Goal

The bench was very comfortable, to tell you the truth. I'm not even sure how I got there. But when I saw pretty little Usagi sitting quietly, staring off into space with a trickle of water running down her face, I knew something was wrong. Usagi never cried quietly, and there had never been a haunted look in her eyes as there was then.

"What's wrong, Usagi," I asked, sitting next to her.

"Nothing," she said, wiping away the tears with the palm of her hand.

"It can't be nothing. Why are you crying," I said, gently, wiping away the rest of her tears with my handkerchief.

"I-I...I'm just worried. I don't have a plan for my life."

"Oh, Usagi, why are you worrying now? You've got your whole life ahead of you. You've got friends, a family, and--"

"No goal in life. Am I supposed to be a klutz with bad grades who never amounts to anything in her entire life? What am I supposed to do in this life? I have a lot of ideas of what would be nice to do, but I'll never get the grades, and I'l never have the talent to do any of those things. I'm not a genius like Ami, or even a talented girl like Mina. I can't cook, so, even if I wanted to get married and have a family, I'd probably end up poisoning them. I can't even concentrate on one thing for more than a minute without getting distracted. What am I supposed to do, Mamoru," she asked, looking up at him with forlorn eyes.

What was I supposed to tell her? What do you tell the love of your young life that she is the reason for your being; that she had already fulfilled her purpose? I wished that I could hold her and tell her that everything would be alright; that everyone had a purpose. I wished that I could make her understand that there was more to life than death. I had found my reason for living so it seemed, but she still needed to find hers. "Don't let it get you down, Odango Atama," I said kissing her temple tenderly, then patting her head. Standing up, I took her hands and said, "Come on. Let's go get some cocoa." I felt a sudden thrill as I realized that I had done what I had never been able to do: I kissed her. I touched her.

:>: >: >: >: >: >: >: >: >:

Walking alongside Mamoru seemed like something out of a dream. A dream that Usagi thought would never come true. He was being so sensitive and thoughtful. She hoped she wasn't falling for him. That was the last thing she needed right now. Or...

Maybe it was exactly what she needed. A man. A man who would guide her and help her when she was in trouble. A man like...him. This man next to her. She paused from walking and stared at him.

He had stopped and turned when he realized that she was no longer beside him. "What's up, Usagi? Am I that repulsive," he teased.

"No," she whispered.

He walked back toward her and grabbed her hand. "You're too melancholy for your age. Cheer up, little bunny. I want to see you smile before the sun sets." He grinned at her, and they walked, practically skipping, the distance to the gamecenter, never knowing what kind of situation they had just entered.

Author's Notes: Isn't it cute? Oh, I'm so giddy. Are you giddy too? Let me know!