So, this is chapter five. Thanks again for the reviews and alerts and favorites (wow!)

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam SEED/Destiny

Chapter 5

June 17th 2010

"Athrun! You there?"

Athrun got up from his bed startled, and then sighed. Off course Kira would come and check on him.

He had thought about having some alone time for himself, which would lead to shooing Kira away. He was sure to do that, but when he opened his door, two girls were standing behind him.

"Is there a party?" Athrun asked.

"Well, we can make one. Will you let us in?" Kira asked smiling, and so were Lacus and Cagalli. A party would be good for Athrun, Kira thought.

"… No?" Athrun answered, mentally slapping himself for he had said that single word, more than two times, and without any clause or phrase following it.

Cagalli groaned. "You have to have more vocabularies than a 'no'! You are Athrun Zala the president of Zala Corporation!" Cagalli opened her shoes. "Excuse me!" She went inside the house.

Athrun looked at her, amused. He never had seen a girl like that, so… confident.

"Excuse us!" Lacus said, and then she entered with Kira. They walked toward the living room. It was quite large. There was black leather couches there, forming a letter 'U', with a table in the middle, facing the large glass window which showing the front courtyard. And there was a picture on the wall.

"Wow, your living room is great!" Cagalli said bouncing around.

"Do you want something to drink?" Athrun asked and went to his kitchen.

"Uh, would you make coffee for us?" Kira shouted from living room.

"May I ask for water?" Lacus asked.

"A bottle of water for Lacus," Kira added.

"Okay, okay," Athrun sighed. He rarely had any guest in his house, except Kira. He already had a bottle of water, and now he was making coffee.

"Can I ask you for something?"

Athrun jumped. He didn't hear someone entering his kitchen.

"Uhh… Sorry, didn't mean to scare you," Cagalli lifted her hands in surrendering gesture. She had playful smile on her face.

"Okay. What do you want?" He asked, resuming his coffee making.

"I had a friend who had made an article about you; it was like… a biography. So now… I wanted to… make an article about your house, your activity here. Like a celebrity revealing to his fans about his life."

Athrun snorted. "So, now that Kira had introduced me to you you'll make it as your advantage for your article, it is your job, right?"

"That's why I'm asking you about it. The idea popped in my head when I saw your living room. It's… different from my opinion about you as a president. I saw a copy of Van Gogh painting."

"It's printed picture, not painting; it's like poster. I'd rather the real painting's print than a fake one." Athrun said.

"That, and Bois de Boulogne," Cagalli added.

He preferred Van Gogh and Bosch's paintings. They were dark, just like his life, himself. Frightening as it was, he always thought that there was no such thing like the garden of earthly delights for him in this life. Maybe another life, if he was going to have another chance. But was reincarnation real? Cagalli's voice brought him back to his kitchen.

"I thought you would prefer Rembrandt or Burne Jones… or Rosetti…" Cagalli trailed off. Athrun could hear her question on that sentence. She was asking the why.

"I just like dark paintings, dark artists. They are great," he said the easiest explanation.

"People preference of paintings usually represents their personality," she said, looking at him intently, though Athrun was focused on making his coffee.

"And by my preference of paintings, how do you think about my personality?"

Cagalli looked at Athrun. She had got some impressions of this guy. "You're lonely… sad… desperate… those kinds of feelings. You're quite antisocial," Cagalli paused," And you are hiding something."

Athrun froze. He never met someone who could guess that much of him just by a few short conversations. He barely knew her. And he thought she barely knew him. But it seemed like she knew him better than he did her.

And she knew that he was hiding something.

Athrun poured the coffee into three cups. He placed them on a tray—plus the bottle water in a glass now, and then he faced Cagalli.

"You're right. I'm hiding something," he said as he faced her.

"I'm good at guessing people sometimes," Cagalli smiled, a bit smug.

"But the thing is," Athrun closed his eyes, preparing himself, and then opened them again. "It's not a good secret. It's a frightening one, and not what you would think it is. Drug cartel, mafia, diamond smuggling… it's not like that at all."

"A serial killer?"

Athrun shuddered at the mention of killer, which was noticed by Cagalli. He shook his head in denial. Cagalli tried to let it go, but kept it on her mind.

"And you pulled yourself from the society because of that?"

"They would think I'm crazy or something, and then they would leave me. I know it would hurt, their leaving me; I've experienced it. So I'm avoiding it. If you know the truth, you'll do as they do." Athrun warned Cagalli because he knew he was starting to like her, even it had been just two meetings; the accident and Kira's match making. She was different from everyone else he had ever known, so persistent and caring, like when she asked him about his problem at the restaurant.

And actually, he hadn't known people that much.

"But Kira knows about it, right?"

Athrun nodded.

"And he stays with you; even as your best friend."

"That's the only thing I could ask. Even I don't know why he stays with me until now."

"It must be not as bad as you think," Cagalli assured him.

"Ask Kira. He is the only one who understands me. I don't know if he will tell you my secret, though."

Athrun walked away from his kitchen to the living room, to where his guests were waiting.

