AUTHOR: YAY! Cheers for longer chapters! I got this done in two days and Athrun's in this chapter too!

And for those who read Christmas Eve - Of Wishing on a Star, I just want to say that it's a completed oneshot, cuz some people added a story alert to it.

Now for the thank yous... : Knives91, InOcEnT-schoolgirl, CagalliRules, PinkPrincess511, sasorin101, stubbornheroine, DreamersLTD, AsuCaga01, shiloah18, Milleniumgirlie, cagalliyulathha and because shiloah18 requested the grand entrance of Dearka, I've decided to add him in. And believe me, he will be making quite an opening, just not yet in this chapter : )

WARNINGS: Unbeta read and Cagalli will wear a dress!

DISCLAIMER: This story is a work of FAN-fiction. By any means, the author of this story is merely a fan, and does not (partially or wholly) own Gundam Seed (Destiny), or characters that have existed in the series. I only own the story plotline of THIS fanfiction. Any resemblance of actual events, stories, locales, news, persons (living or dead) are merely coincidental. Thank you and please read on.

Imaginary Christmas

By: Hades.Throne.Heiress

In the previous chapter:

Looking back into the closet for an alternate choice of clothing to wear, she smiled again, her worries were gone; she can wear the dress after all. She'll just have to layer it with the spaghetti strap top with a built-in bra. The dress covered her whole torso anyways; nobody will know she's wearing two layers.

-Sundress-

Nov. 6th

Cagalli took her hold off the yellow towel wrapped around her, letting it slip with gravity. Just as she was about to reach for the spaghetti strap top still hanging onto the clothes hanger, a knock echoed through the room, and a voice traveled from the other side of the door. "Miss," It was the voice of the blue haired man from before, "I was wondering if you're done."

The blonde's stunned eyes glowed in the darkness of the unlit room. What could she possibly do? She couldn't reply him, and she was stark naked at the moment…

"Miss?" He asked again after hearing no answer. Another knock, "Miss?"

Cagalli still didn't know what to do. Maybe ignore him and continue to get dressed… Yeah, that seems to be a good idea. Until-

"Miss, are you in there?" A pause, as Cagalli stuck to her decision, pulling the thin top off of the plastic hanger. "I'm coming in."

The Princess' head immediately snapped towards the direction of that horrible, horrible plan. A man was coming into the room while she's changing? She wouldn't be caught dead having such a disgraceful moment occur in her life.

Thinking fast, Cagalli gripped the white spaghetti strap top in her hand tighter and the other reached for the plastic hanger that held the dress of her choice. Bending down, she grabbed the towel as well, having it hang on by just a pinch of her fingers, and she fled back into the bathroom, glaring at the bathroom door all the way, she heard the twist of a doorknob behind her. When she finally made it to the sanctuary of the flower scented room, she looked back, glaring at the door even harder than before; and in a snap, the door slammed shut just as she saw a stream of light flooding into her room from the hallway and a human figure shaping a shadow on the carpet.

Sighing in relief, Cagalli hung the things in her hands on the hooks behind the door, and dressed herself; something she didn't do often when she always had maids around.

Hades.Throne.Heiress

Athrun knocked and knocked on the door of the mystery girl's room, but still, there was no reply. Finally, his mind had wandered to thinking that something happened to the lovely looking girl when Mir wasn't around, he worried. "I'm coming in," He decided to see if she was alright.

The worried teen waited another moment before turning the knob. The first thing he noticed as soon as he opened a crack was that the room was unlit and it was dark outside whether the curtains were drawn closed or not. It was past noon, but soon after his parents had left for the Yamato's cottage, dark, grey clouds started to tumble in town, hiding the sun's cheerful rays.

As soon as he was sure the girl wouldn't be behind the door if he pushed, he opened the door wider; and as soon as he stepped into the barely occupied room, he heard a slam, and a very violent one at that.

Realizing that the slam had came from the lit bathroom door; he wondered why the blonde didn't answer him earlier when she was just in the room moments ago.

'Maybe she's shy,' Athrun thought, remembering how she never spoke to him the previous day. He sat on one of the couches surrounding the coffee table and television, he'll just sit there and wait; maybe she'll talk to him in a bit when she comes out after her long needed rest last night.

Hades.Throne.Heiress

Slipping on the tank top, she soothed out the spandex material that had amazingly fitted her perfectly. Now looking back at the sundress, she smiled; it was similar to the one she had at home, a dress customized to fit her given by her aunt just earlier this year, around summertime.

Summertime… It's near the end of autumn now, Cagalli realized, and the weather in this world is inhumanely unbearable. The blonde skater frowned, she can't go out right now to look for something else to wear; that man might be in the room, and she's less than decent at the moment to be prancing around in front of a man.

