Title: Carrots, Bunnies, and Chocolate, Oh My!
Author: Silly Smiles (Shiruri Sumiresu)
E-mail: Serenityhime2@aol.com
Site: http://sssmh.mirrorz.com
AN: Konnichiwa minna-san! This is an Easter Romance Story! I hope you enjoy it! *smiles* Let me know what you think! Oh and thanks to my wonderful sisters, Bonnie and Siggy, we've come up with some really funny parts! Also, thanks to Bonnie for editing this for me! She's the greatest! Thanks for Sere-chan for helping me along as well! *glomps*
Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon. The wonderful Naoko-sama created her and the other characters and series! She deserves all the credit for the story line! SM's distributors deserve credit for distributing SM to use! *grins*
ENJOY!
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"Here comes Peter Cottontail, hopping down the bunny trail. Hippity, hoppity, Easter's on it's way!" sang Usagi as she bounced into Crown Arcade. "Motoki-oniisan!"
"Konnichiwa, Usagi-chan! How are you doing?" Motoki inquired as he came to stand in front of the counter.
"I'm doing great! It's a beautiful day and Easter's tomorrow!" She grinned and hugged him.
Motoki hugged the sunny blonde back. "What are you doing for Easter?"
"My family is coming to my house for dinner. That's about it, you?" She replied as she sat down on a stole, not realizing who was sitting next to her.
"Just going to my parents' place. I invited ol' Mamo-kun here, but he refused," Motoki answered, looking pointedly at Mamoru.
"I already told you, Motoki-kun, I have a paper that I need to work on," Mamoru stated before taking a sip of his coffee.
"You need to socialize more, Chiba-san."
"How would you know, Odango Atama?" He queried.
She jumped to her feet, and with her hands on her hips, she angrily replied, "My name is Usagi! I was being nice to you in the first place! You're so mean! As for your question, Motoki is always complaining about you not going to any of his, or his parents, parties!"
"She's right, Mamoru. All you do is come here for your coffee, go to school, and lock yourself in that apartment of yours! You don't go to parties and you don't enjoy the holidays! It's a time to be happy and joyous! Just because you never had a great Easter, or any other holiday for that matter, doesn't mean that you should be depressing and bring down other's spirits!" Motoki yelled angrily.
"Thanks for telling everyone my past, Furuhata-san," growled Mamoru as he stood to leave.
Usagi and Motoki watched Mamoru leave with wide eyes. Motoki groaned and sat down on the stole that Mamoru had vacated.
"Why didn't Mamoru-san ever have a great Easter?" queried Usagi.
"I shouldn't be telling you this, Usa, but maybe you can find a way to cheer him up. When he was six, he lost his parents in a car crash. He was the only survivor. He may have survived, but he lost all of his memories. He still hasn't gotten them back. He was picked on all through his life at the orphanage. He never had friends or a real holiday. No one ever tried to adopt him. I'm his first and only friend," He explained sadly.
"Well, looks like I've got myself a mission! I'm gonna give him a great Easter and cheer him up! Even if it's the last thing I do!" She exclaimed as she started to laugh maniacally.
Everyone stopped what they were doing to stare at the laughing blonde.
"Mommy! She's scaring me!" a little boy cried as he tugged on his mother's skirt.
Usagi stopped laughing and looked at the little boy. The boy started to fidget under her gaze, but he never looked away.
A hug smile erupted on her face, "Ah ha! Thanks for the idea!" She winked and turned back to Motoki, "I need Mamoru's address, and does he like chocolate?"
"What do you have planned, you conniving bunny?" He asked skeptically.
"Well, first I need..."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Mamoru's POV (Point of View)~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
*sighs* I hate holidays. Everyone is so happy and families are gathering. Loved ones are cuddling more and children are more rambunctious. Children are looking forward to the "Easter Bunny" coming and leaving them goodies. They don't even realize the truth of the Easter holiday.
How I wish I could be a part of all of that. Motoki, I'm sorry. *sighs*
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~My POV*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Mamoru sighed again and stood from the peaceful bench in the gardens area of the park.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Scene Change -- Usagi*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
*~
Usagi walked up the stairs of the quaint little family home. When she reached the dark brown door, she knocked twice. After waiting for a moment, the door gently swung open to reveal a petite, middle-aged woman with pale blonde hair and bright green eyes.
"Usagi! Minako's upstairs in her room," Mrs. Aino greeted her as she stepped aside to allow the petite teen entrance.
"Thank you, Aino-san!" Usagi exclaimed as she raced up the stairs to Minako's room. "Mina-chan!"
Minako looked up as the sunny blonde ran into her bedroom. She was sitting on her bed, on top of her yellow-orange comforter, going through some magazines.
"Usagi-chan! What are you doing here?"
"I need to borrow your bunny costume! You know, the one you wore in your last play?"
"Yeah, I know. Why do you need it?" Minako inquired.
"I can't tell you now. I have too many things to do. I'll tell you later! Please let me borrow the costume!" Usagi begged with large puppy dog eyes, her mouth in a pout.
"Yeah, go ahead. It's in my closet," Minako waved her off. "I want details later!"
Usagi grinned and ran into Minako's closet. After grabbing the costume, she ran out while yelling a quick, "Ja ne!" before disappearing down the stairs and running out the door.
