Flattery Will Get You Everywhere
Author: Patch
E-mail: patchkhan1@hotmail.com
Rating: PG-13

Hi everyone! Yes, I know, long time no fic, but hey, I was kinda
short for ideas (it happens!), plus college for some Godforsaken
reason has become just a bit more difficult. What happened to
the easy shtuff???? Aaah, well, I just want to say a BIIIIIIG
THANK YOU to all the people who write to me, I swear,
you guys really make my day *sob* I get emotional thinking
about how happy you guys make me!! LOL, I think I'll go now
before I scare you all. Enjoy reading!
Bye bye,
Patch.

Insert Standard Disclaimer Here.

	The bright morning light seeped through the curtains
of the windows waking up Chiba Usagi from her dreams. She
squinted her eyes against the light and with a muffled groan,
turned herself in her husband's embrace to snuggle her face in
his chest.
	His arms tightened around her as she inhaled
deeply getting a whiff of a mixture of his musky scent and
cologne. She sighed happily, half awake and half asleep.
	Moments later she felt a light kiss on her ear and
in response, snuggled deeper, mumbling to herself.
	"Usako..."
	Another light kiss and she rubbed her face against
his chest, mumbling something incoherent.  She heard him
chuckle and felt him try to leave her even though she held on
tightly.
	"Mamo-chan..." she mumbled, "we came back so
late last night, at least get some decent amount of sleep."
	"No can do Usa. It's late enough as it is."
	"Late?" she turned her head to look at the wall
clock and groaned. "It's only ten thirty.  That's horrifically
early, especially for a Saturday."
	"Fine, stay in bed," he said, getting up, "I don't
need your help making chocolate chip pancakes."
	She immediately shot up, her hair flying up
behind her.
	"Chocolate chip pancakes? You're serious?"
	He grinned at her enthusiasm and placed his
hands on the bed, leaning towards her. "Would I ever lie
to you Usako?" he whispered.
	She gave him a quick kiss on the lips and
scrambled off on the other side. "Of course not, so let's
go, our pancakes await!"