'Whatever,' Cagalli decided, 'just wear the dress, lets just hope he won't be kicking me out of his house right now in the crazy weather. Bringing me home should show that he's a considerate man…' Cagalli could only hope this azure haired man is kind enough to keep her here for a while… at least until she finds out how to get home.

Hades.Throne.Heiress

"Wonder what's taking so long…" Athrun sighed wearily as he leaned back onto the couch while stabbing one of his hands into his sapphire hair.

Athrun closed his eyes; the dim and warm atmosphere with the light drizzle that started outside was making her room a nice place to nap. As his consciousness was starting wander off a sharp knock snapped his attention all back in place.

Looking back, he saw Miriallia poking her head into the room, looking around before her eyes landed on him. "Oh, Asuran-san, have you seen Cagalli yet?"

Athrun stared at Miriallia, not knowing who 'Cagalli' was, "Her name's Cagalli?" his blue brow raised and pointed to the still closed bathroom door. "She told you?" He asked again before Miriallia could answer his previous question.

"…Well, not exactly," Miriallia replied a bit sheepishly, not really knowing what to say when Cagalli didn't actually tell her anything. She walked over to the study table where the notepad laid carelessly on the tabletop; taking the pad of paper, she handed it to her young master still seated on the leather couch.

Athrun looked at the notepad, the one his mother insisted on getting made when they visited a printing shop. My name is Cagalli. I sorry for being rude earlier, but I'm afraid I can't speak. "…She's mute…?" He pondered in a whisper to nobody in particular, slightly flicking his wrist to slide the notepad onto the coffee table; and for the nth time that day, another knock was heard.

"Miss Cagalli," Miriallia stood in front of the bathroom door with her hands clasped in front of her, "can I get you a change of clothes if you're finished with your bath?" As she wanted to go to the closet to grab something to hand into the bathroom for the quiet blonde, the door suddenly swung open, allowing the light inside penetrate through the darkness of the comparably larger room.

Hades.Throne.Heiress

Cagalli slipped on the blue and white sundress, constantly tugging on the hem of her tank top trying to have the dress appear with as less ripples as possible from the white top underneath. When she was satisfied with how the dress covered her torso, she went onto tying the crisscrossed strings under her right arm, tightening it to her comfort.

The blonde examined herself in the big mirror when she finished, her small, pleased smile soon dropped into what might've been considered a frown. Should she go out? She couldn't decide; what if the man was still there? Truthfully speaking, she'd rather be seeing Mir than that man; growing up with maids fussing over her so much, she was naturally more comfortable in the presence of ladies than men. That, of course, excludes her loving father and irritable cousin; but she's a princess, and princess' don't complain and whine about having to deal with balls and princes of different nations annoying the hack out of her mind, it'd be inappropriate.

Speaking of the devils, she could hear both Mir and the blue haired man talking just beyond the door.

A knock. "Miss Cagalli?" And for a moment there, Miriallia sounded just like the maids at home… Cagalli looked at the brass doorknob again, her eyes glowing wildly for a split second as the knob turned soundlessly, holding it in place, but not opening the door.

"Can I get you a change of clothes if you're finished with your bath?" 'Does that mean he's not in the room anymore?' She didn't know why she seemed to be so feared of the man… but, it would likely be awkward. Cagalli sighed, putting trust in the thought she had earlier, the blonde bravely swung open the door with a little too much power in the beginning before she caught it again with her gaze. She'll have to be careful if she's going to use magic around here. But who could blame her for opening the door too forcibly? There were naturally people who do that in the palace and anywhere else she goes…

Hades.Throne.Heiress

Cagalli stepped out of the bathroom looking a bit flustered from the accident with the door. She desperately hoped that Mir didn't notice her weird behavior with opening doors.

Coming out dressed in something that wasn't the pajamas Cagalli had on earlier when she was still eating; Miriallia realized that she already had a change of clothes. Cagalli only stared innocently at her when Miriallia looked at what she was adorning, smiling widely she told the blonde, "The dress looks so much prettier when it's worn! Isn't it too bad that Shiho-san never wore it, Asuran-san?" Mir looked back to the couch.

Cagalli followed Mir's gaze only to find the man she thought had left. Flushing pink that couldn't be seen in the dark atmosphere, she turned away from the direction of the couch back to Miriallia.

"…Yeah," Athrun simply replied Mir, catching the eyes of the blonde for a moment before she turned elsewhere. "Shiho doesn't like dresses and skirts only because she stepped on an air vent one time in the city when she wore one," Athrun smiled, remembering how his cousin's light polyester skirt floated upwards even before her foot had landed on the vent flooring.

