Haruka: Sorry for the late update guys. -bows-I've been super busy with school. Grade 11 blows. I've been asked by Cari-san in terms reguarding the character's grade and age. So here it is.

Athrun-18-grade 12

Cagalli-18-grade 12

Kira-18-grade 12

Lacus-18-grade 12

Yzake-18-grade 12

Dearka-18-grade 12

Shinn-17-grade 11

Lunamaria-17-grade 11

Rey-17-grade 11

Ayame-16-grade 11

Nicol-16-grade 11

Meyrin-15-grade 10

More to come!

Chapter Three

Silent Confessions

It was early Thursday morning and already, Cagalli was locked out of her class. A few days ago, she had gone for coffee with a complete stranger. Although she had seen him a few times in her classes, she had failed to get his name; reason being he seems to be surrounded every time she tries to approach. So here she was, day after day, simply waiting. Kira had been a big help in finding her classes, and she had to admit, Lacus Clyne wasn't too bad either, better than Fllay anyways. She had met two of the four families that controlled the economy of Japan, yet Athrun of the Zala Corp remained in the shadows.

"Konnichiwa Cagalli-san."

Looking up, Cagalli found Kyo there. He had been her partner for the past couple of days. Though the boy was good nature, not to mention good looking, he was still too tall for her likings. At this point, Kyo had lost his usual mask of calmness. An excited glint shined in his deep blue eyes as he marched over to Cagalli to share the good news.

"Athrun-san is coming!"

Cagalli, however, was uninterested. Her mind seemed to be on the blue haired boy who had secretly stole her heart. She had met Athrun's partner, Ayame, a couple of days ago. Cagalli had to admit, she had expected Hikari's daughter to be much warmer. This Athrun character probably won't be any better. One by one, the students of Rank B gathered outside the door, chattering excitedly among themselves.

It wasn't long before the door to the studio opened up. Eight students, including Cagalli herself, stepped onto the hardwood floor. Upon arriving, Cagalli noticed that besides the usual three instructors, there was a fourth whose appearance was all too familiar to her. His eyes were as green as emerald itself, his silky hair a shade of unnatural blue, yet it works out in its own mysterious ways. His black shirt, half buttoned to show traces of skin, and it was at that very moment that Cagalli realized she wanted to dance with him…only him.

"As many of you heard, Athrun-san has kindly volunteered to instruct the students of Rank B."

Cagalli could not begin to describe the shock she felt when she heard his name. 'That guy's Athrun Zala?' His named echoed over and over again in her head. Yet it wasn't excitement for talking to him that boiled her mind, but anger. 'How dare he? That jerk!' For the rest of the introduction, Cagalli had ducked her head low and plotted her revenge on the blue haired beauty, who had failed to make his presence clear the other day. A deep crimson crept up to her face when she thought back to what she had said to him. 'Great, now he probably thinks I'm a weirdo!' Such thought shrunk her even more.

The tango consist a large quantity of expression, but of course, sex appeal cannot be left out. Now if only Cagalli could dance on beat, everything would be just fine. Kyo's height made it almost impossible for her to keep up. The lesson was in vain as the two walked all over the place, causing a scene in the studio. Athrun raised an eyebrow; he had been propped up against a wall at the back of the room, trying to ignore the whole incident. Apparently, it wasn't working. Kyo and Cagalli had walked into three groups in the last five minutes, breaking Higrashi's record for the dumbest partnership alive.

Finally, unable to watch the struggle any longer, Athrun pushed himself off the walls and advanced towards the bowling balls. Kyo had stopped in midway when he saw Athrun's approach, causing Cagalli to trip over his foot. Next thing he knew, the poor girl went for another fly across the room. Lucky for her though, Athrun had caught her just in time. They stood for a moment, unable to draw away from each other. Cagalli glared intensely into Athrun's eyes, as if daring him to say something. The heir to the Zala throne, however, was calm, untouched by her intimidation.

"You guys really suck, you know that?"

The voice broke their bound. The two quickly broke apart. Cagalli blushed furiously while Athrun groaned at the girl who just walked in. Fllay's wavy red hair wrapped her face nicely; she carried the perfect curves, having been a dancer for most of her life. She advanced; her hips swing from side to side in blameless rhyme. She was the school's slut, and she made sure that point got through. Even though she had slept with nearly all the guys in Higrashi, including the son of the Attha family, people still lusts for her.

