Now, don't rub your eyes in confusion. Yes, it is
me, Patch, here with a fic that I must've spent 5
months on. Once again, I feel like a newbie!!
But thanks to all who've continued to write me
encouraging e-mails. I loved reading all of them.
Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this fic. It takes
place during my favorite time period, pre-Crystal
Tokyo. Enjoy reading!
Patch:-)(-:
I Wish…
Author: Patch
E-mail: [email protected]
[email protected]
Rating: PG-13
Insert standard disclaimer here.
"I wish, I wish, I wish, I wish-"
"Is everything alright, Usako?"
Usagi's eyes snapped open and she smiled
widely, hoping that her husband wouldn't see the
anxiety in her eyes. "Everything's just fine, Mamo-chan."
"You sure?" He asked, frowning slightly, as he
came around the car to stand beside her.
Usagi nodded quickly, waving her hand in an
attempt to dismiss whatever it was that was bothering her.
"Don't worry," she replied, laughing slightly… maybe a
little nervously? "Let's just go, I'm sure we've kept our
parents waiting long enough."
She started to walk forward but hadn't taken two
steps when she felt a hand on her arm and felt herself being
whirled around. Her heart leapt and just for a moment, she
thought her wish had come true. She would be pulled flush
up against him, feeling the warmth of his skin radiating
towards hers. She would hear his husky voice, feel his
breath mingling with hers before his lips came down and-
"You don't have to hide it. I know there's something
wrong, Usako." The calm voice pulled her from her
daydream and Usagi fought back a sigh. Now, how was
she going to explain her little problem to him? She had
dropped so many hints already but the thick-headed man
she was proud to call husband just couldn't get a clue.
Maybe he didn't want to get a clue, a little, evil voice in her
mind chided. Now that was a depressing thought.
"Mamo-chan…" she began hesitantly. "Because we
just got married a few months ago and this is the first time
we'll be seeing my parents as newlyweds, there's a certain
way you've got to act."
"Act? How so?"
Usagi resisted the urge to whap Mamoru upside the
head. She needed him to act like a newly married man lusting
after his wife! That's what she wanted to say! This was her
'little' problem. And her husband seriously needed lessons
on it!
Oh, during their honeymoon, he had driven her crazy
with desire. There had been no problem then. A caress here
as they looked at something, a soft kiss there when she wasn't
looking. His arm had been wrapped around her wherever
they went. It had been wonderful. He had been the most
affectionate man ever and she had been delighted to see this
side of him. She had thought that because they were now
married he'd be more… loose.
How odd that sounded. But it was the only word she
could think of! However, as soon as the two had set foot on
the firm ground of Tokyo, Mamoru had reverted back to
being the man he was when they were dating. He was so
loving and passionate in private but in public, he offered
nothing more of himself than his hand. That was it. Holding
hands and maybe a quick kiss on the lips. He had closed
himself off again.
Usagi had thought it was her at first. Her heart had
been held in a painful grip for the first two weeks as she tried
to figure out what had gone wrong. But night after night, in
their bed, Mamoru had shown her there was nothing wrong
with her at all. He had *worshipped* her, she thought with a
slight blush. And one morning she had come to the realization
that it was just like Mamoru to not to be so affectionate. She
couldn't blame him for being uncomfortable with public
affection. He himself, hadn't been the object of much love and
caring for a very long time. And when the two had begun
dating, Usagi had been too much in love to really notice that
Mamoru wasn't the type to make out in front of others. Heck,
he couldn't even hold a kiss for longer than 30 seconds in a
dark movie theater! And that had not been a problem for
Usagi… until now.
She could still remember her father's words as they had
left the church on the wedding day.
"If I don't see him treat my little princess right, he'll have
much to pay."
He had been speaking to her mother, but Usagi had
heard them and remembered feeling a frisson of alarm. She
knew her father was quite serious and she was positive that,
just like her, he hadn't forgotten his words. Tsukino Kenji
was a very protective man, and that word, unfortunately,
didn't even begin to cover it. He had had an acute dislike for
Mamoru when he had been her boyfriend. During the period
of their engagement, that dislike had risen up a notch to bare
tolerance. The tension hadn't even elevated at their wedding.
Oh, her father had put on a tight smile for the sake of
propriety, but she had been standing next to Mamoru when
the two men had shook hands before the couple had left for
their honeymoon. She had seen that firm, probably punnshing,
grip her father had had on her husband's hand. She knew,
just as well as Mamoru, what it had meant.
"Usako? Usako?"
"Hmm?" She became aware of Mamoru's hands
cupping her shoulders and looked at him. He was obviously
concerned about her moment of blankness. She smiled
reassuringly and stepped up on her toes to give him a light
kiss. "Just thinking, that's all."
"That's good but you still haven't clarified."
"Clarified?" She looked at him, confused, before
realization dawned. "Oh. About the acting thing?" She felt
another sigh coming on and tamped it down. "Mamo-chan…
for your safety's sake, allow your passionate side to show
more, okay?"
"My… passionate side?"
"Yes, yes." Out of the corner of her eye, she saw
someone at the window of her parents' house. The gray
hair gave the person away. Her father was watching them.
Oh Kami, she had to do something. Something that would
convince her father that—
"This passionate side," she said quickly, pulling
Mamoru down to meet her in a most… loving kiss. Her
arms snaked up around his neck and she desperately hoped
her father was watching. It would keep him from cornering
Mamoru and interrogating him.
But life never works the way we want it to, ne?
"Usako…" Mamoru murmured between their lips,
before gently removing her arms from the back of his neck.
She could have cried right then and there. "What would your
parents think?" he admonished.
"Oh, I don't know, maybe that we're a couple madly
in love who can't keep their hands off each other?"
"Exactly. And your dad would have my head."
"No! No, he wouldn't! Surprisingly, he would do just
the opposite!" she argued as they walked up to the front door.
Mamoru looked at her doubtingly before ringing the
doorbell. The door flung open and her father stood there with
a wide, rather strained smile on his face.
"Usagi! Come in, come in!"
"It's good to see you Papa," Usagi said, smiling
brightly and walking forward to hug her father tightly. She
stepped to the side so that Mamoru could come inside and
waited to see what the two men would say to each other.
Kenji looked at his son-in-law with an assessing gaze
before sticking his hand out. "Welcome back," he said gruffly
as Mamoru took the proffered hand.
There was a quick moment of awkward silence before
Ikuko came out from the kitchen to greet them with a happy
and teary smile on her face.
"Usagi! Oh, you look so well, you're practically
glowing!" Her mom crushed her in her embrace and Usagi
wondered if it were her nervousness that was causing her to
glow. Her mother released her and then literally pulled
Mamoru into a hug.
Usagi saw the surprise in her husband's face having
been met with a slightly standoffish reception by her father
to a completely opposite one from her mother. But the
surprise quickly turned into happiness as Mamoru returned
the hug fully. Tears sprang to Usagi's eyes as she secretly
shared his joy, knowing that his quest to have a family was
halfway done. The other half would come when they had
their own child. Usagi, unconsciously placed her palm on
her stomach, her mind wandering into the future.
"Has he been treating you properly, Usagi?"
"Huh?" Usagi snapped out of her reverie and looked
at her father who had whispered the words. "Of course,
Papa! What would make you say such a thing?"
"I saw the way he pushed you away, Usagi. No man
is going to reject my daughter's affection in front of others like
that. I'll set him straight for you."
"Oh Kami, no." Usagi's face lost all color and she
grabbed her father's arm. "You don't have to do that. Mamoru
didn't really push me away, he's just a bit embarrassed, that's
all and—eeps! Papa! That's not what I meant!"
Usagi had to forcibly hold her father back as he started
forward, his face turning a mottle red. She mentally whapped
herself upside the head for saying such a stupid thing. She really
had to remember be more careful in the future.
"He dares to be embarrassed by your actions? Is he
ashamed of you then? I told you he wasn't good for you, Usagi.
He doesn't deserve you!"
"Kenji! What are you growling about now? Come into
the living room already! Usagi, you too. I've made your favorite
dish for dinner but it's still in the oven. We're waiting for Shingo
to come home from school."
Usagi and her father joined Mamoru and Ikuko in the
living room. Kenji gave Mamoru a pointed glare and Usagi,
seeing it, distracted her father by asking him how his job was.
Shingo came in only a little while later and the family sat down
to dinner. The evening went smoothly and as the time came for
her and Mamoru to leave, Usagi allowed herself a sigh of
relief that her father had not said anything more embarrassing.
Although there had been many suspicious looks and frowns
directed toward her husband.
But of course, although a short moment of time may run
smoothly, the rest of it does have its bumps and pits.
As they walked to the car, Mamoru and her mother
walked up ahead, while Usagi kept pace with her father as they
lagged behind a bit.
"You just tell me if he doesn't show his love to you,
Usagi. I want grandbabies and if he isn't going to give them to
you, then we'll find you another man."
"Papa!" Usagi squeaked, her cheeks flaming a bright
red. Mamoru and Ikuko turned around, both with quizzical
looks on their faces. Both father and daughter returned the
looks with tight smiles.
Mamoru opened the door for Usagi before getting
into his side and Kenji tapped the closed window to get
Usagi's attention. She sighed noisily, wondering if her father
was not just a bit obsessed in his dislike for Mamoru.
"You just tell me, Usagi. You're my princess and
deserved to be treated like one in *all* aspects."
Usagi smiled and nodded and as they pulled away
from the curb, she groaned and covered her face with her
hands.
"What was your father talking to you about?"
Mamoru asked curiously.
She turned to look at him and decided to give the
truth. Maybe that would push her husband in the right
direction.
"He saw us outside today and when he saw us kiss,
he—"
"Oh no!" Mamoru groaned, gripping the steering
wheel hard with one hand and using the other to hit his
forehead. "I knew I shouldn't have let myself get carried
away like that!"
"But Mamo-chan, you didn't get carried away!"
However, Mamoru continued on. "No wonder he
was giving me those dirty looks. He doesn't want me near
you, Usako. If I even so much lay my hand on you he'll
be mailing us divorce papers so fast…"
"No, Mamo-chan! That's not the way-"
"Usako, I am so sorry for kissing you. I swear, it
won't happen again, at least in public. If I do, the Fates
might be cruel and your father would pop up behind us
with a chainsaw in his hands."
"No! That's not… argh!" Usagi hit the side of her
head against the window. How had things gone from 0 to
–500 so quickly? It was bad enough that Mamoru was
shy to show some sort of affection in public but she had
been somewhat grateful for what she got. But now he
had just sworn off anything more than holding hands!
They drove the rest of the way home in silence
but when the two stood in the elevator as it prepared to
ascend, Usagi couldn't keep quiet anymore.
"Mamo-chan?" she asked turning to him, a small
hint of panic in her voice. "If you're not going to kiss me in
public, does that mean you won't kiss me at all?"
Her husband looked at her and she didn't have to
wait too long for an answer. In a matter of seconds, she
found herself up against a corner of the elevator, Mamoru's
body pressed against hers, her hands between them, up
against his chest. His hands were at either side of her head,
trapping her quite effectively.
"M-Mamo-chan?" Usagi squeaked questioningly,
wondering at how and when a new person had entered
Mamoru's body.
His smile was completely wicked when he looked
at her, causing a shiver to travel from her neck, right down
to the tips of her toes. "Being in an elevator isn't too public,
is it?"
She shook her head quickly, wondering what he
was up to.
"Then I suppose I could concede to kissing you in
places like this." Before she could respond, his lips had
come down on hers in a hard kiss. She didn't think she
could have even formed a response using words. The only
response she could think of was the one where she used
her lips to kiss him back. Opening her mouth under his, she
let their tongues duel as her hands crept up his chest and
up around his neck.
