Well...I'M SO SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING! FOR ALL THOSE WHO LOVE THIS STORY-(n if u r few n far between, that's alright...) I HAVE DONE YOU A GREAT DISSERVICE! SHOULD YOU WISH TO GET PISSED OFF AT ME YOU MAY WRITE THAT IN YOUR REVIEW! IM SO SORRRRRRRRRRRRRYYYYYYYYYY!

Anyway, I took my time, cause I've been on holiday, and am enjoying overseas. So I didn't manage to upload Chapter 7 beforehand, and I wrote it out afterward...Before realising I didn't like what I'd done so far. So I scrapped it, and made a new one. Sorry...

Well, enjoy this...hopefully...

Chapter 7

Cagalli and Athrun leaned against a tree, Athrun's hand wrapped around Cagalli's waist. Coming out of class, both were too drained to endure the excitement and thrills of being with their group of friends. The two of them watched the proceedings of school life casually, not really paying much interest in it. Cagalli, closed her eyes, and rested her head on Athrun's shoulders. She was too exhausted, it seemed, and she wanted to catch a nap. Athrun stroked her blonde hair gently, listening to her breath softly, quiet, deep breaths flowing in and out.

You're beautiful… he thought to himself, watching Cagalli sleep. Absentmindedly, Athrun saw Dearka cross to his locker and put his books away. Strange…he looks more downcast than usual…I wonder what's wrong…

Athrun returned his attention to Cagalli, who was still sleeping. Suddenly, she awoke, seemingly flustered by something. Athrun, concerned, asked, "What? Bad dream?"

"No…"

"Then…? What?"

"I…It was…" Cagalli murmured. Confused, Athrun gently prodded her again, trying to find the reason as to what had troubled Cagalli so much that it had her awake.

"What's wrong?"

"Well…I…I just had an erotic dream of you…and yeah…when I saw where it was going…I…yeah…" Cagalli murmured, letting out a nervous laugh as she began to turn red. Athrun looked at her in surprise, then burst out laughing, as Cagalli turned blushed more and more.

"Hahahaha…ahh…" Athrun grinned. Then, putting on his most charming voice, and making his face into the most rugged kind of look he could make at the time (which really screwed up his face) he asked in a manner that almost sounded seductive, "Did you really have an erotic dream of me?"

"Yes! Why? Don't you believe me?" Cagalli said, outraged, and then turned red. Again. "Are you trying to be…I dunno…sexy, or suggestive…or…I dunno…I mean, you don't know how sexy you look sometimes-oh crap. I can't believe I said that…"

Athrun laughed lightly at her comment, igniting Cagalli's anger, and she tried to punch his arm again. He twisted away, pulling a face, and Cagalli began to chase him around, trying to hit him. Athrun laughed as he watched Cagalli's futile efforts to hit him, eventually giving up. He knew better than to continue this kind of an argument with the fiery Goddess.

"Alright, alright. You win." Cagalli punched his arm, albeit softly, then stuck her tongue out at him before sitting down heavily onto the grass. The two of them were breathing hard. Cagalli rolled over to Athrun again, laughing at him as she hit his arm again. Athrun responded by kissing her on the forehead. Her expression was surprised, then she smiled. She could feel the loving feeling that the two of them shared washing over them. The two of them lay on the grass, when Cagalli spotted someone. Someone with…with…Dark brown hair? Kira? What was he doing this far out on the oval?

Athrun looked up and suddenly noticed someone else…pink hair…Lacus?

What are Lacus and Kira doing here? Athrun looked around and found that they were on the edge of the school. He looked at Cagalli.

"Isn't that-"

"Wait a sec-"

Kira looked at Lacus, the surge of emotions that he felt for her throbbing in his heart. His mind raced, looking at the pink-haired girl, the blank look upon his face. He'd asked her to meet him here, and…for what? Now she was just looking at him blankly, as though inquiring why she'd been brought here in the first place. And he could feel the uncertainty bubbling in him, threatening to consume him. The uncertainty, the indecision in whether she really…well… She doesn't, does she…I'm just going for a lost cause…I…

I still love her! Doesn't that count…Doesn't it? Doesn't…it?

Kira looked at her again. It looked to him as if her expression had changed…had changed to a look of anticipation. What was she waiting for? He could feel a sudden excitement radiating from her. Where was all this energy coming from…and more importantly why was it being generated?

I have to ask her…NOW!

Kira looked at Lacus, resolve building in his heart. Slowly, he began, his voice stiff, nervous, but slowly becoming firmer, clearer, stronger. "Lacus…Lacus, we've been friends for a while now…Ever since Athrun introduced us at that party…"

"I remember. It was…a really good night. I enjoyed your company." Lacus said simply, her facing breaking into a soft smile. Her head tilted slightly, dreamily recalling something, before looking back at Kira.

That smile…

As Lacus had talked, Kira's heart had begun to free itself from the anxiety in his heart. Slowly, the painful indecision was replaced by feeling of…something he couldn't decide, couldn't put his finger on. But he knew he'd have to take this one chance. He knew what he felt, he had to take this chance to be happy, to be with that one person he knew he'd love for the rest of his life.

