Author's Notes

It's been a few years, they're all 18, and I'm softening Heero a little. He actually talks some and is a bit more open with his emotions. Not as open as Quatre, more like Trowa is (note, Trowa does smile more than Heero in the series, I think), not so cold and impersonal as he used to be. Just imagine he's been living out of the army for a while and had to warm up slightly to people. (i.e., he actually replies to questions and comments...) Also, I am incorporating the theory that his real name is Aiden Lowe, and (very important) I am not going by the traditional explanation of Heero's youth.

Also, note that this story is straight fluff. Don't expect much in the way of plot or consistency.

Rated for innuendo and brief nudity.

Chapter 1: Christmas Party

It was almost Christmas time and eighteen-year-old Relena Darlian-Peacecraft was dancing with a man twice her age.

How in Deathscythe Hell did I get into this situation? she asked herself as a man twice this one's age winked at her. She sighed, the answer coming all too quickly. Maybe because I just inherited half the Sanq Kingdom's royal treasury? There hadn't been much left, but it was enough to last her several generations, even when split with her brother.

The party dwindled slower than she would have liked, and Relena was finally able to excuse herself for the night and retire to her room. After a moment, her brother Miliardo came up to tell her goodnight.

"Did you have a good time?" he sat on her bed and put an arm around her. Relena smiled up at him and nodded, hugging him back.

"It was lovely," she lied. He had worked so hard to make this day nice, she didn't dare disappoint him. He had been trying to make up for lost time together ever since the last war had ended and peace had taken control.

"Well, I have another surprise for you," he said, going to her door and opening it as Relena tried to paste a false smile on her face that looked convincing enough. She was very tired and wanted to be done with boring parties.

"Surprise!" a group of people called, piling into her room. Relena gasped and laughed happily as the Gundam Pilots and their female counterparts piled gifts onto her bed and lap. All her friends from the war were there, chattering excitedly, and Duo even went as far as to kiss her cheek as he handed her his and Hilde's present. She smiled at the pair, happy, having heard about their successful little repair shop in the city and congratulating them for it. They grinned and shared a small smile, which Relena caught and wondered at as Catherine brought up her present. Was there something else going on between the pair of them that went beyond their supposed friendship?

Quatre came forward with a beautiful gilded birdcage, a silken blue cloth covering it, and the darkness of the fabric reminding her sadly of a young man's eyes whom she had noticed wasn't here. Wiping thoughts of him from her mind as she was so accustomed to doing, Relena peeked under the cloth and found a small bird sleeping on the perch. It ruffled and shook itself, but settled back down as she watched. "It's a nightingale," Quatre told her, "and will keep you company with its song." He smiled gently. "I hope you don't mind birds."

"No," she straightened, her eyes wet with joy. She had always loved Quatre's sweetness and now, after all those money-grubbing dance partners, it meant more to her than anything . . . they all did. Relena bent forward to hug him and the tears spilled over, "I love it, really."

"You're crying." He looked worried, but she smiled as more tears fell.

"I'm just so happy," Relena looked around at everyone, "Thank you, guys."

"I hope I'm not too late," a calm voice stated from the doorway, and they all turned to be greeted with the sight of the Wing Gundam's pilot leaning against the doorjamb.

"No, of course not," Relena told him gracefully, and he came forward to hand her his own present. "Thank you." She looked around at everyone, holding Heero's present in her hands as he stepped back, and she made a concerned face. "But I don't have anything for all of you."

"Eh," Duo waved it off, "That's all right, you can just go shopping tomorrow." He let out a whoosh of air as Hilde elbowed him, and they all blinked as Heero laughed. Even windless Duo smirked in his doubled-over position to see the usually stoic pilot's good humor.

"Well," Milliardo spoke up, "You can all share the guest rooms if you like, and stay here for a few days. I know some of you traveled very far." He looked at Quatre who smiled and nodded gratefully. Shooting a glance at the once-again silent Heero, the soldier only nodded once, agreeing to the idea. In the meantime, Catherine was urging Relena to open her gifts, but the princess bit her lip and shook her head.

"I should wait until Christmas, don't you think?" she looked up at the others. "That would give me time to get all of you something, and we could have a little party!" She smiled sweetly and everyone in the room agreed, though Sally had to coerce Wufei into the idea of missing a few days of work. That settled, Relena got everyone to help her take the things down to her private living room, where a Christmas tree was set up, and Relena happily recalled when she, Milliardo, and Noin had decorated it. It was strung with popcorn on thread, and homey old ornaments, sparkling after the polishing they'd gotten after being in the attic for so long. On the front of the tree, just for memory's sake, Relena had bought five cheap little Gundam miniatures from a dollar store and hung them up. And atop the tree, crowned in all it's tiny glory, sat the rough dark-haired paper angel Milliardo had made in honor of his wife, Noin. It was supposed to be a likeness of her, but looked a little like an ice cream cone paper turned upside down, a foam ball stuck on the point, and a mop of dark blue yarn glued to the top with a paper doily cut and taped to the back. All in all, a pathetic effort, if a romantic gesture, and Noin had loved it.

"There!" Relena said, surveying the pile of presents under the tree. It was a small pile, only Relena, Noin, and Milliardo's gifts to each other were there before, and the new ones only added to the slight bulk, but Relena was determined to make the pile grow starting this week, when she would employ Noin to go shopping with her for the others.

Yes, this Christmas would be a lovely one.