Chapter Ten

Usagi and Mamoru found themselves sprawled on the hard concrete roof of an incredibly tall building in the centre of Tokyo. Their legs were intertwined but their backs were firmly pressed against the surface of the roof, eyes not on each other but on the glorious sky stretched out before them. It was a beautiful day, the brilliant blue only made more glorious by small puffs of pure white cloud floating around.

Usagi was too afraid to speak, knowing that words would only destroy the fragile peace that had grown between them since their secret identities had been revealed. They had a tentative friendship, and she knew they were brought closer by the time they had spent fighting the Dark Kingdom, prior to the discovery of the other Senshi. She'd formed a crush on him before she had known who he really was, when he was just her handsome protector arriving in the nick of time to prevent her being killed.

But then… then she'd found out who he was, and she had been forced to spend more time with him, seeing a side to him that she had been certain was restricted to Tuxedo Kamen (after all, she had never seen any hint of those wonderful traits in Mamoru, well at least until two days ago, though admittedly that would be because she had been too wrapped up in Mamoru-baka than Mamo-chan). They had found a comfortable middle, able to joke and insult without any of their usual bite, but also free to discuss more important matters.

They lay there for the next half an hour, until the clouds went from fluffy innocent little things to dark ominous banks of what looked like pure water, ready to escape right over their heads at a moments notice. The pair fled inside, still unspeaking.

Usagi and Mamoru entered his apartment and stood silently in the entranceway, cerulean blue eyes struggling to stay locked with stormy blue. Their bodies instinctively moved so that the distance between them was the same as the metal chain had kept them at for the past two days. It was habit, normalcy, symbolic of the way they had become closer emotionally, a result of their forced co-habitation.

The short blonde's forehead furrowed into a frown as she realised they were no longer forced to stay together, and the implications of that. She was tempted, oh so tempted, to run away and pretend like their future and past weren't inextricably linked, to forget that sometime over the past two days she had fallen for him, head over heels.

Her blue eyes blinked, bringing her back to reality and breaking the staring contest with Mamoru.

"So…" Usagi hazarded, her face flushing and her eyes turning away from Mamoru's, "You're Endymion."

The taller man nodded absently, still trying to wrap his head around the fact that not only was Usagi Sailor Moon, but she was the Princess who had been begging him to bring her the Ginzuishou for the past few months.

"And you're Serenity…" Mamoru murmured, looking at Usagi properly for what seemed like the first time. He saw her flaws, yes, like he always had, but he finally saw all her wonderful strengths, and how they made it so clear that she was the beautiful Princess of the Moon. "And we were… involved, in our former life. Which would explain…"

Mamoru and Usagi both blushed and looked away from each other, knowing that their feelings for one another weren't just the product of a romance in a past life. The petite blonde squared her shoulders and looked Mamoru straight in the eye.

Using all of the courage given to her by her time as Sailor Moon, Usagi stepped forward, wrapped her arms around him, and gently pressed her lips to his.

Mamoru was shocked at her forwardness, but simultaneously incredibly pleased by the fact that she had taken the step he never would have. He responded in kind, pulling Usagi closer to him and savouring their first kiss in a thousand years.

It felt like coming home.

Usagi pulled away shyly, looking up at Mamoru with a bright red blush on her face.

"Uh.. right. Okay. So.. that…" the Senshi of the Moon babbled, "I should… er… probably get … um… going."

Mamoru merely smiled, and she turned to leave, only to find his strong grip holding her back. He turned her around to face him and smiled down at her, capturing her eyes once more with his own.

"You want to leave? Are you serious? We find each other, know each other, for the first time in a thousand years, and you want to leave me alone again? These past few days have been the best ones of my life, and knowing that the three women I love are all actually the same person… I can't imagine anything better." Mamoru's voice was serious and full of care, "I love you, Usagi, and I think I have from that very first moment when you hit me on the head with that silly test paper."

Usagi's jaw-dropped and her blue eyes melted happily, she was stunned speechless for a few moments. It was so long before she spoke that Mamoru was filled with dread and worry, he knew he should never have opened up.

