Logic
#96 Catch-22, 1515 words

Chiba Mamoru strolled into the Crown Arcade ready for his daily pick-me-up: Irish Crème Cappuccino with extra whipped cream and chocolate powder on top. After his three hour physics lab, he could use the treat…and a little teasing session. To his delight, Motoki granted him his first want as Mamoru's blue eyes fell upon the sight of Tsukino Usagi at a booth with her head propped on her hands.

"What's with her?" Mamoru asked as he took his first sip of cappuccino.

Motoki shrugged. "She's been like that since she walked in. I don't even think a milkshake could wipe that frown off."

Mamoru smiled to himself; he thought that pout was rather cute. "Well, I know something that definitely won't," he announced with a grin before making his way across the arcade.

His friend could only shake his head. There was always something between those two.

"Odango," Mamoru cooed before sliding into the booth across Usagi. "What are you doing?"

Usagi's eyes narrowed with suspicion. Then she resolved to gaze out of the window silently. Mamoru chuckled. "You can't ignore me," he said, resting his head on his hand in the same manner. "Talk to me Odango Atama."

Sighing, Usagi returned her attention to her unwanted companion. "I just happen to be thinking about something, so say your insults so I can go back to thinking," she replied coolly.

Mamoru frowned; this wasn't much fun. He sipped his drink and rethought his game plan. "Is it something I can lend my two cents to?"

Usagi thought a moment before answering. Perhaps Mamoru would be useful for once and help her out. She sat straighter and gave him a tiny smile. "I have to write a paper for my Western Literature class on Catch-22's, but I don't really understand the concept. Could you think of any examples, Baka?"

"Western Literature?" thought Mamoru. He mentally reviewed Usagi in his head: sweet, proud, fiery, klutzy…philosopher? Mamoru smiled at the thought of discovering yet another new side to the most unique girl he knew.

"Earth to Mamoru," called Usagi, her voice cutting through Mamoru's thoughts. She rested her back against the plush booth, crossing her arms over her chest. "If you're not going to help, then just go away. I know you may think I'm dumb, but I really need the help…"

Mamoru shook his head with a frown. "No, Odango, I'll help you. I was just thinking," he replied and sipped his drink again. Mamoru cleared his thoughts and prepared to amaze her with his deep intellect. "Catch-22 refers to the novel written by American Joseph Heller in 1961 about the military rule of circular logic which is meant to prevent anyone from avoiding combat missions and describes an inherently self-defeating situation where the very act of performing it prevents it from happening."

Usagi blinked and continued to sit in silence. "What?"

Mamoru chuckled, tapping his fingers on the ceramic mug. Obviously his deep intellect left Usagi wallowing in the shallow end. "Okay, let's say you have a locked box and inside that box is a key. You need to open the box, but you need the key to do it. That is a catch-22."

The cerulean eyes staring at Mamoru furrowed in thought. "So why don't you get a bobby pin and pick the lock open?"

Mamoru didn't know whether to sigh or laugh. "The point is that it's a no win situation," he replied. Usagi shrugged. "Do you at least understand the concept?"

She shrugged again.

"Is that how you keep those Odangos in your head?" asked Mamoru. "You just put in bobby pins?"

Usagi nodded and settled her head on her hand once more. Great job, Usagi! This is the last time you try to impress Mamoru- Baka with mumbo-jumbo talk about western literature. You're just proving yourself more of an idiot!

For the next few minutes, the two sat silently in the booth staring into each others' eyes. Suddenly, Mamoru found he wasn't thinking about more examples of a catch-22; his eyes focused on the beautiful girl across the table. He noticed how her lip gloss happened to match the shade of blush naturally glowing from her cheeks. He noted Usagi was right handed, and she was a pen-cap chewer. He noticed all the little things that reminded him why he liked to tease Tsukino Usagi: he wanted nothing more than to be near her. Suddenly, a mischievous twinkle flashed in Mamoru's cobalt eyes.

