AN: Hello! I know I've been absent for quite a while. I intend to post up ADABN 18 this weekend. I also have TPP 7 to run final proofing on and will be getting that up asap. That doesn't mean it will be particularly soon, because this month has been exceptionally busy with work, but I do have a week off coming up. Please be patient for just a bit longer and thank you for hanging in there.

As for this collection of stories, I've signed up for a 7 OHC One-Shots in 7 Days for Destiny's Gateway. For those of you not familiar with the OHC concept, there is a list of almost 700 sentences or scenes from which to choose. Once you have picked one or more, you then have one hour in which to write your story. Of course, you have all the time you need to go back and edit, but the main writing is to occur within one hour. For most of the OHC's that I write, I complete one chapter in that time frame. However, for this challenge from Dec 15th to Dec 22nd, those of us who are participating have to write a self-contained story each day. This is definitely not my forte, so I thought that this would be good practice for me. It will also hopefully get my inspiration flowing for my other stories.

The stories I have written so far vary from a K rating up to M and focus primarily on Usagi and Mamoru, with one featuring Minako and Kunzite. I have only Sailor Moon-based fics in mind for this collection of one shots. Each story will be preceded with a form listing its title, summary, couple and rating. I don't offer these up as my best work, only as work that I would like to get feedback on. Thanks! ~B

Title: The Secret Santa Plot
Rating: K
Summary: Motoki organizes a Secret Santa Gift Exchange for regulars at the arcade and uses his powers to pair up Usagi and Mamoru. All 5 girls are present, no identities known or revealed.
Couple: Usagi and Mamoru
One Hour Challenge's # 95 Scene Your couple end up with each other as their 'Secret Santa'.

Friday, 5 pm

Everyone except Mamoru was eagerly gathered around the arcade counter, waiting on Motoki. The affable young blonde was pulling out large red and green envelopes from a bag. Excited chatter and whispered speculations filled the air, all of which Mamoru was desperately trying to block out.

Motoki loved Christmas parties and present exchanges and all of the ridiculous trappings of the season. This year, he'd not only bedecked the ceiling above the counter so generously with mistletoe that Mamoru had been forced to abandon his usual spot in favor of a booth near the back of the arcade, but he'd also talked just about every regular patron into signing up for a Secret Santa Present Exchange. There'd been an incredibly detailed form to fill out and a list of rules about what kinds of presents were acceptable and how much should be spent and when and how they should be given. It was a huge pain. None of his usual avoidance tactics had succeeded, unfortunately, and he had been signed up for the farce.

Usagi, on the other, was bouncing on her toes, eyes sparkling with delight and excitement, about to burst from almost unbearable curiosity she had about her mystery partner. She loved giving presents and considered herself quite clever in the gifts she picked out for her friends and family. She was hoping the person she got paired up with would be someone she didn't know very well, since she suspected her friends would figure out their Secret Santa all too quickly. She'd been practicing her "mysterious handwriting" since she'd signed up, just in case she got someone who knew her well. Behind her, Rei, Makoto, and Minako were nearly crushing her into the counter, just as excited. Ami was somewhere on the fringes of the crowd, only the slight blush and unusual sparkle in her eyes betraying her own excitement.

Motoki quickly began dispersing the envelopes, calling out names and having them snatched from his hands. He knew better than to call Mamoru's name out. He would casually drop it on the table when he was done passing the rest out. He had told the group that he'd picked their partners at random, but that wasn't completely true. He'd played a little bit of the matchmaker, since he had the dual role of arcade worker and confidante with most of his clientele. He knew who had crushes on who and he wasn't above giving them help in that department. He just hoped he hadn't gone too overboard.

Usagi and her friends scurried to their own booth to peek inside their envelopes. Usagi had ripped Ami's from Motoki's fingertips so the shy girl wouldn't have to fight her way through the crowd in order to claim it. Minako laid out the rules. "Okay, so on 5, we open our envelopes and just look at the name. If it's one of us, then close your envelope and put it in your lap. Otherwise, pull it out and then we'll share."

Rei rolled her eyes. "What if it's someone nearby? We don't want to blow the surprise like that. I think we should take them to the shrine and open them there." Shrieks of laughter and giggles and silly blushes surrounded them and Rei's point was made.

