Work Text:
Chiba Mamoru wasn't close to many people. It just wasn't his nature. He had a few good friends, and one best friend, and he was content with that, for the most part. Besides, he always told himself that he was far too busy for anything else. Romantic attachments could come later, especially after a few disastrous attempts in his first year of college.
However, as his friends began to pair up, for some inexplicable reason they decided that his single state was an affront to their happiness, or something equally ridiculous. He didn't understand it, but suddenly they were trying to set him up with every single female acquaintance they ever met, every cousin or friendly girl who checked them out at the conbini, really anyone. And it was beyond frustrating. Usually he managed to brush them off with excuses.
Just a week ago, though, his friend Kobayashi Naoki, another resident at Mita Hospital, somehow managed to get him to agree to a blind date, of all things. Maybe it was the sake they'd been drinking at that izakaya after a particularly long shift, or maybe he was just too exhausted to put up a fight anymore. This was only Naoki’s tenth attempt in less than a month, after all. NaokI, who had just gotten engaged and still had stars in his eyes, the poor bastard.
Once he was sober, Mamoru had tried to back out of it. He was sure no woman would want to work around the crazy schedule he kept as a second-year resident. Most nights, he barely had the energy to do more than go home and collapse in bed after a hasty dinner picked up from a conbini on the way.
Naoki had been adamant, though. His sister's coworker would be perfect for Mamoru; he just knew it. She was sweet and funny, with enough brightness to make anyone smile, even a sourpuss like him. Naoki had leaned over in the break room where Mamoru had ambushed him and confided in a whisper, "Plus, she's ridiculously hot. Legs for days and the prettiest blue eyes you'll ever find outside a magazine."
Mamoru had a weakness for blue eyes, he had to admit. So rare in Japan, and he'd been obsessed with one particular pair for years, although he'd long since given up any hope of her noticing him as anything other than an annoying acquaintance. When he was around her, he couldn't seem to get his mouth to connect correctly to his brain. Resigned to the idea of at least attempting to find a replacement for the girl he could never have, Mamoru had agreed to let Naoki arrange the date, as long as the woman in question agreed.
That was how he found himself standing on the bridge in Arisugawa no Miya Park, holding a red rose. He felt more than a little ridiculous as couples and families passed by, laughing or speaking in low murmurs, obviously enjoying the warm spring day. He ran a finger along the collar of his pink button-up shirt. He'd already rolled the sleeves up part way as he waited and the sun began to beat down on him.
A larger group passed over the bridge behind him, friends obviously on their way to a picnic if the basket they carried was any indication. He watched curiously as they went by, wondering where his date was. She was ten minutes late, he realized with annoyance as he checked his watch.
Mamoru turned to pace to the other side of the bridge once that group of friends passed. That was when he saw her, standing still as a statue in the late afternoon light. Golden hair caught up in two buns then trailing in ponytails from each, large blue eyes fixed on the red rose in his hand. Her face was paler than usual, and he knew it wasn't because of the pink dress she wore since she had many clothes that same color.
"You have got to be kidding me," he heard her mutter through gritted teeth. It was only then that his eyes dropped to her hands, clenched in tight fists at her sides.
Her eyes slowly dragged up to his, taking in his pink shirt and the way his jaw had dropped. He thought he read horror and panic there, completely understandable. After all, if there was one person in all of Tokyo she probably never considered going on a date with, it was him.
She didn't even bother addressing him properly.
"Please, please tell me you aren't here to meet someone for a blind date."
The words sliced through the air between them, and he swallowed painfully. Of course, her first thought was hope that he wasn't her date. Could he blame her?
He hadn't seen Tsukino Usagi in months, not since his best friend Furuhata Motoki's birthday party. As usual, he had put his foot in his mouth, and she had flounced away. They'd said maybe a total of five sentences to each other that night, and yet Mamoru hadn't been able to stop himself from looking in her direction every time he thought he could get away with it without her catching him.
They'd known each other for years, ever since they were both teenagers hanging out at Crown Arcade and Fruits Parlor. Two years his junior, she'd always been an object of fascination for Mamoru; he didn't understand how she was able to connect with people, although he had ample examples of it. Thrown off balance by her cheerfulness, something in him hadn't let her accept her initial friendly overtures. And once she'd accepted that his coolness and teasing weren't going to result in friendship, she'd apparently given up.
Somehow, that had spurred Mamoru into trying to bridge the gap between them, although he was remarkably clumsy at it; Motoki always told him he had the social skills of a five-year-old. Whatever the case, his overtures somehow resulted in her thinking he was teasing her unfairly. Somehow, that became their dynamic, and he couldn't find a way out of it even as he graduated from high school and started attending medical school, spending less time hanging out with Motoki as a result of his heavy course load.
Although he'd finished medical school in almost half the normal time as a result, it meant he hadn't actually seen Usagi more than a few times a year in the past four. Always for Motoki's birthday. Occasionally, random encounters that left him in no doubt that they hadn't managed to move past their adolescent teasing. That hadn't stopped him thinking about her, of course, but every time he considered reaching out to Motoki, asking how she was, he hesitated.
