Hello, here's Mayu! First of all, I'd like to apologize for messing up with the rating when I posted up this story. I was meant to rated it M because of the adult theme but then I found out on the main page the filter is set to rating K+ until T by the default so most people wouldn't probably notice this story. Therefore I changed it to T. I don't know if the adult theme is strong enough to be rated M anyway so…give me your opinions on it That aside, thanks for all the reviews they really encourage me A LOT so here's the second chapter!
Chapter 2 - "Stay."
"Ath – whoa!" Dearka evades just in time before the door he is standing in front of opens suddenly. "Athrun?"
The blue-haired man raises an eyebrow at Dearka's surprised tone. "What are you so surprised about? This is my office – who else do you expect to see?"
Dearka looks at his friend from top to toe. Athrun is clad in his usual tucked shirt and tie, though his blazers is already off, draped casually on his arm while his hands are both occupied with his briefcase in one and his cell phone in another. Dearka's pale violet eyes dart towards the nearest clock on the wall; it is only five minutes past 5 in the evening. Of course the office hours have ended already for most people – the other employees have started to leave already and Dearka himself is only there to bug Athrun before going home. But Athrun, good ol' Athrun has never left the office as early as 5 o'clock, especially on a Wednesday like this – his office hours during weekdays, decided by himself, end at 8 o'clock at night.
Yzak appears just in time and is as surprised as Dearka though he is more subtle in expressing it.
"Leaving already?" he asks, eyeing the briefcase and the blazers.
Athrun nods. "I'm meeting Cagalli for a bit. You know, about that party the Amalfis are holding this weekend. Seems like our parents want to make our engagement official by announcing it at the party."
Yzak smirks at the first statement. "So I take it you two are cool now?"
A faint blush taints Athrun's face as he smiles. "Yeah, Dearka is right, after all – thanks for the tips, man. Look, I have to go now; catch you guys later."
He taps Dearka's shoulder lightly as he walks pass them. Several employees greet him goodbye in his way towards the elevator and he returns their greetings good-naturedly. It has been a while since he leaves the office the same time as them, anyway. By the time he is gone, Dearka snaps from his momentary daze. He looks at Yzak, bewildered.
"What tips did I give him again?" he asks the silver-haired man.
Yzak thinks for a while as he does not really go around thinking about whatever nonsense Dearka has sprouted. To think that Dearka's idea actually helps Athrun settled the issue with his fiancée, but wait, the idea was – "You told him to just fuck her, right?"
Dearka looks taken aback, not at the fact that he actually suggested something like that, but more to the fact that Athrun actually takes that advice; the Athrun Zala who prefer one night stands with random women that he will never see again for the second time actually sleeps with his esteemed fiancée.
"That guy sure got some explaining to do…"
Athrun reaches the destination of the appointment after ten minutes drive. Cagalli has agreed to meet at a café near her college since her timetable is packed until evening for the day. She is, after all, a final year student so leisure time has not come easy. She has not seen Athrun since he sent her home on last Saturday. They promised to keep in touch but since both of them have their own priorities, it is only today that she receives a call from Athrun, asking if they could meet as there is something important to discuss.
"Hey, sorry to keep you waiting," Cagalli looks up at the voice and finds her fiancé smiling at her. She returns the smile.
"Hey, it's okay, I didn't really notice the time," she says, jabbing at her smartphone to see the clock. She has been at the café since her last class ended at 4 and has finished her second ice blended drinks. The weather sure is hot today.
Athrun looks at the books and lecture notes scattered on the table, and also the one in Cagalli's hand which she has been engrossed in just now. Cagalli notices his look and starts to gather her things around, muttering a quick 'sorry'.
"Studying?" the older man asks, half-amused since the girl does not strike him as someone studious; not after what he has seen last Friday, though Cagalli assured him it was just an act of rebelling on her side and if he would please, please not to mention anything about that to his father.
Cagalli shakes her head warily as she puts the last of the notes into a file. "Just revising for a bit – we got quiz tomorrow."
A waitress approaches the table to take their order. Athrun asks for his usual espresso while Cagalli orders yet another mocha ice blended. As the waitress leaves with Cagalli's empty plastic cups, the blonde turns her attention to Athrun.
"So what's up? I mean, what is so important that it cannot be discussed over the phone?" she asks directly.
Athrun does a mock frown, his smile teasing. "That's so cold of you – maybe I just want to see my fiancée, you know. Do you dislike seeing me that much?"
