AN: Hello, everyone! I hope that you're all feeling healthy and doing well. This has been a crazy time, so unfortunately I haven't been able to update much. Did I mean for this chapter to have over 6,000 words? Absolutely not. It just kept growing and growing, but hopefully it's a welcome surprise for those of you who have been waiting for an update.

Drink lots of water, wash your hands, and STAY AT HOME if you can.

xo Amethyst

CHAPTER 9: CRIME FIGHTERS

After a long day of trying to get things like essays and outlines done, Usagi felt a burst of frustration when she noticed the sun was now hanging low, and the sky was taking on the golden hue of dusk. With her chin resting in her hand on the kitchen table, she looked over her open planner, staring at the names of assignments written in glaring colors and empty checkboxes waiting to be filled. She felt like a failure.

Bzzz. With a heavy sigh, she looked down at the incoming text displayed on her screen.

Noodles OK for dinner?

A heavy sigh escaped from her lips. Oh yeah, dinner, she thought to herself. Normally she would jump at the chance to spend time with Seiya, who seemed to have less of it these days as he prepared for his comeback. Having known him for so long and seeing Minako go through the same process, she knew that there was more to releasing an album than just recording it. There were meetings, photo shoots, and interviews that filled up space in her friend's day. Though he only had a photo shoot in the morning, the approaching deadline for one of Usagi's class assignments persuaded her to stay home most of the day and work without distraction. She should have been happy that it was finally time for their planned hangout, but the heavy weight of the frustration she felt pulled her down. She was so tempted to revert back to her old ways and come up with an excuse to cancel, but as she pictured the disappointment he would surely have on his face, she couldn't do it.

About an hour later she found herself refreshed from a shower and ready to put on a smile for her friend. With wet hair and a comfortable outfit, she opened the door to find Seiya in his female form standing on the other side, holding a plastic bag full of warm takeout containers.

"I brought ramen!" He said with a cheery voice, his blue eyes gleaming as he moved past his blonde-haired friend, the enticing smell of savory broth trailing behind him.

"Thanks, Seiya-kun," she said, closing the door. A flash of light bounced off the walls - a sight she was used to seeing when senshi transformed around her - and she wasn't surprised to find that when she turned around, Seiya's body had already changed. When the pair was sitting at the kitchen table, noodles swirled around wooden chopsticks, the pop idol asked curiously, "How did your homework go today? Did you get it all done?"

Usagi slurped a thick udon noodle into her mouth before shrugging. "I didn't get anything done."

"I thought you said you had a bunch of work to do?" Seiya asked. Usagi thought he sounded a little hurt. Suddenly it dawned on her: he thought that she had made an excuse not to spend time with him.

"I did… I do, I just couldn't get any of it done." She sighed, looking down into her soup. She worried that when she looked up, Seiya would be looking at her with anger or disappointment, but to her relief, when she lifted her eyes, she was met with empathy.

"What happened?" He asked gently.

"I guess I... I don't know, Seiya-kun. I sat down to do what I needed to do and it felt wrong. I couldn't focus." She couldn't understand why her throat suddenly ached and her eyes were stinging with tears. "Sometimes I feel like… I don't know, like this might all be for nothing."

Usagi looked back down into her soup, feeling exposed under Seiya's pensive gaze.

"I've been wondering about something," he said, finally breaking the silence.

"Hm?" She plopped a piece of juicy tofu into her mouth.

"When was the last time you transformed?"

"Huh? What does that have to do with anything?"

He simply looked at her, encouraging her to answer.

"The final battle." She pushed away the image of Galaxia, clad in golden armor and scowling down at her.

Seiya's eyes widened as his jaw dropped slightly. "Seriously? That was two years ago."

Usagi shrugged, "It's been a peaceful time."

"Well no wonder you're restless! Odango... you're bored. I couldn't imagine being a normal person for too long!" Seiya stood up suddenly and reached his hand down, beckoning to his friend to join him.

"Come on, we're going to go fight some crime," he said, wiggling his fingers as Usagi hesitated.

