AN: I just had my first week of classes! This school is so amazing and I've met so many nice people :) So here's another chapter before my life gets too crazy! Everything is pretty much mapped out at this point, I just need to write it...

Chapter 11:

Minako may not have had the best track record in terms of lasting relationships, but it's not like she was looking for one! What Minako did know, though, was attraction, and whatever was going on between Usagi and Mamoru was off the charts!

How the Crown hadn't burst into flames years ago was beyond her, but the sexual tension building in the club right now?! Minako wasn't sure how they were both still standing. And fully clothed. It was utterly ridiculous.

But there he was, leaning next to Usagi like some dark Adonis, and there she was, perched at the edge of the booth and as close to Makoto as she could get. To some people, it may have simply looked like they were two people who didn't know each other that well, but Minako was not some people. She saw the heat in Mamoru's gaze whenever he glanced at her friend, and the flush of Usagi's cheeks that she knew came from more than just the alcohol. Usagi was leaning away from him, yes, but judging from the way she was worrying her lip, Minako could tell that she was more nervous than upset at his closeness. Minako gave Mamoru a mental high-five. That guy may have been acting like an idiot the past few days, but she was glad to see he had stepped up his game.

After a few attempts to get Usagi to join their conversation and actually look Mamoru in his goddamn eyes – that was always when the sparks really flew between them – Minako decided to go in for the kill. Left to their own devices, who knew when these two were going to get their acts together?

"So Mamoru," Minako asked smoothly, glancing at her friend with a smirk, "have you been on the dance floor yet?"

Minako watched Usagi's eyes widen and then narrow in anger, but she just smiled wider. Usagi would thank her later.

She heard Mamoru chuckle and felt her own heart stutter a bit in response. Damn, but this guy was like sex on legs! Perhaps his hair was a little too dark for her tastes, but if he had been born blonde...

"No, but that's not a bad idea."

Minako watched with barely contained glee as Mamoru leaned towards her friend. Oh yes, this was it! She was so going to win the best friend of the year award once they got together!

"Usagi, would you – "

"Usagi-chan!"

Minako whipped her head around and bit back a snarl as she watched a man with ridiculously horrible timing walk toward their table. He wasn't bad looking, but Minako was not in the mood for him now, even if he did have a pretty face.

When Usagi introduced Mr. Cock-Block to Mamoru though, Minako felt her eyebrows raise in surprise. She had always known that Mamoru was a lot more interested in her friend that he let on – she was the only person he ever cracked his cool mask around. First, it had been insults and mockery, but this. Rei had once told her that she looked oddly like the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland sometimes, and if she had been looking at her now she would have seen that smile again.

Mamoru was totally jealous!

Minako almost squealed. Oh yes, this was perfect! Okay, so they weren't dancing together, but the night was still young! And she could totally work with this.

She watched gleefully as Mamoru stared down Usagi's co-worker – was it possible to make another human being spontaneously combust just by glaring at them? – and he, in turn, very obviously ignored Mamoru. Though how one could ignore the man when he looked like a panther about to pounce was beyond her.

And then, it happened.

"Would you like to dance?"

Minako watched Usagi's mouth drop open in surprise and Mamoru stiffen behind her, his face becoming a blank mask even as his eyes flashed in anger. Oh yeah, if looks could kill that other dude would be de-ead!

"Umm…"

Minako could tell Usagi didn't want to go, but Usagi was awful about saying no to people when her only reason to say no was her own feelings. It was very sweet, but also made life a bit difficult sometimes. Minako opened her mouth to step in when Mr. Whatever-his-name-was spoke up again.

"C'mon, it's only one dance. It'll be fun, I promise!"

She watched Usagi nod and then get ripped from her seat and pulled toward the dance floor. For a moment, it looked like Mamoru would stop them, but then he stepped back, his expression still unreadable, but Minako could tell from the set of his shoulders that he wasn't happy.

She glanced after Usagi and felt her eyebrows pull down into a frown. That had not gone as she had hoped. Usagi was dancing, yes, but with the wrong guy!

Without another word to them, Mamoru stepped a little away from their booth and faced the dance floor. She couldn't see her friend through the mass of people, but she had no doubt that Mamoru's eyes were trained on her and her dance partner. She was a little surprised he wasn't pacing – his body radiated the feel of a caged tiger.

Looking back at her friends, they exchanged glances. Ami was clearly worried and Rei looked mildly interested, meaning she was probably going to grill Usagi for every detail about this kid when she got back. Makoto, though, was grinning madly.

