**********

Title: "Found at Last"
Rating: PG-13
Author: Hummie
E-mail: suedepony@aol.com

**********

DISCLAIMERS/AN(s): All standard disclaimers apply. I am also using the names Tapestry uses for Saffir and Esmaurade. I didn't come up with them. Thanks Tapestry! Visit her: http://geocities.com/Tokyo/Teahouse/5879

Also, double parentheses signify flashbacks. Don't forget to review!

**********

A figure with beautiful, golden hair looked out of a window. Her soft tresses cascaded about her in riveting waves. Her slender body was encased in a soft pink nightgown. Moonlight hit her at just the right angle, giving her a heavenly glow. Her clear, sky-blue eyes drifted aimlessly over the city below her.
She blinked.
Tsukino Usagi had lived in Tokyo all her life. It wasn't that she was old, but she had been living for quite a while. Usagi brought a delicate hand to her right temple. She was confused. Something was wrong with her. She didn't know what to do. She didn't know what to feel. She felt… depressed.
"Depressed?" she thought uneasily. She nodded and closed her eyes. It was true.
She didn't know why she was depressed. She usually loved this time of year. Cherry blossoms were present and there was a special aura in the air, but…
…she felt absolutely nothing.
Usagi had been in a deep depression for the past few weeks. She didn't know what was wrong with her. She mentally went over her desperate attempts to change her mood. Lord, she had tried everything from the mall, the movies, hanging out with her friends, and her mini vacation to visit her aunt in Kyoto. Nothing had helped her at all. She couldn't get over the feeling of depression that she had been experiencing lately. She was doing poorly in school and was crying for no reason most of the time. Her parents didn't worry at all. These 'stages' were expected from a teenager of sixteen. The girl opened her closed eyes, showing a clouded hue of blue.
"What is wrong with me? I usually love this time of year. Why am I so out of it? Is there something I'm missing?"
Usagi nearly screamed aloud in frustration. She realized that salty tears were flowing down her cheeks once again. Usagi looked out of her window once more.

**********

Usagi walked along the sidewalk that would eventually lead her to her school. She remembered her mother's surprised face and raised eyebrows. Usagi had actually left for school early. She held her red folder closer to her body as she sniffed the air. She actually liked to walk slowly and enjoy the scenery, but she was usually running to school for she always woke up late. Something startled her for a moment. Usagi stopped walking. She heard it again. It was her name. Someone was calling for her.
"Hey! Usagi-chan!"
Usagi turned around and smiled. It was her sweet, loyal, and brainy friend, Ami. Her dark, sapphire eyes looked at Usagi behind dark bangs. Ami had fair skin and dusky, midnight hair. 'Midnight hair' was a made-up word that Usagi had created to explain Ami's hair. Her hair was so dark, it looked like she had blue tints. Usa slowed down so that Ami could catch up with her.
"Ohayo, Ami-chan! What's up?" Usa asked.
Ami looked at her friend. Her silky blonde hair was done in a neat French braid that reached down to the middle of her back. Usagi was wearing the high school uniform that was required. Ami frowned when she noticed that Usagi's blue topaz eyes looked sad.
Ami sighed as she thought over the past weeks. She had noticed that Usa had been depressed lately. Usagi didn't talk as much as she always did. She usually chatted about some cute guy that she had seen at the mall or what fantastic foods she had eaten over the weekend. Their other friends, Makoto, Minako, and Rei, hadn't notice because they were constantly blabbing away, only interested in hearing their own tongues.
Ami smiled brightly at her golden-haired friend. "I'm fine Usagi-san, I'm just a bit disappointed with my last mathematics test score. Would you believe? I got a ninety-nine percent! I was sure I was going to get a one hundred percent," Ami replied.
Usagi sweat-dropped and nearly fell down. "Ha! She's worried about getting a ninety-nine percent instead of a one hundred percent while I'm hoping and praying to get a seventy-five percent on my next test…" she thought faintly. Usa smiled in amusement. They walked on towards their high school.

