DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything all characters and places and things belong to Naoko Takeuchi; no money is being made from this piece of imagination.

TIMELINE: Usagi and Mamoru are engaged and living together.

SPOILERS: None.

SYNOPSIS: Minako is at it again! And this time she's cut Usagi's hair!

AUTHOR'S NOTES: It's been a while I know, and honestly, I don't know what came over me to write this piece of work. I don't know if it'll be just a One Shot or if I'm going to add a little bit more to it. For now consider it a ONE SHOT, I think there's room for a little more, but I don't wanna add to it just yet.

DEDICATION: To those who have asked me to write more. Your encouragement is uplifting

xxxxxxxxxx

The Haircut

'It looks fantastic!' Minako squealed smiling at her friend's reflection. Usagi's face twisted with uncertainty as she brushed the hair off her dress.

'You look just like Mia Farrow!' Makoto added as Ami walked in with the hair gel.

Usagi ran her hand through her shorn locks which were now even shorter than Ami's slightly disconcerted. It seemed as though she had lost so much more than just a few feet of hair.

'It's definitely something different'

She looked at her long blonde pony tails on the floor with a feeling of nostalgia. She was going to miss having long hair. Usagi turned her attention back to the mirror where Minako was shaping her hair with gel.

'I just can't wait to see what Mamoru says' Ami laughed. It was no secret that Mamoru loved Usagi's uniquely long hair.

Ami had been surprised that Usagi had taken to cutting her hair so quickly most girls with long hair would've grown especially attached to it as to never cut it off. If it weren't for Minako's incessant badgering and a promise that they would donate her hair to the leukemia foundation she probably wouldn't have done it. But in a fashion that was not typical of Usagi she shrugged it off and gamely allowed Minako to cut it all. Hair grows back after all.

'Oh my! Mamo-chan!' Usagi turned her panic stricken eyes to the senshi of Venus then to her hair on the floor. 'Minako! Do you think he'll like it?'

'For sure!'

The other three girls stifled a cough; Rei and Makoto had until recently forgotten to factor in Mamoru's reaction and were beginning to feel rather guilty, Ami hadn't, reasoning that the change would be welcome by Usagi and therefore Mamoru would have to run along with her choice… and ok, maybe she even perversely wondered how Usagi's typically stoic, infallible boyfriend would react (hey she was only human after all!). They heard the door of the apartment open.

'Usako?'

Speak of the devil.

xxxxxxxxxx

Ami followed Minako out as she greeted him with a flourish. Minako as always tended to damn the consequences and run with an idea if she thought it was harmless enough. Ami however knew she would have to warn him.

'Oh Mamoru-san I've got a surprise for you!' Minako exclaimed. Mamoru lifted his eyebrows slightly surprised to see the senshi in their apartment. He had hoped to spend the night just with Usagi. 'I know it'll make up for my last surprise!'

Mamoru frowned inwardly. He was not very fond of Minako's surprises and from the expression on Ami's face he was sure this wouldn't be any different. He braced himself.

He followed Minako into his bedroom feeling slightly awkward at the thought of everyone invading his and Usagi's personal space, no matter how much they were bonded he would never understand how she could be so open with anyone. A quick glance around their bedroom assured him that everything was as it was before he left. At least the damage only seems to be contained in the ensuite.

'Oh Mamo-chan come see!'

Mamoru smiled letting down his guard at the tinkling sound of her voice. If Usagi was happy then he should be happy his heart reasoned. (Oh how very wrong he was he was soon to discover.) Minako opened the door to their ensuite and Mamoru stepped in stopping short at seeing a large pile of blonde hair on the floor. He looked up at Usagi, whose hair was now only a good 5 inches long. He rubbed his eyes and she smiled up at him.

'Usako?' his voice was slightly strangled he cleared his throat composing himself. 'What did you do?'

'Minako cut my hair!'

Mamoru's eyes widened as he noticed for the first time Minako was carrying a pair of scissors.

'Do you like it?' Usagi asked taking his hand 'Feel it!'

She placed his hand on her hair brushing it.

'Oh my!' he said feeling the shorn locks. 'I can feel your scalp'

Usagi laughed. She's laughing. I'm about to go into apoplexy and she's laughing!

