I actually knew what that cake was without looking it up! This was a really cute story, and I loved the misunderstandings along the waygreat stories to tell Chibi Usa one day hehe Also, you write Mamoru as handsome as Naoko draws himheart eyed emoji*)

Ami and Mamoru - even less romantic chemistry than Rei and Mamoru, somehow.

I love Mamoru's thought process that if he keeps going out with Ami he'll run into Usagi occasionally and then chastising himself that that's a horrible thing to think. Because yeah it is, even if it's very human.

Also, I love that Usagi's idea of a date for smart people is a freaking academic symposium that's long enough to require a LUNCH BREAK. Yes, this is where nerds fall in love, however did you know, Usagi?

Can I also just say I love what a weird an humanizing moment Mamoru's thought that he wants to dunk his cake into his coffee is? Like, he appears so calm and composed most of the time and yet under it all he's SUCH A FUCKING DORK.

And awwww Ami very awkwardly trying to turn Mamoru down gently because she has no idea that he's head-over-heels over Usagi already because he cannot communicate his feelings for shit. And then he awkwardly asks what Usagi thinks of him and Ami still misses it. And feels the need to defend Usagi from the person who loves her more than anything, so you know. Even smart people miss things occasionally. (Or Mamoru is somehow THAT BAD at communication...)

Everything about Usagi's glitterbomb costume for the play makes me SO HAPPY. (Also, Ami, how do you not know Usagi well enough at this point to know that there's no way she's gonna have time to check her phone before you guys come to pick her up?) AND THEN MAMORU IS THERE WITH NO REAL WARNING and the visual of Usagi jumping out of her skin like a "cat in the videos with the cucumbers" has me cackling.

And Usagi is so sweet and awkward as she desperately tries not to get in between Mamoru and Ami even as they try SO HARD to put her in between them. ("Why was he licking his lips?!" I love it.) AND THEN SHE GETS MAD AT HIM BECAUSE HE'S PAYING ATTENTION TO HER AND SHE CAN'T COMMUNICATE FOR SHIT EITHER and oh my poor babies, just kiss already.

AND I WANT TO SEE A PRODUCTION OF SLEEPING BEAUTY WITH ALL THE GOOD FAIRIES PLAYED BY DRAG QUEENS, DAMMIT!

Also the fact that EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THE GIRLS is clearly well-aware that Mamoru is hopeless over Usagi but no one has pulled her aside to be like "You do realize what's going on here, right?" (You'd think Rei would, at least, but this is a rom com, after all) Thank god for Ami finally gently nudging her, at least.

"It was the most uncomfortable 10 minutes she'd ever spent with someone she really wanted to lick a line from his throat to his navel" Oh, is this a frequent occurence, Usagi?

AND THEN MAMORU ACTUALLY ATTEMPTS TO COMMUNICATE, THE CLOUDS HAVE OPENED AND THE ANGELS ARE SINGING A HEAVENLY CHORUS. And the way you describe his voice as he confesses, like he has to push the words out, is SO ON POINT.

"I really, really, really want to date you..." excuse me, I'm just melting into a puddle of goo over here.

And the kiss being like coming home, insert all the heart-and-starry-eyed emojis. I love the sweet, sweet domesticity and them (just) sleeping together after spending the whole night together and awwwww it's just such a sweet and lovely rom com beat to end the story on.

I love this story so much, it's such a lovely little fluff-and-comedy fest that makes my heart so happy every time I reread it!

So last night, I was really annoyed because I knew I wanted to read a story with a very specific aesthetic (UsaMamo, aged-up AU, mutual pining and actually getting along, but with a misunderstanding) and I was scrolling through FF trying to find that. EVEN THOUGH I HAD READ IT BEFORE RIGHT HERE. And then of course I remembered this fic existed just before I went to bed, SO here is my review of it the next day because HOW HAVE I NOT REVIEWED THIS FIC BEFORE?

I love best friend / wingwoman Minako with the strawberry vodka she swiped from the party and the tough talk. Minako has no time for your insecurity when there's a hot guy you could be making out with! (Even if she does end up allowing her to wallow a bit)

And ahhhhhhh I love softboy Mamoru with the big giant crush and the social awkwardness and no idea how to approach Usagi so instead he just kicks himself for not being social and thus always missing his chance (and feeling like a stalker, that too). I loooooooooove how you describe Mamoru riding the bus and slowly going from dreading seeing Usagi to anticipating it and missing her when she misses the bus. AND ALSO THE SLIGHT HINT THAT WE'RE IN BETWEEN DARK KINGDOM AND R.

