"What’ll I do, what’ll I do, what’ll I do?!" Usagi squealed as she raced at mach ten up the stairs and into her bedroom, slamming the door behind her and leaning against it to pant heavily. She couldn’t believe it. She just couldn’t believe it! Chiba Mamoru was soon coming to take her on a date. An actual date! With her! Was the world ending or something? It certainly seemed normal enough. The sky was blue, the grass was green, all the buildings were still right-side up…

So why was Mamoru coming to take her on a date?!

Usagi sighed and shook her head, absentmindedly pulling off her shorts and blouse to toss them carelessly in a corner, before opening the door of her closet to begin shifting through her few nice dresses to find something…anything…

She was going on a date with Mamoru!

She stopped and pressed a shaky hand over her racing heart, closing her eyes in recollection of how he had looked at her right before he’d left the shrine. There had been such a gentle, pleading look in his eyes, as though he was silently asking her to agree to such a thing…

And how could she ever refuse him a request like that?

Granted, she had every right to do so, and he’d better not act put-out of she did! He wasn’t anything other than a complete annoyance to her, after all. Why would she willingly put herself into his hands for an entire evening? Was she really that crazy?

"Mamoru…loves me," she whispered to herself, carefully listening to the words and trying to gauge her own reaction to each one. "Mamoru loves me."

The thought should have disgusted her—this was her worst enemy, after all—but there was nothing. She felt nothing akin to disgust or dismay, or even fear. If anything, admitting to herself that Mamoru loved her made her feel…warm, and safe, and…and…and if she didn’t stop standing around like a complete baka, Mamoru was gonna come pick her up for her date while she was still in her underwear!

A quick glance at the clock told her that there was almost six o’clock. Mamoru had not mentioned exactly when he was coming to pick her up, but it would be just like him to arrive an hour before she was ready, just to have something else to rub her face in! She huffed indignantly and delved back into her closet, tossing clothes haphazardly around the room as she searched for just the right outfit to wear. She owned nothing that could be considered classy or elegant, and if Mamoru actually showed up at her doorstep in a tuxedo like Minako had suggested…

"Wait a sec!" The blond’s head popped up and she scowled darkly at the shirt she held. "He’d better not show up dressed like my Tuxedo Kamen-sama! Nobody has the right to dress like him but him! Especially Mamoru-baka!" she growled, tossing the shirt over her shoulder to join the rest of the pile on the floor. Her room was quickly turning into the aftermath of a full-blown hurricane passing through a department store. After another moment of digging, her head appeared again, thoughtfully regarding a flower-printed skirt. "Although…Mamoru in a tuxedo would look pretty darned sexy!" she admitted to herself, giggling a little at the mental image. "Hmmm…maybe it wouldn’t be so bad after all…"

The doorbell rang, and her eyes widened in panic. With a muffled shriek, she grabbed an outfit out of the very back of her closet—one covered with a plastic dress-bag—and raced for the bathroom, slamming the door behind her and hoping that whatever she’d grabbed was actually something suitable to wear. She could only imagine herself going to greet her date dressed in last year’s Halloween costume. Mamoru would probably not appreciate being made to take a giant rabbit out to dinner…although the look on his face would be pretty hilarious to watch…

Usagi paused to consider a moment, then shook her head and unzipped the bag, her eyes widening slightly in surprise and relief when she saw what it contained. Well, it was definitely better than a rabbit costume…

She only hoped that her father hadn’t gotten home from work yet. Mamoru may have been annoying, but even he didn’t deserve to face the wrath of the Overprotective Father-figure while she took the time to get ready.

"Usaaaaaagi-chaaaan!" her mother called up to her, sounding suspiciously gleeful. "You have coooompanyyyyy!"

Usagi rolled her eyes. Yup. It was definitely Mamoru. She scowled and opened the bathroom door. "I’M NOT READY!" she yelled back irritably before slamming it again.

Ikuko sighed in exasperation. "That girl…" she began, but Mamoru held out a gloved hand to still her protests.

