Disclaimer: Angelic Layer is owned by the talented women of Clamp.

A/N: Thanks YFuML reviewers! I have to admit I took rather long for this chapter, eh?

Silent Sage- O+M soon, but they have to eease into it. Meanwhile, enjoy this chapter.

Little Rabbit- Here's a new chapter for ya'!

Sakura Avalon- thanks^^ it isn't that good

Nermal- yay, another reviewer! Please take some time to read this chapter.

PikachuFan4288- Thanks for your lovely, constructive critiscism- which I really enjoyed reading. I like long reviews.^^ I took all your good advice, and am now accepting anonymous reviews. Also, I wanted to say that I would love to post new chapters often but it's hard to come up with them. The others are easy to write about, and I particularly like them but this story… This story is ok I guess.

Your Face Under the Moonlight

Chapter Two- Time's Threats

Icchan sat quietly beside her, being careful that he didn't sit too close. Shuuko made no indication of acknowledgment, but she knew he was there. She flipped the channels uncomfortably in the awkward silence. He simply sat there, like an invisible ghost. He made no noisy interruptions but merely stared at her from the corner of his eyes. Even now, he could feel himself getting nervous in the presence of such a delicate flower.

Finally, with her eyes still focusing on the television program, she spoke to him- a voice of a tortured soul. It was like a melancholy song to his ears. "How's your day Icchan-san?"

"Ruined," was his one-word answer. It was ambiguously delivered, so Shuuko didn't understand. Yet she was accustomed to the odd answers he gave her. Thus she received it in a regularly aloof manner. "I must be so amusing to gaze at…" she said, dropping the topic that was going nowhere. His quietness she feared, for such an attitude implied that he was trying to conceal turbulent emotions.

Icchan cheeks burned at such a random comment. He adjusted his glasses in an attempt to hide it. "I was merely checking for possible signs of drowsiness on your face. You seemed rather down today, is all." He cleared his throat, as he always did when he wished a change of topic. "Uh, so what are we watching?"

"Icchan-san's favorite shows. Look, here comes the girls with bathing suits!"

Icchan craned his neck towards the television eagerly. "Oh, you're right! Here they come, here they come!" he said, ready for the show. "Aika- yeah, she has a pretty nice figure. She won this contest last week. Her…she's not too bad, and--" he paused instantly when he realized he had just been swayed by women in bathing suits-- in front of Shuuko. With a red face, he struggled to come up with a valid reason for watching such things. Assuming a business-like voice and face, he burst forth lies. "Uh, I mean, you know, we try to come up with different costumes for the angelic dolls, you know. We get a lot of our ideas here. Also, my friend, y-you know, can't watch it so he asks me to watch it for him and tell him who the winners are."

"And sometimes its just fun to watch, ne Icchan-san?" she asked, turning to look at him finally. Icchan's eyes, however, had become engrossed in the screen again.

"Definitely…" he answered unconsciously, focusing on the new girl dressed in a rather exposing bathing suit. Shuuko giggled, her face slowly brightening into that of a carefree woman. A few seconds had to knock on his brain for him to realize her joking statement. "Sometimes its WHAT?? No, I meant-" he paused when he noticed the rare smile that had bloomed on her lips. He felt an odd flutter in his stomach and felt himself at ease at such a display of gaiety. It was temporary bliss for the both of them, however, when she asked him the dreaded question.

"What did the doctor say, Icchan-san?" she asked quietly. Her eyes had retained the look of despondency once again. And that was sufficient enough to drag him to her world of dejection.

"Same stuff. He shouldn't get paid for being a robot," Icchan said in contempt. Most of his apathy had risen from the fact that the doctor could do nothing for Shuuko, and he was becoming increasingly bitter toward the man. Icchan truly believed the man concerned himself little over her, probably finding her to be one of his usual patients who weren't going to make it.

Shuuko felt such waves of contempt reverberating from him, making her shudder.

Icchan reached over and placed a hand on her shoulder lovingly. "Whatever the doctor says shouldn't matter because I'll make sure nothing happens to you."

His words of reassurance caressed her heart painfully. She knew that he only wished to comfort her, but the knowledge of leaving him and Mitsuki further made the inevitable more agonizing to think about.

"I promise…" he added softly.

**************

Misaki hummed euphorically as she walked into the building, her left hand carrying a bundle of things, including Hikaru. Her anticipation of seeing Oujirou made her strides larger. The place hardly had any space reserved for anymore people. Young teenagers, as well as children flocked there daily to train their dolls.