"Wow, that Seijuro sure is smooth," Makoto said, whistling softly.

Minako was about to reply when she saw Mamoru twitch out of the corner of her eye and could tell from the others faces that they had noticed too. She felt a slow smile split her face. Perhaps she could save this after all.

"Yes," she said, twirling her straw casually as she turned her body a bit so that Mamoru could hear her better. "Usagi is a lucky girl!" She gave her friends' an exaggerated wink. "Though she may get even luckier as the night progresses."

She and Makoto quickly had to stifle their laughter as they heard Mamoru growl softly. Rei snorted softly, unimpressed, while Ami's eyes widened a bit in fear.

"Thought I must say," Minako continued, "I don't think I can see them together."

She watched in satisfaction as Mamoru's head titled the tiniest bit to the right, giving him better access to their conversation.

"Really?" Makoto asked, obviously unsure where Minako was going with this.

"Yeah, she didn't seem too sure about dancing with him, and I just can't see him making her happy, but you know Usagi has trouble saying no."

Makoto nodded slowly, "That's true."

"I hope she has enough sense to push off his advances if she's not interested..."

Rei's head turned sharply towards her, even as Makoto's eyes widened in understanding and she leaned forward, ignoring Ami's frantic gestures that they should stop.

"You don't think he would..." Makoto asked, and they all watched in macabre fascination as Mamoru straightened and stared fixedly toward the center of the dance floor.

"I honestly wouldn't put it past him." Minako said, letting some of her earlier worry seep into her voice. "Usagi's mentioned that guy to me before, and some of what she said wasn't so good."

And with that, Mamoru was gone, pushing through the dancers quickly and purposefully until he too was lost from their sights.

"Why did you have to add that last thing?" Rei asked, obviously disapproving. "You don't even know Seijuro!"

Minako just shrugged, leaning back into the booth and picking up her drink. "Mamoru really wanted the chance to dance with Usagi and, to be honest, I don't like the idea of her having to dance with that other guy when she clearly didn't want to. It's the best of both worlds."

"But what if they fight?" Ami asked, worriedly, "You guys saw Mamoru, he looked really upset and, well, dangerous!"

Makoto chuckled, "My money's on Mamoru. That guy may look like a pretty boy, but he's got muscle."

"But Usagi would hate that!" Ami wailed. Or as close to wailing as Ami ever got.

"That's true," Rei agreed, "I'm guessing you didn't think of that before you sent Mamoru barreling in there like that, did you?"

Minako sniffed delicately, not wishing to admit that perhaps she had been a bit hasty. "Hopefully he'll have enough sense not to."

Rei rolled her eyes. "But he doesn't seem to have much sense when it comes to Usagi, does he? You remember when we were younger."

"Younger?" Makoto crowed, "What about at the Crown only this morning? You'd think he has a death wish."

Rei snorted, "Well he's not a complete idiot. Usagi is clearly attracted to him, so it's not like he's going off of nothing." She raised her glass only to find that it was empty and set it back down with a sigh. "But he does need to figure out how to talk to her without insulting her." Leaning over quickly, she stole Usagi's half empty glass and took a sip. "Idiot men," she muttered.

"Weren't you interested in Mamoru at one point, Rei?" Makoto asked, setting her chin in her hand and watching her friend across the table.

"That's right!" Minako said, stopping her sulking long enough to pounce on that piece of information. "You tried to get him to date you!"

Rei sniffed and folded her hands in her lap primly. "I may have once harbored the idea that Mamoru and I could be more than friends, but I quickly found that we were not...compatible."

"Meeeeaning," Minako said, leaning forward to exchange a grin with Makoto, "You realized he wasn't into you."

Rei rolled her eyes and picked up her stolen drink again, "Yeah, sure. It was kind of obvious once I realized he lavished more attention on Usagi in five minutes then he did on me in an entire week."

"It really is quite odd that they never pursued their mutual interest before," Ami commented, staring at the table thoughtfully.

"Well they're both so stubborn I don't think they wanted to admit they liked each other," Minako said.

Makoto nodded, "Yeah, and then Mamoru left for America and we never saw him again, so that kind of ended anything that could have happened."

"That's true," Ami said, looking up. "It's almost like they've had to start all over again, isn't it?"

The girls all nodded in agreement and sat for a couple minutes in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.

"Soooo," Minako said eventually, clinking her now empty glass against Rei's old one, "the next rounds on Usagi, right?"

AN: Sorry some of that was repetitive from last time, but I just love Minako's character so much! I think her perspective is fun :) But don't worry – we'll be moving onto the dance floor next time ;)