"Kira!" I yell into the phone, nearly dropping it.
"The nurse told me to call you," he replies weakly.
"When did you wake up? Are you ok?" I ask frantically. Tieria is standing beside me now with a look of anticipation and concern on his face.
"I – I dunno…" his voice trails off.
"Kira! What's going on?" I almost yell into the phone.
"Mr. Zala," a woman, most likely a nurse, says, "we're sending a shuttle for you. Meet at the normal drop off location at 1400."
"Is he ok?" I demand.
"We can discuss it when you arrive." She hangs up on me.
I slowly pull the phone away from my ear and stare at it until the screen goes dark, completely ignoring Tieria's requests for information.
"Athrun? Is he ok?" He continues to ask.
"Well… he's awake. I don't know." I mutter, still staring at the blank screen. "They're picking us up in two hours." I finally flip the phone shut and shove it back inside my sling.
"At least he's awake, right?" Tieria says, clearly attempting to comfort me.
"Yeah…"
"I'm gonna go let Monica know," he says, heading inside.
"Sure," I mumble, staring off into space. Tieria closes the door behind him, leaving me alone with my thoughts. My head is swimming yet again. While I'm grateful he's awake, I can't help but worry desperately about his condition. He didn't sound like himself at all on the phone.
I spend the next two hours waiting and imagining every possible outcome that could become of Kira. Monica and Tieria do their best to comfort me, and although they do what they can to remain optimistic, their spirits too, are wary. Everything I've been thinking of in the last few days and especially last night, has completely evaporated from my mind. All I can think about is Kira's condition. I'm just praying that he's alright. What if he dies before I even get there? What if he's unconscious again and I've missed my only chance to speak with him. Why did I leave? How could I have left his side at a time like this?
The three of us are completely silent as we climb onto the shuttle. Tieria and Monica each take separate seats in order to give me a choice of who to sit with, but I climb onto the seat in front of them by myself. I don't want to talk. I hear shifting behind me, and turn enough to see Monica move over to sit with Tieria in the seat further from me.
On the ride back to the academy, I close my eyes and vividly remember the battle that changed my life, possibly forever. Shinn had struck my cockpit with his beam saber, leaving it open and making me completely vulnerable. I would have been easily killed if Kira hadn't jumped in front of me. Then the most horrible sight I've ever seen… I clench my eyes and remember the white ZAKU standing in front of me. I can hear Kira's cries, and then I see the green beam saber emerge from the back of Kira's cockpit. I can hear Kira and Shinn screaming as their two machines fall on top of my own crippled one. I feel myself jump in my seat, my eyes bursting open. Monica and Tieria stop talking, and I can feel their worried eyes on me. I choose not to turn around; rather I shift in my seat to find a more comfortable position. I can't get rid of the image of the beam saber coming through the back of Kira's machine. Was Kira impaled? He's been completely covered with blankets every time I've seen him. I probably have no idea how badly injured he really is.
Kira saved me. I owe him everything.
The moment the bus stops, I run to the building as fast as my body will allow, hurrying down the hall to the infirmary. Monica is close behind, but Tieria is taking his time, probably giving us a chance to be with Kira undisturbed.
"Kira!" I almost yell as I run through the door.
Shinn's bed is empty and has been cleaned. Kira is laying in his bed, slightly angled upward so he sits up a bit. The brace that had been holding his neck straight has been removed and there are small bandages on his temples where the screws had been. Bandages cover his torso and extend over his right shoulder. His blankets are pulled just above his waist, where his arm lays thickly encased in more bandages across his body. His right eye is still covered but the rest of his face is bare, covered with several small scabs. He looks much better than he did when I first saw him, and he's nowhere near as pale.
As I slowly approach him, I'm shocked to see him turn his head slightly to look at me. There still so much life present in the one eye I can see.
"Hey," he says weakly, attempting a small smile.
I can feel my eyes fill with tears as I fall into the chair next to his bed. I cowardly allow my head to sink into the edge of Kira's bed and cry. "I'm so sorry," I sob.
"Why?" Kira asks quietly.
"This was all my fault," I sniffle hard. I feel a hand lightly touch my shoulder. I feel my eyes grow wide and I raise my head to see that it's Kira's. His fingers right lightly across the brace on my shoulders.
"So they finally figured out that you have bad posture?" He asks, smiling.
I immediately stop sobbing, "Kira, you can move?"
"Not my legs," he says quietly, "but hopefully soon." Although weak, his voice is optimistic.
He's so tired and weak, but he's the same Kira I know so well, even after all this.
