Aren't we all used to be strangers at some point?
A faint giggle echoed through the room as a young boy, no older than 7 years old, tip toed carefully into the large bed in the middle of the room. The boy, dark hair unruly and honey-like eyes shone with mischief, stifled a giggle with both hands when the figure on the bed, buried by the comforter, failed to wake up. As careful as he could, he get into the bed as now he can see the person's blonde hair peeking out from the comforter, her face peaceful as she still in deep slumber. With one last wide grin, the boy jump on top of the woman, trying to wake her up.
"Mommy! Wakey wakey! Mommy!"
His cheerful, and not to mention loud, voice successfully waking his mother up as the same golden irises stare sleepily at her son smiling face. Almost drowsily, she hug her son tight, making him squeal with joy as she drop a kiss on both of his cheeks and one on his nose. "Good morning, Sou-kun."
"Morning, Mommy!" Souji, or Sou-kun as his mother called him, kissed her cheek lovingly before he frown at his mother. "Mommy is supposed to wake up and not trying to make Souji sleep too!"
"My precious Sou-kun now began to nag like my brother," she sighed before releasing her hold on her son and begin sit on the bed. "You spend too much time with Uncle Kira and not enough with Mommy."
"Uncle Kira said that too."
"Really?" Cagalli raised her eyebrows in surprise. In her mind, the blonde mother wondered if she really did not spent enough time with her son that her almost equally busy brother commented on it to her son.
"Uh huh, but Uncle say that I did not spend enough time with him."
A relieve smile broke on Cagalli's face. "I see."
"Mommy! No pros…prascating! Mommy have to get up now!" He scolded his mother. Apparently not satisfied with his mother half-hearted attempt in waking up, the young boy then tried to pull her out of the bed, and only succeeded because his mother allowed herself to be pulled into standing up in the warm carpeted floor of her bedroom.
"Procrastinating, Sou-kun."
"Yes, that."
Cagalli is amused, as most of the time she will be the one pulling a sleepy Souji out of the bed, and more often than not ended up carrying him to the bathroom with the help of her old nanny, who now become Souji's nanny. It was apparent that the boy is excited today.
"Okay, okay, Mommy is awake already. Now Souji get ready to school while Mommy takes a bath, okay?"
"Aye, aye captain!" with a mock salute and a wide grin on his face, the little boy skip out of the room, and possibly running into one of the many house staffs by the sound of it. This will be quite a day, Cagalli concluded.
Three pair of eyes watched amusedly as the youngest member of the family trying to shove the blueberry-Nutella pancake in his plate as much and as fast as he can. His cheeks that held a faint blush on it, as most of children his age do, now stained with Nutella and the sticky maple syrup that he poured—just a tiny bit of course, because Uncle Kira said it's not good for your teeth if you eat too much sweet things—on his pancake earlier, cheeks bulging unlike that of a squirrel.
"Slowdown, honey, the pancake isn't going anywhere." While Cagalli did think that he looks very adorable like that, she cannot help but worry he will choke on his food with the pace he is going. Souji then give a vague respond that no one can decide if it was an 'okay, Mommy' or 'I'm hungry', or just gibberish in general.
Kira, her brother, snickered at this. "Your Mommy is right, Souji. She after all knew how it's like to choke when she ate too fast."
"Really?"
"Of course, little tyke," Kira ruffled his nephew messy hair and makes it messier than it was before, earning him a displeased glare from both Cagalli and Myrna, Souji's caretaker, who know how hard it is to tame Souji's hair. Kira ignored them and instead he whispered conspiringly to Souji, "Mommy used to be a naughty girl before."
"Souji's mommy is?" Souji asked in bewilderment as if he cannot imagine that his mother can be naughty. The little boy widened his eyes comically as he stared at his mother who didn't look amused at all.
"Don't you have to go to hospital, Kira?" Cagalli asked her brother, annoyed with the turn of conversation. While she asked this out of annoyance, it is really rare for her twin brother to eat his breakfast almost lazily as if he got all the time in the world and not being terrorized by phone calls from the hospital.
