Title: The BIG Wish --Chapter 7 & Epilogue
By: Lilac Summers
Rated: A hefty PG 13
salaices@leland.stanford.edu
A certain "hermanita" of mine claimed that author's notes are your
own announcement board. I agree. ^_^
Hellooooo, everybody! This is it, the last BIG chapter and the
epilogue, to boot! I'm taking a break after this, because, horror of
horrors (!), I'm going back to school next week. So, I'm going to take a
few weeks to get settled in.
P.S. Still PG 13!!
BIG thanks to all of you who have e-mailed me and kept me going. I
hope I don't let any of you guys down.
Gracias, Sidnei, for letting me rant and rave. I'm waiting for the
worm, Sid. Same to Lady Mirage, who's story "S Addiction" is beyond
awesome! Read it if you haven't, Ôkay?
Disclaimer: Naoko Takeuchi owns Sailor Moon. I have taken BIG
liberties with her characters but intend no infringement. Please don't
send a BIG corporate lawyer to come sue me, okay?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ @>---;---'--- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The BIG Wish
by
Lilac Summers
Chapter 7 & Epilogue
Question: How does one dress for a seduction? I mean, do you have to
accessorize, as for any formal event?
To be honest, though, all I had to work with was a man's white shirt and
my doubtful charms. Sure, so I may have been stuck in my future 21 year
old body, but I was 16 at heart. Sixteen year-olds, at least *this*
sixteen year-old, do not have much experience in seduction.
In any case, I had to hurry if I wanted Mamo-chan to be there when I
exited the bathroom. I feared that, left to his own devices, he would get
into trouble trying to wiggle himself out of the trap I'd set so
carefully.
Finally, I just gave up trying to do anything radical and changed
into the white button-up shirt from yesterday. I undid my odangos, as I
usually do for sleep, and inspected the effect in the mirror.
Not bad, if I do say so myself. A few feet of silvery hair hanging to
the floor seemed to add plenty of appeal.
My face was clean, free of makeup. I debated over adding some powder or
something, but my purse was outside and my exit had to be grand and final.
In concession, I brushed my teeth furiously until they practically
*twinkled* back at me, and then blew into my hand and tried to
inhale the scent . . . Hmmm, no bad breath here! How embarrassing if I
were leaning in for the kiss and Mamo-chan keeled right over . . . from my
breath!
For good measure, I gargled generously with some minty mouthwash. So
now I'd go out smelling like one big breathmint, but it was better than
the alternative, right?
Some lotion on my face, my hands . . . and I was ready.
Watch out, Mamo-chan, here I come!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As I suspected, Mamo-chan had made a hasty retreat as I dawdled in the
bathroom. When I walked out I found the room empty. For a moment, I
feared that I had driven Mamo-chan too far and that he had left me alone
in the apartment without a word. A little desperately I ran into the
living area . . . and found him looking at his dining room table
speculatively. He held a bundle of sheets and cushions in one arm.
"Mamo-chan, what are you doing?"
He didn't turn to look at me, but instead began spreading the blankets
over the hard wooden surface. "I've decided, Usako, that you would be
much more comfortable if you had the whole bed to yourself. And *I*
would be more comfortable knowing you were comfortable."
Well, at least he didn't make the mistake of saying that he would be
more comfortable sleeping on a table than he would sleeping on the same
bed with me. Now *that* I would not have forgiven.
"Mamo-chan . . ." I began.
"No, no. Don't try to talk me out of this, Usako. I've made up my
mind!"
"Mamo-chan, I can't take the bed while you sleep on your own dining room
table! It's perfectly ludicrous!" I said this in my best mother-hen
imitation. Really, Mamo-chan, I'm not trying to get you into my bed so I
can ravish you . .. I just want you to be comfortable. Really.
Mamo-chan turned to look at me while he slowly began to smooth out
the sheets on his makeshift bed. "Usako, you don't . . ."
His sentence tapered off. He stared, slowly, from the tips of my feet
to the top of my head. I resisted the urge to look down and make sure I
hadn't spilled toothpaste on my (well, his) shirt or dragged some toilet
paper out with my heel. The shirt came to mid-thigh and yet I felt
strangely naked within the white cotton, and without eight or so Senshi
monitoring the room.
Apparently, so did Mamo-chan.
He groaned and turned from me rapidly, giving the tumbled mass of sheets
a few furious tugs and jumping on the table, giving all the semblance of
tucking himself in.
Settled, he looked at me from beneath the cover of two or three
blankets, blue eyes looking somewhere in my direction, obviously not
chancing to look at me again. He gave me a determined smile. "See!?
Perfectly comfortable. You go on to bed now."
