A/N: YESH! I'VE UPDATED! XD Sorry guys, it's just that marching band camp has almost started, so now there is little time for Celia here to update T-T Plus my birthday is on the second day of band camp, so so much for celebrating! )':

Plus, you guys keep saying how amazing this story is, but I have to remind you: this story idea is not mine! The plots and everything come mostly from Itazura Na Kiss (and It Started With A Kiss, but it's based off of Itazura Na Kiss), so if you think this story rocks, then you should go watch the anime (watch it after this story is complete; you don't want any spoilers!) :D You can read the manga too, but the manga was never finished because the author died while she was in the middle of writing it. However, the anime was completed on the basis of how the author planned on finishing it.

BUT YES! THANK YOU ALL FOR THE WONDERFUL REVIEWS/FAVORITING/FOLLOWING! LOVE YOU GUYS! 3 This chapter has lots of romance in it, so it's like my little gift to you guys ^^

DISCLAIMER! I DO NOT OWN SAILOR MOON OR ITAZURA NA KISS/IT STARTED WITH A KISS!

Chapter 12

"Where are they?" Usagi wondered as she sat by one of the tables next to the large, glinting Christmas tree in the center of the mall. "They said to meet at one of the tables in the center of the mall..."

Then, Usagi's three friends appeared a few feet behind her, all three of their expressions defeated and upset. "What's wrong, minna?" She asked, rushing to them and helping them walk to the table before their feet would give up on them. "You guys look so depressed!" She added as the three sat down on the table.

Usagi examined her friends' states a bit more closely as she sat down. Ami's watery-blue eyes were red-rimmed, as if she had been crying a lot; Makoto's dark brown hair was a bit disheveled as if she was pulling it out in fits of rage and frustration, and Minako just looked plain upset as if she had, for the first time in her life, lost an argument.

"My boyfriend cancelled our FIRST Christmas date together!" They all wailed at the same time, throwing their heads back and then slamming them into the table, sobbing uncontrollably. Usagi blinked, not entirely sure who to ask first or what to say that would console them. "W-What? That's terrible!"

"Zoicite says he can't get out of his part-time job!" Ami lightly sobbed, wiping her eyes with an already drenched-sleeve as she hiccuped quietly.

"Nephrite said that too!" Makoto nodded, as she remembered her boyfriend agreeing with Zoicite that the two of them couldn't get out of their part-time job at the restaurant a few blocks away from the mall. "And this is our FIRST CHRISTMAS DATE TOGETHER!" She slammed her fist into the table, making her friends and a few other people around them jump in their seats. from the sudden noise.

Minako nodded as well, her eyes starting to form tiny tears as she spoke, "Kunzite says that his father is making him go to this Christmas party at this fancy hotel, and he can't take me with him! I mean, how stupid is that?" She groaned angrily and hid her face underneath her crossed arms again.

"Gomen, minna," Usagi said, feeling bad for her friends, "I wish-"

"And what are you doing with Chiba-san, Usagi-chan?" Minako demanded, and Ami and Makoto leaned in, interested. "Are you guys gonna have sexy time like a couple? Or is he going to spend the Christmas night with you alone? Or-"

Usagi waved her hands back and forth."It's not like that, Minako-chan! We're not a couple!" She looked down, fidgeting with the end of one of her ponytails. "We're not doing anything, because we're not a couple." She looked up at her upset friends who were staring at her. "And it's not like he has feelings for me."

"But he kissed you!" Makoto said, and Usagi shook her head. "That was almost 2 years ago, Mako-chan. Yet he still acts the same towards me. He wasn't even jealous when I dated Sei-chan."

"Then it's decided!" Ami exclaimed, and everyone looked up at the usually calm and shy bluenette as she rose from the table. "We'll have a girls-only Christmas! Just the four of us together on the night of the 24th!" She smiled.

"Yeah!" Makoto chimed in, her dark green eyes shining as she agreed. "It'll be a date to remember!"

"But today's the 22nd!" Usagi interjected, confused. "How on Earth are we going to get reservations at this time if we're going to go anywhere?"

"We'll be fine!" Minako waved her hands back and forth carelessly. "We'll just find a karaoke bar or something!" She smiled. "I'll also try and get a camera so that we can take endless pictures of our memories on that day!"

"Yeah!" The four girls all cheered, and then continued to talk about their different ideas for the party.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The time I spent with you passed so quickly...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Usagi stared at herself in the mirror in her room, spinning this way and that to examine herself better. "Look at this dress!" She exclaimed happily to herself, twirling around. Her ponytails had bright red ribbons loosely tied around them that matched the scarlet of her dress, which was a long-sleeved red velvet blouse tied together with a white ribbon bow to a wide, pinkish-red skirt with tiny sparkles on it. Auntie Saori had even helped her apply a bit of blush around her cheeks to match her outfit, and even complimented her, saying she looked like a Christmas angel. She giggled as she looked at it, wondering how on Earth she had found this dress in one of her old boxes of clothes and she never remembered having it. Hell, she was surprised that it still fit her. "Now I'm ready to spend Christmas Eve with minna!" She laughed and skipped out of her room, bouncing down the stairs and into the kitchen where she heard Saori fussing over how her two sons looked. "For goodness' sake, Shingo!" She heard her frustrated voice scold, "We're going to a party in a fancy hotel! You have to look nice! Now come here and let me straighten your tie! It's lopsided! And your hair, it's all...ick! You must fix it now, you hear me?"

Usagi lightly laughed to herself as she heard the woman a few rooms away scolding her youngest son, pointing out loudly this and that about his outfit. She wished her father could be with her, but he had to work at his restaurant, as it was Christmas Eve and it'd be packed with customers. She took out a glass and started to pour water in it, gulping it down to soothe her parched throat, and smacked her lips happily. "Ahh!" She said happily, then turned around, and her jaw dropped.

