AN: A huge, huge thanks to FloraOne for her help with this fic and all the others I take 45 years to write. I'm currently sitting in her apartment in Germany, and we managed to plan the rest of this fic out, so I think you have a lot to look forward to and it hopefully won't take another year to get it done...HOPEFULLY.
Please let me know what you think, and thank you to all of you who have reviewed so far and not given up on this!
oOo
The door clicked shut behind them with a startling finality that filled Usagi with a large amount of uncertainty, but also a heat that seemed to radiate from the very core of her.
Mamoru was here. In her apartment. And she was pretty sure she'd made it very clear on the street that she intended to sex him up if he was into it.
Mamoru was here in her apartment.
They shuffled around each other awkwardly in the small genkan, bumping into each other as Mamoru took the time to bend down and neatly place his shoes by the wall, while Usagi kicked hers off in her usual haphazard sort of way.
"Would you…like some tea?" Usagi asked hesitantly, not really sure what came next. "It's one of the few things I can make without starting a fire…now, anyway."
He smiled at that, and she felt some of the tension go out of her shoulders. "Sure, I'd love some."
She smiled back and practically skipped off to the kitchen. It was only when she'd put the kettle on the stove, that she realized she'd been a terrible host.
Running back to the living room, she found Mamoru standing in the exact spot she'd left him, his eyes looking around like he was completely unsure what to do.
"I'm so sorry!" Usagi rushed out, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly. "Please, have a seat anywhere you like."
This apparently amused him as well, the left side of his mouth quirking up in a smirk, as he turned to head towards the couch.
Looking hastily around the area, she found that there were no dirty clothes strewn in places other than the hamper, and no dirty dishes stuck to the coffee table.
In that moment, Usagi was eternally grateful that one of Minako's bouts of the cleaning bug had hit while she'd been out of town, leaving the place palatable to the average person.
As she walked back to the kitchen, she found herself wondering if Mamoru was a neat freak.
Probably she snorted to herself. She could just imagine his dull grey apartment back in Osaka, with boring medical books, and neatly folded underwear tucked into his dresser drawer.
"What's so funny?"
She nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of his voice.
"N-nothing!" she squeaked, whirling around to face him. "You didn't want to sit down in the living room?"
He leaned against the kitchen entry wall, looking as cool and poised as could be. "Admittedly, it was rather entertaining to look at your rather large collection of cute, pink things, but you're in here, and not out there, so..."
He trailed off, and she sucked in a breath at his admission. She couldn't think of anything to say in response, so she turned back to the tea, fumbling in the cabinets for cups.
"You said you have a roommate, right? Where is she?"
Usagi smiled to herself. "You assume it's a she?" she replied, not turning around.
"Well, no, I just-"
Usagi could sense how much she'd flustered him, could imagine him running a hand through his hair. It made her grin.
She turned around, and gave him a warm smile. "She, Minako, is out for the night with her boyfriend of the week."
"How do you know she won't be back?" he asked, seeming nervous.
Usagi giggled a bit. "Trust me. She won't be back tonight."
Artemis hopped down from his perch on top of the fridge, then, startling them both. His eyes narrowed suspiciously at Mamoru's form, as he trotted over to the tall man boldly, sniffing him.
Usagi braced herself for the inevitable hissing to follow. Artemis could be such a crotchety old man sometimes, but to her surprise, when Mamoru reached down to offer his hand, the pure white cat, began to nuzzle him, purring loudly.
"That's weird," Usagi said, the scene in front of her equally confusing her and making her insides turn to goo, as Artemis jumped into Mamoru's waiting arms like a small child. "He's not a people person."
Mamoru scratched the cat behind the ears. "Neither am I. Maybe he senses I'm a kindred spirit," he said, mischief lighting his features.
"Must be it," she said, in serious danger of getting lost in the blue of his eyes.
She jumped slightly when the kettle blew, stupidly stating, "tea's ready," as she busied herself again with her back to him.
