So, remember when I said that this story would be only two chapters? Yeah, that didn't work out. So this is the second (also the second last) chapter for The One With the Vegas Vacation. I struggled a lot with this, because I had so many ideas I wanted to incorporate (hence the third chapter). Feedback is always appreciated, and thanks for reading! :)

The One With the Vegas Vacation

The Morning After

"Mamoru?" Usagi woke the next morning, mouth dry and head spinning. She eyed the man suspiciously as he paced in front of the window clad in nothing but an undershirt and his boxers. He paused every few steps to take a sip from the glass clutched in his hand. "Why are you in my room?" she asked, voice cracking.

"I'm not." He stopped to look her straight on. "You're in mine."

Usagi shifted, clenching eyes shut in an attempt to push away the pain. "Why?" she groaned, brows furrowing in confusion.

"I don't know." Mamoru sighed, and raking the bangs from his forehead. "Do you remember anything from last night?"

The corner of Usagi's mouth twitched as she thought, and she tried to ignore her pounding temples. She remembered meeting Mamoru in the bar, the sweetness of the cocktails, and bitterness of the shots. The bells and cheers from the gaming floor still echoed in her ears, and she faintly recalled gambling – or at least watching Mamoru gamble. Hazy memories of his warm body and soft lips surfaced, and she pressed her fingers to her lips, her head jerking back as an oversized sleeve slid down her wrist. Usagi looked down, and lifted the blanket, checking underneath to find herself drowning in one of Mamoru's dress shirts; at least she still had underwear on. That was a good sign, right?

"Why am I wearing your shirt?" She pointed to the garment, cheeks beginning to redden. "Did we –"

"I don't know," he shook his head. "I don't think so," he added quickly, swallowing the nervous lump in his throat. "I mean, I'm pretty sure I would remember that," he added, averting his gaze as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"We probably just came back here so that we didn't disturb the girls," Usagi suggested, choosing to ignore his comment as she smoothed down her messy hair.

"Didn't we go back to your room?"

"Yeah." Usagi's head bobbed. "After we –" she paused, and bit her lip. "Played that game at the casino."

"Right," Mamoru nodded, desperate to make sense of their situation. His pacing resumed, and Usagi sighed, fighting to stay awake as she fell into the array of fluffy pillows stacked behind her. She heard Mamoru stop, and curse under his breath.

"Usagi," he said, holding a white square in his hand as he grabbed his glasses from the nightstand and slid them up the bridge of his nose. "Don't panic, but I think we may have accidentally gotten married."

"What?" She bolted upright, mouth agape, imploring him to continue. With a complete loss of words, Mamoru gave Usagi a small polaroid photo. She took it cautiously, almost afraid to look. "What?" she gasped, frantically inspecting the smiling faces staring back at her. "This can't be real," she stated, attention flitting between Mamoru's blank expression and the picture.

"It says Just Married." He sat beside her on the edge of the bed, and pointed to the large banner that hung over their heads. "And we're clearly in a chapel," he said, motioning to the scenery.

"Yeah, but –" Usagi's breath hitched – was he actually trying to convince her it was real? And why on earth was he sitting so close?

"You're wearing a veil," Mamoru noted.

"If we got married, where's my ring?" Usagi countered, holding out her hands and fanning her fingers, wanting nothing more than to prove it was all a joke.

"We got drunk married in Vegas and you're worried that I didn't give you a ring?" he snapped.

"Come on Mamoru, we would never –" Usagi felt the words go dry; up until last night, she also thought they would have never made out in an elevator. "I mean, you'd never –" She tried to correct the statement, but the notion that he would have no interest her stung more than she cared to admit. "You don't like me, remember?" she managed, feeling her headache return full force.

"Usagi –" His face softened with her name, wishing he had the courage to dispel her doubts. Before any confession was spoken, it was chased away by a loud knock at the door. The pair exchanged a confused glance, and Mamoru rose to find who was on the other side.

"Good morning my lovely newlyweds," Minako sang, flouncing past Mamoru with two coffees in hand. "I can't believe how drunk you two were last night," she bubbled, grinning wildly as she handed them each a paper cup.

"Newlyweds?" Usagi choked. "We actually got married?" Her jaw dropped, and the pounding in her head returned full force.

