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Warning!
This is an AU FanFiction, may contain OOC-ness, typos, grammatical errors and be careful with unacceptable topic.
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Ambivalent
By Ashelia Elnora
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"Welcome to orb! Today is February sixth, CE 77. The temperature currently is thirty degree Celsius with bright sky. A perfect day to spend your time on our Onogoro beach…"
Some people walked around the holographic girl that stood at the center hall of Onogoro International Airport. No one seemed paid attention more than a glance to the commercial speech of the girl blabbed about but one person stayed rooted in front of the girl, dazed like he just reunited with his long lost lover. His jaded eyes stared right to the girl through dark locks that made a curtain on his eyes and around his face. Passed his black cap's line he saw how long wavy blonde hairs of the girl tied together in high pony tail, her crystal clear blue eyes sparkling like ocean blue surface under the sun and a perfect straight posture but the beautiful smile she plastered across her face softened her frigid stance that brought by the system.
He knew someone that had some resemblances with the holographic girl here though he was no girl but that only a matter of time anyway. For all he knew, he could be one now. Uprooted himself, he willed his leg to move out of the airport to be greeted by humid breeze of Tropical Island. It wasn't the first time he set his foot on Orb lands but many of those had been purely business purpose. So he was actually kind of excited to spend his time here as himself. He quickly hailed a cab when there was one that went to his direction.
"To the nearest train station, please," he calmly said as soon as he got inside with his duffle bag on his left shoulder. The main city Onogoro wasn't his actual destination. A place where hardly crowded but not a village with barely transportation or communication, just suburb town where commotion scarcely occur, kinda a calm and quiet place he searched for.
But what he didn't know was that a rural community like that tended to fuss over the smallest thing and imagine what would happen if a scandalous figure graced on that kind of place. Disaster? Not really, just like a pinch of spice on bland soup.
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***…***
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"Three spaghetti meatballs, two fried rice and a plate of curry," hollered a gruff man with bready face and dark skinned through a rectangular opening on the wall that divided the counter and kitchen.
"The curry should wait longer, we're short on some of the items and Ahmed still on the way to pick them up," a plumpy middle ages women replied.
"Sahib, the drinks are ready," a fair haired cook that looked like a boy than a girl piped in and passed the full tray through the only passage on the wall to which the man named Sahib took the tray proficiently.
He let out a tired sigh. It was always like this every time the Bloody Valentine's annual came up. Many tourists would come to celebrate here since Lodonia was a place where a mass genocide of Coordinator occurred that led to Bloody Valentine War. Some of them came for paid a respect to their ancestors and large part of them came for haunting places and spooky legends. That was the only attraction Lodonia had so no wonder that the town itself gave off a depressed atmosphere. But it was better than nothing, he thought dismally. At least the town had assured income each year.
"I guess I need the 'help wanted' placard for temporary hired worker," he mumbled while placing some ordered drinks on the destined tables.
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***….***
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Her faded green jumper she wore helped to block the coldness of February-night's wind and her hoodie hid her bright hairs, somehow recognized as a boy walked alone in the night was better idea than as a girl. Looking at the desolate road ahead of her, she was thinking how her time today mostly spent in hurried pace and almost surreal way. Today was one of those days she hated so much where her workloads forced her days to fall into pattern that hindered her to appreciate even small memorable moment. In those days she would find herself recounted every moment she spent in each step she took on her way home. It helped her to make her day less surreal and to get a better look of what happened today. But it was kind of lonely thought though.
When she was still in deep thought, a loud sound of trash bin being smashed rang out through small alley. Curious, she marched her way there in quiet steps to not alert whoever in alley because she swore the situation matched perfectly to where the most crime scene took place. At dim light of orange bulb provided, she could see the silhouette of three guys that seemed ganged up a long-black haired girl who crouched beside the trash bin. Are they planning to rape, rob and then kill her? She thought darkly and with that thought only had already flared up her heroism sense. So she boldly ran into the scene and launched a jump hard kick to the side of nearest guy.
"What the hell!" cursed the long and wavy haired guy while the other guy helped the orange-reddish head that she had kicked.
