***
Chapter Eight
***
There was a dead silence in the room, punctuated only by 
erratic breathing. They all stared at each other, stunned by the 
evening's revelations.

"I should have KNOWN it" Rei murmured, touching a finger to 
her pounding forehead. Not only had she gotten a rotten 
headache from crying, now there was the stress of knowing 
that her 'boyfriend' was their 'ally'. ["Or is he? I went out with 
him-sort of...and he protects Sailor Moon, but HATES Usagi..."] 
her thoughts trailed off as her purple eyes slid swiftly over her 
leader and the cloaked hero. Sailor Moon was held so tightly 
against Tuxedo Kamen's side that Rei doubted a ruler could 
have been inserted between them. So something HAD happened 
in the closet-and she had a feeling that it had been much more 
than just screaming and involuntary transformations.

"So-you're the one who constantly rescues Sailor Moon, but 
can't stop fighting WITH her?" Ami commented blithly.

They blinked at her and then all eyes went back to Tuxedo 
Kamen and Sailor Moon.

"Wow" Makoto said finally, green eyes wide with astonishment. 
"So-" she went on, smiling slightly at Tuxedo Kamen. "How 
long have you been the caped crusader, Mamoru?"

"Makoto!" Sailor Moon groaned. The tension in the room 
dropped greatly as the girls all giggled and Tuxedo Kamen 
smiled slightly. His fingers were digging into her waist, 
however, belaying his curved lips. He was still tense-ready for 
action. She looked up at him hesitantly, trying to see his eyes 
through the half-mask. "Mamoru? Are you alright?" she 
whispered into his ear, leaning closer.

He nodded slightly, then sighed and released her completely. 
He had forgotten for a minute, just who Sailor Moon was. And 
what her friend shouldn't know. "I'm fine" he said loudly, 
stepping a pace away from her warmth. It would not be good 
for them to be found out by the girls. If they found that he'd 
kissed Usagi senseless-well, they might beat him to a bloody 
pulp! After all, he was Tuxedo Kamen and they had no idea-
STILL-if he was a friend or an enemy. ["And are they ally's?"] 
he wondered silently. This had changed everything. The girl he 
loved was the girl he hated. And the Senshi that he had not 
learnt to trust-turned out to be friends. Good friends of his and 
Motoki. He'd even dated one of them and never had a clue.

"Now what, guys? You hustled Steve out of here so fast that 
everyone out there is probably wondering what happened" Ami 
said, breaking the long silence.

Sailor Moon continued to stare up at Tuxedo Kamen, strangely 
hurt. It seemed that once he had assessed the situation and 
deemed it safe for her, he had abandoned her entirely. He was 
once again, the cold hero who she didn't know but had secretly 
fallen for. "I don't know" She murmured to them all, turning 
her face away to hide the tears. She stiffened as someone 
wrapped arms around her tightly and then realised that it was 
Rei.

"Are you alright, Usagi? Did he-hurt you?" Rei whispered, 
drawing her slightly away from the others.

Sailor Moon almost shouted at the priestess, but then realised 
that Rei was asking something else. "He hurt me" she agreed 
quietly, leaning into the girl's warmth. "As he always does. But 
now it worse, because I know it's Mamoru"

Rei understood completely. After all, she had dated Mamoru 
and loved him more than a little. And now, poor Usagi. Rei 
KNEW and had for a while, that their leader had a thing for 
Tuxedo Kamen. ["I WISH I knew what went on in that closet!"] 
she thought angrily, turning her eyes towards the silent Tuxedo 
Kamen. The expression in his eyes chilled her. Protectiveness, 
rage, shock, resignation. He was like a caged animal.

"I have an idea. Why don't we pretend that Usagi is 
claustrophobic and she got sick on the closet floor when she 
was locked in too long?" Makoto said abruptly.

They all looked at her, eyes wide.

Sailor Moon flushed. "Me? Sick on the floor. Makoto! I'll be so 
embarrassed?" she wailed, mortified.

"Would you prefer us to say that I opened the closet door to 
find Sailor Moon wrapped up in an embrace with Tuxedo 
Kamen?" Rei said calmly, releasing the now-silver-haired girl. 
"However, I don't know what to do about your hair"

"Fear?" Ami suggested. "Sometimes people's hair has been 
known to change to white when in highly stressful situations"

Sailor Moon flushed again and looked at the floor. ["Stressful-
right"]

["NOT stressful. Stimulated-yes"] Tuxedo Kamen thought, 
groaning mentally. It was like physical pain, not being able to 
wrap his arms about her. But not with her friends there-and 
maybe not ever again, now that they knew. Sailor Moon, he 
protected as Tuxedo Kamen-but he wasn't exactly their ally. 
They were all after the Rainbow Crystals. And he had his 
Princess to think of. "It's a good idea. Mercury" he said 
politely, at the same time letting Ami know that he was aware 
of the girl's Senshi identities.

"You'll have to de-transform" Ami said pointedly, nodding 
slightly at Tuxedo Kamen. She noted the tension in the air 
about sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen and wondered at it. She 
knew that her leader had a major crush on the cloaked 
stranger, but the air between the two seemed frankly strained. 
Wary. Explosive.

Sailor Moon sighed and put a hand to her broach, willing a de-
transformation. The ribbons exploded about her and then 
moments later, she was dressed as Usagi. She looked at Tuxedo 
Kamen, who was standing there frozen, mouth slightly open. 
And his eyes-were shocked. ["What?!"] she wondered, looking 
down at herself. Sure, her clothes were a little rumpled and her 
hair was still silver...wait CLOTHES! Usagi's eyes darkened 
angrily, eyes locking on his pole-axed ones. ["Mamoru-
hentai!"] she growled furiously, hands curling into tight fists.

Tuxedo Kamen had watched curiously as Sailor Moon de-
transformed, waiting to see how it was done. What he HADN'T 
expected-was for her to be stark naked during the process. As 
he saw her nude form briefly beneath the red ribbons, his mind 
went into overload and he couldn't help his eyes glazing over 
numbly. ["Oh my GOD! She IS trying to give me a coronary! 
Does she have any IDEA what that DID to me?!"] he practically 
screamed mentally. Tuxedo Kamen focused his thoughts quickly 
and blinked. As his vision cleared, he was abruptly aware of a 
kind of WAVE of outrage and fury directed at him. His eyes 
locked on those of Usagi's and she was ENRAGED!

[And then there was a sort of-hollow rushing sound and a 
sense of her presence bombarding him. "Mamoru-hentai!"] her 
voice shrieked at him, seeming to come from everywhere at 
one. He gaped at her. ["Hentai?"] he said falteringly in his 
mind, eyes shocked.

"That's what I SAID! You CREEP!" she shouted at him out loud, 
then her eyes popped wide in disbelief, mouth gaping.

"Said what, Usagi?" Ami said curiously, fingers tight about her 
Mercury computer. Usagi had just burst out like that from the 
blue, both her and Tuxedo Kamen looking shocked beyond 
words. Pole-axed.

"You guys are fighting AGAIN?" Makoto groaned, not noticing 
that Tuxedo Kamen had said nothing to provoke Usagi's wrath. 
"He's not even de-transformed yet!"

Rei's mouth was gaping too as she felt the waves of shock and 
more coming from Usagi and Tuxedo Kamen. Something HUGE 
had just happened and they'd all missed it. "What is it?" she 
asked the two suspiciously.

["Arrggggh! She's going to find out I kissed Mamoru! Several 
times!"] Usagi thought in panic, bitting her bottom lip savagely.

["NOT if you don't look so bloody guilty!"] Mamoru's voice said 
acidly into her mind, making sure she was aware of his 
displeasure. ["And while you're at it-stop wailing into my head, 
you Odango Atama!"] he practically roared at her.

Usagi winced, reaching up with both hands to clutch at her 
head. She blinked and then glared evilly over at the cloaked 
hero, murder in her eyes. ["WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU ABOUT 
CALLING ME THAT!?"] she bellowed mentally, as loud as she 
could manage.

Tuxedo Kamen groaned and reeled back, clutching at his head 
with both gloved hands. ["YOU brat! Keep it down!"] he 
shouted at her, abruptly de-transforming. Somewhere in the 
back of his mind, he thought that their sudden mental link 
might have had something to do with their transformations. 
When he was Mamoru again, he looked at the silver-haired girl 
expectantly.
She glared at him hatefully as he de-transformed, gleefully 
happy that he too had an awful headache from her shouting 
inside his head. Usagi opened her mouth to blast him, then 
glanced at her friends, who were looking from Mamoru, to 
Usagi with interest and confusion.

"Are we missing something here?" Makoto questioned with 
interest. "You two are getting the WEIRDEST expressions on 
your faces-"

"Pained" Ami said calmly, looking at Usagi and Mamoru, who 
both looked suddenly guilty, afraid and angry.

Usagi gave Mamoru a sideways glance. ["This is your fault, say 
something!"] she screeched at him. There was no response. 
Her blue eyes opened wide with surprise.

Mamoru saw Usagi's eyes narrowed at him as she obviously 
said something mentally. he winced and waited-but nothing 
happened. He gave her an equal look of surprise, then 
shrugged. ["It must have been a fluke"] he thought. In some 
way, he was disappointed-in another, he was very glad. Linked 
to the girl he hated-who was also the girl he thought that he 
had loved-would have been a disaster. Mamoru sighed. ["Do I 
love her anymore? Now that I know that Sailor Moon is Usagi? 
I don't think my hate can turn that fast and I'm sure it wouldn't 
for her"] he thought, staring hard at Usagi.

