WARNING: First fanfiction. Oh, stop crying and try it out anyway. This one doesn't have much action in it, so if you want blood, you should go elsewhere. It's pretty much sappy a romance, since I've finally admitted to myself that I am a sappy romantic, despite my desperate attempts to be a depressed cynic. ::Giggles:: It's better this way. This is set in the first season during the whole nijizuishou (rainbow crystal) fiasco. The first part of the story is based mostly on the anime, but like in the manga, Mamoru is in high school. One major difference: Minako is already here. She is already Sailor Venus. Innuendos - rated PG by m00nSenshi Chapter 1: Odango Atama vs. baka-Mamoru "You're in my way." An annoyed pause. "What are you talking about," came flatly. "I'm *talking* about--" shove "--you being in my way." A scuffle. "Look, Odango Atama--" "Ooh! I could just *kill* you!" At the sound of the hated nickname, Tsukino Usagi's flashed with heated rage at her incredibly tall opponent. What was wrong with the blasted man? Didn't he see that she didn't need this right now? Wasn't it obvious to him that she was in a state of agony and needed to be at least 273 feet away from his horrible presence? Did he have *any* intuition in that head of his? Chiba Mamoru scoffed. "Kill me? You couldn't even lift me off the ground, Odango." "My *name* is *Usagi*. Tsukino Usagi," she hissed at him. "If you had more brains than a four-year-old, you'd *understand* that, baka!" He gave her an amused look. Damn that man. He smirked. "A four- year-old would have better *manners* than you, Odango. Why don't you just ask me to move?" "Move," Usagi bellowed. "*Nicely*," Mamoru snapped. Usagi sighed, exasperated. Impossible. He was absolutely impossible. All she'd wanted to do was to grab a cup of hot cocoa at the arcade and resume walking her merry little way to the park. That was all. And she'd almost accomplished getting a moment's peace too, draining away the last drop of cocoa and preparing to leave. Until she'd run into that-- that-- *guy*! Which might not have been so bad if he hadn't been standing, in his obnoxious manner, in front of the only exit of the arcade. She scrunched up her face and crossed her arms. "Cretin," she muttered. "Brat," he shot back. "Egomaniac." "Overeater." "Cranky high school snob." "Spoiled middle schooler." "Animal dissecter!" Usagi's voice rose a notch. "Insufferable little--what? What kind of insult is that?" She glared at him. "You positively *evil* man!" she snapped. Unable to look at him any longer, she simply pushed him out of the way and marched out of the arcade doors. She heard the doors slide shut behind her and proceeded to count to ten in case a frustrated scream escaped her throat. What was wrong with him? Why was it that every time she ran into him, she ended up wanting to wring his neck until he begged for mercy? Or at least called her by her real name. And today of all days, she had to run into him. Just when she'd least needed it. she thought at him as she clenched her fists, hunched up her shoulders, and marched towards the park. Her pigtails drooped a little as she remembered the reason she was so agitated in the first place. Another impossible man: Tuxedo Kamen-sama. She shoved her hands into the pockets of her jean jacket and shivered--whether she was shivering at the cold autumn weather or at the memory of his cold words, she didn't know. she wondered silently. Her lips twitched as she fought a frown. He'd almost been warm last night. When she'd saved him from Zoicite with her tiara and dropped the star pendant...they'd simultaneously bent down to retrieve the delicate gold trinket. She remembered feeling the almost palpable chemistry between them as their fingers brushed accidentally. For a second, she swore that emotion flickered across his passive face. Somewhere in the roar of her thoughts, she'd heard the tinkling melody of the pendant, filling in the comfortable silence between the warrior and the masked man with its nostalgic tune. He'd denied knowledge of the princess. Even after uttering the word with his own lips. Usagi felt a twinge of jealousy as she remembered the way he'd breathed the word, so quietly, so softly. As if it were precious to him, something he wished to keep to himself. He'd seemed so far-off and distant. She'd almost regretted asking him if he knew of the enigmatic princess that everyone seemed to be searching for. But she'd done it... Baka. Why didn't you keep your mouth shut? He'd shaken out of it at the sound of her voice. Then he grew cold again, his walls almost visibly going up. His denial came, her expression sombered. And then he'd offered her the pendant, telling her to keep it if she liked it so much. She'd heartily accepted the gift, her heart soaring. If only the evening had ended there. Why, *why* had she pushed him? She could still hear her voice asking, nagging... She'd smiled. His expression had turned hard. he'd said harshly. he'd paused, as if debating whether or not to say what he intended <--I'll take the nijizuishou that the Sailor Senshi have as well.> The pain from hearing his words then was just as fresh now as she recounted them. And there was more. she'd said slowly <...the enemy.> He'd swallowed. another pause <--I guess you could say that I am.