I was quite sour that it was not made known in the manga whether Yzak has feelings for Shiho. And ever since I stumbled onto Vani Jane's BY YOUR SIDE, I was very inspired to write a story on how things developed between the two. Yes, a continuation of the scene well-written by Vani Jane.

There are a couple of lines in the story (Yzak's POV, Dearka's POV, and Shiho's POV) mentioning that the brunette hugged Yzak, following the scene in ep 48. All credits to Vani Jane! Do read it, it's good! I apologise if the continuation was not well-executed.

Plus, do note that I will not be following the timeline of when and how our favourite couple has met etc. As I couldn't get my hands on the English scan-lations. My knowledge about these two are from Gundam Wiki. If you have the links, kindly forward it to me pretty please! Any nice / good doujinshi are welcome too!

Last but not least, I enjoyed writing this piece and have decided to make this into a multi-chapters fanfiction.

Please excuse the grammar issues… Show some support and review, I would love to hear your thoughts! :)

New Romance: Chapter 1

"Shiho! Thank God you're here!" Dearka whirled around in the armchair, hands up in a dramatic fashion, as though he was really thanking God.

"If you are not going to come over and help me, don't make me laugh." The brunette replied. Her lilac eyes darting between the towering pile of paperwork carefully balanced on one hand and a cup of steaming coffee held firmly in the other.

Unknown to both, a pair of ice blue eyes peeled away from the glaring computer screen. For a brief second, the blue eyes stole a quick glance at the red coat, who was taking baby steps towards his desk.

She was trying her best not to spill his coffee and having an entire hour's worth of neatly sorted paperwork scattered all over his office. This was one of those rare moments he seen the red coat's face scrunched into a frown and pursed lips. He couldn't help but to feel slightly tickled. The corners of his lips tilted upwards into a smile. That rare upturn of lips soon disappeared at the voice of his second-in-command.

"If I go over, there will be spilled coffee and papers all over the office. Neither will help in getting Commander Grump to approve my leave."

The brunette stopped in her tracks and stared at the tanned blonde. "What? Don't tell me you applied the same days as me."

Shiho took a deep breath and covered the remaining distance to her Commander's desk, only to realise the platinum blonde was looking at her. Hands away from the keyboard, Yzak Joule was waiting for his morning cuppa.

Placing the cup of coffee in front of his right hand, followed by the huge pile of paperwork on his left, Shiho straightened up and gave a sharp salute. "Morning Sir. Paperwork have been sorted according to urgency. The ones at the bottom are the least urgent. Nonetheless, they will require your response in 3 working days."

With a grunt, Yzak nodded curtly and reached for his coffee. Bloody paperwork. He rather be out on the field facing enemies than going through endless list of emails and that horribly tall pile of documents.

Taking a sip, he looked back at the brunette, who was waiting him to put her at ease. At least his coffee was done the way he likes. Hell, it was probably one of the very few things that is to his liking. "At ease, Major. Anything else I should be aware of?"

"One, sir."

Yzak arched an eyebrow at her as he continue sipping his coffee.

Taking his reaction as a cue for her to go on, Shiho eyed Dearka who was seated at the armchair beside her. "You can't approve Captain's leave..."

Yzak stopped sipping his coffee. Both eyebrows shot up as blue eyes looked straight into her lilac ones.

Dearka sat up in utter surprise. "Wh-where is this coming from?" Did she woke up on the wrong side of the bed?Shiho Hahnenfuss, his paperwork and gossip buddy, has never made a slightest hint of protest whenever he applied for leave. Until now.

"You can't approve Captain's leave." The brunette repeated.

The silver-haired Commander broke eye contact with the red coat and took a quick glance at his Captain. Jaws dropped in disbelief. Yeap, the ever talkative Dearka was speechless. Canning a smirk that almost surface, Yzak turned his attention back to Shiho.

Chin up, shoulders squared, fists clenched and those purple orbs met his blue ones squarely. She wasn't taking a no for answer.

