"Mamo-chan!" Usagi whined. Mamoru rolled his eyes as his fiance dragged him to the store's window for the billionth time. "You're not looking!" She'd been looking at the same pair of shoes for the past fifteen minutes, her tiny nose pressed against the window as snow fell on her odangos. He brushed the white powder off of her head and pulled her close to him.
"You don't need another pair of shoes, Usako. Besides, I don't think you could walk in such high heels." He teased her. Her cheeks puffed in annoyance, but she only held on to his arm tighter. Her face fell slightly as they walked away from the shop, not unnoticed by Mamoru. Her sad eyes always made him feel as though he'd kicked a kitten. This is why he vowed to always protect and keep his princess happy.
Walking by a fountain, he stopped suddenly and turned to look down at Usagi's reddened cheeks, deep cerulean eyes, and confused expression. Mamoru pulled Usagi close and kissed her lightly, overcome by the urge to see her smile if only for a moment. When he pulled away, her slightly shocked expression was quickly replaced by a smile of pure love and joy. The couple continued their walk back to Mamoru's apartment.
When they arrived, the wind had picked up considerably, sending flurries of snow to beat against the balcony door. Mamoru closed the door behind them and turned the heat up on the thermostat. When he turned back to face the room, he took in all of the Christmas decorations the girls had put up to make his apartment seem less spartan. Lights were strung all over, tiny plush snowmen sat on the edge of the coffee table, a large well-decorated tree sat in the far corner, and poor, soaked, freezing Usagi sat on the couch surrounded by green and red pillows. He chuckled and strode over to her.
"Give me your coat." Mamoru said, holding out his hand. Her teeth chattered as she shook her head in protest. "You'll only stay cold in that coat." He pointed out. She begrudgingly pulled her coat off and gave it to him so he could hang it in the closet. He wrapped a blanket around her shoulders before going to the kitchen to make some hot chocolate for the two of them. He came back to Usagi with two mugs of hot chocolate and a towel.
"What's that for?" She asked, gesturing to the towel.
"Sit on the floor." Mamoru simply replied. Usagi obliged, the blanket still wrapped around her shoulders. Mamoru sat on the couch behind her, one leg on either side. Usagi tensed slightly as her lover's hand touched her hair. He slowly pulled her hair out of her odangos one at a time. Once her long wet hair had been released, he gently began to dry her hair with the towel. She leaned into him, relaxing as his hands stroked her hair. He hummed quietly as he worked, lulling his princess into a secure sense of comfort and safety. Once his task was completed, he gave her a soft kiss on her cheek, stood, left, returned with a brush, then resumed his position. Slowly, carefully, Mamoru brushed her long golden hair.
He had always secretly loved her hair, the way it flowed when she walked, the adorable buns she wore every day. Of course, it wasn't what made him fall in love with her. Her cheerful, outgoing attitude, always seeing the best in people, her kindness and love for everything. That was what enchanted him the most about her. She'd always given so much to protect her loved ones. As he'd sworn, he would protect her until his final moments. She would always be safe and loved until the end of time.
Mamoru put the brush down onto the coffee table and wrapped his arms around Usagi. Her sweet perfume filled his nose as he inhaled. Just then, her hair tickled his nose and he pulled away. She giggled and crawled onto the couch next to him, ducking under his arm to cuddle against him. They stayed that way for a long time, just holding each other as the snow buffeted the window.
"Come on, let's go to bed." Mamoru said, scooping Usagi into his arms and standing. She smiled and rested her head on his chest as he carried her into his bedroom. He pulled the covers down, set her on the bed, and then crawled in next to her. He covered them both with the blankets and pulled her close.
Usagi woke to movement next to her. When she felt around, Mamoru was gone. Her sleepy daze was interrupted by a kiss on her forehead. She looked up and saw her prince's figure leaning over her in the dark. He brushed a strand of hair out of her face.
"Don't worry, it's about 5:30, you don't have to get up yet. I just have to go help Motoki open up shop. I'll be back as soon as we're done." In her current state, she simply nodded and lay back down. She didn't realize it was Christmas eve the day before. The next time she woke, Mamoru was caressing her hair. "Come on, Usako, I made breakfast." She sighed and sat up, clutching the sheets to her chest.
"Happy Christmas Mamo-chan." She smiled sweetly and kissed him.
"Happy Christmas Usako." He hugged her gently. She pulled on her fluffy pink robe and followed him out into the living room where pancakes, orange juice, and eggs awaited her. They curled up together on the couch, eating in quiet happiness. Once she was full, Usagi leaned back against the back of the couch. Mamoru turned to her and chuckled. "You have syrup on your chin." He put his hand under her chin and tilted her head up so he could lick the food off her face. She smiled and pushed him away playfully. He stood and held out his hand.
"You haven't gotten your Christmas present yet." She stood, curious, and followed him to the christmas tree. She spotted a box in brightly colored paper towards the back and immediately dropped to her knees to grab the present. Paper flew as her hands ripped at the packaging. Finally, she uncovered a shoe box. The top came off and inside were the shoes she'd been pining over the day before. She stared in awe for a moment before she burst into tears. Mamoru panicked. "What? What's wrong? Did I get the wrong ones? Are they the wrong size?" She shook her head.
"No, they're perfect it's just..." She turned to him, a smile on her face. "I don't need these shoes to be happy." She flung herself at him, her arms around his neck. "All I need is you." She hugged him tighter and he hugged her.
"Well, I didn't think it would hurt." He smiled.
"Wait," Usagi pulled away. "How did you get the shoes if the store's closed for christmas?"