JC: The dance left our favorite couple baffled and uneasy. A lot has happened between them and they're going to be in trouble in this chapter. They're going to receive some help from Nicol and Stellar. I've mentioned it before that they are also agents. You'll get a lot more moments from them too.

Disclaimer: I don't own Cagalli Yula Athha, Athrun Zala, and all the other characters of Gundam SEED. All rights belong to Sunrise.

Summary: When their mother died, Cagalli and her twin brother were taken in by a man who claims to be their uncle. Since they had nowhere else to go, they decided to live with him in his mansion. But there was something dreadfully suspicious about their uncle. He seemed to be so fond of the twins, going so far as to arrange a marriage between Cagalli and a rich business associate. Because of this, Cagalli is determined to escape her fate—even if it means running away from home and dealing with a handsome yet clever agent. Athrun Zala's job is to bring Cagalli home. But as things start to get more complicated, he finds himself falling for her.


Her Kind of Love

Phase 07: Something from the Heart

Athrun stood in front of their hotel room door and stared down on the card slot. A sudden tension gripped him. He was aware of Cagalli standing closer at his side. "It was an interesting evening…" He only received silence as a reply. He figured that she was too tired to talk.

He stepped into the room first, switching the lights on. He held the door open and waited for her to get in before he locked the door. "Stellar sent some night gowns for you to wear. You can find them inside the drawer." He removed his coat and threw it over a chair.

Imagining herself lying on bed wearing a girly piece of clothing, Cagalli quickly said, "I prefer t-shirts."

He sighed. "All right… I have an extra shirt." He pulled out a big blue shirt from the drawer and gave it to Cagalli. "You can use the bathroom first. Don't take too long, okay?"

Kicking off her shoes, she went into the bathroom. It only took her about ten minutes to get ready for bed. She came out wearing only the t-shirt, which reached up to her mid-thighs. She slipped into the bed covers and buried her head in the soft pillow. When Athrun went to the bathroom to change, she found herself thinking about him and the dance. How could they be so intimate during that time? How could she let a man touch her like that? It was totally crazy and absurd.

And when Athrun exited the bathroom, Cagalli closed her eyes but not before she got a breathtaking view of his naked chest. Unable to help herself, she peeked out through lowered lashes. Watching him move around the room in nothing but a pair of shorts made her blush madly. She averted her gaze until he switched off the lights. Her discomfort increased when Athrun lay down on the couch, softly whispering, "Good night, Cagalli…" Though his smooth voice annoyed her and thrilled her at the same time, she didn't respond.

Later that night, three knocks came from the door, waking Athrun up. Thinking it was an enemy, he grabbed his gun and cautiously walked towards the door. He looked into the peep-hole and saw Stellar and Nicol. Sighing in relief, he unlocked the door and opened it. "I know it's not your habit to wake people up in the middle of the night, so you must have a good reason for being here," he said, having a good hunch.

"Athrun, you're half-naked!" Stellar pointed out as she giggled like a sweet little child. She was wearing a printed tube top with blue band, white mini-skirt with a pearl belt and chain, and white patent pumps with circular chain. "Oh, don't tell me you did it with Cagalli already?"

Athrun almost choked in his own saliva. "No… I didn't do anything to her…" he said, placing a hand on his temple. "So, tell me what are you doing here?"

Nicol put on a serious face. "Athrun, you and Cagalli have to get out of here quick. Some suspicious guys are roaming outside the hotel and I'm sure they're not here to check in."

"Did they have to appear in such a time?" Athrun checked the clock. Damn, it was 3 AM in the morning. Could they have just waited until sunrise? "Let me guess… Some of them are hanging around my car, correct?"

"Yes… But they didn't do anything to it. And don't worry. Stellar and I will help you two escape."

"I can always count on you two," Athrun said. He never doubted their abilities. Even though Stellar and Nicol were young, they were highly skilled agents trained since childhood.


Several men in black suits were roaming around the area, blocking the main entrance and the back doors of the hotel. Athrun's car was parked in front, so they had no choice but to confront them. However, Athrun had a plan in mind, and together with Nicol and Stellar, he knew he would succeed. As they reached the entrance, Athrun hauled Cagalli behind a large plant to hide themselves from two men guarding there. They had guns equipped with silencer. Athrun was sure that they won't kill Cagalli, but he'll be dead meat if he faced them head on.