"Yeah, what the hell are you guys doing? Ganged up on a girl like that!" she yelled back but not lowering her guard down.
"What a dick-headed bastard," the red head cursed, "I'm going to kill you!" he screamed and threw his fist in rage which she evaded with lowered her body then countered it with an upper cut.
Soon she engaged three guys that circled her like a prey, it was good thing that Sahib had taught her self-defense along with Ahmed since they were kids. She looked one by one her opponents, it seemed two of them had picked something for their weapons. The read head had a broken pipe and the green one had a bottle… that could be dangerous, she thought warily, while the other remained calm and only watched her like hawk.
"HYYAA," the red head cried announced his attack unconsciously.
She moved as a reflex of practices, spun her body, gripped the red head wrist to stop the hit and positioned herself at his inner side that made her right leg tripling his legs and lost his balance. He was down with a moderate thump but she wasn't ended it there, she trampled his stomach with her foot that made him throttled hard.
The clammy one was smart enough to hold her shoulder and forced her to turn while she was busy pried away the broken pipe from the red head. She saw the punch coming and tried to blocked it with her arms but it never came instead she heard someone being punched, the girl she helped seemed had a tough punch that managed drawn blood from the clammy's mouth. The girl smirked to her as if to say 'the stage isn't only yours'.
"Don't be so cocky, you asshole!" the wavy green haired lunged to the dark haired girl with a bottle in hand. She quickly knocked the bottle out of his grip with the pipe she got and sent both items to the side. Not waited him had any moment she kicked him at unsuspected area between his legs, made him writhed in pain on the ground.
The two of them that sprawled on the ground had gotten up though one of them still swayed while walked to their green head friend. She only watched both of them helped their friend and scrammed out. She assumed they were street kids that came to Lodonia during valentine to pick pocketing or rob the tourists. It was a routine occurrence every year when the crime case sky rocketing along side of high arrival of thick-pocket tourists.
"I'm sorry for what happened. Are you alright?" she asked while eyeing the girl bruise on the corner of her lips. She felt bad for such pretty lady like her experienced an awful incident.
The lady gave her a deep hearty laugh that sent her taken aback. It rang too weird in her ears, aside that she didn't understand why she laughed, she was debated if the way she referred her was the correct one. Her voice was similar to…
"What are you apologizing for? I should be the one who thanked you for your help," in very manly voice and he even gave her a charming smile while his lush eyes gleaming in gratitude.
She remained awe struck with wide eye and hanging mouth to the ground while he just ignored it and turned his back to her to collect and checked his discarded duffle bag on the other side of alley.
"Damn! They wiped out all my cash money!" he cursed irritably.
"Bloody hell! You're a boy!" she suddenly exclaimed in disbelieve, "What the use growing your hair that long!" she added while pointed at his long lustrous dark hair like it was sin for men to have beautiful hair like that.
"You should have known it, I don't have bobs!" as emphasize he touched his chest area like there was something there, "and it's not against law to men have long hair."
She gapped at his logic. Why would she stare at his bobs when his hair already a dead gave away of his being a girl! Though there was nothing strange to men grown their hair but usually it only at shoulder length not until his waist! And his pretty face didn't help either.
She was too busy gapped at him that she didn't realize he had walked up to her, so close that her hand that pointed at him bent at his flat chest. Too surprised at their proximity, she only stared him as a sign of temporary brain dead. Then he boldly lowered her hoodie with his right hand while the other caressed her blonde hair. He was easily towered her as a men and how intense his verdant eyes gazed at her only sent her go jelly. The hell! She mentally panicked though she remained motionless.
"You have glorious color to your hair, you should let it grow longer," he advised nonchalantly.
"Not in billion years!" for the first time she shrieked like a girl and butt-headed him out of panic.
"Shit! You broke my nose?!" he screeched with strange voice. She might be really did break it since his voice came out in nasal tone and there was dripping blood out of his nose. Now she felt little guilty for overacted when all he did was praised her unkempt hair.
"Th-that's for harassing me!" she justified nervously.
"Ha-harassing you?" he snapped skeptically, "Are you mad!"
