There were two ways to get a pest to leave; by force or by words. Usagi collapsed onto her knees at his side. The futon felt warm against the coldness of nighttime.

"Duo," she hissed, her lips to his ear. She shook him with one of her hands. "Will you wake up? How on earth did you manage to—"

Groaning, he flipped over, taking her alongside him. She watched with wide eyes as he crushed her to him with strong arms, sighing in drowsy content.

"D-Duo…" She tried to resist. The more she struggled against his embrace, the tighter his grip was. She could smell the distinct scent of alcohol on him; on his clothing; in the air around him. His hair lay loosely spread around him, out of its regular braid. As Usagi looked up at him, he seemed almost… angelic. She strained to get her fingers around a few strands of hair, and pulled sharply.

Ever so slowly, his eyes opened. After studying her for a few seconds, a knot appeared in his brow. "Usa? Where on earth did you come from? Are you seducing me again?"

Usagi felt a vessel pop. "What kind of reaction is that?! Seducing?! You're the one holding me inappropriately! In fact, get your hands—"

His fingertips met her lips gently, and she was silenced. Even as she yelled at him, he was able to remain perfectly calm… Was it a trait or something used to distract her attention?

"Everything is fine," he whispered. "You must be quieter, though. I don't want to deal with a grumpy Heero more than once… Don't you agree?"

"Are you suggesting we stay like this? After you pushed me out, to begin with?" Her tone was irritable as she glared up at him. "I think Heero would be more than grumpy, if he found the both of us sleeping together."

Duo grinned, sticking his tongue out. "You make it sound like I'm the bad guy, here… I'm just trying to compromise. How about… I just stay here for a few more minutes?"

"What difference would that make?"

"Because you're nice and cozy," he replied, his grin broadening. "It's like lying next to a stuffed bear of some sort… Do you get it?"

"Stuffed… bear…" Her annoyance increased.

He nodded, his cobalt eyes shining eerily in the dark. "That's right. I remember, when I was a child, I had a stuffed bear. It was given to me as a gift, and I treasured it above all things. Every night, I kept it close to me. Without it near, I felt kind of… insecure. I took it with me, everywhere, and protected it from harm." His arms seemed to be tightening as he continued, but she made no action to resist. "And then, one day… Just one day, I let it out of sight. At night, I went looking for it… I found it… in an alley, torn to shreds. It was barely recognizable in its state, but I knew it was my bear. A dog had gotten at it. Even though boys weren't supposed to cry; I did. I felt so much grief; so much pain…"

She said nothing, but simply looked up at him, sympathy written on her features.

Duo smiled in return. "Of course, it was only a bear. I was a child then, so losing something even as little as that was a disaster… But, now that I'm older, and have matured…"

"Matured?" Usagi rolled her eyes.

"Now that I'm older, then," he continued, "I have found something related to that bear, and this time, I have sworn not to let anything like before happen again."

"A new bear, eh? Where?"

It was Duo's turn to roll his eyes. "Usa- I'm talking about you."

"Me?" She blinked.

He bobbed his head. "You're like that to all of us, Usa, I think. You've affected each of our lives in different ways... And, even though you're a pest when it comes to getting into trouble, we're confident in protecting you."

"Pest, am I?" Her eyes narrowed. "Come to think of it, I think your bear-hugging time is just about up. Get out, or you're getting the foot."

Duo sighed, releasing her from his embrace. "Fine… Goodnight, Usagi."

"Ah… Wait."

He paused, seating himself beside her once again. "What is it?"

"I… Ah… Thank you, for protecting me… I must be a burden, most of the time… But, tomorrow, I will tell Wufei-sama that I am going fight alongside all of you, instead of only being the helpless doll. I want to prove what my strengths are, especially to him." Her fingers clutched onto his sleeve tighter. "I ask that you allow me to do this. I am confident."

He didn't need to be reminded that Usagi was a self-assured woman; it showed in her eyes every time she believed in something. Leisurely, Duo bowed his head. "Of course, I am sure Wufei will be pleasantly surprised… Show him what you've got." He stuck his tongue out, and, standing up, gave her the thumbs up. "I'll be there to back you up, though, and don't be too keen on the others being alright about your decision. I suggest you play it cool with Trowa, gain the upper hand on Heero, and just be a softie on Q-man. That's a great strategy."