She stared back, then sighed and turned away, shoulders 
bowed. For a moment, something wonderful-yet frightening 
had happened to them both. A mind link. But how did she feel 
about it now that it was gone? He was Mamoru, but he was 
Tuxedo Kamen too, then man she thought that she loved. Of 
course, it had changed now. She didn't know if she could love a 
man she hated! ["This is all a big mess!"] Usagi groaned 
mentally, absently listening to the music thumping through the 
apartment.

Then, someone knocked furiously at the door to the bedroom, 
making them all jump in shock.

"Open up in there! What's going on?" Steve bellowed through 
the wood furiously. He banged again, shaking the door in the 
frame.

"Go away!" Makoto bellowed back, racing to the door to set her 
back against it.
Usagi gasped and grabbed handfuls of her long silver hair in 
concern and fright. "Guys! My HAIR!" she wailed at them.

"Keep calm, Usagi!" Rei snapped, eyes hunting around the 
room.

"BUT-" Usagi went on, getting more and more panicked by the 
second. She'd kissed Mamoru, her hair had turned silver, he 
was Tuxedo Kamen-the evening was too much to bear!

"Keep calm, Odango Atama" Mamoru said coolly.

She gaped, turning to look at him. ["What did he say?!"] she 
thought incredulously, eyes filling with hurt and disbelief. ["He 
called me Odango Atama"]

Mamoru deliberately kept his eyes cold as he stared back at 
her. ["It's safer this way-for both of us"] he thought silently, 
crossing his arms. He kept an indifferent look on his face as he 
felt her eyes move over every inch on it, as is memorizing the 
features. And her eyes were-sad.

Usagi's lips moved with difficulty and when she finally spoke, 
her voice was rusty-sounding, as if she hadn't used it in years. 
"Don't call me that, Idiot"

"Are you okay, Usagi?" Rei said slowly, glaring at Mamoru. She 
knew what he was doing-and hated him for hurting her friend 
in this way. He was deliberately forcing a wedge between the 
two of them. To keep Usagi AND Sailor Moon at a distance. It 
was different to yell at Usagi in the day as Mamoru, then rescue 
Sailor Moon as Tuxedo Kamen and then go off into the night 
alone and unknown-but now....The priestess sighed deeply.

"I'm-fine" Usagi said, lips curving into the semblance of a 
smile. But inside, she was hurting. If Mamoru wanted things 
that way-then he would get it...and some. Anger filled her chest 
and she glared over at the upper-classman. "Work this out, 
jerk! Get me out of here before they see my hair!" she yelled at 
him furiously.

For a moment, blank surprise filled Mamoru's being. Then he 
frowned darkly at the girl who so threw his world into chaos. 
She was playing along and that was good-but he WASN'T happy 
that she had complied so quickly! Then, his dark blue eyes 
narrowed. He quickly strode past all the girls and pulled a thick 
blanket from his bed.

"What are you doing, Mamoru?" Rei demanded as she watched 
the dark-haired guy turn away from the bed and advance on 
Usagi, intent in his eyes and blanket held wide open.

Usagi's heart fluttered nervously at the reckless look in 
Mamoru's eyes/ ["What is he going to do with that?"] she 
yelped, stumbling backwards.

"Mamoru?" Makoto shouted from the door, arms clinging to the 
frame in order to keep Steve out. She couldn't believe that he 
was STILL pounding on the door and throwing his weight on it 
to get in. "Give it a rest, you jerk!" she shouted through the 
crack in the door.

"Let me in! What's going on in there?" Steve shouted back, 
sounding more than a little drunk.

"Makoto? Is everything okay?" Motoki called through now, 
sounding concerned.

Rei abandoned Usagi, striding towards the door. "Everything is 
fine, Motoki! Usagi got sick from being locked in the closet for 
too long!" She yelled urgently.

"She's sick?" Reika shouted with worry. "Can I help?"

"No, no! We're just cleaning her up-" Rei began to shout back, 
but then she head a scuffle behind her and spun around to see 
Usagi wrestling with a determined Mamoru. He seemed to want 
to smother her in a blanket!

"Get AWAY from me, you creep! What are you trying to do? 
KILL me?" Usagi shouted into Mamoru's face, hands firmly 
holding onto two sides of the large blanket in a death grip. 
Mamoru seemed to be determined to throw it onto her, his blue 
eyes glittering with anger and exasperation.

"No, you Odango Atama! I'm trying to wrap you in it so that 
they won't see your hair!" he shouted back into her face, lips 
centimetres apart. She blinked up at him, only the blanket 
between them keeping her from tumbling into his arms. He had 
a similar hold on the same side of the blanket as she did, hands 
slight above hers on the material. The two stared at each other 
for a long moment, both stubbornly glaring into each other's 
eyes.

"Usagi? Let him muffle you! I can't hold Steve and the others 
back for long" Makoto said, groaning cheerfully. Actually, she 
was totally amused with the situation. If someone had said that 
she'd EVER see Chiba Mamoru locked in a closet with Tsukino 
Usagi-she would have laughed in their face. But she HAD seen 
it and both of them had walked out without killing the other-
and NOW-Mamoru was trying to bundle up Usagi like a 
mummy! ["Unbelievable"] she rolled her eyes skyward.

"It won't kill you" Rei added, grinning widely at her friend. Her 
eyes skidded from Usagi to Mamoru, noting the tension 
between the two. ["I wonder what DID happen in that closet 
before they transformed?"] she thought curiously. And did she 
really want to know? After all, she loved Mamoru-on some 
level. But she loved Usagi too.

"No way! How come you're on HIS side, guys?" Usagi shouted 
at them all, taking her eyes from Mamoru's for a split-second to 
glare around.

Mamoru's eyes narrowed and then he wrenched the blanket 
from Usagi's slender hands and deftly wrapped it about her 
form before she could even blink. "Got you" he murmured, 
bending to pick her up into his arms. An outraged girl stared up 
into his face, eyes wide. She really was TOO adorable! ["And 
kissable-remember Chiba! Her friends are here!"] he shouted at 
himself mentally, arms tightening about Usagi. He sighed and 
pulled a piece of blanket over her face and hair.

"I can hardly brief, you creep!" Usagi said, voice muffled. 
Actually, it was wonderful being held so tightly in his arms 
again. And now that she knew-she could recognise Tuxedo 
Kamen's familiar sense. Like-a force-field around her. 
Protective. Possessive. She flushed, burrowing closer to his 
chest and waiting. ["Noooooo kisses, Usagi! Stop thinking 
about his kisses and muscled chest and strong arms-"]

"Here we go" Mamoru murmured to the bundle, watching as 
Makoto opened the door cautiously.

Immediately, several people flooded into the room. Michael, 
Steve, a few girls, Reika and Motoki.

"IS that Usagi?" Motoki questioned pointing to the bundle in 
Mamoru's arms.

"Are you okay, Hon?" Reika said, walking over to Mamoru. She 
was VERY startled when the guy she had known for years-and 
was her boyfriend's best buddy-stiffened at her approach and 
clutched the blankets closer protectively. Her eyes went wide. 
She looked around, but no one else had seen the move.

"I'm fine, Reika" Usagi's voice came from the bundle of blanket 
in Mamoru's arms, sounding muffled.

"Can she breath in there? Why is her face covered?" Motoki 
noted, peering curiously.

Reika started to reach out to move the blankets so that Usagi's' 
could breath, but Mamoru jerked backwards swiftly, eyes 
turning into ice.

"She's fine" he growled, muscles bunching under his shirt.

Everyone's mouths fell open at the clearly protective move-of a 
man who had professed to HATE the girl in his arms.

"She's cold. She threw up" Ami supplied swiftly, stepping 
towards Mamoru. She gave him a warning look. "She needs the 
blankets as tightly around her as possible"

"I didn't know she was claustrophobic!" Steve protested, 
throwing his hands up. He gave them all a suspicious look. "So 
how come she didn't say anything the FIRST time and then-she 
played again!"

"She was only five minutes the first time" Makoto snapped, 
rounding on Steve. "But you kept her in there for 40 MINUTES"

"It was 40?" Mamoru said under his breath, eyes going slightly 
wider. He shifted his grip slightly, bringing the bundle closer. 
He didn't know WHY, but with all those people in the room, he 
felt OVERWHELMINGLY protective of Usagi. So much so, that he 
was ready to fight. And he couldn't say WHY.

Usagi kept silent, listening as everyone talked and argued. She 
sighed as Mamoru brought her closer, closing her eyes and 
resting her head on his chest. She didn't know why, but she felt 
totally protected in his arms. So much, that she totally ignored 
everything around her and merely waited for Mamoru to take 
her out of the apartment. "I want to leave" she whispered from 
a crack in the blankets into Mamoru's right ear. "I can hardly 
breath in here, Mamoru"

His eyes darkened. He raised his head and stared coolly around 
at everyone, then unceremoniously strode past them all and out 
into the party without a word.

"Mamoru. Wait!" Rei yelled, running after him.

"Where is he going?" Motoki said curiously, trailing behind the 
others. He watched as Mamoru shouldered his way past 
everyone, who was staring and down the main hall to the door. 
His friend practically MOWED DOWN anyone who go in the way, 
holding the bundle of blankets to him like it was the most 
precious item in the world. ["Well now"] he smiled. ["So HE is 
who Usagi's look was for. I wondered who could possibly make 
her seethe with so many emotions. I should have known"] he 
walked along with Makoto, Ami and Reika as they followed 
Mamoru out the front door and slammed it behind them. ["Who 
else but Mamoru can EVER make her feel so much?"]

"I'm taking her home" Mamoru said curtly, leaning down 
slightly to push the 'down' button for the lift.

