Hello! Here's the fifth chapter right on time, yay! Before that, thank you for all the reads and reviews – you should probably know by know how much I appreciate them =) Some of you asked whether Kira and Lacus will be in this story – the answer is yes, they will but you have to wait for a while I suppose because they have somewhat special roles here; have fun on guessing what roles they are /evil laugh Right then, into the chapter!
Chapter 5 – "I'm sorry I misunderstood my place."
Today, Cagalli decides to return to her stately home for a change. It is Friday, and she has no plans for the weekend so she supposes she could just spend the time lazing around and let her caretaker Myrna to pamper her like she used to do before Cagalli moved out. It also has been a long time since Cagalli sees her father; they are by no means estranged – if anything, her father actually dotes on her, in his own way – but they both have commitments that keep them away from each other; her father Uzumi with his business and Cagalli herself with her studies. It is actually one of the reasons why Cagalli can't wait to actually help with the company – she wants her father to stop working so hard for once before it takes a toll on his health since he is hardly young anymore.
After letting the family driver takes her car to the carwash, Cagalli walks to the door, noticing that the cars parked at the porch seem to be increasing in numbers. To be honest she has lost count since the last time she came home so she might be wrong after all – her father's only hobby is to collect luxurious cars and Cagalli simply doesn't bother about anything automobile related.
"I'm home…" Cagalli mutters softly as she pushes the door and enters the foyer. She looks up, expecting Myrna to come bustling but instead, her sight catches on two familiar figures at the foot of the main stairs, looking right at her. It seems like her entry has halted their way up to the stairs but that is the last of Cagalli's concern as she makes her way towards them. It is peculiar enough to find her father home at a weekday's afternoon but –
"Athrun?"
The blue-haired man turns completely towards her, wearing his formal smile that Cagalli has not seen for a while. "Cagalli – I didn't expect to see you here."
Cagalli's eyes widen in disbelief. "That should be my line! What are you doing here?"
"I have something to discuss with Uzumi-sama about the merger – "
"Not that!" Cagalli cuts him off, agitated – how could Athrun be so indifferent. "I didn't even know you've returned!"
Athrun smiles apologetically at her. "I'm sorry, I arrived late last night so – "
"You didn't call even once!" Oh crap, she thinks as the words flow out. Something resurfaces into her mind. "You –"
"Cagalli Yula Attha."
Cagalli stops right away, finally focusing on her father who has been watching the little scene silently, not so amused. He doesn't usually call her by full name but when he does, it means business – and he could be really intimidating at times. Cagalli takes a step back and bows slightly; realizing her rudeness.
"I'm sorry, Father," she says politely.
Uzumi's expression softens at the apology. He is secretly glad that Cagalli and Athrun seem to be getting along better than he anticipates but above all, manners come first and if anything, Athrun is still an important business acquaintance. They are currently working on the merger of ZAFT and ORB and Athrun is the personnel representing ZAFT. There are so many things to go through so things have been hectic for both companies at the moment, not including their own company matter. Therefore, he finds it admirable for Athrun to come to their appointment even though he knows the young CEO has just come back from PLANTs.
"You can talk to Athrun later when we're done," he says amicably to his daughter.
Cagalli nods at him and turns to Athrun briefly. "I'll be in my room – have someone show you the way."
Athrun glances at his watch and finds out it is almost four in the evening; the discussion with Uzumi has went for around two hours; longer than he expected but they had discussed a lot of things and that makes Athrun quite glad he could make it to the appointment. He understands that his father has a lot to handle at the moment back in the main branch of ZAFT in PLANTs so he has no choice but to be in charge of whatever happening in Heliopolis.
He soon reaches the room that was shown to him previously as Cagalli's room by a maid. He takes a deep breath – Cagalli doesn't seem pleased and she has every right not to. Oh well, he'll just take whatever comes.
"Cagalli, it's me," he says as he knocks on the door twice.
