Author's Note: I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so very sorry that I have not updated this story in AGES! I just went back to school, and I'm studying abroad this year so there has been a lot to adjust to. Thank you to anyone and everyone who has continued to read this, and review it! You guys all rock! I will definitely be making more time to update this story, and will try for at the very least: once a month. Sorry that I can't do more than that, but for instance I have a 10-12 page paper due very soon, and still have to work on that. I really hope that everyone enjoys this next chapter. It is the beginning of tying some strings together, and unknotting others. There are a lot of different, switching perspectives in this chapter. Please review, I love them! Thanks to everyone again who has! It's like eating a chocolate chip cookie! They make me so happy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or anything related to it. Wish I did!
Chapter Eight
The Gala: Part One
Athrun stood in front of the mirror, tying a bowtie around his neck. It felt more like a collar, than a simple part of a suit. Though he wasn't wearing a suit, no he was wearing a tuxedo. Lacus had insisted that he where one. Luckily Kira was also being forced to wear the distinguishing suit, and he felt pretty much the same way as him about it.
He was worried about the evening. How would Cagalli react? He hadn't seen her in over a year. He had seen clips of her in the tabloids, things about her going on dates. Sometimes they were accompanied by pictures, and he'd note with relief that she never looked interested in the guy. Even so, he had always called Kira to go grab a drink. He didn't want any other guy going out on a date with her, but him.
He looked at himself, going over the little details. His chin length dark blue hair had been combed, and he found himself thinking he was happy he didn't have to gel it. He wore a white button up shirt with a black silk vest overtop, and black matching trousers. His shoes were black leather dress shoes that he found he could dance easily enough in, and not have to soak his feet afterward. There was a knock on the door. That could only be Lacus or Kira, and since no one knew that he was there other than them, well the exception being Kisaka.
He went to the door and opened it a crack. Seeing it was only Kira, Athrun opened the door wider to let him in. Kira was also dressed in a tux, except that he wore a tie and not a bowtie. Kira was tugging at it, trying to loosen it without seeming sloppy; it was also a way to get rid of his nerves.
"Hey are you almost ready?" Kira asked him.
"Yes. I just have to put the coat on, and I'm good. Are you going to meet Lacus at her room, or at the entrance to the hall?"
"At the entrance, she's getting ready with Cagalli," Athrun's heart did a little flip when he thought about seeing her again this evening, "and Miriallia. I only saw her once this morning. They've been getting ready since like 9'o clock this morning. I don't understand how they aren't ready yet."
"Women," Athrun said as though that explained everything. "So Kira, you've got the ring. When are you actually going to pop the question?"
Kira reddened and tugged at his tie some more. "I can't decide if I want to ask her tonight with the possibility of it being leaked to the press, or if I want to make it an outing between just the two of us."
"Well, either way you'd have to worry about the press."
"True. Well last night I planned out both possibilities. I suppose you'll just have to wait until after tonight to see which option I choose to execute."
"You always get so technical. That's why whatever you end up doing will be perfect."
"One can only hope. Let me guess. You've been thinking nonstop on how your first encounter with Cagalli will go, right?"
Athrun nodded. "From the moment I stepped into this house, she's filled my head completely."
"We'll both get through this night somehow. But hey, just think if it doesn't work out for us tonight at least we have each other!"
An awkward silence filled the air as the two gentlemen became depressed. They were both thinking "I wish he/I hadn't just said that!"
"Oh, I love these dresses!" Lacus exclaimed.
It was nearly time for them to go down to the entrance to meet Kira. They had spent the entire day pampering themselves. Cagalli didn't complain about this nearly as much as she would have. Mir recalled when Cagalli had gotten dragged off the Archangel in a dress by who she thought was her maid, or nurse? She hadn't looked happy about it, and she had even heard that she had put up a fight against the idea of wearing a dress. The passiveness of Cagalli throughout the whole process was alarming.
