Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed, the characters, plot, setting, yadda yadda, etc. etc. (I don't even own the manga for crying out loud)

OH! And possible yaoi warning. Also, implied shounen-ai and yaoi! (Nothing overt, but the innuendos are there and they might progress, depends on my mood)

Wow, this chapter was…unexpected.

A sudden burst of inspiration hit me at midnight on Saturday (Well, technically Sunday). And I was just like… "Oh, that would be an interesting way to start this chapter, then this could happen, and…"

It was probably brought on by my finding out that Gundam Seed is back on the air! Woo! Only problem is that it's on at 2 am. Oh well, Tivo is my friend. And it's only on sometimes. Every other week or something like that.

The episode 'The Descending Sword' was on. The one where the Cyclops system goes off and Kira returns to Earth. Kind of funny how this takes place right around there and it came on shortly after I started writing this chapter…

I hope you like it. I'm not really sure what to think.

Reviews dropped last chapter. So I'm sad and unhappy.

Oh! And registered reviewers get a special preview summary for the next chapter! Those that reviewed last time know what I mean.

Italics means thoughts

Bold means….other stuff.

Last time:

"Pfeh, whatever. Is the commander coming with us?"

"I don't know. Probably not, the Vesalius is his ship."

"Woot! Sign me up now!"

"Shut up Dearka."

"You're no fun. Ya know that Yzak?"

"Whatever. Athrun, when do we leave for Orb?"

"Tomorrow."

Nicol's New Fate

Chapter 9: Conversation

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"Ugh."

Nicol winced slightly as he opened his eyes, expecting the always present fluorescent lighting to aggravate them in their current state, sensitized through pain.

But there was no light; his surroundings were dim and cold.

Cautiously, he sat up; waiting to feel the same pain he'd fallen unconscious to.

It was gone, degenerated into nothing but a dull ache.

That's...not good. It means I've been out long enough for a concussion to heal. How long does that take? Where am I anyways? Last I remember, something hard and heavy hit the back of my head while I was trying to escape in the Strike. I vaguely remember waking up for a minute after that, but just as a blur.

Crimson eyes opened as he sat up, taking in his surroundings.

This is definitely not the medical ward. Oh no…

It was what he had feared and known would happen since the moment he'd been brought on board the legged ship.

He was in a cell.

Three thick metal walls fronted by a barred door enclosed him in a space no bigger then six by six feet. The only furnishings were a bed covered with a thin sheet, a sink, and an exposed toilet. All of it was made of cold metal and illuminated by a string of dim lights running along the corridor far outside of his reach. A single small surveillance camera kept watch from its mount over the empty cell facing Nicol's own.

There were no obvious locks or hinges, no possible means of escape.

And I'm alone. There are no guards or other prisoners; they left me in my own private corner of hell. THIS is what I feared would happen when I was first captured. I-I didn't want it though. I just…I want to go home.

Solitary confinement would have been hard to bear for any member of the La Creuset team, but for Nicol, a young man who thrived on making others smile and on the vividness of life, it was next to unbearable. He had stayed strong and managed to get his hopes up only to be dragged down into the despair of knowing he had not succeeded and there was no longer a possibility of escape.

Therefore it was not surprising that quiet sobs were the first sounds Kira heard as he entered the Archangel's prison level over an hour later.

He's crying.

Kira paused several cells away from his destination as a wave of guilt swamped him. He knew he'd done the right thing in protecting his friends and the Earthen Alliance, but that didn't change the fact that a boy no older then himself was miserable as a result.

The food tray felt like lead as the earthen coordinator inched forward reluctantly. I really don't want to do this, but the Lieutenant was right, I'm the only one on the Archangel who won't judge him by what he is. Even Sai, Mir, and Tolle would react differently. And Flay…well, Flay's Flay. I'm more certain now then ever before that I made the right decision last time we were at Orb. Unfortunately, she still seems to think she's my girlfriend.

Tori, mercifully silent until now, chirped quietly in his ear and fluttered its wings once, bringing him back to the present and the one he was supposed to be feeding.

Maybe…I could just slip the tray in and walk away. He seems too engrossed in his personal issues to notice and I can come back for the tray later, when he's sleeping.

Silently and without looking in the cell, Kira pushed the food tray through its slot and turned to go, relieved his plan had worked.

