Disclaimer: Don't own anything except for the downloaded Asucaga pictures, which are neither my creation, that have been sitting in my computer's drive for 7 years already. D:
A/N: This is Alternate Universe. Athrun and Cagalli never met before. Kira and Cagalli are not siblings. Plot is overused. I tried really tried for the humor part. naaaaa.
She was standing by the punch table in a grandious ball, where EA, Orb and Plant's importatnt people were celebrating another peaceful year after the Peace Treaty was signed five years ago. She's a woman of twenty-one years. She's feeling the throbbing of a vein in her temple. What's with all the men asking her for a dance? Can't they get a clue that her feet are already aching with two hours of dancing and take note of the five-inch heel shoes she was forced to wear. Cut her some slack please.
Why, oh why her dad has to bring her here, the meetings she enjoy but not the dancing oh, please. Haumea, forgive her for deliberately stepping on Mr. Yzak Joule's foot. Being away from Orb for almost a month. She's missing 'Hams', the robotic hamster her childhood friend Kira has given her, she miss the beach, her friends Miriallia and Asagi, Father Malchio and the children in the orphanage.
She was in the middle of her musings when Kisaka, her bodyguard told her that her dad wanted to introduce her to an acquaintance. That was odd. Maybe this person is of utmost importance. Kisaka has offered his arm for her to take and she took it to not get lost with the throngs of people in the room. She had make out the image of a woman, who's really well-proportioned and has a beauty of a true regal, despite her age. A pang of jealousy shoot her. Not because she's in love with her dad, not in that sense you're thinking. But because she doesn't want someone to share her father's love with anymore. She's been competing with ORB all her life, and now that there's peace already, she wanted her father's love to be focused on her alone. She knows it's selfish but it doesn't hurt to be selfish now, since she has been a giving her dad to ORB since the time she knows, what's good or bad.
On their way to her dad, she forced a well-practiced smile to anyone who shoot her a bow, smile, or wave. The thoughts she has been thinking, plaguing her mind. Kisaka must have felt her went rigid, that he decided to pat her arm gently. She put on the best smile, she could muster in that situation and saw the woman's pointed nose, her striking emerald eyes, and the blue hair that was situated on top of her head. Cagalli removed her hand in Kisaska's arm and gave her dad a peck in the cheek saying, "Good Evening, Dad".
"Oh, Cagalli. Let me intoduce you to Leonore Zala, wife of current Chairman of Plants Patrick Zala." Cagalli felt herself sigh in relief, what's with all the worrying about. "It was nice meeting you, Mrs. Zala. How do you do?" Kissing Mrs. Zala's cheek after her oh-so-well-practiced greeting but really she's honestly glad to meet her. She seems genuinely kind.
"Oh, what a sweet girl. I'm sure Athrun would love you." Mrs. Zala said those words like she's some crazy school girl and Cagalli could feel a sweat dropped in her forehead. "Uhmmm… Mrs. Zala, are you in any way referring to the Vice-Chairman of Plants?"
Well, it doesn't take a genuis to figure that out. Athrun Zala is the current Vice-Chairman of Plants and she was sure as hell that he would soon be replacing his dad when the right time comes. She wanted to roll her eyes. And that reminds her of Leonore's physical appearance, how STUPID of her to let that pass her. Athrun must have been altered after his mother. Now she knows, where Athrun Zala has gotten that looks of his. He was not in any way physically looked like his father.
Well, now that's cleared up, you may be wondering why she did not in any way recognize Mrs. Zala. The media has never showed Mrs. Zala photos, she doesn't know why. But of course, the media never failed to show Athrun Zala's whereabouts. From his choice 'whether-he's-a-boxer-or-brief-person' down to his political endeavors. Well the boxers-brief part from her friend Flay. Athrun Zala is a ladies' man. He could be seen with different women on different occasions and that made her think of 'who did he bring this time around'. Last year on the very same occasion like this very one, he was with Meyrin Hawke, Vice Head of Department of Science and Technology of Plants. The red-head is a pretty one, she give her that. And she still doesn't get it why girls kept on hanging with him, when clearly he doesn't give a shit with their feelings.
