A/N: Oh boy! Guys I really want to apologize for not updating in so long! With finals, my dad moving, holidays, my computer crashing and work I really did not have a lot of time to write at all! But I'm back and I won't be making you all wait for another update for over a month and a half.

I really want to thank you all for being so patient and bearing with me. Anyways, thank you all for being so great. Thanks for all of your favourites, follows and reviews. It means the world to me!

Chapter 6

Of Internal Conflict and Reassurance

Mamoru awoke with a gasp and instantly felt the small hands on his right shoulder gently shaking him. He slowly raised his head, blinking the sleep out of his eyes. The first thing he noticed was how sore his neck and back were, the second thing or person was one Chiba Usagi.

"Oh! You're awake, I'm so glad. I'm really sorry to wake you Mamo," she apologized, her bright blue eyes shining with something Mamoru couldn't quite place.

Mamoru rolled his neck, attempting to chase away the soreness. Falling asleep hunched over a desk using thick books as pillows probably wasn't the best idea. Mamoru figured that he must've fallen asleep somewhere between studying for his upcoming organic chemistry exam and researching 'magic'. Not that Mamoru believed in magic.

"It's no problem, Usako," he replied softly before pushing the chair away from the desk and stretching his long legs. "So, have any exciting plans for us tonight?" Mamoru asked with a quirked black eyebrow.

"Oh well, that's actually what I wanted to talk to you about," Usagi said with a blush. "So you know how we were talking about having Motoki and Reika over the other night? Well, I thought that perhaps it would be a good idea to have the girls over too. You see, with everything that has been going on I haven't had a lot of time to see them. Only if you're okay with them coming over though, this is, after all, your apartment," Usagi rushed out nervously.

Mamoru couldn't help the chuckle that escaped his lips. He figured that if the two of them were married, which they were- he had done some digging and found that their marriage was in fact legitimate. Since Mamoru and Usagi were married, the apartment wasn't technically his, it was also Chiba Usagi's. 'What yours is mine' mumbo-jumbo Mamoru guessed.

"Go ahead and invite them over, Usako. I'll go shower quickly and give Motoki and Reika a call. It's about time we had a bit of fun," Mamoru said before strolling out of the door before turning and giving the blonde a playful wink.

Usagi couldn't help the excitement that was building inside of her. Sure she had met with a few of the girls a handful of times over the past few weeks but it seemed like forever since they all had gotten together.

The blonde was actually pretty nervous when she had entered the small bedroom that had been converted into a study. She wasn't sure what Mamoru was going to say about having her four friends over.

Sure Usagi had 'memories' of her and Mamoru together. But the thing was that she couldn't think about a particular moment and summon it, which was due to the fact that she had not lived these memories.

Usagi's memories were usually triggered by similar experiences. Like the time she and Mamoru went on their not so first date. Going on the date triggered Usagi to remember what their first date had actually been like. Besides triggering the occasional 'memory' the only 'memory' that Usagi was able to think about clearly was their wedding day. Why this was, the blonde was not sure.

The longer that Usagi lived with Mamoru though, the more she learned about him or remembered what he was like. It was clear from the get-go that Mamoru was not a very sociable man. He had his close friends- Motoki and Reika for example but besides the two of them, Usagi wasn't able to recall anybody else from her memory.

There were a few hazy memories that the girls often appeared in, though they had not yet been fully triggered.

Usagi figured that since Mamoru enjoyed being alone with well, his books, that he wouldn't like the idea of Usagi bringing her friends around. Though she was thoroughly surprised when he shrugged it off, acting as if Usagi bringing her friends around was the most normal thing in the world. And maybe it was.

As Mamoru retreated towards the bathroom, she quickly called each of the girls and invited them over. She figured that Mamoru would want time to actually shower and get around and seeing as the time was currently 5:30, she figured that giving him an hour or so would be enough time and told each of the girls to come between 6:30 and 7.

Not even fifteen minutes later, Usagi dragged herself from the couch to answer a knock on the door. She opened it to reveal an Aino Minako holding a bottle of wine in each of her hands.

"Usagi! It's soooo good to see you! I'm so glad that you invited us all over, it's been ages since I saw both you and Mamoru!" The other blonde cheered before moving past Usagi into the genkan and removing her shoes.

"It's great to see you too," Usagi greeted as she took a bottle of wine from Minako and headed towards the kitchen. "But really Minako, I said to come between 6:30 and 7," she said as her darker blonde friend trailed behind her and into the kitchen.

"Oh I know, but I was in the area so I just had to come by now. I really hope you don't mind Usa," Minako replied playfully with a suggestive waggle of her eyebrows. It was now more clear than ever as to just why exactly Aino Minako had been in the area.

By the time Mamoru was done in the bathroom all of Usagi's friends were situated in the living room. Mamoru groaned as he walked past the group of women, only a towel slung low around his hips.

As he passed Usagi, she shot him an apologetic look and mouthed an apology to him. Mamoru quickly rushed into his shared bedroom and shut the door, trying to ignore the giggle of the women out in his living room.