His eyes close and his hand falls back to his bed.
I hear the door open and turn to see a nurse, Monica and Tieria in the doorway. "Let him rest, you can come back later," the nurse says quietly.
The nurse closes the door after me, "He has regained full motor use from his waist up in only two weeks. This is virtually unheard of even in coordinators. He is healing at an unbelievable speed. I think it's safe to say that he will indeed make a full recovery. That boy has a very strong will. Mr. Zala, I would like you to come back in about an hour for x-rays. Go get some lunch, but remember, no caffeine," she says before walking away.
"Right," I mumble.
Monica follows her away, and as soon as the two are gone, Tieria bursts out laughing.
"You probably drank at least three liters of pop last night," he laughs.
"Shhh," I laugh, smiling too.
"I have to go meet with commander La Flaga, I'll meet you back here later," Tieria says.
I watch as he walks away, then turn to leave myself.
I wander slowly back up to the dorms, it's been quite some time since I actually slept in my own bed. Is this my own bed? Or is the one at my apartment my own bed? Considering that I can count the number of times I've slept there on two hands, it doesn't feel all that much like home. No, the dorm is my home. At least for now. What should I do now? Why did Kira have to fall asleep, I have so much I want to say to him. I glance at the clock above the entrance to the library; its 1:30. I probably should take the nurses advice and eat something, but I don't feel hungry. Maybe I just have too much on my mind.
I make up my mind to go back to the dorm and get changed. I haven't worn my uniform in over 2 weeks. Will it still fit me? All I've done for the last two weeks is lie in a bed and eat soup. Can soup make you fat? Have I put on weight? I guess I'll find out soon enough. I suddenly feel self conscious.
I open the door to the dorm to see that Nicol hadn't been lying about Tieria's new burger addiction. In the garbage can there are a few wrappers, but it seems he's been throwing them from his bunk; at least that would explain why most of them are on the floor. The kid's a genius, and he's physically strong too, but when it comes to shooting a gun or anything to do with aiming, he might as well be blind.
I dig in my drawer for a fresh T-shirt, God I haven't done laundry in like a month! Finally I find one and I pull my arm out of the sling. With great difficulty, I manage to slide my useless left arm into the sleeve and pull the shirt over my head. I replace my arm in the sling, and I find my pants hanging off the side of my bed. "God Damnit," I swear, as I pull them on," this is ridiculous." Even the simplest tasks are difficult without the use of my arm. I pull my jacket around my shoulders and button it up. Thank god for buttons, I've grown to see zippers as my mortal enemy in my current state. I reach for my belt, but decide against it.
Finally after what should have only taken like 30 seconds, I leave the dorm and head for the cafeteria. I wonder what Nicol's been doing these past two weeks. It's not like Tieria's the most social person, I don't know how Nicol hasn't gone crazy being stuck alone with him for this long. As I walk past the common room, I glance inside to catch a flash of blonde hair. Could it be? I double back; it is! My heartbeat quickens, and I take a deep breath before entering the room. Stay cool, I tell myself.
Siena is sitting on the couch reading a piece of paper. I quietly approach her. How has she not noticed me yet? She looks a little bit out of it. Her shoulders are tense, and her face is paler than I remember. "It's Sienna, right?" I ask to get her attention. Obviously I know who she is, but I don't want to come off like a creep. I'd rather cut off my leg than let her know that I've been thinking about her since the day we met. I feel slightly more confident now than I did on that day. I hadn't expected the most beautiful girl I've ever seen to just randomly come walking into my hospital room. God, I could kill Lacus for that. I must have looked and smelled so bad. Oh well, forget it, I tell myself. I'm out of bed, showered and dressed this time; perhaps that's the source of my unexplained confidence?
"Yeah, hi Athrun," she says in her soft voice. It makes me melt slightly. "How are you feeling?" she asks timidly.
"I'm doing better, thanks. What are you doing up here all alone? Isn't it lunch time?" YES! So far so good! I'm horrible at talking to girls. Other than Lacus, I think I've managed to make a fool of myself in front of every girl I've ever spoken too. Come to think of it, I'm sure I've done it around Lacus too, I just don't realize it because were such good friends.
I sit down on the chair next to the couch. I don't want to get too close as I'm afraid of scaring her off. She's prettier than I remembered. She's wearing a loose white T-shirt; loose, but not too loose. I am still able to see her irresistible, petite figure. On her lower half she wears sweat pants rolled up to just below her knees. Her legs are bent and tucked slightly under her to reveal only a glance of her white ankle socks. Her long blonde hair surrounds her face and falls gracefully over her shoulders. My heart continues to race.
