Sarahduh518: Hold your horses, my friend! Hahaha, it's coming! I can't guarantee the number of chapters but you get what I mean *winks* have fun with this chapter!

Monkeyheart3: I'm somewhat embarrassed to admit this but I went back to Chapter 1 and re-read everything before I resume the updates, hehe! And I realised Yzak's almost-father-in-law has 2 names! Stephen / Parnel Jersak. Omg, embarrassing mistakes! Gonna have to clean this up soon. Hmm, I don't know if I want another war, I want Lacus out of her position. I don't dislike her but I don't think she has what it takes (she's too goody-two-shoes). I hope you'll enjoy this chapter! Always love hearing from you :D

Chapter 11:

"We're here." Yzak's voice sounded in her ears as the car stopped.

Looking at the sight in front of her, it was a spacious plot of land leading to a two-storeys terrace house. The front yard where they are now could easily accommodate 3 more cars parked side-by-side and there will still be plenty of space left for a barbecue gathering with friends and family with huge pet dogs running around freely.

The two-storeys terrace house resembled a modern-day resort by the beach with the warm tone of the wood used mixed with cream-coloured and light grey wall and huge windows, even though the view into the interior is obscured by a special dark tint. She could see the reflection of the car but nothing from the other side could be seen. There was no curtain even.

The entire plot of land was surrounded with seemingly thick & tall walls as fences standing at a height that easily doubled the height of a Coordinator (taller than most Naturals) and lined with a neatly trimmed line of bushes, plants, flowers and trees to add a soft touch and perhaps, additional privacy to the solid-looking walls.

"Are you alright?" She snapped out of her thoughts with a gentle squeeze of her hand that was intertwined with Yzak's. He looked at her intently, worry and concern were evident in those piercing blue orbs. "You've been quiet for a while."

She didn't realise until he mentioned it. Looking at the time now, it must have been a long time, since it was an hour ago when they drove out of the base.

"I'm…" she nodded with a small smile, as she unbuckled herself. "I was processing what you've told me and I don't understand why she's doing this … to you."

"If there's a way out that doesn't involve ruining the friendship between the two of you or having you being caught in the middle… or get tangled in the work I do, I'll take it." Yzak spoke quietly, the dip of his shoulders hinted to Shiho that this was one of the things costing him sleep and peace of mind.

Although she knew what he meant, she can't help but to feel like she's a burden to him, as if she needs some protection of sorts. "I'll be fine." She reassured, "I'm going to hear her side of the story one of these days, but I don't want you to worry about me and end up being distracted from what you need to do."

A small wrinkle appeared between his brows as he briefly looked out of the car's main screen, but his lips remained sealed. He had something to say but he either doesn't know how or is hesitating.

"Your mother is worried, that's why she sent Dahlia over…" She started, trying to find the right words to get her point across, "I'm worried about you too."

His gaze shifted back to her instantly and sighed, "screw the rules." He gently pulled her towards him and held her in his arms even though she was in partial uniform and any PDA is not allowed.

She felt his arms wrapped around her back and waist tightly, not enough to hurt but she could feel his desperation in it. "I really don't know what I need to do, Housenka."

Her heart broke at his tone and words, he was confused, lost, and sounded even … afraid. She shifted in her seat to be closer to him, while being thankful that her wound has healed enough not to risk tearing or stabbing pain from any movements.

There is no way Yzak doesn't know what he needs to do. He knew exactly what he was supposed to do (Ezalia's expectation of him) and what he must do (for himself) to get out of the situation but something was holding him back. Was it her?

She rested her head on his shoulder and placed her hands on his back, "Do what you think it's right. Everything else will fall into place."

"I don't want you to be caught in any of it." His voice was muffled as he buried his face between her neck and shoulder.

She inhaled quietly as she faced the truth and served it to him, "I already am, Yzak." Gently patting his back, she pointed it out to the platinum blonde, "the moment I took the shots, I became a means for others to get to you."

She didn't realise how much she missed being held by him even though their past encounters have always been brief, except the time when they were at the team outing and when she spent the night at his place. "I didn't expect things to turn out like this… all I wanted was for you to be safe and out of the firing range. Neither did I expect my friend would be the first one to take advantage of it."

As she revealed her thoughts, she felt the tension slowly easing away from him, "but I know you'll find a way around this, you always do… so don't hold back because of me -"

"Everytime I try to sleep, I keep going back to how you were bleeding out and … how I almost lost you." His voice shook, "so don't say that… don't tell me not to hold back or think twice about what I'm going to do, when it's going to affect you too." He let go of her and brought his hands to hold her face in between them.

At that moment, the reason behind his behaviour became clear to Shiho. He wasn't able to move on from what happened that day and the fear he had from almost losing her and how he had implicated her were preventing him from taking action.

She held his warm hands and gazed into those pale beautiful blue orbs she came to love, "I'll be alright, Yzak. Dahlia's with me at the base, so I'll be fine. In the worst case, if I have to be deployed, I'll make it back to base. I'll come back alive to you, I promise."