"Lacus, umm…" Kira began. His voice was suddenly shaky again. With legs that felt like jelly, he tried to straighten up, and nearly fell over with how unsteady he felt. Stumbling slightly, he tried to regain his composure. He looked at Lacus again, and the memory of the smiles they'd shared, the happiness between the two of them, prompting him to begin again.

"Lacus, would you…would you…" And then, in that instance, Kira saw her look at him. Her eyes betrayed her emotions, a fear and bitterness in her eyes that Kira couldn't understand. Wasn't he trying to make himself happy? Was it hurting her that he wanted to ask this one question? Was his happiness hurting her? In that instance Kira lost his nerve. He lost the will to continue onward, to reach his happiness, his goal. He knew in that one moment that he couldn't do it. He couldn't do it if it would hurt her.

"Would you check my science assignment?"

"Kira?" Lacus asked. She seemed…puzzled…shocked by something. Something was glistening in her eye, but she wiped it away. Kira's mind was too numb to register the fact that she was crying, or even wait for her to reply to his question as he began to walk away. He knew that he would never give her happiness. Someone else would, not him. No. Wasn't his place. He would never be-

"Kira." Lacus voice cut through his thoughts like knives slice through butter. Her eyes glistened with tears as she looked at him. She seemed hurt, sad, and bitterer than before. Had he hurt her? How? What did she want?

"Kira, if you want to ask me something…important…please ask. Don't keep me waiting…" Lacus murmured to him in a barely audible voice. Unlike the other times when he'd heard the beautiful songstress, the voice he heard now was choked with emotions that Kira couldn't comprehend. Slowly, he steeled himself, and remembered why he would ask this. It was for his happiness…No…

I can't bear to see her like this! It's hurting me just to see her so unhappy. No, I'll ask her this to make her happy. This is for her happiness.

"Lacus…would…would you…" Kira's voice broke as his emotions overwhelmed him.

Athrun waited in anticipation, hoping that Kira could get the words out of his mouth. He looked at Cagalli. Would Kira have the same kind of relationship with Lacus that he and Cagalli had? He hoped so…

Bloody fool! Get the words outta your mouth!

Cagalli watched her brother impatiently. He sure was taking his time…Goddamn... She held Athrun on impulse, reminding herself of the bond that two now shared. She could understand Lacus' uncertainty…But her brother was quite the coward if he took this long just to ask her out…

Bloody fool! Get the words outta your mouth!

"Would you go out with me?" Kira blurted out.

"Finally…" Athrun and Cagalli murmured simultaneously.
"Of course." Lacus said, startling the chocolate-haired boy. She lifted her head, to reveal her tear-soaked face. "Why did you take so long to ask?" And with that, she lunged for Kira's shirt, knocking him to the ground as she suddenly gripped him in a bear-like embrace.

"Kira, I love you…Why didn't you ask me this earlier? I've been waiting on you to ask me out for so long!" Lacus murmured quietly, tears trickling down her face as she held Kira. Kira's face showed the evident surprise that was growing on his face, realising how much of a fool he'd been, how much he'd hurt her.

"It's alright now Lacus…it's alright now…" he murmured, holding her closer to him. He could feel his own tears falling down his cheeks, soaking the girl's hair. Closing his eyes, he tried to erase the pain he'd caused the both of them, and kissed her on the forehead, softly, brushing his lips against her smooth skin. She looked up again, and then pointed at…

Two cheering people could be seen standing next to a tree close to where they'd been a moment before. The two people seemed happy…they were cheering, after all…cheering for…

"YAY! Go Lacus! Go Lacus! He finally asked you out!" Cagalli yelled with glee at the new couple. "Bro, you take WAAAYYY too long to ask someone out!" Athrun waved merrily. Kira looked left to right, trying to comprehend what was happening. He looked at Athrun, and it dawned on him. They'd been hiding, listening to him "pop the question". And he'd taken Lacus all the way out here to ask her IN PRIVATE!

"Why you-" he said, then laughed. He was lucky to have good friends that would support him like this. He waited for the two of them to come over, when he noticed something peculiar. Athrun was holding Cagalli's hand…and Cagalli had…Oh God…

"Athrun…since when do you kiss my sister, and Cagalli since when do you blush like a little girl when you were kissed instead of trying to slap the person who kissed you?" Kira said, his brotherly instincts kicking in. Lacus looked at him surprised, then laughed.

"Kira, Athrun and Cagalli are boyfriend and girlfriend…didn't you know?" Lacus said. "Shameful Kira…not up to date...I can't accept that" Lacus said mockingly. Kira turned red…very red. His sister was going out with his best friend! Goddamn…

Cagalli pouted at Kira, then slapped him lightly across the head. Athrun watched, amused, as Kira tried to work out why he'd been slapped, while Cagalli tried to "knock some more sense" (as she admitted later) into Kira. Kira hastily tried to dodge his sister's playful slaps, and ended up on his butt, as he was off-balanced to try and dodge one of Cagalli's slaps.

"Since you're on the floor now, we all might as well sit down…" Athrun commented, amused. Cagalli decided to halt her assault on Kira, and plonked down next to Athrun, who had, like Lacus, civilly sat down, crossing their legs as they did so.

"Well…"

Well this chapter was weird to write...It felt a bit forced. So I need your feedback about it, please, please, PLEASE! I need feedback like plants need sunlight, currently. R&R and hope for more, there's more coming...I think.