Willing himself to calm, he pulled out a tranquilizer gun and aimed at one of the men. Keeping it steady, he placed pressure on the trigger. Then he shot the man and knocked him out. The other guy rushed toward his fallen companion to see what was wrong. Too bad Athrun only had one dart. He could've shot him as well.

Adrenaline pumping, he ran towards the guy and kicked him across the face. His kick was so powerful that he knocked the guy unconscious. "Let's hurry," he told Cagalli, holding out his hand for her.

Cagalli shrugged. "I can run on my own," she icily said. She was still having trouble making eye contact with him because of the dance last night. She could still sense the warmth of his body and his sizzling kisses on her skin.

They'd gotten only steps from the hotel entrance before another enemy appeared behind them, calling out their attention. Almost tripping over her own feet, Cagalli whipped around. Her stomach knotted as she faced the angry man who aimed his gun at Athrun. She didn't have time to assess the situation because Athrun dragged her away and told her to keep running for their life. The man was going to shoot, but someone beat him to it, causing the man to crumble to the ground.

A smile appeared on Athrun's face as he turned his gaze towards a certain direction. "Thank you, Nicol," he said, as two more enemies appeared. "Would you mind taking care of the rest? They're really annoying."

Nicol raised his gun and shot the two accurately. "It's as easy as pie," he said. "You and Cagalli better hurry. There are a lot of them. Stellar has already secured the gate. You'll meet her on the way out. Good luck to the two of you." Once he saw more men coming, he put on a serious face and charged towards them, firing his gun at will.

"He's good…" Cagalli said in awe. Nicol was a year younger than her and he was already a professional agent. Who knew such a kind and gentle pianist could be so deadly? Never judge a person from their looks… she thought silently as she and Athrun started running again.

When they've reached the parking lot, Athrun calmly pulled out his keys and unlocked the doors. Acting cautious, he first checked the engine, the trunk, and the insides of the car for any suspicious things. He thought that the enemy might have planted tracking devices or traps in his car. After a minute search, he was relieved to find none. He slipped into the driver's seat and started the engine. "Get in the car, Cagalli," he said.

But before she could even touch the door, she felt a hand wrap around her upper arm and a gun's tip against her back. "Let go of me, bastard," she demanded, and the man's grip on her arm tightened. Refusing to give in, she turned, free arm swinging. Her fist connected with the side of his face and she kicked his manhood hard. "That'll teach you not to mess with me." She smiled triumphantly when the man howled in pain.

Athrun jumped over the car and kicked the man away. "Are you all right, Cagalli?" he asked as he landed in front of her. "Did you get hurt?"

"Hey, I kicked his ass just now," Cagalli said. "I'm definitely all—" Her eye suddenly caught sight of a man aiming his gun at Athrun. Acting purely on instincts, she was able to hook her foot behind Athrun's knee and pulled. He came toppling like a felled tree, but she was directly in his path. He smacked into her and sent her falling. She shrieked and down she went, Athrun on top of her, crushing into the ground. The timing was perfect because she managed to save him from getting hit by a bullet. Now that she was trapped beneath his weight, she could barely move or breathe.

The man cursed under his breath for missing the chance. He had no choice but to move in closer to get a clear shot. But as he did so, Stellar appeared and threw small knives at his leg to prevent him from walking. "You're not allowed to hurt my friends," she said. When he dropped on his knees, the young girl ran towards him and hit the back of his neck, rending him unconscious.

Panting, Cagalli glowered at him. "Get off me, you idiot!"

Athrun was in no hurry to obey. "You're the one who put me here."

"I only did that to save you. Now I'm regretting it…"

"Well, I owe you my life…"

Starting to get claustrophobic under him, she tried pushing him away. But her effort was in vain. He didn't budge one bit. "Athrun, I'll give you five seconds to get off me or else I'll murder you!" she exclaimed. "I'm not kidding!"

Athrun's weight lifted. "Calm down… You make it sound like I was molesting you." He offered her a hand as he stood, but Cagalli swatted it away and got back to her feet by herself.

