Quid Pro Quo

Short story

Rating: PG-13

Author: Adamina

Anime: Sailormoon

E-Mail: souess_angel@yahoo.com

Summery: After his partner has to reluctantly bail out on him to visit a

relative, Mamoru is stuck alone to volunteer as a camp counsellor. Sweet as

sugar, Usagi offers to partner up with him, as long as he does something for

her. But what?

Disclaimer: I do not own the Sailormoon series.

** **

The coffee, steaming in its cup, sat in front of him. Black, bitter, strong and

stimulating. Just the way he liked it, and would continue to like it for the

rest of his life, he was sure. Raking a hand through his ebony hair, Mamoru

picked the mug up by the handle and held it to his lips. He didn't sip, he never

sipped. To him, sipping was for those men that were either of royal status or

very much in touch with their feminine side. Not that he considered himself the

macho man, but he'd prefer to take long, deep gulps and take pleasure in the

feel of the steaming liquid flow down his throat. Despite what others said, he

found the taste just as tempting as the smell. 

Today, he needed it. 

His hand reached out for the manual resting on the counter of the Crown Arcade.

A deep sigh rumbled in his throat, folding the cover back and drawing his eyes

to the bottom of the paper. Written down below was the dreadful function he was

assigned, his name jotted down beside it along with another's. What was her name

again? he speculated absent-mindedly, scanning the page. Misako...Misako...

He shrugged. Well, Misako something-or-other. Brown eyes, he recalled, and red

hair. When some described her they'd add that she had the cutest sprinkle of

freckles dusted across her nose. He didn't know, he never saw them himself, most

probably because he was never truly acquainted with the girl before except as

partners in the seminars. He made a mental note to learn her last name before

they went out to do this public service for the community.

"What do you have there?" 

With the usual cloth swiping away invisible specks of dirt on the counter,

Motoki sauntered up with his usual cheerful smile. 

Mamoru turned the paper towards his friend, sliding it across the surface.

Another gulp of the coffee and he glanced up and lingered.

A blonde brow arched. "What's this all about?" he asked, pointing to the

article.

"Some years back I signed up for a summer job as a volunteer. I did some

community work with them to fill up my free time, and, mostly, because it would

look good on my resume. Forgot they still had my name," he muttered into his

cup, an exasperated expression upon his face.

"You've been signed up?"

"You got it."

"As a camp instructor?"

He almost coughed out a breathless laugh. "Right again." The cup sounded when it

hit the counter, and his hands restlessly combed through his hair once more,

then rubbed roughly over his face. "Never did camp before."

Setting the book down, Motoki propped his arms on the counter and inclined. "All

those little kids." A smile teased his lips. "Swarming around. You have to learn

how to teach 'em to stay in line." An image of Mamoru dressed as an Army officer

popped up in his mind, a leather strap in hand. 

That'd certainly be the day.

"It'll be hell."

"Isn't there a way to back out? You're a volunteer after all."

"I thought of that, too." He said, peering down at the picture of the 'brilliant

wilderness' and 'magnificent mountains'. "I was going to. I even had the phone

in my hand, ready to make up an excuse to stay home. Some major finals are in

September, you know." His eyes narrowed in thought. "But then I thought that

it'd be an experience. I never went camping as a kid, so why not be an

instructor?"

"You're really serious." Motoki claimed after searching the man's face. "You

want to be one?"

"No. I want to experience-" he emphasized, "-being one. There's a difference."

"Uh huh." His tongue shoved in his cheek. "Sure there is. Well," he went on

before Mamoru could protest, "at least you have one thing to look forward to."

He picked up a soaked dish and started drying it.

"Oh?"

"Yep." He winked. "There's bound to be some good-looking girls strolling around.

Most especially by the swimming area."

Mamoru arched his brow. "Does Reika know you talk like that?"

He sniffed. "She loves me anyway."

 

"Mhm." But he rolled his eyes anyway, attention turning when the bells above the

door jingled happily and a blue-eyed blonde skipped in, humming to the tune

seemingly resounding in her head. A grin, too tempting to resist, smirked his

lips up as he watched her. He couldn't say why really, but whenever the odangoed

one came hopping in it seemed as if the stage was set, characters in place, and

amusement was the initial reaction.

Already in a brighter mood, Mamoru swivelled in his chair. "Odango Atama!"

Her face, not unusual at all, went beat red. Her nose scrunched up, her cheeks

seem to swell like balloons, and... was that smoke steaming from her ears?

"Don't call me that, bakayaro!" In effect, she stomped her foot to the linoleum,

firmly making her point.

The damned smile just grew wider. She growled low under her breath, her spine

straightening out of sheer pride. Clutching the handle to her schoolbag, Usagi

lifted her chin up, looked at him down her nose, and, gracefully as she could,

made her way to the stool set one away from his. But, unfortunately enough, at

the last moment, accidentally of course, her foot caught against an invisible

pebble, instigating her to trip, hands wailing and eyes wide.

Her chin hit the counter's edge, snapping her head back, and her body hit the

hard ground like a ton of bricks. There was pain, there was always pain, and the

stars had burst in front of her eyes so dazzling and brilliant she thought that

she was viewing the solar system.

Except it wasn't nighttime.

And she wasn't outside.

"Ah!" Screaming. It was the only way to release some of the pain. Not many

people would realize it, but ever since her first accident on roller-skates she

figured it was easier to yell than to cry. Tears fell from her eyes all the

same, though, and her neck felt as if it had broken off. She would have cried

for her chin, cried out for it, but no words were able to form from the

immensity of the sting.

Motoki was over the counter in five seconds. Mamoru was by her side in half that

time. 

"Kami that looked bad!" Motoki winced just thinking about it. "Usagi-chan, are

you okay?"

Mamoru had her up in his arms and set on the counter before anything else could

be said. Supporting her neck by cupping it, he scrutinized. 

"Can't run her chin under water," Motoki murmured, moving back around the

counter to wet a cloth cold.

"Why not?" He was prepared to dunk that idiotic little head of hers right under

the tap.

"Mamoru, you'll drown her!"

"Don't be dramatic." He eyed Motoki's damp cloth. "Do you have any ice?"

"In the back."

"Here," he took the cold cloth, ignoring the crowd watching with owl eyes.

Placing it under the blonde's chin and holding it there, he told Motoki to go

fetch the ice pack. Still watching the tears brimming in her unaware eyes, he

shook his head. "If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times. You're a

clutz, Odango."

Even through all the blood rushing in her ears she heard that. Pain and

annoyance mingled. The urge to cry harder was unbearable. The urge to kill was

even more so, and the only person in her view at the moment was 'him'. Her eyes

fired. "Get away from me, jerk! Leave me alone!" she tried to push his hands

away, but they stayed firm where they were. "I don't need your h-help." She was

stuttering. She never seemed to mind stuttering in front of anyone else, but

easily resented it when it came to him. Her teeth would have clenched, but even

they ached horribly. "I don't want you around me. I..." -no words could express

the anger she needed to get out- "I dislike you."

He'd heard worse before. Much worse. Yet, her words cut at him for some reason.

Not smiling, not even frowning, he raised both brows. "Dislike me?"

Motoki came out and leaned beside Usagi, cradling the pack underneath her chin.

She blinked, and blushed, not noticing that her archenemy was holding her chin

gently with a cloth. Her eyes stayed level, if a little watery, on his. "Hate's

a strong word." And she meant that with every inch of her being.

That made the edges of his lips tip up a bit. Replacing the cloth with the pack,

he said, "Don't you hate me, Odango?" And surprised them both with the tender

tone.

Hate him? Hate...him?? Lord, she hadn't ever hated anyone in her life! How could

she? No one deserved to be hated, she thought in wonder. She knew, contrary to

what other people thought, that hate was like a disease incapable of being

cured. Her answer shuddered from her lips, the ache fading, numbing,

inch-by-inch. "No..."

A blush adorned her cheeks. He saw the way it flashed on as his friend came out

and knew that it was for him. The little rabbit had been crushing on Motoki for

as long as he knew her -probably longer. The little tid-bit of knowledge made

him uncomfortable when her eyes were still staring up at him in bemusement and

her lips parting on a shaking breath.

So he took her hand, brought it up under the ice pack, and abruptly took a step

back. Woah, he thought at the sudden awareness to bolt, what just happened

there? 

Motoki, brows drawn together, watched the emotion flicker over his friend's

face, none of which he could read clearly. Though some eyes were watching, the

chatter of the arcade went on around them, unaware of the tension floating

through the air.

So he coughed. Blue eyes turned on his hazel. "Your usual, Usagi?" He asked, and

prepared himself to make her a strawberry milkshake before she even answered.

"Hai!" Immediately forgetting the electricity shocking between the two, and the

leftover sting at her chin, she spun in her seat with the ice still held to her

face. "With a cherry?"

Mamoru watched her for a moment longer, shrugged, then sat back down. "A cherry

with strawberries?" he snorted. "Who eats cherries with strawberries?"

"I do." She stuck her tongue out at him, patiently waiting for her snack.

"Well, I can understand that." It was meant as an insult, and came off as one

with the dry sarcasm. "Odango," he started logically, "they're two different

berries."

"I know that!" she snapped. "What's your point?"

"My point is that you just don't eat two different berries together." He waved

his hands as if it were the most simplistic reason in the entire universe. "It

just doesn't happen."

"How do you know?" she countered. "I'll bet a lot of people eat berries with

berries. Like," she hurried on, "strawberries and blueberries."

He eyed her. "Where?"

She rolled her eyes. "Haven't you ever had strawberries and blueberries for

breakfast? You know, with milk." At his blank look she gestured with her hand.

"In a cereal bowl."

"First of all," he said, "no. And second of all, that's raspberry and

blueberries, and third of all, when do you have time to eat breakfast?"

"I eat breakfast!"

"Toast." He recalled. "You're always ramming into me in the morning with toast

in your mouth."

Her jaw dropped. "I do 'not' ram into you, pal! You just happen to be in my

way!" As her milkshake was slid in front of her, she cupped it in her hand and

took an experimental sip. Approval waved in the air and she shot her current

crush a beam before she turned back to Mamoru. "It's not my fault you can't

learn to step out off the path when you 'know' I'm coming just around the

corner." Finally, she said, "Arigato, Motoki-san!"

Who was she trying to kid? he wondered at the obvious dreaminess in her eyes. If

she was trying to hide her little infatuation on the sandy-blonde, he thought

almost bitterly, she wasn't doing a great job of it. For an unknown reason, he

resented that.

"I suppose you're angry at the rest of the people you run into, too, hmm?"

"I didn't say that."

"You implied it."

"I didn't imply anything!" she was ready to stand up and bop him one in the

nose. But the taste of the milkshake soothed her, so she kept in her seat. "I

just said that you should be more cautious."

"I'm surprised that you know what cautious means," he drawled lazily.

Her eyes filled with fury. "I'm not 'that' stupid!" Hurt pinched at her hard.

"Could have fooled me. Isn't today your last day?" Relaxing his head on his

propped up shoulder, he tilted his head to this side, grinned.

She pouted, suspicious. "Yes..." 

"Report cards, right?"

Her eyes narrowed. "What are you getting at, Chiba?" Deciding that her chin had

enough of the cold, she placed the pack down and rested her arm.

"Nothing, really. How's your grade average doing, I wonder?"

Oh! So that's the game he wanted to play, huh? Well, she was always ready for a

challenge. "It's doing just fine." Better than usual, at least. And that said

something, right? "Thank you very much." Leaning down, she reached into her pack

and pulled out her report card. "I got an A in Drama." She beamed again, looking

directly at Motoki.

He smiled charmingly. "Way to go, Usagi-chan." 

Glowing with approval she shot a smug look. Mamoru rolled his eyes. "What does

that prove?"

"Ugh!" It was her turn to look up heavenward. "It brings my grade average up for

one. And I got an A- in Phys. Ed." As proof Usagi pushed the envelope across the

surface to Mamoru.

"Phys. Ed? You?" 

She glared. "It isn't so hard to believe. Right, Motoki?"

He nodded, ruffling her hair like a brother might towards a little sister.

"She's a great swimmer there, Mamoru. Take my word for it. And she's not bad

competition in volleyball."

"Hmm..." he wasn't listening, his eyes scanning the card. "Math. Science." His

eyes looked up. "Social?"

Her face flushed, her hands linked together. "So I'm not good at core subjects."

She turned, her mood dimming a bit. She circled her straw in her drink, watching

the swirling lines fade away in the bubbles.

Motoki leaned over, curving his neck to view over Mamoru's shoulder. Surprise

flickered. "You went down in Health."

Now her face went red as a tomato, and she let it dip low. "I...umm..." she

licked suddenly dry lips. "The topic wasn't very..." she searched for a word.

"Appropriate."

Both men's eyes snapped on hers. "Appropriate?"

Oh God, why didn't the floor just swallow her up? "Well, you see," she scratched

the back of her neck, refusing to meet either of them in eye contact. How was

she supposed to explain this? she wondered. They'd probably think her immature

because of it. Clearing her throat, she looked directly at the wall in behind

the counter. "They were -the teacher's I mean- they were discussing...we were

talking about," she bit her lip, blocking visions.

Mamoru leaned forward, hearing her mumble incoherent under her breath. "What was

that?"

The blush only brightened. "Sexual intercourse."

"Sexual..." he trailed off, glanced at Motoki in amazement. "Sexual

intercourse?"

"Yes..." she looked at them then, coiled back at their incredulous expression.

"What? What is it?" she threw up her hands. Huffed.

"Usa..." Motoki leaned forward, touching her arm as gently as possible. "You DO

know what sex is, don't you?"

Oh for the love of-- "I thought you of all people would give me a little more

credit than that, Toki." She pouted.

"Well, yes, of course." He was still looking at her though, as if she were some

five-year-old kid. "Then why didn't you consider this an appropriate subject?"

Just as curious, Mamoru let his prior problems slip to the back of his mind,

leaned on the counter and watched expectantly. Some sensation, warm and a bit

nerve racking, stumbled inside of him. He couldn't believe the little rabbit was

actually considering talking about this. Despite certain... unfortunate

...circumstances between the two of them, he'd always thought of her as a little

innocent, unwilling to consider anything worse than bad grades and the absence

of food.

And here he'd just found out that she'd been exposed to the erotic arts.

Enthralling, simply enthralling.

Usagi rolled her eyes. How come she was talking to him about this? For Pete's

sake! It was the main guy in her current love life who was hearing it. Act

mature, Usagi, she told herself. "I...I only meant that since we already know

about that kind of stuff, why are they trying to teach it to us again?"

"I think that they were trying to dig a little deeper than what your parents

told you."

"Well it was deep enough." That was the truth! "Oh, I'll never look at pregnancy

the same way again." She shook her head in emphasis.

"Did they show you something traumatizing, Odango Atama?" The tone was sarcastic

and amusement laced it.

She looked at him, faced scrunched. "For your information, baka, what they

showed me was much more graphic than anything I would have ever thought. How

will I look at my mom in the similar manner same way again?" she murmured the

last part to herself.

"What they'd show you?"

"Birth." At their expressions she shook her head quickly. "I mean, the real

thing. A whole video! No blurry parts blocking anything. It was like," she waved

her hands, trying to draw a picture, "I was there. Right there! I was standing

in the room looking at her...watching the baby come out of..." Lord, strike her

down, now! "I'll tell you what it looked like. It looked painful. It LOOKED not

like I thought it would look at all."

Ah, yes. Those wonderful videos that they presented. Without sympathy, Mamoru

nodded. "Suck it up. It's the way things are, Odango. We call it," he grinned

with charm. "Life."

"Yeah, well that part of life can stay far, far away." She said wisely. "No way

am I going through that."

"If you want kids you're going to have to."

Her eyes filled up. "But why?"

 

Before the ebony-haired man could respond with a quick, smart aleck retort,

Motoki laughed. "Don't worry, Usagi-chan. You won't be having to think about

this for a long while yet. I hope." The last part came out as sort of a warning.

But he winked in good-humour.

She stared up at him, her mouth open. The blush that had faded away came zeroing

back on her cheeks while she glanced shyly down at her drink. Unable to stay

still, her legs kicked beneath her as she stirred her beverage. She could

already imagine herself and the sandy-blonde having a family of their own one

day...skipping the laboring part of course.

Mamoru didn't quite like the way she stared up at his friend, hope filling her

eyes. He didn't notice the way his knuckles turned white at his side when his

hand fisted. Nor did he notice, as Motoki did when he turned around, the death

glare that he speared Motoki's way.

Then the doors came zipping open once again, and a redheaded woman came rushing

in, her nose-freckled face streaked red with tears. Anguish was in her cry as

she dramatically flopped her head in her arms when she reached the stool in

between Usagi and Mamoru.

He blinked. "Misako...?"

"I'm sorry!" she blurted out, tears running like waterfalls. "Oh God! I didn't

want this to happen! I told my mom that I had to do the camp thing!" She

suddenly grabbed his hand, bringing it up to her chest. He blinked, bewildered.

"They're taking me to...to...Saitama!" she spat bitterly. She couldn't believe

her parents were actually doing this to her! She looked closely at her

former-partner. Her lips trembled. She could have spent a whole week with this

gorgeous guy, and instead she was being forcefully dragged to -to what? - Her

grandparents' house? "I can't counsel with y-you." A sob ripped from her throat.

Usagi watched the back of her head unbelievably. What in the world was 'her'

problem? Feeling slightly embarrassed for the woman, a bit amused at the look on

her enemy's face, she calmly decided to mind her own business and took a sip

from her shake, but not without keeping her ears perked at their conversation.

While others called it eavesdropping, she maturely called it overhearing.

"Oh." She was leaning on him now, sobbing into his shirt. Patting her back

awkwardly, he looked around for help. "Um...well, don't worry." He gave a small

smile. "I can find another partner." 

Another sob just wrenched from her harder, her back trembling hastily. She said

something in a watery tone, but no one quite caught it above her cries.

Although the show was quite entertaining --he didn't get to see his friend

self-conscious often enough-- people were starting to turn heads. Holding out a

hand, Motoki gave Misako's shoulder a little squeeze, slowly leading her up and

around the counter. "Here, let me find a tissue for you in the back." With a

last backward glance they disappeared behind the swinging doors.

There was a rather large damp spot on his shirt. He felt it. But since the

colour of his top was black he didn't think anyone else would notice, so picked

up the remainders of his coffee -chilling coffee- and soothed his nerves with

the bitter taste. When the cup drained empty, and his nerves were still up, he

frowned deeply.

Then felt a pair of eyes on him. Almost reluctantly, he slid his gaze sidelong,

and rammed blue with blue.

Arching his brow, sending the blonde a mocking look, he sighed. "What is it,

Odango?"

She only glared at the name this time, but curiosity won her over and scooted

her to the empty school between them. She was leaning forward, looking like a

mouse on tenterhooks as she tried to search the man's face. He grimaced; she bit

her tongue to keep from smiling.

Oh! Now she could see it. Now she could see what all the girls from her class

seemed to be whispering about when they came through here after school. No,

she'd never admit it -was there a point? - But the guy was, indeed, a

good-looking sucker, wasn't he? Ocean eyes that swam like the calm of the sea,

midnight black hair that shone with just the same glow as the moon. A face of a

mischievous angel, always something gleaming behind those eyes. A moment longer

as she studied his uncomfortable face she was hit hard with her thought. Oh,

jeez. Well, she mentally checked off, one thing she had to do was get away from

those romance novels. Next thing you know, she'd start spouting poetry.

"What is it?" he asked again, somewhat irritated.

"Hmm? Oh. Nothing." But still, she looked on.

"Then can you turn your attention elsewhere?" He pushed his mug away. "Don't you

know it's rude to stare?"

"Yes. But we were never polite to each other anyway." She beamed as if impressed

by her thoughts. After all, it was true.

His thoughts ran along the same line. "You've got a point there."

"So," Somewhat bored, she hopped a bit on her seat, her glance slipping to the

back doors where someone, probably Misako, blew their nose loudly. "Who was

that?"

"Who was who?" He couldn't help but notice the cute little way she kept moving,

as if the world would end if she happened to stop.

"That girl. The one who put that water stain on your shirt." -she pointed- "Was

she your girlfriend?"

He almost laughed. "Misako?" He shook his head, for an answer and to clear his

thoughts. "No. No, no. She's just a girl-"

"That's very gentlemanly of you."

"-Who attends the same college of me." He ignored her. "We were supposed to

volunteer together."

"You?" she asked, pointing at him, her eyes incredulous. "You volunteer?" She

snorted. "No way."

"Is it so hard to believe?"

"Yes." She said simply. "You're not generous. You're always mean and rude.

And..." she picked a word she heard on her favorite Disney movie, "pompous."

"Oh, but only to you, Odango." And that wicked smile shot up on his lips again,

and she almost caught herself fumbling.

"Me? Why me?"

"Don't be angry. You should be flattered that you were picked out as 'the one

and only'."

But she turned furious anyway. "Flattered?!"

"Charmed."

She would have rolled up her sleeves if they weren't short. "I'll show you

charmed you over-conceited, stuffed-up, arrogant half-wit!"

"Big words," he began, "for such a small kid."

"Better than having a big head!" Kid. The dreaded word rang through her like

broken bells. She was almost fifteen! She was not a kid! 

He started to retort at that, but a sidelong cough stopped him. Both arguer's

turned their heads, staring at the girl with the fire hair that was busy

fidgeting with her hands, biting her lip, and looking a bit embarrassed.

"Umm..." Misako hesitated, searching for words that'd make up for her attitude.

Now that she was composed and thinking clearly, her nerves were flustered and

baffled. "Sorry 'bout your shirt, Mamoru-san," she pointed out.

What WAS it with the female population that could make everything unnoticeable

so easily seen? Must be something with the eyes, he thought suspiciously, and

promised himself he'd look it up later. He was studying to be a doctor, so it

was the right thing to do. With encouragement, he smiled to Misako, watched her

glance shyly away. "Don't worry about it. I've had worse stains." When her

cheeks went slightly scarlet he rummaged his mind for extra words he wasn't sure

he had. "I was really looking forward to steer with you."

Her eyes seem to brighten at that. "You were?"

"Yes. It's a shame you can't. Maybe some other time."

She nodded enthusiastically, managing to pull off the same type of childish nod

that his foe could by just merely living. Yet, he mused intensely, she didn't

quite pull off the same reaction that Usagi did. Strange...

"Yes. But, now you're on your own to be a camp leader, Mamoru-san," she said,

concerned. "What will you do?"

"Hey!" Motoki interjected, coming around beside Usagi and putting a hand on her

back. She looked up, curious, but he pursued. "There's always time to find

another, right?"

"It's this weekend," Misako said. "There won't be time." 

Mamoru groaned. And all those kids to look after.

"Well..." the blonde looked down to the top of Usagi's head. "I'm pretty sure

there's someone out there who'll help out of the kindness of her heart."

He took his face out of the hands they were buried in and stared at Motoki.

"Her?"

Oblivious, and eagerly helpful, she smiled, relishing in the feel of her crush's

touch. "That's right. I'm sure someone will help you, Mamoru-baka. There has got

to be SOMEONE out there who'll take pity on you."

He sneered, she smirked.

"Indeed there is." Motoki smiled. "And I know the very person who'll do it." His

grip on her shoulders tightened.

Now, Usagi may have been a bit slow in math, and science, and social and most

likely everything else, but she knew when a signal was given to her and what a

squeeze on the shoulders meant. And she jerked away abruptly. Accusing eyes

turned to him, her mouth in a sulky pout. "You're drawing a dangerous line,

Toki."

"You said there had to be a caring soul in the world."

"I didn't mean me!" 

"Her?" Mamoru pointed, his eyes stunned, his jaw open.