"What are you doing here Fllay?" Athrun spoke, trying to keep his annoyance as low as possible.

Fllay eyed Athrun uneasily. "I thought you quit." She stated.

Athrun looked around the studio, as if making sure he was at the right place. Then, turning around with a raised eyebrow, he spoke in a lazed tone. "Apparently not."

"So then, about us."

By now, a small crowd had gathered to see what was going on. Cagalli rolled her eyes; their instructors couldn't have left at a better time for coffee. Growling, she could only shake her head as she watched the incident in front of her. Athrun didn't seem like he was too pleased with the situation at hand either. Two of the school's major influence had abandoned him; one being Lacus Clyne, but she became off limits when she started dating his best friend. Then it was Ayame, with the condition they were in, he doesn't see much of a chance in getting back together. So that leaves him wide open for just about…anybody. And the school seemed to think that anybody was Fllay Allster.

Now, unfortunately for Fllay, Athrun wasn't like all the others. "What about us?" He said plainly.

"Athrun Zala! You know as well I do that I am your best choice. Do you honestly think you would be able to find someone suitable out of these idiots here?" Fllay shouted heatedly. Whispers broke out among the students in the class. Fllay glared, as if daring someone to oppose her.

Having a chairman for a father surely helps. Because of the position Fllay's father was in, it puts her into the upper ranks of Higrashi, making her virtually untouchable. Athrun glanced at Fllay with a frown. He had to admit, she was putting him in a tough position right now. If Kira were here, he would have a way to bail him out. Silence shouldered its way into the two as whispers of agreement sounded among the Rank B students.

"You must be real desperate."

Suddenly, all eyes turned to Cagalli as she stood arms crossed across from Fllay. The chairman's daughter glared at the unknown of the school. From the looks of it, Fllay guessed Cagalli to be of no importance, seeing as though she hasn't seen the girl around Higrashi before. But she have some nerve; talking to her like that. Must be a female version of Shinn Asuka.

"Leave him alone already." Cagalli went on. "Obviously, he's not interested in you, so why throw yourself at him like that? Besides…" She paused, sending Athrun a chilling glare. "He's not worth it."

Now, the first couple of parts, Athrun could agree to. But the last line? 'What does she mean, I'm not worth it?' He gave a violent cough, indicating that he was still there, and that if they were going to talk about him, it best be behind his back. Nonetheless, he still admired the girl's strength. Even Ayame has shown her share of respect towards Fllay, knowing that it was best not to mess with her, for this girl had poison all over her body.

Without a warning, Fllay raised her hand to show the newcomer respect for the upper class of the school. No one speaks to her that way, no one! Indeed, the punishment was delivered with a harsh bang, followed by an inevitable silence. A red mark was imprinted on Cagalli's left cheek. Fllay stood, her breath increased rapidly with each suffocating moment.

"If it makes you feel better, you can slap me again." Cagalli's words shocked even the calm blue haired prince. "But it won't change anything…" She looked up, her glare piercing the red head in front of her. "You are just fooling yourself."

Those words only angered Fllay more as she raised her hand again, but this time, Athrun caught her arm just in time; this came as more of a shocker. Fllay knew for a fact that Athrun has never protected anyone before except for those he holds dearly onto. For a moment Fllay could only stare as a frown formed on Athrun's face. She couldn't remember the last time the prince looked this angry because of a girl, for any girl.

"I think you better leave." Athrun said calmly.

"But Athrun-san. I-"

The firm look Athrun gave her was enough to tell her to get lost. Fllay gave him an unsatisfied grunt, then turning to glare at Cagalli one last time, she left. Athrun gave a long sigh, this was too much to handle. Upon turning back to see if Cagalli was all right, he had received a slap right across the face. The incident was slowly digested as he raised a hand to touch his reddened cheek. Once again, they stood, staring at one and another.

In another moment, Cagalli had broken that bond and was slowly backing away now. "You jerk!" She screamed at the top of lungs.

