Tsukino Kenji was not the kind of man who ever let his guard down. He stood by the window still as a cat, perfectly hidden by the white lace curtains, staring at the empty driveway. "Ikuko," he called to his wife, who peeked out from the kitchen. "What time did they say they would be back?"

"They didn't, dear," she replied, waiting for the enraged outburst from her husband, as it was getting closer to Usagi's curfew. It never came. Instead, he sighed and made his way to his armchair in the living room. Kenji had made a vow to himself to make any of his only daughter's boyfriends terrified of him. After all, they wouldn't try anything with his baby girl if they thought Kenji would come after them with a shotgun for the slightest offense.

Kenji had to admit that he was completely taken aback the day Usagi came home, gushing about her new boyfriend, Chiba Mamoru. Ever since then, he had made it his personal mission to uncover reasons why Mamoru wasn't good enough for his precious daughter. He was too old, too mysterious, and his personality was too brooding and quiet for Usagi's cheerful disposition. Those reasons now sat lumpily in his head, none of them holding the merit they had before. Truth to be told, Mamoru had never given Kenji any real reason to dislike him. He thought back to their first meeting.

The doorbell chimed loudly, and a very disgruntled Kenji opened the door to find a tall young man rubbing his hands together in the winter cold. The man smiled and gave a respectful bow.

"You must be Tsukino-san," he said. "Chiba Mamoru. It's a pleasure to meet you." Kenji curtly bowed in return and led Mamoru inside, saying nothing. The two stood in the foyer, Mamoru's hands in the pockets of his long black coat. "Usako's told me so much about you." An unfamiliar emotion flared up in Kenji's heart at Mamoru's use of the endearment. Jealousy? He didn't return Mamoru's eager smile, and instead asked sternly,

"And what is it that you do, Chiba-san?"

"I'm a second year student at Moto-Azabu High School."

"High school?" Kenji questioned sharply. "May I ask how old you are?" Mamoru swallowed.

"Seventeen, sir." Kenji set his mouth into a firm line.

"And you intend to date my fourteen year old daughter?" Mamoru looked Kenji straight in the eyes, and replied earnestly,

"With all due respect sir, I do. I can assure you that I have the highest possible level of respect for Usagi. I promise you can trust me." Kenji opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted by a happy shriek from above.

"Mamo-chan!" Usagi shouted, eagerly rushing down the stairs and launching herself into his arms. Kenji closely studied the scene. He saw how Mamoru gently returned Usagi's hug and how tenderly he proceeded to lace his fingers with hers. Still, he was not completely won over. Usagi glanced up at Kenji. "I'm so glad you and Mamo-chan were finally able to meet. What did you talk about?"

"Not too much yet, Usagi." His gaze bore directly into Mamoru. "We'll still have to get to know each other much better."

Mamoru must have been nervous, Kenji thought. But he hadn't shown it even a bit, keeping his collected and respectful demeanor the whole time. Still, Kenji had not warmed up to him completely that night, or ever. True, the two saw each other often, but they kept to small talk, Kenji usually glaring at Mamoru, until Usagi would again come bounding down the stairs into Mamoru's arms. Kenji pulled up the sleeve of his sweater to check the time, but it were almost as if he were forcing himself to do so. His mind told him to be angry at the fact that they weren't home yet, and that he would have to give them a stern talking-to when they arrived. His heart told him otherwise. It was strange. Lately, Kenji had been oddly calm when it came to Usagi and Mamoru. He thought back to a time when he had accidentally stumbled upon the two of them.

It was bitterly cold outside, and Kenji desperately needed a cup of coffee to warm himself with. He darted into the nearest eating establishment, not noticing that it was the Crown Arcade and Fruit Parlor, one of Usagi's favorite hangouts. He sat in a booth toward the very back and gave his order to a young man with sandy blonde hair. Kenji was aimlessly examining the building when, to his horror, he heard a very familiar voice. "Oooh!" its owner squealed angrily. "Why won't you work?" He turned to see his daughter banging on the side of a crane game that had obviously failed to yield her a prize. Mortified, Kenji sank deeper into the booth. Usagi would certainly accuse him of spying on her if she spotted him.

Suddenly, the chimes on the arcade door rang, and Mamoru walked in, a messenger bag slung across his shoulder. He placed the bag on a stool and called behind the counter, "The usual coffee, please, Motoki-kun." Usagi's head shot up at the sound of Mamoru's voice.

"Mamo-chan!" she shouted, rushing towards him, the crane game obviously forgotten about. His arms came around her in a sweet hug.

"Usako," he greeted her. His arms tightened around her. "You're warm. It's freezing out there." Usagi giggled as he gently pulled away and gave her a quick peck on the lips.

"Here's your coffee, Mamoru-kun," the man Kenji had given his order to interjected, setting a mug down on the counter. Mamoru smiled gratefully, sat down on one of the barstools, and took a long sip from the mug. "Hot chocolate for you, Usagi-chan?"

