Hi!

It's been a while. Sorry about that – I've been working on my other story. Thanks to all who reviewed the last chapter. I hope you enjoy this one too – it was fun to write. It's kinda fluffy but I think Athrun and Cagalli are entitled right? Oh! This is also my first attempt at a romance story so PLEASE be understanding ok? -

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed, Gundam Seed Destiny or any other references made to either series. The dragon comb belongs to Pacific Mall in Toronto where I saw it.

Special thanks to Prime Minister who helped me write this

Affronted Affections

Chapter #6: Blissful Misunderstanding

After that fateful moment in the hallway, Athrun doubled his efforts in avoiding Cagalli. In all actuality, it had been quit simple. He didn't have any classes with her and being sentenced to an eternity on lunch duty kept him from seeing her during lunch. He'd managed to work out an agreement with Mr. LaFlaga to prevent from working during the same times as Cagalli and when he wasn't in class or at basketball practice, he would hide on the 10th floor of the library, studying.

Very few people went to the 10th floor of the Lunar Library so Athrun could lose himself easily in his studies. Midterms were coming up and the pressure to perform was building. His parents had spent a lot of money to send him to this school and he was well aware of the punishments should he fall short of their expectations. Fear of his father's wrath and his mother's disappointment kept him hard at the books.

That was where Athrun found himself the day before the dance. He sat in a small cubical in the corner of the room trying to focus. He twirled his pencil neatly around his finger and watched as it spun around and around before it dropped onto his open textbook. His eyes followed the pencil as it rolled along the long list of equations written on the paper that he knew he needed to learn. The only problem was that he didn't feel like learning them. He wasn't interested or motivated. He was tired.

An entire week had gone by since he'd surrendered to Yuna and the hurt still swelled inside his heart.

He'd made a habit of sleeping in the library – something that was quit common amongst students in educational facilities. The only difference was that he had done it all week. Passed out across his books, Athrun would wake up on the 10th floor of the library in his same cubical feeling worse than he had the night before. He missed his place on the floor in Cagalli's room. The only time he went there was to grab a fresh change of clothes and he only dared to do so when he was certain she wasn't around. Still, he missed living without the grubby feeling that one would get after a sleepless night. His limbs would be stiff and sore from trying to sleep sitting down and he had had a horrible headache all week.

He bit his lip angrily. He shouldn't have to endure this. Nobody else had to. Straightening, he yawned and tried to focus on the text in front of him. He would do what he had come to do – perform well in school, get good grades, make his parents proud and leave. That was all that mattered. Whether or not he had any friends, a girlfriend or felt remotely happy didn't really matter in the long run. Did it?

With that in mind, Athrun steadied the tip of his pencil on a clear white sheet of paper in front of him and began to write out equations. He pressed the pencil down harder as he began to scribble them out faster and faster. He hated it here. He hated Yuna, he hated the principal and administration and…

SNAP!

Athrun cursed silently under his breath as his fourth pencil gave in and broke in two. Annoyed, he angrily tossed the tool aside and reached for another with his left hand.

Not only did school bother him but so did that girl – Meer Campbell. She was always staring at him and he could see the lust in her eyes. Her eyes would bore into him and he couldn't suppress a shudder as he recalled how she would continually undress him with her deep, cerulean eyes.

Clasping the new pencil in his left hand, Athrun carefully set it against the rough surface of the paper. He firmed his grip by using his thumb and forefinger and tried again. Again, his mind drifted to his endless list of problems and it wasn't long before another sharp snap broke the heavy silence in the library.

Athrun looked around nervously to see if anyone had heard before picking up yet another pencil and trying again. Why couldn't he focus? He felt his blood pressure rising. Tomorrow was the dance. Why did that even matter to him? Why should he care? He had no intention of going. Why should he?

He heard footsteps approaching him from behind but didn't care. Snap.

"Hey!" Cagalli's voice called as she came up along side of him. She flashed him an awkward smile but Athrun just ignored her and continued to work diligently. "What are you up to?"

