Tanabata

Author's Note: A Sailor Moon Seiya/Usagi oneshot, post Stars Season, anime-verse. Spoileriffic for a future doujinshi that I plan on making based on this so avert your eyes if you want to wait for the fancomic instead!



In the inky black expanse that was space, and the glittering diamonds that embedded themselves into night's blanket, Fighter stared, transfixed onto one singular star. It twinkled at her, and spoke of a galaxy on the other side of the universe, of a planet in the recesses of nowhere, and a girl that was further beyond her reach than that.

She leaned against the pillar, her sapphire eyes glazing over as a memory from what seemed like another life and at the same time one that happened just yesterday settled over her. She felt the tug of her heart as soon as the smile tugged at her lips.

"Don't you know what today is all about, Seiya?"

"Eh? It's a festival of course!"

"It's not JUST a festival. It's a love story!"



---



She was standing in the same spot that her fellow Starlight had just stood moments ago, leaning against the same pillar, staring at the same sky. The only difference was that she was staring at a different star--one that was currently streaking across the night in a reckless blaze. She had never seen another shine so brilliantly before now.

Behind her, the sound of clacking heels on marble floors could be heard and she suppressed an amused smirk at the obvious exasperation in the other woman's voice.

"Damn it. I couldn't stop her in time," Healer groused, crossing her arms. "It WAS her, wasn't it?"

"Hn," Maker replied, not once turning her violet eyes from the now fading lights that had been left in the star's wake.

"I knew it," the silver-haired starlight sighed. "I knew it the moment I felt that burst of energy. Did you see her go?"

"Of course," The answer came lightly. "I was the one who told her to go in the first place."

"Eh?!"

Maker turned now to face Healer, who had a look of disbelief on her pretty face.

"Why? You know it's only going to hurt her," then, she murmured, "Not to mention it's treasonous for a Starlight to leave so suddenly…"

The tall brunette pushed off of the pillar, a wistful smile she couldn't contain graced her lips. Perhaps she had grown sentimental over the years.

"Healer. Do you know what today's date is on Earth's Calendar?" A raised silver brow was her only response and she chuckled before continuing. "It's…"



---





"TANABATA!" Aino Minako squealed enthusiastically much to the chagrin and wounded ears of her four friends.

"You seem to be more excited than usual, Minako-chan," Makoto noted, watching as the bubbly blonde in front of her literally skip down the street littered with lanterns, food stands and games.

"Of course I am! I've been waiting forever for the chance to show off my new yukata!" She spun around with extra flourish to prove her point, the fabric of her flowered attire flowing around her. "You can't tell me that you weren't looking forward to it either!"

"I have been itching to see the fireworks," Rei admitted. "And I do look good in a yukata. What about you, Usagi-chan?" She glanced over to where the dumpling-haired girl lagged at the back of the group, lost in thought. "You've been awfully quiet. Usually you'd be just as obnoxious as Minako-chan by now."

"Hey! I'm not that bad!"

Usagi's blinked owlishly at her four friends, who were all looking at her with curious eyes. She blushed lightly, embarrassed to be caught zoning out--something that had been happening a lot as of late. She felt even more sheepish when she realized that she had no idea what they were talking about.

"Ah! Sorry, guys. I just have a lot of things on my mind…"

They all sobered slightly at that and gave her a look of apology.

"Awww, don't mope Usagi-chan! We'll have lots of fun. Girls only, who needs Mamoru?" Makoto joked.

"Mamo-chan?" The moon princess was slightly surprised at the mention of her boyfriend, but it seemed to go unnoticed by the other girls, who were currently scolding Makoto for the comment.

Usagi mentally sighed. 'That's right. Mamo-chan is in America right now…' He had decided to go through with his plans to study abroad, and had left just a month earlier. She knew that he would do it--had to do it. It was his dream, and she wanted all of Mamoru's dreams to come true, not just the part where it concerned her. But strangely enough, this time…this time she felt okay with him leaving. She knew that she would miss him, but she also knew, with a certainty and confidence that she didn't have before, that she would see him again.

Of course she would. It was written in stone. Destiny.

The fact that he wasn't here now, with her. didn't bother her, though she knew it should. She was more bothered by the fact that her mood had nothing to do with Mamoru at all.

"I-I think the fireworks and food stands are all great, but I think my personal favorite thing about Tanabata is the history…" Ami floundered awkwardly obviously trying to change the subject.

