A/N: I DO NOT OWN GUNDAM SEED OR ANY OF THE CHARATERS FOR THAT MATTER. I ONLY OWN THIS FIC. AND THIS STORYLINE. SO SUE NOT.
"The last time my heart skipped a beat, butterflies convulsed in my stomach, my eyes staring, my lips slightly parted…….. all of these emotions swelled up inside of me………..it was one of those times where I would give up sanity and be myself for once, it was one of those times where I would give up the soundness of my judgment and let my emotions speak my words."
"I could still remember the 22nd of October, a week before my 13th birthday; I was 12 yrs. old at that time and a 7th grader, I am what they call " a man-child", I always think and act ahead of my age and I was my families pride and a child prodigy, I am born in a coordinator family, my father is the National Defense Committee Chairman who is the radical faction leader of the PLANT Supreme Council, my mom and I look the same and both have something in common like our blue hairs and our natural charisma and most importantly our tantalizing emerald orb. They said I was born out of the gods themselves and I was a cursed with such beauty and natural physique, but you know what they say, "looks can be deceiving".
"I spend my past time reading in our huge library when I went home from school. Everything in my life is picture-perfect; I was a kid every parent would dream of having. When I was young and well-ripe in age I was already taught how to act and speak like a gentlemen to the ladies and gents, I was taught how to play the instruments in which the piano was my favorite, I was taught how to do formal ball dances, you could compare me to a medieval prince who is born to serve and please others, to never be himself and act, act and act, like an actor who hides his true identity, never the same person when he was on stage than he was on real life, often times it puts me into a realization whether we're both the same, we live to act and then nothing else. I always thought whether all those persons I met knew who I really was behind the mask of Athrun Zala, the ever-perfect and handsome kid that they knew I was. Like a series of web that never stops whirling and whirling, no end no pause.
I always wished that my life would have been different, I wish there would be some kind of twist in fate that would change my everyday routine into something exciting and meaningful, something that I would always look forward to when I get up and when I sleep, or perhaps, something that exciting that I could never afford to get some sleep at night and would always repeat the event on and on in my head, I always wished for those kind of things to happen, I wished for a single person to know and maybe love me for who I really am, aside from my mother who has never fail to inform and act the way I want her really to be, act like a mother to a "child". And without much effort, one day that wish came true, it wasn't in a form of a thing and surely it wasn't something I've worked for days, but it was something that destiny laid for it to happen. It was that fateful day on October 22nd, a week before my 13th birthday.
"The sea breeze was swaying my blue locks as I stare at the horizon of water, with the sunset setting into the deep waters like curtain of pale red and orange, the sea was calm and peaceful that sometimes you would get jealous as to how such an un-living thing could get that much solace with the absence of life in it. Pondering with this things would be futile because you could never get the answers in due time, time can only tell why the sea would be like these in days, but you could never say the sea would always be this peaceful, it also has it's time when the waters would get angry for no reason, then again who says it doesn't have life? When it can change into one mood of condition and then the other?
"sigh"
"Then again time can only tell….." Athrun said in whisper to himself as he continued painting the dusk at the horizon. Holding his paintbrush and sitting on the soft, warm sand made him look like a professional painter with his school uniform still on and his briefcase beside his hips when he was sitting, with both his legs forward and a bit arched and his knees bended. The sketch pad lay motionless on his lap.
"Almost done……" he said to himself as he mixed the shade of grey, red and orange to make the contrast more realistic and believable, when suddenly he stopped and stared.
He saw a girl dancing at the sea shore with saltwater rising and splashing up to her ankles. She has blonde locks that flowed up to her waistline and that it followed every move she makes. When she twirls, her hair follows like a tail, it shone in the dusk like gold sparkles. She was so graceful like a swan; it was as if she was floating on water, with no gravity to push her down on the watery surface, the skin on her legs showed up to her mid-thighs like ivory. Whenever she spins, her skirt leaps around and shows a little of her ivory thighs. Her face shows so much expression. She was tiptoeing and was putting all her weight on her toes. Her balance was so perfect. She kept on dancing and dancing like there was no one watching her, it was so wonderful to feel to be able to be yourself, like she was, so free and carefree, doing what she does best.
