Well, what do you know, I've written another story! . I found this the other day as I was going through mountains of my old stories and I remembered how much I liked writing it. So now I've decided to let you all read it! Hope you like, please drop me a review! Thankies!
Rated PG for mild cursing.
Peace! LunaGirl
Secret Santa
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Chapter One
December 19, Friday
The bells hanging on the door of the Crown Arcade jingled merrily with the sound of people bustling through. Sitting behind the counter, where hot drinks and snacks were served, Furuhata Motoki looked up ever time he heard the bells. At first, he thought that installing the bell chimes would be annoying, and he only went along with the idea because his younger sister, Unazaki, had insisted. Now (unbeknownst to her, of course) Motoki wanted to thank his sibling. He knew the bells as a happy sound, a sound that told people to come in and have fun.
Now his thought reverted back to the door, where he saw his best friend enter and scowl at the bells. Motoki laughed. The man at the door walked up to the counter and sat on one of the stools.
"Coffee, Motoki-kun." He said and pulled his newspaper out of his jacket.
"Comin' right up! Hey, dude, you think you'll actually pay for it this time?" Motoki's baby blue eyes twinkled with laughter and merriment, trying to provoke a laugh out the man sitting in front of him.
Chiba Mamoru actually did laugh. "No way! Like I'd ever! Besides, Christmas is six days away. Why should I pay for my coffee when I have to buy you a gift?"
"Well aren't you generous..." Motoki smirked.
"I try." Mamoru smiled at his blonde friend. His own black hair glistened from the light above him. Mamoru's deep, stormy, sapphire eyes watched as Motoki prepared the coffee black and strong. He drank it that way everyday.
The bells started to chime again. Mamoru glanced at his watch. 'Hm...she's fifteen minutes early. She must have gotten out with everyone else, instead of having late detention.'
"Motoki-kun, can I have some hot cocoa? It's fr...freee...freezing out there!" Bubbling over with enthusiasm, Tsukino Usagi jumped on the stool next to Mamoru, twisting so she faced the counter. Her long, honey blonde hair hit Mamoru in the face, and he scowled.
"Sheesh, Odango! First you hit me with test papers, shoes, and other unknown flying objects, and now your hair? I'm starting to think you don't like me very much."
Usagi turned her sparkling blue eyes to look at him. "Well, Mamoru-baka, I don't, BUT you're not ruining my day today! It's Christmas vacation! Yay! No school for two weeks!"
Motoki walked up with Usagi's chocolate. "So today was your last day?"
"Yup! It was great! Haruna-sensei didn't even give me late detention. She was in a good mood today, for once."
"Well, that's great. Hey, since I know you'll be here tomorrow, about what time should I have your chocolate ready? It's Saturday tomorrow, and the more I get ahead, the better. It's always packed the Saturday before Christmas around here..." Motoki started to wipe off the counter for the seventh time that day.
"I'd say about the same time as today. Like she'd get up before 3 o'clock to come to the arcade. She'll snore all day." Mamoru smirked. He received a sharp kick under the table.
"Ha, ha! Very funny, Mamoru-baka. I'll be here around noon and so will the girls. We've planned to pick our Secret Santa gift receivers tomorrow."
"What's that?" Motoki stopped wiping the counter momentarily.
"Well, you see, we each put our names in a hat and draw, and buy a present for the person we drew. You want in on it, Motoki?"
"Sure! Sounds fun! Hey, Mamoru will, too! Won't you, Mamoru-kun?" Motoki gave his friend a look.
Mamoru shook his head frantically. "Oh, no! With my luck I'd get Rei, and then when I bought her a present, she'd think that I liked her, and I'd have to go through the whole ordeal of dating her...again! Count me out."
Usagi laughed. "Ok, Motoki and Mamoru are joining Secret Santa! Got it! By Motoki-kun, bye baka!" Grabbing the hot cocoa, (that Motoki had remembered to put in a Styrofoam cup...she had run out the other day with one of the arcade's coffee mugs) Usagi hopped off the stool, stuck out her tongue at Mamoru, and skipped happily out the door.
Mamoru looked at Motoki disapprovingly. "Thanks, Motoki. Now my name's in that damn hat and I have to buy a gift for some 15 year old girl!" He ran a hand through his raven hair agitatedly, sighing in exasperation.
"Aw, c'mon, dude! Live a little! Besides, you might get to buy a present for that special someone that you wait to see while sitting here every day..." Motoki wiggled his eyebrows mischievously.
Mamoru's blue eyes widened. "H...huh?"
Motoki pounded his fist on the counter. "Oh, COME ON! You KNOW what I'm talking about! You saunter in here everyday at 3 o'clock and wait until Usagi-chan comes in, so you can tease her and talk to her, and then you usually leave a minute after she does, unless you want to complain to ME about something she did or said, like today! You can give up saying that you come in to see your old pal Motoki, because it's not working! You're completely gone on here! There's no use in hiding it."
Mamoru blinked.............................and blinked........................and blinked...............
