LOVE, AND A CAFFEINE RUSH

"Yellow... Yellow... Yellow... What to do with you?"

Usagi sat in the middle of the living room at Mamoru's apartment, a spot she had claimed as her favorite space to work. The open and well-lit space was perfect every time she had a deadline to get right in time; a privilege she no longer had at home because of her brother's loud friends.

However, Shingo's popularity worked like a charm for her because it gave her the perfect excuse to spend her weekends with Mamoru.

Finally, the hard part was over. Both their schedules were starting to pair, giving them much-needed time to make up for every single opportunity they had to put aside due to their internships or studies.

In the midst of planning her own wedding, and working a full-time job, Usagi had taken on a new challenge in her career to compete for a position as a creative manager at the magazine. Now, swarmed in samples of fabric, magazine cutouts, several color palettes, and sketchbooks, Usagi nibbled on her thumb as she took another piece of glittery fabric and pinned it with a note and a piece of sky-blue tulle.

She was focused. Looking into every detail of her craft, she looked at her other combinations as she made a few annotations on her pad. Stretching, she let out a loud sigh. It had been hours since she started the project; her stomach started to remind her it has been long since her last snack. It didn't matter, she thought with a proud grin. The more she looked at her mood board, the more she felt inspired by the idea she had in mind.

As an answer to her hungry prayers, the chime-like sound of keys caught her attention. She jumped from the middle of the living room with a wide grin, "Ohayo Gozaimasu Chiba Mamoru-senpai!"

At the lack of response, Usagi looked up and widened her eyes when she saw Mamoru standing behind the sofa with a confused look on his face.

"What?" She was still beaming with a toothy grin.

Mamoru pointed to the big window behind her, still confused. Usagi was a little startled, and turned to look outside, "Well look at that, the sun's gown down," She giggled at him with the same grin and shrugged her shoulders, "Oh well, Ohayou Senpai!"

"Ohayou? Usa, it's eight in the evening..."

"What's the big difference?" Usagi pouted and looked up at her boyfriend, "It's still a greeting."

"Uh, the sun?" Mamoru furrowed his brows, Usagi tilted her head, "What about it?"

"There is no–" Mamoru tried to point out the obvious then frowned, finally processing the blonde's whole greeting. "Wait... Did you just call me Senpai?"

Usagi waved her hand effusively again as she looked down at her notes, "Potato, potata... It's still a greeting,"

Mamoru watched his girlfriend as focused as ever and paid attention to the things she had spread out around her in the most perfect chromatic circle he's ever seen.

It had become a custom for him to see his living room become an art study on a regular basis, in fact, he really liked it, and it was probably of how Usagi always organized everything with such attention to detail. If Usagi was organized with something, it was with her craft. Every time she worked on something it was like she created a new piece of art by just how pretty she arranged everything depending on the type of project she was working on to meet her necessities.

Moments like this always made him remember the moment she came to him with a nervous look on her face and told him that she wanted to study a career focused on arts.

To her parents, this decision was a little far out mostly because it was harder to s make a good living out of it than if she chose to be an accountant, a lawyer, or a teacher. Mamoru could see the logic, but Usagi's nature was to be creative, her whole essence was like experiencing a rainbow up close.

Usagi had the personality, wit, creativity, and skill to pursue her dream and make a good career out of it. She was smart and strong-willed to achieve success, and what was more, she was very talented. Mamoru was proud of her. He was proud of who she was becoming as a woman, as a professional, and a friend.

After talking about the options available to her, Usagi felt motivated to search for a university that could teach her both, skill and business, that could help her navigate the real world as a professional, and came to the conclusion Keio University was her best bet.

Mamoru was more than happy to help whenever she asked for advice. From advice on how to fill out her application, tutoring her for the upcoming exams, and after having had a very serious conversation with her parents, she agreed for him to take care of her expenses throughout her career.

It wasn't an easy journey, a career in illustration and media design was more demanding than she imagined. She had to study hard, practice hard, and work hard all while keeping up with the responsibility of being a university student. With long-distance calls for dates, Usagi sometimes doubted her endurance, but now, a year after her graduation, she was a professional woman working in the field with skills and knowledge that got her a job at a highly popular fashion magazine.

After his little retrospective, Mamoru finally came to pay mind to every single red flag of what was going through her precious mind and thought about the oddness of her greeting. Then he caught it: the over-excitement, the hurried tone in her voice, her lack of orientation, and how she couldn't stay focused on just one thing for more than a minute.