He's a man-whore and she doesn't believe anything the papers saying that he's a real gentleman. Thank you very much, Take for example, Yuna Roman Seiran, a childhood nemesis and the current Head of Department of Tourism of ORB. He always strut off with different girls in the office and she would not be shocked to know one day that he would be declaring that he slept with all the girls in his department. The real reason is this, just because Yuna is a Seiran, he could monitor the papers in Orb and made them in favor of him. What an ass. It was a relief he's not included in the gala this year or she would have tear off his right ear if he bother her again. Seeing his curly purple hair made her blood boil in anger, so yes, this is the reason why she hates Athrun Zala eventhough she never met him before. A family name could do wonders to the media. It's not really like her to judge people she'd never met before, but she could detect a man-whore in a 50-km radius. That must be something Haumea has gifted her when she was still in her mother's womb. A proof of this is Kira Yamato, she knows the first time she met him that he's a good guy but…. a cry-baby. Kira never used his good looks to bed a woman. See, she has Haumea's gift and those are the proofs.
Another reason to hate Athrun Zala, she heard, no 'heard' makes her seem like a gossip more like know that three years ago, when she was just seventeen and he twenty. He was to be married to a beautiful woman named Lacus Clyne, who was then the mediator between the three Superpowers. They were engaged since they were children and two months before the most awaited wedding of the century. Yes, more anticipated than Prince William and Catherine. He called it off. Well, it's not really clear who called it off. Since the media are saying different things, and the then 'it' couple never mentioned anything about it except Athrun Zala's "Please leave Lacus alone." That was a first in his case because he never did mention Lacus in his interviews or answer questions regarding their relationship. After that he took a month long vacation to god-knows-where, whereas Ms. Clyne was not interviewedregarding the issue. Seems like Athrun Zala has prepared to kill that person who would defy his words. She still can't believe the media let him off the hook so fast. If she was a mediaman she would have haunted him to the ends of the world. But no, she's not. So it's cystal clear that he called it off because he does not want to settle down yet and would like to make the most out of his most eligible bachelor title. A selfish bastard indeed. And now, Ms. Clyne is currently dating a scientist-engineer. The identity of the person is not yet revealed since Ms. Clyne has politely requested the media to let her keep her private life for now. That makes Cagalli think of how charming she is, that it seems she could hypnotize anyone and she would fit the role of Chairman of Plants better than anyone else.
"Yes, I mentioned you to him and I find it odd that he never personally met you. We've been holding this event for five year straight and you never formally meet. So Uzumi and I decided that now is the perfect time. …Enough of my rant." Mrs. Zala then called the attention of a man beside her, who must have been her bodyguard. It's common for important people like her though there's already peace. There are still some people who wanted revenge of what happened to their loved ones. Killing because someone is killed, being killed because you killed. Do you think that will end the war? She may not know the feeling of losing someone you have spent your life with but she too lost important people in the war. According to her dad, her real parents, Via and Uleen Hibiki, where killed in the previous wars. She was brought back to the present by Leonore's voice, "Andrew, could you please fetch Athrun so we could introduce them properly?" The man, Andrew gave her a sincere smile before bowing and maybe tracking the bastard. Well, it seems like today's not her day.
She looked to her father's direction who seemed to have a silent conversation with Leonore. She could feel something's wrong. She was about to ask her dad, when a deep masculine voice interrupted her. What's with all the people interrupting her to speak. "Mom, you ask for me?" a anhydrogynous man asked Mrs. Zala. She could swear if not for his voice and the jaw, and include that body of his, she might have mistaken Athrun Zala as female. He look different in person. The media made him look like a celebrity but Haumea he looks like a Greek god, never mind the fact that she has never seen one but now that seems to be the best description. Now she knows why females were practically dropping their underwears for him.
"Good evening, Sir Athha." A nod by Uzumi was sent Athrun Zala's way.
"Why, yes darling. I would like you to meet, Uzumi's daughter Cagalli." She sounded like some kind of matchmaker in a movie, she had watched when she was twelve.
Athrun looked at her and get a hold of her left hand and kiss her knuckles. "It's nice finally meeting you Princess Cagalli." Then smiled at her like she's the only girl in the world. A man-whore indeed. After recovering she hurriedly took her hand from his hand and knot her brows then speak with concealed annoyance, "Well it is….." and she whispered the last part "…for you but not for me." She smiled, a smile which does not reach her eyes, one she had practiced for the cameras. She's sure as hell that her father knows it and from the thin line of the bastard's lips she could tell he knows it too. She chance a glance at Leonore and it seems she's oblivious to what she said. She still has that silly smile on her face.
