This was possibly one of the worst days Tsukino Usagi had had in a long time. Everything seemed to be going wrong, and it had all started when that stupid talent contest had been announced. Of course, she had been thrilled to hear that her favorite star was holding such a contest for the local population in Tokyo—it seemed that everyone was trying to enter, never mind that it cost several hundred yen to do so—and she and her best friend Naru had immediately gotten together to plan a song-and-dance routine, deciding to split the cost between them with their daily allowance.

Well, to make a long story short, that hadn’t lasted very long.

Usagi pouted to herself. Was it her fault that Naru had absolutely no rhythm? And how dare she say that Usagi sang like a dying goat?! That was simply uncalled for! And then, to top it all off, Naru had slammed out of the house and had gone and gotten herself another partner! And it was Umino of all people! The…the traitor!

Usagi furiously kicked a stone out of her path as she strode down the sidewalk, watching as it sailed through the air in slow motion, over the heads of several pedestrians, before descending to neatly nip the hat off an elderly man’s head some ten feet ahead of her. The unsuspecting man nearly jumped out of his skin when his hat suddenly and mysteriously flipped itself off his head and landed with a plop at his feet. He stared at it for a long moment, bewilderment written all over his face, before poking at it with his walking stick (to make sure it was dead), and then bending stiffly to retrieve it and once more place it on his head. Muttering something about paying too much for bad prescriptions, the poor man continued to hobble his way home, keeping one hand on his head the entire way, just in case his hat decided to take itself for any more walks.

Usagi peered around the corner from her hiding spot in a convenient alley, blushing profusely, and decided that kicking more stones out of her way was out of the question. "Poor old man," she murmured, but couldn’t help but smile a little as she remembered his expression. Oh well. At least she hadn’t hurt him. Sighing again, she stepped out of the alley and continued on her way, her shoulders and even her odango slumping as she began to wallow in self-pity again. How could Naru have done that to her? How could she have abandoned her own best friend for that nerd boy? And now it was too late to find any more partners, because all of her other friends were already paired up, and there was nobody left. Besides, the contest was being held that very afternoon, so even if she did find a partner, she wouldn’t have time to practice anything anyway. What kind of talents did she have, anyhow, aside from wailing loudly and failing all her math tests? Usagi sniffled and allowed a few small tears to trickle down her face, just to show the world how miserable she was.

The day was fast going downhill, and she very shortly realized that it could go even faster when she spotted the one person she least wanted to see at the moment. Chiba Mamoru.

There was no sense in hoping he hadn’t seen her; his hand was already in the air and he greeted her with a friendly, "Hi, Odango!"

She gasped and screeched to a halt, ducking into the nearest alley in hopes of escaping. Just her luck that it was a dead end. She scowled at the chain-link fence blocking her exit and contemplated trying to climb it, but quickly decided against it when her thoughts filled with visions of Mamoru-baka appearing just in time to see her slip and rip her skirt and give him a good peep show or something. She’d probably traumatize the man. She paused, contemplating. Now that would almost be worth it, she thought evilly, then grimaced and shook her head. Until he recovered, that is. Then she’d be forced to deal with his usual biting remarks and mean comments. No, she quickly decided. It wasn’t worth that at all.

"Please don’t let him come over here…Please don’t let him come over here…" she chanted like a mantra, sliding down the wall and burying her face in her knees, as though that somehow made her invisible. She remembered when her little brother was younger, and would cover his eyes with his hands and shout, "You can’t see me!" Her face cracked a smile at that, despite the tears that still clung to her lower lashes. No matter how hard she’d tried to convince him otherwise, Shingo had thoroughly believed in his theory that if he couldn’t see anyone else, then they couldn’t see him, either. "I wish that was true," Usagi whispered to herself. It certainly would have come in handy right about then…

"You wish what was true, Odango?"

She squeaked and jumped, raising startled, teary eyes to meet the deep blue gaze of her worst enemy. He blinked at her, seemingly startled at the sight of her wet lashes. "What’s the matter with you?" he asked with his usual tact and grace. Then, "I’d have thought you’d be over at that silly talent show or something. Everyone else seems to be."

She sputtered. "Yeah…well…maybe I just have more important things to do!"

He raised an eyebrow that clearly stated, "You’ve got to be kidding me." Then he leaned down on his haunches and smirked at her. "You just couldn’t find a partner, could you, Odango? Maybe nobody would partner with you because they know you don’t have any talent."

"Go away!" Usagi shrieked at him. In the small alley her voice was amplified, and he stumbled back, clutching his ears protectively.

"Odango Atama! Yell a little louder, why don’t you? I’m not quite deaf yet," he snapped.

She glared at him, fighting back more tears. "I will yell if you don’t leave me alone!" she threatened.

He opened his mouth to reply to that, but at that moment their gazes met and locked, and in the depths of her eyes he saw a deep pain that she was clearly fighting to hide. He sucked in a breath at the sight, his words dying on his lips. His careless, carefree Odango…was hurting? And it wasn’t because of him, either, he sensed, somewhat relieved. Something had previously happened to upset her…and he suspected that it had something to do with the talent show.

He watched silently as she rose to her feet and brushed her skirt off, preparing to leave. "Love to stay and chat, but I can think of other things I’d rather be doing," she told him sarcastically, tossing her hair in his face haughtily as she tried to walk away. However, she discovered only a moment later that walking away was pretty much impossible, considering that Mamoru had taken a firm grip on one of her long ponytails and didn’t appear inclined to release it anytime soon. "Let go of me!" she yelled, turning on him furiously.

He regarded her seriously, not at all threatened. "Where’s your friend?" he asked quietly. "That red-head I always see you hanging out with? How come she isn’t your partner for that contest?"

He saw her carefully-held mask slip just a little before she managed to compose herself, and suddenly felt guilty for teasing her before. If he’d known how upset she was, he’d have kept his mouth shut. "How should I know?" she replied carelessly. "She’s probably making a complete fool out of herself onstage by now."

Mamoru nodded thoughtfully. And now he understood. They’d had a fight. Poor little Odango, who valued her friends so much…

Usagi took the opportunity to yank her hair from his grasp and stalk away, shoulders held proudly erect, hoping that was the end of it and Mamoru would finally get the clue hammered into his thick skull that she did not want to talk to him. Of course he was dumber than that, as she realized a moment later when she felt a warm, heavy weight drape around her shoulders and realized that it was Mamoru’s arm. She gaped at him as he walked beside her, actually steering her in a certain direction. She tried to balk, but he was too strong for her, and she was forced to keep pace beside him. "What do you think you’re doing, Mamoru-baka?!" she hissed furiously.

"I’m taking you to see the talent show," he replied carelessly, not looking at her. When she tried to protest, he added, "Don’t lie to me, Odango. I know you, and I know you really want to see it, even if you’re not in it."

