All In

Shingo Tsukino made a face at his older sister from the hospital bed, crossing his arms in a sulking manner. "Who would have thought out of both of us, I'd be the one breaking my leg?" He gestured at his right leg, elevated in a comical position on a pulley system.

Usagi Tsukino smirked at him from beside the bed, hiding her relief that Shingo felt well enough to joke around. The pain medication must be working. "Hey, at least I know my limits. You are lucky you didn't much worse, attempting that stupid skateboard stunt!"

Shingo flushed when Usagi poked at his arm, "I guess you were trying to impress a girl huh? Did it work?"

"We can't all have famous pop stars to date," Shingo teased back. Usagi bristled at that and grew quiet, pulling away.

Shingo cringed and continued his rant as if he hadn't seen his sister's awkward reaction. "Anyway, maybe she wasn't impressed but she sure seemed concerned about me! Maybe she'll be stopping by..." he trailed off as Usagi picked up his medical chart from the foot of his bed and started to flip through it. "Hey-" he grabbed at it, but not fast enough.

"Shingo..." Usagi's brows knitted as she looked at Shingo's information. "Your doctor is..."

"He only came by a couple of times so far," Shingo said, "I didn't say anything 'cause I didn't want to upset you."

Usagi flipped the pages of Shingo's chart, not really seeing anything except the bold print at the top of the first page as if it was burned into her eyes. Attending physician: Dr. Mamoru Chiba.

She tried to look nonchalant. "So..., how is he?" She desperately hoped she sounded careless, as if she was discussing the weather or the chances of the local sports team in this weeks' game.

"I don't know, he's my *doctor*, Usagi. Our conversations have been like: 'does it hurt when I do this?', 'fuck yes, ow ow ow,' that sort of thing." Usagi was silent. "He remembers me," Shingo continued, a little more quietly. "He's really taking good care of me. Being very kind."

"He's a doctor, that's his job," Usagi murmured. "Hey, so," she smiled and shrugged her shoulders swiftly, changing the subject. "Big sister is here to save the day! Do you want anything? Pillows fluffed, food delivered, shall I sing to you?" She darted around, making her brother laugh and then groan because laughing hurt.

"Just get me some juice or something," he pushed her away. "Preferably from somewhere really far from here. Go go," he pushed her away, making shoo'ing motions with his hands. Usagi was just as glad to escape the small room, since she saw Mamoru's name on the chart she half-expected him to walk into her brother's room at any second, and she wasn't sure she was ready for that. To see him again, to hear his voice, be so close to him. She didn't think she could bear it.

With a quick smile at her brother, Usagi briskly walked toward the waiting room, pulling her phone from her purse absentmindedly.

A couple text messages from Minako: "how's Shingo? u ok?", and "?" a few minutes later. Usagi had been on a lunch date with her friend when she got the call Shingo was rushed to the ER, and had left in a blind hurry.

"Shingo fine," she texted back, leaning against the wall of the waiting room, "broken leg. hospital only two days. Phew. Already called Mom and Dad, cutting their vacation short. Should be here tmrw."

Minako texted back a 'relieved' emoji and a heart. "Tells girls everything ok" Usagi texted.

"Sure thing. Seiya too" Minako responded. Usagi cringed and put the phone back into her purse. She headed off to hunt down Shingo's juice.

"Come on you stupid thing!" Usagi cursed under her breath, kicking a little at the bottom of the thieving vending machine, which had cheerfully eaten her coins and refused to deliver the promised grape juice can. "This is a hospital, sick people need their juice, come on-" She pushed on it a little, about the turn heel and give up when a voice behind her made her jump.

"There's a trick to it," he said, and Usagi froze as she watched a pair of familiar hands pressed the juice button twice and pull on the coin return handle in one quick motion. With a clatter, the can dispensed to the bottom of the machine and her coins into the well beneath the return. Usagi blinked.

"It's been broken for ages, but we haven't complained to maintenance," Mamoru said he reached down and picked up the can, offering it to Usagi with a half smile. "For obvious reasons."

She flushed and reached for it, being very careful to not brush his fingers as she took it from him. "Thank you so much." She grabbed her returned money and stepped back, looking up at him. He looked good. He looked the same. Same dark hair feathering into his eyes, same blue eyes, same sardonic smile. He even held himself the same way, one hand resting causally in the pocket of his white coat. Her heart responded in the same way it always had. The leap of joy, the twist of longing, the desire to bury herself in his arms and feel his hair against her face. With the memory, she felt her heart crack anew.

