Act 4. Makoto: The Housewife Is A Husband
"USAGI!" Sailor Jupiter called out as she flung herself forward, arms extended to save Sailor Moon from a fall that would at the absolute least have bruised her tailbone, if not shattered it. Again.
"OOF!" Success.
Jupiter didn't know why she spent so much time saving their leader. It was even how they first met; diving to keep her pretty blonde head from being plastered across the front of a car. There were two other Senshi on the team already, and they were still looking for their fifth, yet she seemed to always be the one rushing after the smallest when she was in trouble. She could be such a klutz sometimes!
But she was also ready and willing to thrust herself into the heat of battle… or at least, now she was. Once upon a time, she had been nervous and unsure of herself, but after a few good rounds against the Dark Kingdom, she was starting to come into her own. It was pretty inspiring to watch.
"Sorry!" she hissed as she was set on her feet again. "Thanks again, Jupiter!"
"Will you stop wasting time?!" Sailor Mars hissed out of the corner of her mouth, raising an ofuda that she was about to toss into the villain's face, freezing it in place with her spell so they could more easily dispatch it. "This isn't a tea ceremony class — these guys mean business! Finish it off already!"
"Its weak point is exposed," Mercury confirmed, gesturing toward the glowing crystal that had been revealed by Mars's attack. "A strike there should bring it to its knees."
Nodding, Usagi flexed her muscles, cracked her neck. "Got it! This thing is goin' down!"
"Get 'em, Sailor Moon!" Jupiter cheered her on as the pigtailed heroine dashed toward the ugly thing. What was this one supposed to be? An accordion, maybe? Weird. After a while, it became easier to stop caring what the Enemy looked like and just attack, focusing on strategy instead of idle questions.
And it worked, as usual. While they held off the minions, Sailor Moon used her tiara to dispatch the Big Baddie and they had won. Zoisite was beaten back again, sneering down at them while vanishing into the nothingness, and the day was saved. Thanks to…
"Sailor Moon, Champion of Justice!" she crowed at the top of her lungs, striking a pose while she, Mercury, and Mars did the same on either side of her. She tried not to laugh; what a little nerd.
~ o ~
But that was their profession. Outside of her time spent fighting against the forces of evil as Sailor Jupiter, Makoto Kino wasn't that impressive. None of them were. Maybe Usagi was cute and bubbly, and Makoto was strong, and Ami was a certified genius, and Rei had fortune telling skills, and they were all at least passably attractive… but nobody in their school, or in all of Azabu-Juuban really, knew they existed. Popularity wasn't that important to Makoto, but Usa-chan really seemed to lament that. Go figure; different people have different interests.
It was another average afternoon, and the three of them were eating lunch on a blanket under a sakura tree with Usagi's childhood friend, Naru. That is to say, two of them were both eating out of Makoto's bento, since Usagi never seemed to be able to remember her own. Or had no money to buy anything, but mysteriously did have money when they got to Game Center Crown after school. She was used to it by now. Rei would give her hell about it, and Ami or Luna would lecture her on wise spending choices, but personally, Makoto understood that thriftiness wasn't one of Usagi's strengths. Not everybody was good at everything, and she always had plenty of extra food, anyway.
"Say 'ahhhh'," she teased, holding up a croquette with her chopsticks.
"Ahhhhh!" Usagi sang out obediently, clasping her hands to one side of her cheek and striking an overly-cutesy pose as she opened her mouth wide as it would go. Again, she had to suppress a giggle at how adorable she was, and how funny. She noticed Ami was doing the same. Luckily, Rei didn't go to Juuban Junior High or she would have been chiding Usagi mercilessly — maybe even knocking her over so she missed the morsel and got a mouthful of dirt instead. It had happened before.
Without a disruptive Shinto shrine maiden around, Usagi got her savoury treat and chewed with relish, a hand covering her mouth as she moaned in pleasure. "Mmmm, oh that's so good…"
"You sound like you're getting laid whenever you eat," Naru sighed as she picked at her own bento of rice and umeboshi. Much simpler and less presentation than Makoto's, but she'd tried Naru's mother's cooking before and it was very good. Just simpler.
"I do not! Ami, I don't sound like that, do I?"
Blinking up from the book she had been casually reading between bites, Ami said, "What? Oh… well, how should I know what that sounds like?" Her cheeks took on a slight flush as she returned to the book, embarrassed at even being asked to discuss the topic at all.
