Author's Note: Thank you for everyone who has reviewed and encouraged me to continue! Now onward to the next chapter that I can bet most of you are dying to read. The date chapter :)

Chapter 4

"I cannot believe I agreed to this," I said, burying my face into my hands.

Lacus plopped down next to me on the floor of my bedroom. "If you think this is such a bad idea, you should probably call him and cancel."

I lifted my head and let out a deep sigh. "He would never leave me alone then!"

She nodded. "You are right. Oh my, then I guess you have no choice then."

I pulled myself up and studied my face in my bedroom mirror. "Maybe it won't be so bad?" I wondered as I brushed my hair with my fingers.

"Or maybe it will?" Lacus bit her bottom lip, her face in contorted in thought.

"What are you thinking?"

Lacus grinned mischievously. "If the date is horrible then he will go away, right?"

"That is what he said," I responded reluctantly, unsure where she was going.

"Well, then all you have to do is be a crappy date! You know, like….." she paused mid-sentenced, watching me put on my mascara. "What are you doing?"

"What do you mean, what am I doing?" I asked slightly confused. "I am in the process of getting ready for the worst date of my life."

"Yes, but you barely ever wear make-up Cagalli…..wait…..oh my god! You want to have a good date with him!" Lacus shrieked in excitement. "You want him to love you and have like ten thousand of his little baseball babies!"

"Where do you come up with this stuff?" I asked through my laughter, "It's just a little mascara. I am going to be seen out in public with him. Might as well look my best."

The doorbell rang and caught the remaining of my laugher in my throat.

Shit. I wasn't ready for this, as I stared at my complexion in the mirror. My deer in the headlights look grabbed Lacus's attention. "I will go let him in and keep him occupied until you are ready."

I sighed. "Thank you."

I could hear the sound of our front door open as his friendly voice echoed down the hall and into my room, causing me to shake nervously. Standing up, I gave myself a quick look over in the mirror at my outfit of pair of low rise jeans, red tank top and a white scarf. Simple. Just the way the I liked it.

I rounded the corner and heard Athrun's voice stop abruptly when he caught sight of me. "You look adorable, Princess." His voice practically purred.

"That's it, I am not going." I threw my hands up in the air and turned back toward my room.

He stopped me with his laughing response.

"I'm sorry, Cagalli. I won't call you that anymore."

"I am not sure you can help it." I eyed him narrowly.

"I might slip up a time or two, but can you really blame me?" He shoved his hands into the pockets of his black and white shorts and then batted his thick eyelashes at me.

"Yes. Don't call me Princess. It's annoying and it makes me hate you."

"Is she always this argumentative?" he asked Lacus through one of his gorgeous smirks.

She smiled coyly at him. "Not usually. You must be special."

Traitor! I shot Lacus a shocked and horrified glare and turned to see Athrun smiling as if he had won the top prize at the fair.

"Don't give me that look," I threatened through gritted teeth.

"What?" He shrugged his strong, broad shoulders. "You think I am special. It's cool."

I couldn't resist rolling my eyes at him. "The only type of special I think you are is especially irritating. Like a rash."

He let out a quick huff. "Come on, Prin…er Cagalli. Let's go. It was nice seeing you Lacus." He quickly turned and gave her a quick hug, to which she giggled softly.

Traitorous friend!

"See you later Lacus," I shook my head and mouth, "Traitor." She waved me away and blew me an imaginary kiss.

Athrun led me in the direction of his car. I had no idea which one was his, I followed blindly one step behind. He walked over to the passenger side of a vintage green pickup truck, covered with dents, scratches and chipped paint.

"Are you sure this thing's legal on the streets?" I asked, eyeing the giant, oversized tires and lack of a roof.

His eyebrows rose slightly. "You scared?"

"Absolutely not!"

He turned the key and the door unlatched with a pop and squeaked open. The he took me by the hand and gently helped me up into the seat, placing his hand firmly on my rear.

"Hands off you pervert!" I snapped.

"I was just helping you up. Honest." He feigned innocence as he closed the door behind me. "You sure you are not scared?"

"I am not scared. This car just looks like something that belongs in a monster truck rally."

"Is it the tires?" he asked sincerely.

"They are massive."

