Kira was sinking deep in dilemma.
This morning everything was fine. He woke up fresh and content in his home with no one else except his twin sister who's still asleep. She came home about three hours after his arrival last night because her train have a little malfunction and so came the delayed schedule. No wonder she was still tired.
Then, this afternoon at 12.01 pm precisely, a problem finally caught her, like usual. It was just ... the problem was not usual. At all.
Kira gave another glance toward the girl sitting on the lowest step of the stairs.
Nope, he can't do this alone. He took a gulp of air and pushed the button on his phone where his thumb had been hovering around for the last ten minutes.
A woman's voice answered, "Hey, sweetheart, what's up?"
"Mom," Kira said, "We have a problem."
"I still think it's better not to tell her or Dad, big bro." Cagalli chimed in.
Kira ignored her. Like what she said, he was the big bro here, literally. Besides, Cagalli had used her turn on making decision this morning and it was disaster. This time was his. He just hoped this was the right decision: to tell their parents what happened—was happening.
"Problem? What is it? Are you okay? Both of you?" their mother sounded worried.
Kira ran his fingers on his hair. He didn't have any idea how to say this. "I'm fine. It's Cagalli. She ... she is ..." He looked back at his sister. Cagalli gave a shrug which means 'go on'. He took a deep breath to calm his nerve so he won't hung up. "Cagalli is de-aged."
There was a long silence followed. Kira looked at the monitor to check if it was still connected. It was.
"Told ya." Cagalli said with a grin, more like a grimace on her 9 year old face.
.
Her Small Feet And His Big Ones
Gundam Seed/Destiny © Sunrise, Bandai, and their creators
This is just a fan work and no material profit taken from this.
A/N: This story is not beta-ed and English is not my mother-tongue so please bear with my grammatical error.
.
"Did you two play in the basement?" Mom asked.
"No," the sibling answered in unison. Kira had put on the speaker so they both could hear it. Cagalli already moved from her former seat and sat on the kitchen table instead beside her brother. Her bare little feet dangling in the air. "We are not kids anymore, Mom," Cagalli added.
Kira gave her a look.
Cagalli rolled her eyes. "Okay, maybe I am, but my mind is still me so untechnically I'm a grown up."
Mom was too freaked out to giggled. Crossed that. Actually, she sounded too calm for this. Cagalli didn't look so concern either. Sometimes Kira wondered how strange his family were.
"Not her mind, Mom, but her memories. All her adult life memories are still there, but her mind was being de-aged, too," Kira corrected.
"No, it's not," she snapped.
"Yes, it is."
"No, it is not!"
"Yes, it is."
Cagalli banged the table loudly. "NO! IT'S NOT!"
Kira raised his eyebrows. Cagalli was taken a back, finally realized what she'd done. She took off her slipper and threw it at his brother's head.
"Hey! That's rude!" he scolded, "You could hurt someone, you know? And it's impolite. Don't do that again!"
Cagalli's lip tightened. She looked angry, but it was covered with deeper layers of guilt and ... fear. Was that tears?
Good, he just made it better and better. "Sorry," Kira said softly.
The little blond girl shook her head. "I'm sorry, too." She said timidly, refused to meet his eyes.
If he could be honest, he just wanted to go to their parent's workshop across the city right now, ran into his mother's embrace and whined, Mom, I messed it up!
God, it's been years since he had little sister. Even then, their age differences was not too far so he didn't really feel like having a sister, more like a mischievous and devious peer who always got him (because she loved to put the blame on him—it's a past, not anymore) into trouble. If he was lucky to catch his sister, he didn't have to take The Wrath of Scary Mommy alone.
Shortly, he didn't know what to do.
"I never thought I'll hear you two screaming your head off then immediately apologize to each other again afterwards. Oh, I miss it! You were so sweet!" Via, The Scary Mommy, squealed. "Anyway, tell me the story. All of it."
Kira gave her a nod. Cagalli hesitated.
"It's okay, sweetheart. I will not be mad at you."
Cagalli looked up at her brother for a moment. She took a deep breath. "This morning ...," she cleared her throat, masking her trembling voice, "This morning I woke up at nine. It's just an ordinary morning. I eat cereal and milk, took a shower, working on my case a bit on laptop, plain and ordinary. Then, I'm bored." Kira gave another look. "What? This is holiday!"
