When you Wake Up By: Tenshi no Nozomi (tenshi_no_nozomi@hotmail.com) Disclaimer: I don’t own Sailor Moon, or Weiss Kreuz. I’m not making any profit off of writing this, but the plot line is mine! Bwahahahahaa!.

Dedication: To Gakkuri Naishinnou and Sweet Kawaii Angel for pre-reading this for me. ^^ You guys are the best!! Warnings: fluff, references to adult situations, some explicit language, shoujo ai (Haruka x Michiru), silliness, slight angst, OOC-ness abound, and a one-shot. There are probably some plot holes… but oh well. Just don’t think to hard on the stuff. ^^

Pairings: Aya (Ran)/Usagi AN: Okay… well, normally I don’t like this pairing. It gets done a lot (I think) and Aya (Ran, whatever) isn’t my favorite character. But when I got the idea for this, I knew that I had to do it. >.< Gah. That’s the way I am. So, anyway, enjoy. Oh, yeah.. their ages.. Usagi and Ran are 22. Screw the proper ages. >,< Stuff that’s in bold is stressed, stuff in //blah, blah, blah// are mental thoughts (changed it for this time, oh well), “blah, blah, blah” is regular speech… you get the picture. *----------------------------------------------* “Well, there’s no doubt about it. You’re sick, Ran,” she said with a note of formality as she looked down at the thermometer in her hands. She sighed and shook her head to herself. “If you get me sick, too, I’ll never forgive you.” The only reply she got was a groan. Ran’s head felt like it was exploding. It was throbbing insanely, and he just wished that everything in the world would stop until he got better. Now if only things worked that way.. Usagi stepped back into the room, and shook her head. “There, there, it’s just the flu. You’ll be better in no time,” she said, handing him a glass of water and a few pills. “In the mean time, you need to stay home, get your fluids up, and rest.” Ran’s eyes popped open, and he stared at her, ignoring the drink and medicine. “Stay home,” he managed to croak out in question. He couldn’t stay home today, whether he felt good or not. There was a good chance that Manx was going to stop by today with an important mission. “You didn’t really think that you were going to go to work today, did you,” Usagi asked him, her blue eyes wide and amazed. “I didn’t see a reason not to,” he replied, struggling to sit up. The covers felt like they weighed a ton, and Ran had to fight back a wave of dizziness. Usagi helped him up and studied his face closely. “Ran, please be reasonable. You’re sick, and if you go to work today you’ll over exert yourself. Just lay back down and take your medicine, and you’ll be better in no time.” He shook his head, dismissing the idea. He replaced the glass of water on the bed side table- on a coaster, of course- and set the pills beside it. “I don’t need the medicine. I’ll be just fine.” He got out of the bed, sheets trailing behind him. Usagi’s eyes widened even further, and she stood up, going after him as he walked toward the bathroom. “Oh, but Ran”- she began, but got no further as he slammed the bathroom door in her face. Usagi sighed, feeling put out. Just why did he have to be so stubborn? *--------------------------* Ran could not remember an occasion where he had felt quite so bad. Sure, he’d been sick as a child, but it had been years since his last illness. //Assassins shouldn’t get sick,// he thought to himself almost glumly as he stripped out of his night clothes As Ran padded across the cold tile, he decided that December was the month he hated the most. The cold that chilled even the apartment, all of the damned Poinsettias, and the horrible choking crowds in the shop. It wouldn’t be so bad, but all of the fan girls tended to choke out a fair amount of the actual profitable business. If it weren’t for the fact that it was just a cover-up job… Ran turned on the shower, and instantly pulled his hand back from the water- much too cold. He hissed as he whacked his funny bone on the edge of the sliding door, and grumbled a few choice words under his breath. The tingling sensation died away, and Ran fumbled with the temperature of the water until he got it around his comfort zone. He then entered the stall, slid the door shut behind him, and allowed the gentle spray of water droplets to wash away the light layer of sweat his fever had induced from his skin. He raised his face to the onslaught of the water drops, allowing them to patter on his flesh like warm rain droplets. A soft sigh escaped his lips. He really didn’t feel well, but there was work to be done, and since it was nearing Christmas time, there would be an even bigger crowd than usual- someone had to be there to force out the fan girls. Ran grabbed the soap, and quickly lathered and washed himself off, thinking to himself. Even if he DID stay home, he’d never hear the end of it from Yohji. The man had gotten it into his head at one point or another that Ran wasn’t human, and once Yohji started in on you, there was no way of shutting him up. Ran shook his head, and let the water droplets that resided at the end of his fiery tresses splatter off in all directions. He bent over and picked up the shampoo-and-conditioner-in-one- and was fairly surprised by ita heft . //She must have bought a new bottle,// he thought to himself. How she’d known he was running low, he couldn’t ever figure out. She always used different things than him- brightly colored bottles and mixtures that were pricey enough to make him wince. And that was only shampoo and conditioner- you’d think that with all of her bath products there wouldn’t be a germ or rough, dead skin cell on her entire body. Really, though, it was the little things like this that made him appreciate her being around. Ran hated to go shopping for just about anything, and Usagi had an uncanny ability to figure out just what was best for who and what a person needed. Ran closed his eyes as he gently rubbed the formula in and allowed it to soak for a few minutes before rinsing it out. Once more he tossed his head, only he figured he must have done it a bit sharply, because for a moment he became too dizzy to stand up without leaning against the wall. Ran turned the water off, and prepared for the