Legend:
"Words"
"Thoughts"
Chapter One - Homecoming
It had been what, a year? He was twenty years old, but, like a kid wanting to get a piece of candy, he wanted to see Lacus. His Lacus. He'd missed her terribly – and he wanted to see her as soon as possible…unfortunately, he needed to see her in secret – so he sent her a letter. He wasn't sure whether she would come or not, but he could always hope…
Lacus walked through the dimly lit streets in a dark blue jacket, pale blue t-shirt and jeans. She gripped the letter in her hand tightly, her heart filled with the same hope everyone had told her to let go of. Everyone, even Athrun and Cagalli told her to, but she couldn't. She loved him too much.
Stopping at the designated spot, she looked up at the big oak tree she and Kira had liked to sit under before. "Kira…please let it be you…I miss you…"
And, just like that, her wish was granted as she watched a figure slowly approach her. "Lacus…" that voice was unmistakable… "Could it be…?"
"Kira?"
He stepped out of the shadows and into the light. "Lacus. I've missed you."
Tears slowly fell from her eyes and made their way down her cheeks. "Kira…you – is that really you?"
He smiled softly, reaching for her hand and placing it on his face, just as she used to. "Do I pass?"
She broke down then, throwing her arms around him and burying her tear-streaked face into his chest, all the while saying, over and over, "You're back…"
"And I'm here to stay. I promise."
She looked up at him, a small, almost hesitant smile forming on her lips. "I'm going to hold you to that."
"I'll be happy to make good on it." he replied, smiling.
And then, "Kira…what happened to you? Where were you? Why did we have to meet like this?"
The smile slowly faded. "I…can't tell you just yet, Lacus."
She looked away, her suddenly rigid features hinting at the turbulent emotions fighting for attention inside her. Then, finally, "I won't force you to tell me if you don't want to, I'm just glad you're home." she whispered softly.
Kira wrapped his arms around her, his heart soaring at being able to hold her in his arms again. "I missed you so much…"
"As I did you."
SCENE CHANGE
Athrun Zala sat in his office, thinking of absolutely nothing and everything at the same time. Everyone else had left hours ago, but he didn't want to go home just yet – the place depressed him. There were simply too many memories there…memories of the way his life had been, how happy he'd been…with Kira, Lacus…her. "Cagalli…we were happy together, weren't we? What happened to us? Kira's gone, Lacus is unhappy without him, and I'm…well, I don't even know how I am anymore."
He sighed. His life was perfect on the outside: he was rich, being the sole heir to his father, Patrick Zala's multi-million dollar company, and he was handsome; with girls just waiting to jump at the chance of being with the 'famous' Athrun Zala…that is, if he deigned to give them any attention – which he never did.
In his opinion, his life was superficial – meaningless – and the only thing that was keeping him alive was the fact that he felt something for his still-missing best-friend's girlfriend. At least, he thought he did.
He was trying hard to make her happy, but she was still thinking about him and she still had that pain in her eyes from when Kira had first disappeared…he couldn't blame her, he supposed. Kira's love for her and her own love for him had been strong – practically unbreakable. Enviable, really.
Turning his chair towards the window, he looked at the stunning view without really seeing it. All he saw was his own reflection in the polished glass, and what he saw was a handsome young man who looked much older than he really was. At twenty, Athrun Zala had his whole life ahead of him, and yet he felt he didn't have much to look forward to…because his father had already mapped his future out for him…and if things remained as they were, it wasn't much of a future, at that.
SCENE CHANGE
Lacus was sitting in the living room, composing a song for her and Kira when Cagalli came rushing into the room, breathless. "Lacus!"
"What is it, Cagalli?" she asked, worried.
The look in her best-friend's eyes was like nothing she had ever seen before – and she would never forget it. The look in her eyes was a mixture of pain, horror, and disbelief. "Lacus…Kira…he – he's…"
Lacus' blue eyes widened. "Kira? What is it, Cagalli? What happened to Kira?"
Tears started to fall from her friend's eyes. "Kira…he's…dead."
"No!"
"No!" she screamed, waking the person next to her.
Turning her towards him, Kira pulled her close and held her, running his hand up and down her back in slow, soothing strokes. "Shhh…it was just a dream…"
She buried her face in his shoulder, her tears wetting his shirt. "Kira…"
"What is it, Lacus?"
"I…had that dream again…it's always the same…Cagalli running into the house…telling me you're…you're…"
"I'm what?" he asked.
"You…that you're…dead…"
Kira's lavender eyes widened slightly. "Is that what happened when I went missing?"
"No…that's why it's so weird…it's never happened…but I just keep dreaming about it…I've been having that dream since you disappeared…"
"It's okay…I'm here now. It's going to be fine."
"I love you." she said suddenly.
He wiped her tears away with his hand and replied gently, "I love you, too."
"I don't ever want to lose you again, Kira."
"You won't. That's a promise."
She stayed in his embrace a little longer, inhaling his familiar scent. She'd missed him so much…she loved him so much… That was when she realized there was something she had to tell him. "Kira?"
"Yeah?"
"I…I have something to tell you. Something important."
Concerned, Kira pulled away slightly and waited for her to continue. "What is it, Lacus?"
Lacus turned away from him as she spoke. "Kira, I…I'm…"
"What is it?" he asked, wondering why she was so hesitant about this.
"I…I'm engaged…"
Kira stiffened. "What did you say?"
"I'm…engaged…"
"To who?"
She looked up at him. "I'm…engaged…to Athrun."
"Oh god, Lacus…"
