Archerygurl:

Howdy, everyone! Second installment of 'Unexpected Occurrences' complete!

This story is for a very special someone who happens to be celebrating her birthday.
Happy Birthday Ting Ting! [9/18]

I hope everyone enjoys this chapter!
Please read and review!

Unexpected Occurrences II

Summary: Cagalli has loathed the dentist's office ever since that horrible event. After convincing herself she will never have contact with another psychotic dentist, she is all but ecstatic to learn her dear brother has made an appointment for a consultation about her wisdom teeth. Still, she's not about to give in so easily. Can this freshly graduated oral surgeon calm her down and get the task accomplished?

Lacus sipped the freshly prepared cup of tea and placed it back on the tray sitting atop the dining table.

"I can't believe you!"

The door slammed.

"Cagalli, open the door!"

"NO!" Her voice was loud and clear although the piece of wood separated her from the boy.

"This isn't funny. You know you have to go." He didn't want to sound pleading, but time was running short.

"I don't have to do anything," she retorted from behind the door.

Kira sighed as he ran his fingers through his unruly brown hair. There was no winning against Cagalli, especially when she was angry. It was like arguing with a brick wall. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to find Lacus smiling comfortingly at him.

"Let me talk to her."

He nodded and moved to the side to see if his girlfriend had any luck.

"Cagalli?"

"Hi Lacus," Cagalli said calmly through the door. It was as though the past argument had never even happened.

"May I come in?"

There was silence for a moment.

"Is Kira there?"

"Yes."

"Then no."

Lacus turned to face her boyfriend with an apologetic smile. He knew she wanted him to step back and he obliged without an argument. He turned to walk down the stairs. When he had disappeared Lacus asked if she could enter and she was let in.

"Cagalli, why is it that you are so against going to the dentist's office?"

"I don't like them," was her honest and childish reply.

"You are aware that they will numb your mouth in addition to giving you anesthesia, correct?"

"That's what they said last time! And do you know what? It hurt like hell. I couldn't eat for a week and a half," she countered. "And there's no way I'm letting them put me to sleep and do 'whatever' to my mouth." The thought of anyone, especially some old, smelly dentist, being so close to her in such a state made her shudder.

Lacus smiled. She had heard about the incident that happened three years ago.

"Cagalli, will you at least meet with the oral surgeon? He is a close friend of mine and I promise he won't do anything without your consent."

Cagalli eyed the girl cautiously, hesitant though she knew Lacus would never lie. Finally she gave in to the girl's suggestion and Lacus beamed with joy. The two exited the room and went down to the family room where Kira was drumming his fingertips on the table. He didn't notice the two until they stood in front of him. Cagalli had her hands folded over her chest while Lacus simply smiled in victory.

"I'm surprised you were able to convince her," he said with a hint of surprise in his voice.

The blonde shot him a glare, but said nothing. The three left the house in silence and made their way to the office.

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"Good afternoon, how may I help you?" The receptionist was smiling brightly. Though it was part of her job, she seemed too perky for Cagalli's taste.

"I have an appointment with the oral surgeon."

"Name?"

"Cagalli Hibiki."

"Ah, yes. You can follow me back," she said as she opened the door for Cagalli and led her to an enclosed office. "Dr. Zala will be with your shortly."

With that the young woman left the room. Kira had remained in the waiting area while Lacus had accompanied Cagalli. The girl began tapping her foot anxiously.

"Cagalli, there's nothing to be nervous about. If you don't feel comfortable once you've met with him we can leave," Lacus reassured.

"I'm not nervous," Cagalli lied.

Lacus nodded and the two fell silent until there was a knock on the door. A moment later, a young man, not much older than Cagalli herself, entered. He was well toned and had a fair complexion. His hair was a dark navy blue color and had a lustrous shine to it. And his eyes—they were the most radiant, emerald orbs she had ever seen.

"Lacus, you look well," he greeted, before he turned to the girl sitting in the patient's seat. "You must be Cagalli."

It took a moment for Cagalli to register that he was talking to her. Immediately she shut her mouth, which she was sure looked like a big gaping hole.

"Y-yea, but who are you?" she spat.

