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Chapter Seven
{Part 1}
Translations:
usagiuma- donkey
ja-ku- jerk
"You hair brained ditz! Look what you've done!"
"What I've done?" Usagi's voice echoed back the same tone used at her, complete outrage. "What could I have possibly have done?"
But despite her words, she did feel bad that when she had turned at the black headed person's comments to her, she had knocked their drink all over them. "You stupid, stupid Odango Atama!" The words flew out of the shapely mouth towards the blond.
"Hey- I thought I told you, you weren't allowed in here until you apologized to her." Motoki cut in smoothly, holding out a wash cloth to the one he had just called out.
Violet eyes snapped between the two blonds and a howl of disdain echoed from her lips. "I can't win with you stupid blonds, can I? First her." Rei held an accusatory finger at Usagi, then moved it to Jade standing to the side, staring at them in utter shock. "Then you! And now you!" She turned the finger to Motoki. "All of you suck! I couldn't believe my ears when I heard you hired that scoundrel! Do you even know what he did? Watch it or he'll do it to you too!"
"What's this all about?" Motoki asked calmly as Rei wiped at the stain on her shirt futility. "Here, I have extras." Motoki tossed her a t-shirt. She held it up and if possible, her anger grew.
"You think this is a joke?" She held the shirt out towards Motoki and on it was a black headed girl with odangos and brown eyes in a blue and red sailor suit. "This girl is as worthless as the one that mimics her hairstyle!"
Usagi only shook her head sadly at the black haired beauty in front of her, with this kind of attitude, they'd never be on the same team. She didn't miss the degrading remarks towards her with it towards both her aliases but Usagi ignored it.
"Hey, Odango atama, what's this? Oh, I never noticed that before." He took the shirt from Rei's outstretched hands and held it next to Usagi and she winced, her words to Luna a few weeks ago were echoed into her head, he's a smart man, he'll figure it out if you're not careful. "Why Odango, I hadn't realized you had such a girl crush on Sailor Moon."
"It's Usagi, you jerk!"
"Oh, Usagi is it?" He asked lightly. "Hmm... why does that name sound familiar, oh yes, that's it, your name is Usagiuma!"
"Ja-ku!" She screamed and ripped the shirt out of his hands and tossed it back at Motoki. "Burn it, do anything, but don't let these two even touch it again!" She waved at the two dark headed people in the room. For a change, blond out numbered black in Japan. She stomped away in irritation.
"Why do you have to go and do that?" Motoki asked, shaking his head at his best friend.
"I'm sorry, but it works, both animals have long ears, and she fits that one so much better. I always did wonder if she went by Usagi for short because she was embarrassed by her true name." Mamoru winked at his friend.
"She sure baes like one." Rei mumbled
"But to call her a donkey? Honestly!" Motoki pulled out a different shirt, this one red and looked at it first before handing it over. It just said 'Love Hina' on it, and the anime was something no one could really find fault in. "Change, then leave, you've already caused enough pain in here for one day."
"Thank you Mamoru-san." Rei said when Motoki turned away.
"For what?"
"For supporting me with that brat." Rei gestured towards the blond bending over the Sailor V game with such intense concentration that they were surprised her head didn't explode.
Mamoru frowned. "I wasn't supporting you in anything. I just came in, her having a fit over that T-shirt. It was the perfect opportunity to get in a few digs."
"Oh." Rei sighed regrettably before turning to the bathroom to change shirts.
She was cut off by Jade. "Look, Rei, I'm terribly sorry for any misunderstands we had earlier. It wasn't my intention to put your grandfather in any kind of danger."
"But you did." Rei shoved past him.
"I-" He grabbed at her, but missed and followed her into the hallway towards the bathrooms and took hold of her upper arm. "I like you Rei. It was an accident what happened with your father. I'm sorry."
"Sorry? You turned him into a monster!" Rei ripped her arm out of his loose grasp. "You put his life in danger as well as ours! If the baka senshi hadn't shown up-"
"But they did!" Jade held onto her hands, which were gripping the shirt. "I didn't know what would happen. Zoi only told me that it was what we needed to do. I really am sorry!"