The girls gathered around him with Reika and Motoki and 
merely waited in silence for the lift doors to open. Then, they 
all piled in.

Reika watched with a large smile-barely hidden-as Mamoru 
settled into the far corner of the lift, leaning against the wall 
and holding his bundle close. An slender arm shot out of the 
blankets as the lift began to move down, grabbing at Mamoru's 
shirt in panic. She watched as Mamoru bent his head slightly 
and murmured something to Usagi soothingly. ["Will wonders 
never cease? I think he actually CARES for Usagi"]

Usagi couldn't help but panic as the world around her began 
moving down. Her arms shot out of the blankets to grab 
Mamoru's shirt in a death-grip. "What's going on?" she said, 
frightened. With her head covered and the strange falling 
sensation, it was all she could do to keep from screaming-but 
for the fact that Mamoru's arms were tightly about her.

"It's alright. Just the lift, Usagi. We're taking you home" 
Mamoru murmured from above her head, voice soothing.

She sighed and relaxed her grip, but didn't let go. A moment 
later, the floor stopped moving and came to a stop. She heard 
the others walking away and then Mamoru was moving fast. 
Then, a cool breeze flapped at the blankets and she felt it brush 
her face caressingly. ["We're outside"] she waited, but it 
seemed that Motoki and Reika were not leaving-so she had to 
contend with just laying there and letting Mamoru carry her. 
Not that she didn't LIKE it. Usagi smiled and closed her eyes 
again, snuggling closer into his embrace and keeping a firm 
hold of his shirt with her fingers. Gradually, the up and down 
movement of his pace lulled her into sleep.

Mamoru smiled gently as he felt Usagi snuggle into him and 
then sensed that she had fallen asleep. He looked down and 
saw that her fingers were still keeping a grip on his shirt as of 
she would never let go. A strange expression crossed his 
features in the darkness of the night-one that would have had 
Usagi's friends and Motoki and Reika gaping in shock. However, 
they saw nothing-talking amongst themselves-and though the 
expression lingered for many blocks, it was firmly hidden by 
the time they reached Usagi's house.

***
Chapter Nine
***
"Usagi, wake up" Mamoru said softly into the blankets.

Usagi's eyes slowly opened, all she saw was darkness for a 
moment and she panicked. "Where am I?" she cried out, 
struggling against the steal bands that were holding her. She 
realized that there was softness all around her and over her 
face and that she was clamped tightly against something...

"It's okay! Stop struggling, Usagi!" Rei's voice said urgently.

"You're home, Usagi" Reika said, walking over the path to 
Mamoru. She casually jerked the blankets from Usagi's face and 
the girl bent over in Mamoru's arms, breathing hard. As she did, 
her long hair tumbled out. Her long SILVER hair.

"My god! What happened to your hair?!" Motoki bellowed, 
staring at the long silver tresses. No, it was NOT just a trick of 
the moonlight. Usagi's golden hair had turned silver. Not just 
silver blonde-actual SILVER! It pooled around Mamoru's 
shoulder and arms, as well as Usagi and the blankets and the 
tresses seemed to go on and on, almost touching the ground. 
["IS her hair longer-or am I imagining that too?"] he 
wondered, shocked into silence.

"IS this what you were hiding?" Reika said wonderingly, 
reaching out to touch a lock. She had barely moved her hand, 
when the girl was taken out of her reach, with amazing 
swiftness and agility.

Mamoru stepped backwards, looking warningly at Reika. His 
mouth set firmly, arms tightly about the gasping girl. "Don't 
touch her" he said curtly, an arm going about Usagi's shoulder. 
He drew her to his chest, patting her lightly on the back as she 
coughed and spluttered for air. She leaned over his shoulder, 
breathing deeply of the night air and clinging with both hands 
to his broad shoulders. Mamoru felt every single touch of her 
delicate fingers on his shirt, they burnt like fire-singing in his 
veins. ["What is wrong with me? I can't even touch her without 
wanting her!"] he groaned mentally, disgusted and frustrated 
at himself.

"Thank you" Usagi gasped, coughing again. "I must have been 
in the blankets for too long. There was no air!" she wheezed a 
little more, than settled into Mamoru's arms comfortingly and 
stared around. They were standing on her front porch, the light 
on. "Did anyone knock?" she inquired, slinging an arm about 
Mamoru's shoulder. She rested her head under his chin, for the 
moment, completely forgetting that she was nestled in the 
arms of her worse enemy-and that she ought to have been 
hiding her changed feelings from her friends! ["Why did they 
bring me home?"] she wondered silently, frowning.

"We were about to when you woke up" Motoki said dazedly, 
still staring. "Tell me how this happened?" he questioned, 
pointing at Usagi's hair almost accusingly with his index finger. 
"This is NOT a normal thing, Usagi! You went to the party with 
your normal hair-and now this!" he squinted at her 
suspiciously. "Did you do a dye-job?"

"In the CLOSET? Don't be a moron, Motoki!" Makoto snapped, 
crossing her arms. She too was bewildered at the change in her 
leader. Usagi was changed more than her hair-there was a 
whole air of difference about her that all could sense. And the 
fact that she was LETTING Mamoru carry her around was like a 
titanic event. The two most popular rivals, close together as 
lovers. Makoto glanced sideways at Usagi and Mamoru 
speculatively. ["Hmm-I wonder"]

"The what changed her hair?!" Motoki almost screamed in 
frustration, eyes wild.

"Fright?" Ami, Makoto and Rei said simultaneously, then they 
all blushed.

["Great going guys"] Rei thought, wincing.

"Uh huh" Reika said skeptically. "Then why did that sound a 
little to choreographed?" Her eyes skimmed over all the girls, 
then Mamoru and Usagi. The two seemed remarkably at ease in 
each others arms. What could POSSIBLY have happened in that 
closet to change their hatred?

"We just all came to the same conclusion, is all" Makoto said 
loftily, tossing her pony-tail and trying to look nonchalant.

"Right" Ami blurted, then flushed brighter and stared fixedly at 
the ground.

"Mamoru scared her?" Motoki said, turning to stare at his silent 
friend-who was STILL holding Usagi close in his arms-despite 
the fact that she could now have walked that Motoki and Reika 
had seen what she was hiding. Mamoru seemed to have NO 
inclination at ALL to put Usagi down-and SHE had her face 
nestled in his neck contentedly. No screaming-no fighting-no 
hitting....the world was coming to an end!

Usagi unconsciously reached up and wound her other arm 
about Mamoru's neck, holding on as she looked around at her 
talking friends. It still remained that she had to get inside 
without her parents seeing her hair. "What about my haaaaaair 
guys?" Usagi suddenly wailed urgently. She could have snuck 
in-but she couldn't hide her hair forever. ["What can I say?"]

"Stop wailing Odango" Mamoru murmured, seemingly 
distracted. His eyes were far away and his whole being wasn't 
into the words. He was wondering what to DO about the 
situation. ["Usagi is Sailor Moon. HOW am I supposed to act in 
battle now? Or around Usagi at ALL?"] He sighed deeply, 
stirring the silver bangs of Usagi's hair.

"We'll just give them the same story that we gave everyone 
else. Shock" Ami said calmly. She nodded at them all, as if it 
were a completely logical explanation.

"Ah ha! Now I have you...It wasn't shock!" Motoki crowed 
triumphantly, waving an accusing finger at them all.

"Oh really?" Mamoru drawled, eyes boring into Motoki's face. If 
looks could kill, Motoki would be a puddle of goo on the floor. 
His best friend DEFINITELY didn't want him hazarding a guess.

"IS there something you're hiding?" Reika said calmly, eyes 
intent.

"Great going Ami" Rei snapped, slapping her forehead with the 
palm of one hand. "Tell them it was shock! In fact-tell the 
whole world!"

"Sorry-but maybe they should know? They're Mamoru's best 
friends and ours" Ami said meekly.

"Tell us what?" Motoki almost shouted. He waved his arms 
about, frustratedly. No one was talking and it seemed that the 
girls and Mamoru knew something BIG, that they weren't 
telling another soul. "A secret?" he finished eagerly, waiting.

"The best-kept secret in Tokyo, idiot!" Rei hissed angrily, 
waving a hand frantically for Motoki to keep his voice down.

"Sorry" he whispered, leaning in closer. "So what is it?" He 
frowned in thought. ["The best-kept? Now what could that 
be...nah! That can't be it!"] he thought, eyes widening. The only 
thing that Motoki could think of was-

"We-all of us are-" Makoto began...

But then the front door opened quickly. Usagi's Mother, Father 
and Brother stood there-in their nightwear and looking startled 
to see the group on their front porch. Kenji brandished an 
unlikely-looking broom, missing most of it's straw and tried to 
look menacing. Of course, one never looked menacing 
particularly in an old pair of checkered-faded-pajamas and 
floppy rabbit slippers.

Usagi gripped Mamoru's neck tighter, wondering suddenly why 
her friends had brought her HOME. She was supposed to be 
staying at Rei's house. ["Keep calm-it doesn't mean anything"] 
she told herself frantically.

"What's going on here?" Kenji demanded, peering at them all 
through his glasses. He tightened his grip on the broom, as if 
for comfort. Then-he noted his daughter and the broom 
dropped like a sack of bricks, clattering loudly on the ground. 
"U-Usagi?!" he uttered, stammering. His glasses fogged over.

"USAGI? What happened to your hair?" Ikuko shrieked, finally 
spotting her daughter off to the side-held possessively in the 
arms of a gorgeous young man. ["Oh my"] Usagi was wrapped 
up in a blanket, but her long hair as flowing loosely over the 
blanket, the man's shoulders and her daughter. And it seemed 
much longer than usual, despite the fact that it was up in it's 
usual buns.

