CHAPTER 5: Love

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"Dancing bears, painted wings. Things I almost remember…"

Miriallia paused after making her way into the apartment. Sensing her presence, Cagalli turned away from the desktop. Miriallia stood with her hand clasping the camera bag, her mouth and eyes wide. It was as if she had seen a ghost. Cagalli glared at her, waiting for a response, a greeting, something, but Miriallia's gaze was glued to the computer screen, transfixed by what was on it.

"Pregnancy Stretch Marks" headed the webpage in big, bold letters. Multiple pictures accompanied the many paragraphs on the screen. Several tabs was above the search bar, and Miriallia feared that they contained similar .

"What are you doing?" she spoke slowly, almost cautiously.

Cagalli stood up.

"I think you know," there was bitterness in her tone. "They're called stretch marks. I know now, thanks to Kira. Apparently a woman usually gets them from being pregnant."

"Kira-" Miriallia started.

"Miriallia, why did you keep this information from me? You know that I want to know about my past, and this is a big deal. What if I had a baby? What it-"

"Cagalli, calm down. Stretch marks are not necessarily from childbirth. Sometimes they're just on your body. They could-"

"Then why did you avoid the topic every time I brought it up?"

Silence hung in the air. Miriallia opened and closed her mouth repeatedly. Sounds, but no words, escaped her lips.

"You-you-you just have to trust, m-me," she gulped. "I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to freak out like you are now."

Cagalli folded her arms. She searched Miriallia's eyes. Miriallia looked away. Cagalli didn't believe her, she knew something was up. How often did Miriallia ignore similar questions? All she knew was that they are estimated to be the same age, and that she is in good health. Not to mention the amnesia.

Cagalli slowly began to walk past her, arms remaining folded, and gaze still searching her face. In the midst of walking by, she stopped by Miriallia's side.

"How can I find out if I was pregnant?" Her voice was demanding and cold. If there were passerby, they would mistake the two women for a pair of enemies, or for a bully and her prey.

"I don't know," Miriallia whispered.

"Then I'll figure it out myself," Cagalli said, making her way to her room, slamming the door behind her.

...

Athrun could see the front of an unfamiliar, giant door, but he wasn't near it. It was as if he was watching it, from far away, through a looking glass. Suddenly a boy dressed in archaic clothing-clothing Athrun had seen in textbooks-walked by. Athrun could not make out the boy's face, for a shadow covered his whole head. The boy opened the door, and behind it was a grand bedroom. Though the room was large, it contained very little furniture. A small bed was placed against the wall, a tea table sat in the middle of the room, with a couple of chairs surrounding it, and a chaise style chair was placed on the other side of the room adjacent to a wooden wardrobe.

Slowly, the boy tiptoed his way into the room. With each step the boy would look from right to left. Once he was in the middle of the room, he stopped. Slowly he spun in a circle, observing every inch of the room. Feeling dizzy, he came to a halt. Not long had passed when out of nowhere, laughter rang through the air, and that is when the door slammed shut, revealing a girl clad in a frilly, sky blue gown. Athrun couldn't see her face either. Lifting the bottom of her gown, slightly, she ran over to the boy.

She said something about her winning the game, and he denied it. She laughed again, and began poking him all over. He stifled a laugh, but he soon turned serious causing the girl to quit. He made his way towards the bed and sat down. The girl followed suit. They were quiet. The boy stared at his hands resting in his lap and the girl stared at the boy.

Moments passed before he broke the silence with a loud sigh. He turned to face the girl before telling her that he was now engaged. The girl remained silent, her head hung low. The boy began to panic. He apologized, and explained that he had no control over the matter, that his engagement was finalized the night before, and that the two of them knew they could never marry because the girl had been engaged since she was a baby, and the two of them were not of the same class. The girl stood up, pacing the floor. She knew that it was silly of them to make such a promise, but they were so little at the time.

She sat beside him. He placed a hand atop of hers. He told her that he could prolong the marriage, at least up until he became a full blown knight, so that maybe one day their parents could change their minds. She shook her head. She stated that she knew in a few years she'd have to marry the Duke of Heliopolis' son in order to retrieve the lost land. She said she wished she could marry the boy, and have all of his babies. They could inherit the boy's father's land and live happily ever after.

The two looked at each other and hugged. Athrun watched them continue to hug as the sight of them diminished. Soon they were like ants, but even so, Athrun knew they had never let go.

He sprung up from the annoying ringing coming from his clock radio. He looked at it irritably, smashing his finger against the snooze button. He pinched the bridge of his nose. What a weird dream, he thought as he rubbed his aching temple.

Looking at his clock again, he noticed that it read 9:00 am, FRIDAY. Friday. He smiled. He started to feel better thinking about what he had in store for the day.

...

