eaten. They probably would have sat there longer if Usagi hadn�t seen
the time flashing on the digital clock.
"Oh my god!! We have to get going or I�ll be late!!" she
yelled.
"Okay, just relax."
Her fingers clenched the material of her dress in a death grip.
She'd always been a little freaky when it came to just the idea of her
being late. She began to nervously shift from one foot to the other as
he went up top and began to drive.
'It's okay Usagi. You won't be late. Just relax' her mind
whispered.
"Breath in, breath out," she repeated until the mantra finally
worked. She walked up the few steps and joined him just as they were
pulling into the dock.
"Great timing. Now we just have to hope that traffic isn't a
killer."
He just laughed at her, jumped on the dock, and walked
towards his car. He heard her footsteps behind him, the heels making
little thumps on the sandy ground.
Their windows were rolled down and the window began to blow
the cool sea air into the car. The radio played Alicia Keyes(AN-not
sure how to spell it) �Fallen� and Usagi couldn't resist the urge to
smile. It reminded her so much of the things she'd gone through in her
past. Well, relationship-wise. 'If anything happens between us, this
will be our song' she mentally noted. It would fit them well.
She pulled out her small organizer and wrote it down on the
note page. She felt his eyes on her and she slammed the cover
shut. His eyes returned to the road when she caught him. 'Close call.'
She gazed out her window and saw just how close they were to her
building. Then, they pulled in.
"Wow, that was really fast," she said. She exited the car and
began to walk towards the door.
"Usagi, wait."
Usagi whirled around and saw him jogging towards her.
"Usagi, you.. um... have some ice cream on you face," he stated
and pointed a finger at her mouth. Her hand raised to the spot and
began to rub an uncovered area.
"Is it gone?"
"Wait, I got it."
He leaned in and gave her a lingering kiss. His arms remained
around her waist as they pulled away, his forehead against hers. She
gazed up at him and smiled.
"Are you going to call me about tomorrow?"
His lips on hers gave her all the information she needed to
know. Of course, one piece of information she didn't know was that they
were being watched by a particular blond haired man.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Usagi was scurrying around the vicinity of her house, picking
up the different items that had built up over time. She cursed as she
stubbed her toe on chair leg. She tripped two more times in as she
tried to get up the stairs with her view obstructed by the clothes she
was holding. Once she finally succeeded in getting to her room, she
threw the clothes on her bed and grabbed some spare sheets from her
closet.
Her guest room wasn't that fancy, but it would do. The white of
the walls gave it twice as much sunlight and gave the room a cheery
feel. Laying the sheets on the bed, she walked down the stairs and put
in some popcorn. If her nephew was anything like her brother, he would
be hungry after the flight. Right one cue, her doorbell rang. Setting
the timer, she went and opened it.
"Hey Loi. (AN-that is a stupid name!!! No offense to any Loi�s
out there.) How was the flight?"
"Okay. The food sucked," he grumbled then made his way to the
kitchen, leaving Usagi to the task of bringing in his bags. 'That boy'
she hissed. She picked up the two suitcases and threw them through the
doorway. She was no one's maid so she didn't have to promise service.
RING RING RING
"I'll get it!!" she yelled even though she knew perfectly well
that he had no intention of getting it.
"Hello?"
"Usagi? Is that you?"
"Yeah Mamoru, why do you ask?" she questioned.
"Nothing. It's just that you sounded different."
"Really? How so?"
She giggled when she knew how much this was torturing him.
"I don't know. I guess you just sound...happy."
"And I didn't sound happy the other time you called?" she spat
out, her free-hand thrown into the air.
"No no no. That's not what I meant."
"*laughter*. I'm kidding. Why'd you call?"
"I just wanted to make sure everything was set for tomorrow
night."
Usagi smacked her head hard, surprised that she'd completely
forgotten about it.
"Oh god, I'm so sorry. My nephew's staying with me and I can't
just leave him alone in this house. And it doesn�t help that he�s my
brother�s son."
