Usako_mamoru 3rd anniversary challenge 2009
Day 5: Picnic
By Natsudori Lina
Usagi had a very set idea of what a picnic should be. It involved slight breeze, a fun, flirty sundress, and a checkered blanket. It involved a basket stuffed with Mako-chan's lunches, her closest friends, and maybe a game or two of Frisbee.
It most certainly did not involve a certain jerk sprawled out all over her blanket. She yanked the hem of her pink and orange-flowered dress out from under Mamoru's elbow with a glare.
"Baka," she spat, "why are you here again?"
He smirked, rolling his eyes toward her. "Makoto invited Motoki. Motoki invited me."
She pouted. "I wish he hadn't," she muttered, staring forward at the Frisbee game that the others were beginning to organize. You're glad he's here, a traitorous part of her mind whispered. She snuck a look at him from the corners of her eyes. She'd never seen him quite this way, in sneakers and a sleeveless T-shirt. He had muscles she'd never seen before hidden under that green jacket and black turtleneck. His spine wasn't held so perfectly rigid, his shoulders were relaxed, and his head was pillowed on his hands.
"You're glad I'm here, Odango," he drawled lazily from down on the blanket.
"I am not," she grumbled. "You ate the last piece of Mako-chan's cookie cake."
"I saved you from yourself," he told her, poking one insolent finger into her stomach. "And you are too." He sat up and shot her that cocky half-smile of his. "What else would you be doing if I wasn't here?" He waved his arm in the direction of the game. "Playing Frisbee?" He snorted. "Not likely."
Usagi stood and shook a few stray blades of grass from her dress. "Mako-chan!" she called, ignoring Mamoru's derisive chuckles behind her. "I want to play!"
"If Odango's going to play, I guess I'll play too. No sense missing out on this comedy show."
The grin that Makoto shared with Usagi was fiendish. "That's fine. Tell you what, the two of you will be on different teams. Then, you can uh… really show Usagi what's what."
The game was set up and Makoto threw the Frisbee to start. She flew it over to Motoki, who tried to pass it to Mamoru. A blonde blur whizzed in front of him and Usagi pivoted on her heels as her dress swirled about her knees.
She tossed a sassy smile over her shoulder at him. "Gonna have to do better than that, Baka-san."
She shot it towards Minako, who fumbled, but caught the Frisbee and threw it to Ami. Ami tossed it in Rei's direction, but it fell short and was scooped off of the ground by Mamoru. He threw in it a perfect line towards Makoto, but Usagi was suddenly there again, plucking it out of the air.
Without moving her eyes from Mamoru, Usagi's lips quirked up in a grin. She curved her arm wide and threw it around his body to Rei.
"I'm not impressed so far, Baka-san!" Usagi sing-songed.
Rei threw the Frisbee across the field to Minako. Motoki grabbed it just as it left Minako's hand, but Usagi grabbed it on its way to Makoto.
"Last chance, Baka-san!" she yelled, without surveying her surroundings. Hands suddenly reached around her to lock onto the Frisbee. She shrieked, and tumbled backwards, managing to shoot it towards Minako, who ran a brief two feet to score.
Mamoru's breath left him in a soft 'oomph' as Usagi landed on his chest. Her dress brushed the backs of her knees and her legs were splayed over his. His hand went to the small of her back, seemingly of its own accord. Both of their breaths came in uneven puffs and a light sheen of sweat lined their foreheads. They stared, startled, into each other's eyes before Mamoru spoke.
"Where," he demanded, "did you learn to do that?"
Usagi smirked and pushed herself off of his chest to stand. Her dress was damp with perspiration, but it had been worth it, she thought. "Natural talent," she claimed. "The important thing to remember here is," she turned to see him watching her walk away. Her lips curved. "I win."
She sashayed away, smiling to herself.
Her idea of a perfect picnic had just changed.