Prompt 5:
The search for the perfect present.
Usagi’s sky blue eyes widened with want as she pressed her face against the window of the shop. Her hands felt the cold of the window through her pink gloves, but she didn’t care. The sight of the most amazing set of cufflinks made her feel warm with anticipation. Mamoru would love the rather large but dignified gold ornaments in the shape of delicate roses. In the center of each rose was a small, sparkling diamond. They were beautiful. They were tasteful. They were perfect.
They were fifty thousand yen.
Usagi let out a defeated whimper as she proceeded to whine aimlessly. It really did nothing but made her feel better. “Oh, no! I’ll never be able to afford them, but they are so perfect for him!” After another long glance at the links, Usagi tore herself away from the window and began to move slowly down the crowded street. Christmas was getting closer, but she was even further to getting Mamoru the perfect present.
Lost in her thoughts, she bumped into someone on the sidewalk, someone tall enough so that his elbow jabbed into her collarbone. She squealed and choked on her breath for a moment. The large man immediately spun and placed gentle hands on her shoulders as he leaned down to examine the tiny girl he’d hurt.
“Miss, a thousand pardons,” he said calmly, then continued with a laugh. “It was completely my fault. Sometimes I forget where I am these days.”
“Ow,” she whined pathetically. “It’s all right. I should pay more attention, too.” She looked up with a weak smile at the man. Yet as she took in his face, her smile widened brightly.
Mamoru sat in his favorite maroon sweater and most comfortable jeans in his favorite chair. He had remained there for the better part of the afternoon as he scrolled down another webpage, searching through yet another twenty-five selections for jewelry with a sigh. It was proving quite difficult to compete with the legendary Silver Crystal, and to find a style that Usagi would like. He knew her taste well, but she wasn’t eighteen anymore. She was almost twenty, and her jewelry should reflect the woman and queen she’d soon become.
“Mamo-chan!” Usagi’s voice exploded quickly behind the sound of his apartment door opening. He slammed the laptop shut and stood up guiltily as she bounded into the living room. She stopped to remove her white flats, left on in a moment of forgetfulness, and placed them at the end of the entrance hall. Looking at her boyfriend on his feet, she tilted her head. “Mamo-chan, what are you doing?”
“N-nothing,” he stammered, suddenly feeling hot under the collar. “Why do you ask?”
“Because I’ve got a surprise for you!” She beamed proudly, her sky blue eyes glistening with unbridled joy as she quickly shed her white coat, pink gloves and scarf, and her earmuffs. She took a brief moment to fix her yellow sweater that was a bit loose over her white skirt. Her legs were covered from the cold by opaque black tights. Usagi fixed her pigtails so they fell over her shoulders and smoothed out her odangos. Finally, she felt content to approach him. Placing her hands on his chest, Mamoru instinctively wrapped his arms around her waist.
She smiled, looking up at him with her ever hopeful eyes, filled with childlike wonder. “I know we agreed to exchange our gifts on Christmas Eve this year, but I found your gift today and, well, it couldn’t wait.”
“Oh, Usa,” Mamoru said gently, brushing a hair, loosened by her earmuffs, behind her ear. “Please don’t. I’m not ready to give you yours, yet.”
“No, Mamo-chan,” she giggled. “It literally could not wait. I don’t think I could convince him to come here again, or even find him again if I tried!”
“Him?”
“Come on out!”
The man rounded the corner hesitantly, though his steely gray eyes found Mamoru’s immediately. Mamoru gasped in disbelief as he took in the sight of the tall man’s familiar tanned skin. His sharp features and the sight of the pin straight silver locks stirred memories from long ago. The white coat, light blue slacks, and black socks were all minor details that were looked over. Mamoru fell back into his chair, but one of his hands remained locked onto Usagi’s.
“Kunzite.”
The strange man tucked his arm over his waist and offered a full bow, and spoke in a proper and controlled voice as he straightened, though his head remained inclined. “My lord, forgive me. If the Princess did not beg me, I would have never come. I do not deserve to be in your presence.”
Usagi squeezed Mamoru’s hand. “Do you love it?”