"You do," Naru went on, a playful smile on her face. "And you and Makoto look like boyfriend and girlfriend, feeding each other."
"Hey!" Crossing her arms over her chest, she shot back, "I never feed Mako-chan! I mean, it's her food, so that would make no sense!"
"Never said both of you had to do it. And you didn't even pretend that I'm wrong, did ya?"
Flopping over onto her side, head landing in Makoto's lap, she cooed, "Like it would be that bad being Makoto's girlfriend. She's so tall and strong!"
"Careful, or the other students might take you seriously," Ami cautioned her, looking even more embarrassed than she had about asking to comment on the moans.
"Yeah," Naru goaded. "Wouldn't want that, would you? Yuri-no Usagi."
"I don't care," Usagi flung at both of them, pulling down her eyelid and sticking out her tongue. "Mako-chan and I are secure in our pretend relationship!"
Makoto giggled at how playful and hilarious they were together. Almost like a manzai comedy team; Naru was the straight man and Usagi clearly the silly one. Sometimes, she envied how close the two of them were; she'd never had a good friend like that. Even at her old school, her height and 'freakish' strength had put the other girls off wanting to hang around with her. Some of them were acquaintances, and the teachers liked her well enough, but being an orphan tended to make everyone who wasn't afraid of her treat her like a poor little wounded bird. And the junior high boys were never interested in a girl who was just as tall as them, if not taller.
Luckily, she happened upon Usagi about to become a part of someone's bumper and found herself a group of friends in Juuban, or it would have been the same thing all over again. Even now, she still heard whispers about her being kicked out of her old school for roughing up… someone. The 'someone' changed every time; a girl, a boy, a teacher, a policeman, the principal…
"Mako-chan? Are you okay?" A finger poked into her side. "Um… if you don't want to feed me, I can just…"
Her hand was twitching toward the chopsticks. Shaking away the deeper thoughts, she smiled. "Nah. I can- hang on, here." She nipped up a piece of narutomaki sushi for her, and Usagi's jaw popped open as if automatic.
"She's going to catch a few flies like that one day," Naru sighed. Usagi scowled, but was chewing as she did so.
~ o ~
It wasn't long after that casual lunch that they got the class assignment. Cooking. Something Usagi couldn't do to save her life, despite how much she loved home economics. The instant she heard it, Makoto knew what would happen; she and Ami would do just fine, Naru would muddle through, and Usagi would put it off completely until the last second. And she had been right.
"Oh, there you are," was all she said when she opened the door to see the bun-headed blonde standing there with a wide, endearing smile. A couple of plastic shopping bags hanging from her wrists, laden down with ingredients — some of which might have even been the right ingredients.
"Yep! It's me! Can I come in?"
"Why?" Might as well tease her a little while she could.
"Mako-chaaaaan…" The pout was pretty extreme. Olympic-level. "I don't know how to make Italian food! I barely know how to make green tea rice, and mine's always too sticky! Be a pal? Be a chum, a bosom companion, a-"
"Alright, alright, enough. I'll help you." Rolling her eyes, she pushed the door wider. Usagi flashed her a grin before skipping inside and practically hopping out of her flats as she booked it to the kitchen. Makoto had no choice but to bump the door closed and follow.
"So cool that you have this place all to yourself," she was glowing as she set the bags down. At least she was beginning to lay the ingredients out, and not being entirely useless.
"Yeah, cool," Makoto sighed.
Once she had the bags wadded up in one hand, she turned around to see the slight frown on her friend's face, and her own excited expression slipped. "Oh… I mean, well, it is, but… I didn't mean to rub it in that you don't-"
"Forget it," she quickly cut her off. Not wanting to talk about her parents, to open up that can of pure pain. No amount of years passing could erase her loss. Still, no use moping now that so much time had passed; she would rather focus on the good things in her life. "Being a teenager living on my own is pretty great sometimes. Um… so, what dish were you supposed to make?"
But Usagi wasn't that easily distracted. Normally, yes, but not this time. Makoto sometimes could forget just how empathetic she was, even if she forgot less often than Rei or Luna. Glancing away at the stove, then back upward, she whispered, "Is it tough? Like, having nobody around? You seem to be doing pretty great, so I guess… I didn't-"
"Used to be hard," she interrupted, so Usagi wouldn't have to keep fumbling for words. Her hands started to sort through ingredients, to keep busy. "But I got used to it. And now I have the Senshi, and Naru and Luna, and… it's better now. Plus Motoki at the Game Center!"
