JC: The misunderstanding has been cleared up. Athrun needs to find a way to apologize to Cagalli for his actions. Meanwhile, Stellar and Shinn are heating up. Lacus is still hurt from the kiss between Kira and Lacus.

Disclaimer: I can never own this series. Don't even bother suing me. Bleh!

Entwined Hearts

Phase 13: A Confession and an Apology

Miriallia had just settled into the couch in the living room of the Athha Mansion. Seated right next to her was the Head Representative of ORB who was in deep thought. Miriallia looked worriedly at Kira, thinking that his problem might be bigger than she thought. She placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm ready to listen," she simply said.

Kira turned to his honey-brown haired friend. He had two problems in his head. One problem was about his kiss with Fllay Alster and the other one was about Cagalli. After listening to Cagalli's explanation a while ago, he felt disappointed in Athrun. It was because Athrun didn't trust Cagalli, which led him to misunderstand the whole situation. He wasn't mad at Athrun, but he did want to tell Athrun not to jumpt to conclusions next time. And then there was the kiss. His heart and mind were actually having a silent war inside his body. He didn't know if he was in love or what.

He voiced out his feelings and thoughts to Miriallia as she listened quietly. Kira would always seek Miriallia's help when it comes to problems he couldn't handle. Unlike him, who was sometimes unsure of himself, Miriallia was a lot more independent and mature. It was great to have a friend like her.

"Basically, you're just confused," Miriallia said after hearing him out. "Tell me something… What do you think of Fllay Alster?"

"Although she can be stubborn and stern, she's really a nice person," Kira replied, blushing. "I think she's great."

"I see…" Miriallia started poking his chest playfully. "Are you falling for her, Kira?" she asked, looking mischievously at him.

Was he really falling for Fllay? "I don't know," he replied, lowering his head. He wasn't sure about his feelings. He had never been in love with any girl before. He was so ignorant about such things. "How could you tell if you're in love?"

Miriallia thought about it for like ten seconds. "It depends on the person," she said, tapping her finger on her chin. "Love isn't an easy thing."

"I guess so…" He leaned back and sighed.

"Kira, how about Lacus Clyne?"

How could he forget the beautiful Lacus Clyne? Of course, Kira thought of her as a great girl too, but she was different from Fllay. While Fllay was snobby, Lacus was a gentle soul. Kira definitely liked Lacus, but only as a friend. At least, that was what he thought. "Lacus… I don't know…"

"Kira, don't get your emotions mix up just because of a kiss," Miriallia strictly said. She doesn't want her best friend to get hurt later. She needed to make sure that Kira would understand the concepts of being in love. It was for Kira's own good.

"But when I kissed Fllay-san," he said as he touched his lips, "it felt so good." He remembered the kiss clearly in his head.

"It was your first kiss after all."

"I know…" Kira turned to face her with a smile. "But I really liked it." He was pretty serious when he said that.

"Don't tell me you fell in love with her because of that kiss?" Miriallia sounded a bit annoyed.

Kira gave her a significant look. "Hmm… No… I think…" He mentally slapped himself for being unsure about everything.

"Please give me a straight answer," Miriallia muttered as she stood from her seat. She placed her hands on her waist and shot Kira one mean stare. "Your future is going to be messed up if you keep this up."

"I'm sorry. It's just that I really don't know."

Mirialla understood how Kira felt and she was ready to support him. After all, she was his friend, his closest friend. Her face softened as she lifted Kira's chin. "Give yourself enough time to think over your feelings," she said in a soft voice. She was acting like a mother giving a good advice to her child. "Don't force yourself into things you don't understand. Love is very complicated."

It was amazing how Miriallia always managed to say the right things to him. Kira nodded his head and flashed a smile. "Thanks…"

"Now then," she said, cupping her chin with her hand. "What's the problem with Cagalli?" She felt alarmed when Kira told her that Athrun and Cagalli were not in good terms anymore. She wondered what was wrong, since Athrun and Cagalli never fought before.

"It's all a big misunderstanding." Kira started explaining to Miriallia about Rusty, Cagalli, and Athrun.

ORB Military HQ

Jean Zala had not been able to find Cagalli during lunch. So she spent the hour dropping in on her friends in the military. She went to one after another, casually greeting them and asking them about Cagalli. One after another, her friends told her that they haven't seen the princess. She planned on asking the head representative himself, but Kai informed her that Kira was not yet in his office.

"I've been thinking about Cagalli-sama," she said. "She's not the type of girl who would betray anyone."

Kai snorted and crossed his arms. "The princess will never do that!" he said defensively. As an admirer of Cagalli Yula Athha, Kai thought of her as the perfect girl. His feelings for her were merely admiration now and not love.

Jean's eyes twinkled. "Of course!" she exclaimed, clasping her hands together. "You're right! I should never doubt her."

