Yuugiri: Hello! Ah, another one-shot for my therapy! LOL! I was supposed to post this up before Chapter 27 of the Insatiable Heart, but I guess found more inspiration to write that first as somewhere in between typing this, I was suddenly hit by inspiration. Finally getting my brain to work a little properly now, though not exactly in mint condition. Legal stuff getting the best of me as I have been running around four different cities, one place after another just to get something done. Sigh. Frustrating, yes, but very, very fulfilling.

This story may or may not be mentioned in the Insatiable Heart, depending on whether or not my outline will allow it. Unlike my one-shot about Yzak and Kari, which will definitely be mentioned ever so briefly in the story, this one may be counted out. Just maybe. LOL!

Another silly thing that struck me while I was on the bus on the way to Japanese Class. Warnings of potential OOC of the characters. Must not be taken too seriously.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed.

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As Orb had been quite self-sufficient when it came to geothermal energy, it was to be expected that there were a few Hot Springs scattered up in the mountains in the North. And Kira Yamato and Lacus Clyne were two of the few people who had decided to ride up to relax their aching muscles by soaking in one of them. They had left Kaguya at five in the afternoon to spend the night in one of the Hotels in the mountains after being practically shoved away by Cagalli to go and have some private time alone, just the two of them.

So now, Kira found himself cruising inside his father's red convertible, the top down, along the empty narrow path that went around the mountain, with his Lacus sitting quite contentedly in the passenger seat, her long, pink locks flying behind her. Two backpacks were flung carelessly at the backseat, where a very noisy Mister Pink was rolling between the bags.

Casting a sideways glance at the Songstress, Kira could not help but feel quite happy and somewhat at peace at the knowledge that he was going to be able to write another first in his long list of firsts with his girlfriend. He had never tried soaking in natural hot water before. Of course, it would have been nice if everyone else had decided to come along their little trip, too. Not that he did not enjoy moments alone with Lacus, but since he knew that Athrun had never been to a Hot Spring before, and he guessed Dearka and Yzak, it would have been a good experience to have them with them.

Unfortunately, it seemed like everyone had their own plans. One, Cagalli and Athrun said they were dying to go out for a walk in the beach and have a sort of picnic under the stars. Two, Dearka and Milly said they would love to go, but as Sunday was a family night in the Haww residence, and they had a scheduled competitive game of Monopoly with Milly's parents. Three, Yzak and Kari both declined the invitation, as it seemed like both get quite uncomfortable of being naked in public.

So it all boiled down to him and Lacus. Which was not bad at all. They had been moving at a leisurely pace for over forty-five minutes, and the temperature was starting to drop the further they ascended.

"It does get pretty cold up in the mountains, doesn't it?" Lacus said, hugging herself as Kira drove up the deserted road. "But isn't it lovely, Kira?"

"Isn't it lovely?" Mister Pink mimicked.

The sun was setting in the west, casting a lovely orange hue on everything, making it look like a postcard. Tall trees lined the side of the road as they sped along the shadows of the greenery around them. It was indeed getting cold, and probably would get colder the moment they reach the Hotel Cagalli had recommended.

"Very lovely view," Kira agreed, giving her a quick glance before casting his eyes back on the road. "Shall I put the top up?"

She nodded with a smile as she leaned forward and started to rummage through her large tote bag. "Do you think we will find a place where we can park for a while to enjoy the sunset? I've never been this high up on land before, and I would love to lavish the moment." With that, she happily unearthed a long silver container used for hot drinks, letting out a cry of triumph. "And I brought some hot chocolate to keep us warm!" she exclaimed, giving the container a little shake.

Kira could not help but laugh at her childish enthusiasm. He had known for a fact that Lacus was not given the privileges of enjoying these natural splendors up in the PLANTs, and so he could not say no to her at all. Shrugging, he immediately slowed down and pulled the car over. It really did not matter where they stopped as it seemed like the whole road was theirs to hog. He had not seen a single car drive passed them for quite some time now.

Hopping out of the car, Kira leaned on the safety railings separating the road and a hundred-foot drop below them, then watched as Lacus scuttled around the car and hopped on the hood facing the sun that was now slowly making its ceremonious journey to sink under the ocean, declaring another day had ended. She smiled at him and Kira could not believe how her beauty seemed to have magnified over time, what with gold sparkles in her lovely sky-blue eyes and the soft cold breeze blowing through her hair. He started to smile idiotically again as the Songstress patted the space beside her, inviting him to sit.

Her presence pulled at him like gravity and he settled next to her as she unscrewed the cap of their container of hot chocolate, releasing a milky, creamy aroma making Kira's mouth water a bit. She poured him some on the cup and offered it to him shyly. "Here you go."

