"I suppose I was hoping for something a bit… different"

Title: The Best of Both Worlds
Theme: Valentine's Day_Pink (3f), usako_mamoru, 2009 anniversary challenge
Genre: General
Rating: PG13

Usagi's face twisted into a forced smile. "Thank-you, Mamo-chan," she said, giving him an obligatory kiss on the cheek.

Surprised by the lukewarm response, Mamoru had to ask: "You don't like it? Minako helped pick it out."

That only made Usagi grimace even more.

She fingered the lacy, pink lingerie, tracing over the delicate scalloped edges. "I suppose I was hoping for something a bit… different," she admitted.

"Oh. Well." Mamoru scratched his head. "You can return it if you want, but I think you can only get store credit."

"Are you sure?" Usagi asked hesitatingly, peering closely into his eyes.

Mamoru shrugged. "I want you to like your present, Usako – if you want to exchange it, exchange it."

Usagi lunged towards him, tumbling them back onto the bed – this was the ultimate ending Mamoru had been looking for after all.

The next weekend, Mamoru waited patiently while Usagi fussed in the bathroom. When she emerged, he somehow managed to do a double take even though he was looking directly at her.

In exchange for her original Valentine's Day gift, Usagi had chosen a black lacy one-piece. The bottom end mimicked a pair of shorts that barely covered what was necessary, while the top part began like a simple camisole's spaghetti straps, but whose neckline plunged all the way down to her bellybutton.

She'd let her blonde hair down and it fluttered away, accentuating the dark piece. Smoky eyes and red lipstick looked back at Mamoru's surprise.

"Do you like it?" she asked sultrily. Mamoru knew her well enough to detect a slight nervousness underneath.

He nodded. "You look completely different."

Satisfied, Usagi nodded. "That was the point," and she crawled into Mamoru's lap, cupping his face for a long, hard kiss before he could think anymore of what she'd said.

Later, while they lay side-by-side, with Mamoru stroking Usagi's back, he couldn't help but ask, "Why did you want to look completely different?"

Usagi shrugged, making it a point to not turn her head and look at him.

"Usako?"

"Why did you and Minako decide to get me pink?" she retorted.

Mamoru laughed. "That's like asking if the sky is blue."

Usagi sat up, angered. "Exactly!"

"Usako!" Mamoru was not startled and worried.

"I'm not a little girl, Mamo-chan! I'm a, a woman and women don't wear pink lingerie!" Usagi insisted as she blushed.

"Why not?" Mamoru asked bewildered.

"Because they wear black, because it's sexy and mature and, and pink is for little girls!" Usagi spluttered.

Mamoru sat up and waited until Usagi had calmed enough to sit down next to him again, which she did, eventually and huffily.

"Usako." She turned to him without really wanting to. "I think you're incredibly sexy and mature. I wouldn't do half the things I do with you if I didn't." A small smile escaped momentarily. "It has nothing to do with what color you wear – we just know that you like- used to like pink," he amended. "I don't care what color lingerie you wear. I don't care if you wear lingerie at all."

Usagi relaxed visibly. "You'd like that, wouldn't you?" she said lightly, hoping to return to the night's earlier mood.

Mamoru pulled her down cuddling with her. Later, he mumbled one last sleepy assurance. "It doesn't matter what color you wear, Usagi. You are who you are, and I love you."

Mamoru was only partially surprised when the original outfit he had picked with Minako made an appearance a month or so later.

He smiled to himself. Now, he had the best of both worlds.

end