I watched Mamo-chan as he tucked Chibi-Usa into bed like he loved her, like he truly cared for her. My heart broke as I stood in the doorway, watching the man I loved, doting on another. I watched on as he brushed the bangs off her face, "You and Luna P came a long way here without trying to run. That's great. You're really strong."

I clutched the fabric above my chest, trying to physically hold my heart together. He thought she was strong. There had been a time he'd thought me strong as well. My eyes burned, but I fought my tears as Mamo-chan turned to see me standing in the doorway. He walked toward me, closing the door as he passed. "Where's Minako-chan?"

I looked up at him, wishing I knew how I'd been so easily replaced. Wishing I knew how to gain him back. "She went home with Luna and Artamis."

He nodded and walked past me. Watching him walk away from me physically hurt. I reached out for him, but pulled my arms behind me, instantly blushing for initiating such an intimate gesture. "Can I stay with you," I hesitated. "Just for a little bit."

Mamo-chan exhaled sharply and looked back at me. He didn't tell me that I could, but he didn't say that I couldn't either. So I followed him into the kitchen wanting to be with him. "I never thought about the future," I was desperate for his voice. "I can't even imagine what sort of world it will be," I trailed off worried the Mamo-chan no longer wanted to be a part of my future.

He didn't respond. He simply poured himself a mug of coffee and stared off into space. He didn't even pick up his mug. The silence was killing me. I looked around for something, anything that would make him talk. My eyes spotted the calendar on the counter, and I smiled as I picked it up. "It's your birthday soon, Mamo-chan." I displayed the calendar for him to see. "August third, right? What would you like? I'll get you anything, so think about it, okay?"

He turned toward me, I walked toward him hoping for an opening, but his gaze was questioning. "What brought that up all of a sudden?"

I was standing directly in front of him. I found myself clutching to his shirt as I looked down, not wanting him to see the tears that wanted to fall. "I just wanted to give you something."

I blinked furiously, not wanting to cry. I wanted to be strong, but I kept thinking of Chibi-Usa in the other room. I met Mamo-chan last spring…I came to this place for the first time in the summer. And now, Chibi-Usa was the one in Mamo-chan's bed. "Mamo-chan, you only care about Chibi-Usa lately." I clutched his shirt tighter, searching for strength as I brought my gaze to his. "Do you like her? You know Chibi-Usa is in love with you."

Mamo-chan's face colored instantly and all I could see was shock in his eyes. He tried to hide his face from me by turning back to the counter and drinking from his forgotten coffee. "But she's just a kid?"

I was hurt by his sudden shift away from me. I pulled one of my fists close to my heart, trying to ease the pain I felt from his absence. "Age doesn't make a difference! It doesn't matter how small she is. She's still a woman."

I gasped at my boldness. I covered my lips and looked away from him. What was I saying? "Sorry, I'm acting weird, aren't I? She just a little girl." And I'm feeling jealous.

I turned toward the door and began to leave. I shouldn't be thinking things like that. Not when Mars, Mercury, and Jupiter…

Long arm caged me, effectively halting my forward progress. Hands gripped my arms tightly, as if not sure I was really there. After a few moments, the hands loosened enough to slide so that they were gripping my waist.

I turned my head to look back into utterly shocked and distressed eyes. "Mamo-chan?"

He didn't answer. He merely spun me and pulled me into his embrace. I buryied my face into his shoulder, needing to be close to him. I wrapped my arms around his waist, melting into his embrace. "I'm always so worried." I let my fear spill from my lips.

He stroked my hair, "Stay with me," he whispered. "Don't go away." He sounded so weak. I wondered what could have frightened him so.

I tightened my hold on him, needing to comfort him. "I'll do my best to protect you, Mamo-chan."

He pulled back enough to look into my eyes. He took my hand, bringing my palm to his lips. "I was thinking the same thing." He brushing his lips along my palm, and let my fingers slide across his lips.

He swept me up into his arms and lowered me to the ground. He kneeled in front of me, and I held my arms open to him. He leaned forward pressing his body against mine. I bent my knees, surrounding him with myself. I pulled him down, needing the weight of his body.

He lowered his lips, so close to mine, "I want to take care of you, Usako." I sighed as his lips touched mine. Usako. The word echoed through my head. He loved me.

He held himself above me, trying not to put too much weight on me, but I could feel him. I could feel his need for me. I moved my hips to his, causing a strange pleasure to pulse through me. Mamo-chan's eyes had darkened, and now appeared as dark as the night sky.

His breathing was unsteady as he studied my face. My body began to ache as I looked into his eyes. I moved my hips again, and he hissed dropping his head to my shoulder.

"Usako," he whispered as he began to place kisses along my shoulder and exposed collar bone. This was all beyond my knowledge. Mamo-chan had never kissed me this way before. "Usako," he whispered again. He repeated my name, as he peppered kisses on any exposed skin he could find. He began with my neck, collar bone and face. He moved to my arms next. Once he had thoroughly covered my upper body, he moved to my legs. He lifted my left leg and removed my sock. He kissed the inside of my ankle before lowering my leg to do the same with my other leg. When my feet were bare, and both ankles kissed, he began to work his way back up my body. His hands and lips dragged up my body, leaving trails of fire in their path. He reached the end of my dress and looked up at me questioningly.

