32. Rain at Midnight

The strong winds had been continuously ravaging her curtains all night, but it wasn't until she felt the cold prickle of rain fall across her face, that Usagi finally decided to stand up and shut the window beside her bed once and for all. With her small hands gently resting against the window's sill, she watched the heavy rain and thundering wind tear at the world outside. She stood there calmly watching the darkness outside as her eyes began to adjust. Usagi gasped in fright as she realized that she was staring at a person standing on the pavement in front of her house. Freaking out, she came to the scattered conclusion that it was a shivering Mamoru who was stood, unmoving in the storm as heavy rain fell around his body. Usagi's heart froze and her thoughts reeled madly. What was Mamoru doing outside of her house in the middle of the night? Deciding that she knew Mamoru well enough to know that he wasn't a psycho murderer, she opened the screen window and called out to him above the rain.

"What the hell are you doing out in the rain? Are you crazy?"

Mamoru jumped in shock. He had been in his own dazed world. Usagi let out a deep sigh and called out again.

"Come on. Get inside" she cried beckoning him with a wave of her hand. Rather than waiting for him to enter, she moved to fetch a towel from the bathroom. When she returned, a bedraggled Mamoru stood shaking heavily in the centre of the room. His eyes, which were shimmering with grief, were cast to the floor.

"Are.. are you alright?" she asked uneasily, noting his heavy demeanor. Mamoru didn't answer, merely lifted his eyes off the ground and brought them to rest upon her face. His arms, which were clutched tightly before his stomach, jolted in a spasm of shivering as he convulsed fiercely.

"You must be freezing," She whispered, "you should get out of your wet clothes, you'll never get warm in them" She blushed nervously and cursed at herself for her stupidity. "And besides, you're messing up my floor. I won't look or whatever" She mumbled tossing the towel at Mamoru, who barely caught it in his arms, yet he did nothing with it, just continued staring. It looked as though Usagi would have to do the honors herself. Awkwardly stepping in closer, she took hold of his cold shirt. Mamoru's shivering had stopped as he froze, watching her every move.

"I'm only doing this so you don't die of hyperthermia or whatever in my bedroom" she muttered looking at the ground, and began to pull up his shirt glancing around the room nervously.

"The last thing I need is my parents finding a dead man in my room. I'd be grounded just for the fact that you're a boy!"

It was a struggle getting the shirt over his head, yet he managed to help her shrug it off.

The lightening flashed again illuminating Mamoru's slick, muscled chest. Usagi's breath caught in her throat as she became painfully aware of the half-naked man standing before her.

"Y..you know, it is half past 12, and a respectable girl like me should be in bed by now…" she stammered as she took the towel resting on Mamoru's arm and began to dry his hair whilst standing on the tip of her toes until it was roughly spiked in all directions. When she was done, Mamoru seemed to come out of his daze and began to dry himself.

"So what are you doing here anyway?" Usagi asked curiously, leaning against her wardrobe looking over at Mamoru "I would have thought I'd be the last person you would want to see."

When Mamoru spoke for the first time, it was in a hushed and uneven voice

"I didn't think you would be awake" he croaked as lightening flashed yet again, revealing blue eyes glistening with unshed tears. Upon seeing this, Usagi moved softly to stand before him and touched his arm in a small gesture of comfort. Beneath her hand, his cold arm began to quiver and she could see he was trying desperately to hold back tears. Taking his face between her hands Usagi peered at him intently and despite Mamoru's effort, a tiny tear made itself visible, only to be caught in his lower lashes. Here, his control broke and the tears could no longer remain unshed. Usagi felt tears prickle at her own eyes before she stepped in closer and took the trembling Mamoru within her arms. He seemed so vulnerable, like a small child.

Furious with himself for breaking his control, Mamoru desperately tried to regain his hold over the tears, and attempted at halting the weak shivering all to no avail. From a young age, Mamoru had learnt to repress his tears and ignore his anguish, yet tonight, within the circle of Usagi's arms, he could do neither.

"Come on." Usagi finally whispered into his ear, as his head lay placidly on her shoulder "You should get some rest" she gently pulled herself out of the embrace and led him to her single bed. As he lay down on the small, pink frilled bed, Usagi came to a seated position beside him, still holding his hand gently within her own. Although there were no traces of the tears Mamoru had shed earlier, Usagi could still feel his hand trembling slightly within her own.

"My parent's died 14 years ago t…tonight." He whispered softly then shrugged "I just didn't want to be alone"

As he spoke, a final, fragile tear fell unbidden, down Usagi's cheek as she lay her trembling hand against his damp hair and stroked his head gently until he forgot his sorrows and fell quietly into the peaceful land of sleep.