Disclaimers: As per usual, don't own characters or series but writing and idea is my own
Disclaimers: As per usual, don't own characters or series but writing and idea is my own.
Author's Note: Yeah, I know the first chapter was kinda boring. I'm hoping someone was able to relate to it in some way. So, a huge thank you to lola, my only reviewer: you motivated me to put out the second chapter this quickly (I had most of it written but I just couldn't get myself to type the rest).
Ch. 2 Up-Close and Personal
He stared glumly at the drink in his hands as he sat by the bar. He was a sophomore in graduate school this year. Oh joy. His roommates and their friends decided that this lovely Saturday night was not to be wasted. More like they want to be wasted on this lovely Saturday night.
He couldn't get into the mood of the party surging to his left. Today was the anniversary of that horrible car crash so long ago. It just didn't seem appropriate to be here having fun. Yet he knew Kunz was right. They wouldn't have wanted him to be moping like he was now. As his roommate—and childhood friend—reminded him, they were the type of people that lived in the moment and they would've wanted him to do the same.
"Mamoru, man. We brought you here to liven up the party a little but you seem to need it more than the party does," proclaimed the sandy-haired Zoi.
Another blonde nearly crushed said guy into the wood counter as he propelled himself through the crowd and clapped Mamoru on the back. "Hey, you better not be falling asleep in your drink."
The reference his friend was making didn't go unnoticed. "Shut up, Jei! Last time we went was at the end of Finals week. Would you be wide awake after cramming for five days?" came the snappish reply. Looking at his roommates' grinning faces, he couldn't help grinning himself. They were wild and crazy . . . and the only ones that kept him sane. Or so he thought.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a group of people heading for the exit. Apparently Zoi and Jei saw them too because they whispered simultaneously, "Total babes!"
Mamoru chuckled. So typical. Their reaction. Well, they definitely aren't the most gorgeous women we've ever seen but there's something about them . . . He couldn't put his finger on it. Maybe it was the confidence they exuded? Or the interaction between all of them that was strangely reminiscent of him and his roommates?
He couldn't seem to tear his eyes away. Especially not when he saw the smile that spread across the pink-clad girl's face. Suddenly he so wanted to be the one causing her to laugh. Where the hell did that come from? Now I'm getting attached to people on the drop of a dime. This is all that cross-dressing singer's fault. I still can't get over the fact that he dyed his hair the color of cotton candy.
He barely noticed that his buddies had scampered head long into the crowd behind him. Distantly, he heard Jei—or was it Zoi?—eagerly calling for Kunz as he watched the way her simple knee-length skirt swayed and noted the childish manner in which she bobbed her head from time to time. Her outfit was undeniably cute but not the type girls normally wore for a night out on the town. Her pink tank top was a shade darker than her skirt and it appeared she had a white, maybe purple, shirt slung over her left shoulder.
While Mamoru was off in his own little world, Jei and Zoi were convincing Kunz to follow them. He had to see these girls . . . before they left and he missed his once-in-a-lifetime chance, the blonde duo told him quickly. However, in the span of time it took to find Kunz, explain what was going on, and start leading him to the bar, the girl and her jumpy friend were within Mamoru's hearing distance.
"No, seriously Mina-chin. You don't know how happy I am to be out of that house. A summer is too long of a time to be in their presence."
"So you've told me for the jillionth time."
Usagi giggled. "Eh, sorry. Bad habit I picked up from my mom." She paused before loudly exclaiming, "Ah! Did I tell you . . . "
Mamoru didn't really get what they were talking about but then again, he couldn't focus with all the things running through his head. Those two were so oblivious that they didn't even realize he was openly staring at them.
Words and actions were lost to Mamoru. Her yellow-and-brown-streaked black hair flew into the air in waves when she tried to shake loose strands out of her face. He could only wonder if it was as soft and silky as it appeared. A thin hand brushed away the offending hair. Was it smaller than his?
Usagi thought it was probably time to trim her bangs again. Shrugging, she flung her right arm out a bit since her left was hanging off of Mina's arm at the moment.
It wasn't that Mamoru had never approached a girl before. Certainly more times than he could count in the past few months but suddenly he was afraid. When was the last time he had been nervous about just talking to a girl? The start of college? Oh how he wanted a sign from the kami above. And it seemed his prayer was answered. The right arm swung away from her side as if she was extending her hand to him. And before he even had time to think, he had already grabbed it.
"Eek!" She was glad she wasn't walking at the quick pace that was customary on her trips around campus. For sure she would've landed on the floor then. And pulled Mina-chin down with her. As it was, Usagi's hand was slipping past the crook of Mina's arm.
