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Chapter 26: DM
She had wanted to forget him…
She wanted to pretend as if nothing happened between them and begin life anew. She had told everyone around her that's it is over between him and her, she deceived her friends, she managed to convince her family, but the one person she could not hide the truth from…was herself…...
She couldn't forget him, however she tried…She couldn't tell her heart not to quicken when he smiles, she didn't have the ability to keep herself from blushing when he whispers sweet nothings into her ears, and when he does special things that are meant for her eyes only… She knew she could never forget him.
But deep down inside, she felt that a relationship with the perky coordinator was plain impossible. He grew up hating Naturals, she learned to hate Coordinators. But after that it, had to happen, she found herself charmed by his childishness, his happy-go-lucky attitude, the shrug- it- all- off way he carried himself, she found herself involuntarily getting closer to him, attracted in a ethereal way to the idiot. Why do people call it 'falling in love' had been a mystery to her for the longest of times, it makes it sound as if you're just walking on the streets one day minding your own business and you dropped into a trap hole…Now she finally understood, because she has found herself in the same trap hole. Because he's just special…
He's so special that he's a hazard to himself and others sometimes, like now…
"Quit following me!" Miriallia Haww demanded as she pranced on the side of Orb's streets with Lacus and Murrue one evening.
"Why? I took time off to come to earth. It's a free world, can't I choose to spend my vacation stalking you?" Dearka replied sheepishly, as he continued walking beside her. Miria rolled her eyes, "You're really an idiot. Which part of N and O did you not comprehend!"
"Probably both." He replied while flashing her his trademark smirk. She sighed in exasperation, clenching her fist to prevent herself from hitting him in front of the other two ladies.
"How 'bout a date?" He proposed casually, almost too casually. So loosely that Miria was one notch closer to losing her temper…
"Oh my," Lacus commented, "Miria, I think it's better you go…"
"And why would you think that…" Miria asked impatiently, surprised that Lacus stood on his side.
"Cause I don't like shopping with a Zaft soldier stalking us…" Murrue agreed, Lacus nodded, "And you will be able get him off all our backs." And at this point she turned and faced Miria, "Me and Mrs La Flaga have something else to do… Isn't that right, Captain Ramius."
She looked surprise but she quickly acknowledged Lacus's statement, "Right." And Lacus took Murrue's hand and chorused to the shell-shocked Miria, "Bye! and ran off before Miria could say another word…
Miria stood rooted to the spot, her girl friends just abandoned her to -of all people- Dearka Elthman. She could have sworn that she preferred jumping into the midst of a school of piranhas dressed as a meatloaf; or even better, go sit in the same room as Yzak while wearing an Athrun mask… Anything to get away from one afternoon spent one to one with Dearka Elthman...
She turned and threw him a dirty look of reproach as he winked at Lacus, he quickly stopped what he was doing and put on an innocent face, something he was never good at.
"Can you believe it? You get to spend one whole evening with yours truly!" He declared enthusiastically.
"I'm trying not to…" She growled as she rubbed her temples, "Pinch me."
"Ouch, c'mon, just one dinner isn't gonna hurt. I need company."
"Go look for the red head coordinator then! What's her name…?" Miria frowned as she tried to remember, "Meyrin! Go look for her, Don't. Bug. Me." She uttered in warning. She turned around to leave, but before she could walk away, he tugged her hand and pulled her towards himself. As a girl and a natural, she couldn't resist him as he looked at her eye to eye. And for once, he looked dead serious as he hesitantly muttered, "She's…she found herself a boyfriend."
Miria couldn't help but sympathize with him for he looked so much like a disappointed wet puppy at that moment. But she wasn't about to let him know how much, outwardly she lifted an eyebrow and forced herself to say it as if she didn't care, "So?"
"So do me a favour and comfort me…" he said as he pouted childishly. Miria caught her breath, and warned herself that no matter how cute he looked, she cannot give in. She groped for another way to refuse him, "Erm…We're not going Dutch are we! I'm not going if we are!"