"So, Jean, who is this so-called boyfriend of the princess?" asked Kai, with a hint of jealousy. He can't picture Cagalli going out with another guy. It was just unbelievable.

"Nii-san didn't tell me his name," Jean answered, leaning against the wall. She stared up at the ceiling and sighed. "You know what? It was my first time to see Nii-san so mad."

Truth to be known, Kai had never seen Athrun getting angry over something before. Even when he and Athrun were still training in the Military Academy, Athrun always had a calm and serene attitude towards others. Athrun was practically the number one cadet in their batch and probably the hottest guy around. Kai had always considered him as a rival in everything. His rivalry with him had ended when Athrun had captured Cagalli's heart. It was painful for Kai, since he had to give up his love for the feisty princess. He had admired her for so long. But he was happy for Cagalli.

"Don't worry, Jean," Kai assured, curving his lips into a smile. He winked an eye and showed her a thumb up. "Zala is not stupid. I'm sure he'll get this problem cleared up soon." And Kai knew that Athrun's love for Cagalli is genuine. Kai was sure that Athrun will never let go of Cagalli no matter what.

Jean sighed. "I guess you're right," she said. She looked up at him and smiled weakly. Even with Kai's assurance, she was still worried for her brother and Cagalli.

Kai raised a brow and scratched the back of his head. From the way Jean looked, he could say that she was still in doubt. There was one way to cheer her up, he thought, and that was to irritate her. He moved closer to her, pulled her by the arm, and slapped her back. "You're being out of character here. Smile a bit!" he said, chuckling hard.

At that moment, Jean shot him a death glare. "Kazuya, who gave you permission to touch me?!" she uttered, balling her hands into fists.

"Now that's the Jean I know," Kai pointed out, still chuckling. "Man, I just love your grumpy face!"

Okay, Jean was convinced that her friend, the annoying Kai Kazuya was a deranged idiot. If it was possible, she could have sent Kai flying off to another planet. But then again, she wasn't that powerful. So, without further ado, she kicked Kai's knee and smacked his head with her hard fist.

Kai flinched and hopped around in pain. He swore that Jean was as strong as an ox. He would love to tease her about her manly strength, but he knew it would cause her to go on a rampage. Kai still valued his life, after all. It was hard to believe that Athrun and Jean were actually related. Aside from the same color of eyes, Athrun and Jean were really different.

"Can't you take a joke, Jean?" Kai said sarcastically after regaining composure. "You sure are violent."

"Sorry for being violent!" Jean retorted, eyebrows twitching in irritation. She was going to hit Kai again, but Kai anticipated her move and grabbed her fist. Jean instantly narrowed her gaze at Kai, sending chills down to his spine. Her emerald-green orbs were so sharp. "Let go of me or else." She threatened him in a dangerous tone.

Kai swallowed hard. "Umm… Okay…" He just wanted to cheer her up, but his actions made her angry. Since she was being scary, Kai immediately released her hand from his grasp. "You look like a monster," he said absentmindedly. It took him a few seconds before he realized what he had said to her.

"A monster, huh?" She pulled him by the ear as she planted a fist on her hip. "Do I look like a monster to you, idiot?" Her voice was getting gruesome and eerie.

"Sorry! Sorry! Ouch!" Kai struggled to break free, but Jean was strong. His poor little ear felt like it was going to rip apart from his body. "Jean, let go! Sorry already!"

"Call me that again and I'll give you more than a fat lip!" She shouted at his ear, rendering him almost deaf, but she didn't care. She pushed him away, spun on her heels, and walked away. She was certainly pissed off at Kai. Besides, she still has to find Cagalli.

Kai rubbed his poor ear and shrugged. "So uncute," he mumbled. But then again, he thought of Jean as a cute girl. Okay, maybe not as cute as Cagalli, but still cute. He didn't know why, but he loved teasing her. They've started becoming close after Athrun got together with Cagalli. He felt rather weird around Jean sometimes.

Beach

Cagalli moved like a sleepwalker the next morning. She went to the beach and tried to rest, but she kept thinking about Athrun. Jean came over yesterday and talked to her, saying that Athrun was really in a bad mood. Cagalli felt guiltier than before.

Cagalli sat down on a rock, facing the deep blue sea. The breeze was refreshing and the sun was not too hot. It was a perfect day. She tried to seem cheerful and confident, but sadness still overwhelmed her. She wanted Athrun back. She had missed him very much.

Thinking and sitting there would lead her nowhere. If she wanted Athrun back, she needed to make her move. She was sure that Athrun would probably be at HQ. She jumped off the rock and dusted her pants. When she spun around, she gasped at the sight of her fiancé. "A-Athrun?" she muttered, taking a step backward. She didn't expect him to be here. Knowing Athrun, he would never skip work.

The blue-haired coordinator smiled. "How are you, Cagalli?" he asked.