He quickly worked on dressing himself before giving Motoki a ring. The phone call between the two men was fairly quick. It basically consisted of Mamoru inviting Motoki and his wife Reika over and well, that was it. The two, of course, were coming seeing as they were Mamoru's closest friends.

"You guys made him uncomfortable," Usagi hissed at the girls in what was a fairly loud whisper.

A brunette let out a giggle before replying. "That's the fun in it all, Usa. Why do you think we always come over so early? Because this happens every single time. It's fun to watch Mamoru squirm,"

"Besides, that husband of yours has a pretty fantastic body, Usa. You can't blame us for wanting to take a look," the blonde with a red ribbon in her hair giggled, swiftly earning her a playful slap on the shoulder by the blue-haired woman sitting next to her.

"You guys are so evil, we should just leave poor Mamoru alone," the blue-haired woman who Mamoru recognized as Mizuno Ami said.

"But yet, you're also here forty-five minutes early, Ami," another voice said, drawing Mamoru's eyes to her. She had dark hair and was situated between the red-ribboned blonde and the brown-haired girl.

There was something familiar about the dark-haired woman with violet eyes besides the fact that she was Usagi's friend though Mamoru was unable to pinpoint what it was.

The dark haired man was quickly pulled out of his thoughts to the sound of knocking on his front door. He swiftly made his way to it, Usagi appearing by his side.

He opened the door revealing Motoki and Reika. Reika immediately pulled him into a hug and pressed a kiss on his cheek before doing the same to his wife.

"Ah, it's been a while since the whole gang has been here," Motoki observed as he removed his shoes in the genkan and made his way toward the living room.

"You're right about that love," Reika said as she followed her husband. "It's really great to see the two of you," she added with a wink, abandoning Usagi and Mamoru in the genkan.

Mamoru began to make his way back into the flat but was stopped by Usagi who was tugging on his sleeve. He swiftly turned to face her.

It was at this moment Mamoru realized just how small his blonde wife was compared to him. He stood nearly a foot taller than her at 5 foot 9 inches, easily towering over her not even five-foot frame.

"I'm really sorry about earlier, Mamo. I told them to come over at 6:30 but they were all here before 6. Sorry if it made you uncomfortable," the blonde said, looking up at him.

"It's no problem, really Usako," he replied before dropping a chaste kiss to her forehead.

He then brought his hand up to cup her cheek and stared into her sparkling sapphire orbs, suddenly overwhelmed by the urge to kiss her. Instead, he dragged his hand down her cheek and wrapped his finger through a strand of her golden hair that framed her face.

Usagi, sucked her lower lip into her mouth, hoping, praying that the man standing in front of her would kiss her. The conflict was clear in his deep blue eyes. Deciding to take action, she quickly pushed herself up on her tiptoes and placed a chaste kiss on his full pink lips before pulling away.

She wanted more, she did. She wanted so much more from the man that was her husband but knew deep down that she couldn't have it. She began to open her mouth to tell him that it was okay for him to want her, because she too wanted him, even if they were thrown together into the crazy situation.

Thought before she even got the chance, she was pulled out of her dreamlike trance by a soft noise of someone clearing their voice. She peeked around Mamoru to find Ami standing in the hallway that connected the genkan to the living room.

Her blue-haired friend was giving her a sad knowing look.

Usagi quickly placed a kiss on Mamoru's cheek before grabbing his hand and dragging him out towards the living room behind Ami.

Mamoru was conflicted for the rest of the night. He was conflicted by a lot of things. One of them being his encounter with Usagi in the genkan, among other more pressing matters.

It was clear that all of their friend's memories had been altered. They all remember Usagi and Mamoru as married. This deeply troubled Mamoru for many reasons though he did not wish to delve into these reasons until he was alone and had a clear head. And right now, Chiba Mamoru did not have a clear head. Being in the same room as one Chiba Usagi made his head foggy.

"Hey, remember the time I tried to set you up with Rei?" Motoki said in a low voice giving Mamoru a gentle but sharp jab in the ribs, pulling him out of his thoughts.

Mamoru sputtered at the thought of Motoki trying to set him up with Hino Rei. Mamoru obviously did not remember Motoki trying to set him up with Rei but decided to play it off and just nodded his head absentmindedly.

"You totally don't remember!" The man accused and narrowed his green eyes.

Mamoru dumbly blinked at his blonde friend and looked towards Reika for help. The only help the woman offered was a giggle.

"It was right before you met Usagi, actually. Or maybe a bit after you met her. I don't exactly remember the details," Motoki recalled, trying to think back on the event.

"Anyways, not important. But you so totally wouldn't bite even though she's one hundred percent your type," Motoki continued before shooting Mamoru a sly grin.

Mamoru just quicked an amused brow at his friend before glancing over at Usagi and then at Rei before settling his eyes back on Usagi.

Yes, Rei was a beautiful woman and was very captivating to look at but Mamoru knew for a fact that she was not his type.

