Chapter 9 Love & Life

A/N Heya, this chapter will pretty much focus on each and every one of the couples to be. So I guess those KxL, DxM and Yzak fans will be euphoric. Well, one thing for sure is, I'm euphoric! My father's just come home from New Zealand after not seeing him for a year! Yipee! Happy reading!

The auburn-haired girl sat on one of the chairs in the waiting area, feeling the pearly tears come to her eyes once more at the thought of Kyo. Ever since she started working at Orb, Kyo had always been a close friend of hers, and Miriallia couldn't imagine what life would be like without her anymore.

Feeling goosebumps form on her soft skin as the air-con blew in her direction, she put her legs up on the chair and hugged them close to her, before she buried her head in her knees, letting her denim jeans soak up her tears.

It wasn't surprising that there was no one else in the waiting area besides herself, as it was only six in the morning, and she had guessed that Cagalli was probably snuggled up in bed with Athrun, and Kira would probably still be snoring like a pig. It didn't occur to her that someone was watching her from around the corner.

Dearka watched as Miriallia cried silently, head buried in her knees, shivering every single time the air-con blew at her. It was as though Miriallia was crying out silently, crying out for someone to come and cuddle her close and keep her warm.

On the other hand, Dearka had also noticed Yzak's absence from his bed, and he had searched high and low for his platinum blonde friend, but he was nowhere to be found.

Feeling sorry for Miriallia, Dearka stepped for ward and approached her, and she didn't seem to notice his presence until she saw a pair of shoes through her legs. Mirre lifted her head and stared up at the good looking copper-tone skinned young man before her.

His face held a sorry expression full of empathy and comfort. Slowly, he sat down beside her. "I know how you're feeling, the feeling of being afraid to lose someone."

Miriallia looked up, her cheeks blotched and her face tear-stained as she sniffled. She stared into his sparkling and misty violet eyes, somehow she seemed to find comfort in them.

"When I was very young, I lost my mother, I was really depressed and in a state of shock. It took a while for me to recover, but all I want to say is, even if you lose someone, life will still go on and there will always be others there for you." mumbled Dearka, looking ruefully at Miriallia, who seemed to be on the verge of tears again.

"Need a shoulder?" asked Dearka, looking at the auburn-haired girl who was like a sunflower that had just been drenched in the rain. Within seconds, Miriallia burst into tears again before sending her head crashing down onto Dearka's shoulder.

The blonde young man wrapped his arms around her, stroking her head gently as she cried uncontrollably. He could feel her entire frame shaking as she wept. To him she seemed so frail and vulnerable, so much in need of protection.

"Don't worry, I'll be here for you." Dearka whispered into Miriallia's ear as he propped her up higher on her lap.

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Kira didn't seem to have been able to fall back asleep after he woke up about an hour ago. The brunette boy decided to pay Kyo a visit to see if she had come around since he had so much time on his hands.

However, the moment he stepped out of his room and walked past the balcony, he saw a lone figure standing in the moonlight. The silhoutte of a girl with long flowing hair, standing and gazing up at the night sky.

"Miss Lacus?" asked Kira, stepping into the balcony toward the lone figure.

"Oh, it's just you, please call me Lacus, Kira." smiled Lacus, moving over to make space for him to stand next to her.

"Alright then. What brings you here so early in the morning? Shouldn't you be asleep?" asked Kira curiously, looking at the pretty girl.

"Can't seem to fall asleep. I'm too worried for Kyo. Miriallia seems to be in a state of pure anguish over her, and Cagalli was so worried she didn't fall asleep until she was in Athrun's arms. What about you? You're up early too." explained Lacus, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"I was planning to visit Kyo in the medical unit, I couldn't fall back asleep after I woke up earlier." replied Kira, wringing his hands behind his back as he cherished just being able to stand beside Lacus.

The brunette boy had obviously developed a crush on the attractive pink-headed girl overnight. Of course who could blame him? Lacus was pretty, compassionate and erudite all in one.

"I wonder if Yzak has apologised to Kyo yet. It doesn't matter if she's still unconscious, what matters is that he bothered to apologise out of his own will, and not because someone forced or dared him to." sighed Lacus, looking out into the sky as though counting the number of twinkling stars.

"That guy's so stuck up! What's his problem, he's so hostile and hotheaded! I doubt he'll actually apologise." snapped Kira, shaking his head and thinking of Yzak as some annoying dengue mosquito.

