I really like to think of Relena as a confident woman. I don't think she would've gotten as far as she did otherwise. :P And I am still struggling with chapter 16, but since I've been struggling with it for an awfully long time... I will post in a week or so anyways, because there's no use dwelling on it even longer. Well... On with the chapter!

CHAPTER 15

The atmosphere in the kitchen was so dense Duo felt like he could have floated on it. He chanced a sideways glance at Wufei as the Chinese man stood rinsing a plate, his forearms covered in foam up to the elbows. Despite Quatre's warning – or demand, as it was – neither he nor Heero seemed interested in making any peace of any kind. He handed former pilot 01 an already dried plate to be put away and wondered how to break the ice... His teeth were already chattering. Thank God he had a lot of hair to keep his brain from freezing.

"So..." he cleared his throat, earning displeased glances. "Ah... How about you, guys, just... You know... Let it go? I mean... It's not like there was any permanent damage... No one subjected me to any inquiries when our relationship was revealed and Relena did not kill you when your fling with Quatre was revealed... Which I thought was quite shocking by the way. If it had been me I would have surely snapped. You wouldn't hear the end of it. Ya' hear that?" Duo turned to Wufei. "No kissing anyone behind my back or..."

"He'll never hear the end of it." Heero cut in sounding irritated. "Yes, we got that."

"Good. So don't you think you're even now? Or something? I mean... 'Fei was angry because you revealed our relationship to Quat'..."

"I revealed nothing. All I did was confirm his suspicions. If you hadn't been so indiscreet none of this would've happened." He was glaring at Wufei, but even though the braided man was glad not to be the target of such a withering look it frustrated him to no end to see them back at square 0. Well, maybe not back at square 0... Heero was talking after all. "You said yourself you already expected us to figure it out. What difference does it make that I told Quatre?"

"It makes no difference." Wufei finally spoke, abandoning the dishes inside the sink as he turned to face the other men. "I did not do this out of some twisted sense of revenge. I did it because it was the right thing to do."

"What?" was the smartest thing Duo could come up with. He had been sure it had been out of anger or resentment or whatever and now... It just made no sense. Heero seemed to understand however, for his eyes narrowed in the 'I'm-processing-this-information-and-loading-an-appropriate-reply' kind of way.

"So what you are saying is..." he started cautiously and the braided man dropped the dish rag as he prepared to stop a possible fight. It was like watching a mongoose and a cobra stalking each other. "That you did this for Relena's sake. Because you believe she had the right to know."

"Hey! What?!" Duo stepped between them to look his lover in the eye. "I had as much right to know as Relena! Why wasn't I informed?"

"Duo, you had no right to know. You just really wished you did." Wufei informed him.

"We're like family! How come I didn't have the right?"

"You don't tell people every little thing about your life just because they're family."

"Of course, you do!"

"Do you even know what a real family's like?"

"None of us know what a real family's like." Heero cut in before the braided man's anger could escalate even further.

"I had a family." He protested anyway, though it sounded more bitter than angry. "It might not have been normal, but it was real. We trusted each other and I thought I had that back... I thought we were a family, but all we do is push each other away or keep secrets or pretend to be people we're not or fight for the stupidest reasons. The war is over. We were supposed to be all happy and smiling and joking. Those guys that trained us never meant for us to survive and that's exactly why we should be making the most of this."

By the time he finished he was drained of both breath and energy. He collapsed on the nearest stool and hid his face behind his hands so he wouldn't have to see Heero's and Wufei's surprised stares and slow stunned blinking. After a minute or so, the Chinese man flopped onto the stool beside his and laid a hand on his shoulder massaging invisible knots. Duo could not help but sigh. Damn that man for being so nice and so frustrating... And damn Heero as well for only making things worse.

"We're sorry." Wufei said suddenly soft and seriously. "Heero and I both."

At that he could not help glancing up at them through his fingers. The black haired man was giving their friend the 'I'll-kill-you-if-you-don't-agree' look even though there didn't seem to be the need. "Yes." Heero nodded, crossing his arms and leaning back against the counter. "You're right. We shouldn't be fighting over nothing."

"He actually said I'm right." Duo conveyed to his lover in a loud whisper, the smile back on his face. "Did you hear that?"

"Yes, I did. Just don't let it get to your head."

"Ha! Now, you can no longer deny it, Heero! 'Cause 'Fei is a witness and he wouldn't allow you to do anything that isn't fair." He beamed earning himself a punch on the arm from the Chinese man.