She blinked at him in surprise. Well…that much was sort of true. Naru was going to be in it, after all, and she wanted to support her friend, even though she was kinda…sorta…mad at her at the moment. But of course she couldn’t admit that to him, now could she? "You don’t know anything about me, baka!" she cried. "For the last time, leave me alone!"

"But I don’t want to."

He smiled a small, knowing smile at her stunned expression and continued on his way, and she allowed herself to be led along, almost too shocked to protest. She knew she should scream; no doubt she’d attract the attention of every police officer within a ten-mile radius…but for some reason she just didn’t have the heart to get Mamoru into that much trouble.

It would serve him right, though! she thought angrily, trying to convince herself. She should teach him a lesson! How dare he manhandle her like this?! It was…it was downright arrogant!

All the same—even though she would take it to her grave before admitting it to anyone—she felt that she rather liked the way his arm felt around her shoulders. It was kind of solid and warm and…comforting. She’d never had a grown man hold her like that before (aside from her father, but he didn’t count, anyway), and she found that it was rather… pleasant.

Pleasant? HA! I must have been out in the sun too long, she thought to herself. It’s just annoying, is what it is! What, does he think he owns me or something?!

Of course…there was also those certain looks she kept getting from every other woman who passed them by. They’d eye Mamoru like a cat eyes a particularly delectable tidbit, then cast their jealous gazes in Usagi’s direction before passing them by with a huff. Usagi wasn’t a complete idiot, and she was fourteen years old. She’d seen enough movies—and read enough forbidden romance novels with a flashlight under the covers at night—to know what those looks meant, and she couldn’t help but relish in them, just a little. After all, even if Mamoru’s personality could be compared to that of a doorknob, he was rather easy on the eyes, as Naru would say. Usagi, however, had several other words spring to mind whenever she thought of the obnoxious college student. Adjectives like handsome, attractive, drop-dead gorgeous…

Ick! What on earth am I thinking?! she thought in horror. It was high time to make some escape plans here…

"Looks like quite a crowd," Mamoru’s deep voice cut into her thoughts suddenly, making her jump slightly and blush…more-than-slightly. He felt the movement and saw the blush and cast an amused, questioning glance down at her, which she pointedly ignored. "Where’s your friend?" he asked, looking around.

She shrugged. "I dunno. And get your arm off me now!"

He smirked. "But I thought you liked it up there, Odango," he teased, lowering his voice to a purr. "You certainly didn’t seem to mind it earlier. Especially when all those women were giving you the evil eye."

She blanched. He had noticed that?! She hastily shoved his arm away from her and tried to lose herself in the crowd, embarrassed beyond belief, but of course he was right on he heels. "Oh, come on, Odango!" he called teasingly. "There’s no shame in admitting that you find me highly attractive!"

"When donkeys fly!" she sputtered at him, now thoroughly flustered with the teasing, almost flirtatious grin he was giving her. What was wrong with the man, anyway?! This wasn’t exactly like his usual teasing, and she wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. Had he taken a swig of some cold sake or something?

Then he tugged on her sleeve and pointed, and she turned her gaze in that direction to see Naru practicing some of her dance moves, with a rather strange-looking girl right beside her. Usagi’s eyes widened as she studied the girl, suddenly realizing who it was. She would know those coke-bottle glasses anywhere! "Umino?!" she gasped, her jaw dropping.

"Who’s Umino? You’re boyfriend?" Mamoru teased.

She glared. "That is not funny," she snapped. "Umino is the one in that…that really ugly dress." She tilted her head and examined him curiously. "How in the world did Naru talk him into wearing that?" she muttered, truly awed by her friend’s powers of persuasion. They were even better than Usagi’s own!

"You mean…that’s a guy?" Mamoru was asking in a choked voice, a funny expression passing across his face.

She smirked. "Obviously. Why? Thinking of asking him out?" she replied innocently, and received a light whack on the head for her trouble. Normally, she’d be outraged by such a rude gesture, might’ve even hit him back. But at the moment she was too thrilled with finally having gotten one over on him to really pay it any mind. "You know, I could introduce you two. I bet you’d get along great! You’re both major nerds, after all…" she chirped, grinning evilly. There was no way she was gonna let this one go!

"That’s enough, Odango," he growled, locking his arm around her neck once more, this time as a warning.

"I’m only giving you a taste of your own medicine," she replied innocently, giggling at his affronted expression. "It isn’t as sweet when it’s being shoved down your throat, is it?"

His lips twitched upward in a smile. How could one person be so cute? "Okay, you made your point," he grudgingly replied, patting her on the head. "Now go over there and talk to your friend."

Her eyes widened. "What?! No way!" she protested. "Why should I talk to her? She ditched me!"

"Ah, so you did have a fight over the contest," Mamoru replied knowingly. "I kind of thought that. Who started it?"

"That isn’t any of your business!" she snapped, trying to shove him away from her. But he didn’t let her go.

"Usagi, when you fight with a friend, you need to take care of it right away," he stated, suddenly serious. "Otherwise things may grow worse between you, and you don’t want to lose her over this silly contest, do you? You need to talk to her and work things out. If you don’t, you’ll have nobody to blame but yourself."

Well, Usagi was stumped. What he said made perfect sense, and of course that made her mad. Darnit, did the man have to be right all the time?!

All the while he was speaking, Mamoru was leading her closer and closer to her friend, until they stood right in front of the red-head. Naru looked at Usagi in surprise, then cast a somewhat awed look in Mamoru’s direction. "What are you doing here?" she asked curiously, turning her gaze back to Usagi.

"Mamoru dragged me over here," Usagi muttered, before she felt a sharp jab in her back. "I-I mean, I came over to wish you luck," she stuttered, while at the same time attempting to grind the heel of her shoe into Mamoru’s foot. He grunted as she made contact, and she smiled sweetly. "Yeah, that’s it. So, um, good luck, Naru-chan," she continued. "I hope you win."

Naru regarded her cautiously. "You aren’t mad at me, are you?" she asked hesitantly.

Usagi raised her eyebrows. "Well, it was kind of a dirty trick to dump your best friend like that," she sniffed, crossing her arms. "But, Naru, you got stuck with Umino of all people!" she finished, her eyes suddenly dancing with good humor as she glanced at the boy. "How can I stay mad? I figure you brought that punishment onto yourself. It’s worse than anything I could do to you."

Naru giggled despite herself. "Well…he isn’t that bad," she replied, blushing a little. "I mean…he’s really kinda nice when you get to know him…"

Usagi’s eyes widened. "Oh no! It’s happening!" she wailed, throwing her arms around her friend. "He’s starting to melt your brain cells! Oh, this is more serious than I thought!"

"Stop!" Naru protested laughingly, shoving her away. "He’ll hear you!"

