Only Us

Usagi, Mamoru, and Nia were still seated on the kitchen stools when they reoriented themselves, standing to stretch after sitting perfectly still during their shared out-of-body experience. "Well, that was enlightening," Usagi remarked through a loud yawn. "How the heck are we supposed to save Alectrona from the Dark Cloud baddies?"

"We must kill them," Nia said, and Usagi's expression fell. "They have been alive much longer than us and their powers are formidable, but we must destroy them." The blonde only gave her a look of horror. "There is no other option! Alectrona is the personification of Helios, its protector. This solar system is centered on her. If Tartarus kills Alectrona, Helios will be defenseless. If Tartarus captures Helios, everything in Mar Serenitatis will die."

"We need to formulate some sort of plan for dealing with them," Mamoru suggested. "Clearly they have a method for tracking us down, but since we can't do the same…" He trailed off, realizing he didn't have any grand ideas. "I guess we just have to wait for them to come to us."

"That's too dangerous!" Usagi refuted. "They trashed our apartment while going after Michiru, they almost shot Ami and Mina, and Haruka was almost killed by a tree!"

Nia shook her head at the claims. "Those were constructs doing the bidding of their masters, golems of a sort, not the minions of Tartarus themselves. I was only able to follow their movements because I could sense their intentions. They were perversions of nature."

Silence permeated the kitchen until Mamoru spoke. "Are we the only ones who saw what Cometa showed us? The other guardians don't know the full scope of things?" Nia nodded somberly; the responsibility was theirs to share for the time being. "You said you learned of additional Aspects in one of your dreams, right? What are they like?"

"They are… difficult to describe," Nia answered. "There are ten of them, five that foster life and five that undo it. Cometa is an Aspect of Creation. Tartarus is a spawn of Vocitus, the Aspect of Despair. I did not see them all, but I felt them. They form the pillars of the universe."

"So it's light versus dark, life against death…" Usagi had a strange look in her eye. "This is like a real-life video game. We get to be warriors and heroes."

"Usako, that's not really—"

"I'm not going to die this time!" she shouted, her visage steeling. "I don't want to be the useless princess again! I'm not going to let anyone die because of a stupid…" She choked on a sob. "A stupid, selfish man who cared about nothing but himself, not even his own family!" Mamoru rounded the island to hug her, unbothered by her tears soaking through his thin shirt. "Selene didn't do anything wrong by falling in love with Endymion! And my mother, Iremia, supported them because she wanted peace in the solar system. Was that really too much to ask for?!"

"Hyperion was a truly selfish and arrogant man," Nia said gently. "I imagine his possession of the Eye made him believe he could attain anything he wanted."

Mamoru agreed with her. In retrospect, Pronoia's actions helped subvert the descent into chaos that Hyperion's takeover of Terra would have ushered. She had chosen the lesser of two evils; he couldn't resent her for that. Mamoru sighed, looking down at Usagi before facing Nia. "We should do something to prepare for the Dark Cloud's inevitable attacks."

"There is a major fault in the strength of our forces right now." Nia gave him a furtive little smile. "I can sense that the brave men who perished in Elysium before Endymion also have protective amulets awaiting them out in the world. I am going to find them."

"Good luck," was all Mamoru could think to say. He had hoped, in vain, that if he didn't acknowledge his housemates as being the reincarnations of Kunz, Jaden, Zois and Nephriticus, maybe they would be spared from the celestial conflict unfurling about them. He now realized how ignorant it was to believe that. He couldn't afford to let unfounded pacifism dictate his actions ever again.

Endymion's love for Selene had blinded him to everything else. She even told him the Dark Cloud was amassing some kind of force and still he was more concerned with bringing her into his fold than doing anything about it. He could have at least let his father Aitolos know. He should have acted like the prince his people expected him to be instead of running and hiding in Elysium like a damn coward. But Endymion didn't really care about the outside world. He was so focused on keeping the heart of Terra beating that he took no notice of its decaying body.

Mamoru would be a better leader; he was already much more rooted in the physical world. And as for Usagi… well, now he really wasn't certain of his feelings for her. Mamoru could hear the voice of Endymion echoing in response to every thought, a dual conscience in a single body. At the mere mention of Usagi's name Endymion automatically corrected it to "Selene". 'But she's not Selene,' Mamoru kept saying. 'Selene is gone. You are gone. We're different people now.'

