CattyKitty

I know, I know. You all hate me. I'm really sorry about taking so long to update. It's just that I'm in my last year of college and um… shit is getting real, lol. The good news is that I WILL finish this story, the not so good news is that while I have a goal, I'm not sure I'll be able to do it as fast as anyone, including myself, would like. That being said, I will definitely try my hardest to post new chapters asap. Sorry for the delay. No, seriously, eight months for an update is not cool.

Anyways, enjoy!

(Standard disclaimer: I do not own any of the Sailor Moon characters of which I am writing about. This story is an original that I wrote for fun and without compensation. All characters belong to Naoko Takeuchi.)

Two More Weeks

Chapter 15

Letting Go

*Mamoru*

He woke up the next morning before his alarm. It was just under a half-hour to 6am and despite his exhaustion, he rolled out of bed early. Reaching the doorway he paused to look back at the other side of his bed. It was empty.

Deciding to deal with Usagi's absence after he got ready, he continued on with his morning routine. His alarm called him back into his bedroom a little while later and he made his way down the hall to start his search. He opened the door to the closest spare bedroom. It was empty, the bed still made. He walked to the next two and it was the same. He went downstairs.

Judging by the neatness of the other side of his bed Usagi had not slept with him last night. Although they had finished late, he vaguely recalled her saying she was not tired as he'd drifted off to sleep. It was likely that she'd gone downstairs and had eventually dozed off watching TV somewhere because there was no way that she had woken up earlier than him, and he sincerely doubted that she would leave in the middle of the night. As he passed through the first living area his hunch was confirmed.

The volume of the TV was nearly muted and across the room, sprawled ungracefully, was Usagi sleeping on the couch. Wondering whether he should wake her up since he had no idea when she'd gone to sleep, he nudged her softly. Remembering that she was a deep sleeper he watched her roll on her side and give her back to him. With the thought of simply leaving her there bothering him, he picked her up and took her upstairs. Laying her on his bed he was halfway to the door when he heard her stir. She peeked one eye open.

"What time is it?" she grumbled.

"Six."

She groaned and turned her back to him digging herself deeper into the pillow and returning to sleep. He turned off the lights and closed the door behind him making his way back downstairs. Grabbing the morning's paper, he sat comfortably on the dinning table but was only able to read the headline before his doorman called from the lobby to announce his housekeeper's arrival, Zirconia.

He sent the elevator down to get her and when she arrived they chatted briefly about her granddaughters before moving on to the tasks he needed done. Since he'd moved in, he'd had no laundry or food shopping done. Usagi would get up in just a couple of hours and he needed groceries for that girl because she would go straight to the fridge the moment she woke.

"I need coffee desperately," he said reminding her that it was her first priority. "And bring me some Pocky," he added, remembering a comment Usagi made last night. "Any kind of sweet cereal, pudding, cake, some juice." Zirconia raised her eyebrows, but listened carefully. She knew he didn't eat any of that crap. "Things like that. Bring everything else as usual."

He left for his morning run and came back just in time for Zirconia to bring up the delivery. Helping her carry things into the kitchen, he left her to do the unpacking as he took a shower to get ready for work. By the time he finished breakfast was done and the whole first floor smelled great.

It was already 7:30am by the time he was done and Usagi hadn't nudged from her position on the bed. He needed her to leave soon because he didn't like people in his apartment while he was out. He also needed his laundry done and Zirconia couldn't get his clothes if Usagi was still in his room. His bed sheets were in need of a thorough cleaning too; he and Usagi had made a total mess last night.

"Odango." He shook her shoulder and she opened her eyes sleepily, pulling the covers back up to her face. "Get dressed." She uncovered her eyes and looked at him, but her voice was muffled from the sheets. "Hurry up." He yanked the duvet off her. "I have to go soon."

Although he could arrive to work whenever he damn well pleased, he liked being in his office by 9am. If he didn't keep himself disciplined he would never get anything done and since he'd already skipped work yesterday, it was crucial for him to be on time today. He had just over an hour for her to get ready and eat before they had to leave.

