"…someone made me realize that revenge is not really that sweet. It just causes more pain."
"Athrun, do you understand what I'm trying to say?"
"I loved you Athrun Zala. With all of my heart."
"And I you."
He closed his eyes as he leaned his head against the wall. His dark bangs slid forward, hiding his eyes. After a while, he pushed himself away from the wall and walked off. He could not bring himself to be part of the celebration any longer, so he entered the mansion and made himself walked all the way back to where his car was parked in the front of the house.
He did not realize where he was driving to until he was almost reaching there. A while later, he saw that he was near the beach. This was where they had always had their evening walks, doing nothing but enjoying each other's company. He pulled up beside the sandy beach and cut the engine. Silence filled the air as he leaned back, his sable bangs covering his eyes as he rested his head on the headrest. No sooner had his head touched the back of the seat, silvery trails made their way down his cheeks.
Few minutes later, he felt that he had himself under control. He unhooked his seatbelt and climbed out of the car. He looked over at the horizon where the clear blue sky touched the blue-green sea. He made his way towards the shore where he stood as the wind billowed gently around him. The surface of the ocean was as smooth and still as the glass and the silence was as thick and heavy as mist. There were a few occasional cries of the sea gulls but nothing more. After a while, he could feel himself becoming relaxed and the tight feeling in his chest had begun to dissipate.
His eyes turned wistful with the thought that soon he would have to get on with his life. Without Rosalynn. And without Cagalli. At that last thought, he slipped a hand into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box. He released the catch and pulled open the top of the box. Without moving, he just stood there as he stared into the opened box.
"Well Zala, are you going to stay around for the party?" she asked, placing a hand on her hip. She watched as he smiled and ruffled her golden hair.
"Why not? This might also be a good time to brush up on my parenting skills. Besides, I've nothing to do anyway," he shrugged. She smiled and nodded in approval.
"That's the spirit Zala. In no time soon, my daughter will be putty in your hands," she joked. He shook his head in resignation. "Well then, let's go and join the party. Besides I've yet to meet my chosen love," she said, grabbing hold of his hand. She pulled him out to the backyard where the parents and children were still there. She let go of him and scanned the area for a certain black-haired man. She frowned when she could not find him.
"Where is he?" she murmured. "He should have been here by now," she said, particularly to no one. As she turned, she saw Kira making his way towards her. "Kira! Have you seen Shinn anywhere?" she asked.
"He was here, but soon left. The last time I saw him was around that area," her brother said, pointing to where she and Athrun was. She froze when she saw where Kira was pointing at. Her brother slowly faced her again and she saw the pointed look that he had on. It was then she knew that Shinn had heard almost everything.
"Did he say where he was going?" she asked, her chest feeling tighter by the minute. She had to know if he had heard everything or just part of it. Her brother shook his head and she felt like she could not breathe. She turned abruptly and made her way towards the mansion.
"Where are you going?" Kira asked. She did not reply as she pulled the door open and walked in.
"Where is he?" she whispered, twisting and clenching her hands. Athrun gave a side glance at her before turning his attention back to the road. It was already late in the afternoon and they had driving around for hours but they could not still find Shinn.
"Don't worry Cagalli. I'm sure we find him," Athrun tried to console the golden-haired woman seated beside him. When he heard that Shinn might have misunderstood the conversation between him and Cagalli, he had offered to search for the missing black-haired man.
"What if he gets the wrong idea about us?" she said, her voice trembling slightly. He blinked upon hearing her trembling voice. This was the first time he heard the fear in her voice.
"Is there any other place you can think of where he might have gone to?" he suggested. "A café? The park?" he suggested. She shook her head but stopped abruptly.
Suddenly, she knew where he was. "The beach," she said.
He watched as the sky turned from clear blue to a bright orange. Suddenly, he heard running footsteps behind him.
"Shinn!" he heard his name being called out by a feminine voice. He turned slightly and saw Cagalli running towards him.
"I knew that I'd find you here!" she exclaimed, her voice hoarse. Before he could respond, she lunged towards him. Taken off-guard, he just stood there as she wrapped her arms around him and held him tightly.
"Cagalli, what are you doing here?" he asked, looking down at her.
"You are an idiot," she whispered into his chest. She pulled away slightly and looked up at him. Tears shone in her eyes as her bottom lip trembled slightly. "Did you ever think of listening to us a bit more before deciding to make a disappearing act?" she asked, her forehead creased into a frown.
"How did you know I was list-" he started.
"Kira told me that you were there the whole time, listening to us," she interrupted. "So what did you conclude?" she asked.
"Cagalli, don't," he said, looking away. He could not bear to see her face with those golden amber eyes. "No matter what, I'll always be your friend," he said. He made himself say those words even though his heart felt like it was being stabbed.
"My friend?" she repeated as he pulled away from her gently. "Is that what you think you are to me?" she asked. He nodded, his hands balled into tight fists by his sides. Silence greeted them again as he stood there, waiting.
"Did you ever think that you just might be more than just a friend to me?" she said in a whisper. He might not have caught it if not for his enhanced sense of hearing. "I love you Shinn Asuka," she said, placing a hand on his cheek. "I want to be with you no matter what," she whispered. At that exact moment, her tears fell and made silvery trails on her cheeks.
He could not believe his ears. It was exactly then that he could finally breathe easily. His heart felt like it would break free from its cage. He snapped out of his stupor when he saw her tears fell. He raised a hand and gently wiped away those silver tears.
"And I want to be with you," he whispered. Her eyes widened with pleasure and love.
"And I want to be with you," she heard him whispered. Pleasure exploded within her as she looked up into those red eyes of his. She smiled tearfully and tried to wrap her arms around him. But he would not allow her. She frowned when she saw he grinned at her. She watched as he slipped a hand into his pocket and pulled something out. She caught her breath when she saw a small velvet box in his hand.
She glanced up at him as he smiled and pulled open the box, revealing a golden ring with a small teardrop-shaped sapphire.
"When the white snow colors the city, let me stay by your side," he whispered, gently pulling her left hand towards him. "When the white snow melts and the city becomes vivid and colorful, I like to keep you closest to my heart," he said, gently sliding the ring up her fourth finger. "Marry me," he whispered into her ear. Tears threatened to fall again and she made a soft sound.
Once he pulled away from her, she tiptoed and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Don't you know?" she whispered, bringing her mouth close to his ear. "Souls like ours stick together. For a lifetime," she said. "This is what they call twinned souls."
He smiled at her answer and wrapped his own arms around hers. Though they were only there for a few minutes, it felt to him like a lifetime. Pulling slightly away from each other, they gazed into each other's eyes with a hint of blush tainted on their cheeks. He made the first move and slowly brought his head closer to hers. She tightened her grip around his neck and followed his action. Lips touched each other just as the orange sun slowly made its way down to meet the dark waters of the sea at the horizon.