"Kira, stop teasing your sister. I don't have much time. Just ignore him, sweety."
Cagalli stuck out her tongue. She continued, "I went to basement looking for something I can play with. My first year baseball or those old board games? But, turns out our basement is no longer a storage. It's a lab! A frickin' real science laboratory! It's super awesome! Why don't you tell us?"
"Because we don't want you two getting curious and wandering around, obviously. What's next?"
"Actually, what I took from the lab is the most ordinary thing I saw in there. I saw this strawberry jam with 'New Zealand's Classic Taste' written on the label. The jar itself is not new and it's just half full so I thought you or Daddy must have eat that when you're hungry but too occupied to go upstairs. It's almost lunch time and I was hungry so I took it to the kitchen because I couldn't find any bread down there. I ate them and ... poof. I am de-aged into nine. To be continued." Cagalli looked at his brother. "Is 'de-age' a real word? I thought it's just a word inside books, movies, fictional story."
"Well, it seems your life right now is already a story, sis."
"Touché."
"By the way, the nine year old is only our estimation. So, Mom, what do you think? Can you guys go home?"
Sometime between Cagalli's story, it seemed Via had grabbed her husband and go to someplace quieter, without any hum of whatever machines that surrounded them. Via also had put on the speaker because instead of her beautiful soft voice, their father's rough strong one came out. "You said you ate some red-pinkish goo inside the not-new-anymore jar with New Zealand's Classic Taste on the label?"
"I didn't say anything about red-pinkish goo, but the point is there," Cagalli answered reluctantly.
"Then you started feeling ... what? Describe it."
Cagalli was thinking hard. "I don't remember ... the last thing I know I was sitting on the table, woke up with Kira staring at me as if he was seeing a two-headed dragon before he freaked out."
"Of course I freaked out! When I just came back from buying our lunch I found this not-so-unfamiliar-but-also-not-so-familiar little girl sitting on my kitchen. Then you started talking to me as if I'm not sixteen years older than you and know my name! Tell me you won't freak out if it was me you find in your ... 'state'."
"I won't freak out," Cagalli declared confidently.
"Oh, really?"
"Which means you didn't see the process too. Such a shame." Ulen, The Always Thinking Daddy, murmured. There was a yelp when it sounded like someone had been hit quite hard. "Okay, sorry. Inappropriate. Now listen, the goo you ate, Cagalli, is one of my on-going experiment."
"Then just tell me where the antidote is. You must saved it somewhere, right?"
"Unfortunately, sweetheart, because it is an on-going project I don't have the antidote yet."
There was silence.
"Say it again," Kira asked.
"No antidote. Not yet."
Kira turned and saw the stunned look on Cagalli's face. She was speechless. Kira felt his lips suddenly dry. "Did you mean she will be like this for ... for ..." forever?
He couldn't say it.
"Oh, sweetheart, don't worry. I'm sure it's not permanent. Right, honey?" Via said soothingly.
Ulen added, "Yes. It was like drugs. It has its half-life and bioavailability. When they all out of your system, you'll be fine. You'll be twenty five again."
The sibling let out a long sigh.
"How long, Daddy?"
Ulen didn't answer immediately. "Could be hours, days, weeks, months, even years ... I don't know yet. I'm sorry, Cagalli. I can't promise you anything."
Cagalli jump off her chair and ran. "Cagalli! Wait!" Kira shouted. The little girl answered him with a bang of the door.
"Kira?" Ulen called.
"Yeah," Kira picked up his phone and put off the speaker, "Still here."
"Look, what I said about half-life and bioavailability for this case is just a theory. You have to look after her."
Great, another punch in the gut. "Is it dangerous? Can you guys go home?" he whispered.
"Sorry, son, but I and your mother have an important part on this workshop. We can't just leave it and go," Ulen said, "But don't worry. I'm sure enough it's not dangerous. We'll be back in two days."
Kira sighed heavily. "Okay."
There was another shuffling sound before his mother's voice came back. "Take care, sweetheart. Both of you."
"Thanks, Mom. See ya."
He hung up.
.
Kira knocked the door which he remembered used to have a wooden craft of his sister's name on the front. There was a yell of 'leave me alone!' from inside. He tried again. "I brought our lunch." Kira raised the plastic bag in his right hand. "You must be hungry, right?"