The blonde stared up at him for another long moment, and wrapped her arms around him once more, "I love you too, Mamoru," she whispered, "And I know I always have and always will."

The destined pair held each other for a long time, just enjoying the comforting presence of the person they had known was missing their entire lives. Usagi's head was tucked under Mamoru's chin, her tight arms around his waist, as she breathed in a smell that was quintessentially Mamoru – fresh roses, damp earth and the scent of rain. Today felt so bittersweet – she had gained Mamoru and her memories, only to lose her mother and to know that she couldn't bring the past back.

Then again, she wasn't sure she would want to. She had been a different person back then, more subdued and regal, the perfect Princess. And Endymion had been more distant, if that was possible, though he had been incredibly passionate once she cracked his tough outer shell. It was easier, in a way, to be who they were now. Neither of them had to act like royalty – they could just be themselves.

Mamoru looked down at Usagi with worry in his eyes, she was so quiet. Where was his chatterbox blonde who was so overly excited about everything?

"Usako, are you okay?" he asked softly, pulling away slightly so he could see her face. To his shock, there were tears in her eyes. "Usako?" His voice was slightly panicked now, "What's wrong?"

She was hesitant to speak, but she realised that he wouldn't leave her be until she explained, "It's nothing to do with you, I promise. It's just… well… I just saw my mother for the first time in a thousand years… and I'm never going to see her again… and I've got all these memories that remind me of how much she means to me, and knowing that she's gone…" Usagi choked back a little sob, "I miss her."

"Oh, Usako," Mamoru murmured, "I know how you feel. Like the whole world has been ripped out from underneath you. But at least you had a chance to see her one last time, to say goodbye… what I wouldn't have given to have an opportunity like that with my parents – I've never known them, after all. But it's okay to cry. And remember, I'm here, and I love you, too."

Usagi smiled watery, "When have I not thought it was okay to cry?" she quipped sadly. "I just wanted a chance to be with her again… it's not the same as my parents here, but she was always there and I can only remember part of her, of my childhood on the moon. It's just so frustrating, you know, to have her so close only to lose her again."

Mamoru nodded. "I understand," he whispered, holding her tighter than before.

"Mamoru, do you ever miss them? Your parents I mean…" Usagi asked hesitantly, looking up at him again.

"How can you miss someone you don't remember?" Mamoru turned his head away, "I used to dream of having parents but I could never miss it, simply because I didn't know what it would feel like to have them. I would dream about being tucked in at night, being held if I had a nightmare, or just being able to talk to my parents. But I never missed them in that sense; it was only a phantom touch to me."

Usagi was shocked; all those things had been a major part of her childhood, and she couldn't imagine life without them. "So that's why you were always such a jerk?"

"No," Mamoru laughed, "I was such a jerk because I liked you; I couldn't tell you how I felt because that would've been stupid. So I found ways to tease you, just to see you smile. It was the best part of my day."

Usagi smiled, "I hate to say it, Mamoru-baka," she said teasingly, "but I might've enjoyed it a little too." Usagi held her forefinger and thumb apart a bit to show him, "But only a little."

It was so comfortable between them, so natural. Usagi instinctively turned her head up for a kiss, and found Mamoru's lips waiting. It had always been give and take with them. They were everything to each other, and neither of them would have it any other way.

Then Usagi's eyes widened, and she pulled away from Mamoru again.

"Uh-oh," she whispered, fear evident in her eyes.

"Usako, what's wrong? What's 'uh-oh'?" Mamoru said, worried again.

"You have to meet my father."

Mamoru's eyes widened. "Uh-oh."

Usagi nodded, "Yeah. Exactly. Makes you feel a little sick, doesn't it?"

The end.

And there you go, after four years or writing and rewriting, Hentai Tendencies is finally finished. :) I hope you all enjoyed it, I loved hearing all your reviews. I'm going to work on Possession next, along with some Twilight fics, and maybe I'll edit Shut Up and Kiss Me, if I have time. I'm sorry if it takes me longer than you think, but with university and work and life in general.. I don't have a lot of time for fanficiton these days.

But thank you all very much for being with me through this. :) I appreciate it, and hope you liked this final chapter.

xx Goddess Usagi