This is the Way Things Should Be

By Bashfulglowfly

Chapter One

Usagi sat bolt upright, sweat trickling down her face, gasping for breath, hands clasping her stomach. Fearing the worst, she raised one hand to her face. No blood. A dream. I was dreaming! She blinked, her eyes adjusting to the early morning sun coming through the opened navy drapes.

Navy drapes? I don't have navy drapes! She stared around the room. It was decorated in blues, silvers and whites. Opposite her there was a study area with two desks and several bookshelves. Across from it was a cozy sitting area surrounding a fireplace. This isn't my room! My room is pink and purple. Where am I? She began to hyperventilate.

"Usako?" She turned and looked down.

She was in bed. She was naked.

She was in bed with a man.

She was in bed with Chiba Mamoru.

Usagi blinked, stunned. She was NAKED IN BED WITH CHIBA MAMORU!

Mamoru raised himself up on one elbow, "Usako, what's wrong? Are you okay?" Both face and voice registered his concern.

Usagi stared back at him numbly. "I had a bad dream." She whispered.

Mamoru sat upright, the sheet barely covering his waist. Usagi blushed and snatched up part of the sheet to cover herself. Mamoru smiled gently as he brushed stray strands of hair away from her face. "What was the dream about, darling?"

"What?"

He tilted her chin up so he could look in her eyes. "Your bad dream. What was it about?"

Usagi blinked again. She thought for a moment, "I don't remember."

Mamoru stared at her, then flopped back down on the bed laughing.

Usagi pouted for a second then pounced on top of him, tiny fists thumping on his chest. "Don't laugh! It's not funny! It WAS a bad dream!"

Mamoru grasped both her fists in his left hand and pulled her down until her head was on his chest wrapping his right arm around her. Usagi wriggled until she was close against him and her head was placed in the best spot to hear and feel his heartbeat. "What do you remember about it?"

"A sharp pain in my stomach." Usagi said absently. Mamoru had freed her hands so she was using one to stroke his chest. She felt and heard his heart skip. Raising her head up, she narrowed her eyes at him. "No. No, don't you start thinking about that. I don't want you to think about that. It wasn't your fault."

Mamoru covered his eyes with his left arm. "I didn't protect you like I said I would. I promised that I would stay with you."

Usagi pulled his arm down and poked at his chin until he looked at her. "You DID stay by my side. You DID protect me. You protected me with your life. It was just that Metallia was stronger than we knew. Metallia was stronger than all of us. And it used the corpses of those we loved against us. It made the girls fight their lovers and it made you fight your aunt."

"You killed yourself. Because we left you alone. Because you were scared."

"Yes, I was scared to death and alone like I've never been alone before." She leaned down and gently kissed his lips. "We had discussed what would happen if the Moon Kingdom would fall. The plan was for you, or whichever one of my Senshi who were still alive, to kill me then kill yourself. We knew that I couldn't be allowed to be captured by the Enemy. But it didn't work out that way." She sighed. "Metallia told me what it was going to do to me. It was going to use me against the Earth and the remnants of the Silver Alliance. Both you and I know it would have used me to keep everyone under its heel. Just like we had suspected and planned for. I couldn't let Metallia capture me. I couldn't let that happen. I could NOT let our people be tortured and enslaved because I was scared."

"Death before dishonor." He murmured.

"Yes."

Mamoru moved swiftly, flipping Usagi onto her back, burying his face in her neck. "I don't know how you do it. How are you able to remain positive all of the darn time?"

She giggled as he began nibbling. "I have you. I have Shingo and Aunt Beryl. And I have all the others. That's why."

"Greedy thing. Keeping all of those people."

"I share with you! Four of them are your Shitennou anyway."

"Humph! They'd ditch me in a minute if you'd ask."

"Liar." She giggled as his lips and hands began moving lower. She tugged lightly at his hair. "Quit playing around and get down to business!"

Mamoru looked up at her and grinned. "Anything my Princess desires!"

Laughter then soft sighs and moans filled the room.