Cagalli was late the next morning. She sported dark, sagging circles around her eyes and no amount of caffeine helped. She did not sleep thanks to Seiichi's charade last night. She felt vile for responding, however marginally, to a student's seduction. The fact that it was Seiichi made the whole situation that much harder to digest because of their off-hours relationship.
She looked forward to the solidarity of the empty classroom. It would distract her from her homicidal scheming. Everybody in the English office was wildly curious about her late night, wondering who her mystery man was. The line of interrogation made her all the more awkward about Seiichi's stunt.
It was as though he was born with a sixth sense about how to make people uncomfortable. There was no other explanation for why he'd be at school early when he was in a habit of being either absent or late.
"Looks like someone didn't get any sleep last night." Seiichi's greeting was smug and Cagalli wanted to lead him to detention by the ear for his snark. The only reason he continued was because they both knew she had no way of explaining what had happened in her apartment last night without being banned from teaching ever again. Teachers were always liable for good judgement.
"How can I help you this morning Seiichi?" Cagalli ignored his taunt and spoke to him like she would any other student. She had a creative writing class to teach first thing in the morning and Seiichi was in her class. She had a strong suspicion that he would require her attention till class began and she rationed her patience.
"I need some help with a scene in my short story." He started, taking a seat in the front row. "I'm a little stuck."
"Go on," she said with genuine interest, hopeful that this conversation was actually about homework.
"I've built up this preliminary tension between the two protagonists," She was wrong; he was clever enough to find a way to talk about it at work without getting either of them in trouble or losing his back-up meal plan. "But I'm not sure how to proceed."
Cagalli stood up and closed the door to the room. "Are you really going to write about this?"
"Why not? It a legitimate exploration of a modern relationship focused on dysfunction." He spoke with an air of scholarly jargon.
"Dysfunction?" She sighed, taking a seat on the edge of her table, leaving some distance between them.
"Yeah, it's pretty interesting. If I had to pick one focal character, it would be the female lead. She's upbeat, lots of fun, probably an eight on her bad days, but very guarded. She's been guarded for so long that she's pretty clueless when it comes to men even though she's whip smart."
"Seiichi," Cagalli tried to cut him off, but he continued without pause for her comments.
"Then, I introduce an incredibly handsome man. Seriously, I'd say he's better looking than her. He's funny and patient, and although I haven't built his interest in her very obviously yet, I'm hoping to go there. But I'm not entirely sure how to move both characters forward into a relationship rather than a holding pattern. How would you suggest I proceed?"
Cagalli maintained a long silence while she processed everything he'd just said. "What drives the female to be guarded?"
Seiichi was surprised by the question because it was so level headed and obvious. He hadn't thought about it yet. "I don't know…"
"You can't really know how to progress a relationship until you've determined the underlying driving factors of your major character. For instance, a girl who is guarded because her parents got divorced in her teens after a loving relationship will be differently motivated from one who was raped at a party by a friend and then shamed for being promiscuous. Until you know why your character is guarded, you can't know whether a relationship is even realistic." She managed to keep her explanation very academic, trying her hardest not to relate the story to her life as Seiichi wanted to.
"That's really complex character development…" Seiichi contemplated his assignment for a brief second before realizing he was being distracted from his main objective.
"If your central focus isn't the plot of the story, it will usually require fairly thorough character sketches." Cagalli explained, "Developing character sketches is something that we're going to discuss today, if you'd like to just wait till class."
"Okay, that sounds good." Seiichi conceded, gathering up his notes. "So, now that we've discussed work, let's talk play."
Cagalli sighed, trying to control her rising irritation, "Look, Seiichi, there are times when you just leave matters alone before they blow up in your face." He nodded in agreement. "So…you better leave this matter of the scented lotion, erotic or otherwise, alone before my temper blows up in your face."
Seiichi expected the bluntness given her sleep deprivation. "Believe it or not, I'm not talking about the lotion."