"Fine!" she snapped. "I should have known better than to stay over here." She got off the bed and stormed into the bathroom. "Awake so damn early on a Sunday! It's ridiculous." He followed her into the bathroom before she locked the door. "Go away! I'm getting ready!"

"Stop complaining," he muttered, his thoughts about food being replaced by another primal hunger. She bent over the sink, splashed her face with water and then reached over to grab the small hand towel to dry herself. Walking behind her he pulled down her shorts.

"Are you serious?! Let me at least take a shower, brush my teeth! Geez!"

He ignored her, his pants already by his ankles. He licked his fingers to rub her for entry and tuned out her protests. Shoving himself inside her, he pulled the front of her shirt down and watched the reflection of her titties jump around as he pounded into her. Usagi groaned, her involvement soon equal to his as she met his hips with hard pressure of her own. She stared at him through the mirror and watched him take her from the back, her pretty little mouth slowly curving into the sultry smile he'd abused all night. This was why he could never get enough of her.

"Do you like watching yourself get fucked?" He bit her ear and she moaned loudly. He covered her mouth with his hand and shoved two fingers inside. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head.

She swirled her tongue around his fingers, licking and sucking them as if he had shoved a dick in her mouth. Sliding his fingers in and out, she opened her mouth wide for him and stuck out her tongue. He loved that she was really into it.

"Come for me." He pulled his hand out of her mouth to pinch her nipples. She screamed as he twirled them harshly and his hand went back up to cover her mouth, shoving his fingers in again. "Shhh."

She tensed and grabbed onto the counter for support as he moved inside her faster, her moans getting breathier. He came, unable to resist ejaculating to her sexy screaming. Pouring himself inside her, he stopped moving letting his semen squirt in long and incredibly satisfying sporadic pulses. She came too as he filled her up, her panting turning into elongated sighs of content. He moved his hands off her and slipped out. Usagi doubled over the sink weakly still watching him through the mirror.

"You're too energetic in the morning," she noted, turning around to look at him fully. She grabbed the small towel she used earlier and cleaned his semen off her before pulling her shorts back into place.

"That's disgusting," he muttered. "That's not a cum rag. I use that on my face." She smirked and threw the towel back at him.

"You still can," she laughed. He tossed it in the garbage. "Do you have an extra toothbrush, by the way? I realized last night that I left mines at Cass's." He nodded and opened the cabinet underneath the sink. "Wow…" she said in horror as he pulled out a large container filled with new toothbrushes. He always had spares because he was constantly being asked for extra. "The fact that you have these in bulk…"

"Don't be mad at me because I'm prepared." She rolled her eyes and took one.

"Get out. I have to get ready." She turned her back to him, opening the cap off the toothpaste and applying it.

Her abrupt dismissal bothered him considerably more than usual, but it was because they'd just had a wonderful time that he didn't want to kill the vibe. He knew that bitter women did not want to have sex and quickly hoped to placate her before it ruined his plans. He stood behind her as she brushed her teeth but she ignored him, focusing on herself in the mirror. Placing a hand on her stomach, he bent down to kiss her neck. He couldn't allow for tension this morning.

"There's no reason to get jealous," he whispered, "when you're the one that's here." She relaxed somewhat, but still refused to look at him. He kissed her neck again, this time dipping low into her sweet spot. She tucked her chin into her neck squirming away from him. She spit out the lather laughing.

"Mamoru!" she whined, rinsing out her mouth.

"Usagi!" he mimicked back. She looked up at him with a tiny smile before turning away. He squeezed her tighter to gain her attention and ease her. The more she thought about him being with other women the worse she would feel. "Usako," he murmured, knowing that a little sugar would always win her back. She went slack in his arms.

"You charm me so well," she sighed. He lifted her chin and licked her lips the way he knew she turned to jelly. "I hate you," she whispered. He smiled.

