Hi everyone,

I hope you all had a great summer. It's almost gone, and I have no idea where it went. It was just so damn fast.

So, I'm here with another Sailor Moon fanfic. The idea has been twirling around my head for quite some time, but in between work, starting a novel and living life I didn't get a chance to start developing it.

I have no idea the timelines in which I'd be updating this story. But I have promised myself long ago that I would finish every single story, even if it kills me. So bear with me. This is going to be good.

Enjoy the story and like always, I wait for your reviews and suggestions

Have an amazing Tuesday.

Golak

He'd been sitting at the bar nursing a steaming cup of coffee when the sliding door did that light whoosh sound, and someone entered the arcade.

A feeling of comfort blanketed over him and he smiled when a light cool odor caressed his senses. He took a tiny sip of his coffee before he twisted halfway on his seat and watched her approach.

God, he'd missed her. With his finals and her ungodly shifts at the restaurant, they had spent very little time over the past few weeks.

She approached him with a smile, the one he'd fell in love with almost instantly that unforgettable Saturday night.

He'd been watching her through the haze of the smoke and chitter chatter of his classmates who'd sprawled around the restaurant as if it had been their own dorm halls. She'd told him a few months later that she'd been watching him too. It had been love at first sight for Mamoru and he hoped, secretly, that it had been the same for her as well.

"Ohayo stranger," she gave room to the lanky boy on Mamoru's right to hop off his stool.

He watched her graceful tilt to the left, as if she'd been practicing a lifetime to learn just to do that, "hello yourself," he replied and stood up to embrace her.

She came willingly and like always, when she rested her head against his chest, he inhaled deeply. God, he loved her smell; that unique bitter smell of jasmine that lingered at her awake whenever she left his apartment and took his heart with her.

"Coffee?" he asked when they settled on their seats and exchanged a few words of adoration. Mamoru had never been much of a talker, let alone wording out his feelings, but ever since he'd met her, well, let's just say some of his principles had changed.

"Yes, please. I didn't get a chance to have lunch—"

"What? You still haven't eaten?" Mamoru asked with wide eyes as he reached for his back pocket, "let's go grab food then," he took out a few bills from his wallet.

"No, no…" she shook her head, "I can eat here. I'd kill for a hamburger actually," she pushed her hand into her short red waves and smiled.

"Are you sure? We could go to that little French bistro you love so much."

She scooted to the edge of her stool and leaned towards him, "I'm sure. Besides, I miss Motoki; haven't seen him for ages."

For a moment, all sounds and commotions around him faded away as he stared into her eyes; he could never quite figure out their colour. Were they brown, green, or hazel?

The light whoosh of the sliding door announced someone else's entrance and just like that, the cloud in his mind that had filtered out the rest of the world evaporated and the tell-tale ringing in his ear began.

Fuck. She's here.

He didn't need to turn and see; he knew she'd walked in, and probably not alone. The ringing somehow got louder whenever all of them were together.

"Look who's here," Motoki stood on the other side of the bar and reached out his hand, "I haven't seen you forever; how've you been?" he took Ayane's hand and squeezed it gently.

She brought her free hand over her lips and giggled; Mamoru loved when she did that, "I was just telling Mamoru how much I'd missed you too."

"You want a coffee? Juice?" Motoki asked as he reached and grabbed Mamoru's empty cup and gestured with his eyes if he wanted another one.

"I'm actually starving…"

"Hamburger with extra cheese?"

She grinned and nodded, "you know me so well."

"Coming right up."

"Motoki-onii-saaaaan…"

The ringing in Mamoru's ear became brutal and it drummed in his skull; a head-ache was inevitable.

Motoki's face fell to a warm smile, a gentle stretch of his lips, "when did you come in? I didn't hear you."

A ball of gold and blue settled beside Ayane, "I mean, I'm here with the girls—"

"Ah, that's why I didn't hear you," Motoki winked at her and laughed.

"Well, I mean, you know how Rei-chan is…always criticizing me…" she tilted her head towards them and Mamoru quickly averted his eyes, "oh hey, Ayane-san…" she said and when she did her deep bow, her hair fell against her shoulders.

Ayane smiled politely and bowed her head, "how are you Usagi-san?"

"Well, I didn't have detention today, so I guess I'm alright," she said. She looked over Ayane's head and straight into Mamoru's eyes before he could look away. The ringing became like a soundless discomfort in his head and then it stopped. Mamoru hated this part more than anything.

Her blue eyes lingered on him for a second and Mamoru couldn't look away. Then, she nodded once, as if she'd seen him in an overflowed train and her voice couldn't possibly reach his ears. She looked back at Motoki before Mamoru could do his usual nod.

Mamoru exhaled quietly. Had he been holding his breath this long?

"Can I have a coffee for Ami-chan, a green tea for Rei-chan and two chocolate milkshakes for myself and Mako-chan…extra—"

"Extra whipped cream for you, I know," Motoki finished for her and smirked, "you lost a bet or something?"

She threw her head back with a frustrated whine. Stop doing that; Mamoru looked away again. Fuck. Did she have a magnet on her or something? Why did his eyes stray back to her all the time?

"I bet Mina-chan that I'd ask Haruka-san to give me a ride on her…errr…his bike," Mamoru smirked at her mistake, "but then I chickened out."

"Where is Minako anyways?"

