Quatre stood, trying to shake off the uncomfortable and unfamiliar somberness that seemed to be plaguing him for the moment.

“Heyyy, I thought Heero was the only one who worked on Christmas,” Duo Maxwell commented lightly with a smile. “Why so down, Q-man?”

Quatre smiled back and tried hard not to wince at the ‘Q-man’. Only Duo ever called him that awful nickname. Usually it was the regular ‘Quatre-sama’ or ‘Mr. Winner’.

“Well, you know me…”

“Yeah, classic workaholic…anywho-” trust Duo to skip from subject to subject faster than one could blink-“I was thinking we could…maybe go somewhere for Christmas. You know, take a break? Even you need a break, buddy.”

Quatre lifted an eyebrow and grinned. “You think so? Tell that to the guy that brings me my reading material.” He glanced at all of the files on his desk.

“Tell me about it.” Duo scratched the back of his head. “What is all this stuff?”

Laughing, Quatre shrugged. “Various job applications, stock reports, employee’s documents, financial records, charts on production, meeting dates, galas, weddings, balls, parties, junctions, inventory, price lists, executive documents, supply and demand reports, average stock gains-”

“I get it, I get it. A pile of shit, basically, which you have to go through.”

“Exactly.” Quatre smiled at his old friend. “That said; wanna help?”

“Me? No way, pal.”

“That’s what I thought,” the Arab sighed jokingly. His eyes lit up. “Let’s get out of here, Duo. It’s Christmas.”

“That’s what I’m talkin’ about!”

*^^*^^*^^*^^*^^*

“Come on, Aki, we’ll be late!” Makoto Tanaka urged impatiently, tugging on her friend’s arm. Aki glanced up at her and grinned, hopping to get her remaining shoe on.

“I’m trying!”

“Oi, you two, not to rush you, but-HURRY UP!” Angel Tsuiraku yelled to them, only half teasing.

“Shut up, slave driver!” Mako called back.

“WHOOPA!” was the shouted reply. Mako laughed and dragged Aki to the car. Lian and Aisha were already inside.

“Just what’s the rush anyway?” Aki asked after being stuffed into the car next to Aisha.

“Christmas tree!” Angel and Aisha chirped happily. Lian sweatdropped and sighed.

“Leave it to them…” she muttered, but trailed off without finishing. After all, Angel was driving.

“Besides, Kyoto’s waiting, and we’ve got to get there before all the good ones are gone,” Aisha insisted. Mako glanced at her watch.

“The place isn’t even open yet!” she protested.

“Oh, bah humbug.” Angel replied dryly. Mako stuck her tongue out at her friend as they headed for the lot.

“Christmas trees?” Heero Yuy asked, raising his eyebrows at the said object.

“Haii!” Duo chirped happily.

“This’ll be fun, Heero. Relax,” Quatre agreed. “Besides, we’ve never had one before, not once in five years.”

Chang Wufei snorted. At twenty years old, and being Chinese, he didn’t see any particular need for a Christmas tree. Or desire. Messy, pointless, dead-in-less-than-a-month, overrated, over-decorated, stupid, sappy, onna-ish…in short, the very idea disgusted Wufei. To put it mildly. To put it very mildly.

The idea appealed to him even less as five hyper girls entered the lot. They were talking loudly, laughing, and being…well, basically, onnas.

“Aish!” one of them squealed, “that was my foot!”

“Er…oops?” the other replied.

Wufei groaned. Of all the stupid… “Ouch! Onna!”

“What did you just call me?” Now this onna was one to be reckoned with. Green, pupil-less eyes and fiery, dark red hair. She was glaring at him, and her glare was more than a little scary.

“…”

“That’s what I thought.”

“Mako! Stop picking on the poor guy and help me pick out a tree.” That was the onna that had gotten her foot stepped on. Short, very short…two different colors in her hair, and silver in her eyes. Wufei was instantly reminded of Duo, while the red-haired woman reminded him of Heero.

“What’s your name, Chinaman?” the woman with the red hair asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Chang Wufei.”

“Makoto Tanaka.”

“And I’m Angel.” The one with silver in her eyes…Wufei nodded to them both.

“I’m Aki!” another girl threw in, not to be left out.

“And I’m Aisha!”

“And Lian!”

“Hey…Wuffie! No fair! You can’t hog all of the girls,” Duo commented, walking up. “Hiya, ladies, I’m Duo.”

Quatre sighed. “That’s no way to introduce yourself, Duo.”

“It’s better than, ‘hello, ladies, what a pleasure it is to meet you. My name is Duo Maxwell, and I’m honored to make your acquaintance.’”

“Duo, I don’t speak that way.”

“Talk. You don’t TALK that way.”

“Oh, whatever.”

“Hi Duo! I’m Aisha!”

Duo smiled at the girl before him, who was grinning back happily. “Wanna look at trees with me?”

“Oh, how romantic,” Angel commented under her breath. Quatre, Mako, Lian, and Aki snickered softly.

“Shut up,” Aisha snapped her way, and then strutted off with Duo.

“Well…that’s one down,” Mako said. She looked at Lian. “One to go.”

“I can take a hint! Sort of…”

Aki, Angel and Mako laughed as Lian pondered her own words. Quatre joined in a second later. He was amazed at how Angel and Aki’s eyes seemed to light up and sparkle when they laughed.

It didn’t take Mako long to get bored, however, and Heero soon found that he had a Siamese twin.

“Hn.”

“Domo! I’m Mako!”

“Heero.”

“You’re a hottie!”

“Er…arigato…”

Mako beamed at him, with a rather naughty gleam in her eyes. Heero couldn’t decide whether to be scared or turned on. So he kissed her. Quickly, because he didn’t want to risk castration.

“Mm…you’re yummy,” she cooed, and pulled him back for another kiss. Heero smiled…he could get to liking this.