AN: Another really, really old fic I found via Wayback. It needed/needs serious editing, but I thought it'd be fun to post the – only slightly - more polished version. It's still only a little OOC – but most first season romances are, right?

This takes place early, early first season. Even Mako-chan is here yet. Most of the text from Mamoru saving Luna from getting hit by a truck is from an actual episode but damn if I remember which one.

Sailor Mercury asked, "Why do you always help us, Tuxedo Kamen?"

Sailor Moon said, "Probably because he loves me."

~BSSM episode 13

Walking the Thin Line- Prologue

By Antigone

'We've all heard it, that saying, 'There is a thin line between love and hate', right? (Or as Minako says it, 'there is a skin dive between love and mate'.) I must say, I agree with that statement (the..erm..first one) because I witnessed it. Or maybe I helped it along, I don't know. But it's tough, let me tell you, walking that line and trying to bring two people across it. Two *very* stubborn people. Thin the line may be, but easy? Oh no. Passion, however misguided, is still passion, and pretty hard to harness. But, hey, I did it, didn't I? Neither cupid, nor Minako had a part in it at all. And I feel I should join the ranks of the Best Matchmakers, because, after all, I matched the Best. Listen to my story...'

~Luna

The silent, dark figure padded silently down the dusky streets of Juuban, Tokyo. Her dark fur blended into the twilight so well that she was hardly noticeable as she crossed the street. So deep in thought was the small cat about the Moon Princess that she failed to notice the rumbling, five ton truck barreling toward her, even though that did not blend into the night at all.

Now, in Japan it is the law to stop for all pedestrians. It is also illegal not to stop for anyone in the crosswalk.

Unfortunately, the law does not apply to pets. Perhaps Luna was so used to thinking to herself as a human for all intents and purposes that she wasn't careful enough darting across busy intersections. Or perhaps she had been spending too much time around her distracted, reckless charge that she didn't even think to be careful.

And she only noticed when it was too late, the headlights were blinding her and she didn't have time to do anything but facefault and think...

*I'm going to die. I'm going to die I'm going to dieI'mgoingtod...*

swoosh

The truck rumbled by.

*I'm not dead...* A dizzying moment later, Luna found herself in what she was pretty sure wasn't the Afterlife. For one, she could feel her feline heart beating painfully within her chest. For another, the dirty Tokyo sidewalk was certainty not one's first view of heaven. And lastly, she was being held in nearly a death grip by a sweatshirt-clad arm.

"You have to be more careful, Neko-chan..."

Luna's dazed eyes followed the arm up, and looked with surprise into two bemused blue eyes.

Familiar blue eyes.

The young man traced the moon symbol on her forehead thoughtfully.

"You are Odango's pet, then?" His gaze softened a little, and he loosened his grip on her, "I thought so. You are almost as accident-prone as she is." The young man reached up to pet her forehead and winced as he saw the thin cut across his hand, courtesy of the guardrail he had vaulted over to get out of the truck's way. Luna felt gratefulness well up in her and she began to purr...

"And just WHAT do you think you are doing with my cat?" A sharp, annoyed voice cut through the night.

Suddenly Luna felt her savior tense, and she watched his face harden and freeze into a scowl, his eyes sharpen into jade arrows. A voice that was an acrimonious parody of the soft speaking Luna heard moments before, he answered, "Only saving her life! You have to be more careful with your things, Odango Atama!"

*A thing? I am not a thing!* Luna indignantly jumped out of his arms and onto Usagi's shoulder. Not that was much better there.

Usually, for all her faults, the golden haired teenager was amicable to everyone, genuinely happy and just plan sweet. But now her face was already tinged an angry rose color, and her little hands were in fists.

Luna quickly looked toward Usagi's companions for support, but mild-mannered Ami was observing Usagi's outburst with undisguised fascination, and Rei was observing the raven-haired young man in the jogging suit with undisguised infatuation. Luna sweatdropped and sighed. The company she was forced to keep...

"Now listen you-" My god, she had never see Usagi so angry. Not at her mother, not at her teacher, and not even at a youma. 'If only she could focus this much passion in destroying Dark Kingdom...' Luna sighed. As if wishing would help any.

Just then, the door to the arcade opened, and the cat felt the human relax and Usagi suddenly smiled beatifically. "Motoki! Hi! How are you doing?" But her suddenly dazzling voice was swallowed by a cold drawl.