"Hair? Usagi? It's SIL-WHO IS THAT YOUNG MAN?" Kenji 
bellowed, breaking off his stuttered words. He dove to the 
ground and picked up his protective object-then aimed his 
broom menacingly at the startled Mamoru, who backed off 
further with his precious bundle from the madman in bunny-
slippers.

"Chiba Mamoru" came the curt response. Mamoru straightened, 
looking abruptly authoritative and commanding. "Now-would 
you like to get out of the way, or have your daughter out here 
in the cold night?" he said coolly, pushing past everyone and 
into the house.

Everyone gaped-for different reasons and then followed 
Mamoru inside and shut the doors.

Silently, they all sat down on the floor or the couch and chairs 
in the comfortable room and waited for-someone-to speak.

"Well-can someone please explain why you're all here, when 
Usagi is supposed to be staying over at Rei's?" Ikuko began, 
then her eyes fell again on Usagi's long silver hair. "But first-
what on earth happened to you HAIR?"

Reika and Motoki exchanged a quick look, then said 
simultaneously. "Fright!"

The girls and Mamoru were silent though, giving each other 
occasional serious looks.

Usagi bit her lip, looking at Ami questioningly. That the girls 
had brought her HOME, instead of the Temple, meant that they 
had come to some sort of decision that Usagi did not know 
about. "Guys?" she said weakly, afraid that she knew that they 
were going to reveal.

"We thought-Usagi, given that your hair has changed so 
drastically-and for no apparent reason-" Ami began falteringly.

"What Ami means is-we have something to tell you, Mr. and 
Mrs. Tsukino. About us and your daughter" Rei finished, then 
looked at the ground. She sighed deeply. "We're the Sailor 
Senshi" she added quietly.

"YOU'RE WHAT?!" Reika, Motoki and the three Tsukino's 
shouted in shock and disbelief. They all looked at Usagi, then at 
the other girls. The only one who was not noticeably shocked 
was Mamoru.

"Yeah right!" Shingo scoffed immediately, looking bored.

"You KNEW?" Motoki accused his best friend, glaring at 
Mamoru heatedly.

"I just found out myself-when you locked us in together" 
Mamoru said slowly, staring at Usagi with a strange expression. 
["A time that I will never forget"]

"Locked in with my daughter?" Kenji bellowed, leaping to his 
feet. His hands opened and closed convulsively as he lunched 
for Mamoru's neck.

Ikuko threw herself at her husband and locked her arms about 
his neck, slowing him down to a crawl. "Now, now dear" she 
soothed. "I'm sure there was a reason-right?" the look she 
gave Mamoru and the others was scary.

"It was-just a room" Makoto put in quickly, giggling nervously.

"A room-right" Rei added, grinning. She waved a hand around 
negligently, making it look as if it were an every-day 
occurrence to be locked in a room with your hated enemy.

"Uh huh" the others chorused, a little shocked by Kenji's 
violent behavior. They stared at him as he sank back onto the 
couch, with Ikuko's arms still tight about his neck in case he 
tried to jump up again.

"Why were Mamoru and Usagi locked into a room?" Shingo 
said, perplexed.

"Umm-" the girls all looked at each other and then at Usagi and 
Mamoru.

"It was like this, Mr. and Mrs. Tsukino" Reika put in calmly. 
"You've probably heard Usagi go on and on about an annoying 
jerk named Chiba Mamoru?" she asked Ikuko and Kenji in a 
questioning way.

Ikuko turned to look at Mamoru. "This is 'the annoying jerk'?" 
she giggled like a school girl, looking vastly amused. "But 
Usagi-he's so handsome, dear!"

Usagi flushed to the roots of her hair, eyes skittering away from 
Mamoru's and the other girls. She deemed it safer to look at the 
floor, than the guy sitting next to her on the floor near the TV, 
["How exactly did he come to be sitting next to me anyway? I 
would have thought that he'd avoid me like the plague after his 
act earlier"] she glanced sideways at him, startled to find that 
he was already looking at her with a similar look. She jerked 
her eyes back to her mother's. "Yes, this is him" she admitted 
slowly.

"THIS is the guy that Usagi is constantly saying annoys her and 
makes fun of her hair" Shingo said excitedly. He grinned 
impishly at Usagi, then at Mamoru. "Boy are you welcome here! 
Anyone that came up with the name 'Odango Atama' is a friend 
of mine" he announced gleefully.

Kenji threw Shingo a warning look, then turned to give Mamoru 
'the look of death'. Anyone that made fun of HIS daughter was 
definitely NOT welcome! "What gives you the right, young man-
" he began hotly, but Reika hastily interrupted.

"Anyway, as you know, these two HATE each other-so at the 
party a couple of guys got together to lock them into a room 
and talk out their differences...but something went wrong" she 
stopped and stared at Mamoru and Usagi expectantly.

"Can you go back to the part about MY sister being Sailor 
Moon?" Shingo said, eyebrows up to his hairline. His lips 
twisted derisively. "Because I just DON'T believe it!" he 
announced.

Usagi shot to her feet swiftly, glaring at her brother. "Oh no!" 
she said loudly. "I am NOT going to transform just to satisfy 
this brat's curiosity! I've had a long night of unbelievable stress 
and-and-" she broke off, a strange expression crossing her 
face. A strange pain was spreading over the back and sides of 
her hair. She quickly looked down and her eyes widened as she 
saw the cause. Her hair-she was STANDING on her hair! "Oh 
my GOD! I'm standing on my hair and it's UP!" she shrieked, 
eyes shocked and twice their normal size.

"Oh my" Ikuko said, staring at the long silver tresses. Usagi 
was indeed standing on her hair, which was at least twice it's 
normal length. It was pooling around and under her daughter's 
shoes. "HOW did you say this happened, Usagi?" she said, eyes 
wide as saucers. Fear, she could allow, for making the hair 
change to silver-but to GROW it?

"Okay Mamoru, spill" Rei said harshly, startling them all with 
her tone. She got to her feet and walked over to tower over the 
sitting upper-classman. "What happened to Usagi?!" she 
demanded.

"Rei! It's NOT his fault!" Usagi cried out, stepping between 
Mamoru and the steaming priestess. "He touched my broach 
and we-sort of-well...our minds merged for a little while and 
we saw..." she trailed off as she sensed Mamoru get to his feet 
behind her. The skin at the base of her neck crawled and she 
tried to shake off the feeling as he moved to stand beside her.

"Our minds merged for a little while and we-shared a memory 
of some kind" Mamoru finished quietly. "I can't remember it 
well, but when we came out of the trance, we were both 
transformed and her hair was like this" he reached out and 
gently picked up a handful of Usagi's incredibly long silver hair, 
letting it trail through his fingers with a wistful expression in 
his eyes. Her hair was warm and seemed to cling to his fingers. 
When all the strands hand passed smoothly through his fingers, 
he lowered his hand and turned away from them all. ["This is 
dangerous. I didn't mention the Princess, but Usagi may. And 
there really ISN'T any explanation for her hair"]

Usagi stood frozen like a statue as Mamoru let her long hair 
trail over and through his fingers like silk and she SWORE that 
she could feel it like a caress along the whole of her body. Just 
his fingers in her hair sent frizzons of sensation through her-
familiar. ["Is my hair more sensitized now or what?"] she 
thought, supremely startled. It had been as if he'd touched her 
cheek-or her lips with his fingertips. She sighed. ["He didn't 
mention the Princess-so he doesn't want them to know. All 
right Mamoru"] she sighed again and gave him a slight look, 
but his face was turned away. ["He really doesn't want to be 
here. It is me? Now that he knows I'm Sailor Moon, does he 
regret our kisses?"]

"You say that your minds merged?" Ami broke into the long 
silence, in which everyone had watched Mamoru and Usagi with 
a frozen fascination. The room had seemed to warm when 
those two interacted-and there had been a strange tension. 
Everything had abruptly seemed to center about the two and 
Usagi's hair. But still, what did the hair length and color have to 
do with their minds?

"I want to see this transformation!" Shingo put in eagerly. He 
crossed his arms. "Come on, I deserve to see this!"

"Yes, Usagi. Please?" Motoki put in, curiosity getting the better 
of him.

"Wait-this merge-" Rei said, frowning.

"Oh, all right" Usagi said tiredly. She put her hands to her bow, 
where her broach was resting. "Moon-" she began. ["Moon"] 
the words seemed to echo inside her mind, accompanied by the 
toll of some faint bell. She hesitantly began the next word, 
listening hard. "Prism" once again, it echoed deep inside, 
seemingly repeated by a softer cultured voice-yet it was her 
own.

"Usagi?" Rei questioned, a strange expression on her face. She 
had begun to sense something was different about the 
transformation words. And Usagi's face was-distant, as if she 
were listening hard to something.

Mamoru turned away at the last minute as Usagi opened her 
mouth again. She'd KILL him if he were to witness her naked 
state again!

"Power...make up!" Usagi cried out. Everything exploded into 
power around her and her clothes dissolved into red ribbons. 
Her eyes closed-and then she saw it...the place from Mamoru's 
dream. A great towering palace, with columns and a great lake 
of shimmering water. ["Remember..."] a voice whispered. A 
mysterious surge came from somewhere inside and to the left-
And then, it was over. She opened her eyes and looked down at 
the familiar Fuku.

"NO WAY! She IS Sailor Moon!" Shingo cried out, shocked. "My 
sister, the ditz. Unbelievable" he stomped away, muttering 
under his breath.

