I'm Not in Love

By Sailor Fantasy

Disclaimer: See no claim, see no suit.

AN: Long time no see! I apologize for the wait, guys. Hope you enjoy this classic, and don't forget to review!

Warnings: None, I think.

Quote of the Update: Sweep her off, indeed.

Chapter 4

She had long found and put her clothes on before the brunette named Nagi walked into the room and accessed the situation. He walked in stealthily, not catching her attention as he walked past the bed and towards a far wall on the left. He watched her from the opposite end of the room, amused, as she tried to reach for the window that was near the ceiling on top of the bed. Small blonde; check. Schuldich gone; check. Squash measly attempt at escaping; mission in progress.

"Please don't try it," he requested in a soft voice. His lips were twisted into a smirk. "Don't embarrass yourself."

Stunned and shaken, Usagi took one step, two steps back from the window before spinning, hopping off the bed, and making a run for it. She had only reached the doorknob when she was thrust backward by a great wind. She cried out in pain when she landed on the hard wooden floor.

"Silly girl," muttered Nagi, face indifferent as he took a few steps toward the fallen blonde. "Why must you try my patience? I am only watching you because Crawford ordered me to listen to Schuldich for the time being. He told me I wasn't to kill you, but…" He stepped lightly on her fingers with his shoe. Usagi tensed at the slight pressure. "That does not limit me from hurting you." He raised his foot and placed it on the ground. "Is that understood, or do I have to apply brutal force to make you understand?"

Usagi merely nodded, not trusting herself to speak. She was still feeling every bit nauseous as she was before, and she definitely did not want to piss this guy off anymore than she already had by throwing up on his gray clean school suit. She lifted herself off the floor, using the dresser as a steady.

Nagi watched the girl carefully through lidded eyes. Mystical, insuperable power? She looked as defenseless as a bunny! His lips curved slightly at his pun, but couldn't help but feel a bit of unease settle over him, looking at her. She was stumbling towards the bed, her eyes bloodshot and her body trembling. Had Schuldich mentioned a fever earlier?

Her face was flushed, and she appeared to be sweating. Which was rather funny, since the house always had the air conditioner on full blast, thanks to Farfarello's condition with heat.

Nagi sighed and made his way over to the blonde. Usagi, who was sitting on the bed, began to move backward on it and stopped. She remembered what the boy was able to do earlier. Whatever this boy wanted to do with her, he'd get done with her whether she was willing or not. Why bother even trying? She sat still and stared at the boy as he approached her, hand stretched out in front of him.

It was to her surprise when he reached for her forehead and cursed silently at her temperature.

Usagi gulped, scared to question it, but decided to ask anyway. "What's wrong?"

"…You have a very high fever," he answered, after a moment of critical consideration and observation. "You might actually have to see a doctor."

"A doctor? Wait a minute, I don't want a shot!" Usagi complained, forgetting where she was for the moment to wallow in her fear. "I hate doctors! I hate hospitals! Man, do they smell! This is ridiculous! First you guys kidnap me, and then to make matters worse, you guys are going to take me to a doctor to get a shot! I bet he'll even give me medicine too!" Usagi was pouting by now. Nagi was looking at the girl as if she was nuts. "And they'll say it tastes like bubblegum, but then it really won't, and it'll be disgusting and nasty and all gooey and thick and—"

"Can you please shut up?" Nagi interrupted, head thumping. So this was why Crawford had decided to home school him; those chatty girls were annoying. "I didn't say you were going to the doctor, I just said you might have to go to one considering your fever. There really is no need to bust any blood vessels for a shot, anyway."

Prior to this, Nagi had barely any experience whatsoever with any teenagers his age. Normally, their clients had younger children around, but he had never interacted with them. Matter of fact, the only teenagers that he ever had interacted with had been that stuck-up Ouka, Tot-chan, and that stupid Sakura girl. And none of them had been exactly normal sane girls, either.