"Hello Motoki." The dark haired man stood up and greeted his friend.

"Mamoru! Here you are."

'Mamoru, so that's his name,' Luna thought, 'appropriate for someone who would risk his life to save a cat...'

"Motoki! You *know* this creep?" The horror in the young girl's voice refused to be ignored, raising above the buildings, probably audible several blocks away. "He nearly mutilated my kitty..." she pouted adorably, a ploy lost on Motoki. With a sigh, Luna threw an apologetic glance at Mamoru, but froze when she saw the intensity in his eyes.

'If looks could kill...' but Luna realized that phrase wasn't quite right. He so icily and vehemently stared at the young girl. 'If looks could *capture*' Luna amended, startled.

Oblivious, Usagi adjusted Luna over her shoulder and turned to leave, haughtily tossing her head in Mamoru's direction before calling, "Bye—e Motoki!" in her most flirtatious tone of voice.

Over her shoulder Luna watched Mamoru's eyes flicker to Motoki for a moment and then back to Usagi.

She quickly followed her train of thought back a few paces.

*Who would risk their life to save a cat...?''You are Odango's pet, then? I thought so.' 'So,' Luna studied this young man, this Mamoru's, eyes following Usagi's bouncing steps as she and friends walked away, 'he didn't do it for me at all. I wonder if Usagi has any idea.'

She remembered Mamoru's cold stare and harsh words, and an even more interesting thought entered her mind, 'I wonder if *he* has any idea...'

Walking the Thin Line

Part One

Luna waited until that night to broach the subject of Usagi's behavior to Mamoru. She knew it was something she had to bring up delicately, and in all honesty she wasn't looking forward to it.

On the window sill of Usagi's room, Luna leaned her head on her paws and watched the clouds drift across the moon. Her mission to the Princess and the world weighed heavily on her mind, as it always did.

It always all boiled down to the fact that the other girls and Usagi were senshi first, and teenage girls second. And Luna knew she was sometimes guilty of forgetting that second part completely. Usagi's flighty, giggly, boy-crazy behavior had always driven her guardian cat crazy, and worried her to no end. How ever was Usagi to locate and protect the Princess if she couldn't even find both shoes in the morning?

And the last thing Usagi needed right now was the complications of a romantic involvement. 'I mean, really,' Luna frowned, 'when her silly little crushes distract her so much, who knows what true love wi-

Wait a minute... true *what*?'

Yet the word fit so right, it seemed so true. Glancing back to Usagi, who was laying across her bed, reading manga and sporadically bursting into gales of laughter, Luna squinted her eyes and tried to see what, exactly, Mamoru saw.

'Anyway, it doesn't matter,' Luna quickly shook her head, 'Usagi is a senshi, that always comes first. Sorry, Mamoru-san, but I don't owe you anything for saving me, you chose to do that. And I must focus on my mission.'

But yet something nagged at the back of the cat's mind, something she didn't want to put her finger...or, um...paw on. Why was it, then, despite all her careful thought to the opposite, did Usagi and Mamoru seem so right together? Why did Luna have this strong gut feeling that Usagi would be better off, more grown-up, finally somehow completed, with this high school student whom Luna knew absolutely nothing about, and who also appeared to be a bit emotionally unstable?

Mamoru really was the last thing Usagi needed... wasn't he?

Luna recognized the pull of destiny's string on her, as she did when she meet Usagi, Ami, Rei and... Mamoru? But it was true, she had felt it then, but was still recovering from her near-death experience that she didn't even think of it until now. What did that mean?

Sighing, she resigned herself to the familiar feeling of deja-vu...'Well, I don't like it, I don't agree with it (do I?) but I know what you want me to do...' she said to the waxing gibbous moon hanging in the Tokyo sky, 'I hope you know what you are doing.'

"Usagi-chan!" Luna leapt from the window directly onto the magazine her charge was reading, in a way only cats can do. "Usagi-chan we need to talk."

At the sound of her kitten's youthful yet patronizing voice, Usagi pursed her lips in annoyance. "Yes, Luna?" She said, bracing herself for another lecture.

"I think you need to apologize to that boy."

Usagi looked up, "What boy?"

"The good-looking one who saved my life earlier," Luna glared up at the blonde's dazed expression, "and you yelled at him for it!"

"Good-looking?"

"Motoki called him 'Mamoru-kun'?"

