Author's Notes: One Shot of the Month January 2017.
Well, it's my first time writing for Sailor Moon. I have a multi-chapter story planned for fandom, so hopefully this was good practice. Let me know how I did on the characters!
Fandom: Sailor Moon- Mamoru x Usagi
Prompt: "I'm either going out for ice cream or to commit a heinous crime. I'll decide in the car."
"I'm either going out for ice cream or to commit a heinous crime. I'll decide in the car."
Mamoru had looked up from his book when his wife started speaking. By the end of her sentence, all he could do was stare and blink as she walked out the door, slamming it shut behind her. Confusion rumbled around in his brain as he looked at the closed door where she had gone. Slowly, he closed the book and laid it down on his lap.
His heart jumped in his chest when the door slammed open again. Usagi stood there with one hand flat against the door and the other against the door frame. Her blue eyes stared at him with such a piercing gaze that his mind raced through everything he'd done recently. Mamoru was positive he hadn't done anything to make her sad. But then again, Usagi could sometimes be unpredictable.
"Usagi, what—" He was halfway to his feet when Usagi interrupted.
"When I pressed the button for the elevator, I remembered I don't know how to drive." She started marching across the room and, he straightened, clutching his book to his chest. His whole body tensed as Usagi sidled up to him and slipped her arm around his. She leaned her head against his arm as she looked up at him with wide blue eyes. The difference in their heights hadn't changed much since they first met. "You'll take me, won't you, Mamo-chan?"
"Of course," he answered without thought. He was still unsure about what was going on, but he wasn't in the habit of saying no to his wife. Especially when she looked at him with those eyes.
The radiant smile she gave him was always more than reason enough to say yes.
Usagi tugged on his arm, and he found himself following her. The sound of soft padded footsteps caught his ear as they walked to the door. He glanced over at Luna as she watched them. Mamoru caught her eye and mouthed the question 'what is wrong' at her. Luna gave him her version of a shrug and shook her head, letting him know that she didn't know what was going on either.
It wasn't until they were getting into the car that Mamoru realized he was still holding his book. He set it inside the door pocket and turned to his wife. "So, where are we going?"
Usagi tapped her finger against her chin. "There's this ice cream place Minako once took me to in the Minato Ward. I've been really craving it for the past few days."
Mamoru stared at his wife. It occurred to him in that moment that there was an ice cream shop on the next street over. Which was well within walking distance with no driving necessary. In fact, the Crown Arcade, Usagi's usual haunt for ice cream, was still within walking distance as well. But without knowing what exactly what was going on, he was willing to go along with whatever she wanted.
He started the car and moved out on the road. Usagi was silent as they drove. That was the moment that Mamoru started to panic. Of all the words in the world he could use to describe his wife, silent didn't even enter into the competition. The only words she spoke were directions here or there to get them to the right place.
He almost pulled out his phone when they arrived at the ice cream shop to send out a call for help to the Senshi. Then he remembered who that included and decided against it. He would deal with her on his own and figure out what was going on.
Behind her in line, Mamoru ran through different scenarios and the events of the day so far. It was one of his rare free days from medical school. He'd woken up early as he usually did. He'd showered, eaten breakfast, and sat down to read and wait for Usagi to wake up. They usually spent his days off together like this. He walking out the door was the first time he'd seen her since he'd left the bedroom. As far as he knew, nothing was wrong.
But when Usagi uses words like "heinous crime" (and correctly no less), something had to be up.
He was brought back to the present when Usagi burst into tears and collapsed into a crouch. Her arms wrapped around her legs, burying her face into her knees. Mamoru stood still for a second, wondering what he could have missed in the past minute to cause this. Crouching down next to her, he placed his hand on her back, rubbing in gentle soothing circles. "Usako, what's wrong?"
Usagi peeked out at him over her knees. Her big blues eyes were red-rimmed with tears. "They're…" she hiccupped. "…out of…green tea flavor!" A new fresh wave of sobbing ensued as she burrowed her face back into her knees.
This was not normal. While it was true that Usagi could be dramatic at times, she hadn't had a break down like this since early high school. Aware of the eyes on them, Mamoru pulled Usagi to her feet and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Gently, he led her out of the store and into a quiet alley. Cupping her face in his hands, he lifted her face to look at him. She hiccupped again, but her eyes locked onto his. "What's really wrong?" Mamoru asked. He smiled at her in reassurance.
"I don't know!" Usagi cried. "I woke up and felt sick and threw up and I just wanted some ice cream and it's your day off and I didn't want to be sick so I thought ice cream would make me feel better but they were out of the kind I wanted and I just don't know!"
Usagi began to wail again, but Mamoru tuned this out as the wheels began to turn. Because it occurred to him in that moment that his wife was twenty-one years old. And if he was to believe himself (his future self, in any case), Chibiusa would be born when she was twenty-two. Usagi and Chibiusa shared the same birthday. It was the beginning of December. Usagi's twenty-second birthday was less than seven months away.
Mamoru was not prepared for the rush of emotions that assaulted him.
Ordering himself to freak out later and take care of his wife now, he glanced around. Noticing they were indeed alone, he leaned in closer to her and pecked her lightly on the lips. She gasped and blinked up at him when he pulled back. "What was that for?" she asked.
"Usako, King Endymion once told me that Chibiusa would be born on your twenty-second birthday," he said. It wasn't those exact words, but it amounted to the same thing.
"Chibiusa?" she repeated. She looked confused, but he waited for her to realize what he was saying. He wanted her to figure it out. After a minute, her eyes widened. Slowly, her hands lifted from her sides to rest on her stomach. "Do you think…" she started. "Do you think that I'm pregnant, Mamo-chan?"
"I think it could be possible," he affirmed.
Her smile grew until it was that radiance he loved so much. She bounced on her feet and exclaimed, "Let's go home and tell Luna!" She turned out of his hands and gripped his arm to pull him back to their parking spot.
"Wait, Usako. We can't be sure until we go see a doctor!"
"You are a doctor, Mamo-chan."
"I'm still only a medical student." But he was fighting down a smile as he listened to her chatter on. He had to hope he was right, because he wasn't sure he would be able to take her disappointment.
He wouldn't be able to handle his own disappointment.
Mamoru drove them home. In contrast to the drive there, Usagi talked the whole way. He was happy to listen to her. She went on and on about what they needed to do, what they should prepare, add who they had to tell. All the while, her hands moved freely, emphasizing every word she spoke.
She didn't stop until they opened their apartment door and were attacked by party poppers.
"Surprise!"
Mamoru was taken aback by the shout as he flipped on the light switch. The entire Senshi crew was inside the apartment.
He just wished something would make sense today.
As the Senshi crowded around Usagi in excitement. Since this pushed him out of the way, he shuffled to the side. Setsuna approached him. Usually, he relied on her to be the only other sane one in the insane world he'd entered at the age of seventeen. Mamoru asked, "What's going on?"
Setsuna's eyes twinkled in amusement in that way that said she knew something everyone else didn't. As the Guardian of Time, everyone else didn't. "You found out about Small Lady today, correct?" She swept her hand out to encompass the group in her meaning. She continued, "I couldn't resist organizing this little party to celebrate."
Mamoru would ask how she knew they'd be gone, but he was sure it was all that Guardian of Time business. So, he nodded in acceptance and watched his wife with her guardians. Her smile was as bright as he'd ever seen it, and he couldn't help himself from smiling in response.
Whatever the future brought, he couldn't wait to see those little pink pigtails again.