More Than Anything
Disclaimer: Gundam SEED and Gundam SEED Destiny are not my property; I do not own them or anything affiliated with the series.
Chapter Four
Staring at the headlines of the latest local newspaper, Orb Daily, the brunette couldn't help a sigh.
CEO OF LOCAL HIBIKI HOSPITAL, CAGALLI Y. HIBIKI, A LIAR ON TOP OF A FRAUD?
'These reporters can be vicious,' he thought, sipping at his coffee. There was a picture plastered all over the front page of his twin the day she gave the press conference. There was confidence in her eyes, a sparkle that revealed she clearly had no idea what was coming for her.
Kira rolled his shoulders back, wondering what would have happened if he was the one who took on the role after his parents. 'Would it have happened either way?'
xxxxx
7 YEARS BACK
"W-what?" Kira wasn't sure if he heard her correctly. "You want to take over Hibiki Hospital?"
Her usually soft lips were pulled into a tight line, her warm amber orbs devoid of warmth. "Yes."
He knew neither of them had intended on taking over the hospital. Kira wanted to start his own programming company, and he knew Cagalli had yet to decide, but a medical career was definitely not one of her options… at least, not when they had playfully discussed their future – was that only a couple months ago? When everything had been normal, and life seemed perfect…
"No," he declared firmly, his face mirroring hers as he clenched his fists. "No."
The look she gave him could have made any other give in to her demands. "Kira…"
"You are not taking over Hibiki Hospital," Kira tried to reign in his fury, but there were so many things running through his mind, their parents, their future… "Mr. Athha and Kisaka can take over temporarily until they find a suitable replacement."
Cagalli snorted, the disbelief clear in her voice as she snapped. "Who knows how long that will take, Kira? Every minute Hibiki Hospital remains without a CEO is just begging Durandal Hospitals to eat us alive!"
He knew that too, but it wasn't enough. "Why does it have to be you?!"
The blonde was on the edge of retorting, but at the sight of her brother, so broken and insecure, she stopped. "Kira…"
They were both thinking about the same day, that one day where all four of them had splayed out on the grass of their high school after classes.
"I can't let you do this, Cagalli," Kira whispered, trying to hold back the tears, "this… I know you don't want to do this."
She was silent for a moment, her gaze meeting his. "I can't let you do this either, Kira."
Their parents' will had not mentioned a successor to the hospital. No one knew if Ulen and Via Hibiki had intended for one of their children to inherit it; no one ever spoke of it as they were both healthy, charismatic people who others found hard to dislike.
No one expected them to go so soon.
The hospital had been left scrambling. The car accident that killed Kira and Cagalli's parents had set the entire hospital into a frenzied panic. Their family friend and advisor, Uzumi Nara Athha, had immediately begun arranging their funerals, freeing the twins from that burden. Ledonir Kisaka took custody of them, as they were not yet legal adults.
Yet it had all gone by so soon, the funeral passing by in the blink of an eye, neither of the twins feeling as though they had really said good bye.
They had slept together that week, for the first time since they were eight years old, finding comfort in each other's tears and warmth and shared misery.
Only a couple days after the funeral, Uzumi approached them with guilt etched in his aging features, asking if either of them would consider taking on the role of CEO.
Neither of them had been expecting that, either. Their parents never mentioned it, and so they had assumed they were free to choose their paths. Kira had already gotten into Archangel University (AAU) for computer sciences, and Cagalli had planned on taking a year off, undecided.
"I know you're doing this for our parents," Kira's voice was trembling softly, tears threatening to spill over. "I know you don't want to let the hospital fall into ruins; I don't either… but… I don't want you to do this to yourself for it either."
Cagalli had then hugged him, hiding her own tears in his shoulder, holding back the sobs that were clawing at the back of her throat. "I took the job, already."
He knew she had. He already knew there was no stopping her, but he had to try anyways. He knew she would not be swayed in her decisions, and that her mind had been made as soon as Mr. Athha had asked them to consider.
It didn't make dealing with the whole situation any easier. "I know," he mumbled, choking back a strained and twisted laugh, clinging onto his sister. "I'm sorry."
They continued to hug in the emptiness of their house, the once vibrant atmosphere crushed by all the things left unsaid, the things that were too heavy to say aloud.
xxxxx
'You did this, so I wouldn't be able to,' he mused to himself. Shortly after she had taken on the role of CEO, she had thrown herself into the job. She read every report, studied harder than she ever had before. There were nights were she would come home from the hospital, eyes red and her hands shaking, and Kira would comfort her through those first few sleeps. She had given up on finishing high school, even though she was only a few months from graduating.
