Konnichi wa! This is just a short love story about Usagi and Mamoru I decided to write. They're my favorite characters, and I write a lot of fanfiction about them, love stories and others. I used the Japanese names for this, and I included some Japanese vocabulary. If any Japanese is translated or used incorrectly, you can e-mail me to tell me. Here's a translation guide: Sensei - teacher Ne - like "ey" in Canada Nani? - What? Gomen or Gomen Nasai - sorry Konnichi wa - good afternoon Hai - yes Daijobu - "I'm fine;" or, if used as a question, it means "Are you O.K.?" Baka - stupid Shoujo - girl, girlish, or girl-related Arigato - thank you Minna - everyone Thank you for reading this, as this is either the first or one of the first fanfics I'm posting up. I have many more plans for stories, some love stories and some not (I even am currently planning the first part of a story I'm writing with my friend Amethist entitled "The Wacky Adventures of Psycho Setsuna" - needless to say, it's not intended to be a serious piece of dramatic literature, but something you read when you're in the mood for some crazy humor). Sailor Moon and all of its characters are copyrighted by Naoko Takeuchi/Kodansha Ltd./Toei Animation Co., Ltd, and the English adaptation is copyright 1995 DIC productions, LP, and they are protected. They are NOT mine, but this story is copyright Lianne Sentar, July 1997, so please don't take it or I will be deeply disappointed and maybe have to send some guys to "take care of you." My e-mail address is Kcsw1234@aol.com, but since it's really Amethist's address because my address is not stable, please just mention that whatever feedback you're sending me is for Lianne somewhere in the letter. Arigato, minna-chan! -Lianne P.S. - I like the Japanese version of Sailor Moon the best, but I also LOVE the dub. That's right. You heard me. I LOVE THE DUB! AND DOWN WITH DUB-BASHING (and that includes you, Amethist)! Sure, lots was cut out, but it was supposed to be a kids' show so DIC *HAD* to. And besides, there would be many less Sailor Moon fans if not for the dub. Long live the dub! *Rose in the Moonlight* Naru looked over curiously at Usagi. The blond girl was drawing something while smiling and humming a song contentedly over at her desk. Naru set down her English homework. It was study hall, so she figured she could take a break to see what her friend was up to. After all, her homework wasn't due until the next day. She put down her pencil and walked behind Usagi. Usagi didn't notice her come up. Naru looked to see a picture of an adorable bunny sketched lovingly on the paper. Her eyebrows rose. It was really quite good; Usagi was getting very good at her cartooning. "Usagi-chan," Naru asked. "Whatcha doin'?" "Oh, hey, Naru-chan," she answered, turning her head back slightly to greet her friend, then looking back down at her paper. "I'm drawing a picture for Mamo-chan." "Who? Oh, your boyfriend, ne?" Naru had seen the tall college student with Usagi a few times before. Inwardly, she smiled. Usagi was one of the few people who could give a grown man a picture of a bunny and he would actually like it, as long as it was from her. It was just the way Usagi was - she was adorable. And that was one of the reasons so many guys had had secret crushes on her before Usagi giggled and sighed dreamily. "Not just my boyfriend, Naru-chan. My love." Naru turned around and leaned back on the desk. "You're really gone on him, huh?" Usagi rested her chin in her hands and stared off into nothingness with stars in her eyes. "Oh, Naru-chan. You have no idea." Naru shrugged. "Whatever. Just don't get into anything over your head. He is like, what - 9 years older than you?" Usagi gave her an annoyed look. "6 years. And don't be so sarcastic, Naru-chan." "I remember when you couldn't stand the guy. What made you have such a change of heart?" Usagi sighed happily again and stared, unseeing. "Things change, Naru-chan. I guess it just took me a while to realize the wonderful treasure I was looking for for so long was right in front of me all along. I'm just glad I realized it when I did." "Hm." Naru looked at the picture again. Then a thought struck her. She looked at Usagi, an eyebrow raised. "Uh, Usagi-chan? Didn't you have some homework you had to do now?" Usagi closed her eyes and smiled dreamily. "Oh, Naru-chan, what does homework matter when you're in love?" "Well, in the long run, I guess being in love is more important than homework," Naru said. "Just tell that to Haruna-sensei in math class today." * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Usagi giggled as she walked down the street, fondling something delicately in her hands and looking at it lovingly. She didn't notice her friends Makoto and Ami standing near the sidewalk until she had passed them. Makoto