"Are you asking me on a date?" Usagi turned a nice shade of red at the question, bringing a familiar smirk to Hatsuharu's face. Normally she found it appealing, but at the moment it annoyed her to no end. She hit him on the shoulder when he laughed at her.

"Well since I invited Oniisan too, no, I don't think it's a date. But now you're uninvited, so it doesn't matter." With a huff, she turned to leave. Hatsuharu grabbed her wrist and pulled her against him before she could escape.

"I'm just teasing." Usagi smiled into his shirt.

"Now you're holding me captive? I'll have to send my brothers after you."

"If you're talking about Ayame, that isn't even remotely threatening." He released her then, looking down at her with his smirk still in place, "And Yuki would never hurt me, so your threat is pointless."

"Oh, I doubt that. And you still haven't answered me."

"Of course I'll come, but why the Summer Festival?" Usagi hesitated. They were standing in Shigure's kitchen, and she leaned into the counter, chewing her bottom lip as she thought of what to say.

"I guess it's just nostalgia. I've gone every year." Sighing, she said, "Plus it feels like an end somehow. Kyou and Tohru will be leaving, and Yuki is moving to attend university. I'd like us to be together one last time."

Usagi leaned back until she could rest her elbows on the countertop and look up at the ceiling, sorting through the memories of the past year, all that had happened so unexpectedly, and how much she had changed. "It seems a bit lonely. I just got Oniisan back and he's moving on."

Hatsuharu watched as she mused, her expression changing with every passing thought, and shook his head. He placed his hands on the counter on either side of her and leaned in until they were inches apart. Usagi finally took notice of him, startled at their proximity, her face flushing once more. "Are you going to wear a yukata to this festival?"

"Of course!" She appeared aghast at the question, and then pouted at him, "You're going to wear one too, right?" Hatsuharu grimaced at the suggestion, and her face fell. "You don't want to."

"Not particularly, but I'll do it on one condition." Before she could ask, Hatsuharu leaned in and covered her lips with his. The suddenness of it sent a flutter through her chest. She closed her eyes, felt him lean closer still, until they were pressed together. His hand came up, fingers curling around her waist, and she sighed against his lips.

"Hey! Quit making out in the kitchen, you weirdos!" Usagi pushed Hatsuharu away immediately. Behind him, she could see Kyou in the doorway practically shaking his fist at them. Tohru was just behind him, her face as red as a tomato. Hatsuharu frowned over his shoulder.

"This room's taken." Usagi felt her face heating up until she was sure she must be matching Tohru. Kyou started yelling something else that she couldn't quite decipher. She tugged on Hatsuharu's arm.

"Stop being a pervert. I'm sure Tohru-chan would like to start dinner." She pulled Hatsuharu with her as she fled the room, past the still yelling Kyou and the flustered Tohru. When she finally stopped, at the foot of the stairs, she caught sight of Hatsuharu's amused expression.

"Are you embarrassed?" He asked, leaning closer again. Usagi knew her face was still flushed.

"It's more concerning that you're not embarrassed at all."

"You're blocking the stairs." Yuki had appeared on the staircase above them. He was looking between them, his face impassive. "Is something wrong?"

"No, not at all!" Usagi blurted before Hatsuharu could respond. She stepped out of the way so Yuki could get by, but he was looking at her curiously now. Probably wondering why her face was so red. At least he hadn't been the one to walk into the kitchen a few moments ago.

"Oh, Usagi-chan!" Tohru appeared again from the kitchen, looking much more composed. "I, ah, was going to ask if you could go to the store? I forgot the milk yesterday." A half of a second passed before Tohru frantically waved her arms and said, "But if you're too busy, it's no problem! I was going to start dinner, but I can go first."

"Tohru-chan, I'll go! Calm down." Usagi smiled, cutting off Tohru's rant before she could get going. "I'll be back!"

Usagi headed for the door. When she paused to put her shoes on, though, she was surprised to see that Hatsuharu had followed her and was putting his shoes on as well. "You don't have to come, you know. The store isn't far. You can stay here with Oniisan."

"You shouldn't go by yourself." He said with a shrug as he pulled on the other shoe.