Mamoru was standing in the living room, waiting for his parents and little brother, wearing a black tuxedo that matched his dark, neat hair. She blinked and stood there in shock, her blu eyes gawking at him, taking in the fact at how handsome he looked at the moment. "K-Kon-Konbanwa," She said breathlessly, and he turned to her, raising a black eyebrow before firmly replying, "Konbanwa."

"If he wore a mask and a cape along with that tuxedo," Usagi thought, "I'd probably stop breathing.*" She shook her head and tried to walk out of the kitchen, her eyes glued on the floor, trying not to catch his attention. He smirked and then walked over to her, leaning towards her face and starting to half-whisper to her. "You look pretty today," He said, and she inhaled a low gasp, her cheeks turning peach. "R-Really?"

"Yeah. I'd even ask you to dance," He laughed, and then turned around, "That is, f you were going to the party."

Usagi turned bright red. "He was teasing me!" She fumed, and pouted as she turned away.

RING! RING!

"Usagi-chan, can you get that?" Saori's voice called out, and she nodded. "Hai!" She walked over to the phone and picked it up. "Moshi moshi, Chiba residence. Oh, Ami-chan, Mako-chan! We're still meeting at six, right?" She looked up at the clock, where the little hand was on the "5" and the big hand was on the "9". "W-Wait, what?"

"Yeah, Nephrite and Zoicite were just lying to us! They were both saying that they couldn't leave their job to surprise us with red roses and all!" Ami's voice on the other side of the line spoke.

"Gomen, Usagi-chan!" Makoto's voice apologized, "Tell Minako-chan we're sorry we couldn't make it! We'll treat both of you to lunch for a week for this! We promise! Just please understand!"

"Yeah, I understand..." Usagi sighed. "After all, it is your first Christmas dates together. Yeah, it's fine. Bye-bye." She rested the phone on the receiver. "Well, Minako-chan is the only one remaining..." She mumbled, and Saori entered the room along with her husband and youngest son, who were both in tuxedos as well. "What's wrong, Usagi-chan?"

"Mako-chan and Ami-chan have made up with their dates, so they won't be with us." Usagi told her, and Saori clasped her hands together. "Then you can come with us to Kobayashi's toy company's party!" She exclaimed happily. "I don't want you spending Christmas alone!"

"No, no, it's okay!" Usagi smiled. "I still have Minako-chan to spend it with!"

"Hmph. Okay." Saori turned around, waving to her. "Bye, Usagi-chan! We'll call you on your cell when we're coming home, all right?"

Usagi nodded. "Hai!" She said, "Have fun!"

Mamoru turned around as he was walking towards the door to glance at her. "Merry Christmas." He told her, and she blinked. "M-Merry Christmas!" She replied, waving her arm slowly.

RING! RING!

Usagi walked over to the telephone and picked it up. "Moshi moshi, Chiba residence. Hai, Minako-chan! Listen, Mako-chan and Ami-chan both-"

"Gomen, Usagi-chan," Minako's apologetic voice told her, "But Kunzite reasoned with his father, and I'll be able to go with him. Is it all right? Please, Usagi-chan? I really want to spend time with him!"

Usagi's jaw dropped, and then she sighed. "H-Hai...go ahead, Minako-chan. Yes, really. Okay. Bye-bye." She shook her head, and then heard a car engine starting. "NO!" She screamed and ran out to the gates of the house, only to realize that the Chiba family had already left for their party. "No..."

Back in the car where the Chiba family was traveling in, Saori was fidgeting nervously. Koba quickly glanced at her as they drove. "Sao, are you all right?" He asked in concern for his upset wife.

"I just hope Usagi-chan will be all right..." She whispered, and Kobayashi patted her hand. "It's all right, Sao. I'm sure Usagi-chan will be fine." He smiled at her, "Besides, she has her friend Minako-chan to spend Christmas with her, so it'll be all right!"

"I just hope she doesn't burn down the house." Shingo muttered under his breath too quiet for his parents to hear, and Mamoru smirked.

"All right, we're here!" Kobayashi announced, pulling up at a large hotel where many people in fancy clothing stood around, chatting with acquaintances. He unbuckled his seat-belt and got out of the car, his hands waving this way and that. "Sao, Mamoru, and Shingo, I give you the King Hotel!"

Mamoru sighed and then looked to the side where a flash of yellow and white caught his eye out of the dark night environment. He turned to the side and saw a familiar blonde with a red bow in her hair giggling as she held the arm of a silver-haired man, smiling at her lovingly. "Isn't that one of Odango's friends?" Mamoru thought. "What was her name...the angry blonde...Minako?" Then he blinked, remembering that Usagi's other two friends had cancelled on her, and Usagi didn't seem to be with Minako at the moment, who was happily hanging out with her boyfriend as they shared a chocolate strawberry together. Mamoru rolled his navy eyes and then turned back to his parents, who were introducing him to one of Kobayashi's toy company's bank sponsors.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Our date had already come to an end before I realized it...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Ramen instant noodles on Christmas Eve...how pathetic," Usagi muttered to herself, upset.

Pouring the hot steaming hot water into the cup of ramen, Usagi sighed as she stirred in the water with the noodles and then set the kettle aside, picking up her ramen cup with a towel and walking over to the dining table, where she set it down and stared out at the empty patio that was enveloped by the darkness of the sky. She turned to the patio door and slid aside it aside, walking out onto the patio deck and looking up at the starlit sky. A small bundle of soft curled in between her legs and she looked down to see Luna mewing softly at her, demanding that she be picked up.

Usagi gently laughed and bent down to pick up the kitty in her arms, stroking her soft fur as she did. "Oh Luna," She whispered, "I bet everyone is enjoying a feast right now with their loved ones, and I'm stuck here." She sighed again, "You know who I really miss right now? My mother.."