"I was in the cafeteria, but there was this group of guys… they started yelling things at me. Everyone was looking at me, so I left. I never thought people here would be like that." She says, her sentence drifting off. She tucks a piece of hair behind her ear, only to have another fall to cover the left side of her face again.
"Well, you can't just not eat," I say without thinking, "what if I go with you? They won't say anything if you're with me." Actually, they probably would. They make fun of me all the time, for different reasons now and then, but I've gotten past it.
Where is this coming from? It's like someone is speaking for me.
"Really?" her light green eyes light up, and then she cowers slightly, "you don't have to. I wouldn't want to be an inconvenience." She seems almost afraid. She's just like… me.
"Yeah," I say kindly, "come on, let's go." I give her a gentle smile, and stand up to offer her my hand. She takes it cautiously; as though she's afraid she might hurt me. Damn my fragile state! I wish I could sweep her off her feet and carry her to the cafeteria! She stands up, transferring only a small amount of her weight to me. I feel like I'm lifting a fly, she's so tiny. I smile to myself; absolutely adorable! As she stands beside me, I realize just how small she is. She's about 5 inches shorter than I, and her frame looks childish compared to mine. I wonder how old she is. Her face tells me she cannot be much younger than me, but her size begs to differ.
As we enter the cafeteria, I can see her shoulders tense. Her eyes are set on a group of boys that I don't recognize. Then I spot Yzak at the table. Typical. Boldly, I drape my right arm around her shoulders. I do my best to provide a sense of security to her, while not seeming too forward. I hear the boys snicker, and she timidly cowers closer to me. "Don't worry," I say as I look at her pretty face, "they're just a bunch of losers. They make fun of everyone."Her shoulders relaxed a little.
We approach the counter, and I reluctantly take my arm off of her. I still don't feel hungry, but if I don't eat she'll think I only came here for her sake. While this is true, I don't want her to feel as if she's troubled me. Sienna loads all our food onto one tray so I don't have to struggle with my own. I smile and thank her.
It's already pretty clear that she's a sweet girl.
We walk to a table as far away from the group of boys as possible, and I settle into the seat across from her.
She breathes a sigh of relief, "Thank you so much." She then dips her spoon into her soup and blows on it before placing it in her mouth.
"Hey no problem," I say, staring at the soup in subconscious disgust. She starts to giggle, "what, you don't like French onion soup?" she speaks with a smile on her face. It's the first time I've seen her really smile; she has heart stopping smile. I can feel my heart melting again.
"What? Yes… uh no. Wait, what? Right, soup. Sorry, I have nothing against French onion soup, but for the past 2 weeks, I've eaten nothing but soup." I laugh slightly, and I can feel my face glowing red. There I go; I knew it was only a matter of time before I made a fool of myself. I stab a piece of my salad with my fork.
"I can't imagine being stuck in a hospital room for two weeks, you must have been going crazy," she says, breaking a cracker into the bowl in front of her. She's obviously looked past my blatant fail.
"Yeah, maybe not something you want to try," I say. As I shuffle the lettuce around on my plate awkwardly, I watch her out of the corner of my eye. I still can't get over how pretty she is.
"But you're feeling better, right?" She says, looking up at me. "And how are the others?"
"I don't know about Shinn, he was released from the hospital but I haven't seen him since yesterday. I'm sure he's doing alright though. And Kira's doing better too; he just woke up this morning actually."
I wonder what Lacus told Sienna about me. Oh God. I hope she hasn't said anything about Lunamaria. Dear God. She wouldn't, would she? No, she wouldn't do that to me. I'm sure she wouldn't. I can feel myself sweating a little.
"So, what brings you out here so late in the year anyway?" I ask in attempt to create conversation. I am curious though, people are generally only recruited during specific periods of the year. I watch Sienna as she lets her spoon fall into her half empty soup bowl. A frown creeps across her face. Crap! Did I say something wrong? I immediately regret asking.
"My father, he was a mobile suit pilot," she begins, speaking rather slowly. "He was injured when he was young; he lost his sight in his right eye, and was banned from piloting. It was his passion and his dream in life. He always hoped that my brother would follow in his footsteps, but unfortunately, he passed away not too long ago. My father was the one who insisted that I enlist. He told me that someone in the family needed to get involved. I think he knew I was kind of a hopeless prospect for the military, but he made me do it anyway." Her words are filled with pain. It almost reminds me of the way I think of my own father. Damnit, why did I ask?