"Too bad." He turned to go. "Now hurry up and get dressed. I don't have all morning."

By the time he changed his wrinkled clothes, she had come out the bathroom. She wore dark washed jeans with heeled, black boots that ended just below her knees and a black, layered sweater over a cream blouse. Her hair was up in a ponytail and on her arm was a large, gray snakeskin duffle bag and leather jacket.

"Where are you going?" he asked her as they made their way down the stairs.

"Out," she said simply and he didn't bother inquiring more since she was being purposely vague. He refused to indulge her with more questions. Not that he cared anyway. They reached the kitchen and Usagi took in the scents appreciatively. "It smells so good!" she exclaimed setting her belongings on the bar counter and sitting on a stool. Staring disappointingly at the two cups of coffee in front of their served plates she went to grab something from the fridge. "Juice!" she said happily, pulling out a large container and bringing it to the table along with an extra cup.

Since their food had been kept warm under heaters while they'd been upstairs they didn't hesitate to dig right in. On the table were a variety of fruits set up for them and Usagi picked up a handful of strawberries to dump on her meal. They ate beside each other quietly.

Unloading a ton of syrup over her food, he watched her devour her plate long before him and then move on to the display of fruits. She dropped them into chocolate syrup to marinate and pulled them out completely drenched, eating them quickly before they dripped on the counter. He would never understand how she could eat that much sugar for breakfast. Squealing when she spotted something, she reached over to the other side of the table where she found a new box of Pocky.

"Oh baby, you bought me Pocky!" she gushed, leaning over and pinching his cheek. "You do listen to me."

He didn't say anything, looking away when she wouldn't stop smiling at him. Of course he'd heard her, she wouldn't stop complaining yesterday. Usagi blew him a kiss.

"You're so nice." She opened the box and ripped the package, munching on the sticks with jubilance he chose to ignore.

When it was time for him to leave they rode down the elevator and separated into different cars in the garage. Neither of them mentioned meeting again later, but it was implied. He doubted she had anything better to do anyhow.

Around noon, he took his lunch break and waited for his delivery to come to his office. Thinking about nothing but sex most of the morning, dirty thoughts kept him from fully concentrating on his work. Last night had been wildly successful and he'd been pleasantly surprised to confirm that Usagi, in any of her forms, could not be considered cautious or boring. All night she had taken the lead in switching positions and had even licked her own cream off his dick with delight. Just thinking about the scene in his bathroom this morning made him impatient to get it on again.

He had texted Usagi earlier to confirm her company later, but she had yet to respond and he wondered what she was doing since she seemed to have been dressed with a purpose. He didn't know what he was going to do with himself if she didn't reply quickly to meet with him. Although he always had a plethora of options, Usagi was the flavor of the month and he was obsessed. But he wouldn't stand her unavailability for long. Far too many times in the past hour alone he'd been tempted to call her and demand to meet, but text messages were as far as he allowed himself to go. He refused to prove his desperation. Especially to her.

When his secretary announced his food's arrival, he walked out his office to grab his bags and noticed a visitor.

"Ayakashi-san!"

His secretary, Fiore, was going mad trying to help carry Cass's briefcase. She was about to smack his hand away when he retreated back to his desk in defeat after probably having been shot down multiple times by that point. Mamoru held the door open while she walked in past him. She went straight to his desk.

"You need to sign these." Cass pulled out papers and set them by his keyboard. Setting his food aside, he stood over her and grabbed the stack, pulling a pen out of his inside jacket pocket. He quickly flipped through the 20+ pages of amended contracts and set about initialing every red circle she had marked for him.

"You came here personally," he commented casually, leaning against his table. She usually sent someone over.

"I wanted to see your lovely face."

He looked up. She wasn't even smiling. She was sitting patiently with her hands folded across her lap, one leg crossed over the other. She extended her hand once she noticed he was done and he gave them back to her. She promptly put them away, standing up to go.

