Disclaimer: Gundam Seed is not mine, okay? If it were, Destiny's ending wouldn't come out the way it did.

a/n: Yes! My one-week vacation has officially started! I can laze off! And update more, of course. Oh, and thanks for the reviews! I really appreciate them. Anyways, go read and tell me what you think.

Chapter 5: The tears just don't stop

December 6 CE 77 12:15 pm

Lacus pressed the button on the elevator. Before the door closed completely, her blue eyes locked with amethyst ones. Kira's… no, Shawn's eyes.

Then the door closed. Lacus couldn't hold her tears in anymore. So she allowed them to fall freely. No one was around to see her, after all.

After a few minutes, the elevator opened. By then, Lacus had already wiped off her tears. No one could tell that she was sad. For two years now, she put up a façade, that she would never become unhappy or angry. That she was strong and that nothing would bring her down. But could she still muster the strength to keep that façade?

When she went inside her office, she immediately went to sit on the executive chair in the middle of the room. She turned it away from the table and instead looked out the big window, seeking solace that she knew she wouldn't find, anyway.

Why? Why can't I just get over you, Kira? She thought. Why are you so hard to forget?

She started sobbing again, just like she did two years ago, days after Kira's death. Often she wondered what might've happened if it was she that died, and not Kira. And often she'd blamed herself for making Kira fall off that bridge. The ring on the balloon he tried to catch was for her, after all.

Being hurt and guilty was not a good combination. And it showed.

"Um, may I come in?" a familiar voice sounded. Lacus quickly wiped off her tears with her handkerchief and faced the person.

"Oh, sure," Lacus said, giving Shawn Frost a half-hearted smile, which was all she could manage at that moment. The newcomer went in, closing the door behind him.

The pink-haired princess offered Shawn a seat. Then she asked, "What did you come here for?"

"I just wanted to see if you were okay," he said, concerned.

"I am, thanks," Lacus replied.

"I don't think you are."

She was caught off-guard by that statement. "What… what made you think that?"

"You can't look at me straight in the eye. Tell me, do you have a problem with me?" Shawn said. The question came out quite rudely, though he didn't intend it to be so.

"My problems don't concern you at all," Lacus said in a low voice.

"Still, I'd like to know what they are."

"It's… It's really none of your business, Chairman Frost. Unless you happen to be Kira Yamato," Lacus said. She regretted saying the last seven words.

"Kira Yamato?" Shawn blurted out. That was the name he had in his dreams. Lacus… she always called him Kira.

"He was my boyfriend. He died two years ago," Lacus said quietly, lowering her head, which caused her hair to cover her face. "And you… you look a lot, if not exactly, like him."

Shawn wanted to tell her something, anything, to cheer her up. But he couldn't find the words in his head. He was the cause of her misery. Though he knew he could be Kira, he liked his life exactly how it was right then. After all, he couldn't leave Mwu behind, or Fllay. Not after all they'd done for him.

"I'm sorry, I… didn't know."

Lacus didn't answer him. Shawn stood up. Lacus expected him to leave, but instead he walked towards her and kneeled in front of her. He gently pressed her head against his shoulder, not really thinking about anything else but for her to be alright. And at that moment, she actually was.

Lacus held on to him. She really wanted to believe he was Kira, but her mind rejected it. He can't replace Kira, he's dead! A voice screamed at her. She quickly sat up straight.

"I-I'm sorry," she stammered.

Shawn, too, realized what he was doing and stood up. He didn't say anything. Instead, he walked to the door. He was about to turn the doorknob when Lacus spoke.

"Um, you dropped something," she said softly.

Shawn turned back. He picked up the small picture frame that had fallen out of his jacket pocket, and looked at it. Lacus could see longing in his lavender eyes.

I wonder who that is, Lacus said inwardly.

Shawn, as if answering her question, said, "This is my fiancée, Fllay Allster."

He showed her the picture frame he was holding.

"Oh," Lacus said, managing to smile despite the fact that her heart was breaking itself into pieces. "She must be pretty lucky to have you."

"And I'm lucky I have her," Shawn replied, smiling as well. Slowly, it faded. "I guess I'll be going now, then."

It was Lacus's turn to stay silent. As Shawn stepped out the door, her phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Lacus," Athrun said on the other line. "Listen, I need to know what your blood type is."

"O," she answered. She heard Athrun mutter a profanity under his breath. "Why?"

"Cagalli's father, he was shot at yesterday, he needs some blood donors," he said tersely.

"What's his blood type?"

"AB."

"Maybe I can help," Lacus suggested.

"Yeah, we could use it," Athrun replied. "Thanks."

"No problem." Click.

She then proceeded to make some phone calls, hoping that keeping herself busy would make her forget her encounter with Shawn.


12:30 pm

Shawn, meanwhile, was deep in thought after he went out of Lacus Clyne's office. He was pretty sure that he didn't want to become Kira Yamato. Besides, who knew what would happen to him then? It was a complicated process. He already had an identity, false as it might be.

He recalled the conversation he and Lacus had not too long ago. I guess I was kind of hard on her, he thought. He walked to the elevator. When it closed, he noticed something shiny on the floor. He picked it up. It was a golden ring. At the back of the ring he saw some words engraved on it.

My heart is always with you, Lacus.-Kira

The part of his brain that'd been hidden from him for two years made itself known. At least, at that moment.

Flashback…

April 9 CE 75 4:01 pm

"That one," Kira said. He looked at his best friend. "What do you think?"

"It looks okay," the blue-haired teen said. "But don't you think she'd like something better?"

"She likes the simple things," Kira replied.

"Well, you know her more than I do."

Kira then decided on his purchase.

"Would you like something engraved at the back of the ring, sir?" the man in the store asked.

"Yeah, maybe I do," the brown-haired boy said. He took out a piece of paper and wrote something. My heart is always with you, Lacus.-Kira

His best friend looked over Kira's shoulder and snorted. "Talk about corny."

"Like you can think of anything better."

The memory had gone as fast as it had come.

"Dammit," he said aloud. He put the ring in his pocket.

DING-DONG. "You are now at the lobby," the elevator speaker's mechanical voice informed him. The elevator opened and Shawn went out.

And the person he saw brought a smile to his frowning face.

"Fllay."


2: 40 pm

"Well I'm pooped," Cagalli said, taking a seat.

"You think I'm not?" Athrun said, seating himself beside Cagalli.

"I didn't ask you."

They were now in the room where Lord Uzumi was. Currently, he was sleeping.

"Well, thanks to the council members and Lacus, we have nothing to worry about," Athrun said, a smile crossing his face.

"Thanks to you, too, Athrun," Cagalli said, looking at him. "Thanks for coming back."

Athrun's smile grew wider. He tucked some of Cagalli's stray hair behind her ear.

"What was that for?" she asked.

"You really need to fix yourself up," Athrun said. "You look like you've been in a hurricane."

"Shut up, Za-," Cagalli started to say, but was cut off by Athrun kissing her.

A few moments later, they broke the kiss for air. Cagalli's cheeks were as red as ever.

"Athrun! I can't believe you did that!"

Athrun shrugged. "I figured you had to shut up."

"Why you…" Cagalli didn't finish. Instead she kissed Athrun back. She closed her eyes. And Athrun did the same.


a/n: Well, that wraps up chapter five! So sorry I can't make my chapters longer. I dunno, I just can't seem to make it long. Must be laziness again. Well...don't forget to review!