Title:Bow and Arrow (2/2)
Author:Paola
Disclaimer: Bow and Arrow is based on characters and situations that belong to Sotsu Agency, Bandai Studios, and TV Asashi (and other production affiliates that have the right of ownership). No money is being made, and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Considerations:Similarities to other stories/events/passages are purely coincidental unless otherwise cited.
Bow and Arrow: Part Two – 14 February C.E. 72
They were seated at the middle aisle, and the shuttle had taken off thirty minutes ago. Lacus and Kira had seen them off while Dearka was off to an airport as Miriallia's flight to London was that same early morning, too.
Cagalli sighed. She was seated between Athrun and Yzak, and she had nothing remotely interesting to do. She checked her watch. They'd only been air and space-borne for almost forty minutes, and here she was, feeling restless. She glanced at Athrun only to see his dark sunglasses sitting imperiously on the bridge of his nose and his head tilting back and resting comfortably against the headrest. It was either he was asleep or he was pretending very skillfully to be asleep. Either way, she thought it best to leave him alone. Surely the guy was thinking deeply about something if he weren't even paying her notice. Truth be told, she wasn't exactly affected by it. She had an inkling of how much Athrun must've been paying the toll to keep his composure and peace of mind intact despite the---she was sure of it---upcoming emotional visit to his mother's grave. Athrun wasn't as expressive in his feelings as his best friend, Kira, and Cagalli had already discovered how Athrun was inclined to keep his feelings and sentiments to himself.
Cagalli openly observed the former Justice pilot.
It wasn't a healthy habit, what he was wont to do, but Cagalli had never believed in trying to change anyone just because she thought she knew what was supposedly right and wrong. But what she did believe in was that Athrun needed just one person he could be himself with. To whom he wouldn't be hesitant to unload bottled up emotions, to vent, and to even cry in front of. Cagalli might not be the most sensitive person, the best adviser, and generally the best person to be a shoulder to cry on, but she'd try…for him.
With a slight blush and the certainty she hadn't expected to have, she placed a hand on his arm and gave him a fond and re-assuring squeeze. There was no response, but she didn't expect any to begin with. After all, the gesture was to---hopefully---send him the message that she'd be there with him all the way as much as send a message to herself that she could do it.
Retrieving her hand, she immediately twisted in her seat and turned to her other companion, garnering a surprised gaze from the pale-haired pilot as the sudden shift alarmed him.
"What?" he cautiously let out, nerves standing on end as he looked at her rather suspiciously.
Cagalli smiled, and it only served to unnerve Yzak more. "With all the fuss Kisaka and Mana were making a while ago, I've forgotten something."
"…I'm sure you haven't forgotten anything…"
"Of course I have! And now I remember!"
Yzak unconsciously sank deeper in his softly cushioned seat.
"Happy Valenti---" she almost cried out loud had Yzak been too slow in covering her mouth and muffling her words.
Yzak saw how surprised she was, and, no doubt, her surprise was mirrored in his face. His eyes had widened at his actions, but he had known better than to decide otherwise. When she glared like she could actually set him on fire with just a blink of an eye, he carefully released her, but not without the promise of a big box of chocolates when they returned to Earth. He might not have been a Valentine's fool, but who ever said that the chocolates were meant as a Valentine's gift? Surely this was bribery, but by how Cagalli was grinning, he knew she didn't mind being subjected to such horrid acts.
"I want a variety of chocolates, all right? Milk, white, and dark. And don't be cheap!" She gave him a wolfish grin, and Yzak had to wonder who actually won.
Satisfied, Cagalli relaxed in her seat, and she instinctively leant her head on the shoulder of the blue-haired teenager she'd come to be very fond of. She only became aware of her actions when she felt Athrun lean his head onto hers and the sound of a low and breathy whisper made it to her ears.
"Happy Valentine's, Cagalli."
o-o
Lacus secured the knot of her apron at the small of her back, then she turned to face Kira, only to find him skeptically eyeing the new, bright red apron with the words "Smooch the Chef" printed in bold letters at the front.
"Kira?"
The addressed frowned for a second before he looked up at the questioning face of his lovely girlfriend.
"Dearka bought it just the other day. He said it caught his eye," Lacus answered, cementing Kira's suspicion.
Kira shook his head and wore the red apron; the others were in the laundry. "Tell me something I don't know," he voiced out rhetorically.
Lacus stood straight and pressed a finger against her chin. "Okay. Mm…you look cute in it."
The Ultimate Coordinator didn't know whether to blush first or laugh, but since he couldn't exactly control the flow of his blood, he blushed while he chuckled. "Nice one."
Lacus smiled then retrieved two mixing bowls from the cupboard. She had commandeered the help of Kira to bake heart-shaped cookies for the elderly down at the Home for the Aged on 7th Avenue. Both of them knew it was Valentine's Day, but no one was panicking over how to spend their day. Aside from greeting each other that early morning, they hadn't exactly done anything out of the ordinary…at least none that Lacus was cognizant of.
Kira took one of the mixing bowls and helped Lacus with the bag of sifted flour sitting atop the counter. "Hey, Lacus, do we have an appointment at the Home for the Aged?"
"Not really. We're just delivering these cookies," she answered as she started to mix ingredients together.
The brunette smiled as he cracked an egg and separated the yolk from the white, just as Lacus had taught him a long time ago. "Hn, I was hoping you'd say that."
Lacus gazed at him, looking every inch the amused woman that she currently was. "Oh?"
Kira opened the tap and washed his hands clean after finishing his first task. "Yep." He flicked his finger in Lacus' direction, sending a few droplets of water flying her way. They shared a laugh when Lacus went for payback.
