Hey everyone!...HotaruZala here with chapter 5 of The Zala Files. I hope everyone enjoyed the Athrunliciousness of the last chapter where Athrun shot at the ceiling and put out a candle with his fingers. Lol. This chapter is just some musing on Athrun's part. I hope you enjoy! To Steshin: The AsuCaga moment you requested is fast approaching in the next chappie...I didn't forget...don't worry. Lol

Disclaimer: I do not own GS, GSD, or the Athrunliciousness that is Athrun Zala...(sighs) ...God...I hate saying that. Lol

The Zala Files – Chapter 5: I Was Just Resting My Eyes

-The country of Orb, Athha Estate, 10pm that same night. Location: upstairs hallway -

Before the two friends parted ways for the night, Athrun was busy daydreaming while Kira was showing him around and chatting about his engagement to Fllay...Lady Lacus somehow managing to be casually slipped into the conversation as well. Athrun yawned and let his mind drift...

-Flashback to October 29th , CE 72, Main Zala Estate. Location: December City

It was raining like mad that day, and the weather was not helping lighten the seventeen year old birthday boy Athrun Zala's sullen disposition. His birthday was not celebrated the same way as a typical teenager should celebrate...with friends and family...but with members of the PLANT council since it just happened to fall on the same day as a council meeting. Athrun sighed and stared out the window of the dark and silent estate. He missed his mother the most this time of year. He had just gotten through talking with his father, and his new mission was made perfectly clear. He was getting "too close" to his charge, a feisty blonde about his age, with amber eyes, an insane trigger finger...(Athrun touched the bandage on his shoulder where she'd shot him two weeks earlier when they took her in)... on top of her knowledge of weapons...she packed along with her the biggest temper he'd ever seen...and the name she gave him when asked...Miss Yula. This newly formed and slowly budding friendship with the mouthy girl was considered among certain members of the council to be a danger not only to the Zala family, but the people of the few remaining PLANT colonies. Athrun had wondered...how much harm it could do...she was merely part of a small desert resistance group, but he could tell by looking at and speaking to her that she was quite different from the native desert dwellers.

Athrun's orders were simple. He was to lull the girl into a false sense of security...then, once he had her trust, and unfortunate "accident" was supposed to occur. Since his father was sure that his young son had already gained the girl's trust somewhat, the cunning Patrick Zala decided that everything would go down at Athrun's 17th birthday affair that very night...at least...that's what he'd thought.

However, sometimes even the most well thought out plans can be thwarted.

Dressed in his red ZAFT military uniform, Athrun stood anxiously outside Miss Yula's holding room. Why his father kept her there in such a big room...he had no clue...it was usually reserved for very important prisoners. He shrugged and knocked politely on the door.

Patrick Zala had sent for the maids in the estate to fetch a proper outfit for the young girl known to the resistance fighters as their "Goddess of Victory", to wear to the formal affair...to which, Athrun was abruptly told that he was to be her escort on top of executing his mission.

Athrun sighed heavily in frustration, he really wasn't in the mood for all this tonight. He had developed a deep resentment for formal affairs ever since he had learned that he'd have to actually dance at these parties...and dancing was not his thing partly because he was never asked to one, and he'd never bothered to learn how. To make him feel more at ease about these parties, his mother Lenore Zala would take him to a few of her own with some of the ladies on the council. There, she and her friends would teach him what he needed to know about how to dance...which was everything. He smiled as he remembered her laughing face as he had stepped on Lady Almalfi, Nicol's mom's, toes. Despite the fact that he could now dance better than he used to, he still didn't feel like going. Sure...Miss Yula was pretty in a tomboyish kind of way, but for some reason he just couldn't picture her dancing at a ball. She seemed more suited for a battlefield, not a dance floor. Suddenly his thoughts were interrupted by shouting and cursing from inside...

"Damn it!"... "I said I hate high heels!"... "It's bad enough I have to wear this freakin' dress!"... "Get these things off me before I poke your eyes out one by one with the spiked heel!"

Athrun chuckled. This was promising to be some night...then he remembered his father's orders and he shook all hints and traces of emotion out of his system. He slowly eased open the large oak doors and the various maids and butlers that it had taken to force the shoes on the fiery blonde, all saluted the young coordinator and backed away from the girl one by one as he approached her.

Athrun nodded and saluted them in return. He sighed heavily to himself again before he addressed the said "Goddess of Victory.": " It's about time to go Miss Yula...let's just get this over with...okay?"

The irritated voice of Miss Yula responded: "Whatever."

Once the last of the servants had backed away, revealing the feisty girl, Athrun did a double take and felt his heart skip a beat. His emerald eyes wandered up and down the curves of her body as he thought to himself: "W-whoa...what's going on!"... "She didn't have those..." (his eyes wandered up and down her curvacious body yet again, he gulped and blushed) ... "She didn't have those before...did she!"

She wore a sea foam green strapless gown with matching heels. Her short golden hair fell loosely about her face, three gold hoop bracelets around her right wrist, and a pink stone necklace around her neck. Not a trace of makeup stained her naturally beautiful face...which surprised Athrun the most, along with the faint, yet intoxicating scent of Japanese Cherry Blossoms that surrounded her.

Miss Yula eyed the blue haired coordinator, who was doing nothing but staring at her with his mouth slightly agape. She hissed: "What are you staring at!"... "Haven't you ever seen a woman before...Commander Zala!"

Athrun, embarrassed that he had been caught; blushed slightly and exclaimed: "I told you...my name's Athrun! ... and I – I wasn't staring! ... I was just resting my eyes!" He looked away quickly...then his inquisitive emerald eyes began to wander over towards her once again...he couldn't help it...he just couldn't stop staring at her.

Miss Yula growled: "You're doing it again...Athrun!"

- "Athrun?"... "Athrun!"... "Earth to Athrun...anybody home!" -

Athrun blinked in confusion as he snapped back into reality: "Huh?"... "What were you saying Kira?"

Kira sighed heavily and chuckled: "Never mind...I can tell you're tired since you were practically falling asleep standing up just now."

Athrun blushed embarrassed and exclaimed: "I was not sleeping...I was just...resting my eyes."

- Okies...that's chappie 5!...I hope everybody liked it! Athrun is so cute when he remembers awkward moments! Lol. Anyways...I hope you liked it cause it paves the way for the AsuCaga happiness in the next chapter.