blast of cold that he would have to deal with when he stepped out. Still, he wasn’t prepared for that first icy shock- it seemed stronger than it should have been. He cursed as he wrapped a towel around his waist, and quickly dried his hair off. Ran stepped over the fogged up mirror, and rubbed away some of the condensation. He was faced with a blurry image of himself. His still-wet red hair hung unruly. His amethyst eyes stared back at him, seeming to ask him why he bothered looking; he knew what he looked like. Ran toweled his hair again, and ran a comb through it. It had been under Usagi’s insistence that he do it, saying that only little children ran around with uncombed hair- even though by the end of the day it was always mussed up. The edges of his mouth twitched and threatened to curve into a smile. He quickly squashed that down. Emotion was definitely out of the question- it was bad enough that Usagi managed to force it out of him at home, but he refused to lose his reputation at work. Ran finished drying off and got dressed- first his boxers, and then a loose but comfortable sweater. It was soft and thick despite it, just the way he liked sweaters to be. Ran stared at it for a moment- this was the sweater that Usagi’s mother had made for him, right before everything had fallen apart. When Aya-chan was still awake.. Ran brushed the thoughts aside, and pulled the sweater over his head and onto his body. He pulled on a pair of jeans and then his socks- no more cold tile floors for him. Ran stepped out of the closet, and then exited the bathroom, and made his way toward the kitchen. Neither of them was much of a breakfast person, but Usagi always sat down and had her tea and a banana when she had the time. She said she was compensating for all of the breakfasts she had missed in her childhood. Even now, Usagi couldn’t cook to save her life. She could nuke things in the microwave and boil things, but when it went beyond that, things got dangerous. The one thing that her mother had taught her to do right, though, was make tea. It wouldn’t have seemed like that big of a deal, but considering Usagi’s inability to cook, it was amazing. Especially when you considered that she didn’t use the packets you could buy in stores. No, she made her own powdered blends that she put in the tea strainer. He had been doubtful the first time he’d tried her tea, back when Aya-chan was still awake. The last time he’d tried any thing she’d cooked, he’d spent half of the night throwing it back up. However, he’d managed to become addicted to her tea, and he couldn’t start a day without it, now. He took a single glance at her, out of the corner of his eyes. She was dressed in a black, loose fitting sweater herself, with a cream colored cat done manga style with a small, yellow bell. With her sweater she wore a matching skirt that looked pleated like a school girl’s outfit ((AN: Think Ms. Mistuki or whatever her name was from Card Captor Sakura)). Her hair was in its usual style, and she was completely ready for work, besides the fact that her shoes, cute little mittens, and coat were at the door. It was probably her fault he’d gotten sick, anyway- those kids at her day care center were always coming in with runny noses and a few times with fevers. “Ran… why are you dressed? You’re not going to work today” she told him sternly as he poured himself a cup from the kettle. “Hn,” was the only response he gave to her, sipping on the tea. He closed his eyes, and stood there for a minute, allowing the silence to seep in while she was still shocked and to inhale the smell. “Ran, I mean it,” she said, starting to get up. He sighed to himself, and finished up his tea quicker than he would have liked to. He promptly started toward the door, taking long, quick strides across the carpeted floor. *-----------------------------* Usagi stared after him, mouth almost agape. She couldn’t remember the last time he had not bothered to even grunt at her. He knew that she always threw a fit when he acted like she didn’t exist. Usagi knew better than to throw herself onto him and to be clingy. Ran wasn’t who he used to be- before Aya-chan’s accident. He was colder now, and even though they lived together, there was a wall that even she couldn’t breach inside of him. So she knew better than to nag or to be insistent in most cases, like the old Usagi would have been. Ran simply didn’t put up with that anymore. But she hated to be ignored over anything in the world, especially by him. Usagi set her cup of tea down hard, and some of the still hot liquid splashed on her hand, burning her and adding to her anger. She knocked her chair back in her haste, and started after him. “Fujimiya Ran! Get your ass back here,” she yelled as she strode quickly after him. She nearly stumbled into him in the hall, and although it threw her a bit off, she was pleased to see that she’d managed to get through to him. “Ran, why won’t you ever listen to me,” she began. “You never do, I might as well be mute! Is it so much to ask that you stay home for one day and rest so that you can get well instead of spreading the flu to all of your co-workers?” She stood there, fists balled, trying not to feel inferior even as his height and cool demeanor loomed over her. Usagi fought to stay angry with him, even as he stared at her with those dispassionate amethyst eyes. //You used to have such pretty eyes.. I suppose they’re still beautiful, but they’re so icy. I want the old Ran back..// Usagi hadn’t realized that her expression had changed. When she did, it was already too late. Her anger had collapsed, and her eyes that had been narrowed were now softened, but she had assumed a lost and sad look. In fact, her eyes were burning with tears that were obscuring her vision and threatened to over-flow and spill down her cheeks. Usagi turned away from him, not wanting him to see her if she actually did cry. He had to carry enough burdens on his shoulders, now. //Stupid odango atama.. why do you always have to cry over the stupidest, smallest things?