Athrun bit his lip and said nothing. She was toying with him again. This time he wouldn't be so easily fooled or reeled into another one of her traps. Inhaling sharply, he grabbed a pencil and resumed his work. Stiffening, he struggled to disregard her powerful presence. He could feel the goosebumps prickling his skin yet again but he wouldn't give in to it. Not again. Sweat gathered on his brow from the effort as he restrained himself from yelling at her to go away. To leave him alone. To stop playing such cruel games with his heart.

He had openly given out his heart, his soul – everything to her and she had completely thrown it all back in his face in perhaps the worse possible way a girl could. Surely, she knew how he felt. How could she not? She wasn't stupid! If she didn't like him, he would have preferred for her to just tell him outright rather than pretending to be his friend and then accepting Yuna's invitation to the dance. Or maybe he was the problem. Maybe he was just jealous? He sighed.

He didn't understand the rules to this game.

Cagalli noticed the perplexed expression on his face and frowned. "Athrun?"

Again, Athrun didn't reply.

SNAP!

The pencil snapped as did Athrun's temper. How dare she just show up like this and pretend that nothing was wrong.

"What?" Athrun spun around to face her, his green eyes blazing. "What is it that you want now?"

Cagalli pulled back from the cubical, surprised by the venom that poured out of his words. "Excuse me?"

"I'm busy," Athrun explained shortly and tensed. "What do you want from me now?"

"I…" Cagalli didn't know what to say. Shifting nervously she dared a step forward and leaned over the cubical so that her eyes were directly in line with Athrun's. "I wanted to ask you something."

"I don't have time for questions right now," Athrun dropped his gaze and turned away from her. Looking at the beautiful girl he had fallen in love with hurt too much. He was still licking his wounds from a week ago and simply was not yet ready to confront her. "Sorry."

"That carnation wasn't from Yuna was it?"

"W…what?"

"The yellow flower," Cagalli rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "I want to know why you lied to me, Athrun Zala."

Yuna. That very name refueled the blazing fury that was raging inside of him. The fingers of his right hand unconsciously wrapped themselves around the paper he had just been writing on and crinkled it up almost violently until it was nothing but a tight ball on his desk. "It doesn't matter," He told her and stood up. "You're going with him to the dance aren't you? So why does it matter who that flower was from?"

He made a move to slip past her and escape but Cagalli wouldn't allow it. Angry, Cagalli's hand came out of nowhere and shoved him back into his chair. "Now hold on just a damn minute, Athrun. You're not going anywhere until we get this all straightened out. You owe me an explanation. One minute, we're together under a beautiful full moon by the river and then the next day, you see me and Yuna talking and you start avoiding me! I haven't been able to catch you all week and you never are at the residence. All I ever find are your dirty clothes everywhere! What is your problem?"

"What is my problem?" Athrun couldn't believe what he was hearing. He didn't attempt getting up a second time for he knew she would just push him back down again. He was stronger than her but to overpower a girl risked being accused of assault. Athrun had too much respect for Cagalli, and girls in general, to do something like that. His went rigid as he fired her an incredulous look. "You can't be serious!"

"Well I am," Cagalli stamped her foot. "You're being a jerk."

"Excuse me?" Athrun's voice lowered. "I don't think you're in any position to be calling me names, Cagalli."

"And why not?"

Athrun hesitated for a moment, debating whether or not he really wanted to do this. It was too late so why put himself through any more emotional anguish than he had already gone through?

"Because you are the one who's been behaving like a jerk," He retorted curtly. "Either that or you are just stupid."

There. He had said it. It hadn't been as eloquent as he might have liked but it was now out in the open and that made him feel a little better. Gathering his courage to toss aside his ego, he spoke out from his heart, trying to get everything out before he lost his nerve. "You've been using me and I'm tired of it. I liked you a lot Cagalli but that didn't seem to matter to you. I don't understand you. You flirt with me one day and then toy with me feelings by fooling around with Yuna the next. How do you think that makes me feel? I don't think you even considered my feelings, did you?"

Cagalli staggered back as if she'd been dealt a blow to the face. "Wha… what are you talking about!"

"Well, what would you call it?" Athrun's eyes narrowed as he slammed his textbook shut and glared up at her. He wasn't angry anymore. He was upset. He felt vulnerable again.

