JC: One-shot fic everyone! I managed to come up with this in a day! Wow! I was just inspired by my friend's story that I decided to write. This is sort of a Shinn/Cagalli/Athrun fic. Please read and review!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Gundam Seed Characters. They officially belong to Sunrise.

The Love of a Destiny's Child

It was a sunny day at ORB Parliament House. A girl was sitting quietly on her chair in her office. Judging from her appearance, she was one excellent leader. Her golden hair was gleaming under the sunlight shining through the window. She wore an ORB military uniform with brocade and gold pleats on each side. Her pants looked finely ironed matching a spotless pair of black leather shoes.

Cagalli Yula Athha groaned at the sight of a dark-haired boy approaching her carrying a stack of papers. He was Shinn Asuka, a former soldier of ZAFT who has joined the ORB Military 6 months after the war. Apparently, his anger and hatred for the Athha family has diminished, which led him to work for Cagalli.

"There are more reports!" Cagalli said, scowling. "I can't believe this. When is this going to end?"

"I don't know and I don't care." He sounded annoyed.

"Do you have to sound like you're angry all the time?"

"This is how I normally speak."

"You could learn how to adjust your tone of voice." Cagalli raised one eyebrow at him.

Shinn settled the papers on her desk carefully. Cagalli knew it would be another pile of work for her. And she wanted to go home so badly and rest. But her responsibilities must always come first, she thought.

"Can you finish these before the sun sets?" Shinn asked, placing his hand on top of the papers.

Cagalli let out a deep sigh. "I hope so…"

"Need some help?" There was a hint of hesitation in Shinn's voice.

Cagalli looked up at him, surprised. "What did you just say?"

Shinn shrugged. "I asked if you need any help!" clarified Shinn.

"I'm appalled, Shinn," Cagalli said, grinning. "You never once helped me in my reports before." She eyed suspiciously at Shinn. He turned a little red as he turned his head away. Cagalli giggled a bit and teased about the way he blushed, which annoyed Shinn even more. But Cagalli didn't care if he would get mad at her.

They have gotten used to each other for the past two months. Shinn thought he would never find the heart to befriend Cagalli, but he managed to do so with the help of Athrun Zala, the infamous pilot of the Justice Gundam.

"I just want to help you and that's all!" blurted Shinn, his cheeks dyed in pinkish red.

"Is that so?" Cagalli stood up and went over to Shinn's side. Shinn focused his red eyes upon her amber ones as he felt the chill going through his body. Cagalli somewhat found him different. It was like he wasn't in his usual self. "Tell me, are you okay?"

Shinn slowly nodded. "I'm okay."

"But you look a little tense…"

Tense, he mused. Yes, he was tense and it was because of Cagalli. His heart was even pounding loudly and he wanted it to stop. "No… I'm not tense," he lied, lowering his head to avoid her eyes.

"Sure?"

Once again Shinn nodded his head. "Now can I help you?" he asked brightly.

Cagalli smiled. "Of course you can."

At that, Shinn's heart wanted to jump out. Surely he was delighted to help Cagalli out with her reports for the first time rather than delivering papers to her. But he wasn't expecting Cagalli to brief him on complicated instructions that almost rattled his brain cells out. Shinn, however, asked her relevant questions so he wouldn't commit any fatal mistakes. Cagalli was pleased to see how interested he was in helping her. It almost seemed too good to be true.

Cagalli placed some papers on another desk beside hers. "Start doing this half and I'll start with the other. You better finish all of it quickly." She went back to her own desk, sat down and continued with her work.

This is going to be a piece of cake, Shinn thought, sitting down. He picked up one paper from the pile and started reading it. He eventually lost his patience and scratched his head in frustration. He didn't expect it would be tiring for the eyes. Cagalli made it sound like it was an easy job. But I told her that I would help her. I mustn't disappoint Lady Cagalli…

He continued doing the reports until no single report was left. He did an awesome job finishing his work quickly. He stretched out his arms, letting out a sigh of relief, and murmured, "Finally done!" He turned his head to Cagalli's desk and saw her sipping coffee. "Since when did you finish?" he asked, standing up and approaching her.

"20 minutes before you did," replied Cagalli, putting her mug down. "Looks like I'm faster than you." She smiled teasingly.

"It's just because you're already used to this sort of thing!" he said, grumbling. Surely Cagalli knew what he was talking about. As Chief Representative of ORB she has been trained to write an almost endless chain of reports, to attend seminars and meetings, and to command a whole military organization. At first, Shinn thought of Cagalli as nothing more than a daughter of a foolish leader. He was blinded by rage and the eagerness for revenge because of his family's death and he blamed ORB—the Athha's for everything. It was hard for him to move on and forget about the past. However, as soon as he met Cagalli again after the war, the pain in his heart was swept away by her kind words.