Even though I never spoke to her that instance, I felt as if I knew her through her dancing, to me what she's doing was not merely dancing, it was as if she's expressing herself, and her dance told of her story. It was like reading a book with no words or letters, only pictures, and it's up to you to comprehend and understand what the author is trying convey.
My thought's where suddenly interrupted when there was an awful splash of water, it was as if a weight had caused it to recoil and created a small wave up to the edge.
The girl I was starring at yelped, stumbled back and fell butt first. Almost half of her body was soaking and wet; the edges of her hair were partly soiled because of the salt water.
I swiftly stood up, untied my shoe lace and left my painting materials and my briefcase and came hurriedly to help her get up. I didn't even care when I was half soak myself.
"Are you alright?" I inquired while I held on her waist to help her stand. When she stood up she was a head shorter than me, she was so petite.
"I'm fine….." she said while she placed both her hands on my chest and my hands on her hips for her to regain her balance. Our faces where inches apart, and it was the first time I've seen her amber orbs slightly covered by her hair.
Stricken with reality, the girl with amber orbs suddenly shove my arm away from her and roughly pushed me, while she ran hastily back to the shore, leaving me all soak and wet.
"W-wait!" I bark at her retreating form while helping myself up towards the shore where she'd ran through.
She hastily put on her socks and school shoes, grabbed her pink sling bag and ran away, unaware that a thing fell off her bag while she was hastily zipping her bag.
"He-hey, lady!!!" I shouted.
Before I could get to her, she was already off, riding her bike. I was a bit disappointed not to be able to get her name.
I was about to go back from where I was seating a while ago before I got distracted, when suddenly my bare foot stepped on something small, and soft. I bend down and pick up the thing and raised it to eye level and examine it closely. Turns out, it was some sort of a ballerina's keychain, forming an image of a ballerina with her whole body supported on one leg with the other leg extended behind the body with the knee straight, posed in an arabesque position.
Athrun smiled and place the keychain inside his right pocket and proceeded to his canvas, thinking he might as well not finish his painting and continue it tomorrow, if fate was on his side, he might meet the blonde haired girl tomorrow and get the chance to ask her name.
About three days have passed, and I still haven't seen her at the beach. Everyday, after school I would immediately ride my bike and go there, for those days she has become my obsession, I would always look forward on meeting her. I don't know why I was that desperate.
On the 26th of October, I saw her again. Her feet were bare on the sand, she was still wearing her uniform and her sling bag lay lifeless on the sand ground. She intentionally left it their and searched for something on the sand, she was stooping down and I couldn't help but chuckle. Girls these days wore so short skirt that showed her pink panties, I blushed and look away in order to protect her modesty and my reputation as well.
In order to end her agony and the pain of stooping down for minutes, I decided to approach her, and maybe give back the thing that belongs to her.
"Ahhhhh, Cagalli you are so careless, if you haven't been so hasty to get away, you wouldn't have lost it!" Cagalli said to herself as she continued stooping down, with no care in the world, and again searched for her lost keychain. "It must have been covered in the sand already, it's been three days….." she was about to give up and go home when a voice called out to her, and briefly raised the thing in mid-air, inches away from her nose…….
"Hey!, is this what you're looking for lady?" Athrun said coolly with a tint of sarcasm in it.
Realizing that it was the thing she was looking for, Cagalli stood up and straighten up herself.
"uuhhmm…..yes that's mine, thank you…." Cagalli was about to reach for her keychain when Athrun shove the thing back into his pocket.
"Before I'm giving this back to you, I would like you to listen to me and answer my question", Athrun said as he look at her.
"Why would I answer and listen to you?" Cagalli stubbornly replied.
"It's like giving me a credit or a compensation for finding this thing…" he said as his hand began to shove in his pocket and get the thing and open his hand again for her to conclude that it was really the thing she lost and was looking for. " and keeping it for days".
"Nobody ask you to keep it"
Athrun was quite taken aback by her comeback and didn't expect for her reply to be like that.
" (sigh)…..well , might as well keep it then, since this is of no value to you" he said as he turn around and was about to shove the thing back in his pocket when……
"Okay, okay, fine." Cagalli said in defeat as she cross both her arms before her chest.