"Iie, it isn’t Usagi-chan’s fault, Tsukino-san," he assured her. "I forgot to mention a time to pick her up, and I didn’t really give her much time to get ready, either."

"Ah, I understand," Ikuko replied with a smile, gazing fondly at the handsome—or, as her daughter would likely put it, drop-dead gorgeous—young man standing before her. "Won’t you come in and have something to drink?" she offered politely, hoping that while he was doing that she could also pry some details out of him…such as who he was and where Usagi had met him and why on earth hadn’t the girl mentioned him to her own mother before?!

"Arigatou," the young man replied, giving her his most heart-stopping smile.

Ikuko blinked. Good grief, what a charmer! No wonder Usagi was keeping him to herself! If Kenji ever met this one, the poor boy would probably be forced to leave the country! She managed to collect herself and ushered Mamoru to the living room, telling him to make himself comfortable while she poured him a glass of juice. If she was lucky, Usagi would take long enough for her to pry some major information out of him.

But Usagi was smarter than that. She knew the consequences of letting any young man alone with her mother for more than five minutes. Sure, Ikuko may not have carried a shotgun around, but she was dangerous in that Exceedingly Nosy Mother-figure kind of way, and if Usagi intended to leave with her dignity intact, she knew she’d better hurry before her mother broke out the baby pictures.

As it was, barely two minutes had passed the clock before a blonde whirlwind raced down the stairs, purse in hand and a light shawl wrapped around her shoulders as she hurried into the living room, pecking her startled mother on the cheek, grabbing an equally startled Mamoru by the hand, and pulling him insistently toward the front door. "ByeOkaa-sanwe’regoingouthe’llbringmehomelaterdon’twaitup!" Usagi called back all in one long breath as the door slammed behind her.

Whew! That had been a close one!

She quickly started down the walkway, just in case her mother decided to follow them, until she realized that Mamoru was not with her. She turned to shoot him an annoyed look. "Well? Are we going to go or not? You were the one who was so obviously impatient to go! And thanks so much for giving me time…to…change…" Her voice slowly trailed off as she finally got her first good look at her date.

And what a looker he was.

Oh…my, she thought in wonder. Mamoru had obviously thought Minako’s Tuxedo Kamen idea a good one after all, ‘cause he was dressed to the nines in a sleek, black tuxedo, crimson-lined cape, and even a top hat. His shoes were polished, his hair was slicked, and his gloves were as white as the new-fallen snow. The only thing missing was the white domino mask. Other than that, he could have passed for the real thing.

I am never gonna be able to look at Tuxedo Kamen-sama in the same way again, the girl thought dazedly.

"Are we ready to go?" Mamoru’s deep, soft voice penetrated her musings like a bucket of cold water, and she could almost have sworn that it was Tuxedo Kamen who had spoken to her. She violently shook her head to rid her mind of that insane notion, then turned suspicious eyes up to meet his.

"You know, you took a big chance coming for me," she informed him haughtily, crossing her arms over her chest. "How do you know I would’ve gone with you?"

He shrugged and smiled a little. "I didn’t," he replied simply. "But I was willing to take the risk." She blinked at him in surprise, and his earlier words came back to haunt her. I need to do something that tells Usagi how much I’m in love with her… A slight shiver passed over her, and Mamoru noticed. "Are you cold?" he asked in concern as he helped her into his car.

"N-nani?" She blinked, then blushed and shook her head. "Oh! Ha ha! I-iie, I’m not cold! I’m a little warm, in fact…" she stammered, scratching her head in embarrassment.

"Then why not take your shawl off, silly?" he teased. "It’s rather warm out for a wrap. Besides…I can’t see your pretty dress with it on."

"Ano…" To his surprise, her blush grew more pronounced. "Um…you see…the thing is…" she began, making a cute face and twiddling her thumbs nervously.

"Is something wrong with your dress?" he guessed carefully.