"He does have that exact same spot that Luna does," Mamoru mused quietly behind her. "But why did your roommate name him after a goddess, though? Did she not realize, or?"
Usagi snickered. "Oh, I'm sure she realized. Minako is about as feminist as they come. She probably gave him the most feminine name she could think of. What's better than a goddess, after all?"
She walked over, and held out her arms to Artemis. "Come on, Artemis," she said cheerily, and she could have sworn the cat was genuinely glaring at her. He could be so...human sometimes. "Let's leave Mamoru alone and go get your dinner."
Artemis didn't move. Instead he lifted up a paw and began grooming himself, acting as if Usagi didn't even exist.
She huffed at him, and Mamoru laughed heartily at the cat's obvious attempt to ignore Usagi.
"What if I fed you?" he asked Artemis, with a good scratch behind his ears. Artemis meowed at him, jumping down from his arms, beginning a fast trot out of the kitchen.
"Little brat," Usagi muttered.
"Aw, don't worry, Odango," he said, reaching out to cup her cheek, his eyes lit with obvious affection. His thumb ran across her skin, and her pulse raced at his touch. "It's just beginners luck, is all. He's had a lot of years to build up a resistance to your charms."
Usagi's eyes widened at his words. "My...charms?" she managed to squeak out, her voice sounding very much unlike itself.
He smiled softly, and she smiled back in spite of the nervousness she felt, unable to resist the beautiful sight he made standing so close to her. She leaned into his touch, letting her eyes flutter closed for a moment while his thumb stroked back and forth, allowing herself to indulge in the feel of him.
"Mmm," he murmured, leaning his forehead down to press against hers.
He was so close she could feel his breath on her lips, could see the intensity of his eyes, which seemed to be clouded with something she couldn't quite name.
Something had switched in him, she'd noticed, as her eyes clashed with his and she licked her lips in anticipation. He was being bolder with her. His eyes more confident, as he touched her face and stroked her skin.
And it turned her on in ways she didn't know were possible.
Visions of him between her legs, sweat breaking out on his muscled skin, as he moaned and moved so deeply in her she couldn't help but cry out from the exquisiteness of it all, flitted through her mind, making her burn with desire.
Her hands came up to grasp his chest, desperately needing to hold onto something, as her insides and legs turned to complete jelly. She contemplated dragging him into her bedroom and locking the door, never, ever letting him escape the confines of her room, her bed, her arms.
Because this feeling, whatever it was, she knew it was special. Knew it was a once in a lifetime kind of thing. And how could she possibly let that go?
They were so close to kissing, and the anticipation was killing her. She'd never been one for patience. It was so overrated.
She flicked her eyes down to his lips, biting back a groan at how soft and full and kissable they were.
Mamoru chuckled at her obvious display of wanting, and her hands clutched at the fabric of his dress shirt.
"Want something?" he asked softly, his bangs tickling her forehead.
Usagi swallowed hard. Her brain scrambling for an answer, and she almost laughed at the absurdity of it all.
Here she was, standing intimately in her kitchen with a practical stranger that she'd met on a train twelve hours before. But he didn't feel like a stranger, and she was simultaneously more comfortable with him and freaked out by him than she ever had been by anyone in her life.
"I do," she finally managed to say.
"And what would that be?" he whispered huskily, the smirk gone from his face. It was his turn to look down at her lips.
But before she could answer they were interrupted by a long, sad mewling from Artemis, as he came back to the kitchen in an apparent search for Mamoru who had promised to feed him.
Usagi shut her eyes, and nearly cried in response to the cock-blocking cat. "I think he wants you to follow him," she told Mamoru who had snapped back up to his full height, a distinct tinge of pink on his cheeks.
"Right. Food," he said, running a hand through his hair.
The two left the kitchen, and Usagi stumbled back towards the counter holding onto it for dear life. "He gets one cup!" she called out, voice shaking and betraying the mess that her insides still were.
