Drops of Starlight

Chapter 44: There's a Time to Change

💫 Drops of Starlight 💫
By Strawberry Moon Rose
🍓🌙🌹

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Chapter 44: There's a Time to Change
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"Usagi..."

Something small, padded, and textured tapped on Usagi's face, rousing her from sleep. Coming to, she frowned. After wiping the drool off her chin, she swatted away the furry culprit.

"Too...early...Luna," Usagi grumbled groggily.

"Usagi, it's time to get up." Luna persisted, pawing at her face once more. This time her owner cracked open one blue eye.

"Mmm...what is it?"

Luna sat back, her tail swishing. "I see you two made up last night," she said smugly.

"Huh?" Usagi blinked and looked around. Judging from the amount of sunlight flooding the bedroom, it was late morning. Seiya lay sound asleep on her chest, nestled against her just as they had fallen asleep. The sheets were all tangled up, exposing Seiya's bare back while covering the fact that they were still dressed from the waist down. Usagi realized what her cat was implying. A blush ghosted across her face.

"Luna, it's not like that!" she hissed. "We didn't do anything!"

Luna looked dubious. "Uh huh..."

"I'm serious!"

"Anyway, it's none of my business what you two do alone. I just came to wake you up, seeing as it's almost eleven. I didn't know how long you planned on sleeping in like a lazy bum."

"What?" Usagi jolted up, causing Seiya to roll off her. She grasped the sheets to her naked chest, and frantically glanced across the room to the pack-n-play. It was empty.

"Where's Chibi-Usa?" Usagi panicked. Xenon's face flashed in her mind. She knew the sailor guardian wanted to harm her, but what about her daughter? Was she that twisted to hurt a baby?

"Minako has her downstairs," Luna reassured her. "She woke up three hours ago. Neither one of you got up to get her, so..."

Seiya rolled to her stomach and pulled a pillow over her head to block out the light, mumbling something incoherent in her sleep.

"I'll be right down," Usagi said.

Luna nodded and padded out of the room.

A yawn escaped as she stretched. What a difference a good night's rest could make. She had slept like a rock and woke feeling wholly refreshed. Usagi rubbed her eyes and studied the sleeping Starlight.

Seiya's hair glistened in the morning glow, spread out like a sea of sapphires across the sheets. Seiya made some more half-asleep murmurs before pulling her head out from beneath the pillow and rolling away, ripping the comforter free from Usagi's hands. She harrumphed, taking that as a sign to get up.

Usagi gravitated toward her duffle bag and began rifling for an outfit. Rei had done a decent job of packing her favorite garments. She'd be set for at least another week - longer if she did laundry. But Usagi knew herself well enough to know she would put that off until the last minute.

Seiya's invitation to move into the penthouse lingered in her thoughts, making her smile. It appeared to her now that the offer still stood. She would have to get all of her belongings out of Mamoru's old place and talk with the landlord sooner rather than later. There was no point in tossing rent down the drain to let it sit empty. She made a mental note to talk with him about that before he returned to America.