Luna simply mewed and made herself comfortable in Usagi's arms, purring as the blonde continued to pet her as she spoke. "I remember that when I was really young, she'd call Christmas 'the day of starting over'. I'd ask why New Years' day wasn't the day of a new life, but she'd just shake her head. She'd always say that on Christmas, miracles would happen. If you wanted to start over with your life, then Christmas was the ideal day to start over," She looked down at the sleepy cat, smiling as her voice started to break. "And I miss her! It's been fifteen years since I've seen her..." She sniffled, wiping away her tears with her free arm so she could continue to hold Luna steadily. "Look at me, a nineteen-year old crying over something she can't help." She laughed weakly, and then turned around. "Let's go back in. I'm probably acting too crazy right now."

She walked back into the house, sliding the patio door shut as she did, and set Luna on the floor, wondering how her father was doing at the restaurant and what the Chiba family was doing at the party. She sighed. "I should've gone to the party with them, ne, Luna?" She asked, and the cat mewed, licking her paw and then shaking around, making Usagi laugh. "But I wasn't fast enough...and even Mamoru said he would probably ask me to dance if I went! Even though he was joking..." She groaned and then walked over to the radio, where bright Christmas tunes were being played, and turned the volume down. She bent down to Luna, patting her head as she fell onto the couch. "Ne, Luna, you know? I really wanted to dance with Mamoru," She said, "But I was too late..."

Suddenly, the door opened with a bit of a slam and Usagi jumped, scared by the sudden noise. "The Chiba family said they would call me when they would be returning..." She thought, and then looked on her phone, which said in bright red letters, "NO MISSED CALLS." Her jaw dropped and then she hid behind the couch. "Who's there?" She half-squeaked, scared by who it would be. "I'm warning you, I'm armed!"

"Armed with what, your odangos?" A familiar voice asked, and Usagi blinked. She slowly rose from behind the couch and saw Mamoru standing there, a black eyebrow raised. "M-Mamoru?" She shrieked, and covered her wide mouth. "N-No, it's a ghost! YOU'RE A GHOST! EEK! GHO-"

"Baka! It's the real me!" He snapped, and she blinked again, her cerulean eyes wide in confusion. "W-What? W-Why? Why are you here?"

Mamoru remembered how he saw Minako at the hotel, and he looked at her. "I could ask you the same, Odango. Weren't you supposed to be partying with your friend on Christmas Eve?"

Usagi pursed her lips, looking down. "She made up with her date as well, and so I was left alone." She whispered. "But it's okay! I mean, having a Christmas alone is fun, too, and uh..." She trailed off, having a loss for words. "But how was the party? Was the hotel fancy? Was it beautiful and amazing?"

"Not really. There was nothing but old people trying to show me their daughters for marriage proposals," He said to her as he started to take off his shoes by the front door, "It was boring, so I snuck out. Father's probably furious."

"M-Marriage proposals?" Usagi stammered, and he nodded, running one of his hands through his hair. "I guess I'm just that handsome, huh, Odango?" He smirked, and she pouted. "You are not!" She said, but they both knew she was lying. "You are not handsome, Mamoru-baka!"

"Really?" He raised an eyebrow again. "You may say that, Odango, but aren't you in love with me?"

Usagi turned tomato red and bit her lip. "Whatever!" She finally fumed, turning away as she crossed her arms angrily.

"So, what were you going to eat?" He asked, and Usagi's eyes widened. "My ramen!" She exclaimed, and ran back, only to see it fell on the floor, noodles sprawled everywhere as well as broth. She whipped around to see the culprit slowly tiptoeing away from the scene. "LUNA!" She yelled, and the kitty mewed apologetically before running to hide behind Mamoru, who laughed. "It's all right, Odango. I brought food. It's by the front door."

Usagi gasped. "Really?" She ran over to the front door and saw a bag with some takeout in it. She started to reach in to take a box of sushi and a pair of chopsticks. "Wow! Arigatou, Mamo-"

"It's not for you."

"W-What?"

"The food's not for you," He smirked, "I bought that food for Luna-chan and I." He laughed, and her jaw dropped. "B-B-But I'm so hungry! And there's no more ramen!" She complained, and he rolled his eyes. "I guess you could have some of it." He told her, and her eyes brightened. "Arigatou, Mamoru!" She thanked, brung it over to the coffee table and opened it, starting to take out all the food items as she did. She opened her box of sushi and started to dig in, filling in her stomach quickly. "Ne, ne, this is yummy, isn't it?" She asked, and he shrugged. "I guess , as it was the only open takeout restaurant in the area that wasn't filled with customers. Your father's restaurant was extremely packed with people, and it seemed as if his employees were ready to fall. Even that Kou guy."

Usagi smiled. "Poor papa and Seiya." She said, feeling a bit bad for her them as the image of her papa and Seiya drowning in customers entered her mind. "So you came back to the house to spend Christmas with Luna, too, Mamoru?" She asked as she looked up from her box, her blue eyes gazing on him.

"Yeah. I wanted to spend a nice, quiet evening alone with Luna-chan," He turned to her, "But it seems as if a certain someone got in the way."

Usagi laughed nervously. "G-Gomen!" She set her box down and then jumped up. "Ah! I got you a present!" She exclaimed, and then ran up the stairs. A few clanking noises and stomps were heard, and then Usagi came fluttering down the stairs, holding up a rectangular prism wrapped in gold and silver wrapping paper. "Here it is!" She handed it to him. "I hope you like it, Mamoru!"

He took it and smoothly unwrapped it, revealing a book titled, "Works of Hippocrates- Medicine and Culture". He looked up at her, and she was scratching her head, turning bright red. "Ever since you said you wanted to become a doctor, I looked in the bookstore to find you something for Christmas, and the store clerk suggested this!" She half-smiled at him, and he nodded at her, his expression a bit blank. "Arigatou. Just so you know, I don't have a present for you."