"I want to take you out to dinner," he blurted out loud.

"What?" Usagi gasped, suddenly pulled out of her daze. She felt her cheeks burn red; did he just ask her out on a date?

Mamoru smiled coolly and ran a hand through his black locks. "If I make dinner reservations for 7 tomorrow night, I can't go because I don't have a date. I don't have a date, and therefore, there is no point in me making those reservations," he explained with all seriousness.

"Oh," Usagi replied quietly as she realized that he was only giving her another example for her paper. She decided this was, by far, the worst one yet.

Mamoru used all of his self-control to not hit himself in the head in front of Usagi. At least he saved himself, but more disappointingly, Usagi didn't even think twice about him. Of course he teased her too much for Usagi to be interested in mean Mamoru-baka. "Well Odango, I can only do so much to get your brain to understand such complex logic. Good luck with your paper," he said, sliding himself out of the booth. Mamoru shoved his hands in his pockets and made his way to the exit, trying his hardest to not look back at the beauty at the table.

Usagi nodded absentmindedly, disappointed that Chiba Mamoru wouldn't actually take her out on a date. And even more disappointed that she would think, even for a second, that he was asking her. She jerked her head up to stare at the retreating dark-haired figure. "Mamoru!" called Usagi before she could stop herself.

Mamoru turned around, a slight smile on his face. "You bellowed, Odango Atama?"

Usagi climbed out of the booth and ran up to him. "That last example isn't really a catch-22."

"How so?"

"There is a way to go to dinner and make those reservations," she replied with a proud grin on her face. "All you have to do is ask your date."

Mamoru couldn't help but smile himself. "Well that solution is much more reasonable than the bobby pin one. That's what thinking can do you for, Odango," he said with a laugh. "And what would the date say in order for me to make those reservations?"

"She says yes, Baka!" Usagi said, sticking her tongue out.

"Then my logic is rendered fallible," replied Mamoru.

Usagi smiled broader at the thought of outsmarting her arch-nemesis. Her rather handsome arch-nemesis. She turned back to the booth to gather her things and get ready to go home. This was too much thinking for her taste.

"7 o'clock then, Odango."

Usagi froze in her shoes. Were her ears playing tricks on her because of all this thinking? Slowly and cautiously, Usagi turned around, only to be pierced by Mamoru's steel blue eyes. Shouldn't have turned around! However, there was no smirk on his face, but rather, a warm smile. Usagi wished she could stop time and bask in the radiance of Mamoru's striking, pearly-white weapon. Could he really be asking her on a date after all?

"7 o'clock what?" she asked breathlessly, as if her question would wake her up from a dream…or keep her in a horrible nightmare.

"Well if the date's answer is 'yes', then I can make those dinner reservations right?" Mamoru replied slowly. His gaze softened from the initial seriousness of his proposal to a look of pure adoration and genuine concern. Mamoru's heart clamored in his chest, but he suppressed the feeling of dying each second Usagi didn't respond to his sly invitation. All he needed was this one date, and she would see more than the Mamoru-baka who lived to tease her.

Finally, a broad and brilliant smile spread over Usagi's glowing face. "You better not be late," she said quietly. "Or I'll render you fallible, Baka!"

Mamoru chuckled and leaned forward, his cheek brushing against Usagi's while his heart did back flips in his throat. "Then I'll see you tomorrow night, Odango Atama," Mamoru whispered, only for her to hear. There was a new sense of mischievousness in his voice, more of a sensuality meant to stir unexpected feelings and a hot blush over Usagi. She smelled his earthy scent of leaves, cappuccino, and possibly roses before her knees got weak. Mamoru straightened himself in all of his tall glory before turning on his heels and exiting out of Crown.

She couldn't help but smile. Usagi gathered her things in a hazy daze and hummed to herself as she also exited the arcade. Perhaps catch-22's aren't all no-win situations. At least, not this time…