// “Fine, go. Do what you want- you would have, anyway.” Usagi couldn’t chase the bitterness out of her voice- when Usagi cried, really cried, she wasn’t able to hold back things like that. Usagi started to walk away from him- her tea was getting cold, and the day was getting steadily worse. She felt like crawling back in bed. Before she could get very far, though, she was caught in a tight embrace. Usagi closed her eyes, and allowed herself to just feel. She could smell the scent of his shampoo and the soap he used, along with the slightest smell of cologne. Her chest tightened further, and she allowed herself to enjoy the embrace. She always felt safe in his arms on those rare occasions when he hugged her anymore. Not only safe, though- her parents made her feel safe when they hugged her, just like her friends could. But with Ran… she always had this feeling like she was coming home after a long time of being away. Slowly, though, he released her. His touch lingered across her; the nostalgia that she felt for more of his embrace was horrible. Usagi said nothing, however, and didn’t turn around. Displays of affection were rare with him, and on the rare times that he did show her cared, he always became twice as somber as before afterward. So she just allowed herself to listen to the sounds of him pulling on his shoes and his jacket. There was a moment of silence before he opened the door, and closed it with a soft click. Only then did she turn around and allow herself to cross over to the door. After a moment’s hesitation, Usagi looked out the small window by the door, pulling back the curtains gently. She could see him walking down the stairs to his car, oblivious to the fact that she was watching him. Usagi watched him pull out and drive off, and released the curtain with a sigh. //We’re all bleeding inside, aren’t we, Ran?// *------------------------* He hated seeing her cry. He always had- it was like watching a piece of him die. She had always been a very gentle person, ready to please just about everyone. She’d gotten used to people using her for that, so she put up a tougher front when it was something that she really believed in. Ran couldn’t remember the last time she’d said something like that- he’d been so shocked, he’d frozen in his tracks. She’d started off yelling at him, and then she’d petered off. She’d looked so lost that it broke something in him. She’d tried not to cry around him- that’s the way she was. He didn’t know why, but if she didn’t want to tell him on her own, then it was none of his business. So he’d tried to make her feel better by hugging her. He knew that she always enjoyed hugs, sometimes more than kisses, though he rarely gave them to her. The problem was, once he had her in his arms, he knew he was vulnerable again- vulnerable to the pain that came with love. He had felt that old, familiar feeling- that sweet and tender aching in his chest becoming an almost physical pain. And then he would end up crushing her to him, trying to get some satiation and make the feeling stop. It was intoxicating, because it felt like no matter how close he was to her, he was always too far away- as though their own skin represented a barrier. Ran hadn’t wanted to make himself vulnerable again. He’d sworn to himself a dozen times that he wouldn’t let anyone else in his heart. Somehow, though, she’d managed to worm her way in when he wasn’t looking. And now.. he was addicted to her, although he’d never tell anyone else that. Ran sighed. He was vulnerable in more ways than one- someone might go after her, or she could find out his secret. If Usagi ever found that out, she would never be able to forgive him. Ran shook his head. She COULDN’T find out. If she did.. Pulling up at the Koneko, he could see that already a crowd was building. At that moment, he wished that he HAD taken those pills- he was certain he was going to have a horrible headache by the end of the day. Besides, he already had one. //It’s going to be a long day..// *-------------------------* It was nice to be treated to a free lunch every once and a while, Usagi decided, even if she couldn’t pig out the way she had once. It was especially nice since she could order the most expensive item on the menu without having to worry if she was puncturing the other person’s income. Lunches with Michiru and Haruka were nice, and always so much more relaxed than the ones with the inners. Sure, she loved them for all their quirks, but even Usagi was growing up now. Peace and quiet was nice, now. The café wasn’t empty, but not full, either. The noise around her was soft and lulling, rather than loud and appalling. The atmosphere was laid back, and so were her companions. Haruka was dressed in a man’s work shirt and pants, while Michiru was dressed in jeans and a turtle neck. “So, how have you been, Usagi? No problems with your.. ‘room mate,’ I hope,” Michiru said, half joking as she sipped on her tea. Haruka made a snorting noise, and Usagi smiled. “No, not really…” Usagi decided to be vague with her answer. There really wasn’t any need to delve into their relationship. “Not really,” Michiru echoed, sitting forward. “ He hasn’t been moving to fast on you, has he?” Usagi blushed furiously this time, and shook her head ‘no’ frantically. Haruka, however, hadn’t seen this, and choked on her drink. “I’ll kill him,” she rasped out, already standing up. Usagi laughed. “Haruka, Michiru! No.. No, Ran’s not that kind of person,” Usagi said, taking a sip of her own drink. Ah, the blessings of caffeine. Tea was nice, but it was caffeine that got her through the day. “Ah. Too, slow then,” Michiru asked, smiling slyly. This time, it wasn’t just Haruka who snorted her drink out her nose. “Michiru,” she complained, wiping up the table in front of her up with disgust, “you’ve seriously got to stop- you’re a hazard to our health.” Michiru smiled sweetly. “So that is the problem, then,” Michiru said. Usagi opened her mouth to object, blushing fire engine red, but Michiru was continuing. “I was just kidding you, hime. However, you might seriously think about going all of the way”- Michiru was broken off by Usagi’s screech of shock and mortification. Haruka growled. “If Koneko doesn’t want to do something like that, then she shouldn’t. And you shouldn’t be saying stuff