Usagi couldn't help but smile, and her fingers unconsciously brushed across her bare ring finger. She could understand why they were all concerned. The last time Mamoru left, she had nearly fallen apart. The only reason why she held up particularly well for so long was because…

She could feel the familiar twinge in her chest. The flutter of the decorative streamers and lanterns above her flickered shadows across her eyes and a whisper of a memory came to her of last year's Tanabata festival.



---

"Oi, it's my first Tanabata, Odango! I'm trusting you to be a good tour guide and show me around!"

"Eh? You've never been to Tanabata before?!"

"I'm a super popular idol, you know. I never had the time before, and even when I did I never saw the point. All Matsuri are the same."

"Don't you know what today is all about, Seiya?"

"Eh? It's a festival of course!"

"It's not JUST a festival. It's a love story!"



---



The twinge became a full on ache, and she held a hand to her heart as if it would quell its' uneasiness.

'I'm terrible,' she thought bitterly.

A gentle hand on her shoulder brought Usagi out of her conflicted thoughts. Minako gave her an encouraging smile and began tugging her arm. "Ne, Usagi-chan! Let's write down our wishes on the tanzaku!"

She was dragged by the arm to where all the bamboo trees were, already hundreds of tanzaku hung from them, fluttering lightly with the breeze. Usagi felt a piece of paper get shoved into her hands, and she studied the blank slip with an equally blank expression.

"Do you know what you're going to wish for?" Minako asked cheerfully, already grabbing one of the nearby markers and scribbling on her own paper. "I know exactly what I want this year!"

"But Minako-chan, you wish for the same thing every year!" Ami noted, grabbing her own tanzaku, brow furrowed in thought as to what to write on it.

"Then it's bound to come true this year, or the next year, right?"

"You're too optimistic sometimes, you know that?" Rei laughed.

Usagi watched as the girls tied their wishes to the bamboo one by one, her crystal eyes roving to each and every single paper.

In big bold letters, Minako wrote: "I wish to become an IDOL."

In curly, almost shy characters, she could read Makoto's embarrassed: "I wish for a boyfriend."

Rei's wish resembled a shopping list filled with all of the newest designer bags and clothes.

Ami's tanzaku had simple and neat letters wishing for a laptop for school, and Usagi chuckled at how practical she was out of all of them.

She looked down to her own tanzaku, her brush poised over the pristine paper--hesitant and unsure. His voice danced around in her mind, the boyish laughter filling up her senses.



---



"That's a pretty romantic story, Odango. Is it a hint?"

"A-As if, Seiya! You asked and I told you!"

"It IS a hint, isn't it? Do you want to be my Orihime tonight?"



---



'Baka,' She thinks, blinking rapidly, the ink seeping lightly across the surface. Wordlessly, Usagi hangs her wish on a nearby bamboo branch, and seeing the words there now, saying what she wanted to say for months suddenly made her feel lighter and heavier at the same time.

I want to see him again.

She knew what they were thinking when they saw the words as well.

"Usagi-chan, I'm sure if Mamoru could, he'd be here with you right now," Makoto comforted. The blonde smiled back weakly.

Were those words meant for Mamoru? She wished she knew.

Beside her, Minako smiled gently, her eyes held a look of compassion much different than the others--as if she understood somehow. Usagi was suddenly overcome with a wave of appreciation for the Princess of Venus, who, underneath the bamboo's shadows, looked every bit the wise Goddess of love that she was named for.

"You really miss him, don't you?"

"More than I should," Usagi answered just as vaguely as the question came.

"Hey, aren't the fireworks going to start soon?" Makoto interrupted, pulling back her yukata sleeve to peer at her watch.

"Yeah, it's almost time. Maybe we should go and find a good spot to see them?" Ami suggested.

Usagi tilted her head upwards to the night sky at this, already imagining the brilliant sparks that would come soon. Crystal eyes widened when instead, a bright blue light streaked across the starry canvas. Her breath was suspended for several seconds, as she followed it's rapid fall to Earth. Seemingly vanishing into the treetops.

"Did you see that?" She gasped.

"See what, Usagi-chan?" Rei peered over her shoulder, pausing from her task of scouting for good seats.

"That shooting star!" She pointed to where it had danced across the sky. "It was so bright…it almost felt familiar."

"I didn't see anything," the raven-haired girl quipped, already over it. "Come on guys, people are beginning to go find seats. If we don't hurry we'll get stuck behind the food stands like last year."