And Luna went sailing over Usagi's head and onto her pillow as the girl threw her manga across the room. "Apologize? To him? For what?"

"He saved me from being road-kill! Aren't you even just a little grateful?" Luna answered, miffed.

Usagi hugged Luna tightly to her chest. "Awww, I'm sorry little kitty...I'm glad you are OK." She kissed the top of Luna's head and tears filled her eyes. "You almost...::sniff:: died..."

Luna quickly interrupted the impending waterworks. "And maybe Mamoru-san deserves an apology for your rudeness earlier this evening?"

"*My* rudeness?" Usagi started stalking around her room, face red, odango-ed hair bouncing, eyes bright with a homicidal glow. "Why doesn't *he* apologize to me for calling me Odango Atama? You remember him Luna, from in front of Ami's juku: 'Odango Atama, were you just talking to your cat? Crazy, baka shoujo..." Usagi was really getting into her haughty impression, "I'm soooo smart, I go to Abazu Tech. on a scholarship, did you know that? Brag, brag, I'm not worried, I know you are going to fail, like you always do. Take better care of your things, Odango Atama-" Usagi stopped, out of breath.

"You seem to remember the things he says to you pretty well, Usagi," Luna said, trying not to smile.

"Well, they were insulting!" She crossed her arms and pouted.

"Coming from such a handsome guy, I can imagine."

"Handsome or not, I'm sorry the truck didn't hit him," she said snobbishly, sticking her nose in the air.

"He did get hurt, Usagi-chan." Luna said quietly, her head down.

Usagi opened one eye, and glanced at Luna.

"His hand was cut, from the guard rail. He got it saving me but..." Luna sneaked a glance at Usagi, "I suppose you think he had it coming."

Usagi's face was unusually unreadable for a while.

"Then *you* should apologize!" she said brightly, proudly presenting her solution to the entire problem.

"Me? For what? You are the one who hurt his feelings. Besides, I can't talk to other people, you know that!"

Usagi sighed, "Oh right. I forgot. Fine, I'll..." she cringed, "apologize to Baka-Mamoru. If it will shut you up about him."

It was a few minutes later that the light was off and Luna was curled up at the bottom of Usagi's bed that the girl decided to inform Luna of another mistake.

"And you are wrong, Luna, about hurting his feelings. I don't think he has any."

The crown arcade bubbled over with friendly sounds: the beeping of machines, the laughter and lighthearted talk of a few dozen school children, the jingle of coins and Motoki's distinctive tenor voice. All of those sounds were music to Tsukino Usagi's ears, usually. But today she was dreading the arcade, because if she ran into bak-uh, Mamoru... she'd have to keep her promise to Luna. And actually apologize, admit defeat, completely surrender the upper-hand to her stuck-up sempai. She could see it now, he'd completely laugh it up. Or lecture her. Or insult her again. She felt anger rise up inside her chest, and anger made her brave. She marched into the arcade with her eyes sparkling and her button nose high in the air.

'This won't be so hard.'

Oh, god.

He's here.

Oh well, what would Luna know if...' Suddenly she felt a weight land on her shoulder.

"Ack! Luna!" Noticing the wide-eyed stares of those around her, she lowered her voice and hissed into her pet's ear, "What you doing here?"

"Just making sure you keep your promise. Look, the good-looking boy is over there."

"Will you *stop* calling him that?"

"Well, what are you waiting for?"

'Armageddon.' "Um.. I don't think they allow cats in here."

"Nice try. I'll be watching." With that Luna leapt off Usagi's shoulder and padded along the supports on the ceiling to nestle in the corner beam above Mamoru's seat at the counter.

'This might get interesting.' She thought, smiling, 'everyone needs a little entertainment now and then.'

Mamoru's head was down, he was moodily studying the Formica counter top and his cup of tea. Usagi marveled at the little niche of silence and oppressiveness he seemed to carry around with him, even in such a crowded, open place.

She wondered if everyone ever got through the protective bubble he created for himself, if anyone ever held him, cared for him, or kissed him... Usagi gasped as she realized where her thoughts were taking her. 'Focus Baka!' she chided herself, 'just get this over with.'

"M-Mamoru-sempai?"

Silent blue eyes regarded her coolly. He raised an eyebrow in question.

'I hate you, Luna.' "I'm sorry I yelled at you the other night," she muttered sullenly, staring at the floor.

Silence.