"Almost every one thinks of Yzak that way. Maybe it's because people never give him a chance to express himself properly. I'm sure he has a soft side as well." contradicted Lacus knowingly, looking at Kira, who seemed to be examining a flaw he had found on the balcony parapet.

"Oh yes, I've been meaning to ask you this. Are you ok with Cagalli being with Athrun and all, I mean, Athrun's your fiance, right?" questioned Kira, hoping his question wouldn't ruin Lacus's mood.

Lacus sighed before grinning widely at Kira, "Like I've mentioned before. Athrun and I are actually nothing more than good friends. Our engagement was all arranged by our parents. I'm just happy that Athrun has found someone he really loves. What's important in a marriage is that both parties love each other, with a love so deep it's like a trees roots rooted to the ground."

"You've got a lovely point of view, you know that?" complemented Kira, smiling kindly down at Lacus, who simply smiled back, revealing a full set of straight white teeth.

"Thank you," replied Lacus, returning her gaze to the scenery outside the balcony.

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"I won't be surprised if Mirre's already in the medical unit, she was so worried about Kyo, she was even more shaken than I was." said Cagalli, taking a slow stroll down the corridors toward the medical unit with Athrun.

"Everyone's shaken, Cagalli. Even if most of us don't know Kyo as well as Miriallia does, all of us hold a candle in our hearts hoping that she'll pull through. Naturally, nobody wants to see a life being lost." replied Athrun, his hand intertwined with Cagalli's. "Oh yes, I've got something for you."

Cagalli's eyebrows rose eagerly, wanting to see what her prince charming wanted to give to her. The Orb Princess's honey-brown orbs lit up immediately at the sublime and enchanting necklace in his right hand. It had a thin white gold chain, and the pendant was made out of two hearts, that were intertwined with each other. In addition, there were coloured gemstones decorated on the outer rim of of the hearts.

Cagalli's rosette lips broke into a smile before accepting the unique and sincere gift from Athrun. The necklace chain just shimmered in the early morning glow, and the pendant of hearts looked absolutely, perfectly beautiful.

"Did you make this?" asked Cagalli, realising that the pendant didn't look like it was cut out by anything mechanical, and yet, it was absolutely flawless. "It's just... it's just beautiful, I've never seen anything like it."

"Yeah, I was up the entire night while you were sleeping. So I decided ondoing the finishing touches on the pendant. Take thisas a symbol of my love." smiled Athrun, kissing Cagalli tenderly on the head. "I hope you like it though,"

"I love it," replied Cagalli, grinning sweetly up at Athrun, beforeletting Athrun put the neckalce on for her.They dontinued strolling down the corridor toward the medical unit, but something else caught their attention.

The duo paused in their tracks when they turned round the corner to find Dearka sitting in one of the chairs, and Miriallia sitting on his lap, her head resting sideways on his shoulder.

When the copper-tone skinned blonde young man realised Athrun and Cagalli's presence, he blushed deeply, but didn't make any movements as Miriallia seemed to have fallen asleep on his shoulder.

Athrun smiled widely at his tanned skinned friend, who just rolled his eyes. However,Athrun and Cagalli'sfootsteps seemed to have aroused Miriallia from her slumber as she fidgeted on Dearka's lap, before looking up at everyone. Cagalli smiled warmly at the auburn-haired girl.

"Shall we go in? Even if Kyo's unconscious, I'm sure she would appreciate some company," sighed Cagalli, looking at Miriallia, who looked on the verge of tears once more.

Athrun pushed open the medical unit door slowly, but paused half way, his expression looking half stunned and flabbergasted. "Kyo already has company,"

Wondering who it was, the others propped their heads in one row along the gap through the door. Almost instantly, the moment their gaze fell upon the person sitting on the floor by Kyo's bed, his head buried in one arm, and his other hand clutching Kyo's, their jaws dropped.

The platinum blonde, however, although in a sleeping position, was not sleeping. He had been kept awake the entire time since he had entered the medical unit hours ago, unable to fall back asleep as the apprehension of Kyo not waking up, ailed him.

"Please, wake up, please. I'm begging you, I'm really sorry, please come around. I can't do anything but sit here till you wake up, please. I can't focus on anything else, please come around." whispered Yzak, unaware of the four pairs of eyes watching him from the door.

"Yzak?" asked Dearka, flabbergasted and shocked, his sudden ejaculation had sent the platinum blonde catapulting to his feet and spinning around in a jiffy.

