(A/N: Thanks for all the reads! Thank you! Here's the next chapter! ~JE~)
The Next Day -
Makoto had off the entire day, while Usagi was up early to go to work.
Waking around 8, an hour after Usagi was already gone for the morning, Makoto made herself a cup of tea before heading back into the living room and surveying the game.
Chewing the inside of her cheek, she debated before waiting another hour to leave the house.
Knocking on their door, Makoto waited.
"Mako hi! What can I do for you?" Haruka answered with a smile.
"I knew it. It was you." Makoto stated, walking inside.
"What?"
"'Ruka, I honestly thought you finally got a clue when the Spencer's subscriptions finally stopped."
Haruka grinned. "That was fun, wasn't it?"
"You know how she feels! Come on!"
"And after a few initial awkward feelings, she learned to be more comfortable and confident, didn't she? Same thing with this."
"No! 'Ruka, you know how adorably...naive is probably the wrong word...But you know how she is...For goodness sake, she bought actual candy! I had to hide my face in a damn pillow so I wouldn't laugh in her face! And she wants to play!"
"So play!"
"Haruka!"
"I don't get why you're actually upset about this. How was last night?"
"Not your business!"
"Wait, you didn't play?"
"Still not your business. And I still don't appreciate you trying to...contribute I supposed to our love lives! Stay out of it. If you must know anything, know that we are happy with how things are. Just the way they are. Nothing less."
"Oh come on, it's not like she'll get confused, once she figures it out."
"Confused, maybe not entirely, but you know if we start playing, the wheels are gonna work harder every time we play legit games that have zero to do sex."
"So you can't play scrabble, twister, truth or dare, or sorry anymore in public. It's not like you play them often anyway."
"You're missing the point!"
Haruka smiled an almost devilish smile. "Am I?"
"You know how mortified she still gets! She's still kind of shy in the most adorable fashion ever. Sure, she's gotten a lot more confident, but some things still surprise the hell out of her. She's probably going to feel really stupid once I tell her-"
"You didn't tell her yet? Wow, good for you. There something in letting her figure it out on her own isn't' there?"
Makoto gave a rueful smile. "Yeah. Yeah there is." Makoto scoffed as she realized what she just admitted to. "Haruka!"
Haruka burst out laughing.
Later that night, Usagi came home, and happily snuggled in Makoto's arms.
Makoto was tempted to put the game away; a game they'd probably never play (at least anytime soon).
"So...I've been thinking...No side comments please."
Makoto smiled, nodding.
"Ya know how the stuff like truth or dare, never have I ever, strip-scrabble, always have that sometimes not-so-subtle sexual undertone?"
Makoto's eyebrows rose. "Yeah...What about?"
"Is there strip-twister too?"
Makoto chewed the inside of her bottom lip. "Umm...Officially, I don't think so...Why do you ask? Just like scrabble; it's nothing ever official because the original intent is-"
"I know...I got that part, but I dunno. I think this game would be easier without the candy and special circles."
Makoto remained neutral, before she rested her chin atop Usagi's head, attempting to suppress a smile.
"Hell, if this candy version was actually sex-related-"
Makoto barley-there held Usagi tighter, mentally counting down.
Practically pushing Makoto away from her to pace and grabbing her phone, Makto bit the bottom of her lip hard, lowered her head, and squeezed her eyes shut. She tried not to burst out in hysterical laughter, as Usagi outright yelled at Haruka on speakerphone.
"Hey, hey, hey, before you yell at me, ask your fiance. She knew what the game was and she didn't tell you either."
"Hey! Don't throw me under the bus, 'Ruka! You were the one who was supposed to learn your lesson from the Spencer's boxes. Clearly you didn't." Makoto called.
"Oh don't worry, I'll get to Mako. But I'm focused on you. This. Needs. To. Stop! I bought candy! Do you have any idea how...ridiculous this feels now?"
"I'm sure you'll make good use of-"
Usagi made a frustrated, angry groan as she hung up and threw her phone away from her.
Her ire turned to Makoto. Her blue eyes blazed, still coming down from her conversation with Haruka, before they softened. "Why don't you tell me these things!?"
Makoto looked guilty. "Um...In my slight defense, it's because you're so cute when it comes to your own realizations?"
"Busllshit! Makoto, do you have any idea how damn close I was to telling my boss; my coworkers about the game?!"
Maktoo clamped her mouth shut, making her face contort. But she managed to stand and try to wrap Usagi in a hug, only for her to move away.
"No. We are not doing anything tonight. The face doesn't help your case any, Mako." Usagi said annoyed.
Makot took a deep breath to center herself. "Usa, I'm really sorry honey. I...I should have told you yesterday what it really was, despite the late hour. You're right, no matter how cute it is when realization dawns on you, it's not a super-decnet reason to keep having you do it, when I know how you usually feel about stuff like this."
"What? Does Haruka think that just because some of her little 'gifts' work for us, that, that, that we...I don't know that we-" Usagi's voice was beginning to waver into worry, and maybe even self-doubt.
Makoto saw the wheels of imagination in Usagi's head being to spin with goodness knows what would come out of her mouth.
"Don't. Just...don't think on it too much. Right or wrong, her thoughts about our love lives are not important, and our love life isn't any of her business; which I've told her already.."
"She shouldn't interfere! We're not her little project! Yes, we've gone to them for guidance, but with this?!"
"Told her that too."
"She wants to play hardball? Fine. Game on."
"Usagi?..." Makoto's voice was worried and warning. "Wait, sweetheart, what are you thinking? Tell me now..."
"Two can play at this game."
"Usagi, no! She's going to win that, hard, fast, and so intensely, your head is gonna spin. Don't stoop to her level!"
Usagi wore an expression on her face. If Makoto had to equate it, it would be as if the Negaverse had turned her.
"'Ruka won't see this one coming…"
Makoto watched as Usagi walked into the bathroom to take a shower.
"Oh no…." Makoto covered her face with her hands.
(A/N: Please review! ~JE~)