AN: Chapter 3! Thank you to Yasaboo, meatballheadedprincess14, KaBunny (love your name), guitarbabe2005, and OoOSakuraOoO for reviewing! I sent you all replies, hopefully they got to you. If not, you can always email me and let me know. I wanted to make sure that I noted something about this fic before I go further. It was written as an OHC – a One Hour Challenge. I used one or more challenges (a sentence or scene from the DGRFA mailing list) and then had one hour (and only one hour) in which to write each chapter. So I know that the chapters are short, but I'm not one who thinks that length equals quality. I'll just further note that the sequel is not an OHC.
Tuxedo Kamen stood there, mask dangling carelessly from his left hand, a rakish grin on his face. All three of the senshi suddenly found it a bit hard to breathe. Only Usagi had ever seen Mamoru in a tux, but that had been at their first meeting and an easily a forgotten detail in light of his insulting remarks. But with added cape and that amused, confident, far too sexy grin, even shy Mercury's heart was flip-flopping.
The three girls had gotten separated, partially due to Moon stopping to admire the full moon and the shadowy rabbit eternally making rice cakes on its surface. Mars was the furthest into the park of the three, therefore the farthest from Tuxedo Kamen. Mercury was about halfway, having turned abruptly when she realized Moon was no longer beside her. Mars and Mercury were almost openly gaping, the fact that Chiba Mamoru was Tuxedo Kamen only slowly beginning to penetrate their brains.
Moon, of course, already knew his secret identity, so the only shock she was suffering was just how good he looked. He'd also entered just in front of her, so he was close enough to hear her breathe, "Damn! He's so hot!"
His rakish smile widened and he leaned in, murmuring for her ears only, "Flattery will get you nowhere . . . however, a kiss and I'm all yours." He let his eyes rest on her lips for emphasis, but did not fail to note the way she suddenly stiffened, then went excruciatingly red. In fact, he was quite intrigued to notice that even her throat was blushing.
Moon took a step back from his suddenly too-intense proximity. Her eyes were glued to his as her face flamed in what she knew was the most embarrassingly red blush of her life. Almost immediately, Mercury was in front of her, glaring at Tuxedo Kamen disapprovingly. Moon released just the tiniest mewl of a whimper, prompting Mercury to whirl to face her, concerned.
"Usagi-chan, what's wrong?"
Moon had buried her face in her hands, so her words came out both muffled and mumbled. "You know, I think the most embarrassing thing in the entire world is your crush finding out that you like them! I'm going to wish the Earth would open up and swallow me now!" she moaned dramatically.
Mercury had to smile at her leader's dramatics, even though she sympathized with the embarrassed girl. She didn't know which was worse for her friend, the fact that the guy that ridiculed her constantly was also her hero, or the fact that her hero was already claimed by Rei in real life. She cast a glance over at Mars, who was still standing there, a strange look on her face. Mercury knew Mars hadn't heard whatever Tuxedo Kamen had said, but she knew she had to be thinking along the same lines as Mercury herself. Mamoru-san was Rei's guy, but Tuxedo Kamen was Moon's. Could their already super-charged friendship survive this?
Mars finally seemed to recover herself and she took charge, crossing the space that separated her from the small group with a determined look on her face. "Mamoru-san, I should have guessed." Her voice was flat, though not unfriendly.
Tuxedo Kamen slipped his mask and hat back on, allowing himself an insolent smile as he did. "I should have guessed as well. All three of you have so much in common with your daytime identities."
"Oh really?" Mars challenged.
Tuxedo Kamen reclined comfortably against a tree. Moon was still intimately looking at her hands, but Mercury had turned to face him, a serious, almost sad look in her eye. "But of course. Odango Atama and Sailor Moon both have the loudest wail in all of Japan, Rei-san and Mars are both uncommonly mean to her and both Ami-san and Mercury spend most of their time mediating between the two. I won't mention the physical similarities." He smirked at Mars as her hand reflexively clenched and unclenched. He was vaguely aware that he had hurt Moon's feelings, for he was certain he heard her sniffling. A twinge of conscious pricked him, but he decided to comment on Mars a little further, seeing as she had challenged him. "And Rei-san's legendary temper! How could I have missed that Mars has that very same quality."
Mars could feel her temper boiling, but wasn't completely grateful when Mercury stepped in to ask the burning question, "Mamoru-san," her quiet voice caught everyone's attention and she pinkened a bit. "I-I mean, Tuxedo Kamen-sama, um, please, whose side are you on? "
Tuxedo Kamen stiffened. He really hadn't expected that question, though he knew they had every right to ask him. Now, finally, Moon was looking at him again. He found himself wishing she wasn't, wishing he couldn't see the hope and trust in her eyes. He watched her closely, even as he forced himself to speak the truth, "Mine." The flat, cold word hung in the night air, and Moon's head once again hung, disappointment rolling off her.
