Disclaimer: I don't own anything. All rights to respective owners.
A/N: Welcome back! Due to my two new stories ("To Save a Light" and "The Speech Dilemma" WHICH YOU SHOULD TOTALLY CHECK OUT!, if you're into some angst from me) I kind of put a pause on my drabbles but I'm back baby and with a new chapter!
Thank you to the beautiful CassieRaven for this nice little suggestion! I just put a slight twist on it since I thought Minako was more fitting due to my Blue Curtain drabble. Anyway hope you guys love this chapter!
P.S. Any Model for Me readers, I will be updating before Christmas, don't worry! :)
Mischief
"Listen Mamoru-san," the dark-haired priestess calmly addressed, "I get that we're kind of friends and when we see each other we say hi. We went out a few times and such but to be honest I'm really confused why you asked to meet me?"
Mamoru sat across from her in the booth, taking another sip of coffee from his steaming mug. "Well, I'm guessing, since you're her friend, you know that Usagi has...developed a relationship with a certain high school student."
"Naoki-chan," Rei happily suggested. "He's a real sweetheart, right?"
His left eye twitched. "I wouldn't say that."
"I would, do you know what he did for the Odango yesterday?"
'Told her that he never wanted to see again because I would love to know that…' "What did he do?"
"So her, Mako, Ami, and Naru were just leaving school when he parked next to them, mind you he has a really expensive car, anyway he came out with a huge bouquet of roses and a cow sized box of chocolates. Walked up right to Usagi and got on one knee to present the presents to her. Can you believe how sweet that is?!"
"Oh yeah, it's practically giving me a toothache." 'Naoki is laying it down rather thick isn't he?'
"So what did you want to talk about? Naoki?"
"Well yes, actually," he relented. Staring straight into her eyes with seriousness, he spoke with a pleading tone, "Rei, he isn't who he appears to be."
A dark eyebrow arched up at his reveal. "What are you talking about?"
He breathed in then out readying for his defense. "Naoki is actually a womanizing, disgusting playboy pig that only wants Usagi for one thing and once he obtains it, she'll just be thrown away like the rest of his conquests. I'm here to convince you to warn Usagi and stop Naoki before he gets to far with her."
All he got was a blank stare and wide eyes from the fourteen-year-old across from him. He waited for a response anything to signal her understanding of his issue.
Then he regretted that thought when Rei suddenly started laughing and chuckling at him.
"You think-haha-that Naoki is a-hahaha-player using Usagi. That's rich!"
"Rei! I'm serious about this! Usagi's purity and innocence depend on you, you need to warn her!"
"Oh god, that's a good one!"
"Rei, rei, rei, rei, rei?" He kept calling out to the hysterically laughing dark-haired teen but got no response of course. "Rei, please.."
"Mamoru-san, I just think you're a little jealous," Rei was able to get out after coming down and wiping a tear from her eye.
"What jealous!? I'm not jealous! Why-why-why would I be jealous? I'm not jealous!"
"Of course you are! You're jealous of the fact that even Odango found someone and you're still single."
Mamoru relaxed as he nodded along with her words having thought something different when she had suggested jealousy. "Yes sure, of course that's why. But I am also concerned about Usagi-"
"Look Mamoru-san, I promise you that your allegations against Naoki are completely false. You really shouldn't get so worked up over this." The dark-haired priestess began to gather her things and put on her bulky jacket. "I'll see you later and hopefully you'll think a little bit clearer."
Even as she exited, Mamoru could hear her laughing and repeating "Naoki a player, that's funny." He ran a hand through his raven hair, frustrated beyond words on his situation. Before running his hand through again, he looked at it and saw the small faint mark that was made a week ago.
Ever since then, Mamoru had come up with a plan to fix his life that had been so altered recently. It was foolproof and the first step was to get Naoki officially off Usagi's, well everything. He had hoped that maybe telling her close friends the truth would get them to warn her themselves. Apparently that didn't work.
He placed his tired face in his calloused hands, trying to ignore the growing headache. He heard someone take a seat across from him, the shifting and movement catching his defined ears.
The upperclassmen looked through his fingers to see a mane of gold hair, but not the gold hair that he always admired. Oh no, this gold hair made him instantly tense and alert.
"Minako-san, how are-"
"Cut the pleasantries Mamoru-san," the blonde cut in. "I'm here to help you."
