Chapter 1: Camera
Title: Camera
Author: tsubameongaku
Pairing: Athrun Zala and Cagalli Yula Athha
Fandom: Gundam Seed
Theme #1, #4 and #11: Look over here, our distance that person and gardenia
Genre: Romance/ Humor/ Drama
Rating: K
Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Destiny…
Author’s note: I read in a forum about ETERNITY being an organization. I thought that the info might be useful. I decided to use it in this story. The difference in this version from the series is that here. Cagalli and Athrun are engaged. This is a continuation of “A Thousand Words.” This has a bit of MiriDearka…^_^
Summary: Cagalli gets a new camera. It is a gift from Mirialla for her birthday. She decides to put it to some use, dragging a frustrated Miri with her. Miri never expected Cagalli to use her present to spy on Athrun…the truth is, they don’t make very good spies. :P
~~0~~
Tsubame: Hehehe…this is a continuation of “A Thousand Words.”
~~0~~
Chapter 1: “Camera”
By: Tsubame Ongaku
~~0~~
“Miriallia, this is beautiful!” Cagalli said. In her hands, she held an expensive-looking digital camera. On her lap, sat an opened box sat with the blue gift wrapper carelessly torn. The red bow was so somewhere on the floor but Cagalli was too engrossed on the present to care where it went.
Miriallia smiled. “Really? You like it?”
Cagalli wrapped her arms around her friend. “Oh, more than like it! I love it!” She then began to snap pictures of objects around the room. She winked at her friend. “With this, do you think I have a future as a photographer?”
The pretty brunette giggled. “Don’t you think that being a representative takes most of your time?” Miriallia Haww was a close friend of Cagalli. Miriallia had decided to work for Cagalli after the war. She was now her personal secretary and best friend. Miriallia had changed her hairstyle since then. Her hair was longer and her eyes told people that this person had went through and seen too much.
“Yes, it wouldn’t hurt to have a hobby though.” Cagalli put it down on the table. There was something Cagalli needed to tell Miriallia. “Do you miss photography?”
Miriallia just smiled sadly and shrugged. “Sometimes I do. I don’t regret this choice though.” She bit her lip, a mannerism she did when she was thinking. “Photography reminds me of Tolle…he knew how much I loved it.”
“I’m sorry I asked,” Cagalli said, solemnly. Cagalli had heard much about Tolle Koenig from Kira, her brother. He was one of their comrades that died during the war and Miriallia’s beloved boyfriend.
“That’s okay,” Miriallia assured her. “That was a long time ago.” She pasted the cheerful smile on her face again. With Miriallia these days, you never know what she’s thinking. She always smiled and kept herself busy. She betrayed none of the sadness and loneliness she truly felt…and Cagalli sensed. “So what do you want to do with your new camera first?”
“Hmmm…I never really thought about it,” she replied. She took the camera again from the table, and began looking through the lens. “There is always the garden, the garden is very pretty this time of year.”
Miriallia jumped up. “Good choice. The garden is always a good place to start.” She winked. “Besides, your garden could pass as the garden of Eden.”
Minutes later, the girls were taking pictures of various flowers in the garden. White lilies, yellow daffodils, purple irises and who could for get various kinds of roses. Miriallia always had a camera ready with her. “You never know when something happens.” This was like a code she lived by.
“I heard that you broke up with Dearka,” Cagalli said, naturally. She was still distracted by the picture- taking. “The guy loves you. Why?” Dearka Elsman was the blonde and handsome coordinator Miriallia had dated for a while. Cagalli was surprised by their sudden breakup.
Cagalli had watched them together countless times. Dearka was crazy about her. You only had to look at him to know that. Cagalli had heard about the breakup from Shiho. It came as a surprise.
“You can’t break up what never was, Cagalli,” she replied quietly. “We dated but…”
“He couldn’t get you to forget Tolle, huh?”
Miriallia looked away. It was so close to the truth. “I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t need to. I can sense it.” Cagalli put the camera down long enough to smile at her friend. “But the important thing is…that he is trying, Miriallia. Shouldn’t you try too?”
Miriallia didn’t reply. Couldn’t reply. She didn’t want to admit that she knew she wasn’t being fair to Dearka. She hadn’t been taking his calls and avoided every possible encounter with him.
“Miri, if there is something bothering you, you can tell me.” Cagalli said, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder.
“It was Tolle’s death anniversary last week,” she whispered her reply. “I was on a date with Dearka. The Koenigs tried calling me at my apartment to remind me.” She clenched her fists. “I wasn’t there…”
“And you blame Dearka?”
The brunette shook her head. “No, I don’t. I blame myself.” She gripped the camera tighter. “How could I have forgotten, Cagalli? What kind of girlfriend am I?”
