AN: Okay, I officially hate this story. I am only offering it because I need to get away from it to clear my head so that I can write my seventh story tomorrow. I started this thing Saturday and got two paragraphs in and then every time I looked at it, I walked away. I'm hoping it's better than I think it is but feel free to let me know if it isn't. For those of you wondering, the challenge was paused until 12/26, so I have until midnight 12/27 to get all my installments out.

Title: Silence
Rating: K+
Summary: Usagi has a bad cold and loses her voice. Mamoru enjoys her silence – at least, at first.
One Hour Challenges:
#151 Scene One of your 'Couple' has gone mute - much to the delight of the other in the 'Couple'!

"I don't feel good," Usagi whispered painfully to her mother as she clutched a hand to her throat. Her head was hot, her body was cold, and the effort required just to swallow was draining her of all energy.

Her mom quickly took her temperature, "It's just a low-grade fever, Usagi, honey. Dress warmly against the chills and try to be as quiet as possible." She fussed about in the kitchen, mixing up two servings of her special soup. She filled a breakfast bowl and plunked it down in front of the blonde, then poured the remaining soup into a thermos. "I'm sorry, honey, but we just got that letter from the school reminding us that every 3 tardies adds up to an absence and you've already used up this semester's allowance for excused absences." She frowned down at her dejected daughter's head, waiting for the wailing explosion that usually followed one of her attempts to put her foot down with either of her children.

Instead, Usagi just nodded slowly, draining her bowl of hot soup dejectedly. Taking pity on the lethargic child, Ikuko hunted up Usagi's winter scarf and convinced her dad to drop her off at school on his way into town. Of course, that set Shingo wailing and Kenji ended up driving them both to school, while Shingo maliciously tormented his silent sister. Thankfully, he was dropped off first and Usagi closed her eyes in relief as he left.

Tsukino Kenji was a doting father who wanted nothing more than to have a happy, harmonious family. When forced to deal with his children's perfectly natural sibling rivalry, it filled him with feelings of guilt and failure. As such, he couldn't find the words to encourage Usagi to ignore her brother's taunts anymore than he could find the authority to silence Shingo. Instead, the only thing that came to mind when Usagi kissed his cheek goodbye at the gate to Juuban Middle School was, "Have a good day and don't talk to boys!" He glowered at a group of boys who were paying absolutely no attention to Usagi. Following his gaze, Usagi sighed softly, the exhalation burning her throat, then gave her dad a false smile and waved before turning towards the school, her path taking her right past the oblivious group of boys.

Ami and Naru were sympathetic to her pain, although Usagi thought that they had a funny way of showing it. Ami had blithely pointed out that because she was feeling so poorly, she actually looked graceful and in control. Usagi wanted to tell her she'd rather klutz out every five minutes than feel like the world was permanently shrouded in one of Mercury's fogs. Naru was gushing about how this could be Usagi's first day without detention in weeks. She merely nodded at that one, because she knew that would mean she would be expected to join Ami and Rei at the arcade and she would have to suffer Mamoru's presence for a longer span of time than usual. Even Haruna-sensei was being kind to her, in her own way. She still wanted Usagi to participate in class, so she gave her a small whiteboard tablet and dry erase marker, so that she could "answer" questions just like everyone else.

It seemed like school lasted twice as long. The pick-me-up effect from her mother's soup at lunch only lasted for about an hour. Her gym teacher sent her to the nurse for the period. As a kindness, the nurse sent a note with Usagi that told her teachers to let her have a cup of ice to suck on for the rest of the day. It was oddly soothing, even if it did nothing for the dull pounding behind her eyes.

The bell rang, dismissing them, and for once, Ami's energy dramatically overshadowed Usagi's as they walked with Naru towards Crown Arcade. The three girls entered, greeted perfunctorily by the less-than-friendly day shift employee. They barely noticed her attitude anymore and they quickly claimed their usual booth, ordering drinks and an extra cup of ice. Naru dominated the conversation. Usually both girls orbited around Usagi, their friendship more an extension of their bonds with the vivacious blonde. Ami laughed quietly as Naru described a particularly difficult customer that had come into the Osa-P jewelry store as she was leaving this morning.