"Oh, it's all right!" Usagi told him, her eyes shining and her cheeks turning a dark peach color. "I actually wasn't expecting one...Ah!" She clasped her hands together. "Why don't I run out and buy us a cake? I mean, there's no point in Christmas Eve without a cake!" She ran over to the front door, grabbing her jacket. "I'll just-"

"Odango, you must've not noticed, but we already have a cake." He said, rolling his eyes at her.

"Eh?"

"It's by the front door."

Usagi looked down at her feet and saw another white box. She dropped her jacket and picked up the box, bringing it over to the dining table, where Mamoru walked over to. "W-Were you planning on eating this with Luna, too?" She asked, and he pursed his lips to hide a large laugh. "Something like that." He said, but she shook her head and opened the box, revealing a vanilla cake with intricate chocolate swirls decorating the top and simple pink swirls decorating the sides. On the top was a small Santa figurine holding a white sign that said in shiny black letters, "Happy X-mas". Next to the Santa was a cute, bright brown reindeer tangled up in tiny Christmas lights in the shapes of hearts. "Wah!" Usagi exclaimed, her wide eyes blinking at the sweet. "I-It's beautiful!" She stammered, her expression extremely surprised. "Wait, it's a vanilla cake!" She exclaimed, turning to him. "I thought your favorite kind of cake was a chocolate cake?"

Mamoru shrugged. "They didn't have chocolate. I figured Luna-chan wouldn't mind it either if I got vanilla, though, so I got it."

Usagi giggled, holding up two forks for the both of them. "Well that's okay, because vanilla is my favorite!"

The two raised their forks and dug them into the cake, scooping out pieces to eat as the cup of ramen sprawled across the floor, forgotten.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I don't want to let you go/I don't want to go back...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Arigatou, Santa-san!" Usagi thought as she looked out at the star-lit sky out in the patio. "Arigatou for letting me spend this Christmas Eve alone with Mamoru! I'm pretty sure I can forgive everyone now for leaving me for their dates!"

The moon was almost full and she could feel that warm, fuzzy feeling inside, despite the fact that there was a slight breeze. She slightly shook her head, and watched as some of the snow that had collected on her head fell down onto the floor in a slight slow pattern. She then looked back up and blinked, her eyes sliding a bit in and out of focus as she did. The stars were...moving? Usagi shook her head fast and looked back up, wondering if she was actually seeing correctly.

The stars formed a familiar figure with wavy hair and an extremely kind expression. Usagi's lips slightly parted in surprise. "M-Mama?" She stuttered, and the figure in the sky smiled, waving at her. "I can't believe it..." She reached out, her fingertips reaching for the sky as her cerulean eyes started to blink tiny crystal tears around her rims. "Mama, I've missed you so much!"

Mamoru, who was back inside the house, reading the book Usagi had just given him, heard her talking a bit out loud as if there was someone out there. "Who is she talking to? My parents aren't home yet, and she wasn't stupid enough to talk to a burglar...right?" He took the small sticky note he had peeled to use as a bookmark, placed it on his page, and walked out towards the patio, where his eyes widened.

Usagi was sitting on the edge of the patio fence, which was about ten feet off of the ground, reaching out towards the sky, as if there were a floating figure there, stretching it's hand towards hers. Her bright blue eyes were so focused at the sky she hadn't realized she was near to falling off, and her body was leaning so forward it seemed as if she was going to fall. "Mama..." She mumbled, and she fell forward.

"Oi!" He called out, and threw his arms around her waist before she could fall any further, wondering what she was doing, and why. "What the hell do you think you're you doing?" He demanded furiously, yanking her back onto the patio, pulling her out of her trance as the two of them fell onto the rather icy patio floor. "W-What?" She asked, blinking, and turned around to Mamoru and then back to the sky, her expression rather confused as to what was going on as she crawled on her knees back to the patio fence. "Mama...?" She half-yelled, "Mama! Where are you?"

Mamoru placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her around. "Usagi, listen to me! Your mother is not there!" He told her, his deep navy eyes looking deeply into hers, in which small tears formed. "What? But I saw her...!" She turned around to see the normal star-lit sky again, her mother's star form nowhere to be seen in the darkness. Her tears became heavier and she started to cry, burying her face in her palms. "Mama...I miss you so much!" She sobbed, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Why, oh why, did you have to leave?" She cried harder, and then felt a gentle pat on her shoulders. "You don't need to cry, Usagi," Mamoru's voice told her. "It's all-"

Mamoru was cut off when Usagi fell into his arms, crying. "It's not all right, Mamoru! I miss her so much!" She cried half-angrily, now burying her face in his firm chest, and he patted her head softly. "It's all right, shh, come on now, don't cry."

She looked up at him. "Why? Why shouldn't I cry?" She demanded, her tear-stained face a bit angered by his words. "It's been so many years since I parted with her for the rest of my life, and I can't seem to get her out of my mind..." Her voice started to break even more and he shook his head at her. "Usagi, wherever your mother is, I bet she misses you too. But I do know that since she can't be with you, she wants you to smile. She doesn't want you to cry over her absence." He told her.

Usagi blinked, shocked by his sudden gentleness, and nodded as she wiped away her tears. "Y-You're right."

Mamoru's mouth pulled up a bit at the corners. "Now let's get inside. It's freezing, and not all of us have those sparkly-moon-warm powers of yours." He muttered, and she laughed as she watched him leave. She looked back up at the waxing gibbous moon and weakly smiled before getting up and walking back inside the house. Neither her nor Mamoru, however, had noticed that it had started to snow lightly when Mamoru saved Usagi from falling over the patio fence and hurting herself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I want to stop time and be with you forever...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mamoru sighed as he leaned against the tree, sipping his cup of punch as he blankly stared out at the party scene.