Worried, Mamoru put his messenger bag on the floor and walked into the living room, careful enough not to mess with her masterpiece of a rainbow, and crouched in front of his girlfriend. Usagi was trying her best to keep working, but Mamoru could see her struggling to focus and stay still.

"Usa?" Trying not to startle her, he leaned closer to check on her but Usagi was too excited to notice. Instead, she jerked her head back and batted her dark lashes, "Hai, Mamoru-senpai!"

"Sen-" Mamoru frowned and let out a soft groan; another red flag., "Usa, what's going on?"

"W-What? W-Why? Why, Why?" Usagi shrugged her shoulders, "Why there would be something going on? Mm? "N-Nothing's going on, nothing-g."

"Are you sure?"

"Mhm..." Usagi nodded like a bubble head doll and continued pinning some scraps with notes. "I'm fine—fine, fine, fine,"

Mamoru put his hand over her forehead, and sighed softly when he made sure she didn't have a fever or anything remotely close, "What are you doing?"

"Working," Usagi beamed a smile at him, "I have this project... But..." She turned again and scratched the back of her head, "I can't find this pretty Oxford blue sample with little stars on it… And I want it! I want it! I want it!" She pounded her fisted hands on her lap with frustration. Mamoru looked down and grabbed a squared piece of fabric and showed it to her, "This one?"

Usagi widened her eyes and stared at it as if she had found the grandest of treasures "YES! Where did you find it?!"

"It was right there..." Mamoru frowned, "Buns, are you…" his eyes landed on what he quickly guessed was the culprit of her odd behavior and gave her a cautious glance, "Usa-ko?"

"Yes, Senpai?"

Mamoru pinched her nose gently, "Ka-re-shi," Usagi giggled, "Well, aren't you older than me?"

"I am, but I am not your Senpai; I'm your boyfriend,"

Usagi giggled, "Still, you are older than me... You know..."

"You are unbelievable," Mamoru felt his cheeks flush a little, a gesture Usagi caught up right away and used to her advantage. "I am telling the truth and you know it!" The blonde bit her lower lip and waggled her brows proudly proving her point, "Ha!"

"Ha, ha..." Mamoru bickered with sarcasm and narrowed his ocean-blue eyes, "Usa, what's in the mug?"

"Eh?"

"What's in the mug?"

"What mug?"

"That mug,"

"This mug?" Usagi pointed to her white and silver mug, "My mug?"

"Yes, Darling, your mug," Mamoru leaned closer to look at what was inside and widened his eyes, "Are you drinking black coffee?" He frowned at Usagi, perplexed. "Why?"

"Huh?" Usagi acted nonchalantly, "What's wrong with me drinking coffee?"

Mamoru tilted his head genuinely confused, "It's almost nine in the evening, you don't drink coffee at night. You don't drink black coffee, ever."

"Oh, that," Usagi blinked, "I guess there is no harm in me trying it out now, right?"

Mamoru blinked then remembered something important, something that could totally give sense to what was going on, "Usa…?"

"Yes?"

"What coffee did you make?"

"What do you mean what coffee? The same as always, the one you always drink, why?"

Mamoru sighed and closed his eyes, already knowing where this was going but still, he wanted to remain hopeful, "Baby, please tell me you didn't drink what was left from this morning..."

"Why would I make more where there was plenty already made? I didn't see the point in wasting good coffee," Usagi glanced at him, "I re-heated what was left and added a couple of scoops to the filter to give it an extra kick. I really wanted to work on this so I thought it would give me a little pick-me up, why is it such a big deal?"

Mamoru hung his head low and covered his face with one hand, "Oh, no..."

"Why?" Usagi tilted her head, "What's wrong?"

Mamoru sighed again and looked at her, "Usa-ko, never in a million years I would have thought you were going to drink that. That is not the coffee I always buy... Motoki gave me a new bag of coffee he recently found at a new gourmet shop close to his home. That is very strong coffee, and by adding more to the filter, you just created a caffeine bomb,"

"Chillax! An Espresso is far more bombastic than this one,"

"No Usa, no…" He tried to reason with her, "This one's stronger than Espresso."

"I'm fine! Look!" Usagi leaned her back on the sofa and showed him her hand as she tried her best effort to keep it steady, "See? I'm fine!"