She took in a deep breath and finally turned back to the cooling tea. Placing the cups on the small serving tray she walked as quickly as she could without spilling everything into the living room, not trusting her legs to stay steady any longer than they absolutely had to.
She placed the tray on the coffee table, and then collapsed in a heap onto the couch, letting out a huff of air that ruffled her bangs.
Closing her eyes, she let herself sink into the soft couch cushions, trying her best to calm her still wildly beating heart, and forget the overwhelming sensation of having Mamoru Chiba so close.
She was concentrating so hard on breathing deeply, that she missed the soft footfalls walking closer, and she startled a bit when the couch bent under the weight of Mamoru sitting next to her.
"That bad, huh?" he asked, voice deep and silky.
Usagi relaxed again, closing her eyes with a shake of her head. "No, it's just been a long day."
"Do you…" he started quietly, looking towards the door. "Do you want me to go?"
She sprang up from her slouched position, and he jumped at the sudden movement.
"No!" she cried out, latching her hand onto his arm that was nearest to her.
She was being crazy, and she knew it, clinging to him like that, all but begging him to stay. But he had that amused look back in his eyes, so it couldn't be all that bad.
"Unless, you...want to," she managed to choke out, taking her hand back and immediately missing the contact with his warmth.
But she didn't have to miss him for long, as he reached over to gently take her hand back, lacing his fingers through hers.
Usagi looked up at him, eyes wide and cheeks flushed. She was amazed at how gentle and soft this giant of a man was. As if she needed any other reasons to fall completely and irrevocably in love with him.
"No," he said, his voice calm, but with just as much resolve as she'd shouted no just a moment ago. "I don't want to go."
A tiny smile curled at her lips, before she looked back down at their clasped hands, a heavy silence settling over them, as their tea lay forgotten and cold on the coffee table.
She needed this. Needed him. Needed him to do any number of inexplicably dirty things to her body for hours on end, and in turn she'd worship him like the sex on legs he was.
So, it really wasn't that much of a surprise what blurted out of her mouth next.
"Do you want to see my bedroom?"
Smooth, Usagi she thought to herself, as she cringed, resisting the heavy urge to slap her forehead at her ridiculous antics. You might as well have just begged him to fuck you.
Mamoru's other hand gently grabbed her chin, and her eyes locked on his.
He swallowed as his eyes searched hers, and Usagi noticed how his eyes looked nearly black.
"Yes. Show me everything."
It was a blur after those words came out of his mouth. She knew she'd instantly stood to her feet with him in tow. She pulled him by his hand towards the only destination she'd really had in mind since the moment she'd laid eyes on him that morning.
She launched herself at him, her hand reaching behind her blindy for the door handle, their lips colliding, as his hands came up to hold her underneath her bum, while her legs wrapped around him in a vice grip.
Most of her first kisses with other men had been chaste and sweet, tentative even. Nothing at all like the searing fire that surged through her and into him as they kissed and sucked and nipped.
But she couldn't keep herself from taking everything he was willing to give, his hands squeezing her bottom and lips trailing hot and wet down her neck, while her hands clutched in the silkiest hair she'd ever felt.
His feet began to move towards the bed, and she screeched a bit, clinging to him, and he chuckled at her, deep in his chest.
"I won't drop you," he cajoled near her ear, sending a new wave of shivers down her spine.
With the muscles she could clearly feel underneath his now rumbled dress shirt, she believed him whole-heartedly.
Mamoru lowered her to the bed gently, his large form looming over her, pupils wide in the darkness of the room with only the lights from the bright street lamp just outside her window to light the room.
Usagi reached up to grab his skinny, black tie, pulling him down for another kiss after deciding it had been far too long since she'd felt his lips on hers.
She sat up as her tongue raked the bottom of his teeth, fumbling madly with the buttons of his shirt, while he loosened and ripped off his tie.
But she broke away, slightly startled, when she felt his large hand cover hers, stilling it on his chest.
