Because I got so many lovely and wonderful reviews for my first chapter, I decided to be nice and post this one sooner than I had originally planned. This one isn't as short as the first. Oh yeah! I forgot to mention everyone's ages. Usagi, the senshi, and the G-boys (excluding Trowa) are all 18. Trowa is a year older (is he in fact older than the others, or did someone just make him that way and everyone else went along with it? either way, that's what I'll follow). Motoki is 22. I dunno if I'll be introducing any other characters. But if I do, I'll post their ages. Now, enough babble from me. On with the fic!
"Gomen, minna," the blonde replied as she slid into the booth her friends had
claimed at the cafe. "I would have been here on time, but I ran into someone--literally."
"Who was it, Usagi-chan?" Minako Aino asked curiously. She was a blonde
-haired, blue-eyed beauty who was always ready for gossip. Not always the sharpest
crayon in the box, she was indeed and non-disputedly the most fun out of the group of
friends.
"I'm not sure. I didn't catch his name."
"His name, huh? So tell us about him." Makoto Kino, who was sitting next to
Usagi in the booth, nudged her with her elbow. One of the strongest of the five, Makoto
was tall, with shamrock green eyes and light chocolate brown hair pulled back into a
high ponytail. She was always the first one to stand up for her friends if need be.
"What's to say? We exchanged a few words and I left."
"It couldn't have been that simple," Rei Hino prodded. A raven-haired, violet-eyed
priestess, she was Usagi's best friend. She could tell by her friend's vagueness that
Usagi was holding back details.
"All right, all right," Usagi threw up her hands in defeat as the girls quieted down. "I
know I just met him--hell, technically we didn't even meet--but there was just something
about him... He had a long, mahogany-colored braid that fell down his back. And he
had the most amazing eyes. They were almost violet..." Usagi shook her head, as if
trying to get rid of these thoughts. "No. No, I can't be thinking these things. Not
after..." Her voice trailed off as she looked down at her hands, which were clenched
tightly together.
"Usagi-chan," Ami Mizuno finally broke the silence. "I know it feels weird, but
you're allowed to have these feelings. It's only natural. And you aren't betraying
anyone. You're single now."
Leave it to Ami to always be right. She was not necessarily the strongest, but she
was the designated genius. Like the others, she was a beauty with liquid blue eyes
and short navy hair.
Usagi knew that Ami spoke the truth. It was just... she was having a hard time
dealing with her newly single life. She and her longtime boyfriend, Mamoru Chiba, had
broken up a couple of months ago when they realized that their love had grown
platonic. They parted amicably when he boarded a plane to America, where he would
be finishing up his college studies.
Even though she was no longer in a relationship, she still felt attached. But Ami
was right, Usagi decided. Maybe she could venture out and dive into the dating pool
again.
"Arigato, Ami-chan. I really needed that," Usagi smiled warmly at her friends
before sliding out of the booth.
"Where are you going?" Minako called as Usagi headed for the door.
"To find a certain long-braided guy," Usagi turned her head to answer, still walking
forward. By the time she was looking ahead again, it was too late to stop the collision.
She let out a yelp as she ran into someone and fell to the ground for the second time
that day.
"Oh, I am so sorry!" she heard a voice exclaim. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine," she answered as she looked up into the face of a guy that looked about
her age. He had baby-fine platinum blonde hair and ocean blue eyes that were staring
at her in concern and apology.
Taking his hand and standing up, she noticed for the first time that he had a friend
with him. The other guy was a few inches taller than his blonde companion. His
sienna-colored hair spiked into bangs that lazily shadowed one eye, leaving an emerald
green orb to take in everything.
"Gomen ne," she apologized. "I seem to be running into a lot of people today."
She smiled sheepishly. "I was just in a hurry."
"Oh, don't worry about it," the blonde man dismissed her apology with a wave of his
hand. "You were in a hurry... to meet someone, were you not?"