"You're not making any sense!" Cagalli shook her head and swinging her backpack around, she opened it and stuck her hand in. Athrun raised a disapproving eyebrow but didn't say anything more as she pulled out a shriveled up, yellow carnation. Hands shaking, Cagalli shoved it in his face and Athrun had no choice but to rear back to avoid being stabbed in the eye by the dry petals. "Did you or did you not buy this!"

Athrun slumped and nodded. He focused hard on the grained wood of his desk, unable to meet her flaming eyes.

"Then why…"

"Because you were already going to the dance with Yuna," Athrun told her quietly. "What was I supposed to do?" He shifted in his seat and shook his head, strands of dark hair falling into his eyes. "Why do you like him so much if he treats you so badly? I saw the two of you when you told him about your dog. You deserve better, Cagalli."

"And by 'better' are you referring to yourself?" Cagalli asked, crossing her arms and scowling hard at the young man she had cornered in his cubical.

Athrun bit his lip and said nothing.

"Well?" Cagalli looked at him expectantly.

"What do you want me to say?" Athrun gritted out. His entire body trembled from a horrible mixture of pain and anger and he was sure that he was going vomit.

Cagalli's expression softened. Moving closer, she perched herself on the side of his cubical and placed a hand over his – the one clutching at the paper. His eyes widened as the contact sent an electrical bolt up his entire arm and he shuttered. His head jerked up to meet her eyes and for a long moment, they just stared at one another, both trying to read what was going through the other's mind.

"Yuna and I are not going out," She explained gently and felt Athrun flinch as she ran her forefinger along his knuckles. "If you had just asked me then I would have told you that. Instead, I had to search all over campus to find you."

Athrun wasn't convinced. "Then why…"

"It pleases my father if I maintain a good friendship with him," Cagalli managed and lowered her head in mild shame. "His father and mine are good friends. I know that Yuna has feelings for me but I don't feel the same way that he does."

Athrun's pencil snapped in his other hand in shock. It was as if someone had slapped him in the face and only then did he realize how stupid he had been. He should have spoken to her about this before – not hide in the lonely confines of the library! He mentally scolded himself and if he could have, he would have kicked himself. Still, something was a miss. "But you're going to the dance with him tomorrow aren't you? I mean, I saw the two of you and…"

"You saw but you didn't hear," Cagalli corrected him. "He asked me if I wanted to go with him and gave me a bunch of roses. I accepted the flowers but haven't given him an answer yet." She emphasized the word yet and Athrun flushed.

"I…I…" The words were stuck in his throat. Shaking his head, Athrun continued to stutter, hoping that coherency would return to him soon. "But… I…"

"Was there something you wanted to ask me when you bought this?" Cagalli held up the carnation.

"Y – yes…" Athrun continued to stumble of his words. "There was."

She received a tiny nod and Cagalli's expression turned serious as she stepped back from the cubical to give Athrun a little more breathing room. "What was it?"

Athrun wanted to tell her so desperately that he had wanted to go with her to the dance – that he still wanted to go with her but something held him back. A fear that lied buried in his rapidly beating heart. He was afraid of being hurt again. Afraid of feeling the horrible stinging pain in his chest that he had had during the last week. He didn't know if he would be able to handle Cagalli and Yuna's supposedly tight relationship and wasn't sure if he wanted to try. He shifted, suddenly very, very uneasy.

"Athrun?"

A pained look filled Athrun's wary, emerald eyes. "Cagalli…" He sighed. "I don't know…"

"I want you to say to me whatever it was you had to say before – and I want the truth."

Swallowing against the lump that had formed in his throat, Athrun paused, still contemplating.

Cagalli felt sweat gathering on her brow as she realized just how badly she must have hurt him. Just how much her careless actions had affected him. Perhaps it was too late. Perhaps the damage was beyond repair. "I was waiting to see if anyone else would ask me to the dance…"

Ask her stupid! Athrun's mind screamed and he openly grimaced. You know you want to! This is your chance! She's interested in you!

"Cagalli…"

She took a deep breath. "Athrun, I can only give you so many chances."

This isn't hard! Athrun scolded himself. You had it all planned out before… just tell her what you had rehearsed a week ago!