The door is opened after a moment, revealing Cagalli with hair so messy that it reminds Athrun immediately of her bed hair. As he enters the room, he notices that Cagalli has changed into a more comfortable get-up; shorts and simple t-shirts – she looks so much younger that it startles him a bit. She looks like a high school student while he looks like a random white-collar worker with his shirt – thank God he decided against a necktie earlier.
"How are you?" Athrun asks casually, dropping the formal air around them.
Cagalli looks at him with a frown, arm crossed as she leans on her study desk. "You didn't call."
The man in front of her smiles apologetically and takes a step forward. "I'm so sorry about that – things were more hectic than I expected I really didn't have the time –"
"Three weeks," the blonde cuts him off coldly, her eyes piercing; unforgiving. "You were away for three weeks and all I asked is a five-minute phone call."
Truth to be told, Athrun is suffering of lack of sleep. His flight from PLANTs was 2 in the morning and he arrived at Heliopolis around 6 – and after everything, he only got a few hours of sleep before getting ready for his appointment with Uzumi at 2 o'clock in the evening. So right now, the fatigue is taking its toll on his body and tired Athrun is never the nicest Athrun around. A mere aggravating tone from Cagalli sets him vexed and before he knows he is mirroring the look she is giving him.
"Why are you so tied up about that?" he asks. "Surely you can go through three weeks without me – I don't think I mean that much to you that we have to stay in contact all the time."
"But you promised you would call!"
Athrun is so agitated that he doesn't realize that Cagalli is actually getting pretty emotional. "I said I'd try! I told you I'd be very busy, Cagalli – I wouldn't have time for petty phone calls. You should understand; you are raised by a businessman, after all. My commitment lies on my work; it won't be you no matter how much I…"
"Then, go," Cagalli stops his word as she stands at her fullest height. "I'm sorry I misunderstood my place. I'm sorry for taking your precious time – you can leave now."
The blue-haired man slides his long fingers through his well-kept hair in frustration. Cagalli's words hint nothing but sarcasm which means his point doesn't come across to her at all. Of course he is in the wrong side but he has expected Cagalli to understand, at least – no matter how young, she is an adult, after all.
"Look, don't be difficult," he says exasperatedly. "It's beyond me – why are you being this attached, anyway? I thought I told you…"
A certain word hits a sore spot in Cagalli. "Then, why are you getting so attached to him?" – wasn't she got asked the same question before? It reminds her of something she really doesn't need to be reminded now. Irritated; she grits her teeth.
"Yeah, I know, don't fall in love with you. Don't worry; I haven't fallen that stupid yet."
"Cagalli…" Athrun sighs.
Cagalli glares at him before walking away to her wardrobe, her back on Athrun. It's impossible to talk now that she cannot keep her temper down. Plus, she got another serious matter to attend that needs Athrun to get out from the picture. "Seriously, you can leave now. I'm going to call Shinn for a fuck."
That unsurprisingly manages to set fire on Athrun's tired emerald eyes. He approaches the girl and grabs her arm, forcing to her to turn around to face him.
"What?" she asks coldly; expressionless. "You said you don't really mind, didn't you?"
The words seem to slap Athrun on the face as he remembers their last conversation. He looks away but his grip on Cagalli's arm remains intact, if not tightened. "Not here, surely?" he growls, wondering if Cagalli would actually bring her fling to her house where her father is – what would ever happen to their engagement?
Cagalli looks at him, unabashed. "Of course not. I'll be returning to my apartment as soon as you have the decency to let go off me."
Athrun holds her gaze with equal intensity yet ceases to say another word. The air is still and silent; so much unlike their hearts which are thumping real hard with the unleashed emotion.
"Leave, Athrun," Cagalli repeats after a while, her voice icy.
The man doesn't need to be told off another time – he let go of the arm almost immediately and turns on his heel. Cagalli sees his figure disappears as the door is closed shut. She sighs and closes her eyes before letting herself fall onto her fluffy queen size bed. She knows she has messed up – she wishes she could be honest and tell Athrun what had she done and why she's acting that way but she already has enough of Athrun looking down on her – she has been acting immature enough around him that she doesn't need to add anything to her record anymore. Therefore this is not something she could tell Athrun; because it is not something that he would understand, anyway.
