More Than Meets the Eye
Chapter Two
by Sailor Elysia 
Rating: PG.






	Finding the elevator shut down temporarily, Usagi 
sighed heavily, grumbled a few choice words under her breath 
and proceeded to guide Mamoru up the three long flights that 
led to Dr. Kenko's office. If it hadn't been so important, she 
would have gladly let Kage take him up the stairs, while she 
waited in the lobby.

	But when it came to matters like these, no amount of 
stairs could get in her way. Whatever Kenko-sensei had to say, 
it was going o be to both of them, Usagi thought as she 
gripped Mamoru's hand in hers and led him up the stairs one 
by one so that he wouldn't trip on any of them. Stair-tripping 
was not uncommon to Mamoru, and Usagi always tried to be 
there as much as she could to prevent his falls.

	As they reached the first level, the threesome stopped 
for a moment. Mamoru turned his head to face Usagi, a small 
grin playing around the corners of his mouth. "Do you know 
what this reminds me of, Usako?"

	"The last time you tripped on the stairs and almost fell 
back down to the bottom?"

	He chuckled lightly. "Hai, that too, but I was thinking 
of something else. Remember the first time I came to your 
apartment? How Kage had to--"

	"How Kage practically had to drag you up the last flight 
of stairs cause you were so tired after the last four? How could 
I forget? Honestly, Mamo-chan, I had no idea that the elevator 
would be out that day. It had a mind of its own."

	"That should have been a sign that you needed an 
apartment closer to the first floor," he shot back, enjoying this 
little game immensely.

	Usagi slugged him playfully in the shoulder. "I was 
lucky enough to get that apartment when I did. I couldn't 
stand another moment staying in that house. With both of my 
parents--not to mention Shingo--getting on my case all the 
time about every single little thing I was doing, I couldn't stand 
it anymore."

	Mamoru nodded his head in agreement. "No wonder 
you were reluctant for me to meet your parents that first 
time." Her head shot up. "You still remember that?" she cried 
out in dismay. "Hai, how could I forget that interesting 
episode?"

	Usagi sweatdropped momentarily, and forgot where 
she was until she realized Mamoru was about to trip on the 
previous step. With a swift motion, she bent down and pushed 
his foot up. "And remember what all of that led to afterwards?" 
He stopped on the stair, smiled softly, leaned over and gently 
kissed her on the cheek. "Hai. Now that is something that I will 
never forget. Never in a million years," he replied, as they 
made their way up the flight of stairs.

			*^*^*^*^*^*


	Holding one bag of groceries in one arm, she reached 
into her pocket with her other hand, fumbled to put the key in 
the lock, swiftly unlocked the deadbolt, and nudged the door 
open with her foot. "I don't know why you insisted to come up 
to my apartment. Didn't last time teach you anything, Mamoru-
kun?"

	He grabbed her free hand from behind and squeezed it 
lightly. "Hai, but this time, I had you to guide me and the 
elevator worked. There's a difference," he replied with a grin.

	Usagi shook her head in exasperation, set the paper 
bag on the table, and turned around to shut the door. 
Suddenly a hissing and spitting noise came from the other side 
of the sofa. "Oh, Luna!" she exclaimed, rolling her eyes. "Don't 
get so overprotective. Mamoru won't bite." Usagi crossed the 
room over to the sofa and picked up a rather angry midnight 
colored cat by the scruff of her neck. "However, I'm not so 
sure about Kage," she grinned.

	"I almost forgot you had a cat. You call her Luna?"

	Usagi stepped back over to Mamoru and Kage, 
clutching a miffed Luna in her arms. She held the cat up so 
Mamoru could pet her. "Hai, I've had her ever since junior 
high. She has this thing with new people. Sometimes she can 
be such a overprotective feline."