Rei's eyes if possible would have burnt the blond man to a crisp but it seemed he was flame retardant just as much as he was retardant in the head and very oblivious to the clues to the way she was feeling. "Leave me alone, and stop putting people's lives in danger! How many has it been now? Four?"
"Three. I told Kunz not to go, but he didn't listen to me. I'm sorry. I really, really am."
"You're just mad that the blond girl won't talk to you anymore."
"You caught that?" Jade asked in wonder and realized it wasn't the right thing to say. "She's mad at me for a reason I don't know."
"Could it be because you're such an asshole?" Rei removed her hands from his and he dropped his hands back down to his sides, hands clenched into fists.
"She doesn't know about me or the attack on your grandfather. But since we're on the topic of Usagi, there was never anything between us. Nothing. We were friends and that is all." It was a lie, but Rei seemed to buy it because her stance relaxed a little. "The only reason we were friends was because we were both trying to figure out how to get through your shell. We both knew there was something special about you, but we couldn't seem to find a way in, to talk to you like you deserve to be talked to."
Rei frowned at Jade. "There was never anything between you but friendship?"
"Nothing." Jade swore, looking directly into Rei's eyes. Even though there had been actions between the two of them that was a little more than platonic, there really was no feelings between them that could in any way have challenged Rei.
"I believe you." Rei's guard dropped for a millisecond and she offered the barest hint of a smile.
"Please, will you let me be friends with you still?" Jade wouldn't push the issue anymore, he wouldn't even ask for his old job back, knowing it was probably for the best that he worked here, here he could tell his brothers of possible crystal carriers as it seemed everyone seemed to gravitate to this arcade.
"Just friends?" Rei seemed hesitant.
"Unless you want more." Jade teased, with a hint of his old personality in the wink.
Rei's lips became bemused and she nodded. "We'll see. Friends then." She held out her hand for a shake but he lifted it up to his lips.
"Friends." The kiss had a smile in it.
Usagi wandered towards the counter, but had caught sight of the two of them, and she watched this display with anger in her gaze. She couldn't believe how far a senshi had fallen, to know that a man was evil, pure and simple, but to fraternize with him? And ignore the true leader of the senshi as if she had the plague and should burn in hell? Usagi wanted to go blow Rei's secret to both of them, but she calmed her anger. There was always more to a story than one knew and she would let this pass, but she would keep an eye on the two of them to see if something more happened.
Besides, she hadn't said anything to Ami about Zoi, even though both knew he was the one to grab a crystal from a carrier as well. She knew that they had gone out a few times since Jade's transaction.
Usagi hadn't pushed the issue, not wanting to know if Ami went for the pleasure of seeing a guy she liked or to get information out of him while he didn't know anything about them.
Jade returned to work and he rested a hand on Usagi's back but she only tensed up and he left her alone, catching her hint and he only wanted to deal with one angry female in a day. Yet when Rei came back out, changed, she was looking happier. Jade was working with a customer, so they didn't exchange more words. Instead, Rei made sure Motoki was in hearing distance, and paying attention as she approached Usagi. "Look, Odango atama, I'm sorry for all the things your boyfriend wants me to be sorry for. I'm also sorry for being so mean to you. Will you forgive me?"
Usagi knew she only wanted to keep coming to the arcade, but Usagi didn't care. She looked at the black haired girl slowly, before smiling charmingly at her, and pretending to do as she would to anyone else who had been so mean and then offered her an apology. "Oh sure Rei-chan, not a problem!" She laughed and waved off the girl. "No harm done!"
Rei was taken aback by the sheer power behind the girl's ability to trust and accept things as if it didn't hurt. She knew part of it was fake, but why would she do it if she didn't honestly feel that way? "Oh, ok then, I'll see you around Tsukino-san." What was more, the girl was such an idiot, to trust such a bad apology, and not think twice about it? It was surely setting her up for more heart-ache and grief, but still- it was a little place putting, to be given such an unconditional response... Rei straightened and nodded deftly to Usagi.
She left out of the sliding glass doors and into the chilling fall, almost winter temperature. It was like a shock to her system, something she needed to reevaluate herself and her thoughts. That Usagi girl was an interesting mixture of innocence and strategy.