"I'm not hungry! Leave me alone!"
He put his hand down. "Okay." He move to the wall beside the door and slid down. He sat cross-legged and started to unpack his lunch, a spaghetti bolognese from a nearby diner just two blocks from their home, their favorite since they were a first-year elementary student. He really missed this pasta. It was not the best pasta in Orb ever, but it had its nostalgic and traditional taste. Since he moved to Heliopolis eight years ago, he never found anything close to this one.
After he took three forkful of his great meal, the door slowly opened. He looked up. Cagalli was peeking behind the door with red eyes and tears track on her cheeks. Kira took out the other pack and a plastic fork before giving it to her. "Mwu's Diner," he said with his mouth full.
Her face lit up. He took it and sat on his brother's left side. "I thought you really leave me," she mumbled while twirling her food.
"I don't."
"Yeah, I can see that," she smiled. "Thanks."
Kira smiled back. Cagalli looked so innocent and angelic when she was sweet like this. Was she this cute back then? He somehow doubted it—as bias as he knew he is considering his past-life experience.
His phone vibrated on his back pocket. He put down the fork and reached for it. There was a text from someone named Athrun. He opened it.
"Oh, shi—" he cut himself, remembered his sister existence by his side.
"What's wrong?"
"I have to go." Cagalli's eyes widened. "I'm sorry, but I really have to go. I promise Athrun I'll meet him today. We have this New Year project and we only have—"
"So you'll leave me alone?" Cagalli cut him off.
"'Course not," Kira answered, "You can join us."
"No way! Athrun can't see me like this!" she snapped.
"But he is your boyfriend. He won't break up with you just because you turn into a kid." He paused. "Maybe he will, but with a good reason. Look, the point is, he will not just ... dump you. He won't leave you alone. He'll stay with you until this is over and you're back. Trust me, I know him."
"But what if this took longer than we thought? Yes, he'll stay with me, no doubt of it. It's okay if it's only two or three days, but what if it's two months or three years? He'll stay with a nine-year old me. It'll mess up his mind! When I finally turn back, it will never be the same, Kira. You have to understand, I can't lose him! Not like this!"
She's right. Kira balanced his other options. "Okay, what about this? You remembered Uncle Uzumi, right?"
"You won't leave me with him."
Kira looked surprised. "Why? You love Uncle Uzumi."
"Yes, but he's busy, like, incredibly busy."
"Say it again."
"What?"
"The incredibly part. You sounds funny."
Cagalli glared at him.
Kira tried to hold back his smile. "But this is holidays—okay, he has no holiday, but he has maids, a lot of them. I'll pick you up after I finish. Sounds good, right?"
She shook her head.
"Aunt Caridad, then. She'll love to babysit you again. She has a lot of delicious foods, cookies, even a jar full of candies! You'll love it."
"Kira," Cagalli said, "First, I'm not a baby. I don't need to be babysit. Second, I hate candies. They're too sweet."
Kira was dumbfounded. "What kind of kid do hate candies?"
"My kind. If you really don't want to be with me, just take me to Mommy."
"What are you talking about? It's not about me do not want to be with you, but I have a job, too."
"I want my mommy!"
"Cagalli, Cagalli, hey, calm down, okay? They can't. They are busy, you know that." He grabbed her shoulders and looked her evenly. "Throw a tantrum until I give up and send you to them won't works. What will you do, then? Sue me or them with child neglect?"
"I'm a lawyer. I can take care of it."
"I'm not giving any suggestion."
"I WANT MOMMY!"
"Stop it, Cagalli! Stop screaming! You can't," Kira shouted back. He took a deep breath. "Why are you being difficult?"
Cagalli scrutinizing him. "Don't you understand?"
Kira looked at his sister, really looked this time and ponder over their argument. He was taken a back by the realization. "You don't want to be with anyone else except me," he stated. A red flush colored her face. "Really?"
"As strange as it sounds," she mumbled.
Kira didn't know what to think. Honestly, he was touched, but he was confused at the same time. Contrary to what everyone thought about them, he and his sister was never been that close. Yes, they were twin. Yes, sometimes they had that twin sixth sense when something happened or had the same thought without have to communicate with each other, but that's so rare not all your ten fingers needed to rise to count. And yes, they often played together when they were kids, but that's before they reached school age.