"You guys go on ahead," Usagi waved at them, not tearing her eyes away from where she last saw the star fade. "There's something I want to check out first. I'll catch up with you later."

"Are you sure?" Makoto asked.

"I'll be right back!" Usagi threw over her shoulder, already breaking into a light jog, mindful of her sandals.

"Fine, but if you miss the fireworks, don't blame us!" Rei's annoyed voice called distantly.

Her heart was pounding, and she was sure it wasn't because she was running now. A hope blossomed in her chest that she was almost afraid to let herself be encompassed by.





'Princess Orihime was the daughter of Tentei, the Sky God, and she was a master weaver. Though skilled with her craft, she was lonely, and longed for companionship.'



The cobblestone path became grass beneath her feet.



'One day, Orihime met a cow herder named Hikoboshi. The two fell in love and were married soon after.'



The lights of the festival became a distant memory behind towering trees.



'But Orihime's love for Hikoboshi proved to be a distraction from her duties, and her work became neglected.'



All she could hold onto was the growing feeling of warmth, an ache that was both painful and soothing at the same time.



'Displeased, Tentei separated the lovers in order to keep his daughter focused, sending Hikoboshi to the other side of the Amanogawa--The Milky Way. Forbidden to see one another.'



She knew this feeling.



'They are allowed only to meet on one night of the year: on the seventh day of the seventh month.'



She knew this light.



'One night…in which they cross the galaxy…'



The glow that she had seen disappear into the woods vanished, and Usagi stopped her pursuit, placing a hand against a tree to lean against it. Her breath came out in short pants, before hitching in her throat completely. A figure stepped out from the shadows, lean and tall, and oh…



'To be together.'



"Seiya…" Usagi breathed, taking in the sight of the person she thought she'd never see again standing in front of her, clad in a summer yukata and a familiar boyish smirk.

"Long time no see…Odango."



---



There was a change in the summer wind; Aino Minako swept a stray lock of hair that had blown into her eyes and fidgeted slightly.

"Ne, I'm worried about Usagi-chan," Ami mumbled. "She's been so down lately, do you think she'll be okay?"

"She's just being a baby 'cause she wants her boyfriend here," Rei waved. "Knowing her, she'll be back to stuffing cake and ice cream in her face by tomorrow."

Her thoughts strayed to Usagi, and a feeling of restlessness rose within her. What Usagi wanted…Their Princess didn't know what she wanted anymore, and quite frankly, Minako didn't know what she wanted for her Princess anymore either.

"Ah, looks like everyone's here," A melodic voice lilted behind them.

"Haruka-san! Michiru-san!"

The pair were dressed in stunning yukatas; Michiru's a deep gold and red while Haruka's teal matched her eyes.

"Getting ready for the show?" The tomboy smiled, "You all look so cute in your yukatas," she complimented, earning blushes from the younger girls. "But I see that you're missing someone. Where's Koneko-chan?"

"She went chasing after some shooting star," Rei supplied flippantly. "She'll probably be here soon."

"Shooting star?" the Wind senshi tensed visibly.

"Don't worry, I'll go look for her," Minako volunteered, already skipping off.

Haruka moves to go with her, but a gentle grip on her wrist stops her. She looks down at her lover, whose smile held mild amusement. Yet underneath her expression, understanding flitted across her face. "You're being a bit paranoid, Haruka. It's probably nothing."

"…You're probably right, Michi," she amended, her shoulders relaxing somewhat. Still, she couldn't shake the suspicious feeling that had settled over her this night.

---



Her feet raced to him before her mind could tell them otherwise, and her arms embraced him just as her heart realized how much she had longed to do so. She felt his own arms encircle her, gently as if she was an illusion, tightly as if she would vanish.



His nose buried in her hair, and beneath her ear, she could hear his heart thundering against his chest.

It felt like she had just come home.

The realization itself overwhelmed her; she couldn't stop the tears even if she tried. A noise escapes her throat, and she realizes belatedly that she is whispering Seiya's name, over and over again.

"I'm horrible," she hears him say teasingly into her ear. "I've only been here a couple of minutes and already I've made you cry, Odango."

She laughs then, the sound coming out broken and joyful all at once. "Baka Seiya."

Warm fingers brush over her flushed cheeks, wiping away her tears, and Usagi looks up into midnight blue eyes, and she can see that he is close to crying himself. He draws her nearer and she presses closer, each trying to close as much distance between them as possible, until there was no space between them. It could never be close enough.

