Drops of Starlight

Chapter 6: Just Friends

💫 Drops of Starlight💫

by Strawberry Moon Rose
🍓🌙 🌹

A lot of readers have said they look forward to Mondays now! Yay and thank you! When I was younger I always tried to make Mondays special somehow, because I hated them so much. It might have been eating a donut for breakfast only on Mondays or something like that. It made me dread them less come Sunday evening when I had something to look forward to.

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or any of the characters. They belong to Naoko Takeuchi
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Chapter 6: Just Friends
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As twilight descended around six-thirty, Usagi fumbled for her keys amidst the folds of her winter coat. Her careful motions aimed to avoid disturbing Chibi-Usa, who slumbered soundly in her arms.

"She only took a thirty-minute nap for me," Ikuko had apologized when they'd picked Chibi-Usa up from her grandmother's house. "She may be out for the rest of the night!"

She managed to unlock the door without waking her daughter and stepped inside, lugging in her diaper bag, purse, and shopping bags.

"Bun Head?" Seiya sprung up from the couch and helped her drag everything in.

"We're home!" Usagi whispered.

"Did you have a good time?"

"Yes, it was so much fun! We-" Usagi stopped mid-sentence when she noticed how spotless the apartment was. Everything was put in its place. The faint scent of lemon cleaning spray hung in the air, and the carpet had freshly vacuumed marks. The dining table shone and the kitchen countertops gleamed. A sense of calm pervaded the space.

"Seiya, what's all this?" Usagi was pretty sure her mouth was wide open, but she didn't care.

Seiya smiled sheepishly. "Well, I can't take all the credit. Taiki and I tackled it together. We also went grocery shopping and bought some essentials."

Usagi felt a tingle behind her nose and tears started to form in her eyes. "You didn't have to do this," she said. "It's too much."

Seiya's response was quick and decisive. "Nonsense. Since I'm here, I figured I might as well lend a hand."

Though avoiding eye contact, Usagi managed to retreat into her room, Chibi-Usa in her arms, and laid her sleeping daughter into her crib. When she stepped back into the hall and looked at Seiya, standing there patiently, she felt overcome with emotions.

"Bun Head? Everything okay?"

"Yes..." Usagi stepped forward, closing the distance between them and submitting to her embrace. She squeezed her eyes shut and gulped in Seiya's scent. Her chest was so soft against her face.

"I'm sorry." Usagi pulled away suddenly, fudging a small laugh. "It's just... Thank you. Today was perfect, and I'm just shocked you got this whole place back to normal in one day."

"Oh, believe me, it was no easy task," Seiya joked, trying to lighten the mood.

Usagi pouted her lip. "I know, it was pretty bad, wasn't it?"

"Absolutely." Seiya smirked, aiming to lighten the mood. "But it's clean now, so we can unwind. I made soup for dinner, it's in the fridge. I wasn't sure what time you'd be home. Have you eaten?"

Usagi shook her head.

"Great, why don't you change into something comfortable, and I'll heat it for us."

A short while later, Seiya had arranged two bowls of steaming udon soup and a large bowl of chopped fruit on the coffee table in the living room.

Usagi reemerged, her attire now a delicate lace-trimmed nightgown that draped her like moonlight. Her hair was down, hanging loosely around her shoulders. In her hand, she held one of the shopping bags.