"Keep babbling and we'll have you finish the dishes all by yourself." Wufei threatened.

"You can't make me."

"Perhaps not alone, but with Yuy here..."

"What?! You're supposed to fight each other, not team up against me!" he protested, but the other men's smirks brought a smile back to his face. He wasn't sure this was what Quatre had wanted when he had designated him as peace-keeper, but he felt like he had done a brilliant job of it. Perhaps he should ask for a medal... He surely deserved one. Yep, he had just survived the Chang-Yuy inquisition and gotten a peace treaty to show for it. Duo mentally gave himself a pat on the back. He was a genius.

OxOxO

Heero sat at the isle, watching Quatre fumble around the kitchen. The pork meat was already cooking and the blonde was gathering all the ingredients and utensils needed to give the already chopped vegetables a quick fry. He looked nervous for some reason, but the stoic man could not pinpoint why. When Trowa decided to join them the tension died down a little, making Heero wonder if his undivided attention had made Quatre feel self-conscious... And was that a good or a bad thing? He was too tired to contemplate the answer. The emotional roller coaster he had been in that week had finally taken its toll on him, thankfully he did not seem to be the only one.

His green eyed friend cleared his throat rather awkwardly, forcing his attention to turn to him. "There is... something I wanted to ask you..." Trowa was being uncharacteristically shy about it. Heero frowned. This could only mean one thing.

"Is this about Relena?" he asked and could practically see Quatre's ears perk up, though he had enough self-control not to take his eye off the frying pan.

"Yes, actually." The man sounded like he was admitting defeat. Heero nodded briefly and waited patiently for the other man to elaborate. "She..." Trowa lowered his voice, leaning close. "She's asked me to...date her and... I know this is rather sudden, but..."

"Not at all." Quatre cut in and they nearly jumped out of their skins when they found him leaning over their shoulders like an eager puppy. Green eyes searched the kitchen, probably for Hope – Heero mused – the cat always seemed to calm him, but this time she wasn't around. "He's known for some time now."

Trowa's eyes widened as he glanced from the blonde back to the one who had grown to be his closest friend. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to... to develop...well...feelings for her, but..."

"Trowa." Heero allowed himself a small, reassuring smile. He was grateful for Quatre's presence. This wasn't really his thing, and yet still... "It doesn't matter. It's not your fault."

"He's right, Trowa. We can't help who we fall in love with, beside we're the ones who kissed behind her back. You never pursued her when she was still with Heero."

"Not intentionally, but... I still feel bad. I might have said something or done something... I don't know. It doesn't make sense for her to suddenly want me instead of you." He blamed himself, he truly did and both his friends could see it.

Heero met Quatre's eyes. He had no idea what to say or do. He really did not blame Trowa and he was actually relieved it was him Relena had chosen. The former pilot 03 would never harm her, he was sure of it, and they both deserved whatever happiness they could get or build together or whatever. He barely hid an exasperated sigh, looking up at the blonde when he the comforting weight of a hand suddenly fell on his shoulder.

"Trowa... Heero doesn't blame you. No one blames you. So you've got to find a way to stop blaming yourself."

He sighed. "I'll try." And then looked up at his friends thoughtfully. After what felt like forever he nodded to himself. "It feels like this is the way things were meant to be... From the start."

"Yeah." Quatre agreed with a wistful smile and gave Heero's shoulder a squeeze. It was funny, that feeling of peace that suddenly seemed to permeate them. Heero had never been one to smile for whatever reason and suddenly he felt like doing it for no reason at all. His eyes followed the blonde as he made his way back to the stove, then turned to Trowa who had started fidgeting again. Heero could see how worried he was about his promotion to Relena's lover.

"Was there anything else you wanted to ask?"

"What?" the green eyed man looked up startled.

"About Relena."

"Well..." Trowa swallowed visibly then scowled, probably at himself. "I did not really mean to ask... It's a...personal subject, but..."

"You're among friends." Quatre reassured him, waving a wooden spoon over his shoulder.

"Family." Heero corrected, remembering his earlier chat with Duo and Wufei right there in that very kitchen. Both his friends turned to him with something akin to awe in their eyes. Then Trowa seemed to remember what he had been about to ask and looked away with a rare blush.

"What does she like? You know..." he gestured vaguely, turning even redder. Heero wondered if shyness had played a part in his hair styling. A blush like that wasn't something you wanted people to see, unless you were a cute young schoolgirl.

