Games of Seduction

By:The Young Lady of Legends

ChapterOne:I've Just Said A Mouthful

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Fate has a strange way of mixing itself with irony. It makes me wonder if maybe it does it purposely simply to drive me to the brink of insanity. I still question why I'm thrown into Chiba Mamoru's path on a daily basis.

The day in question, the one that changed the way everything flowed, began much like any other. I was late for homeroom because I'd chosen sleep over schoolwork. I'm just a girl who knows how to prioritize. My feet flew over themselves in attempt to get to where they needed to go before they and the rest of myself received a rather disturbingly large red 'X' next to my name. The symbol that told the world I was tardy frequently found its way to my name.

After I'd been rebuked for my tardiness yet again (you'd think they'd begin to expect it...it's only the norm after it happens everyday!) I'd managed to pass a math test by about three points. It wasn't stupidity, which Chiba loved to give credit to, but laziness and I knew it. I hated to study and if I had done such I knew my score would have been considerably higher. But I digress...

All in all I felt free as the last bell rang signaling my freedom until I decided to show up the next morning. I made the usual mad dash to Crown Arcade where I knew, if I hurried anyhow, that my Sailor V game would be free.

I burst through the doors, the bell tinkling, signaling my arrival. A forewarning to all those who dare step in my way.

Namely Chiba Mamoru.

"Well if it isn't little Miss. Odango Atama?" he announced as he turned to see who was coming through the door. Probably disappointed it wasn't yet another of his admirers. Though it saddens me to say, one of my friends who should've had better sense was one of this Chiba fan-club group. What could Rei-chan be thinking?

"Well if it isn't Mr. Arrogant-oh-I-just-love-myself-so-much?" I asked dully, not letting him get under my skin for once.

"Odango you'd love yourself this much too if you were me." he said coolly. I wanted nothing more than to strangle him until his eyeballs popped out.

I put a hand on my hip, "No I'd probably spend most of my time feeling sorry for myself."

"Now Odango...why ever should I feel sorry for myself?" he grinned. I hated that smile. It got beneath my skin in a way that nothing else could. That same smile haunted every dream I could remember having. The lips were featured in many more.

"Oh I don't know." I began sarcastically. "Maybe because I'd have nothing else better to do with my time than to make fun of fourteen year olds and come up with insane nicknames for them. Odango Atama? Come on!"

"It suits you." he stated. He sipped his coffee. I wanted nothing more than to be that mug.

"Just as Jackass suits you." I replied.

Motoki simply shook his head. His family owned the arcade and his job was everything. He managed, served, cleaned and so on and so on. He had been my reason for coming here in the beginning but it had gradually transferred to Mamoru. "Do you two always have to go at it? And Usa, this is a family atmosphere I'm trying to run here. Can you tone down the language slightly?" he pulled a pen and some napkins from underneath the counter. "Here. I can give you Mamoru-san's number so you can call and cuss him later." he said with a smile.

Mamoru looked superiorly cocky, "I'm sure she wouldn't object to my home phone number anyway."

"Are you insinuating that I'd ever have any interest whatsoever in the likes of you?!" I demanded, my voice rising in volume. How dare he insult my good taste?

"As if you'd have anyone else to chase." he commented. Ooh...that grin seriously needed to be manually removed. I think an open palm to the face might do the trick.

"For your information I don't chase guys." I said. I knew I'd have the perfect comeback on this one. "They chase me."

He snorted. "I just bet Odango Atama."

"Why wouldn't they?!" I could not believe he would insult me like that. Wait...yes I could. He did this on a daily basis did he not?

"You just don't look like the type of girl that guys line up for, that's all." he stated simply. Motoki winced. He knew before long I'd explode. Very wise Motoki...maybe you should teach your friends lessons in wisdom occasionally.

I couldn't help it. Before I knew it was coming out...it did. I began the battle of all battles between Chiba Mamoru and I. My next comment did me in. "I beg your pardon but I could have any guy, anywhere, any time." I paused and grinned. "Look just because you're in love with me doesn't mean you have to get so ridiculous about me and other guys."

He quirked an eyebrow. "Me in love with you, huh?"

"That's right." I was feeling the consequences of what I'd said now. I felt sick. He had a gleam in his eye and I knew that was a very bad sign for me.

