category: Gundam SEED

disclaimer: I don't own it.

THIRTY-TWO.

Athrun spotted a flash of bare legs from the top of his vision as they made their way to the coffee table next to him. "Are you having tea with someone today?" he spoke up.

Cagalli picked up a file from the mess on the table and flipped through it rapidly. "Nope. Why do you ask?"

"You're wearing a dress," he answered, observing the peach sundress that swung loosely around her knees as she walked. "And I know for sure you don't have any meetings."

Cagalli swatted his face lightly with her file and headed back to her office. "Don't be a goose. I wear dresses all the time." She looked over her shoulder at him before stepping out of the room. "And wake up! You've been napping for hours."

Athrun pushed himself up and swung his legs over the edge of the sofa distractedly after she left. Cagalli really had been wearing a lot of dresses recently, even just around the house. He chewed on the side of his mouth and thought carefully. On Monday there was the green, and Wednesday the yellow, and Thursday an orange one. Surely something was off.

They saw each other again at dinner, and Athrun tried to pursue the matter as carefully as he could. "So what's with all the dresses lately?"

Cagalli swallowed her food thickly and shrugged. "I don't know. I just feel like wearing something different." Her voice was strained and she busied herself with her glass of water.

Athrun set down his fork. "Cagalli, it used to be an all-day affair to get you to even glance at anything other than a pair of pants. Honestly, what's wrong?"

Her eyes darted around the room anxiously. "Nothing. Someone just suggested I – er, take a different approach to my politics." At Athrun's puzzled frown, she hurried to continue. "It's true, you know. People pay a lot more attention to what I have to say now. They take me seriously and I don't have to fight as hard to be heard. It's a good thing, Athrun."

"But you're so changed now," he protested. "I've been thinking and I can't believe I didn't notice it before. Your hair is a lot longer, and you wear dresses, and I haven't heard you raise your voice in over a month." He gestured helplessly. "I don't understand why you chose to become this puppet that you're not."

Cagalli sighed. "Yes, Athrun, but this new Cagalli gets things done. It was childish for me to think I could have managed Orb well if I'd stayed the same impulsive and willful person I was before the wars." She shrugged again, unaffectedly, as if it was entirely normal to have such serious a conversation in so offhanded a tone. "I've learned not to mind anything as long as it's for the good of our people. And times change. People change. New Cagalli is efficient and respected and capable. Pass me the water pitcher, will you?"

Athrun's next words came out louder and harsher than he'd intended, accompanied by his thunderous slam of the glass pitcher against the wood of the dinner table. "I liked the old Cagalli a lot better!"

"You were one of the few," was Cagalli's immediate response, but it was murmured quietly and Athrun had no response to the wistful shadow of a smile she offered him.

Cagalli cleared her throat and attempted to pick up the original flow of the talk. "Anyway, thank you. It means a lot to me that you care, Athrun."

With that, she placed her napkin back onto the table and pushed back her chair. "I should really be finishing that proposal about the new civic service projects." She extended her arms above her in a halfhearted attempt at a fake stretch, but they dropped suddenly and she was left staring dismally at the floor. "Sorry I've been so occupied lately." She looked up and touched Athrun's cheek affectionately. "Let's do something together the day after tomorrow. Let's skip the military briefing and go swimming in that river behind the Botanical Gardens, like we did that one time."

Athrun couldn't help but agree when he saw the brightness that had spread over her features. "Sure. I'd really like that, Cagalli."

She beamed at him and pressed a quick kiss to his mouth before hurrying back to her office. "And stop lounging around! Take a leaf from my book and get some work done, you sloth."

Athrun smiled at her until she disappeared from view, and then glared down at the remainder of his dessert resentfully. He suddenly hated dresses.

notes: This definitely didn't end up as I expected it to. I thought it would turn out to be a lot darker, not nearly so lighthearted – maybe something like chapter 17 about Dearka and Miriallia. I don't know. What did you all think?

On a random side note, is anyone really taken with the idea of military salutes? I know it's not something one should be excited about, but I think it's neat how whenever a ship is sunk, soldiers are respectful and salute. It happens with Athrun and Dearka with the Vesalius, and again with other people in GSD for the Takemikazuchi, and a few other times. It seems so noble, I guess, and principled. I wish there was an honor code like that for life in general.

NEXT PHASE: The war is over, but Mu is not well. So he takes to roaming the world and hunting down his old memories. He tries not to remember sending three teenagers to their deaths.