"We aren't cursed anymore, it's not like I'm going to transform." She said, still perplexed.

"That's not why." Hatsuharu responded, giving her a blank look.

"It's no big deal. I used to go to the store for my Okaasan...all the time." She turned her head away, reaching for the door. She hadn't meant to say it. The image of her mother, her long blue hair and her smile, flashed through her mind. Hatsuharu took her hand and pulled her outside with him, closing the door as he went.

"Come on." He didn't let go of her hand. Usagi watched him from the corner of her eye while they walked, but she finally figured he wasn't going to say anything more.

"Sorry, Haru. I didn't mean to bring it up."

"No need to be sorry." He still wasn't looking at her. His eyes were looking straight ahead, and his expression was completely neutral.

"Then what—"

"You seemed happy. Before, with your adoptive family and your friends. When you came back, you were so sad." Usagi stopped walking. A half a step later, Hatsuharu stopped, too. He didn't turn around, though. She glanced down at their hands, still holding each other.

"I was sad. I thought everyone had forgotten me. But—" She tugged on his arm until he faced her again, but he kept his eyes shifted to the side. There was something there, in the way he was frowning just slightly, his brows scrunched together. Guilt? "I'm happy now. Here, with you. Everything changes. It doesn't have to be a bad thing."

Usagi threw her arms around him and buried her face in his shirt. For a moment, he didn't move, and then he brought his arms around her as well. "Are you happy, Haru?"

"I thought you were never coming back. When I saw you again, at the main house, it felt like a dream. But..." He dug his fingers into her shoulders, pressed his face against her hair. "After that, every time you weren't around, I thought you would disappear again. That I was going to wake up from the dream. But if it meant you'd be happy—"

"Don't be stupid. I'm not going anywhere." There was an ache in her chest. She thought of him, alone at the main house, thinking she was going to leave again. Wondering if the next time he went to see her, she would be gone. It was too painful. "I don't need one or the other to be happy. I want to stay with you. Always."

Hatsuharu pulled away, but only enough to slide his hands into her hair. He tilted her face up and kissed her. In the kitchen he had been gentle, taking his time. Now he kissed her like he couldn't breathe without her. He placed an arm around her waist, pulling her up onto her tiptoes. Her heart was pounding in her eardrums, and she fisted her hands into his jacket, clinging to him. When he broke for air, he pressed his forehead to hers, panting.

"Looks like that stupid cat was right for once." Usagi made to shriek when she heard Yuki's voice, but all that came out was an 'ah' of surprise. Hatsuharu lowered her to her feet very gently and tucked a piece of hair back into place behind her ear before he turned. It was hard to say if the sight of Yuki standing several feet away gritting his teeth had ruffled him at all, though he did ease away from her just a bit. "Kyou suggested you might never make it back with milk if you went by yourselves."

"You listened to something Kyou said? My, how you've grown." Hatsuharu said in his usual monotone. Usagi elbowed him, but it was clear the statement had already provoked her brother.

"Don't make me hurt you."

"Hey, Tohru-chan is waiting on us. We should go get the milk!" Usagi laughed nervously and grabbed Hatsuharu's hand, pulling him back onto the path toward the store. A moment later, Yuki fell into step beside them. She glanced in his direction but wasn't brave enough to say anything else. He didn't look angry, though, just annoyed. She knew he didn't disapprove of Hatsuharu, but he probably didn't appreciate having to bear witness to his little sister's romance either.

"What if your adoptive parents could get their memories back? You and Yuki did." Hatsuharu said after a moment, continuing their conversation from a moment before like there had been no interlude or the arrival of a third person. Yuki gave him a puzzled look but didn't say anything, instead looking to her for a response.

"Yuki and I didn't have our memories erased by Hatori, though." She said, uncertain. Then she cringed, remembering that as far as Hatsuharu knew, Hatori had been the one to erase their memories. Surprisingly, though, he didn't react.

"Your friends' memories were erased by Hatori, though. They remembered you. It must be possible." Hatsuharu pointed it out so casually, but she nearly stumbled a step as she realized. Luna. Couldn't she use her Luna Mind Meld on her parents and Shingo as well?