Strong-willed. This is the Shiho he had worked with during the previous war -correction- wars, and make that two wars. The second one just ended months ago after the destruction of Requiem, followed by a cease fire between ZAFT and Earth Forces.

Just then, a memory of what happened in his office flashed across his mind. That evening. Something which he will never expect from his usually stoic subordinate.

"Dearka & Shiho to Yzak. Woo-hoo!"

Yzak blinked upon hearing his best friend's annoying voice. Looking at the brunette who was no longer tense but wearing a curious look, he quickly recalled what had transpired before he got distracted. A frequent occurrence following his encounter with the softer side of Shiho.

"Right, the leave that both of you applied."

The tanned blonde leaned back, with arms folded. Dearka directed his attention to Shiho. Bewilderment was written all over his face. "Seriously, you are always okay with me going on leave. What's biting your ass this time around?"

A tick appeared along the edges of Shiho's jaw but she remained silence. Yzak took that as a hint, it was a personal reason. He could have immediately approve her request, silence Dearka, and continue with his long list of emails.

"Dearka, get out."

Then again, he simply couldn't resist the urge to know the reason behind the brunette's rare disregard for her superior. Hell, he has been easily amused by her antics these days.

"Wait a sec! What about my leave? It starts tomorrow!" Dearka exclaimed, wondering what went wrong this morning. Yzak did not approve his leave, something which the platinum blonde would do upon his reminder. Shiho never ever protest about going him on leave or make things difficult for him. Heck, she even wished him a good time-off every time. Why now?

"Come on, it's just a half-day leave for tomorrow, and a whole day leave for the day after. I need to pick Miriallia up from the airport and spend some time with the best girl in the world. I have not seen her for two weeks. Do you have any idea how long and agonising that is?"

Yzak rolled his eyes at his best friend. He can't believe Dearka, one of ZAFT top soldiers, is following a girl around like a puppy. "That is because you can't keep your hormones in check. Seriously."

It was the tanned blonde's turn to roll his eyes. "Buddy, take my advice. You should go out there, get a life and find yourself a girl. Look at you, you are married to work and wasting away the good looks! No wonder there are rumours saying that you are gay."

Shiho jumped as the platinum blonde slammed his fists on the table and stood up. "I'm not gay! You, of all people, should know that being a ZAFT Commander and a Supreme Council member leave me with no spare time! How do I go out there and find a girl? I barely even have the time to sleep for a good eight hours! Damn it, Elthman!"

If it was anyone else in the team, he or she would have pee in his or her pants. The look on Yzak's face was screaming murder - gritted teeth and eyes glaring. Shiho could almost see the smoke coming out from his ears. Then again, the person here is Dearka Elthman, who is Yzak's childhood friend, is immune Terror of ZAFT's outbursts.

The tanned blonde chuckled and sent Shiho a mischievous smirk.

She froze immediately at her captain's signature up-to-no-good smirk.Oh no, here comes the meddlesome Dearka. "I take back some of my words. You don't have to go out & find a girl. There is one standing right in front of you now. Why don't you date Shiho instead? Besides, she - "

Adrenaline kicked in as Shiho feared Dearka might slip her secret admiration for her Commander. She turned sharply to face the tanned blonde. With her back facing Yzak, the brunette shot a warning glare to Dearka. "Captain! I believe Commander wants to hear my reason behind the application of leave."

Registering Shiho's words and flustered expression, Dearka let out a sigh of defeat. There are times his hands are itching to knock some sense into both Yzak and Shiho's head, literally.

Ever since that evening, when he walked in on the both of them, it was clear to him that Shiho has a thing for his best friend. Unfortunately, Yzak was oblivious to her feelings and that woman had no intention of making her feelings known to him. On the other hand, Yzak has probably taken a liking towards Shiho but was unaware of it. As Dearka could not fathom a better reason for letting her wear the male uniform and personally assist her with Deep Arms on many occasions. Oh! Did he mention that Yzak requested for Shiho's return to the joule team immediately after he returned to the front-line?

