Title: Play of the Fates (2 of ?)

Author: Paola

Disclaimer: Play of the Fates is based on characters and situations that belong to Sotsu Agency, Bandai Studios, and TV Asashi (and other production affiliates that have the right of ownership). No money is being made, and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Considerations: Similarities to other stories/events/passages are purely coincidental unless otherwise cited. References to real company/ies, historical figure/s, and other personality/ies, dead or alive, are purely fictional. Beliefs and points of view found in the story do not necessarily reflect those of the author's. The idea to make the chapter titles begin with "The One…" is from the TV show, F.R.I.E.N.D.S

Rating: M

Warning: Adult situations. Cursing.

Play of the Fates

II: The One With The Meet-Cute

What the flying fuck indeed was his exact same thought when his eyes landed on the blonde. It wasn't everyday that your one-night stand appeared in front of you after a business meeting, as if summoned by stray thoughts earlier on.

Athrun didn't even think he knew her name, much less what she was doing in the house of the Genesis Motors CEO. Except, wait, maybe he did. Because he'd made it his business to know his clients, and he'd known Uzumi had a daughter – Cagalli or something. He just didn't figure that he'd have to put two and two together when it came to his personal and professional lives.

Although he probably should've been less dumbfounded, if at all. It was only a matter of time before his casual flings and his work collided.

As he looked at the blonde standing agape before him, he couldn't help but remember vividly that night at Freedom. Unfortunately for him, this wasn't the proper venue to be remembering such sordid details. Not when her father was standing just a few feet behind him.

Not to mention that he shouldn't have slept with his client's daughter. While it wasn't hard to accept the situation because he hadn't necessarily sought the trouble, it wasn't any less not fun.

"Cagalli!" Uzumi barked, probably taken aback by his daughter seemingly swearing at someone he was working with.

Cagalli was looking askance at him, as if wary that he would start spilling their secrets – to the detriment of the both of them; she needn't worry. But at Uzumi's rebuke, she turned her attention to her father and sent him a peace sign. The incongruence of it almost made Athrun laugh if it weren't for his greater sense of self preservation.

"Was just surprised, father. I didn't expect a conference call meant in-person meeting." Her answer didn't seem to diffuse her father's disapproval any.

She had a mouth on her, this one, and he was amused.

"Nice to meet you, Mr….?"

"Call me Athrun," he provided, reaching out a hand to shake hers. Her skin was warm to the touch, and Athrun should really stop thinking about where else that hand had been. Or her mouth, for that matter.

When she pulled her hand back to tuck it in her back pocket, Athrun's eyes were drawn to how short her denims were, miles of soft honey skin on display right in front of him. Skin he'd kissed, and legs that had wrapped tightly around him.

He'd be more worried about where his thoughts were taking him if not for the slight flush high on her cheeks. At least he wasn't the only one embarrassed. Goddamn, he was usually more suave than this.

But Uzumi hadn't seemed to notice anything different, so Athrun, knowing when to quit, turned to Uzumi to say his farewells. "I'll give you a call soon as there's any development on the deal. Don't worry about it. Vesalius is in the bag."

Uzumi shook his hand. "I hope so, Mr. Zala. You know how important this acquisition is."

Athrun cocked his head in acknowledgement, and heard what the older man didn't need to say out loud: with the amount of money we're paying you, it better be in the bag.

"Pleasure to meet you, Cagalli," was his goodbye to the blonde. If his eyes had dipped to her pink, bitten lips, well, it wasn't like Uzumi could see.

What the flying fuck indeed.

Cagalli's hand flew to the bridge of her nose as soon as Athrun left, a futile attempt to stave off an incoming headache. This so couldn't be her life, could it? When people said the world was small, she didn't expect it to be that small.

"I should know what's happening, but I don't want to," was her greeting to her father, who had moved towards the bar cart at the corner of the room.

"You should. Running this company should be something you're prepared to do in the future."

"Not gonna happen, I told you."

"So did you come all this way just to tell me something that won't change my mind?"

"Dad, please."

"Tell me, Cagalli. Do we put this all behind you when I'm gone? All that I've worked for, in the hands of someone else because my only daughter can't take up the business?"

Cagalli pursed her lips. "You make it sound like you're dying."

"You make it sound like it doesn't matter."

Cagalli made a face at Uzumi, but only because he was turned and couldn't see. It kind of made her feel like a child, but in the face of an obstinate authority who just also happened to be related to her by blood, she guessed there was really no other way to feel. Especially if said authority figure's tone suggested that he was, indeed, talking to a child.

Which wasn't fair because Cagalli was an adult who had her own place, and her own job, and her own life. It didn't matter that it wasn't perfect, that sometimes she was late in her rent, or that Freedom was the only vice she could afford – if at all – or that she didn't technically love her job anyway, because she was out there, living her own life.