Mamoru frowned, "You're shaking, clearly, you're not fine,"

"Don't worry!" Usagi took a couple of quick breaths, "I'll be fine... It'll pass!"

"How many cups did you have?"

"I don't know, whatever was left," Usagi took another deep breath, "I was tired!"

"Didn't you care how bitter it was?"

"All of your coffee tastes bitter to me,"

Mamoru sighed, "And yet you drank all of it..."

"I needed something to keep me awake!"

"The problem isn't that you had it to keep you awake, that's fine. The problem is that you added more to what was already made and put it to brew all over again," Mamoru ran his hand through his hair, "Oi, Usa... Usa..."

"Stop freaking out!" Usagi let out a choked laugh and waved her shaky hands without any coordination, "I'm telling you, I'm fine!" She turned to grab the mug and tried to take a sip to prove her point, but Mamoru could no longer let it pass, "No, you're not fine. You're having a caffeine overdose! Give me that,"

He took the half-empty mug from Usagi and placed it on the coffee table. Picking Usagi off the floor before going into the kitchen to get a large glass of water. The slight movement made her realize what was happening to her and felt the rush of the caffeine spiraling out of her control. Her heart felt like it was going to burst out of her chest, and even felt shortness of breath.

Usagi tried to stand, but felt completely disoriented and better waited for Mamoru, who was now sitting next to her with a glass of water and a banana. "You hungry, Mamo-chan?"

"It's yours. The water is to flush as much caffeine from your system as possible, and the banana is to give you a boost of potassium to help with your lightheadedness," Mamoru fed her a small piece of the sweet fruit, "You are dehydrated, Buns,"

"My brain wasn't cooperating! It didn't cross my mind this was going to be a death or alive experience,"

"Drinking coffee with crazy amounts of sugar was the way to give some sort of creative motivation?" He shook his head in disapproval, "And to make it more savage, you were drinking it without milk..."

"You drink black coffee all the time!"

"Yes, but I've done it for years, I'm a lost cause. Your body isn't used to the sharp effects of these levels of caffeine," Mamoru fed her another piece of banana, and waited, "Drink more water, please,"

"How was I supposed to know?" Usagi sighed, "You forgot to leave me a Post-it like you always do…"

"My bad," Mamoru chuckled, feeling more relaxed now that her breathing was slowing down and her wittiness started to show through. "I was running late for work. I didn't think ahead that you might come home and drink all that was left. As I said, you rarely ever drink coffee, and whenever you do, it's not this late,"

"I drink coffee," Usagi pouted, "I'm no addict like you, but I do,"

Mamoru chuckled, "Whatever sweet concoctions you drink cannot be considered coffee, Dear, I'm sorry." shaking his head, he looked down at the floor, "Are you working on a new project, you say?"

Usagi took another gracious swig of her water and smiled, "Yes, well, kind of. We had our monthly meeting this morning to see what to expect in the next quarter for the magazine. They talked about a summer campaign with many big fashion designers participating, and my boss wants to get the exclusive. I recently learned there is an opening for a position as creative manager and I figured if I worked on something on my own, it would give me some advantage to prove to Maya that I have what it takes for it and maybe score a fall campaign too."

"Sounds great," Mamoru smiled, "And? How's it going?"

"It's coming a little slow but I feel like I am getting somewhere," Usagi rubbed her neck and smiled when she felt Mamoru pull her close into his arms and kissed her bare shoulder peeking from her large pink sweatshirt. "I thought I could seek inspiration in my experience as a senshi and princess to come up with something different and unique. I named my secret project 'Cosmic Romance'," She glanced at Mamoru over her shoulder with a smile, "What do you think? Too corny?"

"Nah, it's perfect," Mamoru put his arms around her waist and propped his chin on her shoulder, "It sounds perfect," he brushed his lips on the soft skin and closed his eyes, savoring the joy of having her in his arms. "How are you feeling?"

Usagi blushed, feeling tingling chills down her spine, "Better. Less confused, that's for sure."

"Good, good... Finish your water," Mamoru kept caressing her neck with his lips, "Are you hungry?"

"No, I'm okay,"

"Really?" Mamoru blinked surprised, "You sure?"

Usagi chuckled, "Yes, I'm sure. I had dinner with Mama before coming here,"

"Oh, okay. Well, is there anything else you need?"