Yes, even though they are as different as day and night, Cagalli and Kira in fact are a pair of twins. Appearance-wise, they hardly look like a sibling except when they stood next to each other. Then, and only then, people who didn't know them will see the similarities between the two. It's not a surprise, really. Kira has brown hair and looks Japanese, or at least Asian, enough to be passed as a Yamato, while Cagalli has blonde hair and her dominant Caucasian features—the shape of her face and her considerably petite stature are some of the clear signs that she has Asian heritage. And while both siblings are kind, passionate person, they have a quite different way of showing it. Kira with his gentle demeanor will show it clearly through his soft spoken voice and the gentleness of his action. The fiery Cagalli, though, will scold and snarl at you but her gestures are really comforting and warm.
Just like in most of things, their interest and passion lies in different things as well. Cagalli who do her best to be a worthy successor of their family's Airplane business while being a single mother to her son Souji, and Kira who chase his dream as a doctor with the support of his sister and later, reluctant nod of their father. Kira, most of the time, is busy with his shift in the hospital and sometimes spent a few days in it without going home because of how busy the ER is. That's why Cagalli's question is not really out of place nor too rude, seeing Kira eat his breakfast so leisurely like that.
"Ah, the truth is the Director changed my shift into the noon shift," Kira said happily, "Now I get the same shift as Lacus."
"Hmmm, so that's why you can laze around like this."
"I'm not lazing around, I just enjoying my morning."
Cagalli scoffed at her brother, "Same different."
"It's not!"
In the head table, their father just shakes his head exasperatedly watching his twin children who even though already in their early thirty, they still bickering like a pair of kids. Mr. Uzumi Nara Athha, the head of the family, then shift his head to the actual child in the table who still eating his pancake in fairly fast-pace even though it's not as fast as before.
"Souji, slowdown or you will get a stomachache." Uzumi stated sternly. Again, the child said something unintelligible because he attempted to say something when his mouth is still full of food. The grandfather tried to make a stern face at the child, though it was apparent that he wasn't completely successful at it. "Souji, what did I say about speaking with your mouth full?"
Souji swallowed his food before answering, "It's not proper and rude."
"Good boy." Souji smiled widely at that.
"Why are you eating so fast, Souji?" Cagalli, who apparently is done teasing and bickering with Kira, asked her son curiously. Souji usually isn't like this, he prefer to savor his food—especially if it was his favorite blueberry-Nutella pancake—rather than wolfing it down like he did today.
"Because I want to go fishing in Grandpa's boat," Souji said matter-of-fact tone like it was supposed to explain everything, which for the seven years old boy it did, but not for the adults who stare confusedly at him.
"You eat fast because you want to go fishing?"
"Yes, Uncle Kira," Souji said slowly, as if his uncle was his fellow student who didn't understand something as simple as equation, "Because if I do everything faster, then the time for us to go fishing will come faster too."
Cagalli had to stifle her laugh because she didn't want to hurt his feeling, but with the proud and sure expression on his face, it's not an easy task to tone down the amusement she felt. In the end, she settled with a fond grin and a kiss on top of his hair as she dabble his face with a clean napkin. "That's not how it's work, honey."
"Eh, it's not?"
"Unfortunately."
"Someone is very excited to sleep in boat," Kira teased his nephew to make him forget his disappointment, "It won't be as nice as to sleep in home with Mommy, you know."
"Uncle Kira, I'm a big boy and not little baby! I don't sleep with Mommy!"
"Souji is right, he is a big boy now," Grandpa said, "On the other hand the two of you should stop childishly picking your food apart like that. You are setting a bad example for Souji."
Kira and Cagalli can only laughed sheepishly at that. Apparently their attempt to sneak food to each other plate is not as sneaky as they thought it was.
The breakfast ended in a cheerful note. And even if Cagalli will be alone in home when her other family member busy voyaging in the sea, she can't help but think that all will go smoothly for today and this weekend.
If Cagalli have a time machine, she will definitely tell her positively naïve self a good reality slap, because her day in fact, is not as beautiful as she thought it will be.
Not even close.
It started normal enough. Cagalli pulled her car in the parking lot of her office building after dropping Souji off in the elementary school. She had tell his teacher, Miss Hawke, that his grandpa will be the one that picked him up later, since neither Souji's father nor his sister can pick Souji up today. She even managed to buy a coffee in the Desert Tiger, which she counted as very lucky seeing usually the queue is already so long and she didn't get enough time to pamper herself with Andy's, the cafe owner, high quality home-brewed coffee.