There were so many questions she wanted to ask him: How has he been? Why is he here? How is he here? But all of it seemed to melt away with each warm breath that fanned across her neck.

Right now, the only thing she really wanted to ask him was for him to keep holding her just like this. She would question her own illogical behavior later.

But their moment ended all too soon when a familiar voice could be heard calling for the moon princess in the distance.

"Usaaaaaagi-chaaaaan!" Minako's voice echoed vaguely into the trees surrounding them. "Come on, everyone's waiting! I know you're out there, Usagi!"

Reluctantly, Seiya pulled away from the bewildered blonde and gave her a rueful smile. "Guess I should go say 'Hi' to the others too, huh?" he laughed, already putting her at arm's length; the awkward tension settling in, making her heart sink.

She could hear her friend coming nearer and nearer, and Usagi was suddenly flooded with an intense impulse.

"Come on, let's g--" Seiya found himself being jerked abruptly in the opposite direction of the approaching Venus Senshi. Usagi tugged urgently at his arm, and he had to jog to keep up with the frantic pace that she had set. "O-Odango?!"

But her eyes were set straight ahead and the only answer that she gave him was a tighter grip on his arm. She spied a large oak tree with plenty of shrubbery and shadows to keep them hidden and pulled Seiya into its' cover.

"Odango, what--"

"Shhhh!" Usagi hissed, pressing the boy's back into the bark of the tree and looking over her shoulder. His mouth snapped shut. As the footsteps approached, Usagi pressed herself closer to Seiya, willing their bodies to meld into the darkness and away from the world.

After a moment, Minako seemed to move away from their vicinity and she let out the breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. A light tug on her hair caused her to look up into inquiring cobalt blue eyes; she realized with a start at their close proximity.

"Oi, why are we hiding Odango?" he whispered. Usagi opened her mouth only to close it again. The truth was, she didn't really know herself, she had just reacted on instinct. The girl grew wary when she saw a sly smile cross his handsome features. "Ah! Are you jealous?" he teased. "Could it be that you wanted to keep me all to yourself?"

"So what if I do?!" Usagi snapped before she could stop herself. Immediately the playfulness left the former idol's demeanor.

"…Odango…"

"Baka Seiya!" she said again, pushing off of him in a huff and crossing her arms. Her head was turned away in an attempt to hide her now very prominent blush that she was sure not even the darkness of night could conceal.

"You don't have to worry," Seiya said slowly, placing tentative hands on her shoulders to draw her attention back to himself. "You know…surely you must know…that the only one I came back to see, is you."

"Seiya…"

Her eyes widened at his sincerity. The way he was looking at her now reminded her of rooftops and rain, of confessions and heartbreak and missed chances. His eyes lowered down to her left hand, which he was now drawing gentle circles on top with his own warm fingers. He paused briefly on a particularly bare finger.

"I thought you'd be married by now for sure," he commented with a wry smile.

"Not yet," she answers, taking her hand back. "Mamo-chan wants to finish his studies first. He went back overseas to study months ago. I have an engagement ring though." She sees the heart shaped diamond ring in her mind's eye. In a box. At home.

"I remember," his voice is quiet.

"But…I don't wear it because I'm afraid it will get dirty."

"I see." Seiya leans against the trunk, his eyes wandering to the fluttering leaves above them. Usagi didn't know why she felt like she had to give him an excuse. She swallowed the thought that it felt more like a lie.

"The others!" The subject was changed quickly, "Taiki, Yaten, and Princess Kayuu! How are they?"

"Back on Kinmoku," He supplied airily. Crystal blue irises blinked in surprise.

"You came alone?"

"I snuck off, actually," a chuckle escapes his lips and he shrugged boyishly.

"How long can you stay?"

"Not long," Seiya scratched the back of his head in thought. "I can get in a lot of trouble if I'm caught. By dawn's light maybe?"

"So soon?" She whispers, feeling a sudden pang go through her chest at the thought of his departure. Strangely enough, the pain she had felt for Mamoru leaving her all those months ago now paled in comparison to the knowledge of Seiya leaving. His gaze settles back to her; burning and intense.

"Ask me to stay," he tells her and she feels her heart in her throat. "Ask me to stay forever and I will."


Usagi blinks rapidly to stay the tears welling up. "Seiya…?"

He turns away from her suddenly, laughing. "Don't make that face, I was only kidding."

She should have let it drop, let him play it off like he always did and let things go back to normal. But she didn't. She didn't buy it, not for a second.

