Close to Your Heart
By Angelics-d
Disclaimer: I want Kira, but he is Athrun's or Shinn's..and those two don't want to share Kira so they don't want to be mine.. I want Lacus..but she's everyone's idol. I want Cagalli, but she's ORB's.. Dearka and Yzak should be each others, I do think they look cute together that's why I won't bother them. And I would never ever wanted Yuuna nor Meer because they annoyed me like Hell. At the end no one's mine.. :sweatdrop: (do any of you laugh at this disclaimer? Just curious :grins widely: )
Pairings: ShinnxKira, AthrunxKira, DearkaxYzak
Chapter Summary: Athrun finally got back to Earth for his love, and Shinn was surely unhappy to see him. But how about Kira? How he'll react when he saw his childhood friend who hadn't sent him any news?
Warnings: OOC-ness (hopefully slight, not sure though..:sweatdrop:), Shonen-ai (at least:grin:), bad grammar (English is not my mother language :sigh: and I got a bad memory of vocab :sighed again: ) Bad language(Coz it's needed for a Yzak's yelling session XP )
Okay, shonen-ai is boy-love-boy things, so if you don't like it, you'd better not read this fic since I don't want to be responsible of any complaint being shocked when reading this fic:smile sweetly:
A/N: This one is the longest chapter so far.. So many things to be explained :gah: I also explained Athrun's reason for not contacting the others here.
And I think I'll be using some more Japanese terms in this and some chapters later, just a bit, because I don't know how to put some of them in English and it does sound better for me if I used Japanese instead :sweatdrop:
I also decided to had a chapter summary now. Well, the main summary won't change though.
And many thanks to Mikagami Tokiya ( The id is fuuchoin kadzuki)for the suggestion for this chapter XD:throw Shinn plushie at him:
Terminology:
-niichan : big brother
-san : Mr. / Mrs. / Ms.
Reviews respond:
Thank you for the chapter 2 reviewers: Darkmoon Fleur, furin-a, lilplayer, burnt.icecream, Ashrey (I didn't expect your review, aniki, so I was a rather surprised, thanks a lot XD; update your DA and AIG! -chase you all around- )
.:Chapter 3: The Beginning of Competition:.
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"Do you want to tell me something?"
"I love him.. and I just couldn't let him go."
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Another "WHAAAAAAAT!" could be heard from the speaker. Athrun saved his poor ears by moving away his cell phone about 20 inches from them.
"You irresponsible jerk!" Yzak cursed him. The emeralds only rolled as he continued to listen to his friend's complaint he had expected to hear "Weren't you the one who asked for these tons of works? And now you're telling that you're leaving them to ME? Quit joking and get your ass here as soon as possi… Dearka!"
By that sound, the blue head knew that the phone already changed hands. "So, how's the situation?"
"He's sick." Athrun answered bitterly. "A fever and lack of sleep. Well, that's what Shinn said to me."
"So you met him?"
"Yeah, but he didn't see me." Before Dearka could ask, the blue haired man continued, "He was sleeping."
"Oh, okay.. So, when you're going to tell him?" His friend asked again. Athrun had told Dearka most of the details why he preferred to be in PLANT. That's why he could casually discuss these things with him.
"Don't know.. I was.. not pretty sure.."
"Why not? Your rival already confessed, you know?"
"You see, Dearka, I…." Suddenly Athrun felt his tongue gone numb as he successfully process the blond's last sentence. "WHAT? He did?" Not far away, the kids winced at the man's yell. They quickly approached Murrue and Callida Yamato, telling the women that Athrun acting strange.
"Uh-huh." The tanned man casually answered him. Athrun frown darkly as he knew that the raven haired boy was a step further than him.
"How did you know it?"
"Milli said so. She said she heard it from the boy himself." Oh, yeah. The emerald eyed teen almost forgot about the female freelance he used to work with in Archangel. Two and a half years ago, everyone, including him, were pretty sure the blond and the brunette would end up together and no one would have thought they would break up. Even thought so, the two were still being friends and exchanging information.