"I'll fax you and Higurashi copies as soon as I get to the spa."

"I can make copies here," he replied picking up his office phone to call Fiore outside. Cass leaned over and pressed the dial tone button, ending the call before it began. He put the phone down. "I know you're mad at me, but you don't have to be unreasonable. I was just trying to make things easier for you." She gave him a stoned look and made an emphasis to lock her briefcase with key.

"No thank you."

He followed her out once he grasped that there was no chance in harmony. Still he hoped that the 5-second walk to the elevator would somehow erase her anger towards him. That didn't happen. It wasn't until the elevator came and he moved his arm out between the doors that he realized he didn't want her leaving without a resolution.

"Cass-"

"Not going to happen."

"Just wait."

"I was being nice in front of Usagi," she hissed, "and I'll be nice in public." She eyed Fiore behind him whom he could hear getting closer. "But you better fuck off."

"Is everything alright, Ayakashi-san?" Fiore stepped to his side. "Chiba-san, Ayakashi-san is trying to leave, " Fiore informed him, speaking as if he couldn't possibly be aware his arm was purposely stopping Cass. "Chiba-san?" He moved away and reluctantly watched the doors close.

He returned to his office and let his issue with Cass dissipate. He wasn't interested in making their problem worse. Usagi was more than enough headache for him and he needed to erase all unnecessary distractions in order to lead a balanced and productive day.

His phone flashed with a new message. To his disappointment it wasn't from Usagi, but an equally tempting invitation. In all fairness it wasn't an offer easily refused, but Beryl just wasn't what he was into at the moment. Unfortunately for Usagi however, he left his reply open for interpretation because although she was the one he wanted patience had never been one of his strong suits.

*Motoki*

He never knew that it was possible to be living with someone without any sort of communication. Ever since their whole fiasco about Cass, Reika had not said more than a sentence to him. It wasn't until last night that she broke the silent treatment in order to remind him of their plans for the next day. It was her mentor's wedding and she absolutely refused to let him bail since she'd worked hard to get him on the guest list.

He didn't want to go, but it had been a promise made long before their personal issues and while he was still upset about their argument, it didn't mean had to be disrespectful. As one of the bridesmaids Reika was going to be catering to the bride's every whim before the ceremony and he was probably going to spend hours alone. But the woman was really important to Reika and so it was a price he had to pay. He could only hope that Reika saw this as his redemption so they could get their things back in order soon.

It was just after midday and it was the most awful day to have a wedding, a cold, dreary Sunday, which was supposedly due to the couple's heavy schedule. It was at an old church just out of the city and he'd been driving for less than an hour when his GPS announced his arrival. He did not see the humble tent Reika had spoken of but instead a huge white marquee embroidered with snowy flower arrangements leading to the cathedral entrance. Adjacent was the rectory turned preparation hall where the bride and groom were probably getting ready. He walked towards those doors after handing his car over to the valet.

Everything was much more formal than he'd expected. Reika had insisted that the gathering would be intimate, but this spread said otherwise. It couldn't be helped considering the groom was well known in the scientific community for his breakthrough advancements in the field of genetics and the founder of Mugen Academy. He also knew that the bride was getting her second Ph.D. in quantum physics (Reika wouldn't stop bragging about her), though she still taught as a history professor and was chair of her department. With them both being academics, most likely there would be a few of their students and faculty in attendance and he would make sure to steer clear from conversations to keep from making a fool out of himself. Science was not his thing and neither was history.

Calling Reika on his phone he was able to locate her and she guided him to the bride's quarters. She had called him earlier to buy safety pins for an emergency tuck on the bride's dress and was impatiently waiting his arrival since they had less than an hour until the ceremony started.

He didn't have to reach the back end of the rectory to have a grasp of the commotion. As soon as he caught sight of the room the view matched the noise. It was a total mess with women frantically running everywhere. Reika rushed to him, snatching the bag from him and quickly attending the woman in white behind her.