All Athrun could do was watch as the young woman turned on her heels and stormed out of the dance studio. No one has ever laid a finger on him before, now Cagalli had broken that record. Whispers suddenly snapped him back into reality. As he glanced around, he found others sending him weird looks behind his back. Quickly, he too, followed Cagalli's lead and left without another word.

"What do you do after that?"

Shinn leaned over and glanced at what Ayame had done so far. Math was not her thing, he could tell that much, but at least she was trying. The two had become quite close during the past couple of days, so close that some boys from his class were becoming quite uncomfortable with the idea. Athrun's attacks had also lessened; Shinn wondered if that was a good thing or not. People no longer acted like as if he was contagious, so he guessed it means he survived Athrun's punishment.

"Square it to get the answer." He instructed and watched as Ayame did what she was told.

A smile over came her face when she checked her answer. Shinn stopped to admire her. Now he was beginning to wonder why he said those things the other day. Maybe he was feeling a little bit emotionally unbalanced at the time, with all these rich kids running around and all.

"It's White Day soon." He said bluntly, spilling out his thoughts. Then realizing he had said the wrong thing, he nearly slapped himself. A furious blush crept up to his cheeks.

Ayame gave him a blank stare. "So…?"

But Shinn was never given the chance to finish, for a raven-haired boy chose to interrupt at that exact moment. His name was Shiro, one of the popular boys in Higrashi. Shiro's father holds twenty percent of the stocks in Zala Corp, so obviously, his family's relationship is very close to Athrun's. And since the talk of the school has finally broken up, he thought this would be his perfect chance.

"Ayame-san, it's White Day this Saturday." The boy spoke like as if the rest of the class didn't exist.

All heads turned in their direction. It was at times such as this did Ayame wish she were invisible. Suddenly, Shinn felt like as if someone was invading his space. Tilting his head, he glared at the boy. Shiro on the other hand, was clueless of the amount of hatred he was receiving from the rubby-eyed boy, nor the negative energy from the male population of his class.

"I was wondering if you would like to accompany me to a movie." He asked politely.

Shinn could have sworn he felt a hint of jealousy surfacing. Rather than listening to this rubbish, he decided to give the situation the cold shoulder. That, however, didn't stop him from eavesdropping on the conversation. The girl looked expressionless for a moment, as if she hadn't heard the question. Shinn thought for sure she was going to turn him down. Then, without warning, the unthinkable occurred.

"Pick me up at eight."

Shinn's heart sunk along with half of his class. Some boys glared while others plotted their revenge as Shiro said his many thanks and skipped back to his seat. Shinn was amused by the fact that all this happened in the amount of time that took the teacher to go for a washroom break. It didn't stop him from seeing the objective of Shiro's game though. By making a fuss about their date, Shiro has clearly raised his statues in the school. And what bothers him is that Ayame was falling for it.

But it was her decision, and there was nothing he can do to change that. So there he was, two hours later, sitting in his history class and apparently spacing out. If he had a mirror right now, he would know how much of an idiot he looked like. Apart of him wanted to scream out "Don't go!" while another argued it wasn't his place to make such demands.

"Asuka-san, can I see your notes?" Ayame asked.

Seeing that there was no reaction from Shinn, she proceeded to ask again. After a few failed attempts, she went ahead and pulled the notebook from under his arm, only to find that he hasn't written anything down yet. She blinked a couple of times. If she didn't know better, she would have assumed that he was slacking off in class, but she knew he needed the money from the scholarship he gets at Higrashi, so drifting off wasn't an option.

"Asuka-san!"

Shinn blinked a couple of times. Ayame had succeeded in getting his attention, along with the rest of the class. She looked around nervously; shrunk back into her seat and waved her hand for the rest to get back to work. Sighing, Shinn turned back to his books, ignoring the helpless girl beside him.

Ayame raised an eyebrow. "Hey, I'm talking to you here." She spoke in a whisper this time.

He didn't bother to look at her. "I'm listening."

"Is something the matter?" She eyed him uneasily. He was acting weird.