He smiled boyishly, causing her stomach to flip, and her center to ache.
"Let me help you," he said, leaning down to peck her lips.
And she was left to ogle as he swiftly unbuttoned his shirt with practiced ease. The white fabric fluttering to the floor, his chest now laid bare.
Usagi reached out, trailing her hand down his stomach, delighting in the lean muscles of his abs, and imagining what it would be like to lick chocolate off of his skin.
He shivered under her touch. His eyes closing, while he sucked in a breath.
She scrambled away from him on the bed suddenly, the need to get out of her clothes becoming overwhelming while she watched Mamoru's bare chest rise and fall with haggard breaths.
His face registered alarm at the new distance between them, and she leaned toward him again to place a reassuring kiss on his now swollen lips.
"Too many clothes," she mumbled against his mouth, before breaking away again and making quick work of the romper, leaving her clad in the only set of 'sexy' underwear she owned, a black lace ensemble that Minako had practically forced her to buy, "just in case."
And that's why she had donned it that afternoon before running out to catch his lecture. Just in case her mind had reasoned, even as she shook her head at herself in the mirror, knowing the odds of her enticing a practical stranger to her bed were slim to none.
But now, she was glad she'd worn them.
Especially if the way his mouth hung open and his eyes appeared to drink her up as if he were a man lost in the desert who stumbled upon an oasis were any indication of what she was doing to him.
She saw him swallow hard, his hands clenching at his side as if he was having to physically restrain himself from touching her.
Scooting back over to him, her hands reached out to his belt buckle and her eyes latched onto his.
He gave her a nod, and her impatient fingers moved as quickly as she could make them. A sudden, desperate need to see all of him filling her to the brim.
Mamoru's hands snapped up to her waist, holding onto her while she pushed his pants down and away from his body. His breathing was uneven, taking in large gulps of air while his eyes watched her fingers fumble with his belt, and Usagi found It took everything in her not to hiss in pleasure at the feel of his large, warm hands on the skin near her belly.
He stepped out of his pants and kicked them away, and Usagi wasted no time in pulling him back to her. Her arms wrapped around his neck when she kissed him, delighting in the feel of his body against hers.
She was on her knees on the bed, and with Mamoru standing, she was almost level with him, giving her perfect access to his hair and the taut muscles that pulled in his shoulders and back.
He was delicious in every sense of the word, and Usagi couldn't resist grinding her hips into him, enjoying the moan they released into each others mouths at the friction.
But it wasn't enough, she decided as the press of his arousal became more apparent with each passing second.
He broke away with a start, holding her at arm's length, his hands gripping her shoulders in a strange mix of firm and gentle.
She searched his eyes as well as she could in the dark, suddenly nervous. "What's wrong?"
Mamoru pulled her back to him briefly for a kiss so intense that she was sure would start a fire on the soft cotton of her bed.
"Are you sure?" he murmured against her mouth.
Usagi had to bite back a completely inappropriate bark of laughter. Was she sure?
Never more of anything in her entire life.
She placed her forehead against his, their eyes clashing for what must have been the hundredth time that day since she'd first laid eyes on him on the train.
Her response formed effortlessly on her lips, suddenly feeling like the most important thing she'd ever say.
"Yes."
oOo
"C'mere," his deep voice slurred, and Usagi sighed in total contentment as she was pulled into against the sticky skin of his chest, strong arms encircling her in an embrace she knew had no right to feel like home, yet it did.
Usagi glanced tiredly at the clock hung high on the wall. It was well past three in the morning, and she was fighting to keep her eyes open.
They'd spent hours exploring and tasting each other, and any fears she'd had about bringing her own awkwardness to the table had been completely unfounded.
She'd had sex a handful of times before, but this...this was...otherwordly.
The men she'd fallen into bed with before had been enthusiastic, certainly, but they had only ever managed to do what they thought she wanted, what they thought sex should be like.
