D-Day

A/N: Can we pretend that I waited 2 years between the parts? My apologies. I don't have much else to say beyond...I'm re-writing Not a Crybaby!

I'll have more information on that...uh, later? This time around I'm finishing it all before posting weekly updates. I'm hoping to start posting it...April-ish (and I'm about halfway done, I think!).

. . .

I hate Valentine's Day.

Correction: I hate Mamoru Chiba, who made me suffer on Valentine's Day.

The first problem is that Mamoru never showed up to school. Meaning, I had to deal with the girls who were miserable that they couldn't hand him their chocolates themselves. So I spent all day being swarmed by girls crying as they asked if I could bring Mamoru's chocolates for him. The last thing I could do was say no. I was forced to come to the arcade with a bag full of their chocolates.

Normally, we'd brave school together and disperse the chocolate between us. We would set aside the really nice chocolates for later. Special Occasions. Days we felt like crap. Feel-good chocolate stockpile. Then take the next tier down and make a pile of that. Our eat-over-the-next-week pile. The rest is distributed to our neighbors with large smiles on our faces and nothing but good wishes.

This year, I have a feeling that most of the chocolate will stay with me (and probably go straight to my butt).

Except, all of my frustrations fade into confusion as I walk into The Crown Arcade. I find Usagi and Mamoru sitting already at the counter, about five feet apart. And their gloom infects the rest of the arcade. "Hey, you two!" I try calling jovially as I slip behind the counter, pulling my apron on as I drop my school bag and chocolates to my feet. "Happy Valentine's Day?"

I'm met with a symphony of groans. Amazing, really, considering they're only two people. I sigh, rubbing a hand down my face. I'm going to take a wild guess and assume that both of them ditched and planned to arrive at the arcade early to surprise the other.

Meaning? Absolutely nothing has happened.

Of course they had the same plan, I think bitterly as I replenish Mamoru's coffee. They're obviously meant for each other. "Anything interesting happen at school today, Mamoru?"

He glares at me and I roll my eyes at his expression. "How about you, Usagi-chan?"

She sighs. "I didn't go to school today," Usagi says to the counter.

I wait. It's the perfect in for Mamoru to make a joke about her bad school habits. Even Usagi braces herself for the teasing. But it doesn't happen. Awkward silence falls between us once again. "Oh, yeah? I thought you'd be a huge fan of today! All the love and the chocolate and confessions. I'm sure that you had quite a few admirers who missed out on you, despite it being a girl's holiday."

My inflection on the last phrase earns me another glare from Mamoru. But surprisingly, even Usagi finally looks up at me with angry eyes. "You know very well that I only have chocolate for one person this year."

"So, you made Motoki chocolate this year. And he denied them because of Reika." Mamoru describes the situation blandly. Leave it to him to completely misunderstand everything.

Usagi screeches. "That's not at all what happened, baka!" She sneers. "Are you such a grouch because none of those fancy girls at school gave you chocolate?"

He shrugs, appearing indifferent but I know he's holding back on his frustration. This is one of his promises he made me when he admitted his crush: he would stop going out of his way to make her cry. "I wouldn't know; I wasn't at school today."

It's another perfect in. They've been toeing the line of romantic comedy for months. If this was a movie, Usagi would question why he skipped today and they would argue until one of them snapped and kissed the other. Except, none of that happens. Instead, a worse silence falls over the counter. God. How I wish this was a movie instead of my two stubborn friends.

"Surprise! Happy Valentine's Day!" Reika chooses now to burst into the the arcade, entering with a trail of balloons and glitter. She embodies Valentine's day...not to mention...she's still supposed to be on her business trip. Her smile drops and she pauses, assessing the scene.. "Wait, hold on. Today's supposed to be a happy day. What's wrong?"

She's right. Today was supposed to be a happy day. My two friends were supposed to confess and end up together. And apparently my girlfriend was coming home to surprise me. If today turned out any differently, I'd like to say I'd be pleasantly surprised that my girlfriend came home early so we could celebrate Valentine's day. She wasn't supposed to return until tomorrow and this would have been a wonderful gift if my friends hadn't put me in such a miserable mood.

Both Usagi and Mamoru attempt lame nonchalance but I've had enough. "They're being stupid, Reika!" They both turn to protest but I wave their words away and take a deep breath. First, I point to Usagi, my eyes never straying from Reika's gaze. "She made chocolates for Mamoru but won't give them to him because she's afraid he'll think she's being stupid!" I point to Mamoru, whose eyes have gone wide. "And he made Usagi a Valentine's Day card and skipped school, yeah, he-who-loves-school, skipped school to make sure he didn't miss her today. And now he refuses to give it to her because he's afraid of rejection or something equally stupid!"

My tirade silences the arcade. Luckily, there are less people around because an arcade is the least romantic spot in the city. But they all stare at me in shock. No, not me. They stare at Usagi and Mamoru. Who stare at each other.

Reika snorts. "Well, I think you confessed for them." She shakes her head, smiling as she approaches the counter. She slips behind and meets my side. "So, what do you two have to say for yourselves?"

Silence.

Then chaos.

"I-I have something for you!"

They shout in unison, both of their faces incredibly red. Usagi and Mamoru hold out their gifts with trembling hands. Usagi holds a bright red box with glittery ribbon. Inside, I know there are chocolates that she enlisted Makoto to help with.

Faintly, I worry about the glitter they're spreading again. But I force the thought from my head as I watch them open their gifts. I'm honestly surprised to find pretty chocolates in Mamoru's hands (I know all too well about Usagi's incapabilities in the kitchen). It's harder to discern Usagi's gift unless I decide I want to read over her shoulder.

She doesn't react, reading the letter silently. Then again. Maybe a third time. Finally, she looks up. "Really?" Usagi's eyes brighten and it looks as if she was never sulking.

Mamoru nods slowly, apprehension still on his face despite the knowledge that he is the only one to receive chocolates from Usagi. That hesitation fades as the blonde jumps up from her stool and wraps her arms around his neck. He freezes for just a moment before reciprocating the hug with a grateful smile.

"For the love of god, will you two just kiss already?" I joke groan. Really, all of this pining? And they only hug? Reika snickers, probably thinking the same thing.

I'm met with dual slaps to the head, from both Usagi and Mamoru sporting lobster blushes. I yelp but my faux-anger dissolves as I watch the two of them break into giggles. Mamoru tentatively reaches for her hand and they turn away from the counter without another word. They turn to the door. "Thank you, Motoki!" They call over their shoulders.

"They're going to be a scarily good couple," Reika says, laughing at their departure. Really, it's like they've skipped right over the awkward intro part right into the gushy relationship stuff.

I nod blandly, watching them leave hand-in-hand. Given, they're awkward and stiff, still. But at least they're together. Finally. "They could probably rule the world."

She pokes my side. "Does that mean you get special privileges because you got the king and queen together?"

I smile, finally, for the first time all day. I wrap my arm around Reika and press a kiss into the crown of her hair. "I better. Or they're looking to be overthrown."

~FIN~

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