Heyas everyone! I'm finally back with chappie three of The Hotness Factor. I'm so glad this story has gotten so many reviews because I originally wasn't sure how it was going to turn out. -laughs- Also, another thing has been on my mind...this fic has gotten 83 reviews in just 2 chapters which is amazing because The Zala Files took a little while to get that many..but I think I may have found the reason why...-giggles- Athrun takes his shirt off a lot and he and Cagalli have a lot of "fun time" moments. Anyways..I hope everyone likes this chapter...it took me forever to figure out what Athrun would do next, but then I was thinking about my own original story and a scene from that...and then..bam!...there was my inspiration. -smiles- I'll just leave everyone with one thought...elevators can be a lot of fun when used properly. -winks-

Disclaimer: I do not own GS, GSD, or any of the AsuCaga hotness you are about to read...but wouldn't it be nice if I did? -giggles-

-The Hotness Factor- Part Three: Elevator Music-

-Country of Orb, May 16h CE 74. Location: Athha Estate. Time: 3pm -

As Cagalli lay slumped on her desk in her office exhausted from that day's meeting and all the arguing she had to listen to. There was one bright spot in her day, and that was the blue haired boy sitting next to her at the meeting looking fine in his Orb military uniform. He'd noticed her stealing secret glances in his direction and when she dropped her pencil, he flashed her one of his sexy smiles and whispered coyly in her ear: "You want to see me pick that up don't you?" She had been unable to focus on the rest of the meeting after that as her mind was still reeling from the events of the previous day. She felt her face grow warm and a shiver run down her spine as she vividly remembered Athrun's tender caresses, his passionate kisses, and his gentle voice as it spoke the sentence she'd deep down been longing to hear. His new flirtatious nature, along with his sultry and smoldering stare only served to add fuel to the fire burning in her heart. He was gazing deep into her eyes when he said that sentence. Why oh why couldn't she forget that sentence?! She turned a slight red again, then shook it off as she recounted the the exact words that had come out of Athrun's beautiful, luscious lips the day before...

-Flashback to May 15th CE 74. Time: Around 1pm. Location: Cagalli's office-

Athrun gently caressed her cheek and whispered in her ear: "Someday...I will make love to you...Cagalli."

Cagalli immediately turned a brilliant shade of red as she nervously began to re button her top, her hands noticeably shaking: "A-Athrun...I..we..."

Athrun noticed her hands shaking slightly and covered them with his own. He then stared into her beautiful amber eyes and smiled warmly at her as he replied: "This is kind of sudden on my part...but..." His face tinted a slight pink as he finished his sentence: " ...this has been on my mind for quite some time now."

Cagalli felt her heartbeat quicken at Athrun's confession. She'd been thinking about it a lot too. Actually, at one point; it was the only thought that seemed to occupy her already busy mind. She managed to get out a mumbled: "I-It has?" She carefully slid off her desk and walked over to her mirror to finish adjusting her disheveled top. Her heart nearly leapt into her throat as she suddenly felt Athrun's slim, yet strong arms encircle her tiny waist from behind as he gazed into the mirror along with her.

He helped her button the last two top buttons on her red blouse and spoke in a gentle, yet embarrassed voice; his emerald eyes gazing into hers as he spoke: "I'm sorry. I didn't...I mean..." He took a deep breath to compose himself and continued: "I don't want you to feel like I'm forcing you into doing anything. Whenever you're ready should be the right time for you." He rested his chin on her shoulder and whispered in her ear: "...and I'll wait for "that time" for as long as it takes.. I just want you to be happy."

Cagalli shivered as his warm breath tickled her ear and breathlessly murmured: "Athrun..."

Without saying another word, the emerald eyed Coordinator placed a sweet and gentle kiss on her honey colored lips as he did up the very last top button on her blouse. She could tell he really didn't want to, but he broke the kiss first and casually threw his black jacket over the shoulder of the now rumpled and untucked shirt he was wearing. He then coolly ran his fingers through his disheveled hair, pushing his bangs away from his eyes. The piercing, melt a girl on the spot look that he gave her nearly stopped her heart as did the last few sentences that came out of his mouth before he left the room: "Do you want to know the reason why I want you to be happy?... Why I say I'll wait as long as it takes for you?"

Cagalli's face felt as if it were on fire as she stood rooted to her place in front of her mirror, nodded and replied as calmly and coolly as she could: "Y-Yes." Her inner self screamed: "Oh My God!"... "What is it?!"... "Just tell me already!"