"It's not that," Cagalli responds, perplexed. "It's just that you said on the phone it is something important so…"
"I'm kidding, Cagalli," says Athrun as he chuckles. He is not really a teasing person but for some reasons he finds Cagalli so amusing to tease, wondering what faces she would make and how she would respond; if she would react as gracious as the daughter of Uzumi Nara Attha or as wild as the Cagalli he has just known last week. "I don't know why exactly but our parents want me to tell you about this one party organized by the house of Amalfi this weekend – and they plan to announce our engagement officially during the party."
Cagalli groans at the first mention of a party. She is not that fond of parties, especially those held by distinguished families such as the Amalfis. More often than not she finds excuses to not attend these parties but if what Athrun was saying is true then there is no way she could escape from this one.
"When is the party?" she asks unwillingly, reaching for her planner to jot it down.
"Saturday night," Athrun replies. "It's a cocktail party, by the way."
"So I should wear cocktail dress, huh…"sighs Cagalli as she shuts the planner. She perks up suddenly after a moment and grabs her phone. Looking at Athrun, she asks hastily, "Do you mind? I need to make a call."
Athrun shakes his head and watched amusedly at her somewhat panicked expression as she makes the call.
"Hello, Myrna-san? … Yes, I heard about the party this weekend, so… no, no, it's okay… no, I'll, eh, no, I already have a dress to wear… it's decent, I swear, I'll show you a picture tonight…alright, I promise…yes, see you later, Myrna and send Father my love," she ends the conversation with a relieved sigh.
"Sorry about that," Cagalli says, looking apologetically at Athrun.
Athrun shakes his head again as he doesn't mind the slightest. Actually he is delighted to see yet another side of Cagalli; there is an air of familiarity when she speaks with the person on the phone. "What's that all about, if you don't mind me asking?"
Cagalli scrunched up her face before taking a sip from her drink that has arrived some time during her phone call. "It's my caretaker. Dressing me up has always been her utmost pleasure and she tends to put me into these kinds of frilly big dresses I hate so much so I have to stop her before she goes ordering one. You said it's a cocktail party, anyway so I suppose I can find myself a dress easy enough."
"I see," says Athrun as he takes a taste of his espresso. So she hates big, frilly dresses…
"Say, Athrun," says Cagalli suddenly. "Are you free after this?"
Athrun almost splutters his drink but his graceful manner manages to cover it with a cough. Is Cagalli asking him for a date – on a weekday evening? Surely he does not have anything particular to do except for reviewing some boring documents, but… "I suppose so, why?"
The girl looks sheepish for a moment and hesitates as if thinking if she is doing the right thing. In the end she decides to go on anyway. "I wonder if you'd like to accompany me finding a dress? I don't really have time to do it later and maybe, maybe we can find something matching for you, as well…"
"Well…"
"It's okay if you don't want to, though," Cagalli cuts him off hastily. "I just thought I'd ask, I understand you are busy…"
Athrun let out a gentle chuckle. He shakes his head slowly. "At least give me time to answer, will you?"
"Okay," replies the blonde timidly as if chastised. She looks at Athrun, expecting.
"Well, I'd like to join you," there comes Athrun's answer. "If you have somewhere in mind to go, then we'll take my car?"
Cagalli nods in response. She usually commutes from her apartment to college using the subway, finding it a hassle to find a parking space so she could do with a lift from Athrun now since the place she has in mind is not quite in a walking distance. As Athrun excuses himself to pay for the drinks, Cagalli's eyes follow his walking figure and she notices how the female customers turn his way when he passes their tables; followed by excited whispers. It is not surprising at all; good-looking is an understatement to describe that fiancé of hers. She smirks to herself.
Oh stop it with those gushing – he has a fiancée already!
"You ready to go?" Athrun is already back to their table; the volume of the whisperings increases considerably. Cagalli smiles at him as she nods and gets up, her things all packed in the sling back she casually flings on her shoulder. As they leave the café, she reaches for Athrun's hand, taking it in hers, much to his surprise. He does not say anything however, but returns the grip gently while hiding the smile that is threatening to widen. It does not go unnoticed by Cagalli, though and she grins meaningfully.
Time to get know Athrun.
"Seriously!" Cagalli exclaims exasperatedly as the door jingles behind them. She crosses her arms rather crossly and throws the man next to her a dirty look. "I'm surprised you actually let me buy one in the end!"
