Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon

Chapter 3:

"I'm so stupid" Usagi wailed, exiting the school building. Her shoulders were slumped and her book bag was bumping ever so slightly against her knees where she held it lazily in her hands. "I still haven't read that book and now the test is coming up tomorrow." She sighed.

He took the bag from her and for once she didn't complain. He slung it over his shoulder, relieved that this was her only problem. Looking back over his shoulder he saw the girls walking a few yards behind them, watching them, and as if out of habit, he immediately kept more distance to Usagi, though she hardly seemed to notice.

"It's not as if I hadn't tried it, you know." She humped, "But every time I open this book and read a few sentences I either fall asleep from boredom or I just read the words without thinking or linking them to sentences. Just words. Word, word, word, comma, oh, 'nother word, word…." She stopped and looked at her hands. "I'm too stupid to do something as simple as reading a book." She sighed again, more deeply. "And it's not even all that thick."

"You're not stupid." Seiya rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, but YOU read it!" Usagi cried. And Seiya cringed. "What?" She asked.

"Well, you know, when I said I read it…. " He blushed "I kinda meant ….thefirstthreepages…"

She took her bag from him and hit him across the head with it. "You BAKA!" She yelped. "And here you're making me feel all sorry for myself saying YOU read it and it was SO easy, making me feel so stupid and then you didn't read it YOURSELF!" She huffed, kicking him in the leg.

"Well…" He flinched

"We're writing a rest about it tomorrow!" Usagi accused, chiding him.

"I know" He smirked. Holding up a few sheets of paper. "And these are Taiki's notes about it." His smirk grew wider with Usagi's growing eyes. She made a grab for them.

"Oh nonono" He smirked, "Who's a baka now?" He took out his sunglasses, putting them on and throwing back his hair with his right hand.

"You…" Usagi growled, her cheeks blowing up with anger, ready to strike and attack

The girls watched them from afar. It was all so strange to them – not talking to Usagi in school. They'd noticed her distress about it, had seen how sad her eyes had become when she'd walked into the room and they'd ignored her. How she didn't want to go out of the class room during lunch, so she didn't have to see them on their usual spot. And they'd seen the effort Seiya had made to compensate Usagi's loss. He'd teased her a lot in class, even more than usual, and it had worked, it had distractedher from their distance. And yet he was acting so gentle towards her.

They hadn't shown any open affection the whole day. Yet it was clear for everyone to see that these two were a couple now. The classmates had started talking about them. The way Seiya openly looked at her now, with such pride. The way she beamed at him, the way they touched, even when all touching that was done was Usagi hitting the raven-haired idol on his arm.

And that one moment, during math, where suddenly Seiya's hand had grasped the ends of Usagi's now shorter hair and he'd drawn his fingers through them. So unashamed, so perfectly natural, as if it went without saying.

And all she'd done was completely ignore it. No, that was wrong. She'd reacted – she had smiled, a small languid, complacent smile.

It was a small moment, but for everyone who'd watched, it was obvious from then on.

Usagi's hair had been the topic of the day, as well. Minako had gasped so loudly when she'd laid eyes on the other blonde. That hairstyle, that unique, completely Usagi hairstyle, all gone!

They had felt like crying.

A few students had asked her about why she'd done it. And she'd shrugged, and beamed that smile that widened everybody's soul and answered. "I feel more free this way." And they saw that she meant it.

They hadn't had any idea that her identity dragged her down so much.

And they had to admit, the new hairstyle suited her. It was really nice. Her hair looked so full and healthy and smooth. The hair was trimmed in different length, the longest hair at the back, the shorter layers above. Shorter strands on the front framed her face, her hair parted on the side and a loose strand of hair that went well across her forehead made her look a little wild.

Several girls had asked her where she'd had it done, but she hadn't answered them, just smiled that broad smile that followed Usagi everywhere and beamed at Seiya.

And now there they were, bickering and fighting, yelling and pouting. Seiya laughed and Usagi stomped her feet, and, obvious to them, or not, as Seiya glanced at them ever so shortly, he drew her to him and kissed the tip of her nose, then pulled her to his side and slung his arm around her shoulder and took her bag back from her, slinging both bags back over his other shoulder. Her arm snaked around his waist and she giggled.