> And he'd rushed away, his cape flapping in the night, leaving her standing...watching. Usagi plopped down on a park bench, tears stinging at her eyes. It wasn't that bad, she told herself. It wasn't as if he'd pledged to be on her side or anything. In fact, he'd never once shown any sign of having feelings for her, despite his constant appearances to whisk her away from danger. She shouldn't be hurt that his intentions were different from hers. She shouldn't feel like this, she had no right. She had no right... She forced her tears back and breathed deeply. She refused to let it get to her. This was a day for relaxing and forgetting and thinking of only pleasant thoughts. No more thoughts of Tuxedo Kamen, of Senshi duty, and especially of that damned princess. She closed her eyes and tried to forget. Thoughts of red bean rice cakes and the coming winter vacation drifted to her mind. She opened her eyes abruptly. Maybe Mako- chan would cook her something when she stopped by later on tonight. After she dropped by Yumeno Yumeni-san's gallery, of course, to see how the paintings had turned out. Maybe today's dinner at Makoto's would be a regular fun night. Maybe they could talk of other things besides the search for the ginzuishou, like clothes and food and Haruna sensei. That's right. What she needed right now was her friends--not the Senshi. Usagi thought dreamily. With plenty of pleasant thoughts to keep her content, Usagi sighed happily and sat back on the bench, her eyes drooping, sleep washing over her exhausted body. She could take anything. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Chiba Mamoru stepped quietly out of the arcade, a steaming cup of coffee in one hand. He was still clad in his school uniform, his tie undone, the white button-down shirt untucked over his black pants, one side of his white collar flipped up towards his ear. His black uniform jacket hung off two of his fingers over his shoulder. His jaw was set as he started his routine walk to the park, blue eyes flashing darkly ahead. It had been a bad, bad day. He groaned miserably as he thought of the exams this morning that he'd undoubtedly failed. Damn lack of sleep. Weeks of studying for the blasted finals, and for what? To have to battle a general from the Dark Kingdom the night before, that's what. He'd barely been able to understand the questions, numbly shading in his answers as his body demanded that he throw the papers out of the window and sleep. When the last bell had rung, he'd abruptly broken his pencil, slammed the papers on sensei's desk, and stormed out of the classroom. In an attempt to contain his bitterness at the simple unfairness of his life, he'd marched into the arcade and demanded that Motoki make him a blend of coffee strong enough to make an elephant hurl. Motoki proceeded to tell him that the coffee machine had just malfunctioned, and that it would take at least twenty minutes to fix. As if the day weren't bad enough. So he'd stood patiently in front of the sliding doors, doing his best not to become physically violent, when he'd noticed that Odango Atama had walked in while he was ordering coffee and was currently drinking something, looking thoroughly pissed. He'd immediately scowled. Odango and he in the same room, both in bad moods, was most definitely not a good idea. Deciding that a cup of coffee was not worth an inevitable blow up with the blond, he'd moved to leave. It wasn't his fault that she'd done the same and bumped into him as each started for the exit. It wasn't his fault that every time he was around the insufferable girl, she caused his brains to short-ciruit and stop functioning. And it wasn't his fault that an angry Odango was simply too hard to resist--he *had* to make this day bad for someone else. And when she'd stormed out, she'd managed to make him so angry that he couldn't even enjoy the fact that he'd made her just as miserable. What an absolutely horrid experience! Not enjoying making her mad. It was insane! He drained the last of his coffee and flung the cup in a nearby trashcan. His thoughts drifted to a certain sailor-suited Senshi of Justice, and once again, his spirits descended. She was really the cause of all this unnecessary pain. Her and her tearful eyes and pouting lips and wavering voice. He'd been so near her last night. The nearest he'd ever really been to her without some life threatening force promising doom upon one or the other. Being so close to her sent his common sense flying, reducing him to a sputtering fool. And all he could do was become curt and cold. He groaned. How could he tell her that he was an enemy? How could he confirm the doubts she obviously bore about him? Everytime he spoke to her, everything came out the wrong way, his words becoming harsher than their meaning. And slightly embarrassed, he'd often run off before she had the chance to break through his mask. She frightened him. It was simple as that. Her mere presence was enough to bring him to his knees. She confused him--and he turned into an idiot. Mamoru pushed the ridiculous thought out of his head and continued walking. Odango Atama. The largest pebble in his shoe, the biggest weed in his garden. The girl simply drove him crazy. Not only was she childish and immature, but she managed to poke at his most unpleasant insecurities. How dare she see what he tried so hard not to show? What gave her the right to break through his walls? She was probably a sheltered spoiled brat who slept in on Sundays and enjoyed a family dinner every night and was constantly surrounded by friends. She was obviously lazy, from her constant string of 32%s. And undoubtedly, she