"Since our work here is done we should get going now." Cagalli drank her coffee until the last drop and placed the mug on the desk. She positioned her chair back to its rightful place and tidied up her desk.

Shinn kept quiet as he cleaned up the desk he used. Flashbacks of his past zoomed in and out of his head as if they were plaguing him. Truth to be known, he had a countless number of lonely and striking memories. No matter how hard he tried to forget it, it always comes back. His past memories were like a scar that will always be permanent in his heart.

"Making excuses has always been the specialty of the Athha's…" He uttered those exact words when Cagalli was reprimanding Chairman Dullindal about the right path to take. He knew it would be rude just to butt in and say such things, but he felt like he had to. His hatred for the Athha's at the time—he felt like he had to express it.

"Shinn, let's go!" Her voice broke into his thoughts as she slammed her hand on the desk. "What are you standing here for?" she questioned, looking curious.

Though he had apologized to her a long time ago, he felt like apologizing again. For all the trouble he caused her, he wanted to do something more for her. He looked at her, with eyes so soft and mild. "Sorry… I was just thinking…"

Cagalli gazed into his red eyes as he took her hands into his. He clasped her hands securely as he kissed each hand tenderly. Cagalli's cheeks heated up as her heart pounded loudly. Despite the fact that she was stirred by his actions, she was stroke with wonders.

Shifting his gaze back at her, Shinn told her how wrong he was to judge her. He clasped her hands tightly this time as he started shaking torpidly. He was speaking in words of repentance and guilt. He was speaking what his emotions were telling him—even if it may sound corny in the end.

"Shinn, we've been through this already." She was not looking directly at him.

"I know but still… I don't think joining the ORB Military is enough to make up all the horrible things I've done to you."

"I understand, Shinn, but please forget about it. I already forgave you." She turned her head back at Shinn as her lips curved into a smile. She never thought Shinn would be dramatic about things like repenting. Honestly, Cagalli had never held grudges against Shinn. She always understood him, though he was hurting her. She was almost killed by him, but she didn't make a fuss about it. And why? It was because she was a kind and good leader.

Cagalli slipped her hands away from Shinn's grasp. "I can't believe you're still thinking about it," she said, brushing some strands of hair covering his eyes.

"I'm sorry…"

"Shinn, you don't have to be sorry… I mean, you were just speaking out your mind and heart."

"I guess you're right," he muttered, looking at her brightly. "I should learn to free my mind from these horrible thoughts." He laughed briskly as he scratched the back of his head.

"Or else your head is going to go big and it'll explode!" added Cagalli, joining him in his laughter.

But there was one other thing Shinn hasn't spoken of yet. His heart and mind was still debating on the fact whether to tell her or not about his true feelings for her. He had hoped that one day he would find the perfect opportunity to satisfy his heart's desire.

Cagalli woke up to the cluttering sound of birds from outside. She sat up and stretched in delight. "It's another day for work again," she said in a low voice.

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK! Someone was knocking on her bedroom door while trying to turn the knob. "Are you awake, Cagalli?" a voice said seriously. Of course, Cagalli immediately recognized the voice of her twin brother, Kira Yamato.

"I'm awake now, Kira, so come in!" retorted Cagalli.

The door opened and a brunette guy, with amethyst eyes, peek his head out. "You're not dressed yet…" Kira said, noticing her exquisite white night gown.

"Gee, you think!" Cagalli didn't mean to sound mean, but she wasn't a morning person. Every time someone disturbs her morning she would get cranky.

Kira went inside and closed the door behind him. He motioned himself over to Cagalli and touched her delicately petite shoulder. He smiled cunningly and placed a light peck on her forehead.

"Huh…?" She gasped as her eyes jarred wide open. Certainly she wasn't expecting anything like that to happen. It was just so fast. Her cheeks were burning in extreme red as she touched the spot where he kissed it. "You… You… You idiot!" she yelled.

"What!" replied Kira, giving an innocent look. "The kiss was just a simple greeting."

"Yeah but… You could've told me before you were going to do it." She was fiddling with her fingers.

Kira giggled. "Sorry… I couldn't help it."

"It's okay." She let out a sigh and sat down on a chair. "For a brother you sure are full of surprises."