"There's nothing noble about being poor, Cagalli."

"Oh for crying— I'm not usually dressed like this!"

This time, Uzumi pinned her with his eyes, as if seeing his daughter for the first time in a long while. "That wasn't what I meant, and you know it. I'm creating an opportunity for you to learn, to actually apply yourself. It's not a handout – you will have to work harder than you ever have in your life. There will be no special treatment. You don't start out as Uzumi Nara Athha's daughter. You would just be Cagalli, a regular employee like everybody else. And I know you're smart and hardworking and all the good things that you're trying to prove out there but getting so little in return for your efforts. Now what are you're afraid of?"

There was a quip at the tip of her tongue, so compelled was she to prove him wrong, but if there was any hitting the nail on the head, Uzumi had just successfully done so.

She'd been convincing herself that she just really didn't want to be living in his shadow, but his simple question was enough to dismantle years of lying to herself. It had been an insidious insecurity, but the fear was very real for her, almost tangible in the way that she avoided it.

The job at the magazine publishing and the other side hustles before that, were because there was no consequence if she failed. She worked hard, her father was right, but she'd always known that she wasn't living up to her potential – except, what was her potential? And how could she find it if she'd been stuck in dead-end jobs?

Her answer was so soft, it was a whisper: "What if I can't hack it?"

Uzumi was a tough nut, Cagalli knew, and he didn't soften at the admission of fear from his only daughter. "Then you'll just have to find out."

But she could hear the trust he didn't explicitly voice, and that was enough.

It was a grossly quick finish to her longstanding refusal to accept her father's offer, but at least the conclusion ended on a positive note. Sure there was still an inkling of doubt at her own abilities, but she figured she could either be crippled by it or she could take it by the balls and try not to sully the trust her father was putting on her. What a fucking tall order.

Cagalli though wished that she could look back on this day and say that that was it. All in all, definitely not bad. If not for the sudden upheaval of her stomach. It took all of her willpower and then some to not be sick on her father's shoes.

Bile never tasted as bitter as literally swallowing it back. But it was either that or explain to her father what she couldn't find the courage to do earlier. That was a conversation she wasn't ready to have today. Probably not ever.

Goddamn, she should really have peed on that stick

Athrun leant on the railings to survey the city from 40 stories high. It was a cool night, and the traffic below was a constant stream of moving lights from where he was perched. This was what he liked the most about Freedom Metropolis – an unobstructed view of the city from his balcony.

He'd had a call with Lacus earlier, the pop-star-turned-designer eagerly diving into the status of his relationships – or non-relationships, as the case usually was. Proper as she was, Lacus had a nose for gossip, something he'd mercilessly teased her for. But his ex-fiancée had always taken the teasing in stride, reasoning that she was just naturally curious and interested in the lives around her, often with a lilting "bless your heart, Athrun" as if he needed the blessing because he just didn't get it.

He'd have been offended if not for the fact that she would bless their other friends' hearts, too, most particularly Dearka. Those occasions never failed to make him laugh, especially at Dearka's scandalized face.

He absentmindedly rubbed at his fingertips to rid them of the moisture from the glass of whiskey he finished a few moments ago. Today was a good day despite a few snags at work, especially because of his last meeting. That was very interesting, if a little unfortunate that it had to happen in the company of his biggest client.

But Athrun was a smart guy, and he knew better than to mention Cagalli to Lacus. Knowing her, she'd be playing matchmaker in a split second, and that was the last thing he needed – the daughter of his client was definitely off-limits.

Which was too bad because Cagalli had been…interesting. And more than that, well, he'd never felt like a randy teenager in so long but the blonde had lit the fire so quick, he was left reeling. And unlike the others who'd shared his bed, she'd extricated herself with nary a complaint. In fact, she seemed to have looked at him as if she were sorry for him, a veritable "it's me, not you" speech that needn't no vocalization.

As if he was looking for a relationship she wasn't ready to give him.

He could remember being amused as he watched her gather her things and leave. That attitude, the careless dismissal of what happened, had been so sexy to witness.

And even earlier today, at Uzumi's house, her dogged refusal to acknowledge him despite the flush he'd spied, tickled at his competitive nature.

Athrun had always been the consummate professional, drilled into him by college professors, management school, and hours upon hours of climbing the corporate ladder on the back of his own tenacity to get what he wanted. And now he was finding himself challenged by his own goddamn code.

Besides, he was sure Cagalli didn't know the meaning of easy. She would be fighting whatever this was until the very end. In fact, he was counting on it. After all, if the chase didn't end with a repeat performance of that night, it technically wasn't breaking his principles, was it?

Note for new readers: Next chapter hasn't been revamped so it'll be very different.

Citation:

"There's nothing noble about being poor." – Brian Kinney, Queer as Folk