Haruka leaned back in her seat and sighed

Haruka leaned back in her seat and sighed. Chitchat could be so boring sometimes and this kid wasn't going to shut up. Maybe the waitress would come soon and take their orders. The boy couldn't possibly talk as much when his mouth is full of food. She stared over the table to Heero. He had the same scowl on, glaring straight at her. So, it's a staring contest he wants, Haruka mused. She leaned forward against the table. Heero mimicked the move. Let the competition begin.

All was going well, until after ten minutes the waitress hadn't taken their orders and neither Haruka nor Heero had managed to blink an eye. Who knew the kid had so much self-control? Haruka thought. This was getting dull fast. Ok, it was down right boring. A smirk tugged at the corner of Haruka's mouth. Time to add some fun into this stare-down. She slowly stretched her leg under the table until her foot gently bumped into Heero's boot. Skillfully, she moved her foot up his leg, stroking the inside of his jean-clad calf. She restrained an evil grin as Heero's Prussian blue eyes went wide with shock. Haruka's foot continued up to his knee, but Heero would not back down from the contest. Boy, is he ever stubborn, Haruka mused, but I still have a card up my sleeve. Raising an eyebrow in challenge, Haruka slid her foot up Heero's thigh. Quick as lightning, Heero stood up and pointed a gun in-between Haruka's eyes.

"Omae o korosu," he stated in a monotone.

"Where did he hide that gun?" Michiru asked, surprised.

"Unsolved mystery," Duo replied with a shrug. "Don't worry. He does this all the time. He never shots someone he knows at this close a range. Just take my word for it."

Heero and Haruka maintained eye contact through out the whole endeavor.

"Nice gun," Haruka commented. Then she swiftly drew a jeweled sword and aimed its tip between Heero's eyes. "But my sword is better."

"How…" Duo started.

"Just don't ask," Michiru interrupted. "Now, children, what did you mother tell you about toys at the dinner table?"

"Come on, Heero. We promised Jen we'd be good little boys. That means no explosives, guns, grenades, beam weapons, or Gundams."

Heero and Haruka turned to their respective loves at the same time. Simultaneously they shoulders sank in defeat when they realized that neither officially won the staring contest.

"'Omae o korosu," Heero growled, pointing the gun at Duo.

"I love you, too. Now, give me the gun."

Heero glared at Duo and then dumped the gun into Duo's outstretched hand. Heero growled and crossed his arms across his chest.

"You always ruin all my fun," Heero muttered under his breath.

Michiru and Haruka stared at the sulking boy.

"He said a whole sentence. And it wasn't a threat," Michiru gasped.

"It's all thanks to the Duo Emotional and Vocal Therapy program. A year ago, you wouldn't have been able to get an 'Omae o korosu' out of him. He would have just shot you. Well, unless you were a blonde haired girl who stalked him and yell 'Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerro' whenever she saw him, but that's another story entirely. Now, why do you carry a sword around with you?"

"It's my form of mace. It's more affective, too," Haruka replied slyly, putting the sword back to wherever she had gotten it.

"Uh-huh, OK then."

"And by the way, what's a Gundam?"

"Oh, hehehe, well you see, they are these cute little models that we have made out of this special metal that snaps together so you don't need glue."

"And how are models harmful?"

"You haven't seen the battles we fight with these things," Duo cryptically murmured with a gleam in his eyes. "Now where is that waitress? I'm starving!"

"She was supposed to come back for our orders thirty minutes ago," Michiru explained.

"How about I go find her and teach her a lesson for making us…"

"Haaaruuuuuuuuuuuuuukaaaaaaa! Miiiiiiiiiiiiichiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiruuuuuuuuuu!"

Haruka and Michiru winced and Heero sat up start at the sound of the wailing voice.

"Relena?" Heero whimpered, trying to get his gun back from Duo.

"No, it's just a friend of ours," Michiru said softly.

Suddenly, a girl with long blonde pigtails bounded up to their table with enough energy to make Duo look like a coach potato.

"Hi! I didn't know that you guys would be here! Mamo-chan is taking me out for dinner in celebration of our thirteen week anniversary."

The girl got all starry eyed, but snapped out of it when she noticed the two other people seated in the booth.

"Oh, hi. I'm sorry about being so rude. I'm Usagi. Are you friends of Haruka and Michiru?"

"We have a mutual 'friend', if you can call her that," Haruka grumbled.

"Haruka, be nice," Michiru chided. "Usagi, may I introduce you to Duo Maxwell and Heero."

Duo and Heero nodded as they were introduced. Heero had an odd look on his face. Duo leaned in and started whispering to the otherwise stoic boy. Suddenly, Duo looked at Usagi and burst out laughing.

"You mean, her name means bunny in Japanese," he gasped through chuckles.

Usagi turned beet-red and clenched her hands into fists.

"So? What's wrong with that, you braided baka?" she snarled.

"Oh, nothing Miss Foo Foo. Why don't you just go hop through the forest and find some field mice? And, if you're going to insult me, you need something better than braided baka, I'm already immune to that."

"Why you…arg!"

Usagi lunged at Duo. He easily dodged her, jumped out of the booth, and ran out of her bopping distant.

"Nah! Can't catch me!"

He stuck he tongue out at her and formed an L on his forehead with his pointer finger and thumb. Usagi lunged again. Thus, the 100-meter restaurant dash was started, to the annoyance of Heero, Haruka, Michiru, and a very confused Mamoru.