9. Magic
"Pick a card, any card." She fanned out the deck she was holding and shoved them under his chin, causing him to shuffle back in surprise. He stared at the cards, then looked up at her and cocked an eyebrow in amusement.
"Don't tell me you're going to try to guess my card. That's the oldest trick in the book," he scoffed.
"Just do it!"
"Okay, okay. Sheesh." She could be so pushy at times. He loved it.
"Alright, now memorize the card and put it back in the deck." He did as he was told and sat back to watch as she shuffled the deck once, twice, and three times.
Finally selecting one out of the stack, she proudly exclaimed "Your card is… the Jack of spades!"
"Nope."
"Ar… are you sure? I could have sworn that was your card. King of hearts maybe?"
"No."
"Queen of Diamonds?"
"Close. Four of clubs."
She sighed, slumping down into the seat next to him. "This is hopeless."
"Odango, if you want to see a real magic trick, watch this." He waved an empty hand in front of her face, before reaching behind his back with the same hand to pull out a fully blooming rose.
"How did you do that?" she asked with widened eyes. "It's beautiful."
"You can have it," he said, extending the rose towards her.
She brushed the petals lightly with her fingertips. Then, in a moment of spontaneity, she reached forward with the intent of giving him a hug.
As if the scene were taken directly out of a scripted movie, she lost her balance in the hurry and stumbled forward - right into Mamoru's lap. Her cheeks flushed at their position, and she tried to push away, but Mamoru's arms kept her at bay. Risking a peek up at him, she found herself staring into a pair of alluring midnight blue eyes. He was so close that she could feel the heat emanating from his breath. Her eyes fell to his mouth and realized that if she leaned forward just the teeniest bit, she coul-
Mamoru's lips crashed into her. All the air rushed out of her at once, but oxygen was no longer a priority. She felt a spark in the pit of her stomach that grew and grew until it erupted into a full display of fireworks. She felt his tongue caressing her lips, and she let out a soft moan when he found an opening into her mouth.
Her lungs begged for air, yet she pushed the thought to the back of her head, choosing instead to memorize the taste of coffee on his breath, the gentle way his hand was cupping her cheek, and the faint smell of roses lingering on his collar.
Finally, when neither could deny their lungs of air any longer, they pulled away gasping for breath. Both left the arcade shortly with flushed cheeks and goofy grins permanently plastered to their faces.
Later that night, Usagi's magic props found their way to the trash bin. No party trick was ever going to be as magical as that kiss.
If you have suggestions for upcoming drabbles, leave them in a comment!