AN: I didn't really give this a proper one over. I struggled with writing this, mainly because I had to write it with a baby who wouldn't nap asking me every two seconds to watch Backyardigans, three repair guys in the house, and the phone ringing off the hook. If I didn't have to go out tonight, I would have put it off til I'd gone home. Oh well. I got lots of baby kisses and hugs from the least affectionate baby I've ever known, so I'm happy nonetheless.

Title: Once Upon a Train Ride
Rating: T
Summary: Usagi's dad forgot his briefcase and she's sent off to deliver it to him at his office. Mamoru ends up in the same train car and she ends up in his lap.
Couple: Usagi and Mamoru
One Hour Challenges:
#507 Scene One of your couple is on a train and accidently crashes against the other of the couple. - Moonbrat's Challenge

#455 Sentence "Jump! I'll catch you, I swear!"
 "How do I know your fingers aren't crossed behind your back?!"

Usagi tapped her foot impatiently as she stood on the platform, waiting for the local train to arrive. It was a cold fall day and the gusting wind whipping through the train station was making her miserable. Her scarf and hair were flapping about, lashing her face and bare legs. Her cold hands clutched her father's bag tightly and she glared down at it in hostility. She couldn't believe he'd forgotten it this morning. She was even more incredulous that her mother had ordered her out of bed at 8 am to take the dratted thing to his office.

A voice came over the speakers, advising the platform occupants that the train would be arriving momentarily and requesting that they stand back so that exiting passengers would have a clear path. No one, including Usagi, took even one step backwards. The train arrived in a burst of sound and wind. As soon as the doors slid open, a small war began between those disembarking and those desperate to get inside and claim a seat. Usagi was buffeted around. When she finally got on, there were no seats left and she had no choice but to cling to one of the poles at the end of a row of seats because she was too short to hang onto one of the overhead rings.

The train lurched forward and her body was jerked backwards. Fortunately, her icy fingers maintained their grasp of the cold metal bar and she didn't fall. She adjusted her stance so that her body rocked slightly with the motion of the train. The warmth of train and the rocking motion combined with her lack of sleep to lull her into a half-conscious state. She was oblivious to the passengers around her as they shuffled around, only the cold draft of air each time the doors opened alerting her to the various stops on the route.

Mamoru spotted her the moment he boarded the train. It was hard not to. She was the only one standing in a mostly empty car. He shook his head as he claimed a seat across from her, toying briefly with the idea of waking her. The doors slid shut and the train lurched forward, slamming him harshly into the metal bar on his right, and his concern for her vanished as he rubbed his arm. He absently watched her sway with the train, her trailing pigtails taking on a hypnotic quality. He was actually rather grateful for the opportunity to watch her. He'd been drawn to her for months, knowing he didn't deserve her attention, and doing his best to keep her from realizing his attraction. She was so friendly, and beautiful, and people just loved her. She couldn't be more different from him.

The train journeyed on, speeding up and slowing down in a predictable manner. The overhead narration warned them of upcoming stops and advised them to be careful of the doors. It was mundane and easily ignored. The train barreled onwards into the heart of Tokyo, taking them closer to the end of the line. Mamoru appeared to read a textbook. Usagi continued to drowse. The doors on both sides of the car opened, but no one got on. Mamoru glowered in irritation at the open air station. The warmth of the car was leeched quickly away as the cold wind whipped through. Usagi shivered, shifting around the pole so that she was hugging it, clutching the bag she carried closer to her chest as she curled in on herself a bit.

Finally the doors grudgingly slid shut and the blasting heater began to chase the chill away. The train picked up speed. The recording informed them there were three more stops left on the route. The people in the car began to relax again. A train horn blared suddenly as they took a curve sharply, too close for comfort. The driver slammed on the brakes, and the cars jerked in response as their wheels squealed in protestation against the metal tracks. People were jostled and bags scattered. And one Tsukino Usagi, the only standing passenger in car 5, lost her hold on the pole and flew into the lap of a very stunned Chiba Mamoru.

It happened very quickly. One moment everything was normal and the next, Mamoru's arms were instinctively closing protectively around the small blonde girl. Her face was buried in his stomach, her knees on the floor, her hands braced on the edge of the seat. The bag she'd been clutching had skidded underneath his seat, but not before striking a painful blow to his shin. His grunt of pain had been swallowed up by her shriek of panic which, in turn, had been silenced by the fabric of his cashmere sweater.

He stared down at the top of her head, disconcerted by the feel of her hot breath on his stomach as she sighed heavily. She pulled back mere seconds later, glancing up at him in embarrassment, shock, and gratitude. "I'm really sorry," she mumbled, flushing a bright red as she realized who had caught her.

His reactions were delayed, but a glance at the other passengers, who were staring at their position in open shock and amusement finally motivated him to grasp her upper arms and push her away. Usagi sat down on the far end of the bench, her back against the metal handrail and her legs stretched out in front of her. "Are you alright?" he asked, his gaze skimming over her red nose and down her body until he caught sight of blood running down her leg. "You're bleeding!"