"Just like my…"

"I swear to God," I quickly interrupted and turned away bright red.

"What?" he laughed. "I was going to say heart. The tires are as big as my heart." He patted his chest for emphasis.

"You mean as big as the hole in your chest where your heart's supposed to be?" The verbal jab dropped out of my mouth before I could stop it.

"Ouch. Can we at least wait until dinner before you decide I am heartless?"

"If you insist."

"I do." His emerald eyes softened and he grabbed the wheel, put the key in the ignition, and turned. The engine rumbled to life and my seat vibrated under me. I strapped the old seatbelt around my body and gave Athrun a wary glance.

"You are scared," he said with concern.

I shook my head defiantly. "I am fine, just go." I gestured toward the road.

He removed his hand from the stick shift and placed it on my leg. I winced in response.

"What did I tell you about the touching?" I asked, giving him a sideways glance.

"Fifty-cents. Don't worry, I got it covered." His smiled greeted me before quickly disappearing. "You sure you are okay?"

I nodded as he put the car in drive and it rocked forward as he gassed it.

"Crap." He muttered under his breath.

"What is it?" Suddenly I was concerned for our well being. We were going to tip over from the massive tires and die.

"I meant to ask you this before we left, but I got distracted. You are so feisty all the time, you make me forget things." His left arm rested on top of his door panel and leaned his head into his hand.

"So are you going to ask me, or are you going to make me guess?" I tried to hide the sarcasm in my voice, but failed.

Athrun turned to look at me briefly before returning his gaze forward. "I meant to ask you if you eat meat or not?"

I felt my face twist into a look of confusion and surprise. "So you want to know if I am a vegetarian."

He let out an exasperated sign. "Yeah."

"Why?"

"Because I want to buy you a cow. Why do you think?" He tried to keep calm, but his cheeks were slowly turning a nice shade of red.

"I don't know. Where are you taking me?"

"I am taking you to the best burger joint in town and they don't have a menu for vegetarians."

"Really? They don't serve salads?" I asked in disbelief.

"No. They don't." His tone turned serious as he glanced in my direction again.

I couldn't stifle my laughter as I almost chocked on my words. "I eat meat."

He raised an eyebrow and eyed me tentatively before I smacked the shoulder nearest me with the back of my hand. "Not that kind of meat!" I huffed before looking away. "I am not a vegetarian! You are irritating."

"You keep saying that, yet here you are."

"I didn't realize I had a choice." I rolled my eyes so he would notice.

"What did I tell you about that, Princess?"

"How many times do we have to go over this whole Princess thing?"

"How many times do we have to go over the eye roll thing? It is bad for you and I would hate to see anything happen to those gorgeous amber eyes of yours."

I struggled to formulate a comeback as his compliment floated in the air. My breath faltered and my mind stopped focusing on anything but the sound of his voice and the look on his stupid, beautiful face.

"Cat got your tongue, Princess?"

"The next red light you come to, I swear to God, I am jumping out of this death trap and walking home."

He chuckled, clearly amused. "Alright, I will stop."

I narrowed my eyes, refusing to believe his words. When we arrived at the restaurant, I hopped out of the car quicker than he could turn off the ignition. The place was a converted old ice cream shop. The few items they offered were written in chalk on the wall when you first walked in.

I was beyond shocked at the massive crowd.

"Hey Athrun." A gorgeous brunette rushed passed us, reaching out to touch his arm.

"Hey, Shirley. Busy tonight, eh?" he shouted, trying to be heard over the hum of the crowd.

"Always!" she answered with a smile and a wink.

"Come here often?" I asked, annoyed already.

"I told you, it's the best burger place in town."

Shirley reappeared and rested an arm on Athrun's shoulders. "Sit anywhere you want, sweetie. You want your usual?"

He glanced at me before answering her. "Do you like bacon? Fries?"

I nodded my head.

"Make it two, please. Thanks Shirley."

She looked at me briefly before turning her attention back to my date. "I get off at midnight," she whispered in his ear loud enough for me to hear.

"I am on a date," he said harshly.

"Oh, of course you are. Later then." She scurried away, her face flushed from embarrassment.

"Sorry about that." Athrun put his hand lightly on my back, leading us to a small booth in the far end of the room. "Oh, I almost forgot! I'll be right back."

