Hi All.
I hope everyone's doing well.
So it took me a long time to update again. It took me so long, in fact, that my awesome beta (BrownB) had lost all hope that I would ever finish this story. So I told her what I'm about to tell you:
I will finish this story even if it's the last thing I do! (You know what I mean:D)
But all jokes aside, I am having some difficulty finishing the story. I guess, I built all these characters and incidents in my head, and sometimes, I just don't know how to execute them.
But that's my problem! What you need to do that I will finish this story, it might take longer, but it will happen.
So I have had an interesting last couple of months. A friend visited us from Iran (it's always nice to have guests, you get to do touristic stuff and be a visitor in your own hometown). We also did a 4-day trip to Toronto and met up with a few other friends. Two of our friends have little babies, and the whole time I was like "What the hell! I am so not ready to be a mom!" not that anyone's expecting me to be one! But I always thought that I would be ready to have a child by the time I'm 30! But guess what? I turned 31 and still no baby…and I still feel unprepared!
Anyways, I just wanted to give you a little memoire of what I have been doing. Aside from being super busy at work and raising a highly vocal puppy!
Now on to the amazing reviews I've received from my amazing readers:
Silver Milinium Uhura: I WILL FINISH THIS STORY:D
Nikkie BC: Sorry for the late update. But I hope you get some answers from this chapter Let me know your thoughts.
Guardians314: Yes, Mamoru is alright and everything's okay…for now (EVIL LAUGHTER:D:D:D) Let me know your thoughts. Cheers.
Antigone2: :D:D I'm so glad you started reading this story. You know I'm a HUGE fan. And you reading my story is HIGHLY appreciated. I would love to hear your opinions more
Xob: Thanks, it's good to be back again I hope this chapter is as good as the last one. Let me know what you think.
Guest: I know chapter 21 was a little confusing. So I hope this one settles some points for you. Let me know what you think and pm me whenever you want, if you ever have any questions. Cheers
Sie: I'm so glad I met my loyal Let me know what you think of the new chapter. I hope you enjoy it.
Amanda G. Flemett: Bear with me. Usagi will show something that only "Usagi" possesses. I'm sure you'd be surprised. Thank you for following the story. I really appreciate your review
Miss Mango: I'm blushing Thank you for your kind and supportive words. It really put a smile on my face (I went and read your review a couple of hundred times )
Oloferne: Your review really wowed me. Thank you so much on so many different levels I know it takes a while for me to update, but it's because I don't want to "rush write" anything just to update! And honestly, my beta BrownB, is the most amazing beta ever! She edited this chapter in less than 12 hours! I mean, come on! She's brilliant. So all the tardiness comes from my end:D:D And I know each chapter has its own faults, but hey, I have to learn for the next chapter from somewhere right? I know you don't write reviews much, but PLEASE, let me know what you think about this chapter. It would be so, so, so…appreciated
As usual, a big THANK YOU to the awesome BrownB, who's my rock in this whole journey and understands that I babble a lot, get writer's block frequently and whine about it constantly and still finds the time to deal with me And did I tell you, she edited this chapter like, FAST! Love you B.
Enjoy.
She slowly opened the door and stuck her head out in the hallway.
From the sound of her father's loud snoring, she knew that at least one person in their house was fast asleep.
Shingo's door was closed; which wasn't a sign of him being asleep necessarily, since his door was always closed. But she could take her chances with Shingo. And, ironically, ever since that fateful day when the siblings had met Mamoru in the middle of the street, Shingo had taken a totally different approach to her relationship with the "gang member". He had even defended Usagi on the night of Mamoru's accident, telling their parents that they needed to "back off" and let her "be".
The memory still brought a thankful smile to her face.
She tried to focus all her energy to hear something from downstairs. Even though it was early (maybe even early by Tsukino Ikuko standards) Ikuko-mama had a strange morning pattern. Usagi had woken up so many times in the middle of the night, to make a visit to the toilet or drink a glass of water, and had found the tall woman in her pristine apron, walking around the kitchen for no apparent reason!
She couldn't hear the usual faint humming her mother was in the habit of making when going about her morning chores. It was strange and comforting at the same time. Maybe she was still asleep as well!
The sun had only touched the sky a little over 10 minutes ago and the chirping sound of birds was a sign of another fine day.
Usagi looked at her wristwatch and winced. She had made it a point the night before to go to sleep early and wake up super early, but she was still going to be a little late if she didn't leave her house right away!
She tried to be as quiet as a mouse, walking on tip toes and trying to sway her way down the stairs.
She had barely touched the door knob when soft footsteps made her heartbeat escalate.
