Darling So It Goes
by Starrify
Notes: Obviously, this is AU. I know I'm supposed to be updating Heavy Lies The Crown, but I still have another exam next week and then my finals for summer classes—and then I'll finally be free to write again. I'm posting this now because it's been on my computer for a while now and I thought I'd like to have your input before I decide if this is worth continuing or not. :)
Friday, 11 January 80 C.E.
The Minerva was one of the most exclusive restaurants in the city of Aprilius. Located in the heart of the first district and renowned for its dinner sets, one would need to call at least four months in advance just to reserve a table—and if one was really lucky, one could get a table when someone cancels their reservation a day before.
Therefore, Athrun Zala was a very lucky man.
"You actually outdid yourself, Athrun," the girl in front of him gushed openly. "I never thought I'd get the opportunity to eat here! At least, not before I turned thirty."
"Well, only the best for my girl, right?" he replied, raising the glass of red wine in his hand. "Cheers to us."
Likewise, the girl raised her own glass. The clinking sound of their glasses meeting lost in the cacophony of other conversations and notes played by the string quartet at the center of the restaurant. Around them, the other couples faded into the simple grey and red motifs of Minerva.
She was beautiful, Athrun thought; how could anyone else in the room stand out when his girlfriend was right there in front of him?
"To be honest," she continued after taking another sip from her glass. "I didn't think we'd reach our second anniversary, what with us not seeing each other as often as I'd like. But somehow we made it work, didn't we?"
"Of course we did," he answered back with a smile. "It's not me to not try."
"It isn't, is it? That aside, I was really surprised when you asked me to meet you at the Minerva! I mean, it takes at least—what?—five months to get a table here. That means five months ago, you thought we'd still be together until now."
Athrun laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head. She didn't have to know that he only remembered it was their anniversary today because her older sibling threatened him to treat her, and that he only got lucky with the reservation in this restaurant.
"Well, if we had broken up after I made this reservation, I'd probably be eating here by myself right now."
"And let you have all of this amazing seared steak?" she scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "I don't think so, Athrun."
He smiled back politely. If there was one thing he adored about her, it was how childish she could be. She wore a light green dress which had puffs for sleeves; he had meant to tell her off about her inappropriate attire earlier, but decided against it—after all, he didn't want to ruin what was supposed to be their night.
"Do you mind if I go to the ladies' room?" she then asked, standing up before he could even act as a gentleman and pull her seat back for her. "I just need to wash up a bit."
"Of course I don't mind. You go ahead; I'll be right here."
While she was away, he nervously fiddled with a small box in the inside pocket of his suit jacket. This was it, he thought as he brought it out and placed it on his lap under the table. Athrun looked at the diamond-cut and wondered if she would like it, if she would accept him—but of course she would; after all, why wouldn't she? She was hopelessly devoted to him. It scared him and put it off at times, but overall it was endearing, really.
He was going to ask her to marry him. He was going to pull through. He was—
"Oh my god! I'm so sorry!"
The restaurant suddenly turned silent as everyone's attention turned to the scene enfolding near the entrance. He stood abruptly, rushing to assist his girlfriend who was now planted on the red velvet carpet, surrounded by spilled wine and broken shards of glass. When he reached her, he held out his hand for her to take. At first she looked at him dazedly—must have been the impact of her fall—and then she finally got back her senses and accepted his offer to help her stand.
"Excuse me, sir; but your date just ruined my suit!"
Athrun turned around and saw a man tapping his leather shoes impatiently, his hands folded across his chest, and his long lavender hair pulled back like that of a woman. He had looked familiar, and Athrun could have thought more of it if the man in front of him hadn't swung a fist at him.
"Don't!" Meyrin shrieked, running to stand between Athrun and the quite violent stranger. "Please, sir, I'm the one who tripped and hit the waiter! You can take your anger out on me, sir!"
Despite the shock of almost being hit by a man who didn't even look half as good as him, Athrun could not help but smile endearingly at his girlfriend.
She would agree to marry him. She would never leave him. She would—
"That's quite enough, Yuuna," another voice cut in; a deeper voice, a voice he knew. "Just leave them alone; I'm sure you've ruined their evening enough."
"Ruined their evening!" the man named Yuuna fumed. "What about my dress shirt? This stain is—"
"Removable, I'm sure," the other lady replied. "You're not making a good impression, really. If I was thinking straight, I'd be walking out of this place right now; but luckily for you, I downed a few shots before you picked me up."
The blonde woman wearing a tulle dress of a similar shade of light green sent a wink toward Meyrin's direction, who still looked dumbstruck at everything happening around her. After seeing the blonde woman step in and diffuse the tension in their small group, the other patrons resumed their eating and conversing; and Minerva was alive with music once more.
"And knowing how vain you can be, I know you have a spare shirt somewhere in your car," she continued, smirking at her glowering date. "Get over yourself, Yuuna, before I decide to ditch you tonight."
"But Cagalli!" Yuuna whined like a petulant child—which he probably is, Athrun thought mildly as he watched the two interact. "This is the Minerva! It took me four months to reserve a table here!"
The blonde woman—Cagalli—burst out in laughter, clutching her stomach as she did so.
"Really now? Yuuna, we met three months ago! You probably just bribed someone to put you on top of the waiting list." She finished laughing and wiped a tear forming on her right eye. Then, she pointed to the blue-haired man standing behind them. "You can ask Athrun how hard it really is to get a table here."
Cagalli turned to face Athrun.
"Well?"
"I actually only called in yesterday and I was lucky enough that someone else cancelled their reservation."
Damn how, even now, he couldn't lie to her.
"Athrun!" Meyrin gasped, hurt. "I thought you actually—wait, you two know each other?"
"I…" he stuttered, digging up possible alibis in his mind. "You see—"
"So you're Athrun, huh?" The purple-haired man's scowl only deepened. "She always talks about you."
"Okay, now I'm leaving!" Cagalli announced and walked out of the restaurant in her black stilettos—to which the other guy reacted by shouting her name loudly and running after her, stumbling a few times.
Meyrin couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy at what she had just heard and witnessed.
"Athrun?" she called out, but he was already so far away.
She was beautiful, Athrun now remembered as he watched her walk away; how could he have thought that anyone else could compare?