Out of Nowhere
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Author's Notes: Once again, I'm very, very sorry for the late update. Hope you're still reading my poorly written fic. (Yeah! I'm aware that I'm still an amateur and so my writing style isn't polish yet. ^^)Here's chapter 3. Don't worry, Cagalli is here. Read and Review. ^^
Setting: Modern set-up where royalties are still recognized. Though calling them as kings, queens, princes and princesses aren't prominent this time.
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Chapter 3: My Angel?
...
A few weeks after that incident, a lot of things had taken place…
Gone is the horrible black discoloration on Kira's left eye, gone are the purple bruises coloring his body, and even the crutches are gone. His once badly fractured body had been thoroughly healed, turning back to its natural form, the ever lean yet muscular healthy one.
While he had gone through good changes, Athrun, on the other hand, wasn't doing any good. His mind relentlessly plagued with the thoughts of the odd but undeniably one attractive lady. His butler would often catch him spacing out, looking at a faraway distance, his mind elsewhere.
More often than not, he would find himself thinking about the girl who mysteriously fell from the sky…
The same blonde head with a pair of fiery golden-amber eyes…
The nameless angel who had unintentionally tweaked his interest…
With just one meeting, his eyes had already been captured, how would he be able to look at anyone else aside from her then?
Don't take it as if he's already in-love, he's still in denial. He remained stubborn and denied such obnoxious idea. He believed that his current feelings for her are simply some fleeting attraction, a crush of some sort, or puppy love maybe. But despite his outright repulse, it's unquestionable that the blonde head had left a deep mark both onto his mind and heart.
He's been left staring into space every night falls, the thoughts about the said lady swirling in his head, making him unable to catch any sleep at all. But nonetheless, it's remarkable that he remained effortlessly so good-looking, so strikingly handsome, and so… deliciously palatable *cough cough* I mean, so utterly attractive…
Although he kept on denying his feelings for the blonde, there's one thing that he can't deny…
The possibility that she could be his redeemer…
An angel sent from above who could save him from his marrying predicament…
His angel.
…
As light made its way to the thick billows of clouds, the sun emerges triumphantly. It broke into a wide smile, sending sunrays all over the place, signaling the born of a new day, a new beginning, a new hope…
*knock knock*
No response came from the other side.
*knock knock*
Still no response came.
Quite growing irritated, he knocked once more, with more force compared to the first two ones.
*KNOCK KNOCK*
Still nothing came.
And without thinking twice, he barged into his young master's room and tried his best to wake him up. "Hey, Athrun! Get up, you lazy ass!" he said, his voice laced with irritation while shaking him up.
But it was hopeless...
So he went straight to the shower room, fetched a pail of menacingly cold water, went back in and poured a generous amount of it right onto his face, effectively sending him into hysterics, repeatedly uttering, "I'm drowning! I'm drowning!" while waving his arms in the air, in a manner as if he had just reemerged from under a deep sea.
The brunette was watching him on the sidelines, his irritated look gone and is now laughing his head out like a total idiot. He can never get tired of doing the same thing every morning to his poor best friend. 'He deserved it…' the thought that will always be lingering on the back of his mind complete with an evil laugh and all.
That same scene goes on for about some time before the blue-haired lad finally snapped out of it, blinked once… twice… and thrice… then broke into a chasing-spree to subjugate his idiotic friend.
And as always, Kira end up with, luckily, no broken bones nor bruises this time but a bloody nose instead… A minor injury compared to the usual.
If it's a way of showing how much they truly love each other's company, I wouldn't want to be in Kira's shoes that's for sure.
…
Athrun asked Kira to take a seat.
The brown-haired butler chose to settle on one of the bedside seats.
Upon noticing his choice, the blue-haired guy shrugged his shoulders and said, "Suit yourself…"
He then pressed a button on the wall beside his bed.
*click*
A click was heard which was followed by an utterance. "Ms. Miho, could you please bring some ice to my room right away? Thank you…"
*click*
Another click was heard before he made his way to his closet to get a piece of towel.
