@<~~<~~ Bed of Roses - A Valentine's Day Story The Epilogue By Aimee @<~~<~~ The house was dark when Usagi arrived home, and upon further inspection, she found that nobody was there. A hint of loneliness passed through the slim girl, and she sighed miserably. "Fool. . . " she muttered. "I'm such a fool. To think that I actually thought that he might care about me." Things were certainly not looking in Mamoru's favor, and Usagi had come to the conclusion that there was no way that her secret admirer could have been him. He had not confessed or even looked as though he comprehended when she had given him the rose petals. He hadn't chased after her when she'd slipped away so quickly. He hadn't even wished her a happy Valentine's Day. Unsuccessfully trying to wipe tears from her eyes, Usagi leaned against the hallway wall and sobbed for a few moments. 'Why do I always let him hurt me?' she wondered as she cried. 'And why can't he see that I have feelings for him? Is he that blind?' After trudging up the stairs and down the hall, Usagi opened her bedroom door sadly, not particulaly looking forward to seeing her rose-adorned room. The red roses were no longer there, however, and she gasped at what lay in their place. They were white this time, and they were everywhere. Blooms whiter than snow had replaced the red roses in the vases around her room, and white rose petals now took the place on her bed and floor. Usagi took the whole scene in silently, with a hand placed over her mouth in surprise and in delight. She felt his presence enter the room. She didn't know how she knew it was Mamoru, but she did. A warm and comforting feeling spead through her as he entered, but she did not turn around. He approached her from behind, and Usagi closed her eyes when he stopped directly in back of her. Their bodies were so close that they were almost touching. Two tears rolled down Usagi's cheeks when she felt Mamoru's fingertips slide up and down her arms. How long had she wanted him to touch her like this? Mamoru had never felt skin like hers. It was smooth and warm to his touch, and his lips ached to touch it as well. Slowly, he brought his lips to her skin and tenderly kissed the back of her neck. He felt the girl shudder slightly under his lips, and his hands moved to her hips to steady her. One kiss was not enough, and he moved his mouth up and down her neck, gently tasting her and caressing the delicate skin he found there. Usagi was breathing hard now, and his caresses were not helping her to calm down any. Having his hands on her hips and his mouth on her skin was almost addicting. Trying to muster a little courage, she placed her own hands over his and leaned back so that her body was molded into his. Both their hands, hers on top of his, moved together across Usagi's stomach to encircle her waist. "Mamoru-chan. . . " she whispered, her eyes closing. Mamoru's head rested on her shoulder from behind, and he nuzzled her lovingly. "How did you know it was me?" he whispered into her hair, noticing for the first time that the girl he held was crying. Her head dropped a little. "Wishful thinking." One of his hands left her waist and lifted her chin so that she was looking directly at him. "Do you know what the white rose symbolizes?" he asked as he wiped a few warm tears from her cheeks. Usagi shook her head, unable to look away from the blue eyes that intently gazed at her. "It represents pure love," Mamoru explained. "And my love for you is pure and untainted. Never doubt that." Usagi's tears increased significantly, and her face crumpled with emotion. "You love me?" she whimpered in a broken voice. "Hai," he whispered, hugging her tightly while she cried. After a long embrace, he reached down to cup her face in both hands and brushed her tears away with his thumbs. Usagi's eyes closed as he brought his mouth to hers. As they kissed, he lifted her up into his arms and carried her to the bed covered in white rose petals. After placing her carefully on the bed of roses, Mamoru lay next to her. His arms encircled her and brought her close body to his. His lips came down upon her's slowly, and she met him eagerly halfway. He kissed her slowly and deeply, and Usagi felt dizzy with delight. So this was what heaven was like. . . When their lips separated, Mamoru traced a few kisses across her jaw before smoothing her hair away from her face and whispering to the angel below him, "Aishiteru, Usako." She smiled through happy tears. "Aishiteru, Mamo-chan. Happy Valentine's Day." @<~~<~~ All done! Hope you liked it! Let me know what you think, and go see my homepage when you're done! Aimee sailor_moon89@hotmail.com http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Teahouse/4986/ 2-3-00