like that!” Michiru stifled a giggle. “As you say, Haruka..” Usagi caught a look from Michiru that clearly said that the discussion wasn’t quite over yet- just in front of Haruka, it was. “No, I just.. I don’t think that’s a wise move. Neither of us are prepared emotionally,” Usagi said softly, staring down at her napkin. She didn’t really want to be talking about this, and suddenly the napkin looked interesting. “What do you mean, Usagi?” Usagi looked up momentarily from her lap and then down again. “We-we’re just not, you know, ready for that yet. I’m not ready for it, at least. There are too many consequences…” “Not if you use the proper protection,” began Michiru, who was quickly silenced yet again by Haruka. “You shouldn’t feel rushed into anything you don’t want to do. If he tries anything that you don’t like, tell me, Koneko. I’ll teach him to be a gentleman,” Haruka growled. Usagi sweat dropped. “You don’t understand, Ran’s just… not that kind of person. He wouldn’t do that. He still hurts too much inside,” She finished, feeling sad again. She was talking about Ran’s burden that he carried in his heart, the one that over shadowed everything else. “Hurts,” Michiru questioned, her eyes having lost their playfulness and looking dead serious now. “Hai.. well, his sister.. she’s still in a coma, you know. And, well.. I think he’s still afraid of loving anyone. Inside… I don’t know, he hides things. But I don’t think that he’s ready for anything more than what we already have, either.” There was silence at the table for a few minutes, and Michiru looked sympathetic, though Haruka… “So, what, does he have a sister complex or something,” Haruka asked. Usagi winced- the words sounded almost harsh. “Well… at least a little bit of one. But she was such a wonderful, wonderful person. You’d have had to have known her..” :: Flashback :: Usagi ate her ice cream happily as Aya studied a text book. Strawberry was her favorite flavor… well, besides cookie dough. But nothing in the whole-wide world could beat cookie dough ice cream. “Usagi, do you understand these problems,” Aya asked, interrupting Usagi from her reverie. The girl was about a year younger than Usagi, but was in the advanced math class. Since there had been no more slots left for her but she’d been so intelligent, they’d allowed her to join a regular class room that was filled with upper classmen. Some of the others had picked on her- and only her first day! Some people didn’t have any class- so Usagi had taken the younger girl under her wing. They younger girl had asked Usagi to take her to one of the popular spots among the students, so Usagi had taken her to the new- and Negaverse free, thank goodness- ice cream parlor. Usagi giggled nervously. “Not a clue. I’m almost failing that class, ya know.” Aya looked up at her with wide eyes that seemed to echo what Usagi’d just said. Usagi giggled again, and said, “Yep. Math’s just about my weakest subject.” “Usagi, promise me you won’t fail,” the younger girl demanded suddenly, clasping her hand that held her ice cream cone. “If you fail, then we won’t be in the same class next year,” the girl insisted. Usagi sweat dropped. “It wouldn’t necessarily be a sure thing, anyway. Hey, watch out, you’re squeezing my hand too tightly”- It was too late, however, and the cone cracked and ice cream dribbled down everywhere- onto Aya’s hand, Usagi’s hand, on the table, and… on Aya’s homework. “Oh, no,” Aya screeched. “My homework!!” She frantically attempted to clean up her paper while Usagi threw her cone away and wiped her hand off with a napkin. “Anything salvageable,” she asked, feeling bad for the younger girl. The girl looked more than glum- she looked heart broken. “I tried to tell you,” she said, feeling horribly guilty. The younger girl looked up at her, her eyes sad. “Ah, uhm, please don’t cry! It’s just homework”- Unfortunately, that did set her off. Usagi couldn’t help but feel frantic- she’d just met the girl, and didn’t know her well enough to be able to comfort her. “Anno.. anno, Aya-san”- The girl was really working up a storm over there, and a few people were staring now. //I didn’t mean to make her cry,// she thought frantically. //If Ami were here, then..// “Th-that’s it! Ami-chan,” Usagi said, suddenly popping up, the light bulb above her head reaching full potential. Aya instantly stopped crying to give Usagi a strange look. She just giggled in return. “Ami-chan can help you on homework- with her helping you, you’ll be done in no time, Aya-san!” “You really think so,” the younger girl looked at her, letting out one last sniffle. “I know so! Ami-chan’s a genius, and I just know she’ll help you. You might even have another friend,” Usagi added, giving the girl an encouraging grin and wink. The girl gave her a radiant smile, and packed her things back into her bag. “All right then, lead the way!” And so Usagi did- wondering all the while just what had happened, and if she had been tricked somehow. :: End flashback :: Usagi was thoughtful and silent for a moment, as she absorbed the emotional impact that memory had on her before letting it go. “She just… had this way with people, of bringing out the best in them. She was a bit manipulative and a bit spoiled, but she was very sweet, and she never did anything to hurt anyone…” Usagi sighed; her day was looking a whole lot less bright now. Michiru and Haruka exchanged glances while Usagi wasn’t looking, and prepared to change the subject when their food came. “Ah, Koneko! The food’s here. Be sure to leave some room for desert, huh,” the racer teased. Usagi smiled back, her previous outlook completely forgotten- food always made her feel that way. The waiter placed the plate of steaming hot food in front of her, and Usagi prepared to eat- but was promptly interrupted by the ringing of her cell phone. Usagi leaned over in her chair and fished around for the shrill, persistent little phone until she found it. She pressed the talk button, not bothering to see who the call was from. She had a bad feeling about it, anyway. “Moshi, moshi- Tsukino Usagi speaking.” There was a moment’s silence as Usagi listened the person on the other end of the