Argh, they will be the death of him! And so much for being top guns of ZAFT.

Dearka stood up and exited Yzak's office, "see the both of you later."

The platinum blonde then gestured Shiho to take a seat. "Why the sudden no-go about Dearka's leave?"

"He applied for the same days as mine. Either Dearka or myself can go on leave at any point in time." Shiho replied, her voice lost the cold formal edge.

Despite being in uniform, the woman in front of him was no longer the highly-regarded marksman and famous first female red coat of ZAFT. Her poker face was gone and there was a mix of emotions swirling in those amethyst orbs. However, they weren't twinkling with the usual sarcasm or tease. Something was troubling her.

"It's no secret that Dearka takes leave because of one Natural girl." Yzak rolled his eyes. Damn, he sounded more irritated than he intended. He wanted to have her reveal the reason behind her application, not bitching about his best friend.

A corner of her lips curved upwards slightly in a half-smirk. The twinkle of mischief flashed in her purple orbs. "Nice try, Commander Grump."

If the last two words were said by anyone else, that poor soul will immediately learn why Yzak was known as the Terror of ZAFT. Since it was Shiho, his third in command, and a loyal comrade who never gave him any problem, he will let it slide. Funny, how she always seems to know what he was up to was truly beyond him.

The platinum blonde shrugged and leaned forward. Ice blue eyes locked gaze with lilac ones. "I would have approved it anyway but if it's convenient..."

Something flashed across her doe-like eyes for a split second before he registered an almost inaudible shaky intake of breath. She looked away and leaned back against the chair. Shoulders caved in, posture no longer straight but slightly hunched. The brunette looked down, with her blunt-cut bangs obscured her eyes from his watchful ones.

Shiho didn't know whether she wants to share the reason with Yzak.

Revealing it to him will no doubt make her fall for him even deeper. It feels as if she was opening up and letting him into a part of her life and her story, when Yzak is simply her Commander, aka her superior, her comrade, and basically, her colleague. Nothing else. She was all of that to him as well, she was sure of it. No point in getting her hopes up when she knew all along that Yzak is nothing but professional.

But he talks to you whenever you are alone or no one is looking… surely you must mean something more than just a colleague to him, no? Argh, that stupid annoying little voice again.

Sure, Yzak walks up or with her whenever they happened to be in the same place at the same time or going to the cafeteria for a quick break. However, she did not want to read too much into the small talks he had with her. It will lead her to think that he wanted to know more about her, more than how a superior should.

Based on her observations of his interactions with the team, these small talks only meant that she had the basic instinct and amount of intelligence not to do things (in Yzak's words) 'devoid of common sense' and 'dumb enough to get everyone killed'.

Mentally sighing, the comfort she can offer to herself was that Yzak spoke to her and not 'verbally scald' her. It was a personal interpretation of Yzak's outbursts & scoldings to new recruits or anyone dumb enough to cross him.

Just then, Yzak's voice snapped her out of the long train of thoughts. "Look Hahnenfuss, it's fine. You have never taken leave anyway."

The brunette shook her head and continue staring down at her now clenched yet shaky hands. "No, it's not like that... I - " Before she can finish her sentence, warm hands held the sides of her shoulders. The armchair turned to the left. The brunette looked up to find herself looking straight into stunning blue eyes.

"It's going to be okay... it will go away eventually. Even if it doesn't, you will be able to face it in due time. Until then, don't push yourself."

The brunette was stunned speechless. She didn't know what affected her more.

Did Terror of ZAFT just spoke softly to her? It sounded almost like a whisper.

Or was it because he used the same words she said to him when she hugged him that night? He remembered every single one of them. She can't help but to feel touched and a little giddy as her heart skipped a few beats.

Or could it be the lack of distance between them? His two hands were holding her in place as he brought himself to her level. Her eyes were still locked on to his. She couldn't find the strength to break away that intense gaze. She was hyperaware of how warm his hands on her shoulders were. The warmth seems to seep-correction- burn through the thick layer of her uniform to her skin.

