Haruka and Mamoru's Night on the Town

It was a warm and beautiful Saturday night in Japan, the kind that you just couldn't stay inside for. The lights of the Juuban District had a joyful neon glow, happy couples walked arm in arm, shoppers rushed home for dinner, and crowds of teenagers wandered the streets in joyful glee, stopping by the arcade or restaurants. However, one Mamoru Chiba, wealthy and handsome young college student living on his own in the city, was perfectly comfortable listening to Bach on his CD player while reading a recent bestseller describing the latest advancements in the field of genetics. It wasn't that Mamoru was a shut-in who studied twenty-four hours a day; he had a genuine interest in his line of study, and preferred quiet evenings at home. While his friends had frequently tried to drag him out to drink and dance and generally act like a complete fool, he had always resisted in favor of more intellectual pursuits. Dressed what he considered casually in a pressed green button-down tucked into his form-fitting black slacks, Mamoru could have made quite a statement on the town with his near-male model looks. However, he was happy to be alone tonight. It's so peaceful and quiet, he thought. It sure is nice to have an evening without Usagi around. I mean, I love her to death, but she doesn't understand things like peace. Or quiet. Or alone. He sighed and slumped further down on his couch. Feels like she's over almost every night, but now? It's just old Mamoru and his genetics texts. No choking down terrible food, no spending loads of money, no babbling about what her friends are doing, and best of all, no complaining about Chibiusa!

Just then, there was a knock on the door. Mamoru started and jumped up from the couch, dropping his book on the floor. Oh no. Oh please no. Not tonight. Not the one night I've had to myself all week. He got up and walked to the door. Opening it, he was greeting by a petite blonde high school girl with murder on her face and steam coming out of her odangos. Here we go…

"MAM-O-CHAAAN!!" squawked Usagi, her lower lip thrust out in a way that was anything but adorable. "Uh, yes, Usako?" he asked warily. "Don't you Usako me!" she snapped, kicking off her shoes violently enough to scuff the pristine white wall before storming in and landing on his couch hard enough to make the springs squeal in pain. Mamoru winced at the damage done to his apartment. What did I do now? he moaned inwardly. "Is there anything wrong?" he asked outwardly, coming over to sit beside her.

"WRONG?!" she blared, causing him to jump up from his half-seated position. "I heard an interesting story from Chibiusa today," she continued accusingly, chewing her future daughter's name the way Mamoru often chewed her cooking. "Oh… really?" asked Mamoru wearily. "She says you took her out… TO THAT NEW ICE CREAM PLACE I WANTED TO GO TO!!" she wailed, proceeding to sob like an angry toddler. Mamoru's eyes widened in alarm as he realized his fatal mistake. Oh crap.

"But… Usako honey, she was having a bad day and I wanted her to feel better!"

"Doesn't! Matter!" she snapped, helping herself to a box of tissues and a dish of candies on his coffee table, popping them in five at a time furiously.

"She failed a test!"

"Doesn't matter!"

"The teacher told the whole class!"

"Doesn't matter!"

"She tripped and fell on her lunch tray and everyone laughed at her!"

"Doesn't matter!"

"Her friends found out about that boy she likes and started chanting the K-I-S-S-I-N-G song in front of him! The K-I-S-S-I-N-G song, Usagi! That's the ultimate mortification for a girl her age!"

"I don't CARE if she was morty-fik-ated in front of her friends or whatever!! THIS IS ICE CREAM, DAMMIT!!! AND YOU! DIDN'T! TAKE! MEEE!!!"

Mamoru staggered backwards, recoiling from his outraged girlfriend, whose face now resembled a very wet, very angry tomato. "GET OUT!" she shrieked.

"Wait, what?" Mamoru stammered. "I live here! This is my-"

"GET! OUUUUUT!!!

Mamoru suddenly found himself being shoved out the door by a girl a foot shorter and 100 pounds lighter than him. By the time he turned around to address this absurdity, the door had been slammed in his face. With his keys still on top of his dresser.

*CLICK* went the lock in the door. Aw dammit, he thought. He turned around, looked up at the stars, and sighed. At least it's a nice night…