He turned, the look of a devil. She stared at him, expecting an answer, when all of a sudden; Shinn moved forward, closing what little space they had left between them. She could hear her heart pick up more paste. She could do nothing but stare at his lips. That's when she realized her lust for him. His attitude, his body, his undying red eyes brought her ultimate attraction. But it was wrong, she knew it was wrong, yet she couldn't resist the urge to reach out and touch his face. Shinn flinched upon the coolness of her fingers. She was so close, but at the same time, completely out of his reach.

"It's nothing." He said as he turned back to his textbook, the bond between them broken.

"Oh."

They were silent for about another minute and half. Then out of nowhere, Shinn spoke. "He's using you, you idiot." His voice was so low, Ayame wasn't sure if she heard him or not.

"I know."

Again, silence. Shinn froze in his seat, unable to digest what had been fed to him. "Then why…?"

"What makes you think the next person won't ask me out for my money?"

That question had caught Shinn off guard. He wanted to oppose her opinion, but couldn't. They were of different class; they would never be accepted. Even if he had feelings for her, it probably won't be returned. So falling back into a deep silence, they sat for the rest of the class, unable to speak to one and another again.

Saturday swung by fast. It was nine o'clock at night and Shinn was already feeling restless. He stood in the nearly packed café, wondering how Ayame's date was going so far, or if Shiro was even there to pick her up. Couples among couples sat, exchanging gifts, looking as cozy as ever; this somehow made Shinn want to ditch the extra pay and walk out. But he needed the money; he was already falling behind on his rent. So there you have the great Shinn Asuka, seventeen, dateless, and annoyed by his costumer's ridiculous demands.

"Damn it, I'm coming!" He didn't bother to keep his voice down as he poured a man more coffee.

"Hey you!"

'I have a fucking name!' Shinn growled. And to think he should have been used to it by now, but nah, the rude comments still gets him. He turned, his whole expression changing dramatically as he faced the guy. The frown was replaced by a nearly see through smile. Yet his eyes reflected the annoyance he was feeling at the moment.

"Yes?" He asked in the politest tongue he can manage, but it wasn't too convincing.

The guy eyed him weirdly before going on. "Where's my sandwich?"

"If you would wait just a minute, it's coming right away."

"Yea? You said that ten minutes ago! I don't have all day you know!"

That was it! He had reached the point of snapping. "What do you want me to do about it?" Shinn asked annoyingly.

"Excuse me?"

"This is a café, not some fast food place. Go to McDonalds if you are in a hurry!" Shinn eyed the man in front of him. 'He probably belongs there anyways.'

With that, he left the table, leaving a wide-eyed fat man behind. Rey was watching him closely. His friend shook his head with a sigh. At this rate, Shinn probably won't be working here long. His friend hadn't been himself ever since Thursday, and Rey had been wondering why for a while now. Beside him Lunamaria worked, completely senseless as to what was happening.

"If he thinks he's getting a tip today, he can forget about it." Rey mumbled under his breath.

His music reflected his personality, gentle, calm, and honest. Those were the qualities of Nicol Amarfi, the talented, yet unknown violinist. No, that wasn't true, it's just that his fame has yet to be discovered. The piece faded, leaving his audience in a blessed daze. Then there came the deserving claps, the bravos, and the cheerful whistle. Even though there were only four people in the room, Nicol was satisfied.

"That was great! You've improved quite a bit during the time that you were away." Lacus commented, walking over to give her friend a hug of welcome.

"Man, you rock!" Dearka Elthman said dumbly, trying to cover up the fact that he had been half asleep during the ten minutes of play.

Nicol had spent the past four years in England, attending the same private school as Athrun. Though he had majored in music, the two had remained quite close. He looked to the faces of his friends, and finally realized that his place wasn't within the classy community of London, but with them in Tokyo.

"Thanks." He said with a shy blush.

Kira smiled. "It's been a while since you last visited. I hope you stay more than two weeks this time."

"Actually…" Nicol began slowly. "I think I'm here to stay this time." He said as he proceeded to stuff his violin back into its case. At this, everyone's jaws dropped.

"Great, the brat returns." Yzak said sarcastically.

"Yzak!" Lacus scolded.

Nicol smiled a little, already used to Yzak's taunting. "My dad decided to expand his industries in Japan, so I guess I'm stuck here for a couple of years."