Misako looked at Usagi with sceptical eyes. "Her?" But she meant it in a totally

different way. Why not a Him? With the green female eye of jealousy she sized

the girl up, and decided she was being ridiculous. After all, the girl was only

a child. Hardly competition.

Hardly.

"Well, you saw so herself that she's done well in gym! And she's a people

person, and great with kids. I've seen her first hand." He winked down at Usagi,

and a part of her melted again.

"Or she'll just sleep the whole time, and it'll be like I'm by myself anyway."

"You don't think I can do it?" Defences were up!

"I know you can't do it."

She recognized a challenge when she saw one. "I can so do it!" she sniffed.

"Just name it! Time and place."

"This isn't a dare, Odango Atama." He ignored Misako's humorous snort behind

him. "I don't want to be fired from a volunteer job."

"You can't be 'fired' from a volunteer job, idiot," she drawled. "Just tell me

when and I'll be there. What are you afraid of?" She emphasized 'afraid', a war

whoop in her own eyes. And then there was the fact that she needed to prove

Motoki right, too. One for another.

"There's no such thing as 'afraid' in my vocabulary."

"Wonderful! Then there's no objection to Usa-chan joining you on your service

project!" Motoki announced. "That won't be a problem, would it? She's above the

age limit."

"Yes. These kids are only five to eight years of age." There was still

uncertainty in his voice, mistrust in his eyes. They narrowed on the petite

blonde. "We won't last a day together."

"I can be civil."

"You?"

She scoffed. "Don't make it sound as if I'm inhuman, baka!" she hissed. Crossing

her arms together she nodded towards Misako. "I can bet you that I can do this

job even better than her."

Morally offended, the woman sucked in her breath, her eyes blazing. But her

voice was calm when she spoke, her hand coming upon Mamoru's shoulder. "I

wouldn't bet on it, little girl. Mamoru-san?" she said, not letting Usagi get a

word in edgewise. "I have to go now. I'll see you in two weeks maybe?" With a

fabulous smile, one she was sure would melt his shoes off, she flipped her hair

back, shot Usagi a superior look, and sashayed out of there.

"Are you sure she's not your girlfriend?"

She was rewarded with an irate look. "I'm pretty sure I can keep track of whom I

date, Odango Atama."

She couldn't say why that sounded sharp -so sharp it literally stung her heart

and clenched her stomach-but it did. But she could twist feelings when she

wanted to, which wasn't very often, and turned envy into anger. "That's because

you've probably only dated a handful of girls. And I wouldn't put it against

them if they were forced to do it."

"Uh huh." 

She heard the tone; the mockery was shining in his eyes. His facial features

weren't affected either way, and it made her even more furious than before.

"Shut up."

"Let me guess. Snappy school of come-backs, right?"

She sniffed, said nothing.

Motoki cleared his throat. "When was it again, Mamoru-san?" 

"When is what?"

"The camp thing!" 

"Oh, right." He never took his eyes off Usagi. "Well, if you're sure she's up to

it, it starts this Saturday and ends on the Twentieth. But since two other

counsellors will be taking over, we'll only have to spend one total week

together." He said it with a sigh, for Usagi's benefit naturally. He made it

seem long and dreadful, testing her. "How will you manage?"

Her eyes opened almost immediately. "This Saturday?" she squeaked. "But I can't

go this Saturday! My parents are supposed to be taking my brother and me on a

trip to Europe! Paris! It's the romance capital of the world!"

"No it's not."

"It could be!" she seethed at her rival. "You expect me to miss THAT for a

camping trip?"

"What'd I tell you, Motoki-kun?" With a smile, he propped both elbows up on the

counter and leaned back. "Weakness. Won't even sacrifice herself for children."

She glared, wishing death...well, maybe not death, but wishing damnation on the

idiot of a man. "Don't put words in my mouth."

"I didn't."

 

"Yes you did. I would so sacrifice myself for children if-"

At his raised brow, she bit her tongue. There was a war tumbling inside of her

and neither side was winning. There was scale to be balanced, she knew, and that

was between her love life and the illusion of her love life. Motoki or Paris?

Love or Romance? Pride or dreams? Sparing a glance to her current infatuation,

she watched him smile at her and her insides trembled.

Motoki, love and pride won out.

She glared through slated eyes. "You owe me, Chiba."

*** ***

She was dragging out her suitcase when the car pulled up. The case was heavy,

filled with, in her opinion, fun stuff to keep her occupied during free time.

There was free time, wasn't there? She hoped so while she plopped her luggage in

front of the automobile and scowled. Then looked up.

And, oh, her thoughts were then occupied with the sleek red and black vehicle.

He saw her gawk, and smirked. "Is there a problem?"

She shut her jaw at his voice, stepped back and shoved her hands in the pockets

of her baggy shorts. "No problem," she murmured, but kept her eyes still on the

car. Who'd have thought that the idiot would have taste? At least in vehicles,

that was for sure.

"Then let's get a move on. The camp's only...say...some hours away."

"Some hours??" Her head snapped up to him meet his gaze, and couldn't resist the

urge to let them linger on his outfit. God knew she wouldn't ever admit it, but

the man looked good in casual jeans and a plain button-up shirt. She could see

the golden tan of his chest from the collar left broadly open, and wondered then

how many other girls were able to see the entire assembled canvas. 

Good build.

He said something. Letting her stare travel back to his face, very slowly, she

gave him a blank look. "What?"

He couldn't help but smirk. "Something on your mind, Odango?"

Oh, if he only knew. Astonished at her thoughts, at herself, she waved her head,

side to side. "Nothing that concerns you." Her fingers wrapped around the

handles of her suitcase, prepared to haul it up and inside when her mother's

voice came calling from behind her.

"Oh! Are you sure you don't want to come with us? We'll be so far away from each

other, and you'll have no way of calling..." Ikuko looked ready to cry.

"There are phones at the camp, Tsukino-san."

Ikuko looked up, surprised. "Who is this young man? Why didn't you introduce us,

Usagi-chan?" She wagged her finger to her daughter, but put on her best smile

behind those watery eyes. "I'm her mother."

"Mother?" Enamored, Mamoru caught her hand and brought it to his lips, setting

his best grin. "I was thinking older sister."

Usagi's mouth opened wide when she heard her mother giggle and viewed the tinted

rose flushing on her cheeks. Unbelievable. She fired a fleeting look towards

Mamoru, her expression deadpan and wry with a look that said, Give me a break.

Usagi thought that if she had a daughter, and her boyfriend ever used that line

on her, she'd crack up tedious.

"What a charming young man." Her mother winked discreetly to her daughter. "And

a handsome one, too."

"Mom!"

"Just stating the obvious, dear." But Ikuko's ears perked up. "Is that your

father? Oh, you'd better run. You know how he is when it comes to boys." She

gestured them away.

Mamoru took Usagi's suitcase in his hand. "Boys?"

"It's a moral term for you. Don't worry about dad," Usagi said. "Odds are you'll

never find out anyway." 

"Right." With a walk to the trunk, Mamoru lifted the luggage and laid it in. "I

guess. Well, it was nice meeting you, Tsukino-san."

"Oh, call me Ikuko!" She gave his outstretched hand a quick, firm shake before

herding them into the car. "Safe trip! I'll see you in two weeks, dear." She

leaned into the passenger seat window to give Usagi a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Don't worry. I'll take good care of your daughter, Ikuko-san." Yet the roguish

shimmer in his eye was anything but sensitive. "Sayonara!"

The engine roared, then gunned, and bolted straight down the road in a cloud of

dust. Usagi turned away from the window, her eyes locking on Mamoru's form.

"It's a playground zone, genius."

"No one's around."

"And you said I didn't care about children." Her arms crossed. "So how many

hours are 'some'?"

"A few."

Breath sizzled between her teeth in annoyance. "Three or more, Mamoru. Give me a

something to go by."

"Why does it matter?"

"I like to know how many hours more I can live."

"I thought you liked camp."

"I wasn't talking about camp."

"I'm wounded." But his eyes were laughing. Turning right at the corner he let

his head fall back on the seat. "Oh, I'd say three and a half. Depends on which

road we take."

"There's more than one way to this thing?"

"Where there's a will, there's a way."

"Your wit astounds me." She jabbed back, biting at the inside of her cheek. "Do

you usually dress like that on Saturdays?" 

"I dress however I want, whenever I want. Why?" he shot her a bantering look.

"Does this bother you?"

"No." Defiance came first before shock from the way he hit her feelings right

on. "I was thinking of the kids, naturally. You don't want to set a bad example

for them, do you?"

"I don't really think that letting loose a few buttons is going to urge kids to

join a gang."

"You never know what kids of today are thinking." Her chin stuck out, bold.

"Can't say that I do." At the red light, he turned to her. His bangs fell

messily into his eyes, setting off the color of them as blue contrasted with

black. "Is that really what you're worried about? The kids?"

No. "What else would I be worried about?"

He didn't know, or he knew but wouldn't take the chance of saying. A knowing

smile was hovering on his lips, a vulgar guise glinting lustrous in his

expression. "Something else."

He looked rough, she thought, and wild, daring. A skitter of something she was

afraid to acknowledge danced up her spine. For the first time since she'd known

him -or was it really the first? - She was afraid she'd melt at his eyes. 

On a shaky breath, she grimaced in her seat. "Light's green." Her voice was

jagged and hoarse.

He turned his head. "So it is." Foot pushing on the accelerator the car

proceeded. The tension that filled the car swelled the heat significantly. The

feelings that neither one would dare to consider crammed the atmosphere. And all

Mamoru could think of was: This is going to be a long drive. 

** 

It was. It was horribly long. Disastrously long. It was longer than the years

between now and the Silver Millennium that always seemed to be popping up in her

dreams. It was the longest drive that she'd ever had to go through and she

doubted that the way home would be any easier.

Proceeding to their assigned cabins, the mountains of trees that were spilling

out around each and every corner shaded the path towards different destinations.

And just atop the hill, peeking out behind the main camp's lodge, Usagi

observed, was a sparkling lake that crystallized the camp immensely. Because the

air called for it, and because the mountains behind the rolling hills of pine

were set so beautifully, her hopeless romantic heart sighed, then melted.

Of course, she sniffed, her form stiffening as she felt his arm brush lightly

against hers, she really hadn't noticed. She'd been too preoccupied bickering

with the bakayaro, ignoring the way his grin seemed to make her heart pound

faster, and disregarding it by getting some extra shut-eye. But she liked to

complain about the enormously protracted travel just to annoy the man.

It didn't really seem to be working. More or less, Mamoru seemed... entertained?

She'd have to try harder next time, she noted while they hiked to the cabins

they were given. It was down deep in the forest, she noticed. A twenty-minute

hike back to the main camp. How odd. Frowning just a little, she proceeded into

the shadowed trail, tugging her case with her. The wind shuffled, swayed around

Usagi's body, then stopped. She shivered, confused at the unexpected awareness

that filled her. The feeling that twisted through her wasn't one of cold fear,

nor was it one of awkwardness. It didn't make her want to stay, but her body

wasn't really screaming to run either. Casting a side-glance to Mamoru,

wondering if he felt that eerie impression, her fingers tightened their hold on

her handle and she bravely moved on.

And stopped when her vision suddenly faded.

A scream caught in her throat just as her breath caught. Something was wrong.

Was she going blind? Was she loosing her mind? Did she faint? Was she alive? Did

she fall? Her arms waved around, then shot up to feel for some sort of mask

anyone might have blinded her with. 

But she couldn't feel her face. She couldn't feel her hands. Where did her legs

go? Where did Mamoru go? Deadly cold, a streak of panic striked a thin line

through her stomach. The fright was so bright and clutched onto her so hard she

could hardly breath. Gasping for air as though someone was strangling her, a

tingling feeling ran straight up her back, quick as a spider. She hated spiders.

Because of that, a whimper managed to sound out between the lips she couldn't

feel, and that very sound echoed off unseen walls.

As quick as the panic that streaked through her, warmth covered her like a

blanket and light filled her eyes so brilliantly that she had to squint and look

away. The tingling sense turned into the solid feeling of limbs and life, and

the uncertain blackness faded into a meadow of flowers. No, Usagi observed, a

garden on the edge of a palace.

Expecting him to be there, she turned her head to her side and found no Mamoru

apparent. Whirling around, opening her mouth to call for him, concern took over

and twined with an absent curiosity of where she was. Or where she thought she

was.

Yeah, she grumbled, her eyes dashing back and forth, no doubt I klutzed out

again and knocked myself unconscious. The baka's probably cracked up hysterical

by now, taking no time in his busy schedule to help me back to reality.

Jerk.  

A gasp, a sob, a shuffle of footsteps sounded behind her. Twisting her head,

Usagi's eyes came in contact with a woman that started stumbling out from behind

the bushes.

"No," she said, her hands coming up to her tear-streaked face. "It's not true.

It's not true. It's not possible! Lord, you can't believe it's true!"

Another shuffle. A figure practically hidden behind the leaves of the bush

seemed to stiffen. "You forget one thing, my dear, and that is that anything is

possible. After your betrayal, I wouldn't expect anything less from you. A

burdened soul left to twist in the wind, no," he mused to himself, "you really

wouldn't crawl any lower." The deep, male tone was stone hard and definite.

"Their lies!" she tried back, desperation pitched in her voice. "How can you

believe them and not I?"

"Have you given me any reason not to?"

The woman, after a moment, became solemn, dropping the hands that reached for

him back to her sides. Just above of whisper, she answered, "Just one."

The picture, so lovely and dramatic, started melting into colors of gray and

black, and the woman turned transparent, her eyes moving to Usagi's as if she

had been aware of her presence from the start. She looked on sorrowfully before

the scene gave out and blackened once more. Though fear and alarm did not follow

with it this time, the deep aching sadness that Usagi questioned remained.

The next thing she was looking at was the dirt ground, and her legs weakened

from where they had been locked and would have buckled had she not caught

herself in time.

She was back, she noticed. Back on the path to the cabins. With Mamoru.

Remembering, her head spun towards him only to find him looking at her, colored

drained, and eyes filled with sympathy and confusion. His movements were shaky,

but only for a second as he straightened himself and shook his head, clearing

it.

His breathing was labored, he knew, but his voice was steady as he spoke. "Did

you just..." How did one explain it? "Did you see that?"

"I think I did."

"Yeah..." Not knowing exactly what to say, he dragged a hand over his face. He

hated the quaking feeling that kept racking through him, and tried to shake it

off as best he could. They just had to get off the cool trail was all, he

reassured himself. "Must be the fresh air."

"If you'd like to use that as any excuse." She retorted quietly, agitated but

not sure why.

Ignoring her, he muttered, "I'm getting a cat scan when we get back." If he was

starting to see things already, it was due time for a full out exam.

With her body already denying the vanishing vision, and the emotions that came

with it, she muttered something short and rude under her breath and persisted.

She had to get out of the shadows. Didn't she hate the dark? Yes. She hated the

dark, because the dark meant that she was alone. She hated being alone, too.

Taking a step into the clearing, into the warmth of the sunlight, the already

fading memory disappeared into her subconscious and the irritate nerves went

with it. A smile curved on her lips, and the suitcase she was dragging came to a

stop as she lifted her arms and let the rays fill her. Simply delight sprinkled

upon her, plain happiness shone from her face. The kindliness was so easily felt

that she began to think she could stay like that forever and be blissful.

Until something dropped down painfully on her foot, making her yelp and jump up

and down like a bunny.

Mamoru merely lifted his brow and said, "Odango, really." Pointing down to her

suitcase that accidentally slipped from his fingers after helpfully picking it

up, he hauled his own over his shoulder and started towards the two standing

huts. "I thought you'd be more responsible."

"Mamoru, you idiot" was all she hissed between her teeth.

Trying to bite off his own amused grin, he motioned her to follow and stopped

between the cabins.

He looked like one of those six-year-old boys who always linked their hands

behind their backs, rocked on their heels, and peered up at you with one of

those mischievous grins bowing on their lips. As if they had just done something

wrong. She leered. Her toe was throbbing and she had no doubt the moron had

something to do with it. Thinking so, she stepped up on one of the cabin's

wooden steps, studying the cheerful bright green of the shutters. "I call this

one."

Mamoru rolled his eyes. "It doesn't matter which one you choose, Odango. They're

both the same."

"I'm exercising my right to choose." She sniffed. "Ever heard of women's lib?"

"You're not a woman." And so he had kept telling himself the whole way through

the trip, disciplining his eyes to keep from straying to those gorgeous pair of

legs that seemed to travel for miles.

Usagi mimicked Mamoru, turned her eyes to the skies. "It says so in my history

book that I am. Or was. Or..." Puzzlement laced her voice.

"Go on."

Because his tenor was filled with laughter, she glowered at him from her spot

and went on from simple arrogance. "In the medieval times it was said that once

a female was able to reproduce, that automatically meant that she was a woman!

So just because I don't have a glamorous figure, a beautiful face, and a sexy

voice doesn't mean I'm not grown!" The speech would have appeared outstandingly

adult if she hadn't automatically stuck out her tongue right after.

Yet because she did that, she didn't notice the way Mamoru's eyes darkened with

both surprise and intensity.

She was being humble. He didn't think that she was doing it on purpose either,

like so many girls would when they went fishing for compliments. By the way she

stood, by the subdued look on her face, one could easily tell that she was

relatively expecting an insult rather than anything of good fortune. It

irritated him, though; by the way she couldn't understand the falsehood of her

words. Faint figure? Unattractive face? Voice? Oh God, she lived with herself!

How could she not see it, hear it, feel it every single day? He heard the way

she laughed, and though it was light and chiming, it was also, undoubtedly, a

woman's laugh. She wore the face of an angel, and carried the body of an ideal

model. He may have always been her enemy -unfortunately enough- but he wasn't

dead. And by the way the male population of Juuban looked at her, neither were

they.

She was staring at him now, nonetheless, and if he didn't say anything witty or

droll, she might gaze hard enough and stare into his emotions.

"I'm sorry. You pay attention in school?"

She wondered why she'd expected anything more than an affront. "What is everyone

thinking? Of course I pay attention in school! I may not get high marks like you

or Ami-chan, but I don't get a zero on my tests either."

"Yet, still you manage failing." He leaned on the timber rail.

"It's not my fault. At least..." she paused, her brows pulling together as she

stared down at her hands. "At least I don't think it's my fault."

He didn't know what to say. She had such a contemplative look on her face, one

filled with confusion and guilt, that his heart almost broke for her. Masks were

built on everyone, he knew, even those who were outright with their emotions

like the little rabbit in front of him. Perhaps, he thought to himself, he had

been much too quick to judge with the Odangoed one. 

Interest perked, eyes finely sharpened. Perhaps this trip would prove to be a

benefiting one after all. 

A horn blasted loudly, and could be heard from the direction of the camp. With

both suitcases he'd volunteered to carry in hand, he moved towards Usagi's

temporary cottage and jiggled the doorknob to open. Setting her luggage down, he

turned to her. His smile was soft without mockery in it, and his features were

too kind. It could have been her heart that had wobbled for just a moment, but

she didn't want to over-analyze. 

"That's the camp. The kids must be arriving." With a masculine gracefulness he

strolled toward his neighboring the cabin to the right of hers and repeated the

same moves disappeared with his own bags. "We better get back and claim ours."

Dismissing the prior discussion, she nodded enthusiastically. "Any specific age

group?" she wondered outloud.

"Can you handle ages seven and eight?"

 

"Without worry." Eagerness shone in her eyes. "I used to baby-sit when I first

turned ten. My first job was an infant, so these should be easy." She gave him

an oblique look. "And you?" 

"No former baby-sitting jobs. No brothers and sisters. But I've seen first hand

in the children's hospital how they take care of kids." He shoved his hands in

his pockets, looking on beyond the trail, and took time to wink at her. "This

should be a piece of cake."

Famous last words.

** ***

All he could say was that he was profoundly glad for everyone's sake that they

received only ten girls and seven boys. He hadn't counted on the young being so

damn carefree and energetic. He watched as the boys yelled, screamed, and

chattered away about the most important things that happened on the last day of

school. My teacher fainted! A frog was hopping around in the class! My sister

kissed her boyfriend!

And at that last one all the males couldn't help but express, their

'everlasting' opinion with moans and groans and shouts of "Girls are

disgusting!"

Oh, Mamoru thought, they only had to wait a bit more than half a decade and

they'd be swallowing their tongues when any pretty lady sauntered on by.

Strolling to the back of the group while Usagi was upfront leading them, he

breathed in the wilderness and took relish in the feel of the sun beating on his

back. For the moment, everything seemed content.

She took a chance and glanced back. Relaxed was how she would define the

expression on her partner's face. Relaxed and at ease. He was staring up beyond

the clump of trees at that very moment, staring as if searching for a something

that would fleetingly fall from the sky, knowing it wouldn't. 

She frowned. Probably because He had probably decided he'd just hang back and

stick her with the duties. Jerk.

"Are we going to go swimming?" A girl tugged on the hem of her shorts, gawking

up at her with the largest brown eyes she'd ever seen.

"Eventually."

"How?"

Usagi blinked. "How? Um...the usual way, I suppose. Jumping in the water, moving

our hands, kicking our legs. That sort of thing."

Those brown eyes went wider than the planet Jupiter. "In our clothes?"

She couldn't help but laugh that womanly laugh. "I don't think we have to go

that far."

"I brought a swimming suit." The girl beamed undauntedly, awaiting approval.

"A good thing."

"Where do we swim?" one of the boys demanded, but turned to Mamoru and started

walking backwards.

"In the water," he said simply. 

"Mamoru!" Usagi said in disdain over her shoulder.

He sighed, lifted his arm and pointed to his left. "There's a lake over there.

You can jump off the pier and knock yourself out."

His mouth dropped to the ground, and he stopped his backward advance. "Really?"

"As far as I can tell." Mamoru grinned at the sound of disgust that came from

Usagi. "But try not to," he told the boy. "It sometimes hurts."

"Nice advice, there, Chiba."

Her merely smiled her way and winked at one of the eight-year-old girls staring

his direction. The girl, already dewy-eyed towards the dashing knight, gasped,

thrilled, and her young and eager heart heaved a sigh. Camp was already looking

up.

Usagi could only groan at the thought of more members being added to the

"Let's-Love-Baka" club. 

"Okay," she started, rubbing her hands together as they started through the

clearing. "Everyone's got their gear, right?" At the ripple of "yeah" "yes" and

"you betcha"s, she jerked her thumb behind her. "Alright then. Cabin one is the

girls', who are clearly with me. Cabin two is the boys'. Mamoru," she gestured

to him nonchalantly, "will be your captain. And I am Usagi. We'll round the

introductions after we've set up camp." She grinned at the customary term and

fought of a chuckle. "Alright, ten minutes?" she turned to Mamoru in question.

Well, wasn't she the routine leader? "Yes ma'am." 

"Don't be late," she warned. Men, opposing the common belief, were always late.

Whistling for the girls to follow, she tramped up the wooden stairs and

disappeared with the mob inside.

Mamoru didn't take his eyes away until she shut the door. Somewhat uncomfortable

he turned to the kids. "I guess you guys'll want to set your equipment up and

get started, hmm?" They were absorbing his every word, watching him as if the

next thing he did would either go towards bringing about world peace or destroy

all humanity. Diverted at the thought a chuckle escaped him and he signaled them

through into the bungalow.

"When's dinner?" Usagi asked fifteen minutes later. She'd been right, of course.

They had taken more time than necessary to make everything in their sleeping

area perfect. What did men have to get ready for? They were kids, ready to roll

in mud, and Mamoru, well, he never seemed to care about his appearance anyway. 

Her nose scrunched up at the thought of his green blazer. One of the major

problems. 

"I should have expected you'd ask sooner of later." The kids were scrambling up

ahead as they followed slowly behind, keeping careful watch. "Are you going into

starvation mode, Odango?"