Right after that, he walked back towards his bed and dumped himself onto it facing Kira, he asked, "Aren't you tired with this scenario…?"
Kira, sitting comfortably on his seat, nonchalantly answered, "It's my job."
Athrun looked at him, totally lost. "WHAT! You consider pestering me as a job…?"
Kira smiled. "You got it all wrong, my friend… Isn't it, my job is to wake you up…?" he paused for awhile. "But… pestering you seem a worthwhile work as well… so if you really insist, then I'll gladly comply," he answered coolly, an evil smirk present on his face.
Athrun shivered. "No! Just stick to your work. And when I say work, don't misunderstand, I'm pertaining to waking me up and being my butler, clear?
"More of a personal maid, if you ask me…" Kira muttered to himself.
"Oh and next time… could you at least try to wake me up in a 'proper' manner…?"
"You're no fun, young master!" he whined. "I don't have any other choice aside from that. And besides… it's hilarious!" He snickered.
"Kira… You're–"
*knock knock*
The brunette would have had received a black eye if not for the knocking person outside, so the blueberry head ignored his last statement and motioned for him to stay put. While he made his way to the door, opened it, and thanked the maid. He then proceeded to the shower room with a towel and a bag of ice in his hands.
The sound of flowing water can be heard over the shower room…
After some time, Athrun's voice resounded over the shower room. "What do you mean with, 'you don't have any other choice?' You could have tapped my shoulders instead of doing some stunt like that," he said while soaking the face towel in a basin of cold water.
Kira, over hearing his friend, answered him, "Well, simply put, it's the best choice I have... And besides it's effective!"
"HAH! It's effective my ass…" Athrun muttered to himself, a frown currently visible on his pretty face but he wiped that scowl off of his visage and made his way out. He emerged from his bathroom's door with a damp towel in hand, his face holding a neutral façade, not thoroughly happy or sad. "That's the best choice you have, huh?" he stated, his eyebrow making its way up to his forehead.
He received a nod.
Letting go of their nonsensical topic, he then gave Kira the damp towel.
While the brunette is busy wiping his bloody nose, Athrun looked over his clock placed on top of the bedside table at the other side of his bed and noted that he woke him up earlier than the usual. "By the way, why'd you have to wake me up this early…? Is something–"
*THUMP!*
He whipped his head hastily to where he heard a loud thump. "What the…" he said, a surprise look written on his face. "What are you doing there?" he said looking across his bed to a face-flat Kira lying on the floor.
It seems that Kira caught his foot in a carpet made of wool while making his way to Athrun's closet. But he didn't remain in that position for long for he stood up as if nothing happened.
Hurried footsteps reverberated inside the room…
Upon receiving no response, Athrun have nothing else to do but observe his friend's behavior and while at it, he made his way towards a nearby phone just in case his friend totally lose it and turn into a psycho.
By this time Kira had already made his way to his young master's closet looking for a bathroom towel while frantically saying, "Oh men, I'll be in trouble! I almost forgot!"
Athrun remained silent, listening to what his friend is blabbering about.
After getting a towel and some bathroom necessities, he went to where the azure-haired lad is standing and dragged him near the shower room's door. He then gave him some serious directions. "Athrun, take your shower then dress properly. Your parents are waiting for you… I'll explain on the way downstairs. Go!" Kira said shoving Athrun into the bathroom.
"Hold on…" he said, holding onto the door frame, "Does this have anything to do with my fiancé?"
"No, I assure you. So go!"
"Wait! Wait! Are you really sure!"
A throbbing nerve visible on his forehead, and an annoyed smile written on his face, he said, "I am! So quit asking me and just go take your shower, moron!"
Athrun have no choice but to do as his butler told him. "Ok. Ok. I'll meet you by the stairs…"
…
After a couple of minutes…
He emerged from the bathroom door with a towel secured around his waist. His midnight blue hair tousled in different directions but in a cool, breathtaking way. Droplets of water are dripping down from his hair onto his chiseled chest in a very sexy manner, which are further dripping down to his abdomen, to his sexy waist, then to his sturdy lean legs, until it reaches his feet and fall onto the floor. He looked so temptingly… so irresistibly hot!