Now it was hard to explain what Kira felt at the moment, sitting there on the hood of their car, facing the sunset as he drank the best hot chocolate he had ever tasted in his sixteen years of living, Lacus' hair smelling like freshly picked berries every time the wind blew through it, and her shoulder gently brushing against his as she swayed along with her soft, gentle humming of a song he had heard her sing many times before when they had first met. It was that feeling that made him happy Cagalli and the others had their own plans of that night.

As the last rays of the sun finally vanished under the blue ocean and the first star popped up in their field of view, Kira turned to his girlfriend and nudged her gently. "You're awfully quiet. Did you love the sunset?"

She smiled at him, her eyes closing in the process, making Kira's face heat up for no apparent reason. It was just so nice to look at her no matter what she did. "I loved it very much. Thank you for stopping for me. I really appreciate it."

Kira scratched his head, jumped down from the hood of the car, screwed the cap back on the hot chocolate and wrapped an arm around Lacus' waist to help her off the car. She giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck. "You're welcome. As long as it makes you happy, I won't hesitate to do it for you," he said.

The romantic remark made Lacus' eyes positively glow. At first Kira congratulated himself for saying something romantic, only he did not know he will regret it hours later... "Really Kira? You will not hesitate to do anything for me?"

The brown-haired boy blinked a few times as he uncertainly held her at arm's length. "Well, yes. Of course. So long as it doesn't require superhuman skill, like maybe jump off this cliff, or break up with you... Or dress like a girl... "

Lacus laughed melodiously as she tossed the container in the backseat. "I won't let you jump off the cliff and there is no way I am breaking up with you." She leaned her forehead on his. "Well, making you dress like a girl is something I still have to think about."

Kira gently poked her in the ribs, making her jump in surprise.

"I'm kidding!" she squealed. Then she put her hands on his chest and stood on tiptoe, whispering something in his ear. "Can you teach me how to drive?"

This made Kira pause a little longer than he would have liked. He stared down at her and blinked a few times. "You want to learn how to drive?"

She nodded eagerly. "Yes! I may not actually be good at it, and chances are, I may be hard to teach. But I would appreciate it so much if you teach me how to drive a car."

Kira raised his eyes to the road, then continued uncertainly. "Now?"

"Yes!" Lacus nodded her head, making her ponytail bob up and down. "It is not possible for me to learn in the highway as I will surely panic at the overwhelming number of vehicles on the road. But here," she gestured at their surroundings. "No cars to scare me! It would be just you and me."

Kira laughed a bit. "You, me and a cliff to our right, Lacus. And it's almost dark. This isn't exactly the perfect place to learn."

She pouted her full, pink lips at him, her eyes widening as she pleadingly tried to look adorably cute. She was succeeding. Although he had never really known Lacus to be the risk taker, he decided that there really wasn't anything that could go wrong. He looked around and guessed they still had about twenty to thirty minutes of light and Lacus' enhanced eyesight was sharper than his, so he decided that there really wasn't anything to lose. Except maybe their lives if she makes a wrong turn...

"All right, Lacus. Get in the driver's seat."

"Oh, thank you Kira!" she burst out, once again throwing her arms around his neck in a tight embrace, planting a kiss on his cheek, then rushed to the car and buckled up.

After ten minutes of explaining to Lacus the basic things she had to know about the mirrors, the signal lights, the gas and the brakes, she smiled at him with such enthusiasm that he could not help but lose a bit of the anxiety nagging at his gut.

But he could not help but ask the question that had been swimming though his head for the past ten minutes. "Why all of a sudden you want to drive?"

She giggled, clenching and unclenching her hands on the stirring wheel, evidence enough that she was itching to go. "I've always wanted to drive my own car, but they always insist that I get a driver. So I've spent my years in the backseat. I guess now is my chance to give it a try, no?"

Raising his eyebrows in amusement, a small smile tugging at his lips, he nodded in understanding. Lacus had been a very important personality up in the PLANTs then, and he should have known as much. "Well, I suppose this is the chance." He gestured for her to start the car.

With shaky slender fingers, Lacus reached for the car keys and turned it. The car purred to life. She flashed him a triumphant grin. Kira nodded proudly. "Good. Now check the rearview mirror..."

Lacus peered in the rearview mirror obediently.

"... the left..."

Lacus did so.

"The right..."

She obediently followed.

"Now press on the gas very, very gent – "

Lacus pressed on the gas hard.

Kira's words were cut off by the sudden movement of the car, and he was thrown back against his seat with a strangled gasp. They tore through the narrow road so fast everything outside blurred past them into watercolory greens, grays and blues. Kira held on to his seat for dear life, all the blood draining out of his face, all the while screaming for Lacus to hit the brakes.

