The True Princess - Two Usagi-chan usagi@tuxedomask.com I don't own Sailormoon or anything pertaining to. E-mail me! ~~~ As the day passed, Haruka and Michiru left because they had a concert rehearsal. Shortly after, Setsuna said she had to go back to the Gates; she had been away too long already. Usagi was left alone with Mamoru in his apartment. "Usagi-chan? Are you okay?" Mamoru asked her as he stood in his bedroom doorway. Usagi was still confined to the bed under direct orders from Haruka. "I guess." She replied, sighing. "What's wrong?" Mamoru asked, coming in to sit on the edge of the bed. "I'm bored!" Usagi exclaimed. "All I'm allowed to do is sit here! I never thought a person could get tired of sleeping!" Mamoru laughed at her perplexed expression. "Do you want to watch some tv?" Mamoru asked her. "Okay." Usagi's expression brightened. She began to climb out of the bed when Mamoru shook his head. "You aren't allowed to walk around." He told her. "You are too weak from that hit." At the mention of what had happened to her, Mamoru's expression darkened. "Then how am I supposed to get to the tv?" Usagi whined. Mamoru reached down and scooped her up. Usagi screamed. "Put me down! Your going to drop me! Put me down right now!" "Usagi-chan! How many times have I rescued you from harm's way like this? You are as light as a feather!" Mamoru exclaimed, hoping to calm her hysterics. Realizing that Mamoru was Tuxedo Kamen, Usagi became quiet and allowed him to carry her into his living room. Mamoru set her on the couch in front of the tv and handed her his remote control. "Thanks." Usagi smiled shyly up at him. Mamoru smiled back before covering her in a blanket and sitting next to her. Usagi flicked on the television and began channel surfing. "Oooh!" She squealed as she came across the Sailor V anime. Usagi immediately became completely engrossed in the show. Mamoru watched her intently. After a while, he spoke. "Aren't you mad about the others letting you get hurt?" His voice was controlled. "Nope. Why would I be?" Usagi asked him, glancing at him. "Sailorvenus' own attack hit you! They should have been paying more attention. Exactly how many times did you get hit?" Mamoru asked. Usagi could tell from his voice that he was extremely upset. "Once or twice." She replied flippantly. "I don't believe you." Mamoru told her. "I saw you get hit saving Mercury and Venus. Who else did you risk your neck to save?" "Okay, so I got hit three times." Usagi replied. "It's not a big deal. Besides, they are my friends!" "Friends don't let other friends get hurt." Mamoru told her. "Exactly. That's why I had to save them." Usagi replied triumphantly. "That's not what I meant." Mamoru told her, but she had already turned her attention back to his tv. Mamoru sighed and stood up. He went out onto his balcony to think. 'She isn't the least bit upset or angry with them. She completely forgave them. How does she manage it?' Even as he asked himself, the little voice answered it. 'Because she loves unconditionally.' Mamoru shook his head, trying to ignore the voice. It was right, of course. 'Why do I even care? It's just Odango Atama.' He told himself. 'You care because you care about her.' 'No! I don't! I only want to protect her because she is Sailormoon and has a greater destiny to fulfill.' Mamoru replied defiantly. 'Oh? So her gorgeous blond hair, and deep blue eyes aren't what makes your heart beat faster everytime you see her?' The little voice asked. 'Fine, so she's pretty. Big deal. It's not like she could ever love anyone like me, anyway.' 'Oh? Her heart loves unconditionally.' Mamoru felt a gentle hand on his back and whirled around. Usagi was standing on the balcony, dressed in one of his t-shirts. "Are you okay, Mamoru-san?" She asked him. "You should be resting." He told her. "I was worried about you." She told him. "I'm fine." He said with a small smile. "Now go back in and rest." "Are you sure?" She asked him, uncertain. 'No! Don't leave!' The little voice shouted. "No!" Mamoru repeated without thinking. "You aren't sure?" Usagi asked. Without waiting for a reply, she leaned against the balcony next to him. "The city is so beautiful at dusk." Usagi commented. Her eyes were trailing along the horizon, that was standed with pinks and oranges. "Yes." Mamoru replied. "I think I like it best when the stars are out and the moonlight shining though." Usagi told him, looking up at the sky where a few stars could be seen peeking out at the world below. "It's so peaceful. Even the streets of Tokyo calm down and are empty of people." Usagi turned her head to look at Mamoru, who had been studying her as she spoke. "What are you doing out here?" She asked him. "Thinking." He replied, turning his attention to the rapidly fading horizon. "About?" 