"Yes, please," Usagi replied, hoisting herself up onto the stool next to Mamoru. She turned towards him. "How was your day?"

"It was fine," Mamoru replied quietly.

"Tell me about it," Usagi urged him. Kenji noted something strange about Mamoru's reaction. He seemed a little bit surprised by Usagi's request. More so than surprised, he seemed incredibly grateful, as if he were not accustomed to anyone being genuinely interested in the minutiae of his life. Mamoru smiled at her.

"Let's see," he began, "My first class was canceled, so I was able to sleep in a little bit. I went for a jog, and if I remember correctly, I believe I ran into you on your mad dash to school." He grinned at her as she blushed. "Trust me, Usa, it was a pleasant surprise. Later, I went to class, where I took a Physics test, then made my way here to spend the afternoon with you. What about you, Usako; how was your day?" Usagi responded by excitedly chattering about how she suspected her teacher hadn't given her detention for being late on account of having a date this evening, the latest developments in her friend Naru's relationship with her other friend Umino, and recent annoyances with her brother. Kenji knew from experience that Usagi tended to go on and on about things, and both he and his wife were guilty of sometimes tuning out the 14-year-old when her conversations turned to banal teenage topics. However, Kenji noticed that Mamoru appeared to be genuinely hanging onto her every word, his eyes filled with interest and another powerful emotion that Kenji couldn't quite put his finger on, but, for some reason, reminded him of his wife.

The sound of the doorbell interrupted Kenji from his thoughts. When he opened the door, readying himself to scold the couple for their late arrival, he started at the sight before him. Mamoru had a fast-asleep Usagi cradled in his arms, his green blazer wrapped around her like a blanket. "I'm so sorry we're late, Tsukino-san," he acknowledged. "Usagi fell asleep during the movie, and well, I'm sure you know what it's like to try to wake her." Kenji felt a smile pull at his lips as he moved to let Mamoru inside, where he removed his shoes.

"Yes, our Usagi could sleep through the apocalypse. Come on, let's get her to bed." He motioned for Mamoru to follow him up the stairs and realized he never thought he would willingly lead a boy into his daughter's bedroom. Standing in the doorway of the pink-hued space, Kenji watched as Mamoru gently placed Usagi on her bed and removed her shoes.

"Mamo-chan?" Usagi murmured sleepily.

"Shh," he answered. "Keep sleeping. Good night, Usako". Mamoru leaned down to deposit a soft kiss on Usagi's forehead, then, remembering they weren't alone, immediately straightened and turned to face Kenji, a faint blush staining his cheeks. When they were back downstairs, Mamoru placed Usagi's shoes in the cabinet by the door, and made to put his own on and leave. "I'm sorry again for the tardiness, Tsukino-san. It won't happen again".

"Wait, Mamoru," Kenji blurted out, and both were surprised to see Kenji's hand on Mamoru's shoulder. "Would you like to have some tea with me?" Mamoru's shocked expression quickly gave way to one of gratitude.

"I'd like that very much."

A little while later, the two sat across from each other, mugs of tea in front of them, both unsure of how to break the silence. Kenji spoke first, small talk the easiest thing that would come to his lips. "You'll be entering university soon, is that correct? Do you know what you want to study?"

"Yes, next year. I'd like to study medicine."

"Usagi tells me you have excellent grades. Your parents must be very proud." Mamoru took a long sip of his tea before answering.

"Thank you. My parents died when I was a child, but I hope they would be." Kenji inhaled sharply. "It's ok," Mamoru offered. "No one ever knows what to say to that. I usually keep it to myself, but I want to be honest with you, Tsukino-san". Kenji was suddenly struck by a wave of guilt for his general lack of hospitality toward the teen in front of him.

"Mamoru, I'm…I'm sorry. For what happened with your parents, but also for how unwelcoming I've been toward you. It's clear how much you care for my daughter. It's just…" Kenji frowned, unable to come up with a good reason for his behavior. To his surprise, Mamoru smiled.

"I completely understand. I would act the same way if Chib…if I had a daughter who one day brought home a boyfriend I wasn't sure about. But, Tsukino-san, if there's anything you're unsure of about me….or about me and Usagi, please feel free to ask. I'd like…" Mamoru hesitated, looking down as his tea cup. "I'd like to have a relationship with you." When Kenji didn't respond immediately, Mamoru quickly added. "I know how important family is to Usagi."

It was brief and Mamoru had carefully couched his statements in terms of his relationship and the importance of family to Usagi, but Kenji hadn't missed it. He hadn't missed the flash of longing in the boy's eyes as he asked for something he had never had yet desperately wanted. Kenji's eyes softened and he reached across the table, putting his hand over Mamoru's. His blue eyes shot upward to meet Kenji's brown ones.

"Mamoru. I'd like that, too."