Title: A Kiss In The Dark
Author: Princess Destiny
Email: In Profile
URL: destinysgateway DOT com
Couple: Usagi And Mamoru
Rating: M 15+
Summary: 'One Hour Challenge' #657: Response Fanfic. Eleven years ago, Mamoru's father married Usagi's mother. It's now almost Usagi's sixteenth birthday and she has to juggle her secret life as Sailor Moon, on top of school and a job at Motoki's shop. Her life is turned even more upside down when she begins to suspect the masked hero she is falling in love with is actually her awful step-brother!
Couple: Usagi And Mamoru
Chapters: 3/?
Status: Unfinished
Year Completed: N/A

Comments: Hi everyone! What I had in mind for this Chapter was showing how even though the two are playing their games and hurt each other, they do actually care also. Oh and you might notice that Usagi's last name is Chiba, for future reference. Also, Shingo is a part of the family.

This is my Weekly Challenge Response for the 'One Hour Challenges' Mailing List! I've tried to write a Fanfic before where Usagi and Mamoru were step-siblings, but it wasn't well received. But umm, this idea grabbed a hold of me and wouldn't let go, so despite the bad feedback I might get, I'm writing this plot! So there! My idea was to have the two in a world where everything is exactly the same as it is in the Anime, but that their parents married when they were kids. They were brought up together and still have that acute dislike between them, but it's from long familiarity. Oh, and before anyone asks, it's perfectly okay to have a relationship with a step-brother, since they are not technically related. I don't want to hear any negative comments on this, okay? LOL.

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Princess Destiny

A KISS IN THE DARK

By Princess Destiny

Chapter Three

"Here you go, Mamoru," Hikaru handed over the paper-bag, a sympathetic smile on her face. "I know how Usagi feels being caught out like this. I wish my brother was as caring."

"I do my best," The dark-haired man replied with a straight face. Inside he was feeling extremely gleeful. This had been so damned easy it almost wasn't going to be fun. Almost.

"Okay, I'm off!" The blonde girl nodded at him and then turned and walked away.

Mamoru stood at the top of the stairs for a few more minutes, then he turned and began to descend, whistling cheerfully. It was perfect. Humiliation would do very nicely for his dear sister. He touched the small black bruise on his chin and his blue eyes narrowed. Class had been given a miss for this last revenge, but it was the last one for the day, so he could make something up.

Poor Usagi was sitting in her final class for the day, all unsuspecting. Mamoru chuckled wickedly, a grin curving his lips. He held the small paper bag to his chest, glancing down occasionally to make sure that it had not opened and was not displaying the contents. "Usagi, you picked the wrong day to mess with me," He whispered. "But then-I was the one to announce a battle-" The upperclassman paused thoughtfully. "Hmm, but you fully deserve this one little sister."

He walked along the ground floor to where he knew his sister's afternoon class was. Mamoru peered in through the window on the door and saw her sitting a couple of rows back. Her teacher was also female, which was a bonus for his revenge. Perfect.

The superhero casually opened the door and sauntered inside. Everyone fell silent, all eyes on him.

"Can I help you?" The teacher asked him politely.

Mamoru turned slightly to look at his sister, who was eyeing him in disbelief. It wasn't often that they interrupted each other's learning, and especially not for a battle. "You should be nervous, Odango." He murmured under his breath. He then looked at the teacher, who had moved closer at his urging. "This is for my sister," He explained in a low voice. "She er-had a little accident earlier and asked me to pick these up." Mamoru opened the bag and showed her the contents.

The teacher nodded, looking faintly embarrassed. Then she patted his shoulder. "What a nice young man you are. I'll give them to her after class."

"I really don't think she can wait. The stains on the uniform and all, you know?" The handsome man said with all the regret he could inject into his tones. "I'll just pass them to her quietly."

"Alright then," The woman nodded and went back to the board. "Now class, please write this down as I explain."

Mamoru turned quickly on his heel to face Usagi's direction and began to make his way slowly down the isles to her seat. He let her see the amusement in his eyes and the evil quirk of his brows. She squirmed in her seat, looking left, then right at her friends as if asking them for help.