Brushing her nose dry of water droplets, the Pink Princess watched Kira's back as he walked away from her towards the fridge to retrieve a few other things. Curious of what Kira might be thinking, she stopped what she was doing and turned her attention towards the brown-haired Coordinator.
"I bet you're wondering what I'm probably up to, huh?" Kira guessed, juggling a few bottles away to uncover a medium-sized pack of whipped cream.
"If I say yes, will you tell me?" Lacus replied, her attention fully hooked.
Kira gently closed the fridge and dramatically turned towards Lacus, tossing the pack from one hand to another in a lazy fashion. "Unless I get something first, I won't tell you." He favored her a playful smirk.
Lacus pouted and Kira almost choked back his words. "Okay. What do you want?"
The brunette shrugged as insouciantly as he could. "Something you probably wouldn't be giving to anyone else any time soon."
"Hm," Lacus considered, acquiring that cute little thinking pout. "Okay."
Kira was surprised. He didn't think she'd easily agree to it…and he hadn't expected there really was something he could get from Lacus that she wouldn't give to anyone else. Now that he was curious, he opted to hold onto his joke for a longer while.
Lacus approached him in three determined strides. Pausing in front of him, she shoved her hand in the pocket of her dress then moved even closer. Kira almost gulped at their proximity as he was getting ideas of what Lacus might be planning on giving him. And right after that thought, he could feel himself burning bright red.
Lacus inched her head closer. Kira almost perceptibly shivered as her breath danced across his cheek when she neared her lips to his ear. "Keep your promise, okay?"
Kira could only nod.
Unexpectedly, Lacus pulled away and presented her pink Haro to him. "Take care of Mr. Pink, all right?"
The Ultimate Coordinator would have tripped on his own two feet had he been walking. Lacus was just too innocent for words! "Uh…well, I have something planned for us this afternoon…" he tried not to stammer as his thoughts were zooming a thousand miles per second when he realized what it was he had really expected her to give him. He accepted the pink toy, but it flapped its ears and flew away in seconds.
Lacus showed him a brilliant smile before leaning closer again and landing a kiss on his mouth. "You were thinking of me giving you this right?" she whispered against his lips. "Haro might be important, but this is what I'm not going to be giving to anyone else any time soon." She proceeded to wrap her arms around his neck before kissing him properly.
Kira all but lost the ability to think. He vaguely remembered the other times she herself had initiated their intimate moments, and he had to wonder why he even thought she was that innocent. He didn't arrive at any answer, though, because kissing Lacus and rational thinking just didn't go together.
o-o
When Yzak was a kid, he loved surprises. A bag of candy from a late-night meeting. A small chocolate mousse for getting an A. A race car for cleaning his room. A new cap for no reason at all. And the list went on. As a kid, he was like everyone else, and a surprise as simple as a single bar of chocolate could make him giddier than the undiscovered-drug-induced euphoria of a certain deranged Murata Azrael.
As he grew up and well into his teenage years, it took more than a piece of candy to surprise him. His reactions started to change, but surprises were still surprises, and he loved them no matter what.
Being asked to join the ZAFT military was another surprise---a surprise he'd never been gladder to take. And other kinds of surprises soon followed his enlistment, not excluded the order to raid Heliopolis, to pilot a Gundam, and a lot more he'd probably be willing to share had he been a more patient person.
The bad surprises like losing in a battle and suddenly having to second-guess everything had been hard to deal with, but all were reasonably part of fighting in a war, and he had no deep qualms about accepting those. All he had to do was take in sedatives and he'd be heaven-happy for the rest of the night…or at least that was what Dearka wanted to believe he did every time he'd lock himself in his room to get away from Dearka's machine gun of a mouth.
In retrospect, he'd experienced more good surprises than bad ones. But as he stood in front of his mother, he was unsure whether the good would still outnumber the bad after he'd sat down and thought things over.
Yzak bit his lip to keep from screaming his head off for all the indignation that was building up inside him. Indignation and frustration for that matter. Not a healthy combination.
He rapped his knuckles once on the open wooden doors, trying to understand how she could be up and about.
"Yzak! I thought you'd be arriving much later."
Again, Yzak had to keep a tight rein on his emotions that were threatening to blow up any second.
"Tea, darling?" the woman in front of him tipped her dainty teacup towards him.
"Tea?" his eye twitched.
"Yes, tea." She took a sip. "Don't we always share a cuppa?"
Twitch.
The woman waved a hand at the maid-in-waiting as a signal for her to give Yzak his tea.
Twitch. Twitch.
"Do sit down, Yzak. I don't fancy you towering over me," she smiled.
Twitch. Twitch. Twitch.
"Well?"
"MOTHER!" the fair-head finally blew up. "What in hell and it's other fourteen names are you trying pull?" he bellowed angrily.
Ezalia Jule smiled icily at his son. "Are you cursing at me, Yzak Jule?"
Yzak sighed exasperatedly. He almost wanted to rip his hair out, but found the idea too irrational. Settling for a subtler drama, he paced the length of floor he was allowed to. "Sick? You told me you were sick! It's why I came here! Because you said you were sick! Sick people don't go around offering other people tea!" he let out in a stream of hurried and scandalized words. He couldn't believe his mother had tricked him! And he fell for it…hook, line, and sinker! Dearka would have a field day calling him a mama's boy if the blonde boy ever got wind of this. "I asked the maids as soon as I got here about your health, and they all stared at me as if I were some escapist from some remote mental asylum! Know why? Because, apparently, I was so foolish to fall for your trick!"