"I-it’s a bridesmaid’s dress I wore to my aunt’s wedding a few years ago," she explained sheepishly. "I’d almost forgotten I had it, and you came so quickly I hardly had time to choose something better…"

"Well, what’s wrong with it?" Mamoru asked as he started the engine. "It’s a beautiful dress, and it looks perfect on you." The pale, shimmering violet was a perfect compliment for Usagi’s fair complexion and golden hair, and the dress was long and flowing, with an overskirt of delicate lace a shade lighter than the underskirt. A lace shawl covered her shoulders to add just the right touch, but it was the middle of summer; much too warm for even a light wrap.

Usagi’s blush darkened even more as she sought to explain her rather delicate situation. "I…haven’t grown up much since I was twelve," she muttered. "Demo…I did grow…um…out a little more, and…" She could see he wasn’t quite getting it, and with a muttered exclamation, she closed her eyes, undid the knot holding the shawl closed, and opened it to show him what she meant.

Mamoru glanced over, and his eyes widened slightly as he finally got it. Indeed, at twelve, the dress must have fit Usagi very well. But at fourteen, the low-cut, sweetheart neckline of the dress was just a little too low for her newly-developed…assets. In short…he was now seeing a lot more of Usagi than what he’d expected, although the dress still was not trashy or distasteful. Just rather…enticing. "I see what you mean," he murmured, his voice a little more husky than what he’d intended it to be, and in a moment the exposed cleavage was hidden beneath the white wrap once more, a fiercely-blushing Usagi staring fixedly out the window. He smiled at her shyness, before shifting the car into gear and pulling out onto the street.

And thus began their first official date.

Usagi was in awe. She hovered close to Mamoru as he spoke with the maitre de, looking around the elegant dining area with wide eyes. This was beyond a doubt the fanciest place she’d ever seen. They were in one of the ritziest hotels in Tokyo, in the grand ballroom which was decorated with crystal chandeliers and silken streamers fluttering from the ceiling and lace and linen and silver and fancy dinnerware everywhere. Men and women dressed to perfection sat dining at long, elegantly set tables, while still more moved gracefully on the polished dance floor. The entire setup reminded Usagi of a grand ball being held in a palace.

It was all so strangely familiar to her…

"Are you ready, Usagi-chan?" Mamoru asked softly, gazing down at the silent girl beside him. She blinked, then blushed and nodded, at an uncharacteristic loss for words. He smiled at her, took her hand, and linked it cordially through his arm, his own hand covering it gently as he led her toward their table. He had removed his gloves, and his skin was warm against her own.

"This place is amazing," Usagi whispered. "Demo…it must be so expensive! I bet reservations for non-hotel guests are booked months in advance!"

"Hai. But it helps when you work for the hotel," Mamoru replied slyly, and she looked at him in surprise.

"Y-you work here?" she stammered.

"I used to work in the kitchens," he replied, "until I was offered a management position in Guest Relations. It pays good money to help with college tuition, and since I’m such a good employee, I get little bonuses like this."

Usagi was impressed, although she tried her best to hide it.

They reached their table, and Mamoru pulled out her chair, making sure she was comfortable before seating himself. The waiter immediately came to take an order, and Mamoru rattled off something in French before Usagi could even open her menu. The waiter bowed and smiled before hurrying away, and Usagi regarded Mamoru suspiciously. "You didn’t order anything like fried snails or calf brains, did you?" she asked.

Mamoru chuckled. "Would I do that to you?" he replied teasingly, flashing her a charming grin and a wink.

"Hai."

He laughed again. "Such little faith you have in me."

She pursed her lips. "Ano…can you blame me?"

He smiled and reached across the table to grip her hand softly, threading his fingers through her own. "Usagi-chan…what I was telling your friends…that was not a joke," he murmured, locking gazes with her. "I would never play with your heart like that. You believe me, ne? You must, or else why would you have come with me?"

Usagi dropped her eyes to the linen cloth in front of her. "I…I…" she stammered. "Wh-who says I’m not just trying to get a free meal out of this?"

