A Story of Love

Chapter Four

By: Ices

-------------

"Look Usako, the stars, someday I'll buy you the stars." Mamoru said looking down at the girl that rested her head in his lap.

Usagi giggled softly as she shifted her position on his lap, and grinned up at him reaching up to playfully pull on a lock of black hair.

"Mamo-chan I don't need the stars, with you by my side I will always be happy with whatever we have together."

Mamoru swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat at Usagi's words, what had he ever done to deserve someone as great at Usagi. He ran a hand through her long hair sifting the golden strands through his fingers. He would do anything for his Usako, anything to keep her at his side.

"You know I love you… right Usako?" He asked is a husky voice

Usagi nodded her head a bit in his lap laughing softly when he squirmed a little, "I know Mamo-chan, and I love you, more than you'll ever know." She stared back up at the stars twinkling over head. "You're my happiness after all." She said quietly and twined her fingers through his.

------------

"Why can't I forget you…?" A broken voice came from Mamoru's chest and he looked down at the woman in his arms, shaking off his own memories of the two of them.

"Because in your heart you don't want to forget me," he said softly.

Usagi shook her head and winced as the world spun dizzily, "Let me down Mamoru." She said pushing at his chest.

Mamoru stared at Usagi and slowly set her on her feet keeping a steadying hand on her arm as she swayed dangerously. He caught sight of her shorn hair and felt a lump rise in his throat, she had cut it. He stared down in to her cobalt eyes and saw such a deep sadness, and some how he knew that he was the cause.

Usagi shoved Mamoru's hand away and took a few rapid steps back leaning on someone's car trying to clear her head. She looked at the tall man from the space of a few feet between them and her heart started to beat rapidly.

'He can still make my pulse speed up without trying.' She thought to herself.

"What are you doing here Mamoru?" She asked putting a hand to her aching head.

"I came with Nephrite, you remember him don't you?"

Usagi nodded and looked at the large metal door that lead back into the club, "I remember him. He dated Naru for a while, and also Makoto." She replied then looked back at him.

"Yea, he drug me here. I didn't really want to come, but he said I needed time out." Mamoru explained lamely.

Usagi arched a brow and for a moment thought she saw a shadow of her own loneliness in his eyes. She shook her head and took a deep breath; he had nothing to be lonely about. He had walked out on her, not the other way around. She had been the one left wondering where her love had gone. She reached up with a trembling hand and pulled on one of the ringlets next to her ear.

Mamoru saw her pull on the short curl and almost winced as he again looked at the short locks. "You cut you hair."

"Yea it was getting too heavy, and I had no reason to leave it long anymore." Usagi stated flatly.

Mamoru stared up at the stars a moment unable to meet her gaze as memories roamed through his mind.

-flash-

Usagi sat cuddled against Mamoru's side at a booth in the arcade; he lifted one of the long tails of golden hair in his hand and played with it. He loved the texture, it was like warm silk in his hands, and he lifted it to his mouth and kissed it softly.

"You know Mamo-chan, one day I may cut it all off. Then you wouldn't be able to play with it so much." Usagi said grinning up at him through her eyelashes.

Mamoru's heart skipped a beat at the thought of her cutting off her hair, he looked down at her smiling face, "Promise me Usako that if you change anything about you that you won't ever change your hair."

Usagi giggled softly and kissed his neck then picked up a french fry and offered it to him, "So you only love me for my hair? Really Mamo-chan, it does grow back."

Mamoru nipped her fingers playfully as he took the offered french fry and turned a serious look to her. "Please Usako, anything but your hair."

Usagi appeared to be thinking about the offer then nodded as she cuddled closer to him, "Okay Mamo-chan, I won't ever change my hair."

-----------

"You promised that you wouldn't cut it Usako," He said softly not looking at her.

Pain and anger flash through Usagi at the same time and it clouded her eyes, "You don't have the right to make request from me Mamoru, and you don't have the right to call me that anymore. You haven't had the right for five years."

Anger gave way rapidly to pain as she continued to stare at Mamoru. He had left her, without a goodbye. Just disappeared one night, telling no one he was going. And now he was back, like he could just walk back into her life.