"I'm not going into starvation mode!" she jabbed back. "I was curious. I have to

stay on top of things, y'know."

"Uh huh." Doubt was corded with sarcasm. "Don't worry then, we'll be heading to

the cafeteria soon enough."

"Why? What time is it?" she reached for his wrist, pouted when he easily

snatched it away.

"It's only four o'clock. Calm down."

"I am calm."

"Sure." He was recompensed with a fuming look, but only started whistling.

A crowd was at the lengthy pole at the top of the hill, Instructors of the camp

standing up at the front, waving counselors to the overlook of watch over the

mass and instructing the kids to stay with their own groups.

"Quiet!" A woman with brown hair, streaked silver, hollered between her cupped

hands. When the crowd noise went dull, she continued, "Welcome to Camp Sahara!

For two weeks there'll be nothing but swimming, hiking, horseback riding,

canoeing and stuffing each other's your faces with marshmallows!" Seeming to

like the idea of that, many of the ten-year-olds kids whooped and cheered. The

woman laughed, flapping her hands to settle down. "I am the camp leader. You may

call me Chisato. So far you have placed your things in your rightful areas that

you were directed to. Right now I will assign your cabin by color and place your

scheduled activities in your counselors hands, as you already know them, hands."

She lifted the megaphone to her mouth and started calling out names.

A man with fair hair and tanned skin, and -she couldn't help but notice- ghostly

eyes, handed Usagi the post board, yet not without letting his fingers brush

over hers. "The silver camp, mm?" His grin was stunning. "I'm the gold camp.

Right beside yours and just a few paces away. Maybe we'll run into each other

some time."

A bit startled, but accepting the action as a friendly action, Usagi beamed

cheerfully and nodded. "Yes, maybe. I hope so. This place is so big." Being a

social person herself, it couldn't hurt she'd like to make friends on the large

camping grounds, especially if either her or the bakayaro needed help.

Remembering her colleague, she pointed behind her. "That's my partner, Mamoru.

You'll probably meet him soon enough too, since we're so close to each other.

Don't mind his manners," she told him. "He might insult you if you accidentally

throw a ball of paper at his head."

He blinked, mystified. "Excuse me?"

"Oh! I'm Usagi by the way!" She shook his hand. 

The enthusiasm was contagious. "Masao."

"Oops!" She couldn't help the embarrassed flush when Mamoru's impatient voice

cut in, calling her back. "'Gotta go! See you!" And she bolted off just like the

bunny her name claimed on her suggested.

"Yeah. See you." Masao watched her leap to her group, and wondered.

"Next time, I retrieve the guidebook," Mamoru said, pressing his hand on top of

seven-year-old Kyuso's, a seven-year-old boy's, head to keep him from jumping up

and down enough to rattle his brain. 

"It's not a guidebook. It's a...uh...it's a-um-it's a thing." Yeah, you sure

showed him, Usagi.

She scowled. Shut up.

"A thing, huh? Right." He craned his neck. "What do we do first?"

Her face lifted. "Eat."

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" he wondered outloud, then called for a

brown-haired, bright-eyed girl to slow down.

"Because you know me so well." Her tongue stuck out between her lips as she

studied the paper. Before he could respond, she yelped happily. "Look! Look!"

she tugged at Mamoru's open collar, pulling him down to make sure he saw the

schedule. "It's a meadow!"

All he saw was a map. Shrugging, he arched his brow. "So?"

"So," she went on, annoyed that he couldn't understand, "it's the Celicia

meadow. I hear that when you arrive there at night you can see the entire world

of stars sparkling in the sky, and shooting far over the mountains." Her eyes

went wistful. "I remember seeing a picture of it in my Mathematics book. It

looked wonderful." 

There she went again, he noticed, speaking through school adventures through

school to prove her point. It seemed odd that she could remember so much about

certain topics, and fail so miserably at them.

"What was a picture of a meadow doing in your mathematics book?"

"We were practicing slope and area," she said. "From the look of it, the meadow

is a pretty large place. Maybe we can go there!" Ideas were popping up left,

right, and center. "On a hike! Or when we're horseback riding! I don't think

it's that far. Especially if it's on the camp map." She tilted her head,

prepared to study the map again and look for answers. "What do you think?"

"I think I smell smoke." The wheels appeared to be turning rapidly in that head

of hers. "Leave the ideas for later. We still have to figure out what we're

going to do for an activity option tonight." He pointed to the end of Saturdays

list. 

"Oh, yes." She turned her head, ready to suggest, but stopped abruptly when her

face came only breaths away from his. Her stomach turned in circles, her heart

jumped in her throat, and her eyes intensely came up to his without blinking.

Her mouth was open, her breath was askew and uneven, and her fingers trembled in

threatened to let the board slip from her fingers. His scent filled her senses,

his warmth encircled her, and she suddenly had the sudden image in her mind of

kissing him right then and there.

And as the same picture came through his mind he couldn't stop himself from

inching closer. It would only take a slight movement of his arms to have her

tumbling falling into them, having his lips resting upon hers, and her endless

storm of words cut off in the most pleasurable way he could think of. There was

a dust of freckles on her nose, he perceived. Never did he see them unlike so

many other people, did he hadn't seen them] on Misako's nose, but suddenly

Usagi's became so evident in her characteristics, just like the way her eyes

sparkled when something pleasing came about pleased her, and the way her smile

lit up the room when she entered it. His hand started reaching up, prepared to

cup her chin and do what fate obviously intended. He had never known an

attraction so powerful before, never realized that it was all directed at her of

all people. For a moment, only that moment did he become conscious the tugging

of his soul reaching for hers.

And then became even more aware of the constant tugging at his pant leg.

Irritation took over, but logic pushed it down as his eyes strayed down. His

hand dropped to his side but he didn't move. "Yes?" he asked the girl who was

insistently tugging on his jeans.

"I'm hungry." Child innocence and honesty waved around her. "And one of the boys

ran ahead."

A nervous laugh bubbled up in Usagi, one she never imagined she had. "Oh, well

then." She cleared her throat because it was coated with gruffness, then spotted

the small figure in the distance, and held two fingers in between her lips.

Whistled. "Hey! No running ahead!" That one, she knew, was gonna be a handful.

"Perhaps we should make our way up to the cafeteria then." Her eyes reluctantly

moved to Mamoru's for a sign of approval, a waiting answer. Anything.

He took in a deep breath, nodded. "Right. Okay. I'll get the rascal." He had to

reorganize his thoughts as he started after the boy. His body was heavy,

suddenly, as if he'd just awoken from a deep sleep. But the little rascal of a

runner was fast, and it took him longer than intended to scoop the kid up and

give him a brief lecture on staying with the wolf pack. "Up the hill then. Don't

run!" he yelled, then groaned when the order was easily dismissed. "This must be

what it feels like to be a father," he groaned. Oddly, it felt comforting and

soothing all at once too.

The tension floating in the air was thick, but vanished when Usagi came up, a

teasing smile tugging at her lips and waves of delight hovering around her. It

was contagious. "Tired already?" Innocence.

His expression was mild. "Don't make me laugh," he drawled. If she could release

the aforementioned event so effortlessly, then so could he. "Watch a magician

work his magic, little lady," he told her magnificently. The term was supposed

to be associated with the tone, but curiously enough it seemed more of an

endearment than anything else.

Neither noticed.

More or less, it was Usagi's dream buffet. At her old camps they would usually

just serve macaroni and cheese, and peas or carrots, which was what she assumed

they would just do here. Fortunately, she didn't have to through hell and back

trying to gulp horrible camp food down when here, at this suddenly glorious

camp, there was a whole week's worth of meals from delicious desserts to

beautiful meat sauce sandwiches. Her plate was topped full when she sat at her

delegated table. 

"Are you sure you're going to finish that?"

Usagi scooped up a forkful of mashed potatoes, making a mental note to

compliment the cook later, and gave Mamoru a dry look. "What do you think?" She

thought he knew her better than that.

"You're right. What was I thinking?" He couldn't help but notice the way her

eyes closed, and the groan that sounded from her mouth as she savored each bite.

"Heavenly." A medal should be given out! "Wonderful!" And she didn't waste an

ounce of time a second before shoveling up another bite. Her eyes strayed from

her plate to her partner's and her brows shot up to her hairline. "Aren't you

hungry? We were driving practically the whole day!"

"I don't have much of an appetite."

"Obviously." Lady-like, she set her fork aside and folded her hands in her lap,

then fisted one and held it up. "Did you know that your stomach is the size of

your fist?"

He was training to be a doctor, wasn't he? "I had no clue." But the kids seemed

to be absorbed.

"It's true. And it expands when you eat, that's why we haven't exactly broken it

yet." She looked to the children. "But once you're full, you shouldn't eat so

much more or it just might start to split apart. Then you won't be able to eat

again." That one wasn't the truth, but it was always good to tell tales tall

enough to warn little people in warning for against something else. Like if you

stay up too late, the monsters under your stairs might eat you. Something to

that effect.

"Really?" A boy with sandy blonde hair and blue eyes as wide as owls looked at

the plate of food in front of him. The owner bit his lip fretfully. He supposed

that the bet he had going with his new friend wasn't going to turn up come to

anything after all. His eyes turned down. He didn't want his stomach to explode

after an over-eating contest, naturally. "I'm not hungry. Are we going

swimming?"

"Tomorrow." Stabbing at the vegetables, she popped them into her mouth. "I hope

you can swim. You CAN swim, right?" She eyed Mamoru devilishly. 

He merely leered. "Captain of my high school swim team, Odango Atama."

She was somewhat disappointed that she wasn't able to beat him in something

other than a food fest. "Hmm..." She'd have to think of something else.

"Diving?"

"It comes with the title."

"Do you have any trophies?" 

"Three."

"Bloody hell." Sighing, she rested her cheek on her propped up hand. 

"Don't look so down. Just because I'm better at sports than you doesn't mean

you're any less than you are."

She stuck out her tongue out at the insult, but only because she couldn't come

up with any quick comeback. "I can do some things better than you probably." A

sudden loss of appetite had her dropping her plate in a nearby trashcan. 

"Sure, like making conversation," he said lightly, approaching his upcoming

subject. "Which brings me to my next point."

"And that would be?"

"Who was that guy?" He hoped he sounded casual as he said it.

"Guy?"

"The one who handed you the program schedule."

"Oh!" Her eyes sparkled. "His name is Masao. He's one of the camp leaders here

and he's directing the gold one. Right next to us, he says, so we'll probably

see a lot of him." She turned on the bench towards him, ignoring the way his

eyes seemed to darken to cobalt. "He's real friendly, too."

"It looked that way." Let's hope, for his sake, not too friendly. "A leader, you

say? Does he have a partner?"

"Umm...I didn't ask. He didn't say anything. Why?"

"Just wondering."

Her eyes narrowed. "Do you want him to have a partner?" She hoped she sounded

casual as she said it.

"It wouldn't hurt." No, it wouldn't hurt if 'Masao' had to keep his eye on

someone other than 'his' partner. Green eyes peeped out from nowhere,

possessiveness clung to him like a second skin. Bemused, he'd make a point to

think about that later, much later, when his feelings weren't constantly getting

tangled in a web whenever he was around Usagi.

"We can go hiking."

"What?" His contemplation was brought immediately to a halt. 

"For an option. We can go hiking." 

"And I'm sure that'd be a fine idea, Odango, except for one thing."

Of course. There was always just one more thing. "What's that?"

"How are you at hiking in the dark?"

"Oh." Right, right. Cat vision wasn't for her and she was unreasonably pleased

that it wasn't for her cohort either. At least there was one thing he wasn't

good at. "What else is there?" she wondered, her finger trailing across the

page.

A boy, Ken, piped up. "Fire!"

Usagi's eyes lessened in concentration. A brow rose. "Water." She ignored

Mamoru's laugh.

"Can we bake marshmallows?"

"You don't bake marshmallows!" An eight-year-old stabbed with a roll of her

eyes.

"I want to sing."

"At night?" A girl slunk in her seat. "There's things in the night."

"Stupid," another female scoffed. "Mamoru-san is there." She said it as if

that'd explain everything.

Mamoru grinned. "Sure. I'll protect you." His made an enticing movement with his

arm, gallant and armor like, portraying a princely role. His look towards Usagi

was one saying: said, I told you I was good with kids. 

Hers was one waiting for the magic trick he claimed to have. Getting back on

topic, she marked off "campfire" and nodded dutifully. "Maybe we should invite

another group."

"Oh!" A brunette girl that was cutely petite jumped in her seat. "My friend went

to another group."

The girl would be a heartbreaker when she grew up, Mamoru thought, and leaned

forward. There were different types of children, he knew. The troublemaker, the

clown, the shy and conforming one, and, if you were lucky, one combining all

three. The one that made you wish you had children. The little girl was so

enthused by her idea that his emotional system rallied through him, forcing him

to feel an emotion that][what he hadn't felt in years. The wanting of a family.

Peculiarly enough, he oddly felt as if he belonged here, amongst children and

beside Usa-

He choked, started hacking a cough as he bowed low on the table. His eyes

enlarged tenfold as he gasped for air, pounding on his stomach while Usagi

patted him on the back. By God, did he really think that? Did that thought

really soar through his mind? He glimpsed at Usagi. Her eyes were all for him,

concern filling them while he regained his composure ever so slowly. Usagi?

Odango Atama? That one? Had he just imagined himself with her in the unknown

future? Good Lord, it had to be the camp air that was getting to him, he

reasoned. This was NOT happening. The day that he felt attracted to the little

heathen was the day hell took a nosedive to below zero. 

And, to agony with it all to hell with it? damn it? the agony of it all?, he bet

that they were building igloos down there right now.

"Are you okay, Mamoru-san?" she asked, forgetting herself. "What did you choke

on? You weren't even eating? Well, isn't it just like you to choke on air.

Mamoru?" Oh my God! He wasn't responding. What if he went into a spasm? She was

ready to holler for the paramedics when his hand came up to her shoulder.

"Fine, fine. It was only a simple coughing moment fit." Yeah, right.

"Only a-" she placed her hand back in her lap, her eyes firing up. "Well the

least you could have done was told me you weren't dying." She silently confirmed

that he did it on purpose.

"When? Before or after I lost my breath?"

 

"Either, or." She sniffed, turning to look at the kids. "This is one primary

example of what you 'don't' do in life," she wisely said. "Remember this."

Like students, they nodded. 

Ken, eager, inclined towards Mamoru. "Were you dying?"

He would have laughed if his throat didn't hurt so much. Curse the rabbit! "Not

especially."

"A little?" His eyes were hopeful. He'd seen movies, watched TV. If his

counselor almost died, that'd be like an adventure! 

Boys will be boys. "Maybe a little."

"Cool!"

"Yes," Usagi agreed soberly. "And isn't it a pity that he just didn't just keel

over?" Her tone was sweet and innocent, and her eyes were like a puppy dog's as

they turned to Mamoru's suddenly lethal ones. And then her voice backed up in

her throat as his hand calmly reached out to encircle her neck delicately. The

first touch zapped bolts of electricity through her, and her system went

incredibly still.

His thumb was gently massaging the skin at the back of her neck. Her pulse was

beating hard against his hand as he kept his eyes level on hers. Even as the

children went on unaware, her body moved instinctively to the rhythm of his

kneading.

Mamoru's body responded just the same. "Is it?"

*** ***

His head was dizzy, his mouth was dry, and it smelled like fuckin' horse manure.

As the sound of a trumpet from the main camp announced wake-up call,

eight-o-clock, Mamoru turned over in the single bed, pulled the sheets around

him tighter, and began murmuring away into the land of...

"Mamoru!"

The banging at the door rang true in his ears, sounding larger than life. A

growl could have ripped from his throat if he had had the energy, but instead he

forced himself to open his eyes, throwing back the covers, and stomping right

over to the door to fling it open. Curses were at the tip of his tongue and

ready to attack the intruder of dreams. He just wished he didn't have to attack

so early.

But instead of an intruder, Usagi stood there, gawking at him like a fish. She'd

seen him yesterday with a semi-open shirt and had rated his physique a good 10+!

But now, as she stood there, studying the whole upper body that was set out for

the whole bloody world to see, she bumped that 10+ up to a...a...

She didn't think there was ever a number good enough for what her innocent

little eyes were witnessing.

As the girls giggled from behind her, thoughts cleared instantly and she

reprimanded herself with displeasure. Sucking in her breath she let herself meet

Mamoru's stormy eyes and her mouth shut quickly once again for what she saw

there. The concentration, the force, the power, it was all mixed so intensely?

There, reacting to her. She smiled knowingly. She made the man irritated.

"What?" He had tried for a few seconds to calm himself, and it had barely worked

as he snapped out the question. 

"I thought I'd never see the day that Chiba Mamoru of Tokyo would sleep in.

Getting lazy, are we?" She fingered the whistle around her neck. "Better watch

out or you'll turn that..." --muscle-tight stomach, hard abdomen, attractively

carved body-- "carcass into a swell of fat."

"Sleeping in? I--" She had him there. He ran a hand timidly through his ruffled

hair, at ease topless. "And you're up on time," he stated, because that's all

his half-asleep mind would tolerate.

"I'm up when it's important."

"School's not important?"

"Not when you've got math every day first period. Now hurry up." She clapped her

hands. "I want to get started. And the girl's wanna go swimming." Ignoring the

intimate feeling that seemed to drop in her from his exposed chest, she slipped

past him and held the whistle up to her lips. Blew.

And the boys of Mamoru's troops were suddenly rigid and astonished like the

first bomb in World War Three had just gone off. Satisfied, Usagi ordered them

to dress in less than ten minutes and spun on her heel, bumping into the rock

hardness of her enemy's chest. She nearly groaned.

So did he, but he didn't show it. "Tsukino, must you always aggravate me so?"

She blinked. The leadership that had shone in her only moments ago turned into

sincere surprise. "I beg your pardon?"

Such elegancy, he thought. "You do notice that you're in the mens' cabin? Now

out." Shooing her to the door, he leaned on the jam. "We males have our pride."

"You have your egos. There's a difference," she drawled.

"Whichever you care to name, sweetheart. See you in ten." Shutting the screen,

closing the interior door, he leaned heavily against it. Her cheeks had been

flushed from sleep, her eyes as bright as the sun. He couldn't help but wonder

what it'd be like to wake up to that every morning.

Not questioning his own thoughts, since he'd learned that it was of no use

anymore, he streaked to his bed and made it up. As he dressed his mind wandered

to the night before. It was crazy, he thought then, that he hadn't known that

the little rabbit could play a guitar. Not professional, but better than anyone

he knew of. They'd only been stuck together for twenty-four hours, and already

he was learning too much about her. Where once he only thought she had flaws,

now he could imagine those flaws illuminating her outstanding qualities. And

then there was that voice. He sighed unaware. He should have expected that she

could sing with the way she practiced her voice wails everyday.

Heaven help him, he thought, he just might be falling for the girl.

Taken aback at the thought, he shook it out. No way, no how. Standing up, he

ushered the boys out of the cabin, reminding them pointedly to bring their suits

because they were heading straight to the change rooms after breakfast. 

The morning air filled the atmosphere, idly whisking across his face when he

came through the door. Usagi stood in the center of the small clan, pointing out

which way they were going, where the waterhole was --in case some forgot--and

biting her lip when plenty of kids complained about their bladder problems.

"Hold it until we get to camp," Mamoru said, languidly strolling over to the

group. "You're big kids, aren't you?"

Many boys puffed out their chests evidentially, and girls' eyes gleamed for the

counselor. Guess that saying still went, "I'm a big kid now," and that's all

children seemed to want to be. Him, he'd rather wait for his second childhood,

since he missed out on the first one.

Shadows skimmed over his face before he could mask them. In their own little

worlds the children ran up ahead, shouting, laughing, demanding attention. But

Usagi, walking beside Mamoru, noticed. Something was hidden deep within him; she

wasn't so stupid not to notice that other people had problems, which most of the

time they'd rather have left alone. However, she knew the average present

problems were small compared to the emotional scars he appeared to be carrying.

The emotion in his eye told her so, and told her that it was hidden much too

deep. The urge to reach for his hand and soothe was overwhelming, and her body

forced her to shift aside a bit. A yelp sounded from her throat when she tripped

over a root of a tree, and went flying. 

Her body twisted around instinctively, reaching for something to grab a hold of.

When all she grabbed was nothing but air, she braced herself for the fall. She

didn't hit the ground, though. Her back was bowed backwards; her arms flung

apart; her feet unsteadily planted on the ground. Fortified bands were wrapped

around her waist, heated breath fluttering over hers. Opening one tightly

squeezed eyelid, Mamoru's face was all she saw, and the bands around her waist

were only things keeping her from falling on her rear.

"I'm glad to see one thing is still constant," Mamoru murmured honestly.

She watched him, unsure. "Are you calling me klutzy?"

"You were always a klutz," he said, but he didn't let go. Not yet.

"Oh. Okay." She felt slightly out of breath. "Same goes."

"Hmm?"

"You're a klutz," she said.

"I'm a..." She was too close. "Klutz?" he asked, confused.

"Your foot," she reasoned.

"What about it?"

"Well, it's..." Her eyes wandered down his leg that disappeared in a puddle of

mud. "Ya missed the ground, pal." Her mouth quirked up, her eyes looking on

inoffensively.

Well, he guessed that a simple act of heroism wasn't going to put him on the

good list of the fates after all. With an oath he was ready to pull both of them

away when he caught the devilish gleam in his partner's eye, the muffled giggles

emitting from her shapely lips. "Think it's funny, do you?"

She shook her head, couldn't stop the snort and brought both hands up to push it

down. 

"Well, now." His tongue slipped slowly over his teeth as he examined her, his

own malicious glimmer twinkling in his eyes. "What do you think about this?" And

without another word, dropped her in the thick mud puddle, her gasp of shock

like music to his ears.

"You-you--" She never thought he'd have the nerve! 

"Yes?" His foot was dripping with mud, but it was nothing compared to what how

much the muck was covering her. And where. Smiling, he rocked back on his heels,

turning his head towards the children. Amazing how they instantly knew when to

stop. When to gape. When she stammered he sophisticatedly shook his head.

"You're sputtering now, Odango. It isn't proper."

"I'll show you proper!"

Before she could make a cluck of the tongue, footsteps sounded beside them.

Turning, they both watched in equal stillness as Masao made his way down the

path with his small co-ed group of children. To Serena, she couldn't help but

wonder if he woke up looking so well. To Mamoru, he was just another fly to be

squashed.

No one voiced their opinions.

"Hello there!" His hand came up in a wave, eyes drifting to Usagi's. "Trouble,

milady?"

"Nothing we can't take care of." Mamoru said coolly, but let his lips curve up

into a polite smile.

Usagi stuck her tongue out at him, then looked to Masao. "Can you help me? I..."

she looked down at herself, "seem to be in a bit of a mess. Hey," she warned one

of her camper's. "Take one step in this mud puddle and you'll regret it, kid."

The boy pouted. Mamoru, sympathetically, patted him on the head. "We'll be at

the lake soon."

Masoa held out his hand to her, dipping down almost princely. "Something so

beautiful should not grow in such filth." His voice was light, carrying a

British accent that seemed ancient, reminding Usagi of Shakespeare. It seemed

almost romantic, though even Usagi's hopelessly romantic heart didn't melt. 

Curious, that it would melt for a mocking from Mamoru, and start only a bit at a

heartfelt comment from Masao? Even more curious was the fact that she didn't

take two moments to question it. Pulling slightly on his hand, she gave a tipsy

smile and gained her balance. She gave a glance at Mamoru, ready to smirk, but

blinked at the dark frown he was giving her and forced herself not to take a

step back.

"What is it?"