She let out a defeated sigh before turning towards her mother.
Ikuko was standing at the entrance of the living room with a cup clutched between her hands and Usagi couldn't help but notice how different her mother looked that morning.
Her usual sleek hair was left in the messy braid she always wore when going to bed; and it was all tangled up in tiny knots, giving her a tired and disheveled appearance. But what got Usagi's eyes widened was the fact that her always well-put-together mother was still in her night gown!
Usagi couldn't remember the last time she had seen Ikuko-mama in her nightie a step away from their bedroom. She always made it a point to have a full-on ensemble from the moment she woke up and washed her face.
"Are you going somewhere?" Ikuko's whisper pulled Usagi out of her haze.
"Um…yes, I'm meeting the girls…" Usagi replied half-heartedly; knowing too well that her mother could always tell when she was lying.
Two perfectly sculptured eyebrows went up. "The girls?" Ikuko said while glancing at the window beside the entrance door, "At this hour?"
Usagi's body turned towards her mother completely. One small hand was still clutching the door knob while the other one was holding a white shoulder bag. "Um…yes, I mean, we have to study…"
She sighed and looked away from Ikuko. "That's a lie," she mumbled, missing the knowing expression that settled on the older woman's face. "I am meeting the girls. But not to study…" She sighed once more and finally met her mother's gaze. "I've been trying to visit Mamoru," her voice choked at the mention of his name and the knowing expression on Ikuko's face turned into one of deep affection, "and Daiki-kun is trying to help me."
Ikuko did a once over on her daughter; the little girl that she had always assumed fragile and in need of her protection. She could see the tiny bags that resembled two soft pinkish lines under Usagi's eyes; she'd always pried herself in being an observant mother, so she wasn't clueless to her daughter's sleepless nights. The hand that was clutching the white purse was the same hand Ikuko had kissed 16 years ago, when the nurse had put the little pink bundle in her arms.
Her eyes teared up.
Standing before her was a young woman, far from the little girl she once knew; a woman desperate to see the man she loved.
Ikuko was not going to lie to herself anymore; she was forever in that boy's debt. Ever since that awful night, her hostility towards the young man had changed to something akin to motherly sentiment.
That boy had kept her daughter safe, and for that, Ikuko was always thankful to him.
Usagi choked on her breath when two warm and familiar arms encircled her and she was pulled into the one haven she knew was always going to be there.
"Be careful," Ikuko whispered against her ears and Usagi's arms that had wrapped around her mother's midsection tightened their hold."And…"
Usagi turned from the door once more and Ikuko couldn't help but notice the change in her daughter's face. Her eyes seemed brighter, the tiny pink lines under them seemed a little less aggressive.
"Tell him to stay strong."
Usagi's face broke into a smile, one that Ikuko saw for the first time in what seemed like forever.
"God, you're annoying."
"Excuse me?"
"Minako…"
"I said you're annoying."
"Oh yeah? And you're a-"
"MINAKO!"
Minako stuck her nose in the air and plopped herself back on the chair.
Rei rolled her eyes and nodded her head in disappointment. She knew today was going to be a difficult day (handling Usagi's enthusiasm on a normal day was rather too much, imagine handling an enthusiastic and emotional Usagi!) but Rei hadn't prepared herself for this!
She looked at Ami and Makoto; the latter was giving Hisa a dirty look (probably because she called Minako "annoying"!) and the former was quietly explaining their discoveries to the blond guy as if Minako's childish banter with the tall brunette hadn't happened at all!
She looked at Usagi who's eyes were going back and forth between Ami and the blond guy, Daiso? Daido? Whatever his name was!
They had spent most of the morning going through all the information Minako and Rei had gathered while going "under cover" on the Tanaka brothers' activities.
Daiso/Daido (the blond guy!) had laughed at the concept at first, of course, but once he was presented with all the details about both brothers' weekly activities, he had closed his mouth and a trace of respect had entered his eyes.
Hisa was obviously not impressed and she hadn't failed to remind them constantly that she was far from a "willing" participant in this whole "madness". Her non-stop bantering with Minako was getting on everyone's last nerve, but for Usagi, and let's face it, Chiba's sake, they'd chose not to say anything; and to be quite honest, Rei was sort of enjoying herself watching Minako getting worked up like that! Apparently she had finally met her match and Rei was not going to interfere with that at all!
"How did you get this?" Rei was pulled out of her reverie when Makoto elbowed her.
"What?" she asked Daiki, who was holding Minako's little "detective" notebook.
"This," he said, his eyes were lifted to meet hers as he handed her the red and yellow notepad.
