User disclaimer- still don't own Le cry

Chapter 3

Why was she nervous?

Why was he nervous?

As three pm approached and Usagi left school with her friends, her stomach twisted in anxiety. She knew there was something on the horizon but just what was it? For some reason it scared her.

"Stay close minna" Minako said, pulling Usagi into her.

There were screams approaching their general direction. Makoto lifted Usagi up to stop the petite girl getting trampled by the incoming stampede. Those running their way were in a state of panic, not even seeming to see the people they nearly trampled.

"Mako-Chan, we have to fight, put me down!" Usagi let her transformation take her the moment her feet touched the pavement again. The girls followed in kind, Ami first, then Rei, then Makoto, and finally Minako.

Standing to the side, unnoticed by the girls, four men watched them. They all appeared to be in their late teens, and their eyes were each drawn to one of the Senshi. Usagi was the only one who saw them, and in her worry about what she had to fight, she didn't even notice who they were.

Mamoru was walking home from school with Motoki when he felt it, and Motoki's eyes widened as Mamoru was now wearing a tuxedo and a mask. There wasn't a sound as he transformed.

Mamoru took off in a dead run. Motoki followed him as best as he could but he was much faster, leaving his friend slightly behind. He didn't feel guilty. Motoki had no powers to protect himself. He would only be in danger if they were side by side.

Tuxedo Mask saw a sharp blade head for the little blonde, just as she announced she was Sailor Moon. "Sailor Moon, dive!" he shouted. The girl turned around, stunned. The blade grazed her shoulder and she dropped to the ground with a hiss.

Tuxedo Mask couldn't explain the white-hot rage that suddenly consumed him, and he readied his attack. "Tuxedo la Smoking Bomber!" he shouted, all his energy going into the attack.

The Youma was vanquished quickly and the four men watching the battle disappeared, clinging to their heads. Something stirred in Mamoru's mind even as he turned back to the tiny blonde hero, his eyes scanning her with a desperation he couldn't explain. If something happened to her, his world would end.

"Are you alright Sailor Moon?" Tuxedo Mask asked in a quiet voice.

She nodded. Then she put her hand on his cheek and he cradled it with his own palm. Neither spoke as they stared into one another's eyes for a long moment. Their locked gazes were filled with emotions neither fully understood.

"I hear sirens. Sailor Moon let's go," Sailor Mars said, worry filling her tone.

"Hai," she replied and she stood up. "Arigatou" she whispered, and jumped up with her friends.

Tuxedo Mask collapsed to the ground and in moments he was Mamoru again. Motoki came from behind the bush and woke him up. "Mamoru, that was absolutely awesome," Motoki grinned as he helped him up.

"What happened 'Toki?" he grumbled

"Dude, you're a superhero," Motoki crowed.

"That girl. I knew…," he paused. "No, I know her." Fierce determination filled him.

Usagi/sailor moon POV

Sailor Moon and her Senshi watched from the roof as Tuxedo Mask collapsed and became Mamoru again. Sailor Moon gasped in shock. It felt like her heart would pound right out of her chest.

"Even in this life he is drawn to protect you." Sailor Venus said, her voice soft and filled with sadness.

"I'm going to have to call my mom. I can't go home with this on my shoulder," Sailor Moon said, gesturing to the angry wound still dripping blood.

"Sleepover?" Sailor Jupiter asked.

The girls all nodded. Thankfully they already had spare clothes and PJs at the tall amazon's home. They all jumped down to a ledge then to an alley near a block of apartments and became themselves again.

Even as the others talked and checked over her wound, Usagi's mind was reeling with the new information about Mamoru. She loved him, and had done so for a long time. This changed everything.

At the crown

Mamoru glared hard into his coffee. She wasn't here yet and it irked yet worried him at the same time. He wanted to see her for himself.

"Hey Motoki, the girls are late, can you get a hold of any of them?"

Motoki looked at him with a hard stare. "You're just worried about Usagi-chan," he smirked.

Mamoru went red from his feet to his head and blurted, "No, I care about all of them."

Motoki laughed "Sure, Mamoru-kun. I have Mako-chan's phone number. She has no parents you know, so she needs an older teen to just speak to her sometimes."

Mamoru nodded and Motoki pulled out his cell phone.

"Hey Mako-chan, I was just wondering if you girls were coming to the Crown today?"

Motoki winced at Usagi's squeal of "milkshakes!" in the background. He sensed Makoto's approval through the phone line. "Hai, see you soon."

Motoki put his cell back in his apron

Makotos apartment

"That was Motoki-oni-san, I suppose with the battle we forgot to drop by," Makoto explained.

Ami took her glasses off as she finished stitching Usagi's wound. "That should hold Usagi-chan," she said, happy with her work.

"Ami-chan, she has advanced healing." Minako sounded a little exasperated.

Ami shook her head. "Until Mamoru-san gets his memories of being Endymion, her advanced healing will be at half the rate of ours. A wound like this will need stitches in, for about a week," she replied.

"So, basically we need to protect her until she's ready to finish the Youma?" Rei inquired.

Ami nodded.

"Can we get my milkshake now?" Usagi asked sheepishly.

Laughter erupted through the apartment. "Put your top on Usagi-chan and we shall," Luna sounded exasperated but a smile was on her face.

The girls wandered to the arcade. When they got there Mamoru already had his coffee and was brooding in his normal place.

"Yūtai girls" Motoki said with a grin

"Hey Motoki-oni-san, Mamoru-baka." Usagi grinned at the older teens.

She loved Mamoru, but wanted to be the first to start their sparring to 'keep up appearances' as Ami would say. The other patrons didn't notice the loving look she gave him and the gentle hand squeeze returned by him. Their by-play was hidden within their arguments too, though no one seemed to hear that either.

"Why Odango, you're late today," he replied. The sparkle in his eyes made her gasp.

Once Usagi had spent an hour with her girls Mamoru said it was time to go. "Bring her back to my apartment Mamoru-san." Makoto said, covering her smirk with her hand.

Mamoru nodded and Usagi pulled at his arm glaring hard at the Amazon.