💫 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
_________________________________
Chapter 6: Just Friends
_________________________________
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.
"I bought you something," Usagi announced and thrust the bag in her direction.
"Oh? For me? You shouldn't have." Seiya accepted the gift z bag and pulled out the softest scarf she'd ever felt. "Ooh, this feels nice! Thanks!"
"There's more."
Seiya delved to the bottom of the bag and whisked out an envelope. She lifted the tab and out spilled two tickets, beckoning her.
"I've always wanted to go see Fairy Island on Ice," Usagi said. "They're this figure skating holiday musical. I've heard it's amazing! They're performing downtown tomorrow. Do you want to go? I thought maybe we could get something to eat afterward since it's Christmas Eve."
Seiya narrowed her eyes playfully. "Wait, Bun Head, are you asking me out on a date?"
Usagi looked away, her arms crossed as if to shield herself. "What on earth would give you that idea? Especially after how our last 'date' ended?"
"Oh, I don't know. Maybe the fact that you keep that teddy bear keychain from our amusement park date on your nightstand?"
Usagi's gaze snapped back fast. Her eyes met Seiya's and she suddenly felt vulnerable. "Oh, so you were snooping in my room, huh?"
"Well, I had to clean in there too. It just happened to catch my eye."
Usagi ignored Seiya's stare and plopped down on the sofa. "The soup's going to get cold," she announced, changing the subject.
Seiya smiled inwardly. "Then we better eat up."
Usagi flicked on the television, the glow of the screen casting a soft illumination over the room. She shuffled through channels until landing on a family Christmas movie. It provided a cozy backdrop while they slurped their soup and chomped on bits of watermelon and pineapple - a delicacy this time of year.
"How long will Chibi-Usa sleep?" Seiya asked.
"If I'm lucky, she'll sleep til midnight. She usually needs a snack to fall back asleep."
"That's rough. I thought those all-night feedings were reserved for newborns. I guess there's a lot I don't know about kids."
"Every baby's different. She should start sleeping through the night any week now. At least, I hope so."
"Yeah." Seiya leaned back on the couch, kicking her socks up on the coffee table. She wore a new pair of pajamas - blue flannel with Christmas trees on them. She'd had Taiki pick up some clothes when she went out to get groceries. Seiya would be okay for another day, but if they ended up staying on Earth for longer, she'd have to go on a shopping spree of her own.
To her surprise, when Usagi leaned back beside her, she sat close enough to almost call it cuddling. Seiya could feel the weight of her body pressing gently against her side, and her golden-blonde hair brushing against her shoulder. Usagi's vanilla fragrance tickled her nose, and it sent her pulse into an unpredictable rhythm. Her nightgown was silky and thin, and Seiya could feel her skin's warmth as if she weren't wearing anything at all.
"Um, do you want some ice cream? I think Taiki bought a carton," Seiya said suddenly.
"I do, but I'd better not," Usagi said, sounding disappointed. "I had cheesecake earlier and pizza last night. I still need to lose the rest of the baby weight Chibi-Usa gave me."
"That's nonsense."
The movie played out on the TV, unraveling a scene where a couple, entangled in a fight, were talking it over by a fireplace. They attempted to mend their rift through a whispered conversation that led to lingering touches. The man started caressing the woman's face, and they leaned in and started kissing. Suddenly the woman was taking his jacket off and he was sliding her bra strap down her shoulder. As the scene progressed, the camera captured quasi-intimate moments.
Seiya could feel Usagi shifting on the couch. An awkward atmosphere settled over the room.
"Hey, I thought this was a family movie," Seiya kidded.
A strained smile formed on Usagi's lips. "Yeah. Guess not."
"Want to watch something else?"
"Sure." They reached for the remote at the same time, only to meet each other's eyes briefly when their hands brushed. Seiya smiled apologetically and pulled back.
Usagi bit her lip and clicked through the channels. There were holiday movies galore, but why did they all have to be romantic comedies? It seemed like every station was playing the same thing on purpose.
"You know, I think I'll take some ice cream after all," Usagi said, her voice a distraction from the charged tension. She hopped up and hurried to the kitchen.
Seiya exhaled, unaware she had been holding her breath. What is wrong with me? Things shouldn't feel this way between us. I mean, unless she's thinking the same thing. I can never tell, not back then, and not even now.
"Do you still want some, Seiya?"
"Yes please."
Usagi returned with two bowls of chocolate fudge ice cream and they ate them wordlessly while half-watching a holiday game show. Seiya couldn't help but notice that Usagi didn't sit as close when she returned.
They finished dessert and let episodes pass by uneventfully until Usagi stifled a yawn. Seiya suggested they retire for the night.