"Okay then, I'll start talking by introducing myself……………..I'm Athrun Zala" he said and bowed before the lady. "And you are?" he asked.
Cagalli just stared at him and said, "That's the question?" she asked, fully not understanding the situation, she didn't really expect that the boy would go too far in wasting his time for her to answer an easy question.
"I believe so"
"Are you sure that's all your going to ask me?"
"Do you want me to ask more?"
" Haha, no silly!!" she said those words with a smile on her face.
I never expected her to be so amiable, charismatic and easy to go with, she was so cheerful at that time , that I can't stop into wanting to ask her more, but since I told her that she's going to answer that one question, might as well look for another time, if fate would still allow "another time".
"I'm Cagalli Yula Atha" she said as she hold on to her tiny skirt and lifted it up not too high to show her panties again, but for her to do a curtsy.
Athrun chuckled at her childish act. Who would have thought she'd do something so childish? On the other hand, who says she isn't a child? A girl, twelve years of age is surely in the brink of childhood and adolescent, she can sometimes be a child and acts as an adult at the same time or vice-versa.
"So are we friends?" Athrun asked.
"You know, you've got some weird ways of making friends", she said while tucking a strand of her hair at the back of her ear and smiled.
I was dumbfounded at that time, I did nothing but stare at her. I think she was becoming to feel uncomfortable, so I decided to end our day by "trying" to say a goodbye, to her but before I was able to turn 90 degrees to the right she stopped me by apologizing.
"Uhm………. I'm really sorry about the way I was acting yesterday……"Cagalli said while fiddling with both of her fingers, "…..I-I didn't mean to push and ran away, I was actually…."
Before Cagalli could finish apologizing, Athrun cut her off….
"It's okay!" He said turning back to her and smiled. He leaned forward and whispered something into her ear, "by the way, call me Athrun". Athrun said it with a smile and left.
"Bye!!!!" He said as he waved his hand to her.
She waved her hand too, in response; strands of her hair are floating about in the air as the wind wave it off to the sides of her head. She didn't know the reason behind it, but somehow this day she made a friend.
Athrun's Room:
The night after my encounter with her, I couldn't concentrate in my studies, I wanted so badly to see her again and maybe talk to her more, even if it was the first time.
My elbows were pressed on my study table as my head was leaning on my palm. I flipped on every leaf of my Math book; words didn't seem to sink in my head, so I decided to turn the lamp off and proceeded to my bed. I lazily lie on my bed and I just stared at the ceiling waiting for sleep to come.
"Cagalli honey, get inside its nighttime already, you might catch a cold" Cagalli's mom shouted from her window on the second floor of their house. For 2 hours Cagalli just sat there at the balcony stairs, hugging her knees and stared at nothing or no one in particular.
"I'll be up there in a minute." She said as she took one glance at the full moon.
Two days already had gone by; both of us became best of friends. Everyday, when the bell rings, a signal that the last subject has ended, I would directly go to the exit door of our school then ride on my bike all the way to the beach to see her again. Compared to both of us, I would sometimes be the first one to arrive, and I would often sit on the sand and wait for her, sometimes I played hopscotch by myself, drawing vertical and horizontal lines to form the games boundary.
We talk a lot during those times, through her story I found out that she was the only child of her family, she said her dad past away because of an accident and her mom was the only one taking good care of her. On that same day, she told me about her dream and what she wants to be when she grows up.
"When I was four, I dreamt of becoming a professional ballerina, I would always skid around our front porch and do what ballerinas do on TV…." She said hugging both her knees and leaning her chin on her arm, and then looked at me and smiled. Her amber orbs was so hypnotizing that I couldn't stop staring at, aside Cagalli telling a story about her dream, it would also give a pretty much alibi to look at her without hesitating or any excuse on sneaking or catching a glimpse of her every now and then, her smile was so warm and cozy. I found out that day that her favorite subject in school was Math, oddly likes for an ordinary girl, but hey! at least I got someone to agree of that Math is something useful and can be very essential in reality.
The fact that she was telling me where she was originally born and when, it snapped me a thought that my birthday isn't until tomorrow. So I decided to invite her.