"How old is he?"
"Eighteen, why?" she asked and raised an eyebrow.
"He can come along. In fact, I think he'll really enjoy where
I'm taking you."
"Okay," she answered slowly while her suspicion grew to the
red area.
"Yep, that's settled. I'll pick the two of you up at around
7. The place has food too so don't eat before you come."
"Scouts honor," she teased.
"I knew you'd be okay with it. I'll see you then."
"Bye."
Usagi hung up the phone and let her body sink to the ground.
She began to enter her now favorite state of mind. Her eyes looked
distant and her mind melted. Her lips curved up and a sigh escaped her
partially open mouth.
"Aunt Usagi?"
'Stupid boy, ruining my dreams' she thought. She got up and
turned to face him.
"Yes Loi?" she asked without a hint of the venom she was
thinking in her voice.
"Where's the bathroom?"
'This is going to be a long weekend.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Usagi lay down on her bed trying to sleep. The key word is
*trying*. The music that came pumping from her guest room was tasteless
and eliminated the chances of her getting any sleep. 'Who listens to
that crap anyway' she wondered. Her mood wasn�t the best either as the
day had been an stressful one. Loi had talked her into going hiking
and of course, they got lost. It had taken them two hours before they
found the main site. Then, he'd insisted that she take him to the beach
so that he could check out the local girls. She'd offered him her car
to go himself, but he insisted that it would help him, whatever that
meant. Now, she only had three hours before the date and could hardly
keep her eyes open or keep her head from pounding.
"DAMMIT LOI, TURN THAT MUSIC DOWN!!" she screamed. The music
shut off and silence prevailed. 'Finally. Now I can get some rest.'
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Usagi, your date is here," Loi sang out from behind her door.
Usagi opened her once closed eyes and jumped into a sitting
position as his words sank in.
"Oh shit," she yelled. She got out of her bed and ran out of
her room, towards her door. She finally stopped and gasped for
breath while rearranging her frazzled hair. She opened the door and
gave him a cheery smile.
"Hey there."
"Hi. I'm glad you didn't change yet because this," he stopped
and lifted up a neon green bag with the word Deb on it, "is what I want
you to wear."
Her eyes shifted from him to the bag. After a few moments, she
plucked it from him and moved out of the way so he could enter.
"Loi!! Can you two wait in the living room while I change?"
"Sure, whatever."
Waiting until Loi joined her date, she walked down the hall
and into the bathroom.
~Five Minutes Later~
"AAAGGGHHH!!!"
Two heads turned from each other and toward the source of the
sound.
"CHIBA MAMORU, THERE IS NO *WAY* I'M WEARING THIS!"
The man in question walked with confidence to the front of the
door. His fist knocked against the door lightly.
"You called for me."
"Mamoru, there is no way."
"You don't like it?"
"Well, I like the color on me, and I must admit-HEY SHUT UP!!
Don't try and disorient me. As I was saying, I'm changing."
"Let me see you first."
Not waiting for a response, he flung the unlocked door open and
swung her around. He blinked, and took a double take. When he'd seen
this on the way here it had looked okay, but now she just looked drop
dead sexy.
"You look.. just.. wow," he finished.
Her hands were tugging at the bottom of the dress.The shiny
silver material was as tight as second skin and revealed more skin
than comfortable for her. It almost looked like a bra and underwear
because of the large hole in the front and back. To her dismay, the
only thing that happened when she tugged the bottom down the top went
with it.
"No way. There is no way, and that's final," she replied with
ease. Her body rested against the frame and looked at him with a look
only definable as smug.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The only one with a smug look on there face now was Mamoru as
he shut the front door behind Loi and Usagi. Her arms were wrapped
tightly in front of her chest as she tried to cover the outfit. 'How
did I let him talk me into this' she thought as her gaze looked once
again at the silver skin.
"Wow dude, you've got a limo?" Loi said.
"Yep. Go on in."