Rei's eyes observed the page that included the younger Tanaka's daily schedule. She immediately looked at Minako who was munching on a sata andagi Makoto had baked the night before. "She's…um…" her eyes didn't meet Daiki's, "…very persuasive," Rei said, pushing the notepad back to Daiki who raised one eyebrow and looked at Minako.
"A professional never reveals her secrets," Minako said, patting her mouth with a napkin with an uncharacteristic grace.
"You mean 'a magician never reveals their secret'?" Ami pointed out in a calm voice that was lost in Hisa's loud snort.
Minako's eyes immediately sharpened and her lips jolted outwards in that Minako fashion whenever she was ready to strike.
But before she could retort back, Usagi stood up as she banged on the table with both hands, making all the rest of them to jump out of their skins.
"What the hell, Usa-chan?"
"We're wasting our time!" Usagi declared. "We have enough proof that Mamoru is innocent." She glared at Daiki from the side of her eyes. "We know that it was the Tanaka's that tried to run us over with the car." She looked around with a frown. "So why are we still sitting here chatting about little stuff? Why can't we go to the police with all of this?"
"Well for one thing, he is the police," Rei pointed at Daiki with her chin, "and secondly, we are not wasting our time. We're just sharing what we found out, which, by the way, took a lot of our time, thank you very much." She flipped her ridiculously shiny hair over her shoulder and regarded Usagi with expectation.
Usagi sighed and plopped back on her seat. "I know…" she said. "I know it was hard to run around and investigate…"
"Apparently, it wasn't too hard for everyone…" Hisa mumbled under her breath with sarcasm, which didn't go unnoticed by Minako.
"You're just jealous because you couldn't possibly do it yourself," she said with a mocking tone of her own.
Hisa's eyebrows went up. "Jealous of what exactly? Spreading my le…"
"Ladies!" Daiki's louder than normal voice interrupted the dangerous turn the girls' bantering was about to take, he sent a warning glare at Hisa. "Can we please focus on the task in hand?" His authoritative manner left little room for either girl to argue. He then turned to Usagi who was staring at a point on the table, "Listen," he extended his hand and grabbed hers in a gentle grasp, "I know how frustrating this is; and I know I'm probably the last person you'd wanna hear this from, but the Tanaka's are not only dangerous, they're also very well connected. We can't just go to the police," he ignored Makoto's "hah", "I've been working on their case for almost two years and that's just half of the time they have been under the radar. If we play our cards unwisely, we are not only throwing away years of work, but we're putting Mamoru in a greater danger." He squeezed the tiny hand he was holding. "I know it's too much to ask, but you have got to trust me."
"You have to trust me."
Mamoru had said that to her the night in front of her house, before facing her family's wrath. And he'd proved that trusting him was the right thing to do. The intense pleading Usagi was witnessing in Daiki's eyes were so achingly familiar. "Best friends look alike," Rei had once said, right after Minako and Usagi had bumped their heads on the glass window in their lame attempt at seeing Seiya Kou, a celebrity, walking pass a store. There'd been an obvious malice in Rei's statement back then, but now, Usagi was wondering whether she was right.
Daiki's eyes were reminding her of…
"What do you have in mind?" Usagi asked and something fluttered in the pit of her stomach at the smile that spread across Daiki's face.
He stood up and pulled Usagi on her feet as well, "I'll tell you all about it, after I treat you women to coffee." He laughed at how Usagi cringed.
"Milkshake, then?"
"Motoki-kun, it's been a while."
Motoki's whole body went rigid, his back straightened and he paused before looking over his shoulder. He had to take a deep breath before he did.
"Subaro-san, how are you?" he said to the man who was approaching him with calculating steps (did he walk this way all the time? Or was Motoki just realizing his apparent prowling? Now that he knew exactly who Tanaka Subaro was and what he had done!)
"Busy as usual," the other man replied, a polite yet distant smile plastered on his face. "The restaurant has picked up quite well," he said before looking at Motoki's bag. "Are you coming from school?"
Motoki restrained himself from rolling his eyes, "I am."
"Are you going to the arcade? Do you mind if I walk with you? I'm headed that way too," Subaro said as he patted Motoki on the shoulder and, without waiting for his reply, he gently pushed Motoki forward.
Motoki's mouth formed a thin line, his desire to whip the guy right then and there lost in the memory of Makoto's warning as she told him the story about the Tanaka's and the fact that they had tried to run over Usagi…Not Mamoru, but Usagi.
He had looked at Makoto as if she was a crazy person, making up fictions to be told during a book reading!