His own hands left their positions on the wall and
cupped her shoulders before traveling down her body to
hold her by the waist. He leaned in more and she began to
feel a curl of warmth deep from within her spread
throughout her entire being.
"Mamo-chan…" she moaned, her fingers curling
into the silky hair at his nape. If her husband could be like
this everyday, anywhere, anytime, she would fall to her
knees and weep with joy.
"I wish…" she breathed between kisses.
"What do you wish for, Usako?" Mamoru's husky
voice whispered across her senses, causing her to shiver
again. His lips moved from hers to travel across her cheek
and then downwards where he pressed a searing kiss to
the place where her pulse could be seen rapidly beating.
Then he went sideways, nuzzling his face in the crook
between her neck and shoulder, nipping at the skin as
she gasped with pleasure.
"I wish…" she began to whisper.
"Tell me, Usako," he said, lifting his head back
up to press another kiss against her already swollen lips.
I wish you could be like this every moment, she
thought inwardly. Her tongue was too busy to form
anything vocal.
The sound of a light 'ding' suddenly interrupted
them and Mamoru quickly broke away from her. The
doors had parted and there stood a little old lady, a
neighbor on their floor actually, her mouth open, her
shopping bags having fallen to the floor. She recovered
from her shock and then took a step back slowly,
allowing the doors to close again.
"Oh god, we were still in the main lobby!"
Mamoru burst out.
Usagi shot a glance towards Mamoru and was
not surprised to see the embarrassment clearly written
across his face, one hand thrust in his hair. He looked at
her then and gave her an embarrassed smile. She smiled
back.
"I swear that won't happen again. I swear it."
Her smile fell away.
Later on that night, in some neighborhood of Tokyo,
a cackle broke the silent night air. It was a laugh of glee; a
laugh full of anticipation of what was to come.
"Minako! You sound like a witch when you do that,"
came the irritated male reply.
"Shut up, Artemis." The sound of a whap could be
heard, followed by the yowl of a cat flying through the air.
"Let me have my fun, will you? I am the Senshi of Love and
Beauty after all and Usagi needs to learn a thing or two
about one of the most misunderstood emotions of all time!"
As the morning sun rose into the blue sky, Usagi
slowly came awake, her head automatically turning as her
eyes searched out the form of her husband. As usual, he
wasn't there, probably having gotten up at some
godforsaken hour early in the morning.
Turning her head back around, she sniffed the air
and then smiled as she stretched under the light sheets.
Mamoru had gotten up early to make her favorite
breakfast. She got up, washed and dressed and then
headed out to the kitchen. Mamoru was sitting at the
small dining table, his back turned to her as he read his
morning paper, a mug of coffee close at hand.
Walked up behind him, she leaned down and
kissed his cheek. "Mamo-chan, you shouldn't have," she
murmured, before straightening and taking her seat next to
him.
As she began to eat, he began to speak. "I thought
that since it was such a nice day out, we could take a walk.
They've opened up a new exhibit on a special breed of
rare roses at the park's greenhouse. I thought it'd be a nice
way to spend our afternoon, unless you've got something
planned?"
Usagi paused in mid-bite half tempted to tell him
she had to go shopping with the girls. But the expectant
look on Mamoru's face had her pushing that thought aside.
Any time spent with Mamoru was time well spent, she
told herself firmly.
A couple of hours later, Usagi was debating on
whether or not her husband had possibly drugged
breakfast so that she would have been out of her senses
and unable to say no to his idea of an outing. Standing in
front of a pot that held a small sprout, she decided that
Mamoru had indeed slipped something into her hot
chocolate. She really did not understand how she could
have agreed to coming here when it was a perfect day
for a trip to the mall.
And the fact that Mamoru was acting as though
he were on his first date was certainly not helping! There
had been no stolen kisses on the way to the greenhouse,
no whispering in her ear to tell her how beautiful she was
this morning, no being hugged close to his side, nothing!
Just a simple holding of hands, with his palms becoming
sweaty if they saw someone that looked remotely like
her father.
She knew for sure that the Fates were laughing
at her predicament.
Rolling her eyes, she looked at the next pot that
held the same plant. The clay containers had been set up
so that visitors could see each growth stage of the
acclaimed rose that was on exhibit. Usagi had tried
reading its name. The language had been English, the
letters were from the English alphabet but the way those
letters had been put together made it impossible for one
to actually pronounce them in English.
She finally reached the brown pot that held the
rose in full bloom. It was a pretty flower, its hue a unique
color of a dusty mauve with purplish edges at each petal.
She leaned in to take a closer look, interested by the
way the two colors blended together.
"Fascinating."
She heard Mamoru's voice behind her and
mumbled out an agreement.
"Beautiful."
She nodded her head this time, wondering why
he was talking with one-word sentences.
"Sexy."
Usagi's eyes widened and she whipped around
to see Mamoru grinning at her.
"Excuse me?" Looking around wildly, she
wondered if anyone had heard that last word. Thankfully,
since it was around lunchtime, most of the people had
left to go outside to picnic on the green lawns of the
park.
"Sexy, Usako."
If possible, her eyes widened even more. She
wasn't quite sure if he had repeated the word for her
hearing benefit or if he had attached the word to her
name, calling her sexy.
"Ano… Mamo-chan?"
He stepped closer to her, unnaturally closer…
at least for him. "Yes, Usako?"
"Are you okay?"
He blinked at that. "Why wouldn't I be okay?"
She stared at him in disbelief. He was asking why? He
had just used a word that he used in the privacy of
their apartment. A word she had only heard him use
when he wanted to… her cheeks reddened. Oh dear.
Mamoru didn't want to…?
Usagi mentally slapped herself. Of course, he
didn't! Where was her thinking going? Down the gutter,
it seemed. This was Chiba Mamoru standing in front of
her, her husband. Not Don Juan, public seducer of
women everywhere. There was a difference.
She watched him as he slowly reached out
his hand, his fingers curled slightly as though they would
cup something, like her face. Her breath quickened as
his grin softened into a smile that had her toes curling in
her shoes.
His hand came closer and closer. His face drew
nearer and nearer. She closed her eyes and waited.
And waited some more. Her eyes opened and she nearly
wept when she turned her head and realized he had
cupped the rose bloom behind her and was currently
inhaling its fragrance.
Figures, she thought with disappointment. Next
to her, roses were Mamoru's secret passion. And the
way he was stroking those petals, the flower could have
easily been his secret lover. Her mouth dropped open at
the direction of her thoughts. But it was really true! Her
mind was not in the gutter this time! He was caressing the
darn flower as if its petals were a woman's skin. And
she would know since she knew how his fingers moved
across her own skin.
"Mamo-chan?"
"Usako, have you ever noticed how soft the
petals of a rose are?" He didn't wait for an answer and
continued to speak. "They're smooth, silky and cool to the
touch no matter how hot the temperature. Just to stroke
them brings forth pleasurable sensations, don't you think?
They do remind me of something familiar."
Usagi didn't know how to breathe. She had
forgotten completely. Her husband was still very close to
her and the last of his words had been whispered right next
to her ear, stirring the short strands of hair there. If she
moved, she knew she would break into pieces.
And then she felt his lips on the skin of her bare
shoulder. It was the barest of kisses but it was enough. She
hadn't moved, yet she was falling apart. Usagi grabbed
onto his forearms to hold herself up and found herself
struggling to understand what had come over her husband.
This couldn't be Mamoru, the man who'd rather hug a child
in public rather than her!
"Oy! You two! This isn't a make-out party for
teenagers!"
A park officer had spotted them and Usagi felt
herself go beet-red in embarrassment. She heard Mamoru
sigh and then take a step away from her. "Let's go,
Usako."
They walked outside and left the park. They
headed for the downtown area of Tokyo and walked along
the sidewalks. Mamoru remained silent all throughout and
Usagi wondered if what had happened in the greenhouse
had been a figment of her imagination. Maybe it was the
overwhelming scent of roses that had befuddled her senses.
Yes, that was it. The unconscious part of her mind must
have come up with that scene as a reflection of what she
really wanted from Mamoru.
She sighed. If it had all been a dream, it had been
a pretty good one. Even now she could feel herself shiver
as she remembered the way her husband's lips had
touched her sensitive skin. Apparently, Mamoru had felt
the slight tremble run through her body because he looked
down at her with a raised eyebrow.
"Cold?"
She nodded and then shook her head quickly.
"Yes… I mean, no. Oh, never mind." Her eyes widened
when they fell upon one of the newest clothing boutiques
that had opened up recently. "Mamo-chan, we have to
go there!" She exclaimed, pointing. "I've heard so many
good things about it! You don't have anything else to do,
do you, Mamo-chan? Please say you'll come with me!"
Mamoru stood with an uncertain look on his face.
He looked at the store and then at his wife. Back at the
store again, and then at Usagi once more. Slowly, he
nodded. "Sure, Usako. Let's go."
She squealed in pure delight. "Thank you,
Mamo-chan!" She grabbed him and pulled him in for a
fierce hug. Passer-bys smiled at what they thought was a
publicly affectionate couple. And it was then that Usagi
realized Mamoru didn't like public displays of affection.
She began to pull away, her mouth already turning
downwards at the corners as the realization hit her.
But then she felt Mamoru's arms go around her
and her world tilted. Before she could even let out a yelp
of surprise, Mamoru had captured her lips with his. The
kiss was hard and quick but contained enough heat to
start a brush fire. But Usagi never got to return the kiss,
because Mamoru suddenly ended the kiss and brought
her back up from her bent- over-backwards position.
"You're welcome, Usako." He flashed her a
smile that sent her sputtering in disbelief.
"Oh… God! You… you did not just do that!"
He stared at him blankly. "Do what?" His tone was so
innocent and it had her narrowing her eyes menacingly.
"Don't deny it, Mamo-chan! You just… you just…" she
waved her arms wildly, words escaping her.
"Kissed you?"
"Yes!" she burst out. "You kissed me! How
could you do that?"
His blue eyes darkened a little with hurt. "Are
you saying that you'd rather I not do that again? If that's
how you feel then I'll comply with your wishes. I
understand if you don't want me embarrassing you like
that again. We better hurry otherwise that store will
close."
"Huh? What?" Usagi was trying to get a grasp
of the conversation she had somehow missed but
Mamoru had already taken hold of her hand and they
were now crossing the street to get to the store she
wanted to go to.
She was confused. Very, very confused.
Mamoru didn't like to do anything 'lovey-dovey' in
public. And after that dinner with her parents, he had
vowed never to even think about doing such things in
public. But today… today just seemed to be a day
from another dimension! Was he now actually feeling
hurt because he thought she didn't want him to kiss her?
She felt a headache coming on. Things were simply not
adding up when it came to Mamoru. As if they ever
did, she thought dryly.
"Mamo-chan?" They had somehow wound up in
the section for evening wear and were standing in front
of some beautiful dresses that were just waiting for
someone to wear them. And Usagi was not immune. That
carnal part of her that desired to touch the fabric and do
some unnecessary spending was overtaking her senses
but she had to understand what was going on with her
husband. Resolutely, she slapped back that feminine Id of
hers and focused on Mamoru.
"Hmm?"
She saw that his attention was focused on the
dress behind her and feeling slightly annoyed and still a bit
confused, she planted her hands on her hips and tapped
her foot impatiently.
"Usako, I think this dress would look great on you."
"Mamo-chan! You're purposely trying to avoid the
subject. I know you'd rather throw your wallet into the
ocean before buying me that dress."
"I would not," he retorted. "And I'm not avoiding
anything."
"Yes, you are," Usagi insisted. "Look, I didn't really
mean what I said back there. I just wasn't expecting that
kiss and it sort of took me by surprise and-"
Mamoru's hand suddenly shot out and cupped the
back of her neck. He pulled her towards him and Usagi saw
his head bending towards hers and closed her eyes, expecting
another earth-shattering kiss. But none came and when she
slowly opened her eyes, she gasped upon finding Mamoru's
face so close to hers, that she could feel his breath on her skin.