When Rei arrived, she instantly knew something was wrong with Usagi. Ami's explanation made the miko's purple eyes dance with amusement. "I'm sorry you aren't feeling well," she murmured, "but I'll kill you if you get me sick, Odango."

Usagi grimaced at her and the amusement faded, much to Naru's relief. She felt better leaving Usagi alone with the high-tempered politician's daughter now that she'd witnessed some real compassion from the girl. "I'd better get going. Mama will be waiting for me." She hugged Usagi tight, just to show she wasn't worried about getting sick, "I hope you will be better tomorrow, but if not, remember, it's almost Saturday!"

Ami and Rei waved farewell as the red-head ran off. Usagi leaned tiredly onto the table, her pigtails trailing just as lifelessly about her. Her friends were tempted to fuss over her, but they eventually decided to just have a quiet discussion and let her zone out peacefully.

Mere minutes after Naru took off, two high school boys walked into the arcade. One of them, a cheerful blonde, sang out a greeting and dismissal of the less-than-friendly college student who covered the 8 am to 4 pm shift. She merely nodded curtly, grabbed her things, and dropped her apron in the hamper in the back room. Motoki stared after her, feeling chilled. That woman just got colder as each day passed.

His companion, however, had immediately spotted the drooping blonde who appeared to be taking a nap at her booth. He slipped quietly up behind her, tapped her on the back of her head with one long finger, and scolded, "Oi, Odango, it's not nice to drool all over Motoki's table."

Usagi didn't respond as expected. She merely waved one arm pathetically around as if attempting to chase off a slow-moving mosquito. She didn't even open her eyes.

Mamoru frowned. Was he losing his touch? She should be shrieking at him that she didn't drool and that he didn't need to embarrass her in front of everyone in the arcade. Then he would ever so helpfully point out that she didn't need his help to do that and she would look around, flush, and flop dramatically down in a comical attempt to come up with a witty retort. He cocked his head to the side, looking down at the unhappy look on her face. "How come you aren't in detention today? Have your teachers finally given up on you?"

Hurt flashed across the blonde's face before she could block it and she opened her mouth to retort. A cracking grunt escaped followed by a grimace of pain. She plucked an ice cube out of her cup and popped it in her mouth, closing her eyes again, relief evident on her features. He looked at her friends for an explanation.

Rei shook her head as she spoke, "Can't you see she's sick? Why don't you leave her alone?" Her tone wasn't harsh, but she would have loved a truthful answer to that. Of course, she already knew the young man in front of her didn't know why he couldn't leave her alone. She leaned across the table, checking the contents of Usagi's cup. Finding it nearly empty, she snagged it and went in search of Motoki.

Mamoru was staring at the pale Usagi again. He recognized the look of misery on her face now. She was definitely under the weather. He pressed the back of his hand to her forehead, discovering that her skin was clammy but cool, "She doesn't feel warm."

"She doesn't have a fever," Ami advised him. "She just has no energy and no voice."

"No voice, hmm?" he grinned suddenly, realizing just how much he could tease her without having to listen to her complaints. "Well, I suppose there is a god after all." He walked away, tossing back a final thought over his shoulder, "Just think of all the studying I can do without having to hear her obnoxious chatter!"

Rei glared at his back as she handed Usagi the freshly filled cup. Motoki was right behind her, ready to worry over the sick blonde, "Would you like some tea, Usagi-chan? Or would you rather have a nice cold milkshake to soothe your throat?" Usagi brightened up at the thought of a creamy chocolate milkshake. "I'll take that as a yes," Motoki grinned back.

The grin dropped off his face as he passed Mamoru. "Be nice," he hissed. Mamoru merely stared at him with an expression of wounded innocence. Motoki rolled his eyes, but was contented when Mamoru buried his nose in a textbook.

Several minutes later, there was a hushed discussion at Usagi's table. Usagi protested firmly, if silently, about being left behind, but Rei reassured her that there was no need for her to worry. Feeling extremely useless, Usagi let them go but agreed to wait at the arcade until they returned, so that they could at least escort her back home.

Mamoru noticed the two girls abandoning Usagi is no small amount of haste and raised a curious eyebrow. He contemplated the tense figure of Usagi as she stared out the plate glass window of the arcade, worry giving her the strength to sit up. He furrowed his brow, trying to decide what her friends could be up to that had her so nervous.