"AND NAKED!" Kenji thundered, outraged and furious. He 
shook a finger into Sailor Moon's face. "That's IT! You are 
forbidden to transform ever again, young lady!"

Of course, everyone ignored his ridiculous comment.

"Usagi" Ikuko said, marveling. "So this is why you're always 
tired?"

Sailor Moon stared at her numbly, still overwhelmed by the 
strangeness of the transformation. ["Where was that place? 
And why did it feel so familiar?"]

["I saw it too"] Mamoru's voice said resignedly.

Sailor Moon's head whipped around to see-Tuxedo Kamen 
standing next to her. "Tuxedo Kamen? What?" she said, 
shocked. ["We're linked AGAIN?"] she shrieked inwardly.

["So it seems"] Tuxedo Kamen's voice was filled with disbelief. 
["So-at least one of us has to be transformed...and we're 
mentally linked again?"]

["Is this-a bad thing?"] Sailor Moon asked, wincing. She looked 
at him anxiously-but there was no answer. He shook his head 
and closed his eyes.

"How come he transformed when she did?" Motoki said, wide-
eyed. His eyes narrowed then, in anger. "And hey, while we're 
at it-why the hell didn't you TELL me that you were Tuxedo 
Kamen, Mamoru!" he yelled.

"It didn't come up!" Tuxedo Kamen said angrily.

"This is too much for me" Kenji said weakly, slumping back into 
his couch cushions. "We're surrounded by super heroes and 
ONE is our DAUGHTER!"

["This was a really bad idea"] Sailor Moon whispered mentally. 
She sighed. ["This whole night was a disaster"]

["The WHOLE night?"] Tuxedo Kamen asked her quietly. He 
turned his eyes to look at her from behind the half-mask, the 
blue depths burning.

Sailor Moon flushed, their eyes locking. ["Maybe not...all"] she 
admitted timidly. She sighed deeply. ["But-now that we 
know...we can't do it ever again, Mamoru"]

["I know"] came the soft answer. He turned fully to look down 
into brimming blue eyes. Usagi was close to tears and neither 
of them knew why. They were enemies-right? But they were 
also ally's, and that was the most important thing of all.

She silently nodded at him, then de-transformed. "All right, I'm 
tired" she announced to everyone else-and her family, who 
were still gaping in awe and shock. Motoki and Reika however, 
looked positively evil as they exchanged a look, then 
simultaneously began to back towards the front door.

"Of course you're tired, Usagi!" Reika said hastily.

"You WON'T tell a soul-will you, Motoki…Reika?" Tuxedo 
Kamen said abruptly, in a chilling voice. The expression in his 
eyes was fierce and alien as he stared at them from Usagi's 
side. ["Do I have to take some sort of action?"]

["Are you suggesting tying your best friend up?"] Usagi 
responded involuntarily, almost giggling at the thought of hog-
tying Motoki.

Mamoru shot her a strange look, lips twitching. But he said 
nothing.

Rei stared hard at her 'ex-boyfriend'. Mamoru had changed and 
even as Tuxedo Kamen. It had not only been Usagi's hair. The 
upper-classman was colder, more authoritative and 
more…commanding. "They won't say a thing, Mamoru" she 
murmured.

"Of course not!" Motoki said, looking offended. "But Usagi 
looks absolutely done-in…and so do the other girls. So We'll be 
running along now" he blurted out hastily. Motoki grabbed 
Reika's hand and wrenched open the front door, bolting out the 
entrance. He'd forgotten to close the door and so the Tsukino's 
and Tuxedo Kamen bore witness to two brand-new pro-runners 
for the Olympics.

["They're fast-but I can beat them hands tied"] Usagi thought, 
smiling slightly.

["On your hundred-mile dash for school?"] Tuxedo Kamen 
muttered dryly. He studiously ignored her glare and the wave 
of anger that hit him from her direction. This 'link' was 
becoming a hindrance!

["Shut up, jerk! Or I'll punch you again"] Usagi threatened, 
staring hard at her 'hero'.
He stared back, eyes wicked. ["And if you do, I'll have to kiss 
you senseless-right in front of your parents"]

["WHAAAAAAT?"] she shrieked mentally. ["You would DARE!"]

["Try me"] he dared her, REALLY wishing that she'd try.

Makoto looked surprised as she went forward to close the door 
and lock it behind her. "I wonder what those two were up to??"

["Match-making"] Tuxedo Kamen murmured dryly, eyes 
thunderous behind his mask. He sighed. ["Like we NEED help 
getting together. Our trouble is staying APART! Different rooms 
from now on, Tsukino!"] he told her firmly. ["And NO closets! 
Or I won't be responsible for the consequences"

Usagi started in shock, staring at Mamoru with a gaping mouth. 
["Match-making? Kissing?! Closets!? As if I want to be 
anywhere near you, creep!"] she demanded, rounding on 
Tuxedo Kamen an staring up into his startled eyes. ["SO JUST 
SHUT UP, ROMEO! You're not the only guy in this town!"]

He groaned mentally. [""Damn, I forgot about that. STOP 
SCREECHING, YOU BRAT! I happen to know that you have a 
crush on me-Tuxedo Kamen...so don't say that there's someone 
else...or I'll have to kill him"] he warned her seriously, then 
rapidly de-transformed before she could blast him.

Usagi glared at him accusingly. "That wasn't FAIR! What are 
you playing at, jerk? There's PLENTY of fish in the sea-and I do 
NOT have a crush on Tuxedo Kamen!" she almost shouted into 
his face.

Everyone stared at her and then at Mamoru, who had suddenly 
taken on an equally thunderous expression. "Who said life was 
fair, Odango Atama? Get used to disappointments! And I'm 
COMPLETELY serious" he told her cuttingly, eyes burning into 
her own. If anyone even TOUCHED her, he'd kill them. She was 
HIS!

"Umm-" Makoto began, face bewildered.

"What is going on here?" Rei demanded.

"Serious about what?" Ami added, staring.

"That's what I want to know-AND WHY DID YOU CALL MY 
LITTLE GIRL ODANGO ATAMA?!" Kenji finished on a bellow. His 
face was red as a beet and his fist were clenching and 
unclenching at his sides uncontrollably.

"Now dear" Ikuko said, taking a firm hold of his arm.

"Well?" Usagi shouted at Mamoru, completely ignoring the 
others. After all they'd shared, the idiot was STILL treating her 
like this! ["That CREEP! How dare he say he'd kill any guy that 
came near me! I'll teach him!"] she vowed, already making 
plans.

"Well, what?" he shouted back, knowing fully what she was 
saying. ["I don't want to get into a fight with her-especially 
with her parents there-when all I want to do is really kiss her"]

"This means war, Chiba!" Usagi ground out.

"You're on, Tsukino. May the best...super hero win" Mamoru 
purred back.

"We seem to be missing a large portion of this conversation" 
Ami noted, staring from the fuming silver-haired girl to the tall 
arrogant guy. Their eyes shot blue flames at each other, 
literally sizzling the air.

"CREEP!" Usagi screeched. ["I'll teach you! I'm going to go out 
and find that guy Brad! Or anyone else and make then kiss me 
right in front of this jerk! I'm NOT his property! Just because if 
ONE kiss!"]

"Little girl" Mamoru sneered. ["If I see anyone NEAR her, I'll 
rip his head off!"]

"Jerk!" she muttered, heart not really in it, all of a sudden. The 
way they kept staring at each other was beginning to melt her 
bones. Mamoru's eyes had began to kindle with an inner fire, 
practically eating her up ion the spot. If her parents hadn't 
been there-she was certain she would have thrown herself into 
his arms. She hated him-but wanted him....a LOT! But it was 
still war!

Mamoru had come to the same conclusion, standing but a foot 
from his angel-who he'd protect till the day he died. And all he 
wanted to do was sweep her into his arms and forget the 
witnesses! "BABY" he drawled, forgetting to add the bite. And 
SOMEHOW-it came out as more of an endearment. His eyes 
went wide with shock at the same time as Usagi's did and 
several gasps filled the room from the other Senshi. ["Oh dear. 
So much for secrets! Suuuure, Chiba. Let your obsession 
show!"]

Makoto, Rei and Ami gaped at Mamoru, stunned at what they 
had heard in his tone.
"Young MAAAAAAAN!" Kenji growled, trying to leap up from 
the couch. "How dare you insult my daughter that way!" he 
shouted, having completely missed any undercurrents in the 
fighting.

Ikuko, however, had a slightly dreamy look in her eyes. "Now 
Kenji, leave the poor young man alone. It's not his fault that he 
and Usagi-rub each other the wrong way" as she said this, she 
looked sideways at her daughter.

Usagi suddenly got a vision of herself crawling along Mamoru's 
length, being pressed against the wall of the closet and 
Mamoru's hands under her top. She couldn't help it! She 
promptly lost it and turned the color of a bright red star. She 
doubled over, convulsed in a coughing fit, eyes watering. ["Oh 
my god! Does she KNOW?!"] she thought frantically. Why was 
it that everything someone said, reminded her of Mamoru? She 
breathed harder, eyes dilating. Her fingers itched to touch him-
she NEEDED to. She took a half-step forward and Mamoru took 
one back simultaneously, trying to keep his distance.

Mamoru similarly began to choke and doubled over, gasping for 
air, with eyes wide and stunned. ["I can't stand this! Practically 
everything someone SAYS has an unconscious reference to 
something Usagi and I did in the closet!"] his pulse sped up, 
beads of sweat beginning to bead on his forehead and his eyes 
dilated slightly.

