AN: You can probably consider this chapter as "filler". It doesn't really progress the plot, but it's cute and develops the characters' friendships. You all know that I have this story aimed at Wufei/Relena, but I'm also interested in how Relena communicates with the other pilots. So expect individual moments with each of them.

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Chapter 7

"Relena, please relax."

The honey blonde jerked slightly as her host pushed a warm mug into her hands, which were twisting a napkin to pieces. The two were alone in the kitchen, as Wufei went gone out back and Duo left with Lixue to the main room. She hadn't even noticed that Quatre had been preparing her a beverage to begin with. "Hot chocolate?"

Quatre smiled warmly. "Yes. I figured you might enjoy it."

She was grateful for the chance for her hands to be occupied, and the heat emanating from the ceramic felt heavenly on her fingertips. It was a strangely gaudy cup, she noticed, with a rather frightening and morose clown painted on the surface, below thick lettering. Why the long face?

"Ah…it belongs to Trowa." Quatre chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. Relena's disbelief produced further amusement. "He receives odd gifts from fans sometimes."

Finally, something that makes sense. "I forgot he was a circus performer." It was quite an odd job for a gundam pilot. From the moment Quatre had mentioned it years before, she almost assumed it was an inside joke that she had never been let in on. Truly, Trowa's skills, from what she had heard, were too great for circus performing. Although, Sally might have mentioned his involvement with Preventer before. Relena lifted the mug to her lips, savoring the warm liquid as it travelled down her throat. "This is delicious, Quatre. Thank you." She probably should have made more of an effort to please him, since his pleasure at her small admission was quite obvious. Poor boy.

"I'm really glad that you decided to come." Quatre murmered, with his back to her, as he swiped the countertop with a damp cloth.

Relena watched arm make smooth strokes along the marble, completing the rather bourgeois task that she wouldn't have expected from someone so wealthy. He really was the most emotionally open of the boys. She had probably always known that much, but it became more apparent with the way she tried to please her at every turn. Certainly, this was his home and he was playing host, but kind task was enabled with such precision and care. Aside from Pagan, she couldn't remember anyone who had worried so much about her. She had been of the mind to keep them all at bay for the duration of the visit. If only she could have felt good about herself for doing it. "I'm really glad I decided to come."

He paused, the cloth still beneath his hand, shoulders slumping slightly. Was it relief?

Before she could say another word, Duo trotted through the doorway, carrying a smiling baby with him. He had somehow removed his braid from her grasp and had smartly moved it to the other shoulder. "Hey, I think Heero's here. You can have your princess back, baby." He plopped the child into Relena's arms and moved with a silent speed one wouldn't expect from his almost gangly frame.

That was the second time she still couldn't figure out who he was addressing.

Heero's arrival was met with a certain element of tension, due to her presence or not she was uncertain. Although, the end result was not what she had expected.

Relena had always heard the phrase "boys will be boys". It particularly erupted from the mouths of frazzled mothers, who've accidently bumped into her, as they yanked their wailing sons down aisles at the supermarket. She assumed such words were reserved for the young. She was quite wrong.

"Ah! Don't-"

Duo Maxwell's voice was muffled behind a wad of snow that had been thrown at this face. The culprit, one very angry Heero Yuy, brushed off the icy particles from his leather jacket. He had been caught exiting his vehicle by the braided hooligan and received a frozen treat to the back of the head. The gesture was eagerly returned with vigor, and soon became an all out war.

Relena safely watched the commotion from behind the entry window, warming her hands on another mug of hot chocolate that Quatre had used as barter for the baby. She tilted her chin over her shoulder and observed the blond talking softly to Lixue as she sat on his lap. When he believed no one was watching, Quatre gained confidence in his dealings with the child. He grasped her wrists gently in his hands and made her clap to the beat of the soft tune he was humming. Lixue watched him intensely, being ever curious.

These men were surprising her at every moment, to the point that Relena began to wonder when it would end. She had never acquired such company without a price. Her biological parents were gone, her adoptive father was dead, and her entire young adult life had been spent in exchange for other's political gain. She was accustomed to abuse, and while she hadn't yet found it here, she felt a growing dread that she might.

"Wufei might be caught in the fray."