When they were picking out there dresses the other day, Cagalli had made witty remarks, and had been at least somewhat lively. This Cagalli had almost reverted back completely to the way she had acted before spending time with Lacus, Kira, and Mir.
Earlier when Cagalli was getting a facial done, and had earphones in Mir had pulled Lacus to the side to ask her a quick question. "Is it just me or is she accepting this way too easily? Her amber eyes lack that spark I'm used to seeing. Cagalli has never been a girly girl, and yet she is accepting all of this without complaint. Is she ok?"
Lacus completely understood Mir's worry, and hoped that her plan could work. "Mir you've had your heart broken before right?"
Mir nodded, thinking of Tolle and Dearka.
"Cagalli is suffering from a broken heart, and has been doing everything in her power to be the best leader for Orb. She's gone overboard to change herself into what she thought she needed to be. This Cagalli has matured since the wars, but I think in the process she lost what made her her."
They both glanced over at their friend. Mir had had her suspicions about why Cagalli had not been quite herself, but it made sense that it would have something to do with Athrun Zala. She wondered how Cagalli would react later when she found out that Athrun was now the Head of the ZAFT military. She would make sure she kept an eye on that encounter.
They finished primping and exited Cagalli's rooms. Lacus found that she was a little nervous. About Kira and hoping that he thought she looked beautiful, how Cagalli would react to Athrun being at the gala, and overall just hoping nothing backfired because of her mischievous planning. The trio came to the stairs of the indoor entrance into the grand hall where much of the gala was located.
It was breathtaking. There were crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and exquisite flower arrangements that made the room enchanting. Then one could see through the huge windows the lawn decorated with twinkling lights. The gardeners were very proud of their work. The garden offered a bit of privacy from the huge crowd that would be found indoors.
"Cagalli this room is amazing," Lacus said looking at the ice sculptures, and columns decorated with white roses.
"Yeah, it really is. I wasn't sure it was going to turn out so well. The staff must be really proud of their work. I'll have to make sure I send them all a gift of some sort as a token of my appreciation" Cagalli replied putting a hand under her chin already thinking about what that would be.
"Hey, Cagalli, I think you can handle that later. Let's have a good time tonight alright?" Mir said interrupting her thoughts.
Temporarily distracted the three girls began walking down the steps of the entrance way, then a figure standing halfway down the stairs turned towards them and smiled. His gaze lingered on Lacus. He gave her a once over, clearly in awe of what he saw.
"I told you you'd make him into a blubbering idiot," Cagalli whispered in her best friend's ear. Mir overheard and started giggling.
"May I escort you into the gala milady?" Kira asked Lacus, putting a arm out for her to take.
"I don't know, my boyfriend is supposed to meet me here. You see he's this really handsome guy I like, and he gets really jealous if I'm with another guy," Lacus replied teasingly.
"Well I think he'll understand this one time. Considering how beautiful you look it would be hard for anyone to keep their eyes off of you tonight."
Kira again couldn't believe his good luck to be in love with this wonderful woman. He could hardly keep his eyes off of Lacus as she took his arm and they walked down the rest of the stairs together, earning a large amount of attention as everyone remarked that they were the perfect couple.
She was wearing a pale pink floor length dress. The sleeves were a ribbon wrapped around her arm, hardly really sleeves really, the dress could technically be called a strapless dress. It showed off her figure really well. The skirt was full and promised to twirl really nicely when they danced together. She still wore her regular gold hair pin, and wore her hair down. All in all Kira thought she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. (A/N: Think the dress that Lacus is seen wearing in the series.)
Lacus looked back at Mir and Cagalli and smiled. They were watching the two with bemused smiles on their faces. When Kira looked back also he saw Mir and Cagalli, and blushing he realized he hadn't even really noticed them as soon as he saw Lacus. He glanced apologetically to them and mouthed that he'd talk to them later.
"Well I think that went well. Don't you?" Mir said referencing to the very chivalrous Kira who only had eyes for Lacus.