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***….***
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TUK TUK TUK
The typical morning he usually had started with mechanical birds outside pecking his window and artificial light of the sun that pass through his flimsy curtain. Very peaceful though they only a replica of the ideal morning in earth. But the truth was far from those, the colonies merely covered the harsh truth for a dreamer on space so they wouldn't feel desolated in dark, cold and silent vast space that resembled a groundless black hole.
In earth however there wouldn't be any bird that bothered to wake you up, if you lived on big city it was usually a load honking of cars or screaming match of your neighbors. If you lived in rural place, it was a rooster clucking or roaring of tractor from nearby farm. But if you lived in tiny compartment at suburb town then it was the sound of someone cooking at the kitchen few feet away from your futon that laid on the floor where you were sleeping. It was not that bad, on the contrary, he found it reassuringly peaceful. He smiled unconsciously in his half-sleep state.
But suddenly a hard kick on his left shoulder jerked him wake in startled state.
"Damnit! Is that your way to wake up your guest?!" he asked groggily.
"You're no guest," She rolled her eyes, "you're FREE LOADER!" she emphasized mockingly then quickly went back to her pan and pot on the stove.
He yawned feeling ignorant to her obvious insult. After all he knew behind her rudeness and violent deed, she was actually compassionate. If not she wouldn't bring him to her home, tended his wounds and even offered shelter for him, albeit temporary. Heck, she was even cooking for him now. He chuckled.
"What are you laughing at?" she asked but didn't turn around. She was pouring some soup in the bowl.
"Nothing, what are you cooking?" he lied and stirred to other else. She would hit him if he implied something close to insult and it was still mystery to him what's categorized as insult in her book. Because just the other night he praised her messy hair, he got a broken nose.
"Just miso soup, tofu and roll egg," she replied shortly without turning back. "Ohh, and tidy up your futon, placed it back to the sideboard and set the table."
"Yes, ma'am," he mumbled and hurriedly rolled the futon into ball then thrown it to the sideboard as swiftly as he set the mini table at the middle they once slept. No, not slept as in slept together in one bed cuddled up. She would only kick him at his crucial part to even thinking that. It was two futon laid side to side. Even if there was no barrier she made it clear to never crossed his boundaries with her kicks in her sleep.
His daily breakfast that consist scrambled eggs, bacons, sausages and breads replaced with plain foods he rarely tasted or might be never. He timidly looked over deep-brown soup with some stuffs floating on the surface, although the smell seemed good he was still hesitant. Then he picked the rounded golden-tofu, it tasted a little salty but quite good when he ate it with his rice. So he ate it all in one time with the soup, tofu and eggs, it wasn't so bad at all.
Immersed with new taste or he was just really starving, he missed her incredulous look she threw at him.
"You should go today, I see you have some shiny card you could use," she watched him carefully while chewed her tofu.
"Yur snuping my blonging!" there was some rice and other stuff came out of his full mouth while he spoke incoherently. It was too out of character of him but with her somehow he didn't need to put up a formality or even good manner. In short he never felt so liberated like now.
She handed him a glass of water which he drank animatedly, "I call it checking, I should ensure my own safety first! Who know you're some psycho on the loose," she defended that only he replied in rolling his eyes. "Anyway you could use your pretty card to move your lazy ass out of my humble abode to nearest motels or get back to wherever you come from."
There were some gaps before he answered. "Actually it's blocked," he glanced at her and noticed one of her brow twitched before hastily added, "I don't have any money right now, all the money I had already robbed," with dejected face put on.
"So you want to tell me that you have no way to get out of here instantly?" she sneered. "This shit becoming some drama scripted crap," she murmured, "Do you want a job? I have perfect job for you."
From her smirk, he knew that the job isn't the kind of job he could enjoy. She might be plotting something evil like enslaved him into something he didn't want to do. He really should tell her full excuse to get her sympathy like he was businessman that went bankrupt and now homeless? But it seemed far too late now, he might as well stick to the slight hope that she was not that evil. No harm done for getting some temporary job while I'm here, he thought positively and swallowed some lump that stuck in his esophagus, it was the tofu.
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***…***
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"There's no way I would wear that ridiculous outfit! And why I'm the only one wearing that?"