Strange, she thought, as she stared at him keenly. It seemed to her that Athrun wasn't upset with her anymore. She wondered why. "Athrun, I'm really sorry for not telling you about Rusty," she said solemnly, averting her eyes away from his luscious emerald-green orbs.

"I should be the one saying sorry," he said, leaning over to kiss her.

Cagalli's eyes grew wide. She took two steps backward and held her cheek. She looked at him, noticing the bright smile on his face and a little shade of red on his cheeks.

"I'm sorry for being stupid, Cagalli." He moved his fingers through his hair. "I guess I was jealous of Rusty."

Cagalli wanted to melt with relief. "You've finally realized that it was all a misunderstanding."

He grinned and nodded. He acted so immature for thinking that Cagalli would ever love another guy. He should have trusted Cagalli more. "I met up with Rusty Mackenzie yesterday. He told me everything."

"I hope you didn't hurt him," Cagalli said, raising an elegant eyebrow.

Athrun blinked hard, not sure if he should tell Cagalli what happened between him and Rusty. For being so calm and cool all the time, he sure lost his temper over Rusty. Jealousy was really an ugly thing, he said to himself. "I-I punched him…"

"Hmmm… Did you hit him hard?" Cagalli poked his forehead, forcing him to look at her straightly. "I actually punched him too. It felt really good to do that." She cracked her knuckles and gritted her teeth, as she remembered her kiss with Rusty.

"You're really violent," Athrun blurted out.

"What can I say?" Cagalli folded her arms in front of her chest. "That's my character. Why? Got a problem with it?" She narrowed her amber eyes at the coordinator, giving him the case of the shivers.

Athrun chuckled nervously. "Nope!" He was glad that he and Cagalli were talking normally now. He thought that his apology would be hard, but it turned out way better than he expected. He grasped her hand and squeezed it tightly. His grip was strong and made her tingle. "I'm glad you're still mine."

Her cheeks flushed furiously. "Don't get mushy on me!" she exclaimed, turning her head away. "Remember this, Athrun, you're the only guy for me. You got that?!" Her whole face was turning redder every second.

"Yeah, I'll remember that," Athrun simply said as he snaked his arms around Cagalli's petite waist. "I love you, Cagalli." His voice was so warm and gentle, as if it was food for her soul. He released his grip around her and turned her around. When his eyes met her amber orbs, he brushed through her golden locks, visibly admiring her features. Athrun felt so good to be with her again.

Cagalli's eyes grew soft by his touch. It was relaxing and soothing for her part. Athrun always had ways to comfort her, since he was kind and a gentleman. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his head closer to her face. "I love you too…" she muttered with importance.

Athrun lifted her chin and caressed her cheeks. He leaned forward and kissed her tenderly on the lips. Oh, how he longed to kiss her again? It was pure bliss. Her lips were soft, tempting, and oh-so-good. Athrun deepened the kiss more when Cagalli started responding. Both of them closed their eyes in pleasure as they enjoyed their moment together.

Downtown

Shinn hadn't really planned out his whole date with Stellar, but he was lucky that Stellar knew exactly where to go at the right time. Shinn struggled to engage in a proper conversation with Stellar, since he was a little nervous around her most of the time. He wasn't much a talker and he couldn't think of any interesting topics to share with her. His knowledge mostly consisted of Mobile Suits, the military, fighting, and wars, since he was an elite soldier.

Hours had flown by, but at the mention of lunch, Shinn realized that he had worked up an appetite. Stellar took him to her favorite fast food restaurant, placed their order at the counter, paid for the food, and went to one of the tables there. He sipped his soda with the straw and munched on his hamburger, while Stellar started eating French Fries.

"Let's go the arcade after this," Stellar suggested, smiling like an angel. She was oblivious to the fact that every smile she presented made Shinn blushed madly. Her cute face was simply adorable to the red-eyed coordinator.

He swallowed his food and nodded. "Stellar, are you fond of games?" he asked.

"I love them!"

Shinn really admired the cheery blonde and her childish attitude. From all the girls he met, Stellar was the most unique one for him. There will never be a boring moment with Stellar around. Shinn took one of the fries and stuffed it into his mouth. "You're from the Earth Alliance, right?"

"Yes," Stellar replied and took a bite out of her burger. "Why?"

"If that's the case, then why do you seem to hang around ORB all the time?"

"It's because of work." She placed her burger down and leaned her cheek against her hand. "And you don't have to know it." She winked an eye and giggled.

"I see…"

"Besides, my relative and my friends are here," Stellar added, motioning her index fingers around. "And I love ORB very much. It's really a great nation."

Shinn nodded in agreement. He shouldn't question her any further, because it would a bother for Stellar's part. So, without a fuss, he quietly ate his lunch with her. After lunch, they went to the arcade center to have some fun.