"In bed?" he provided and couldn't contain a chuckle at Trowa's mortified nod. Quatre joined them, not bothering to hide his curiosity. He even checked if the doors were closed before pulling up a stool. "What about the vegetables?" Heero raised his eyebrows.

"They're done." The blonde shifted eagerly on his seat. "Relena's with Khadija. We're safe." He added when the information wouldn't start coming.

"I'm not worried about her... I'm wondering why the sudden interest on her sex life."

"Not hers. Yours." At least he had the decency to blush. Heero could feel his own cheeks heat up as well and forced himself to look away. Maybe he should start considering growing long bangs after all...

Trowa cleared his throat. "Can we get this over with before Relena decides to join us?"

"Well... What do you think she likes?"

"I always thought she was a rather conservative, traditional woman... I thought women like that didn't like sex at all... But I'm starting to have serious doubts about it."

Heero felt suddenly worried... Should he tell his friend the truth about the woman he seemed to have somehow sanctified? Or should he allow Trowa's illusions to crack and dismantle by themselves? There was also Quatre...waiting so eagerly. Would he think Heero was hiding something? Would that disturb him? What if he got mad? They had finally worked things out somehow, to some extent at least... Questions like those never used to bother him before. He sighed in defeat and ran a hand through his permanently dishevelled hair.

"Would it disappoint you if I said Relena's nothing like that?" he finally spoke, deciding to be cautious.

"No, actually, I think I'd be relieved. I mean... I know she's not like that, but I just never really got past that first impression."

"What are you trying to say?" the blonde urged him on.

"The least thing Relena is when it comes to sex is conservative. In fact, I think of myself as conservative in comparison to her. She would be best described as daring and innovative."

"Daring?" Quatre asked sceptically. "Daring how?"

"Well, she...appreciates a change of scenery."

"Like what?"

"Like her office."

"Ah, that's not so bad." The blonde commented to which Trowa seemed to agree. "I have fantasized about doing it in my office... What? It's a very spacious office with a very wide desk."

"You don't need to explain yourself." The green eyed man made sure to inform him. "I'm sure you'll have plenty of time to explore all kinds of weird places."

Heero scowled at the suggestion. The thought of being caught doing the nasty in inappropriate places wasn't very appealing. The shower had sounded like a perfectly reasonable suggestion, but he feared that was as far as he was willing to go. "She bought us a Kama Sutra not two months after we got together..." He grimaced at the memory of the book, which he had made sure to hide before Relena drove him insane or broke his back, and all its hidden secrets. "And she likes to be in control."

To his complete astonishment, Trowa shrugged. "I do not mind her being confident, knowing what she likes and doing as she pleases. It is a moment to be shared after all, not monopolized."

"I really like the sound of that." Their host agreed with a satisfied nod. "It seems to me Relena's hit the jackpot, and that you have a thing or two to work on." He gave Heero a meaningful look as he made his way back to the pots and the pans. "Though I think it's simply a matter of trust. If you can't trust the one you're with completely, I can understand how scary it might be to try new things."

Heero frowned. He was not scared, but he refrained from saying a word about it. If things turned out the way he expected them to (or rather hoped they would) he would make sure to show Quatre just how daring and innovative he could be. He was even willing to learn how to truly and fully trust someone... Perhaps, he was a little scared after all. But only a little.

OxOxO

He felt so small sitting on the edge of the queen sized bed, his heart racing as he listened to the shower... The moment the water stopped running he was sure he would have a stroke. Even Hope – rolling on the carpeted floor near the closet and body length mirror – only made him more nervous. She seemed to be staring at him as if she knew... Trowa looked away, fighting the urge to pace, and wondered how he had ended up there... Not that he did not know. He was just shocked that it was actually happening.

Since day one he had been using Heero and Relena's bathroom to shower so it had not really occurred to him until he was already naked and wet that using that bathroom now that his friend and boss had broken up might not be entirely appropriate, never mind the invitation the Foreign Minister had made him earlier. He had then mentally cursed himself until he was done rinsing and wondered how he would sneak out without her seeing him. If he were lucky she would not be in the bedroom yet and he would slip out unnoticed...

Suffice to say he wasn't lucky at all.

Relena had been unsurprised to see him, in fact, she had been rather pleased. He had blushed under her gaze, he had always looked awkward with his hair wet. It did not seem to register with her though, for she merely asked him to make himself comfortable while she took a shower. His body was too tense to find comfort in anything however and he had ended up sitting on the edge of the mattress, looking around with frightful eyes and counting every water drop that fell from the shower since the moment she turned it on. Trowa was sure he could hear each and every one of them so loud was the roar in his ears.

