Disclaimer - I do NOT own Sailor Moon, but if you want, any one of these days you and me could fly a plane over to Japan and see if we could try a little theft over there . . .JUST KIDDING!!!

~o~O~o~

Mamoru was astounded by the astute change he had experienced with Usagi that night. After the movie, they had gone out to dinner at a nice restaurant and talked the whole night. She was really warming up to him, he realized, and he wondered if it scared her. The whole time, however, all he could think of was the look of utter pain and regret that had passed over Sailor Moon's lovely face when he had left her. He couldn't bear that look, and he knew it damn well.

It was almost a relief when he sensed the youma as they were getting ready to drive Usagi home. Finally he would be able to apologize to Sailor Moon. He didn't notice how Usagi reached over and pulled out a small keypad and nodded to it. He turned to her and she stuffed it away quickly. She opened her mouth to say something, but he stopped her. "I had a wonderful time tonight, and I hope you did too," he whispered to her, tugging a strand of her wheat colored hair behind her ear. "I do hope we can do it again, but right now I have something to attend that I forgot about." He smiled. "I was too dearly enjoying my company."

She smiled back at him. "I forgot about something too, and lucky for me it is right around her." she sighed and looked away, blushing. "I had a wonderful time tonight too. I have decided that I could possibly like you.if you acted like this all of the time."

His heart stopped beating in his chest. What had she said? That she could possibly like him? He took hold of her wrist and pulled her towards him slowly. "If I acted like what all of the time?" He lifted her wrist up to his mouth and started nibbling on it, pushing her back into the shadows of the restaurant. Her breath caught in her throat.

"K-kind," she stammered out. "C-courteous. Gentlemanly. Caring. Considerate. Swe-sweet, and-"

He laughed deep in his throat. It was seductive; it drew her in. She had only felt like this once before; like her heart and body and mind were as one yearning for one man. She had only felt that way with . . .

"Kamen-san," she breathed, her eyes wide. She couldn't believe she had forgotten him so quickly! How could she have forgotten her wish? The battle! She pulled her hand away from him hastily. "I-I must go. Ja ne, Mamoru-san."

Mamoru watched in shock as her odangos turned the street corner. Had she just called Kamen-san? Only Sailor Moon called him Kamen-san . . .

He shook his head. Things would be too easy if Usagi were Sailor Moon, and life just doesn't spin that way.

---

Usagi ran into an ally, tears streaming out of her eyes. Rei always told her she was a crybaby, but this time she figured she had a reason to be. Mamoru-baka, the one who always teased her relentlessly and made her cry by his mocking, was the only man she had ever met who had made her forget her love, Tuxedo Kamen. Of all the men of the world, why did it have to be him? she asked herself mournfully. She sighed and wiped away her tears. There would be time enough for that later. "Moon Prism Power . . . Make-Up!" she cried, lifting her Sailor Brooch up into the air as she said it. In a matter of seconds, she had transformed into Sailor Moon, agent of love and justice. She raced off to where Ami had told her to meet the other Senshi.

Zoicite laughed wickedly when Usagi ran to the battle finally, disheveled and out of breath. "You came here just in time for me to get the final Rainbow Crystal, Sailor Moon!" he cried, his maniacal laugh resounding once again.

Usagi looked over to the poor human lying on the ground a few feet away, and watched in horror as Zoicite snatched the Crystal from its chest. "No!" she cried, but it was too late; the General had already vanished.

"Moon Healing Escalation," she whispered, pulling out her wand. She saw breath come back into the man on the ground and walked away with her senshi. He'll live, she thought.

"Where were you?!!" cried Rei after she detransformed. "We called you thirty minutes before you finally showed up!! This task is supposed to take precedence over all other matters in your life!!! What happened?!!"

"Don't yell at me now, Rei," Usagi replied. She was getting depressed over the fact Tuxedo Kamen hadn't shown up. He had never not shown up before. Had he seen her with Mamoru? Was he angry at her?

"What do you mean, 'Don't yell at me now, Rei?'" she cried. "You let us down! Zoicite got the last Rainbow Crystal! Where were you?!!"

"With Mamoru," Usagi replied softly. "And I think I am falling in love with him. After one date, I think I am falling in love with him."

The tears started to slip from Usagi's eyes again. She didn't even try to stop them by now.

"After one stupid date! I never wished for Mamoru to fall in love me; I wanted Tuxedo Kamen to love me!!! Why can't Tuxedo Kamen love me?!!" she cried, the tears coming faster now.

Rei looked back in shock. She had not expected this from Usagi. "G-gomen, Usagi-chan," she whispered, putting her arm around her sobbing friend. "I'll walk you home now. See you later, guys."

"Hai," responded the rest of the scouts, walking towards their own homes.

"It'll be okay, Usagi, you'll see."

---

Mamoru clutched the rose tightly in his hand, not caring that its thorns had pricked his hand and blood was now trickling onto his dashing tuxedo. Usagi was Sailor Moon. All would be well now, if he could only convince her to love him. He would play by the rules and he wouldn't tell Usagi he was Tuxedo Kamen. Would she be able to love the man behind the mask?

~o~O~o~

Sorry it is so short, but I figured it would be a good enough place to stop. By the way, I am also writing on www.fictionpress.net. My penname is Truth of Fate. Read my new story Dragons of Fire; I think you'll like it. Ja!

Ja ne ~ see ya

Hai ~ yes

Gomen ~ sorry

Senshi ~ soldiers/ warriors

Baka ~ idiot

Odangos ~ dumplings; a nickname for Usagi's buns