line, pausing to nod her head and said ‘hai’ or ‘oh’ every once in a while. “Hai, I see. I’ll be over there as soon as I can. .. Bai bai,” she said, finally hanging up with a sigh. Usagi nearly threw her phone back into her purse, pouting. She could feel both of her friends’ questioning gazes on her as she stood up and prepared to leave. “That was one of the young men that work with Ran,” Usagi explained. “They say Ran collapsed, and that he’s burning up.” Usagi smiled apologetically. “I’m really sorry about this, but they really need me to pick him up now- and so does he, even if he won’t admit it. Maybe we can try again another day,” she asked hopefully, looking at both older women with almost-pleading eyes. “No problem, Koneko. Another time- but don’t forget to scold him for us,” Haruka added just as their princess headed for the door quickly. “When she was describing that girl, Aya,” Michiru commented abstractedly as she munched on her salad, “it sounded almost as though she were describing herself. What do you think, Haruka?” “I think she’s going to be hungry later- let’s take her food to go and go by their place later. I want to meet the guy, anyway.” //We’ll see if he’s good enough for Koneko or not…// Michiru just laughed in response. *-----------------------* They were making a big deal out of nothing. It had hardly been anything. So what if he’d fallen and smacked himself good on the counter? If he was going to be so clumsy, then he deserved to. Still, even as he was giving everyone in the shop death glares, he felt like just closing his eyes and letting the whole world slip away. The day had started off badly- he’d already had one hell of a headache to be begin with, but around nine o’clock or so he’d started getting the chills. By eleven o’clock, his head was hammering so hard he’d wanted to chop it right off, and he was alternating from being over-heated to freezing. And before his lunch break, he’d wished that he was at home in bed with the covers on him and pain killers. His preference would have been to have his Usagi at home with him, either snuggling in the bed with him or just looking after him. The thoughts had been so tempting.. Of course, he tried to feign that he wasn’t in any sort of discomfort. It had even worked, though both Ken and Yohji had been suspicious, up till when he’d blacked out momentarily. It hadn’t been bad enough that he’d done it in front of his team mates, though. No, he had to do it in front of the fan girls. So while his companions had been attempting to drag him off to give him air and see if he was all right, the girls had been arguing over who would give him mouth-to-mouth. Good grief. To top it off, they called Usagi. They just had to- said something about getting him home so that he could rest the way he should have been. It was about lunch time, and Usagi loved food. She was going to be so pissed that he’d made her miss it, that he was almost a dead man for sure. Strangely enough, despite all of that, he was glad that they’d called her. He wanted to see her right now, to be in her care.. He almost visibly cringed; he wasn’t supposed to think thoughts as girlish and sensitive as that. But he did, he wanted it horribly even though he’d never say. So he sat there behind the counter trying not to shiver as he waited for her to come to pick him up. *---------------------------* Usagi sighed as she got out of her car in front of the shop. She could see a rather large crowd gathered inside the shop- surely it hadn’t been that bad? The young man on the phone had just said that he’d knocked his head on the desk.. Worriedly, Usagi hurried to the entrance.. to find that she couldn’t get any further. Usagi stared at the almost-entirely female crowd in front of her. //What on earth is going on here,// she thought, utterly bewildered. Usagi shifted places, and glimpsed upon the sight of one boy with brown hair who looked rather nervous with the situation. The people in front of her switched as well, and Usagi further changed her position. This time, she spied a honey haired and lanky looking man, but his back was toward her. // Getting through this crowd is going to take a miracle,// Usagi decided, trying to figure out how to best go about this. She could either try forcefulness, or ask to be let ahead. In either case, the prospects didn’t look too fruitful. The crowd shifted again, this time people were leaving. Usagi promptly parked herself there. She still couldn’t hardly see anything. //Sheesh… how do these people deal with a crowd like this?// “Ah, it’s our lunch break, minna-san! Please leave, we’ll be closed for an hour.” There were groans from the women around her, but the crowd was instantly diminished. Usagi watched the last of it thin out totally, pleased. Of course, that attitude didn’t last. Usagi was torn between wanting to baby Ran versus beating the rest of the pulp out of him for not listening to her. A painful-looking purple egg had formed on his forehead, he looked horribly pale- even more so than usual- and his jacket was wrapped around him. All in all, he looked absolutely miserable. With all that considered, it was Usagi’s sympathetic side that won out. She started forward, intent on bundling him up and getting him out of there, but was interrupted. “Anno, miss, we’re closed now. You’ll have to come back after lunch.” It was the same brunette who had made the announcement earlier, and Usagi blinked at him while he shifted uneasily from foot to foot. “You mean you don’t want me to pick him up,” she asked, pointing to the currently sleeping Ran. “..Tsukino-san,” the boy asked, sounding both hopeful and relieved. His chocolate brown eyes lit up slightly, turning to a light golden. There wasn’t anything abnormal or striking about him- he had the ‘boy next door’ kind of look, but he seemed nice enough. Usagi nodded. “The one and only.” Usagi faced Ran again and sighed. “I’m sorry if he caused you any trouble, but he never listens to me. I might as well be a mute..” She began to untie his apron, storing away the fact that it was carnation pink and frilly for later. “So he gives you that crap, too,” asked the honey-haired man from over by