Athrun laughs lightly. He knows Cagalli is fuming about that since they are still in the shop but she did not say anything then. She kept her complaint to herself as she chose one dress after another, assisted the owner of the boutique, Stellar Loussier, who she introduced as one of her close friends. Young Stellar, only 19, was surprised when Cagalli introduced Athrun as her fiancé but remained polite all the same. She immediately flew around with suggestions when Cagalli told them they needed a ready-made cocktail dress. She gathered around ten dresses for Cagalli to choose and in all honesty, Cagalli could really pick any of them and be done with. But when she modelled her first pick to Athrun, she was immediately sent to pick another when the man deemed the dress 'too short'. At first Cagalli obliged rather compliantly, but by the fourth dresses, she understood that Athrun's 'too short' applies to anything above the knee. After another two dresses were declined as being too indecent (probably because they show more cleavage than what Athrun would like to), Cagalli finally found one that had Athrun nodding without any word. She decided on the lime green off-shoulder A-line dress that reaches just about her knees almost immediately as she could not bear to see anymore dress. Stellar matched the dress with a cream satin scarf for a wrap and sent them to be packed at once.
And the matter of Athrun's clothes was decided in the matter of five minutes. He chose a shirt with same colour but darker shade, saying that he already had the informal tux to wear it with. Cagalli could not say anything because the short does match her dress, and brings the colour of his eyes quite nicely - and at least it is not something he can tuck in like his working shirts.
"…might as well marry a nun…" Athrun hears she says among her grumbles. He put an arm around her shoulder to keep her closer to him as the street becomes more crowded with bustling people. It is already past 7 when they get into his car.
"Are you done complaining on me?" he asks as he turns on the engine. A glance at Cagalli's face shows that she is still upset about it and Athrun smiles. "I'm sorry, alright. May I take you to dinner to make up for it?"
Cagalli purses her lips but her stomach grumbles quietly in respond at the mention of dinner. She considers the offer for a while. "Alright, but nowhere fancy please – I'm not dressed for it."
Athrun studies Cagalli's slim fit jeans, black tank top and tweed jacket before nodding. "Sure, I got the place."
It is half past 9 when Athrun sends Cagalli home. She lives in an apartment near her college; the expenses solely on her father. Even though she originally wanted to live at somewhere less exclusive, her father insisted in choosing the most secure and expensive there is – much to her disgruntlement.
"It's nowhere as nice as yours, though," Cagalli humbly warns Athrun as she leads him to see her unit.
Athrun smirks at her rather cockily. "Of course, I'm the one with my own money, after all."
Cagalli scowls at him and earns herself a laugh from the man as she slid the card key to her door. "Come in, oh, please take off your shoes," she says as she gropes the wall to switch the lights on. While taking off his shoes, Athrun notices there are two home slippers ready at the hallway. He must have looked at them weird since Cagalli immediately notices his gaze.
"One is for guests – I usually bring my friends here; especially my best friend Milly," she explains without needing to be asked.
Athrun nods in acknowledgement. As he enters the spacious living room, he takes a look around to see how Cagalli makes her home. It seems like Cagalli spends a lot of time at the living rooms since there are just everything on sight; pillows and comforter on the three-seat sofa, stacks of books and magazines on and under the table, bathrobe and towels (much to Athrun's wonder) lied casually on the head of a single sofa, boxes of empty parcels at the corner. It is such an opposite of the minimalist concept of his home but he doesn't dislike it – it is so like Cagalli, in fact.
"Athrun? Here's my room," Cagalli calls from a room on his left. He approaches her with the bag of clothes he is holding.
Cagalli's room is much more organized – a queen-size bed, a walk-in wardrobe, a make-up table and a study table. He hands her the bag and watches her hangs the dress and the scarf in the wardrobe. His eyes wander to the clock on the wall and notice the time.
"I should be leaving now, Cagalli," he tells her.
Cagalli turns around. "You're leaving?" There is an unmistakably surprise in her voice and she blushes; her face clearly shows that she has just blurted something she is not supposed to.
It is a simple, innocent question yet the way Cagalli says it reveal so many things to Athrun – the reason why she insisted him to 'take a look at her apartment since she has seen his' and also the reason she shows him her bedroom on the first place. He takes a deep breath.
"Yes, it's getting late already. Would you show me the way out?" It is a request completely out of courtesy since Athrun actually could make his way out without any problem. Cagalli has no choice but to lead him out from the room and to the entrance. She watches Athrun puts on his shoes in silence; her face void of any expression.