Mercury, also disappointed, pressed the point. "Then why do you join us in our battles?"
He shook his head. "I don't. I merely help even the odds a bit. I am not on Beryl's side anymore than you girls are. But all I want to do is find the Ginzuishou."
Sailor Moon's head shot up. "Why? Why are you seeking the Ginzuishou?"
He shook his head. He would not tell anyone of his dream princess. She was too . . . precious to him. She tormented him, but still, she was his. Only his. The three were clearly not pleased by his silence.
"You demanded this meeting to learn our identities." Mars blurted. "Why?"
"Not to learn, to confirm. Once I knew who Sailor Moon really was, it was quite easy to determine who Mercury and Mars were. But I wanted to be sure." A sardonic grin crossed his face. "And, since I'm sure she's already told you how we discovered each other's identity," he paused to watch Moon flush even brighter than before, "I thought I should reveal my identity to you two, before you decided to beat me up."
"I might still yet." Mars promised darkly, her face dusky still with the anger that had never really left her. She wasn't really sure why, but the idea that anyone had peeped on her friend, even accidentally, made her furious.
Tuxedo Kamen made an injured face and held his hands up. "I swear I didn't mean to." He paused, then said the stupidest words of his life. "But it was worth it."
Sailor Moon gave him her best deer-in-the-headlights look, then crossed the short distance between them and slapped his face. Hard. He swore she slapped the smirk clean off his face. She stepped back, eyes shooting blue fire. Behind her, two very angry senshi had taken up flanking positions.
Tuxedo Kamen placed his hand over the stinging slap mark and stared at the three girls with marked discomfort. His cocky attitude left him, because he realized they were looking at him with a distaste they usually reserved for Jedite and Nephrite. He swallowed hard, his brain screaming at him about the ramifications of pissing off three senshi. "I'm sorry?" he managed weakly, dodging the tree at his back and preparing to run. He paled a bit when Mars began preparing her Fire Soul attack. The only thing he could think of to do was grab Sailor Moon against him like a shield.
Sailor Moon had let herself get distracted by thoughts of Mars toasting Mamoru-baka to a crisp. She let out a startled "eep" when she realized black-sleeved arms were reaching for her, but it was too late. She was spun about to face her friends and clutched against a hard chest before the sound finished leaving her throat. His arm was wrapped securely about her middle and she felt that familiar Tuxedo Kamen-induced stupor stealing over her.
"What are you doing?"
Tuxedo Kamen didn't reply. He evaluated the two remaining senshi and decided to be a man about this. Three pissed off females was hell. Two was just about lethal. He could handle one, maybe. Of the three, Mercury would be the easiest to deal with, but it was Moon he had and Moon he wanted. So in the age-old style of men dating back to the cavemen days, he scooped her up and ran, leaping into the branches above for cover.
Sailor Mars let out the most horrendous howl he'd ever heard. Nearly scared him out of the tree. Mercury, however, released her fog, slowing his progress. He had clamped his free hand over Sailor Moon's mouth, to prevent her from calling out, but he was surprised when she didn't bite him or struggle. He figured she was saving all her attacks for when he put her down.
Miraculously, to his way of thinking, and unfortunately, to her way of thinking, they escaped. He took her over rooftops until a sound caught his attention. He paused in the shadows atop an apartment building and spoke softly. "You're beeping."
She struggled out of his arms and pulled away from him, trying to put distance between them so she could think clearly. "Of course I am," she snapped, "the girls must be panicked by now." She opened her communicator watch and turned her back on him. "I'm fine, I'll be back soon." She gave Ami no time to speak, severing the connection and closing the popup top.
"Panicked?" he queried carefully.
He had never seen her this prickly. She was furious, insulted and ready to kick his ass for that comment back in the park. "What were you thinking? Rei-chan and Ami-chan already wanted to beat you up, now they'll want to kill you! Pervert!" she spat.
As worried as the thought of Rei with murder on her mind made him, he forced himself to shrug. "And what do you want?"
"I'm so embarrassed and humiliated." she confided softly, looking at her boots.
"Usagi-san," he began gently, really feeling contrite, "I am so sorry. I . . ."
"I wish I'd never met you!" she yelled, her head flying up. The words were like a physical blow and before he had recovered from them, she was gone. He raced to the edge of the roof to see where she had gone, but he was too late.
"Smooth one, Chiba." he muttered darkly. His stupid mouth had ruined his tenuous bond with the senshi. Now he needed a new plan to make them forgive him. Especially Usagi, he thought. Especially her.