Usagi blinked, wondering how on Earth he could possibly know that.
"I overheard you say that you were on your way to look for a man with a long
braid," he answered her unasked question. "Would you happen to mean Duo
Maxwell?"
"Uh, I'm not sure. I never caught his name," Usagi confessed to the two strangers.
Why was she offering all of this information to them? She really didn't know. "I ran into
him at the park... He looked pretty upset."
"Must have been him," the blonde murmured to his friend. "That was our friend,
Duo Maxwell," he addressed Usagi again. "He left the house a bit angry, I guess you
would say. Oh, where are my manners, talking like old friends without even making
proper introductions!" he interrupted himself, cheeks pinking in embarrassment. "I am
Quatre Raberba Winner," the blonde said, shaking her hand.
Usagi smiled politely. "Usagi Tsukino. A pleasure." She glanced at the other
man, who did not look like he would be doing much talking.
"This is my friend, Trowa Barton," Quatre supplied when he saw that his friend
wasn't making an effort to introduce himself.
"Nice to meet you," Usagi extended her hand to him.
His visible eye, unblinking, did not look away from her. Finally he took her hand.
After a brief handshake, he answered, "Likewise."
"If you are unable to find Duo, would you like us to tell him hello for you?" Quatre
asked, trying to be helpful.
"Sure, that would be great." They exchanged goodbyes, and Usagi was on her
way.
The other two grabbed a booth in the back of the cafe, away from the crowd of
people.
"Well, she seems nice," Quatre announced as he remembered her friendly smile.
Trowa remained silent.
Quatre began to wonder if the other man was even listening to him at all. His eyes
seemed to be focused on nothing in particular. He attempted a conversation again. "I
hope she runs into Duo."
Still, no answer, no hint of a smile, not even a little nod of acknowledgment. He
was used to the man's quiet nature, but this was even quiet for Trowa.
Quatre sighed. This was going to be a long lunch indeed.
Well now, it seems Usa is just making the rounds, huh? She definitely is the little social bunny (no meaning implied). Now, I don't want to give anything away, but in either the next chapter or the one after that, there will be some action. And I'm talking fighting action, not ACTION action. Look at the rating, people! Anyway, please review. It really does make me post faster!
"Gomen, minna," the blonde replied as she slid into the booth her friends had
claimed at the cafe. "I would have been here on time, but I ran into someone--literally."
"Who was it, Usagi-chan?" Minako Aino asked curiously. She was a blonde
-haired, blue-eyed beauty who was always ready for gossip. Not always the sharpest
crayon in the box, she was indeed and non-disputedly the most fun out of the group of
friends.
"I'm not sure. I didn't catch his name."
"His name, huh? So tell us about him." Makoto Kino, who was sitting next to
Usagi in the booth, nudged her with her elbow. One of the strongest of the five, Makoto
was tall, with shamrock green eyes and light chocolate brown hair pulled back into a
high ponytail. She was always the first one to stand up for her friends if need be.
"What's to say? We exchanged a few words and I left."
"It couldn't have been that simple," Rei Hino prodded. A raven-haired, violet-eyed
priestess, she was Usagi's best friend. She could tell by her friend's vagueness that
Usagi was holding back details.
"All right, all right," Usagi threw up her hands in defeat as the girls quieted down. "I
know I just met him--hell, technically we didn't even meet--but there was just something
about him... He had a long, mahogany-colored braid that fell down his back. And he
had the most amazing eyes. They were almost violet..." Usagi shook her head, as if
trying to get rid of these thoughts. "No. No, I can't be thinking these things. Not
after..." Her voice trailed off as she looked down at her hands, which were clenched
tightly together.
"Usagi-chan," Ami Mizuno finally broke the silence. "I know it feels weird, but
you're allowed to have these feelings. It's only natural. And you aren't betraying
anyone. You're single now."
