Title: Play of the Fates (14 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. Beliefs and points of view found in the story do not necessarily reflect those of the author's. Characters not found on any official Gundam SEED/Gundam SEED Destiny character list belong to the author unless otherwise disclaimed.

The idea to make the chapter titles begin with "The One…" is from the TV show, F.R.I.E.N.D.S

This may, in all possible intent, be differently written compared to any of the author's previous literary ventures.

Rating: Rated M for language and adult situations. You have been warned.

Play of the Fates

Chapter Fourteen

When he'd seen Cagalli with a blonde golf player in her face, he didn't think much about it after being reminded of the fact that Cagalli was a free woman who had no duties to him, and aside from a little disappointment he'd initially felt at having to be stopped so early in his game, there was hardly any resentment. Of course, he'd rather have not seen any kind of display, and he'd rather have Cagalli single and available instead of taken and carted off in a golf cart.

For all intents and purposes, he'd settled for giving up and actually becoming just friends with Cagalli, so he was surprised when Dearka invited him over for breakfast and apologized for his behavior towards the girl he said he believed Athrun might have been seeing, and even offered to be slugged for being overly familiar with a hands-off woman. At first, Athrun thought he was tripping him because there was nowhere they'd declared that he and Cagalli were a couple in any occasion that he, Cagalli, and Dearka had been in the same company. Dearka had then promptly replied that bringing a girl to someone's party and claiming that they were friends was as gay as Athrun and Kira really were when no one was around. Then and there, Athrun knew that he'd lost his chance to react to the apology as that session had ended the moment Dearka rang the sarcastic bell in his tone.

By the time he had to leave to get to work, Athrun still didn't quite know what to make of their friendly breakfast; they weren't particularly close despite being friends for a long time. Even though they had a good conversation going on and Dearka was being his usually sarcastic self, the underlying awkwardness could not be shaken off — it was either he doubted Dearka's sincerity or Dearka himself doubted he should be apologizing to Athrun; however, now that he was in the elevator alone, he decided he shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth, especially not when the carriage that came with the horse was carrying a certain person he was quite interested in. Maybe the horoscope Lacus shared with him earlier this week was right: his stars were aligned and he was getting lucky. But then again, if he continued to believe every little horoscope write-up Lacus liked to share with him, he'd be married thrice this year with half the money he originally had and more kids he'd ever think of having.

Just as he was about to call his secretary to ask about his schedule for the day, he remembered that Dearka lived in the same apartment building as Cagalli. It was a Saturday, and Cagalli, unlike him, might not have work on weekends, but just as he was about to press the button for the floor number he remembered Cagalli entered from when Dearka had the housewarming party, his Blackberry vibrated. Upon checking the screen for who might be trying to contact him, he tried not to grimace at the name that popped up — his father had the worse timing.

Given the tense relationship he had with his father, he could already guess the nature of the call. Business had always been first in their household, and he was sure his father was calling about the buyout of the Nazca class vehicle, which would entail a lengthy update. His surprise visit would just have to wait, and now that he was more conscious of what he was doing, he supposed it was better this way. Cagalli surely wouldn't appreciate him dropping by and forcing her in yet another awkward situation for her although highly amusing for him. That would really land him on her bad side.

Sighing as he watched the digital display pass Cagalli's floor, he answered his phone, "Hello, father."

o-o

For the first time in a long while, Cagalli had a free weekend after working another overtime yesterday and finishing her advisory; even though she'd never had to officially work during the weekend, there was so much office work to do that she'd always found herself sacrificing her rest days to complete whatever had to be done, even back when she used to work for Orb Aesthete. And because it was rare that she was free, she was now finding herself thinking so hard of what to do to while her time away. This morning was fine because her apartment had been ransacked of its usual peace and quiet by Damien and Miriallia who were preparing to meet Damien's mother. It had been a hectic morning and time flew by so quickly. And now her two friends were off somewhere in the countryside where Damien's mother had recently purchased a villa. Cagalli swore rich people these days had nothing better to do with their money. Don't they realize that half the world's economy is in recession?

