AN 1: In celebration of the brand new Sailor Moon Crystal series (which is utterly fantastic, FYI) and the newly revamped original series being released by VIZ Media, I've decide to go through my old one-shots and revamp, re-edit, and re-post them for your viewing pleasure. To save cluttering up my page with tons of short stories as I did in the past, they'll all be posted into this single story as individual, stand-alone chapters. Most of them are set within the first season and focus primarily on Usagi and Mamoru and their superhero counterparts. One or two are set within the second season. Most of them can be considered AU. Ratings vary per story, but most fall into the PG13 category, for extreme fluff. I've always been a sucker for a good romance.

AN 2: This is a story I wrote years back in honor of Usagi's birthday on June 29. It was inspired by the first season episode "Usagi Learns Her Lesson: Becoming a Star Is Hard Work" (the dubbed version). Specifically, the scene when Usagi has her run-in with Mamoru. This story is definitely AU as it sort of goes off on its own course and turns out completely different from the actual episode. There is no Sailor Moon or Tuxedo Kamen in this story, just Usagi and Mamoru. Being what they are.

What They Were
by Stormlight

This was possibly one of the worst days Tsukino Usagi had experienced in a long time, and that was saying something. Everything seemed to be going wrong, and it had all started when that stupid talent contest was announced. Of course, she'd initially been thrilled to hear that her favorite star was holding such a contest for the local population of Tokyo, and she and Naru had immediately gotten together to plan a song-and-dance routine, deciding to split the cost of entering between them with their daily allowance.

Well. That hadn't lasted very long.

Usagi pouted to herself. Was it her fault that Naru had absolutely no rhythm? And how dare she say Usagi sang like a dying goat? That was just uncalled for! And then, to top it all off, Naru had slammed out of the house and had gone to find herself another partner … who turned out to be Umino of all people. The … the traitor!

Usagi furiously kicked a stone out of her path as she strode down the sidewalk, watching as it sailed over the heads of several pedestrians before descending to neatly nip the hat off an elderly gentleman's head some ten feet ahead of her. The unsuspecting man nearly jumped out of his skin when his hat suddenly and mysteriously flipped itself off his head and landed with a plop at his feet. He stared at it for a long moment, bewilderment etched across his face, before poking at it with his walking stick (to make sure it was dead), and then bending stiffly to retrieve it. Muttering something about paying too much for bad prescriptions, the poor man continued to hobble his way home, keeping one hand on his head the entire way, just in case his hat decided to take itself for any more walks.

Usagi peered around the corner from her hiding spot in a convenient alley, blushing profusely, and decided that kicking stones on a crowded sidewalk was probably a bad idea. Sighing again, she stepped out of the alley and trudged along, radiating misery as she continued to wallow in self-pity. How could Naru have done this to her? How could she have abandoned her own best friend for that nerd boy? And now it was too late to find another partner, because all of her other friends were already paired up, and there was nobody left. Besides, the contest was being held that very afternoon, so even if she did find a partner, she wouldn't have time to practice a routine, anyway. What kind of talents did she have, anyhow, aside from wailing loudly and failing all her math tests? She sniffled and allowed a few small tears to trickle down her face, just to show the world how miserable she felt.

Yes, the day was fast going downhill, and she realized it could go even faster when she spotted the one person she least wanted to see at that moment: Chiba Mamoru.

There was no sense in hoping he hadn't seen her; his hand was already in the air as he greeted her with a friendly, "Oi, Odango!"

She squeaked and screeched to a halt, ducking into yet another alley to get away from him. Only to find—Curse her rotten luck, anyway!—her escape route came to a dead end. She scowled at the chain-link fence blocking her exit and contemplated trying to climb it; quickly decided against it when she imagined Mamoru-baka appearing just in time to see her slip and rip her clothes and give him a good peep show or something. The torment would be never-ending!

"Please don't let him come over here. Please don't let him come over here," she chanted, sliding down the wall and burying her face in her knees, as though to somehow make herself invisible. When her little brother was younger, he would cover his eyes and shout, "You can't see me!" Usagi cracked a small grin at the memory, despite the tears still clinging to her lower lashes. No matter how hard she'd tried to convince him otherwise, Shingo had thoroughly believed that if he couldn't see anyone else, they couldn't see him, either. "I wish it was true," she whispered to herself. Such a power would have come in handy right about then.

"You wish what was true, Odango?"

She squeaked and jumped, raising teary eyes to the face of her worst enemy.

Blue clashed with blue, met and locked, and a sudden, strange jolt of … something shot through her, making her breath catch momentarily in her throat.

She forced herself to breathe, shaking off the odd sensation. This wasn't the first time such an occurrence had happened. It seemed as though every time she met him, every time he looked into her eyes, that same, disorienting shock would hit her like a bolt of lightning. And curse him, anyway, but he never seemed to be affected by it at all!