Ezalia gently placed her teacup and matching saucer on the tea table as a gentle breeze blew from the open windows. "Calm down, Yzak."
"Calm down? Calm down! You have got to be kidding me!" he exclaimed, though he stopped pacing. He stood in the center of the room with one hand on a hip and the other massaging his temples, which throbbing incessantly since the moment he learned the truth. "I don't get it, Mrs. Jule," he began again, calling his mother formally as he was wont to do every time he had to remind himself the need to respect his mother…even if that said mother proved to be too sly for someone her age. "Why lie? I could've gone here even if you told me the real reason."
Ezalia raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. "Oh?"
"Yes," he answered firmly, though a little confused at his mother's uncertain tone.
"Even if told you I wanted you here this Valentine's so you can take your fiancée out on a date?"
Yzak was honest-to-goodness, kick-on-the-crotch floored. Did he hear her right? "Co---" he cleared his throat as he was having a hard time enunciating his words. "Come again?"
"It's natural for an engaged man to take his fiancée out on Valentine's Day," Ezalia explained matter-of-factly.
A moment of deadly silence ensued, unnerving as the calm before a storm.
"WHAT! Are you nuts?" hurricane Yzak went off.
"Language, Yzak," Ezalia warned, shooting his son a knowing glance.
"You faked sickness to get me here so I could take Hahnenfuss out on a date?"
Ezalia nodded daintily, appearing unfazed by her son's outburst.
Crafty woman!
As if all of his energy had been suddenly sucked out of him, Yzak Jule, a member of the Red-coat, the pilot of the Duel, a war veteran, sunk into the plush armchair across his mother, looking utterly defeated…though he very much tried to look as defiantly annoyed as possible despite himself.
"So," his mother started, after the maid offered Yzak his tea, which her son begrudgingly accepted. "Where do you plan to take the young Hahnenfuss?"
Yzak lifted his cup towards his lips, only to stare at the dark liquid distastefully. "Nowhere." He promptly placed his cup on the table.
"That won't do, Yzak."
"Of course it will."
"Are you trying my patience, my son?" Ezalia deployed her intimidating smile.
…
And Yzak had to try very hard to keep from sinking in his chair.
o-o
Cagalli dropped her bag on the floor as she scanned the modestly, but efficiently, furnished apartment---just like how she expected a guy's pad would look like. "So…this is where you live?"
Athrun entered the apartment and nudged Cagalli to move aside and let him through. Putting down his duffle bag beside the blonde's, he answered, "Occasionally." He surveyed the room and was glad the caretaker did a good job at keeping things neat and clean.
"Hm?"
Athrun pocketed his keys and purposed the kitchenette. "When I have more than a day off, I meant. Otherwise, I stay at the base barracks. Or at my…home…when I stray in December City." He heard her shut the front door.
"So your real residence is in December City?" she asked as she followed him through the archway.
The blue-head looked at his near-empty fridge with a dismissive eye, then he turned towards Cagalli and looked at her weirdly. "Yeah. Didn't I tell you that before?"
She glanced at the cozy dinette before bringing her attention back to the blue-head. "Don't think you've so much as whispered a letter of it."
"Hn…really? Guess it just wasn't brought up, huh?" He retrieved a bottle of distilled water from one of the fridge trays---must have been placed there by the caretaker after learning he'd be arriving. Turning the safety lid anti-clockwise and hearing the soft crackle of plastic, he filled two glasses with water. "Gotta settle for that. Fridge is out of anything good," he grinned, not wondering how his fridge could be empty when he had left it on its own for almost a year. And he, of course, didn't expect the caretaker to re-fill it; the five bottles of water inside must have been just a thoughtful act of the old guy.
Cagalli took a seat on one of the barstools and accepted the glass of water Athurn handed to her. She ran a finger over the rim before drawing unintelligible patterns on the mist that had formed on the outside of the glass. "Am not hungry anyway."
"You're not?" Athrun sounded surprised.
Cagalli instantly glared at him. "If you tell me I'm always eating and getting fat, I'll skewer you alive, no matter how gory the imagery is."
Athrun laughed, never really getting the idea that the blonde was getting fat. As it was, she seemed to have lost weight and gone skinnier. Probably from all the schoolwork and tests; not to mention that she had also started work at the Emirs' palace. No matter how minimal the work was, it was still added stress.
After the Orb Princess got over her giggles, she took a sip of water and asked, "So, what now?"
Just as she expected, Athrun's countenance grew serious. He stopped mid-sip, and seemed to have very suddenly slaked his thirst by just a few earlier gulps of water.
"Athrun…?"
The blue-head's gaze snapped towards her as if she had just caught him doing something wrong. His grip on the glass tightened for a second before relaxing. "I'd rather go…by myself."
Cagalli understood. There were just those times when being left alone to deal with one's emotions would prove to be more helpful than sharing it to others. Sitting up straight, she smiled at him warmly. "So long as you let me order pizza for dinner."
He smiled.
o-o
Yzak donned his silver-framed sunglasses then irritably kicked a loose pebble as he made his way towards his car. He blanched upon remembering how his mother had easily made him agree to her plans. Suffice it to say, he direly needed to learn how to really stand up to the older Jule.
Jerking his car door open, he smoothly eased on his seat, and, with more patience than he first displayed, he pulled his door shut. He gripped the wheel with both hands, stretched his arms, and then took a deep, cleansing breath before relaxing his grip and turning on the ignition. He stepped on the accelerator, and by how his car sped off the driveway, it was evident that the cleansing breath he had taken didn't do anything good.
