Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon

AN: Woo-hoo, an update! Just to let everyone know this turned out much longer and more sentimental than I had planned.

All Warm and Fuzzy: 100 Theme Drabbles

By Jessa Martin

#70 For the love of…

"Oh, Usagi-chan, your English is coming along wonderfully," Ami complimented her friend, the pride evident in her voice.

"Really, Ami-chan?" Usagi asked hopefully. "I've been trying so hard to learn," she said earnestly. Her voice dropped to a near whisper "Do you think he'll be impressed?"

"Usagi-chan," Ami chided gently, "you're supposed to be doing this for yourself, not for Mamoru-san."

Usagi looked down at the floor and mumbled half-heartedly, "I know, Ami-chan, and I am, it's just that…" Usagi snuck a look at Ami from the corner of her eyes, her expression pleading.

Ami gave a small smile of understanding and took pity on her friend, deciding that at least this was one of the more educational plans Usagi had concocted to impress a boy. "How about we study some more American expressions? I'm sure that would impress him."

Usagi's head snapped up to look at her friend and she squealed happily, "Oh, Ami-chan, you're the best!"

…

This is it, Usagi, your big chance to show Mamo-chan that you're not just some ditzy blond who fails tests all the time.

The young woman chewed on her fingernails anxiously, not quite able to convince herself.

You're going to wow him with your English and then he's going to realize just how smart and funny and pretty you are once and for all. He'll fall madly in love with you and you'll live happily ever after and --

Busy babbling to herself in her mind, Usagi failed to notice the dark haired man who was quickly making his way around the bookcase which she stood hiding behind.

Crash!

"Odango Atama?" Incredulously Mamoru looked down at the girl still sprawled out on the floor wondering if he had somehow managed to transform his daydreams into reality.

"Oh, Mamoru-san," Usagi tried her best to sound nonchalant, "what a surprise to see you here." She scrambled to her feet and leaned up against the bookcase in the hopes that she looked intelligent as well as pretty.

"What a surprise to see me here?" the upperclassman exclaimed, "I think I almost had a heart attack when I realized that you really were here in the library. What's the matter, Odango, did you finally fail so many tests your mom made you move in here?"

The petty arguing came so naturally to Usagi that she had already stomped her foot and blurted out a biting remark before she could stop herself. "Oh, shut up, you big baka! I don't fail tests all the time! Some of us have more important things to do than spend all day studying; you know, like hanging out with friends."

Mamoru raised an eyebrow in amusement, "So I guess that would explain why you're here in the library, then, wouldn't it, Odango?"

Usagi opened her mouth to let out another scathing retort when she suddenly remembered why she was in the library in the first place. Frustrated at the turn of events not going as she had envisioned thousands of times Usagi called out exasperatedly the first thing that came to her mind "Oh, for the love of Pete!"

Mamoru just blinked. He certainly hadn't been expecting that. He paused a moment to re-play the words in his mind, his English being a little rusty.

For… the… love of… Pete? Pete? What the heck is Pete? Mamoru racked his brain trying to place the unfamiliar English word. Pete? Wait a second! Pete's not a thing…

"Who is this Pete guy and why do you want his love?"

Usagi looked up at Mamoru, stunned into silence by the urgency and harshness in his voice.

"You're far too young to be dating and a foreigner, no less. You probably don't know anything about him. Just how old is he? Where does he go to school? Where did you meet him? Probably on one of those crazy teen chat rooms. You have no idea how dangerous..."

Usagi simply stood there gaping at Mamoru while he continued in his rant.

"…and you've got to protect yourself or at least let me protect you against those kinds of predators. You can't just go around loving anyone, Usagi-chan…"

Usagi's eyes widened dramatically.

"…your love is too special to just waste on some guy named Pete who obviously doesn't love you in the way that you deserve…"

Usagi felt lightheaded and was sure she would faint.

"…and I just wanted to say…" Mamoru's passionate speech quickly faded to a nervous stutter as he realized what it was he wanted to say.

"What, Mamoru, what did you want to say?"

Mamoru suddenly found the ceiling tiles in the library utterly fascinating. "Well, umm, I just wanted to tell you…that…your English sounded really good."

Usagi's face fell in deep disappointment. "Oh, thanks, I guess."

Mamoru's heart plummeted at her expression. Taking a deep breath he gathered every last ounce of courage he had in him, "It's so good in fact, that I thought you might want to practice with me."

Usagi nodded at him slowly, sensing there was much more to his offer. Mamoru flashed her a nervous smile. "Will you tell me how this sounds? It's been awhile since I spoke English."

Usagi nodded again, wondering if she'd be able to understand him.

"Usgai-chan, I just wanted to tell you that you shouldn't waste your love on Pete, because no matter how much he loves you, he cannot possibly love you as much as I do."

Mamoru's rich voice resonated in Usagi's mind over and over, but unused to his beautiful accent she had difficulty deciphering his words. Love? Pete? What did he say! Usagi looked up at Mamoru, her eyes pleading with him to explain.

Mamoru chuckled softly, his nervousness leaving him. "Hmm, how can I put it more simply?" he asked her. "Do you understand this? I love you, Usako."

Even with her limited English vocabulary, Usagi understood those three words quite clearly. "Oh, Mamo-chan, I love you, too."

Just as he had imagined doing a thousand times in his dreams, Mamoru swept her into his arms for a warm hug and kissed her on the forehead. Letting his arm drape around her shoulder and pulled her close. "There's just one thing I need to know, Usako."

"Hmm?"

"Just how serious was this thing with Pete?"

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AN: Well, I hope that Mamoru wasn't too OOC in this one, but I just couldn't get this idea out of my head and had to write it out. Please review and let me know what you thought! I'll try and keep the updates coming!