Athrun had done many things in his life that required an insurmountable amount of courage. This, however, proved to be almost above him. To surrender himself to a girl – to give his heart to her and have it shattered again. Who knew that feelings could hurt so much?"I wanted to know…" He struggled and swallowed to clear his throat. The expectant look in Cagalli's determined eyes weighed him down like a millstone around his neck.

"I wanted to know if you would go to the dance with me." He blurted out and quickly turned away from her nervously. "That was why I bought that flower and when I saw you with Yuna … I panicked. That's why I lied about it."

Cagalli chuckled lightly and reached forward to take his hand again. Her gentle fingers tickled his skin as they wrapped around his own and he found allowing her to pull him up from his chair. The two stood across from one another, their fingers intertwined between them. Athrun flushed with embarrassment as he swallowed to moisten his throat.

"I'm so sorry I hurt you," Cagalli spoke slowly and firmly as she tightened her grip around his hand. "It was never my intention."

"I didn't help the problem by running away," Athrun admitted and flashed her a timid smile. "Are you um… going to give Yuna an answer tonight?"

Cagalli nodded and, much to Athrun's surprise, she pulled him into a tight embrace, wrapping her arms around his waist. She then backed away, her face reddening. "Yes, I'm going to tell him that I am going with someone else."

Athrun felt his heart soar. It was amazing how one could go from feeling so low to being on top of the world in less than fifteen minutes. Immediatley, he began forming a list of things he had to do between now and the dance. He had to get a suit, had to get cleaned up, had to buy some shoes, had to buy Cagalli a corsage and he still had to study. He reconsidered it briefly before deciding that studying could wait. He returned her embrace and stepped away.

"I have a lot I need to do between now and then – is it alright if I pick meet you at the residence around… umm… 6:00 tomorrow?"

"Don't be late," Cagalli winked at him and Athrun's legs almost gave out from underneath him. "I will see you then."

Athrun shook his head and as Cagalli made her way to the elevator, he quickly gathered his books under his arm and made a dash for the stairs. He couldn't wait for the elevator. A rush of adrenaline coursed through him as he charged down staircase after staircase until he finally reached the bottom floor. Bursting through the library doors, he charged off towards the bus stop. He had some shopping he had to do and he didn't have a lot of time to do it.

Athrun was walking down the street several hours later, his new clothing in hand, when he passed a jewelry shop. He wouldn't have noticed it ordinarily, but there were several strange items in the window that he noticed as they shimmered in the sunlight. Curious, he opened the door and went inside.

From the street the shop had looked dusty and cluttered, but once inside he found everything impeccably clean and organized, with plenty of cheerful light streaming in through the windows. "Looks can be deceiving," a little old man behind the counter said, sucking on a pipe.

Athrun smiled mildly and looked through the cases. "Lovely collection," he commented softly.

"Isn't it? Plenty of rare things in here. Are you looking for something in particular?"

Athrun straightened, putting his things down on the counter. "I'm looking for something for my. . . girlfriend," he said gingerly.

"How much are you willing to spend?" the little old man replied.

"Doesn't matter really," Athrun answered. He wanted to get something nice and the cost wasn't important. Nobody could put a price on the euphoria he was feeling.

Athrun turned slowly, examining the multitude of cases. He should get Cagalli something pretty for the party, but he also wanted something meaningful. Walking around, he selected a comb made of carved red stones and multicolored pieces creating in the shape of a dragon. The bright greens and blues would look marvelous in her golden hair.

He spent the next few hours simply wandering around, looking at bookstores and shops. As he browsed through the bookstores, waiting for tomorrow to arrive, he found several books on history and had a good chuckle over them. Having lived through most of what had been recorded, he found the Natural point of view quite interesting.

After that, Athrun spent the night back on the 10th floor of the library studying for his mid-terms. That endeavor, however, didn't last very long and soon he was fast asleep, dreaming about the dance and what he hoped would be a wonderful time.

The next day, he woke up late. He'd slept surprisingly well all things considered and, for the first time in his life, he did something that his parents would have surely whipped him for – he decided to skip his classes that day to get ready for the dance.

He dressed in the men's change room at the physical activities complex, since he knew Cagalli wouldn't let him anywhere near her room until she was ready. Girls were funny that way – they simply could not be seen until they were looking their best. He dressed quickly in his suit, which was made of black wool woven so fine that it moved as smoothly as silk over his trim frame. He adjusted the cuffs and collar of his shirt, which really were silk. The wine-purple of the shirt offset the color of his green eyes perfectly, and he liked the way his reflection greeted him in the mirror – dashing yet mysterious and just the way he liked it.

