JC: Hehe! Gomen minna-san! I took so long to update. I'm having a writer's block on this story. I have to read Love Fulfilled again in order to get my head straight. Anyway, here's chapter 9. Please read and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam SEED. I just own Jean and Kai, okay? Don't ever sue me.

Entwined Hearts

Phase 09: A Confrontation and A Kiss

"Listen to me closely, Stellar-chan…" Rusty mustered up all his courage and started explaining all his worries to Stellar. He was still afraid of what Stellar's reaction might be, but he couldn't keep his problems any longer. He had to tell someone.

Stellar let out a gasp. She was completely surprised at what she just heard. Her new friend, Rusty Mackenzie, actually kissed the most prominent female of ORB, also known as Cagalli Yula Athha. She didn't know what to say to him. She didn't know whether to scold him or just get upset. She stared at Rusty with those cute magenta eyes of hers. Her right hand was on her mouth as her other hand was against her chest.

Rusty sighed deeply. "Sorry…" he said in a low tone. "I didn't know what came over me. It's just that she…" Once again he sighed, feeling regret and sad. What he did to the princess was very rude. He wondered if he would have the chance to apologize to her.

"Do you really like Cagalli-san?" the blonde girl asked, removing her hand from her mouth.

"What?!" The orange head just blushed madly. Of course, he didn't just like her, he loved her. Why would he even bother to kiss Cagalli in the first place? Damn, love was so complicated and it was making him crazy. His once calm face was filled with anxiety. He brushed through his hair as he averted his eyes away from the girl.

"You are in love!" she said cheerfully, clasping her two hands together. Stellar may seemed dense, but she actually knows a thing or two about love. "When did this start, Rusty?" She looked at him curiously as she presented a cute smile on her face.

Rusty swallowed hard. What is with this girl? I thought she would be mad at me or something. Weird… he thought silently. "Well, I fell in love with her since I was still a kid," he started, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"Really? What age?"

"Um… 12 years old."

"So young!"

"Yeah, that's right."Rusty had to admit, the girl was sure fun to talk to. "That was the time I moved into ORB. You see, I used to live in October City of PLANT."

"How did you fall in love with Cagalli-san?"

Rusty remembered it like yesterday. Meeting Cagalli for the first time was one of his treasured memories. He actually loved talking about the feisty blonde and he didn't hesitate to express his feelings for her whenever he tells his friends about her. Rusty seemed to have his own world when it comes to Cagalli. "It was the 18th Day of May. The whole city was celebrating the birthday of the princess. There was a parade, music and parties," he started his story with much enthusiasm, as the young Stellar listened closely to him.

Flashback

A twelve year old Rusty Mackenzie was walking along the streets of ORB. He left his apartment to explore his new surroundings since he just moved in from PLANT. He was a new kid and he wanted to make friends soon. As he neared the main street, he heard music being played by a band. He was also surprised to see a lot of people lined up along the street as if they were waiting for something important to come. Curious, the young orange head made his way through the crowd until he was able to see the road.

"What is all this fuss?" he said.

"Don't you know that it's Princess Cagalli's birthday today?" a boy about his age answered for him. He was standing right beside Rusty and he was holding some streamers and balloons.

"Princess Cagalli?" Since Rusty was new in ORB, he had no idea who the princess was.

"Are you stupid or what?" the boy grunted. "Don't you know who Princess Cagalli is?"

Rusty plainly shook his head. He was being honest.

The boy sighed in frustration and raised an eyebrow at Rusty. "She's the daughter of the Head Representative of ORB. She's really cute! You should really see her!" he said in excitement.

"Oh…"

"All the people here are loyal fans of the princess."

Rusty stared at him with a blank expression. He wasn't really the type to go fan mode just because of a princess. He didn't care about celebrities and statuses. A plain and simple girl would do him just fine. He shrugged in his place and folded his arms. Since he was already there, he decided to see the princess if she was really cute or not.

As a long stretched black limo was approaching, the people went wilder and screamed louder. Rusty could say that the princess was coming but he still didn't care. The limo had its windows open where you could see the people inside.