Usagi turned around to look at him and put her hands on each side of his face, "You. You are all I will ever want and all I will ever need."

"You have me," Mamoru leaned closer o brush his lips against hers and closed his eyes, "I'm right here,"

Usagi flushed and was quick to respond and locked her lips with his. There was something in the way they kissed; it always started slow and gentle, to something much more of a sensual experience. Usagi loved his warm lips caressing hers, almost asking for her permission to go more intimate; the slow pacing of their lips built a deeper connection between them.

They were addicted to each other physically, mentally, and emotionally. To them, it was always a different experience, magical and heart-warming; breathtaking. Usagi was enchanted by Mamoru's scent and the warmth in his hold. Mamoru was completely lost in her touch; her fingers always playing with his hair and tracing the lines of his face.

A kiss was all they needed to let go of whatever stress or weight they carried for the day; a kiss was all they needed to feel in sync with the good in the world. Like casting the most beautiful spell, making them feel completely blissful and at peace. At this point, and without interrupting the harmonious dance of their lips, Mamoru completely surrendered to her; with her sweet flowery perfume, and how she slowly leaned onto him until she was sitting on his lap, taking full control of the kiss and over him. The way she combed her fingers through his hair and grabbed onto it while deepening the kiss pushed him to the edge of losing his mind.

Usagi knew how to love, and she had a side she only shared with him. She embraced everything about him, she was his home, his comfort, his safe haven. He felt a sense of belonging and freedom to be himself without any stigmas of his upbringing or his name. Usagi was the embodiment of hope and redemption, the only one that would remind him who he was in a room full of strangers. It has always been her, the one that kept him grounded and focused, in this or any other lifetime, Usagi is the one that made him become everything he is now; a night thief, a masked hero, a prince… A man madly in love.

They parted soon after, leaving them both slowly gasping for air, completely lost in the aftermath of their affection. Usagi loosened the knot on his steel-blue tie and undid the first two buttons of his crisp thin-striped dress shirt. "Long day? You came home later than usual..."

"You have no idea," Mamoru leaned his head back until it comfortably lay on the sofa's backrest, "I have a patient admitted to intensive care, and my agenda was full of first-time consultations,"

Usagi could sense the exhaustion in the heaviness of his voice and the way he dragged each word. She blinked when she felt his hand sliding under her sweatshirt and caressing her lower back. "The patient is out of danger,"

"H-How did you–" Usagi blinked. Mamoru chuckled, "You always ask me about my patients,"

Usagi leaned closer and combed his hair back, "You truly are the best doctor in the world."

Mamoru opened his eyes, "I am just doing my job," he smiled, "I do as much as I can,"

"Not everyone is as good as you," Usagi flicked the last piece of hair away from his face; Mamoru chuckled, "Don't ever tell Motoki that,"

Usagi giggled, knowing exactly what he meant. "Gotcha,"

Mamoru fixed his tired, but undeniably beautiful gaze on Usagi's silky hair and combed his fingers through it in one slow relaxing motion. He loved to see her with her hair down, "Are you spending the night?"

Usagi smiled at him, "The whole weekend if you let me,"

Mamoru pulled her closer, "How about forever?"

"That sounds even better!" Usagi nodded with a grin, "We're so close..."

"This is the final stretch, Buns," Mamoru gave her a small peck on her lips, "Six weeks and you're stuck with me,"

"I can't wait," Usagi put her arms around his neck, "In the meantime... We still need to come up with a final repertoire of lazy excuses to justify why I am not staying at home more often. Thank goodness for Minako-chan and her witty mind,"

Mamoru chuckled, "Bless her, but what made you come over this time?"

"Besides being with you?" Usagi's smile slowly faded, "Shingo and his loud friends. He was having another reunion at home," She blew her long fringe out of the way, "I think he's trying to win a girl's affection,"

"Really?" Mamoru blinked surprised, "Shingo likes someone?"

Usagi nodded with a knowing grin, "Seems like it. He gets all nervous and starts rambling for no reason whenever he talks about her; so cute."

"Huh," Mamoru bit his lip with wonder, "So that's why he asked me if I could lend him the car to go to—" he air quoted, "A store in Roppongi the other day?"

Usagi laughed, "Oh, god, he did?!"

"Yeah," Mamoru chuckled at his girlfriend's surprised face. She had a born talent to knit stories together he loved to engage in. "And did you?"