Lacus, on the other hand, was having the time of her life with swerving and stirring in sharp, death-flirting maneuvers along the road, laughing in glee as she appeared to be loving it every time they came close to ramming against a tree but miraculously managing to dodge at the closest possible time.

"Laaaaaacuuuuuuuuus!" Kira yelled over the loud rev of his father's poor, poor car as it sped up the mountain path. "Sloooooooow doooooooown! PLEEEEEEEEASE!"

The Songstress blinked a few times then stared at Kira. "What did you say, Kira?"

The Freedom pilot's lavender eyes widened as he lurched forward in panic. "Eyes on the road!"

Lacus returned her round eyes to where they were barreling at, the cliff suddenly looking awfully deeper than he had assessed earlier. "Oops! Sorry! Don't worry! It won't happen again!"

Damn right it won't. Especially if they die. Kira heard Mister Pink shriek loudly from behind them as it tumbled up and down in a frenzied dance. "Doom! Doom! Dooooooooooom!"

For the first time in his life, oh God, he agreed with the Haro.

Kira's life flashed before his eyes as Lacus kept her foot pressed on the gas as if they were being chased by Rabid wolves, all the while giggling happily, making small talk about how exhilarating driving could be.

"Doom! Doom! Dooooooooooooom!" the Haro predicted.

Kira shut his eyes tightly as a low-hanging branch smashed against the passenger side, the car bulleting carelessly along, and much to Kira's relief, into a clearing that went through the mountain and not around it, where there were no hundred-foot drops for them to plummet in. Much to his dismay, there so many trees they could crash on, and the shadows cast by them were not helping.

"La-Lacus! The he-headlights!"

"What did you say, Kira?"

"Headlights!"

"Pardon?"

Kira leaned forward urgently, flicked on the headlights while trying to get as close to her as possible and was about to repeat himself when something burst out of the bushed from their left. A flash of brown flew out the greenery, making both him and Lacus scream in fear at the sight of large deer which immediately froze in the headlights of their speeding car. Kira raised his foot and slammed it on the brakes so hard that the wheels screeched noisily, throwing both of them forward, their seatbelts biting at their bodies hard, then slowing down to a crawl, inches away from the animal which had – much to Kira's luck – appeared out of nowhere.

The Freedom pilot honestly could not think straight as his wide eyes stared out in front of them as the deer's ears twitched violently, then with one fluid motion, it sprang on its legs and disappeared in the trees to their right.

Kira did not waste any time and hurriedly turned to Lacus, who had her head buried in the steering wheel, her shoulders heaving up and down as she breathed heavily. Kira pried her off of it and peered into her face, at her wide open eyes. "Lacus? Lacus? Are you all right? Speak to me."

She seemed to have snapped out of it and swallowed hard, then her eyes turned to him with an emotion that made him groan in despair. She looked mighty satisfied with what she just did! "Oh, my! That was so exciting!" she exclaimed as she sat back against her chair, still out of breath. After a moment of silence, she turned back to him again. "How did I do?"

Kira stared at her in disbelief. "Lacus, you almost got us killed. You tore through that road like a madwoman, swept through trees like you thought they'd move out of your way and nearly made roadkill out of that deer. Do you really want me to answer that question?" With unsteady hands, he unbuckled the seatbelt and hopped out of the car furiously.

Lacus followed uncertainly, stepping out of the car and watched him pace back and forth, his hands running madly through his already disheveled hair. She tilted her head to the right and questioningly raised her shoulders a bit, her breath fogging in front of her face as she spoke. "Were you... frightened?"

Kira honestly wanted to rip his hair off. "Was I frightened? Of course I was! I have never thought you were capable of being so careless!"

She shrank back a bit, then tried to smile. "I was so sure you wouldn't mind as you as you've flown faster in a mobile suit many times before."

His mouth dropped open. "What?"

She gulped at his rage, and Kira felt a little guilty for having to scream at her like that. But he couldn't help it. "I thought you wouldn't... you know... "

Without thinking, he stalked towards her and grabbed her by the shoulders, making her gasp. "Riding a mobile suit is different! I didn't have you inside that mobile suit. I had nothing to lose then!" he yelled angrily. He glared at her with as much intensity as he could muster. "You are never driving again, Miss Clyne! You hear!"

She bit her lip nervously at his fiery eyes and nodded meekly. "I... I hear... "

He took a deep breath, not loosening his grip on her shoulders as his angry eyes searched her face. For a moment, he felt like screaming, but as he watched her stare at him with those blue orbs of hers which were threatened by tears, he shook his head and pulled her to him in a tight protective embrace. "God, you could have been hurt..."

After a while, he felt her arms wrap around his torso and she murmured in his chest. "You could have been hurt too, you know."