So as for Usagi to be acting all pouty and girly, well…it was a bit disturbing for Nagi. How could her emotions change so quickly? Maybe this Usagi girl was a bit insane herself, and Crawford's vision was just a bit off…

"What do you mean, 'no need to bust any blood vessels for a shot'?" Usagi demanded, pounding the bed below her childishly with her fists. "I'll let you know, not only doctors suck, but so do shots, and…"

Nagi watched, trepidation in his gaze, as Usagi trailed off, and tears began to fill her eyes. Something akin to panic filled his gut. No, she wasn't going to cry, no no no no—

"Mamoru was going to become a doctor!" Usagi wailed, and Nagi covered his ears to block the wretched noise. "He was gonna become a doctor—and—and…."

Instead of stopping, she only burst into more tears and sobs. Nagi felt not only panicked, but helpless now as well. He had no idea of how to deal with a wailing, heartbroken, and obviously emotionally unstable girl. And Nagi didn't like not having any idea about anything.

'Schuldich!' Nagi snapped, and he immediately hooked himself onto Schwarz's bond so that everyone on it would hear him. 'Schuldich! Come and comfort your little girlfriend…she's crying now!'

'She's always crying,' came the easy breezy response. 'All girls cry. They're sensitive like that. Just pat her back and say that everything's going to be okay. She'll stop. It's rather simple, if you act out the emotions just right.'

'You do it then!' Nagi snarled across the bond. 'Sorry, but I'm not interested in being some girl's hankie.'

'Nagi…' Crawford's warning was clear. Do it, or face the more than dire consequences.

'Well, if you are not interested in the angel, I am,' Farfarello's voice slurred, and the entire bond flashed a dangerous high yellow. 'I'll watch over the little angel and turn her tears into something more…'

Nagi was silent as Farfarello's evil laughter filled the bond. He wasn't afraid of Crawford's threat; the most Crawford could do was take away his X-Box 360. He didn't want to take care of Usagi, but he wasn't at the point of nonchalance to leave her to Farfarello. In Nagi's honest opinion, no one less than the people Schwarz worked for deserved that type of disastrous and excruciating fate. It simply was not in his taste to leave the poor girl in Farfarello's hands; even if Schuldich would.

Nagi glanced at the girl. Still wailing, he thought to himself distastefully. He had never shown so many emotions—not even with Tot-chan. Usagi was innocent—that much was obvious. If he even allowed Farfarello to be within 5 feet of the girl, she'd be torn apart by his vicious verbal attacks alone. Not that Nagi truly cared for the innocent—after all, who had ever cared for him when he was left without help in the streets? No one. Only Schwarz had been willing enough to take him in, even if only for his talents. He could have never been accepted into society with the power he held. And it wasn't as if he was born a social creature—he was shy, and kept mostly to himself anyway.

This girl though—she had friends. Many of them, who were probably searching for Usagi frantically as he thought about what to do with her. She was graciously offered to join Schwarz for her own benefit, like they had done him. No, Schuldich had only taken her in for one of lame-brain hair-string get-immortal-fast schemes. And, surprisingly enough, Crawford had followed along with it. Nagi really didn't mind until he found out that he'd have to contribute to actually interacting with the girl—but whatever it took to achieve Schwarz's goal, right? Farfarello didn't care either way; keep the girl, kill the girl—nothing ever really mattered to him, as long as he got his way in the end. That was Schwarz's goal; to always get their way and what they want in the end. Farfarello always got his way, Crawford always got his power, Schuldich always got his honey-tasting thoughts, and Nagi finally got a place where he could go home. In the end, they all got what they wanted. In the end, Schwarz would get their sought after immortality, and that would just be added on their long list of things done.

In the end, would this girl get what she wanted?

'Well, Nagi,' Crawford spoke up, after a while. 'You have the choice now. You can stay with the girl, or give her to Farfarello. Pick.'