But Mamoru just seemed to know. Knew what buttons to push, when to touch and where, how to rub his thumb and tongue and teeth in just the right way to send her crying out over the edge.
He knew what he was doing. He fit her somehow in every possible way. The back of her brain told her it was probably because he'd had so much experience. A man who looked like Mamoru Chiba didn't make it to his age without having countless women grace his bed.
It made her heart clench thinking it was always like this for him. But she pushed it down, the safety of his arms and the gentle rise and fall of his chest was enough to convince her that this was all she needed. For now.
She felt his arms tighten around her and his nose nuzzle the top of her head.
"I thought you didn't like hugs?" she asked, unable to resist burrowing her face into the crook of his neck.
"I lied," he practically growled, hugging her to him even more tightly for a moment, and she giggled.
She let her eyes droop closed, enjoying the weight of his chin on the top of her head, and she was surprised when he spoke again.
"Still want some of those cookies?"
Usagi lifted her head to look at him in confusion. "What?"
His eyes blinked open blearily. "The cookies your friend makes. You said they're better than sex."
Her face flushed at the memory. The irony that this made her blush after everything he'd done to her over the past few hours wasn't lost on her.
She placed a kiss to his chest, and his steady breath caught at the touch.
"Mamo-chan," she said slowly, enjoying how his eyes widened at the name. "I can honestly say, I haven't thought about food for like...three hours, now."
He smiled, and closed his eyes again. "Good, Usako."
"Are you talking to my bunny?" she asked incredulously, unable to fathom anyone would call her by such a sweet, tender name that he'd given to the stuffed toy a few hours earlier.
He pulled her closer. "No, I'm talking to you."
oOo
She was jostled awake by movement, a sudden feeling of emptiness floated through her sleepy brain, as she realized Mamoru was leaving the bed.
"Mmmnooo," she whined, reaching out for him, and accidentally swatting his chest while he tried to delicately extricate himself from her hold.
She heard his quiet laugh, and then his voice was near her ear.
"Shhh, go back to sleep," he said with a kiss to her temple.
"Where you going?" she asked, voice still heavy with sleep, but a bit of panic set in that he might be leaving.
"Just to make some coffee," he said from what sounded like near the door. "I'm not going anywhere, Usako."
When she heard the door close softly, she rolled over into the warmth he'd left in her sheets, and sighed contentedly.
There really was no better place in the world than her bed.
Manga reading happened there. Anime watching on her laptop happened there. Sleep happened there. And now, apparently sex with gorgeous doctors happened there, too.
God, she loved her bed.
There wasn't anything that could possibly make her want to leave this safe, happy haven.
Except, perhaps, the smell of cooking bacon.
She sat straight up, suddenly fully awake, and her stomach grumbled in distaste at smelling such heavenly food but not being able to enjoy it.
Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, Usagi picked up Mamoru's starched white shirt from the day before, and haphazardly buttoned a few buttons.
She resisted the urge to look at herself in the mirror, knowing she'd obsess over how ridiculous her hair looked at the moment if she did, and quickly made her way towards the kitchen.
The sight that greeted her made her bite her lip to keep a ridiculous grin from spreading across her face.
Mamoru- obnoxious, awkward, brilliant, gorgeous, sexy Mamoru- was standing in her kitchen clad only in his underwear, while he sipped on coffee and bent over the stove.
He caught sight of her out of the corner of his eye, then, and turned with a slow smile, his eyes going dark.
Usagi walked over to him, wrapping her arms around his middle (they were barely long enough to manage), and she leaned her head against his back.
She felt his laugh rumble deep in his chest. "I thought you were going back to sleep?"
"You made bacon," she replied matter-of-factly, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Ahh, so bacon is worth getting out of bed for?" he asked, turning around in her embrace.
Usagi found herself pressed against his chest, and she sighed contentedly at the feel of his warm skin under her cheek. "Every. Time."