Wasn't he supposed to be teasing her by now? She swore she could *feel* his eyes regarding her thoughtfully, even though her gaze was trained on the tips of her school shoes.

Usagi was starting to get nervous. "A-and I also am really glad Luna is ok... I mean...well, thank you."

Mamoru waited until she looked up and met his eyes. He inclined his head politely. "You're welcome," he said, simply.

She started. And stared at him. He gazed back, unwaveringly.

This was getting boring. All they were doing was staring at each other. Usagi seemed unusually nervous, Luna noted, while she couldn't judge, she had a feeling Mamoru wasn't acting like himself either. What could have possibly happened overnight? She leaned forward, hoping to catch a glimpse if anything more interesting might happen.

Usagi was loosing feeling in her arms and legs. Tingling sensations seemed to climb up her body to her heart, swirling and relaxing her mind while her pulse rate still climbed. He was looking at her searchingly and she knew she was returning the look, intensely

focused on discovering...something. God knew the man had more secrets then a CIA agent, but they weren't necessarily what she wanted to find. She didn't know what she wanted to find.

Somewhere nearby peppy music announced the winner of a new high score on a video game, startling Usagi out of her reverie. Realizing what she had been doing, she blushed and searched her mind for something to say.

"So, how's the cut on your hand doing?"

Mamoru glanced sharply at his hands, still wrapped tightly around his mug.

"Baka Usagi..." Luna groaned, covering her eyes with her paws.

"How did you know about that?" he asked suspiciously.

The harshness of his tone cut through her, after such familiar moments just seconds before. Not thinking, and aching for a distraction, Usagi reached out quickly and pulled his hands away from the tea, spreading them out before her.

Mamoru was startled beyond words. What did she think she was *doing*? He considered yanking his hands back from her touch, the way he would have done if anyone else tried what she was doing, but something held him back. He told himself it was shear curiosity as to what she would do next, and not the fact that her hands were so soft and gentle. Mamoru leaned his elbow on the counter, resting his head in his other hand.

She took his injured hand between the two of hers, a little frown playing across her mouth. His hand was so large, tapering off into long delicate fingers. Usagi thought hands so graceful should be playing the piano, or writing sonnets, but not vaulting over random highway guardrails. The palm was marred by a long, thin scratch already scabbed over.

Slowly, pensively, Usagi traced the cut from tip to tip. Mamoru swallowed nervously, angrily demanding to the gods that one of them had better break this strange spell Odango had on him, and quickly.

"It's not that bad," Usagi said, irritated. 'And Luna made me feel all guilty.'

"Am I complaining?" Mamoru asked dryly, again raising his eyebrow.

She jumped, "Ack!" She dropped his hand as if it were a used Kleenex she had unknowingly picked up off the street.

It wasn't flattering, to say the least. Mamoru felt irritation sweep over him, and the familiar iciness of indifference settled back over his features.

Luna sighed. And just when it was getting good.

"Well, is that all you wanted to say, Odango Atama? You groveled at my feet, I graciously accepted your apology, shouldn't you just be on your merry little way by now?"

Her mouth dropped open, and Usagi narrowed her eyes at him. "I was just nice to you!"

"So?"

"Well, haven't you heard of the golden rule?"

He leaned back on the counter, sipping his tea with his infuriating nonchalance. "No I don't think I'm familiar with it."

"Well, jeeze, Mamoru, what kind of parents raised *you*?"

Shut down.

Utter and complete shut down.

All irritation and amusement fled from eyes like startled birds, and Usagi found herself staring into blue-black holes.

Mamoru stood up suddenly, tossing the last drops of tea and the styrofoam mug into the nearby trashcan.

"Mamoru-baka, what-"

His voice was sharp and eerily quiet. "This conversation is over, Odango Atama. Go annoy someone else."

Wide-eyed, Luna watched him stalk away toward the doors.

Usagi recovered long enough to stick out her tongue and make a face at his retreating back. She then turned and looked up at her pet cat, "That's the *last* time I do anything for you!" And she stalked off, too.

But Luna was intently gazing in the direction in which Mamoru had left. 'Interesting,' she thought. 'I was right about his feelings for her, but there is something I don't know about.' Luna jumped gracefully down from the ceiling and started to walk the way she had been staring. 'Well, I'll just have to investigate him a little now, won't I?"

Do you guys think it's worth editing the rest of the chapters and putting them up? Is anyone interested? I might do it anyway ;) just for fun.