Mamoru laughed and shook his head, "Your father asked me not to do it."

"You're really scared of Papa, aren't you?" Usagi frowned and widened her blue eyes when Mamoru tapped her forehead softly, "No. I respect him, that's different." Mamoru combed her long fringe aside, "He's your father and I respect his place."

"And trust me, Papa appreciates it. He knows how much Shingo looks up to you, it's easier for him to ask you the favor. I think he is aware of Shingo's interest in that girl and he is a little concerned, you know..."

Mamoru chuckled, "That he might get caught in the heat of the moment?"

"And come with a little surprise," Usagi chuckled, "It's almost as if he spoke from a personal experience," she gasped, "What if I am that experience?"

Mamoru laughed, "You're taking this way out of proportion, Buns,"

Usagi snuggled her face in his neck "Yeah, I know. I know my brother's a good guy."

"He is."

"I'm also sure Shingo asked you because he's been dying to drive your car. He loves sports cars,"

"But, what makes you so sure he's trying to win a girl's attention?" Mamoru looked curious. Usagi raised a finger to make her point, "Well, for starters, he uses all kinds of stupid excuses to throw a party."

Mamoru laughed at her blunt comment, "And do you know who the girl is?"

"I think we do. We've seen her going to study with him and another couple of friends. He acts nervous whenever he's around her. He even asked how we met and started dating,"

"What did you tell him?"

"That I didn't know..."

"Uh... Okay?" Mamoru let out a disappointed puff of air, "Really, you don't know?"

"I thought he should be asking you, instead of me. He wanted to know things you did to get my attention," Usagi leaned back a little and started counting with her fingers, "I told him you were kind of distant, bold, and strange. You could get a little too analytical and a smartass; sarcastic, and stubborn."

"Wow... Throw me a bone here," Mamoru mumbled, making Usagi laugh, "What?"

"Is that what you think of me?"

"Well, aren't Leos supposed to be like this?"

"Is that supposed to help? I'm a little confused..."

"You literally have no filter when speaking your mind and you can be very intimidating when you want to be. Maybe that's why people wonder if you're really Japanese." Usagi chuckled.

"Hmm…"

"Also, you had the most incredible gestures. The chocolate cake, for example. That was a bold move, but it sure made an impression,"

"What chocolate cake?"

"You don't remember?!" Usagi gasped, "I'm flabbergasted, Chiba Mamoru!"

"Buns," Mamoru frowned, "I've given you too many chocolate cakes over the course of ten years we've been dating, it's hard to think of just one."

"The first one," Usagi twirled his tie around her hand and pulled it off his neck, "You paid my tab at the Crown Parlor and asked Unazuki to put a note inside a small box with a slice of chocolate cake that said it was a pleasure meeting me."

Mamoru smiled, "I remember. See? Was that me being mean and..." He squinted his eyes in wonder, "What else did you call me? Distant and strange?"

"You have to admit you were a little mean sometimes," Usagi tilted her head and undid another button of his shirt, "You often called me Odango Atama,"

"I still do it!"

"No, you call me Buns—that's different,"

"It's the same thing!" Mamoru laughed, "How is that mean?! In my defense, you threw trash at me for no reason. I always got to see your infamous failed tests,"

"This is what I meant by you being mean!" Usagi tousled his wavy hair, leaving it big and messy. "But that's not what I told Shingo. She ran her finger down his neck and chest, "I told him how despite our differences, you always made me feel special and how you always give me my place and treat me with serious respect."

She smiled, "After that little note, it was easier for us to talk and we started hanging out before we found out about everything. We fell in love before knowing we had been in love before." Usagi let out a dreamy sigh, "Remember when we took the train and went to spend a day at Tokyo Bay?"

"I do," Mamoru tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, "That was a good day,"

"You confessed your feelings to me that night," Usagi blushed, "I knew then and there what I had for you wasn't a crush but something far much stronger." She tilted her head showing genuine curiosity, "Did it happen to you too?"

"It was never a crush for me, Usagi." Mamoru pulled her close, "From that very first moment we met outside of Osa-P, you never left my mind."

"Really?"

"Yes,"

"So... The random meetings at the park,"

"You went there frequently, I figured you'll be around if I showed up from time to time,"

"And the occasional coincidences outside the arcade?"