the register where he was lounging and smoking a cigarette. Usagi faced, in taking in the front of the main. He looked even taller now, and rather ridiculous with the pink apron on. His dark golden hair was pulled up in a small ponytail, and his emerald eyes twinkled with something akin to mischief. “Sadly enough,” Usagi said with a sigh and a shake of her head. Usagi looked back at Ran, where he sat fast asleep- from the looks of it. “What am I going to do with you,” she mused to herself. “We’ll help you get him to your car,” the brunette volunteered. Usagi smiled sweetly back at him. “That would be wonderful, Mr..?” The blonde threw away his cigarette and crossed over to where the red head was sleeping. “He’s Hidaka Ken, and I’m Kudou Yohji. Pleasure to meet you, miss.” Usagi smiled back, and watched both of the young men work together to get Ran out of his seat. The red head barely stirred and permitted himself to be dragged to the car. His jacket slipped off of him, and Usagi went back to collect it before she hurried back to the car. She hurriedly unlocked the doors and opened the door to allow the men to help her get Ran into the car. Usagi buckled her sleeping red head up and draped his jacket over his unconscious form before shutting his door. “Thanks again. He’s lucky to have such good friends,” she said, flashing them a sweet smile. “Have a nice day,” she said while she climbed into the car. She promptly buckled up and drove off. “She seemed nice enough,” Ken commented to no one in particular as they walked back inside the Koneko and locked up. “Saa. Aya has good taste.. Who’d have thought,” Yohji mused to himself while drawing out a cigarette. “Maybe she’ll do us all a favor and dislodge that stick that’s stuck up his ass..” He promptly lit up, a smirk drawing across his face. “Yohji-kun!” *-----------------------------* Usagi had a fair amount of trouble dragging Ran inside the house- she had to wake him up and attempt to keep him up, which was easier said than done. Once they were inside, Usagi was glad. It was so much warmer inside after the weather that she’d had to walk through out there. Usagi dragged Ran over to the nearest chair, not particularly caring if it was necessarily comfortable. She proceeded to take off his apron- which Usagi found to be a riot- and started to take off his boots. Before she could get any further, though, he was waking up. “..’Sagi,” he murmured softly in that confused and sick sounding voice of his. His throat sounded cracked and dry, and he’d probably had troubles breathing through his nose. “Hai, Ran. No worries, you’re home now,” she said, unlacing his other boot before pulling it off. She then crouched in front of him, adjusting her body so that she could look at him eye to eye. “Oh, Ran… why don’t you ever listen to me?” He just blinked at her blearily, and moaned in pain. Usagi shook her head. “Just wait here for a minute,” she told him, rushing off to get his water and pills that he’d refused to take that morning. With some effort, she managed to make him take them. “Usagi..” he murmured again, this time attempting to grab for her. He was too weak and too slow, though- she was out of his reach and hanging up his jacket. Usagi simply hushed him and pressed an ice pack to his head. “Shh, now. Come on, let’s put you to bed,” she said, hauling him to his feet. This time, he staggered with her down the hall, leaning on her heavily. They made it to the bedroom easier than if it had been just her, though that wasn’t to say they had no difficulties. Usagi laid him down in the bed, placing the covers on top of him and tucking him in. He looked up at her with those watery amethyst eyes, and Usagi leaned down to kiss him on his welt. “My poor, poor Ran-chan,” she said, assuming the old nickname without realizing that she had done so. Usagi ran her fingers through his soft, velvety but sweat-drenched hair. If he hadn’t improved by tomorrow, she’d take him to a doctor, she decided. // I should be mad at you.. You did make me miss my lunch, after all. But..// She noticed the look he was giving her- like he was begging her for something. Usagi leaned in close again, letting the tip of her nose touch his. “What’s wrong?” He blinked repeatedly, and by the way his eyes focused and unfocused crazily, he was ready to fall asleep. “Lay down with me..” His voice still sounded parched to her; he probably needed some more water.. but Usagi was too stunned to actually go and get any. Usagi was openly surprised by his request. She couldn’t ever remember a time when he had looked so helpless or needy. In fact, he’d never asked her to do anything like that before. It made her ache sweetly all over, appealing to the part of her that loved him beyond words- which was most of her, including the part of her that wanted to beat some sense into him. //Is he having fever-induced delusions,// she wondered to herself. Ran didn’t normally like snuggling, so it had to have something to do with his illness. //Or maybe,// she pondered, //this is how he really feels. Who would have known that all it would take to get close to him would be to get him sick?// “..please..?” He’d managed to grasp her hand, and was tugging on it gently. He was begging now. It made Usagi’s heart overflow with love and shatter like fine crystal. She hugged him tightly, satisfying that urge that had been building up to touch him tenderly. “All right. Let me get changed.” Usagi could feel Ran’s eyes on her as she went to the bathroom to change, watching her every move. //My poor, poor, stubborn Ran-chan..