"What should I do now…"
TWO WEEKS AGO
"Cagalli."
Cagalli, who is staring at the crowd, turns her attention to the friend before her. She pulls down the earphone she is wearing. "Hm?"
The friend who has just called her is Miriallia Haww, a girl with short brown hair that doesn't quite reach her shoulder. Her big turquoise eyes dart to Cagalli's smartphone before she smiles at the blonde. "Whose call are you waiting for?"
A blush taints Cagalli's fair face at once but only slightly as she feigns innocence by playing nonchalant – she's actually good at that.
"Huh?" she responds vaguely as her sight goes wandering at the students who are filling up the cafeteria. It seems like most classes for the morning sessions have already ended. Cagalli is silently glad for the fact that her class has ended earlier, which spares her from the hell of finding a seat in the packed cafeteria.
Miriallia sighs at Cagalli's attempt to play naïve. But she is not going to drop the subject just like that; not when she has been aching to ask for days already. "You've been holding your phone so faithfully these days – usually you'd just misplaced it every two days."
"I've been wondering about that too," pipe in Lunamaria Hawke, a magenta-haired girl who is sitting next to Miriallia right as she drains the last of her apple juice. Meyrin, her red-haired, ponytailed younger sister nods in agreement beside her.
Cagalli pouts as she realizes the matter has gotten utmost attention from all three of them and there is no way of her to get away from explaining now. She throws a glance at the silent, stationary phone before meeting the gaze from three pairs of eyes that shine with equal curiosity.
"It's Athrun," she says almost bashfully. "He's in PLANTs now for god knows how long so he said he'd call."
Miriallia, Lunamaria and Meyrin look at each other and share a meaningful smile – the answer is not much a surprise - but when she returns her look at Cagalli, Miriallia looks solemn; thoughtful, even. Cagalli holds the gaze enquiringly as if asking 'what's wrong'.
"You told us that love is out of question between you and Athrun-san," says Miriallia slowly. "Didn't you?"
"I did." Cagalli nods, sipping her iced coffee offhandedly and wondering where Miriallia is getting to. She indeed tells her close friends almost everything that is going on between her and Athrun; it's neither to brag nor to complain but rather to share since Cagalli is never the type to shut up around her friends so she just has to tell them everything.
Miriallia's expression turns worried. "Then, why are you getting so attached to him?"
Cagalli flinches slightly at Miriallia's question – the tone sounds chiding to her. She knows Miriallia is just concerned – among the group of friends, Miriallia is the mother hen and the voice of reason after all. Unlike Lunamaria and Meyrin who are excited at the very first mention about Cagalli's engagement, Miriallia has expressed worry about her decision. Only recently she has let the matter rest since Cagalli has been talking nothing but nice thing about Athrun. Cagalli told them how Athrun is thinking about her happiness and Miriallia had thought that perhaps Cagalli would actually find love through the arranged marriage but then the next thing she knew, Cagalli was telling her that Athrun is not going to fall in love with her, and neither her with him.
Actually all Miriallia wanted to say was "What the hell?" but she kept it to herself.
"Because she's stupid like that," a voice from Cagalli's right side answers Miriallia's question before Cagalli can think of a reply.
Shinn raises an eyebrow coolly when all the girls direct their gaze to him. He has been listening to them from the start as he finishes his meal and refrains himself from joining the conversation but Miriallia's enquiry evokes his irritation about the matter yet again so he just has to step in.
"Shinn…" Cagalli growls menacingly, turning to face the ruby eyed guy.
"What?" asks Shinn nonchalantly, staring right into Cagalli's eyes without any fear. "He obviously doesn't give a damn about you! What did he do to me when he found out that you've been sleeping with me? Nothing!"
"He is just matured," Lunamaria interjects. "Unlike you, Shinn – that was beyond rude."
"He's just a coward!" Shinn rebukes firmly, glaring sideway at Lunamaria. "That, or he really doesn't care about Cagalli. Either way, he's not someone I'd like to be with Cagalli."