He laughed at her again, and she found the sound was quickly becoming her favorite. "Would you do me a favor and find plates for us?"
She nodded enthusiastically, and hopped away to begin rummaging through cabinets.
"Your parents certainly got your name right," he said, amusement evident in his voice.
"What do you mean?" she responded, peeking at him from behind a cabinet door.
Mamoru just smiled warmly at her and shook his head. "Nothing."
She looked at him quizzically, wondering to herself if she would ever be able to figure him out. "No offense, but you're weird."
But he just winked at her. "You say these things like I don't already know them."
The next half hour passed in perfect synchronicity. They moved together as if it were a practiced norm. Usagi setting the small table and pouring orange juice while Mamoru cooked the bacon just how she liked it without even asking (crispy in the middle, less done on the ends) and buttered the perfectly done toast.
Usagi chattered away about her life, her job, her friends, while she demolished a dozen slices of bacon, and Mamoru listened attentively, asking questions here and there, and she knew he was genuinely interested.
He even revealed little bits about himself and his life in Osaka. He was so busy with his work at the hospital and volunteering at a local clinic once a week that his social life was lacking, but he'd been trying to be more proactive about it, going out in groups with his co-workers every so often for drinks and attending the mixers the hospital threw every few months.
It almost made her feel as if they were actually dating. This easy sort of interaction that she'd never quite felt before made it so easy to pretend this wasn't just a one time thing. And instead of fighting it, she fell deeper and deeper into the illusion that this was real.
But reality had a funny way of reminding her it was very much still in play.
Usagi stiffened when she heard the key turning in the lock, and her gaze flew immediately to Mamoru, who seemed to have frozen in shock, his eyes wide.
"Usagi! I'm home!" she heard, Minako's sing-song voice call from the doorway. "I swear is there not one single man on this planet who knows how to make love anymore? I'm seriously considering switching to women permanently."
Mamoru's expression read of complete terror, and Usagi glanced around trying to think of any means of escape, while Minako rattled on.
"Did you make bacon? It doesn't smell burnt…"
Usagi scrambled for something to say, jumping to her feet to run interference before Minako managed to round the corner into the kitchen. "Uh...Mina, I-"
But she wasn't fast enough, because it was then that her roommate came into view, a surprised, yet delighted expression on her face when her eyes first landed on Mamoru, and then slid slowly over to Usagi.
"Oh, hello," Minako drawled, her eyebrows raised practically to her hairline, as she leaned against the wall casually.
Usagi rushed over to her friend and grabbed her arm, trying her best to lead the girl out of the room. But Minako stood fast.
"Usagi, you're being so rude to our guest!" she chided, looking over at Mamoru with what could only be described as an appreciative gaze. "Wait, I know you from somewhere."
Usagi's eyes widened in horror. "Mina, I don't think you-"
"Were you one of the guys I hooked up with at that political science mixer at Waseda a couple of years back?"
Mamoru coughed, his face beat red, as he glanced around the room, almost as if he was looking for any kind of escape. "Uhh...n-no, I went to Keio."
"Hmm," Minako appeared thoughtful before her face lit up, and she pulled out her phone. She walked nearer to him, holding the phone close to his face, the picture that Usagi had sent her the day before lighting up her screen.
Usagi had never felt more like crawling into a hole to die.
"Ah ha! You're the 5.6 from yesterday."
His brow furrowed. "The what?"
Minako walked around him a bit in the chair. "Though I have to say, I need to raise my rating. You don't photograph well, but the package isn't bad at all."
"Minako!" Usagi cried, as she watched Mamoru's face go through a range of emotions she couldn't quite name, though none of them good.
"Do you work out for a living, or something?"
"No!" he barked, his arms coming up to cross in front of his chest in what seemed like an effort to hide himself. "I'm a doctor."
"Ohhh!" Minako cried delightedly, "8.3."
Usagi groaned and buried her head in her hands wishing some terrible monster from an alternate dimension would take that exact moment to attack and end her misery.