He thought for a moment about tying the black cravat around his neck and pinning it with the gold tack they had given him, but in the end stuffed it in with his old clothes. He liked the open collar better- it wasn't as formal, and he preferred to fly in the face of convention.

As he gazed into the mirror he knew he cut a handsome figure; the cut of the suit accentuated the broad musculature of his shoulders and slender waist. Oh yes, he would knock them dead tonight, he thought to himself, as he ran a comb through his heavy, silky blue hair. Once he felt he was presentable, Athrun hurried over to the residences. A sinister smirk split his face as he thought about Yuna. He couldn't help but wonder how the other boy had reacted when Cagalli had told him she wasn't going to go with him to the dance.

He walked along the narrow hallway that led to the staircase which ultimately led to the floor that Cagalli's room was on. He saw many of his female classmates and exchanged smiles with a few of them, straightening proudly when he saw their eyes widen as they drank in his stunning appearance. They all looked beautiful but none were a patch on Cagalli – even with their gorgeous dresses and makeup.

Throwing his head back to keep his bangs from falling into his eyes, he nodded politely to a girl who had spun her head around to look at him. The girl was so busy gawking at him that she almost walked right into the wall. That was when he heard a step on the top of the stairs.

He wandered into the common room, where he was exchanging smiles with some of the single women, when he heard a step on the stairs.

He turned and looked in the direction of the steps, his mouth falling slightly open as he saw her. Cagalli was walking slowly down the stairs, eyes cast downward as she moved towards him.

Her feet were clad in black leather sandals with just the slightest of heels, and the dress she wore was made entirely of wine-colored silk - nearly the same color as his shirt! The gown was sleeveless and sleek, not billowing out at the waist as so many dresses did. It followed her curves all the way down to her calves, where it flared out slightly before dangling just below her ankle. Her blond hair was curled and piled on top of her head and she looked simply beautiful.

After what seemed like an eternity, she reached the bottom of the stairs and raised her eyes to meet his. He watched as her gaze swept over his figure and her cheeks stained with a gentle blush. Oh yes, his attire was having an effect on her as well. He went over to her and took her hand, bowing slightly. "You look incredible." Athrun whispered.

"Thank you," She smiled, allowing him to take her hand and escort her along the hallway towards the soccer field behind the school where the out-door dance was being held.

"Something is missing though," he mused as he walked her to the door and the two of them left the building.

She scowled. "What's that supposed to mean?" she demanded.

"It means that you need this," he said, pulling out the comb he had found for her to see.

"Where did you get it?" she breathed. "It's… it's… you shouldn't have…"

"Maybe not," Athrun shrugged as he placed in her hair, reveling in its' softness. "But you are worth it."

"It's wonderful," she murmured. She looked up at him, her eyes suddenly full of an unfamiliar affection. "No one has ever given me anything like this before."

"You're welcome," he began, but fell silent as she wrapped her arms around his neck and stood on tiptoe, kissing him on the cheek. It was the first time she had ever made the move to kiss him and he felt his insides quiver like jelly.

"Let's go," she said, taking hold of his arm and letting him guide her towards the field. "Kira and Lacus promised to save us a seat. They are serving dinner starting at 6:30 and we don't want to miss it."

Athrun was all too happy to oblige.

Once there, they found a table underneath one of the many tents that had been set up. The perimeter of the field was lined with torches and a large fire in the middle, making the chilly winter night bearable for less than insulating attire. Set up on the opposite end of the field was a huge music system that blared loudly for miles. The school had done an amazing job in preparing the event.

"Whoa Cagalli," one girl, who was chatting to her two friends, looked Athrun up and down before turning to the blond girl beside him. "Your boyfriend's a keeper."

Cagalli blushed and glanced up at him. "He is." She agreed.

The group laughed and moved off into the crowd, some dispersing to find partners. Athrun smiled and looked down at Cagalli, who was still blushing furiously. "Boyfriend, eh?"