	"Don't worry, Kage-chan likes cats," he said, motioning 
to the dog who had found a relaxing place by his master's feet. 
Usagi raised an eyebrow. "For a meal, or for a friend?" she 
replied with a smirk. His response was deep laughter. "Iie, 
Kage was trained to get along with other animals. As long as 
Luna doesn't antagonize him, he'll be fine."

	Luna leaped from Usagi's arms and scampered into the 
bedroom. "Wonderful. She's going to sulk now and she won't 
let me live it down for the next week." She heaved a sigh, and 
went over to check for messages on her answering machine. 
Usagi pressed the playback button, and stood back.

	'Usagi dear, it's Mama. Why aren't you home in the 
middle of the afternoon, you know how I hate leaving 
messages on this thing. I'm calling because your father and I 
wanted you to come home for dinner tonight, and we want you 
to bring along that friend of yours that you were telling us 
about. Aishiteru, Usagi-chan.'

	She turned back to find a slightly amused Mamoru 
standing behind her, who had caught the very last words of 
the message. "That was your mother? She sounds nice." 
Walking up to him, Usagi guided him over to the sofa and sat 
down on the other side of him. She began to fidget with the 
buttons on her raincoat hanging limply from around her 
shoulders. "Mamoru-kun... well, I've told my parents a little 
about you, and they've been asking to meet you, Mama 
especially. She wants me to bring you for dinner tonight."

	Mamoru raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Just your 
mother?" he asked teasingly.

	"Iie, my father too. Shingo will most likely be out 
tonight, so you'll meet him another time. It's just that... well... 
Papa can still be overprotective of me, and sometimes he's 
hostile towards friends I bring to the house. So I just wanted 
you to be prepared." 

	He scooted from his end of the couch to her end, and 
reached over to give her shoulders a warm squeeze. "And what 
about you, Usa? Do you want me to be there as well?"

	Usagi leaned into his embrace and sighed softly. The 
sensations of his arms around her made her feel warm and 
tingly all over, and she hesitated for a moment before 
answering him. Could she really tell Mamoru the full truth? 
That she feared her family wouldn't accept him for the way he 
was? That in the worst case, they would forbid her to see him 
again? This was all still very new to Usagi, and she wasn't 
completely sure of her feelings for Mamoru yet. But she was 
beginning to become comfortable enough with him that she 
wasn't about to give up this relationship without a fight, no 
matter what her parents said or did.

	She placed her hand on his large one, which had slid 
down into his lap. "Hai, Mamoru-kun, I want you more than 
anything. It's about time you meet the family I come from. I'm 
sure you've wondered more than once about the way I was 
raised, ne?"

	Mamoru chuckled deeply at her response, and rested 
his head on the back of the couch, leaving his arm around her. 
Being daring, Usagi lowered her head onto his shoulder and 
sighed softly again. She could feel his whole body tense up 
momentarily at the unfamiliar action, but then he relaxed and 
he settled comfortably next to her.

	'If only time could stand still... I would give everything 
up just to stay right here forever...' they both thought to 
themselves, each unaware of their similar thoughts. Not 
wanting to lose the sweetness of the moment, neither Usagi 
nor Mamoru made to move from where they sat.

			^*^*^*^*^*^

	'Please let them like him, please let them like him,' the 
words repeated themselves over and over in Usagi's mind as 
she, Mamoru and Kage walked closer and closer to her parents' 
home. It felt odd going back to the home where she had lived 
for seventeen years, since she had moved into her own 
apartment shortly after graduating from high school and taken 
a part time job at Crown Parlor--at Motoki's insistence, of 
course. It was overwhelming sometimes, but she enjoyed 
every minute of it. Her parents, on the other hand, weren't 
exactly happy about her claiming her independence so soon, 
but they had grudgingly let her go.

	Usagi had often gone back to visit them, but rarely 
brought anyone with her. It wasn't so much that she didn't 
have a lot of friends, she just didn't like subjecting them to her 
parents' questioning. And boy, could they ask the questions! 
By the time the night was over, Mama and Papa knew more 
about her friends that Usagi did. No wonder she had to beg 
profusely for most of them to come with her a second time. 