This time he blinked. Shaking his head at the tension, he turned his eyes to

Masao's, and felt more comfortable giving a warning glare to him. "Breakfast

will be over soon, Usagi. Let's get going." He took her hand--not her arm, not

her elbow--her hand, and started ordering the kids to follow along, announcing

to the smug and pleased Masao that they'd see him later -maybe. 

He called her by her name. As they walked she stared up at him, jaw open, eyes

disbelieving. He called HER by her name. Always was it Odango Atama, and

sometimes Odango, which she was sure was not an endearment as her friends always

taunted and teased her about. Was it just her, she wondered, or did it sound

so...loving on his lips now? She didn't argue with the suddenly familiar urge to

hope that, indeed, it sounded just like that.

His face was turned down as he listened attentively to one of the smaller girls

describe with rapidly waving hands the story of the spider in her mother's

jewelry box. The light that spilled from the constant opening of the trees

touched the side of his face, so part of it was shadowed towards her, giving him

a darker, more dangerous, and rougher look. The same look he'd had when she--she

couldn't help but smile --had wakened him earlier that morning. However his eyes

were soft as they landed on the child, his laugh deep and affectionate as he

placed a hand on her head, and the girl reached up anxiously  to hold is hand.

Without question he took it.

And she took the first headlong step in the beginning of the silky slide into

love, somehow knowing she had been on her way all along.

Turning her eyes to her feet, she didn't tug her hand out of his grip, nor did

he let go of hers. Silently, she wondered what the hell she was going to do

about it.

*** *** ***

The sun's rays had duly warmed the day, shone down on the lake to make sparkling

waves flow over one another in silky movements. Crystals seemed to appear over

the cover of the water, jewels that couldn't be reached, couldn't be taken,

couldn't be stolen and only enjoyed at a distance. It made Mamoru sad to think

so, yet so joyfully happy to be to witnessing it. Nature had its miracles.

Instead of the peaceful sound that the scenery might have led him to expect, the

noise of wails and screams of laughter pierced the air, and the forbidden jewels

sank under the surface from the flapping of youth's hands. Mamoru sat on the

dock, sitting on a blanket and supervising. It wouldn't do well on his record if

he let one of the youngsters drown.

Leaning back on his elbows he let the sun bathe him. He didn't spend enough time

swimming, he knew, but rejoiced in the lucid waves as warmth washed over him. He

hadn't bothered to dress in swimming trunks, hadn't thought he'd need them, and

only wore cut offs that frayed at the hem. Bronze chest, slender hips, exposed

and welcomed itself to heat as relaxation took over. 

Then he felt a shadow loom over him, heard the shuffle of grass and the sensed a

human presence. Tilting his head back, he eyed the brunette girl with expectant

eyes. The odd sense of familiarity came over him as he peered up at her. As if

he'd met her somewhere. Or seen her before. Ridiculous, he thought. He'd never

seen her before.

Shaking that off, he struggled to find a polite smile. Stranger to stranger.

"May I help you?"

She smiled, enthusiastically rolled out the blanket she'd held under her arm,

placing it beside his, and sat beside him and let herself watch him with all

glitter and charm. "Greetings."

"Hi."

"I'm Chiyo." Green eyes sparkled. "I'm the counselor at the Blue Camp. I've seen

you around the court." Her arms came to the bottom of the baggy shirt she wore.

"The Gold camp and I," Her eyes cast away, "Are supposed to join you today. Get

to know each other better."

"The more the merrier, then. I'm Mamoru." Well, he thought as he watched Chiyo

slide off her top, revealing a neat, little red bikini and snow-white skin,

Motoki was right about one thing. There was definitely an upside to being a camp

leader. Using one of his heart-melting smiles--he knew about hopeless

romantics--he lowered to a lying position. "I'm in the Silver cabin with Usagi."

"The blonde, right? She looks young."

"And is. But is great with the kids, and the I think that's what counts."

"Still, a lot younger than you. Six years, maybe?"

Feeling the need to defend--against what, he wasn't sure--he said, "Five and a

half."

"That's quite a gap." She combed her slender fingers through brown strands.

There was no concern in her voice. No surprise. "I hope you know what you've

gotten yourself into."

"I beg your pardon?"

"I mean with the two of you dating. She's just over age and--well, no," she

corrected. "What I mean is she's just underage. A girl, and you are well..." her

eyes were hidden attractively behind dark lashes, working magic. "You're a man."

He grinned, but not at her attempt to arouse interest. Didn't Usagi just correct

him of that little fact yesterday? Ah, yes, and brought out educational facts

with her. Surprises had sprung up and emotions tangled. Giving a little chuckle

he crossed his arms behind his head, wondering what other little surprises the

minx might have for him in the future. They may have been there for only a week,

but there was enough time to learn. Enough to want to learn.

Then he got the idea. "Oh. Usagi and me. No, no." A crazy idea. How did it ever

enter her head, he wondered. "We're not together. Hardly."

Her eyes went puzzled. "You aren't? But, I could have sworn you

were...oh...well..." Her body seemed to slump with disappointment, her eyes cast

down and her fingers twined. "It seemed you were."

"How?" All they did was fight and nag.

It seemed that she wasn't supposed to tell him, that it would make situations

awkward. So she didn't and simply shrugged. She had to make the best of a

situation, and here was her chance. "So..." Chiyo stuck out her bottom lip in

thought as her eyes ran over his magnificent body. Her cheeks tinted crimson,

which quickly disappeared. "Not going swimming today?"

"Nah. I'm just here to make sure all the little kids get out alive."

She giggled. "Like a guard."

"If you like. What about you?" he turned his head towards her, eyes squinting

against the sun. "The water looks nice, and you're certainly dressed nicely for

it."

"This old thing?" A movement caught the corner of her eye, Usagi's figure coming

in sight. She prepared. "I just dug it out of my chest Does it," she trailed a

finger down the center of her chest, to the bridge between her breasts. "Look

alright?" The question was both genuine and mischievous.

Usagi, polite as ever, beamed up at Masao as he gentlemanly offered his arm to

her. As he told her one of his jokes she gave a laugh, appreciating the effort

of humor as they started down the hill. She had felt self-conscious in her

bathing suit, was sure she looked self-conscious when Masao and his crew had

strolled up after she'd changed out of her dirt-dripped clothing. He didn't say

anything about how she looked in her suit, whether it looked nice or not, but

simply started conversation until she forgot ever feeling so clumsy and girlish.

And maybe, she fluttered, a little bit like a lady. 

...She'd have to think about that later.

However, when her eyes had turned downwards and stared upon the two figures on

the dock, all she felt was shock, embarrassment, and betrayal as the man she'd

always hated stared at the cleavage of a woman before him. A woman, she repeated

to herself, who showed herself to be much more than she in shape, looks, and

maturity.

Masao had congealed too, but she didn't notice as she commanded her legs to

move, wishing that she had a towel, or shirt or something to cover herself up

with. Would he compare them when she showed up? Would he smirk, insult, wave

away? She didn't think she could bear it if he did, so she made herself move

slowly to postpone the inevitable moment.

Mamoru didn't stutter, didn't blush, didn't stare. He only moved his gaze back

up to hers and said, "Of course it does. If it didn't, you wouldn't be wearing

it, right?"

A logical man, she grinned. Liking the way he didn't fumble or make moves as so

many others would, she moved away a bit to sit on the blanket, and thought that

it could be the beginning to a great friendship. And the perfect way to initiate

a beautiful romance. Or two.

Tying her hair back, she looked back to the lake and waited for the audience she

knew was watching to stroll over. Smiled as her plan started picking up. When

she realized Mamoru's body had gone suddenly rigid, she allowed herself to

glance over with the look of total innocence and surprise.

Usagi saw it, could have despised it if she had the right to, then reluctantly

looked to Mamoru and struggled not to run from the graveness of his gaze, and

the way his mouth opened slightly, his brows rising in question. She knew she

shouldn't have brought it. She just never thought it'd matter so much.

It was pure, he thought in disbelief, his hands fisting as he fought to control

the unexpected lightning emotions that zapped at him from behind his eyes. The

bathing suit was white and pure, and conflicted against the indistinguishable

seductiveness the pattern showed. It was high cut over her curvy hips, dipped

low in the full chest, and tied with a single string around the slender neck to

show off the majority, he could imagine, of a fantastic back.

And her legs, Good God, her legs. They went on forever!

The only word he managed to breathe out was, "Usagi?" Was her skin as soft as it

looked? He pondered the issue of confirming that wonder with a simple stroke.

Unbelievable, he shook his head to clear his mind. He had to get it together.

His gaze switched from Usagi to Masao, then to Chiyo. The struggle for casual

calmness fought through him as he shifted in his seat. Still, he never knew her

to ever dress like THAT!

"Umm..." she linked her fidgeting hand behind her back. "Hi. Um, I'm Usagi." She

said to Chiyo, whose eyes had turned from Masao to hers. Instincts had them both

smiling kindly, and she took her hand in a womanly shake.

"Chiyo. I adore your suit," she said. "May I ask where you got it?" Never, she

knew, had she seen anything like it. 

"Oh, I didn't--I mean, I made it." She took a wobbling step towards them. "Why?

What's wrong?"

She would have said the girl looked older than the age on the sign-up sheet, but

her nervous and chaste eyes gave her away. "Nothing's wrong. Absolutely

nothing." Her head tilted up, her eyes squinted, and her shoulders squared.

"Masao."

He nodded back. "Chiyo."

It must have been the wind that suddenly flew about them, or the fluent brush of

mystical breeze that surrounded and twined with the flooding tension, but the

atmosphere suddenly turned cold and hot at the same time, eerie and comfortable

all at once, and so, so sorrowful in two instants. There was no urge to run in

her, as there would have been at any other frightening moment. Instead came the

demand to stay. To watch. Who? She couldn't answer. But stay, she did.

Usagi, right then, could have sworn she saw the woman in front of her before.

She frowned.

But then, the instant that Chiyo moved her eyes from Masao's, the sun seemed to

come back and beat back down on all of them like a delightful bath of sunshine

rays. Curious, wasn't it, that the chill of the wind had gone so abruptly and

everything was settled back to normal?

As if nothing happened, Chiyo's attention was back on Usagi. "Oh..." she sighed

longingly, "I wish I could make clothing. Tried once and ended up making scraps.

Did it take you long?"

Calling herself ridiculous for making too much out of a simple case of Deja Vu,

Usagi smiled kindly. "A day. It's not that hard, I can help you if you'd like. I

have some beginning suggestions that I started with." She kneeled on the

blanket. Clear as day she felt Mamoru's eyes follow her every move, and ordered

herself to keep calm and natural. It was just her hopeful imagination.

 

It wasn't. She was beautiful. Well, he'd already known she was beautiful before,

but never felt so powerful an attraction towards her because of it. Lord, she

was only fourteen and yet his blood was up to a fuming boil as his swept over

her repeatedly. He never knew himself to have such a thin hold on the control he

so carefully built for himself. This was different, something told him. Much too

different to be like any other time.

Sure, he had tasted other females, enjoyed them, appreciated their company and,

in the end, built strong friendships. They were relationships he had never

pursued, though, because he never seemed to care enough to keep them steady.

Now, he cared.

Abruptly, he pulled away. Did she just say sew? Furrowing his brow, he asked,

"You can sew?" 

Glancing over her shoulder, she answered, "I...yes. I can sew. I learned in

sixth grade, sewing class. It was supposed to be Home Economics, and were

supposed to cook that day, but they ran out of eggs, so we had to take out the

old machine's and..." Stop rattling on! She reprimanded. What does he care? "I

guess it sorta stuck to me."

"How can someone run out of eggs...?" Chiyo muttered to herself, confused.

The silent question was ignored. "You didn't tell me you could sew."

He might have been sitting not one foot away from her, and his scent might have

been tempting her to nudge closer and discover what it was, but pride always

came before longing, she told herself, and sniffed righteously. "You never

asked." His hands were doing incredible things to her senses.

"That's all it takes, huh?" He started to finger the tie, then snatched his hand

back at the last moment. "You made this little number?"

"It's not a number."

"Uh-huh." The tie was knotted at the back of her neck tightly, but he could

imagine that all it would take was one little pull to release it. "Who'd you

make it for?" He hadn't realized that the question floating around in his mind

was spoken out loud, until he heard it with his own ears, but he didn't bother

to cover it up with another question.

"Make it for? What do you mean?"

"Surely you made it for someone to see." His eyes darkened, but he managed to

hide it with a careless shift of his body. "Motoki maybe?"

Motoki? Puzzled, she frowned wondrously. She hadn't given one thought to Motoki

since he suggested she work with Mamoru. "No." She brought her eyes from where

they drifted and back to his. "Why would I make it for Motoki?"

Masao looked displeased. "Who's Motoki?"

As if he wasn't there, Mamoru gave an imploring look to Usagi. "You weren't

exactly discreet about your little crush, Odango Atama." A tone of resentment

threaded the statement. 

She blushed, began to stutter but caught herself. Why would he care anyway?

 Well, he mused grimly, at least he could count his best friend off the list.

For now. "Who else then? A boyfriend?" His knuckles were white against material

he sat upon. "Do you have someone waiting for you back home?"

"I--" She was stunned speechless for once in her life. "Boyfriend?" How could he

ask that when her mind was only filled with thoughts of him?

His eyes had gone cobalt at the thought, his hold becoming possessive as he

shifted his grip and pulled her higher up the length of his torso, making sure

that they met eye-to-eye. He never thought that someone else could have had her.

Always assumed she was free, single.

His.

"Yes, yes. You know, the term you use when you start dating guys. What's his

name? Does he live near you? I know him, don't I?" He looked at Masao. "Is it

him?"

Chiyo snorted unlady-like while a sound strangled through Usagi's throat.

"You're beginning to sound like my father, Mamoru. You know that we had just

met. What is with you, today?"

"I..." He knew he had a reason. "Well...I..." It was there just a moment ago.

"You're too young for boyfriends." Where the hell did that come from?

"I am not!"

Challenging her he lifted his chin stubbornly. "Are too. You're barely a

teenager."

Her face twisted. "Haven't you listened to a word I've said? The mind is where

adulthood really starts-"

"Which clearly shows in your core subjects."

Her glare was fierce, yet not as fierce as the slice of pain. "I'm three years

away from being an adult, anyway."

"And when that time comes, may you lead a celibate life."

Certain that if she stood there for another minute, the dam of tears behind her

eyes would break and she would embarass herself more so than usual. Beginning to

stand, she sniffed, "Look, you jerk, you don't own me. Let go!" She tried to

shake off his hand that shot out to clutch her wrist.

His grip didn't even waver. "I don't think so." 

"Ugh!" She fought against it helplessly. "This is insane. Masao," Her eyes

pleaded. "Help me?" But the man, she viewed, seemed more intruiged than

defending.

"I've got a better idea." Mamoru wasn't one to ignore indiscreet looks, and

noticed the interest in this one's eyes. Standing, dragging her up with him, he

dipped down and swung her off her feet. She let out a surprised squeal as he

cradled that luscious body to his and started towards the end of the dock. "You

like swimming, Usagi? You're dressed for it."

She shuddered under his eyes, hoped he didn't notice when her hands fell flat on

his chest. "Why?"

"Well," he stopped, looked over the splashing campers, "you clearly don't want

to debate on land so..." 

She followed his stare to the water, and her own expanded when her head whipped

back at him. "Don't you dare, baka!"

"You know, swimming is the best exercise that anyone can get without cooking up

a sweat." He advanced another step. "Wanna go for a swim?" 

"No!"

But he was already jumping, suspended in the air, and balling down with as much

gracefulness as one could hold under the circumstances, his grasp on her never

slackening. She came up sputtering, waving her hands everywhere, and his laugh

mingling with it. He reached over to brush the bangs out of her eyes helpfully

and she stared at him furiously.

"Prepared to die, Chiba. You've just signed your death warrant." And she dove at

him, her arms flying up and slapping down at his shoulders as she attempted to

push him under. She would drown him, she vowed, no matter how much she'd come to

care for him during the past hours. She'd drown him like the very fish he was.

If only he'd just sink!

He stared up at her, legs kicking smoothly under water, and easily stayed

afloat. Adorable, simply precious. His hands swiftly came and locked on her hips

as he watched her. "What cha doin'?" he asked, all pure and lamb-like. 

She glowered. "You're doing it on purpose."

Chuckling, he gave her an encouraging squeeze. "Not with the arms you've got,

Odango." He took one in his hand, held it up. "Like strings."

"They are not! I'll have you know that I work out daily." Because he was holding

her up, she crossed her arms and floated with him, refusing to meet his stare.

So that was how she kept all that food down. "Do you now?"

"Yes I do. And you can take that 'I-wouldn't-believe-you-for-the-world' look off

your face, mister know-it-all, because I have proof." Superiority masked her

features.

He was slowly sliding her down so that they floated face-to-face. "Really?" he

murmured.

His breath touched hot on her ear, springing zings and pings from every corner

of her body and meeting in devastating explosions in her stomach, spreading out

into a warm, liquid ocean as she slowly turned her head. Her nose brushed his

but she didn't dare move back, not sure of whether it was because she was afraid

she'd make the wrong move and lean forward, or because she wasn't leaning

forward. She didn't think either one of them was trying to stay afloat as their

legs tangled together and her arms climbed up his dripping chest and her hands

combed through his hair. The water was coming up around them, slowly reaching

their necks as they sank. She watched his gaze sink with them, sink to her lips

as pools of desire washed through them. He whispered something, but it was

breathed and much too incoherent for her to hear.

He wanted those lips. It was crazy, but it seemed they were taunting him to take

a taste, teasing him with their soft pink color and rose petal shape. They were

so close, so perfect. He bet that if he gave just one little move they'd be

under his in a perfect fit and under his power to ravish and take. He didn't

know how long these feelings had been building up in him for the little

dumpling. He couldn't have cared less. They were there, they were now. What

happened in two days, two hours, two minutes, or even two seconds were centuries

away, he knew, as he wrapped her up in his arms and prepared himself to bend his

head and take. This part had been coming, he knew. There was no way to avoid it.

No matter who they were, no matter what they'd done to each other, and no matter

how they had felt before, everything had changed, and he...he had fallen--

"Hey!"

They didn't hear at first. But as that primary word at entered their minds and

sent messages of awareness down their bodies, they each jerked back and away

from each other. Their eyes were still locked.

"I beg your pardon?" Chiyo waved her hands as she bent over the side of the

dock. It could have just been her, Chiyo thought, but the temperature seemed to

rise delightfully.

"What?" Mamoru asked, suddenly annoyed with himself. With everything.

"Sorry to interrupt you, my friend, but one of your children is momentarily

straying away from the docks."

"What?" Usagi pushed Mamoru out of the way as she fought to clear her vision.

"Where? Who?" Then she saw him, the little rascal who had an obsession with

darting back and forth and away since the moment he arrived.

"I'll get him."

Before Usagi could say another word, Mamoru was off like a shot and swimming

towards the kid who had no hope of escaping his speed. Irritation was like a

second skin as she watched him, and she stomped down the urge to race after him

and show him a few skills of her own. Still, the intimacy of the near-kiss was

still in her, swimming through her and taking over.

The facts came down to this: She had never been kissed before, was sure that she

knew the one who would be her first. And, by God, she had all week to convince

him of the same.

*** ***

The flames danced like gypsies, all fiery hair and sultry glances. Usagi would

have taken deep interest in them if it hadn't been for the doom cloud that had

descended over her soon after they left the lake. Who'd have thought that a good

game of Red Rover would end up depressing her to no end?

Oh, sure. She loved the game, considered herself an excellent player. But, by

God, did the 'couple of the century' have to show off at it? She scowled deeply

even as she tried not to. Her ivory complexion warred against her deepening eye

color as she continued to stare endlessly into the heat, not really seeing

anything at all. She had planned brilliantly on a way to make Mamoru notice her

with just that game. No doubt he knew her lack of strength, and would no doubt

get his team to call her over to 'try' and break their fence. And then she'd

have ran into Mamoru's barrier, tripped, and then would have fallen into his

arms -or so she thought. 

Yet Mamoru had thought that it had been a great idea to call Chiyo over and have

her, instead, 'mysteriously' trip and fall intothe man's arms had a good laugh.

An unusually good laugh, and they had laughed themselves until their sides

ached. Didn't they know, Usagi mused as she picked up a fallen stick and toyed

with the dirt at her feet, that it was her job, falling and tripping clumsily

into the baka's arms? Of course they didn't. But at least Chiyo could have taken

a clue.

The stick paused in the ground when Usagi's mouth bent downwards. No, that was

wrong. She knew that the girl must have had a clue when she caught that quick,

knowing gleam in Chiyo's eye when she turned her head to Usagi for only an

instant before climbing to her feet again. Usagi didn't know it could take

something so little as a smile to bring even the slightest bit of the

determination she'd built up to winning Mamoru, smoldering down to the ashes of

hell. 

Heaving a sigh, Usagi declared herself paranoid and thought on.

But wouldn't you know it? Mamoru, she recalled, didn't think that it was his job

to inform the woman of that little point, whether or not she knew. How could she

convince the man of her feelings if all he did was moon over some cool-eyed

brunette?

Well, she slid her gaze to the side and watched Masao; at least she had some

idea of how to get him to notice her. Her foot tapped impatiently. If Masao

could just 'pretend' to be attracted to her, then maybe it would pass on to the

college student and he'd maybe even give one little itty-bitty thought to her

and the dating circle.

Almost satisfied, she poked her stick into the fire and looked up. A smile

curved slowly at her lips. She'd seen the scene done in movies--men looking at

woman to seduce another out of jealousy. Woman dating men just to get a hold of

another. Hey! If it worked on film, then why couldn't it work for her, right?

Maybe getting Masao to agree to her little plan would take some time but, she

chewed at her cheek, she could always try. And if not, subtleties were always an

option.

A giggle bounced from across the fire as Usagi looked up to see Chiyo playfully

slap a hand on Mamoru's chest. Her eyes narrowed. They'd been like that since

the two disappeared some time in between swimming and Red Rover. Then Mamoru

cheerfully came hopping back with a bright smile on his face, looking refreshed

and delighted, and announced that they'd just been invited to another cook out.

Which brought Usagi to her current sitting place at the fire, a bag of

marshmallows beside her.

For the first time in her life, she frantically hoped that they wouldn't sing

lovely campfire songs.

"Why the long face?"

Her attention snapped to the blonde beside her. Forcing a smile to light her

face, she shook her head. "I didn't know I had one on."

"I can spot one two miles away. Why so blue when a face like yours is made for

smiles?" Because she tilted her head to the ground again, Masao tucked a finger

under her chin and lifted her face towards his.

She almost jumped at the smooth contact, congratulated herself that no outward

appearance showed nervousness. Men startled her. "I'm not blue," she said, but

her eyes were overly bright. "I'm just tired. Who'd have thought that camp could

be so much work?" Stretching her hands over her head, she inched back a bit,

shying into her personal bubble. "If anyone had told me two weeks ago that I'd

be working during summer holidays, I wouldn't have even dreamed of believing

it."

Masao's laugh was throaty, and his head was thrown back, enjoying. "And now?"

"I guess I'm getting used to it." Digging the branch unconciously into the

ground again, she looked up at Masao. "So what about you?"

"Excuse me?"

"You must have your own opinion about camping to be working at one. And you seem

to be enjoying it, the way you are with your troop. Have you been here before?"

His eyes clouded over, his face hardening and his jaw clenching. But every

haunting sign that attempted to stiffen Usagi's spine was gone in an instant,

and he was smiling. When he spoke, his tone contradicted his cheerful

appearance. "Yes. Too many times before."

Not knowing what to say, Usagi pulled her knees up closer to her because...

...she wasn't sure. "Uh...homesick?"

