Chapter 1 – Between You and Me;the care
"Why is he ALWAYS like this!" Miriallia whispered to herself. "All ZAFT people are JERKS!" she screamed. She was stuck in the girl's restroom at the mall and no one was outside.
Stupid Dearka Elthman! Why can't you, for once, be sweet to me! She felt like screaming.
But now she heard footsteps, indicating that there were others outside. If she did scream, it'd be so totally embarrassing because people then would know that her boyfriend wasn't treating her nicely.
This wouldn't have happened… Tolle… if you'd have never left me… if you had never been so full of yourself to go volunteer to pilot that stupid sky grasper…
Suddenly, her face warm to the touch. Her eyes started watering and pearl-like tears started flowing down like a tap.
She was crying.
Miriallia remembered the times when Tolle would take her out for drinks after helping out on Helipolis.
Unlike Dearka, Tolle had liked to comment on how beautiful she was, and he never seemed to run out of them.
If it wasn't thanks to Athrun… Athrun Zala, that jerk! She wouldn't have lost Tolle. Why is she even friends with that jerk who killed her love? Even she herself didn't have an answer to that…
(Flashback…)
"Beeeppppppppppppppppp……….." the computer on the Archangel went.
"Huh?" Miriallia wondered. "Signal from sky grasper… lost…" she mumbled.
Tolle… she thought. "Tolle! NO!" she screamed, so loudly that Captain Murrue looked over. "What's the matter, Miriallia? What happened?" she asked.
Murrue gasped.
"Tolle?" she asked. "That… can't be. He practiced a lot. He couldn't have… died…." She said. "He was well-prepared!"
Miriallia fell silent. Everyone's gasps could be heard as her hand covered her face, tears slowly flowing out. "Tolle… no… I can't accept this… you're not supposed to leave me! No! TOLLE!" she cried.
All the crew at the cockpit of Archangel fell silent, too. They watched sadly as Miriallia screamed and sobbed, wishing they could do something to help.
But they couldn't.
Tolle was gone…
Forever.
(End of flashback…)
Miriallia remembered how she participated as a crew onboard the Archangel in the previous war. The pain she felt… the bloodshed she saw… the deaths of people…
Like Tolle.
Her heart ached at that thought. That year was a bad enough year for her. Surely it wouldn't happen again? The war, she had meant. As she was sobbing in the restroom cubicle, her cell phone rang.
Who was it? She thought. Could it be Tolle? No! She shook her head. All those thoughts of Tolle must have made her gone mad. He's gone forever, Miriallia! Stop wishing for him to come back and comfort you while you're tearing, doofus!
She didn't bother looking at the caller ID as she hastily wiped her tears and answered the call.
"Hello?"
"Hey Miriallia…"
It was Dearka.
"…where'd you go? I've been looking for you since… since forever. Where are you? You've been gone for a very long time." Dearka asked in his usual cool tone, but this time he sounded more caring than ever before. He even bothered calling her and ask about where she was!
Or maybe it was because she had been gone for a long time and he became impatient.
"Ohh, Dearka." Miriallia's tone as she realized that for once, he actually cared about her.
"I'm fine. Where are you? Oh, okay. I'll go over to meet you then."
She ended the call.
Dearka, have you finally decided to change?
With a heavy heart due to all her thoughts and that flashback, Miriallia walked over to the rooftop to meet Dearka.
Maybe this is all just a joke. Maybe he wants to kill her the moment he sees her on the rooftop. Hell, he could have brought a razor blade and kill her, or maybe he would have thrown a rotten tomato at her and say, "HAH! You actually thought I was serious!"
Maybe.
You'd never know.
But knowing Dearka for a while now, she knew he wasn't the sort.
If he'd have wanted to kill her he would have done it long ago.
If he wanted to play a prank on her…
No. Miriallia couldn't think of an excuse for this.
She'd just have to wait and see.
Finally, I'm here. How many levels does this darn shopping mall have! Miriallia said to herself. So now its time to find out what's up Dearka's sleeve…
As she opened the door to the rooftop area, she crossed her fingers. All she'd wish for is that Dearka had nothing on his mind.
Except for her, of course.
"Hey gal!" greeted Dearka, flashing his lopsided grin that would have made any girl swoon, but it seems that it doesn't work on Miriallia.
"Hey back atcha." Miriallia said monotonously.
"Isn't that phrase supposed to be said with… well, enthusiasm? You don't look like the person to say it." Laughed Dearka.
"Not funny, Dearka. NOT." She replied coldly as she harbored the thoughts of him maybe dumping her, or worse, throwing a bag of rotten tomatoes at her. The rooftop was empty, not a single soul in sight. So she presumed it would be okay, she wouldn't have to suffer from the humiliation.
"Hey…Miriallia… I –"
"– You what? You wanna kill me? Go ahead. Its not like I'm afraid of you ZAFT people anyway." She cut in.
Sorry Dearka, this is just to test you…
"No. I –"
"– ohh, you want to throw a rotten tomato at me? Or heck, maybe you would like to dump me!" she cried hysterically.
She seemed strong on the outside, but inside, Miriallia was just like any other girl who wanted warmth and love. Why couldn't anyone give her that?
"No… stop cutting in, will ya? Let me say what I want to!" he was getting irritated by her way of thinking.
How could she? Thinking of me like this when I've spent the whole half hour she was gone worrying about her? He thought angrily.
"Fine."
"Okay. I would like you to know that I would never dump you, even if it was for a babe like Lacus Clyne – "
"OH YOU JERK! YOU SELFISH, STUPID INGRATE! How could you, calling Lacus a babe!" she screamed.
She was fuming. Literally fuming.
"LET ME FINISH WHAT I WANT TO SAY, WILL YA!" Dearka shouted.
Taken back by his sudden repulsive behavior, Miriallia stopped her madness and started twiddling her thumbs, fine, maybe she over reacted with the rotten tomato thing. WHAT IF IT WAS A ROTTEN EGG INSTEAD!
"Okay, now listen, I would never dump you even if it was for Lacus Clyne the b –"
Miriallia shot him a nasty look.
"I meant, I wouldn't dump you, not even for Lacus Clyne. I love you with all my heart, you understand? You silly girl, why would I want to kill someone I love more than I love myself? I'd rather perish with you."
Perish? With… me? He didn't plan to kill me in the beginning? He actually… LOVES me? He actually would rather die with ME? He… oh how could I have been so stupid! How could I even have doubted him in the first place?
"Oh Dearka!"
Dearka tucked back her hair and touched her cheeks.
Its… sticky. Has she been crying again?
"Why are your cheeks sticky? You still cannot get over the fact that…" he couldn't bring himself to say it. He knew – it would bring more tears to her. He couldn't bear to see her hurt.
"…Tolle's dead." Miriallia completed the sentence for him. Her eyes got red, saying that she was about to cry again.
"No… Miriallia! Please, don't cry. I know, Tolle is gone, but…"
No words could explain how sad he felt for her.
He reached out and hugged her instead.
Overwhelmed, Miriallia let out her tears.
"I understand, cry it out. I know it hurts." Dearka comforted.
If I died, would you cry for me… as much as you cried for Tolle?
Jealously and envy hit him. He wanted to be one with her and know how she felt. But he just…
Couldn't.
With her head buried in his chest and his arms embracing her, Miriallia knew that Dearka actually cared. He just didn't know how to express his care and concern for me at first..
- End of chapter one-