Author's Notes: I felt bad for not updating in so long, so I decided to get another chapter out. Surprise!! ^_^ Just to let you know, I'm writing this with only one contact in because the one is floating around somewhere in my eye and I can't see to find it. It's not fun. I apologize for any bizarre mistakes in this chapter, as I am half blind.

Disclaimer: I CAN'T SEE!

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Heaven's Flames

Chapter 20

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Mamoru sat with his knees tucked up under his chin and his hands blindly trying to scrub away the blood-tears from his face. He took shallow gulps of air to help soothe his racking frame. He hiccupped softly, but promptly quieted it when he heard someone approaching behind him. He bristled considerably.

"What the hell is your problem?!" came the shrill scream from a few yards away. Mamoru quickly realized it to be Usagi – not sure whether to be relieved or terrified.

Don't look at me like this, the vampire cried mentally, scrubbing harder at his face.

"Seiya went through all the trouble to gather everyone together," she continued, still stomping closer, "and then have to leave them to come tell us that he can bring us home tomorrow – and you flip out!! What the hell –" Usagi cut herself off. She froze in her steps; finally taking in her lover's curled up position. "Are you… crying?"

            "No."

            "Mamo-chan!" the blonde squeaked, rushing behind him. She could tell by the muddled desperation in his voice that he was indeed crying. "What's wrong? Why are you crying?!"

            "I'm not crying," Mamoru snapped. He hung his head into his hands, jaw clenched. "Go away."

            "God, baby, you should be happy!" Usagi placed her hands softly on his trembling shoulders. "We're going home tomorrow! What's with these mood swings? You—are you," she sputtered, realization finally dawning, "jealous of Seiya?"

            "No," the vampire bit out, a bit too quickly. He forced down a small hiccup. "Shut up. Leave me alone."

            "My God, Mamo-chan, you are jealous!" his lover squealed, kneeling down at his side. She slightly pulled at his shoulder to get him to turn his face to her.

            Mamoru pulled away from his hands and whipped his head to her. The tears had stopped, but their remains still stained his colorless face. "You don't know what it's like!" he cried, brow furrowed in a mixture of irritation and sheer anguish.

            "Sweetie," the blonde began, voice soft, "I assure you, there is nothing to be jealous about."

            Usagi reached out and played her fingers across the vampire's cheeks, softly rubbing away at the dried tears. She leaned up and kissed his forehead and gently tidied his disarrayed hair.

            Mamoru wasn't able to fight the heaviness of his eyelids and let them slowly droop closed. His chest was still tight, but Usagi's gentle caresses were helping to ease his mind. "Really?" he purred softly.

            "Yes, really," Usagi responded between a small giggle. A warm smile brushed her lips. Mamoru opened his eyes. "Seiya may be a big flirt, but it gets on my nerves sometimes. I'm only nice to him because look at all that he's giving us! We can finally return to our world!"

            Mamoru pursed his dark lips together into a thin line. His eyes swam with worry. "You don't love him?" he dared asking, trying to ignore Usagi's last sentence.

            "What?" Usagi blinked. She recovered quickly. A small glare met Mamoru's eyes. "Of course not!" she reprimanded. "I barely know him! Besides…" She leaned up and pressed her lips against her lover's ear. "I love you."

            Mamoru titled his head to rub affectionately against Usagi's cheek. He could feel her smile against him. The raven-haired man brought one hand to lie gently across her waist, and he brought the other up to toy with her long golden hair. A wave of sorrow washed over him at the thought that tonight will be his last night to be close to her.

"I'm afraid," Mamoru choked out, feeling the bubbling of tears swelling behind his eyes once more and the insecurities resurface, "you'll get to know him… And start to like him…" He quickly attempted at regaining his composure. "And then completely forget about me and wind up loving him instead."

            "Baby," Usagi whispered against his ear, "I wouldn't have the time to get to know him either way because I'll be with you."

            Mamoru shuddered. "But… he's going to be taking care of you, I'm sure, once you get back." He silently prayed that his voice would not give out on him and that Usagi was getting the subtle hints of their future together – or lack thereof.

            "No," she giggled, pulling back the slightest so she was a few inches from his face, "you're going to be taking care of me." She emphasized 'you' with a small tap on his nose.

            Mamoru adverted his gaze quickly and shrunk back. Don't make me have to spell it out, Usako… I can't handle that…

            Usagi pulled her head back skeptically. "What? What's that look for?"

            The vampire reluctantly dragged his eyes back to the girl before him. "Usako…" he responded slowly, elongating the name as if talking to a small child.

            Usagi's eyes were wide. Deep down somewhere she knew it was coming, but her conscious wouldn't let her believe it. She shook her head hurriedly. "No, no, no. Don't look at me like that." She stopped shaking and her brow creased. She clenched her fists tightly around the fabric of Mamoru's shirt. "Why are you looking at me like that?!"