"Weird girl. Whatever she's doing must be real good," Minako stated to herself with a malicious grin on her face. "So, she'd better give me all the details later!"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Scene Change -- An hour or Two Later~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
'Hmm... Yes! I had enough to get everything I need!' Usagi grinned to herself as she walked out of the Candy Factory.
When she arrived home, she ran straight for the kitchen to find her Mom.
"Okaa-san! Can a friend of mine join us for dinner tomorrow? He doesn't have any family to enjoy Easter with, and he's kind of down in the dumps right now," She explained while trying to stand still, failing miserably because she was so excited.
"Sure, dear. Just tell him to be here by four thirty tomorrow evening," Ikuku, Usagi's mother, answered as she continued to cook dinner.
Usagi brightly smiled and raced up to her room to put the finishing touches on her plan.
"Usagi-chan! Shingo-kun! Kenji-kun! Dinner!" Ikuku called as she put dinner on the table.
In a matter of seconds all members of the family were sitting down to dinner. After saying prayers, they began to eat.
"Kenji-dear, Usagi has a male friend coming to dinner tomorrow," Ikuku started, but continued before Kenji could start yelling. "He is just a friend and he has nowhere else to go. You will be polite and nice to this young man, or you will sleep on the couch for a month!"
Kenji gulped and quickly nodded his head as he mumbled, "Hai, ma'am."
"Arigato, Okaa-san!" Usagi exclaimed with a bright smile on her face. "I have plans to meet up with some friends tomorrow morning, so I might not be here when all of you get up."
"All right, but you be back by four thirty," Ikuku ordered.
"You actually think Odango Brains will be up before us?" Shingo queried arrogantly.
Usagi glared angrily at her younger brother angrily. "I'll be gone before any of you are up! I have VERY important plans tomorrow and if my timing is off, all will be ruined!"
She grinned at her brother's dumbfounded expression and blew a raspberry at him, causing him to hmph and fall back in his chair.
Kenji laughed and stated, "Don't worry son. You'll get her back somehow, someday. You always do."
Shingo grinned and went back to eating.
After dinner, Usagi helped her mother clear the table before heading upstairs to bed. She has to get up early, so she was going to bed early enough to get enough sleep for the following day.
The next morning Usagi got up at four thirty. She quickly took a shower and dressed in the oversized, white bunny costume. She grabbed a duffel bag and stuffed extra clothes into it. Then she went downstairs to gather the rest of her supplies.
She grabbed a package of carrots, along with the Easter basket and chocolate she had bought the day before. By the time she was ready to leave, it was five forty-five. She had just walked out the door when Ikuku came down the stairs to clean up and get the ham in the oven.
Usagi hurriedly made her way to Mamoru's apartment. There were no people walking along the sidewalks, and few cars had driven past her. Usagi finally found Mamoru's apartment building. She gasped when she realized just how expensive the building looked.
She walked up to the door and tried to open it, but it was locked. She frowned, but then realized that Motoki had given her his set of Mamoru's keys. She quickly fumbled with her duffle bag until she found the key ring. She quickly found the right key and unlocked the door. Then she ran over to the elevators and waited impatiently for one.
The elevator ride seemed to take forever for Usagi. Once the door opened, she ran out into the hall and she hurriedly looked for Mamoru's apartment. She found his apartment and quickly let herself in.
She turned on the lights and stood there in shock. He had an oversized, black leather couch. A big screen TV was against the right wall and a stereo system sat beside the TV.
She snapped herself out of her stupor and set to work. She quickly took the pack of carrots from her duffel bag and took a bite or two out of half of them before scattering them throughout Mamoru's apartment. She was about to take a bite out of another carrot but stopped herself just in time.
'What I do to make others happy. Ick, I can't do this anymore,' she thought as she just scattered the last of the carrots whole.
She quickly packed the chocolate she had bought the day before into the Easter basket and set it on the coffee table.
Smiling at her work, Usagi checked her watch and her eyes widened. It was seven o'clock already! She hurriedly cleaned up the garbage and placed her duffel bag into a nearby corner.
She quietly opened Mamoru's bedroom door and looked inside. He was asleep in bed, his covers thrown off beside of him. He was wearing black boxers with white bunnies on them and a white tank top.
She grinned and started singing, "Here comes Peter Cottontail, hopping down the bunny trail. Hippity, hoppity, Easter's on its way!"
Mamoru jerked awake to someone singing. His eyes widened when he saw a white, blurry thing standing in front of him. He jumped up in a hurry, his eyes quickly adapting to the dim light.
"Odango? What are you doing here? How did you get in?"
Usagi stood there in shock, staring at what Mamoru was wearing. She could see his defined muscles through his muscle tank. She was just starting to imagine him ripping his shirt off when Mamoru shoved her through his bedroom doorway into the hall, slamming the door in her face.
She felt a blush rise on her cheeks from where her earlier thoughts had been leading to.
Mamoru blushed as he got dressed.
Usagi shook herself out of her embarrassed stupor and went into the living room to wait for Mamoru.
When Mamoru walked out into his hallway, he was met with a trail of carrots. 'Weird, what has Odango gone and done now?'
Meanwhile, Usagi was sitting nervously on the couch, fiddling with one of her floppy ears. Mamoru stood in the doorway for a moment just watching her. He started to smile, but caught himself, remembering why he had been angry with her.