"Fine," Minako conceded, "but same rules at the shrine then." Four heads hastily nodded in agreement as arms were eagerly shoved into heavy coats and scarves and gloves were donned.

Motoki watched them go, a bit disappointed about not getting to see their candid reactions, but content to watch one person in particular, who was holding his envelope with a mixture of disinterest and disgust on his face. He grinned widely. This would be fun.

Usagi had her envelope ripped open before Minako had counted to two and Rei gave her a disapproving glower. She shrugged helplessly and pinched the white sheet between her forefinger and thumb, bouncing until finally Minako intoned five. All five girls gave their sheets a pre-cursory glance, and four heads quickly snapped up, grinning at each other in relief that they hadn't gotten each other. Usagi's face, however, was pale, her eyes huge, her excitement vanished. She seemed frozen and unresponsive, so Makoto tugged the paper out of her hand and gaped at the neatly written name.

Chiba Mamoru.

Makoto's mouth hung open in shock. The excitement of the other girls' partners faded as Usagi's paper was passed to Minako, Ami and then, finally, Rei. Jealous sparks flared in her amethyst eyes for a moment, but then she focused on her friend. "Usa-chan?" she asked.

"Why him?" Usagi asked dully.

Rei wanted to offer a trade. The words burned on her tongue, begging for release. But instead, she found herself falling back on her miko personality. "Maybe it's a chance for you to repair your karma," she offered. "It is the end of the year, time for purification. By being a kind, thoughtful person to someone you don't like, you could atone for your unkindness to him throughout the year." Usagi looked ready to protest, but Rei anticipated her and held up a hand, "It doesn't matter what he's done to you. What matters is how you respond."

Minako nodded emphatically, "Yeah, Usagi-chan, and you could also bring some holiday cheer into his life. I mean, seriously, did you see how he looked today? He didn't seem to have one drop of Christmas spirit!"

Usagi mused on that. Her rival hadn't even seemed aware of his surroundings today. She'd expected some kind of mockery for her child-like enthusiasm at the arcade today, but he'd looked more like a man preparing for bad news. She pursed her lips thoughtfully and then reached out to take the paper from Rei. "Okay, then," she decided, her words slow, "I can do

Mamoru stared at the ominous envelope, tempted to toss it away and forget he'd agreed to participate. He didn't want to have to scrutinize their little list of favorite and least favorite items in order to come up with appropriate gifts. But the thought of receiving gifts from someone while leaving someone else disappointed and crushed was too cruel and he finally slid one long finger under the sealed flap. He felt like someone was watching him as he pulled the folded piece of paper out, but a quick glance around didn't reveal anyone. Still, he glowered at Motoki's bent head as he dutifully wiped the counter clean.

He flicked the paper open and his face tightened in irritation. The whole thing was filled out in bright pink ink, the characters formed childishly, the page decorated with goofy-looking rabbit heads. He didn't even need to read the name to know who his partner was. His eyes were cold as he struggled to keep the depth of his annoyance hidden. He knew immediately that Motoki was putting him up to this. One icy glare at his grinning friend confirmed that.

Motoki bounced over, untroubled by Mamoru's best death glare. "What's up?" he chirped.

"As if you didn't know," Mamoru commented dryly.

"Oh, come on, Mamoru-kun. She's a good kid and you've been dreadful to her all year."

"If you like her so much, you play her Santa," he snapped, tossing the paper at Motoki.

"Nope, you signed up for this. Not even you are a big enough Scrooge to disappoint Usagi."

Mamoru hated Motoki for stating what he'd been thinking moments earlier. He dropped his head in to the palm of a hand. "You are a nightmare, Motoki-kun." He yanked Usagi's form out of Motoki's outstretched hand, gathered up his books and stomped away, frustrated at being unable to escape his best friend's diabolical plots. Just when he'd thought Christmas couldn't possibly be worse.

"Don't forget, you have to drop the first present off under the tree on Monday!" Motoki sang out after Mamoru's retreating form.

Monday, 5 pm

The arcade was once again filled with excited regulars who had been gathering around the tree for the past hour. Motoki had decided to let Minako and Ami be in charge of distributing the presents. The first round was to be something relatively inexpensive and impersonal, more of an icebreaker gift. People were getting things like a new volume of their favorite manga, candy, or stationary goods.