Cagalli's blush deepened. "Oh shut up," she said, but there was no sharpness in her tone. He smiled gently at her and an awkward silence grew between them, the air heavy with words that would never be said. He knew that it wasn't her way to speak about what she felt, and he really had no idea what was going on. He only knew he was enjoying it.

Scanning the crowds, Athrun frowned. He didn't see Kira or Lacus anywhere. The crowds were starting to gather as all the other students gradually assembled in the soccer field. There were still some empty tables beneath the dining tent where a buffet awaited them. Anyone who was hungry could go and help themselves.

"I don't see Kira or Lacus anywhere." He observed softly and tightened his grip on Cagalli's gloved hand.

"They're probably late," She replied and shrugged. "I bet Lacus had trouble with her hair."

There was an awkward silence between them as they struggled to decide what they should do.

"Let's eat," Athrun finally said with apprehension. "What are you going to have?"

"Just a salad."

"That's it?"

She frowned slightly at him and nodded. "I'm not that hungry."

"Makes sense," Athrun replied, making sure she was situated by the table they had picked out. "I guess you don't want to be too full to dance."

"Dance?" she gulped, suddenly paling a bit.

"Well is a dance after all," he explained, beginning to move towards the buffet.

"You don't want to dance though…do you?"

He paused, turning to look at her. She was grasping the edge of the table tightly, and despite the covering of the gloves he knew that her nails would soon be turning white from the pressure. "I like dancing." He replied.

"Dancing's stupid," she snorted indignantly.

A slow smile crept across his face and he turned to face her, crossing his arms over his waist. "You don't know how to dance, do you?"

"I do so!"

"Then you must not be very good at it," He mused, his grin widening.

"Just… get the food," She snapped, turning away from him and hunching her shoulders.

"Alright," he chuckled, and did as she asked.

He brought back two plates and set them on the table, amused by the amazement pasted on Cagalli's face. The salad was beautiful and full of neatly sliced lettuce and tomato pieces while parsley and freshly shredded carrots were sprinkled overtop of it along with garlic and parmesan cheese. He smiled lightly as she lifted her fork to the salad and poked at it.

"It's incredible," She said, laughing before stabbing the lettuce with her fork and bringing to her mouth. "Thank you."

Athrun nodded and his ears perked when he heard someone calling his name. Straightening, he looked around and waved when he saw Lacus and Kira making there way through the crowds. Kira was dressed in a suit very much like his except he had done up the last button on his collar while Lacus was dressed in a small yet fashionable purple dress. She was wearing her pink hair down but had had flowers woven into it although Athrun was convinced he liked Cagalli's hair better.

"Athrun!" Kira called and grinned as the two of them moved to their table. "It's great to see you here! I'm sorry we're late."

Immediately Athrun stood and offered his seat to Lacus. He bowed politely as she looked at him with bright blue eyes and before he could even comprehend what was happening, she had wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a tight embrace. The contact startled him at first and for a brief second, he wondered what he should be doing. Eventually his mind grasped the situation and he hugged her back.

"It is good to see you are well, Lacus." He smiled graciously as he delicately broke their embrace and stepped aside. "It has been a while."

Lacus nodded, eyes sparkling and she sat down across from Cagalli and motioned towards her respectfully. "It's wonderful to see both of you here." She beamed and tossed her hair back elegantly. "I hope you are both enjoying yourselves."

"We are," Cagalli assured her as she swallowed her mouthful of lettuce before sitting back and resting her hands in her lap. "Everything is very beautiful."

"Well, I love your dress," Lacus continued and shifted her chair as Athrun and Kira sat on either side of her. "And you, Athrun, look very handsome."

Athrun simply smiled. He knew as much and was almost tempted to say that he was well aware of his striking appearance. The four of them ate at the table and chattered about school, midterms, basketball and what they hoped to accomplish during the year. Athrun was surprised, though to find that Kira and Lacus were both extremely interested in his background and life in the PLANTS. Athrun tried to cover up the bitterness he felt as they asked him about his family and particularly his father.

"So he's in politics?" Lacus asked, as she brought a glass of water to her lips.

"Yes," Athrun nodded. "Ever since they formed the PLANTS he's been very involved in the political sphere – trying to do what is best for them. The meetings keep him pretty busy."

