Glasses (998 words)

It was a regular Friday afternoon that found Usagi sitting in a corner booth at her favourite hangout, the Crown Arcade. A collection of manga was strewn across the table, accompanied by an open binder filled with notes, and pens and pencils spilling from their case. Usagi flipped through one book after another, purposely ignoring her homework. Her head popped up like a puppet on a string every time the doorbell chimed, and she frowned when it wasn't Mamoru.

Despite their rocky start and constant bickering, Usagi and Mamoru had formed a mutual respect, and had settled into a routine that both were scared to break. The bell rang and Usagi's heart quickened as Mamoru walked through the door. As soon as he glanced her way she turned around, burying her attention in her comic book.

"Hey," Mamoru said, suddenly standing at her table, holding a cup of coffee in one hand, and book tucked under his arm. "Can I sit with you?" He looked at her hopefully. "The counter is full," he explained, praying that she didn't check and realize he was lying. She narrowed her eyes, her mouth twitching as she weighed her options - purely for show.

Mamoru chuckled at her antics. "I promise I'll be nice," he added sincerely. She shrugged and moved her bag to the side, inviting him to join her, unable to control the goosebumps that prickled at her skin.

"What's that?" she wondered, nodding towards the hardcover that he had placed on the table amidst her colourful array.

"It's a book, Odango," he replied dryly, fully enjoying her furrowed brow and clenched jaw.

"Usagi," she corrected with the shake of finger, "and I know it's a book, but what book?"

"It's called Better; it's a collection of essays about the progression of medical professionals." The girl crinkled her nose. "It's interesting," he insisted, wishing he could find the words to tell how adorable she looked.

"If you say so."

"What are you doing?" He eyed the mess she had made, trying to pinpoint her focus.

"Reading." She motioned to the books on the table.

"Reading manga," Mamoru replied, voice laced with feigned disapproval.

"It's still reading." Usagi shook her head, and Mamoru sighed – would she always think he was being serious? "I told Ami-chan that I'd finish this volume, so we could talk about it tomorrow," she said, hoping that mentioning their genius friend would make her pastime seem more acceptable.

"Ami likes manga?"

"Not everyone is as boring as you are, Mamoru," she quipped, dramatically rolling her eyes.

"Well, you get back to your reading, and I'll get back to mine, okay?" He pulled a pair of glasses from his shirt pocket, opening the arms and sliding them onto his face.

Usagi tried to concentrate. She tried to move forward in her story, yet her gaze kept finding its way back to admiring Mamoru's smooth skin and chiselled features. She fought to control the heat that was rising to her cheeks, praying that he wouldn't notice. Her foot bounced under the table, and her eyes darted downwards at any hint of movement. Usagi didn't seem to realize that he hadn't even turned the page once. She chewed on the inside of her check as she thought – she wanted him to talk to her.

"Can I see your glasses?" she asked suddenly, batting her long lashes, as her perfectly pink lips curved into a saccharine smile.

"What?" Why?" Mamoru asked, brow raising warily.

"I want to try them on," the blonde said. "Come on, please?" she pleaded, laying a gentle hand on his arm.

"Fine," he relented, pulling the glasses from his face and placing them into her outstretched palm.

"Thank you!"

She placed the glasses on her face, adjusting them ever-so-slightly. "How do I look?" she wondered, striking a pose. "Do I look smart?" Quickly realizing the potential opening she had left, she pointed her finger at Mamoru and hastily added, "never mind. Don't answer that."

"I wasn't going to say a thing." He shrugged, a smile from spreading across his face as he curiously watched her blurry antics.

Usagi reached over, pulling the porcelain coffee cup across the table. She picked up the book that he had been reading, straightened her posture, and pushed wispy tendrils of golden hair behind her ear. Cracking the book open, she moved the glasses slightly down the bridge of her nose, subtly pursing her lips. She pretended to be completely enthralled with the words on the page, as she took fake sips from the cup.

"So, who am I?" she challenged, continuing with her charade. Mamoru moved closer, squinting to get a better look. "Well?" her voice squeaked, crystalline eyes clashing with his stormy blue. Adrenaline coursed through his body and all sense of reasoning failed.

"To be completely honest," Mamoru said, tilting his forehead as he inched even closer. "I can't really see," he whispered, causing the small hairs on the back of her neck to stand on end. She saw his attention drop to her mouth, and her eyes widened as Mamoru's lips brushed against her own. She fell into his warmth, craving more of his velvet lips and intoxicated by his earthy scent. Completely lost in one another, the world around them dissolved, and for the first time they finally realized how perfectly they could work together.

"Ah-hem," Motoki interrupted, pointedly clearing his throat. The couple pulled away, and Usagi's face burned as she carefully took the glasses off. Mamoru tried to remain stoic, fighting every urge to wipe the smug grin off his best friend's face. "Refill?" Motoki asked, holding up a pot of coffee. Mamoru pushed his cup forward, with a mumbled 'please'.

"Mamoru?" Usagi said, as soon as Motoki had left. He turned towards her, and she swallowed as she lifted his glasses to his face. "I couldn't really see, either." She grinned, and placed a quick peck on his cheek before returning to her comics.

The original prompt for this story was from otp-imagines-cult on Tumblr.

Imagine that Person A of your OTP wears glasses (if they don't already). Imagine that Person B playfully takes them and puts them on, imitating Person A. Person B asks if their impression looks accurate. Person A says "I can't see", squints, leans toward Person B, and then kisses them.