"Maybe," she said quietly, realizing Hatsuharu was staring at her, waiting for her to say something. Yuki had been looking between the two of them, but he fixed his gaze on her, raising his eyebrows.

"Are you thinking of going back to your adoptive family?" He asked, surprised.

"No!" Usagi said, exasperated. She couldn't possibly recount her and Hatsuharu's entire conversation, so she just said, "Going to the store for milk just reminded me of my Okaasan. That's all."

"It's okay, you know," Yuki smiled softly at her and she had to look away, "if you miss them."

Usagi looked up when she realized they had reached the street that the store was on. In fact, it was just ahead. As they approached the door, she finally looked back at Yuki. "Hey Oniisan, are you going to bring your girlfriend to the Summer Festival?"

She was only trying to change the subject, but Yuki's face turned scarlet instantly. She bit down on her lip to keep from laughing. Hatsuharu held the door for her, and she didn't miss the amusement on his face as she walked past him. "My...girlfriend?"

"I'd like to meet her." She smiled at her flustered brother before heading back toward the milk. Hatsuharu hung back, giving Yuki a look from the corners of his eyes.

"She's figured it out. No use denying it now." He sounded amused, which only annoyed the silver-haired boy further. He didn't respond. Usagi was already emerging from the aisle with the milk in hand, approaching the register. Yuki went to pay, but she just waved him away and slid her own card through the reader. Within a few moments, the three of them were heading out again.

Usagi opened her mouth to say something else, probably to tease him about his girlfriend some more, but another voice came from behind them as they stepped out onto the sidewalk. "Koneko?"

Yuki watched his sister freeze in place. After a heartbeat or two, she slowly turned to face the person who had spoken. When he turned, he saw a tall, sandy-haired woman frowning at the three of them, but her eyes were fixed on Usagi. Beside her was a slightly shorter woman with some of the brightest hair he had ever seen, some shade between blue and green.

"Haruka?" Usagi practically squeaked her name. Yuki wasn't sure why, but she looked slightly nervous. "What are you doing here?"

"I thought that was you. We're looking for Hotaru, actually. She was supposed to be home hours ago. Do you know where she might be?" Haruka arched one blonde eyebrow at the shorter girl while she waited for a response. Usagi tried to hide the internal panic she was feeling and kept her face as neutral as possible. She did, in fact, know where Hotaru was, but revealing it to Haruka might result in a few premature deaths.

"I haven't seen her today," she said, which was true. They spoke on the phone earlier that morning and Hotaru had confessed that she was meeting Momiji in town and they were going to have a picnic together. At the time, Usagi had wondered if Hotaru was somehow asking permission, or maybe just if she was okay with it. As if she had any say in the matter. "I'm sure she's fine, though. You know you worry too much."

Haruka's frown deepened, but Michiru smiled at that and said, "You look well, Usagi. I'm glad."

"I am, thank you." She bowed a bit, trying to hide her embarrassment. "By the way, this is my brother, Yuki, and this is Hatsuharu. Guys, these are my friends Haruka and Michiru."

"Pleased to meet you," Yuki said politely. He was still trying to puzzle out the strange dynamic he was witnessing between the three.

"We have to get home; we were just out running an errand. It was good to see you! If I hear from Hotaru, I'll let her know you're looking for her!" Usagi gave another short bow and turned to hurry off, barely pausing to make sure the two boys were following. When they were all walking together again, Hatsuharu was the one who spoke up first.

"Momiji told me he was taking Hotaru out for a picnic today." He said casually, though he was watching Usagi's face for a reaction.

"Yeah, I know that, but if Haruka knew that then I'm pretty sure none of us would ever see Momiji again." The worried look on Usagi's face spoke to how much she believed this to be true. "I hope she has a good excuse for why she's been gone all day. Haruka can be really, um, protective."

"Is that why you only told her my name?" He asked next, his eyes crinkled in amusement. Usagi flushed a bright red, which made his smile widen even more.

"She already looked ready to murder someone, probably not the best time to bring up our relationship."

"Are the two of them Hotaru's guardians?" Yuki asked. He didn't know much about Usagi's friend Hotaru, but he figured that she must be related to her past as a Sailor Senshi.