"Is that so?" Kira knelt down in front of Cagalli and gazed into her amber eyes. Her eyes were so clear that he could see his own reflection. He often remembered the 'Tiger of the Desert' complimenting about how lovely Cagalli's eyes were. There was something sincere and fiery in her eyes alone. Her amber orbs reflected her personality, her feelings, and integrity. He smiled as he admired her eyes up close.

Cagalli wasn't aware of the fact that Kira was admiring her at the moment. But she felt a bit uncomfortable for Kira to be staring at her. "Aren't you supposed to go now?" She pointed at the clock on top of her bedside table. "It's already 07:20 and you need to be at HQ before 8:00."

Kira nodded his head. "You're right, I should go." He stood and straightened up. "Well, I'll see you later. Take care of yourself, okay?" He brushed his hand against her cheeks, immediately triggering Cagalli to blush.

She bolted up from her chair and immediately turned around to hide her red cheeks from Kira. But unfortunately Kira had noticed it before she did. Kira knew how to make Cagalli blush so easily.

It was a fine day at ORB Military Headquarters. A guy was standing confidently in the main control room. His raven blue-hair was smooth and soft, and his pure emerald green eyes were dazzling. He wore an ORB military uniform with a commander rank. His name was Athrun Zala.

Athrun smiled at the sight of a blonde princess entering the room. Every soldier in the control room, including him, faced the princess and saluted. "Good Morning, Chief Representative Athha," greeted Athrun.

Cagalli looked up at him and saluted as well. "Good morning to you too, Commander Zala," she replied. When all of them dropped their hands, Cagalli told them to continue with their work. She glanced around a bit and noticed that everything was in order. "I take it that you're having no trouble here." She was addressing to Athrun.

"No ma'am," he answered stiffly.

Her eyes twitched a little after his answer. She wasn't really happy with Athrun being so formal with her. But she knew it was necessary in the military. She was the Chief Representative after all and Athrun was a soldier. But Athrun can be so serious at times that it was starting to bother her. Well, he was no. 1 in his field and he could never go wrong with his orders. From a technical standpoint, he could pass as a Fleet Admiral.

"Well then—I should be going now," Cagalli said, smiling. But she honestly didn't want to go; she wanted to stay for a while with Athrun. Because of her responsibilities, she rarely spends time with Athrun. And they were engaged to be married after all… So with one silent sigh, she spun on her heels and headed for the exit.

"Representative!" called Athrun, bringing her to a complete stop. Slowly, Cagalli turned her head at Athrun, with a questioning look. "If you don't mind, Representative, I would like to talk to you in private."

Cagalli nodded. "Sure… Let's go to the conference room," she said with a hint of joy in her voice.

Athrun opened the door to the conference room for Cagalli. As soon as Cagalli entered, Athrun closed the door behind him.

"So, what do you want to talk about?" she questioned as he approached her. "I hope it's not—" She was cut off when Athrun pulled her into a hug. A smile came to his face as he brushed his hand through her golden locks. Cagalli was completely taken by surprise, but she understood him. Like Athrun, she mused, she also longed for a moment with him.

With his arms locked around her waist, Athrun pulled away until his emerald green eyes met her amber ones. A desire rose from within him that he couldn't possibly resist. He leaned forward, his eyes closing, and kissed her right on the lips.

Athrun… Cagalli wanted to melt in his arms. Not only did she feel the loud thump of her heart, she also felt warm and at eased. She closed her eyes and deepened the kiss even more.

But everything had an ending including their moment. They broke their passionate kiss and gazed at each other so lovingly. "Cagalli, I love you…" Athrun whispered as he hugged her again. "It's been a long time since I last told you this."

And Athrun was absolutely right…

Their work served as a hindrance to their relationship. But each of them knew how important their responsibilities were. Cagalli was the princess, the leader, and the most admired figure in ORB. She had promised her country and to herself that she will work very hard to maintain stillness in ORB. And Athrun also swore to bear any task given to him—no matter how hard.

Still, what would become of them if they continue being the way they were? Even after they get married would they have time for each other? If they do neglect their duties what would become of ORB?

Cagalli sighed. "Can we really live happily together?" she asked, feeling doubtful. She gently pushed herself away from Athrun and turned around. As tears filled up her eyes, she clenched her fists.

"I… I don't know… But we can still love each other…"

"I know but still—Athrun, I love you so much and I want to be with you forever." She was trembling in sadness.

"Cagalli…" Athrun looked down, depressed, as he placed a hand on his temple. "I believe there is a way. I know there is…"

"But have you considered our time? Our work? Our schedules? Athrun, we rarely see each other!" She faced Athrun as her tears streamed down her face.

