Something Special
Part 3
by the Hoyden (dulcinea42@yahoo.com)
Rated PG

Author's Notes:  Big thank-you to Lorelei and Twilight for some
wonderful encouragement, to Miss J for just commiserating over
food cravings while writing fanfics, and to my own personal
little
spore - my sister Sara, who does some half-hearted editing, but
more often just brings me food to satisfy the above mentioned
cravings.

Disclaimer:  I do not own Sailor Moon.  Furthermore, I do not
own, but in fact AM a French restaurant.  Just ask Miss J. :)

------------

     I stared resentfully at my bed.  It should be a haven, a
place of rest among the fluffy pink and white blankets.  But I
knew from lifelong experience that it was not.  Absentmindedly,
I stroked the soft black fur of my cat, Luna, as I climbed into
bed.  The oft-repeated mantra ran through my head:  Please, no
dreams tonight, please no dreams tonight.  But they always come,
just the same.

***

     "You have to wake up!"  a black-haired girl in a red-skirted
sailor outfit demanded.
     "It's almost time..." another voice said regretfully.  I
identified her as Blue, after her shimmering sky-colored hair.
She was often in my dreams.
     Red scowled.  "You have very important work to do, and we
CAN'T do it without you.  Stop being so stubborn and selfish!"
     A haunting chorus of "Wake up!" sounded from other
shadowy female figures, all in sailor suits.  They advanced,
thrust a large, sparkling jewel into my hands, and pressed
against me, smothering me...

***

    I woke up, breathing heavily.  My usually curly bangs were
matted with sweat and I felt overheated in my bunny pajamas.
Slowly, I noticed that the cool night wind was stinging my face.
My body and mind aching, I forced myself to get out of bed.
Trudging sleepily over to the curiously open window, I climbed
up onto the window seat and reached for the little lock that was
normally fastened tight.

    On my windowsill, illuminated by the moonlight, lay a rose.
A perfect, almost completely opened flower, the symbol of love.
My tired mind refused to process the data.  Who left me a rose
in the middle of the night?  I twirled the stem in my hand,
inhaling the heavenly scent.  Like Mamo-chan's shampoo, my mind
registered.  I giggled at the thought; now I really know that
I need more uninterrupted sleep.  As if, baka!  There is NO
way that Chiba Mamoru is bringing you flowers, let alone in the
middle of the night, I thought as I locked the window.  However,
whoever left this rose had to scale the tree outside my window,
which I knew from personal experience was no mean feat.  I shook
my head in wonderment and sank back into bed.

   "You know what, Luna?"  I murmured to my faithful cat.
"Sometimes I really think I'm going crazy..."

    Luna opened her eyes and meowed comfortingly.  Sometimes I
think she really can understand me.

    That's it, I thought and thumped my head back onto my pillow
in determination.  To sleep, Usagi.  No more crazy dreams, no
more thinking about Chiba Mamoru, and no more talking to your cat
as though she were human.  Sleep will make everything all better...

     RIIIIINNGGG!!!!
     Crash.

     Ah, two familiar noises...my alarm going off, and the
subsequent noise as I throw it against the wall.  You wouldn't
believe how many clocks I go through in a year.

     And I swear, I just fell asleep!  Stupid dreams, I grumbled
as I pulled on my school uniform.  I always sleep like the dead
after my nightly interruption.  Maybe, I groused, if I could get
a normal night's sleep, I wouldn't always be late for school!

     Not that anyone would ever believe that.  Lazy, immature
Usagi - that's all they can see.  I am, however, the only person
I know who can tie her hair up into odango while running down the
stairs.  I grabbed my lunch from my mom (well-versed in my
morning routine), and bolted out the door.

    WHAM.

    "Gomen nasai, I'm really, really, really sorry..." I
apologized, horrified that I'd just mowed someone down.
Then I found myself nose to nose with Chiba Mamoru.

    "Are you okay?"  we asked each other at the same time.  I
began to blush furiously from our rather inappropriate
position - he was sitting on the ground, with his arms supporting
him, and I was, well, straddling his thighs.  Hurriedly I picked
myself up and retrieved my book bag, and was about to take off
again when one strong arm caught me around the waist.

     "Don't forget your lunch, Usako,"  Mamoru reminded me
gently, placing the almost-forgotten bag in my hands.  I
nodded, wide-eyed, astonished not only by the fact that he had
called me "Usako", but also by the sudden realization of how
devastatingly handsome he was. His smile that so dazzled me,
however, quickly turned to a puzzled expression.  "Won't you
be late for school?" he asked.

     I looked at his proffered watch and sighed glumly.  "As
usual."

     He appeared to consider something for a moment, and then
told me, "I can give you a ride to school...it's not that far
from mine."

     I struggled to find my voice as I watch him adjust his tie.
Boys really do look so nice when they're dressed up.
"Ummm..sure, Mamo-chan!" I finally answered.  Nice job, baka,
I scolded myself.  Why don't you just stutter your way through
the entire conversation?

     The ever so gorgeous smile once again surfaced on his face.
His arm, still about my waist, gave me a little squeeze.  "So,
Usako... how do you feel about motorcycles?"

