Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon, it belongs to Naoko Takeuchi. I fully own my original character Lucy.

Key

"Speaking"

Thoughts/Memories/Premonition/Dream

Lunarian

"There is never a time or place for true love. It happens accidentally, in a heartbeat, in a single flashing, throbbing moment."
Sarah Dessen, The Truth About Forever

~Chapter 5~
~(Unintentional) Interlude II- The Date~

Lucy spun around, finding Ryū there a few paces away. He wasn't in school uniform or wearing a leather jacket this time. Just jeans, a black tee with the British flag making up the right, and nice shoes. He pushed dark shades up onto his head, showing the sharp grays there.

He looked her up in down, first in surprise, then admiration. "You clean up nicely. I imagined you as the jeans and sweatshirt kinda girl."

"I am usually," Lucy chuckled, a little unsure with her reply, "but Usa wouldn't have it." She toyed with the purse's strap, looking away. "I must look so stupid."

Ryū came closer, placing a finger under her chin to lift her face. He smiled down at her. "Naw. You look beautiful, but you would in anything, wouldn't you?" Ryū was visibly pleased when Lucy flushed, grinning widely. He shifted his hand to the small of her back as he opened the door. "I recommend the window table. It's a pretty sight when the sun sets."

"Hm... I think we'll sit there." Lucy smiled, heading inside with Ryū behind her.

They sat at the table Ryū had mentioned a moment before and she set her purse under her feet. She looked out to the street, watching people walking and cars driving back and forth. It was a calm evening in light of yesterday when children were returned home, and the Senshi's heroics melted into the background for the time being. It may also have been just because Lucy hadn't gone to school yet and heard about all the excitement from fellow classmates.

"What would you like to drink?"

Lucy jerked out of her musings, turning her head to the waitress. She was a pretty young woman with curves in all the right places, big blue eyes and silky brown her tumbling down her back in waves. For some reason she suddenly didn't feel as pretty as she had when Ryū called her so not three minutes ago. She frowned just the slightest as she turned to look at Ryū.

He nodded his head slightly to the waitress and she looked up to the patiently waiting woman. Ryū seemed to have already ordered his drink and now it was Lucy's turn.

"I'd like a mint tea, please." Lucy ordered after several silent moments of unsure. Then she gave a tiny smile, adding tentatively, "With a spoonful of honey."

The waitress, Yuri according to her name tag, nodded, jotting down the drink orders and left.

Lucy looked back out the window, less serene and more melancholy now. The change wasn't lost on her, more or less, date.

"Hey, Mitsuko?"

"Hm?" Her eyes slid over to him.

He grabbed her hand nearest him gently, running his thumb over her knuckles as if he had done so for years. Her head turned completely, eyes widening a little. Her hand tensed under his smooth movements, confusing clouding her mind. Ryū's gaze was an honest pale gray.

"You really are beautiful, Mitsuko. That waitress is a troll compared to you."

"Don't say that," Lucy mumbled with a frown, looking away. "That's mean."

"I'm not being mean. I'm stating the truth."

"Calling someone a troll isn't truth, it's mean." She replied, looking back to him. "Would you like it, Ryū, if someone called you a troll as description?"

He stared for a moment before he leaned back, annoyance clear across his face and hand pulled back. His pale eyes turned away to watch other patrons. "I was just trying to cheer you up. I don't like seeing you so down on yourself." It sounded like Ryū wanted to continue, holding his tongue for some secret reason. When he did speak again, it wasn't something Lucy expected. "You're not one who should frown."

Blinking once, her frown eased up, hinting just a little at a smile. "Try not insulting someone to cheer me up. Make me laugh. Something funny always cheers me up."

Ryū looked back to her with some surprise, softening a moment later. "Alright." Sitting up, he leaned into the table a little. He pushed the hair in his face back to grin. "Okay, so, two nuns-"

Yuri had come back, setting their drinks before them. Lucy wrinkled her nose at the smell of coffee from Ryū's cup, the dark liquid rippling in the mug it had been placed in. Mint also hounded her senses, lovely and sharp.