"Yes, I do. Shall we proceed?' Cagalli replied sticking her arm out like Kira did the two girls hooked arms and proceeded into the grand hall of the gala.
Athrun hadn't waited by the entrance with Kira for the girls to arrive. Instead he had gone ahead and mingled in the already thick crowd. He had still seen them enter, though. He had thought his heart was going to stop the moment he saw Cagalli, if anything it just beat faster. She was stunning from head to toe. His first in the flesh glance at her in over a year, he wondered if he was blushing.
He took in every detail of her with his emerald green eyes, memorizing that wry amused look, that crook of her head as she whispered something. She was wearing a black and white strapless dress. The top of the dress was a sweetheart neckline, and was mostly black except where a panel of white shot diagonally downward to the left becoming a wide panel at the bottom. Surprisingly she wore gloves, black lacy fingerless gloves appropriate for the warm weather. Her hair was swept up in a smooth French twist set with a sparkly comb. She had never been elegant, but now that was one way to describe her. One look in her eyes though told him that her actions were merely that: actions. There was no life or passion in the woman that he loved, it was somehow not there.
Noticing those things made him feel guilty. He had been so self absorbed. Perhaps he still was, he mused to himself. Everything he had chosen to do like leaving her and going back to ZAFT he told himself was a noble reason, when really it was just for himself. He was so selfish; he wanted Cagalli back in his life when she might be better off without him. He could only hope that Cagalli and him could reconnect and become a part of one another's lives. So selfish, but he'd give it a chance.
Shiho had opted not to tell Dearka about her new dress, she wanted to surprise him and the rest of the Team. It wasn't often that she wore something girly. Heck she even opted to wear the male uniform instead of the optional skirt, if you could call it that. It was actually more of a mini skirt in her opinion, and made it harder to run in because you're worried that it might flap up, and uh, well show other parties… Well that was why she didn't wear the skirt, or hardly any skirts at all for that matter. Plus pants were just way more comfortable in her opinion.
A dress like this was something new. She thought that she probably wouldn't have fared half as well if she hadn't met Mir, Cagalli, and Lacus at the store. The dress made her feel like a woman; maybe it would be enough to remind someone else too, though she wasn't too pleased with the footwear. Miriallia had insisted that she get heels to go with her dress, and those things looked far more dangerous to her than the gun she had carried during the wars. Heels, she decided, must have been created by men, just like the corset and every other beauty device as a means to simultaneously torture them, and make them look good.
"Damn shoes, if I don't trip that'll be a miracle! Either way though I'm going to have blisters at the end of the night!"
She was meeting the rest of the Joule Team at the Gala. They had planned on meeting each other in the lobby of the hotel, but plans had changed so they agreed to meet instead at the Gala. She actually thought it was fine the plan had changed considering how much more time she would have needed to get ready, the guys would have been waiting on her, and that was simply unacceptable to her.
She had gotten her hair done earlier and had explained to her stylist what it was she wanted done. She had even brought with her some flowers she had decided to wear in her hair. After that she had gone to get her make-up done. She supposed she could have done it herself, since even though she didn't wear it much she was very adept at doing it herself. That came from growing up in a household wear she had been expected to be more of a debutante than an elite fighter pilot or a girl fascinated by mechanics.
She reapplied the red lipstick to her face. It was now or never. She looked herself over in the mirror every detail was in place. Nothing smudged. She felt pretty in the dress that the other girls had helped her pick out, but she still regarded the coming night with dread, even though there was also a bit of excitement in the pit of her stomach. It was just that functions like these turned out to be extremely tedious.
Yzak Joule and Dearka Elsman were already sitting at the open bar at the gala. Right now they were just sipping some of the champagne; the night was still too young to allow themselves to get drunk. Yzak was wearing a burgundy vest trimmed in black, and a very noticeable scowl on his face.
"Events like these remind me of the parties my mother always made me attend."
