CHAPTER1
He could feel his head slipping, but it was as though he couldn't stop himself until he hit it hard on his desk. Pain flooded his head, but it was barely enough to wake him up. Sleep... I need sleep. He thought to himself groggily, but he was far to sleepy to drive. Well maybe the cold walk would wake him up. Keep dreaming. It's not about to happen. He pushed himself away from his desk looking at the huge amounts of paper littering it. He was surprised that he had actually managed to hurt himself with all the padding on the desk in the form of undone paperwork. Tomorrow I get this junk cleared off! He knew that wouldn't happen either, but it was a nice try.
Grabbing his keys he headed to the elevator glancing at a clock not surprised that he was up so late. The elevator brought him to the parking lot where he looked wistfully at his motorbike. He was far to tired to try driving it, but how he wanted to ride through the dark night like a bat out of hell. He walked the other direction waving at the night watch then stepped out of the parking lot on to the dark street.
"Ah the city of Jubaan." He said to the night waving his arms as if to hug the entire city. He had lived here for as long as he could remember, however long that was, and he knew it by heart. He had a few friends, some teachers he knew from college, and the people from the arcade and even though he had no girlfriend he felt his life was complete. He had his job, his nice apartment, the money his parent's had left him, and friends that would support and help him no matter what. "What more does a guy need?" He asked out loud. What a geek. I've been working to long when I start talking to myself!
The dark night seemed to close around him as he continued to walk lost in thought. A few blocks from his apartment he came to a halt to look up at the night sky. A full moon poured it's silvery light over him and everything else making the world around him seem almost pale. He grinned up at the moon and took a step around the corner.
"Ooff!" He moaned as a body crashed into his sending them both backwards onto the sidewalk. Mamoru tried to keep whoever it was from smacking into the ground while trying to keep himself from doing the same.
"Damn it." Whoever it was who had hit him swore. It was a female's voice, and not one that you would expect to be swearing. Pushing her a bit away from him he looked up at her and paused his hands convulsively closing about her. She was a gorgeous blond woman with long streaming hair, and smooth flawless skin. Her cerulean eyes seemed to catch the moonlight and hold it there in pools of cool warmth. Her outfit was so strange that it made him pause again. She wore a tiara that looked like gold, and a short skirt outfit with a sailor collar of many colors. She pulled herself out of his grasp and he realized he had been holding his breath. Quickly he stood.
"I am so sorry, but I really have to go." She apologized then took off running toward the park her hair trailing behind her from twin buns. She ran so fast that she was already out of sight before he could get his thoughts in order.
"I am such an idiot!" He yelled at himself. He hadn't even asked her name. Shaking his head, and remembering every detail of that fleeing figure from her long legs to soft curves, he started back towards home until a horrible pain blossomed in his chest. Barely able to breath he fell to the ground.
"Not again!" He cried out before he blacked out.
*~*~* ~*~*~ *~*~*
"Wha?" He asked finally waking up. The pain was gone, and he was lying on something soft and warm. Rolling over he looked at the alarm clock, his alarm clock realizing that he was going to be late for work. He ran into the shower then hurried to get dressed. Gulping down a cup of coffee he managed to find his keys and make it out the door in record time. Down on the sidewalk he dodged people as he hurried through the town. People moved out of his way but some didn't make it in time.
"Sorry... sorry. Sorry!" He called out not noticing who he was running into or what he had actually done until he hit someone head on. He bowled them over landing on top and hearing the thud of their head on the sidewalk.
"OWWW. WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING YOU BIG JERK!" She shrieked from beneath him. He had managed not to crush her, and rolling away, he tried to help her up. His hand froze in mid-air as he realized who it was.
"ODANGO ATAMA!" He yelled. Why did it have to be her?
"YOU BAKA! WHY CAN'T YOU WATCH WHERE YOUR WALKING? MUST YOU ALWAYS RUN INTO ME?" She yelled again. Suddenly he realized that they were drawing a scene and it really had been his fault. He reached a hand down to help her up which she brushed aside glaring at him while she got up herself. Her face was red with anger and embarrassment for practically flashing the entire street.
"WELL IF YOU HADN'T BEEN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SIDEWALK I WOULDN'T HAVE RUN INTO YOU." Oh yeah. That was smart. She didn't miss his mistake.
"WHERE ELSE AM I SUPPOSED TO WALK? ARE YOU BRAIN DEAD OR JUST A MORON?" She seemed to be able to yell so that the whole street started watching them. Sometimes I wonder myself. He said to himself then he looked at his watch. Crap!
"I would love to continue to yell at you odango, but I'm late for work." He raked back his black hair trying to keep it out of his eyes just to find her glaring up at him. Her twin odango's were not quite as pristine as they had been, and was that a smudge of dirt on her face? He couldn't help but grin.
"Jerk! Get out of my way. And I don't know what you're grinning at Chiba, but you had better wipe that smirk off your face. I don't appreciate being knocked over every day. You're HEAVY!" She dusted off the back of her short skirt then flounced off. He grinned at her again then turned so he could yell.
"Hey Tsukino... There's dirt on your face!" He shouted over the people's heads. She turned back toward him, stuck out her tongue very childishly, then continued to walk off. Laughing Mamoru turned to continue his run to work when he noticed a bag on the ground. Usagi had forgotten all about her bag when he had knocked her over and picking it up he tried to find her blond head but she was out of sight.
"Arrgg. I'll have to drop it off after work." Not that he knew where she lived, but he could find it. There was the phone book after all. Slinging the black mini backpack over his shoulder he resumed his mad dash to work.