Before I could argue, he hopped from the booth and ran out the front door. I watched through the restaurant's large plate-glass window as he opened the passenger side of his death trap and reached into the glove compartment. I fiddled with my fingers as I watched Athrun's every move. Two waters glasses appeared in front of me and I turned to greet Shirley with a smile. She didn't return the gesture as Athrun reappeared and slide into his side of the booth.

"First things first," he said, pulling a paper bag from his jacket pocket. I heard the sound of metal clanking against each other as he poured the entire contents of the bag onto our table.

Quarters spilled out in every direction. Several rolled off the tables, spilling onto the floor and into my lap. "What the hell?"

"Fifty cents a touch, right? This ought to cover me for a while." He grinned, obliviously proud of himself as he folded his arms behind his head and leaned into them.

I welcomed the heat rising in my checks. "Cute," I admitted reluctantly, gathering the quarters into a pile, fighting a smile.

One point for Athrun Zala. Dammit.

He didn't respond. He simply sat there smiling, focusing those emerald eyes on me. "Stop looking at me like that," I said, flustered.

"Like what?"

"Like I am a slab of meat and you are hungry."

He laughed loudly and relaxed into his seat. He rubbed his hand over his face and looked around, letting his eyes roam the restaurant and then his gaze slide back to me as he sipped his water. "You are different."

I rested my elbows on the table and leaned toward him, intrigued. "How so?"

"Well for starters, you are sassy. I never know what you are going to say or do next." He grabbed one of the quarters and flicked it, watching as it spun in circles. "And you are not impressed by me."

Oh my god….he actually winced.

"Oh, I know how tough that must be for you. I mean, you are just…."I waved my hands in his direction, "so impressive."

"I mean it. Every other girl is always fighting to get near me and you are the first girl trying to get the hell away."

I fell back into the booth laughing, feeling my tense muscles relax for the first time tonight. "What can I say? I guess I am not like every other girl."

He shook his head, burying a smile. "So tell me, Cagalli, what is your story?"

"What do you want to know?" I took a gulp of water, casting my eyes away to hide the truth I just might be willing to tell him.

"Why haven't I seen you before this year?"

"I went to Eternity Community College the past two years. I just transferred."

"Lucky me." He took another swig of water and placed it back down. "So where are you from?"

"About five hours west of here. Lived in the same house my whole life. What about you?"

"I grew up 20 minutes from here."

"Really? So close. Did you even think about going anywhere else? I mean, I am sure you had a lot of offers for baseball." I was genuinely surprised, considering what I had seen of his talent and everyone's reaction to it.

He grimaced slightly before his expression softened. "I got offers everywhere."

"So why did you stay here?" I leaned into the table with interest.

"I wanted to stay close home. Close to my grandparents." His voice lowered with emotion, his eyes focused somewhere in the distance.

"Oh." I leaned back in shock.

"Not the answer you expected?"

"Not really. I mean, it's sweet and all, but I don't get it. Why your grandparents?" I craved honesty from him. Honest words, honest thoughts, honest emotions.

"They practically raised me, along with the Yamatos."

I smiled at the mention of Kira's name. "Kira is a nice person. I like him."

"Want me to put in a good word for you? I know him pretty well." Athrun sounded like he was teasing, but there was a bit of a sharp undertone to his offer.

"No thanks. He isn't really my type. Too nice." I added, erasing the worry lines from his face. Pausing slightly, I frowned. "You are different than I expected."

"That is because you are judgmental." He leaned back with a smile.

I closed my mouth and narrowed my eyes, unprepared for the rant that was about to leave my lips. "No. That's because you are a pig. You are typical selfish and pathetic and you treat girls like crap and…."

"Hey!" he interrupted, his tone offended. "Who says I treat girls like crap?"

"Sorry Athrun, but I don't know anyone who enjoys being fucked one minute and forgotten about the next."

"You make it sound so heartless when you say it like that," he admitted, my words apparently stinging.

"Well it kind of is." I shrugged. "And you wonder why I wanted to stay away from you?"

"You thought I would do the same thing to you?" His eyes widened as understanding settled in.

"I assumed you wanted to."

"Of course I want to sleep with you," he admitted without shame and I felt my body tingle. "But I am not sold on the forgetting about you part."