She raised an eyebrow and laughed. "We're not in Gotham, Batman. We can't just go outside and find some 'crime'. Are you expecting some Animates to show up?"

"We're in Tokyo...there's plenty of crime. Let's go find a robbery or something. You're a sailor guardian, Usagi. Fighting bad guys is what we do. Going to school is great and important, but this is what fulfills us."

"I'm a princess, Seiya-kun. I don't think I was actually meant for fighting crime."

"Do you think you were given those amazing powers for no reason?"

"W-well, no, I just mean-"

"Just because you're a princess doesn't mean you have to be locked away in a tower. You're capable of fighting for yourself and fighting for others. Don't let anybody make you feel like you're not. So, I'm going to ask you formally- Sailor Moon, will you please come fight some crime with me tonight?"

Filled with warmth and reassurance, Usagi couldn't hold back the hearty laugh she felt bubbling in her stomach. She placed her hand in his, allowing him to help her from her chair.

"Sure, Star Fighter. Let's go."

"I've never gone out looking for crime before," a woman spoke. She was petite, with round blue eyes, porcelain skin with a twinge of peach, and golden hair styled into two long pigtails that swayed when she moved. She wore a shimmering golden skirt with red and blue layers peeking out beneath, heeled white boots that reached the top of her calves, and a glittery golden broach pinned at the center of her chest. The most majestic part of her was the pair of large, soft white wings perched upon her back, their delicate feathers fluttering in the breeze.

Standing on the roof of a tall building, Eternal Sailor Moon's white-gloved hands gripped onto the cold, metal railings before her. She leaned over the edge to look below, watching the movements of car headlights and drunken crowds.

"I didn't think it would be this hard. The bad guys used to just come to me," she murmured.

Beside her, her companion looked below as well. Her lightly-tanned skinned seemed to take on a soft glow under the light from the moon. Her latex-like outfit of shorts, boots, and a bustier were so glossy they looked almost wet to Sailor Moon, and she noticed that at times when the woman moved, the bright lights of the surrounding buildings were reflected in its sheen. With black gloves adorning her arms, the woman placed a gentle hand to her left ear, summoning a headset that materialized beneath her fingers. The ear piece was golden, shaped like a star, and encrusted with small jewels.

"It can amplify sounds if I set it right," Star Fighter explained.

After some silence between the two of them, Sailor Moon asked curiously, "What can you hear?"

"Nothing really. Just harmless chatter," she answered.

Sailor Moon's eyes studied Sailor Star Fighter's face as she scanned the area around them. She was focused, yet seemed so relaxed. She was enjoying this.

With a smile, Sailor Moon asked with a gentle voice, "You really like being Sailor Star Fighter, don't you?"

Navy blue eyes glanced her way. They shimmered with spots of city lights, reminding Usagi of the night sky.

"Of course, I love it. I love her. It's like I said - she's a part of me. I was born to be Sailor Star Fighter... but I know I'm supposed to be Seiya too." As Star Fighter turned to face Sailor Moon, she dropped her hand and allowed her headset to disappear.

"Don't you like being Sailor Moon?"

The blonde soldier pursed her lips together. "I do. I like that I can protect people and keep them safe. I love this world, and I feel honored that I was the one chosen to protect it, but I... It was dropped on my lap when I was 14. I wasn't trained for it or prepared, I was just thrown into it. I couldn't pass a math test but for some reason I was responsible for the safety of an entire planet. Sometimes it feels like a burden."

"Wow, Odango. I'm really sorry, I can't imagine what that was like for you," Star Fighter answered gravely. "That sounds terrifying."

"It was, but I got used to it, and I am really proud of Sailor Moon." She looked into Sailor Star Fighter's sad, empathetic eyes and smiled warmly.

"I'm really proud of her too," Fighter said with a playful wink. She turned away and her eyes narrowed before she pointed to a building and said suddenly, "Look over there."

Sailor Moon squinted at the building, "Where? What are you talking about?"

Sailor Star Fighter stood beside her and gently took her chin into her gloved hand. Sailor Moon blushed a deep red, thankful that her face was shrouded by darkness, as she felt the taller guardian press the side of her face to hers, giving them a similar line of sight.

