a continuation of hold me by the heart! part two will come soon. enjoy.

Love Language

By: Xhibit B

Part One

.i do not own sailor moon.

Just as Mamoru had done his research on her, Usagi had done her research on him. She'd already delivered the message to Motoki to give to him, letting him know that she was on to him. It had been easy to put together, honestly. Minako had been the key to her figuring out who this secret admirer of hers was. The girl tended to talk just a bit too much for her own good sometimes. As soon as she'd let it slip that she'd given Mamoru advice on how to win a girl over via the secret admirer method and told her what she'd suggested he did, she'd put it all together. And now, she had to put together a gift for him.

It was tradition for the women to give their men a gift on Valentine's day. And she knew that the best gift would be chocolates. She'd asked Motoki and he'd told her that Mamoru had an affinity for all kinds of chocolate; his favourite being milk chocolate with caramel. She wasn't the best cook, but she was sure that her mother wouldn't mind helping her with this little project of hers. Especially once she told her that it had to do with her secret admirer.

She'd worked for hours making the chocolate with her mother's help, molding the chocolate into perfect spheres before carefully filling them with the caramel that had also been homemade. Her mother had coached her through the entire ordeal, showing her how to hold the filling tube when she'd held it wrong or when she was closing the chocolates after they were completely filled. They'd packaged them in a nice, gold box that had been laid with miniature cupcake cups, small enough to hold them in place. Her mother had tied a bow made of red and silver tulle across the top to keep it closed. Usagi had thanked her mother before putting the chocolates away, out of reach of her brother who would have eaten them the moment that he laid eyes on them. She'd have to remember to grab them before she left for the party the next evening.

Unfortunately for Usagi, in her haste to get ready before Minako and Kunzite arrived to pick her up, she'd forgotten the chocolates. It wasn't until ten minutes before she was supposed to meet Mamoru in the centre of the dance floor that she realized that she didn't have them. She'd smacked herself on the forehead, shaking her head at her stupidity. She'd just have to give them to him later. Maybe if he took her home that evening, after the party, she could give them to him before he went home.

She checked her watch a few minutes later, noting that it was ten-fifty-eight. She stood from her seat, brushing her long hair that she'd long since taken out of the bun, from her face as she pushed through the crowd. At exactly ten that evening, Usagi and Mamoru stood face to face. She'd noticed, immediately, how amazing he looked in his fitted black jeans, red polo, and white blazer. His hair still held that purposely messy look that just worked for him and his blue eyes shimmered in the dim light. She could tell that he was checking her out, just as she was him.

"You know, that was pretty smooth leading me on to asking the jewelry store who bought the jewelry," Usagi said with a smile. "You knew that they wouldn't be able to give me that information even if they wanted to, didn't you."

"I did," Mamoru answered. "How'd you figure out that it was me?"

"I'm smarter than everyone gives me credit for," Usagi answered. "Minako told me about the advice that she gave you. And from there I figured it out. I conveniently get the necklace, which is beautiful by the way, thank you, the same day that she gives you advice on how to woo a girl by playing the role of a secret admirer. Then I get another gift and a request to meet you in the middle of the arcade. It all adds up, and honestly, it wasn't that hard to figure out. Even Ami knew before I did. And, it took you long enough to say something."

"Well, I guess I underestimated you," Mamoru said with a smile. "You weren't surprised at all to find out that it was me? I was kinda hoping that I'd get some kind of reaction out of you when I revealed myself, but you figured me out."

"I was surprised, actually," Usagi answered. "By the way, who put you up to this? I know you wouldn't have done this on your own."

"Motoki was the one that told me about how you felt, then it all spiraled from there," Mamoru answered truthfully. He shrugged, "There was a whole other plan that I was going to go with at first, but the more that I thought about it, the more that plan didn't work. Then I spoke with Minako."

"How'd you know about that poem by Joseph May," Usagi asked curiously.

"I noticed you'd written it down on a piece of paper and kept it in your binder," Mamoru answered nonchalantly. "I'm not as unobservant as I seemed when it comes to you."

"You definitely did your homework on me then," Usagi laughed as her hands came to rest upon her hips. "So, how are we going to do this? This whole, relationship thing."

"Well, if you will have me," Mamoru answered as he placed a hand on the small of her back, "I'd like to do this right by taking you out on a proper date. Maybe this weekend?"

Usagi smiled as she allowed her arms to circle around his waist being that he was over a head taller than she was and she couldn't reach his shoulders despite the heels she wore, "I'd like that."

"We'll have to finalize the plans when we're not in the middle of a dance floor and I can hear you better," Mamoru said as his hands came to rest on her hips. The two swayed side to side, not paying attention to anyone that was around them. "After this song, we should probably go sit down." He inclined his head towards her friends that were staring at them. "I think your friends have questions. I assume you didn't give them answers when they found out that you knew who it was that sent the gifts. Secrets don't make friends, you know?"

"But friends do make secrets," Usagi repeated for the third time in the last forty-eight hours. "But I do agree, these heels Minako made me get are not the most comfortable things to be dancing in. It's why I took them off earlier."

Mamoru couldn't help but chuckle as the song came to an end before he placed his hand on the small of her back. He led her through the crowd of people who watched on in astonishment as the two former rivals made their way to the table that her friends occupied. Mamoru pulled one of the two remaining seats out for Usagi, who sat with a quiet thank you before he joined her at her side. They waited for all of twenty seconds before the questions were being fired left and right at them.