"It's good to see you," she said. She smiled, taking in his scrubs and white coat. "I'm glad you became a doctor, like you wanted. I am sure you are helping a lot of people."

She met his eyes and suddenly felt a rush of nerves.

That was a new feeling. She'd never been nervous with Mamoru before. Not when they bickered, not when they were dating, not even that fateful night when she confronted him in tears and left him behind forever. Banishing the memory with a quick headshake, she looked at him and gave a tight smile.

"Thank you for taking such good care of my little brother," she said. Her words were so formal, she could have been a stranger, thanking any doctor for their care. She saw his eyes go slightly darker and he gave another half-smile.

"Of course," he said, "it's my job."

He stood for a moment in front of her, then excused himself to get back to his rounds. "Well, I'll see you around, U-," he paused, then tugged gently on a pigtail for a brief second, "Odango atama," he finished. The sardonic half-smile was back, for a just a second, then he turned and walked away, leaving Usagi holding the can in her hands so tight her knuckles were whitening.

She'd only been back in Shingo's room thirty seconds when Minako called her cell phone. "Usagi, sorry to bother you but I need to give you a heads-up. Seiya's on his way."

"On his way where?" Usagi said, incredulously, "Here? The hospital? Why?"

"He's picking you up, in his limo. Ya know, 'distressed girlfriend, injured brother, showing I care, yadda yadda'." Minako's voice turned pleading. "This wasn't my idea, I swear. But he thinks it will be good for publicity and our duet drops this week..."

"Minako," Usagi felt dizzy, switched the phone to her other ear and lowered her voice, "Minako, Shingo's doctor is Mamoru."

"Shit," Minako said, quietly. Usagi nodded, even knowing her friend couldn't see her.

"Yeah," she whispered. From the bed, Shingo watched her sympathetically.

"How are you doing with it? Okay?" Minako sounded genuinely concerned but Usagi pushed past that. She could cry into her friends' arms later.

"It's just not a good time for me to see Seiya and do that whole thing," Usagi said. "If I called him, could he not come? I'll see if I can-" but then she heard a raising of voices from the waiting room, the boot-click of Seiya' security team and the tittering of people who had just realized a famous person had just walked in. "Never mind, Minako," Usagi said, "he's here."

"Was that really necessary?" Usagi asked Seiya later, seated safely in his air conditioned limo.

He squeezed her hand and gave her a cocky grin. "C'mon, you love being fawned over."

"It's just.. it's my brother, ya know? This is a real thing, not some concert or awards show."

Seiya looked hurt, and Usagi felt sorry.

Seiya was a good guy. Usagi liked him. For a while, during their first few dates, she thought they might really have something - he was so warm, and funny and sometimes in his arms she felt like if she just shut her eyes and pretended, it could be Mamoru. And that... that wasn't fair. Not to him, not to her. But, the tabloids had gone crazy over it. Seiya Kou dating an ordinary school girl? Could it be? A true Cinderella story! Seiya's popularity soared, Minako got her big break ('Seiya's girlfriend's best friend Minako to sing duet! Minako Aino Debut!'), and Usagi and Seiya became close friends.

Maybe it wasn't 'dating' but she enjoyed his company, and if the tabloids wanted to call her his 'girlfriend' than so be it. What harm could it do?

But sometimes she felt like Seiya needed reminding, she didn't sign on to lie about anything.

"I'm not that fake, Odango," Seiya said, almost sadly. "I am concerned about your brother. And you. And I thought this could cheer you both up. I'm sorry."

It did seem to cheer up the nursing staff, who gathered for autographs, and Shingo's friend Mia, who HAD stopped by while Seiya was there, had completely lost it over an autograph and Shingo seemed happy to have impressed her after all. Even Usagi had to admit, normally she'd love the support while a family member was ill. It was just... she looked toward the hospital windows as Seiya told the driver to head out. Was Mamoru in there, doing his rounds, studying medical files, saving someone's life? Right at that moment? What had he thought of her flashy "boyfriend", the fame and the paparazzi, the handsome pop star escorting her out the hospital doors, hand in hers?

Maybe he hadn't even cared. Why should he? She was never more to him than some silly schoolgirl who messed everything up, and who, in cruel twist of fate, wore the face of his beloved long-lost princess. Usagi could never have been what Mamoru wanted.

She assumed someday it would stop hurting.

The next day, she was surprised to wake up to a call from Setsuna, asking to meet her at a coffee shop just outside the college Usagi attended. Eager to see her old friend, and concerned as to what this could be about, Usagi arrived only five minutes late - a personal record. Setsuna greeted her warmly and Usagi sat down with her hot chocolate as Setsuna proceeded to discuss the issue at hand in a conspiratorial whisper.