Eventually, she stopped coming home. And then began the distance he knew was inevitable.
He understood why she had done it. But it wasn't a decision without its consequences.
"Kira?" A sweet and gentle voice pulled him from memory lane.
"Hey there," he responded, smiling at the pink-haired musician as she took up the space beside him. "Good morning."
Lacus gave him a quick peck on the cheek, before her eyes fell upon that morning's newspaper. "Ah."
He rolled his eyes. "It's almost as bad as when she was first named CEO."
There had been particularly nasty things floating around in the world of journalism, as people sharpened their claws on the fact that the new CEO of Hibiki Hospitals, one of the largest hospitals in Orb, had no experience in the field at all. Claims that she was a fraud and would ruin the hospital were gradually proved wrong, of course, but there was no taking back the rage that Kira had felt when he first read an article about the announcement.
"I'm not sure it can get any worse than you storming into the building of the Orb Gazette and demanding that they take it down before you hacked their systems," Lacus remarked, matter-of-factly, eliciting a laugh from her violet-eyed partner.
"I was angry," he admitted, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "I wasn't thinking as clearly as I should have."
"You were young," Lacus gave him a knowing smile. "That's not something you would do now, I know."
"You're right," he conceded, "I'd just hack into their systems without even warning them."
She giggled, before letting Mr. Pink have a go at him. "Speaking of Cagalli, by the way, are you planning on giving her the invitation?"
Her radiant blue eyes watched as the brunette went from laughing and fending off her Haro to scowling in the matter of seconds. "I said I would, didn't I?"
"You did," she agreed, before continuing, "but as far as I can remember, it's still sitting on your office desk. You had best tell her soon."
Kira knew he really should; with less than three weeks left to their wedding date, the more he put it off, the more likely she would clobber him with fists.
"I'll visit her today," he sighed again, hoping that Mr. Athha and Kisaka would grant him an audience with the busy CEO.
"Dearka, I don't have time to go drinking, okay?" It was a Monday evening, for Haumea's sake. How exactly does the other blonde get away with drinking the night before a work day?
"Just one?" Cagalli stifled a yawn, glaring down at the phone as her friend's voice echoed throughout her empty office. "You should be done now anyways, right?"
It was already 9:47 PM; she could have been done two hours ago, but she refused to leave and insisted on finishing the rest of the regular hospital work.
Uzumi and Kisaka had taken over the internal investigation. The latter forbade her, despite her protests, from participating in the lawsuit.
"We will do our best to keep you out of this, Cagalli," he had said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "It will not do for this to distract you from your other duties. We cannot have our CEO shaken up because of personal affairs."
She had tried to wiggle her way back in but Shiho, that traitor, was more than happy to dump some other work on her desk.
"Cagalli?" Snapping out of her reverie, she hesitated. Maybe just one drink.
"Alright, alright, where do you want to meet?"
"Holy crap, I did it!" She winced as her friend hollered his joy. "Minerva, in 15?"
"See you there," with that, she ended their call and stood up. She couldn't even remember the last time she had gone for drinks with a friend, and despite her usual lack of interest, she was excited.
Grabbing her jacket and looking around the room one last time, she locked her office door and left.
There weren't that many people bustling around the hospital at this hour. Things were calm, she noted, smiling at some of the patients who were talking amongst themselves. The lawsuit had not really affected their usual day-to-day business, as many were loyal to her hospital. Her parents' hospital, which she had never expected to inherit.
xxxxx
7 YEARS AGO
"That's easy for you to say," the blonde grumbled, a frustrated pout upon her lips. "You were born for it, Lacus. You knew what you were going to do when you were five!"
"Six," her best friend had corrected, "and I suppose I could have chosen to do something else. Maybe dentistry?"
The four of them were lying on their backs, facing the clouds as they leisurely passed by. School had finished for the day and it was too nice to stay inside and study, especially after a week packed with midterms and assignments. Kira suggested they take some time off and just relax; Athrun had agreed eagerly, clearly looking forward to not sitting in a classroom and writing some form of assessment.
"I don't know if I'd trust you as a dentist, Lacus," Athrun teased. His eyes were closed, shielding his emerald eyes from the sun, but his head was turned towards Cagalli, his hand warm around hers.
"We'll have Kira be the guinea pig first," the blonde laughed at her brother's yelp of protest.
