A Story of Love

By: Ices

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Chapter two

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-Later that night-

Usagi tossed and turned on her bed, the sheets tangling around her body as sweat broke out on her skin in a fine sheen, she moaned softly in her sleep thrashing about, whispered words of love and sex talk filled her ears as she moaned deeply in her throat and thrashed about more. She continued to thrash around on her bed until with a thump she landed on the floor.

"What the..." she muttered trying to untangle herself from the sheets and comforter. Her dream came back to her in vague flashes and she groaned.

"Damn you Mamoru…" she muttered under her breath and struggled to her feet.

Luna who had been watching the girl in bed from her perch on the dresser tilted her head to the side slightly, wonder what was wrong with her master. The girl hadn't slept well the night before almost as if she were having a nightmare or maybe an erotic dream by the look of Usagi's flushed face.

'Who's Mamoru? You were muttering his name in your sleep Usagi.'

Usagi glanced at the cat giving her a dark look then grabbed up a towel and moved to her closet looking for a change of clothes to wear. She had to get her mind off of Mamoru, she had to or she would go nuts. So she was going to take another day off from her writing and go out with friends shopping. She pulled out a printed brown skirt that had a vine of pink lily's that went from hip to waist and a white baby t-shirt. Then picking up her hair brush she moved past the cat toward the bathroom.

'Usagi? Who is Mamoru?'

"He's no one Luna, not anymore at least." Usagi called back closing the door behind her.

Luna stared at the closed bathroom door then moved over to the window that Usagi always left open for her. A quick bunching of muscles had Luna jumping from the windowsill to the tree just outside; she quickly worked her way down the tree and to the road below. This Mamoru was someone, and Luna was going to find out who, because he still seemed to mean something to her master.

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Inside the bathroom Usagi turned the shower on full blast and hot, very hot, she felt the need to scrub her body and cleanse it. Maybe it would help her cleanse her mind of Mamoru, and the time she had been happy, if only for a little while. Slowly she stripped out of her silk pajama bottoms and the camisole top she wore and climbed into the steaming spray. As the water beat rhythmically on her neck and shoulders Usagi began to soap up her bath sponge and stared at the pale blue tile. The steam swirled in hazy shapes before her eyes and drew her thoughts back to a time more than five years before…

-flash-

Usagi came out of the arcade after talking with Motoki, well more like comforting him, she added silently with a smile. She glanced down at her watch then moved across the street to the park and into the rose garden. She paused every so often to touch the velvet petals of the flowers, some white, some lavender some a pale pink. They were all beautiful but she had a destination in mind, she moved with quickening steps toward the center of the rose garden and smiled when she saw a man with short cropped black hair sitting on the stone bench under the red rose bower.

Going onto her tip toes she moved silently up behind the man and watched him for a moment, he had a book open on his lap and while reading was casually taking notes with his free hand. His broad shoulders stretched the seams of the most hideous green jean jacket, and his midnight colored eyes were hidden from her view by black sunglasses. She gently placed her hands over his eyes, suppressing a giggle.

"Guess who."

Mamoru stiffened a minute then grinned as he leaned back against Usagi, then he set his book and notes to the side and slowly drew her hands from his eyes placing a kiss on each before pulling them down to rest on his shoulder.

"Could it be a beautiful woman with a curvaceous body and big boobs?" he asked in a mock hopeful voice.

With a playful shriek Usagi disengaged her hands from Mamoru's and began to pound on his shoulder with her fists lightly. Mamoru tried to stifle his laughter, it lasted only a moment before he was laughing so hard his side ached. Usagi growled and encircled his thick neck with her small hands playfully squeezing.

"It's not nice to laugh at me Mamo-chan!" She hissed in his ear.

Mamoru twisted about on the bench to face her and smiled up into her loving face before cupping her cheek in his palm. "I was right; it's the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. And she's here for me, and all mine. I love you Usako…"

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Usagi blinked back tears and scrubbed her face all the harder, why had this happened now? She had been happy with her life as it was going. She shook her head at herself knowing that she was lying to her self. She was lonely, so lonely she felt as if there was a hole in her chest. A festering, bleeding gaping hole, she thought bitterly as she leaned her forehead against the fogged tile and tried to force Mamoru from her thoughts once again.

"It's not fair." She whispered brokenly as she began to cry once more.

"Why do I have to continue to suffer?"

With an angry jerk Usagi turned off the water and climbed out of the shower shivering as she towel dried her body then wrapped the towel around her long hair. She dressed quickly and moved into her kitchen starting a pot of coffee, as the comforting sound of the Mr. Coffee started she picked up her phone and dialed a random number from the contacts list. She listened at is rang, then when a groggy voice came over the line she forced a brightness to her voice she wasn't feeling.

"Hello?" The voice muttered

"Ami! Sorry I woke you, I was wondering if you'd mind if I came up to jersey to visit you." Usagi said realizing that she had called her childhood friend.

Silence, then.

"Usa-chan it's early and I have tests today."

Usagi glanced at her clock and blinked seeing that it was indeed early, it was only seven in the morning. She sighed knowing that her friend was right. "Sorry Ami, I didn't really it was this early. I'll let you get some sleep, good luck on your tests."

Without waiting for a response she hit the cancel button and flopped back on her couch sinking deeper into her depression. As the rich aroma of coffee filled the apartment she stood the phone still held in one hand as she moved into the kitchen and poured herself a cup. She added a lot of cream, real cream not the nasty powdered stuff and sugar.

"I know what I'll do." She muttered touching lifting a hand to her waist length hair as she finished her coffee.

"Yes that's what I need."

Usagi tossed her mug in the sink and grabbed her car keys from the counter and went outside to her car. Sliding behind the wheel she drove the twenty minutes to the Towson mall and walked into the large four story building. A glance at the directory told her where she needed to go and she hurried in the direction of Colors. A new hair salon that had opened up the week before, she paused looking into the candle shop then continued on her way. Usagi reached the retro place and paused just inside the door wondering what to do now.

The receptionist looked up and flashed a kilowatt smile, "Welcome to Colors, how may I help you today."

Usagi's lips slowly turned up in a smile, "Hello I would like to get a hair cut."

The receptionist eyed the young girl a moment, "A trim then?"

Usagi shook her head, "No, I want to cut it all off."

As Usagi followed the receptionist to the chair the only thing in her mind was that Mamoru had once told her never to cut her hair.

'Well I don't have a reason not to anymore…' Usagi thought to herself as she sat down to wait.