'But Farfarello will only tear her to shreds,' Nagi responded. 'Which would make this entire escapade a huge waste of time.'

'And my sheets,' added Schuldich. 'And my pants.'

Crawford was lackadaisical about the entire affair: 'Your point? We can always find another way to gain immortality; this is just one path of a million. Schuldich, you can always buy new sheets and pants. They never matched your general outfit and your wardrobe is atrocious, anyway. However, the question to you, Nagi, is…are willing to destroy this one path to immortality?'

Nagi stared at the girl, who was crying into her palms. Her shoulders were shaking terribly, and he was quite sure she'd collapse from her fever if she continued with her wailing.

What exactly did this girl do to deserve any type of horrible destiny? There was nothing special about her, nothing at all. She was just another dumb blonde. There was nothing, and yet this was the girl who could lead them to immortality. This was the girl who would be Queen of the entire world one day.

This was the girl that was Sailor Moon.

And suddenly, Nagi had his answer.

'I'll take care of her, for now,' Nagi mumbled across the bond. 'But I want extra allowance for this. And more free time from my studies.'

'You will get both,' Crawford agreed. 'You made the right choice, Nagi. Schwarz is quite proud of you—you are maturing into quite the young man.'

'Yes, and quite the babysitter,' Schuldich chuckled.

'Don't be surprised if you have to replace your whole wardrobe,' Nagi cracked.

'What?' Schuldich asked, panicked.

Nagi gave the others a view of a teasing sky blue before pulling himself out of the bond. Sighing and feeling extremely uncomfortable, Nagi sat down next to Usagi tentatively. Feeling even more uncomfortable, he patted her shoulder with his actual hand and whispered "Hey, it's going to be all right. You don't need him, anyway. He wasn't worth your time, and you're safe here. I'll protect you."

With a sniff, she looked up with uncertainty in her eyes. There was a willing trust there, and it almost alarmed Nagi, but at the same time…it oddly eased him. Why would she trust him so quickly? What had he done to gain it? What had she done to deserve this type of fate? What would she gain from trusting him? What would this girl gain from anything here?

Nothing; absolutely nothing.

"Really?" she asked, wiping some tears away with her hand. And he helped, brushing his own hand across her cheek. She looked rather startled, but accepted his touch. She gave him a small smile.

And everything really was that simple.

Schuldich leaned against the dryer, cigarette in hand, staring at the ceiling. Crawford was 10 feet away from him, sitting in a small wooden chair. They had been silent for the last 20 minutes, keeping an eye and ear on Nagi and the girl. And finally—

"Are you sure," Schuldich asked finally, seriously, as he took a puff on his cigarette. "That it is wise to allow them to bond? To build a relationship? Nagi is able to get too attached, when allowed to."

"It is necessary," Crawford answered sagely. "To make her comfortable, to wean her into a false sense of security—it is essential. She is now a part of Schwarz, whether she likes it or not. As for Nagi, he will be fine. It would only be an advantage to have Nagi share a relationship with Ms. Tsukino. We would have had to find a companion for him otherwise—Farfarello is obviously an unacceptable cohort."

"What if they get involved romantically?" Schuldich asked, scowling. Crawford smirked at him.

"And what if they do?" Crawford asked back. "Are you jealous, Schuldich?"

"Of course not," Schuldich snarled. "I just don't want my cushy seat at the throne threatened."

"Then I suggest you get your act in order," said Crawford boringly, standing up and fixing his cuffs. "Sweep her off her feet, do what you have to do, or else your cushy seat at the throne will be taken by someone else."

"Like you?" Schuldich sneered. Crawford smirked at him, shrugged, and left the downstairs Laundromat. Schuldich's eyes widened, before narrowing and taking his clothes out of the dryer.

Sweep her off her feet, eh?

Schuldich smirked.

Sweep her off, indeed.

End Chapter 4

AN: Didja like? Don't forget to feed my muses while they're on the run with ideas! Til' next time!