Sailor Moon Sunflowers For Our Girl

Ten year old Chibiusa Tsukino-Chiba ran to the door with excitement. She turned the brass knob and pulled it open, greeting her guest with a grin. Her playmate, Peruru, stood at the threshold in a white collar shirt and unbuttoned red vest. His messy silver hair showed signs of unsuccessful combing and an ever-present goofy look of happiness covered his face while his hands were placed behind his back as though he were hiding something. The girl invited him in and he stepped through the home's entrance, customarily kicking off his black shoes.

Mamoru Chiba looked up from his newspaper and nodded to acknowledge his daughter's guest's presence.

Peruru smiled and bowed slightly toward the father. "Hello, Mr. Chiba."

Mamoru cleared his throat and mumbled a greeting. After the exchange of not-so-pleasantries, he turned back to the business section, careful to keep one eye on the children.

"Here," Peruru said to Chibiusa, pulling a bright yellow sunflower out from behind his back. "I got this for you."

The girl beamed and accepted the gift. Across the room, Mamoru shifted uncomfortably in his chair.

"Why did you bring my daughter a flower?"

The boy shrugged and looked blankly at the man. "I just thought it was pretty. And my brother once told me that girls like getting pretty things."

Chibiusa gave her father an annoyed look. An awkward silence filled the room for a few seconds.

Peruru eventually spoke up. "So… are you ready to go horseback riding?"

The girl turned back to him and smiled broadly. She fingered the petals on the flower and started to put on her shoes but stopped.

"I'm going to go find a vase to put this in," she said, beginning to walk toward the kitchen. "I'll be back in a second."

And with that she was gone.

Mamoru eyed the boy suspiciously. The planet's greatest team of warriors, the Sailor Senshi, had recently defeated an evil spirit queen known as Badiyanu. She had been kidnapping Earth children using brainwashed members of Peruru's tribe to carry out her sinister deeds. Even though Peruru himself had openly resisted the queen's orders, Mamoru still felt wary of him. How did he know the boy's intentions were good?

The man stretched casually and offered his guest a seat. Peruru sat cautiously, confused by the cold looks he was receiving.

"Why do you want to take my daughter horseback riding?" the father questioned, leaning back in his recliner.

Peruru smiled. "Because it's fun."

Mamoru scratched his chin contemplatively. "It seems like an awfully dangerous activity."

"Well…" the boy ventured. "I guess it _is_ a little bit dangerous."

"Have you ever been horseback riding, Peruru?" the man inquired, rolling the newspaper into a tight cylinder.

The guest nodded. "I used to go all the time. My brother took me when I was little. But one day an angry pony kicked him square in the face. And we never went anywhere near a farm again."

The boy shut his mouth abruptly. He knew he had said the wrong thing.

Mamoru furrowed his brow crossly and stared Peruru in the eye.

"Listen to me," he said dangerously, tightening his grip on the newspaper. "I want Chibiusa home in one piece. If anything happens to my girl, _you're _responsible. Do you understand?"

Swallowing hard, Peruru nodded. "I… I promise. I won't let anything happen to your girl…"

Seconds later, the kitchen door swung open and Chibiusa stepped out. In her hands was a glass vase filled with water. The lonely sunflower sloshed around in the middle. She bent down and placed the urn on the coffee table, admiring its simple beauty.

Eventually, the girl brought herself back up and gave her friend a pleased look followed by a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Shall we go?"

Peruru met Mamoru's warning gaze one last time before answering.

"Um… yeah… let's go."

Sixteen year old Chibiusa Tsukino-Chiba looked at herself in the mirror. Her naturally healthy skin glowed under the light layer of makeup she had applied. Her red prom dress came down to her feet but left her shoulders bare on top. The outfit fit her thin form perfectly. She owed the stylish look to Minako Aino, the chosen goddess of love and beauty and friend to the Tsukino-Chiba family who had been over earlier to help her get ready.

Downstairs, Chibiusa's parents sat in the living room watching a game show. Mamoru dozed in and out of shallow sleep as the artificial light from the television screen radiated, illuminating the walls around him. His wife, Usagi Tsukino, laid her head against his chest.

A knock sounded at the door. The blonde woman stood up, staggering slightly. She made her way to the front of the house and opened the door to the visitor. Peruru stumbled in through the entrance clad in a white tuxedo. His collar was undone and a mildly frustrated look was sprawled out across his boyish face. In his hand was a bouquet of sunflowers. He blushed slightly and mumbled an interrogative request.

"Do either of you know how to tie a bowtie?"

Usagi laughed, assisting her daughter's prom date with his dressing problem while Mamoru looked on sternly. The man turned off the power on the television and stood, making his way to the front of the room.

"We need to talk, Peruru," he said, removing his green suit jacket to reveal a tight black shirt covering his muscular figure. Usagi rolled her eyes at this gesture. Mamoru ignored her looks of disapproval.

