Title: What She Wants

Chapter Seven: Just Another Day at the Beach

Author: Kitty Malfoy

Rating: R

Setting: After Galaxia. Everyone, except for the Outers, and Mamoru, are in college. Sooooo basically the inners...and starlights.

Summary: Usagi comes to terms that her love with Mamoru has died. Never knowing what she really wants she wishes on a shooting star. Now everything in life is coming together and Usagi finds a new person inside herself.

Disclaimer: Naoko Takeuchi owns everything. Except for the plot. I came up with that. {My plot bunnies are on vacation =) }

A/N: I'm trying my best not to bash Mamoru. I know some of you wish I would, but I do it a lot in my other story = The Taste of Strawberries (Kitty Malfoy). Btw, I'm working on a really kawaii pic of Yaten & Usagi together. I've just recently scanned it onto my computer and if you want it e-mailed to you just say so.

%^%^%^%^%^%

(2 weeks later)

Usagi stretched beneath the warm covers of her bed, and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. The late-morning sunshine streamed into the room from the balcony window and bathed the bed in golden light. Usagi's moonlight hair was frazzled and stuck up in all directions, but she took no note of its condition and rolled over.

Long steel-toned hair mixed with hers creating the illusion of a pool of molten silver atop their pillows. Usagi scooted closer to the sleeping woman's body and wrapped the woman's arms about her. Feeling safe, warm, and a million other emotions in her lover's presence she smiled and sighed in contentment.

Sleepy emerald eyes opened and widened under Usagi's penetrating gaze. Usagi dropped her head to rest in the crook of Yaten's neck with a giggle. Usagi felt the heat radiating from her "twin's" face and giggled again at the picture of Yaten blushing formed in her mind.

"How did I get here?" Yaten asked completely baffled at her current position.

Usagi sat up and looked down at her. She placed a slender finger against her chin and looked thoughtful for a moment. "Well, first you were on top..."

Yaten choked and started coughing. "I meant in your bed..."

Usagi pouted and crawled into Yaten's lap. With her hands holding firmly to Yaten's shoulders she pushed the smaller woman against the headboard of the bed and kissed her roughly. She grinned inwardly as Yaten melted beneath her. Just when Yaten thought she was going to pour through the cracks of the bed Usagi stopped and pulled back only slightly.

"Oh,"

Usagi leaned in for another kiss, but rather than Yaten's sweet lips she found herself snacking on her white silk bed sheets. Yaten held the sheet against both their mouths until Usagi took hold of it and held it on her own. "What are we doing?" Usagi whispered.

"Morning breath" Came Yaten's muffled reply

"Oh," Yaten leaned forward and pecked Usagi lightly through the covers, before sliding out of bed. Usagi dropped the silk sheet and pouted as Yaten held the smooth material to her chest. As Yaten dug through Usagi's dresser for something to wear, Usagi stood up as well not bothering with a sheet as Yaten had.

"What do you think about a trip to the beach?" She asked walking over to Yaten. Yaten turned and gasped, dropping the clothes in her arms, at the sight of Usagi standing "full monty" beside her.

"S-sure..." When Yaten bent to pick up the carelessly dropped clothing Usagi reached out and tugged at the sheet shielding her body. It dropped to the floor in a puddle of silk, leaving Yaten to cover herself as well as possible with the clothing in her hands.

"Ok, I'll go make breakfast." She pulled on a bra and a pair of panties the color of burgundy, and headed out to the kitchen area leaving Yaten to shower and dress. The smells and sounds of sizzling eggs reached her and she walked quizzically into the kitchen. Taiki smiled at her over the oven, while Seiya lounged on a kitchen stool sipping freshly brewed tea.

"How did you get in here?" Usagi exclaimed looking at them in disbelief. Seiya pointed cheekily to the window, which now hung wide open when she knew for a fact that she'd closed it before retiring with Yaten for the night. Widening her gaze to include the entire living room she shook her head in protest.

Boxes of every shape and size filled her living room with various labels and tags. "What is all this?!" She asked; gesturing to her new apartment "decorations". Seiya pulled an innocent face and lowered her tea. "Oh, you didn't know?" Usagi glared at her. "We've decided to come and live with you."

"What? Nu uh! There isn't room for you all-"

"There is now." Taiki interrupted with a shy, but mocking smile.

Usagi turned and found a spiral staircase in the corner of her living room leading up to the second floor she DIDN'T have. Her mouth gaped open, at the two sisters who grinned back at her, until Taiki filled it with eggs.

%^%^%^%^%^%

(At the Hikawa Shrine)

Usagi and the Starlights sprinted through the temple, already late for the meeting THEY had called. "Gomen, minna!" Usagi huffed falling heavily into her regular seat. "What I can't figure out," Rei started, "Was that she is always on time for everything BUT our meetings..."

