(Sidnei@aol.com)


Yo all!! ^_^

Well, on Valentine's Day '99, I posted part one of this story up on 
ASMR,
hoping to finish it before the end of the month. Unfortunately, that 
didn't
happen. *major sweatdrop* So, since it's been a little more than a 
year, I
decided I had to put this fic to rest. ^_^ I converted this once 
two-part
story to a one-shot.


For the Moment
PG

~*~*~*~*~*~

By Sidnei



Tsukino Usagi looked out at the park before her, the sun's warm rays 
gently
caressing her delicate face. She was dressed casually for the current
weather, wearing a pair of blue Jean shorts that showed off the 
well-tanned
length of her slim legs. Her upper half was clad in a soft white halter 
top
that did not hide her slender, golden arms. Her long blonde hair 
cascaded
down her bare back, ending only centimeters below her waist. It was 
spring;
the birds were chirping and the flowers were blooming. The leaves were 
so
beautiful at this time of year, their dull brown color having turned 
into a
lovely forest green. It was just the time for love. Couples were 
content just
to be together, enjoying each other's company.

But that was not for Usagi. She looked longingly at the loving couples
walking hand in hand down the street. 'Why can't I be that happy?' she
asked herself, heaving a melancholy sigh. Usagi was single -- single 
and
definitely not enjoying it. 'How long has it been since I went out on a
date?' she wondered. Her brow furrowed at the realization that it had 
been
two months at the very least. To her, it seemed that everyone had 
someone
to love. Even her best friend, Minako, had a total hottie. 
Unfortunately, her
best friend's boyfriend also came equipped with his best friend.

Usagi scowled at the thought of Chiba Mamoru. She had known Mamoru 
since
elementary school, and he STILL annoyed her. He always knew how to push 
just
the right buttons. No one else could make her as angry as Mamoru could. 
She
thought back to when they had been 8. He had somehow gotten the idea 
that it
would be funny to put a worm in her sandwich. When it had been time for
lunch, she had reached into her lunch bag and pulled out her usual 
turkey on
rye. Usagi had been too busy chatting with Minako to notice the worm
slithering through the turkey. Finally taking the time to concentrate 
on her
lunch, other than talking about Barbies, she had opened her mouth and
prepared to bite into her sandwich. A scream had erupted from her 
throat as
the dirty earthworm somehow made its way to the top of the bread. She 
had
dropped her sandwich and ran straight to the nearest adult, knocking 
down
everyone in her path. After being sufficiently pacified by a teacher, 
Usagi
had returned to the cafeteria table to sit with her classmates. As she 
had
sat down, she heard snickers coming from Mamoru. Usagi had been 
enraged. She
had glared at him while he burst into mocking laughter.

She never knew exactly HOW he managed to get it in there, but she still 
held
that grudge against him. Of course, his being able to play nasty jokes 
had
not stopped Usagi from getting her revenge. No one had thought that 
sweet,
little Usagi could ever be capable of being vindictive.

As they had all been in the same class, everyone had gym period 
together.
They were children after all. It had been basketball week for them, and 
no 
one had hated basketball as much as Mamoru. "It's boring and 
pointless," he
had complained. The real reason he couldn't stand it was because he 
couldn't
play! Oh sure, he *tried* to cover it up with loads of tough guy talk, 
but
Usagi knew better, loving the game herself.

It had been a Tuesday, the usual day for gym. The teams had been 
picked, and
the positions had been assigned. Usagi had been the best player in the
class, so she was one of the captains. It was the jump off and Usagi's 
team
had gotten the upper hand. She had been dribbling the ball down center 
court,
dodging the other team's defense. Mamoru had been one of them. Seeing 
him
near the basket, she had thrown the ball as hard as she could, 
intending to
miss the basket completely. And miss she had, with a vengeance! The 
ball had
made its way towards Mamoru's scared face, and had flown smack into his
right eye. Everything had been quiet as the ball had bounced off his 
eye
onto the floor. Muffled hoots could be heard from some of the students.
Soon, it had spread like a disease and everyone had been laughing. That
time, it had been Mamoru's turn to run out. From then on, they had 
become
sworn enemies.

They had parted ways at junior high, much to her relief. But still, 
that had
not done much good. They often bumped into each other on the streets, 
and it
had not been the tricks he played that had caused her temper to flare 
up so
much.

