My Fair Bunny

Danika Lareyna

Part Three - Practice

"A what?!" Usagi shrieked.

We're making progress, Mamoru thought to himself. A week ago she would have shrieked and beat him about the head. "A date," he replied calmly, "For practice. You've been over here every afternoon for a week. Now you need some real-world experience." Mamoru had to admit that he was impressed. Certainly her progress had been minimal at best but prior to this experience he would not have believed her capable of sticking with anything for more than a couple of hours. She was obviously intent on winning Motoki for herself, he decided with a grunt.

Usagi conceded the logic but with a pout asked, "Does it have to be with you?"

"No," he growled, "It could be with your friend, Umino. I'm sure he would be happy to take you out."

"Where are you and I going?" she promptly asked

xXx

Mamoru would have preferred to pick his 'date' up at her home, as only seemed right, but valued his life too much to risk a possible second encounter with Usagi's father. Instead he picked her up on a street corner two blocks away because something deep within him (testosterone probably) refused to allow her to come to him. It just did not seem gentlemanly.

When he pulled up in his shiny, red, slightly phallic, make the women swoon car he was pleasantly surprised to find her waiting in an elegant, silky, slightly revealing, make the men drool dress. Unfortunately her demeanor did not match her attire. Her arms were crossed, handbag swinging, a glower on her face. She crawled in and slammed the car door, making him wince, before turning to Mamoru and demanding, "Now will you tell me where we are going?"

In lieu of a response, Mamoru slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out a notepad and a silver pen. As he wrote he spoke aloud, "Waited impatiently, minus five points. Unladylike greeting, minus three points. Slammed my precious car door, minus three points. Rude demeanor, minus five points..."

"You're grading me?" she screeched and then clapped her hands over her mouth. She looked at him with wide eyes over her hands before lowering them and saying quietly, "I apologize for raising my voice, but could you please explain the... uh... necessity of that?"

It amused Mamoru to no end when she attempted to come up with suitably long and intelligent sounding words. He replied, writing on his pad, "Graceful apology, plus three points. And how else will you know how you are doing, Odango?"

Usagi's forehead twitched, Mamoru tried to think of a way to deduct points for that but regretfully decided that he could not. "Considering that we are supposed to be on a date, perhaps you could... refrain from using that... repugnant nickname."

Mamoru gave her his best puppy dog eyes, learned from Usagi herself, and batted his eyelashes. "Of course, Usako."

Usagi gritted her teeth and shoved down the little voice in her head which thought Mamoru had very nice eyelashes. "Thank you so much, Mamochan. And if you could... illuminate me as to our... destination?"

She really did have a good vocabulary when she tried. Mamoru gave full credit to her time spent with Mizuno Ami. Running a hand through his hair he said, "I thought that I would let you decide, considering that you are such a sophisticated lady."

Usagi's eyes lit up and she opened her mouth eagerly but hesitated when she noticed that Mamoru had his pen poised to grade her response. Sophisticated... she thought. Ok, what is the most boring date I could possibly go on? "Um... Art museum?" she suggested, tentatively.

Mamoru smiled, "Plus ten points." Usagi restrained her elated outburst, barely. "But first," Mamoru continued, "I will take you to my favorite restaurant."

"I suppose it's too much to hope that they serve french-fries," Usagi muttered. With a tiny gasp she put her hand to her mouth and tittered, hoping he would take her comment for a joke. Mamoru did not but, charmed by the fact that her blush matched the rose shade of her gown, decided to be lenient.

xXx

Usagi swallowed the lump in her throat and turned to Mamoru to hiss, "This place looks expensive!"

Mamoru just smirked and put his sunglasses in his pocket. Usagi had managed to convince him to get some new, less bulky, shades. She was still working on the jacket but at least he had doffed it for suave, casual suit today. Offering his arm to her he said, "Don't worry about it, Oda... Usako. I like to treat myself once in a while." Hesitantly she took his arm and allowed herself to be led in, privately doubting that, even with all of her sophistication training, she was prepared for this.

xXx

Usagi stared at her menu in consternation. "Mamor- Mamochan," she whispered, "I think they gave me the wrong menu. I can't read this."

Mamoru reached over and plucked the offending item from her hand, turned it over, and handed it back to her. "First, you have to read it right side up," he said, "And second, it is in French."

Her eyes widened, "Oh no," she told him, "I've seen this movie before. No matter what I order it will be disgusting and inedible and you will laugh at me and mark me off on your little grade sheet. Instead why don't you order for me."

Mamoru smiled, "That's a very good idea. Remind me to give you an extra five points."

Usagi's eyebrows drew down, "And you'd better order me something good, Mamochan."

Mamoru rolled his eyes, "Make it two points."

xXx

Usagi seemed relieved when the waiter brought her chicken fettucini alfredo but, when she saw the steak the placed in front of Mamoru, insisted they trade. Chuckling to himself, Mamoru acquiesced. At least for the first few mouthfuls she restrained herself and took small, delicate bites, but as she got into her meal and was distracted by their conversation and the atmosphere of the restaurant, she began to eat more as Mamoru would expect her to. He just wondered how she could fit a full third of the large portion in her mouth at one time and still be able to chat animatedly.

