Wavering Destiny

Chapter 18: The Tide is High

The moon was almost too bright to look at. Three times the size of Earth's moon, its dusty craters and shadows created a rabbit-less, abstract design.

"What are you looking at?" Seiya whispered against her hair. Embracing Usagi from behind in the water, she felt the air getting cooler as the night grew on. The bobbing waves that sloshed to the waist felt warm.

"The moon," replied Usagi. "It's so beautiful..."

"Hmm...which one?"

"What do you mean 'which one'? I'm still talking about the moon."

"Me too. Our planet has three of them."

"What?" Usagi scanned the sky and there it was - a smaller moon hanging just over the palace.

"I forget you don't know some of these things," said Seiya. "The other one rises later tonight. There's a lot you haven't seen here yet."

Usagi swallowed. "I wish I could."

Seiya's voice softened near her ear. "I thought about you a lot after we left."

"Seiya..." Usagi bit her lip. She remembered the look in Seiya's eyes when they first arrived at the palace, quieter than she was used to.

But over the past few days, the old Seiya she knew from her time on Earth had started to come back.

Usagi swallowed. "Maybe I shouldn't have come here, but..."

"How are you going leave after all this?"

"I don't know..." The ache in Usagi's chest made it hard to breathe. The prickly sensation sprang to her eyes.

"How can I be okay when nothing makes sense like it used to?" Usagi's chin wobbled. "I don't know what's going on between us anymore. I thought we were just friends. But...maybe I felt something back then too. I just didn't know what it was."

Seiya gently turned her around into a hug. "Odango..."

Usagi's voice was muffled as she spoke into the wet fabric of Seiya's shirt. "I don't know what to do. I have Mamo and my duty. Everyone already knows what my future is supposed to be..."

Seiya's lungs cinched at the mention of Mamoru. She didn't know much about him, but she knew enough. He was waiting for Usagi back on Earth, and pretending he wasn't would only make this worse.

"I'm sorry for putting you in this position," Seiya said softly.

Usagi shook her head. "It's my fault."

"I really thought he was deceiving you back then. But now... I don't have any excuse."

"Neither do I." Usagi hugged her tighter.

Seiya was at a loss for words, so she just held her.

They stayed like that until the night air grew too cold to ignore. By the time they stepped out of the water, both of them were shivering, but Usagi still didn't want to let go.

***

12:49 AM

The red numbers of the clock on the nightstand burned Rei's eyes. Just fall asleep already.

The more she thought about the time she lost to insomnia, the more awake she became.

Giving a sigh of frustration, she shoved the unfamiliar blankets off and sat up in bed. One glance across the room and she saw her roommate tossing and turning.