"Thank you for inviting me to go shopping with you and for accompanying me for dinner, Cagalli," she hears he says kindly.
It still sounds like a rejection to her, though.
"Cagalli?" Athrun calls when the blonde does not respond. He looks at the expressionless face and sees hurt in her beautiful amber eyes. Sighing, he sweeps down and kisses her goodbye on the cheek, though her neck looks much more inviting now that she is her tank top, having discarded her jacket earlier without him noticing.
"Are we five or what?" Comes Cagalli's cold voice.
Athrun sighs again, torn – it's not as if he doesn't know what Cagalli wants, no matter how subtle she is. They stare at each other; Cagalli's eyes judging, Athrun's eyes pleading. In the end, Athrun gives in and sweeps down again, this time placing a chaste kiss on Cagalli's lips.
"That's it, Cagalli – any more then I'll not be able to leave; and I really need to leave," he whispers softly before straightening up.
Cagalli sighs in resign, still not forgiving but willing to put the lid on the matter since there is nothing else she can do. "I'll see you on Saturday, then."
"I pick you up?" Athrun asks, hopeful but Cagalli shakes her head.
"I'll go with my father," she says.
Athrun nods understandingly. "Okay, then. Thank you again for today, Cagalli – "
"Stay."
"Pardon me?" Athrun says automatically, though he clearly heard her. So she decides to stop being subtle now…
"Stay for the night," Cagalli repeats, looking down but her right hand is gripping Athrun's sleeve. She is throwing away all her pride now but she doesn't care.
Athrun sighs yet again, this time exasperated. But his choice was made and he pries away Cagalli's slightly trembling hand from his sleeves without any hesitation.
"I have to leave. Goodnight, Cagalli," he says, giving Cagalli's hair a stroke before walking away, never turning back.
She is only getting to know him.
When Cagalli was introduced to Athrun Zala for the first time, she saw a young, aspiring businessman; eager to please and chooses his word so carefully to get him into the best situation. It charmed her father alright but she was not impressed. But at least he seemed intelligent and did not look like he is going to treat her badly in any way so she said yes to the engagement like she had planned to even before she knew the candidate. She knew she made everyone happy with her decision; their fathers who desperately wanted to merge the companies for double profits and less rivals, his mother who eagerly wanted him to settle down in marriage anytime soon. She supposed she made him happy as well – the way his smile turned victorious in confidence as if he had just secured a three billions dollar contract.
Their parents agreed to give them time to know each other before officially announcing the engagement to everyone who matter. Cagalli had been glad; she had expected things to develop into the whole two-families-gathering-for-dinner-every-weekend but since his father, her father and even Athrun are busy managing the companies, the couple were left alone with each other's phone numbers. Of course Cagalli did nothing of the number except for saving it into her phone as Athrun Zala – she may not as busy as the businessmen in her life, but she has her own matters to handle as a final year student as well. She actually was able to put the matter behind her mind on the second week of the first meeting.
It took a month for her to find her phone ringing and the name Athrun Zala was shown on the screen. She remembered feeling amused, thinking that he cared after all. But she still wanted to see how he actually is, away from the prying eyes of the parents, so she put on her perfect daughter of a leading businessman get-up. Much to her surprise, Athrun appeared just as he was with the parents – formal business shirt on a Saturday evening, smiles that say 'I can manage this; this is in my control' and carefully organized words. Cagalli didn't know what she was expecting but she was clearly stumped – it seemed only natural to call him Athrun-san when he behaved like that, plus their big age gap. Completely turned off, she saved herself from being verbally rude by watching the crowd outside as Athrun droned on something about leases and contracts.
By the time the agonizingly boring meeting ended, Cagalli found herself fuming with regrets. Just what was she thinking when she said yes to the engagement? Now she is going to spend the rest of her life with a boring 7-year-older man who talks nothing but business; as if she is not already heard enough of it in her 21 years of living – how did she even come to think she can handle this? She then childishly set to her rebellion; ignoring everything about the engagement either from her parent, his parents or Athrun himself. That was until she accidentally bumped into Athrun at the night in the club.
She saw an entirely different side of Athrun Zala that night. There was no more Athrun Zala the businessman but there was Athrun Zala whose fiancée was about spend the night with someone random. Cagalli refuses to remember more about the night because it always leaves her body all tingling when she thinks about it. But she remembers promising to try to get know him.