"Who do you think was the maid of honour?" Minako asked, plopping down on the end of the bed, and subtly giving Mamoru an appreciative once over.

"You let us get married?" His voice deepened, and his expression tensed with anger.

"It's not like you're actually married," Minako said, waving her hand. "Neither of you remember?" Receiving nothing but blank stares in reply, Minako kicked off her shoes, made herself comfortable, and began her story. "Well, last night…"

Minako blew the bangs from her forehead as she stalked down the corridor towards her room, muttering a string of curses under her breath. It was just her luck that Makoto would end up with the good one, and she would be left alone, standing on the sidelines. She figured it was best to cut her losses and head in for the night, but there was no way that was happening without a healthy supply of junk food – just to get her past the momentary bout of depression and self-doubt.

Rounding the corner she stopped mid-step, gasping at the enamoured couple that stood before her. She cleared her throat, but failed to get their attention.

"Usagi!" Minako called, taking a step closer.

"Minako!" the blonde squealed, untangling herself from Mamoru's grasp. "Look!" She held out her hand, showing off a white, starchy ring, peppered with artificial, green onion flakes. "We're engaged."

"You – you're what?" she stammered, brows raised.

"Engaged," Mamoru repeated, drowning in giddiness.

"Like getting married?"

"Well duh," Usagi said, rolling her eyes.

"Wait." Minako held up her palm. "You and you," she said, finger flicking between the two, "want to get married?"

"That's why we're engaged," Mamoru explained, draping his arm around Usagi's shoulders and pulling her closer towards him. Minako leaned forward, and inhaled.

"Oh my god you guys are drunk." She breathed a sigh of relief, and a wicked smile tugged at her lips.

"We're not drunk," Mamoru insisted, words slurred and hand sluggishly waving back and forth.

"We're engaged," Usagi reiterated, droopy-eyed and rosy cheeked.

"You should get married," Minako suggested. "I'll be the maid of honour!" she volunteered, clasping her hands together in excitement – at least some fun would come out of the night.

"Oh my god," Usagi breathed, "that's perfect."

"We should go right now," Mamoru urged, arms shaking as Usagi's head bobbed in agreement. Their eyes met, and without a second's warning they were again enveloped in one another, bodies pressed and lips melding.

"Okay you two." Minako rolled her eyes, tugging gently on Usagi's arm. "Save that for after the wedding."

The ceremony took place in a tiny, white chapel, witnessed by a handful of strangers and accompanied by an off-key piano. Minako had walked a teetering Usagi down the aisle, after fixing the rented veil into her hair. She had filmed bits and pieces, unable to keep the grin off her face and instantly decided the wrath she faced in the morning would be worth the photos alone.

Within fifteen minutes Usagi and Mamoru had exchanged vows and makeshift rings, and had shared their first kiss as husband and wife. A polite applause ushered them out, and they paused in the foyer to catch their breath, sides aching with laughter. Usagi gushed over her Fonion ring, words completely unintelligible, and Mamoru tried to steady himself against a plaster column. Minako sat beside her best friend, arms crossed in accomplishment as scenarios of the next morning played through her head.

"And then I sent you two lovebirds up here to celebrate your wedding night," Minako finished, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively. Usagi slid down, and pulled the covers up to her nose – there was no way this could be happening.

"Minako." Mamoru exhaled slowly, mustering every last ounce of self-restraint that he had. "That wasn't a fake wedding."

"Yeah, it was." She snorted. "You don't get married for real in Vegas."

"Yes, you do," Mamoru insisted, forehead crinkled in exasperation.

"No way," she argued, jumping up from the bed and rummaging through a pile of papers on the desk. "Look, they even gave you this fake certificate," she said, handing a piece of cardstock to Mamoru. "There's no way that is real."

Mamoru briefly studied the certificate, his left fist clenching in anger as he drew in a breath. "Minako," he seethed, lips pressed tightly together.

"Let me see it," Usagi demanded, arm outstretched and palm flat. "Oh my god," she whimpered, squinting as her eyes examined the document line by line. "It says right here." She pointed wildly to the scripted text.

"It does not," Minako maintained, shuffling over and peering down where Usagi's manicured nail sat. She read over the paper, tripping her way through the legal jargon, corners of her lips pulling tight. "I'm sorry, I honestly had no idea," she said, shoulders lifting as she shook her head.

