I'm really sorry about the delay on this. I really meant to put it up a lot earlier than this but I got some troubles with the chapter I'm writing right now. Yes, I'm writing ahead, just so I'm certain I have something to post. I've just finished chapter five now as we speak. But when I was about seventy-five percent finished, I went back and read through this chapter again…and nearly gagged. This chapter alone nearly made me delete the whole file. I just couldn't stand what I had written – it was just too mushy. And it has to be noted that the version I read was the one heavily edited by poor Luna. The chapter had been even mushier before! So, I actually rewrote most of the chapter, just so I could survive reading it. It's still rather mushy – in a good way, I think. But the main difference is that Tuxedo Kamen is now at least a tiny bit in character. Something he wasn't in my earlier drafts.

The small song snippet in the beginning of the chapter is from Moonlight Densetzu – the Sailor Moon theme in Japanese.

Oh, and before I forget: For those of you who wanted to see pictures of our cosplay before, they're up at my live journal. I'd give you a direct link, but fan fiction net won't let me post it. So, go to live journal and search on Cherazor. My LJ is readable to everyone. :)

Well then. Enough of my babbling! Enjoy the chapter and please review.

-Cherry (who did, in fact, turn eighteen…not that I'm admitting it or anything…)

Once again, a special thank-you to Luna a.k.a Temptation Angel for actually living through the utter out-of-character-ness that plagued this chapter before.

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Angels and Demons

Chapter three – When Angel Talks

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Her eyes were closed as she spun around slowly, her long hair floating around her like a golden halo. Once again he was struck by how angelic she seemed. Divine. Beautiful. A small giggle left her slightly parted lips and it was then he realized she was singing, oh-so-softly. He strained his ears, barely able to make out the soft-sung words.

"…Ima sugu aitai yo, Nakitaku naru you na moonlight, Denwa mo dekinai midnight—Oh!" Usagi squeaked, both her singing and spinning halting abruptly as she realized she was being watched. She rushed to his side, immediately starting to rearrange his pillows, fluffing them up and arranging them so it would be more comfortable to sit. "Oh, I…anou…I thought you were still sleeping. You've been sleeping ever since Motoki-onii-san left. Daijobu desu ka?"

He snuck a glance at the clock on the bedside table. His eyes widened behind his mask. He'd been sleeping for over nine hours straight! "Daijobu desu," he replied quickly as he realized she was still waiting for him to answer.

She smiled brilliantly and he felt close to melting. The line 'like putty in her hands' suddenly held a whole new meaning for him.

"Are you hungry?"

He nodded, realizing for the first time that he actually was.

She smiled again, rising to her feet. "I'll be right back." She bounded through the door, nearly tripping over the rug. Judging by what he could see reflected of her face in the mirror, she was blushing profoundly.

Tuxedo Kamen smiled softly, leaning back against the pillows. He closed his eyes, resting them for a moment, letting his mind drift. He had nearly drifted off to sleep again when Usagi returned, a tray in hand.

"Tuxedo Kamen-sama?" she called softly.

His head shot up and he blinked rapidly. "Hai?"

She giggled softly. "Just checking that you're still awake." She placed the tray gently in his lap.

"Arigatou." He gestured towards the reeking hot bowl of soup. "Did you cook this yourself?"

She laughed, shaking his head. "Iie, iie! I can't cook to save my life. Mama cooked this earlier, I just warmed it up."

He looked up, his eyes locking with hers. "Tell me more about yourself, Tenshi." He gripped the spoon tightly, his eyes never leaving hers.

She shook her head, a small laugh escaping her lips. "I'm no angel, Tuxedo Kamen-sama."

His mouth twitched momentarily. "You certainly look like one to me." He whispered huskily, his reply coming out a lot more seriously than he'd intended.

Usagi blushed, nodding slowly. For a moment she was certain she'd seen his eyes - blue and beautiful, briefly through his mask.

He smiled, trying to ease up the tension between them. "Now, tell me more about yourself, onegai."

