Kira, lithe and olive skinned and beautiful as he had always been, raised his amethyst eyes and lifted his glittering glass. White champagne sparkled, fizzed and quivered in the shining vessel as his hand trembled slightly.
Green eyes met his. It was Athrun. The opposite Coordinator with the sapphire hair and soft gaze nodded at him, and they both set their sights on the glittering clock tower. Thirty seconds to midnight.
"It'll be okay, Kira," whispered the nervous male's childhood friend in a calm, soothing undertone. "This year is going to be different. I'll promise you that."
Kira didn't answer. Instead he blinked his lashes in a subtle response and counted down the seconds that remained. They were the last seconds of a year that would soon be wiped out forever, washed away to carve space for a newer, better life for both Coordinators and Naturals. The young brunette's grip on the slender stem of his glass grew tight.
"Kira," came Athrun's soothing voice close to his ear. "Relax." There was a hint of amusement in his tone, and then the clock was striking twelve, and the sound of Athrun's reassurances melted into the surrounding noise of crackers and fireworks and voluminous cheers.
The Freedom pilot tilted his head back gracefully and drained his glass. "To a New Year," he murmured.
"And to our future beyond that," Athrun added, though he sipped his champagne slowly, elegantly.
The brunette let out a long, low sigh of relief. Maybe they had time yet. Time to fix the world that had broken before their eyes.
Suddenly Athrun clapped him on the shoulder and gave a mild squeeze. "We've got a second chance," the green eyed soldier said. "So let's do it right."
Kira's vision blurred as he took in the lights all around, and the people, and the sounds of their laughter.
"Yeah," he echoed slowly. "Yeah, we'll make everything right this time."
A/N: Hah. Probably the shortest, most concise thing I've written yet. I should do this more often.
Apologies for lack of other holiday fics. I have another one coming, but it's late, as you can see. This was a short drabble of nonsense to ease my pain from my own procrastination until I post it.