Disclaimer for this story: the chapter titles are titles of songs from Rob Thomas' CD … Something to Be. (The story title itself is mine.)

Three Parts of Love
Written By: Jill Annette

PART THREE
When the Heartache Ends

Usagi set her pace to that of a power walker. The ends of her long coat flapped around behind her calves. Why did he have to put her through this? He could be so aggravating whenever he wanted to be and she was easily agitated by him. Of course, Usagi knew that he was trying to be cute with the whole letter-slash-come-find-me bit but he could have waited outside the theater instead of making her walk across town to him.

God! Why couldn't she walk faster? Her legs were getting her nowhere fast enough. Pump harder legs. Faster, faster!

She was going to get her lover back. Why after all that he put her through is she so easily accepting him back you asked? Because she knew him and she knew that he meant his words. The fact that he made the attempt to ask for her back; to prove to her that he did want her still was enough for her to just drop everything and run to his arms.

However, her feet weren't going near as fast as she would like for them to.

Maybe it was just that she couldn't live without him? She didn't feel like she was the same person without knowing that he was hers. After she left him, things were not any better; in fact without him life didn't seem as interesting. In the few weeks she lived without him in her life, Usagi realized that her life meant more with him in it than it did without.

She gave a little skip trying to get her feet to cooperate. Usagi reached into her duffel bag and pulled out the empty black box. A thought formed in her head as she turned the box in her hand. A quick glance to her left ring finger and a smile later, Usagi had a plan.

With the box in her right hand and the ring on the left, Usagi stuffed her hands in her pockets as she rounded the corner, the arcade in view. A smile played across her face. He made her suffer for a long time, a minute wouldn't hurt him. If he had his games then she could have hers and she was about to play.

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Mamoru sat anxiously waiting at their table on the second floor of the Crown Arcade, a steaming cup of coffee was in front of him. He'd been waiting for Usagi for a while now. Forty minutes had passed since he arrived. He tilted his head down and ran his hands through his hair. Why wasn't time cooperative whenever he needed it to be?

Maybe this is what Usagi felt like whenever she had to wait for him. He realized now how hard it was to sit and wait when you didn't know if the other person was really going to show or not. Usagi was a strong woman but this was torture and he promised himself, and silently to her, that if she gave him another chance he would never make her wait ever again.

He tapped his long fingers on the table and looked around the slow café. The red headed waitress walked up to him and topped off his cup of coffee without even asking. A knowing smile was evident on her face and Mamoru raised his eyebrows in question when she continued to stand in front of him after his cup was refilled.

"So she's making you wait this time 'round?" the young woman asked and tilted her head to the side, her bright red pony tail slid down one shoulder.

Mamoru didn't know what to say. Who was this girl and how did she know about their mishaps? Sure she was a face he recognized, hell he came here all the time and she had been working at the Crown Arcade for nearly as long as he and Usagi were together. This was proof that some waitresses could be more observant than customers may like.

"I'm friends with Usagi," the waitress said, setting the coffee pot on the table. "Well, not friends, like friends… just, sometimes, whenever you skip out like last time she'll talk to me a little bit. Get the steam off her chest, kind of like a little therapy lesson. She talks; I listen and sometimes give advice." She paused, straightening out her apron. "I mean you're lucky you guys are still together. I would've left a man if he forgot our anniversary after four years."

Mamoru shrugged. "We aren't exactly together, at the moment; although, I'm working on it."

"Ah, yes. You're working on it." She nodded and picked up the coffee pot again. "Well, maybe you shouldn't be sitting here then. It isn't going to get you anywhere."

With that the waitress gave him a polite smile and walked off to service other customers. Mamoru racked his brain for a name: Unazuki. That was her name. Maybe the young girl was right. Maybe sitting here was the wrong thing to do. Maybe he should have waited outside the auditorium so that way Usagi wouldn't have a chance to say no. Now he gave her at least thirty minutes to make up her mind and it has been an hour since rehearsal should have been over for her.