"This place is so fancy!" she exclaimed. "It's like being in a palace or something, except I guess a palace would probably be nicer. Not that I have ever been to a palace! But wouldn't that be fun? Like- to dance in a giant ballroom like Beauty and the Beast or something. Wouldn't that be romantic, Mamochan?"

Mamoru just nodded and let her ramble on. With a guilty start he realized that he should chastise her for letting her mouth run on in such an unsophisticated manner but he was loathe to ruin her first such experience. And besides, he discovered that he found her chatter amusing.

xXx

"Mmm, that was so good-er... I mean, that was quite delicious, Mamochan. Thank you ever so much for inviting me."

Mamoru snorted. "Usag-ko," he said, "You're making a lot of progress but do me a favor and never say 'ever so much' again."

Usagi blinked up at him blankly for a moment and then giggled. "Whatever you say, darling Mamochan."

They were meandering through a small, local art gallery. Usagi was bored out of her mind, Mamoru could tell, but doing a passable job pretending to be fascinated by the multiple abstract art pieces which surrounded them. "Oh my!" she murmured, indicating the massive Pollock-inspired piece which dominated the back wall of the gallery. "Look at the... uh... interplay of colors. The dominating warms and... subtle... underplayed cools. You can really sense the... um... evocative emotions of the artist, can't you, Mamochan?"

Mamoru kept his face turned towards the artwork but looked at her at her out of the corner of his eye and raised a brow questioningly.

Usagi struggled for a moment, looking at the piece through slit eyes and turning her head this way and that. "Ok," she said, "I confess. I don't get it. It looks like whoever made this just dumped paint on the canvas randomly and then rolled around in it. My cat could do that. Heck, even my little brother could!"

With a chortle Mamoru laid a gentle hand on the small of Usagi's back and led her out of the gallery. "I wouldn't worry about it too much, Usako. I don't get it either."

xXx

Mamoru had decided to walk Usagi home. It was a warm night and their stroll would take them through a pretty park. As they drew near, though, he discovered that they would not be enjoying the orchids. Usagi gasped in delight, "A carnival! They're having a carnival, Mamochan!"

Noting how she had taken to using the nickname, which had originally been a taunt, naturally, Mamoru replied, "I don't know, Usako. Carnivals are not very sophisticated."

Usagi's face fell. She looked from the glowing lights of the carnival to Mamoru and back. Slowly she said, "Well... The official date is over, so you're not grading me now... right?"

Mamoru grinned at her. Usagi felt her breath catch at the expression. Sure, he had grinned at her before but always it was condescendingly or because he was laughing at her. Now he grinned at her with the delighted expression of a child. Usagi had always considered Mamoru to have a sort of cold and aloof beauty but when he smiled at her like that she understood why women's hearts melted for him.

"Come on," he said, "It looks like they have a Ferris Wheel."

xXx

Usagi had a ball and, much to his surprise, so did Mamoru. Abandoning all pretenses to dignity they played games (Mamoru won a stuffed piggy for Usagi and, in turn, she won him a giant, inflated sword), ate until they were sick, and rode all the rides- twice.

xXx

Mamoru crawled into the pink, plastic playhouse and plopped down on the surprisingly comfy penguin. They had felt this a much better place to say their goodbyes; even if this was only a practice date, it was better not to risk her father's substantial wrath. Giggling, Usagi found the perfect place for her new piggy amongst the piles of stuffed animals which already occupied the tiny abode. Her face was flushed from a nights laughter, her hair in minor disarray, and her high heels long since abandoned for the freedom of bare feet. Mamoru thought he had never seen her look lovelier.

Without warning Usagi launched herself at him and wrapped him in one of her patented bear-hugs. "Thank you, Mamochan!" she gushed, "Tonight was so much fun- even the art stuff."

Mamoru grinned down at her, "You're right. It was fun. Thank you, Usako."

Usagi was so enjoying the sight of him grinning at her that it took her a moment to remember the purpose of this date in the first place. Suddenly and inexplicably less enthusiastic than she felt she should be, she sat back and regarded him, "So, do you think I'm ready?"

"Ready?"

Usagi forced a smile and hit him amicably in the shoulder, "Yes, ready. Do you think I'm Motoki's ideal woman yet?"

Mamoru felt his heart sink a little. Of course that was what she meant. That was the goal of this whole thing, after all. Wordlessly Mamoru nodded.

Usagi squealed and hugged him again. "Yes! Look out Motoki, here comes your perfect girl! Thanks again, Mamochan. Goodnight!" In a swirl of blond hair and the lingering smell of caramel apples she was gone. Just before she entered her house, she glanced back at the little playhouse wistfully. Berating herself and reminding herself that Motoki was her soul-mate, Usagi entered the house and went to bed.

Mamoru sat alone in the playhouse for a long time before he managed to drag himself all the way back to the art museum where his car waited and get home.

xXx