"It's Princess Cagalli!" the boy beside Rusty shouted, almost rendering the poor orange head deaf. How gaga can this boy get anyway? Rusty grunted.

He took a good look at the blonde inside the limo. He was shocked. The boy was right, Cagalli was cute. She was waving her hand at the people, but there was something wrong with her. Rusty could see through her smile, which was fake actually. Somehow, he grew very concerned for her. It was her birthday and yet, she had a sad smile on her face. Rusty was never wrong when it comes to reading people's emotions. He had a lot of experience back at the PLANT.

End of Flashback

"Since then, I couldn't stop thinking about her," Rusty said, ending his story. "Later, I learned about her personality and her charity works in ORB. I reviewed her profile almost everyday on some fan sites I came across on the web. I became addicted to her." He chuckled, feeling awkwardly.

"So, you're just some fan boy then," Stellar said with a different tone.

Rusty glanced back at her only to see her serious magenta eyes. He got a little scared. It was his first time to see such eyes from an adorable girl. "Um… Fan boy?" he muttered, scratching the back of his neck.

"Yes, fan boy…"

"Why would you say that?"

"You're not really in love with her. You're not romantically interested in her," Stellar said, spinning on her heels. She sounded so disappointed. "You just admire her and that's all."

Rusty vigorously shook his head. "NO! You're wrong, Stellar-chan!" he uttered, clenching his fists. "I love Cagalli!" And he really meant it.

But Stellar didn't believe him. "No, you don't," she said coldly. She turned her head slightly and looked at him with a stoic expression. "She's nothing but an idol to you."

"My love for her is real."

"No, it's not."

"Yes, it is!"

"Prove it." Stellar didn't mean to treat him so coldly but she just wanted to confirm something from him.

"How?"

Stellar turned around to face him again. "You do know that Cagalli-san is engaged to Athrun Zala, right?" Her lips curved into a smile.

Rusty raised an eyebrow, as he tried to guess what the young blonde was thinking. But the mere mention of the name, Athrun Zala, made him shiver. True, he knew about the engagement. He became devastated when he heard that Cagalli was getting married to a soldier. All his hopes and dreams of being with girl he loved got shattered into a million pieces. Even so, he didn't hate Athrun Zala for that. He was too much of a nice guy.

"Yeah, what about it?" he finally replied.

"If you truly love Cagalli-san, then you should forget about her and move on." Stellar patted his shoulder.

"I tried to move on, Stellar-chan," he said, with a hint of pain in his eyes. "But I just can't. I love her so much."

Stellar felt sorry for the guy. Through his eyes, she could see love and compassion in them. She wanted to help him in some way. She stayed silent for a while as she tried to come up with an idea to cheer him up. After a minute, she squealed in delight and held Rusty's hands. "Rusty, I can help you move on!" she beamed, her smile almost reaching her ears.

Rusty looked at her with more confusion than ever. "Stellar, I appreciate the help but…" His voice faded a bit. Gently, he brushed his hands away from her. "But I can't force myself to love you."

"What are you saying?" Stellar pouted, placing her hands on her hips. "Force yourself to love me?" She began laughing. She gave Rusty a completely wrong idea.

"EH?"

"Silly!" She punched his arm lightly. "You misunderstood me. I was planning to set you up on a date with Cagalli-san!"

Rusty felt like he got hit by a truck just now. It was inhumane for him to go on a date with Cagalli. He was sure that Cagalli was still mad at him. Go near her and he'll be killed in a flash. He still wanted to live a full life for crying out loud. "No way!" he retorted.

"It's not a romantic date, okay?" Stellar said it loud and clear for him.

"What is it then?"

"Let me ask you something," Stellar said, cupping her chin with her hand. "Did you apologize to Cagalli-san for kissing her?"

"Hmmm… I think so… But she was still mad."

"I thought so." Stellar heaved a sigh. She motioned over to his side and smacked his back so hard. "You better apologize properly to her next time."

The impact caused him to cough several times. He never knew a girl like Stellar could hit him like that. He wanted to complain about it but he simply shook it out of his system. "So, you're setting me up on a date so I can apologize to her?"