There were at least thirty people in this party, not including the fifteen or sixteen members of the tennis club. They were probably seniors who Sempai invited to the "Tennis Club's New Year Costume Party", promising that there would be a lot of alcoholic drinks there for them to drink.

Jadeite walked up next to Mamoru, running a free hand through his hair. "So, Chiba! I see you're not wearing rather formal clothing for my party..." He observed as he looked at the black-haired man's blue jeans and black and dark blue shirt as he scratched his blonde head and brushed some dirt off of his vampire costume, "But that doesn't matter! Are you having fun at the party?"

Mamoru raised an eyebrow. "You threatened me to come to this party, saying that if I didn't, then you would tell my parents that I switched over to the medical department since I had just moved back in," He took another sip from his punch. "It's not like I had a choice, did I now?" He asked, and Jadeite nodded. "True, true. But you must understand that I knew if you came, so would Rei!" His eyes brightened as he mentioned her name. "Oh, my sweet, sweet Rei..." His expression became extremely happy as Mamoru shook his head. "So, technically, you're using me as bait?" He asked.

Jadeite laughed, resting his hand on Mamoru's shoulder. "Well, I wouldn't call it bait, but...yeah, pretty much. But you know what? That's okay, because if I keep my other fellow seniors drunk in another place for a while, this party will be nice and quiet, without any loud noises at all-"

"Mamoru-kun!" Rei's voice rung out to Mamoru, and the both of them turned around to see the raven-haired priestess gliding over to them in a long, dark red dress that was elegantly draped over her body, a golden crown with a red jewel in the middle of it, and matching high heels and elbow-length gloves that covered her hands as she waved at the man she loved and the leader of the tennis club. Mamoru smiled at her as she gracefully approached the two of them.

"Hey, Rei. That outfit looks nice on you." He said, and Rei's cheeks turned bright peach. "Arigatou, Mamoru-kun." She breathed, and turned to Jadeite, nodding at him. "Konbanwa, Jadeite-sempai."

"K...on...banwa!" Jadeite replied lightly, amazed by how beautiful the girl he loved looked. "Y-You sure look..." He straightened his collar as he gulped, beads of sweat trickling down his face and his neck. "...amazing!"

Rei simply smiled, "Of course, my costume is a princess!" She exclaimed, and then turned back to Mamoru. "Ne, Mamoru-kun, do you want to come sit with me?" She asked as she gestured to an empty table with two chairs near the dance floor, where a rather slow yet rhythmic song was playing, a few people in witch, wizard, and turtle costumes were swaying their hips while snapping their fingers in tune to it.

Mamoru opened his mouth to respond when Jadeite halted between the two. "Actually, Rei-san, he was about to go get some more punch," He turned to Mamoru, his dark blue eyes pleading, "Right, Mamoru?"

Mamoru shrugged. "Yeah, sure."

"So, Rei-san, you should probably stay with-"

"Well then I'll go with you!" Rei replied to Mamoru, and Jadeite smacked his forehead with his palm as he watched the two walk over to the punch table.

"Actually, Mamoru-kun," Rei began as she watched him pour the bright red punch into a new cup, "I wanted to talk to you about-"

"Mamoru!" An all-too-familiar voice chimed, and Mamoru immediately knew there was going to be disaster as he watched Rei's face fume up with anger. The two turned around and Rei shrieked, almost dropping her glass at the view in front of them, her amethyst eyes wide in shock.

There stood a girl, her face and arms covered with chalk-white make-up, wearing a strapless dark purple and black dress that reached her ankles. On her ears hung large turquoise earrings that were in the shape of sharp ovals with another one on a striped white and black choker that wrapped around her neck. On her head was a similar turquoise gem stuck onto a royal purple tiara whose color matched the dark purple eyeshadow that outlined her eyes. Applied on her lips was blood red lipstick that was almost the color of her flaming wavy red hair that reached her waist. Rei blinked, "Who the HELL are you?" She yelled, completely surprised by how hideous the person looked.

The girl pouted. "Rei-san, it's me! Tsukino Usagi!" She said, but Rei wouldn't stop staring. Mamoru, however, shook his head. "Odango, this is a costume party. Not a freaking cult."

Usagi raised an eyebrow. "Well, you're not dressed up, Mamoru-baka, so shush!" She stuck out her tongue, slightly ruining her lipstick. "And you can't call me Odango! I have a red wig on, so HA! And..." She observed what he was wearing, "You're wearing the shirt I gave you!" She exclaimed happily, clasping her hands together, "You look so good in it! Thank goodness you do, I thought you'd never wear it..." She trailed off, not knowing what to say next as Rei kept staring at her awkwardly.

Mamoru then shook his head, his dark bangs swishing back and forth. "Well, what are you supposed to be?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Usagi gestured to her outfit as she twirled around, her dress flitting around in the wind. "I'm Queen Beryl! The woman who was in love with Prince Endymion and was jealous of the relationship he had with Princess Serenity!" She raised her hands, which had sharp red nails, up in a cat-like gesture, and hissed, "jealousy" in a whisper as Mamoru smacked his head. "Go clean yourself up," He told her, "You look extremely hideous and probably end up giving someone a heart attack."

Usagi's brow furrowed in anger. "I do not!" She said, and stomped her foot before starting to wave her arms around to prevent herself from falling. Mamoru looked down at her feet and saw two-inch violet heels on her feet. "Seriously, Odango," He looked back up at her, shaking his head, "You and heels equals disaster." He said, and then walked away, disappearing into the crowd.

"What a clumsy idiot," Rei said, smirking at Usagi as the blonde watched him leave in disbelief, flipping her dark hair over her shoulder, "That must've been so embarrassing for you. Luckily I'll be taking him off your hands very soon." She then "hm!"ed as she turned, slightly whacking Usagi in the face with her thick hair. Usagi sighed as she watched Rei glide over to Mamoru in what must've been four-inch heels and talk to him and how he smiled a bit every now and then when she did. "I guess if this were the Moon," Usagi thought, "Then Mamoru would be handsome Endymion, Rei would be graceful Serenity and I," She looked down at her dress and nails, "would be Beryl."