Athrun checked his clothing and hair in the mirror one time before leaving out. Hair neat? Check. Nice outfit? Check. He thought he looked nice in his black jacket, green sweater and gray jeans. Keys? Check.

He turned his door knob with anticipation. As the door flew open, he was greeted by a pair of blue eyes.

"Meer?"

"Hey, Athrun," she said cheerfully, but soon frowned once she noticed he had his jacket on and his keys in his hand. "Heading out?" she asked.

"Um...yeah," he said, slowly shutting the door behind him. "Can I help you with something?" He tried to sound as polite as possible, but the fact that Meer was frequently popping up at his apartment, or invading his personal space on campus, was bothersome.

"Yes, by going out with me," she smirked. "We should go grab a bite to eat," she grabbed him by the hand. "After, we can go to this place I know that doesn't card."

Athrun pulled his hand away.

"I'm sorry, Meer, but I already have plans for today."

"Really? What are you doing?"

"I'm going to the carnival. I have to hurry. I am suppose to be meeting someone in about twenty minutes."

"Who? That blonde girl?" Meer frowned.

"She has a name, Meer, and it's Cagalli," Athrun said.

"She seems to be taking up all of your time now," she snapped. "You don't even spare me one glance anymore. You must really like this Cagalli."

Meer looked pitiful. Her gaze was strong, determined, but also sad. The glassiness of her eyes reflected her desperation. Athrun felt guilt sink in his chest. Never had he seen a girl want his attention so badly. Not from Lunamaria or Meyrin, and never from Cagalli. Perhaps that was what he liked. The fact that Cagalli doesn't ogle him like the girls from school. The attention Cagalli gave him was like a breath of fresh air, while the attention from other girls was like a smog filled room. Yet, he couldn't stand their and ignore Meer's pleading stare.

"If you want, Meer, we can do something next weekend," he said.

Her expression softened a bit and she took a moment before responding.

"Yes," she said softly. "Promise?" she stuck her pinkie out.

"Promise," he said as he hesitantly joined his pinkie with hers.

She was grinning and wide eyed, and immediately Athrun wondered what he got himself into.

...

The afternoon was filled with chatter and laughter. It had been an hour since the two arrived at the carnival, and it was the most exciting hour of their remembered lives. They rode half of the rides, Cagalli ate a bunch of Carnival goodies, and they indulged in endless carnival games.

"I can't believe you won," Cagalli said as she hugged her small, stuffed, pink unicorn. "I heard that carnie games are hard."

Athrun looked over at Cagalli and smiled. She seemed so serene, so happy. Her grin was everlasting. It warmed his heart that she was having fun.

"What would you like to do next?" he asked.

A huge grin appeared on her face; she pointed to the cotton candy machine.

...

The dark sky was lit by the city lights. The half moon was shining bright above them, and the night air was light and crisp. To them it was perfection.

Cagalli leaned against the cold railing as she watched the ground become farther away. Athrun sat quietly next to her, observing the the night sky. She sat up straight and stared at him for a while. He noticed and turned to her with a smile.

"What's up?"

She didn't say anything for a while, causing Athrun to raise a brow. She was battling her thoughts. Indecisive on what to say and how to say it. Resolving to the fact that there was hardly a good way to say it, she decided to speak.

"Do you think that we've known each other before?"

It was his turn now to be silent. His face contorted at her words, causing Cagalli's heart to sink. Instantly she regretted what she said. He must've thought she was crazy-weird. What will he say? What will happen now?

Wasn't it just a simple question? she thought. Why must I feel so worried?

"I'm not sure," he said. "But it is possible."

She relaxed.

"I think so too," she said. "I really think so. Come on, Athrun, you've said it yourself that our situation could possibly be related. We're both in Orb, we both don't have a known past, and here we are together. Does it just seem coincidental? Don't you feel that there's something deeper than just amnesia?"

She watched as his face contorted more. Moments ago he carried a calm expression, but now he looked frustrated.

"I don't know," he hissed. "And to be honest, I don't think I care that much anymore. Whatever past I had, it must have been meant to be forgotten. I can't remember a thing, but the life I'm living now is fine, so maybe it's meant for me-and you-just to move on."

Her mouth was agape and for the first time Cagalli felt herself unattracted to him. She wondered what could have possibly changed. Before he seemed curious about his forgotten life, and curious about hers too. Was he giving up so easily? Yes, it had been months, and maybe things were still unclear, but one thing was certain to Cagalli and it was the fact that she and Athrun were connected somehow. Not as they are now, but in the past...months ago before she ended up near a dumpster with only a name. She could feel it in her bones.

She continued to look at him, his head leaning back against his seat as he stared blankly at the sky. She could've said more, but their day was going so well and she wanted to replace the disappointment she now felt with the happiness she felt moments ago. So, silently, she moved closer and laid her head upon his shoulder.

"And a song someone sings. Once upon a December…"

...

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