	Half an hour later, they sat in content and quiet,
a stack of pancakes in each of their plates.  Usagi quickly
dug in and after taking the first bite, leaned back and
closed her eyes, happiness etched on her face.
	"Mmm, after so long...this is heavenly."
	"I'm glad you like them Usako," he watched her
as she continued to eat and after a moment's hesitation
went on. "By the way, Usa, I invited one of my associates
and his wife to have dinner with us tonight."
	She didn't say anything for a while and Mamoru
thought, for a moment, that she wouldn't mind, but
apparently he thought a little too soon.
	"Mamo-chan! You've got to be kidding, I told
Mama we'd come over for dinner tonight. I can't just cancel
last minute!"
	"Well, how about we go for lunch instead? It's
the same thing as dinner."
	"Mamo-chan..."
	"C'mon Usa, this is important to me and I wasn't
the one who really invited them over.  I was talking to Kado
and he suggested that we get together tomorrow night and I
agreed."
	"But you knew we had to go somewhere else!"
	"Actually," Mamoru said, looking sheepish, "I
forgot."
	"Nani?!"
	"Gomen ne! Maybe the drinks they served had
some kind of effect on me, but I invited him and his wife to
come to our place for a drink and then he suggested we go
to a restaurant after that. Usako, please, having this man
over might be to our benefit."
	Usagi said nothing but resumed eating her
breakfast.
	After a few minutes, Mamoru spoke again.
"Usako?"
	She said nothing and he felt a sinking feeling.
She was upset. He sighed inwardly and  then went to sit
next to her. He put an arm around her shoulders and
tilted her face towards his. "Usako, don't be mad at me.
This sort of thing doesn't happen everyday and this is
the first time too."
	Wrong thing to say.
	She glared at him and then turned her face
away and took another bite of the pancakes, eating slowly.
She was furious. She had planned to surprise her family
this evening by bringing a special dish that would require
the whole afternoon. The idea of going in the afternoon
seemed good except for the fact that both her father and
brother wouldn't be there since they both worked.
	"Gomen ne, Usako, please understand..."
	She felt something soft slide across her cheek
and saw a rose in front of her and took it from him slowly.
Moments later she felt him nuzzle her neck. "You're so
beautiful when you're mad at me, Usako," she heard him
whisper.
	She abruptly got up, dropping the rose and
taking her plate with her.  "Flattery will get you nowhere
Mamo-chan. Not this time." She went into the kitchen and
began washing the dishes there. She heard Mamoru come
into the kitchen but didn't bother turning around.
	"Fine, Usa. I'll call up Kado and tell him
something came up."
	"Iie, you... you don't have to do that."
	"You really mean that?" he asked doubtfully.
	"Hai. Invite him and his wife, have a couple
of drinks here, it's fine with me."
	"Great!" he hugged her tightly, absurdly happy
that she had agreed but just when he was about to kiss her,
she stood up on her toes.
	"Just don't expect *me* to be here," she
whispered in his ear and wriggled out of his embrace,
walking to their bedroom.
	His smile fell away and he followed her.
"You have to be here Usa, it won't look right if you're
not!"
	"I. Don't. Care," she said, smiling sweetly at
him.
	He shoved his hand through his hair in
frustration. She was playing games, he knew it. He
suddenly grinned evilly. "You know Usa, I could easily
tie you to this bed until our guests arrive."
	"You wouldn't dare! That's barbaric!" she
shot back.
	"But it can be done," he replied, coming
towards her.
	She dodged to the right and tried to run past
him but he caught her waist and wrapped his arms
around her from behind.
	"What do you say now, love?"
	"You're very adamant about this aren't you?"
	"Usa, this'll be a great opportunity, of course
I want everything to work out."
	She turned around in his arms and looked up
at him. "Fine, fine. I'm sorry for making things difficult.
I'll call Mama up and then I'll go to Mako-chan's place
and see if she has any good wine to spare."
	"Arigato Usako. I swear I'll make this up to
you."
	"Well, as a matter of fact, you can start
making things up right now." She walked away from
him and threw open the closet door. Taking out some
clothes she turned to him. "Why don't *you* call Mama
up and tell her why we can't come? It'll make my life
a lot easier."
	"Demo..."
	"No buts," Usagi replied, pushing Mamoru
out of the room. "By the time I'm done changing, Mama
better have a good reason as to why we can't come
tonight."

	A while later, Usagi left the apartment to
meet Makoto. She found her at her restaurant, which
she had opened a few years ago. It was an open and
airy place that had a feel of coziness to it and it was
always filled with people of all ages.
	Usagi entered the place and looked around
for her friend, spying her at a table working on
something, two bottles of wine sitting next to her.
	"Mako-chan!"
	Makoto looked up and smiled brightly
upon seeing Usagi walking towards her.
	"Usagi-chan, it's good to see you! How's
life treating you?"
	"It's...good," she replied, taking a seat.
	"Uh-oh, I sensed a little hesitation there.
What's up?"
	"It's nothing really. Mamo-chan is having
one of his associates and his wife over for tonight."
	"But I thought you were going to your
Mother's, isn't that why you asked me for that recipe?"
	"Yeah, but now the plan's been changed
because at that fundraiser last night, Mamo-chan
forgot about today and invited this man over for
drinks and then after that we're going to some
restaurant."
	"It sounds like fun to me. You'll probably
have a good time and you can always see your
family some other day," Makoto said reassuringly.
	"I know, it's just that I wished he hadn't
done this all so last minute and then he didn't even
tell me until this morning! I was so looking forward
to making this dish and then seeing the family after
a long time..."
	"It happens all the time, Usagi-chan,
don't worry about it. What did you tell your Mom?"
	Usagi grinned mischievously. "Oh, I had
Mamo-chan do the talking for that one."
	Makoto laughed at Usagi's expression.
"Good one, men need to be put in their places like
that."
	"I was thinking the same exact thing."
	The girls laughed some more and
continued to sit there and talk about various things.
A couple of hours later, Usagi got up and said her
good byes as Makoto reassured her that she would
have a good time.
	When Usagi got home she found that
Mamoru had gone out leaving a note saying he
would be back in a while.
	"Great," she muttered, "he always back
out when this place needs cleaning." But then she
grinned shamelessly. "But I'm always the one
making the mess so I guess I can forgive him."
	She set about cleaning the apartment
and didn't even realize how much time had
passed until she took a break and realized that it
was late afternoon. Plopping down on the sofa,
she laid her head back and closed her eyes. She
was just going to rest... just for a few minutes, of
course.