He hadn't needed to ask why someone would want to hurt Usagi like that. "No one runs over a person just because they cheat." His joke had only fueled Makoto's anger; she had rushed through explaining why Mamoru and his friends had fast became Tanaka's targets; her eyes had shone with tears as she retold the story about the young girl who'd been raped by Tanaka's goons (Makoto wasn't sure about the details, she'd heard the story from Usagi during a very emotional confession session after all).
The brunette had only stopped talking through hisses and pained expressions when Motoki's hand had touched her shoulder.
"How have you been? Haven't seen much of you lately," Subaro's question lured him out of his memory.
"I've been…busy," he replied, when truly, all he wanted to say was, "fuck off".
"Busy in a good way I hope," Subaro said as they waited for the pedestrian light to turn green. "How's your girlfriend by the way?" he suddenly asked. "What was her name again?"
Motoki felt a bile coming up his throat, a vile feeling at the pit of his stomach and for a moment, he thought he wouldn't be able to hold his tongue, or his fist.
"The moment they figure out that we're on to them, everything's ruined. Your friend…eeer…you know what I mean, that Subaro-san, he shouldn't find out that you know anything about the accident," Makoto's voice echoed in his mind and Motoki was never the one breaking promises.
"She's fine," he answered curtly, avoiding repeating her name to the guy who had tried to hurt them.
"She was quite charming. I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to get to know her better. Are you still together?" his nonchalant tone surprised Motoki, to the point that for a moment he questioned whether Makoto and the rest of them had their facts checked! Subaro seemed so…indifferent. So unbelievably calm for someone who was an alleged murderer!
But then again, Motoki had seen enough crime movies to know how criminal minds worked, even though up until a few weeks ago, he had a totally different image of Subaro in his mind. He had come to know his long-time classmate as a popular and outgoing person; someone who had many acquaintances but not so many friends. Would always have a polite, albeit cold smile on his face, but would never burst in laughter.
And even though he never showed up to classes and only came to the campus whenever he pleased, for some reason, he remained a student!
Motoki was getting off track, and his long pause would probably make Subaro suspicious of something. Did he just ask about the status of his relationship with Usagi? Was that a trick question or was he trying to get something out of Motoki?
"We are," Motoki blurted out, "still together, I mean." He had no idea why he lied like that. Subaro probably knew Usagi was with Chiba, why else would they want to hurt her otherwise, right?
And honestly, Usagi wasn't his most favorite person. But then, something inside of him was pushing him to protect her; and for some reason, his subconscious felt that by saying Usagi was with him, Subaro and his little fucked-up goons would leave her alone.
"Oh?" Subaro's eyebrows went up a little, probably too little, to anyone who wasn't aware of his motives.
"Well, we did take a break a while back, but we're back together now," suddenly, Motoki's mind was on a race against time as he tried to remember if he had said anything to any of his mutual classmates with Subaro about his relationship with Usagi.
"Uh, short-period trouble in paradise then, huh?" his smile was as cold as ever.
"I suppose."
They stopped in front of the arcade. The sliding door opened as they neared and the usual noisy and jingling sounds of the establishment saluted their arrival.
Subaro glanced inside, "You got a nice place here Motoki-kun." He leisurely put his hands in his pants' pockets. "You've done well for yourself."
Motoki had to fight the urge to roll his eyes once more. "Thanks. It's a family business, so I'm not alone."
"Uh, the beauty of family business," the other man chuckled. "There are definitely some advantages to that, ne? Most importantly how you get to see one another all the time, be there for each other…protect each other…"
The words alone didn't alert Motoki, especially if they were spoken by a friend; unfortunately, Tanaka Subaro was no longer fitted in that category. Plus, his tone had taken a sudden turn…and it sent chills down Motoki's spine.
"Anyway, I must take my leave," the tall man stated. "Come by to the restaurant again. I know the opening night was a disaster, but we're on high security now. You know how it is, some little fuck heads think they can mess around with big guys in the business." He shook his head with another sarcastic snort and extended his hand. "We're having a karaoke tomorrow night. Come by with Usagi-san, she seems like the type that would enjoy singing." He shook Motoki's reluctant hand.
"Oh, and," Motoki stopped halfway in entering the arcade when he heard Subaro again, "invite her cute blonde friend too, will you? I bumped into her a couple of times this past week. Quite an interesting girl. Invite her, as my special guest!"
Motoki stood rooted on his spot several minutes after Subaro was gone from his sight.
His mind started racing against time once more.
"What are you doing?" she hissed in his ear, her tiny hands pushing at his shoulders, all the while her mouth and tongue and the little moans she made cheered him in his advances.
"What does it look like?" he whispered back, his mouth already latched to her throat, feasting on the soft flesh.