Usagi sighed and then turned around to the punch table, grabbing a cup and filling it with the pink lemonade from one of the bowls, paying attention to the bubbles in it for no apparent reason. She idly raised her cup to her lips and took a sip, continuing to watch the bubbles with tired eyes and took another glass.

Four glasses later, Usagi giggled and hiccuped, wondering what was in that punch. She was going to ask a nearby senior when-

"Tsukino!" An angry voice called out to her, and she turned around to see Jadeite, worriedly looking around as if he had lost something, his yellow hair a bit disheveled. "What is it, Jadeite-sempai?" She asked as she took another sip from her cup, wondering why on Earth he looked so dirty.

"My Rei-san and Chiba have left the party! TOGETHER!" He said, and she started to choke on her juice, coughing out loud and banging her fist against the chest so that some of the drink would get out of her throat. "A-Are you sure?" She demanded, and he nodded, pointing at the woods near the gate of his house. "I saw them go in there, but I never did find them!" He told her, and Usagi bit her lip. "What would they be doing together...?" She wondered, but then her jaw dropped as she remembered Rei's previous words- "Luckily I'll be taking him off your hands very soon."

"She's confessing to him!" She half-screamed, drawing the attention of a few of the party guests, and Jadeite blinked at her. "A-Are you sure?" He demanded, resting his hands on her shoulders and shaking her.

"Yes!"

"Are you positive?"

"Yes!"

"Are you absolutely-"

"DAMN IT, SEMPAI, I'M 100% SURE!" She screamed at him, and he backed away, muttering something about "female hormones" and then turning to the forest. "All right, you go that way," He pointed to the left side, "And I'll go the right way." He turned to her, his expression cracking up, "Get it? Right side? So I'll find them faster since I'm taking the right side? Do you get it, Tsuki-"

Usagi rolled her eyes, annoyed, and ran out into the left side of the forest. "Oh, please God, please let me find them in time!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The words we spoke to hide our embarrassment...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"My legs..." Usagi breathed as she knelt into the grass, her dress a bit ruined. "And I didn't even find them...Gah, I hate the dark!"

"Sempai sure is weird."

Usagi looked up and saw the ruins of an old restaurant with a few bright lights on shining from it, and saw two black figures. "I found them!" She thought gleefully, and got up, running towards the doors and quietly crawling in on her knees. "I must make sure they can't see me spying on them!" She thought, and quickly sat behind a table, peeking out behind it as she watched the two sitting at a table about ten feet away.

"This dress-up party is so pointless. It's funny to see all those idiots dressed up like that, but...Ugh, why'd Sempai throw this party for no apparent reason?" Rei asked, and Mamoru shrugged, not looking at her. Rei pursed her lips and looked down for a moment, as if she were thinking, and then looked back up at Mamoru. "A-Ano, Mamoru-kun, there's a reason why I wanted to talk to you in private. I have something to tell you." She pushed a wisp of her black hair behind her ear. Mamoru nodded, but didn't look back up at her, "What is it?"

Rei took a deep breath, a smile on her face. "You know how I feel about you, right?" She asked.

There was a long silence, and Usagi could feel her heart starting to race. Mamoru finally nodded, "Yeah, I do."

Rei's grin widened, and she leaned forward across the table, a slight tinge of red blushing her cheeks. "Well...can you let me know today what your true feelings are, Mamoru-kun?" She asked, "How do you feel about me?"

Usagi's eyes widened in shock, and Mamoru didn't say anything, his navy eyes downcast. "What's he going to say?" Usagi's mind demanded, and she wondered if he could hear her screaming heart.

Mamoru continued to be silent, and Rei leaned back from the table, slumping a bit in her chair. "...or do you love her?"

" 'Her'?" Usagi thought, confused, "Is it me she's talking about...?" She shook her head, "No way, it can't be me!"

"I don't know," Mamoru's quiet yet firm reply came, "I only have studying medicine on my mind right now, and you, Rei," He finally looked up at her for the first time since their conversation started, "I've always thought about and treated you as a friend only. Nothing more, nothing less."

Usagi's heart calmed a bit, not beating as fast as it used to, but it was still scared as to how Rei would react.

Rei took a deep breath and then angrily got up, staring at the wall on the other side of where they sat, her brows furrowed in both anger and confusion. Her breath was becoming a bit uneven and she opened her mouth. "I understand," she said in a rather broken-up voice filled with hurt. She turned around and then sat in the chair next to Mamoru, hugging him tightly as she did. "But to me, you're more than a friend, Mamoru-kun!" She said, and Usagi could see tiny droplets of water streaming down from her blurred-up amethyst eyes, and, for once, felt bad for her rival, "I've told myself many times to give up on you, but I just can't, because you're the type of person I want!" She sniffled, still hugging him, "Do you understand this type of feeling, Mamoru-kun?" She hiccuped, her rims a bit red as she cried into his shoulder, "The feeling of loving someone but they don't love you back?"

Mamoru looked down at the crying priestess, and she looked up at him, leaning in towards his face.

"Oh no!" Usagi thought, covering her mouth, "They're going to kiss! No, no! What should I do?"

Rei leaned in more towards his face to his lower jaw, but Mamoru turned away, and her face ended up resting on his shoulder like before. Mamoru rested his hands on her shoulders and slightly pushed her away. "Are you okay?" His smooth voice asked, and Usagi and Rei's eyes widened in shock as he did. "Can you calm yourself down or not?"

"Why can't you be with me?" Rei immediately asked, and Mamoru shook his head, turning away. "I'm sorry. I just don't have any feelings for you."