"Don't let me, or anyone, do that to you. I didn't mean to drive you into a corner. My bad." Yzak said, looking into her eyes, searching for any sign to show that she will forgive him and that she was alright.

The brunette's jaw went slack, leaving her lips slightly parted. Shiho cannot believe her ears for a split second back there. Yzak Joule, the most feared and respected Commander in ZAFT apologised to her, well, in his own way. "..." She opened her mouth to speak but found no words. Bet she looks like a goldfish now.

Those piercing blue eyes broke the hypnotising hold and travelled south. Her amethyst ones followed and realisation hit her. Is ... is he looking at her lips? Her heart began to race. Heat crawled from her heart and up to her cheeks, setting them ablaze.

He dragged his eyes up north to catch her watching him. He must have let something slipped and she caught it a glimpse of it. As he heard her shaky intake of air and those lilac orbs widened in surprise. Or was it a glint of anticipation he caught swirling in those doe-like eyes? They were looking straight into his eyes but darting left and right, like nervous little birds sensing something is about happen but not knowing what to do.

"Am I scaring you, Shiho?" He asked softly, with her name sounding like a whisper.

The brunette shuddered as her name rolled off his lips. She had no idea that her name would sound... so feminine. It was probably because he was the one who said it. Yzak always have such effects on her. Come to think of it, he has never address her by her given name. 'Housenka' was probably the most casual, if not, the only informal label he used. Otherwise, it will always be 'Major'.

Shiho was brought back to reality when she felt his warm hand relocated at the back of her neck, sliding past her uniform's high collar. She froze as those long fingers touched her cheeks, sliding down to trace the outline of her jaw, and finally came to a stop under her chin. He then lifted her chin to bring her eyes to the same level as his. Blue eyes holding purple ones captive. His face was a mere inch away. When and how he manage to get so close, Shiho had no idea and she didn't care.

This is it. If she isn't dreaming right now, this is how she gave her first kiss away. Should she lean in? Or close her eyes and wait for it? Gosh, she doesn't know what to do!

-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-

The sudden beeping of the intercom frightened both of them, causing them to part as if they have touched fire. Shiho quickly pressed her shaky hand to where her heart almost beat out of her chest.

"What is it?" He barked, as soon as he slammed a finger down on the intercom. Although she was trying to calm her racing heart, Shiho registered the harsh tone in his words and was certain that the receptionist was frightened. "Ch-Chairwoman has arrived for the meeting at 9am."

A muttered curse slipped from Yzak before he took a deep breath to regain his composure. "Send her in."

He cut the line and directed his attention to Shiho, who was already on her feet. Posture rigid and poker face back on. Damn, he preferred the earlier Shiho, who wears her heart on her sleeve. From all the small talks they shared, the brunette was full of life and always ready to burst into laughter, offer him a warm smile or quick to keep the conversation going. Something he finds refreshing. It was like a dose of fresh air to the gloomy and tense atmosphere in the ship, due to the war.

This Shiho in front of him right now was no different from an artificial intelligence in flesh. Emotionless and calculated. Present but never noticeable.

Yes, Shiho Hahnenfuss is always somewhere within the circle of officers during meetings. She possess a stillness that reminds him of a wild cat on the hunt, quietly watching and studying everyone's behaviour, bidding her time to react, which was always the case. You will never realise she was there until she speaks up. Or you are actively scanning the crowd in a tedious attempt to spot her.

He hates to admit it but this side of Shiho freaks him out at times. She was able to know what he is thinking about and wanted do before he made it known. In the next moment, she was sharing with him the answers he was looking for or stealing the words right out of his mouth.

Don't get him wrong, he appreciates her quick-wit, swift decisions and precision on the battlefield. However, it bugs him to no end that he is unable to make an intelligent guess on her thoughts or read her intentions whenever her game face was on. Lilac eyes were nothing but piercing and cool as steel.

"Sir, Chairwoman is here. I will be on my way." Shiho said with a sharp salute, snapping Yzak from the long train of thoughts.

