4

~.~ - still

~~~GGG~~~

Mamoru ran out and got into his car, he had found Usagi near the old café, which had been shut down a long time ago. But recently it had been renovated and so some new supplies were put into it. Usagi would not have known that, so she was looking in upon it. He skidded to a halt and jumped out of the car. Sensing he was behind her, she remarked. "It's a shame something so ancient, and good will be changed with no thought about it."

"It's been closed for a long time, it was just going to ruins." He said silkily behind her.

She turned around. "So everything old should be new and fresh, forget about the past? Tokyo has done that, and look at them. We're farther out; we've got more prospective, but that doesn't mean that we should follow suit." She turned back to the cracked glass. "I heard that over in America, they add reinforcements and keep it looking like the old style buildings, just safer." She ran her hand over the window in deep thought. "Perhaps we should do the same hmm?"

"To do that would add a little character." He agreed. "But it would also not be what this country is, yes we believe in keeping the past happy, but we also believe in the future. We're the leading technically advanced country in the world, we have to live up to our reputation." He said proud of his country.

"Forget it, you don't understand." She gave on last fleeting glance at the café before she moved on. "Don't follow me."

Mamoru watched her go for a moment before he grinned. "Sorry can't do that, you left me in a weird state of mind with your colorful description of your vacation, and we're going to talk." She ignored him so he picked her up.

"Mamoru put me down at this moment!" She demanded.

"No, cause you will talk to me and explain to me what actually happened. And we will deal with something we have dealt with yet. I think it's long over due."

He placed her in the car and buckled her in. "Mamoru, this is kidnapping, you can't do this!"

He jumped in before she could try to get out. "I'm taking you some place as a friend, it's not considered kidnapping." He stated coolly.

"Where are we going?" She asked changing the subject.

They were driving away from the city; landscape was gradually changing from inner city to few houses to a house every once in a great while to no houses at all. Just great broad rolling hills few trees cluttered together and snow covered it all.

He glanced at her a boyish grin spreading his face. "We're going someplace I had discovered on one of the many visits to China." But the smile slipped a little. "Well, I can't say I discovered it, it being a very public place and all."

She watched him turn back to the roads, gravel she knew, was very hard to drive upon. She watched as the air from the heater played with his dark black locks and fell messily into his deep midnight blue eyes, and she remembered what made her like him originally. Despite his callousness to her when they were in the presence of others, he was always nice to her in some way, maybe not the way most people were, but he changed. "You won't tell me?" She pouted.

"No, sorry, have a thing about breaking surprises. Do you want some music?"

"Do you think it'll really reach here? I thought there needed to be towers ever so often."

"I don't know, some are stronger then others, you should check it out." Mamoru suggested. Usagi stared at him in bewilderment. "What?"

"You're letting me, the hurricane whirlwind touch your blesséd stereo? Your not afraid I'll ruin it with my clumsiness?" She mocked him feeling a little resentful he could just tell her what to do.

"Hey, hey, peace Usagi, peace." He chuckled. "I'm sorry, I trust you ok?"

"Yeah, all right, I'm sorry too, I didn't mean to snap at you." She turned on the radio. "What would you like to listen to?" He rolled his broad shoulders lightly in a loose shrug. She turned the radio to a station that played pop/soft rock. "How's this?" She asked.

"It's good Usa-chan." He smiled at her in reassurance, and she straightened. She was getting too relaxed. She knew he wanted to become familiar again, but she knew, that if she let him- well he'd never learn his lesson and all their fights would circle around one thing. Besides she had mutually agreed to end it, and she had no intention of starting right back up again.

"I'm glad you agree." She responded stiffly.

"Hey, I thought we were going to have at least a relaxing trip." Mamoru sounded distressed.

"After kidnapping me? And forcing me to attend you on some crazy drive? How do you know I didn't have things to do?"

"Ok, I'll apologize for not being considerate of your plans, but seeing as how you just got back I figured you were to spend the day with your friends, and that was cut short, sorry again for that." Mamoru pulled to a stop. "We're here."

Usagi looked out of the window and saw a deep red bridge, the Hillio bridge, a bridge that was old and sturdy. "A bridge?" She asked unfazed, some how known she'd seen it before.

"Yes a bridge, I thought maybe you'd like it considering you like architecture." He was now kind of dry.

"It's very well built, nothing has really weathered it away as of yet. I heard that it was over 100 years old. Not really built for cars, but it's a tourist attraction so they often have bikes and walkers."

"That's right, and that's why we're walking, I hadn't planned on taking you up here, but it's as good as time as any."

They walked to the middle of the bridge. "This is where I like to stand and think, watching the tepid blue and green swirls of water drifting by the shore, not yet the speed and harshness of the outer ocean, or the beach further up the road." He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "Would you like to go to the beach Usa-chan?"

"Perhaps later." She was distracted by something and he noticed for he asked. "What is it?" She did not answer but walked across the bridge to stare upon the mass of blue only shaded by green as a long went under upon them. Mamoru followed.

"It is like a dream I once had." She said softly, not really talking to him but reaching out to touch the illusion water that seemed so near, yet so far. "Something about a jump, I'm not sure."

It was a quiet day, not many dared the cold and as Mamoru gazed upon Usagi he could see why, for she was shivering quite a lot. "I keep forgetting you were in California during their summer holidays, how cold you must be." He took off his jacket and dumped it on her shoulders. She sagged slightly under its unexpected weight and straightened as she became adjusted.

"Thank you, Mamoru-chan." She offered him a slight smile, and he bathed in the warmth it seemed to hold against the gray afternoon. "It will rain, won't it?"

"I'm afraid so." He leaned against the railing to look at her more clearly. "But we shall leave if you want to get out of the rain, we'll go to that little hut over there." He gestured with a tilt of his head.

"Let's stay a little while longer, it's peaceful here." And Mamoru agreed.

03/30/03