He made his way to his bed where set of clothes are meticulously chosen and prepared by none other than his butler slash best friend slash personal maid.
"Hmmm…"
Among the set of attires on it, he chose to wear an amethyst-colored long sleeved collared shirt where he left two of its buttons unfastened, together with black pants and matching black loafers. He then fixed his azure-colored hair in an attractive disheveled way that gave him the look of both coolness and hotness rolled into one.
With one last look on his total appearance, he sprayed a generous amount of body spray onto his body.
Then he grabbed a lone black velvety blazer hanging on the bedside chair and wore it before he left with Kira who's been waiting for him along the balustrade of the stairs.
…
They made their way down the flight of stairs…
"Looking good… I never knew you have some fashion sense in you, young master," Kira said in quite a teasing tone, his strides matching that of Athrun's.
"Oh shut up! You're the one who prepared it… I just barely do my thing (pertaining to selecting one from the set of garments lined up on his bed). And quit teasing me, I'm in no mood for such. Tell me, what is this all about…?" Athrun said, demanding an answer.
Kira smiled, appearing as if he's completely confident of his answer. "Well… You see, I don't have any idea at all."
With Athrun's jaw dropping, he stopped on his tracks. Kira followed as well.
He can't believe his ears. Facing him this time, he said, "Am I hearing things or what? Will you say that again…?" he asked, trying to convince himself that Kira is just teasing him, that he'll be giving him a friendly slap on the back while saying, "I got you, men! I got you!"
"I don't know…"
"Oh come on, Kira! Let's not play around, shall we? I want to hear the truth," he offered with a smile.
Kira shamefully muttered, "Well, to tell you the truth… You're actually… attending a meeting… a meeting with your fiancé…" followed by a small "I'm sorry…" his face looking down not meeting his best friend's daunting gaze.
Athrun took hold of both Kira's shoulders and shook him quite fiercely. "Then what did you promise me back in there?" he retorted, his face holding a daunting look.
"…"
"Say something… Come on," he shook him once more.
"…"
Receiving no response, Athrun let him go and continue walking down the stairs with Kira following behind…
With the knowledge that the brunette is trailing behind, he retorted some more, "I trusted you so much… But what did you do with my trust… huh? What did you do…?" he said without looking at Kira, his pace going faster, probably to get away from him as fast as he could.
Only a couple of three steps remaining before he finally reach the ground floor…
"I was… I was just doing my job. I didn't want to lie to you but I have to…" Kira said helplessly.
By this time, Athrun had reached the end of the stairs and was looking at Kira who's still three steps away from him. "Why?"
"Because…" Kira took three more steps. "Because… I…" he said quivering. And finally he made it onto the ground floor, a few centimeters away from his best friend.
Athrun repeated his unanswered question, "Why…?" he said in a gloomy voice.
"Why…"
"Why…?"
But not for long because his once gloomy and resigned tone gradually changed into snickers before he finally broke into feats of laughter. "You should have seen your face, Kira..." He laughed. "It was so hilarious…" he added while wiping the tears brimming under his eyes.
Kira gave him a murderous look.
"What! You don't expect me to be a melodramatic guy, right? I was just having fun… There's nothing wrong with that. Besides, I already guessed that this has something to do with my fiancé-to-be, so I was just playing around..." He laughed once more.
"Have you gone nuts? That's the worst trick you've ever done. I really thought our friendship is over. It scared the shit out of me… I… I almost peed in my pants, Zala!" Kira said with a trembling voice, his knees giving away making him slumped onto the floor.
Athrun, realizing his mistake, said, "My bad… Sorry!" He then offered his hand for help.
Kira, clasping his hand with his, stood up and was immediately enveloped in a brotherly hug from his best friend, earning a pair of wide amethyst eyes in the process.
…
When they broke the contact, Kira right away dusted his pants.
"Let's stop these nonsensical torments towards each other once and for all."
Kira looked up to listen at his friend's proposition.