He chuckled and Lacus answered for him.

"Cagalli, this is Dr. Zala."

"Oh, heck no. There's no way he's the oral surgeon," she said with disbelief. "He's so…"

Her drift caught his attention and he tilted his head and smirked.

"I'm so?"

"hand—young!" she tried to cover her slip up.

"Hand young?" The smirk never left his lips.

Cagalli felt her cheeks heat up so she immediately turned her attention to Lacus.

"Please tell me you're joking." Cagalli was now pleading.

"I can understand your surprise. Athrun did recently graduate from dental school…"

"Ok, I'm outta here," Cagalli said as she jumped off the seat. "There's no way I'm letting some newbie work on me."

She made an attempt to walk past the two, but an arm had wrapped around her, stopping her in her tracks. She turned to glare at the man whose arm had latched on to her, preventing her from taking another step.

"Excuse me, I'm trying to leave." She attempted to pry his arm off her, but it, and she, stayed put.

"Cagalli, please at least speak with Athrun. You won't find anyone who remotely matches his skills. He was the top of his class and— "

"Ok ok, fine." Cagalli didn't want to hear a biography on him. All she had to do was talk to the guy anyway.

Lacus beamed and thanked the girl before saying she would step out while they talked.

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"So, will you unhand me now, Mr. doctor?" she asked sarcastically.

He released her and motioned for her to return to her seat.

"You can just call me Athrun. Honestly, I'm still not used to or very fond of the whole 'Dr. Zala' title," he admitted as followed her. "Now, you're supposed to be getting your wisdom teeth out, correct?" he asked as he placed a mask over his nose and mouth.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing? We're just supposed to talk." She immediately felt uncomfortable seeing the all too familiar veil.

"Can I just take a look?"

"No." She clamped her mouth shut.

Sensing her uneasiness and realizing she was probably as stubborn as Lacus had described, he removed the mask and apologized, saying it was a habit.

"So here's the deal." He was surprised by her directness. "I went in to see the dentist three years ago and they did an x-ray of my mouth and said it wasn't big enough for the incoming wisdom teeth. But, honestly, I haven't had any problems. So they were probably just making stuff up as an excuse to pull teeth out for no reason and make some extra cash."

He was amused by her conclusion, though it was a common misconception. A misconception held by many children. She saw his emerging smile and demanded to know what he found so funny.

"Ah, it's nothing. But you don't seem to have much faith in us." 'Us' referring to anyone who worked in the dental field. In response she gave a 'hmph' and folded her arms. Seeing he wasn't going to get anything else he decided to find out about her past history. "So when was the last time you had a routine cleaning?"

She seemed to think about the question before answering. "Um, maybe a little more than a year ago."

He was shocked, and his widened eyes reflected this clearly.

"What?" she demanded.

"You do realize you should have had a routine check up at least two or three times before this visit? You're supposed to go to the dentist every six months."

Now she was surprised. "Every six months? I thought it was every two years…" She immediately regretted the information she had shared once she saw the look on his face—disbelief mixed with amusement.

"I'm a little hesitant to look at your mouth now," he joked. There was a mischievous glint in his eye, which Cagalli failed to notice.

"I take perfect care of my teeth, thank you very much!"

"Your previous statement seems to tell me otherwise."

"Then look for yourself!" She opened her mouth wide while her eyes continued to glare at the man before her.

He smiled before agreeing. He had won. Getting her to open her mouth for him was the first challenge he had to overcome and he had achieved victory.

After a couple moments he sat back in his seat and wrote something down in the file sitting on the table.

"So?" she challenged.

"You've got me. I was expecting crummy food and possibly bugs with a cavity here and there, but your teeth are as white as a pearl." He laughed when she grinned in pleasure. "But, I'm afraid what they told you was correct. Your mouth won't be able to handle the incoming teeth without pushing your current ones around. It'll result in crooked teeth. And you don't want to ruin your beautiful smile."

"I can't believe it." She ignored everything he had said after he agreed with the statement the others had claimed.

"Yeah, it's a surprise for me too. Who would have thought someone with such a 'big mouth' wouldn't have room for a couple extra teeth." His voice held sarcasm and his lips formed a smirk. He wasn't sure why he enjoyed poking fun at this patient. It was the first time he had acted so unprofessional.

