Title: Locker Love Chapter 6
Author: Azn Angel
Email: sakura_angel@excite.com
Rated: PG

Hey, minna! I'm here with yet another chapter of my fic! *waves pom poms*
YAY! *applause is heard*

*giggle* I paid these people to clap. All they know is that all they're
getting is Monopoly money.

*silence*

Er, um, heh, just kidding?

*applause*

*shakes head* These people will believe anything... -_-;

Anyway, I got an email from Skye (Arigato, Skye!) about Mamoru knowing 
he's Tuxedo Kamen. I forgot to mention that he DOES know he is Tuxedo Kamen.
Heh heh, gomen, minna. ^_^;

Also, I thank EVERYONE who's emailed me about my fic! *smile* So many 
comments... (and a couple more threats *smile*) Please keep emailing me! My 
rule, as usual, applies. Thankies again!

Oh, and if you're reading this, Moonlove640@aol.com, you sent me an email,
and I replied, but it was sent back to me. I tried again and again, since
I said that I would answer EVERY email sent to me, but it kept on sending 
it back to me. *sigh* Gomen nasai. I don't know what's happening, but I'm
VERY sorry. (It's a conspiracy, I tell you!)

OK, I think that's it. On with the story! *applause is heard again* -_-;

Disclaimer: I. Don't. Own. Sailor. Moon. Period. Now stop botherin' me!
(*whines* Mamo-chan... where are you?!)
~*~*~*~*

As I neared the meeting spot, I saw Mamoru talking to someone up ahead.
When I was close enough, I saw he was very close to whoever he was speaking
with. I suddenly braked.

He was leaning against the tree. The person was leaning against him.

The person was Anikema.

I choked. What was SHE doing with him? 

More importantly, why did my insides hurt and my stomach flip? Why did it
feel like I had lost a best friend? (AN: Or a soulmate...) Why did I suddenly
want to drop to the ground and sob until my eyes were dry as a desert? 

I choked, and closed my eyes. Oh Kami, help. I snapped my eyes open, aware
that Mamoru and Anikema might spot me. I quickly dodged behind a tree, and
plopped down. Tears blurred my vision. I rubbed them away harshly. Why should
I care what Mamoru is doing? It's not like I have a crush on him or anything.

I squeezed my eyes tightly. I felt very dizzy, and my eyelids felt heavy.
Kami, I did NOT feel well.

As I sat for a few moments, a few thoughts going through my head. 'Why is
Anikema with him?' 'I thought Mamoru might have liked me.' 'He flirted with
me today, and got me all fluttery inside for nothing.' 

I shook my head furiously. Iie! I was NOT going to cry over that baka! I 
don't even LIKE him! He's such a jerk!

I kept still for a minute, and finally got up. I needed to meet Mamoru, for
I did not want to fail my first project. I peeked from around the tree, and 
saw that Anikema was leaving, tossing a wave to Mamoru over her shoulder. She
bounced away. (Literally!)

I wiped my eyes, drew in a deep breath, and walked out of my sanctuary. I 
tired to smile, but it was difficult. So, I just walked up to Mamoru.

He was crouched down, his head facing the ground. His face met mine when he
heard me walking to him. He immediately gave me a lopsided grin. "Konnichiwa,
Usa."

I glared at him the best I could. "Don't call me that!" I said, throwing him
a (genuine) glare.

"Aww, but I think it's cute." He said, with his evil smile. (The smile, the
smile, I HATE the smile! <AN: Sound familiar, minna?>)

"Precisely." I said matter-of-factly. He laughed, then put his arm around my
shoulder. He began walking in the direction of his apartments. I followed,
trapped by his arm, which became uncomfortable to me. I shrugged it off. He
slid his hands into his pockets.

"So, Usa, how was school?" he asked conversationally.

I wrinkled my nose. "I hate school. Well, except for Science class and P.E.
In Science today, we started Astronomy. And in P.E. we just began Fencing."

"Fencing?" Mamoru asked, surprised. "Not very ladylike."

"So? I-" I suddenly stopped. Is it me, or is this conversation familiar...?
Like from maybe my dream...?

I hastily changed the subject. "Well, what does your apartment look like?"

He gave me a surprised look that said, "Wha?". He answered anyway. "Uh, well,
not much. Clean, white, empty, and, um, clean."