"They're more like her adoptive parents." She said in response. For a moment, her expression clouded over with sadness. She looked a million miles away, and Yuki couldn't bring himself to ask what had happened to Hotaru's real parents. Then she shook her head, and the look faded.

"Koneko?" Hatsuharu asked, still looking amused. Usagi blushed again.

"It's a nickname."

"It's cute." It was clear that Hatsuharu was just teasing her at this point, but his comments had completely dispelled the glimmer of sadness that had darkened her eyes a moment before. Yuki was impressed by it, in any case, because he always felt awkward trying to comfort people.

Shigure's house finally appeared in the distance, and they hurried to bring the milk back to Tohru and find out what she was preparing for dinner.

xXx

Later that evening, Usagi was bustling around her room, piling her belongings in separate piles as she went. Hatsuharu was stretched out on her bed, his hands folded over his stomach. His brown eyes were following her movements around the room silently, until his curiosity finally got the better of him and he asked, "What are you doing?"

"Oh. Packing, I guess." She said offhandedly, barely looking in his direction. Hatsuharu sat up on his elbows, narrowing his eyes at her, but she didn't stop moving.

"Are you going somewhere?" He pressed when she didn't offer any further information. She finally paused, turning to look in his direction. Whatever expression she saw on his face made her suddenly laugh.

"Don't look so worried, I'm not leaving." She put her hands on her hips. "Gure-chan is moving to the main house. Kyou and Tohru are leaving, and Yuki is moving soon. I'm not going to live in this big house all by myself."

"Does that mean you're moving back to the main house?" He asked.

"Yeah. Akito is having one of the smaller houses prepared for me to stay in." She tilted her head to the side, silver hair spilling over her shoulder. "Speaking of, shouldn't you be heading home? It's getting late."

Hatsuharu didn't say anything for a moment, then he patted the space on the bed next to him. Usagi furrowed her brows in confusion, but she came closer, sitting in the sliver of space he wasn't already occupying. His arms circled her waist and he pulled her down into the pillow with him, earning a small squeak of surprise.

"There, now I'm home." They were facing each other, inches apart, and he was giving her a mischievous smile. She pretended to roll her eyes at him, but her face flushed pink at his words. He brushed back the hair that had fallen into her face, his fingers lingering against the side of her neck. He had shed both his gloves and his jacket earlier, so she could feel the warmth radiating from his touch and knew he must have felt the wild fluttering of her pulse under his fingers.

"Does that mean you're staying?" She asked, her voice barely a whisper, mostly for something to say.

"Unless you're kicking me out." He answered, his gaze still simmering with amusement. He moved his hand from her throat, his fingers tracing featherlight along the skin of her arm before coming to a rest on her side. She shivered.

"No." She tried to smooth her voice over, to sound calm, but there was a slight waver in her voice anyway. The smile faded from Hatsuharu's face, the laughter in his eyes darkening to something else, something closer to want.

"Maybe now we won't be interrupted," he said. This time, before she could respond, he leaned in to cover her mouth with his. Whatever thought she had been forming dissipated. He kissed her impatiently, his arms tightening around her and pulling her closer, erasing the last few inches between them.

His tongue traced the edge of her bottom lip. She parted them. As soon as she did, his tongue swept inside, tasting her. He explored every inch of her mouth, languidly, meticulously, until she finally broke away, gasping for air. When she opened her eyes again, he was looking at her in a way that made her skin feel too tight, too hot.

"I love you," he said, his breathing also hitched. At some point she had clenched both of her hands into the fabric of his shirt, and she could feel his chest heaving against her fists.

"I love you, too," she said breathlessly.

"Can I touch you?" He asked quietly. His hand had drifted down, his fingers lightly brushing against the small strip of exposed skin where her shirt had twisted up. Her heart was pounding so hard that she was sure her whole chest was trembling, but she nodded anyway.

He slid his hand beneath the hem of her shirt. His fingers moved slowly, tracing up her side, along her ribcage, back down the curve of her spine. The whole time, he kept his eyes on her face, watching. There was a hesitancy in his expression, like he was waiting for her to pull away, ask him to stop. If she was honest with herself, though, that was the last thing she wanted.