The woman tucked her tray under arm, smile pleasant like before. "Are either of you ready to order?" She questioned as Ryū took a sip of his coffee. Lucy wanted to wrinkle her nose again, not understanding how someone could like coffee, especially if it was just black. Instead she turned her attention to the pretty waitress.

"I don't think so, we haven't looked at the menus yet."

Yuri nodded. "I understand. I remember when I was your age and on my first date. Just wanted to talk the entire time."

Ruby smacked her in the face, spreading up into her ears and hairline, down to her neck. "N-no," she shook her head, "we're not on a date. Just hanging out. Honest."

Giggling, she nodded. "Yes, yes. Okay." This agitation Lucy because it wasn't a date, even if it had all the signs of one it simply wasn't... Okay, so maybe it was a date, not Lucy wanted it to be one... Yes, if she was truthful she did but that wasn't the real problem right now.

"I'd like to order, actually." Ryū spoke up, giving the waitress a kind look opposing what he'd said about her earlier. He looked to Lucy. "If you'd let me order for you, though. If not, I can wait."

Lucy was honestly taken back a little. She figured Ryū had been here a few times, but he was asking if he could recommend a meal for her. He didn't even know her, but Ryū was so sure of himself. Lucy still nodded, making sure to tell him she was allergic to almonds and wasabi.

Ryū's reply smirk revealed a fanged incisor. Looking to the waitress again, he motioned for her to lean down so he could whisper in her ear. Yuri wrote down what he said, nodded to both as Ryū handed the unused menus to her, and bustled off.

"So," she began, lifting her cup to her lips and pleased with the earthen taste, "why can't I know what you got me?"

"Because then it wouldn't be a treat for you." He replied. "Now, I don't know very much about you save your name is Tsukino Mitsuko and you go to Jûban Middle; you're accent also hints at American and you don't look very Japanese; you have a black cat named Luna and sister named Usa that's about your age and looks not a thing like you. Can I learn more or are you my Aurora leaving before I can barely get even a name?"

Lucy raised an eyebrow at the analogy, pulling away from the ask of getting to know her and hoping he'd take the bait. "Would that make you Prince Philip?"

His reply was just as smart. "Depends on whether you want me to be or not. Am I the prince you met once upon a dream?"

"If you are I don't remember, and you certainly don't remind me of a prince." Lucy countered, taking another warming sip of tea. "Now, I believe you were going to tell me a joke?"

"I was, and then I want to know a little more about you, Aurora." Ryū stated, making the girl mentally curse. He smirked, seeing her eyes widen before they forced themselves back to normal. "So, two nuns were driving down the road at night in Transylvania, minding their own business, when a vampire jumps out in front of them. The one driving slams on the brakes." He stopped to make sure she was still paying attention before going on. "She then tells her friend to lean out the window and show him your cross. Her friend rolls down her window, leans out and shouts, 'Oi, get out the way! We've got somewhere to be, you bloody vampire!'"

Lucy chuckled. "'Show him your rosary' would've been better." Her eyes sparkled in mirth. "Got anymore?"

"How about every joke I tell gets a tidbit out of you, hm?" He offered. "And to make it even I'll throw in something about me, too."

Lucy thought about it a moment, eyes looking to the ceiling as she thought. Then she nodded. "Alright. I'm fourteen."

"I'm seventeen," Ryū supplied, drinking his coffee. "How does a polar bear keep a balanced diet?"

A small shrug. "No clue. I never asked one."

"Funny." He laughed. "But they keep a balanced diet with a seal in each hand."

"Not as funny as I had hoped." Lucy hummed. "I suppose it's still worth something." Visibly, Lucy thought about what she would tell him. When she settled on what it was, she set down the cup that had warmed her hands in the cold place. "My birthday is sometime in March."

"I love the violin. Why is six afraid of seven?"

Lucy scowled. "You don't actually expect me to find that funny do you?"

"Just go with it." Ryū egged, smile mischievous.

With a roll of her eyes as she brought her tea to her lips, she asked, "Why?"

"Because seven was a well known six-offender," he replied in English with a British accent for full effect on the joke.

Lucy snorted into her tea, setting it back down quickly. She also switched to her native tongue with its American accent. "I can't believe you just said that."

