CHAPTER 6

It took a moment for Usagi and Mamoru to recover from Ikuko's brief visit. Usagi, completely embarrassed by the majority of her mother's bold statements, and Mamoru, fighting a barrage of emotions. Usagi moved quickly back to her position on the couch, this time propping herself against the armrest, pulling her legs up to her chest and facing Mamoru as he stood, hands in his pockets.

"I'm sorry about my mom. I still can't believe she says most of the things she says," Usagi apologized, shaking her head with a half-smile.

Mamoru, too, shook his head, anxious to end the apology. "No! Don't apologize! Your mother is wonderful."

"Yeah, but she definitely needs to learn to keep her mouth shut every once in a while," Usagi joked.

There was a pause as Usagi looked at the TV again, only now noticing that that movie had ended, replaced by an infomercial for some kind of food chopping kitchen appliance. She stood up and moved to the DVD tower, before realizing that she was not acting as a guest should. She turned to face Mamoru apologetically.

Recognizing this, Mamoru dismissed her worries, "It's fine. Make yourself at home. This place is as much yours as it is mine."

Unwilling to respond, Usagi only turned back to the stack of DVD's, searching for a movie to watch. "Aren't you ready for bed?" Mamoru asked, surprised by her wanting to watch another movie after such a stressful day.

Usagi shrugged, before turning back to him worriedly, "I mean, unless it bothers you. If you want to get to sleep, I understand..."

Mamoru shook his head and sat on the couch. "No, not at all. We can watch whatever you want."

Usagi smiled in appreciation, before returning her attention to choosing a movie. Finally seeing one catch her attention, she pulled it out, showing the case to Mamoru and asking for his approval. He only smiled, "Whatever you want to watch, Usa."

The genuine emotion in both his smile and his response sent a warmth rushing through her once again, and she moved quickly to put the DVD in the player, beginning the movie. She returned to the couch, making herself comfortable, leaning against the opposite armrest while being careful to not invade Mamoru's space. Noticing this, Mamoru chuckled lightly, "Usa, get comfortable. You don't have to watch yourself around me."

Having been caught, Usagi blushed in spite of herself, "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm fine."

Mamoru shook his head at her stubbornness, taking hold of her legs and pulling them across his lap, putting her in a more comfortable position. In response to the new position, Usagi shifted slightly, finally allowing herself to use Mamoru for comfort.

They settled in to watch the movie. Shortly after it began, Mamoru got up to turn off the lights and, after he sat back on the couch, Usagi adjusted to place her head in his lap. Mamoru was glad to see that she was beginning to accept their situation. Of course, he was more than happy to be the one to take care of her. He wouldn't have it any other way. He knew, however, that Usagi would not want to appear vulnerable to him. He had given her no choice but to distrust him and now she had been thrust back into his protection as soon as he arrived back in town.

Not wanting to interrupt the movie, Mamoru spoke quietly, "You don't mind sleeping in the guest room, do you? You're more than welcome to stay in my bedroom if you'd like, but I wasn't sure that you would want to."

Usagi shook her head, causing her hair, which was usually left down now that it was shorter, to cascade in his lap. Mamoru took this opportunity to move her silky hair out of the way, relishing in the feel and smell of the golden locks. "The guest room is fine. I don't want to inconvenience you anymore than I already have."

"You're never an inconvenience, Usa. Don't think of it that way," he assured her.

"You're the last person who should be taking care of me. You only came here for a business trip and now you're stuck babysitting me."

Mamoru, realizing that it was incredibly difficult for Usagi to be in the care of someone, placed his hand on her cheek, causing her to face him. "I'm not stuck with you, Usa. I want to make sure you're okay. I want to know that you're safe." Once again, Usagi chose not to respond, electing instead to move her attention back to the movie.

Some time later, Mamoru noticed Usagi's breathing begin to even and relax. As he looked down at her, he realized that she had fallen asleep. Happy to know that she was finally able to rest, he turned off the movie. He picked her up easily, noting that she was definitely much lighter than he remembered her being. Feeling his heart drop at that realization, he carried her back to the guest room, negotiating the closed door. Sitting her on the foot of the bed as he pulled back the sheets, he noticed her stir and her eyes opened slightly.

"Mamo-... Mamoru?" Smiling sadly at the correction of his name, he smoothed her hair comfortingly.