As she walked through the first floor, Cagalli saw one of the screens in the wall showed the newest advertisement for Morgenroete Airways staring one of the most famous singers in the world, Dearka Elsman. She scored the contract with Elsman personally, though she suspect he agreed to it partly because it was a very good deal and because she is his long-time friend. No matter though, because even though the two of them are good friend, they have been very professional in this matter.
"This is my favorite of all the advertisement projects we had," Cagalli heard an employee said to his friend.
"Yup, simple and classy. Definitely give of a good vibe, right? This have Miss Athha's name written all over it."
With a smile, she continue to walk to her office in steady, assured steps, a cup of good quality coffee in one hand and her hand bag in the other. The other employees of the Morgenroete Airways greeted her respectfully, and she greeted them back warmly.
In her considerably young age of 32, Cagalli has sat on one of the higher position in the company. Though some may says that it was due to her family influence as the owner of the company, no one can deny the hard-works and dedication she put into her works and that she did deserve to be in her position as an executive. Not only that, sometimes she interact with the customers herself by become a customer service for a day. It also helps that she is very easy in the eyes and have a pleasant, passionate personality.
Cagalli is no doubt the perfect picture of a successful career woman.
The image of a prescribed medicine bottle put deep in the drawer in her room come to her mind, and she halted in front of her office door. She shook her head to erase the image from her mind and put on a smile, though not as bright or as sincere as before.
"Morning, Cagalli," Greet Miriallia Haw, her secretary for three years. The usually cheerful auburn haired girl now sporting an annoyed expression on her face.
"Morning, Milly. Let me guess, Dearka is bothering you again?"
Dearka had taken an unwanted and crush on her secretary when Milly accompanied her in meeting Dearka and his manager, and since then he practically terrorize the poor girl for her phone number. Cagalli considered it very lucky that Milliaria didn't report him to the authority for stalking yet, but she suspected it was more because her secretary didn't want to attract such attention to herself rather than none existent blooming feeling in Dearka's imagination.
Today rather than just the usual annoyed expression on her face every-time Dearka's name is mentioned, there is a grimness and cold fury in her secretary's face. Cagalli wondered if her old friend has crossed the line of properness and dig a hole for himself. Milly just wordlessly gestured to her phone that showed Dearka's number calling her in the screen. With an eyebrow raised in her secretary direction, Cagalli take the call.
"If you are calling just to ter—"
"Cagalli! Please don't kill me!" come her friend horrified scream cutting her speech. "I swear I don't know anything about it and I'm just a victim!" Dearka then give another round of what she think as an effort to explain himself but because he sounds so scarred out of his wit, it so jumbled up that it almost sounds like Souji's babble when he was just a very chatty baby except nothing cute about Dearka's chatter.
"Dearka!" she snapped at him, annoyed of his ranting. "What the hell are you yapping about?!"
A silence is what greeted her afterwards. Cagalli almost close the phone call angrily when he very carefully asked,"… you didn't know yet?"
"Know what? What did you do this time?"
Milly tapped her shoulder and handed her the tablet she is holding. Almost automatically she scanned the headline in what seems to be a news website, and her eyes widened. "What?!" She shouted to the phone call furiously.
"Errrr…. Gotta go, bye, don't call me." And just like that the line was cut, leaving a sour-faced Milly and a livid Cagalli.
"Mr. Unato Seiran proposed an emergency meeting about this problem right after this, Cags. Currently his secretaries are busy preparing for it."
Cagalli just know this will produce in a lot of headache and sore throat on her part. " .KA!" she hissed through gritted teeth. "You. Are. So. Dead."
If Cagalli was younger, she would have thrown her phone to the wall furiously by now, but she matured and she learned patience. So even though she practically spitting with anger, her professionalism make her readily starting to handle the problem with every cards she got in her hand. Even though the time obviously wasn't enough for her to get any real solution or even a deep insight of the problem, it did give them some kind of understanding, and possible leverage in the upcoming meeting.
As her boss busy calling and typing in her computer, Milliaria took another glance to the abandoned tablet in Cagalli's table, placed dangerously near the edge and most probably will fall sooner or later by the furious force that is Cagalli Yula Athha.