"I understand, so it wasn't your choice then," I say hesitantly. "Well, it's not all bad here. There's a lot to keep you busy, and there are loads of great people. Being here has done a lot for me. I find that it gives you a sense of self worth, if you know what I mean." Under normal circumstances, I would never share this information with someone. But I feel like I forced her to share her personal feelings, so in attempt to repay her, I do the same.
"I can see what you mean," she says seriously, "so you're training to be a mobile suit pilot?"
I'm not sure what to say. If I say yes will I remind her of her father? There isn't really an alternative answer. "Yeah, I am. I got my license a couple of weeks ago. I'm sure you've heard the story of how that ended though." There is no doubt in my mind that if Lacus hasn't told her what went down, someone has. I'm sure it was the talk of the academy for at least a few days there. "What about you? What are you training for?" I ask lightly.
"I've taken nursing courses before, so I guess that was the qualification that got me in so late in the year, but I don't really want that to be my area of study. I wouldn't mind going into intelligence."
"I see, so like Monica?" I ask.
"Sort of, she has higher ambitions than I do though. Hey, do you want a candy?" Sienna asks, as she holds the small bag filled with sour candies toward me. I smile, "sure, thank you," I say as I reach into the bag. I don't know why I'm eating candy, I ate enough of it last night. Oh well, making up for lost time! …Damn that soup.
I gaze across the room, and my eyes set on the clock in the corner of the room. "CRAP!" I say loudly. Sienna jumps slightly, and I try to calm down. "Sorry, I was supposed to be back at the infirmary ten minutes ago. Some stupid X-rays or something. The nurses are already frustrated with me, they're gonna kill me this time. Do you want me to walk you back to the dorm?" I ask, slightly frantic. As if I haven't disobeyed the nurses enough.
"Oh, no I'll be fine thanks," she says, smiling.
"Ok. It was very nice talking to you, and I'm sorry I have to run out on you like this. I'll see you later on?" I ask, assuring that everything went ok in her opinion. I really don't want to leave her.
"For sure!" she says. "Good luck!"
"Thanks," I stand up and carry the tray to disposal rack. I turn back to catch one last look at her, and she smiles back at me.
My heart flutters as I almost skip down the stairs to the infirmary. There's a dull ache in my cheeks from grinning more than usual. It's another form of comforting pain; except this time it's healthy.
"You're late Mr. Zala!" The nurse exclaims in a frustrated manner.
"Sorry," I say, still smiling. She gives me an odd look before leading me into the X-ray room.
After several high frequency electromagnetic waves have been fired at my shoulder, I wander back into Kira's room without the nurse's permission. They're already mad, how much worse can it get?
Kira seems to be a little more… with it now that he's fully awake. I slump down in the chair beside his bed, lean back and sigh.
Kira watches me intently for a moment, and I can feel his eyes reading me. "You met a girl, didn't you?" He asks, as if reading my mind.
"Yes I'm fine thank you, and how are you?" I laugh.
Kira's expression is dead serious "Spill it," he says bluntly.
I can feel my face flush. "Have you met Sienna? The new girl living in our wing?"
"I just woke up. I've only seen you, Monica and Nicol. Where's Tieria anyway?"
"No clue. I'm sure he'll be around soon. He doesn't stay away from this place for long," I say. "How are you feeling?"
"Good. Nice and drugged up," he smiles absent mindedly. "How about you?" He asks lightly.
"Aside from a couple broken bones, I'm fine," I say smiling. I'm in a better mood than I've been in days. I think it's just a feeling of relief. Like a huge weight has just been lifted from my shoulders.
"So it's been two weeks…" Kira trails off. "Shinn… is he?"
"He's alright. I wouldn't worry too much about his physical state. I think he might be feeling a bit lonely, but other than that he's fine."
"I see. What have you been up to all this time? Have you been bored without me?" Kira laughs slightly, but stops quickly in obvious pain.
"Hmm…" I laugh, "yeah, I only just got out of here yesterday." I smile. It feels so good to finally be talking to him on a normal level.
The door opens and Tieria appears in the doorway. Only moments later, Mu and a reluctant Shinn enter as well. Mu pulls several chairs around Kira's bed and gestures for us all to take a seat.
"So am I the only one that wasn't informed of this meeting?" Kira asks innocently.
"Nah, we didn't tell Athrun either. We figured he'd be here anyway," Mu laughs. "How you doing skinny?" He asks Kira.
"I'm ok," he responds, still confused as to why he's being surrounded.