**********

Usagi massaged her temples in agitation. She was having a horrible day at school. She had zoned out of every class that she'd had so far. The teachers were disappointed with her performance and told her so in front of all her classmates. How embarrassing was that? Girls shook their heads and scrunched their noses while guys just looked at her insultingly. The bell finally rang. Usagi walked slowly towards the lunchroom. It was time for lunch, of course. She was hungry, but she didn't feel like eating. Maybe that's why she had a headache. Lack of nourishment. Usagi stood on tiptoe so she would be able look over the crowd of students that were already in the cafeteria. She spotted her friends and walked quickly towards them. She smiled falsely at them and feigned enthusiasm.
"Hey minna-chan!" she cried heartily, resulting in receiving another headache.
"Hey Usagi!" was the genuine and cheery reply from her closest friends.
Ami and Mina were pigging out on Mako's famous rice cakes. Mako had long brown hair that she pulled back in a ponytail, giving her a sophisticated look. Ruby earrings in the shapes of roses adorned her earlobes. She had beautiful, emerald green eyes. Mako was a great cook and hoped to own a chain of restaurants when she got older. Mako was a responsible, strong, and dependable woman of sixteen, but she did get incorrigible when it came to 'old boyfriends'. Usagi knew that Mako would achieve all of her goals.
Usagi grinned at the sight of her other friends, Ami and Mina. They looked absolutely ridiculous when they stuffed their cheeks with Mako's rice cakes.
Their raven-haired friend smiled mischievously, as if she had a secret. Usagi looked at her friend in appreciation and wonder. Rei was worshipped and adored by many of the guys ever since she had transferred to Juuban High. With her long dark hair and bewitching purple eyes, it was a wonder that she was single. Her violet eyes were always a-fire. Rei and Usa fought like a couple of two-year-olds, but Usa loved her friend dearly.
"I heard the most interesting gossip today," Rei informed with a glint in her eye. Rei looked delightedly at her intrigued friends. She loved attention.
"I heard that a new guy is coming to our school in a couple of weeks. I'm not sure, maybe three, but I heard that he is so totally hot! He's eighteen, which makes him a senior. The story goes that he discontinued school for three years to be with his ill mother. Isn't that so gallant? Of course, we're only sophomores in high school, but we have a great chance," Rei concluded. Her friends looked at her skeptically.
"Rei-san, do you really think we have a chance? Okay, so this guy is hot. There are tons of great looking female seniors and juniors in this school. Why should he notice us? I mean, come on! We're only sixteen!" Mina said with her mouth still full. She looked like an absolute chipmunk.
The girls couldn't believe what they were hearing. Mina didn't exactly go around school looking like a chipmunk. Mina was known to be modeling for well-known companies in and around Tokyo. It wasn't as if she was hideous or something. It was her dream to become a successful model and actress. Mina had long golden hair like Usagi. Mina and Usa were constantly being mistaken for sisters. The only difference between Mina and Usagi was that Mina had blue-green eyes, like an aquamarine, instead Usa's sky-blue ones.
Ami nodded to show her agreement. Ami slowly did the math in her head. "We only have a five percent chance that we will come into contact with this 'new guy', let alone get him interested in us. This is a big school, and he would be taking senior division classes. Not the classes we're taking," she concluded.
The group grew quiet at Ami's insight. Everyone at the table looked put down. Then Mako broke the silence and said stubbornly,
"Damnit! Who cares? If this guy is as hot as he's supposed to be, I'll look all over town if I have to. Especially if he looks like my old boyfriend, Tommy." Her friends sweat-dropped, then giggled. Leave it to Makoto to think about one of her old boyfriends.

**********

Usagi sat on her bed as she brushed her hair. Usa looked up and saw herself in the mirror. She was an attractive girl. Long blonde hair and clear, blue eyes helped. Her creamy skin was flawless. She went running every morning before school and practiced skating on the weekends. She loved running and skating because it had always helped her to sort out her thoughts. Many people, at times, had mistaken her for a twenty-year-old. She was tall and graceful from her weekly ballet lessons that she needed for skating. She was incredibly fit. She hardly had any baby fat. Usagi sighed. Perhaps she would go skating tomorrow. Then a sudden thought crossed Usagi's mind.
Maybe she needed a boyfriend.
Someone to share her feelings with. Someone who would understand. "Ridiculous!" she thought. Then sighed. She looked wistfully out her window. Many guys had asked her out and she did go out with some of them, but she never felt anything more than subtle friendship. She didn't know what to do. She turned off the light and went to bed. "I wonder what the new guy will look like…" was her last thought before drifting off into slumber.