"Then what is it that is so interesting that you are willing to write your short story assignment based on this insignificant situation?" She crossed her arms defensively. "…Because I know how much you love writing exciting plots and that you consider character studies dreary and boring."
Seiichi shrugged in a rare moment when he wasn't exactly able to articulate his point adequately. "I feel something..."
She interrupted his slow drawl with, "Then maybe you are the one who's in love with him." Her statement, devoid of tone, cut right through him.
"I'm not." He affirmed, "Although the prospect is certainly amusing. And I'm not saying that you're in love with him either."
"Then, what are you getting at?" The question shocked him as it spoke to the heart of her problem.
"Please," he emphasized the word, "tell me that your concept of a relationship does not exclusively involve love-at-first-sight."
"No." She responded with conviction. "Why would you even think that?"
After a long pause, when the spinning of Seiichi's mental cogs made Cagalli very uncomfortable, he exclaimed, "Oh my god, you think you might love him. This is a real love at first brush moment in your head, isn't it!?"
"What!? That's preposterous!"
"Why else would you even mention love when the normal thing to talk about is butterflies fluttering about various parts of your body?"
"I really don't want to talk about this."
"Come on Cagalli, how long are you going to play out this charade of being too independent for companionship? A relationship doesn't make you weak."
She was livid at the personal territory he was forcing her to discuss. She wasn't sure how much of her rage was directed at Seiichi for being so harsh and how much of it was reserved for herself for the years of soft mollycoddling she pampered herself to, till she lost her sense of trust. "We're at school Seiichi, which is not the place for this conversation."
"You know, you keep telling yourself that it's never the right time or place and you'll become an old maid that I'll have to check up on in your old age." Something about his words were comforting. Maybe it was the prospect that Seiichi was planning to be there for years to come, at least in theory, so that she would not be alone.
A soft bitter laugh left her lips. "You know, you can't say that I'm friendless and that you're going be around in my old age to take care of me in the same conversation. That's very contradictory." Seiichi inaugurated a blush, unaware that he'd betrayed his fondness for Cagalli to her. "And I may be cautious, but I'm not quite the lost case that you make me out to me. I can handle myself in mixed company if I wanted to. I choose not to."
"Well, if you're so capable, I need a favour. Consider it proof that may sway me to leave you alone."
"Fine, what do you want me to do? Go to a bar in another part of the city and watch me seduce someone?"
He laughed softly at the image of Cagalli stumbling her way through a bar trying to innocently seduce men who would naturally be drawn to her genuine charm. "I have a more interesting prospect. The school board is hosting a black tie gathering on Friday night. I was nominated to represent our student body and I have an extra ticket with no claim to it."
"So, let me get my facts straight. You want me to prove that I can be a vixen in a group of my peers and supervisors at a very formal dinner in a three days."
"About sums it up."
"After this fiasco, you're going to leave me alone about my romantic affairs?"
"Oh, we'll see about that."
Before Cagalli had the opportunity to reconsider, the bell had rung and Seiichi began making his way to his desk. She busied herself organizing her lesson plan in an attempt to distract herself from the apprehension that began to coil inside her stomach. Although she vaguely recalled how to be a seductress from her college days, the mere thought embarrassed her for she was years out of practice. Perhaps Seiichi was right in his accusation that she was too protective of herself.
"Good morning Miss Yula," a student chimed as she walked by. What immediately struck her was that this particular student had been calling her 'Mrs. Yula' for months, only to suddenly make the switch to 'Miss'. Seiichi had a busy night it seemed. Whispers passed through the class as the anthem and the Principal's announcements blared over the PA system.
"We're going to discuss creating character sketches today." She took a seat at the edge of her table. She found standing to be too cumbersome and sitting in her chair to be too distant from the rest of her class. "Although there is a long while before your short stories are due, I would like to diversify from plot-based stories to allow you the opportunity to choose to write a character-centric story should you choose. And in order to write one, you'll need to create character sketches that have depth and integrity."