"That was awfully big of you, Usa-chan." Motoki commented, setting a triple sundae next to Usagi, even though she didn't order it.
"Keep feeding her those, and she'll be as big as her mouth."
"Oh, why you!" Usagi dumped her ice cream sundae on top of Mamoru's head, the melted goo sliding down his face into his collar. He just sat there staring at her in surprise. "LEAVE. ME. ALONE." She punctuated on a hiss before hugging her 'Toki-onii-chan' and then running out the arcade doors towards the park, not wanting to know what Mamoru would do in retaliation.
"I have to say, you deserved that. Rei was particularly harsh today and then you just compounded it." Motoki walked away whistling. "And don't think you'll get to wear any of my extra shirts. The only one left is the one Usagi wants me to burn."
Mamoru stood up and shuffled his papers back together, glad that Usagi's attempt at getting him, didn't ruin his homework assignments and he put them all in his briefcase and he left in the same direction Usagi had gone. It was in the direction of his house, but he stumbled upon her again as she was sitting by the lake on a small dock that went a few feet further into the lake enough to get a row boat tied up but nothing bigger. Her jean clad knees drawn to her chest, and her arms wrapped around them as her chin rested between her knees. She was staring out into the lake, across it's blue surface, reflecting the sun's rays as they changed color as it set.
He put down his briefcase and snuck up to her, taking advantage of his unknown presence to pick her up and throw her into the lake. He almost felt bad for doing it, but the sticky sweet smell wafting up his nose from his shirt reminded him of why he did it and why he had to leave the crown early into his studies.
When she didn't surface for a minute, he leaned over the edge of the docks, wondering if the jeans had dragged her down, and were too much for her small body to handle. His hands were against the wooden planks and he tried to peer into the dark water, two moon colored hands reached out, grabbed hold of his shirt and pulled him in.
Water went up his nose and mouth in his surprise and he breathed it in. Only to resurface, coughing a fit and almost sinking again. He held onto the being that pulled him in and he held her as he bobbed between air and water.
She fought against his body, and he realized that she too must be struggling for breath as they both broke the surface before being pulled under again by their combined weight and not kicking to stay above. He let her go and he remained on the surface as she spluttered out water.
"What was that for?" He yelled as soon as he was sure she wasn't going to die on him. "I was worried about you!"
"Then you shouldn't have thrown me into the water Ja-ku!"
She swam back to the dock and pulled herself out. He joined her shortly and watched the water practically run off of her into a thick puddle underneath her.
"I'm sorry." He apologized. "It was rash of me, I wasn't thinking."
"The great Mamoru, not using logic?" She gasped in mock horror. "What will the world come to next?"
"Very funny." He pushed her back into the water but this time helped her out as she resurfaced with her face flaming red.
The puddle only grew as they sat there. "At least now, your not as sticky." She managed a short time later.
"I shouldn't have done that twice to you. You had just made me so angry. I saw you sitting here, like it hadn't mattered and I couldn't help it."
"I would have done the same thing, I'm sure if I had the strength to pick you up and throw you in." Usagi admitted. "I probably would still if I didn't think I would be the one in the water instead."
"Very perceptive of you, Odango." Mamoru mused aloud. Usagi's blue eyes turned to look him over, wondering at their almost corrigible conversation. "What?"
She sighed, he had to ruin it. "I was just wondering, why we ever started doing this in the first place. How did we get here?"
"I think it was the test you hit me with."
"I hadn't meant to. I was just so disgusted at it, that I threw it over my shoulder without thinking. You didn't have to be so mean and point out the test grade I already knew and then make it worse by making fun of me."
"If I recall correctly, I hadn't made fun of you until you snatched it back with that cute angry face that you're making at me now."
"I wouldn't have if you hadn't called me Odango-atama and then pointed it out that I fail at school."
"And life." He added with a teasing tone to his voice, then he sobered up. "I'm sorry if it was my fault we started out on the wrong foot."
"I'm sorry I don't pay enough attention to my surroundings that I surprised you twice, first with a ball of paper on your head, then how horrible I am."
