Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed or Gundam Seed Destiny.
Author's Note: To clarify, yes, Athrun and Cagalli dated and broke up. As for why, that will be revealed in later chapters. I'm still not sure how I want to present it yet. Also, Kira was afraid of getting told off by Athrun and/or Cagalli because of Lacus's idea. That's also shortly discussed in this chapter. (:
And yes, I realized I keep using hair colour to identify my characters but I really don't know how else to do it. D: When I tried to change some of it, I just ended up using their names. ^^; Perhaps when I've written more about their background and personality, I can work with those. Anyway, thanks for the suggestion; I will keep that in mind. (:
I had this crazy idea that I should match up the dates in the chapters with when I update. Haha, decided against it because I would just be stressing myself out with meeting deadlines. :P The dates matching up for this chapter was just a coincidence. A coincidence, I tell you!
'Breaking the Ice' - To initiate social interchanges and conversation; to get something started (McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs)
Chapter 02: Breaking the Ice
- March 07, 81 C.E. - 8:17 PM -
On a certain floor of an apartment building, two individuals were sitting on the couch and enjoying a cup of hot cocoa. The lights were dimmed, but the full length window in front of them provided a beautiful sight of the city lights.
"I really don't think it's a good idea, Lacus," Kira said.
"And just why not?"
"Well, you know how things used to be between them..." Kira was quite surprised when Lacus made the suggestion of having his sister and best friend as the maid of honour and best man for their wedding. It was true that a lot of time had passed but even so, the relationship between them was not entirely peaceful. There was obviously a strange tension between the two which was why Kira avoided meeting both of them at the same time over the years.
"I know, Kira, but don't you think that has come to a pass?" Lacus asked gently.
"I can't say for sure. They don't really talk much when they're together. It's just...awkward."
Lacus took a sip of her cocoa as she thought for a moment. "Since it's been eight years now, it's likely they would have both gotten over it. If so, shouldn't we give them a chance to get to know each other again? That is, as friends?"
"I suppose that's true," Kira replied.
"And if that's not true, this will be the perfect opportunity for them to realize they still have feelings for each other after all these years."
Kira nodded. His fiancée had a point. Maybe Athrun and Cagalli just needed a push in the right direction. Regardless of how things will turn out, this will at least give them a chance to patch up their past and move on if they hadn't already. "You're right. We'll just have to be the catalyst that allows them to be friends again." He lightly kissed Lacus on the cheek. "If we happen to be wrong and they fight like cats and dogs, well, who cares? We'll just have to make sure they behave themselves enough so our wedding goes as planned."
Lacus giggled. "That's very nice of you, Mr. Yamato."
Kira got up from the couch and set his mug of cocoa on the coffee table. "Guess I'll go make the calls now. Tomorrow for dinner right?"
"Yes, if they can."
As he picked up his phone in the other room, he hesitated. Who should he call first? It was easy to agree to Lacus's idea. However, he wasn't sure if he would be able to execute it. He was obviously at a disadvantage because if Athrun and Cagalli didn't like the idea, he would be the one getting skinned. Lacus, on the other hand, would be excused as always. Kira chuckled to himself. If anything, Lacus would probably be the one to save him if the coming dinner didn't turn out well.
It was true his sister was known for her fiery temper. If looks could kill, she would be charged with numerous of murders by now. She wasn't too kind when it came to the yelling department, nor did she ever bother to hide the karate skills that she mysteriously picked up. Kira still didn't know where she learned that stuff from. Sometimes he wondered whether his sister was the older twin after all, despite what their parents told them. Evidently, she was able to pull off the big sister aura that could easily make him cower.
There was something habitual about Cagalli's temper which made him a bit accustomed to it but Kira understood that the quiet ones were usually the scariest. Both Lacus and Athrun had a similar way of displaying their anger: the cold stare, the pursed lips, and the deadly silence which usually meant 'I'm waiting for you to explain yourself'. In a way, that was worse than Cagalli's yelling.
Kira sighed. He could only hope he was wrong about tomorrow's dinner. Perhaps Athrun and Cagalli wouldn't mind the maid of honour and best man idea and would actually be ecstatic about it. That would definitely be ideal. Mustering his courage, the groom-to-be dialed the number of his best friend and waited patiently for the line to get through.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
- February 18, 71 C.E. - 2:20 PM -
"I thought you don't know how to skate."
The blonde gave Athrun a Cheshire cat smile as she skated backwards in front of him, matching his rhythm as he skated forward. "I didn't say I don't know how to skate. I said I know how to skate a little bit."
"So that's 'a little bit', huh?"