It was a large well-lit room and a part in the clouds allowed natural light to enter through the large stained glass windows. The bridesmaids were dressed in flared A-line maroon dresses and the singularity of the white popped out to him immediately. Sun spotlighted the bride momentarily, the most tranquil person in the entire room. It wasn't until Reika attempted to pin at her bust that he saw the bride's face and froze on the spot. Reika looked at him annoyed, making expressions to signal that his staring was rude especially since the bride was staring back.

"Meiou-san," Reika addressed the woman beside her. "This is…"

"Motoki," Setsuna finished with a smile. "How are you?"

Now it was Reika's turn to stare as Setsuna came in for a hug. He had no choice but to return the embrace as his girlfriend's mentor turned out to be his best friend's ex. Such a small world it was… Wait until he told Mamoru.

She looked just as she had the last time he'd seen her, which had been approximately 3 years ago, and curiosity in the back of his mind wondered about her age. She had to be in her mid thirties by simple calculation of her accomplishments, though she still looked like a young woman in her late twenties. She wore an elegant, slim fitted strapless dress with her hair in a neat bun. He still couldn't believe the coincidence.

"Setsuna," he smiled back. "Reika has spoken so much about you, but I had no idea."

"Likewise."

"Congratulations. You look amazing."

"Thank you very much. It's been so long. I hope you've been well." He nodded. Glancing at Reika she looked uncomfortable, almost like she was too afraid to ask how they knew each other. Thankfully Setsuna's next question put the suspicions to rest. "How's Mamoru doing?"

Everything fell into place as Reika noticed his hesitation. She was shocked at the implication, but he didn't let it faze him as he figured out what to say. Part of him wanted to tell her nothing. Setsuna didn't really deserve to know anything about Mamoru.

The first time he'd ever met Setsuna was in the May of his first year of college. He and Mamoru were making up for their lackluster performance that previous spring and decided to take summer classes to raise their GPAs. While he took an afternoon ceramics class as an elective, Mamoru, who was a double major, took an extra class in the morning and they met up in the afternoon. Setsuna was a visiting professor for one of Mamoru's classes and by the end of the third week had moved into their downtown penthouse (even though they'd both lived on their own at that point, Mamoru had stayed there with her). How it all happened so quickly was beyond him, but Mamoru got his A+ and she got to live two blocks away from the school. That lasted approximately three months.

Sometime in late august, Mamoru arrived to an empty apartment with all of Setsuna's stuff gone. No note, no phone number. She just vanished. With her teaching semester finished, they had no clue where she'd gone. They haven't heard from her since.

"He's doing great," he replied.

"I'm glad to hear it," Setsuna smiled.

He started backing away hoping that he could move on to the church before she started asking more questions about Mamoru. Although she was being polite, her serenity rubbed him the wrong way. She didn't seem even ashamed speaking with him despite them both knowing the screwed up way she'd left in the past. For the sake of her wedding, he would not mention it.

"Hello!"

They all turned to the newcomer after having stepped through the back door together when Setsuna wanted to assure his directions to the church. Minako was coming toward them with a wide smile and flowers. Another twist.

"Motoki." Mina came close so that he would kiss her cheek. He did, already used to her western custom. "Reika-san." Mina went in for a hug, but Reika awkwardly retracted. It didn't faze Mina, who embraced her anyway before turning to the soon-to-be bride. "Setsuna, my love." Mina smiled warmly. "Congratulations."

"I'm so glad you made it." Setsuna's eyes shined. "I didn't know if you received the invitation. Thank you for coming." Setsuna embraced Mina so tightly that the confusion in him and Reika only grew. Not only were they long lost friends, they must've been very close seeing as the tears just started pouring.

"It's been too long." Mina and Setsuna pulled apart but were still holding hands.

"I have someone for you to meet." Setsuna reached behind her to pull the little girl that he hadn't noticed until now from her leg. "Come on, sweetie. Say hello to mommy's old friend."