'DEARKA ELSMAN: GOLDEN VOICE, BILLIONAIRE, AND HOMEBREAKER?' it read. Honestly if she didn't have any business with the singer, she can imagine herself sitting together with her female friends discussing this article over canned beers and obesity-inducing fast food. Unfortunately, since he has a contract with the company she works for, Milliaria now eyeing the smiling blonde male in the article with disdain. She swears if her salary is affected, she will do something drastic.
"Do you think the Seirans will use this to decrease your chance to winning the election?"
What Milly said was true. In the end of the year there will be an election for the chairman position in Morgenroete Airways. This will be the first selection where Cagalli's father wouldn't participate in, and this also will be the first selection Cagalli will run in. The Seirans that Milly is speaking about is Unato and Yuna Seiran, one of the families that hold a quite sizeable amount of share amongst all the other shareholders in the company. Though Cagalli deemed Yuna Seiran annoying but harmless, his father is another story altogether. The man is smart and ambitious, and unlike his son, he certainly deserved his position as the Vice-Chairman.
"Definitely," Cagalli agreed, "but if we can handle this beautifully, the table will turn against them and this will further prove to the other Directors that I can and deserve to be the chairman."
"So you need all help you can get." A voice greet them by the door and when the two woman look up they found a lanky dark-haired man with eyes as dark as his hair standing there, a suitcase in his hand. As usual, his attire is so immaculate with no crease or a speck of dirt in him—which should be impossible. Even though he is so handsome that he almost looks beautiful, there is just something off with the man, a considerably fatal flaw that had successfully wave-off any interested women that come his way.
"Mr. Samawo," greeted Milliaria. The man gave her a smile that just a bit too wide and a nod that more like a jerk of his head that makes Milly can't help but laughing at him.
Even though he is so impossibly handsome that Milly think she can find a Greek statue with his face in it if she tried, his ability to communicate normally left much to be desired. He is just painfully awkward and incapable of expressing his thought correctly with just expression alone. Milly thought it was because he tried too hard, and his anxiety disorder and his over-bearing father that always favor the perfect little brother more didn't help his self-esteem. Not to mention the only time he can speak confidently was when he was so focused on something that he just ignored other people completely and speak his mind so bluntly that it's bordering on rude.
"Your awkwardness is seeping everywhere, and that cool stance you tried to show is almost a success, but just almost. Ultimately, it was a fail." Cagalli commented as the man tried to sit gracefully on the chair in front of her, and succeeded in knocking down a few trinkets on her desk. Cagalli immediately set it straight again before he can attempt to do so and ended up making her desk become more of a mess.
"Eh, really? I thought I practiced it the way Rifan told me to." Milly set a cup of chamomile tea in front of him, and he drinks it gratefully, looking visibly more relaxed when the cup is empty.
"I don't think that's possible, Mr. Samawo, because you are as smooth as a sand paper."
"But it's not smooth though?"
"And I see sarcasm still escape you." Cagalli mused as she continued to preparing the materials she need to at least win her time. To his credit, Fillix Samawo—a fitting name for the rather bizarre person—editing and adding some material that make her slide better and more convincing than it was before. "How did you even survive this long?"
"Good luck and wit, I think?"
Cagalli rolled her eyes at this. "By the way, how convenience of you to be here before I even call you."
"Ah, because I was one of the share-holder I thought I should come, but apparently it was directors only."
"I'm pretty sure you will receive a notification if you are required to attend the meeting." Cagalli closed her laptop and stand-up, stretching a bit because she is sure this will be a very long, very exhausting meeting. "But I'm also sure you just decided to come anyway because I will call you sooner or later."
"Yes?"
"You can stay here if you want," Cagalli, along with Milliaria right behind her begin to walk out of the office before she addressed her friend one last time, "I'll tell you what you need to know after the meeting—that is if you didn't already know that first."
"Good luck."
With a bounce on his steps, little Souji walked merrily to his classroom, a big grin to his face. He can't wait to tell his friends about the cool adventure he sure will have with his uncle and grandpa! As soon as he saw a boy with hair just as dark as his own with warm chocolate eyes, Souji cheerfully greeted his best friend.