"So it's been confirmed that you will indeed make a full recovery," Mu says a little too casually. If this is news to Kira he's obviously too distracted by something else to react properly. I myself feel like jumping for joy.
"…which is kind of why I called this meeting. I know it's a little hasty, but I thought you should know as soon as possible." Mu's tone has gone from casual to serious in a disturbingly small amount of time. I can feel my heart beating with unwelcomed anticipation.
"The defense commanders are looking at dispatching another team of newer recruits in the next month or so. Basically, they're getting desperate. Since there isn't a whole lot of time for the team to be trained together, they're looking for a group of ZAFT Reds that have gone through training together. You can probably guess from this that they have their eyes on the four of you. As your training commander, they've asked for my input. Now it's in no way inside protocol for me to being speaking directly to you guys about this," he says, lowering his voice and ducking his head lower into the small huddle, "but in light of… recent events, I need to hear what you have to say about this. Mainly you three," he says, excluding Tieria.
I quickly make eye contact with Tieria; he was right.
"Can the three of you function as a team without trying to kill each other somewhere in the process?" He asks, sounding almost angry. "Was having a comrade almost die enough of an eye opener for you? Enough to show you that war isn't a game?" While his words are harsh, his tone retains a sense of sincerity. "Frankly, I'm disappointed in you two," he says to me and Shinn. "You two are fighting on the same side of a battle. You can't let silly things like girls and childish games come between you. I don't care if you hate or love each other off the battlefield, but when you're out there fighting to protect your nation, with thousands of lives depending on you, there is no room for silly mind games. I know this is rough seeing as how you are all still children, but you knew and understood that the day you enlisted. You four have all grown into mature and skilled young soldiers, and you each have huge potential. The guys at the top of the ladder have obviously realized this; otherwise they wouldn't be considering you."
The commander's words cut through me like knives. I fight back the urge to cry as the man who has filled the role of mentor and parent for the past year cuts me down with his words. He's right though; every word of it is true. I hang my head in shame, while I can see Shinn doing the same across Kira's bed from me. I'm disgusted with myself. It really did take my best friend almost dying for me to clue in that this really isn't a game. I need to face the reality of all this and grow up, now or never.
"Tieria," Mu turns to Tieria, who's become almost a spectator, "what is your opinion on all this?"
Tieria looks up, slightly surprised at first, but his expression quickly changes to one addressing business. "Well, given what we've all been through together, and the mistakes we've made and learned from, I think we're all quite capable of working as a team," he says confidently. He does well speaking for all of us, while not pointing a finger at any of us.
"Well put," Mu nods to him, "anyone else?"
I shake my head as I feel his eyes pass over me, and I refuse to make eye contact. I feel horrible. I want nothing more than to be out of the room and alone in my bed.
"I think I can speak for all of us," Shinn pipes up, "when I say I think we'd all feel a little more self worth if we felt that we were actually contributing."
I find it to be sort of an odd comment at a time like this, but he's definitely looking for positives at a time like this. Perhaps it's something I should learn to do.
"Interesting statement," Mu comments.
I think that whether any of us realized it before or not, it's definitely true. None of us have much to return home to aside from Kira. There's nothing left anywhere else for us. Shinn is right. I think I would feel better doing something that made me feel worth something. But at the same time, do I want that something to be killing other people?
"Anyone have anything else to add?" Mu asks. "Or I guess the better question is, does anyone have any objections?"
While we are all silent, I want to scream out in protest. It's all happening so fast, I don't even know if this is what I want anymore. I need time to think. I can't just make decisions spontaneously like this.
Then it hits me; it isn't really my decision anymore. The day I enlisted I signed my life away. Unfortunately, none of us have a choice anymore.
I stare blindly at the ceiling above my head; I can feel Tieria watching me. He sits across the room from me atop his own bunk with a text book rested on his elevated knees and his laptop at his side. I have only recently put my own text book away; it's probably why Tieria's watching me. I wasn't actually studying in the first place; I just didn't want to cause Tieria concern. Although it's rather annoying, I know he's just worried. Ever since he found out why I really wore that wrist band, he's been watching me like a hawk. Part of me just wants to be alone, but on the other hand I'm happy to be back among people. I glance at the text book next to my head. I have done well to keep up with my homework while I've been in the infirmary, not that there was anything else to do in that dreadful place.