I rolled my eyes. "Well, very vibrant description, Mamoru. It paints a pretty
little picture in my head." I said sarcastically. "I can see it already."

"Ah, you'll see it when you get there." Mamoru said with a slight wave of his
hand. I nodded. 

We walked on in silence. I was busy with my thoughts. The image of Anikema 
and Mamoru together was super glued to my mind. (AN: *holds up super glue
gun and grins evilly*) I snuck a glance at him. 

My breath caught in my throat. A few locks of hair had fallen in his eyes, 
giving him a sweet, almost soft look. The sun reflected in his deep, dark
blue eyes, flecks of silver flashing brightly as he took every step. 'He
is such a HUNK!' I thought, then blushed.

"We're here." he said suddenly. I shook my head to clear my thought, and 
looked at the massive white building. "C'mon, I live on the 10th floor."
He said, pulling me into the fancy looking lobby. (Vases, Oriental carpets,
the works!) He directed me to the elevator (a shiny smooth gold, I might add)
and pushed the "10" button. He turned back to me and grinned. 

"You shall soon see one of the Eight Wonders of the World." he said in a deep 
voice.

"I thought there were only Seven Wonders of the World." I said with a small 
smile.

"There was, but my humble home is a wonder also." I laughed.

Ding! The doors slid open, and Mamoru took my hand and stepped out. I was
suddenly overloaded with that damn image at the tree, and took my hand away.
Why couldn't I just forget it? What was wrong with me?

He stopped in front of #1339, and popped a key in. The door opened, and I 
entered the "Eighth Wonder of the World".

I stared around, my jaw slightly open. "Whoa... you really meant it when you
said it was clean, white and EMPTY." The room was, well, clean, white, and 
empty... Well, it's the only way to explain it! OK, OK, um, clean. Completely 
spotless. I looked about the room, slipping off my shoes and fitting my feet
into a pair of house slippers. Even his desk was neat! White, VERY white. No
wallpaper or anything. It was just... blank. Geez, with a guy like Mamoru, 
I'd expect at least a sports poster or a picture of Einstein or something.
Empty at first glance. Now, it looked pretty full. Black leather coach, a
nice stereo, a nice TV, a nice VCR, a nice coffee table. It looked really
nice, OK? But... no pictures of family, friends... Oh, wait, there's one on
his coffee table. I picked it up. It was a picture of him and a blonde guy.
(Who was pretty cute.)

"Who's this?" I asked. 

Mamoru looked over from the kitchen. When did he get there? "Oh, that. It's
my friend, Furuhatu Motoki."

My eyebrows raised. So THIS was the guy Minako had a huge crush on, eh? Well,
he IS hot, got to admit that.

But, still, no family pictures. Nothing.

"So, when's your parents coming home?" I questioned.

His face tightened, and he turned away. He said in a low voice, "They're not
coming home."

"...Oh," I said quietly. "I'm... sorry." 'How sad.'

He started to talk. "We were coming back from a family picnic, when we had 
crashed into a railing against the road, and fell off into the ocean. I was
later told that my parents had died, and my name was Chiba Mamoru. I had 
amnesia, so I didn't remember my parents at all. I had no known family,
so I was sent to an orphanage. I had no friends there, for all the children
had their own group of friends. None of them would ever play with me or sit
with me at meals or even say hello."

I made a little sound, then said in a very soft voice. "Oh, Mamoru..."

He turned back around to look at me with sad eyes. "It's nothing. It's in 
the past, we can't do anything about it." 

I was aghast. "That's it? That's all you say about it?"

He shrugged. "It's in the past. I've gotten over it." But, his eyes remained
unhappy and hooded with a sorrowful look.

I walked over to him, his eyes following me with every step. I put my hand 
on his shoulder. "I'm sorry anyway."

He smiled a small, sad smile. "Thank you, Usa." He took my hand and gently 
kissed it. I blushed. He laughed. "You can always make me smile." he said. 
I grinned at that, also. "Well, what do you say to starting, ne?"

"Hai." I said, fetching my books and things. He went into another room, and
sat down at the table. I joined him, getting out my bunny pen and some paper.
Of course, HE already had a pen, two pencils, and several sheets of paper on 
the desk already. 

"So, who should begin?" I asked as I settled into a comfortable position.

"Me," he said with a devilish grin. "You haven't answered my question, Usa.
Do you or do you not have a crush?"