He frowned again and was about to say something when she placed her index finger over his lips, catching him off guard. "The last time I made a promise to my late mother. She wanted me to join ZAFT, she said that I'll be safe if I stayed in ZAFT and I've come this far."

She offered him a confident smile, feeling somewhat proud that she had survived two wars. "I'm making my second promise now, to you, Yzak. I'll be fine. No matter what happens, I'll come back alive to you."

The frown on his face is not budging and Shiho did something even her usual self will be surprised. She leaned forward and placed a quick kiss on the crease between his brows, "don't frown anymore. You look like a grumpy old man."

She felt her cheeks beginning to burn, as she pulled away only to be greeted by a surprised look on the platinum blonde.

Feeling self-conscious, she cleared her throat and turned to the door, "I'm hungry, so let's head in and -"

Next thing she registered was being tugged gently in the opposite direction, and something soft and warm pressed against her lips.

Taking in the colour of long eyelashes that greeted her sight, she closed her eyes and let herself get swept away by his arms that held her close and his lips.

He kissed her like he wanted to for the longest time, soft and moist and hot and breathy, not trying to win a battle but seeking closeness and the sharing of one breath, one sensation, one moment with her.

Warmth blossomed in Shiho's chest, sparks igniting as she leaned into the kiss, lips brushing against his tentatively. His kisses were all taking. Like he was drawing something out of her with soft little jabs of his chin. She brought her fingers up to his hair, and she couldn't open her eyes.

She kissed him with all the aching longing that being this close to him evoked. She kissed him in all the ways he had ever kissed her, feeling faint with joy that they managed to meet in person after being separated for almost a week. It felt way longer than that.

Her stomach rumbled loudly, effectively breaking them apart. Heat rose from her cheeks to her entire face and down her neck while a small chuckle slipped from Yzak as he held her face between his palms and pressed his forehead on hers. "You're really hungry."

Shiho landed a playful punch on his arm with her good hand, "I told you!"

…

"Where are the staff?" The brunette was curious, she was expecting the place to be swamped with security staff after the recent incident and housekeeping staff after seeing how well-maintained the terrace house had appeared outside, and now, how clean and tidy it was on the inside.

"The housekeepers will be here if there's a need." Yzak replied as he did a quick scan of the ground level they are currently at and took the stairs to the second level. "As for security, I told them we wanted privacy so they are working but keeping their distance at the same time."

The conversation with Dahlia about condoms suddenly sprang up in Shiho's mind when Yzak mentioned wanting privacy. She felt her face heating up again as she mentally chided herself for recalling it. It's way too soon for that.

Being ridiculous and wanting to cool herself down, she quickly removed her jacket, threw it on the nearest couch and headed towards the casual counter, which leads to the kitchen. She needed a cool drink to clear her head.

Heading straight for the fridge, she grabbed for the nearest canned drink and took a gulp before realising it was an apple cider and went rigid at the sight that greeted her.

Yzak stopped by her jacket and picked up a packet on the floor. Sh*t! It must have fell out of the jacket's pocket when she threw it on the couch.

Examining it closer, a puzzled look appeared on his face as he made his way to her. She took a big gulp of the alcoholic beverage.

"Are you alright? The name of this doesn't resemble any painkillers or medication for your wounds." Yzak looked and sounded worried as he showed her the packet of pills.

She quickly snatched it out of his hands, leaving him stunned. "It's for my cramps, I-"

He removed the can of apple cider from her hands instantly, brought the nearby counter stool and got her to sit on it. "You shouldn't be drinking this."

Getting the impression that he might have misunderstood that she's having her period now, she felt a heated wave of embarrassment washed over her. "No, I-"

"Do you need a hot water bag to place at your lower abdomen?" He asked as if he was talking about the weather, blue eyes scanning her from head to toe. "Or do you want a cup of warm ginger tea? You can have a warm shower and lie down, while I make the tea and prepare the hot water bag."

The brunette was surprised by his questions. It's totally opposite of what Dahlia said about Yzak being useless if she's down with period cramps. The guy standing in front of her knew exactly what to do and was giving her options too. "Do you have your supplies with you? Otherwise, I can get the housekeepers to get them for you. What do you normally use? The cup, the tampons or the pads?"

While Shiho was amazed by how concerned he was and wanted to make her feel comfortable, she couldn't help but to feel that he was way too familiar with it.

"Does your ex-girlfriend have painful cramps too? Is that how you take care of her when she's having her period?" She froze as the words slipped out of her lips. She was saying her thoughts out loud.

She noticed he shoulders tensed at her questions before answering her. "Let's get you comfortable and rested first."

'Oh no, you don't.' Shiho placed her hand on each of his which were on her arm, gently nudging her to get up, so he can bring her to the guest room. "I'm not having my period yet. Dahlia wanted me to have it just in case… now, answer my questions."

Yzak straightened and backed away to lean sideways on the counter. "Before I start, I want you to know that I planned to come clean with you during this trip…" His gaze was fixed intently on her, watching for a slightest hint on her mood and thoughts, "I-I haven't mentioned anything yet because we haven't settled here. I was going to tell you after you're comfortable… you know, ate a meal and showered, that kind of settled."