Usagi was nervous about her gift for Mamoru. She had already purchased all three gifts, and she was afraid he wouldn't like any of them. But this one seemed to be the most significant one. She really cared whether he was pleased by her gift or not. She'd been very careful to keep any trace of her own personality away from the gift, eschewing cutesy wrapping paper for a more masculine striped paper of deep blue, dark black, and a green that evoked his favorite jacket. Minako had teased her about the blue representing Mamoru's beautiful blue eyes, but Usagi had stared at her as if she'd lost her mind until the evil spectre of Match Maker Minako faded from the girl's eyes. She still shuddered at the memory of Minako's reaction to a harmless pattern on some stupid wrapping paper. She watched Minako and Ami, wishing they would give Mamoru her present while there were still a lot of people waiting around and chattering, so she would have appropriate cover to spy on him.

Mamoru, on the other hand, hadn't even bothered to put Usagi's present under the tree. He'd just wordlessly tossed the gift, wrapped by the sales clerk in an obnoxiously feminine wrapping paper, at Motoki when he'd walked in. He'd bought it the day before, after spending time searching for things the blonde might like on the internet. He wasn't going to be caught dead wandering through stores looking for a present for a childish girl who decorated her paper with rabbits and hearts and could turn a simple questionnaire into an essay that had covered both sides of the paper. He had wanted to get in and get out in the absolute minimum of time, dignity intact. He was, however, mildly curious as to her reaction.

He was seated in the same booth, where he could watch her without being observed, once she'd gotten his gift, that is. Until then, he was content to study. He was so absorbed in his studies that when Ami silently placed his gift in front of him, blushing furiously, he was momentarily confused. By the time he had processed the event and opened his mouth to thank her, the young girl was gone. He felt bad about that. He played with the wrapping paper, relieved that it wasn't wrapped up in pink or purple with sparkly bows on top. The tag was filled out neatly in blue ink, the kanji for his name carefully written.

He glanced up to see if Usagi had received his present yet and found that she was looking at him, a strange look on her face. He sent her a questioning look and she shrugged in response, looking away. They did that sometimes, communicating without words, though in this case, he wasn't sure what she was telling him with that shrug. He supposed it was an apology of sorts. Maybe she was surprised he'd signed up for this. He brushed it aside and quickly ripped open the paper, curious now. A blank white box waited for him and he popped the top flap open quickly. Inside, he found a dark blue mug with a Staff of Asclepius painted upon it in gold. He was impressed by the selection since the symbol referred to medicine and healing. However, there was something tucked into the mug. Pulling it out, he found a small bag of a gourmet coffee. He smiled, pleased by the gift.

Usagi was thrilled with his reaction, but she was distracted by the arrival of her own gift. Shocking pink wrapping paper that was shot through with silver metallic bits were enough to make her smile, but the real fun was not in looking at the paper, but in tearing the gift open. She was gleeful as she pulled the paper away and found a bunny-covered pocket sized notebook with matching pen and pencil set. It was very cute and she was especially pleased with the zippered pen case that held the pen, pencil, and gum eraser. Her delighted smile pleased Mamoru and he suddenly felt more inclined to find her something special for Wednesday.

Wednesday, 5 pm

Motoki had teased Mamoru endlessly about his gifts, both at the pleasure Mamoru had found in his mug and coffee and at the mental image of Mamoru standing in front of a sales clerk presenting his pink and white bunny stationary set for purchase. It hadn't made Mamoru's shopping trip on Tuesday any less awkward, knowing that he was going to be mocked again at the overly girly item he'd purchased. He was also very curious about his Secret Santa and had been attempting to get the identity revealed to him from Motoki. He was pretty convinced that it was Ami, but Motoki's reaction to that deduction hadn't been reassuring.

He'd arrived at his usual time, tossing his package at Motoki with less irritation than on Monday and wincing when he saw Usagi blankly chewing on the plastic rabbit head that topped her pen. Some appreciation, he snarked internally. "What did that poor rabbit ever do to you, Odango?" he muttered in her direction as he passed by.