	"Usako..."
	Something cold slid along her neck and
her eyes popped open to see her husband sitting on
the low table in front of the sofa, amusement
shining in his eyes.
	"Mamo-chan! Kami, what time is it?"
she asked, sitting up.
	"It's five thirty, Usa. Don't worry, we
still have some time before Kado and his wife
arrive."
	"Oh my gosh, I have to take a shower,
I have to take out the clothes, I have to put the
wine to chill. I don't even know what restaurant
we're going to! Mamo-chan, where are we going?"
	Mamoru laughed and held Usagi by
the forearms. "Easy, love. Don't panic. I already
put the wine in ice and the restaurant we're going
to is the Star Royal (AN: don't ask ^_^;)."
	Usagi let out a little yelp and shot up to
her feet. "Mamo-chan! That...that place is *the* most
posh place around! It's so expensive and the only
time I remember going is-"
	"On our anniversary, I know," Mamoru
said, getting up also and picking something up from
the sofa. "Kado suggested it and I agreed. It won't
be that bad, trust me."
	"But Mamo-chan," Usagi began, walking
to the bedroom, "I don't even have anything to wear..."
her voice died and her mouth dropped open as she
stood in the doorway. A royal blue, of the shoulder,
full length dress lay on the bed just waiting for
someone to wear it. She slowly walked up to it and
reached out to touch it and found it to be velvety soft.
	"Do you like it?"
	She whipped around, shock written all
over her face to see him leaning against the wall.
"Where did you get such a beautiful dress??"
	He chuckled and walked over to her.
"Your mother asked me to come over after I spoke
to her on the phone and when I got there she said
she understood completely why we couldn't come
tonight and then she asked me where we were
going for dinner. When I told her, her eyes lighted
up and she said she had the perfect thing for you
and left the room. When she came back she was
holding a garment bag and told me that she had
been waiting for the right moment to give the
outfit to you and that this was the right time."
	"Oh Mama, I love her so much" Usagi
breathed, looking over the dress again. She felt
something cold settle against her neck and looked
down to see a delicate pearl necklace resting there.
	"Mamo-chan..." she whispered,
her fingers fingering the tiny pearls.
	"I knew you were still upset at me and
on the way home I saw Kale's Jewelry store and
when I went inside I saw the perfect strand of
pearls that would compliment the gown. I knew
you would look amazing in them."
	Her eyes shined with tears and she
reached up to place a kiss on his lips. "Thank you
so much, Mamo-chan. Aisheteru."
	"You're welcome but then again, you
would look beautiful in any kind of jewelry."
	Her eyes narrowed a bit. "Mamo-chan,
you know-"
	"Flattery won't get me anywhere? Hai, I
know, but it can't hurt, ne?"
	"Baka," she whacked him lightly on the
arm and then stood on her toes to kiss him once
more but before he could deepen it she had moved
away.
	"I've got to get ready now and you have
to do the same. Now hurry up!" She stepped into
the bathroom and as soon as she closed the door,
she jumped up and down in glee. The pearls and
gown had definitely lifted her mood and she knew
this evening would work out just fine.