"Yeah, well look at it this way. You don't have to dance with every girl that was invited."
"Yeah, you did that without being told."
"Excuse me, for merely appreciating the effort the ladies put in to looking so well."
"So why aren't you dancing, and appreciating them now?"
"I currently hold no such adolescent interest."
"Uh, huh. Yeah. Sure."
"Oh, please don't try to rib me into dancing. You know that the moment all the speeches are made, and food is served you're going to sneak out of here somehow, leaving me here all by myself."
The men were now scanning the sea of people. They saw the other members of the Joule Team already dancing to the string quartet with a beautiful girl in their arms. Several high ranking officials and diplomatic leaders, and their eyes drifted to a man with familiar navy blue hair.
"Athrun!" Dearka called.
Athrun heard his name called, and regretfully turned his gaze from Cagalli. He searched the large room for where he had heard his named called. It was over by the bar that he saw two familiar faces: Yzak and Dearka.
He left his seat, and Cagalli gazing to go join them at the bar. It wasn't a normal 'bar' parse but it was an addition to the large room that still made it formal. The bar was made of mahogany wood smoothed to a smooth finish, and the bartenders behind it wore nice tailored shirts and vests.
"Yzak, Dearka. Glad you could make it," Athrun said trying to be nonchalant.
"Yeah, because we had a choice," Yzak drawled, clearly annoyed with having to attend such a function.
"Oh, don't mind him Athrun. He's just pissed because these events remind him of the ones his mommy used to make him go too all the time. And how it's possible to actually enjoy life instead of ordering everyone around," Dearka said, making Yzak's scowl deepen and increase in annoyance.
Athrun began laughing; nowadays he and Yzak were able to converse easily enough with one another. They considered themselves friends even if they weren't the most open with each other. Up until a few years ago Yzak had acted like he hated Athrun's guts. He still did on occasion, but it was more from embarrassment than anything.
Dearka himself was about to continue his mocking of Yzak whenever he caught a glimpse of a very familiar brunette. He got up from his seat without even realizing it, following the figure like a dog eyes a bone. The other two men eyed him curiously. What could be the meaning of this distraction?
"Hey, earth to Dearka! Dearka?" Athrun questioned him, trying to get his attention. Then he turned to Yzak, and asked him what he thought was going on. Yzak was about to scowl and say it was not his job to explain every issue his friend had, but in this case he actually found himself wanting to laugh at the way his friend was behaving.
"Oh, it's nothing. Don't you recall back at that art exhibit how he just shut up?"
Athrun did, and followed Dearka's gaze, over there standing with Cagalli was Mir.
Dearka's heart was beating super fast. He hadn't expected her to be here. She wasn't supposed to be here. He had thought that she was still in the PLANTS, setting up exhibits or something. But man she looked amazing. She wore a bright emerald green dress. It wasn't quite as full as everyone else's dress but that was fine. The dress that Mir wore had off the shoulder straps that then formed a sweetheart neckline. The dress then became an A-line dress decorated with vines in a darker green thread. The back of the dress he saw then had showed the upper half of her shoulders, and ended in the back with a small train. With her long hair styled in romantic curls that flowed down her back, and her face made up, Dearka thought she was breathtaking.
"I really wish I knew how to do that," Yzak teased him.
"What?" Dearka said confused.
"How to make you shut up like that, really the silence is amazing."
"Oh, shut up."
Athrun was laughing at the two of them, thinking that it seemed like he and Kira weren't the only ones having girl trouble.
"Okay Shiho Hahnenfuss just breathe. You can do this." Why was she talking to herself? Better yet, giving herself a pep talk?
She was a woman who in a battle could fight without losing control. She had been nicknamed Housenka (aka Balsam) because her combat skills, (beams shooting out in all directions like a blooming flower). This should give her strength; she even bought those very flowers to use in her hair. The only problem was who had nicknamed her that. It had been of course, Yzak Joule.