"Why are you here? How did you manage to get in?" He asked angrily as he stormed over to stand in front of her.
She was just about to answer him when he stated, rather than asked, "What are you wearing!?"
She glared at him and replied, "It's a bunny costume. You should be able to tell. You sleep in bunnies!"
She burst out laughing at Mamoru's bright red blush. 'He looks so cute when he's embarrassed. Whoa there, Usagi, did you just say he's cute? He is gorgeous, but he has zero personality!'
Mamoru opened his mouth to retort, but nothing came out. He continued to try to say something, his mouth somewhat resembling a fish. Finally he managed to inquire, "How did you get in here?"
"Well, after Motoki yelled that you never had a real Easter or holiday, I made him tell me why. He explained your past to me and I wanted to give you a wonderful Easter. So, I told him my plan to dress up as the Easter bunny and bring you an Easter basket. I asked him where you lived and then he asked me how I was planning to get in. Being the ditz I am, I hadn't thought of how I was going to get in. Motoki laughed at me and gave me the extra keys you gave him. See the Easter basket on the table?" Usagi pointed behind Mamoru and he turned before looking back at her and nodding. "It's yours."
Mamoru stared at the bunny-clad teen in front of him in shock. He never thought anyone would do something like this for him. He thought that people would just pity him and look down on him, but this sunny girl had worked hard to make him happy. She didn't just pity him and continue on her way. She went out of her way to give him an Easter. The icy walls around his heart were slowly melting to allow this petite girl in.
"Mamoru! Mamoru!! You in there?" Usagi asked, waving a hand in front of his face.
Mamoru smirked and threw the carrot he had picked up at Usagi. It hit her right in the forehead.
"Hey! What was that for?" She asked as he tossed it back at him.
Mamoru just grinned and caught it. He then leaned over and picked up a few more carrots and launched then at Usagi. She squealed and ran behind the couch for cover. While hiding behind the couch, Usagi managed to grab a few carrots of her own. Quickly, she jumped up and threw a few at Mamoru, succeeding in hitting him a few times. Mamoru growled and jumped behind the couch at her.
He caught her and from his weight hitting into her, Usagi fell. Mamoru landed on top of her on the floor.
"Itai! That hurt, Mamoru!" Usagi yelled as she tried to push him off of her.
Mamoru ignored her as he lost himself in her cerulean blue eyes. He felt himself moving closer to her, his eyes on her rosy lips. Usagi realized what was happening and quickly pushed Mamoru off of her.
They both blushed when they realized what had almost happened.
"Mamoru, you're coming to my house for dinner tonight! We have to be there by four thirty!" She smiled as she saw a look of shock appear on his face.
"I am not going to your house for dinner tonight! I'm staying home," he replied.
Usagi grinned. She had expected that he would say something like that. "You're coming, Mamoru, even if I have to send the Sailor Senshi to drag you there!"
Mamoru rolled his eyes and nodded. 'Usako is more stubborn than Motoki! Usako? Where'd that come from?'
Usagi smiled triumphantly at Mamoru's nod. "Do you mind if I go and get changed into normal clothes? It's so hot in this costume!"
"Go ahead. I'm sure you can find the bathroom on your own."
Usagi stood and grabbed her duffel bag. She hurried down the hall and out of Mamoru's sight. He shook his head and walked over to the coffee table. He grabbed a chocolate bunny and smiled. The bunny reminded him of Usagi. She was cute and sweet, just like it.
"Mamo-kun! What do you want for breakfast?" Usagi chirped as she came bounding into the room.
She noticed the chocolate bunny in his hand and stated in a motherly fashion, "No candy before breakfast."
Mamoru pouted, sending Usagi into a fit of laughter. "I want chocolate now!"
Usagi was rolling on the floor, holding her stomach as she continued to laugh. She had never imagined Mamoru pouting and acting like a child!
Mamoru rolled his eyes and stepped over her, heading into the kitchen.
Usagi noticed he was gone and got up. "Hey! I'm cooking, not you!"
"If I let you cook, I'll no longer have an apartment…or a stomach!"
Usagi glared at Mamoru's back and stomped out of the kitchen into the living room. She sighed as she looked at the mess they had made and began to clean up. Every time she picked up a carrot, she made a disgusted face.
Mamoru witnessed one of these faces as he walked into the living room. "Aren't bunnies supposed to like carrots?"
Usagi glared at him and replied, "Not this bunny!"
Mamoru chuckled and stated, "Breakfast is ready."
She grinned and jumped to her feet, racing to the kitchen table. Mamoru merely shook his head and set the food out.
After breakfast, Usagi suggested they get some eggs and food dye, saying it would be fun to color some eggs to give to their friends. She figured it would especially be good for Mamoru to dye eggs to give to Motoki after the arcade episode the day before. Mamoru agreed and they left to go to the supermarket.
They grabbed six cartons of eggs and three packages of dye.
"I think this should be enough!" Usagi exclaimed as they headed towards the cash register.
"I think this is more than enough, Odango," He replied.
"Hey, Mamoru-san? Could you please refrain from calling me Odango at my house tonight?"
"How come?"
"My dad is overprotective. I'd rather you never call me Odango, but I doubt that'll ever happen."
Mamoru nodded his consent as they paid for their items and set off for his apartment. Once inside, Usagi set to getting the dye ready while Mamoru covered the kitchen table with newspaper.