He chuckled as if it were an inside joke. "Not in the way you mean." He said.

"And yourself?"

"More family-sick than anything. My parents went to Paris for two weeks." She

told him. "I was supposed to go with them, but came here to work with Mamoru

instead. He needed help." She informed him before he could ask, but didn't dive

any deeper than that. Mamoru's laugh rang with Chiyo's, sounding like loud,

booming church bells in her ears. "Although it doesn't look like he needs any

now," she murmured, more to herself than Masao. Changing to subject, she slapped

at her a mosquitoe on her knee. "So, do you have anyone back home?"

"No."

"No girlfriend?"

"I-" He moved awkwardly in his spot. "I had someone. I lost her." 

The idea that was formulating in her mind vanished. No. No way could she take

advantage of a broken heart. "I'm sorry."

He just gave a small smile and nodded. "How's the camp life so far, Usagi-san?"

Well, she thought, it wasn't exactly going the way she wanted. "Saturday seems

too far away."

"It can't be that bad, can it?"

She gave a breathless laugh. "Can it?" she repeated, almost silently, and her

eyes turned back to Mamoru's form. Her nerves danced, and her spine instantly

straightened like a flagpole when her gaze met his in flash of contact.

There was no denying it. Envy had torn at him, and the beast was out, crawling

through his body when Masao decided to lay a finger on Usagi. Mamoru's fist

clenched. She was doing it on purpose, he shouted to himself. That little brat.

If she thought for one moment that she could twirl him around her little finger

then she was most definitely in the wrong. Of all the despicable, intolerable--

"Is something wrong, Mamoru-kun?" Chiyo asked, laying a hand on his shoulder.

"No," he lied, shaking his head. Turning back, he gave a charming smile and

looked towards the campers. "They're getting eager."

"Mmmm...perhaps we should do what every child fears and is thrilled by."

"Which would be?"

A mischievous smile floated over her fine features. Her face seemed pale against

the fire's light, bouncing off it and reflecting back. Almost as if the fire

itself was made of ice. "Who's up for ghost stories?"

There were "Oohs" and "Aaahs" and "sugoi!" from the excited mouths of the kids.

And among them a simple yelp.

Usagi was up on her feet. "Ghost stories?" Were they kidding her? Sure, she may

not have wanted to sing at that moment, but was ghost stories the absolute

ultimatum?

"That's right." Mamoru smirked. "Problem, Odango Atama?"

She didn't notice. "But why? Why?" she asked again. "Why?"

"Why not?" Chiyo said, flipping her hair back.

"W-well, I uh..." She bit her lip. "Shouldn't we respect the dead? Let them rest

in peace? Let them rest, and leave US in peace?" Her fingers tangled together.

"I don't think we'll be disturbing them by telling a simple story, Usagi," Chiyo

soothed, and waved her to sit because she knew better than to worry about silly

ghosts.

"How do you know?" Usagi demanded, pointing a shaking finger. "Have you ever

told a ghost story out here? In the wild? Where things can get you? I don't

think so. No, no." She waved her hands rapidly. "I definitely do not think so."

"You're not afraid, are you?" 

Then her eyes were all for him, and for a moment he saw faint fear glimmering

brilliantly in them. His mouth opened to say something, anything, but then her

eyes covered up so quickly he almost started wondering if he'd ever really seen

it. 

"I'm not afraid." She crossed her arms, chin stuck up defiantly. "Tell your

story for all I care."

"Hey," Masao stood, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry. I'm here." His

smile was all too intimate. "I'll protect you."

Something akin to a growl purred unknowingly under Mamoru's breath. Chiyo

stiffened beside him.

"Don't be a baby," Mamoru retorted, trying to stretch out his legs

ever-so-casually, despite the emotions racing through him. "Other people would

like to hear better things than your constant whining. I'm already half deaf

from it, and the least I expected was for you to try and make an effort to act

just mature for one week."

It hurt. She forgot that he could hurt her. A slice of heated pain struck her

through the heart, and her eyes threatened to brim over with tears. Taking a

quivering step back from him, her hands fisted together. "Shut up, Mamoru-baka,"

she whispered, and regretted it. Where she wanted it to sound sharp and

commanding, it sounded hurt and weak. And now he was watching her so gravely she

wondered, only for a second, if he could see.

"Let's get this show on the road."

Ripping her gaze from his, she looked down and took a seat back on the log. Her

jaw had clenched, and she held back her tears. "Right," she said to herself,

then said it louder, almost confident. "Anyone up for marshmallows first?"

She was already on her sixth as Masao was bursting with feeling through his

haunting tale of beheaded ghosts and cackling witches, transparent bodies and

reflections in the mirror. She'd seen that movie, Poltergeist, and had draped a

sheet over her mirror for a month. Ghosts killing people through reflections?

She shuddered visibly. That's all she needed.

When Masao pounced at her, his voice rising, she jumped from the log and fell,

much to the amusement of the boys in the group, on her rear rather painfully.

Damn all the men of the world.

Yet all cries of shock, and whimpers of panic died down when Chiyo stood up and

raised her hand to hush all of them. "I believe," she stated quietly,

affectively, "that we could all do with another tale. Perhaps one not so

haunting as it is tradgic."

Circling the fire, she linked her fingers together, eyeing them all intensely.

"Perhaps you've heard of this tale, the one that tells about the ghosts of the

camp."

There was a ripple of murmuring agreement through the audience. "You mean the

tale of the ghost of war?"

Her brow rose. "Is it really about the war ghost?" she questioned. "True, one of

the ghosts' who had died here had died from a battle wound, but that's all we

know about that tale, don't we? That he only died in war with some...

...unfinished business. Perhaps, then," she continued, "it really isn't about

war. Perhaps it's about something different. True love, maybe?" her eyes roamed

over the mob of kids, then locked onto Usagi's before she went on.

"A warrior he was, with golden hair and a sparkling smile. He was claimed to be

the best soldier in the kingdom, and could wield a sword with more skill than

the King's royal guards. He had the finesse of the Gods, the speed of a panther,

and the will of Fate. Nothing," she shook her head undoubtedly, "could stop him

from parading into battle." She paused, taking a deep breath and closing her

eyes. When she opened them, an emotion far too strong to depict shone in them. 

"Whenever he'd walk by, the ladies of the village would sigh at his comely

looks. More than once had a lady tried to win his affection by simply dropping

her water bucket when passing him. Of course, polite as any gentleman, he would

help her fill it back up, but his heart was already lost to another: the

Princess, daughter of the King he foresworn himself to." Her eyes glazed over as

she fell deep into the story. She stared at the flickering flames of the fire as

they dance playfully, appearing to reach up to the sky yet never succeeding in

getting there.

Switching from the fire to Mamoru, she shook her head when saying, "It wasn't a

secret. They saw no point in keeping their love for each other a secret. And

although the King wasn't for it, he did no more to end their courting than

anyone else in the kingdom. Except one." Her eyes burned, angry, her fists

clenching at her sides. "She wasn't a witch, nor was she a goddess, but she had

power more evil than the hells' and a quick temper to go with it. Being in love

with the golden warrior, she came down from her place in the sky to tempt him

from his princess with potions of Belladonna and scents of Jasmine. Jealousy

controlled her when he paid no mind to her, loyal to his love for what he

pledged would be eternity. Knowing no love spell would work, the sorceress

whispered into his dreams at night that the Princess wasn't loyal, having

affairs with other men when he went out to war."

 

Her jaw moved as she stood beside Usagi, her gaze piercing Mamoru's, then

flowing over the children. "He was convinced that his dream was right. He

started to see the looks the Princess was giving towards other men, and despised

the way she laughed at their humorless jokes and give them discreet little

touches on the shoulder. Never once did he give thought to the lack of intimacy

in those touches, neither did he give thought to the similar way he was with

women. One day," her voice continued softly, slowly, "he accused her of the

adulterous crime, demanded an explanation. Despite her denials, he left her

before going off into battle.

"The last words both of them had spoken were in vain. His accusations battled

against her cries and pleas of desperation." Chiyo's voice trembled, broke. Her

hands wavered and her body seemingly slumped. "She couldn't convince him that

there had never been anybody but him. Never." She shook her head denying the

story. "And as she lay at the window of her chamber so many weeks after, her

cheek lying against her arm, she felt her soul torn apart as the one she loved,

the magnificent warrior was killed in battle." Chiyo continued her story, her

voice more than eerily soft. "She, too, died that day. And because the golden

guardian, even after hearing of his love's betrayal, did not return the

Sorceress's, she cursed both their broken souls to wander on without one another

forever." Heaving a sigh, she breathed in the air that smelled of smoking wood

and wilderness. "And no one ever knew what killed the princess the day her

warrior died. Yet her soul still lives there, in that same very tower, waiting."

Her eyes flickered over the group. "Mourning, dying again and again. It was her

curse. And his."

Chiyo's eyes turned to Usagi's. Locked on them. "True love was never easily

given since," she told her. "Even now, three thousand years after, the ghost of

the tower works against mortals and curses their unloyal hearts be broken."

Usagi's mouth opened on a shaky breath. "Isn't there another way for her to be

happy?"

A soft smile seemed to float against Chiyo's mouth. "There's always another

way." Bending down, she picked up a stick and drew a line through the dirt.

"Fortunately the Sorceress's curse was not indestructible. It is only to be when

a love as pure as theirs came about on a Lunar Crescent that her soul can be

released and joined with her lover's. But," she paused to increase the tension,

"this love has to be returned without doubt, without vengeance, and just as

chaste. This, friend, is one of the greatest impossibilities of life."

"Why?"

"Have you ever known a love to be without doubt?"

Not knowing how to respond, not so sure how to reassure, she stayed silent.

Chiyo smiled, and her smile was so sad. "I didn't think so." Calmly, she took

her seat back beside Mamoru and folded her hands. Her gaze kept still on her

lap, unwilling to meet all the eyes that were evened on her.

"Does..." Usagi's voice almost broke, abruptly dry. She cleared her throat,

starting again. "Did the man, the warrior, ever know about the falseness of her

disloyalty?"

Chiyo's head snapped up, and her eyes shone with a surprise that quickly

flickered away. "I don't know." Her voice had quivered before she could control

it again. Validity faded in her eyes, faded out. Usagi's stomach trembled.

Maybe she was missing something here, but a light feeling told her that

something was amiss.

Feeling someone watching her, Usagi's eyes turned and locked with midnight blue.

Her body became paralyzed, her fingers digging into the log beside her. They

both felt the punch of power as they stared at each other for a single moment,

forgetting everything surrounding them. The children were silent, unsure what to

do, and the two others had said not a word. Mamoru's body urged him to move to

her, but pride had him staying where he was. His soul, however, was...somehow

reaching out to her.

"What do think?" he asked.

"I think he has to know the truth." Usagi said after pausing a moment. "She

can't be the only one cursed, can she? She wasn't in the wrong, after all."

Masao gave a little chuckle. "You're a smart one, aren't you?"

The spell between Usagi and Mamoru was broken, and she blushed. It was the first

time anyone had referred to her as smart. "Just putting two and two together,"

she muttered.

"For once," Mamoru commented, but an easy smile bowed his lips as he

straightened and rolled his shoulders. His neck craned to the kids. "What did

you think?"

"Aw, those stories are for sissies," a boy of not yet eight said. "Girls have

germs and don't know how to play video games."

"Do too!" a girl retorted, pouting. 

"Do not!"

"Do too!"

"Do not!"

"Do to-"

A howl sounded in the atmosphere, its echo bouncing off the mountains. The kids

recoiled, the girls screeching in the process. "Wolf!" Jumping for cover, they

ran to their counselors and hid behind them. The boys, though reluctant, peeked

over their leaders' shoulders.

For most obvious reasons, Usagi didn't exactly think she'd make a good shield.

As the blood drained from her face, she put on her best mask and gave the kids a

meek smile. "I wouldn't worry too much, kids," she told them. "I don't think the

wolves come to close to humans. They're more scared of us, then we are of them."

She hoped. She really, really hoped.

"Really?" Brown eyes were wide and sincere.

"If they're scared of us, then why do they eat us?" a boy demanded. 

"Maybe if we make wolf sounds, then they'll think we're animals and won't bother

us," a girl suggested hopefully, fingering a red ringlet.

"Unfortunately," Usagi said absently, staring into the trees, "our wolf friends

have an excellent sense of smell, and would know, despite our efforts of animal

effects, that we are humans just by scent. Nice try, though." 

"Good call, Odango." 

She tried to glare. "Shut up, baka."

"Don't worry." Masao stood up, resting a hand on a child's head. "They'll

recognize our sounds and stay away. There are mostly mountain lions 'round here,

and you can only find them if you go a ways up the mountain. That's beyond our

camp's boundaries, so we have no worries." A gentle smile reached his eyes.

"Maybe we're ready to hit the sheets."

"Maybe you're right," Usagi murmured, still watching the darkness. There was

some relief spreading in her, but caution kept her spine straight.

As they departed their separate ways, Chiyo taking the left trail, Masao taking

the right, and the other two going down the center, Usagi kept close to Mamoru.

Protection was vital and, for the same reasons she loved him, she felt it when

she was with him.

He caught the way she kept inching closer and found it oddly adorable. So

subtle. "Nothing's out there, y'know."

She looked at him, then back at the trees. "Okay."

"So stop waiting for something to jump out and kill us." He kept his voice low,

taking a glance back at the kids. They weren't listening, and he wasn't really

expecting them to.

"You can never be too careful."

"Yes you can." He took her arm, pulled her closer. "Like right now. This camp is

safe, Usagi. Do you think that they would have built the camp here if it wasn't

safe?"

It was logical. "I guess not..." Blue innocence looked up at him.

"And do you think that the parents would let the kids come to this camp if they

didn't know that it was safe?"

She dug her foot into the ground, kept walking. Warmth came from his grip and

ran through her. She inched closer. "Well..." she said, doubt lacing her tone.

"And do you think I'd let anything happen to you?"

It came out, a mere slip of the tongue, but once he said it he couldn't take it

back. Truthful as that was, her eyes were filled with slight surprise and he bit

back on a wince. Of course she would think that, you idiot, he reprimanded. Did

you ever give her any other reason not to?

"No."

His eyes sharpened at her strong response, his grip tightening as if readying to

take action and pull her to him. Her hand came on the hand that clutched her

arm. 

"No, I don't." She smiled. "Arigato. I feel better."

His heart was pounding rapidly in his chest, pounding against his ribs and

threatening to jump out of his chest. What now? What was going to happen now?

Something was apparently screaming for their attention but neither knew what.

And then she was gone.

He blinked. Stopped. And looked to the place where she once stood, then tilted

his gaze down at the ripple of gasps to where Usagi suddenly dropped.

She'd fallen. She'd tripped. She sat there a moment, stunned speechless at the

ironic moment of clumsiness, then felt pain slicing at her knee. When she

glanced down she saw a small cut on her knee and felt the tears flood. And then,

as if on cue, she squeezed her eyes shut and burst into a loud cry of tears.

"Ow! Ow ow ow ow ow ow ow! My leg! I cut my leg."

Way to ruin the moment, Odango, he thought. Laughter was filling his eyes,

though, as he thought gratefully for a moment that somethings just didn't

change. Bending down to help her up, he knew that he'd never have it any other

way.

*** ***

Mamoru never knew the mornings to be so cool out in the wilderness. As his hand

touched a pine branch and he leaned on the trunk, he watched silently as the sun

started to rise over the mountains, silhouetting them as pink, yellow and blue

merged together with night. And the moon, still glowing, went down towards the

horizon while the sun began to take its place.

He breathed in, welcomed the fresh air. It was at times like this that he was

truly grateful to be alive. The past he sought to forget, already forgotten,

tended to break out of its guard and jump at him at the rare moments. Last night

had been one of those moments.

He had woken up in a cold sweat; the sheets clutched close and his sweats damp

with perspiration. The terror of the dream was still floating in his mind, and

the feeling was much too real. The panic was still skittering on his skin as he

got dressed, and he concentrated on walking it off in the early morning breeze.

It wasn't dark, he observed, nor was it quite light, so he could tell that it

was around four o'clock to five in the morning, and congratulated himself on

being an early riser, beating the Odango Atama this morning.

His eyes stopped focusing on the mountains. That swimming encounter had been

much too close, and he was afraid that if he didn't stop these oncoming swirl of

emotions he would give in to the urge to take the small rabbit and ... he wasn't

sure what he'd do, but it wasn't going to be in her best interest. So when Chiyo

had grabbed him that other day and dragged him aside, he was glad he had that

time to sort out a plan that he wasn't even sure was right. But he was doing it

for her, and in return, Chiyo said she would help him with his problem. And that

was all that mattered at the moment. If she could help him organize himself

together again, it'd all work out in the end.

Now, just to figure out how he felt about it.

"You know what they say about early risers."

He didn't jump, didn't flinch, didn't gasp in surprise at the intruder. He

recognized the voice Light, sweet, friendly, even when mad. "What's that,

Odango?"

She ignored the name once more, making an effort. He had been alone when she

spotted him as she started out of her cabin, slightly disturbed from a dream she

couldn't remember, but more so he looked lonely. Knowing the difference between

the terms, she gave into the urge to soothe, and came up next to him.

She smiled beautifully and leaned on the opposite side of the tree. "They live

longer."

He gave a breathless laugh at that. "Do they, now? And where did you hear that?"

She shrugged, looked to the horizon. "School."

Many of the things she said now happened to come from school. His ever-rising

interest and pride in her swelled again. They didn't look at each other, and

somehow they didn't need to. "What else do you learn from school."

"Not much, according to everyone."

Scars were there. She didn't realize it, he knew, but emotional scars were

there. "Not everyone. Not anymore," he murmured to himself, but spoke before she

could process it. "What are you doing up so early?"

"Couldn't sleep." That damned myth still haunted her not twenty-four hours

after. "You?"

"I could sleep. That was the problem. Look at that sky," he whispered. "Is there

anything like the morning sky?"

"I usually never wake up early enough to know."

"I'll tell you, Usagi. There isn't any other time that you get to witness what a

new day brings. Not even tomorrow will the sky be exactly like this. And it

leaves," he added, "in so little time." His brows furrowed together at that, his

lips bowed down in a frown.

"Maybe that's why they say nothing is perfect." Her eyes were amused as she

turned to him. "I didn't know you could be so deep, bakayaro. Maybe you should

take up psychology."

"Har har." 

She grinned in return, turning back to the mountains. "So what was the trouble?

Nightmares? Did you have a bad dream?"

"If I'm supposed to be insulted by that, you're very greatly mistaken."

Her laugh was soft, and made him smile. "So you did have one," she confirmed.

"What was it about?"

"I didn't say I had one," he pointed out.

"I can tell these things. You look like you had a nightmare. You know," she let

her fingers brush through her tangling hair. "You can tell me. It'll make you

feel better. It always makes me feel better."

He gave her a side-glance. "Odango, for you, it's gotta be a regular topic of

conversation."

Undaunted she angled her head his way. "Exactly. So as you've clearly pointed

out, I of all people would know that talking about it would ease the tension. I

promise, Mamoru." Her eyes were serious and intent on his. "I won't laugh."

Because he wanted to believe her, and because he wanted to release this great

ball of tension in his gut that refused to give way, he built up his strength

and let his eyes wander back to the sky. "It must have been all that talk of

ghosts and death. And love. That's what must have triggered it, but an old

memory came up. My first memory." His brow furrowed in concentration. "My worst

memory."

Usagi stayed silent when he paused, giving him time. He would continue. For as

long as she knew him, he never left anything incomplete sway loosely in the

wind.

He was grateful for it. "It was when I was six years old. My parents were

packing us up for a trip. To where, I can't remember. But I was excited and

eager as if I'd been waiting my whole life just to get there." He took a deep

swallow. "We started early in the day, but it was night when we crossed the

border, driving up a mountain. It was dark, too dark, and the road must have

been old because I remember the constant cracks and bumps that we drove over. A

curve in the road was coming up, and my mother had to turn on the overhead light

to see the map. I remember, it distracted my father for a moment, and it would

have been all right, but there was no rail at the edge that the car lights could

reflect against, and my father anticipated the turn too late. We..." He wouldn't

cry. He'd vowed long ago, shielded himself too hard to let go now. "We went

over. And I..." He let his head press against the tree's bark, turned his

upward. "I never saw them again."

Oh Lord, he had only been a child. She wanted to comfort and soothe, but knew

better. By the way he squared his jaw and fought against the tears, she knew he

didn't want sympathy and wouldn't stand for anything less. She felt that, but

more so, she felt admiration. Could she ever have possibly gone on without her

family and friends? She didn't think so.

"I'm sorry."

"It wasn't your fault."

"No. And it wasn't yours either," she said. "How strong," she continued, "you

must have been to have gone on, on your own. Especially at such a young age."

He looked at her, expecting pity. Instead, to his shock, to his delight, he saw

admiration and, for the first time, he didn't feel the slight depression

weighing him down. "I was alone."

"Not anymore." And those last words hung between them comfortably for a while.

There was no need for anything else to be said or felt but that. 

"You're right," she said after a while, staring into the distance.

"Huh?"

"The sky. It leaves quickly. Where do you think it goes?"

The feeling of release was still floating in him. "To the other side of the

world," he said dryly, grinning. "Where else?"

"That's not what I meant," she wrinkled her nose at him. "I mean the colors. You

said so yourself that they didn't stay the same. So where does this sky go, and

how does a new one come about?"

"The colors only rearrange, Odango. This sky doesn't go anywhere. It comes back,

just differently."

She sighed, slightly agitated. All good things must come to an end. "But you

said that it wasn't the same sky."

"It isn't."

"So where does it go?"

"It doesn't 'go' anywhere! It just changes!"

"I didn't mean literally, baka." She argued. "I meant figuratively. Where does

the sky go? Why isn't it always the same?"

He let out a frustrated breath. "Why is it that whenever we speak you're always

arguing with me?"

"Ah, uh-uh." She wagged her finger in front of his face. "I wasn't arguing. I

was debating. You said one thing; I said that you said another. I think," she

specified, "that it is you who is arguing with me."

"Then why," he said, "do you pursue it?"

"Because you are a kind of person who won't let anything get through that narrow

little mind of yours until push comes to shove. Since it's very unlikely that

anyone would want to push you, I will take that spot and shove, shove, shove."

She beamed. "And that is that."

"Really?" he murmured.

"That's right. And if you've got a problem with that then that's your fault."

"You think so?"

"You betcha, pal."

"How do you figure?"

That stopped her, wiped off her smug smile and turned her expression into one of

consideration. "Well...I...umm..." What was she trying to figure again? "Because

it was you who..." Who what? "Didn't I just say it?"

Mamoru watched as her tongue had darted out and stuck in-between her lips as she

contemplated. She looked much too cute right then for her own good. "You said

that it was my fault because I had a problem with it." He took a slow step

forward. "How do you figure?"

"I figure nothing," she said. When she realized that it wasn't the right answer,

she flapped her arms between them to explain. "That's not the point! You're

making this worse."

"How?"

"Because you're messing everything up. You know very well that it's your fault."

"Please," he said, "humor me."

"I do that every day, don't I?"

"Ah, I see," he replied, scratching the stubble that adorned his chin. "So

you're angry that you amuse me."

"I'd rather not be your source of amusement."

"But I can be yours?"

"You aren't my source of amusement! You're my source of..." Woah, let's not go

there, a voice cautioned, halting her words. Her eyes flashed when she met his

directly. "Stop twisting my words around."

"Now you're angry because I'm speaking honestly."

"No. I'm angry because you're upending my feelings."

"So I make you feel things."

"No!" 

 

His brow arched lazily and he pushed away from the tree. "No?" he asked slowly.

It was a challenge whether she knew it or not, one that he couldn't resist

taking up. Perhaps he wouldn't need Chiyo's help after all. "I don't make you

feel anything?"