"Because you're the only servant here. Isn't it expected for servant wearing this kind of outfit? Not to mention your figure matched perfectly," she argued more.
He felt his veins in his head throbbed. It was like that since they arrived to the restaurant she worked at and introduced him as a new servant there. Everything was going well until she took off his cap and exposed his long hair. Mana, the cook had been gushed around how pretty he was and excited to show him an outfit she made herself. Cutting the long story, everyone agreed to make him wore that to attract more customers. And who proposed the damned idea? Of course, it was his heroine roommate. He had expected this to happen, hadn't he? But the dare devil he lived with was as stubborn as mule, something he missed. It should be clear since he had experienced firsthand how hard her head was. I have a figure as a model, not some lowly servant! He snapped mentally.
"How could I'm the only servant here? How are you served the customers if there's no servant?"
"Well, sometimes we do two roles at once. But since we have official servant now, it could only proper you're also wearing servant outfit!" she beamed mischievously.
"I'm here for work, not cross-dressing! Can't you make male servant's outfit instead?" he asked the plumpy woman.
"Don't be so picky! We have tight budget!" the blonde retorted again.
"Fine, I'm going to search another job instead!" he ended the fruitless argument but not submitted himself. After all he was here to regain his male ego anyway so cross-dressing was out of window. Beside he doubted that they would pay him sufficiently with that tight budget his roommate blabbed out. He was sure searching a job wouldn't be that hard, not if you had more than enough degree at your disposal. He smirked inwardly, he was going to prove her that he could get better job.
He spent his day hunting a job around the town but no one seemed had any interest to employ someone with high education. It might be because most of the work he applied only needed an average educational degree or even didn't need it all since it was only as petty work such as servant, delivery boy, farmer or tourist guide but what he knew about Lodonia was very minimum, he was even the tourist itself if he wasn't robbed the other night. Moreover when he almost got the job they would always ask prying question like 'Are you gay?'. Did it strange for men to have long hair and still straight? That mere question had ticked him off that he blown up his own chance for job.
His first day effort came to naught along with his entry endeavor of the whole week, it was hopeless. He was too picky just like what his roommate exclaimed but at the same time he needed to be careful so the media didn't catch a whiff of him here. Ran away where almost people recognized you were difficult but not impossible since he was lucky enough to be stranded in a place that no one known him. Although it was no different with the world he once in, people still judged him as gay. It might be because of his hair but somehow he was still hesitant to let it all go. Who would trade their prosperity with poverty? He thought dryly. But it wasn't matter of money actually it was because he owed someone and that someone asked too much, out of his capacity.
So in really early morning, he had found out that she worked not only as cook at Sahib' Dine but also as milk delivery in the morning so she always woke up before the sun even wake, he admitted his defeat to her even if he still begged her not to make him wore that dreaded outfit. His pride was scattered on the floor before her. But seriously a beggar couldn't be chooser, right?
"Be careful with the eggs, okay," Ahmed, the tan guy with untouched-gravity-law brown hair commanded. He somewhat reminded him to someone he knew with the same hair style. But he banished the thought, not wanting to feel nostalgic during his first working.
Yeah, he got the job finally and not as a cross-dressing servant thankfully. Because there was someone else that had applied for the servant job although that guy never went through hard bargain like what he had before. It wasn't fair on his part even if he understood their reason to not offer ridiculous idea to him. The name was Jona Roma Seiran, a son of supplier Sahib' Dine and he was practically an exhibitionist with overconfidence bar reached above the limit. So most probably if they spilled their idea, he would gladly accept it thinking he was the prettiest guy in galactic universe that only led the down fall to the restaurant. Because let's face the fact, he was like a failed product of androgynous breed.
So since the job being servant had taken up, now he only got the job as delivery food or picked the supply from supplier, kinda like Ahmed's assistant since he had stationed in that job longer. But it was better than nothing and they didn't bother him with his sexuality though he bet they were wondering about it. But what could he do? It was people instinct to judge a foreigner like him.
"So what do you think of Cagalli?" Ahmed asked out of tangent and picked a box of salmons.