"Not so different if you love her," was the rather snide response. Mamoru opened the Introduction to Kundalini Yoga book and began to read it. Perhaps with meditation he could learn how to mute the Prince.

"Jeez, could that movie have been any longer?" Makoto groaned while exiting the IMAX theater. "I hate sitting in one place for so long. I need to run!"

"At least it was a good movie," Ami said. "I thought it was very realistic."

"And the cinematography was great," Zach added.

"Even the secondary characters were developed."

"And that plot twist in the middle– genius!"

"Okay, you nerds," Joe cut in, "we all thought it was a good movie. But I think it's safe to say that Makoto isn't the only one feeling a little restless. The night is still young so let's find something else to do."

"We could go dancing or something," Nicholas suggested. Zach whooped his approval.

Rei wasn't entirely opposed to it, either. "Where would we go? The four of us are too young to drink and you two are too old for Kaelan's club."

Zach held up a finger. "That's true, but all he has to do is tell them to let us in. No one's gonna say no to the co-owner." So it was that they ended up in a VIP booth at Club Trillium; Kaelan even offered to cover all the food and drinks they consumed that night. One Matt Lange was the guest DJ on the main stage. His sound was deep and dark, too moody for Makoto and Nicholas' tastes, so they headed to the basement for something more upbeat.

As soon as they stepped onto the floor Nicholas thanked his lucky stars that everyone had agreed to his idea. He'd been feeling more than antsy as of late and hoped dancing the night away might cure him, plus he had a double curative in the form of Makoto. He remembered how good she looked on Halloween and wondered if she felt comfortable enough to dance with him. First, they had to carve out their own space among the crowd, which was easy for Nicholas since he was the bulkiest person in the room. Makoto followed him closely so she wouldn't get swept up by the crowd as he headed to the far rear corner. "You struck me as a front-of-the-room kind of guy," she commented.

"I like being able to actually hear," Nicholas returned with a grin. "Plus you get reverb back here." Makoto just laughed and put her hands up to the progressive house track filling her ears, closing her eyes as she grooved. The music washed over her right away, carrying her into the same sea of sound everyone else heard, but as Nicholas observed her he noticed something different about how she moved. It was absolutely effortless, liquid even, like Makoto was alone with the music without a care in the world as to who saw her. The longer he watched the more he came to believe the beat and melody existed solely for her. She was so free from her reservations it was like she never had any at all. 'Maybe she needed this as much as me.'

Something with a crunchy bassline came on and the crowd surged forward to devour it. But Makoto and Nicholas stayed right where they were, almost alone in the back of the room. "Wow, this is different!" the girl exclaimed.

Nicholas narrowed his eyes at the DJ. "I think I know this song…" He waited for the distinct synth to kick in. "I shared this on my SoundCloud last week!"

"Weird!" Makoto paid for a premium account on the streaming site so she could hoard workout tracks. She'd ask for his username when they left. "I like this. You have good taste."

"Thanks!" It felt nice having his preferred genres validated. He mostly kept them to himself after Mina said he listened to weird music, and this came from a girl who belted out nonsensical hyper-pop lyrics as dramatically as possible. When the next song transitioned in, an Arty remix, Nicholas grew even more suspicious of the DJ since he'd reposted that too, and then came a chill version of a summer festival anthem. 'This is way too coincidental,' he thought. Eventually, there was a break in the set and he made a beeline for the turntables as everyone headed upstairs to refuel. "Hey, bru," he said, earning the man's attention. "You got a site where I can grab this mix?"

"I just posted the playlist on SoundCloud. I'm part of the Smashing Tunes collective." That explained a lot; Nicholas followed their feed. The DJ grinned when he realized what was going on. "Thanks for the support, man. Is that your girl behind you?"

Nicholas glanced over his shoulder at Makoto, who waved. Not all women could make a pair of fitted jeans and a ruched top look like perfectly acceptable clubbing attire, but she did. "I wish," he replied in a furtive tone.

The DJ laughed. "Don't worry, the second set is full of stuff that'll help you get on that. I know what the ladies wanna hear– sexy, melodic trance. I got tons of new releases lined up."

"Looking forward to it." Nicholas gave him an appreciative nod before he and Makoto went to hydrate. Even though he had some money on his person he was thankful Kaelan was covering their drinks, enabling him to order an $8 mock Blue Hawaiian compared to Makoto's $5 Lava Flow. She didn't hesitate to trade straws with him, a sure sign that her barriers were still down. He prayed for the tact to keep it that way.