Skilled and quick as lightning, Stellar fought with more men. Despite only being armed with knives and daggers, Stellar didn't have a hard time facing her enemies who were carrying guns. After beating the last of them, she twirled around and looked at Cagalli and Athrun. "It's a good thing it's night time. They can't see my face clearly," she said, giggling sweetly. "I beat them up for you. But they're only unconscious. You better scat before they wake up."

"You're awesome, Stellar," Cagalli said, smiling genuinely at the younger blonde. "Thanks a lot for the help."

Stellar winked an eye. "You're welcome, Cagalli!"

Without another moment to spare, Athrun and Cagalli slipped into the car and dashed away from the hotel. Back on the road, Cagalli waited for a while before talking. "Your friends… Will they be all right? It was a mess back there." She was afraid they might get arrested for the trouble they've caused. She can't imagine those two behind bars. "I'm really grateful for what they did, but was it okay to get them involved? Even though they were agents, they were still young."

Athrun showed her an assured smile. "Don't worry about them… They'll be fine," he told her. "Those two are very smart and they know how to handle themselves."

"I see…" She focused her eyes on the road. "Hey, did you find out who they are working for? And why are they so vent on capturing me? What is it that their boss wants from me? We should've captured one of them and forced him to talk."

"Forcing them to talk is not going to work," Athrun said. "Those men were trained not to leak any information about their boss. It's the same with me."

"Oh…" Cagalli grimaced, lowering her gaze on her lap. "Until now… I still don't know who your boss is. I find it very annoying that you're so secretive. But I can't do anything about it. You won't tell me no matter what I do."

Athrun heaved a deep sigh. "I'm sorry but I'm only doing my job, Cagalli," he said.

Was kissing her part of the job too? She doesn't think so. And what about the dancing? Don't tell me it was an act… At that moment, it felt like we were really a couple in love. She remembered exactly how they danced together back at the party. It was such a passionate dance. Cagalli felt her cheeks getting warmer just by thinking about it. A couple in love…Yeah, right…


After three hours of driving, Cagalli's stomach started complaining. "I'm starving. Do you have any food?" she asked. The car had just left the city.

"Check the backseat. You'll find some sandwiches in the bag. I've managed to stack up on food while we were at the hotel."

"You really think ahead, huh?" There was sarcasm in her voice, but nevertheless she was a little impressed with him. "Well… I'm going to stuff myself with one or two. I hope you don't mind."

"Suit yourself," he replied as he saw Cagalli taking three sandwiches from the bag. "But remember to leave some for me, okay?" Ignoring him, Cagalli feasted on the sandwiches. And when the car drove through a short bumpy road, she nearly choked. Athrun was drinking out of his water bottle as he saw her struggling to swallow her food. Her expression screamed for water. Sighing, he pulled the car to a stop and handed her his water bottle.

Cagalli gulped down the water rapidly and breathed out in relief. "I thought I was gonna die…" she said. "You could have at least warned me that we were going to pass a bumpy road."

"It's not my fault if you eat so fast," he said, noticing a river from afar. "Maybe we should rest here for a while. We're far away from civilization now, and chances of those goons following us here are pretty low. What do you say, Cagalli? I know you want to get out of the car and stretch out."

"How about your job? If we keep stopping, we'll never get back home." As heartless as she sounded, Cagalli crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "I smell something fishy. I hope you're not planning something, Athrun." She slid out of the car and took note of the breathtaking view of the scenery before her. "But a walk would do me wonders—a walk alone…"

Emerald-green eyes stared at her seriously. There was a moment of silence between them before he finally agreed. "I'll give you ten minutes to wander around. Remember, no funny business. Don't even try to escape from me. You know very well that you're in danger."

"Geez, you sound like an old man telling a young girl what to do," Cagalli said with a shrug. "Look, I have no intention of escaping. Besides, if I do that, I'll eventually get captured by those goons. I don't want that to happen to me."

