"You can't be surprised," Mamoru said. "It's practically tradition at this point."

"I'm not surprised," Usagi said. "I'm not even upset. Of course they'd do this at your going away party."

Usagi's eyes started to burn with the effort of not tearing up. She swallowed against the lump in her throat.

Usagi lowered her gaze to the floor, twisted her mouth a little. "Remember the first time they did this to us?"

"Yeah," he said, "although the second time sticks out a little more in my memory."

"Ha, destroying Motoki's closet," Usagi laughed a little. "Good times." Her lips were starting to tremble. She forced them to be still.

"Usako," he turned her so she was facing him and she gave him a calm smile before burying her face in his chest. He stroked her hair. "It'll be okay."

"I know," she said, as if it were no big deal that the love of her life was leaving for a year or more to a place thousands of miles away. As if that sort of thing happened all the time. She looked up at him, keeping her face locked in a small, pleasant smile.

Mamoru brushed some of her hair away from her face, searching her eyes. He cupped her face in his hands, "It's okay," he said softly.

And Usagi lost it. Huge sobs wracked her chest and hot tears fell from her eyes. Mamoru just held her tightly until she calmed enough to speak. "I'm sorry for this," she whispered. "I promise at the airport, I'll send you off with a smile. But now… I got your shirt all wet," she smiled weakly. He handed her a handkerchief and she took it gratefully.

"Ew, now you can't even kiss me," Usagi said, frowning, "I'm all gross from crying."

"You aren't gross," he said, brushing his fingers against her cheeks, still hot and flush from sobbing. "And if you think I'm not going to kiss you during our last 'seven minutes' you are crazy."

Mamoru was rewarded with a genuine smile (albeit a watery one), and six straight minutes of passionate kissing. It wasn't a terrible way to leave things, all in all.

Thanks for sticking with me through this! Let me know which one was your favorite, ok? (I liked S).