Leave it to Ami to always be right. She was not necessarily the strongest, but she
was the designated genius. Like the others, she was a beauty with liquid blue eyes
and short navy hair.
Usagi knew that Ami spoke the truth. It was just... she was having a hard time
dealing with her newly single life. She and her longtime boyfriend, Mamoru Chiba, had
broken up a couple of months ago when they realized that their love had grown
platonic. They parted amicably when he boarded a plane to America, where he would
be finishing up his college studies.
Even though she was no longer in a relationship, she still felt attached. But Ami
was right, Usagi decided. Maybe she could venture out and dive into the dating pool
again.
"Arigato, Ami-chan. I really needed that," Usagi smiled warmly at her friends
before sliding out of the booth.
"Where are you going?" Minako called as Usagi headed for the door.
"To find a certain long-braided guy," Usagi turned her head to answer, still walking
forward. By the time she was looking ahead again, it was too late to stop the collision.
She let out a yelp as she ran into someone and fell to the ground for the second time
that day.
"Oh, I am so sorry!" she heard a voice exclaim. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine," she answered as she looked up into the face of a guy that looked about
her age. He had baby-fine platinum blonde hair and ocean blue eyes that were staring
at her in concern and apology.
Taking his hand and standing up, she noticed for the first time that he had a friend
with him. The other guy was a few inches taller than his blonde companion. His
sienna-colored hair spiked into bangs that lazily shadowed one eye, leaving an emerald
green orb to take in everything.
"Gomen ne," she apologized. "I seem to be running into a lot of people today."
She smiled sheepishly. "I was just in a hurry."
"Oh, don't worry about it," the blonde man dismissed her apology with a wave of his
hand. "You were in a hurry... to meet someone, were you not?"
Usagi blinked, wondering how on Earth he could possibly know that.
"I overheard you say that you were on your way to look for a man with a long
braid," he answered her unasked question. "Would you happen to mean Duo
Maxwell?"
"Uh, I'm not sure. I never caught his name," Usagi confessed to the two strangers.
Why was she offering all of this information to them? She really didn't know. "I ran into
him at the park... He looked pretty upset."
"Must have been him," the blonde murmured to his friend. "That was our friend,
Duo Maxwell," he addressed Usagi again. "He left the house a bit angry, I guess you
would say. Oh, where are my manners, talking like old friends without even making
proper introductions!" he interrupted himself, cheeks pinking in embarrassment. "I am
Quatre Raberba Winner," the blonde said, shaking her hand.
Usagi smiled politely. "Usagi Tsukino. A pleasure." She glanced at the other
man, who did not look like he would be doing much talking.
"This is my friend, Trowa Barton," Quatre supplied when he saw that his friend
wasn't making an effort to introduce himself.
"Nice to meet you," Usagi extended her hand to him.
His visible eye, unblinking, did not look away from her. Finally he took her hand.
After a brief handshake, he answered, "Likewise."
"If you are unable to find Duo, would you like us to tell him hello for you?" Quatre
asked, trying to be helpful.
"Sure, that would be great." They exchanged goodbyes, and Usagi was on her
way.
The other two grabbed a booth in the back of the cafe, away from the crowd of
people.
"Well, she seems nice," Quatre announced as he remembered her friendly smile.
Trowa remained silent.
Quatre began to wonder if the other man was even listening to him at all. His eyes
seemed to be focused on nothing in particular. He attempted a conversation again. "I
hope she runs into Duo."
Still, no answer, no hint of a smile, not even a little nod of acknowledgment. He
was used to the man's quiet nature, but this was even quiet for Trowa.
Quatre sighed. This was going to be a long lunch indeed.
Well now, it seems Usa is just making the rounds, huh? She definitely is the little social bunny (no meaning implied). Now, I don't want to give anything away, but in either the next chapter or the one after that, there will be some action. And I'm talking fighting action, not ACTION action. Look at the rating, people! Anyway, please review. It really does make me post faster!