She made a gesture to brush it off. "Of course not. Same as I don't make you

feel anything," she lied.

"Really?" He took a step closer. "Are you sure about that?"

"Why shouldn't I be?" 

"You tell me," he said at length. "I don't make you feel anything? Nothing?

Every time we meet, every time we bump into each other because you trip." He

ignored her sputter of protest. "Doesn't that make you feel at least a tiny bit

of...anything?" 

Okay, cowboy, she thought, watching his movements. She may have fallen for him,

but that didn't mean she was ready for any physical contact in that area. She

took a step in retreat, and then another when he advanced. "I don't think..."

The birds had been whistling above her a moment ago. Funny, she couldn't hear

them anymore. "I don't think so..." 

"Mhmm..." He made her nervous. Interesting.

Her back pressed up against the tree trunk. "Because...I...you..." Her mind went

hazy, her eyes turned to swirls of cloudy blue. She could hear thumping in her

head, pounding in her head. Her pulse rabbited as his hand shot out and caught

hold of hers. She fought to think, knew that he was expecting something, but the

question he'd asked was forgotten as her mind turned into rolls of jumbled

words.

He tested the waters by running his hand around her wrist, up her arm, down her

torso and hooked around her waist. When both of hers shot up and splayed over

his chest, he bent closer and saw exactly what he'd wanted to see. Desire,

wanting, expecting.

A keen sense of disappointment hit him when he couldn't see anything else in her

baby blues. Then wondered what he wanted to see that was lacking.

His breath tangled with hers. "You don't think you make me feel anything, Usa?"

His lips touched her jaw, skimmed up to her cheek. "Au contraire, little

rabbit." He laid a soft kiss just under her eye, trailed up to her temple.

"Since when, I can't remember, but ..." His lips brushed over nose, lingered.

"You make me feel all too much." His free hand came up to tangle in the silky

strings of neatly tied hair. He cupped the back of her neck.

Her breath caught, her eyes fluttered close. The beginning of day kissed her

profile and her lips part on a gasp. Her hands clutched his shirt for balance,

swayed in his direction. "Mamoru..."

"And I think that I make you feel just as much." Her body was so small in his

arms, yet fit so well. He tightened his hold. "Don't I?" His lips touched the

corners of hers, teasing her waiting mouth. Her breath was coming out in heavy

exhales much to his delight. So she wanted him, he thought, just as he wanted

her. Desired her. And that was what he wanted. That was exactly what he wanted.

Wasn't it? 

The thought began to absently cloud his mind.

He was doing crazy things to her senses. Her mind was no longer in rolling

tumbles, but clear as day. There was all of one thought floating in there, and

that was him. All him. She'd been waiting for this, she realized as she brought

him closer. And here it would come, his kiss, finally. This was real. Him, her,

this was really happening. Excitement flooded her like an open dam and instinct

had her pressing up against him. It'd be her first, and if everything worked out

the way she wanted, he would be her only.

He could have groaned at her reaction. She was so small, so responsive, making

Mamoru tighten his grip on her. And it was all so clear now that Usagi, however

naïve, wanted him back just as badly as he wanted her. That was all he'd wanted,

all he would ever want and nothing more. 

Her skin was smooth beneath his lips, and felt like satin flower petals. His

cheek rubbed against her hair lightly, lips trailing against it, and he felt her

body tremble slightly beneath his. She was so petit, so beautiful, so...

Young.

It was that very idea that had him jerking back to reality. She was young,

entirely too young to know the things that he wanted to do to her. The fact was,

he realized with astonishment, he was simply taking advantage of her. Good

Christ, barely over the age of innocence she was and he was ready to gobble her

up like an animal. Like he would any other woman. And because he knew that now,

with her, everything was different--that she was different--he had to rein in

his control, yank back on the feverous desire, and chain himself to safety. For

both him and her. Whether she had given her lips to another male or not, this

time it was with him, and, God damnit, this time it was precious. 

Because of that complex fisting feeling in his stomach reassured him of that, he

trusted it and obeyed. Easing her back, easing himself back, he gave her neck a

friendly squeeze before he let go. He watched her eyes flutter open sleepily,

confusion swimming there, and gave his safety chain a firmer hold.

What did she do?  she thought. One moment they were about to be fused together,

and the next, his warmth was gone and all that was left was the cool breeze of

morning. Struggling not to show the quick pain of loss, she let herself blink

and take out her mask of coolness. 

"Well," she said. Her voice was hoarse and she despised it. 

"I think," he began, "that I do make you feel something."

"Is that what this was about?" she asked, her voice smoothing. "To prove your

suspicions?"

Why did that sound so cruel? "To prove both of our suspicions. Don't tell me you

yourself weren't just as curious as I. And now that we know that there's some

sort of...chemistry, we can leave it at that."

"Can we? I suppose that you would know all about chemistry."

He shrugged, turned back to see the sun rising and the majority of the colors

turning to blue. "It happens when two people are attracted to each other. Don't

look so insulted, Odango Atama. Surely you should know, as we've both been

attracted to others before. It doesn't mean we have to act on it." At least, for

now.

"Oh no." But she wouldn't be just another one of his bimbos. She ground her

teeth. No way. And there was no way that she was just going to let him leave it

at something as simple as chemistry. "I suppose we shouldn't."

"Great." His shoulders sagged. She was cooperating. Now all he'd have to do was

make sure that the 'chemistry' stayed between them. "I'm glad you agree. Now,"

he motioned to the path back. "I suggest we both get some shut-eye before the

morning bell rings. It's better to be refreshed when dealing with active

children."

"Yes. Refreshed," she echoed, slowly making her way back after him. There would

be some sort of refreshing in the near future, she thought. For both of them. 

*** ***

The plan wasn't going so well. The entire five days after that morning, Usagi

had been wearing her best outfits, trying to act as maturely as possible,

avoiding all possibilities of fighting, and most importantly making him see what

a good girlfriend she could be. She may not have the best body in the world, she

reasoned, or the most beautiful face, but she was decent for a girl of almost

fifteen, and she could make him see that she had more brains that anyone ever

took her for.

Except there was one little thing in her way.

It wasn't that she didn't like Chiyo. The girl was fun to talk to, was

interesting, bright and--hey, wouldn't you know it?--a model, too! She was

eighteen, in college, majoring in Historic Anthropology and heading for

her...what did she call it? Royal Crowning? And wasn't it just the craziest

coincidence that Usagi's momentary crush was heading in just the same direction?

She wasn't blind. She could see it. She could see the bloody chemistry between

the two radiating everywhere! Sparks were flying, fireworks were bursting, and

she was sitting on the sidelines unable to help the scowl that turned her pretty

features dark. 

Yet she had no reason to hate the woman for who she was. And that was what hurt

so much. It wasn't a week ago that Usagi would have admitted to hell and back

that she'd rather be living in a lion's den than stay in the same room as

Mamoru. Little did she know that she'd been waiting for him to just look at her

all along. And it was taking her longer than forever to get him to even glance

her way for an instant, let alone fall for her the same way. It didn't take a

rocket scientist to realize that the man was avoiding her. How else could you

explain his sudden idea just two days ago of separate activities split between

two groups? At least, she thought mournfully, he didn't suggest Chiyo stay with

him and the boys instead of Masao. Men's day out. Sure. Whatever.

So she was stuck with the gorgeous brunette model, who was currently standing

beside her with a long stick, ready to be climbing up the trail, and smiling

while whistling a little tune. 

They had gone rafting on Monday. White water rafting. Which was fine in her

book, except for the fact that whenever they went around a sharp bend and

avoided hitting a bunch of jagged little rocks, Chiyo always 'somehow' happened

to fall back and right into Mamoru's arms. And he, being the perfect gentlemen,

would gallantly catch her and place her neatly beside him, just so she would

spill into his arms again. 

Tug-of-war on Tuesday. The two had managed to fall into each other then, too,

when the rope had gone slack and their side dove rapidly to the ground.

Yesterday was horseback riding. It would have been a whole lot more enjoyable if

the infamous couple hadn't suddenly disappeared, leaving Usagi struggling with

the reins and trying to sit upright on the saddle while Chiyo had her back erect

and rode gracefully with the horse's movements.

You would 'think' that those peaceful moments on Monday morning had been for

something. Was he just going to ignore it now? It appeared so.

The little...

"You guys have to be back by four o'clock," Masao pointed out. "With your

campers' sheets completed." He said, referring to their 'Birds n' Nature' guide

book they were to use in order to spot certain types of friendly winged

creatures and environmental objects.

"And we'll be able to find all of these on the list, right?" Usagi asked, eyeing

a certain bird's picture that she'd never seen before.

"I made the lists myself," he said proudly, thumping his chest in a 'manly' way,

then gave her a stunning wink. "I know that there are at least most of these

things listed on the path you'll be taking. No way will you miss a pinecone.

Besides," he handed the paper back, "these are meant for the kids, Usagi."

"Oh." She blushed, bit her lip, and cursed herself for looking stupid in front

of Mamoru again. "Right. I knew that."

"Sure, Odango Atama," Mamoru said. She was wearing the shortest shorts he'd ever

seen, he thought, and fought off the pressing thought that maybe she wore it

for--he glowered at the man beside him--Masao. Or just to torture him. Figures.

"Are you sure you're going to be comfortable in those sandals?"

She was about to reply when Chiyo laughed and stepped forward, putting her hands

on Mamoru's shoulders and giving him a playful shove. "Of course she'll be

comfortable. Won't you, Usagi?"

"Yes. I'm...after all, I'm a female."

"And females know these things." Chiyo's finger flicked at Mamoru's nose,

enjoying herself. "We have a sense of balance that keeps our feet comfortable

throughout the day. It's built in."

"Actually," Usagi corrected, "we don't. It's--"

"Now, now. This is summer and it's not the time for squabbles. Well!" She turned

her head as the children advanced down the road. "It's time to go. We should get

started as soon as possible, isn't that right, Usa? Bye, boys! I'll see you

later, Masao." Her eyes narrowed on his as his face remained expressionless, and

she followed Usagi when she awkwardly turned and made her way to the group to

pair them up.

Usagi held her hand up to the boys and waved as they headed for the trail.

Mamoru gave off his own little salute-type wave and watched until the two

disappeared into the thickening of the woods. Suddenly feeling a bit awkward, he

aimed a side-glance at Masao. "I guess it's just you and me now." The idea

didn't seem thrilling.

"Guess so."

He didn't know why the careless response had his back up, it just did. Giving a

stiff nod Mamoru headed back to the stables, ready to take his week's endless

frustrations out on a stack of hay. "Better get to it then."

"Hmm..." Masao murmured. "You know, this final option just doesn't seem as

appealing as it did when I looked at it the first time." Mucking stalls,

grooming horses, he thought dryly. What fun! 

"Never is." Mamoru commented. 

"You're right. There's always a down side to riding the animals, isn't there?"

Masao hooked his fingers in the belt loops of his jeans, feeling lazily

comfortable.

His teeth grounded. Oh yeah, Mamoru thought, there probably was an upside to

riding the mounts. Recalling what Chiyo's and his disappearance resulted in the

other day, Mamoru shoved his hands in his pockets to keep them from fisting in

front of Masao. They left Masao and Usagi alone, together, having the time of

their lives. For reasons that he was slowly coming around to, the absent of a

chaperon made him angry. Usagi wasn't supposed to enjoy the lack of Mamoru's

presence, damnit! She was supposed to be raging jealous.

But was she? No. He heard the way she kept giggling at Masao's jokes, slapping

him playfully and looking around as if it were the most innocent reflex in the

world. He scoffed. Usagi? Naïve? No way in hell.

His tone was even when he responded, "There's a downside to everything." And,

boy, did he know it.

Masao bent down to pick up a stray rock, fingering it in his palm. "Can't see

one to this camp thing, though."

"Is that so?"

His grin was lightning quick. "Well, look at the wonderful people I've met.

You," he said, tone light, "Usagi. It's a pleasure."

He hadn't mentioned Chiyo. Mamoru didn't notice. "A pleasure," he repeated,

stopping near the barn entrance, "to meet me and Usagi?"

His eyes were mysterious, more so than usual, and he tossed the rock in his hand

over his shoulder as if it were a horseshoe. For luck. "You know, Usagi is the

easiest person to speak to. It's like I've known her for years. Can't say I've

ever met anyone like her."

Mamoru narrowed his eyes. He knew that. He knew that she wasn't like anyone

else. Unique, and so special.

"She's sweet," Masao added.

Like a rose, Mamoru was forced to agree silently.

"Caring."

Unworldly so. Mamoru's heart pace thickened.

"Creative."

And no longer was he surprised. He glanced at Masao. Didn't he seem to be

getting close to the Odango?

"Beautiful."

So the man was looking. Suspicion rose. Mamoru's knuckles turned white on the

rake he took from the rack. 

"Simply everything a man would want in his life."

That was it. Dropping the rake, Mamoru whirled on Masao and pushed his back to

the barn. "Okay, I want to know what's going on between Usagi and you?"

Blocking out the shock, Masao looked up at the glinting furious blue eyes.

"What?"

"All you two have been doing lately is disappearing with each other, pairing up

with each other, giggling like a couple of school kids with secrets. Have you

touched her? I swear by all that is holy that if you have I'll--"

"Hold on, dammit!" Masao struggled out of the man's grip, but it was to no

avail, as Mamoru's clutch didn't even slacken. "What are you talking about?

Usagi and I haven't been doing anything!" he gave a mimicking glower of his own.

"Don't be ridiculous."

"My eyes don't lie to me," he growled. "You've wanted her since day one. I

haven't noticed--" A small lie, "--I haven't interfered. I didn't think there

was any need to. But now, now this has gone too far."

"Nothing has gone anywhere. Besides, Chiba," he clenched his jaw, "she's a free

woman. And she is a woman if you haven't noticed."

"So you have touched her. Where? When? I'll break you in half," he hissed

between his teeth, prepared and ready. He'd been in fights before, both physical

and verbal. He was sure that he had more experience than this man, two years his

junior. Anything for his lady. That was right, he thought, 'his' lady. Even

though he wasn't fully sure of his feelings, one thing was for sure, Usagi was

everything he wanted, surprise, surprise. And that was enough for now.

"Calm down, Mamoru. I haven't touched, but only looked. But if I did have

feelings for her? Want to touch her?, and she was willing, it wouldn't concern

you either way."

"Don't be too sure of that."

"Why? You got a thing for her, Mamoru-san?" He smirked. "The way you've been

carrying on the past week, it almost seems like you hate her."

What the hell else was he supposed to do with the irritation that was building

up in him? She was in his dreams, filling his mind, taking over his senses. It

was crazy! If she knew what he imagined doing to her, with her, she'd run away

like crazy, and stay away. He had given her a prime example Monday. It was

either yank her in his arms and ravish her, or avoid all contact with her in

every possible way until he figured out what was going on.

That didn't mean he was going to let every other guy get a shot at her.

"Think whatever you like, Masao. The fact still remains that she's out of your

reach, and will remain so even if you think otherwise. Keep your distance."

Dropping the man, he started striding? into the barn to pick up the boys.

Mucking out the stalls day. His favorite. At least it kept the muscles well

toned.

"I should say the same."

Mamoru stopped, turned. "Come again?"

"You've been so infatuated with Chiyo I'm surprised you even noticed Usagi." He

stuffed his hands deep in his pockets, determined to stand his ground regardless

of the way those cobalt eyes spit cold flames at him. He stood, shoulders

squared, unaffected.

" Chiyo and I are just friends." Invading each other's personal bubbles for

their own gains.

"Doesn't look that way to me."

Suspicion and mischievousness took on a new definition as he lazily turned

around. "Jealous?"

"You bet."

Admiring the way he didn't deny, Mamoru nodded. "Good." That was the plan

anyway. Starting his lazy whistling, he picked up a pitchfork at the side of the

barn, and hauled the silage out of the horse stalls. This, as they said, was a

man's job. "I'm glad we're on the same level with each other."

"I'll have to ask you to explain that."

The boys were already grooming and shoveling. Though they had originally groaned

at the prospect of having to clean out the stables, they seemed awfully cheerful

as they chattered back and forth, making conversation even with the horses.

Unbuttoning two buttons for the fresh waft of cool air, Mamoru bent down and

stuck the fork in a barrel of hay. Without looking back, he answered, "Chiyo and

I had a discussion after that day at the lake."

"Oh, yes. I noticed your disappearance," he muttered to himself.

"And I noticed the way you kept staring at Odango's legs. Never mind," he

muttered. "Don't just stand there, start helping." He gave an absent brush [at]

his bangs. "Here's how it went..."

A few hours later, Usagi was sitting beside Chiyo on a picnic table at a resting

place, studying the map, her tongue sticking between her teeth as she scratched

an itchy spot on her knee. "Gotta say," she began, turning to Chiyo, "I really

think we're lost."

"We're not lost!" Chiyo snatched the map away from the startled blonde, bringing

it under her own scrutiny. "We're just...not on the right track. I say we go up.

I don't think this is the resting place."

"Chiyo, we've been walking for hours! And my feet--they're adapting like you

said they were meant to. Look at them," she pointed, "they're as red as

cherries!" What would everyone think when she came home and saw scabbed feet?

They would think she went to a concentration camp instead of a summer camp is

what they would think, she confirmed. She gasped, her hands flying to her

cheeks. What would Motoki think? 

 

Wait, no, she shook her head. She didn't like him anymore. At least, not in the

romantic sense she'd thought of him in before. It was funny how the angelic

light she'd always put him in dimmed greatly into another. No longer did her

heart flutter at the thought of his face. Nor did she feel giddy and anxious at

the thought of how she would look in front of him. Instead, her pulse stayed at

that relaxing beat, and her nerves didn't dance as they once used to. All she

felt for him was brotherly affection, and was surprised that she didn't realize

it before. Deciding to ponder that for a while she waited for her new partner to

make up her mind.

"They look like red toes to me."

"It was a simile," Usagi drawled. "We're supposed to get back in an hour. What

are we going to do?"

"Walk the other way, I guess." Chiyo shrugged. "There are a lot of kids, and we

probably left tracks on our way." Sighing, she rolled the map up and gave a

small smile. "If we aren't back at the designated time then they'll probably

send someone out to find us." Sitting beside Usagi she put her face in her

hands. "Heavens, I'm sorry. I should have told you I'm not very good with maps

but," she flicked at the camp's one, "this isn't even a real one."

"Hey, look on the bright side," Usagi offered. "At least we're still alive."

A breathless laugh. "Yeah." A tint of sarcasm. Biting wit filled her as she

leaned back on the picnic bench. Taking in a breath, she asked, "But for how

long?"

"So pessimistic," Usagi said with a roll of her eyes. "Well, then think of it

this way. At least we have everything on the list. Except for squirrel. We

didn't get a squirrel."

"Yeah. That's..." Chiyo searched for the word, "crazy."

"Mhm. So I guess we're going to have to wait a bit for someone to come and get

us, huh?"

"I guess so."

"Yeah."

Silence came, with the vague chattering of the kids in the background. Usually

Usagi considered herself a good people person, and socially outgoing. But now,

at that moment, she didn't quite know what to say to the woman, whom she

considered competition. Twiddling her thumbs she bit on the inside of her cheek

and tapped her foot, wondering if more time passed since their last words than

it seemed.

"So how long has it been?"

"Not even a moment."

"Ah."

Usagi ran her tongue along the edge of her teeth. "So...how has your week been

so far?"

Chiyo gave her a questioning glance. "It's been alright. Yours?"

"It's been alright."

This small talk thing wasn't cutting it for Usagi. Slapping her hands on her

knees, she rubbed them together. "Okay, I think I should say this straight out,

Chiyo-san, because it's been...bothering me all week."

"What?"

Here it goes. "What's going on with you and Mamoru?"

Instead of the astonishment Usagi was expecting, a sort of inner delight gleamed

on her features. "Nothing is, Usagi. Why would you think so?"

Maybe she should back down. Maybe she should just let the girl have him and be

done with it. It was apparent that her efforts throughout the week had been to

no effect. 

No. No, dammit, whether the girl was beautiful or not had nothing to do with it.

After all, love wasn't totally about looks or brains...really. It was about the

inner person. "Do you guys have a thing going? Are you seeing each other?

Dating? Are you dating him, Chiyo-san?"

Unconcerned, simply serene, she crossed her legs and let the rays of the sun

fill her face. "If I am?"

Her neck hairs rose at that, and the keen sense of hurt and willpower to keep

what she thought was hers bloomed inside of her. "Then I'm going to have to tell

you, Chiyo-san, that I..." Ummm... "He..." How did one girl warn another off

one's territory? A voice nagged at her, just say it straight out! A breath

whooshed from between her lips. "I'm also interested in Mamoru, and I'm going to

have to warn you." She added as some sort of back up, licking her lips

nervously. "T-that I am...I'm very skilled in the art of defense." She felt as

if the word 'LIAR' were stamped on her forehead, and painted bright red.

"Oh!" Thrilled, Chiyo sat up. "That's excellent! So am I. My father's guard

taught me when I was little. Perhaps we could practice together some time." Her

hands linked together, joyed by the thought. 

A Sweatdrop appeared. Okay, that idea was for the fishes. "Umm...well we won't

really have time. After all, camp ends tomorrow and we'll each be going to our

separate homes. Where do you live by the way?"

"Oh, I live in near the city of Toshima."

"See?" she laughed. "Long ways away. Now," she said, "you and Mamoru..."

"First, Usagi-san, let me ask you something."

That caught her off guard. The easy tone, the calm smile, the statement.

"Okay..."

"What's between you and Mamoru?"

"What's between..." she trailed off. Her feet started tingling, and the feeling

ran up her legs to her spine. "Me and ... him?"

"It's what I asked."

"Oh..." Her feet tapped together like Dorothy in the Wizard Of Oz, and she

wanted right then to close her eyes and repeat those famous words: There's no

place like home. There's no place like home. But since she didn't have any ruby

slippers, she'd have to do with what she had. "There's nothing between me and

Mamoru," she answered honestly.

"Are you sure about that?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Perhaps," Chiyo said, watching the kids play jacks, "you should be asking

yourself that."

"Excuse me? I-I..." What? "I don't understand."

"Seems to me that you've had your eyes on Chiba-san all week. I'm an excellent

observer."

"Me? No. I don't like Mamoru like that at all." It couldn't have been that

obvious. "Are you kidding? We're mortal enemies! Why, before this week, all we

did was fight. Wherever we went it'd be like cats and dogs. We're famous in

Juuban for that."

"Exactly. Before this week. But things have changed."

She didn't like where this was going. Yanking her fumbling hands apart, Usagi

changed her position on the picnic table. "This isn't about me. This is about

you and Mamoru."

"Yes. It is. But it isn't."

"What?"

"There is nothing between Mamoru-san and I, Usagi-san." Her eyes were soft. Her

mouth curved up. "Never was. Nothing but friendship."

"Really?" Relief packed her, but at the last moment her spine went stiff again.

"I mean, sure. I suppose that's why the two of you have been spending so much

time together."

"In his case. Yes. In your case, too." At Usagi's puzzled look, Chiyo shook her

head and laughed. "You don't understand me. That's all right. I wouldn't

either." Leaning forwards, elbows resting on her knees, she look intently at the

blonde. "It worked. Our little idea. Though I think before we even started

planning it you were already hooked."

"What do you mean?" Usagi's voice was but a whisper.

"I saw it, even before he did. So I took him aside and asked him. He wanted you,

Usagi. Mamoru knew he wanted you, but never knew why. Right then, that was

enough for him, and because he thought that you hated him, Mamoru asked me to

help. And in return, he would help me."