Usagi lifted her knee-length skirt, hiking the fabric up hastily without thought to her position. Mamoru looked away quickly, flushing. She groaned in irritation as she caught sight of her scraped-up knees. "It could be worse, I guess," she muttered as she searched her purse for her handkerchief. Mamoru had already pulled out his own and had captured her right leg, sliding closer to her and draping both legs over his lap. He wiped carefully at the broken skin, then pressed firmly on the wound to slow the bleeding. Usagi leaned forward to tend to her left knee in similar fashion.

She couldn't help watching him tend to her wounds, fascinated by his gentle touch and by the contrast between his darker fingers and her pale legs. The feel of his warm hands on her leg was sending tiny electrical sensations through her, unnerving and pleasant at the same time. The silence between them was awkward and she searched for something to say.

Mamoru glanced up at her, unnerved by the strange look on her face. She was staring at her knees with a kind of shaken wonder. "Are you in pain?" he asked gently.

Usagi shook her head, the trance broken as she looked up at him. "Not really. I mean it kind of stings, but it isn't bad." She smiled shyly at him, "Thank you for helping me."

A number of answers sprang to Mamoru's mind, standard responses like "Anytime," or "Of course," but they weren't accurate. He couldn't count how many times he'd shoved her away without concern after one of her klutz attacks that had taken him down, too. He shook his head, hating himself for that behavior. "It's nothing," he finally murmured awkwardly, redirecting his gaze to the blood-soaked handkerchiefs.

Usagi's eyes stung with hot tears at his response. Of course it was nothing. She was nothing. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply through her nose in an attempt to push away the emotional pain. His cologne filled her nostrils. She loved the way he smelled, though she would never have admitted it. She hated always klutzing out in front of him, but she secretly got a masochistic kick out of the way his scent would cling to her for a few moments after one of their collisions. She smacked herself in the head, forgetting her audience for a moment, and flopped back onto the seat, the back of her skull meeting the metal railing with a gleeful clank.

Everyone in the car winced, staring at the girl as if she was a mental patient. Usagi moaned softly, an elongated "Owwww" that brought a smile to Mamoru's face. He didn't know what had possessed her to inflict damage on train property like that. He was about to make a witty comment when the conductor's voice came over the PA.

"We are very sorry for the sudden stop and the delay. I will be making my way through the cars, checking for injured persons. Medical help is on its way. Due to our sudden stop, the engine has gone slightly awry and we will need to wait for maintenance crews to come help move it. Passengers must be checked out by paramedics and then may have the choice of waiting on the train or walking back to the last train station and finding an alternate way to their destination."

Usagi sighed heavily. "Great. My dad is going to flip."

Mamoru stared at her, uncomprehending. She was sitting up again, rubbing the back of her head ruefully. "I'm sorry, but what?"

She still didn't look at him. "My dad forgot his briefcase at home and mom sent me out to take it to him. He has a meeting at noon and all his paperwork is in there. But at this rate, I won't make it in time. He'll never believe I was in a train accident."

Mamoru felt bad for her. "Don't worry about it. I'll help you get there in time," he found himself promising. He pulled the handkerchief away from the wound on her right knee, pleased when it only oozed a thin trail of blood over the cuts. He flattened the bloody cloth and then the deftly wrapped it around her knee, tying it into a neat bandage. "Can I have you handkerchief, please?"

Usagi released it numbly, still stunned over his generous offer of aid. She watched him bandage her left knee with the same skill. "Why?" she asked softly.

Mamoru caught the hem of her skirt and tugged it down, careful not to touch her legs as he did so. Almost as soon as he'd released the fabric, she swung her legs out of his lap and straightened up correctly in the seat beside him. He felt an odd sense of loss, but he ignored it. "Because it's the right thing to do," he offered, although the answer sounded feeble to his ears. He could tell the words hurt her and a sense of dread filled him. Was she attracted to him, as well?

"Oh," Usagi muttered, looking at her lap. Damn him and his morality anyway. She didn't want him to help her because it was 'the right thing to do.' Not that she would turn down his company. She was selfish enough to accept his help no matter what his motivation was. She perked up a bit and smiled up at him, "Thank you, Mamoru-san."

He absolutely hated when she looked at him like that. Those big beautiful blue eyes shining up at him in happiness evaporated any form of dislike he carefully harbored against her. He didn't deserve to have her look at him like that. His empty soul ached within him, reminding him of all the things he wanted to have, but couldn't achieve. He was unloved and unlovable and could count his friends on his nose. He closed his eyes against the chasm of loneliness that yawned in front of him and rubbed his head. "You're welcome, Odango," he gritted out, hoping to send her into a huff, as he retrieved her father's bag and shoved it at her. He needed to make sure she saw him as the jerk who teased her, not as potential boyfriend material. He couldn't fight against them both.