She had no interest in him, he was sure. He didn't want to seem like a stalker or give Motoki cause to tease him more than he already did about, well, everything.
Realizing that Usagi still stared at him, impatience nudging out panic as the dominant emotion in her eyes, he sucked in a quick breath.
"Wish I could tell you that, Odango Atama. Looks like the fates are playing tricks on us today."
Her cheeks went from pale to bright pink in seconds while he mentally slapped himself. Why? Why had he said that? Couldn't he just have pretended he was here taking in the scenery or at least that his date had just left. Something, anything other than provoke her yet again? Although he had to admit, the flare of annoyance in her blue eyes was at least more attractive than the horror and panic.
"I am going to kill Mizuki-san," he heard her mutter as he moved closer, hoping to make up for his mistake.
Just as she spun on her heel to stalk off, blonde hair smacking him in the arm, he reached out and grabbed her hand. He dropped it quickly, appalled at what he'd done in his own panic because she was obviously leaving, the last thing he wanted to happen. It was enough to stop her in her tracks and make her turn back to stare at him as if he'd grown two extra heads.
"Wait, Usagi. Please." He didn't trust himself to say anything more. Not that it mattered since she burst out with a protest.
"I never gave you permission to call me that!" She crossed her arms over her chest, chin lifted in a mutinous expression, drawing herself up to her full height, which meant the top of her head still barely reached his shoulder.
Mamoru couldn't help it. He chuckled. "You've been telling me to call you that for years," he countered.
She huffed. "Well, I take it back, then!"
He raised his eyebrows. "So you want me to call you Odango Atama now?"
"That's not what I meant, and you know it. Why are you always so difficult, Mamoru-baka?" Usagi ground out, eyes narrowing at him.
He took a deep breath. Maybe he could finally get his unruly tongue under control. He never had this problem with anyone else!
"I don't mean to be." The words came out slowly, carefully, and he even tried to add a smile to them for good measure. That didn't soften her stance at all, however.
"You could have fooled me." She sniffed and continued glaring.
Mamoru sighed and barely restrained the hand that wanted to lift and comb fingers through his hair. How could he explain to her when he didn't understand it himself? He looked out over the water and sighed.
"For some reason, my brain and my mouth have this disconnect when it comes to you." There, he tried. A quick glance at Usagi told him she was confused and still defensive, but at least she wasn't leaving again. However, she seemed to still be waiting, as if that hadn't satisfied her. He couldn't exactly blame her.
"I want to have nice, normal conversations with you, but I always mess it up." He shoved the hand not holding the rose in his pocket and shrugged, shoulders hunching a little under her stare.
To his surprise, Usagi uncrossed her arms and sidled close enough that barely an inch separated them. She laid her arms on the stone bridge and leaned on them so that she could look down at the water for a moment. When she looked back up at him, her eyes held only sadness.
"Why?"
There was no way he could tell her that he'd fallen in love with her at some point during the initial years of chance encounters and teasing. Apparently, for him love meant losing his mind completely and being unable to act like a normal human being. Not a huge surprise there, all said and done. His childhood had been far from normal.
Instead of answering her question directly, he leaned back against the balustrade as well, with his back to the water, crossed his own arms, and sighed. "It's complicated. I guess...I wanted to impress you, but I didn't think I could. I guess that created a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy."
She snorted. "What, like you're fated not to be able to speak to me or something?"
When she put it that way, it did sound pretty silly. He chuckled. Eyes closed and face raised toward the sun, he sighed again.
"I'm sorry if I've hurt you before. I never intended to."
Mamoru's eyes shot open when he felt her hand on his arm. He looked down at it first, then up into her eyes. There was still sadness there, and a little wariness, too. But he thought...he hoped that he saw forgiveness as well.
"Even if this turned out to be a mess of a blind date, it was worth it to hear that from you," she told him softly.
He licked his lips and took a chance. "It doesn't have to be, you know."
Her nose scrunched up. "Huh?"
"I mean, we could, you know, actually finish the date? At the very least, I owe it to Kobayashi-san and his sister for getting us to the point of actually talking instead of annoying each other." Oh, what an excuse that was. And a weak one at that. But he prayed that she'd buy into it.
To his relief, a slow smile spread over Usagi's glossy pink lips. She tilted her head to the side and looked up at him through her lashes. "Are you asking me out on a date, Mamoru?"
He cleared his suddenly tight throat and gave a short nod. "Um, yes?"
"You don't sound too sure."
Eyes wide, he straightened and fumbled, "No! I mean, yes, I am definitely asking you out!" He actually almost shouted that last part, drawing looks and snickers from a few passing teenagers.
Her smile widened, and she held out her hand. "Well, then, don't you have something for me?"
Looking down at the slightly-crushed rose in his hand, he placed it gently in hers. She twirled it for a moment then lifted it to her nose, inhaling its delicate fragrance. Then she tucked it into the small white purse she carried so that the top was sticking up, zipping it carefully so that it wouldn't fall out.
"So, dinner?" she asked, her blue eyes sparkling in a way he'd often admired and wished would be turned toward him.
