Walking the Thin Line
part 8
~Antigone
Mamoru just met Luna's eyes over Usagi's head. The cat inclined her head slightly but the young man just shook his slightly, anger still reflecting off his cobalt eyes.
The movement distracted Usagi enough for her to look up, two remaining tears slipping down her face. When Luna jumped off the bench and quickly started walking toward the couple, Mamoru thought fast.
"Usagi-chan?" he said, pulling on her hand a little, "Would you like to go inside where it's a little warmer?"
The evening was darkening quickly, streetlamps had flickered on sometime during the last few minutes, mingling a man-made orange glow with the long beams of the setting sun. A cold night breeze was already making its way along the city streets, and Usagi shivered a little. She nodded silently, still sniffling as he lead her away quickly, not looking back at Luna.
"Can you run?" he asked, looking over at her. He was still reeling from her confession of her feelings for him, but managed to put it out of his mind for the time being. The only important thing now was getting away from Luna. Mamoru had a sinking feeling that the cat had to give him news he wouldn't like. And while avoiding the inevitable was something he didn't usually do, his natural defenses against pain forced him to run away, as he had done from Usagi before.
But this time, he was running away and Usagi was with him. He didn't ponder this either.
"Why?" she answered his question, with confusion on her face.
"Trust me, and just do it ok?" And with that the two took off.
'What the heck do they think they are doing!' Luna asked herself, in shock. Even running quickly as she could, they had gotten quite a head start and she couldn't keep up even with all her practice chasing Usagi to school. She had seen the anger in Mamoru's eyes, directed at her, had seen the hurt and offensive way he had yelled at Usagi just a few minutes ago. And now the blasted man was running from her!
Luna glared darkly at the rising moon just over the tree tops. 'Of all the men in Tokyo, you send *him*?' Starting to run again, Luna muttered something about sick senses of humor, under her breath.
Usagi didn't let go of Mamoru's hand, even though she could hardly match his long strides. She ended up stumbling along and sprinting a few feet behind him. Her long hair caused unwanted drag and she was already feeling out of breath from crying for so long just a little while ago.
"M...Mamo-chan?" she gasped for breath, "W...why are we running ...again?"
He didn't answer just suddenly pulled her around a corner and held her to him. Pressed against the brick wall of a building near to his, Mamoru slowly leaned his head against the corner and let his eyes
slip to the sides, checking the area the way a secret agent would.
"I think we are safe," he murmured, still on guard.
Usagi was giving him a strange look from the protective circle of his arms.
"What?" he asked her, still defensive.
"What were you running from?" She asked, perplexed and frankly just trying to figure out the apparent sanity of the man she had gone and decided to fall in love with. Both of them had faced many youma, and demons and death threats head-on before, Usagi seriously wondered what in the world was scary enough to make Chiba Mamoru run away.
"Luna." He admitted.
Usagi's eyes widened. For a moment she remembered Luna wanting to talk to her about something earlier.
"What are you waiting for? Run, Mamo-chan!" This time it was Mamoru who was being dragged by Usagi, as she made one of her famous three-minutes-before-the-bell dashes to the sanctuary of the clear glass doors to the apartment building.
Leaning against the bus stop sign, Hino Rei watched the setting sun present all its beauty and color to the city as she waited for the cross-town bus to take her back to the shrine. She had long since decided to stop waiting for Usagi, apparently Mamoru wasn't too sincere in his promise to bring Usagi back any time in the near future.
The beautiful priestess distractedly ran her fingers through her long hair. 'Was it my imagination or did he walk off with her, holding her hand?' Rei scowled at the sky. 'They better not have hooked up without Usagi telling me or anything. She's supposed to be a friend, and *share* the gossip!'
"Rei!" A voice came from Rei's ankle and she jumped.
"Luna?"
The panting cat had no time for introductions, "Did Usagi and Mamoru come this way?"
Rei shook her head. Luna groaned and turned and began running away again, full speed.
"But Luna Hey! Wha-" But the cat was already gone.
Blinking, Rei turned back to wait for the bus, a sweatdrop appearing on her head. Just then, she thought she saw movement out of the corner of her eye, and turned to see what she could have sworn was Tsukino Usagi dashing into a nearby building and dragging a stumbling Chiba Mamoru behind her.
"Must be a full moon." Rei murmured.
Usagi stood in Mamoru's living room for the second time in nearly as many days. It *was* warmer, and the window gave a wonderful view of the park. In fact, Usagi would be extremely comfortable if her companion hadn't suddenly started acting like he was a few toppings short of an ice-cream sundae.
The minute they had arrived, out of breath and pretty fairly shocking the doorman, (who had since decided that Chiba-san was either in love or had an evil twin), Mamoru told Usagi to wait where she was. He then preceded to rush into another room, Usagi heard something slide closed and the click of a lock. Then he rushed into yet *another* room, and pulled a chair into the first room, and she heard him push it against something. Then he exited the room, wisps of hair flying back from his forehead, face red-tinged, and muttering, "I'd like to see you get through the balcony doors now."