It didn't work. She sat beside him silently, swinging her feet happily, as they waited for the paramedics. She lied sweetly to them about being in any pain and soon they were cleared to leave. Usagi tightly bundled her coat about her slim frame and pulled her fuzzy hat back on over her buns. Mamoru watched her as she carefully wound her scarf around her slim throat. She looked adorable, all bundled up against the cold, and he wished he could tell her that. But what did he have to offer a girl like her? He rolled his eyes at his wishful thinking and opened the doors for her.

It was farther down than they expected and Usagi hesitated. Noticing her distress, Mamoru jumped down first. Usagi passed him her father's bag, then hesitated, looking down at him."It's okay, I'll catch you," he called up at her. She didn't look reassured and he frowned at her, "Jump! I'll catch you, I swear!"

"How do I know your fingers aren't crossed behind your back?!" she teased down at him, her eyes lighting up with mischief, shamelessly flirting. He suspected she was trying to restore their usual banter and his heart constricted with emotion, appreciating her gesture. So he gave her a devious smirk as he extended his arms in her direction. She bit her lip and then jumped at him.

He grunted a bit as her body struck his for the second time that day, but he kept his promise and clutched her to him, staggering back a bit on the uneven slope. She wrapped her arms around his neck, staring down into his eyes and he could see open admiration shining in her eyes. She smiled at him and he was lost. He lowered her to the ground, but kept his arms about her waist, bending over her until his forehead touched hers. "Why aren't you shrieking and running away from me?" he whispered.

Usagi's smile faltered, a sadness entering her eyes at his words. She tightened her arms about his neck, "Do you want me to?"

Mamoru groaned, realizing he'd read her behavior on the train correctly. She was attracted to him. "No," he confessed, trapped into telling the truth by the pain in her eyes. She smiled wider. "But you should. I'm not right for you."

Usagi stared up at him in confusion. "I'm no expert," she murmured, "but isn't that supposed to be my decision?" Mamoru favored her with a conflicted smile. "Am I that bad?"

Mamoru dropped her, frustrated with what seemed to him as her intentional misunderstanding. "Grab your dad's bag and let's go," he sighed.

Usagi pouted at his back, but grabbed the bag and ran behind him, struggling to keep up with his long stride. "Okay, so explain the problem then!" she demanded.

Mamoru glared out of the corner of his eyes at her as she rushed alongside him. "I'm not a nice person, Odango. Isn't that enough?" As if to belie his words, though, he pulled the bag from Usagi's grasp and shortened his stride to accommodate hers.

Usagi laughed. Mamoru froze, staring at her. "Aside from teasing me, exactly who are you so horrible to?"

"Look, Odango Atama," he snapped, stressing her hated nickname and growing concerned when she didn't react, "despite all of your flaws, you're a wonderful, beautiful, lovely girl. I'm just my flaws. I'd only drag you down."

Usagi's eyes filled with tears and he thought he'd finally gotten through to her. He was bracing himself for her to yell at him, but was stunned when she laid a hand on his arm, "Who told you something like that, Mamoru-san? Why do you hate yourself so much?"

The compassion in her voice was too much to bear and he closed his eyes to block out her features. "You're one of those that have to learn the hard way, aren't you?"

"Nope, I think that's you," she shot back, her voice soft. "Why won't you give yourself a chance?" She moved closer, her cold hand closing around one of the hands he had fisted at his side. He flinched as she wormed her fingers between his, but he didn't open his eyes. "Okay, how about we take it one day at a time?" she offered, trying to keep the sadness out of her voice. "Just give me today and if you prefer, we can go back to our usual behavior."

Mamoru finally looked down at her. He wanted to argue with her, but he couldn't resist the softly pleading look on her face. "That goes for you, too," he conceded. Usagi squeaked happily and jumped against him, attempting to press a gentle kiss on his cheek. She sort of tagged his jawline before sliding back down to the ground. She grimaced at herself and Mamoru laughed. "What was that?"

"It's not my fault you're so tall," she groused playfully. "And it was a thank you."

"Hmm," Mamoru mused, "well, let me help you out then." He bent over her, closing the gap between them.

Usagi's eyes sparkled with mischief again as she rose on tiptoe and pressed her lips to his. Mamoru stiffened immediately but Usagi had already twined her arms around his neck, keeping him close to her even though he had broken the kiss. He searched her eyes for a long moment.

"That wasn't a thank you," he queried, his voice breathy. She shook her head, blushing. He curved a hand under her chin, lifting her head slightly higher so he could slant his lips across hers with ease. She tightened her arms about his neck, bringing her body flush against his as he lifted her off the ground.

When they broke apart, he smirked smugly at the dazed look in her eyes. He slid her slowly down his body, the sound of nylon coats gliding slickly over each other giving her a fit of the giggles. Catching her tiny ice-cold hand in his, he stroked a thumb over the back of her hand. "We'd better get going, Usagi-chan. It wouldn't make a good impression on your dad if I get you to his office too late."

Usagi shivered at his touch, which pleased him. But the mega-watt smile she gave him as they started walking away from the tracks was a better gift, warming his heart, the love and affection that shone out of her like a wrecking ball to the wall of ice he'd built around it. He hoped they'd take it one day at a time for the rest of his life.