Walking along the river, she spotted a heart-shaped white rock and picked it up. The rock was simply perfect in shape and it shone beautifully under the sunlight. It made her remember about the time her mother brought Kira and her to the beach when they were only six years old. She loved playing at the beach and she would usually tackle Kira into the water or pummel him with a beach ball for fun. And whenever she unintentionally makes her twin brother cry, she would get a good scolding from her mother. Cagalli always told her mother that it wasn't her fault why Kira was such a crybaby. True, Kira cries way too easily before, but the present Kira was more mature. It was also their hobby to collect shells, and her mother found two very beautiful white stones once and gave it to Kira and her. Until now, the stones were kept in a safe place, because those were precious to them.

Despite the trip down memory lane, Cagalli was enjoying the walk. For once she didn't feel any pressure. And nature had a way of soothing her anxiety. The sun, the breeze, and the river were just what she needed to relax. Even so, reality intruded all too soon, when Athrun came and said her time was up, reminding her she was still a prisoner. "Damn…" Not letting her disappointment get to her, Cagalli turned back, her gaze sweeping the area where the car was parked.

"Do you feel a lot better?" Athrun asked, seeing her stopping and stretching, rotating her shoulders, and neck. "You know we have to get going."

"Do you really have to take me back?" she muttered under her breath. "What if those hooligans are waiting back home? And I don't think I can stand seeing that bastard Yuuna again. I don't even want to face my uncle. But I'm sure Kira's worried about me and Miriallia too… I took off without even telling them."

"You'll see them soon," Athrun said. "Now let's go…"

"What's the rush? It's not like those guys know we're here. You already confiscated my cell phone and there are no tracking devices on the car." She removed her sneakers and socks. "I'm planning to stick around this place a little more." She dipped her feet into the water and shivered at the coldness.

Athrun sighed in frustration. "We don't have time for this, Cagalli," he said, wrapping his fingers around her upper arm. "Even though there are no tracking devices, there are still other ways to find us. Come on, don't be stubborn."

"Don't tell me what to do!" she yelled at him, glaring furiously. "And let go of my arm!"

"Please, Cagalli…" he ordered through clenched teeth. Unintentionally, he dug his fingernails deeper into her skin.

Cagalli winced and quickly glanced down on her arm. "You're hurting me, Athrun," she said.

"I don't care."

"Well, I care!"

Several feet away from them, a man on a motorcycle pulled to a stop. He was wearing a black shirt with v-neckline and red linings, dark brown pants, and black rubber shoes. He took off his helmet, revealing his unruly black hair and crimson-red eyes. He looked cool and very dashing. Recognizing the blonde girl, he hopped off his motorcycle and hung his helmet on the handle. Hurriedly, he approached the two. "Cagalli!" he called out her name, prompting the two to look at him.

Cagalli widened her eyes at the sight of the unexpected guy. "Y-You...? What are you doing here?"

"Let go of her!" the guy said, grabbing the front of Athrun's shirt and pulling him a little off balance.

His expression both surprised and serious, Athrun released her. "This isn't your business."

"It's my business because you're messing with my friend here." Enraged crimson eyes seemed to bore holes through Athrun's emerald ones. And as he turned to Cagalli, his expression softened up a bit. "Cagalli, are you all right? Did he hurt you?"

"Yeah, I'm all right…" Cagalli said, trying her best not to snap at the guy. "But what the hell are you doing here, Shinn?" The motorcycle guy was actually a good friend of hers, who was two years younger, and he had a violent temper similar to hers. His full name was Shinn Asuka.

"Just driving through the countryside… More importantly, why are you with this asshole?" He shot a glare back at Athrun. "I don't remember you having a boyfriend or anything."

Knowing she had to get away from Athrun, Cagalli decided to put her acting skills into action again. The situation was better than she'd hoped for. Her vicious friend was enough to take out Athrun. "This guy is only forcing me to go out with him," she said, trying her best to sound in distressed. "You won't believe how much trouble I got into because of him. He's also the reason why my hair is so short now."

Athrun couldn't help thinking absurdly of her. "What the heck are you saying? I'm only taking you back home because it's my job. We got in trouble because someone is trying to capture you. And you're the one who cut your hair short. Don't blame it on me." He thought Cagalli was already fine being with him, but he could clearly see that he was wrong. The feisty girl had no plans of going back home just yet. "Cagalli, stop making up stories."