The gate opened up only a few seconds before Yzak burst out of the property, and had their gates not been automated, he'd have a hard time explaining to his mother why he wrecked the innocent piece of metal framework.
Driving down the one-way lane towards the address he didn't think he'd come to need, he couldn't help but scowl again. He really didn't like spending time with Shiho Hahnenfuss. Although she could provide enough entertainment, he didn't fancy being comfortable with someone he didn't choose to marry but was forced to marry anyway. For him, it was like totally surrendering to the whims of others. But, then again, his mother wasn't just one of those "others."
He slowed down upon seeing the high-rise apartment described by the address. Parking his car at a vacant space, he turned off the ignition and went out of the comfort of his vehicle. Looking up at the soaring building in front of him, he'd decided things couldn't get worse. At least now he didn't have to think of how to treat Shiho out since his mother had already oh-so-nicely told him where to take her.
Upon reaching the front desk, he asked for the receptionist to phone Shiho, but before the receptionist could reach for the headset, one of the elevator doors a few feet behind the counter opened, and out stepped Shiho, imperiously adorned in the way a real ZAFT soldier should be: shorts, shirt, and rubber slippers.
Striding over the front desk, she gathered her hair and stuck them through the hole of her cap before adjusting the visor over her eyes. "Hey, I'ma step out to buy some groceries. There's a mail arriving for me later. Can you keep it here instead of putting it in my mailbox? I might forget to get it," she said, not noticing the fair-head standing at the other end of the counter.
"Of course, Ms. Hahnenfuss. And you have a visitor," the receptionist answered, gesturing towards the silver-haired Red-coat.
"Oh?" She turned towards where the receptionist was gesturing, and she almost slipped on the shiny marble floor. Good thing she had a solid grip of the glass top of the counter. She hurriedly returned her gaze at the woman and said her thanks before promptly pulling a surprised Yzak out the revolving glass doors.
Yzak got over his surprise at being pulled quick enough to assess the damage done to his button-down shirt.
"What are you doing here?" Shiho asked, silently watching him brush over the wrinkles she had made on his shirt and not feeling the least bit guilty of being the cause of it.
Yzak scowled at her. "Is this how you greet your former commander? By yanking him around?"
Shiho snorted in an unlady-like fashion. "Whatever. You said it yourself. 'Former.' Besides, since I'm engaged---" she shuddered, "---to you, we stand on equal footing."
"Wait 'til we get back to active-duty. This 'equal footing' you speak of goes directly down the freaking' drain." He scowled again. "And you make being engaged to me sound so disgusting."
Shiho was puzzled to suddenly feel guilty about that. "It's not that. Look---"
Yzak waved a dismissive hand, effectively cutting her off. "I don't care, Hahnenfuss."
Again, she was confused at the stabbing effect of his words.
"Let's get going."
"Get going where?"
This time, Yzak was the one who pulled her towards his car. "No time to talk."
Shiho was startled, but she regained her wits just in time before Yzak could try to shove her inside his car. She pulled at his grip and he thankfully let go, a hand automatically going to his hip as a sign of thinly veiled impatience.
"What are you doing?" she irritably asked, firmly planting her feet on the concrete.
"It's Valentine's," he succinctly replied, as if that would explain his actions effectively. His tone sounded like he was talking to an idiot, though he didn't purposely do it---it just came out.
Shiho raised an eyebrow then cried indignantly as Yzak's tone sank in, "So? Does that give you the right to haul me to wherever you need to go? I think not!"
He rolled his eyes. "Are you stupid?"
She gasped, quite offended. "Why y---"
"I'm taking you out on a date," he cut her off very effectively.
It took a few good beats before Shiho's mind fully processed what he said. "…Say what?"
o-o
Kira escorted Lacus out of the public transport they had ridden to the open field at the west part of mainland Orb. He'd thought about borrowing one of the Athha's cars, but he remembered how Lacus seemed to enjoy riding public transports---she'd said she liked seeing different people from different walks of life. Bearing good judgment, he'd chosen to ride in a public transport, and, as expected, Lacus had no complaints.
"Where are we?" Lacus asked, her ponytail swaying behind her back irregularly as the winds continued to roll.
"Just wait,' Kira replied, smiling as he led Lacus to the makeshift entrance. He proceeded to offer their tickets to the teenager behind the long, informal table.
"Welcome to the Valentine's fair!" he greeted the couple. "Have fun!" He then directed them towards the part where most of the activities were happening.
"Fair?" Lacus voiced out as she and Kira walked towards the area filled with different colorful booths and people going about their business.
"Yep. It's this charity thing. All the proceeds would go to three different beneficiaries. I saw their flyer on the way home the other day, and I thought I'd buy us tickets."
Lacus smiled. "Wow! That's so nice! Thank you, Kira."
"Don't thank me just yet. You haven't seen the surprise." He took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze before redirecting her to another path towards the open field where a few people had gathered.
As soon as they arrived to where Kira was leading them, Lacus saw a humongous flattened balloon being prepped by some uniformed men.
"I hope you haven't ridden in one of these," Kira said, smiling as he saw the delight in the songstress' face.
Lacus couldn't get her eyes off the balloon as the men started pumping hot air in it. "No… No, I don't think I have." She turned towards him. "Are we riding on one?"
Kira smiled meaningfully.
Lacus squeezed his hand affectionately in return. "Really? Wow, I can't wait!"
A man in a jumpsuit approached them and extended his hand, which Kira shook. "Mr. Yamato?"
"Yes, that's me."
The man smiled. "I assume this is Ms. Clyne?" he directed at Lacus, and the pink-head nodded. "Lovely lady. Just as I've hear from this young man," he smiled, making both Kira and Lacus blush a cute shade of rose.
