Disclaimer: I've been saying this ever since chapter one! I do not own Gundam Seed. Not now, not ever.
a/n: Well, 'tis I again. I really don't think the last chapter was too eventful, was it? (Dodges sharp kitchen utensils) By the way, I've changed some stuff in the previous chappies. You don't have to re-read them though, since I just put in the dates and stuff so I don't get myself - and you guys - confused. Now, on to chapter ten.
Chapter 10: Don't cry over spilled coffee
December 19 CE 77 1:05 pm
That day was a Monday. Nothing was different, really. It was average.
Athrun Zala would probably disagree, though.
It was a day after he and Yzak Joule talked in his office. Yet he could still not get the question out of his mind.
Is Kira really alive? He thought as he shifted in his seat, propping his elbow on his desk. It was impossible. The Coast Guard officials said he was dead, two years ago. But maybe…
Flashback…
April 12, CE 75 12:57 am
"Did you find him?" Athrun asked one of the few men wearing a diver's suit. The said diver took his snorkel off. He had a grim expression on his face as he shook his head.
Athrun's brain seemed to stop working right then and there. His best friend was dead. The person he spent almost all his life with was gone. Gone when he should've still been alive.
"His body probably drifted to the small underwater trench a little far-off from the bridge," the diver spoke.
"Can't you get the body?"
"That trench, small as it is, is hundreds of feet below sea level. No one can reach the bottom without getting his heart ruptured."
It took a few moments for Athrun to realize that fact. Yes, the Orb trench was deep. Too deep for anyone to reach the bottom, in fact.
And what was worse, he knew that it was all his fault. He knew he could've done something. He shouldn't have gone along with the balloon thing…
The other man, who had sandy blond hair, patted him on the back. "I'm sorry, he's gone," he said, and walked away.
Howwill Cagalli react? He thought. He didn't know how or when to tell her. He saw how Lacus had reacted earlier that night, when he broke the news to her. Athrun didn't want that to happen again.
But he knew he couldn't hide the truth. Not from her.
Athrun shook his head, wanting to forget. He nearly jumped with surprise when the door opened.
"Athrun?" Lacus said, smiling and looking quite weirded out by the raven-haired man's previous action.
Athrun took several short breaths before he spoke. "You… you surprised me."
"Really?" the pink-haired girl said, an innocent look on her face. "I'm sorry."
"That's okay. So, did you want anything?"
Lacus had a blank look on her face, like she forgot what she came for. But then she brightened, as if remembering what she'd forgotten.
"I just wanted to remind you that we're all going to my house for dinner on Saturday."
Athrun gave her a blank stare. "Huh?"
"You forgot?" Lacus asked, not quite believing it. Athrun never forgot about important things. Especially not this important thing. "Christmas is five days away, Athrun!"
"I-I knew that," Athrun said, lying. No wonder why I've been so busy signing papers. Those were Christmas bonuses for the employees, he thought. He was such a scatterbrain today. In fact, he felt that he had something to tell his friend, but he shook that thought, thinking it was nothing.
"Uh, Lacus, I'm really sorry, but I have to go," he said quickly, standing up.
"You haven't bought any gifts, have you?" Lacus questioned him.
"No," Athrun replied as he walked out the door. Then he went back and told Lacus, "I mean, I did!" before he really went out, leaving a smiling Lacus behind.
I wonder what Kira could've given me, she thought as her smile slowly faded.
Will Shawn give me something for Christmas?
She blinked. Where did that thought come from?
Lacus shook her head and went out of the room.
1:45 pm
Yzak Joule was in a vast mall parking lot, walking towards his car, holding a plastic cup of warm cappuccino.
Earth is better than PLANT in some ways, he thought. But not in others.
For one, in Yzak's opinion, the trees, the air, the sun, they were natural on Earth and not in PLANT. Then again, the space colonies seemed to have more advanced technology than on Earth, probably because the people who had real intelligence decided to stay in space than on their home planet.
"There's no use trying to figure out which place is better," he said aloud. "It would be just a waste of-,"
The grey-haired man couldn't finish because someone had bumped into him, causing the cup of cappuccino to spill on his polo shirt.
Yzak was speechless as he watched the big brown stain start to spread. When it didn't spread anymore, Yzak turned his narrowed eyes at the person who was the cause of his newly awakened irritation.
"You just ruined my shirt!" he said hotly. "Do you know how much this cost?"
The person he was talking to was standing up, as she had fallen on the ground after the collision. She tucked some strands of her brown hair behind her ear.
"Gee, thanks so much for helping me, mister," she said, rolling her eyes.
"Why would I help you, anyway? You caused this stain!" Yzak said, pointing to his expensive - but now ruined - Lacoste shirt.
The girl, who seemed to be a little younger than Yzak, had deep blue eyes. She was wearing a white shirt and blue denim jeans.
"Hey, there wouldn't be a stain if you just drank your coffee before you came here," the girl retorted. She pulled out some crumpled bills from her pants pocket while Yzak gave her a dirty look.
"Here," she said, handing the bills to Yzak. "Get it dry-cleaned."
The girl suddenly ran past him. "Hey! Come back here!" Yzak hollered. She didn't seem to hear him. He saw her head to the entrance of the mall.
Well, people on Earth are no different from people in PLANT, that's for sure, he thought, as he muttered profanities under his breath.
Yzak hurriedly took his polo shirt off and thanked the heavens that he was wearing an undershirt.
He decided to take the girl's advice. He went back inside the mall, heading to the dry cleaners.
1:44 pm
Dearka Elsman went down on Earth from Aprilus One on vacation. Recently though, instead of vacationing he was "babysitting" his nineteen-year old cousin. Call him a worrywart or whatever, but Dearka was just concerned since her cousin, Shiho, was pretty much living alone, since she ran away from home sometime ago. Long story.