He couldn't live without her, without knowing that she was his. The past few weeks had been hell to get through and sleep didn't come easy.

Sighing, Mamoru placed enough money on the table for his bill and a tip, his coffee cup still filled to the brim since Unazuki topped it off, and descended the stairs from the café.

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Usagi stepped inside the arcade and took in the warmth the inside of the building had to offer. She noted the people around her playing games from Air Hockey to Ski Ball to Mortal Kombat to, her personal favorite, Sailor V. A little nervous, Usagi hesitated before she started to make her way to the upstairs café.

A younger girl caught her eye as she ran up to the Sailor V game—the game Usagi used to spend all of her allowance on—and started to play the game. A boy, around the younger girl's age, walked up behind her and started pulling her light brown hair. She jerked her elbow back in hopes of hitting him but she missed. When the girl lost Sailor V's last life the girl pouted. The boy laughed at her until the girl pushed him into a machine and huffed off, upset he messed her up. After regaining his balance, the boy ran after her with, Usagi was sure, apologies sliding off his tongue.

"Remind you of us?" His low, husky voice sounded in her ear.

Usagi warmed instantly; even if she didn't want to she smiled. It was Mamoru behind her and a few years ago they were a lot like those kids but it seemed like yesterday and this is where it got them. She turned to face him after the smile faded a little, her eyes still bright and her hands in her pockets. Usagi nodded.

"So you came," Mamoru asked.

"Yeah."

The blips and beeps and blinking lights of the arcade games flashed across the pair as they stood in the middle of everything.

"Do you have an answer?"

Usagi nodded and took her right hand out of her pocket the box in her hand. "I have an answer. Here's this back, I have no use for it."

Mamoru's heart dropped, Usagi noted it in his face.

I'm not this cruel. Why am I doing this, you ask Mamoru? Because you hurt me but what you don't realize yet is that I could never truly hurt you but at the same time I cannot just come back that easily with the answer you want slipping right off my tongue.

He took the box from her and slipped it in his jacket pocket. Mamoru couldn't look her in the eye instead he looked over her. "Okay," he said; his voice breaking.

God, she couldn't stand it anymore! "Mamoru, do you want to know my answer?"

He shook his head, "I think I can figure it out."

"That's a shame you don't want to hear it from me personally," Usagi tilted her head to look up at him better. "Because I'd really love to try again."

Mamoru tilted his head down so that he could look into Usagi's eyes. She smirked and took her left hand out of the pocket of her coat revealing the ring on her finger. Mamoru let out a breath and pulled the blond in front of him into a hug.

"I want changes," she stated, her lips brushing against his ear.

"You'll get them."

"I may have this ring on my finger but it doesn't mean it is an automatic thing," Usagi said. "If you hurt me again, I'm not going to forgive you as easy."

His arms wrapped tighter around her, "If you can get away."

"Trust me; I'm flexible enough to dodge you."

"Trust me, I know." His eyebrows went up.

Usagi laughed. She pulled away from him to look him in the eyes. "You have no idea of the control you have over me."

"If it's anything like the control you have over me, then I do, Usa-ko," he said and nestled his chin in her golden strands.

Usagi sighed hearing her pet name coming from his lips. It had been such a long time since she'd actually heard it. Of course, she didn't know what she was getting herself into again but as Mamoru had said in his letter to her, why can't they just try? Right now, he was the only way to ease her aching heart.

She looked up at him, taking in the features she thought she'd have to forget just yesterday. "I love you."

A boyish grin raced across Mamoru's features. "I love you, too, baby."

She pulled at the lapels of his jacket and pulled him down into a fierce kiss, colorful lights flashing all around them.

Somewhere else in the arcade, a young girl forgave a young boy for tormenting her so. Just like the older couple, forgiveness came easy. It just wouldn't feel right if they weren't together.