He tilted his head slightly to the side as if ready to close in and
at the last moment, he whispered, "Like this?"
"Like… like what?" she asked shakily. What was he
doing? Her mind was running in overdrive trying to figure out
his actions and no answer had shown itself to her yet.
"Were you surprised like this?" His fingers rubbed her
neck, massaging the area.
"I really can't remember at the moment," she
whispered in reply. His lips were so tantalizingly close. If she
moved the slightest bit forward, she could kiss him and end
this sweet torture.
"Usagi? Is that you?"
And so begins a different kind of torture.
Usagi whirled around with a strained smile on her face,
her skin tinged red with embarrassment. "Papa, what are you
doing here?"
Her father looked around as he spoke. "Shopping
with your mother. She's around here somewhere, looking for
a dress for that dinner event we have to go to tomorrow night.
What are you two doing here?" he asked, finally turning to look
at them.
"Just looking around, having a good time," Usagi
quickly answered, looking up to her husband with a smile that
said to play along.
Her father looked Mamoru up and down before
speaking. "I hope you're giving my little princess everything
she wants," he said, a challenge evident in his voice as he
looked at Mamoru. Usagi stopped herself from clutching her
head and screaming. When would her father ever leave
Mamoru alone?
Mamoru answered the challenge smoothly. "Of
course, Kenji-san." He pulled out the dress that he had been
looking at earlier. "Usagi fell in love with this dress the
moment she saw it and I thought, why not? Only the best for
my beautiful wife."
"Mamo-chan!" Usagi squawked. The dress was
gorgeous but outrageously expensive! What was he thinking?
He looked at her, smiled and kissed her firmly on the lips. She
blinked.
"Only the best," he murmured before he walked off
to the cash register to buy the dress.
"That's not what I meant when I said I hoped he was
giving you everything you wanted," Kenji grumbled. Usagi
shot her father a glare.
"Why did you have to say anything in the first place?"
she asked. "He's now buying that outrageously expensive
dress because you put him up to it." She didn't want to
admit that that little feminine Id of hers was doing happy
cartwheels at the moment. So, she huffed out an angry breath
and looked away. "Men. I will never understand any of you."
She saw her mother approaching them and waved to her.
"Usagi! You're here too? Have you bought anything
yet? No? Then you must have lunch with us before you start
shopping! Where's Mamoru?"
"Right over here," Mamoru answered, stepping up to
the group of three. He held up the garment bag that held the
dress and smiled. "And we have done some shopping."
"Oh, you must show me over lunch!" Ikuko grabbed
her husband's arm and led the way out of the store to the
food court.
Usagi and Mamoru followed, although at a slower pace.
Usagi looked at Mamoru and shook her head. "Mamo-chan,
you shouldn't have done that."
"Do what? I know you wanted the dress." He wrapped
an arm around her waist and brought her close to his side. She
felt him press an affectionate kiss to the side of her head and
blinked once more. That had been a very un-Mamoru move.
And her father was only a few feet in front of them! Shouldn't
Mamoru be feeling a bit hesitant to even stand next to her?
But no, here she was, pressed up to his side and he
had just given her a kiss. In fact, hadn't he kissed her quickly
before going off to pay for the dress? How impulsive had that
been? She wanted to tear her hair out and scream! Confusion
ran rampant in her mind. Connections in her brain were short-
circuiting as they tried to put two and two together and came
up with five. What was going on?!
It was a few hours later when the couples parted way
and she and Mamoru went home with an invitation from her
mother to attend the dinner the following night. Usagi had most
graciously accepted. What better opportunity to show off her
new dress?
They did manage to have a rather uneventful lunch with
her parents. Uneventful meaning Mamoru didn't try anything
on her. No kisses, no flirting, no wicked grins and winks.
Nothing. He acted quite… normal. And surprisingly, Usagi
was relieved.
She couldn't understand why. Ordinarily, in the privacy
of their own home, if Mamoru did any of those things her senses
would ignite instantly and she would love every moment of his
attention. But when today ended quietly after the most
interesting afternoon, Usagi wasn't disappointed. It was very
odd. And she fell asleep that night with a small, confused frown
on her face, not understanding very much.
"You know, it's not right for you to have a glowing
crystal ball like that. Those things are reserved for witches. And
you are not a witch… unless you count the times when the
manicurist cancels your appointments."
"Do be quiet, Artemis," Minako said matter-of-factly,
an unholy grin on her face as she peered at the image in front of
her.
"And another thing, you shouldn't be spying on your
future Queen, it just isn't done!"
"Shut up, Artemis!" For the second night in a row, the
white cat went flying through the air, yowling as he went. And
for the second straight night, a witch-like cackle could be heard
echoing in the silent night, causing shivers for those who heard it.
"Soon, Usagi-chan, soon. The truth you shall see and
then all will be revealed!"
Artemis: -.-;;
"Medieval sorceress you aren't."
It wasn't until 1 pm the next afternoon that mischievous
Mamoru struck again. They were walking down the many steps
of Rei's temple after having met with her and her grandfather.
Suddenly, Usagi stepped forward the wrong way, causing her
ankle to twist. She fell backwards, landing on her bottom on
one of the steps.
Mamoru was down with her in an instant, looking
over her in concern.
"I'm okay, Mamo-chan. Just took a small fall, that's
all. It's my clumsy, old self showing through," she reassured
him with an embarrassed chuckle.
"Are you sure your ankle isn't hurting?" He reached
out a hand to touch the ankle and frowned when he saw her
wince. "It does hurt, doesn't it?"
"Not much, just a little. I don't think it's anything
really serious. The muscle just feels a little pulled." She felt
his hands massage the hurting area and tilted her head back,
holding back the hiss of pain she wanted to let out. She was
fine, really, but if Mamoru saw her pain he would insist they
stay home tonight and forget about the dinner. And that she
wouldn't have! Not when she had an opportunity to wear
that dress.
Usagi didn't notice when his hand went a little higher
and began caressing the back of her shin. She was too busy
enjoying the warmth of the sun high above them. She did
notice however, when Mamoru suddenly leaned in close to
her, bent his head and kissed her throat.
"Mamo-chan!" Her hand automatically went to
clasp the back of his head but his next words stopped her
from pushing him away and had her mouth opening in a
small 'o'.
"You taste so… warm, Usako." She felt the light
touch of his tongue at the base of her throat where her pulse
was already beating erratically. His arms squeezed her
closer and she gasped, not knowing what to do. Should she
die here of pleasure or of mortal embarrassment?
"Usagi-chan! What in the name of all things holy do
you think you're doing? This is a holy site!" Rei's screeching
had Usagi deciding very quickly what she should be dying
of: mortal embarrassment.
She quickly sat up, wincing when the top of Mamoru's
head connected with her chin as he tried to get up. She closed
her eyes and cringed expectantly when she heard the sound of
footsteps coming down the many stairs of the temple.
"Usagi-chan! Can't you at least control your hormones
until you get off of a sacred site? Grandpa would have a heart
attack if he saw you like this!"
"Me? What about Mamo-chan? He's the one who
started it all!" Usagi stood up pointing to where Mamoru
*should* have been standing. But when she saw Rei roll her
eyes, she turned to glare at Mamoru and found that he wasn't
there anymore. She whirled around and found him jogging
down the rest of the stairs.
"Mamo-chan!"
"I'm just going to bring the car around!" He yelled,
waving at the two women as he disappeared around a street
corner.
"Really, Usagi-chan. The other visitors will complain if
they see such a public display of affection. Now I know you're
my best friend and all but…
Usagi listened to her friend go on and on with gritted
teeth. She would kill her husband for deserting her at such an
embarrassing moment. The sound of a honk brought her out
of her murderous thoughts and she looked to see Mamoru
waiting for her in their car at the bottom of the stairs. She
turned to Rei and interrupted her.
"Rei-chan, I'm really sorry. It won't happen again,
don't you worry about that. See you later!"
Quickly going down the steps, she waved back to her
friend who could only shake her head and then wave back
with a smile on her face. Usagi returned the smile and upon
reaching the car, got inside and slammed the door closed.
"What's wrong?"
"What's wrong?!" Usagi sputtered in outrage. "I'll tell
you what's wrong! That little make-out session we had back
there was completely wrong! Rei-chan would have
decapitated me if she had been in a bad mood and notice
how I say me, not you *and* me. She completely blamed me
and thought I was the one who couldn't control my hormones.
I didn't even get a chance to correct her. It was you, not me,
who couldn't control their hormones," she ended, crossing
her arms and looking away.
"If I remember correctly, you had no problems with
my loss of control," Mamoru replied sarcastically. "And I
don't understand this sudden shyness of yours. You've never
had a problem with our little make-out sessions, as you call
it, in public before. Why are you so prim and proper now?"
"What?!" Usagi gaped at him. Quite literally. Her
mouth hung open and she found herself speechless. She
struggled to find her voice and some semblance of
understanding. "Are you saying that I'm acting prim and
proper?" she asked, pointing to herself. "You're the one
who's always been shy. You're the one who's never wanted
to show any sort of displays of public affection. You're
always afraid that my father will pop up somewhere and
come after you with a shotgun!"
"Usako," Mamoru began patiently, "if I were afraid
of your father popping up at any moment, would I do this?"
His free hand suddenly shot out, pulling her to him and he
gave her a hard, quick kiss, slowly pulling away with
smaller kisses.
"Mamo-chan…" Usagi murmured, feeling almost
hazy when she suddenly remembered they were still on the
road. "You're driving!"
"It's a red light," he answered, pulling back to sit
properly in his seat once more.
Usagi looked and sure enough, they were stopped
at a red light that now turned green. She hadn't even
realized that they had stopped or how close they were to
the apartment complex; Mamoru's declaration that she was
prim and proper had so stunned her. Had aliens kidnapped
her real husband and replaced him with this… this Don
Juan?!
"Usako, are you sure you aren't pregnant?"
"What?!" It was then that her senses failed on her
and she blacked out. It was all just too much.
Someone was deliberately holding open her eye and
flashing a beam of light into it. If she could, she would have
lifted her hands and strangled the person. But at the moment
she felt quite lethargic and was unable to find the strength to do
anything but make a small whimpering noise.
"You're awake!" The light was instantly taken away and
blinking a few times, she focused on the face in front of her. She
would have to strangle her husband then.
"Mamo-chan?"
"You fainted as soon as we pulled into the car garage.
I had to carry you up to the apartment and nearly called an
ambulance when I realized I was a doctor myself." He smiled a
goofy grin, before stroking back a few hairs from her face. "You
had me real worried there for a moment," he said softly. "I
seriously think you should take one of those test things and see if
you're –"
"I'm not pregnant!" She shot up and glared at Mamoru.
"And you're not my Mamo-chan!"
He looked at her as if she had grown two heads. Make
that three. Turning away from her, he walked towards the kitchen.
"Maybe we shouldn't go to that dinner tonight. We could call up
your parents and cancel if you're not feeling well."
The dinner! She had almost forgotten about that. They
couldn't cancel out on that! She had a dress to show off, darnit!
Usagi swung her legs off the sofa Mamoru had laid her on
and got up. With a bright smile on her face she took one step
forward. Her husband simply looked at her.
"I am just fine," she announced to him and took another
step forward… promptly banging her shin against the corner of the
coffee table that sat in front of the sofa. She began to hop around
a bit, rubbing her injured leg. Her husband continued to look at
her, this time with one eyebrow raised.
"We are going to that dinner!"
There was a sigh, some muttering, and then, "As you
wish, Usako."
They arrived on time at the hotel where the function was
to take place. Walking under large chandeliers laden with crystals,
they strode across the red plush carpet to the hall where the
dinner was being held. It was to be a fundraising event, raising
money and awareness for shelters and orphanages in need. It
was something the couple was most happy to attend.
