The door closed behind them and Usagi wilted against it, sighing with relief. The idea to play this stupid game at a giant co-ed party (really, it was Mako-chan desperate to get in with Motoki and Usagi just going along with it as a good friend…) had made her so jittery and panicky and all that worry for nothing! Usagi could have really laughed.

"What's so funny odango atama?"

Oh shit, had she actually laughed?

"Nothing, I'm just… " So glad that out of all the people here, the one person who would never, ever, in five million years want to kiss her, ended up on the other side of the door with her. So utterly relieved that she wouldn't need to reveal to a cute stranger (or, god forbid! Motoki) that at 16 years old she hadn't even had her first kiss yet. (And hell if it was going to be with a stranger during a party game!)

When she and Mamoru would leave the room, completely unscathed, it would be of no surprise to anyone! Not because Usagi was inherently unkissable, not because she was a "kiss virgin" but because everyone knew Usagi and Mamoru were like oil and water (he was the oil, Usagi decided).

"Just?" he prompted in a sardonic voice.

"I'm just so glad it's *you*," she said. The silence that followed made Usagi quickly raise her hands and shake her head. "No, no don't worry! Just because… I don't really…"

"You don't want to kiss a stranger during a party game and you rightfully guessed that I am not the type of guy to make a move on a vulnerable girl during a situation like this."

"Sooooomething like that," Usagi said, twisting her hair around her finger. "I mean, with you– the pressure's off, ya know? We can just chat. Hang. Chillax…" she spread her hands out and wiggled her shoulders a little.

"Ah." The light wasn't that good, but she saw him smirk, at least.

"So…." Usagi twisted her mouth to the side and thought. The silence was suddenly almost awkward. She and Mamoru usually had things to say to each other, usually in raised voices… well her voice was raised, Mamoru's was usually sarcastic and amused.

"Anything you wanna know? We have seven minutes ya know."

"More like six now. And I'm good, thanks."

"Aww, c'mooooon!" she said, tugging on his arm. "There must be something you could be *dying* to ask me."

"Oh okay, sure," he tugged ever-so-gently on a wayward curl of blonde hair. "How do you find time to do your hair like this every day if you are always running so late?"

Usagi hadn't realized how close they were to each other until he'd touched her. His breath was practically tickling her neck! Sheesh, no wonder people make-out during this game. She was even starting to find Mamoru attractive right now – and that was weird.

"Um… lots of practice I guess?" she said. "It doesn't take long. Sometimes I do it the night before though." What a boring answer. Usagi wished she could be flirtatious and captivating. 'How I get my hair like this? Wouldn't YOU like to know? wink wink'.

Heh. Oh well. Usagi was never going to be a femme fatal. "I like to sleep with my hair down, though," she pulled her fingers through one of her pig tails, thoughtfully. "It's more comfortable…"

"Okay, my turn." Usagi said, finally, she got sick of the ensuing silence. "Tell me about your first kiss."

"What?" he did sound truly surprised at that, even backing up a couple of inches (as much as he could in the small space.)

"I've never been kissed," Usagi said. It was the secret she'd spent all night trying to keep, and here she was just blabbing it out like nothing but… she trusted Mamoru wouldn't tell anyone. He liked to tease her, sure, but he was never cruel. Besides, it didn't seem so embarrassing for him to know. He probably wasn't surprised. "So I was wondering what it's like."

"Not that great," he shrugged, hands in his pockets. "It's a huge build-up. When it happens, it's nothing special."

"Oh." She suddenly felt very disappointed.

He touched her cheek. "Sorry, Odango atama. Maybe it'll be different for you."

"Maybe," she said. His fingers felt nice on her skin. Soft and kind.

There was a bang on the door. "Okay guys! Time's gonna be up! One minute!"

"That's if they are both still alive in there," another voice said.

Usagi caught Mamoru's hand in hers. "Please don't tell–"

"C'mon Odango atama," he didn't let go of her hand."Give me some credit."

Usagi smiled. Then, on impulse, she stood on her tip-toes and quickly kissed his cheek. Well, it was dark, so she actually caught the edge of his mouth – not quite a "kiss kiss", so it didn't count. And he grabbed her waist and pulled her close in what was not really an embrace and they looked at each other, faces centimeters apart, eye to eye, in what couldn't really be called an intense moment. Usagi licked her lips, and swallowed.

Then the door knob turned, and they jumped apart to blink into the bright light of the room. Usagi was instantly pulled into the shrieking circle of her friends, and she met Mamoru's eye and flushed a little. 'Thank you,' she mouthed. And she realized she really did like his smile– smirk and all.