Beneath the Same Stars
No Angel
It was from a time of before. A long time ago. He had almost forgotten such a memory, since physical work and Lacus' pretty smile had driven all traces of the pain away. But it had remembered itself.
The Archangel. 1948 hours.
Tolle sat down at the white tabletop, a paper cup of coffee in his hand. From across, Mirallia looked at him for a while, then averted her gaze to the paperwork she was doing. He leaned over to see what she was up to, but she snatched it away.
"What's that, Milly?" he looked at her with puppy dog eyes, but she didn't release the paper. Her gaze was playful.
"None of your beeswax." She retorted, sliding away from him.
"Aww, come on," he wheedled, "It's not like it's a long, sappy love poem, is it?"
Upon hearing his words, her face flushed a crimson shade, and she balled the paper, crumpling it and shoving it into a pocket.
Tolle straightened up expectantly. "Is it?"
Mirallia scowled. "No."
Just then, the doors opened, and Kuzzey and Sai floated in, the latter one wearing a diminished expression on his usually cheerful face. Tolle turned from Mirallia and greeted them both, his coffee cup half-filled.
"Kuzzey. Sai." The former nodded to him, and took a seat, and a glum Sai did the same. The young woman stood up.
"You guys want some coffee?"
"I'll have some, thanks." Said Kuzzey, while Sai shook his head. When Mirallia left, Tolle turned to his black-haired friend. He jabbed a thumb casually in Sai's direction, a look of curiosity on his face.
Kuzzey mouthed something back.
'Fllay.'
"Ah…" Tolle leaned back and drained the paper cup, just as Mirallia came in with one more. She put it in front of Kuzzey, and he thanked her.
She sat down; beside Tolle this time, and grinned at Sai.
"So…where's Fllay?"
It was a few hours past dinnertime, and still, Sai had that furious, hurt expression on his face. As he walked down the corridors of the Archangel, the man shook with silent rage and pain, causing several of the other crew members and even Captain Murrue to sidestep him.
The sliding doors opened, and Sai entered the room that he shared with Kuzzey and the others. He muttered darkly, and the doors slid shut behind him.
The hangar was, as always, bustling with activity. Many things had yet to be repaired, polished and cleaned up for the next battle, and the next, and these were never finished. The days had no boundary, and only the earth-set clocks guided the crew of the Archangel through their schedules and tasks that had been set out.
A blonde man in an orange suit appeared out of the cockpit of a huge mobile suit, in his hand an array of various tools. He motioned to a young, violet-eyed boy, indicating that he come and take a look at the handiwork of the blonde man and the other mechanics.
Kira was with Mwu, looking over the repairs for the Strike, while several of the others walked around casually.
Coincidentally, two of those 'others' just happened to be Tolle and Mirallia, who had just come from their encounter with the angry Sai.
He was still teasing her about that love poem, or so he claimed it was.
"Stop it, Tolle, and it's NOT a love poem!" she berated only lightly, not really meaning to piss herself off.
"Is it for ME?" he insisted, grinning at her playfully. At this, Mirallia reddened considerably.
"NO! Now stop it!"
"Aha! So it IS a love poem!"
"…"
"Is it for Sai?"
At this, she shot him a long look, and, in exasperation, told him off.
"Don't be ridiculous, Tolle, He's in love with Fll—"
"Oh, hey guys!" The smiling face of Kira interrupted their banter, and Mirallia cut herself off. Tolle, startled but silent, only nodded.
"Oh…hi Kira..." Milly waved to him nervously, then grabbed Tolle and walked away.
The brown-haired pilot was puzzled at their behaviour, but he shrugged it off when Mwu called him back.
"Hey! Kira! Does this part squeak when you launch?"
"Coming!"
Sure he was out of earshot; Tolle slid a comment to Mirallia.
"Why can't Fllay be more like that Lacus Clyne? She seemed pretty nice…"
Mirallia considered this for a moment. If Fllay had been a bit more like Lacus…things would probably be more peaceful, and Sai and Kira wouldn't have a thick layer of invisible tension in between them. But then again, Lacus Clyne had a strange quality to her…something distinctly out of place…something that Mirallia couldn't quite put a finger on.
She shrugged at Tolle, and yawned. "I dunno…"
He nodded, checking his watch. "It's pretty late…what do you say we get to bed?"
As the two walked away, Kira's head whipped in their direction. His eyes were puzzled but narrowed, and it seemed that Tolle and Mirallia had forgotten his Coordinator-senses…
He had heard everything.
Kira's room.
The waves lapping up on the shore of the island woke him up; and Kira realized that it was early morning.
It had been a dream.
He lay still on his bed, white sheets tossed on either side of him. Dim sunlight trickled into his room, illuminating his face with a calm, earthly glow.
Fllay was not like Lacus, and would never be. The smiling, cheerful pink-haired girl was nice and calm and friendly; a symbol of peace and love; the world's angel. A dark, fiery-tempered young woman with fierce grey eyes and violent mood swings was a world away from Lacus Clyne; the opposite of what the world loved most.
And yet…he had loved her.
Fllay was a mystery, and was one of the most…intriguing people he had ever known. She'd hurt him, abused him, and insulted him because he was a Coordinator, but in the end she had loved him, and brought Kira the light and warmth that he had needed so much. Her voice, her passion…that was what had set her apart from the beginning.
But Fllay was gone, now; forgotten, consumed in the fires of a burning transport pod, and Lacus was there.
Lacus, with her practiced smile, her beautiful yet monotonous voice, and her pacifism.
Fllay was not like Lacus. She was no angel. She was no singer, no mild-mannered peace lover. She wasn't perfect.
Fllay was human and flawed, like the rest of them…like the rest of us.
Kira sat back against the bluish-white softness of the pillow, propped against the headboard of the bed. Through the grey mist outside, two white seagulls cried into the air, before disappearing into the thundering crash of the waves upon sand.
And yet, it was her imperfectness that perfected her; Fllay, who was a paradox of sorts.
A cicada on a nearby tree stirred, testing its wings beneath the colourful armor.
A faint smile came to his lips; as Kira settled into a state of half-awakeness.
He would always love her.
Part two of three. This series will be very short. I'd rather shoot myself than write KiraxLacus, no offense to those so like that coupling. I just don't swing that way. Go Fllay:-)
ate aya: nope, not asukira...:) di naman ako tulad ni Urei Saichi eh...syempre masmagaling sya...sali ako sa C2:) thanks for your review!