"You're home late. Or should I say early?"

Heero sneered at the obnoxious remark issued from his American

roommate.

"Well? Where were you?"

Heero paid him no attention, and continued on his way, down

the hall to his room.

"Heero!" The braided boy cried, in an attempt to get his attention.

"It is none of your business, Duo." Heero replied in his stoic voice.

"I don't get you! Why don't you just go up to her?! I bet she knows

you're following her!" Heero rolled his eyes, he had heard all this

before, "The longer you wait, the harder it will be, my friend."

"Shut up, Duo!"

Heero slammed the door to his room before the American pilot

could reply. He sighed, and threw himself on his bed, contemplating

Duo's words. He let roll around in his head for awhile before he came

to the dreadful conclusion that Duo was right. But how could he just

do it, just go tell her? He knew she thought he was dead, and with

her illness such news might...he didn't want t think about it. Maybe,

maybe he was overrating himself, maybe she would treat it like any other

kind of news. Yet, he knew that was a lie, she had designated a day

in his honor. He came to the conclusion that he was a horrible coward.

Perhaps tomorrow, he thought. Perhaps I'll go to her restaurant.

***********************************************************************

"Why are you here?" Heero voiced, annoyed.

"I wanna' see what this girl looks like, and besides, this is one of

the best restaurants around. Do you really think I would pass up

something where food was involved?" Duo finished, a lopsided grin on

his face.

Around them buzzed a busy restaurant. The two had waited

nearly a half hour to get a booth, in which they now sat.

"Go home." Heero whispered harshly

"No." Duo's answer was simple. He waited for a heated reply, but

Heero's mind was in another place. A small scuffle between a young

woman an elder man.

"No!" she said to man, her face flushed with frustration.

"Please Makoto! Today's to busy, we don't have enough waitresses!"

he pleaded helplessly.

"I'm a chef, not a waitress! All I want is my paycheck." she looked

at him.

"Please." His old eyes twinkled with hope.

Makoto glared at him, "I better be getting paid overtime for

this!" she yelled to him as she went to the back to get an apron.

"Thank you!" the man beamed.

Duo watched as the girl disappeared into the kitchen, "Is

that her? She's gorgeous! No wonder you keep tabs on her."

"That's not why I do it, Duo."

He sighed at the blue eyed boy," I know."

Makoto approached their table, "Ready to order?" she asked

politely.

***********************************************************************

Duo looked at Heero helplessy, "Please?" Duo begged, holding

open his empty wallet. "I don't have any money."

"To bad. I'm not paying for your meal." His emotionless voice

answered.

Makoto stood, watching the see unfold, from behind the counter.

Slowly, she made her way their table, and knelt beside it.

"If I may intervene," she began," I'll tell you what, since I'm working

extra today, I'll for your meals. In exchange, you come back on a

Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, or every other Sunday afternoon. Those

are they days I'm cooking. You see, I'm really a chef here." She

smiled at them, "So? We have a deal?"

"Deal!" Duo screeched, ignoring the objections from Heero.

"Great!" She winked, leaving the table with there dirty plates.

Suddenly she stopped.

"Hey, Wait!" she called to the retreating men, "What are your names?"

Duo looked at her confused, "Why?"

She smiled, "Well, when you come in, I wanna' know, and how am

I going to if I don't know your names?"

"Good point." Duo grinned, "I'm Duo Maxwell, and this is Heero Yuy."

Suddenly, Makoto dropped the plates, causing a large crashing

sound to ring threw the restaurant. She bent down to start picking the

up, "Oops," she laughed nervously, "I'm such a klutz." Heero glared

down at Duo, and bent down to her level.

"Can we help you?" He asked, his voice unusually soft.

"No! No. Just go. I'm fine."

Heero nodded, and left, dragging a rueful Duo behind him.

***********************************************************************

Makoto sat in her small apartment, poking at the stitches on the

inside of her left index finger. She had cut herself picking up the

plates. Slowly, she re-wrapped it, and snuggled into the couch,

pulling her towel-like bathrobe close. Her relaxed world was shaken

when the phone rang. Gingerly, she reached over her head, picking the

portable phone from its stand on the end-table beside her. "Hello?"

she answered groggily.

"Makoto!" The voice shrieked.

"Hi Usagi." her voice was husk.

"Makoto, are you all right? You don't sound to good." Usagi's voice

echoed with worry.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine." Makoto's voice began to shake. She attempted

to hold back the emotions that threatened to render her speechless.

"No, Makoto. Tell me what's wrong. What's going on? Are you sick

again, if you are, I'll be right there!" Makoto smiled slightly at

the blonde girls assumptions.

"No Usagi, I'm not sick again. I just had a strange run in with this

guy today."

"Did he hurt you! I'll kill 'em! I'll have Mamouru kick his ass!"

"Uasagi!" Makoto shouted at her, she had never heard Usagi talk quite

like that.

"Nothing like that, he just, he had the name of someone I lost awhile

ago. It just made me sad. I thought only...well, never mind. It

doesn't matter. It was just, odd, I guess."

There was a long silence on the phone, "Usagi? Are you there?"

"I'm coming to visit you."

"What?!" Makoto nearly fell off the couch, "I'm supposed to come there.

You're getting married in a few weeks!"

"Eh. Mamouru can handle it. I'll see you in a few days." She

giggled.

"You are one in a million Usag-" her words were cut off by a sharp

knock on the door.

"Makoto?"

"Sorry Usagi, there's somebody at the door. I've got to go. Call with

details and I'll pick you up at the shuttle port."

"Okay, See ya' Makoto."

Makoto hung up the phone, and mad her way to the door as

another knock thundered through her tiny apartment. Approaching the

door, she remembered she was wearing her bathrobe, "Just a minute!" she

called. Quickly, she threw it aside, luckily for her, she was till in

her clothes from work. Gingerly, she turned the knob of the door. It

slowly revealed a young man. He stared at her with fiery eyes

through his limp hair. Every once in awhile, the colony got "rain".

She instantly froze at his sight. She couldn't fathom what to do.

"What are you doing here?!" she huskily asked.

***********************************************************************