"Thank you," Lacus uttered before sending Kira an appreciative smile.
The man smiled at her then turned to Kira. "It'll take around twenty minutes to get the balloon ready. Is it okay you wait a while?"
"No problem," Kira answered, to which the man nodded before walking away and heading back to supervise the preparation of the balloon.
"You arranged for this, Kira?"
Kira looked around and saw no chairs scattered, so he removed his jacket and laid it on the grass, sitting on it before pulling Lacus down beside him. "Yep. Gotta make this day special somehow," he grinned.
"You didn't have to. You know that." The songstress picked the blade of grass that had stuck to her pant leg.
"I know, but I wanted to. And I think it's gonna be fun, yeah?"
Lacus couldn't help but be infected by the brunette's bright grin. "Yes, I believe so. Thank you, Kira." She ran her fingers over the smooth blade before letting the wind carry it away.
Kira threw his arms back and planted his palms flat on the ground barely covered by his jacket. He leant backwards and squinted against the afternoon sun. "I'm kind of worried about Athrun, you know," he said, changing the topic.
Lacus sighed. "We all are, Kira. Sometimes, you'll think it's so inopportune that his mother's death anniversary falls on Valentine's Day. But Athrun's strong." Lacus turned to him. "Besides, Cagalli's with him right now."
Kira chuckled. "That's what I'm worried about."
Lacus jokingly poked him on the side, and Kira immediately jerked in response, making her giggle. "Meanie!"
"Knowing my sister, Athrun probably won't have time to brood. Hopefully, that's a good thing."
Lacus glanced skyward, a small smile still grazing her lips. "You know it is." She adjusted her position then gently laid her head on the junction between Kira's neck and shoulder, enjoying their time together as they waited for their ride to be ready.
Kira, as much as his position allowed, glanced at the girl comfortably snuggled against him. He smiled to himself upon spying the content expression of the pink-haired songstress. By the looks of everything, they were sure to have an even better time later.
o-o
"Stop by the supermarket. I have to pick up a few things," Shiho deadpanned as she sat patiently strapped in Yzak's car.
"Excuse me?" Yzak had a hard time believing his ears. Had she just given him a command?
"So you're deaf now?" Shiho retorted, apparently still ticked off by what had happened earlier. After she'd recovered from the shock brought about by Yzak announcing that they were going out on a date, she'd promptly laughed him off, then, in return, he'd promptly pushed her inside his car, shutting the door after he'd put on the child-safety lock so Shiho couldn't open it from the inside.
"Who died and made you the boss of me?"
Shiho lost it and impulsively grabbed the wheel, surprising Yzak and making the car swerve dangerously to the other lane. Luckily, there weren't a lot of vehicles around.
"Are you suicidal, woman!" Yzak cried, shifting between glaring at her and eyeing the road as he got the car back on the right lane. "I wonder how you even passed the psychological test of the military!"
She glared at him. "You won't let up!"
"Why would I listen to you anyway? Especially now that you've proven how deranged you are!"
Shiho, steaming, clenched her fists and decided to turn her back on him, suddenly finding the scenery outside very interesting.
"We won't go to the supermarket. We're going to a nice, fancy restaurant and celebrate Valentine's like how normal people do."
Shiho ignored him.
"Understand, Hahnenfuss?"
His words fell on deaf ears.
He couldn't care less. At least now he'd be driving in silence and in peace. If he'd known it would be this difficult to take Shiho Hahnenfuss out, he'd have flown back to Earth in a blink of an eye. He'd acknowledged that he'd done a multitude of wrong things during the war, but being engaged to Shiho was too much punishment. He didn't believe that he deserved such torture, not when, despite everything, he'd been an obedient son.
Damn it.
After a few more minutes of speeding down roads, they arrived at the fanciest and most expensive restaurant in Aprilius City. Just as his mother had suggested.
He took off his seatbelt and made to get out of the confines of his sports car. He stopped, however, when he didn't sense any movement from Shiho. Turning towards her with a weary expression plastered on his face, he bit out, "What now?"
Shiho remained silent.
"Since when do you do drama?"
Still she ignored him.
Yzak bristled. If there were one thing that annoyed him more than Zala, it was being ignored. "Shiho Hahnenfuss!"
"What!" she finally spoke, sounding equally pissed.
"Do you plan to stay here the whole time?" he grounded out, trying to rein in his irritation, but was failing quite miserably.
Shiho glared at him. "Not if I have a choice." She rolled her eyes.
"I'm not giving you any, so get out."
"No."
"Why?"
She looked at him like he'd suddenly grown horns and a tail. "Do you honestly think I'd get in that restaurant in this outfit?" she gestured at herself.
As if realizing just now what she was wearing, he hung his head. He could answer 'yes' since it would be her who would be more embarrassed by her being underdressed, but then he realized it wouldn't look good on his image either if he went in with her looking like she'd just finished watching a baseball game on TV.
He sighed exasperatedly. "Why didn't you say so earlier, dammit!" He waved off the valet that had appeared by his door. Grumbling about how some people were born to vex the hell out of other people, he buckled up and stepped on the gas.
After a few minutes of driving and arguing with Shiho, Yzak wondered how he was now finding himself folding up his sleeves as he waited for Shiho to decide whether the detergent in the blue packaging was better than the yellow one. He sighed inwardly. Man, I don't know how I get myself in these kinds of situations!
Shiho abandoned trying to pick between blue and yellow and turned her attention to the detergent in an orange packaging. She cocked her head to the side as if considering whether to finally buy it or not, and Yzak needed to bite his lip to keep himself from screaming in the middle of the laundry aisle.
