Incognito Chapter One

Day One:

My day starts out as per usual. Early to rise, no matter what hour a youma might keep me up. Last night it just so happens this occurred at three in the morning. Not the best way to sleep. My classes don't start until eight thirty—a good thirty minutes after the Junior High. I always tell myself I leave extra early just for the mere coffee I need to stay awake, but deep down I sometimes waiting for Usagi to just appear and bump into me in her haste. But today is different.

Today I loiter a few blocks south from the Junior High and wait for the blonde tornado to appear. I set up my post around seven thirty and hope nobody notices the high school student so far from their own campus twenty blocks away. As the minutes tickcloser to eight, I find myself comparing and contrasting the two blondes, but it makes my head spin. Sailor Moon must have a glamour, where, much like me, nobody finds out her identity. Not ten minutes before the bell rings, I ponder if she's even going to school. If my inkling is right, she'll probably want the sleep after such a late night. But and time goes on I hear the familiar sound of her running. My breath catches. I'm going to actually purposely be a road block.

As she draws nearer, I prepare my fake stride and step out just in time. Our bodies collide in a painful matter, but me being the only one prepared, I'm able to dig my heels down to stay planted on the ground. I catch her mid-fall around her waist and I feel it:

The tug of remembrance as I hold her in my arms. The warm smell of chocolate and strawberries. "Gomen, I wasn't looking," she apologizes without looking up. She unwraps my arms from her waist and begins to walk away—fast.

"Mondainai, Odango-Atama," I tease, stopping her dead in her tracks.

She whips her head around, royally pissed. I smile and she glares half-heartedly back, "I'm in too good of a mood to deal with you. Maybe tomorrow I won't be." She winks and turns to leave, "See ya, Mamoru-baka!" With the flick of her heel, she's gone.

Too good a mood? To bicker? With me? Call me conceited, but that's just not right. Then it hits me. Last night, I—as Tuxedo Mask—gave Sailor Moon a kiss on the cheek for working so hard so late at night. If my theory is right, Usagi is just as head-over-heels a Sailor Moon was last night. I smile to myself and saunter to my own school—pleased with myself.

. . .

My classes seem to slug by—each minute plagued with my lectures sounding too much like the teacher from the American 'Charlie Brown.' Every minute is slowed with my anticipation for the upcoming afternoon, to find why Usagi is so happy. To see if I'm right. All my thoughts buzz through my head like bees and none of the material is retained, which is a total pain in my ass for the exams coming up in the next few weeks. The moment the final bell of the day rings, I spring out of my seat, shove my notebook in my bag, and am out of the class within ten seconds.

In record time, I arrive at the Crown Fruit Parlor and Arcade. Before I stroll in, steading my breathing to ensure nobody noticed I practically ran here. I walk in, giving Motoki a little wave. As I saunter to the bar stool in front of the counter and I feel the eyes of some Junior High girls ogling me and I restrain myself from cringing. I hate the attention. As I scan the other stools, I notice one particular blonde typically with a chocolate milkshake is noticeably missing. Damn, she must've gotten detention. I feel a twinge of guilt knowing I am the cause.

As I sit down, Motoki slides a cup of coffee to me, "Yo, Mamoru. Anything interesting today?" I open my mouth to respond but am interrupted by the chime of the bells on the front door. He looks up from me and smiles, "Hey, Usagi! Looking pretty happy today, I see." I turn my head in awe. I spy the blonde girl skipping happily up to us. My assumptions of detention were obviously wrong. If they were, I wouldn't see her for another fifteen minutes. She sits down at the stool next to my own and gives Motoki a warm smile.

"Kon'nichiwa, Onee-san!" She sneaks a glance at me. "Kon'nichiwa to you too, Mamoru-baka." I nod in acknowledgement and she turns back to the man in the apron, her legs swinging happily. "One chocolate milkshake, with extra chocolate, please." She giggles happily as Motoki nods and heads toward the kitchen.

When he disappears into the back, I turn to Usagi with an eyebrow arched. "Why are you so happy, Odango?" I taunt her. I know the reason, I'm sure of it.

I watch in amusement as her face contorts in contemplation. When she decides I'm good enough to tell she turns to me and leans over. She almost falls into my lap, but she steadies herself at the last moment. I stiffen as I try to ignore her warm breath in my ear and the sad urge to wrap my arms around the bubbly blonde. "A boy kissed me last night," she whispers before pulling away. Bingo.

Bingo. "Damn," I mutter under my breath. I know I could just straight up ask her about it, but opt for the more fun approach. I wait for her reaction. I know she heard me. Just because I want to know if they are one and the same person—but it doesn't mean I want it to actually be true.

Usagi picks up my mock disbelief almost instantly and pouts. "You don't think a boy would kiss me, do you, baka?" She crosses her arms, waiting for my response. I take the bait.

I put up my hands as a symbol of surrendering. "You've got me, Odango-Atama. I have no idea, whatsoever, what kind of 'boy' would ever have half of a brain you kiss you of all klutzes," I tease with a smile.

Anger flares throughout her bright blue eyes. "Rokudenashi!" She yells before standing up and storming out of the arcade. Rokudenashi? Where had she learned that kind of language?

Motoki, who obviously witnessed almost the whole thing with her chocolate milkshake in his hand, tsks at the scene and gives me a knowing look. "You really screwed things up this time, Chiba."

Turning back to the counter, I stare into my coffee, swirling it in its cup. "I know." Maybe I've screwed my whole plan up. How would she react if the one man she's fallen for is also the one man she hates.

My friend stashes the shake under the counter, sighing both at me and at the waste of money I caused. "Why do you have to tease her so much?" Her question is simple but my response is far from.

Shifting uncomfortably, I shrug and remain silent. I don't even know how to explain it. She's always so cute when she's angry and for some odd reason, I can't help but smile at her reaction. Her eyes sparkle a little bit when she's angry and her cheeks flush—the effect is beautiful. Not the she's beautiful to me…okay, she is. But it's scandal considering her fourteen years and my own seventeen.

I feel a nudge from Motoki and I shake off my thoughts. "What?" I ask, still a bit dazed.

"You like her, don't you?" he repeats, his green eyes sparkling with curiosity.

My cheeks flush and I scratch the back of my neck. "N-No, it's not like that!" I argue with no avail. It can't be like that, can it?

Motoki chuckles, "Then why are you blushing?" I can't answer and look back down at my now empty coffee cup. Funny, I don't remember drinking it. "I'd recommend you apologize to Usagi before she decides to hate you for the rest of her life."

I give him a doubtful look, "Would she really do that?"

He shrugs, "You never know with Usagi." He's right.

Standing up, I toss a few bills on the counter. "Thanks, Motoki." I'm halfway to the door when his voice rings out again.

"Anything for love!"

. . .

Not one minute after I exit the arcade, a pain in my chest causes me to double over. Not now. Sailor Moon is in trouble. I know that's good for my theory, but not good with getting back on Usagi's somewhat-good-side. My feet start pulling me to the park. Why is it always the damn park?

. . .

A/N: Heh, next chapter will be a Sailor Moon/Tuxedo Mask chapter. Sorry to leave you hanging…but I had this lingering in my brain at three in the morning. FYI, 'Rokudenashi' means 'asshole' in Japanese. Not my typical colorful language. I'm sorry. PLEASE REVIEW!