AN: I'm looking for a beat-reader! Specifically, someone who feel like really diving into things. I am not the best at recognizing my shortcomings, and I need someone to point them out so I can try to improve. I also aim to put out quality work, so, a beta is very much needed.

Secondly, there is an explicit ending of this chapter. If you are interested in it, then go check out my cross post at AO3.

I want to do a shout out to Celestial Cat for your great reviews! Thanks so much for reading and commenting. I find your comments very insightful, and look forward to them.

And of course, thanks for reading! A special thanks to Runic for beta-ing, and to Matt, for alpha-ing. The most special of thanks to my husband, for reading this when it's not your cup of tea, and giving me confidence to continue.

Sailor Moon X by Starling Sinclair

Chapter 5: Too Much To Drink

February 26, 2019

By the time the sun was setting, Usagi was beyond excited to see Naru. It had been such a long day. Not only was she possibly out of a job, since her arcade was going to take weeks to be repaired, which meant no paycheck, and possibly lose her apartment because of said job loss, but it turned out that she was terrible at her new role as Sailor Senshi. A role that she couldn't actually tell anyone about. No one to gripe to; no one to share the excitement.

The world was truly a rough place.

And tequila sounded like an excellent idea right now.

She waited outside the club. She was early for once, and the line for the Dark Pandora show that night hadn't really formed. She leaned against the wall and closed her eyes.

After the battle at the House of Fortune, Minako had ripped her a new one.

"How careless were you? You could have been killed and we wouldn't have even known," she'd ranted. Over and over. They were supposed to be a team! There was an order to how things go. Minako was the leader for a reason. And Luna should have known better.

Usagi had wanted to argue back. To point out that Minako's wait and see approach would have resulted in more people hurt, and that even though Usagi had been reckless, everything had also worked out fine. Plus she had sent a text.

In all of the reaming out though, Minako hadn't gotten around to Tuxedo Kamen. And that was the real question Usagi wanted to know. She was used to being a failure, but she was not used to handsome men in formal wear rescuing her. After the long lecture, they had sent her home, (with Luna of course because Usagi could not be trusted alone), which was all fine with Usagi. She had to get ready of course.

Oddly, Luna hadn't said much on the way home. Except, "They're just worried. You did a good job today."

At least someone wasn't disappointed with her.

"Boo!" Naru said, poking Usagi in the ribs.

"Thank god you're here," Usagi answered, smiling and opening her eyes. "Let's go celebrate."

Today was Naru's birthday after all.

"I bought a couple of tagalongs. I hope that's okay," Naru said, pointing behind her.

Umeno, was of course in tow. He'd been a real dweeb in his early teens, but he'd bloomed into a handsome, smart, and stable young man. He ditched the thick glasses for contacts. His hair was a bit shaggy, and he wore a tee-shirt, skinny jeans, and converse sneakers with a blazer. He was a computer engineer for Microsoft's Japan division, and he made a lot of money. Not only had he grown real easy on the eyes, he was also the most successful person of her friends.

Umeno had carried a torch for Usagi for years, but at some time during the end of high school, that torch shifted to Naru. Naru, bless her heart, was completely oblivious to this development. Though honestly, Umeno wasn't a bad catch. Usagi was almost envious that she couldn't land him. At least then she wouldn't be in a crummy apartment.

Behind him, Motoki waved, and Mamoru nodded. Usagi's stomach fell. She had really believed that this night couldn't get any worse, but she had been wrong. She gave Naru a meaningful look.

"Really," Usagi said, "you brought him."

"It's good to see you too, Odango Atama."

Usagi spun on her heel. "I need tequila!"

In the short period of catch-up, a line outside the club had formed. At the door, Usagi was carded (no surprise since she barely looked legal), as was Naru, but the boys were left alone.

"See that," Usagi whisper yelled to Naru, "that is some sexist bullshit."

They were handed purple flowers after having their hands stamped. Naru pinned hers to her shirt, and Usagi pinned hers in one of her buns. The boys, on the other hand, weren't sure what to do with the strange favor.

The club was large and split into two areas (and a small hall near the restrooms lined with lockers for rent). One had a stage for the concert, but the first room had a bar in the center and several booths for private conversation. The walls were decorated with disco ball mosaics and geometrical lights hung from the ceiling. The crowd was starting to mill, so they hit the bar first.

"First round on me!" Usagi cheered. "Well, for everyone except you," she added pointing at Mamoru.

"Are you sure you can afford that?" Mamoru shot back. "I mean, with your job in limbo."

Usagi turned beet red, and if this were a cartoon, steam would have come out of her ears. Motoki punched Mamoru's shoulder in a more than playful manner.

"Dude, that's not cool," he said. "Of course she has a job. I'm going to make sure the insurance covers any loss of her salary during repairs."

Thank god for Motoki. Usagi whispered a prayer of thanks that at least she hadn't lost her job. Or her apartment.

"I was just joking," Mamoru said, blushing, and pulled his credit card from his wallet.

"In honor of the beautiful Naru's birthday," Umeno interjected, putting his arm between everyone with a credit card in hand. "My gift shall be the tab. For everyone."

Mamoru may be a doctor, but even he could recognize that Umeno's black card was going to go a lot farther than his. So instead he tossed his flower on the bar as a sign of surrender.

"Naru, my dear," Umeno said, laying it on thick, "what are we having."

In true Naru fashion, she ordered something trendy. Highballs for everyone. Usagi downed hers and then followed it with a shot of Habiki. As much as she wanted tequila, one did not mix booze and expect to wake up in the morning.

"Shots already, Odango," Mamoru teased. "I mean, I thought those usually came later in the night."

Usagi rolled her eyes. "Only for those who are weak."

"In that case, I'll have what the lady is having," he said to the bartender.