"Yeah, so?" Usagi retorted. Then, she added teasingly, "Are you going to ask him out when this is over?" She received another whack on the head as Naru glared at her. "Okay, I’m sorry," she apologized. "But tell me…" She paused dramatically, trying to look serious. "Does he sing better than a dying goat?"

Instead of laughing, as Usagi had hoped she’d do, Naru instead winced and looked ashamed of herself. "I-I’m sorry I said that, Usagi-chan," she said softly. "That was really mean of me to say, and it isn’t true. Well…not much, anyway." She smiled faintly. "Can you forgive me? I don’t want us to fight."

"Neither do I!" Usagi exclaimed, once more hugging her friend. "You’re my best friend, Naru-chan! I won’t let some silly little thing like a contest break us up."

"I hate to interrupt this Incredibly Touching Moment, but I think it’s almost time for you and Umino to do your act," Mamoru abruptly cut in, pointing to where an attendant was frantically gesturing to them to get onstage.

"Oh!" Naru exclaimed, pulling away and adjusting her costume. "How do I look?" she asked. Then, without waiting for an answer, she glanced at Mamoru and whispered, "What’s the deal with you and him, anyhow? Is he your new boyfriend or something?" Her green eyes sparkled impishly as Usagi turned bright red and sputtered.

"N-no!" the girl squeaked, glaring at Naru for even daring to suggest such a horrible thing. "Mamoru-baka kidnapped me and dragged me here against my will!"

Naru smiled at Mamoru. "Well," she said, "I, for one, am glad he did. It gave us a chance to make up." She blushed faintly when Mamoru winked at her, and turned her attention back to Usagi. "Don’t you agree, Usagi-chan?" she added innocently.

Usagi blinked, suddenly realizing that she was caught between a rock and a hard place. Muttering an affirmative, she scuffed the floor with the toe of her shoe as Naru giggled and grabbed Umino’s hand, pulling him toward the stage. "See you later, Usagi-chan!"

"There, now. That wasn’t so bad, was it?" Mamoru asked, moving to stand beside Usagi. He gave her an almost gentle smile when she shrugged and mumbled, clearly unwilling to admit that he was right. Then, he once again placed an arm around her shoulder, finding that he was enjoying that gesture more and more. Instead of dwelling on the disturbing reasoning behind such feelings, however, he merely stated, "Well, let’s go cheer them on," and led her to the front of the stage.

Naru and Umino performed their act, managing to hold their notes and even keep in time with each other, and even Mamoru had to admit that they weren’t half bad (compared to some of the previous acts, anyway). When they finished, Usagi cheered wildly for her friends, and even though Mamoru could tell she was still disappointed at not being able to perform with Naru, she still maintained her usual cheerful attitude that he was coming to greatly admire—and perhaps even envy—the more time he spent with her.

It was two performances later, right in the middle of a rather good comedy act, that the police abruptly showed up.

They flooded the outdoor auditorium in a wave, and first one actor, then the other, halted in the middle of their performance and stared in astonishment as the officers swept down the narrow isles of the outdoor theater, blowing whistles and yelling orders to each other and causing general chaos among the spectators.

Two officers headed directly for the host of the show—a shifty-looking little man that reminded Usagi somewhat of a ferret—who in turn headed directly for the back exit, looking like a hunted deer, only to find his way blocked by three more officers. He paused, looking wildly around for another escape route, but by that time he’d been apprehended and the cops were slapping a pair of cuffs on his hands and leading him away.

Amid the excited chatter of the crowd, a man who was obviously a high-ranking official stepped up to the microphone and tapped it to get everyone’s attention. "If you’ll all calm down," he announced in a booming voice, "I’ll be sure to explain everything to you. This pertains especially to the performers who were involved in this little set-up."

Naru and Usagi looked at each other with wide eyes.

"Involved?" Naru squeaked.

"Set-up?" Usagi questioned.

"We’re doooomed!" Umino wailed in a good imitation of Usagi, clutching Naru and bawling into her shirt. "We’ll go to jail for aiding illegal activities! I’m too young to go to prison! My academic record will be ruined for life!"

Usagi rolled her eyes at him. And people said she overreacted? "Well, look on the bright side," she exclaimed helpfully. "I doubt a nerd like you would last very long in a government prison, anyway. You’d be fish-bait inside a week."

Umino bawled louder, and Naru shot her friend an exasperated glance. Usagi merely giggled as the red-head led the distraught boy away, attempting to soothe him.

Mamoru watched the whole scene, shaking his head in amused exasperation. "And you say I’m mean?" he teased, tossing Usagi a sideways glance.

"Oh, get over yourself," she sniffed, deliberately turning her attention back to the man speaking on the stage.

The contest, as it turned out, was a fake. The mastermind (for lack of a better term) behind the entire thing was just some shady little con-artist attempting to get rich quick by suckering several hundred people into paying him money to enter a bogus contest, supposedly sponsored by one of Japan’s most famous stars. Of course it had never occurred to anybody that it was a fake, although it really should have been obvious, since Saffron wasn’t even there. Why the ferret thought he could get away with it was a complete mystery, considering all the publicity he’d given the contest beforehand. Somebody was bound to have discovered the truth. It was obvious, however, that he was either incredibly stupid or was missing a few bats in his belfry.

When all the excitement finally died, people started to drift away, still talking animatedly about the hoax. Even the performers didn’t seem to be that disappointed, being too excited over getting to witness a real, live crook being apprehended. They were all given their money back, of course, and Umino was reassured by the cops that no, victims did not get thrown into prison. He and Naru collected their money and then disappeared. Naru managed a wave to Usagi before she vanished into the crowd and this, of course, made Usagi more than a little curious. Why in the world would her best friend willingly go off with Umino? She determined to give Naru a thorough grilling about it later. If the poor, deluded fool was actually starting some kind of twisted relationship with that nerd-boy, Usagi wanted to be the first one to know so she could talk her out of it!

It was right about that time that Usagi suddenly realized that the outdoor auditorium had been all but abandoned, and that she was completely alone with Mamoru, sitting side-by-side on one of the wooden benches in front of the empty stage.

"Well," she stated uneasily, as discomfort abruptly kicked in. "That was certainly a learning experience."

His lips lifted in a smile—she was fast realizing that she really liked his smile, when it wasn’t accompanied by flying insults—as he asked teasingly, "And just what did we learn today?"

"Well, I learned to thoroughly check out any contest sponsored by Saffron from now on," she joked weakly. Then she scowled. "I also learned that Naru’s been holding out on me! I’m gonna tie that girl to a chair until she gives me some answers next time I see her!"

"Why? Jealous?" Mamoru teased.

"Of Umino?!" she screeched. "It’s more like I’m worried about Naru-chan’s mental well-being! I can’t imagine what she’d see in someone like Nerd-boy. I mean…they have nothing in common! She’s way too sophisticated for him. His idea of a thrilling date is going to the bug museum. Believe me, I know, ‘cause he’s asked me out plenty of times already!"