**********
The next day at school…

Usagi met up with the group at lunch. They were chatting freely. Usa felt really out of it. She had just failed a Latin test worth thirty three percent of her final grade. Her friends knew of this and decided to try to cheer her up.
"Hey Usagi-chan, do you want to go get some ice cream after school?" asked Ami. "Our treat," she added.
Usagi knew what they were trying to do and declined. They looked at her in astonishment. Usagi would never turn down free ice cream. Usagi announced to her friends that she was going to go skating after school. Her friends looked at Usagi in wonder. They knew that she only went skating on weekdays if something was troubling her. Usa got up from the table.
"Sorry guys, I have to leave early because I have a conference with my English teacher…" Her friends watched her go. Rei, Mina, Mako and Ami looked at each other.
"Okay, what gives?" Rei questioned. "We all know that Usa doesn't go skating unless something is really bothering her."
Mina looked up with a thoughtful expression and replied, "You know what guys? She has been really quiet lately… and did you notice how she doesn't eat a thing at lunch?"
"Well, she could just be eating really big breakfasts in the morning," said Mako. "I know the feeling." She tapped her belly and smiled.
Ami shook her head.
"I live on the same street as her and I know for a fact that she doesn't eat breakfast because she is always running late to school. Although she has been on time lately."
"Well, I don't know, but we need to get to the bottom of this." A loud noise interrupted her comment. "Oh geez, the bell just rang," complained Rei. They started gathering up their belongings. Rei looked at them and added,
"All right, let's meet at the park. We definitely have to find out what is wrong with her." They all agreed and headed for their next classes.

**********
The same day…

A young man with dark, roguish hair looked out a window.
"So, this is Tokyo…" thought Chiba Mamoru as the cab drove him and his father to their new apartment.
Cherry blossoms were scattered all over the place, covering Tokyo in a pink-white blanket. Mamoru had just moved from Paris, France with his dad. They had just arrived that morning and they already loved it. They had purchased a large apartment ahead of time, before they came to Tokyo. Mamoru got out of the cab. His dad said that he had to run an errand before getting home. He gave Mamoru the keys and said that their apartment was on the tenth floor. The cab slowly pulled away.
Mamoru looked up at the building from where he stood. It was a great location. It was maybe a couple of miles from the best restaurants in the city. Of course, he wouldn't be walking the distance; he would be driving to school in the car his dad was purchasing right now. He slowly arched a dark eyebrow. He knew what his dad was doing. His dad had been interrogating him about what kind of car he wanted, and he had been reading car pamphlets. Mamoru sighed. His dad was great. Mamoru glanced around once more. The school he would be attending should be less than a mile from where he stood.
School.
He was to start school in three weeks. He had skipped freshman year due to the fact that he was a 'gifted' child. He went on towards the sophomore classes when he was just starting high school at the age of 14, but he had stopped school during the last months of his junior year when his mother became ill. She died over six months ago. Mamoru clenched the armrest in the car. He still couldn't get over the fact that she was gone. His father thought it would be good for Mamoru to finish his studies in Tokyo where he was born.
Mamoru could speak both French and Japanese. It was a good thing. He didn't have to take French in school because he had already mastered the language. He was missing one credit from his junior year though. It was because he stopped attending school when his mother got sick in the last months of the school year. Fortunately for him, the school board said that he could make up for that credit in place of the French class. He didn't have to go through his junior year again. It would have been stupid to do so.
Mamoru sighed. He had reached his destination. Mamo was sort of curious. He was standing in front of the double doors to him and his dad's new furnished apartment. But…
"How come there was only one set of double doors to the whole floor?" he thought incredulously.
Mamoru walked in and was shocked. The place was enormous. No wonder there were only one pair of doors! There was only one apartment to a floor! He had no idea that his dad had purchased such a large apartment. It had vaulted ceilings and real works of art on the walls. He saw that there was a comfortable living room in the main receiving area of the house. It was done in beige tones. The main living room was basked in yellow sunshine, which made it look warm and inviting. He looked around and found an entire sitting room done in green and ivory tones and a dining room done in gold and ivory. The decorator had a classic taste, which he and his father valued. There was a big kitchen done in beige and scarlet. There were copper pots hanging from something attached to the ceiling, but what amazed Mamoru the most about the apartment was that there were two floors!
"Two floors…" he whispered in awe.
The second floor contained another living room, but this room was done entirely in cherry wood and was of pink and beige tones. He found a study that was simply done in oak for his dad's work. The second floor also had two bedrooms and a guest bedroom. What the guest bedroom was for, Mamoru didn't know. He looked through the rooms and chose a room for his father done in blue and silver tones. His father would enjoy the color scheme. He chose the room with midnight blue and ivory hues since he fancied those colors. Also, the other room was done in peach and ivory. Mamoru wrinkled his nose.
He didn't think that he would like that one. It was a little too feminine for him.
Mamoru had no idea the place was going to be that big. He didn't know that apartments ran this big. His family was a rich one, but he didn't think that he and his dad needed two living rooms. Mamoru's father arrived at home and called for his son.
"Mamoru! Mamoru, come down here!" cried his father.
Mamoru walked down the stairs toward his father.
"Think fast." A pair of keys landed in Mamo's capable hands. Mamoru looked up and smiled.
"I got you a car, and it's downstairs. You can take it out for a spin. Just be back in time for dinner," his father told him.
His dad was the best. He ran down the last steps of the stairs and nearly toppled his father. He always got Mamoru little gifts to appease him, not that a car was a small gift. Oh bother, he just loved his dad.
Mamo smiled once more to show his appreciation towards his dad.
"Domo arigatou, dad! See ya later!" he said. Mamoru shook the keys in front of his father and headed out the double doors of the 'apartment'. Mamo looked at his watch as he waited for the elevator to reach the ground floor.