Her? Mamoru wanted...her?? The postponed shock came all at once. She knew it in

her mind, but the message hadn't seemed to reach her body. Still, he only

'wanted' her. "Help you with what?"

Chiyo took her time answer. Looking over into the trees, she simply nodded. "You

will see."

Usagi accepted that, followed Chiyo's gaze. "So, he wants me."

"He did then. Now," she gave a little chuckle, "he wants something from you as

well."

"He does?"

"He doesn't know it yet. Either that, or he won't accept it. What he should

receive, Usagi, had been taken from him often before. As you will know," she

said, and didn't wait for a response. "But I know what you have for him, and are

ready to give."

"He already has it." Usagi responded wisely. It felt like a release to be able

to let the emotion that welled up inside of her out, trusting another to

understand. So thinking, she said, "I may be just a kid, Chiyo-san, but I love

him. And I can tell this love from lust, and somehow you can see that too."

"I can." She gave no more explanation after that. Usagi didn't ask for one.

"I don't know why he's such an idiot," Usagi grumbled, smoothing out the hem of

her top. "He makes fun of me, insults me, thinks lowly of me. It's rude! All he

drinks is black coffee, wears that awful green blazer he likes so much, and

keeps to himself while closing the rest of the world out."

"And you love those things about him."

Usagi sighed in defeat. "Yes. They're a part of him. How could I not?" Her hand

dangled at the end of her knee. "How will I approach him now?" Even though Usagi

was so sure of what she felt for him, the truth still remained that he only

wanted her. Monday morning was proof of that, and Chiyo didn't say that her

current love felt anything more. Her brows knitted. That was the problem.

Chiyo didn't answer. The kids suddenly started shrieking, and Usagi and Chiyo's

attention was abruptly snapped back to reality. A growl rose from behind and the

kids were staring over their counselors' shoulders, eyes full of fear and tears. 

Chiyo and Usagi looked at each other before turning their heads, slowly,

reluctantly, to view the source of fright. Both faces went terribly pale, froze

on the spot when they saw a large cat baring his large teeth at them.

And the teeth displayed were no doubt sharp as it growled angrily at them,

stalking back and forth, ready to pounce. Cat eyes were gleaming and its tongue

shot out and licked its lip hungrily as it stared at them.

Usagi couldn't breathe, couldn't make a sound. Not even a peep. And then a

simple whimper came out on a trembling breath and she tried to force herself to

get up, to move. But her body wouldn't listen and her eyes were stuck on the

animal as it stalked slowly. It was as if it were trying to catch just the right

moment to kill and devour. 

"Oh no..." Chiyo finally said. "I...I don't think that this is a good thing,

Usagi-san."

Usagi gulped deeply, closing her open jaw and pressing her lips together. "I

think we should...go..." I don't want to die, she repeated over and over in her

head. Please don't let me die. Willing her hands to move, she gripped Chiyo's

arm, not taking her eyes off the cat. "What do we do?"

"I don't know. I don't know." Panic covered her expression. Her hands came up to

her hair, her head shook. "The children. Calm down the children."

"No noise." Hushing them, moving from the picnic table, stalling when the lion's

ears seemed to perk at her movement, Usagi held out a hand for one of the girls

and put a finger to her lips. "Don't scream. Be quiet." She held the girl to

her. "Be very quiet. Do as we say." 

"We have to protect the children first, Usagi."

"Right." Brushing away a single tear dripping off the girl's cheek, she slowly

bent. "All of you, take the path down and head back. You'll probably bump into

someone from the camp. Don't run," she added quickly. "Go slow. Understand? Very

slow. When you're out of sight, hurry. Tell them where we are."

Beside her was a rock. Usagi reached for it, fingered it in her hand, and prayed

to God that this would work. "Okay, now. Go. Slowly." Giving them a nudge, she

stood up and faced the danger. She kept the gasp lodged in her throat. It had

moved closer, pawing at the ground. When the kids had started to leave, its eyes

followed them, it's movement started that way.

Now or never. With shaking arms she took aim and threw the rock. 

Distracted by the sudden movement the cat's eyes diverted from the children, and

it snarled as the rock hit it. Usagi grabbed at Chiyo and pulled her beside her. 

"Usagi, I don't think that was a very good idea." But she bent down to pick up

another rock.

"No, no." Usagi shook her head, pulled Chiyo back up. "Don't bend. I read once

somewhere that if you bend, the puma will think you're a four-legged animal,

it's natural prey, and will attack. If you're going to get a rock, or a weapon,

try not to bend. To them, we're not standing correctly and won't look like

prey." She leaned forward on the picnic table, picked up another rock on the

seat. "We have to make it think we're a danger to it. Make us seem bigger.

Umm..." She nudged Chiyo. "Raise your arms."

"What?"

"Please. Do it." She threw another rock, then a stick. "Back away slowly. Give

it some way to escape." Her thoughts were becoming clearer and clearer as she

took one step back, her legs kept straight. "Make loud noises. Yell. Fight back.

Whatever you do, don't turn your back, and don't run." She picked up rocks again

and again, started throwing while backing away. "It'll chase you."

"Are you sure?"

"Trust me." 

And it didn't take any more than those two words before the girls started

yelling, shouting and screaming, throwing anything they could lay their hands on

at the mountain animal.

** 

"They should have been back by now." Mamoru clicked his flashlight onto his

belt, flapping at branch that got in his way. "It's an hour past, dammit, they

should have been back."

"They must have gotten lost."

"Figures. Give the Odango a map and..." He trailed off as if that explained

everything.

"It may not only be Usagi-chan." He ignored Mamoru's sharp glance. "Chiyo isn't

that good with maps, either."

"Well, why didn't they tell us that in the first place?"

"I thought you knew Usagi wasn't good with maps."

"But I thought Chiyo was. And you didn't tell me?" he accused. "Well that's

wonderful. What if we never find them?"

A dark shadow passed over Masao's eyes, his face dropping. "Then, God have

mercy, both of us are doomed."

Mamoru had learned not to bother questioning Masao on his choice of words

sometimes. He had begun to think that the guy was kinda crazy, as if he were

holding some sort of grudge in that he couldn't get past. Some sort of

self-conflict. Shrugging off another branch, Mamoru glared. "Why didn't we just

take the path?"

"I..." Masao stopped cutting a branch with his pocketknife. "I can't say." His

eyes narrowed in thought. "Oh yes. I was following you."

"I was following you."

"And look where it got us. No matter." Masao broke another twig blocking his

way. "Let us get back to the path. Head West."

"I know where to go," Mamoru sighed, grabbing at his collar. The sky rumbled

behind them as gray clouds took over. Lightning shot from far away. "That

doesn't sound too good."

"I suggest we hurry." 

Cries came from ahead of them. Sobbing and wails from what was undoubtedly the

female group caught their ears and caused them to rush through the thick trees.

"That's them." Mamoru told the blonde, and hoped he was right. "Something's

wrong."

"Quick observation."

Darting through two pine trees Mamoru caught [sight] of running girls. Shouting,

waving his hand as they bounded down the path, Mamoru bent down and scooped one

of them up. She clung to him like a wet shirt to flesh, and her face rubbed into

the curve of his shoulder. His eyes softened, but his heart turn cold with fear.

Oh yeah, something was very wrong. 

Their counselors weren't present, and the two men noticed it at the same time. 

Trying to soothe and be direct at the same time, he rubbed the back of the

girl's neck, forcing her to face him. "Where are your counselors? Where are

Usagi and Chiyo?"

The girl only started sobbing louder, clamped her arms around his neck and

hiccupped. "I want my mama! I wanna go home..."

"Where are they?" he whispered, and then asked louder.

An older one-stepped up, rubbing fists at her swollen eyes. "There was a lion.

They said to come back."

"A lion?" Masao demanded, rubbing a hand at another's back. "Where?"

"We got lost." She toed the ground. "We went up really high and then a lion came

out and started growling at us. Usagi-san told us to go." Tears streamed down

her face. "She said they'd come after us. But they didn't. They didn't come."

She began sobbing again. Try as she might, she couldn't hold it in. She was only

a kid. And home had never sounded like so good. "We heard 'em screamin'."

Blind, white-hot fear coursed through his system, chilling him in the process of

putting the little girl back on her feet. His stomach muscles clenched together,

his heart started pounding, and his hands started shaking. He looked at Masao,

and Masao looked back. The terror was raw, hard, and he didn't think he'd ever

get his lungs working again when his thoughts went immediately landed on the

topic of death.

"We can't leave the children," Masao reasoned.

"Then stay with them."

"No," Masao caught Mamoru's arm before he could bolt away. "We'll both go.

Girls," he turned to them, pointed to the visible barn. "Another counselor is

sitting with the rest of the kids. Go there and wait. Don't move until we get

back."

Mamoru had gotten a good head start, but like the lightning that was sparking in

the sky, Masao was instantly beside him and running just as fast. He didn't

notice when he began to follow Masao, didn't wonder how the man seemed to be

choosing select turns in the trail, but could only think of Usagi.

A lion, he thought. A mountain lion. Big, dangerous, capable of killing people.

God, they could be dead, he thought in heated panic. SHE could be dead. A

strangled sound escaped from his throat as he pushed on. No, she couldn't be

dead. He wouldn't let her be dead. He didn't notice the tears falling down his

cheeks as the first drop of rain fell. He had lost two people he loved, but not

her. Never her. There were still things that they had to talk about, things he

had to explain. She had obligations, commitments! She just didn't let people

down, not even him. Didn't she understand? She couldn't die. Not now, not

without him. He needed her. He needed to be with her.

He loved her.

Her name scorched the air, and later he would realize that it came from him.

Over and over he called her name through the thick storm's rage and kept rushing

beside Masao, reaching farther. He loved her, and knew he would never love

anyone after. It hit him like a thousand bolts, but didn't slow him down, rather

it sped him up. She was his, and as long as they were together, his world would

be stable, and everything would be right.

He just had to get to her first.

"Usa!" he cried, "Usa!" His voice got stronger as both men rounded another

corner. "Usako! Dammit, Usako! Answer!" But the only sound that answered him was

the whistling rain and the coursing thunder.

She was afraid of thunder, he remembered. She'd come stumbling into the Arcade

once, drenched in rain and hair clinging to her face like a wet animal. Her face

had been so white, her eyes so wide and scared, and he hadn't been able to tell

the tears from the rain. He wanted to cuddle her then, too, he realized, but

obstinacy had reeled him back, giving way to insult again. The brave rabbit had

cried, but tried to put up a mask of hardness just for him. He didn't want that,

wanted her to cry instead. Wanted her to come and take comfort in him just as he

had taken comfort in her that one dewy morning at dawn. 

And now she might not be alive to do so.

He couldn't think of that now. Cutting off that line of thought he glanced up

and saw two shadowy figures running in their direction.

***

 

Usagi wiped at the rain, forced herself to stay calm and not cry. She had

thought she heard her name called, but had attributed it to wishful thinking.

Chiyo ran beside her, strong and able. Wishing she could be just as bold, she

looked on, catching sight of two figures racing towards them.

"Hey!" Usagi's hands shot up, waving. "Hey! Over here!"

Mimicking her, Chiyo raced forward. "Help us! Over here!" It had to be a search

group. It had to be. 

Gasping for breath, they both surged forward as the faces became clearer.

Usagi's face brightened. "Mamoru!"

He caught her as she jumped forward, and she was immediately crushed to his

chest, his face buried in her neck. He chanted her name like a prayer, vowing

never to let go of her, increasing the hold of his grip and molding their bodies

together. He could feel her panting; gulping for air, and thanked every god

there ever was, real or not, that she was alive. Alive in his arms.

"God," he whispered, pressing his face close and smelling her hair. "Give me a

minute."

"Take your time." She was taking hers. He felt so solid and warm. His embrace

felt protective and safe. At home. This was where she belonged. She felt that

familiar surge of tears that she'd been holding back for the past hour coming

forth, and kept her face pressed to his shoulder. "Mamo-chan," she sobbed. "I

need you."

"Shh." He ran a hand through her hair to soothe her as much as him. "I'm here."

She was shivering. Remembering the rain he bent down and scooped her in his arms

and turned to the other couple.

Chiyo and Masao hadn't jumped into each other's arms, he noticed. Both had run

to each other and came to abrupt halt just inches away from contact. They stared

at each other, wistfully, and stood still, neither touching. Wasn't it curious

that they seemed to want each other so much, yet stood back as if they didn't

dare? Hadn't Masao only stated a few hours earlier that he wanted Chiyo? Yes,

Mamoru frowned. Yes he did.

"We'd better get out of this rain," Mamoru called over the storm. "We'll

freeze."

Nodding, Masao stood out of Chiyo's way, and she passed just as casually.

It was after they had gone back to the heated stables to bring the children into

the main camp's cabin, not about to risk a walk to their own, that Mamoru

insisted he and Usagi stay back for a while. The fear and rage in him from the

previous scare was finally beginning to bubble up and rip out.

Usagi was wrapped in a flannel blanket, hot chocolate between her chilled hands,

and sitting on a wooden bench. A horse was nuzzling at her neck, and she leaned

her head against the animal, taking comfort. She'd seen the ice fury that still

held in Mamoru's eyes, even as he was gently rubbing her arms and keeping her

calm.

Now she knew what was to come.

Mamoru had started stalking back and forth. The only visions that were floating

in his head now were the ones of Usagi and the Wildcat. It was ridiculous, he

told himself, to be so angry at her about something she couldn't have helped.

But good Lord, it was only then beginning to sink in how close she'd came to

becoming the animals next meal. 

Throwing rocks. Chiyo announced Usagi's brilliant idea of throwing rocks at a

wild animal. Was it genius? He knew it was. Did it matter? No. He snarled. How

could she have known the cat wouldn't have gobbled her right up? 

That's what shook him to the core. Well, she was about to get the lecture of a

life-time for making him suffer as badly as he did. And was.

"What were you thinking going against a mountain lion?" He asked, steel calm.

"Do you have any idea what could have happened to you? What that animal could

have done? It's a miracle that you and Chiyo are still alive after facing a

thing like that! And the map!" He cursed magnificently. The pitch of his voice

started to rise. "Why didn't you tell me you couldn't read a map? It doesn't

take a genius to figure out which trail to take. How come neither of you could

tell you went too far?"

She shook her head. Exhausted. She was so terribly exhausted. "We got lost," she

whispered.

"Well, no kidding, Usagi! Do you know what the hell you put me through? Put the

camp through?" 

Her eyes shut. She couldn't find the will to fight. "I'm sorry."

"Is that going to change anything?" When she shook her head, he continued, "No.

No it isn't." He kicked at the boards angrily. "There were children with you.

Children!" she flinched when he took a swipe at the hay. "Girls that haven't

even begun to live. What if the cat had started to run after them?" It was the

best he could do. He words he so wanted to pour out to her, the fer that

clutched his heart so painfully, coiled inside of him. He couldn't say why, but

could only act on the need to blame. Just or not.

She felt like a child being lectured by a parent. Hated it. Despised it. Red

anger bit into her vision oh so slowly. "I knew what I was doing." Her hair was

in tangles, she observed faintly. Knotted. It'd be hard to get the knots out. 

"And threw rocks at the mountain lion. Did you learn how to do that out of a

textbook like all the rest of the things you've revealed to me? Age limits in

the sixteenth century, sewing patterns, meadows." Intending to make it sound

immature and unrealistic, he turned his back on her. 

"Yes."

 She did. God help him, he thought weakly, she took her life in her own hands by

recalling information from a textbook. What if the information had been false?

Did she ever think of that? Did she ever think of him when she thought of that

damned book? Afraid to know the answer, he faced her and leaned his back against

the wooden wall. "You did, huh? Well, congratulations, Usagi, you proved that

the quality of your I.Q is in top range. Do you feel better?"

She frowned. Wasn't she supposed to? Wasn't he impressed, even a little, that

she could take care of herself? Alarm set off like a bell in her head. Maybe

Chiyo was wrong. Perhaps the college student had gotten his intentions mixed up.

No, she couldn't have! "I--"

"So I thought." He swore again. "Do you know what the odds are of getting killed

by a mountain lion?"

"Yes. Actually, a person is more likely to get hit with lightning than--"

"Don't fucking quote statistics to me." He whirled on her, grabbed her by the

shoulders. "Don't you understand? You could have died!" That fact would never

leave his mind.

She snorted. She knew that. It was obvious enough. Usagi's fingers linked, then

unlinked. The man might be attracted to her, but as far as he was showing, that

was about all she meant to him. Still she pressed on with genuine curiosity.

"Why would you care?" 

"What do I care?" Need she even ask? Christ! "What do 'I' care? You, Usagi! I

care about you!"

It was, as far as she was concerned, the right thing to say. For now. "Well, I

care about you, too! So?"

"So!" He couldn't get the right words out. Couldn't say why... no, he could. He

could tell her a million reasons why he loved her. But the fear of rejection was

easily looming over him, and he couldn't, or wouldn't, tell her that he loved

her, and hold his heart out so easily. "That's not the point! The point is you

could have died!"

"I know that!" She pushed his hands away, stepped back. "I was there, remember?

That's all I thought about!"

"So you attacked the animal?" It was incredible. Didn't she just hear what he

said? He cared! 

"Didn't we just go through that? I knew what I was doing. Text book or not, it

saved my life, right?" She snorted. "What would you expect me to do? Turn around

and run in fright? Of course you would expect me to do that. I'm just stupid

Usagi, right? I trip on invisible cracks, make idiotic assumptions, run from

wild animals. What do I know about life?"

"Don't twist my words around."

"Why not? You do it to me all the time!"

"That's not the topic of discussion, right now, Usagi." Christ, he couldn't

think. Rubbing his temples he tried to force himself to calm down. "Can't I

trust you with yourself?"

"I never asked for your trust," she seethed. "And I can take care of myself just

fine. I don't need anybody. Most of all you." One of the biggest lies of her

life was just said, and she would surely go to hell for that.

That hurt. That would have stung if he hadn't remembered the desperation in her

words earlier. "You said differently an hour ago."

"Yeah, but what do I know, right?" She hugged the blanket tighter to herself.

Whether it was for heat or protection, she didn't know. Was Chiyo wrong? she

wondered. Could she have been lying when she told her of his affections?

"I don't think that you're stupid, Usagi."

"Just naïve and idiotic."

"For heaven's sake! I--"

But the door came open with a slam, and the wind rushed in with it, cooling the

heated air. Another counselor appeared, breathing heavily. "One of the kids is

missing."

Both straightened. "Which one?"

"A boy. Aranzi? No...Arata."

The brat who liked to run, of course. With a sigh of aggravation, Mamoru rubbed

both hands on his face. "I'll take one of the horses and look for him."

"Me too--"

He whipped around, pointed a finger at her. "You will stay put. I don't need to

be looking for two lost people tonight."

"But I--"

"Usagi! Don't try me!" Opening one of the gates, he saddled a quarter horse and

jumped on. "You had better be here when I get back, or I swear I'll throttle you

in your sleep." Digging his heels into the horse's sides he shot out of the

stables and into the turbulent night. 

For some girls, their hearts would have sighed at the romantic illusion he gave

as his form faded away. But Usagi was boiling at his order. The hell she would!

Not even bothering to put reins and a saddle on the horse, Usagi jumped on it's

back and clutched at its mane. She wasn't skilled at horseback riding, but at

least she knew how to get the horse started. She rolled her eyes. "Hyah" to hell

and back.

She felt the cold as the rain slapped at her, but didn't shrink back at it.  She

followed Mamoru up one of the trails. Determination was never her strong point,

but in the last week, with her feelings rounding around and towards Mamoru, that

was all she seemed to be. 

The horse appeared to be determined, too. At the fork in the road the mount

seemed to want to turn left, and did so. "Hey!" Usagi shouted. "No! No, stop! Go

the other way. The other way!" She tried pulling at its mane, but the horse only

reared up, then bolted faster. Were quarter horses supposed to go so fast? She

didn't think they were. After all, they weren't racing horses. Although, she

thought absently, she knew that some were put in races. And hadn't they been

called Quarter Horses since they were the breed of horse that could run a

quarter of a mile the fastest? 

Well, this was fabulous.

"Slow down!" she screamed over the rain. "Please slow down!" she wailed, kicking

at the horse's sides in an attempt to slow it down. "This was not the plan," she

muttered to herself, and tightened her grip.

Mamoru was going to be furious, she thought, hiding her face from the scream of

the wind. Her body started shaking to keep warm, and she curled in closer to the

horse's body heat. She wondered if the man was capable of homicide.

Aw, hell.

The horse balked at a log in the middle of the path, reared up again and

whinnied. With a yelp, Usagi tried with all her strength not to fall off. The

idea of the horse's hooves stomping on her was not really appealing.

Changing directions, the horse ventured off the path and through the branches of

trees. Ducking her head, she buried it in the horse's neck as the twigs poked

and scratched at her. She cried out as a sharp branch cut at her, piercing deep.

She flinched, covered her face.

And then everything stopped.

Opening her eyes, she lifted her head to find herself in a large, grassy, meadow

with yards of flowers and surrounding glossy green hills and pine trees standing

just on the edge. The horse slowed to a trot, then stopped to bend and chew on

the magnificent shine of the grass. Sliding off carefully, her hands came to

rest on the mount's back. The rain slowed to a sprinkle, and when she looked up

she was able to see all the stars in the sky.

The moon was a crescent that night, glowing through the clouds and the rain. And

everything, everything, seemed to calm down. There was no wind, she thought,

feeling her cool cheek. A minute ago there had been, the storm had been raging,

but...now...

Unintentionally forgetting about her previous mission, she blinked at the

angelic vision before her. "Celicia Meadow..." Usagi whispered. Mountains were

spread over the tops of the trees. A smile lit her face. Well, wasn't it a

coincidence that the bloody horse decided to take her to the spot she'd always

dreamed of going?

Now, if only her other dream were with her.

** **

He was currently riding his 'courageous' steed back to camp. He scowled at the

back of the horse's head . Damn thing jumped at the simple sight of an old

maple. And there he was, rain dripping off the bangs that plastered to his face,

leading the thing back to safety. Wimp. Ah well, the kid couldn't have gotten

that far anyway, and at least it had stopped raining.

The light at the head cabin was turned on. As soon as he came into view, Masao

jumped from the step he was waiting on and headed for him.

"Mamoru!"

"I couldn't find him." Mamoru jumped off the horse.

"That's because the kid was never gone." At Mamoru's look, he shook his head,

ran a hand through his messy hair. "He was hiding in the Yellow group's cabin,

the little heathen. So there's no need to worry about it anymore."

"I'm going to have to chain that kid to a tree," Mamoru muttered and took the

horse's reins. "Okay then. I'll put this animal back and get Usagi. Be back in a

mo--"

"You won't find her there."

Mamoru stopped in his tracks, turned back. "I beg your pardon?"

"She went after you." When Mamoru cursed softly under his breath, Masao grinned

in amusement. "Gotta say, when the girl's got a thought in her head, it takes

more than a lot to get it out."

"You've got that right."

"You shouldn't worry about it though." Masao's eyes were soft and serene. "It

stopped raining and the atmosphere is warm. She couldn't have gotten very far

either."

"I'll go look for her."

"Wait." Catching up to Mamoru, Masao pressed the map in his hand. "You'll know

where to find her," he told him, his tone low and quiet. Turning on his heel, he

walked calmly to the cabin. On the inside, his nerves were blazing and his

stomach rolled in expectation. He felt Mamoru watch him up to the minute he shut

the door. Leaning back on it, he closed his eyes.

It was their last chance.

** **

Usagi had lain herself on what seemed to be a blanket. Her arms were spread out,

and the grass had dried, as it never rained; yet she felt a coolness at the back

of her neck, brushing against her skin. The blades of the grass was what it

probably was, but she paid no mind to the thought as she rolled her head to the

side. Her mount hadn't strayed as she expected. No, it simply stayed put and

roamed the meadow as if it was it's destination from the start. Could horses

have destinations?