Uzumi narrowed his eyes at Cagalli's antics, a silent reminder that she should behave since she's talking to the VICE-CHAIRMAN, and Cagalli gave Uzumi a smirk. "Why don't you two dance, get to know each other and all that. Uzumi and I would go to Patrick and discuss things." Cagalli could practically see stars in Leonore's eyes. "Enjoy the rest of the night you two." Uzumi's exact parting words which for Cagalli sound like a sarcastic reminder of her predicament. What is happening? Is this what has Heinie has told her about her dad pairing her with a male, if she still doesn't show interest in one? Oh no, please, please let this be a nightmare. Her father would never do that. This is the Cosmic Era for crying out loud, and there's peace already.
"So are we just gonna stand here all night?" Athrun Zala's voice cut through her thoughts. She stared at those emerald eyes and the outstretched hand sent her way. She hated it, She knows it's not the Victorian era anymore but this is the first in the night wherein the male did not kneel to ask her for a dance. People were glancing their way and just as Cagalli accepted the offered hand, the music turned to rhumba. She really is now sure that someone or rather people were conspiring against her. "I do hope you know how to dance rhumba." He said it with so much cockiness and that ever present smirk. She answere it with a seductive tone, "I do, I hope you could keep up with me?" She whispered to melt that ice of cockiness surrounding him, and since he's a good head taller than her she said it breathing against his neck. She felt him go rigid and that would have made her pump her fist in the air if she's not in this place.
The dance began, she was immersed in those emerald eyes and in trying to lead him to dance but that proved to be futile because he's good. He's not one to trifle with he must have been used to dancing. He is practically harasssing her with the closeness they are in. She wondered if how many girls he has led to dance and then into bed after the song ended. He was dipping her low and was almost kissing her, when reality sinked in. She thought of what she has done with Yzak Joule earlier, and with all her might raised her 5-inch heel shoe and dug it to his leather shoes. Serves him right, she chuckled inwardly. The song ended and she has to applaud him for not raising his left foot and screaming bloody hell. But the sight of him gritting his teeth made her sure that he was hurt. No man. EVER, has come close to her like that. She knows rhumba requires bodies to look like dancers where having sex with clothes on but he's taking so much advantage of what should have been an average situation. The dance instructor does not count since he's gay and she loves him so much for staying with her dance lessons even if three previous others had given up on her. She decided to give him a call shen she gets back to Orb and maybe have lunch together.
She cutsied and spoke with mirth, "Good night Vice Chairman Zala, I hope your toes will heal tonight. You're a coordinator after all." And gone her way, Athrun could only understand two words with those words she said and that is to 'FUCK OFF.' She's definitely different. He smirked. Good thing he has fast reflexes he was able to move his foot in time to not let the woman's heel dig into his toes, ,thanks to that space in the toe part of his shoes. He gritted his teeth, due to the continuously constricting hold of the woman which as time passed by is cutting off the blood flow in his arms, which has given him a signal what she was about to do. Sheer luck has told him that she is right-handed and so would use her right heel. Well, there are only few left-handed naturals. Not that he's judging, since coordinators were born ambidextrous. The spitfire could have been a coordinator with her brute strength. It's not everyday his mother introduce her to someone and it's been years since Lacus and him called it quits. He's not a man-whore like others believe. His friend, Dearka, never ever fail to bring another woman friend whenever they are having a night out. It's been three years, six months and two days since his relationship with Lacus. That did not bother him and his friends seems so keen in his love life that they have to meddle with him. His parents never did bothered him for grandchildren unlike Yzak's parents. 'What a drag to entertain those girls when clearly he is not interested for a relationship now.' He and Lacus love each other but not as much to be brought to the altar. They consider each other very very special. Lacus has opened this up to him two months prior to the wedding and you can't force a woman when she's clearly showed that their love for each other is not enough. They called it off and this has brought the media into uproar. The media has left the issue to rest. Both his and Lacus' parents where okay with what happened. They are old enough to decide for themseleves they say. But the matchmaking of his mom just right now is clearly a paradox of what she said 3 years ago. But this girl, she's 'something.'