He blinked down at her, as if startled by the sight of her wet lashes. "What's the matter with you?" he asked with his usual tact and grace. "I'd have thought you'd be over at that silly talent show or something. The rest of the city seems to be headed that direction."

She sputtered. "Yeah … well … maybe I just have more important things to do!"

He raised an eyebrow as if to say, "You're joking, right?" Then he dropped to his haunches and smirked at her. "You just couldn't find a partner, could you, Odango? Maybe nobody would partner with you because they know you don't have any talent."

"Go away!" Usagi shrieked. In the narrow alley, her voice was amplified, and he stumbled back with a yelp, clutching his ears protectively.

"Odango! Yell a little louder, why don't you? I'm not quite deaf yet!"

She glared at him, fighting back more tears. "I'll scream if you don't leave me alone!"

He opened his mouth, all ready with a snappy retort … and then slowly closed it again. She glared at him as he quietly studied her, watched as she rose to her feet and brushed her skirt off, preparing to leave. "Love to stay and chat, but I can think of less painful things I'd rather be doing. Like my homework," she sniffed, giving a haughty toss of her hair as she tried to walk away. However, walking away turned out to be impossible, given the firm grip Mamoru had taken on one of her long ponytails. Despite her insistent tugging, he didn't seem inclined to let go anytime soon, either.

"Let go of me," she snapped, turning on him furiously.

He ignored her, still studying her face with serious eyes. His expression softened as he seemed to realize how truly upset she was. "Where's your friend?" he asked quietly. "The red-head I always see you hanging out with? Why isn't she your partner for that contest?"

Her carefully-held mask slipped just a little before she managed to compose herself. "How should I know?" She affected a careless shrug. "Naru's probably making an idiot out of herself onstage by now."

He nodded thoughtfully, and she used his distraction to yank her hair from his grasp. She stalked away, shoulders held proudly erect, and prayed that was the end of it and he would finally get the clue hammered into his thick skull that she did not want to talk to him.

Of course he was dumber than that.

A moment later, a warm, heavy weight draped itself around her shoulders. It didn't take a genius to figure out it was his arm. She gaped at him as he strolled beside her, actually steering her in a certain direction. She tried to balk, but he was too strong, and she was forced to keep pace beside him. "What do you think you're doing, Mamoru-baka?" she hissed furiously.

"What's it look like? I'm taking you to the talent show," he replied calmly. When she tried to protest, he added, "Don't lie to me, Odango. I know you. You probably really want to see it, even if you're not in it. You want to support your friend, right?"

She blinked in surprise. How did he know that? It was true, though; even if she was mad at Naru, she still wanted to show support for her best friend. No way could she admit such a thing to him, of all people. The smug jerk was insufferable enough! "You don't know anything about me," she snapped. "Just leave me alone!"

"Sorry, Odango." He gave a dry little chuckle. "That seems to be impossible."

Usagi gaped, shocked out of further protest as he led her along the street. She should scream, she told herself. She should kick him in the shin, or pinch him or … or something. Call for the police, scream kidnapping… It'd serve him right for being so … so arrogant!

But … he meant well, didn't he? She frowned, thinking about his actions. True, she had no idea why he was so determined to bring her to her friend, or why he was sticking his nose into something that wasn't any of his business to start with. Usually, they just exchanged a few verbal blows and went on their merry way. What made today so different? But, she hadn't missed the concern in his eyes, or the way his expression had softened when he'd correctly deduced that she was truly upset over her fight with Naru. Was he… Could he actually worried about her?

She squirmed a bit, felt his arm tighten around her shoulders as if trying to pull her further to his side. And their close proximity hit her all at once, causing a deep flush to crawl slowly up her neck and into her face as she realized how it must look to the passersby, to see the two walking so closely together. Like a … a couple.

She glanced around; indeed, there were definite stares being directed their way, and most of them female. Women both young and old eyeballed Mamoru like a choice cut of steak, and several of them cast jealous, slightly-disbelieving glances to Usagi as they passed, making her flush deepen. She tried again to extricate herself from Mamoru's hold, and failed. He seemed more determined than ever to keep her close to him. When she shot him a brief glare, he merely glanced down with a small quirk of lips and warm eyes, not at all phased by the stares. He was probably used to it, the smug jerk. She pouted and focused her gaze on her plodding feet, determined to pretend he didn't exist for the next several minutes.

"Looks like quite a crowd."

His deep voice made her jump, and she looked up to find herself at the park entrance, where a large mob of people had gathered. "Where's your friend?" he asked.

She shrugged. "How should I know? And will you kindly get your arm off me?"

"But I'm comfortable like this." He flashed her a roguish wink. "Don't you think we fit together nicely?"

