Author note: It has been a while since I updated so please let me know what you think. Reviews are a great motivator for writing. It's always appreciated.

Chapter 34

Makoto was sitting in a booth in the Crown, doing some needlework of a Japanese girl in a kimono posed underneath a Japanese blossom tree with a pretty parasol modelled over her head. She always took up crafty tasks to keep her hands busy or she got twitchy. Her long fingers delicately worked the needle, always avoiding making any contact with her skin. She sat back in her seat and gazed out of the window. It was colder today. The clouds had rolled in and so had the fog. She absentmindedly pulled her scarf more firmly around her neck and turned to take a sip of her hot mocha. She let out a sigh.

"That was a big sigh, Mako-chan," a soft voice stated and Makoto sensed a figure sit opposite her. She looked up to find Usagi staring at her with a slight frown gracing her delicate features. She smiled in return at the cute blonde.

"A sigh of contentment, Usagi-chan," she replied. "I'm just working on my latest project for homelier décor on my walls."

Usagi leaned over to inspect her needlework more closely and smiled. "How pretty – though I have no idea what you mean by 'homelier'. You are a domestic goddess." She then pulled a face in the same breath. "I could never do anything like that, though," she giggled half-heartedly, "you're so talented, Mako-chan."

"Nonsense. You can do anything if you put your mind to it," she replied, exasperated. "You just have a habit of being lazy. But I heard that you went ice skating with Mamoru-san. There's no way you would have done that before. What did he do to get you on that ice?" Makoto inquired.

Usagi couldn't help the beam that spread across her face. "Well, the truth is he didn't tell me that that is what he wanted to do and believe me, I tried to get him to have us do anything else. But he just has a way with words, I suppose." Usagi laughed.

Makoto snorted. "A way with words, I'm sure," she winked. "So, how did it go?"

"After a few inevitable initial falls, it went very well. Mamoru helped keep my bum off the ground and my feet gliding over it instead." Usagi paused and blushed at her statement. It sounded a little more intimate than she intended. "I think I even got good at one point!"

Usagi felt a brief squeeze on her shoulder. "Better than good, dear," said a voice as a tall figure breezed by. Usagi recognised that it was Mamoru passing by, on his way for his usual coffee. Makoto stared at the show in front of her, wide-eyed. She shook out of her surprise of Mamoru's random entrance and interruption.

"Dear?" she raised her eyebrows, noting the blush spreading across the blonde's cheeks. "You'd think you two were married." Usagi took a deep intake of breath, looking alarmed.

"It's not like that, Mako-chan!" she tried to assure Makoto, though it sounded more like trying to assure herself. In the same moment, Motoki came over and placed a cup of steaming hot chocolate with whipped cream on top and a flake stuck in the middle, in front of Usagi. She looked at the beverage and then at Motoki. "I didn't order anything yet."

Motoki frowned. "I know. Mamoru sent it over. It's cold today."

Usagi looked touched. "He didn't have to do that."

"He's just looking after you, Usagi-chan," Motoki pinched Usagi's cheek as he walked back to the counter.

Makoto smirked. "Do enjoy your drink, dear," she teased.

Usagi stuck her tongue out and took up the flake to start spooning the whipped cream into her mouth. She made mm-ing noises as she continued to enjoy the whipped cream so she could avoid an edible moustache when she started to drink the hot beverage. Makoto rolled her eyes.

"You never change, do you, Usagi-chan?" she smiled.

Usagi looked at her questioningly. "What do you mean?"

"You just embrace everything. It's all such a gift to you," she observed.

Usagi shrugged. "Love is a gift."

Makoto stopped sewing in shock. She hadn't expected that reply. Usagi was oblivious to Makoto's revelation and happened to glance up, only to choke on her drink. She spluttered and coughed, but before Makoto could react, Mamoru was already behind Usagi, patting her back to help her shift the liquid that found itself in her lungs. Once Usagi had calmed down and Mamoru was gently rubbing circles at the top of her back, Makoto raised her eyebrows at her.

"What on earth started that off?" she asked the flustered blonde as Usagi smiled at Mamoru in gratitude.

"Turn around, Mako-chan," she said. Mamoru, having not noticed before, looked away from Usagi in the direction she had pointed and his mouth fell open.

Makoto turned around and in shock, accidentally prodded her hand with the needle she was holding and yelped. "Ow!" and in the next breath, "what on earth have you done?!"

Before the three of them stood Nephrite, free from the long locks he once was well-renowned for. He looked startled by Makoto's response. "What do you mean?"

"You!" she pointed towards his hair. "This!"

"Don't you like it?" he felt a little disheartened. He was hoping for a different reaction.

"Why did you cut it all off?!" Makoto looked outraged.

"You said I looked like Kunzite," he stated.

"So?" Makoto looked unimpressed.

Usagi and Mamoru sat, watching the pair in silence. Mamoru had slid into the booth next to Usagi as she started to drink up her hot chocolate once more.

"I don't want you to see Kunzite when you look at me! I want to look like me," Nephrite shrugged. "It's actually kind of freeing with it all off." His hair was now cut short in a style reminiscent of James Dean.

Makoto heaved a sigh. "It was just the icing sugar, Nephrite," she said exasperatedly.

"It'll grow again, Mako-chan," he pointed out the obvious.

"Sometimes change is a good thing," Usagi piped up.

Makoto turned to look at her and frowned. She turned back to her short-haired boyfriend and rolled her eyes. "Fine. I'll put up with the short hair."

"Did you like my long locks that much?" he raised his eyebrows at the fiery brunette.

"It was a sexy quality that no one else has," Makoto said shamelessly. Usagi felt a little hot underneath the layers of scarves and jackets. Mamoru smirked, feeling her shift beside him.

"Are you saying I'm not sexy now?" Nephrite came forward so that he was up close to her. Despite that Makoto stood tall at 5 feet 9, he still towered over her and she loved that about him. It made her feel like a girl.

"I've ran out of icing sugar, so I can't tell," she said with a straight face.

"Cheeky," he flicked her nose gently. "Really, I didn't cut it off purely based off the icing sugar."

"Change is a good thing, right?" Makoto quoted.

"I sure hope so." He stared down at Makoto and took up her hand. "You're bleeding," he stated. He reached down into Makoto's bag where he knew she kept plasters and placed one around the finger she'd pricked. He wiped up the remaining blood that had trickled over her hand.

"Arigatou," she smiled up at him.

"I love you, Mako-chan." He gazed at her directly, without losing eye contact. She raised her eyebrows in shock.

"Who knew a hair cut would actually work in his favour?" Mamoru rolled his eyes as he murmured to Usagi. She elbowed him in the side.

"I told you that change is a good thing."