Anyway, Shiho was running late for her part-time job because of her exams that day. The tan boy volunteered to drive her to the mall.
"Thanks, Dearka," Shiho said, when they were in the parking lot. "What would I do without you?"
She didn't wait for her cousin's answer. She went out of the car and bolted like her life depended on it.
Dearka decided he wanted to cruise the mall, too. Besides, he thought. I might see Yzak here.
Five minutes after he went inside the mall doors, he saw Shiho. He quickly went to where she was. Dearka looked at his watch. It was now 1:50 pm.
"Shiho," Dearka said. "Aren't you supposed to be working?"
"They fired me," she answered. "Said they can't tolerate my tardiness any longer."
"Didn't you tell them about your midterm?"
Shiho nodded. "They said they can't tolerate excuses either."
"Well, good riddance to Seven-Eleven then, huh?" Dearka said. "You'll find another job, no sweat."
"Yeah, I guess," Shiho replied, not really believing it.
2:15 pm
Shawn Frost was in his temporary office, which was in Munchausen electronics, Orb branch. He was pretty much doing nothing but reading newspapers. Then an article caught his eye.
It was a shot of him and Lacus in Shawn's car. It was during the other night, when he took the pink-haired girl to the lake. Yet it was the article itself that really got his attention.
"The successors of the two biggest business tycoons in the world were seen together the other night at about twelve o' clock midnight," Shawn read. "Lacus Clyne, the daughter of Siegel Clyne, is a married woman, while Shawn Frost, the adopted son of Mwu La Fllaga of Munchausen electronics, is engaged. Could these two be having… an… affair?"
Oh no, he thought. This was going to stir up a major scandal. Who knows how many people had read this already?
What if Fllay knows?
Shawn grabbed his mobile phone from the table and dialed a number. It rang once, and then someone picked up.
"Good afternoon, this is Clyne enterprises. What can I do for you?"
"Can I speak to Miss Lacus Clyne… I mean, Mrs. Zala please?" he said. "This is Shawn Frost."
"She's out at the moment, but I can direct you to her mobile number, if you want."
"Thanks, I'd really appreciate it."
A moment later, the other line rang again. This time, he heard a familiar voice.
"Hello?"
"Hi, Lacus, it's me," Shawn said. "Listen, can I meet with you somewhere? I don't think I can talk about this by phone."
On the other line, Lacus was wondering what "this" could possibly be. "Okay. Bo's Coffee Shop, then. The one at Heather Street."
"Okay." He pushed the end call button.
You're just using this as an excuse to see her, the little voice called conscience said to him. Isn't that right?
No, you're wrong, the brunette mentally retorted. It's just coincidence.
Or maybe that was just what he wanted to believe.
2: 23 pm
Yzak was out of the dry-cleaners, wearing his newly washed and dried polo shirt. He was just about to get back to the parking lot when he saw a familiar blond whose hair was impossible not to notice.
"Hey, Dearka!" he called. The blond-haired man turned around.
"Yzak! So you've been here all year?"
"No," Yzak replied. "I was traveling. And I still am. What brought you here?"
"I was traveling too, but my plans sort of got canceled when I decided to look after my cousin," Dearka said, pointing to a brown-haired girl whose back was turned to them. She was busy with her cellular phone or something.
"Cousin? You never told me you had a cousin on Earth."
"You never asked," he said with a smirk as he walked away towards the girl, who didn't seem to look anything like him.
In fact, that girl looked just like…
"Yzak Joule, this is Shiho Hahnenfu," Dearka introduced.
"It's you!" Yzak and Shiho said together when they caught each other's eyes.
The tan twenty-two year-old looked uncomfortable. "So I guess you both know each other."
"Oh no, I have absolutely no idea who she is," Yzak said sarcastically, glaring at Shiho. "I didn't even know it was her who ran into me and spilled my cup of cappuccino all over my shirt."
"Hey, I was in a hurry!" Shiho retorted. "I got fired from Seven-Eleven because of you!"
"You know, there are people staring at us," Dearka said. "Why don't we just talk this over calmly, over an espresso, perhaps?" So much for introductions, he thought, as a big sweat drop appeared behind his head.
"I don't think so," Yzak said. "I'm getting out of here."
"Be sure you don't come back," Shiho said.
"I wasn't talking to you."
"Like I care."
"Whatever," Yzak said, walking away from them.
"Who does he think he is?" Shiho said, facing Dearka. "Just 'cause I spilled his coffee on his shirt doesn't give him the right to… to…" she trailed off, not knowing what words to use to describe what Yzak did, exactly.
"Don't mind him, he's just a hothead," Dearka assured her. "But he's really a nice guy."
Shiho gave him a skeptic look. "Nice? If it was opposite day, then maybe I would believe you."
Dearka half-smiled and said, "If you get to know him, you'll see that I'm right."
"Wanna bet?" Shiho challenged. Dearka's smile turned into a smirk.
"How much?"
2:25 pm
"Hi, sorry I'm late," Lacus said, walking to where Shawn was standing, which was in front of the double doors leading to the coffee shop. "I brought some friends, if you don't mind."
"No, I don't mind." No sooner had Shawn said that, someone else spoke.
"So it is true, what Lacus said," the blue-haired man behind Lacus said. "You do look exactly like him."
a/n: Two thousand words! I think this chapter is the longest in the history of this fic. Well, hope this is okay. Sorry for the cliffie though. I'm not sure I can update this week though. By the way, are Shiho's eyes purple or blue... or something? I'm not really sure.
P.S.: Merry Christmas to y'all!