was ungrateful. She was not alone like he was. And for that, she was unforgivable. He slowed down when his feet hit the grounds of the park. The sky had already started to settle into its pinks and blues as the sun began to set slowly. Already 6:17. Four minutes off schedule. Soon, he'd head home to his solitary life in his quiet apartment, face the boring walls and the sparse furnishings. Drift off to bed to face more dreams of the haunting princess who ruled over his nights. He sighed. And then he stopped dead in his tracks. Well speak of the devil. There she was, sleeping peacefully on a park bench, of all places. Sitting up, head tilted to one side, lips slightly parted as she breathed quietly. Dressed only in jeans, a white sweater, and a thin denim jacket, she shivered slightly as a breeze swept her hair off the ground. He fought back an urge to chuckle. Asleep, you'd never know what a hurricane she was when fully conscious. He stood, one hand in his pocket, the other still holding his jacket over his shoulder, staring at the odango-headed blond. Impossible. How was he supposed to hate this girl right if looking at her made his pulse race? She wasn't supposed to have this effect on him. Not Odango Atama, of all people. She was completely the opposite of him. They shared nothing in common. She hated school. She was a clutz. She-- Furious with himself for thinking stupid things for the 78th time this day, he roughly ripped his hand from his pocket and shook her awake. "Odango," he whispered. "Hey, Odango." No movement. She *was* alive, wasn't she? He shuddered. "Odango," he said gently. She swatted at his arm and curled her legs up against her chest, turning her body away from him. What was that? Why was he feeling so nervous all of a sudden. He moved so that his lips brushed against her ear. "HEY ODANGO ATAMA, YOU'RE LATE!" he bellowed loudly. Her eyes popped open, and with a startled cry, she jumped off the bench. Gasping for breath, she looked around wildly to see what form of creature had woken her up. When her eyes finally found the smug upperclassman, her expression darkened. "You!" she spat. "Why can't you just leave me alone?" He grew indignant. "Leave you alone so you could sleep all night in the park and freeze to death? Gee, nice show of gratitude." She lifted her chin proudly. "I would have woken up! I don't need your help, Mamoru-san, I can take care of myself." He flinched when she called him by his name. He liked her voice saying his name far too much. He sneered. "I'm sure you can, Odango. Do you have any idea what time it is? Another hour, and you'd be sleeping on a bench surrounded by thugs ready to pounce on you. Parks are dangerous at night, Odango. If you ever thought with that puny brain of yours instead of using your blond head, you could comprehend that." "So what, am I supposed to *thank* you for not minding your own business?" she snapped. "Yes!" he shot back. She stared at him. He glared back. It was obvious that he wasn't going to leave her alone until she gave in. Damn him, he was apparently out for blood today--ruining her day once simply wasn't enough. With a defeated sigh, she dropped her head, and muttered under her breath. "What?" he asked, confused. She wasn't hitting back. This bothered him. She jerked her head up. "I said 'arigato,' you pompous jerk!" she yelled, and promptly pushed past him. Ah, much better. He grinned slyly and followed her. Usagi haltingly started looking back and was dismayed and horrified to find that baka-Mamoru was actually *following* her. she thought, panicking. She whirled around. "Mamoru-san, *what* are you doing?" she huffed. He stopped himself. What *was* he doing? He hated her, remember? he reassured himself. It was just that...well... making her mad made him feel better for some odd reason. It gave him an endorphin rush. He looked back at her innocently. "It's not my fault that I happen to be heading the same direction as you," he said coolly. "It's not your park, you know." She wanted to stomp on the ground and scream! This was a conspiracy, she knew it! No, no, no, it was all *him*. He planned to drive her crazy, get her committed, and then dance with glee over his victory. She sputtered at him. He laughed. "Don't be too happy, about it, Odango," he teased. She whipped back around and continued walking. "Just stay ten feet behind me, creep," she mumbled. Of course he didn't. That would mean that he actually respected her. He quickened his pace until he was walking beside her. he asked himself. The two fell into a comfortable silence as they walked slowly through the park. Usagi curiously glanced at Mamoru out of the corner of her eye. He was looking straight ahead, one hand in pocket, other holding his jacket over the shoulder. He seemed serene for a moment, content. She'd never seen him unagitated before. She smirked. You'd never know what a jerk he was when he kept his mouth shut. He glanced in her direction and caught her looking at him. Both snapped their heads back in place and cleared their throats. "So," she said lightly. "Where are you headed?" His thoughts raced. Where exactly *was* he going? "Um," he started. "Well...um...Yumeno Yumeni-san's gallery," he said triumphantly. Perfect. "I heard she got attacked last night, wanted to see how she was. Besides--" he looked at her "--I wanted to see how the paintings turned out." She flinched at the word 'attacked'. she thought dryly. "Oh," she said. Well damn. Wasn't she on