She gaped at him, feeling the blush burning in her face again, before hastily shoving his arm away and scrambling to lose herself in the crowd. Of course he was right on he heels. "Oh, come on, Odango," he called teasingly. "There's no shame in admitting you find me attractive!"

"When donkeys fly!" she screeched, now thoroughly flustered. What was wrong with the man, anyway? This wasn't anything like his usual teasing, and she had no idea what to make of it. She could deal with nicknames and taunts, but this all-out flirting was entirely out of her league! And he knows it, too, she thought peevishly.

She stopped when she felt him tug on her sleeve, her eyes following the direction of his pointing finger toward the large, outdoor auditorium where most park events were held. And there was Naru, practicing some of her dance moves behind the stage. A rather strange-looking girl practiced with her, and Usagi's eyes widened when she recognized who it was. She would know those coke-bottle glasses anywhere! "Umino?" she gasped.

"Who's that? Your boyfriend?"

She cast Mamoru a withering look. "Not funny. Umino is the one in that … really ugly dress." She tilted her head and examined her classmate curiously. "How in the world did Naru-chan talk him into wearing that?" she mumbled, truly awed by her friend's powers of persuasion.

"You mean … that's a guy?" Mamoru choked out, a funny expression passing over his face.

"Obviously. Why? Were you thinking of asking him out?" She smirked, ducking from the light swat he aimed at her head. "I could introduce you. I bet you'd have a lot in common! You're both major nerds, after all. A man after your own heart!" She flashed a cocky grin, ignoring his glower.

"That's enough, Odango," he growled, locking his arm around her neck in warning.

"Why? Can't take your own medicine?" she sniffed. "Not as sweet when it's being stuffed down your throat, is it?"

His lips twitched upward in a smile. "Touche," he conceded, patting her on the head. "Now go make up with your friend."

Her eyes widened. "No way! Why should I? She ditched me."

"So you had a fight over the contest." He nodded knowingly. "I kind of thought as much. Who started it?"

"None of your business," she growled.

All teasing dropped from his tone. "Usagi, when you fight with a friend, you need to fix it right away." His voice was soft, eyes serious and concerned. "If you let it fester, things may grow worse between you, and you don't want to lose her over this silly contest, do you? You need to talk to her and work things out. If you don't, you'll just regret it later."

Well, Usagi was stumped. What he said made perfect sense, and of course that made her mad. Did the man have to be right all the time?

He led her closer to her friend, stopping right in front of the red-head. Naru looked at Usagi in surprise, then cast a somewhat awed look in Mamoru's direction. "What are you doing here?" she asked, turning her back to Usagi.

"Mamoru-baka dragged me here," Usagi muttered, and jumped when she felt a sharp jab in her back. "I-I mean, I came over to wish you luck," she amended, while at the same time attempting to grind the heel of her shoe into Mamoru's foot. He grunted as she made contact, and she smiled sweetly. "Yeah, that's it. So, um, good luck, Naru-chan," she continued. "I'll root for you to win."

"Really?" Naru regarded her cautiously. "You … aren't mad?"

"Well, I was," Usagi admitted. "It was dirty of you to dump your best friend like that. But, Naru … you got stuck with Umino of all people." She grinned, her eyes suddenly dancing with humor. "How can I stay mad? I figure you brought that punishment onto yourself. It's worse than anything I could think up!"

Naru snorted out a laugh, despite herself, and jabbed playfully at Usagi's ribs. "He isn't that bad," she protested, blushing a little. "I mean … he's actually kinda nice when you get to know him."

Usagi's eyes widened. "Oh, no. It's happening!" she wailed, throwing her arms around her friend. "He's starting to melt your brain! This is more serious than I thought!"

"Stop!" Naru laughingly shoved her away. "He'll hear you!"

Usagi pulled a face. "Are you going to ask him out when this is over? Because I think that would call for an intervention." She received a whack on the head as Naru glared at her. "Okay, I'm sorry," she giggled. "But, I gotta know…" She paused, trying to look serious. "Does he sing better than a dying goat?"

Instead of laughing, as Usagi had hoped, Naru instead looked down, ashamed. "I-I'm sorry I said that, Usagi-chan," she said softly. "It was really mean, and it isn't true. Well, not much, anyway." She smiled faintly. "Will you forgive me? I don't want us to fight."

"Neither do I!" Usagi hugged her again, sniffling. "You're my best friend, Naru-chan! I won't let some silly little thing like a contest break us up."

"I hate to interrupt this incredibly touching moment, but I think it's time for you guys to do your act," Mamoru cut in, nodding toward Umino, who was frantically gesturing between them and the stage.

"Oh!" Naru pulled away and adjusted her costume. "How do I look?" Without waiting for an answer, she leaned in and whispered, "What's the deal with you and him, anyhow? Are you two going out now or something?" Her green eyes sparkled impishly.

