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Chapter Three: One Day of Serenity

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The two girls were in various state of sitting down. The younger of the two slowly lay down while lazily lifting up a strand of her hair. Frightened yet comforted at the same time, the silence was broken with the younger one's sigh.

'Sooooo, I was looking at my hair, and have been seeing some strands of silver in it. Reminds me of your hair now…'

'Silly me. It's our hair, not mine.'

'Eh? Oh, yeah… Missed that detail. Any ways, why is it doing that?'

'You are beginning to recollect my memories…Being here, in this place, conversing with me, I believe is causing you to be more aware of some details of our past life…'

'Oh.'

'Do you really not want any part of it?'

'Well, it's just, gomen, but…It freaks me out, you know? I wished someone just mentioned this detail instead of getting it in one explosive detail, ya know. It's like plunging in one clean swoop in a cold pool of water instead of inching in slowly to get used to it.'

'Why, pray tell, is that so much more to your liking?'

'You don't know?

'No. I am sorry, but no'

'Ehem. Hmnnn, I think you should know, Baka's stroking our hair for the past half hour now…'

'Tis so. I have noted it, and I have noted you like it.'

'For some one who is me, you are thoroughly wrong in your conclusion. I'm scared stiff that he is stroking it to see why it's gotten silvery hued.'

'Oh.'

'Oh? You mean, it is silvery now?!'

'Gomen nasai! No, I would not complicate matters more by doing that. You have to accept that you are who you are for our hair to have a silvery sheen to manifest physically…You did not really like the sensation?'

'Hoo-hah! That's a relief! And to answer your question, it's making my skin crawl. Err, so, why is he stroking it then?'

'I have no idea. I thought you are the expert with our Mamo-chan.'

'Are you smirking!? And what was that?! Mamo-chan!?'

'You know, I believe we need to wake up now. I have an excellent plan…'

'Hey! You better stop planni-'

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Mamoru gazed quizzically at the sleeping angel before him. He lifted a heavy strand of golden hair and carried it quietly to his lips. Usagi's unconscious form did not stir, and he contemplated if he could sneak a kiss on her lips while she was asleep.

"Gah!"

Startled by his own wayward thoughts, Mamoru quickly scooted away from the girl. His hands, however, seemed to mind the move very much and within a heartbeat, he was back again to stroking the blonde's silky hair. Unwanted sarcasm, by habit, came out of his lips to deliver an insult to his slumbering nemesis.

"So, Odango, your mom must love making a monthly budget simply for shampoo. Just how much conditioner is a shower's worth to it anyway?" Stroking the subject repeatedly, his next words were spoken like a caress. " It's really lovely…If it gets too much for your mom, just say the word and I'll by you whatever you need to keep it this soft and silky..."

"You are losing it, my buddy, my pal."

Motoki watched as his remarks caused Mamoru to jump a good five feet on the air.

Jamming his guilty hands in his pocket, his midnight blue eyes shooting death threats, Mamoru chose to ignore what his best friend was implying. The devil you don't know was always preferable to the devil you do know. Motoki, the very incarnation of the devil, did not know such sayings.

"Oiy! You are not telling me that is the best insult you can come up with, are you?" The more cheerful of the two men said with a wink. "Personally, I think it's a bit weak, what with the-" Pause for dramatic effect- "For the last time, I AM NOT IN LOVE WITH USAKO!"

At this loud statement, the girl on the couch gave a slight moan. Two worried gaze swept passed her before locking with each other. Motoki contemplated the wisdom of egging Mamoru more now that Usagi might be getting conscious. With a shrugged, he decided that living to the fullest was more important than a dull, boring life.

Motoki gazed at Mamoru and delivered his lines with an earnest look in his face. 'You mind if I held the reception for your wedding here at the arcade? Poll said I could get people to actually pay a one hundred fifty dollar admission price for it. Maybe more, since the drama is escalating to such incredible heights."

In one swift move, Mamoru's hand went around Motoki's neck, ready to cut off life giving oxygen. Motoki mentally slapped himself for trying to live on the edge. As stars started to appear in front of his eyes, he sorrowfully said good-bye to his beloved Reika.

With a sigh, Mamoru released his hold on Motoki. It was scary but for a minute there, he had just wanted to keep squeezing as his frustration begun to catch up with him. Only the reality that he valued Motoki's friendship kept him from kissing Motoki – err, strangling Motoki goodbye.

Motoki slumped like a sack of potato on the floor. "What wheeze where you," hack, cough, "you, moron, you were actually serious there!" wheeze, gahhh, wheeze.