Kira and Cagalli was sent to boarding school since their first year in formal education until their senior year. Even though they were in the same school, it's not like they have much time meeting each other. Their only time of real contact was in holidays when they went home, even after they graduated and started having their own jobs.
Was this some kind of second chance he didn't need?
"Right." He tapped his fingers on his pants. He eyes diverted to his watch. "You know what? We'll talk about this later, maybe we'll come out of something. We still have half an hour before my meeting. Meanwhile, we'll go doing a quick shop for you."
"For me?"
"Yes. You won't keep wearing that until you turn back, will you?" He nodded at her.
She looked down at herself. Right. She forgot that she was still wearing his jeans (knotted with her belt carelessly) and her rolled-up long sleeve red sweatshirt (it made quite big bundle on her elbow). The collar was still too wide for her liking. Honestly, it made her felt a little cold despite the warm air from the heater.
"Go change with your smallest t-shirt, your biggest sweater, and don't forget your coat—the long one. Leave the jeans alone and wear your swimming pants instead. Yes, swimming pants—or legging? Whichever you have. I know you never buy bikinis, so I think it'll be decent enough. Wear a double socks, you won't need your shoes. I'll carry you until we reach SuperMart."
Cagalli's mouth opened wide. She blinked a couple times, staring at her brother strangely. A grin finally blossomed. "Okay, Mommy."
She ran inside and closed the door before Kira could do anything.
.
He tried his best not to attract any attention although he knew it's impossible. Some people had thrown them a weird glance along the way, their cab driver included. Of course, carrying a mismatch clothed little girl wearing no shoes would attract attention, including from a shop assistant on children clothes aisle who gave him a suspicious look. "Can I help you, sir?" she asked.
"Yes," he answered. "I'm looking for some clothes for her."
She looked at Cagalli for a long time then came back to him.
He shifted his hold. God, his arms were numb. "Her father dropped her off on my door, still wearing her pajamas and all. He was late for his work, 'seems he forget to pack her bag," he took a step forward and whispered, "You know how careless a father can be."
"Oh, yeah," she smiled sympathetically, "I can see that. You need some help?"
"Yes, yes of course. Thank you." An idea finally popped out. He opened his mouth, "Actually, she likes the pink ones, with a lot of lace or flowers, absolutely the girl thingies? I don't really understand."
Cagalli turned sharply.
"Aw, that's so cute!" the woman bowed a little so she could looked at her equally. "You want to be a princess, don't you?"
She glared at his looking-for-a-death-sentence brother. "I don't."
The woman looked confused. Kira squeezed her sister tighter.
Cagalli ignored him and gave her sweetest smile at the lovely woman. "I'm already a princess, am I not, cousin?"
.
"I can't believe you did that to me!"
"You make me wear this barbie stuff. I'm not gonna make it easy for you, Kira."
"I almost got beaten up into a pulp! Didn't you see the scar on that man left eye? Being looked as if I'm a kidnapper is bad enough. You acted like a real victim is disaster—screaming and crying?"
"What can I say? I can be convincing."
"But I did it for you! You said you want to follow me. This is the way! If you dress up as the total opposite of you, Athrun will not recognize you," he protested. "Honestly, if you behave more I'll think the girl walking beside me right now is not my sister."
"You could dress me up as an extremely shy kid with dark clothes, thick jumper, coat, and glasses! The result will be the same!"
"Well, that didn't cross my mind."
They were still arguing while walking through the snow-covered sidewalk. They looked like a real sibling now with quite significant height differences. Cagalli was wearing a peach-colored knitted wool dress with a drawing of fairy on the front and a dark blue legging. She also wear a padded deep pink coat with lighter pink polka-dots. It also came with detachable rainbow mittens! Not only that, she also wear a pink knitted hat with blue pom-pom on top.
She felt like a cupcake. "I'm being dehumanized."
"Rich choice of word, sis. I prefer adorable though."
She glared at those shopping bags Kira brought. "After this's finish, I wanna change with whatever's there."
"I give you my word."
They entered a red and yellow fast-food restaurant nearby. The warm air wrapped them in comfort. It was not too crowded with only five or six table were full, not surprising considering this was past lunchtime.