"Can you really? If I asked it, it was kind of obvious there was a change to the result." He laughed. "So, what have you got this time?"

Lucy opened her mouth to retort but closed her mouth, silent. She nursed her tea a little, thinking. There wasn't anything that she really wanted to tell him. This was hopefully a one time deal and she didn't want him asking for a second date. Lucy wouldn't admit to secretly wanting him to ask again either because this was nice despite her want to leave.

"I like to draw," she decided in the end, looking up at him through her lashes in apprehension. All of her friends know she liked to, and once she had sketched everyone at lunch, hiding it in her bag afterwards. (Usagi later found it, giving it to Haruna who framed it to hang in the classroom.) She wouldn't be surprised if he thought her an amateur like others had.

Instead he looked quiet sincere as his eyebrows rose, genuine smile sneaking onto his lips. "Really? You're fantastic at it, I bet. All gentle curves and daring edges. Practically looks alive."

Lucy stared for a moment, mouth hanging open just the slightest as she registered his words as encouraging to her art. Then her mouth closed, corners turning up into a soft, genuine smile only Usagi had ever seen. Her eyes seemed like stars, their shine so bright. Her pinky finger placed under the bottom of her tea cup twitched with emotion, the rest of her body slow to register the happy hum to its heartstrings.

She glanced down her tea, almost shyly, before looking back to him. "Thank you."

"No need." Ryū replied. "You're a natural, I think."

"Here's your meal." Yuri seemed to materialize out of nowhere, smile on lips for both. She set before each two small sandwiches with a poppyseed glaze over them, crisp around the edges. The baskets were red with white wrapping under the sandwiches and spilling over the edges.

Lucy blinked at the food, a little surprised at what she saw. Her eyes flickered to Ryū who was thanking Yuri before the waitress bustled off to other patrons. His eyes then turned to connect with Lucy's and she glanced away, cheeks dusting over.

"You're not allergic to poppies, are you?" He asked when he saw her look away, worry clear in his voice.

"No," she shook her head. "I was just surprised. It's such an..." She looked for the word and could only find one. She looked back to him, look quiet with that same happy glow underneath. "It's such an American food that it surprised me."

Ryū chuckled. "Naw. It's popular in England, not just America. Now," he drank some of his coffee between words, "if it had been a hotdog or burger you could've gasped and it been totally appropriate."

Lucy also chuckled. "Well," she set down her tea, speaking in Japanese then, "Let's eat!"

It took them close to an hour to finish eating, talking and laughing along the way.

Lucy found Ryū was an only child with relatively rich parents. His parents were from Japan but spent their high school years in England, met and fell in love. They moved back to Japan when Ryū was about nine, so eight years ago he came to Japan. He knew the language because his parents spoke it around the house back in England. Ryū liked motorcycles, his favorite color was a light grey-green ("You're saying that to try and woo me." "Nope, swear on the Boy Scout code." "Pfft. Boy Scouts are strictly American, Ryū." "Well, honor of a dragon then." "That is bull."), wasn't as big a fan of leather as she thought, had never shot a gun, and Lucy was actually the first girl to ever agree to a date with him because he apparently gave off the "I'm too far past bad boy to even be partially safe" vibe even the most flippant girl was weary of. ("It's not a... Oh, why bother.")

Lucy herself revealed to be a (possible) middle child, adopted, no clue who she was before the Tsukinos, and very nice. Lucy wasn't a running fan but was okay at it ("Imagine trying to force your sister from bed and the warning alarm being the only thing able to get her up so you run like it's the Olympics every morning." "Sounds fun." "More like Hell."), adored Anne Frank and strong women in general, her favorite animal was the cat (and she may have squeaked when he mentioned liking fennecs because you simply couldn't not like them with those huge, adorable ears). Lucy loved her family to the point she had even traded tests with Usa a couple times (as in during the actual, not after) and tried to be a good influence despite those moments.