"N-no way!" Usagi yelped, glaring at Naru for even daring to suggest such a horrible idea. "Mamoru-baka kidnapped me, that's all!"

"Really?" Naru favored Mamoru with a questioning smile. "Well, that was awfully kind of him. Giving us the chance to make up and all." She blushed faintly when he winked at her, and turned an innocent expression back to Usagi. "Don't you think so, Usagi-chan?"

Usagi blinked, realizing that she was caught between a rock and a hard place. Muttering an affirmative, she scuffed the floor with the toe of her shoe as Naru giggled and grabbed Umino's hand, pulling him onto the stage.

"There, now. That wasn't so bad, was it?" Mamoru gave Usagi an encouraging smile when she shrugged and mumbled, clearly unwilling to admit he'd been right. He drew an arm around her shoulders, and this time she didn't protest as he led her to find a seat so she could cheer her friends on properly.

Naru and Umino performed their act surprisingly well, at least compared to some of the other acts, anyway. They held most of their notes and managed to keep their steps mostly in time with each other, and Usagi grudgingly admitted to herself that they made a pretty good team. When they finished, she cheered wildly and hugged not only Naru, but Umino as well, who looked like he was about to faint at the attention.

Two performances later, right in the middle of a rather good comedy act, the police abruptly showed up. They flooded the park in a wave, and first one actor, then the other, halted in the middle of their performance and stared in astonishment as the officers swept down the narrow isles of the theater, blowing whistles and yelling orders to each other and causing general chaos among the spectators.

Two officers headed directly for the host of the show; a shifty-looking little man that reminded Usagi somewhat of a ferret. He, in turn, made a hasty beeline for the back of the stage, looking like a hunted deer, only to find his way blocked by three more officers. He looked wildly around for another escape route but was apprehended, his wrists slapped with a pair of cuffs, and led roughly away.

Amid the excited chatter of the crowd, another officer stepped up to the microphone and tapped it to get everyone's attention. "If you'll all calm down," he announced in a booming voice, "I'll explain everything to you. This pertains especially to the performers who were involved in this little set-up."

Naru and Usagi looked at each other with wide eyes.

"Involved?" Naru squeaked.

"Set-up?" Usagi questioned.

"We're doooomed!" Umino wailed in a good imitation of Usagi, clutching Naru and bawling into her shirt. "We'll go to jail for aiding illegal activities! I'm too young to go to prison! My academic record will be ruined for life!"

Usagi rolled her eyes. Really, was so much drama necessary? "Well, look on the bright side. I doubt a nerd like you would last very long with all those hardened criminals, anyway. You'll be fish-bait inside a week," she told him helpfully.

Umino just bawled louder, and Naru shot her grinning friend an exasperated glance as she led the distraught boy away, attempting to soothe him.

Mamoru watched the whole scene, shaking his head in amusement. "Was that necessary?" he teased, tossing Usagi a sidelong glance. She ignored him, turning her attention to the officer on stage.

The contest turned out to be fake, to everyone's shock. The "mastermind" behind the entire scheme was a former manager of Saffron's, who'd been fired after being brought under suspicion for embezzling funds. There'd been no solid proof, so he'd escaped a jail term, but he had decided to take revenge by using former resources and creating a fake contest under the starlet's name, thereby swindling the unsuspecting masses out of their money. He might have gotten away with it if he'd been a little smarter. As it was, all the advertising done beforehand had not helped him in the long run; it was only natural that the wrong people had noticed the fliers and billboards, and had sent out the alert for his arrest.

As the excitement finally died, people started to drift away, still talking animatedly about the hoax. Even the performers didn't seem that disappointed, being too excited over getting to witness a real, live crook being apprehended. They were given instructions on how to get their money back, and Umino was reassured by the cops that no, victims did not get thrown into prison. He and Naru collected the vouchers for their refunds, and then Naru managed a wave to Usagi before she vanished into the crowd with Umino in tow.

Usagi watched them go with some surprise—There was definitely something going on between those two!—but it was right about then that she realized the auditorium had been all but abandoned, and she was alone with Mamoru, sitting side-by-side on one of the benches in front of the empty stage.

Oh, boy.

"Well," she said uneasily, as discomfort abruptly kicked in. "That was a learning experience."

His lips lifted in a smile; she swallowed, realizing that she actually liked his smile, when it wasn't accompanied by flying insults. "And just what did we learn today?" he asked, trying to affect a stern manner despite the teasing note in his voice.

"Well, I learned to thoroughly check out any contest sponsored by Saffron from now on," she quipped, then scowled. "And I learned Naru-chan's been holding out on me. I'm gonna tie that girl to a chair until she gives me some answers next time I see her!"

"Why? Jealous?" he chuckled.