"Oh my goodness!" Mina covered her mouth in disbelief. "Hotaru!" Mina dropped to kneel in front of the little girl and hugged her much too tightly, the little girl trying to squirm away from Mina's frantic hold. Thankfully Mina noticed and loosened up. "What a beautiful little girl you are!" Hotaru ran back behind her mother, giving Mina the crazy eyes. "I'm sorry!" Mina apologized to Setsuna. "I think I freaked her out."

Setsuna waved her hand for Mina to not worry, but he couldn't stop looking at the little girl. She had dark hair and eyes, yet looked nothing like Setsuna. It was probably the groom's daughter. It had to be since he didn't recall her ever mentioning having kids, nor did he peg Setsuna as being the type of woman to abandon her children. Also, he did recall Reika mumbling something about men with kids being a bad idea for a first time bride.

"Ru-ru!" A little voice called from the rectory doorway. It was a little blonde toddler and he ran for Hotaru when he saw her. Mina's eyes came out of her sockets. Before baby chubbs could reach his target, Mina swooped him up and lifted him to the sky.

"That's Helios," Setsuna said and Mina kissed the poor kid repeatedly on his plump cheeks.

"You are the cutest thing! I'm going to steal you." Mina looked the toddler in the face. "Can I have you? Will you come home with me?"

"No! No!" Helios started struggling from her arms. He couldn't help laughing at the kid's horrid expression. Mina was a kidnapper.

"Aw shucks!" Mina joked putting him down. "Then will you visit me, Helios? Come play with me sometime." The little boy shook his head violently, running to his sister. They both backed away slowly, weary of Mina. They were smart kids.

"You need to meet, Souichi," Setsuna told Mina.

"Not now!" Reika interjected quickly. "It's bad luck for the bride and groom to see each other before the ceremony!" Setsuna ignored Reika's superstitions.

"Hotaru, please go get daddy. Tell him it's important." The little girl listened to her mother and scampered off, the toddler's stumpy legs struggling to catch up to his sister. When Hotaru noticed, she went back for him holding him by the hand and they went off together.

Taking his opportunity to leave, he left the women to wait at the church. He didn't care about meeting the groom, he'll say his congratulations before leaving and that was that. He couldn't believe how the day was going so far. What were the chances of all this happening? He had so much to tell Mamoru, but had no idea if it would be good news or bad.

*Motoki*

He'd always liked Minako. That was why it made perfect sense that Reika wouldn't stop glancing over her shoulder during the ceremony. Never mind that he was here because of her, and Mina and Kunzite were together. Sometimes he truly wondered if Reika thought logically. If they were both going to cheat, why the hell would they choose to do so now while sitting in the second row of a wedding with a crowd of over 200?

When it was all over and the bride and groom had recited their personal vows, everyone cheered and started briskly moving around trying to catch photos of the happy couple. He and Mina remained seated to avoid the horde.

"Aren't weddings wonderful?" she asked. She'd wiped her eyes more than a few times in the past five minutes alone. He shrugged, standing to go.

"Yeah."

He had a long list of nothing to do when he got home, but that didn't mean he couldn't rush. There was nothing for him here either and he was anxious to talk with Mamoru about what he'd learned of Setsuna so far (from gossip floating around the pews, of course). How she'd been travelling for the past decade never staying in a single city for too long, or that she was adopting kids because she couldn't have any of her own, not to mention the supposedly very messy relationship between the bride and groom and his reluctance to tie the knot. Who knew that the half hour before the wedding ceremony there'd still be so much mumblings and doubts, and from beloved guests no less. Before he'd been able to take a step, Mina spoke.

"Stay with me a minute, Motoki."

He looked down at her, then scanned the vicinity for Reika. After the coast was clear, he hesitantly retook his seat.

