Title: Battles of the Heart -or- I Fight Because I Love You Author: Ausaziko Rating: PG-13, for Lita's language and some suggestive stuff E-mail: BijinBunny@aol.com Author's Notes: Appropriately, Lita/Makoto is the main focus of this since she's the fiercest fighter of the Sailor Soldiers. And she's with her new boyfriend, To񯮠(No, this isn't true to the series. I just think that Lita/Makoto's been through way too much boy-less torture!) I limped to the door of my boyfriend's apartment, holding my arm gently. The blood wasn't bothering me anymore. 'I bet To񯧳 gonna be proud cuz I won again this time,' I thought. I was always in a fight. People knew not to mess with me, but to seem tough, they did anyway. And they were always sorry. But the thing is, I paid a price too. I got hurt a lot in fights. But physical pain I can stand. It's emotional pain that I can't take. It was too late to call through the door "hey baby, open up, it's me" or anything like that. So I got creative and rang the doorbell with my nose. "Coming..." I heard To񯠰adding to the door in socked feet, and instantly I imagined him in jeans and no shirt, like I always do when I hear his voice. The door opened. The moment To񯠳aw the blood all over me and the bruises on my face, the color drained from his face. "Lita, what the hell happened to you? What did you do now?" "I got into a fight with this guy at the store and he hit me and-" I didn't get a chance to finish as To񯠳wept me up quickly but gently and carried me to his couch. "No! To񯬠I'll get blood all over the couch!" "You actually think I care about the stupid couch when you're hurt? Now lay here and I'll be right back." To񯠲an into the kitchen. I heard water running and closed my eyes, resting my head on the couch. 'I am so blessed to have a man like him... I thought. No one better could've been sent to me.' He came back with a bowl of water and a cloth. "Now tell me what happened before you get in a fight with me." He began to clean off my wounds. I looked at the floor. "Well, he was messing with me and talking about my... about my, um..." "What?" To񯠷as boring a hole into a head with his eyes. "These," I said, gesturing to my breasts with my un-injured hand. I have a little trouble talking about them - they are kind of unusally large, but it's hereditary. Honestly. "He was talking about your chest, and then what did you do?" I couldn't help it anymore. Tears collected in my eyes and began to fall. I knew he was mad at me. "He came over to me and then he grabbed one and he juggled it, so then I twisted his wrist around and then I did a yo-yo move with his arm... every time I pulled him near me, I elbowed him in the face... and then-" To񯠬ooked ready to kill. "He touched my baby's breasts? He actually dared to touch you?" "Wait, boo, I'm not done. So then he punched me in the face-" "Dammit!" "But wa-" "That is the ultimate disrespect. Lita, why do you get into these things? Why can't you just call for someone?" "Because I can handle it! And I did, To񯮠I'm not weak anymore. I can fight for myself!" He looked at me sternly. "I understand that. And I don't doubt you. But why do you fight in the first place? You know that people can sue, right? The police could be out looking for you, Lita. Like right now. I mean, I know he touched you first, but every time someone offends you, you leave them near death. What is wrong with you?" Suddenly all the blood and physical pain was irrelevent. I couldn't even feel it anymore. If I had to stand up to To񯬠I would. No amount of blood was going to stop me. Everything on my mind just came pouring out. "To񯬠if you were me and someone touched your chest and then dared to punch you in the face, what the hell would you do? You go around threatening anyone who tried to take something from you. And sometimes it isn't even yours!" I took a deep breath. "I have died several times for millions of people I don't know. I barely even know who I am, and you know that. And while I'm in the process of finding out, I'm not about to get attacked again! You wanna know why I fight, To񯿠Fine. I fight because I need to protect myself. I fight so that I know for a fact that I'll be able to protect those people I love, and that especially means you. "I want to know that if I'm out with you, and someone attacks you, I can kill whoever the bastard is for you. I'm not gonna settle for 'oh-I-tried'. That's bullshit. Trying isn't gonna get me anywhere. You're the only one I ever loved, and if you die or even if you're hurt, somehow it's gonna be my fault. I will find a way to link it to myself, and I will be lost. "To񯬠no one else can love me like you can. That's why I'm trying to stay strong. I know you're a man and you can beat up people by yourself and still come out looking fine enough for a date, but you have to realize that I need the satisfaction of knowing I can love you enough to do it for you. Okay? Are you happy now?" Silence reigned. "Lita... I had no idea you felt like that. I mean, I knew, but all this..." "To񯬠I'm sorry. But we're supposed to be real with each other, right? I needed you to know how I feel," I replied slowly. "Yeah, I know. Sorry I yelled at you like that. I didn't mean to piss you off... I mean, if your arm wasn't hurt, you could've tossed me across the room," he said, smiling. I grinned back at him. "Thanks for the idea. I'll save it for you." He laughed. "So we're cool now?" "Definitely." I kissed him briefly on the lips, even though it hurt to move. "Now let me finish cleaning you up... you got anymore bruises?" "Yeah, but they're under... oooh, you think you're slick, doncha?" "I don't think, I know," he answered slyly. I pouted. "They hurt... can you be a dear doctor and take care of me for tonight?" "I could, but... I might hurt you more," he said, smiling at me again. "I can take it..." "You think so?" "I know so." "Litaaa..." "Yes?" I asked innocently. "Don't touch that. You know better..." "Do I?" I moved my hand slightly. "Stop it!" I love him and I'll do anything for him. And I'm blessed to know he feels the same. Ending Notes: I hope you enjoyed that... it was kind of a true story. Basically, I got in trouble for fighting, and you-know-who kinda got upset with me. So to cool off from trying to defend myself, I wrote a story. Hence the birth of Battles of the Heart. Well? Ya like? Ya hate? E-mail me. And bear with me while I try to find my greatest Serena/Usagi and Darien/Mamoru fic, Stay. (It's a songfic.) WAIT! Don't go yet. I have to ask you readers a little question. Would you rather I use the Japanese names, or my personal variation of the dub names? For those of you who don't know what the names are, here ya go. My personal variation of the dub names are as follows: Serena Ami Mina Lita Rei Darien Molly Melvin As for the outer dub names, I'm not even gonna mess with that. I know how much of an issue it is with you true SM fans, and I'm not about to butcher those names. My name's Ziko, not DiC. The Japanese names are as follows: Usagi = Serena Ami = Amy Rei = Raye Minako = Mina Makoto = Lita Umino = Melvin Naru = Molly Shingo = Sammy Ikuko = Ilene, Serena's mom (I LOVE the name Ikuko) Kenji = Ken, Serena's dad (I LOVE his name too) Haruka = Sailor Uranus (like this name a lot) Michiru = Sailor Neptune Hotaru = Sailor Saturn Setsuna= Sailor Pluto (oh, what a *beautiful* name!) Well, please e-mail me and tell me what you think. Ziko-chan