The blue haired man was about to said something but narrowed his eyes when he heard several sounds from the other line. He was trying to hear it carefully to know what those sounds are and the blond answered his mental questions.
"Yzaaak.. be quiet." Athrun knew the tanned man left the phone for a second, then a moment of silence, and there goes Yzak's raging shouts. But it's not like his usual shout because the blue head swore he heard the platinum haired man shouts "PERVERT!" between his other random yells for the blond.
"What did you do to him?" The emerald eyed Coordinator asked his friend in confusion. Why would Yzak called Dearka pervert?
"Just a thing lovers usually do to each other." That answer stunned Athrun at where he was standing. An image of Dearka grinning madly like a Chessire cat with the platinum head yelling-with a super red face- at the background was clearly drawn in his mind.
"I never knew you two were dating." He didn't even get a single hint that his friends loved each other.
"Now you knew." The emerald eyed teen was indeed speechless now, didn't know whether he should mock them or congrats them. Meanwhile, at PLANT, the tanned man was grinning with his lover-who was doing his best to struggle free, in vain-in his arms.
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The amethyst blinked as the owner slowly awake, aware of the noise downstairs. He looked at the clock on his bedside to see that it's already dinner time. But he's not interested in having one.
His slim hands went to fetch the glass Shinn put for him but the brunette groaned in frustation as he saw it empty. He needed some water for his dry throat. Pulling out his strength, he stood up and went to the hallway, using the wall as his support. His head was dizzy, made him wonder whether his fever had gone worse.
As he tried to go downstairs slowly, he remembered when he was still at Moon. There was a time when he was sick and tried to go downstairs too, but in the end he sat down at the stairs. He was scared back then because his vision was a rather blurry even though it was not as bad as the present one. That's when Athrun, who just came to visit him, appeared at the end of the stairs, asking why he was there and saying that he should be resting. Then the brunette ended up having his best friend nursing him for the rest of the day. It was a pretty funny yet a nice memory.
"Kira? What are you doing?"
'Ah, yes. He was using that tone back then.. Eh? Wait a sec. Why I was hearing his voice?' Kira's eyes shot down at the end of the stairs. A navy blue haired teen caught his attention even though everything was pretty blur in his eyes.
"Athrun?" The brunette said in a low voice. And there the other man's voice came into his ears, telling him that he should be resting, just like old days. 'I must be imagining things.. There's no way he would be here!' The Ultimate Coordinator denied what he saw himself. But then the frame of his best friend started to move towards him, making him doubt between reality and imagination.
Kira got his mind snapped back just as he slipped. He let out a gasp as his body slowly moved forward into the air..
"KIRAAAA!"
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"Shinn-niichan, I want another nugget!" a boy pleaded at the raven head. Before he could answer, there's another kid wailed, "Shinn-niichan! Takashi took my sausage!" He groaned a bit before he got himself commanding how the children-all of them- have to behave at dinner before he got another boy or girl opened his or her mouth. The children squeaked and got silent. Mwu had to suppress a laugh when he saw that and he had to give a harder effort when the blue head across him look at the younger ex-pilot, dumbfounded.
"What do you think? He does look like a good big brother, eh?" The emerald eyed teen nodded as the blond continued, "But he sometimes more into a Mom than a big brother." And that got him a spoon right onto his grinning face from the former Impulse pilot, who flushed in either anger or embarrassment, no one knows. Ramius shrugged helplessly at the scene when she came from the kitchen with two plates of mixed vegetable in her hands.
Athrun indeed impressed. Even though Shinn did look annoyed, his tone was not as harsh as he could remember. Moreover, the ruby eyed teen didn't look troubled, he even a kind of.. enjoying it. Yes, there's a glint of happiness in his eyes.
"He's changed." The blue head muttered. The emeralds still eyeing Shinn, who finally sat down beside Mwu. Their eyes met as the rubies glared into emeralds.
"What are you looking at?"