"Do you not trust me, Kira?" The pink-haired teen turned the full force of her puppy blue eyes on him and he groaned in exasperation. "I'd sing you to sleep before I started, if that would help."
Athrun and Cagalli laughed in harmony at the brunette's hesitant stammers, fumbling to find an appropriate answer.
"Kira, you applied for computer sciences at AAU, right?" Athrun asked, saving the brunette from the need to respond, while scooting closer to his own girlfriend, ignoring her giggles and half-hearted attempts at swatting him away.
"Yep. I want to open my own company after I graduate. And don't think I can't see you, Athrun. Remember our conversation about appropriate distances?"
His blonde twin burst out laughing again, fondly rolling over and giving her brother's best friend a kiss on the cheek. "Leave him alone, Kira, I don't need you to tell me what an appropriate distance from anything is."
"Hey, speaking of appropriate distances, Cagalli, you're getting way too close to the place where sun don't shi—"
"So, what about you, Athrun?" Lacus chimed in, cheerfully placing a hand over her partner's mouth. "What are you planning on doing after your engineering degree?"
He opened his eyes, revealing the emerald orbs that never failed to draw someone in. Smiling at the amber-eyed girl who was now snuggling up against him, he said, "I haven't even gotten into Orb Central University."
"But you will," came muffled replies from both twins.
"If I do, and if I do make it through undergrad… I don't know. I haven't thought that far yet."
"At least you know what you're doing next year," Cagalli grumbled, turning away from her boyfriend to lay on her back again. "I haven't even applied anywhere yet."
"There's no rush," Kira piped up, gently removing Lacus' hand from his mouth. "We'll all be here with you, no matter what your decision may be or when you decide."
Murmurs of agreement came from the other two, and the blonde couldn't help a wide grin from spreading throughout her face. "I kind of wanted to travel next year," she admitted, staring at her hand, in Athrun's. "There's a whole world out there that I haven't even explored yet, and I feel… I feel too naïve at the moment to just decide what I'll do for the next four years."
But he knew. "And as I said before, I'll go anywhere with you," Athrun whispered, lifting their hands and placing a kiss on her fingers.
"Athrun…" came the other twin's voice of vague disapproval.
"Stop ruining their sweet moments," Lacus scolded, this time choosing to rap on her boyfriend's head. "Where is your sense of romance?"
"With you," was Kira's response as he gazed upon his girlfriend lovingly.
"Gross," commented Athrun, while Cagalli made mock puking noises. "That's even cheesier than Dearka."
xxxxx
Smiling at one of her most treasured memories from their last year of high school together, she sighed as she pulled up at the classy night club, Minerva. It catered specifically to people in high positions, who wanted a night out but preferred a sense of privacy and class, thus it was the place for people like Cagalli and Lacus to hang out every once in a while if they wanted a couple of drinks.
"Cagalli!" Another upturned curve tugged at her lips as she saw the tanned blonde throwing her a mock salute. "It's been forever!"
The old friends hugged, just briefly, before he opened the door to the establishment.
"One day, Dearka, you will have to tell me how you get away with drinking on a weekday," Cagalli threw him a glare as they made their way to the bar. It was a Monday evening, and the sparse crowd reflected that.
"First of all, I'm not a CEO," he replied teasingly, "second of all, I know my limits."
"That second point is definitely not true," Cagalli grumbled, recalling the several panicked messages Milly had left her about Dearka and his total lack of regard for alcohol limits.
"And third of all," he continued as though he hadn't heard her, "my boss doesn't give a crap so long I don't show up completely hungover."
Her steps faltered a little, and she fumbled into her seat rather inelegantly. "I see."
Mentally berating himself for the slipup, Dearka quickly called the bartender over. "Two mojitos, please."
Cagalli accepted the drink easily, taking a small sip as she stared at her friend. "So, what's up?"
He raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"Is it just us?" She asked, glancing around the bar for signs of their usual group of friends.
"Do you dislike me that much?" He flashed a mocking pout her way before shaking his head. "It's just us. It's been so long."
She took another sip of the minty drink, wincing slightly at the burn as it went down her throat. "I'm surprised you can be here at all," she said softly. "Are you not working the case?"
The other blonde knew immediately what she was referring to. "I refused," he muttered. This was not what he wanted to talk about. "You know I wouldn't do that to you."
Fond memories of Dearka, who was like a second brother to her throughout her high school years, and even after she dropped out came to mind. "I wouldn't have held it against you even if you did, Dearka."