"Usagi, Mamoru! Over here!"
The two turned in the direction of Ikuko's voice and made
their way over to where Usagi's parents sat. Mamoru sat next to
her mother while Usagi joined her father who sat across from his
wife.
"Usagi, you look absolutely beautiful in that dress! You
picked that one out, didn't you, Mamoru? He made an excellent
choice, don't you think Kenji?"
Kenji mumbled out an answer and then turned to Usagi.
"Would you like to dance, my dear? I haven't danced with you
since your wedding."
"I'd be delighted, Papa," Usagi answered, standing up
with her father. The two went out onto the area set aside for
dancing and joined the other couples. It was only a minute later
that Mamoru and Ikuko joined them also on the floor. Usagi
watched as Mamoru spun her mother outward, twirled her back
in and then dipped her. She giggled at her mother's blushing face
and shook her head at Mamoru who chuckled and winked at
Ikuko.
"He's making me look like an old man who can't have
fun with his wife," Kenji grumbled. Usagi looked at her father
and rolled her eyes. "Papa, you're the one who asked me to
dance first."
"Would you like to switch, Kenji-san?" Mamoru asked,
overhearing the small conversation. The two men exchanged
places and Usagi found herself in her husband's familiar embrace.
"He just wishes he could be as young as you,
Mamo-chan." Usagi said reassuringly, trying her best to explain
why her father was acting the way he was.
"It's okay, Usako. I understanding what you're saying
because as an older man, he can't kiss his wife in public so
passionately as a younger man like myself could."
"Right," Usagi agreed, nodding her head… until what
Mamoru had said sunk in. "Oh no. No, no, no," she said,
shaking her head. "Mamo-chan… eep!"
She stiffened, expecting an all out, open, hot kiss that
would cause her blush down to the very tips of her toes but
suddenly, he pulled away from her.
"What's wrong?"
She blinked and looked at him in confusion. "What do
you mean?"
"You just stiffened up." He frowned and then shook
his head after a moment. "I must have imagined it. I know my
kissing you in public would never embarrass you."
She could feel her face getting hot. "Of course not!"
she said, laughing nervously. "I would never… be…
embarrassed…" She ducked her head and pretended to cough,
hoping he wouldn't be able to see the lie in her eyes.
The music stopped and a middle-aged man walked
out onto the stage in front of the orchestra. After asking
everyone to take their seats, he began speaking about the
purpose of the night's event, where the money was going and
the accomplishments that the shelters and orphanages had
already achieved. There were several other speakers lined up
to speak after him and the waiters began coming around to
serve the dinner.
Every now and then, Usagi would look over to her
husband to see his reaction to the speeches and was glad to
see that he was listening attentively. When the last presenter
came up, she looked over again and nearly dropped her fork
when she saw that Mamoru was looking at her also. His
gaze was intense but there was a mischievous light shining in
his eyes. A light that meant he was up to something.
His lips slowly turned upwards in a smile and she
smiled back, wondering what he would do. She had no idea
that under the table, one pant clad leg was reaching out to
stroke another leg. A leg that turned out to be another pant
clad leg. Up, went the first pant clad leg. And then down.
Over and over, in a teasing caress.
But hold on just a minute. Isn't Usagi wearing a
dress?
Meanwhile, sitting next to Usagi, Kenji's face also
broke out into a wide smile. He looked over at his wife
fondly, but she was playing the innocent. She seemed to be
paying attention to the last speaker but he knew better. His
smile growing wider, he played along with her game.
Under the table, the two pant clad legs turned and
twisted like the necks of two swans coming together in an
age-old mating game. Up and down they went, ever so
slowly. Intertwining one way. Intertwining the other way.
The two legs would have continued in their secret
dance however, the second pant clad leg suddenly stilled.
"Ikuko, dear, I never knew you had such muscular
calves," Kenji whispered across the table.
His wife turned to him, confusion apparent in her
expression. "What are you talking about, Kenji? And why
aren't you listening to Hiro-san? His speech about the need
for more women's shelters is wonderful."
As Ikuko spoke, Kenji paled. His wife genuinely
sounded confused. If that were the case…. He quickly
lifted the white tablecloth and peered down.
"Dear God!"
Everyone turned their heads at this rude
interruption to see one very red faced man standing,
breathing as though he had just run five miles.
"What the hell do you think you were doing?" he
whispered fiercely to Mamoru, his hands on the table, his
figure bent towards the younger man so that no one else
around could hear. "How dare you pretend to be my
wife!"
"What?!" This exclamation came from Ikuko,
Usagi and Mamoru.
"How dare you play footsies with me?! That is
something I play with my wife only!"
"What?!?!" Again, this exclamation came from
the same three people.
A coughing from the stage brought everyone's
attention back around to the front. The last speaker
stood there, tapping his foot patiently. Kenji smiled,
although it was a very strained smile, and slowly sat down.
"What nonsense is this, Kenji? Why are you
yelling at Mamoru?" Ikuko asked, after the speaker had
begun to talk again. She glared at her husband, her eyes
demanding answers.
"He was playing footsies with me!" Kenji
declared, pointing a finger at his son-in-law who was
growing paler by the moment. Ikuko giggled and then
patted Kenji's other hand. "Well, I'm sure you two men
had lots of fun. But, since it's over and done with
don't be all in a huff, Kenji. It was just a slight
misunderstanding," Ikuko said, coughing to cover her
laughter.
But it wasn't over for Usagi. She looked over at
Mamoru, noticed his pale face and felt a pit of dread
grow within her stomach.
"Mamo-chan, can I speak to you for a moment?"
He nodded and the two left the table and walked out to
the reception area. They found a quiet corner, away
from the other couples who milled around.
"I can't believe that was your father's foot all that
time! I think I'm going to be sick," Mamoru groaned,
slapping his hand over his forehead.
"Mamo-chan, what were you thinking? Do you
know how much you've embarrassed my parents?"
"I wasn't thinking to embarrass anyone, Usako,"
Mamoru snapped. "I only wanted to have a little fun with
you. And your mother found the situation quite funny if I
recall correctly. Your father's ego was just a bit wounded.
If I were to guess, I'd say you were the one the most
embarrassed."
Usagi opened her mouth to deny that but then
stopped. "Fine, fine. I am embarrassed. But how else
should I feel?" she exclaimed defensively.
"Oh, I don't know, maybe a little bit more
understanding? You don't seem to get the fact that I was
only trying to bring a smile to your face. That's all I've
wanted to do these past two days but every time I take
one step towards you, you take two steps back. I don't
know why you're acting like this but if you don't want
my attentions, why don't you just wish for a more timid
man than myself. A man who doesn't show his affections
toward you like I do."
Usagi froze and watched as Mamoru walked out
of the lobby to stand outside. She watched as he spoke
to a couple of men who were standing outside to smoke.
Her eyes were wide as her mind went back to that night
in the elevator. She had made a wish. A wish for Mamoru
to be more affectionate in public. And she had gotten her
wish. But how?
"Moon to Usagi-chan." A hand waved in front of
her and she blinked. Yelping, she jumped back in surprise
when she saw Minako standing in front of her, holding
Artemis in her arms.
"Minako-chan! What are you doing here?"
"Acting way too witch-like for my comfort," Artemis
answered, looking very disgruntled. "And Minako, that's
'Earth to Usagi-chan'. Not 'Moon to Usagi-chan'."
"Whatever," Minako replied, rolling her eyes. I got
Usagi-chan to notice me, didn't I? And now we have to help
her out a bit. I think she looks very lost, don't you think?
People are beginning to stare at her in concern."
"Well, this is all your fault. And they're not staring at
her. They're staring at you. Women usually don't talk to cats
in public. But then again, you are blonde, so- ow!"
"Shut up, Artemis! You really should learn to be-"
"Will someone please tell me what exactly is going on
before I throw something at someone?!"
Usagi found that her hands were hands were clenching
and unclenching. She wanted some answers. Now.
"Oh, right, right! That's what we came here for, didn't
we Artemis?" Not waiting for the cat to answer, she continued
on. "Well Usagi-chan, aren't you happy with the results?
Mamoru-san is everything you wanted him to be, isn't he?
Not only does he show his love for you in private, but he's
quite the stud in public," she finished, fluttering her eyelashes
suggestively.
"You're responsible for him behaving like this?" Usagi
was astounded. So she wasn't going crazy after all. And she
wasn't pregnant! "How did you do it? And tell me quick
before I kill you."
"Oh, just a little love spell I conjured up," Minako
answered airily, wiggling her fingers. "It was quite effective,
wouldn't you say?"
"Take it off! I want you to return Mamo-chan back to
his normal self," Usagi commanded.
"Whatever for? Don't you like this new Mamo-chan?
He is what you wished for."
"But…" She found herself at a loss for words. She
looked at Mamoru, who still stood outside, and felt a pang
of guilt. Turning back to her friend, she sighed. "You're right,
Minako-chan. I did wish for Mamo-chan to be more
affectionate outside of our bedroom. But… but that's not the
man I fell in love with. I fell in love with Mamo-chan because
he wasn't affectionate like that. He was different from all the
other guys. Maybe the fact that we're destined has
something to do with it, but I've realized I love Mamo-chan
just the way he was. I can't believe I'd be so ungrateful as to
ask for him to be someone he isn't. He's perfect just the way
he is… or at least supposed to be. Quiet, maybe a little bit
reserved, but full of love for me." Taking a deep breath, she
said quietly, "I want the old Mamo-chan back, Minako-chan."
Minako nodded in understanding. She smiled and
hugged her friend with one arm. "Then go to him, Usagi-chan.
He's waiting out there for you."
Usagi nodded and walked outside. Standing behind
her husband, she tentatively reached out a hand and touched
his shoulder. He whirled around and smiled upon seeing her.
"Usako! You know, I can't remember exactly why I
came out here. Isn't that strange? I think I must've needed
fresh air and probably lost track of time talking to those men."
"That was probably it, Mamo-chan." She suddenly
hugged him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I love you
very much, Mamo-chan. Just the way you are." She kissed
his chin, because that was all she could reach and smiled
when, even in the darkness of the night, she could see the
blush travel up his face. Her old Mamo-chan was back.
But then, to her surprise, Mamoru took a step
backwards, bringing her with him so that they were in a
shadow by a wall. There, he bent his head and kissed her
slowly, his arms coming up to wrap around her. She could
feel his smile against her lips and returned his kiss. The very
sweet press of his lips warmed her, rather than embarrassed
her. It was this that she had truly missed in these last couple
of days.
"Well then," he said, pulling away from the lingering
kiss. "How's about you and me get out of here and then you
can show me just how much you love me in private?" He
asked her, winking. Usagi giggled in response and nodded
her head.
The two went inside to inform her parents that they
were leaving. As they walked to the hall where the dinner
was held, they passed Minako.
"Minako, what are you doing here?" Mamoru
asked. Usagi and Minako looked at each other, shared a
look, and giggled.
"Thank you Minako-chan, for making me come to
that very important realization."
"Not a problem, Usagi-chan," Minako replied,
flashing her 'V for victory' trademark. "Just remember,
'true love is not always what you think it looks like'."
Usagi, Mamoru and even Artemis stared at her.
"That… that makes a lot of sense, Minako,"
Mamoru told her.
"Oh, I didn't come up with it. I saw it on Oprah!
Subtitled in Japanese, you know. Cost me quite a bundle
to pay for that service, but I managed it somehow," she
informed them, looking quite proud of herself. "See you
two later!" She waved her hand and walked outside with
Artemis, leaving the couple to stare after her.
"Usako… your friends are very odd."
*~*The End*~*
Welps, what did everyone think? I think I have two
more one parters planned after this one. Let's see
how long it takes for *those* to come out. Wish me
luck!