The uneasy smile she shot him made Mamoru uncomfortable in so many ways. "What do you mean by help me?"
"With your Naoki problem my child," Minako soothed. "You see, I understand."
"What?"
She gave a warm smile before placing her hand on his that rested on the table. Mamoru looked at their hands and then her and then their hands and then her again. "Mamoru-san, it's okay. I know."
Confusion stayed on his face. "Know what?"
"It's okay, in due time you'll accept it," Minako answered. "Right now we need to focus on the present. Usagi and Naoki. How to get Naoki running for the hills."
Remembering his conversation with Rei, a confused look overcame him. "Wait, do you hate Naoki too, do you actually believe me about him?"
"Oh I have no idea if you're right about him, but let's not focus on my intentions. How about yours? You want Usagi and Naoki to stop seeing each other right?"
"Yes, but it's not for the reasons-"
"Oh Mamoru-san, Mamoru-san, Mamoru-san shhhh... ," she interrupted once more calmly. "I do not care for the reasons why you have this desire, I only wish to help you achieve it."
His eyebrows furrowed together. Minako had always kind of came off weird and delusional to him. "Umm okay, how will you help me achieve it?"
"Easy, we use our most dangerous weapon that would cause any teenage boy to shake with fear. All's fair in love and phone numbers."
"Minako-san it's 'All's fair in love and wa-"
"Yes, yes whatever it is. It fits the situation because I have something that you need. The one thing that will get Naoki miles away from Usagi."
Curiosity and joy filled him at her words. "What is it?"
The girl pulled a slip of paper out of her uniform pocket, sliding it face down on the table towards Mamoru. It was small but big enough to contain important details, very important details. "Be careful with this, it's very dangerous and make sure you use it wisely my student."
"What-"
"Shhhhh…"
She began to stand up and walk out of the booth. He reached for the paper and flipped it over to reveal it's contents. The information confused Mamoru greatly until Minako turned back around with the most mischievous smile on her stunning face.
"Ask for Kenji," she said, "And all will be taken of."
It was a beautiful afternoon in the area of the Crown Arcade. Students from all the local schools were getting out and filling the place of establishment, bringing a bigger grin on the upperclassmen's face. 'The more people the better humiliation.'
And thus he waited for the scene to unfold, taking another coffee refill to have a better viewing experience.
"I see you must have used the secret weapon."
Mamoru nearly jumped off his stool when Minako had taken the seat next to him. This girl was getting scary and she still had the same mischievous smile from the other day. "Yes Minako-san, I used it."
"Good. I was hoping you would," she stated proudly.
"Hey Minako-chan!"
Both heads turned to see the dirty blonde arcade worker. "Hey Motoki-chan!"
"What are you two talking about? Never thought you guys as friends."
"Oh we're just up to some mischief, no big deal," Minako stated with playfulness. The dirty blonde just laughed, reaching over the refill Mamoru's coffee.
"Why did you help?," Mamoru questioned once his best friend left to check inventory.
Minako sighed, having a more sober expression on her face, the look in her eyes were that of pity. "I know why you want to keep them apart Mamoru-san. I know how you feel."
Fear seized his heart at her words. She knew, she knew about his…. "What do you mea-"
"It's okay no one else knows except me," she soothed. "She doesn't know, don't worry. But maybe she should Mamoru-san, maybe she should know that she has a secret admirer."
He opened his mouth but closed it again, unable to form words due to the uneasiness in his stomach. The knots and butterflies were all there and he hated it. It was pure torture what he was going through and he at least had solace knowing that no one else knew of his torture. "Please don't tell her."
"I don't think she would really believe me anyway. It would probably be better if she heard it straight from the source, don't you think."
He shook his head. "How would she take it? You're her friend, what does she think about me?"
At this Minako's face crumpled into a frown. "I don't know how she would take it to be honest but I know she likes you. She likes you as a friend though, that's all I've heard."
The sadness creeped into him at her words. Friend, it was always just friend. It never went further. And he hated the word now, the f-word bringing on a whole new meaning for him. "Minako thank you for your help but I think I don't need any other help on this matter."
"Whenever you're ready Mamoru-san. I'm always here to help."
"Thank you," he replied quietly.