He smiled again. "Because I don’t think you’d be cruel enough to play with my heart like that," he replied softly, squeezing her hand tightly.

Usagi sighed. She hated it when he was right…

"Would you like to dance until our dinner comes?" he asked suddenly.

She blinked. "You want to dance with me?" she stammered. Her look turned wry. "Did you forget who you’re talking to? The Klutz Queen, remember? I couldn’t dance if my life depended on it."

He tilted his head to one side. "Who says?"

A delicate gold brow rose. "Ano…you do, for one," came the muttered reply.

She couldn’t help but notice his wince, but then he met her gaze challengingly and asked, "Why not prove me wrong, then?"

"N-nani?" She stared at him in shock.

He smiled again and rose from his seat, offering his hand to her. She blinked up at him. He…really wants to dance…with me? She slowly reached out until her hand rested within his own, and his fingers closed about it as he pulled her to her feet. "J-just don’t say I didn’t warn you," she told him, trying to hide her nervousness.

"Of course not," he replied with a boyish grin. Then he paused and tilted his head to one side. "Ano…I think you should leave this behind though." Before she knew it, he was pulling the lace shawl from her shoulders and draping it over her chair.

"Nani?" she squeaked, blushing to the roots of her hair. "D-demo…my dress is…"

"Your dress is beautiful," he finished, gazing at her through lidded eyes. "I really like how it looks on you, Usagi-chan. Besides, it’ll probably be hot out on that floor with everyone else dancing."

She tried to protest again, but he wasn’t listening, and before she knew it, she found herself in the center of the dance floor as Mamoru’s arms came about her gently. She stood stiffly, unsure what to do next. She was certain her hair was going to ignite, so hard was she blushing.

"Relax, Usagi-chan," Mamoru murmured in her ear. "This is only a slow dance, not a waltz or anything. Just follow my lead."

Only a slow dance, he says, she thought, biting her lip. And I’m only practically having a heart attack right here in front of everyone, that’s all! What if she klutzed out? What if she tripped over her skirt? What if she stepped on his feet? What if…

Her thoughts abruptly cut off when she felt his hands grip her wrists to bring her arms up around his neck. She then nearly keeled over on the spot when those same hands began a slow and sensuous glide down her arms, softly brushing over her bare skin, over the soft fabric hugging her sides, to settle gently on her waist. "There," he whispered, midnight eyes locking onto her own. "That isn’t so bad, is it?"

She could only shake her head, not trusting her voice to work correctly at the moment. Mamoru began a slow and steady sway, moving in time to the soft beat of the music, his hands skillfully guiding her steps as his voice murmured soft encouragement. And before she knew it, Usagi found herself dancing in the arms of her worst enemy…and greatly enjoying it, to boot.

He’s done this before, she thought, closing her eyes as Mamoru pulled her closer to him, his hands sliding from her hips as he brought his arms fully around her waist, resting his cheek against her hair. He’s had to have done this before. How else could he be so…good at it? Her thoughts were tinged with jealousy, and her brow furrowed as she imagined another woman dancing in Mamoru’s arms like this. It was…distressing, to say the least. I shouldn’t care, she told herself as she rested her forehead against his warm chest. What he’s done in his life, and how many girlfriends he’s had…that doesn’t concern me at all!

But that was a lie, she knew. Somehow it concerned her a great deal, and no amount of self-reproach made her feel any differently. Only the thought that Mamoru was with her now made her feel any better. She sighed, wondering when it had happened that the mere thought of Mamoru dating another women had begun to depress her so much. He would be very easy to fall in love with, she realized sadly. I wonder if I’m not in love with him, already…

But she couldn’t be in love with him. She loved Tuxedo Kamen-sama, after all. Her heart couldn’t be that fickle to love two men! Demo…demo…Tuxedo Kamen-sama is so cold all the time, she reminded herself, somewhat angrily. A-and Mamoru-san…isn’t cold. At least…not anymore… She closed her eyes and sighed softly. He loves me. He said so himself…and I believe him. He may be a baka, but he isn’t a liar, and he was so sincere when he spoke to minna, wanting to make me happy, to prove to me that…

"Oi." Mamoru’s quiet voice cut into her serious musings, making her start with surprise. She jerked her head up to meet his concerned gaze, and noted with surprise that he’d managed to lead them away from the rest of the crowd, into a quiet corner surrounded by potted plants. "Is something wrong, Usagi-chan?" he asked her softly, one hand raising to cup her face in his palm. "You seem upset about something."