The *name-calling*.

She had worn her long hair in two buns and pigtails at that time, and 
he had
forever been calling her 'Odango Atama' because of that. At last, 
frustrated
to the point of tears, she had chopped her long tresses off, and had 
refused
to let her hair grow long for a while. Even now, she could still 
remember
the shocked expression on his face when he had first seen her 'new' 
style --
he had actually looked rather apologetic, and had even opened his mouth 
to
say something, but she had not given him any chance to do so. As she 
swept
past him, she had still felt his gaze on her, and in that moment, she 
had
felt a little spark of triumph, that she had actually managed to make 
him
feel sorry. 

Later, she had left her hair to grow long again, but she had never done 
it
up in that particular style.

Yet, here they were. Seniors in high school, and, unfortunately, 
sharing
EVERY class. Wasn't it bad enough that their best friends had gotten
together? Destiny seemed to be conspiring against them.

Usagi's thoughts were broken off at this point by an annoying snicker,
coming from somebody sitting beside her on the bench. She turned and 
glared
at the person. It was Mamoru. Of all people! He had obviously come to 
ruin
her day. 'God, what did I *do* to deserve this...'

"What are *YOU* doing here?" she demanded, not bothering to hide the
hostility in her voice.

"It's a free country," was his smug retort. "I can sit here if I want 
to."

"Then be my guest," Usagi said smoothly, standing up, "but don't expect 
me
to stay." With that parting shot, she promptly walked away. She 
wandered
towards some trees, wanting to avoid Mamoru. She looked back to where 
she
had sat a few minutes ago and noticed that he was gone. With a 
satisfied
smile, she began to make her way back to the bench when suddenly, 
someone
grabbed her from behind, wrapping their arms around her thin waist.

"Gotcha!!"

She yelped in shock, but reacted swiftly. With a sharp jab of her 
elbow, she
quickly freed herself, and a few well-placed kicks had her impromptu 
attacker
on the ground, groaning.

Usagi looked at Mamoru's prone body in disgust, shaking her head.

"You are one *sick* guy, Chiba. What were you trying to do?"

Mamoru's only response was to sit up, gingerly touching his arms to 
check for
bruises. She rolled her blue eyes and sighed, shaking her head again.

"Men are such wimps. It wasn't like I flipped you over and slammed you 
onto
the ground or anything, and you already look as if a tornado had hit 
you or
something!"

He decided to ignore that statement. "I see you've been keeping up your
karate."

"With morons -- like YOU for example -- taking pleasure in shocking 
innocent
people everywhere in Tokyo, I don't exactly have a choice, y'know," she 
said,
sarcasm coloring her words. "Now, one last time, Chiba. What did you do 
that
for?"

She glared at him dangerously with shining cerulean eyes. He shrugged 
and
nonchalantly replied, "I wanted to."

Usagi frowned. 'Is he for *real*?' she wondered in exasperation. "Then 
I'd
advise you to check into the nearest clinic, Mamoru...there has to be
something seriously wrong with your brain." Abruptly spinning on her 
heel,
she started to walk away. The peace and beauty of the park had long 
been
ruined for her.

Gazing after her receding figure, Mamoru reflected that some things had
never changed with time. It was clear that Usagi had not forgotten, 
much
less forgiven their childhood enmity, and it was equally clear that he 
was
still nothing more than a jerk in her eyes.

He stuffed his hands in his pockets and began to follow Usagi.


~*~*~*~*~*~


Usagi aimlessly strolled down the sidewalk, trying to forget her 
encounter
with Mamoru. Why did he have to annoy her all the time? Was she wearing 
a
sign that seemed to attract jerks? No matter how good a mood Usagi 
could be
in, as soon as Mamoru showed up, it would instantly sour.

She was so deep in thought that she didn't notice her surroundings 
change
from a dirt path lined with green trees, to a cemented road crowded 
with
people. Faint shouts and shrieks of laughter reached her ears and she 
looked
ahead of her. She saw a huge Ferris wheel rising into the air and 
children
running around with balloons tied to their wrists.