MORNING CAME….
It was 6:30 in the morning and Cagalli is bored out of her wits in her room. Breakfast would always be served in bed at 8 in the morning so she decided to wander around the mansion they were staying in. She came across various paintings which seems like the Zala family's lineage. She came in front of a painting with Leonore, Patrick and Athrun Zala's name under. He's cute when he was still young and he looks really feminine. She wondered if he was ever teased about his effeminate looks.
She continue wandering around the mansion, which reminds her of the architecture in London, when she visited last year. When she came across a door which seems different from the rest. She tried to turn the knob and how lucky she is, it's not locked unlike the others. There seems to be a detector of some sort before one could fully enter the room and after seems like scanning her, another door opened. And she was amazed to see a room full of dummies around, knives, target, different rifles and guns, bows and arrows.(Just imagine the training center in Hunger Games) She walked in front of a shooting alley, got hold of the ear plugs and goggles and put 10 bullets for the gun and started shooting. She was damn sure the room was bullet-proof and sound-proof. It has been awhile since the last time she had practiced target-shooting and it was such a stress-reliever. The bastard's green eyes has been hunting her the whole night. She has shoot the target's vital points. She then removed the ear plugs. She heard someone clapped and when she turned around she saw Athrun Zala wearing a yellow shirt dress , a coat and black slacks.(Imagine what he's wearing when he visited Lacus at GS)
"You can dance, you could shoot, you could act, what else could you do?" Athrun asked Cagalli with that annoying smirk present.
"You don't know many things about me." She said it with such irritation and growl that he can't help but think maybe she's a tiger disguised in human form.
He walked towards her like a predator to a prey. Cagalli felt nervous that he would do something again. She can't help but remember his body pressing close to hers last night. She knows he was a soldier during the wars and that makes her at a disadvantage despite her knowing self-defense. He would exact revenge of what happened last night maybe, burry her somewhere after shooting her with holes like her target a while ago or worse butchering her like a pig, using the knives present in the room. The mansion is a property of the Zalas and she was pretty sure that if ever he decided to hide her body somewhere in the mansion, she would not be found ever again. Or there could have been secret passages here on the way out of the mansion and burry her or roll her over a steep cliff. She knows she's freaking out and her mind is thinking the worst possible scenario.
"Don't come…. any closer. M-My …dad would know if something bad happened to me." She said is while stuttering, she raised the gun she's been holding the whole time. "I'll shoot."
Athrun Zala just smirked and continue walking towards her. She shoot but he was faster in about a second she found herself in her back with him hovering her, he was straddling her. He would definitely kill her, not by using anything she imagined. He would kill her using his bare hands. It didn't take a second for him to disarm her and she is sure that it would take him one to kill her. She saw him raising his left hand and she close her eyes and shout, eventhough she's sure no one would hear her, but she's going to die and it's just a natural instinct for a human to do that right? But she only felt him removing the googles she's wearing. She opened her eyes in shock and saw him smile this time, a real smile. He's laughing at her. At HER. He got off her and that was when she noticed the state whe was dressed. Or rather undressed. She was wearing a night dress that did not quite reach her mid thighs. And her position did not even help her case since she swear that her cleavage could be seen and her legs were wide apart. She's not sure but she thinks she saw Athrun Zala blushed but that was gone when she blinked. Her eyes where so shocked and wide she did not notice the hand he offered her. She was so ashamed. This has never happened in her whole life. She could feel herself blush. She did not grasp the hand that was offered to her instead she raised her top half and tried to make herself look presentable. And raised herself without the bastard's help. She was shocked to see him wandering too, since the delegates never leave their room, only when it is luch time already. And the maids do not clean except when they are away in another city or touring the Plants.
"Good morning, Cagalli. Breakfast would be served in the tea room in ten minutes. I'm advising you to dress properly for the event." She could practically combust, she could feel her face heat up more. She could not say a thing. His statement sounded like he has seen her naked while skinny-deeping in the fountain outside their mansion when clearly she would never do that like what her friend Flay has dared to do and was caught by Sai.