Both liked talking with each other, and Ryū even pulled a couple giggles from her without jokes, which really made him happy. Lucy enjoyed how laid back he was once she finally stopped being annoyed and began to enjoy herself, to the point she even mentioned how Mitsuko wasn't her first name. Ryū didn't ask for her first name, but it was clear he was curious to know what it was.

Lucy figured she might tell him her first name if the date continued going down the good road it was on. Which it did because thirty minutes after finishing the two were still talking, laughing and, without Lucy's knowledge, flirting. Ryū at one point paid without Lucy's knowledge and she pouted at him once she knew, having planned to talk him into splitting down the middle. ("Not to sound conceited, but I've got money to spare, Mitsuko.") When they got up to leave he moved the pull her chair out for her so she could get up and she'll admit she blushed a little because gentlemanly she could do. Lucy liked gentlemanly.

Ryū proceeded to hold the door open for her, grinning at her a little bashfully. Lucy returned it, eyes glancing away after they caught his and the blond chuckled. Fiddling with her purse strap, she walked down the street with Ryū beside her, quiet.

A few minutes passed before her companion spoke, back to English once again. "So, do you like ice-cream?"

She looked taken aback a little, then nodded, also returning to her native tongue. "Yes. I love ice-cream, actually. French vanilla is my favorite."

"Then you'll like the Order's Milkshop." She raised an eyebrow at the name and he shrugged. "Hey, I didn't name it. And I wouldn't complain because they've got some awesome ice-creams and milkshakes. It's all homemade."

"Hmm, we'll see about that." Was all she gave before they settled back into silence, one hand holding her purse while the other, the one closest to Ryū, hung limply at her side. Lucy watched where they were going and the streets they crossed before they finally got to the Order's Milkshop.

It seemed like a small place, practically a hole in the wall really. Its sign was milk and salt crystals being dumped into a tumblr with Order's above and Milkshop below the artwork, all of it etched into the glass door. Lucy was curious as to what was so good about it when it seemed so empty and was more than willing to give it try when Ryū seemed so excited to show her the place.

The blond grabbed the door for her, holding it open and following her in. Lucy found it really was a hole in the wall.

It was dark with dozens of fairy lights strung from the ceiling, little tables made for two people littered the place with the counter on the back wall for ordering your shake and ice-cream. Pitch black walls were hung with paintings and drawings, some mediocre and others near professional, Lucy even saw a replica of the Mona Lisa that would have been the exact same is she wasn't grinning with a peace sign. The counter in the back only covered half of the back wall, the other having a small stage and television on a stool in the corner of the stage.

It was an odd place, but Lucy felt a little at home with it as the two walked to the back. A teenager stood behind the counter, flipping through a book. Ryū cleared his throat and the teenager shot up from his seat, throwing the book under the counter out of sight. He grinned brightly at the two, golden eyes warm as he fixed his scarlet shirt and straighten the name tag with his name, Kohaku.

"Hi!" His voice was really chipper, she'd give him that. He was also adorable with those wide, innocent eyes of his, much like Usagi's. "'M Kohaku 'n' how may I help ya?"

Lucy frowned, looking for a menu of some sort. Kohaku seemed to get that and he whipped out a yellowed menu, placing it before her. He grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sorry. Been a while since we had a newcomer."

"It's alright." Lucy replied, looking over the favors and sizes and choice combinations. "I'm Mitsuko, by the way."

"Pleasant to meet ya, Mitsu-chan!" Kohaku's eyes seemed to sparkle when he gave Lucy the nickname and she flushed a little. Ryū watched him somewhat tensely before easing at the younger's innocent greeting. "Nice to see ya again, Ryū-kun."

"Same to you, Kohaku-kun." He replied. "I'd like a strawberry shake with sprinkles and a shot of chocolate syrup." He looked of Lucy who mumbled about knowing what she wanted. "How about you, Aurora?"

Lucy made an annoyed sound in the back of her throat and he merely grinned widely in return. She huffed, turning so most of her back faced him. She also gave Kohaku a reassuring look when he frowned at the two, appearing a little worried.

"I'd like a medium vanilla ice-cream with caramel on top, please, uhm," she hesitated a moment, before softly ending with, "Haku-kun."

Kohaku's grin grew and he nodded. "Jussa minute, guys."