// *-------------------------------* Ran hadn’t realized he had fallen asleep. He had remembered feeling exhausted, but not so much that he would actually fall asleep. Now he felt woozy all over now, even worse than before, and sleep deprived to boot. When he had woken up, it had all been so much warmer than before. Warm and comfortable.. It had taken him a few minutes, but he had figured out that he had somehow gotten to the apartment. He had felt something tugging at his feet, and he had looked down… and there she had been, Usagi, removing his shoes. Ran couldn’t remember at the moment if Usagi had ever been sick while they had been together. If she had been, though, he knew that he hadn’t taken care of her like that. He hated himself for it. He’d murmured her name, trying to get rid of the horrible sleepiness- not to mention that taste in his mouth. She had just gotten him his painkillers and a glass of water. So he tried again, this time reaching out to try and grab her. If he only had, he would have reeled her in, and they probably would have fallen asleep in that chair. As it was, she had already been out of his reach and hanging up his coat. She had pressed an ice pack to his head momentarily to help ease the pain of his mostly-self-inflicted bruise. She had silenced him in that loving way that only she could manage, and he allowed her to take her to the bedroom. He leaned heavily on her, dragging his feet on the carpet, feeling like he weighed a ton. And then she had laid him down in the bed they shared and tried to comfort him. He’d wanted to touch her so desperately, to give back to her what she was sharing with him. He had begged her to lay down with him, feeling the softness of the bed swallow him. Ran knew that he couldn’t stay up for much longer, the need to sleep was too powerful. But he didn’t want to be alone.. Now she was changing, and he was going to fall asleep before she got back. He struggled desperately, fighting off the sleep that threatened to send him off to wonderland. He wondered if he’d ever been so tired.. Maybe, when he was dragging himself in after a mission, to the bed where he would promptly collapse into the softness and against her. He knew that she was aware that there was something going on that she didn’t know about. He knew that she worried about it- her eyes told him that in the morning. She worried about him and their relationship, questioned if it was dying. But she never asked, never pried. //So trusting..// Yes, that was Usagi. Trusting and loving no matter what. She was loyal no matter what you did to her, and it took a real job to make her finally leave. It was her faith in people that kept her in relationships for so long that couldn’t possibly work. Ran wanted it to work out, deep down. He didn’t want her to leave, because he’d be lonely again. Lonely and alone. And he didn’t want to hurt her, not like that other one had. When he had first met Usagi, he had thought that his sister was crazy. All he had seen to her was that crazy, irresponsible side. Over time, though, he’d learned to see past it. The person inside of Usagi was different than the one she had made herself out to be. The ‘reckless rebel’ was actually very sensitive- most times, if you did say anything belittling to her, you were breaking her heart while she shot a remark back at you. He had learned that first off- the first time he had teased her during that ‘time of the month’ had resulted in more tears than he’d ever seen. And they weren’t those horrible crocodile tears that both girls gave off when they wanted something. Those tears had been real, had been heartfelt. He had touched a nerve deep in her without trying to, and had set her off. Aya had sent him glares for a week for that. An honest mistake, and he got punished for it. It had been that time, though, that he had decided to figure out just what was really under the blonde’s mask. He’d slowly pieced things together- Usagi never really insulted anyone or did anything hurtful. If she thought turning down food that she didn’t like or made her sick was rude, then she’d eat it anyway and then ask for seconds. She was always trying to be helpful, most times ending up getting in the way. If you yelled at her, you hurt her but made her twice as determined as before. And she had an undying faith in the goodness in people. She was the kind of person to give her change over to a known druggie during lunch when he said he had no money, no questions asked. It hadn’t taken all that much for him to fall head over heels for her. And once he had, it had stuck to him. He remembered Aya’s face when he had kissed Usagi during Christmas- Usagi had blushed, and promptly avoided him the whole night, face never cooling down. While he had blamed it on the strategically placed Mistletoe, Aya had just been smirking and all-knowing. She’d probably seen it coming- had probably purposely pushed them together. Even after Aya-chan was hospitalized and she had found him, he had been unable to deny her request to continue their relationship. So she had moved in with him.. There was something undeniably special about her, that attracted the people around her to her. They were simple, mindless moths to her flame.. Although, to his knowledge, no one had been burned. The point was that there was something refreshing and sincere about her, while she was an odd blend of sorrow and joy inside. He was still attempting to understand her, but it was like she was encrypted.. The door to the bathroom opened, and Usagi came out in her oversized t-shirt, interrupting his fever-inspired thoughts. They slipped away and were forgotten at the sight of her, unwanted in her presence. She made him cold just watching her pad across the carpet. He laid there, fighting off the sleep that weighed down his eyelids and made his body weak. He waited semi-patiently for her to get into the bed and cover up before almost attacking her and drawing her close. He could smell the smell that was Usagi- a scent that Ran had come to love. Usagi looked surprised, but relaxed into his hold submissively. So he’d laid there with his angel in his arms, drifting steadily off to a sleep that he was fighting with all of his might. “Ran-chan… go to sleep,” came the stern yet soft order. He loved that nickname, really, even though he’d forced her to stop calling him by it. “I don’t,” he began, interrupted by a rather large yawn, “.. wanna.” She sat up now, looking him eye to eye. She was puzzled, he could tell. She looked drowsy, too- hair mussed up and coming undone. “Why not,” she asked, smoothing back the red locks of hair from his forehead with her cool fingers. Ran allowed himself to simply enjoy feeling of those cool fingers sliding through his hair and gently brushing against his burning