"Who do you have feelings for, then?" She asked, pulling on the sleeve of his shirt before he gently took her hands off of it and rested them on the table. "In this world, you seem to love yourself the most! Have you ever loved someone before? Do you even want to love someone other than yourself?"

"Of course I do."

"Have you ever kissed someone?" Rei kept asking, and Usagi wondered if her constant questions were bugging Mamoru. "If you've never kissed someone, then how do you know what it feels like to love someone?"

"I have kissed," Mamoru said firmly, turning to her, their eyes locking as he remembered what happened at the hospital, "with Usagi."

Rei's eyes widened, confused and surprised, while Usagi bit her lip. "Why would he recall something that happened almost 2 years ago?" She wondered as she continued to watch the two a few feet in front of her.

After a few deep breaths, Rei gulped. "I understand," She said again in a whisper, and wiped away her tears, "But I still find it hard to accept." She stood up, brushing the dust off of her dress, "I hope that one day, you'll feel the same pain as me!" She yelled, and whipped around, starting to storm away from the man she had just confessed to.

"I'm sorry, Rei." Mamoru said to her, and she paused in her tracks for a moment, her amethyst eyes glued to the floor as many questions rushed through her head. Mamoru appeared next to her and sighed as he shook his head. "I hope you find someone much better than me in the future."

Rei closed her eyes and took a deep breath before running out the door, leaving him standing in the aisle-way as Usagi's mind scrambled around, trying to take in what had just happened. "W-What? He rejected her?" She thought, "Does that mean she won't be my rival anymore...?"

"Eavesdropping on other people's conversations? Very classy, Odango."

Usagi yiped and looked up to see Mamoru looking down at her as she knelt on the floor, clutching the tablecloth of the table she hid behind, and she blinked, wondering how he knew she was there. "H-How did you know-"

"Baka. I saw you crawling in. You're not a very good spy."

"Gomen..."

Mamoru started to walk away when Usagi scrambled to her feet. "A-Ano, are you leaving?" She mumbled, and he nodded. "There's nothing for me to do at this party, anyways, so yes."

"Then can I take a taxi with you? I kinda ran out of money on my way over here, and I don't wanna walk, because these heels are torture, and-"

"Then how did you plan on getting back?"

Usagi shrugged and Mamoru smacked his forehead. "Really...this girl truly is something else..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The moments we gazed at each other...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Good job, Odango." Mamoru muttered, his arms holding the red wig as Usagi vomited on the side of the street curb.

"I-It's not my fault!" Usagi shot at him, and then vomited again, her head spinning as she did. "And plus I'm in my second year at University, so I think I'm old enough to drink, Bamoru-maka!"

The two had left Jadeite's party about ten minutes earlier and were heading on their way when a senior stopped Usagi and handed her a glass of what she thought was juice. Despite Mamoru's warning, saying that she needed to have fun anyway, she drank the whole cup, not knowing that it was actually champagne.

"I told you not to take that drink from that senior," Mamoru said, shaking his head at how she was getting her letters mixed up already, "And the fact that you had five cups of that 'pink lemonade' before stalking me and Rei made it worse. I'm surprised that you actually hadn't thrown up by then."

"First of all," Usagi held up her index finger dizzily as her flushed cheeks slowly turned back to her cream skin color, "That senior did not look drunk, and the stuff looked like apple juice! So how was I supposed to know he was offering me champagne? Second of all," She lifted her middle finger to join her index finger, making a "V" sign with her hand as she rattled on, "I didn't know that the pink lemonade had a bit of wine in it because Sempai didn't tell me because he sent me to find you and Rei-san! And third of all," She held up her ring finger and looked at it, blinking slowly. "Actually, I don't have a third point..." She concluded, and then staggered back to Mamoru, who handed her wig back to her. "Are you done emptying all the alcohol out of your body, Odango?"

"Y-Yeah!" She nodded, and he shook his head. "Sheesh. I don't think we'll get a taxi now at this hour, so we better walk."

"But these heels hur-"

"Then you shouldn't have worn them, baka!"

"But they fit my Queen Beryl outfit!" Usagi retorted, and wiped the sweat off of her brow, smiling a bit as the cool January air covered her in its' comfort. She started to follow Mamoru, who was the first to speak in the awkward silence. "You're glad Rei and I didn't kiss, aren't you, Odango?"

"Y-Yeah, but..." She looked down, "I can't believe you talked about such an old incident to her."

"What?"

"You told her about our kiss, but that was almost two years ago. I can't believe you mentioned it; it was such a long time ago."

"Oh right, that kiss." Mamoru muttered, smiled a bit, remembering about the kiss at the hospital.

"What?" Usagi looked up at him, and he shook his head. "Nothing."

"Meh, if you're going to say something, then say it clearly!" Usagi pouted, and looked away, nose high in the air in a snooty way. "Two years," She thought, sighing, "That's such a long time ago that even I have forgotten about it, and he probably has, too. When will Mamoru and I have a brand-new kiss?"

Usagi quietly continued to walk with Mamoru when she paused, ran towards a bush and vomited again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The times we spent together...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Usagi took a glass and poured water in it, gulping it down as she remembered what had happened only a few hours ago so vividly in her mind.

"Mamoru, is it true?" Kobayashi's angry voice asked, and Mamoru nodded. "Yes, it is, Father."

After Usagi and Mamoru reached the Chiba household, Kobayashi asked Mamoru to come into his study again, looking a bit more upset than the last time he had. He looked even more angrier than the time when Mamoru said he wouldn't go to the Tokyo University entrance exam.

"I transferred to the medical department back in April to study to become a doctor." Mamoru said, his eyes downcast.

"WHAT?" Kobayashi demanded, slamming his pudgy fist against the table on his office, "But I never heard anything about this!"

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you before." Mamoru told him, "You see, I did consider working at your company, but I wanted to find something to dedicate my life to, just like you and Uncle Tsukino did."