“Get a grip!” Cagalli scolded. “For one thing, Miri, Tolle’s gone! Do you think he’d like to see you like this, if he were alive?” She frowned at her friend. “Tolle’s gone…but Dearka’s here! What more do you want? You didn’t mean to forget! I’m sure he would have understood.”
“I can take care of my own problems…thank you very much,” she replied, icily.
Cagalli sighed. “Miri, let’s not fight. It is not worth it.” She snapped a few more pictures. She clicked on the button for the slideshow for the camera. She wanted to see how she was doing.
Miriallia walked up behind her. “These are pretty good, Cagalli.”
“These are boring,” she whined. “These are not much of a challenge.” She suddenly broke into a grin. Miriallia didn’t like the look of that grin. “I have a better idea.”
“Cagalli, if this is one of your stunts again, then count me out.”
Cagalli batted her eyes, prettily. “Pretty please, Miri…it is harmless this time. I swear.”
“That was what you said last time,” Miriallia told her. “And the time before that. No way, Cagalli. I’m staying here in this mansion, where it is safe.”
~~0~~
“Why do I always allow you to talk me into this mess?”
Cagalli grinned, childishly. It took her a while but she finally talked Miriallia to go along with her plan. “Come on, Miriallia. I told you this is harmless.”
“Yes, it is harmless, but stalking your fiancé is not really my idea of a good time.” She crossed her arms. They were crouched under some rose bushes. “Why do you need me to be here anyway?”
Cagalli was snapping some pictures but then made a cute little puppy-dog face. “Awww…” she whined. “Miri, would you really leave me to do this alone?”
Miriallia rolled her eyes. There she goes again, using that look to get what she wanted. “Fine…but under duress.”
Ten meters away from them, Athrun Zala, Cagalli’s green-eyed and blue-haired fiancé, was lounging on a chair and reading the newspaper. His tea was half-full and sat on top of the table beside him. Every few minutes, he would pick up his tea and sip it. He was waiting for Kira actually. They had work to do on ETERNITY, the organization they built to bridge relations between Coordinators and Naturals.
Kira Yamato, Cagalli’s brother and Athrun Zala, Cagalli’s fiancé, founded ETERNITY. Cagalli, with the help of Orb, helped fund this organization and Lacus helped with the negotiations. Lacus was the Communications Representative of the PLANTS. She was the bridge between the PLANTS and Earth.
Twenty minutes later, Athrun still hadn’t moved from his spot and it was almost like his tea would never be empty.
“How long does it take one person to drink tea?” Cagalli was getting extremely bored.
“What are you two doing here hiding behind the bushes?”
Cagalli and Miriallia froze at the sound of Dearka’s voice. Dearka waved his hand in front of their faces. “Hey? Are you two, okay?”
Cagalli grabbed Dearka’s collar and dragged him down. Dearka’s face landed flat on the grass. “Are you mad, Elsman? He might hear you?”
“Are you crazy, woman?” the blonde coordinator yelled. “Of course I’m mad. My face had just kissed the---“
Cagalli clamped his mouth shut. “Quiet, you idiot.”
Athrun’s head suddenly looked up from his newspaper. He looked around, looking for the source of the voice he heard. He could have sworn that he heard someone. One of the voices sounded very much like Cagalli. When he, didn’t see anybody, he shrugged and returned his attention back to his newspaper.
Cagalli sighed with relief. He didn’t see them.
“Oud ouu ind?” Dearka mumbled, his mouth stilled covered shut by Cagalli. Translation: “Would you mind?”
“Oh, sorry.” She let go.
Dearka straightened his collar and brushed away imaginary dusts from his uniform. “Would you mind explaining why we’re crouched here on ground, watching Athrun?”
“No reason in particular. Aren’t you busy with something?”
Dearka got the message. Cagalli was getting him to leave but he wasn’t going to bite. “Nice try…it is either you start explaining…” he grinned, devilishly. “Or…I might decided to give Athrun a little surprise visit?”
“You wouldn’t dare,” Cagalli hissed, crushing the flower she had held in her hands.
Dearka snorted. “Really?” He folded his arms in front of him. “Are you willing to risk it?”
Cagalli bit her lip. She had a plan but Miriallia was really going to kill her for it later. “Miri, don’t just stand there. Do something!”
Dearka’s eyes widened and looked to his side. Miriallia, who had been quiet all through the time, looked away.
“Why? Why was Dearka here? Of all times to come, he had to come here now,” she thought. There was no use avoiding him now. She had nowhere to run.
It was as if Dearka forgot Cagalli ever existed. He took Miriallia’s hand with his. “Miri, I’ve been trying to get a hold on you for a week.”
Miriallia still refused to face him. “I know…”
“We need to talk,” he said, remembering that Cagalli was there. “Privately.”