Her hands relaxed against his chest. Leaning in, she pressed her lips to his this time. He made a small noise of surprise before he kissed her back. His hand moved down over her hip, gripping her thigh. He pulled her leg up, around his waist, before sliding his hand back up. His thumb traced over her hip bone and her whole body shuddered in response.

"Haru," she sighed his name when she broke away again. He'd gone still, his hand now resting against the curve of her hip. He didn't try to touch her anywhere else. Maybe he was trying to take it slow, to be gentle with her. Maybe the fact that her brother and everyone else in the household was just down the hallway and they hadn't even locked the door. She couldn't decide if the unsettled feeling in her chest was relief or disappointment.

"Can I ask you something?" Hatsuharu spoke quietly, like the fragility of the moment might be broken if he raised is voice. Usagi's breathing had just started to even out again, but the question made her nervous all over again.

"Of course," she said anyway, hoping none of the trepidation was evident in her tone.

"Are all of your old friends Sailor Senshi?" His tone, when he asked the question, was so offhand, almost cavalier. She could hardly process the words that came with such a tone, but when the implications of what he said hit her, it was like he'd thrown a bucket of ice water over her. She stiffened against him, her eyes going wide, and stared at him in disbelief.

"What?" She managed to stutter out. Hatsuharu was still watching her, his entire demeanor unruffled and calm, while her mind was going through a whole roller coaster of emotions and questions. She tried to wrap her brain around some sort of response. "How?"

"I saw you on the roof that day at the school. You looked right at me." Usagi remembered, vaguely, what he was talking about. The youma that had attacked the high school. She'd fled to the roof with Hotaru to transform, but right before she'd jumped down into the fray, Hatsuharu had called out from the top of the staircase. Made her turn around and make eye contact for a second.

She had always assumed, though, that she had some magic or glamour over her while she was Sailor Moon. After all, she'd saved other friends in the past and none of them had figured out her alter ego. Her hair would have been her undoing had anyone looked very closely at discovering the real identity of Sailor Moon. Maybe the gratitude of not having alien monsters roaming the streets unhindered had prevented anyone from prying too far.

"It was obviously you." He said as though it was no big deal that he'd recognized her with one look. Usagi wasn't sure it was so obvious, but she didn't contradict him. She also didn't bother pointing out that Sailor Moon looked like Usagi Tsukino, all blonde hair and streamers, the eyes a bit off. "Besides, it just made sense that you had to leave to save the world."

Usagi did the only thing she could: she laughed. Quietly, almost snickering, covering her mouth with her hand to stifle it. Hatsuharu gave her a somewhat puzzled look, but she couldn't help it. It was just too ridiculous. She was glad, though, she realized. He knew, so now it didn't have to feel like she was keeping a secret from him.

"What was it like?" Hatsuharu asked once her laughter had died down again. She gave him a confused look, and he elaborated, "You know, fighting a bunch of monsters in a miniskirt."

She laughed again but had to concede the point. There was amusement on his face now, but he was giving her his full attention, waiting for her to answer. She hesitated, her eyes moving over the features of his face. When she wasn't satisfied, she reached a hand up and pushed the messy and disheveled locks of hair back from his forehead. The brush of her fingers made him close his eyes, and she smiled.

"Do you really want to hear about it?" Her voice came a little more tremulous than she expected, uncertainty distorting it into something fragile. He opened his eyes again, a small frown forming a line between his eyebrows. He looked back at her with so much warmth that she was sure he could see right through to her soul.

"Yes. All of it," he said, emphasis on his words to make it clear. All of it. Usagi thought back, back to the beginning. If she told him everything, she would have to talk about the good things and the bad things. The fear. She would have to talk about Mamoru, and when the worst of that was done, eventually she would have to talk about the one person she had not let herself think of for too long since she'd learned of Mamoru's death: Chibiusa.

"Unless you don't want to talk about it. You don't have to." Now Hatsuharu was the one who sounded strained, maybe a little tentative. She realized tears had collected along the edges of her vision, blurring the look on his face. He reached up to brush them away, and her eyes fluttered closed.