Mamoru looked from her excited face to his first general’s. He wasn’t sure how to answer. There was so much to say, so many questions, he didn’t know where to start. He wasn’t sure even of how he felt about this. “How? When?”
“This afternoon! I bumped into him on the street. I know it’s sudden, but I thought you wouldn’t want to wait until Christmas Eve to get to catch up with him. I hope you like it.” Usagi knelt in front of him. Her blue eyes saw the struggle in his dark blue eyes, so she wrapped both her hands over his and placed a kiss on his fingers. He stared at her in disbelief, but also trust. Mamoru was such a loner, since a very young age, it was no wonder he was scared to suddenly be given a brother. Usagi smiled hopefully at him, with her defiant belief that there could be no harm in anything. “Merry Christmas, Mamo-chan.”
Mamoru smiled back at her, unable to find any argument against her optimism. He never could. Drawing her close with his hand, he kissed her slowly, drawing strength from her love. As they parted, he whispered quietly. “Thank you, Usa. I love you.”
Usagi’s eyes grew bright at the words. She giggled with glee once more, before quickly rising to her feet. She stepped back and looked from one man to the other. “Well, I am sure you both have a lot to catch up on, so I’m going out. I’ll be back later, and bring some food for dinner. Then we can all talk when I get back!” Without giving the men a chance to argue, Usagi slipped on her white flats and left.
Mamoru held Kunzite’s apologetic gaze for a long moment. He wasn’t sure what to say to the strange man, but had faith that Usagi was right. This was a good thing, despite his fears. Kunzite seemed to sense his apprehension, but remained still without moving. Mamoru knew he wouldn’t do a thing until Mamoru told him to. With a sigh, he got to his feet once more. “I’m sorry,” he admitted, shoving his hands into his back pockets. “It’s just it’s been so long since, well, everything. I was sure –”
“I understand, my lord,” Kunzite bowed once more. He rose and looked at Mamoru with a bittersweet smile. “Just getting to see you this once will be enough.” Kunzite turned to leave.
“No!” Mamoru took a step forward, reaching out after the man. Kunzite stopped, causing a weak smile to spread across Mamoru’s face. “Don’t go. I meant, well, I was going to say that I was sure I’d never see you again. You don’t know how much it means to me to have you back.”
Kunzite’s usually somber face couldn’t help but smile with relief. He turned back to face the younger, dark-haired man. “Not as much as it means to hear you say so, my lord.”
Mamoru was surprised to find that tears were gathering in his eyes as he smiled, and scoffed at his own silliness as he shook his head to rid himself of it. With a few strides of his long legs, he walked around the coffee table and approached the silver-haired man. He held out his hand. “Please, call me Mamoru. There’s no need for formality now.”
Kunzite nodded but wore a look of distaste as he shook the man’s hand earnestly. “A fitting name, but you are still my Prince.”
“A Prince doesn’t live in a one bedroom apartment, Kunzite. Chiba Mamoru does.” Mamoru argued and walked into his kitchen. “Would you like some coffee?”
“Yes, sire,” Kunzite called back and undid the belt of his coat. He slipped his white coat off, gently folding it over his arm. “And since you’ve shared your name of this time with me, I think it only fair to share mine with you. I go by Okita Katsumi now.”
Mamoru appeared back in the doorway, leaning on the frame with a studying look on his face. It slowly melted into appreciation. “Katsumi. I like it. It suits you.”
“Thank you,” Katsumi sighed in relief. Something so small as his Prince’s approval of a given name was enough after so many years without him.
“So how long have you been back?”
Katsumi hesitated. “I’m not sure how you mean it, but I was returned to this life shortly after Metallia fell. Apparently, my family thought me missing for those years, and for a long time I could not recall where I actually was. I only began to remember things about six months ago.”
“Six months ago?”
“Yes, it took that long to track down the others and convince them to meet with me.”
Mamoru’s brow rose in shock before falling into a disbelieving joy. He almost choked on the words, and felt the tears come back instantly with the thoughts that were stirred up. “The others?”