Having neatly folded his sleeves up to his forearms and having his patience stretched so thin, he wheeled the cart she had wheedled him into pushing, forward, grabbing the detergent in the orange packaging. He then pulled Shiho away after he had haphazardly thrown the object inside the cart. "Moving along, Hahnenfuss," he grounded out as patiently as he could, which still didn't sound as patient anyway.
"Hey! You---"
"You should know better than to judge based on the packaging. They're all the same anyway." He let go of her elbow when he was sure she wouldn't be going back to the detergent aisle. He maneuvered their cart to avoid hitting a kid playing race-car with his wagon.
"I know that!"
Yzak eyed her disbelievingly.
"Don't give me that, Jule. I just wanted something that looks nice just for the heck of it."
"I've allowed myself to push your cart around, the least you can do is be quick about your business," he frowned, walking a bit faster and leaving Shiho behind. He had taken the time to change from his comfortable jeans and shirt into dress pants and shirt so he could take her to a nice restaurant, only to later find himself over-dressed in a supermarket filled with people dressed in their simple grocery-shopping clothes. He'd even been stared at and pointed at by a couple of kids who were down to their play clothes at the entrance of the market. Good thing he'd spared himself from wearing a tie, or he'd die from Shiho making fun of him.
Shiho jogged to catch up, putting a hand on his arm to slow him down when she fell into step beside him. She bit her lip and removed her hand when his eyes darted towards the part where she was touching him. "I guess I should thank you for that and be sorry about how obnoxious I'm being, but you're too hot-tempered and quick to ignite your own fuse."
Yzak paused to wait as Shiho got a carton of milk from a shelf. "And I'm supposed to listen to this lecture of yours…why again?" he sneered, too proud to back down and too stubborn to see Shiho's point.
The brunette almost pitched the milk carton at him, but she restrained herself. "You're making it too hard to get along with you. I don't like our engagement as much as you hate it, so don't act like you're the only one injusticed here."
As Shiho frowned at him and walked away to finish her grocery shopping, his rational mind took over. Gods, he hated it when other people were right and he wasn't!
o-o
Lacus kept a tight hold on the edge of the woven box as she looked down from the height they were at. They were so high up from the ground that the people below were mere dots on the green landscape.
"Don't lean too far out. You might fall," Kira mildly warned, enjoying the cool winds that blew around them. He was glad he decided to take her on a balloon ride as he could witness just how excited she was.
Lacus returned beside him with a big grin on her face. "I know I've told you how exciting this is, but I'm going to tell you again anyway." She threw herself into Kira's waiting arms, as giddy as a kid given his first bicycle. "This is really great, Kira! I know I'm acting like a child, but…" she trailed off.
Kira chuckled. "You're cute like this."
Lacus pulled away and looked Kira in the eye, a faint blush tinting her cheeks. "You think so?"
For the second time that day, Kira was surprised by Lacus' answer. He reddened. "Yeah…"
Lacus' juvenile grin turned into a modest smile as she slowly backed away and stood straight in front of him. She moved to swipe the hair that had fallen over her eyes, only to be beaten to it by Kira.
Before Kira could retrieve his hand, Lacus took it in hers and gave it an affectionate squeeze. "Hey, Kira?"
"Hm?"
"Happy Heart's Day," she whispered, leaning closer to give him a peck on the side of his mouth.
"Happy Heart's," Kira murmured back, encircling his hand around her waist and pulling her closer. When he pulled away, he dropped a kiss on the crown of her head, and she snuggled against his chest.
"Thank you for this, Kira." She felt the vibration in his chest as he hummed his acknowledgement.
For a while, they were silent, reveling in the comfort that each brought to the other. Kira stared at the distance, trying to shake off the thoughts that had suddenly barged in his mind.
"A penny for your thoughts?" Lacus interrupted, looking up to see his distant expression.
Kira remained quiet. The sun was beginning to set in the horizon, splashing dark yellow hues tinged with vermillion on the Earth. The breeze was turning cooler, and the time for them to land was coming nearer.
"Back in space," Kira finally spoke, "you did me a huge favor I haven't had the chance to reciprocate."
His voice was low, almost a breathy whisper that danced across Lacus' cheek when he turned to face her. She reached up to mirror his earlier gesture as his bangs fell like curtain over his expressive eyes.
Kira instinctively leant on the warmth of her hand when she rested it against his cheek, remembering her altruistic actions for his benefit back when they had to fight in a war that had claimed their innocence. Too altruistic compared to his selfish judgments.
"You've done a lot of things for me, too, Kira," Lacus said, and had her hand not been touching his face, she would've missed the way he shook his head almost imperceptibly.
"It's not enough." A muscled ticked in jaw as he clenched his teeth. "You know why? Because what you did is beyond all that I can ever offer you." He took a deep breath then leant down and touched his forehead against hers. "You…you saved my soul," he finished, his words barely above whisper against the soft howling of the wind.
Lacus' heart skipped a beat at how serious Kira was, and at how grateful he sounded. All those times she did what she did because her feelings for this certain Coordinator dictated her actions. She stood by his side despite how her presence had been shadowed by his memories of Fllay, but not once did she consider how great an impact she had made in his life.
"You pulled me out of my depression even when I myself couldn't seem to do that. And for that, I'd eternally be thankful."
Lacus traced an invisible path down his jaw line. "And that's all because of one thing." Lacus wound her arms around Kira's neck and hugged him.
"One thing?" he asked, suddenly confused.
Lacus smiled against his neck. "It's because I've let my heart choose it's own path. I'm just glad it found you along the way."