"Do you see it?" Sailor Star Fighter asked, using her hand to guide where Sailor Moon looked. She tried to focus on what she was seeing, and not on the warmth of Star Fighter's body, or the way her latex gloves felt against her chin. She hoped her breathing wasn't as shaky as she thought it was.

She searched the dark windows, offices abandoned for the night, until she noticed it — a flash in the darkness. Two flashes. Within moments she realized she was looking at the beams of two flashlights searching a dark room.

"What if they're just looking for something?" She asked skeptically.

Sailor Star Fighter's laughter was smooth and bright. "Oh, Usagi-chan. Always seeing the good in people. It's midnight. You don't need a flashlight in an office at midnight if you're supposed to be there."

The two found themselves bouncing from rooftop to rooftop, slinking in the shadows until they found themselves on the top of the office building they had spied earlier.

"You go down the stairs and I'll go around the other side," Star Fighter whispered.

"We're splitting up?" Sailor Moon asked, surprised.

"Yeah, of course. They might run. You can do this, Odango. I know you can," she said before bounding away in a flash of glimmering black.

Sailor Moon took a deep, heavy breath and clenched her fists, willing her nerves to subside. Her fitted bodice and skin tight boots suddenly felt constricting.

You can do this.

She slipped through the roof access door and quietly made her way down the dimly lit stairwell, counting how many flights she was from the top. When she made it to the fifth from the top, she slowly pushed the door open. She felt her stomach flip when she saw the glow of two flashlights coming from a cubicle across the space. She didn't know when or how it happened, but the nervousness morphed into something else. When she breathed in, she could feel the anticipation running through her like electricity. Suddenly she wasn't a 20-year-old trying to find her way in a world she wasn't meant to take part in. She was the pretty guardian who had been protecting this city for the last six years. She was ready to fight.

"Hey!" Sailor Moon cried. "Stop right there!"

The men, dressed from head to toe in black, looked up — one dropping the object in his hands. It fell to the floor with a loud crack. When Sailor Moon squinted, she realized it was a silver laptop.

"What the hell," he grumbled.

"Sailor Moon?" The other man choked out, surprised.

The first man punched the other man's shoulder. "Don't be an idiot! That's some dumb kid playing dress up. Take care of her while I take care of this."

The man was short, stocky, and seemed hesitant. He staggered for a moment, and then rushed toward the perceived imposter. Sailor Moon focused the adrenaline building up in her body into a strong high-kick, delivering it right to man's face. Her foot connected to the man's bone with a sharp snap and he flew back, hitting the concrete with a groan.

"No, no, no... Screw this," he whimpered, putting a hand to his now bleeding nose as he stood up with a sway. "You said we'd be in and out without a problem, Ryo! I didn't sign up for this!" He ran into the darkness toward the stair well, stumbling over the broken laptop as he went.

Quickly, Sailor Moon removed the golden tiara from her forehead, crouching as she aimed and threw it toward the man who ran away. It glistened and glowed as it shaped itself like a disc, and she willed it not to seriously harm who it touched, only to knock them down. She cried out with glee when it hit the back of the man's knee, sending him tumbling to the ground.

"Don't move, or I'll come after you again!" She shouted, returning her tiara to its place.

His groaned response was reassuring.

The other man clenched his jaw and dropped the duffel bag he was holding, then reached down into his waistband. Sailor Moon wasn't naive. Focusing her eyes on the man, she opened her palm and summoned her moon rod in anticipation. Suddenly, a flash of gleaming black whizzed by and the man was grabbed from behind with a loud grunt.

"Get on the ground," Sailor Star Fighter shouted, pressing the man forward. "Sailor Moon, get the gun away from him."

"Thanks for showing up!" Sailor Moon called out as she moved closer, not bothering to keep the annoyance out of her voice.

"Sorry! Getting in on that side was harder than I thought." The man thrashed around wildly as Star Fighter tried to wrestle him to the ground.