She blushed, whether it was in embarrassment or from the perfect smile that gave her butterflies, she didn't know.

Embarrassment, no doubt.

"S-shut up."

"I think it would be best if we went ahead and had the surgery done now—the sooner, the better. I'll let those waiting for you know. The anesthesia is ready and it will only take about an hour."

"Hey, hey, wait! Isn't this where some sort of discussion takes place!" she waved her hands around frantically. She did not come in here mentally prepared to get her teeth pulled out and she was sure she'd suffer from a meltdown if he came anywhere near her with a sharp object.

"The longer you wait, the worse it'll get," he said as he stood up and opened the door, ready to leave.

He stopped when she had grabbed his wrist. Turning to face her, he was taken aback. She had a pleading look on her face, the last expression he would have thought she could portray.

"Th-that's what they said last time! 'The anesthesia would work perfectly, I wouldn't feel a thing, it would be over before I knew it.' But they were all lies. The shot they gave me to numb my mouth pierced through my gum. I couldn't suppress the pain and I screamed, but that didn't stop them, even for a second. I said I didn't want to go through with it. They held me down by force and jammed some sort of anesthetic IV into my vein. Kira wasn't there to tell them to stop…" the memory was flooding back to her.

It was all coming back. Too fast. Her grip on Athrun's wrist tightened unintentionally.

"Something went terribly wrong after that. I can't even remember because I was so 'drugged'. I just remember crying out and the never-ending pain. I tried to move, but I only managed to tilt my head. There was blood everywhere. And then the door flew open revealing Kira. I blacked out after that," she finished with a whisper.

She turned to see him staring down at her. She hadn't told anyone about this. What made her trust him so much? That wasn't it. She was simply desperate to make him stop before the same thing happened all over again. Realizing her hand was still anchoring him, probably the only reason he was still listening to her pathetic story, she dropped her hand at once, casting her eyes down.

The door closed. She imitated it, and closed her eyes. Mentally scolding herself for acting like the fool she had. Her eyes flickered open when she felt the warm touch of a hand on hers. Turning her shocked face, she saw him kneeling beside her, his expression unreadable.

"S-sorry about that. I don't know where that came from." She attempted to laugh as she shook her head. "Anyway, I'd rather—"

He cut her off as he pulled her towards him, into a hug. It was an awkward hug, since the chair's arm was in the way, but she didn't protest.

"I had no idea," he whispered.

"I-it's nothing really. Just forget it." She was blushing once again.

She was angry that she had spilled everything to him, yet she felt oddly happy and relieved about it at the same time.

"Cagalli," he pulled away from the girl and looked into her amber eyes. "If you're completely against it, we won't force you."

She looked into his eyes for a couple moments before replying.

"Okay."

"All right, then I'll explain it to your brother," he stood up once again and turned to exit the door.

"I'll get them out now. I-I trust you."

He wasn't sure he had heard her correctly and turned to see what kind of expression she wore. Was she actually going to go through with the surgery?

"But I swear… if I feel even the slightest pinch your pretty face is going to meet my fist!" Her cheekiness was back and he nodded before smiling.

This was the girl who had first walked into the office. Outspoken, spirited, and bold. He was glad she had returned. He smirked at her before approaching the door to leave and get the necessary supplies. She eyed him curiously; unsure of why he had that teasing grin on his lips.

"This 'pretty face' will be back," he said as he left the room.

Cagalli's eyes widened and she smacked her forehead a couple of times.

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When he had returned she refused to look him in the eyes. Her face held a pinker complexion, causing him to broaden his smile. He showed her the needle that would numb her mouth and she nodded, eyeing the weapon cautiously.

"It may feel like a pinch, but it'll only last a couple of seconds," he warned.

She nodded in understanding, before opening her mouth. As quickly as she had opened it she closed it again. He raised an eyebrow at her.

"I have a question."

"Ok?"

"How long will the numbness last? You see, I have a party to go to later…"

He smiled. She really had placed all her trust in him. No longer was she worried about feeling pain. Instead, she was afraid that she wouldn't be able to socialize properly with her friends.

