Leia kept her eyes on the meal tray as she lowered it to the table. The tray held a foam plate, piled high with a stew that was more beans than meat, a large hunk of bread, and a cup of tea. She was dutifully attending fourth meal, even though she didn't think the extra food helped her stay warm. The tea inside the cup was sloshing side to side a bit. Maybe from her shivering. She slowed her movements, letting the tea settle, and she could tell Han was watching her. Luke was busy with his food.

"You look cold," Han observed needlessly as Leia chose a seat opposite him and next to Luke.

Luke greeted her like a normal person, "Hi, Leia."

"Of course I'm not cold," Leia lied to Han. She was wearing her quilted snow suit and the svelte suede gloves.

"You got my text," Luke grinned at her.

"I answered you," Leia pointed out.

"Oh, right," Luke said. He had only gotten in a few hours ago from patrol with the Rogues. Han had been gone, too; he'd landed his freighter from a smuggling run after first meal. Luke looked at Han. "Funny way of greeting each other." Then he looked at Leia, to see if she agreed with him, but apparently not, for the corners of her lips were curled from either side of her tea cup and her eyes were on Han.

Han lifted a few fingers as if his existence was self-explanatory. Leia sipped, eyeing Han from the lowered position of her head. During the walk from the dispenser to the table the tea had changed from steaming hot to tepid.

Next to her, Luke still wore his hat. Leia hadn't seen his ears in months. He ate his meal with his gloves clumsily gripping the fork. Han, evidently, was only keeping Luke company. There was no tray in front of him.

"Even your voice is cold," Han said. His ears were nice, somewhat pink but grazed by little waves of dark hair. His ungloved fingers were long, stained at the knuckles from something.

"The frosty tone is reserved for you," Leia retorted.

Of course he liked that. He leaned back, scraping a jacketed arm against the ice wall.

It was a jacket from his own wardrobe (if smuggling freighter captains had such a thing), and it didn't appear to be overly warm at that. He didn't comply with the required dress, but he didn't have to, since he wasn't enlisted. Leia cast a critical eye over him while he grinned smugly at her, wondering which of the possibilities she came up with was correct.

He could be thumbing his nose. At the Alliance, or at Hoth's climate, or even at her. Or all of the above. It wouldn't surprise her. Or, he didn't have the right gear and damned if he was going to ask and he was shivering inside. Or, maybe his repeated boasts of being a hot-blooded Corellian had an actual bit of truth, and he didn't feel the cold as deeply as the others.

Leia scowled at him and his brows went up, his way of smiling at her. It wasn't fair, if the latter was the truth.

The Alliance established a very regimented life on Hoth, for the health and safety of its personnel. The climate and weather were as dangerous an enemy as the Empire, and one did not engage the enemy. Snow gear was required at all times, as was accepting four meals from the mess.

Even if it wasn't a military order, she would wear the protective clothing because the base was located inside an ice cavern, and it was cold. Very cold.

Meat dropped off Luke's fork. Leia's food sat untouched. She knew without needing to sample it that it wouldn't taste like much. And she thought how lately Hoth wasn't very fun. The cold dulled the senses. Even food had no taste.

"I'm cold," Luke put in. He took another stab at his meat.

"Who asked you?" Han said, turning to Luke like he forgot he was there.

Leia smiled, at Luke or at Han, or maybe both. That was why time dragged lately. She had missed them.

Luke shrugged, unconcerned. "No one. But it's like taking attendance. 'Who's cold?' 'I am'," Luke raised his fork again and gravy hung, unable to drip, somewhere between a state of solid and liquid.

Leia lost her appetite. She pushed her tray away. Fourth meal was eaten before lights out. The theory was the calories burned in digestion would keep a body warm while sleeping. Personally, Leia would need to see the science before she believed it.

She gave Luke a sympathetic look and turned back to Han. She gestured with her chin at the bare table in front of Han that indicated he had not partaken in a meal. "You look hungry."

A corner of his mouth lifted. "Always am, sweetheart."

Leia hooded her eyes and was ready with a response when Luke dropped his fork on his plate. His head swung between both Han and Leia. "We three haven't eaten together in a while," he noted.

This was true. Han nodded once and Leia gave him a smile.

But Luke wasn't being overly emotional about it. He knew neither Han nor Leia were comfortable when he gushed. He had something to point out to them. He wasn't sure exactly what it was. All he knew was he had a vague feeling Han and Leia wasted his time, talking like that, and it made him irritable. And he'd just gotten back and he wanted a nice time together with his two friends.

"So do you got to?" he complained.

"Got to what?" Han asked innocently.

"You know." Luke's eyes were directed at his plate, and he sorted the beans with some aggression.

Han and Leia looked at each other.

"We were talking about being cold," Luke grumped.

"And I said I'm not," Leia said.

"I'm not, either," Han said.

Luke stood up and snatched his tray. "You're both lying idiots, you know that? Sparks!" he fairly shouted and some faces turned their way. "Even when you're cold you're not. I'm gonna go find someone to eat with that talks sense." He stalked away and joined the table where other Rogue pilots were eating.

Leia stared after Luke a little bemused. She had no idea why he was so frustrated. It must be Hoth, she thought. But she decided not to chase after him. She could apologize later. "I wonder what's gotten into him?" she wondered out loud to Han.

"Said something about sparks," Han said. He gazed over at Luke, who was now laughing while Antilles and Janson threw pieces of bread at each other. Then he grinned at Leia, charming and conspiring. "Guess he can't take the heat."

She grinned back. She didn't need fourth meal to stay warm some nights. "I guess he can't," she agreed.

Luke stood up. He shouted over to Han and Leia, while pellets of bread bounced off his padded coat. "See? This is how you stay warm!"

Han declined to join the food fight. "I'm warm."

So did Leia. The two remained at their table.

"I'm warm, too," she said.