looked up at her as she walked by. "Usagi-chan?" The blond didn't seem to hear her. "Usagi?" She kept walking, oblivious. Makoto put her hands on her hips and raised her voice. "Hey! Baka-Usagi! Anybody there?" "Nani?" Usagi looked up from her hidden prize and turned around. "Oh, konnichi wa, Mako-chan, Ami-chan." Makoto gave a mock look of anger. "You walked right by us!" "I did? Oh, gomen." Ami cocked her head to one side as she hugged her schoolbooks to her chest. "Something on your mind today, Usagi-chan? You seemed preoccupied just now." Usagi smiled. "Well, I *am* in a good mood today." "For any particular reason?" Makoto asked. Usagi smiled and blushed. "Well, kinda." Ami's eyes wandered to Usagi's mothering hold on the concealed item. She motioned to it curiously. "What's that, Usagi-chan?" Usagi looked at it and blushed again. Smiling happily she held it out. As soon as the two other girls saw it, they immideately understood why she was in such a good mood. It was a beautiful red rose, fully in bloom. Ami smiled. "Oh. I see." Usagi giggled. Makoto put one hand on her hip. "You've been to see Mamoru today, ne?" Usagi nodded happily. "Hai." She giggled again as she took the flower into a protective hold once more, smiling at it fondly. Ami smiled. "My, Usagi-chan. You certainly seem to be content with your relationship with Mamoru-san." "Mmmmmm..." Usagi seemed to be lost in dreams as she stared at the rose. "It's not...something I can put into words, Ami-chan," she said softly after a time. "I just can't...describe...love, I guess." She was silent a moment, then let out a deep breath, smiling. "Well guys, I gotta go. See you later?" "Bye," Makoto called as Usagi walked away, starting up her daydreams again. Makoto turned to Ami. "Wow. Those two are REALLY in love, huh?" Ami nodded. "Yes. And when the time comes, they can get married, and truly belong to each other." "And live happily ever after." Makoto sighed longingly. "A perfect fairy tale. Do you think WE might have a chance at fairy tales of our own if we find our own guys?" Ami laughed. "Yes. But we might need a while to find just the right ones. We'll need to start looking early, say, now?" she said jokingly. "I think you're right," Makoto replied. She suddenly looked up as a good-looking boy walked past them. She smiled, grabbed Ami's hand, and started walking in the same direction as the boy "Mako-chan, what are you doing?" Ami asked as she was half-dragged along. "Trying to find a start to *my* fairy tale," she said with a grin. "Once upon a time..." * * * * * * * * * * * * Usagi sat by the lake on a grassy hillside, looking up at the moon. It was dark outside, and the stars glittered like diamonds in the heavens. The moon shone bright and full, a beautiful pearly white that left a shining reflection of glittering white on the gently moving lake. The blouse of her school uniform ruffled as a slight breeze blew. She sighed and looked down at the rose cradled in her hands. She smiled, stroking it gently. The gift from her love was a deep, soft red, and the petals glowed in the moonlight. She closed her eyes and put her face up towards the moon again, practically feeling its rays upon her body. She lost herself in the beautiful moment of tranquility. Suddenly, a soft voice whispering into her ear interrupted her thoughts: "What's a beautiful girl like you doing out all alone on a night like tonight?" the voice drawled. Usagi's eyes shot open happily, and she spun her head around to see Mamoru crouched beside her. "Mamo-chan!" she exclaimed happily, a smile lighting up her face. "I didn't expect to see you here." He shrugged easily and sat down beside her, stretching his long legs out in front of him. He was wearing a pair of blue jeans and a white, button-down shirt with short sleeves. He also had on a light blazer of light brown. "It was a beautiful night, so I wanted to take a walk. What about you?" She looked back up at the moon. "I just wanted to come and look at the moon. Isn't it beautiful tonight?" He nodded. "Beautiful." He turned to her. "But not as beautiful as its princess." Usagi blushed and looked away. One of her hands rested on the ground at her side, and she felt him place his warm hand on top of hers. He moved closer to her, leaning towards her gently. "Usako?" he asked quietly. She turned back to him. Their faces were very close, and she could smell the faint smell of soap that she could smell whenever she was very close to him. He looked at her, blue eyes slightly unsure. "Will you take a walk with me? I'd like to talk to you." Usagi looked at him with gentle curiousity at his apparent uncomfortable feeling. Usually his manner was quite confident, but now he seemed a bit unsure. She nodded, and stood up, still holding the rose in her right hand carefully. He stood up beside