"Well, your cheeks are probably going to be pretty swollen after. It's nothing that ice can't fix though. Crunchy and other difficult foods are out. So no junk food for a while…" she pouted at this, which made him smile under the mask. "But overall you should be fine by tonight."

She nodded in understanding before opening her mouth once again. The last thing she remembered was gazing up at his beautiful, emerald eyes. She then drifted off into a peaceful dream world.

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"So everything went all right?" There was doubt in his voice.

"No problems what so ever. She was one of my easier patients. I thought otherwise when we first met, but she definitely surprised me." He turned to look at the girl who was sleeping peacefully. He couldn't help but smile as he gazed at her serene face.

"Didn't I tell you Athrun would do an excellent job?" Lacus said as she nudged her boyfriend's arm gently.

Kira laughed and nodded.

"Well I'm sure you have other patients to take care of, so we'll take Cagalli home now," he said as he walked over to his sister. "Hey, Cagalli," he whispered.

"mmm," she mumbled.

"We have to go now."

"…"

"Cagalli?"

"Go away."

To this, Athrun laughed and Lacus tried to hide her giggle.

"It seems Cagalli is back to herself," the girl replied.

Kira pulled her up by the arm so that she was now in a sitting position. Had he not been there to catch her, she would have tipped over. Her head was now resting on his shoulder.

"Where's Athrun?" she managed to ask as she fought to open her eyes.

"He's here," Kira said, as he looked to the young man standing by Lacus.

"He did a good job… can he be my dentist forever? I like him," she was rambling and Kira had a somewhat shocked expression as he turned to look at the two standing by the exit.

Lacus mirrored his expression and Athrun struggled to keep himself in his calm poise. The boy turned to look at Athrun questioningly, but his only response was a slight, shy smile. He seemed a bit flushed, but before Kira could say anything, Lacus placed a hand on Kira's shoulder.

"Let's go, Kira. Thank you again, Athrun."

With that they left the building and Athrun made his rounds visiting other patients.

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It had been four hours since they left the dentist's office. Cagalli was still lying on the couch. Every so often Lacus would come by and replace the ice pack she had placed on Cagalli's face. She would whine, but eventually she got used to the cold chill.

When she finally woke up, her mouth was sore. Looking in the mirror she was surprised to see that she wasn't swollen at all. One of her fears, though she wouldn't tell anyone, was looking like a chipmunk at the party.

After thanking Lacus for all her help, the pink princess said she would be going home to get ready for the afternoon get-together. Cagalli, too, had to get ready. She headed up to her room to change into something a little fancier. Of course, a dress was out of the question. However, she was able to find a nice pair of black dress pants and a matching black and red dress shirt. All the while she was getting ready she couldn't rid herself of the feeling she was missing something.

Or someone.

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"Earth to Cagalli." A girl was waving her hand in front of the blonde's face. "Come on, my arm's getting tired!"

"Ah, wait, what?" Cagalli asked regaining her senses. "What did you say, Miri?"

The girl rolled her eyes and shook her head, her auburn hair bouncing with each nod.

"What's wrong with you. You're completely out of it."

"Oh, my mouth's just a little sore." It wasn't a lie. But it wasn't the complete truth. She felt bad. She hadn't even had a chance to thank Athrun properly. She remembered mumbling a 'thanks', but she wasn't even sure he had heard it.

She wasn't sure why, but she wanted to see him. She shook her head violently. What was she thinking? And why was she thinking that? She had only met him once. And the next time would probably be in six months, so it wasn't so bad, right?
But still…

Miriallia was watching her friend closely. She seemed to be experiencing some sort of internal conflict. She thought it better not to pry so she suggested that Cagalli get some punch. She obliged and made her way to the table with various snacks and drinks.

"Hey Cagalli, you look nice."

"Thanks, Dearka," Cagali said as she poured herself a glass of punch.

He continued to stare at her, as though he was expecting something. She turned to give him a questioning glance.

"Aren't you going to complement me, now?"

"Do I have to?"

"Well, that's the only reason I complemented you…"

Cagalli laughed and rolled her eyes.