Usagi cleared her throat and Mamoru jumped. He blinked a few times and faced her.
Silence.
He smiled. "Want some hot chocolate or something?" he said smoothly.
Usagi sweatdropped.
"So." Usagi wrapped her fingers around the warm mug, and rested her elbows on the counter watching Mamoru has he stood on the other side of it, leaning against the refrigerator, and sipping from his own mug.
Uncomfortable silence.
"You're Tuxedo Kamen, huh? And to think, I saw you nearly every week or so and neither of us knew it. Of all the people in Tokyo, isn't it just so-" Usagi searched for a word, "It's like some sort of cosmic coincidence." She finished.
Usagi watched the marshmallows dance along the edges of the mug. "Someone once told me that there is never such thing as a coincidence," she continued, "But I don't remember who it was."
Silence again.
Usagi sighed. "Are you still angry at me?"
Running his head through his hair, Mamoru shook his head, not meeting her eyes. "I'm not sure."
Blue eyes didn't take him out of their piercing gaze. "Why were you running from Luna?"
He was silent for so long Usagi began to think he wouldn't answer her. When he did, his voice was quiet, but his eyes finally met hers.
"She's going to ask me about something," he trailed off of a second, "I dream about the princess. The one Luna is searching for."
"I know." She whispered.
Mamoru walked around the counter to look out the large window. "For so long I never saw her face, or knew anything about her. But lately, I know who she is."
Usagi's mug tipped over, lukewarm chocolate liquid spilled silently over the marble onto the kitchen floor. Neither of them noticed.
"You do?" She jumped up, ran to him, pulling on his sleeve. "Who?"
He cringed. "I don't know. I know her in the dream, when I'm asleep its so obvious and so perfect. But when I awake, I might as well be ignorant of everything."
Disappointment filled her heart, but she tried not to show it.
Instead, Usagi nodded sympathetically. "I know what you mean."
She said, an ironic laugh escaping her. "It's so real and it feels like you *should* know it, and for maybe a second its there and you know but when you wake up it fades so quickly. The only thing that stays are the feelings and the longing," her small hand had balled into a fist, which she pressed against her chest, a look of pain slowly flittering past her features.
"Usako," he said softly, as if seeing her for the first time.
She jumped suddenly, seeming to just realize she had spoken out loud. Nervously, she slipped her arm behind her head, giggling nervously and loudly. "But we aren't talking about *me*! Go on, Mamo-chan."
He didn't smile. "Why are you looking for the princess, Usako?"
Pursing her lips for a moment, Usagi brushed a strand of hair behind one sea-shell ear. "Well, I'm not entirely sure. I know we, the senshi that is, must protect her. It's our job. I guess that makes us sort of body-guards," she giggled again. "But that's all I know."
"That's really *all* you know?" he asked, incredulous.
"Just that and she's beautiful, and powerful, and comes from the moon."
Mamoru just watched the last rays of sunlight of the day play across Usagi's features, lighting each curl of blonde escaping her odangos, and illuminating her eyes. "The moon?"
Blonde eyebrows knitted together for a moment. "Yeah...or something like that. I think the moon has something to do with it."
Mamoru's gaze didn't change, thoughtful and scrutinizing.
"That's not a lot to work with." He murmured.
The pained look was back in Usagi's eyes. "Tell me about it. She could be anyone."
"Oh, I wouldn't say that."
Usagi shot him a curious look. "Why? How much to do *you* know?"
"More than I did thirty seconds ago," he answered, "but do you hear something?"
A muffled meow and scratching reached Usagi's ears. "Luna."
"As much as I'd love to leave her to freeze in the dark," when he said this Usagi glared at him, and he quickly added, "you can let her in if you want. It's the first door over, just unlock the balcony and open it." He laughed a little, "Oh, yeah, you'll need to move a chair."
After Usagi left, Mamoru leaned his forehead against the cool glass of the window, the moon and stars were beginning to come out against a light purple sky. He shut his eyes and let the thought and feeling burning through his mind to come to the surface and he let himself whisper:
"Of *course*."
Usagi had seen Luna pretty ticked-off many a time before, but it never ceased to scare her no matter how often it happened. An angry Luna was indeed a scary Luna, eyes could sizzle and hair could stand on end and tail could puff up and teeth could be bared. And all that was done when Usagi entered Mamoru's bedroom to let her cat inside.
'Sure, send me to deal with Death Cat, Mamo-chan' she thought sardonically, rolling her eyes, 'Some protector *you* are.'
However, Luna didn't attack when Usagi let her in, only glared a lot. Strutting into the living room like, Usagi noted, she owned the place, Luna stopped in front of Mamoru.
"Very funny, Chiba, especially the chair. Remind me to compliment you on your extreme cleverness once I cool off."
He grinned.
Luna glared harder.
"Usagi-chan, go home." Luna said to her charge, and Usagi put her hands on her hips.
"No way! You aren't the boss of me!"
"I want to talk to Mamoru alone."