     As we were flying down the street a few moments later, I
decided that the honest truth was that I found the entire
experience both frightening and exhilarating.  I was sitting
right behind him with my arms wrapped around him, and in my
death grip I could feel his heart beating.  I luxuriated in
the feeling of the strong, sinewy muscles of his back as the
wind cut into the parts of my face not protected by my helmet.
All too soon, however, we arrived at school and I regretfully
got off the motorcycle.  I collected my book bag and my lunch,
and carefully replaced my helmet back into the little
storage case.

    Only then did I venture to look at him again.  His face was
still, emotionless.  "So,"  he said hesitatingly,  "are we still
on for some tutoring tonight?"  He looked like he was bracing
for me to say no.

    Well, I for one had absolutely no intentions of refusing him.
I smiled brightly and nodded vigorously.

    He looked relieved as he gave my hand a squeeze.  "See you
after school, Odango!"  Then he sped off, leaving me standing
there, looking after him.  Dumpling, eh?  I think I could get
to like that...

    At school that day, we were put into groups for dissection
labs in biology.  I had never really spent much time with Hino
Rei, Kino Makoto, Aino Minako, or Mizuno Ami before, but I had
this eerie feeling that I knew them very well...

***

Sitting in a garden, laughing, gossiping.
Standing together at a ball, flirting outrageously with the
handsome
young men, admiring each other's dresses.
All of them, protecting me...

***

    I blinked, and murmured my apologies for spacing out.  They
all giggled quietly.  Great, I thought somewhat sourly.  I
should just stamp the word "ditz" on my forehead and get it over
with.  But I really did enjoy the little time I had with them.
They were all warm-hearted and friendly and I was sure we were
going to get along very well.

   After school, I skipped merrily to Mamoru's apartment.  I get
to go see the cutie Mamo-chan again, I gushed excitedly.  In the
door, up the elevator to the third floor, turn right, and happy
door number 5!  After reprimanding the dancing butterflies in
my stomach, I rapped firmly on the door.  No response.  I knocked
again, expectantly, then rested my head against the door.  He
DID say this afternoon, didn't he?  All my questions were
answered as the door flew open, I pitched forward, and Mamoru
saved me from a date with the carpet.

    Nose to nose yet again, the only sound in the room was our
breathing. So close, I thought.  Mamoru shifted his grip on
me...oh Kami-sama, I thought.  He's going to kiss me!  I closed
my eyes, waiting...

    But honorable Mamoru instead set me upright and nervously
fidgeted with his apron.  Seeking to break the ice, I said
weakly,  "You know you can't frighten me away with that apron,
Mamo-chan."

    He smiled softly, then headed for the kitchen.  "I wouldn't
want to, Usako."  He returned with cookies and set them on his
table.  "So, where's your biology book?"

    I obediently dug it out of my school bag.  "There's just so
much vocabulary to memorize.  I don't know how I'll ever get
through it all!"  I told him desperately, and then plunked
myself down on the floor.  He rifled through a cabinet and
brought out some index cards, then joined me on the floor.

    For the next half hour, we made vocab cards, often with
strange illustrations to accompany the definitions on the
back.  Mamoru quizzed me many times on the words until I felt
confident about my upcoming test.  After our work was done,
we just goofed around.  I collapsed on the floor laughing as
Mamoru did a wickedly hilarious impression of his former
biology teacher.  We had a cookie-eating contest, and finally
we sat back at the table again, huddled over my textbook.

    We went through the chapter, page by page, doing one last
review.  And somehow, as we turned the pages, Mamoru's hand
crept over mine and stayed there.  I don't think either of us
were paying more than minimal attention to our review after
that.

    Unfortunately, the clock kept ticking and soon it was time
for me to go home.  I packed up my book bag and helped Mamoru
clear away the mess we'd made with the flashcards.  At the
door, I shyly thanked him for tutoring me and expressed my
wish that we could do it again soon.

    Mamoru's eyes glittered with something I could not guess
at.  He seemed to be struggling to say something, but
finally just gave up and gave me a warm hug.  After a few
moments, I pulled my head away to look at him, and then
blushed under his gaze.  He leaned down and placed the softest
of butterfly kisses on my lips.  My heart thumped wildly as he
began to release me. Oh no you don't, Mamo-chan, I decided.
I quickly threw my arms around his neck and kissed him
enthusiastically.  Mamoru made a muffled sound of surprise,
but quickly reciprocated until we broke apart for air.

    "I'd better go, Mamo-chan,"  I told him finally.

    "I suppose so,"  he replied.  Just like the day we first met
in the arcade, he brushed one long finger over an odango.  "You
know, you're something special,"  he whispered.  "Will I see you
tomorrow?"

    I winked at him.  "Of course!"  I began to walk down the
hallway, but stopped dead in my tracks as I realized that I had
forgotten something.  Mamoru was leaning against his door frame,
once again holding my lunch bag.  I snagged it from him, kissed
him briefly, and breathed,  "Love you, Mamo-chan!"

To be continued in part 4!
Email me at dulcinea42@yahoo.com