Rei rushed over and patted Usagi and Mamoru on their backs 
hard, eyes startled and yet suspicious. Ikuko's innocent words 
had made an extremely violent reaction from the silver-haired 
girl and her 'worst enemy'. ["Something DID happen in that 
closet! I knew it!"] her thoughts sobered. But how did she feel 
about that? Her best friend and the guy that she thought she 
loved, but only saw her as a friend?

"Usagi? Are you okay?" Ami said anxiously, reaching for her 
Mercury computer. It fell out of her sub-space pocket easily 
and into the palm of her hand. She quickly scanned the gasping 
pair and her blue eyes widened in astonishment. There were 
elevated levels of hormones-almost sky-rocketing! Ami looked 
up slowly, eyes wide as saucers. The sexual tension between 
Mamoru and Usagi was almost off the charts! And they were a 
few feet from each other! ["Oh my god. How did this happen?"]

"Are they okay, Ami?" Ikuko demanded, walking over to look at 
the bewildering display on the computer. She shook her head, 
blinking numbly.

"They're-fine. Just tired I guess" Ami said in a strangled tone, 
still staring at Mamoru and Usagi with wide eyes. Who would 
have thought it? Two worse enemies, famous for their fights-
were actually in lust for each other! She wrenched her eyes 
away and looked quickly at Usagi's worried parents. "I suggest 
that Usagi and Mamoru go to bed-" she began.

But Mamoru was way ahead of her, already on his way to the 
door. ["I have to get OUT of here!"] he gasped harshly. He had 
just reached the paneling and fingers touching the handle, 
when an agonizing pain hit him. His heart faltered, eyes dilating 
slightly. He suddenly felt as if he were dying.

Usagi's heart gave a huge leap, then faltered altogether. 
Everything went dark and she keeled over. ["Mamoru!"] she 
cried out silently, even though she knew he couldn't hear her.

Mamoru felt a wave of nausea and dizziness consume him-at 
the same time as an uncontrollable burst of hunger and 
longing. Everything started to go black and he began to fall. He 
turned back to look at the others, bewildered-then he saw 
Usagi start to keel over and made one last amazing leap. 
["Usagi!"] he shouted, afraid. He covered the space between 
them in seconds and caught her up into his arms, turning their 
bodies so that he landed beneath her…then it all went black.

"-separately" Ami finished in a weak voice, staring at the two 
prone figures on the floor. Usagi was cradled in Mamoru's arms 
protectively, even though they had both just fainted. Even as 
everyone around her shrieked and panicked, Ami looked at her 
computer and what she saw frightened her desperately. Usagi 
and Mamoru's minds had shut down in defense from 
something-and it had to do with Mamoru's trying to leave. 
Their brain-waves were erratic, heart-beats weak and 
stuttering.

"Usagi! Oh my god!" Ikuko screamed, trying to wrench her 
daughter from Mamoru's arms, but they were like steel bands 
about the girl's slender waist.

"Makoto leaned over and tried to pry Mamoru's arms from 
about Usagi's wait, frowning with the effort. "I can't even 
BUDGE him!" she gasped in amazement. She grabbed at the 
hand clamped protectively around Usagi's lower chest and 
wrenched-

When a golden light enveloped Mamoru and Usagi. His eyes 
opened briefly and they all saw that they were no longer deep 
blue-but a burning liquid gold. He snarled something to her in 
another language and a blast of power surged from his body. It 
hit Makoto hard, throwing her backwards by several meters. 
She fell over the couch and hit the floor hard, laying stunned.

"Makoto!" Rei gasped, shocked. She and Ami ran over to their 
friend's side urgently, while the Tsukino's watched Mamoru and 
their daughter with fascinated horror.

"I'm fine" Makoto groaned, getting to her feet with Rei's help. 
Then all three looked back towards the two unconscious forms 
on the floor of the room. Mamoru's eyes had closed again and 
his arms were still tight about Usagi's wait-as if he would never 
let her go.

"Was that-natural?" Ikuko whispered uncertainly, staring at 
her daughter as if she had never seen her before.

"No" Ami said grimly. "It wasn't" she opened the top of her 
computer and scanned Mamoru swiftly. Then, she sighed. 
"Amazing! The power emanating from Usagi and Mamoru are 
almost identical and completely off the scale!" she bit her lip, 
averting her eyes from the others. ["But their heart-beats have 
steadied and their brain-waves are almost identical! 
Impossible"]

"You're kidding? Odango Atama?" Rei breathed, shocked.

"Why did they faint?" Ikuko asked anxiously, reluctant to touch 
her daughter in case she should hurt her. Besides, she looked 
so at peace in the young man's arms!

"They appear to have some sort of connection. I don't know 
how it happened, but when they try to get a certain distance 
away from each other, their minds shut down in defense. It 
must be that link they mentioned"

"This is not good" Rei said slowly, shocked. Mamoru and Usagi 
stuck together by some bond-and them hating each other?

"And-" Ami sighed deeply, eyes glued to the computer. The 
blue suddenly deepened almost to black, dilating with extreme 
shock as she stared at the read-outs. "Oh my god!" she 
breathed.

"What is it?" Re said suspiciously, knowing something was 
terribly wrong.

Ami gasped for breath, sinking weakly to the floor next to the 
couch, eyes wide with shock. Then, slowly, she raised the 
computer and aimed it at herself, then the other two girls. "Oh 
dear" she murmured.

"Ami?" Makoto questioned warily, frowning as she knelt next to 
the girl. :What is it?"

"I have some-disturbing...unbelievable news. I just don't know 
how to say it" Ami said, looking lost. "I've never had the 
opportunity to scan any of we Senshi before now-and so I 
never realized..." she trailed off, eyes bewildered and scared.

"What is it?" Kenji demanded, jumping to his feet angrily, as if 
to shake the answer from Ami.

"I just scanned us all-we Senshi and Mamoru and-I don't know 
how to tell you this-"

"Just tell us" Usagi said weakly from the floor, still firmly 
ensconced in Mamoru's strong arms. She blinked at them all, 
then struggled weakly to move.

Ami panicked and quickly leant forward to thrust Usagi closer 
to Mamoru's chest. "DON'T MOVE!" she hissed urgently. "It's 
important that you stay as close to Mamoru as possible"

"What?!" Kenji bellowed. "He'll do no such thing!"

"Do you want her dead?" Ami said bluntly.

Everyone paled at the blue-haired girl's words.

Mamoru woke simultaneously with Usagi, arms tightening 
about the blonde as he realized their position. Given what had 
happened to them both to make them faint-he knew that there 
was no avoiding their desire and passion. They could NOT be 
separated! Then Ami had spoken-and her words were so very 
frightened. "What's wrong?" he demanded coolly.

"You can't be separated by a certain distance-or you might die. 
That's why you fainted." Ami explained. "Somehow-you and 
Usagi linked and now, you have to stay together or-"

"No" Usagi murmured, fingers digging into Mamoru's chest 
with fear. ["How did this happen?"]

"Are you sure?" Mamoru said, eyes piercing into Ami's face.

She nodded grimly. "There's more" she whispered.

"What could be worse than finding out that Mamoru and Usagi-
the two worse enemies in Juuban have to stay joined at the hip 
or die?" Makoto said sarcastically, crossing her arms.

"MUCH more, Makoto" the genius said curtly. She took a deep 
steadying breath, looking frightened. "Brace yourself Mamoru, 
guys-" Ami said clearly. "None of us are human"

***
Chapter Ten
***
"What?" Usagi whispered, mouth open in shock. Everyone was 
staring at Ami as if she had grown another head.

"Are you positive?" Rei exclaimed, rushing over to Ami to look 
at the Mercury computer. She blinked, crossed her eyes and 
tilted her head from side-to side in an effort to understand the 
weird gibberish on the screen. "Er-that's what this says?" she 
said tentatively, glancing sideways at her blue-haired friend.

"I'm afraid so" Ami breathed, pointing the computer slowly 
over the Tsukino's and then Mamoru. She glanced up. "Hmm" 
she muttered, staring hard at the startled guy.

"What?" Mamoru said, staring back cautiously. Ami was looking 
at him as if she'd just found a rare species of butterfly.

"You-AREN'T human, Mamoru" Ami said, biting her lip and 
looking perplexed. "But you ARE of earth...whereas, we Senshi 
are NOT"

"WHAT?!" the girls all shrieked.

"But Usagi IS my daughter! She grew in me and-popped out of 
me!" Ikuko yelled, looking faint.

"I was there!" Kenji added emphatically, glaring. He quickly 
reached out to grab Usagi and drag her to his side, but before 
he could move, Mamoru had-blurred. He suddenly appeared 
between Usagi and her father, eyes burning deeply blue.

"Don't touch her" he growled at Kenji.

"You MAN-" Kenji began, opening his mouth to blast Mamoru.

Mamoru swiftly reached towards his hip, eyes burning a 
brilliant blue. He paused as he groped at the side of his 
trousers, eyes looking suddenly blank and bewildered. As if he 
had thought to find something there, at his side-but discovered 
it missing.

Everyone was staring at him strangely, shocked.

"Er-Mamoru? That's her father-not a Youma or Zoisite...and 
don't you HATE Usagi?" Rei said delicately, eyes penetrating.

"Mamoru?" Usagi said tentatively, touching his shoulder.

He spun around swiftly, eyes still bewildered, but filled with 
rage that had been aimed at her father. She flinched as his arm 
shot out and caught hers-but gently. "Sere-" uttered faintly, 
blinking. His eyes looked glazed. "I mean...Usagi" he corrected, 
eyes clearing. He looked around, unconsciously rubbing at the 
soft skin of Usagi's wrist. "What just happened"

"You just went psycho on Usagi dad and then almost attacked 
Usagi" Makoto said, glaring accusingly.