Dearka widened his eyes as he digested the statement and Miria wanted to find a hole to bury herself in. She had said the line out of impulse and never really thought about it, now she could only berate herself for the downright dumb reply. Dearka was happy, because that meant Miria agreed, and she was bound by her word…Miria had obviously realized that she has lost the battle as she obediently allowed herself to be towed away by Dearka holding her hand…
---
Dearka was good with girls, and he has a few battle plans up his sleeves to win Miria's heart…
Strategy number one, A Horror Movie. Nothing bonds two people better than a horror movie. Dearka was celebrating his victory when he ended up being the one screaming and covering his eyes and Miria comforting him…Plan failed…
Strategy number two, a quiet walk in the park and the gift of a red rose. Usually it will charm any girl out of her shoes, but Miria just took one look at it and tossed it into the lake…
Strategy number three, a romantic candle light dinner for two. But…Dearka frowned. The weather was wonderful, a full moon hung above the clear night sky, basking the whole of Orb in its dim, alluring glow. They were seated on either sides of the dinner table, and a candle, a stalk of red rose, their steak and a bottle of champaign sat idly between them, waiting to be touched. They are on the main attraction of Orb theme park, a forty nine story high ferries wheel in its revolution. A pleasant breeze blew past, sifting through Dearka's golden hair. Sure, the night was perfect, the ambiance great and there was a cute girl seated across him, the only problem was that the girl had refused to speak for the last hour. And he had to resort to cracking jokes (mainly bad ones, of course), which didn't managed to get a chuckle out of Miria.
"What's eating you…?" Dearka asked timidly as he shifted uncomfortably, learning to be quiet wasn't exactly on of his forte. And when Miria was quiet, she was scary… She turned to eye him with a look approaching skeptism, as if Dearka just asked the stupidest question on earth. "You…"
"Ouch…" Dearka faked a grimace as he placed his hand over his chest, "that's twice a day! You're breaking my heart." He grumbled in his shrill falsetto voice, "If this goes on, I'll need a heart transplant!"
"Maybe what you need is a brain transplant…" she replied nonchalantly, trying to act as if she didn't care.
"But we need to talk!"
She raised an eyebrow, "About?
"Us! You and me!" He shouted so anxiously that Miria wanted to laugh, but outwardly she didn't allow her face to show her bemusement. Instead, she went quiet…
Miria had chosen the silent approach when her and her big mouth had gotten her into enough trouble already. (Namely 'A day with the jerk') and was utterly convinced that the more she kept her mouth shut, the less eventful their night out will be, and the more unlikely she will blurt out stupid things in front of him. He arranged this posh, romantic dinner just for her, it was enough to make any girl's day. But she wasn't about to let him find out just how touched she was at his gestures…
Miria scowled and Dearka wanted to take cover under the table, but he chanced a guess at the girl's mood, "Now you're so happy now that you can't find the words to tell me, right?"
Miria's head snapped up in response, looking at him with widened eyes as she held back a small gasp.
Bingo…Dearka thought was he punched a fist in the air under the table, delirious with his first victory in the night. Miria wasn't a good liar and that was his best advantage, all he had to do was to make the girl say what she truly meant in her heart for once, which is a little harder than making Yzak say the magical three words to Sedna…
"Don't worry about it, I get paid all these years and have no one to spend it on!" He replied as he chuckled, Miria swiped at him indignantly and missed. Dearka know she's now in her attack phase, which he had to counter with a softer tactic…
"Hey, attacking orphans now eh…?" Miria's face slackened, apparently surprised for a split second before retorting, "Who says you are an orphan!"
"My mom's long gone, and I fell out with my old man…So I have no parents…"
It worked, for Miria became quiet again, and she looked down in her lap, not knowing what else to say… "I'm sorry…" she began, "You were kicked out of your house for the election business right?"
It was Dearka's turned to be indignant, "I DIDN'T get kicked out of the house, I packed my bags and left!" he almost shouted in explaining himself, "How can you expect me to continue living with someone who tried to kill two of my best buds!"
"Well, he is a supreme councilor…" She pointed out, her voice louder as well.
"That doesn't justify anything!"
"He might be crying for you now…"
"I should be the one crying…" Dearka spat, "I have a jerk for a father. Killing Naturals is one thing, killing coordinators…" he looked at Miria with a start, "I didn't mean that!"
"I know you didn't…" she replied, shrugging the supposed offence off readily. "Killing coordinators named Yzak and Athrun is another thing." She finished for him, smiling wryly at his expression. "Did he get found out? I mean…his own son testified against him."
"An eighteen year old green uniform's words don't account for much…" He grumbled with discontent.
"The supreme councilor's and the present chairman's words?"