"I can't believe you let this happen," Mamoru barked.

"I'm sorry!" Minako yelled, hands shaking emphatically. "But you're the ones that got engaged," she countered, folding her arms across her chest.

"We were drunk!" Usagi exclaimed, the erratic beating of her heart echoing in her ears. "This can't be happening," she muttered, unable to push away the images of her mother crying and father exploding; they had missed their only daughter's wedding.

"We got engaged with a Fonion Ring," Mamoru said, words slow and voice rumbling.

"You got married with a Fonion Ring," Minako corrected, "and a twist-tie." She pointed to the tied-up bag of leftover onion flavoured snacks on the desk. "I just thought that's what Usagi wanted," she added defensively.

"You thought I wanted a snack food as my engagement ring?" Usagi cracked, wavering between laughter and tears.

"Well…" Minako shrugged; it didn't seem that farfetched, did it? "Besides, it's not like I thought you guys were actually engaged," she huffed, rolling her eyes for emphasis. "Or married."

As the reality of the situation settled, panic began to pool in Usagi's stomach. Her thoughts were racing, and her palms grew slick with sweat. She glanced at Mamoru who had slumped into a chair, his knee bouncing furiously and face narrowed in thought.

"What are we going to do?" she asked, fingers toying with the pendant on her necklace as she chewed on the inside of her cheek.

"I'm sure we're not the first people this has happened to," Mamoru reasoned, "we'll just go back to the chapel, and see if there's anything they can do to help us." His head bobbed slowly, trying to convince himself that everything would work out for the best.

"Okay," Usagi agreed, relaxing at Mamoru's sudden calmness.

"Go get changed," he ordered, rising to his feet, ready to take control of the situation. "I'll meet you at your room in ten minutes." Usagi nodded, and threw back the covers.

"You're going now?" Minako cried, watching the pair rush around the room. Usagi grabbed a robe from the bathroom, throwing it over the dress shirt – it would have to do.

"Yes, we're going now," Mamoru replied, rummaging through his suitcase for something suitable to wear. What did you wear to get paperwork for an unwanted marriage back? "You are not coming," he stated pointedly, looking Minako directly in the eye.

"But –"

"No."

"Come on." Usagi grabbed Minako's hand, and pulled her towards the door. "My room in ten," she said, earning a grunt of confirmation from Mamoru.

Without a word uttered to her friends, Usagi changed her clothes and scrubbed the makeup from her face. She had begged Minako not to say a word, and mumbled an excuse as she flew out the door. Having a few minutes to spare, she leaned against the wall, foot tapping as she picked the polish from her nails.

Despite the headache that plagued her, and the fact that she was a bride in a wedding she couldn't' remember, part of Usagi was still stuck on the idea that Mamoru hadn't disagreed. He didn't even seem to be angry at the fact that it was her that he married. According to Minako, he had been enthusiastic about the entire idea, and while she refused to put any weight behind decisions made while drunk, that glimmer of hope that had arisen the night before resurfaced. Maybe there was something between them.

"Ready?" Mamoru asked, emerging from around the corner and breaking her train of thought.

They walked in silence, neither knowing quite what to say, exchanging awkward smiles as they hurried past faceless strangers on the street. Usagi felt her phone vibrating in her purse; immediate proof that Minako had unleashed the story. At least it would be taken care of soon enough.

"I guess this is it." They stopped in front of a small building, the entrance shaped like a chapel, and decorated with tacky cherubs and a neon heart.

"It doesn't look like there's anyone inside," Usagi said, running up to peer into the darkened windows.

"Shit," Mamoru cursed, hand clenched around the handle trying in vain to jiggle the door open. His attention fell to a paper schedule pasted on the door. "Shit!"

"What?" Usagi rushed to his side, pulling with all of her strength. "It's not opening!" she cried, colour draining from her face.

"They're closed."

"What do you mean they're closed?" she asked, voice quivering as a lump rose in her throat.

"They're not open," Mamoru said, shaking his head, trying to remain collected. "Closed on Sundays." He pointed to the sign, finger running back and forth along the appropriate line.

Usagi's head dropped, and she momentarily rested her forehead against the glass. Without warning, her shoulders began to quiver, and she burst into an uncontrollable fit of laughter.