"(How come he'd always hoped she would [notice him]? This was horrible!)" Dying. So Mamoru. As is being jealous of Kobiyashi-KUN and Motoki-ONII-CHAN.

And OMG I'd forgotten completely that he called her Odango Atama to stop her from walking away from him, I fucking love it. They can never quite escape the teasing banter dynamic.

And AHHHHHH the flirting on the couch and Mamoru's drunken thoughts about how pretty her hair is and them making embarrassing confessions to each other and there's literally nothing about that bit that I don't love. So sweet, so full of that first-date-and-I-really-like-them-oh-god-don't-fuck-this-up anticipatory tension.

And then nervousboy Mamoru totally puts his fucking foot in his fucking mouth trying to impress her and inadvertently convinces her he's out of her league because of fucking course he did. Though I do love "Maybe all his academic life had amounted simply to impress this one woman." And then Mamoru, being the awkward turtle that he is, has no idea how to stop Usagi's runaway insecurities and instead sits there watching the trainwreck and internally protesting while looking indifferent and OF COURSE THIS WOULD HAPPEN WITH THEM. And honestly if he just SAID "I don't want your friend, baka, I want you" then it would all be resolved but since when have they ever communicated simply? (Never. Never, is the answer.)

Minako is here with all the tea about Mamoru being a gorgeous awkward mess and I love it. I snort every single time she announces that Mamoru has resting bitch face because let's be honest, he totally does whenever he's not around Usagi.

OKAY AND WHAT IS THE OTHER SONG MAMORU CRIES AT FROM ANASTASIA? INQUIRING MINDS WANT TO KNOW!

Always amazing nothing better then a slightly lost and confused mamoru

EXCELLENCE (as always!) AN AMAZING FOLLOW-UP CHAPTER!

I loved their "date"! It was perfectly BROTP in that kind of setting! Having that mutual connection and their easy conversation over their fields of studies (I totally adore their convo btw, how they choose their respective careers, the mutual interests! The BROTP is strong! XD) And I love how Ami is the one to speak up and say this doesn't really seem to be going the way Usagi wants it to and they're both trying not to offend the other lol Just trying to explain to each other that it's wrong in that kind of context XD

THAT BACK AND FORTH OF MAMORU WANTING TO KNOW WHAT USAGI SAID ABOUT HIM ;_; SO CUTE and Ami recognizes it! I loved the little backstory Ami gave (and it reminds me of that episode in S when Usagi overheard that one professor bashing her to Ami-does that mean the universe your alluring to is actually set in canon but it's just no one got their memories back from dark kingdom and that's why it was so easy for Mamoru to have that "unfamiliar" smirk last chapter? Am I close or as far as can be?) AND YES YES YES YES YES AMI TOTALLY GETS IT AND IS TOTALLY ON BOARD AND THAT SUBTLE LITTLE "I'm going with some friends..." and then Mamoru FINALLY gets it!

I so so so so so so appreciate the way you effortlessly portray the girls' friendship and bond and closeness like the groans, going to Minako's play, and the little things like Makoto's "got it" with the alcohol, Ami's concerned "Are you okay?", and I just like the friendship moments SO much cuz warm fuzzy feelings! AND YES TO USAGI'S GLITTER EXPLODING OUTFIT AND HAIR!

I LOVE THE PARENT TRAP KIND OF VIBES XD XD Ami and the girls totally in on the plan and trying to get them together and YESSS! I LOOOOOVVVVVVVEEEEEE ALLLLLL OF THAT GOODNESS! (also hard core dig all the on-point outfits you have illustrated here and Mamoru in that dinner jacket is making me feel things lol)

I ADORED USAGI'S CLUELESSNESS TOO! SO CONFUSED AND WORRIED LIKE WHY ARE YOU NOT BY YOUR DATE?! And the glitter in her hair is totally doing funny things to him XD XD XD He's into it XD XD Also adore the real-life Japan references you include with the train and Shimokitazama! And then the theater scenes had me rolling honestly XD XD

"Champagne!" "Already?"

'She was going to burn in hell.'