"Both of those idiots were like, barely conscious for a week immediately after the elections, not present, no proof. And our leads trace back to Yzak's mum, so he's trying to silence everything to prevent jeopardizing the chances of the re-trial, not to mention spilling the beans will end Sedna in the guillotine as well, and I don't blame him." Dearka smiled at this point, "I would do the same for you."
"Right." Miria replied sarcastically, narrowing her eyes.
"I will, I really will!" Dearka insisted. She muttered, "I believe you." In a placating manner and she raised her hand, "stop talking, I'm hungry, let's eat."
In silence, the pair ate. But the action was going on below with the scouting team shivering in the night air forty meters beneath, "He'd better thank me for this…" Yzak spat as he folded his arms. Sedna laughed, and Meyrin gave a status report as she looked through the binoculars, "Dining in process…But they're not talking."
"Crap, he's getting owned three times a day…" Sai muttered as he poked his head out from the dark bushes beside Yzak, who almost jumped, "Just how many of you frickin' bastards are there here!" He demanded. Sai was unperturbed as he replied, "A few more…Spencer you there?" Another head popped up nearby, "Yea, big brother is not doin' so well." He reported as he frown slightly, pointing at Dearka and Miria on the Ferris wheel.
"Spencer, check. Faith?"
"Here." Faith squeaked from behind Spencer, and gave Sai a little toothless smile.
"Kira, Lacus?" Sai called, and Kira and Lacus walked towards them holding hands, like they were taking a stroll under the moonlight. And looked at each other lovingly, like the others don't exist. Yzak sighed as he muttered disapprovingly, "Get a room, you two newly weds…"
Sedna could hear the sarcasm in Yzak's voice and could tell that he was on the verge of cracking. She could understand why, he took leave from his duties at high tide just to pull together this little operation, it started with four people but grew steadily larger and more complicated with each moment spent planning. And now they need an attendance taking session. "Are the stuff here yet?" Sai called again.
"Nay, those two are late…" Kira replied half-heartedly, never taking his eyes off his wife.
"How are Miria and Dearka doin'…?" Lacus asked as she looked up.
"They are being uncooperative! That irresponsible idiot…! I can't believe I'm doing this…" Yzak declared as he ignored her, and a hand went to his temples, as if troubled by a migraine.
"Believe it." Sedna replied with bemused smile as she took Yzak's hand off his face gently and kissed him lightly. "Mr Zala and Miss Yula Athha don't even have a honey moon, so I'd pity them if I were you… If you don't want to, let's just go, it's a nice night out… Even Shinn and Luna are gone."
"They too?" Yzak asked incredulously, Meyrin nodded for confirmation.
"Relax…" Sedna said as she swing his hand front and back. "…just think how to explain to Dearka if he found out."
"…The monkeys made me do it."
"And if it didn't work out?"
"The monkeys made me do it still."
"Good answer." Sedna replied, satisfied.
---
Miria looked up and muttered, "Dearka…"
"Huh?"
"Do you feel…?" she asked as she frowned.
"Feel…?" Dearka asked in anticipation, sitting up.
"That we're being watched?"
"By the stars above?" Dearka uttered, excited that Miria is trying to be romantic. "Sure, there are lots of beautiful diamond dust in the sky tonight…"
"No, you moron, people. Watched. By. People."
"No."
"Forget it, you're just dense." Miria declared as she threw up her hands to surrender.
"You angry because I'm…dense?" Dearka asked slowly.
"No." She admitted, "It just doesn't feel right. Me and you alone on one table. This sucks." She next went to uncork the red wine on their table and poured a little for herself before asking Dearka. "Half or full?"
---
"They are here!" Sai announced, and Athrun and Cagalli came running, they stopped a few feet away from where the party was assembled and panted heavily.
"Did you bring the stuff!" Yzak demanded of Athrun, who gestured briefly at the large foam box slung on his shoulder. He stood upright and handed the whole box to Yzak wordlessly, and went to sit down on the bench as Spencer pried it open and scrutinized the items within. A bright smile lit his young, rounded face as he exclaimed, "This is good stuff!" And he turned to Athrun as he busied himself with the set up, "You sure you're just a Chairman?" Athrun nodded wryly with a bemused smile, Cagalli went to settle down beside Athrun and answered proudly in his stead, "'Course not, he's Athrun Zala. You have any idea how many sleepless nights we have to go through to make this stuff?" she grumbled."A couple…" Athrun added as he smiled cheekily, "…can't we just get the show on the road? I want to check out to effects too."