Burying his face into her hair, he shook his head. "I don't care about me. I would have died anyway if anything happened to you... God, you are never driving again... Never... Never... " he whispered, rocking her back and forth.

He could not believe how scared he was at that thought...

Lacus poked his chest with her nose then looked up at him. "All right, Kira. I'll never drive again. I'm sorry."

Kira, now his breathing slowing down again, nodded in approval as he let his lips graze her temple, then her eyebrows. "Good. Now get in the car. It's freezing here. We'd better get to that Hot Spring soon."

Scrambling inside the vehicle, where a still shaken up Haro was rolling around screaming, "I'm alive! I'm alive!" over and over again, Kira reached for the keys to start the car, and frowned when the engine huffed a bit, wheezed, then stopped. Kira tried it again, but it just made the same hacking noise.

Lacus laughed nervously. "That does not sound too good... "

Kira groaned inwardly, got out of the car, popped open the hood and stuck his head in. After a moment, he popped back out. "Great. Just great. The engine's dead and it's too dark for me to tinker around with it. Do we have a flashlight back there?"

Lacus immediately crawled to the backseat and started to open their backpacks, spilling some of the contents on the floor of the car, but found nothing. "I don't think we were expecting to get stranded in the middle of the forest today so I didn't actually pack one... " she said forlornly. "Oh, dear... this is all my fault... "

Wiping his hands on his pant legs, he we went to the trunk and rummaged through there, but found nothing but a plastic bag. He pulled it to him and was pleased to find a warm-looking blanket inside. Oh, well. No use in getting too stressed out with the situation. Closing the hood and the trunk, he jumped back in the driver's seat and found Lacus folding their clothes and stuffing them back inside their bags in the backseat, Mister Pink remarkable silent as it seemed to sense Lacus was not very happy.

Kira looked over his shoulder and grabbed the backpack that was already zippered. He tossed it in the passenger seat and slammed the doors shut, making sure they were locked. Who knew whatever animal was out there... When he heard Lacus sigh as she continued to stuff their clothes back into the other backpack, Kira grabbed her unfinished chore and carelessly tossed it on the floor of the passenger seat, making Lacus cry out indignantly.

"Scoot over," Kira said as he crawled to the backseat and nudged Lacus gently. It was a tight fit, as Kira's long legs could hardly move. After a bit of struggling, he found a comfortable position with his back propped on the door, and a blushing Lacus lying quite comfortably next to him, her back leaning on his chest and her legs stretched out alongside his. Grunting in the strain of moving to unfold the blanket to cover them both, Lacus cozily snuggled her body to his, making Kira laugh a bit as she accidentally tickled his ribs with her elbow.

"Sorry, Kira," she said meekly as she buried half her face in the comforter, trying to stay warm as the temperature kept on dropping.

"I'm very ticklish," the Freedom pilot said.

Lacus shifted her position so she could look at him in the dark, shadows playing on that rough boyish face of his. "I meant about everything tonight. We wouldn't have been stuck here if it weren't for me."

Kira nodded. "Yes that is true."

Lacus frowned. "You're not mad at me?"

Kira grinned and wriggled his eyebrows naughtily. "I don't see why I should be mad at you." His arms wrapped around her slim waist shyly as he tickled her slightly. "This is even a better experience than soaking in a dumb old hot spring." He continued in a deeper, news anchor man voice. "Imagine the headlines: Brush with Death from Pink Princess' Reckless Driving Leads to Romantic Evening in Forest with Handsome, Brave and Smart Gundam Pilot." He knocked his forehead gently against hers and laughed as she giggled at what he said.

"Well, I guess it is pretty nice here. Quiet. Just you and me... "

"And me! And me!" Mister Pink suddenly bounced up from the floor. With quick reflexes, Kira caught the annoying little ball with his right hand, opened the window and with one flick of the wrist, he chucked it out of the car with much satisfaction. He hastily closed the window and turned to Lacus.

"There. Now just you and me."

Lacus stared at him in disapproval. "Kira... Why did you throw him out? He will behave himself if I tell him to and – "

Her words were immediately cut when Kira lowered his lips to her mouth, sealing her lips with an unexpected kiss from the boy who usually blushed a bright red at her intimate gestures as his arms tightened around her and his kiss deepened. When he pulled away, she was literally gasping for air. The Freedom pilot buried his face in her neck and inhaled her fruity scent as he pulled the blanket tightly around them. "I love you Lacus. I'd do anything for you... "

Lacus blinked a bit, then her face brightened. "Really?"

Kira pulled away and narrowed his eyes sternly. "Except let you drive."

She pretended to be disappointed. "Aww... "

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I love silly one-shots! Wonder who I'll do next for my therapy... ? Oh well! Just for fun!