Finally the eye contact broke as Athrun turned his attention to his foods after he replied the other teen with "Nothing." Not long then, he found himself enjoying himself with the dinner. It was a simple yet comfortable dinner with everyone surrounding the big table.
'Not everyone.' The blue head reminded himself. His best friend was still laying sick on his bed. Athrun sighed as he said he had done with his dinner. He put his dishes in the wash bin before walking out the dining room.
'I wonder how's he now.' Athrun thought as he made his way to the stairs, only to get his emerald eyes widened as he saw an amethyst eyed teen standing in the middle of the stairs with his body leaning on to the wall.
"Kira? What are you doing?" he asked. They were just staring for a moment before Athrun saw the brunette's lips were moving, but he couldn't hear what his best friend was saying. He decided to leave it be as he realized there's something more important now. "Kira, you need to go back to your bedroom and rest.." But he stopped his words as terror casted into the emeralds eyes.
"KIRAAAA!" Athrun shouted as he ran and got the falling brunette into his arms. His feet was not strong enough to hold himself, making both of them fell again. The blue head tighten his embrace to Kira, letting his body hit the wall instead of the sick boy.
The former Justice pilot shook his head in dizziness. His back and head hit the wall pretty hard, but not hard enough to knock him off. Quickly he checked the brunette who laid beside him. "Kira? Kira! Are you okay! Say something!"
The others popped their head from the dining room, but Shinn already got himself running to the older teens. When the amethysts revealed themselves, the other former pilot sighed in relief, worry disappeared from their eyes.
"A-Athrun?" The brunette said again in disbelief. The blue head is really here. The strong arms holding him in a sitting position, leaning him to his chest. Again, Athrun tighten his embrace.
"Gods, Kira. Why can't you stop worrying me?" His best friend whispered to his ears. Kira couldn't help to blush and then he quirked an eyebrow as he remember that it was Athrun who made him worried. Well, he didn't really care because the said man was in front of him, and looks okay. But then they were parted by an irritated-and jealous- raven head, who pulled Kira into his own arms.
"Kira-san, are you okay? Why did you go downstairs?" he asked with a -surprisingly for Athrun- gentle voice. The former blush on the oldest Coordinator deepen when Shinn's hand caressed his cheek. He quickly shook his head, not recognizing a glare from the blue head who was still sitting on the floor behind him
"I-I'm okay, Shinn. I just want to get a glass of water.."
The raven head sighed at the answer. "You could use the intercom to inform us to get it for you instead." The amethysts blinked. "I guess that means you forgot that we got intercom here." Kira's face got the shade of ripe cherry as the ruby eyes watched him in amusement. The brunette was just too cute to resist. If the kids were not watching, Shinn was sure he would straddle the older boy on the floor. He rolled his eyes at the thought, he also had to remind himself that Kira was sick. The raven head just recognized how pervert he was..
"Oh, well. Why don't you bring Kira back to room, Shinn?" Callida suggested, "I'll take some water and his dinner to his room later."
Happy with that, Shinn quickly nod and picked the brunette from the floor, holding him bride style. The older Coordinator automatically had his arms around the raven haired teen, surprised and dizzy at the same time. Emerald eyes still staring at them as the owner stood up and frowned deeper. Before he could say anything, Shinn already made his way to Kira's room, not forgetting to say, "Don't forget his medicine too!"
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Ruby eyes gazed at the opening door, as he saw the form who was standing there, his smiling face changed into the annoyed one. In the other hand, Kira beamed, "Athrun!" having a warm smile as the reply. The blue head put the tray, which got Kira's dinner, a jug of water and an empty glass, on the table beside the bed. The emerald eyed teen successfully ensure the Ultimate Coordinator's mother to let him be the one who brought the dinner, especially because the jug was pretty heavy when it was full.
"Callida-san said you should eat some more vegetable so you could be better soon." Athrun said as he handed the plate. But then he pulled it back and frowned a little. The brunette blinked before he got what his best friend was thinking.
