Teddy Bear
An official entry for AsuCaga Valentine's Day Parade
Summary: An unexpected meeting forced Athrun to lock Cagalli inside his roommate's locker on Valentine's Day. The next thing he knew, Cagalli was mad at him for something he, himself, didn't know.
Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed/ Gundam Seed Destiny.
Darkness crawled upon the wide sky. Stars started to appear one by one. The bright and rounded moon illuminated the surrounding. A silhouette made its way out of an old building standing at the far end of Archangel University, the most prestigious university in the country of Orb. It was located in Onogoro Island. The place had a very rich and fertile soil that it was also known for its agriculture. There was another figure passing in front of the same building.
"Cagalli?", a surprised but masculine voice broke the silence in the air. The other person looked up in an instant. She was wearing a plain shirt and cargo pants. She was also carrying a backpack.
"Athrun!", replied an equally surprised female voice as she turned to look at the direction of the person who called her. The lad named Athrun slowly walked towards her.
"What are you doing here?", he asked. It was already two hours after all the classes ended.
"I just finished my report in Social Science", she briefly replied.
"Don't you have a date with your boyfriend?", he asked trying to sound like he was only teasing her when in fact he was annoyed. They were best friends since high school yet Cagalli never told him about her boyfriend and the fact that her boyfriend was his roommate was not helping at all.
Blood suddenly rushed on the blonde's cheeks creating a blush. She never expected to hear such teasing from him. He knew pretty well that she didn't like those kinds of jokes.
"Athrun Zala", she muttered his name in a warning tone and glared at him. If it was some other case, Athrun would have sweat-dropped by now.
"What? I was only asking", he defended himself but Cagalli's eyes turned narrower which made him to step a little backward.
"You of all the people know that I don't have a boyfriend, right?", she said placing her hands on her hips.
"You don't?", he asked his eyes widened in surprise which made Cagalli to roll her eyes.
"Well, duh! You're my best friend. I would've told you if I already have", she snapped crossing her arms in front of her chest. Athrun still had his surprised look.
"You really don't have?", Athrun said sounding like a child.
"Argh... That's it, I'm leaving", Cagalli snarled then turned around and started to walk away from Athrun but he managed to grab her wrist before she could get any farther.
"Sorry", he began. "I really thought that you already have a boyfriend". It was now Cagalli's turn to be surprised. She thought that he was just messing up with her when he talked about the boyfriend thing.
"Where did you get that idea?", she almost yelled. She was once again facing him but he gave her no response. He kept himself silent while staring at the ground. He jumped into a conclusion without enough evidences. "Who did you think was my boyfriend?", she asked another question. If he thought that she already had a boyfriend then he must had someone in mind. Still Athrun wouldn't answer. Cagalli was getting more and more curious and she was also getting more and more infuriated with Athrun's quietness. Why couldn't he answer her 'simple' question?
Cagalli let out a sigh. It was like Athrun instantly lose his ability to speak.
"What's that?", Cagalli asked after a few minutes as she noticed a paper bag on his right hand. Athrun turned to look at the object he was holding and brought it higher.
"Oh, this? It's actually Kebab and some other food", he finally spoke after what seemed like eternity. Cagalli's eyes immediately brightened up upon hearing her favourite food. Her stomach growled reminding her that she was already hungry.
"Athrun, Can I have some, please", she asked giving him her puppy dog's eye which she knew he couldn't resist. It was like she had already forgotten what they were talking about earlier. Athrun was about to ask if she was a bipolar or something but luckily, he managed to stop himself in time. He wouldn't dare remind her of what they were talking.
"But it's almost our curfew", he answered checking on his watch.
"Then let's eat it in your dorm", she suggested.
"You know that girls are not allowed there, right?", he spoke in a warning tone.
"So?", she replied raising an eyebrow.
"You are a girl!", Athrun pointed out the obvious.
"Duh! As if I haven't been there before", she said as she rolled her eyes for the second time that night.
"But only in the lobby", Athrun reminded her. "And besides, you haven't been there at this time. The guard will just shove you away", he added.
"Oh c'mon Athrun, there were already a lot of girl who already went there, even in the boys' rooms", she countered.
"What if we get caught?", he asked.
"We'll just eat. There's nothing wrong with that", she answered nonchalantly.
Athrun sighed. There was no point arguing with her. She was so persistent with the things she wanted to do.
"Okay, fine. Don't blame me if we get caught, alright?", he said.
"Yey", Cagalli exclaimed as she clung on his left arm then they walked towards Athrun's dormitory which was just a few meters from the old building.
The guard was not at his post when they arrived so they hurriedly entered the building and proceeded to the third floor where Athrun's room was located. They went inside the room and closed the door at once. Athrun let out a sigh of relief.
"See, it wasn't so hard", Cagalli said as she sat on his bed which was actually the lower part of the double deck. The upper deck was occupied by Athrun's roommate who went home since it was a Friday.
"Let's just eat so you can already go", he replied.