Usagi shrugged, "Tough."
"Usagi-chan," Mamoru's voice made her look up, "It's getting pretty late. Don't get me in trouble, ok?" She stared at him in shock.
He smiled to take the sting out of the words, but it was too late.
Masking the sharp pain in her heart, Usagi just stuck out her tongue and turned on her heal. "Traitor." She muttered loud enough for him to hear. She put on her shoes in silence and then slammed the door loud enough to make the neighbors complain. 'And I hope they do.' She thought bitterly as she flounced home. 'What is *wrong* with him? If he can't even make up his mind about what to *call* me, how can he decide to love me?' The last two words in that thought made tears fill her eyes for the third time that day and she didn't bother to hold them back. 'Mamoru-baka.'
Usagi cursed him in her mind the entire way home and then threw herself on her bed and cried her heart out for him.
Mamoru cringed as the sound of the door smashing against its frame echoed throughout the silent apartment building. Accusatory eyes turned to look at Luna. She shrugged, as if to say, 'I didn't *make* you say anything, Romeo.'
"What did you want to talk about?" He asked, walking over the window again, and leaning against it. The sky was nearly dark.
"I thought there were a few things you should know, before you corrupt Usagi's feelings further." Luna said, forcing her voice to be cold. She cringed as his mouth tightened and his eyes hardened. This boy was starting to grow on her, and she didn't want to lose his company. But the mission came first. "I think you should know what your dreams mean."
"That'd be nice."
Luna curled up on a pillow on the floor, taking a deep breath and staring, as Mamoru was, at the appearing stars and brightening moon.
"I don't know much, about the details of the senshi, the enemy, or the past. All I have to rely on are vague memories, feelings and the sense of duty."
The cat paused. "Also, I communicate with the personage behind a computer network known as 'Central Control'. There I find information I might not otherwise know, tips to help the girls and instructions for future training. It is from this source where I first found out about you."
Mamoru glanced at Luna, still stony and silent.
"Tuxedo Kamen was a mystery even to Central, right from the start. We knew nothing about him, even his age, but most certainly not his motive. And we couldn't really think of one. This concerned us, and I was instructed to inform the girls that you couldn't be trusted."
Luna realized Mamoru cringed a little, and decided to avoid that topic, and return to what was important. "We also know the princess was reborn on Earth with a companion, someone we have reason to believe is connected to her with deep emotional ties. He belongs to her, to be with her, his soul is destined for hers. Do you know what I am trying to say?"
His voice cracked on the unfamiliar word. "Love..."
"Yes. Yours, Chiba Mamoru. You are the one."
The clock ticked, time stretched and pulled, the whole city held its collective breath, it seemed to Luna, in the time it took Mamoru to respond.
He turned quickly and started walking back to the kitchen with clipped movements, and cleaned up the spilled hot chocolate with deliberate, even swabs with a paper towel. When he finished he just stood, looking at Luna. "Are you telling me that I am supposed to be in love with this Princess of the moon?"
"I guess I am." Luna lowered her head.
'Well, there you have it', he thought to himself, 'Do you need it *spelled* out for you?' What further proof was needed, what excuses did he have now? 'Just give in.'
Luna blinked in amazement at her companion's words,"Well Luna," he said slowly, "I guess that *does* sound about right."
Usagi was staring blankly into her math textbook when Luna arrived home through her window. The girl was already dressed in her pajamas, long hair down and cascading down her back, pencil twisting between her fingers distractedly.
"Good evening," Luna greeted.
"What did you and Mamo-chan talk about?"
"The Princess."
"Figures." She still didn't look up from the book.
"Central Control and I both know-" Luna shut her eyes and forced herself to finish the sentence, "That Chiba Mamoru is her soul mate reborn, and is destined to fall in love with her. Tuxedo Kamen belongs to the moon princess."
It was a full minute of silence before Luna squinted one eye open just a sliver to check on Usagi's reaction.
The tip of her tongue was resting on her upper lip, her eyes staring as blankly at the numbers and equations as they had been when Luna first arrived. Her fingers had frozen along the pencil.
"Usagi?" Luna whispered, gently.
"Luna, I'm really tired. I'm going to sleep now. Sorry I can't study for the math test tomorrow. I tried." Her voice was uncharacteristically quiet and slow.
Luna nodded slowly, and Usagi closed the book and turned off the light. Before long Luna fell into an uneasy sleep.
In the dark, the moon sent a minimal amount of silver light into the bedroom. Just barely, against the blackness, Usagi's profile could be made out, her eyes wide open, her chest heaving from choking back silent sobs.
'How could I have been so conceited to believe he loved me,' she buried her face in pale hands, moonlight tracing faint lines across each fingernail, eyelash and strand of hair, 'when he could have a princess?'
The end.
Just kidding I would never do that to Usagi. This is getting close though. One more part, then it's done. I can't believe I found this fic via wayback just a few weeks ago, edited a little, uploaded, and now it's on ff dot net for the ages! :) Who would have thought?