Lavender
http://www.geocities.com/patch_kana
me, Patch, here with a fic that I must've spent 5
months on. Once again, I feel like a newbie!!
But thanks to all who've continued to write me
encouraging e-mails. I loved reading all of them.
Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this fic. It takes
place during my favorite time period, pre-Crystal
Tokyo. Enjoy reading!
Patch:-)(-:
I Wish…
Author: Patch
E-mail: [email protected]
[email protected]
Rating: PG-13
Insert standard disclaimer here.
"I wish, I wish, I wish, I wish-"
"Is everything alright, Usako?"
Usagi's eyes snapped open and she smiled
widely, hoping that her husband wouldn't see the
anxiety in her eyes. "Everything's just fine, Mamo-chan."
"You sure?" He asked, frowning slightly, as he
came around the car to stand beside her.
Usagi nodded quickly, waving her hand in an
attempt to dismiss whatever it was that was bothering her.
"Don't worry," she replied, laughing slightly… maybe a
little nervously? "Let's just go, I'm sure we've kept our
parents waiting long enough."
She started to walk forward but hadn't taken two
steps when she felt a hand on her arm and felt herself being
whirled around. Her heart leapt and just for a moment, she
thought her wish had come true. She would be pulled flush
up against him, feeling the warmth of his skin radiating
towards hers. She would hear his husky voice, feel his
breath mingling with hers before his lips came down and-
"You don't have to hide it. I know there's something
wrong, Usako." The calm voice pulled her from her
daydream and Usagi fought back a sigh. Now, how was
she going to explain her little problem to him? She had
dropped so many hints already but the thick-headed man
she was proud to call husband just couldn't get a clue.
Maybe he didn't want to get a clue, a little, evil voice in her
mind chided. Now that was a depressing thought.
"Mamo-chan…" she began hesitantly. "Because we
just got married a few months ago and this is the first time
we'll be seeing my parents as newlyweds, there's a certain
way you've got to act."
"Act? How so?"
Usagi resisted the urge to whap Mamoru upside the
head. She needed him to act like a newly married man lusting
after his wife! That's what she wanted to say! This was her
'little' problem. And her husband seriously needed lessons
on it!
Oh, during their honeymoon, he had driven her crazy
with desire. There had been no problem then. A caress here
as they looked at something, a soft kiss there when she wasn't
looking. His arm had been wrapped around her wherever
they went. It had been wonderful. He had been the most
affectionate man ever and she had been delighted to see this
side of him. She had thought that because they were now
married he'd be more… loose.
How odd that sounded. But it was the only word she
could think of! However, as soon as the two had set foot on
the firm ground of Tokyo, Mamoru had reverted back to
being the man he was when they were dating. He was so
loving and passionate in private but in public, he offered
nothing more of himself than his hand. That was it. Holding
hands and maybe a quick kiss on the lips. He had closed
himself off again.
Usagi had thought it was her at first. Her heart had
been held in a painful grip for the first two weeks as she tried
to figure out what had gone wrong. But night after night, in
their bed, Mamoru had shown her there was nothing wrong
with her at all. He had *worshipped* her, she thought with a
slight blush. And one morning she had come to the realization
that it was just like Mamoru to not to be so affectionate. She
couldn't blame him for being uncomfortable with public
affection. He himself, hadn't been the object of much love and
caring for a very long time. And when the two had begun
dating, Usagi had been too much in love to really notice that
Mamoru wasn't the type to make out in front of others. Heck,
he couldn't even hold a kiss for longer than 30 seconds in a
dark movie theater! And that had not been a problem for
Usagi… until now.
She could still remember her father's words as they had
left the church on the wedding day.
"If I don't see him treat my little princess right, he'll have
much to pay."
He had been speaking to her mother, but Usagi had
heard them and remembered feeling a frisson of alarm. She
knew her father was quite serious and she was positive that,
just like her, he hadn't forgotten his words. Tsukino Kenji
was a very protective man, and that word, unfortunately,
didn't even begin to cover it. He had had an acute dislike for
Mamoru when he had been her boyfriend. During the period
of their engagement, that dislike had risen up a notch to bare
tolerance. The tension hadn't even elevated at their wedding.
Oh, her father had put on a tight smile for the sake of
propriety, but she had been standing next to Mamoru when
the two men had shook hands before the couple had left for
their honeymoon. She had seen that firm, probably punnshing,
grip her father had had on her husband's hand. She knew,
just as well as Mamoru, what it had meant.
"Usako? Usako?"
"Hmm?" She became aware of Mamoru's hands
cupping her shoulders and looked at him. He was obviously
concerned about her moment of blankness. She smiled
reassuringly and stepped up on her toes to give him a light
kiss. "Just thinking, that's all."
"That's good but you still haven't clarified."
"Clarified?" She looked at him, confused, before
realization dawned. "Oh. About the acting thing?" She felt
another sigh coming on and tamped it down. "Mamo-chan…
for your safety's sake, allow your passionate side to show
more, okay?"
"My… passionate side?"
"Yes, yes." Out of the corner of her eye, she saw
someone at the window of her parents' house. The gray
hair gave the person away. Her father was watching them.
Oh Kami, she had to do something. Something that would
convince her father that—
"This passionate side," she said quickly, pulling
Mamoru down to meet her in a most… loving kiss. Her
arms snaked up around his neck and she desperately hoped
her father was watching. It would keep him from cornering
Mamoru and interrogating him.
But life never works the way we want it to, ne?
"Usako…" Mamoru murmured between their lips,
before gently removing her arms from the back of his neck.
She could have cried right then and there. "What would your
parents think?" he admonished.
"Oh, I don't know, maybe that we're a couple madly
in love who can't keep their hands off each other?"
"Exactly. And your dad would have my head."
"No! No, he wouldn't! Surprisingly, he would do just
the opposite!" she argued as they walked up to the front door.
Mamoru looked at her doubtingly before ringing the
doorbell. The door flung open and her father stood there with
a wide, rather strained smile on his face.
"Usagi! Come in, come in!"
"It's good to see you Papa," Usagi said, smiling
brightly and walking forward to hug her father tightly. She
stepped to the side so that Mamoru could come inside and
waited to see what the two men would say to each other.
Kenji looked at his son-in-law with an assessing gaze
before sticking his hand out. "Welcome back," he said gruffly
as Mamoru took the proffered hand.
There was a quick moment of awkward silence before
Ikuko came out from the kitchen to greet them with a happy
and teary smile on her face.
"Usagi! Oh, you look so well, you're practically
glowing!" Her mom crushed her in her embrace and Usagi
wondered if it were her nervousness that was causing her to
glow. Her mother released her and then literally pulled
Mamoru into a hug.
Usagi saw the surprise in her husband's face having
been met with a slightly standoffish reception by her father
to a completely opposite one from her mother. But the
surprise quickly turned into happiness as Mamoru returned
the hug fully. Tears sprang to Usagi's eyes as she secretly
shared his joy, knowing that his quest to have a family was
halfway done. The other half would come when they had
their own child. Usagi, unconsciously placed her palm on
her stomach, her mind wandering into the future.
"Has he been treating you properly, Usagi?"
"Huh?" Usagi snapped out of her reverie and looked
at her father who had whispered the words. "Of course,
Papa! What would make you say such a thing?"
"I saw the way he pushed you away, Usagi. No man
is going to reject my daughter's affection in front of others like
that. I'll set him straight for you."
"Oh Kami, no." Usagi's face lost all color and she
grabbed her father's arm. "You don't have to do that. Mamoru
didn't really push me away, he's just a bit embarrassed, that's
all and—eeps! Papa! That's not what I meant!"
Usagi had to forcibly hold her father back as he started
forward, his face turning a mottle red. She mentally whapped
herself upside the head for saying such a stupid thing. She really
had to remember be more careful in the future.
"He dares to be embarrassed by your actions? Is he
ashamed of you then? I told you he wasn't good for you, Usagi.
He doesn't deserve you!"
"Kenji! What are you growling about now? Come into
the living room already! Usagi, you too. I've made your favorite
dish for dinner but it's still in the oven. We're waiting for Shingo
to come home from school."
Usagi and her father joined Mamoru and Ikuko in the
living room. Kenji gave Mamoru a pointed glare and Usagi,
seeing it, distracted her father by asking him how his job was.
Shingo came in only a little while later and the family sat down
to dinner. The evening went smoothly and as the time came for
her and Mamoru to leave, Usagi allowed herself a sigh of
relief that her father had not said anything more embarrassing.
Although there had been many suspicious looks and frowns
directed toward her husband.
But of course, although a short moment of time may run
smoothly, the rest of it does have its bumps and pits.
As they walked to the car, Mamoru and her mother
walked up ahead, while Usagi kept pace with her father as they
lagged behind a bit.
"You just tell me if he doesn't show his love to you,
Usagi. I want grandbabies and if he isn't going to give them to
you, then we'll find you another man."
"Papa!" Usagi squeaked, her cheeks flaming a bright
red. Mamoru and Ikuko turned around, both with quizzical
looks on their faces. Both father and daughter returned the
looks with tight smiles.
Mamoru opened the door for Usagi before getting
into his side and Kenji tapped the closed window to get
Usagi's attention. She sighed noisily, wondering if her father
was not just a bit obsessed in his dislike for Mamoru.
"You just tell me, Usagi. You're my princess and
deserved to be treated like one in *all* aspects."
Usagi smiled and nodded and as they pulled away
from the curb, she groaned and covered her face with her
hands.
"What was your father talking to you about?"
Mamoru asked curiously.
She turned to look at him and decided to give the
truth. Maybe that would push her husband in the right
direction.
"He saw us outside today and when he saw us kiss,
he—"
"Oh no!" Mamoru groaned, gripping the steering
wheel hard with one hand and using the other to hit his
forehead. "I knew I shouldn't have let myself get carried
away like that!"
"But Mamo-chan, you didn't get carried away!"
However, Mamoru continued on. "No wonder he
was giving me those dirty looks. He doesn't want me near
you, Usako. If I even so much lay my hand on you he'll
be mailing us divorce papers so fast…"
"No, Mamo-chan! That's not the way-"
"Usako, I am so sorry for kissing you. I swear, it
won't happen again, at least in public. If I do, the Fates
might be cruel and your father would pop up behind us
with a chainsaw in his hands."
"No! That's not… argh!" Usagi hit the side of her
head against the window. How had things gone from 0 to
–500 so quickly? It was bad enough that Mamoru was
shy to show some sort of affection in public but she had
been somewhat grateful for what she got. But now he
had just sworn off anything more than holding hands!
They drove the rest of the way home in silence
but when the two stood in the elevator as it prepared to
ascend, Usagi couldn't keep quiet anymore.
"Mamo-chan?" she asked turning to him, a small
hint of panic in her voice. "If you're not going to kiss me in
public, does that mean you won't kiss me at all?"
Her husband looked at her and she didn't have to
wait too long for an answer. In a matter of seconds, she
found herself up against a corner of the elevator, Mamoru's
body pressed against hers, her hands between them, up
against his chest. His hands were at either side of her head,
trapping her quite effectively.
"M-Mamo-chan?" Usagi squeaked questioningly,
wondering at how and when a new person had entered
Mamoru's body.
His smile was completely wicked when he looked
at her, causing a shiver to travel from her neck, right down
to the tips of her toes. "Being in an elevator isn't too public,
is it?"
She shook her head quickly, wondering what he
was up to.
"Then I suppose I could concede to kissing you in
places like this." Before she could respond, his lips had
come down on hers in a hard kiss. She didn't think she
could have even formed a response using words. The only
response she could think of was the one where she used
her lips to kiss him back. Opening her mouth under his, she
let their tongues duel as her hands crept up his chest and
up around his neck.
His own hands left their positions on the wall and
cupped her shoulders before traveling down her body to
hold her by the waist. He leaned in more and she began to
feel a curl of warmth deep from within her spread
throughout her entire being.