"Oh, I know! He's a hunky guy, and a great friend. But you know, if you ever feel lonely…"
Nodding, she flashed her friend a little smile. "I'll call. Got all your house numbers by my phone." She nodded at the wall-mounted phone across the kitchen, with the little whiteboard showing the numbers for the Tsukino residence, the Shinto shrine, the Game Center, and the Mizuno residence. She didn't really know Naru well enough to ask for hers yet.
"Wow! You do, that's great! Sometimes I forget Naru's number even, and I don't have it written down because I'm a ditz, and always remember to do it when I don't have my address book. So I just end up calling for the Directory." Her faint blush about her own forgetfulness was too cute, and Makoto laughed, which ended up setting Usagi at ease, too. "But you're so organised, Mako-chan! I wish I could be like you!"
It was her turn to feel flattered. "Ahh, stop it. Anyway… what are we making?"
"Hm? Oh yeah, uh… lasagna? I think? Is that the one with the thin noodles and the, um…" Her hands made some kind of gesture that Makoto couldn't figure out, so she just shook her head and looked into the bag.
"Oh! Yes, you have lasagna noodles… and spaghetti noodles?"
"Well, the spaghetti noodles looked right, but those actually say 'lasagna' on them, so… I didn't know…" Her shoulders shrugged. "You're so much better at this stuff than I am. Better at fighting, and cooking, and even classes; maybe not some genius like Ami, but you have actual grades that aren't failing, which is way better than me…"
"Maybe so, but that doesn't mean you can't learn, Usa. Come here, look."
So she began instructing her friend in the ways of Italian cuisine. Really, she only had to tell her how to make lasagna, but she also explained about spaghetti and fettucine, and a few of the different types of sauces. She could tell Usagi was experiencing information overload, so eventually they took a break to get a couple of bottles of Calpis Soda and talk, leaning against the counter.
"I'll get this, I promise," Usagi said between swigs. "And maybe someday, I'll know something and I can teach that to you!"
"Someday you'll know something, huh?" she laughed. Usagi's ears burned, and she bumped her with her elbow. "It's alright. I like helping you, because you're so energetic. As long as it's not about homework."
"Ughhhh, homework." Then they both laughed. "You're going to make such a great mom. It's like, I can be as much of an airhead as possible and you don't care, you just… keep helping me. I don't deserve it."
That gave her a weird feeling. A great mom? She hadn't given it a lot of thought — mostly because she was still working on the finish-high-school-and-find-a-husband part. Leaning over again, she wrapped her arm around Usagi's shoulders. It was so easy to do, being that much taller than her. "Sure you do. Come on, don't be so down on yourself; you can cook! I know you can!"
Both of her arms slithered around Makoto's stomach. This feeling was a completely different kind of weird; it felt so easy, having her fitted up against her that way. Being almost a head taller was part of that, but it was also that she was petite, and cute, and sweet. And her shampoo smelled nice…
"Maybe. But thanks for helping, either way. At least I'll pass this assignment. And then I can worry about math! Bluuugh, why does it never end?!"
"Math can wait." Nuzzling her hair, Makoto said, "Tell you what. Let's work on this lasagna. After that, I'll get out the Famicom and we can see if it still works. Sound like a plan?"
The squeeze and squeal Usagi gave her made her laugh. "Mmm, thank you, Mako-chan! You always know exactly how to get me motivated!" When she didn't let go after a second or two, Usagi pulled her head back just enough to look up at her. "Mako-chan?"
"Hm?"
"Um…" Her cheeks turned a little redder. "You like hugging me, huh? Not that I'm complaining! Just, y'know… I thought you wanted to get started on the lasagna."
She had a point: Makoto had been holding onto her for a minute or so, at least. Longer than was normal for friends. Why did she feel so comfortable with Usagi there? Like she was her little doting wife. A comical vision of the two of them in domesticated bliss swam into her mind; coming home every day to Usagi wearing an apron, apologising for burning a hole through one of her shirts while doing the ironing. The thought made her chuckle, and she kissed Usagi's head, prompting a little squeak of surprise.
"Let's do it. I'll be the chef husband, and you be the poor sheltered wife who has to learn how to cook. We'll make a game out of it."
"Ohhhhhh, yes!" she giggled at once. "I like that! You know how much I love games!"
"Me, too! And Motoki can probably back that up, as often as we're down at the Game Center."