flesh. “I just.. don’t.” He missed the gentle pressure from her body as it had lain across his chest. “Lay back down,” he murmured to her. She was quiet for a few minutes, watching him with those silvery blue eyes of hers. Sometimes he wondered just how much really she saw- sometimes he got the feeling that Usagi knew far more than she ever let on. “I wish you would,” she whispered, her blue eyes soft and sad while obviously worried. Ran looked at her for a moment, memorizing the fretful look in her eyes. He sighed; the need for sleep had returned stronger than before, and he didn’t like her to look so troubled.. “You won’t.. go anywhere?” “I’ll be here when you wake up. I promise.” Her voice was soft, but there was a note of truthfulness to it. She laid back down against him, curling up close to his warm and larger body. He nodded his head, pleased, and allowed himself to drift to sleep with a feeling of profound safety and protectiveness.. *-----------------------------------* :: Two hours later…:: Haruka knocked on the door, rather hard this time. “Haruka, dear, they must not be home..” “And where else would they be,” Haruka growled back, shifting Usagi’s boxed-up food in her arm. “He’s sick!” “Well, it’s possible that that was a cover story, and that really eloped and went off to Hawaii..,” Michiru teased with a wink. Haruka banged on the door harder. “That’s not funny,” she growled. “Koneko, open up,” she yelled at the top of her lungs. She continued banging on the door, harder than before. Michiru felt sorry for it, even if it was an inanimate object. “Haruka, you’re going to break down the door if you don’t quit it.” Michiru warned her koi. Sure enough, the door had already taken quite a beating, and it looked it, too. “I’m going to break more than just that,” the blonde growled. Finally, after receiving more abuse that should have been possible, the door caved in, and slammed open. “Kone”- Haruka began to yell again as she marched inside before Michiru hushed her. “Haruka! We just broke into hime’s apartment! Please, stop yelling.” The aqua haired senshi shook her head- as much as she loved Haruka, she was just like a boy sometimes, which had its definite downsides- mainly in the intelligence department. The aqua haired girl shook her head as she looked at the lock on the door- it was obviously broken, and Usagi wasn’t going to be exactly ‘happy’. Haruka grumbled and set the food down on the kitchen table while Michiru shut the door softly. “They must be here,” Michiru said. “Usagi’s shoes and purse are here, her car’s outside, and someone else’s shoes and coat is hung up.” “Probably ‘Ran’s,’” Haruka muttered. As much as she wanted Koneko to be happy, she didn’t like the idea of her living with some guy that none of them knew. She moved toward the bedroom, intent on locating Koneko. “Haruka,” hissed Michiru, following the taller girl. “We can’t just go snooping around. We should leave, and try coming back later.” Haruka looked down at her lover. “Don’t even tell me you’re not even a bit curious about this mystery guy that Koneko has been going out with for the past six months that no one has even met, much less seen.” “Well..” Michiru looked torn between good manners and her own curiosity. Haruka could almost see the little devil and the angel conscious warring on her shoulders. //Well, to hell with the angel,// she thought, flicking it off of Michiru’s shoulder for her. “Exactly,” she said, tugging Michiru behind her. Michiru began to protest again, but Haruka was already opening the door and looking in. Haruka opened the door a bit wider, and let Michiru look in as well, even as the aqua-haired girl protested. The room was completely dark, with the window closed and the shutters down. The state of the bedroom was surprisingly neat- frighteningly so, with Usagi considered- and only the bed was in a rumpled state. A fan whirred softly from a corner in the room, but otherwise it was silent. Besides the sounds of two people breathing.. “Aww.. Haruka, they look so kawaii!” Michiru whispered, smiling. In the bed nestled in the covers lay Usagi, who was half curled on top of a young man that was presumably ‘Ran.’ Her golden hair had fallen out of their regular odango style into a lustrous disarray that washed over them like velvety waves. Said young man looked pale, and his crimson red hair fanned out around his head like a wild, ruby halo contrasting to his own skin color. Haruka gently shut the door and started back out. Michiru blinked at her sudden change of moods, but smiled anyway. “Didn’t they look so cute together, Haruka?” “HE looked more like a SHE,” Haruka grumbled, leaving the apartment, shutting the door behind them. It really did look pretty bad, filled with dents, not to mention the broken lock.. When Koneko figured out that she was the one responsible for it, she’d have Haruka’s head. Michiru laughed. “Haruka, are you jealous,” she teased. The racer just snorted as they climbed into the car. “Yeah, right.” //I hope this works out for you, Koneko.// **--::O W A R I::--** *------------------------------------------* Fwee… hip-hip hooray for me! I finished it. Hopefully fourteen/thirteen pages (I’m not sure exactly how many pages there are to the actual story, minus the first part and this) are long enough for you guys. I don’t think I could write anymore on that if I wanted to. My hands are tired.. and I had to get rid of all of the html tags because ff.net screwed up when I loaded this up the first time. I enjoyed writing that, but I still don’t like the job I did with Aya’s (Ran’s) personality. I made him too mushy, too sweet- my objective was to make him frozen over, but still a loving person with feelings on the inside. I overdid it, I think. Blah. Oh, well- I tried. Still, I may attempt this pairing again sometime.. For all that I don’t generally like it, I had a fun time writing it. O.o;; lol, go figure. It’s growing on me like fungi. If you enjoyed what you just read- or even if you didn’t- then please take the time and the consideration to review or email me. It only takes two minutes, and it gives me an idea as to how you people feel I did or how I might change it.