"Why?"

The choked whisper stopped him short.

"I read your profile, I know what you are. Why would you do this?"

It was not a question Kira could leave hanging. "Because I had no choice."

Nicol's eyes widened and he brushed the tears from his eyes, trying to regain his composure. He'd thought the other boy would laugh, mock him, yell, or at the very least refuse to speak. He would never have believed Kira would answer, no matter how unhelpful the words.

"Why didn't you have a choice?" his voice was hoarse from crying.

"Exactly because of what I am. I'll be back for the tray later."

"Birdie!"

"WAIT!"

Moving away, Kira had not noticed Nicol's eyes widen at the sight of Tori. The bird belonged to him? That made sense, as did the feeling that the bird and Athrun had something in common.

But the last time I saw Athrun was during the battle, and after what all those natural soldiers said…

"Please."

Kira jerked, startled at the pleading, scared tone. He turned and, for the first time since he'd come down, met Nicol's gaze.

"Please…what happened to my team? Did they make it? Did the Aegis?"

Wait, didn't he say he'd accessed the computer? How could he not know what happened?

But the look on his face said quite plainly that he didn't.

I shouldn't tell, but it couldn't hurt. Could it?

"Please." The quiet note of despair, the tone of a person who's lost everything, made up Kira's mind. He had been in those shoes enough times to know just how agonizing it was and how much it meant to have a single shred of hope or knowledge to hang on to.

"They made it. All of them."

"Even the Aegis?"

Kira smiled slightly, turning away. "Yes, even the Aegis. Athrun survived."

Nicol felt like a great weight had been lifted from his soul. They'd made it. And there was no eyewitness account more trustworthy then that of the person who had been trying to kill them, who would have seen them escape or die.

Oh thank you God. I'm not religious but thank God Athrun's okay. Athrun- wait a minute. His head jerked up, eyes widening. He used Athrun's name!

"Hey, hey wait!"

Kira paused partially down the hallway, uncertain.

"How do you know Athrun?"

"What! How did you…?" his face went pale in horror.

I betrayed our secret! He knows! I need to get out of here! Without a second thought, he made a beeline for the exit, fleeing Nicol's cries of confusion.

He left the prisoner gazing after him, head framed by the iron bars he was gripping.

Slowly, the young coordinator staggered back to the bed, picking up the food tray on the way. As he began to eat, he could not help but be both relieved and confused.

At least I have one definitive answer. Of course, getting it brought up even more questions.

"Oh well, the others are all right, that's what matters." Taking comfort, Nicol began to devour his lunch with a vengeance.

I haven't eaten since I was captured! And I'm sure Yamato will be back later, I can ask him again then.

Kira shuffled down a hallway towards his room in a fearful, depressed mood. I have to go back later to get the tray. What if he asks me again? I can't believe I let that slip! I've been making so many mistakes around him…

Despite his fears, Kira felt a bit better then when he'd gone down. The boy had stopped crying and his head didn't seem as badly hurt as it had looked yesterday.

I can't believe it took him a full day to recover. The medic said that was only because his body was already starved for rest from his escape attempt and this allowed him to heal entirely, but I still felt bad. It's funny how he didn't seem to notice all the bandages were gone.

"Hey Kid!" La Flaga hailed him just as he was about to enter his room.

"Sir?"

"What are you doing?"

"I just finished feeding the prisoner, sir."

"Ah." A guilty look flashed over Mwu's face. "I'm sorry about making you do that."

"Sorry?"

"Yes. I know you probably don't like him much after everything he's done and all the trouble he's caused not to mention he's a member of ZAFT, but you were the only person I could think of that will be able to remain calm no matter what he says or does.

Well, calm in the sense of not killing him. "I understand sir."

"Maybe, maybe not, but I feel bad so I decided to do something for you in return for all the grief I've helped serve you."

"I-wait, what?" Kira blinked up at him, startled. Mwu grinned at the reaction. He finally had some way to repay the boy at least a little.

"I found out Ensign Badgerule ordered you to stay onboard during our Orb visit. An order you seem inclined to adhere to in word and spirit."

"Why wouldn't I?" he couldn't help cracking a small smile when he realized the older man was teasing gently. It felt good to be back in favor and trusted.