**********

Usagi walked home briskly after school. She had forgotten her skates and couldn't go straight to the ice rink after school like she had intended. She had to hurry or she might miss the bus. Usagi didn't feel like walking the ten-block distance.
The ice rink was completely empty. At this time of year, all the kids would go to a cherry tree park and have picnics or hang out. Well, there were maybe three other people, but they were working that day. Usagi greeted the ones that she knew and went on. She entered the arena and sniffed the air.
"Smells like ice…" she thought appreciatively.
Usa smiled as she put on her skates. Afterwards, she went out onto the ice. Usagi closed her eyes happily. It was so comforting to be doing something that didn't require your brain. She knew instinctively where to go. She glided over the ice easily. She opened her eyes as she began to skate backwards. She had put her hair into a bun so that it would not interfere with her vision. Golden tendrils framed her face. Her sky blue eyes looked sad, but beautifully sad. She was wearing a short white dress that she had used for her last skating competition. She had won first place. She smiled at the memory.

((Bright lights attacked her eyes… There was muffled excitement in the air. Her eyes delightedly scanned over the crowd. Spectators had come from all over Tokyo. Her family was in the stands. She smiled and waved. This was her first big competition. The Championships… Her parents and her brother waved back and yelled their encouragement.
Girls her age and older skated around her in a frenzy. Their nerves were on the brink. They wanted to skate their best to win. Usagi shook her head. "How are they going to win if they're freaking out all over the place?" she questioned in her mind.
She was up next on the ice. Well, the last actually. All of the girls had led excellent performances on the ice. Their short and long programs were impeccable, but hers had been also. She was tied for first with one of her old acquaintances, Beryl Barry.
Beryl was an obnoxious red head who had made fun of Usagi when she was first starting to skate. That was only two years ago. Beryl was nobody in Usa's eyes. She was rude and not talented at all. Beryl had been skating since she was three years of age, and she was only now advancing to the championships. It had only taken Usagi two years.
Usagi looked down at her beautiful new costume. Her parents had surprised her with the shiny outfit that morning before she had taken her morning jog. It gave her a kind of confidence. She smiled. "Watch out Beryl!" she thought with confidence.
She had competed against some of her own friends who were excellent skaters, but she had beat them all. Her performance was incredible. She did three triple jumps and two doubles. All perfect.))