"What would you like to know?"

He shrugged, grimacing in pain at the movement. "Everything," he replied. "Tell me about what you like to do, about your friends…" he trailed off, urging her to start talking.

"Well, I'm fourteen…"

Fourteen? According to Motoki, he was nineteen. He quickly did the math in his head; it meant a five year long gap between them… He shook his head, forcing himself back into the present.

"I collect things with rabbits-"

His mouth twisted upwards in an involuntary smile. "Because of your name?"

She shook her head. "Iie. Well, I suppose it's partly why, but I've received stuffed bunnies since I was little, so I started collecting them. You should see my room, it's filled with bunnies."

He laughed softly. "I wouldn't mind seeing your room sometime."

"Well, if you're feeling well enough to walk around tomorrow, I'll show you around the house. Now, where was I? Oh, right. My favorite color is pink, I'm addicted to chocolate and my favorite flowers are roses."

Afterwards, he wouldn't know what on earth possessed him to behave so out of character. Perhaps it was a weird side effect from the antibiotics or perhaps it was because of the petite girl in front of him. Either way, he flicked his wrist – almost lazily – conjuring a simple red rose into his hand. "Roses? Like this one?" He grinned lopsidedly, offering her the rose silently.

Her eyes widened and she accepted the rose with a gasp. "A-arigatou." She held it under her nose, inhaling its sweet fragrance.

He smiled at her, taking a spoonful of soup in his mouth before grimacing suddenly. It had gone cold.

She glanced at him quizzically and he shook his head, not wanting her to get up. He took another mouthful of soup, swallowing quickly. "Please continue," he urged.

"Well…" she began, albeit a bit hesitantly, "I have a great family. There's Shingo, my little brother. He's really annoying, but I love him anyway. And then there's mama and papa. Mama's a housewife and papa works as a photographer for a newspaper. He promised me that he wouldn't report anything about you." She smiled reassuringly at him before continuing. "I have some of the best friends in the world. There's Naru-chan. She's a really sweet girl and my best friend. We've known each other since we were small.

"Then there's Ami-chan. You might have heard of her, she's really smart and kind…and then there's Rei-chan. She's, well…" She bit her lip, her eyes turning sad. "We fight a lot and she picks on me because…well, I'm a bit of a klutz. And a crybaby. And I'm not very good at school either."

"But, if she picks on you, why are you friends with her?"

"Anou, Ami-chan is a mutual friend. And, call it intuition, but I have a feeling that the picking is her way to show that she cares. She wants me to become a stronger person, so she picks on my weaknesses in an attempt to make me do something about it." She gazed up, locking her eyes with his with a smile. "But if you tell her I told you that, I'll have to kill you."

He let a small chuckle escape his lips. "I'll keep my tongue guarded. So, how come you aren't so good at school? You certainly aren't intellectually disabled."

She blushed. "Well, I…have troubles sleeping at night, so I easily fall asleep in class. And let's just say I'm not so interested either. I do try, but I just can't focus long enough when there are other, much more fun, things to do. I've tried to get Ami-chan to tutor me, but she's so intelligent I sometimes have troubles understanding what she's saying. And I feel bad about asking too many times…"

"Do you have your books with you?"

"Nani? Why?"

He shrugged. "I can tutor you." He swallowed the last of the soup, letting the spoon fall back into the bowl with a soft clang. "If you don't mind, that is."

She shook her head, smiling brilliantly. "Iie!" She got up to her feet. "I'll get my books." She rushed out, returning moments later with a small stack of books in her arms.

He placed the tray on the floor, making room on the bed for both her and her books. "What subject do you need the most help in?"

"Each and every one of them," she replied hastily, her cheeks turning red.

He frowned, gripping the first book in the stack. He glanced at the cover. Math. "Well, math it is then." He flicked it open, skimming through the pages. "Algebra, ne?"

She nodded. "Hai. We've just started, and I'm not sure what they want me to do…"

He placed the book on the bed between them. "Look, it's quite simple. Do you know what the 'x' stands for?" He continued at the blank look she gave him. "The x indicates an unknown number."