She wondered exactly just how long ago was the last time she had a break that she even forgot how to occupy her free time. She sighed for the umpteenth time before getting up from her bed. She had to get out of this apartment and find something to do or she'd go crazy. A while ago, she'd called Dearka to see what he was up to, but his phone wasn't being answered so he must be out, and that call had actually made her feel pathetic — she was twenty-five years old, had worked odd jobs, had been employed in two normal offices, yet she only had three real friends, two of which were lying to the other's mother, and the last one was out living a normal social life. How sad could her life be? And it wasn't like she could call Matt. They weren't that kind of friends, and he was too busy attending to his ex-fiancée who had been hospitalized due to a broken arm. That was another one of life's miracles Cagalli rarely got to see: two people who were once engaged but were now just good friends — very good friends.

She changed into a pair of jeans and grabbed her jacket. The weather had been a little crazy lately; they'd been getting days of windy overcast instead of the usual sun they should be having this time of year.

o-o

Thirty minutes after leaving her apartment and grabbing a sundae at the nearest McDonalds — which was the single out-of-place establishment in this side of the city — she found herself doing what she was doing when she was at her apartment: absolutely nothing, except now she was bored outdoors instead of indoors. Work had really made a mess of her life — she couldn't even think of a single thing to do without it, and she wasn't even workaholic to begin with.

Surveying her surroundings, she realized she'd walked towards the city park, and with nothing better to do, she entered the place, even though she wasn't one to enjoy parks — there was just something about them that reminded her of her high school days, which she didn't particularly like remembering. High school had been a drag for her. She was enrolled in one of those snooty schools, and she was one of those kids who weren't popularity personified. She hated the fact that high school life revolved around very few popular cliques, and it wasn't until college that she began to enjoy school life, most probably because everyone was from different walks of life. Almost nobody knew anybody so they were all virtually starting at the same page and pace.

Cagalli zipped her jacket. It was a little too windy for this time of month, something she didn't like because it gave her wind burn and forced her to put on some lip balm, which made her feel like she'd eaten the greasiest thing man had ever cooked. When a stronger gust picked up, she partially shielded her eyes with her hands, trying to look around for a bench to park herself, and when the wind died and she was allowed to scan the place better, she winced at seeing a very familiar face standing by one of the empty benches, looking sharp in a gray tailored jacket over a white collared shirt that was offset by a striped tie and a black vest that matched an equally black pair of pants. If it weren't for his inexpressive countenance, she would think Athrun was looking lost, being well-dressed in the middle of a park where patrons were usually very much dressed down. He seemed to be waiting for someone.

Cagalli debated on whether to call his attention. If she were to be honest with herself, however, she would admit she'd been wanting to meet with Athrun to overcome an unexplained feeling to explain why she'd had a drunk Dearka getting overly friendly with her, except the admission wasn't going well because she hadn't found yet the reason for wanting to clear things up. Athrun had never been subtle about his interest in her, but the attention he was paying her wasn't getting an equal amount of reciprocity so she found no ground on which to base the pull of her gut to explain herself. It was a little frustrating, and now that she'd settled her riff with Dearka, there was more room to dwell on her dilemma. She loathed the fact that she was even being troubled by it.

Cagalli felt a little foolish standing there and just staring at Athrun, who hadn't noticed her yet, but her decision on whether to call him or not was made for her by someone else calling Athrun's name. As Athrun turned to the direction of the voice, Cagalli automatically craned her neck to see who'd called him, and what she saw was something that came straight out of a magazine. A woman with straight jet-black hair, doe eyes, a button nose, and a small mouth set perfectly on olive skin kissed Athrun's cheeks, and for a brief moment, Cagalli wondered if she was a celebrity, but because she didn't watch too much TV, she couldn't really tell.

The woman wore an unbuttoned cream-colored storm-flapped skirted trench that revealed a charcoal sheath dress underneath, and her heels brought her height a little closer to Athrun's. Upon getting a good look at them, Cagalli almost felt the temptation to laugh. They stood out like sore thumbs — two very corporate-looking personalities among everyday folk, with the difference made more glaring by the fact that it was a weekend. Her laughter, however, was inhibited by a strange feeling that bubbled in her chest upon seeing the ease with which the two of them interacted and how closely they sat. And she was getting irrationally offended that Athrun hadn't noticed her still when she was just standing a few meters from them. It was almost a surreal experience, especially since the feelings in her were somewhat foreign…and very much inexplicable even if she were to contemplate the whole day.

