Title:  Just Love Me Today
Rating: PG
Author:  Dissident
Disclaimer:  I do not, nor ever did, nor ever will, own Sailor Moon.
Note:  This story is best set in that infamous time when Mamoru breaks   up 
with Usagi because of his dreams.  It's basically an alternate reality fic.

****

  "Hello?"

  "Mamo-chan!" Usagi screeched into the phone.  She'd suffered through 
school, studying with her friends, and helping her mom before and after 
dinner and now she was ready to talk to her love.

  "Hi Usako, how was your day?"

  "Long, but it was worth it cuz now I'm talking to you!"  The tone of her 
reply reflected the bubbly mood she was in.  Mamoru seemed to catch this 
feeling, and the conversation was happy and lively.  Usagi couldn't have 
dreamed a better night as she said, "I love you Mamo-chan."

  The Usagi's world came crashing down.  There was a pause.  When she failed 
to receive a response, she cautiously asked, "You love me too, don't you 
Mamo-chan?"

  Mamoru's reply was thoughtful, "I-  I don't know.  Right now I'm not 
really sure."

  Usagi was shocked. She felt like someone had just slapped her.  The bottom 
of her stomach fell out and the dams behind her eyes let go.  Unlike her 
usual wailing fountain routine, these tears were silent streams, streaking 
down her pale cheeks like rain on a window.

  "Are you still there?" he asked.

  "I have to go," Usagi said and numbly hung up the phone.  She turned her 
light off and collapsed onto her bed.  Her pillow muffled her sobs.  The 
tears didn't stop until weariness overtook her and she was claimed by sleep.



  The Saturday sun rose bright and strong.  The few puffs of cloud were 
swept away by high level winds, leaving the sky a sparkling, deep blue.

  Usagi walked, her feet on autopilot as she attempted to understand the 
events of the previous night.  A breeze rustled the leaves of the trees 
above and brought a chill to the early morning air, but Usagi paid the 
temperature no heed.

  Lost in though, Usagi didn't notice when she reached the park, or when her 
legs folded so that she was sitting on the grass under a tree.  She didn't 
notice any of the people walking and jogging by, or any of the friendsly 
slobbering dogs who all wanted to stop, sniff, and make friends.  Her heart 
had been shattered, and all her attention was going to picking up the 
pieces.

  For an hour she sat there, pondering hers and Mamoru's actions, trying to 
figure out what went wrong.  She thought about what she could do, what she 
should do, and what she would do.  The sun, silently watching over her as 
she sat there, climbed his ladder through the sky until finally he could 
look out over the land without the horizon blocking his warm rays.

  "Usa?"  The voice, the same one that had put her into this state of 
reflection, snapped her out of it.  Almost immediately tears sprang to her 
eyes and her lip started to quiver.  Mamoru hurried over and sat next to 
her.  His arms reflexively wrapped around her and pulled her against his 
chest.

  "Usako, I'm sorry about yesterday.  I shouldn't have said what I did the 
way I did."

  "Did you mean it?  Do you really not know if you love me?"

  "Usa-chan, I'm just not sure right now.  I can't help but think of how 
many marriages, how many couples don't last.  We were talking in my 
psychology class about how two people who think they're perfect for each 
other get married, and then it doesn't work out because they already know 
everything about each other.  The those same people meet others and they 
fall in love and even though they hadn't known each other for very long it 
works and they're happy.  I just don't know if we should be together for 
ever, or if I even want to."

  Usagi sat up and looked at him and started crying again.  Mamoru watched, 
unsure of what to do as she struggled to regain her composure.  After a five 
minute fight, she did.

  "Mamo-chan, do you love me right now?"

  He sighed, then said, "Yes, right now I do, but-"

  "Shh," she put a finger to his lips to silence him.  "That's all I need 
right now.  Don't worry about forever, just love me today.  And tomorrow, if 
you love me then, just love me tomorrow.  And the same with every day after 
that until you stop loving me, if you do.  Ok?"

  A small smile crossed Mamoru's face.  "Ok, my Usako."  He pulled her back 
close to him and they just sat like that, in each others arms, content to 
enjoy the comfort of the other's presence.

FIN

****

Question, comments, and flames, all welcome, and all to
blumune103@hotmail.com