I stared, trying my darndest not to laugh at the picture he made. He
was way too tall for the rectangular table, and his feet hung off the edge
in what looked to be a very uncomfortable way. What was more, I could
see the wood strain under his weight. I coughed.
"Mamo-chan, the table is going to cr--"
"No! Really, I insist, Usako. Take the bed. *Enjoy* the bed! I've
really always wanted to try this out, anyway. Really. Go on now."
If he had not been cocooned in blankets as if it were the middle of
winter, I'm sure he would have made little "shooing" motions with his
hands. Oh, well, I guess some lessons have to be learned by oneself. I
turned and walked out of the room, calling over my shoulder, "Well, if you
are sure. Goodnight, Mamo-chan."
I really wanted to stay and see, but I figured I could spare him the
embarrassment. Anyway, this would give me time to figure out my best pose
on the bed. I turned off the light and left a small lamp by the bed on.
After a few minutes, I was satisfied with my result. I'd managed to
plump the pillows to perfection, and then had spread my hair all over them
in what I hoped would be a seductive way.
Then I began to count. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. . .
CRACK! THUMP!
"AH, F(you getting used to this, yet?)K! Of all the ______,
________ luck!! You are against me, aren't you!? This is all a
conspiracy!!" Some more swearing and thumping ensued as I bit the sheets
to keep from laughing. Then Mamo-chan went quiet abruptly, probably
remembering that his sweet, innocent Usako slumbered in the other room.
He was wrong on all counts save one, and I planned on getting rid of
that "innocent" bit soon enough.
When I heard the Ôsquish, squash' of his footsteps on the saturated
floor I dutifully closed my eyes and feigned sleep.
Mamo-chan came inside and stood by the bed, I could see through the
cover of my lashes, quietly debating with himself. He must have come to
some decision because he got a determined look on his face and stalked to
the beaureu, opening drawers silently as possible and stuffing things into
a duffel bag. He looked quickly at my "sleeping" form and began to undo
the buttons of his pajama shirt, no doubt intending to get dressed.
Well, that just wouldn't do! Not the undressing part, I could
definitely do with that one, but the part of him getting ready to leave.
I waited for him to make the slightest noise to excuse my abrupt
"awakening," and seized the sound of the zipper of his duffel closing.
"H-Huh? Mamo-chan? W-what?" I did my very best to look sleepy and
disoriented as Mamo-chan froze with a look of pure distress.
"Oh, uh, Usako . . . I didn't mean to wake you!" He cast a dagger-like
look at the duffel bag. I don't suppose it occurred to him in his state
that if the sound of his dining room table collapsing under his weight
hadn't "woken" me up, the sound of a zipper hardly would.
I sat up and brought the sheet to my neck, the very picture of
feminine modesty. "Mamo-chan, where are you going?!"
"Ah, well, I decided I should just go to Motoki's house and crash there
for tonight. The table . . . uh, the table wasn't too comfortable and I
didn't want to bother you while you slept."
Yes, I'm sure that a table smashed into kindling wouldn't be much fun to
sleep on. However, *I* would be lots of fun to sleep on! But I decided
to keep this little observation to myself.
"You were going to leave me here?! ALONE?!!! Mamo-chan, it's the
middle of a storm!" Not that it had thundered for the last half hour.
But that wasn't the point.
"Usako, you managed to fall asleep just fine a minute ago," he
pointed out as he hastily re-did the buttons on his pajama top. Don't
bother, deary, you won't need it for long . . .
"But that was because, at the very least, I knew you were here in the
apartment with me! I could never fall asleep if you left! Mamo-chan, you
wouldn't leave me here, scared and alone, all night . . . would you?" The
right touch of trembling to my lower lip guaranteed his answer.
His shoulders slumped in defeat. "No, I suppose I wouldn't."
BIG grin from me. "Good! Now stop being silly and get into bed so we
can both get some."
His head snapped up. "Some?!"
Tee hee. Oh, did I leave something out? Ooh, do excuse me!
"Sleep. Some sleep," I supplied.
His breath came out in one big "whoosh." I snuggled down into the
sheets as he stepped up to the bed. Finally, with nowhere else to go, he
lay down beside me, as FAR away from me as the single mattress permitted.
Which, of course, wasn't that far. Mamo-chan was quite right about the
bed being very small.
This was going to be so much fun! Usagi, my girl, now's your chance.
The bedside lamp still burned brightly, situated on Mamo-chan's side of
the bed. I was about to ask him to turn it off when a delightfully
naughty idea occurred to me.
With no warning I sat up and leaned fully over Mamo-chan. He went
totally still.
"Usako! WHAT are you doing?!"