Usagi entered reality and decided to try some of the jumps that she had been practicing, but only the easy ones. She didn't want to try the harder ones till she was warmed up. She glided over the ice. Then she mentally slapped herself. "Oh crap… I don't know what I am doing. I turned down my friends and told them that I was going skating today. They will be sure to be suspicious…"

**********

Mamo drove around the city. He easily found the school that he was to be attending soon. Not far from there he spotted an ice rink. Mamo was delighted. He loved to skate and joined ice skating competitions frequently. He parked his car and entered the building. When he entered the ice skating rink, there was no one in sight. He had seen many people, young and old, in a park filled with cherry trees as he drove around the city.
"I can't blame them," he thought to himself. "Those cherry trees are incredibly beautiful…"
But what he saw next made them horribly dim in comparison.
He was near the skating area. Not on the ice, but in the stands. There was a single female skater out on the ice. She skated very well. She was also incredibly beautiful. Mamoru's deep, midnight blue eyes stared after the waif on the ice. Mamo didn't think that he had seen anyone as beautiful as her before in his life. She wore a short white dress that complimented her body, especially her long, graceful legs. She had a perfect ivory complexion. She had lovely, golden hair that was pulled back in a bun with little golden curls framing her heart-shaped face. He couldn't see her eyes for they were closed, but he did see her face. She had sweet pink lips and high cheekbones that were flushed with color from the cold. She had long lashes, and then he saw them. Her eyes. The beauty of her eyes shocked Mamoru.
"Oh my god," Mamoru thought, "she has the most beautiful eyes that I have ever seen…" Her eyes were clear and an innocent blue, but… what was this? They had an inkling of sadness in them.