Did the doorbell ring?He must be so deep in thoughts to be unaware of the doorbell. This is bad. It isn't the first time his thoughts strayed to a particular brunette. Ever since she hugged him in this office evening, soon after he witnessed Requiem opening fire and sinking many of PLANTS' colonies. Many lives were lost.

The platinum blonde nodded, "I will approve your application for leave. Don't worry about Dearka, I will see to it."

Cold lilac eyes melted into liquid amethysts orbs. She offered him a small smile of appreciation. "Thank you, sir. It means a lot to me."

Momentarily stunned by her smile and the warm tingling feeling that enveloped his heart, Yzak could not find the right words to reply. A nod was all he could manage.

The brunette gave a sharp salute and exited the office, only to find herself face to face with her best friend.

"Shiho!" In a blink of an eye, the red coat found her herself being pulled into a tight embrace.

Looking down at the pink hair flowing down to the person's waist, and recognising that familiar sweet voice, Shiho closed her eyes and returned the hug. "It's good to see you too. You have no idea how relieved I am right now... I was so worried about you!"

The owner of the sweet voice and pink hair gave one last squeeze before stepping back. "I'm so sorry that I couldn't catch up when you and Yzak came to escort me back to the Supreme Council building. I was..."

"Worried... about someone. The pilot you hugged at the hangar. Kira Yamato." Shiho continued, with a small smile. Yzak noticed the smile did not reach her eyes. He also caught a glimpse of longing swimming in those purple orbs. (P/S: Yzak walked over to the door to welcome Lacus, aka Chairwoman, moments ago.)

A faint blush appeared on Lacus' porcelain cheeks.

Shiho chuckled and decided to tease her childhood friend a little. Just because Lacus is still as shy as before when it comes to such matters!

The brunette straightened her face and gave a pointed stare at Lacus. "You will have to arrange for a sit-down session between him and me. If he can't answer my questions or his performance is unsatisfactory, you can forget about being together with him."

The ex-songstress's jaw went slack immediately and her face turned pale with horror. "Y-you can't be serious, are you?"

Shiho threw in a frown to show that she was all serious about this. After a couple of seconds, she patted the frightened woman's shoulder. "Look at you, I was just kidding." She reached out to hold Lacus' hands and gave a gentle squeeze. "I'm happy you found someone, Lacus. It's easier when you have someone with you, by your side."

God! How can one's voice sound so heart-wrenching? Yzak turned fully to look at Shiho. Her eyes were clouded with sadness. He bit his lips to keep himself from asking Shiho what had happened. Did she had a boyfriend, who died in the war perhaps? The need to hold her, just like how she held him that night, hit him like a tidal wave.

"Shiho... would you like to join me and Kira for dinner tomorrow evening, after the memorial service?" Lacus asked, with a hopeful smile. And there is was again, that small smile which never reached Shiho's eyes. "Thank you but I will be fine."

Worry began to surface in Lacus' smoky blue eyes. "Are you sure? It's better to spend tomorrow with friends..." Yzak can't help but to frown at her last word. Why didn't she mentioned the word family?

Shiho inhaled shakily and offered a weak smile. "Don't worry about me... I will be spending time with my mum. Go enjoy your date tomorrow."

In Yzak's eyes, the brunette wasn't able to hold back on the flood gate, which Lacus has unintentionally opened, much longer. He was never like poking his nose into people's affairs but at this moment, he was dying to know what had happened to Shiho. Did she lost someone dear? He has never seen her like this before.

"No words can express how sorry I am... I wish I had been there for you. I wish I had been a better friend... I'm sorry, Shiho. I really am." Lacus confessed softly, almost like a whisper.

Shiho offered a tight-lip smile and gave her longtime friend a quick hug. "Don't worry about it. You were coping with your father's death too... I'm glad that Kira will be with you tomorrow."

"If you change your mind, call me alright? Kira knows you are my best friend, he wouldn't mind you joining us."

The brunette nodded and gave a sharp salute, "I will be on my way. See you tomorrow."