Miriallia wanted to refuse. She really did but then she thought that Dearka needed an explanation. He deserved that much at least. He was also right that this wasn’t the place to conduct that talk, since Cagalli was there. She sighed. She was really going to kill her later. She nodded to him. “I’ll see you back at the house, Cagalli,” she told the blonde, crawling away.
“Yeah, I’ll see you there too. Kira wanted to talk to me and Athrun about something.” He winked, while making a teasing salute. He crawled away after Miriallia.
Cagalli was now completely alone. She sighed and turned back to spy on Athrun. She almost dropped her camera. He disappeared. She looked around for him, she sighed with relief when she found him by the water fountain.
Her eyes softened as she watched him. Athrun Zala was a beautiful sight. He sat on the side of the fountain and trailed his hands over the surface of the water. It wasn’t fair for a man to be so beautiful. He stood up and playfully balanced on the sides of the fountain. This surprised Cagalli.
Zala was playing? This was definitely a picture-perfect moment. It wasn’t everyday that she saw act playfully like that. Actually, you’d hardly see him as anything but serious at all. “Hey, Athrun!” she called. “Look over here!”
Athrun was taken by surprise. “Cagalli?” Cagalli snapped a picture.
Poor Athrun lost his balance and fell into the fountain in a big splash. He quickly stood up. He was dripping wet…and Cagalli was standing there watching him and laughing her head off. He folded his arms and rolled his eyes. “Yes, I’m glad you seem to think that this is very amusing, Cagalli.”
Cagalli was trying her best not to laugh so hard. She felt like her sides were splitting. “I’m sorry… it is just so funny.”
Athrun splashed some of the water to her direction. She dodged the attack and giggled. Athrun had a furious look on his face but all she felt like doing was laugh. Athrun Zala looked adorable even in a furious state. His blue hair dripping wet and his clothes were sticking to him like a second skin.
Cagalli watched him get out from the fountain. He was dripping wet and slowly made his way towards her. Though he towered over her by a lot, he didn’t intimidate her at all. When he reached her, she did not back away but faced him with her smile still in place. He was angry and she knew it but she was unafraid.
He would never hurt her…
“Did you enjoy your bath?” the vixen asked, innocently. She was trying to hold her laugher but her laughter was obvious in her eyes. “I thought you might need some cooling down.”
“What a nice fiancée you are, Cagalli,” he muttered sarcastically.
She snorted. “You’re so welcome, Athrun.” She raised her new camera. “Believe me, the pleasure is all mine.”
~~0~~
From a distance, Miriallia could hear Cagalli’s laughter. The lovely brunette smiled. She was happy for the princess. She was not sure what she did to Athrun this time but she wasn’t worried. Athrun never stayed upset for very long.
“I missed your smile.”
Miriallia turned her attention back to Dearka. He had a smile on his face as he always did when they were together but somehow it was different. It was a sad smile. Miriallia could tell. She’d been with him long enough.
She looked away, refusing to meet him eye to eye. She was afraid that if she did, all her defenses might break down. She couldn’t let that happen. “Thank you, Mister Elsman.”
Dearka frowned. “I thought we agreed that you’ll start calling me Dearka?” He wanted to shake some sense into her but held back. There had to be a reason for her strange behavior. “You’ve been avoiding me. Was it because of what happened last week?”
She gasped and tried to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall. She had to hold back…no matter what. She can’t breakdown now.
Dearka took her small hands in his bigger one. He used the other hand to stroke her cheek, gently. “Did…I scare you when I kissed you?”
Her hands began to tremble and Dearka could feel them tremble. He squeezed her hands tighter. “Talk to me, Miri. I need answers.”
“You want the truth?” She whispered, prying her hands away from him. “Do you really want to hear it?”
“You know I do…”
She folded her arms in front of her, maintaining her composure. “I can’t say that I didn’t like that kiss because… I did.” She blushed.
“Then…what’s the matter? Why have you been avoiding me?” He tried to reach out and touch her hair but Miriallia just kept backing away.
“The day you kissed me…” Dearka watched in surprise. In the corner of Miriallia’s eye, Dearka saw a tear but Miriallia wiped it away quickly. “…it was Tolle’s death anniversary.”
Dearka frowned and turned away. “Him again? You’ve been keeping your distance from me because of him again?” He clenched his fists angrily. He wanted to punch something. “When I kissed you, were you even thinking of me?” he demanded. “Or were you thinking of him? I’m not your ex-boyfriend, Miri. How many times does he have to come between us?”
“You don’t understand,” she replied, quietly. “What kind of girlfriend am I? I forgot all about his anniversary. I went on a date and kissed with another guy…on the day that he died.”
“He’s dead, Miri.”
“You don’t understand!” she screamed. She kneeled down on the grass. “You just…don’t.”