Yzak's pale cheeks turned a brilliant shade of magenta before he turned away and quickly let go of Kyo's right hand. To everyone's surprise and joy, the moment Kyo's hand fell limply back to the red, her fingers flexed and relaxed, before her hand moved, as though feeling aorund the side of the bed looking for something.

The quartet of the others rushed to the beside, all eager to see if Kyo had really aroused from her slumber.

"Please wake up," Yzak thought in his heart, hoping she had heard him as he wouldn't be able to bear the guilt of killing an innocent girl, on his shoulders for much longer.

"I... I have... woken up," muttered Kyo weakly, before her eyes fluttered open, to gaze up at Yzak, who was looking stunned down at her. She had answered his question, when he hadn't said anything at all! She heard him! (A/N Maybe it's just the telepathy between two soul mates, hehe.)

"Oh my goodness Kyo! Oh thanks goodness, thanks heavens, THANK YOU YZAK!" screamed Miriallia, bending down to hug Kyo before turning to Yzak, with tears in her eyes and looking grateful.

"What did you do, mate?" questioned dearka, nudging his platinum blonde friend, who was looking rather stoned and unsure of what to do.

"The first thing I heard... when I regained... consciousness...was Yzak... he apologised. He's been... with me throughout... the night." said Kyo weakly, breathing in-between words and coughing slightly. "He's been apologising... and speaking to me all this while, telling me I had... to wake up. I could hear... him and yet... I couldn't find the strength... to wake up and tell him... it's alright... and that I don't... blame him anymore. I was alive and awake... all this while."

To Kyo's utmost surprise, Yzak's expression changed so drastically from stoned to immense fury, and he stormed out of the medical unit. Kyo was so shocked by his reaction, that it brought tears to her eyes.

"What... what did I say? Where's... he... where's he going?" mumbled Kyo, still unable to speak in full sentences without stopping midway. Her eyes were swimming in tears, a little hurt and confused at why Yzak had suddenly seemed furious with her, and had just stormed off without a word.

"He's probably going back to his room. He's always like this, not to worry. You didn't say anything wrong," reassured Athrun, looking at Kyo, whose tears were threatening to roll down her cheeks already.

"Maybe he just... can't stand... me. I'm not surprised anyway... I'm just a useless... annoying girl." said Kyo, her tears running down her cheeks and her voice cracking up at her last few words.

"Gosh, Yzak isn't the type who'd apologise to someone, you know. Let alone, apologise to the person many times and even accompany the person throughout the night." stated Dearka, before the medical unit door burst open, revealing an anxious Lacus and Kira.

"Oh Kyo! You're awake, we've all been so worried." said Lacus looking at Kyo, who was lying on her side, and it took Lacus to bend over in an odd angle before she realised there were tears running down her cheeks. "Kyo, what's wrong? Those don't look like tears of joy,"

"It's nothing new, Mr. Yzak Jule just hurt another girl's feelings, that's all." muttered Dearka, shaking his head and feeling sorry for Kyo, and wondering why she even liked Yzak in the first place. He was such an aggressive brute!

"Yeah, actually that hot tempered guy seemed immensely furious! His entire face was red with fury and when we asked him if Kyo was awake, he shouted back the answer. What'd you guys do to him?" questioned Kira, who ended being up asked to shut up by his sister, as Kyo was now crying into her pillow, feeling offended and hurt.

Just then, Dr. Ishida swerved into the medical unit, and smiled widely down at his patient, who was still engrossed in shedding her tears.

"Well now, I see you're awake! I'm so glad you made it through the night, very strong girl you are, Kyo!" complemented Dr. Ishida, in an attempt to cheer his patient up, who was crying for some reason that was unknown to him. "Was there anyone with her at night?"

"Yeah, Yzak was here accompanying her throughout the night, according to Kyo, that is. Apparently, he woke her up and then made her cry after that, such a weird guy. What's the use of apologising to her then?" muttered Kira, shaking his head and clicking his tongue on the roof of his mouth.

"Does she still need blood? I mean, now that she's regained consciousness, she should be alright, right?" asked Miriallia concerned, her eyes still tearful, and her cheeks blotched by her tear-stains.

"I shouldn't think so, but she's still very weak, so she'll need plenty of rest and good food." said Dr. Ishida, smiling warmly down at the bunch of teenage friends, who were cleary very concerned about their redheaded friend.