Upon Shiho's retreating figure disappeared at a turn ahead, Yzak directed his attention to his boss, who was looking at him. He wondered how long she had been watching him. "Shall we start?" He raised his hands to direct Lacus into his office, while her bodyguards remained outside.

Once both of them were seated, Yzak pressed a button by his desk and locked the door. "How have you been?" The ex-songstress greeted.

The platinum blonde Commander offered a tired smile, "Still finding my footing in the political playground... Military wise, I think I'm more or less alright. I have Dearka and Shiho to run the show when I'm needed elsewhere."

"You are doing fine, Councilman-slash-Commander Joule. There are many senior Council members who are quite impressed with your performance so far." Lacus assured, breaking into a small laugh.

Before he could rein it in, a sarcastic chuckle slipped. "There are many who feels threatened by the positions I'm holding... and also because I'm the son of Ezalia Joule." Yzak revealed much to Lacus' surprise.

He remembered how swiftly rumours spread across the political & military scene, saying that he was out to reinstate his mother. Should the plan fail, he will pick things up from where his mother has left. As she was placed under house arrest and stripped of her title & responsibilities as PLANTS' National Defense Committee Member, Representative of Martius City, and Head of Martius Arsenals (one of ZAFT's primary arms manufacturers). Back then, Ezalia Joule was second to Patrick Zala, the most powerful man in PLANTS.

As absurd as it sounds, several senior council members began to voice concerns about Yzak's positions in ZAFT and Supreme Council. It almost escalated into a call to have him removed from both. Thankfully, the late Chairman Durandal put an end to the ruckus.

"That is one of the reasons why I have to hold back on putting R&D division under your charge. People fear or resist things they don't know and understand." Lacus sighed.

Even though Yzak didn't care much about what they have to say about him, he was sure that it won't be the last he heard from the haters and naysayers. He wonders how Lacus is going to handle them. After all, she has become the third Chair-person of Supreme Council just a couple of months ago, after the war ended. In other words, she is new.

"Don't worry about it. Frankly, I'm quite thankful that you didn't do that." Yzak shrugged.

"Your contribution to ZAFT's fighting capability, technically speaking, has not gone unnoticed. It's only right to put your expertise in the right place." Lacus then noticed a twinkle in the platinum blonde's blue eyes and the appearance of slanted smile. "Credit goes to Shiho. I came into the picture because she happens to be in my team."

The pink hair Coordinator giggled inwardly. If only he could see the expression on his face. "I heard you helped her quite a bit on Deep Arms."

Judging from the sudden rigid posture and surprised look, Lacus must have struck a nerve.

"Who did you heard it from? Was it Dearka? What did he say to you? You shouldn't be taking his words for real. That man gossips more than a woman! Bloody gossip-monger!" It seems Yzak still has the fire, or should she say, explosive in him. His volume increased with every word. Her eardrums were ringing.

Lacus offered a pursed smile in attempt to keep her from bursting into laughter at the fuming Commander. It was time to change the topic. "The reason behind this meeting is that Cagalli requested for a joint operation to sieve out remaining members and loyalist forces of Blue Cosmos. I want to know your opinions about this."

Giving it a quick run through, Yzak took a deep breath and leaned back on his seat. "As you are aware, we have been working on that ever since the Second War has ended months ago."

The chairwoman of Supreme Council nodded.

"With all the known leaders and members dead, we are hitting many dead ends. Right now, we are gathering Intel to confirm that people running the remaining loyalist forces are in Earth Alliance, especially OMNI Enforcers. It has always been that case. To cast the net wider, we are looking into associates of the deceased Blue Cosmos members, and underground figures too."

Lacus appeared to be deep in thought. As silence stretched for a couple of minutes before she finally speak up. "I assume Orb Union has something that may be of assistance to us, to request for a joint operation."

The silver-haired Commander nodded, "we can have a meeting with them and see what they have to offer. Otherwise, I see no point in working with them. For all we know, they could be a puppet for Earth Alliance, again." Yzak emphasized on the last word intentionally.