Thoughts swarm my mind; thoughts of the meeting that took place not 3 hours ago. What was said repeats itself over and over in my mind. What Tieria said, 'the mistakes we've made and learned from.' Have I, have any of us really learned from what took place? It seems stupid to think that we should have to learn something like that. Don't attack your own comrades – that's what it comes down to. You should be mature enough to be able to control yourself in a sparring match. Shinn and I should have both known better, but our pride stood in our way and lead to disaster. We're lucky that Kira, no, all of us are alive. How can I continue to call myself a ZAFT red after what happened? I wonder if my father has caught word of this yet. I have no doubt that the three suits were destroyed or at least damaged.
"Did you give up on the physics?" Tieria asks me in an awkward attempt to confirm that I'm ok. He has such a hard time talking to anyone, to me even. He's not unlike myself in that way though, were both relatively awkward. Maybe it's why we seem to get along so well.
"Nah, I think I finished it," I lie. I finished it last Thursday. "I'm just tired, it was a late night last night" I say, trying to convince him that I'm alright. I force a smile but he sees past it.
"They just bought some new high definition DVD player the other day, Dearka was saying they rented a movie and everyone was getting together to watch it. Wanna go check it out?" Tieria asks in a forced casual tone. Tieria hates social gatherings; he's obviously just trying to help me out of my brooding state.
"I guess," I say reluctantly. Maybe Sienna will be there. The though causes my heart to skip a beat, and I grow eager to head down to the common room. I still feel guilty for running out on her earlier today.
Kira's nurse threw us out again after our meeting. What, sleeping for two weeks straight isn't enough? I think I'll go by later on to see if he's awake. I remember the times that I was alone in that room, I almost went crazy.
"Just give me a few minutes to finish this up, k?" Tieria says, typing something on his laptop with his right hand and flipping textbook pages with the other. It still blows my mind how well he types with one hand.
"Sure. Hey, where's Nicol?" I ask, I almost completely forgot that he wasn't around. I haven't seen him all day.
"Library I think. He's been studying there a lot lately."
I can imagine why. Tieria easily comes off as arrogant, but the truth is, he really just doesn't know what to say to people. I only understand that because I'm the same. I however, come off as insecure rather than arrogant. I stare back up at the ceiling, I'm grateful to have a few more minutes to think. I've cooled off a bit since the meeting, I was a little frantic when I came back up and locked myself in the bathroom. I had considered cutting, something I've been thinking of a lot. Unfortunately there are two things stopping me, the first being Tieria's watchful eye, the second being the layers of bandages encasing my left wrist. I'm getting better at controlling it; at least I think I am anyway. Every time I think about it and don't go through with it, I'm always left in an awful, mentally exhausted state. I guess that explains my current condition. I do my best to think of nothing now. My mind has been through a lot today. I really don't feel as though I am ready for what is coming.
"Ready?" Tieria asks, slightly startling me. He jumps down off his bunk, and I snap back to reality. Funny he should ask…
"Yeah," I say as I climb down my ladder with some difficulty. Should I be getting properly dressed? I'm in a t-shirt and sweat pants. I want to look nice for Sienna, but at the same time I think it's too difficult right now. I pull a zip up hoodie around my body, and follow Tieria out of the room. As we enter the room, I walk mindlessly toward my usual recliner only to find that Tieria has beaten me to it. What the hell? It's been 2 weeks and he thinks he can steal my spot? I shoot him an annoyed glance, but he grins and gestures to the couch to the left him. I look over to see Sienna sitting alone. I get it now.
I hesitate for a second; I don't want to intrude on her personal space. Nervously, I sit down beside her, only to catch sight of a colossal grin on Tieria's face.
"Hey," I say to her, trying to sound more confident than I feel. I can hear the fatigue in my own voice.
"Hi," she says, she looks happy to see me. At least I think she does? "Long day?" she asks, seeing my exhausted expression.
"Yeah, sort of," I reply. I am not allowed to disclose the details of our meeting to anyone, as nothing has been finalized yet. Then it hits me, if I go, I'll have to leave Sienna. The thought of this hurts, but I do my best to cover it up. "How about you, how was your day?"
"Pretty boring, I went to the fitness center and then the library. I'm so far behind in all of my studies, I guess that's what I get for coming late," she says.
"If you ever get stuck, I can try to help you if you'd like," I offer. I love the idea of sitting next to her and helping her study. I would make the most of any opportunity to be near her.
"Thanks for the offer," she smiles, "I might just take you up on that. Do you know what movie we're watching?" she asks. Is she trying to change the subject?