The brunette nodded, "I may be hungry but I want to hear what you have to say first."

He took a deep and exhaled, here goes nothing.

"I had a fianceè in the past. It was an arranged marriage… my chance of fathering a child is almost impossible, especially when I'm the only child of my parents. On the note, Parnel Jersak's daughter was a good match (offer a better chance), so we were engaged. She was the ex-girlfriend you're referring to… she'll always be in bed when she's having her period, it's a tough time for her."

Shiho was at a loss on how she should take it. While what he had shared matched what she had heard about his ex-fiancée but she didn't understand how he was calm, a better word, nonchalant about it as he shared about her.

Does that mean he didn't have feelings for her anymore?

"I've heard stuff about arranged marriage…'' She drew references about Dearka's example, who didn't want his parents' mistake to repeat on him, and Lacus' example, who tried to make it work but the romantic feelings just weren't there.

"What happened between the two of you?" She wasn't sure if he was really nonchalant about it or appeared to be because he was watching her and being onguard.

He had a small smile as he folded his arms across his chest, "to be fair, there was a point in time when she and I made an effort to get to know each other because we were going to be married…" He fidgeted a little, as though he had second thoughts about what he's going to share next. "And that eventually became a relationship, I think."

"You think?"

The platinum blonde scratched the back of his head, looking somewhat confused, "it felt different from what you and I are having."

Shiho raised an eyebrow at him, not completely getting it and the fact that she has never been in a relationship before, she wasn't sure if he meant it in a good way or a bad way.

"That relationship was driven by an obligation - the arranged marriage, it didn't start with her liking me or vice versa. It started because we forced ourselves to get to know each other, and then it became a mutual liking… enough for us to go on dates and do stuff like what every other couple does."

The last couple of words rang loud and clear in her ears. An unfamiliar mix of curiosity laced with jealousy stabbed her chest. She wanted that with him too, to experience being like any other couples, but with the current situation they are in, would it be possible?

"Things changed when the tension escalated. I wanted to be in the frontline but she wanted me to stick around, instead of risking my life and being away on missions for months. One day I got to book out earlier than expected. I went straight to find her only to see her with someone else."

"Commander Frigore, isn't it?" Shiho added, much to Yzak's surprise. "Dahlia had a heated exchange with Commander on the first day, so I heard bits and pieces here and there but didn't have any idea of the complete picture."

The platinum blonde stepped forward, placed a hand to each side of the counter stool she sat on, and brought his face close to her, looking intently into her eyes. "I'm sorry, Shiho. You should have heard it from me, instead of others."

If she hasn't got to know Yzak outside of work or professional relationship, she would be very taken aback by his apologies. Firstly, he rarely makes mistakes. Secondly, even if he does, he won't apologise upfront. He'll make amends somehow but never apologise.

Now that their relationship has progressed from professional to a romantic one, and seeing how he tried his best to look out and care for her, she knew he meant what he said to her.

It wasn't his fault to begin with, they were separated without notice. Even though they chat briefly over the phone at the end of each day, it wasn't the right time and place for him to talk to her about his past. That was exactly why she held onto the question until today, so she was able to understand why he plans to say it now. She took comfort that both of them had each other in whatever they wanted to do.

She had her arms around his neck and held him the best she could. "It's not your fault. Don't apologise."

She felt tension slip from his shoulder as he buried his face between her neck and shoulder. "Thanks for coming clean with me. I'm happy that you did…"

A nervous chuckle slipped as she thought aloud a likely scenario. "Otherwise, I might have misunderstood and think you still have feelings for her or something similar, and become really mad at you. The whole conversation might be blown out of proportion when that happens."

Just then, she felt Yzak stiffened for a few seconds before he pulled away from her. "Actually… There's one more thing I want to tell you."

Not knowing what's coming, the brunette smiled and raised her eyebrows to urge him to continue. He took another deep breath and held her hands together, captive within his. "I had a couple of one-offs occasionally after I called off the engagement. All of that was before we got together… even so, I don't want to lie to you about it."

He revealed as he looked at her intently, carefully watching for a change in mood.

She was no longer smiling at him and had a glint of suspicion in her bright purple eyes. "You sound like you have something to say."

You either die today or die a worse death if you delay it, Yzak Joule.

"One of them is Chloe."

End of Chapter 11

Author's note: Happy mid-week everyone! This chapter turned out to be much longer than I thought but I'm glad that they had the conversation (s). I was cracking my skull on HOW to get the ball rolling and I'm very happy with The Pill part. Hahaha!

How do you find the conversations and/or our favourite main leads in this chapter? I'm surprised that Shiho turned out to be quite easygoing. Sure, she was somewhat jealous when Yzak revealed that he and Brenda developed a liking for each other to the extent of being like every other couple. You know, Shiho has never come across as an unreasonable or overreacting woman, but someone who's too rational to the point that when it comes to personal / romantic matters, it doesn't do her any good.

Let me know your thoughts in the review!

See you in the next chapter :)