Solstice

Chapter 1

"You're late."

He was right, Usagi realized. It was one o'clock in the morning, but she had promised to be home by seven last night. She could tell by his expression that he was angry. He had been expecting to return home to a warm meal and the open arms of his sweet fiancé. Instead, he was welcomed by a cold bowl of ramen and a hasty voicemail on the answer machine. Thus, his scatter-brained Usako had disappointed him once again.

"I know I promised, but Emi -chan had to pick up her kids. So, I volunteered to close the gym for her."

"You cleaned for six hours?" He sounded skeptical.

"We close at ten and…and… "

Now, he sounded impatient. "And what?"

"I-It's a big gym." She finished lamely. It was warm in their little apartment, but Usagi hugged herself protectively. The little jacket and tank top she wore did nothing to cover the love bites on her breasts. She hadn't noticed what her lover had done until after she'd left his side of town. Half of her- the side that was just Usagi Tsukino- wanted her fiancé to figure out what she had really been doing. However, the other half of her- the side that was simultaneously a reincarnated princess, a champion of love, and his innocent Usako- hoped to take this secret to her grave.

Not reading into his fiancé's posture, Mamoru relaxed. "That was nice of you."

Usagi shrugged. "She's a good mother. She deserved some-,"

"But, it's too dangerous for you to be out this late. Anything could have happened to you." If he was wise, he would have stopped there at the part where he sounded like a concerned fiancé. For if he had stopped, Usagi's heart would have churned with guilt. But, unfortunately, Mamoru continued. "You have to think of the future, Usako. Without the two of us, there's no Crystal Tokyo. So next time, consult me before you do anything rash, ne?"

The guilt immediately melted away, replaced by the scorn of a woman who has been treated like a wayward little girl. If not for the hickeys, Usagi would have rushed at Mamoru. Yet, the blonde remembered what she was hiding and quickly calmed her frustration. "Forgive me. I forgot the part where being engaged to you means I need your permission for every damn thing I want to do!"

Instinctively, Mamoru moved to strike her but held himself back. His Usako, he could never hurt. But, this Usagi- this virtual stranger who stared at him with hostile eyes-was tearing at his core with her disrespectful attitude. All he wanted was for her to warn him before she jumped off a fucking bridge. Was that really too much to ask?

"Listen, Usako, I am too tired to argue with you. In fact, we're both tired." Reaching out to grasp her shoulder, Mamoru gently steered his fiancé away from the kitchen. "I had to run slave errands for my boss all day-,"

Usagi flinched. Once again, he chose to minimize their issues by blaming them on fatigue.

"And you had to close an entire gym by yourself. So let's just go to sleep and-,"

"Make love to me."

His expression resembled a Picasso on display. Now, they were at the door of their bedroom. It was a beautiful little room. Painted white with a silvery sheen, every wall held a testament to their love. Whether it was an old photograph of Mamoru and Usagi at the park or an artist's rendition of a lunar goddess, they had chosen and arranged these testaments to their best visual advantage. And then, there was their bed. Usagi peeked in and sighed longingly at its plushy white comforter and gold pillow cases. That bed used to be able to tell stories: stories of romance, passion, red rose petals, and candlelight. But then again…yes, Usagi realized now that she was exaggerating. The stories of passion were really one story: the night she gave Mamoru her virginity. And after that magical night, the romance, passion, petals, and candlelight ceased to exist in their lives.

Now, Usagi wondered if that could change.

"Make love to me." She repeated forcefully, cupping his face in both hands. "I am your fiancé. Throw me on the bed and show me why you love me."

Before Usagi could reach up to kiss him, Mamoru brushed her hands away and let out a strained,
high-pitched chuckle. "I love you because you're Usako and I'm Mamo-chan. You're Princess Serenity and I'm Prince Endymion. Our love has survived ten thousand years because it's destined to rule the greatest kingdom on Earth. We have a great future ahead of us, so I don't understand why you work so hard-,"

"Because the future doesn't pay our bills, Mamoru-san, or guarantee happily ever after…" Eyes narrowing, Usagi grabbed him by the chin and pulled him closer. She no longer cared if he saw what marred her breasts. In fact, she wanted him to see. "It's been almost a year. Touch me like you did the night I moved in with you. Make love to me."

For a moment, Mamoru was ready to fulfill her request. Lust flared in his eyes. He growled seductively and grabbed her hips, pulling her closer to his abdomen. It had been a long time since their last sexual encounter, he realized. But then, just as he was guiding her to their neglected bed, Usagi giggled. She had a cute giggle. And for the short time it lasted, that bubble of laughter spoke of perfection. It was loud. It was not quiet. It did not resonate as the forced result of troubled times or the product of easy days. Despite all the hardships she'd faced, Usagi laughed like an angel: sweet, innocent, and gleeful. Her laughter could easily be attached to that of a curious child or…

A fourteen-year old girl.