"You came with your dad for his business? Or are you only back because of you-know-who?" Dearka smirked, knowing he had hit a deadly spot on Nicol's back.

Nicol's face had turned a shade of red in the time that Dearka counted backwards from ten. He's had a crush on Ayame since the age of ten. But because he was so shy, they remained nothing but friends over the years. By now, Dearka had been dying with fits of laughter while Yzak stood as far away from him as possible, wanting nothing to do with the idiot.

"Where's Athrun-san?" Nicol wondered out loud, trying to change the subject as fast as possible.

"He's out." Kira replied slowly. "School business. He'll be back tonight. Says he's really sorry."

"Oh."

"And Ayame's on a date with what's his face." Dearka added quickly.

"Who?" Nicol urged.

"Shiro Koradji." Kira answered.

Nicol's face dropped. "Oh…ok."

Just then, Kira's cell phone rung. He answered, frowned, and quickly excused himself from the rest of the group. Once he found a quiet place by himself, he sat down, his expression changing from cheerful to that of a frown. The person on the other end was really beginning to annoy him.

"Yes, the plan will be put to action tonight." Even though he knew his decision was going to hurt Nicol, he was going to carry it through. "Tonight, we will crush Shinn Asuka."

"I hope you understand the reasons as to why we had selected you to help the Rank B students." Natarle said slowly.

Athrun nodded. "Hoping to find me a partner for the next competition."

Natarle nodded. "The dance show is in three months. You need to do well if you want to go international." She paused. "Fllay won't work will she?"

Athrun shook his head. "I don't…" He looked up, putting it into better terms. "No, she won't do."

"Who do you have in mind then?"

Athrun looked down, thinking. Then looked up as a small smile formed on the edge of his lips. "Cagalli Yula Attha."

"Would you like to go for a drink?" Shiro asked as they walked out of the movie theater.

The date hadn't gone well. He had been five minutes late at the beginning, and that was enough to piss her off. Although she didn't say it, he was sure she hadn't wanted to come out with him that day. Ayame shook her head without a word as she walked forward; unaware that Shiro wasn't able to keep up with her paste. He gave a long sigh and strolled along beside her. He had expected the famous Ayame Kashino to be more fun than this, but all they did that night was sat around. Though he had tried many times to make conversation, none of the topics he had come up with seemed to have drawn her interest.

"Want to get something to eat?" She shook her head, again, no. "What do you want to do then?"

"I'm tired." Ayame said without looking at him.

"Oh…" Shiro forced a smile. "I'll take you home then."

The ride wasn't as pleasant as he thought it would be. All Ayame did was look out of the window, as if the outside world was more interesting than Shiro's face, and it irritated him that he wasn't the center of interest to her. Now he was beginning to wonder if it were like this with Athrun and her. If it were, then he'd probably know why the two broke up.

"Good night." Ayame said as they pulled into her drive way.

"Ayame-san."

She was ready to leave when all of a sudden; Shiro took a hold of her wrist, holding her back. Without realizing it, he had closed the space between them, pressing his lips tightly over hers. She was completely caught off guard, and was now beginning to back away from him. He, however, wasn't aware of her struggles as he leaned in closer, deepening the kiss. After a moment, Shiro released the girl, surfacing for air. She stared at him, the eyes of a wounded animal. She was scared, hurt, like a frightened deer she backed out of his car. It was then did Shiro realize that something was wrong with her.

"Bye." He whispered, knowing this is probably the last time he'll see her alone like this.

She stood in her driveway for a minute and half as Shiro drove off, trying to catch her breath and her consciousness. Then slowly, she turned, heading back home. Unknown to her, a pair of blue eyes had caught her every movement. Turning, she headed towards the door with her purse in hand, her evening dress wrinkled, her shoes killing her foot, and her heart dying a slow and painful death.

"Looks like you had fun tonight."

Ayame jumped at the voice. She whirled around, frightened. Standing in the shadows of the night was Haku, dressed in a black shirt and jeans. She can tell by the redness of his cheeks that he had been waiting for her there for a while now.

"Haku…"

"You don't have a clue do you?" Haku advanced. "But then again, maybe it's better this way. You've found another prince charming; Athrun-san has found a new interest. And Shinn?" His voice darkened. "The little brat won't live much longer."