Miriallia laughed aloud while Cagalli had a small smile present; she didn't know who this Shiho lady was, but it's not too respectful to laugh - which she's still capable of.

"Anyways," Athrun finalized the joke, getting up from his seat to approach the two ladies, "I'm Athrun, and Mir said you're name's Cagalli?" he introduced himself and placed his hand forward, indicating a formal encounter with a handshake.

Cagalli nodded to his question and looked at the hand that belonged to the man in front of her questionably. 'What am I supposed to do?' The blonde burrowed her brows for a moment before dipping down into a curtsy with the sides of her sundress clutched in either hand.

Athrun and Miriallia stared at the perfected curtsy; it wasn't often that you see people give curtsies rather than handshakes… But though it appeared to be a bit awkward, Athrun lowered his hand and smiled at the blonde nonetheless. He decided that the rather awkward things she does make her look adorable, almost like she was a doll.

Athrun continued to stare at Cagalli who in turn stared back in his direction, making Miriallia seem like the third wheel there. Athrun continued to stare at Cagalli's features, mainly the eyes that made him think of the sunset. He was so concentrated that he didn't even realize the fact that she wasn't actually looking back at him, just something in his general direction from where she stood.

Cagalli on the other hand, was literally examining what seemed to be a human silhouette lurking by the door of the room. It was a female, Cagalli knew that, she had a defined figure and had long hair, one of her hands were held upwards while the other gripped a bag. That was all she could make of the shadow that laid itself across the hallways carpet until there was no more room for it as it climbed up the wallpapered wall. She's always been one of the first few to know if there were eavesdroppers.

A loud, dramatic sigh could be heard from the shadow as Cagalli's two companions turned towards it in surprise. The figure stepped into the room and hit the light switch while her other hand held a little circular object that sat in the palm of her hand.

The room illuminated in an instant as a brunette lady made herself acknowledged; and to prove Cagalli's observations, the lady flipped her long tress that looked wet behind her shoulder, to prevent it to sticking to her face.

The lady looked at Cagalli, before glowering at Athrun, "You really shouldn't talk about me behind my back, Athrun!"

Cagalli unconsciously stepped back a bit in startle and looked over to Athrun, who looked like he was trying to pull it off by smiling while raising his eyebrow to where it was hidden under his bangs. "Uh… I didn't know you were coming, Shiho… and why are you wet?" Athrun then questioned innocently like he had a short attention span and had quickly forgotten that his cousin was angry at him.

Shiho, still wearing a pissed off face, politely asked Miriallia to get her a towel while she 'talk' with her cousin, leaving Cagalli standing in a room with a man and a lady who she has yet to be introduced to. The girl snapped shut the circular object in her hand which Cagalli realized was a pressed powder box when the lights were turned on.

Cagalli instantly knew this girl was witty when she guessed what Shiho was doing with the pressed powder. The brunette was watching them through the mirror in the makeup box earlier.

A glare towards the blue haired man, "Apparently mom and Dearka's dad-"

"Which is your step dad anyhow," Athrun smartly cut in, only to be glared at again.

"Anyways," Shiho huffed, "they went to that potluck with your parents and I was stuck at home with the monkey when the power went out as it started raining, so we came over…" The lady closed her eyes and took a deep breathe, seeming like she wanted to cool herself down.

"But anyways," She turned towards the blonde, "I'm Shiho, and I agree with Mir, the dress does look nicer when it's worn. But I don't like dresses," she threw Athrun another glare, "and it's not only because of that time with the air vent!" Talking to Cagalli again, she smiled, "You should keep the dress, it looks really nice on you."

Cagalli blushed, this time; it could be seen with the lights on. She mouthed a thank you to the brunette that was so kind towards her and gave another little curtsy.

"And unlike you, Athrun," Shiho jeered at Athrun again, "at least… Cagalli was it?" turning to Cagalli to confirm her name, which she nodded to, "at least Cagalli noticed I was at the doorframe listening to you talk about me…"

Athrun only flushed, wanting to make a first good impression on the blonde that looked beyond lost in their conversation, he steered the subject to something else when he suddenly realized… "Wait, Shiho, didn't you say you came over with Dea-"

Athrun was shortly cut off as a sharp, high pitched scream was heard traveling up from the base of the stairs.

AUTHOR: NO! There's school again tomorrow :' ( I haven't practiced my instrument either... I'm gunna die XP

Anyways, thank you for reading! Leave a review on your way, anonymous accepted : )

Post Date: Jan.6th '08