	The doorbell rung just as Mamoru
finished clasping the necklace around Usagi's
neck.
	"Aisheteru," he whispered, his lips
kissing a hot trail from her bare shoulder to her
jaw. He smiled at her through the mirror and then
left the room.
	Usagi just stared after him, holding on
to the dressing table so that her legs could regain
their balance. That man, she thought, was so...
incredibly... hot. He knew just what to do to make
her fall over in a swoon.
	Hearing voices, she took a deep breath,
composed herself and then walked to the living
room. Mamoru and their guests stood by the door,
talking and Usagi walked up to them, confused. She
would have thought that Mamoru would at least
have them sit down.
	"Kado, this is my wife, Usagi. Usako,
this is Kado-san, a business associate of mine, and
his wife, Leiko."
	"Nice to meet you, Kado-san, Leiko-san,"
Usagi said, smiling to both of them. Kado was a
handsome man even though he looked to be around
his early forties. When her gaze shifted to the
woman, her eyes widened. The woman had just
given her a look. Usagi didn't know how to
interpret it but she knew it wasn't very cordial.
Well, there wasn't much she could do about it. Leiko
looked to be quite younger than Kado but she was
beautiful all the same with her long, wavy hair that
was the color of dark chocolate.
	"Wouldn't you all like to sit down?" she
asked, gesturing to the living room.
	Kado opened his mouth but before he could
say anything, Mamoru interrupted. "Actually Usako,
we're going straight to the restuarant for dinner.
	"Doushite?" Usagi asked, a small frown
appearing on her face. What had she missed?
	"Well, we made the reservations for
seven and since we've come a little late, we won't
have time for the drinks," Leiko informed Usagi
politely.
	A little too politely, Usagi thought. The
woman had a smirk on her face, as if she knew how
much time Usagi had spent on cleaning the
apartment. She looked towards Mamoru, smiling
brightly.
	"Really? That's great, would you excuse
my husband and I for a moment while we get our
coats? You can have a seat if you'd like."
	"That's okay, we'll just wait here, if
you don't mind," Kado said.
	"Oh of course not, please do so, we'll
only be a minute," Usagi said, a fake smile
plastered to her face.
	She and Mamoru left the couple and
as soon as they got to the bedroom, Usagi whirled
on Mamoru, nearly pinning him against the wall.
	"What is going on?" she asked.
	"A slight change of plans?" he offered,
smiling meekly.
	"Shinji nai! I spent the whole afternoon
cleaning and now we aren't even...oooh!" she
whirled back around and went to the closet, flipping
the door open and pushing clothes aside to look for
the coats.
	"Did I tell you how beautiful you look in
that gown?"
	"Mamo-chan! Don't even start!" Usagi
whispered furiously, "Your flattery is not getting
you anywhere tonight!"
	"Usako, calm down, it's not my fault
Kado decided to tell me about the early reservations.
I'm not exactly happy about it either."
	She didn't say anything, but handed him
his long coat.
	He took it and then quickly wrapped an
arm around her waist, bringing her up against him.
"Besides," he whispered huskily, "we can always
save the wine for later."
	"Or, we can forgo the wine and have
you sleep on the couch," she replied sweetly.
	"I've been put in my place," he said,
chuckling and let go of her, pulled on the coat and
then helped her with hers.
	"You won't regret this night, Usako,
the restaurant will be the best part," Mamoru
said.
	"I sure hope so."

	When they reached the restaurant, their
coats were taken from them and they were ushered
to a table near the windows. The windows were
floor length and from their height, they could see
the city lights below them and the lights of the stars
above them.
	"Oh how beautiful," Usagi whispered,
clearly awed by the sight that lay before her.
	"Of course, only the best for Mamoru's
little bunny," Kado said lightly, coming to stand
next to her.
	Usagi looked at him sharply, unsure of
how to take the remark. She turned back around
and was about to sit herself down when Kado
stopped her.
	"My lady, let me," he said, taking the
chair out for her.
	"Arigato," she replied quietly and
looked over to see Mamoru doing the same for
Leiko. When the men sat down, she found herself
closer to Kado then her husband... and was it just
her imagination or did Leiko slide her chair closer
to Mamoru? It must have been her imagination.
	A waiter came and gave them menus
and as they looked over them, the couples chatted
over little things. All of a sudden, Mamoru got up,
saying he had forgotten something in his coat. He
walked away, leaving Usagi to stare after him
wistfully. Her attention was brought back when
Kado began speaking.
	"I think the rabbit sounds quite
delicious, what do you think Leiko?" Kado asked,
a twinkle in his eye.
	"Hm, I don't know," Leiko said,
pressing one finely manicured finger to her lip,
"I've heard the rabbits they serve here aren't really
worth the money. Supposedly they're scrawny,
with not much meat to them. Not what *I* would
want."
	"All the same, it has been a while...
what do you think Usagi?" Kado asked, winking at
her.
	Usagi had been stiff throughout their
whole conversation. What kind of twisted game
was this couple playing? It appeared as though
Kado was teasing her and Leiko was insulting her.
Maybe they were having an innocent conversation.
Maybe she was just going crazy. Whatever the case
was, she wasn't feeling comfortable and she prayed
desperately for Mamoru to come back quickly. The
dratted man had left her here to fend off these two.
Her mood was turning sour by the minute.
	"I-I was actually thinking of having the
salmon."
	"An excellent choice, now all we have
to do is wait for Mamoru. Ah, here he comes."
	Usagi looked up quickly and sighed
with relief as she saw her husband making his way
towards them. But then a thought crossed her mind.
If he could leave her then why couldn't she do the
same? As soon as he sat down, she got up, the chair
nearly toppling over in her haste.
	"I have to go to the ladies' room, so if
you all would excuse me..."
	"A great idea, Usagi, I also have to
freshen up," much to Usagi's dismay, Leiko also got
up, "we'll just leave these men to their
conversations."
	Usagi only nodded and then left Leiko
walking beside her. When they got to the
bathroom, Leiko watched as Usagi washed her
hands.
	"You know, you've made a great catch."
	"Excuse me?" Usagi asked.
	"Your husband, he's quite handsome, I'd
say you're very lucky. You should appreciate him
more."
	Usagi turned to fully face the woman, her
eyes an icy blue. "And why exactly do you think that?"
	Leiko shrugged, "Well, you just seem so
aloof and distant in your attitude."
	She couldn't believe what was coming out
of this woman's mouth and she hadn't even done a
thing to stir this hornet's nest! "Well," she began, "very
few people bring out this side of my attitude and I'd
say you're one of the lucky ones." She walked out of
the bathroom, not bothering to wait or look back.