Deciding it wouldn't do her any good to stick around, she sighed and turned to leave, only for her nose to bump into something solid. Cagalli was almost sent to the ground if it wasn't for the intrusive hand that grabbed her, and when she saw who she bumped into — and the smile that was sent her way — she fought to get away.

"I found you, Cagalli."

Cagalli was quick to put distance between them, crept out by the idea that he might have been standing behind her for a while now and she had remained unaware because her attention was on something else.

"Kismet, I tell you."

"How long have you been standing there?" she cagily asked, glaring in a way that suggested she wouldn't believe whatever he answered even if he were to tell the truth. When he tried to move closer, her voice involuntarily rose in pitch, "Hey!"

He instantly backed away and the defeated sigh he released disarmed her. "Look, Cagalli, I was—" he was cut off by an approaching voice.

"Cagalli?"

Cagalli's head swung towards the caller, and she figured that she might have called the attention of Athrun and his companion in her surprise a while ago. And now she was embarrassed beyond reason. Here was Athurn with his perfect companion, and here she was with her stalker of an ex-boyfriend. Of course, he didn't know about that last part, but that didn't make her feel any better.

"Anything the matter?" How Athrun made his inquiry sound concerned and indifferent at the same time, she would never find out, and if he hadn't deliberately eyed her ex-boyfriend from the corner of his eye before returning his focus on her, she wouldn't be clued in to his sudden chariness of the other guy.

Before she could reply, her ex-boyfriend beat her to it, "I was just leaving, man." He listlessly scratched the back of his ear, which Cagalli remembered as his mannerism when he was debating on what to do, before he addressed her again, "Same time, same place. Serious business, Cagalli. No more chasing." And then he left.

An uneasy second of silence passed.

"Did we interrupt something important?" Athrun's companion asked, stepping closer to Cagalli and then extending her hand in greeting. "Hi, I'm Lessiane Amalfi."

"Uh, no. He's…an old friend…" Cagalli replied, still a little freaked out by what had just happened, then, remembering her manners, shook Lessiane's hand and introduced herself.

"You're all right?" Athrun asked.

"Of course, why won't I be?" her answer came out faster than she intended to, which she realized mustn't have sounded natural. "Anyway, uhm, what a coincidence to be meeting here of all places, huh?" Cagalli wanted to kill herself. That was such a pathetic ice breaker, not to mention a cheap shot at covering her sudden guilt for spying at the two of them earlier. "Anyway, I'll go ahead. I was just on my way home when the park caught my attention." She was on a roll, and not a positive one at that. She was bad at awkward situations like this one, and it was turning her into a crummy lying machine.

"I'll drive you home," Athrun easily offered.

"No! Uhm, I mean, I'll…I'll walk." Cagalli was more alarmed by the sudden thumping of her heart than by the offer and by the one who was offering. "Don't let me keep you…" she gave an awkward laugh then began to walk away.

"I think it's better if Athrun accompanies you," Lessiane piped up, stopping Cagalli in her tracks, and when she smiled, Cagalli knew the two of them didn't buy her lie about the man from earlier being an old friend of hers.

Cagalli was about to decline, but Athrun was already kissing Lessiane's cheek as a familiar farewell gesture, asking if she'd already called her driver, promising to meet her for dinner tomorrow night, and apologizing that he could not spend more time with her.

She had to look away. Dammit.

"It was nice meeting you, Cagalli."

Cagalli responded appropriately, although if she were to be honest with herself, she didn't think "nice" was the right word. Although it wasn't "un-nice," it wasn't nice either, kind of like something she'd wish would happen not today but in the far future when she was sure Athrun and her would probably be back to being strangers — no confusing feelings included.

Lessiane waved goodbye as she walked opposite the direction they would be taking to go to her apartment, and Cagalli waxed anxious, wondering what god she had offended to be pushed in this awkward relationship with Athrun. She had to think fast; the two of them should not be alone in a room, and having him walk her home meant inviting him into her apartment, for politeness' sake, if for nothing else.

