Phase 28: Passion And Alcohol

Lacus, Kira, Athrun, Cagalli, Dearka and Miriallia all joined each other at one of the tables. They each had a shot in their hands. Except for Dearka, it would be the first alcohol any of them have ever consumed.

"Here's to all those who lost their lives," Miriallia toasted as she held up her shot.

"To new friends," Cagalli added with a smile.

"To new beginnings," Athrun lifted his glass, but was looking at Lacus across from him.

"Yes," Lacus responded with a reassuring smile.

Athrun then turned and kissed Cagalli on the cheek and Lacus leaned her head on Kira's shoulder. Kira and Cagalli felt better knowing that there was no animosity between the former couple and between Athrun and Kira.

"Screw that, here's to ending a war!" Dearka raised his glass higher than everyone else's.

"Here, here," Kira agreed as they all took their shots.

"Room for one more?"

"Yzak!" Athrun and Dearka said simultaneously.

"Guys this is Yzak," Dearka introduced. "He is the pilot of the Duel."

Kira gasped and stood up. "I'm sorry for what I did to you," Kira said referring to the scar across Yzak's face. Kira held his hand out to Yzak.

Yzak just looked at Kira's hand. He eventually accepted the handshake with a grunt. "I'll get you next time," Yzak said with a grin.

"Cagalli, Yzak's the one who protected the Strike Rouge from the Earth Forces mobile suit attack, during your first battle. Yzak this is Cagalli, the Princess of Orb." Dearka continued.

"Thanks for that," Cagalli said trying to be curt to the silver haired man.

Yzak nodded to the girl.

"Oh no, you two should not talk," Dearka said with his eyes closed, as he waved his hands in the air.

Athrun chuckled, "I agree."

Yzak glared at Dearka and Cagalli quickly shot Athrun a dirty look.

"Yzak is also the one who brought me back to the Archangel after the Buster got damaged, and defeated one of those new Earth Forces machines." Dearka finished.

Yzak joined the table and got acquainted with everyone. Cagalli later got separated from the group again as she was pulled aside by the M1 pilots. Athrun and Cagalli couldn't seem to keep their eyes off of each other. Each would catch the other glimpsing in their direction every now and then. A blush or a smile would also be exchanged across the room from time to time.

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After hours of fun and light conversation; everyone was feeling pretty tipsy, if not drunk. People began leaving the gathering to try and catch up on the months of lost sleep.

"Hey," Cagalli said sweetly as she stumbled across the floor and interrupted Kira, Dearka and Athrun's conversation.

"That 'hey' sounded like it was for you," Kira smiled as he put his hand on Athrun's shoulder. "My little sister never talks to me like that," Kira teased as Athrun had clearly told Kira about what Cagalli said.

Athrun pulled his mouth stiff as he waved his hands in front of him, almost as if he was signalling Kira to stop talking.

"Both of you can just shut it," Cagalli said annoyed. "I just came to say goodnight."

"No need, you can have him," Dearka chimed in. "All drunk Athrun does is talking about you anyway. It's kinda boring." Of course Dearka was lying as Athrun wouldn't put his heart on his sleeve like that, but he did get a lovely shade of red from both Athrun and Cagalli.

Kira chuckled at Dearka's handy work, "Come on Dearka, let's go see where Yzak is."

"So I guess you'll be heading back to the Plants now," Cagalli stated sadly. She felt stupid for falling for someone that didn't even live on the same planet and didn't want it to go any further if he was just going to leave her.

"Are you kidding? ZAFT will have my head on a platter, and besides there's nothing left there for me now," Athrun stated sadly, as he looked down at the floor. "I was kinda hoping, that's if it's okay with you your highness..." Athrun teased with a bow. "If there is space for me in Orb?"

"Athrun I..." Cagalli was speechless. She wondered if it was just the alcohol talking or if he was serious.

Athrun straightened up and could see the girl was a little off balance, and didn't want her to make a decision that she might regret in the morning. "Come on, I'll escort you back to your room," Athrun said as he put an arm around her shoulders.

"Are you planning on taking advantage of me, because I'm drunk? Is that why you left your helmet on my bed?" Cagalli accused mockingly as they stumbled through the hallways of the Archangel. Sober Cagalli was already bold in her statements and it seemed the alcohol was making it much worse.

"Huh?! I… I would never."

Cagalli remembered him making the same statement on the island. She knew he would never do anything like that, she just wanted to see him squirm a bit. She had to admit that in her state, thinking back to the island made her feel a bit… lustful. "You know… I wouldn't mind."

"Cagalli!"

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"Goodnight," Cagalli said sweetly as she leaned on her door frame for support.

"Goodnight, Cagalli," Athrun whispered as he placed a chaste kiss on her forehead. He was also a bit intoxicated; but other than his red eyes, he hid it well.

Cagalli went into her room, leaving Athrun in the hallway. She went into her bathroom to take a shower as she could feel the alcohol doing a number on her. She put the same clothes back on and began to dry her hair. When she walked out of the bathroom something caught her eye, a red helmet on her bed. Her head flooded with thoughts of the blue haired coordinator. She didn't like how empty she felt when he wasn't around. After staring at the helmet for some time, she eventually grabbed it and ran for the door. She probably shouldn't be around anyone in her state, but the drinking threw all rational thought out the door.

Cagalli ran out of the door with such a speed that she didn't look where she was going. She tripped over something on the floor and felt herself plummeting to the ground. To her amazement she never hit the floor, instead she felt warm arms wrapped around her. She looked up and saw Athrun. He had been sitting on the floor outside of her room with his legs straight and his back leaning against the wall. Cagalli was laying across his lap with his left arm holding her up and his right arm over her, still in the position he caught her.