“You’re right. Maybe I don’t understand.” He bent down beside her. “I don’t know how it feels to lose somebody I care about. But, Miri…” Before he continued, Dearka wrapped his arms around her. “All I know is that if anything ever happened to you, I would just die.” He forced her to meet his eyes. “I love you, Miri.”
“Dearka, I…” Miriallia couldn’t continue. She didn’t know what to say. Tolle’s laughing face flashed in front of her for a moment. “…Tolle.”
Dearka’s expression softened. He pulled away from her and sighed. “I can see that this is not going anywhere.” He stood up and brushed out the dirt from his uniform. “I’ve never been good with sharing, Miri. I admit that I don’t want to share you because I want you all to myself.” He bent down one last time and kissed her cheek. “Until this Tolle stops coming between us maybe it is best if I stay away.”
She grabbed the sleeve of his uniform. She didn’t want him to leave her but he was right. It wasn’t fair for him. “Dearka, I’m so sorry.”
He shook his head. “Don’t be sorry. This is not goodbye.” His solemn face suddenly broke into a grin. “Well, since all this drama is over. I have to go to work! Athrun and Yzak will kill me if I don’t report for work.” He helped her stand up to her feet. “I’ll see you later, Miri.”
~~0~~
Athrun shivered. He was wrapped in a pink towel given to him by Cagalli. He suspected that she did it on purpose to annoy him. He felt silly using it. Cagalli returned from the kitchen, carrying two mugs of hot chocolate.
“I already called the limo to bring you your clothes,” she informed him, handing him the mug. She giggled, seeing Athrun’s frown. “I already said that I was sorry.”
The blue-haired Chairman of the PLANTS sneezed. “What were you doing anyway?” Slowly, he sipped his hot chocolate. He was grateful for the meagre warmth but was still cold since he was wet from head to foot. “You weren’t spying on me, were you?”
Cagalli smiled a deceptively innocent smile. “Of course not. Why would I do that?”
“Because you love to torment me and judging from that camera you’re hiding behind your back, you want to capture each grueling moment on film.” He banged his head softly on the lawn table. “Why do I put up with you?”
“Because you love me.”
“Don’t remind me.”
Cagalli put her mug on the table and looked towards the direction Dearka and Miriallia disappeared to. “I wonder how they’re doing.”
“Who?” Athrun asked. He was still sipping his hot chocolate, praying the limo driver would get here faster. Athrun didn’t care if he had to pay a fine for speeding.
“It’s Miri and Dearka.”
Athrun froze. “Miri was with you?” He suddenly sneezed.
“Bless you…”
“Thanks,” he said, pulling the towel tighter. “Dearka had been upset for the past week. It really bothered him that she was avoiding him.”
Cagalli nodded. “I can tell. I just hope they’re okay.” She groaned. “Miri is going to kill me later. What is Dearka doing here anyway?”
“The PLANTS council sent him here. They said that he’s going to be my bodyguard for the time being. Only until they’ve found a more permanent and suitable replacement.”
“Miri is not going to like this.” She ran a hand nervously through her hair. “This means that she’s going to be seeing Dearka in a daily basis.”
“Don’t worry,” he assured her. “Dearka and Miss Haww know how important it is to separate their private lives from their professional lives.”
“I hope you’re right.” She bit her lip and then suddenly broke into a mischievous grin. Athrun didn’t like that look at all.
“What does she have cooked up in that blonde head of hers no?” he thought. He was almost afraid to ask.
“Athrun, since Miri is going to busy for a while, why don’t you help me play with my new camera?”
“No!” Athrun almost screamed. “Cagalli, I will not allow you to pull me into one of your ridiculous antics again.”
She fluttered her eyes, teasingly. “Please Athrun. It will be harmless. I promise.”
He groaned. Cagalli and the word, "HARMLESS" did not fit together in the same sentence. Athrun could fight all he wants, but in the end, they both knew that she’d win. Cagalli always got what she wanted. “Harmless, Cagalli? Somehow…I really doubt that.”
~~0~~
Tsubame: There will still be a Chapter 2. This is going to be a chaptered story, I think... to make it more interesting... ^_= I hope you like it... I'd hate to think that I wrote this for nothing... *sigh* Please review and tell me what you think. Your comments might be useful for me to improve my writing before I post this in ff.net... Thank you... :)
This story is also posted in: 30_kisses and asucaga
Your Life Path Number is 11
Your purpose in life is to inspire others
Your amazing energy draws people to you, and you give them great insight in return.
You hold a great amount of power over others, without even trying.
You have the makings of an inventor, artist, religious leader, or prophet.
In love, you are sensitive and passionate. You connect with your partner on a very deep level.
You have great abilities, but you are often way too critical of yourself.
You don't fit in - and instead of celebrating your differences, you dwell on them.
You have high expectations of yourself. But sometimes you set them too high and don't achieve anything.
What Is Your Life Path Number?