"Just for you!" Usagi replied cheekily and grinned.

"Whose up for a beach trip" Seiya asked, bringing their attention back to the reason the meeting had been called.

A chorus of agreement was heard. It was Hotaru who brought up a vital detail. "Which beach?"

"One with hot guys!" Makoto and Minako instantly replied simultaneously.

There was an immediate hissing of "boo's" from the lesbian's of the group including a bombardment of pillows at the boy-crazy friends.

"There's Sicily beach..." Rei suggested when the pillow fight had wound down. Setsuna immediately discounted the candidate. "No. A sewage drain was illegally hooked up beside a few weeks ago, and they haven't gotten it entirely clean yet..."

"Eeew!"

"Cascade?" Ami asked.

Usagi and Michiru both got dreamy looks on their faces, "Cute lifeguard..." They said together with a wistful sigh. Cousin and lover whirled on them. "What?!" Haruka and Yaten exclaimed.

"We're not going." Haruka said firmly.

"We're not." Yaten echoed.

Michiru pouted and Usagi laughed at the sea-senshi's expression.

"Fine!" Usagi replied, "I vote for Crystal Beach..."

The entire room sweat-dropped and fell over. "Usagi!" Seiya hissed, "That's a nude beach!"

Usagi's childlike, blue eyes widened dramatically, and a hand flew to her mouth. "Really?" She asked in awe. Her face broke into a smirk and she winked at her raven-haired friend.

%^%^%^%^%^%

Usagi's sleek black convertible was a mere blur as it sped down the Tokyo freeway. The owner of the vehicle herself was in the back alongside her "twin", while Seiya drove with Taiki in the passenger seat. Usagi lifted herself onto the back of the car, much to the fear of Yaten. Usagi squinted and smiled against the fierce wind their speed generated and waved Yaten away. Her silvery hair was pulled free from its loose ponytail and snapped in the wind behind her.

Unable to get the response she wanted from Usagi, Yaten turned to Seiya. "Seiya! Do something! She's going get blown off or something!" Seiya smirked and looked into her side mirror. With a wicked grin the raven-haired woman slammed on the brakes. Usagi screamed in surprise as her acceleration and gravitational speed sent her crashing forward into a relieved Yaten.

Once everyone had resettled they continued onwards in amiable conversation. Along their side drove Haruka and the other three Outers in Haruka's yellow convertible; behind them were the Inners in Ami's crystal blue, 60's convertible.

Verona Beach, which they had finally decided on, was a half-hour drive from Juuban. As their drive neared its end, everyone's "beach fever" was palpable.

%^%^%^%^%^%

Usagi stretched out on her beach chair and looked back down at her book. She wore a black, string bikini that contrasted beautifully with her silver hair. Over it she wore and extra large, white, dress shirt unbuttoned with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows. Her face was shadowed by a wide brimmed, straw hat, decorated with a white ribbon.

"Usagi!"

Usagi looked up from her book, and watched her bubbly friend run towards her through blue-tinted sunglasses. The blonde held a slightly sandy volleyball under her arm and her long blonde hair that was pulled into a high ponytail was flecked with sand as well. The pattern of Minako's swimsuit was Hawaiian orange that fit her friend's personality perfectly as being the cheerful romantic person she was.

"Come on, Usagi! Even Ami is out there in the water but you still have your nose in that book!"

Usagi rolled her eyes. "Well, I don't want to seem more uptight than Ami now do I?" She responded sarcastically.

Minako shook her head emphatically, "Nope."

Usagi pouted, "But I'm so coooooomfy!" She whined.

Minako groaned and headed back to the volleyball court. Pulling off her hat and shades, Usagi jumped off her chair and tackled Minako spraying sand everywhere with their impact.

"Psych!"

She jumped to her feet and took off running to the shore laughing her head off. She was already a good fifteen feet away when her sand-covered friend leapt to her own feet and ran after her.

%^%^%^%^%^%

"Bump..." Seiya started, letting the ball hit her forearm and bounce upwards.

"Set..." Usagi positioned herself underneath the ball and pushed it upward alongside the net with her fingertips.

"SPIKE!" In three steps Minako ran to the net, jumped and sent the volleyball rocketing towards the other side of the sand court.

Both Makoto and Yaten dove to save ball but ended up diving headfirst into the sand seconds after the ball hit the dunes. Laughter broke out at the sight of the two comical figures half-buried in sand and looking quite disgruntled. Minako, Seiya and Usagi exchanged high-fives with each other and the rest of their team: Hotaru, Taiki, and Michiru.