"But I thought x was a letter."

"Well, it is…"

"But why is it a letter if it stands for a number? I mean, why isn't it a number?"

"Probably because it would be very confusing. How on earth would you know which number was the one they wanted you to guess?"

"But still! Why an x? Why not a name? A blank spot? Or even a bacon and egg sandwich?"

He chuckled. "I don't think there's a specific reason to why. They could have used something else instead, but can you imagine how much longer time it would take to write 'bacon and egg sandwich' instead of just making an x?"

"Well…I guess you have a point there…" She frowned. "So, what they want me to do is to fill in the blank spaces?"

"Basically…yes."

"Well, why didn't they say so?"

He smiled, handing her a pencil. "Now, why don't you try it? See if it makes sense."

She accepted it, smiling gratefully. "Arigatou," she said softly, and he had a feeling she wasn't only talking about the pencil. She started scribbling, her tongue sticking out from the corner of her mouth as she concentrated. A few minutes later, she handed him the book slowly, the pencil tucked in behind her ear.

He accepted the book wordlessly and began skimming through the page. He smiled, carefully taking the pencil from behind her ear and made a small note in the margin. "You've got the most of them right. I've made a note about the ones you didn't, though. You've done the same mistake on both of them."

"Oh, arigatou!" She squealed, hugging him tightly.

Tuxedo Kamen could feel a light blush coloring his cheeks as he hugged her back. "Dou itashimashite."

She released him slowly, not really wanting to let go. She liked the way it felt to be held by him, how he made her feel. She felt warm and protected… Her heart thundered in her chest and she glanced at him nervously, wondering if he could hear it.

They stared at each other, an uncomfortable silence fell over them but it was immediately broken as Usagi yawned.

Tuxedo Kamen blinked. "Are you tired?"

Usagi desperately tried to hide another yawn behind her hand. "Iie, iie! Not at all."

"Tenshi, don't lie to me. You should go to bed…"

She shook her head, placing the small stack of books on the floor. "Iie! I want to talk more with you."

He leaned back against the pillows once more, signing for her to make herself comfortable. "Well, okay, then. Tell me more about you."

"What would you like to know?"

He frowned for a moment. "Well, what about boys? Do you have a boyfriend?"

She gave out a soft laugh. "Iie."

"Why not?" For a brief moment, he wondered if he really wanted to know.

"Well, I guess I'm not girlfriend material. I mean, I'm not as sweet or intelligent as Ami-chan or as graceful and beautiful as Rei-chan. There's someone I…like." She stared at him wistfully. "But I'm just not good enough for him." She yawned once again.

"You can lie down, if you want. I don't mind," he said softly, rearranging the pillows.

She smiled gratefully before lying down beside him.

"Well? What about other boys?"

She yawned again. "Well, there's Umino-kun… I know he's interested in me, but I only see him as a friend. He's a bit…geeky, to be honest. Then there's Motoki-onii-san, and he only sees me as a sister… And then there's Mamoru…" she paused, giving out a soft yawn combined with a sigh.

He waited anxiously for her to continue. "Tenshi?" he called after a long moment of silence, but he never got to know what she felt about his alter ego; she had already fallen asleep. He glanced down and smiled fondly. "Good night, Tenshi," he whispered, switching of the light. He relaxed back against the sheets, careful not to disturb her.

And it was that position Ikuko found them a half an hour later – side by side, snuggled closely together, his arm draped protectively over her daughter's waist.

Ikuko smiled, picking up the blanket and covering the pair gently. "Keep my daughter safe," she whispered before tiptoeing back outside, softly closing the door behind her.

Should she have stayed a moment longer, she would have heard his sleepily whispered reply.

"Always."

