Till Someone Comes Along Chapter 15. Don't own SM or SLY. Please R&R. This man actually thinks...Mamoru's POV
Okay, everyone, here are my words of wisdom: Keine Angst! Daijoubu! Don't worry! Guys, why would this be posted as an Usagi/Mamoru (Serena/Darien) fic if it were Usagi(Serena)/Seiya? But, I'm glad you guys are getting so involved. Just don't worry! Things take time! Love is a lengthy process! Now, here's Mamoru...by the way, the reason he seems so different is because people don't always reveal what they are thinking. Some have a certain image on the outside, and keep everything bottled up. On with the show.
I can't believe it.
Usagi? With a GUY? Not that I expected her to be with a girl, it's just that she's been secretive and locked up. Not to mention the fact that, oh yeah, she told me I was like a brother to her.
Not like I've done anything to help. When we're both home, at least one of us is avoiding the other. We haven't spoken complete conversations, and I'm not counting the times we talk about work or Inu-chan. Those are constricted conversations, like the ones I have with my friend Yuichiro, or my mom. I think Usagi's and my last conversation went something like this:
Usagi: I'll be home late tonight.
Me: Okay, I'll feed and walk Inu-chan before my date. Mr. Ryo's little girl will dog sit.
Usagi: Fine.
Then, exits stage right (me) and stage left (Usagi).
So, as you can see, we're not so happy being roommates. She offered to leave, but I wouldn't let her. She'd be screwing up her whole life. She already did trying to leave me out of it. It's not that I didn't want to talk to her, it's just that I was hurt by the whole 'brother' thing. Not that I believe a word of it. Brother my ass. I'm pretty good at reading expressions, and hers wasn't pity - it was fear.
But still, there we were, pouring our hearts out about how we love each other and need each other badly, then we kiss, then I become her brother.
Maybe I should have used tongue.
Anyway, what really shocked me about seeing her was how fast she rebounded after our whole soap opera. And the guy, amazingly, looked somewhat like me. Black hair, blue eyes, one of the only differences was that he had a ponytail. I didn't think Usagi was a 'long hair guy' kind of girl. She looked at me when I walked in with Minako, but Minako just bolted to the bathroom without even noticing, leaving me with the feeling that Usagi had one-upped me.
You're probably wondering why I was with Minako. Well, Usagi had hurt me, so I did the only thing my mind could think of: date Minako again. Kind of like one-upping Usagi, except she didn't know it. I started dating Minako the day when the whole speech came out about that cow theory they'd been hiding from me.
After Usagi left, staring at me smugly, as if she'd won something, Minako came out. "Much better," she said.
Now, I like Minako as a friend, and willing sex partner, but she does come off as flaky - a ditz. But she had good intentions. Such as filling me in on Usagi's life. Not gossipy, but more like "she's going out with this guy, so could you please check on her once in a while" kind of stuff.
"Let's grab a table," I said. We sat down, ordered drinks, and looked in the menus. I decided to be suave and subtle and find out about this guy.
"So," I said. Be subtle. Be subtle. "Usagi has a new guy?"
So much for subtle.
"No, not that I know of," she said, pointing her finger at something in the menu. "She would have told me."
"Does she know that you've been giving me information on the sly?" I asked.
"Nope."
So, as you can see, this is a relationship of convenience-I need info on Usagi, and Minako needed to get laid.
"I have lunch with her tomorrow, so I'll try to get something," she said. She looked at me closely. "Concerned?"
"Well, after the whole Motoki thing, and this new cow theory-"
"Motoki kind of got it from you, y'know."
Her comment startled me. "But I never really commit. I've never said those three little words."
Except to a certain blonde, who had long hair tied up in two knotted pigtails, who was sweet and innocent - well, in a sense. And look where that got me.
"She didn't know that he was sleeping with the boss, with me, with her, and who know who else."
"I'll admit Setsuna is a little odd, " I said (understatement, that cult leader), "But that's no reason to cheat." I took my drink from the waitress, and had a sip. "I may have my sexual release, but I do have morals. I don't like cheating on a girl, or anyone who does."
She cocked an eyebrow. "You? Morals? Those don't belong in the same sentence."
I glared at her. "Thanks." I said dryly.
"I'm joking," she said. "It's good to know you won't cheat."
I looked down at the menu again. Suddenly, my train of thought (Usagi) was interrupted by Minako calling out my name.
"Yeah?"
"She did look kind of odd when I mentioned some guy's name. It was like she was supressing some deep secret love, or something like that."
