Chapter 3
When Mamoru returned to his apartment he decided to take a nice long shower. His thoughts kept colliding with each other, scenes of Sailor Moon in her most dire threat clashed with his older self making out with his love.
When he ended his shower and got dressed he could already see the dawn's rays peaking out over the rooftops of smaller building in the district. It was another day and another conflict brewing in the midst. He had no answers to the sudden change in venue of his nighttime dreams and he couldn't do anything more about the super heroine. Besides, today he'd get to see his love.
However it wasn't until much later that day did he get to see her. She was sitting alone in the booth and he plopped down across from her. "Hey Ordango." He greeted the tiny girl of his affections.
She was in her late teens and wasn't much younger than he was, but she was still one of the smallest people he had ever had the ability to meet. "Mamoru." She greeted coolly, obviously not in the mood for this conflict.
"I didn't get my daily bruise this morning." He told her.
"I don't believe that's a bad thing." The ordangoed haired girl retorted.
"But it is, without our daily collision I happen to be way early for my classes."
"Then why don't you just leave later?" She looked up her eyes blazing with the need to be left alone for a while so she could examine her thoughts.
"What's wrong little Ordango? Did somebody get in trouble this morning?" He teased lightly.
"Of course not." She forced a smile. "I never get into trouble." She attempted to slide out of the booth at the same time Motoki, the owner's son and main waiter came over to take their orders. She winced as Motoki banged into her and steadied her shoulder.
"Hey Usa-chan, you leaving so soon?" He asked dejected, Usagi was one of his favorite customers who always brightened a room but recently she had become quieter than usual, even in her arguments with Mamoru.
"I think so Motoki, I'm not in the mood for this anymore." Usagi replied giving him a genuine smile.
Mamoru was instantly reminded of his dream and stood up as well. "I have to be going as well."
"Oh, all right, see you guys around then." Motoki moved on to another table with a backwards glance.
"The least you could have done was humor him." Usagi looked torn between her desire to leave and the desire to apiece one of her oldest friends.
Mamoru shrugged. "He'll get over it. Besides I'm walking you home."
"You're doing what?" Usagi asked wide-eyed.
"Walking you home." Mamoru stated confidently.
"Why would you want to do that?" Usagi eyed him skeptically.
"Because I happen to enjoy spending time with you. No worries, I will not say a word to you the entire way unless you want me to." He let out a rare stray smile.
Usagi was confused and decided to ignore his comment. "Do whatever you wish, it's a semi free country."
They walked all the way to Usagi's house in complete silence; Mamoru walked a step behind her and watched her move with more care than she usually did. When they reached Usagi's house, she stood awkwardly on the front porch, facing him. She started to say something; thought better of it then shut her mouth only to open again. "Thank you Mamoru." She finally stated before opening her door and going inside, shutting the door firmly in his face.
Mamoru smiled and left whistling as he walked down the street, not intending to go to any place in particular. It was the first time they had spent more than a minute not arguing with each other, they hadn't said anything to each other, but it was a start.
That evening as Mamoru was studying for his midterms the terrible pain over took him again so dramatically; he almost fell out of his seat. "Yeesh, I'm going already." He shouted to the powers that be and as expected, the pain subsided to a dull ache.
He made his way over the several rooftops standing in his way to the dainty girl fighting yet again for her life or somebody else's. This time they were fighting on top of a building, there were several cages containing various rabbits that kept multiplying. Tuxedo Kamen stayed out of the way to watch the transaction going on before he offered his services.
The rabbits seemed to have a power of their own and were surrounding Sailor Moon to the point of redundancy. She kept backing away from them terrified, and they kept creeping closer to her. "I could use a bit of insight here Merc." She yelled to the blue haired senshi.
"I'm working on it! So far they haven't seemed to be in the mood to attack." She stated loud enough for her friend to hear.
"What do you mean they haven't attacked yet?" Tuxedo Kamen dropped to Mercury's side, blowing the surprise position but knowing it was now worthless because the enemy seemed to expect him to show up at the exact time anyways.
His sudden appearance had Mercury letting out a small shriek and the other two senshi tore their eyes away from Sailor Moon to look at the blue fukued girl. Seeing Kamen, Jupiter ignored him and attempted a step towards Sailor Moon. The rabbits sent a death glare at the girl and moved more quickly towards Sailor Moon. Jupiter decided to hold her ground then.
Mars on the other hand kept staring at the two of them; finally she called over. "What are you doing Kamen?"