"Yeah!" Hopping back a step, she placed her fists on her hips and crowed in her usual superhero voice, "This is a job for Sailor Moon! Wait, I mean…" Her hands went to the side of her face as she tilted her head, popping one foot up and cooing, "Yes, dear! Help me learn how to take better care of you!"
"Of course, my honey!" Makoto said in a slightly deeper voice, and they both burst into fresh giggles at that. Then she put her hand at her chin, as she could remember her father doing often when she was younger. "Hmm, we should start with having all the ingredients ready."
"Goodness! I hope I can find them all!" Then she said in a stage-whisper, "Hey, I need an apron to really look like the housewife!"
"Right!" she whispered back. "Hang on, I got an extra one…"
Makoto ended up finding a more 'manly' cook's apron, so she put that on herself and gave Usagi the cute, frilly pink one she had already been wearing. The game continued as they readied ingredients, started combining them and put the lasagna in the pan, and Usagi played her part so well that Makoto found herself forgetting that she wasn't usually this doting and submissive.
Speaking of which… it was interesting that she chose to play such a submissive stereotype of a housewife, when she knew that Mrs. Tsukino definitely wasn't like that. Truly an independent mom of the Nineties! But the frequent flutterings of eyelashes, and the way Usagi would theatrically touch her face and say "oopsie" whenever she made a mistake were straight out of an American sitcom from the 1950s. Maybe she should try out for the drama club when they got to high school.
"Good work, little wife," Makoto told her in a hearty tone as she hugged around her shoulders again. That had happened often; if it wasn't her doing that, it was Usagi draping herself over her side. "We have made a fine lasagna!"
"My strong husband taught me how!" They both laughed again. Really, they sounded more like someone's grandparents than any modern husband and wife.
Then Usagi kissed her cheek. She had to lean up to do it, standing on her tippy-toes and neck stretching out, but she managed. It stunned Makoto enough that she almost broke character, but at the last second she managed to let out a gruff little hum. "Oh, s-stop it, sweetheart. You're embarrassing me!"
"Oh, men don't get embarrassed, they just get stronger!" When Makoto snorted, Usagi lost it, falling back onto the floor and rolling around with laughter until Makoto gave her a gentle kick in the butt to get her to quit. "Oh! Oh God, that's hilarious!"
"Real wives don't say their husbands are hilarious," she giggled, dropping the persona for the moment. It was kind of relief; she was trying to figure out how she felt about being kissed by Usagi. It wasn't a big deal, just a little cheek kiss. Totally normal between friends! So why did she feel so weird about it?
After a few seconds, Usagi popped up again, face reddish from all the laughing and wiping tears from her eyes. When she noticed Makoto wasn't doing anything besides leaning back against the counter, she blinked a few times, waiting for her to acknowledge her. It didn't happen; she was too preoccupied with her thoughts. After another few seconds, she slid her arms around her waist again, fluttering her eyelashes up at her.
"Husband, I need to know how to bake the lasagna. I'm helpless without you."
Now her heart was racing, trying to beat out of her chest as she gazed down at Usagi's sweet face. Maybe her mind was playing tricks on her, but she really thought a lot of that affection was genuine… not just a product of their silly fantasy. Usagi really was helpless without her. From the first time she saved her life to the many moments since, that theme kept popping up. Not that she minded. Out of anyone she'd ever known, she liked taking care of the tiny blonde ditz the most.
But it wasn't just that. Raising her hand to cup Usagi's cheek, she said in her deeper voice, "You aren't helpless, little wife. It is I who need you. Without your love, your tenderness… I am alone in this world."
The sincerity must have shone through the joking words, because Usagi's clear blue eyes widened, and she was working hard to swallow. Hands came up to shove her away, and they did push a little at first, but then simply rested on Makoto's shoulders. "I… w-well, I don't… want to leave you alone, my husband." Then a quiet giggle fell out of her lips, clearly shakier than usual, and she whispered, "Wow, you're pretty smooth, Mako-chan. I wish Tuxedo Mask would talk to me the way you do…"
"I know! He reminds me so much of my old boyfriend…" When she pet Usagi's cheek, she leaned into the touch, eyes half-closing. A thought struck her: Usagi was somehow even prettier when she was given over to a moment like that. A true princess. But this was a moment between two best friends, fellow Senshi! Maybe it was time they rethought the terms of their game. "Want me to stop, Usa-chan? I mean, I don't know what I'm doing…"
"N-nah. It's nice to pretend… I guess…"
"It is?"