This test is so true that it scares me... *shivers*
Author: tsubameongaku
Pairing: Athrun Zala and Cagalli Yula Athha
Fandom: Gundam Seed
Theme #1, #4 and #11: Look over here, our distance that person and gardenia
Genre: Romance/ Humor/ Drama
Rating: K
Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Destiny…
Author’s note: I read in a forum about ETERNITY being an organization. I thought that the info might be useful. I decided to use it in this story. The difference in this version from the series is that here. Cagalli and Athrun are engaged. This is a continuation of “A Thousand Words.” This has a bit of MiriDearka…^_^
Summary: Cagalli gets a new camera. It is a gift from Mirialla for her birthday. She decides to put it to some use, dragging a frustrated Miri with her. Miri never expected Cagalli to use her present to spy on Athrun…the truth is, they don’t make very good spies. :P
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Tsubame: Hehehe…this is a continuation of “A Thousand Words.”
~~0~~
Chapter 1: “Camera”
By: Tsubame Ongaku
~~0~~
“Miriallia, this is beautiful!” Cagalli said. In her hands, she held an expensive-looking digital camera. On her lap, sat an opened box sat with the blue gift wrapper carelessly torn. The red bow was so somewhere on the floor but Cagalli was too engrossed on the present to care where it went.
Miriallia smiled. “Really? You like it?”
Cagalli wrapped her arms around her friend. “Oh, more than like it! I love it!” She then began to snap pictures of objects around the room. She winked at her friend. “With this, do you think I have a future as a photographer?”
The pretty brunette giggled. “Don’t you think that being a representative takes most of your time?” Miriallia Haww was a close friend of Cagalli. Miriallia had decided to work for Cagalli after the war. She was now her personal secretary and best friend. Miriallia had changed her hairstyle since then. Her hair was longer and her eyes told people that this person had went through and seen too much.
“Yes, it wouldn’t hurt to have a hobby though.” Cagalli put it down on the table. There was something Cagalli needed to tell Miriallia. “Do you miss photography?”
Miriallia just smiled sadly and shrugged. “Sometimes I do. I don’t regret this choice though.” She bit her lip, a mannerism she did when she was thinking. “Photography reminds me of Tolle…he knew how much I loved it.”
“I’m sorry I asked,” Cagalli said, solemnly. Cagalli had heard much about Tolle Koenig from Kira, her brother. He was one of their comrades that died during the war and Miriallia’s beloved boyfriend.
“That’s okay,” Miriallia assured her. “That was a long time ago.” She pasted the cheerful smile on her face again. With Miriallia these days, you never know what she’s thinking. She always smiled and kept herself busy. She betrayed none of the sadness and loneliness she truly felt…and Cagalli sensed. “So what do you want to do with your new camera first?”
“Hmmm…I never really thought about it,” she replied. She took the camera again from the table, and began looking through the lens. “There is always the garden, the garden is very pretty this time of year.”
Miriallia jumped up. “Good choice. The garden is always a good place to start.” She winked. “Besides, your garden could pass as the garden of Eden.”
Minutes later, the girls were taking pictures of various flowers in the garden. White lilies, yellow daffodils, purple irises and who could for get various kinds of roses. Miriallia always had a camera ready with her. “You never know when something happens.” This was like a code she lived by.
“I heard that you broke up with Dearka,” Cagalli said, naturally. She was still distracted by the picture- taking. “The guy loves you. Why?” Dearka Elsman was the blonde and handsome coordinator Miriallia had dated for a while. Cagalli was surprised by their sudden breakup.
Cagalli had watched them together countless times. Dearka was crazy about her. You only had to look at him to know that. Cagalli had heard about the breakup from Shiho. It came as a surprise.
“You can’t break up what never was, Cagalli,” she replied quietly. “We dated but…”
“He couldn’t get you to forget Tolle, huh?”
Miriallia looked away. It was so close to the truth. “I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t need to. I can sense it.” Cagalli put the camera down long enough to smile at her friend. “But the important thing is…that he is trying, Miriallia. Shouldn’t you try too?”
Miriallia didn’t reply. Couldn’t reply. She didn’t want to admit that she knew she wasn’t being fair to Dearka. She hadn’t been taking his calls and avoided every possible encounter with him.
“Miri, if there is something bothering you, you can tell me.” Cagalli said, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder.
“It was Tolle’s death anniversary last week,” she whispered her reply. “I was on a date with Dearka. The Koenigs tried calling me at my apartment to remind me.” She clenched her fists. “I wasn’t there…”
“And you blame Dearka?”
The brunette shook her head. “No, I don’t. I blame myself.” She gripped the camera tighter. “How could I have forgotten, Cagalli? What kind of girlfriend am I?”
