Disclaimer: I do not own GS/GSD. If I did Athrun and Cagalli would never have left that island where they first met.

A/N: Italics are flashbacks. Italicized and blocked texts are Meyrin's thoughts. As warned in the prologue this is full of angst. Thank you for those who reviewed. It is very much appreciated. The chapter's title "Entre" is French for "in-between."

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She found him in his room—standing by the window, with his olive eyes glued to the park across the street. She sighed. When they had moved in to the apartment a few years ago, she never asked why he chose to occupy the much smaller guest room, when there was a bigger bedroom just across the hall. It wasn't until later when it dawned to her that the park he often contemplated at was the reason for his decision.

It reminded him of what he had left behind.

She grasped the doorway and leaned her head against her arm. Little memories she had tried to ignore or at least deny began resurfacing from the back of her mind. And she was finding it harder to see him through her tears.

Take care of him

The young woman had said to her long ago as she pulled her aside. Her face carried only sadness and those eyes—those eyes of amber spoke volumes of the regret that she felt. Meyrin wiped away the tears that fell on her cheeks. She would never again see those golden eyes be as expressive as they were that day. When Meyrin saw her in a televised news conference, her eyes took Meyrin by surprise. They were full of nothing, just as how Athrun's eyes would be when he thought no one would notice.

She shut her eyes, wanting to shut everything away.

Why did everything turn out like this? Everything to be not so wrong, nor to be so right. Why had she done it? Why in that split of a second did she decide to risk her life to help this man, who's back always seemed to be half-turned from her? Half-way here and half-way somewhere else. Just as she felt he had always seen her: always in between—between who she really is and the shadow of the young woman, she could never call her rival. Because in reality, Athha-san never had competition when it came to him. Why did she, even for a moment, believed she could? She sniffled.

"Meyrin?" The quiet voice asked in surprise. "Are you alright?"

She brushed him off with a weary smile. "You're leaving aren't you?"

"You're leaving me, aren't you?" She wanted to ask him.

His face fell and his eyes moved away from her form. "I haven't decided on it."

"Bullshit! Don't lie to me!" Her mind screamed.

"Athrun," She whispered hoarsely. "You don't have to explain anything to me. I know. I heard your conversation with Kira today."

"Meyrin…" He gazed back at her and she felt even smaller in his darkened room. His eyes, they always seemed so far away. She clenched her fists. Was it out of anger at him? Or at herself? To think that those few times he would hold her close, it meant something tangible—something she could hold on to and have her hopes cling to it.

She waved his words away. "I'm not blind Athrun." Her voice steeled, frustration rising in her chest. "I know that I'm nothing compared to her and that you never saw me in thatway, even if you tried. She needs you. And you…you have always needed her."

Athrun stood there, her words piercing him. "Meyrin….I….I never meant for all this…"

"How can you say that? Every little things matter…even…even if we were stuck in between..." Her mind cried out.

She shook her head. "Don't…just don't say anything." She was about to reach out to him but quietly pulled away. It was too hard. It was too hard to hold someone who isn't really there.

"It would have been easier…if you could only be honest with yourself…if I could..."

Foolish. She was foolish. Her throat felt hoarse and scratchy, the tears were beginning to prick her eyes. "Just know that I'm here for you." She choked out. "You will always be welcome here."

"…with me…"

He stood there, staring blankly down at his hands—uncertain of what to say. Meyrin smiled at him sadly, before she turned to walk out of his room.

"I'm sorry." His voice softly whispered. Quietly, she tried not to think that her heart is slowly breaking apart.

"It's too late now…isn't it?"

Before she could think of the words she would want to say to him, her mouth opened and her voice quivered. "You should tell her that, Athrun. She'll forgive you."

She didn't wait for his response as she quickly exited the room, tears streaming unbidden down her cheeks.

"We were always in between, aren't we Athrun?"

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