"B-But my dream of you succeeding my company-!"

"I'm going to become a doctor," came Mamoru's firm reply as he looked up at his father and glancing over at the door where he knew his mother, Shingo, and Usagi were watching through the crack in the open door, "I won't be succeeding your toy company."

"M-Mamo-" Kobayashi fell to the floor, clutching his chest, his eyes squeezed tight. Mamoru's eyes widened and he ran over to his father, calling out his name constantly to find out what's wrong.

"M-My chest..." Kobayashi muttered, and then fainted as Mamoru yelled at his family to call 1-1-9** and help him move his father to safety.

"I hope he's all right," Usagi wondered as she set the cup down on the kitchen slap, trying to find the light switch.

Tchik.

Usagi looked up and saw Mamoru sitting outside on the patio, staring out at the sky as he did, and she walked over to him, sliding the door aside. "What are you doing here so late here?" She asked.

"Just doing some thinking."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" She asked, poking at his shoulder as his back faced her. When Mamoru didn't reply, she turned around to slide the door. "Sorry, I'll let you continue your thinking. You get to bed soon, Mamoru-"

"Usagi."

She turned around. "Yes?"

"My father's condition is pretty bad, and if it continues to worsen, he'll need surgery immediately."

"W-What?" She asked, her eyes widening, "What are you talking abou-" She slipped on the still icy patio deck and fell on her knees, holding on to the chair Mamoru was sitting on to prevent herself from further fall. She then looked up and saw her hands were actually placed on Mamoru's chest and her hair was falling over her face and one of her ponytails was draped over his hand. She scrambled up and backed away. "S-Sorry," She mumbled, and he continued to talk.

"Father's illness is probably the result of stress and worry," He looked away, scratching his head, "About his company, which is drowning financially, and my becoming a doctor to not help him with it."

"What are you saying?"

Mamoru sighed. "To cure his illness, the only thing I can do is take over as president of his company."

"No!" Usagi almost screamed, and Mamoru turned around to face her, confused about her yelling, "What about your dream of becoming a doctor?" She demanded.

"I guess it was a short-lived one. But I guess it won't be so bad working here. It actually sounds pretty challenging," He ran one of his hands through his hair, "Getting a big company like that back on it's feet."

"But what about all the studying you had to do to transfer?" She asked, tears forming in her eyes. "What about people like Yoshiya-chan? You said you'd cure them from their horrible sicknesses!"

Mamoru looked down, shaking his head. "I'll hand in my leave of absence notice to the school board tomorrow."

Without thinking, Usagi ran forward and hugged him tightly from behind, trying to put unsaid words into the hug as thin streaks of tears streamed down her cheeks. However, Mamoru didn't push her away.

The next day, Mamoru arrived at the hospital again, drinking black coffee in the cafeteria as Usagi told him she'd go to the gift shop with Shingo to buy something for Kobayashi. As he took a sip, he noticed his father's secretary, Kinno, who was waving to him as he walked over to his table. "It's been a while, Mamoru-kun," Kinno said as he ran a hand through his red hair, and Mamoru quietly nodded. "Are you here to see my father?" He asked.

"Yes," Kinno said, "I've also come to see you too."

"Me?"

As they spoke, Usagi skipped over back to the cafeteria as Shingo walked slowly beside her. "Baka, stop acting so weird! People will think I'm weird, hanging out with a person like you!"

"Whatever, Shingo-kun!" Usagi sang, the gift bag swinging in her hand, and then saw a red-haired man talking to Mamoru, his expression serious. Her brow furrowed in confusion and she grabbed Shingo, ignoring his shouts of protest as she hid behind a nearby table, listening to their conversation.

"So one of the bank owners who is might be providing a loan for our company has a daughter," Kinno said slowly, "And he heard about you." He looked up. "How would you feel to a marriage interview, Mamoru-kun?"

Mamoru's eyes slightly widened, but no one could tell. "Marriage interview? You mean like an arranged marriage?"

"Yes. His daughter is about your age, and was wondering if you'd like to meet her."

"Will this help the company?"

Kinno started to wave his pale hands around, "Yes, it will, but please don't take me wrong! You can marry whoever you want to, I have no say over that! I'm just saying that it'd help the company, but it's all right if you don't-"

"I'll do it."

Three pairs of eyes widened as they heard the words come out of Mamoru's mouth. Kinno smiled a moment later, his eyes still a bit wide. "O-Okay then! I'll go tell him!" He said, and then walked off, his movements a bit bouncy.

"Did I hear correctly?" Usagi thought, her expression worried as she looked down at Shingo, who was freaked out as well, "Did Mamoru say he agreed to an arranged marriage?"

A/N: *- THIS ISN'T IMPLYING THE FACT ABOUT MAMORU BEING TUXEDO KAMEN IN THE REAL SAILOR MOON SERIES. WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT. CAN'T THE GUY WEAR A TUXEDO? :P

**- 1-1-9 is Japan's emergency line, which is the opposite of us U.S. citizens, which is 9-1-1. (:

I keep getting private messages from readers asking where I got the names "Saori" and "Kobayashi" from for Mamoru's parents. Well, since they never did tell their names in the manga or anime (because they died when he was young), I decided to use his friends' names. In episode 132 (one of the most romantic Usa/Mamo episodes EVER!), Chibi-Usa gets worried that Mamoru will forget about Usagi and fall in love with one of his friends named "Saori", who is elegant, mature A.K.A. everything Usagi is not. And Chibi-Usa fears that if he falls in love with her, then she won't be born (she has a scenario in her mind and it is SO. FUNNY.). There is also another friend of Mamoru's who likes Saori, and his name was "Kobayashi", so there ya go!(:

WOO-HOO I MANAGED AN UPDATE! What do you guys think? :D

Review please!(: