He nodded once more.

“Are you going to the party tonight?”  She tried a new topic of conversation.

He shrugged.

Relena gritted her teeth in irritation.  She couldn’t help but sarcastically think about how he was such the conversationalist!  He had wonderful talking skills.  In fact he could probably run for conversationalist of the year with the skills of diplomacy he had.

She started to walk towards the kitchen, wanting to leave Heero standing by himself, the way he’d left her by herself numerous times that term.

But he stopped her.

He was always doing that sort of thing to her.  Stopping her mid-stride.  With a word, a gesture, the glint in his eye.  It was disturbing this power he held over her.

And yet, she got an alarmingly strange sort of buzz out of it.  If he was capable of doing strange things to her, did that mean that she did the same to him??

Heero stepped in her path, pulling the top box she was carrying into his own arms.  “I’ll help you.”

He didn’t have to say much.  Words weren’t always needed between them.  Even though Relena sometimes wished he’d say more.  But she was smart enough to be content with his gesture of citizenship.

It was funny.  There were so many quirks to their relationship.  They could have been boyfriend and girlfriend.  But Relena wasn’t even sure if they were friends. 

And she wasn’t sure that she wanted to be friends.

She’d always had bigger plans for Heero.

As they trekked their way towards the kitchen, Relena studied his profile.  He probably knew she was staring at him.  Just as she knew when he was watching her.  Before he turned to meet her own gaze, she turned her head. 

It was like a game for her.  And for him.

But with him here, in her hometown, amongst her friends and family for Christmas, she had the upper hand.  She stood an awfully favourable chance of winning the game this time ‘round.  She turned this time to meet his own gaze.  There was a hidden longing in those eyes, masked by sheer determination not to give in.  Not to be weak.  Not to let desire – longing – and dear she say it, love get in the way of his mission.  Whatever the personal mission he had actually was….

“Thanks.”  Relena hummed as he gruffly handed the box back to her.  “I’ll see you at the party tonight.”

“You’re going?”

She chose her next words carefully.  “Well, I was invited.  But my mum needs me to waitress instead.”

“You’re working?”

She nodded.  They didn’t say any parting words.  They only ever said what was in fact needed to be said.  She mused that he didn’t often say what he really – deep in his heart wanted to say.

Maybe someday he would.  When he finally could face it.

Until then, Relena would wait.

Oh…he had such beautiful eyes.