"I approve of this," Minako went on. "So proud!" she said, patting Usagi on the arm.
Usagi glanced back at Mamoru praying he'd glance her way so she could do her best to apologize with her eyes, but his gaze remained resolutely on the tea cup in front of him.
"Anyway, I've got to run and meet Rei for breakfast and you know how she is about me being late," Minako said with a flip of her hair, as she walked away from them and out of the kitchen.
But before she left, she leaned back around the corner, and loudly whispered. "There's condoms in my nightstand if you run out."
Usagi stood frozen on the cold tile of the kitchen, completely unsure of what to do or say that could even possibly make the situation any less awkward.
She nearly jumped out of her skin when Mamoru spoke first.
"So, how often do you go around assigning ratings to people?"
"Mamoru, I-" she started, fumbling for words.
She remained rooted to her spot when he rose from his chair, and stalked past her, mumbling, "I'm going to take a shower."
oOo
Usagi stood outside the bathroom door battling with herself for a good five minutes after hearing the water begin to run.
He'd seemed so freaked out after Minako had made her grand entrance, and she couldn't blame him really. Her mind just kept going back to what she'd feel like if the roles were reversed. If his roommate walked in on her half naked in his apartment, and then proceeded to make suggestive comments for the duration of the conversation.
Whatever slight peace they'd managed to create within the walls of her bedroom the night before seemed to shatter when the real world stepped in.
She knew she should just leave him alone. Let him shower and dress in his walk of shame clothes and head back to Motoki's place. It's not like this was going anywhere, anyway.
She knew that when she invited him up to her apartment the night before. She knew that when she'd invited him into her bed and when she fell asleep in his arms. No matter how inappropriate Minako could be, she couldn't be blamed for this inevitably.
No one was to blame for that except Usagi.
But she just wasn't ready to let him go, no matter how selfish it was, and the need to see him, the need for reassurance, eventually won out.
She opened and closed the door as quietly as she could, grateful for the strong water pressure covering up the sounds she was making.
Unbuttoning Mamoru's shirt that she'd donned, she let it flutter to the ground. With tentative hands she reached out to pull back the flowery curtain that separated her from the man she so desperately wanted to see.
He didn't move when she stepped in. He had one hand pressed against the shower wall, his eyes closed and form stiff as he let water pour over his head.
Without thinking, she reached for the soap, and began to lather it over the strong muscles of his back, not saying a word.
He tensed at her touch, but as soon as it came, it was gone, and she saw his shoulders relax, and his posture slouch while her hands moved and rubbed over him.
Neither of them spoke, but Usagi began to work her way down the backs of his legs, caressing his thighs and calves, unable to keep herself from marveling at the sheer power of his form.
She reached her hands around him, and stroked the planes of his chest. She could feel his stomach flex at her touch, knew her fingers were arousing him, but she stopped short of that, only allowing her hands to feel the jutting bones of his hips.
Mamoru slowly turned then, letting his hand drop from the wall. His eyes were intense and unreadable, and Usagi unwittingly took a step back.
But he followed her, eyes never breaking her gaze, and took the soap from her hands.
She closed her eyes when she felt the amazing softness of his hands on her body, while he began to return the favor.
He was impossibly gentle, long fingers brushing over her breasts and neck in barely there touches that sent jolts of electricity through her.
It was overwhelming being this close to him. Being touched by him. What must it be like to be loved by him?
She had to bite her lip to keep tears from spilling over, swallow hard to keep the choking cry that welled up in her throat down.
His hands stilled on her form, and Usagi opened her eyes to see Mamoru staring at her, his expression softer than it had been, and she sucked in a breath.
A lone, traitorous tear escaped her eye, and he reached up to cup her face and wipe it away.
She leaned into his touch. "I'm not ready," she whispered, finally breaking the silence.
She was afraid to voice her thoughts out loud. His possible rejection stung her before he could even say the words, but his thumbs stroked her cheek, coaxing her to continue.