Challenge accepted. Usagi waited for him to get his drink before they downed it together.

"Another?" Mamoru asked, and Usagi, unwilling to let the challenge go, accepted.

"Guys," Motoki interjected, maybe you should slow it down.

"I'll be fine," Usagi said. "I can hold my liquor."

"Are you saying I can't?"

In Usagi and Mamoru's minds, it looked something like the scene from Indiana Jones. Usagi repraised Marion and Mamoru the grabby bar patron. Though, Mamoru thought himself Dr. Jones. The shot glasses piled up, but both of them stood their ground. The world around Usagi was blurring, as was Mamoru, and later they would both say that it was much later in the night, but time has a weird way of working when you're shitfaced.

After the sixth shot, Umeno cut them off.

"That's enough," he said.

"He started it," Usagi slurred.

"It really doesn't matter who started it," Naru said. "It needs to end."

"Yeah," Usagi said poking Mamoru in the chest. "You heard the birthday girl."

"Well, maybe if a skinny little thing like you could actually hold your liquor," Mamoru retorted, wobbling as he did.

"Skinny! I'm perfectly healthy, and I can so hold my liquor," Usagi continued.

"Oh really, then why are you slurring?"

"Why can't you stand straight?"

"ENOUGH," Naru said. "The band hasn't even started!"

"I think you two need some fresh air," Motoki said, grabbing them both by the backs of their necks. "And you need to talk it out!"

He pushed them out a fire exit.

"Hey!" Usagi said, slamming her hand on the metal door. She pulled at the handle, but it was locked from the inside. They were going to have to wait for someone to let them back in. "Ugh, this is so your fault."

Usagi slouched against the door, and did her best to try to stop the world from spinning. The exterior air was brisk compared to the heat of the bar (or the booze). It was just enough to sober her up a touch.

"How is it my fault?" he retorted.

"Because it's always your fault."

"I wasn't the one who use to hurl random projectiles my way."

"Jesus, that was years ago!"

"Well, we haven't spoken in years!"

"And whose fault is that, Mamoru-baka?"

Mamoru stared at her. Whose fault was it?

"You're such a fucking idiot," she whispered.

"You don't have to get vulgar," he said, leaning on the wall beside her. He couldn't stand straight, and he felt too vulnerable with her watching him sway.

"Well, I'm not seventeen anymore," she said. "I wish Motoki would have at least brought us some water. And maybe some rice."

"Rice would be nice," Mamoru said. Maybe it was the alcohol or maybe it was the years of reasons he'd built in his head, but, he asked, "Why are you being so mean to me?"

"Me, being mean? Are you for fucking real right now?"

Mamoru kinda stared at her a little slackjawed. "I mean, we weren't exactly the friendliest, but we were never mean…"

"You ghosted me! After the most perfect night of my life. Did you not think it would hurt?," she said, and wiped a tear from her eye.

Oh right. He had done that. Years ago. While everything seemed to fall right back into place, that didn't undo years of silence.

"I didn't want to let you down," he said. "That jerk you were dating…"

"That jerk who was just like all high school boys? So, you stepped into his shoes? Took me to Tanabata Matsuri instead? Showed me how romantic my longest crush could be," she said hotly. She pressed the heel of her hands into her eyes. "I thought I was fucking in love with you."

In love with you. They echoed through his ears. Something seized in his chest. Wasn't that what he dreamed of her saying? Why he let another blonde tell him those words, imaging they were from Usagi's lips?

"Usagi…"

"You're a fucking asshole Chiba Mamo-"

He cut her off with a kiss. His hands cupped her face, and he pushed her against the door, knocking the strange little flower from her hair. He kissed her hard with all the years of anger and passion he'd held on to. She returned the kiss in kind, jumping up and wrapping her legs around his waist. His hands went to her hips, then slid to her butt, hoisting her into a more pleasing position.

He moaned. This in turn, caused her to nip at his lip. Her hands slid down his chest, finding his waistband. She pulled at his belt buckle. He was very firmly reminded this wasn't the little girl he'd left behind all those years ago. He started to pull away, then her hands were on the side of his face pulling him back in.

He moaned her name into her lips.

"We should stop," he said. Restraint. Dear lord he needed restraint. Was she ready for something like this? He wasn't sure he was ready for something like this. Plus Motoki could come through at any moment, and he didn't want to hear the I told you so.

"Why," she asked kissing his neck. Her legs slipped from around his waist, but she pulled him closer to her by his waistband, fingers slipping below his belt just teasingly enough. He groaned and kissed her again.

"Motoki," he choked out.

"Then let's get out of here," she whispered. Her fingers pulled down on his waistband, as if she meant to pull his pants off. He wasn't sure if he said okay, but he did grab her hand and call a cab.

Time moved in blurs, in the way it does when someone is drunk out of their minds. Soon they were in a taxi headed to his place. Kissing up the elevator (and providing quite the scandalous show through the video feed on the first floor), bumping into the walls because neither wanted to let the other go. He managed to get the door open, and they stumbled in, lips locked.

The height difference was driving Mamoru mad, so he lifted her up so she sat on the back of the sofa. She broke the kissing to take her shirt off. Mamoru paused.

"Usa, we don't have to do anything you don't want to…" he started.

She pulled hard on his shirt, like she wanted to rip it off him. "What makes you think I'm doing something I don't want?" she said, kissing his up neck to his ear. She bit his ear lobe.

"Usagi," he moaned. "Maybe, we should take it slow."

Usaig pulled away suddenly. "Wait," she said. "Do you think you're my first?" She looked at him quizzically. Then started giggling.

"Well," he stuttered. "I don't know what to…"

She slid off the back of the sofa and to her knees, unzipping the fly of his pants as she did so.

"And now I'm not thinking at all."