A flashed him an innocent grin, noticing happily that his face was mere
centimeters from me. His gaze flew to my lips.
"Why, turning off the lights, silly! I was scared before when you
weren't in the room, but now that you are here, I don't need the lights
anymore." I grinned even wider.
His eyes snapped up to mine, dazed and not just a bit suspicious.
Uh oh, can't have that! I snapped the lights off and the room was plunged
into darkness.
Slowly, *slowly*, I moved back to my side of the bed. Mamo-chan seemed
to be gasping for breath. I decided to give him a minute to relax.
. . . . . . . . .
Oookay! That's long enough. It's time to move in.
With all the patience in the world, I proceeded to move towards him, to
just rearrange my position so that I got closer and closer. I shifted a
leg and came into contact with his. I moved my arm and touched his
shoulder. I edged a --
He scooted a centimeter away from me, breaking all contact. So, I
followed. A little bit more . . . and I followed. A little bit more . .
. I followed. A little bit more . . . and THUMP!
"Mamo-chan," I asked, looking over the edge of the bed, "what are you
doing on the floor?"
"Contemplating suicide."
"WHAT?!"
"Nothing . . ." He raised himself off the floor and touched the large
wet spot the floor had left on his pajama top. "Damn."
I heard another few choice expletives muttered under his breath, along
with some words that sounded like "honor," "patience," "saint," and
"dangerous."
He stalked over to the closet and ripped out a T-shirt, shoving it over
his head after discarding the wet pajama shirt. Wide-eyed I watched him
stalk back to the bed and lay back down, resolutely closing his eyes.
And then I was stumped. If I tried our modified tag game again, I
didn't doubt we'd see a repeat of what had happened. I continued to sit
up, chewing my knuckles thoughtfully, as Mamo-chan made every pretense of
sleeping.
What I needed here, I decided, was some well-placed thunder.
BROOM! RUMBLE!
Well, how absolutely accommodating! I think I'm going to end up liking
thunder and lightning before this is all through.
"AHH!" I shouted, only half acting. I shoved my head beneath the covers
and glomped onto Mamo-chan's shoulder, plastering myself along his side.
Mamo-chan's eyes flew open and he looked down at my huddling mass in
trepidation. "Usako!"
Peering up from my position at his shoulder, I whispered, "I hate
storms, Mamo-chan. I'm glad you're here . . ."
He was summarily trapped. No way for him to get out of this one. I saw
the knowledge whirl in his eyes before true panic set in. All his muscles
tensed when I snuggled in closer.
"U-Usako . . . why don't I . . . uh, why don't I go get you some hot
milk . . . or something," he pleaded.
I gripped him tighter. "NO!" Oops, that was a little harsher than
necessary . . . I gentled my voice and batted my eyelashes up at him.
"No, I just want to be near you. You make me feel safe." Then I gave a
silly little sigh of contentment and set my head on his shoulder.
For about five minutes it felt like I was cuddled up right next to a
big, warm boulder. He was stiff and unyielding, hardly daring to breathe.
After ten minutes, I felt him begin to relax. He even managed to bring
one strong arm around my shoulders.
So, of course, I got a little more daring. I moved my hand to rest flat
on his chest . . . and he didn't even seem to notice. Good! I settled my
head deeper into the crook of his neck . . . and nothing. Finally, I
moved one of my legs over his thigh . . .
THUMP.
In a thrice he shot off the floor, where he had fallen a second time,
and began to back away from the bed. The small light from the balcony
that managed to pierce the gloom lit his face. He looked beyond alarmed.
"Oh, god, Usako. I'm sorry. Really, *really*, sorry. It's not your
fault, honey. You don't have a clue what you're doing . . . It's mine.
I-I can't be in the same bed with you."
I couldn't believe it! He didn't want to sleep with me?! What was the
matter with me? Was I *that* ugly? Couldn't he bring himself to sleep
with me, even though he loved me?
My face must have been showing my complete shock and bewilderment,
because he rushed in to explain.
"Usako, I know you don't have a clue what I'm talking about." He raked
a hand through his hair, starting to pace the wet floor. "There you are,
frightened and just so . . . aaaargh!" He threw his hands up in the air.
Meanwhile, I was on the edge of breakdown. What *was* I doing wrong?!
Was the idea of staying with me so awful?
"You see . . . there are times when a man . . .well, when he can't just
be . . ." he was saying.
Was he turned off by my silver hair? If so, I could dye it. If he
asked me to, I would dye it whatever color--
"And it would be practically impossible for me to just lie on that bed
and not . . ."