Rei helped Makoto to her feet, while Ami did the same for Yaten. Setsuna snatched up the ball and chucked it over to Michiru whom was serving, and interestingly enough had a killer serve at that. Haruka meanwhile was trying to stop her laughter as Michiru set up her serve.

%^%^%^%^%^%

"We've beaten you 5 games to 1! I'm getting a Sprite and I'm going to tan!" Setsuna exclaimed, walking off the court and up to the towels whilst holding the volleyball hostage.

"Aw! She took the ball!" Minako whined, putting her fists on her bare hips.

Ami rolled her eyes, "Honestly Minako. You are addicted to volleyball."

"Well isn't that the spot calling the metal a yak?"

Usagi snorted and broke out into loud peals of laughter while Ami sweatdropped and fell over, anime-style. "The pot calling the kettle black' Minako..." Ami corrected. "You should just stop quoting sayings like that."

"Yeah, and that was like half an hour ago and we're still talking about it..." Rei commented cheekily following Setsuna up to the towels. Laughing the rest of the group headed up after them.

Usagi stretched out on her stomach to tan. Sliding on her shades she turned her head towards who was straightening out her towel. "Can you get the ties on my top?" She asked earnestly, "I can't reach."

"Sure, Koneko-chan." The older woman placed her hands on Usagi's back, but at a glare from Yaten lifted them and settled for pulling on the string and letting the bow unravel itself.

Usagi laid her silver head upon her folded arms and closed her eyes. She was just drifting off to sleep, when Hotaru's voice cut into her naptime. "Usagi?" She voiced nervously, and watched as her princess turned her face towards her and opened her eyes beneath blue-tinted sunglasses.

"Yeah?"

"How do YOU know if someone is gay?"

The rest of the group either turned to look at Usagi or sat up on their towels. Usagi unfolded her arms and rested them on the ground beside her. In sudden and totally unpredicted move she ground her palms into the sand and pushed herself into an upward lounging position - her untied bikini top still lying on the towel.

Hotaru's eyes widened and a healthy pink glow rose to her cheeks adding color to her unnaturally pale color. Unconsciously, the younger girl licked her lips allowing Usagi to smirk in success. She lowered herself back onto her towel with a "Gay" verdict and casually went back to reading her book.

"Aw, come on!" Seiya exclaimed in disbelief. "You can't just go flashing everybody to tell whether or not they're gay."

"A kiss." Usagi said simply, turning the page.

"What?"

She closed her book with a thud realizing that Seiya wasn't going to stop until she proved her point. She was also fully away that everyone else was awaiting her answer as well. She retied her bikini, contradicting what she'd told Haruka when she'd said she couldn't reach it; making the sandy- haired woman blush, and sat up.

She beckoned the raven-haired woman to her, and Seiya seated herself on Usagi's towel across Usagi herself. Usagi positioned herself Indian-style and rested her palms on the warm sand. "Kiss me?"

"What?!" Seiya and Yaten exclaimed simultaneously.

Usagi laughed and looked Seiya in the eye. "I told you. I can tell if you're gay, straight, or bisexual through a kiss."

"I'll have you know I am perfectly straight." Seiya said stubbornly folding her arms over her chest. "I'm not going to kiss you. And that's that."

Usagi started to lose her temper. Here she was opening up to her friends and they wouldn't even frelling cooperate. "Kiss me damnit!" She half- yelled.

"Okay"

Seiya grabbed her and kissed her passionately; dipping her backwards and pressing her possessively against the towel. Jaws hung open as they stared at Seiya playing tonsil hockey with Usagi, who they had assumed was already taken.

Seiya seemed to regain her senses suddenly and jumped backwards and crabwalked backward away from Usagi who was trying to regain her breath between the kiss and her now loud giggles.

"What did you do?" Seiya insisted, "How did...but I..."

Usagi laughed at her friend's utter bewilderment and pointed a slender finger at her, "You...are in denial."

After a great deal of teasing Seiya the rest lined up to be "tested" by Usagi, including Hotaru who had already "technically" been declared gay.

It turned out that Rei, Haruka, Hotaru, and Setsuna were gay, while Ami and Seiya were in denial. Minako and Makoto were bisexual, but were in slight denial while Michiru and Taiki were the only straight ones in the group.

"Yaten..."

The green-eyed woman looked up from where she had been sulking while pretending to read a magazine. Usagi stood in front of her holding out her hand. Yaten took her hand and was pulled to her feet.

"Want me to "test" you?" She asked. Her tone was innocent, but she hid a seductive smile beneath her mass of silver curls. Yaten nodded dumbly, and with a small giggle Usagi led her away from the group to a small cove...

%^%^%^%^%^%

R & R!

KissThis!