Shinn shoved at Athrun. "You better leave before I decide to murder you," he said. He was awfully protective of Cagalli.

It looked like he had to do a little acting as well, Athrun thought. His beautiful gaze swept over the blonde. Then his eyes closed and his head lowered. "Cagalli, I admit… I've been a real jerk and I'm sorry to make you so upset." He couldn't believe he had the decency to say such mushy stuff. "You came to me, asking for my help. But instead of helping you, I'm forcing you to go back to your fiancé."

"Oh, yeah… I've heard from Haww that you're engaged to a rich business man." Shinn wrinkled his nose in disapproval. "You don't know how surprised I was. Please tell me you're not marrying that guy."

"I have no intention… But my uncle…" Cagalli lowered her gaze. "My uncle wants me to… I have no choice but to obey him. You know, I can't even imagine a married life with my so-called fiancé."

"Since this guy won't help you," Shinn narrowed his eyes at Athrun before taking Cagalli into his arms, "I'll help you instead. There's no way I'd let you marry a guy you don't even love. You can count on me, Cagalli. I won't let you down."

Suddenly struck with resentment and crushing jealousy, Athrun pulled the blonde away from Shinn and hugged her tight. At this point, he wasn't acting anymore. His actions were based on his emotions. "Don't touch her as you please," he said. "I will be the one helping her. I won't let her marry another guy because she only belongs to me."

Cagalli was stunned by the possessive tone that sounded far too real, and her pulse skittered as Shinn's face twisted with ire.

"Let go of her!" Shinn tore them apart. "You have no right to touch her!" His arm pulled back and swung, his hard fist going directly for Athrun's face. Athrun ducked out of the way and landed a punch directly in the middle of the solar plexus. Shinn caved in.

"Shinn!" gasped Cagalli. "Athrun, you didn't have to hurt him!"

Not giving up so easily, Shinn regained his composure. "I'll make you pay for that, bastard!" He attempted to punch Athrun again. However, Athrun was too quick for him. "Dammit!" He launched a front kick and then a roundhouse kick, but his attacks were all dodged. He had to admit that Athrun was real good.

Athrun evaded another punch from Shinn and went behind him. "Sorry…" he muttered before hitting Shinn's neck with his hand. Shinn went down like a heavy log.

"Shinn!" Cagalli knelt down to gather her friend in her arms. "Shinn, hey… Wake up…" She didn't mean for this to happen. All she wanted was to escape from Athrun, but Shinn ended up getting hurt.

"I only knocked him out," Athrun said.

"I can't believe you hurt my friend," Cagalli said, settling Shinn's head carefully on the ground. "Now I'm even more irritated at you."

"Why do you have to act like we're in a relationship or something every time we meet people?" Athrun questioned her, as she stood up. "Why did you have to tell your friend I was forcing you to go out with me?"

Cagalli clenched her hands hard. "I want to regain my life back," she said, biting her lip in frustration. "I'm sick and tired of all of this. All I wanted was to cut off my engagement, but I only got into more trouble with you. I know I should be grateful to you, since you've saved me countless times already. Still, I should've never come to ask for your help. I've realized that it's better for me to get away from you."

"No…You're staying with me…" Athrun said and simply grabbed Cagalli's wrist. "I was serious with what I said. I will be the one helping you. After all we've been through I've realized how important you are to me. I know I've betrayed your trust by lying about who I really am, but I want you to trust me now as a friend. If you want to regain your life back, then I'll gladly help you."

Cagalli saw the earnestness in his orbs, but she told herself not to be fooled. "Nice try, Athrun…" she said sarcastically. "I know you're job is more important than my feelings. You're still going to take me home."

He expected her to say that and he knew exactly what to reply. "You're right. I'm still going to fulfill my mission. But I'm also going to break up your engagement to Yuuna Roma Seiran. I know how to deal with your uncle."

To be continued…


JC: Woah… This is pretty long. We're going to have a wonderful moment between Athrun and Cagalli in the next chapter. They're going to be pretty intimate with one another. Shinn is just a minor character here. I love popping characters out of nowhere. This story won't contain a lot of chapters. I'm not planning on writing an extremely long novel. Anyway, please review. No flaming.