Usagi was fascinated by the huge carnival before her. As she drew 
nearer to
the entrance, a big red splotch suddenly filled her vision. She backed 
up
slowly and stared, slightly startled. A large red nose and painted face 
smiled goofily back at her. It was a clown. In his hands he held a big 
group
of multicolored balloons of all shapes and sizes. He took a hold of one
string and pulled it out, careful not to let any of the other balloons 
escape
from the rest.

"Would you like a balloon, little girl?"

"Um... no thank you. Why don't you give it to a small child who would 
enjoy
it?" She turned around hastily to run away. She had never really liked
clowns, even when she was young.

"Ack!" Usagi's foot caught on the crack in the pavement and her body 
soon
began tumbling to the ground. She instinctively threw her arms outward 
and
braced herself for impact, but instead of slamming into asphalt, she 
felt
something warm and soft break her fall.

"Have a nice trip, Odango?"

Usagi's head shot up. 'Not AGAIN! God, save me, I *must* have sinned in 
my
past life!' She shot an angry glare at the man who had just saved her 
from
scrapes and bruises. She quickly pushed herself out of his arms and 
stood
stiffly, an annoyed look plastered on her delicate face as she crossed 
her
arms in front of her chest.

"What do you WANT? Is this a new game you thought up in your twisted 
mind?
Trying to give me heart attacks by following me AND showing up when I 
least
expect it?" she scowled. Her sky-blue eyes flashed daggers at him. One 
could
almost see the lightning crackle above her head.

"Sure, if you wanna think that, go ahead." A smirk tugged at the corner 
of
his lips.

Turning on her heals, Usagi stormed towards the carnival, Mamoru 
following a
few paces behind. She turned back to glare at him.

"*Why,* pray tell, are you still following me?!"

"I'm just going to the carnival! Same as you! Sheesh!" Mamoru answered 
back,
heatedly. What was her problem, anyway? "Women..." he muttered under 
his
breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

"No, I distinctly heard you say something. What was it?" Usagi 
demanded.

"It was nothing."

She sighed, deciding that it was best to give up on the argument. 
"You're 
such an annoying jerk, Mamoru. You have no respect for women! You go 
around,
thinking that all of the female population should bow down and kiss 
your
feet, and yet you turn around, and back-stab the next girl that crosses 
your
path."

"Hey, *hey*! I'm a good guy! I'd never treat a girl like that!"

"Tell that to someone who *hasn't* known you practically your whole 
life,"
Usagi growled. "Everyone knows it was you who put that disgusting worm 
in
my sandwich."

"Usagi, that was YEARS ago! I was a kid!"

"A mean one!"

"Well *YOU'RE* the one who threw that basketball in my face!"

"Did ya think I'd let you get away with poisoning my food? I took my 
revenge,
buddy!" she spat back, pointing a slender finger in his face. He backed 
away
slightly. In his stupor, Usagi stuck her nose in the air and began to 
walk
away, indignantly.

Mamoru watched as Usagi pushed her way through the thick crowd of 
people
entering the Carnival. He smiled slightly. Her hot temper hadn't 
changed 
after all these years. She could still manage to pick a fight with him, 
like
no one's business. Following an impulse, Mamoru decided to go into the 
carnival himself, thinking how fun it might be. He hadn't been to one 
since
he was a child.


~*~*~*~*~*~


Usagi looked hungrily at the large mass of thin pink cotton candy that 
was
held on a stick by the vendor. Her eyes sparkled childishly and her 
mouth 
watered at the sight of her favorite carnival food. She hadn't had 
cotton 
candy since she was a child! If only she had remembered her money.

'Yum... sweet... candy...'

"Oi, Odango, stop drooling over the cotton candy! You're gonna drive
away the guy's customers!"

Usagi turned around abruptly to see Mamoru grinning at her. "Oooh! Shut 
up,
lame brain! I was not drooling!" Her face turned a light pink as the 
vendor
eyed the two curiously. He stood behind his stand expectantly. He 
wished the
young woman would just buy the candy, instead of looking at it 
sorrowfully.

Mamoru walked up to the man and handed him some money. The vendor 
thanked him
and handed Mamoru two big fluffs of pink cotton candy on a cone shaped 
paper 
before turning his attention to another costumer.