"Mamo-chan…" she moaned, her fingers curling
into the silky hair at his nape. If her husband could be like
this everyday, anywhere, anytime, she would fall to her
knees and weep with joy.
"I wish…" she breathed between kisses.
"What do you wish for, Usako?" Mamoru's husky
voice whispered across her senses, causing her to shiver
again. His lips moved from hers to travel across her cheek
and then downwards where he pressed a searing kiss to
the place where her pulse could be seen rapidly beating.
Then he went sideways, nuzzling his face in the crook
between her neck and shoulder, nipping at the skin as
she gasped with pleasure.
"I wish…" she began to whisper.
"Tell me, Usako," he said, lifting his head back
up to press another kiss against her already swollen lips.
I wish you could be like this every moment, she
thought inwardly. Her tongue was too busy to form
anything vocal.
The sound of a light 'ding' suddenly interrupted
them and Mamoru quickly broke away from her. The
doors had parted and there stood a little old lady, a
neighbor on their floor actually, her mouth open, her
shopping bags having fallen to the floor. She recovered
from her shock and then took a step back slowly,
allowing the doors to close again.
"Oh god, we were still in the main lobby!"
Mamoru burst out.
Usagi shot a glance towards Mamoru and was
not surprised to see the embarrassment clearly written
across his face, one hand thrust in his hair. He looked at
her then and gave her an embarrassed smile. She smiled
back.
"I swear that won't happen again. I swear it."
Her smile fell away.
Later on that night, in some neighborhood of Tokyo,
a cackle broke the silent night air. It was a laugh of glee; a
laugh full of anticipation of what was to come.
"Minako! You sound like a witch when you do that,"
came the irritated male reply.
"Shut up, Artemis." The sound of a whap could be
heard, followed by the yowl of a cat flying through the air.
"Let me have my fun, will you? I am the Senshi of Love and
Beauty after all and Usagi needs to learn a thing or two
about one of the most misunderstood emotions of all time!"
As the morning sun rose into the blue sky, Usagi
slowly came awake, her head automatically turning as her
eyes searched out the form of her husband. As usual, he
wasn't there, probably having gotten up at some
godforsaken hour early in the morning.
Turning her head back around, she sniffed the air
and then smiled as she stretched under the light sheets.
Mamoru had gotten up early to make her favorite
breakfast. She got up, washed and dressed and then
headed out to the kitchen. Mamoru was sitting at the
small dining table, his back turned to her as he read his
morning paper, a mug of coffee close at hand.
Walked up behind him, she leaned down and
kissed his cheek. "Mamo-chan, you shouldn't have," she
murmured, before straightening and taking her seat next to
him.
As she began to eat, he began to speak. "I thought
that since it was such a nice day out, we could take a walk.
They've opened up a new exhibit on a special breed of
rare roses at the park's greenhouse. I thought it'd be a nice
way to spend our afternoon, unless you've got something
planned?"
Usagi paused in mid-bite half tempted to tell him
she had to go shopping with the girls. But the expectant
look on Mamoru's face had her pushing that thought aside.
Any time spent with Mamoru was time well spent, she
told herself firmly.
A couple of hours later, Usagi was debating on
whether or not her husband had possibly drugged
breakfast so that she would have been out of her senses
and unable to say no to his idea of an outing. Standing in
front of a pot that held a small sprout, she decided that
Mamoru had indeed slipped something into her hot
chocolate. She really did not understand how she could
have agreed to coming here when it was a perfect day
for a trip to the mall.
And the fact that Mamoru was acting as though
he were on his first date was certainly not helping! There
had been no stolen kisses on the way to the greenhouse,
no whispering in her ear to tell her how beautiful she was
this morning, no being hugged close to his side, nothing!
Just a simple holding of hands, with his palms becoming
sweaty if they saw someone that looked remotely like
her father.
She knew for sure that the Fates were laughing
at her predicament.
Rolling her eyes, she looked at the next pot that
held the same plant. The clay containers had been set up
so that visitors could see each growth stage of the
acclaimed rose that was on exhibit. Usagi had tried
reading its name. The language had been English, the
letters were from the English alphabet but the way those
letters had been put together made it impossible for one
to actually pronounce them in English.
She finally reached the brown pot that held the
rose in full bloom. It was a pretty flower, its hue a unique
color of a dusty mauve with purplish edges at each petal.
She leaned in to take a closer look, interested by the
way the two colors blended together.
"Fascinating."
She heard Mamoru's voice behind her and
mumbled out an agreement.
"Beautiful."
She nodded her head this time, wondering why
he was talking with one-word sentences.
"Sexy."
Usagi's eyes widened and she whipped around
to see Mamoru grinning at her.
"Excuse me?" Looking around wildly, she
wondered if anyone had heard that last word. Thankfully,
since it was around lunchtime, most of the people had
left to go outside to picnic on the green lawns of the
park.
"Sexy, Usako."
If possible, her eyes widened even more. She
wasn't quite sure if he had repeated the word for her
hearing benefit or if he had attached the word to her
name, calling her sexy.
"Ano… Mamo-chan?"
He stepped closer to her, unnaturally closer…
at least for him. "Yes, Usako?"
"Are you okay?"
He blinked at that. "Why wouldn't I be okay?"
She stared at him in disbelief. He was asking why? He
had just used a word that he used in the privacy of
their apartment. A word she had only heard him use
when he wanted to… her cheeks reddened. Oh dear.
Mamoru didn't want to…?
Usagi mentally slapped herself. Of course, he
didn't! Where was her thinking going? Down the gutter,
it seemed. This was Chiba Mamoru standing in front of
her, her husband. Not Don Juan, public seducer of
women everywhere. There was a difference.
She watched him as he slowly reached out
his hand, his fingers curled slightly as though they would
cup something, like her face. Her breath quickened as
his grin softened into a smile that had her toes curling in
her shoes.
His hand came closer and closer. His face drew
nearer and nearer. She closed her eyes and waited.
And waited some more. Her eyes opened and she nearly
wept when she turned her head and realized he had
cupped the rose bloom behind her and was currently
inhaling its fragrance.
Figures, she thought with disappointment. Next
to her, roses were Mamoru's secret passion. And the
way he was stroking those petals, the flower could have
easily been his secret lover. Her mouth dropped open at
the direction of her thoughts. But it was really true! Her
mind was not in the gutter this time! He was caressing the
darn flower as if its petals were a woman's skin. And
she would know since she knew how his fingers moved
across her own skin.
"Mamo-chan?"
"Usako, have you ever noticed how soft the
petals of a rose are?" He didn't wait for an answer and
continued to speak. "They're smooth, silky and cool to the
touch no matter how hot the temperature. Just to stroke
them brings forth pleasurable sensations, don't you think?
They do remind me of something familiar."
Usagi didn't know how to breathe. She had
forgotten completely. Her husband was still very close to
her and the last of his words had been whispered right next
to her ear, stirring the short strands of hair there. If she
moved, she knew she would break into pieces.
And then she felt his lips on the skin of her bare
shoulder. It was the barest of kisses but it was enough. She
hadn't moved, yet she was falling apart. Usagi grabbed
onto his forearms to hold herself up and found herself
struggling to understand what had come over her husband.
This couldn't be Mamoru, the man who'd rather hug a child
in public rather than her!
"Oy! You two! This isn't a make-out party for
teenagers!"
A park officer had spotted them and Usagi felt
herself go beet-red in embarrassment. She heard Mamoru
sigh and then take a step away from her. "Let's go,
Usako."
They walked outside and left the park. They
headed for the downtown area of Tokyo and walked along
the sidewalks. Mamoru remained silent all throughout and
Usagi wondered if what had happened in the greenhouse
had been a figment of her imagination. Maybe it was the
overwhelming scent of roses that had befuddled her senses.
Yes, that was it. The unconscious part of her mind must
have come up with that scene as a reflection of what she
really wanted from Mamoru.
She sighed. If it had all been a dream, it had been
a pretty good one. Even now she could feel herself shiver
as she remembered the way her husband's lips had
touched her sensitive skin. Apparently, Mamoru had felt
the slight tremble run through her body because he looked
down at her with a raised eyebrow.
"Cold?"
She nodded and then shook her head quickly.
"Yes… I mean, no. Oh, never mind." Her eyes widened
when they fell upon one of the newest clothing boutiques
that had opened up recently. "Mamo-chan, we have to
go there!" She exclaimed, pointing. "I've heard so many
good things about it! You don't have anything else to do,
do you, Mamo-chan? Please say you'll come with me!"
Mamoru stood with an uncertain look on his face.
He looked at the store and then at his wife. Back at the
store again, and then at Usagi once more. Slowly, he
nodded. "Sure, Usako. Let's go."
She squealed in pure delight. "Thank you,
Mamo-chan!" She grabbed him and pulled him in for a
fierce hug. Passer-bys smiled at what they thought was a
publicly affectionate couple. And it was then that Usagi
realized Mamoru didn't like public displays of affection.
She began to pull away, her mouth already turning
downwards at the corners as the realization hit her.
But then she felt Mamoru's arms go around her
and her world tilted. Before she could even let out a yelp
of surprise, Mamoru had captured her lips with his. The
kiss was hard and quick but contained enough heat to
start a brush fire. But Usagi never got to return the kiss,
because Mamoru suddenly ended the kiss and brought
her back up from her bent- over-backwards position.
"You're welcome, Usako." He flashed her a
smile that sent her sputtering in disbelief.
"Oh… God! You… you did not just do that!"
He stared at him blankly. "Do what?" His tone was so
innocent and it had her narrowing her eyes menacingly.
"Don't deny it, Mamo-chan! You just… you just…" she
waved her arms wildly, words escaping her.
"Kissed you?"
"Yes!" she burst out. "You kissed me! How
could you do that?"
His blue eyes darkened a little with hurt. "Are
you saying that you'd rather I not do that again? If that's
how you feel then I'll comply with your wishes. I
understand if you don't want me embarrassing you like
that again. We better hurry otherwise that store will
close."
"Huh? What?" Usagi was trying to get a grasp
of the conversation she had somehow missed but
Mamoru had already taken hold of her hand and they
were now crossing the street to get to the store she
wanted to go to.
She was confused. Very, very confused.
Mamoru didn't like to do anything 'lovey-dovey' in
public. And after that dinner with her parents, he had
vowed never to even think about doing such things in
public. But today… today just seemed to be a day
from another dimension! Was he now actually feeling
hurt because he thought she didn't want him to kiss her?
She felt a headache coming on. Things were simply not
adding up when it came to Mamoru. As if they ever
did, she thought dryly.
"Mamo-chan?" They had somehow wound up in
the section for evening wear and were standing in front
of some beautiful dresses that were just waiting for
someone to wear them. And Usagi was not immune. That
carnal part of her that desired to touch the fabric and do
some unnecessary spending was overtaking her senses
but she had to understand what was going on with her
husband. Resolutely, she slapped back that feminine Id of
hers and focused on Mamoru.
"Hmm?"
She saw that his attention was focused on the
dress behind her and feeling slightly annoyed and still a bit
confused, she planted her hands on her hips and tapped
her foot impatiently.
"Usako, I think this dress would look great on you."
"Mamo-chan! You're purposely trying to avoid the
subject. I know you'd rather throw your wallet into the
ocean before buying me that dress."
"I would not," he retorted. "And I'm not avoiding
anything."
"Yes, you are," Usagi insisted. "Look, I didn't really
mean what I said back there. I just wasn't expecting that
kiss and it sort of took me by surprise and-"
Mamoru's hand suddenly shot out and cupped the
back of her neck. He pulled her towards him and Usagi saw
his head bending towards hers and closed her eyes, expecting
another earth-shattering kiss. But none came and when she
slowly opened her eyes, she gasped upon finding Mamoru's
face so close to hers, that she could feel his breath on her skin.