"High school proms are full of misconduct of every sort," the black-haired man began, his cold gray eyes cutting into Peruru's line of vision. "There's underage drinking, sometimes drug use, and often," he frowned, "sex."

Peruru nodded emotionlessly. "I've heard."

Usagi pinched the skin between her eyes and exhaled irately. "Don't do this, Mamoru."

The man stepped forward to find that Peruru had grown to be a few inches taller than he was. He studied the boy cautiously. At seventeen he was lanky and gaunt. His silver hair was still wild and messy but it now fell to the base of his neck. He still had that goofy, gentle air of kindness that his daughter and wife both adored. Mamoru almost softened but then remembered that this boy would be escorting Chibiusa through what could be one of the most dangerous nights of her life. His suspicion returned instantly.

"Tonight you are taking my daughter to her prom," he said gruffly. Peruru nodded. "There will be absolutely no drinking and no horseplay."

Usagi shook her head. "'Horseplay'?"

The boy stepped back a few inches for comfort but nodded respectfully. "Yes, sir."

Mamoru folded his arms.

"And most importantly, if I find out you have done anything to hurt or upset my girl, I will come after you. And that's not an empty threat."

Peruru looked his date's father and nodded once again. "I'll keep your girl safe, Mr. Chiba."

Upstairs, Chibiusa's eyes drifted over to the clock on her wall. She was startled when she saw how late it was becoming. Peruru would have already arrived. Breaking into rush, she quickly grabbed a silver bracelet from the top of her dresser, attaching the two sides together around her thin wrist and withdrew a pearl barrette from her jewelry box, clipping it onto one of her hair buns. She then turned off her room's lights and hurried down the stairs where her date was waiting.

Peruru beamed watching his girlfriend make her way down the stairs. She caught his gaze and smiled back, nearly tripping over her dress. She would have fallen were she not holding onto the railing. Mamoru glanced quickly at Usagi. Chibiusa had inherited her mother's general lack of grace.

When the girl was finally standing next to her boyfriend, she greeted him with a short kiss. He let a goofy grin show and handed her the bouquet of sunflowers. Chibiusa accepted the gift graciously, attaching one sunflower to the barrette in her hair and placing another in the breast pocket of Peruru's tuxedo. She then put her hand through the crook of the boy's arm and bid her parents farewell. The couple turned and exited the house, walking toward the local high school where the celebrations were taking place.

Twenty-two year old Chibiusa Tsukino-Chiba attempted to breathe normally but couldn't stop her heart from racing. She held her wedding dress with both hands as her best friend and maid of honor, Hotaru Tomoe, brushed her long pink hair.

"I can't believe it," the dark-eyed girl mused. "After twelve years, you and Peruru are finally getting married."

Chibiusa tried to speak but found the words wouldn't come out. She was too choked up. She just nodded happily. Usagi and Minako had gone overboard with the planning, ensuring that every single miniscule detail was taken care of. The girl had tried to stop them but they ignored her requests.

Hotaru grinned happily and put the hairbrush down. "You're so lucky to have found a guy like him. He's just perfect. Kind, polite, cute, caring, friendly, and great with your parents."

Chibiusa winced at her best friend's last inaccurate observation. "He's great with my mother." She shook her head sadly. "My father just doesn't seem to like Peruru. He never did."

Hotaru smiled slightly and leaned back against the vanity the girls were seated in front of. "I think I know why that is."

Chibiusa glanced curiously at her friend. "Why?"

The raven-haired girl withdrew a tube of dark red lipstick from the bureau's drawer and handed it to the bride-to-be.

"You're Mamoru's only child. He loves you more than anyone else in the world. And he just doesn't want to see you get hurt. Peruru would never do anything to harm you in any way, but your father just wants you to be safe and happy. I'm sure it's nothing personal. There's no way anyone could ever hate Peruru." She smiled sheepishly, blushing slightly. "It's just not possible."

"Hey," Chibiusa laughed, nudging Hotaru in the arm. "If you ever start flirting with my husband, we'll see who the true Warrior of Ruin is."

"Don't get uptight," the girl with dark eyes giggled. "I would never do that."

In his own dressing room, Peruru attempted to keep his now shoulder-length hair from sticking up in the back. Each time the comb ran though it, it stayed down for a moment but bounced back into its original shape. He groaned slightly. Three different types of hairspray and two brands of moose had failed to do the job.

The man glanced over to the wooden table on the other side of the room. On its surface lay the largest bouquet of sunflowers he had ever collected. He smiled to himself. Usagi's friend Makoto was a part-time botanist. She had generously allowed him to pick from her personal flower garden.

A knock sounded at the dressing room door. Peruru got up to answer it. Two friends he had made during his first year in Earth school, Kyusuke Sarashima and Masanori Suzuki, stood at the threshold, bottles of champagne in hand.

"Peruru," Masanori grinned. "Quit working on your hair and come celebrate with us. The wedding's not for another two hours."

"Yeah," Kyusuke hiccupped, obviously inebriated. "Come on, man. These are your last couple hours of freedom. Enjoy them."