"That too,"

"So... The cake and the note…"

"That day was pure fate," Mamoru smiled, "I was still new to the area and met Motoki outside the arcade. He invited me to go and try their coffee at the parlor. I didn't know you would be there, but I sure was glad." His fingers traced the line of her pouty lips, "I knew something inexplicable happened whenever we met, but there was this invisible wall-"

"Oh my god... You felt it too?!" Usagi drew back wide-eyed, "It wasn't just me then!"

"No, it wasn't just you. I realized it was something I was doing unconsciously," Mamoru said with nostalgia. "I had no friends; I knew no one. I was in a weird emotional place in my life where I didn't know any better." He sighed, "I didn't want to sit and wonder what could have happened if I kept my ways, so I took a leap of faith and made the first move to let you know I wasn't trying to be mean. I just didn't know how to approach you, but I knew for sure it was where I wanted to be."

The revelation moved Usagi' with emotion. She was sure it was something she wanted, and she was more than certain that it happened in the most organic way without any divinity meddling in their relationship. They met knowing nothing about past lives and rebirths. Their relationship bloomed from instant attraction and curiosity; they let things happen naturally and let the spark between them do the rest.

They kept their feelings hidden from everyone they knew at first. In Usagi's case, it was close to impossible to keep her cool when she was with her friends and met out of pure casualty. They flirted without anyone knowing and they loved sharing a secret affair. They felt the jitters and the excitement of going on a first date, and the emotion of having a first kiss. From the sweet stages of a crush, they built a solid friendship that paved the way to a romance that only grew stronger with every passing year.

"This is what I didn't know how to explain to my brother," Usagi looked up at Mamoru with glossy eyes, "All these wonderful things you make me feel. With us... It's not just about being nice and attentive, it's something else—you're something else, Chiba Mamoru. You're the man of my dreams."

Mamoru felt his heart touched by her words. He pulled her sweatshirt to bring her closer and kissed her in a much more intense, much more passionate kiss. Usagi was quick to respond without complaint and finished unbuttoning his shirt, not giving a single damn where it landed later. She moved her soft hands across his chest. She felt like melting under his touch, pushing her to the edge of losing control and giving in to the chills running all over her body.

They stayed in their own little blissful world for a few more minutes. A very dazed Usagi slowly returned from cloud nine.

"How are you feeling?" Mamoru's voice was still a little husky. Usagi smiled, still under the influence of their erotic energy, "Much better,"

Smiling, Mamoru kissed her nose, "You still have work to do?"

"Uh..." Usagi pursed her lips and turned to look over her shoulder at all the things carefully arranged on the carpet, "Some,"

"Alright," Mamoru wrapped his arms around her and rolled to the side to lay her on top of her on the sofa. "I'll go rake a shower then,"

Usagi wrapped her arms around him to pull him close. She wasn't ready to let him go, "W-Why?" She frowned, "You don't stink."

"Thanks for the lovely compliment," Mamoru cupped her cheek, "But it's been a long day..."

Usagi combed his hair back, "Is it time for sweats?"

"It's time for sweats,"

"Are you going to bed afterward?"

"I need to do some laundry. I'll read while I wait for the machine to be done to try and clear my mind,"

Usagi bit her lower lip, "Uh, yeah... About that,"

"What, clearing my mind?"

"No, laundry,"

"What about it?" Mamoru looked at her a little confused. Usagi tightened her lips, "I took the liberty to wash a few things myself, and after I was done I put your white coat and a shirt to wash—"

"Oh, tha-"

"I'm sorry!" Usagi covered her face with embarrassment, "I'm so so sorry! I will buy you new ones—I promise!"

Mamoru tried to contain his laughter, "What happened?"

"I forgot a camisole inside the machine..."

"What color?"

"Pink..."

"So, now I have a pink shirt and a pink coat?"

"If it makes you feel any better, they look cute. And also, you are out of laundry detergent,"

"Ah... Convenient,"

"And fabric softener..."

"Noted,"

"And you also need to buy more bleach..."

"Buns, what did you do?" Mamoru chuckled with awe, "I rarely use bleach!"

"I tried to fix my mistake!"