her, took her left hand, and the two started to walk at a slow, easy pace. Mamoru was silent. Usagi looked at him through the corner of her eye as they walked down the hill and alongside the lake. After a minute, Usagi decided to break the silence. "Mamo-chan?" she asked quietly. "Is everything alright?" He blinked and stared at the ground a moment, then looked down at her. He suddenly smiled lovingly, slightly surprising Usagi. "Hai. Everything's fine." Usagi smiled back, heart easy. She was glad everything was O.K. His eyes were back to normal again, and no longer seemed unsure. "I'm glad," she said quietly. He squeezed her hand. They walked out onto the dock and walked down it, their soft footsteps making quiet echoes underneath them. They turned to the side of the dock and gazed up at the moon once more. It shone down on them and the water like beams of silver. They stood in silence, saying nothing but very aware of the other's presence. He was holding her hand lightly, and she slid her fingers through his, clasping their two hands. He looked down at her and smiled, holding her hand tighter as a response to this more intimate hold. She smiled back, then looked back out at the lake, enjoying how the warmth of his hand felt against hers. A slightly stronger breeze swept by, and Usagi shivered involuntarily. The short sleeves of her warm-weather school uniform was not warm enough on a night like tonight. Not wanting to draw attention to herself, she gently let go of Mamoru's hand and hugged her arms lightly in a nonchalante fasion, her right hand still delicately holding the rose. She sighed and looked out at the water, watching it move gently with moonlight glazing it like frosting on a cake. Suddenly, warmth surrounded her. Surprised, she turned around to see that Mamoru had taken off his blazer and put it around her shoulders. Looking into his eyes, she saw understanding. She wondered how he could always tell what was troubling her, and was always able to help her out. He smiled. "Better?" She nodded shyly. He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. She leaned her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes. It felt so nice being close to him. Even though he was now wearing only short sleeves, he still felt so warm. He always felt so warm, no matter how cold it was or what emotion he was feeling. Usagi loved his warmth. It wasn't just the warmth she liked, but the fact that it was HIS warmth; a soft, gentle, caring, protective warmth. It was HIM. She had always loved warm things. When she was little, she used to get stuffed animals that could be filled with warm water so they would be warm, just like a real animal. Every night before she went to bed, her mother would fill up her bunny doll with water, and Usagi would sleep with it. She loved to snuggle with warm things, loved to cuddle up to them and sleep with them, and Mamoru was so wonderfully warm... Suddenly, she realized what she was thinking about. She blushed and felt incredibly embarassed for thinking such a thing. She looked down so he hopefully wouldn't see her burning cheeks. He noticed her look down at her shoes uncomfortably. Turning his head to look down at her, he asked, "Is something wrong, Usako?" She quickly shook her head, but didn't look up. He wasn't convinced. He brushed away some of the golden bangs that hung over her face and lightly touched her cheek. "Usako, daijobu? What's the matter?" She shook her head, not looking up. "Daijobu. It's just silly, really." "Really?" His voice was disbelieving. He gently took her face in his hand and tilted it up so he could see her face. "Why do you look so upset, Usako?" he asked, voice concerned. "I...I..." She bit her lip and turned her head away. "I was just thinking." "What about?" That made her blush even harder, and this time he saw it. "Usako, is there something you want to tell me?" He took her hand. "If you don't, that's alright." "It's not that I don't want to tell you," she said quickly. "It's that I'm afraid you'll think it's really foolish." She turned her head down. "Which it is." He gave a slight smile. "Is it really?" Usagi averted her eyes and looked out at the water, thinking. She clutched the edges of the blazer around her shoulders gently, bringing it closer to her face. She could smell that delicate smell of his on the blazer. It comforted her. After a moment, she sighed. "Well, I was just thinking..." She leaned against him more. "I...just..." He tried to hide his smile. He waited patiently as Usagi searched for the right words. "I was just thinking that I...you...you're...you're the man I want to eventually marry, Mamo-chan," she suddenly blurted out. She went on quickly, "But I know that's just silly, because I know marriage is far away for me, and you probably don't even love me that