Cagalli grits her teeth. Shinn always has his way on bashing Athrun, even more when Cagalli put a stop on their sexual routine. Most of the time Cagalli tries to ignore him but this time it seems like he is pushing it too much. "Shut up, Shinn – it has nothing to with you."
The tone of Cagalli's voice would silence anyone, but not Shinn. Perhaps he has always been with Cagalli that he is even immune to her fury or it is simply the fact that if there is anyone who can face up to Cagalli's rage, it is Shinn himself. Both of them are equally quick-tempered, anyway, even though Shinn is proven more impulsive.
"I'll make a bet," says Shinn suddenly, much to the girls' surprise. "I say he won't call you at all – not even once. If I win, you'll owe me a night. If you win – which you won't – I'll stop bitching about him, ever."
Cagalli fully knows that she should not agree; Shinn's eyes are glinting in a way which tells that he is 100% sure of what he is doing and the girls know enough not to mess with him when he is in that state. If Athrun ever find out about the bet, he would deem it childishly foolish for sure. But the deal is tempting – she'd do anything to stop Shinn going on about Athrun. After all, Athrun surely would call at least once, wouldn't he? He said he would, after all.
Cagalli's amber eyes look up to Shinn's ruby ones. "Deal."
When he reaches his apartment, Athrun uses the last of his remaining energy to shed all of his clothing down to his boxer shorts and climbs up his unmade bed before pulling the cover over his body, ignoring the soft grumble of his stomach that begs to be filled. The AC is set to the lowest temperature possible; 16⁰C – and Athrun is lulled to sleep almost once. It is his most deserved slumber after all; he really worked full hours while in PLANTs, getting only a few hours of sleep each day which most of the time he burned to take extra load of work. The system really chose the worst time to be down; the main ZAFT branch had just transferred quite a number of employees to the Heliopolis branch to help with the merger with ORB, leaving just the right number of workforces for the upcoming projects. They did not expect a system glitch at all so when it happened, the whole office panicked. Therefore, since his touchdown on PLANTs, Athrun had been running around (figuratively, of course – he was driven around, more like) to see the clients and explain things to them while aiding his father deciding the countermeasure.
So when he told Cagalli that things were hectic, it was not an exaggeration; not even the slightest.
When Athrun finally wakes up – fatigue-free but hungry as hell, it is fifteen minutes past five in the morning. He washes his face and grabs a robe to be worn over his well-built body before entering the kitchen. There is practically nothing in the fridge; he had thrown away the perishables before he left for PLANTs. There is an opened box of cereals but no milk to eat it with so Athrun put it down gloomily. Should have gone shopping yesterday, he thinks as he rummages his cupboard hoping to find something edible.
Yay for random packets of instant noodle which haven't passed the expiry date yet!
As he waits for the water to boil, Athrun thinks of what he would do to fill the entire day. Grocery shopping is a must – he doesn't cook, of course, but he at least needs something to breakfast with. But the supermarket is not open until like five hours later so he needs something to kill time before that. He stretches his body and feels the stiffness – it has been some time since his last time doing some workout.
He considers the timing; not many people are already up yet during the dawn –he'll spare himself from the ogling eyes of the female population.
Hmm, jogging doesn't seem like a bad idea at all.
Athrun swipes the beading sweats that are rolling down his right cheek with his wrist as he halts his steps, finishing his third lap around the neighbourhood. He pants slightly but feels refreshed otherwise. He should do this more often – well, at least the next time when he ever got a day off, that's it.
When he looks up, he realizes that sun is already well up; shining brightly in all his glory. The golden shine reminds him suddenly of someone. He smiles – how funny that he has just remembers her now when yesterday he came home while was being so upset about her. Now that he thinks about it with a well-relaxed mind, he has said some mean things to her in his temper – as if he hasn't wronged her enough. His heart clenches, though, as he remembers her bold statement of calling her friend over. Despite any nonsense he had sprouted in his dishonesty before, he actually wants her to stop anything going on with that friend of hers.
Perhaps, he thinks positively, she was just bluffing. She's always doing that when she's angry, isn't she? She said she would stop, anyway.