"I'm not sure," I reply. She moves closer to me as another boy that I'm do distracted to notice the identity of sits next to her. I feel my heart beat faster. I sort of hope it's a scary movie, as I'm in the perfect position for her to lean into me. The movie turns out to be the new Underworld movie. I saw the first one, it was good, and the graphics look great on the new DVD player, but at the moment, the movie is the last thing on my mind. Sienna seems to be inching closer to my right shoulder. The room is dark, and what could have potentially turned into a romantic scenario, is prevented by the large amount of people present in the room. I'm in the perfect spot, she and the television are to my right, so in order to see the TV I have to look past her. I glace at her out of the corner of my eye, her eyes look beautiful as they glisten in the faint light of the television. I pretend to be watching the movie as I continue to observe her beauty.
It isn't long before Sienna leans forward to yawn, and she places her head on my right shoulder. I stretch out my arm, and she leans comfortably into my side. I've never felt so exhilarated, it's like something I've wanted so badly has finally happened. My heart pounds, I really hope she can't feel it. I can feel myself beaming, and I glance over to Tieria who nods and grins back at me. I wish Kira could see me now; he always makes fun of me when it comes to girls.
Sienna jumps as a startling part of the movie passes. I pull her closer, and she puts her hand gently on the mess of bandages that is my left hand. I only realize now that my left shoulder is aching from the awkward position it's in. I know it's probably not the best thing for it, but at the moment, there are more important things within reach. I wish I could hold her hand. Regardless, I feel happier than I've been in quite some time. Kira's ok, and I'm cuddled up to the most incredible girl I've ever met. Could things be finally getting back to normal? What is normal these days anyway? Will things ever really be normal again? I try to silence my thoughts as I softly rest my cheek on Sienna's head.
"Wow man, you might as well have woman written across your forehead, I don't remember the last time I say you this happy," Kira says as I enter the hospital room. I can feel myself beaming as I sit in the chair next to his bed. The room seems so empty now that the other two beds are unoccupied.
"You have no idea," I say letting out a dramatic sigh, "she's just… amazing."
"Haven't you only known her like a day?" Kira asks, laughing slightly. Normally I'd feel at least a little self conscious with Kira bugging me like this, but right now I don't even care.
"Love at first sight, man," I say, gazing up at the ceiling. I never believed in that statement until now. In fact, I never even thought about before. As much as I found myself attracted to Luna, I never considered loving her, and it's nothing compared to what I feel about Sienna. I'm probably just infatuated, but either way, it's a good feeling that I'm choosing not to question right now.
"Geez, I've never seen you like this before. I'm not going to lie, I was pretty convinced you were asexual for a while there," Kira laughs.
I raise my eyebrow at him, and attempt to give him a sarcastic glance. I'm unsuccessful however, seeing as how I can't wipe the large smirk off my face.
"Well," Kira begins in a teasing tone, "while you were on your little date, I've been bored out of my mind here! How did you survive two weeks here?"
"Let's just say I've done more homework in the last two weeks than I have since we got here."
Kira holds up his completely immobilized right arm, "think I'm out of luck there," he laughs.
"Kira, I know you're ambidextrous," I laugh
"Yeah, but the teachers don't!" I'm glad he's able to laugh.
"How are you feeling?" I ask him in a more serious tone. I had completely forgotten why I was here. I've been so wrapped up in my feelings about Sienna, I've basically escaped reality.
"Eh, not too bad. My knees kind of ache, but I suppose that's a good thing right? Means I'm getting the feeling back," Kira says staring at his legs.
"Yeah, I guess," I say. Guilt attempts to consume me once again, but Kira interrupts before I get a chance to hang my head.
"So, tell me about this girl, I'm not sure I approve just yet," Kira jokes.
"You don't get a say!" I laugh, "She's very… quiet I guess, but it's not awkward. It was her father's idea for her to enlist, not hers. It might just be because she just arrived, but she's a little more together than most of the girls here," I say seriously as Lunamaria comes to mind.
"Is she hot?" Kira asks bluntly in the most masculine manner I've ever heard from him.
I look him directly in the eye with a grin on my face, "what do you take me for? Of course she is."
"Just asking, Luna wasn't exactly…"
"Oh shut up! That was completely spur-of-the-moment!" I protest.
Kira laughs. "Well that expression hasn't left your face all day, you've thought about her a lot hey? So, when do I get to meet her?" He asks in a confident tone.
"Yeah right! I'm not bringing her down here. God only knows what you'll say to her!" I exclaim.
"Aw come on, I promise I'll be civil!" Kira pleads.
"No way man!" I reply, a triumphant smile on my face.
