Silence
by Sereko
princess-serenity@rocketmail.com
Finally, my first revision of this story! I've meant to do this for a
long time, but I never really got around to it (I always seem to have
about three stories on my plate at once...). Anyway, not many drastic
changes...well, except for that one in the middle...j.k. ^_- Most of
the revision is just grammar and what-not that I didn't get the chance to
do before the first time I posted it. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or any of the characters
associated with the story. I merely use Naoko Takeuchi's genius as a
starting point for my own storytelling. The song ‘You’ll Be In My Heart’
is copyrighted to Phil Collins, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. and the
Walt Disney Music Company.
----------
Silence
----------
~~~
Come stop your crying
It will be all right
Just take my hand
Hold it tight
~~~
The rain was especially unyielding that night. Thunder shook the
building walls while little children cowered in their parents’ beds.
The darkness of night spread like a plague to all corners and alleyways.
One alley, in particular, held a shivering young woman and three brute
men. Blood was falling from a gash on the girl’s cheek and from an area
in-between her legs. Her clothes were torn and thrown about the area.
Some large bruises were forming in various areas on her arms, legs,
neck, and face. A couple scrapes and cuts were also strewn about her
petite form.
The three men had their backs to her, all with satisfied smiles
upon their faces. They were lazily exiting the dirty corridor, getting
ready to add a few more alcoholic beverages to their already intoxicated
systems. The two in front turned right when they reached the sidewalk.
Slowly but surely, their hunched formed vanished from view.
The third, wanting a parting gift, walked back over the to the
frightened girl. She pressed herself up against the cement wall behind
her in an attempt to get away. He only smiled mockingly at her efforts
and crouched down to her level. With a quick swipe of his hand and a
slight movement of his hips, he held the woman captive to an open-
mouthed kiss. One more grope of her chest and he, too, vanished around
the corner.
Tears did not fall from her eyes.
For if she shed tears, then that meant she felt pain. And if she
felt pain, then she wasn’t imagining the whole thing....meaning that
everything that happened, *really* happened. The concept was too much
to bear; and so, she did not cry...for long.
~~~
I will protect you
from all around you
I will be here
Don’t you cry
~~~
Once she found her legs able to move and her body able to
function, she stood and left the alley. Taking a left at the corner,
she stumbled along the abandoned sidewalk. She let her legs guide her
since her mind was still thinking that this had to be a nightmare and
not reality. The rain pelted down on her face and made her cuts sting,
but she did not stop her limping walk.
Eventually, along with her mind, her legs gave out and stopped
working. That was when the tears came. She could not stop them, though
she desperately wanted to. Now, she had proof that it was really real.
That everything that happened to her did just happen. Instead of wiping
the tears from her cheeks, though, the girl ignored them.
Against her legs' protests, she stood and stared at the place
that her legs led her. To her side was a potted plant. A little further
away were some metal doors. But right in front of her was a plain and
simple wooden door. Covered with a layer of dark green paint it stood.
The only things of interest on it were three gold-colored objects about
three fourths of the way up the door. As she looked at the things, she
found them to symbolize the code: "78D".
Not being able to comprehend what that might mean, she knocked
on the door. Maybe someone inside could lend her a floor on which to
sleep. After a few moments the door handle started to jiggle. Seconds
after that, the door was open and a groggy male was standing in the
entrance.
~~~
For one so small,
you seem so strong
My arms will hold you,
keep you safe and warm
~~~
The man probably wouldn’t have heard the knock had he not been
up getting a glass of water. The sound was so faint, he wasn’t even sure
if he heard anything at first. He glanced at the clock and the bright
red digital numbers of "2:46" glared back at him. Figuring that
anyone who needed him that early in the morning must have something
important to say, he answered the door.
The sight that greeted him was definitely a shock. He was
expecting his sandy blonde friend to be there, tired yet needing his help
for an exam that very morning. Or maybe even the tenant of his building,
telling him that the storm had cut off power for the next week.
Unfortunately, neither of those people was standing just outside
of his door.
His hollow gasp filled the once noiseless hallway. The clutzy
ditz...the meatball head...the morning hurricane... ‘This can’t be
possible.’ He thought to himself. Anything could happen to anyone...but
not her....not his angel.
Before him stood a young tortured girl, not the frequent arcade
customer. Before him was a soaking wet child with blood flowing down
her face, arm, and legs, not the one who brings sunshine to everyday.
Before him cocked a female with a broken bra and a torn skirt, not
the friend to all. Before him watered two pain-filled and frightened
eyes, neither of which could belong to her...to her....
But even his will could not change the fact that *she* stood
before him.