"You look like you got some real good depth last night Mrs. Y," a senior from the back row said, turning quite a few faces across the class pink. This senior was in her junior Creative Writing class because he was courting a sophomore, who like Seiichi was taking an advanced class for her age. She didn't care much for his vulgar attitude, but she was fond of his girlfriend and managed to be patient with him on those grounds.
"Oh honey, I doubt you comprehend what 'real good depth' even is, since you seem to lack the facilities to do so." The class was stunned silent by her provocative and condescending response.
His eyes narrowed as he kissed his teeth. "Please. Your pretty little Prince has nothing on this." He gestured inappropriately, using his arrogance as a shield towards her insults.
Seiichi decided to step in, concerned that their earlier conversation was responsible for Cagalli's lack of patience. "Well, Miss Yula, you never mentioned he was a Prince; or is he just your Prince?"
She capitalized on the opportunity he provided to vent her frustration at their prior conversation, at having to attend a formality she wasn't interested in and most of all, at his constant nagging taunts. She marched up to Seiichi's desk, her body rigid with anger, and wrenched him out of his seat by the collar of his dishevelled uniform. Her eyes were narrow and her face was mere inches away from his. Part of him was terrified, and the remainder of him maintained composure. "Can you hear my pulse now?" Her voice was low in volume and register as she paid homage to his skit from last night.
Seiichi capitalized on an opportunity that luck presented him with. "Ah, Good morning Mr. Zala. Will you be joining us today?"
"Good morning Miss Yula. I see that class is progressing as per usual." Seiichi's savoir stood at the front of the class in amused observance. The way he smiled at her made Cagalli change her mind about him. He was not just pretty; he was extraordinarily handsome and it infuriated her. "What's the topic of today's class?"
"We were just talking about Miss Yula and you, and the great time you had last night." Seiichi didn't skip a beat with his straightforward answer. Athrun raised an eyebrow at Cagalli, who hadn't had a moment to speak yet, and she shrugged her shoulders in defeat, gesturing for him to find a seat. Although she had no explanation for him, Seiichi was quick to fill in the blank. "Well, it is a Creative Writing class and we're studying character sketches."
"Ah, so you turned to Miss Yula to model your calm and collected young heroine after." Athrun noted gravely from his post. For some reason he found himself compelled to tease the pretty blonde despite being strictly courteous with new acquaintances.
"Oh, don't let the first few impressions fool you, Sir," Seiichi warned, "Miss Yula can certainly be wild when needed, if you're ever looking for a challenge."
The innuendo took both adults by surprise although Athrun was much more skilled at concealing it. As Cagalli seemed to be at a tipping point with her patience, Athrun made the wise decision to end their banter. "Seiichi, I doubt I am worthy of such an honour." He couldn't help but slip a small smile and a quick glance at Cagalli. Seiichi looked very pleased with himself while the rest of the class gaped with amusement.
"Athrun," She started quietly, her voice mimicking a forceful crescendo, "Take a seat now." If words were weapons, that final word pierced his heart. He swiftly moved to the seat beside Seiichi, which was probably bad judgement on his part. Silence washed over the class and amusement drained from everyone's faces. "Since I can no longer conveniently pretend that you're 'not here' after that wonderful conversation Mr. Zala, for the time that you are inside my classroom you will be treated as my students are. It is only fair considering you are quite comfortable behaving as they do. As a student of this class, you will do all of the assigned work and readings, as well as participate in any classroom discussions. You will also be equally susceptible to punishment as these charming young people are."
"You know I'm here to audit your performance," Athrun protested, "I can't possibly-"
"Seiichi manages to get the highest grades in the class, complete all the work and grade my performance and he's merely 15." Cagalli interjected. "Are you telling me you are less capable than a 15 year old?" When Athrun failed to respond she continued, "Great. Welcome to the class of Creative Writing. Should you be around next week, Seiichi is also in my Literature class. We convene at 8:30 am on Monday in room B135. We would love your company while we study contemporary literature as well." She wore a cunning smile. "I'll save you a seat next to Seiichi, in case you join us."