"She didn't chicken out. The brat is probably somewhere blowing her hair in the wind…" she muttered the last few words under her breathe.

"Usagi?"

The ringing started in Mamoru's ears once more; mildly this time. He didn't need to turn around to see who'd been the cause. He would recognize that voice anywhere.

"I'm coming, Rei-chan…so…" she waved at her friend and turned to Motoki.

"I'll bring the drinks to your table."

"Arigato Motoki-onni-san," she bowed at Motoki and then blew him a kiss. She whirled around towards Ayane and did another small bow.

Before she walked to their usual booth, the one nestled against the wall on the far-left corner of the arcade, her eyes sought out Mamoru's. An image of Sailor Moon's determined face from the night before popped into his head. For all the hurt and disappointment he'd witnessed in the heroin's eyes, Usagi's stare compared emotionless and nonchalant. Good. She shouldn't care, because I don't care.

He hadn't realized that he'd followed her departure from the bar. His eyes regained their focus as soon as they met an angry set of violet orbs; he gulped and tried to look away. But for fuck's sake, Rei had the weirdest hold on him. It's as if she could read his every thought, every move; it's true that she could, it was one of her gifts. But Mamoru felt vulnerable and exposed in her presence; more so when Usagi was around.

"Should we go to that European movie thing?" Ayane typed something in her phone, "I was supposed to cover for Hisa-chan tonight, but she just messaged and said I don't need to…" she looked up at Mamoru.

His head still turned in the aftermath of the deafening ringing and seeing those girls. It had always been like that. From the moment he'd met them he started having a tingling discomfort in his gut. The ringing began much later; he could remember that night as if it'd only been yesterday.

"What?" he'd hissed, shocked and horrified.

Luna, that small little talking cat, had looked at him coldly, "it's true. You are the heir to the Earth's golden crystal...prince."

He had looked at her dumbly. His mouth had hung open, eyes wide, as he had looked at them one by one. Jupiter had looked away, Mercury had given him a small awkward smile, Mars had stared him directly in the eyes and he'd been the one looking away first.

Venus had been standing right beside Sailor Moon. God, had they been twins in the past life? She had whispered something in Sailor Moon's ear as soon as Tuxedo Mask looked at them. Moon had nodded once, twice with deliberation.

"I have a test tomorrow," she said then, "I have to wake up early…"

"Real test or makeup test for a failed one?" Mars asked her, and just like that, the uncomfortable blanket that had loomed over them had been lifted.

The girls and Luna had fallen into a silly argument about Sailor Moon being a slacker and she'd whined about how she tries and never succeeds.

Tuxedo Mask had looked at Artemis, the other talking cat. For some unforsaken reason, Mamoru always saw the cat as an ally; maybe because he'd been the only one with male genitals in the group?

The cat had shaken his head; really, what more could he say at this point? Mamoru Chiba, aka, Tuxedo Mask, was the rightful heir to the kingdom of the earth, the whole fucking earth; and not because his dead parents had been royalty. He had a past life and past responsibilities and past fucking promises that he needed to honor.

Tuxedo Mask had looked up as soon as a blinding pink light surrounded them. Usagi Tsukino stood where Sailor Moon had been standing before, and for a moment, Tuxedo Mask couldn't hide his laughter. Her pajamas looked ridiculous; who wore pink bunny printed pj's at this age?

He had known their true identities from the first night they'd fought alongside each other, and as much as Mamoru hated to admit, he felt rather relieved that the women he met every other night, in their tiny skirts and mighty powers, had been the same silly school girls he knew in the real life.

Just then, Usagi had looked up at him, in her pink PJ and all, her head tilted down in farewell and he couldn't help but stare into her blue eyes.

The ringing had come just as soon as she had dropped her stare.

"Babe, are you feeling alright?" he felt Ayane's hand against his cheek.

He gathered his wits and smiled at her, "I feel great; you don't need to work tonight and I can have you all to myself."

Her smile blossomed from the corner of her lips; Mamoru loved that expression on her.

Motoki reappeared in front of them and settled a big plate of hamburger and fries in front of them. Ayane clasped like a child.

Mamoru thanked his friend for the fresh steaming cup of coffee and took a sip. A distant ringing started in his ear and he tried to tune it out. They were sitting a few feet away and Usagi's presence alone couldn't possibly chase away that sound; not when Rei, Ami, and Makoto were there.

And what if he was the heir to the throne? It didn't mean shit in this time and era.

"You were engaged to the moon princess," Luna's voice hushed in his mind, "and we have a reason to believe that you might've actually been married before all hell came down," she'd said. Her eyes were ablaze with painful memories.

"You're actually telling me that I was married to…" he remembered his horrified expression when Luna's words had finally sunk in; he'd looked at Usagi, that silly blonde ball of failed tests and loud laughter.

Ayane finished her hamburger and announced her eagerness to leave.

They had been a few steps away from the sliding door when Mamoru turned his head and looked at the booth on the far-left corner. He glimpsed at the mop of blue, black and brown before his eyes settled on those two small blonde buns and he wondered for the millionth time if the ringing in his ear was a punishment for his adultery; though he had zero recollection of ever being married to Usagi Tsukino.

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or its fabulous characters in any way. All the delightful rights of this manga/anime and its characters belong to Naoko Takeuchi. I only own what I write. I only own the story I tell.