Kira took Cagalli's hand and they walked to one of the table close with the big glass window on the back. She saw him there, the handsome man with a tidy cut of neck-length dark blue hair, sipping a cup of coffee with his beautiful eyes on his laptop. His coat was discarded on empty seat beside him, leaving a turtle-neck green sweater on his lean body.
"Why does he dress up like that?" Cagalli grumbled, "That womanizer."
Kira decided he didn't hear that. "Yo, Athrun!"
The man looked up and smiled. "Hey, 's up?" They bumped their fist. His emerald eyes finally caught her presence and all those bags Kira carried. "Oh, look here, who's this beautiful princess, hm?" he said with his friendly tone.
Cagalli looked at Kira. He gave a nod which means nothing, actually. She tried to control her heartbeat and looked back at Athrun straight in the eyes. "That depends. Are you Prince Frog or Prince Charming?" she answered with a higher pitch of her normal voice.
Kira choked.
Athrun's eyes widened. There's amusement in there, but he still gave her a polite smile. "Well, unfortunately, Your Highness, I am not a prince. I'm just an ordinary man, Athrun Zala. It's an honor to meet you."
Cagalli blushed. "Then I'm just Akatsuki, Kira's cousin." That was her cat's name. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Zala! You are very handsome."
Stay in character. Stay in character, she told herself.
Athrun smiled. "Just Athrun, please, and thank you, but Kira's more handsome than me."
"I beg to differ," she said quickly.
He laughed, that clear laugh that always warm her heart and gave a fuzzy feeling on her tummy.
"I can't believe he flirt a 9 year old girl," she said to Kira from the corner of her mouth.
"He is being nice. Control that mind of yours."
They slid down to the seat across Athrun. The bags were put under the table. Kira helped her took off her coat while she was fumbling with her mittens. He adjusted her hat once again. That lovely shop assistant on SuperMart was very kind to tie her hair on small twin tails buns with tiny colorful hairpins after Cagalli finished her 'show' with the scary man who gave Kira a warning to take care of her better. It made two small bulge on her hat. Kira put down her coat beside him before he took off his own black ordinary-very-brong coat, leaving him with only his sweatshirt and loose cream sweater.
"Where's Cagalli?" Athrun sipped his coffee again. It still let out a little fog so it meant he was here not too long ago. "She doesn't come along? She said she was coming home yesterday."
"She's at home. Still tired I think. She caught on delay quite long yesterday. It must exhausted her, you know how she is about waiting," Kira answered smoothly. Not really a lie. A part of Cagalli Hibiki's adult life was left at home.
Athrun looked worried. "Should I come?"
"Nah, let her rest. You'll still be here until holidays's over, right?" He put his hand on Cagalli's head. "That's why I bring her along so she didn't bother Cagalli. I'm sure you already see that she is an active and cheerful girl. She brings problems."
"I don't!" she swatted his hand off. "And don't touch my head, you'll ruin the pom-pom and those buns."
Kira gave Athrun a knowing look. "You don't mind, do you? It's just nobody's at home right now—Cagalli excluded. Her parents were off to work, too, extra jobs, you know."
"Not at all. She was very much welcomed. I'm just afraid she would be very, very bored."
"I can watch whatever you do. I can also borrow Kira's phone. There is a dress up game I haven't finished," Cagalli's chimed in. "There're so many bonuses for this holidays season. The clothes were very pretty with laces and ribbons, and—"
"Okay, okay, I got it." She is good, Kira thought. He pulled out his wallet and took some twenties. "Now, why don't you buy an ice cream or milkshake or anything you want—and a cup of coffee for me, please—then you came back and can play that game while I and Athrun doing our boring grown-up discussion?"
She snatched the money with a big smile. "Deal." She took off.
"She is very active." Athrun chuckled.
Kira still followed his sister's back into the cashier with his gaze. "Yes, she is." His attention was back to Athrun. "Remind you of someone?" he tried.
"Hm?" Athrun thought for a moment. "Nope. It's natural for every kids her age, isn't it? Cagalli included, but that's another case."
Kira felt a little pang on her stomach. "Yes, it is," he whispered. He was glad Cagalli didn't hear this. It didn't make sense, actually. This meant their plan's worked, right? He pushed off that thought. "Okay, now where should we start? That problem when you said the OS was ..."
.