Stellar nodded like a little girl. "Of course!"

Truth to known, he wasn't so sure about Stellar's idea. First of, he was afraid of Cagalli's wrath. Secondly, she might just ignore him on their date. Lastly, she would probably use her Gundam to kill him. The last one was a crazy thought, but it could still happen. Despite his fears, he still wanted to see Cagalli again and to apologize to her. So, with a heavy heart, Rusty agreed to Stellar's plan.

Next Day…

In the humongous bedroom of the Athha Mansion, a young brunette was still sleeping on his king-sized bed. It was already 6 o'clock in the morning. He would usually wake up at this time, but today he just wanted to sleep in. Why? He was so tired from yesterday's escapade around the city. His two lovely fiancées dragged him almost everywhere in the city. It was far worse than having Cagalli dragged him to work or to the beach. He didn't know that girls would be so much trouble. Well, Cagalli was already enough trouble for him, but he could still manage her. His best friend, Miriallia, was also okay for him. But Lacus and Fllay? He didn't even want to think of them.

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

"Kira, are you awake?!" Lacus Clyne asked as she knocked on the bedroom door. She woke up at 5 o'clock in the morning and she seemed to be full of energy already. "Please answer me, Kira!" Her voice was still sweet as ever, even though her voice was quite loud. She wanted to eat breakfast together with Kira, since she was the one who prepared it. Cooking was one of her many talents.

The young representative groaned with frustration. He sat up on his bed and yawned. He looked at his clock and sighed. The time was 6:15 AM. He wanted to sleep some more. He didn't want to face Lacus or Fllay so early in the morning. He was going to lie down again, but the knock on the door jarred his eyes wide open. Sighing in defeat, he got off the bed, put on his robe, and walked towards the door. With a yawn, he opened the door and saw the pink-haired girl.

"Good morning, Kira!" Lacus beamed at the amethyst-eyed prince.

Kira didn't want to be rude so he presented her with a smile. "Good morning to you too, Lacus. What brings you here?"

"I just wanted to tell you that breakfast is ready," she replied.

"I see…" Kira said, thinking is that all? You woke me up just to tell me that? Sigh…

"Oh, by the way, I'm the one who prepared it," she told him, holding her angelic smile.

"You didn't have to do that." Kira felt a little awkward now. "You're a guest here. You should let the maids do the work."

"But I do the cooking all the time back home," Lacus said.

"Really?"

"I actually love doing house chores."

That was something new to him. He never expected for a rich girl like Lacus to love house chores. He thought all rich girls liked to be pampered, but it was a different story for Lacus. Well, his sister also hated to be pampered and she'd rather live a soldier's life than a princesses'. "Umm… The cooking is fine, but I won't allow you to do any chores, okay?" he said.

Lacus nodded her head. "Don't worry…" She took Kira's hand and squeezed it gently. "Let's go and eat, Kira."

Her action made him blush ten shades of red. His heart was starting to go on a rollercoaster ride again. He just couldn't understand his newly discovered feeling whenever he was with Lacus, especially when she was touching him. He blushed a thousand times when Lacus kept clinging to his arm yesterday at the mall. Now that he thought about it, they really looked like a couple having the time of their lives at the mall. He glanced down the pink-haired angel who was now hauling him down the stairs. He couldn't help but smile at her gentle face.

Unknown to them, Fllay was watching them from the top of the stairs. Her arms were crossed in front of her and she had a grin on her face. "Those two are getting way too close," she said in voice so eerie. Based on my observations yesterday, I can say that Kira is falling for that naïve girl. I have to do something about this. With that, Fllay descended down the stairs and went to the dining room to join the two for breakfast.

Cagalli's Room

The blonde princess was already awake, which was rather unusual considering that it was only 6:30 AM. She would usually wake up at 7 AM or 8 AM, but not this day. She had just woken up from a terrible dream. It was a dream about Rusty kissing her by the shore. No matter how hard she tried to forget it, Rusty kept popping out of her head. She was so annoyed. She couldn't even kiss Athrun yesterday because of that stupid Rusty.