He offered her a tentative smile of his own. "I was thinking maybe walk through the park first? When I-I mean, when this was supposed to be a blind date with someone I never met, I thought it was a good place to get to know her. You, now."
Mamoru wanted to smack himself, but thankfully Usagi seemed to understand what he was trying to say. Her smile grew softer, less teasing. Then a different sort of light entered her eyes, one that he'd never seen before.
"Oh, I have an idea!" she squealed, clasping her hands under her chin and giving the most adorable little skip in place.
Eyebrows raised, he waited for her to continue.
"Why don't we pretend this is a blind date!"
"Um, not to ruin things here, but that's what it is," Mamoru couldn't help but point out.
Usagi rolled her eyes. "No! I mean introduce ourselves and do all that get-to-know-you small talk that comes with first dates?"
Lips pursed, he studied her for a moment. "So you want to start over?"
She gave an enthusiastic nod, obviously ignoring his skepticism. "Sure! Why not?"
He groaned a little. "I've never been good at acting, Usagi," he muttered.
"So? It's not acting, really. I mean, other than who our friends are, how much do we really know about each other? Remember, we've barely even managed to have just this one civil conversation," she pointed out with heart-breaking accuracy, at least on her part.
Mamoru could have told her that he knew so much about her, not even just who her friends were. For years, he'd listened as she talked about her family, her schoolwork, her dates-those had hurt-her favorite things in the whole wide world that she couldn't help but gush over to anyone who would listen. Anyone except him, that is. Usually, he tried to pretend he wasn't paying attention, but he always had.
He knew it wasn't the same for her. For one thing, she had never even considered him as a friend, let alone something more. And he didn't let many people in, let alone talk about himself and the things in his life in public the way she did. So really, maybe this would be more about getting her to see who he really was, above and beyond the annoying guy who'd been plaguing her for years.
Taking a deep breath, he nodded. "Okay. Fine. Um, how should we...meet?"
With a giggle, Usagi backed away. "Well, you could be waiting for me just like you were before," she suggested.
Mamoru shrugged and moved back to the spot where he'd originally been waiting. This felt incredibly silly, but if it kept her here with him, if it made her feel better about their date, he was all for it. Thankfully, she didn't make him wait long.
"Hi! Are you Kobayashi Naoki’s friend?" Her voice was bright and bubbly as always when she was speaking to someone new.
He turned and offered her a small smile. "Yes. I'm Chiba Mamoru."
"I'm Tsukino Usagi. Nice to meet you. I've heard great things about you from Kobayashi-san's sister." Her dark lashes fluttered at him, blue eyes shining bright underneath, and something shot through him when he realized she was actually flirting with him.
Mamoru's smile grew in return. "Kobayashi-san also had good things to say about you." He gestured around them. "Would you like to walk in the park and talk a little bit before dinner? I thought we could get to know each other a little."
"I would love that."
Side by side, they strolled across the bridge and onto the winding steps that led deeper into the park. For once, Mamoru began to feel totally at ease in her presence. Is this what others felt when they met her, the magic she seemed to wield that turned everyone into her friend?
Almost to the top, Usagi slipped. Mamoru caught her by the elbow and steadied her. She flashed him a sweet smile.
"Thanks."
"You're welcome."
It was such a simple exchange but one that would have seemed impossible even an hour ago. He reveled in the feeling of his hand on her skin, although he let it drop as soon as he was sure she'd found her footing again.
"It's so beautiful here, surrounded by trees and bushes and flowers. I can almost forget I'm in the city," she commented, gazing around them with wide eyes.
"Have you been here before?"
She shook her head, blonde pigtails swinging against her shoulders. "My parents took us a few times when we were little, on Sundays when Papa had the day off. But they were usually so busy. If they wanted to get away from the city, they took us on real trips, anyway. I think they enjoyed those getaways better."
Mamoru navigated them onto his favorite path, one where flowers bloomed thickest along each side.
"You sound very close to your family."
Her nose wrinkled in the most adorable way. "I was when I was younger. And I still love them. But I think my parents are disappointed in me. And my brother and I aren't as close as we were when we were children. He's very busy in his first year at university."
She sounded so wistful that it hurt his heart. "Why do you think you've disappointed your parents?"
Usagi shot him a look before seeming to remember that they were playing a game where they'd never met before. She sighed. "I didn't go to a prestigious college like they wanted. I couldn't pass the entrance exams, and I knew it, so I didn't even try. I decided to follow my passion instead and damn the consequences."
Mamoru stayed quiet for a moment, keeping his steady pace and trying to find the right words. "Where did your passion lead you?"
With a grimace, she admitted, "Manga."
His eyebrows shot up when she put it that way. He already knew what she did, of course. Just like he knew that she lived with her friends Minako and Makoto, that she still slammed down a chocolate milkshake without pause to think about brain freeze, and that she'd adopted a pair of stray cats a couple years ago that she shared with Minako but that Makoto barely tolerated.
"What about it?" He kept his voice neutral.
"I'm a secretary at a manga publishing house. It was the closest I could get. And I'm proud of what I do. It takes all types to run a company, you know? From the smallest, easiest jobs up to the CEO. But I know my parents would be happier if I was in line to become one of those CEOs one day." Her shoulders tensed as she waited for his response. She wouldn't even look him in the eye, although he tried to catch hers.