"Here you go." Mamoru held out one of the cones to Usagi, who eyed the 
cotton candy suspiciously. Sensing her hesitation, Mamoru frowned and 
assured
her that there was nothing wrong with it. Usagi accepted the offered
candy and began digging into it. Mamoru smiled returned as he watched 
his
long time enemy childishly eating her food with vigor.

Usagi felt a pair of eyes on her. She looked away from her candy and 
saw 
Mamoru's deep blue eyes gazing at her. She felt uncomfortable. Why was 
he
staring at her like that? Usagi straightened up and brushed off any 
stray
cotton that might had escaped from her mouth or the stick and fallen 
onto her
shirt. She cleared her throat, hoping that would make Mamoru realize 
what he
was doing. It worked.

"Umm... So..."

"So..."

"You have some cotton candy in your hair, Usagi."

"What?"

"Cotton candy in your hair. Here, Lemme get it out for you." Mamoru 
stepped
up to Usagi so he stood in front of her. He lifted a large hand to 
Usagi's
hair and began to pick out the light pink cotton from her hair. It was 
a bit
tough, since the candy seemed to want to stay where it was.

Usagi's heart was racing at Mamoru's closeness. For some reason it 
began to
affect her in a way it never had before. Maybe it was how gentle he was 
being
with her, or it was the soft touch of his hand against her forehead. 
She knew
it was something. Usagi held her breath, careful not to let Mamoru 
notice a
slight blush that made it's way to her cheeks.

"There you go."

Mamoru was relieved. He didn't know how much longer he could have taken 
of 
being so close to Usagi. As soon as he neared her, his senses were
overwhelmed with her sweet perfume. His hands unknowing caressed her 
silky
hair, and he wondered what it would be like if it had been up in the
"meatballs" he had constantly teased Usagi about. He was relieved that 
she
was shorter than he, or for sure she would have noticed a rosy color 
appear
on his face.

"So, do you want to walk around?"

"Um, sure. Why not."

They both walked away, the tension fading as they began to talk about 
the old
days. Soon enough, and argument had arisen.


~*~*~*~*~*~


"Now, which couple would like to be next?" a man questioned the 
audience.
He was in a penguin-like tuxedo suit with long coat tails and a top hat 
to
match. His gray-blue eyes searched the crowd for the perfect pair. His 
ears
caught the squabbling of a young man and woman walking unknowingly 
towards
his booth and a mischievous smile came to his lips. They were perfect.

"That's not true, you jerk! I never did anything of the-"

"Excuse me," a voice cut off Usagi. "Would you both like to participate 
in
a game?"

Stunned, they stared incredulously at the short, little man who had 
just 
interrupted their argument.

"You both already act like a married couple, why not have a wedding for 
fun?"

The penguin-man took a hold of both their arms and steered them toward 
the 
front of his booth. He released them and turned to a small table that 
stood
off to the side. He picked up a bouquet of freshly arranged flowers and
handed them to Usagi, who took them numbly. Then, he clipped a bow-tie
crookedly onto the front of Mamoru's shirt before picking up a small,
leather-bound book.

His assistant, a small girl, handed out pouches of confetti to the 
gathering
audience. She returned to the penguin-man's side, and picked up a 
velvet
box from the table where two small, heart-shaped cupcakes sat.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today, to witness the joining of 
these
two young people," the man began. Usagi and Mamoru continued to stare 
at him
wordlessly, the implications not registering in their confusion crowded 
mind.
"Do you, young man, take this woman to be your wife?"

"..."

"I'll take that as a yes. Do you, young lady, take this man to be your
husband?"

"..."

"I guess that's a yes as well. I here by pronounce you husband and 
wife." 

The audience cheered and threw confetti and glitter into the air. The 
glitter
sparkled in the sun and landed in Usagi's hair, which was still 
slightly
sticky from the pink cotton candy. Mamoru awoke from his stupor, 
suddenly 
aware of his surroundings and of what had just happened.

"Don't forget to kiss your bride, man!" Someone shouted from the crowd. 

Mamoru's face turned a cherry red, as did Usagi's. They glanced shyly 
at 
each other, too embarrassed to actually speak. Mamoru's palms began to 
sweat
when the little girl who had been the penguin-man's assistant, handed 
him a
box. He opened it slowly, fearing what was inside and let out a slight 
gasp.
Usagi, sensing his surprise, gently took the box from his hand. Inside 
were
two golden rings resting on a pouch. Usagi's face turned pale as she 
plucked
the slender ring from it's place, and observed it between her two 
fingers.