            The vampire brought his cold hands to lie gently over her own. He watched her carefully. "Listen, please…"

            "No!" the blonde cried. She hunched her shoulders in, face beginning to crumple. "Don't you dare!!"

            Mamoru squeezed her clenched fists. "I can't go back there, love…" he responded in a low voice.

            Usagi hung her head and shook it faster this time. "What are you talking about?! Of course you can!!"

            "Usako…" Mamoru slumped slightly. "I'm a vampire."

            The girl swung her head back up and yelled. "That doesn't matter!!"

            "I can't go back."

            Mamoru was trying everything he could not to just break down and swear to whatever god he still believed in that there was no way in hell she was going back. I'm so selfish, Usako… I don't want you to go… Oh God, love, don't make this harder…

            However, Usagi wasn't going to give up easily and continued to fight. "We'll arrange something! We'll talk to Seiya!!" She shook him by the hold she had on his shirt. "We can get you blood from a slaughter house or something!!"

            It was now Mamoru's turn to hang his head. He sighed heavily. "I can't drink blood from the previously deceased."

            Usagi bit back a sob. "No…!" she cried. "Don't say it!!"

            The older youth bit down on his lip to keep from crying. The wound that his fang punctured bled down his chin "I can't go…"

            Mamoru's said fang was pulled away from the wound when he gasped in shock. Usagi threw herself towards her lover and buried herself against him. She was shaking wildly. Before Usagi got her next sentence out the cut on Mamoru's lip had healed.

"Then I'm not going back either!!" Usagi screamed around her lover's shoulder.

            The vampire gasped. "What?!" he cried, horrified. He quickly pulled back, shoving her away a few inches. "No, you have to!!"

            Usagi glared into her lover's appalled eyes with her own determined ones. Both were swimming with unshed tears. "I'm not leaving you!!"

            "It's your home!"

            "It's your home, too!"

            Mamoru was cornered, and he damn well knew it.

            "No, this is my home now," he tried desperately. "I'm not human. I belong here." The pure truth behind it scared him half to death – if that was possible for an immortal.

            "Then I'll stay with you!" Usagi was in his arms again "I can't leave you! I love you!!"

            Mamoru sobbed dryly despite himself. Usagi sobbed back. "You have to go. You have family and friends there that miss you so much," he croaked.

            "So do you!!" she whimpered, clinging tightly.

            "I can't do anything about that." Mamoru wasn't able to resist the urge to hold her trembling frame close to his own shaking one. "But you can. You can go back to them."

            Usagi's nails bit into the vulnerable flesh of Mamoru's shoulder blades. He didn't flinch. "I won't!" she moaned.

            Before he even opened his mouth, Mamoru could feel the cracking of his voice surfacing. "You'll be happier there!"

            "I'll never be happy unless you're with me!!" she sobbed back, holding tighter.

            "Usako, please!" the vampire pleaded, trying to push her away.

            "I won't!!"

            "Let go."

            "I'm not leaving!"

            "Let GO!"

            Usagi found herself thrown back; landing harshly on her rear, legs sprawled out. She was a good two feet away from Mamoru now after his shove. They stared at each wide eyed and tear soaked – Mamoru horrified, Usagi shaken.

            "Usako…" the vampire gasped, appalled at his own actions. He watched her with worry.

            The young blonde crumpled into tears. She sobbed. It wasn't the shove that had her crying, it was the meaning of it – the meaning that Mamoru wanted her to go. "God, please don't…" she whined.

            Mamoru let out a shuddering breath and stood slowly. "I love you…" he whispered reassuringly.

            "Don't say it like that…!" she choked back.

            "But you have to go…" Mamoru spoke through his breaking voice, ignoring his lover's pleads.

            The tears were flowing freely. "Please, oh please, don't…" Her voice was almost inaudible.

            "Get some rest." Mamoru sniffed and straightened his spine. He smiled shakily. "Tomorrow's a big day for you."

            The next thing Usagi knew, she was curled up in a ball in the middle of a forest, sobbing her eyes out… alone.

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Author's Notes: And yes, the contact is still missing. I'm getting quite tired of it, really. But it just goes to show you how much I love you all and decided to write this in all in one-long-half-blind sitting. ^_^

What's going to happen? Is Mamoru going to return to the real world despite it all? Would Seiya even let him? Or will Usagi stay with Mamoru? Or will she go back by herself? Oo la la. Stay tuned!! ^_^ Hehe, I sound like a crappy commercial. New chapter around Christmas. I would get it out sooner, but I'm writing a Christmas Gravitation story (don't be mad nekokitten!! ;_; ).