his throat and Usagi visibly stiffened.
"Mamoru-san!" Usagi whirled around before looking sheepish. "Er, see the door was unlocked and I came in and I hadn't eaten anything so I was trying to make us eggs." She put a hand behind her head.
"They look like their burning." Mamoru pointed out. Usagi shrieked as she turned to them and tried to salvage them.
"Oh no!" Usagi slid to her knees. "They're ruined." She turned to him tearfully.
"That's okay; I was going to get take-out." Mamoru said comfortingly. He turned off the stove and put the remains of the eggs in the garbage before putting the pan in the sink.
"I'm really sorry." Usagi apologized.
"I told you its okay. Would you like a soda?" Mamoru offered.
"Okay!" Usagi stood up and a few minutes later they were sitting across from each other at Mamoru's table, their books open and with absolutely nothing to say to each other.
"So..." Usagi searched for a topic. "You live in this big apartment by yourself?"
"Yeah." Mamoru looked away from her.
"That's neat." Usagi beamed. "Does your family live nearby?"
"Actually..." Mamoru hesitated. "My parents are dead, I don't have any family."
"Oh! I'm sorry!" Usagi's eyes grew round with worry. "I didn't mean to bring up a bad subject."
"No, it's okay. I can't remember my parents anyways; I lost my memory in the accident." Mamoru explained.
"Still, your parents dying is awful and I brought it up." Usagi looked down at her hands.
"How about we call that take-out place?" Mamoru asked in an attempt to make Usagi stop feeling guilty. She looked at him unsurely but he called and ordered. They didn't have too long for their food to arrive.
They were just digging in when the phone rang.
"Hello?" Mamoru answered it.
"Chiba-san?" Minako sounded hurried. "Is Usagi over there?"
"Do you need to talk to her?" Mamoru questioned as Usagi mimed the girl's named.
"Oh yeah, ARTEMIS I'M ON THE PHONE!" Minako roared. Her voice changed back to a sweet tone. "Sorry, my cat is bothering me. Can I talk to Usagi?"
"Okay." Mamoru handed the phone to Usagi.
"Minako-chan?" Usagi guessed after a moment. "Well I'm here because...No, I'm here because- Minako!" Usagi's face went red. "I am not! Oh I left my co-co-co..." She looked over at Mamoru. "My beeper at home. Oh no! Where? Okay, I'll be right there." Usagi hung up the phone.
"What was that about?" Mamoru inquired.
"Oh nothing." Usagi waved a hand airily. It looked like she was trying to hide something. "Listen, I've got to go over to Minako's because Artemis is having some trouble. I'll be back in half an hour, okay?"
"What?" Mamoru jerked his head towards her. "Oh yeah, of course."
"I'll come right back." Usagi told him before grabbing his jacket by accident on her way out the door.
"Wait!" Mamoru grabbed her jacket and ran after her.
-----------------------
A flower vendor? What's wrong with our enemy? They have the weirdest ideas.
"Moon Prism Power, Make-Up!" Usagi yelled as she raised her hand. She heard an audible gasp and turned.
Mamoru was holding her coat, looking rather shocked.
Luna's going to kill me.
"I'll explain everything lat-" She turned in time to see tentacles flying towards her.
"Sailor Moon!" Rei came running towards her with the others not far behind. Just as she thought she was going to get hit, she heard a horrible screeching noise. She opened her eyes to see a rose embedded in the eye of the monster.
"Noo!" Its unearthly howling made her knees shake but she turned so she could see Tuxedo Kamen.
"Tuxedo Kam-" Usagi's eyes grew round as she saw who had thrown the rose. "...en...sa...ma..." The last syllable was choked out.
Mamoru was standing there, breathing hard; he had obviously just thrown the rose.
"Usagi..." Mamoru tried to back away.
"Sailor Moon!" Minako shouted before pushing her out of the way. "Crescent Beam!" She shot the beast's tentacles down.
"Moon Tiara Action!" Usagi came in a few moments afterwards.
The monster was defeated but now the five senshi had an even bigger problem: Chiba Mamoru, who was still holding Usagi's coat and standing there staring at them.
"What do we do?" Makoto asked, none of them had de-transformed yet.
"The rose, the accuracy of the throw, saving Sailor Moon's life, I can only deduct that Mamoru is in fact Tuxedo Kamen." Ami told them, her brow furrowed but her voice was rather calm.
"MAMORU IS TUXEDO KAMEN?" Minako yelled incredulously before rounding on Rei. "And you never told me?!"
"Minako, stop freaking out." Rei told her.
"You can't be..." Usagi made them all turn as she looked at Mamoru with tearful eyes. "Because then..."
Tuxedo Kamen-sama, so romantic, so dashing...
Mamoru could only ever be in love with Sailor Moon...
"Usagi-san..." Mamoru took a step towards her.
"Not so fast!" Luna came bounding in between them. "First I would like to ask a few questions."
"You can't be him!" Usagi yelled startling them all before turning and running away.
He can't be him because Mamoru...
His blue eyes looking into hers deeply and his dark hair trying to hide him from the world.
"Hello, Usagi-san."
Mamoru...
"Usagi-san..."
Because if he is Mamoru then I really am in love with two people...
But now that he knows, Mamoru would never feel that way about me.
---------------------------
"I'm glad he cooperated so well with Luna's wishes." Rei said dryly as she watched him run after Usagi.
"Oh no!" Ami was typing into her computer. "The youma, it isn't dead."
"What?" They all looked around for the monster.
--------------------------
"Usagi!" Mamoru yelled after the running blonde. "Usagi, wait!"
Usagi did stop, she didn't turn around at first, just stood there staring forward.
"This jacket, it smells like roses, just like Tuxedo Kamen." Usagi hugged the jacket she had in her arms. "How come I didn't notice before?"