He turned around to start busying himself with the things on the shelves behind the counter, putting together the shake and ice-cream. Lucy refused to turn to Ryū who kept making jokes and trying to get her attention. As she stayed turned away, a shiver ran up her spine when Ryū asked, "Are you ticklish?"

He wouldn't. They'd only known each other a day and they certainly weren't close enough. Even so, no one tickled her. Usagi never did because last and only time the blonde tickled her she had a freak out of near epic proportions.

Spider like fingers ran over her sides, barely hovering, and she tensed. He would.

Lucy turned as his fingers tightened. She glared. "Don't. No one tickles me, not even Usa."

He was frowning to begin with, lips tight, but he did relax the slightest, pale eyes warming from frigid. "I won't call you Aurora again if it annoys you." He replied.

Lucy stared at him, eyes a little warm and wide. "It's, it's not that it annoys me." She explained softly. She was a pretty princess and such, but I stand up for myself. She slept the entire story and had someone wake her up. Aurora lost her first kiss to a guy she didn't even know then married him." Lucy shrugged. "I'd rather have a brave princess' nickname."

"There aren't many." He pointed out.

"There's Mulan."

"She's got nothing on you." Ryū replied. "Aurora, however, has that mysterious air you've got, and rare eyes that're really pretty. She's nice, very graceful and a lot of people like her. She may have had herself fall asleep, but she was cursed, and, as much as I don't really like Prince Phillip, her prince was very brave going up against a dragon just to save someone he just met. She makes me think of you."

Lucy glanced away before meeting his eyes. There was a couple emotions in her eyes that made up embarrassment and shyness, and one he didn't expect; happiness. Her shoulders relaxed further and she gave a soft smile he returned.

"So I guess I am like her, though I can protect myself usually." Lucy said, getting a chuckle from him.

"Yeah, and I did help when we first met without even a name." He reached up, finger wrapping around a curled strand with something like a soft expression overcoming him. Lucy's breath caught when he took a step closer, staring up at him. "I'm glad we ran into each other. I thought..." Ryū trailed, letting go of the soft lock and stepping back, letting her breath again and looking to Kohaku who was finishing with their orders with a vague look. "Never mind."

Lucy opened her mouth to ask what he was going to say, still a little breathless from the closeness. No one had stepped that close save maybe two people and that was Usagi and Kenji, both to see if she was okay. She was cut off by a chipper Kohaku turning to them, holding out the pink, sprinkle filled shake to Ryū and Lucy's own in a cone toward her, grinning the entire time.

"Sorry about the wait. My buddy's on break so I tried to do both at the same time." He explained as they took their respective treats, Lucy informing him It was fine. He proceeded to inform them both cost one-thousand-eighteen yen (about ten dollars in American money). Lucy set down her cone to open her purse and grab her share of the pay but Ryū beat her to it, making her huff.

"Stop doing that." She whined a little childishly, picking up her cone and taking a lick at the vanilla peaking from under the caramel glaze.

"I can't be your prince then, Aurora." He hummed, nodding to Kohaku before leading Lucy to a seat. "I wanna be your prince."

She flushed, face turning a dark scarlet. Ducking her head, Lucy found she didn't have anything to reply with. Ryū saw her face and chuckled, deep and warm, which furthered her blush.

"Y'know, you're pretty with that flush." He gave out flippantly, getting a squeal in response and making him grin so wide there was teeth. "You should blush more."

"Oh my god," she groaned, "stop it!"

"Mmm," as she looked up through her lashes at him, he seemed to contemplate the idea, eyes on the ceiling, before meeting hers and forcing her gaze away, "only if you agree to a second date."

She spluttered, sitting up straighter with the rogue quickly dying from her cheeks. "No! I only agreed to the one."

He shrugged a single shoulder. "Then I guess I'mma have to tell you how those freckles are the most adorable thing about you," as she flushed again, he added, "next to those ears. They make me think of a cute mouse or fennec."