"Have you heard from your folks lately?" she inquired. "Christmas is in a couple weeks."

Nicholas groaned. "They called me the other day. I need to go present shopping for them."

Makoto thought it was nice that he sent gifts since he couldn't visit. "What did you get them last year?"

"Shot glasses. They collect them, plus they were cheap to ship. I have no idea what to send this year."

"There's a really cool culinary boutique not far from my place. I could go with you to find something. And if it's… on the spendy side…" she said carefully, "I can help out."

Gratitude glittered in his eyes. "Thanks a lot. Being a broke uni student sucks."

She tried to wave it off. "The only reason I have extra cash is because our rent is split three ways." Crap, that sounded bad too since Nicholas didn't pay rent like the other guys living in Kaelan's house. "I mean, I'm pretty good with money in general… unless there's a denim sale at Nordstrom." There, self-deprecating humor had to smooth things out. "Oh!" she exclaimed, startling him and several other people seated nearby, "You use SoundCloud, right? I do, too!"

"Really? I had no idea." They both brought out their phones to follow each other. Nicholas admired her profile picture, a rear shot of putting her hair up in preparation for handling Serious Business. Makoto tried not to giggle at his because it was a selfie with an exaggerated raised eyebrow. Nicholas chewed his lip while browsing her page, discovering she reposted lots and lots of trance artists he'd never heard of with the occasional remix of a pop song. Most of her playlists were trance albums from the early 2000s as well, and they must have been pretty elusive because there were a bunch of comments thanking her for uploading them. "This is the kind of stuff you train with?" he asked.

"Generally, yeah. It helps me work hard and fast."

Saying those words together was not conducive to quelling his imagination. "Nice. Well, wanna go back?"

Makoto pounded down the rest of her drink. "I'm ready for round two! Bring it on, DJ!"

Nicholas found her carefree attitude totally endearing. 'Is this the real her? Is this how she is when she doesn't feel the need to protect herself from anyone?' The fact that Makoto was no longer keeping him at arm's length made heat blossom in his chest.

The second set introduced a winter release from last year, with breathy vocals provided by a female singer Nicholas thought was quite good. Because Makoto had earned his undivided attention, he watched her mouth the lyrics rather than listen to the actual words. She was doing that thing again where she allowed herself to be swept up by haunting melodies and powerful synths and taken to some higher plane of existence that Nicholas wanted to experience for himself. Maybe if their bodies were closer together he'd feel a fraction of what she did. Was it something that could even be shared?

Makoto's eyes popped open when fingers landed on her arm. Nicholas wore an expression she'd never seen before, an odd combination of hope and guilt. She tilted her head, questioning. His sepia eyes traveled down her body and back up, and it was a good thing her pulse was already racing because she might've died of embarrassment if he noticed how a simple look like that affected her. She gave him the slightest of nods as permission, crossing her arms behind his neck as he stepped up to her. His stance was wide enough for her to avoid treading on his feet, and his hands lightly rested on her hips so as not to impede their sensual figure-eights. That was how she moved, twisting and shifting in time to the melody. It wasn't the beat that provided the journey but melodies and harmonies, breakdowns and build-ups.

This genre was the DJ's forte. His transitions were flawless and he knew how to maintain the energy of the room, guiding his audience on a masterful expedition. Makoto allowed herself to become lost in the sounds flowing into her head and through her body. Nicholas was right behind her, literally, moving in such perfect sync it felt like they had melded into one person. He pressed his cheek to hers, chin fitted in the curve of her neck, hands pushing up her shirt to feel her soft, sweaty skin and sinuous abdomen. When his fingertips reached her bra they fell back down her midsection and slid into her jeans, fondling her hips. Makoto felt his arousal and couldn't ignore the stupid little insecure thought that Nicholas wasn't really attracted to her, he'd been seduced by the atmosphere instead.

It was at this exact moment Makoto asked herself why she had never allowed a man to get close to her before, physically or emotionally. Her excuse had always been that she didn't want to be like Usagi and let anyone change her, make her dependent on them, or whittle away her self-confidence. But Usagi was not that girl anymore, so it was wrong for Makoto to keep comparing herself to someone who no longer existed. It was wrong for her to generalize and assume that all men would treat her the same. It was irrational to keep believing she didn't deserve love because anyone she cared about would suddenly pass away like her parents, leaving her all alone in the world.