"Yeah. I mean, um, as long as you're not uncomfortable or anything! We can stop… if you are…"
Makoto nodded, cleared her throat, and gripped the back of Usagi's neck. Instantly, she went still, eyes flying open again. It shot a chill into the pit of her stomach, but she ignored that and cleared her throat, speaking in her 'manly' voice again. "From the moment I saw you, I knew we were destined to be together. For you to be my bride!"
"Yes, my husband! My love!" The hands flexed on her lapels, then began petting up and down. "I have always been yours! Your strength gives me life!"
"Ah!" She dipped her, and the next giggle of pure joy from Usagi was definitely not acting. "How can a man resist such a… a goddess?!" The word came to her at the last second.
"Then do not resist any longer, Prince Mako! Kiss me and claim me again!"
So Makoto kissed her. It was supposed to be a silly one, and she dipped the smaller woman lower and waggled her head from side to side for comedic effect, making Usagi flail and laugh.
But she also kissed back. And after the first second or two, it stopped being a game. The "mmm-mmm!" noises faded into honest sighs, tightly-closed lips softened and parted slightly. Two hands slid up to cup either side of her neck, and the one she had wrapped around Usagi's waist clung more tightly. It was sweet. It was more than sweet: it was inflaming. The small form resting gently in her grasp was a welcome weight, and the mouth a portal to a world of sweetness and light that she had never even glimpsed before. All from a source she had never expected.
With no way of knowing how long they were locked together like that, they slowly parted, faces flushed and lips swollen. Usagi's crystalline eyes were completely glazed over when she looked down into them, unable to focus or to ask why they had done what they did. Makoto didn't know, either, so what was she supposed to say?
"Mako-chan…"
"Usa… I…" She cleared her throat and deepened her voice. "My sweet wife, I find you so irresistible."
"Really? You do?"
"Of course. We are married, and I wish to keep our marriage burning bright as a star!"
Usagi let out a quiet titter, bashful but smiling. "Thank you, husband." Another little kiss before she bit her lip, looking away shyly. Her whisper was sweet as her lips; "I've… never kissed anyone before… not really. But you must have kissed a lot of boys, you're so good at it…"
"I guess," she agreed, now acutely aware that they weren't playing anymore. And she was still holding Usagi.
"N-not that I mean like, that you're a skank! Just… you have experience, and I don't, so I was probably really terrible…"
That made her draw her up closer, out of the dip so that she was standing in front of her again. Toes were on top of her own, Usagi trying to make herself taller so their faces were closer, and she wrapped both arms tightly around her back to help in supporting her.
"You were great. Perfect, I mean… just like a wife. I guess. I've never had a wife before, either, so…"
"Anybody would be lucky to be your wife! I mean, you're so strong and caring like a man, but soft and thoughtful like a woman, and you can totally cook, and… a-and that was an incredible kiss!"
"Well… I could… do it again… if you wanted." Usagi looked even shyer, which she didn't think was possible given how shy she had looked a moment before that. "Or not! Y'know, I don't want to, um, make you feel weird…"
They were both silent for a moment. Usagi boosting herself by standing on Makoto's feet, she managed to start the kiss herself this time. It lasted even longer, ending with her eventually plopping the shorter girl's rear onto the countertop so that they could better reach each other's lips without straining. Hands slid up backs, soft moans sounded between them. Legs gently wrapped around her hips to keep her close. And as long as it went on, she only wanted more, and for it to go on eternally.
"AAAH!" Usagi squealed once they parted, hiding her burning face in her hands. "I can't believe we did that! And it was SO GOOD!"
"Y-yeah, it was!" Scratching the back of her neck, she looked away to try to hide her giddy smile. "Usa-chan, I didn't think… well, I mean, this is just crazy! I've always seen myself growing up to be the housewife, not to find one of my own!"
A little hum floated out of Usagi as she thrashed from side to side, clearly past worrying and into the excited phase of her reaction. "I'm your housewife, I'm your housewife! Oh, I'm so happy!" Then her eyes flew open. "How am I going to tell my parents? Or the rest of the team? Oh, they'll be okay with it, they always joke about that, anyway…"
"We'll figure it out," she chuckled, leaning up to nuzzle Usagi's face. She nuzzled back, and they shared another quick peck that threatened to turn into more. "Oh wow, that's so easy to get started!"