"Okay, do you know how to dye eggs, Mamoru-san?"
"Nope, never did it. I think I can manage though. Just dip the egg in the dye, correct?"
"Yeppers! Now let's stop chatting and get dyeing!" Usagi exclaimed as she grabbed an egg and placed it in the pink dye.
Mamoru rolled his eyes and began dying some eggs.
Two hours later, a colorful Mamoru and Usagi finished cleaning up the mess they had made and put their eggs into the refrigerator.
"Mamoru! Why'd you have to dump the orange dye on me! I'll never get it out of my clothes! It's gonna take eons for me to get it out of my hair!" Usagi whined.
"Well, if you hadn't dumped the pink dye on me I wouldn't have dumped the orange dye on you!" He retorted.
"You shouldn't have gotten in my way! I must admit though, you look absolutely stunning in pink!" Usagi exclaimed in a "rich, preppy" way.
Mamoru chuckled and replied, "Well, you can go and take your shower first."
"I can? Thanks, Mamo-kun!" Usagi enthusiastically replied as she started for the bathroom. "Uh…I have nothing else to wear!"
"I'll get you some of my old sweat pants and a T-shirt," He stated, walking towards his room, a happy Usagi following him.
Mamoru looked through his old sweat pants until he found a pair that was too small for him, laying them aside and pulling out an old T-shirt. He handed them to Usagi, grabbing two clean towels and piling them into her arms as well as he ushered her into the bathroom.
Mamoru walked into the living room and looked around for a bit. A smile graced his lips as he looked at the Easter basket sitting innocently on his coffee table. He walked over to it and took the chocolate bunny back out. He opened the package and bit its ears off.
'Chocolate is the best! Chocolate and Usako, the Negaverse couldn't even make my smile disappear!' He thought happily.
Half an hour later, Usagi walked into the living room wearing Mamoru's shirt and sweat pants. Her hair was damp, hanging down to her knees. Mamoru smiled at her as he walked by to take his shower.
Usagi sighed as she plopped down onto Mamoru's couch. She was tired. She never thought getting up at four thirty in the morning and running around could tire someone out before one o'clock. Usagi lay down on the couch, drifting off to dreamland.
'Mamo-chan smells so good. He smells like roses. His shirt smells like him. If he wasn't such a stick in the mud at times I'd totally go for him, but what would he want with a klutzy, whiny girl like me?' She fell asleep, these thoughts still dancing through her mind as she dreamed of Mamoru.
Mamoru smiled to himself as he took his shower.
'Usako is perfect. How could I ever have thought her to be annoying and klutzy. She's fun to be with and graceful in her own way. Usako, I think I'm falling for her.'
He sighed as he got out of the shower and dressed. When he walked into the living room, he smiled at the sleeping beauty lying peacefully on his couch. Instead of disturbing her, Mamoru took the eggs they had dyed and left the apartment.
As he walked to the arcade, he thought, 'I think Motoki said he was working today until three.'
He smiled as he saw his sandy-haired friend helping a little boy with the Sailor V video game. He walked up to Motoki, handing him two of the four egg cartons he had with him. Without saying a word, Mamoru left the arcade.
'I guess Usagi got to him after all!' Motoki smiled and put the eggs in the staff refrigerator so they wouldn't spoil.
Mamoru walked to the Hikawa Jinja to deliver the last two egg cartons to Rei and her family. He walked up and was instantly greeted by Rei's grandfather.
"Grandpa Hino! Here, I'd like to give these to you and your family! Happy Easter!" He exclaimed as he turned and walked back down the steps.
'Something has gotten into that boy! At last, he is finally happy,' Grandpa Hino thought with a smile. He opened the carton and grinned merrily. "Easter eggs!"
Mamoru made it back to his apartment with a smile on his face. When he walked in, he was met by a worried Usagi.
"Where were you!? You had me worried! I woke up to find myself all alone in your apartment! You almost had me thinking that you had run away so that you wouldn't have to come tonight!" Usagi poked him in the chest to emphasize her words.
Mamoru caught her wrist and pulled her to him. Usagi gasped and tried to pull away, but Mamoru had his arms around her waist.
"I'm sorry, Usagi, but I went to deliver our eggs," He apologized.
"It's ok, I was just worried," She whispered.
The two were so close together that Mamoru couldn't take it anymore. He quickly caught her lips in a sweet and chaste kiss. Usagi wouldn't have any of this and pulled him in for another kiss. Mamoru was shocked, but quickly responded when he felt Usagi start to pull away.
When they finally broke their kiss, Usagi looked up at Mamoru with innocent eyes that were brimming with love. "Mamoru, I think I'm..."
Mamoru interrupted her, "Falling in love?"
"Yes!"
He smiled and lifted her off the ground, swinging her around in the air. Usagi laughed merrily as she continued to be swung around like a doll.
"Usagi, I love you with all my heart. You are the light in my dark life," He stated with a smile on his face as he set her down.
Usagi grinned and exclaimed, "I've finally found my prince!"
Mamoru looked at her weirdly for a moment before Usagi pulled him into another passion-filled kiss.
When they broke away, Mamoru looked down at Usagi and stated, "We're gonna be late for dinner if we don't leave now, Usako."
"Usako? I like it! Let's get going, Mamo-chan!" Usagi exclaimed as she pulled him out the door towards his first Easter supper.