	The rest of the dinner was quite miserable.
Leiko made the most out of flirting with Mamoru
while Kado tried to do the same with Usagi. They
were such an odd couple, she thought, watching as
the two laughed at something Mamoru said, Leiko
laughing a little too loudly.
	Kado continued to try to talk to her,
sometimes winking at her and other times giving her
certain looks. Usagi would answer with as many
short sentences as she could, not wanting to
encourage the annoying man. Did the couple have
an open relationship of some sort? For it seemed
as though neither minded that the other was flirting
with someone else.
	I want to go home, she thought after a
while, looking out towards the windows. If the
windows could have opened, she would have
jumped out of one of them, transformed into Sailor
Moon and with her wings, fly back home. She
almost grinned at the picture but caught herself
and sighed slowly instead. Anything to get out of
here.
	"Usako?"
	Startled she looked back towards the
table to see everyone getting up. Yes! Finally, she
thought, getting up also.
	"Gomen, I guess I was distracted by
the lovely view," she said, somewhat
embarrassed.
	"Ah yes, it really is a beautiful sight
isn't it?" Kado asked but Usagi noticed his gaze
was shifted elsewhere...towards her. She felt
goosebumps rise against her flesh.
	She stepped closer to Mamoru and
nearly jumped when his arm came around her
and massaged her shoulder reassuringly. About
time he interceded, she thought, noticing that
both Kado and Leiko saw the tender action.
She felt a small victory and also felt just a bit
safer.
	When they were about to part
outside, Kado took Usagi's hand and kissed it.
	"It was nice meeting you Kado-san,"
Usagi said, hard-pressed not to yank her hand away.
	"The pleasure was all mine," he replied
and thankfully let go of her hand and then walked to
his car where a valet held the door open to his side.
	She and Mamoru went to their car and
as soon as they had left the restaurant and were
well on their way, Mamoru opened his mouth.
	"Don't even start, Mamo-chan. I don't
want to hear it," was all she said and Mamoru had
no choice but to comply.
	When they reached home, Usagi slipped
off her shoes and shrugging off her coat, plopped
into a chair, closing her eyes. Mamoru stood at the
door, locking it and then slipping off his shoes.
Still at the door he looked at her, uncertain of what
to do.
	"Do you want to talk?"
	Immediately Usagi sprung up and strode
up to him, "What do you want me to say? That I was
being chased by a lecherous old man even though I
stayed in my seat the whole time and you were
being sought after by some vicious harpy?!"
	"Usako, I'm sorry you didn't have a good
time."
	"Good? Good? That was the worst
experience I have ever had! Every time I hear the
name of that restaurant, I will probably shudder.
And you! You didn't seem to mind the advances of
that hussy!"
	"That is not true, Usa." Mamoru replied,
crossing his arms.
	"Oh really?" she asked raising an
eyebrow. "It sure didn't look like that. You two were
laughing away while I was left to fend off Mr. I-think-
rabbits-are-delicious."
	"Usako, I was just as uncomfortable as
you were. There were times when Leiko was invading
my personal space too."
	"Personal space? She was invading more
than just personal space! And how come you never
even saw the way Kado was looking at me until the
very end? I felt like I was being undressed in front
of his very eyes!"
	His jaw tightened and his fist clenched. "I
did see that, and it took all I had in me to not to get up
and punch him. I'm sorry you had to go through that
Usako."
	"Well, it's a little late for that now, isn't it?
I just hope you're happy now," she replied, crossing
her arms.
	"Usako, how can you say that? I would
never put you through anything like that intentionally.
I met Kado for the first time last night and he didn't
seem so bad. If I had known his true behavior, you
and I would not be having this conversation. We
would be at your mother's house enjoying a good
meal."
	When she didn't say anything, he
continued, "What else can I do to appease you? I've
said sorry more than once!" He was becoming just a
little frustrated. Women... they were... just... women!
Complicated!
	"I... I... well, why didn't you push Leiko
away the first time? I hated seeing her acting like that
with you."
	He grabbed her forearms gently, forcing
her to look at him. "Usako, believe me when I say
you're the only woman for me. I haven't and will
never, ever look at another woman other than you.
I would never *welcome* the advances of another
woman for as long as I live and then, even beyond
that."
	She kept silent, her head bowed. A minute
passed and then she raised her head, a teasing light
coming into her eyes. "Are you sure about that?" she
asked.
	But Mamoru didn't notice the new light.
"What do you think? Do you think I didn't mean what
I said?" he asked exasperated.
	"Well, I don't know, you are a flatterer
after all. And how many times have I told you that
flattery will not-"
	"I don't care about flattery at this moment,"
he growled, his patience at an end. He whirled her so
that her back was against the wall and then wrapped
his arms around her. "You are my main concern at
this moment," he said and then captured her lips for
a deep kiss.
	She struggled feebly but then gave it up.
She loved to annoy the poor man to the limits. Kami
only knew he could be tested so far and Usagi knew
how far that was. Besides, she loved being reassured
that she was his only one. She giggled into his kiss and
he growled further, finally catching on to her teasing.
	He lifted her up, never breaking the kiss
and carried her to their bedroom where he proceeded
to show her just how much flattery was *not* on his
mind.