"Ah, my dear little sister," He said grandly, sitting on the side of her desk. She moved back hurriedly and he grinned.

"What are you up to? I'm in class!" Usagi hissed at him, unamused. He was up to something and she had a really good idea that this was his retaliation for the ball incident at lunch. Her brother had a perfectly devilish look in his eyes and his smile made her want to run.

"Hi Mamoru," Rei said from the seat next to Usagi. She waved her hand and smiled at him.

"Hello Rei, have you bee well?" He asked cheerfully, deep blue eyes on her face for a moment.

"What is that you're holding?" Makoto asked curiously, leaning around his back to peer at the package in his arms.

"Ah, I'm glad you asked. It's a present for Usagi." Mamoru said casually. He leaned down until he was nose to nose with his step-sister, then he thrust the paper bag into her nerveless hands. "Just like you asked." He said loudly, sitting back up.

"Excuse me? I didn't ask for anything." Usagi said warily, opening the bag and peering inside. When she saw the contents, her mouth fell open in disbelief and her face went red. "Mamoru!" She choked out, looking up at him.

"Are they not the right size? I have to admit to having no knowledge in this sort of thing," Her step-brother went on, holding his hands up helplessly. The look he threw her was pure wickedness.

Which was the only warning she got.

"You girls can help Usagi out right? She has her periods right now, so is a little crabby. I wasn't sure which brand to get her when she asked-" Mamoru said, voice carrying.

Rei, Ami and Makoto gaped at him and the rest of the class was deathly silent.

Usagi gasped, then her hands came up in fists. She looked like she was about to cry, but then anger clouded her eyes. "Mam-o-ru!" She growled at him, leaping to her feet. "You are so dead!" She finished on a scream, throwing herself at him.

Mamoru had stood in surprise before her rage, and only had time to fling his arms out before the wildcat launched herself onto his chest, fists-flying. "Now, Usagi, sis calm down." He said soothingly, grabbing both wrists and holding her immobile. He winced as one of her shoes connected with his shin.

"Chiba Usagi, just what do you think you're doing?!" The teacher cried out, rushing down the isle to Mamoru's rescue.

"You jerk! You bastard! You are so dead!" The Senshi of the Moon screeched into her step-brother's ear, managing to head-butt his sore chin.

"That's enough!" The teacher yelled, pulling her away from the dark-haired man.

Mamoru got his breath back and then began to inch away, a little stunned by her reaction. Usagi and anger went explosively together and he had rarely been on the receiving end of her raw feelings this way. Irritation and name-calling had been expected, but not that! "I'm sorry, I think I'll leave now," Not one to lose an opportunity like this, he looked at the guys in the room. "Never mess with them this time of the month."

"Mamoru!" Usagi howled at him in humiliation, putting her face into her hands. Her shoulders shook and then she was rushing past them all and out of the classroom.

Ami looked at Mamoru accusingly. "You handled that very badly."

Makoto sighed and got up, ready to find her friend. "Mamoru, you're a real jerk sometimes."

"She shouldn't have attacked him. He was only trying to help her when she had her monthlies." Rei murmured, looking annoyed.

Mamoru felt like a real bastard at that moment. He hadn't meant to make her cry. Never that!

Seconds after Usagi had bolted, he was running after her. He got into the corridor in time to see her long streamers of blonde hair flowing up the staircase to the next floor. "Usagi!" Mamoru called out desperately. He had never hurt her like this before and it actually surprised him that something like that had managed to hurt his brave sister. Was there some other problem that had been bothering her and this had been the final straw? She had seemed okay earlier...

The dark-haired man trailed his step-sister up the last flight of narrow stairs that led to the roof. They went up there occasionally to get some quiet, as there was a safety fence around the whole upper level and the roof was pretty wide. The door was swinging shut as he reached it and he shoved it open again. Usagi was in the far right corner, sitting on the ground with her knees drawn up to her chest.

Usagi lifted her puffy face from her hands when she sensed his presence. She glared at him heatedly. "Get lost jerk. Haven't you done enough damage for one day?"

"Sis..." Mamoru began, approaching her and sitting next to her with his back against the wall. "Is something bothering you?" He asked tentatively.