"No, it's okay." She opened her eyes and forced herself to smile. He seemed to relax at the gesture, even if it wasn't wholehearted. "It's a long story, though."

"Tell me." He said, no hesitation. His hand returned to her side; his fingers splayed over her hip. She focused on the warmth of his touch as she started to speak. She started at the beginning, the day she saved Luna from a bunch of bullying kids. She spoke on and on, hours slipping away, until the room was dark. She could still see the outline of Hatsuharu's face in the moonlight as he listened, his shock of white hair against the pillow and the deep brown of his eyes, almost black in the darkness.

The sun was beginning to lighten the room again when she finally stopped. Her voice was hoarse, raw from the talking and the tears that had come with it. When it was finally done, Hatsuharu didn't say anything. He just tucked her head against his shoulder, buried his face in her hair, and held her. She fell asleep like that, curled together, clinging to him like a port in the storm.

xXx

Usagi took slow, measured steps toward her destination. Just ahead, around one more corner, and there it would be. She knew this route so well she could probably find it in her sleep. This same street, this very sidewalk, a tangible piece of her childhood that would always be imprinted in her mind.

When she finally rounded onto the next street, the Tsukino house came into view. Her eyes focused on the name plate almost instantly. She froze mid step, even though she had expected it, knew it would be there. It was home but not home. A place she didn't belong anymore. She had thought she had braced herself, but the wave of sadness washed over her anyway.

It could be home again, though. Luna stopped next to her, sitting primly and curling her tail around her feet. Her scarlet eyes moved over the house, and then she tilted her head up to look at Usagi, her ears twitching slightly. Luna, who had been staying at Minako's with Artemis, who had restored her friends' memories, who was now offering to do the same for her adoptive family.

Usagi watched the house for a few minutes in silence, standing on the corner, across the street, trying to look inconspicuous. A lone teenager out on a stroll, just pausing to daydream. She wished she could see inside the house. Would her Okaasan be moving around the kitchen, prepping dinner for when her Otousan arrived home from work? Would Shingo be home, upstairs in his room, or out somewhere with friends?

Selfishly, she wondered what had become of her room. The comforter with the moon and stars. All of her stuffed animals. A lot of it had been retrieved when Hatori erased their memories. Was it just a guest room now? Sparsely decorated, no sign that she had ever lived there?

"I know, I know! I'll come right back!" Usagi startled when she heard Shingo's voice, taking an involuntary step back. The sandy-haired youth appeared in the doorway, still looking back over his shoulder. Her heart skipped a beat, contracted in her chest. He looked so much taller than he had been a year ago. Taller than she was now.

"Be careful!" Ikuko Tsukino appeared in the doorway behind her son as he rushed down the steps and out toward the sidewalk. He acknowledged her statement with a vague wave as he turned at the gate and headed in the direction of the store. The usual forgotten milk, no doubt. Ikuko lingered in the doorway for a moment, long enough to watch Shingo turn the corner out of sight, before she shut the door.

Neither of them noticed her.

"Usagi?" Luna was still looking up at her, head tilted slightly to the left. It was hard to read a cat's expression, so it was hard to say if she looked sad or puzzled by the silver-haired girl's inaction.

"I can't." Usagi wanted to sit down, right there on the pavement. She pressed her hand over her mouth, expecting tears to come, but nothing did. Her chest felt hollowed out.

The Tsukinos had been her family. They loved her as though she really belonged to them. For years they had made space for her in their home, in their hearts. She knew that if she walked back into their lives, they would do it again, no questions asked.

She wasn't Usagi Tsukino anymore, though. She was Usagi Sohma. A girl who used to be Sailor Moon. A girl whose curse was broken. Now just a normal, ordinary teenager. Certainly not the same person who disappeared from their lives. Could she, in good conscience, come back and try to pretend things were the same?

It was too much. They were better off without her.

"Usagi, are you sure?" Luna was still looking at her, and she was sure it was sadness in her eyes this time.

"I'm sure." Usagi answered, before she could think about it, before she could start to doubt. It was better this way. She would miss them, terribly, but they would be safe without her. Happy.