"Yes, Ma'am," Athrun shortly responded, organizing himself to keep up with the class and audit her simultaneously. He was in shock at the authoritative language she had used with him. Not even his superiors in the military had spoken to him in such a commanding tone for many long years now. Yet, this woman had the audacity to believe that she could control him. He wasn't sure if she deserved merit or a failing assessment.
"You're the first classmate I've had who's worn a suit to class," Seiichi whispered to him, pulling him out of his thoughts.
"I didn't say you could talk." She threw a piece of chalk at Seiichi, who could not dodge it quickly enough.
The rest of her class unfolded exactly according to her lesson plan until it was dismissed. Her students couldn't leave the room soon enough and she could not blame them for fleeing. She had been uncharacteristically strict, which continued for the remainder of the week. By Friday, her reputation had changed from being a sweet and malleable, to briefly love struck, to The Iron Witch.
After her morning class on Friday, Cagalli had the rest of the day off. In the afternoon, her students were taking a CPR course and her help was not needed. Her pre-lunch class had gone without much turbulence. This was possibly because neither Seiichi nor Athrun were a part of her English as a Second Language Class. Seiichi was too fluent, and Athrun must have been placed in another class thanks to some much needed divine intervention. Her week since her Creative Writing class had been devoid of the auditor in question, for which she was grateful. She had not thought of him much in the week because nobody dared mention him in her presence, not even Seiichi.
She was thinking about him momentarily as she idly marked a short grammar quiz. She recollected small details that were so insignificant she wondered why she registered them. It was rationalized down to Meer's long, animated story about him having audited not one, but two of her morning classes. She was over the moon and described to Cagalli his every move as it was forever recorded in her memory. Here was a woman who was crazy about him. If only Seiichi could be a fly on the office wall to see how many dozens of women wanted a piece of this man.
Cagalli finally conceded to her distracting thoughts and packed up to leave for the weekend. She had an appointment to keep and she wanted to leave before Meer trapped her in another mundane conversation. Years ago she was introduced to a specialty boutique which made a reputation out of preparing both men and women for prestigious events. She had dug out their contact information from her black book and was relieved that they were able to accommodate her on short notice. She would be early if she headed there right away but she was certain they could use all the extra time. After all, it had been a few years since her last appearance at a ball and she was probably barbaric by their standards.
Cagalli made a deliberate attempt to be late. She wanted to arrive after Seiichi and as he had not mentioned a time, she let an hour pass before making an entrance. She took the time to practice walking in her long dress and tall hells. He wasn't responding to her texts, which began to worry her since she could not spot him. She walked weightlessly across the large room. Beautiful people decorated the large space. Women danced in elegant gowns accompanied by men in handsome cashmere suits. Everybody in the room looked at ease, as though the grand hall was their living room. She felt surprisingly at ease in the foreign setting.
A waiter with drinks approached her and she chose a tall champagne flute. It had been years since she'd sampled well-made champagne. Her teacher's salary could only afford her boxed wines. She was starting to feel uncomfortable standing awkwardly by herself in the middle of a party, but she couldn't find anybody she recognized. Although she expected to be the fresh face at the event, she did not expect Seiichi to be so late, or to be standing alone, dressed in couture and designer shoes, for very long.
As she scanned the room for a conversation she could join, the banter among the crowd subsided. Cagalli turned to see what had captured everyone's attention. At the top of the stairs, she saw a gorgeous woman who was a mirror image of Meer with nicer hair and social grace. She was adorned in satin and tulle with the colour and iridescence of amethyst. Her hair was a soft, pale pink and flowed down her open back collecting in ringlets at her hips. Cagalli was mesmerized by her physical beauty and momentarily missed the man who was at her arm. He wore a navy suit, which hung perfectly on his athletic physique. Even at a distance she knew he had handsome features. Together, they looked impeccable, as if they were created to complement each other.