"Heh. Both me and the captain went over the order and decided it was not within the boundaries of your existing punishment."

"Sir?" Kira could barely believe his ears. Here he'd gotten ready to be penned up on the ship the entire time, mostly likely locked up in the hangar again, and now he had shore leave? And the captain agreed?

"Well, we had to make a few concessions but you're allowed to leave the ship so long as you're back before nightfall and the rest of the punishment, namely the part where you need to do whatever Ens. Badgerule tells you to, is postponed until we leave Orb."

"Th-Thank you sir!"

"Sure kid, no prob." The blond man left him there, almost gaping in shock.

"Oh, and kid? The princess will be visiting later tonight. If you want to see her, you might want to get any other chores out of the way."

"Cagalli's coming?"

"As the princess. So be respectful."

"Yes sir."

"See you later?"

"Yes sir. On the outside."

Nicol lay on the hard bed, counting the seams in the ceiling for about the 500th time. Plenty of people talked about how painful being a prisoner was, but few ever mentioned the debilitating boredom.

It had been at least five or six hours since he'd seen anyone. So far, he'd counted everything in sight and thought about topics from his family and friends to the schematics of the Blitz. Not to mention the possible connection between Athrun and the Earthen coordinator and every imaginable way a coordinator might find themselves working for the naturals. His eventual fate managed to sink to the back of his mind where it could be ignored.

What he thought about the most was music. The intricate little black lines weaving a complex scripture of melody haunted his mind and formed themselves into songs he knew or was considering writing.

"What I wouldn't give for some paper and pens. Or at least a recording pad."

"Birdie?"

"Hm? Oh, it's you."

The small yellow and green bird stood just outside the cell door. "But you're the pet of the Strike pilot. What are you doing without your master?"

The scent of food assailed his nose. Ah, it's dinnertime.

Minutes later, the boy appeared in front of the cell. He didn't bother to hide or run like last time.

Nicol turned over but did not sit up as his captor pulled out the empty tray and pushed in a full one. He waited until Kira was a safe distance away, where he'd need to work to get back if Nicol said something to make him angry, before speaking at all.

"Hello."

Kira paused and quirked an eyebrow at the unexpected statement, turning back. "Um, hi."

"Aren't you going to wait for me to finish so you can take the tray?" Just think of some reason to keep him here.

Kira blinked several times. "Well, okay."

An awkward silence fell. Kira was scared; he wanted to apologize for all he had done but not talk about Athrun. And that topic would most certainly come up if either of them spoke much. It just feels so weird that one of Athrun's comrades, someone he knows personally, is right here.

"I'm sorry."

"What?" Why is he sorry? I'm the one that hurt him! Several times, actually.

"I said I'm sorry. I never wanted you to get hurt when I tried to escape."

Oh. "I…why are you telling me this? We're supposed to be enemies."

Nicol flinched; of this he was very much aware. "Yeah, I know. My friends in ZAFT would probably hate me for saying this, but I can't get over the fact that you saved me from that soldier and I pretty much got you court marshaled in return." He looked away, waiting for an angry affirmation.

It didn't come.

"It wasn't your fault, it was mine."

"Yours?" his head jerked back, startled. "How?"

"If I hadn't taken out your MS and captured you, you wouldn't have been in a position to try to escape. Also, I did leave the restraints on too loose. It was an accident, but," he shrugged, leaning back against the opposite wall to find a more comfortable position.

"Your superior officers didn't seem to think it was an accident."

"Yes, well, that's because of what I am. They're military; they can't help but be prejudiced no matter how nice they are. Besides, it really was my fault."

"No it wasn't."

"Yes it was."

Nicol stood up and stretched, making Kira tense slightly until he sat next to the tray with his head close the bars, watching the other boy.

"No it wasn't. I'm the one that tried to escape. It was my fault."

"But-."

"Birdie!"

"Huh? Oh, I remember that." The captive coordinator blinked at the metal creature at its new spot on Kira's shoulder. "I was looking at it when…" The uncomfortable atmosphere returned.

"Are you done with your tray?"

"What?" Nicol had been staring at the bird, not paying any attention. "I haven't even started."

"Maybe I should come back later to get it."

"No! Stay. Please."

"Why? Don't you hate me for all I've done to you?"