"Well at least we'll look somewhat classy," she breathed as she
took a step towards it.
"Oh no beautiful," he commanded as he pulled her back to him.
"That," he said pointing out," is what we'll be riding.
Her gaze looked at the finger and looked in that direction.
"You've got to be kidding."
Loi, who had been watching from in front the limo, looked
behind it and burst out laughing.
"Man, your gonna have a heck of a time getting her on that
motorcycle."
"I don't think so.�
Mamoru grabbed Usagi from behind and carried her in his arms
towards the vehicle.
"NO, LET ME DOWN. I DON'T WANT TO GO ANYMORE. PUT ME DOWN!!!"
she repeated over and over again.
His hands clamped over her mouth and silenced her cries. He
quickly sat down and pulled her behind him.
"Hold on," he shouted as he turned on the motorcycle and sped
off.
Loi stopped laughing and sat in the back of the limo.
"This is gonna be fun," he sang.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Usagi's arms were clamped in a death grip around his stomach
and her eyes were shut. Her head pressed against his back and she bit
down on her bottom lip to prevent from screaming.
Mamoru didn't have any problem with any of this. He'd wanted to
do something that he knew she would never do on her own, and he knew
that he was succeeding.
"We're almost there!" he shouted over the sounds of traffic.
He felt her nod against his back and her grip tighten. His smile
broadened and his speed increased.
"There it is!" she could just make out. Her eyes opened and
grew to the size of an orange.
"You've got to be kidding."
"I bet you wish I was."
Before Usagi could say anything, the limo pulled out and
revealed a wide eyed 18 year old.
"Whoah. You've got good taste man."
"Thanks," he replied in that arrogant tone he had.
Usagi shot daggers at the her nephew and then to her date. His
arm went around her waist, preventing any chance of escape. She gave up and followed him through the door of the bar.
You see, bars don't bother Usagi that much. But this one was
different. For you see, this was a *mens* bar. Usagi looked at the
three different glass stages where three girls were dancing with poles.
"Oh god," she muttered. She turned her head into his chest and
walked on, trusting him to prevent her from running into anything.
"Sit down."
She did as she was told and pulled her head away.
"Oh god," she repeated. They were sitting right in front of the
middle stage. Against her will, she began to laugh. The dancing girl
was looking at her and then held out her hand. Usagi looked at the hand
and back to it's owner. The woman was smiling at her with one eye
winking. Mamoru's hand pressed her back and she was forced to accept
it. Usagi was pulled onto the stage and a roar from the men in the
crowd was deafening. She blushed a deep red and couldn't help but laugh
again. The woman was encouraging her to go ahead and dance. Throwing
her morals out the window, she kicked her shoes to Loi and spun around
the pole.
Her gaze met Mamoru's and he was laughing his head off. She
began to laugh herself and lost her hold on the pole. She swung and
fell right into his lap. They just stared at each other for a second,
then broke into laughter once more.
It was about three minutes before they finally started to calm
down. Tears were streaming down her cheeks and she wiped them away.
"I can't believe I just did that. What would reporters do if
they knew what I'd just done?" she asked.
"I don't know. But you have to admit you had fun."
She tried to fake a pout but ended up smiling.
"Maybe just a little," she said and scrunched up her nose while
she squeezed together two fingers.
He laughed and leaned his head forward until their noses were
touching. Her smile faded and she looked from his lips to his eyes.
They moved towards each other slowly, their lips a mere breath away...
"Aunt Serena?"
"Damn it," she muttered under her breath. Her head turned in
Loi's direction and she feigned a smile.
"Yes, dear Loi," she said with a smile and a glint in her eyes.
Loi's eyes grew wide when he saw that look. His father had told
him many horror stories about things she'd done to him when she'd have
that glint in her eyes.
"Never mind," he squeaked out.
"Okay."
"Usagi," Mamoru whispered in her ear. "Would you like to leave?"
She pulled her head away and looked with one brow raised at
him. 'Why does he want to leave already?'
