At Last

I see a light in your eyes…
All in the eyes of a boy

There was the faintest tinkling of bells as the door to Tomodachi Sweets swung open. Usually, no one would have heard it, but the loud, drawling voice that came with its owner was impossible to ignore.

"So this is the place, huh? Four cakes for me, then!"

"A whole four cakes? For all four stomachs?"

"Ha. Very funny. NOT."

The gang of six turned to see them enter.

Matomo.

Kabuto.

Matomo and Kabuto looked about distractedly. Lurking behind them, most unexpectedly, was Mana. She simply looked bored, idly slicking some of her shiny black hair behind her ear.

"Ugh. They're here, too?" groaned Kyuusuke. Hotaru shook her head while Chibiusa pouted.

"I guess this is the most popular place," Momoko mumbled unhappily. "If they keep coming here though, I'm not sure I will."

Goten gritted his teeth as his eyes zeroed in on the pair. He glared. "Those guys. I remember them."

"Yeah, they're also in our class, unfortunately," Hotaru sighed.

"Who's the girl with them?" Goten asked, finally noticing her, her petite frame a sharp contrast to theirs.

"She's Retasu Mana," answered Momoko. "Strange. I didn't know she was friends with them. Or you don't suppose she really agreed to date Matomo, after all?"

"I guess rich kids stick together," Kyuusuke said with a shrug.

Trunks cleared his throat uncomfortably while Kyuusuke rolled his eyes, clearly indifferent to Trunks (a rich kid) standing among them.

"It's not that. Their parents are colleagues. It's business," Trunks clarified. Chibiusa glanced at him with intrigue, noting the seriousness in his tone. Did he know Mana personally? He lowered his eyes, noticing her.

Faltering slightly, Chibiusa spun her head away and refocused on the trio.

"Let's leave…before they see us," she whispered tensely to the others.

"Wah—and leave all this deliciousness behind?" Goten objected, swiftly making way to the table where he had rested his desserts. He swept the packages clumsily into his arms. The friends ushered him towards the door. They were halfway there when all of sudden, the topmost cake on his pile wobbled precariously.

"Goten-kun!" Hotaru and Momoko squealed, fearing that it would fall to ruin on the floor. Fortunately—Goten managed to regain his balance. Unfortunately—the ruckus drew the precise kind of attention they were trying to avoid.

"Whoa—what's this?" Matomo sauntered over, a sneer-faced Kabuto at his side. Letting out a heavy sigh, Mana reluctantly ambled behind them as though tugged forcibly by a rope.

"Crap!" Kyuusuke hissed, exchanging an exasperated glance with Goten.

"Oh, is this for me?" snickered Kabuto, snatching at the cake at the top of Goten's pile. He towered over them all like a giant. His broad shoulders and harsh features were intimidating, a fact he knew well and abused fully.

Chibiusa shoved past and reached for the cake, but he pulled it just out of her reach. Though she was short, this was of no hindrance to her enduring sense of justice.

"Back off — It belongs to Goten-kun!" she shouted, positioning herself between Kabuto and Goten. She glared as harshly as she could, unthinkingly puffing out her chest like a blowfish. Kabuto stared blankly for a slight second, then, his lips drew into a sneer.

"Hey, Chiba-chan, have you gotten cuter?" he said suddenly. Chibiusa's mouth lulled open with shock and fright as Kabuto leaned in and touched a hand to her cheek. An uncomfortable feeling welled in her chest. "Say, has anyone asked you out yet?" he asked.

"Don't touch her!" Kyuusuke shouted defensively, storming past the others. Goten and Trunks stepped forward, both looking ready to back him up. But Kyuusuke didn't wait. Once face-to-face with Kabuto, he shoved him in the chest with all his might. The cake in Kabuto's hand dropped with a splat. Icing and cake gushed and smeared across the floor.

"What the hell—don't touch me, you little shrimp!" Kabuto barked, in turn ramming into him with his elbow. Though Kyuusuke was relatively tall and athletic himself, he was unmatched against Kabuto's strength. Instantly he fell backwards, winded and landing on his rear.

"Kyuusuke-kun!" the girls cried. They rushed to his side. With Kyuusuke down, the girls distracted, and Goten's arms full, all the attention shifted to one person.

Matomo smirked. "Oh, what's this—the mighty Briefs-sama is here as well? Interesting."

"You have something to say to me?" Trunks said coolly, his blue eyes narrowed to slits.

Matomo chuckled uneasily. He waved a hand dismissively while running the other through his shaggy, burgundy mane. "No way! Would I dare touch you with a ten-foot pole? You're as scary as hell. Can't risk messing up this face of mine, either."