With that heart piercing look still in his eyes, a small smile, and even a slight blush dusting his face; he replied clearly and in a determined tone: "I love you Cagalli...that's why."

Cagalli's amber eyes widened and as soon as the door closed behind him, she fell to her knees. She was shaking all over, not from fear, but from happiness. She brushed a tear from her eyes and sighed heavily as she began to pick up the mess they had made. "Athrun...you...you idiot!"... "You really caught me off guard with that one." She looked at herself in the mirror and was surprised to notice that her reflection was not angry, but smiling for the first time in a long while; and there were also a few more tears rolling down her cheeks.

-End of Flashback-

And so...that was the state the cunning blue haired gentleman had left the fiery goddess of victory in. She was finding herself unable to focus on her meetings that day because every time she tried to, she'd keep hearing his gentle, soothing voice saying: "Someday I'll make love to you."... "I just want you to be happy."... "I love you Cagalli." She shook her head in frustration and ran her fingers through her short blonde hair. She felt her face begin to grow warm yet again, but managed to suppress a blush this time. "Grrr!"... "What is he doing to me?!"... "He...he's driving me crazy!"... "It's almost as if he's trying to prove something to himself...no...prove something to me...but what the heck is it?"

-Meanwhile...just down the hall-

Athrun paced back and forth in front of the elevator outside the conference room door. His mind was still on what he'd said to Cagalli the day before. He thought to himself: "Damn it."... "Maybe I took things too far." He shook his head firmly to reassure himself that his plan would work: "No...I did the right thing. She needed to hear that and that's what I wanted to say, so I said it. She needed to see that I could be impulsive too." A smirk immediately crossed his face as he glanced at the elevator and just as the doors to it opened, he got a wonderful idea. His friend Nicol was just about to step off the elevator, when Athrun pulled him back on and the door closed.

Nicol looked at his friend in a curious, yet worried manner: "Athrun...what's wrong?"... "I needed to be on that floor."

Athrun, a slight smirk still on his face; apologized and then asked: "I have a favor to ask of you, and if you do this for me, I promise to take those piano lessons you've been pestering me to take...and I'll be serious about them this time...I promise."

Nicol nodded and chuckled: "Wow..this must be something really important if you're promising to take piano lessons...okay...so...what's the favor?"

Athrun grinned mischievously, a gleam in his emerald eyes: "This requires both of our mechanical expertise." As he whispered the rest of the plan to Nicol, the green haired piano player's eyes widened and then he laughed: "I'm impressed...you've really got things planned out." He noticed Athrun turn a slight red in embarrassment and chuckled: "Okay...okay...I'll help you take care of everything. It'll happen exactly the way you want it."

-One hour later, 5pm-

Cagalli was walking down the hall on her way to break up another dispute among the same two council members that had been arguing the other day. Just as she pressed the button on the side of the elevator, the doors opened and her eyes widened when they did. Inside stood Athrun in his Orb uniform, looking as gorgeous as ever. He appeared to be just coming back from an officers meeting as he looked slightly worn out. She looked him up and down and then turned a slight red when she realized she was giving him the eye. Truth be told, seeing him in that uniform only further fueled the fire raging within her. All she could do at that instant was envision herself doing extremely "suggestive" things to him. Seeing him standing there, with that tired look in his haunting emerald eyes made her heart skip a beat. She watched as she casually ran his fingers through his neck length navy blue hair, brushing his bangs from his eyes. This fully revealed to Cagalli, the sparkling emerald orbs in all their beauty as they then lifted up and took notice of the blonde staring intently at him.

Athrun's inner self smirked devilishly as he thought: "Hmmm...I would love to know what's on your mind right now Cagalli."

In the meantime, Cagalli was finding herself unable to tear her eyes away from the sexy, blue haired Coordinator standing in front of her. She quickly turned away from him because at this moment in time her inner self was screaming: "Good Lord he's so goddamn hot I can't stand it!...Damn it!...I really wish there was nobody else in this building besides me and this gorgeous piece of ass..."... "I mean...grrr!...stop it Cagalli!"... "Don't let him distract you!" She turned her gaze back towards him and once again was finding herself becoming hypnotized by those beautifully enchanting orbs. The way he stared at her...it made her feel as if he could see into her very soul. The way he stared at her made her anxious...the way he stared at her made her feel as if she was being undressed by his eyes alone. The fact that he had the power to do something like that and not be aware of it both frightened and excited her. There was no denying that she saw him as the very object of her most forbidden secret passions and lusts. He was always at the very core of the apple of her most erotic fantasies.