I blushed brightly. "STOP IT!" I yelled at him. "I absolutely REFUSE to 
answer that question!"

"Onegai?" he said with a sad puppy dog look. (AN: Wouldn't that make our
Mamo-chan just completely irresistible? Hunky looks + Puppy dog face = 
irresistibleness! ^_~)

I quickly focused my eyes on something else. I CANNOT stand that look. It
just makes me melt. "IIE!" I said, looking at a crystal vase. 'Where does
he get this money?' I asked myself. I turned back to him. Whew, no more
puppy dog face.

He chuckled. "Whatever you please, Princess." he said, bowing his head for 
effect.

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Wasn't that what that Endymion guy called me? Princess?
And didn't HE kiss my hand too?! Oh Kami oh Kami oh Kami...

Iie! I am letting this dream get the better of me. It's only a dream! It
isn't real! ...Right?

I took a deep breath. "Uh huh. Right, Mamoru. Well, get on with the 
questions, I haven't got all day!"

"OK, OK." he said, slipping on a pair of glasses. As he shuffled through his
papers (HA! Not even Mr. Perfect is ready!), I admired how intelligent he
looked with those thin black-rimmed glasses on. Heck, he looked great 
anytime. 

He cleared his throat, and I snapped back to reality. "OK, Usa, what's your 
most meaningful moment?"

I gave him a surprised look. "Nani?"

"Well, you asked me, so I thought it would be fair to ask you." he said with
the slightest hint of a smile.

"I... don't know..." I stumbled. "I've never really... thought about it."
I was silent for a while, then said thoughtfully in a quiet voice. "I guess 
it would have to be the time when I was really young. About seven or eight 
years old. It was at night. I was standing on the balcony, watching the stars 
twinkle and sparkle the dark blue velvet-like sky. I think I had liked moons 
and stars back then, too. Anyway, I was in my white night dress, and looking 
at the big, full moon. Suddenly, I was surrounded in a ray of silver light. 
It was so beautiful and peaceful. I couldn't even see anything but a 
shimmering surrounding, as if it was a big, cozy blanket, protecting me from 
the whole world. I didn't feel afraid at all. I stood wrapped in the warm
softness for quite awhile. Funny, my parents didn't even come out to call me
in, like they would usually do. No matter. I eventually felt myself against
the cold night air. I watched as the glittering material seem to float off
into the moon. It gradually disappeared, with me waving sayonara for a long
time."

I stayed soundless, looking at Mamoru. He was looking at me with a smile. Not
an amusing one, but a sweet smile, his eyes soft and warm. After a moment, he
finally said, "That was beautiful, Usa." I blushed. He continued on. "The way
you described it really made it seem mythical like a majestic fairy tale. It
was very beautiful."

I gave him a tender smile. "Arigato, Mamoru."

He smiled again, and reached over to carress my cheek with the softest touch
of touches. He pulled his hand away to write down something on his paper.

After quite a while, he looked up at me and said, "You know, Usa. Buying my
car isn't really my most meaningful moment."

"I thought as much." was my reply.

"I think," he went on. "that my most meaningful moment would have to be when 
I was young, too, about six years old. I had... just gone to the orphanage,
and I was downcast about finding out about my parents' death. I was sitting
in my room, on my bed, crying. Later on, I woke up, to realize I had cried 
myself to sleep. When I sat up, I trudged to my suitcase to unpack my 
belongings. On it I found a pure, perfect red rose. It was in full bloom, the
petals delicate and silky. I kept it in a safe spot where no one would find 
it. The funny thing is, it never went bad. It stayed red as can be for all
time. I still have it, locked away in a hidden place in this apartment. When 
I was young, if I ever felt sad or lonely, I would pull out that rose and it
would cheer me up just at the sight of it. That's how roses became my 
favorite flower."

As he finished, I choked. "What a sweet story," I whispered.

He smiled. "You know, I've never told anyone about that rose."

"I haven't told anyone about that time on the balcony. You're the first 
one." I said softly, realization hitting me that I just told some guy who
I knew for two days a sacred memory. 

I quickly scribbled down a short summary of what he had told me. As I did, 
he asked me a few other questions.

"What's your favorite thing to eat, besides odangos?"

"Sushi!" I replied, thinking of the delicious rice and meat and vegetables,
wrapped in seaweed. Mmm...