I sat in silence, stunned by his honesty.

"What are you thinking about?" He reached over and tapped my hand with on finger, bringing me out of my thoughts.

"Honestly?"

"Honestly."

"That I don't trust myself with you, mainly because I can't tell whether or not you mean the things you say."

"What does your heart tell you?"

"Who cares? My heart is dumb! It believes anything," I said, clutching at my chest.

He laughed, his eyes glued to my hand. "Fine. What does your head tell you then?"

"My head questions everything and believes nothing."

"So your head wants proof and your heart wants reassurance?" A small line appeared between Athrun's eyebrows.

"Pretty much, that is why I came up with my boy test. To protect myself."

"Protect you from what?" he asked, reaching for another quarter.

"Guys like you."

Our conversation was interrupted by the sound of plates being set on the table. "Here you go; two Freedom specials with fries. You two need anything else?"

"I'm good. Princess?"

I rolled my eyes so hard it hurt. "I'm good. Thank you."

Watching Shirley walk around, Athrun smiled at me. "So tell me about your boy test."

"Forget I said anything about it." I waved him off with my hands.

"Come on Cagalli. I want to know." He eyed my curiously.

"Fine," I relented. "But you can't make fun of me."

"I won't. I promise," he replied, his smile full of encouragement.

I didn't believe that smile, but I gave in anyways. With a deep breath I rattled off, "They are more like rules. Rule number 1: Don't lie. Rule number 2: Don't cheat. Rule number 3: Don't make promises you can't keep. And 4: Don't say anything you don't mean."

"That's it?" he asked in disbelief.

"They may not mean much to you, but they mean everything to me." I sighed, slightly embarrassed that I had shared my list with him.

"I don't mean any offense, Princess. It's just…..well those seem like pretty normal expectations to me."

"You would think so," I agreed, taking a bit of my burger.

"But?"

"But most guys can't seem to do them. They lie. They cheat. And most people in general can't keep their promises or stop themselves from saying things they don't really mean."

"What about you?"

My forehead creased. "What about me?"

"Can you follow your own rules?" he asked his tone serious.

"I try to live my life following those rules. Otherwise you hurt people."

He took a quick short breath. "So did people lie to you a lot of something? Some guy break your heart in high school?"

"It's more like my dad can't seem to follow through on anything he says. He always tells me a lot of things, but he never actually does them." I hesitated.

"Like what?" Athrun leaned forward.

"I don't know, like everything. He is constantly busy. He promised he would be at my graduation, and then didn't show up cause of work. He says he won't be late, but I always ate dinner alone. He makes promises he can't keep. I understand that he works a lot, and politics is a complicated field, but just for once, I wished he could follow through with his promises." I paused suddenly, insecure with my admission. "Is that stupid?"

"No. Your dad sounds like a jerk." He frowned, his face twisted with disgust.

I looked into his eyes and then down at his mouth before continuing. "Have you ever noticed how pretty and beautiful words can be. How easy is it to say the things you think someone wants to hear? How you can you affect a person's entire day with just a few measly sentences?" My slight smile dropped. "But when you don't follow them up with any action, they're completely pointless."

He reached across the table for my hands but pulled away quickly before he touched the, I watched as he grabbed two quarters from the pile and scooted them over to my side of the table. "Almost forgot." He smiled before placing his hands on top of mine.

I tried not to smiled, but failed.

Before we were able to say another word to each, loud shouts drew Athrun's attention away from me. He looked up from our table, grumbling under his breath.

"What is it?" I asked him, looking around for the source of the shouting. My eyes fell on two guys. "Friends of yours?"

"Not exactly. They are on the hockey team."

I took another bite of my burger when a loud thump diverted my attention. I jumped in my seat and noticed one of the two guys, one out of the two with pure red eyes, had pounded his fist on top of our table, causing the quarters to spill out around me. I turned toward Athrun, whose face was dead set. His hand flexed, his knuckles whitening.

"Get away from us, Shinn," he threatened. His jaw tight.

"Not so tough sober, eh Athrun?"

Athrun looked at me with pleading eyes, as if apologizing for what was to come.

"Why don't you just get up Athrun?" Shinn challenged.

"Can't you see I am on a date?" he gestured toward me.