"You look very pretty Dearka," she said as she took a sip of her drink.

"Why tha—wait, 'pretty'?" He looked at her with an expression of disbelief and disturbance.

She couldn't help but laugh. He continued to stare at her, as though she were crazy.

"What?" she asked, a little irritated.

"Did you miss your mouth or something?"

"Huh? What are you—" she stopped mid-sentence to see that the punch trickled down her lip and onto her shirt.

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It was already six-thirty. Athrun glared at the stack of charts that still sat on his desk. He had fallen behind today. For what reason, though? He wasn't particularly busy. He had finished visiting patients earlier in the day. It wasn't until he sat down to look through all the charts that he began to lag. Perhaps it was because his mind kept drifting off to a certain blonde haired, amber eyed, beauty. He slid the current chart across the table and placed his elbows on the desk before running his hands through his hair. What had gotten into him? He was acting like a love struck puppy.

He heard the front door open. His receptionist was probably leaving for the night. Lucky her. He'd be here another couple of hours at least. Pulling the chart back, he glanced through it, only to be interrupted by muffled talking. He raised an eyebrow and stood up, wondering whom she was talking to.

Before he had a chance to approach the door, it swung open. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw who stood there, before him.

"Cagalli?" His voice was filled with disbelief, as though it were simply not possible.

The receptionist had run in right after Cagalli, apologizing profusely to him. Explaining that Athrun was no longer seeing patients, she tried to pull Cagalli out by dragging her by the arm, but the girl refused to budge. She was glaring at Athrun.

Athrun returned her glare with a confused expression and told the receptionist her appearance was fine. She shrugged her shoulders before leaving, saying she would be locking up. He nodded, still looking at the girl in front of him. When the door closed, Cagalli spoke up.

"You lied!" She pointed an accusing finger at him.

"I did?"

"You said I would be fine by tonight!" He blinked twice, still unsure of where this was going.

She walked up to him, until she was inches away, her face peering up at his. Her glare didn't drop.

"I was at that party and when I went to drink some punch I couldn't feel a thing. It completely missed my mouth and ruined my outfit!"

Finally he understood what she was getting at. He smirked and took a step towards her. She refused to back down, and continued her rant.

"If my friend hadn't been there I would have kept drinking and my entire outfit would have been red and sweet. You said I would be perfectly fine after a while! But I can't feel a thing. I can't believe— "

She was cut mid-sentence when he wrapped one arm around her and placed his other under her chin, pulling her closer. Before she had any time to react he pressed his lips against hers.

Her eyes grew to twice their size, but she gradually close them as she leaned into him. Unconsciously, she wrapped her arms around his neck. It wasn't until she felt him smirk that her eyes fluttered open and she pushed herself away from him.

She was completely flustered and she struggled to keep her face at its regular complexion. She was failing miserably and her face was growing redder by the second.

"Can you feel now?" he asked it in such an innocent voice that she had to think twice before responding.

"Y-yes—wait, what the hell was that!" she yelled.

"What was what?"

She was dumbfounded. Her mind was slowly deteriorating. She couldn't form words.

"I missed you too," he replied, smiling shyly and scratching the back of his head.

She waited a moment, not really sure what she was supposed to say. He had taken the words out of her mouth.

"You… owe me a new shirt."

He tilted his head and gave her an amused smile.

"Of course. I apologize for the trouble I've caused you."

She shook her head and averted her gaze, avoiding his alluring emerald eyes. She was well aware that her cheeks were nowhere near their actual color.

"Well, shall we go?" He extended his hand to her.

"B-but, don't you have a lot of work to do?" She pointed at the stack of charts on his desk.

"Nothing urgent."

Her mind told her he was a liar, but she smiled warmly at him before accepting his offer.

They exited the building, her fingers entwined with his.

Archerygurl:

Honestly... this story was a big change for me.
I've never really written anything this... 'lovey dovey' before.
So comments are appreciated. (Did it sound awkward?)
Also, was the ending too rushed? I feel like it was...

I'm not sure about you guys... but I've never imagined Athrun as a Doctor/Dentist. xD
It just sounds funny... 'Dr. Zala'

If you choose to review, I will be eternally grateful!