"Who's name?" I asked.
"Yours."
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The next morning, Minako left a note:
Going to be late, talk to you soon.
-Minako.
I stretched, yawned, took a shower, got dressed, and got ready for work. Usagi had just come back from Inu-chan's walk when I was getting breakfast. She looked up to see me grab a frying pan as she was squatting and petting him.
"You hungry?" I asked.
"No thanks," she said, letting him go. "I already ate."
"Oh. Okay," I said, cracking the eggs into the frying pan. I imagined they were the guy's head.
What is the MATTER with me!
"I'll take care of Inu-chan tonight," she said, grabbing her coat.
"Bye," I said. She shut the door.
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I walked into the office, ready for work, when Usagi ran out of her office, brushing past me ferociously, looking completely frustrated.
"Anything wrong? Or are you getting the boot for deceiving everyone?" I asked.
"None of your concern!" she snapped. She ran into another office, and slammed the door shut.
"Okay," I said. Yeah, she was definitely still pissed at me. Maybe it's because I didn't really accept her apology. I went to my office, and was alarmed to see everyone in the lobby through my open door moving frantically. I walked out and grabbed the first person I could. "What's going on?" I asked.
"I'm not really sure of the details, but Setsuna's on the warpath," she said before running away.
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"She's been really horrible lately," one of the guys said in the kitchen.
"I mean, it was just Motoki, it wasn't like the rest of us had screwed her."
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"Setsuna. Apparently, if you're a man, you're pulled in for questioning." one of the guys said.
"Except for Usagi. She's the exception." said another.
"So, I'm going to be questioned?" I asked, sipping my coffee.
"She hates any guy with a dick right now, that's for sure. You go in there, it's like an inquisition. Probably a torture chamber."
I gulped. This was bad.
The guys fell silent as Usagi walked into the kitchen. They looked at me as if I was a leader, and I just sat back and sipped my coffee, keeping my eyes on her. After rummaging for a while, she slammed down her coffee cup and glared at me. "Okay, what the fuck do you want?" she asked.
"Nothing," I said calmly. "Just wondering if this is part of the cow theory. Is it a twelve step program? Destroying the workplace is step five on the road to success?"
She grabbed her mug, broke off the handle, then ran out of the kitchen. I walked back to my office quickly, and tried to work on some of the paperwork I was supposed to have done two weeks ago. Then, my phone rang. Without thinking, I picked up. "Hello?"
"I need you to come in for questioning," Setsuna said icily.
I gulped again. "Um, sure."
"Be perfectly honest, or else." she said, then hung up. I looked at the phone, shook my head, and put the receiver back in it's cradle. I closed the door as I walked to Setsuna's office, my heart pounding in my chest. What if those things those guys said are true? No. No, I'm an adult, I will conduct myself as such. This wouldn't be like layoffs, would it? I hoped not. Even if I get my work done late, I get it done.
As I walked to the torture chamber, Usagi stopped me.
"Mamoru, be careful," she said.
"Ah, so now you're talking to me," I said.
She groaned. "Quit being a smart ass. I just want you to be careful with your answers, that's all." She walked off, frustrated.
I watched her walk away, then continued my walk to Setsuna's office. I was ushered in by Mitsuke, who looked extremely somber today.
"Is-is everything okay?" I asked.
She guided me in. "No questions," she said.
That part really scared me.
"Look, Mitsuke, I know I've never asked you out before, but I will. I'll take you to dinner, I'll take you to a movie, I'll do anything to get out of this. What do you want?" I begged.
She shook her head slowly. "My girlfriend has a dildo. That's all I need."
I froze, and she pushed me into Setsuna's office, where she sat like an executioner.
"Cut off his penis," she said maliciously.
"What!" I cried, starting to sweat.
"I said, 'you can have a seat.'"
I think I was hallucinating. I was getting nervous about nothing. I hadn't screwed her. I didn't want to screw her then, now, or ever. So why did everyone have to stare at me as if I was off to a hanging starring me?
"Tell me, Mamoru, did you know Motoki well?"
"Well, no. Not really. I mean, I know he works here, his name-"
"Did he ever go out with Usagi?"
"Oh, yeah," I said. "No doubt about that. For, four weeks, I think. He slept with her, told her he loved her, and a whole lot more."
Setsuna's face was being drained of it's color with every word I said. "He never said he was my boyfriend?" she said weakly.
"No. He did mention a 'Sena' once, but only once, and she was forgotten. I know now that Sena was you."