Without any more hesitation, he took one step forward and lifted
her up into his arms. He quickly entered his apartment and shut the door
with a soft thud. Not even thinking about the couch, he carried her
to his bedroom and laid her down upon his bed.
He sat down beside her gently. He reached for her face,
pretending for a moment that they'd just spent a lifetime loving each
other and not throwing petty insults at each other. At first she drew
back. The memory of the other three men so fresh in her mind, not even
the harsh rain could wash it from her conscience. But then, she reached
out for him as well.
He caught her hand midway and laced his fingers with her own.
~~~
This bond between us
can’t be broken
I will be here
Don’t you cry
~~~
He took his other hand and cupped her uninjured cheek. He rubbed
her skin softly with his thumb, calming her and ridding her face of her
tears. He then, keeping the one hand interlaced with hers, brought
her to him.
A long time was spent with the two just sitting their; him
holding and her being held. The tears returned and the girl was now
sobbing into the man’s chest. He rubbed circles on her back and smoothed
out her disheveled hair, hoping to give some form of comfort.
After an hour, she pulled away. He gave her a look of reassurance
and picked her up off of the bed. The next thing she knew, she was in
the bathroom. He, not caring for embarrassment but for medical
condition, plucked what little clothes she had off of her. Soon
thereafter, she was immersed in a warm bath.
~~~
‘Cause you’ll be in my heart
Yes, you’ll be in my heart
From this day on
Now and forever more
~~~
The girl woke with a start. Her chest rose and fell in time with
her heavy breathing as she scanned her surroundings. The last thing she
remembered was the alley *shudder*. ‘No, wait. I left there and
went...oh, yeah! I went to *his* apartment. Then I was...I was in a bath?
Yes, yes. That’s right. He gave me a bath.’ She sighed with relief
and looked around for her ‘knight in shining armor’.
At present she was lying in a bed, under covers, and...boy, did
her hair smell nice! It was out of its customary style, but her natural
golden locks were unmistakable. They pooled around her legs as she
sat up on the man’s bed. ‘Speaking of which, where is he?’
As if her thoughts betrayed her, *he* stepped in the room. She
glanced towards the door at the sound of the soft click and saw his
face carefully peer within. When he saw her awake, he opened the door
more fully and walked in with his tray. ‘Wait...his tray?’ Low and
behold, he was carrying a full -yet light- meal, chicken noodle soup
and all. She gave him a small smile for his gratitude and he smiled
right back. He then sat on the edge of the bed and set the tray down
over her thighs.
Before she could blink an eye, he had grabbed the soupspoon and
some soup and was holding it up in front of her mouth. She suppressed
a giggled and allowed him to feed her. He continued on like this
until there wasn’t another noodle to be found. Then he removed the
glass of water and some pills from the tray and set them on the
bedside table. Afterwards, he stood up and left the room, tray and
dirty dishes in tow.
~~~
You’ll be in my heart
No matter what they say
You’ll be here
in my heart, always
~~~
He was not happy with the sight that greeted him upon his return
to the bedroom. The girl was trying to get out of bed. He cleared his
throat to warn her of his presence. The sound made her head shoot up
in alarm. When she realized who it was and that he was not very happy
with her attempts at getting out of bed, she shot him a sheepish
smile.
The man just rolled his eyes and walked over to her. He put a
hand on her shoulder and lightly pushed her back against the head board
of the bed. Once done with making sure that she was back in bed, he
glanced up into her eyes. His own eyes almost seemed to ask her, ‘What
do you need?’ With another sheepish grin, she cast a thin finger in the
direction of his entertainment system. She was pointing at the television
that sat on one of the shelves.
Rolling his eyes for second time in a few seconds, he walked over
to the television to pick up the remote. A cough of disapproval stopped
him before he could pick up the item. He took a glance back at his
bedridden mate and noticed that she was pointing at something else now.
With an exasperated sigh, he turned to see what was of new interest
to her.
A movie cover glared back at him. Childish memories came back to
the man as he remembered why he had the tape. His sandy blonde friend had
gotten him stuck with baby-sitting some little girl and she had ended
up leaving her movie behind. When he tried to return it, she refused,
saying it was something to ‘remember her by’. Considering that this
comment came from a five-year-old, it was quite a cute memory for the
college lad.
He shook his head from the flashback and pulled the movie from
its cover. He wasn’t usually one to go for cartoon fairy-tale type
movies, but right now he was only looking to please the gorgeous
blonde that was lying injured in his bed. He walked back to the girl
after turning everything that was needed on, setting the right channel
on the television, and popping the tape into the player.