Murderous midnight blues held him steady.

"Christ, but you are scary when you get mad." The arcade guy mumbled, overcome despite himself with his friend's icy glare. "I never even knew you had it in you. In the long years that I've known you, I had only seen three emotions; mild boredom, amused boredom, irritated boredom. And when you are not manifesting any emotion, you are simply bored." He looked up to see what his words were doing.

There was no reaction. And Motoki, a man who lived by the principle of cest la vie, just couldn't resist one final shot. "To be honest, the only time I ever see you with a more vivid emotion is when you get with Usagi-chan here."

"I've even video taped some of your more, what to call it…Oh, right, livelier encounters. It's in the market for a fifty dollars now, but I'll give you a free copy seeing you've made me into such a rich man." So said he gave Mamoru a hopeful puppy dog look. "I've even decided the moment I can afford that engagement ring for Reika, that I will split the remaining profits with you."

What he saw made him start running back in the safety of the café so fast, fire marks were somewhat visible on the floor.

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Mamoru ignored the looks he was getting from the sidewalk. Though he rarely brought it, something had urged him to make use of his car today. Besides, he rationalized, the car needed to be driven or its gears get rusty. It seemed that ever since meeting Usagi, he had taken a habit of walking to his destinations, no matter how far it was.

The first few days after the infamous incident in front of Osaka Jewelry, he had ridden in his bike or car. The result was a Usagi-Collision free day. Sometimes, it lasted a full three days. What he couldn't understand was that it left him empty whenever his day ended without his usual dosage of the blonde's screech.

Rational man that he was, he had decided this one was best left unexplained. And walking was twice better than using cars or bikes, anyway. You get to exercise, PLUS get to help with the ozone layer and cut down pollution. Still, he was glad he used the car today.

'Makes kidnapping the girl you are not in love with tons easier…' his mind sneered. 'Why are we KIDNAPPING the poor little lamb? And where are we taking her?'

Mamoru decided not to explain to that voice either.

Not that he could have. To be honest, he was still dazed by his decision. After Motoki had left the back room, the others had streamed in and asked how Usagi was. Ami had been hopping from one foot to another and was clenching something in her right pocket. It looked like a calculator, from the shape of it. Makoto and Rei had tried their best to lure Mamoru out of the room, but he politely ignored their pleas.

Usagi fainting had left him heartbeat less for a span of six seconds. As a med student, he knew that was not a good thing. And when he had scooped her up and deposited her to the worn blue couch in the employees area of the arcade, his heart had clenched tightly when he saw how vulnerable she looked.

He ignored the need to explain that, too.

He did know nothing would get cleared if he stayed in the arcade. But he was wretched to leave the blonde haired girl there. Despite the fact that Motoki and her friends would be there to take care of her. Because, Mamoru felt in his hearts of hearts, that he deserved that privilege, more than any of them.

'And, naturally, we won't be explaining why this is so, ne?'

Mamoru muttered under his breath. His inner voice really was a sarcastic SOB.

The car was parked a little father from the arcade than usual, but he got there eventually. With a nary a break in his movement, he opened the door and gently placed the sleeping girl inside and seated her on the passenger's side of the car. His mind processed the fact that she had been unusually light for someone who ate like – well, now, words failed him as he tried to find a perfect metaphor. In fact, words failed him when he tried to explain how a girl like Usagi remained thin with all the chocolate she consumed every day. Metabolism and good genes just don't do that.

He seated himself in the driver's seat and adjusted his seatbelt. When that was done, he turned to the girl in the passenger seat to buckle her up as well. He was chagrined to see her blue eyes looking at him quizzically.

'Oh shit!' he thought. He imagined his face getting beet red by now. There was no way he cannot not explain this one. There simply wasn't anyway Usagi was going let this down.

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Mamoru blinked. 'How to explain, how to explain…'

Usagi blinked. 'How did I get here, how did I get here…'

Then, on cue, both blushed scarlet.

Mamuro's inner voice spoke first. 'Oohh, how you going to explain to Odango how she got to the interior of your car?'

"Shut up!"

Usagi flinched. A part of her took note how stressed the man in the driver's seat was and gave him the benefit of a doubt. "I, uhmnn, mister, I didn't say anything…" she said in the softest whisper possible.

Mamuro was looking at her in disbelief. "Mister?" he repeated unsure. Then an unholy glee filled his face as revelation took over. With a grim smile, the upper classman gave the junior high student a superior look and said, "Look, kid, I don't know what you're game is, but I'm on to you." For emphasis, he wagged his finger in front of Usagi's nose.