Mamoru's eyes iced over. "He tried to touch her-and I reacted. 
If none of you have forgotten, I am her protector!" he looked 
down at Usagi, eyes strangely filled with tenderness and 
something familiar. "And as for hurting Usagi-I would NEVER" 
he blinked, eyes hazing over slightly. "I...knew it was her, even 
as she touched me"

"He's freaking me out, Mom" Shingo muttered, chewing at his 
thumb.

"Well, you'd better get used to him really quickly" Makoto said, 
grinning evilly. "Because he's going to be here a while"

"What?" Usagi and Mamoru said in shock, still staring into each 
other's eyes and he holding onto her wrist lightly. The world 
started to fade around them and they totally forgot the others 
in the room.

"You look tired" Mamoru murmured to her eyes penetrating. He 
noted the bags under her eyes.

"So do you" Usagi murmured back, blinking slowly, as she 
stared at him, she began to become more concerned. "Are you 
injured from the battle?" she inquired, reaching up to brush a 
stray lock of his dark hair from his eyes.

"Hello?" Rei said, waving a hand wildly around near the pair.

"They can't seem to hear us" Ikuko said, eyes perplexed.

"Its like they're in a trance" Shingo said, crossing his arms and 
looking curiously at his sister and the tall guy.

"Don't touch them" Ami warned, looking down at her 
computer. "They're radiating strange energy waves"

Mamoru released Usagi's wrist, reaching out to cup her face 
between his hands and draw her closer to stare into her eyes. 
"I am fine. You worry too much"

Everyone moved closer, staring at the strange intimate scene 
unfolding. It was like-the two were no longer aware that there 
was anyone else there!

"What battle?" Kenji demanded, looking his little girl over for 
injury.

Makoto shook her head. "There WAS no battle today-I have no 
idea what they're saying"

Mamoru drew Usagi closer, their eyes closing-lips inches apart. 
"Do not leave me again" she cried softly, arms clinging to his 
shoulders.

"The war-" Mamoru began.

"You PROMISED ME!" Usagi cried out desperately. "You 
promised, End-
"
Then something soft began to play, in a hauntingly familiar 
melody. Everyone blinked as something shining fell from 
between Usagi and Mamoru to the floor.

Everything shattered then. Usagi and Mamoru both blinked, 
stared at each others proximity in horror-and leapt away from 
each other as if they had the plague.

"Oh my god!" Usagi said, pointing accusingly at Mamoru. "What 
did you DO to me, creep?" she screeched in horror. ["He was 
going to kiss me in front of my parents!"]

"Me? You did something to ME, Odango" Mamoru said, 
frowning darkly. ["What just happened here? I almost kissed 
her in front of her parents!"]

"The charts are off the scale!" Ami announced with stunned 
incredulity. "You two just linked again! And I can't even BEGIN 
to measure the power or psychic waves the Mercury computer 
just absorbed!"

"What? Rei said, staring at Ami and then a dismayed Usagi and 
Mamoru-who currently were doing their best not to look at 
each other at all. "Are you sure"

"What battle?" Kenji said, looking bewildered. "You said there 
was no battles today"

"He said war. I specifically remember it" Ami corrected, 
looking at Mamoru strangely. "What war, Mamoru?"

"I have no idea what you mean" Mamoru said, staring stonily at 
the wall. He turned his head slightly to glance at Usagi-who 
turned to look at him. They'd shared a memory again-and no 
doubt. Maybe something from the Moon Princess' memories, 
that they were acting out.

"Then what did he promise you?" Ikuko urged her daughter.

"Promise me?" Usagi said weakly, sinking to the floor. "I don't-
remember" she lied, still looking up at Mamoru. ["He promised 
never to leave me"] she bit her lip. It had to have something to 
do with their connection to the Moon Princess. Somehow, they 
must be re-enacting her memories-with...whoever the man 
was.

"Amnesia?" Rei surmised, not sure if she believed Usagi or 
Mamoru.

"It's possible, I suppose" Ami sighed.

"I need-to go to bed" Usagi muttered, getting shakily to her 
feet. She muttered a bleary goodnight and then started to head 
for the stairs.

"Usagi! Stop!" Ami screamed, before Usagi could even pass the 
couches. "You can Mamoru CAN'T separate!"

Kenji stared at Ami in horror. "You're NOT subjecting-"

"Do you want her dead?" Rei put in harshly.

"What?" Usagi said, bewildered.

"Darling-Mamoru will have to sleep in your room with you" 
Ikuko put in delicately.

Mamoru and Usagi's heads jerked around simultaneously, to 
stare at each other in acute shock and horror.

"No way!" she shrieked. ["US? Together? In my ROOM? 
ALONE?!"]

"No way" Mamoru said also, shaking his head. ["ME? In 
Odangos room-ALONE with her in nothing but her nightwear? 
NO WAY!"] he shook his head again and crossed his hands over 
his chest. "NO WAY" he said emphatically.

"Of course, no way! Are you NUTS?!" Kenji almost screamed at 
Ami. "You want some GUY to stay in the room of my little girl-
in her NIGHTWEAR?"

"He can sleep on the floor dear" Ikuko said calmly.

"No! No! Bad idea!" Usagi waved her arms around urgently, 
trying to dissuade everyone. "We HATE each other! We'll-KILL 
each other! You'll find our bloody corpses on the floor come 
dawn!" she said frantically.

"You're never awake at dawn, dear" Ikuko said calmly. "Its 
Sunday tomorrow-you'll be lucky to be up by noon"

"Moooom!" Usagi wailed.

"Really?" Mamoru said evilly. "Anyone else care to tell me more 
about my-room mate?"

"She has nightmares and snores loudly" a voice announced 
haughtily from the stairs.

Everyone's heads swung that way, looking around for the 
woman who had spoken-then down at the innocent small cat 
sitting on the bottom step.

"Who said that?" Ikuko demanded, still looking around.

"Er-" the Senshi all muttered, having forgotten about Luna 
entirely.

"I DID" Luna said.

"Ugh!" Kenji said, fainting.

"Cool!" Shingo yelped.

Ikuko stared at Luna and then at her daughter-and finally at a 
pole-axed Mamoru. "You didn't know either?" she surmised 
dryly.

"Nope" Mamoru said, gritting his teeth. "Hello kitty"

"My name is Luna, Mamoru! I am the Senshi's trainer and 
guardian-and when we find the Princess, I am her royal 
adviser!" Luna announced cuttingly, leaping up onto the couch.

"Yadda, yadda, yadda" Rei said dismissively. "I suppose you 
heard it all, Luna?"

"Yes" the cat said, glaring at Mamoru. "Touch even her little 
toe, Romeo-and I'll rip you to shreds" she warned him, 
extending her sharp claws.

The other girls and Ikuko all looked at each other. 
"Chaperone!" they all uttered together with relief.

Mamoru and Usagi looked at each other, chagrined and 
relieved. Well, that fixed THAT problem.

"You girls can sleep here for the night" Ikuko said, smiling 
around. "And then in the morning, you can tell me how you all 
became Senshi" she looked at Usagi and Mamoru. "This way, 
you two" she ordered, walking towards the stairs.

Mamoru muttered something and followed Usagi's mom, while 
Usagi snatched up Luna and followed closely behind.

"How did this link happen, Usagi?" Luna hissed at her charge as 
they headed down the hall towards Usagi's room.

"I have NO idea. Other than the locket. He touched it-and 
boom" Usagi hissed back.

Luna's eyes went wide in horror. "He TOUCHED the locket? 
GREAT SERENITY!" she screeched.

Usagi and Mamoru both came to a complete stop where they 
were, standing like statues. Slowly, Mamoru turned around and 
looked down at Luna, while Usagi did the same.

"What did you say?" Mamoru demanded.

"I said-what? Oh great Serenity" Luna said, perplexed.

Usagi and Mamoru looked up at each other, eyes wide. They 
both KNEW that name!

"Who is Serenity?" Usagi said tentatively.

"She was the Queen of the Moon of course" Luna said loftily. 
"Haven't I told you this before, Usagi?"

"No, you haven't" Usagi said faintly, almost dropping the cat.

***
Chapter Eleven
***
Luna stared into Usagi's face-so close to her own-for a long 
moment, as if trying to perceive whether she HAD told the girl 
before or not. Coming to the conclusion that, no she hadn't told 
the Senshi about the Princess Serenity, Luna sighed and her 
eyes softened. "Perhaps I was remiss, Usagi" the cat admitted 
graciously, eyeing her charges still-startled blue eyes. ["Why 
does she look as if she just learnt something huge-oh. I 
suppose that the Senshi HAD wondered at one time or another, 
just exactly who they were looking for"]

"This is the first you've ever said her name" Usagi noted, biting 
her lip with unconscious worry. The name 'Serenity' had hit her 
like a lightning bolt. She threw a sidelong look at Mamoru, who 
had managed to recover his composure somewhat and was 
looking cool and uncaring. She frowned at him, wishing that 
she could read his mind again. ["Of course, then I'd have to 
explain to Luna and mom, why I transformed into Sailor Moon 
to go to bed"] Usagi giggled, holding Luna closer.

"Come on Usagi, it's time to settle down" Ikuko said 
indulgently. She looked at her daughter with considerably more 
favor, since she had discovered Usagi's secret. She had always 
known that her daughter was hiding SOMETHING, but nothing 
to compare with what she had discovered that night. Her 
daughter was Sailor Moon, she was bonded to a very handsome 
young man and-their cat Luna talked. Ikuko looked down at 
Luna as the four entered Usagi's comfortable room. "You don't 
mind being chaperone for them, Luna?" she asked politely, 
determined to accept the bizarre situation as any good mother-
of-a-super-heroine would.

