Kira looked at his best friend with concern. "Are you sure you don't want to come, Athrun? There'll be food and we'll get back early enough so that you can finish your report."

The azure-eyed boy pinched the bridge of his nose. "If it's all the same to you, Kira, I'd rather not go." He tried not to be drawn in by the familiar expression of childish disappointment on the opposite Coordinator's face.

"Lacus and Cagalli said the same thing," the brunette announced, confused. "Are the three of you really going to stay here all day? Look, Athrun, I know this holiday is difficult for you now, but—"

The former Justice pilot cut in roughly before the other boy could finish. "Forget it, Kira. I know your father has been good to me for all the years I've known him, but I just don't feel like using him as a replacement. Not so soon. I can't…"

"Athrun…"

"My own father has died, Kira. There are still days when I think it hasn't even sunken in. It's the same for Cagalli and Lacus. In time, maybe, we'll be able to let ourselves move on, but right now I just can't…"

Kira watched the fallen face of his childhood friend. "It's okay, Athrun. I understand. I'm sorry. If you want to stay here, then stay. I'll bring you back some leftovers," he offered.

The blue-headed boy bestowed him with a weak smile. "Thanks."

"Anytime." With that, Kira quietly opened the door and slipped out. He exchanged a few words with his sister as the Princess of Orb moved past him in the opposite direction.

Then the blonde girl took a seat beside Athrun, melting into the cushions as if weary from her short journey. They sat in silence, watching the sun filter through the curtains and make patterns on the wall.

"He used to sit in that chair," Cagalli ventured after a few long moments had passed.

Athrun's eyes went wide, and he sat up to get a better look at the tired Rouge pilot beside him. "What?"

"My father," she said. "That was where he sat to read to me when I was a little girl."

Athrun didn't say anything. He hadn't expected Cagalli to begin reminiscing. Tough and stubborn as any unyielding knot, his best friend's twin usually kept deep feelings to herself. The Coordinator decided to let her speak if that was what she wanted.

"I don't really want to talk about it, if that's what you were wondering," she told him when he didn't respond. "I just remembered all of a sudden. But I don't want to talk. Or think. I don't want to remember."

Athrun stared at her.

"I don't want to feel anything at all," she finished, dropping her head and resting her brow on her knees. She remained silent for a moment before speaking again. "I used to yell at him for not letting me do things when he was trying to protect me."

The azure-eyed boy shifted uncomfortably. "Cagalli…"

"Damn it," she cursed, springing from the sofa and ramming her foot into the leg of the coffee table with passion. "He was so stupid! He could have gotten out with us. He didn't have to give his life!" Her fists were tight at her sides. "And he left me with nothing but mysteries about who I really am. What I am."

Athrun suddenly felt strained. His head hurt. The memory of Orb's destruction played across his vision like a slideshow as he recalled the day Uzumi Nara Athha had made the ultimate sacrifice. He looked at the girl before him, watched as she angrily paced the room and fought back tears. The drops that threatened to fall were for a good cause, for a worthy father that had given his life for his only child, his Princess. And what had his father done in the name of justice? A headache began to form between his eyes.

"Cagalli," he began, "Your father was a brave man. Don't ever forget that. He did what he thought was best. My father…" his voice seemed to halt without any warning. He cleared his throat. "Patrick Zala lost control over himself before anyone could stop him. He was misguided, and he did nothing but worsen the events of the war. He would have killed me too if he'd had the chance."

Cagalli snorted, a bitter noise of regret and contempt. "What kind of father would do that to his own son?" At once she turned sober upon realizing the hostility of her own words. "Athrun, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…"

"It's okay," the young Coordinator said. "I sometimes wonder that same thing myself. I wonder if I'll turn out like he did. Or if we could have gotten along if it weren't for the war and the death of my mother."

Cagalli's features contracted in sympathy. "Sometimes circumstances change the things that could have been. But he was a strong man, and so are you. You'll learn from his mistakes. And you'll remember what he taught you."

He met her hazel gaze slowly. "And you'll continue to uphold your father's neutral ideals, am I right?"

Her face was resolute. "That's right."

"My, you two certainly seem to be having a serious talk in here," came the soft voice of Lacus as she entered with a tea tray. "Might I ask what it's all about?"

Neither Athrun nor Cagalli answered her. The pink-haired songstress studied both of them. She placed the tray delicately on the coffee table and took a seat with a calm grace.

"Both of you look very sad," she observed.

"Aren't you?" Cagalli demanded at once, "Even just a little?"

Lacus hesitated, but considered only a second before answering coolly. "No."

"But your father is gone now, too, all because of what happened during that stupid war! How can you flounce around drinking tea like there's nothing wrong?" Cagalli fumed at the other girl's utter nonchalance.

"It's really quite simple," Lacus informed her, while Athrun looked on in mild fascination. "I'm not sad because Father's Day is a time to celebrate, and to remember all the wonderful times one has had with their father. It's not a time for mourning, even if one's father is dead."

Athrun sat dumbstruck. "But Lacus…"

"But nothing," she chided. "Would your father want to see you moping around? He'd be disgusted." She ignored the shocked look that crossed her former fiancé's face and went on. "And my father wouldn't want me to be sad, either. On this day, it's best to have pride in our fathers, and to honor them for all the great things they've done. It doesn't matter that they're gone."

Cagalli sank onto a nearby chair. "But I can't go talk to him. I can't tell him I'm sorry for the things I've done wrong. It feels more like a funeral the way you're speaking about honoring them."

Lacus pouted just slightly. "It most certainly does not. No one said your father has to be alive for you to celebrate Father's Day."

"Lacus, you're being ridiculous," Athrun muttered, running his hands through his blue locks in aggravation, only to jump when her tone grew harsh.

"Isn't your father still you father, Athrun Zala? Or does his being dead oust him from that important position?" Her stare was severe. He was stunned.

"I…"

"He is still your father. He may have done bad things, but he loved you and cared about you, so there's no reason to sit here full of angst. And Cagalli's father didn't die so she could call his last choice stupid and feel sorry for herself." The blonde averted her eyes, and the songstress went on. "My father was mercilessly executed by his own people, but I will not let his efforts go to waste by remaining unhappy and not taking action. I'll use this day to think of him and plan a better future, a future of peace."

The other two sat in silence long after the melodious voice of the pop princess had ceased.

"Fathers aren't perfect no matter what they do," Lacus whispered, "But I have pride in mine. I have so much pride that it will last forever, even though he's gone. Do you?"

The sun had begun to set, and the curtains rustled in the breeze. Athrun lifted his azure eyes and met Cagalli's hazel ones before turning to Lacus and raising his tea cup in a toast. His heart ached mildly, and a piece of him still clung to his old sentiments, but as his eyes next caught those of cool blue, he banished them once and for all.

"To our fathers on Father's Day," he said immediately. Then he tilted back his head to drink to three very important men.

A/N: I'm sorry, this whole story was rather rushed. I forgot Father's Day was coming up, to tell the truth. I'm sure I could have used Uzumi Nara Athha, Siegel Clyne, and Patrick Zala in a much more sentimental story if I'd allowed myself more time. Perhaps next year I'll do a more creative Father's Day piece.