He knew what he was doing was wrong. He knew her reputation would be ruined should anyone see them like this; all tangled limbs and sweaty foreheads; her reputation would be ruined anyway, just because she was with him, and he knew this. But for some reason, he couldn't help himself.
Ever since he started noticing her in the arcade, and later, around the neighbourhood, he couldn't help himself in wanting her. And from the moment his lips had touched hers, he knew he was ruined for any other, although he fought to discard that thought for many months.
Mamoru turned to his side on the lumpy mattress as his eyes focused beyond the small window.
He could still remember his first encounters with Usagi, as if they had happened yesterday. The heat and passion he had experienced with her in those short make-out sessions were still lingering on his mind. And even though he had her completely now, it still sent a tingling sensation through his system whenever he thought about those hurried and chased caresses and kisses.
"You're assaulting me," she'd hissed in his ear, right about the same time her arm had looped around his neck to pull him closer.
"It's not an assault when you're this eager," he had chuckled against her collarbone, his hands going down on her sides to grab her thighs and bring them around his waist.
She had let out a small gasp and he had marveled at how she had tightened her arms around his neck. "We're in public. Someone will see…oooh…" She had thrust her tongue into his mouth as soon as he'd kiss her and he had groaned and pushed her into the wall.
"I'll deal with them if they do," he'd mumbled on the side of her mouth, as she panted and closed her eyes.
The thoughts of her were the only thing keeping him sane in this hellhole; and oh how he yearned to see her. He had wanted to ask Ami if they could somehow bring her to visit him (the same way the teenager herself had done it!) but at the same time, he really didn't want her to see him here!
"She's fine," the blue haired lawyer had told him. "She's sad all the time! But I think that's normal, given the circumstances," she had whispered so only his ears would hear.
"Tell her…" Mamoru had whispered before his lawyer walked out of the visiting area, "…that I'll be fine…It'll be okay," he finished lamely, averting his eyes from Ami's knowing stare.
"She misses you too," Ami replied, giving him a tiny smile before disappearing behind the door.
His mind strayed from thoughts of Usagi to his conversation with Ami. He had, of course, laughed at the fact that those little girls were trying to help him, by taking the Tanaka brothers down, but the more Ami had spoken, calmly and professionally, his scepticism and superior amusement had been fast replaced with "what ifs" and (he wouldn't ever confess to it) but a little hope.
Ami had brought up Daiki's name casually, letting him know that he was on this with them, "And?" he'd asked with raised eyebrows. "Hisa-chan is too…not enthusiastically though."
He'd been surprised of course; He knew that Daiki's identity was obviously revealed to Hisa by now; how was he still alive then?
"Chiba."
He didn't turn his head around.
"You have a visitor."
He looked at the pavilion supervisor and got off the bed. As he was making his way towards the visiting hall he remembered that he hadn't even combed his hair yet! It was still so early.
His lawyer was apparently a very early riser.
He stopped at the entrance of the visiting hall when he saw a tall figure leaning against the rusty table. His blond head was turned away from Mamoru, but he would recognize that posture, even in a dark alley with partial sight!
"I'm surprised to see you on your own two feet."
Daiki immediately turned and pushed away from the table, "What?" he asked, distracted.
"Hisa didn't cut off your balls then?" It was more of a statement than a question.
Daiki's eyes hadn't looked away from Mamoru from the moment they had landed on him, and it took him a few seconds to understand what his companion was saying.
"Wha…oh, well, you know…it's not from lack of attempt from her side, of course," he let out an embarrassed, yet frustrated, chuckle.
"Do I even want to know why you're here?" Mamoru asked, after a few moments of utter silence. He knew Daiki was struggling to come up with something to say.
He knew his friend's body language more than he let on, and Mamoru always thought of his attentiveness as a gift and a curse at the same time.
"So, your lawyer paid you a visit, huh?" Daiki suddenly asked.
Mamoru raised an eyebrow, "She sure did…did yo-"
Daiki nodded his head in understanding and did a quick glance at his watch, "Getting tired so soon?" Mamoru cut short his previous thought and instead asked with sarcasm. "These halls are dull, aren't they?"
Daiki closed his eyes for a mere second and let out a sigh. "Your insults are getting weak." The usual mockery glint in his eyes had returned when he looked at Mamoru again.
"We found your sister."
Mamoru's next jab died in his throat with Daiki's unexpected declaration; he went to say something but Daiki had already stood up and was moving to the door, opposite the one Mamoru had walked through a few minutes ago. "My sister?"
Daiki smirked when he heard Mamoru's sharp intake of breath; the said sneer vanished from his face, however, as soon as his eyes met the emotional blue orbs in front of him.