Mamoru chuckled. "Well, sometimes first impressions are wrong," he replied. "Maybe she discovered something in him that she didn’t see before? Maybe if you spent time with him, you’d see the same thing."

"I’d rather study!" she snorted, spitting out the words distastefully.

He kept his gaze focused on the stage in front of him as he continued softly, "First impressions are really important, I guess, but they can also be kind of dangerous, because they can give a person the wrong ideas. Sometimes, we see someone act a certain way, and we think that’s how they really are." His gaze shifted until it locked with her own, and she suddenly found it somewhat difficult to breathe. "Sometimes, some of those people are too stubborn to try and look past the end of their nose to discover how the other person really is."

"I really don’t need a lecture from you of all people," Usagi began resentfully, but stilled when he locked gazes with her.

"I’m not talking about you and Umino," he replied. "I’m talking about…you and me."

Her eyes flew open, and her mouth opened and closed several times, but words, for once, seemed to have failed her.

He smiled at that. "Do you want to know what I learned?" he asked softly.

She hesitated, and he could see genuine curiosity enter her eyes. But then she scowled and replied snidely, "Not really, but I guess you’re gonna tell me anyway."

He shot her a brief pout—which made him look really cute, she realized with a shock—before replying, "I learned that my first impressions of someone were wrong, too. Someone I thought was nothing more than an immature, whiny, klutzy crybaby, is really much more than that. Of course, I kind of figured that out before today, but I never really let myself admit that I’d been wrong…until now."

Her eyes went wide, and she gaped at him in astonishment at this confession. Was this…was this an actual apology she was hearing?!

Mamoru smiled half-heartedly at her expression. "You see, when I actually…‘got over myself’ as you so bluntly put it, and tried to see past all your faults, I began to realize that you were an actual person. You’d always seemed so…unbreakable. No matter what I threw at you, you always bounced right back. It was unreal. And the times you’d actually defend yourself and insult me back…it actually hurt. It didn’t seem fair that you could hurt me so easily when I couldn’t even seem to touch you, and that just made me try all the harder."

"B-but I never meant to hurt you!" she protested, looking at him in dismay. "You’d just get me so mad that I…"

"I’m not accusing, Usagi. I know I deserved everything you said," he interrupted gently. "But you see? Even now, you feel guilty for hurting me, even though I deserved it. That proves to me that you do have feelings, and that you care about other people. So you are a person, and people do get hurt. So, it made me start to think that maybe I was wrong in assuming I never hurt you." He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "No, I know I hurt you, plenty of times. So…I guess it should be me telling you that…I’m sorry." His eyes met hers again, soft and pleading. "Do you think you could forgive me? I know I might not be as easy to forgive as Naru, but do you think you could at least try?"

Usagi was squirming now, feeling a blush burning in her cheeks as she tried to avoid Mamoru’s intense gaze. Who was this guy? Why was he saying these things to her?! Not that she didn’t like it or anything…but it was just so….weird. An apology was the last thing she’d ever expected out of him! Did he really mean it? "Well…I mean…I guess I can forgive you," she stuttered, trying to still the butterflies beating against the walls of her stomach. "I guess as long as you actually mean what you say and won’t go back to the name-calling again. And it wouldn’t be very big of me to not forgive you when you’re being so nice to me now and all…" It was so hard to think when he looked at her like that…

"Thank you, Usagi. You know, Naru is very lucky to have a friend like you. Sometimes I think I envy her. True friends are very hard to find," he stated softly.

"N-not really. You just have to know where to find them," she replied, half wishing that the ground would open up and swallow her and the other half wishing that she’d never wake up from whatever dream she’d fallen into, because this was simply too good to be true. If Mamoru-baka started teasing her again after this, she’d kill him! She swore she would!

Mamoru was silent for a moment, seemingly deep in thought, and Usagi was dying to know what he was contemplating so seriously. Before she could ask, however, he slowly reached out to clasp her slender hand within his own, making her jump in surprise. "Usagi-chan…this may sound like a rather…strange request, but…I-I’d like to take you for some ice cream or something sometime," he began hesitantly. Usagi turned startled eyes to him, her jaw dropping slightly. Okay. That was it. An apology was one thing…but now he was offering to take her for ice cream? This was all the proof she needed to know that Chiba Mamoru was undeniably out of his mind. Either that, or he’d been abducted by aliens and replaced with a Pod Person or something…

"Wh-why on earth would you want to do that?!" she stammered. "I-I mean…aren’t there other people you’d rather spend your time with?" Like drop-dead gorgeous, older college babes? "I…I don’t expect you to actually hang out with me or anything…" she finished in a low voice.

"That’s where you’re wrong," he replied calmly, smiling a little at her expression. "I want to hang out with you. I do like you, Usagi-chan, no matter how I act, and the more time I spend with you, the more I like you. But you were right; I really don’t know you. I-I’d like to fix that, if I may. I’d really like to get to know the real Tsukino Usagi better."

Usagi hesitated, and he smiled understandingly and added teasingly, "I promise not to call you Odango Atama, if that’s what you’re worried about."

"I don’t know. I mean…this is really kind of sudden," she replied slowly. "Wh-when would you want to…"

"Right now," he hastily cut in. "I mean, it’s Sunday, so I have no classes today, and I don’t work on Sundays, so why not?"

"Why not?" she repeated to herself, then blinked and shook her head. "I mean…that is…"

"Now, I thought we just made up, didn’t we? Don’t you trust me?" he asked, feigning hurt, although half of him was perfectly serious.

She blinked at him, opened her mouth to tell him that of course she didn’t yet trust him—that was going to take some time—and found herself saying instead, "Of course I trust you, Mamoru-san." She blinked again, surprised at herself, and even more surprised to realize that she meant it. Now when did that happen? she wondered. Her, trust Mamoru of all people? Wasn’t that rather like the fox and the gingerbread man crossing the river? After all, just because he had apologized now, it didn’t mean he would really change in the future. Still…he seemed so sincere that it was hard not to trust him, despite all the warning bells going off in her head.

Or maybe I’m just gullible, she thought in disgust.

Mamoru smiled and stood, pulling her to her feet beside him. "I’m glad to hear it, Usagi-chan," he nearly chirped. "Come on. The day isn’t going to stand still for us!"

Realizing that there was no going back now, Usagi reluctantly allowed herself to be led from the area, wondering what in the world she’d gotten herself into, and silently hoping for the best.

It was like she’d died and gone to heaven.

Or maybe she’d just hit her head really hard and was now lying unconscious somewhere. Either way, Usagi couldn’t remember a time when she’d enjoyed herself more. She kept expecting at every moment for Mamoru to turn around and start laughing hysterically at how naïve she was to actually believe he’d want anything to do with her, and that everything in the past few hours had been a big joke. But he was, in fact, a perfect gentleman.

