1. paper

"You've got a long way to go before your wish comes true."

Usagi glanced up reluctantly from where she sat hunched over, balls of crumpled paper littering the counter in front of her . She hadn't really wanted to work on her homework at the arcade, especially not two seats down from the one patron who was certain to make fun of her. But she needed the counter space, and she could barely find her own desk at home.

"Huh?"

"Aren't we articulate today." Mamoru took a maddeningly slow sip of coffee before nodding at her colorful mess and continuing. "They say if you make a thousand paper cranes, you get one wish," he explained, eyeing her failed attempts at paperfolding thoughtfully. "Though I think you'd die of blood loss from all the paper cuts before you got that far."

Usagi rolled her eyes at his typically lame humor. "I'm not making a wish, it's an assignment from my crazy art teacher. She's making us practice origami in the traditional way." She waved her only successful creation in the air to demonstrate. It was a rather sad crane whose wings drooped discouragingly. "You know, the way where they don't give you any instructions."

"Lovely." Mamoru stretched out a long arm and unceremoniously snatched a piece of red paper she'd been ineptly toying with.

"Thief!"

"Waste not, Odango. I'm not going to sit idly by while you butcher all that paper with your pitiful attempts at art. Think of the trees." His deft hands made crisp, confident folds of geometric precision.

"Is there anything you don't do well?" Usagi sniped, making her tone extra nasty to hide the fact that she had paid him a compliment.

Mamoru responded with a predictably arrogant grin. "Nothing leaps to mind."

Quiet activity ensued, interrupted only by an occasional frustrated mutter and the rustle of paper. Minutes later, a small missile landed under Usagi's nose. Careful not to seem too interested, she scooped it up.

And then she blinked in surprise and pleasure. Mamoru had made for her a perfect paper rose.