She looked happily back at him. ‘Thank you’s shone in her eyes
as he came closer to the edge of the bed. She then pat the empty half of
the bed next to her, inviting him to sit beside her. He obliged and
crawled onto the bed from the side opposite her. Once he was sitting
next to her, she made a motion telling him to lie down with her.
Figuring that he would probably be more comfortable that way, anyway,
he propped a pillow up behind him and stretched out on top of the
dark green blanket covering the bed.
That’s when the movie started. The lights had already been turned
off, the pills from the bedside table had been taken, and the front
door was locked. All was good in the man’s home.
~~~
Why can’t they understand
the way we feel
They just don’t trust
what they can’t explain
~~~
After no time at all, it seemed, the evil queen was dead and the
prince had kissed awake the sleeping beauty. The girl sighed happily at
the childish, yet romantic, end and glanced at her movie-watching
partner.
He was asleep.
His head had fallen towards her, thus allowing her to take in his
slumbering self. His mouth was parted just slightly, letting shallow
breaths flow in and out. His hair was rumpled in the most adorable way
with that one troublesome lock still hanging helplessly past his brow.
His expression was one of slight concern, but mostly of peace
and serenity.
She couldn’t help but melt at the picture that he made.
Trying not to make any sudden movements, she turned her body
enough that she could reach the remote control. When she had successfully
grabbed it, she turned off the tape player and the television and set
the control back on the bedside table. She then lay back down on top
of the bed covers. It took her a mere instant to realize that the man
next to her had no blanket to cover his clothed self with. Sitting up
one final time, she grabbed the extra blanket at the foot of the bed
and pulled it up over both her and the man.
~~~
I know we’re different but,
deep inside us
We’re not that different at all
~~~
It didn’t seem like she had been asleep very long -and she hadn’t
been- when she woke up again. A chill had run through her body and
ugly memories from a mere couple hours ago had resurfaced. Both of
these things had caused her skin to turn cold. She pulled the blanket
more securely around her shoulders, but that wasn’t enough. She was
still shivering.
Then she noticed the heat emanating from the body lying next to
her.
His whole body, not just his head, had now turned in her
direction as he lay on his side. His face still had that one-in-a-million
look to it. She just couldn’t resist. She carefully slid her body
towards him, allowing their legs to touch. With one more daring look at
his face, she rest her head on top of his outstretched arm, tucking it
right in-between his chin and shoulder.
His reaction was immediate.
Feeling a body come in contact with him, he sub-consciously
pressed himself a little closer to the form. Once the gap between the two
had vanished, he continued by curling his once outstretched arm so that
it wrapped around her shoulders. His took his other arm, the one that
he wasn’t lying on top of, and moved it to rest on the girl’s waist.
Then, he gave her a tender squeeze and fell completely back into
unconsciousness.
The girl sighed in complete contentment. Now that she had her
warmth (and a lot of it! ^_^), she followed the man into a comforting
sleep.
~~~
Don’t listen to them
‘Cause what do they know
We need each other, to have, to hold
They’ll see in time
I know
~~~
Morning came way too early for the pair. The sun was shining
brightly through the man’s balcony door. The same balcony door
through which the moon had been sending its tendrils just moments
before. The man was the first of the two to wake.
He moaned in disapproval at the garish light of day. The moan
quickly turned into a gasp of surprise as he realized that he was not
alone in his bed. He cautiously opened his eyes and noticed a mop of
blonde hair resting in the crook of his shoulder. Connected to the
head was a small, feminine body. He suppressed another gasp when he
realized just who it was laying next to him. The memories of the past
hours decided to choose that moment to return to him. ‘I must have
fallen asleep during the movie. But still, how did she end up...?’
He gazed back down at her face and his thought fell to nothingness.
The first thing to meet his gaze was a deep gash above her left
eyebrow. The second thing was a large bruise going all the way from
her cheek to her neck. The third thing was the absolutely precious
expression on her face.
He smiled when he saw the third.
She looked so peaceful. ‘Quiet the accomplishment for her,
considering what happened last night.’ He shuddered from the disturbing
images that floated through his mind at the thought.
His shudder caused his hand to jerk a bit. This wouldn’t usually
be a problem except for the fact that this particular hand was resting
on a girl’s waist. She stirred from the movement. Nuzzling her head
so that it moved closer to the man’s neck, she brought one hand from
its clasped position in front of her chest to the small of his back.
She then squeezed him in a way that pressed her body right up against
his, similar to what he had done to her a mere three hours before.
Once he was sure that she hadn’t awoken, he let out the breath
he had been holding. He let a content smile work its way onto his face.