"Your parents might be happier, but what about you?"
Startled, she finally looked at him. Apparently seeing his sincerity, she gave a small, surprisingly shy smile. "I would hate being on the fast track. It's too much pressure, too much competition. I actually love my job. Constant interaction with other people, working in a team with some really great women, and I get discounts on the manga we publish." The smile turned into a grin.
Mamoru had never thought of Usagi's job that way; if anything, he'd always assumed she'd be bored. And she wasn't the most organized soul in the world, he knew that just from observing her. He doubted that had changed much since the days when they'd had near-constant encounters. But somehow, now that he heard it from her, it did seem like a good fit for the sunny woman next to him.
"Interacting with other people is my least favorite part of my job," he confessed suddenly. Then he clamped his lips tightly on the rest. Why had he said that? He must look like an asshole, complaining about being a doctor, for goodness sake.
Thankfully, she didn't seem to think so. In fact, the glance she gave him was sympathetic. "That must make being a doctor difficult."
There was no censure in her words, but still Mamoru found it difficult to open up. He had started this, though, letting his mouth run away with him again. At least this time it hadn't annoyed her.
"I don't mind the patients so much. I understand that they're in pain, or they're scared, or even just worried. But their families, the other doctors, the nurses…" The latter were especially frustrating. So many of the nurses at Mita seemed to think that a single doctor was fair game; although admittedly, they even tried for the taken ones more often than not. He'd never responded to any of their overtures, but so far that hadn't stopped the steady trickle that came his way.
"Does practicing medicine make up for it?"
That was a question he often asked himself. Sometimes, he was tempted to switch over to research. But then he saw the grateful eyes of a patient or heard their thanks, and it was enough for him. That was what made all the other frustrations worth it.
"It does."
The smile she gave him nearly blinded him. "That's the important part, then."
They were quiet for a few moments. Then the dreaded question came up.
"And what does your family think of your success? Are they proud of you?"
Mamoru closed his eyes to the beauty around them for a moment and thought about how to answer. He considered an abrupt change of subject, but he'd agreed to this. He'd even suggested it, in a way. It wouldn't be fair to avoid her question, not when he actually wanted her to know. Out of everyone in the whole world, she was the one he would prefer to confide in.
"I don't have any family."
He stared straight ahead, even when he heard her gasp.
"Oh, Mamoru…"
Apparently she was willing to drop their strangers-on-a-blind-date act when confronted with his pitiful confession. He felt her hand on his arm, and while part of him wanted to revel in the fact that she was willingly touching him, the rest of him shied away because of the reason why.
"It's fine," he tried to reassure her. "I don't even remember them."
Usagi's hand on his arm tightened, and he jerked to a stop. Now he felt he had no choice but to look at her. He dreaded the pity he expected to find in her eyes. When he finally found the courage to meet those wide pools of crystal blues however, all he saw was sadness and something he thought might be compassion. A small, sad smile turned up the corners of her lips.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have pried."
He shook his head. "No, I started it, asking about your family." He cleared his throat and gestured to the path. "Maybe a more cheerful topic?" He suggested as her hand dropped back to her side and they began walking again.
"Favorite color?" Her shy question made him smile, but that was definitely a safer topic.
"Black."
"Really? Mine's pink."
He laughed. "I know."
"Hey, how do you know?" Mamoru heard the laughter in her voice even as she tried to be huffy.
"Are you kidding me? Half of what you own is pink. And you had me wear a pink shirt."
Usagi sniffed. "Shows how much you know. I just thought there wouldn't be many guys here wearing pink. I wanted to be able to recognize my date easily."
"The rose wouldn't have been enough?"
"Two step verification," was her haughty reply.
He slanted a glance toward her. "And that was your idea?"
She glared at him for a split second before giving a resigned sigh. "No. Minako's."
That made much more sense. He chuckled, and she swatted his arm lightly in response. It felt good to tease her without either of them getting worked up about it.
A comfortable silence fell between them as they continued down the stone path. Usagi stopped several times to admire the purple and white flowers on the bushes lining either side. Normally, Mamoru would have been just as engaged; he loved flowers, and this was one of his favorite parks. However, this time he found himself far too distracted by his companion.
The sunlight turned Usagi's hair into a river of shimmer gold down her back streaming toward the ground. Even more than normal, he wanted to bury his hands in it. He could even be content running several strands between his fingers, playing with the golden ribbons as they wound over and around his hand.
Mamoru was torn from his fantasy when Usagi turned back to him, her eyes bright and cheeks pink.
"Umm, about dinner?"
His stomach dropped. "Yeah?"
"Could we go now? I'm starving. I hardly had a chance for lunch today because a staff meeting had to be rescheduled last minute." She gave him another of those delightful pouts.
Mamoru let out a laugh louder than he'd intended, but at least she didn't seem to think he was laughing at her. "Sure. Let's go. Our reservations are in half an hour, anyway, and it'll probably take almost that long to get out of the park and get there."