	Usagi took Mamoru's hand and held it tightly against 
her own, mostly for her own reassurance that everything 
would go all right tonight. Suddenly, another thought came to 
her. "Mamoru-kun, I nearly forgot. Papa's allergic to dogs, so 
Kage will have to stay outside. Will that be a big problem for 
you?"

	Mamoru stopped walking to think about it, Kage 
obediently sitting down by his side. "Well, I'm not sure, Usa-
chan. He goes where I go, he's practically my eyes, you know."

	"I know, I know, but I don't know what else to do." 
Usagi's eyes suddenly brightened. "If you like, you can hold my 
hand and I'll guide you around." A sly smile appeared on 
Mamoru's lips. "Hmm. I think I could get used to that," he 
replied as he kissed her softly on the cheek. Usagi blushed at 
his act of tenderness, something he had only recently started 
doing.

	"You're blushing, aren't you?"

	Her eyes widened. "How could you tell?"

	The back of Mamoru's hand brushed across her cheek 
lightly. "I can feel the warmth around your face and neck. 
Does that mean you like it when I kiss you?"

	"Hai," she replied shyly. "It takes some getting used 
to, though. You're the first one who's ever done it."

	"Oh, Usa. Somehow I find that very hard to believe."

			^*^*^*^*^*^*^

	At around 8:00 that evening, Tsukino Kenji and 
Tsukino Ikuko met their daughter and her guest at the door. 
"Usagi-chan, we've missed you. Bring in your friend, and 
introduce him to us." Mamoru turned back momentarily, and 
commanded Kage to lie down on the grass just outside the 
door. The golden retriever promptly obeyed his master, let out 
a yawn, and laid his head down on his paws.

	Turning back to Usagi's direction, he followed her in, 
slipped off his shoes next to hers, and awkwardly bowed in the 
direction where he heard the voices coming from. "It is a 
honor and a pleasure to meet you, Tsukino-san. Usagi-chan is 
a very good and dear friend to me."

	There was silence for a moment as Kenji analyzed this 
man standing so close to his daughter, then he cleared his 
throat and proceeded to lead Usagi and Mamoru into the 
dining room. Usagi took hold of Mamoru's hand behind her and 
slowly led the way for him, just as she had promised. But 
neither she nor Mamoru knew just what she was leading them 
into.

			^*^*^*^*^*^

	Ikuko glanced at her husband warily, and Kenji 
returned the look. Slowly, Ikuko made her way over to her 
daughter's seat, and cleared her throat slightly to get Usagi's 
attention. Usagi looked up from her conversation with Mamoru 
into her mother's expressionless face. "Hai, mama? What is it?"

	Her mother looked away momentarily, trying to hide 
her unshed tears. "Usagi-chan... your father and I would like to 
speak to you in the kitchen--alone." Usagi raised an eyebrow at 
her mother's odd request, but shook off the strange feeling she 
felt and looked over in Mamoru's direction. "You don't mind, do 
you Mamoru-kun? I'll only be a minute." He took her hand that 
was still resting on the table and patted it gently. "Iie, Usagi-
chan, go right ahead. I won't go anywhere," he replied with a 
grin.

	As soon as the three of them entered the kitchen, 
Ikuko immediately closed the door between the two rooms, 
and Kenji didn't waste any time getting to the matter at hand. 
He leaned up against the counter and faced his daughter. 
"Usagi... your mother and I don't think you should be seeing 
Chiba-san."

	Usagi's mouth dropped. "What do you mean? How can 
you say something like that when you don't even know him?"

	"We've been watching him carefully since he's been 
here. The dark glasses, his dog outside, you leading him 
around by the hand. We're not fools, Usagi-chan. He's blind, 
isn't he?"