**********

Usagi looked up because she felt that someone was watching her. Her breath caught in her throat. It was a man. She shook her head. No, no, not a man… A guy around her age who was staring at her strangely. Usa stopped in the middle of the ice. He had been watching her skate. Usagi skated over to the guy. He, too, was wearing a pair of figure skates. Usagi arched her eyebrow.
"So, the stalker-man skates," she thought amusingly to herself.
Mamoru watched as the blonde beauty skated towards him. He flushed. He had been watching her and she knew it. Mamoru was mortified. Well, there was nothing to do except apologize. Mamoru went out on the ice and skated towards her. She stopped as soon as she saw that he was going to come to her.
"He's blushing," she thought. "How cute is that? Speaking of cute…"
Usagi looked at him. Up and down and around. He was gorgeous! He was tall, fit… and muscular. Usagi had a hard time persuading her jaw not to hang open so that she wouldn't drool all over the floor. His hair was of the same coloring as Rei's and it suited him nicely. It fell over his eyes sexily.
"His eyes," she thought. "His eyes are so… incredible…"
Usa had never been this attracted to a guy. She was getting sort of nervous as he approached. He smiled at her. He had a boyish grin that was ironical to his whole appearance for he was totally sexy.
Mamoru finally reached the mysterious girl. She was looking at him with those wonderful sky-blue eyes. He stopped a couple of feet away from her. He smiled bashfully.
"Hi," he said, "I'm sorry that I was watching you like that, but you are an incredible skater."
"And you also have an incredible body," he added slowly to himself as he looked over her once more.
Usagi blushed. "Thank you," she said gratefully and added, "I just needed a little exercise. I hadn't realized that someone else was in the rink. It was empty when I arrived." "My-oh-my is he hot!" screamed her brain. "Ok Usagi," she instructed herself, "play it cool, you don't want this total stranger to think you're odd."
"That's what I thought when I first arrived," said Mamoru, taking Usa back to reality. He cleared his throat and added, "Then I saw you…" and he drifted off.
Usagi looked up at him. He was nearly a head taller than she was. She skated towards him, and the unexpected happened. She tripped.
Usagi closed her eyes, ready to feel the impact of the hard ice. Mamoru caught her in his arms. She looked up sheepishly. Usagi had to put her arms around his waist to steady herself. Usa looked up at him and blushed. She was hugging a guy she just met. She didn't even know his name. She didn't know if he was good or bad, but she knew that he was extremely hot.
"I'm sorry," Usagi said and then she explained, "That was so ironic. The last time I lost my balance on the ice was when I was fourteen years old."
Mamo let go of her reluctantly. She was very soft and warm and cuddly. She fit perfectly against his body.
"That's perfectly all right," Mamo replied, "It could have happened to anyone."
Usagi felt all tingly. She felt very warm and then cold all of a sudden. "I was warm when this guy had me in his arms," she thought to herself. She colored and scolded herself. She had just fantasized herself in the to-die-for pose of Scarlet O'Hara when she was being kissed by Rhett Butler. Instead, Usagi was Scarlet and the devilish Rhett was this unknown. She gave her brain a mental shake. He was saying something to her.
"Are you okay?" he asked, "It seemed as if you were on another planet for a second or two…"
She gave small laugh and replied, "I think I'm a little cold. Would you like to get some hot chocolate from the Snack Place in rink?"
Mamoru accepted and went with her. They bought their hot chocolates and sat down at one of the tables located there. They started talking again as they drank their hot chocolates. He watched her as she looked at the floor.
"She is so lovely…" thought Mamoru to himself.
Usagi could feel his eyes on her as she looked at the floor. She looked up at him with her clear blue eyes.
"So…" Usagi cleared her throat. "You never told me your name."
"Oh…" Mamoru blushed uncontrollably. "My name is Chiba Mamoru, but you can call me Mamo." He looked at the beautiful young woman sitting across from him. "What's yours?" he asked her.
Usagi blushed and replied, "My name is Tsukino Usagi, but all my friends call me Usa."
They finished their hot chocolates and decided to skate again. They started out by just skating around to get the feel of the ice. They skated in the couple's position. Usagi was feeling oddly comfortable in Mamoru's arms. His strong embrace made her feel so secure, safe. Like it was meant to be.
"Impossible," said her brain. "This is just another guy who you're just going to find yourself being friends with. Nothing is going to happen."
"Oh yah?" Usagi argued with her brain. "So why am I melting in his arms?"
Usagi pulled away from Mamo. She wanted to impress him with a couple of jumps. She did a double and a two of her favorite triple jumps. Then she decided to 'wow' him. Usagi did a perfect triple lux, triple toe loop combination. Mamoru applauded after she did a final pose. Usagi was delighted. That was the first time that she had nailed the combination that she had been practicing with her trainer.
They started to slowly skate side-by-side again. Usagi could feel the hard contours of his well-muscled torso. Usagi could also feel the warmth of his body and shivered. She liked the feeling of being held in his arms. Usagi felt Mamoru let go of her. She looked towards him in confusion. He skated backwards and winked back at her. She smiled slowly at him. Mamoru began to pick up speed. He did a series of triple jumps. Usa was immensely amazed. She had no idea that he had any skating talent. All he had said while they were talking was that he came to the ice skating rink once in a while. Usa clapped enthusiastically with each jump. Usagi's heart beat faster as she watched Mamo gain speed for his next jump. Usagi had no clue what jump he would attempt next. He had accomplished each and every jump that she knew of. Usagi raised her eyebrow.
"He must have a great stamina…" she thought as she unconsciously licked her lips. Usagi blushed as an ecchi thought flew through her mind. She bit her lip as he rotated in the air. Usagi held her breath.
"One revolution… Two revolutions… Three revolutions… Four revolutions… Holy mother of God… FOUR REVOLUTIONS!" Usagi exclaimed.
Mamoru just completed a quadruple jump! She clapped furiously and skated over to the exhausted skater and gave him a bear hug. She could feel his hard muscles under his thin shirt. She was right. He had a great stamina. After all that he had done, he was only panting slightly.
"You did wonderfully Mamoru-san! I had no clue you were such a FANTASTIC skater!! I can't believe you did a quad!!" cried Usa.
Mamo smiled ruefully and replied, "Nothing to it… You're not so bad yourself… We should skate together more often." Then he paused. "Would you believe? That was the first time that I have ever made that jump. I just had this feeling that I would be able to finish it this time," Mamo finished delightedly.
Usagi chose this time to look at the arena's clock. It was seven o'clock! Usagi told her mother that she would be home by six! She didn't want to leave Mamo. She wanted to spend more time with him! Oh! What was she to do? Usagi decided that it would be better to get home as soon as possible.
"Mamoru," started Usagi, "I need to go home right away. I hadn't anticipated in staying at the rink this long… Maybe we could get together another time?" Usagi looked up to him hopefully.
"I would like that very much," said Mamoru. He smiled sexily. Usagi thought that she would melt under his gaze. Mamoru continued, "I can't meet you tomorrow, but perhaps we could meet the day after that…"
Usagi smiled and said, "That would be great! I'm in the book. Till then!"
She skated over to Mamoru and him a warm hug. She blushed slightly as she inhaled the scent of his cologne. She was suddenly aware of Mamoru smelling her hair. Usagi shivered and backed away. Mamoru still held her small hand.
Usagi looked into his eyes and smiled. With that she skated towards the stands to take off her skates. Usagi smiled. She couldn't believe that she had actually done that!
Mamoru watched as the vision of beauty glided gracefully away. He had never met anyone like her. Mamoru thought again how perfectly she had fit against his body. He couldn't help but feel slightly aroused at the thought of her. He couldn't wait till they met again.
"Damn that dumb physical that I have to take tomorrow! I could have been with Usagi!" he growled in frustration after she had left.
The physical was for school. Mamo hadn't asked where the blonde beauty attended school, but he hoped to find out soon. "Then I would be able to see her everyday," he thought as a smile graced his lips.