"Well, well, well. Who do we have here?"

Usagi and Mamoru whirled around to find a smirking Motoki and a 
giggling
Minako. Their faces, if at all possible, got even redder.

"They've finally did it, Motoki!" Minako squealed. "They got married!" 
She 
bounced over to Usagi with a big grin on her face, and grabbed her 
hands.
"I knew it would be just a matter of time before you two confessed your 
feelings for each other!"

"Way to go, man!" Motoki slapped Mamoru on the back, who was unprepared 
for 
the congratulations and stumbled forward. He glared at his best friend, 
not
knowing if he should kill him, or ask for his help to run and hide.

"So," Motoki slyly said, "where's the honeymoon going to be?"


~*~*~*~*~*~


Night silently fell over the city of Tokyo. The last rays of the 
setting sun
disappeared from its purple-pink blanketed sky behind the horizon. 
Bright
stars peeked through the now deep, blue sky as the moon cast its soft 
glow 
over the people below.

Mamoru and Usagi were seated at the wooden bench where they had been 
only a 
few hours ago. A comfortable silence hung in the crisp night air. They 
were
exhausted and decided they needed to catch their breath.

After Minako and Motoki had caught their wedding ceremony, they 
wouldn't stop
teasing the "newly weds." The foursome decided to stay at the carnival, 
wanting a taste of their childhood days. They rode all the rides in the 
park,
and Usagi and Mamoru often ended sitting together. They played the 
games at
the booth, which cost Motoki quite a bit of money as he tried to win a 
large
stuffed bear for his girlfriend. The constant arguing of Usagi and 
Mamoru
about where to head to next had begun to take it's toll on Minako and 
Motoki, 
for they left them as soon as the sun began to set.

"So, Odango, did you have fun?" Mamoru asked. A small spark of hope
ignited in his heart, praying that she would say yes.

"Yeah, I guess I did," Usagi replied, ignoring the hated name. It was 
weird.
Even though she couldn't stand Mamoru, she had the best time with him 
that
afternoon. All the rides, the cotton candy, the... marriage, it was 
like they
were actually friends, rather than foes. The most confusing thing was 
that 
she was actually starting to LIKE him. 

Mamoru glanced at Usagi from the corner of his eyes. He gasped 
inwardly. 
There was only one word to describe her; gorgeous. Her sooty lashes 
brushed
over rosy cheeks. He longed to run his fingers over her soft face. Her 
lips
were a dusty shade of pink, slightly puffed, begging to be kissed. How 
could
he not have noticed her radiating beauty before? 

Usagi felt an intense gaze on her and she turned slowly, coming face to
face with Mamoru.

"Is there something about me that is so incredibly interesting that you 
have 
to keep *staring* at me, Mamoru?" she asked impatiently. "If there is, 
then
would you please be so kind as to fill me in on *what* it is?"

Mamoru grimaced at Usagi's sudden change in attitude. "What's your 
problem,
Usagi? One minute you're all nice, saying you had a good time, and
the next, you're snapping at me, viciously."

"... I... well..." She looked down, ashamed. Had she been too cruel to 
him?
It was confusing. He used to tease her so much back in elementary 
school, but
now, well, now he seemed ... different.

Mamoru gazed at Usagi, his frown turned into a small smile playing on 
his
lips. She looked up at him, startled to see love and adoration in his 
deep,
blue eyes. She shivered, though it wasn't from the cold, and closed her 
eyes
as she breathed in his cologne.

He cupped Usagi's face in his hands and lowered his lips to her face. 
He
gently kissed her forehead, then her cheeks. His mouth lingered right 
above
her lips, hesitantly. He could feel her warm breath upon his face. Ever 
so
slowly, he brushed his lips against hers lightly. For him, it was a 
sweet
taste of heaven.

Usagi was stunned. This was Mamoru. The jerk from first grade! The one 
who
teased her mercilessly about her hair style, and yet, at the same time, 
made
her heart pound in her chest every time he smiled. Her first instinct 
was to
pull away, but his intoxicating kiss clouded her mind. She wound her 
fingers
through his thick, black hair and kissed him back fervently.