"Why are you laughing?!" Mamoru asked, pitch raised and incredulity strewn across his face.

"I'm sorry," she managed, wrapping her arm around her stomach. "I don't know what else to do," she admitted. "And it is kind of funny."

"Usagi, we're legally married," he reiterated; did she not realize the severity of their situation?

"What, is the idea of being married to me that horrible?" she snapped, mood souring as she glared at him, hands on her hips.

"That's not what I'm saying." Mamoru held his palms up in defense.

"Then what are you saying?" she asked haughtily, weight shifting to one leg.

"I just don't think a drunken wedding in Vegas is how either of pictured getting married," he explained. "And wouldn't you rather marry someone that you actually liked?" he added, bracing himself for her rejection.

Usagi's heart softened, her posture relaxed, and it occurred to her that maybe he wasn't as confident as he let on. "We had fun last night," she said, wishing she had the courage to admit more.

"We did, from what I remember of it." While memories of the wedding were still lost to the alcoholic haze, Mamoru recalled much more of their night together than he let on. He could still feel the delicate graze of her fingertips on his skin, and the heat of her body pressed against his.

"So what now?" Usagi rocked back on her heels, hands clasped and forehead crinkled.

"I guess we'll just have to come back in the morning. At least if they're closed there's little chance of the paperwork going anywhere," Mamoru reasoned.

"That's true." Her head bobbed.

The pair began their trek back to the hotel, each drowning in a sea of empty words and hopeful what ifs. Their pace had slowed, and Usagi took the time to admire the lavish window dressings, pausing every few shops to peer inside. She admired jewel crested trinkets, and stylish clothes, imagination whisking her away. She felt him stop with her, waiting patiently behind as she finished her inspections, and she half wondered if the strangers passing by thought they were a couple.

"Hey, Mamoru?" She looked up at him, heart racing. "I'm supposed to meet the girls at the restaurant in the hotel for lunch, you can come, if you want," she said, the corners of her mouth twitching. "I mean, we are still husband and wife." She winked, earning a welcomed chuckle.

"Sure," he agreed, "I'd like that."

The rest of the walk was filled with Usagi chattering away, filling Mamoru in on everything she had seen since she first arrived. It was her first time in America, and the novelty of all of the differences hadn't yet worn off. He smiled at her babblings, his mood lightening as he felt the panic of their marriage and stress from endless days of medical seminars beginning to dissipate. She always seemed to have that effect on him, even when they were younger.

Reaching the restaurant, the couple weaved their way through crowded tables, finding their group at the back. They welcomed Mamoru with knowing smiles and feigned surprise as they subtly cast mischievous smiles to one another. Usagi downed a glass of water, before burying herself in the menu, using the flimsy paper to shield her reddening cheeks while Mamoru bided time making polite conversation about the weather.

"Really?" Rei interrupted. "No one is going to talk about… this?" She wagged her finger between the couple.

"Did you get the paperwork?" Minako asked, the question perched on her lips for quite some time.

"The chapel was closed," Mamoru stated, offering no further information.

"On a Sunday?" Makoto cocked her head to the side.

"Apparently." Usagi nodded slightly, lips pulled into a straight line.

"How did this marriage even happen?" Ami wondered, having felt that Minako's explanation was less than complete.

"Why don't you ask the Maid of Honour?" Usagi suggested, casting a saccharine grin in the blonde's direction.

"I've already said I was sorry like a million times," she huffed. "How was I supposed to know a Vegas marriage is a real marriage?" She slouched back in her chair, arms crossed over her chest.

"How did you not know?" Ami's brow creased in confusion; there would have been legal documents to sign.

"Have you never seen a Vegas movie?" Rei turned to her in shock, arms raised.

"Please tell me you have evidence that it happened," Makoto chimed, eyes glistening with excitement.

"Please tell me you don't," Usagi snapped, that heavy feeling returning to the pit of her stomach.

"Just a few photos on Snapchat," Minako admitted, refusing to look in Mamoru's direction; she knew he was seething.

"Minako," Usagi whined, having lost all ability to feel embarrassed or horrified.

"And Instagram."

"Oh for fuck's sake," Mamoru groaned, burying his face in his hands.