"I'm okay, Athrun. I can eat by myself." The oldest Coordinator convinced as he quickly took the plate before the said teen could protest. When the blue head saw his childhood friend did so, he just shrugged and pour some water into the glass.
The raven head, who was still sitting beside Kira, gazed between the older teens repeatedly before he frowned. He was a rather annoyed because those two's ability to understand each other even though they didn't exchange any words. More than annoyed, maybe he envied Athrun. It's unfair that he love Kira but didn't have the same connection like the blue head. The thought made him pout unconsciously, which took Kira's attention, who tilted his head a little at the sight.
"Aah!" The brunette got surprised as his meatball jumped toward him, dirtying his shirt. He hastily gazed into emeralds, which gave him the look that's kind of saying 'I already told you.' but his best friend didn't do anything instead of standing and holding the glass in one of his hand as the youngest teen helped Kira cleaning his shirt a little.
"I'll go get a tray table for you." Shinn said, volunteered himself. As he stepped outside, he suddenly realized his stupid innocent act and cursed himself. "I'll just take it quickly.. That way everything should be fine." He mumbled as he walk to the stairs, hoping that Athrun won't do anything to the brunette.
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"Just when I thought you would be okay.."
"It's okay! Well.. it was. The meatball was hard to slice.." Athrun sighed at the argument and took away the brunette's dinner, putting it on the bedside table before asking him where he kept the dry clean clothes.
"You're not planning to use that shirt all night right, Kira?" The blue head asked when the former Freedom pilot just sat there with no reaction. The older teen blushed and shook his head, making the other teen sighed. "You didn't changed at all.."
"What?"
"Nothing, just where are the clothes?"
"I think they're at that oak cupboard at that corner.. if no one changed it. I haven't used this room for months." Kira answered honestly while pointing a simple cupboard at his height. After the blue head absence and handing his orphanage job to Shinn, the brunette had been staying with Cagalli since he worked as her bodyguard.
Athrun quickly take a look, finding other shirts in no time. He took the white one which is similar to the one Kira was using and walked to the brunette's side, who already took off the dirtied shirt. The blue head couldn't help a light blush, but shook his head to get dirty thoughts out of his mind.
"Kira.. this wound.." The emeralds laid on a mark at the brunette's shoulder, which he was sure that it was pretty new.. and it was a scar from a shot.
"Ah, this one? Don't worry, it doesn't hurt anymore."
"Where did you get it?" Athrun asked as his hand touch the old scar, brushing Kira's soft skin. The brunette tried not to shiver at the touch.
"Nah, Athrun, don't mind it. It's not a big deal. Really.." The emeralds flashed into the amethyst in worry, demanding an explanation. "I'm Cagalli's bodyguard after all. Although I took it as a brother's duty." That was all his explanation. The former Freedom pilot didn't want to talk about it. Athrun knew, so he shut his mouth up.
As Kira took the new shirt and putting it on, the blue head was lost in his thoughts. A wound on his shoulder, he must have ran into something dangerous again. Well.. surely it was not a big deal for his best friend. They had suffer worse injuries before. But still.. if he kept in contact with them, he would flew right beside the brunette as the news got into his ears. He got back to his senses as he heard his friend spoke.
"Athrun.. I had meant to ask you…" The ultimate Coordinator was hesitated for a moment. But the thing kept bugging his mind.
"What is it, Kira?" The blue haired teen asked gently, ensuring the other teen that it's okay to say his thoughts out loud.
"Why.. didn't you contact us at all?" Bingo, straight to the point.
"I was busy, Kira.." Athrun sat beside the brunette on the bed.
"That busy?" The former Freedom pilot asked innocently, leaning closer to the younger teen, who replied with a nod. "It's lonely without you.."
"What?" Athrun thought that his ears faked him, but then the angelic voice said again.
"I missed you Athrun.." he whispered softly and closed his eyes, relaxing himself at his bestfriend's presence. "I'm glad you come back."