"I'm not ready for this to end, Mamo-chan," she spilled out. "I can't-"
He interrupted her with a desperate, bruising kind of kiss that chased all thought from her mind.
It was unlike anything she'd ever felt, even in their time together the night before, he hadn't poured this much into her. He was soft and sweet, demanding and powerful all at once, and when his tongue swept into her mouth, Usagi let out a tortured moan.
He broke away too soon, and she nearly fell trying to chase after him. But he steadied her with his hands, and crushed her to him, his arms almost lifting her off the tile floor of the shower.
With his chin on her head, he spoke his first words to her since she'd stepped under the water with him.
"Spend the day with me?"
oOo
They stumbled through the door, barely managing to kick off their shoes before Usagi's back was pressed into the small cubicle that held various parts of Motoki's life, and Mamoru's mouth was back where it belonged.
She hissed as the wood of the furniture scraped her back, and Mamoru mumbled, "sorry," but she just shook her head, and sighed happily when he lifted her up, her legs wrapping around his waist as he clumsily walked towards the bedroom while still kissing her mouth and neck and face and his hands squeezed her bottom.
He laid her down on the unfamiliar bed much like he had the night before, but there was no hesitation this time, her hands diving into the knit cardigan he wore and her fingers clawed at the tight black t-shirt that kept his skin from her.
His erection stood out painfully in the skinny jeans that covered his legs, and she couldn't help but pull him down with her legs so she could grind herself against him, enjoying the strangled sound that left him immensely.
Usagi could tell he was trying to take things slow, but Usagi was having none of it, as every piece of her clothing fell to the floor in a heap, and she pouted at him while pulling at his the button on his jeans in frustration.
"Is Motoki going to be mad?" she asked during a brief moment of clarity, concern for the opinion of one of her oldest and dearest friends pushing its way to the surface through the surging of hormones and desire.
Mamoru's lips paused at the crook of her neck, and she felt a huff of air that felt like a laugh. "Considering the number of times he's offered his apartment for me to have sex in before, I highly doubt it."
He broke away from her then to dig in his wallet for a condom, and Usagi did her best to push down the fear that crept into her thoughts.
It had been an easy day between them. She'd insisted on taking him shopping so he wouldn't be stuck in his suit pants and dress shirt all day, and she'd loved every minute of his huffing and eye rolls as she suggested 'ridiculous' things for him to try on, before he finally settled on the simple casual outfit he'd recently discarded to the floor.
She'd told him of her friends and family, and he talked more of his job and the small circle that was his life in Osaka. She'd even allowed him a few bites of her ice cream.
It had been nice. It felt like they could be an actual couple. But nothing had been defined. Nothing had been decided.
But it was easy to let it all slip from her mind as his body settled over her and he filled her to the brim.
oOo
"I'll call you," he said, as they stood right outside the entrance to the shinkansen gates, and Usagi furiously tapped her number into his phone.
They'd woken up way too late. Mamoru had to rush around to throw things into his bag, while she'd dressed blearily in her clothes from the day before, and tried to make her hair look a little more rabbit like and a lot less 'I just had amazing sex all night,' like.
He'd grabbed her hand and pulled her along all the way to the station, only briefly letting go when they went through the turnstiles, but quickly pulling her back as soon as she was free, but she didn't allow herself to feel how happy it made her.
She scoffed at his words, thrusting his phone back into his hands, feeling far too much the finality of their parting, and hating that while he had her number now, she didn't have his. The ball was in his court, the power firmly in his hands.
But a little hope bloomed in her when she felt his fingers under her chin, his eyes searching hers. His words were strong and firm when he spoke.
"I will."
She nodded, and leaned up to kiss his cheek. "You'd better hurry."
He turned his head and caught her lips one last time, a lopsided smile on his face when he pulled away and turned from her, showing his ticket to the agent without a look back.
And Usagi stood, unmoving, long after he was out of sight.