Regardless of the fact that its current leader is Cagalli, the daughter of the late Uzumi Nara Attha, Yzak made it clear that he is to never trust Orb Union again. He has never recovered from the shock of witnessing Orb Union, known for its stance as a neutral nation, going against ZAFT side by side with Earth Alliance.

Sure, the Athhas were thrown out of power back then, due to the death of Head Representative. And it resulted in the remaining royal families leading Orb Union to side with the then-powerful Earth Alliance.

Nevertheless, it has left a bitter taste in him. When he first entered the Supreme Council and PLANTS' National Defence Committee as a temporary member, he vowed to ensure ZAFT remains independent and self-reliant military force of PLANTS, unlike Earth Alliance.

"I will call for a meeting with Cagalli and I would prefer you to join in." Lacus sounded as she stood up. Yzak nodded and made his way to the ex-songstress, who was making her way to the door of his office. "I will keep a look out for your notice. In the meantime, I will keep you updated on our progress."

Lacus replied with a smile as she stepped out of his office with bodyguards immediately flanking her. "See you at tomorrow's memorial ceremony."

At that moment, an earlier curiosity about a particular brunette surfaced. "Was that about her late boyfriend earlier? He was killed in the war, isn't it?" His question must have caught the pink-hair Coordinator off-guard. She looked at him with greyish blue eyes widened in surprise and blinked a couple of time. Then, she smiled.

Lacus was fighting down the urge to jump around in delight. Even though the question is not much, but it was a good start. If he isn't concerned about the brunette, he wouldn't have asked the question, right? Dearka was spot on when he told her that Yzak does have feelings for Shiho but he was too dense to realise it. Initially, Lacus brushed it off due to Dearka's over-zealous tendencies. Wait till Dearka hears about it! There is hope for her best friend.

When Lacus figured that Shiho harbours romantic feelings towards her superior and later confirmed it, she was worried that the brunette would end up being hurt from the unrequited love. As Lacus knew Yzak was neck-deep in new political responsibilities and existing military operations. And being the workaholic he was, romance was the last thing on his mind. It probably didn't exist in his dictionary.

Yzak was pretty much in shock with himself. He doesn't remember thinking about the question and there he was, throwing it at Lacus. What is wrong with him?! What has Shiho's private matters got to do with him?! You are turning into nosy Dearka. Get a grip of yourself, Yzak Joule!

"I've known Shiho for all my life, she never had a boyfriend." Lacus finally answered, laughing a little here and there. "She joined ZAFT to find a boyfriend for herself." She added, earning a wide eye stare and raised eyebrows from Yzak immediately.

"I was just kidding." Lacus quickly corrected, while Yzak nodded and blew out a sigh of relief he didn't know he was holding.

Judging from his comical reaction, Lacus decided to help her best friend by giving Yzak a push. "Why don't you try asking her directly? - "

The platinum blonde was quick to cut her off, "That's her personal affairs… I don't think I'm in any position to dig deeper. … She applied for leave and that's something she has never done before. I guess curiosity got the better of me."

Lacus mentally sighed in frustration. Dearka was right again, Yzak may be a highly intelligent strategist and soldier but he is terribly hopeless when it comes to girls. Looks like she didn't have a choice but to join Dearka in his quest to match make them.

"Yzak…" Lacus said, making sure she has his undivided attention. Now that his eyes met hers in anticipation of what she has to say, the pink-hair woman continued. "If it's coming from you, I'm sure she will appreciate it." She didn't know whether he was stunned by her subtle encouragement or contemplating about asking Shiho. As Yzak remained still and looked at her.

"I will think about it." That was his reply after a few seconds of silence.

Lacus wanted to roll her eyes but reminded herself to be patient with him. She mouthed the word 'Fighting' and did the downward pump of clenched fist before she turned around and walked away.

"Geesh, what was that all about?" Yzak muttered to himself before retreating into his office.

END

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XOXO, Jolly Bean