"Truce?" He held out his hand and she looked at it like it would eat her. "We just established that we were both wrong in how we started out. I'm not going to dunk you in the water again."
"All right." She took it and shook his hand. "I guess this will be better than what we have now."
"It's getting late, and you're shivering. Come on Odango, time for you to go home."
"Hey!" She protested when he stood up, pulling her with him. "Already breaking our truce?" She asked put out.
"How?"
"Odango!" She tugged at her hair, trying to pull the buns out and his hands stilled her.
"Don't do that. I like the term. It suits you." He sighed. "If it bothers you that much, I'll stop. Just, don't hurt yourself trying to rip them out."
Usagi froze at the words. She looked at him skeptically. "Really? It wasn't a way to poke fun at my appearance all this time?"
"No, but I knew it rilled you, so I kept doing it." Mamoru let go of her when he realized how close they were and back-peddled a few feet. "What are we going to do now when we run into each other at the arcade, or when you run into me on the street?"
Usagi shrugged. "Why change? If we know that it's only done in jest and good fun?"
"Are you sure?" Mamoru asked skeptically.
"No." She sighed. "I don't know either. Sometimes your words hurt and I hate you for them. But at the same time, what would we have to talk about?"
"Oh, I think I know of a few things we could talk about." Mamoru walked back to his briefcase and pulled out a sweater, it was one of those old men looking ones that buttoned in front with large circular buttons and the rest of it was knit. He draped it around Usagi's shivering frame and she smiled thankfully at him.
"Aren't you cold?" She asked when he closed up his briefcase. The sweater was comfortable, and he only wore it when he was studying at the library, there he also wore his glasses that nobody else knew he had.
"Nah." He shrugged. "I didn't take a second dip, nor was I in there as long as you were." They were walking side by side out of the park together. He took one of her pigtails and wrung it out before moving onto the other one. "I am sorry, I hope you don't catch a cold because of this."
"I'll be fine." Usagi predicted with a soft smile and looked up at him, then she realized how close they were and she slid back an inch. She could see the gold flecks in his dark blue eyes from where she had been.
His hand reached slowly towards her, then dropped back down to his side. "Come on." He took her hand and walked her the rest of the way home. She didn't question how he knew where she lived, but she stopped him about a block away.
"My father would kill you if he caught sight of you, even if we are just friends." She was still holding his hand and squeezed it slightly before jogging the rest of the way to her house.
Mamoru left as soon as he saw her slid into her front door.
EAN: um... this is totally not how I meant it to go down, but I like it all that much more. It's so much better than I had planned! So... yeah... sorry. Just thought I should tell you that it has now escaped my plans and it now has a life of its own! HAHAHA live my pretty, live, live!!!
Yeah... about that... i'm not crazy...
Chapter Seven
{Part 2}
"You know, I just wanted to tell you, you make a great guy."
"Mako-chan!" Usagi moaned. "That was weeks ago, how long have you been planning that little joke?"
"For about as long." Makoto dropped an arm around Usagi's shoulders. "Luna told me she saw you walk home with, what do you call him? 'Mamo-baka?' It's only a slight difference before you start calling him Mamo-chan." Makoto put a slight sigh into the words and her eyes twinkled. "Not a bad catch if I do say so myself. He's super kawaii!"
"Makoto-chan, Motoki was asking about you." Usagi said slyly, changing the subject. "He keeps asking me if you'll ever come back to the Crown. He apologizes for anything that happened while under the bride's curse."
"I'll come with you today if you want." Makoto admitted. "I thought he was super kawaii as well, it's such a disappointment though to realize that he was only interested in me while under a spell." She tapped Usagi on the head. "Are you sure it's only 0nii-chan for you?"
"Yes." Usagi agreed sidestepping the repeat action against her forehead. "Just oniichan."
"That's just perfect for me!" Makoto beamed and dropped her other arm around Ami's shoulders as they walked by her locker. "Coming too Ami-san?" She asked the blue haired girl.
"Ah, no, I've got cram school to go to this afternoon." She saw Usagi's disappointed face and smiled wearily at her friend. "I'll try to swing by later?"