"I'm just getting your bed ready, Usa. You fell asleep watching the movie."

"Okay." Mamoru had nearly forgotten how child-like she was when she was tired. He was happy to see that this vulnerability had not changed since his leaving.

When he finished with the covers, he moved her easily into the bed, tucking the sheets around her as she smiled sweetly at him. "I was wrong."

"Were you now?" he asked teasingly, curious to see where this would lead.

"Mhm. I thought this would be easier without you, but I was wrong."

Stunned at this sleepy confession, Mamoru was able to regain his composure. "Well then we were both wrong. I thought it would be easier without you too."

"If we're wrong, we should make things right, right?"

Mamoru laughed slightly, "Whatever you say, Usako." Usagi smiled in response, closing her eyes and drifting off. "Goodnight, Usako."

He left the room reluctantly, turning off the light, but leaving the door open slightly.

Usagi woke in the morning, surprised to find herself in bed. The last thing she remembered was watching the movie with Mamoru, resting her head in his lap. She must have fallen asleep, she realized, slightly embarrassed. Usagi sat up in bed, seeing herself in the clothes she wore the previous day, and moved to the bags brought by her mother to get dressed for the day.

As she left the room some time later, showered and in a fresh set of clothes, the smell of pancakes invaded her senses. She stopped at the smell, feeling her stomach turn in response to the thought of food. Was it too soon to eat again? She had already had dinner the night before and she never ate breakfast anymore. And pancakes? Why did he have to make pancakes of all things, she wondered. Because you love pancakes, a voice reminded her. He cares about you and he wants to see you healthy.

Mind made up, she continued to the kitchen, knowing that fighting him on breakfast would almost certainly be a losing battle anyway. Better to give in than fight and inevitably lose.

As she entered the kitchen, she was pleasantly surprised to see him standing in cotton pants without a shirt, knowing that this was his outfit of choice for bed. Having gone unnoticed thus far, she took the time to soak in his appearance, having missed the sight of him. Three years older, she now knew to appreciate his incredible physique, knowing that no man could compare. Finally, her line of sight moved to his face, meeting knowing eyes and she blushed becomingly, embarrassed at having been caught staring.

"Good morning to you, too," he smirked self-assuredly, "I didn't think you'd be up quite this early, so I haven't gotten dressed yet. I'm almost done cooking and then we can eat."

Still embarrassed, Usagi only nodded in response and moved to pour herself a glass of water. "Do you need any help?" she asked.

"That's okay. Are you sure you don't want some juice? There's some in the fridge." Mamoru knew that allowing Usagi to drink water was a bad idea. There were several things he needed to look out for, including what she had to drink. She needed to have things like juices to help nourish her system. While she may have not been making these choices consciously, he would be sure to watch out for them for her sake. Usagi nodded in response to his suggestion and opened the fridge to bring out the orange juice.

"Your mom called this morning before they left. The girls called last night and again this morning to check on you." Usagi watched as she waited for him to continue. "She told them that you're here, with me. They were obviously upset and she was able to convince them to wait to come over until this afternoon."

"Wonderful. That's exactly what I need..." Usagi sighed in frustration, worried about the arguments that were sure to take place once they arrived. "Did she say when they were coming over?"

"Probably in just a couple of hours. I don't think they were too happy about having to wait at all." He watched as Usagi moved to the dining room table, noting that she sat in her normal seat which faced him in the kitchen. He turned off the stove, finished with the pancakes, and served them on plates for the two of them. "Would you mind getting a shirt for me?"

Surprised at the question, Usagi stumbled a bit. "Um, sure... Same drawer?"

"No, I just have my bags from the hotel. There should be a shirt just inside one of the bags." Usagi could only nod in response as she watched him continue to place the food on plates and moved toward his bedroom.

As she saw the door open at the end of the hall, she was afraid of what she would find in the room. While they had never taken the final step, Mamoru always feeling that they should wait until she was older, she had spent many nights with him in that room. Mamoru watched from the kitchen as she hesitated to enter. She knew that she was afraid, but he was being selfish and wanted her to remember everything they had shared in that room.