Her eyes widened. "Will you-"

"You're pretty in that outfit. You should keep it. You're eyes really pop." Ryū went on, cutting off the brunette. "Periwinkle is definitely your color. That Greek goddess Aphrodite has got nothing on you wit-"

"Okay, fine, shut up!" Lucy flapped her hand at him, hoping he'd shut up, practically turned around in her seat he wouldn't see her exasperated look. "I'll go on a second date with you if you stop with the complements."

"Complements shouldn't upset you." The blond pointed out. "Blush, yeah, but not upset." His brow furrowed as he took a long sip of his shake. "Have you never been complemented before?"

"Yes, plenty. My adopted parents and Usa have done so before." Came the quick, honest reply. She shifted back to facing him, a good portion of her ice-cream already gone. "I'm just not comfortable with it."

"Well, by the time I'm best friends with you, you're gonna be." He gave a single, sure nod.

Lucy rose a brow. "Usa's my best friend."

"Nope. She's your sister." He corrected.

She rolled her eyes. "I thought sisters can be best friends?"

"They can."

"Then she is. I can tell her anything and everything and vice versa. We never lie to each other unless we really have to."

Ryū frowned, nose wrinkling a little, then nodded. "Alright. Then I'm going for the next best thing."

Lucy's other brow rose. As far as Lucy knew there was nothing better than best friends on the friends scale. "Oh? What would that be?" She took a bite of her cone.

His grin was practically sinful with white teeth, incisors fanged and gray eyes bright. "I'll be your boyfriend."

Lucy choked, hitting her chest to clear her throat. Her eyes watered the slightest as she caught her breath, looking to Ryū who looked ready to launch across the table in concern.

"Are you crazy?!" She demanded horsely. "You're a trouble maker, maybe in a gang," ("I am not!") he glared, "and three years older than me!"

"I'm not crazy," he ground out in annoyance, "I do cause a little trouble but for good reasons usually, and I've never even thought of joining the yakuza, thank you very much." He stood to throw away his cup. Lucy followed. "And so what if I'm seventeen and you're fourteen? You said your birthday is in March, so you'll be fifteen soon, that's one less year. I like you, you're spunky, and yeah we got off on the wrong foot but it worked out and now here we are."

He had crossed his arms by now, frowning at her. "I want to know you better than just a few simple facts. You're pretty, nice, always looking out for people and that attracts me." She opened her mouth to stay something, but didn't when he held up a hand. "I want to go on a second date with you, and you already agreed, and this time it won't be to some diner. It'll be a little more formal. If we simply stay as friends I think I'll be okay with that, but if we end up a couple that'll be awesome."

Lucy was frowning too, and Kohaku had disappeared out the door behind the counter (maybe on his own break now) at some point and she didn't know what to say because the guy had never spoken that much. Not really. She was too confused to be flustered, uncomfortable with the situation because she'd never been on a date before and didn't think they went this way. Lucy was sure Ryū was moving things along faster than most people and she didn't want to.

Lucy was replying before she even knew what she wanted to say. "I'll go on the second date with you if you walk me home to my porch, but with only a goodnight. You call me tomorrow at three and we'll see how the talk goes. We set up the date on the way to my home."

Ryū's arms dropped, nodding to everything. "Yeah, we can do that. We can totally do that."

"Now stop frowning or I'll give you reason to." Lucy mumbled, forcing her own frown up into a straight line. "And it'll be in the form of canceling our yet-to-be-set date."

"Then smile or I'll make sure I come to your school during lunch until the date," he countered, already back to that funny smirk of his though his eyes didn't reflect it. Lucy reluctantly smiled, brushing some of her curly bangs back from her eyes. "C'mon. It's getting kinda late and you don't want your parents worrying."

"You should worry more about Usa. She'd maybe come find us and then we'd never get home from asking questions." Ryū chuckled. "I'm not kidding. She wants me to tell her everything, right down to how many times you blinked."

"She sounds cool." He replied, wry grin in place. He got a fond look in return which erased whatever other comment he had.

"She is. The best sister you could ever have and them some. I'd never ask for another sister, honestly. We have our ups and downs, but that's just family, y'know?" Lucy seemed to lose all tension. "We look out for each other and have each other's backs. I don't know where I'd be without her and I just... I love her. I couldn't love anyone as much as I do Usa, my sister."

