For @starlingsinclair - I can only imagine your emotional landscape at the moment. Perhaps, if you want to be distracted from life, hopefully this update can provide for a few minutes. And if not, maybe you can tuck it away for a day when you want to smile because this chapter is almost entirely tooth-rotting fluff! It also doubles the length of the fic mostly by itself. Hope you enjoy. Thank you to @tinacentury and @floraone for helping me bring this story and especially this chapter to life!
Preview:
She’ll meet you at the park for your first date. I told her two, but she’s always late. When she gets there, try not to act like an awkward tool!
Mamoru sat on a wooden bench, his eyes scanning over the text repeatedly. He was too agitated to appreciate the perfect spring weather or the ephemeral pink blossoms that decorated every tree in his vicinity. His cobalt gaze scanned the park, searching desperately for Usagi’s familiar hairstyle amongst the other park goers. He was simultaneously hoping not to catch sight of a particular brunette before Usagi arrived. He glanced at his phone again. It was currently 2:20, and he was growing more antsy by the second. He wished he knew how late was normal for Usagi because he felt incredibly exposed every moment that he was here alone.
A hand fell onto his shoulder and he leapt to his feet, every nerve firing in automatic flight mode. When he turned and saw Usagi’s familiar blue eyes, he sagged in relief before clutching her to him.
“Oh my god!” she said into his chest. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you. I didn’t think.”
“It’s fine,” he murmured into her hair, trying to calm his still-racing heart. “I’ve just been really on edge today.”
“I can see that,” she observed, her hand moving up and down his arm reassuringly. “Did something happen?”
He pulled away slightly, cloaking himself in the stoic protective shell that he often wore like armor. “Something did, but I would prefer to talk about it later. For now, I believe I promised you ice cream?” he prompted, trying to smile. There was no point in regaling Usagi with the details of the texts he had started receiving, and kept receiving from new unknown numbers as soon as he blocked the previous one.
“Are you sure?” she asked, her eyes searching his face. “We can go somewhere else. Somewhere more private maybe, and you can tell me about it?”
He smiled, feeling surprised by and grateful for her concern.
“That would defeat the whole purpose, wouldn’t it?” he asked with a laugh. Usagi was supposed to be the solution to this problem. But if he didn’t deploy the strategy, he couldn’t expect it to work.
“R-right,” she stammered, looking startled.
Click one of the links above to keep reading!