Kabuto, on the other hand, seemed more daring. He grinned wickedly. "Yo—but one thing! Where's your Dad at, though?"

The words struck a nerve.

Trunks bared his teeth, directing a threatening glare at them. "Ask me again where my father is." He stepped forward, balling his hand into a fist as Goten, who had been hopelessly struggling to balance his purchases, decidedly set them on the floor. The pair formed stances, ready to fight.

"Mana-chan!" Momoko scrambled upwards, arms drawn to her side as she shouted at the dark-haired girl. Mana had been looking on silently and Momoko looked more confused than annoyed. "Are you really hanging out with losers like them? Why?"

Mana didn't say a thing, though her eyes seemed to linger on Momoko for a moment before shifting to the others.

"Who are you calling a 'loser', dumpling head?" Matomo snapped, glaring daggers at Momoko.

"Matomo-kun. Kabu-kun. Stop," Mana said at last, in a light, steady tone.

"Yeah, listen to her!" Goten jeered, sticking his tongue out derisively at the boys.

Matomo's eyes flashed. "Sorry…what makes you think you can talk to us, Son Goten? Oh—by the way—has your dad decided to find a real job yet?"

"How rude! Apologize!" scolded Hotaru, looking seriously annoyed.

Matomo laughed. "And say what? Oh Son-kun, I'm so sorry your family is poor—I'm sorry your dad is a bum—"

Matomo had broken the last straw. Trunks hurdled forward with his arm out. "How about you APOLOGIZE TO MY FIST?!"

"NO!" cried the others at once, grabbing at Trunks' arms before he could make contact with Matomo's nose.

It was at that precise instant that a woman, the store's employee, ran over frantically from her spot at the shop counter, finally alerted to the disturbance.

"HEY, YOU KIDS! NO FIGHTING!" she screamed. "GET OUT!"

Immediately, all nine of the kids were ejected from the store, left to stand despondently on the sidewalk. The opposing groups glowered at each other, save for Mana, who still seemed to be in a daze. Either way, the argument between the two sides was over. At least for now.

"This sucks," Matomo grumbled.

Mana shook her head. "Serves you right. You two are idiots. Obviously fighting would get us kicked out," she mumbled airily to the pair.

Matomo glowered between her and the others, then groused loudly under his breath. "Tell me—why are you so interested in him all of a sudden?"

Mana's cheeks bloomed pink. She turned sharply. "Shut up. That's not… never mind. I'm leaving first."

Chibiusa's ears piqued. Was Mana actually interested in Trunks, after all? Now that she thought about it, Mana had been glancing in his direction quite a lot.

"Hey, wait! I'm sorry!" Matomo called helplessly after Mana.

"We didn't even get to try anything." Kabuto pouted as he followed miserably after them.

Goten groaned. He began his own fit, lamenting the loss of his many sweets while the others comforted him, offering to treat him to some in the future. Trunks patted him on the shoulder, insisting he could get a custom delivery if needed. Chibiusa watched as the three others disappeared grumpily down the street, but not before catching a glimpse of Mana who had thrown yet another glance over her shoulder. Noticing she had been caught, Mana spun her head away quickly. Chibiusa blinked. Had Mana turned back to look at Trunks just then?

"Well it was nice seeing you again," said Hotaru, bowing politely to Goten and Trunks.

"Yeah, too bad about what happened though," Goten chuckled, dipping his head slightly.

And just like that, they parted ways and went home for the evening.

P.E. wasn't Chibiusa's favourite subject, and so when the usual drills were at last over, Chibiusa wanted to head inside and change out of her gym clothes quickly.

While the other girls only casually made their way to the building, Chibiusa walked briskly. However, she hadn't gotten far when she heard someone call after her.

'Chiba-chan!'

Chibiusa turned. She froze on the spot. The boy who called her out approached, his silvery hair cascading with the light breeze. His amber eyes sparkled gold against the sunlight.

'Hi,' she said softly, feeling a bit shy. She had seen this boy before. He was at least a year above her, and she had often seen him loitering in the halls of the school with his fellow students.

His arms remained at his sides as he spoke affirmably, though with a hint of edginess in his voice. 'You may not know me, but I'm Erishi—Erishi Hiro,' he smiled politely, then looked to his feet. 'I've noticed you for a while, Chiba-chan. This might come off a bit sudden. But well I just want to say, um … I like you alot Chiba-chan!'

Chibiusa didn't hear the words.