He thought of the last time he'd talked to her, like really talked. It'd been a long time ago, definitely over the summer, but not much after he'd started dating Reika. He wasn't allowed to interact with her per order of Reika, but he couldn't say that her jealousy was entirely unreasonable. Mina hadn't exactly proved herself a modest girl during their vacation, which was where the tension had started.

While on their trip, he and Mina had similar issues with going to bed late and would bump into each other well into the night after everyone had gone to sleep. That wasn't the interesting part, what was interesting was that Mina had a habit of walking around the apartment in a cropped tee and underwear and he wasn't talking about no raggedy granny-panties either. Most of the time they were sweet cheeky lacey things, but twice he'd seen her in a thong. It didn't happen every night, but often enough for him to look forward to it since mostly he'd be sprawled on the couch reading a book. They didn't talk during the exchanges, but neither of them had much shame when it came to it either, whether it was with his following stare as she ran back up the stairs, or her cute little backwards smirk whenever she'd catch him looking. He wouldn't call it flirting exactly since every time it was obvious that she was going at it with Kunzite, but still.

He had gladly kept the secret to himself until Reika gave him a surprise visit one late night and witnessed his sexy roommate herself. Mina was on her way back from the kitchen with a huge platter of cheesecake, a bottle of wine with two long straws, and a banana. What she'd been planning to do with all that, he'd no idea, but she'd been in a red, see-thru nightie and it had been hard to pretend like he hadn't noticed she was barely dressed. After Reika realized that this was a rather routine occurrence (Mina had waved cheerfully when she noticed them), Reika begged for him to stay in a separate suite, which Mamoru strictly opposed and he'd happily obeyed much to Reika's dismay.

"I'm just so glad that she finally gets to be happy, you know?" He nodded. "What is an eternity anyway?" Mina mimicked the priest's words. "Is it even long enough? She deserves more."

"Don't we all."

They turned their attention to a pair of newcomers at the end of their aisle. A beautiful young woman stood beside the lankiest guy he'd ever seen. They both wore Mugen alumni pins. He had a sense that they were vaguely familiar to him, but he couldn't quite remember from where. Mina smiled up at them in full recognition.

"Haruka! Michiru!"

The pair didn't make the formal gestures of a greeting, not even a nod. Neither bothered to look at him either.

"We thought it would be rude if we didn't at least come over." The young woman finally smiled, but quickly turned to go. "We'll see you around, Aino-san." She glanced over her shoulder after the guy made no move to follow.

"I'll be right there," the guy said as his partner sauntered away. He received a stiff nod.

"Motoki, this is one of Dr. Tomoe's star pupils, Tenou Haruka."

"Ah," he was finally able to match face and name together. "You're the racecar driver!" He didn't exactly follow the sport, but knew from his frequent trips to the track. Tenou Haruka was one of the youngest racers to be sponsored and had already won two nationals in his short career. "It's an honor to meet you."

He received no acknowledgement for his mini-outburst and in fact it seemed like Haruka had rolled his eyes. He was taken completely aback and embarrassed that he'd complimented such a loser. He was about to leave when Mina's hand slid down her lap to fall on his. He stayed put.

"Mina, our reasons for meeting is not a sign this time," Haruka stated.

"Perhaps." Mina laughed like she disagreed. Haruka looked peeved.

"Then don't look for us until it's necessary." He turned to go.

"Please tell me when you're in Tokyo. I'd love for you to meet some of my friends. I'm sure they'd be big fans of yours."

"I'm not interested in meeting anyone."

"Aw, Haruka-san, don't say that." Haruka stopped and looked back at Mina.

"That doesn't mean that you and I can't get better acquainted right now." He held his hand out. "Take a walk with me." Mina was about to stand when Motoki held her elbow. Mina looked between them and laughed.

"I suppose it would be rude if I left you here by yourself, Motoki. Perhaps later, Haruka-san?" Haruka stood straighter. "We could meet after the-"

"I'd rather not."