As she sat there trying to brush all these suggestive images of Athrun out of her mind, he awoke her from her day dreamy state by asking with an amused smirk on his face: "You wanna go up...or down?"

Cagalli instantly snapped back into reality and turned a slight red in embarrassment at what thoughts crossed her mind even just by his asking that question. She took a deep breath to compose herself and then replied as coolly as possible: "I need to go upstairs."

Athrun nodded: "Ahh yes...those two councilmen are arguing again. They really don't seem to see eye to eye on anything do they?"

Cagalli sighed heavily in frustration and ran her fingers through her hair: "Are you kidding?!"... "Those two can't even get out of each other's way." The elevator door then closed the two of them inside where they continued their conversation.

Athrun chuckled a bit and agreed: "Yes...that's true...but sometimes...isn't not being able to get out of each others way..." He leaned over and whispered the rest of his sentence hotly in her ear: "...a good thing?" This caused the usual calm and cool Cagalli he saw during the meetings to jump back a few feet in flustered surprise.

Athrun laughed lightly at her surprised reaction and apologized: "Relax...I'm just kidding."... "I'm sorry I startled you."

Cagalli hissed, a hint of a blush dusting her cheeks: "Y-You didn't startle me!"... "I'm just...!" Before she could finish her sentence, she heard the elevator make a strange sound and come to an abrupt halt. By stopping so suddenly, it caused her to lose her balance just enough to make her fall right into Athrun's arms. Her inner self screamed: "What the hell!?..."... "What was that!?" She opened her eyes and noticed she hadn't just fallen into the handsome red knight's arms, but actually right on top of him on the floor...their lips inches apart.

Athrun gazed up at her with curious, yet mischievous eyes and asked: "Do you intend on staying in this position the whole time?" He lifted his right hand up to gently run his fingers through her hair as he whispered devilishly: "Of course...I don't mind if we stay this way...I'm very good at... holding my positions."

Turning scarlet red, Cagalli immediately leapt off of him: "A-Athrun what are you...?!" All of the sudden, the elevator took another bit of a jolt and nearly threw her against the wall. She closed her eyes in preparation for a painful collision, when she found herself instead colliding with the warm body of her red knight. He had thrown himself in front of her so that he'd be the one to take the hit against the wall.

He looked down at her and asked worriedly: "Are you okay?"

Cagalli nodded as she tried desperately to hide another blush. She was beginning to wonder how many times she'd blushed that day...it sure seemed like a lot to her: "I-I'm fine ...but what's wrong with this damn elevator?!"

Athrun shrugged: "Who knows. It must be another malfunction. It's been happening on and off lately with this particular one. I remember getting stuck in here just last week."

Cagalli realizing that she was still pinned up against him; turned a slight pink and started to pull away. It was when she started to pull away that she felt his arms encircle her waist and pull her closer as he whispered with a slight devilish smirk on his face: "Where are you going?"... "I won't bite...unless..." He poised his lips over her neck and hovered there for a brief second before then abandoning that notion and looking her square in her amber eyes as he finished his sentence: "...unless...you want me to."

Cagalli felt her pulse begin to quicken to a dangerously fast pace as his smoldering gaze met hers. Her rational inner self tried to calm her down, but to no avail. The only side of herself she was hearing was the one who wanted Athrun then and now. Finally, she had been given the opportunity to attain the very thing that she had been desiring for three years now...three long years. This was her chance! There was nobody there to restrain her, to hold her back from ravenously tearing Athrun's clothes off and truly making him only hers. They were all alone just like they were on that deserted island when they first met, only this time they weren't looking at each other as though they were enemies, not even just friends...it was a deeper connection than that...and that is what drove her the most mad. Knowing how deep their connection was, but being held back...she didn't want to be held back anymore...she was a woman now, a woman who desired a man so much she'd put her life on the line for his happiness as she knew he'd do for her. There was nobody to tell them no...nobody to lecture them about responsibilities...nobody and nothing to stop them...

Athrun was smirking on the inside, quite content with how this part of the plan was going, but he knew his limits and he also knew it wouldn't be wise to push her too far. However, just as he moved to pull away and say "just kidding," Cagalli had violently shoved him right up against the wall and kissed him ravenously...hungrily. His innocent emerald orbs widened in shock...he hadn't accounted for that! Nor had he accounted for her skillful fingers that were already done unbuttoning his uniform jacket and were now moving on to his green dress shirt. His mind was reeling with all kinds of thoughts and images as his rational inner self screamed at him to pull away. Instead of panicking, the cunning Coordinator opted to take the road he less traveled. As she continued kissing him, he snatched the fiery goddess of victory's hands just as she undid the very last button on his shirt. She broke the kiss first just long enough to gaze into his hypnotizing, haunted green orbs.