Shinn and Stellar spend the rest of the afternoon playing at the arcade and shopping at the mall. By the time they got to Shinn's hotel room, they were worn out from carrying the heavy loads of shopping bags filled with new clothes, shoes, and accessories. It had been a hard and fun afternoon for the both of them. They had talked, laughed, and fooled around like children, but they didn't care.

Stellar was lying on Shinn's bed with her eyes closed when Shinn came into the bedroom with a tray of cookies and two cans of soda.

"You want some?" Shinn said. He looked at Stellar sympathetically. "You look worn out, Stellar."

The young blonde opened one eye. "No, I'm just sleepy," she said. "I really enjoyed our date, Shinn."

Shinn smiled. "Me too," he said happily.

Stellar propped herself up on her elbows and thought for a minute. "Hmmm… What should we do tomorrow then?" she asked.

He set down the tray on the bedside table and sat down on the bed. "I don't know," he said as he turned to Stellar.

At that moment, Stellar's cellphone rang. Stellar pulled out her vibrating phone from her pocket and answered it. "Hello?"

Eagerly, Shinn cocked his head, wondering who called her.

It was. "Hi, Jean," Shinn heard Stellar say. He took cookie from the tray, without even looking, and stuffed it into his mouth. He didn't exactly know who Jean was, but he could see that she was a friend of Stellar.

"Eh? Work again?" Stellar pouted in a very cute manner.

Shinn wanted to laugh at her face. Her pouted face was really cute. It made him want to pinch her puffed cheeks. Now that he thought about it, everything about Stellar was cute.

"All right…" Stellar sighed in frustration. "I'll see you tomorrow morning." She hung up and slipped her cellphone back into her pocket.

"What was that about?" Shinn asked, restraining himself from laughing.

Stellar hopped off the bed, her shoulders slumped, feeling lazy. After what Jean told her, she doubted she would ever spend some time with Shinn again. Apparently, her superior officer, Fllay Alster, was ordered to return to the Earth Alliance HQ for an important meeting, and Stellar was assigned to escort her safely back. She told Shinn about it, much to her great disappointment, and she apologized for it.

But Shinn didn't mind it, although it was such a shame. He knew how hard it was to work for the military. It was always busy. You don't get to rest much, especially if you're an elite soldier. "When will you be back?" he asked.

"After one week," Stellar answered, with a gloomy aura surrounding her. She didn't want to leave Shinn. She wanted to be with him for the rest of his vacation days.

Shinn let out a deep sigh. "It can't be helped." He snorted, thinking that the military called in at such a good time for the both of them. Since he won't see Stellar for a week, he felt the need to tell her his feelings. It was now or never. He grabbed her hand as he stood from the bed and pulled her into his a warm embrace. "I'll surely miss you, Stellar," he whispered into her ear.

Stellar's magenta eyes widened. "Wha-Shinn…" Her cheeks turned red in an instant. It took her a few seconds to calm her pounding her heart before she returned his hug. She wrapped her arms around him securely and leaned her head at the crook of his neck. Somehow, she felt really warm and safe in his arms. "Shinn…"

He surveyed her serene expression. Clearly she was being sincere and soft with him. He was right—right for choosing her as the girl to love. He didn't know if he deserved enough to be with her, but he knew he had to let his feelings out. He loved the girl in his arms and he felt happy whenever he was with her. With his heart racing, he caressed the blonde's cheek as he admired her magenta eyes. Her eyes were so innocent and captivating. His sights shifted to her lips—lips so tempting. He leaned forward and brushed his lips across hers.

Stellar was surprised. It was her first time to be kissed by someone. But she was happy at the same time; since her first kiss was with the man she adored and actually loved. She didn't expect Shinn to have the same kind of feelings she had. She felt like crying tears of joy, but she was strong enough to hold her tears.

When Shinn broke the kiss, he groped for words, and Stellar spoke before he could say a word. "I love you!"

Shinn blushed madly at what she said. "I-I…I…" He was stuttering, feeling nervous. He shook his head to loosen up and breathed in deeply. He looked at Stellar compassionately and smiled. "I love you too, Stellar."

Stellar giggled. "Shinn, you look so cute when you blush."

"Hey, don't ever call a guy cute!" he exclaimed, feeling a bit embarrassed. His face was as red as a lobster.

"Sorry," she replied, chuckling.

Shinn pulled a flower from the vase settled on top of the bedside table, threaded it into her soft golden locks, and kissed her again.

To be continued…

JC: Shinn and Stellar are finally together! I love this couple too. They're just so cute. And I really enjoyed writing the AsuCaga part. They've reconciled and they shared a romantic moment together. How sweet! All that's left now is Kira and his two fiancées. Oh wait, there's also Dearka nd Miriallia! I have to get busy. I'll update soon. Don't worry! Please leave a review. No flaming, understand?