"And what exactly do you mean by 'my type'?" Mamoru said to Motoki, quickly becoming amused by the conversation.

"Stunning, witty, smart, graceful, and with a bit of a bite," Motoki replied before settling himself back on the couch.

Mamoru let out a bark of laughter. He didn't really think he had a type, though when he did think back on the few dates he had been on in the past it really made sense. He decided not to tell his blonde friend this though.

"And you're saying that my wife is graceful?" Mamoru mused before smirking at his green-eyed friend.

"Well, that was before you met Usagi, obviously," Motoki replied before furrowing his blonde eyebrows. "Usagi is… Well, she's something else and I think you got lucky there man. She's perfect for you and I don't think there's anybody else you could be with," Motoki replied thoughtfully before patting Mamoru on the arm and retreating towards the kitchen to refill his wine glass.

Mamoru thought about what Motoki said and zeroed his eyes on Usagi who was situated on the floor with her friends. He didn't want to think too deep into what his friends said but let a hopeful thought push its way into his brain.

What if she is the perfect one for me? The one to free me from all of this loneliness?

"I think that it's time for some 'Crazy Uno' but with even more of a twist!" Usagi exclaimed excitedly before clapping her hands together and heading towards the kitchen for shot glasses, the three decks of Uno cards and some hard liquor.

When she returned back everybody but Mamoru was sitting in a circle, anticipating the rules of the game.

Before she began explaining the extra twist, Ami nervously looked down at her watch before exclaiming, "Okay, but one round Usa, I have to volunteer at the hospital tomorrow."

"And you know I have to open the bakery bright and early," Makoto added.

"I'm going to have to agree with Ami and Mako on this one, Usa," Rei added apologetically.

"I think they're right Usako, one round. I also have to be at the hospital early tomorrow and Motoki has to open up the arcade," he said apologetically before sitting next to her and dropping a kiss on her temple.

"You guys really are no fun," Minako pouted.

"No, Mina it's really okay. I had plans with Shingo tomorrow anyways," Usagi replied before beginning to deal the cards. "You all know how Crazy Uno works right? Well, it's basically that, except for every card you draw you have to take a shot," Usagi explained.

"But if you end up drawing more than three cards, it's a shot for every three cards you draw," she added. And with that chaos erupted.

Crazy Uno was indeed a crazy game but Mamoru decided that he liked it. Regular Uno was quite boring but this, this was actually something Mamoru would play again, it really was a good idea on his wife's part.

By the end of the game, all of the girls minus Ami were tipsy, the blue-haired girl having played the game very strategically. Though as it was approaching midnight, the blue-haired medical student decided that it was probably a good time to get the girls home.

Luckily Ami had driven her car over and was able to get all of the other girls home safe. Motoki had ended up taking a few shots but Reika had managed to get through the whole game not having taken any. The friends bid their goodbyes leaving Usagi and Mamoru alone.

"I really had a fun night, Mamo," Usagi said softly as she began helping Mamoru clean up.

"Me too," Mamoru agreed before gently hip checking Usagi. The blonde narrowed her eyes at him and jutted her hip out, hitting him a bit harder than he had hit her.

"You really don't want to play this game against me, Usako," Mamoru said in a low playful voice before stalking towards her.

"But I really think I do!" Usagi squealed before dashing off towards the kitchen giggling, only pausing momentarily to blow a raspberry at him.

Mamoru slowly stalked into the kitchen and towards his wife before grabbing her waist and pulling her flush against him.

"Are you sure you want to play this game against me, Usako?" He whispered in her ear before prodding a finger into her ticklish side, making her squirm against him and shriek.

It was then he noticed just how close the two of them were for the second time that night. Usagi spun around in his arms and looked up at him, her bright blue eyes shining with expectation.

Hit bit his lower lip in conflict. He wanted to kiss her, he really did. And it wasn't like he would be doing anything wrong if he did kiss her. After all, they had kissed a few times before aside from the chaste kisses Usagi placed on his lips multiple times a day.

Hell, kissing her even felt right. His body and his heart urged him to. His mind even did, but then when he stopped and thought about it, he just didn't know if he could.

He sucked in a breath as Usagi wound her arms around his neck and brought his head down to meet hers, his forehead now resting against hers.

"It's okay if you do it, Mamoru," she whispered, her breath fanning across his face.

"I-I- It's just that I-," he stuttered out but was silenced by her soft lips ever so lightly fluttering against his own.

"You're thinking too much into it, just let it happen," she said softly against his lips, her eyes still closed.

He swallowed heavily and closed his eyes. "It's just I'm scared," he whispered. And it was the truth he was scared.

He was scared because he was falling for her so fast. He was scared because he had never been in love before. He was scared because what if she left. He was scared of being alone again and without her.

She seemed to understand because she affectionately rubbed her small nose against his. "It's okay to be scared because I'm scared too," she said softly.

And on that final note, Mamoru pushed his thoughts away and firmly pressed his lips against his Usagi's.