His musings were interrupted by a large group of teenagers who burst through the door and were currently casting about for a place to sit. Usagi also swiveled in their direction and, being the gracious person she was, she stumbled to her feet, collected the three bags and her half-filled milkshake and exited her booth, heading for the counter. Motoki noticed her gesture and hurried over to clean the table. Without even acknowledging the generosity of the middle school girl, the teenagers swooped in on the empty booth. Mamoru frowned at them, finding their behavior and their selfishness distasteful.

"That was very kind of you, Usagi-chan," Motoki praised her. "But you didn't have to do that,"

"She probably just knows how kids like that act, Motoki-kun," Mamoru muttered. "They would have rudely bothered her til she did what they wanted anyway." He wasn't mad at her nor was he intending to mock her kindness. But he wasn't going to admit that it bothered him that Usagi was now swaying unsteadily on a barstool instead of safely curled up on a bench seat.

Usagi did her best to ignore him. She reached down for her bag, intending to retrieve some paper and a pencil so she could at least communicate with Motoki. Talking with him would calm her nerves until the girls got back. Unfortunately, her sense of balance was even more off than usual and she began to tip right off the stool. Fortunately, Mamoru caught her.

"Odango Atama, what on earth are you trying to do?" he demanded harshly, shocked that the girl had prepared to do a header into the linoleum. He nearly slapped himself when she remained silent. "Are you okay?" he asked more gently. She nodded and he hauled her back onto her seat. "What were you doing?"

Usagi mutely pointed at the bag under her feet and Mamoru quickly lifted it up to her. She smiled gratefully at him, then found her supplies. "Thanks for catching me!" she wrote in large, girlish characters.

Mamoru shrugged, "Can't have you destroying the arcade, now can I?" His grin widened when she glowered at him. "Oh fine," he huffed, releasing a phony longsuffering sigh, "You're welcome."

She stared at him a beat longer, then turned in the direction of the automatic doors anxiously, her fingers curled tightly about the laminate counter for support. Her face fell when a total stranger walked in.

Motoki beat Mamoru to the obvious question, "Where did the girls go?"

Usagi wrote back, "They had to run an errand. They'll be back soon."

Mamoru thought she was lying. But he doubted he was going to get the truth out of her. He waited until Motoki moved off to take an order from the obnoxious teens before starting in on her again, "You know, Odango, you really surprised me today." As she turned a questioning face in his direction, he smirked, "Yep, I was absolutely stunned that you made it all the way over here, with no less than three bags and your milkshake, and you didn't trip once."

He tried to ignore the pang he felt when her face fell, the hope that he was going to say something positive disappearing from her eyes. He frowned at himself. Wasn't this supposed to be fun, having her unable to respond to his jabs?

Usagi shoved her notebook at him, "It's because I'm moving so slowly."

He looked at that explanation incredulously, ready to laugh it away, but then he thought about it. Usagi did move with unnecessary speed. "Actually, that makes perfect sense," he mused out loud. "With the rate of speed that you travel at, plus your natural clumsiness. . ." he trailed off, lost in thought for a moment, "Yep, that would seem to explain your high probability for accidents." Mamoru looked pleased with himself.

Usagi frowned. She didn't like being reduced to an equation. She snatched her notebook back and turned away from him, her fingers groping for her milkshake. Resolving to ignore him until the girls came to take her home, she tried to drown her bad mood in the sweet, icy chocolate.

Silence reigned between the two of them for a long while. Usagi enjoyed it, grateful not to have to endure his teasing without the opportunity to defend herself. Having to write down a comeback would have just come across as flat and possibly even stupid. Plus, the longer the girls were gone, the more anxious she was getting and she didn't need Mamoru to wind her up further. It wasn't quite as comfortable for Mamoru, who was not used to being close to Usagi without fighting with her. He was confused as to why he missed the sound of her voice. He pondered this question for several long moments while she drummed her fingers soundlessly on her notebook.