She turned around and headed back toward Shigure's house. Luna followed, still with a look of concern on her face, but she didn't say anything more. Not until they reached the spot where they would part ways, and Luna would go back to Minako's.

"If you ever need me, Usagi, you know where to find me. I don't like leaving you like this, but I can see how much you've grown. I'm proud of you." Usagi felt the tears sting at her eyes, but she swallowed over the lump in her throat and held them in. She could be strong for a few minutes more.

"I'll be fine, Luna. Thank you. For everything."

xXx

"I know you!" Usagi exclaimed. The gray-haired girl who had stepped from behind Yuki appeared startled by the outburst, but she just continued on, "You're in my class, aren't you? Machi-san."

"Yes." Usagi smiled, though Machi appeared a little perplexed by her enthusiasm. She really was just ecstatic that she'd convinced Yuki to actually introduce her to his girlfriend. From what she could recall, the girl was very quiet and didn't speak much. She only knew who the girl was because she was on the student council, which must be where Yuki had met her.

"I'm Usagi, Yuki's younger sister." Excited, she went in for a hug. When she pulled away, Machi's face had turned pink, and she looked even more startled than before. Yuki sighed and pulled her away.

"Maybe you should give her some space?" He said, his eyebrows furrowed. She had the sense that maybe she'd embarrassed him, but she couldn't help it. She was too excited.

"Yun-Yun, how come you didn't tell me your sister was so cute?" The speaker, a brunette boy with a wide grin on his face, appeared from Yuki's other side. Usagi looked up in surprise when the boy draped an arm around her shoulders. "If I had known, we could have done a sibling swap or something."

"You sound like a creep, Kakeru. Leave her alone." Yuki frowned at the newcomer. Usagi looked between the boy known as Kakeru and Machi, wondering if they really were siblings. They certainly didn't look alike.

"I'm Kakeru Manabe, Yun-Yun's best friend and vice president!"

"Who says you're my best friend? I said let her go," Yuki grabbed Kakeru by the arm and pulled him away, the brunette boy yelling in protest the whole time.

"Look, they have food." Usagi turned at the sound of Hatsuharu's voice. He was holding a skewer of meat out to her, but he had one in his other hand that he was already munching on.

"Usa-chan, they have cotton candy, too!" Momiji was following close behind Hatsuharu holding a cone of the spun sugar in his hand. Hotaru offered her a smile from Momiji's side. She was the only one of the group not holding any food.

"There's going to be fireworks later!" The dark-haired girl was just as excited about this as Momiji was about his cotton candy. Usagi accepted the food Hatsuharu was offering, hoping that at least he had missed the fiasco a few moments ago.

"Where are Tohru and Kyou?" She asked, looking around for their missing companions.

"Kyou is probably keeping Tohru all for himself." Momiji said with a shrug, still enjoying his cotton candy. "So rude."

"We'll meet you for the fireworks later." Yuki broke from bickering with his friend long enough to tell her this. Usagi nodded, watching as he walked off, holding Machi's hand. Kakeru was still chattering about something, and as they walked away, something about the way he was laughing and teasing Yuki distinctly reminded her of Ayame.

"What should we do first?" Hotaru asked, looking around at the booths that surrounded them on all sides. The spot where they had agreed to meet did seem to be a cluster of food stalls. There were smells of frying foods coming from every direction. Usagi remembered the meat skewer in her hand and took a bite as she looked around.

"We could try some of the games! I like the goldfish game." Momiji offered. He looked like he was finally almost finished with his cotton candy and ready to devote more attention to the rest of them.

"Or we could get more food," Hatsuharu suggested. He had finished his skewer and was eyeing the rest of hers with a bit of envy.

"What time are the fireworks? The other side of the park has a seating area so we can work our way over there." Usagi asked, offering the rest of the stick to him and looking for a booth to catch her eye. There were some colorful booths down to the left that looked like they may be games.

"We have about two hours." Momiji said after checking the time on his phone. Usagi pointed to where she thought the games were and they started walking. The festival was crowded, which wasn't a problem for them anymore, but they still couldn't all walk together. Momiji and Hotaru walked ahead of them, and Usagi fell into step with Hatsuharu just behind them.