'In fact, he looked as if she had kicked his puppy or something-' okay this had me sad laughing cuz awwwwww Mamoru! But Usagi XD XD EVERYTHING IN THIS DAMN SCENE AS ME IN THE FEELS AND LAUGHS! IT'S ROM-COMS PERSONIFIED?! The little confetti poppers poppers, to all the little things the girls were murmuring to Mamoru, (Minako calling him "Harvard" XD), I JUST LOVE IT!

"There were three Drag Queens suspended from a fake moon, how could you have not paid attention?" XD

And that whole ending scene where FINALLY he says it! HE WANTS TO DATE HER! And she just happily accepts it and YES that wonderful rom-com moment of "trying to stage a perfect first kiss."

"Take me on a date then, Chiba Mamoru."

"Right now?!"

"Why not?"

I. LOVE. THEM.

All the little damn details you do with Makoto's warm hugs, Mamoru's little nervous hand ticks during the play, the play itself with flying drag queens and Minako as Maleficent (I LOVE ALL OF THAT), them waking up in her glitter-contaminated bed (dressed XD), and Ami's text was the cherry on the freaking top XD

And yes this was a different take than your last gift and I love how their both different and special and personal! I love all gift fics because of the personal touches the writers bring and how they mold stories to their giftees and that's what you did! This was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G and I love every word of this heart-warming, hilarious set-up of the babies. THANK YOU for sharing another amazing story and I'm sorry again the gratitude is (extremely) late but I hope it's still evident all the same how much I love this story and how grateful I am to you for writing this 3 3

GIRRRRRLLLLLLLL I can't even BEGIN to apologize for not reviewing way earlier! I know the gratitude is so late but THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PIECE OF ART THIS FIC IS! THIS IS SOOO LATE AND THIS FIC DESERVES A REVIEW AND I CAN'T BELIEVE IT TOOK ME THIS FREAKING LONG TO WRITE ONE!? (I totally take responsibility for being a bad giftee and not properly appreciating this beautiful gift of a fic!) I seriously re-read this story all the time (Okay I reread all your fics and this one is for those times when I need those GOOD rom-com feels!) I love this story and argh I don't even know where to start?!

I guess the whole plot?! Like I LOVE this set-up, it is prime rom-com material and I can't deal with it wefjnwekfjnweoifweorfnwefhneifhjowi3ejpoidfbwerjfbqwkjfehwbjkqdsljbfhkslszdfcghvbjnkmljnbhgvcxskmawzesko (beware lots of key smashes are ahead) I love you have the aftermath as the first scene, Usagi all pillow in face and recounting the events and I love that kind of story flow because it just makes it EVEN better to know the context and end result lol I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE the backstory of Mamoru having seen Usagi on the bus for years and never getting the nerve to just go over and talk to her! It's SO rom-com! (and yes nervous Mamoru!) I love that she was just the bus girl and he watched from afar how she progressed through life and now he has a second chance and argh I can't ewfofwefweoudeojdij

"You totally just checked me out." I can't DEAL with the chemistry and then the awkwardness because boy has no game and is SO nervous to get it wrong XD XD HE DIDN'T EVEN SHAKE HER HAND CUZ SWEATY PALMS XD XD I love him XD I love how he's really trying, knowing he can't lose her again without at least giving it a proper shot. "Every time it happened, he whipped his head around and said anything to anyone." XD XD XD Again, I LOVE him, this is hilarious. I love he jumpstarted when he saw Kobayashi flirting with her (Adore that you added him!) pushed his way through and finally found his voice a little! I LOVED the Odango Atama moment! The way the smirk came so naturally and how he just went with it and "her eyes flashed a little." That was SO SO SO good and argh perfect, I can't describe it.

Shit balls that flirting scene BROUGHT ME BACK TO LIFE?! The closeness, the clear image in my head of them so close, the questions, the party atmosphere, THE FLIRTING! jnqfhouwfhjoiewfoirqiuberqugrb2bekdiefifeiuhwqiuhwgdtrsrerewasxgvbuinomkmklnkjbvuvghyfgdszdszeszrxrtctyhjklvzawzwazwzcvjntaewszdcfgvbhjnkml,asdfghjkl;asdfghjklsdfghjksdfghjklasdfghjklasdfghjklwertyuiopcvbnm,wertyuiosdfghjkcvbnwertyujikcvbnmxcvbnmsdfghjkedtghyjk - that's how I feel about that scene okay.