She breathed in. The air smelled like strawberries. Her eyes fluttered close as

she reveled in the scent, fresh and real. She felt like she could stay there

forever and be content. Sleep there forever like a fairytale character, and be

whole.

But could she be whole? It seemed impossible without her other half, and her

other half wasn't there. It hadn't occurred to her when she had started

referring to Mamoru as her soul mate, but the title felt right. So insanely

right. And she wondered if he had returned to the camp yet. Was he looking for

her?

What if he wasn't?

What if he was?

A thumping that seemed to pound from under the ground approached. A movement

caught the corner of her eye and she turned her head in time to see the man in

question jump off his own steed and stand there. Her brow furrowed when he

didn't move.

***

There was something mystical about this place, but he couldn't say what. The

moon was bright, brighter than any he'd seen, and the stars, Lord! He'd never

seen so many. Everything had become so vivid that he was stunned at its beauty. 

And in the middle of it all, he saw her. Her hair was spread across the field,

gold contrasting against jade. Her face was so fair against the dark of the

night, the contrast vivid and outstanding. She looked fragile lying there, her

serene eyes watching him, like a porcelain princess. The anger that had been

building up in him the entire ride vanished. Like the sky, the storm in him had

come to an abrupt stop, if only for one moment, as he started slowly towards

her. An ethereal light shone down on both of them. His eyes never left hers.

And then every emotion he'd felt over that week, every feeling that he fought

violently against, seemed to burst inside him, quickening his paces, and

hardening his face as he stepped further into the serene meadow as if the meadow

itself was the cause for his emotional break. Neither of them were done talking.

Not quite yet.

"Did you know," Usagi began, turning from him and back to the sky, "that this

very meadow was named after one of the seven mythological daughters of the Greek

god, Atlas? Celicia is a variant of Celia, or Selena. The great god Zeus, one

day transformed her into the stars of the Pleiades constellation. You can see

them right now," she nodded to the sky. " That's why they call this the Celicia

Meadow."

He waited a moment, because he knew she was only postponing the inevitable. But

he began smoothly, casually. "Why," he ran his tongue over his teeth, "do you

never listen to me?"

She started linking her fingers, then pulled them apart. "Are we going to

argue?" she asked somberly, pushing herself up and bracing herself on her

elbows.

"Oh baby," he gave a ruthless laugh. "Yeah, Usagi, we're going to argue."

"We already did in the barn," she began, but he quickly cut her off.

"If you think that that was arguing, then you've seen nothing yet." He stopped

the constant pacing He needed to keep himself in check, make sure he didn't

spout anything irrational, the way he sometimes wanted to.

She nodded her head, but said, "I don't want to hear what you have to say. I was

done with your words when you left me in the stables."

"Words are words," he spat. "Which, as they say, actions so beautifully speak

louder than. And you showed that with great artistic quality today. Twice. I

don't know if I should applaud or throttle you." He eyed her, his blues eyes

glinting dangerously. "Though the former doesn't sound as tempting as the

latter." He heaved his hands through his hair. "Dammit, Usagi, I'm so angry I

don't know where to begin. A week before now? A month?" Momentum had him

spinning, half-crazed with rage twined with passion. "Maybe half a year when it

all began?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"No, you wouldn't, would you?" He shook his head. "You should never have agreed

to come with me, Usagi, for both our sakes."

"On the contrary," she seethed. "I think I did exactly the right thing."

"You're too innocent for your own good." Even as she sat there, her eyes big and

filled with fury, she had no idea what she was doing to his insides. Because of

that, he took one step back. It was only one, but both noticed. And it

represented, to Usagi, his rejection of her, and to Mamoru, his rejection of

himself. Of his feelings.

The night seemed to draw darker, and the air chilled. The grass seemed to

deaden, loosing its glossiness. In the shadows a movement flickered before it

was gone. Silence.

"Not innocent," she corrected. "You mean naïve, and stupid."

"Not stupid."

"I'm not naïve, either." The wind that kept low and soundless swept against them

in swirls, ruffling their hair and interlocking her golden strands with his

ebony. 

"But you have a tendency to be."

"Who doesn't?" The breeze didn't feel cool as it had a moment ago. Instead, the

temperature rose with her temper. "That's just who I am, Mamoru. Some people

accept it, as hard it is to believe. Motoki, my family, the girls. It doesn't

seem to bother them the same way it bothers you."

"Don't bring Motoki into this, Usagi." His breath hissed between his teeth. "You

said you cared for me, Usagi, and I know you care for him too. It may be hard

for you to understand, but a girl cannot care so equally and strongly about two

men. So don't bring him into this."

"I will if I choose," she said bitingly.

"You won't, because I'm a thread away from losing it, and you caring for me just

might ruin your chances with him," he threatened, bracing against a barrier he

didn't want to break. "I won't wait for you, Usagi. However selfish that may be,

I won't wait until you finally realize it isn't him you want. It never was."

"And never will be." How could he not see the truth when she was looking at him

with everything she was feeling? Her hands felt like birds, ready to fly away.

Yet they stuck in the same place, and fluttering nervously just the same.

Couldn't he see? She did realize it wasn't him! The pain of it was, she knew, he

didn't really realize who she was after, no matter what he said. "It's

disappointing that you, yourself, didn't realize it."

"I know what I see."

"And what do you see now?" she demanded.

"I see--" Forces were pushing him, and punch of power curled in his gut,

ordering that he say it. He said nothing. He could get rid of this ongoing urge

to spit that single phrase out, lock it into the little folder entitled

'Mamoru's Problems' until it went away. The dread of refusal against his love

had too strong of a hold on him and his heart. But knowing he didn't want her to

leave, his hands came up to reach out, then stalled, pulled back. Stood. 

Strain pulled at his voice, present in his tone. "Why are you doing this?" 

Sincere eyes, angel blue. "You think I could feel any other way?"

"I never though there 'was' a way."

Her calm and patience disappeared. Nerves bundled, and an anger that she

couldn't explain welled up and lashed out. But she didn't yell. Something about

her surroundings stopped her. "Are you surprised that it came from me, Mamoru?

Stunned? Shocked?"

"Don't put words in--"

"I wouldn't hold it against you," she went on. "After all, I'm nothing special.

And, like I said, if it bothers you--"

"It doesn't bother me!" He whipped, fury no longer cold bulleting in his eyes

and zoning in on her as he yanked her close to him. "And, by God, I'm bothered

for totally different reasons." If only she knew.

"Oh, well, would you mind explaining them to me? Because I'm a little bit

confused." All derision and dry as a bone, her jowls barbed up and she braced

herself, ready for anything he'd throw at her.

"Well, you're making this kind of difficult."

"That's not my problem." She pushed against his chest, struggling to be released

from his grasp. "You seem to see something in me that no one else can. I know

more than you think I do, Mamoru, whether you like it or not."

"I don't."

"Don't what?"

"I don't like it," he said, frustrated with her. With himself. He wrenched her

back, nearer to his body as if to punish her, though he couldn't say for what.

"Well that's too damn bad, Mamo--"

"I don't like," he pursued, "the fact that you know more than you should. That

the things around you have affected you. That you couldn't know happiness

without--" Me. "--effort. That you know pain, and courage. And fear." He shook

his head. "I don't like the thought that you were with a mountain lion, holding

nothing but a stick, and could have easily had your life ripped out right then

and there." Sensations were pouring into him inexorably. Everything he had been

fighting to keep inside was surfacing right in front of her. But he didn't feel

the panic he'd expected. Instead, relief.

Usagi could see his turmoil?, standing there, his hands as tender as a lover's,

yet his face thoroughly firmed. The fine lines stood out in the blaze of

moonlight, and his eyes smoldered in the dark of the night. She wanted to reach

up and touch it, to curve that face in her hand, but was much too afraid that

she'd break the magic of the moment.

Hooking her arms around her body, her face was set to rebellious mode. "I wasn't

alone, Mamoru. Chiyo was with me."

"But I wasn't." He caught her chin in his hand, took it resolutely. "I should

have been."

"I don't need a knight in shining armor. And I'm not sorry that I stood up

against a lion with anything but knowledge. It might come as a surprise to you,

so I'll try and soften the blow. I go to school, I listen and, insanely enough,

I remember interesting facts about life to help me rather than to help the

school system." She bit the inside of her cheek, her fingers tingling. The gust

was warm as a Chinook, wrapping around the two like a band and flowing through

them like liquid warm notes curling against song. 

She frowned, boring with scrutiny? into his eyes and searching for something

akin to warmth. Then gazed away. "I don't do it on purpose. Test anxiety, I

suppose...I don't expect you to believe me..."

"You should know better than that." Her feet scuffled, she watched them. A

featherlike nudge of his finger tilted her face back up. " But you didn't let me

finish."

"Finish?"

 

He couldn't resist, and placed a kiss on the corner of her mouth. When her eyes

blinked in revelation his lips curved into a mild grin. "No, indeed, you

shouldn't have come. If you hadn't, then I probably wouldn't be in this

predicament. Or I wouldn't be sunk in it quite as soon." His hand came up,

traced the outline of her face, ran down the length of if. "I meant it when I

said I cared, Usagi, and that I couldn't stand the thought of you feeling all

the horrible sensations you felt today, yesterday, every day of your life. Even

more so, I don't like the thought that you know what another's caress feels

like, what an intimate touch is like, what," his finger ran over the shape of

her lips, "a kiss tastes like."

They trembled under his fingers. Her body was frozen in place as he traced them,

never taking his eyes from hers. "No..."

"No what?" he whispered, because the atmosphere seemed to call for a lowered

voice. Above both of them, the moon seemed to glow brighter, the stars twinkling

brightly against the sky.

"No I...I've never..." She licked her lips, noticed his eyes follow the

movement. "I don't know what a kiss tastes like."

It was his turn to be surprised. "Are you kidding me?"

"Of course not. No. Why would I joke?"

She didn't see it before, he remembered, and she didn't see it now. His knuckles

grazed her skin, and he replaced them with his mouth. "Their eyes follow you

everywhere you go, you know."

Her eyes had closed. "Who's?"

"The men of our good city." She smelled like strawberries and vanilla. He

wondered if she tasted the same. "[It's] always made me want to kill them for

looking at you."

Her hands came up to grab at his shirt as a vivid skirt of thrill waved through

her. "Why would they look at me?" 

"Why wouldn't they?" he asked, pulling back a bit. "Beautiful, gorgeous. Stars

for eyes, rose petals for lips." He pecked her nose. "The nose of a fairy. The

face of an angel."

She didn't believe him. He was joking. He wanted something from her and was

trying to get it through flattery. Still, she didn't ease away. "Me?"

"You're the only one I've been watching."

"I-" She had to clear her thoughts. "No, you must be mistaken. You don't like

me."

"I don't?"

"No. You tease me, you goad me. I annoy you to no ends. You've said it before.

You were reluctant to even let me come with you."

"You didn't want to come with me." He pointed out.

Usagi's hands rose to her temples, massaging, and she stepped back. "I did.

Inside, I did. But I didn't say so because I...I wasn't supposed to. It'd have

ruined everything, and I'd have lost any chances with you." He would have

thought she'd just had some childhood crush on him, and probably would have

avoided her at all costs.

Confused, he held up a hand. "You said I owed you."

"And I still say that," she said. Her back straightened, as she stood not a

foot's length away from him. "I came with you, I helped you, and I've given you

all that I am. You must know that." What was this sensation she felt, she

wondered honestly, and where was it coming from? "In all my life I haven't felt

more selfish than I do right now, when I tell you that you've given me nothing

in return."

"I've told you--"

"It's not enough." Her eyes were swiftly brutal as they stared upon him. She

took another step back, and the moon dimmed. "You've told me I'm beautiful. You

said you've wanted me. And I've given--I'm giving right now." Her stance was

challenging though the quakes in her were full of foreboding and potential weep.

"Give me something back."

"Usa..." That single thread of emotion was fighting free and past his defenses.

The area stipulated it, alarm discarded it. It was a war struggling to an only

one way victory. "What do you want?"

Her voice was so unexpectedly sad, full of melancholy and misery. If he still

couldn't love her... "If you can't figure that out, Mamoru-san, then we

shouldn't even be here in the first place."

She was pulling away. Even though she didn't move, he could feel her pulling

away from him. No, she wouldn't. He wouldn't let her. He reached out blindly for

her hand, caught it. "I would do anything for you, Usa. Now, forever. I would

kill for you, die for you, do anything just to see you smile for me. Anything."

He was saying all the right words, she thought sorrowfully, except one.

Bitterness rose in her throat as the sky's luminosity seemed to weaken out, and

the wind seemed to stop dancing, and the grass stopped swaying for it. "Why?"

she demanded, tugging away, ready to stalk away from him, and the pain he was

throwing at her. "Because you 'care'?" The word, unlike before, just wasn't

enough anymore.

"No." He didn't move after her. "Because I love you."

And the world stopped revolving, her heart stopped thrashing, her breath stopped

gasping. All that was left were the sounds of crickets chirping, and the rush of

blood pounding in her ears. There were no words she could say that would explain

the bevy of bliss dispersing and settling in her, so much that her heart almost

burst. But her face was unruffled and tranquil.

It was out. The words were out and he couldn't take them back. Now all that was

left was her, and whatever she would take in return. "That's all I have in me,

Usako." His jaw squared, wishing it to remain sturdy. "Take it, and me. And I'll

try and make it up to you for the rest of our lives."

Usagi moved forward. Most girls might have blushed, fluttered, fumbled with the

words, and wondered if this was the right thing to do. She was certain it was,

and couldn't have been more. Holding his gaze, she said, "You love me?" because

she'd wanted to say it since the first day she'd met him.

"More than anything I've ever loved, and ever will love. It's a wonder why you

couldn't see it whenever you looked at me, I felt like my heart was in my eyes

the whole time. Even when you weren't around, you were always in me. My

thoughts, my senses." When she remained silent, a perturbed lungful of air

exhaled sharply from his mouth. "I'd give you every star in the sky if I could,

you know that. And I guess it'll take me that amount of time to prove it."

"You already have."

Her arms opened for him, and he didn't waste time pulling her brusquely against

him, much the same way he did earlier that day when he had found her in the

rain. He wouldn't let go, he vowed silently, pressing his lips to her throat. He

wouldn't risk  even releasing her for one instant.

She clung to him just as tightly, buried her face in his throat and reveled in

the protective embrace. "You're supposed to be angry."

"You're the only person who could make me angry out of fear."

Her fingers tangled in the ends of his ebony hair. "Fear?"

"It'll take me this lifetime just to get the image of you running to me in

terror out of my head." His arms grasped harder, his cheek rubbed against hers.

"God, Usako, I thought you were dead." His voice became rough and hoarse. "I

thought you were dead, and I'd never see you again."

To soothe him as much as her, she stroked the back of his neck. It was easy, she

realized, to understand his irrational behavior when it came from that sort of

fear. The cold, blind kind. "I'm okay. We're okay."

They both sunk to their knees, still tight in the embrace. His hands came up to

frame her face as he pulled away. He carefully watched her, brushed her bangs

from forehead, words clogging in his throat. After everything she still looked

as sweet as candy and innocent as a rose--with hidden thorns, he knew now. His

head dipped down, his eyes flicking to her lips, and she nudged closer to him.

They'd both been waiting for this moment. She humbled him, he thought, to offer

him what she had offered no other. And that alone gave him a quiet burst of

outstanding pleasure, to be the first, and the only--he would make sure of

this--to take from her lips.

His mouth moved in, inches from hers. His eyes were grave and open, watching her

watch him. He released on hand to wrap around her waist as he moved her up

against him, bending lower and angling his mouth. There was never a finer

moment, he knew. Still, he didn't lay his lips on hers. "Tell me, Usako," he

whispered, his lips brushing against hers. "Please tell me."

Her hand came up to rest on his cheek, her face tilting into the hand that was

held to hers, and she knew that at that moment, there wouldn't be anyone else.

"I love you, Mamo-chan," she breathed. "I'm gonna love you forever."

He closed the gap. Not fast as he'd wanted before, not rough like he imagined

many times before, but sweet and slow like he'd always waited to do his entire

life. His lips brushed hers, rubbed, then shaped them with a flick of his

tongue, watching her as he took small, smooth kisses. He watched her eyes

flutter closed, holding his breath, and when the first tremor passed through he

slowly, slowly, took her mouth a long, lingering, kiss and let himself sink.

She pressed against him, her arms wrapping around his neck. She'd wanted this,

and finally had it. And now that she had it, it was more than she had ever

dreamed about. He was sweet to the touch, chocolate in taste, and absolutely

melting. Too enraptured in him, she didn't hear her own moan move throatily from

her, opening her lips to his and inviting him in.

Bit by bit, he deepened the kiss, his tongue sliding over hers. His hand pressed

to the small of her back when he changed the angle of the kiss, dipped deeper

and lowered them both to the glossy ground. She wore no make-up, he knew, and

yet her lips tasted like strawberries, and her scent was tinted with vanilla. He

groaned into the kiss, bringing them both deeper into the heated embrace. They

were sinking, and neither cared, never wanting to let go. For here she was, at

last, in the circle of his arms, giving herself to him, as she did no other. And

he couldn't find it in himself to let go.

His name sighed from her lips, her hands moving up to his hair. Was she

dreaming? No. She couldn't be. She'd never felt a million emotions, so powerful,

fall into one. It was much too real to be a dream.

He brought their long, fervent kiss into leisurely, minute, brushes of the lips.

However unwilling, he had to reel back before he drowned. That would be, he knew

with a sly grin, for another time. When they had all the time in the world, and

forever would be a long time, why rush? 

Usagi's cheeks were flushed, her lips swollen, as she looked up at him. "I never

knew my first kiss would feel like that," she said breathlessly.

He brought them both down to lie on the grass. "It gets better," he told her.

"No matter what, no matter how many fights we have, it'll only get better from

here."

"Promise?"

"Of course." He grinned. "Have I ever steered you wrong?" At the look she gave

he shook his head. His face turned boyish, his smile sheepish, and he rolled

them over so he pinned her beneath him. "Don't say a word."

As his mouth covered hers warmly, fingers linking together, not another word was

said. Overhead the seven mythological daughters of Zeus gleamed in the night's

sky so vividly that the whole world seemed to glance up, just once, in that

instant and, in some way, felt everything click into place. And so the moon gave

off its powerful aura, and the lines of time settled together. 

And in the distance, two spirits watched. Souls finally joined. 

** **

"I gotta say," Usagi stretched her hands overhead, cocked her head to the side

to bend out an ache. "I'm happy to be going home." For one, there was more ice

cream there.

Mamoru threw their suitcases into the back of his cruiser. "Gotta say," he

winked, tanned face simply glowing, "So am I. All those days, all those kids,

all that noise..."

She let her arms fall to her side. "Don't you like kids?"

"Hell, sure I do. I hope some day to have a whole pack of 'em." The look he gave

her sent shivers running up and down her back pleasingly. "But I don't think I'm

ready for the responsibility right now." Wiping at his brow, tilting his head up

to glare back at the sun, he asked, "And yourself?" He already knew what the

answer would be.

Her features softened. "I can't wait until I have my own child."

Right on the money, he thought to himself. But said, "I thought you didn't want

to have children," he stuck his tongue in his cheek, "after that traumatizing

movie you were reduced to see."

Oh...yeah... "Well..." She blushed, her hands moving behind her back nervously.

"I think that since I'd be married, and older, and I'd love the guy, I could

grin and bear it."

"Oh yeah?" He strolled over, sliding his hands down her torso and resting on her

hips. "Love the guy, hmm?"

"Uh huh." She had to bend her head back a bit to stare up at him. Her hands

rested on his arms. "That's right. Truly, madly, deeply."

"Ah..." He subtly nudged her closer. He inclined, pressed his lips to the curve

under her jaw. "I wouldn't happen to know this guy, would I?"

"You just might..." Her hands came up and tangled in that glorious midnight hair

of his. "I think you're deeply acquainted with the man."

His lips skimmed up over her jaw, taking little nibbling bites. There was the

spot right by her ear that he favored, and tasted, enjoying the visible shudder

of pleasure. "Have a description?"

"Well," If he kept doing that, she'd most likely embarrass them both and give a

very detailed and graphic description. "He's tall."

"Mhmm..."

"Handsome. Strong features, masculine qualities." Usagi moved against him,

anticipating. "Silk hair, comely build. The best looking guy in all the world.

The one thing that drives me crazy about him is..." Her hands came down to his

face, feeling around the defined lines. Still, after the time they'd spent

together in the last twenty-four hours, she couldn't believe that she was his.

Raising herself on her toes, she moved her mouth a breath away from his ear. "He

works behind a counter in a parlor."

He was sinking into that silky, fine dusk of dreams, and would have gone down

with the ship if not for that one moment his mind processed. Jerking back, he

looked down at her. "Parlor?"

Jumping back like a bunny, she grinned evilly and shrugged with mock chastity.

"I'm a sucker for blondes."

His eyes narrowed, those strong features clenching together. He curled his

finger at her. "Usako," he started, "why don't you come here a moment."

She inched back. "Oh! Did I say something wrong?"

"Come here and say that again."

She breathed in, her eyes rolling up, amusement swimming through them. "Well, if

you really want me to--eep!" She was caught between the car and his build, her

hands coming up and falling on his open shirt. Flesh met flesh. Lips met lips.

Crushed against him, she didn't jump as she once imagined she would. The

violence of this kiss was, she grinned, too much too resist.

His tongue teased her, his teeth and mouth driving her over. Her hands were

doing crazy things to him, but he knew better than anyone else what could happen

when your memory started to fog the way his did, and your blood cheerfully

drained from your head and straight to your loins, just like this moment. He was

about to drown fast.

So, playing the game, he rested his hands on her shoulders and pulled back, but

kept his mouth light and firm on hers. "So," he continued, not breaking contact,

"you're into blonde's, hmmm? Into Motoki?" 

"Hmmm...what?"

"Motoki. You know, the guy behind the counter."

"Oh...umm..." Just give me a minute. "He..." Her lips bowed downwards. "Who?"

He gave a small chortle. "That's all the answer I need," he told her, and kissed

her again.

She took a chance, daring and curious at the same time, and nudged his lips open

again with her tongue. When she felt his tightly muscled stomach quiver against

her hand, she snapped it back, surprised.

But, carefully, he brought it back, raising his hand to her cheek, and tilted

his head for a better taste. "Just a minute..."

"'Kay." She was loosing consciousness fast, and didn't seem to mind. "Did you

say bye to Masao and Chiyo for me?"

When he gave her space to breathe, he said, "I thought you did."

"No." She stepped back when he gallantly opened the passenger door for her. "I

didn't seem them. And the lunch lady looked at me as if I were crazy when I

asked where they were."

He braced himself on the black interior. Concerned, his hand absently roamed

through her feather-soft hair. "No kidding..." Wasn't it strange that the head

camp counselor looked at him the same way, too? Making a mental note to think on

it later, he twirled a strand around her finger.

"Usako?"

"Mamo-chan?"

"Your parents aren't coming back until next week, right?"

"Mhmm. I'm staying at Rei's this week." She beamed. "Sleep over party!"

Happiness was contagious, and the excitement spilled through her and into him.

Leaning down, he gave her a butterfly kiss. "Well, seeing how that is, I was

thinking..."

Not too far off, two transparent figures stood, ghostly smiles lighting their

faces. "Do you think they'll ever figure it out?"

Masao stroked a hand down Chiyo's face. "Perhaps one day, my sweet. After all,

they've a lifetime to figure it out." 

And, as they say, they lived happily ever after. After all, all's well that ends

well. Don't you think?

*** ***

The End.