Long fingers curled around a steaming mug similar to her own, and Relena looked up to find Trowa standing next to her, watching his companions scuffle in the snow. His hair was slightly damp, the large sweep of bangs that normally shadowed part of his face was draped across his forehead and tucked behind one ear. It was such an odd departure from his usual appearance that Relena couldn't help but gawk. Luckily for her, he didn't appear to notice.

What about Wufei? She followed Trowa's gaze to where the unfortunate pilot caught a ball of ice on his chest. A few choice words were shared and Duo found himself outnumbered. Engaging two serious Preventer employees in a to-the-death snowball match was not Duo's brightest moment. He ducked behind a vehicle, nearly missing a ball of ice sent his way. Wufei and Heero flanked both sides of the SUV, attempting to trap the braided man.

"That was probably not the best move, strategically." Relena snickered into her mug, sipping the liquid before it grew cold.

"No."

She assumed Trowa was discreetly glancing at her when appropriate, because she was doing exactly that. Had she ever spoken to him without Quatre present? She didn't think so. At least he's using some sentences. "Perhaps you wish to join them? Even things out a bit?" Surprisingly, her teasing grin was partially shared. If she had known that a large cup of chocolate could soothe her nerves so thoroughly, she'd have one waiting before every speech.

Trowa was glad that the girl seemed more at ease. Quatre had shared his worries that Relena seemed too tense upon arriving, that she might leave early, etc. He assumed his friend was exaggerating, as some nervous energy was expected. When had he ever been inclined to spending an evening with old acquaintances? Aside from today, of course. Trowa glanced down at the young woman who had easily captured Quatre's upmost concern. "No. Perhaps you wish to?"

Relena grinned again. "Ah, I'm a pacifist, remember?" Her light titters ended with a curiously glance at her mug. Did Quatre spike this?

"I'm warning you, Maxwell." Wufei's bare hands were reddened from the cold, but he continued to pack snow and ice into a ball. There might have been a few small pebbles in there also. Who was he to know for certain? "One more of those aimed at my face and you'll be wearing that braid as a scarf." Heero's curt nod followed.

Duo hid behind his large van. "Aw, you don't mean that, Fei-Fei." He poked his head out, and almost took a face-full of snow.

Wufei snarled, bending down to grab another fist-sized clump. Generally, he wouldn't let himself be so baited, but Sally had been urging him to have more fun. He supposed interactions like these were what she meant. At least he'd have something to say when she badgered him.

"Hey look, it's Relena! Everybody wave!"

Duo's antics were generally tolerated, but Wufei had become suddenly irritated by his insistent fascination with the woman. The touching and sweet-talking, solely on Duo's part, was enough to move him to utter revulsion. He looked to the window, and in fact Relena was standing there. Her hair bounced hypnotically about her shoulders as she turned to whoever she was speaking to. The clown. She was laughing. Whatever had passed between the two was clearly humorous, and Relena's cheerful smile glistened even though her form was in the shade. He had observed a similar expression when assisting her earlier, after he had to save her from making a mess of herself on the pavement –

Smack!

His face practically burned from the impact of the cluster of ice that collided with his cheek. The tingling sensation quickly died to reveal a dull throbbing pain. He whipped his head around to where Duo was standing, next to his van, with both arms raised in the universal sign of surrender.

"Whoa, sorry man." A glimmer of fear flashed in his eyes, despite the wavering smile on his face. "I didn't mean to-"

Out of seemingly nowhere, Heero leapt and tackled the taller pilot to the ground.

Shit. Wufei rubbed his cheek, noticing the small streak of blood left on his hand. Now he needed a new story for Sally, because he certainly couldn't share this one.

Back in the kitchen, all three men sat on barstools, each nursing some sort of injury. Wufei's face was slightly nicked and bruised, although he fared far better than Duo, who was nursing two skinned elbows and a collection of cuts on his forearms. Not to mention the slightly darkening of his right eye, courtesy of Heero Yuy, who managed to escape relatively unscathed. Although, his jacket might have been torn in the tussle. He refused to let Quatre inspect it.

"I wasn't aware that snowball fights were a full-contact sport." Relena whispered to Trowa, who was still keeping her company while Quatre played nursemaid.

The taller of the two felt his lips twitch into a slight smile. "It depends on who's playing."

Boys will be boys, indeed.