He tilted his head slightly to the side as if ready to close in and
at the last moment, he whispered, "Like this?"
"Like… like what?" she asked shakily. What was he
doing? Her mind was running in overdrive trying to figure out
his actions and no answer had shown itself to her yet.
"Were you surprised like this?" His fingers rubbed her
neck, massaging the area.
"I really can't remember at the moment," she
whispered in reply. His lips were so tantalizingly close. If she
moved the slightest bit forward, she could kiss him and end
this sweet torture.
"Usagi? Is that you?"
And so begins a different kind of torture.
Usagi whirled around with a strained smile on her face,
her skin tinged red with embarrassment. "Papa, what are you
doing here?"
Her father looked around as he spoke. "Shopping
with your mother. She's around here somewhere, looking for
a dress for that dinner event we have to go to tomorrow night.
What are you two doing here?" he asked, finally turning to look
at them.
"Just looking around, having a good time," Usagi
quickly answered, looking up to her husband with a smile that
said to play along.
Her father looked Mamoru up and down before
speaking. "I hope you're giving my little princess everything
she wants," he said, a challenge evident in his voice as he
looked at Mamoru. Usagi stopped herself from clutching her
head and screaming. When would her father ever leave
Mamoru alone?
Mamoru answered the challenge smoothly. "Of
course, Kenji-san." He pulled out the dress that he had been
looking at earlier. "Usagi fell in love with this dress the
moment she saw it and I thought, why not? Only the best for
my beautiful wife."
"Mamo-chan!" Usagi squawked. The dress was
gorgeous but outrageously expensive! What was he thinking?
He looked at her, smiled and kissed her firmly on the lips. She
blinked.
"Only the best," he murmured before he walked off
to the cash register to buy the dress.
"That's not what I meant when I said I hoped he was
giving you everything you wanted," Kenji grumbled. Usagi
shot her father a glare.
"Why did you have to say anything in the first place?"
she asked. "He's now buying that outrageously expensive
dress because you put him up to it." She didn't want to
admit that that little feminine Id of hers was doing happy
cartwheels at the moment. So, she huffed out an angry breath
and looked away. "Men. I will never understand any of you."
She saw her mother approaching them and waved to her.
"Usagi! You're here too? Have you bought anything
yet? No? Then you must have lunch with us before you start
shopping! Where's Mamoru?"
"Right over here," Mamoru answered, stepping up to
the group of three. He held up the garment bag that held the
dress and smiled. "And we have done some shopping."
"Oh, you must show me over lunch!" Ikuko grabbed
her husband's arm and led the way out of the store to the
food court.
Usagi and Mamoru followed, although at a slower pace.
Usagi looked at Mamoru and shook her head. "Mamo-chan,
you shouldn't have done that."
"Do what? I know you wanted the dress." He wrapped
an arm around her waist and brought her close to his side. She
felt him press an affectionate kiss to the side of her head and
blinked once more. That had been a very un-Mamoru move.
And her father was only a few feet in front of them! Shouldn't
Mamoru be feeling a bit hesitant to even stand next to her?
But no, here she was, pressed up to his side and he
had just given her a kiss. In fact, hadn't he kissed her quickly
before going off to pay for the dress? How impulsive had that
been? She wanted to tear her hair out and scream! Confusion
ran rampant in her mind. Connections in her brain were short-
circuiting as they tried to put two and two together and came
up with five. What was going on?!
It was a few hours later when the couples parted way
and she and Mamoru went home with an invitation from her
mother to attend the dinner the following night. Usagi had most
graciously accepted. What better opportunity to show off her
new dress?
They did manage to have a rather uneventful lunch with
her parents. Uneventful meaning Mamoru didn't try anything
on her. No kisses, no flirting, no wicked grins and winks.
Nothing. He acted quite… normal. And surprisingly, Usagi
was relieved.
She couldn't understand why. Ordinarily, in the privacy
of their own home, if Mamoru did any of those things her senses
would ignite instantly and she would love every moment of his
attention. But when today ended quietly after the most
interesting afternoon, Usagi wasn't disappointed. It was very
odd. And she fell asleep that night with a small, confused frown
on her face, not understanding very much.
"You know, it's not right for you to have a glowing
crystal ball like that. Those things are reserved for witches. And
you are not a witch… unless you count the times when the
manicurist cancels your appointments."
"Do be quiet, Artemis," Minako said matter-of-factly,
an unholy grin on her face as she peered at the image in front of
her.
"And another thing, you shouldn't be spying on your
future Queen, it just isn't done!"
"Shut up, Artemis!" For the second night in a row, the
white cat went flying through the air, yowling as he went. And
for the second straight night, a witch-like cackle could be heard
echoing in the silent night, causing shivers for those who heard it.
"Soon, Usagi-chan, soon. The truth you shall see and
then all will be revealed!"
Artemis: -.-;;
"Medieval sorceress you aren't."
It wasn't until 1 pm the next afternoon that mischievous
Mamoru struck again. They were walking down the many steps
of Rei's temple after having met with her and her grandfather.
Suddenly, Usagi stepped forward the wrong way, causing her
ankle to twist. She fell backwards, landing on her bottom on
one of the steps.
Mamoru was down with her in an instant, looking
over her in concern.
"I'm okay, Mamo-chan. Just took a small fall, that's
all. It's my clumsy, old self showing through," she reassured
him with an embarrassed chuckle.
"Are you sure your ankle isn't hurting?" He reached
out a hand to touch the ankle and frowned when he saw her
wince. "It does hurt, doesn't it?"
"Not much, just a little. I don't think it's anything
really serious. The muscle just feels a little pulled." She felt
his hands massage the hurting area and tilted her head back,
holding back the hiss of pain she wanted to let out. She was
fine, really, but if Mamoru saw her pain he would insist they
stay home tonight and forget about the dinner. And that she
wouldn't have! Not when she had an opportunity to wear
that dress.
Usagi didn't notice when his hand went a little higher
and began caressing the back of her shin. She was too busy
enjoying the warmth of the sun high above them. She did
notice however, when Mamoru suddenly leaned in close to
her, bent his head and kissed her throat.
"Mamo-chan!" Her hand automatically went to
clasp the back of his head but his next words stopped her
from pushing him away and had her mouth opening in a
small 'o'.
"You taste so… warm, Usako." She felt the light
touch of his tongue at the base of her throat where her pulse
was already beating erratically. His arms squeezed her
closer and she gasped, not knowing what to do. Should she
die here of pleasure or of mortal embarrassment?
"Usagi-chan! What in the name of all things holy do
you think you're doing? This is a holy site!" Rei's screeching
had Usagi deciding very quickly what she should be dying
of: mortal embarrassment.
She quickly sat up, wincing when the top of Mamoru's
head connected with her chin as he tried to get up. She closed
her eyes and cringed expectantly when she heard the sound of
footsteps coming down the many stairs of the temple.
"Usagi-chan! Can't you at least control your hormones
until you get off of a sacred site? Grandpa would have a heart
attack if he saw you like this!"
"Me? What about Mamo-chan? He's the one who
started it all!" Usagi stood up pointing to where Mamoru
*should* have been standing. But when she saw Rei roll her
eyes, she turned to glare at Mamoru and found that he wasn't
there anymore. She whirled around and found him jogging
down the rest of the stairs.
"Mamo-chan!"
"I'm just going to bring the car around!" He yelled,
waving at the two women as he disappeared around a street
corner.
"Really, Usagi-chan. The other visitors will complain if
they see such a public display of affection. Now I know you're
my best friend and all but…
Usagi listened to her friend go on and on with gritted
teeth. She would kill her husband for deserting her at such an
embarrassing moment. The sound of a honk brought her out
of her murderous thoughts and she looked to see Mamoru
waiting for her in their car at the bottom of the stairs. She
turned to Rei and interrupted her.
"Rei-chan, I'm really sorry. It won't happen again,
don't you worry about that. See you later!"
Quickly going down the steps, she waved back to her
friend who could only shake her head and then wave back
with a smile on her face. Usagi returned the smile and upon
reaching the car, got inside and slammed the door closed.
"What's wrong?"
"What's wrong?!" Usagi sputtered in outrage. "I'll tell
you what's wrong! That little make-out session we had back
there was completely wrong! Rei-chan would have
decapitated me if she had been in a bad mood and notice
how I say me, not you *and* me. She completely blamed me
and thought I was the one who couldn't control my hormones.
I didn't even get a chance to correct her. It was you, not me,
who couldn't control their hormones," she ended, crossing
her arms and looking away.
"If I remember correctly, you had no problems with
my loss of control," Mamoru replied sarcastically. "And I
don't understand this sudden shyness of yours. You've never
had a problem with our little make-out sessions, as you call
it, in public before. Why are you so prim and proper now?"
"What?!" Usagi gaped at him. Quite literally. Her
mouth hung open and she found herself speechless. She
struggled to find her voice and some semblance of
understanding. "Are you saying that I'm acting prim and
proper?" she asked, pointing to herself. "You're the one
who's always been shy. You're the one who's never wanted
to show any sort of displays of public affection. You're
always afraid that my father will pop up somewhere and
come after you with a shotgun!"
"Usako," Mamoru began patiently, "if I were afraid
of your father popping up at any moment, would I do this?"
His free hand suddenly shot out, pulling her to him and he
gave her a hard, quick kiss, slowly pulling away with
smaller kisses.
"Mamo-chan…" Usagi murmured, feeling almost
hazy when she suddenly remembered they were still on the
road. "You're driving!"
"It's a red light," he answered, pulling back to sit
properly in his seat once more.
Usagi looked and sure enough, they were stopped
at a red light that now turned green. She hadn't even
realized that they had stopped or how close they were to
the apartment complex; Mamoru's declaration that she was
prim and proper had so stunned her. Had aliens kidnapped
her real husband and replaced him with this… this Don
Juan?!
"Usako, are you sure you aren't pregnant?"
"What?!" It was then that her senses failed on her
and she blacked out. It was all just too much.
Someone was deliberately holding open her eye and
flashing a beam of light into it. If she could, she would have
lifted her hands and strangled the person. But at the moment
she felt quite lethargic and was unable to find the strength to do
anything but make a small whimpering noise.
"You're awake!" The light was instantly taken away and
blinking a few times, she focused on the face in front of her. She
would have to strangle her husband then.
"Mamo-chan?"
"You fainted as soon as we pulled into the car garage.
I had to carry you up to the apartment and nearly called an
ambulance when I realized I was a doctor myself." He smiled a
goofy grin, before stroking back a few hairs from her face. "You
had me real worried there for a moment," he said softly. "I
seriously think you should take one of those test things and see if
you're –"
"I'm not pregnant!" She shot up and glared at Mamoru.
"And you're not my Mamo-chan!"
He looked at her as if she had grown two heads. Make
that three. Turning away from her, he walked towards the kitchen.
"Maybe we shouldn't go to that dinner tonight. We could call up
your parents and cancel if you're not feeling well."
The dinner! She had almost forgotten about that. They
couldn't cancel out on that! She had a dress to show off, darnit!
Usagi swung her legs off the sofa Mamoru had laid her on
and got up. With a bright smile on her face she took one step
forward. Her husband simply looked at her.
"I am just fine," she announced to him and took another
step forward… promptly banging her shin against the corner of the
coffee table that sat in front of the sofa. She began to hop around
a bit, rubbing her injured leg. Her husband continued to look at
her, this time with one eyebrow raised.
"We are going to that dinner!"
There was a sigh, some muttering, and then, "As you
wish, Usako."
They arrived on time at the hotel where the function was
to take place. Walking under large chandeliers laden with crystals,
they strode across the red plush carpet to the hall where the
dinner was being held. It was to be a fundraising event, raising
money and awareness for shelters and orphanages in need. It
was something the couple was most happy to attend.