Just after his introduction, she had caught sight of the boys from her class who were also finishing their P.E. drills. Kyuusuke was chatting with someone. Trunks. Trunks laughed in return, nudging him lightly on the shoulder. She couldn't recall if she had ever heard him laugh before. That's when she remembered; it had been at least a week since that incident at Tomodachi Sweets, and it seemed since that time those boys had become friends. Perhaps, it was the way Trunks had come to their defence? Perhaps it was their shared love of P.E. class? Either way, it was interesting to see that this strange, lavender-haired boy had found someone who was willing to talk to him freely. Without intimidation. Without judgement. Even if that person was, surprisingly enough, Kyuusuke. Maybe Momoko was right. Maybe Trunks was misunderstood.

As they walked by, Kyuusuke looked over and waved. Trunks looked over as well, but he didn't do anything. He only stared.

Chibiusa gulped hard. The incident in the sticker photo booth came to mind...

"Uh, Chiba-chan? Aren't you going to say anything?"

Chibiusa twirled frantically, returning her attention to Hiro. She had almost forgotten he was there. She drooped her head, bringing her hands to her chin out of embarrassment.

"Oh, Erishi-senpai! Sorry, I got distracted. Sorry."

Hiro scratched his head. "'Senpai'? Eh, you know Erishi-kun is fine." His face was red as well. "You didn't hear what I said, right? Ah, well, this is embarrassing."

Chibiusa was confused by his reaction. Had she missed something important?

"Tell me again?" Chibiusa insisted, still clutching her hands together.

Hiro flourished his hand, smiling awkwardly. "Maybe later, Chiba-chan. Sorry."

Chibiusa watched as he turned and dashed away, heading towards a group of others on the field.

With a shrug, she continued on her way. Once back in the classroom, she settled down at her desk, preparing for their next subject. She felt a soft tap on her shoulder. She turned to see Momoko and Hotaru gazing at her with imploring eyes.

"Huh?" she uttered.

"So what was that all about?" Momoko purred, with a coy smile. "I saw you with that upper year student. He confessed to you, right?"

Chibiusa was taken aback. "Uh, well, no—I mean…I'm not sure…" she paused to think. Is that what happened?

"I'm sure he did! You're easily one of the cutest and brightest in our year, Chibiusa!" Hotaru beamed.

"What's his name?" Momoko asked.

The pink-haired girl was left to ponder, mildly embarrassed by their flattering words. "Erishi Hiro. But I'm not sure if he confessed or not. I didn't actually hear…"

"Oh, not again! You're always spacing out," Momoko said with an irritated sigh. "It's every junior's dream to be asked out by a senior. And that one was cute, ne, Hotaru-chan? Chibiusa-chan and Erishi-kun suit each other so well."

Chibiusa felt her heart skip a beat. Hiro suited her well? It felt like she had heard that line somewhere before, though she hadn't. She considered his kind face and gentle manner. She smiled to herself. Hiro was a nice person. Had he really confessed?

Ready to go
Though the heart's left in doubt
Love comes to those who believe
That's the way it is

With her head in the clouds, Chibiusa began her usual walk home from school. The weather was getting warmer, and in spite of the day coming to an end, the sun still shined brightly. The days were getting longer too. She grinned as she rounded the corner, the intersection she and Goten sometimes happened to meet at coming home from school. She came to a halt, staring curiously down the street. Empty. It had been a while since she had seen Goten. She wondered if he had been getting home later lately. She decided it best to keep on walking. She would pass his apartment complex on her way home, anyway. Perhaps, she could stop by to pay a visit.

She followed the usual fence, making her way through the gate. Before she could even reach the building, she noticed someone standing aimlessly by several large trees, their face obscured by the shadow of their branches. She cautiously crept by, paying no mind to the stranger as she neared the entrance. That's when suddenly she heard something that sounded like a cat's meow from that direction. Startled, she spun around sharply. She saw the person clearly and flinched. It was him! Again!

"Chiba-chan," he said in his usual tone of indifference.

Chibiusa exhaled deeply, and then willed herself to speak. "Briefs-kun. What are you doing here?"

Trunks didn't seem to be in a hurry to answer. With his back slouched against a tree, he casually swept back some hair from his face before folding his arms importantly. "Funny. I was wondering the same thing about you."

Chibiusa frowned. She wondered why she even bothered to ask; it was obvious enough that he must have been there for the same reason she was. She sighed. "I'm here to see Goten-kun. You haven't seen him around, have you?"

Trunks shook his head, lifting a single brow. "First name terms, huh. You and Goten are close?"

"We've been friends since elementary school. He also lives near my house so…" Chibiusa suddenly felt a wave of unease. Why was she even explaining anything to this guy? For some reason she felt annoyed by the whole situation. Running into him was always so inexplicably awkward. "What about you? Are you guys close? I never heard Goten-kun mention you before."