"Cagalli—"

"I feel like having a cheeseburger," she blurted out. "Do you feel like eating a cheeseburger? I do. I want a cheeseburger. Let's go have a cheeseburger." And before he could respond, she started walking towards the exit she'd entered from a while ago. There was a convenient McDonald's near her apartment — the same one she'd bought her earlier sundae from — and a fast food restaurant like that would surely have a lot of people. A lot of noisy people. A lot of noisy people that would make a good excuse for not discussing things.

o-o

Athrun found himself in front of an ash-complected teenager with an acne problem, asking if they wanted to upsize their French fries and drinks, to which he said no but to which Cagalli immediately said yes. The teen then proceeded to ignore him, preferring to talk to the lady who wanted to spend more.

When the boy went to retrieve their orders, Athrun turned to Cagalli. He wasn't dense, and he'd suspected she wouldn't want to be alone in a room with him, and instead of being offended, he thought it was amusing. He wasn't being arrogant, but he wouldn't say that she wasn't interested — it was obvious whenever he would get too close — and it was very interesting how hard she was fighting it, intriguing him more because he couldn't find a good reason she would keep staying away.

"When I asked for a date, I didn't think we'd end up at McDonald's," he said, referring to that day when he handed her her personalized Justice.

"This isn't a date."

Even under the offensive fluorescent lights of the establishment, Athrun thought the red managed to color her cheeks prettily.

"I'm paying," he easily replied, as if that alone was enough to convince her that this was a date.

"And a caramel sundae please," she told the cashier when he returned, then she turned to him again. "Of course you are. I don't have anything on me."

"I'll be expecting something in return, you know." He paid for their food before carrying the tray towards an empty booth.

"Thank you," she smirked.

"Funny, but that won't cover it."

"Whatever," she rolled her eyes, "let's eat." She began to peel the wrapper off her burger when she eyed him sharply, "And no talking. Not a peep from you."

He laughed but indulged her nonetheless.

The crowd was noisy: a bunch of teenagers flirting over at the other table, skaters making a racket at the tables by the exit, a group of yuppies grabbing a quick bite by the windows opposite them, kids running around, and parents trying to be parental.

Athrun had had a bad day, which was usual whenever he met with his father — the man simply refused to be satisfied with Athrun's work, which would make Athrun try to accomplish more in a small amount of time and which would end up frustrating him then eventually tiring him. If Lessiane hadn't called, he wouldn't have taken a breather. That woman was a blessing; she had this calming effect like Lacus, except where Lacus was almost a motherly presence, Lessiane was a nosy neighbor, and partnered with her eccentric humor and class, she made a deadly combination.

Although Lessiane was always good company, it was still really good fortune that he met Cagalli in the park, and now that he looked at her sitting there and trying to ignore him, he thought that maybe it wasn't such a bad day after all.

He watched her eat, watched her watch other people, and realized that she took in every detail of those surrounding her. She was a people watcher, but was so unobtrusive in her glance that it came off as something she wasn't consciously doing, more like a predisposition, an unconscious hobby of a natural observer. He wondered if she drew conclusions or stored away information for later use. He himself was always aware of his surroundings, but he didn't take much interest in things that didn't have to do with him. Cagalli was really very interesting, and no matter how many times he repeated that to himself, it was still such a novelty to him.

When he finished his coke and she was finishing up her sundae, she sighed and looked at him. "You know, Athrun, that…uhm…time…"

"Yes?"

She shook her head. "Never mind. Uh, you don't have to bring me home. I can manage."

"What were you going to tell me?" he was undeterred, and judging by how fast a blush stole into her cheeks, what she was reluctant to tell him had got to have something to do with a certain incident dating almost two weeks back.

"Nothing."

He hazarded a guess, "The housewarming incident?"

"No!" her immediate answer was such a dead giveaway that he had to smile.

"Funny thing is, Dearka invited me over for breakfast this morning. He told me he was a drunken bastard that night."

"I wasn't…no…uhm, I wasn't going to talk about that…" she futilely continued to deny.

He stood up that moment, easily navigating his way to her side of the table. He could tell that she was alarmed, but before she could get another word out, he leant down, cupped the back of her head, and kissed her disbelieving mouth, swallowing her gasp and tasting subtle caramel still coating her tongue. He was glad that she had wanted to clear things up, even if she kept denying it, so glad in fact that he didn't mind that they were surrounded by a rowdy crowd.