Usagi rolled over, pulling the covers up against her chin. "Goodnight."

          "What?" Wufei's eyes grew wide. "What did you just say, woman?"

"I…" Usagi shifted, twisting a piece of her kimono between her fingers. "I want to fight on the next mission, Wufei-sama. I do not want to be treated as some… pampered-up decoy. I have no proper purpose where I stand."

He closed his eyelids for a few moments. "A woman, fighting…" He faced her, his calm expression once again shown. "No."

"What do you mean by that?" she inquired, her tone of voice rising just slightly. "Aren't you going to give a reason? An explanation? Or are you so arrogant, that I am dirt to you?"

"It wouldn't matter if you were dirt or not, my answer is still no. Now, remove yourself from my presence immediately. I have no time for this." He got to his feet. "Your new orders will be appointed to you by Yuy-san."

Usagi stood fluently, her motions smooth and well-balanced. Wufei watched, cold-faced, as she made her way to his side. "It seems the tables will turn," she breathed into his ear. "Yes. I can feel it."

Without another word, Usagi had disappeared through the open doors.

          "You've had enough."

Usagi let out a sound of protest as her cup of tea was pulled from her hands. "What's your problem? It's just tea! I can't get drunk of tea, right?"

Trowa said nothing, even as the young woman glared daggers at him. He rose from his seated position, taking the cup with him.

Flustered, she crossed her arms and legs, snapping her head to the side with a snort. "It's not like I wanted it to begin with… I can't believe I'm stuck with you for the rest of the day."

He gradually returned; just as silent as he was when he had left. He sat across from her, the small tea table being the only thing separating them. He stared directly at her.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she demanded, tone irritable. "It's not like I'm going to bolt out the door the second your back is turned."

He said nothing, neither did his expression change. The room grew still; silent.

'Does he sleep with his eyes open, or something?' She began to wave a hand in front of his face. There was no reaction; not even a blink. 'It's so weird!'

"So…" She began to rock back and forth on her heels, eyes fixed upon his face. "It is nice weather today, isn't it? Why don't we go outside, for a walk?"

Silence once again. It was as if she were talking to a wall.

"Fine, then. I'll just go by myself. I will be back at nighttime, when everyone else will return… Find something better to do, ne?" But as she rose to leave, Trowa captured her wrist.

Her eyes stared back into his, confused. With one significant movement, she found herself in a seated position once again, his fingers still roughly holding onto her.

As he continued to observe her, she swallowed. "Y-yes?"

"I will escort you, for now," he said plainly. "But don't try anything rash."

"If… if you'd like to, Trowa-san, I'd love for you to come." She smiled nervously. "But, please release me, because you're starting to bruise it…"

He looked down at their hands, and then up at her again. "Am I hurting you?"

Usagi nodded, biting the corner of her lip. "Yes, a little. You should be gentler when holding a girl's hand. If you get it wrong, they won't want to anymore."

"I wasn't holding your hand," he stated. "I was grabbing it. If I was gentle, you would have ran away, and gotten out of my reach."

All of a sudden, she began to laugh. Tears rimmed her closed eyes as he watched, bewildered. She clutched at her side with a free hand. "Ah… It hurts…"

"What was so humoring?"

Usagi wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, shaking her head. "You're so strange, Trowa-san, but sometimes it's a cute kind of strangeness. I just realized that you need to soften up a little… I'm going to make sure you are more relaxed!" She clasped her hand against his, grinning. "It's a promise."

          "Trowa-san."

He tilted his head to the side. "What?"

"You finally respond to your name. It's a start." Usagi flashed a smile up at him. "I was curious… Have you ever gotten drunk before?"

Trowa settled his eyes back onto the road ahead of them. "I do not recall doing anything of the sort. If I have, I don't remember."

"Ah, I see." She stared at him from the side as they walked, her mouth open slightly. 'He always looks sad. I want to see his happy-mood side.'

"You should concentrate on where you are going, Usagi," he said. "You could run in to someone else, or trip over something."

She frowned. "Trowa-san, stop for a second. Face me."

"Why?" He stopped at once, turning briskly to her.

"Stand still…" Usagi studied him intently, and then raised two hands against his face. Smiling softly, she pinched each of his cheeks. She pulled up. "Happy Trowa-san…" She pulled down. "Sad Trowa-san…" A giggle escaped her lips. "Happy. Sad… Happy! Sad… Happy-mood!"