"Okay, fine. What I meant was I know how to skate but I'm a bit rusty since I haven't skated for a long time." Cagalli tilted her head slightly. "What's your problem anyways? Isn't it better for you since you don't have to spend your time over there?" She pointed to a small section of the indoor skating rink that was partitioned by bright orange pylons. Behind the pylons, there were mostly children learning how to skate from their parents.
Athrun shrugged, but didn't offer her an answer.
"I know what you're up to, Zala," she said, giving him a doubtful look.
The boy chuckled. Was he really being too obvious? Cagalli had kept her hands tucked neatly behind her back almost the entire time. On top of that, she was wearing a pair of mittens that, in his opinion, looked more like hand puppets. One of them resembled a light brown dog while the other one was a grey cat.
"What am I up to then?"
Cagalli's eyes widened a little, evidently surprised from his direct question. At that moment, Athrun swiftly grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him just as her back touched something. She was too busy blushing at their close proximity to register what had just happened.
"Sorry, sir," Athrun apologized to the man in front of them, who was looking rather alarmed. It seemed Cagalli had accidently bumped into him. Nevertheless, the man gave them a smile and continued skating. Athrun gave Cagalli an amused look. "Maybe you should stop skating backwards now."
Just then, a loud buzz sounded throughout the skating rink, indicating half time. Everyone headed for the nearest exit so the ice could be smoothened.
Athrun and Cagalli sat on one of the side benches and watched the Zamboni machine circle around the skating rink. They were sitting silently, enjoying each other's company as they waited to get back on the ice. The indoor skating rink was huge and felt hollow since nearly all the seats of the stadium were empty. The air around them was cool but not too cold to the point of discomfort. It was a welcoming chill that actually felt a bit refreshing.
As Athrun watched his companion from the corner of his eyes, an idea hit him.
"Wh- Hey!" Cagalli said none too quietly as the cat mitten on her right hand was fluidly slipped off by the boy beside her. "Give that back!" She stood up, trying to get her beloved mitten back. Athrun stood up too, holding the mitten up to keep it out of her reach.
"No." He laughed when she jumped in her skates and tried to grab the grey object in his hand. "Where'd you get these anyways?"
"Why do you care?" she retorted as she kept trying to reach for the mitten with a determined face.
"They're cute."
Cagalli placed her hands on her hips and gave the boy an annoyed look when she realized there was no way she could just reach for her mitten. He was obviously taller than her. She would have to get them back another way. "I'll tell you where I got them if you give it back to me," she offered.
Athrun laughed as he slipped the mitten on his right hand and adjusted it a little. Oddly enough, it was a snug fit. "I don't care that much about where you got them, you know?"
Cagalli pouted and thought for a moment as she glared at the blue-haired teen. "If you don't give my mitten back, I'm leaving," she threatened.
Only then, did the boy look startled. "Why?"
"Well, my hand's gonna be cold and I ain't skating with cold hands."
Athrun smiled mischievously. Despite how clever she was at times, she would still fall neatly into his traps. It took more than just a dazzling smile and a few flirtatious words to win her over. She had persistence and pride for what she believed in and didn't yield easily to a small push. It was one of the many things that he liked about her and made him realize she would be worth the chase. Even so, he would always win in the end and he knew his success at victory was not entirely because he could outsmart her, but because she liked him too.
But in this case, he won merely because she was too preoccupied with another battle.
"That's why you do this, you silly girl," Athrun chided as he grabbed Cagalli's right hand with his left and intertwined his fingers with hers. He watched as she promptly blushed. She turned away from him to watch the Zamboni machine finish its last round, maintaining her annoyed face.
"I knew it," she muttered. "You're just like all of them."
He laughed at her choice of words. "Well, yeah. I guess you're right. I'm just a guy after all," he agreed and gave her a boyish smile. "It would've been so much easier if you pretended you didn't know how to skate, but I guess you wouldn't really be Cagalli if you did that."
Cagalli smiled a little at his comment and turned towards him.
"Can I have my mitten back now that you're done exploiting it?"
"Nope, I don't want to be skating with cold hands either, you know?" Athrun moved the puppet-like mitten in a playful manner, causing her to laugh. "Come on, let's go," he said, as he led her by the hand towards the skating rink which now had a smooth surface of ice.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
- March 15, 81 C.E. - 7:33 PM -
Cagalli watched with envy as Miriallia talked to Tolle. She couldn't hear what they were saying but all that laughing showed that they were having a pretty decent conversation.