He just raised a brow to his bizarre question. What did he mean by his question? Was that a trap question? Like if he responded with a lack of interest in his tone, Ahmed might be thought he was positively gay. But if he lied… he cringed at the thought, not that his roommate wasn't attractive at all but a loud-mad girl like her wasn't his type. Even if he acknowledged half-heartedly that she had inner beauty. Just a little, he mentally inserted. His mind was too preoccupied with his thought that he remained silent and picked another box of tomatoes automatically.
"You're living with her temporary, right? So I guessed you know her better by now since you spent most your time with her and all," he trailed off a bit but quickly added, "don't take this question wrongly, I don't try imply anything in there, just want to know your opinion," he hurriedly blurted out.
"Violent," he replied without thinking since it was an obvious trait of her and he was always the recipient end of her brute strength.
"Only that?" He laughed at his predicted and short reply. His laugh still rang out in his mind even if Ahmed already got in the building through the backdoor. It was as if mocking his denseness. He frowned and followed him in only to be out again to carry the rest of supplies in that still on their pick-up truck.
"She's special you know," he looked at him with soft eyes and serene smile. Now he got the idea what his question meant before, it was something very personal. "She's like caviar, hard on the outside but incredibly soft inside…or crab instead," he ended his speech in vague way.
"Caviar? Crab?" he muttered bemusedly, "He compared her with some food?"
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***…***
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It was already few weeks, almost a month he lived with his roommate and worked at the same place as her. And it was those days where his roommate usually sent him to grocery shopping since with him some items if not all could be bought in half price and he wasn't even bothered to bargain it first. All he did was enduring a throng of open flirting that thrown at him with occasional feedback if he felt like it. Blessed with striking look sure had some knack, he snickered slyly recalled his first experience went to the market with her fighting some vendors like her life depended on it, just to get acceptable price for her budget. It was actually fun, watching her so riled up over something he classified as petty. Before he only knew that his life only appeared lively when he got wasted on some party that he threw or someone else's. But now even in the middle of stinky market he found a way to be felt alive. A life, in where you were struggling to keep and gain something, not wasting and get nothing.
Such as trivial and daily occurrence, he never really looked at but somehow when he got here and met her. He could appreciate a simple gesture of kindness without being suspicious and be happy over little things like got some stuffs to eat for free, he was sure his roommate would be thrilled to see him brought back more stuffs than her order, her money she gave to him surely couldn't buy this much.
"Athrunnn~ ,"
And that, he thought dryly. He was still on the way to the stairs where he suddenly ambushed with his daily annoyance. She wasn't that bad actually and quite beauty with her long black hair, ash-grey eyes and melodious voice. But! He stressed. She was so eerily similar with famous pop singer he knew from where he came and that's disturbing. Like daily reminder for the life he had thrown wasn't enough, she just couldn't keep her hand to herself, always so touchy. He got enough of her when he conceded to help her fix her cell phone the other day.
He suppressed an irritate sigh and swapped it with forced smile for etiquette's sake. "Good afternoon, Mrs. Campbell," stressed her title more so she would remember that Mr. Campbell still alive somewhere in the town.
"Awww, athruunn~ I already told you to call me Meer! I'm no one missus but that's a matter of time I guess," she said suggestively.
Yeah, she was a widower, divorced her husband even before one year marriage and still managed to get a building where he and his roommate rented to be her sole income. Where did he know all that? Well, she was the talk among woman that lived here and he was just passing by while they gossiped in front of their compartments.
He recoiled a little when she began latched herself to him, "Okay, Meer. I need to get back, Cagalli is waiting."
She pouted at his excuse, it wasn't secret she despised the blonde and it might be had something to do with him. "Athruunn~, I need your help to change the bulb in my bedroom, could you?" she batted her eyelashes to him and that was bad sign.
"KYYYAAAA!"
He just opened his mouth to refuse her when a girlish scream rang through from one of compartments and recognized it as his roommate shriek when she panicked. Without further ado he hastily climbed the stairs three steps at once and wasn't bothered the call from Meer. Because Cagalli rarely let out girlish scream like that if she wasn't cornered with no way out and that alone more urgent than the dim bulb that probably Meer purposely put there to get his attention.
"Cagalli!" he called as soon as he opened the door and got in to see her back facing him beside the kitchen. There was a paper in her hands when he got closer.