"Hey Cagalli, I forgot to tell you that my birthday isn't until tomorrow, and I was wondering if you would like to come…" Athrun said facing her and stood up and start searching for something in his briefcase. " I decided to save you an invitation card" Athrun said as he handed to her a piece of card. Cagalli started reading the inscriptions edited on the front and back, it was a simple invitation card, for Cagalli she thought it was very formal, most guys his age would go on cartoon spaceship and often times paste their favorite cartoon character.
"It also serves as a gate pass…" Athrun said as he pocketed both his hands inside his pocket.
"It's sort of a masquerade ball….a cotillion…" Athrun added. "So, are you coming? I really want you to be there…."
Athrun was hesitating to say this to her but somehow got the courage to blurt it out, since he really wanted her to be his partner for that day, his only chance of saying this to her would be now.
"…and be my partner….".
Cagalli bit her lips and said.
"Okay………. but I can't promise you, I still need to ask my mom." She said as she stood up and dusted a few sands off her skirt.
"Well, I just have to wait then…….." Athrun started to walk, but turn around……. "But still, it doesn't change the fact, that Athrun Zala wants Cagalli Yula Atha to be there, and that's a promise, I'll wait for you, even though you won't come" with that he darted off to his bike and didn't gave Cagalli the chance to talk.
Friday night, October 29. 5:30 pm.
"Uhm, I'm not sure if it fit's me right" Cagalli said with a heap of disgust, as she look at herself in the mirror reflecting an oversize gown, that her mom used to own.
"How about these one honey." Her mom said as she search and showed her another type of gown she used when she was 20.
"Mom, do you have something that you wore when you were 13?"
"Ah, now that you've mention it, I used to keep this special one in the trunk…." her mom said as she went upstairs to the attic and came back with a gown in hand.
"My grandmother gave this to me when I had my first dance" her mom said remembering her past experiences and sharing it with her daughter.
They both sat on Cagalli's bed, her mom mostly the one sharing and Cagalli took the time to listen, because it is often that her mom shares something she values and kept, she tried to think that at least, even in this minute hour, they could spend a little mom and daughter chat.
7:00 pm
"Athrun, honey, it's time" his mom, Leonore Zala, said as she went in her son's room and saw Athrun in his tux, at the balcony, staring at the heavens, leaning his arms on the railing and sighed.
In his 13th birthday, his father couldn't attend, since he told his son that he had an important call from his office and that either he would be late or cannot attend at all.
Athrun was not bothered by this, as usual, since he's used to it. His father could never attend any of his birthday consecutively.
8:49 pm.
"(sigh), where is she?" Athrun said as he stood resolutely, glancing at the clock on the mantel. He was still in his room, as he refused to go outside without someone in particular he wants to accompany with.
His mom caught his constant glimpse and his anxiousness, so she asked him.
"Had she called you already?"
"NO she hasn't." Athrun said, quite depressed as he started glancing back again at the clock.
"I know she'll be here, she'll come." Athrun said to his mom, convincing her that Cagalli would come, even though his not sure himself.
"How about we'll wait for her at the ballroom, a lot of guest had already gathered, and I'm sure your friends are waiting there to see you too."
"Okay".
9:15 pm
Cagalli arrived late at the ballroom and was trying to make her way out of the crowd of dancers. She was having a hard time with her gown as she gathered some of its fabric in a fist and was looking for a seat to sit on. The dance had already started a few minutes ago, from where she was seated, she saw Athrun dancing with a brunette-haired girl.
She was a bit disappointed at herself for getting late, as usual, but proud at the same time as she was able to attend his birthday and kept her, seemingly, promise to Athrun.
Her gown was a black and blue heavens masquerade gown with a Jupiter inspired underskirt and gold curls, the color of her mask also accentuated her black and blue gown, which made both a perfect combination. Her blonde hair was fixed into a cascade braid, which shows some of her ivory skin shoulders at the front and some skin on her upper chest.
Cagalli just sat there, along with the other guest in the table, as all of them where silenced and just stared at the "couple" with the birthday boy, as Athrun and the girl do the solo dance.
As Cagalli was staring at them, she can't help but notice Athrun to be so handsome and good-looking in his tux, he looks so mature and often times acts as one, even in the dance floor, he kept his grace and poise as he led the girl into a waltz.