"You look cute." Hatsuharu said after a moment, leaning closer to her ear so that she could hear him in the crowd. Her face flushed at the compliment, and she glanced down at the pale pink yukata she had chosen to wear. She'd braided her hair over one shoulder and then pinned it into a loose bun to one side. Certainly nothing elaborate.

"Thanks." He, of course, had worn a black yukata. After some coaxing, he'd agreed to leave his gloves behind, so his hand was warm when he reached out to take hers. He was smiling slightly at her reaction but didn't comment. Instead, he pointed toward a booth coming up ahead on the left.

"Takoyaki," he said, rather like a statement instead of a question.

"I'm guessing that means you want some?" She laughed. He nodded and pulled her in the direction of the line of people waiting at the stall. She waved Momiji and Hotaru down, but they just waved back and said they were going to head on to the game booths ahead. They agreed to meet up for the fireworks later.

"Didn't you want everyone to be together tonight?" Hatsuharu asked offhandedly as he watched the two retreat. Usagi shrugged.

"We will be later." They were drawing close to the front of the line, so his attention was drawn to the menu for a moment. "Is there anything you want to do besides eat everything?"

"I'm not sure, I haven't come to many of these types of things. What are these games Momiji kept going on about?" Usagi gave him a wide-eyed look, but when she realized he was serious, she launched into a detailed explanation of the usual events. She was still talking animatedly a few minutes later when he handed her the takoyaki. He was nodding along in the appropriate places to show he was listening, but she was starting to wonder, after a while, if he'd only asked to hear her talk.

After they'd finished with the takoyaki, though, he pointed to one of the shooting games up ahead and asked if she wanted to play. They spent the next two hours wandering the booths in this manner, stopping at anything that caught their eye. They even managed to win a couple of prizes. Hatsuharu won her a small stuffed rabbit, which had amused him when he picked it out and handed it over.

Usagi spotted the missing Tohru and Kyou first. His orange hair might as well have been a beacon. They were accompanied by Tohru's friends, Uo and Hana. By the time they made it across to where they were sitting, Yuki and Machi had joined them as well. Usagi took a seat next to her brother, with Hatsuharu on her other side.

"What happened to your friend Kakeru?" She asked after a moment, when she realized the brunette boy was nowhere to be found.

"Oh, he disappeared a while ago. That idiot has a girlfriend, believe it or not." Yuki frowned, but she laughed. If her first impressions of him were anything to go by, she wasn't that surprised. She tried to pull Machi into conversation, asking her if she'd had a good time, but the other girl didn't want to say more beyond a few word responses.

Eventually, she relented. Mostly because she spotted Hotaru and Momiji heading in their direction, and they were holding hands. She couldn't hide the giant grin on her face, and when Hotaru caught sight of it, the dark-haired girl averted her eyes and then avoided eye contact. They didn't let go of each other's hands, though, so she started doing the mental countdown of when she could get Hotaru alone to grill her about this budding relationship.

"It's starting," Hatsuharu leaned in to catch her attention, and she looked up just as the first explosion of color filled the darkened sky. A smile lit up her face. She leaned in, resting her head on Hatsuharu's shoulder. After a moment, he placed his arm around her and tugged her against his side. A soft sigh escaped her lips, but he looked down, raising an eyebrow at her. "What was that for?"

"Nothing. Just happy." She answered, still smiling. A small smile touched his face, and he pressed a kiss to the side of her forehead.

"Me too."

Fin

*emerges from the abyss* Hey y'all. So, I watched the remake of the Fruits Basket anime a couple of weeks ago and thought to myself, "Hey, you should finish that fan fiction you started writing OVER A DECADE AGO." *cries in old people tears* Really, I just wanted the excuse to write the Usagi x Hatsuharu fluff.

Here we are, though, at the end. I struggled for a while on where and how to end the story. I cringed the whole time while I was rereading all the previous chapters and had to tell myself that a rewrite was out of the question. I hope that if you stuck around this long, or if you are reading this for the first time, that you enjoyed this story. That's the only reason I write any of this. Thank you for the many kind reviews over the many long years.

SachiNyoko