With one flashlight abandoned on a desk and the other rolling to a stop on the ground, Usagi tried to focus her eyes in the dark. She was relieved when she saw a glint of metal in the beam of white, fluorescent light. She ran forward and reached down to grab the weapon, startled when she felt a warm ball of flesh and bone hit her eye socket.

"Owww!" She cried out, bringing her hands to her eye.

Fighter adjusted her hold on the man, pinning down the arm that had flown out and hit her partner in the face.

"I'm so sorry, Sailor Moon! Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah," Sailor Moon moaned, kicking the weapon aside with the toe of her boot. "He got me good."

"Come closer, bitch! I'll get you again," the man yelled out, grunting as he tried to wiggle his arms free.

"What did you call her?" Sailor Star Fighter growled, forcing the man forward. She slipped her arm around his neck, pulling tight. "You owe her an apology!"

"I-I… I can't—"

"I didn't hear that. What?"

"I can't breathe!" The man cried out.

"You can or you wouldn't be talking right now," Fighter answered coolly. "How about now?"

Sailor Moon watched in surprise, her mouth agape as the Starlight's toned arm flexed and the man gasped for more air.

"I'm sorry!" He breathed out. When Fighter loosened her hold slightly, the man sucked in a deep, desperate breath before rushing to say, "I'm sorry, Sailor Moon! You're not a bitch, I'm sure you're a really nice young woman!" He began to sob as Sailor Star Fighter got him down to his knees with a kick to the back of his legs, and pulled his arms tight behind his back.

With wide eyes, Sailor Moon stared at the two people before her. "Um, thanks..."

The loud rrrriiiippp of duct tape filled the office as Fighter began wrapping the man's wrists behind his back, a glimmer of amusement in her eyes.

When she was done, she wiped sweat from her brow and said quickly, "You stay here and call the police, I'll check on the other one."

With a nod, Sailor Moon quickly picked up the phone on the nearest desk and dialed the emergency number.

"What's your emergency?"

"Uhh, there's two men here trying to rob this place. They have a gun," she said into the phone, looking over Star Fighter as she quickly wrapped tape around the other man's wrists. The man didn't even protest with Star Fighter knelt down beside his feet and began to wrap his ankles together.

"One probably needs medical attention."

"Did they hurt anyone?"

"Um, no, but we hurt them. They could use some help."

Standing at the top of the tall office building, the guardians looked below, watching police spill out of the cars with their flashing lights and loud sirens. When two officers opened the door to the roof, expecting to find the "half-naked women" who tied up the angry and confused burglars downstairs, Sailor Moon and Sailor Star Fighter were already gone.

Two figures bounced onto the dark patio of Tsukino Usagi's apartment and slipped in through the sliding glass door. Usagi, coming in behind Sailor Star Fighter, dropped her transformation as soon as the shades were drawn. Dressed again in her warm yoga pants and cozy sweatshirt, Usagi with folded arms and pursed lips asked with disbelief, "Seiya? What the hell was that?! What were you thinking?"

"Oh, he would have been fine," Sailor Star Fighter said, laughing as she dropped onto the couch. "At most he would have just passed out for a minute. He was being really dramatic, I promise."

"He was being dramatic? That wasn't necessary, Seiya."

"He shouldn't be calling women names like that and he pulled a gun on you. It was necessary."

"That was reckless," Usagi said seriously.

Star Fighter smirked. "And?"

"It was really stupid," Usagi said, looking her friend in the eye.

"And?"

She tried her best to keep it off her face, but she couldn't help her smile. "It was kind of fun."

"I told you, didn't I?"

"Yeah, you did, but," Usagi began, stepping closer and giving the alien a stern look. "We can't do that again, Seiya. It's not safe. I know we would have been fine, but what if we weren't? Haruka-chan and Mamo-chan would lose their minds if we got hurt doing something dumb like that.

"You've defeated horrible monsters, Odango." Fighter said reassuringly. "But I get it. I don't want to make you do anything you're not comfortable with."

"Thanks for understanding." Usagi let out a soft breath. "Make yourself at home, okay? I'm going to take a long shower."

"Hey, Odango?" The senshi called out to her, standing up.

"Hm?"