"Okay," Mina smiled. "It was nice seeing you." Haruka didn't respond and left the church, his steps echoing loudly. He somehow felt responsible for the rudeness. Haruka seemed to have wanted Mina alone, but screw him. He wasn't letting that happen. Goddam asshole.

"I'm sorry if I…"

"No, no! Not at all," Mina insisted. "She's always been a little… distant."

"She? Oh, well, that girl was rude too, I suppose."

"Uh, yes. You're right. She was… They both were." Mina sighed loudly. "No matter how much I've tried to reach out to them, they won't even meet me halfway. Do you have friends like that?"

"Not exactly," he shrugged. "Have you known them for long?"

"Kind of."

"Well, I don't think you should be wasting your time with people like them. I'm sure Kunzite would appreciate if you ignored Tenou as well."

"Oh, Kunzite." Mina sighed again. He didn't need anymore context to understand they'd recently fought. He stretched on the tiny pew, glancing at her from the corner of his eye.

"Don't sweat it. Arguing is 75% of the relationship, or so I've learned."

"You too?"

"Everyday."

"How unlucky of us," Mina laughed. "We've been stuck with tight wads." They laughed and he didn't feel guilty about it. In fact, it was a relief that someone was in a similar position as him. "You and I are free spirits, Motoki! They can't control us!"

"You're right. Let's leave these poor suckers behind and elope."

"Oh, no! I can't do that," Mina laughed. "I love Kunzite." She turned to him seriously, her next question abrupt. "Are you happy with Reika?"

"Excuse me?"

"Can you see yourself with Reika," she pointed to the alter less than fifteen feet away from them, "standing right there?" He blinked, letting the meaning of her words sink in. "She in her mother's wedding gown, flowers in her hair. She's walking toward you as the music gets louder and Mamoru is your best man despite probably trying to get you a hooker the night before during your extended bachelor party." She laughed at her (admittedly) amazing predictive skills. "And then me somewhere all the way in the back trying to sneak in because there's no way I'd be invited considering Reika hates my guts." He tried to interrupt, but she only laughed again. "It doesn't bother me, honestly. But could you picture it? You and Reika up there? Is that where you want to be with her?"

Every word coming out of her mouth made him more and more uncomfortable, her details much too descriptive. He wasn't sure if it was the question that he didn't like or if it was the answer that bothered him. He tried not to think about the future too much.

"I'm not sure."

There was more silence as their aloneness became more apparent. Perhaps they'd been there too long, but he couldn't find himself moving. He looked around him and wondered what it all meant to be there with her, to be reconsidering his relationship with Reika not necessarily because of Mina but just in general.

"Are you staying for the reception?" Mina asked, switching topics. He shook his head.

"Probably not."

"I think you should." Mina twisted the ring on her finger. "Sometimes," she started, "I think that life is this never-ending joke and you're stupid to think that good things can happen. But when good things happen," she smiled and folded hands in her lap, "it's the most amazing feeling ever and that's when I realize that life is way too short. There are so many opportunities for happiness that it's just not possible to experience everything, not even over a million lifetimes." Her hand slowly covered his. "Seize the day, everyday, because there's not enough time to regret." She looked up at him. "What do you think, Motoki?"

He didn't understand the meaning of everything that was happening. Her keeping him here alone, talking to him seriously about his future. He wondered if it was really okay for her to rub his palm so softly, and if it was okay for him to like it.

"I agree," he answered. "Sometimes you just have to do what you want."

"Exactly," she nodded slowly, "I'm glad you understand." She cocked her head, looking to figure out if he really got her. Then she smiled and it was the same smile she'd given him the first night they'd met when she'd dragged him to dance, the one she would give him every time she'd pretend to quietly make her way through the house so he wouldn't notice her. "Just have fun," she whispered. "That's all that matters." Even though he didn't know quite what she was implying, he liked what she was saying. He squeezed her hand back.

"You're right." He pulled her up, leading her to the reception tent. "Let's just have fun." And for the first time in a long time (for both of them it seemed), they did just that.

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