It wasn't until they were closer that she recognized him. Her face did not betray her surprise, and she chided herself for not recognizing the midnight hair and the green eyes. She had not expected him here because he wasn't part of the education business. She'd be certain he was stalking her if he didn't have such a lovely companion. She scanned the room for Seiichi again, hoping to goad about her new discovery. It would serve to drain her of the irritation and disappointment at the knowledge.
She downed what was left of the champagne as a waiter with the drinks engaged her in a small conversation. He recommended the champagne and she knew from experience that it was delectable. She excitedly recognized one of the other men who approached them for a drink as her long lost mentor. He was the person who had taught her the most valuable lessons regarding teaching when she was an apprentice. As they revisited their memories in tandem, the waiter politely excused himself, weaving his way through the crowd until all his drinks were expended. He quickly ducked into the front entrance to check if the front guards would like something to drink but noticed they were busy dealing with an uninvited guest and made a mental note to check back later.
"Please, you don't understand. My future is staked on attending this party," Seiichi pleaded with the guards, after arriving over two hours late. Normally, he would not have bothered attending and have settled for being lectured on Monday by the vice principal on his duties as an important student representative. However, Cagalli would end him if he did not show up and he was curious to see her in action. He hoped against the odds that she did not decide on the pantsuit that she normally wore to PTA nights. Whatever she wore, Seiichi was certain she'd be the center of attention tonight; he just doubted if it would be for any good reasons.
The guard firmly held him back, "I'm sorry Sir, you are too late."
Seiichi was considering making a run for it, when he heard his rescuer. "Its okay, he's with me," a familiar voice interrupted the desperate conversation. Athrun, standing a few feet away, motioned the guards to let him through. To Seiichi's relief, the guards immediately obliged.
Seiichi was genuinely grateful to Athrun for his help. "Thanks a lot. I'd be in a lot of trouble if you didn't come along."
"It's nice to see you're a troublemaker where ever you go." Athrun smiled, furrowing his eyebrows when Seiichi reached for a drink. Upon noticing, the young student promptly returned the glass sheepishly.
"I am a very consistent person." He assured with a cheeky smile, "I create trouble regardless of time and place."
"I can see that," Athrun picked up a glass of flavoured soda from a waiter whizzing by. He offered it to Seiichi who was scanning the crowd. "Looking for someone?" He followed Seiichi's gaze, wondering who he could be looking for. A few moments later, the teenager had stopped following him and stood in his place, his gaze fixed in one direction. Athrun curiously followed Seiichi's line of sight.
"Oh man," Athrun could feel Seiichi stiffen as he found what he was looking for. "I'm in trouble." His attention returned to delinquent before tracing his stare. Seiichi firmly tapped Athrun's arm. "You're in trouble."
At the end of their stares was Cagalli, standing tall and radiant surrounded by a small group of people who were entirely enamoured by her. Pale yellow silk hugged her torso and fell to the floor from her hips. Athrun could not believe how small her waist was. Her hair was effortlessly gathered at the nape of her neck in a simple bun, which created an elegant line with her exposed spine. The plunge back of her dress framed the soft lines of her shoulder blades in a sunflower satin. One of the women she was speaking to lightly lifted her finger to examine the stack of pearls on her neck, making Cagalli blush as she explained something about the piece.
"Yeah, you're definitely in trouble." Seiichi teased Athrun who could not seem to peel his eyes from her.
"I should get back to my table" He trailed off, refusing the bait Seiichi had laid in front of him. Seiichi nodded and advanced on the blonde. A waiter walked by with a drink tray to inform him that dinner would be served in 10 minutes. Athrun politely thanked him and selected something stronger than his usual drink.
His attention returned to Cagalli who was suavely engaged in a heated verbal battle with her favourite student. Seiichi stood next to her with his hands shoved into the pockets of his trousers, frustrated at her composure as he tried to tease his pretty teacher. They had the undivided attention of the crowd, which seemed to be growing in numbers, everyone eager to be seated in their vicinity. A gentle smile surfaced on his lips as he quietly watched her from a distance.