“Get a grip!” Cagalli scolded. “For one thing, Miri, Tolle’s gone! Do you think he’d like to see you like this, if he were alive?” She frowned at her friend. “Tolle’s gone…but Dearka’s here! What more do you want? You didn’t mean to forget! I’m sure he would have understood.”
“I can take care of my own problems…thank you very much,” she replied, icily.
Cagalli sighed. “Miri, let’s not fight. It is not worth it.” She snapped a few more pictures. She clicked on the button for the slideshow for the camera. She wanted to see how she was doing.
Miriallia walked up behind her. “These are pretty good, Cagalli.”
“These are boring,” she whined. “These are not much of a challenge.” She suddenly broke into a grin. Miriallia didn’t like the look of that grin. “I have a better idea.”
“Cagalli, if this is one of your stunts again, then count me out.”
Cagalli batted her eyes, prettily. “Pretty please, Miri…it is harmless this time. I swear.”
“That was what you said last time,” Miriallia told her. “And the time before that. No way, Cagalli. I’m staying here in this mansion, where it is safe.”
~~0~~
“Why do I always allow you to talk me into this mess?”
Cagalli grinned, childishly. It took her a while but she finally talked Miriallia to go along with her plan. “Come on, Miriallia. I told you this is harmless.”
“Yes, it is harmless, but stalking your fiancé is not really my idea of a good time.” She crossed her arms. They were crouched under some rose bushes. “Why do you need me to be here anyway?”
Cagalli was snapping some pictures but then made a cute little puppy-dog face. “Awww…” she whined. “Miri, would you really leave me to do this alone?”
Miriallia rolled her eyes. There she goes again, using that look to get what she wanted. “Fine…but under duress.”
Ten meters away from them, Athrun Zala, Cagalli’s green-eyed and blue-haired fiancé, was lounging on a chair and reading the newspaper. His tea was half-full and sat on top of the table beside him. Every few minutes, he would pick up his tea and sip it. He was waiting for Kira actually. They had work to do on ETERNITY, the organization they built to bridge relations between Coordinators and Naturals.
Kira Yamato, Cagalli’s brother and Athrun Zala, Cagalli’s fiancé, founded ETERNITY. Cagalli, with the help of Orb, helped fund this organization and Lacus helped with the negotiations. Lacus was the Communications Representative of the PLANTS. She was the bridge between the PLANTS and Earth.
Twenty minutes later, Athrun still hadn’t moved from his spot and it was almost like his tea would never be empty.
“How long does it take one person to drink tea?” Cagalli was getting extremely bored.
“What are you two doing here hiding behind the bushes?”
Cagalli and Miriallia froze at the sound of Dearka’s voice. Dearka waved his hand in front of their faces. “Hey? Are you two, okay?”
Cagalli grabbed Dearka’s collar and dragged him down. Dearka’s face landed flat on the grass. “Are you mad, Elsman? He might hear you?”
“Are you crazy, woman?” the blonde coordinator yelled. “Of course I’m mad. My face had just kissed the---“
Cagalli clamped his mouth shut. “Quiet, you idiot.”
Athrun’s head suddenly looked up from his newspaper. He looked around, looking for the source of the voice he heard. He could have sworn that he heard someone. One of the voices sounded very much like Cagalli. When he, didn’t see anybody, he shrugged and returned his attention back to his newspaper.
Cagalli sighed with relief. He didn’t see them.
“Oud ouu ind?” Dearka mumbled, his mouth stilled covered shut by Cagalli. Translation: “Would you mind?”
“Oh, sorry.” She let go.
Dearka straightened his collar and brushed away imaginary dusts from his uniform. “Would you mind explaining why we’re crouched here on ground, watching Athrun?”
“No reason in particular. Aren’t you busy with something?”
Dearka got the message. Cagalli was getting him to leave but he wasn’t going to bite. “Nice try…it is either you start explaining…” he grinned, devilishly. “Or…I might decided to give Athrun a little surprise visit?”
“You wouldn’t dare,” Cagalli hissed, crushing the flower she had held in her hands.
Dearka snorted. “Really?” He folded his arms in front of him. “Are you willing to risk it?”
Cagalli bit her lip. She had a plan but Miriallia was really going to kill her for it later. “Miri, don’t just stand there. Do something!”
Dearka’s eyes widened and looked to his side. Miriallia, who had been quiet all through the time, looked away.
“Why? Why was Dearka here? Of all times to come, he had to come here now,” she thought. There was no use avoiding him now. She had nowhere to run.
It was as if Dearka forgot Cagalli ever existed. He took Miriallia’s hand with his. “Miri, I’ve been trying to get a hold on you for a week.”
Miriallia still refused to face him. “I know…”
“We need to talk,” he said, remembering that Cagalli was there. “Privately.”