"I don't see the point to this," he protested, his voice changing as she continued to pull at his face. "You seem to be simply amusing yourself."

"Not so." Usagi lifted her hands once again, this time resting them behind his ears. She pulled at them. "Monkey Trowa-san." She released them. "Normal Trowa-san."

He stared at her, stone-faced, unaware of the many civilians whispering amongst themselves at the odd behavior. Let them watch. As long as the girl wasn't endangering herself, he didn't care.

This time, Usagi's fingers traced his eyebrows. Her eyes danced with laughter, almost as if she were a small child. She pushed one of his eyebrows up. "Curious Trowa-san." She pushed them both down. "Angry Trowa-san." Giggling with delight, she pushed them upwards. "Surprised Trowa-san!"

His face beginning to feel rather numb, he took removed her hands with his own. "That's annoying."

Her grin broadened. "At least you seem calmer. You aren't crushing the living daylights out of me, like before. I think being outside makes you happier, ne?"

They began to walk again, their paces matched in speed. Trowa watched her from the corner of his eye as she began to hum a song. Was it the outdoors, or, maybe…

A sharp tug at his sleeve caught his attention. Usagi began to pull him along, her walk altering into a jog. "Nee, nee, hurry up! I'm starving for some food!"

Or maybe…

          "Let's eat!" Usagi licked her lips, eyes greedily inspecting the table's assortment of noodles, fish, and deserts. She grinned towards Trowa. "You didn't have to order so much… Are you eating, too?"

"No," he replied. "It is for you."

She raised her chopsticks dramatically in the air. "First, I'm going to try… This! And this! That desert looks good, too! Wait, I don't know what to choose…"

When the girl had finally made her choice, Trowa wasn't surprised at her incredible speed as she ate. "You should slow down, it going to upset your stomach."

The way Usagi used her chopsticks was graceful, unlike Duo's, and not nearly as messy. Trowa was used to food spraying in every which direction and the braided pilot's loud voice as he spoke while eating.

The noodles were gone almost immediately, and then the fish. By the time she reached desert, her pace had decreased. She looked up at him, thoughtfully. "I should have listened to your advice. It's just that, I was so hungry…"

He nodded. "That's what happens when you eat in big amounts with such little time."

"You're so wise…" She smiled. "Here, you have it. I've never seen you eat. The road to complete relaxation involves food, you know."

Trowa watched as she pushed the small bowl of desert in front of him. The look in her eyes was encouraging; almost hopeful.

"Go ahead, eat it. I want you to enjoy your time spent with me… So, you don't have to act as though you were my parent. We should be having fun."

Before her pleased eyes, he began to eat. She noticed his pace was unhurried, and even a little refined; it reminded her of watching a cat eat.

When he was finished, he moved the empty bowl back to the center of the table. There was silence between them, except for the low sounds of other customers chatting around them.

Usagi stuck her tongue out at him. "It looked like you were really enjoying it… I think you should eat more often. You have a pretty style of dining. Was it good?"

"It was good," he replied. "Thank you for sharing your meal with me."

"You are thanking me?" She cupped her cheek with a hand. "You're finally beginning to loosen up… But, it is you I should be thanking… You bought this for me. It is a generous thing to do. Now, I'm going to treat you to something special!"

SHOULD USAGI:

Take Trowa to the bar,

OR

Test Trowa's luck at gambling?

Author's Notes: I know, I know… I'm sorry for the big delay, especially to you, sailorgirl686… Thank you to everyone who is supporting me right now, and to all of you who e-mail your wonderful opinions. I love reading e-mail from others, it's so intriguing! *Smiles* Well, I decided to get Trowa to spend some time with her, because he really does need to have fun… I hope Usagi will be able to loosen him up a little. Personally, I want to see the cold boy drunk… But gambling is always fun, too (I mean in this, not in real life! I don't gamble!). Well, until next time, thanks to everyone!

Feedback Corner: From anonymous reviewer, AZN, who wants to be sleeping next to a pig? Duo-san? Ah, well, it looks like she took care of that problem…

ChibiBear check!: Ahh, I love this Chapter.  I can picture the whole thing in my head. Excellent! Duo is so cute! and Trowa, Mr. Too-much-gel guy, finally loosening up… I think Usagi should take him to the bar, I would love to see what happens!