much..." She turned away. "Gomen nasai. It's stupid. Why would you want to ever marry me when you haven't known me very long? Just because I love you more than I think I could ever love a man again and I want to marry you now even though I'm just a baka-shoujo teenager that doesn't even think straight and is probably too ditzy for you to ever love enough to be a wife..." She trailed off. She stepped away from him, turning her back to him and lowering her head in defeat. She didn't hear him make any response behind her, and she felt hot tears burn in the corners of her eyes. She angrily wiped them away and fought to keep them back, not wanting to look like a baby in front of him. Despite her attempts, though, several tears broke free and rolled down her young cheeks. The rose she held suddenly felt dead in her hand; not so full of life like it had when she had held it just a moment ago, when they had been walking together. Another tear slid down her face. Mamoru stared at her turned-away form, his mouth slightly open and the breath caught in his throat. He was at a loss for words. After a moment he walked up to her and gently turned her shoulder so she was facing him. The silver light of the moon illuminated her sad face and his heart ached. "Oh, Usako..." He wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly as she buried her face in his shoulder. "Oh, Usako...I don't believe...oh, Usako." He shut his eyes tightly, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill from them. She shook her head as more tears leaked from her eyes, getting lost in the cottony softness of his shirt. "Gomen nasai," she mumbled. "I'm so stupid, I know I am..." "No! No, Usako you're not stupid," he said quickly, shaking his head. "Usako, I..." He looked down at her. "Do you remember when we...were sitting on the hill and I said I wanted to talk to you?" She nodded, not looking up. "Well, the reason I was a little bit uncomfortable then was because...I wanted to tell you something." She looked up slowly. "Usako I...I've never...felt this way...about a girl before," he said haltingly, averting his eyes away from her face. "But I...I...I really love you, Usako. More than I've ever remembered loving anyone." Her eyes widened in shock. "And I...I just wanted you to know how...I really feel about you." He added quietly, "And I hoped that...maybe you'd love me enough someday to...have me...as a husband. But I thought I was being stupid for thinking it." Her mouth slightly agape, she stared at him. He slowly turned his gaze back on her, uncertainty written all over his face. "Mamo-chan," she asked breathlessly. "Do you...really mean that? Do you really...feel that way?" "With all my heart." She stood a moment staring, then suddenly threw her arms around his neck and hugged him like she had never hugged him before. "Oh, Mamo-chan!" she cried. He hugged her back tightly, closing his eyes as he felt her loving embrace. She squinched her eyes shut, joy filling her heart. The rose felt more alive now, and it seemed to feel more alive and happy in her hand than ever before. "I don't believe you feel the same way! Does that mean...that maybe..." She bit her lip and looked up at him. "We might actually be together forever? I...always wished it could be like that. I just never want to be apart from you..." "I want nothing more," he replied softly. "I love you more than I ever thought I could love anyone, Usako." "I love you more, Mamo-chan," she whispered back, hugging him tighter. She closed her eyes and lost herself in his warm hold. Unknowingly, the rose slipped from her hand. It fell lightly to touch the water silently, setting off gentle ripples from it. Neither noticed it, as they were too much lost in their emotions to take notice. The rose started off gently on the lake, floating slowly and delicately with the water's gentle movement. The moonlight shone on its petals and gave tham a soft glow, making them look even softer. The rose slowly drifted on the path of moonlight upon the water, a lone traveler on a long journey. The moon above was full in the sky and shone down on the lake, illuminating its glistening surface and the two figures on the dock that were together in an eternal embrace. Eternal because of the undying love within the two. Eternal because of the oath of faithfullness and undying devotion for each other pledged silently in their hearts. Eternal because of the destiny of forever being together put upon them in a lifetime long-since ended. Eternal love poured out into an eternal embrace. The rose floated on into the moonlight. -Liked it? Yes? Direct all compliments to me! What? You DIDN'T like it? Uh...I think the no-talent jerk that wrote this crap went that way. Better run after her - she's getting away! Anyway, the address is Kcsw1234@aol.com. Until next time!