Tossing and turning on the couch, sleep proved elusive for Seiya after Chibi-Usa's cries awoke her around midnight, just as Usagi predicted. Seiya stared at the ceiling. Her senses remained heightened, attuned to every sound and movement around her. Somehow she managed to drift off but awoke an hour later after having an erotic dream consisting of Usagi stripping her nightgown off over her head in slow motion and straddling her on the couch. The scene was so vivid, it lingered as she awoke, senses aflame.
Seiya jumped to her feet and yanked the curtain on the patio door aside. She cracked it open an inch, allowing the frigid winter air to swirl inside and cool her down. Light snowflakes melted on her skin as she turned her face to the crescent moon painted high in the sky. The sweat she was drenched in made her shiver.
Who am I kidding here? 'I'm just here as a friend', yeah right...
God, I feel like a teenage boy all over again.
_________________________________
The following morning Seiya woke up to sticky fingers prying at her face. With a sleep-laden mind, she opened one eye. Chibi-Usa played patty cake on her cheek.
"Good morning, squirt." Seiya yawned and pulled herself into a sitting position. She blinked a few times, rubbing sleep from her eyes.
"Oh, Chibi-Usa! How'd you get over there?" Usagi appeared from the kitchen with a bottle in hand.
"Uhh!" Chibi-Usa squealed, bouncing energetically on her bottom. Each bounce brought her a fraction closer to the couch.
"Sorry about that, Seiya." Usagi crossed the room in two strides and scooped her up.
"It's all good." Seiya sniffed at the air, the faint scent of something burnt scorched her nostrils. "You making something?"
"Oh, no, the bagels!" Usagi raced back into the kitchen, only to pull out a charred bagel from the toaster. She fanned the faint smoke away before the detectors could go off. Faint tendrils of smoke vanished like a ghost.
"Need a hand?" Seiya called from the living room.
Usagi poked her head around the corner. "Actually, do you want to feed Chibi-Usa this morning? I'm gonna try this again."
"Sure..." Seiya scooped up Chibi-Usa and reached for the nearby bottle.
The pink-haired child squirmed in anticipation, but as Seiya slid the nipple in her mouth, she hungrily chugged away.
"What'd you burn, Bun Head?" Seiya teased as she heard the girl fumbling around in the cupboards.
"None of your business!"
Seiya couldn't help but chuckle.
Before long, Usagi returned, a plate of bagels smeared with strawberry cream cheese in her hands. She sat cross-legged on the floor and ate right off the coffee table, crumbs sprinkling down her chin.
"Okay, I'll admit it," Usagi said between bites. "You're a better housewife than I am."
"Oh, we're playing house now?"
"Well, you can hardly call it playing when we kind of are."
Seiya pretended to scoff. "Who said I have to be the wife?"
"You're right, I suppose that's my role. I'm just sucking at it."
Seiya's features softened. She dabbled the burp cloth to Chibi-Usa's chin, who was as messy of an eater as her mother. "Don't be so hard on yourself. Taking care of this little one on your own isn't easy."
Usagi laughed. "Seiya, I just burnt breakfast. I can't cook! And I'm a slob."
"I'll teach you how to cook."
"Taiki and Mako already beat you to it. It didn't end well, remember? That cooking show disaster?"
Seiya laughed. Taiki had dough in her hair for days. Though she had never seen her comrade laugh so much...
Usagi watched as Chibi-Usa started to squirm and turn her head away from the half-empty bottle.
"Oh, she needs a burp." Usagi huddled close, sitting Chibi-Usa forward on Seiya's lap.
Seiya fought against the flutter in her stomach as Usagi's sudden closeness brought.
After a couple pats, Chibi-Usa let out a loud belch, then cooed, her attention swiftly drawn back to the bottle Seiya held.
"How'd you know what she wanted?" Seiya asked curiously.
"I don't know, you can just tell." Usagi wolfed down the rest of her bagel in two bites.
"Well, I'm impressed. All her cries sound the same to me."
"You just learn them." Usagi licked cream cheese off her fingers.
Her lack of manners was endearing. "Say what you will about your culinary and organizational skills, but you're doing an amazing job as a mother."
Usagi looked up, meeting her blue eyes. Warmth rushed to her face, and she searched Seiya's expression, but found only sincerity.
"You're just saying that to be nice..." Usagi mumbled, averting her gaze.
"No, I'm not. I mean it."
"Sure. You're flirting with me then, I suppose."
Seiya frowned. "I'm serious, Bun Head. Chibi-Usa is lucky to have you as her mom."
Usagi spoke to her lap. "Thanks, Seiya," she said shyly.
Chibi-Usa interrupted the moment by letting out a loud fart. Seiya actually felt the vibrations coming from her diaper. They both laughed.
"You wanna change this one?" Usagi asked.
"No, definitely not."
"Aw, c'mon!"
"I can already smell it. I think I'm gonna gag." Seiya pretended to dry-heave, then proceeded to carry Chibi-Usa to the changing table. "You owe me, Bun Head!"