My body maybe? Sure, so I was no Makoto, but I'd never gotten any
complaints before. Was I getting fat? I could cut down on the dumplings,
I suppose--
"So, even though I know you don't mean to be doing any of it, I can't
help but be, er, *attracted* to you . . . in that way." He ended up
kneeling by the bed and grasping my cold hands. "Do you understand?" he
asked, earnestly.
I came out of my thoughts a bit dazed. "Huh?"
He looked into my totally unresponsive face and wailed into the bed.
When he looked back up, it seemed as if all his frustration had finally
won. He stood and began to shout.
"I'm saying that I can't hold back anymore! I've been waiting for
years! YEARS! I've been dreaming of you for a lifetime! I've never even
been *near* another woman, because I knew that I would find you sooner or
later! And these past two years have been HELL for me, just wanting you
constantly but holding back and doing the right thing . . . the
*honorable* thing!"
Oh my god! Was I actually *hearing* this?! I pinched myself. Ouch.
YES! I'm awake!
He was still at it. "And then you show up, looking like," he gestured
at me wildly, "*that*. And I try to keep doing the right thing because I
know that it's just a facade and that you wouldn't be ready, otherwise.
But it would be so, so *legal* and so *easy* to just seduce you right now
and . . ."
And I jumped him. Just plain jumped him. One minute I was on the bed
and the next we were rolling on the wet carpet.
"Yes, please," I said.
Fighting to keep his weight off me as we rolled to a halt, he looked
down at me in shock. "Please what?"
"Seduce me. Go ahead and seduce away!" I begged.
His eyes got even wider. He opened his mouth and choked on the first
word. He tried again, "Usako! I-I can't just . . ."
I grabbed his shirt and pulled him down sharply. "Yes you can! You
hard-headed, blind, wonderful man! What do you think I've been trying to
do these past few days?! Do you have ANY idea how much trouble I've gone
through to seduce you?"
He gaped. "*Y-You* seduce *me*?!"
"Yes! BINGO!! You baka! LOOK at me!" I ordered.
He looked.
"You see?! I'm perfectly, *perfectly* legal! You've got NOTHING to
worry about! And I'm perfectly READY. BOY, am I ready! So, if being
this old is what it takes to finally make you let go of those annoying
gentlemanly ethics of yours, I mean to enjoy the time I have as an adult
before I go back to being 16 and you avoiding me like I have the plague
until I'm finally legal again!"
I don't know what part of the speech did it. I don't know if maybe he
was just pushed beyond relief or whatever. I don't know if maybe he's
just turned on by wet carpet.
What I *do* know, is that he finally, FINALLY gave in. Right there on
the damn floor I was almost attacked by him. His hunger was immense, but
I answered the call happily. We were rapidly climbing the rungs of the
"Daddy on a Rampage Scale."
And then the lightning, that wonderful, speedy, timely, rotten, good-for
nothing, damn lightning cracked the sky in two and lingered long enough to
light the room . . . and my long, wet, *golden* hair.
All at once, I felt dizzy and disoriented, then the room stopped
spinning and Mamo-chan was looking down at me, on the verge of tears.
I knew, instinctively, what had happened. I didn't need to look at my
blonde hair or my somewhat reduced charms to know I'd gone back to being
sixteen.
I stared up at Mamo-chan as he fought against his ethics once more.
Yeah, having your way with a 21 year-old is one thing, but a 16
year-old . . . I closed my eyes, expecting the worst.
There it was, the smallest waft of air as his weight began to move off
me, the smallest sound of muscle lifting . . .
"Oh, to hell with it," he muttered. And he was back! And I was happy.
Hell, beyond happy. Joyous! Blissful! Elated! Delighted! Jubilant!
Sublime! But there was just one thing...
"Mamo-chan?" I gasped as he nibbled on my neck.
"Hmmm?"
"Mamo-chan. I changed my mind. I'm *not* ready for this."
I don't suppose I could have shocked him more if I had declared myself
Elvis in disguise. He lifted his head and looked down at me with utter
horror, then torturously started to roll away from me millimeter by
millimeter.
I grabbed him. "Mamo-chan?"
He moaned, sounding as if he were in mortal pain. "Yes, Usako?"
I grinned. "Just kidding!"
"You tease!!" he accused, with endless relief in his voice, as he
attacked me once more.
Hey, I'd always wanted to do that. And it is my story. So, sue me!
After all, it'd be a shame to let the maintenance guy's lovely gift go to
waste . . .
And now, if you will all excuse us . . .
^_~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EPILOGUE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The city was bright and clean after the rain. At approximately 2:45
PM I sauntered into Rei's temple.
"YOU are late!" Rei shouted.
"Good morning to you, too, Rei," I chimed in happily.
