A/N: Well, we meet again after a week, it's the hols again, well read on then…
Chapter 12: Dark Scheme
Kira picked up the telephone receiver, his hands trembling as he placed it beside his ear.
Cautiously, he punched the numbers in and waited anxiously for Yzak to pick up the phone on the other end.
This was his first experiment, it had been three weeks since he started his practice. The hours he spent would deliver the result today.
After what seemed like eternity, Yzak answered as Kira took a deep breath in and focused all his energy. Calming his nerves he mouthed out the word.
"Hello, Yzak," Kira greeted in a clear, crisp voice as he waited in anticipation for the answer on the other side.
"Oh, hello Athrun, what's up?" Yzak greeted normally, "I was just coming out of the bath. You were absolutely right, my chest muscle has indeed grown, geez it looks at least half a B-cup now, when you prodded it this morning…"
Kira hung up. He did not need to hear all that crap. Deep in his heart, he was trembling with excitement about his new acquired prowess.
He had succeeded. The weeks of training had paid off. He finally mastered it. He was one step closer to achieving what he had in his mind.
However, he knew he had to be cautious, Cagalli was not one to be fooled easily. Furthermore, with Athrun being by her side all the time…
Pausing, he drew in a deep breath as he thought of a scheme, a scheme that would deceive...
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"Cagalli!" Athrun greeted cheerfully as he stepped into the ward.
"Athrun, you're here finally, can we go now? I can't stand the smell of hospitals anymore!" Cagalli smiled as she held out her hand and waited expectantly for Athrun to take it.
"How about the smell of this?" Athrun smiled as he thrusted a bouquet of carnations into Cagalli's hand.
"Oh! Thank you, Athrun! This does smell lovely," Cagalli smiled radiantly as she inhaled the scent of the flowers.
The ice melted in Athrun's heart as he felt the warmth of her smile. It had been a long time since he saw Cagalli smile so cheerfully.
The doctor had granted permission for Cagalli to be discharged today as all her other sustained injuries had more or less healed.
At that thought, Athrun sighed. The doctor had said that it was pointless to wait in the hospital for a suitable cornea and had promised that he would inform him once they found a suitable cornea.
"I'm glad you like it. Well, let's get going now shall we?" Athrun started as he hoisted up Cagalli's luggage with one arm and wrapped the other around Cagalli's shoulder.
Cagalli steadied herself as she walked out of the hospital together with Athrun. After more than a month, she finally felt the warmth of the sun in her face again.
"Athrun," Cagalli turned to her left in an effort to face Athrun, "Will you leave me?"
"Why would I leave you? I promised you that I will look after you forever, I will come and keep you company every afternoon after lessons, don't worry," Athrun reassured Cagalli as they treaded past the lawn.
"Thank you, Athrun," Cagalli said as his words gave her a sense of security. It was this sense that Cagalli had first felt when they were at the ball.
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"Hey Lacus," Kira waved to Lacus as he rushed forward to meet her.
"What's up, Kira, I heard Cagalli's been discharged, did you manage to see her off?" Lacus questioned as she faced Kira.
"Yes," Kira lied as he pressed on to his motive for looking Lacus up.
"Anyway, you said you could help me that day right?" Kira asked, his hands trembling in his pocket as he waited for Lacus to answer.
"Yes, well how can I help you?" Lacus paused as she thought what help Kira might need.
"Well, as you know Cagalli has to stay in her dormitory for at least a month to fully recover, so I thought maybe we could swap dormitories so that it would be more convenient for me to look after Cagalli," Kira uttered in one breath.
"You want me to swap dormitories with you?" Lacus repeated, surprised at Kira's sudden request.
"Yes, please Lacus, I beg you. I feel really guilty knocking Cagalli down, and now I really wish to make up to her. I want to look after her as you understand Cagalli's present condition," Kira said as he paused to take a breath.
"Furthermore, my room is miles away from here and if we switch apartments, it would really be much more convenient," he finally ended.
"I guess so, but doesn't Cagalli have Athrun to look after her?" Lacus asked.
Kira's face cringed at the mention of his enemy's name, but made an effort not to show on his anger on his face.
"Well, Athrun can't be there all the time right, he still has lessons and his mobile-suit club activities, so I reckon I could help," Kira answered calmly, amazed at how he had managed to think of such an excuse.
"Well, I don't know. Did Athrun agree to you looking after Cagalli? I mean, after what happened…?" Lacus pressed on.
"Are you kidding? of course he wouldn't object to another person looking after Cagalli, so…would please grant me this favour" Kira begged, as he looked pleadingly into Lacus's eyes.
Lacus looked at Kira's charming face as she met his gaze. His eyes seemed so sincere that Lacus felt a strong jealousy as she struggled within.
Should she accede to his request? Why did Kira like Cagalli so much?
This made Lacus felt a strong sense of jealousy as she struggled to object. However, her love for Kira overcame this sense.
"All right then," Lacus nodded as she returned Kira's smile of gratitude.
However, what she did not know was that Kira's smile was a smile of victory, of triumph and not one of gratitude.
His plan could finally work now…
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"Oh no! What should I do? An eighty only for maths?" Miriallia recited anxiously, her hand holding her maths paper.
"Hello Milly," Dearka tapped Miriallia on her shoulder causing her to jump in shock. She was still not used to Dearka appearing behind her back.
"Dearka, look at this grades, what am I going to tell Mum? Oh my god!" Miriallia exclaimed as she looked desperate.
"Well, I have an idea!" Dearka said brightly.
"Really? What is it?" Miriallia's face lightened up.
"It's an idea…which I haven't thought of! Come on, Miriallia, I would jump off the roof if I got an eighty for Maths," Dearka joked. He understood Miriallia too well, she was a perfectionist in everything.
"That's not funny," Miriallia pouted as she walked off, leaving Dearka to chase after her.
"Milly, wait, I'm sorry," Dearka rushed up as he apologized.
"Never mind, listen Dearka, I'm gonna be busy the next few weeks, so I think we may have less chances to meet again," she said as she sighed apologetically.
"Why?" Dearka questioned, clearly unhappy at such a prospect.
"Cagalli's discharged but given her current condition, she can't go for lessons so I will have to bring the stuff to her everyday and I have to give tuition to Auel," Miriallia explained.
"Auel? Who is he?" Dearka questioned suspiciously.
"My classmate. You see, he requested me to tuition him in chemistry and I thought, why not? So, I'm gonna be meeting him three days every week," Miriallia carried on.
Dearka frowned slightly at the name, Auel. Somehow, he took a particular dislike to the name.
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Kira removed his eye from the eyepiece of the telescope stationed at the window facing the direction of Cagalli's dormitory.
The last scene made his fist shake as he saw Athrun kiss Cagalli goodbye before heading out of the door.
Kira had been studying Athrun's visits to Cagalli's room for the previous two weeks.
From what he had gathered, Athrun would leave every Tuesday evening for his mobile-suit club meetings and he won't be back till three hours later.
He knew that this was the golden opportunity to act as he made an effort to loosen the knot tied around his lungs and breathe normally.
What he had been doing the past few weeks had been amounting to this. He had to succeed. Steadying his feet, he stepped out, heading for Cagalli's room on the opposite block.
"Everything will work out just fine…" Kira recited in his head as he headed up the stairs.
It did not take long as he reached Cagalli's room. Closing his eyes, Kira paused and inhaled. This was the moment.
Raising his fist, he tapped lightly on Cagalli's door.
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A/N: Dum dum, well here's the end of this chap. Bye then, and don't murder me. And I'm still pissed off that Mike Newell cut the Quidditch World Cup scene from Harry Potter. Chow!
