Summary:  A stand-alone short write that may (or may not) explain the relationship between Mamoru/Darien and Usagi/Serena.  Occurs during first season but does not exist in the actual series.  Also a nice vocabulary builder.  =)

Disclaimers:  As per usual, don't own characters or series but writing and idea is my own.

Author's Note:  Another of my first semi-decent completed short writes on BSSM (Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon).  The italicized words are corrections my teacher made to it.  Written as a short fiction for English class junior year; meant to help readers easily comprehend the underlined vocabulary words (defined at the end).  See how many you know!  Samantha Chan.  ^_~!

10/2/01

The Fine Line

He was an eristic, that was for sure.  Yet so was I.  We were getting quite good at having witty comebacks.  We practiced with each other on a daily basis and it seemed that our verbal duels were constants in our lives.  Incessant like our daily meetings at the street corner where I'm a runaway train speeding to be on time for something, already late, and he's walking leisurely with a book in his hands – early as usual.  The inevitable collision would occur and we'd both end up on the ground, huge clouds of dust flying into the air as we made contact with a thud.

Oddly enough, neither of us was ever bodily injured by the sheer force of me crashing into him at such a high speed.  However, his ego always seemed to be.  The first words that always came out of his mouth were, "Watch where you're going Meatball Head!" That was how today began.

"Why don't you give up running to your destinations?  You're always late anyway.  I'm sure other people wouldn't mind not having you klutz out in front of them.  It'd save us all from getting bruised." The cruel words spilled from his mouth and this time I was incensed (normally the pusillanimous side of me appeared and I would start wailing at the top of my lungs).

"Shut up you conceited jerk!"  If I ever ended up in a tall building with him, I knew that I would defenestrate him whether they had windows or not.  If falling from that height didn't kill him or at least mangle him, then I would most likely do it myself the next time I saw him.  I was just so angered.  "For once, can't you just leave me alone?  Why do you always pick on me?  What have I ever done to you?  Save the fact that I threw a test paper at your head and even a shoe one time, both which, by the way, were accidents."

He smirked.  I couldn't believe it.  He was finding our argument to be droll and amusing.  "I have half a mind to punch the living daylights out of you."

"Oh, and where's the other half of your brain?  Wait, judging from all those failing test scores, you never had it in the first place, did you?"

I glared at him.  Sarcastically, I replied, "You sure know how to inveigle a lady.  I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't have a girlfriend.  You're puerile too, arguing with me like a two-year-old over some piece of candy."

He quirked an eyebrow.  How did he always manage to have a cool, svelte demeanor?  "Do you even know what inveigle and puerile mean?"

"ARGHHHH!  That's it!"  Without a second thought, I launched myself at him due to my impetuous nature, ready to pummel him to pieces.  That never happened.  My left foot got caught behind my right and I began to plummet – landing right into his arms.

I grabbed his shoulders to steady myself and made the mistake of looking into his dark, navy blue eyes.  I realized at that moment that he was my stanchion – not just as he was now physically supporting me – in this crazy devastating world of hatred, greed, and jealousy.  For even though we fought, there was always an evanescent sense of calm that appeared in the midst of battle, leaving quickly upon our departure from each other.  This feeling, I knew, could not be emulated by anything else or created by anyone else . . . and that's the way I wanted it to be.

Underlined vocabulary words:

1.  eristic – (adj) given to/characterized by specious argument; (n) expert in dispute/argument, in art or practice of disputing

2.  pusillanimous – lacking courage; cowardly

3.  defenestrate; defenestration – act of throwing something or someone out a window

4.  droll – amusingly odd; comical

5.  inveigle – to win over by flattery or artful talk

6.  puerile – juvenile; immature; childish

7.  svelte – slender, lithe; suave

8.  impetuous – characterized by rash or hasty actions; impulsive; marked by violent force or motion

9.  stanchion – upright pole, post, or support

10.  evanescent – fleeting; tending to vanish or last only a short time

11.  emulated – to strive to equal or excel through imitation