"What do you plan to do with him?" Ayame demanded. She tried to tell herself that it was a joke; that he was just messing with her head. But something about the way he looked at her that night told her he was serious, and that scared the crap out of her.

"Shinn Asuka doesn't belong in this world of ours. His statues don't match yours Ayame-san. Don't waste your time on him."

"He really is no different from us." She replied calmly. Then, looking straight into Haku's eyes, she marked her threats. "If anything were to happen to him, I'll make your life a living hell." The words slipped out of her mouth before she could stop them.

Her actions even shocked herself, but it doesn't matter now. Quickly, she shoved past a numb Haku and ran towards the familiar direction of Shinn's café. The pain from her high heels had burned into the back of her foot, yet she kept on running, hoping that she wasn't too late, for Haku's words were not to be taken lightly. 'Please be alright Shinn…' She prayed for his safety. It was then did she realize her newly profound life would be nothing but a mere reflection of her past if he weren't apart of it.

Within minutes, she had reached the café just down the street. She quickly pushed open the doors, hoping that he would be standing behind the counter and asking her what she was doing there. But her hopes were drained as she found the red haired Lunamaria there, just finishing her last shift, and Shinn nowhere to be found. The Hawke sister eyed Ayame suspiciously, wondering what the pianist was doing here. After all, shouldn't she be on that date with Shiro?

"Where's Shinn?" Ayame questioned, breathless.

Lunamaria frowned, debating on whether or not she should tell her. Judging by the look on Ayame's face, the girl seemed pretty desperate, so she decided to toy with her for a moment longer. "Gee, I don't know. Here, there, he could be anywhere by now."

Ayame, however, was in no mood for jokes. She had literally lost all means of calmness, and had reached over the countertop for the red head's black collar. "Where the hell is Shinn Asuka?" She demanded; unaware that she was drawing the whole café's attention.

Lunamaria wasn't one to give in easily. Reaching down, she shoved Ayame's hands off of her, giving her the dirty eye. "What's the matter? You just got dumped?" A couple of days ago, she would never speak to Ayame this way. But having her hair cut short and publicly humiliated was enough to change her perspectives.

"I don't have time for this. Tell-"

"Good." Lunamaria cut her off. "Then get out."

Ayame was taken back, never had anyone talk to her this way before. She looked towards Shinn's so called friend and wondered if she should explain herself. But then again, that would take god knows how long. Her eyes began to tear up at a stage of panic. Haku would keep his word, Shinn would die, and it would be all her fault. She didn't want that, she didn't want him to be hurt because of her. She didn't want to loose him.

"Luna, that's enough."

She whirled around to find another. Behind her stood a young boy, his blond hair was in a ponytail, his black shirt gave him a casual look, and his blue eyes a reflection of understanding. The girl in front of him wasn't acting, Rey saw to her grief, and in return, granted her wish.

"He left a couple of minutes ago for home."

"Rey!"

"If you head across the street, I'm sure you can catch him." He ignored Lunamaria's glare. "He lives on Shika road, it's just about six blocks from here."

"Rey-san." Ayame couldn't help but feel grateful to this boy. "Arigato." She gave a low bow before heading out.

Lunamaria watched as Ayame left, her black dress fading into the still night. Turning, she fixed Rey with a questioning glare. The blond wasn't usually one to butt into other people's business; she wondered what made him think otherwise. Did Ayame Kashino have that much influence over people? No, one glance into his eyes told her everything. He didn't do it because he wanted to suck up to her; he did it for something else.

"Why?" She spoke, her voice barely above a whisper.

Rey couldn't bring himself to speak. All he could do was watch, and hope that whatever she was up to was for the best. "Because it was the right thing to do."

"Shinn!" Her desperate voice drowned in the crowded street.

Shika road wasn't exactly a place you can call safe. Because of its high crime rates and old structure, it has made itself known as the lower class range areas of Tokyo. It certainly wasn't a community you would hang out on a nice Saturday night, no, it was more of a street you would go to when you want to get laid. Hookers lined up the alleyways. They were quite cheap actually, ten bucks an hour.

"Hey baby, you looking for some fun?" A nearby man asked, reaching out to touch her cheek.