---
When Miria offered him the wine, he assumed the girl could hold her liquor. And that was the worst assumption he's ever gonna make (Or the best one…). He as a coordinator and a guy, could easily have taken the whole bottle and stay sane enough to drive home, she on the other hand…
She started acting odd after the third glass, and was silent and solemn.
"Miria, you're drunk…" Dearka stated, watching her blink lazily.
"I'm not." She proclaimed, her cheeks flushed red hot "One more glass."
Dearka quickly poured
all the residual liquid from the bottle and finished it in one gulp.
"No more…Come on, I'll take you home." He offered as he stood
up to take her shoulders. She wiggled out of his grip and went to the
edge of the carriage and stood there motionlessly, gazing at the sky.
"Miri?" Dearka asked as he walked towards her, standing beside
her to check out what she was looking at.
They stood there in the
silent music, both staring intently at the sky above where stars
spanned across the vast heavens, as far as the eye can see. And
Dearka was getting impatient, the day hadn't turned out the way he
planned, and with Miria drunk, there's really nothing much else to
be done… "Miria. Let's go."
"No."
"Huh?"
"It's beautiful…It's nice out tonight…" she said dreamily, and she closed her eyes, as if savouring the taste of the breeze. "It's peaceful, no war. No coordinator and natural jerk trying to kill each…"
Dearka looked away, not knowing how to answer, and that he may very well be the coordinator jerk she was referring to. "How I wish…that it will be like this."
"Sure it will." He promised as he chuckled, "Orb and PLANTs are practically married to each other now."
Miria turned to study Dearka now, as if displeased at his bad joke. She reached out a hand slowly, advancing towards his face. And with a swift sudden movement Dearka thought impossible for a Natural, Miria did the unexpected. She pulled Dearka towards herself and kissed him senseless…
"Status report?" Yzak asked.
"Hang on…they finished eating, staring in the sky…and erm…"
"What's erm?" Sai questioned.
"NOW!"
Dearka thought he was in heaven as he gave in to her, allowing himself the luxury of indulging in the moment that belonged to just the two of them. At the instant he didn't care if both Earth and PLANTs fell out of orbit and crash into the sun, or if all the star fall out of the sky…He was kissing Miria…and that was enough for him…Boldly his hands went to circle her waist, pulling her closer to himself. He savoured her touch, he liked her presence, he liked the unfamiliar intimacy…he had set out hoping that Miria would tell him how she really felt, he had hoped to hear her true feelings…Hope upon hope that she was lying when she said she hated him…He wanted time to turn back to the place when they first met. She, a soldier aboard the legged ship, he, an enemy soldier. He wanted their relationship restore, he wanted her to say that she loved him…And he got more than he bargained for, she didn't say it, but she did it… Even though she's not very coherent, Dearka could tell that her feelings for him are still there, for it was in sub consciousness where one cannot tell lies…
He closed his eyes as well, his hands reaching to stroke through her hair. The heavenly bodies were their witness, the air their divine altar. And all Dearka wish for was a little magic to light up the sky, to enhance the atmosphere, and at this moment his wish was granted…
He gasped and pulled away as the first shot light up the air, erupting into a large spherical multi-coloured sparkler. The rest came one after another, painting the peaceful night sky in a series of brilliant coloured lights with a popping sound each time. Like a picture of celebration, where people danced and sang like the light; beautifully and elegantly shining for the moment, casting its ethereal hue on the people below, and fading into dust the next…
"WOW!" Spencer exclaimed, "Look at that!" he pointed it out to Faith, who clapped her hands excitedly as the popping sounds continued. Sedna and Yzak hooked their hands together as they watched the radiant display of lights, and Yzak pecked her on the cheek, whispering into her ear. "You like it?"
"Hmm. But not as much as I like you…" and Yzak blushed.
Sai was smiling as well, seeing Kira and Lacus disappear from sight. And he turned around to talk to Cagalli, "You guys hard work paid off…" and he stopped himself. For Athrun and Cagalli were cuddled together and were both sound asleep on each other's shoulder…
Miria looked at the display of fireworks, then at him, she was smiling sweetly, as if perfectly contented at the moment. Dearka took the initiative this time, with a hand, he lifted her chin, and kissed her…
---
End, happy? Hee…