her way there too? "That's where I'm going." He chuckled. "Well, good. I'll walk you. You probably couldn't get there in one piece, anyway." She looked at him suspiciously. "What are you planning?" she demanded. "Planning?" he asked. "I'm hurt, Odango, I'm simply walking. I just happen to be walking to the same place as you." "No, no," she insisted. "You were yelling at me two minutes ago, and now you're being human. There's something wrong with this picture." She put a hand to her chin and looked up sideways at him. Suddenly, a light bulb went on in her head. He could practically see it. "AHA!" she cried. "You were decent after we started heading for Yumeno-san's. You *are* having an affair with her, aren't you? I *knew* it!" He burst out laughing. She stared at him, surprised. She'd never seen him keep a pleasant expression for long. It was rather...nice. She turned back around. "I don't see what's so funny," she mumbled. "No! No--" he gasped. "I've never heard something so stupid in my life! Where do you come *up* with these things?" He continued to guffaw. Usagi started to get pissed. Normally, she would have simply snapped back. Normally this game of theirs was even fun. But this day...it wasn't a good day. And besides, she didn't like the fact that she was starting to enjoy his presence. She quickened her pace. "I think I'll walk by myself, now," she snapped at him. He stopped laughing. "Odango," he called, trying to catch up to her. "Odango, wait." She sped up. "Odango!" he yelled. "Oh, come on, Odango, you don't usually get mad for *real*." "Well I just did!" she yelled back and started running. He chased after her. "Hey, that's not even fair! You have to admit that what you said *was* ridiculous, and I was only laughing because you amuse me." She turned around and stuck her tongue out at him. He was gaining on her. "Come on, you've said plenty of things to me that were ten times worse. You can't just leave and not say anything back." She ignored him. "Odango Atama, I demand that you stop running and fight with me! *Now*!" She giggled quietly but kept running. The man was so silly, it was amazing. First he did his best to make her mad. Then he started walking with her. Then he succeeded in making her mad. Now he was demanding that she fight back? But the fact was he *had* made her angry. She reminded herself of this fact. Even if he did not know of her troubles with Tuxedo Kamen, he should have been able to infer that she wasn't in the mood for one of their bickering fests. And now he would have to pay, she thought with glee, even if the whole thing with Tuxedo Kamen-sama didn't bother her as much anymo-- Her thoughts stopped as Mamoru grabbed her by the wrist and forced her to stop. Warm hands. A rush of electricity, and then a strange feeling of recognition. The shock of having contact with him sent a wave of confusion through her body. She stared at him, their breath coming out in short gasps from running. His eyes. They actually seemed genuinely worried and...what was that, frightened? Of what? She didn't understand what the hell was going on. So she just stared. He let go of her wrist and looked away. "You shouldn't run around alone in the dark, Odango," he mumbled. "It's dangerous. I said I would walk you for a reason. So let me." She glanced down and looked away. He was confusing her so much, she didn't know what to say, except, "All...all right." She raised her chin a little bit. "But only if you stop calling me Odango." He blinked. "N-Nani?" She looked at him. "You heard me." He chuckled. "Are you *picking* this fight?" he asked. "Fine," she sniffed, and started walking without him. "Hey, hey, no--wait!" he called, grabbing her arm again. "Okay. All right, Tsukino. You got me. I'll stop." She smirked triumphantly. The two fell into another silence and kept walking. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Aino Minako yawned lazily, sprawled out on a rug at her friend Kino Makoto's apartment, her miles of blond hair spread out over the floor. She popped a couple of chips into her mouth. she thought absently as she sat up to inhale some more. "My god, you pig, can't you leave some for us?" asked Hino Rei, bright eyes flashing. "You're worse than Usagi. "Oh shough uffh ah ee suh," Minako shot back, her mouth full. "What?" Rei asked, curious. "I think she said 'Shut up and eat some,'" replied Mizuno Ami as flipped through her book. Minako gave her a thumbs up affirmative as she continued to stuff her face. "How can I eat some if you're inhaling the whole thing at lightning speed?" Rei demanded. Exasperated, Minako flung the bag of chips at Rei, gulping down the remains of what was in her mouth. "You're such a grouch." Rei grumbled and popped a few chips in her mouth. "When's Usagi getting here?" she asked. "She said she'd be here around eight," replied Ami, not looking up from her book. "She wanted to drop by Yumeno-san's gallery--to see how the paintings turned out." Minako laughed. "You mean the one's she and Mamoru-san modeled for?" She giggled. "What's so funny about that?" Rei asked hotly. "Can you imagine those two sitting in room for more than five minutes and not killing each other?" Minako replied. "Of course I can," Rei said. Then she broke into a fit of giggles. "I wonder if the poor guy still has his head on his shoulders!" "I don't know," Minako said thoughtfully. "Sometimes I get the feeling that the energy between those two isn't just hatred. Like it's something