The girl looked at him with disbelief. "Err- demo, game?"

"Look, Odango, stop it. You've had your fun. Ha ha. Happy? You've done it. This score is yours now."

Blue eyes looked back in the direction of the arcade. Her friends were there. Safety was there. Who ever this hunk was, no matter how delicious the situation seemed, one could never be safe with a complete stranger. Thus, in classic princess in distress mode, Tsukino Usagi turned her rapidly paling face toward her abductor and in a squeaky, but breathless voice said the classic lines.

"Oh, please, sir. Don't hurt me. I'll do anything, just not that!" Her voice was pathetic in its softness. The next words were said so low, it was inaudible. "I'm a virgin…"

Mamoru heard that loud and clear. "WHAT!?"

"I am. Please. I haven't even been kissed!" the victim to be squeaked back. "…Or I think I haven't been kissed yet…This is very troublesome, not remembering…"

Brows drew in the fiercest frown imaginable. "What did you mean? That you may have been kissed? And why would you even mention that you are a virgin?" The college guy raked trembling fingers to his raven locks. He gave his passenger a dubious look, still unwilling to try to make out what is happening. "What is wrong with you?"

Usagi frowned herself. Trying to be subtle, she gave her reflection in the rear mirror to see if maybe, just maybe, the man saw something to cause him to ask what is wrong.

What she saw seemed okay enough, a little thin, slightly pale. But otherwise, okay. Her hands inched slowly to the door latch, she herself carefully judging the distance of the car from the arcade…

Mamuro saw the gesture and in his frustration grasped the girl's free hand. He gripped it tightly, afraid that his actions made her more jumpy, but refusing to let her go with out getting the whole incident straight. Something wasn't right. Subtle signs along with the fact that the Odango had not even shrieked once after she had seen him.

Usagi stiffened as the stranger's hand held her own. Something whispered deep in her heart, and she felt herself become unsure. The day had become akin to bedlam, and it was spiralling out of control minute by minute. The whisper assured her it will get better.

Then, softly, it prompted her to draw a very interesting conclusion about her present company…

"Demo, I'm really sorry." Say you are sorry. "You might find this weird", You might find this weird. "But, do I know you?" Then ask if you know him, and please, try to stay calm…

The blonde winced, unable to hide the apprehension that she was digging her own grave. 'How stupid can I get? I'm trusting a complete stranger…' 'Funny, though, because I feel very happy, somehow, with him holding me so…'

Cobalt blue eyes stared in shocked at aqua colored eyes. Confusion was in both pair, as well as distrust. For Usagi, it made sense, because in her present state, she really had no clue what was happening.

For Mamoru, the implications of Usagi's words were earth shattering.

Dazed, he tried to still his mind and focus on what the past exchange of words had meant.

He tried his best, he really did, but the initial suspicion had taken root long before the girl had fainted. He needed to stay logical. Usagi's declaration could not be accepted at face value. Somehow, his clueless enemy has found a way to make fun of him. It was the only logical explanation.

His heart broke. He told himself hearts don't get broken.

Instead, he allowed himself to see the humor in the situation. 'So, the score is now Usagi-2, Mamuro-0.' He thought to himself. With resolution, he looked at the girl to his left and tried to speak amiably. "You don't know?" 'Two can play your new game, Odango.' He jeered in silence.

Mamoru don't know where this situation was going. A part himself even relished the shift in the usual fight that he and Usagi usually have. The blonde was trying psychology to win and get the upper hand. He almost laughed aloud. If this was an ordinary fight, Mamoru would have been insulting her capability of raging this new war.

But the battle ground that Usagi had chosen was still refreshingly new, and he wanted to see how she well she coped, now that he was willing to get stringed along.

While the suspicious thoughts raged in the man's head, Usagi's was pleasantly free of any ill will. The hand holding her was very warm, and the look she was receiving from her new friend was very revealing. Somehow, her heart and mind had concluded that who ever the man was, he was important to her. And that this day must be stretched as long as possible, so she can spend every moment with him…

Mamoru himself had come up with a game plan. "We can't talk here," he told Usagi. His eyes indicated the arcade. As if on cue, Rei exited from the sliding doors, followed by a very agitated Makoto. Ami was nowhere to be found, but the two girls were enough to make him ignite the car's engine.

With out waiting for Usagi's answer, he drove away from the people who might take away the girl whose hands, having been freed from his when he gripped the car wheel, now lay in comfort at his lap. Exactly where he had placed it…