Author: Silly Smiles (Shiruri Sumiresu)
E-mail: Serenityhime2@aol.com
Site: http://sssmh.mirrorz.com
AN: Konnichiwa minna-san! This is an Easter Romance Story! I hope you enjoy it! *smiles* Let me know what you think! Oh and thanks to my wonderful sisters, Bonnie and Siggy, we've come up with some really funny parts! Also, thanks to Bonnie for editing this for me! She's the greatest! Thanks for Sere-chan for helping me along as well! *glomps*
Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon. The wonderful Naoko-sama created her and the other characters and series! She deserves all the credit for the story line! SM's distributors deserve credit for distributing SM to use! *grins*
ENJOY!
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"Here comes Peter Cottontail, hopping down the bunny trail. Hippity, hoppity, Easter's on it's way!" sang Usagi as she bounced into Crown Arcade. "Motoki-oniisan!"
"Konnichiwa, Usagi-chan! How are you doing?" Motoki inquired as he came to stand in front of the counter.
"I'm doing great! It's a beautiful day and Easter's tomorrow!" She grinned and hugged him.
Motoki hugged the sunny blonde back. "What are you doing for Easter?"
"My family is coming to my house for dinner. That's about it, you?" She replied as she sat down on a stole, not realizing who was sitting next to her.
"Just going to my parents' place. I invited ol' Mamo-kun here, but he refused," Motoki answered, looking pointedly at Mamoru.
"I already told you, Motoki-kun, I have a paper that I need to work on," Mamoru stated before taking a sip of his coffee.
"You need to socialize more, Chiba-san."
"How would you know, Odango Atama?" He queried.
She jumped to her feet, and with her hands on her hips, she angrily replied, "My name is Usagi! I was being nice to you in the first place! You're so mean! As for your question, Motoki is always complaining about you not going to any of his, or his parents, parties!"
"She's right, Mamoru. All you do is come here for your coffee, go to school, and lock yourself in that apartment of yours! You don't go to parties and you don't enjoy the holidays! It's a time to be happy and joyous! Just because you never had a great Easter, or any other holiday for that matter, doesn't mean that you should be depressing and bring down other's spirits!" Motoki yelled angrily.
"Thanks for telling everyone my past, Furuhata-san," growled Mamoru as he stood to leave.
Usagi and Motoki watched Mamoru leave with wide eyes. Motoki groaned and sat down on the stole that Mamoru had vacated.
"Why didn't Mamoru-san ever have a great Easter?" queried Usagi.
"I shouldn't be telling you this, Usa, but maybe you can find a way to cheer him up. When he was six, he lost his parents in a car crash. He was the only survivor. He may have survived, but he lost all of his memories. He still hasn't gotten them back. He was picked on all through his life at the orphanage. He never had friends or a real holiday. No one ever tried to adopt him. I'm his first and only friend," He explained sadly.
"Well, looks like I've got myself a mission! I'm gonna give him a great Easter and cheer him up! Even if it's the last thing I do!" She exclaimed as she started to laugh maniacally.
Everyone stopped what they were doing to stare at the laughing blonde.
"Mommy! She's scaring me!" a little boy cried as he tugged on his mother's skirt.
Usagi stopped laughing and looked at the little boy. The boy started to fidget under her gaze, but he never looked away.
A hug smile erupted on her face, "Ah ha! Thanks for the idea!" She winked and turned back to Motoki, "I need Mamoru's address, and does he like chocolate?"
"What do you have planned, you conniving bunny?" He asked skeptically.
"Well, first I need..."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Mamoru's POV (Point of View)~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
*sighs* I hate holidays. Everyone is so happy and families are gathering. Loved ones are cuddling more and children are more rambunctious. Children are looking forward to the "Easter Bunny" coming and leaving them goodies. They don't even realize the truth of the Easter holiday.
How I wish I could be a part of all of that. Motoki, I'm sorry. *sighs*
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~My POV*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Mamoru sighed again and stood from the peaceful bench in the gardens area of the park.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Scene Change -- Usagi*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
*~
Usagi walked up the stairs of the quaint little family home. When she reached the dark brown door, she knocked twice. After waiting for a moment, the door gently swung open to reveal a petite, middle-aged woman with pale blonde hair and bright green eyes.
"Usagi! Minako's upstairs in her room," Mrs. Aino greeted her as she stepped aside to allow the petite teen entrance.
"Thank you, Aino-san!" Usagi exclaimed as she raced up the stairs to Minako's room. "Mina-chan!"
Minako looked up as the sunny blonde ran into her bedroom. She was sitting on her bed, on top of her yellow-orange comforter, going through some magazines.
"Usagi-chan! What are you doing here?"
"I need to borrow your bunny costume! You know, the one you wore in your last play?"
"Yeah, I know. Why do you need it?" Minako inquired.
"I can't tell you now. I have too many things to do. I'll tell you later! Please let me borrow the costume!" Usagi begged with large puppy dog eyes, her mouth in a pout.
"Yeah, go ahead. It's in my closet," Minako waved her off. "I want details later!"
Usagi grinned and ran into Minako's closet. After grabbing the costume, she ran out while yelling a quick, "Ja ne!" before disappearing down the stairs and running out the door.
"Weird girl. Whatever she's doing must be real good," Minako stated to herself with a malicious grin on her face. "So, she'd better give me all the details later!"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Scene Change -- An hour or Two Later~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
'Hmm... Yes! I had enough to get everything I need!' Usagi grinned to herself as she walked out of the Candy Factory.
When she arrived home, she ran straight for the kitchen to find her Mom.
"Okaa-san! Can a friend of mine join us for dinner tomorrow? He doesn't have any family to enjoy Easter with, and he's kind of down in the dumps right now," She explained while trying to stand still, failing miserably because she was so excited.
"Sure, dear. Just tell him to be here by four thirty tomorrow evening," Ikuku, Usagi's mother, answered as she continued to cook dinner.
Usagi brightly smiled and raced up to her room to put the finishing touches on her plan.
"Usagi-chan! Shingo-kun! Kenji-kun! Dinner!" Ikuku called as she put dinner on the table.
In a matter of seconds all members of the family were sitting down to dinner. After saying prayers, they began to eat.
"Kenji-dear, Usagi has a male friend coming to dinner tomorrow," Ikuku started, but continued before Kenji could start yelling. "He is just a friend and he has nowhere else to go. You will be polite and nice to this young man, or you will sleep on the couch for a month!"
Kenji gulped and quickly nodded his head as he mumbled, "Hai, ma'am."
"Arigato, Okaa-san!" Usagi exclaimed with a bright smile on her face. "I have plans to meet up with some friends tomorrow morning, so I might not be here when all of you get up."
"All right, but you be back by four thirty," Ikuku ordered.
"You actually think Odango Brains will be up before us?" Shingo queried arrogantly.
Usagi glared angrily at her younger brother angrily. "I'll be gone before any of you are up! I have VERY important plans tomorrow and if my timing is off, all will be ruined!"
She grinned at her brother's dumbfounded expression and blew a raspberry at him, causing him to hmph and fall back in his chair.
Kenji laughed and stated, "Don't worry son. You'll get her back somehow, someday. You always do."
Shingo grinned and went back to eating.
After dinner, Usagi helped her mother clear the table before heading upstairs to bed. She has to get up early, so she was going to bed early enough to get enough sleep for the following day.
The next morning Usagi got up at four thirty. She quickly took a shower and dressed in the oversized, white bunny costume. She grabbed a duffel bag and stuffed extra clothes into it. Then she went downstairs to gather the rest of her supplies.
She grabbed a package of carrots, along with the Easter basket and chocolate she had bought the day before. By the time she was ready to leave, it was five forty-five. She had just walked out the door when Ikuku came down the stairs to clean up and get the ham in the oven.
Usagi hurriedly made her way to Mamoru's apartment. There were no people walking along the sidewalks, and few cars had driven past her. Usagi finally found Mamoru's apartment building. She gasped when she realized just how expensive the building looked.
She walked up to the door and tried to open it, but it was locked. She frowned, but then realized that Motoki had given her his set of Mamoru's keys. She quickly fumbled with her duffle bag until she found the key ring. She quickly found the right key and unlocked the door. Then she ran over to the elevators and waited impatiently for one.
The elevator ride seemed to take forever for Usagi. Once the door opened, she ran out into the hall and she hurriedly looked for Mamoru's apartment. She found his apartment and quickly let herself in.
She turned on the lights and stood there in shock. He had an oversized, black leather couch. A big screen TV was against the right wall and a stereo system sat beside the TV.
She snapped herself out of her stupor and set to work. She quickly took the pack of carrots from her duffel bag and took a bite or two out of half of them before scattering them throughout Mamoru's apartment. She was about to take a bite out of another carrot but stopped herself just in time.
'What I do to make others happy. Ick, I can't do this anymore,' she thought as she just scattered the last of the carrots whole.
She quickly packed the chocolate she had bought the day before into the Easter basket and set it on the coffee table.
Smiling at her work, Usagi checked her watch and her eyes widened. It was seven o'clock already! She hurriedly cleaned up the garbage and placed her duffel bag into a nearby corner.
She quietly opened Mamoru's bedroom door and looked inside. He was asleep in bed, his covers thrown off beside of him. He was wearing black boxers with white bunnies on them and a white tank top.
She grinned and started singing, "Here comes Peter Cottontail, hopping down the bunny trail. Hippity, hoppity, Easter's on its way!"
Mamoru jerked awake to someone singing. His eyes widened when he saw a white, blurry thing standing in front of him. He jumped up in a hurry, his eyes quickly adapting to the dim light.
"Odango? What are you doing here? How did you get in?"
Usagi stood there in shock, staring at what Mamoru was wearing. She could see his defined muscles through his muscle tank. She was just starting to imagine him ripping his shirt off when Mamoru shoved her through his bedroom doorway into the hall, slamming the door in her face.
She felt a blush rise on her cheeks from where her earlier thoughts had been leading to.
Mamoru blushed as he got dressed.
Usagi shook herself out of her embarrassed stupor and went into the living room to wait for Mamoru.
When Mamoru walked out into his hallway, he was met with a trail of carrots. 'Weird, what has Odango gone and done now?'
Meanwhile, Usagi was sitting nervously on the couch, fiddling with one of her floppy ears. Mamoru stood in the doorway for a moment just watching her. He started to smile, but caught himself, remembering why he had been angry with her.
"Why are you here? How did you manage to get in?" He asked angrily as he stormed over to stand in front of her.