"Of Umino?" She pulled a sour face. "I'm just worried about Naru's mental well-being! I can't imagine what she'd see in someone like him. They have nothing in common! She's way too sophisticated for him. His idea of a thrilling date is going to the bug museum. Believe me, I know, 'cause he's asked me out plenty of times already."

Mamoru smirked. "Well, sometimes first impressions are wrong," he said. "Maybe she discovered something in him that she didn't see before? Maybe if you spent time with him, you'd see the same thing."

"I'd rather study." She spit out the words with a distasteful wrinkle of her nose.

He kept his gaze focused on the stage in front of him as he continued softly, "First impressions are really important, I guess. But they're also kind of dangerous, because they can give a person the wrong idea. Sometimes, we see someone act a certain way, and we think that's how they really are." His gaze shifted until it locked with hers. Again, that jolt, and her body slowly warming and her breath catching in her throat and why couldn't he feel it? It wasn't fair!

"Sometimes," he continued, "some of those people are too stubborn to try and look past the end of their nose to discover how the other person really is."

She swallowed, a slow burn of resentment heating her blood further. "I really don't need a lecture from you of all people," she snapped, bristling under his criticism.

"I'm not talking about you and Umino," he cut in. "What I meant was … the two of us."

She gaped, stunned into silence yet again.

He smiled. "Do you want to know what I learned?"

She hesitated, genuinely curious. Then she scowled, annoyed with herself. "Not really, but I guess you'll tell me anyway."

He chuckled, amused by her stubbornness. "I learned that my first impressions of someone were wrong, too. Someone I thought was just an immature, whiny, klutzy crybaby is really much more than that." He paused. "Well … to be honest, I'd figured that out a while ago, but I never wanted to admit I'd been wrong. Until now."

Her eyes went wide, and she gaped at him. Was this … an actual apology she was hearing?

Mamoru smiled weakly at her expression. "It took me a long time, but I started seeing past all your faults. It made me remember you were an actual person. You always seemed so … unbreakable. No matter what I threw at you, you always bounced right back. It was unreal. And the times you'd bother to defend yourself and insult me back … it actually hurt. It didn't seem fair that you could hurt me so easily, when I couldn't seem to touch you, and that just made me try all the harder."

She'd hurt him? Cold, immovable Chiba Mamoru? Was such a thing actually possible? "B-but I wasn't trying to hurt you," she protested. "You'd just get me so mad that I—"

"I'm not accusing, Usagi," he cut in, gently. "I deserved everything you said, and I can admit it." He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "And I've come to realize that maybe I was wrong in assuming my words never affected you. I'm sure they've hurt you plenty of times, and I have no excuse for anything I said. So, this is me, telling you that I'm sorry." His eyes met hers again, soft and pleading. "I'm honestly sorry. Do you think you can forgive me? I know I might not be as easy to forgive as Naru, but can you at least try?"

Usagi squirmed uncomfortably as a heated blush burned in her cheeks, trying to avoid his intense stare. Who was this guy? Why was he saying these things to her? Not that she didn't appreciate it, but it was just so … weird. An apology was the last thing she'd ever expect to come out of his mouth. "Well … I mean … I guess I can forgive you," she stuttered, trying to ignore the butterflies beating against the walls of her stomach. "As long as you actually mean it, I guess it wouldn't be very big of me to not forgive you after you helped me with Naru-chan and all."

His answering smile rivaled the sun, dazzling her eyes. "Thank you, Usagi." He reached out and squeezed her hand. "Naru's really lucky, you know. Friends like you are a rare breed."

She gulped, her heart skipping strangely again. It was becoming increasingly difficult to think. "Not really. You just gotta look for them," she mumbled, wondering when, exactly, the ground would open up and swallow her. This had to be a dream. And if it was, she wasn't sure she wanted to wake up. Not if it meant losing this entirely new, vastly improved, Chiba Mamoru. How could she possibly go back to dealing with the old Mamoru-baka after this?

He was silent for a moment, and Usagi watched him, wondering what he was contemplating so seriously. After a moment, he refocused his gaze on her. "This might be a strange request, but would you—" He stopped, cleared his throat. "That is, I'd like to take you for ice cream … or something … sometime," he finished lamely.

Her jaw dropped. Okay. That was it. An apology was one thing, but now he was offering to take her for ice cream? This was all the proof she needed. Chiba Mamoru was undeniably out of his mind. "Why would you want to do that?" she asked, honestly confused. "I-I mean, I'm glad you apologized and all, but I don't expect you to start hanging out with me now or anything."

"But I want to," he replied, smiling a little at her expression. "I do like you, Usagi-chan, and the more time I spend with you, the more I like you. But you're right; I really don't know you. I'd like to fix that, if you'd let me. I'd really like to get to know the real Tsukino Usagi better."