Usagi was starting to see a whole new side to her worst enemy that she had, deep down inside, always suspected was there, but had never seen up-close and personal until today. And now she could understand what all those other girls saw in him that she had always before seemed to miss. When he put his mind to it, the man really knew how to treat a lady. He was courteous and kind, and he didn’t give her any snide comments when she hesitantly ordered a triple-scoop, chocolate-fudge ice cream cone from the little stand in the park, like she’d feared he would. In fact, he ordered the same thing for himself, and added rainbow-colored sprinkles, to boot.

But perhaps the most surprising thing was his expression after he’d taken his first bite. It could only be described as sheer bliss, and Usagi couldn’t help but think that sheer bliss looked really good on him. So, even the almighty Chiba Mamoru is not above unimportant little things like major chocolate addictions, she thought with a smirk. For some reason, that made her like him a little bit more. After all, how bad could a person really be when they clearly realized the significance of chocolate in one’s life?

The pair sat at a picnic table beside the lake, eating their ice cream and watching the ducks fishing in the water. Neither of them said very much, but it was a surprisingly comfortable silence. Usagi commented that the ducks’ tails looked like bobbing, feathered corks as they rooted in the grasses growing at the bottom of the lake, which raised an amused chuckle and even an agreement from her companion. She tossed the last bit of her cone to a beautiful black swan that wandered along the shore, almost close enough to touch. The swan gave her the once-over, stuck its beak in the air, and waddled down to the water with all the grace of a newborn calf.

"Snob!" Usagi called after it, sticking out her tongue playfully.

Mamoru smiled at her as he reclined lazily in his seat. This was so strange, he thought. Here he was, a serious, studious college student whose main hobby was studying things like molecular biology, and who preferred the company of his plants over the company of actual people, deliberately spending one of his only free days with possibly one of the most hyperactive middle school students ever to grace the streets of Tokyo.

There should have been something seriously wrong with this picture. He was a man of peace and order. He wasn’t interested in things like mall trawling and Rollerblading and seeing movies (although he did like to stop in at the local arcade every now and again for a quick game of Sailor V). His idea of fun was spending an evening in his impeccably tidy apartment and listening to jazz or classical music and perusing one of the many volumes of medical encyclopedias on his shelves, or simply staring into the gas fireplace (whether it was lit or not) and sipping hot jasmine tea.

No doubt Usagi’s idea of relaxing was spending the entire day with as big a crowd of her noisy, hyper friends as she could manage, doing all the aforementioned things that Mamoru made a studious point of avoiding (although, truthfully, he didn’t want to think about the girl attempting to put on Rollerblades. Heaven help the population of Tokyo if she ever decided to learn how).

The point was, they were as opposite as night and day. Fire and ice. Mexican and Chinese. They were as incompatible as any two people could ever be. Any kind of relationship with Usagi meant chaos in his ordered life, as he’d already long since discovered. It no doubt meant breaking down those walls he’d spent all those lonely years at the orphanage so carefully building around his heart (which, he realized suddenly, he’d pretty much done that very day when he’d swallowed his indomitable pride and apologized for his less-than-civilized behavior).

It meant…feeling.

The idea scared the crap out of him, if he was going to be perfectly honest with himself (which he always was). The idea of even letting one person into his carefully-ordered life was less than appealing. After all, he’d been left alone before. Who was to say he wouldn’t be left alone again, right when he was at his most vulnerable? It was much safer to stay behind those walls, where his emotions were simply a dull roar, like distant waves crashing against the base of a cliff and only the spray of those waves could get through to touch him. Yes, that was the right thing to do.

But looking at Usagi now, who had stood to retrieve her cone and was now feeding little bits to a hoard of squeaking ducklings at her feet, Mamoru had to wonder if it was the sane thing to do. He’d finally tasted her true light today, after being locked away in shadows all of his life. Her willingness to forgive had touched him, and her warmth and caring had bathed him, and he relished in it like a rose just coming into bloom. Could he ever live his half-life without feeling that warm glow again?

He had the feeling that he already knew the answer to that.

Usagi sat back down beside him, smiling happily as she brushed the last of the crumbs from her hands, then leaned back and stretched like a cat bathing in the sun. She suddenly noticed Mamoru’s quiet gaze fixed thoughtfully on her and paused mid-stretch, arms up over her head and legs stretched out before her, feet hovering off the ground. "What?" she asked through a contented yawn. "What’re you staring at? Do I have something on my face?" She hastily scrubbed at her cheeks and mouth, and he smiled lazily at her.

"Don’t worry, you look perfect. I was just thinking that…spending time with you like this has been really nice," he commented quietly, fixing his gaze lazily on the water. Outwardly, he appeared the picture of calm. Inwardly, however…

But he had to tell her. After everything he’d done to her, said to her, in the past, didn’t she deserve to know the truth? He had already apologized, and she had forgiven him, but it just didn’t feel like enough. Every little pain he’d caused her, he now wanted to erase from her memory. If him opening up and telling her how he really felt could ease her heart just a little…then it would all be worth it. "I never realized how relaxing it could be to just sit here with you," he continued after a moment, smiling a little. "I don’t remember ever feeling more at peace with myself."

He could feel her surprise, although he sensed that she was rather pleased with his observation, as well. "M-me?" she sputtered in half a laugh, pointing to herself. "You think I’m relaxing?" She shook her head, grinning wryly. "Now that’s a first!"

His smile grew wider. She was simply too adorable sometimes. How could he have never noticed it before? He paused, mid-thought. No, he admitted slowly, a better question would be…how could he have denied it? "Is that really so hard to believe?" he replied, glancing at her and leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees, folding his hands to prop his chin atop them.

"No offense, but…given your usual attitude…yeah, it is," she replied wryly, shaking her head. After a moment’s hesitation, she added carelessly, "As long as we’re admitting things, I might as well admit that…I’m kind of impressed with you today." She blushed at his surprised glance and squirmed a little. "I mean, here I’d always thought you were just some stuck-up college jerk who had nothing better to do than to go around picking on innocent little school girls like me. But you kind of showed me today that you can be human, when you try. Now I kind of understand why everyone else I talk to seems to actually like you. You’re a relatively easy person to like…when you aren’t being an obnoxious jerk."

A real grin twitched at his lips. "Thank you. I think," he replied wryly.

"So…" She hesitated. "Given these little confessions…what would that make us then?"

He blinked at her. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"I mean, what are we? Before we were worst enemies, right? But after today…I mean, you did apologize and everything." She took a deep breath. "So I…I kinda don’t think we’re really enemies anymore." Daring to look at him, she added, "Well, so I was thinking…if you wanted to, maybe we could be friends, instead? They’re much nicer to have, don’t you think?"