"And you can get any guy anywhere...that right?" he asked as he stood up and walked in my direction.

"Uh...yeah. I think so." I answered. God, what was he doing? What could he possibly have in mind?

"I, personally think that it's the other way around. Maybe you just love me." he grinned evilly. Malice, plot, revenge...they all dripped from that smile that was beginning to make me unstable.

"Only in your wildest dreams." He, however, would not have the pleasure of seeing my unnerving. He would only see the calm and collected Usagi. He said nothing but continued to smile. "What?" I finally asked.

"If in fact your not already in love with me, it would be easy to make you. I do believe you're already more than half-way there." Disdain was blanketing this man. Just who did he think he was? He knew I was never one to back down from anything remotely resembling a challenge and this I knew, sounded much like one.

"I believe it would be easier for you to fall in love with me." I accepted the unspoken challenge.

"Is that a challenge Odango?" he asked. As if he didn't know.

"Hell yes, it's a challenge." I answered, feeling every bit as confident as a snail in a 10K marathon. From my tone of voice though, you'd think I was the cheetah. No that was Chiba, or perhaps he was a man-eating wild beast.

"Okay bet: I can make you fall in love with me before you can make me fall in love with you." he sneered. He crossed his arms across his chest as if in a 'bring it on' stature.

"You're on Chiba!"

Let the game of seduction begin.

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My days were on repeat. I was running late for the exact same reasons the next morning and I knew I would later have trouble discerning the two separate mornings. Or so I thought.

As I opened the front door to begin my daily sprint I caught sight of a blur of green and red from the corner of my eye. I looked down and found a dozed red roses sitting in a vase on my doorstep. Puzzled, I began searching for a card.

And soon enough, I found one.

They were addressed to a Tsukino Usagi and as far as I knew I was the one and only so I ripped the small envelope containing the card open. All previous thoughts of 'late' and 'school' had been thrown to the four winds. My mind was only on one thing and that was 'Who could have sent me roses?' I nearly screamed in delight, shock, surprise and disgust as I read the card and realization crept in. It read:

To my dearest Usako:

You haven't the slightest how much you are going to soon regret this bet and how thrilled you'll be once I make you fall in love with me. Don't forget the stakes...

-Chiba Mamoru

To my dearest Usako?! What in the hell was he thinking? Obviously the dear man wasn't and needed sincere pity and psychological help. Or perhaps he just needed someone to give him a swift kick in the balls.

I felt like just the girl to do it.

I felt sick as I read 'don't forget the stakes.' How could I forget the stakes? Not only would I lose both my dignity and pride but I would be forced to do exactly what Satan's Spawn instructed me to for two weeks. The stakes remained the same if he lost. I actually needed someone to rearrange my closet and take those winter clothes out and store them in the attic...

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*As I entered the arcade that afternoon, I had a plan. I'd spent the previous night downing my Mom's Cosmopolitans one right after the other in attempts to find a brilliant plan. And if fact I had. Our plans of attack were completely opposite. He was trying to win me over with romance and I was going to crush him with sexuality. Cosmo instructed that men's weakness was in their...well, you've got the picture anyway.

I stepped in and saw him hovering over his cup of coffee. Without pausing to think I knew it was black coffee...tasteless and bland. I took a deep breath and prepared myself to do this.

His elbows rested on the counter in front of him, leaving me ample room to wrap myself around him, which was in fact what I did. My face buried in his silky hair and my mouth brushing his ear I whispered softly, "I got your roses."

He never turned around. "Did you now? Did you like them?" He wasn't shaken. Shouldn't this be enough to turn on any teenage guy? The idiot.

"Not nearly as much as I'd like to see you wrapped and sent to my room." I purred. That did it. He body tightened and grew tense. I pulled away and beamed. "What? Not so tough now are you Chiba?"

He turned around on his stool to face me. I detected a slight trace of pink on his inner cheeks near his nose that I was sure usually wasn't there. "Playing dirty huh?"

I simply smiled. I'd get him. My plan of attack was absolutely brilliant. "Round one...Usagi." I said as I turned on my heel to walk away and leave the arcade.

"Ah but dear Usa..." he reached for my hand and spun me back around. "Who let you win?"