Shinn glanced in my direction. "Like she matters. Just one of many, isn't that what you always say?"

Athrun jumped out from behind the table. "Don't talk about her like that. Don't even look at her." He took a step forward toward Shinn, his fist clenched tightly.

Shinn smirked slightly, looking right in my direction. "At least you are pretty. Come find me after he tosses you into the garbage with all the others. I promise to sleep with you more than once."

My mouth opened to respond when Shinn's body was suddenly ripped out of view. Athrun tackled him against the floor with a loud thud. Shinn tried to kick, but Athrun was too quick. Athrun punched him over and over again. Blood splattered across the clean, white floor.

"Athrun! Athrun stop!" I scooted out of the booth and pulled at the shirt stretched across his back.

His head snapped up. He glanced at Shinn then lifted his head to look at the gawking crowd and then back to me, his eyes sad. "I'm sorry, Princess."

It was the first time that name didn't piss me off. I helped him to his feet, my body shaking with shock.

Our waitress Shirley hurried over, shaking her head. "You have to go, Athrun. Just get your stuff and go."

"Sorry, Shirley." He scooped the quarters in the paper bag and tossed two twenties on the table before grabbing my hand and pulling me out the door,

When we reached the car, he opened the passenger door, lifted me in, and then walked over to the driver's side, his head shaking the entire time. I watched his chest slowly rise and fall with each breath he took. "I'm sorry Cagalli. I shouldn't have let him get to me."

"What was that about, anyway?" I asked, eyeing his bloody knuckles.

"I slept with his girlfriend, Luna."

My heart throbbed as his admission caused an ache of disappointment to spread throughout my chest. "Right when I think you might be halfway decent, you say something that fucks it all up."

He gripped the steering wheel tightly and turned to me, his dark blue hair flopping forward. "I didn't know. She told me she was single."

I sank into my seat as the breath I was holding, escaped. "Well, she sucks. That Luna girl."

He forced a half grin. "Yeah she does."

He started the engine, and I felt the rumble vibrate my seat. I quickly bucked myself in and said a silent prayer that we wouldn't die on the drive home.

We spent the drive back to my apartment in silence, the radio providing background noise as we each buried ourselves in our own private thoughts.

Athrun pulled his death mobile in one of the sports marked Visitor in front of my building and turned off the ignition off, but didn't make any effort to move. I reached for my door handle. "You know," he said, "my dad was a jerk too." His voice sliced through the warm evening air.

I allowed my hand to slide down the side of the door, releasing the grip I held. I turned my body to face him before I leaned back into the seat. "Tell me."

He avoided my eyes.

"My mother died when I was 8, from a car accident. A drunk driver hit her, when she was driving home from a late shift at the hospital. He was in bad shape when she passed away. He turned to the law for justice, and when the guy was only give 5 years in prison, he was furious. He turned to alcohol to drink his anger and sorrows away. I remember watching his, void of life but yet, full of hatred. One day, when I was 12, he dropped me and walked out the door. I recall my grandfather was yelling after him as the car door slammed shut and tires screeching. He never came back."

"I wanted to reach out for him, but didn't. Thinking that somehow my touch would stop his train of thought and I wouldn't get to experience this side of him again.

"I really don't remember my parents, but I remember a time, where the three of us, were happy and full of life."

I could no longer stay silent. "Athrun, I am so sorry. I can't even imagine." I reached out my hand and settled it on his thigh.

He eyed it for a split second. "Fifty cents, Princess." I jerked my hand away, shaking my head.

"I was just joking, Cagalli. Listen, don't say anything to anyone, okay? Not many people know that story and I would like to keep it that way if possible."

"Of course. It's not my story to tell." I smiled, hoping he believed me.

The moment I thought he was done revealing his past, he continued. "I remember watching my favorite television program, Gundam Seed, when my grandparents received a phone call. I will never forget the sound of my grandmother crying, screaming out no repeatedly."

His eyes looked like he was a million miles away as I watched him relive his childhood nightmare. "The next thing I remember, I was at my father's funeral. He had committed suicide."

I shook my head in disbelief. "I can't even imagine what you went through."

He reclined the driver's side seat and focused his gaze on the night sky. "I was angry teenage old boy. I thought it was my entire fault that he left. That I wasn't good enough reason for him to stay. Especially as I started to get in a lot of trouble at school."