"Yeah, but I'm not a jerk," was the response, as he finished off his first drink of the night.
"He's just doing his job," she replied, absentmindedly swirling her drink around, watching the ice clink and clatter against the glass.
"Don't defend him," Dearka was so close to shaking the sense back into her. He wanted to see the spunk that he knew she still had within her, not this given up version of Cagalli. "There's something wrong with him, Cagalli. This lawsuit, his marriage—"
Cagalli nearly spilled her mojito all over herself as her grasp weakened, but Dearka caught it easily, without even spilling a drop. "His what?"
Dearka prayed silently to Haumea that Kira would not kill him for what he was going to tell the brunette's blonde twin.
Meyrin was at her desk with Lunamaria stormed in. "Luna! I wasn't expecting you so early!"
Her older sister threw down the wedding invitation on the desk. "When did this happen?"
"What?" Meyrin stared at the invitation in confusion. "I told you I was dating him months ago!"
"No," her sister corrected, her lips tight with frustration, "you told me you were dating someone, not freaking Athrun Zala!"
"Why does it matter so much?" Meyrin shot back.
"Are you hiding something from me?" Lunamaria was glaring at her younger sister.
"No, I'm not!" The younger sister stood up in defense, biting her lip. "I just… Athrun didn't want everyone to know about it, so I didn't really tell anyone…"
"Not even your own sister?" Luna almost cringed at her own accusatory tone. She didn't mean to attack her sister like this, but she felt like she had no place in her sister's life anymore, especially when Meyrin couldn't even tell her sister the news personally. She had gotten the card at work, of all places.
"I-I… I don't know," whispered Meyrin, suddenly sitting back in her chair. "He didn't want everyone knowing, so I just… chose to respect that."
"And then you send wedding invitations to everyone in town?" There was too much fire in her own voice, and Luna fought to contain herself. "I don't even know when you started dating him!"
"9 months ago," her sister answered, looking down at her hands. "I didn't mean to keep this from you, Luna, but it just got harder and harder to tell you…"
The magenta-haired sister softened at that, before taking a seat on the bed beside the desk. The relationship between her and her sister had taken a turn for the worse when they each went to a different university and started different jobs. They hardly saw one another, even though they lived in the same house.
And of all people, her younger sister was dating—scratch that, engaged to Athrun Zala, one of the richest in Orb? Luna had been spending a lot more time at home recently and she had never even seen a single blue hair of Athrun's. "Has he ever come over?"
"Luna!" The blush on Meyrin's face was redder than her hair.
"Have you been using protection?"
"Get out!" Luna giggled at her sister, throwing them both into a laughing fit that lasted for several minutes.
As they calmed down, Luna searched her sister's face. "Are you happy with him, Meyrin?"
The redhead looked down at her lap. "Yes," she murmured, staring at her fingers, at the engagement ring that he had given her just two weeks ago. It was beautiful, silver with a light blue crystal blanketed by silver and golden swirls. She was happy, but…
Her older sibling knew there was more. "But…?"
Meyrin let out a soft laugh, bitter yet warm at the same time. "He makes me happy, Luna, but… I'm scared I don't make him happy."
"Why would he ask you to marry him otherwise?"
The younger sibling gave her older sister a sad smile. "I think he just wants to move on. Forget about her."
'Cagalli Yula Hibiki', Luna thought to herself. The news that Zala and Hibiki broke up in high school was the topic of conversation for weeks. Everyone knew who they were; they were constantly seen around the school, around the city on little dates, sometimes accompanied by Kira and his girlfriend, Lacus. There was no mistaking the devotion that shadowed Athrun's every move, nor the honest affection that reflected upon Cagalli's every blush and smile when they were together.
Luna herself had envied their relationship. That was the kind of relationship she wanted, where there was nothing but love behind every word, every touch, every breath.
"It's been seven years," she eventually said.
"That's what he said," Meyrin sighed, running her hands through her red hair. "He invited her to the wedding, you know.
"I believe him when he says he's over him," she continued, her eyes staring at nothingness, "and I believe him when he tells me he's happy with me. But what we have… it's not what they had."
Luna stared at her younger sister, whose eyes had begun filling up with tears.
"I know it's rather rushed, I know we could have waited longer..." there was no mistaking the sobs that were threatening to spill over.
"… but w-we both need this to happen s-so desperately, Luna."