He already knew he didn't like days when he didn't see her. And it had taken quite a while to forget about that incident when that weird Umino kid had asked Usagi out on a date. That had set his teeth on edge. On top of that, there were Motoki's less than subtle hints that he thought Mamoru was secretly crushing on the diminutive menace to sanity. He'd scoffed at that idea too many times to count, convinced if that were the truth, he would know. After all, how many guys found amusement in the tears of a girl they liked? What would that say about him?

He ran a hand through his hair, suddenly wishing Usagi's throat would magically heal and she would scream something at him at the top of her lungs just because she wanted to see him jump five feet and cover his ears in agony. He idly wondered if he could use his healing powers to soothe her throat, but he rejected it quickly, for several reasons. One was that he doubted Usagi would let him touch her throat, and another was that he would be setting himself up for questions he really didn't want to answer. But the main reason was a little rabbit trail he followed for a moment, contemplating just how soft her skin might be and how tempting it would be press soft kisses against that smooth, white column, feeling her pulse speed up beneath his lips. He let his head thunk to the countertop, horrified by just how easily he'd found himself fantasizing about the dingy blonde.

Usagi poked him in the back of the head and shoved her notebook at him. "You okay?" she'd scrawled.

He shook his head ruefully. Did she have to care about everyone? "No," he said roughly, trying to keep her at arm's length. "I suddenly don't feel well." It was a lie, but he knew how she would interpret his statement, coupled with his tone.

Usagi flushed. She hadn't meant to make the jerk sick. "Sorry," she croaked out defensively, the word tearing through the numb coolness and setting her throat aflame. The pain of it brought tears to her eyes and she curled her hand protectively about her neck, as if she could somehow stop the grating pain.

Mamoru all but shoved the remnants of the milkshake into her other hand, concern and guilt washing through him. "Here, drink this and don't talk any more," he instructed. He watched her greedily gulp it down, relieved when her body relaxed and the tortured look left her face. When she lowered the emptied cup, he snatched it from her grasp and leaned in, gazing into her eyes seriously, "I'm sorry, Usagi-san," he murmured, "I shouldn't have said that. Forgive me?"

Usagi's breath caught in her throat at the intensity in his dark blue eyes. She could read the guilt and sorrow as clear as day. How could she not forgive him? She nodded numbly, and smiled widely when his lips curved upwards in relief.

It might have been that smile, one that reached all the way to his eyes and didn't have a hint of mockery in him, or it might have been the sugar in the milkshake, but Usagi experienced her first energy rush of the day and she impulsively wrapped her arms about him in what she intended to be a quick hug. His hands instinctively curved about her waist to prevent her from slipping further off the stool. It would have been a very sweet gesture of friendship. But, instead, they awkwardly moved their heads in the same direction and Usagi's cold lips collided with Mamoru's warm ones.

Usagi would have squeaked in surprise, if she'd been capable of making any sound in that particular register at all. Instead she quickly dropped her arms and leaned back, embarrassed and apologetic and suddenly very interested in her shoes. She didn't know how she was going to explain what had just happened.

Mamoru, on the other hand, was holding on to her as if his life depended on it. The touch of her lips on his had been electric. He couldn't call what had happened a kiss, but he wanted to. Because suddenly, at this moment in time, he wanted nothing more than for her to kiss him. It was if he'd blinked and in the space of that moment of blindness, his perception of reality had been rearranged. And he just accepted it.

A finger curled under her chin and Usagi allowed her head to be lifted. She had to face him sometime, she sighed mentally. Still, she was unprepared for the soft light in his eyes as he gazed at her seriously. "I don't suppose you want to try that again?" he murmured, for her ears only, his voice pure velvet. Usagi blinked twice, then furrowed her brow at him, before raising her arms up to hug him again.

This time, Mamoru intentionally moved his head to capture her mouth, savoring the way she tasted like milk chocolate as he lightly ran his tongue over the tight seal of her lips, soothing her until she relaxed into the kiss. She gasped for air and he deepened the kiss, one of his hands leaving her waist to cup the side of her face. Her right hand tangled in his hair while her left gripped his upper arm for support as she mimicked the movements of his tongue.

A clearing of several throats brought the two back to reality and they found themselves surrounded by Ami, Rei, and a very smug Motoki. The group was silent for a moment, until finally Rei burst out, "Well, good to see you missed us, Usa-chan."