"It's okay Buns, no need,"

"Maybe if we use more bleach I can make things right,"

"Fine. If you think it could work I'll buy more bleach," Mamoru chuckled, "Oh Bunny, you are one of a kind,"

Usagi bit her lip, "I am really sorry, Mamo-chan,"

Mamoru cupped her cheek, "It's fine Usa." He caressed her lips, "Thank you,"

"Are you thanking me for ruing your clothes?" Usagi blinked genuinely confused, Mamoru shrugged his shoulder, "I'm thanking you for washing it. I don't mind wearing a pink shirt,"

"Well, it's not exactly pink but it isn't white either..." Usagi scratched her nose, squinting her eyes at her confession, "Let's say it's something in between. I could use it to sleep if the bleach doesn't work."

"As you wish,"

"The coat too?"

"Sure," Mamoru kissed her temple before getting up, "Alright, I'll go take a shower now..."

Reluctant, Usagi let go of him and watched him grab his shirt from the back of his neck and yank it off over his head in one swift motion while walking into his bedroom. Oh, Damn, she thought. Whenever he pulled that simple move, it always sent her into a small frenzy of desire. She sighed at her helpless girly self and decided it was best to get back to work.

-O-

Swarmed in piles and layers of textures and colors, Usagi felt more productive, but the crazy amounts of caffeine she drank sure still caused struggles for her. After a while, she made a quick pause, stretched her tired muscles, and turned to look over her shoulder at the clock above one of the bookshelves in the living room. She had been so focused, she didn't even notice Mamoru wasn't there anymore.

After taking a shower, he kept himself busy around the apartment doing chores while making a few follow-up calls to check on the patient in intensive care before he finally lay down on the sofa to read a book. Usagi truly loved how they could be doing their own thing, without feeling left out or ignored. They respected each other's space, but it surprised her how she didn't notice him gone.

As she walked across the hall, she saw the light on his bedside turned on, and guessed he was probably reading his book in bed. "Ma-" She stopped by the door when she spotted him passed out on the bed with his arm covering his eyes and the other stretched out still holding his blinking phone. Out like a light; exhausted, Usagi figured he probably ended up in this position while still making calls.

Stepping into the room, she could tell how exhausted he was by how he ended up falling asleep. Right at the very edge of the bed facing up, one leg hung out while the other tried its best to keep him steady on the mattress. Completely unplanned, and uncomfortable.

She couldn't help to comb his hair back once more and leaned down to give him the lightest of kisses before slowly taking his phone and putting it over his nightstand. With utmost care, she moved his arm away from his face and tried to lift his hanging leg to roll him to the other side in a much more comfortable position. Situations like these often reminded her how freakishly heavy he was despite being so lean and toned.

Turning his lamp off, it was best to let him catch on his sleep and walked back to the living room to work on her project for a while longer.

-O-

Usagi finally put everything away in boxes and binders and closed her laptop. Taking another stretch, she considered it was more than fair for her to get ready for bed. But there was a catch: She didn't feel sleepy or tired at all.

Once the living room was left the same way she had found it, she turned the lights off and walked inside the bedroom. She took a peek to check on Mamoru only to find he was in the same position she left him hours ago and went to the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face with much utmost silence.

A few minutes after she laid down, a frown marked her beautiful face not long after and she opened her eyes, clearly frustrated. Not sure how much time had passed, Usagi turned on every side she could to find her resting spot yet, she couldn't fall asleep. With a heavy sigh, she laid on her back again, her mind couldn't stop working. No matter how much she wanted it, her brain would not shut down and she got very upset. With another bitter sigh, she checked the time on her phone and turn upside down again with a groan.

She pursed her lips and turned to Mamoru, who unlike her, was far off in dreamland. She felt jealous and tempted to wake him up so she wouldn't be the only one dealing with a lack of sleep; aware of how awful it would be. This was the worst insomnia case she's ever experienced in her entire life.

She tried her luck by combing his hair, trusting his light sleep would respond to her touch, but there was no immediate answer from him. Then, she tried to shake him a bit to see if that made the trick.

"Mamo-chan,"

Mamoru's voice finally manifested, but nothing more than a mumble happened afterward.

"Mamo-chan," Usagi tried again, this time a little louder. Mamoru took a deep breath and cleared his throat, "Usa?" His voice sounded heavy and hoarse, "Are you okay?"

"No,"

"What's wrong?"

Usagi turned on her side, "I can't sleep,"

"..."

"Mamo-chan,"

"Mmm..."

"I can't sleep,"

Mamoru felt disoriented. He turned to find his girlfriend's silhouette in the dark, "What time is it?"

"2:00 a.m."

"..."

"What do I do?"

"…"

"Mamo-chan,"

"Mm?"