From the moment she met Nicholas, he had been nothing but kind. He kept giving to her without expecting anything in return. She'd never heard him deride someone in any capacity. Nicholas was a genuinely nice guy. He treated her like a goddess and being in his arms made her feel like one, too. She couldn't deny that they had a lot in common, they did have chemistry, and he openly admitted he wouldn't be opposed to having a family. It was the one thing Makoto wanted more than anything else in the world, the only true life goal she set for herself. But in order to achieve that goal, she had to allow herself to be loved.

Being the ice queen she was, it had taken a while for Nicholas' flame to thaw the walls around her heart, but he held it steady and didn't offer it to anyone else. Tonight it was blazing, consuming her slowly. If Makoto threw herself into it, it would become an inferno that consumed her entirely.

The last song in the set was a brand-new remix of a Tune of the Year contender, so energizing that no one was really upset when the last note faded and the overhead lights stopped cycling in order to point everyone toward the exit. Midnight struck and Trillium officially closed. Fellow club-goers streamed along the sidewalk, heading for taxis, parental chauffeurs, or their own rides in the parking garage across the street. "Meet us out front," Nicholas texted Zach.

"Impossible," he replied. "Joe passed out from exhaustion so I took him home. I'm dropping off Ami and Rei, too."

"Oh, that's nice…" Nicholas grouched, shoving his phone into a back pocket. Makoto quirked an eyebrow. "Everyone left already."

Worry flooded her features. "They're coming back to get you, right? Zach at least?"

"He better. I can't afford a cab to Shoreline." He blew out a breath in an attempt to unwind and stop thinking about how perfectly Makoto's body fit against his own. Merely looking at her did not assist that endeavor.

"Well, it's cold as shit out here so you'll have to excuse me for not really wanting to hang around in front of an empty building while we wait for Zach." She smirked. "Just tell him to pick you up at our apartment, and then gloat about how he doesn't get delicious tea for abandoning you."

Nicholas chuckled as the two of them strolled along the waterfront. Trillium was about ten blocks from Elliott Bay Apartments and the walk did some good by ensuring he wasn't uncomfortably aroused by the time Makoto unlocked the door to her cozy abode. They both hung up their coats, then she put a teapot on a burner before disappearing into her bedroom to change out of her sweat-drenched clothes, Nicholas wishing he were so lucky. Instead he ducked into the little bathroom to wash his face. It was saturated with scents of feminine hair care products and body wash, and there were tons of small perfume bottles on one of the shelves beside the sink. Were any of them Makoto's? The only scent he'd been able to pick up earlier was the strawberry and coconut combo of the Lava Flow on her lips.

"So what kind of tea do you like?" she queried, and he rejoined her in the kitchen. "Rooibos, as Minako tells me?"

"I could do with a cup of earl grey," he replied, sounding very British just then.

Makoto eyed the cupboard before glancing at him sidelong. "Do you like London Fog? I just learned how to make a really good one. Well, 'good' by Usagi's lax standards."

London Fog was something Nicholas' father drank religiously despite the South African climate and the fact that he was Welsh and not English. "I'd love one," Nicholas said. He tried getting a good look at her exact method for crafting the latte, but she mostly had her back to him so his eyes kept drifting down to her posterior presented in Victoria's Secret lounge shorts. 'What else does she own from there?' Nicholas pinched his wrist under the table. Why was his second brain doing all the thinking tonight?

Makoto set the steaming grey beverage before him while clutching her own green tea, anxiously awaiting his verdict. Nicholas's eyes widened upon the first sip. "What did you put in this?" he lowly inquired.

"Um, well, I used almond milk because that's all we have… I know it adds an earthy flavor. The vanilla syrup is something I make myself with beans from Madagascar– Michiru uses it in her coffee. And there's a dash of nutmeg on top." Nutmeg was her secret ingredient in pretty much everything.

"It's amazing," Nicholas declared, gulping down half the latte.

Relief washed over Makoto as she claimed the armchair in the living room. "You can come sit in here if you want. Just try not to spill." He accepted the offer, getting comfortable on the sofa amid its plush pillows. Luna cautiously entered his proximity, sniffing him while he sat motionless. "She's so funny, watch," Makoto whispered, waiting for the inevitable blep-and-run she did to Mamoru every time he came over. Sure enough, her tiny pink tongue darted out to lick Nicholas' free hand before she dashed to Michiru's room with a chirrup. She had hidden during the time they spent at the mansion so none of the boys had really gotten the chance to be around her. Here, though, Luna's blep-and-run was a rite of passage for visitors.