"I'm going to shave your head!" she grunted through her gritted teeth.
"What?"
He didn't have a chance to react more than that when suddenly she faced him with a scissor in hand and jumped on him to get rid his cap and reached his precious hair. Darn her! Why she always targeted my hair?
"Hey, wait!" he gripped her hand that hold the scissor to prevent it harmed his precious hair, dropping the groceries he bought in the process.
"Damn it Cagalli! What's wrong with you!" he continued struggling to get her off him because apparently she had latched herself to him by his hip when she jumped at him. Their vigorous effort to accomplish their goals sent both of them sprawling on the floor with Cagalli still tried to pull out his hair with her bare hands since he had managed to throw the evil scissor out of her reach.
"It's your hair!" she cried out in rage, too incoherent for him to understand.
"Just let it go already!" he was hovering above her and tried his damnest to stop her hand for pulling his hair out but only helped her to pull few strands out of his head. Too frustrated to find out he had lost few strands of his beloved hair, he daringly did what he thought would make her paralyzed for a moment. So he kissed her, the position they were in clearly recommended him to do just that.
And the zap took immediate effect, her eyes went wide, the grips went limp and it seemed she also stopped to breathe as well even thought her heart beating madly against his chest that pressed hers. From their closeness he could see more clearly her brown eyes that reflected the earth soil. It was nothing fancy and common color but somehow it looked there was much more there that attracted him to reach out. So unconsciously he deepened the kiss and slowly clasped her hands in his so she would let go his hair while she remained static.
"You know, if you two wanted to make out, the least you could do is not left the door wide open."
The sound advice from the newcomer brought back the ground to them. Athrun quickly turned his head to the newcomer that none other than Ahmed. Too startled to even blink, he continued stared at him when the word failed to out.
"Ahmed!" she yelped and hastily pushed him off her, her brain was too slow to processed what had happened in span of few minutes in her life.
"I'm here to drop some cheese cakes from Kisaka for you," he replied flatly and raised a plastic bag that contained a box of cake.
"It's not like what you're thinking!" she defended and ignored the cake he offered.
He just shrugged it off and quickly excused himself. Certainly he was jealous, Athrun thought silently.
"Wait, Ahmed!"
She ran after him like a heroine ran after his lover in some cheap drama, he snorted indignantly. She should apologize to him first rather than chased an intruder for forgiveness. After all he was the total victim here, she had managed to mess up his hair and pulled out some of them too. Slumped against the kitchen's cupboard feeling abandoned like the groceries he had dropped, his eyes caught the paper she hold before engaged him in the battle. He gave a quick read, it seemed like water bill and…
"Oh," an understanding dawned on him. It was the water bill, alright, and the cost was so ridiculously high though for him it was nothing, but for her who lived in modest life it was surely a big deal then added to her manner that tended to act on impulse. It was understandable why she wished to shave his head.
"Go figure I'm just not cut with this kind of life," he whispered softly and a small sad smile played on his lips.
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***…***
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A few photos of man with a black cap spread on the table. Each photo took out from different angles at different events, one of them with him focused his attention to the cell phone on his hand rather than to the black haired woman before him. A man with long black hair sipped his whiskey calmly while watched the photos intently. His smile bloomed against the rim of his glass as if to hide his joy from prying eyes that seated before him.
"Gilbert," an alto voice came out softly through thin lips of long-haired blonde girl before him.
"Yes, you've found him, good job," he praised her and offered a small proud smile to her. "Now we could send some people to fetch him, I'm sure there's something happened that delayed his return."
"About that, could I'm the one who went to get him?" she suggested in even tone though her clear blue eyes were more like begging him.
"Very well then, you may go. I will arrange your departure," he said gruffly, seem displeased but do nothing when it was her wish since for him both of them was a treasure moreover when he was the one who raised them since they were only kids.
"Thank you and good night, Gilbert," the girl got up from her seat and bowed to him before excused out of the room.
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***…END OF PART I…***
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AN :
The final installment would be up next week since I supposedly uploaded this in Valentine… so stay tune XD And thanks for reading this and to those who left me a review, that's mean a lot to keep me going :)
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