They were currently at a restaurant for dinner, hosted by Kira and Lacus in order to announce their engagement. Many of their high school friends were present, and it surprised Cagalli that the engaged couple had actually kept in touch with so many of them. There were even several who used to be in the grades below them, but had become their good friends from meeting at clubs and sports teams. Cagalli had to admit that it was quite enjoyable since it felt a bit like a reunion party.
Dinner had already ended a while ago and everyone was currently dispersed throughout the restaurant which also acted as a bar lounge. Some had gone to play a game of pool or darts while others were socializing and having a drink at the bar. That was where Miriallia and Tolle were.
Cagalli was a little jealous at how easy those two were able to talk to one another despite their past relationship. Similar to her and Athrun, Mir and Tolle had dated and broken up during their high school years. Yet, it was strange how they could talk and laugh like they were good friends, especially since Tolle had cheated on Mir with a girl from another school. What was so different between Mir and Tolle's relationship and her own with Athrun?
It wasn't just Mir and Tolle either. She knew a lot of people who got along fine with their exes, so why did she have such a problem? Were their personalities preventing them from properly communicating? It was true that they weren't too talkative but that didn't explain the awkward atmosphere that appeared when they were together. She sometimes wondered if she would have the same problem with other exes, assuming she had any.
Then again, it wasn't like she cared that much. She was fine with not talking to that man and leaving the awkwardness that formed between them. However, she realized she was going to have to change that a bit lest she ends up ruining Kira and Lacus's wedding. It wouldn't be too difficult though; she just had to get along with him for the next several months. Yes, it would be no trouble at all.
Getting up, Cagalli proceeded to the bar to get a light drink. Regardless of the small distance, she was stopped short by a tanned blond who decided to stand in her path. She raised an eyebrow at him.
"Hey, how 'bout a game of pool?" Dearka offered.
Cagalli shrugged. "Sure?"
"Great." He quickly grabbed Cagalli by the wrist and dragged her towards the pool tables before she even had the chance to protest. They stopped at a particular table where a blue-haired man was leaning against it and applying chalk to the tip of his cue stick. "Yo, Athrun, I found your next opponent."
Cagalli blinked in confusion as Dearka released her.
"You're such a sore loser, Dearka. I've only beaten you once and you're already giving up," Athrun mocked.
"Hey, watch what you're saying. I'm not, what was that phrase, giving up? Ah, such a foreign phrase," Dearka joked. "I'm just taking a break and getting a drink. I can't exactly afford to waste so much time with you when there are so many pretty ladies around." The playboy turned around and gave them a wave before making his way to the bar.
Athrun chuckled at his friend's excuse. Turning his attention to Cagalli, he handed her the cue stick. "You still want to play?"
Having recovered from the confusion, she nodded determinedly and took the cue stick from him. "Of course."
Their game began with Cagalli claiming the stripes and Athrun claiming the solids by some silent agreement.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
- February 18, 71 C.E. - 8:51 PM -
Athrun stood, leaning on the metal pole of the swing set as Cagalli sat on the swing.
After their time at the skating rink, they went to watch a movie at the nearby theatre and had dinner at a bistro. Athrun, being the gentleman that he was, offered to pay for Cagalli's meal but she had protested. It was something he had expected, and he was ready to protest back but he allowed her to pay in the end because of one statement.
"You can't pay for me every time we go out! You're going to end up broke!"
He had wanted to tease her and ask what made her think they were going to go out on a date again. In the end, he was smart enough to hold his tongue and just let her pay. The fact that she wanted to go out with him again was good enough. He knew she had feelings for him but even then, he couldn't be confident she wouldn't change her mind after a single date.
They were currently at a park near their homes. It was already dark but he found himself unable to refuse when Cagalli asked if they could stop by the park with a childlike expression. Fortunately, it wasn't too cold that night. There was snow covering the floor and Athrun could still see his own breath as he breathed. Nevertheless, the temperature felt warmer than usual for a winter night.
"Hey, do you have to be home or something?" Cagalli asked when she caught him spacing out.
"Uh, not really. Why?" He answered, snapping out of his reverie.
"I was just wondering since it was my idea to stop by the park. I don't want you to get in trouble because you missed curfew or something," she replied while swinging.
"I don't really have a curfew. I'm not sure my father's even home."
Cagalli nodded, not entirely sure what to say. She knew his father was a busy man and that their father and son relationship was a little tense. Ever since Athrun's mother passed away the year before, his father seemed to have shut himself away as well.
"What about you? Don't you need to get home? I mean you're a girl and all..." he trailed off.
The blonde narrowed her eyes at him. "Sexist," she muttered.
Athrun laughed nervously. "Well, it just seems like parents tend to be more strict with their daughters..."