Usagi stiffened as Mamoru's hands slid from her hips. The reincarnated Earth Prince avoided her hurt gaze, not wanting his princess to see what she already understood. He could never get past the clumsy, innocent schoolgirl she used to be. Right now, soul mates or not, Usagi appeared more like a little sister to Mamoru than a fiancée. Touching her would be like committing incest: the universal taboo that transgressed every law of civilization.

When Mamoru turned away, Usagi found herself fighting back tears. So, her lover had been right all along. This man- the prince to whom she had pledged her future- would never see her for what she could become. What was his reason for loving her again?

Because I'm Mamo-chan and you're Usako…

Such a diplomatic answer…the easy way out! Usagi felt a whirlwind of resentment build in her chest. She didn't know whether she wanted to laugh in his face or fall into sobs at his feet.

"Please…" Usagi whimpered. "At least tell me that you love me…"

Hating to see the anguish in his Usako's eyes, Mamoru quickly moved to provide comfort. However, he was interrupted by a peculiar vibration in his right side pocket. He had been too anxious about Usagi's late arrival to change clothes, so he was still wearing a business suit at one o'clock in the morning. The same double-breasted navy blue suit that held coffee stains, the smell of cigarette smoke, and his cell phone.

"Gomen Usako, but it's the financial secretary. He probably just forgot what numbers my boss needed from the London office." Mamoru tried to keep his tone enthusiastic, but Usagi still caught the anxiety in his voice. "How about you go to bed? This will only take a second."

They both knew it would take longer than that. A personal assistant to the demanding Chairman of Takeda Financial Group, Mamoru was a slave to his job. If the boss said jump, Mamoru asked how high. If the boss said fetch, Mamoru would ask how far. Ever resilient, his determination to climb the corporate ladder was both admirable and disheartening. Usagi knew that he worked like a dog to support their two-person household. But what did Mamoru get in return? Daily ridicule. Constant frustration. Corporate cattiness. Mile-long coffee runs. The list of cons could go on and on. Yet, what hurt the most was his terrible pay. Mamoru's low wages and benefits were the reason why Usagi had to turn her love of physical activity into a career.

Usagi frowned as she overheard Mamoru promise to be at the office in ten minutes. The blonde was a personal trainer at one of Tokyo's most popular gyms, but what did it matter? Damn Mamoru's unpredictable hours! Not only were they terrible, but they offered him an excuse to not work on their relationship. Every time issues like their nonexistent sex life or his overbearing tendencies appeared, zoom! Mamoru ran off to the office faster than a youma on steroids!

"Sleep tight, Usako!"

The resonating bang of their front door cut off any potential protests. Usagi sighed again. She seemed to be doing that a lot lately and for good reason. To push aside every bad feeling in their relationship was so aggravating! During sunshine and storms, Mamoru always portrayed them in the perfect romance. And for so long, Usagi had gone along with it because he was her first great love. Deciding to release her frustration, the Moon Princess leapt onto the bed and screamed into her pillow. To make it worse, Luna, Artemis, and the other Senshi were depending on them for Crystal Tokyo! Yet how could Mamoru and she share a future together if they could barely look each other in the eye?

Usagi would have started crying had her back pocket not started to vibrate. Realizing she had a text message, the blonde flipped open her cell phone to read:

I already miss you like hell. When can I see you again?

Titan

Titan…the pseudonym for her lover. He was extremely close to Mamoru, so close that it sometimes made Usagi cry with worry. The blonde had convinced her lover to use fake names on written record lest someone discover their secret rendezvous. Suddenly feeling adventurous, Usagi typed back a reply:

Tomorrow after work. Where can you meet?

His reply was swift and naughty:

You decide, beautiful. You tasted so sweet last night and I'm just hungry for more.

Now blushing furiously, Usagi agreed to his request. She would meet him at their favorite hotel suite: one of two places in the entire world where she could be herself. Inside that suite, in Titan's arms, Usagi felt like the twenty-four year old woman she actually was. She could confide dreams- dreams different from that of ruling a kingdom- and not be scolded. She could reveal fantasies and have every one of them fulfilled. But most importantly of all, Usagi could look into her lover's eyes and see unbidden devotion.

Her cell phone vibrated. This one simply read:

Anywhere you are I'll go.

Mamoru, on the other hand, was not devoted to Usagi alone: a creature of flesh and blood. He was devoted to her future: the cold utopia of Crystal Tokyo. Maybe she was being stupid: after all, she risked destroying the greatest love of her youth! And more than likely, this affair was on a crash course to hell…

Another text:

I love you, Bunny.

But, Usagi was enjoying the ride.