Everyone turned to look at the top player Misaki pass by, and waved at her in excitement; to her amazement, her popularity among them had not worn off yet. She smiled at them innocently, still not accustomed to the attention she was privileged to receive. A group of jovial kids ran up to her and held their dolls up before her. "Misaki-san, I've modeled our dolls to appear just like yours! One day, I'll grow up to become the top player like you," their cute voices said in harmony. Misaki leaned on her knees and patted their heads, quite flattered by their aspirations. An older girl, supposedly the person responsible for baby-sitting the young kids, held her doll close to her heart- almost selfishly. Misaki's eyes looked up and stared at the hidden doll curiously. Her peculiar behavior compelled her to ask if she could see hers. However, the girl only clutched it closer to her chest, looking at her maliciously. Misaki was able to steal a peek though, as she did so. It was a doll that looked awfully close to Wizard.

"Hikaru isn't the best you know! You were just lucky in all those battles; you won because a whole bunch of people were helping you! You bewitched all of the good players and somehow got them to tell you their secrets," she spat crudely. It was these kinds of jealous people that Misaki encountered at times. However, this girl's rudeness was more intolerable, more nerve-plucking than the others. Misaki sighed and looked at Hikaru as the little children that surrounded her glared at their baby-sitter coldly.

"Perhaps that's how it happened. I guess we'll find out in the next tournament right?" she replied calmly. Having said that, she rose and left, suppressing the irritation that wished to emerge from within her.

"You'd better be careful. Next time, I'll be the manipulator. And people will look up at me- even you!" the girl muttered under her breath, a threat that was directed toward Misaki.

Misaki flinched at such a malevolent statement. She had to admit, the girl was pretty intimidating. But she recollected herself upon spotting Oujirou's figure in a corner. He appeared to be occupied with training Wizard, making it dance to the cheerful music in the background. She cavorted there hastily, and plopped herself to the seat in the opposite end of the field.

"I was waiting for you," he said to her.

Misaki looked about her in surprise. "Where's your fanclub? They're usually here, gathered around you."

Oujirou chuckled softly, his hair being blown by some invisible air- at least to Misaki's eyes. "Don't forget they're selling new doll parts today. They're probably in the stores, looking for upgrades or whatnot. Onii-san reserved some for us, so don't worry about it. We can check them out after we train."

Misaki wondered about his sudden desire to train. "Ano…Mihara-san, why are you so consumed with training all of a sudden?"

Silence dawned on him for a few seconds before he gave her a well thought out response. "A person isn't always going to be the best. There's always people who want to reach the top too, but only if you let it happen." He smiled at her warmly, "I want to make our next fight a good one. I still want to beat you, Suzuhara-chan, if that's possible. You had better train too, though; there're a lot of people out there who want to topple you from your position."

Misaki sighed, remembering the belligerent girl she had encountered earlier. "Tell me about it."

Oujirou quickly noticed the despondency in her voice, and he averted his eyes from Wizard to her in worry. "Suzuhara-chan, they didn't threaten you did they? They've done that to me in the past, regardless of who I am."

"You Mihara-san? Really? But you're- you're- how can anyone do that to you? You can stand up to them can't you?" said Misaki in shock.

"I've defeated them all before, yes, in the battlefield- Wizard against their doll. They don't take it too lightly. But, that's alright. As long as they don't hurt Suzuhara-chan, I'm okay," he said to her, his eyes gazing at her. Misaki's heart quickened from his gentle countenance. Feeling uneasy and self-conscious, she threw Hikaru in the field.

"W-we probably should start training then, right?" she stuttered, a wonderful blush coloring her cheeks softly. She placed the necessary layer equipment on her head.

"Alright. Battle or training?" he asked from across her, a smile of excitement spreading across his lips.

"I suppose I'll train Hikaru too," Misaki answered thoughtfully.

In the layer, Wizard held his hand out towards Hikaru and they began dancing together gracefully, not missing a single beat.

*********

Yeah… I didn't like this chapter much either. Of course it's not done yet!! I want to have at least 3-4 more chapters up! Updates will be posted on my profile page once I decide on them. =( So little fics of O+M out there!

For those who have time, rate this fic so far: scale of 1-10.

10- excellent or 1- why did I even click on this stupid story? (Be nice, don't rate my story with a 1. V_V)

Next chapter: Misaki encounters that irritating girl again. Wait- she's got an offer that Misaki won't be able to refuse! But so many conditions to getting it!