Cagalli can't help but feel another disappointment, but said to herself that it was her reward for being late and she can't blame Athrun for that, she said to herself that she should be thankful that Athrun invited her to his birthday party.
Minutes have passed and it seems that Cagalli was all alone in the table, a lot of kids had already gathered around Athrun, prodding him to open their gifts. With this whole commotion, it seems that the guest where the ones eager to open the present and not Athrun.
"Here Athrun! Open mine first"
"No mine first"
"Okay, okay, don't worry, I'll open all of them" Athrun said to his friends, like an older brother saying to the rest of the siblings.
Amongst the guest in the ballroom, Leonore can't help but notice a young lady sitting alone in the table, and was frantically staring at the pile of kids that had gathered around his son. As if feeling she was shy she proceeded to her and, maybe, encourage her to join the rest of the kids who were happily joining Athrun in the middle of the dance floor, all were seated on the ground including Athrun, who was in the middle.
"Hey there little girl" Leonore said pulling a chair and seated herself beside Cagalli.
Cagalli turned her head to the side to acknowledge the person who had called to her.
"What's your name? Leonore asked.
"Cagalli" Cagalli answered.
"You look so beautiful today Cagalli". Leonore said as she looks onto Cagalli's gown.
"Thank you, your very kind" with that she looked away and was staring again at the kids before her.
Sensing that the girl beside her wanted to join the kids, but was a bit shy, Leonore turn to her again and said.
"Don't you wanna join them?"
"Can I?"
"Of course, your part of this party right, and besides Athrun invited you, so he at least expects everybody he invited to have fun in his birthday, so come on, don't worry" with this Leonore pulled her out of her chair and walked towards the middle where the kids, along with Athrun, were laughing at a joke Athrun's friend shared.
Seeing that his mom was approaching, Athrun stood up, and showed her something his friend gave him.
"Mom! Look at what Charles gave me…." When Athrun saw who her mom was towing behind her, he suddenly remembered.
"Cagalli!"
"Oh, so you know her?" Athrun's mom asked.
"Yes I personally invited her here"
"Take good care of her honey, she's a bit shy" His mom said.
"Don't worry" with that Athrun's mom left the ballroom and went to where the adults are.
All eyes where staring at Cagalli and how Athrun was holding her hand. Athrun intertwined their hands as if afraid Cagalli might run away, because she was not familiar with anyone except him. As they where nearing the circle. Athrun introduced her to them.
"Everybody, this is Cagalli, I would like you all to meet her" All of them greeted her with a "hi", "hello", and some "please to meet you" as Athrun brought her into the circle and seated her in the middle beside him.
With all the greetings Cagalli just smiled and waved her hand shyly.
10: 30 pm
It was the time for them to go home and a lot of kids where now picked up by there parents, as they waved there goodbye's to Athrun, some of the girls kissed Athrun on the cheek to say their goodbye's to him, and Athrun just replied also with a kiss on the cheek.
Almost half of the guest went home ,and half of them stayed for the night, the Zala mansion was big enough to accommodate one family, some are Leonore's business partners with there children as Athrun's friends.
Those who stayed where still dancing with there partners and some started to eat again.
Cagalli was about to go home when Athrun called out to her.
"Cagalli wait!" Athrun said as he ran and approached her.
Cagalli stopped in her tracks and turn to see Athrun running towards her.
"Can you stay for an hour?" he asked
"Why?"
"There's something I want to tell and show you" Athrun said, as he grabbed her hand and lead her to a place in the garden, not giving Cagalli a chance to protest.
Minutes have passed and finally, Athrun and Cagalli arrived at their destination, found in the hidden side of the garden, where flowers bloomed it's wonders everywhere, dried leaves on the ground and a lot of vines cling onto the the entrance door, giving the place a tint of fantasy in it. A circular tiled floor was present in the middle; the floor was a tint of checkered white and black with either the shape of diamond or square. It was like a floor meant for dancing. And Cagalli knew why Athrun brought her here, or so she thought.
Athrun let go of her hand and stood at the middle where the tiles reflected the moons rays above them, and the flowers just gave off a beautiful sent.
He tilted his head in the air and breathed the natural scent of nature as the wind blew his hairs to the side of his face.
"Why did you bring me here?" Cagalli asked.
"Don't you know?"