"Cagalli, are you alright?"

"Athrun?" Cagalli asked confused as she held her head. She was almost sure she didn't hit her head, so she must just be getting a headache from the alcohol. "What are you doing here?"

"It's nothing," Athrun said embarrassed.

"Okay, well I was just bringing you your helmet," Cagalli said as she passed it to him.

Athrun took the helmet from her. He had so much he wanted to say to this girl on his lap, but didn't want to overwhelm her. He didn't want her to think it was because he had been drinking either. He was puzzled at himself as he had been the confident one between the two of them when it came to their interactions. But now... now for some reason he was nervous.

"Do you want to come inside?" Cagalli could see he had a lot on his mind and if left alone, he'd think himself in circles the whole night.

"You sure?"

"Yeah come on." Cagalli said as she got up, with Athrun following her lead.

Athrun made himself comfortable on the chair at her desk as Cagalli made them coffee. Cagalli began worrying that he was second guessing being with her, as he was acting strange and was being suspiciously quiet. She also thought back to earlier on the Archangel when she was joking and flirting with him and he seemed to get offended. Cagalli put his cup on the desk next to his helmet, and then went to sit on her bed across from him. "You seem pretty down for someone who just ended a war. Is it your father?"

"No"

After his flat answer and a few seconds of silence, she finally plucked up the courage to state, "If you've changed your mind about being with me, I'll understand. You don't have to beat yourself up about it."

"Huh," Athrun's eyes widened as he finally looked up at the blond. She wouldn't meet his gaze as she just sat quietly on her bed. "Cagalli," he said with a comforting voice trying to get her to look at him, but still nothing. He got up and went over to her. He took her hands in his as he knelt down on the floor in front of her. "I'm just scared I do something to scare you off, and I don't want you to feel like I'm always forcing you to be with me or be around me.

"What do you mean, scare me off?"

Athrun looked hesitant to answer. "It hurt when Lacus left me and moved on so quickly. I realise now that I grew to love her after such a long time of being with her, but I always knew that I wasn't in love with her. I think we were both just in love with the idea of being with someone." Athrun was now looking down at their hands.

"Athrun?" Cagalli asked confused as she wasn't sure what this had to do with her question.

"If it hurt that much when someone that I wasn't in love with left me, how much would it hurt if someone that I am in love with left me?" Athrun asked as he looked up into her eyes. His face looked vulnerable and his eyes were filled with emotion. The things he felt for this girl he had never felt before. He wondered how she felt about him. He remembered a time when she had a crush on him and he hadn't looked at her in that way yet, and now… now he was far beyond the point of just a crush. Was it still just a crush for her? "Cagalli the reason I was sitting outside your room is, because I never want to leave your side. You have kept me alive until now." Athrun paused for a second as he waited for a response. "I'm sorry if this is too much. That's why I didn't want to say anything before, I didn't want to overwhelm..."

Cagalli lunged off the bed onto Athrun, sending him to the ground.

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Athrun and Cagalli were locked in an fiercely tight hug, each trying to let the other know that they were here to stay. They began to pull away when they found each other just inches away from the other's face. Each one staring at the others lips and their breathing becoming a bit more intense.

Athrun didn't want to feel like he was always forcing or initiating the contact between them so he stayed still and waited for Cagalli to decide what would happen. Cagalli began running her fingers through his hair, as her arms were still around his neck. She then placed her hands on the back of his neck. She slowly began leaning forward towards his face. She was trying so hard to talk herself out of what she was about to do, as they were both pretty hammered and it wouldn't be a good idea, but it wasn't working. Athrun's senses were overwhelmed with the amber eyed girl. Then finally, he felt her lips on his.

The kiss started off slow and then grew into something else. It was different from their first one they shared; this one was powerful, lustful. They began standing up, never breaking their kiss. Athrun now had Cagalli pressed up against a wall, as she unzipped his flight suit and began roaming his chest and stomach with her hands. He was wearing the blue undershirt she had seen so many times before.

Cagalli broke their kiss when she felt something touch her hand. It was her Haumea amulet she had given to him. She held it in her hand and smiled, "I can't believe you kept this."

Athrun smiled back at her before taking it off and putting it around her neck.

"Huh?" Cagalli looked up at him confused.

"It's supposed to protect my life, am I right?" Cagalli nodded in response. "You are my life now, Cagalli."

Cagalli's lips crashed down on his as she began pushing the top half of his flight suit off of his body. She hadn't planned on going too far with him when they first started kissing; but the more he spoke, the more she wanted him. No one was sure when Cagalli's pants got removed as she was now just wearing her red tank top and mint green panty. She had the top half of his flight suit around his waist and bunched up in her hands. The lust filled blonde pulled back and stared into his eyes.

Athrun met Cagalli's gaze as he stepped closer and put his left hand on the wall above her head for support. He took the necklace that was around her neck with his right hand and began pulling on it to bring her back into a lip lock. But this was a more chaste kiss. "Can I borrow your shower?"

"Well aren't we a bit forward with our intentions?"

Athrun chuckled, "No, I need to cool off and sober up."

"Oh, yeah sure; and we should probably get back to that coffee." Cagalli suggested as she slipped out of his grip.

"Oh but before that, can you please get dressed," Athrun teased as he repeated what he'd said the first time he'd seen her dressed this way. Cagalli giggled as she hit him with her jeans that she had just picked up.

As Athrun was in the shower, Cagalli stood sipping her coffee. She walked over to the little radio she had in the corner of her room and decided to put on some music. She loved listening to music before bed, it was something her and her father had done together since she was little.

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