Setsuna was shaking. She looked furious but sad at the same time. "And-and you didn't-didn't know that-"
"Sena was you? No. Not then."
She nodded gravely. "Very well. You may go."
I nodded, and left the room. I looked at Mitsuke as I left. She smiled, and said, "You wondered why I got along so well with Usagi, right?"
I looked at her oddly, my eyes bugging out of my head. She stared at me, and her smile faded.
"It's because we haven't slept with you," she said.
"Oh," I said, my eyes returning to normal size.
She shook her head. "You definitely have only one thing on your mind."
Not necessarily true. Before Usagi, I could only think of sex. After Usagi, all I can think about is Usagi and sex. I'm very complex.
I walked to find Usagi bending down to pick up some dropped papers. She was wearing a tight blue skirt that seemed to-
I stopped. What was I doing? I don't want to have Usagi the same way I have every other girl, did I? I mean, she was different. Everything about her was different.
As I came back to Earth, I saw that Usagi was sitting back in her office. I walked back to my own, and sat, dazed.
Was she really over me? A few months ago, I wouldn't have cared. It's like there was a new me - no, an old me I had lost a long time ago. Usagi would just smile, and that part of me started screaming, 'I want to come back'. Not that I'd let it show, of course.
Wow. I'm getting deep. That's not me.
Usagi knocked on my door. "You okay?"
I nodded. "It was a little tense. But I just smoothed things over the way I usually do."
She frowned. "So, you didn't have it as bad as I did."
"Oh? How so?"
"She didn't try to make it seem like it was all your fault, did she?" She turned on her heel and walked away.
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"No."
"What do you mean 'no?'" I cried.
"She said she's not seeing anyone." Minako said.
"She keeps saying she has a date every night! Where is she going if she doesn't have a date, the library?"
"Look, I don't know, okay? Don't kill the messenger."
I sighed. "You're right. I'm sorry. But find out!" I yelled, hanging up.
Usagi grabbed an apple from the kitchen, and disappeared in her room.
I sat and watched TV, not caring what was on. She was being a fucking bunny rabbit by popping in and out of her hole. So something happened, so what? Nothing had to change. She was being stubborn, and not listening. Maybe I didn't want to fall in love with her. No, I will not fall in love with her. I won't.
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I won't. I know I won't.
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I can't help it! I love the girl! I LOVE HER!
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"Why the hell are you muttering to yourself?" Usagi asked as I sat in my chair.
"Huh? I'm not muttering." I said.
She shook her head. "Mad Cow Disease."
"I thought the cows were over with?" I asked, not looking at her. I might do something stupid if I saw her beautiful blue eyes, and her long blonde hair...
She put on her coat. "Oh, no. Never." She threw her scarf around her neck. "You've proved me right after all. You went back to your old habits, screwing and fucking, fucking and screwing, you're a bovine, Mamoru, and you'll stay that way until you become-"
"A gentleman?"
She shook her head. "Manure. Have a pleasant evening," she said, and walked out the door.
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"If you're in love, you'll have to get over it," my friend Yuichiro said.
"But this isn't just any girl."
"Is the sex good?"
"I wouldn't know."
"Then don't go for it."
"Come on, Yuichiro, there's got to be more to life than sex," I said.
"Dude, no there isn't."
I sighed. My life was a giant sex trap. "But I want her more deeply than I want to have sex with her."
"Oh, come on, Mamoru. You don't want to go into the Reader's-Digest-suburbia-nine-to-five-homecooked-meal-men-and-a-baby-life. Being a single guy is the greatest gift ever. You can have any girl, and do."
"What's after that?" I cried. "I'm not going to be twenty-nine forever."
After we hung up, I thought about what he said. He was one of those boys in high school that was so perverted, every girl wants to rip out his dick, or kick him in the groin so hard he'll never have children. (A/N: OH! All of those guys exist at my school! Someone want to help me get rid of them?) It's pretty hard to take him seriously, knowing how serious he's been - seven wives, all discarded after a year of marriage, and each one younger than the other. He started sleeping around, and he thinks he's the authority on romance. But I was actually going to listen to him. I wasn't going to fall in love with her.
But I already was. And I couldn't get out.
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Okay, some more wise words from the author. I know Seiya's a girl, but it made sense to keep her as a boy here. Also, I support Usagi/Mamoru relationships 100. This is an U/M. I swear to God, but guys, you have to be patient. Just read on. Romance will blossom, and you'll thank me later.
See you in the next chapter.
EternalSenshi