"What's your favorite fruit?" 

"Strawberries! With cream!" (AN: *drool*)

"What's the best movie you've seen?"

"Uh, I don't know... Titanic?" I said. (AN: They do have Titanic in Asia.)

"Titanic?!"

"Hai, I guess..."

Mamoru shook his head, then wrote that down. After asking me a few more
questions, he said I should ask him a few, to make sure we weren't ahead of
one another.

"Sure!" I said, pulling out a small piece of paper with a couple of questions
on it. "What was your first memory?" I was very pleased with the (small) list
of things to ask Mamoru. I thought they were very well planned, and a good 
use for my report.

"Hmm..." he said, tapping his chin. "I can't recall..."

I threw a pillow at him. "Hardy-har-har. Answer for real!"

"OK, OK." he said, dodging the pillow. "Probably, waking up to hear the 
doctor say that my parents... hadn't survived."

"Oh." I said blankly. Of course. He had amnesia, he wouldn't remember 
anything before that. "Well, what do you usually do for your birthday?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?" I asked. "At all?"

"Usa," he looked straight at me. "My parents died on my birthday."

"Oh, gomen nasai." I said in a lower voice. "Well, what kind of activities do
you usually do?"

"Read, study, read, study, and, oh yeah, read and study."

"Don't you go to parties? You said you were pretty popular, if I recall."

"I go to parties!" he said defensively. "Just not every weekend, like a lot
of people. Usually I attend birthday bashes, because birthdays are important."

"Ah..." I said, jotting that down. All of a sudden, I looked up at him, and
said the words before I knew they had left my mouth. "Are you going out with
Anikema?"

He gave me a bewildered look. "Anikema? Hukoisi Anikema?"

"Yeah, her." I said, unsure of her last name though. "Are you?" I pressed.

"Iie!" he cried. "I'd never go out with her! She clings to me so much."

"Demo, I saw you and her together under the sakura tree right before I had
come." I said.

His eyes were blank for a second, then it popped in his head. "OH! That! Psh,
she was trying to get me to go out with her. Again. She does that every week!
I hate it! Ugh!"

"Really?" I said, a little relieved.

"HAI! I'd never go out with her!"

"OK. Just curious."

"Well, as they say, curiousity killed the cat." Mamoru gave me a mischievous
look. "You're the cat, and I'm curiousity!" he said, tackling me and tickling
me.
~*~*~*~*

After a few weeks of getting together with Mamoru, I began to really consider
him as a good friend. He helped me with a lot of my schoolwork, which got me
80%'s and 90%'s and even a couple of 100%'s! 

Our report on eachother went well, we both had gotten 100%. Thanks to Mamoru,
he had planned out a lot, which helped, and I brought home a 100% to my smiling 
parents.

Eventually, we even had a few get-togethers. We usually had to study, but we 
had fun anyway. They were full of jokes, laughs, "Odango Atama" remarks *grumble*, 
and teasing. Of course, we always had gotten down to the serious parts and studied. 
(AN: SUUUURE...)
~*~*~*~*

It was two months into the school year. I had been getting good marks. Better
than I ever could alone, anyway. With Mamoru's help, I worked from 80%'s, to 
90%'s, and I was now understanding my classes and getting great marks, thanks 
to Mamoru's great teaching skills.

I had begun to like Mamoru now. I had a crush on him. His looks, charm, and
personality helped me out too. I ignored my feelings for awhile, but finally
gave in. Now, I was always eager to see Mamoru. I even had a pet name for him, 
just like he called me Usa. His pet name was Mamo-chan. But I'd never call 
him that. No way! He'd think I was crazy.
~*~*~*~*

It was afterschool, and I was at my locker. Mamoru had soccer practice, (He 
made the school soccer team! Yay!) so I was just going to walk home. As I 
opened my locker, a slip of paper fell out. I picked it up. It said:

Dearest Tsukino Usagi,

	I think I have a very big crush on you. Your eyes attract me like 
crystal orbs, which make you beautiful, with your spun golden hair. I am 
blessed to have you in my life.

						Your Secret Admirer
~*~*~*~*
GREAT place to stop now, eh, minna? Hee.

Please write! I love your notes, comments, and a kawaii pic from a certain
pair of people!

~*~Azn Angel~*~

100% Azn, 90% Angel