else." "Like what?" asked Rei, eating a few more chips. "Like..." Minako sat up, kneading her blond hair between her two hands. "Like maybe it's just pure attraction coming out in the wrong way." Rei spit out the chips. "You mean they *like* each other?" "Well it's a possibility," Minako said defensively. She looked at Rei. Rei looked back. Simultaneously, the two broke out into a fit of giggles. "Nah!" they gasped. "Hey, what do you think, Ami?" Rei asked her quiet blue-haired friend. Ami continued to read. "Ami?" The girl suddenly blushed and put her book down. "Wow!" "Hey, that book looks familiar..." Minako said suspiciously. "What are you reading?" "I-- Nothing!" Ami replied guiltily. "Give me that!" Minako pounced. After a scuffle, she emerged triumphantly with the book in her hand. "Aha! I knew it! This is that romance novel that I read two years ago!" "Ami!" Rei said, surprised. "Minako, you actually read a book?" Minako threw the book at her dark-haired friend. Rei dodged it and picked it up. "'Love's Darkest Touch'," she read aloud. "Very classy, Ami," she drawled sarcastically. She flipped through the book. Her eyes grew wide. "Ooh ooh! Listen to this!" she cried. "Rei, don't!" Ami pleaded. "'He clasped her to his chest roughly, crushing her against his body," Rei read aloud dramatically. "'"I love you," he whispered hoarsely. He stared deeply into the two pools of green that were her eyes. They mirrored the inferno going on in his own head. "'"Take me!" she cried. He quickly kissed her roughly, heated emotions going through his body. She threw her head back and cried out in passion as he--'" Rei stopped. Her eyes practically popped out of their sockets. Ami and Minako were staring at her, mouths agape. "What happens next?" Ami asked eagerly. Rei looked up to see two pairs of blue eyes waiting in earnest. She burst out laughing. "This is drivel, Ami, I can't believe you're reading this trash!" Ami blushed and lifted her chin. "Girl's gotta have *some* fun," she sniffed. "I never knew," Minako said, looking at Ami in awe, seeing her in a new light. "You know...you look an awful lot like the girl on the cover of that book," she commented. "Nani? No, I..." Rei glanced at the cover, a wicked idea forming in her head. "Yeah, you do. In fact, if we just made you over really quick, you'd look just like her..." she glanced at Minako meaningfully. "I don't really..." Minako nodded at Rei. Suddenly, they sprang, pouncing on Ami and holding her to the ground. "I'll hold her down, you get your make up kit," Rei ordered. "Hai!" Minako nodded forcefully, whipping out a bag full of cosmetics and a can of gel. "Now hold still, Ami," Rei warned. "You guys!" Ami struggled against the two girls, thrashing around. "NO!" "Rei, she won't stop moving!" Minako whined. "Stop moving, Ami," Rei demanded. "No! Makato! Mako-chan!" Ami yelled to her friend in the kitchen for help. "Makato, they've lost their minds! Help!" "Ami-chan, don't talk, I'm trying to do your lips," Minako huffed. "What is going on?" Makato popped out of the kitchen in her red and white striped apron, holding a spatula. Ami looked at her pleadingly. "They're making me over!" she whined. "They're trying to make me look like some romance novel character!" Rei shoved the book in Makato's face. "She looks a lot like Ami don't you think?" she asked. "Oh, you guys, leave her alo--ooh, you're right. You'd look great like this, Ami-chan!" Makato said enthusiastically. "What have you done already?" Minako held up two shades of lipstick for her newfound ally. "Which one do you think? Sunset Pink or Butterscotch?" "Definitely Butterscotch..." "I think this blush is too pink..." "Oh no, that's perfect for her..." "What do we do with her hair?..." "Usagi's gonna be mad that she missed out on this..." "We'll save something for her to do. Now hand over those brushes..." Ami groaned. "DON'T MOVE!" cried three frantic girls. She sighed. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Yumeno Yumeni greeted her two most recent models with a hearty welcome as she hung up one of the last of her paintings. "Tsukino-san! Chiba-san! It's so great to see you!" she cried. "Oh, I've finally finished the paintings, I can't believe it! After all these years, it still wears me out! But of course, I still love to do it, after all it is my passion." She laughed warmly. "Thank you for agreeing to model for me. It really sparked my inspiration! You'd like to see them wouldn't you?" Usagi and Mamoru nodded rather numbly. "Follow me!" she said cheerfully, leading the way. "The gallery has been so successful! I can hardly believe it. Oh, it'll be sad when all this is over and I'll have to move on, but still, living through it once is good enough for me. I still have so much to do, though, and..." Yumeni continued to prattle on and on, comfortable and happy. Her two models were a little dazed. Was this the same shy, closed Yumeno-san they'd met yesterday? She certainly was bursting with energy today. Usagi smiled to herself. Perhaps Yumeno-san had felt better about herself after Usagi's words of encouragement to her last night. Maybe she'd decided that being ashamed of who you are wasn't the right path to take, especially for one with so much to give to the world. Usagi thought happily. Yumeni uncovered the paintings. "There we go!" she announced. Mamoru gasped. Somewhere behind the roar of his thoughts, he heard Usagi do the same. That couldn't be him and Odango. They looked so...so *right* together. Perfect pieces of each other. And the girl...though she was so obviously a mirror of the bubbly teenager jumping up and down next to him, she was also the spitting image of the princess in his dreams. The sad look, the tiny smile. he thought. He laughed at himself. Something in his mind clicked. What was this recognition? "...it's so perfect, Yumeno-san!" He heard Usagi squeal in the back ground. He shook out of his daze, stared at the painting, and laughed. "It's better than real life," he teased Usagi. She stuck her tongue out at him. "You were never one to speak the truth," she scoffed. He grinned back. Then giving Yumeni a curious glance, he cleared his throat. "So I guess it's okay to expose yourself at the gallery to the public since no one knows who you are, right?" he asked. She smiled happily and brought out another painting. "I quit," she said. "Hiding, I mean. From now on, I've decided to acknowledge the fact that I am me--and that's enough." She uncovered the painting to reveal a self-portrait of herself-- this one actually mirroring her image. "From now on," she said, taking down the painting of the beautiful woman who was once known as Yumeno Yumeni, "*this* is my self-portrait." She hung her real portrait up and smiled. She turned to look at Usagi. "Arigato gozaimasu," she said sincerely. "Because of you, I've been able to stop pitying myself. You've given me something I'll never forget." Usagi squealed and reached out for a hug. "Oh, thank god, Yumeno- san!" she cried. "I was afraid you'd mope forever!" Yumeni laughed as she hugged Usagi back. She felt the young girl's warmth enveloping her as they hugged. Yumeni smiled to herself. This girl...she was so small, yet she had so much energy, so much hope, enough to spread them around. Yumeni felt a sense of safety near her, as if...as if this girl could protect the world. They pulled away. "Arigato for painting us, Yumeno-san," Usagi grinned. "Your paintings are so beautiful." Without looking, she smacked Mamoru's stomach with the back of her hand. "They even touched ice king Mamoru- san here," she said drily. "Odango..." he warned. "Nope!" she said. "You promised not to call me that!" He grinned. "Yeah, but now that we're safely here, it doesn't matter, does it?" he asked snidely. She scrunched up her face. "Oh, you're such a creep," she muttered. "A creep who walked you here so you wouldn't hurt yourself," he replied. "No one asked you," she said crankily. "You followed me." "I was heading in the same direction!" he cried defensively. "Whatever." "Pig-headed blond." "Don't you mean blond-headed pig?" "You're so ungrateful, Odango." "Jerk!" "Ditz!" Yumeni laughed as the two bickered. The chemistry between the two was absolutely incredible. She was surprised that they never noticed themselves. "...not my fault you were standing in my way," Usagi was saying hotly. "You little--" "Tsukino-san! Chiba-san!" Yumeni cried, grabbing their arms. They blinked at her, almost annoyed that their fight had been interrupted. "Look at the time! 7:42! Why don't you two go eat a nice dinner together? I know a great place--" "SEVEN FORTY-TWO?!!!" Usagi screeched. "Mako's dinner! Kami-sama, I'll never make it!" She grabbed her jacket. "Gomen, Yumeno-san, Mamoru-san. I have to go, I'm going to a friend's. Oh I was supposed to be there at eight, how am I going to make it in eighteen minutes!" she whined, rushing for the door. "The paintings are great Yumeno-san! Arigato! And never lose hope, ne? Sayonara!" she called as she rushed out the door. Mamoru stared after her; or at least at the empty space that used to be Usagi two seconds ago. Yumeni hit him. "Huh?" he asked. "Well?" she said. "You're going to let her walk alone in the dark across town? Come on, Chiba-san. A girl like Usagi? Anyone could pounce on her!" "Pounce?" he echoed. "I doubt it, Yumeno-san, it's not even eight o'clock yet. Besides, I'm sure Odango Atama can handle herself." She smirked at him. "Then why'd you insist on walking her here?" she asked smugly. "That's--well--see, I--" he stuttered. "Well, parks are dangerous. And it was dark. Besides, I was going in her direction." She huffed. "Mamoru-san, stop being a fool and go with her. If you cared about her, you'd make sure she got to wherever she's going safely. You *do* care about her, don't you?" He shifted uncomfortably. "I guess..." he mumbled. "Well, go!" she cried, practically pushing him out. "Make sure she gets there okay." "Um." Mamoru had a feeling he was getting kicked out as his feet slid on the floor. "Hai, Yumeni-san." They were at the door. "Sayonara, Chiba-san," she said cheerfully. "Sayonara!" he called as he walked out the door, still confused. "Arigato gozaimasu! The paintings really are quite incredible." He turned and walked away. The doors shut after him, and the gallery was quiet. Yumeno Yumeni stared at the painting of Mamoru and Usagi sadly. "Sayonara...Sailor Moon. Tuxedo Kamen," she murmured softly. "Gambate ne." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Odango!" a voice called out to her. Usagi turned around to see Mamoru running after her. She frowned. He *still* wasn't going away? How much more of this was she going to have to take? He'd always annoyed her, but she'd never really been in his presence for more than seven minutes at a time. Knowing that she'd just spent an hour with him was bad enough, but now he was back for *more*? He caught up with her and stopped to catch his breath. "What's the matter, creep, can't get enough of me today?" she asked dryly. He scowled. "For your *information*, Yumeno-san reminded me of the reason I agreed to stand your unbearable company in the first place. I forgot how helpless you are." The steam coming out of her ears was practically visible. Helpless! How dare he?! She could vaporize him on the spot with her moonstick! He had no idea how she risked her life every night with her friends to help protect the earth that *he* also happened to live upon! Ooh, if she could just...just *show* him who she really was... Usagi stopped in her thoughts. Whoa. Dangerous territory. Revealing her identity just to prove herself? She couldn't get careless like that. It wasn't worth it. *He* wasn't worth it. Besides, he really had no way of knowing what she went through. she thought haughtily. "I'm not helpless," was all she said. So saying she gestured for him to follow. He shoved his arms through his jacket. "Where are you going on such a cold night anyway?" he asked. "Like I said at the gallery, I'm going to a friend's for dinner," Usagi replied curtly. "Well you were talking so fast, I couldn't understand a word you were saying." A sly look spread across his face. "A friend's, huh? A *boy* friend?" he pressed. She glared at him out of the corner of her eye. "It is, isn't it? Woo hoo!" He laughed. "You're too young for that, Odango! You shouldn't be running around with boys, you're only fifteen!" "Excuse me, since when are you my father? And no, it's not a boyfriend. I'm eating dinner at Makato-chan's place, *like I said before*, with three other friends. *Girl* friends." She stuck her nose in the air. "And I'll run around with whoever I want to, thank you." "Whomever," he corrected automatically. "Makato-chan?" he asked, the name seeming familiar to him. "Oh, your friend, the brown-haired one." He strained to remember. "Doesn't she like Motoki-kun?" He paused. "No wait, *you* like Motoki." Usagi blushed. "You are so personal!" she snapped. Mamoru laughed. "Oh come on, Odango. We're personal. We're friends, right? Sort of." Usagi looked at him, a little surprised, and then a little shocked to realize that they actually were. "Not *good* friends," she said slowly. He gave quirky grin. "Now what fun would that be?" She laughed softly, a little nervously. A silence fell between the two. The sounds of autumn leaves rustling and squirrels scurrying around became loud and clear. Usagi grew nervous. Her heart was pounding like a hammer at her ribcage. She'd never realized how comfortable she felt with him--so comfortable and right that it made her nervous. Well, she *had* noticed once--when they were modeling for Yumeno-san. She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. she thought. She studied his features carefully. she thought dreamily. <...wow...> Realizing what she was thinking, she quickly averted her gaze back to the path before her. she thought miserably, Mamoru dodged a tree and brushed against her, causing her to stiffen. Usagi swallowed. They continued to walk in silence ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Mako-chan, is dinner ready yet?" Rei called impatiently towards the kitchen. "Ten minutes, tops!" Makato yelled back. "Why can't she hurry it up? I'm starving," Rei muttered grumpily. "To Mako-chan..." Minako said thoughtfully, chewing slowly on a cookie "...cooking is an art form. So she has to make it perfect." "As long as I get to eat, I don't care," Rei said coolly, her stomach growling. Minake giggled. "Now who sounds like Usagi, Rei?" Rei sniffed at the smells of food wafting through the air. "Speaking of Usagi, where is she?" "She should be here soon. It's 8:03," Minako walked to the veranda and looked down four stories to watch for her friend. "That rabbit head," Rei mumbled. "She's never on time for anything." Minako's eyes grew wide. "Rei!" she hissed. "What?" "Shhh! Quiet! Come here!" Minako whispered fiercely. Rei knelt beside Minako near the window. "What is it?" she whispered. "Look!" Rei strained to see in the dark. She made out two figures walking slowly to the apartment complex doors. "Ohmygod, that's Usagi with *Mamoru-san*!" she screeched. "SHHH!!!!" Minako clapped a hand over her friend's mouth. "Be quiet, maybe we'll hear something." Rei grinned excitedly. "I *knew* it was all an act! They're in love with each other! Oh how CUTE!!! I can't wait to give her hell about this!" she squealed. "Rei!" Minake hissed. "Go get Ami and Makato!" Rei paused. "Um, I think Ami's still mad about...the makeoever." Minako blinked. "Why? She looked so great afterwards." Rei rolled her eys and shook her head. "Nevermind, she won't want to miss this," she muttered as she stepped back into the living room of the apartment through the veranda doors. "Hurry!" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ They reached the doors of Makato's apartment complex. "Mamoru-san?" Usagi spoke up, stopping. "Hai." he replied absently. She bit her lip. "Gomen nasai. About being so rude at the arcade." She laughed. "Even to *you*, I'm not usually that rude, but...I've had a bad week." he thought, surprised. "It's about time," he said, grinning. "I've been waiting for that apology since you threw that first test at my head." She made a face. "Well, it's not like you were a piece of cake to deal with either," she said hotly. "You are just as rude to me as I am to you." "Yeah, well, who started it?" "I threw it on accident!" she cried shrilly. "*You* were the one who called me that stupid name!" "What, Odango Atama?" he asked innocently. "You mean that's not your real name?" She glared at him. How could she have ever thought that he was turning human? He was absolutely evil! With a "Hmph!", she about-faced and started to walk into the complex. "Hey!" He grabbed her wrist and turned her back around to face him. She looked at him coldy. "I was just teasing, Odango," he said gently. "I'm not that bad, all right? I'm sorry too. I had a bad day, and I took it out on you." He paused. "I *always* take it out on you," he admitted. "I--I want us to be friends, Odango. I don't want to hate you anymore." Usagi's gaze softened and she froze. He seemed so sincere, oddly enough. His voice was doing incredible things to her nerves. Her stomach tightened when she realized that he was still holding her wrist. What was this feeling, it was so familiar? She felt a shiver run through her body as she stared into his midnight blue eyes and promptly lost herself. Mamoru's head was swirling as two sapphire blue eyes bore into his own. The atmosphere between them was so thick as they stood no less then half a foot apart, noses inches from each other, that he felt suffocated. He could feel her breath on his nose as he looked down at her. Desire suddenly swelled up in him, and his pulse raced. He had never let himself feel something like this, especially for a fifteen- year-old. his brain protested. She reached up a hand and smoothed down the one side of his uniform collar that was still flipped up. "You look like a mess," she mumbled, turning her head away and averting her gaze. His hand slid from her wrist up her arm and brushed the hair that the wind was playing with out of her face. "You don't look much better," he said softly, smoothing down her hair. He ran his knuckles down her soft cheek, then placed two fingers under her chin and tilted her face towards him. Her knees grew weak. "I'll go in now, Mamoru-san," she choked out, backing away. "A- arigato for walking me everywhere, I appreciate your concern." she told herself. He stood in place and looked at her slowly retreating form. "No problem, Odango," he said in an empty voice. He grinned. "Don't trip on your way up." Usagi stopped in her tracks, delighted at the jibe. Baka-Mamoru was back, and she'd never been so happy to hear from him! A sense of normalcy returned to her, and she whipped back around. "Ooh, you're such a jerk!" she whined with glee. "Not as much as you're a brat," he replied smugly. Ah, back to the old game. "Good-*BYE*, Mamoru-san," she said pointedly. "I think I've had enough of you to last me at least three months. Maybe I'll run into you some other year, *friend*." Laughing as he walked away, he called out over his shoulder, "I'm sure you will run into me, Odango. Quite literally." And a steaming Usagi stomped cheerfully up the stairs to the fourth floor. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Minna, this is wrong, we shouldn't spy on--oh my god, he grabbed her wrist!" Ami gasped. "Where?! Move over!" Rei pushed Ami out of the way. Ami fell back, frowned, and then scrambled over Rei's shoulder. "She's smoothing down his collar," Minako reported. "Now she's looking away. Oh wow, he's brushing her hair out of her face." Makato drew in a sharp breath. "He's making her face him. Oh god, he's going to kiss her!" The four looked down eagerly upon their best friend as anticipation engulfed them. They saw Usagi back away. "Baka!" Rei breathed. "Usagi-chan!" Minako whined. "How could she?!" Makato exclaimed exasperated. "Minna, she's coming up the stairs!" Ami hissed. The four stared at each other for a second. Suddenly, they sprang up and took their places. Minako sprawled out on the floor, Rei flipped the television on, Ami buried her nose in her book, and Makato grabbed her spatula and finished bringing out the rest of dinner. A soft knock made them all drop whatever they were holding and gather around the door. Makato opened. "Gomen, minna, I'm late!" Usagi said happily. The four girls glanced at each other. Then with a slight nod, they pounced on Usagi and hauled her in. *********************************************************************** Whew! What a long chapter 1! I doubt the rest will be that long. Sorry if it's a little slow. I don't want to be like some writers who just suddenly turn Usagi and Mamoru into lovers. It just doesn't seem natural. THIS WILL DEVIATE FROM THE ORIGINAL STORY OF BOTH THE ANIME AND THE MANGA. So don't whine if the plot is different. If you wanted something exactly like either, then why are you reading fanfiction? Rei does not like Mamoru in this story. In the manga, she never had feelings for him either, so it's not totally bogus. I don't know if I'll get to finding the ginzuishou. I probably will. And by the way, for reference: Japan's school years end in December or January and start back around March. In this story, Mamoru is in high school, grade two (11th grade, like in the manga) and is going on grade three (senior). He's eighteen years old. Usagi, Ami, Rei, Makato, and Minako are all in middle school, grade two (eighth grade) and are going on grade three (ninth grade). They are all fifteen. Now stop reading these ridiculously long author's notes. Go read Lilac Summers' stories! This is nothing compared to hers. And beg her to come back soon! Read Usagi's stories as well, they're great. Ja ne! m00nSenshi@aol.com (the 0's are zeroes)