It's taking longer than he expected. Three hours of complex discussion with so many alien jargon sounded very much like a lullaby for Cagalli. The petite girl was fallen asleep not too long after she tried very hard to keep playing that dress up game (which she just downloaded) more than five minutes.
Kira nudged Cagalli while Athrun put back his laptop in his bag. "Hey, Ca—Akatsuki. Akatsuki, we're done here. Let's go home," he called softly.
Cagalli groaned. "Give me a sec. I'll kill you if you carry me again." She yawned and blinked a couple of times. "I mean, I'm not letting you carry me unless with bridal style," she corrected, remembered her role.
Kira smiled. "No bridal style, sorry. Maybe you can get up and walk by your own feet if you don't want me to piggyback you or carry you like a toddler."
Cagalli yawned once again, still no sign of getting up.
"Or maybe Athrun can do the bridal style, how's that, Athrun?" Kira teased with a grin.
"I don't mind," he answered with that charming smile. His hands were zipping up his coat.
Cagalli was wide awake now. Her ears and face were totally red. "I'll walk! Give me my coat, Kira!"
Kira complied. He mouthed a thank you to Athrun who shrugged it off. Athrun stood up. "I'll hail you a cab. Thanks for coming, Kira," he looked down at Cagalli, "and you too, Akatsuki. I'm truly sorry we bore you. You've been a good girl." He patted her head gently.
"Stop flirting her, Athrun," Kira muttered.
"Huh—what?"
Cagalli grinned widely. "Just ignore him. You are a very nice guy. I'm sure Cagalli's very happy and lucky to have you," she said sincerely.
Athrun was caught off guard. "Well," he scratched his right cheek awkwardly, "I'm sure it goes the other way around." He smiled. "I'm the one who feel very happy and lucky to have her. She's amazing."
For a moment, they sank on their silent agreement with both lips opened wide in grin.
Kira looked at them back and forth. "Right, you two finish?"
Cagalli gave him a knitted eyebrows with that ugly grin. "Why are you suddenly being over-protective, Kira?"
"If I didn't know any better, I'll think he is jealous," Athrun whispered conspirationally. He winked at her.
"You do not know any better," he mumbled. He shrugged on his coat and draped Cagalli's over her shoulder. Their shopping bags was already in his hands. "C'mon. Shoo."
.
They had a silent ride. Cagalli continued her nap and left Kira with his own thoughts. He found today experience was scary. It's kind of hard to believe that Athrun really have no suspicious over de-aged Cagalli. Sure, she had that totally contrast personality with the real her, but if you looked closely at her, those round amber eyes, chubby cheeks which always been there even though she had that slender body, her straight semi-wild golden blond hair, even her slightly deeper voice than average girls, weren't those just very Cagalli?
When they finally stopped in their front yard, he poked her again. "Hey, we're here. C'mon sleepyhead, I can't carry you with all these bags," he said playfully. "You said you want to change your clothes, didn't you?"
Cagalli nodded and walked out. Kira was just turned to pay when Cagalli snatched the bags and rushed to the front door. Kira scowled but there was a small smile on his lip watching his sister's antics. He pulled out his money from his coat pocket and gave them to the cabbie.
"C'mon, Kira! I wanna try these!" she yelled impatiently.
He took his changes and walked slowly to his sister, just to upset her.
Inside, Cagalli ran immediately to her room and banged the door, without fury this time. She came out five minutes later with an army green sweatshirt and black jeans. "How do I look?" she asked loudly from the rail on second floor.
Kira looked up and smiled. "Like Cagalli Hibiki."
She beamed. She came back to her room and closed the door. Kira was filling up his glass with water when Cagalli shouted again. She wear a dark blue shirt under a cream knitted vest with dark blue jeans. "What about this one?"
"You're playing dress up now?" Kira teased. He remembered that time when they were kids. They loved to try every clothes they'd just bought and showed them to their parent, just to hear their opinion about who looked better. "It looks good on you, sis."
Cagalli changed a couple of times again later when finally she decided to wear a red turtle-neck and grey sweatpants. When Kira asked did she want them to be washed first or not she shook her head. "I like the smell." Just like old times.
They ordered chicken pizza with extra cheese for dinner. Kira showed her a CD he found in the buffet with a big grin, the recording of their play in kinder garden.