In one swift movement, he whirled her around and now she was the one pinned against the wall of the elevator. A devilish smile crossed his face as he whispered hotly next to her mouth: "My turn now." Before she could even open her mouth to argue, his lips had already come crashing onto hers in what seemed to the amber eyed Orb princess, to be the most delicious and sensuous of any kiss he had ever given to her. A slight moan of satisfaction escaped the lioness's lips as Athrun's expert hands ran up the back of her shirt to caress the smooth, warm, silky skin of her back. He had been dying to do this for so long, and now that he was finally doing it...he found himself unable to get enough of her. As if on cue, he could faintly hear the soft sounds of the elevator music starting to play an instrumental version of Strangers in Paradise, which seemed to him to be strategically placed there; no doubt by Dearkka since he had been messing with the sound system last week.

It was then that their little make out session began to further intensify. His hands were roaming nearly everywhere on her body, as were hers on him. He briefly tore his lips away from hers as he snatched her roaming hands and hotly kissed her palms before turning his attention back to her awaiting lips. She felt her Orb uniform jacket slide off her shoulders to the floor, and what seemed to be in the blink of an eye; she felt her shirt being slowly eased off her shoulders. She sensed that the shirt was falling to the floor as well, but she didn't care...her mind was hazy...all she could think about, all she could feel now was Athrun's hot, sensuous kisses on her bare neck and his warm and gentle embrace as he held her shirt in his hands which were at her back. Suddenly, they felt the elevator jump again slightly and start to go to the higher floor. Realizing that now the door could slide open at any minute, they broke away from each other, both flushed from head to toe, clothes and hair in a disheveled mess, and panting for breath.

Athrun's rational inner self scolded him: "Damn it!..."... "Look what you did!" He glanced over at the blushing and shivering blonde standing there in just her uniform pants and her lavender lacy bra, and with a hint of an awkward blush on his face, he did the only thing he could think of to do at that moment. He quickly shoved her jacket and shirt in the briefcase she had placed next to her and draped his uniform jacket over her shoulders. At that instant, the elevator door opened to reveal the suspicious looking pair to the arguing councilmen and also to Cagalli's twin brother and Athrun's best friend Kira Yamato who was already trying his best to break the fight up. Athrun and Cagalli remained on the elevator as they received sudden silence and wide-eyed stares from the arguing bystanders.

Kira's violet eyes widened as he asked curiously: "Cagalli...Athrun...what is!?..." ... "I mean...what are!?" He took a deep breath to calm himself down and out of over protective brother mode as he finally asked: "Cagalli?"... "Why are you wearing Athrun's jacket?"

Athrun chimed in to speak for the embarrassed and tongue tied Cagalli: "She spilled something on hers, so I gave her mine...I didn't want her to catch a cold..." He flashed a small smile and a wink in Cagalli's direction as he mouthed the words: "Just a fever.", which caused her to turn a slight pink.

Kira raised a skeptical brown eyebrow: "Okay...so...now do you want to tell me why you're shirt is unbuttoned all the way Athrun?"

Athrun shook his head and replied coolly: "Nah...I think I'll leave that to that corrupt imagination of yours."... "See you later." As Kira was having his own big brother meltdown trying to figure out what went on between the two, Athrun made his exit, but not before whispering seductively in Cagalli's ear as he walked past her: "Next time...I'll take you higher."

Okies everyone..that's chapter 3 of The Hotness Factor. There was a lot of blushing going on in this chapter, but hey...if Athrun and Cagalli were doing all this on the show; we'd all find it so damn hot I'm sure. -giggles- I also just wanted to let everyone know that I have left certain characters alive that would normally not be in the series, like Nicol and Meer for example...I just wanted to clarify that as there were a few questions about why they were suddenly reappearing. -giggles- Cagalli almost got the better of Athrun here, but he managed to further escalate his seduction techniques. I totally love this naughty side of Athrun and I love his shy, gentlemanly, and awkward sides too. -smiles- What's next on the devilish Athrun Zala's agenda? You'll have to wait and see in the next installment. Reviews are very much appreciated and I'm sure Athrun would love it if you rated his performance for this chapter. -giggles-