Peruru made a sickened face. Unlike his friends, he couldn't stand alcohol in large quantities. It made his stomach churn violently and his head feel as though it was going to explode. Consequently, he declined his peers' offers and sent them away on a quest to find a brand of hair gel he wasn't sure existed. As Peruru sat in front of the mirror, still attempting to comb his hair, he had to admit he felt guilty for driving his friends away. But there was no chance he would risk showing up drunk for his own wedding.

About five minutes later, there was another knock at the dressing room door. Peruru rolled his eyes and put down the comb.

"Masanori, Kyusuke! I told you guys already, I _don't_ want to go drinking with you!"

The voice at the door was not that of one of Peruru's friends.

"It's Mamoru!"

The messy-haired groom stood and let his visitor in, apologizing profusely. Mamoru shrugged it off, finding a seat at the wooden table. Peruru joined his guest, not sure why he had come to visit.

"What's going on, Mr. Chiba?"

The black-haired man exhaled deeply and leaned the extent of his weight against the surface underneath him.

"Peruru. We need to have one last talk."

The recipient nodded willingly as Mamoru began his rhetoric.

"You're marrying my daughter today. From now on, she'll have a say in everything you do. You'll have a say in everything she does. And everything you do together will result from a decision you make as a team. Am I correct so far?"

"Yes, sir."

The father continued, his voice beginning to break. "Chibiusa is a strong girl. She is capable of taking care of herself without any trouble. But I've always felt obligated to protect her. She's my world." He shut his eyes tightly. "Now that she's an adult, how she lives is none of my business. I can't always be with her to make sure she's all right. And that's a difficult feeling to cope with."

Peruru put a hand on Mamoru's shoulder and smiled confidently.

"Mr. Chiba, I promise you. Chibiusa is my world too. I swear on my life, I'll never let anything happen to your girl."

The man regarded his future son-in-law. This couldn't have been the gangly, skinny teenager who had escorted Chibiusa to the prom six years ago. And it certainly couldn't have been the pale, scrawny little boy who had taken his daughter horseback riding twelve years ago. This was a lean, muscular, handsome man. Mamoru looked him in the eye. That same air of happiness and kindness lingered, telling him that this was, in fact, the same person. He was the same boy who made Chibiusa smile. The boy who made her laugh. The boy who had kept her safe. The boy who always kept his promises.

For the first time ever, Mamoru smiled at his daughter's suitor and patted him on the back.

"She's your girl now."

Peruru thought for a moment, picking up the tightly wrapped bouquet of sunflowers. He picked three of the best looking ones from the center of the bunch and studied them carefully.

"No." he said quietly.

Peruru picked up the largest of the yellow flowers and placed it in the pocket of the white tuxedo that hung by the top of the chair next to him.

"She's our girl."

Mamoru fell quiet. His gray eyes began to tear. He quickly wiped them away with his satin handkerchief.

"That sounds perfect."

A moment passed as the two men remained silent. The father's eyes drifted to the bright flowers on the table. He picked one up and held it by the stem, observing it curiously.

"Usually it's the bride who brings the bouquet to the groom," he ventured. "But I've noticed that it's your tradition to bring the flowers to Chibiusa."

Peruru nodded absent-mindedly as Mamoru continued.

"Why is it that you always bring her sunflowers? Why not roses? Or carnations? Something more conventional?"

The silver-haired man thought for a moment, buttoning the cuff links of his dress shirt. "Because sunflowers make Chibiusa happy." He had finished with his sleeves and began to don the white tuxedo. "And that makes me happy."

Mamoru nodded approvingly. He couldn't have picked a better suitor for his daughter.

"Listen, Peruru," he murmured apologetically. "I'm sorry I gave you such a hard time all of these years. It's a wonder you don't hate me."

He quickly cast a glance in his future son-in-law's direction. "You _don't_ hate me, do you?"

Peruru laughed and shook his head. "Of course I don't. You just wanted to keep your daughter from getting hurt. I understand completely."

Mamoru leaned his elbows on the table and placed his face in his hands. "You'll make a good father someday."

"Y-yeah," Peruru breathed nervously. "Someday."

The black-haired man chuckled to find that he had caught his host off guard.

Eager to change the subject, the groom-to-be picked up the three bright sunflowers he had sorted out and handed them to Mamoru. The father furrowed his brow.

"You should give these to Chibiusa when you walk her down the aisle," Peruru remarked.

The man shook his head. "I couldn't. That was your idea. It wouldn't be right for me to interfere."

Peruru crossed his arms, insisting that Mamoru bring his daughter flowers.

"We both love Chibiusa. And these sunflowers were picked especially for her. She's our girl."

Mamoru nodded one last time, accepting his new son's proposal.

"Sunflowers for our girl," he whispered, closing his eyes to bring back all of the memories he had of his daughter's happiness. As the father leaned back in his chair, a look of peace and harmony engulfed his face.

A concept had never made him quite so happy.


End file.

Sailor Moon, Family, Friendship