H-he sensed that? Her heart was pounding in her chest. I-is he in tune with my emotions that much that he can tell when…?

"I-I’m fine, Mamoru-san," she replied shyly. "I was just thinking…"

"About what?" he questioned softly.

"Eh? Um…that is…nothing important, really," she stammered, feeling her cheeks heat again in a faint blush. He looked at her skeptically, and she continued hesitantly, "I was just thinking…that you must have danced with lots of women to be so good at it, that’s all."

He seemed surprised for a moment, before a soft gleam entered his eyes. "I understand," he replied gently. "Is that what you’re worried about? That I’m a player?"

Her eyes went wide. "I-iie! Not like that! Just…"

"I never dated much, Usagi-chan," he interrupted softly. "I danced even less. I don’t understand why I know how to dance with you so well. It’s as though we’ve danced together before. Everything feels so…so natural with you in my arms like this." His eyes darkened as his face lowered closer to her own. "Can you feel it, Usagi?" he whispered. "What do you feel when you’re with me? All of the fighting…we were never meant to be enemies, were we? Isn’t it better to be friends? Or maybe…more than friends…"

Her eyes held a bright glimmer as tears rose to their surface, and she felt herself drowning in his gaze. "H-how can you love me, Mamoru?" she whimpered softly.

"Oh, Usa…" His thumb caressed her lips, and her breath caught in her throat. "How can I not love you?" Their lips were millimeters apart, warm breaths coming in soft gasps, mingling together. Usagi’s eyelids felt heavy and she allowed them to slip close as she waited for the inevitable.

But at the last possible moment…he drew back. "Sumanu," he whispered, stroking her cheek with his fingers. "I can’t do this to you. Rei-san told me that you’ve never been kissed before. I can’t take your first kiss from you like that. I…I don’t deserve it, after the way I’ve treated you."

He began to withdraw again, not able to meet her gaze, but a little hand suddenly fisted in his lapel to keep him still, and his surprised eyes rose to meet a glittering, teary gaze. He was shocked for a moment, until he peered beneath the glassy surface to the utter joy and hope and love swirling within. His heart nearly stopped. "D-demo," she whispered uncertainly. "Wh-what if I…give it to you?"

A smile touched his lips, and his eyes softened even more. "I would gladly receive such a precious offering," he replied, and after a moment’s hesitation, she leaned forward to shyly place her lips against his own, touching them for the barest of moments before withdrawing again, blushing profusely.

But he wasn’t content with that. Oh no, not by far! The sudden shock of that sweet, soft warmth caressing his mouth caused all thoughts to fly from his mind but for one, and that was to taste of those lips again. Quick as lightning, his lips followed hers and caught them, muffling her startled gasp as both hands came up to cup her face between them. He kissed softly, deeply, caressing her mouth with as much passion as he dared to show her, until he felt her melt against him, trembling (Or was he the one who was trembling?), as warm moisture slid over his thumbs. His lips lifted softly from her own and he tenderly kissed the tears from her eyes, understanding that it wasn’t fear or sadness that made her cry, but rather soul-deep tranquillity. He could feel it as well as he could feel his own. He suddenly wished they weren’t where they were, in the middle of a crowded ballroom. More than anything, he wanted to be alone with his sweet Usagi—his Usako—to show her all the feelings lying buried in his soul…to tell her how much he truly loved her…

He was about to do just that, sweep her into his arms and carry her off into their own little world…

And, of course, it was at exactly that moment that the Negaverse decided to attack.