"I know you've already suffered a great deal of pain because of me and therefore I am not worthy of being called as your best friend, especially since most of your horrible experiences were caused by me. I don't want to inflict any more damage than what I have already caused you. So let's call it quits… Deal?"
Kira smiled then said, "I think that would be awesome. Deal!"
Then all hell breaks loose!
The brunette began jumping in the air while saying out loud, "Woohoo! Good bye frequent hospital visits! Goodbye creepy nurses! Goodbye creepy patients! And goodbye Ms. A! I won't be missing you all! I'm free! Free at last!" He laughed maniacally.
Athrun, quite creep out, said with an uncertain tone, "Congratulations then… I should get going now… See you later, Kira!"
Kira nodded his head in response, and then continued his celebratory dance.
Both are unaware that two pairs of prying eyes are observing their every move…
In another part of the mansion…
Two young maids are chitchatting about the scene they've witnessed awhile ago...
"Tsktsk! It's such a waste! They are both good-looking."
"I agree! But I still can't believe that Athrun-sama is homosexual..." a melancholic voice said.
"But you have seen them with your own eyes, right? Or are you just plain stupid? Haven't you seen how happy Kira-kun is, after receiving a hug from Athrun-sama!"
"Hey, you're mean! I'm not stupid. I'm still shock you know…" She sniffed.
"No wonder, our master and mistress were insisting so much on getting their son to be married as soon as possible."
"Yeah… If I were them, I would probably do the same thing…" She sighed.
Just then the head maid passed by giving them a back-to-work-no-talking looks, the two bowed their heads in shame.
Athrun went over to the lounge area. Seeing that his parents weren't there aside from Kisaka, he asked him where his parents are. Upon knowing where they are, he then dashed onto the gate where his parents' Volvo is waiting for him. Once he had already taken his seat and secured his seatbelt, the driver sped up the car.
He is currently sitting at the passenger seat. Beside him is his mother, Lenore. His father, Patrick, is sitting beside his Mom.
"What took you so long, son?" Lenore asked her face turned to look at him.
"Sorry Mom, Dad. I just had some problems with my attire," Athrun said, laughing uncomfortably.
Patrick intervened. "Looking good, son! Lookin' good, just like Father…" he said proudly with both of his two thumbs pointing at himself, a smirk plastered on his face.
Athrun laughed timidly. "Right…"
"Patrick…! Don't embarrass your son," Lenore said reprimanding her husband.
"I was just complimenting him… And besides, he really looked good, just like me…" Patrick retort back.
"Argh! Just… Just keep your mouth shut, okay!"
Patrick diverted his face onto the window to stare outside, looking like a sulking child who didn't get what he wanted. "I was just doing my part as his father, what's wrong with that?" is the repeating statement that he had been muttering under his breath.
Upon seeing this side of him, Lenore and Athrun can't help but to snicker silently to themselves.
"So… Son, how was your sleep?"
Athrun answered with a yawn followed by a small "Sorry, Mom." He then grinned sheepishly.
She chuckled and said, "I take it, you haven't gotten a good night sleep yet. Awww… Poor son of mine, are you sure you're alright? You're not sick, right…?"
He turned his head to his mother, and then smiled. "You worry too much, Mom... Don't worry, I'm not sick…" He then turned his head to look outside the window, and continued, "Just thinking about certain things…"
Lenore smiled. "Hmmm… And does that certain thing includes… a blonde head with golden-amber eyes…?" she said meaningfully.
Athrun hastily turned his head back to his mother, red spots flared on his cheeks. "How'd… How'd you know? Don't tell me… Kira!" he said, an evil aura surrounding his body.
"Athrun…" Lenore gave him a disapproving look.
"Sorry, Mom…"
"So… It is true then…"
Patrick butted in, "I'm proud of you, son! Finally, you're becoming a man…"
Athrun's cheeks flared further. "Father…!"
Lenore gave her husband a baffled look and said, "You've been listening all along…?"
"Well, it concerns my son… So it concerns me as well." Patrick answered.
Athrun turned his head away with a shy smile while, Lenore smiled at her husband and let go of the subject.