They had to admit, she looked happy. She hadn't seemed that happy since Mamoru left for America, and Chibi-Usa returned to the future.

"So then" Seiya laughed, " let's go read that book" he said

"Not at home. I can't read at home. I tried." Usagi said, Seiya started but Usagi interrupted him. "Yours neither. Your bed lets my mind stray" She blushed deeply and Seiya chuckled.

"Fruit Palour, then" He said and Usagi's face fell. "But the girls…"

"Won't be there till a while later." Seiya finished. Right, they wouldn't be there for an hour or two. Rei's school finished later than their's. "Okay?" He asked, and she nodded.

And they watched the two disappear behind the next corner. It all felt so weird. So odd. It was their Usagi Seiya held.

And when they walked into the Fruit Palour a while later and sat at their usual spot and glanced into the far corner, they could see Seiya and Usagi slumped into the secluded part of the café, her legs across his lap, both reading in separate books. Her back was to the wall, he sat facing forward, sitting on the same bench, lazily drawing patterns on one of her knee caps that were left exosed from her uniform skirt.

She giggled once, and he looked at her. Thinking it was something in the book he went back to reading, again stroking her knee and she giggled again, wiggling his hand away. "You're tickling me." She laughed and he smirked. "Oh?" He said and tickled the back of her knee instead, on purpose this time." She yelped and yanked her legs away, getting hold of his hands and drawing her face close to his. "Stop it!" She giggled on.

Rei was furious. How could they act like that. Usagi couldn't be serious. In their café! She got up from her place immediately, and stomped over to them.

"I cannot believe you!" She bellowed, and Usagi and Seiya parted on the spot, moving several inches away from each other, putting a clear distance between their bodies. But the damage was done and the image was burned into the piro's memory. "Here! Of all places. Don't you have any shame!" She shouted. "Usagi!"

"This place is a public one Rei." Usagi mumbled, looking to the side. "I can do whatever I want."

"What!" Rei exclaimed. "Usagi! Don't you remember how many times you've been here with Mamoru!"

Usagi's eyes filled with tears, and Seiya breathed deeply. "Stop it" He said, calmly.

"Stop it!" Rei repeated, unbelieving. "I shall STOP it!"

"Yes." Seiya said. "Stop treating her like that. She hasn't done anything to you."

"She hasn't-" Rei repeated, her mouth agape. Her gaze grew darker. "You have no idea." She growled. "You don't have any idea." She said darkly, staring him down.

"I think I do." He answered, staring back just as coldly.

"You have an idea about shit." Another voice said, a strong one, a frightening one. And Usagi's head whipped around- "Haruka." She whispered.

But Haruka didn't acknowledge her, only glared at Seiya. "You won't see her ever again." She said darkly.

"Haruka!" Usagi cried.

"YOU GET IN THE CAR!" She bellowed at Usagi. And Usagi was perplex. What happened to Koneko? What happened to that warm aura, that warm, flirty, protective atmosphere Haruka always reserved for her? Right now she only was scared of the taller, intimidating woman.

"She isn't going anywhere." Seiya said, squaring his shoulders. He was ready for a fight. Anyone could see it.

And oh could Haruka see it. She'd waited for this moment ever since she'd found the little punk in Michuru's changing room. "Haruka, no!" Usagi screamed, yet with one hard blow to his stomach she knocked the air from his lungs and he doubled over.

He smirked, still bowed. "Is that all?"

"You!" Haruka growled, and hit again, in blind rage. But this time she hit someone else. "No!" Rei yelled, but it was too late. Usagi had thrown herself in front of her boyfriend, wanting to end this fight, and Haruka's fist connected with her face, as she was way smaller than Seiya, and blood tickled from her nose.

"Koneko!" Haruka gasped.

Seiya made her tilt her head back, as to slow the bleeding, and was ready to strike back. He was furious, but Usagi's hand on his arm and the plea in her eyes stopped him, and she looked at Haruka. The blood flowing from her nose down her lips. "Go, please." She whispered.

"I won't let you leave with him." Haruka said, spitting the him with such venom in her voice Usagi had to flinch from the pure hatred that went along with it.

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