"I know! How did it take us this long to try it? I always…" Usagi's voice got a little quieter as she raised a finger, tracing over one of Makoto's ever-present rosebud earrings fondly. "U-um, well, I hope you don't think this is weird but I've kind of thought about it before, once or twice. But it wasn't in a serious way! Just, y'know… you're so tall, and cool, and I liked it when you fed me… that's probably dumb."
"It's not dumb! I mean, sometimes I would think that it was nice taking care of you with you being so sweet and small, too, but I told myself I was overthinking it." Throwing back her head to laugh, Makoto cawed, "Guess we were just big ol' lesbians all along!"
"I guess so!"
They both laughed for a long time about that, letting the emotions explode instead of trying to bottle them up. It took way longer to get the lasagna started than they planned, but they managed it eventually. Not that either of them minded.
"Now that it's baking, husband," Usagi began as she dragged her toward the living room, "you should come relax for a while. Let me take care of you."
"Alright, alright," she laughed. Then in her deeper voice, "My wife must rub my feet and light my cigarette, and then I will give her pocket money to buy a nice mink tomorrow."
They giggled as Usagi settled Makoto in the comfy armchair. She had worked hard to make her living room welcoming, hoping that if anyone besides her old best friend Tomoko ever visited, they might feel at home enough to come back one day. Hence the squashy furniture, soft rug under the coffee table, and the many, many plants under the windows. It felt weird for her guest to be the one doting on her, but it was part of the game, after all.
"Where do you keep your cigarettes?" she goaded, causing Motoko to snort. "Or can I bring you a can of Sapporo?"
"Just the cigarette, wife. They're in the fridge." They were only chocolate ones, anyway. When Usagi came back and popped one between her lips, then mimed like she was lighting it, she mimed taking a few puffs and then took it out to blow outward. "Phoo! Ahh, yes, very smooth and relaxing."
"Just as you deserve." She sat on the ottoman and picked up one of Motoko's legs. By the time she figured out what she was trying to do, it was already too late to head her off.
"Oh!" she gasped when she felt thumbs digging into the sole of her foot. "Usa-chan, I was kidding, you don't… mmm, that really is nice, though…"
"You've had such a hard day at work." Usagi hesitated for a moment, then improvised, "A chef with his own kitchen spends all day standing, and needs a wife to help soothe his aches, right?"
"Ohhhh, yeah…" It was more of a moan than a real answer, and Usagi giggled to hear how much her massage was working on her 'playmate'. It was also cute how she was adding to the backstory of their little game. After a few seconds of recovery, relaxing into the gentle sensation, she puffed on the cigarette again. "Wife, you… have made your husband quite happy today. If your dinner is delicious, then you will win the 'Best Wife' award!"
Her voice was so bubbly as she whispered, "Oh, if only I could achieve that dream!" that Mako couldn't suppress a titter. She rubbed for another minute or so, watching her pretend spouse eventually tire of pretending to smoke and eating the candy cigarette. Completely relaxing from the massage. Really, she would have paid Usagi to do this part for her; she might consider it, now that she knew how wonderful it felt.
Sometime after switching to the other foot, her "wife" whispered, "Mako-chan…"
"Hm?"
"I'm having a lot of fun today. Like, I know I just came over for help with home ec, but even without the kissing, it's been really nice. And I wouldn't mind trying it again someday, when we're not busy."
The sentiment touched Makoto more than she wanted to admit. It was nice having a friend so close — especially one she might be able to kiss now and then. Definitely a fringe benefit. But it felt too heavy and serious to respond to Usagi's words directly for some reason. So instead, she merely said, "You wouldn't mind coming by to cook and rub my feet? That's weird. You can come by and not do that."
"Yeah, I know." A playful smile in place, she moved to the side and knelt on the floor seiza-style, performing an ultra-low saikeirei bow with her hands in front of her knees, forehead nearly touching the rug. "I humbly apologise for my weirdness, master of my house."
The thrill that shot through Makoto was so profound that she felt her stomach tie into a knot, her heart beat faster. She both felt highly flattered and definitely wanted Usagi to stop debasing herself in such a way. "Usa… c'mon, you d-don't have to do that."
"But I want to, husband." Her face moved to one side, pressing soft lips into the tops of Jupiter's toes. She got in two or three kisses before she could jerk out of range, scrunching them to try and rid herself of the vaguely pleasant sensation. Now they were both flushed and embarrassed. "I want to please you."
