Usagi and Mamoru
Signs of Affection
100 Drabbles
Twenty-Eight – Same Old Song and Dance
Words – 537
"Hey, have you noticed Usagi hasn't been around much lately?" Motoki asked with a cheerful smile.
Mamoru stopped himself just short of giving his friend a death-glare. "She hasn't been here in over two weeks," he replied coldly, none the less.
Oblivious as ever Motoki continued grinning, "Really? I wonder what she's been up to- oh! There she is. Hi, Usagi!"
Mamoru turned slowly. Motoki was right, there she was. She looked a little lost, even in this most familiar of places, a small, white box clutched in her hands. Mamoru raised a hand in a casual gesture of greeting and a look of relief washed over her face. Perky again, she practically bounced over to the counter to take a seat next to him. "Hi Baka! Hi, uh, Motoki..."
Until that moment Mamoru had not realized how intensely he had missed the girl. It seemed as if anyone else in the world was plain, dreary and boring when compared to her. He had missed their good-natured bickering. She, he realized, was the bubble of laughter in his life. Again he stopped himself just short of glareing at Motoki, the man who may very well have ruined that for him.
Motoki greeted Usagi as if nothing had happened, which was truth for him, and fetched her a chocolate shake before moving on to sweep the arcade. Usagi turned and gave Mamoru a half-shy smile. "Fail any tests lately?" he asked with a grin, in lieu of an actual greeting.
Her smile brightened, "Jerk."
Mamoru indicated the small, wooden box which she had sitting on her lap, "What's that?"
Usagi set it on the counter between them. It was white with a simple gold accent around the lid. The paint was faded and chipped in places, giving it an aged appearance. With a fond smile Usagi tilted back the lid to reveal a tiny ballerina which began to slowly spin as a tinkling tune issued from her base.
"It's a jewelry box. It was my grandmothers and she gave it to me. We had to bring something with family history to school today so..."
Mamoru studied the tiny, perfect ballerina twirling sedately. She had her arms outstretched before and one leg bent back so that she only stood on one toe. Her posture almost seemed sad to him, beseeching something greater than she. The music was slightly tinny and struck him as rather melancholy as well. "It's really beautiful, Usagi," he told her.
As the music slowed and finally stopped she carefully closed the lid. "It is beautiful," she replied and then turned to meet his eye, "But it's always the same old song and dance."
Mamoru gazed at her, trying to decipher what she was telling him. Finally she grinned at him impishly and hopped off of her stool, clutching the jewelry box to herself, "Just like us, eh Mamoru-Baka?" Spinning around on one toe she called, "I'm gonna go play Sailor V, don't do anything stupid while I'm not here to babysit you!" With that she skipped away from him.
Mamoru only smiled, knowing that she would be back.