Miriallia wanted to refuse. She really did but then she thought that Dearka needed an explanation. He deserved that much at least. He was also right that this wasn’t the place to conduct that talk, since Cagalli was there. She sighed. She was really going to kill her later. She nodded to him. “I’ll see you back at the house, Cagalli,” she told the blonde, crawling away.
“Yeah, I’ll see you there too. Kira wanted to talk to me and Athrun about something.” He winked, while making a teasing salute. He crawled away after Miriallia.
Cagalli was now completely alone. She sighed and turned back to spy on Athrun. She almost dropped her camera. He disappeared. She looked around for him, she sighed with relief when she found him by the water fountain.
Her eyes softened as she watched him. Athrun Zala was a beautiful sight. He sat on the side of the fountain and trailed his hands over the surface of the water. It wasn’t fair for a man to be so beautiful. He stood up and playfully balanced on the sides of the fountain. This surprised Cagalli.
Zala was playing? This was definitely a picture-perfect moment. It wasn’t everyday that she saw act playfully like that. Actually, you’d hardly see him as anything but serious at all. “Hey, Athrun!” she called. “Look over here!”
Athrun was taken by surprise. “Cagalli?” Cagalli snapped a picture.
Poor Athrun lost his balance and fell into the fountain in a big splash. He quickly stood up. He was dripping wet…and Cagalli was standing there watching him and laughing her head off. He folded his arms and rolled his eyes. “Yes, I’m glad you seem to think that this is very amusing, Cagalli.”
Cagalli was trying her best not to laugh so hard. She felt like her sides were splitting. “I’m sorry… it is just so funny.”
Athrun splashed some of the water to her direction. She dodged the attack and giggled. Athrun had a furious look on his face but all she felt like doing was laugh. Athrun Zala looked adorable even in a furious state. His blue hair dripping wet and his clothes were sticking to him like a second skin.
Cagalli watched him get out from the fountain. He was dripping wet and slowly made his way towards her. Though he towered over her by a lot, he didn’t intimidate her at all. When he reached her, she did not back away but faced him with her smile still in place. He was angry and she knew it but she was unafraid.
He would never hurt her…
“Did you enjoy your bath?” the vixen asked, innocently. She was trying to hold her laugher but her laughter was obvious in her eyes. “I thought you might need some cooling down.”
“What a nice fiancée you are, Cagalli,” he muttered sarcastically.
She snorted. “You’re so welcome, Athrun.” She raised her new camera. “Believe me, the pleasure is all mine.”
~~0~~
From a distance, Miriallia could hear Cagalli’s laughter. The lovely brunette smiled. She was happy for the princess. She was not sure what she did to Athrun this time but she wasn’t worried. Athrun never stayed upset for very long.
“I missed your smile.”
Miriallia turned her attention back to Dearka. He had a smile on his face as he always did when they were together but somehow it was different. It was a sad smile. Miriallia could tell. She’d been with him long enough.
She looked away, refusing to meet him eye to eye. She was afraid that if she did, all her defenses might break down. She couldn’t let that happen. “Thank you, Mister Elsman.”
Dearka frowned. “I thought we agreed that you’ll start calling me Dearka?” He wanted to shake some sense into her but held back. There had to be a reason for her strange behavior. “You’ve been avoiding me. Was it because of what happened last week?”
She gasped and tried to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall. She had to hold back…no matter what. She can’t breakdown now.
Dearka took her small hands in his bigger one. He used the other hand to stroke her cheek, gently. “Did…I scare you when I kissed you?”
Her hands began to tremble and Dearka could feel them tremble. He squeezed her hands tighter. “Talk to me, Miri. I need answers.”
“You want the truth?” She whispered, prying her hands away from him. “Do you really want to hear it?”
“You know I do…”
She folded her arms in front of her, maintaining her composure. “I can’t say that I didn’t like that kiss because… I did.” She blushed.
“Then…what’s the matter? Why have you been avoiding me?” He tried to reach out and touch her hair but Miriallia just kept backing away.
“The day you kissed me…” Dearka watched in surprise. In the corner of Miriallia’s eye, Dearka saw a tear but Miriallia wiped it away quickly. “…it was Tolle’s death anniversary.”
Dearka frowned and turned away. “Him again? You’ve been keeping your distance from me because of him again?” He clenched his fists angrily. He wanted to punch something. “When I kissed you, were you even thinking of me?” he demanded. “Or were you thinking of him? I’m not your ex-boyfriend, Miri. How many times does he have to come between us?”
“You don’t understand,” she replied, quietly. “What kind of girlfriend am I? I forgot all about his anniversary. I went on a date and kissed with another guy…on the day that he died.”
“He’s dead, Miri.”
“You don’t understand!” she screamed. She kneeled down on the grass. “You just…don’t.”