Kira held onto Lacus as if life depended on it. He hadn't expected their Valentine's to turn out this way. He'd thought none of the past would be brought up, just to find out later on that he'd even be the one to dig into the past. He might have wanted things to be laid out differently, but it didn't, and, surprisingly enough, he didn't think he'd change anything.
The Ultimate Coordinator sighed, just as the beginnings of a content smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. And as the sun progressively sank down the skyline, he vowed to always love this woman he held so protectively in his arms.
Always.
o-o
The cloak of darkness had already covered the city by the time Yzak and Shiho arrived at the latter's apartment building, and Yzak, somehow, dreaded going home to his mother. Maybe it was because he knew at the back of his mind that Ezalia Jule would drill him for information on how their supposed date went. A situation he didn't quite think he'd find comfortable to be in.
Shiho stepped out the car and was about to retrieve the bag of groceries from the backseat when Yzak, much to Shiho's surprise, offered to get it himself. He might not like Shiho that much, but he wasn't as ungentlemanly as some might think.
Shiho led the way inside, greeting the receptionist as she bade them good evening.
"What floor are you on?" he asked as they waited for an elevator car to reach the ground floor.
Before Shiho could answer, the elevator doors swished open. "Twenty-fifth," she answered, putting a hand out to keep the doors from closing. "But I'll take it from here." She reached of her grocery bag and Yzak didn't argue.
For an awkward second, they stood there then Yzak finally decided that no goodbyes were needed and turned his back on her to walk away.
"Jule," Shiho called out after the fair-head had taken a mere step away from her.
Yzak stopped in his tracks and turned to face her. "What?"
She rummaged for a short while inside the bag then pressed the stall button on the elevator panel. Knowing that Yzak would probably not accept whatever it was she would give him, she stepped off the elevator, took his hand, and placed a single bar of dark chocolate on his palm. "A little thank you for letting me have my way."
Yzak didn't quite know how to respond, and before he could articulate a reply, the elevator doors had already closed, leaving him facing his own reflection on the gold surface. Casting his eyes downwards to look at the sweet she had given him, he shook his head. Silly woman.
Tossing the bar of chocolate in the air and catching it again, he turned to go, and as he entered his car, he came to a conclusion the Shiho Hahnenfuss might not be that annoying to spend time with. With that in mind, he sped off into the night.
Maybe this isn't such a bad surprise after all…
o-o
Cagalli changed the channel as soon as the commercials were on. The apartment was silent save for the noise of the TV and the occasional sigh she seemed to be heaving every now and then. Athrun had been gone for more than four hours, and the sun had already set, leaving the place dark as Cagalli had yet to turn on the lights.
Just as she switched back to the previous channel, the show she'd been half-heartedly watching came back on, and she watched for a few second before deciding she didn't like the darkness.
What, am I in soap opera to like wallowing in just the TV lights? She rolled her eyes before switching on the light, squinting to adjust her eyes at the sudden illumination inside the room. Their bags were still resting on where they had dumped it upon reaching the apartment. For some reason, the idea of putting them inside the bedroom seemed to put her off.
She shuffled back to the black couch and plopped down. She blushed as she finally acknowledged why she didn't want to enter Athrun's bedroom again. She'd already peaked inside as soon as Athrun had gone, and a million thoughts zoomed in a painful speed around her head upon landing her eyes on the bed inside the room. Bed. Only one bed. And it wasn't even big enough to allow them personal spaces. If Athrun were gentlemanly enough---which she was sure he was---he'd take the couch come bedtime. But then she knew she'd probably insist on him taking the bed and her, the couch, since it was his apartment. And when that happened, Athrun would refuse, and they would either end up both falling asleep on the same bed or both falling asleep on the couch from arguing their strengths off.
Cagalli became more flustered. They'd already slept on the same bed the night before New Year's, but not once did they talk about it, most probably because they'd both been too flustered that morning upon waking up beside each other. To think she'd thought they were mature enough in their relationship! It wasn't as if the were going to do something else aside from sleeping, but she was a girl and he was a boy, and her teenage mind was too stubborn to stop entertaining unwanted thoughts. She made a face and blamed the season.
Argh! Why'd it have to be Valentine's today!
In the end, she had hurriedly decided to shut the door and wait until Athrun returned before thinking of these silly thoughts.
Cagalli shifted in her position and her stomach grumbled, making her remember that she hadn't dialed yet the number of that pizzeria Athrun had left her. She didn't really feel like eating alone, so she got up and headed to the kitchenette to get a drink of water in an attempt to appease her protesting stomach.
She glanced at the clock after her not-so-filling drink of water: 7:30. Gods, she was hungry. Dinner time at the Athha household was around six in the evening, and since she hadn't gone out on any wild adventure after the war and after their settlement, her stomach got accustomed to eating an early dinner.
Despite her condition, she couldn't get it in her to wish that Athrun would return home soon. She knew how important this day was to him, and she had suppressed her own wants because she didn't want to appear selfish to the person who'd been the least selfish to her. She sighed in resignation. She could only imagine the sorrow that the former Justice pilot might be feeling.
She trudged back to living room and was greatly surprised to hear the doorbell go off. Rushing to get the door, she almost tripped on their bags, but managed to get a hold of the doorknob before she totally lost her balance. She jerked the door open, and didn't quite know what to feel when the person at the door frowned at her.
"What?" she frowned back, placing her hands on her hips in an impatient gesture.
"Didn't I tell you not to open the door without looking at the peeping hole?" Athrun entered when Cagalli stepped back to let him through.
Cagalli closed the door and shot Athrun an inquisitive glance. "How'd you know I didn't peep?"