"Why do you want to call it a night so soon?"
"I didn't say I wanted to call it a night, I just asked if you
wanted to leave."
A look of recognition made it's way across her face and she
nodded. Then, her eyes flicked over to where Loi was sitting and back
to him.
"Hey Loi," he said, poking him in the arm.
"Yeah," he answered without looking at him.
"Stay here as long as you want. Use the limo as you please too.
Usagi doesn't feel good so I'm taking her to home. See you later."
Mamoru began to walk towards the entrance but her hand stopped
him.
"I need my shoes. Hang on."
He watched her retreating back and looked down as a blush came
across his features. She returned to his side and pretty much dragged
him out the door. Once out of the building she let out a sigh and
leaned against the cool brick wall.
"Want to go to my place," she asked him. Her head turned to the
side and faced him, her eyes glittering in the neon lighting.
"Sure," he answered.
"Milady," he exaggerated as he held out his arm to her. She
waved her hand and took his proffered one, leading her to the two-
wheeled vehicle Usagi found herself looking forward to riding on. They
both got comfortable and went off, passing many of Usagi's favorite
stores as they went.
The sound of the vehicle pierced through the night of her quiet
street. The ice-covered streets had done nothing to his speed and she
cringed every time they went around a corner and it screeched. Only
when her walkway was in sight did she let out a breath and loosen her
hold, much to the driver's disappointment.
Mamoru got off the cycle first, then turned to help her out.
She'd only managed to get off the seat before her knees gave out and
she fell into his arms. She blushed and looked away as she stood on her
own and smoothed her *dress*.
"So, do you want to come in for some cocoa," she asked. He
nodded and she walked down the path to her front door, snow finding
it's way into her strappy sandals. The door opened without trouble and
she led him to the kitchen where she began the task of making their
drinks. Once she'd set the timer for the microwave, she turned to
Mamoru who was sitting in one of her counter stools.
"I'll be right back. I just have to change." Leaving him alone
in her kitchen would have bothered her if it wasn't for an odd feeling
of relaxation that lurked in the back of her mind. She closed her door and threw off the shoes and *dress*. Her hands grabbed a pair of sweats and loose t-shirt and she put them on. The material hung
loosely from her body, a comfortable change from that monstrosity she'd
worn only a few moments ago. Some part of her almost liked it, but that
thought was crushed in a ball and thrown away. Checking her hair
once, she walked into her kitchen to find him searching through her
cabinets. The cocoa sat on the 'island' countertop and steam was rising
from each mug.
Usagi crouched to ground-level, opening a small drawer and
lifting out a small plastic package filled with white fluffy
marshmallows.
"Looking for these," she asked him with her arm holding the bag
at arms length.
"Yeah." He took it from her and placed a few of the mini's into
each cup. The bag was tossed to her and she caught it easily. Placing
them back in their designated spot, she went behind him to look over
his shoulder. His scent wafted through the air and mixed with that of
the drinks. The smell of roses and chocolate. Odd, but nice. His head
angled so that he was looking her in the eyes and she noticed for the
first time the specks of silver that highlighted the blue. The edges of her mouth curved upwards, a small yet-noticeable smile forming. She reached around him and grabbed one of the mugs. Raising them in a small toast she took a sip and within mille-seconds she spit it back in.
"H, hh, hhh, hoooottt," she sputtered. Her tongue was hanging
from her mouth as she jumped up and down.
"Your supposed to wait awhile, or do what I do," he stated as
his hand went into her freezer. Two ice cubes were in his hands and he
dropped them into his cup.
"I prefer my way thank you very much."
Her finger swirled clockwise on the mug's rim and she whispered
the words silently. His eyes held curiosity as she brought it to her
lips and took a long sip. She closed her eyes as the cup left her lips,
the liquid at the perfect temperature as usual.
"What did you do?"
"It�s a secret," she answered with a lift of her shoulders.