Cagalli followed him slowly; she stopped after a few steps from the kitchen doorway. Looked at her left, she saw Wheatfield with Crows, Van Gogh's last painting before he shot himself.

It seemed like Athrun had refused her request.

"Are you all right? You seemed so upset today," Lacus asked after she took a few sips of her mineral water.

"I'm all right. Just… a bit stressed…"

"What happened?"

"Nothing." Athrun answered simple.

"You upset for nothing?" Cagalli asked, sitting beside Lacus.

"Yes."

Cagalli rolled her eyes. She bet it had something to do with his secret. He even got mad to her. How bad his secret was?

"You want to talk about it?" Kira asked, after he sipped his coffee.

"No. Can you give me some space? I'm stressed already."

"Talking with your friend will help," Cagalli suggested. She had said that, hadn't she?

"Please, not now," Athrun pleaded, his face looked tired. He rubbed his nose bridge, and then his temple. Athrun really didn't want to reveal his secret to his newest friends. They didn't have to know everything. They just needed what he usually gives them, coldness.

Cagalli on the other hand, so determined to know Athrun's secret. He looked so sad and lonely, must be because he was afraid that other people would be frightened of him, or they would call him crazy.

But he was so certain that she should go away from his life. Wasn't that a warning for her? How would she react when she found out about his secret? Did she really want to know?

"I saw a girl, a child, yesterday. She fell from the cloister of her apartment."

Cagalli's head snapped. Athrun's face was on his hands. Lacus was placing her hand on her mouth, her eyes wide in shock. Kira looked at his best friend with apologetic frown.

It looked like Kira or Lacus had convinced him to tell Athrun's story.

"I was at the police station to give them my testimony. That's why I was late." Athrun paused, "But the problem is… I should have been prevented it. I should have caught her, or brought her to the hospital!" Athrun was frantic.

"Stop, you're blaming yourself again," Kira murmured quietly as he sat beside Athrun and patted his shoulder.

Again? Cagalli thought. It was quiet but she heard it, she was sure.

"I'm sorry, Athrun. But it was her time to go, Athrun. Nothing you can do could pull her away from death's hand," Lacus said, her face solemn. She had seen her father died before her eyes.

"If that's the truth than why should I see all the nightmares about people death? Why do I see it every night if it wasn't for me to save them! Is it just to torture me! " Athrun shouted in his head.

'It's a curse, Athrun. I'm sorry…'

Athrun started to sob. His father's last confession starting to engulfed his head again. He was cursed.

"Athrun, are you okay?" Lacus asked concern clear on her voice.

"You guys wait here," Kira said as he lifted Athrun's hand and placed it on his shoulder. He dragged him to his room while the girls saw them in concern and worry. Athrun needed to be alone and relaxed. He didn't need any more depression from remembering all the details and confessing it to them. What he had been through was enough.

Kira helped Athrun to lie on his bed, and then sat beside him. "I'm sorry if I push you too hard." Kira realized that he was the one who had pushed Athrun to tell them about the accident. He should have known better.

"It's okay," Athrun mumbled lowly. "You only want me to let it out so I don't have to suffer alone. I understand."

"You never mad at me when I pushed you about… your nightmares… It must be hard for you to retell it. I don't even know what you—"

"You're all that I have in this world." Athrun put his lower arm on his eyes, covering them from Kira. He didn't want to see pity or guilt on Kira's eyes. "My parents died. I can't get along with other people. Even my workers think I'm a freak." He inhaled, exhaled, and continued admitting his weakness. "So, you know I can't lose you, I'm just selfish."

"I'm still sorry. I'm not a good friend. Not good enough for you."

"You try to help me. No one would do that except you." Athrun said, "And you're all that I asked for. You're too much for me. You're too kind," he mentally scowled for Kira thinking otherwise.

"You deserved to be known by many people. You're great, Athrun. And I won't leave you," Kira said firmly. "I'll always be by your side, through your nightmares. I believe you'll do that to me too if I were you."

"So sure," Athrun smirked, thought still shallow. "And you're lucky that you're not me."

"I know you cared about me. You won't give my number to Lacus if you don't." Kira could never ask him to do that for him. And he couldn't thank him enough. But he hoped Cagalli would be enough for him. He would do anything if Cagalli was Athrun's chance to be happy. He smiled a sad smile.

Now, Athrun smiled. "I want you to be happy."

"You too, Athrun. I'll do anything for you to pay this."

"You don't have to." No need for Kira to pay him. He would suffer if his best friend could be happy.

"Okay, I'll go now. Please rest, you need it." Kira stood up. Athrun wouldn't let him pay back, but he would. "And eat, please. You skipped lunch."

Athrun snorted. "You know I've become a vampire since I get those nightmares…"

"I know," Kira sighed. Athrun never sleep peacefully, because of the nightmares, and thus, sometimes he skipped meal. His reason was 'I don't have much energy left for that.'

Kira walked to the door and stared at the painting of The Maze in the wall. He grimaced at that.

"Tell the girls I'm sorry for my breakdown." Athrun said.

Kira closed the door. He shook his head.

How was that? Tell me your opinions!