---

Sunlight streamed through the window, playing upon his skin. He stirred to the morning song from the birds outside and inhaled deeply, catching the unfamiliar scent of lilacs. His eyes fluttered open and he smiled. His angel was still lying beside him, snuggled closely against his chest. Her golden hair pooled around her, covering them both like a silky blanket. A faint blush covered her pale cheeks and her pink lips were slightly parted as she breathed. It was definitely a sight he wouldn't mind waking up to every day.

He yawned, shooting the clock a quick glance. Eight thirty-three. He paused. Didn't school start at eight thirty? And, it was Monday, right? So, why was his angel still sleeping?

He nudged her gently. "Tenshi?

She mumbled something inaudible, snuggling closer to his chest.

He nudged her again. "Tenshi…wake up."

"Just five more minutes, mama…"

He chuckled. "I'm not your okaa-san. And I think you're late for school."

Her eyes shot open, immediately flickering to the clock. She gasped and shot out from bed like she'd been flung out of a cannon. "Not again! Haruna-sensei's going to kill me! I'm going to get detention for sure!" She scrambled downstairs, wailing all the way to her room.

Tuxedo Kamen chuckled again, shaking his head. His eyes flickered to the floor for a brief moment and he nearly burst out laughing. The small stack of schoolbooks was still there, lying on the floor, forgotten. He pulled himself up to a sitting position, carefully picking up the books from the floor before staggering onto his feet. His shoulder protested wildly against the movement, but he ignored it and hurried down the stairs, all the way to the bottom floor.

His eyes widened in bewilderment as he noticed that Usagi already was there, dressed in her school uniform.

She rushed about, desperately trying to find her right shoe. "Oh, mama! Why didn't you wake me?"

Ikuko seemed to blush, her eyes flickering between her daughter and her husband. "Oh, I'm quite certain I did." she mumbled vaguely.

At last she found her shoe – hidden underneath the couch in the living room – and slipped her foot into it before dashing to her mother, gripping the lunch she was offering her. "Ja ne, mama! I'll come home as soon as I can."

She was just about to dash out through the door when Tuxedo Kamen stopped her, gripping her wrist softly. "Aren't you forgetting something?" He grinned at the blank look she sent him. "Your books."

"Oh!" She accepted the books hurriedly. "Arigatou!"

He paused, gathering all his courage, before bending down, giving her a quick peck on the cheek. "Have a good day, Tenshi," he whispered, his cheeks faintly red.

"H-hai!" she replied, her cheeks flaming red, before dashing outside.

Ikuko stifled a giggle at the happy, almost silly, smile that crossed Tuxedo Kamen's handsome face. "Now, how about some breakfast?" she asked cheerily.

He managed to bob his head once before staggering into the kitchen.

Kenji clutched the morning paper tightly in his hand as he stared at the masked man. He cleared his throat. "I…saw that. You kissed my daughter."

Ikuko shot him a glare, placing a warning hand on his shoulder. "Kenji, another word and you'll get to know the couch a whole lot better."

His eyes flickered between his wife and the young man in front of him.

"And yes, we are talking about the 'you'll-get-to-sleep-on-the-couch-for-a-month' type of know better," she said, her eyes glinting dangerously.

His shoulders slumped visibly and he nodded.

Tuxedo Kamen cleared his throat nervously, receiving a brilliant smile from Ikuko. "Tsukino-san…your daughter told me about you working at a newspaper, and I wanted to thank you for not reporting about me."

Kenji mumbled something which sounded oddly enough like 'I regret it already'.

Ikuko squeezed his shoulder tightly in her hand. "Kenji…"

He winced. "I mean…" his eyes flickered once again between the hero and his wife. "Of course. It was nothing."

Tuxedo Kamen's eyebrows twitched upwards. Somehow, he very much doubted the sincerity of the statement.

---

Japanese translations:

Tenshi – Angel
Nani – What
Ja ne – See you later
Daijobu desu ka? – Are you okay?
Daijobu desu – I'm okay
Onegai – Please
Hai – Yes
Iie – No
Onii – Big brother
Okaa – Mother
Sensei – Teacher
Arigatou – Thank you
Dou itashimashite – You're welcome
Anou/Eto – Um/Err