"We can work something out," he said calmly, looking up at Cagalli. His face brightened up and his frown turned upside down. Fairly confident, Athrun told her not to lose hope. He extended his arm and wiped away her tears using his thumb.

"Athrun…"

"Don't worry about a thing. I'll take care of it." With his words, Cagalli trusted him like she always does.

And with their eyes locked to each other, they kissed again.

Leaning behind the door of the conference room was Shinn Asuka. Apparently, he had heard everything Athrun and Cagalli said. "Both of them love each other so much…" he said, mumbling. Shinn, somehow, felt hurt and upset. He wished he had never heard their conversation in the first place. It was for curiosity's sake that he decided to stick around when he saw Athrun and Cagalli entering the conference room.

He walked without thinking of turning back. He reached a lounge where nobody wasin sight. He sat down and focused his eyes on the floor. "Cagalli…" he muttered her name with care. He felt his heart, his aching heart, and wanted to cry. But he stayed strong. "Cagalli, I-I… I love you…"

"I knew you were in love with her." A voice spoke out of nowhere startled Shinn in an instant, sending him to the edge of the couch. He glanced at the unsuspecting guy who turned out to be Kira Yamato. "Master Kira?" stuttered Shinn.

Kira sat down and gave Shinn an apologetic look. "Sorry for scaring you. I didn't mean it," he said, feeling reluctant.

Shinn sighed in relief as he straightened himself up. He turned his head at Kira and said, "No big, I guess I was just I bit jumpy."

"You were thinking about Cagalli just now, weren't you?" Kira eyed suspiciously at him.

Shinn's face heated up. Man, I just had to say it! I'm so careless! He tried to laugh his way out, but Kira looked like he wanted an answer from him. Shinn had no other choice but to reveal his deepest darkest secret to Kira. "Yes," he said in a low voice.

"I thought so. I've always knew you love my sister."

"Ha? But how…?"

"I've been observing you since the day you enlisted here. At first, you weren't friendly to Cagalli but as time passed by, I've noticed how you changed around her."

"Actually, she was the one who changed me. I never expected her to be so kind and strong. To tell you the truth, she amazes me!" Shinn said excitedly, showing Kira a smile.

"But you do know that she's engaged to Athrun."

Once again Shinn became upset. "You don't have to remind me," he grumbled.

"Shinn, if you love Cagalli then what about that other girl you usually go out with?"

"You mean Lunamaria? Frankly, I don't really love her. I realized that I only harbored feelings for her out of pity." Shinn sounded solid as he remembered the first time he kissed Lunamaria. He never had any ideas on how to comfort Luna in her moment of sorrow. He blamed himself for Luna's tears, because he thought he killed Luna's younger sister Meyrin. "Luna is now a thing of the past."

"You sound like you don't care for this girl."

"It's not like I don't care for her… It's just that…" He couldn't find the right words to say, so he plunged himself into silence.

Kira patted Shinn's shoulder and said, "You're just being honest." He stood and walked over to the vending machine. He inserted coins into the slot and pressed a button. A can of ice coffee dropped down with a loud thud. He took it out and opened the lid. "Have you told Cagalli about your feelings?" Kira asked, turning to Shinn.

Shinn slowly shook his head.

"I see… Well, I think you should tell her." He took a sip of coffee from the can.

"I don't mean to sound rude but—" Shinn stopped as he narrowed his gaze at Kira. "Are you crazy? I can't tell her."

"Is it because she's already engaged to Athrun? Is that the reason why you're hesitating?"

"Um…yeah…"

"Shinn, it's better to tell her now than to be sorry later." Kira put down the can of coffee on the table and sat down beside Shinn.

"Master Kira, won't she be mad?"

"Cagalli will understand you, so don't you worry," Kira said confidently.

"Okay, I'll give it my best shot," Shinn replied, offering a smile to Kira. Though he was feeling a bit weary and uneasy, he took Kira's advice into consideration. Better tell her now than to be sorry later…

Cagalli smiled at the sight of her last report paper. She was impressed on how her fast her pace was in working. She didn't expect to finish all the reports early. She left her chair and stood in front of the big window behind her desk. She could see the sun, in all its glory, setting into horizon as it dyed the skies in amber color like her eyes.

Dawn…Akatsuki…The golden will… The setting sun would always remind her of these things. Also, she was termed us the princess of the red dawn, because of her mobile suit The Akatsuki. The Akatsuki Gundam was one of her priced processions. The Akatsuki was given to her by her loving father who died for his country. The MS was her sword to defend and protect ORB. She had fought bravely with it as she conquered the skies with its golden streaks.

Cagalli yawned silently as the sun finally set and darkness came. She turned around only to see Shinn standing a few inches away from her. "Shinn, what are you doing here?" she asked, wondering how he entered her office without a sound.

"Lady Cagalli, I wanted to tell you something very important." Shinn's cheeks turned as red as a tomato.

"What is it?"

"You see… I l-lo…" he stuttered, feeling the sudden outburst of his heart. He was having trouble uttering his desired words.

"Spit it out, Shinn. I don't have all day." Cagalli folded her arms in front of her chest as she raised an eyebrow.

"Cagalli, I love you!" he managed to say with his eyes closed and his head low.

Cagalli's eyes grew wide as marbles. For Shinn to say those three words were such a big surprise for Cagalli. Shuddering as if a cold wind crept into the office, she clasped her hands together and stared at the floor.

He sank into silence as he darted his eyes away from the blonde. He felt rather embarrassed and shaken. It was the first time he confessed his true feelings to a girl and he had to admit that it was a load of his heart. But Cagalli seemed to freeze as he waited for her reply. After a few minutes, he spun on his heels and walked away.

His footsteps alerted her to stop him. Taking a few steps forward, she called Shinn's name. He stopped, but he didn't dare to face her. "Lady Cagalli, I apologize for my rudeness. My emotions got carried away and I…" he said, his face disheartened.

"No need to apologize, Shinn," she butted in before he finished. She walked over to him and held his hand near her heart. "I'm actually pleased of what you said."

Shinn's eyes softened as he gazed upon Cagalli's amber orbs. He was dumbfounded, yet he felt at peace. He became emotionally unstable. He tried opening his mouth to say something, but his uneasiness took away his words. For a moment, he stood in silence, and then he suddenly hugged Cagalli.

With no hesitation or regret, Cagalli hugged him back.

And then there was silence again. After a while, they released each other, letting go of all worries and awkwardness within them. Cagalli placed her hand on his cheek as she smiled sincerely at him. His face flushed up a bit as his eyes lingered in hers.

"I can see that your feelings are true and clear." She retrieved her hand and touched the ring on her other hand. She thought about Athrun and recalled how he gave the ring to her. It was such a special moment in her life that will always remain. Cagalli, nonetheless, loved Athrun with her whole heart. Her feelings for Shinn were special, because he was more than a friend to her. Shinn was a precious friend who is like a brother.

"But," she spoke softly, "I'm sorry to say I can't reciprocate your feelings."

Instead of grimacing, Shinn smiled heartily. "I already expected that kind of answer from you, Lady Cagalli."

"Shinn…"

"But I'm not sad. In fact I feel contented." Shinn laughed lightly as he thrust his hand into his pocket. "I've been hiding it for so long and now it's a load off here," he said, placing his other hand on his heart.

"Are you sure?" Cagalli asked, looking worried.

"Yes, I'm sure…" There was a hint of sadness in his voice, but his faced showed the opposite. He was smiling.

Cagalli, on the other hand, wasn't convinced of his answer. She knew Shinn's heart was aching inside, though he preferred to keep quiet. What should she do in this situation? Leaving Shinn in his state would be a wrong decision. From her experience with him, she knew how emotional he can be. Athrun once told her of Shinn's exploit during the war. At that time, she felt sorry for Shinn and partly blamed herself for letting his anger grew. As she stood in front of him, with her amber eyes seeking for an answer, she felt her heart calling for him.

She smiled as she neared Shinn. "Shinn, I want you to know that you'll always be special to me," she said as she kissed Shinn on the cheek. She pulled herself back only to see his face heating up. She simply giggled at his.

Shinn took in a deep breath to calm himself down. As he held his cheek, he looked at Cagalli genuinely. "Cagalli," he said, smiling, "thank you…"

"You're welcome, Shinn."

When he exited through the door, he saw Athrun coming. "Hey there Athrun" greeted Shinn. "Coming to pick up Lady Cagalli I bet."

"Yeah… Is Cagalli still there?" Athrun asked.

"Why don't you see for yourself?" he replied in a rude tone as he grinned.

"How come you always sound like you're angry?" Athrun said, his eyebrow rising.

"This is how I normally talk, okay? Now go! Lady Cagalli's waiting for ya." Shinn walked off in a hurry, with a smile on his face. Athrun, you're pretty lucky to have someone like Cagalli to love, he thought silently as he held his cheek again. The moment he had with Cagalli would serve as an unforgettable memory for him.

The End

JC: Gosh, it's longer than I expected. Well, I'm actually fond of the Shinn and Cagalli pairing, but I'm still an Athrun and Cagalli fan! Anyway, what do you think? Please review and no flaming!