Usagi jerked the pen out of her mouth, horrified at her thoughtless destruction and glowering balefully at the back of her jacket. She wanted to shout something unkind at him, but the memory of her mission to brighten his Christmas mood stilled her tongue. Instead, she turned to watch Rei and Makoto passing out presents.

This time, Usagi got her present first. Inside the brightly decorated gift bag, she found a plush pink rabbit that opened up to reveal sparkly blue earrings and a matching pendant. Minako, peering over at them, squealed loudly, "Oooh, Usagi-chan, they match your eyes!"

Mamoru hid a smug, satisfied smile as the two blondes gushed over the inexpensive jewelry. They hadn't been what he'd been planning to get, but the moment he'd seen the blue stones, he'd been reminded of her eyes, which even he had to admit were a gorgeous shade of blue. Rei called his name and he watched her weave her way through the crowd to deliver his present.

It was rectangular and heavy and he wasn't sure what it was. He unwrapped it carefully and was surprised to find a clay planter, with premeasured soil and a certificate. On closer inspection, he discovered it to be a gift certificate for 2 rose bushes. He felt his chest tighten as he contemplated the gift. It was a thoughtful present, showing that the person had not only paid close attention to his questionnaire but also knew him. He decided he should show his appreciation for his mystery benefactor by putting his best effort into choosing Usagi's final present.

Friday, 5 pm

Usagi and Mamoru stood awkwardly next to the plastic tree, facing a sea of excited, expectant faces. They were both internally kicking themselves for not seeing Motoki's plot before now. They'd both been too happy to sit and watch. Motoki was currently announcing his special rule for this final exchange, "Okay, guys and gals, when you get your gift, just hold onto it. Inside you will find a note from your Secret Santa revealing their identity. In order to ensure everyone discovers their Santa at the same time, we will wait until I say 'Open!' to discover who your special friend was."

Usagi quickly got into swing of things and Mamoru decided he would just pull the gifts out and hand them to her, letting her take care of passing them out. When he found theirs, he tucked them aside until they'd reached the end. Finally, Usagi held his present and he held hers and they waited for Motoki's cue.

"Everybody got their present? Great!" He took a deep breath, drew out the suspense for a moment and then shouted, "Open!"

The arcade was filled with the sound of ripping paper as participants eagerly searched for the note revealing their personal 'Santa.' Mamoru and Usagi barely paid any attention to their gifts; they were nervously stealing glances at each other as they fumbled for the cards.

They opened their cards at the same time, skimming the contents hastily before glancing up with identically widened eyes and round mouths. The effect was quite comical to Motoki, who was keeping an extra close eye on them. "You!" they burst out, Usagi a beat behind, their forefingers extended out towards each other.

They both stared at each other for a bit longer than necessary, before Usagi's face flamed and she stared down at the gift box she hadn't even glanced at. Mamoru glanced away, scanning the crowd and noticing that there were several couples pairing up and Motoki was grinning like a maniac, clearly responsible. He suddenly didn't want the blonde menace watching them like that and he boldly placed a hand on Usagi's arm and towed her out of sight beside the tree.

Usagi was still fiddling with the unopened box, the gift inside less important than her mission to give Mamoru a reason to smile during the holiday season. "Merry Christmas, Mamoru-san," she chirped brightly, smiling up at him.

He smiled, then, a real smile that made his eyes sparkle. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight. "Thank you. I really appreciated the thoughtful gifts. Merry Christmas to you, too, Usagi-san."

"Thank you, too. I really like what you gave me." She heard her name being called by the girls and knew she was about to be dragged off. Impulsively bouncing up on her toes, she wrapped her arms around Mamoru's shoulders and hugged him.

To her surprise and relief, he hugged her back, gently, before setting her back on her feet before her friends arrived. As they greeted and then dismissed him, pulling Usagi away, she sent him another one of her mega-watt smiles. He couldn't help but smile back.

He looked down at his own as yet unopened box. It seemed more like a promise of things to come, rather than just a simple present. Life suddenly had a brighter sparkle for him. Usagi had given Christmas back to him. He waved jauntily at Motoki as he wove his way out of arcade and headed home, Usagi's final present still clutched tightly in his hand.