Disclaimer: I don't claim nor have ever in the past claimed to owning Sailor Moon, though claiming and wishing are two completely different things.

Story Eight: Waiting and Watching

Summary:

About a month ago Mamoru started dating my best friend.

It's been a month since I've started dating Usagi's friend Raye.

And I couldn't be more miserable.

Notes: Waiting is told in Mamoru's POV while Watching is told in Usagi's POV.

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Watching.

The smell of the pending rain was thick in the air; already the skies above were darkening, threatening to send an onslaught of rich moister down at any moment. Normally this would be my cue to run home and hide under the security of my blanket but I couldn't leave, not yet.

Never in my fourteen years on this planet had I ever really loved a boy, neh, let's amend that to man instead of boy. And, nothing on this very Earth, not a million tragic love songs, movies or manga could have prepared me for the coarse feeling of heartbreak and betrayal. The very sound of a breaking heart I thought might have sounded liked glass being tortured but in reality it was a thunderous roar that always left me deaf.

The pain you ask, it was for the lack of a better word insufferable.

Every time he brushed her hair behind her ear I could feel the chunks of bile stirring in the pit of my stomach, burning the back of my throat with its threats to spill over.

I couldn't stand to be in the same room with them any longer but there was something perverse inside of me that needed to watch them, to be near them. So I stood in the shadows burning in my own twisted pain.

Waiting.

I like to think of myself as a gentleman but my behavior in the recent month has led me to believe that I'm nothing more than a scoundrel.

A coward.

Lowlife.

A bastard if you will.

You see, I'm in love.

Normally this seems like a harmless sentiment but in my hands I've twisted it into something ugly. I've caused the girl I love so much pain that it's impossible for me to redeem myself at this point.

All because of my damn pride.

Because of it I can't for the life of me open my mouth to voice my feelings for her instead what spews out are vile insults that leave her in tears. I don't deserve to breathe in the same air as her.

I figured that if I waited for her to confess to me then my pride would have no objections but as I continued waiting it was her friend that did the confessing. I could see her standing a few feet away from us while her best friend ripped out her still beating heart and shoved it towards me.

She didn't even flinch.

So like a coward I accepted.

Hopeful that she would get angry and snatch me away.

But, never in my wildest imagination did I ever think I would turn my beloved into a creature that lives in the darkness.

I could feel her very essences in the shadow, her azure eyes watching my every motion as I waited for her to interrupt us.

Wanting.

"Do you want to come up for some tea?" Raye asked, blushing.

Mamoru responded with a quick shake of his head, "Better not, it looks like it's about to rain and I didn't bring my umbrella."

The blush that had started off so innocently on her cheekbones deepened dramatically, "You could stay the night." She boldly offered and without even taking a moment to think over the offer Mamoru shook his head in denial. "You know," Absently she played with a strand of her midnight colored hair, her expression sour. "We've been dating for a couple of weeks now and the furthest you've gone is holding my hand. Do you even like me?" Her eyes flashed when she spotted the faintest hint of hesitation in his expression. "Cold fish," She said dully.

"Eh?" Mamoru tilted his head to the side in confusion.

"I don't want to date an unaffectionate person, goodbye." Raye declared mechanically, rushing up the shrine steps trying desperately to safeguard her breaking heart.

Watching her retreating form a sigh escaped past Mamoru's lips, "Did you like that Odandgo?"

Hiding in the shadow of a telephone pole a few paces away Usagi stiffened. "Yeah, I did especially the part where Raye finally came to her senses. Guess I won't need to send her to that mental ward after all." She called out, biting her lower lip to keep it from trembling.

Walking towards her Mamoru felt as though fifty pound weights had been attached to his legs, each step more difficult then the previous. "At least I'm able to find women generally interested in me. When was the last time you went out on a date?" He closed his eyes, feeling his heart painfully constricting inside his broad chest. 'Don't answer! Don't answer!' His inner voice continued to repeat the chant as if it were his own personal mantra.

Usagi crossed her arms over her chest, "Hmpt, I'll have you know that there are plenty of boys in Juuban that are dying to share a milkshake with yours truly, jerk." She pouted, 'And, I'd turn them all away if you'd ask.'

Automatically his eyes softened upon seeing her frame beginning to tremble, "Jerk, huh. You should really come up with better insults Odango." Mamoru replied, slipping off his green jacket and placing it over her shoulders. "It's about to rain and if I remember correctly your deathly afraid of thunder storms. So, why don't we call a temporary truce and I walk you home."

"Ok, but no funny business cause I know karate mister."

Mamoru grinned, "I don't think it counts if you learn it from a video game, Odango." She slapped him playfully on the chest while he wrapped his arm over her shoulders, pulling her closer to him. "Ok, ok my apologies." He said, leading her down the empty sidewalk.

"Why didn't you kiss her," Usagi timidly asked, her eyes adverted towards the sidewalk.

At her side Mamoru stiffened, "Because, my lips are reserved for my beloved." He replied, kissing the top of her hair softly. Usagi paused in mid-step turning towards him uncertainty before she leaned forward and placed her head on his chest. "I," He began but paused unable to force the words out instead he wrapped his arms tighter around her frame and pressed his lips against her forehead.

Without a shadow of a doubt it was true that they both wanted each other more then they could possibly want anything in this world but they both would just have to wait and watch what would happen.

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An: I don't know about this one, eh. I started this one a couple of months back and just rediscovered it last night… I wasn't in the same mood that I was in when I started it so eh. But, anyways I hope you guys liked it. Just a warning, I might explode with chapters for this one, I just rediscovered all the old one-shots that I started during the summer and I have an itch to finish them.

Wish me luck.

Yay! We broke a 100, yah!

THANKS SO MUCH Henna Ryans (I'm glad I was able to make you laugh so hard!) Neko, CharmedSerenity3 (thanks), Jack-jack, Midnight blue08 (for reals), B-ko, Light'by'day (Chik-fil-a was exactly what I was thinking about, lol), AngelMoon Girl, Jessicam242 (I hope not cause she's my fav), Roswellachick, Lapinkyla (miss you, spread the word) Katie, Raye85 (Ah, a Succubus is a demon who feeds off the energy of a man through intercourse. ^.^ ) THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR GUY'S REVIEWS!!!

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