And that was what she was thinking of doing when she asked Athrun out today.
Spending the evening with him indeed has shown Cagalli a lot more of his personality. He is polite in nature, and capable in teasing to save his life, loves black coffee, get embarrassed by simple public display of affection such as holding hands, extremely picky in choosing what she should wear and handles everything, even her aggravating whining, calmly – and he had not talked about business ever. But they still do not have many things to talk about with each other so dinner was a bit subdued and she spent most of it staring at him not so obviously.
Which is actually a very bad idea since looking at his hands reminded her of his cold touch all over her body, looking at his lips reminded her how he had placed them in her every skin and looking at her eyes reminded her how she had spent the time with eyes closed because she could not bear of the intensity of his during the process – and she kicked herself on the shin on the way ride home to stop her mind from replaying the scene of the night when she chanted his name like a mantra; calling him without any suffix for the first time. But the want in her did not go away and by the time they reached her house, she found herself desperate for him, hoping that he felt the same.
It just doesn't seem that way, Cagalli bitterly thinks as she turns to her right in the bed. That was an outright rejection, Cagalli Yula Attha.
Her movement seems to wake the man beside him. His eyes flutters open as he tries to look at the blonde.
"Cagalli?" he murmured sleepily. "Why aren't you sleeping?"
Cagalli smiles at him. "Sorry I woke you up. I'm going to sleep now."
The man grunts in response as he pulled Cagalli bare body towards his own, placing her head right at the nape of her shoulder while he puts his arm protectively around her. "Goodnight, Cagalli."
"Goodnight."
"Won't you just stay? It's like, 2 in the morning."
Athrun turns to the bed where the voice comes from and notices the woman is already wide awake, staring at him with her big blue eyes as he puts on his shirt.
"Sorry," he finds himself saying due to lack of any other word to say in the situation despite not knowing what is there to apologize for. "You can stay until 12 in the afternoon, though."
The woman does not say anything more as she watches Athrun running his fingers through his messy dark blue hair in front of the mirror; the fingers that have reached somewhere she did not know exist in her and done her wonders just a little while ago. She knows he would not stay; she knows fully well the type of man Athrun is but she just feels like trying. There is no harm done in trying anyway since they both know their places – Athrun is the one who called, she is the one who came.
Athrun picks up his tie on the floor and stuffs it into his pocket before looking around for anything else he might leave behind. Confirming that there is none, except for the woman on bed and her own clothes scattered around the room, he reaches for his phone and car key on the bedside table and walks his way to the door.
"You can reach me through Dearka again, if you'd like to," the woman calls out suddenly.
"It's unlikely but thanks anyway," says Athrun as he walks out.
Asagi smiles to herself when the door closes shut. "Of course it's unlikely when you won't even ask for my name. You almost get it right, though; it's Asagi, not Cagalli."
The road is empty at two in the morning so Athun speeds up all he wants. His head is finally clear and he cannot wait to get some sleep on his own bed. It's not that the bed at the hotel is not comfy enough but it has always been his policy not to stay longer than he is needed to.
It was a short notice arrangement; he left Cagalli's house in muddled mind and before he knew, he gave Dearka a call.
"Fix me a woman. Anyone will do. I'll be at the Concorde – text you the room number later."
Now he thinks about it, he did not even get the woman's name and hell, trust Dearka to get him a blonde; a short-haired blonde while at it. Of course he is not complaining – if anything, it makes things easier for him but he is pretty sure he has called her Cagalli under his conscience. Let's just hope she doesn't repeat it to Dearka later.
Athrun shakes his head, dismissing the thought of Cagalli – he doesn't want to have to return to the woman he just left in the hotel. He just wants some sleep.
To be honest, I wish I could do better with this chapter especially the part at Cagalli's house but I just…can't. So sorry about that. That aside, would anyone like to guess the man Cagalli is sleeping with? XD He would make an appearance in later chapters! I'm trying to keep the chapters consistent at around 4k of words, I hope it's fine by you all. Again, sorry if this chapter disappoints you but I promise the next one is better! I've finished writing it and I plan to post it the same time next week, or when the review count for this chapter reaches 15, whichever comes first, so yea, more reviews = faster update! I'm desperate to know what you guys think, anyway lol That's all – I'll go continue with Chapter 4 now, later!
-Mayu
p.s. Thanks for reading! =)