Mamoru sucked in a breath, hardly daring to believe that such an offer had just been extended to him. His Odango actually wanted to be friends with him?

Usagi was shifting uncomfortably at his silence. Okay, what in the world had possessed her to do that? How stupid was she, anyway? Just because he had said he was sorry for being mean, that didn’t mean he’d actually want to be friends with her or anything. "I-if you’d rather not, that’s okay," she stammered hastily. "I mean, I know a lot of people at the arcade, and some of them who work there are in college. I could introduce you to some of them, instead, ya know? I bet…"

She stopped when Mamoru abruptly reached over to take her hand, giving it a squeeze. "No, it’s okay, Usagi," he replied quietly, giving her a beautiful smile that left her utterly breathless. "I think I’d actually like to be your friend. I mean, I never had a real friend before. Plenty of acquaintances, yes, but never an actual friend. Thank you."

Her blush grew more pronounced, but she gave him her biggest smile. "Well, sure!" she chirped at him, her eyes lightening in color. "I mean, I’d much rather have friends than enemies, and something tells me that you’d make a good one."

"I probably won’t be an easy person to get along with, you know," Mamoru warned her. "I’ve grown up being alone for too long, and it’s hard for me to open up to people. Old habits die hard, you know? This is the most…open I’ve been with anyone for as long as I can remember."

"Why don’t you talk to people, Mamoru-san?" Usagi asked curiously. "Where’s your family?"

He sucked in a sharp breath, and her eyes widened, fearing she’d said something wrong. Before she could worry too much, he gave her a tight smile and replied, "I’ve been an orphan since I was six years old."

Her hands flew to her mouth. "I-I’m…"

"Don’t apologize," he immediately stated. "It certainly isn’t your fault."

"Can I ask what happened?"

Mamoru hesitated, feeling the familiar resentment rise up like it always did whenever anyone tried to get him to talk about his pain. But he roughly shoved the feelings aside. This was different. This girl was his friend now, and friendship meant trusting. He’d have to learn to trust sometime…and he’d rather it be Usagi than anyone else. So, quietly swallowing his pride, he began to tell the girl of his life when he was growing up. He only told the basics, preferring to leave his emotional scars out of it as much as possible, but she seemed to understand, and by the time he’d finished, his hands were locked within hers in a tight, soothing grip.

"I understand now, Mamoru-san," she told him quietly. "I really understand now, why you treated me the way you did. You were just protecting yourself, weren’t you? I imagine I’d be the same way if I went through all that. Thank you for telling me. It means a lot." There was no pity in her voice, as he’d feared there would be, but only a gentle compassion that touched something deep inside of him and seemed to lift the heavy weight he’d been carrying around in his soul all this time. Suddenly, he felt fifty years younger.

He released a deep breath and smiled at her, managing to ignore the fact that his eyes were slightly wet, because her eyes were slightly wet, too, and he knew that she wouldn’t be one to accuse him of being weak, as so many other people had done in the past the few times he’d given into his overwhelming grief and cried. He’d made a wise decision, indeed, in apologizing to this girl. Why hadn’t he admitted just how special she was before? Had he really been so stupid? Ah, but the past was the past, and suddenly the future looked so much brighter. And maybe, a small, hopeful voice began to whisper in his heart, just maybe, in time, this relationship will become something so much…more.

He blinked at the thought, glancing at Usagi again and this time allowing his gaze to linger on her profile, studying the sweet lines and curves of her features. She really was a pretty little thing, wasn’t she? And she was absolutely beautiful on the inside…but of course she could never be anything more than a friend to him. He knew without a doubt that it would be terribly easy to fall in love with this girl, as ridiculous as it sounded. She was so young, after all. But she possessed a maturity of heart that most girls her age—and even older—didn’t have. She seemed to understand things that nobody else did…and most importantly, she had willingly given a heartless, lonely man like himself a chance to prove that he could love someone, even as only friends.

His eyes traced over her profile one last time, lingering ever-so-softly on her upturned lips—making his heart pause in its steady pace for the barest of moments—before turning to gaze out across the lake once more. Yes, he realized with growing certainty, feeling an unfamiliar ache welling in his heart. It really would be a simple matter to allow himself to fall head-over-heels for this sweet young woman. Part of him wondered if he wasn’t more than halfway there, already.

If only he was brave enough to find out…

"Mamoru?" Usagi was asking anxiously, bringing him out of his thoughts with a jerk. "Are you okay, Mamoru?"

"I’m fine, Usagi," Mamoru replied softly, smiling at her. "I was just…thinking about our new relationship."

"Are you having second thoughts already?" she asked, her brow furrowing.

His eyes widened. "No!" he gasped with such vehemence that she almost felt guilty for doubting him. "No." His voice was calmer now. "No," he repeated a third time, smiling to himself. "Never. I’d never regret something so wonderful happening to me."

Usagi blushed, biting her lower lip nervously. Was it just her imagination…or was there a hidden innuendo in his words, in the softness of his voice?

There was something, she sensed, growing steadily inside of her. Some kind of attraction she was starting to feel for the older man, which she’d been attempting to ignore for most of the day…and possibly even before then, if she was willing to be honest with herself (which she always was). It was ridiculous of her to feel this way. He was too old for her, and she was much too young to even think of starting any kind of serious relationship. Besides, her overprotective father had told her in no uncertain terms that she wasn’t allowed to start dating for another two years at least, and he wanted to meet whatever young man she actually was brave enough to bring home. She had never really cared about that ridiculous rule before, not having met any interesting boys…but now…

Her gaze moved to trace over his face, studying each detail curiously, much in the same way he’d earlier studied hers (unknown to her, of course). He really was quite handsome, wasn’t he, she mused. He had such pretty eyes. His features were…well…they were perfect, obviously. And his lips… Her eyes fell involuntarily to those lips, and suddenly she was thinking about how warm they looked, how gentle…

She blinked and gave herself an abrupt mental shake, jerking her gaze away and scowling at the lake. Stop that, Usagi! she scolded herself fiercely. You are not going to fall for the man, got it? He’s your friend now, and that’s all he can be. Stop thinking like that, ‘cause nothing will ever happen Don’t be so selfish to want more from him when he’s already giving you so much of himself. That isn’t what friendship is about!

Still…she couldn’t seem to keep her thoughts focused for long. They kept wandering to back to Mamoru’s lips, and refused to leave again. What would it feel like, her mind teasingly asked, if Mamoru actually deigned to kiss you? Would his lips feel warm? Oh, she had the feeling that they would feel very warm…and probably soft, as well. Would they feel more like velvet or silk against her own? What would they taste like…?