"Usagi..." Mamoru began.
"I bet you thought Sailor Moon was somebody other then this idiot, huh?" Usagi's shoulders dropped.
"Is it that horrible that I'm him?" Mamoru asked his face hard. "When I knew you were her...Gods, Usagi, do you really hate me that much?"
"No! But how can you act like it doesn't make a difference?" Usagi turned around to face him.
"It doesn't change anything for me." Mamoru stated. Usagi shook her head at his reply.
"No, that isn't true..." Usagi saw him coming towards her but she was near hysterics and was refusing to listen to him. "Tuxedo Kamen kissed me, Tuxedo Kamen kissed Sailor Moon but you wouldn't." Usagi looked up at him. She only saw his eyes, dark and mysterious before it happened.
Mamoru was kissing her. Mamoru was kissing her. It was just like that night, his warm touch, his hungry mouth as he tasted hers. It was so real, so vivid that Usagi could describe it for hours.
"Sailor Moon! We need you!" Makoto yelled and their kiss broke apart. They were staring at each other as though they were strangers.
"I'm coming!" Usagi started to run back towards the other senshi and Mamoru was running right next to her, transformed as Tuxedo Kamen.
"Where have you two be-ehahhhhhhhhhh!!!" Minako screamed as the monster wrapped it's tentacles around her ankles and arms, lifting her off the ground.
"Disgusting filth, I'll teach you to try to harm the princess." A voice that sounded as if it were coming from the trees told it. Two objects went whizzing by and sliced through the monster's tentacles. Minako was dropped rather hard on her bottom. She didn't seem to be paying attention. She ran towards the trees.
"Danburite?" She asked almost suspiciously. "Where are you?" No answer.
"Who's Danburite?" Ami asked.
"We've got to get rid of it together!" Usagi told them all.
"Moon Tiara..."
"Fire..."
"Shabon..."
"Supreme..."
"Crescent..."
The last bit was all jumbled together as all their attacks hit the enemy at once, this time, killing it for good. The senshi reverted back to their regular selves and Minako was looking at the trees with a sort of wonder.
"Kaitou..." Minako whispered.
"Who was that Minako-chan?" Rei asked the blonde.
"And he called Minako the princess?" Ami put in questioningly. "Could this mean...?"
"Minako-chan..." Usagi was looking at her with wide eyes.
"Well I am the princess of-" Minako stopped sort as Artemis scratched her leg. "Ow!"
"Let's go home Minako." Artemis gave her a rather serious look. "We can talk about what happened later and all of the responsibilities you have taken on." He put special emphasis on the last phrase.
"Oh yeah, come on Artemis, mom'll be really mad if we get home any later." Minako let him jump up on her shoulder before the two walked off.
"Minako!" Makoto yelled after the blonde senshi of Venus.
"Artemis!" Luna called after them. Neither turned.
"What was that about?" Usagi asked the group.
"Nothing that we all have to know about right now." Rei didn't offer much of an explanation. "Minako will tell us when she is ready to do so."
"Rei! You keep saying things like that but something is bothering Minako and I would like to know what it is." Makoto looked frustrated.
"I'm going home." Rei turned rather coldly and walked away. Makoto sighed before going after her, obviously regretting her words and wanted to make it up to the fiery senshi.
"We should be going home, Usagi." Luna gave Mamoru a disapproving look.
"Alright..." Usagi was staring at Mamoru, trying to decide what to say. Nothing was coming. "Mamoru-san...I...I'll see you later..."
"Usagi..." Mamoru trailed off. He opened his mouth as if to say more but then he closed his mouth as if changing his mind. He just waved over his shoulder as he went on home.
"Usagi-chan," Usagi turned towards Ami. "Have a nice night." Ami smiled at her.
"Bye Ami." Usagi nodded towards her before following Luna home. Luna didn't say anything though Usagi was sure she wanted to. When they arrived, Ikuko was waiting for them.
"Usagi, did you have fun at Chiba-san's house?" Ikuko asked politely.
"Oh no! I forgot my books!" Usagi looked down at her hands. She was still holding Mamoru's jacket. "I forgot to get my jacket back from him!"
"I'm sure you can get them later." Ikuko told her with a small secretive smile. "Did you eat while you were there?"
"No." Usagi shook her head.
"Well there's plenty of dinner left." Ikuko informed her. "Why don't you go have some?" Usagi went into the dining room and helped herself. But something was still haunting her about that night.
Why had Mamoru kissed her?
------------------------------
"So, I guess this means that I don't have to interfere after all, right?" Hotaru chirped as her and Setsuna walked out of the park where they had watched the whole thing take place.
"I'm not so sure." Setsuna's words made the smile fall from Hotaru's face. "Just to be on the safe side, maybe you should keep it up."
"Okay Setsuna..." Hotaru sighed wearily.
----------------------------
"Oh, you're sketching." Taiki commented as he walked into the living room where Yaten was sitting there, his brow furrowed as he tried to draw something on his sketchpad. "That's a good sign, isn't it?"
"I don't really have any ideas." Yaten quickly ripped the paper off the pad and crumpled it up into a ball. Not before Taiki thought he caught what appeared to be a girl's face.
"Did you find a muse?" Taiki said in an almost teasing tone.
"No." Yaten answered in a short voice. "I was just trying to get ideas."
"Oh." Taiki shrugged. "You've still got lots of time before that show starts, you'll get inspired by then."
"What ever." Yaten tried to make it sound like it didn't matter but deep down he was wondering if he'd ever feel like drawing again. Something he couldn't say out loud to Taiki, no matter how long they had known each other.
------------------------------
Doom. Lots of doom in the next chapter. ^_^. And so much angst! I love this fic so much. And I hope the readers do too. Love to those who are reading and even more love to those who review!