Usagi sat at her kitchen table and propped her feet on the polished
wood. She closed the notebook that still lay there and placed it in her
lap. He joined her and stretched one arm behind his head in an act of
laziness.
"You've really got a nice place," he commented as his eyes
skimmed the room, taking notice of simple accents like painted flowers
and ivy shaped napkin holders.
"Thanks. It took three books to afford the down payment. But
it's in a wonderful location with the country only a few minutes away.
I bought in the hopes that I'd have some children to raise but that
seems pretty unlikely now," she finished in a sad tone. Her eyes got a
distant look for only a second and was replaced with the regular one
she used for conversing with guests.
"How about you Mamoru? Any plans for kids?"
"I don't know. If I found the right woman I suppose."
She shook her head and took another sip of her cocoa when a
thought struck her.
"Hey Mamoru, how�d you like to go for a walk?"
"Now?"
"Yeah, why not?"
"Can we bring the cocoa?"
"Sure. You get our jackets. Mine is in the hall." He followed
the order as she rummaged around, looking for those portable drink
holders she used on her walks. Finding her objective, she poured the
mugs contents into their own carrier and placed the empty ones in the
sink.
"Is this the right one," he asked. His fingers held a white,
down jacket.
"Yeah."
"Here let me help you get it on."
Slightly embarrassed, she turned and put her arms out behind
her, and allowed him to slip the material up to her shoulders. His
hands stayed there and slid slowly down the length of each of arm.
Usagi broke the moment by spinning around and handing him his drink.
"Ready to go?"
Mamoru had still been a little out of it once she had turned
away, but quickly recovered as she repeated her offer.
"Yeah."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The air was cool from the snow that lay four inches deep. They
hadn't said anything, just walked along the path and up to the star
covered sky. Nightime had always been her favorite time for walks. No
one was running around and the streets were traffic-less. Their breath
materialized in the air ahead of them and brushed across their red
cheeks. A few of the lawns they passed had snowmen and forts up.
"I remember when I used to make snowmen. They were always
perfectly symmetrical. But then my brother would smash them," she
pouted.
"What about you, Mamoru? Did you ever play in the snow?"
He hesitated for a few moments, thinking about his reply.
"Not really. My parents were always busy going from country to
country that we never really stayed somewhere long enough to enjoy
winter. I was always stuck in boarding schools while they attended
meetings. I just watched the other kids enjoying the snow."
"That's too bad. You never got to experience snow. Well, not in
the childhood way."
They walked about a block more in silence as Usagi wracked her
brain for a good place to take him. They passed by a river that had
frozen over and an idea stuck her.
"Hey Mamoru. Have you ever gone skating before," she asked
while she stopped.
"No, not that I remember."
"Then follow me." Usagi grabbed his jacket sleeve and began to
run in the river's direction. The edge was near but she didn't slow
down. If anything, she sped up. They made it to the ice full speed and
Mamoru, not expecting the ice so soon, fell on his butt bringing Usagi
down with him.
"Whoo-hoo," she yelled out and threw her hands above her head.
"AHHHHHH!"
Mamoru wrapped his arms around Usagi's shoulders and hid his
head as they flew straight into the side bank. They both fell back,
gasping and trying to catch their breath.
"Ha ha ha ha ha. Wasn't that the best!!"
"Yeah, the greatest," he deadpanned.
"Whatever, you know you had fun."
"Well. Maybe just a little," he mocked as he imitated her
reaction earlier. She grinned at him and then raised one, quizzical
brow.
"Mamoru, when were you planning on letting go of me?"
She saw the confusion set on his handsome features and then be
replaced by realization. To her surprise, his hold only tightened.
"What are you doing?"
"What would you do if I said I'd never let you go?" he asked in
a serious tone.
Her mouth opened and closed, words lost to her. Her forehead
scrunched and her eyes looked at him with confusion. She closed her
eyes and leaned back her head. A sigh escaped from her and she brought
her head back to face him.
"I'd say you'll have to prove it to me."