M&M's
Chapter Seventeen: Happily Ever After
Flashbacks
This chapter is dedicated to the newly wedded Yassig, whose own tale of romantic bliss inspired me to finish this chapter.
"Oh Mako." He rushed forward and gathered her into his arms, "What happened?"
Mako could only sob as she thought back on what happened the night before.
"You're still in love with him aren't you?" he avoided her eyes, the pain evident in his voice. "I could tell by the way you two danced tonight, there was something in your eyes when you looked at him, something that I've never seen before."
Mako knew she couldn't deny it anymore, "I never wanted to bring you pain. I'd give you the world if I could." Mako's eyes were beginning to tear as she stared at Aoshi.
"Your heart was the only thing I wanted." He whispered as he wiped a tear from his own eyes.
At that moment Mako wished that she could have lied to him and said that he already had it. But she couldn't bring herself to deceive him any more than they had both already deceived themselves. "There's nothing in this world that I wanted to give you more. I'm sorry that I couldn't." he granted her a wistful smile before kissing her one last time and Mako knew that he was going to walk out the door for good in less than a minute.
He picked up two suitcases that she hadn't noticed earlier when she had entered the room. He paused at the door to turn back one last time. "Take care of yourself Mako." And with that final wish he walked out of Mako's life and on with his.
Mako was in tears by the time she finished reliving the events of the night before. "He's gone, he's gone because I couldn't be what he wanted me to be, I couldn't give him what he needed."
Mamo pulled her into his arms, feeling his heart break as the woman he loved cried over another man. "The man's an idiot to let you go."
She laughed bitterly, "That's what everyone keeps telling me, but it's not true, you told me that about Freddy, and he told me that about you. Now I know there's obviously something wrong with me if you men keep leaving me."
Mamo opened his mouth to protest but was cut off by the shrill sound of his cell phone. Mako pulled away, "You answer that, I'll go make us some tea." She wiped away her tears, and headed to the kitchen.
He flipped open his phone angrily, noting the caller id. "You've got a lot of nerve calling me after breaking Mako's heart." Mamo sneered at the man who could be his twin.
"I didn't break her heart, you did." Aoshi retaliated back.
"What are you talking about?"
"I never broke her heart, you can't break something that you don't have."
"You're not making any sense!"
"I don't have her heart Mamoru, you do. She loves me, but she's not in love with me. I was a fool to think I could win her heart. She even told me that he heart was not hers to give, but I kept thinking that I would eventually win it." He paused, "I love her too much to let her marry someone she's not in love with. Mamo, she's in love with you she always has been and always will be."
"What?" Mamo managed to get out as everything Aoshi had just told him sunk in.
"Don't hurt her Mamo, she deserves the best. Take care of her and tell her how you feel." And with that Aoshi hung up.
Mamo sat there, staring at his cell-phone when Mako returned, "Mamo, are you okay?"
He looked up at her, She's in love with me… she's still in love with me! He could feel his heart beating faster. Her puffy red eyes had returned to their dazzling state. He smiled inwardly at the concern reflecting in her eyes, here he was to comfort her and she was worried about him.
"Yea, I'm fine," he smiled softly, as she handed him a hot cup of tea. "How are you?" he mentally slapped himself at the stupidity of his question.
She returned his soft smile, with a weak one of her own, "I'm ok now," she looked down at her cup as if it held the mysteries of the world, "I realize that it wasn't fair what I was doing to Aoshi, I didn't love him the way he loved me. I should have let him go a long time ago, but I kept hanging on cause I thought that in time I would learn to love him the way he loved me. I know it was selfish, but after I lost you, I thought I would never fall in love again." Her voice cracked. "I know that he had every right to leave, and that I shouldn't be so upset over it, but it still hurts, you know?" her eyes pierced his, staring intently for a moment before returning to her cup. The two sat in silence for a few more minutes before Mako spoke up, "So what was it that you wanted to talk to me about?" Mako turned to face him. She sounded so meek and alone, Mamo hated himself for being a part of her pain and insecurities.
"I had another vision of the past last night, and I wanted to talk to you about it."
She smiled at him, fondly this time, "Yea, I had it too." She stood up and headed to the balcony, "Isn't it amazing how different the real past was from the one we remembered?" she whispered once she felt Mamo's presence beside her.
"Yea," he whispered back, not taking his eyes off of her.