Luna padded over to Usagi's bed and leapt up lithely, then sat 
and turned her face towards Usagi's mother. "No. Not at all" 
she said. Luna's eyes swung towards a frozen Usagi and 
Mamoru, who stared at her icy look. "In fact, I would have 
insisted" she finished, red eyes glinting with disfavour. "I 
dislike this situation as much as you, Ikuko. But it cannot be 
helped. Usagi must be kept safe-so that we can fulfil our 
mission to find the Princess and the Rainbow Crystals-"

"Thanks, Luna" Usagi muttered, flushing dully. So that was all 
she meant to the cat and the others? It hurt. She blinked back 
tears, then smiled widely at Luna's next words.

"Of course, that isn't the main reason" the cat went on, looking 
at Usagi with soft eyes. "Usagi is important to us all and her 
safety means much to me-" she glared again at Mamoru. 
"Especially against you, Tuxedo Kamen!"

"Me?" Mamoru said, taken-aback. His eyes hardened into blue 
chips. "Hey! Exactly who always rescues Sailor Moon from 
danger? Are you really trying to tell me-"

"Us" Usagi cut in, glaring at her guardian also and crossing her 
arms haughtily.

"-US" Mamoru went on, after throwing the silver-haired girl a 
quick, startled look. "That you don't TRUST me with her life?" 
his words finished on an almost-yell, incredulity in his blue 
eyes.

"I'm sure she didn't mean that" Ikuko said calmingly, moving 
to stand beside her daughter. All three looked at Luna with 
varying expressions.

"Well...no. Not with her LIFE" Luna uttered. looking taken-
aback. "I meant with Usagi herself. In her room. Alone" she 
emphasised, looking pointedly at Usagi and Mamoru as if she 
could psychically SEE what had happened between them at 
Mamoru's apartment...in his closet.

Usagi stiffened, blushing brightly. "Luna!" she gasped out, 
embarrassed. She pointed a finger sideways at Mamoru, 
vaguely in the direction of his muscular chest, which was an 
inch away. "I don't even LIKE him!" she protested.

"You could have fooled me!" Luna growled back. "You forget, 
Usagi! I was standing at the top of the stairs and saw 
everything"

"Then you must have heard me yelling at him for being a jerk!" 
Usagi snapped, huffing. She rolled her eyes towards her mother 
curiously to see what she was thinking. Ikuko had a slight 
smile about her mouth, watching the two teens and the cat 
with amusement. Usagi grimaced. ["She probably thinks that 
this is romantic!"] she groaned inwardly.

"Now, now-" Ikuko began soothingly to everyone.

"So-let me get this straight, Luna" Mamoru drawled suddenly, 
eyes as amused as Ikuko's had been a moment before. He also 
crossed his arms casually, then leant against the side wall of 
Usagi's bedroom, looking for all the world as if he owned it.

Usagi swallowed hard as her blue eyes skimmed over Mamoru's 
body subconsciously, absorbing everything. She could see the 
muscled in his chest and arms and longed suddenly to throw 
herself at him and kiss him senseless. She gaped and stepped a 
few feet from him discreetly, not trusting herself not to jump 
him right in front of her mother and Luna. ["Am I crazy?"] she 
gasped mentally, groaning. She firmly drew her eyes from his 
body and looked into Mamoru's eyes-then promptly wished that 
she hadn't.

He was watching her with a knowing expression in his eyes, 
along with a familiar hunger that made the bottom of her 
stomach drop out. "-You trust me with Sailor Moon's life-but 
not with HER?" he said slowly, eyes incredulously centered 
now on the black cat.

"Right" Luna said, sniffing haughtily. "I will stand guard over 
her EVERY hour of the day and night! If you so much as touch 
her, I'll scratch your eyes out" she announced importantly. 
Completely serious.

Usagi stared at the cat, startled by Luna's intensity. She stared 
sideways at her crush-what exactly was Luna so worried 
about? Usagi suddenly had a flashback to the closet, her kissing 
Mamoru like there was no tomorrow. ["Oh-right"] she flushed 
brightly. ["That's why"]

Ikuko looked at the three as if their conversation was 
completely normal and everything had been worked out-which 
it hadn't. She turned to leave. "I'll get Shingo and your father 
to bring in a mattress for Mamoru, while I get blankets"

Usagi, Luina and Mamoru watched the woman until she 
disappeared out the door and her footsteps down the hall.

Mamoru rounded abruptly on Luna, walking forwards and 
smiling mysteriously. "I'll accept your mistrust of me-for now" 
he said silkily. His shoulders went back proudly, an 
unaccustomed light of determination in his stance. "But don't 
think you can watch Usagi every moment of the day-"

"Mamoru!" Usagi gasped out. ["What is he DOING?!"]

But Mamoru went on, without giving Usagi a glance. "-Because 
I am just as much her protector as you and the Senshi. I always 
know when she's in danger and transforms-not you. I carry her 
away from the Youma. I'm ALWAYS there, watching" he went 
on relentlessly, ignoring Usagi's horrified eyes and Luna's 
enraged one's. Mamoru abruptly relaxed his stance and smiled 
gently at the cat. "Give me a chance Luna. Despite Usagi and 
my dislike of each other, Tuxedo Kamen is very fond of Sailor 
Moon and would never see her harmed" His eyes went distant 
as he remembered Brad stalking Usagi at the party earlier. 
"Especially from myself and others" he finished, with a 
certainty that shook both Luna and Usagi to the core.

Usagi reached up for a piece of her long silver hair and played 
with it, while watching Mamoru closely. ["He's changed too. 
I'm not sure how or why-but we BOTH were affected by that 
vision"] she was certain of it.

Luna's eyes softened as she continued to look at Mamoru. She 
sighed as if feeling very old and then lay down on the bunny 
and moon quilt. "I know that. I just-take my responsibility very 
seriously" Luna said slowly.

Usagi sighed as her parents and Shingo re-entered the room, 
carrying a large mattress and some sheets and blankets. They 
placed it a discrete distance from Usagi's bed-all the way 
across the room-and then filed out and closed the door.

Mamoru immediately went over and began to make his bed, his 
movements methodical and calm.

Usagi moved over to hover anxiously behind him, as thrilled 
with his being in her room as she was scared. If not for Luna, 
who KNOWS what might have happened! "Is that enough 
blankets?" she said nervously, eyes widening as Mamoru 
removed his jacket and then his shirt. Her eyes popped wide at 
the rippling muscles on his chest, arms and stomach. She 
thought that she was going to faint. ["Oh my GOD! He's trying 
to give me a heart attack!"] she gasped silently, staggering 
away before she threw herself physically at that perfect 
specimen of maleness. Mamoru was DEFINITELY a hottie!

"Mamoru! Cloth yourself this instant! Usagi is only fourteen!" 
Luna screeched from the bed, leaping up with indignant rage at 
the sight of a half-naked male.

Mamoru lifted an eyebrow mockingly in Luna's direction, then 
grinned with open amusement at the widely flushing Usagi-who 
refused to look at him at ALL. "I can't sleep fully dressed, 
Luna" he dismissed her words coolly. He sighed as she looked 
about ready to leap onto him and claw his eyes out. "I'll leave 
my pants on, for modesty's sake. Okay?" he bargained with the 
cat almost wistfully.

She paused, reconsidering. Her red eyes flashed from the fully-
clothed Usagi, to the half-naked Adonis standing on the other-
side of the room. "Fine. But stay your distance, Chiba Mamoru" 
Luna retorted, turning her back on him pointedly, as if to say 
that his body didn't interest her in the slightest. Of course, that 
was just a facade. Luna HAD once been a human girl! ["Oh my! 
Mamoru is very handsome, just as Artemis was"] she thought 
worriedly, trying to hide a flush on her furry face. ["I really 
hope this doesn't go to Usagi's head!"]

Usagi made her blush fade, then casually reached under her 
pillow for her bunny Pi's. She grimaced when she saw them, 
holding them against her chest to hide them from Mamoru's 
intent gaze.

"What color are they, Odango?" he drawled from behind her.

Usagi spin, cloth still held frantically to her chest. Mamoru was 
across the room, laying lazily on the top of the blankets. "Er-" 
she gaped, eyes involuntarily going over his chest with hunger. 
The blue of her eyes glazed over. "Pink, with white bunnies" 
she finished weakly, stumbling blindly towards the door. It 
really couldn't be helped, what she wore. It wasn't sexy, but 
then again-did she really WANT Mamoru's attention? Sure they 
had kisses, a lot, but he was still her enemy- ["Arrggh! AND my 
crush!"] she groaned mentally, reaching for the door handle.

"Cute" Mamoru said, voice amused. "It's-very you, Odango 
Atama"

Usagi blinked, straightened and then turned to give the 
conceited jerk a glare. "Thhhhhb!" she stuck her tongue out at 
him, without thinking.

Mamoru's eyes grew abruptly intent and he half-raised himself 
from the blankets as if to go to her-but then remembered 
Luna's presence. ["What did I tell her about doing that?! Is she 
ASKING for me to jump her in front of her cat?"] he thought 
with exasperation and anger. The need to kiss the silver-haired 
girl was near-overwhelming. And now, he had to spend every 
night ALL night in her room...a few feet from her body...and not 
do a thing! "I can't take this" he groaned, rolling over to burry 
his face in his pillow.

Usagi flushed brightly, drew her tongue in and hastily exited 
the room-knowing EXACTLY what Mamoru had been thinking.

***