Hate him?

"Because I'm about ready to crack from boredom. You're the only company I've got."

Kira chuckled quietly, returning to his former spot. "I can't stay long. I'm meeting someone in about a half hour. But I'll be back with your breakfast tomorrow morning."

"Is it night already?"

"It's around 4:00 pm. Not really afternoon or night."

"How long was I out?"

"Almost a full day."

Nicol stayed silent for a few minutes, horrified. "A day? A little concussion kept me out an entire day?"

"The doctor said your body was exhausted and forcing you to sleep in order to rest your, well, everything."

"They brought a medic down?"

Kira blinked slightly, noticing two things. One was the fact that Nicol didn't seem to think this was normal behavior, implying that ZAFT forces were much rougher with their prisoners. The other was far more important; Nicol had used the omnieffective and distant 'they'. Not 'you' or 'your superior officers' or 'you guys'. 'They'.

"After you'd been out for about five hours."

Probably just wanted to make sure I was alive.

"Hm."

"Do you feel better?"

"Actually, yeah. Much."

"Good."

"Thanks, but…why do you care? I mean, like you said, we're supposed to be enemies. But I noticed from the very first time I saw you that you treated me more like a misguided friend then an opponent."

Kira's shoulders slumped. "Yeah, I know, it's just…I don't know. It doesn't matter. I'll be back later." With that said he stood up and started off down the corridor.

I guess I offended him somehow. Since when are soldiers so sensitive? Well, I guess I am, but I figured the EA forces would be…rougher, I guess. Less human.

"I'm sorry if I said something wrong."

"No, it wasn't you."

"Before you go, my name is Nicol."

Huh? Kira paused and turned, to find the captive reaching his hand through the bars almost desperately. It would not be smart to go near him, but he didn't appear very dangerous. Besides, he seemed like a good person.

"Kira." They shook, dropping hands almost instantly.

"Kira, I wanted to ask you about before. You said Aegis, then-"

Oh, I know that would come up sooner or later. Kira clenched his jaw and shifted away warily. That was not a question he was willing to answer.

Nicol picked up the response instantly. "You're not going to tell me, are you?"

He shook his head emphatically.

"Well, thanks for letting me know he's alright."

Kira flushed slightly at the rare expression of gratitude. "Sure."

"I hate to ask for a favor, but would you be willing to do something for me?"

"Does it involve escaping?"

Nicol chuckled nervously. "No, not at all."

"What is it?'

"Could you bring me paper and a pen?"

"Why?"

"For something to do when I'm stuck down here all alone."

"What?"

"It's…kind of personal."

"Well, I'm not technically allowed to and if I don't know what you're going to use it for…"

"Come on, how could I use paper and a pen to escape?"

"I don't..."

"If I told you, would you bring it?"

Kira blinked, put off by the embarrassment in Nicol's tone. Just what was he planning on doing?

"That depends on what you're going to do."

"Music. I write music. That's what I want to do." He flushed, expecting a chuckle or sarcastic comment. Not cruelty, just a jibe like his own team mates did when he mentioned his love of composing.

"I guess I could try."

"Really?" Whoa, he's actually willing to do it? Even though he should hate m? Then again, he does blame that on himself.

"But if I go get paper, you need to finish your food so that I can take the tray up."

Nicol laughed and picked up a plate, beginning to eat. "Deal."

Kira smiled. "Alright. I'll be back soon."

He left, feeling lighter and less angsty then he had in ages.

Nicol remained, still uncertain and thoughtful but elated in the fact that he'd found a fri- no, not that. Too strong a word for their situation.

He'd found someone with a kind heart who was willing to associate with him.

Not to mention bring him paper for his music.

TBC.

REVIEW!

Not great, not bad. I've been looking forward to doing that prison scene between Nicol and Kira for a while and I'm not sure I did it justice.

Heh, did anyone notice what day this is in relation to what day Athrun and the others are supposed to arrive?

XD

There have been a few other hints on what is to come, but I won't point any of them out. You'll just need to wait and see.

No explanation notes this time.

Hope you liked it!

PM/replies are forthcoming to all who review!

Not to mention, you get a free preview summary of the next chapter! (Only if you're signed in though, same goes with the reply)

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Thank you my reviewers:

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