Athrun made his way towards the kitchenette. "You just said so yourself just now."
"Huh?" the blonde stood alone in the living room, befuddled. Then it clicked. She marched towards Athrun's direction and occupied the barstool she had occupied earlier that day, glaring at the blue-head who was innocently fixing something he brought home with him. "I hate it when you do that."
Athrun chuckled. "And still you fall for it."
She rolled her eyes. "It's not like I know you're baiting me or something."
He shrugged, then seemed to look for something he deemed missing.
"What're you looking for?"
"I thought you ordered pizza?"
"I…didn't."
"Oh? Why not? So you haven't eaten dinner yet?" He eyed her curiously, and was both amused and puzzled when Cagalli instantly turned red. "Cagalli?" He began to worry as the room wasn't hot for the blonde to be flustered.
"Ah---I-I--- So what did you bring?" she veered off their topic.
Athrun raised an eyebrow in return, and Cagalli promptly deflated, although she was still blushing an adorable shade of red.
"Fine! I didn't…I didn't wanna eat alone! There! Happy now?" She averted her eyes and chose to stare at the very interesting microwave oven. She, however, spied at the corner of her eyes that smile Athrun carefully reserved only for her, and Cagalli absent-mindedly began to fan herself. "Did you turn on the heater or something?" She immediately covered her mouth with both hands as she realized what she had just uttered.
Athrun laughed. "Did you see me touch the remote?"
At that, Cagalli's embarrassment heightened. She opened her mouth but no words were made audible.
The blue-head toned down his chuckles and leant across the kitchen counter, much like he did earlier. In an unexpected movement, he kissed Cagalli on the nose, pulling away right after before she could even react. "Good thing I thought of taking out Chinese, huh?" He lifted the red paper bag and gave it a little shake for the Orb Princess to see.
Stunned, Cagalli could only nod.
With a smile still lingering on his lips, Athrun proceeded to empty a small container of shrimp dumplings on a plate, before preparing the chili sauce he bought with it. He placed them in front of Cagalli then plucked the two rice-in-a-box take-outs from the paper bag. Going around the counter to sit on the empty barstool beside Cagalli, he handed her one of the boxes and a pair of chopsticks.
"Uh, thanks…" Cagalli finally croaked out, separating the chopsticks and opening the box of rice.
They ate in companionable silence until Athrun decided to break it.
"So, how did you spend your day?" he asked, almost sounding detached.
"I mostly watched TV…"
"Hn…"
"Athrun," Cagalli started before he could speak again.
"Yeah?"
"How..." she faltered. "How are you?" She could see how his grip on the chopsticks tightened, seemingly an unconscious reaction.
"I'm good."
"Athrun…"
Athrun poised his chopsticks above the plate of dumplings before picking up one and depositing it on Cagalli's rice, almost in an attempt to stall. She followed his actions with her eyes, but returned her gaze to him the moment he retrieved his chopsticks.
"There's really nothing to say, Cagalli. It's…it's over anyway."
Before she could voice out what was on her mind, he turned towards her, and there in his emerald orbs she could see that he didn't want to talk about it…at least not now. Biting her lip, she inwardly sighed in resignation. She knew he'd come around to talking about his feelings someday, and when he did, she'd make sure she was there for him.
Cagalli cocked her head to the side. "All right… So, we're officially celebrating Valentine's?" she said, letting go…for now.
He shrugged, once more letting a smile play on his lips. "If dining over Chinese take-out in an empty kitchen suits you just fine as a Valentine celebration, I guess…this is a date then."
Cagalli chewed on her bottom lip, thinking it over. "This is the first time I've a date for Valentine's, so it's not like I have any standards," she confessed light-heartedly, beaming in return.
"So you're saying that a lot of your firsts will be with me," he almost stated, giving her a cocky grin.
Cagalli's eyes widened as she blushed. "Don't get too full of yourself, Zala!"
"Oh, I'm not. I'm merely stating the facts."
With nothing else to defend herself, she opted for sticking her tongue out at him. He just laughed at her. As the night progressed, Athrun and Cagalli spent their evening in the kitchenette, trading silly stories and occasionally teasing each other and seeing who could make the other blush and stutter more. Nothing too sweet, nothing too mushy in their celebration of their first Valentine's together. No fancy restaurants, no flowers, no gifts. Just the two of them in a nondescript kitchen over simple Chinese take-out, yet it was the best Valentine's they'd had in their sixteen years of existence.
"Hey Athrun…what about the bed?"
"What about the bed?" He raised an effectively teasing eyebrow.
And Cagalli thought she'd never blushed so much in her life. Ooh boy…
o-o
The Athha mansion was devoid of teenagers except for Dearka, who was munching on a cookie as he talked on the phone.
"Do you think the others are having a grand time celebrating this day?" Miriallia asked after greeting the former Buster pilot a Happy Valentine's. She'd promised to call him as soon as she got to London, but her excited cousin had taken too much of her time, and only now that it was already late in the evening did she get the chance to ring Dearka.
Dearka shifted in his seat and glanced at the full moon outside the window. He transferred the headpiece to the other ear and answered, "'Grand' might have a different meaning if we're talking about Yzak, but seriously…I've a feeling they all are."
-The End
Author's notes:
Thanks for reading and I'm really sorry about the super, duper long delay. Blame the university and the little fact that I suddenly had a super hard time writing Kira/Lacus interplay! Haha.
Mush, slight drama, and crazy moments all rolled into one. So what do you think? Hope I didn't disappoint. If I did, I'd gladly accept flames. Honest. Haha.
Cheers!