Title: ShinnCaga - Twenty Facts and a Love Story
Pairing: Shinn Asuka x Cagalli Yula Athha
Word Count: 1108
Rating: T
Summary: When the much soughed peace had come, Shinn and Cagalli finally sort out their real feelings hidden underneath the turmoil of their emotions, regrets and misunderstandings.
Comments and Constructive Criticism are welcomed
Disclaimer: I don't own Mobile Suit Gundam SEED/DESTINY or any of its characters.
These twenty facts are my personal interpretations (mixed with extremely distorted imagination) of what Shinn and Cagalli were thinking through Gundam SEED Destiny.
ShinnCaga – Twenty Facts and a Love Story
1. Ever since Cagalli dreamt of Shinn in her uneasy slumber after their first encounter, his face had never cease to appear in her sleep. And throughout the years, the only change was that his eyes were no longer the blazing crimson filled with scarlet hatred, but are now a dewy ruby drowning with cheery affection.
2. Shinn was glad that no one on Minerva grew up in Orb for if they did, they would have known that he, like any other ordinary adolescent boy living in that proud country, had at least fantasized doing it with the teenage Princess more than once.
3. Cagalli never knew why she had reacted so over-zealot against Youlan's unintentional remark. She was glad that she did though, because otherwise Shinn might have never had his outburst and their paths might have never cross.
4. Everyone knew better than to go near Shinn's precious cell phone, so it was natural that no one ever found out that beside his family, he had occasionally stared at a picture of Mayu's idol – Cagalli Yula Athha.
5. Cagalli was not surprised when Shinn yelled at her when she thanked Athrun for rescuing Earth. She was not even shocked when she found out the last words of the dying terrorist. What stunned her then though, was how Shinn said he pitied Athrun - how right there and then, he had already saw the fact that she never understood Athrun.
6. Everyone thought they gathered at the dock to admire the ocean since all of them were born on PLANT, and a body of water this large never exists there. Most tend to forget that Shinn grew up in Orb and thus was used to that scenery. He had not gone there to listen to the sea gulls' cries or feel the ocean breeze that day. He was there watch someone else – some blonde girl who despite babbling nonsense, look stunningly beautiful against the great blue sky.
7. Apologizing to Captain Talia was only an excuse Cagalli made up for visiting Minerva. What she really wanted was to explain to Shinn that it was not her decision to alliance with the EA. Unfortunately, they were surrounded by people when they met, and she could not bring herself to chase after him, after one of his friends ignored her, while the other mocked her with a fake salute.
8. Despite his rude attitude, Shinn had his own value and he is not a man who would hit a girl. That was, until he met Cagalli Yula Athha, for he had fuel his own anger and deliberately walked onto her, just so their body can touch, even if it meant that he had to be physical and break his own policy.
9. Cagalli knew she should not have burdened her secretary with any more work since the entire Orb Government was in chaos ever since Junius Seven dropped. But the sound of his angry accusation kept appearing in her head and she cannot help but ordered her secretary to find the casualty reports on the Asuka family first thing she returned to her office.
10. Luna had expected him to curse and crush his can as usual when she slipped the news about the Head Representative of Orb's political union, but instead Shinn was shocked and dropped his coffee, much like Athrun had dropped his suitcase.
11. Cagalli did not know why, but it was Shinn's face that appeared on her mind when she finally gave her consent to Yuna's marriage proposal.
12. When Strike Rouge first appeared on the battlefield and the entire Orb force froze under her command, Shinn, for one second, had believed that Cagalli's word could stop this painful battle and for one fleeting moment, he had dreamt of fighting for her instead of against her.
13. Cagalli had always preferred carbonated drinks over coffee for her source of caffeine. But on the day after she was freed from her marriage, her finger had none the less traveled to a button under a certain black can. She cannot help but be curious of the taste which Shinn seemed so attached to.
14. Shinn was glad no one questioned why he tried to shoot Cagalli during the second Orb confrontation. He had not dared to melee. For at least with guns, he can aim far and pretend that he missed.
15. Every time Cagalli woke up, soaked in sweats and tears as she remembered how Shinn sank the Orb's fleets one by one, she had wanted to hate him, wanted so much to grab his collar and scream at him, slap him hard across the face so he would wake up from this endless grieve. But every time she would calm down and knew she had not right to do so, for she knew full well, it was her fault that the Orb's army was there. And he was just a solider following his order like her men he killed.
16. When the inevitable order to invade Orb came, Shinn had insisted that he be on the battlefield. If fate had wanted her to go down, he wanted to be the cause of it, for he cannot tolerate to see her fall under anyone else's hands. And if she must die that day, then he hoped he could be her killer, for at least then he can savor his revenge while he cuddles her soft dead corpse.
17. Cagalli had read so many files that day she thought her brain had died and she could not care less about all those old battle reports. But when she had found out it was Captain Tokada record and that he was the one who had rescued Shinn, she had order his death record be classified, and vowed to keep it a secret from the Impulse pilot for the rest of her life.
18. When Shinn finally admitted that he had always clung on to this country, he also realized that it was Cagalli who had held him to this place.
19. It was three days after the fact when Kira told her about his meeting with Shinn, and Cagalli had frequented the monument daily ever since, hoping that she could to meet the black hair pilot once again.
20. He had never expected to see her again after the war had ended, but when Shinn met Cagalli in the memorial, he was surprised that she was the first one to apologize while he was the first one to break down as they held on to each other in a tight embrace.