"No, you weren't."

The raven-haired light sighed; the smile he now wore sad and tired. "You're making this whole selfless thing very hard, Odango."

"Seiya…I…"

"I love you." He confessed breathlessly. Usagi's eyes widened, heart fluttering like bird trapped in its cage. He continued before she could respond. "I don't expect anything. You probably know already. But I just wanted to make sure that you do," he laughs. "After all, you're pretty dense, Odango."

She couldn't stand it, couldn't stand seeing him try to smile and joke with her as if he was okay with living with heartbreak; as if it wasn't tearing him apart.

"I do know. And I wish I could ask you to stay," she says desperately.

He moves closer to her now, and she is aware of his hands cupping her face, his thumb moving back and forth against a flushed cheek. "Why don't you, then?" he asks, but then draws away quickly. "Never mind. I know why."

Her eyebrows knit in mild anger now, and she sits back on her knees, glaring at him. "You're not the only selfless one here you know!" the blonde hisses bitterly, and she thinks of the future. Her future. "It's not just about me! It's about…"

It's about Mamoru, and Chibiusa. It's about my friends and Crystal Tokyo and the world. They're all depending on me to fulfill this destiny. All their hopes and dreams are on my shoulders!

Not for the first time, Tsukino Usagi felt the heavy weight of responsibility, and she could finally admit that she felt tired and trapped.

What is my happiness compared to theirs? How can I risk change? Even if…

She looks at Seiya now, truly looks at him and allows herself to drink him in--his midnight hair, his cobalt blue eyes, his gentle scent; and felt the deep ache of longing consume her.

Even if my heart wants it?

A sharp pinch on her cheek snaps her out of her rapidly depressing thoughts and she sends a spiteful look at an amused Seiya Kou.

"What was that for?!" Usagi groused, hitting him squarely in the chest with her tiny fist.

He catches her wrist, and chuckles softly. "You're thinking too much, Odango. I thought I'd never see the day."

"It's not like I like thinking about these things," she pouts petulantly.

The next thing she knows, she is pushed onto her back against the soft grass and staring up at Seiya, who is leaning over her with an expression she can't define. The weight of him pressing atop her is strangely pleasant.

"Then just stop," he urges, his voice low with want.

So she does.

His lips are warm against her own. She feels the rush of elation, the joy of finally doing what she wants and letting herself give into this one, maddening, wonderful desire. When she lets her head fall back against the grass Seiya is staring at her with a mix of surprise, love, and clouding lust.

"Okay," she smiles.

He kisses her again before she can change her mind. She reaches up and tangles her fingers into his raven hair to assure him that she won't.

The both of them were so eager and consumed with each other to notice that Minako had stumbled upon their hiding spot moments later. Neither saw her expression of confusion and shock melt away into quiet understanding. And if they witnessed her walking away with a small smile on her face they were certainly too caught up in their own passion to care.

Seiya Kou tasted like tea and honey and starshine. It was heady and addicting, and she felt a warm heat begin to pool in her belly. Usagi prayed the feeling would last forever.

Just for this moment…I want to be selfish.

He kissed her everywhere. Her eyes, her cheeks her nose, and lips. A groan escaped him when she slips a hand into his open yukata to feel the burning skin underneath, and she finds that she quite likes the sound.

I have forever to be Neo Queen Serenity.

"Odango…" he murmurs, burying his face into her shoulder.

I only have tonight to be Seiya's Orihime.

"Seiya…" Usagi moans as he trailed a path of kisses down her throat. Her eyes flicker to the sky above her and she sees the flashes of color lighting up the night in the distance. "We'll miss the fireworks…"

"No we won't," he whispers, smiling against her lips. "Besides, there's always next year."



…







O - MA - KE - !



"So, how was Earth, Fighter?" Sailor Star Healer deadpanned; they had caught her walking down the hallway, looking much happier than they had seen her in months. The raven haired starlight shrugged as innocently as possible, but even they could hear the trace of smugness in their leader's voice when she answered:

"I have no idea what you're talking about," and turned to continue on her way.

"Oh really?" she grinned slyly before pulling up a pair of pink panties printed with bunnies to dangle on a gloved finger. "By the way, you dropped your souvenir."

Sailor Star Fighter stopped dead in her tracks, choking audibly. Even from the back, Healer could see the blush spreading down to her neck. Beside her, Maker could barely contain her glee.

"Usagi wears Usagi's," she chuckled. "Why am I not surprised?"





The End.