"And maybe, like, one or two on Facebook." Minako flashed a guilty smile as the three remaining girls fished their phones from their purses and pockets. "I'll just make another post saying it was a joke," she added, words colliding into one, as if the speed of her promise would fix her mistake.

"Oh yeah, here it is!" Rei called, proudly displaying their wedding photo on her screen. The device moved around the table, accompanied by a series of giggles.

"You guys do look pretty happy in the photo," Makoto mused. For years she had secretly hoped that Usagi and Mamoru would get their acts together and confront their feelings; she was a sucker for a good love story.

"How did you guys not see any of my updates?" The blonde frowned, taking a moment to look each of her friends in the eye. Makoto raised her shoulders in silent apology, and Ami avoided her gaze.

"You update a lot," Rei said, lightly patting her arm.

"So, what will you do now?" Ami asked, head tilted to the side with genuine concern; she didn't find the situation quite as amusing as the rest of her friends seemed to.

"We'll have to go again tomorrow, and see what they say." Mamoru sighed and glanced at his phone screen for the first time since the event. His cheek twinged with irritation at the barrage of text messages, mostly from Motoki, which escalated by an increase in exclamation marks.

"I still can't believe you two got married in Vegas." Makoto laughed, head swaying with disbelief as she unfolded her napkin and laid it across her lap. Usagi snorted, and Mamoru rolled his eyes; it was obvious now that they would never live this down.

"Sorry to interrupt, but did I hear married in Vegas?" the waitress asked, as she began to set down plates of food.

"Yes!" Minako looked at the newlyweds, the corner of her lips turning upwards. "Our two dear friends just tied the knot last night!" she cooed, pointing to Usagi and Mamoru. "She's getting the ring resized," she explained, noticing the waitress' attention drop to Usagi's hand.

"Well congratulations!" she beamed. "Lunch is always on the house for newlyweds." Usagi's face lit up, her smile contagious as she glanced at Mamoru, and nodded approvingly.

As soon as waitress had left, Minako leaned over the table. "See, I got you a free meal."

"Yes, that completely makes up for allowing us to get married," Mamoru said, monotone and deadpan.

"It does kind of make it better," Usagi managed between mouthfuls. "Who doesn't love free food?"

Meals devoured, and hunger satisfied, the six friends idled around the table waiting for their bill to arrive. The conversation died down, and the soft patter of Ami's fingers drumming against the table become all too noticeable.

"We have plenty of time," Makoto reassured.

"Makoto and I are going on a bus tour to the Hoover Dam." Ami smiled, glancing at her watch.

"It's very interesting," Mamoru replied, "I'm sure you'll have a great time."

"Well, we're going shopping," Usagi chimed, pointing to her two remaining friends, unable to shake that tinge of jealousy that crept up the back of her neck at Mamoru's enthusiasm.

"Actually…" Minako bit her nail, a guilt painted on her face. "I ran into Adam, the guy from yesterday? Turns out he wasn't feeling that great, so we're hanging out again." She shrugged, pulling strands of golden hair through her fingers.

"And I'm going to chaperone," Rei said, hand splayed across her chest. "Clearly Minako can't be left alone," she added, directing the comment towards the newlyweds.

"So you guys are ditching me again?" Usagi frowned, shoulders slumping.

"We didn't ditch you last night," Rei corrected, pursing her lips. "You could have come with us."

"You're welcome to come on the tour with us!" Usagi crinkled her nose at Ami's invitation – an educational tour wasn't exactly her idea of a good time.

"Thanks, but I'll pass."

"I'm not doing anything, if you want to see how much we can milk this newlywed thing," Mamoru offered, admitting to himself that he had enjoyed the past twelve hours with Usagi more than he had the entire conference. "I'm sure we can at least get a free dinner."

"Fine." Usagi sighed, unable to resist the charming grin he flashed in her direction. "I'm in," she agreed, trying to mask any sign of excitement.

Usagi waved as her friends went their separate ways, leaving her along with Mamoru in the hotel foyer. She took a deep breath, and shook out her nerves before turning to face him.

"So, what do you want to do first?" she wondered, pushing a stray tendril of hair behind her ear.

"Well," Mamoru said slowly, heart pounding as he weighed his options – finally convincing himself that he had little to lose. "If we're going to convince people we're married, we'll need to get you a proper ring."