Usagi shook her head. "No, no. It's not a problem, study, study, make mama-mizouno proud." Usagi winked at her tired friend and wondered if she was being selfish not allowing another senshi to join their team even when they knew who she was. She looked up at Makoto, and this girl didn't seem any worse for wear and decided maybe she was right about Rei after all.
"Have you met anybody with the last name Ite?" She asked once the two of them were on the way to the Crown.
"Um... I don't believe so, why?"
"I was just curious." Usagi slipped out from under Makoto's arm and skipped into the Crown just as someone was coming out. Makoto winced at the collision but they fell back into the Crown, with Usagi on top.
Makoto snuck in to see the results. One of Usagi's legs was up near the man's chest, the rest of the leg laying on the ground along side his body the other one was over his leg while Usagi's body was arched across his, her face next to his and her hair spilling out, shielding them from most of the view of others.
Makoto was surprised to learn that it was Mamoru, though by now, she shouldn't be. But the compromising picture of the two of them was too good to miss and Makoto pulled out her small digital camera and silently took several photographs at various degrees of zoom. They laid their for a moment, Mamoru entirely flat on his back, staring up at Usagi in wonderment.
Usagi's breath mingled with Mamoru's and she wondered while he didn't say anything, if he was all right. She was slowly leaning closer to him but caught herself as they shared a look into each others eyes.
Usagi scrambled off and wondered fretfully why Motoki didn't help her up like he usually did when there was a run in.
Nobody had dared messed with that moment, all waiting with baited breaths if that was the moment they would end their stupid fight and finally fall into each others arms. They were disappointed as Usagi awkwardly shot to her feet and held out her hand for Mamoru. "I'm so sorry Mamoru-san. I hadn't meant to do that."
"It's all right Usagi-san." He took her hand and maneuvered himself to his feet. "Are you all right?"
Usagi nodded sharply. "Of course, I wasn't the one to land on my back this time. I should be asking you that."
"Yeah, I'm fine." He seemed to notice that the noise level effectively had shut off as soon as Usagi had barreled into him. "What do you think they're all waiting for?" He asked.
"For us to start having a screaming match?" She questioned dryly.
"Perhaps." He winked at her before sliding his hand along her jaw, and tilting her head up.
"What are you doing?" She whispered as his head slowly made its way towards hers.
"Giving them what they want." He closed the distance between them, and Usagi's breath caught in her chest. No, this isn't happening!
His lips landed on the corner of her mouth and then he pulled away, continuing on his path that he had originally set out for, before she had run into him.
The arcade was so quiet, Usagi could hear crickets chirping. "Wow Usa-chan, when I made that joke earlier, I hadn't realized you were already there."
Makoto's voice cut through the pregnant pause in the room and then someone landed with a thud. "Oooh, Kawaii!" Someone could be heard saying and Usagi snapped out of it.
"Hn?" She asked her almost pink headed friend with as much dignity as she could muster.
Makoto laughed and slapped a hand onto her friend's back. "Come on, let's go get you a milkshake. Motoki!"
Motoki appeared with two chocolate milkshakes and apologized to Kino-san. "I don't know what flavor you prefer, so I brought you Usagi's favorite."
"Oh, well, for the next time, I just want you to know it's raspberry."
Motoki nodded and added a few raspberries on top of her chocolate shake. "There you go." He winked and disappeared for awhile. He'd talk to Usagi about this alone, later on.
"Raspberries, Mako-chan?" Usagi questioned dubiously at the floating maroon colored blobs floating in the dark chocolate concoction. "Since when have you ate anything raspberry?"
Makoto winked at Usagi. "There are things about me you still don't know Usa-chan. I do like raspberries, but I also know that's Motoki's favorite fruit."
She pulled out her briefcase and put her homework on top of it and worked away at a question with a pencil.
She ignored Usagi's questioning gaze knowing what the blond girl wanted to say but couldn't help her crush, no matter if Motoki had a girl or not. She was interested in Usagi's little run in back there, but she'd wait to discuss it when Usagi forgot about this situation. Or she'd talk to Ami about the cute happenings their blond-headed friend got herself into.