"I'll bring you to your room, since it seems like you've been wandering around for too long that you reached this part of the mansion." Athrun continued. Cagalli looked around for a clock or something and lo, behold it's 10 minutes before 8 am. She must have been wandering for almost an hour. Oh shit, how could she walk back to her room only wearing her nighties showing her legs and arms. Why didn't she notice the time, she was only planning to tour for thirty minutes. She smiled shyly at him getting over her blush and ask in the sweetest voice she could muster. "Could you lend me your coat, I don't feel comfortable walking the hallways in this." She found it odd, that she was not taking her breakfast in her room which was the norm for a month now and in the previous years. And why is Athrun fetching her?
"Wouldn't that be awkward, I would be leading you to your room while you're wearing my coat?" Athrun told her wisely. What if the maids see them, and worse the other delegates. No shit, Sherlock that would cause unnecessary gossip.
"Yeah right, but it would be more embarassing if I'm wearing this while you walk me to my room. That would raise more suspicion." Or better yet eyebrows. She's not planning on returning to her room alone, she doesn't know if she would really know the way back. She doesn't get any sense of direction. But she doesn't want anyone seeing her with him or be the gossip for the duration of her stay in the mansion. Princess of Orb in Vice-Chairman's clothes or worse Princess of Orb in her nighties caught with Vice-Chairman Zala. That would be total hell for her. Her father would be furious. She has not done anything that would shame her father in her whole life well except for wearing a business attire instead of a dress in one of the galas three years ago.
Athrun laughed wholeheartedly, "No, I was not planning to use the hallways." Cagalli felt her heart thumped, he would use the secret doors. She's not wearing anything decent, she knows he plotted something because of what happened last night and he would surely use the situation to his advantage. But now, the safest choice is to follow Zala. So without thinking she blurted out with pride she liked to think, "I did not intend to do what I've done last night. I was tired with all the dancing and I just wanted to take a rest, but then dad had called for me…." She heard laughter while in the middle of her litany. She could feel a vein popping in her head. How dare him.
"You should not apologize, when in reality you do not feel any remorse." She's not apologizing did he hear her say sorry, I apologize or something along those lines? She was merely saying the reason why she did what she had done the previous night. Or maybe she is, she's just not accepting it herself. He said those lines like he's a psychologist that she can't help but wonder if he was also a member of the Plant's Intelligence Council, members of which were said to torture war slaves to get the information they need in the previous wars. But that was defunct right after the Peace Treaty was signed. The thought of him playing mind games with people send shivers down her spine. When he's voice suddenly cut through her train of thought.
"Don't worry. I'll behave I know what you are capable of doing." He said it like she's a psychotic bitch that could tear his head odd when she likes too. He knows what she's capable of doing but he's a lot better than her. "Well, C'mon your ten minutes is now only five." He was about to hold her hand when instinct told him that would not do him any good. "Follow me." He opened a door and she was afraid since there's only darkness ahead, but as Athrun stepped through, a light turned on. Cagalli was following Athrun closely, and she could say that he has a really good body underneath the clothes he's wearing. This is NOT GOOD. She berated herself for thinking such hideous thoughts.
A/N: Hi guys, this is the second fic I have written so far. Well I tried for it to appear funny. D: I deleted the first one which was written 2 years ago. My writing got really bad since I stop blogging and I'm not taking English writing courses anymore. It's been so long since I visited GSD archive since I'm more of a Naruto archive dweller these days. And SasuHina has been keeping me busy. Okay please review. And please please do not tell me Sasuhina is not possible or any of that, I respect other pairings and I know that it is CRACK. This would stay as a one-shot though there are so many things to be cleared up. But this is a result of me doing nothing since it's my summer vacation and being depressed because fics I've been looking forward to were not being updated. D: You could get this one for yourself, I don't bother. But please tell me if you're going to use the exact first chapter. As I said this plot is overused already and I think I have to contribute again for AsuCaga just…. because they are cool. This is a result of a two-hour non-stop typing session. I'm not yet taking up my dinner and it's already 1 AM. And another note I'm not a native English speaker so forgive the grammar, spelling or any mistakes you've found. REVIEW guys I'd appreciated it especially if they are constructive/flames I don't mind but please do not ever mention Sasuhina in your flames. Flames for the bring fic I could bear. GUTOM na ako. :laugh my head off: Ciao