"Usagi, Mamoru! Over here!"
The two turned in the direction of Ikuko's voice and made
their way over to where Usagi's parents sat. Mamoru sat next to
her mother while Usagi joined her father who sat across from his
wife.
"Usagi, you look absolutely beautiful in that dress! You
picked that one out, didn't you, Mamoru? He made an excellent
choice, don't you think Kenji?"
Kenji mumbled out an answer and then turned to Usagi.
"Would you like to dance, my dear? I haven't danced with you
since your wedding."
"I'd be delighted, Papa," Usagi answered, standing up
with her father. The two went out onto the area set aside for
dancing and joined the other couples. It was only a minute later
that Mamoru and Ikuko joined them also on the floor. Usagi
watched as Mamoru spun her mother outward, twirled her back
in and then dipped her. She giggled at her mother's blushing face
and shook her head at Mamoru who chuckled and winked at
Ikuko.
"He's making me look like an old man who can't have
fun with his wife," Kenji grumbled. Usagi looked at her father
and rolled her eyes. "Papa, you're the one who asked me to
dance first."
"Would you like to switch, Kenji-san?" Mamoru asked,
overhearing the small conversation. The two men exchanged
places and Usagi found herself in her husband's familiar embrace.
"He just wishes he could be as young as you,
Mamo-chan." Usagi said reassuringly, trying her best to explain
why her father was acting the way he was.
"It's okay, Usako. I understanding what you're saying
because as an older man, he can't kiss his wife in public so
passionately as a younger man like myself could."
"Right," Usagi agreed, nodding her head… until what
Mamoru had said sunk in. "Oh no. No, no, no," she said,
shaking her head. "Mamo-chan… eep!"
She stiffened, expecting an all out, open, hot kiss that
would cause her blush down to the very tips of her toes but
suddenly, he pulled away from her.
"What's wrong?"
She blinked and looked at him in confusion. "What do
you mean?"
"You just stiffened up." He frowned and then shook
his head after a moment. "I must have imagined it. I know my
kissing you in public would never embarrass you."
She could feel her face getting hot. "Of course not!"
she said, laughing nervously. "I would never… be…
embarrassed…" She ducked her head and pretended to cough,
hoping he wouldn't be able to see the lie in her eyes.
The music stopped and a middle-aged man walked
out onto the stage in front of the orchestra. After asking
everyone to take their seats, he began speaking about the
purpose of the night's event, where the money was going and
the accomplishments that the shelters and orphanages had
already achieved. There were several other speakers lined up
to speak after him and the waiters began coming around to
serve the dinner.
Every now and then, Usagi would look over to her
husband to see his reaction to the speeches and was glad to
see that he was listening attentively. When the last presenter
came up, she looked over again and nearly dropped her fork
when she saw that Mamoru was looking at her also. His
gaze was intense but there was a mischievous light shining in
his eyes. A light that meant he was up to something.
His lips slowly turned upwards in a smile and she
smiled back, wondering what he would do. She had no idea
that under the table, one pant clad leg was reaching out to
stroke another leg. A leg that turned out to be another pant
clad leg. Up, went the first pant clad leg. And then down.
Over and over, in a teasing caress.
But hold on just a minute. Isn't Usagi wearing a
dress?
Meanwhile, sitting next to Usagi, Kenji's face also
broke out into a wide smile. He looked over at his wife
fondly, but she was playing the innocent. She seemed to be
paying attention to the last speaker but he knew better. His
smile growing wider, he played along with her game.
Under the table, the two pant clad legs turned and
twisted like the necks of two swans coming together in an
age-old mating game. Up and down they went, ever so
slowly. Intertwining one way. Intertwining the other way.
The two legs would have continued in their secret
dance however, the second pant clad leg suddenly stilled.
"Ikuko, dear, I never knew you had such muscular
calves," Kenji whispered across the table.
His wife turned to him, confusion apparent in her
expression. "What are you talking about, Kenji? And why
aren't you listening to Hiro-san? His speech about the need
for more women's shelters is wonderful."
As Ikuko spoke, Kenji paled. His wife genuinely
sounded confused. If that were the case…. He quickly
lifted the white tablecloth and peered down.
"Dear God!"
Everyone turned their heads at this rude
interruption to see one very red faced man standing,
breathing as though he had just run five miles.
"What the hell do you think you were doing?" he
whispered fiercely to Mamoru, his hands on the table, his
figure bent towards the younger man so that no one else
around could hear. "How dare you pretend to be my
wife!"
"What?!" This exclamation came from Ikuko,
Usagi and Mamoru.
"How dare you play footsies with me?! That is
something I play with my wife only!"
"What?!?!" Again, this exclamation came from
the same three people.
A coughing from the stage brought everyone's
attention back around to the front. The last speaker
stood there, tapping his foot patiently. Kenji smiled,
although it was a very strained smile, and slowly sat down.
"What nonsense is this, Kenji? Why are you
yelling at Mamoru?" Ikuko asked, after the speaker had
begun to talk again. She glared at her husband, her eyes
demanding answers.
"He was playing footsies with me!" Kenji
declared, pointing a finger at his son-in-law who was
growing paler by the moment. Ikuko giggled and then
patted Kenji's other hand. "Well, I'm sure you two men
had lots of fun. But, since it's over and done with
don't be all in a huff, Kenji. It was just a slight
misunderstanding," Ikuko said, coughing to cover her
laughter.
But it wasn't over for Usagi. She looked over at
Mamoru, noticed his pale face and felt a pit of dread
grow within her stomach.
"Mamo-chan, can I speak to you for a moment?"
He nodded and the two left the table and walked out to
the reception area. They found a quiet corner, away
from the other couples who milled around.
"I can't believe that was your father's foot all that
time! I think I'm going to be sick," Mamoru groaned,
slapping his hand over his forehead.
"Mamo-chan, what were you thinking? Do you
know how much you've embarrassed my parents?"
"I wasn't thinking to embarrass anyone, Usako,"
Mamoru snapped. "I only wanted to have a little fun with
you. And your mother found the situation quite funny if I
recall correctly. Your father's ego was just a bit wounded.
If I were to guess, I'd say you were the one the most
embarrassed."
Usagi opened her mouth to deny that but then
stopped. "Fine, fine. I am embarrassed. But how else
should I feel?" she exclaimed defensively.
"Oh, I don't know, maybe a little bit more
understanding? You don't seem to get the fact that I was
only trying to bring a smile to your face. That's all I've
wanted to do these past two days but every time I take
one step towards you, you take two steps back. I don't
know why you're acting like this but if you don't want
my attentions, why don't you just wish for a more timid
man than myself. A man who doesn't show his affections
toward you like I do."
Usagi froze and watched as Mamoru walked out
of the lobby to stand outside. She watched as he spoke
to a couple of men who were standing outside to smoke.
Her eyes were wide as her mind went back to that night
in the elevator. She had made a wish. A wish for Mamoru
to be more affectionate in public. And she had gotten her
wish. But how?
"Moon to Usagi-chan." A hand waved in front of
her and she blinked. Yelping, she jumped back in surprise
when she saw Minako standing in front of her, holding
Artemis in her arms.
"Minako-chan! What are you doing here?"
"Acting way too witch-like for my comfort," Artemis
answered, looking very disgruntled. "And Minako, that's
'Earth to Usagi-chan'. Not 'Moon to Usagi-chan'."
"Whatever," Minako replied, rolling her eyes. I got
Usagi-chan to notice me, didn't I? And now we have to help
her out a bit. I think she looks very lost, don't you think?
People are beginning to stare at her in concern."
"Well, this is all your fault. And they're not staring at
her. They're staring at you. Women usually don't talk to cats
in public. But then again, you are blonde, so- ow!"
"Shut up, Artemis! You really should learn to be-"
"Will someone please tell me what exactly is going on
before I throw something at someone?!"
Usagi found that her hands were hands were clenching
and unclenching. She wanted some answers. Now.
"Oh, right, right! That's what we came here for, didn't
we Artemis?" Not waiting for the cat to answer, she continued
on. "Well Usagi-chan, aren't you happy with the results?
Mamoru-san is everything you wanted him to be, isn't he?
Not only does he show his love for you in private, but he's
quite the stud in public," she finished, fluttering her eyelashes
suggestively.
"You're responsible for him behaving like this?" Usagi
was astounded. So she wasn't going crazy after all. And she
wasn't pregnant! "How did you do it? And tell me quick
before I kill you."
"Oh, just a little love spell I conjured up," Minako
answered airily, wiggling her fingers. "It was quite effective,
wouldn't you say?"
"Take it off! I want you to return Mamo-chan back to
his normal self," Usagi commanded.
"Whatever for? Don't you like this new Mamo-chan?
He is what you wished for."
"But…" She found herself at a loss for words. She
looked at Mamoru, who still stood outside, and felt a pang
of guilt. Turning back to her friend, she sighed. "You're right,
Minako-chan. I did wish for Mamo-chan to be more
affectionate outside of our bedroom. But… but that's not the
man I fell in love with. I fell in love with Mamo-chan because
he wasn't affectionate like that. He was different from all the
other guys. Maybe the fact that we're destined has
something to do with it, but I've realized I love Mamo-chan
just the way he was. I can't believe I'd be so ungrateful as to
ask for him to be someone he isn't. He's perfect just the way
he is… or at least supposed to be. Quiet, maybe a little bit
reserved, but full of love for me." Taking a deep breath, she
said quietly, "I want the old Mamo-chan back, Minako-chan."
Minako nodded in understanding. She smiled and
hugged her friend with one arm. "Then go to him, Usagi-chan.
He's waiting out there for you."
Usagi nodded and walked outside. Standing behind
her husband, she tentatively reached out a hand and touched
his shoulder. He whirled around and smiled upon seeing her.
"Usako! You know, I can't remember exactly why I
came out here. Isn't that strange? I think I must've needed
fresh air and probably lost track of time talking to those men."
"That was probably it, Mamo-chan." She suddenly
hugged him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I love you
very much, Mamo-chan. Just the way you are." She kissed
his chin, because that was all she could reach and smiled
when, even in the darkness of the night, she could see the
blush travel up his face. Her old Mamo-chan was back.
But then, to her surprise, Mamoru took a step
backwards, bringing her with him so that they were in a
shadow by a wall. There, he bent his head and kissed her
slowly, his arms coming up to wrap around her. She could
feel his smile against her lips and returned his kiss. The very
sweet press of his lips warmed her, rather than embarrassed
her. It was this that she had truly missed in these last couple
of days.
"Well then," he said, pulling away from the lingering
kiss. "How's about you and me get out of here and then you
can show me just how much you love me in private?" He
asked her, winking. Usagi giggled in response and nodded
her head.
The two went inside to inform her parents that they
were leaving. As they walked to the hall where the dinner
was held, they passed Minako.
"Minako, what are you doing here?" Mamoru
asked. Usagi and Minako looked at each other, shared a
look, and giggled.
"Thank you Minako-chan, for making me come to
that very important realization."
"Not a problem, Usagi-chan," Minako replied,
flashing her 'V for victory' trademark. "Just remember,
'true love is not always what you think it looks like'."
Usagi, Mamoru and even Artemis stared at her.
"That… that makes a lot of sense, Minako,"
Mamoru told her.
"Oh, I didn't come up with it. I saw it on Oprah!
Subtitled in Japanese, you know. Cost me quite a bundle
to pay for that service, but I managed it somehow," she
informed them, looking quite proud of herself. "See you
two later!" She waved her hand and walked outside with
Artemis, leaving the couple to stare after her.
"Usako… your friends are very odd."
*~*The End*~*
Welps, what did everyone think? I think I have two
more one parters planned after this one. Let's see
how long it takes for *those* to come out. Wish me
luck!
Lavender
http://www.geocities.com/patch_kana