"I don't have a curfew either. Anyway, my parents trust you more than they trust me," she said, offhandedly.
"Maybe you need to be more responsible then," he teased.
"But I am responsible!"
"Are you sure about that? Do you remember that time when you blew up my and Kira's science project in the backyard? Or how about when you borrowed my phone and accidently dropped it in the pond?"
Cagalli stopped swinging abruptly by placing her feet on the floor. She swiftly hopped off the swing, approached him and punched him lightly on the arm. "Don't be mean or else I might have to reconsider seeing you."
"I was only kidding," Athrun said with an amused smile.
The blonde continued to pout, evidently displeased with his teasing.
He took her mittened hands and held them in his exposed ones. "I apologize then," he said sincerely.
"Whatever," she mumbled. Her cheeks were a bit pink, partially because of the cold temperature and partially because of him. "I still haven't paid you back for that phone yet, right?" She bit her lower lip, obviously guilty at the memory.
The boy chuckled. "It's okay. Don't worry about it; I was just joking."
Cagalli stared at him sheepishly, looking like a lost puppy.
Through the moonlight, Athrun could see how pretty she was even without makeup. There was something about her that was just beyond conventional beauty and it captivated him to no end. Leaning in slightly, he asked in a quiet whisper: "Can I kiss you?"
Cagalli blinked, dazed at his question. Despite the cool night air, her cheeks were heating up and turning a deep shade of red. She nodded slowly and closed her eyes as a shy smile graced her lips.
He leaned closer until their foreheads were touching and the wisps of his breaths were washing over her cheeks. He thought he could faintly hear the loud beating of their hearts. Lightly, Athrun sealed her lips with his. It was an innocent and curious feeling. He moved his lips gently while she reciprocated, following his lead. It was a sweet and chaste kiss, a first kiss, which was like a promise for the many more to come.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
- March 15, 81 C.E. - 7:55 PM -
Athrun watched as Cagalli sunk the last ball on the pool table: the eight ball.
"Yes!" The blonde woman cheered, pumping her fist in the air.
"No need to be so excited. That was just luck, Cagalli," he told her.
The winner of the game narrowed her eyes at him. "Who's the sore loser now? I totally won with my skills. Just admit it, I'm good at pool," she argued, placing a hand on her hip.
Through their game, the tension between them seemed to have diminished. He was uncertain whether it was because she decided to let down her barriers or because he was finally trying to break through. They didn't talk much as they played but through the last twenty minutes, he felt that bitter atmosphere between them slowly dissipate. It was still there, but it had lessened nonetheless.
Athrun nodded. "You're right. I guess you're pretty good. Whoever taught you how to play must be even better then," he replied with a cunning smile.
Cagalli laughed a carefree laugh he hadn't heard for a long time and punched him lightly on the arm. "Very funny, Zala." She placed her cue stick on the pool table and headed for the bar.
Dearka, who had been watching the last several minutes of their match on the side, rolled his eyes. "You're an idiot, Zala."
Athrun looked at his friend questioningly. "What?"
"You let her win, didn't you?"
He shrugged. "What makes you think that?"
Dearka scoffed indignantly as he pushed himself off the wall he was leaning on. "If you played like that earlier, even I would've won."
"You want to play again then? I'll go easy on you this time."
Dearka gave him an annoyed look. "Very funny, Zala." He headed for the bar as well after repeating Cagalli's words, putting emphasis on the way she previously addressed the blue-haired man.
Athrun placed his cue stick beside Cagalli's. From his position, he could see her talking to Kira by the bar. He wondered whether she was talking about her win in their match. As he watched her talk animatedly, he realized he didn't know where to go from here. He hated the fact that his heart still raced whenever he saw her. Maybe agreeing to be Kira's best man wasn't such a good idea after all; He didn't want to lose all over again.
Author's Note: I wanted to introduce Kira and Lacus through the dinner scene so even though Kira and Lacus's discussion occurs before that, I decided to write it in this chapter instead. I sort of like writing things out of order so that might happen in future chapters as well...but we'll see. I'm not sure I can handle the mess, plus, it might start to get confusing for you readers.
There are some things I write from experience (usually trivial things) like how the skating places I used to go to smooth their ice in the middle of the skating session. Just wanted to clarify that in case that's not how all skating rinks work and some of you are wondering: "Why are they smoothening the ice all of a sudden?!". On the other hand, I don't actually know how to play pool so that's from research. 8)
It feels like it's been a long time since I posted chapter one but it's only been a week. Bet that's how it feels for everyone when they update their first multi-chaptered story for the first time. :P
Please review! :D
(March 15, 2013)
