Chapter 5: Cover Up

Author's Note: I want to thank everyone who offered their suggestions for the next part of this story. It gave me some guideline in the direction I wish to proceed. :)

A nervous laugh erupted from her throat as she quickly hid the photo behind in her hands. She felt her face go red from the embarrassment Luna caused her and now she was having a difficult time trying to explain herself. Of course he would think it's odd she was holding a photo in her hand with him in it considering he had no knowledge of them ever being together. Why did Luna even do that? It was too early! She had only been his neighbor for a month or so. She understood how important it was for the Shitennou and the girls for Mamoru to remember, but it was too soon. Things had a way of transitioning and this was too fast.

"Ah…this is embarrassing…" Usagi groaned as she rubbed her temples in evident aggravation. "You see…my friends are kind of crazy so they took my previous boyfriend's body and photoshopped your face into it because they think you're good looking," she responded while she lied through her teeth. "Those girls just like to play pranks on me and this time they thought framing a photo like this would be the best way to get me angry."

Mamoru stood there astounded by her explanation. Was she telling him the truth? He didn't know what to believe, but if what she was telling him was true, then he should leave it alone. It wasn't like him to overreact to a situation in this manner. He was usually level headed and calm, but this girl…she was doing something to him emotionally. He was just so restrictive with his emotions, however, being around her was making it hard for him to contain himself. Whenever she was around him, he had a constant gnawing at him and he wasn't sure if that was a good or bad sign.

"I apologize for getting upset and jumping to conclusions," he sighed as he held his hand out to her. She stared at him with a questioning look on her face as if she was wondering why he was doing that. "Come on, give me your hand. You cut your finger. I should've asked you if you were okay first before I got upset," he smirked, giving her that devilishly handsome smile that made her feel like putty. When she didn't move, he just grabbed her hand, causing them both to jump. What was that? Both of them felt like they were on fire as the shock went up through their spines. Mamoru tried to ignore it as he carefully tugged on her hand, avoiding the cut finger as he inspected it. "It's not deep, but you should clean it out with some disinfectant and put a Band-Aid on it."

Usagi didn't buy anything like that yet for her apartment, but she knew her skin would eventually heal, especially if she focused on her powers. Being a senshi did have its own perks after all, however, she decided she would play dumb. "Oh…I'll have to go out and buy some. I appreciate the tips!" she stuck out her tongue sheepishly.

Mamoru face-palmed and just lead her outside her apartment. He unlocked his door and brought her in. It didn't fathom on him that he was still holding her hand all because it just felt right; it was natural. Usagi's face was burning red at their situation and she relished every moment of it. She didn't want him to let go of her hand ever again, but the moment that thought came into her head, he released his hold on her as he rummaged through his medicine cabinet.

"Ouch!" the blonde yelped in pain when he applied the disinfectant. God, it burned so much that it brought tears to the corner of her eyes. She forgot all about it when his fingers brushed up against hers as he bandaged up the cut. Had this been in the past, Mamoru would have even placed a small kiss on the cut to cheer her up and would say something along the lines of, "There, there. It's all better now Usa."

She tried to hide her disappointment when he was done mending to her tiny injury as that all too familiar void engulfed her again. At least it was something rather than nothing. If Luna didn't interfere then Mamoru wouldn't have held her hand which is better than no intimate contact at all. Usagi closed her eyes and took in a deep breath of air; the entire apartment smelled like her Mamo-chan. She loved the musk of his scent, bringing back familiar thoughts as they flooded her mind. The pink tint on her cheeks darkened as the memories of the many times Mamoru claimed her as his, marking her with his soft kisses while his hands roamed her body like a map he knew all too well.

"Hello? Earth to Usagi?"

Her eyes opened immediately at the sound of his deep voice, breaking her out of her train of thought. She scratched the back of her head nervously and muttered a quick apology. Cerulean eyes scanned over his to see if he had felt anything at all while he spent his time with her, but it was like pulling teeth. He knew how to hide his emotions really well.

Mamoru looked over at the clock and sighed. He was so busy with Usagi that he had completely forgotten about the time. He looked over at the girl in front of him and felt a pang of guilt when he realized he would have to leave her. His emotions were starting to confuse him again and this time they were clouding his judgment. "Hey, sorry, but I need to get ready and leave. I'm supposed to meet Ayumi in half an hour for dinner."

The mention of Ayumi tossed all those happy memories out of Usagi's mind and then it went blank. Here he was spending time with her, but really, he was thinking of his girlfriend. She had no clue if his running late because of her was a burden or if it was something to be happy about since she kept him preoccupied. It didn't matter though. The girlfriend won at the end of the day, so what was she trying so hard for?