"That's Ôgood afternoon', Usagi-chan. I don't see how you could be late
when *you* are the one that called this meeting." Ami had looked up from
her book just long enough to say that.
What I wasn't going to tell anyone was that I had been waylaid on my
way out the door . . . Er, but I'm not going to tell *you* guys either, so
you can just get your minds out of the gutter.
"So," Makoto began, "I see you are back to normal."
"Yeah!" piped in Minako. "And a good thing, too, cuz it was getting
freaky knowing a twenty-one year-old Usagi was loose in the city!"
"That's why I called the meeting," I said. As an afterthought I added,
"hey, where are Luna and Artemis?"
"They're staying at Setsuna's condo. She invited them over and I
haven't seen them since yesterday afternoon."
Hmmm, I wonder if she knew . . .
"All right. Anyway, I just wanted Ami-chan to tell me if this is
permanent or what. I mean, it's only been two days since the Eve of
Selene!" I informed them all.
"Yup," said Ami. "The spell was set to be broken last night at
midnight."
Every other Senshi, including me, was shocked. "Ami-chan, you *knew*
this?" asked Rei.
Ami had the grace the blush.
I began to stalk Ami around the room. "Yeah, Ami, answer the question!
Did you know this at, oh, I don't know, around 10 o'clock last night when
you were so kind to visit me? Tell me, how does, and I quote Ôa week to a
month' change to two days?!"
"H-Hey!" protested Ami. "I *told* you that I didn't know much about the
Eve of Selene and its effects!"
"Yes, but you could have *told* me your new finding last night!!"
"Well I would have if you hadn't *ordered* me to flood Mamoru's
apartment!!!" shouted Ami.
It's scary, actually, how fast those girls can move. In a thrice Ami
and I were surrounded by Rei's, Makoto's, and Minako's curious faces.
"Flooded his apartment?!"
"You *ordered* her to do that?"
"Hey . . . where did Mamoru-san sleep?"
Ami looked at them and then turned back to me, understanding her role in
all this. "Yeah, Usagi-chan. Where *did* Mamoru sleep?"
"Hey girls," I protested, "I don't kiss and tell!"
Well, that was the wrong thing to say.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was veritable HOURS later that I managed to escape, thoroughly
embarrassed yet unscathed. My only consolation was that Mamo-chan didn't
know that he'd been the topic of conversation for the past four hours and
all through lunch, and if he ever noticed the other scouts looking at him
kind of funny . . . well, I'd cross that bridge when I'd get there.
The sun was already going down when I returned to Mamo-chan's apartment.
I'd asked Rei if she could somehow dry his carpet, and she'd
agreed to give it a try the next day.
However, the carpet was no more than moist as I took off my shoes and
walked inside.
"Mamo-chan?" I called. He had known that I would spend the day with the
girls, so maybe he wasn't home . . .
"Out here," he called from the balcony.
Smiling, I walked outside and joined him at the rail, where he put his
arms around me as we watched the sun set and moon rise.
"So, did you have fun?" he asked.
If you think having your sex-life dissected is fun, then maybe . . .
"Of course!" I said.
"What did you girls talk about for so long?"
You and the wonders of wet carpet.
"Oh, the usual. And I asked Rei to try to do something about your
carpet." Well, it wasn't a complete lie!
"By the way, Mamo-chan," I broached the topic delicately, "the girls and
I decided that I couldn't go home for a few more days, or my mother would
get suspicious about my 'summer camp.' So, if you wouldn't mind my
staying a few . . ."
He hugged me tightly. "Say no more! You are welcome as long as you
wish." He smirked down at me boyishly. "And since I have let you
throughly ruin my reputation and make me a *fallen man*, I can relax and
just enjoy any more of your seductions."
I blushed red but couldn't hold back a giggle as I settled into his arms
comfortably.
We were quiet then as we admired the beauty of an early moon, offset by
the bleeding colors of the sunset. Life was good.
I looked over my shoulder at my love. Idea . . .
"Oh, Mamo-chan! I wish --"
But suddenly his mouth was on mine and my wish was cut off. Oh, well,
it was all for the better. What would I do with a house-sized cupcake,
anyway?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE END
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The moral of the story, boys and girls: if you are going to wish, wish
BIG!
Did you like it? It's done, finished! AND I DID IT! KEPT IT PG 13!
Yahoo! THANK YOU ALL FOR STICKING WITH IT!
Anyway, going to take a little break from story telling while I get
settled in at college again. If you are interested, my next story will be
about Usagi and Mamoru *before* they knew who each other was and all that.
It shall be as much fun as you can have in a mall! See ya in a few weeks.
(
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