Nodding at his statement, the blonde got off her stool and left to rejoin her table from across the room. It was just a few moments later that a jingle of a laugh filtered through the arcade, making Mamoru turn his head toward the front door.
There she was, bundled up in a red wool jacket with red ties on each of her Odangos, face stained red from the harsh winter weather. She was beautiful.
Of course next to her was the huge eye sore of a person, wrapped up in his dark blue jacket face also stained with red. Mamoru wished that his face was instead stained with black and blue.
"Hey guys!"
"Usagi-chan! Naoki-chan!"
Mamoru cringed at the unison greeting. He recomposed himself and remembered how everything would be fixed in just a few minutes judging by the time. And so he waited patiently on his perch, like a gargoyle.
He waited and waited.
Right up until the arcade doors exploded open to reveal a red-faced older man.
"USAGI BUNNY TSUKINO!"
All heads in the arcade turned to stare at the frightened wide eyed pig-tailed blonde sitting in the booth, looking completely shell-shocked at the man.
Everyone had confused and scared looks on their faces except for a seventeen-year-old upperclassmen and a fourteen-year-old long-haired blonde, who had small smiles as they watched the hilarious scene unfold.
"USAGI!"
"Who's that nut," Naoki asked the shaking girl next to him.
"My dad."
The jock's eyes widened and his mouth went dry. "Your dad?"
Minako had to choke down a laugh at the upperclassmen's whispered tone, fear evident in it.
"YOU!" The spectacle wearing man pointed a finger at Naoki, beginning a frenzied walk to him, death clouding his dark eyes.
"Me? I'm not-"
"YOU ARE THE BOY THAT IS TAINTING MY LITTLE GIRL! YOU'RE THE ONE TAKING HER AWAY FROM ME!"
Naoki grew even more fearful when the dark-haired patriarch of the Tsukino family grabbed a fist full of his uniform shirt, jerking the boy close to his fuming facial features. "Sir please-"
"I will kill you boy, watch your life leave your body," Kenji threatened in a voice that even had Mamoru fearing for Naoki.
"Dad leave him alone! Me and Naoki-chan are just friends I swear!" The small middle schooler tried to helplessly free Naoki from her father's clenched hands but nothing proved effective.
"Please sir, y-your daughter is r-right, just friends," Naoki squeaked out, making Mamoru swallow a laugh at the fact that egotistical and confident Naoki Soma was shivering in fear of Kenji Tsukino.
The dark-haired man didn't even look like he registered his daughter's voice, just bored his eyes into the shaking teenage boy in front of him, "Just friends? That's not what I was told and it definitely doesn't look like just friends to me right now."
Usagi grew confused at her father's confession. "Who told you?!"
Mamoru spinned back around to the counter, a small smile resting on his lips as he took a sip of his hot coffee, swiftly pushing down the piece of paper with Kenji's phone number in his blazer pocket.
"One of your concerned friends confessed it to me Usagi, said that a older boy had taken advantage of you, and I'm glad they told me when they did so now I can defend your honor and innocence." The middle-aged man snarled into Naoki's face. "Are you planning to marry my Usagi?"
"DAD!"
"Are you worthy of her? What's your class rank? Grades? Mother's Maiden name? Street address? Social Security number?"
"DAD!"
"Ummm," Naoki stuttered as his panicked eyes searched for an exit. Mamoru swore if he started to see a dark stain on the front of his classmate's pants, he would lose it.
"Well tough guy, are you worthy to be my daughter's husband?"
"Tsukino-san, please, I don't want anything to do with your daughter! I swear we did nothing! Please don't kill me, I have senior pictures scheduled tomorrow!" Naoki was now truly on the verge of soiling his pants.
"Dad please! Let go of him! He did nothing!"
Kenji ignored his child's pleads and cries, only focusing on the slip of a man in his grasp."I was in the army for a few years, had a high rank. As a gift for my retirement, you know what my team got me?"
Naoki stayed still until he realized the older man actually wanted a reply, so he shook his head wildly.
"They bought me a 12 gauge shotgun. Perfect for shooting respective suitors and hormonal teenage boys in the back while they run away from me. Right now, the beauty is resting in the trunk of my car, the one that is sitting out front."
The dark-haired teenage jock let out what sounded a whimper of fear at the man's sharp words, knowing full well that he was probably under the category of "hormonal teenage boys."