She hadn't been here in over a year, she thought, as she let her eyes wander around the office. It was cozy, warm, and welcoming; she never expected anything less. The desk was messy, quite similar to her own, and the walls were decorated with photos. Some she was in, others she hadn't seen before.
There was one of their parents, who were smiling at the camera warmly and it drew her in. Letting her fingers fall upon the glass gently, she couldn't help a hushed murmur. "Mom, dad…"
She had a similar photo somewhere in her room, but she spent so little time in her own room, that it had been such a long time since she had seen their smiles.
Suddenly, the door swung open.
"Kira, I got your message. What's up—"
A heavy stillness settled in the air. She had turned around, expecting her brother, when someone she really did not want to see at the moment had shown up instead. "Athrun."
She saw the shock in his features, before it twisted into a blank slate, revealing nothing but coolness. "Cagalli."
What did one say to an ex that was suing your hospital? An ex that was soon getting married? Cagalli wasn't sure, and she was fairly positive there wouldn't be much if she searched it up online either. She remained silent, waiting for him to make a move.
"Kira messaged me earlier," he explained, his voice devoid of any feelings. "He said he wanted to meet up, so I came here… but it seems as though he isn't in," his eyes falling upon the lights that hadn't been turned on.
"I just dropped by to see him," Cagalli tried to take her gaze off him, desperate to look at anything but him, but she was fighting a losing battle. "I don't know if he was planning on coming back tonight."
"I see." Just two words. They echoed in her mind, mocking her.
She let the silence ring a little longer before whispering. "I heard about… Meyrin. Congratulations."
There was no mistaking the heavy burden of his gaze on her. She let her eyes meet his, and instantly regretted it as there was no mistaking the intensity of his stare, but she refused to back down. Not today.
"Thank you." Again, just two words, but this time there was something more behind his tone. Something she wasn't too sure of. Was it regret? Pain?
"I understand I was invited," she said. A call earlier to Lacus, when Kira did not respond, had confirmed what Dearka had told her. "But I'm afraid I will have to say—"
"Don't," he cut in, his voice strangled by the same something she was uncertain about before. "Please, don't say it."
'What do you want from me?' She bit her lip, trying to figure out what he was thinking about. His fists were clenched, his eyes narrowed, and it seemed as though he was biting back words of his own. "You know I can't go."
"Can't, or won't?"
"Can't," she stated firmly. "You should not have invited me, Athrun."
She saw him wince as she uttered his name, again. "Is this because of the lawsuit?"
'You know it's that and more,' the blonde thought to herself, struggling to keep herself from breaking down and running to him. She had always wanted his forgiveness, for what she had done seven years ago, when she chose her parents' hospital over him. She had broken his heart; crushed it, scattered the dust into the wind.
"Yes." She lied, and she prayed he wouldn't see through it.
He never took his eyes off her. "Again, you choose your work over me."
That stung. Her eyes widened, and she dug her fingers into her palm. 'Don't lose it, Cagalli.' "Athrun—"
"Athrun?" An echo of that name, from the man she had been hoping to see tonight. Kira stood in the doorway, his face the epitome of confusion. "Cagalli? What are you two doing here?"
Cagalli felt a breath that she had been holding in unknowingly escape, as the lawyer slowly turned away from her to face her brother. "I got your message earlier, Kira. Sorry, I should have messaged back before showing up here."
"No, it's fine." Purple eyes were watching the two of them, uncertainty permeating the air. "Cagalli?"
"Sorry. I just wanted to drop by," meeting his eyes, she hoped he got her silent plea. "I have to go, give me a call when you can?" She strode past him, and gave her brother a peck on the cheek. "Good night."
"Good night," her twin responded, watching her leave. He could smell the slight hints of the alcohol she had drunk earlier that night. Shaking his head, he turned around to face the other man, and was instantly rendered speechless from the expression on his face. "Athrun?"
It took him a couple moments to gather his bearings, and his voice was calm when he nodded. "Can we talk here?"
Kira nodded his consent, choosing not to bring up the look of pure longing that was evident just seconds before.
I think this might be the longest chapter I have ever written, in my scattered years of fanfic writing. LET'S CELEBRATE (just kidding).
Sorry for all the memory lane walking, I wanted to start slipping in some information about their past, otherwise I worry none of this would make sense... hopefully some things are clearer, but hopefully I haven't laid everyone out on the table just yet, haha!
Do let me know what you think of the pacing thus far! Thank you for reading, and thank you to my lovely reviewers from my last chapter!
Lavellia.