"Y-you can please me by coming up here and sitting on my lap," she said with a slight stutter, face reddening further. "Before I faint or something!"
Smiling sweetly, Usagi stood and giggled for a moment about the whole situation. Then she turned and landed her warm rump on one of Makoto's thighs. She tried not to think about how nice that felt as she reached up and took either side of Usagi's neck with her hands, beginning to knead.
"Ooohh… oh, Mako-chan, that feels great…"
"A husband must take care of his wife, as well. Or what kind of husband would he be?"
The longer it went on, the sounds coming from Usagi's throat and the feeling of the muscles relaxing under her strong grip, the wriggling of the soft, padded hindquarters on her lap, made her want to kiss her again. Maybe for longer than a few paltry minutes… maybe more than just kiss her. Surprising how quickly she was getting used to this idea.
"Usa-chan, I…" Instead of finishing the thought, she kissed the shell of her cute little ear, and heard a quiet cooing in return. So she did it again. This was literally the most romantic moment of her life, and it was with another girl — one with whom she fought against the forces of evil on a weekly basis. Cute little bundle of blondeness, sweet, doting when she wanted to be doting…
"You're so… fantastic at this…" Her throat cleared; at least she was having trouble talking, too, and it wasn't just Makoto's problem. "And I never finished your other foot…"
"You didn't have to get to the first one," she told her in no uncertain terms. "I just like helping you cook. That would have been enough, and like… everything else is a bonus. That includes how nice your butt feels."
"You like that?" Her hips wiggled from side to side again, and Mako bit her lip to keep from groaning. "Hmm. I thought I noticed you checking out Ami's butt once before."
She had to head off that line of questioning, so she redoubled her efforts. There was a low purr from her thumb hitting a particularly stubborn knot, and Makoto had to ignore her own visceral response and stay focused on the task at hand. "You're still a little tense. Is it not good?"
"Mmmm, no way, Mako-chan… you're incredible. Can we kiss again?"
Makoto's green eyes twinkled with amusement. "My lips or my toes? You seemed to be into that."
"Either one…" When Makoto leaned over to gape at her, alarmed that she took her joke as being remotely serious, she ducked her head in slight shame.
"Usa-chan, I'm…" Her toes scrunched against the rug subconsciously. "But that's so weird! I m-mean… why?"
"W-well, it really felt right in the role! Y'know, worshipping my strong husband?"
"Yeah, I don't know a lot of housewives who actually kiss their husbands' feet! Just saying!"
"Maybe because their husbands don't have feet as cute as yours! I dunno!"
At that, Makoto had to scoff, even though her cheeks were burning with embarrassment. "N-nah, come on. Thanks for trying, but I know mine are huge and awful. Like the rest of me."
"Hey! Don't say that, you're perfect just the way you are! Like a supermodel! Even your feet are supermodel feet; so much sexier than my stubby toes!" Clearing her throat, Usagi rushed on ahead so Makoto wouldn't question that too deeply. "B-but, um, I'd definitely rather kiss your lips; those are… s-so sweet, and your arms are strong, and you always smell like perfume… I just can't handle myself around you."
Still trying to wrap her mind around what "sexy supermodel toes" was supposed to mean, Makoto shook her head and laughed before she kissed the back of Usagi's neck. "Then maybe I'll keep handling you. Would that help?" The resulting high-pitched squeal made her giggle more. "I'll take that as a 'yes'. Wow, this is crazy!"
"Mmm, it is! But… I think… I could really get used to it. Having this with you. I mean, as long as you really think I'm worth doing this stuff with; you could probably do way better. With girls or guys!"
Swallowing down her nerves, she turned Usagi in her lap, one arm looping around her lower back and hand resting on her hip as the other one came up to caress her slender neck, fingertips rustling the wispy blonde hairs at the nape that weren't pulled up into her long twintails. It was such a possessive gesture that they both had to look away for a moment, but then she spoke to call Usagi back to the present. To tell her how wrong she was about the way she saw herself.
"My beautiful, sweet, delicious little wife deserves the best. And if she thinks that's me, then… I'm all yours."
"Mako-chan, my husband…"
The lasagna almost burned, they were so wrapped up in each other, and even once they hastily pulled it out of the oven it was quite a while before they logged some Famicom time. Delays due to "playing house" were about to become a regular part of their routine.
THE END
[next: Minako!]