"Kira.." The former Justice pilot got his heart beats harder as he heard his friend's last sentence. Moreover, the Ultimate Coordinator leaned his head on the blue head's shoulder, making the heartbeats worse. 'Could it be that.. Kira also love me?' The emerald eyed teen gulped anxiously as their hands brushed lightly, it was a coincidence actually. 'It might worth a try..' Athrun inhale a long breath before he turned his face to see the brunette and tucked his chin up so they could see face to face.
He leaned closer.. but then he froze as he saw the amethysts shone in innocence and confusion. He gritted his teeth, ashamed of himself. Kira believed in him, and all he said just now was his thoughts as his friend. And there he was about to take advantage of his one and only best friend. So, instead of crushing his lips against the brunette's, he kissed the older boy's forehead instead, making him blushed. Even though they had been used to do that when they were kids-they were unusually very close as a friend-, they never did it again since they met again at Heliopolis. Things had changed a lot.. And Athrun wanted their usual things to be back as he realized how much he missed them.
There's a loud noise of something hit the floor, making them look at the door frame, where a raven head glared at them furiously. The tray table was laying in front of him.
Kira realized the situation and quickly found his voice back. "It's not what are you thinking, Shinn! Athrun just help me changed and.." The crimson eyes twitched angrily, but the brunette continued, "..we were just being nostalgic. He used to do that back when we were kids."
'Those. Were. Even. WORSE!' Shinn growled mentally. Yes, he IS jealous. And he hate a certain blue head which got a name of Athrun Zala for being so close to Kira.
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The blue haired teen sighed in defeat as his precious angel finally calmed the raging boy. He was so much aware now that his former subordinate was seriously in love with Kira and that the brunette behave more cautious around the raven head. He knew Kira and he's sure that his childhood friend doesn't want to hurt Shinn's feeling, that's why the ultimate Coordinator was smiling gently at the youngest teen.
Athrun clenched his fist hard, holding not to burst his feelings now. Jealousy. He was also aware of that. He remembered how he almost destroy his room's wall after the first war ended when he heard about Kira and a girl named Fllay. That time he didn't know why he was so angry. He was dating Cagalli that time. And as time goes by, he realized that he was in love with his best friend.. ever since they were kids. There's so much memories of his own actions that's triggered by his love towards the brunette, but he thought it was because Kira was his best friend, someone precious.
Indeed Kira is precious to him. Not as a friend.. but someone he loved. Someone he would willingly give his life to protect. He realized it after Impulse shot down Freedom at. That time, his heart almost break as he believed that his love had died. He didn't know how happy and relieved he was when he saw that Kira was actually alive. That's when he slowly recognized his true feelings.
It had been hard for the blue haired man. He didn't know how the brunette would react if he knew. Athrun thought he would be disgusted, yet the feelings were not stoppable, which made him afraid. He was afraid to lose his bestfriend.
He look around and spot a group picture. His eyes flashed in sadness at an image of a blonde. Cagalli. He hadn't told her anything about this. They got some gap after he re-joined ZAFT and it was left unexplained. Moreover because he wasn't sure whether he could hold his feelings if he would spend lots of time with the ORB's princess' brother. So he chose to go to PLANT, burried himself in tons of work while managing his own feelings. The one who recognized this weird change is Dearka, that's when he started to discuss things with him. He was more than glad when the blond said he didn't mind about Athrun's interest.
"Finished daydreaming?" Emeralds blinked to see a pair of rubies gazed at them lazily. The blue haired teen look around to see that Kira already finished his dinner and yawned. Just how long he had been deep in his thoughts? As to answer his silent question, Shinn spoke up, "He was trying to call you, but you keep standing there doing nothing." The raven head sighed. "You're so hopeless."
The former FAITH member quirked an eyebrow at the sentence. Great, Shinn's 'sweet' mouth starting to take action. But he wouldn't let him go, not without a single chance to counter.
"Kira, I think you need to rest now. Shinn and I will take care of the dishes." Athrun said with his usual smile. Kira just nod sleepily and tugged the blanket to cover himself. The raven head frown in suspicion but said nothing. The two picked up the dishes and left the oldest teen alone in the room.