"Why don't you ask them to join us at our table?" A soft, melodic voice to his right asked.
"Why?" His eyes didn't stray from the comedic duo.
"Because they seem to have a rare hold on your attention."
"Oh," Athrun turned to face his company, "It's because she's very peculiar."
"She?" Lacus asked slyly, raising an eyebrow. "I was talking about both of them. They seem to have the crowd in rapture. But that doesn't matter now. Who is she?"
Athrun shook his head at Lacus whose habit for matchmaking was surfacing. "She's a teacher at that school you have me auditing. I've sat through a couple of her classes."
"And?" He had Lacus' interest, much to his dismay.
"She has an interesting teaching style." Athrun was hoping his former fiancée would drop the topic.
"I see." Lacus smiled at Athrun, "Well, I would love to meet her after dinner tonight, given she's so interesting."
Although Lacus had dropped the issue and stood by him silently, Athrun had a sinking feeling that he was going to inevitably get caught up in one of Lacus' schemes. He was grateful for the long dinner, which was spent in the company of boring white-collar gentlemen and their trophy wives discussing everything but the country's education system. Perhaps by the dessert course, Lacus would forget all about his interest in Cagalli.
A live band took center stage as the tea and coffee was being served, serenading the guests with soft music. Couples began spotting the dance floor once more. Lacus turned to Athrun, thoroughly bored with the worldly conversation at this table. Leaning into his ear, she whispered, "Now seems like a perfect time to be introduced to your dynamic duo." Before waiting for a response from him, she politely requested that she and Athrun be excused from the dinner table.
"I believe they are this way," she guided him toward their table, and he reluctantly led the way.
Seiichi's teasing was the first thing they heard from the pair. "I didn't know you could use cutlery." Cagalli bit into the last of her chicken, neatly laying the fork and knife across the plate, indicating to the bus staff that she was done.
"You know Seiichi," She locked eyes with a well-built coach across the table who had filled her in on all his sports accomplishments that culminated in a career as a gym teacher. "I can do a lot of things you don't know about." Cagalli said innocently, with enough subtext to have him reaching for his iced tea.
Seiichi was impressed by how she was handling herself at the dinner. She had proved him wrong because he knew at least seven men in the room who would leave their lives behind for her if she gave them the chance. He pulled her attention back to him by brushing her arm and leaning in to whisper loudly enough for the table to hear "You should really teach me more than just English sometime."
Cagalli chuckled, refusing the cake a waiter tried serving her, "I'm not interested in playdates darling, but come find me in five years and we'll see." She winked at him, a smug smile playing at her lips. The table broke out in laughter and Seiichi knew Cagalli has won this round. He needed to scheme adequate revenge because she had purposely misled him.
"Why Miss Yula, I didn't know you to be so forward." An amused voice teased the blonde and she promptly blushed upon recognizing the voice.
More laughter went around the table and a few women around the table heckled Cagalli for being soft on their new guest. She felt extremely uncomfortable with Seiichi seated to her right and Athrun standing to her left because she no longer knew how to act. She was playing a persona tonight, to win a bet against Seiichi, and she did not expect familiar company in close contact. She was hoping to conveniently avoid the aesthetically blessed pair all evening.
Seiichi rose from his seat to greet Athrun formally. "I warned you she had a wild side, Mr. Zala."
Cagalli eyebrow twitched realizing the tables had tuned on her. She stood as well, partly because the two boys towered over her, creating a nervous twist in her stomach, which didn't sit well with the chicken. She also noticed the beautiful host of the evening by Athrun's side. "Good Evening, I'm Cagalli."
Lacus graciously accepted her extended arm and reciprocated, "Lacus Clyne."
"Evening, Miss Clyne; never thought I'd get to personally speak to the Minister of Education." Seiichi greeted nonchalantly.