"What do I do?"

Mamoru took a deep breath and rolled to his side, "Just... Try to clear your mind... Relax,"

His answer was simple, but it wasn't what Usagi wanted to hear. Annoyed by this, she turned angry at the bulk under the sheets and shook him ferociously, yanking his pillow from under his head in the process.

"Oi!" Mamoru opened his eyes and tried to adjust them to the darkness in the room. Usagi sat on the bed, "Mamo-chan, I can't sleep… I don't know what to do! It's driving me crazy!"

"It's the caffeine. It messed with your sleep..." He sounded groggy. "The coffee was too strong and you're not used to drinking coffee so late at night."

"What can I do?" Usagi sighed, "Am I supposed to stay trapped in this freaking limbo?"

Mamoru yawned, igniting Usagi's frustration even more, "Uh, that's nice... Rub your sleep in my face,"

"Oh, dear. Why are you so angry?"

"I want to sleep!"

"Drink more water,"

"I did but it doesn't work," Usagi groaned, "Give me something to sleep. Anything. Cough drops, flu syrup... a shot, I'll take anything at this point."

"Usa, it will only make things worse. I can't give you anything that can counteract the effects of the caffeine so fast."

"I am about to have an existential crisis! I can't stop thinking! I can't shut my brain! Help me!"

"Go take a hot bath,"

"It's 2 a.m... I want to sleep not to lay in a tub,"

"Try reading something, then..."

"No, nooo... I don't want to read!"

Mamoru rubbed the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes shut, "Drink warm milk, then. Motoki does that all the time to fall asleep."

"Ugh,"

"Goodness..."

"What?"

"This is worse than you being drunk,"

"Excuse me?" Usagi jerked her head to his side, "What is that supposed to mean?"

"You need to try something, Usa. Otherwise, you won't feel better,"

"I just want to sleep!"

Mamoru propped his weight on his arm and put his hand on her forehead and gently pressed his thumb between her brows; Usagi frowned at his gesture. "What are you doing?"

Mamoru kept rubbing his thumb in circular motions, "Relax..."

"I am relaxed but my mind doesn't stop thinking! It won't shut down!"

"Because you are being stubborn. Close your eyes, take deep breaths." Mamoru moved his thumb to her right temple and started to repeat the same process. Usagi closed her eyes and did as suggested; she was really enjoying the little massage, but her mind was still pounding her with pointless thoughts. "Where did you learn this little trick?"

"I learned it as a kid,"

"It's nice..." Usagi blew out her cheeks with exasperation, "But as good as this feels... it's not working,"

Mamoru let out a heavy sigh and moved back without saying anything else. Usagi picked up right away and felt guilty for taking it out on him for no reason. It wasn't his fault she drank that coffee in the first place and now she went as far as to wake him up to make him feel as miserable as her.

"I'm so sorry Mamo-chan. I'm being incredibly rude and unreasonable. I'm so sorry," she turned on her side and sighed, "Please go back to sleep,"

"No, it's fine," Mamoru rubbed his eyes, "We'll deal with this insomnia together. Can you please hand me the remote? Let's look for something to watch on t.v."

Usagi's lips pouted in the shape of a sweet smile and leaned to kiss him on the cheek, "As a doctor, there isn't really anything you could give me to help me sleep?"

"No, Buns. You would feel much worse if I gave you a sleeping pill in this condition. As a doctor, I already gave you many options."

Usagi laid down with a heavy sigh, "This is awful…"

"However," Mamoru rolled on top of her and leaned down close enough to brush his lips with hers, "As your boyfriend... There might be something that could help you sleep."

Usagi's crystal blue eyes blazed with excitement, "Really?"

"Yes,"

"But... What if it doesn't work?"

"We can keep trying until it does,"

"For the sake of science..." Usagi grinned, Mamoru took a deep breath and caressed her neck, "Yeah... That too..." He mumbled between kisses.

Usagi put her arms around his shoulders and wrapped her legs around his waist, "I'm so sorry for waking you up..."

"Don't be, you are the best reason to keep me awake." Mamoru pulled his hoodie and shirt and threw them aside and helped Usagi, who was too into her little frenzy, already too lost in the warmth of his hands caressing every inch of her body.

From this point onward, Tsukino Usagi's thoughts on coffee changed for the best.

The Divinity series belongs to me, including this plot and the profiles of each character.