With optimism at its highest level, around two hours later, Athrun is standing in front of Cagalli's apartment, clad in black casual shirt and black denim pants, clutching a bouquet of flowers. He has decided to apologize properly – he is indeed in the wrong side, after all. So after he washed himself and downed his compulsory cup of coffee, he drove his red Lamborghini to the nearest florist. The store was just opened and the flowers were just freshly delivered so the florist in charge was only too happy to help Athrun get whatever bouquet he wanted.
"It's an apology bouquet," Athrun had stated amicably with a smile. "I don't have a budget so the best you got, please."
"You want white tulips, then," the florist with long and straight black hair had answered without skipping a beat, returning the smile.
Athrun had hesitated for a moment. "Does it have to be white?"
The florist nodded. "Yes, it does. White tulips are known universally as the flowers of apology. I'll combine it with some pink varieties…"
"No," Athrun stopped her abruptly. "She doesn't…Pink doesn't really suits her – can you get anything…yellow?"
It had not really go well with the florist but there is no way Athrun would give Cagalli something white and pink so in the end they settled with a dozen of white tulips surrounded by yellow baby's breaths, wrapped in red organza (because Athrun refused anything pink) and finished with a white ribbon. It has been a while since Athrun last bought flowers so he was not quite sure if the price has rocketed that much or the florist was just charging him extra for the trouble he had caused her.
Once the bouquet was in his hand, Athrun had to stop for a while to think of Cagalli's whereabouts – if she was still in her grand family house or she had returned to her own apartment. Glancing at the clock, Athrun decided it was too early to be calling the Attha house to check so he opted to check it out himself. He went to her apartment first because it is relatively closer and rejoiced to see her white Porsche at the parking lot. He knew she was driving back home yesterday; he had seen the car parked at the porch, sparkling clean, while he was only his way out. If it was now here, then it must mean that Cagalli was back here in her own abode.
It had crossed Athrun's mind, as he pushed to the elevator button to Cagalli's floor, that Cagalli had probably been saying the truth – that she actually invited that bastard over but he banished the thought away in instant. Oh well, he was already here anyway; he had nothing to lose.
So here he is, fixing his shirt collar as not to look too 'uptight' as to use Cagalli's word, before ringing the doorbell.
He waits for almost ten minutes but the blonde hasn't answered the door. Athrun glances at his Mont Blanc watch – it is half an hour before ten and Cagalli, as far as he knows, is an early riser that she's usually already up and about at this hour. Frowning, he presses the button again.
This time he needs not to wait that long for after a few minutes, the door is opened, albeit rather abruptly.
Surprisingly enough, his sight doesn't meet blonde hair and amber eyes as he expected, but rather black messy hair and bright ruby eyes. Shocked, the bouquet almost drops from his grip as does his heart.
"Oh, it's you," the young man says offhandedly in his rude voice; Athrun has forgotten how much he hates it.
"What are you doing here?" Athrun asks icily as his emerald eyes go wandering from Shinn's bed hair to light scratches at his exposed neck that Athrun is too familiar with, down to the off-whites robe he is donning – which fits him just right even though Athrun has always find it undersized. The bottom half of him is uncovered except for a pair of boxer shorts.
Shinn rolls his eyes as if Athrun was asking if the sky is blue. "What do you think?"
Athrun could feel his blood boiling at Shinn's response; all he could do it to refrain himself from throwing something at his smug face, most probably the bouquet he is crushing with his ever tightening grasp. "You – "
"Who is it, Shinn?"
Both of them turn towards the voice and find Cagalli freezing a foot away from them, her hand stopping from wiping her damp golden locks – clearly out shower – and her expression beyond surprise.
"Athrun…"she says almost inaudibly.
The blue-haired man hears her quite well but gives no response. He gives her top-to-toe look like what he has just done to Shinn; noticing her red swollen lips and the numerous love bites starting from the right of her neck to the apex of her cleavage. The vanilla scent of her body powder mixes with the smell of cherry from her shampoo, reaching Athrun despite the distance; almost choking him. They are all too familiar to him – all the things he had been waking up to during the weekends in the past month.