'I think I like it this way!' she exclaimed. 'Maybe I should just keep it short'

It was the closest Mamoru had ever been to going into a dead faint.

xxxxxxxxxx

'Usako?'

'Hmmm'

'Did you really mean what you said?'

'About what?'

'Leaving your hair short?'

She shrugged. It had been at least an hour after the girls had left and Mamoru was being awfully quiet.

'Maybe… I don't have to use so much shampoo' she looked at his face. Something wasn't right with him. 'Don't you like it?'

Mamoru paused; knowing he should answer honestly albeit carefully.

'I do love your long hair'

She smiled.

'Well at least now I don't have to spend the whole morning untangling it'

'I don't mind brushing your hair in the mornings Usako' he said. It was true he remembered waking up on mornings wanting to do nothing else than hold her as he ran his fingers through her hair. Say good bye to those mornings now Chiba he thought giving another discrete pained look at the executed locks.

'You have work most mornings Mamo-chan' she said pointedly then frowned. 'Sometimes you don't even come home.'

The hospital had been flooded with patients because of increased youma attacks (Not even the Senshi were able to track them all!) which the media has thankfully interpreted as 'rebel activity'; only God knew what sort of panic they'd cause if the truth ever got out. The hospital was understaffed as it was and Mamoru could not very well leave bleeding victims in the ER so that he could go home and brush his girlfriends hair, it had finally come to the point where his longer hours resulted in 3 hour power naps in his office, between shifts. This particular week he had been blessed to have not just half a day's leave but one full day to rest!

He would've gladly spent the entire time in bed with her brushing her long locks and was in actual fact looking forward to it. He watched as she placed the two large pony tails in a bag ready to be sent off to her charity. At least someone will be able to brush it! She sighed sadly.

'I will miss it'

xxxxxxxxxx

It was a strange feeling he had to admit to hold her close to him and not feel the soft brush of her hair against his arm. However in the week she had kept her hair short he had gotten used to it. Yes it did frame her face quite prettily and yes it did enhance her facial features and bone structure and yes you did a good job Minako! But he couldn't help but feel the pang of regret when Sailor moon (apparently now complete with hair extensions) changed back into regular short haired Usagi. Being the smart man he was however he was careful not to show his disappointment and careful never ever EVER to let Usagi go out with Minako without knowing exactly what they were doing. So far he had prevented them from dying Usagi's hair brown.

Mamoru didn't like to think of himself as superficial, it was Usagi's spirit that he was in love with, short hair or long hair, brunette or blonde he would love her regardless. What he didn't appreciate so much was change. After five years of dating, (one of which they were engaged!) one tends to take such things for granted and after a millennia of searching for his princess whose well remembered features were so treasured it was imprinted on his soul, Endymion wasn't too happy with Minako either. When I become King he mused I'm assigning Minako to janitorial work! He let out a small chuckle at the thought of Minako in bright orange overalls, mop in hand.

'What's so funny?' she asked her big beautiful ocean blue eyes turned to him. Now THAT was something that would remain constant!

'Nothing!' he lied smiling down at her. GOD she was beautiful. He leaned down to kiss her softly and she rewarded him with a sigh.

No, nothing much had changed he had to admit her voice could still hypnotize him to do her bidding, her eyes could still drown him in their bottomless depths and her kisses still left him reeling and breathless.

xxxxxxxxxx

'Kami-sama! I thought Mamoru-san was going to collapse after he saw what you did with her hair!' Rei told Minako, laughter in her eyes. They had all convened back at the Hiwaka shrine. Usagi and Mamoru had claimed pressing wedding business, but the senshi knew they were probably just fooling around. It had been a week since their last bonding session and they had divested Usagi of her trademark odangos.

'I thought he was about ready to kill you when you suggested dying her hair.' Mako added. 'That was cruel!'

'She needed the change' was all Minako said, sharing an enigmatic smile with Ami. 'And anyway how do you know he doesn't like it? Maybe he was so happy he had no words.'

Sweatdrop

Sometimes Minako's twisted logic left them all with no words.

Just for the record... I LOVE Usagi's hair! It's pretty and unique and just soooo her; i just wanted to write a story where it got cut off ... :p ... go figure...