They were quiet for some time before Patrick broke the silence…
"Hey, son, don't you want to know where we'll be going?"
"Not really, Dad…" He said with a bored look on his face, though a visible red can still be seen lingering on his face.
"Oh come on…! Could you at least feign some enthusiasm?"
"Your Father is right, Athrun. You'll be meeting your fiancé so you should look happy instead of displaying that bored look on your visage," Lenore said while wrapping her arms onto her husband. "At least give us some smile…" she continued.
Athrun offered a small smile.
"That's better," The couple said, nodding their heads in approval.
Out of the blue…
"Mom, Dad…" Athrun started, his voice unusually sounding unsure.
The couple looked over their son and listened to him.
"I was just wondering…"
"Well…"
"What if… This woman you want me to be married with… isn't my kind of lady…"
"Go on…"
"Would you… Would you let me back down… and search for someone else…?"
The couple regarded him for a moment.
Athrun made an uneasy laugh. "I mean, I was just curious… And they say marriage wouldn't work… if there's no love… So I think that's reasonable enough to let me have my choice, right…?"
"His definitely growing up…" Lenore whispered to her husband, her eyes brimmed with tears of happiness.
Patrick gave her an assured look. "Yeah… He is," he whispered back, his eyes full of life seeing this once impassive boy turned into this mature-thinking lad.
"Of course, son, whatever makes you happy, we'll support you through…" Lenore said.
"And we wouldn't want to hinder you from finding true love," Patrick added up, turning his head to look at his beloved wife.
"Thanks, Mom, Dad!" Athrun gave them a sincere smile.
Two long hours had passed before they finally reached their destination.
It was quite a long drive to the said place but nonetheless, it was worth it.
The musky scent coming from wet decomposing twigs and fallen leaves welcomed them in. Wide arrays of flowers are abundantly present around the area. Its petals and leaves are speckled with droplets of water, glistening as the sunlight touches it. Making it appears as if small gems are embedded on it. And a few distances away, a breathtaking white mansion can be seen, situated far from the neighborhood, within the aperture of an evergreen forest, standing in all its glory amidst the green scenery… a miniature paradise.
Once the Volvo made it in front of the manor, two men approached them. One is a brown-haired man in a butler suit and the other one is a black-haired man in a simpler suit.
"Good morning Sir, Madam. I'm Mr. Seiji Mori, the head butler of this estate. And this man beside me is Mr. Masaru Sawada. He'll be in charge of your car while I'll be escorting you inside, so please follow me."
The said manor is a model of sophistication. Ornamented with gorgeous pieces of furniture, refreshing color combinations and nicely done interior designs, it's a fabulous masterpiece, a work of art. A wide staircase is also situated at its center, right after you go through the main door, several doors lined up leading to five different rooms at each of the sides. When you go upstairs, another long line of quarters will greet you. There are overall three floors in this manor, the two upper floors has ten large rooms each.
Mr. Mori led them to the living room where a man in his forties was waiting while drinking some nice tea. A lone maid is standing beside him with a tray on hand loaded with a teapot and tea cups.
He dismissed the butler, and then approached Mr. Zala.
"It's good to see you, my friend!" Patrick hugged his friend and gave him a pat in the back.
His friend did the same. "Same here! It's been so long since I last saw you two." He motioned for them to take their seats. "Lenore still looks so lovely…" He took a glance at Lenore, who mouthed a small thank you as a way of giving regards to him before diverting his eyes back to Patrick. "And you, Patrick, still looks like a teenage boy going through puberty stage…" he laughed.
"Why does everyone make fun of me? Argh! Life is so unfair!" Patrick said dramatically.
Everyone laughed at Patrick's reaction.
"You too… You haven't changed since I last saw you. I mean…WOW! It's been eighteen years… And you still look young… err… I mean, majestic…" Lenore said astounded.
"Well, I'll take that as a compliment. Thank you. And yes, eighteen long years of being away from here… Oh, would you like some rosemary tea?"
"We'd love too."
The man motioned for the maid to prepare some more tea and some nice treats as well.