What is this choking feel again?
"Cagalli," he finds himself calling her without having any idea how his voice actually sounds like. He raises the bouquet slightly as if beckoning her forward. "Here – I thought I'd apologize again, you know, for not contacting you; I'm sorry."
Cagalli steps forward, accepting the flower almost unconsciously. I'm sorry – the two words replay themselves in her mind, loud enough to fill the silence. She almost wants to protest, no, she wants to protest – why is he apologizing? That should be her line; she is the one messing up now. If Athrun went against his own words, then so did her. She doesn't deserve a second apology from him, much less a bouquet of flowers that is so wasted on her. She doesn't get flowers much but she at least knows they cost a lot; though it probably means nothing to such as Athrun.
"Cagalli's getting flowers – wait, I'll go and take a photo to upload on Instagram," Shinn's snide remark kills the silence as he turns away from the scene.
"Shinn…" warns Cagalli, her face set.
"Kidding, Cagalli, kidding." Shinn waves a hand airily. "Shower."
The air becomes still again when Shinn disappears into Cagalli's room. Cagalli feels like cursing herself. Why do they always end up like this? There seems to be so much emotional tension between them despite there is practically nothing going on. Since when 'getting along' becomes this hard, anyway?
"Athrun," she starts, quite shakily. "I can explain…"
The man looks at her, forming a smile that dies halfway. "Is there anything to explain?"
"But I…"
"I just want to apologize, that's all," he cuts her off. "Sorry if I'm interrupting in any way – I'll take my leave now."
Cagalli takes a grab on his arm sleeve as he turns around, stopping his motion. It's getting on her nerve now – how Athrun never wants to listen to her and her explanation and goes off doing whatever he wants, pushing his ideals on her and treating her like a kid that he can string along for all he cares.
"Athrun, listen to me – "
What she doesn't expect is for Athrun to pull away his arm almost roughly that it surprises her. Her hand hangs on mid-air as Athun spares her a glance before taking a stride without any other word. Cagalli must have been caught in a daze for quite some time because when she finally tries to catch up with his disappearing figure, she finds out that he's already in the elevator.
"Athrun Zala!" she calls out. Athrun looks up and their eyes meet for a second as the door slides to close.
In that split second, Cagalli swears she sees a shadow of hurt on Athrun's beautiful emerald eyes for the first time.
"Sorry, lend me your study," says Athrun at once when the door is opened at one buzz of the doorbell – it's clear that the owner of the apartment is waiting for him.
Yzak sighs, stepping aside to let Athrun in. "I told you on the phone, if you just want to review the files you can access them on your system; they keep it updated…"
"I don't have my laptop on me, I can't go to the office, returning home is not an option," Athrun replies toneless as he makes his way towards the room in which Yzak keeps his desktop and anything work-related. He is living alone in the 3-bedroom apartment so he uses the one of the extra rooms as his study and another as the guess room, which is mainly conquered by Dearka.
"And I don't want to see her," the blue-haired man adds in a mutter before disappearing behind the door.
That catches Yzak's attention in an instant. He sighs and closes the door. Now, what does he have here…
I know I said I wanted to make it more Cagalli-centric but it's just so hard I like Athrun too much that I have to see everything in his point of view /sighs I hope Athrun doesn't annoy you all that much (because he starts to do to me and I'm the one writing!) I'll try to make it better the next chapter so please bear with me. (Hint for next chapter: Yzak and Shiho come to help) That being said, I really hope that you have enjoyed this chapter at least a little and keep the reviews coming to my way because they give more ideas that I could ever think of by myself and in fact, if you see your ideas/opinions/thoughts being used in later chapters – that is no coincidence ;)
p.s. I made it this week but again, I don't know if I can update on regular time next week because there are just so many things I haven't done for the college entry lol I'll try my best but in case I don't make it next week, the next update will be around the second week of September, I suppose because the first week will be super hectic for sure (I hate Orientation Week!)
Thank you for reading!
-Mayu