So what if the future is doomed. She couldn't have one with him anyways so why should she care? All her life she existed to please others.

No. Don't think like that. It's wrong.

All these negative thoughts were invading her mind in efforts to comfort herself. She didn't mean any of it; of course she wanted Chibi-Usa and the future to be at peace. She cared about the Shitennou and the senshi because no matter how rough it got for her at the end of the day, she wanted everyone else to be happy. "Sorry for intruding," she whispered as she turned away and quickly walked out of the apartment. She wouldn't let him see her cry.

OooOoo

Cups clinked in the distance while soft background music played in the quiet café. She hummed to herself slowly as she stared at her reflection in the dark brown liquid, stirring it with a stirring stick. Usagi liked the peace and quiet of the café even during the times the girls were there with her; she enjoyed the environment of it. She either spent most of her teenage years in the arcade or at the café. Everywhere she went in Tokyo was full of nostalgia for her; whether they were good or bad memories. She thought about Seiya's proposition of going to the amusement park and remembered how much fun the two had.

"Usagi?"

"Hm?"

It was Rei.

She placed her school bag on the booth seat and sat across from her friend, confused as to why she was here by herself. "Luna's plan didn't work, did it?" she asked, raising an eyebrow in question. The raven haired priestess knew that Usagi hadn't been the same since she returned and she really couldn't blame her. If her premonition is true, then she had a lot on her shoulders to worry about.

Usagi rested her cheek on the palm of her hand while the other hand kept stirring her coffee. Her lips parted and she sighed. Luna's plan would have worked if she didn't cover it up with a lie, but would the girls understand why she did that? "It's not that it didn't work. I didn't want it to work so I lied to him and told him you guys photoshopped his head on my ex-boyfriend's body cause you're all crazy."

Rei was confused. Why did Usagi lie? Didn't she want him to come back to her and remember her? "I don't understand Usagi. I thought you wanted to get back together with him."

"I do, but not like this. I want Mamo-chan to want to get back together with me. I don't need him to get back together with me 'just for the sake of we were together. In fact, what if this drives him further away? I don't need this to get any worse."

Usagi did have a good point. It could either go badly or really well depending on the situation. Mamoru would probably be very confused to the point that he would get upset and may never want to talk to her. Rei would have felt the same way had it been someone she cared for, like Jadeite. Usagi wasn't the only one seeing the Shitennou in her dreams. It seemed to be affecting all of them, but no one said anything about it. She nodded with her friend, agreeing with everything she said. "Well, whatever you have planned, I hope it works out."

Mamoru finished up at the hospital around 5:00 that afternoon. He had been in deep thought that entire day thinking about how Usagi left his apartment last night. It was as if her mood had shifted when he mentioned that he would be going out. Oddly enough, he did feel bad for doing that to her, but he couldn't place his finger on why. Why was his neighbor having such a weird affect on him and why did he care? Argh! What was the big deal with her leaving him last night anyways?

The big question in entirety was…did he even like Ayumi? He was never there mentally when they went out as his thoughts always drifted to Usagi. She had the most beautiful smile and eyes he had ever seen. She just seemed to brighten up his world whenever she was around and then whenever she left, it felt like a void.

He was confused around her at all times. His gut told him that she meant more to him than he could ever imagine and his first sign was that great amount of jealousy and possessiveness he felt when that man came around. If that guy showed up again with that stupid smug grin on his face, he wouldn't have much self-restraint left in him.

"Dammit Usagi…what are you doing to me?"

The pop idol stood in the hallway of the eighth floor, leaning against the wooden doorframe, patiently waiting until his person of interest came home. He closed his eyes and grimaced at the thought of her rejecting his invitation. His hands gripped at the tickets, thinking about whether or not it was a wise idea to move on with this. Taiki and Yaten both gave him a look which questioned why he was trying again. He clearly knew who her heart belonged to, but if their future was already changing, then he had some kind of hope to make an impact on her.

"Seiya-kun?"

His eyes fluttered open to the sound of her voice. A silly grin replaced his contemplating and serious face when he saw the blonde. He briefly glanced at her hair and frowned in disappointment. "Oi," he waved his hand with the ticket in it.

"What is that?" Usagi asked, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Did you already forget, Odango? I told you that I was taking you out to the amusement park so here's your ticket," he replied smoothly as he walked over and placed the admission ticket in the palm of her hand.

"E-eh?!"

"It's a date and I expect you to be there at 11 a.m.," he instructed as he looked into her eyes seriously, "and don't forget, I like your hair up. See you then!"

She stood there dumbfounded. He left no room for protest. She glanced down at the ticket and scratched the back of her head. What was she going to do?