How could he not smile? He had just woken up to a warm bed, a sunny day,
and a beautiful woman sleeping beside him.
~~~
When destiny calls you
You must be strong
I may not be with you
But you’ve got to hold on
~~~
She was furious, absolutely furious. The three other girls
standing around her were quite aware of this fact. They just rolled their
eyes and yawned. Old habits die hard. Though, the girl’s fury was
slightly justified *this time*. The absent member of the group had been
acting even more strangely than usual. She had made no phone calls, no
check-ins with the communicator, and -though she was not known for
her academic skills- she hadn’t even shown up for school that day.
That didn’t keep the black-haired girl from getting angry, however.
The habitual truant was *still* late, regardless of everything else
that led most to believe that the girl was sick.
The strange thing is that the missing girl wasn’t at home. "She’s
probably at the arcade, playing ‘Sailor V’ instead of laying in bed
at home getting better." That was what the black-haired girl had
immediately concluded. So, now, the four girls were on their way to the
aforementioned arcade.
The blue-haired member of the group shot her head up from her
trigonometry book when she heard a deep growl of anger coming from
her friend. She took a glance at her friend and saw steam come out of
her ears. Then, she took a glance at the unfortunate recipient of her
friend’s temper. She sighed helplessly when she saw a blonde beauty
seated on a stool at the counter.
The next thing she knew, her book was laying face-down on the
ground.
The scream that erupted from her black-haired friend had scared
her half to death. Now, as she glanced over at the counter she let out a
small gasp. The poor blonde was being held by her collar by the
black-haired girl. The unsuspecting victim’s chest was heaving with
quick, frightened breaths. Her captor didn’t seem to care; she continued
to glare at her prey with annoyed eyes.
As soon as it had started, it was over.
Chiba Mamoru, saint that he was, had pried the assailant’s hands
off of the victim. With another flick of the wrist, he also pushed the
black-haired girl a few feet away from the blonde. Mizuno Ami, the
blue-haired observer, then witnessed one of the most hate-filled
glares that she would ever see. The glare was not, however, coming
from her black-haired friend Hino Rei. It was coming from Chiba-san,
who was now standing protectively in front of a shaking, blonde
Tsukino Usagi.
~~~
They’ll see in time
I know
We’ll show them together
~~~
Rei gave a hiss and was about to take a step towards Usagi, but
when she glanced up at Mamoru’s stare she set her foot back down on the
ground. Positive that nobody was going to make another move, Mamoru
turned around to face Usagi. The girl’s body was still shaking from the
surprising encounter and her eyes were as wide as could be. Without
hesitation and without giving a second thought to the many people that
were watching him, Mamoru gathered Usagi up in a comforting hug.
Usagi was quick to wrap her arms tightly around his neck. She
waited a moment for her heart to slow down, then, she slowly slipped from
Mamoru’s arms. She walked up to Rei and rest a hand on the priestess’
shoulder. Usagi then gave a pained smile to her friends, walked back
over to Mamoru, grabbed his hand and left the arcade.
The senshi were struck speechless. What had just happened? The
rest of the arcade took a moment to ponder that question before they gave
up and went back to their previous activities. The four girls didn’t
move from their positions in front of the arcade door for a long time.
Motoki just smiled.
~~~
Oh, you’ll be in my heart
No matter what they say
You’ll be here in my heart, always
Always
~~~
Usagi finally stopped walking when she and Mamoru reached the
end of the dock in the park. She took a seat. Mamoru joined her seconds
later. Not much else happened between the two for a good twenty
minutes.
A baby bird gave some distressed chirps at the end of a branch
while its mother hovered in the air just out of reach. The lake rippled
as a small breeze brushed its surface. Blades of grass were pushed out
of the way as a mallard made its way back to the water. The sun spat
fire into the blue sky as it began to make its slow decent behind the
hills.
Mamoru wrapped his arm around Usagi’s shoulders and leaned her
against him. She smiled and dragged her eyes up to meet his. She would
never get tired of the love that shown in those eyes. He carefully
brought his fingertips to her cheek. She closed her eyes in bliss. She
would never get tired of the softness of his touch. A warm feeling swept
through her body as his lips claimed hers’. He tasted her slowly, before
pressing his lips against hers’ more firmly. She would never get tired
of his sweet kisses.
No words were spoken for a long time.
No words were needed.
Only silence.
Silence...
The End
-------------
It's...different. I know. It just kind of came
out like that. I hope you enjoyed it despite
its not-so-happy subject material and the
odd ways that I made things progress. ^-^
Please send ANY comments to me, Sereko. My e-mail is:
princess-serenity@rocketmail.com
(
geocities.com/sereko13)