A Surprising Proposal
Author's Note: First off, thanks to everybody who took the time to review for the previous chapters--you guys rock! It's been a bit of a wait, so this chapter is a bit longer. ) Enjoy!
Disclaimer: You know the drill. Don't own it.
Chapter Four
Cagalli stared up at Athrun's face as her brain finally registered what she was seeing. Their eyes met, Athrun's shining with a multitude of emotions—fear, anticipation, happiness…--but betrayed no hint whatsoever of the reason for the mystery gift. His aura did seem to possess a tint of nervousness, as though he felt reckless, restless just sitting there.
Anxiety danced fleetingly across the blonde's face. Was this what she thought it was? Could it be? Her slender fingertips reached out and grazed the box, lying there teasing her.
"Open it," urged Athrun, looking a bit more composed now.
The ocean beyond the beach wavered in the breeze, singing "open it, open it" as the gentle waves swept up to the shore.
Nimbly, Cagalli lifted off the embellished red lid, and gasped. "Oh, Athrun, it's beautiful!"
Athrun grinned sheepishly. "Do you like it? Emerald's your birthstone, and just looking at it, I knew it would be perfect for you."
"I love it," said Cagalli, fingering the necklace before lifting it out of its small enclosing. It was a heart shaped emerald pendent, the colour of Athrun's eyes, with a backing of fine silver ivy hung on a thin golden chain. "Thank you," she added, leaning across the table to give Athrun a peck. "Help me put it on?"
The blue haired man walked around to help his girlfriend with the clasp. "Tonight's going to be a very special night," he whispered against her right ear lobe. "I can just feel it."
Cagalli smiled blissfully, wondering what other surprises might be in store. However, dinner was, other than that, pretty much an ordinary affair, unless you counted all the times that Athrun opened his mouth as though wanting to say something, but quickly shutting it again when nothing came out.
Thus, a half hour and two bottles of champagne later, the duo found themselves walking along the beach, seagulls cawing in the background, flying off into the breathtaking sun set, with Cagalli still having to take Athrun's word that they were merely celebrating his return.
The two walked hand in hand, exclaiming over the beautiful sea shells that lay scattered across the fine pale sand, enjoying each other's company. The waves swept further inland, swirling playfully around their feet, frolicking.
"Cagalli, I—" began Athrun, but quickly shook his head. "Cagalli, you see—" His heart sank. Why was he blundering this? What had happened to his perfectly scripted speech? "Cagalli, I love you," he managed to sputter out finally, trying to cover up his unsuccessful attempt to relieve whatever was on his mind.
The blonde gave him a bemused look. "I love you too, Athrun," she said, giving him a sideways hug. "I've missed you."
Athrun nodded nervously. "I'm going to talk for a bit, if that's alright with you?" Receiving a nod, he began to talk, but not a pre-written script, oh no, this time, it came straight from the heart.
"Cagalli, remember way back when we first met? On that island? Okay, so perhaps it wasn't under the best circumstances," he added, chuckling at the memory. "But from that night spent together, talking, I knew that you were something special. And I was right. When I first met you, I was still a confused teenager, caught up in an adults' war, not sure what I was truly fighting for. But then you came along, and put everything into perspective. You turned my whole world upside down." Athrun paused, and took a deep breath before continuing, "and then you rescued me, after that battle with Kira, and finally knocked some sense back into me. And at the end of the first war, you gave me a reason to keep on living."
Cagalli gave him a curious look, her eyes shimmering brightly, looking dangerously wet.
"I feel for you something I've never felt before, ever. With you, I fell… I don't know, I feel so many emotions, I can't even describe them all, you know? And when I was away, I couldn't get you out of my mind. It was like you were with me 24/7, no matter what I was doing. The whole time, all I could think about was getting back to you. You gave me a reason to keep living, Cagalli, after I defected from ZAFT." Again, he paused, grimacing, letting the memories wash right back over him. "I think it's fate that we're together. We're meant to be. We belong together. Soul mates. I want to spend the rest of my life with you," he said, getting down on one knee and reaching into his left pocket to pull out yet another small box, this time a heart shaped ruby red on. "Will you spend the rest of your life with me?" he asked gently.
Tears glittered dangerously in Cagalli's eyes, threatening to spill. "I'm sorry, Athrun, but—"
Author's Note: Mwahaha, it's a cliffie! lol But don't worry, it'll be a happy ending. As always, please leave a review!
Edit: The groomsmen problem was solved, thanks to Cagalli-01