She gave a little skip that made her breasts bounce, and he blushed to even be thinking about that even as it caught his eye. Granted, she'd starred in probably too many of his fantasies over the years, but that was in the dark of his room or in his shower, not out in broad daylight while he was looking directly at her!
Mamoru picked up his pace toward the path leading out of the park, Usagi now chattering brightly beside him in her happiness to be going towards food. She tried to get him to admit which restaurant they were going to, but after realizing who his blind date was, he realized what Naoki had meant when he said she would like anything. He took a certain pleasure keeping her guessing, although by the time they left the park and were out on the sidewalk, he decided he'd teased her enough.
"So, do you like Azabu-Juban Kai?" he casually asked as their footsteps made the subtle transition from stone to concrete.
She lit up brighter, if that was even possible. Hands clasped under her chin and stars in her eyes, she let out a gusty sigh. "They have just the best hot pots."
He laughed. "I'm glad you like it. We may want to hurry, though. I put my name on the list for," he checked his watch, "fifteen minutes from now. Don't want to be late and miss our spot!"
To his surprise, Usagi grabbed his hand. "Let's go!"
He should have remembered how serious she was about her food, he thought in amusement as he let her drag him east through the thinning late afternoon crowds. They should reach the izakaya long before the normal Saturday evening rush, which was his goal. He was even happier that he'd planned it that way now that Usagi was his date.
With Usagi in the lead, they made it to Azabu-Juban Kai in record time, actually a few minutes before their place on the list to be seated was up. She even charged up all six flights of stairs, to his amusement, still not letting go of his hand as if afraid he wouldn't keep up otherwise. He requested a table on the patio from the host, if there was one available. They lucked out and were soon seated in a cozy corner of the airy, open space with an amazing view of the Roppongi Hills towers.
"My friends and I have never been out on the patio before. They don't know what they're missing!" Usagi gushed before getting down to the very serious business of ordering. She gave her hot pot and drink order to the server and then added gyoza as well as yakitori.
Mamoru grinned and ordered his own hot pot and drink, resolving to steal a few of her gyoza even though he knew she was terrible at sharing food with her friends. He was counting on this being a date to soften her up, though, because the gyoza here was another of his favorites.
They settled in with glasses of water to wait for the food and alcohol to arrive. Mamoru expected things to become awkward at that point, as per usual for the dates he had been on, but he should have known better. Usagi smoothly began a stream of stories about her friends and coworkers that had him grinning and laughing. It helped that he already knew most of her friends, but he was sure even that wouldn't have mattered. She had a natural way of telling a story and using her hands and facial expressions to convey more than the words alone could ever have hoped to, something that kept him engaged and interested in not just what she was saying but every aspect of her.
After the server placed the trays with the hot pots and the glasses with her umeshu and his sake in front of them, then arranged Usagi's gyoza and yakitori to her liking, they began to tuck in. He wasn't surprised at all that she ate faster than him, slurping and giggling and moaning in ways that made him shift uncomfortably. This time, he kept jokes about her appetite, always an easy target, to himself. Maybe another time. If there was going to be another time.
That thought kept recurring as they finished their meal and ordered a second round of drinks. Would she be willing to try a second date with him? Or would she look at him like he was crazy if he suggested it? He supposed there was only one way to find out. Taking a big gulp of his sake to burn away his nerves, he looked across the table where she sat staring at him with a small smile flirting on her lips.
"This has been more fun than I expected, Mamoru," Usagi said before he had a chance to speak up. Her smile widened and she winked. "I wouldn't mind a repeat."
Mamoru's mind went blank from the shock. Then he began to panic as Usagi's smile fell.
"I mean, if you don't want to, though—"
"No!" He practically shouted and then winced when her eyes widened. "I would love to go out with you again. I was just about to ask if you would like to. You shocked me. That's all. I didn't think you would...I mean, I wasn't sure…" He went from rambling to stuttering and stopped when she held up her hand, blue eyes sparkling in the lantern lights strung above them.
Usagi's gentle laugh settled him further and made his heart lift in hope. "I get it, I think. So both of us would like another date."
All he could do was nod. She sat back in her seat and picked up her umeshu, taking a dainty sip.
"Good."
Mamoru watched her in bemusement, his own drink forgotten for the moment. She amazed him with her easy ability to say what was on her mind, to put her feelings out there no matter what they were. She always had. It was one of the things that had first caught his attention, and even though they weren't teenagers anymore, thankfully adulthood hadn't stamped that out of her.
Conversation after that was easy, with Usagi drawing out details of the last few years, when they hadn't had much contact. He indulged himself in asking his own questions, things he'd wanted to know and hadn't been able to pick up just from listening to the conversations around him at gatherings or the few times he'd tried to pump Motoki for information on her. They each had another round of drinks as they talked, but finally their time was up and they had to leave.
Once outside the izakaya and on the street again, Mamoru was almost able to completely ignore the growing night time crowd rushing around them when Usagi took his hand again and gave him another of those big smiles. He would have been happy standing there just like that, allowing himself to drown in the crystal pools of her eyes. However, she started tugging him again.
"C'mon, Mamo-chan, walk me home," she said with a giggle, her words only slurring a tiny bit.