	Usagi studied the tile floor for a moment, then looked 
back up into the eyes of her parents. "Hai, but what of it?"

	Kenji nearly exploded but managed to keep his voice 
down to a whisper. "What of it? Is that all you can say? What 
about all the things you like to do Usagi? All the movies you go 
to with your other friends, he can't do that. He's going to feel 
left out, and you're going to be the one to give up your friends 
and your time for him. How can you expect to be the one to 
give him the special care that he needs? You haven't the first 
clue how to take care of someone like him."

	She continued to gape at her parents, but didn't say a 
word. She couldn't. Her mouth just wouldn't move, for fear 
that she might say something she would regret. How could 
they? They who had always taught her to treat everyone she 
ever met with equal fairness, were now going back on their 
teachings and saying for her to stay away from Mamoru? Usagi 
found it hard to believe when she first noticed it, but now she 
realized she needed him just as much as he needed her. And 
that was something her parents were going to have to accept. 

	Usagi stood there in silence, trying not to let her 
temper get the best of her. She had never had an outburst 
with her parents, but this was something she could no longer 
stand. Straightening herself slowly, she looked into her 
parents' eyes. "I don't think you're being very fair to Mamoru-
kun. He has been all alone since he was seven years old, and I 
think he has done a wonderful job of taking care of himself. 
His blindness is something he has learned to cope with, much 
as I have learned to deal with my own faults. It's a part of his 
life. He is a wonderful man inside, but you have not even tried 
to get to know him." 

	She stared at the two people she had looked up to for 
most of her life, a different perspective of them shining in her 
eyes now. "I hate to say this, Mama, Papa, but it is you who 
are the blind ones. Blind to the truth." With those words, Usagi 
pushed past her astounded parents, opened the door and 
calmly walked out the kitchen.

			^*^*^*^*^*^

	Mamoru sat quietly at the table, his uneasiness 
growing by the minute. What was taking Usagi so long? He 
only caught snatches of the muted conversation, but had no 
clue to what it was all about. He drummed his fingers on the 
tabletop, hoping Usagi would reappear soon and their evening 
would return to normal.

	Suddenly he heard the door off to his right swing 
open. "Usagi-chan, daijobu ka?" he spoke up softly. She didn't 
answer him for a moment, then replied quietly, "Hai. There's 
been a change of plans, Mamoru-kun. We're going back to my 
apartment." She came over to his side of the table, and helped 
him up, Mamoru wondering the entire time just what had 
exactly gone on behind that closed door. Oh well, he knew 
Usagi would tell him when she was good and ready.

	The two of them slipped on their shoes at the front 
entrance, and Usagi pulled open the door. Kage jumped to his 
feet, and ran to greet his master and friend. Mamoru turned to 
Usagi as she pulled the door closed behind her. "Aren't your 
parents going to say goodbye?" There was silence again, then 
she softly replied, "Iie," and said nothing more for the rest of 
the walk back to her apartment.

			^*^*^*^*^*^

	As soon as the front door to Usagi's small apartment 
shut behind the couple, Mamoru reached from behind and took 
hold of her arm before she could take another step, before she 
could shut herself off from him again. She looked back at him 
and tried to pull away, but he held on firmly. "Usa... normally I 
wouldn't ask you such about such a personal thing, but I want 
to know why you're acting this way."

	"What way? I don't know what you're talking about," 
she replied, trying her best to avoid the question. Mamoru 
pulled her close to him, and placed his hand on her waist, his 
other hand went up and began to stroke her hair slightly. She 
leaned into the warmth of his hand, her defenses slowly 
melting away. "Onegai, Usagi. I know something's bothering 
you, and I only want to help."

	The last of her defenses crumbled, and she fell onto 
the couch, gentle sobs racking her body. Mamoru sank down 
next to her, and placed an arm around her in comfort. "Oh, 
Usa. What happened? Did your parents say something to you 
that made you upset?"