Stop it! she commanded herself yet again, clenching her fists in her lap. What would Mamoru think if he’d known what she was contemplating?! He’d probably run screaming from the park, and she’d never see him again, and that would be the end of it. She risked a glance over to him. He was still watching the ducks, leaning back against the table with his arms propped on it and his legs crossed in front of him. His beautiful eyes were half lidded. He looked contented…at peace.

Usagi released a little sigh and looked back at the lake, relived that he didn’t seem aware of the direction her thoughts had suddenly taken. Good grief! she thought, disgusted with herself. One majorly cute guy has a change of heart, and you go and start practically planning the wedding! You are pathetic, aren’t you?

What would a guy like that want with her, anyway? Friends was one thing, but anything more? She was hardly his type, after all. She hated school. He didn’t. She failed at almost everything she did (although she was a pretty decent artist), whereas Mamoru probably was one of those students who aced every class with ease and was the talk of the campus. He probably had admirers lined up down the block, all wanting to be like him. Usagi would’ve bet her next allowance that if he’d give them a chance, he could have lots of friends without even trying.

Mamoru was probably good at everything he did, Usagi thought admiringly, and it was then that wicked little voice popped into her head again. If he’s good at everything, it told her evilly, then he’d probably be good at kissing, too. After all, he’s probably had plenty of girlfriends in his life to practice on! Usagi fought the urge to scream. Not this again! Mamoru probably never even had a girlfriend, considering what he’d told her about his life. But he’s such a beautiful man, the voice insisted, and it is not an everyday man that you can actually call beautiful. So it’s certain he’s kissed at least one girl in his life, what with all the women who seem to throw themselves at him. He still has hormones, after all, right? Why not find out? Look at him! He’s half asleep as it is! All you’d have to do is lean over and…

Usagi shook her head violently, squeezing her eyes shut. Her cheeks were burning and it was hard to breathe around the knot in her stomach, and it was definitely time to change the subject before she did something stupid like give in to that obnoxious little voice and actually attempt to find out how good a kisser Mamoru was. So, after frantically searching her mind, she leapt on the first topic that appeared. She steadied her racing pulse, forced a grin to her lips, and turned to face her companion fully, poking him in the arm and exclaiming with mock seriousness, "I hope you realize that you have ice cream on your mouth."

She immediately gave herself a mental slap while the evil little voice cheered wildly in her mind. Ooooh! Good observation! Now offer to lick it off for him! Usagi blanched. Just what kind of a hentai voice lurked in there, anyway?!

Mamoru’s eyes blinked sleepily at her as he turned to regard her in surprise. "I do?"

She started to panic. Oy vey! What had she started?! Well, it was too late now. She’d already gotten his attention. Swallowing her panic, she nodded seriously. "You do," she repeated. "Right there at the corner."

"And how long were you just going to let it stay there without telling me?" he asked with a mock-glare. She blinked at him for a moment, before a slight wink let her know that he was merely teasing.

She relaxed. Okay, this wasn’t so bad. Joking around was a good thing. It was safe. It was familiar. No hidden innuendoes about this! No siree!

Yeah, right, the voice snorted.

Shut up.

"Oh, I dunno. I was gonna let you walk the whole way home like that…but I figured that since we’re friends now and all, I’d be nice and tell you about it," Usagi told him casually, doing her best to look innocent.

"You’re too kind." Mamoru made a face at her—something she never thought she’d see him do—and proceeded to scrub at his mouth with the back of his hand, like a little boy. "Did I get it?" he asked when he finished.

She smiled slightly. "You missed by a mile."

He scrubbed again, and again the smudge of chocolate clung stubbornly to the corner of his mouth. Usagi giggled into her hand, her eyes sparkling at him impishly.

He fixed her with a look, then smiled and exclaimed, "Okay, Little Miss Know-it-all! Why don’t you get rid of it for me?"

She blinked at him, taken aback. Now this she hadn’t expected. "Um…I really don’t…it’s just right there at the corner," she protested weakly.

Wimp!

"What’s the matter?" Mamoru challenged, a playful glow lighting his eyes. "Afraid I’ll bite?"

She pouted. "No! It’s just…" She paused, not having a decent excuse to give, and he raised an eyebrow at her arrogantly. She rolled her eyes. "Oh, for heaven’s sake!" she huffed. "Here…" Without a second thought, she scooted closer to him and reached over to wipe the bit of ice cream from the corner of his mouth…

Yeeeaaah! You GO girl!

…And abruptly found her hand captured within his own, holding her palm against a warm cheek only slightly roughened with the hint of a five-o’clock shadow. Her eyes widened and her breath caught in her throat in a noisy gasp, and suddenly things were serious again.

Mamoru’s eyes flew to face at the sound of that sharp breath, and she immediately found herself drowning in two mysterious pools of dark sapphire. They locked with her own, and she could see his emotions churning in their depths, although she hardly dared to name them. Slowly, his eyes drifted shut, releasing her from his gaze, and he turned his face ever-so-slightly; just enough to press a soft kiss into the very center of her captured palm. Usagi squeaked, her eyes going wide. What was he doing?! Had he somehow read her mind, after all? Had he figured out what she’d been thinking of, and was getting back at her by playing up on her feelings? This wasn’t good. She should run, she realized. She should run far away while she still had the chance, and pray that he’d somehow forget about this entire ordeal.

But then his eyes abruptly opened to clash with her own once more, and she froze like a deer caught in headlights. The feel of his soft lips against her sensitive skin was doing strange things to her heart, and when his free hand slowly reached out to gently cup her face within it, she thought she might actually pass out. She knew her entire face had to resemble a radioactive cherry by then. She sucked in another breath as his hand stroked softly over her skin to cup her chin, and when he gently lifted her face toward his, she abruptly decided that she was dead. Yup, her mind told her. She was definitely dead, because there was no way this would be happening in real life, and if she was dreaming then something would have woken her up by now. Her cat…her little brother…her father… So dead was really the only conceivable answer left, in her rather dazed state of reasoning.

She should be rather unhappy about this though, shouldn’t she? Dying was a serious deal after all. But for some odd reason, the only thing she could think of at the moment was that, well, if she was dead…she might as well make the most of it.

Her eyes fluttered shut, and suddenly the soft warmth of his lips in her palm was gone as her hand was lowered to her side. She had no time to be disappointed about that, however, because in the next moment a breath of air was brushing across her face, for barely an instant, and then those same lips were softly covering her own.

She simply melted. There was no other word to describe it. All her strength left her in a rush of heady warmth, and she found herself leaning heavily against Mamoru’s lightly-muscled chest, her arms trapped between them with palms resting flat against his dark shirt. She could feel his heartbeat thrumming madly against her fingers. He didn’t seem to mind. He gave a soft little groan, and abruptly both arms were around her and pulling her onto his lap, holding her protectively as one hand stroked up and down her back, the other cradling the back of her head.