Usagi eventually sighed and pulled out her own homework and half way through their mutual math problem she got frustrated and turned to Makoto with a clear desire written in her eyes.
Makoto looked up and saw Usagi's eyes and then nodded, waving her over as well as scooting to the side to let Usagi look on with her to watch the problem play out and then try to copy the pattern herself.
Usagi's index finger followed the pencil lines and then paused at one. "How does that work?" Makoto looked over her shoulder and frowned at the question herself. "I don't know, let me figure out first and I'll get back to you."
Usagi nodded then returned to her work. They didn't have the same questions, but similar in type. Usagi figured Haruna-sensei must have done so on purpose because she knew the three of them were friends and wanted them all to learn.
Usagi heard the scream long before she and Makoto looked up at the sound of their pagers running their mouths off.
The two of them hurried out of the arcade just as Motoki was coming to their table to chat a little. He watched the two of them go with a frown. If it wasn't Mamoru, it was Usagi and her new friends. Motoki missed the normalcy of just sitting and talking to his old friends.
Motoki heard a very familiar female scream and he was out the doors of the arcade before he could think about his actions. He saw light down the street, and he followed the noise. They were only a few blocks off, a huge youma/senshi battle taking place in the middle of the street.
He looked at the players in this fight, and didn't recognize any of them. Who was the girl that screamed that had caught his heart in a bind? He swore-
The moon senshi pulled out her wand and aimed it at the youma when the newest senshi had attacked it with lightning. Motoki's eyes narrowed as he saw a redish-brunette figure walking off from the site. Motoki would have followed him, had he not been distracted by that scream again. He turned to watch the youma sink back into its original form, into the form of his girlfriend.
He raced to her, before she fell to the ground in unconsciousness. He caught her easilly in his arms. "Reika, Reika, please, please wake up." He rocked her and ran his hand over her face.
The tall black haired senshi stopped to watch them, and the shorter one, rested a hand on her arm, before she walked up to Motoki and Reika. "She'll be fine, there is nothing to suggest she won't, we've dealt with this before. It'll be ok, Motoki." She hugged his shoulder before pulling her fellow senshi away.
Motoki wondered at where the knowledge of him came from, but he ignored it as he watched the two senshi disappear into the distance. Reika started to stir and he turned his attention back to her. He hugged her closer to him and she woke with a groan.
"Motoki-chan, what happened?" She mumbled.
"It's all right. The senshi saved you."
"Why are you here?" The red-headed woman asked her blond boyfriend and he smiled down at her painfully. She reached up to ease that pain.
"I heard you scream, I came running."
"Thank you, you're my hero."
"The senshi-"
"You." She responded, cutting him off. He nodded and buried his face in her hair. "I'm all right." She repeated the senshi's words, trying to reassure him.
Elsewhere, Makoto transformed back into her pink-tinted brown haired self and looked at Usagi woefully.
"What's wrong?" Usagi asked, shaking out her blond locks, most blonds couldn't go black, and it always amazed her when her hair changed color so drastically.
"They really do love each other." Makoto replied sadly.
"Mako-chan-" Usagi came near her and Makoto forced a huge smile on her face.
"No, I shouldn't have pursued it, I'm all right. There's plenty of guys out there."
Usagi didn't believe her, but would let this drop, for now. But she'd be watching her friend, seeing if she really did follow what she said, or if she was still pining for Motoki. It was hard to get over somebody you were interested in.
Makoto's smile turned mischievous. "You know, Mamoru-san looks an awful lot like my ex-boyfriend."
"You'll have to fight Rei for him." Usagi responded wryly.
"You sure it's Rei I'll have to fight?" Makoto's question had a teasing edge to it and Usagi winked at her tall friend.
"You never know."
"Ah-ha! I knew it!" Makoto read too much into that comment and Usagi only shook her head knowingly, Usagi knew there wasn't a possibility of that happening.
Usagi hugged the amazon suddenly and Makoto froze in mid-sentence before returning the hug fiercely. Usagi was probably the greatest friend she'd ever had and what she had needed and wanted right then, Usagi had given her.