"I'm sorry," she said, reaching out to touch under her eye. "I should have held on to him better. He was stronger than I thought he would be."

"No, Seiya, it's fine. I got way too close. I wasn't thinking about what I was doing."

"I know, but I should have protected you."

Usagi smiled, "It wasn't your fault. It was dark and there was a lot happening."

"If you ever decide that you want to fight crime with me again, maybe we can talk about strategies and do some training."

The blonde shrugged, a playful smile on her face. "I'll think about it."

As Usagi scrubbed the night's events off of her skin, she heard Seiya's voice through the bathroom door asking to borrow some pajamas.

"Sure, you can wear whatever you find," she called out, closing her eyes as she rinsed the shampoo out of her hair. After blow-drying her long hair and putting on some comfortable pajamas, she opened the door and smiled to herself when she saw a mop of black hair peeking out from beneath the covers. Suddenly she felt like she was back in her old bedroom at her parent's house, staying up all night with Rei talking and playing video games, then passing out long after midnight. She remembered the way Rei's dark hair looked sprawled out on her pink bed sheets, and suddenly she missed her friend dearly.

Usagi lifted the covers and crawled under. "This wasn't what I meant by 'make yourself at home'," she said sarcastically.

"Kick me out then," was Seiya's tired, barely audible mumble. "I'll go to the couch."

Usagi gave a soft laugh as she turned out the lamp. "I'm kidding, it's fine." With one last look at the incense burner on her bedside table, she relaxed into the pillows and closed her eyes. Listening to the hum of the fan, she thought of how nice it was to fall asleep next to someone again. As she drifted off to sleep, thinking of small orange flowers and warm pink light, she thought it was nice that it was Seiya she was next to.

When Usagi awoke the next morning, she felt a very persistent, painful throbbing on her face. Squeezing her eyes shut, she groaned out, "What the hell happened?" She knew she didn't have anything to drink, so why did she feel hungover?

"Shhh, I'm so tired," muttered a voice beside her.

Usagi's eyes snapped open to look at the source. Of course, lying beside her, was none other than Kou Seiya. She sat up slowly, flinching as the aching in her head became more intense, and looked down at herself. She knew she hadn't done anything wrong, but it assured her to see that she was dressed in a soft pink t-shirt and silky pink shorts anyway. She craned her neck, and though Seiya was buried beneath the comfort of the covers, she could see a bare, masculine shoulder peeking out from beneath the blanket.

Panicked about falling asleep in the same bed as a man that wasn't Chiba Mamoru, she tried to think back to last night. When Seiya dropped his transformation, he was a woman, wasn't he? Thinking back a few hours, she remembered the way Fighter gently brushed the bruise forming beneath her eye. Then in the shower, she heard Fighter ask for clothes to wear. Did he drop his transformation by then?

"Of course he's a man, dummy. You told him to be comfortable!"

A small blush spread to her cheeks as she thought about Seiya rummaging through her drawers for pajamas. For some reason, a female Seiya stumbling upon her underwear in an attempt to find pajamas didn't bother her, but picturing male Seiya doing the same made her feel shy and slightly embarrassed. She exhaled slowly, trying to push that thought away. Seiya was Seiya no matter what, and that was something she had to get used to. But, didn't he consider Fighter to be a woman? Ooo, this is so confusing!

Seiya's slowly opened his dark eyes, clouded by hazy sleepiness, and he took a good look at his friend. "Shoot, that really bruised over night," he said with concern.

"Oh," Usagi murmured, finally remembering the events that led to her getting punched in the face. She touched her bruised skin gingerly and shrugged. "It'll heal. I probably should have stayed transformed longer. It would have gone away. It's already better than it was last night."

"I'm really sorry, Odango. I should have been more careful," Seiya murmured, reaching up to brush the back of his fingertips against the bruise. Usagi flinched back and gently took Seiya's hand in her own, moving it away.

"It's fine, Seiya-kun. I'm okay."

"We won't do that again."

Usagi wished she could take his guilt away. His eyes, shining in the golden morning light, were worried and full of concern. She opened her mouth to protest, but was interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Who…" She muttered. She started to complain at this hour, but with a glance at the clock (reading 10:00am), she held her tongue. "Coming," she yelled, crawling out of bed.