"Like what kind of trouble?"

He took a deep breath. "I got in a lot of fights." He looked into my eyes and shrugged his shoulders. "Guess that hasn't changed much." His stomach moved in and out as he laughed bitterly and I found my eyes drawn there.

"He deserved it," I whispered, reclining my seat as well.

"He did, right?"

I smiled.

"I got in a lot of fights. And I got in a lot of trouble with girls. I basically took on the philosophy in high school that if I could either hook up with a girl at every party, or beat someone up, then they wouldn't talk about the fact that I had no parents. The girls and fighting were the ultimate distraction.'

I frowned, my stomach churning slightly at his bold revelation.

"What?" He turned his head toward me, his eyes concerned.

"It's just that you still sort of act like that, you know?"

"I know. Old habits are hard to break. Plus, I am good at being bad and screwing things up. Just ask Kira. He has been there for me, through everything. He never once gave up on me."

I wasn't sure what to say. I honestly wasn't sure how I felt. I had never met anyone who lost both of their parents in such a cruel way. My own mother died of cancer when I was 2.

"When did you start playing baseball?"

His eyes lit up. "My grandparents signed me up every sport imaginable when I was 11. They thought it would help to get over the mourning of my mother." A slight chuckle escaped from his lips. "I don't remember, but my grandmother said I would cry whenever the season ended."

I laughed, imagining the scene of a 11 year old Athrun crying. "That is cute. You loved it even then."

He released a breath. "Being on that pitcher's mound, it's the one thing I am really good at. The one thing I haven't fucked up. And when I am on the field, everything else fades away. You know?" He turned to look at me, his eyes craving understanding. I smiled and he continued. "It's like my mind is clear when I am out there. It's not about my parents or the stupid mistakes I have done. It's about me, the ball and the batter. It's the one place in the world where I feel like I am in control. Like I have say in what happens around me."

I stopped my head from nodding in agreement once I realized that I was doing it. "I feel that way when I am taking pictures. Anything that I am not seeing through my lens fades away in the background. And I get to frame my picture any way I choose. I get to dictate how it looks. What is in it. What isn't in it. Behind the lens I have complete control in how things are seen.

He smiled. "You get it."

"I like this side of you," I said, genuinely meaning it.

He crossed his arms across his chest. "Don't get used to it."

I jerked back at his suddenly defensive tone. "Way to ruin a perfectly good moment." I pulled my seat upright and reached for the door handle again.

"Crap, I am sorry, Princess. Don't hate me. I just really suck at this." His hand gripped my shoulder, pulling me back toward him.

"Suck at what?"

"This." His finger wagged between my face and his.

"What? Having a serious conversation? I know, it's really hard." It was all I could do not to roll my eyes.

"I don't have really serious conversations with girls," he admitted reluctantly.

"That's seriously pathetic, Athrun."

"If I haven't conveyed to you by now that I have a hard time trusting people….." he started to explain before I cut him off.

"I know you do. And you have every right. But you have to start somewhere." He breathed loudly and I finished. "Sooner or later you have to let people in."

He leaned toward me and I could feel the warmth of his breath against my face. "I know," he murmured, closing the small space between us even further.

He cupped my cheek in the palm of his hand and looked into my eyes. "I'm going to kiss you." My heart hammered inside my chest as thoughts of stopping raced through my mind.

"This doesn't change anything," I stammered, my defenses fading.

"It changes everything." He sounded so sure of himself as his soft lips silenced my weak protest.

My eyes closed and I lost myself in the warmth of his kiss. His tongue gently parted my lips as I allowed him to explore my mouth. He was gentle, the flicker of his tongue soft and slow, causing my heart to expand. I lifted my hand to the side of his face, my thumb tracing the lines of his cheek down to his chin before gripping the back of his neck and pulling him closer.

My mouth was frantic, all sense of composure lost somewhere in the taste of him. He pulled away, our mouths parting with one final, closed mouth peck.

"It changes everything," he repeated, still cupping my face in his hand.

"Prove it."

Author's Note:

Now not entirely sure if this is how I wanted the chapter, but I hope everyone enjoyed it. Let me know what you think!

Until next time :)