Then Hope met his eyes and mewed, and he realised the shower had stopped. His stomach made a somersault and he had to control his breath which was already threatening to speed up. He felt like a teenager all of a sudden... Not that he knew exactly what it meant to be a teenager... He certainly had not been an ordinary one, but – for some reason – that was how he felt.

Relena stepped out of the bathroom and Trowa swallowed. He wasn't sure whether to be relieved or frustrated that she was wearing her usual nightgown and not naked like he had half expected her to be. If she had been naked he had no idea what he would have done. "Are you alright?" she asked. "You look..."

"I'm sorry, I'm just..."

"Nervous?" she smiled and he nodded somewhat mortified. "I'm nervous too."

Before he could as much as blink she was sitting beside him on the bed and holding his hand against the flushed skin of her chest, right above her heart. It was beating as fast as his and Trowa felt suddenly breathless. He did not even bother telling her that he could have measured her pulse in a less...arousing manner. His eyes slowly rose up to meet hers, his breath picking up to make up for its sudden disappearance. Relena blushed, her eyes sparkling and he could feel her chest move almost in unison with his own. This was... Being with her was so much more than he had ever imagined...

All the feelings he had kept bottled up seemed to suddenly surface, they overwhelmed him in a way that it was all he could to do lean forward and kiss her. His hand cupped her face, relishing in the feeling of her skin... So warm, so soft... Then he wove his fingers into her hair just as she opened her mouth to him. The slightly moist dark blonde locks were cool against his heated skin and smooth like silk... His other hand remained forgotten on Relena's chest so she slowly guided it downwards until it was cupping her breast. He might as well be touching himself for all the pleasure he felt.

They broke the kiss for a moment... To see his own hand touching her so intimately... It was surreal. He traced the strap up to her shoulder with a finger, then met her eyes for a second, his breath haggard. She looked expectant and not at all objective, so he pushed the strap sideways until it slid down her arm. He repeated the process on the other side before exposing her to his awaiting gaze.

Relena's breath picked up under his lustful admiration, but she did not hesitate, grabbing the hem of his T-shirt and pulling it up. "Arms." She reminded him and he felt his cheeks heat up as he obeyed her. Every hair in his body stood on end when her feather light fingers skimmed over his chest and ribs. He stopped breathing when she grazed a nipple. Then their eyes met and they were kissing again. He couldn't get enough of her skin, his hands roaming all over her back while her nails dug into his.

He let go of her mouth to nibble on her neck and allowed his hands to return to their most awaited exploration of her chest. Her fingers were all over his hair, his neck, his shoulders, his back, his ribs, his stomach... "Wait." He croaked when they reached the waist band of his pants and started playing with it. "I won't..."

"It's okay." She whispered, nibbling on his ear. "We'll take the edge off now and continue on later."

He wanted to say 'no', wanted to say he really did want to go all the way, but he knew he wouldn't last either way. "I'm not normally..."

"I know." Relena silenced him with a finger on his lips. Then held his gaze as she took his hand and guided it further south. Touching her and watching her... The way her lips parted as the smallest of gasps escaped her and her eyebrows drew together... He thought he had died and gone to heaven. He had never felt so confined before... It was like he would burst.

She moved against his hand, giving directions here or there. Then when the pleasure seemed to escalate to a point where she was nearly frantic, she kissed him and slipped her hand into his pants all at once. Trowa half hissed, half gasped into her mouth as his thoughts scattered. Relena had to remind him not to stop. Her hands on him were mind-blowing and, as he had expected, he was done way sooner than he would've liked, moaning into her mouth.

They stretched on the bed, but as boneless as he felt he could not stop there. Not before he had seen her highest. A look and a nod from her was all the permission he needed to fully divest her and then, without a second thought, he crawled down her body and tasted her. She moaned, almost as if in pain, begging him not to stop. Soon, with a few instructions, he too managed to push her over the edge.

Exhausted and happiest than he'd ever been, he laid his head on her chest and closed his eyes, listening to her heart as it slowly regained its basal rhythm. Relena's hands ran through his hair the same way they had done back in L3, and Trowa could not help but smile. The silence between them was comforting and reassuring... He knew true peace for the first time in his life.

"Hope's staring at us..." she commented suddenly, quietly, as if afraid the cat would hear her.