Usagi slid the chain from the lock and opened the door, shrinking back at the sight of the dark-haired woman standing in front of her.

"Uhh... I wasn't expecting you?"

"Good morning to you too, Usagi," Rei said, peeking at the blonde-haired woman over the top of her sunglasses. "Jeez, Usagi, what the hell happened to your face?"

"I—"

"Oh, wait, you don't have to tell me," Rei began, her voice dripping with sarcasm, "Because it's on the front page of the freaking newspaper," she said, raising a thick newspaper to Usagi's eye-level. The blonde had to take a step back so that her nose was no longer touching it, and it took her a moment of squinting to focus.

One the front of the gray paper was a photo of a man — the angry, violent man from last night, wearing handcuffs and being pushed into a police car. His smaller friend, dazed and covered in blood, wasn't far behind. A smaller photo showed two dark, blurred figures exiting the office building they had been apprehended from.

The title read: TWO VIGILANTES DISGUISED AS SAILOR GUARDIANS FOIL A ROBBERY

"Wow, I'm glad we could inspire people to fight crime," Usagi mused.

Rei gave her friend a blank look. "Are you kidding me, Usagi? I know this was you and Seiya!"

Usagi sighed deeply and opened the door wider, making room for Rei to enter. She followed Usagi to the kitchen and sat down on a chair.

"What were you thinking, Usagi-chan? You could have seriously gotten hurt. The article said they were armed! You could have been killed."

She thought of Seiya's encouraging words from last night and said, "I've defeated monsters, Rei. I was fine."

Usagi turned on the electric kettle and turned to face her friend, her stomach dropping when she saw her friend's violet eyes — glassy and full of worry.

"Rei-chan?"

"Look at you, Usagi-chan. You're hurt," she spoke quietly, tears wavering in her voice.

"I'm fine, Rei-chan. Really. I've been hurt worse. Like I told Seiya-kun, if I had just stayed transformed a little bit longer—"

"Was this his idea? What am I saying-of course this was his idea."

The only sound Rei heard was the boiling of the kettle on the counter.

"I don't like this, Usagi-chan. I like Seiya-kun and I appreciate everything that he's done for us, but your friendship is toxic," she said.

"Don't be so dramatic, Rei. In what way is our friendship 'toxic'?"

"It… he loves you, for one thing! And Mamoru's in America, and the amount of time you two spend together isn't appropriate. And, look! He's putting you in danger!"

Usagi closed her eyes and thought about her words carefully. The defensiveness bubbled beneath her skin, itching to burst out and lash out at her overly concerned friend.

At least he listens to me, it wanted to say.

I feel like myself when I'm with him.

Usagi poured Rei a cup of herbal tea, something floral and delicate, and then turned around. "Rei-chan," she began, setting the cup down in front of her. "I love you and I appreciate your concern. It wasn't Seiya's fault that I got hurt last night. It was mine. I wasn't thinking clearly or watching where I was going. And while I'm sure it looks strange, there isn't anything weird going on between us. He's one of my best friends, and that's all there is to it."

At that moment, Usagi heard the soft click of her bedroom door closing.

"Did you hear that?" Rei asked suddenly, sitting up straight. "What was that?"

"Uhh, probably came from one of the neighbors."

"It sounded close by."

"Oh, no, it always sounds like that. Hey, Rei-chan. I just had an idea. I'm so glad you're here because I just remembered that Seiya and I were going to grab brunch soon. Why don't you join us? You two can catch up."

When Rei looked at Usagi with suspicion, she mustered up the biggest, brightest, fakest smile she could muster and said, "It'll be so much fun!"

"...um, sure, Usagi-chan. That sounds nice."

"Great!" Usagi looked down at herself, dressed in her tank top and silky pink shorts. "I'm going to get changed, why don't you finish your tea?"

She began to head to her room, but not without stopping to turn on the stereo. "Here, listen to some music too. I'll just be a few minutes."

Usagi closed the door to her bedroom and leaned against it, looking at the musician sitting cross-legged on her bed. Her breath caught in her throat for a moment as she took in the sight. His toned chest, which which she tried terribly hard not to look at, was bare, and all he wore was a pair of Mamoru's running shorts. The light was shining just right, giving his long, wavy hair that hung loose down his back a vivid blue tint. His white hair tie-a long, white ribbon-was in a tangled heap on the bed beside him. Hanging over her vanity bench was his outfit from the previous day.

Great. This doesn't look suspicious at all.

"What now?" Seiya whispered.

"I'm going to change and take her to that breakfast cafe around the corner. You're going to meet us there." She quickly went into the closet and shut the door. Seconds later, she opened it again to add in a hurried whisper, "And this should go without saying — you need to be 100% sneaky when you leave here."

"Why don't we just tell her the truth? I'm sure she'll understand."

Usagi gave Seiya skeptical look.

"It's Rei, no she won't. She's going to make a big deal out of it and the everyone else will try to get involved."

In the closet, she quickly threw on a grey sweatshirt and white jeans. Not bothering with putting her hair into her usual hairstyle, she left the closet furiously combing her fingers through her long hair.

Sensing her frustration and anxiety, Seiya was soon behind her with a hairbrush, running it down the length of her hair. "Calm down, Usagi-chan," he whispered. His voice was like a cool cloth, it soothed her and brought her down to earth. She nodded and closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath.

He set the brush down and folded his arms across his chest, standing back to take a look.

"You look great." His soft, admiring smile sent a warm feeling through Usagi's body.

"I'll see you soon?"

He nodded, "Soon. Give me… twenty minutes, okay?"

Not that she was counting, but on top of the eight minutes it took for Usagi and Rei to walk to The Bluebird Cafe, it was another twenty-five minutes before Seiya strolled in through the glass door. Wearing the same jeans and t-shirt he was wearing when he stopped by her house the previous night, Usagi noticed that his hair, though now gathered into his usual style, was damp. She wondered if he'd showered at her house - what he'd used, how he smelled, but quickly pushed those thoughts away.

"Rei! It's been awhile," Seiya greeted with a huge smile.

There was a warmth in Rei's violet eyes as she stood up quickly from the table and wrapped her arms around the man in a tight hug.

"It's so good to see you, Seiya," she said happily. She stepped back and then without any warning at all, balled her fist and landed a solid punch to Seiya's right shoulder.

"Ow! Ow, what the hell, Hino?"

"You know what that's for," she said sternly.

Seiya rubbed the spot gingerly as he sat down in a chair across from Rei, his eyebrows furrowed. "Yeah, look, I'm really sorry. It was entirely my idea. She's tougher than you think she is, though."

"I know how tough she is, Seiya. It's just not necessary for her to do stuff like that. I just don't want her to get hurt."

"Rei, I'm okay," Usagi interjected quickly. "Really. Actually, aside from getting punched in the face, it was pretty fun."

Rei looked between the pair and then laughed with disbelief. "It was fun? So, what, are you going to start patrolling the streets now?"

Usagi shook her head quickly. "No, no, I don't think so. I just… it was nice to do something..." She paused, but then curved her peach lips into a soft smile when she found the words, "Helpful. Useful."

She felt lighter after saying that.

"Usagi-chan... Just please don't ever do anything like that every again without letting one of us know, alright?"

She nodded and glanced over at Seiya, meeting his eyes.

"So, tell me everything. How did you get that black eye?" Rei asked.

Seiya and Usagi told the story of their adventure the previous night, taking comfort in the way that Rei listened. Her gasps and laughs lightened the mood, and as they ate their meals of eggs and pancakes, they had fun. When the server left the check and Usagi excused herself to the restroom, Rei turned to Seiya and told him in a lowered voice, "I'm sorry I was so uspet. I shouldn't have hit you."

"I get it, Rei. You're trying to protect your princess. Please, believe me when I say that I understand that completely."

Rei sighed softly, her violet eyes pensive.

"I'm happy to see her open up like that and smile. Really smile. Ever since the battle with Galaxia..." Rei trailed off, fighting with the tears that lumped in her throat. "She's been so off, Seiya. Sometimes I feel like we lost her."

"She's not lost, Rei. She just needs some help getting through it all."

"Look, I need to say this. I'm really grateful that you're here, Seiya. She's coming out of her shell again, and that's great, but you can't put her in danger like that. The others won't stand for you being here if you do. And the time you two spend together... Seiya, people are going to start wondering about your relationship."

"Let them wonder," he said with an eyeroll, pulling cash out of his wallet and setting it on the table. "By people you mean you and your friends, right?"

"It's not like it was before, Seiya. Mamoru is here this time."

"Is he? He left her here so that he could go to America and do his own thing. He's showing me right now what his priorities are. She's more sad and lonely now than she was when he was dead."

Rei's eyes widened, but Seiya's nonchalant demeanor never changed.

"Why would you say something like that? Did Usagi-chan tell you that?"

"No, she didn't. That's coming from me." Seiya gave a frustrated sigh. "This isn't ending on a good note and that's not what I want. I'm not here to chase her or make her love me. I'm not here to break up anyone's relationship either. I'm here because I missed Earth. As for Usagi and I-we're just friends. We get each other and there's nothing complicated about it."

"So, you're not in love with her anymore? That sounds complicated to me."

His body stiffened and his eyes narrowed. "I don't really think that's any of your business."

"I think it is. You contacted her from millions of light years away and then just showed up here. I don't think it's because you missed Earth."

Seiya laughed wryly and stood up from his seat. "The senshi in this galaxy really like to overstep their boundaries, don't they?"

When Usagi came back toward the table, she looked at Seiya with surprise. "You're leaving?" She asked the pop idol.

"Yeah, I have to get to the studio. I'll text you later," he said, and without another word, Kou Seiya left the cafe.

Usagi paused where she stood, confused, and maybe even a little hurt. With furrowed brows she plopped heavily into her seat and looked to Rei.

"What was that about? Did he say anything to you?"

Rei shrugged.

Usagi groaned. "Oh no, Rei, you weren't bugging him about-"

"I just wanted to know how he feels about you, that's all!"

"Rei, that is so embarrassing! We're just friends!"

"I'm just looking out for you," She replied sternly.

Usagi rolled her eyes and leaned back in her chair. "I know, I just wish you would be a little nicer about it. Why'd you have to do that?"

"Look, I'm sorry. I just don't want him to push any feelings on you that you don't want."

"Fine, okay, and if he does I'll be sure to let you know. For now please trust that Seiya is an absolute gentleman and when we're hanging out we're either eating, playing video games, or praying."

Rei shot her a skeptical look.

"Okay, not praying. But you get the idea, right? All innocent, platonic, very reasonable activities."

"You know that we trust you, right? It's him we don't trust."

"I get that, but I trust him and I need that to be enough for you guys." She lowered her voice and whispered angrily, "He saved my life, Rei. If it weren't for him we would all be dead. This planet would have been devoured. Just be nice. He's still the Seiya that you were obsessed with before you found out he liked me."

"I wasn't trying to be mean to him, I just wanted to-"

"Rei. Please."

She sighed. "Okay, fine. You're right, Usagi-chan, I'm sorry. I'll lay off."

"Thank you, Rei-chan."

Rei was quiet for a moment before she asked, "I know you're mad at me, but... are you busy tonight? I was gonna order pizza and watch a movie. It would be a lot more fun if you were there."

"It's family dinner night at my parent's house," Usagi replied. She watched as disappointment clouded Rei's face. With a small smile, she added, "But, if you want, you can come with me."

Violet eyes perked. "Really? Is that okay with your parents?"

"Yeah, of course. It's a family dinner and you're family, so why not?"

Before she knew it, Rei had enveloped Usagi in a warm, tight hug.

"I really love you, Usagi-chan."

Usagi took a deep breath, filling her lungs with the smell of Rei's sweet, floral shampoo. When she let go of that breath, she felt calm, light, and loved.

"I know. You're a pain in the butt, but I love you too."