"Forget this," she said referring to the butterflies that were making her jittery. She squared her shoulders and found her usual composure it was now or never, right?
She entered the ballroom of the Gala. It was breathtakingly done; all the chandeliers combined with the other directions were tasteful, not too opulent or gaudy. It also she noticed happily lead outside to a very convenient garden with high walled hedges. Perfect for an escape later from the uh, festivities, she found these events were usually tedious and at a certain point no one would remember when she had left.
Shiho was completely oblivious to the looks she had already garnered as she walked through the crowd sipping a glass of champagne. She glanced around looking for the members of the Joule Team. Instead she saw Miriallia and Cagalli walking around the room. Cagalli would of course have to greet her guests as the host of this year's gala. Mir caught her eye, smiled and gestured for her to come over.
It was just after Dearka had told Yzak to shove off and Athrun was between egging them on and keeping an eye on Cagalli that someone entered their view of sight to cause a momentary silence, especially a silvered haired normally glib, cranky commander who currently looked like he was going into shock.
It was Yzak who had noticed her first and when he didn't respond quickly to Dearka's ribbing Dearka had then caught a nice view of what had taken his friends interest. Athrun who had only met Shiho twice thought it was quite the change from the normal prim and proper soldier he was used to seeing.
"Hey didn't you say that Shiho had a really ugly dress?" asked Yzak to Dearka.
"Yup, it was really a sad dress she had, she must have gone shopping. I didn't realize that she took what I had to say seriously."
"Excuse me? You told a girl that their dress was ugly?" a new voice responded taking on a serious tone.
Everyone turned to see Kira and Lacus who had joined them at the bar. They exchanged greetings, Lacus giving everyone a hug, being the normal bright bubbly personality they knew her to be. Yzak had greeted her, but his gaze was still focused on the figure in the red dress.
"Now really, Dearka," Lacus had turned back to being serious. Dearka looked a bit nervous and glanced towards Kira, Athrun, and Yzak for help. The first two merely shrugged, telling him he was on his own. Yzak he realized was not with him at this moment, something that he found quite interesting, but was otherwise currently occupied by present matters. "Whose dress are you saying is ugly?"
It was the flowers that had first caught Yzak's attention. The balsam's reminding him of his nickname for Shiho, and how he had unintentionally given her the name while working together. They had just come off a practice simulation where he had remarked that her fighting style reminded him of a Housenka flower blooming. He hadn't noticed it especially much then, but he remembered now how she had blushed. Maybe that nickname meant more to her than she let on?
From the flowers he had wanted to see the rest of her, and noticed the color of the hair being eerily similar to that of Hahnenfuss'. The curve of her neck shown off by a red pendant, that lead to a low cut red dress that suited Shiho utterly. It was a bright red strapless dress that had a sweetheart neckline, and then clung to her skin till about her hip-line where it then suddenly flared out, but the front was shorter than the back. It stopped at about her knees, showing off her legs, in some precarious looking heels, and then went to the floor in the back. The look on her face held him utterly captive. The confidence she held as a pilot seemed transform into how confident she was as a woman. Normally he was able to think of her just as one of his men, but in that dress with that look on her face it was impossible. Yzak could hardly believe how gorgeous she looked.
He then realized that the feelings he had felt stirring within himself were going to be harder to contain than ever now. He found himself wanting to run his hands over more than just her hair…
End of Chapter Eight, part one of the gala.
Author's Note: Wow! Well I hope that you enjoyed this segment. I know, I know. Why did I stop right there? It was just getting started. There's so much more to come believe me, even after the Gala. I don't know if anyone else realized it, but I really like bar scenes between Yzak and Dearka. They're so much fun to write, but I don't want anyone to get the idea that their alcoholics or anything because they aren't they just like to indulge in their current emotions. Ha-ha! Well I once more apologize for not updating this story sooner. I just started school again so my schedule is kind of up and down these days. I'll be making more time to write though so don't worry.
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