Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Four Months and Counting ❯ One-Shot

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

Four Months and Counting

"She couldn't remember the last time she saw him. But suddenly he was there beside her, talking to her, holding her hand lightly. She couldn't remember the last time he had held her hand or talked to her so. But she could remember every feeling he'd ever given her and every time her heart had stopped when she thought of him. In reality it'd been years since they met. But there was no time lost in their meeting. It was though they'd never been parted.

And she hated every moment. Because it was not the one she loved who held her hand and spoke to her. He had been there for years. And it took her so very long to find out her feelings. Chad Kumada had Raye Hino's heart and no one else's. And she had his, from the moment he saw her."

I read those words to Raye and I could feel my cheeks becoming warm as a blush settled upon them. She smiled as she listened and watched my mouth as I spoke. For some reason, I felt compelled to be embarrassed by the way she looked at me the way she did. But I knew why she stared. It was the same reason I watch her sleeping at night, the reason I stare when she dresses. I want to remember her. I want to know every inch of Raye with my eyes closed.

I am Chad Kumada. And I love Raye Hino more than life itself. Every word I read to Raye that day is true. They are my words and mine alone. I stopped reading and looked up at her, waiting for her to speak her mind about my piece. She said nothing; just smiled but in her eyes she told me everything I wanted to hear.

Being loved by Raye is a promise made for life. She will fight for those she loves if necessary and it's not expected in return. Sometimes I find myself becoming amazingly obsessive. I get jealous at anyone who manages to find themself into Raye's heart. Her heart is always open yet my desire for her drives me to wanting her and her alone. She is kind and giving and full of passion.

It's been four months, three weeks and two days since she told me she loves me. Four months and counting. Of course, we've been together for much longer than that. That is just how long it took her to finally admit those three small words that can move mountains. Yes, we were together long before now.

At age 14, Raye was in love with Darien Chiba, the college student and male model who hung around Raye and her friend Serena. I was insanely jealous of this man who was not only my age but as talented as I. But I said nothing. I let Raye know from the beginning of my stay at her Grandfather's temple that I was some day going to marry her and nothing she could ever do would change that. I became the annoying man who helped keep the temple running. I watched her from a distance and loved her every second.

But the day I was ready to leave, to forget about Tokyo and Cherry Hill Temple, she ran to me at the train station and announced to me that I couldn't go, that things would never be the same for her if I left. So I stayed. And she kissed me and we grew closer.

Then he shows up. He and his little friends wanting to be part of the circle of friends of Raye and Serena and the other. Jadeite. I hate him. I knew from the moment he showed up there was going to be trouble. And I was right. It was the only time in my life I've ever regretted being right. He was in love with Raye, wanted Raye to love him. I think Raye would have married him the day he arrived; if it hadn't been for me, it would have been the simplest thing to do.

But Raye told me, finally, that she loved me. So when Jadite appeared, I knew I would wind up having to fight for her.

Of course, there was one tiny detail Raye had left out. She was not only Raye Hino, student and priestess of Cherry Hill but Sailor Mars, friend, ally and companion to Sailor Moon and the other Sailor Senshi. I was surprised, yet comfortable with the idea. What else should Raye be but Sailor Mars? The fire in her eyes had only to match the fire that came from Mars.

And it was Jadeite who had loved her first, during what Raye tells me was the Silver Millennium. He had been one of Chiba's generals while Raye and her friends had been Serena's court on the moon. He and Raye met and fell in love and would have married if it hadn't been for Beryl. How am I supposed to compete with that?


I did all I could. I took Raye out to dinners too often that it became the only thing I could afford and hung around when there were meetings and made every effort I could to tell the world how I felt about Raye. Granted, I made Raye annoyed and even I got tired of the way I was acting. It was the only way I knew how to make sure I would never loose Raye. Then one day, I thought I had.

I had been working in the temple gardens that day and I was hot. I heard voices, softly at first then growing louder. Then suddenly the voices stopped. And as I turned the corner to the front, I saw. My heart sank. I had come at the wrong time. I wanted to run away and pretend it had never happened. I wanted to beat him senseless. My body trembled with a hundred different emotions and all I could do was stand there and watch. When they parted and she saw me standing there, I could barely choke out "Why?"

She left his embrace and reached out to my face. But I couldn't let, not now, not after seeing what I had.

"Chad...."

"No. No. Don't."

"But...Chad, let me.."

"Stop! Not after what you did! Don't touch me, don't try to explain. I don't want it!"

It didn't take her long to come to me. I had stormed away then ran. Back to Cherry Hill, back to my room. I felt her before she even entered. My back was to the window for ten minutes, waiting for Raye.

"Chad, I - "

I interrupted her. "Stop. Stop right there. I don't want an explaination. Because its pretty obvious what's going on here. Your friend Mina fell for that guy Mal...Mala..."

"Malachite."

"And Lita with the guy Ned...Neph..."

"Nephlyte."

" - Whatever. So why shouldn't you fall in love with Jadeite? I'll tell you why. Me, that's why. Because whatever happened between you and he is over! It's not you and Jadeite, Raye, it's you and me! Me! Because I love you and I want to marry you! And I'll be damned if I let you have him without a fight!"

She didn't speak, didn't move for a long time. I knew she was crying. After a few minutes, she left. I didn't follow her.

For a week we avoided each other, except for the few times Raye tried to talk to me. She would approach me softly, open her mouth to speak then close it and would leave as quietly as she came. I wanted to talk to her. But I couldn't. Every time I saw Raye, I saw Jadeite. I saw him kissing her, her kissing him. It replayed itself over and over until I thought I would never think of anything but. Then, one week later she came to me. She went through the same routine she had before. She touched me on my shoulder, making me turn from my current task. Her eyes were filling with tears unshed since that afternoon and she opened her mouth to speak, then closed it.. And she ran. This time, I followed her.

It was raining, adding to the mood. And I chased her out the temple, through the dojo and outside to the steps. I caught her arm, wheeled her around and put my hands on her shoulders. We stood there, looking at each other with the rain pouring down, soaking our us.

I felt like an actor in a movie. It didn't feel like it was me who was doing these things, saying lines that sounded so rehearsed. "Raye, don't go."

"Chad, it's over."

My heart sank. I knew this was the price for loving someone so much! "I understand. I'll leave you alone now. "

"No. Jadeite. It's over."

"I don't understand."

"You should have let me explain. Why didn't let me tell you?! HE kissed Me, Chad. I was trying to tell him to leave me alone, that I didn't love him. He got mad and we argued. Only a second before you showed up, he pulled me to him and kissed me. You ran off before I could explain."

"He kissed...you?"

"Yes. Chad, I don't love Jadeite. Whatever Jadeite and I might have had is over. It was over before I even realized it'd begun. There is only you, Chad. You. All there ever was and will be is you!"

I was elated and pulled Raye into my arms. "I would have fought for you," I confessed. "I would have kidnapped you if I had to to make sure you remained mine. I won't ever come this close to loosing you again!"

"Chad, you wouldn't have had to fight for me. Because I don't love anyone else."

To say that being loved by Raye makes me happy is an understatement. To say that seeing her and loving her brings me immense joy is an inadequate description of what she does to me. To say that Raye Hino means more to me than life itself would be the truth. She has become a living, breathing representation of every thing I desire. Four months and counting until I ask Raye to marry me. She will say yes, I know, and we will live happily ever after.

~The End~