She was just about to answer him when he stated, rather than asked, "What are you wearing!?"
She glared at him and replied, "It's a bunny costume. You should be able to tell. You sleep in bunnies!"
She burst out laughing at Mamoru's bright red blush. 'He looks so cute when he's embarrassed. Whoa there, Usagi, did you just say he's cute? He is gorgeous, but he has zero personality!'
Mamoru opened his mouth to retort, but nothing came out. He continued to try to say something, his mouth somewhat resembling a fish. Finally he managed to inquire, "How did you get in here?"
"Well, after Motoki yelled that you never had a real Easter or holiday, I made him tell me why. He explained your past to me and I wanted to give you a wonderful Easter. So, I told him my plan to dress up as the Easter bunny and bring you an Easter basket. I asked him where you lived and then he asked me how I was planning to get in. Being the ditz I am, I hadn't thought of how I was going to get in. Motoki laughed at me and gave me the extra keys you gave him. See the Easter basket on the table?" Usagi pointed behind Mamoru and he turned before looking back at her and nodding. "It's yours."
Mamoru stared at the bunny-clad teen in front of him in shock. He never thought anyone would do something like this for him. He thought that people would just pity him and look down on him, but this sunny girl had worked hard to make him happy. She didn't just pity him and continue on her way. She went out of her way to give him an Easter. The icy walls around his heart were slowly melting to allow this petite girl in.
"Mamoru! Mamoru!! You in there?" Usagi asked, waving a hand in front of his face.
Mamoru smirked and threw the carrot he had picked up at Usagi. It hit her right in the forehead.
"Hey! What was that for?" She asked as he tossed it back at him.
Mamoru just grinned and caught it. He then leaned over and picked up a few more carrots and launched then at Usagi. She squealed and ran behind the couch for cover. While hiding behind the couch, Usagi managed to grab a few carrots of her own. Quickly, she jumped up and threw a few at Mamoru, succeeding in hitting him a few times. Mamoru growled and jumped behind the couch at her.
He caught her and from his weight hitting into her, Usagi fell. Mamoru landed on top of her on the floor.
"Itai! That hurt, Mamoru!" Usagi yelled as she tried to push him off of her.
Mamoru ignored her as he lost himself in her cerulean blue eyes. He felt himself moving closer to her, his eyes on her rosy lips. Usagi realized what was happening and quickly pushed Mamoru off of her.
They both blushed when they realized what had almost happened.
"Mamoru, you're coming to my house for dinner tonight! We have to be there by four thirty!" She smiled as she saw a look of shock appear on his face.
"I am not going to your house for dinner tonight! I'm staying home," he replied.
Usagi grinned. She had expected that he would say something like that. "You're coming, Mamoru, even if I have to send the Sailor Senshi to drag you there!"
Mamoru rolled his eyes and nodded. 'Usako is more stubborn than Motoki! Usako? Where'd that come from?'
Usagi smiled triumphantly at Mamoru's nod. "Do you mind if I go and get changed into normal clothes? It's so hot in this costume!"
"Go ahead. I'm sure you can find the bathroom on your own."
Usagi stood and grabbed her duffel bag. She hurried down the hall and out of Mamoru's sight. He shook his head and walked over to the coffee table. He grabbed a chocolate bunny and smiled. The bunny reminded him of Usagi. She was cute and sweet, just like it.
"Mamo-kun! What do you want for breakfast?" Usagi chirped as she came bounding into the room.
She noticed the chocolate bunny in his hand and stated in a motherly fashion, "No candy before breakfast."
Mamoru pouted, sending Usagi into a fit of laughter. "I want chocolate now!"
Usagi was rolling on the floor, holding her stomach as she continued to laugh. She had never imagined Mamoru pouting and acting like a child!
Mamoru rolled his eyes and stepped over her, heading into the kitchen.
Usagi noticed he was gone and got up. "Hey! I'm cooking, not you!"
"If I let you cook, I'll no longer have an apartment…or a stomach!"
Usagi glared at Mamoru's back and stomped out of the kitchen into the living room. She sighed as she looked at the mess they had made and began to clean up. Every time she picked up a carrot, she made a disgusted face.
Mamoru witnessed one of these faces as he walked into the living room. "Aren't bunnies supposed to like carrots?"
Usagi glared at him and replied, "Not this bunny!"
Mamoru chuckled and stated, "Breakfast is ready."
She grinned and jumped to her feet, racing to the kitchen table. Mamoru merely shook his head and set the food out.
After breakfast, Usagi suggested they get some eggs and food dye, saying it would be fun to color some eggs to give to their friends. She figured it would especially be good for Mamoru to dye eggs to give to Motoki after the arcade episode the day before. Mamoru agreed and they left to go to the supermarket.
They grabbed six cartons of eggs and three packages of dye.
"I think this should be enough!" Usagi exclaimed as they headed towards the cash register.
"I think this is more than enough, Odango," He replied.
"Hey, Mamoru-san? Could you please refrain from calling me Odango at my house tonight?"
"How come?"
"My dad is overprotective. I'd rather you never call me Odango, but I doubt that'll ever happen."
Mamoru nodded his consent as they paid for their items and set off for his apartment. Once inside, Usagi set to getting the dye ready while Mamoru covered the kitchen table with newspaper.