It was like a fantasy, something that she had only dreamt about, and 
now it
was coming true.  A few hours ago, Usagi had been complaining about not
having someone to love, and now, there she was, kissing the man of her
dreams. Who would have thought that it would be Mamoru, of all people.

The kiss lingered for more than a few minutes, both carried away by the
intensity of it, but soon, reality drove them back with amazing force. 
The
realization of WHO they were kissing dawned on them and they pushed 
away
from each other roughly, their heavy breathing painfully obvious in the
silence. Mamoru avoided Usagi's startled face and kept his gaze on the
carnival behind her. He knew if he looked into her bright, blue eyes, 
he
would lose control again. Oh, how he longed to gather her in his arms 
again,
feel her body close to him, smell her sweet, delicate perfume. But that
couldn't happen. It just wasn't the way it was supposed to be. Then why 
did
it feel so right?

"Oh my God... Usagi... I..."

Tears stung Usagi's eyes, threatening to spill over her cheeks which
flushed from embarrassment. She averted her gaze to the moon and made 
no
attempt to speak, still stunned at the fact she was kissing her mortal
enemy. Or at least, that's what he used to be... She was so confused 
now.
How could her feelings change from hate to love in such a short time? A
day. It had only taken one day. Although she considered herself a 
hopeless
romantic--believing in love at first sight, and all that mushy 
stuff--she
still had trouble thinking about it happening to her, with Mamoru, of 
all
people. 

"Um..."

Mamoru's deep voice broke her train of thought, and she looked back to 
him,
catching his eyes in an intense stare. Neither tried, nor wanted to 
break
it. Seconds turned to minutes...

"Well.. I guess I better be getting home. Don't wanna worry my 
parents,"
Usagi said, trying to keep her voice light.

"Yeah, we couldn't have you grounded now, could we?"

Usagi smiled shakily and began to turn away from Mamoru, but stopped as
she felt his hand grasp her wrist. She turned toward him and raised her
blue eyes to meet his. Mamoru brought his free hand to rest on her 
cheek,
stroking it softly, gently. He lowered his head slowly, and time seemed 
to
stand still for Usagi as she closed her eyes. She could feel his warm
breath on her lips before he brushed his lips over hers lightly.

When Usagi opened her eyes, Mamoru's face was all she could focus on. 
Her
legs felt shaky, and she hoped that she wouldn't do anything 
embarrassing
to ruin the moment. She slipped her hand out of his grasp, and gave him 
a
radiant smile which outshined the moon. He waved to her as she began
walking away, and he grinned to himself.

He knew, that for that moment, they were not enemies; they were two 
people,
in love. And though he had always been skeptical about romance, Mamoru 
was
sure that Usagi was the one who could make him see the light; make him
enjoy the magic of love.

Things were going to change.


The End...^_^


***  So what do you all think? I didn't really like how I wrote the 
ending,
but someday I'll go back and redo it. Mou, this is the first thing I've
really written in months! Dare I say years! Gomen if there were any
mistakes!

The game -- the marriage game -- is for real! I once saw it played at a 
fiesta that my old church was having, and I thought it would be a great
pickle for Usagi and Mamoru to be in! Of course, I slightly modified 
the
ceremony to fit my story.... ^_^

I would like to thank all the people who still tell me to write! ^_^ 
You
guys are "da bomb"! ^_~ Arigatou to Akane-chan, Ely-chan, 
Starlite-chan,
and Ropa-chan for being so supportive!! ^_^ And to Mei Ying, who I hope
gets the chance to read this, and hear me say for her to keep writing 
her
fanfic!! And definitely to Lilac-chan, who *must* write finish chapter
12 of "First Truths" or I will carry out my threat about the e-mails! 
^_~
Ja ne!

- Sidnei ^_^
  #1 Fan of the Boy Band, "2gether"!!! ^_~
  President of the "Chad Linus is So Hot" Fan Club (CLSH) ^_~
  http://akane.dreamcatcher.cx/sidnei.html (My web page!!)

(Disclaimer: Sailor Moon does not belong to me. It belongs to Naoko 
Takeuchi,
DIC Entertainment, Toei Animation, and others who I don't know about, 
so
please don't sue me, cause I don't have that much. =/ BYE!)