He could feel his head slipping, but it was as though he couldn't stop himself until he hit it hard on his desk. Pain flooded his head, but it was barely enough to wake him up. Sleep... I need sleep. He thought to himself groggily, but he was far to sleepy to drive. Well maybe the cold walk would wake him up. Keep dreaming. It's not about to happen. He pushed himself away from his desk looking at the huge amounts of paper littering it. He was surprised that he had actually managed to hurt himself with all the padding on the desk in the form of undone paperwork. Tomorrow I get this junk cleared off! He knew that wouldn't happen either, but it was a nice try.
Grabbing his keys he headed to the elevator glancing at a clock not surprised that he was up so late. The elevator brought him to the parking lot where he looked wistfully at his motorbike. He was far to tired to try driving it, but how he wanted to ride through the dark night like a bat out of hell. He walked the other direction waving at the night watch then stepped out of the parking lot on to the dark street.
"Ah the city of Jubaan." He said to the night waving his arms as if to hug the entire city. He had lived here for as long as he could remember, however long that was, and he knew it by heart. He had a few friends, some teachers he knew from college, and the people from the arcade and even though he had no girlfriend he felt his life was complete. He had his job, his nice apartment, the money his parent's had left him, and friends that would support and help him no matter what. "What more does a guy need?" He asked out loud. What a geek. I've been working to long when I start talking to myself!
The dark night seemed to close around him as he continued to walk lost in thought. A few blocks from his apartment he came to a halt to look up at the night sky. A full moon poured it's silvery light over him and everything else making the world around him seem almost pale. He grinned up at the moon and took a step around the corner.
"Ooff!" He moaned as a body crashed into his sending them both backwards onto the sidewalk. Mamoru tried to keep whoever it was from smacking into the ground while trying to keep himself from doing the same.
"Damn it." Whoever it was who had hit him swore. It was a female's voice, and not one that you would expect to be swearing. Pushing her a bit away from him he looked up at her and paused his hands convulsively closing about her. She was a gorgeous blond woman with long streaming hair, and smooth flawless skin. Her cerulean eyes seemed to catch the moonlight and hold it there in pools of cool warmth. Her outfit was so strange that it made him pause again. She wore a tiara that looked like gold, and a short skirt outfit with a sailor collar of many colors. She pulled herself out of his grasp and he realized he had been holding his breath. Quickly he stood.
"I am so sorry, but I really have to go." She apologized then took off running toward the park her hair trailing behind her from twin buns. She ran so fast that she was already out of sight before he could get his thoughts in order.
"I am such an idiot!" He yelled at himself. He hadn't even asked her name. Shaking his head, and remembering every detail of that fleeing figure from her long legs to soft curves, he started back towards home until a horrible pain blossomed in his chest. Barely able to breath he fell to the ground.
"Not again!" He cried out before he blacked out.
*~*~* ~*~*~ *~*~*
"Wha?" He asked finally waking up. The pain was gone, and he was lying on something soft and warm. Rolling over he looked at the alarm clock, his alarm clock realizing that he was going to be late for work. He ran into the shower then hurried to get dressed. Gulping down a cup of coffee he managed to find his keys and make it out the door in record time. Down on the sidewalk he dodged people as he hurried through the town. People moved out of his way but some didn't make it in time.
"Sorry... sorry. Sorry!" He called out not noticing who he was running into or what he had actually done until he hit someone head on. He bowled them over landing on top and hearing the thud of their head on the sidewalk.
"OWWW. WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING YOU BIG JERK!" She shrieked from beneath him. He had managed not to crush her, and rolling away, he tried to help her up. His hand froze in mid-air as he realized who it was.
"ODANGO ATAMA!" He yelled. Why did it have to be her?
"YOU BAKA! WHY CAN'T YOU WATCH WHERE YOUR WALKING? MUST YOU ALWAYS RUN INTO ME?" She yelled again. Suddenly he realized that they were drawing a scene and it really had been his fault. He reached a hand down to help her up which she brushed aside glaring at him while she got up herself. Her face was red with anger and embarrassment for practically flashing the entire street.
"WELL IF YOU HADN'T BEEN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SIDEWALK I WOULDN'T HAVE RUN INTO YOU." Oh yeah. That was smart. She didn't miss his mistake.
"WHERE ELSE AM I SUPPOSED TO WALK? ARE YOU BRAIN DEAD OR JUST A MORON?" She seemed to be able to yell so that the whole street started watching them. Sometimes I wonder myself. He said to himself then he looked at his watch. Crap!
"I would love to continue to yell at you odango, but I'm late for work." He raked back his black hair trying to keep it out of his eyes just to find her glaring up at him. Her twin odango's were not quite as pristine as they had been, and was that a smudge of dirt on her face? He couldn't help but grin.
"Jerk! Get out of my way. And I don't know what you're grinning at Chiba, but you had better wipe that smirk off your face. I don't appreciate being knocked over every day. You're HEAVY!" She dusted off the back of her short skirt then flounced off. He grinned at her again then turned so he could yell.
"Hey Tsukino... There's dirt on your face!" He shouted over the people's heads. She turned back toward him, stuck out her tongue very childishly, then continued to walk off. Laughing Mamoru turned to continue his run to work when he noticed a bag on the ground. Usagi had forgotten all about her bag when he had knocked her over and picking it up he tried to find her blond head but she was out of sight.
"Arrgg. I'll have to drop it off after work." Not that he knew where she lived, but he could find it. There was the phone book after all. Slinging the black mini backpack over his shoulder he resumed his mad dash to work.