"I Don't know" Cagalli said, but thought that she was here for one reason and that reason was no more a reason because she was late.
"You promised me a dance, right?" Athrun said as she grabbed her hand and led her to the middle.
"But, you've already danced with someone else and I sort of…" Cagalli tried to protest but was stop by Athrun's finger which landed on top of her lips to stop her from talking.
"True that I've dance with someone else, but it is also a fact that I've never get to dance with someone else I like to dance with" Athrun said as he placed a hand on Cagalli's waist and the other holding her hand.
"Come on, dance with me…." Athrun said encourage her to dance with him but somehow felt that Cagalli was letting him down by not coming in early. "Whatever you did a while ago, I forgive you, what matters now is that your here, with me………" and to encourage her further Athrun said, "it would be the best present I've ever had, and that would be to dance with you, so come on, I'll regret what I've said if you won't." He said looking at her and so, Cagalli couldn't refuse. She placed her purse on the foot of the rail and headed towards Athrun.
Cagalli was a bit regretful for being late and still Athrun forgave her for that. And so to patch things up, she danced with him for 15 long minutes, even with absence of music, but for Athrun it feels as though there is no need for one as both of them dances with the wind on the warm starry night.
While both of them are so much engorge on each others arms, Cagalli's phone rang signaling that someone or somebody left a note in her message box.
Distracted by the sound, both of them halted as Cagalli picked up her purse and saw a message in her cell phone.
"Honey it's almost eleven o' clock, where are you?" -MOM
"I think I have to go, my mom's already worried" Cagalli said as she deposited her phone back to her purse.
"Okay, my chauffer will drive you home" Athrun plainly said.
"Athrun, I'm really sorry for being late, I didn't mean for it to happen…" Cagalli once again apologized.
"I told you its okay, I forgive you, what do you think I am, an ice prince who can't forgive someone with minor fault issues?" Athrun said as he pokes his finger on Cagalli's forehead.
"Ow, I didn't say that!" Cagalli said while rubbing the part with the back of her hand and chuckled. "Well, gotta' go!" unconsciously Cagalli kissed Athrun on the cheek and brusquely turn around to grab her purse and was about to head to the chauffer when Athrun, quickly, hold on to her elbow, turned her around facing him, cupped her face and kissed her straight to her lips with passion.
Cagalli just stood there; shock by what Athrun did, digesting what had occurred to her. Butterflies where in her stomach as she melt away by Athrun's soft kiss on her lips, without hesitation she kissed him back with the same fervor.
For a 13 and a 12 year old kid, this instance would sure be a memory you don't want to throw away.
Even though it was the first time he ever kissed a girl, it felt as if he knew how to, for Athrun it seems as though their lips are like a piece of puzzle that is place rightly in the board.
Cagalli, on the other hand tilted her head to the side so that Athrun's lips will be full on hers, both of them explored their lips as both of their tongues move into a fiery dance with each other. What was once a simple kiss turns out to be a passionate one as Cagalli made a muffled sound suggesting that she's running out of air.
When both of them were about to lose their breaths, they parted and a tint of red where evident on their face, as if realizing what a big, serious thing they have done, good thing no one was in sight to see what they have done that should ought not to be exercise by kids their age.
"I-Im sorry, I shouldn't have done that" Athrun said feeling a bit regretful of what had done; he knew that kissing is a major no no, especially when he's too young for it, and besides, for him it's immoral to be doing it in such a young age, but he can't deny the urge to kiss Cagalli, it's what he felt strongly for the first time he met her, you can't blame him for being in love and expressing it to her with a passionate kiss, can you?
Cagalli just chuckled and said, "It's okay, like what you said, it's a reward or a compensation for forgiving me for being late, maybe my first kiss would also serve as my present to you, since I haven't got the time to buy you any".
Athrun was a bit shocked by her reply and took it nicely to himself.
Placing a fast kiss on his lips, Cagalli whispered to his ear, "At least you won't be bugging me for a late birthday present . Happy Birthday Athrun.
Athrun stared at her and said, "On second thought, this would be the best gift I've ever receive from anybody."
"Well, goodnight!" Cagalli said as she waved her arm at him and placed herself inside the car.
"Goodnight too!!!"………."Cagalli…"