She hesitated. "When would you want to—"

"Why not now?" He gave a sheepish smile. "Well, do you have other plans? It's a beautiful day for an outing, so why not?"

Why not? Usagi could think of a few reasons, but looking into his hopeful face, she found she couldn't bring herself to name any of them. So, she gave a non-committal shrug in reply, which was apparently all the consent he needed. He flashed her a boyish grin, took her by the hand and pulled her to her feet. Well, no going back now, she thought with resignation, and allowed him to lead her away, wondering what she'd just gotten herself into.

Usagi thought, not for the first time, that she'd surely died.

It was awkward and just weird at first, to be walking around with Chiba Mamoru like a couple of … whatever they were. But as the day passed, and Mamoru didn't turn around and start laughing hysterically at how gullible she was to believe him, she found herself relaxing by slow degrees. After a time, she discovered that she was actually having fun.

As it turned out, Mamoru could be a perfect gentleman when he set his mind to it. In fact, his behavior was downright princely, and she was witnessing a whole new side to her worst enemy that she had always suspected might be there, but had never experienced firsthand before. She was coming to understand, now, what all those women saw in him. She was coming to see how appealing this person actually was. Aside from his looks (and, okay, she'd always thought he was gorgeous, even before today), his manner was courteous and kind, and he didn't make a single snide comment about her tendency to trip over nothing, or even her eating habits. Not even when she hesitantly ordered a triple-scoop, chocolate-fudge ice cream cone from the little stand in the park. In fact, he ordered the same thing for himself, and added rainbow-colored sprinkles on top. And, watching the expression of pleasure on his face as he took his first bite, she had to reevaluate her impression of him a little more. After all, how bad could a person really be when they clearly realized the significance of chocolate in one's life?

They sat at on a bench beside the lake, eating their ice cream and watching the ducks in the water. Neither of them said much, but it was a surprisingly comfortable silence. Usagi commented that the ducks' tails looked like bobbing, feathered corks as they rooted in the grasses at the bottom of the lake, which raised an amused chuckle and even an agreement from her companion. She tossed the last bit of her cone to a beautiful black swan that wandered along the shore, almost close enough to touch. The swan gave her the once-over, stuck its beak in the air, and waddled down to the water with all the grace of a newborn calf.

"Snob!" Usagi called playfully after it. Full and content, she yawned and stretched like a lazy cat, her shirt riding up to bare her stomach. She felt eyes on her, glancing over to find that Mamoru's gaze had locked onto the narrow strip of skin revealed to the warm breeze, fixated and intense. Almost predatory. Embarrassed, and feeling suddenly much more exposed than she liked, she hastily tugged her shirt down, blushing profusely. She couldn't meet his eyes, although she could still feel them on her. "What?" she mumbled. "What're you staring at?"

His smile was slow. "Nothing. I was just thinking that spending time with you has been nice. Really … relaxing." His gaze slid toward the water as she gaped at him.

"M-me?" she sputtered on a laugh, pointing to herself. "You think I'm relaxing?" She shook her head. "Don't think I've heard that one before."

He huffed a short laugh. "You don't believe me?" He cocked an eyebrow at her, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees and folding his hands to prop his chin atop them.

"Given this is coming from you … not really, no." Her wry grin took any sting out of her words. "Well, if we're gonna start confessing stuff, I might as well admit that I've been kind of impressed with you today." She blushed again at his obvious surprise and squirmed a little. "I mean, here I'd always thought you were just some stuck-up jerk who had nothing better to do than to go around making my life miserable. But now you showed me you're a real, live human, and I guess I can sort of understand why everyone else seems to actually like you. You're not such a bad guy. When you're not acting like a jackass."

A startled laugh escaped his lips. "Thank you. I think," he deadpanned.

She flashed a cheeky grin. "Anytime!"

"So…" He hesitated. "What would that make us then?"

She blinked. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, what are we? Given all these heartfelt confessions and all, and me apologizing and you accepting it, I hardly think enemies is the proper term for our relationship anymore," he pointed out.

"Hmm." She rested her chin in her hands and gazed out over the lake. A spark of hope had ignited in her chest, burning her heart painfully even as she struggled to affect an air of nonchalance. "I guess not."

"So, if not enemies, what are we now?"

She quirked a small smile. "Well, I'm no genius or anything, but I think the word you're probably looking for is 'friends'."

His gaze was steady upon her. "And … is that what we are?"

She frowned, suddenly uncertain, and shifted uncomfortably. "Well, uh, if you'd rather not be, that's okay. I mean, it's not like we have a lot in common or—"

She stopped talking when he reached over to take her hand, giving it a squeeze. "No, it's okay. You're right, Usagi." He flashed her a smile that left her breathless. "Friends is exactly the word I was looking for."