"Do you want to tell me something?" Shinn asked the older teen as they got into the empty living room. By that time, Mwu and Murrue should have gone home while the kids already went to their rooms to sleep.
"I love him.." The raven head twitched as those words escaped the older male's lips, nearly caused a crack from the plate he held in his hands as he cleched it hard. "..and I just couldn't let him go." Emeralds shot up to stare directly into the rubies. "That's why I won't give him up."
With that, Athrun left the younger former pilot. Well, he was planning to, since the said teen was blocking his way. "Neither me, Athrun." The raven head countered in a hard tone, making the blue haired teen narrowed his emerald eyes at him. Shinn only glared back, he didn't want.. no, he NEVER wanted to lose to the older teen, especially in this case. "Kira-san is really important to me, so I won't let a bastard like you have him. I love him. And I.." The ruby eyed teen stopped as the older ex-pilot raised a hand in front of his face, making him raised an eyebrow in question.
"Babling won't change anything and it's never ending if nothing change." The emeralds stared deeply in rubies. He meant every word he said, even though he actually irritated with the younger teen's infamous sharp mouth. "And everything is in Kira's hands.."
Shinn snorted. "Just play fair and square." He then walked back to the dishes he dumped a minute ago and washed it. Athrun gave him a simple smile before he made his way to his room, which Murrue showed him that evening, not forgeting to drop by his bestfriend's room to give a soft kiss on the sleeping boy's forehead.
The raven head also went to Kira's room after he finished washing the dishes and checking the doors. He took his time and sat on the side of the bed, admiring the sleeping form. The young Coordinator trace the older one's lips with his index finger. He wish he could capture the lips of the gorgeous brunette with his in no longer time. But he could only wish, since he knew that his rival might already got a special place in the Kira's heart. Their behavior were more than enough to prove it.
Shinn smiled bitterly at the thought. He had to work harder to make the brunette look at him, and only him. Shinn kissed the top of the ultimate Coordinator's head. The raven haired boy whispered "Sweet dreams.." gently in his ear before he stood up and went to his own room for some rest. His ruby eyes glanced back to the sleeping teen for the last time at that day before he closed the door silently.
Kira, who was already in a deep slumber, didn't know that he would get a surprise in the morning.. A troublesome surprise he had never even dream to have..
A/N: I personally love the "Yzaaaak.. be quiet." part. The image, the voice.. they were clearly drawn in my head XD :rofl: Well, the easy going Dearka with the stone head prideful Yzak. I just can't pair them with anyone else :laugh again, running away before Yzak start to use his Zaku to kill me:
As I promised I made a war of jealousy around them :grins: But then our innocent Kira just couldn't sense any of those :sweatdrop: Well.. at least the Kira in my story didn't. I don't know about the real one since I love him being innocent XP
I think I do need to look for more Athrun's and Shinn's charms to make Kira even more confused to choose :grins evilly, ran away when saw Freedom coming closer: Kira! Don't forget! No killing policy!
And I'm not pretty sure about Mirrialia's nick, is it Milli or Mirri :confused: Whatever.. I think I'll stick with Milli until I'm sure which one is official.
I also want to tell you that I might not update for a moment. I won't leave this fic, really! It's just that I was chased by a monster called Final Assignments. :groans: I'll try to update as soon as I can, but then, I can't promise it would be so soon..(confused? Me too :sweatdrop: Gah, I'm hopeless..) But one thing that I'm sure is I would be hiatus around.. one month maybe. Next month I already got my semester break so I should be able to continue the fic by then. I just want to inform you that and I'll try to write a long chapter too for next one to pay your patience back. And I plan another Gundam Seed fic.. 2 actually.. hopefully can finish them all.. :sweatdrop: Oh, my mind, give me mercy by stopping ideas for now. I haven't even finished this one!-cries- Just ignore that, I'm just being unreasonable :random expression:
Once again, never hesitate to review me. Any opinion are precious to be heard. Thanks!
Angelics-d