His tiredness poured out of him, and he kissed her with no reservations in the middle of an overfilled fast food establishment; the rest of the world was too busy with their own lives to mind them anyway.

Her hand on his wrist was meant to still him — he could feel her nails trying to bite at his skin despite the layers preventing them — but her hand just remained there, almost a testament to her indecision: stop him or encourage him. And when she pulled away seconds too late, his name on her lips was breathy. Lightning cracked outside, rain began to pelt the city, and Athrun remained fixated on hooded amber eyes.

"Bastard," it was a half-hearted whisper of defiance.

He couldn't help but smile at the weak challenge in her voice. Cagalli would always be Cagalli, but he decided that enough was enough. He hadn't thought that he'd be pulled out of the game earlier, but when he was pushed back in, there was even less hesitation to chase her and win her. He only had a few months to stay in Orb before he had to return to Martius City to head another Genesis Motors project, and he intended for his stay to be as interesting as possible, and right now, interesting meant Cagalli.

"We're both unattached," he leant even closer and nipped at her ear, left a butterfly kiss on her jaw, then pulled her up. "What's there to think about? You want me, don't you?" He pulled her towards the exit, unmindful that it was pouring outside. "I want you." Then as if to further emphasize his point, he repeated, "I want you."

o-o

The cold spray of the shower could not distract her from the heat burning inside her as Athrun made quick work of her clothes, his mouth ravaging hers like the short amount of time they spent running in the rain to her apartment was such a deprivation and her kiss an oasis to satiate his thirst. For her part, she hadn't wasted time either, removing articles of his clothing with abandon as soon as the door was closed and leaving a wet mess in their wake.

"There's no getting away this time, Cagalli…" he whispered, a seductively commanding voice in her ear, before kissing her mouth, a greedy action that stole the reply from her lips.

There was no getting away this time, he said, and Cagalli didn't think she could pull another fast one on him. She hadn't intended for things to go this way, but the intensity with which he had said he wanted her a while ago had turned her insides to jelly. He wanted her, and his confident manner that suggested he believed she desired him the same way made her want him, too.

His hands were everywhere, teasing, skimming, probing, marking their territory with scorching touches that lit every nerve ending, and his skin against hers was such a deep contrast to the chilly tiles of the wall she was pushed against. There was no mistaking that the liquid fire he sent down her spine with his every move, every touch, every kiss, was a display of determination to have his way, and it rendered her weak in the knees, forcing her to cling to him, to draw strength from his person, and ultimately be in debt to the magic he worked on her.

Thrice she'd dreamed of him, and thrice she'd awoken feeling hot, bothered, and incredibly frustrated, unwilling to admit that she was attracted to him. And recently, she'd even been feeling guilty over something that she shouldn't be feeling guilty over because she had no duties to Athrun and he had no claim over her.

Cagalli had been unwilling because she couldn't get over the way they met, the way they had come together for the first time — she didn't do one night stands, she didn't go around sleeping with strangers, she didn't go around getting picked up and allowing herself to be picked up, but she did all three with him who was basically a stranger, someone she wouldn't have met if she hadn't fought with the other secretary in her previous job. Her stubbornness precluded her from volitionally giving in to his advances when they met again for the second time, the third time…countless times. But now, as he stroked a fevered desire in her, as he drove her into an earthly frenzy, she could sense the fight bleed off her, feeling surprisingly lightheaded and captivated as she moved with him in surrender. She didn't know what was with today that made it feel all right to give him power over her, but the strength of his desire that thrummed through his entire body and seeped off him in waves rendered her unable to think, unable to process anything else aside from his carnal efforts that her own body, she discovered, was more than willing to reciprocate.

He hooked her leg on his hip, pressing intimately close to her, his mouth nibbling on her collarbone, his free hand moving sensuously to cover one of her breasts, and she ached for him to take her. But he remained teasing, lingering at the edge with a promise for so much more but never taking the plunge, just like their first night together. And she could feel the roguish grin growing on his lips as he grazed her shoulder with his teeth before playfully nipping it. He knew she wanted him, god he knew, and he was lording his control of her own body over her. The fucking bastard. But there was nothing she could do at the moment for she was currently helpless against his seduction, finding herself arching involuntarily towards him only for him to slide gratifyingly over her sex then deprive her of contact.

