Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon or the Tootsie Pop or the owl, however I do own two cats named Squee and Gizmo… but not their names…sweatdrop I should just quit while I'm ahead

How Many?

How many licks does it take to get to the to the tootsie roll center of a tootsie pop? Odango was trying her hardest to answer that mind boggling question. She sat at a booth with her friend Makoto, her crystalline eyes looking toward the ceiling, her golden locks cascading down her shoulders like two rippling streams of honey and her face showing admirable determination. She looked so….. well, cute.

When Motoki told him what Usagi's mission today was he had laughed out right (and out loud). He couldn't understand why she would waste her time, or why her friend Makoto would encourage her by agreeing to help keep count. However when his eyes moved from his best friend to her, locating her in the usual booth the laugher died in his throat and was quickly replaced with strangled coughing and choking sounds.

The way her small tongue lapped at the tip of that blasted peace of candy, was driving him to the edge of sanity.

After being patted on the back a couple of times by an extremely amused Motoki, he finally regained his breath. However another glance over at the table (against his better judgment) put him right back where he was before (thankfully minus the painful choking).

"Ugh!" He groaned as his head hit the counter with an unceremonious thud.

How many licks does it take to get to the tootsie roll center of a tootsie pop? The hell if he knew, but her determination to find out was killing him (and rather painfully, mind you).

Mamoru took a deep breath and focused on not showing his discomfort to his best friend, who for some sick reason seemed to take an odd sort of satisfaction from any that he had when it was because of Odango.

Picking up his head and rubbing it slightly where he had hit it, he focused his attention back onto the blond in front of him and used all of his willpower to ignore the blond just to his right. Upon making eye contact with his best friend Mamoru noticed that while his face remained fixed in an expression of concern, his eyes defiantly held more than a hint of humor.

"Hey bud, are you ok?" Motoki asked patting him on the shoulder. "That was a pretty nice thud you made there."

Mamoru smirked at his best friend's feigned ignorance of just why he used is head as and instrument to make such a "nice thud".

"Of course, old pal…. just forgot about a report that I had due for Bio." Then purposefully raising his voice loud enough for rabbit ears to catch he finished. "Kinda upset about it, I know it's a new concept for SOME people around here but I actually CARE about my grades."

Mamoru glanced over his shoulder smirking and was rewarded with a pair of clear blue eyes not longer looking at the ceiling but glaring at him instead. Usagi had obviously overheard his "quiet" statement to Motoki and was glaring daggers at Mamoru. Her rose colored lips were pressed together in a small scowl which drew Mamoru's attention there and promptly caused another groan.

Thud! As once again a head connected with the vinyl.

Licking the pop had turned them a sensual two toned shade, her lips, small yet full were rose colored on the edges, however had blended into more of a deep strawberry color the closer it got to the opening of her mouth. And anyone who knew Mamoru knew that his absolute favorite flavor was strawberry.

"Uuugggg," Mamoru moaned, he then heard Motoki chuckling.

"What's the matter Mamoru?" Motoki asked his voice laced with humor. "Did you forget about some math homework or something?"

Slowing lifting his head Mamoru glared at his best friend much to Motoki's amusement in the exact manner in which Usagi had been glaring at him earlier.

"No?" He asked cocking his head to the side, unable to resist the temptation for a little more teasing. "Let me guess… was it chemistry then?"

Mamoru's eyes widened for an instant before returning to glaring slits.

"No," he replied " I actually just remembered that I have to practice Karate today, and if you don't get there early they run out of dummies to pummel, hey I know" he said with mock excitement "how about you stand in?"

Motoki raised his hands in surrender laughing, "Maybe next time, I have to much work to do here." He then walked away but not before calling over his shoulder. "Try not to put a dent in my counter while I'm gone ok." Motoki laughed as a balled up napkin bounced off his head, and went to check on his other customers.

Once again against his better judgment Mamoru looked back over to his right and noted that, with encouragement form Makoto, Usagi had once again resumed her quest to answer that damned owl's question. However this time instead of small quick strokes her tongue was doing long slow licks that made him decidedly…umm, uncomfortable.

His eyes fixated on the small tongue that had taken on the same strawberry tint as her lips as it slowly lapped the side of the shiny crimson candy. His eyes were transfixed as he found himself unable to turn away, especially when the corners of her mouth quirked upward in obvious pleasure at something.

Pleasure… just the thought of the word caused the slightest tremble in his hand, which was placed at the sides of his coffee cup. Long graceful fingers unconsciously stroked the handle and without realizing he was doing hit his tongue slipped out and licked his lips slightly mimicking Usagi's actions. Fantasies of their tongues dancing together invaded his thoughts causing Mamoru to close his eyes and jerk his hand in a restrained effort not to touch what he couldn't have.

The sudden movement caused a small amount of hot coffee to fall, scalding him slightly and rudely awakening him from his reverie. Jerking back to reality and coming to the realization of just where his fantasies had led him, Mamoru shook his head to clear his thoughts.

"I have to get out of here," he said to himself, throwing down more than the required amount of money and rushing out of the arcade.

He never noticed a pair of crystal blue eyes dancing in amusement or a sensual strawberry colored mouth quirking with satisfaction and taking a big bite out of a red tootsie pop.