The next weekend Relina sat with Heero lying down. His head was resting on her leg. He was sweet with his eyes closed and yet he still looked fierce.

Relina looked off into the distance. She hoped that dust cloud on the road wasn’t a car, or if it was she hoped that it wasn’t looking for either of them. She prized the quiet time they spent together, even more so after the diary incident. She had wanted to shoot Duo and Wufei, but Heero had taken care of them. She hadn’t asked him what he’d done but both Wufei and Duo had looked miserable enough to suit her.

Relina gently moved her leg out from under his head and lay down next to him on the grass. Relina took the small book out of his hands and set it down next to him. She moved again, placed her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat while she reread her essay for Mr. Hunter. A guilty Cheyenne and a supportive Heero had said they would help her put a few finishing touches on it once she was done checking it for errors and typos.

“Enjoying yourself?” Heero asked her his voice colored with languor. This dreamy behavior was unusual for him, though not unwelcome. He stretched and yawned and Relina couldn't help laughing out loud.

Heero gave her a teasingly perturbed look.

“What?” he demanded.

“You look like a cat. I luuuv cats.”

Heero chuckled. Then he attacked.

Relina screamed, "Heero stop! I mean it, stop!”

Relina stopped talking. She just couldn’t talk through the giggles. Heero, at unexpected moments, had a habit of trying to tickle her to death. Heero and Relina wrestled for a few moments finally ending up with him on top halfway down the hill. Relina wasn’t sure what had suddenly inspired his sudden vitality and mischievously.

Looking up at him she said mockingly, ”You have been spending a bit too much time around Duo.”

Heero gave her an exasperated look. Again. Then he thought about it for a moment.

“Yeah, I think I have.”