"One at a time," Usagi urged, "One at a time! Jeez, I can't hear you if you all talk at me at once." Minako raised her hand as if she were in school, and Usagi rolled her eyes. "Okay, Minako, you first."

"Mamoru, why didn't you tell me that it was Usagi that you were talking about when you asked me for advice a couple weeks ago," Minako asked, turning to look at the ebony haired man.

"It was kinda obvious who he was talking about though," Kunzite pointed out. "I mean, he literally said that she was a sweet girl, made friends with anyone that she came into contact with, goes to his university and is studying to get her degree in public relations. Now who does that sound like?"

"Wow I'm dense," Minako said before she turned to look back at Mamoru and Usagi who were laughing and shaking their heads, "But still, you could have told me!"

"I couldn't give myself away," Mamoru answered smoothly. "Motoki already knew about it and I couldn't have anyone else knowing how I felt. Besides, no offense or anything, but you can't hold water. You'd have told her the moment that I told you."

"He does have a point there," Rei pointed out. "Minako isn't the greatest at keeping secrets. That's why we don't tell you a lot of things, you know."

"Unfortunately, they are right, Minako," Kunzite said, earning a slap to the shoulder. He winced, she'd hit him harder than she realized. "I'm just telling the truth. You can't keep a secret whatsoever."

Minako grumbled, folding her arms across her chest. "I can't believe you guys are agreeing with this. I know how to keep secrets! I kept Usagi's secret about having the world's biggest crush on Mamoru, didn't I? I could have told him a long time ago, but I didn't."

"And I thank you for that," Usagi said smiling. "Unfortunately, Motoki didn't get the memo about keeping that secret. He was the one that told Mamoru about my crush on him."

"He was the reason, honestly, why I decided to pursue Usagi," Mamoru said nonchalantly. "But the plan that we originally came up with wasn't going to work. That's why I came to you, Minako. You helped me out more than Motoki did, honestly."

"Well, I'm glad I could be of assistance," Minako said, turning her nose up in the air.

Everyone burst into a fit of laughter at her dramatics.

…

It was well past midnight when Usagi and Mamoru left the arcade where the party was still going. She'd seen her brother briefly before he'd disappeared from her sight again. She figured that he'd taken his girlfriend home before heading home himself. He was almost sixteen and perfectly capable of taking care of himself. He didn't need his big sister looking after him all the time.

Mamoru led her to his BMW, opening the passenger side door for her to let her slip in. She had to flip the ponytail she'd pulled her hair into over her shoulder so that she didn't sit on her hair and pull it before clipping on her seatbelt. Mamoru joined her in the driver's seat a moment later, starting the car before plugging in Usagi's home address. They were quiet for the entire ride, until they came to a stop in front of the Tsukino family home. Mamoru put the car in park before turning to look at the pretty blond.

"Well, here we are," Mamoru said, gesturing to her house with his head. "Are you still up for our date this Saturday?"

Usagi smiled as she nodded, "Sure am. Seven o'clock, you be here to pick me up and don't you dare be late, I mean it."

"I'm always punctual," Mamoru gloated as he unclipped his seatbelt. "C'mon, I'll walk you to the door."

Usagi nodded, unclipping her own seatbelt. "Good idea, especially because I have something to give you! C'mon, I just have to run up to my bedroom to grab it."

Mamoru irked a brow, opening the car door as he stepped out. He followed her to the house, Usagi pulling her key from her purse before unlocking the door and opening it. They entered, removing their shoes at the genkan before putting on slippers; Usagi in her pink bunny slippers and Mamoru in the blue guest slippers.

"You can wait in the living room," Usagi said, gesturing to the couch as she headed up the stairs.

Mamoru nodded, taking a seat on the couch as she disappeared upstairs. He could faintly hear her rummaging around in her bedroom, looking for whatever it was that she'd gotten for him. He knew that it was tradition, generally, for girls to give the men in their lives gifts on Valentine's Day and the guys would return the favour in March on White Day. He honestly wondered what it could have been that she'd gotten for him.

Usagi emerged from her bedroom a few minutes later holding a medium sized gold box with red and silver tulle tied into a bow at the top of the box. She handed it to him shyly, taking a seat at his side on the couch as she urged him to open it. He did, pulling the tulle bow away before he lifted the lid off the box. When he did, he was met with the sight of twenty little chocolates, neatly packed away in miniature cupcake holders inside the box. How had she known that he liked chocolate?

"Motoki told me that chocolates filled with caramel were your favourite," Usagi said, almost as if she'd been reading his mind. "My Mom helped me make them yesterday evening. I meant to bring them with me to the arcade, but I forgot because I was in a rush to get out of here when Minako and Kunzite came to pick me up…" She bit her lip, nudging his shoulder with hers. "Try one and tell me how you like them."

Mamoru smiled, nodding his head lightly as he picked up one of the chocolates and popped it into his mouth. He chewed, savouring the flavour of the milk chocolate and caramel as it blended together. They were delicious. And knowing that they were made by her meant a lot to him.

He swallowed the chocolate before he leaned over, brushing his lips against hers gently. Usagi returned the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck as his hands came to rest on her waist. Only a few seconds had passed before they broke apart and Mamoru smiled at her.

"They were delicious, Usako," Mamoru said, careful not to let the box tip over and drop the chocolates she'd so carefully made for him. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, Mamo," Usagi returned, her own smile gracing her lips.

He left a few minutes later after eating another of the chocolates and promising that he would pick her up at seven the next evening. That night, Usagi went to sleep with the largest smile on her face.