Cagalli laughed out loud. "You found a treasure!"
They inserted it into DVD player and sat closely in the couch. They watched their self in piglet costumes—not that piglet. It's Three Little Piglets story. They were much more chubby back then, with a full body costume so only their faces were shown and made them really looked identical. They forgot who the third piglet was. They never met him since then. Cagalli teased Kira about how stiff and nervous he was, and Kira countered about how scary Cagalli was and how she was more fitted to play as Wolfie than a sad vulnerable little piglet. Even the Wolfie looked a little terrified by her. As a peace agreement, they exchanged their piece of pizza and watched again in silent.
"Athrun didn't recognize me at all, did he?" Cagalli asked. Her eyes was still on the TV, but the focus wasn't there.
Kira's eyes flicked to her for a moment. "I didn't recognize your 9 year old self either when I found you this morning."
"No," Cagalli said, "You didn't remember my 9 year old self, but you recognize me."
Kira told himself that he didn't feel proud. "Well, what kind of twin I am if I can't recognize my other half?"
"True." She licked her fingers. "We were never hang out together for a long time since we entered boarding school. More over, we go to different boarding school in our junior high years. And it's more than half of our life time till now." She put her feet on the couch and hug them. "You've been friend with Athrun since your third-grade while I knew him when I'm fifteen—that time you brought him to spend your holidays in our home for the first time."
Ah, yes, he remembered that. He went to all-boys boarding school while Cagalli went to all-girls one. He and Athrun had been a very good friends. They never made some kind of agreement to continue to the same school, but they ended up being on the same track again.
Every holidays they went home by the same bus but Athrun always stopped on two bus stops before Kira. He lived in the same city, but on the opposite side from them. Athrun's father was a politician. They lived in a good but not ridiculously expensive apartment in central government part of the city while Kira and Cagalli lived on the city side where not too many people lived there. They had a very friendly neighborhood and the environment was good, there're still a lot of trees and never too crowded highway. They lived there because the laboratory and research institute where their parent worked was near.
One day, before their holidays on December started, Athrun said he didn't really want to went home for the first week because his father was on the peak of his hectic schedule and his mother said the home will be packed with so many people. Kira offered him to spend his holidays at his home which Athrun took gladly. He met Cagalli, then, a very strong and no nonsense girl, but had sensitive soul. Cagalli loved to prank her brother. He was torn in two that time. He really wanted to protect Kira (it became habit), but a small part of his heart was amazed of how clever her pranks were and wanted to take part of it too, to join her squadron.
They ended up playing a prank to Kira together and he had to apologize to him for two whole days.
Since then, Athrun visited Hibiki's house sometimes on his holidays, and it goes the other way around. When they were graduated, Athrun and Kira didn't sign up in the same uni. Athrun ended up in Lunar University, the same place Cagalli's accepted while Kira was accepted in Heliopolis University.
Time passed, and suddenly Kira received the news from Mom that Cagalli and Athrun were dating.
From Mom.
After all this time they were hiding behind his back, those sneaky brats.
"Somehow I think I know what you're thinking," Cagalli broke his thought.
"'Course you do."
Cagalli snorted. "I know you tried to protect my feeling, Kira. I appreciate it. It's just ...," she took a shuddering breath, "it hurts, I admit it, when my own boyfriend can't recognize his girlfriend in totally different ... 'shape'."
"Please use appearance, I picture shape-shifter when you use that word."
"In totally different appearance," she corrected with a small smirk. "But let's face it. My personality was different and Athrun never see any picture of me when I'm just a kid. It's not his fault. I just have to ... accept it."
Kira reach out her shoulder and pulled her to his side. He held her head gently on his shoulder. Cagalli shifted and let her body sank on her brother. "Don't talk wise in your present body, it's creepy."
"I'll talk smart, then."
"You already did." Kira took a deep breath. "I felt really upset back there."
"I noticed."
"I also realize it's a very slim chance and that's not what we hope, but I really expected Athrun to at least says 'she looks a little bit like Cagalli' or 'if she was a tomboy, I think she'll be very much looks like Cagalli', but no, nothing."
"I know. How's my acting?"
"Very good, actually."
"So, it's not anyone's fault, isn't it? My talent is just too good."
"Just for once, Cagalli, I agree with you."