"Mamo-chan, huh?" He shook his head and smiled, kind of liking the sound of it no matter how cutesy it was. No one had ever given him such an intimate nickname, and at this point, Usagi could call him whatever she wanted if she just kept holding his hand and stealing glances at him while they walked, like she was just then.
Usagi rolled her eyes. "You like it, and you know it," she accused, her gaze dropping some to the smile he hadn't realized had curled up the corners of his mouth.
He shrugged. "I guess."
With a laugh and a shake of her golden head, she continued guiding him through the streets. Conveniently, her modest three-story apartment building was located only a few blocks from Azabu-Juban Kai. She unlocked the lobby door and then turned to look at him, head tilted to the side?
"Come up for a little bit? Minako and Makoto are both out tonight, too."
Mamoru hesitated. He didn't want to give her a bad impression of him. But she was the one who asked him, after all. And really, nothing had to happen, right? Not that he would complain if it did.
"Yeah, sure," he said, trying to play it cool.
The stairs up to the third floor were brightly lit. Whether it was the slight haze of alcohol from drinking or just the fact that he was here, alone with Usagi, after an actual date, he couldn't help admiring her curves, highlighted by the yellow glow above, as he followed her up. Her slender shoulders, the dip of her waist flared out into rounded hips. The curve of her ass was hidden by her skirt, and suddenly he wanted to find out the shape with his hands. His fingers twitched.
"Sorry we're at the top. I told Minako and Mako-Chan that we should have gotten a place with an elevator," Usagi apologized, glancing back at him with a grimace.
He shrugged and tried to pretend he hadn't just been contemplating grabbing her butt. "It could be worse. You could be at the top of my building with no elevator."
"How tall is yours?"
"Twenty stories."
Her nose wrinkled. "Yeah, that would be awful."
He chuckled and then sighed to himself because they had reached the final floor and he no longer had the view he'd been enjoying. But her hand was in his again as she led him down the quiet hall to the last door on the right. In fact, she kept a firm grip on his hand even as she unlocked the door and twisted the brass handle, dragging him in behind her. He saw her lift a hand to the wall on the left, and then her genkan flooded with light. He shut the door behind him and barely had a chance to take in the colorfully decorated entry, pictures and shelves with plants clustered on the walls above shelves for shoes, before he found himself pressed back against the yellow-painted wood.
Usagi's hands, flat against his chest, slid up to his neck. Her smile was different than it had been all night. None of the openness or bubbliness from before, she peeked up at him through her eyelashes.
"There's one thing I need to know, Mamo-chan," she whispered, swaying just a little so that his hands came up almost automatically to curve around her waist and steady her.
"What's that?" Although he was pretty sure he knew as she inched even closer and suddenly her body met his in a combination of hard and soft that threatened to make his brain melt.
"You turned out to be a pretty great guy, but," and one of her hands slid up to tangle fingers into his black hair, "how are you as a kisser?"
Usagi stretched up so that her lips were a breath away from his. That was all the invitation he needed. Mamoru leaned forward so that he could press his lips to hers.
His intention for a soft, sweet kiss quickly changed to a desperate need for the taste of her mouth. Once would never be enough, could never satisfy him anymore. He became intoxicated on an entirely new level as their mouths explored, teeth scraping against lips and tongues sliding together and then apart in the most erotic dance of his life. Her fingers in his hair became a fist that tugged him in the direction she wanted, one he willingly followed as angles changed.
Meanwhile, his hands ran along her back almost with a mind of their own. One followed up her spine to pull her closer, which might have seemed impossible moments earlier but now was a desperate need. The other slid down to cup one cheek of the enticing ass he'd watched on the way up here. The firm, round flesh felt as amazing as he'd imagined.
When they finally came up for gasps of air an unknown amount of time later, panting and staring at each other, his brain tried to switch back on. Really it did. Her slow smile halted that feeble effort even as it made him want to kiss her all over again.
"Well, looks like I can add 'outstanding kisser' to your good qualities." She sounded as breathless as he felt.
"I'm glad." What a stupid thing to say. He couldn't help it, though, because she had just giggled, and her breasts still pressed against him jiggled, and that caused what few scraps of rational thought he still possessed to disappear.
Her eyes dropped to his lips again. "Maybe, just one more?" she murmured.
How could he argue with that? He didn't even try. Instead, he bent his head and brushed his lips against hers again. This time, he went slowly, carefully, but the heat was still there. She followed his lead, even though she still leaned against him and her hands traced lazy circles on his neck and shoulders, sending chills through him. He ran his own hands up and down her back, loving the way her muscles tensed just a little and then released in her own shivers.
Although he didn't want to ever stop kissing her, another part of him had to know the taste of her skin. His lips trailed away from her mouth, along her jaw and down her neck. Usagi let out the most delicious moan when he hit the spot just below her ear, and then she giggled when he went farther down, close to her collarbone.
"You're ticklish? I'm going to have to remember that." Where had that smooth voice come from? Surely that wasn't him. But the way she held him tighter and tilted her head back even more as he kissed along her collarbone finally, distracted him. He was so close to her breasts, and he had a feeling just then he could do anything he wanted and she'd let him. Something held him back, though. He wanted to take his time with her. And here they were, standing in the middle of her genkan. Her roommates could come home anytime.