Motoki sighed. Looking at Mamoru, he pointed to his white apron. "I'm going to have to take this off and smack you, won't I? You like her, maybe even love her, and you know it. So, if I get Usagi's name, I'll give it to you, because I'm a good friend, but if neither of us get her name, then you're on your own."
Mamoru laughed nervously. "Motoki, you've gone mad! Me? In love with the odango atama? You've most definitely lost your mind."
................................Motoki's eye twitched..................and twitched.........................................
WHAM! Motoki slung off his apron and cracked it at Mamoru's head, sending him falling to the floor.
Mamoru sat dazed, rubbing the side of his skull, while Motoki stood laughing sickly like a villain in a movie. The whole arcade turned to stare at the twenty-year-old man acting like a wild mental patient.
"You're right! I am crazy! Nuts, ludicrous, insane even! But I'm right! Now if you don't get off your ASS and get the girl, I'm going to kick you to Alabama and back again! ...and why I said Alabama I don't know......it's the only state I remember, besides California, and California's too close for the kind of pain I want to inflict on you!"
Mamoru gulped and stood. "Bye, Motoki, I have an appointment at the doctor's office! Gotta go, bye!" Like a puppy out of the pound, Mamoru flew out the door, but was too late not to hear Motoki shout,
"Be here before noon tomorrow OR ELSE!!!"
Mamoru sighed and kept running. He'd never seen his friend act like that! What could have happened? Motoki was usually so sensible...acting like a moron was more than odd for the blonde.
Mamoru stopped running suddenly. 'I am not in love with Odango. No way...............yeah...no way..." He noticed how cold it was and shivered. He reached to button up his coat, but realized it wasn't there. He remembered slinging it on the back of the stool at the arcade. He sighed. 'No way am I going back THERE today. I'll get it tomorrow.'
He took notice of where he was. He stood in front of the massive steps leading up to the Hikawa Shrine. Hino Rei lived here, he knew. Maybe she could help explain to him why Motoki had gone mad...as long as she didn't flirt with him.
He walked up the long flight of steps, and saw a bell hanging on a striped red and white rope in front of the temple. He searched for sight of someone, but didn't see a single soul, just a few sakura trees gently blowing in the wind and several figurines and statues lying about.
All of the sudden, a screen door to the side of the temple opened and Rei walked out, holding a broom. Long, raven colored hair flowed down her back, while her violet eyes looked at Mamoru questioningly. "Um...hi, Mamoru-kun. Can I help you?"
"I hope so." He said, smiling uncomfortably, still shaking slightly from the cold.
She nodded. "Let me guess. Something's bothering you, so you thought the nearby priestess could give you some answers."
"In a way, yes, but I didn't come to you because you're a priestess. I came because you're a friend, and you're someone I know I can trust."
She smiled. "Come inside. You look frozen. I'll make you some tea and we'll talk."
"Thanks, Rei-chan."
They walked inside the Shinto shrine, and went into the kitchen, where Rei grabbed two cups and a pitcher of hot tea. Sitting down beside Mamoru at a table in the middle of the room, she poured them both a cup.
"So, Mamoru-kun, what's up?"
The handsome man sighed. "Well, it's about Motoki. He's gone crazy! He was laughing like a madman earlier in the arcade and beat me up side the head with his apron, but that's not the most insane part! It's what he SAID." Mamoru suddenly grew very pale, and stared down into the cup of tea he was clutching with both hands.
"Well, what did he say?" Rei leaned in close, intrigued.
Mamoru looked up at her. "Rei-chan, do you think...you know...if you tease someone...a lot...it means that you...well...like them? In more than a friendly way?"
Rei blinked. "Wait a minute...this isn't about Motoki! It's about Usagi-chan! You're confused about HER! Aw, that's SO SWEET!"
"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea..." Mamoru started to stand.
"Aw, c'mon, I was just teasing. Sit down." She grabbed his arm.
He sighed and complied, sitting back down. "Ok, I guess."
"Ok! Now, let's see. Motoki-kun says you're in love with Usagi-chan, and you're confused about it, right?"
He nodded.
Rei drummed her lean fingers on the table. "Well, the solution is simple. Spend some time with her; see if you really do care for her. Besides, you don't know her as well as you would need to."
"So you're saying to...?"
"Ask her out!"
Mamoru blinked. "Huh? You're kidding, right?"
Rei shook her head. "No. If you don't explore your feelings for her, then you'll never know if you really love her or not."
He nodded. "Maybe, Rei. Maybe...look, I guess I should go..."
They both stood and walked outside. A cool breeze swept through the air, and gave the trees about a mystical look. The two stood face to face, at the edge of the temple steps.
"Look, if you go through with it and decide to ask her out, I'd like to know. Please let me know about it all...ok?"
He grinned. "Sure. Thanks again, Rei."
"You're welcome, Mamoru-kun. Good luck." She reached up and hugged him briefly.
"Bye, Rei-chan."
"See you, Mamoru-kun."
Well, there you go! The next chapter will be out soon. I'm in such a Christmas mood! Only two months away, you know! Yippee! I love Christmas! The lights, the decorations, the presents, the wonderful yummy goodies, wonderful families sharing the holidays! Can't wait, can't wait! Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! R&R!!!
LunaGirl