"I'll get the nurses to monitor Kyo closely, and maybe when she's hungry she could eat some light foods like porridge or soup. I've got other things to tend to for now, so I'll take my leave, but if you do need any help, just scream." stated Dr. Ishida humourously, winking at them before spining around and striding off.

"Kyo, did that platinum blonde chap frighten you or something? Well anyway, stop crying already, he's always like that, though I don't know what infuriated him so badly." said Dearka knowingly, who received a sharp nudge in the ribs from Athrun, who shot him a warning look.

Kyo slowly rolled over back onto her back, wincing slightly at the pain from her wound. She snivelled loudly, and wiped her tears away with the back of her hand, thinking of Yzak.

Yzak had been with her throughout the night, and he had been ever so sweet, whispering things to her. She had heard every single thing he had said so clearly and yet she couldn't find the strength to wake up and tell him tht she was conscious.

But why had he just stormed off like that when she had tried to thank him? Despite his aggressive exterior she had witnessed when she had first met him, Yzak had let Kyo experience a totally different more compassionate side of him as well.

"Kyo, are you hungry? I'll get ome porridge if you like," said Cagalli, shaking her redheaded friend gently out of her thoughts.

Kyo shook her head slightly, looking rather down and blue. "I don't want anything to eat, I just want to think of him."

"Kyo, it's very important that you eat to build up your strength and immune system." advised Lacus, placing a warm and gentle hand on Kyo's shoulder, and looking apprehensively down at her.

"And what d'you mean you just want to think of him? You mean, Yzak?" asked Dearka, looking absolutely horrified at the attractive redhead's recent statement, of not wanting to do anything else but think of an aggressive brute. "How can you possibly like him? Through my two years of being friends with him, he's always struck me as a guy who'd never get any girl to like him."

"Shut up, Dearka! Yzak owes her another apology now, anyway. He hurt her feelings by walking out on her like that!" hissed Athrun sternly, grabbing Dearka roughly by the arm and shaking the copper-tone skinned young man.

"Yeah, besides you heard Kyo. If bringing Yzak here is going to make her eat, then that's the least we can do." said Miriallia knowingly, sniffling slightly.

"Mirre's right, let's go Dearka, and if Yzak is going to root himself anywhere, like sitting on the floor for example, we'll just have to drill out the entire patch of floor he's sitting on and drag him here." said Athrun, attempting to drag the tanned blonde off, but found himself stopped by Cagalli, who looked rather worried.

"Athrun, why don't you just let Dearka go? That platinum blonde's a brute! He's already shot Kyo and wounded her, I don't want him to flare up and shoot you too." said Cagalli, clinging on to Athrun's forearm, and refusing to let him go anywhere.

"Cagalli's got a point Athrun, and you'd better listen to her, because if you break her heart, you'll have to deal with me, her elder brother!" snapped Kira, only to realise the BIG mistake in his sentence, seconds after.

"What did you say, punk?" asked Cagalli, her eyes flaming up, the tongues of flame obvious within her honey-brown orbs. Kira backed away against the wall, regretting and wishing he could take backwhat he had just said.

Since young, Cagalli had always been convinced that she had been the elder twin between her and Kira, and although there was no proof that this was a fact, she had set her heart outto believe in it.

"Hey, you're always treating me like this! What I said could or could not have been wrong! There's no scientific evidence that you're older than I am! For all you know, I could be older!" said Kira, in an attempt to defend himself against Cagalli, who had flattened him against the wall, looking at him straight in the eye like a provoked tigress.

As Athrun watched Cagalli bicker on with her brunette brother once more, he could only smile to himself. Ever since he had met the Orb Princess, he had always considered her to be the child of a tiger, fierce and defensive. Yet, there were times where she would break down.

Athrun took advantage of the situation to slip away with Dearka, without Cagalli noticing, heading off to Yzak and Dearka's suite, where the platinum blonde would most likely be taking refuge.

A/N Ok, here you go, another chapter, sorry if this chapter had too little Athrun&Cagalli fluff. There'll be more in the next chapter, I promise. Sorry for typo errors, and pls review!

In the next chapter: How will Dearka and Athrun's confrontation with Yzak go? Will it turn out to be a rough battle using just words, or will it turn violent and dangerous? Also will the love between D&M and K&L, start becoming more obvious when they join Athrun and Cagalli for lunch at Orb, and how will the lunch go? In addition, is Kyo merely just touched by Yzak's actions, or are her feelings for him developing into love?