Title/theme: LIPSTICK
Genre: Humour/Fluff
Approx time line: Phase 41 of GS
Summary: "Say, were you very pretty when you were younger?"
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"Why are you doing that?"
Murrue stopped and turned to him, "Doing what?"
"Putting on lipstick," he replied from his spot on her bed, glancing at her curiously.
She shrugged and turned back to the mirror, and continued to apply the pink lipstick with care.
"It's not just you, but I noticed the Lieutenant had lipstick on too."
"Hmm…" she put down the lipstick and went to grab some tissue to dab at her mistakes. "Trust you to notice these things."
He shrugged, even though her back was turned to him. "I'm just curious."
"It's because we're women," she replied.
"And…"
She sighed and faced him. "It's to make us presentable."
"You mean 'pretty'." He eyed her up and down. "But you're already pretty without all that makeup."
"Gee thanks Mwu," she gave him a wry smile and turned to the mirror again.
"But seriously," he continued, leaning back against the wall, "Who else do you want to look pretty for? You're on a warship. I'm sure the crew couldn't care less, as long as you don't look a total slob or something."
"What, like you?" she grinned, unable to resist.
"Hey, I don't look like a slob!" he protested, offended. "Well, most of the time anyway."
She laughed and threw the ball-up tissue at him, except it didn't quite make it there. "It's a female thing, you wouldn't understand."
He laughed too, "No, you're right, I don't understand. It's one of the mysteries that men will never be able to solve."
"But like you, they'll try anyway."
"Yup. And fail miserably."
Stretching, he watched her in silence as she leaned close to the mirror and applied mascara.
"Say, were you very pretty when you were younger?"
She stopped the applicator in the air and turned to him with a raised eyebrow.
"I mean, were you popular with the guys in those days?" he grinned. "Did they all chase after you and fight over you?"
Murrue stared at him due to his sudden, and odd, question. Shaking her head, she rolled her eyes and turned back to the mirror.
"Oh yeah, they couldn't help it and threw themselves at me," she answered sarcastically. "And if you had known me back then, you'd be one of those guys, right?"
"Yup, that's right," he answered, grinning in that way of his. "I'd be chasing you the hardest."
She stopped again, looking at his reflection in the mirror, and she couldn't tell whether he was joking or not. But she found herself blushing slightly at that smile of his.
"And," he stroked his chin in a 'look at me I'm handsome' way, "I bet you would've found me irresistible."
She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, sure," she told him dryly.
"But really," his tone suddenly became soft, "You don't have to put all that stuff on your face."
She smiled at him in the mirror. "Yeah I know," she answered softly, "It's more or less from habit anyway."
"Maybe one day, when I'm not captain anymore." She had meant for it to be a natural remark, but it came out sort of wistful, and she wasn't sure if he caught that or not.
Maybe he did, because he got up and walked to her, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"Murrue, you're not the captain right here and now."
She wasn't sure what to say, as she felt a lump in her throat and his hand squeeze her shoulder gently.
So she swallowed and nodded, "I know."
Feeling the atmosphere getting a bit tense, he cleared his throat and picked up her lipstick absentmindedly. "So, are you done?"
"Yes." She stood up and took the lipstick from him, putting it away along with the rest of her makeup. Smiling, she kissed him on the cheek.
When she pulled away, she burst out laughing. Mwu stared at her, confused.
"What?"
She pointed to his face, so he glanced in the mirror.
There, on his cheek where she had kissed him, was a pink smudge the exact same shade as Murrue's lipstick.
"Argh!" he rubbed at the spot, only succeeding in making the smudge spread. "This is why I want to know why you put that stuff on."
Laughing, she handed him a tissue.
"Well," she smiled wryly, "Maybe it's because I want be 'irresistible'."
He laughed and kissed her, "But you already are."
Wow, 60 chapters!! This is the longest thing I've ever written. Should I just end this here and call it complete and start a new collection, or keep going with this one?