Trunks smirked. "Yeah, it's complicated, I guess. We happen to train at the same dojo."

Chibiusa felt a slight blush creep up. She thought for a second that his smile was cute. Then she thought about what he said. Dojo? Goten was a martial artist? And so was Trunks?

Nyaaa!

It was that sound again—a cat's cry. Chibiusa looked up and to her right, as did Trunks, and there it was: a grey-haired cat that peeped down at them with red eyes. It was in the opposite tree.

"That noise. So it really was a cat after all?" she mumbled.

"What did you think it was?" said Trunks staring up at it, arms still crossed.

Chibiusa gave him a cynical look. "Well, honestly, I thought it was you."

"Seriously? Why would I 'meow'?" He uncrossed his arms as he glanced beadily at her. "Do you know how stupid that sounds?"

She shrugged. "How am I supposed to know what weird stuff you're into? It's not like you ever talk to anyone."

Trunks shot her a glare. "Weird stuff? Ugh, whatever."

Chibiusa was concerned, watching intently as the cat continued to cry out from the topmost branch. "What's wrong with kitty-chan? Why doesn't she come down?" she asked.

Trunks eyed it as well. "She was up there when I got here. I think she might be stuck, or injured." Without further discussion, Trunks set his book bag on the ground. He strutted up to the base of the tree.

"You're climbing it?" Chibiusa asked, noticing that the cat was pretty high up. "Is it safe?"

He didn't look back as he began to mount. "I'll be fine. I know what I'm doing."

He gripped firmly along the tree's bark, crawling branch by branch until he met the one just below where the cat was perched. Chibiusa was in awe. He had really done it!

Trunks extended a hand. "Here, kitty—just let me—"

However, the cat had other things in mind. It let out a high-pitched yowl, and instead of going into Trunks' arms, it dive-bombed onto Trunks' head.

"ARGH!"

Flailing his arms, Trunks teetered and fell to the ground with a crash. The cat on the other hand managed to land perfectly on all fours some distance away on the grass below.

"BRIEFS-KUN!" Chibiusa cried. She raced to his side, anxiously grasping at his arms. She knew he had to be hurt from such a fall. She hoped he at least didn't have a concussion.

Trunks sat up slowly, rubbing gingerly at his head. "Ugh, that stupid cat!" he grumbled.

"Forget the cat," Chibiusa said, supporting him by the shoulders. "Have you broken anything? Are you hurt?"

He shrugged. "No, I'm…fine, actually." He paused, seeming surprised by his own admission. Now that she was close enough to observe his face carefully, she noticed he really didn't have a single scratch, bruise or scrape anywhere. A crease formed between her eyebrows. How could that be possible?

Trunks twisted his head and like so many times before, their eyes met … the silence followed.

This time, however, his slanted eyes grew large and his mouth fell open. "You—Your forehead!"

Chibiusa didn't understand. "What are you talking about?"

"There's something glowing! Something like a… moon or something?" Trunks scrambled back, and Chibiusa released him lightly from her grasp. He pointed shakily at her. "What—what are you?"

"What do you mean 'what am I'?" Chibiusa was really confused at this point. She reached into her bag, and pulled out a tiny compact mirror. She examined her face and saw nothing. She snapped it shut and squinted at him. "You sure you didn't hit your head too hard?"

Trunks' blinks were in slow-motion. "It's gone now, but I was certain I saw…"

By now, Chibiusa couldn't tell if he was simply messing with her. She got to her feet, and swatted the dust from her skirt. She peered at him with a scowl. "How rude of you to call me a 'what', by the way. I really should ask you that question. You scale trees like a—like a monkey— or something, and then don't even bruise when you hit the ground? Weird."

The more Chibiusa thought about it, the more annoyed it made her. At last, they had had an actual conversation, one-on-one. But it had only proven one thing: he really was just an obnoxious rich kid. A snob. She only tried to show the slightest bit of concern after all, but by now it didn't matter anymore. She was done.

"It's getting late. I guess Goten isn't coming any time soon. So I'll be going now. See you at school." With those final words she turned on her heel, then left.

So just an FYI, the characters are introduced Japanese style, surname first.

The character list so far:

Chiba Mamoru
Chiba Usagi
Chiba Chibiusa

Momohara Momoko
Sarashina Kyuusuke
Tomoe Hotaru
Son Goten
Briefs Trunks/Trunks Briefs (a little awkward cause his name is so obviously English)

Supinachi-sensei

Retasu Mana
Kyabetsu "Kabu" Kabuto
Furuta Matomo (and no one really calls them by surname just cause ...not that they care anyway)

Erishi Hiro