Cagalli snuggled closer. "What if this takes a very long time, Kira? What about my job? Athrun? What about my life?" she said it with a very low voice.
"Then," actually, he didn't know what to say, "I'll just be there with you, or you be there with me. We are twin. Unfortunately, we're stuck with each other until it's over."
Cagalli swallowed the lump on her throat. She blinked rapidly, not letting any of those tears came out. "Promise you won't leave me?"
"Like I said before, sis, I give you my word."
They watched again with a lighter feeling. Kira didn't realize how much time passed, but when he looked down, Cagalli was already asleep. He turned off the TV and adjusted his position so he could put his hands properly on Cagalli's armpits. With a huff, he picked his 3.9 feet sister with a protest from his back and moved his arms to hold her legs.
He walked up the stairs and opened Cagalli's door carefully.
"I said no carry me unless bridal 'tyle," she slurred on his shoulder, still without opening her eyes.
"And I said sorry," he whispered back, "Still no bridal style, sis,"
He moved the blanket and dropped her on the bed gently before he took off her slipper. He pulled back the blanket until it covered her shoulder. Kira turned and for the first time saw the mess his twin made. Every clothes they bought were scattered around on the floor. He picked them up and piled them on her chair. He didn't really have energy left to fold them up.
Today was a really long day.
He turned off the light and was about to close the door when Cagalli said softly, "Good night, Kira."
"Good night, Cagalli," he replied.
The door was closed.
.
Kira was sure he set his alarm like usual, but he didn't even have a little piece of memory when the alarm blared. He ended up overslept.
The cold water wasn't effective today to slapped him awake. He shaved and brushed his teeth, too lazy to take a shower. He didn't have any plan for today, after all. He walked into the kitchen to relieve his throat agony when his heavy steps stopped. He didn't even blink.
There, in the kitchen table, Cagalli sat casually with both hands holding a cup of coffee in front of her face. A newspaper laid open on the table. She wore her favorite grey sweatshirt and ugly sweater—a gift from him for her birthday.
Which meant Cagalli Hibiki was back.
Kira scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "I ... think I had a very weird dream."
"What?" she had a small grin with amusement on her eyes. "Weird as if I turned into a 9 year-old little girl?"
He blinked. "It's real, then." He walked toward cabinet and took an empty glass. The glass was filled full with water from the tap and he gulped it down.
"The pile of clothes were still upstairs as evidences. It's such a waste actually. Those are good clothes. Toast?" he pushed her plate. It still had 3 toast left.
Kira sat across her and took one piece. It's still warm. "Was it hurt?" He munched on his dry toast, perfectly as he liked it.
Cagalli shrugged. "Didn't feel anything. Bet I don't have the small feet when you have the big ones anymore, brother. Egg and milk?"
"Yes, please." She already pushed the plate and rose before he answered. There were some clicks when she opened-closed the cabinet and the fridge. Kira looked at the plate she gave him. There were only one sunny side left, but he could see the trace of another one. She made two.
Sweet. Kira smiled at himself and took Cagalli's fork.
"It's good," he said at the same time Cagalli put down his milk.
"Don't get used to it." She sat back on her seat. A grin painted on her less chubby face.
Kira shook his head, masking his own grin. "Oh, right! We should call Mom and Dad." He put down the fork and pulled out his phone from his jeans pocket.
"I still think it's better not to tell her or Dad, big bro."
He looked up with rounded eyes. Cagalli was grinning, more like a mischievous smirk on her 25 year old face.
Kira grinned back before he pushed their mother's number in no time.
"Thank you."
He glanced at his sister again. Her grin was changed into a much softer smile she always made when he helped her out of trouble or just being there for her when they were kids.
His only reply was a smile, and it's more than enough for her.
A woman's voice finally answered, "Hey, sweetheart, how're you? Everything's alright?"
"Mom," Kira said. Cagalli was giggling in front of him. "We have a problem."
.
END
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Okay, first, I would like to apologize for the grammar. Second, I'm sorry if their characters is a bit OOC here, I tried to make them still IC, but I guess I missed. I have so much fun when I write this one, though, hope you enjoy it, too. Oh, and this is my first time writing in English in Gundam Seed Fandom, so what do you think? Feel free to tell me anything!
Thank you for coming and read the story. Regards!