"Hum..." he replied, too tired to keep his eyes open. To think he would have to get changed because his pants were a sticky mess... No, better to pretend it wasn't bothering him any. If he didn't move he could even pretend the mess wasn't there.

"It's making me feel really self-conscious..."

Trowa chuckled. "Just ignore her." He whispered contently.

"But it's hard!" Relena complained and he could feel her moving her neck, trying to force her eyes away from the tabby's penetrating gaze.

"I just need five minutes." He informed her, allowing his body to relax completely. "Then I'll put her out if you want."

"No. It's fine." She smiled, he could hear it in her voice. "It's perfect like this."

He knew it was.

OxOxO

He had just started washing the dishes when Khadija's wails reached him. "It's fine. We've got it." Duo told him with a smile, motioning towards himself and the Chinese man behind him.

"But you've already…"

"It's okay, Quat'. Really. Besides, I think 'Fei and I could use some alone time."

"I'm sorry." Quatre gave them an apologetic look. "Just don't… You know… Not in my kitchen." He added over his shoulder as he hurried towards the door. The baby's cries grating on his nerves.

"Nope. Not in Quatre's sacred kitchen. We won't." the braided man swore and though the blonde did not feel completely reassured by his friend's playful tone, he knew better than to doubt his honesty.

Khadija went quiet rather abruptly, just as he stepped into the corridor, and his steps faltered as cold fingers of dread wrapped around his heart. His feet made the decision for him and soon he was bursting into the nursery in a near panic. The vision that greeted him made him question his sanity. Heero held the baby in one arm while she stared up at him with wide green-blue eyes, there was no apparent emotion on the man's face, but Quatre could see the tenderness in his gaze. He let out the longest breath he had ever held, his mouth hanging open as he sagged against the doorframe.

"I was closest." Heero explained unasked.

"You just keep scaring me…" the blonde nearly whined, his heart was beating stubbornly fast. "However unintentionally…"

"Hn."

He watched the unlikely duo and noticed as the smallest of smiles crept its way into his friend's lips. Khadija held onto his finger like a life line. Suddenly, he wished Duo were present… The braided man wouldn't hesitate to take pictures. Quatre wanted pictures, tons of them… Not to prove to the world that Heero Yuy had a heart, but to frame and hang on the wall, maybe place on his desk… With a wistful sigh, he closed the door behind him, leaning against its surface with a smile.

"Did you like dinner?" he asked quietly. "I never had the chance to ask."

"It was…" their eyes met when the pause seemed to stretch on forever. Heero clearly had no words to describe it. "Thank you. I had forgotten what it felt like to appreciate a meal as more than a simple meal."

Quatre beamed at him. "Thank you for trusting me." He saw the other man shake his head slowly, dismissively before taking a seat on the armchair. "She's just eaten… I fed her before I started doing the dishes… I don't know why she would cry."

The blonde must have sounded apologetic for Heero gave a one-shoulder shrug. "I don't mind."

Khadija was nearly asleep. "I guess maybe she was just lonely."

"Maybe."

He moved to sit on the arm of the chair, basking on the peace and quiet. It had been a long day. Extra-long, in fact. Quatre really couldn't remember when had been the last time so many things had happened in such close succession in his life. The last 9 years had been so dull… Even with Jeremy and Latif all days seemed to blend together. Life was a never ending mountain of paperwork, stressful business meetings and fancy functions. He had been bored and unhappy, but it was only now, that he had something different to look forward to, a different life to compare his past one with, that he realised just how miserable he had been. How lonely…

"What will you do?" he suddenly found himself asking, and Heero met his eyes with a frown. "Tomorrow, I mean. After you leave."

The frown deepened before the other man looked away. "I actually thought you might want me to stay."

"That's not what I…" Quatre had to stop himself before he disturbed the baby. He lowered his voice once more. "I thought you wouldn't wish to stay."

"Why not? The war is over. Or so everyone keeps telling me. Relena doesn't need me to protect her anymore, and… I really do wish to."

Heero looked up at him as the blonde lied against the backrest practically curled around his head. Quatre felt warmth spread all over him at those words and smiled rather sheepishly at the other man. He was in a very awkward position, still they managed to kiss, brief and tentatively. The atmosphere was so peaceful and comfortable and the blonde felt so content… He let his head fall back against the armchair, his forehead against Heero's neck, and closed his eyes, smiling at the knowledge that he was no longer alone.