A/N: Overall, this fic took a lot longer than I expected, but I'm finally at the end of it.

Enjoy, and thanks to all you readers for sticking with me.

The Night Sky

Epilogue

The sun was just rising, but that didn't stop the young couple from meeting on the balcony of Mamoru's apartment. As long and as late as the night had been, both had things to say that had, quite simply, gone unsaid for far too long.

But for the moment, both of them were enjoying the cool dawn air.

'You're not cold?' Mamoru asked, concerned. He offered a hand, in which Usagi placed one of her own and snuggled a little closer to his chest.

'Hmm…no,' Usagi murmured. 'I'm fine.'

A pause, but certainly not an awkward one. At that moment, they both had all the time in the world.

'I told my parents,' the blonde said finally. 'About being Sailor Moon. All those times I snuck out of the house. About Chibiusa…not that they remembered that bit. And about Luna being able to talk.' She laughed. 'You should have heard my mother when I told her that bit; you'd think she's never seen a talking cat before.'

'I doubt she has,' Mamoru pointed out, though he chuckled. They were all so used to Luna and Artemis and Diana that it was strange thinking that most of the world went without knowing that some were not only capable of understanding human speech but replicating it as well. 'Unless she's walked in on Luna talking in her sleep.'

'About Artemis,' Usagi inputted.

'Really?' That was a new bit of information, though not unexpected. 'They're dating now.'

'Yeah, spent the day roaming around the city then the evening at Minako-chan's.'

'Hmm.'

They fell silent again, watching the sky split with colour.

'Usako –'

'Mamo-chan –'

They turned to look at each other.

'You first,' Mamoru said, placing a finger on his girlfriend's lips as she tried to protest. 'I mean it.'

'Well…' She fingered the ring around her neck once more, before holding it up to Mamoru, still on its chain. 'I didn't realise what you meant when you gave me this,' she said quietly. 'I love you; I really do. I'm just not ready to be an adult yet.'

'Neither am I,' Mamoru confessed, and the next moment they were both exploding into peels of laughter, reaching simultaneously for the rail to support their joint weight.

'We're both idiots,' Usagi chortled eventually.

'No, we're just – ' Mamoru stopped; he had been about to say they were both teenagers, but in truth he was as old as an adult by terms of years lived. Still, it felt he hadn't begun maturing as an adult until he had come to find his identity as Tuxedo Kamen.

'Kids,' Usagi finished, shrugging and failing to see the problem. 'We're just kids who are still growing up.'

'Sounds good,' Mamoru agreed, reaching out to stop the hand that was creeping to the clasp. 'Still, I gave that ring to you and I want you to keep it. Just as it is.' He took her hand again. 'Think of it as a return gift for the locket you gave me on the moon.'

'I still have it,' Usagi said. 'I listened to it every day when you were gone.'

'Maybe one day I'll ask for it back.' He smiled, thinking he wouldn't need it for a long time.

'But America – ' Usagi started, to be stopped by Mamoru's free hand gently on her lips.

'I'm not going.'

The blonde spun around. 'But why not?' she asked. 'If this is about Galaxia, or me –'

'It's not.' Mamoru shook his head. 'I was just floating around; going to America isn't really what I want to do. Not now anyway. Maybe once I've done what I want to do…and maybe you can come with me then. That way we won't be worrying each other sick.'

'Sounds good,' Usagi agreed. 'It'll have to be once I graduate senior high school though.'

'That won't be a problem. It'll take about three years to do a full course anyway.'

'Which one?' Usagi asked curiously. 'What haven't you already tried?'

'Let's see…' Mamoru thought. 'I've done Japanese and English and French, then General Science, Biological Science, Mathematical Science and Engineering…and…hmm…' After a moment, he concluded: 'You know what? I think the only thing I haven't tried is politics.'

It was somewhat ironic, as that would be very helpful in the future when he ruled as King Endymion.

'And you? What are you going to do Usa-ko?'

'Me?' At Mamoru's nod, she answered: 'I'm going to do what I've always done. Plan a little, just do the rest and spread the smiles.' She pursed her lips. 'I wonder what career course that would lead me to?'

'Certainly not psychiatry,' Mamoru said. 'Your patients may come away with smiles, but you'll be in tears.'

'Then you'll kiss them all away.'

'Of course I will.'

The railings glimmered under the new sun.

'Mamo-chan?'

'Yes?'

'Tell me how much you love me?'

'Why?' Mamoru asked, surprised. 'You already know.'

'Tell me anyway.'