"Yes!" She spat, rubbing at her wet eyes and fighting a temptation to hit him. "My brother just utterly humiliated me in front of my whole class by giving me tampons and saying I have my periods."

Her dark-haired brother winced, then shrugged. "It's never bothered you before when I did something embarrassing. You've done them to me, remember? Telling Sally that I had lice?"

"That's very different and you know it, Mamoru," She growled, crossing her arms. Her tears were drying up, so that was a plus. However, she was still really pissed at him! She sat down on the ground properly and turned to face him, their knees brushing. Before she said anything else, she made sure to punch him hard in the ribs.

Mamoru groaned and clapped a hand to his side, rolling his eyes at her incredulously. "It didn't warrant a slug in the side, Odango." He accused her, but his voice didn't contain much heat. If hitting him made her feel better and stopped her crying, then he could live with it. He would never tell her that, of course. "You brat."

"You jerk," She retorted, sticking her nose in the air.

There was a long silence, which changed from annoyance to a peaceful calm. Mamoru had always been able to give Usagi a strange serenity when they sat together, doing nothing.

"Never do that again," Usagi said finally, brushing the last of the moisture from her lashes.

"Here," Mamoru pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and turned to wipe her cheeks gently. Usagi let him do it without a word and his eyes flickered up to try and see what she was thinking. But as soon as their eyes met, hers were skittering away. He slowly withdrew his hand, wondering why the air was suddenly charged. "Right, never again. I'll think of something else." He nodded.

He was always in her personal space! Usagi gnawed on her bottom lip with her teeth and steadfastly avoided his gave when his face had been so close to hers. Lately he disturbed her with his presence. Things he did or said or when he was close to her... Damn it, what was wrong with her?

"I need to get back to class," The Senshi of the Moon stood abruptly, not looking at her brother.

Mamoru reached out swiftly and grasped wrist, his long fingers encircling it easily. "Don't be in such a bad mood, Odango," he said mockingly, getting to his feet and looking down at her.

Usagi scowled and pulled her arm free. "If I'm in a bad mood, it's your fault." She smiled slyly, determined to throw off her gloomy thoughts. "And besides, the day isn't over, so it's your turn next."

"Oh damn," The dark-haired man groaned at her, running his hand through his hair in a distracted manner. "Nothing too outlandish, okay sister?"

"That's my choice." She said haughtily, sweeping ahead of him with the bearing of a princess.

She never saw the grin aimed at her back as she descended the stairs back into the building.

"Life is never boring with her around," Mamoru chuckled, following after.

Later that night Usagi was still planning on her revenge. Her brother had really pulled a fast-one on her that afternoon and she had to admit to herself that she had over-reacted. That humiliation had been the final straw in a very upsetting few weeks of Dark Kingdom attacks. She was barely sleeping and school was hard, not to mention her weekends working at Motoki's. This school was a lot harder than her old one also. No, that jerk of a step-brother had just pulled the wrong prank at the wrong time.

It had been sort of sweet of him to follow her to see if she was alright...He might not have said it exactly, but Usagi could tell when he was concerned about her.

"Still, sweet and fuzzy aside, I owe him for that one and I intend it to be the final battle of the day. Which leaves me as the winner," Having said that, the blonde girl reached into her desk draw and pulled out her secret weapon. Coloured hair mousse! She was going to poor it into his shampoo and it would leave him looking blonde for several washes.

Usagi snickered behind her hand.

"What are you up to this time? I know for a fact that you're a natural blonde, Usagi, so I can only assume that is meant for one of your brothers?" Luna asked dryly from the floor at Usagi's feet.

The blonde Senshi looked down guiltily. "When did you get here, Luna?" She asked suspiciously, wondering how much the cat had heard.

"Long enough to know you mean mischief, young lady!" The cat retorted.

Usagi grinned and got to her feet. "A pity you're too slow Luna!" She said with a giggle. The blonde rushed to the door before her guardian could move and slammed the door behind her.

After making sure that Mamoru, Shingo and their parents were downstairs, the petite girl snuck into the bathroom and added in the dye to Mamoru's shampoo. Now all she had to do was wait!

To Be Continued...

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Hugs,
Princess Destiny