"If I'll ever see that guy again, I'll make sure he won't live another day," she grumbled, clenching her fists. Well, she wasn't that serious about killing Rusty. She just wanted to let him taste her fists.

There was no use thinking about the carrot head at the moment. She still had some work to do and she had to prepare herself. When she was about to take off her clothes, she heard someone knocking on her door. "Wait a sec!" she said, grabbing her robe and putting it on. She opened the door and saw the dashing Athrun Zala clad in his ORB uniform. "Athrun, hey…"

"Good morning, Cagalli," Athrun greeted her with his cunning smile.

Weird, his smile would always enlighten her even in her darkest and troubled moments. This was one of the reasons why she loved Athrun so much. "Come in, Athrun."

Athrun went inside her room and sat on one of the couches there. Her room was so big that it had a mini-office and a mini-living room there. "I saw Kira having breakfast with those two girls," he said, leaning his cheek on his hand. "He seemed happy."

"That's great," Cagalli replied. She opened her closet and took out her uniform. "You know, Kira looked pretty tired when he got home yesterday. I guess he's not used to hanging around with other girls." She knew that Kira could only put up with her and Miriallia.

"Poor guy…" Athrun sighed. "This whole engagement thing is really tough on him."

"Well, he has to go through with this," the blonde responded nonchalantly, as if she didn't care about her brother. But she was actually worried about his love life as well as his future.

Athrun stood up from his seat and approached Cagalli. He slid his arms around her petite waist and pulled her closer to him. "You still owe me a kiss for our date last night," he said teasingly, as he stared at her with those luscious green eyes. He caressed her cheek gently and brushed off some strands of hair way from her beautiful amber orbs. He loved being so close with her.

"Umm… right…" Cagalli focused her eyes on his chest. She was blushing like hell. She was never good at hiding her emotions. She would always get teased whenever she blushes. Sometimes, she hated the teasing, but sometimes she finds it nice.

"Are you going to grant me one kiss?" he whispered softly into her ear, sending shivers to her spine.

Cagalli looked up at him. Her face was so calm and gentle. She would love to kiss him. "Just one, got that?" she said in a voice almost threatening.

Athrun nodded. Slowly, he leaned closer and closed his eyes. It was the moment he was waiting for. It has been a long time since he last kissed her. "Cagalli…" he muttered her name so lovingly. His heart skipped a beat, but he was happy. He was going to claim her lips when all of a sudden…

"WAIT!" the blonde shouted on his face, causing him to back away.

"Huh? What is it this time?" he asked her, looking a bit annoyed. Unbelievable, he thought. She just ruined a perfect moment.

"Morning breath…" she chuckled nervously. "I don't want you to kiss me if my breath stinks." She put on a smile, a fake one to be exact.

"I don't care. I'm sure your breath doesn't stink anyway," Athrun said, knowing Cagalli was just shy.

"Whatever… I'll kiss you after I get dressed, okay?" Without another word, she rushed into the bathroom and locked the door. Inside, she leaned her back on the door and sighed in frustration. She had done it again. She just wasted another opportunity to kiss Athrun and it was because of Rusty. She had thought about him again when she saw Athrun's face coming closer. It wasn't right anymore.

She held her temple and faced the mirror. She looked at her reflection and cursed herself. She needed to find a way to forget about Rusty. She could never tell Athrun about him. She didn't want to hurt her fiancé. She didn't want to tell Kira either, since the brunette already got his hands full with two girls. She turned the faucet and splashed her face with water. She was so confused. She didn't know what to do.

Maybe I need to see Rusty once more. But can she face him without punching him on the face? She kinda doubted it. She was fully aware of her violent nature. She wasn't afraid to speak out her mind or throw tantrums at anyone. If she wanted to meet with him, she had to bring someone along with her and she knew exactly who.

To be continued…

JC: No kissing again. I'm so sorry Athrun-san! I didn't mean to. Cagalli is just having troubles. I'm planning something drastic for the next chapter. I don't know why, but I just want to. I also love writing about Kira's love dilemma. It's clear that he's falling for Lacus. But Fllay is still there. Okay, that's it for now. Please review and no flaming. I'll update real soon.