Sailor Moon Snippets Five

"Our first kiss..."

"The moon is very beautiful tonight."

"Mamo-chan!" Usagi glared at Mamoru and he looked away, at the moon. Usagi also looked at it, and a tear started down the side of her face. She heard Mamoru sigh, and a finger gently wiped it away. Out of the corner of her vision, she saw him settle back against the balcony.

"We were looking at constellations."

Usagi’s head jerked up. What? No we weren’t! We were in the park...

"The moon has no such thing as night -- the Moon Kingdom always faces the Earth. You’d rarely seen the stars, and nobody had ever told you about constellations before. So we went to the opposite side of the moon to look at stars."

He’s not talking about me! He’s talking about Serenity! Usagi’s body was still and quiet.

"We picked a point close to one of the observation domes, but not too close. Found a good nook and settled down. The sky was so bright and clear. I could see more stars then I ever could on Earth. It took me awhile to pick out the constellations, there were so many stars..."

In spite of herself, Usagi started to see those stars in her mind. She felt the chill of the dark side of the moon whisper through her memory -- and that of a warm body next to her.

"You loved it. After I’d shown you the Swan and the Archer, the Big Dipper and Ursa Major, you started to make up your own. There was the Cat in the Moon Tower. Sailor Venus’ hair spun out in the Milky Way. You saw a rose... I wasn’t watching the stars anymore. I was watching you. Your eyes sparkled, and your mouth turned up at the corners just so... I had known for awhile that I loved you. And I knew that it was hopeless. There was no way that someone as wonderful and beautiful -- gentle, sweet, full of life and energy -- there was no way that you could love me, a rustic third son of the Earth. You noticed how quiet I was and turned your head. You saw my eyes. I hadn’t had time to wipe the emotions from my face and was ashamed that you could see me so clearly."

Usagi remembered the look on his face. It was much like the one he was wearing now. Her heart turned over.

"I thought that this would be it. That you wouldn’t want me near you anymore because you could never trust our friendship anymore. I started to turn away." Mamoru smiled, "And then you leaned over and kissed me."

Usagi felt the memory turn over in her mind, in junction with her heart. She hadn’t realized until that moment that Endymion had loved her. And yet, in that instant, it felt right. All the years of friendship, had come together into this beautiful, pure love that she knew she could not turn away. That if she reached out to accept it, it would be hers forever. The tears rolled down her cheeks, but neither she nor Mamoru noticed, wrapped together in the memory.

"You loved me. I couldn’t believe it. Sometimes I still don’t." He turned to her with a smile, then saw her tears. He froze in consternation. "Usako..."

She ran past him, tears falling on the floor. He heard the exclamations of their friends in the other room, and then the sound of the front door closing. Usako. He closed his eyes and leaned his head on the balcony.

"Mamoru -- what did you do to her?" Andrew was at the door to the balcony, Rei right behind him.

"Old memories."

Rei caught her breath, but Andrew laughed, "Mamoru, did you call her ondongo head again? You know she hates that."

As good an explanation as any. "But it fits her so perfectly!" Mamoru brushed by Andrew and Rei and went into the living room where the other four girls were sitting in silence, watching him warily. He rolled his eyes and explained again, "Old memories." Again, his three fellow Senshi understood in general, while Andrew’s sister frowned at him. "You know she hates that name."

It was a nickname! For pity’s sake. I wasn’t that mean to her!! Usually.

"I guess it’s time we left anyhow -- getting late." Mako looked at her watch, then hugged Andrew’s sister, "Thanks for all the cookies!"

"You’re welcome! Come again!!" The brother and sister waved good-bye to them and the small team left without showing how worried they were.

When they’d gotten out to the sidewalk, Ami broke the silence, "Should we go after her?"

Mamoru sighed to himself, careful to keep it off his face. "Not right now. I’ll track her down after she’s had some time."

"What happened, anyways?"

"We were talking..." Mamoru shrugged, "I started talking about a time long ago. Usako got upset."

Mako let out a squeak.

"What?"

"You weren’t holding that a moment ago!"

"Holding what?" There was nothing in Mamoru’s hands.

Ami laughed. The others looked at her. "Oh, Mako! You get used to it. He does that all the time."

Mamoru’s face flushed red, "I do not."

"Do too." Ami turned and walked back a few feet. She knelt down and picked up some things. When she got back to them, they could see that she held a collection of white clovers and pink rose petals. "Especially when you’re thinking of Usagi!"

"Oh! That’s why there’s always such odd sweepings after you visit the temple!" Rei grinned, "I particularly wondered the day I swept up a bunch of Lilies -- totally out of season."

The four girls laughed, while Mamoru turned a deeper red. He waved his hand and the petals in Ami’s hand disappeared. The laughter stopped abruptly. They looked between each other, then mutually decided it wasn’t worth being concerned over, and the laughter started up again. Mamoru gritted his teeth, then finally relaxed and laughed too.

"I’m going to go find Usako now. Don’t worry about her -- it’ll be okay."

"How’re you going to find her?"

Mamoru grinned, and they could see Tuxedo Mask in him, "I’ll find her."

After he left, they kept walking. Miniko sighed, "I bet they were talking about their first kiss."

"You would think of that."

"Well, it’s what we were all thinking of."

"When was their first kiss?"

"Which one?"

"Which one?"

"Which lifetime?"

"Oh. That’s why Usagi was crying."

They were all silent for a moment.

"Tuxedo Mask kissed Usagi at the ball."

"What?"

"When?"

"The one where the Princess was revealing her statue. That Usagi got into with the disguise pen. When she accidentally drunk the punch with the alcohol in it."

"I don’t remember that! Ami, how do you know?"

Ami blushed scarlet.

"Ami!"

Tuxedo Mask flew though the air. He could have just phased to where Usagi was, but he didn’t want to startle her that badly. Besides, he liked flying.

He drew near the rooftop, and noticed that she was watching him. But she didn’t move, or say anything. Did I leave her alone for too little a time or too much? Tuxedo Mask and Mamoru sighed as one. He loved her with all his heart, but sometimes the relationship was a bit hard to figure out.

Usagi watched Tuxedo Mask as he flew towards her. A smile played around her mouth. I knew he’d come. And I rather thought he’d use that form. My hero. Oh, Mamo-chan, I love you so. The caped figure settled down beside her. She didn’t turn her head, though she could feel his uncertainty.

"The first time Tuxedo Mask kissed Usagi, was at the Princess’ Ball. The first time Sailor Moon kissed Mamoru was by the Doom Tree." He changed back to Mamoru. "The first time Mamoru kissed Usagi was in the park..."

Usagi smiled happily. She would have forgiven him anyway, but, "You do remember!"

"Of course."

"Mamo-chan."

"Usako."