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Something Special
Part 2
by The Hoyden (dulcinea42@yahoo.com)
Rated PG

Author's Notes:  I feel loved.  I received mail from many
people, including the ever adorable Miss J (Jecita!), the
Yarnspinner, and the gracious Lady Lorelei.  Incidentally,
Lorelei, you wondered what virtual chocolate is, and I
have an answer for you.  See you at the end.

Oh God, for shame!
I do not even know your name...
Dear Mademoiselle, will you say?
Will you tell?
      -"Heart Full of Love", Les Miserables

     I rejoiced in my glorious refuge from the arrogant and
annoying Chiba Mamoru.  Yeah, too bad it's because you're
locked in his bathroom, you baka, my mind retorted.  Not that
it was a bad bathroom - in fact, it was clean, well-lit, and
stocked with plenty of fluffy green towels.  I began to undo
my Mamoru-proclaimed "odango" and examined myself in the
mirror.  I really did look like something the proverbial cat
dragged in with my hair damp and hopelessly snarled.  Sighing,
I peeled off my cold, soaked school uniform and started a
deliciously warm shower.  Once in, I let the steady stream of
water massage my neck as I considered my current situation.

    One, I was at a strange guy's apartment, and said strange guy
had mortally insulted me yesterday afternoon and I wanted blood.
Second, I was taking a shower there.  Third, I was accepting
shelter until the storm blew over.  This all seemed ridiculous
in light of the fact that I hardly knew him.  Bizarrely enough,
somehow I felt comfortable with him, as though he were a
longtime friend. Usagi, I thought as I reached for the shampoo,
you have GOT to get your head checked out.

    The name on the bottle was something French...Houleux or some
such.  I snapped the cap off to catch a whiff of spice and
....roses?!  Yes, definitely roses.  No wonder he smelled so good
yesterday in the arcade.   But I never noticed any such thing, I
quickly reprimanded myself, faintly scandalized by my brain's
rebellion.  Good shampoo or no, Chiba Mamoru was still a big jerk
and definitely not worth thinking about.

    After I had finished my shower and dried myself off, I tucked
a towel securely about me before unlocking the bathroom door.
Please, I prayed to whatever kami were listening, please let him
have left the dry clothes outside the door...please don't make me
go out there!

    Apparently the kami were feeling merciful, because a pile of
pristinely folded clothes were just outside the door.  Eternally
grateful, I snatched them and shut the door quickly.  After a few
moments of fussing, I exited the bathroom wearing boxers and
a t-shirt, with a towel wrapped around my head, turban style.

    "Looking good, Odango Atama,"  Mamoru called sweetly.

    "Oh, just shut up,"  I retorted, rolling my eyes heavenward.
I padded barefoot over to the kitchen area to join him.  My poor,
abused stomach growled once my nose detected the welcomed
aroma of chicken.  There were a few pots on the stove, which
I peeked into to find vegetables and noodles.  Mamoru, looking
charmingly silly in an apron, was fishing through a cupboard.
With a small exclamation of triumph, he returned to the stove
with a spice container in hand.

    "Back, Odango Atama, back!  Do I have to start my lion-tamer
routine?"  he teased, shooing me away with a wooden spoon.

    "Waste of your time,"  I told him,  "since you wouldn't scare
anyone in that apron!"

    He pretended to look hurt, but I was unmoved.  There were
several canisters on the counter, which I was took the liberty
of investigating.  I pried open a large green one to find life
itself.

    "CHOCOLATE!!!"

    Mamoru winced, probably because the sound was also making
the windows reverberate.  I, however, was in a chocolate-inspired
heaven.  It was good, quality chocolate, too - it sparked
something in my mind....

*Chocolate.*
*Bouquets upon bouquets of roses.*
*Lying upon a velvet cushion, cradled in strong arms.*

   "Ummm...Odango Atama?  Odango?  Usagi?"

    I jolted back to reality to find Mamoru waving his spoon in
front of my face.  "Just thinking,"  I covered quickly, since I
really didn't want him to know that this sort of thing happened
often to me.  I'd rather give off the appearance of being totally
scatterbrained than let people know the truth.  They would only
think I'm crazy.

    Mamoru looked unconvinced, but mercifully decided to let the
matter drop.  He advised me to call my parents while he began to
set dinner out onto the low table in his living room.

     I looked hesitantly at the phone for a few moments, then
called and breezily told my mom that I was eating dinner at a
friend's house and that I'd be home at eight.  After I hung up,
I noticed that Mamoru was looking at me with an indecipherable
expression on his face.

    "A friend?"  he questioned softly.

    I lifted my chin up defensively.  "You let me come inside and
take a shower.  You gave me dry clothes and now you're giving me
dinner.  I'd say that's friendly behavior."

    The mask he wore did not waver at my remark.  Instead, he
gestured to the seat opposite him at the table.  "Please come sit
down, Usagi-chan."

    I don't think he missed my gulp of surprise, but I recovered
quickly. "Thank you, Mamoru-kun,"  I said graciously as I sat down.

    That did wreak some small amount of havoc, I could tell.  His
blue eyes, like a stormy sky, looked a bit wild.  Dinner passed
quickly with idle chit chat, with me telling him about school and
my family.  He didn't talk much about himself, but I gathered that
he lived alone, was attending Moto Azabu high school, and was best
friends with Furuhata Motoki, the arcade guy.

     After dinner, Mamoru brought me my school uniform, still
warm from the dryer, which I quickly donned.  I rooted around
my school bag to find a brush and then went back to the bathroom
mirror to put my hair up again.  Mamoru, curiously enough, followed
me and leaned against the door frame, watching me twist and pin my
hair back into odango.  His black, feathery bangs hung a little in
front of his eyes, and I had a bizarre urge to brush them back.
When I was satisfied with my own hair, I turned to face him.

    "Well, I guess I'll be going now,"  I told him.  I suppose I
sounded a little regretful, I thought as I picked up my school bag.

    "I'll drive you home,"  Mamoru told me.  Not offered, I
noticed. Told.  Definitely told.  My raised eyebrow did not deter
him.  "It's getting dark, Usagi-chan.  And what if it rains again?"
he asked, somewhat defensively.

     I surrendered to his fit of chivalry and he drove me home in
a *very* nice car.  I don't know much about cars, but I know enough
to be able to state without hesitation that this one was expensive.
He pulled into my family's driveway and got out.  I was rather
confused until he came over to the passenger side and opened the
door for me.  Oh my, I thought dazedly.  Exquisite manners, too.

     He walked me to my front door and then cleared his throat.
"I...had nice time with you this afternoon, Usagi-chan.  Maybe we
can do it again sometime?"

     "Hopefully we can skip the rain part, Mamoru-kun,"  I teased
him gently.  The poor boy blushed, but then looked like he had just
remembered something.  He extended a crumpled piece of paper.

     Oh no. Not that.  Anything but that.

     "If you'd like, maybe I can help you study,"  he offered.

     I took the kami-forsaken biology test from his hand and
stared at it, long and hard.  Finally I brought my eyes up to meet
his once again.  "I think I'd like that.  Tomorrow afternoon?"

    As far as I could tell, he wasn't breathing.  He simply
nodded.

    I smiled brightly at him, then grasped the doorknob and
turned it.  "'Bye, Mamo-chan!"  I exclaimed and then closed the
door as quick as I could.

    I could have just DIED laughing from the utter look of shock
on his face.

--------
Email is awfully nice.  Really nice.  Almost as nice as Mamo-chan.
Well, no, not really, but if you're so disposed, please write me
at dulcinea42@yahoo.com.

And remember, chocolate doesn't solve all problems.  But it comes
very close. :)