"Aren't you so excited to get rid of me?", she said mockingly crossing her legs and arms. "You're such a worry wart, Athrun".
"Call me whatever you want, but let hurry up. We can't afford to get caught", he replied as he got the food out of the bag. Then they heard somebody knocked on the door.
"Oh shit!", Athrun muttered while thinking where he would hide her. Then his gaze fell on his locker. He grabbed her hand and told her to go inside the locker which she obediently obeyed. Truth to be told she was a bit scared. Athrun closed the door and locked it then he rushed towards the door and opened it. There standing in front of him was the guard.
"What can I do for you, sir?", Athrun asked in an innocent tone although deep inside, he was freaking out.
"Somebody told me that there's a girl here", he said with authority in his voice as he scanned the room.
"He must've made a mistake, sir. There is no girl here", Athrun replied trying his best to hide his nervously. The guard scanned the room one more time then left after apologizing for the intrusion.
Athrun closed the door and sighed again in relief. Although the guard already left, he knew that he was still suspecting that there was a girl in his room. He went to his locker and opened it.
"Let's eat", he said. They ate the food in silence, afraid that somebody might hear them. Besides, Cagalli was too reluctant to speak since it was her fault why they were nearly caught.
They were already done eating when someone knocked again in their room.
"Attendance!", the man yelled from outside the room.
"Shoot!", Athrun grabbed Cagalli's hand again and brought her in front of his roommate's locker. Cagalli raised an eyebrow as Athrun opened the locker. Yes, he had a copy of his roommate's locker key.
"Enter", he commanded in a whisper and Cagalli obliged. Cagalli was locked again in a locker. But this time, it was not Athrun's it was his roommate's. Cagalli silently listened as Athrun talked with the attendance checker.
"Please open your locker", she heard the man say. Athrun opened his locker and showed it to the man. There was nothing suspicious in it. All the man saw were his clothes.
"And the other one", the man said. Cagalli's mind was in panic. She couldn't afford to get caught. It would be a scandal for her and her best friend.
"Sir, Kira is not yet here", Athrun reasoned out.
"I see", the man replied then Cagalli heard footsteps going away from her. She let out a heavy sigh. The next thing she knew, she was face to face with Athrun Zala.
"I'm sorry", she said not moving an inch from the locker. She really felt guilty.
"It's fine", he said then sat on his bed.
"You're mad", she stated with a frown as she made her way out of Kira's locker.
"No, I'm not", he replied without looking at her.
"Yes, you are", she said. Athrun was not really mad at her. In fact he was quite happy that he spent some time with her but he was really scared earlier.
"I'm not mad, I promise", he said as he walked to his locker and grabbed a shirt. "Here!", he said as he threw the shirt at her. Cagalli just stared at the shirt in her hand then to Athrun. "Wear it".
"But...".
"I won't look", he said before she could complain but Cagalli was still hesitating. "You heard me, I won't look", he repeated when he sensed her hesitation.
"Fine, Turn around", she said. Athrun did as she told. Cagalli took off her shirt and wore the shirt Athrun gave her. It was a bit oversized making her looked boyish. It was a good thing that she always kept her hair short.
"I'm done", she said. Then they went out of the room and sneaked out of the building. When they were a bit far from the dormitory, Cagalli apologized again.
"I already told you, it was alright", he said with a reassuring smile. Then she remembered something.
"You haven't answered my question yet", she said.
"What question?".
"Who did you think was my boyfriend?", she repeated the question.
"Oh... it was nothing", he said with a sweat-drop but Cagalli narrowed her eyes on him. "Argh, fine. It was Kira". There he finally said it. "You were always with him and you looked like there was already something going on with the two of you", he was really annoyed.
"Don't tell me that you're jealous, eh Zala?", she teased.
"Me? Jealous? Why should I? It's not like I like you or something", he replied. Then he noticed that Cagalli's expression changed. The reason why Cagalli was always hanging out with Kira was because she was asking for his suggestions for the gift that she would give Athrun on Valentine's Day which was actually that day. Yes, she liked Athrun maybe even loved him. And now she felt rejected even before she could tell him what she really felt for him.
"Hey, is there a problem?", he asked worriedly. Cagalli just shook her head trying to smile.
"No, I'm fine. Sorry again for the trouble I caused you", she said then turned around so she was facing the opposite direction. She felt like crying but she couldn't. Not in front of him. All this time, she really thought that he liked her too but now, she knew that all she was to him was a best friend, too much for being assuming.
"You're not okay. I'm your best friend, you can tell it to me", he said placing a hand on her shoulder but Cagalli shove his hand away.
"Didn't you hear me? I'm fine", she said then started to walk away. But Athrun ran towards her and blocked her way.
"Have I said something wrong?", he asked as he placed both of his hands on her shoulders.
"Not really", she answered. Athrun raised an eyebrow. He was beyond confused.
"What do you mean?", he asked.
"Look Athrun, if I'm having a problem now, it isn't your fault so please... I want to be alone for now", she said, her eyes pleading.