"I'm here to take over the world! What do you think I'm doing? I'm here to help!" Kamen hissed sarcastically, that girl sometimes got under his skin.
Mars said something unintelligible and Sailor Moon seemed to finally take notice that Kamen was here. "Tuxie?" She asked hesitantly. "Mind helping a girl out here?"
"What can I do? Jupiter tried getting closer but it had a negative impact." Kamen answered.
"Get over onto that building and make sure I don't fall, I don't have as large as a running jump available as I usually do." Sailor Moon told him and he followed her suggestion. When he got there he yelled to her. "Ok, go ahead."
Sailor Moon turned around and took a running jump over the large crevice between the two buildings. She barely made it, the heels of her feet were hanging off the edge and she was teetering for a return of balance to move forward. Kamen pulled her into his arms and more soundly onto the rooftop. "You all right?" He checked her for a sign of injury.
"Perfectly." Sailor Moon smiled at him.
"Were you hurt tonight in anyway? Mercury said the rabbits haven't attacked yet." He brushed back a strand of her soft blond hair.
"It's true they haven't but I was outside and I saw Zoicite and I followed him here, contacting my fellow senshi on the way and he got in a lucky shot a few minutes ago." Moon complied completely.
"That man needs to be stopped." Kamen said bitterly.
"If he's stopped they'll only send a stronger and more cunning man in his place." Moon reminded him.
"Too true, and we've yet to actually defeat a general." Kamen's face was over come with sternness and Sailor moon lifted a white-gloved hand to smooth away his tautness around the lips. "You're not meant to be angry, this face was built to always have a sly smile rounding it up."
"A sly smile?" Kamen asked, one of those smiles making its own way unto his lips despite his attempt to hide it.
"Exactly like that." Sailor Moon elaborated.
"Excuse me, I'd hate to interrupt the lovers chat over there, but we've got a small reproduction problem happening over here." Jupiter's witty comment drifted over to them and they pulled apart.
"We still need to talk after this battle." Kamen reminded Sailor Moon.
"I'd never forget that." Sailor Moon winked before she made her way towards Mercury. "Ok, how do we deal with this?" She asked the navy endowed girl. Mercury pulled Sailor Moon down and whispered something in her ear. Kamen watched the blond in fascination as she laughed at something Mercury said.
He had never really seen Sailor Moon as something other than to be protected and respected but recently he'd seen her as somebody beautiful as well. He felt that he was betraying Usagi by just these thoughts, it was silly because they were the furthest thing from dating so far and he had more of a chance with Sailor Moon somebody he'd never be able to see in public with than he did with the woman he loved.
He watched as Sailor Moon lifted her head and she gave him one of those looks that she didn't associate with the dreamy gaze she often gave him. This look was calculating and speculative as if contemplating his presence. It wasn't something he enjoyed, that look usually meant trouble for him, and it also meant that Mars had placed the slightest doubt in her about him again.
Moon removed her gaze to travel to the small furry animals that have now taken over the entire rooftop and Sailor Moon did a back flip from the roof she was on into the hoard of animals. Kamen went after her in horror but Mercury called for him to come to her side so she could explain the plan to him. Kamen reluctantly left his attempt to save the girl and moved to the genius senshi. He watched as the animals completely surrounded Sailor Moon, not even the golden globes atop of her head were seen amidst the multicolored beings.
A bright light radiated from the gaps between them and suddenly all of them disappeared, with a senshi lying in the middle of the pile drenched in perspiration, unconscious. Jupiter bounded over to her faster than he could, and he watched in amazement as the girl slowly came to. "Tell me that was part of the plan." He growled at Mercury.
"I can't." She stated ashamed. "I'm not sure why that happened. Luckily she had a plan going in otherwise I think she'd be completely zapped of energy now and on her last thread."
"Tuxie?" Sailor Moon asked quietly and he was there in an instant.
"Yes?" He ran a glove hand down the side of her face. "What is it?"
"Can we have that talk tomorrow, do you suppose?" She wondered.
"Yes, yes of course." Kamen answered like that was the plan all along.
"Good, because I really want to talk to you, but I also really want to sleep." She passed out again in Jupiter's arms.
"We'll take care of her, don't worry." Jupiter was the only one still on Kamen's good side at the moment. Mercury to him had failed in her mission to protect her leader, in fact sending into the danger without knowing the whole scoop and Mars kept belittling the trust he was trying so hard to achieve in at least the leader.
"See you then." And he was off, heading back to his apartment for a good night's sleep and early morning studying.