Ocean Waves - Sailor Moon fanfic (Part 1)
TITLE: Where the Ocean Waves Touch the Earth
SUMMARY: Alternate storyline taking place during the events of Sailor Moon S, in the classic 90's anime. Mamoru breaks up with Usagi because of her bad grades. Shortly afterwards, he meets Michiru Kaioh, a beautiful but lonely violinist, and they develop feelings for each other while the Witches 5 cause havoc across Tokyo. When Haruka Tenoh attempts to awaken the senshi of the planet Neptune, Mamoru is forced to make a choice between his pre-determined past and the possibility of a future without Sailor Moon and the other guardians.
Part 1.
Mamoru wiped the glass doors until they gleamed, dropping the rag to his side as the sky darkened between neighboring buildings. Usagi would be here within a few minutes and he still had more work to be done. He shifted his weight before turning around and moving towards his living room table, bending down to move some of the clutter of his textbooks and loose papers out of the way.
Lifting one of the loose papers, he suddenly froze at the large, emblazoned number circled at the very top, Usagi's chicken scratch covering the entire page.
The bright red "25", one of her lowest scores yet, crowded everything else out of his vision until he forgot what he was doing.
"Oh, Mamo, I wish I didn't have to go to Rei's tomorrow! It's Saturday afternoon; why should I have to study when you could take me out to that new bakery downtown? I'll study later, I promise!"
The remark was one of dozens of nearly identical sentiments the past few months. She and the girls had studied loads, that was true, but after all of that effort, and she still wasn't improving...
He sighed, screwed his eyes shut, and then roughly crumpled the graded test and tossed it over his couch where it landed with a discouraging thump.
He remembered the night he found it on the floor of his gonsen (???). It must have slipped out when she had hastily grabbed her things, already thisclose to missing her curfew on a Tuesday night.
Damn it.
The sudden, insistent sound of his doorbell ripped him from his thoughts. Leave it to Usagi to be early to visit him but late for nearly everything else.
"Coming!" He called out, hastily piling his books and notes together before placing them on an out of the way shelf. He picked up the cleaning rag and cleaner and tucked them inside the bathroom. The very last thing left was the crumpled ball of broken promises.
He bent down to pick it up, shoving it underneath a couch cushion at the sound of a key turning in the lock. He straightened back up just as she bounded into his living room, barreling into his chest with little fanfare.
"MAMO!" He swallowed hard as the force of her knocked him sideways. "It's been almost a week! I've missed you so much!"
"Usako." He rested his hand against one of her buns, the fruity scent of her perfume encircling them both. "I know you've been busy studying with the others. I'm glad you've made time to see me."
The gesture was instant. She stiffened for the briefest of moments before pulling away the tiniest bit. "Studying?" He looked down at her, giving her an encouraging smile, but she only laughed. "No; I would have visited you even if I had to study! Studying's not that important, not more important than you! No, I've been playing the new Sailor V game down at the archade.
"Now come on! Let's go get some dinner!" She grabbed his arm and pulled, already one foot in the entrance hall.
25, he thought, even as he refused to budge and she, still laughing and oblivious, skipped towards the front door. "Grab your coat, Tuxedo Kamen-sama! Let's go to dinner!"
"Usako, wait." She paused halfway through putting on her shoes.
"Hmmmm? What is it, Mamo?"
25, he thought again, the red mark a stain at the top of the paper. Blood rushed staight to his ears, and the mixture of her fruity perfume and the harsh cleaner made his stomach churn.
He stayed where he was, watching her, knowing that this wasn't the time or the place. Shogenai. It can't be helped.
He took a deep breath, grateful that she already had her things and would only have to return his key before stepping out into the hall. This didn't have to be dragged out into a long affair. He only needed to give voice to a simple, firm sentence; so short, he knew it wouldn't need much thought.
After all, the thought had been in the back of his mind, long before he found her poorly graded quiz on his apartment floor.
"Usako, we need to talk."