"Ah yes, Mister Kagami, isn't it?" She moved forward to shake the sophomore's hand.
Cagalli gently leaned towards Athrun for a brief sidebar as they caught up. "It's no wonder you're auditing us in your spare time. That's what you get for dating the Minister of Education."
He smiled, whispering back. "We're not dating."
"You certainly look like you are." She recalled their majestic entrance to which he replied, "Well, considering I'm the stand-in for her boyfriend, I guess that's a good thing."
"You failed to mention that you were fast friends with the Minister of Education. How did you two meet?" Cagalli made casual conversation, amused as she watched Seiichi behave like a fanboy.
"We were engaged once." Athrun spoke so nonchalantly that Cagalli took a moment to register it.
"What!?" She exclaimed too loudly for their sidebar, gathering the attention of the table. Under pressure to respond to their inquisitive glances, she lied. "I was just surprised that Athrun has never heard this song before. It's one of my favourites." Most of the table nodded understandingly and returned to their respective discussions. Lacus and Seiichi maintained their interest.
"Would you like to dance?" Athrun held out his hand for her, recognizing the impish glint in Lacus' eyes.
"Sure," she agreed uncertainly, airily linking arms as he led her towards the dance floor, leaving Lacus and Seiichi to continue their private conversation.
Once they were on the other end of the dance floor next to the large French windows, Athrun pulled her close, starting with a simple step that kept up with the upbeat jazz rhythm. He did not want to overwhelm Cagalli who was nervous and probably a novice at partnered dances. She followed along smoothly, comfortable with his lead. They danced like this, close and in simple steps, until the end of the song.
"You forgot to mention you were engaged to the Minister of Education." From her tone he knew she was begrudged, but he didn't know why.
"Sorry. Its not the sort of thing that just comes up in conversation." Athrun pushed her outward for a twirl before pulling her closer. He noticed the way she smelled tonight, and wondered why he was so attuned to such silly things with Cagalli. "That's not your usual cucumber melon." He casually observed, hoping to shift the conversation.
"I didn't really want to come to a black tie event smelling like a fruit market." She admitted sheepishly. "I'm surprised you notice these things."
Athrun pulled her, gently tracing the curvature of her waist as he hid his rosy cheeks from her. "I guess it's because you always smell noticeably nice."
"Thanks." She leaned her cheek into his chest, happy to be away from Seiichi and the crowd of men she had strung along tonight. They eventually lost count of how many songs had passed with them linked together in a slow paced movement.
"Your tie is beautiful." She said absently, lifting her head from his shoulder.
Athrun tightened his hold on her waist admiring how delicate it was. "Thank you."
"Your fiancée is gorgeous as well," Her glance lingered on the graceful host as she giggled with Seiichi. "You should keep a close eye on her or Seiichi might steal her away."
"Lacus?" He moved so that he would be able to see her, but more importantly so that Cagalli would stop focusing on her. "Seiichi isn't my problem, considering we're only friends."
"Don't you still love her?" Cagalli asked carefully.
"I do," he said, to which her chest tightened, "But I was never in love with her."
Cagalli arched an eyebrow. "The sex must have been great then."
Athrun's disgust at the thought was apparent on his face. "It was arranged by our families that we were betrothed, and it was officiated when we were barely teens." Athrun explained, "I have always loved her and been extremely protective of her, but I'd say that was a brotherly instinct."
"Oh," Cagalli was at a loss for words. "Sorry about the mental image then."
"I will warn Kira," Athrun said, eager to move past the horrible thought she'd planted.
"The boyfriend you're standing in for, I assume." She inquired, and Athrun nodded. "Lucky guy to be dating the prettiest of them all."
Athrun ran his finger along her bare spine, commanding her undivided attention. "You're not so bad yourself, Miss Yula."
Before she could bashfully reject his compliment, he twirled her across the large windows, her pearls absorbing the moon's light. Then he pulled her in close to him once more, to a place where she would be comfortable swaying in timid silence.