Finally, Usagi walked into the room, seeing the light streaming through the large window from the balcony onto the large bed in the center of the room. She noted that he had already made the bed with a slight roll of her eyes at his habits. She sat momentarily on the bed, running her hand along the dark navy comforter, remembering how she preferred the comfort of his bed to her own at home. The dark cherry wood furniture sat in the same configuration, a large mirror reflecting her small frame on the large bed. Looking further, Usagi saw two bags, with one larger suitcase left open on the floor. Bending down, she looked at the neatly-folded items in the suitcase, finding a plain white t-shirt folded right on the top. Taking the shirt, she turned to leave the room before a gleam of light caught her eye. On the dark dresser, an open black velvet case revealed a small, shining object.

It didn't take long for Usagi to identify the object. She picked up the case and moved backward toward the bed, the back of her knees hitting the mattress, and she sat back down. She stared in awe at the three flawless diamonds, two set against the larger, center diamond, sitting in the vintage band with an intricate design. It was the most beautiful ring she had ever seen. And for the first time since his unexpected arrival, Usagi allowed herself to cry.

"Usagi? Usa, breakfast is ready." Mamoru called through the hallway as he moved to find her. What was taking her so long? Finally, he entered his bedroom to find her sitting on the bed, silent tears running down as she held a small, black box.

Usagi looked up from her spot on the bed as he entered and Mamoru looked on, realization hitting him as he stood, speechless. "It's beautiful," Usagi stated, quietly, her voice cracking slightly.

Mamoru nodded, "I'm glad you like it." The bitterness in his voice was evident and he walked toward Usagi to take the box from her, snapping it shut loudly. Usagi jumped and wiped her tears as she noted the anger in his tone. She stood up from the bed and watched as he tucked the case in a drawer and closed it, walking out of the room without another word. Usagi followed close behind, sure that she had overstepped her bounds.

She wiped a final stray tear away as she took her place at the table again, this time seeing that it was set for the two of them, a single rose placed in a small vase as it usually was whenever they had breakfast together before.

As they sat in silence, partaking in the assortment of dishes in front of them, Usagi finally wondered if she had lost him completely. "Mamoru, I'm sorry..."

"Don't," he interrupted her quickly, not looking up from his plate.

"I should have realized..." she attempted to continue, but her slammed his fists on the table, causing Usagi to jump.

"I don't want to hear your apologies. Not about that." There was a moment of silence as he took a deep breath to calm himself down. "I'm going to take a shower. The girls are going to be here soon and I want us to talk before they get here." Usagi nodded her acceptance and he marched off, shutting the bedroom door behind him loudly.

When Mamoru reappeared later, Usagi was still sitting in her chair at the table, playing with the remainder of her food. Checking the status of her plate, he was happy to notice that the majority of her food was gone. He took a deep breath, his frustration at having lost his composure and scaring her setting in once more, and he continued back over to her. He took his place at the table once again and attempted to get her attention.

"Usagi? I'm sorry for losing my temper." He noticed her nod, but her gaze remained focused on pushing a strawberry around her plate. He took the box out of his pocket and placed it next to her free hand. "I want to give this to you." At this, Usagi's head shot up, eyes portraying her confusion. "It was made for you. You obviously don't have to wear it. You're welcome to do whatever you would like with it."

"This is mine?" Usagi asked in an attempt to clear up her confusion. "But Mamoru, I thought this was for someone else?"

At this, Mamoru met her gaze with his own confused one. "Someone else? Usagi, who else could there be?"

As realization set in, one last tear escaped as Usagi looked down at the closed velvet box. "Mamoru, I can't accept this."

"Usa, please. It was meant for you and I can't stand having it around any longer."

"No, Mamoru, you don't understand." Mamoru looked back up to meet her eyes. "I can't accept it right now. Not yet."

WIth that, Mamoru's eyes shone with a sense of renewed hope. He nodded once in understanding and replaced the box in his pocket.

END CHAPTER 6

AN: As promised, the second chapter in my regular updates! I have just moved many states away and my life is crazy right now, to say the least. So, thankfully, I have plenty of chapters ready to go to give me time to catch up on my life. On that note, please take the time to review. Moving to a completely different part of the country, all alone, for the first time in my life can be depressing at times. Reviews would be appreciated even more than usual for the next little while. I hope you enjoyed the chapter and I can't wait to get your feedback on the chapter!

Loves!