"Just like I remember..." He murmured so quietly she missed it. It was like a breath of wind against Lucy's ear. She looked at him, curious, "Did you say something?"

Shaking his head, he shrugged. "No. You make it sound like you two are really close, like you said earlier."

"We are. She's the one who helped me learn Japanese while Kenji was so busy. She translated things in class for me even though we couldn't understand each other. We bonded despite the barrier and now that we fully understand each other we never really stopped teaching each other. We get closer every day."

"I'm glad. It would be hard living in a country where no one understands you." Ryū spoke as if it was from understanding. "I don't think many amnesiacs would be as lucky as you, Mitsuko."

"No, I don't either." Came the soft agreement after a few moments. "Not many are as sweet as the Tsukinos."

"They seem really sweet." He rubbed the back of his neck. "So, in two weeks there's going to be a formal masquerade my parents are going to and I was wondering if you'd like to go?"

Lucy thought about it for a little bit. "What day is it?"

"April tenth at six-thirty."

"Where?" She asked, eyebrow raised and wondering if he'd be just as vague.

"The, uhm..." His voice trailed off and Lucy asked once again. He sighed. "It's at the embassy. My mom's a retired English politician and my dad is a translator so they got invited. My parents said I can bring a friend"

Lucy stared up at him as they stopped waking, a little stunned. "That, uh, explains quite a bit." She shrugged at his surprised look. "You sounded posh when you spoke English. Only a high-end kid would talk like that."

Ryū's reply was a shake of the head. "You really are unique, huh?"

"I like to think so." Lucy replied, thinking of her alter ego and all it entails. She started walking again and Ryū followed. "You are too, in a way."

"How so?"

"You're a high-end kid that's kinda sweet when you get past the annoying stuff." She replied. "Your front is to be annoying when you're really sweet." She shrugged. "I've never seen the type before, but you're it."

"Alright. I'll agree with you there."

"Good, because that gave me a headache thinking beyond the cover of the book."

The blond snorted. "Liar."

"I never lie." She replied with a smirk.

"That's a lie right there."

"Okay, you caught me." She laughed, holding up her hands in the universal surrender pose. "I've lied more than enough times, but for what I think was the right reason."

"You seem the type." Ryū nodded his head, walking alongside the fence as they neared the Tsukinos home. "So, I'll pick you up at six on April tenth for our date?"

"If you promise to dance with me and not step on my toes."

He opened the gate, letting her in before following. "Deal."

She stepped up onto her stoop, holding out her right pinky. She watched him expectantly as he stared at the appendage in confusion.

Above them the window opened and a familiar blonde head poked out, long locks falling out the window. "Take her pinky!"

Lucy's head shot up glaring at the window as a shrieky giggle disappeared inside with a whip of blonde. "Tsukino Usagi!" Her pinky finger was wrapped around and she quickly looked back to see Ryū's own pinky hand taken hers, his other in clear sight.

"How does this work?" He asked nervously.

Lucy smiled at him, tightening her pinky around his and shaking their hands. "Repeat after me, "I promise on my promise to dance with you and not kill your toes'."

He laughed but complied. Lucy released his finger and stepped back against the door. Ryū grinned at her, eyes sparkling. "Thanks for the date."

"Lucy."

"Hm?" He seemed confused.

"Lucy is my first name." She elaborated. "I think you've earned it."

She opened the door and disappeared inside, door closing after her. Ryū stared after for several long moments, gaze fond, before he turned and headed down the way and down the walk, heading home.

As he went, he began to hum quietly, murmuring to himself, "I know you. I walked with you once upon a dream... I know you. That gleam in your eye is so familiar a dream..."

Words w/o additional script: 5,797

This was actually supposed to be the date and then chapter four of Sailor Moon. I was pleasantly surprised when I found how far the date had gone and decided to just cut it short there. There would be a two week time skip anyway so it seems the best choice.

Once again, I'd love to hear what you think of Ryū! And Kohaku, as well, because he might show up a little bit more. I'm not sure, but I'm thinking of having it become a regular hangout for Lucy and Ryū.