Usagi clenched her fists as she stared at Mamoru's kitchen. Tonight was their anniversary, and she planned on making her love the best dinner he'd ever had. A chef salad as an appetizer, a basic fettucini for the main course, her mom's recipe for an apple crumble for desert, and a special red wine to drink.
"Usako, this is wonderful! You are so talented!" He'd say, smiling. She grinned at the thought, but snapped to attention when she remembered she had very little time. Mamoru would be back from work at eight, and it was already five! She decided to start her mission with the apple crumble. She heated the oven to 375°, and pulled out the flour, butter, cinnamon, sugar, apples and oats.
"Ok, time to get started!" Usagi pulled out a baking pan and lined the bottom with apples, then pulled out a mixing bowl for the rest of the ingredients. "Ok, so...3/4 cup of brown sugar," In went the sugar. "1/2 cup of oats," In went the oats. "1/3 cup of butter, and ¾ cup of cinnamon." She mixed all of her ingredients together and poured the concoction over the apples. Into the oven her creation went. She smiled, proud of herself, and it had only taken half an hour to prep! Still, she couldn't dawdle. She turned on the stove and began to fill her cooking pot with water. Her mind drifted to thoughts of Mamoru once more. His smile, his gorgeous eyes, his dark hair. Her reverie was interrupted by the water overflowing onto her hands. She quickly turned the water off and poured the excess out of the pot. "It's so heavy." She grunted as she lifted the crock out of the sink and onto the stove. She sighed and looked around the mess of a kitchen. "Well, I'll clean as the water boils." She grabbed a rag an began to wipe off the counters and sink. She stopped suddenly when she saw the unopened bag of flour. "I forgot!" She quickly pulled the crumble out of the oven, and poured the flour into the pan. White powder covered her as she stirred vigorously, praying that all would be well. She sprinkled cinnamon on top for good measure, and popped the dessert back into the oven.
A hissing noise brought her attention back to the cooking pot. The water had started to boil over. Usagi screeched and, panicked, poured the noodles into the pot. The water calmed slightly. She grabbed a clean spoon and stirred the noodles into the water. Once the boiling water calmed, she pulled out a saucepan and began to heat it on the stove. She opened the jar and tried to pour the contents into the pan. Nothing came out. She shook it slightly. Still nothing. She hit the base, a small dollop slipped out, but nothing more. Frustrated, Usagi shook and hit the jar until all of the sauce came out in a rush. Tomato sauce flew all over, although the majority landed in the pan. A victorious cry erupted from the blonde's throat as she went to work on cleaning up the mess she just made.
Usagi mopped up the floor and scrubbed the counters before she realized she still needed to prep the salad. She looked at the clock, it was six already. Only two hours before Mamoru would come home, and she still had to get herself ready. Frantic, she pulled the ingredients out of the fridge. The ham slices were still frozen, but she hoped they would thaw out in time. She ripped open the bag of hard-boiled eggs and began to dice them, then poured the lettuce and spinach and eggs into a salad bowl. A burning smell distracted her from her task, drawing attention to the burning sauce she'd neglected to stir. She yelped and quickly turned her attention to the marinara. Six fifteen. "Good, I still have time." She continued to prep her salad. She tossed in some pre-cut cucumbers, some shredded carrots, and a couple of lemons. "Well, maybe I can put the ham in, and it'll thaw quicker." The frozen block of ham slices fell out of the bag and into the salad bowl. "It'll be fine." She said to herself.
" Well, I should wash up." She hummed as she skipped into the bathroom and ran the water for a bath. When she passed the mirror to go check on the pasta, she realized she was covered in flour and pasta sauce. She began to wash her face in the sink, but the loud ringing of the fire alarm startled her. She sprinted to the kitchen to see the water boiling over, again, and smoke coming out of the oven. She turned the stovetop and oven off then grabbed oven mitts to pul the crumble from the oven, Smoke poured out, throwing Usagi into a fit of coughs. Once she recovered her breath, she grabbed a plate and tried to fan the smoke away from the fire alarm. The alarm stopped, and she relaxed slightly. She walked back towards the oven, but didn't notice the water on the tile floor. She slipped, fell, and broke the plate she'd been carrying. She shrieked and grabbed the broom and turned to the mess she'd made. In a whoosh, she sat down on the floor and sobbed. "Oh, who am I kidding? I can't make a dinner. I can't cook. I can't prep a dinner." She cried for a few moments, then she got an idea.
Mamoru tapped his foot as he rode the elevator up to his apartment. Usagi had said that she had a surprise for him when he got back. He only hoped she hadn't gone through a whole heap of trouble. The bell dinged and the elevator doors opened. He stepped out and smiled a little, glad to be home. He walked down to his door, and stopped to look at the trash bag sitting outside his door. Inside were empty takeout boxes and, what appeared to be, a broken plate. He braced himself for horror and unlocked the door, then stepped inside. What greeted him wasn't sheer horror and mass chaos, instead it was an immaculate dinner table of spaghetti, a salad, a small chocolate cake, and a bottle of red wine.
"Usako?" Mamoru called, looking around for his fiance. When he looked in the kitchen, there was a pile of dirty dishes in the sink. He smiled to himself and went back into the living room. "Usako? I'm home."
"Just a sec." Usagi called from the bathroom. He sat down on the couch and waited. All of a sudden, a small pair of hands covered his eyes and his head was pulled back for a kiss. When she let him go, he stood, walked around the couch and gathered her up in his arms. "Happy anniversary, Mamo-chan." He just smiled, he didn't have the heart to tell her their anniversary was the next week.
"Happy anniversary, Usako." he said before he kissed her one more time.