"But Cagalli, we're best friend... your problem is my problem. I don't want to see you like that", he argued. Cagalli's eyes softened, she wanted to look away but she was so attracted to his emerald eyes.
"Sorry Athrun, but I can't", she managed to spoke in a faltering voice. Without any warning, Athrun engulfed her in a warm embrace. She wanted to cry. This was one of the reasons why she thought that Athrun felt the same way towards her. He was so affectionate.
"Happy Valentine's Day, Cagalli", he said. Every time he spoke the word best friend in front of her, he couldn't help but feel upset. It was like he was convincing himself that he was just her best friend. He thought that if their relationship stayed like that, he could be with her for as long as time allowed them. But now, he realized that being just her best friend wasn't enough. She couldn't even tell him her problems and that made him sad.
Athrun fished out something in his pocket and showed it to her.
"What's that?", she asked. She knew that it was a locket but she didn't know what that was for.
"It's my gift to you", he said with a sheepish smile on his face.
"Gift? To me?", she asked a bit confused. "The last time I checked, it is Valentine's Day today and not Best friends Day".
"I know, I just wanted to give it to you", he replied and Cagalli frowned.
"I'm sorry Athrun, but I can't accept that", she said. She just couldn't because by accepting that she would still hope that there was still a chance that he like her.
"Because of Kira?", he asked bitterly. He couldn't take it anymore. Jealousy was starting to consume the best of him. Cagalli's eyes widened in surprised.
"How many times do I have to tell you that Kira is NOT my boyfriend?", she yelled followed by a deafening silence.
"Sorry", Athrun broke it after some time. "It's just that... I really... I really like you, Cagalli". There, he finally said it. Now he just wanted to vanish into the thin air.
"What did you say?", she asked. She couldn't believe what she heard.
"I like you", he said looking at her straight to the eyes.
"But... you just told me that you don't like me", she replied. Tears were starting to form in the corner of her eyes. She didn't know if he was fooling around or what.
"Sorry about that, I just... I'm just too shy to tell you what I really feel about you", he said then Cagalli lightly punched him on his shoulder. "What was that for?", he asked.
"That's for making me think that you don't like me", she asked with her arms crossed.
"Does that mean that you also like me?", he asked in a teasing manner which actually made Cagalli to blush. They were back to their old selves again.
"Of course, you idiot", she replied as her blush deepened.
"Really?", Athrun asked confirming if she was serious about it. Cagalli nodded her head.
"YES!", Athrun exclaimed as he carried her and twirled her around.
"Hey! Put me down", she said. Once her feet reached the ground, she opened her bag and got something from it.
"Here!", she said giving him a white teddy bear.
"Oh, thanks", Athrun said as he got it from her with a wide smile.
"Happy Valentine's Day, Athrun", she greeted sheepishly.
"Oh yeah!", Athrun suddenly exclaimed as he remembered something. He wore the locket around Cagalli's neck. Cagalli opened the locket and her eyes widened in surprise then she looked up to him.
"Thank you!", she said then gave him a tight hug. In the locket was a picture of them together.
"I'm glad you like it", he replied as he hugged her back. "I love you, Cagalli".
"I love you , too Athrun". Cagalli's tears flowed down her amber eyes. But those tears were tears of joy.
-The End-
AN: So, how is it? Good? Bad? Please leaving a comment^^... But before that read this additional scene.
Athrun sat on his bed staring at teddy bear his new girlfriend gave him. He smiled as he recalled the events that happened during that night, the moment when they exchanged gifts and said 'I love you' to each other. How he waited for that day to come. He felt like dreaming.
The door suddenly went open revealing his roommate, Kira, who just arrived from his hometown. Kira smirked as he saw the familiar teddy bear in Athrun's hand.
"So, she already gave you that, huh", he said. Athrun looked up to see his roommate. He didn't even notice when he arrived.
"Yeah", he replied then looked back again on the teddy bear.
"Does that mean that you finally confessed to her?", Kira asked while opening his locker and placed his bag inside.
"Uh huh! And she's now my girlfriend", he proudly said as Kira faced him and walked towards him.
"Wow, good for you, bro!", Kira said as he tapped his back.
"Thanks".
"Oh yeah, did you know that she personally made that teddy bear?", Kira asked teasingly. Athrun was really surprised. Cagalli didn't tell him.
"No kidding?", Athrun asked as he looked at him.
"Yeah, she made it for you", Kira replied. He too was surprised that Athrun didn't know. Athrun's smile grew wider as he continued to stare at the teddy bear. He made a mental note to cook Kebabs for his sweet girlfriend.
AN: There, it's finally done^^. Alright, this is just a ONE-SHOT.
Thank you so much for reading and please review.
This fic is not beta-ed so I apologize for the grammar errors. Anyway, none of my fics are beta-ed.
Oh yeah, credit goes to my very good friend who trusted me enough to tell me her little adventure^^...Thanks to you, I got this idea... hehe...
I hope you enjoyed reading this.