Mako continued to stare out at the moon, "Things were so much simpler back then, I was so happy with you." She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "I can see why I asked Setsuna to alter our memories."
"Really? Why?"
She turned to face him, "Because back then I wasn't strong enough to live with the fact that you weren't with me." She returned her gaze to the moon.
"And now?"
She took a deep breath in and closed her eyes, "Now… now I'm ok with it. I'm ok with us not being together," her words unknowingly stabbed him, "Even if you did promise to find me and marry me," she opened her eyes and nudged him playfully. "I understand that we're different people now, with different lives, we're not Jupiter and Endymion anymore." She sighed, "It was stupid of me to think that our love would survive." Her eyes sparkled as the gathered tears, which she blinked back. Not wanting to let Mamo see her cry anymore she turned her attention back to the moon.
"But it did survive." He whispered softly.
Mako turned around to face him once more, "What?"
"It did survive," he reiterated, this time louder, "At least it did on my part," he took her hand in his, "Endymion is still in love with you."
"And Jupiter will always be in love with you, but that was then, this is now. That was them, this is us." She slipped her hand away from his, "You're not Endymion anymore, and I'm not Jupiter, we're different people now." She caressed his cheek softly. "Jupiter and Endymion will always be in love, but that's not us, it's not who we are."
"It might not be who we are anymore, I might not be Endymion and you might not be Jupiter, but they were a part of us. And all I know is that I love you."
"Are you sure it's not the part of you that's Endymion that's in love with the part of me that's Jupiter?"
He stepped closer to her, and cupped her face tenderly, "All of me Mako, all of me is in love with all of you. The past me, the present me, and the future me. We're all in love with you." He wiped away a tear that fell from her eyes, "I made a promise to you as Endymion, and as Mamoru Chiba, I intend keep that promise." He knelt down before her, taking her hand in his, "Makoto Kino, my Jupiter, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife, in this life and all the lives to come?" he pulled a three stoned diamond engagement ring from his pocket, one stone for their past, one for now, and one for the future.
She stared down at him, there was such hope in his beautiful blue eyes, hope that quickly turned to pain as her hand slipped away from his, "I'm sorry Mamo, I can't." she turned away from him, "You're just confused," she tried to rationalize, "You've had all these intense memories, and you're confused." She gripped the balcony railing tight.
"I'm not confused." He whispered as he turned her to face him, "I know exactly what I want," he moved in to kiss her, "You, it's always been you, and will always be you."
Mako knew he loved her, and that she loved him, there was no denying it. She knew she couldn't deny her heart anymore.
She leaned towards him and kissed him tenderly; "I'll take that as a yes." He smiled as he slipped the ring on her finger. It glittered beautifully in the moonlight as she buried her hands in his silken ebony hair.
The world around them faded away as they became lost in the touch of one another.
When they pulled apart they were surrounded by their friends, "May I present to you all, Mr. and Mrs. Mamoru Chiba." The minister announced as the two walked down the aisle, hand in hand, heart to heart, for all eternity.
"They really are adorable together aren't they?" Seiya commented to his newly pregnant wife.
Usagi nodded, as she watched Mamo kiss Mako once more, "Yup, their love is the type that fairy tales are based on."
Mamo smiled down at his blushing bride, "I'm in love with you Mrs. Chiba, for always."
Mako smiled back, "And I'm in love with you Mr. Chiba, forever."
And so Mr. and Mrs. Mamoru Chiba lived happily ever after.
The End
OMG I finished another fic! Well almost anyway, the ending where she ends up with Aoshi is still to come... Thank you guys so much for staying with me on this one. Raven Kino, Becks, Lady-D, MarMar, Clemen, Cris, Moongoddess86... your support means sooo much to me, it helps me continue writing even when my muse is on vacation.
B, damn I don't think there's anything to say to you that hasn't already been said. Thanks for the friendship!
Yassig, Haha! I finished before you! But seeing as you took time off to get married, I'll cut you some slack :) Congrats once again!
Elara, thanks for all the kind words, and all of the undeserved praise, it was your comments that kept me going when I was ready to give up and throw in the towel. Thanks for being so sweet!
Thanks to anyone else who has read the story, I love you all andI hope you enjoyed the ride :)
One Love,
Athena Kyle
The flashback part was based off a scene from Firespirit1's Johnny Quest Fic entitled Perfecting a Memory.