Mamoru halted his slow move to lift himself up from the chair for a split second, probably trying to will himself to believe what he was seeing.
The next second, he was standing beside Daiki (he'd pushed him rather rudely to the side, to be honest) and Usagi's raven wig was in the danger of being dropped on the floor.
Daiki tried to avert his eyes, look away from the emotional and private moment he was witnessing between the siblings. But the more he tried, the less he succeeded, and thank God, he didn't! The behaviour they were displaying was definitely not an indication of a love between a brother and a sister. He cleared his throat once, twice (a little louder) and when it was clear that the two juvenile and hormonal teenagers in front of him are completely ignorant of his attempts to bring them back to reality, he tapped Mamoru on the shoulder. "I wish I had a sister," he said, his tone loud enough to be heard by the supervisor sitting a few meters away and irritated enough to be fully understood by his raven-haired friend.
Mamoru lifted his head from Usagi's shoulder, his eyes murderous and glazed with anger for being cheated out of his moment with her. "We don't have much time," Daiki said, pulling both towards the chairs. "You can do shameless stuff when Mamoru's out of here." He wiggled his eyebrows and Mamoru rolled his eyes; typical Daiki, he never had the decency to shut his big mouth!
"How did you get in?" Mamoru asked as soon as they were seated and Usagi's tiny hands were clutching his with enthusiasm. "Daiki-kun knew someone on the staff," she whispered before taking an anxious glance over her shoulder. "Why are you nervous?"
She did another glance, her black, shoulder length wig was a little disheveled on her head, probably from the force of Mamoru's desperate hug. Black really wasn't her colour, he thought to himself, but damn she looked adorable. "The guy said that someone's always listening," she whispered again, this time as she moved a little closer.
Mamoru nodded his head in understanding, not wanting to point out that their supposed spy, was the chubby bald guy sitting by the door on the other end, and Mamoru knew from experience that he was no rat; if she felt safer to whisper, then he wouldn't argue with it. Their short time together was precious, he didn't want to ruin it with…
"What's up with your hair?"
Usagi did a side glance at Daiki who wasn't doing the greatest job at hiding his amusement. "Uh…Minako-chan said that…uh, I'm not believable enough to be your sister, so uh…she got me this." She touched the side of the wig and tried to tidy it.
Mamoru raised his brows. "Doesn't she look adorable?" Daiki said with obvious laughter in his voice. "Black looks good on her, right?"
"You said I look like a ninja wanna-be," Usagi countered quickly, giving Daiki a dark look.
"And that's a bad thing, because?"
She let out a frustrated sigh and looked back at Mamoru; her eyes immediately losing their irritation. She reached out and grabbed Mamoru's hand. "Is this sisterly enough?" She glared at Daiki and he nodded with mirth.
Time flew by as Usagi tried to give Mamoru every little detail of what she had been up to since his absence. She'd jump from topic to topic, her animated gestures as she spoke and the way her hand would tighten their hold on his whenever the story would reach a milestone, were like a breath of fresh air. He felt himself smiling, really smiling, as she whined about school, forced study groups and Shingo's new technique in creeping up on her when she was deep in thought about stuff.
Mamoru could feel her anxiousness in bringing a smile to his face; with every flicker on his lips a bright light entered her eyes (the bigger the flicker, the brighter the light!) and she'd try harder to make her story funnier, more enthusiastic and diverse.
Daiki was standing by the door, looking at his watch every now and then and when he sighed and scratched the back of his neck, Mamoru knew their time had come to an end. Usagi's back was to where the blond was standing and Mamoru let her continue her fascination about Ami's genuineness and how she was better suited to become a lawyer rather than a doctor.
Her rambling had stopped instantly when Daiki touched her shoulder and gave her an understanding smile. "It's time to leave Usagi-chan," he said, his eyes focused on Mamoru and the little smile on his face turned into a sigh once more.
Mamoru's heart did a nasty twist, a familiar kind that he'd only came to feel ever since he'd been with Usagi.
He didn't want her to leave; well, that wasn't entirely true. He didn't want her to stay in a place like this, but he didn't want her to leave him.
The ugly feeling of being alone, always alone, had found a way to crawl back into his heart ever since he'd been in this hellhole. He thought he had grew out of it; with having people like Daiki and Hisa constantly eating away his privacy and Usagi…
"Hey…"
Usagi's tiny hand was settled on his cheek and his eyes were once again focused on hers. "It won't be much longer, you'll be out of here soon," she whispered. "We have a plan." She gestured towards Daiki with her head. "Funny, but it seems that we make a great team…who knew, right?" she smiled and even though it didn't reach her eyes, Mamoru still appreciated her effort.