"Usagi-chan? You ok?" For a fleeting moment, Mina was afraid that Usagi was inconceivably drunk. Until she saw the reason, that is. Whoa! Hottie alert. Mina couldn't help herself, she just had to grin crazily. Hopefully something good comes from this. The last time she had a boyfriend was in high school and that didn't end too well . . . "Hey, I'm gonna catch up to the others. They're probably wondering. See you in a bit?"
Usagi nodded, giving her an ok sign. She held up her index finger and then formed the shape of an 'o' with her hand before indicating the door. Okay, Usagi-chan, better see you in ten minutes or Mako-chan and Rei-chan are going to assume the worst. That definitely won't be pretty. Mina held up her hand as if to say 'Later' and disappeared through a new wave of people entering the bar.
Mamoru had been paying attention to their conversation so closely that he had forgotten he was still holding her hand until the sound of her blue flip-flops, which he didn't think were really flip-flops, woke him from his trance. He was on the edge of his stool, a foot grazing the floor and the other on a rung of the chair. So he nearly lost his balance as she shifted closer to him, trying to regain an upright position.
Mamoru blurted out, "Jeez, I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me." He made to let go but she stopped him with her free hand and literally laughed. Shaking her head, she stepped even closer. At any other time, he would've definitely felt this was an invasion of his personal space; the shy way she approached this situation made him feel more at ease.
Usagi was so nervous yet giddy at this point that the room suddenly became too hot for her liking. This is weird. I was just thinking about guys not even half an hour ago and this guy, who is pretty cute, wants to talk to me. She couldn't stop the shudder that ran down her back. She knew she was nuts to think that anything could happen between her and this guy but that didn't mean there wasn't a possibility. And, god, how she wanted it to be more than a possibility.
Mamoru saw her body tremor for a second and wondered if she was alright. He wouldn't know what to do if she fainted on the spot. Without another thought, he placed his left hand on her forehead to gauge her temperature. He felt her jerk a bit in shock before relaxing slightly. Oops. He grimaced mentally. Another strike against me. I'm just blundering all over the place tonight. Well, nothing felt wrong. She was probably just a little warm from some alcohol.
With their close proximity, Usagi noticed the dark blue of his eyes. However she was drawn most by the line of his jaw, somewhat square but very strong. Maybe it was that Bacardi, maybe she just felt daring, . . .or maybe she just wanted to. Well, whatever the excuse, she reached out and traced the edge of his jaw line lightly. Always looking at things through artist's eyes, huh?
Not even a minute prior to this, Kunz had stopped dead in his tracks less than four feet away from Mamoru's seat. Amazement was written across his face and for good reason: Mamoru was openly holding hands with a rather cute girl and not looking a bit uncomfortable about it. Zoi and Jei stumbled into him as he halted, almost bringing all of them down. Kunz was considerably taller than either of them, so they had to walk faster to catch up and couldn't slow down in time to avoid him. "What the hell, man? At least warn us before you do that!" was Jei's annoyed exclamation.
Kunz felt words were unnecessary in the current situation and opted to point in Mamoru's direction. Two pairs of eyes widened at the sight they saw and, simultaneously, their jaws dropped open. Zoi was the first to utter a word: "Okay, my eyes are deceiving me. That can't be Mamoru. Not the Mamoru we know."
"This is definitely not the Mamoru that hates PDA or expresses romantic emotions like a rock," chimed in Jei.
They could only stand there and watch the scene unfold before them. Jei thought with some amusement, Yes! He can't hold seniority over my head now. Insert my evil laughter here. I'll be able to pick on him for months! Jei didn't have to say any of this for Kunz and Zoi to know exactly what was going on in his brain; it was of popular opinion that Jei acted and thought like a teenager, always doing and saying stupid things. And that conjecture certainly wasn't wrong.
Usagi saw a clock on the wall and noted that the ten minutes were ending. She reluctantly stilled her hand at his neck. Breathing in deeply, she pulled away and said, "Gotta go. If you want to hang out, . . ." At this point, she fished out a pen from her handbag and quickly scribbled her cell number on his hand. Flashing a quick smile, she hurried out the door. To Mamoru, it felt as if she had just disappeared into thin air with the way she did all that in the span of a minute. He could only watch as she and her friends passed by the front windows. What the hell happened? He couldn't understand what had transpired or why he was spacing so much.
"So . . ." came three voices in unison. Mamoru groaned. He was doomed.