“You’re right. Maybe I don’t understand.” He bent down beside her. “I don’t know how it feels to lose somebody I care about. But, Miri…” Before he continued, Dearka wrapped his arms around her. “All I know is that if anything ever happened to you, I would just die.” He forced her to meet his eyes. “I love you, Miri.”
“Dearka, I…” Miriallia couldn’t continue. She didn’t know what to say. Tolle’s laughing face flashed in front of her for a moment. “…Tolle.”
Dearka’s expression softened. He pulled away from her and sighed. “I can see that this is not going anywhere.” He stood up and brushed out the dirt from his uniform. “I’ve never been good with sharing, Miri. I admit that I don’t want to share you because I want you all to myself.” He bent down one last time and kissed her cheek. “Until this Tolle stops coming between us maybe it is best if I stay away.”
She grabbed the sleeve of his uniform. She didn’t want him to leave her but he was right. It wasn’t fair for him. “Dearka, I’m so sorry.”
He shook his head. “Don’t be sorry. This is not goodbye.” His solemn face suddenly broke into a grin. “Well, since all this drama is over. I have to go to work! Athrun and Yzak will kill me if I don’t report for work.” He helped her stand up to her feet. “I’ll see you later, Miri.”
~~0~~
Athrun shivered. He was wrapped in a pink towel given to him by Cagalli. He suspected that she did it on purpose to annoy him. He felt silly using it. Cagalli returned from the kitchen, carrying two mugs of hot chocolate.
“I already called the limo to bring you your clothes,” she informed him, handing him the mug. She giggled, seeing Athrun’s frown. “I already said that I was sorry.”
The blue-haired Chairman of the PLANTS sneezed. “What were you doing anyway?” Slowly, he sipped his hot chocolate. He was grateful for the meagre warmth but was still cold since he was wet from head to foot. “You weren’t spying on me, were you?”
Cagalli smiled a deceptively innocent smile. “Of course not. Why would I do that?”
“Because you love to torment me and judging from that camera you’re hiding behind your back, you want to capture each grueling moment on film.” He banged his head softly on the lawn table. “Why do I put up with you?”
“Because you love me.”
“Don’t remind me.”
Cagalli put her mug on the table and looked towards the direction Dearka and Miriallia disappeared to. “I wonder how they’re doing.”
“Who?” Athrun asked. He was still sipping his hot chocolate, praying the limo driver would get here faster. Athrun didn’t care if he had to pay a fine for speeding.
“It’s Miri and Dearka.”
Athrun froze. “Miri was with you?” He suddenly sneezed.
“Bless you…”
“Thanks,” he said, pulling the towel tighter. “Dearka had been upset for the past week. It really bothered him that she was avoiding him.”
Cagalli nodded. “I can tell. I just hope they’re okay.” She groaned. “Miri is going to kill me later. What is Dearka doing here anyway?”
“The PLANTS council sent him here. They said that he’s going to be my bodyguard for the time being. Only until they’ve found a more permanent and suitable replacement.”
“Miri is not going to like this.” She ran a hand nervously through her hair. “This means that she’s going to be seeing Dearka in a daily basis.”
“Don’t worry,” he assured her. “Dearka and Miss Haww know how important it is to separate their private lives from their professional lives.”
“I hope you’re right.” She bit her lip and then suddenly broke into a mischievous grin. Athrun didn’t like that look at all.
“What does she have cooked up in that blonde head of hers no?” he thought. He was almost afraid to ask.
“Athrun, since Miri is going to busy for a while, why don’t you help me play with my new camera?”
“No!” Athrun almost screamed. “Cagalli, I will not allow you to pull me into one of your ridiculous antics again.”
She fluttered her eyes, teasingly. “Please Athrun. It will be harmless. I promise.”
He groaned. Cagalli and the word, "HARMLESS" did not fit together in the same sentence. Athrun could fight all he wants, but in the end, they both knew that she’d win. Cagalli always got what she wanted. “Harmless, Cagalli? Somehow…I really doubt that.”
~~0~~
Tsubame: There will still be a Chapter 2. This is going to be a chaptered story, I think... to make it more interesting... ^_= I hope you like it... I'd hate to think that I wrote this for nothing... *sigh* Please review and tell me what you think. Your comments might be useful for me to improve my writing before I post this in ff.net... Thank you... :)
This story is also posted in: 30_kisses and asucaga
Your Life Path Number is 11
Your purpose in life is to inspire others
Your amazing energy draws people to you, and you give them great insight in return.
You hold a great amount of power over others, without even trying.
You have the makings of an inventor, artist, religious leader, or prophet.
In love, you are sensitive and passionate. You connect with your partner on a very deep level.
You have great abilities, but you are often way too critical of yourself.
You don't fit in - and instead of celebrating your differences, you dwell on them.
You have high expectations of yourself. But sometimes you set them too high and don't achieve anything.
What Is Your Life Path Number?
This test is so true that it scares me... *shivers*