	Much later, Usagi lay on her stomach, her
head pillowed by her hands smiling contentedly as
Mamoru leaned over her, on the other side,
occasionally placing kisses on her shoulders and
tracing a pattern on her back with a rose he had
conjured (AN: siiiiigh ^_^).
	"You know, you're still wearing the
necklace," he said quietly.
	She lifted her head and turned to look at
him. "I think it makes me look all the more seductive,
don't you?"
	He laughed and tapped her nose with the
rose as she turned over.
	"You have made me so proud, Chiba
Usagi, my Usako. I know it took all you had tonight
to not slap Kado and his wife. You have so much
patience, Usa, one of the many reasons why I love
you so much. I think this planet would be such a
dull place without you."
	"Mamo-chan..." she said, smiling up at
him, "must I say it again? Flattery-"
	He silenced her by kissing her thoroughly
and then broke away to see what she had to say.
	"Mmm, flattery... will get you...
everywhere."

~*~*The End*~*~
Ohhh someone call the Sap Police, I can't take
much more of this ^_^. Ah, heck what am I
saying? Bring on the mushiness!!! Just a little
something, Leiko is a female name meaning
arrogant or something to that sense and Kado...
well let me get back to you on that one ^_^;;; I
hope you guys liked this, now I must pull up my
sleeves and continue writing for Don't Let Me Go.
Hiiiiii Bethany!!! It's time for some elbow grease!
E-mail, e-mail, Paaaaatch looks fooorward to
eeee-mail.
Bye bye,
Patch:-)(-: