Disclaimer: Hi there! I still don't own Sailor Moon. I really need to pick up the new release of the manga, third volume. But I don't actually own the rights to Sailor Moon, or anything else for that matter.
A Brief Author's Note: Here, we have the second fic in the LJ 10_prompts community's Table 2. As you may have noticed, the previous ficlet took place first-season. This one, obviously, takes place after the series ends. Mamoru and Usagi have her parents' blessing to get married.
2 - Cake
"Usagi... dear… remind me why I'm here again?" he wheedled once more.
Usagi licked a dab of frosting out of the corner of her mouth, distracting him momentarily.
"Because this is the best cake shop in Japan – it's internationally known!" she told him for what seemed like the ten-to-the-twenty-fifth billionth time. Then she paused, taking another forkful from a different sample selection. "Plus, it's the only one in Tokyo that offers tasting days like this!"
Mamoru raked one hand through his already-untidy hair and looked around uncomfortably. Everything in the shop seemed to be some shade of pink or other pastel shade blinding to the male eye. Women and girls sat around frilly little tables in clusters, at one end of the emotional spectrum or the other. Mostly the girls giggled and the ladies cried. The gaggle of younger ladies at every table leaned towards one or the other as well. All of them had the teeniest, most fragile of china plates in front of them and the silver-est, most delicate silver forks in hand.
"Wouldn't you like to try this one, Mamoru-chan?" Ikuko offered, holding up the plate that had been in front of him.
Her words said "wouldn't you like," but her tone said "you'd freaking better!" As much as he wracked his brains, Chiba Mamoru could not remember Queen Serenity being scarier than Tsukino Ikuko. Then again, even the bravest and most logical of men were rightfully scared stiff of their fiancée's mother. Her dad had been almost easy to win over compared to this lady, and he had openly used the word "gun." So he did what any smart, reasonable man would do: obediently picked up his fork and selected the least… lacy-looking of the miniature creations on the plate in front of him. As he chewed, he could practically feel himself developing diabetes.
"Ooh! Usagi-chan, try this one!" urged Minako, indicating one with pink sugar hearts on it. "It's got strawberries in the middle!"
Usagi squealed in delight and tucked right in, obviously enjoying the pink sugar heart attack.
"Careful there, Odango!" chided Rei. "You won't fit in your dress!"
Rei squawked when Usagi obviously kicked her under the table and leaned down to rub her abused limb, glaring at the blonde.
"I haven't even picked my dress yet!" Usagi came dangerously close to breaking all the china in the cake shop with her decibel level. "Why do you have to be so mean, Rei! Really, I just want to fit in a pretty wedding dress and be a pretty bride and-"
Makoto scrunched up her nose, removed one finger from one ear and pulled on one of Usagi's pigtails to stem the tide of noise.
"Usagi-chan, relax!" she half-bellowed. "That's our next stop and you're not going to gain ten pounds in an hour and a half!"
This seemed to pacify the blonde, who let out one more brilliant, happy shriek, causing another table's occupants to visibly scoot away. Usagi tried one that had chocolate ganache in between layers of angel-food cake and seemed to want to melt off her chair and burble on the floor for a moment. Ami tried a bite of the same one and made a very Ami-ish "ooh!" sound in pleasant surprise. She blushed and hid her face in her napkin to avoid the eyebrow Mamoru raised at her. Makoto had started an amiable argument with a passing waiter about the virtues of ganache versus mousse as cake layers and filling. She had been sizing up the bake shop since they walked in. Everyone in the group could see the wheels turning in her head. Surely her shop would be a million times better, no matter how good this one might turn out to be!
"Tsukino-san?" asked Minako. "Which one is your favorite?"
"Mina-chan, how many times do I have to tell you that you girls can all call me 'mom'?" Ikuko scolded playfully. "You've eaten enough of my food over the years!"
"But not as much as Usagi!" Rei put in, causing Usagi to pinch her. "What are you, twelve!"
"Girls!" Ikuko raised her voice just enough to rein in the oncoming argument. "But to answer your question, Mina-chan, I'm fond of this one with the blueberry compote in it!"
She indicated a blue-and-lavender version of the strawberry-with-sugar-hearts creation. Mina took a generous forkful and her eyes sparkled in enjoyment. Makoto took a bite herself, nodding in appreciation. It met Rei's approval. Ami balked, though.
"I have an allergy to blueberries," she told them. "I apologize, everyone!"
The other girls and Ikuko reassured Ami that there was absolutely nothing to apologize for and allergies were nothing anybody could help. Mamoru chewed away at the rather bland vanilla yellow cake in his mouth and all of a sudden felt a pang of fear no man should ever feel. Was he about to get dragged… wedding dress shopping? No, no… Usagi would not do that to him! He had done entirely too much to take care of her for her to go and do something like that… There had to be some kind of an excuse… There had to be-
"Mamo-chan?" Usagi poked his shoulder with her fork, bringing him back to reality. He blinked at her and she held up one last tiny cake sample on a plate. "Is the strawberry insides with chocolate ganache layers okay with you? They even have silver sugar icing highlights!"
It was all he could do not to let his shoulders visibly drop with relief. She wasn't asking him to go dress shopping! She had asked about FOOD! Yes, this was a good thing! Ikuko smiled, finishing her blueberry-compote cake quietly. It seemed every female eye, including Luna's, in the store, had suddenly fixed on him.
"Yes, Usa…" he replied, trying again not to let too much relief creep into his voice. "It's fine with me as long as I don't have to go dress shopping!"
The girls, Luna, and Ikuko laughed.