"Wow," Kira leaned closer as Athrun continued to speak. "You must not see him too much."

"Every now and then," Athrun replied simply. "I understand that his job takes up a lot of time. Tensions are building again between the earth and the PLANTS so he's been pretty caught up in it all."

Everyone at the table went silent, unsure what to say.

"How do you know so much about this?" Kira asked, scratching his head. "I didn't know there were problems."

Athrun shrugged. "If everything was going well, he wouldn't be so busy all the time." Was his only answer and the group left it at that.

He sat, watching Cagalli finish up her meal, when the music started. Leaning back in his chair, he observed the gathering crowd until he was able to surmise where the single girls were amassing. Much to the envy of Athrun, Kira and Lacus excused themselves and joined the other couples on the dance floor.

"Are you sure you don't want to dance?" He asked, looking out at the couples beginning to move slowly underneath the dancing tent.

"Dancing is for idiots," Cagalli retorted, turning her nose up in the air.

He shrugged and slowly rose to his feet, straightening his coat as he did so. "Well, if that's how you feel about it," He replied, and moved off towards the single girls. He could feel her eyes burning a hole in his back and a satisfied smile crept over his face. He chose a cute brunette from the flock and guided her to the area where everyone else was dancing. The music picked up the tempo and he soared off with the brunette, twisting and turning through the throng of dancers. When the song finished, he chose another girl for the next dance and it didn't take long before everyone realized that the Zala's handsome son was available to dance with.

Cagalli watched in shock as her escort whirled around merrily on the dance floor with girls she didn't even know. She didn't know why, but she was jealous. Shifting irritably she sipped on her drink, wondering whether or not she should get up and try dancing. Athrun seemed to be enjoying himself though.

Resting her face in her hands as she propped her elbows on the table, she watched as Athrun spun another girl around on the dance floor, imagining that it was her.

"Well," A familiar voice huffed behind her and Cagalli looked up to see a long pink pony-tail spin around in the air as a girl about her age flopped down in the chair beside her, arms crossed. Cagalli frowned as she immediately recognized her. It was Meer. "You certainly dressed him up spiffy."

"Athrun dresses himself," Cagalli replied edgily and stiffened. "And yes, he does look very handsome."

Meer tossed her head and scowled. "Very handsome," She repeated and shook her head before firing an angry glare at Cagalli. "He probably would have asked me if it hadn't been for you. Instead, I'm here with Yuna."

"I seriously doubt that," Cagalli muttered, feeling her face darken. "Athrun is afraid of you."

"In time he will change his mind about me." Meer grinned wickedly. "In time…"

"He hates you!" Cagalli insisted and stood up quickly. She didn't need this and she certainly didn't want Meer to make a scene. What bothered her most though was that she was threatening to steal Athrun away from her.

"Not for long he won't," Meer challenged, her voice rising. "And you… you are just a tramp. Jumping from one guy to the next" She shook her head in mocking pity.

"I don't have to listen to you," Cagalli cried furiously. "Athrun would never betray me so stay away from him!"

"You can't tell me what to do." Meer sneered. "One day Athrun Zala will love me!"

"Just leave us alone!" Cagalli spat and spun on her heels towards the dance floor. She had only taken two steps when Meer grabbed hold of her shoulder and pulled her back. Cagalli violently pulled away and snapped her head to attention, eyes burning with anger.

"Don't you dare touch me," She hissed darkly and raised her hand as a warning. "Athrun and I are together now so don't you dare try anything."

"Fine," Meer backed down and stepped back. "You can say what you want but you just watch you back. Things just might change."

Cagalli growled lowly but said nothing. She noticed the other students were starting to stare at them and blushed, suddenly embarrassed. She fired one last fuming glare at Meer, silently cursing her for humiliating her like this and stormed off.

From the dance floor, Athrun looked up and saw Cagalli arguing with another girl and mentally groaned when he realized who is was. Oh, how he despised her. He found that he couldn't relax around people like her. Such people seemed to thrive on making others' feel uncomfortable and on edge – himself in particular. It wasn't long though before he saw Cagalli come up behind his dance partner and tap her on the shoulder.

"Excuse me," Cagalli tapped the girl he was dancing with on the shoulder. "I would like to cut in."