"Jack!" the boy gave him a big grin and a wave of his hand. He put his Captain America themed bag on the chair in the middle of classroom. Souji took a seat to the right of his best friend as per usual. Their first class is science class with Miss Meyrin, Souji's favorite teacher. She is so kind and pretty, almost like Souji's mommy, but of course Souji's mommy is prettier because mommy is the prettiest girl in the world. Miss Meyrin also the sister of Aunty Luna, daddy's best friend, so Souji knew her pretty well.
"Hey, did you already watch Infinity War?" Jack asked Souji as the boy took out a notebook from his bag. The class has yet to be started but Souji is eager to show Miss Meyrin his complete homework. The boy shakes his head with a sigh. He really wanted to see Spider-man there in his cool brand-new Iron Spider suit just like in the trailer!
"Ehhh… that's a shame! I haven't watch it too but Ryan said that I can watch it with him and his friends later after school!"
"Ryan let you hang around with his friend?" Ryan is Jack's older brother, a middle school student that thought he is too cool to hang around with his baby brother. Even though he is like that, he actually really loves his brother and just shy about it, or so Jack said.
"Mommy said he can bring me along or he will have to wait next week to watch it. Ryan agreed because he said it will be lame if the whole school already watched it and he hadn't."
"Hmmm, I can't watch it this weekend!" Souji pouted as he realized he can't watch Infinity War and go fishing at the same time.
"Ah, that's right you are going to fishing in a big boat right? That's the coolest thing ever, Souji!"
Souji immediately perked up hearing that, "Yeah, and Uncle Kira will teach me how to steer the boat too!"
"Cool!"
While they are busy chatting with each other, the bell rung loudly and the other students started to fill in the class. When a blonde girl with blue hair-band took a seat in front of them, Jack whispered conspiringly to Souji, "I heard from my mother she saw Alisa's father go on a date with a younger girl!"
"Really?" Souji whispered back to Jack. While Souji didn't really care about gossip and all that, he can't help but feel relieved that even though his parents are not together anymore they are still so friendly with each other and didn't date another person. Souji even hoping his mommy and daddy will be together again like before! He can't imagine how awful it will be if his parents date another person. Poor Alisa. Maybe Souji will gave her his mango pudding later, but when nobody is looking because it will be embarrassing and Jack will think he wanted to kiss Alisa. That's just yucky and for mommies and daddies and adults only!
"Good Morning, class!" Miss Meyrin greeted them cheerfully as always. "Now how about a little game before we started today's lesson?"
As soon as the door of the meeting room opened widely, Fillix Samawo begins screening from afar to search for Cagalli and Milly amid men and women that come out of that room. He didn't see Cagalli's unmistakable shoulder length blonde hair—since she is the only blonde woman amongst the other executive in the company—but he can see Milliaria signature orange scarf. The brunette stood a few meters away from the door and repeatedly glancing inside the room with a clear worry on her face. As soon as the crowd has thinned, Fillix walked to the short-haired woman and almost opened his mouth to greet her but he stopped when he see what she saw.
Yuna Seiran is talking to Cagalli. With the buzzing conversation around them, Fillix can't hear what they are talking about, but he definitely can see that it's making Cagalli uncomfortable. It was apparent from how Cagalli clenched her hands tightly on her lap. Maybe he should have walk closer to them to at least save Cagalli from what must be unpleasant conversation, but he can't. He is aware that he is too cowardly and striking a conversation is, honestly, something that he didn't really like to do—as it was rather frightening to him. Especially if he had to talk to someone like Seiran who must be a villain or dramatic antagonist in his previous life. But Cagalli is someone important to Fillix, this shouldn't even matter to him.
As he contemplating on his move, Milliaria save him the trouble and drag him towards what must have been a war zone and gave the other director a very reluctant nod to acknowledge him. "Miss Athha, I'm sorry to intrude," Milliaria didn't look sorry at all, and all of them knew it, "but we have to go to your next appointment right now."
"You are right. Thank you for reminding me, Miss Haw." She gracefully stand up from her seat and nod rigidly to the purple haired male. "If you excuse me, Mr. Seiran, I have an important appointment to go to."
Seiran didn't seems too happy with their interruption but then a sneer come up on his mouth, too wide on his faceand downright unpleasant, "Of course, Miss Athha. Oh, before I forgot, how is your ex-husband nowadays? Silly me! You guys are not even married, right?" And with a mocking laugh that reminded Fillix of evil mother-in-law, the older man walk away.