At that moment, Tieria enters the room. He wears an exhausted expression.
"Dude, you really need to start sleeping," I comment.
"Hey, it was your idea to load up on junk food and stay up all night last night; I'm not used to that!" Tieria shoots back laughing.
"Tieriaaaaaaaaa," Kira says in his best whining voice, "Athrun won't let me meet his new woman!"
"Oh, no need really, just imagine female Athrun, she's exactly like him. It kind of scared me at first," Tieria says, a confused look on his face.
"Do you think they're related?" Kira jokes
"Maybe… ew…" Tieria says, closing his eyes and cringing slightly.
"Guys!" I say loudly. Kira and Tieria are both laughing at this point.
"Don't worry, we won't judge you. What, with all the genetic enhancements these days you could probably avoid incestuous effects like extra arms and whatnot," Kira says.
"An extra arm might be useful if he's going to follow in your footsteps, Athrun," Tieria adds before I get a chance to get a word in.
"SERIOUSLY!" I yell. They're laughing hysterically to the point where they can hardly breathe now.
"Ugh, no more Athrun, it hurts to laugh," Kira says as his laughter begins to subside.
I can feel myself laughing slightly too. It's good to have Kira back, I haven't laughed like that in a while. Soon after, Monica enters the room in her light purple pajama pants and a white tank top.
"I just came to say good night. I'm going to bed," she says. She leans over Kira's bed and kisses him on the forehead.
She's been just as worried as I have. I don't know what we'd do if something happened to Kira, it's like our friendship would be incomplete. "I'm glad to see that you're ok, have a good sleep, Kira" she says quietly next to his ear. Kira's face glows red.
"You'd all best be getting to bed," a nurse says interrupting our visit, "especially you, Mr. Yamato." She's hinting for us to leave. I find it slightly ironic that he wakes up the day after I am allowed to leave. I really wish I could spend more time talking to him, but I've come to learn that arguing with the nurses is useless.
"Ok, g'nite Kira," I say.
"Night," Tieria says awkwardly.
"Night guys," Kira says as the nurse basically pushes us out of the room.
Tieria, Monica and I walk down the hall. It's the first night we've left the room smiling. Tieria walks ahead slightly.
"Sienna really likes you," Monica says quietly to me.
"What?" I say, she catches me slightly off guard. How does she know this already?
"She says you're not like the other guys here at the academy. You aren't so hot-headed and full of yourself like the others, and you're kind," Monica says. I can feel my face turn red. "Between you and me, I don't think she's had much attention or affection in her life. She just seems so… so tortured. I think this could be a good thing for both of you."
"Well, I like her too," I say nervously.
"I'm glad," Monica says as she smiles and enters her dorm. "G'nite," she smiles sweetly before closing her door.
"Night…" I trail off. I then enter my own dorm.
I haven't had an easier time falling asleep in a long time.
A/N: Wow, so its been a month since I last updated. I am sorry! But I've grown slightly frustrated with the lack of reviews... I honestly don't want to beg for reviews, nor do I feel like I should need to. But they do serve as great motivation. I know how many of you have subscribed and favorited. I put a ton of work into these chapters and I would greatly appreciate it if you could take 10 seconds out of your time and leave me a comment. I'm not going to bully you into reviewing by refusing to post, but as I said, it definitely helps motivate me to write.
Aside from that, I'd like to say that I've started a new story, called A world of Darkness. This centers around Athrun after sustaining an potentially permanent injury that leaves him blind. How do you think his girlfriend, Cagalli, and his friends would react? Check it out if your interested.
I only have a couple more chapters for this story written, and I'm almost finished. So it may take a bit of time to finish it off, but I'm curious, do you guys want to see a second story? I had planned it out... it was going to focus around the new team labeled in this chapter. It will play out a little more like a Gundam series, but still with my own little twists on it. And it will remain sort of AU... so it won't follow the exact story line the series did. What do you think?
Also, for anyone who knows about writing and such, I would like to know your take on different writing perspectives. I wrote this in first person, and the one I just posted is third person (I'm still working on finalizing the perspective). What do you guys prefer? And if I was to write a sequel for this story, what perspective would you like to see it in.
I appreciate your feedback.
Also, were gonna try the link to the Sienna picture one more time. As said, she was created by me, but drawn by Ark V. Check him out deviant art if your interested.
The link is as follows... you'll have to take the spaces and breaks out of it, as it didn't work last time.
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com/art/
Sienna-142457901?g=gallery:ArkV/10355701&go=97
Thanks for reading!