AND MY GOD ANASTASIA?! THAT MOVIE WAS MY CHILDHOOD?! (I should have totally added it to that comfort movies list on Tumblr!) I remember my parents got me one in their language and then got an English one and I ruined both of the VHS tapes because of the constant replaying and okay off topic but basically I love that movie and the fact that it was probably unintentional is amazing to me and now that movie is 10x more sad for me cuz oh my god that song fits so well with Mamoru? (also he knows it's not a Disney film makes me die XD XD) I love that detail! IT'S SO CUTE HOW HE'S LIKE I TOLD YOU IT'S NOT COOL AND ADMITS IT WAS MORE THAN ONE TIME LIKE COME ON WHY DO YOU HAVE TO MELT MY HEART WITH THIS SCENE?! (AND I NEED TO KNOW WHICH SONG HE ALSO CRIES AT?! IS IT "JOURNEY TO THE PAST"?!) I love the little detail of their hairs mingling, I love how close they get and "who knew alcohol had always been the answer for this particular problem?" "We'll just have to watch the film together so you can find out." WHY WAS THAT SOOOOO SMOOTH?! LIKE YESSSSSSSSSSlncfldnoqueiwhdoidfvfhbwfohfi;ewbfk;efbkerhberivbvnvbnreifhe;fjojeijeowij

And then Kobayashi comes and "ruins" everything without knowing it! Mamoru's mouthful of a smart fill and the crumbling of Usagi who starts to think that holy shit I'm totally not his type. Mamoru panicking and wondering where it went wrong ("I don't want your friend, baka. I want you" XD XD XD), Minako and Usagi signaling to each other and then he gives in and realizes it's his only chance to somehow see her again! And MINAKO XD XD #1 in being THAT supporting friend. "I taught you better than that!" she yelled. "YOU'RE THE 10! 11!"

I. LOVE. THIS. TO. DEATH. The little details. The party setting. The set-up. Minako and Usagi's friendship showcase. Nervous and panicking Mamoru. Tipsy Kobayashi. The whole freaking plot and every single word of this story?! It's so beautifully rom-com goodness?!

I LOVED THIS WHEN YOU FIRST POSTED IT AND I LOVE IT NOW THE 50TH REREAD! IT IS AMAZING AND IT'S SO OBVIOUS YOU PULLED AS MUCH OF MY FAVORITE THINGS IN FICS INTO THIS FIC AND I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE YOU WROTE THIS ON SUCH SHORT NOTICE AND THAT YOU WERE WILLING TO STEP-IN? (I'll turn off all-caps lol) You should be SOOOOOOOO proud of this story girl and love it so much because this was all so perfectly set-up and I can't believe I would ever do anything to deserve this kind of an incredible fic or gifter like you. T.H.A.N.K. Y.O.U.

(Moving onto chapter two!)

This fit is so cute! I've probably read it about 20 times and I don't get bored it: it has your usual awkard, doesn't-know-how-to-interact-with-people, pining Mamoru but in version rom-com and I'm obsesseddddd

Also, I personally loved the drag show: it's not often I see things like that brought up in Sailor Moon fanfction and it's so refreshing.

Conclusion: I adore this fic, secretly wish it was a lot longer, keep writing rom-coms that feature a bit of pining like this and Idiots.

Hello yes just here to reiterate what an adorable read this is upon re-reading

Great job!

So cute!

I will never not like this story

love this so much! really enjoyed reading this , the plot is amazing. seeing mamoru being nervous bless. would love to see what happens next if you decide to continue. i am maybe wrong but i saw the name flora so winx club?

goddamn Usagi, if only she would do as hinted at!
Got this was amazing, I was grinning the whole time haha
And Mamoru!

I just love how they view each other as so amazing and think they can't compare!

I love every wonderful, hilarious, awkward moment of this. I can't quite tell if this is supposed to be reincarnated Serenity and Endymion without the Sailor Moon part (that last little bit about how kissing him was like coming home) or if this is just plain all of them without the reincarnation OR Sailor Moon. Usually I'm not a fan of the latter, but I do love this. It's so funny and well-written with how everyone interacted. So true to the characters, too!

Thank you for another great read. I’m so happy to have found your works