"How about her," Motoki asked, nodding his head towards a young woman seated towards the back of the arcade.
"No, that's Hana. I dated her in college. We didn't part amicably," Mamoru winced, remembering the horrific scene the woman had caused when he'd broken off their short relationship.
"Mamoru, I can't think of a single girl you haven't already dated or are not interested in dating," Motoki sighed, frustrated.
"Hello, Toki-chan, Mamoru-chan. What're you up to?"
Motoki and Mamoru turned at the sound of the familiar voice, to be greeted by a brightly smiling Usagi.
Mamoru pulled the chair next to him out from under the table.
"Take a seat, Usa. How was work?" Mamoru asked, ruffling Usagi's hair. She shrieked in protest, glaring at him as she fished a brush out of her purse to right the damage done to her hair.
"It was just fine. I was working the Koizumi case, you know. Turns out his wife was lying when she claimed he was being unfaithful. He has a medical condition that would make that impossible. She'll get a nice settlement, but not nearly the payout she might've gotten," Usagi grinned.
"When you said you wanted to go to law school, I never thought you were serious, Usa, But you're damn good at what you do," Mamoru agreed.
"Oh, I know that. And I finished law school in half the time it normally takes. I stand by my convictions that I just wasn't being challenged enough in grade school," Usagi laughed. "So, Mamoru, how was your day? Anything new in the life of the famous doctor?"
"No, nothing special today, Odango. I'm on call all tonight, though, since two other prominent surgeons are out, but maybe I'll get lucky, huh?" Mamoru stretched back in his chair, tipping back the last of his coffee.
"I can't believe you two used to fight like cats and dogs," Motoki said incredulously. "Hey, Mamoru, you can date Usa-chan!"
Usagi looked shocked.
"Wh-what?" She stammered.
Mamoru laughed, slouching forward in his chair.
"I was telling Motoki how I need a girlfriend. Now he's got it into his head that we should date," Mamoru explained.
"What about her?" Usagi asked, pointing to a woman towards towards the back of the arcade.
"That's Hana. Mamoru already dated her. Mamoru, Usagi's the only girl you haven't dated and dumped. Give me one good reason why you shouldn't date her," Motoki demanded.
"Don't I get any say in this?" Usagi protested.
"I can't date Usa. We've been friends for too long. Plus, Usagi's a forever sort of girl. She's not someone you'd casually go around with for a couple of weeks. She'd never forgive me for that, and I could never do that to her," Mamoru said.
"Would you please stop talking about me like I'm not here!" Usagi cried.
Mamoru and Motoki had the good sense to look contrite.
"Sorry, Usa," Mamoru said. "We've been good friends for the past five years. I never would've thought you'd grow out of being a crybaby."
Usagi stood up, purposely slinging her purse in such a way that it hit Mamoru right in the head.
"Hey!" He protested.
"Don't be a jerk, or you'll never find a girlfriend, Mamoru-chan," Usagi said, sticking her tongue out at him. "I have to go, I'm meeting daddy for dinner tonight."
"Have fun, Odango!" Mamoru ducked the brush she threw at him, laughing as she tripped over a chair on her way out. "You're still clumsy," he shouted after her.
"You've never stopped teasing that girl, Mamoru. I wonder what made her want to be friends with you after two years of being at each other's throats?" Motoki asked.
"She realized I was just teasing her. She's a nice girl. She's the only girl that ever wanted to just be friends with me. It's refreshing. She's good for me," Mamoru said.
"So you got over the crush you had on her? I realize it wasn't exactly appropriate for you to have a thing for such a young girl, but she's plenty old enough, now. She'll be twenty-two in another few weeks," Motoki said, rocking forward in his chair to lean his elbows on the table.
"What are you talking about, Motoki? I never had a crush on Usa-chan," Mamoru replied.
"You're kidding."
"No, I'm not. She was a fun kid to tease."
"Mamoru, you had a crush on her. Everyone could see it. Maybe Usagi even knew on some level. I saw it with my own eyes, Mamoru. It was in the way you looked at her. You do realize that for maybe six months you almost completely ignored me, right? Usagi was only sixteen, then. You'd come in, order a cup of coffee, and stare at Usagi until she left for the night. My god, Mamoru, of course you had a crush on her!" Motoki cried.
"I did not have a crush on the Odango! I just...I just...liked...oh, god, Motoki, I did, didn't I? Why didn't I see it myself?" Mamoru dropped his head to the table top.
"There, there," Motoki awkwardly patted Mamoru's hand. "I'm pretty sure she used to have a crush on you, too. Maybe it'd be a good idea to feel out where her feelings lie, and if she feels the same way you do, you two could try dating after all."
"What? Are you crazy? She'd think I was insane! No, no, you have to promise to never tell her. Usagi can't ever know about this. For heaven's sake, I'm seven years older than she is! Besides, it was years ago that I...well, you know. I'm over it now. Hell, I was over it forever ago. I didn't even KNOW I liked her until you pointed it out." Mamoru scowled.
"Damn it, Mamoru, I wish you wouldn't be so stubborn. You're going to regret not telling Usagi." Motoki crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair, glaring at Mamoru.