She couldn’t be dead, Usagi realized as she was cuddled even closer into Mamoru’s warmth, his arms strong and firm around her. If she was, she wouldn’t be feeling so much. Which meant…as hard as it was to believe…that she really was awake, and alive…and was making out with Mamoru as if her life depended on it. Part of her wondered exactly why Mamoru had suddenly gone crazy like this, but the rest of her was enjoying it too much to really give a darn. Of course, she realized that they were both getting a little carried away; after all, they were in a public park and she was only fourteen, whereas he was a little older than that. Somebody was bound to get into trouble for this. She really should pull away, since Mamoru didn’t seem inclined to.

All thoughts of stopping, however, abruptly fled her mind when Mamoru began to carefully deepen their kiss, caressing her lips in a manner that was both tender and sensual at once. She shivered in his arms, instinctively sliding her hands up his chest to wrap her own arms around his neck. Trouble or not, the man seemed to be greatly enjoying himself…and who was she to deny him such enjoyment? That was what friends were for, after all. Right? So, sighing elatedly, Usagi pushed all other thoughts out of her mind and lost herself in the sensation of kissing Chiba Mamoru.

After a time—a good, long time—common sense began to return to Mamoru in bits and pieces as he began to realize exactly what it was he was doing. Namely, making out like there was no tomorrow in the middle of the park with a girl almost six years his junior. This is wrong! his conscience was shouting desperately. This is going to land you in jail if the wrong person sees you! Knock it off, you moron! She’s only fourteen!

Realized belatedly that his conscience was right (curse the little beast, anyway), he released a soft groan of frustration and began to carefully ease his kisses, bringing them both back down to earth as slowly and skillfully as he knew how. He reigned in his wandering hands (realizing with faint embarrassment that one had managed to sneak up the back of her shirt and was slowly working its way forward), and after a few final, soft caresses to her lips, he very reluctantly lifted his mouth from her own, taking a deep, unsteady, much-needed breath of air. The only thing he could think at the moment was, Wow.

You can say that again, his conscience smirked.

He opened dazed eyes to look on Usagi’s face, and almost wished he hadn’t upon witnessing the sight of her half-closed eyes gazing at him with wonder, breath heaving in and out of parted lips, which were swollen and rosy and just begging to be kissed again. Uh-oh. Conscience began to scream at him again, but was swiftly overruled by Instinct as his head began to lower once more, eager to give those soft lips what they so demanded. Only at the last possible moment did Conscience gain enough control to divert his aim to her neck, instead.

Of course, that proved to be a mistake, but even consciences weren’t perfect.

Usagi shivered in his arms at the first touch of his lips on her neck, and he sighed and nuzzled at the sweet skin of her throat, pressing soft kisses into it before he began to move lower in his exploration. "Mamoru…" The name left her lips on a breathless whisper, and at the small sound, he jerked his head up with a gasp, senses abruptly returning to him.

Welcome back, Conscience stated snidely.

Between one moment and another, Usagi abruptly found herself seated on the bench, blinking in dazed surprise, while he scooted as far away from her as possible and sat stiffly with his back turned, trying to catch his breath and cool the fire in his blood. "I-I’m sorry," he rasped, unaccountably ashamed of himself as he jammed his fingers through his hair, rumpling it beyond hope. "I’m sorry, Usagi."

She was stung. That had been, without a doubt, the best moment of her entire life, and he was apologizing for it?

Ugh. Men could be so clueless!

Amen to that, Sister.

Usagi scowled. And look who was back!

"Why?" she asked him softly, barely able to force the word past the sudden lump in her throat. Her lips tingled as she spoke, and she touched them gently. "I’m not," she added to herself, closing her eyes in remembrance.

"I shouldn’t have taken advantage of you like that," he stated shortly. "I just…" He drew in another breath and slowly turned to face her, his eyes boring into her own. "I just can’t believe that…I mean…I never realized that anyone…that you…could have such an effect on me."

She bit her lip, and he followed the movement like a hawk. "Is that…a bad thing?" she whispered.

"No!" He regarded her with wide eyes. "It’s not bad! It’s just…you’re so young! And I was never even attracted to you like that…"

"Oh, thanks," she began ironically.

"…Until now," he finished softly, locking gazes with her once again. She blushed. "Usagi," he began quietly, then hesitated. "You do realize that…things have changed now."

Her eyes widened slightly. "How?" she asked timidly, afraid that he’d never want to look at her again after this, that he’d no longer want to be her friend.

He seemed to sense her thoughts, because he smiled at her reassuringly and reached out to touch her face gently. "You’re not Odango Atama to me anymore," he replied.

She shook her head in confusion. "I know. We’ve established that already. And y-you’re not Mamoru-baka to me anymore."

"So what does that make us then?" he asked, drawing closer to her.

"Friends, remember?" she replied flippantly, trying to make light of the situation.

He smiled slightly. "Only friends, Usa-chan?" His hand came up to once more cradle her face, stroking her cheek softly with his thumb. "After that kiss—which, I might add, was the most wonderful thing I’ve ever experienced in my life, and I’d do it all over again if I had the chance—do you really think that ‘friends’ is really going to be enough for us now?"

She was blushing profusely. "Well…I guess n-" Her words were abruptly cut off as his thumb touched her mouth, to be replaced shortly thereafter with soft lips. She whimpered softly and leaned into him before he withdrew again, a bright passion burning in his eyes.

"I’ve suddenly realized that friendship cannot even begin to describe these emotions I hold for you," he whispered, stroking her cheek softly. "You are so easy to love, Usa-chan, because you have so much love to give. I’ve always known that, and I think maybe that’s why I tried so hard to push you away. To be perfectly honest, the thought of caring for anyone that much…it scares me." He paused, then added in a low murmur, "But I definitely know that being friends isn’t going to be enough for me."

"But we’ve only been friends for a few minutes," she pointed out, her voice barely more than a whisper.

"I know," he whispered back.

"And before that we were worst enemies."

"I’m well aware of that, Usa."

"It’s kind of an abrupt switch, isn’t it? Going from worst enemies to friends to…to whatever we are now…just like that?"

"Is it really so abrupt?" he asked gently, gazing at her tenderly. "Can you really tell me that you haven’t felt this before today? Even though neither of us was willing to admit it at the time…something was already there."

She hesitated, then nodded slowly in agreement. After all, how could she possibly deny the truth that she saw in his eyes, the same things she felt, reflected back at her in those deep pools? He kissed her again, and she let him, relishing in the incredible peace and warmth and closeness she now shared with this man. Something was growing between them. Something beautiful, phenomenal even, and neither of them could even begin to describe what it was. It was beyond mere friendship, beyond passion, beyond love. It was thrilling. It was terrifying.

But…whatever it was, it was theirs, and they both knew that neither of them would give it up for anything in the world. They sat on the bench and simply held each other as they watched the sun setting across the lake, relishing in the miracle of being what they were.