"Five years Mamoru!" She almost shouted at him. "Where the hell have you been? Who the hell do you think you are?" she screamed at him her voice gaining in volume.

Mamoru looked back at Usagi quickly masking the pain in his eyes, "I had to go Usagi."

"That's it? That's your great excuse? 'You had to go'? If that's the best you can offer me Mamoru, then you never…." Her voice faded to silence as tears glimmered in her eyes and she struggled to gain control.

"I never what?" He asked softly.

Usagi swallowed hard, "Then you never loved me."

Mamoru's heart began to break as he stared at Usagi, her words echoed accusingly in his head. "Is that what you really think Usagi?" He asked softly.

Usagi shook her head roughly curls bouncing around her head at the movement. "I don't know what to think Mamoru, I really don't. You tell me, if I walked… no just disappeared like you did. Would you think now that I had ever loved you?"

Mamoru opened his mouth then closed it finally saying, "No probably not. But I had my reasons Usagi, I really did."

Usagi reached a trembling hand out to him and slowly curled her fingers into a fist, "Then tell me why!" she cried softly.

Mamoru focused sorrow filled blue eyes on Usagi, "I can't…" He said brokenly as memories once more filled his mind.

------

Mamoru looked up at the two story brick building and took a breath before moving through the door. He smiled nervously at the secretary at the desk as he approached, "Hello I'm supposed to have a meeting with Kenji Tsukino." He said hoping his voice didn't quiver as much as he thought it did.

The secretary smiled warmly, "Are you Mamoru Chiba?"

Mamoru could only nod.

"Please follow me," The secretary said and stood walking down a long hallway that had only one door at the end, she knocked softly then stuck her head in. "Tsukino-san, Chiba-san is here to see you." She opened the door wider and motioned Mamoru through.

Mamoru smiled nervously as he moved past the woman and into the large office, he studied the man behind the large desk nervously.

"Please have a seat Mamoru." Kenji said neither smiling nor rising from his own seat.

Mamoru swallowed heavily and seated himself at the very edge of the chair.

"I will get straight to the point Mamoru," Kenji said studying the young man over the rim of his glasses.

"Yes sir." Mamoru said a feeling of dread circling his heart.

"I don't want to see you anywhere near my daughter; I don't want you to think her name. I don't want you to even ask about her at all."

Mamoru felt his mouth fall open as he stared at the older man, "Can I at least say goodbye? Tell her why I'm leaving?"

"No, if I see you anywhere near my daughter, or house I will have you arrested." Kenji said lifting a cigar from the wooden box on his desk and clipping the tip of it.

Mamoru stood and put his hands on top of the desk, "Sir this is unfair, not only to me but to Usagi! She won't know why I left, she'll hate me."

Kenji glanced at Mamoru over the top of his glasses once more, "Exactly…"

---------------

"'I can't' 'I had my reasons' You're not telling me anything new Mamoru." Usagi said tears streaming down her face unchecked. "How do you expect me to believe you?"

Mamoru opened his mouth to defend himself lifting a pleading hand then lowered it, staring helplessly at Usagi.

Usagi shook her head again brushing her curls back from her face, "I don't want to hear it anymore Mamoru. I don't care anymore." She lied as she moved brushing past him.

Mamoru turned his heart breaking all over again, "We were happy once…" It wasn't a question.

Usagi's hand curled around the metal handle and she pulled the door opening, "Once we were happy Mamoru…you ruined that." She said without looking back at him, and then slipped back into the club.

Mamoru watched the door bang closed and to him it sounded like a cell door slamming shut on his heart. He turned looking up at the starlit sky tears slowly making their way down his cheeks. He heard the door opening again but didn't turn to see who it was; he searched the sky for a sign.

"Hey Mamoru, you okay?" Nephrite asked looking at his friend in some shock.

Mamoru smiled softly, "No, but maybe perhaps I will be." He said softly his eyes following a lone star that fell making its way across the sky.

He had to make a plan.

He would win back his heart.