A/N: This is my first sailor moon fic, and I only finished the series about a week ago, so constructive criticism on characterization is appreciated. Also this is written under the assumption that Hotaru ages weirdly so physically (and mentally to an extent) she's a teenager by crystal Tokyo. Constructive criticism is always appreciated!

Chibiusa waited outside the door of Hotaru's house, biting her lip. Logically speaking, she knew she shouldn't be nervous. She had been out with Hotaru before. She was aware that this shouldn't be any different than any other time, except it clearly was. This time it was an actual date. Her mother had told her many times of the first date of her and her father. ("I know, Mom. I was there!") When Rei told the story of the first date between her and Minako, it sounded less romantic and more like they were doing their best not to strangle each other. That was encouraging. When Ami talked about her first date with Makoto, it sounded like a fairytale, with a candlelit romantic dinner and a kiss at the end. Chibiusa didn't know the story of Haruka and Michiru's first date, but she imagined it must've been amazing for them to have stayed together so long. When Chibiusa thought of them she knew they loved each other, and she was afraid she would never love someone like that.

Chibiusa knew the concept of love well. She loved the senshi, she loved her parents, and they loved her. But she loved Hotaru differently. She loved Hotaru in the way that made her get butterflies in her stomach when she asked her out. When she thought of Hotaru, she wondered if this was how her parents felt about each other.

Chibiusa became so lost in thought that she almost didn't notice Haruka standing in the open door.

"Hello, Haruka! Is Hotaru around?"

"Why?" The wind senshi asked, trying to hide the defensive edge to her voice.

"She didn't tell you?" In truth, Hotaru had mentioned numerous times that Chibiusa was coming over on Friday night to pick her up for their first date and none of her parents were allowed to interfere at all. But Haruka, being herself, had decided that she needed to chat with Chibiusa on her own before she allowed her to go on a date with her daughter.

"Oh yeah, maybe she did say something about that." Haruka said, trying extremely hard to sound nonchalant. "There's just one thing you need to know, Small Lady." Somehow Haruka's use of her title makde her seem all the more intimidating. "God forbid you break Hotaru's heart, you will have me to answer too."

"O-of course, Haruka." Chibiusa swallowed. This certainly wasn't what she had expected on the night of her first official date.

"Chibiusa!" Hotaru's voice came from the back of the entryway. "Was she trying to scare you?" All the pink haired girl could do was nod. A somewhat scary look entered Hotaru's eyes. "I have been telling you for the past week not to mess this up! Honestly, she's the queen's daughter, and she is not going to hurt me."

Haruka simply rolled her eyes and looked away like a defiant twelve year old.

"Now," Said Haruka, looking Chibiusa right in the eye, "She will be home no later than eleven, and if you hurt her so help me-"

"We get it." Said Hotaru, stretching out each letter of the last word. Chibiusa bit the inside of her cheek, wondering if this would make Haruka lecture Hotaru as well.

"Understand?" Asked Haruka who, to Chibiusa's relief, didn't mention Hotaru's comment.

"Understood!" Replied Chibiusa, mustering her determination.

"Back by eleven!"

"We know." Hotaru rolled her eyes, and Chibiusa was secretly grateful that they were turned from her date's overprotective mother.

Once the two girls were finally out of earshot, Michiru appeared from the sitting room.

"You realize that you don't need to be worried."

"Yeah." Haruka sighed. "But I guess I'm not ready for her to grow up."

Michiru raised her eyebrows.

"It's been a long time since she was young, love."

"She's still a little kid to me, though. I just don't want anything bad to happen to her after everything she's been through."

"I know how you feel. Sometimes I forget how powerful she is. Now she just seems like Hotaru, but I remember when we tried to kill her to stop her from awakening."

Haruka cringed. "There are some things I'd rather forget."

Michiru nodded solemnly. "I still don't know how she forgave us for that. But then, she's better then we are." Michiru sighed. It had been a long fight to get where they were, and they wanted to keep it that way. But some part of her still longed for her older, simpler life.

"She'll be okay." The blue haired woman concluded. "There's nothing that Hotaru can't take."

"We know that." Haruka laughed before heading back into their home.

"She really does care about you." The princess remarked to her date over dinner.

"I know. But I can handle myself, and I wish she would realize that." Hotaru sighed. "I can't stay mad at her though. She's my mom and she's overprotective, but she's always been that way." The senshi of ruin paused. "How are your parents, Chibiusa?"

"They're good but they're always busy. Unsurprisingly being queen keeps my mother busy." The princess trailed off. "You know, you're the only one who still calls me Chibiusa."

Hotaru laughed, "I guess that's how you'll always be to me. You can be 'Small Lady' or 'Princess' to the rest of the world, but you'll always be my Chibiusa."

Chinbiusa blushed. Maybe this was love, the kind that her parents felt for each other, the kind that made Rei put up with Minako when she was being annoying. Her mother could go on for hours about her childhood romance with her husband to the extent that it was annoying. Chibiusa thought that the odds of that happening to her were so astronomically small it wasn't worth thinking about, but maybe this could be it.

By the time their date was over, Chibiusa knew that she needed this to happen again. She loved Hotaru to the ends of the earth, and she prayed that Hotaru felt the same way about her.

"Do you want to do this again sometime?" Chibiusa asked, her voice getting higher at the end of the question, nervous that her best friend would say no.

Hotaru smiled at the prospect of it. "Of course! I'll talk to you later, Chibiusa." She said as she entered her home. "Thank you!"

"No problem, Hotaru." Chibiusa whispered to herself after the door was shut.