"Why would I regret it? Usagi would think I'm a creep if she ever knew. No, I'd rather keep her friendship than risk trying for more."
"Mamoru, you've got to think about it, okay? Have you ever wondered why you haven't found a steady girlfriend? Why you're not already married with five kids? Why you continually dump girls after only a few weeks of dating? You've already found your perfect woman, and no one else can compare to her. Mamoru, you're still in love with Usagi."
---
"Something bothering you, honey?"
Usagi smiled at her father's question. He'd never stopped acting as though he had executive decision over everything in her life. She put down her fork, dropping the pretense of picking at her food.
"No, daddy. Just boy problems," Usagi replied.
"I'm not too old to bring out the shotgun," Kenji Tsukino warned. Usagi laughed.
"It's all right, daddy, I'm not dating anyone. In fact, the one man I would be interested in dating isn't interested in me," Usagi said.
"Who's this guy who's not interested in you? Who could be crazy enough not to like my baby?" Kenji looked almost angry.
"Oh, daddy, he likes me just fine. He just doesn't want to date me. You remember Chiba Mamoru, right?" Usagi asked.
"Yes, nice enough young man. Smart, too. He's a doctor, isn't he?" Kenji asked.
"Yes. He's the one. We've been friends for so long, you know. I think I always had a bit of a crush on him, but he's years older than me, and I never thought I could actually measure up to any of the sophisticated women he's used to dating. So I just never tried." Usagi shrugged, as if it didn't bother her that much, but her father saw through the maneuver and touched her shoulder gently, dropping all pretenses of gruffness.
"He's the one, isn't he, honey? No one else is going to do for you."
Usagi burst into tears, and Kenji rounded the table to take his daughter in his arms, holding her like he'd done when she was just a child.
"Daddy, he said I was a forever kind of girl," Usagi sobbed. "There's no hope at all. I'm a forever kind of girl, and he's not interested in forever."
Kenji wisely didn't say anything at all. There was nothing to be said, nothing that could ease the pain of a breaking heart.
---
Mamoru paced his apartment that night, too concerned to sleep.
He might've once had a crush on Usagi, but that didn't mean he still did, right? And it certainly didn't mean he was in love with her! He thought back to his previous girlfriends.
Hana-chan had been okay. She'd been pretty and fun to be around, but she didn't have Usagi's sparkling personality.
Keiko-chan had been better. She laughed a lot, and was just around Usagi's height, but she didn't have Usagi's endless energy and enthusiasm.
Ayu-chan had been the best, but her hair was just the wrong shade of blonde. Usagi's sparkled like the sun. Ayu's had been a dull gold.
Mamoru rubbed his hands over his face. Could it really have been like that? Had he really dumped each girl because they weren't enough like Usagi?
If that was the case, he was certainly in love with Usagi. All at once, it hit him. Usagi. Of course he was in love with Usagi. Who wouldn't be? She was beautiful, smart, funny...her hair was just the right shade of blonde. Her eyes were the exactly perfect shade of blue. She lit up a room when she entered. Mamoru looked forward to seeing her everyday. She was the best part of his day, and she was always there for him. She'd been his best friend and confidante for the last five years. Of course he loved her. He'd always loved her. He'd never stopped loving her.
Mamoru grabbed his favorite green jacket off the coat rack and exited his apartment, running the three blocks to Usagi's apartment. He paced outside her door for a few moments, debating. If he told her now and she rejected him, they could never go back to the way their relationship had been before. Better to tell her and risk everything for the sake of gaining her love. Decidedly, he pounded on her door.
She didn't answer.
"Usagi! Open the door! I need to talk to you!" Mamoru shouted, pounding on the door even harder. He heard some noise from inside, and Usagi answered the door in her pajamas. Little pink bunnies danced across the white flannel, and Mamoru had to fight the urge to laugh.
"Mamoru, it's almost three in the morning, what do you-" Usagi's voice was cut off as Mamoru crushed her in his arms, kissing her fiercely.
"Usako," he breathed, taking the plunge, "I love you. I think I've always loved you. I didn't realize it until this afternoon, when Motoki pointed it out. I think I just refused to see it. But it's true. It's always been you, Usako. I've dumped every girl I've ever dated, because none of them were exactly right, none of them were you. It was you I wanted all along, and I didn't even know it. And even if you reject me, I'll go on loving you forever. I want to be your friend, no matter what, but I want to be your boyfriend more."
Usagi tried to blink back tears, her lips trembling as she tried to form the words that needed to be said.
"Mamoru, I've always loved you. I would like nothing more than to be your girlfriend. But you were right, today in the arcade. I'm a forever kind of girl. I couldn't take dating you in stride. I have to have forever or nothing. I do want forever, Mamoru, I want a house and kids and a husband who loves me." Usagi said. Mamoru brushed the tears from her cheeks, tears she hadn't even realized were falling. He laughed softly.
"I don't want a casual relationship with you, Odango," he whispered, touching his forehead to hers. "I want forever, too, but only with you. You are my everything, the only person in this entire world that I love. You are a forever kind of girl, Odango." He linked their fingers, kissing her cheeks, her forehead, her lips. Then he bent to whisper in her ear,
"But you're my forever girl."