'You.' Mamoru wanted to say. 'How much I love you.' He couldn't bring himself to admit it to the delicate blond, so instead he lied to her. "Nothing, really." He told her. "I don't believe you." Usagi told him gently. Mamoru smiled wryly. "And what do you think I was thinking about?" He asked her. "Me." She told him, surprising him. "I think you were thinking about me, and what happened. I think you want to know how I am able to forgive the senshi for letting me get hurt." Usagi only had to look into his eyes to know she was right, but instead, she waited for him to tell her. "How did you know?" His voice was astounded. Usagi laughed softly. "Sometimes, I myself wonder why I forgive Rei-chan for making fun of me all the time, and telling me I'm a bad leader. I wonder why I always go back to the temple for meetings knowing that she is going to yell at me and say that she would make a better leader. Then I remember all the fun stuff that we do, and how she is there for me. I think about how much I love her as a friend, and all the hurt and anger seem so trivial." Usagi told him. The night sky was increasingly darker and Usagi shivered from the cooling night air. "Your cold." Mamoru observed. "No." Usagi lied. She didn't want to go inside and break the atmosphere they had created between them. She looked up, startled, when Mamoru wrapped his arms around her to keep her warm. "You feel cold." He whispered in her ear. Usagi felt nervous now that she was this close to Mamoru. If it had just been Tuxedo Kamen, she wouldn't have worried. It wouldn't have seemed real. Now, watching the night sky in the arms of Chiba Mamoru, the cold, sophisticated college student, Usagi was petrified. She stood as still as possible. Mamoru noticed her tense posture. "What's wrong?" He asked her. "N..nothing." Usagi stuttered. Mamoru turned her around in his arms and held her at arms length. "Tell me, Usagi. What's wrong?" He asked her, looking her straight in the eye. Usagi opened her mouth to answer, but was stopped by someone knocking on the apartment door. Usagi pulled away and turned. "You had better get that." She said. Mamoru sighed and went inside to answer his front door. "Hi Mamoru-san!" Motoki greeted. "I'm here for our study session!" Mamoru almost cursed. He had forgotten about the promised study session and hadn't thought to call Motoki to cancel it. "What's wrong?" Motoki asked, noticing the look on his friend's face. "Did you forget? Do you want me to come back later?" "Uhh... No, that's okay. Come on in." Mamoru opened hi door wider and let Motoki in just as the balcony door slid shut. "Oh. You have other company." Motoki says, noticing that Usagi was wearing Mamoru's shirt. "Hi Motoki-san." Usagi greets him with a smile. "Hi, Usagi-chan." Motoki says carefully. "Maybe I *should* come back another time..." "Oh no! That's okay." Usagi insists. "You two can study or whatever. I'm sure I can amuse myself." "Usagi-chan, why don't you go rest?" Mamoru suggests softly. "All right." Usagi agrees and heads towards Mamoru's bedroom. Motoki sets his books down on the dining room table and nervously sat down. Mamoru was anxious to get through the study session so he could find out why Usagi had tensed up. "So, we need to go over that physics stuff..." Motoki began before noticing Mamoru's far off gaze. "Or, we can talk about a certain Odango-haired girl." At the word Odango, Mamoru's head whipped towards Motoki. "You like her, don't you?" Motoki asked quietly. "Don't be silly! She's a child." Mamoru snapped. "Is she? I never noticed." Motoki said before turning his attention back to the work. "Have you done the reading yet?" Furious at himself for letting Motoki figure it out, Mamoru stood up and went into the kitchen. He took a glass from the cupboard and slammed it shut. He pulled a jug of water from the fridge, poured some and slammed the fridge shut too. Motoki watched his friend, amused. Mamoru went into his bedroom with the glass and shut the door softly behind him. "Usagi-chan? Are you still awake?" Mamoru asked. Usagi was lying on his bed with her eyes shut. She made no move when he spoke, so Mamoru set the glass on the night table by his bed. He gently caressed her cheek before leaving her to sleep in peace. ~~~ E-mail me!