That stupid thought dashed ice water on the heat he felt from tasting her skin. He drew back with a sigh and looked down into her half-lidded eyes.
"Usako. We should probably stop."
Usagi pouted and let out a sigh of her own. "I guess."
Mamoru smiled, trying not to let any of the triumph he felt shine through. "Got anything for dessert?" He knew Usagi, more than she thought he did, and if anything could distract her, it was sweets.
As predicted, her eyes lit up. She pulled away from him, and for a moment, he missed the heat of her body. But the way she stayed close even as she slipped off her shoes made him feel better, especially when she had to reach for the sparkly pink slippers and barely snagged them with her fingertips. Although when she pulled a large pair of black slippers out of the closer pile, he wanted to growl.
"Here," she said, smiling. "These should fit you. We had to buy some extras in men's sizes because Minako, well...because Minako." She shrugged as if that should explain it, and while it didn't, not really, since he had never paid half as much attention to her friends as he did to her, the explanation as to why she and her friends would have men's slippers lying around appeased that odd spark of jealousy he almost, almost felt guilty for having.
He took off his street shoes and slid on the slippers while she began to bustle around the small living space of her apartment, turning on lights. Two comfortable sofas, one green and one pink, graced most of the space, with a low table between them. The kitchen off to the side was just enough to make quick meals, but it did have a full size refrigerator. Usagi made her way over to it and opened the freezer, pulling out two familiar blue cups.
"Is chocolate Super Cup okay?" she asked over her shoulder.
He cleared his throat. "It's great."
"We have vanilla, too," she offered even as she juggled the two cups and scrounged through the closest drawer, producing two silver spoons.
"No, I uh, really like chocolate," Mamoru admitted, wincing as he remembered all the times he'd teased her about her chocolate milkshakes when they were younger.
"Oh, really?" Her arch tone and the side eye she gave him even as she handed him his cup and spoon just compounded his guilt.
"Yeah. About when we were teens…"
Usagi shook her head and made her way over to the pink couch. She sat down, set her spoon on the table, and patted the spot next to her, obviously inviting him to sit as well. She didn't comment as she ripped the top off her cup and picked up her spoon, not until he was already sitting and copied her movements.
"I always knew you were full of it, anyway." The way her spoon jabbed into her creamy confection spoke volumes about how she still felt about that.
Mamoru narrowed his eyes even as he scooped up his own first spoonful. "I wasn't full of it."
"Oh, yes, you were! Always so full of superiority." She snorted and took her first mouthful.
He shrugged, pretending nonchalance. "If you've got it, flaunt it."
Usagi's eyes almost rolled into the back of her head. "No one has 'it' at sixteen, Mamo-chan, not even you," she scolded around a mouthful of ice cream.
"Well, you sure did at fourteen. It was incredibly infuriating."
She waved her spoon at him. "You never thought that."
"Wanna bet?" He shoved his spoon into his mouth so that maybe he'd shut up for a minute. He wasn't sure that he wanted her to know exactly how long he'd wanted her, wanted this.
Usagi gazed at him, and he hated the doubt in her eyes. Hated that he'd put it there. So once he finished his bite, the ice cream almost getting stuck around the lump in his throat, he felt like he had to continue.
"You were this amazingly kind, beautiful girl who everyone loved. You could make friends with anyone, you weren't afraid to speak your mind, not even to an asshole, and you lit up any room you entered. It was very...intimidating."
Her spoon dangled from her fingers, as forgotten as the ice cream beginning to soften in her cup. The silence stretched between them for achingly long seconds. Mamoru filled it the only way he knew how, by taking another bite of ice cream, and then another, barely tasting the rich chocolate.
Finally, her fingers tightened around her spoon. She used it to point at him. "You. Were intimidated. By me?" Now the spoon pointed toward her own chest.
He frowned. "I didn't have a lot of...close social interaction growing up. Motoki was pretty much my only friend for a very long time. I had no idea how you did...any of what you did. At first I thought it had to be an act. No one was that nice, and you certainly had a temper when it came to me. But then I realized that you just...were such a good person. I didn't know how to handle that. No one I knew was like that."
The surprise melted from her eyes into something much softer, and finally she took another bite of ice cream. He shifted uncomfortably, unsure of what that look meant or what she might be thinking. All of what he said was true, though. He'd had years to contemplate why, exactly, she had rubbed him the wrong way when they first met and why he couldn't get her out of his head, even as they grew into adulthood.
Usagi seemed to sense his discomfort and smiled after her third bite. "You know, I wish we'd gotten along better back then. Who knows what could have happened."
They were back to easy banter, Mamoru realized with an internal sigh of relief. This he could handle.
"I probably would have found the nerve to ask you out, eventually," he confided.
"I probably would have said yes. You're sinfully handsome, you know." She said it so matter-of-factly, but he still blushed.
"I've been told that a time or two." Never by her. It sounded so much better, coming from her.
She rolled her eyes, that playful sparkle back. "I bet. Well, the other girls will just have to back off now."