His fingers danced over sensitized nipples until they pebbled, and a moan was drawn out from her so craftily as he kissed a burning trail from her shoulder, up her throat, and to the corner of her mouth — just to the corner of her mouth, like a deceitfully sinless touch of the lips that cunningly stole the lingering sense of innocence — before swallowing the sound she made when he sealed his mouth resolutely over hers.

Her hands were never idle, caressing his defined chest, grabbing his arms, running her nails down his back, the sharp curve of his hips, and up his sides until one hand cradled his face and the other tangled with his hair in an effort to get even closer, to coax him to relieve her of the growing tension in her stomach brought on by his incessant teasing. Her anticipation was almost too painful that she nearly breathed a sigh of relief when, finally, heeding her silent plea, he brought her other leg up, carried her weight as if she weighed nothing at all, and slowly entered her.

His thrusts were tauntingly slow, tantalizingly deliberate, and what little part of her that wasn't completely mesmerized yet by the sensations he evoked from her marveled at his control. Her toes curled at his repeated easy thrusts, and when he broke the kiss, with a string of saliva still connecting their mouths, Cagalli found herself irrevocably aroused, so much more than she was just seconds ago, and a cry tore out of her mouth when he gave a sudden sharp thrust, hitting something deep inside her that sent her mewling for more.

"P-please…Athrun…"

As if something in him snapped, Athrun increased his tempo, settling for a rhythm that caused the friction between them to grow hotter, and a litany of mumbled words tumbled out of her mouth as he took her harder, thrust into her deeper — a continuous assault that she welcomed and encouraged with every whimper of his name that escaped her lips. He buried his face in her neck, kissing and sucking, and she clung to him, feeling the knot in her stomach grow bigger and bigger — Athrun…Athrun… — until she unraveled in his arms, open and raw. She couldn't breathe through the overwhelming heat, and she gasped and tried to draw the same air he was breathing as she rode her orgasm, feeling it so strongly that her skin tingled and all she could feel was him moving inside her.

She held on, arching her back and pressing herself closer to him, and a few more thrusts later, her name echoed in her ears as he tumbled over the edge, and she relished the sweet warmth of his release that brought her a sense of completion.

o-o

Athrun didn't relax his hold on Cagalli even as he started to calm down, the beat of the water against his skin luring him back to reality. He nipped at her shoulder affectionately, waiting for his senses to return, and when they did, he carefully set her down, keeping his arms around her in a loose embrace.

"Hey," he whispered softly, careful not to break the comfortable silence.

He was rewarded by an almost shy cast of her eyes as she looked up, and he smiled when she didn't move away.

"Hey."

"Listen—"

"You win, Athrun. You got me for the rest of your stay here in Orb," she cut him off, speaking in a rush and looking everywhere except at him.

He tugged gently at her hair, forcing her to look at him. He kissed the corner of her mouth. "Why the sudden change of mind?"

Predictably enough, she pushed him off her and glared. "Fine! Let's be just friends inst—"

He caught her hands, grinned unabashedly at her, then kissed her to shut her up, running his tongue over her lower lip as though asking for permission before kissing her fully.

When he came up for air seconds later, Cagalli was breathing heavily and the familiar blush had already siphoned into her cheeks. He smiled rakishly. "The deal's been sealed," he breathed out in what he hoped was a beguiling whisper, but he must have sounded so pleased with himself because she started to laugh.

"You should have seen the look on your face! Like a kid given candy!"

He shook his head as she continued to laugh at him, and she didn't stop even when he adjusted the shower spray so it hit her directly, but it soon came to him how to have the last laugh. "Come on, let's finish this shower," he placed his hand on the side of her neck, his thumb caressing the slope of her throat, "so I can eat my candy sooner."

For a second she looked puzzled. And then it registered. And then she hit him. "Athrun, you horny bastard!"

This time, it was Athrun who was laughing at Cagalli's scandalized expression.

xxxxx