Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon.

28 Days of Romance

Day Eleven

Story Thirty-Seven: Beauty in Misery

Summary: Love, its such a clingy little bastard.

Timeline: Six months after World's Apart.

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Happiness is fleeting; war, malice and suffering are the things that are branded eternally one the soul.

Strings belonging to a violin saturated the atmosphere, thick on the rising vapors of the bath and serving to solely penetrate the everlasting soul. Water lilies glided elegantly on the water's surface, petting porcelain before turning around only to escape on a ripple, much like a blushing school girl. Polished fingertips absently ran over the water's surface, azure hypnotized by dancing steam emanating from twin waterfalls at the center of the bath.

A knowing smile tugged on Usagi's bottom lip, "You don't really know the definition of the word stealth, do you?" Her bell-like voice inquired; tilting her head back she caught sight of the glass sky light being propped open.

"Not all of us went to ninja school like yourself, Usako." Mamoru's laughing response reverberated off the walls of the large bathhouse of the Kino residence. Reaching for a small brown bag he held tightly at his side he untied the string. "Thought you were due for a reminder of my love," He stated before flipping the bag over.

Thousands of rose petals descended down towards the bathwater caught by Gravity's wicked, fanciful strings. Plucking a solitary petal from the strings Usagi gazed up at him appearing utterly defeated.

Warm sea colored orbs caught, cradling azure for the briefest of moments before a fowl curse sliced through the atmosphere. Panicked oceans darted away as the muscular fibers in the young girl's back stiffened.

Puckering his smooth lips Mamoru blew his treasure a kiss before disappearing into the thick night's air just as the door to the bathhouse slid open. Makoto couldn't help but raise a solitary eyebrow at the scene before her, "Have you developed a flower fetish or has-" She allowed her velvety voice to trail off receiving her answer when Usagi dipped under the water's surface to conceal her scarlet features.

Makoto smirked, "I do believe you're falling deep within a rabbit hole, my dear." She commented, slipping off her green robe.

Azure froze, hardened, unconsciously the young girl crushed the rose petal inside of her clenched fist as she caught a hold of the many scars that littered the brunette's once perfected flesh.

Makoto had loved once, that love had left her battered, owned.

Self-consciously Makoto hid the most predominate, jagged scar across her chest with her arm as she caught Usagi's critical eye. "You're," The brunette began, sliding into the water next to her. "Not repeating my mistakes."

"Hmpt," Usagi crossed her arms across her chest, sinking in deeper into the milky water.

Hadn't she?

Her walls had been dominated, seized before broken.

Now, she'd been so willing to accept, ready to hand over something so preciously fragile that it made her stomach twist.

How long would Mamoru stay unchanged, unaffected?

Growling Usagi flung her arm across the water's surface, "I hate roses." She declared before jumping out of the water. Unaware was she that a piece of Mamoru's love clung to her shoulder blade, refusing to detach itself.

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An: You know I found out something new about Tuxedo Mask that I wasn't aware of before. Le gasp, and I nearly fell out of my computer chair. Ready? Ok. Shirota Yuu played him when he was seventeen in the Sailor Moon musicals… omg! Why didn't no one tell me!?!? And, for that matter where was he when they were casting for PGSM, bs I tell ya! He was robbed! So, now whenever I picture Mamoru, his face pops up sooo, these drabbles might get really sexy.

Sidebar: One more left in this series.