He raised his eyebrows at that. Not that he minded. "Really?"
She dipped her spoon back into her ice cream and this time licked it off, practically making him go cross-eyed with the heat that spiked through him at the sight.
"I don't share well with others."
"Does that...I mean, I would like it if...if you wanted to…" Suddenly, he was a stuttering, stumbling mess unable to get out a coherent sentence. Once again, she seemed to understand exactly what he meant, though.
Usagi leaned forward, scooped some of his ice cream out of his cup, and popped the bite into her mouth, eyes on his the entire time. She obviously savored it, moaning just a little and causing his pants to get even tighter.
"Wanna be my boyfriend, Mamo-chan?"
The question was so casually put out there, but her eyes told him that she was completely serious. So was he as he mirrored her action, leaned forward, and stole a scoop of her ice cream. She let him, amusement growing in her eyes at his boldness.
"I'd love to, Usako."
The smug smile on her face was worth the second bite she stole from him, although she waved her spoon warningly when he tried to retaliate. They finished their Super Cups in silence, although they somehow managed to scoot closer together so that her left leg was pressed along the length of his. He honestly couldn't have said which of them moved, though. He was more interested in studying every inch of her face, even though he'd had it memorized long ago. It felt marvelous to have the freedom to do so openly.
They were just finishing their ice cream when the apartment door opened. From the pink couch, he could see Makoto and Minako stumbling in, laughing. Although they came up short when they saw him sitting next to Usagi. Green eyes and blue looked back and forth between the two of them, and Minako even raised her fists to rub her eyes.
"Oh, quit the drama, Mina-chan," Usagi cried, waving her empty spoon in the air. "You act like you've never seen Mamo-chan before!"
Of course, their eyebrows shot even higher at the nickname, but Mamoru felt that same warm glow as he had when she first used it. This was even better, though, because Usagi was claiming him, in front of her friends. Granted, her friends had been there for some of their more epic arguments during their teen years, so they probably thought she had lost her mind. He wouldn't blame them.
"Um, Usa-chan, weren't you supposed to be on a date tonight?" Makoto carefully asked as she slipped off her shoes and put on a pair of green slippers.
Usagi nodded enthusiastically. "Can you two believe it? The person Mizuki-san set me up with was Mamo-chan!"
Their eyes swept back and forth between the couple on the couch again. Mamoru wanted to laugh at the comedy of it all, but he stifled the impulse.
Minako, finished changing into orange slippers that rivaled Usagi's for the amount of sequins, settled her hands onto her hips even as she strode into the living area. "Let me get this straight. Your coworker," and she pointed at Usagi, "and your coworker," her finger swung toward Mamoru, "are brother and sister. And they set the two of you, who have known each other for years, up on a blind date."
Mamoru and Usagi nodded.
"That pretty much sums it up," he managed to say.
"And now Mamo-chan is my boyfriend. So you'll be nice to him, right, Mina-chan?" There was a note of steel in her voice, one that Mamoru had never heard before. It made him wonder exactly what Minako had said behind his back all these years, probably trying to comfort Usagi after he upset her. Not that he could blame her for that.
The blue eyes Minako turned on him would have seemed guileless if it weren't for the warning he read in them. "Of course, Usa-chan. So, Mamoru-san, I guess we'll be seeing a lot of you."
He ducked his chin, trying to convey without words that he wasn't the villain she must think of him. "I suppose so." He cleared his throat. "Um, I should probably get going, Usako. I have some errands to do tomorrow since the next six days are shifts."
Usagi jumped up and pulled him with her, their cups and spoons forgotten on the low table. "I'll see you out," she said, practically shoving him past Minako and giving her friend a dirty look in the process.
Before they could get to the door, they had to pass Makoto as well. He stopped short, seeing her standing with crossed arms and narrowed green eyes, looking him up and down. She stepped closer and leaned forward.
"You hurt her, and they won't find the body," she said softly but with firm conviction. Mamoru believed her. He also respected her for speaking her mind, especially because it was in defense of Usagi, so he gave a brisk nod in return.
"Of course."
"Omigosh, you two. Calm down. Go grab some ice cream to cool you down or something," Usagi practically growled, tugging on his hand once more to get him moving toward the door.
Once there, he changed quickly into his street shoes. Then he glanced over to see Makoto and Minako taking Usagi's suggestion and rummaging in the kitchen. Thankful for the reprieve, he stepped close to Usagi and tilted her chin up towards him. He dropped a short but sweet kiss on those gleaming pink lips, enjoying the taste of Usagi mixed with chocolate.
"Maybe we could meet for lunch tomorrow," he quietly suggested when he pulled back.
"I'd love that," she said, eyes shining.
He nodded and turned to go. "I'll come get you at noon?" he asked over his shoulder.
"For sure. Now go, so they can interrogate me and I can reassure them that this is fine," Usagi said with a giggle.
He sighed and left, the closing door taking away his last sight of her as he glanced back. Then he smiled, realizing that this wasn't the end at all. He only had to wait until the next day, he told himself as he made his way down the stairs and out to the street. That wasn't so bad, and then he'd be with his Usako once more.