	"Hai," came the reply between hiccuping sobs. "All my 
life, I've looked up to them, Mamoru-kun. I always thought 
that they were right about everything. Tonight they proved me 
wrong." Usagi slowly began to calm down, and as she spoke, 
she instinctively took hold of Mamoru's hand, and held it tightly 
within her own, unsure why she was doing so in the first place. 
'Demo,' she reasoned with herself, 'it just feels so right.'

	Mamoru rubbed the pad of his thumb against the back 
of her hand, reveling in the feeling of just being next to her. 
He didn't understand his feelings, nor could he explain them, 
but he didn't want to. Not right now. Now he wanted to know 
what was going on, what had made Usagi so upset. "Usa... I've 
never seen you like this. What did they say to you?"

	She gulped, unsure of how to tell Mamoru what went 
on behind the closed kitchen door, but she knew she couldn't 
keep it from him either. "They always go off about one thing or 
another, it's just the way they are. But when they started 
talking badly of you, and how I should stop seeing you, I just 
couldn't handle it anymore. For the first time in my life, I stood 
up to my parents. I never thought I could ever do such a 
thing."

	Mamoru was surprised to learn that *he* had been the 
subject of the hushed conversation. "Why did you get upset 
over something about me, Usa? I'm not that important." 
Usagi's head immediately turned in his direction, her eyes 
blazing. "Chiba Mamoru, that's not true, and you know it!" He 
chuckled deeply. "I love it when you get angry. Reminds me of 
the first time we met." He kissed her lightly on the nose. 
"Honestly, Usagi. Why did you defend my honor in front of 
your parents?" 

	She shook her head lightly, her eyes sparkling with 
unshed tears. "I'm not sure either, Mamoru-kun. You're 
special, different than anyone else I've ever met. And I don't 
want to lose you."

	He stroked the side of her face with the back of his 
hand. "The same goes for me, Usa. My life has definitely 
changed since you entered it. No one has ever treated me with 
such kindness since... well, since Motoki. I don't need my sight 
to know how special you are, you know. My heart tells me 
that." Usagi blushed three shades of red at hearing this, and 
turned her head away. Moments later, he laughed again. "You 
blush very easily, don't you, Usako?"

	Usagi's eyes widened at his term of endearment; no 
one had ever called her that before. And yet, it sounded so 
perfect coming from his lips. Mamoru suddenly realized his 
blunder, and began fumbling for words of apology. "Gomen 
nasai, Usa-chan, I didn't mean--" He was silenced by her finger 
on his lips. "Not another word out of you. No one has ever 
called me that before. But for you, I will make an exception. I 
will gladly be your little rabbit, Mamo-chan," she replied softly, 
using her nickname for him that she had been using secretively 
for the past couple of weeks.

	He let out a sigh of relief and astonishment at the 
same time. Then, before the feeling left him completely, he 
slowly leaned over, and ever so gently kissed Usagi on the lips, 
the first time he had ever done so. Though she was startled 
momentarily, Usagi didn't object one bit. It started out sweet 
and soft, then it became deeper, reaching into the depth of 
their two souls and intertwining them into one. Her arms slid 
up and around Mamoru's neck, bringing him closer still.

	Finally, they broke away from the embrace for air. 
"Now that," Usagi said softly, as she breathed in deeply, "that 
was definitely a first."

	Mamoru traced her facial features with a finger, 
smiling gently down at her. "Does this mean we're taking this 
to the next step?" Usagi laid her head on his shoulder, and 
cuddled up next to him. "Hai, Mamo-chan. I certainly hope so."

			^*^*^*^*^*^


	Mamoru groaned in complaint. "Are there any more 
flights of stairs to go up, Usako? I don't think my legs can 
stand the torture again." Usagi poked him in the side. "Lucky 
for you, my little whiner, we're on the fourth floor. Kenko-
sensei's office is just down the hall. Soon we'll know what all 
the fuss is about."