Ayame slapped his hand away and kept going. 'How could someone live in a place like this?' She wondered. But her mind wasn't set on the dump, or the smell that polluted the air; her only wish right now was to find Shinn. Suddenly, her right foot tripped over her left, causing her to fall to the muddy ground. The tumble ripped a gash in her black dress, a bloody cut on her knee, and a painful wound in her determination. She sat on the cold floor, tired, hurt, and unable to go on. People passed by, yet none stopped to ask if she were okay. It was as if her existence didn't matter. 'Can't go on anymore…' Her thoughts ate away her dignity. She had forgotten why she was here, what she was looking for. All she wanted now was to leave, leave this dump and get home.

"Hey! It looks like someone got stabbed."

"Let's go see!"

"Oh my god, it looks like he's only a teenager."

Voices brought her back to reality. Her eyes widened, her heart stopped beating as she forced herself onto her feet. 'No…it couldn't.' Her inner self screamed as she looked around, trying to determine the source of the incident. Up ahead, a small crowd seemed to have gathered. She held her breath. Time stopped as she approached slowly, one step after another. She wanted to see, yet was afraid to find out.

"Excuse me! Please let me through!" Her mind went into a panic as tears began to spill from her violet eyes. She pushed, shoved her way into the crowd. She had to look for herself; she had to. 'It couldn't, it can't!'

She felt a sickening feeling at the pit of her stomach as she tried to get past the crowd. The scent of blood had already reached her nose. Someone had died here tonight, the same way her mother had been stabbed years ago. The feeling of loss was once again surfacing. She had finally found someone who was able to understand her, and now she was loosing him. 'It can't be, it can't!' Her eyes widened in shock. A body lay motionlessly in a pool of blood on the ground. Black hair. Ruby red eyes. The victim was dead.

It was not him. The features were the same, but it was not him. She dropped to her knees, shaking in fright, but at the same time, thankful that it wasn't Shinn's face she saw, but the face of a stranger. So then, where was he? She glanced around helplessly, hoping to catch a glimpse of him. One by one, the people who had gathered to catch the fiesta parted. The police would arrive soon; they would want no part in this bloody business.

She lowered her eyes, her hopes shattered. He was nowhere to be found. Ayame looked down, tears slipping in massive amounts down her cheeks. Her mind was blank. Where was Shinn? Then out of nowhere a shadow towered over her small body, enveloping her from the blinding brightness of the streetlights. She looked up slowly, and there he was, a bag of grocery in one hand, a jacket in another. She could do nothing but stare as he lowered himself onto his knees, down to her eye level.

"Ayame-san, what are you-"

He was cut short. Trembling arms circled around his neck. Shinn was stun by her actions. He keeled in the same position, unable to bring himself to move as she buried her face into his shoulder. She was afraid, afraid of loosing him, afraid that he would disappear if she were to let go. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around her waist, soothing her out. He could feel her pain. Her body shacked uncontrollable in his arms. It agonized him to see her this way. At that exact moment, he realized he wanted to be with her, to protect her from harm, and to heal her of her wounds. He didn't want to see her in tears again; he didn't want to hurt her anymore.

In the shadows stood two men, their figure hidden from view. Their job had been done. The violet eyes of Kira Attha himself peered at the girl he had come to love as a sister, and couldn't help but feel guilty for the pain he had caused her. Yet it had been done. What else could he do to knock some senses into her? With a smile, he turned, leaving the couple behind. He had done his part; the rest is up to her.

"Still up Nicol-san?" Lacus glanced through the doors of her childhood friend.

The boy had decided to stay over that night. It was almost mid-night, and Nicol was still not yet in bed. He sighed and nodded. Lacus shook her head. He was waiting for Ayame. She had promised to come over as soon as her date was over with Shiro, but she has yet to show. The boy had sat by the window for the most of the night, waiting for Ayame's car to pull into the driveway.

"She probably won't make it tonight." Lacus went on.

Nicol didn't look back. "Yea…" Although he tried to hide it, he still wasn't able to cover up the disappointment in his voice.

"Get some rest, it's late. She's probably going to drop by tomorrow."

"I'm not tired. Why don't you head to bed now Lacus? I'll just…stay up for a little bit more…" He yawned.