"Th-that's great," she stuttered, forcing her gaze from his. She tried hard to ignore the way her heart kept skipping around in her chest, and the heat burning in her cheeks. There was that spark again, that instant connection, the sense of belonging and recognition she felt every time she looked into his eyes. It was as if her heart kept trying to tell her something her head just wasn't ready to hear.

She shook off the feeling as she always did, but found it increasingly difficult; a steady attraction was growing, which she knew was purely one-sided. She'd always thought him handsome, but looks weren't everything and she had been able to brush aside such feelings as shallow and insignificant. Merely a teenage crush. Now that she'd seen his true personality, though, the attraction was stronger than ever, and she had no idea what to do with it, except to continue doing what she'd always done and pretend it didn't exist. Becoming friends was one thing. Why ruin it by wondering if they might become … more? She wasn't under any delusions, here.

"Something on your mind?" Mamoru's voice startled her out of her musings. She squeaked in shock, realizing she'd been staring at him quite hard; no wonder he'd noticed! She started to panic. "Uh … no … just—You have chocolate on your mouth," she stuttered.

"I do?" He sat up a bit.

"Y-yeah." She laughed, nervous and jumpy, which she knew he'd noticed. She fought to get her emotions back under control. "Right there, at the corner."

"Uh huh. And you're only telling me this now?" He shot her a mock glare.

She forced herself to smile and relax. "Well, I was actually gonna let you walk the whole way home like that. But, I figured since we're friends now and all, it'd be nicer to warn you beforehand," she replied with a flippant little wave.

"You're too kind." He shot her a deadpan glance and proceeded to scrub at his mouth with the back of his hand. "Gone?"

She smirked, her good humor returning. "Missed by a mile."

He scrubbed again, and she laughed into her hand. He fixed her with the most adorable pout she'd ever seen. "Okay, smartass. Why don't you get rid of it for me?"

She suddenly wasn't so amused. "Um, I really don't—It's just right there at the corner!" she protested weakly.

"What, afraid I'll bite?" he challenged, a playful glow lighting his eyes.

"No! It's just…" She paused, trying to come up with a good excuse to refuse. He merely quirked an eyebrow, and she huffed. "Oh, fine!" Marching to the lake, she pulled a handkerchief from her pocket, dipped it into the water and stomped back, reaching out to wipe the sticky chocolate from his mouth.

"Hey, now, that water is filthy!" he protested.

"Don't be a baby and hold still. What's a little duck poop?" she teased as he squirmed away. She made another attempt to swipe at the mess … only to find her hand captured within his, pressing her palm against a warm cheek slightly roughened with the hint of a five-o'clock shadow. Her eyes widened and her breath in a noisy gasp as the handkerchief fluttered, forgotten, to the ground.

At the sound of that sharp breath, his eyes snapped to hers, met and locked … and once again that strange connection, that sense of recognition, flooded her.

And he could feel it, too, she realized with stunned wonder. For the first time she could see the emotion churning in the depths of his dark gaze, intense and tumultuous and confused, but slowly clearing. His eyes drifted shut, releasing her from the spell, and he turned his face ever-so-slightly; just enough to press a soft kiss into the very center of her captured palm.

She squeaked, eyes going wide. What was he doing? Was he teasing her again? The feel of his lips against her skin made her heart stutter and her panting breath freeze in her throat; when his free hand gently cupped her cheek, she thought she might actually pass out. Her entire face felt as if it was about to erupt in flame. She managed to suck in another breath as his fingers traced her skin to cup her chin, and when he tilted her face to his, she decided that she was definitely in heaven.

Her eyes fluttered as the moist warmth of his lips against her palm vanished. Her hand was lowered to her side. A flash of disappointment, lasting a mere moment before his breath ghosted across her trembling mouth, and then those same lips were softly, insistently, covering hers.

She melted. All strength fled her body in a rush of intoxicating heat, and she found herself leaning heavily against Mamoru's chest, arms trapped between them with palms resting flat against his dark shirt. She could feel his heartbeat thrumming madly against her fingers. He didn't appear to mind. He gave a soft little groan, and both of his arms slid tightly around her, pulling her onto his lap. He held her protectively against him as one hand stroked up and down her back, the other cradling the back of her head.

She couldn't be in heaven, she thought dreamily as she was cuddled even closer into Mamoru's warmth. And it couldn't be a dream. If it was only that, she wouldn't be feeling so much. Which meant, as hard as it was to believe, she was actually there, being kissed thoroughly by Chiba Mamoru, who seemed determined to kiss the breath clean out of her, and doing an incredible job of trying.

Of course, they were probably getting a little carried away; after all, they were in a public park, right out in the open where anyone could walk by and see them. Somebody was bound to get into trouble for this. She really should pull away, since he didn't seem inclined to. Still, despite this perfectly logical conclusion, she couldn't seem to muster the will to pull back.

