Standard disclaimer: The characters aren't mine. This should come as no surprise. I am simply a teller of stories that occasionally claw their way desperately out of my head.
Notes: Earlier today on Tumblr I was bad and did a bad thing to Rei and Usagi and made people feel bad and then I felt bad. So then I did this, which is a fluffy thing, and made people feel better and then I felt better. Anyway it's Rei and Usagi and fluff and maybe you like that kinda thing, so here, you can see it too.
(3 February 2013)
Out for Sushi
"Shh. I'm helping you. Stop being a baby."
"You're calling ME a baby. The world's ending."
"Not until tomorrow, at least. How do I undo this thing?"
Usagi fumbled with Rei's robe, earning a sigh in the process. Rei's right arm dangled at her side, a victim of battle. Mars had been hit hard that night, and scared them all for a while. After examination though, Ami concluded that, with rest, she should be fine. Usagi was determined that rest was what Rei would have.
"You need a zipper," Usagi grumbled, and Rei laughed despite herself. Actually removing the shrine outfit was a slow and painful process, but soon it was done and Usagi was digging in Rei's drawers for pajamas.
"Just grab a shirt," Rei said, but Usagi waved her off.
"You're not well. You need special not-well PJs."
Rei limped to her bed and sat down, by way of allowing her weary legs to stop supporting her weight, and the futon to catch her as she fell. She tried to look cool while covered with scrapes and bruises and lounging in her underwear. Mostly, she failed. But it was Usagi, and so for once she didn't care.
"I don't have 'special, not-well' PJs."
"Clearly," Usagi muttered, condemning everything that fell before her sight. She grabbed handfuls of clothes and pushed them aside with a sneer, making a complete mess of Rei's carefully organized drawers in the process. A fact she was about to point out, when Usagi made a delighted sound and emerged with her prize.
Rei's eyes became twice their normal size. "Oh no."
"These are PERFECT!" Usagi was nearly cooing as she hugged the clothes to her chest.
Despite best efforts to lose them deep within her belongings and forget they ever existed, the truth was undeniable: Rei owned a pair of truly adorable pajamas.
They were made of smooth cotton, and incredibly soft to the touch; the kind of material to wrap around yourself and be lost for days. The light blue not only complimented Rei's dark hair, but seemed specifically designed to be as cool and soothing as possible.
And had this been all, they would have been Rei's favourites, no doubt.
But that WASN'T all, because marching across the pajamas was row after row of adorable little cartoon sushi. Sushi smiling. Sushi dancing, Sushi driving little cars made of other sushi.
Usagi squealed. Rei groaned and rested her head against the wall.
"When did you GET these?" Usagi asked, holding them up in Rei's direction and squinting, already picturing her friend decked out in sushi cuteness.
"A couple Christmases ago," replied Rei with a sigh. She tried to run her hand through her hair, but the arm wasn't responding properly, so she instead settled for sighing again. "Mako said they were 'perfect' for me. Which probably means they were perfect for MAKO, but not in her size, and— Tsk, really, Usagi?"
The pajama top was already unfastened, and Usagi was delicately easing the material over Rei's damaged right arm. She again began to protest, but Usagi's expression was one of such contentment that the words failed to come and Rei – for this moment, at least – remained silent.
With surprisingly gentleness, Usagi helped ease Rei back from the wall, involuntarily wincing as Rei hissed in pain. She slipped the shirt over Rei's shoulder, sparing a moment to fiddle with the collar that didn't want to lay straight. Rei glanced down, watching the fuss over it, and when she looked up, saw Usagi staring at her. Her breath hitched, and she flushed; Usagi, as ever, wore her emotions openly, and was at that moment showering Rei with raw, unapologetic love and warmth. Rei quickly turned and found something fascinating across the room. Usagi chuckled, somehow managing to regard Rei with even more affection, but didn't pursue.
Getting Rei's left arm into the pajama top was a slow but thankfully less painful ordeal, leaving only the buttons.
"Almost done," Usagi said encouragingly.
"Mm," replied Rei, already half-asleep. Usagi secretly patted herself on the back for the power of Special Not-Well PJs.
But buttons are tricky enough when you're a somewhat klutzy sailor-suited soldier for love and justice, and that's when they're YOURS. Buttons on another person turned out to be a near impossible foe. They went the wrong way, and Usagi's fingers felt fat and useless. Also with Rei propped against the wall and nearly tipping over, the two halves of her shirt wouldn't meet up right.
So it was that Usagi picked her battles, and in the end Rei was left with a lopsided shirt held together by four randomly cooperative buttons. She also made the executive decision to not worry about the pajama bottoms, and Rei was well past the point of offering an opinion.
Carefully, Usagi half-guided, half-lowered Rei to the pillow, and pulled the covers up to her neck. Rei unconsciously snuggled into them.
Usagi's smile became an evil grin and she leaned over to whisper in Rei's ear. "Never forget, I know you've worn cute sushi pajamas."
Rei mumbled something. It was probably a threat. Usagi just smiled and turned off the light.