…
A couple of minutes later the maid came back with a trolley full of different treats like cookies, cupcakes, loaves of breads and some brownies together with the rosemary tea. She gave each guest a cup of tea, placed each treats and the teapot on the mahogany table and then took her leave.
Patrick motioned for them to help themselves with the treats...
"Patrick, you're not supposed to act like the owner!" blushing madly, Lenore reprimanded in a low voice that only her husband and son can hear.
But unknown to them…
The real owner of this estate heard it loud and clear, making him snicker to himself.
…
"So is that young man standing beside you, my future son-in-law?" He smirked.
Patrick smirked. "Oh, yeah… This is our son, Athrun," he said while patting his son's shoulder.
Athrun nodded his head then looked at the man in front of him, regarding him with respect. "I'm Athrun Zala, son of Patrick and Lenore Zala. It's nice to meet you, Sir."
The man smiled. "You have a very well-mannered son," he said looking at the Zala couple, before diverting his attention back to the young lad, an approving smile gracing his face. "I'm Mr. Uzumi Nara Athha, a long time friend of your parents, owner of this estate and the Athha Multinational. It's nice to finally meet my daughter's future husband…" He said while offering his right hand for a handshake.
Athrun blushed, took Mr. Athha's hand and shook it. "The pressure… err… I mean, the pleasure is all mine."
The adults in the room exchanged looks and then broke into laughter. Athrun wanted to smack his head onto a solid brick wall to end his life right there and then.
"What a funny lad! I like you! I'm sure you and my daughter will get along just fine. But you don't need to feel pressured, you know…" Uzumi uttered in between laughs.
After having some good laugh, Patrick said with a hint of pride, "I'm glad you inherit some funny bone in you, son! Oh… and speaking of your daughter, where is she?"
"Yes, that cute little girl… How is she? We missed her so much," Lenore added.
"She's just upstairs… I already called for her so she'll be here in no time. How is she? Well… She's been doing well, made new friends and quite grew at ease there. How about you? Did anything change while we're away…?" Uzumi replied.
"It was quite boring actually. Aside from the family business, we haven't done anything worthwhile at all. Currently, we've been busy with the Zala Corp., preparing the needed documents since we're planning to let our son handle it soon," Patrick said.
"I see… I'm sure your son can handle it. He looks like a very capable, intelligent young lad. Definitely, your business is in good hands."
Athrun turned red from the compliment given by a respected persona.
"Well how' bout you, Uzumi? How was life back in–"
*knock knock*
"Come in…" Uzumi said.
The door opened and a nice tingling voice resounded all over the living room, drawing everyone's attention towards the owner of the said voice. "Father, you called –"
She froze mid-sentence…
…
...
Extra A/N:
About the reason why Cagalli fell from the sky that will be answered at the right time, don't know when that is, but I'll be answering it. I hope you understand. ^^
Updating would be much, much slower since my 2nd semester in college would be starting this week. I don't have much time to write the next chapter because I'll be busy. Sorry, guys, I can't really finish a chapter in one sitting.
I had finally chosen what genre it will be but it will remain as a secret for now. Pardon me in advance if my chosen genre doesn't suit your tastes *bows her head*. Nonetheless, I hope you support me throughout. See you in chapter 4!
…
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Reviewer Corner:
This chapter is specially made for my readers and reviewers. I hope it brings some enlightenment on how this fic will turn out. Thank you!
I have already sent my replies to the following reviewers: SaKuRaYukIe, The_Blue_Mask-cara, empatheticsympatheticpathetic, Cagalli_Haruka_Zala and stubbornheroine. Thank you so much for leaving heartfelt reviews, I really love reading them.
To spuxz: Ooooh I'm so glad I made you laugh! Thank goodness, I thought I suck at making funny comebacks. But I guess I did quite well…? That incident between Kira & Athrun was just a tease since I don't intend to make them homosexuals. *LOL* Was Kira nursed by a ghost? Yes, and actually it's my tribute to Halloween. It wasn't really scary, but I hope I gave you the chills… Kidding! I'll try my best to update. Thank you! ^^
...
Mahal ko kayo!
- chiko-chan -