Mamoru seemed to have reached the same conclusion, however. Slowly, his deep kisses eased, and his wandering hands—which had managed to sneak up the back of her shirt to caress her soft skin—were withdrawn, to her disappointment. Their mouths reluctantly parted, drawing deep, unsteady, much-needed breaths of air as they stared at each other in rapt wonder.

He studied her, taking in her dazed expression, the half-closed eyes, her heavy breath panting between rosy, swollen lips that just begged to be kissed again, and released a little groan as he lowered his mouth to hers again. At the last moment, he regained enough control of himself to divert his aim to her neck, instead, and Usagi shuddered at the first touch of his lips against her throat. He nuzzled soft kisses into the fragrant skin, moving steadily lower in his exploration. He couldn't seem to get enough of her. "Mamoru…" she moaned, his name little more than a breathless whisper, but it was enough to snap him back to his senses with all the force of a blow to the gut.

Between one moment and the next, Usagi found herself seated on the bench, blinking in dazed surprise, while he scooted to the opposite end, his back stiff and straight as he sought to bring his rampaging hormones under control. "I-I'm sorry," he rasped, jamming his fingers through his hair. He sounded unaccountably ashamed of himself. "I'm sorry, Usagi. I … I shouldn't have—This shouldn't have happened."

She stared at him, stung. That had been, without a doubt, one of the best experiences of her entire life, and he was apologizing for it? Men really were clueless, weren't they? "Wh-why are you sorry?" She could barely force the words past the growing lump in her throat as a hot, tight little ball of disappointment settled into her stomach. She felt vaguely sick, trying to ignore the increasing urge to bolt out of there, before he said or did anything else to shatter the beautiful dream she'd somehow fallen into. She should have known it was too good to be true.

"I shouldn't have taken advantage like that," he said shortly. "I just … I lost my head." He slowly turned to face her, and seemed to realize, suddenly, how his words were affecting her. He slid closer as he sought to better explain himself. "I just can't believe that—I mean, I never realized anyone … that you—" He growled at his sudden inability to speak, running his hands through his mussed hair again. What had happened to all of that eloquence he was so proud of? His lips quirked into a wry smile, before he took a deep breath and tried again. "You know, I think I was wrong. That word. Friends?" He shook his head. "I don't think it's the right word, after all."

Her eyes widened and the leaden ball sank further into her stomach. She swallowed with difficulty, determined not to cry. At least, not in front of him. "Right. I get it," she mumbled, trying to stand, only his hand on hers stopped her.

"I somehow don't think so." His expression was … nervous. "Do you really believe friends is the right word to describe what's going on between us? During that … that moment. No, even before then. Don't tell me you didn't feel it, too. You had to have."

She was blushing profusely, tried to answer that, yes, she was definitely feeling something for him. Her words were silenced, though, when his thumb pressed to her mouth, was replaced by soft lips. She shuddered and leaned into him before he withdrew, bright passion sparking in his eyes. "I'm starting to realize that 'friends' hardly begins to describe what I feel for you," he murmured, still so close that she could feel the static heat of his lips.

"But we've only been friends for a few minutes," she pointed out, trying to think clearly around the fog in her head.

"I know," he replied.

"And before that we hated each other!"

"I never hated you, Usa," he breathed, and she felt a sharp thrill at this new nickname.

"But, you didn't like me very much."

"No. I just didn't know you. The real you. The beautiful, loving, forgiving you that only an idiot could ever dislike."

"So, you admit you're an idiot? I want that in writing," she joked weakly, trying to lighten the mood, and was rewarded with a somewhat breathless laugh. "And funny," he added, giving her ponytail a teasing yank.

"You don't have to sound so surprised about it." She wrinkled her nose, then sobered. "So, what does this make us then?" she asked on a whisper. "You say friends isn't right."

"Do you think it is?" he returned.

She lowered her gaze and, after a moment, shook her head. "But … I don't know if … more is right, either," she admitted.

"Maybe not. But it could be." He kissed her hand. "It could be so much more, if you're willing to try. It probably won't be easy. There will be obstacles, we might still argue, and maybe things won't work out. But … I'm willing to take the chance. Are you?"

She hesitated, nodded slowly, and sighed as he pulled her back into his arms. Something was definitely there. That connection, that sense of recognition which she now realized he'd felt all this time, too. Neither of them could yet define it. It reached beyond friendship, beyond passion. It was thrilling. It was terrifying. But, whatever it was, it was theirs, and it was worth taking any risk to keep it close. So they sat together on the bench, exchanging kisses and secrets, held each other as they watched the sun setting across the lake, and rejoiced in the simple miracle of being what they were.

~A Beginning~

Eh. Not sure if I'm fond of the ending. But, it'll do.