Lacus signed. The boy probably won't hit the hay until he sees her. It was so like Nicol to be the one waiting. At this rate, she wonders if he'll ever tell her how he really feels. But then again, there was Shinn. Kira had been stubborn to carry out his plan. She shook her head. Once an Attha's mind is set on something, wild horses couldn't stop them from putting it into action. 'Oh Nicol…if only you knew…'

Athrun cupped his hand over his coffee mug. It was early Sunday morning. Ayame had called quite late the night before, saying that they had to meet. So here he was, waiting in their favorite café, annoyed that she was running ten minutes behind. The door suddenly swung open, and in entered the hostess herself in a stunning white dress. Their eyes met. She slowly made her way over to him and sat down in the empty seat across the table. A waiter went by and brought Ayame her usual coffee. It had been a while since he last saw the two together, now it seemed bazaar to him that they appear together at the same place. Nonetheless, the tip was always good.

A minute passed by. Silence. He leaned back against his chair, wondering what she had brought him here for. Ayame was at unease, she was lost and wanted to look for a place to begin. Never had Athrun thought they would reach this point of awkwardness between the two. He watched as she stirred her coffee with a spoon. Her movements were so elegant. He frowned. Something about her was different. She felt…warm.

"So what did you want to talk about?" He began.

She didn't look up. Silence again. She took a sip of coffee. Then, settling her cup down, she looked straight into Athrun's eyes. "Stop it."

He was taken aback by her words. Was she asking him to give up? He thought she was joking, but something about her presence told him otherwise. "You like him, don't you?" It came out as more of a statement than a question.

"Yes." She answered bluntly.

A flinch. "Why?" He felt an untamed jealousy surfacing. She looked away, unable to answer him. "Why?" He pushed. He couldn't understand the reason behind it. "Why did you let him in and not me?"

She looked down. "Because he found me, and you didn't…"

There was silence. Slowly, the frown from Athrun's face faded. "I see." He nodded slightly.

Nothing more needed to be said. He understood. He was hurt by it, but understood. Getting up, he placed a kiss on her cheek, one last kiss, and left. She sat there in silence for some time, after a moment of rest; she too, got up, and headed for the direction of Lacus's house.

Without knowing it, Athrun's walk had turned into a trip to the school. He paced through the deserted hallways, unable to digest the pain all at once. He stopped outside the door of the dance studio. Although the walls were sound proof, it still didn't stop traces of music from seeping through. He waited outside, listening to the melody. His nerves were calmed by the slow rhythm of the tone. Now he wondered who would be practicing the slow dance on a Sunday morning. Then he remembered her words.

"His skills showed people hope. Thousands of girls work hard each day for a chance to dance with thy great Athrun Zala. Even though they'll probably never get the opportunity, they don't give up. For that, I envy Athrun-san, because he is able to give hope through something as simple as dancing."

He hesitated for a moment before opening the door. The blond stopped dead in her tracks as she turned to see who had barged in on her practice time. She gave him an annoyed look, threw her towel to the side and walked towards her water bottle, deciding to ignore him. Athrun smiled a little, slowly approaching the girl. With a clap of his hand, the music stopped.

Cagalli glanced up, agitated. "What do you want?"

A hand was trusted in front of her face. She looked up to find Athrun only inches away from her. Again, that deep crimson crept up to her face. She inched back a little, putting some space between the two. Athrun, however, didn't seem to mind the closeness. He had decided to give up from that point forward. For all those years, he hadn't allowed himself to forget about Ayame. He had hoped, day after day that a miracle would happen. In the end, it did. Not for him though. So what was the point of waiting? He would be only wasting time. Why not free himself?

"My name is Athrun Zala." He began slowly. "Would you like to…dance with me?"

It was a new beginning with a fresh start. Cagalli blinked, looked from the hand to Athrun, then back at the hand again, as if debating whether she should trust him or not. Then, slowly, she rested her hand in his. "My name is Cagalli Yula Attha." She smiled a little, introducing herself the way he did. "And it's a pleasure to finally have the chance to dance with you."

Haruka: So there you have it. Heehee! Now I must get back to watching Full Metal Alchimest. It's soooooooo good!