Kenji gave the terror-filled boy a look of pity. "I'll give you a five minute head start. And if I ever see you with my daughter again, I won't be so lenient and give you a warning. I'll just shoot."
Naoki just blankly stared at the older man, mouth dry and slightly open, not saying anything.
The father of two sighed. "Do you understand or would you rather lose your head start?"
His tiny brain finally functioning once more, Naoki was released from the man's iron grip. Grabbing his school bag and jacket in a flash, the blur of Naoki flew out the arcade door and to God know's where, the laughter of the arcade customers following him.
"Wait Naoki-chan! My father's just a little over-protective! Come back-"
"Oh my Usagi!" Kenji smashed his blonde daughter into his embrace, rubbing her head as streams of tears went down his face. "Why are you g-growing up? Why didn't you tell me you liked b-boys now, I thought you still had the impression they had c-cooties? If I knew I would have gotten my machete's sharpened-d-d…"
Usagi was able to muffle out, "Daddd.."
"Just please tell me you can still wear white underwear?"
"DADDD!"
A fit of giggles bursted out of the middle school student girls sitting at Usagi's table as both father and daughter continued to embrace each other, Kenji crying on Usagi's shoulder.
Mamoru took in the sight with a smile, noticing Minako shooting him a thumbs up and mouthing the words "We make a good team!" Breathing out, the dark-haired teenager took in another glance at Usagi, who had been released from her father's hug, drinking in her face, her hair, her glow, everything….One last time.
Throwing a few bills next to his coffee on the counter, Mamoru buttoned his wool black jacket, gripping his school bag. With the turn of a heel he made his way toward the exit, shooting just one more short longing look at his blonde. She was laughing with a toothy grin on her face, blue eyes sparkling with mirth. The long streams of gold hair traveled down her back in beautiful waves. Everything about her just….
The cold rush of winter air broke him from his mind and made him come back to reality, cruel harsh reality that had no appeal to him right now. He zeroed in on his feet as they trekked through the white sheet of fresh snow that laid on the sidewalk. Depression and sadness filled every inch of him as he knew when he reached his apartment, the second step of his plan would be done, complete and no going back.
The first step of his foolproof plan was used to get Naoki out of the picture, clear Mamoru's conscience. With the fact that Naoki would forever be running away from Usagi gave him solace, comfort, and happiness. But it didn't seem as great as it would have seemed.
During the thought process of his "plan", Mamoru had to think of another solution to his other problem: his feelings.
They had to stop, be stalled or wiped out because it was driving him crazy, seeing her everyday, talking to her everyday, dreaming of her everyday…
It wasn't healthy and Mamoru could only think of one solution that would guarantee a win for him no matter what. It was an easy solution on paper but in reality, it was one of the most difficult things he had to do.
He had to ignore and avoid Usagi. Stop the problem by going straight to the source.
Mamoru would halt his visits to the arcade after school, prevent his run-ins with Usagi in the mornings. If he can't see her or talk to her then he can't dream of her or cause his feelings to grow any further. If his feelings stopped maybe the pain in his heart will too. It was foolproof. It was simple. It was torture.
He prayed that with this absence and distance, the fling in his heart would disappear or at least dim to a smolder if anything. The next weeks would be the hardest but Mamoru knew that it was possible to make it through.
As he psyched himself out, a bitter thought rang out in his mind. Here he was trying to find a way to make it through the next few weeks with no Odango, no amazing light of sunshine to see when entering the arcade. He was preparing himself, took one more good look at her before leaving. Trying so desperately to avoid her and she probably wouldn't even notice his absence.
She wouldn't care to notice. From Minako's information, she didn't even seem to notice the looks that were thrown her way, the longing looks from a pair of cobalt eyes. His stomach dropped, knowing that Usagi Tsukino probably wouldn't even miss his dark depressing presence.
Kicking a clump of snow, Mamoru continued to walk home, a small cold tear running down his frigid cheek, heartbroken at his dark and saddening thoughts.
'She won't even miss me.'
I always love writing my drabbles! Keeps me fresh and allows me to be creative! Well that's all for now folks but don't worry my next installment shall we say will be "festive." That's right a Christmas drabble coming to a drabble series near you and just in time for the holidays! See you guys soon and hopefully Usagi will spread some Christmas cheer to our little baka….