The sound of Mamoru's gently snoring rang in her ears and she looked
over at him. He was asleep on her couch, his glasses halfway on his
face. The light of the fire highlighted just how handsome he was, and
she was so glad that he hadn't given up on her.
She stood from the chair and took his glasses off. He stirred
a little, but remained asleep. She traced along his jaw line with her
finger, the little unshaven hairs brushing against it. He smiled and
opened his eyes. She smiled down at him and kissed him.
"How you feeling?"
"I'm better."
They'd returned from their book signing which had run later
than expected and he'd almost collapsed when they'd entered her home.
It took a lot of strength to get him to the couch, but in the end, she
succeeded. The worst of it was, they had a party to go to in a half an
hour. Neither really wanted to go, but now that they were officially a
*thing*, they had to. It was one of those things they throw in
celebration of good sales for their books. So as she said, it was for
them, therefor, they had to go.
"That's good. We better start getting ready," she prompted him
as she stood and walked down towards the stairs.
"Your stuff is in the guestroom. I'll be done in a few," she
shouted from the top of the stairs. Hearing him answer with something
between a groan and a snort, she went in her room and shut the door.
They'd been going for six weeks now and Usagi still couldn't define
what she felt for him.
Love had been an odd thing for her. She wrote about it, and
told everyone else what it was, while she'd never felt it. Is made her
feel like such a hypocrite.
Brushing away those thoughts, she focused on her outfit, and
tonight's occasion. She was wearing a dress he'd bought for her, along
with a few accessories. The color was a beautiful pale yellow. The
cut was straightline, and the bottom billowed around her. Her hair was
shoulder-length now. She'd decided to cut it with the sales of her new
book. She pulled it into a bun and let a few curls sweep about her
face. Smiling at the finished product, she applied some lipgloss, and
headed downstairs.
"Mamoru, are you done yet?" she shouted out. She got no reply.
Walking into the living room, she saw the lights were out. She looked
around herself and began to chew on her bottom lip.
"AHHHHHHH!!"
A pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist and she kicked
in wild, erratic motions until he kissed her shoulder.
"Mamoru?" she questioned.
"You were expecting someone else?"
Usagi turned to see him dressed and ready except for his hair
now being messy from holding her. She ran her fingers through it,
and gave it a more presentable look.
"Ready to go?"
"As ready as I'll ever be."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
People both familiar and unfamiliar were in the ballroom
provided by the publishing company for their use. The local Crown
Arcade was doing the catering, and a very good job of it from what she
could see. It was then that she saw him. He was wearing a tuxedo and
helping a young woman arrange a few pieces of fruit.
"Usagi?"
She turned around to see Naru waving to her from a few feet
away. Usagi waved back and walked over to her friend.
"Hi, Naru. Long time no see, huh?" she asked as she pulled the
girl into a tight embrace.
"Yeah. So how are things with you and Mamoru?"
Usagi's smile falters a bit, but she keeps it on her face. This
was not what she wanted to talk about at the moment.
"We're doing wonderful," she said. Inside, she was praying that
Naru wouldn't see through her lie. She didn't.
"That's good. Oh hey, that's one cute guy. I'll talk to you
later," she said and walked by. She giggled at her friends display of
a love-struck teenager and jumped when she heard a whisper in her ear.
"Surprise."
Usagi spun around and was met face to face with Motoki.
"Oh, uh, hi Motoki. How are you doing?" she asked in fake
enthusiam. He looked at her for a moment before he answered.
"Fine. You?"
"Wonderful, wonderful. And *Mamoru* is doing just fine." She
stressed the word Mamoru as much as she could in the hopes of him
leaving her alone after that.
"That's good. I mean, at least he isn't dead or anything," he
laughed. Usagi gave a nervous giggle and looked around the room for
Mamoru. She found him talking to someone she didn't know. To her
dismay, he was deep into the conversation and looked as though he'd be
there for quite awhile.
"Usagi, you okay?" he asked, placing a shoulder on her arm. She
looked at it and pulled away.
"Don't touch me," she warned.
He smirked at her and grabbed her wrist in a strong grip so she
couldn't get away.
"And who's gonna stop me?"
"Usagi? Usagi is that you?"
Aino Minako walked up to her old friend and smiled. Putting an
arm around her shoulder, she turned to face the man.
"You don't mind if I steal her away for a moment, do you?" She
gave Motoki a hard look and had her lips set in a tight line. He
released her hand and began to walk off.
"Of course not. I'll talk to you later, Usagi."
Usagi didn't answer, but turned towards her friend.
"Thank you so much, Minako. That guy is a creep." The words
sounded odd in her mind, seeing as she'd dated the guy for at least a
year. No use focusing on mistakes.
"Don't worry about it. You didn't look so comfortable. Anyway,
how are you? I read about your new man in the newpapers. Girl, you
haven't lost your taste," she commented and raised a glass in toast.
Usagi only smiled in return and took a glass of her own. Their glasses
clinked together, spilling a small amount over the sides. Winking,
Minako downed the drink in one sip.
"Things are going good. The books sales are good. Of course,
I think that's pretty obvious," she said, gesturing around the room and
reminding her of the reason for the party.
"How are things with you," Usagi asked.
"Hm? Oh, well Eric is great. And little Edward is growing so
big, nowadays. It's hard to believe."
Minako had been her best friend in college, but they sort of
drifted apart afterwards. They each had their own goals to achieve and
they both had a man to achieve the goal with. Usagi, at the time, was
dating the editor of the local newspaper, Natowa Mashugi. He'd helped
her develop her skills and they'd stayed together for a good six
months, until she found him sleeping with her sister, whom he married
after only three weeks.
And then there was Eric. She and Eric had a past together and
oh, what a past it was. He was the first person she'd ever loved and
is still the only one. The bond they'd shared was amazing and she can't
to this day describe the way she'd felt. Now that she thought about it,
it was very similiar to the way she feels with Mamoru. Only with Eric,
she'd always had an inkling of doubt of his faithfullness in the back
of her mind. It wasn't that way with Mamoru. Then, Eric had broken her
heart and went with Minako. Usagi had never felt jealousy towards her
friend, but a little pang hit her every now and then.
"Do you have a picture?" Usagi asked.
"Right here." Minako lifted a wallet out of her silver purse
and handed it over to Usagi with one of the clear, plastic sheets
held out. The picture showed him in a pair of red corduroy's, laying on
a white chair. His father's brown hair and mother's blue eyes were
quite obvious.
"He's a spitting image of you both," she replied as she handed
the wallet back.
"Thank you."
They stood there for a few minutes while Usagi finsished her
drink. She never drank more than a glass and planned on keeping it that
way. Finishing of the last swallow, she placed it on a nearby table and
turned to Minako.
"Would you like to meet him?"
"Who?"
"Mamoru."
"Oh yes. I'd love to," she said in excitement. 'A little too
much excitement if you ask me,' Usagi thought to herself. She led the
girl through various groups of people until Mamoru came into view. She
decided not to give him a warning and threw her arms around his neck,
giving him a deep kiss that surprised everyone around them. Usagi had
been known for her lack of show of affection.
"Hey Mamoru. This is my friend, Minako," she said.
"Wha, what?" he asked her, still dazed from the kiss.
"My friend. Minako."
"Oh, sure." He turned to face the blond and smiled.
"Nice to meet you."
She shook his extended hand and got that look in her eyes.
Usagi knew that look and she didn't like the fact that she was giving
it to Mamoru. *Her* Mamoru. Deciding she hadn't made that point clear
enough, she slid an both arms around his waist and hugged him. She
kissed him again when he looked down at her, this time only a peck.
"Mamoru," she began to whisper in his ear. "What do you say we
leave and have a regular dinner at my place."
He pulled away from her with a shocked expression on his face.
"We can't do that. This is our party. We're expected to say."
Usagi tilted her head to the side at him, her lower lip set in
a pout. He smiled at her and held her head in his hands.
"We'll do that another night okay? I promise." She figured
there was no use arguing with this man. She could wait, no hurry. She
just needed to find another person to talk to.
"If that's how you feel. I think I'll go talk to Ms. Mizuno.
I'll see you at the table," she told him as she began to walk away.
"Are you coming, Minako," she asked over her shoulder.
Saying a polite 'nice to meet you,' Minako turned to follow her
friend.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Mizuno Ami stood towards the middle of the room surrounded by
men and women who accompanied her in the field of medicine. Her blue
hair was pulled back by a few barretes and her eyes were covered by a
pair of thin-rimmed black glasses that she used only for long-distance.
She saw Usagi approaching, followed on heels by a long, blond
haired woman in a hideous green dress. It least, it looked hidious to
her.
"Usagi, darling. You look wonderful. I love what you've done
to you hair. I always thought you'd look best with short hair."
"Why thank you, Ami-chan."
Ami smiled at the young woman before her. Well, if you could
call 28 young. It was younger than Ami herself, being 30.
"Have you met my friend, Minako?"
"I don't believe I have. Hello."
"It's amazing meeting you Ms. Mizuno. I found you book on
child birth very interesting."
"I'm sure you did."
Where Usagi got these friends, she feared, she'd never know.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The dinner was served at nine on the dot. The efficiency of
this place bothered her a bit. Sure she was organized but not exactly
on time. She hunched her shoulders a bit, wiping out the thought.
Mamoru walked up beside her and they walked together in silence
to the dining hall. The flow of people had been large until they walked
in. Everyone separated, allowing the couple to walk past them to their
seat at the head table. The attention made Usagi nervous, but Mamoru's
presence soothed her a bit.
Her periphiel vision caught the shapes of Minako and Eric in
the corner. He was whispering something in her ear, but his eyes were
on Usagi herself. His gaze was unnerving and she clung to Mamoru's arm.
He smiled to himself as she allowed him to put an arm around her waist.
This new change in her was a good sign, and he knew it would only be a
matter of time before she admitted that she loved him.
"Hello Mr. Chiba, Ms. Tsukino. Your seats are right over
there," the waitress said indicating the table at the head of the room.
Each table was covered in a deep marron cloth with ends hanging
of in a very proffessional way. Roses contained in black vases were in
the center of each and the small, five man orchestra in the corner
began to play.
Mamoru pulled her chair out for her and took his own. The air
was a little cool, making Usagi wish she'd brought her shawl along with
her. It's what she gets for spending two hours staring at Mamoru's
sleeping form. They held hands under the table as their meals were
brought out. The guests orders had been taken before hand to prevent
any time being wasted.
Ami, who was seated on her right, was in a conversation with
the man next to her. Mamoru was speaking to his partner, leaving Usagi
to stare around the room for familiar faces. She saw a few people that
worked in the same building and the president who had been at their
conference. She blushed at that memory. It was when Mamoru had coaxed
her into admitting her feelings. She'd been daring then.
Then, her eyes locked. Eric was staring at her, his gaze
boaring deep into hers. She wanted to look away, but couldn't. To her
relief, her body wasn't frozen. Her hand tapped Mamoru's leg and she
didn't stop until she heard his questioning voice.
"Usagi? Are you okay," he asked her and grabbed her hand that
hadn't decissted in poking him. Her head shook a little and her eyes
blinked before she looked to him.
"Hm?"
"Your the one who was getting my attention, remember," he said
waving her finger in her face.
"Oh, right. I just wanted to..." she drifted off, trying to
think of a plausible excuse. Not finding one, she resorted to a tried
and true reaction. She kissed him. He tried to pull away, but she only
deepened it, coaxing his mouth to open. Her eyes were open as she
watched his reaction. After about a minute, Usagi pulled away and gave
him a small smile. Then she returned her attention to the food in front
of her.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The rest of the meal was quiet uneventful, most of it being
spent in polite conversation with Ami and toasts from different guests.
They were all of congradulations but just like at the book signing,
most were of their new relationship. She'd made the decision on her own
for them to reply to these comments with a light kiss, sending a roar
of approval from the crowd.
Their plates were taken away and some music was played in the
room they'd earlier vacated. Mamoru pulled her towards the middle of
the room and led her in a waltz. People followed suit and soon almost
everyone was on the floor. The two lovers were amused to see an older
friend of Usagi's, who was about eighty-six years old, was dancing with
another woman who made the song more of a jitterbug than a waltz.
"'Make's you feel old, doesn't it? Dancing as formal as this
is.' It's something an boyfriend told me once. He never really liked
this kind of thing. I was of course on the ballroom dancing team."
He nodded and pulled her closer, resting his cheek to hers. She
felt his breath on her neck and the hairs on the back of her neck stood
on end. She enjoyed the feeling and fiddled with his hair.
"Do I make you feel old?"
"What?! No. I didn't mean it that way-"
"I'm kidding. Your so much fun to tease."
"You baka. I should make you sleep at your own house tonight,"
she threatened.
"You'd make me do that anyway," he responded, his voice as
resonable as ever.
"Now what makes you so sure of that," she whispered in a sultry
voice into his ear. She felt him shiver and planted a kiss right on his
neck before pulling away and heading towards the champagne glasses. So
what if she'd already had her glass? Mamoru was driving her home
anyway. No one's lives would be in danger at her fault.
Turning, she saw him dancing with Naru, her giggling like the
school girl she'd been acting as all night. A smile spread across her
lips as she took a sip. It was a little rich, but she'd manage.
Eric was dancing with Minako, his face all joy as she said
something. A little pang his her heart at this, but she was reminded
that he was married. Why did she care anyway? She loved Mamoru, not
Eric. With most people, this would've been denial, but in her mind, it
was the truth. Eric was of her past, someone she'd loved. Now, Mamoru
was that man and she was going to make sure he knew that right now.
She slammed the glass on the table and walked over to him, head
high, confidence in every step. This was the moment and with every
second, he came closer. She caught his gaze and he separated from Naru.
Not wasting time, she threw herself into his arms and brought
him down to kiss her. Forgetting to wait, she thrust her tongue into
his mouth with force, need in every motion. His arms tightened around
her waist as she held onto him with all the strength she could muster.
The sweetness and passion in the moment were combined in such a way,
she was surprised to feel a few tears coming down her cheeks. One
brushed by Mamoru's cheek and he pulled away, gasping, looking at her
with concern. Before he could ask her anything, she put her thumbs on
his lips and looked him straight in the eyes.
"Mamoru, I love you."
He didn't move for a minute. No blinking, no swallowing,
nothing. His eyes just gazed into hers, a blank stare in them. The next
thing she knew, he was circling her around in the air, his arms
fastened around her waist. She laughed and flung her arms into the air.
He brought her down and kissed away the few tears before cupping her
face in his hands.
"I love you too, Usako."