I lifted my hips, hoping to give him the answer that he was looking for. His hands moved farther up my thighs, pushing the material past my hips, exposing my cotton clad sex to him. He pushed it farther brushing his lips along the sensitive skin of my stomach.

He pressed one of his hands to my back, pulling me up into a sitting position with him kneeling between his legs. He pulled my dress completely over my head, and pulled back slightly to look at me. "Usako, he whispered again before easing me back down.

His lips claimed mine again. His tongue touched my lips hesitantly before applying more pressure. I opened to him, allowing him access to explore. Our tongues tangled together, massaging gently. Causing the dull ache between my legs to grow in intensity. Also causing my head to get light.

He separated his lips from mine, allowing me to breath, but not leaving my skin. His lips brushed along my neck and across my shoulder. He found the skin of my collar bone and sucked strongly on the spot. The sensations were too much. The only thing I could think was 'Mamo-chan'. I needed to feel him.

My hands moved to the front of his shirt. I needed to feel his skin. My fingers fumbled with the buttons making slow work of removing the offensive material. I sighed in frustration, why couldn't I get the buttons through the wholes.

Mamo-chan's hands came up to cover mine. He helped me slide the buttons through the holes more efficiently. I breathed a sigh of relief as the shirt fell open, brushing my bare chest and stomach. I ran my hands over his chest and across his shoulders. He shifted so that I could push the material off his shoulders and from his arms.

Once he was rid of the shirt, I pulled him back to me, allowing our bare chests to meet for the first time. Though the sensation was so incredible, it did nothing to provide me relief. As I lay under him, I realized that the contact only made me need more. "Mamo-chan," I whimpered.

"Usako," he whispered. I shuddered as his breath fanned my face. He leaned down slowly and brushed his lips against mine. He seemed suddenly hesitant. I needed him, though. I had felt so alone while he'd taken care of Chibi-Usa. I needed to know that he was here with me now. I wiggled my hips beneath his and our moans filled the air.

He looked down at me, his eyes nearly black now. "Please," I whispered.

He nodded, though I could tell that he was still unsure of himself. I trailed my hands down his back until I reached the band of his pants. I needed to show him that this was what I wanted. I wanted him. I let my fingers follow the trail of his waistband until I hit the spot where our hips touched.

Mamo-chan took a deep breath before lifting his hips enough that I could reach between us and rid him of them. I tucked the button at the top of his pants through the hole, inhaling sharply as the back of my hand brushed his firm stomach. Mamo-chan clenched his eyes tightly as I moved to the zipper. As each metal tooth was freed, my pulse quickened.

Finally, his pants were open, and I couldn't resist brushing my palm against the material beneath. Mamo-chan's eyes opened and he stared deeply into mine. There was worry and desire mixed in his gaze. I stroked him again, and some of the worry disappeared, desire becoming more and more prominent.

He took a few deep breaths. "Usako, we shouldn't." I opened my mouth to protest, but he shook his head. "But I need you."

He leaned down to capture my lips as we both discarded our remaining cloths. Soon, we lay completely bare to each other. Mamo-chan, my Endimion, the only man that I was meant to see this way. My breath caught in my throat as I felt the rightness of this moment. Our souls belonged together. My Mamo-chan could not be with another, because he was always meant to be with me. I wanted to show him that too.

He looked into my eyes as he positioned himself to enter me for the first time. He was asking permission, he held completely still until I nodded my head. Then he braced himself, arms tensing on either side of me as he pushed himself into me. I tensed and he held still as I adjusted to him. I tightened my arms around him, asking for him to continue.

Mamo-chan bent down, moving his lips against mine, mumbling his apologies before he pushed himself into me quickly. The pain was overwhelming. I found myself crying around his lips. He tried to pull away, but I held him with all of my strength. I didn't want him to pull away from me, ever. That would be more painful than this. "Just wait," I whispered.

I felt water drops fall to my shoulder, and I pulled back, moving Mamo-chan's face to hover above mine. He was crying, I wiped away a tear, and he turned his face to kiss my palm. As we held there, looking into each other's eyes, the pain subsided. I moved my hips beneath his and found a more pleasurable friction than before.

Mamo-chan dropped his head to my shoulder. He made small movements, pushing himself into me further each time he came back to me. But it wasn't enough. I began to lift my hips to his in hope of achieving more friction. I needed all of him.

I became breathless as he buried himself completely in me. When his hips touched mine, an indescribable pleasure jolted up my body, making my legs tremble and my hips push into his farther. Mamo-chan's breathing was coming in short gasps and I could hear him grunting in my ear. He began to trail kisses along my neck and shoulder. He opened his mouth over my collar bone and sucked the skin into his mouth.

I felt all of my muscles tighten. Mamo-chan grunted against my skin, making me believe that he could feel it too. The tightening continued as Mamo-chan began to push into me faster and without rhythm. Then, without warning, every muscle in my body relaxed as it released, sending liquid heat to Mamo-chan.

Mamo-chan moaned my name as he stilled, warmth pooling within me. My breathing began to slow as we laid there like that, completely connected. I didn't want him to, but eventually, Mamo-chan pulled himself from within me. I whimpered at the loss.

He helped me stand up, and helped me into my clothes, because my legs shook beneath me. Once we were both clothed, he pulled me down on the couch. I relaxed on top of him, breathing in our combined scents. "I love you, Usako," he whispered.

I smiled as my eyelids drooped. I was now completely Mamo-chan's. "I love you, Mamo-chan."