"Mamo-chan, I thought I told you to wear an ugly Christmas sweater, not your ugly normal sweater?" Usagi's lower lip trembled as she gazed up at her boyfriend.
"It's not an ugly sweater," Mamoru replied defiantly, running his fingers through his hair. This was not the first time they had this conversation, he recalled, but this was the first time that he looked in the mirror just to make sure he was right. "…is it really that bad?"
"You look fine, sweetheart— well, as long as you like looking like the State Farm guy," Usagi giggled and tugged on his sleeve. "Come on, is it snuggling time or presents time?" He knew that if they hadn't been seated next to each other on the sofa, she would have been bouncing from the excessive glee. He was never entirely sure which she liked best: giving and receiving presents, the sentiments behind the gifts, or the cuddling that followed. To be honest, he just loved her smile, and all three of those things made his princess smile, so for once, he was content with not knowing.
"The two aren't mutually exclusive, Usako," he teased, gently twirling one of her long pigtails. "I think both is good. Would you corroborate that sentiment?" The grin that broke out across her face, lighting it up like the moon lights up the night sky, was in itself enough of a response. He wrapped one arm around her waist, holding her close, and with his free arm, he pulled out a small box wrapped in silver ribbon.
"Oh, it's actually wrapped this time! Did you go out and learn how to tie a ribbon just for me, Mamo-chan? How sweet!" Usagi giggled again as she reached for the gift, but Mamoru pulled it back, struggling to keep a straight face.
"Say the magic word," he said, holding it just out of her reach.
"No fair, your arms are longer than mine," Usagi whined, flailing one arm in the box's direction. "Pretty please, Mamo-chan, pretty please with odangoes on top?" He couldn't help himself any longer; he grinned and handed her the box, watching as she first tried to carefully untie the ribbon before impatiently tearing the wrapping paper from the box. Her eyes widened as she pulled out the large golden crescent hanging from a long and delicate chain, transfixed by its beauty.
"Let me help you put it on." Mamoru gently removed her fingers from the necklace and clasped it around her neck, taking care to avoid getting the hair at the nape of her neck caught in the mechanism. He couldn't resist lightly stroking her neck as he gazed down at her, blissfully content.
She wrapped her arms around his neck in her typical Usagi style. "Thank you so much, Mamo-chan… I love you," she whispered, her breath warm against his skin.
"Likewise, Usako," he smiled, stroking her hair. "Do you have an equally sweet and thoughtful present for me?"
"Depends on what you consider sweet and thoughtful.," Usako replied, lightly tracing hearts on his neck with her fingertip. "Does a nicer sweater count?"