"Never met a cat I actually liked till now," Nicholas admitted. "I'm more of a dog person."

Makoto smiled. "I like dogs too, but not little yappy ones like the neighbor has."

"Of course, they're basically rats." They shared a small laugh at that, glad they had yet another thing in common. Dogs, music, culinary expertise, nutrition, exercise, honesty… and a distinct lack of courage when it came to sharing their feelings. 'I need to say something,' Nicholas thought, 'but what if she really doesn't like me like that?'

'I need to tell him,' Makoto thought, 'but what if he's just been being nice this whole time?' Both of their mouths opened and they stopped speaking as soon as they heard the other. The girl recovered first. "Go ahead."

"Agh, ehm…" Nicholas glanced into his empty mug. "Can I have some of whatever you got?"

"Green tea? Sure." The way Makoto rose from the armchair was nothing short of unfailingly graceful. "Do you want me to add anything? It's kind of bitter by itself. I like it with strawberry syrup sometimes."

"That sounds good, thanks." Nicholas scolded himself for continually asking her to dote on him. "Wait, I'll get it." He all but leaped into the kitchen even though it was only five paces away. Makoto turned in surprise as he collided with her, the majority of her beverage splashing all over them. "Eina! Sorry, sorry!"

She blushed. "It's fine! I'll just rinse our clothes and throw them in the dryer." She pulled off her hoodie as Nicholas tugged on the back of his shirt, both freezing at the fact that they just undressed in front of each other.

Nicholas held his breath as Makoto extended a tentative hand. It met his stomach and he closed his eyes to the sensation of her palm gliding across his skin, fingers spreading as she reached his pectorals. They lingered for a moment before moving over his resounding heart. "Makoto, I…" Nicholas cleared the gravel from his throat. "I really like you. I know you don't date, but if you give me a chance I swear I'll be the best boyfriend in the world. Please…" Her viridian eyes searched his countenance for any signs of falsehood. "I'd never do anything to hurt you."

"I know," Makoto said, and the words had never sounded truer.

At that, the fire in Nicholas' chest burst forth to incinerate them both. Within seconds he had picked Makoto up, sat her on the counter, and attacked her lips with such fervor that her mind almost went spinning into orbit. The burning trails his hands and mouth left on her skin quickly brought her back down to earth. She accepted his kisses in a manner that could only be described as ravenous; she had been starved all her life and knew he could sate her. Her head dropped back to give him access to her neck, lips and tongue white-hot until he arrived at her collarbone where he promptly stopped, panting, fevered forehead on her shoulder. "Nicholas…"

He righted himself at the worry in her tone. "Zach's coming to get me. I don't wanna start something that can't be finished tonight."

Makoto didn't want that either, but the notion of "starting something" was hard to dismiss since she had the apartment all to herself. Usagi was with Mamoru and Michiru was staying with her producer friends to work on some ultra-secret project. But she still had to wash their clothes and the call of domestic duty couldn't go unanswered. "You're right, we should stop." His hold on her hadn't loosened at all. "I don't know if I'm even ready for… you." Her gaze darted to his crotch. Since he'd been grinding on her for a few hours, Makoto could tell he was rather well-endowed, and that was kind of daunting given her status as a virgin. She frowned slightly in an attempt to look serious. "I want to take things slow."

"Yes, right, of course…" Nicholas stepped away, picking his shirt up off the floor. "I came on way too strong just now."

"Well, that's something I like about you." She plucked the henley from his grasp, smiling. "That you're strong. I'm not a delicate flower or anything."

Nicholas laced his fingers behind his neck and directed a prayer for restraint at the ceiling. Makoto basically just said she wouldn't mind if he man-handled her which made him envision tossing her onto beds, pressing her up against walls, and not being very gentle when it came to removing her clothes, although he didn't want to rip anything on purpose like a certain landlord he knew. He wasn't made of money and couldn't replace undergarments that became casualties in the quest for an orgasm. "Sooo…" he said, blowing out a breath, "What do you want for Christmas?"

"To be happy," Makoto answered from the laundry nook. "But I think I just started unwrapping that present."