"I need to what?!" Usagi's incredulous shout contrasted comically with Setsuna's calm demeanor.

"You needn't do anything you don't wish to," Setsuna said. "I'm just telling you the facts."

"But when," Usagi pressed her fingers to her forehead, "when Mamo-cha, er, Mamoru and I, when we- ya know- "

"Broke up" Setsuna filled in, not unkindly.

"Broke up," Usagi muttered, ignoring the familiar fissure through her heart as she said the words, "you told us it would be okay. That Chibi-Usa would still... somehow... that it would all be okay."

"Yes," she sipped her coffee. "Because of this."

"Because you'd come to us in four years and tell us we need to... conceive a child... out of nowhere on this date, and what? that's your 'everything is okay'?!"

Setsuna sighed, shrugged slightly. "That's the long and short of it, yes. Of course, if you don't want a child-"

"No," Usagi interrupted, "I want Chibi-Usa. I want to have her, her to be my daughter. Yes, yes, yes. I... I can. I will. Do this. But," Usagi paused. "You aren't giving us a lot of time."

"No," Setsuna agreed, "and for that I apologize. But, the future only becomes clear to me as the time comes closer, like a fog lifting. It needs to be tonight."

"Tonight!"

"And maybe tomorrow or the next day, too, just to be sure."

Usagi swallowed hard, her hot chocolate sitting like a stone in her belly. "He'd never agree to this."

"He already has," Setsuna said smoothly.

Usagi looked at her empty mug, feeling as if the world was tilting over. A night with Mamo-chan? Of course he agreed. He loved Chibi-Usa, too. And they could still spend time with her, help raise her... it would mean more time with Mamoru, which sounded painful but wonderful all at once. And tonight... maybe even if it was just for Chibi-Usa's sake, maybe even if his heart wasn't in it, if it meant nothing to him but a means to an end... she'd have a night with her true love, one more time.

"I'm in," Usagi said, nodding. "Yes, I am all in."

That afternoon, after visiting Shingo in the hospital (mercifully it was Mamoru's day off), Usagi stood in front of her mirror, holding up an outfit and frowning. Who would have thought this would be so nerve-wracking?

And, honestly, who cares what outfit she wore? It's not as if Mamoru would see her wearing the blue dress instead of the pink skirt and send her packing. This was for Chibi-Usa. He'd already been roped in. And ... her face grew hot as she thought her clothes might not stay on very long anyway...

My god, what will this be like? She thought, tugging a pigtail as hard as she could. Would it be efficient, quick, a means to an end? Or would he... actually... She shut her eyes and shook her head quickly. When they were dating, he never went further than kissing, admittedly, it was pretty passionate kissing, and sometimes his hands would brush against her but... he'd always pull away. Oftentimes he'd ignore or pretend not to understand her advances, or turn away completely, changing the subject or even sending her home. She bit her lip to hold back tears. Of course, it's because she was never more than an annoyance to him. That had to be why.

"Stop being a baby, Usagi!" she told herself sternly.

"Oh I wish I could call Mako-chan about this!" But she wasn't ready for the girls, or Luna and Artemis, to know. "I mean, eventually everyone will have to know," she said, outloud to herself, "but they'll all understand. It's for Chibi-Usa. Oh they'll be such great aunties." Usagi giggled despite herself, effectively having cheered herself up. Mamoru didn't hate her, after all. Even if he didn't love her, they could be friends. Usagi wondered if it would thrill her or kill her to be so close to him everyday without it being romantic. If she had to watch him be happy with another woman eventually -

Her phone rang, the house phone rang, and at least a dozen texts popped up on her phone screen within the space of a minute.

"What the-" Usagi picked up her phone and blanched. "Oh no," she murmured.

She had completely forgotten Seiya's talk show appearance. She'd promised him she'd watch. And apparently he had said something - about her - and now everyone she ever knew was contacting her about it.

Seiya had announced he would propose. Propose. To Usagi! At the premiere of Minako and his new song.

Usagi felt dizzy. Sure, she'd hold his hand for the press but they never discussed something of this magnitude.

But, now her fake "boyfriend" had announced he would ask her, Usagi Tsukino, to become his wife.

And the whole of Tokyo knew.

wHAT DO YOU MEAN THIS PLOT IS CONTRIVED AND INSIPID? maybe your face is contrived and insipid so there! except, no, it's not, your face is adorable and lovely.