"Are you okay?" Ask Milliaria, concerned to her friend and boss.
As Cagalli clean up her things, she gave them an unconcerned shrug, waving Milliaria's worry away. "It's just Seiran Junior," she said to them, "No need to worry."
Fillix stared at her silently but not commenting anything even when he saw how she hides the palm of her hands from the two of them.
When they walked out of the room, a few other directors still lingered around in front of the meeting room, making appointment with one another to discuss whose side to choose in the upcoming election, most probably.
"I don't understand why he likes to bother you so much," Milliaria said to them when the three of them enter an empty lift. She immediately taps the close button, not wanting other people to hear their talk. "I mean, it's like he want to attract your attention or something. But he is married with kid isn't he? To that Hollywood actress, Starla Darling. "
"You think too much on it, Milly. He is just the kind of person who likes to step on other people for fun."
"While that is very much true, I also think he is the type of person who hold grudge and must not be underestimated in any way. You have to be careful, Cagalli." Fillix commented seriously. He let the two women to step out of the lift first and proceeded to walk to Cagalli's office but he stop when he noticed the two of them didn't move from their spot.
Cagalli and Milliaria stare at him in surprise, as if he did something they deemed impossible for him to do. Fillix tilted his head slightly in confusion. "Did I say something wrong?"
Cagalli giggle a little at that, "No, It's just for a moment there you look really dependable."
Fillix felt his cheeks warmed, "R-really?"
"Yup, that was pretty cool!" Milliaria gave him a thumb up.
Without him really noticing, his gaze followed Cagalli as she moved around in her office, her hair gleamed like gold when she stood next to the window. His throat feels dry as he tried to say something to her, before he close his mouth and peek at Milliaria who already sat on her desk to begin her work. He is just trying to ask her to lunch but why is it so difficult? He cleared his throat and try again, "Cagalli, do you—"
Her phone is ringing loudly, singing 'Sit Still, Look Pretty' across the room. Cagalli immediately answer it with a smile on her face. "Hello, Shinn? Lunch at the Desert Tiger? Of course I can." She laughed prettily at her ex-boyfriend's words, "Can't wait. Bye, I'll see you there."
She looks noticeably happier after the call, Fillix noted a bit bitterly. Cagalli then turned around to face him, "What do you want to say earlier?"
"Nothing. Nothing at all."
Souji sit in the stair in front of the school while humming Big Hero Six the series theme song. The young child sat alone and drawing a pretty good picture of Baymax, in a sense where people will at least know that it was the famous robot even though the boy currently mixes his golden crayon in the Robot's red armor. Once in a while he said goodbye to his classmates that greet him and even do a secret handshake with Jack, his best-friend, but otherwise Souji just sit there waiting for his grandpa to pick him up so they can go and become a pirate!
Souji grinned widely at this. What will they do at the sea? Will he see dolphin? Or shark? Or save a princess from evil people? Will the sea play with him like in Moana? Mommy said that it was only a movie, but Souji think it will be very cool if he can do high-five with the sea!
While Souji busy daydreaming about his adventure, he didn't realize that his homeroom teacher had taken a seat beside him in the steps. The young teacher giggled when Souji draw an eye patch on one of Baymax's glowing eyes.
"What are you drawing, Souji?"
"Miss Meyrin!" Souji greet her. "I'm drawing Baymax! And this one is super-robot-mode where Baymax can shoot energy beam from his arms!" Souji showed his teacher the improvement he made in the robot's armor. "And this one is for shooting fireworks because it's pretty and cool."
"I think that sounds awesome," Miss Meyrin agreed. "Souji, I'm sorry but your grandfather will be just a tiny bit late, so how about you wait with me in the classroom?"
"Aww, okay then." Souji puffed up his cheeks in displeasure. "Wait, what if Grandpa got lost in the school when he search for me?
"Mr. Athha will call once he get here, so you don't have to worry."
"Hmm, okay."
A/N: Like I've said in my profile, I'm rewriting this. So for all of you who get the alert message and didn't find a new chapter, I'm really sorry. But don't worry I'm typing the 2nd chapter right away so hopefully the wait won't be too long.