She went up on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek in a soft caress. "I don't even know how you would kiss your brother; I just know how to kick Shingo's ass," she said with frustration when she went back on her heels and pouted.
And really, she was standing right there, she was so close and chances were that they wouldn't get the opportunity to see each other any time soon. Mamoru didn't know how Daiki had made this visit a reality, but he knew there were limits on favours.
Daiki stood dumbfounded as Mamoru pushed Usagi's black wig into his arms, with an urgency he had never displayed before. The little surprised "oh" Usagi let out soon turned into a flirtatious moan when Mamoru pulled her up into a kiss.
Daiki cleared his throat uncomfortably when Mamoru pushed his hands through Usagi's hair and grabbed the back of her head with more force. His surprise, however, was soon turned into enjoyment and…God he was getting hot. Like damn, those two were putting up one hell of a show and even though he was mad at them at flushing the whole disguise down the toilet, he couldn't help himself but be amused at their behaviour.
Typical Mamoru, he thought; he never did play by the rules and honestly, Daiki should've known that he wouldn't do it this time.
Usagi couldn't breathe, her lungs had literally run out of oxygen the moment Mamoru's hand went up to her head and took away that awful wig.
Mamoru's lips lacked their usual chocolaty, coffee taste and they felt dry and she didn't give a fuck. Because, oh God, how she had missed those lips.
'The hell with it,' she'd screamed in her own head when, only for a second, the rational part of her mind had wanted to stop the kiss. She had been away from those lips, those slender, bony hands and those shoulders that had seemed less broad and she deserved, they deserved, this. This moment of absoluteness, when only the two of them were there and nothing else mattered.
So Usagi went up on her tiptoes, stretched herself up against Mamoru's form, grabbed the sides of his face and kissed his lips again and again. She let him take her mouth as he pleased, allowing herself to take his as well. At the back of her mind, somewhere blurry and far away, she was reminded of the first kisses they had shared. Those passionate, hot and toe-curling kisses that would make her confused and angry afterward, and at the same time, made her eager and unconsciously impatient for them the next time.
She let him move her head the way he wanted, allowed him to wound his hands in her hair and knew that the force he was imposing on her skull was probably matching the weight she was forcing on his neck.
Mamoru brought his lips to the sides of her mouth, her chin and went further down on her neck and with her lungs finally receiving some air, she heard Daiki's loud "ehem". 'Shut up', she said in her head, bringing Mamoru's lips back to where she wanted them, gnawing at his lower lip in the perfect rhythm with his tongue licking her upper lip.
"Can you just…" Daiki's impatient voice reached Mamoru's ears, but he chose to ignore it. Because, fuck, he was having a moment with the woman he loved and the hell with everything else, when she was kissing him with this much enthusiasm when her petite figure was plastered against his and her fervent mouth was taking from him what he was willing to give and then some.
"For fuck's sake…"
Mamoru was suddenly hissing in pain and his lips were automatically detached from Usagi's, "What the…?"
Daiki didn't wait for him to finish; his second poke was not as surprising as the first one, but it was similar in severity and it made Mamoru clutch his side.
"Can you just…" Daiki stuttered. "Just…okay?" He rolled his eyes when Mamoru met him with an angry expression and averted his eyes to Usagi's unfocused stare. "We have to go." He looked back at Mamoru. "You guys said your goodbyes, I assume, or would you like to start making babies here and now?"
Usagi turned beet red when that particular love/horny curtain was lifted from her mind and she was able to actually think of what they had done.
"I'll be out of here someday you know," Mamoru said with irritation, "and when the day comes, I think you should run…as fast as you can." Daiki simply smirked at the threat and nodded his head. "Yeah, yeah. Trust me, when this shit is done and over with, I need to start running for a whole lot of reasons." His tone was carefree.
"Mamo-chan…" Usagi's insistent hand grabbed the side of Mamoru's shirt and before he was able to wrap his head around the new name she had given him, she went on a fast forward, "You'll be out of here soon. We have a plan, did I tell you? A really good one. Ami-chan and Daiki-kun are geniuses, did I tell you? And, and…did I tell you that Minako-chan and Rei-chan are suddenly the best detectives in town? They've found so much on the…" she looked at Daiki for a second and lowered her voice, "Tanaka brothers." She widened her eyes as if Mamoru was having troubles remembering who they are, and her tone went back to her normal one, "And I can't tell you what the plan is, because you shouldn't worry about it, you just need to know that it's a good plan and we're all thinking of you and…" she took a deep breath, "and I love you." Her other hand grabbed the side of his shirt as well. "I love you so so much, and I'm going to miss you, so so much," her eyes were glistering with tears, "but I'm going to be strong, and you need to be strong, because we're going to get through this." She sniffled and smiled. "My mom wanted me to tell you…" Mamoru's eyebrows went up, even though his eyes were still mesmerized on her face, "…to tell you to stay strong." She wiped away a few fallen tears with her sleeve. "You are strong Mamo-chan, I know you are, and you need to have faith." Mamoru held her close as gently as he could, even as Daiki's hand settled on the blonde's shoulder and pulled her a little. "Have faith in us, you'll be back home soon."