**********

Usagi ran out of the rink and bound for home. She was worried about the tirade she was going to receive when she got there, but she couldn't get the picture of Mamoru out of her head. His jet-black hair, his boyish smile… The way he made her feel when her body was close to his. Usagi blushed with the sheer memory of his touch. She wanted to stay in his arms all day long. Usagi stopped in shock.
"What am I thinking?" she asked herself. "I hardly know this man and he has already stolen my heart…" Usagi rolled her eyes, threw back her head, and laughed. She sounded so corny. She laughed as she continued running. Usagi hurried home.
Usagi smiled and sighed in relief as she finally reached her doorstep. It had only taken her 4 minutes to run the ten blocks. She lived in a two-story house with her parents and an annoying thirteen-year-old little brother, but she loved her home. Usagi entered the house with a confused expression on her face. There was no aroma of food floating throughout the house. Had her mother forgotten to cook dinner? She walked through the house and was dismayed to find a man sitting in the family's living room.
Usagi cleared her throat to get the person's attention.
"Just what are you doing here?" she asked wrathfully, "I don't know you."
Usa's father rushed into the room and hugged Usagi fearfully. Usagi was bewildered. Her father was never worried when Usagi was late. She looked confusedly at her father and then at the stranger in the living room. She looked at her father again. He had released her and was flying about the house. Tears were in his eyes. Usagi was getting distressed. Just what was exactly happening here? Then her father spoke.
"Usagi-chan, darling," he started as he grabbed his coat. "Your mother and brother were in a car accident. A co-worker of your mother's came to the house to tell us this information."
Usa looked at the man again. Now she remembered. He worked with her mother and he had even come to dinner once. Her father continued with the story.
"Your mother wasn't at work this morning so he called her cell phone. Someone answered her cell phone from the hospital and said that she had been in a car accident. I was using the computer so the hospital couldn't get through to the house phone. Come on now! We have no time to lose! Let's get to the hospital!"
Usagi dropped her skates on the floor and ran to the door that her father had left open. The man was getting into his own car. Usa's father thanked him again for coming to the house and telling them of the accident. Usagi and her father raced towards the hospital.
Usagi couldn't believe that this was happening. How could her mother and brother be in the hospital? Usa shivered at the word. She hated hospitals ever since her father nearly died of a heart attack. They weren't sure whether he was going to make it or not. Usagi prayed to the gods as her father raced towards the hospital.

**********

The end of chapter one. Until next post!