"Is he with you?" The girl replied archly, gripping Athrun more tightly. Athrun tensed as he felt her press herself closer to him.

Cagalli blinked and stammered for a moment. "Well, he-"

"Because I kind of like having him with me." the girl continued, smiling broadly at Athrun.

Athrun winced, waiting for Cagalli to take a swing at her, but instead she took a deep breath and refrained from lashing out at the other girl. "Yes he is with me," She stated coldly. "Now, if you don't mind...I'm cutting in. Now."

The other girl sniffed and pushed away from Athrun, Cagalli quickly taking her place. "Did I do something wrong?" He asked innocently, masking his amusement.

"You are supposed to be with me," Cagalli hissed, annoyed by his behavior.

A small laugh escaped him that was barely heard over the music. "Do you really think I'd have it any other way?" he chuckled softly. "You were the one who didn't want to dance, remember?"

"I changed my mind," she growled hotly. "Now dance."

He felt the tension in her grip and suddenly crushed her to him, looking down into her auburn eyes. "Relax and follow me," He instructed. "It's not that hard."

"I know how to dance," Cagalli replied sharply but felt her face redden. Suddenly, she felt the need to defend herself. "I just don't dance like this very much."

"You'll be fine," He reassured her. "You pick up things quickly."

"Of course," She said and tossed her head back proudly. She liked how Athrun seemed to be able to make her feel good about everything and anything regardless as to whether she was talented at it or not. Gradually, the rage she that had built up within her heart melted, replaced by a soothing comfort and ease.

He took her hand and pressed her to him with his other arm, feeling her body tense slightly. The music slowed and he held her, moving in slow circles until she learned to read his movements and her tense muscles relaxed. The melody seemed to wrap around them and hold them suspended in time, and when he looked into her eyes, he felt his entire heart surrender to her. He loved her. From the first moment he had laid eyes on her, he loved her.

"Cagalli," He whispered. "I'm glad that you allowed me to be you escort."

"I know," She replied and grinned back at him. "I…" her eyes dropped as she lost the words. She rested her head on Athrun's chest and closed her eyes, feeling his disappointment. From then on, they just danced.

As they danced, Cagalli noticed that people were beginning to stare at them. The students also had begun to move away from them, isolating them. They whispered and hinted at them and Cagalli could only guess what it was they were saying.

It was only a few hours until dawn before the crowds began to disperse. The next day came early and the teachers were unsympathetic to those who chose to stay up until all hours of the night. The torches were put out, the decorations were cleaned up and the students gathered their jackets and coats, moving off back towards the residences. Athrun ran his fingers over the silken curve of Cagalli's shoulder, her skin gleaming softly in the silvery moonlight. "See, you are a great dancer," he murmured, watching from half-lowered lids as a flush bloomed up her neck.

"Thanks," She replied huskily. "Not as good as you though."

Athrun's upper lip curled slightly as he tried not to blush though he failed miserably. "My mother taught me." He explained gently.

"She did a very good job then."

"Shall we retire?" Athrun asked, offering her his hand. Lacus and Kira had long since vanished after saying a quick goodbye several hours earlier. Athrun had hoped to talk to Kira about a few things but, as he got caught up in dancing, he had missed him. "No matter," He thought to himself. He would see Kira tomorrow anyway.

"Yes," she whispered, taking his extended appendage.

He gripped her hand and whipped her to him, pulling her into his arms and hefting her as if she weighed nothing. "Then let's go," he murmured, and began to make their way back to the residence.

It had been a wonderful night.

TBC

Sorry it took me so long to update – this chapter is really, really long. I let Athrun have a break on this one and tried to focus more on Cagalli and Athrun's relationship. I hope you liked it. You may think Cagalli's explanation is a little lame but it will get interesting soon. Besides, i wanted to write up some stuff with them togehter. In the next chapter, I'm going to introduce Athrun to Cagalli's somewhat protective father and then there is also Yuna to deal with hehehhee…

Please review and let me know what you think ok? I love to hear from everyone and thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. If you find serious grammar mistakes, please let me know okay? I hate reading them in other stories so I really do try to make sure I can limit them in mine as well.

Thanks again!

Krilyn