Later that night, after leaving behind yet another uneaten supper and laying down on the stiff bed he could never call his own, Mamoru replayed his visit with Usagi over and over again, cursing himself for not telling her that he loved her too, and God, how he would miss her.
He remembered Daiki's smile and his confidence when he nodded his approval of Usagi's parting words.
Mamoru never liked to be in the dark, not knowing what was happening and who was doing what, but "have faith in us," Usagi had said, and for all the times he had said the same thing to her, for all the times she had invested her trust in him, for the moments they had shared and for all the love he held for her inside his empty heart, Mamoru decided to do just that.
And she'd called him "Mamo-chan". So really, how can he not have faith in someone who would call him "Mamo-chan"?
"I screwed up…" Motoki said in an obvious panic as soon as Makoto walked into the arcade.
"God…were you just waiting to jump out like that?" Makoto hissed while her hand went up to her chest and she tried to calm herself.
"I screwed up big time," Motoki repeated as if she hadn't said a word. "You're going to kill me. Usagi is going to kill me and…" Suddenly his eyes went wide and he looked at her with horror. "Chiba is going to kill me like a dog…if he wasn't a criminal before going to prison, he sure is one now…he's going to shoot me in the middle of this fucking place." His panic was escalading with each word he said and Makoto's attempts to calm him were cut short. "Holy mother of…why in the hell would I say that? Damn it…he's going to…ooooow!" His hand automatically went up to his ear, where Makoto's ridiculously strong fingers were twisting his helix as if it was responsible for all the problems in the world.
"Keep it down, what are you? A 6-year-old child?" Makoto hissed and pulled him towards the backroom of the arcade.
"What the hell, Mako-chan, that really hurt," the blond said as soon as they entered the private room and Motoki could free himself from her tight hold.
Makoto rolled her eyes, "Stop whining, you sound like a baby."
Motoki glared at her while caressing his abused flesh.
"Now, what have you screwed up?" she sat on the couch and stretched her legs.
Motoki's eyes refocused again, but instead of saying what he meant, he went on autopilot again. "He's probably a pro now, you learn a lot of things in prison…"
"It's not a prison," Makoto snapped, her patience was wearing thin, "it's a correctional center."
"What the hell is the difference? People are sent there to be "corrected", meaning that they did something "wrong" and…"
"For the love of…Motoki, shut up. Just tell me what happened?"
His hand went up to his ear again. "Fu…that really hurt," Makoto narrowed her eyes at him and stood up. "Oh yeah? I'll do worse to your ass if you don't tell me what happened in 5, 4, 3…"
"Okay, okay, Jesus," he took a few steps back and held up his hands. "I ran into Tanaka, you know, the one that has the restaurant that…"
"AND?"
Motoki tried to look away. "And he was talking about how they have enemies and all that, and then he asked about Usagi…"
"AND?"
"Jesus, Makoto-chan…don't yell," the last word died in his throat when Makoto made a move towards him. "He didn't say anything bad, just, he asked about my relationship with her and that…well obviously, he knew we're not together and so…" He sighed with frustration and pushed a hand through his hair. "I don't know what came over me. I told him that we are together." His eyes didn't meet Makoto's. "I mean, for a moment I thought if he thinks that Usagi is with me and not Chiba, maybe, maybe they wouldn't go after her…I don't know." He let out a frustrated argh and buried his face in his hands.
"Motoki-kun…"
He didn't meet her eyes.
"You're a…GENIUS," Motoki's hands were suddenly pulled away from his face and Makoto's excited face was revealed.
Motoki let her have her little moment of excitement, "That's not all…"
"What?"
"He invited us to his restaurant for karaoke…and asked me to invite Minako-chan as well."
Makoto's smile vanished from her face like lightning. They stood in silence for a moment. Makoto's expression went darker and darker with each passing second.
"Chiba is going to hand you your gut…after Minako kills you and brings you back to life!"
Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon and its fabulous characters. I wish I did, but I don't! All the delightful rights of this wonderful manga/anime and its characters belong to Naoko Takeuchi.