"Okay, do you know how to dye eggs, Mamoru-san?"
"Nope, never did it. I think I can manage though. Just dip the egg in the dye, correct?"
"Yeppers! Now let's stop chatting and get dyeing!" Usagi exclaimed as she grabbed an egg and placed it in the pink dye.
Mamoru rolled his eyes and began dying some eggs.
Two hours later, a colorful Mamoru and Usagi finished cleaning up the mess they had made and put their eggs into the refrigerator.
"Mamoru! Why'd you have to dump the orange dye on me! I'll never get it out of my clothes! It's gonna take eons for me to get it out of my hair!" Usagi whined.
"Well, if you hadn't dumped the pink dye on me I wouldn't have dumped the orange dye on you!" He retorted.
"You shouldn't have gotten in my way! I must admit though, you look absolutely stunning in pink!" Usagi exclaimed in a "rich, preppy" way.
Mamoru chuckled and replied, "Well, you can go and take your shower first."
"I can? Thanks, Mamo-kun!" Usagi enthusiastically replied as she started for the bathroom. "Uh…I have nothing else to wear!"
"I'll get you some of my old sweat pants and a T-shirt," He stated, walking towards his room, a happy Usagi following him.
Mamoru looked through his old sweat pants until he found a pair that was too small for him, laying them aside and pulling out an old T-shirt. He handed them to Usagi, grabbing two clean towels and piling them into her arms as well as he ushered her into the bathroom.
Mamoru walked into the living room and looked around for a bit. A smile graced his lips as he looked at the Easter basket sitting innocently on his coffee table. He walked over to it and took the chocolate bunny back out. He opened the package and bit its ears off.
'Chocolate is the best! Chocolate and Usako, the Negaverse couldn't even make my smile disappear!' He thought happily.
Half an hour later, Usagi walked into the living room wearing Mamoru's shirt and sweat pants. Her hair was damp, hanging down to her knees. Mamoru smiled at her as he walked by to take his shower.
Usagi sighed as she plopped down onto Mamoru's couch. She was tired. She never thought getting up at four thirty in the morning and running around could tire someone out before one o'clock. Usagi lay down on the couch, drifting off to dreamland.
'Mamo-chan smells so good. He smells like roses. His shirt smells like him. If he wasn't such a stick in the mud at times I'd totally go for him, but what would he want with a klutzy, whiny girl like me?' She fell asleep, these thoughts still dancing through her mind as she dreamed of Mamoru.
Mamoru smiled to himself as he took his shower.
'Usako is perfect. How could I ever have thought her to be annoying and klutzy. She's fun to be with and graceful in her own way. Usako, I think I'm falling for her.'
He sighed as he got out of the shower and dressed. When he walked into the living room, he smiled at the sleeping beauty lying peacefully on his couch. Instead of disturbing her, Mamoru took the eggs they had dyed and left the apartment.
As he walked to the arcade, he thought, 'I think Motoki said he was working today until three.'
He smiled as he saw his sandy-haired friend helping a little boy with the Sailor V video game. He walked up to Motoki, handing him two of the four egg cartons he had with him. Without saying a word, Mamoru left the arcade.
'I guess Usagi got to him after all!' Motoki smiled and put the eggs in the staff refrigerator so they wouldn't spoil.
Mamoru walked to the Hikawa Jinja to deliver the last two egg cartons to Rei and her family. He walked up and was instantly greeted by Rei's grandfather.
"Grandpa Hino! Here, I'd like to give these to you and your family! Happy Easter!" He exclaimed as he turned and walked back down the steps.
'Something has gotten into that boy! At last, he is finally happy,' Grandpa Hino thought with a smile. He opened the carton and grinned merrily. "Easter eggs!"
Mamoru made it back to his apartment with a smile on his face. When he walked in, he was met by a worried Usagi.
"Where were you!? You had me worried! I woke up to find myself all alone in your apartment! You almost had me thinking that you had run away so that you wouldn't have to come tonight!" Usagi poked him in the chest to emphasize her words.
Mamoru caught her wrist and pulled her to him. Usagi gasped and tried to pull away, but Mamoru had his arms around her waist.
"I'm sorry, Usagi, but I went to deliver our eggs," He apologized.
"It's ok, I was just worried," She whispered.
The two were so close together that Mamoru couldn't take it anymore. He quickly caught her lips in a sweet and chaste kiss. Usagi wouldn't have any of this and pulled him in for another kiss. Mamoru was shocked, but quickly responded when he felt Usagi start to pull away.
When they finally broke their kiss, Usagi looked up at Mamoru with innocent eyes that were brimming with love. "Mamoru, I think I'm..."
Mamoru interrupted her, "Falling in love?"
"Yes!"
He smiled and lifted her off the ground, swinging her around in the air. Usagi laughed merrily as she continued to be swung around like a doll.
"Usagi, I love you with all my heart. You are the light in my dark life," He stated with a smile on his face as he set her down.
Usagi grinned and exclaimed, "I've finally found my prince!"
Mamoru looked at her weirdly for a moment before Usagi pulled him into another passion-filled kiss.
When they broke away, Mamoru looked down at Usagi and stated, "We're gonna be late for dinner if we don't leave now, Usako."
"Usako? I like it! Let's get going, Mamo-chan!" Usagi exclaimed as she pulled him out the door towards his first Easter supper.