CHAPTER 6: Reveal
"You're the best thing I never knew I needed. So, when you appeared I had no idea..."
Many heads turned to the loud clanging sound of the glass plate hitting the table. Athrun looked up at Cagalli, dazed and confused; Dearka did likewise. She glared at him with her hands gripping her hips. When their eyes met Athrun could feel the iciness emitting from her cold gaze. He felt like a puppy facing a wolf. Before he could utter a single word, she swiftly made an about face and made her way to the kitchen. The door swung violently behind her.
"What was all that about?" Dearka said cowering in his seat.
Athrun continued to look in her direction with the same dazed and confused look he had moments ago.
"I don't know..." he said.
"Well what did you do to her?" Dearka said as he sat up. "You had to do something. The way she looked at you was like death."
Athrun looked at his plate. Surprisingly, the food was still in place; a couple strips of bacon hung from the edge, but that was about all. He tried to think, but couldn't come up with a reason as to the sudden attitude given off by Cagalli.
"Weren't you two just fine?" Dearka asked. "You two have been hanging out," he did air quotes, "so what could be the problem?"
"Actually, now that I think about it...for the past two days she's been ignoring me."
Dearka leaned forward.
"Whenever I tried to contact her, she didn't respond back...and earlier when I was walking by I waved and she turned her head and kept sweeping."
"Now that I think about it, she didn't even greet us when we came in," Dearka rubbed his chin. "You say she's been distant for two days now?"
Athrun nodded.
"Maybe I should talk to her..."
"Well obviously she doesn't want to talk to you."
"Well, I want to know what's wrong. How am I going to find out if I don't talk to her?"
"Get someone else to enter the danger zone."
"Miriallia?"
"Miriallia isn't here today," Dearka said. "I actually don't know where she is. I'll talk to her for you."
"I don't think that's-"
Before he could finish Dearka was already leaning over the counter talking to Cagalli. Athrun's stomach tightened with apprehension.
Miriallia stood atop of the hill north of Orb's Central Park. She wrapped her sweater tight around her. A shiver overcame her as the violent wind swept past her.
"I should have worn a jacket," she thought.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the figure approaching behind her. She looked down at the blades of grass, watching the person's shadow inch its way closer. She looked up to the one standing beside her.
"Glad you could make it, Kira," she said dryly.
"We previously agreed to meet on this day, so please do not act so surprised."
She kept her gaze on the park below.
"I actually didn't want to meet," she stated.
Kira looked at her rather shocked, but quickly composed himself.
"And why is that?" he watched her from the corner of his eye.
Her gaze lowered and he could see sadness in her stare. Her fists tightened as she bit her lip.
"Because there hasn't been much progress...I want to help her-"
"Listen to me, she must figure things out on her own," Kira said. "Intervening may upset her or him. It may ruin things, so please give it more time. I assure you that she knows more than you think."
Miriallia looked at him and he gave her a reassuring smile.
"I'm glad that it was you that found her all of those months ago, anyone else may not have believed me."
Miriallia stood outside of her apartment building with her pepper spray in hand. The boy in front of her had his hands up defensively. Miriallia thumb was placed on the trigger as she inched closer, ready to fire.
"I mean no harm me lady," Kira said.
"Why do you keep popping up? Who are you?"
"popping up?" he repeated slowly.
"Don't act stupid!" She moved closer, he taking a step back. "You're always around. It's been weeks and you're always around! Why?"
"Tis because I saw thee with mine sister."
Athrun and Dearka were walking down the hill to the parking lot where Dearka's car was parked. Athrun hands were placed in his jacket pocket and he walked with his head hung low. Dearka was silent, and had yet to reveal what he and Cagalli discussed, but Athrun had a feeling there wasn't any good news considering Cagalli once again stormed off after their conversation. He sighed.
"Don't be so down in the dumps," Dearka said.
Dearka's walk was opposite of Athrun's. He walked carelessly with his hands behind his head as he stared up at the partly cloudy sky.
"Is there a reason I shouldn't be 'so down in the dumps?'" Athrun asked.
"You tell me," Dearka said.
Athrun stopped. "I don't follow," he said.
"Look, Cagalli told me that you were on a date with another girl. A girl named Meer."
Athrun could feel his heart hit his stomach. When and how? Athrun threw his hands in the air and began waving them around defensively.
"What? It wasn't like that, it was just a promise! She was upset that I was going out with Cagalli and I promised her that I'd do something with her."
"And Cagalli saw you. Look, you were alone with Meer weren't you, and you were alone with Cagalli a week before that right? Not to mention all of the time you've been spending with her, and then to be out with some other girl, of course she'd get jealous. She probably thought you two had something, but now feels like it was all fake-a lie."
"So, what do I do? Meer and I were out because of a promise."
"Is that all?" Dearka raised a brow.
"Yes," Athrun growled.
"Then maybe you need to prove that to Cagalli. Let her know that she's the only girl you want, because if you don't she may never know. Trust me on this."
Cagalli slowly opened her front door, not expecting any visitors during the night, or hardly ever expecting them at all if it wasn't for Miriallia, and Miriallia was at her night class. Her eyes widened when she met the emerald ones of her visitor, but they soon became slits emitting hostility. She stepped from behind the door, gently shutting it behind her. She glared at him with folded arms. He stared at her with concern. Placing his hands in his pocket, he began to kick at imaginary dirt on the carpet. His faced was flushed.
"What is it, Athrun?" she asked. "What are you doing here?"
He looked at her, but remained silent. His heart was beating loud in his chest and he wondered if she could hear it.
"Well?" she said.
"You're mad at me aren't you, Cagalli?"
It was her turn to become flushed. "No I'm not," she said as she turned her head.
"You are, and it's because you saw me with Meer this past Friday."
She was silent.
"Why does it make you mad?" he continued. "She seemed upset that I was going out with you on the day we went to the carnival. I felt bad because I don't pay her much attention anymore, not since we've been spending more time together. To make her feel better, I told her that we could do something."
"That's nice, Athrun, are you done?" Cagalli said, opening her door.
He grabbed her wrist.
"Please don't go," he said. "I don't want you to."
She looked him and her heart melted. She released her wrist from his grasp, avoiding his gaze in case she lost her resolve in his allure.
"Am I being childish?" she thought.
Yes, she thought she was, but that didn't excuse the unexplainable pain. She knew that she had developed feeling for Athrun...No...those feelings had been there since the moment she saw him. She was now sure of that, but the pain was so confusing. Why must she care so much about the matter? Was her feelings deeper than she knew?
"I don't want to go either, Athrun, but it hurt," Cagalli said. "The way she-Meer-looks at you, well..." she sighed. "You can hang with whoever you want," a smiled graced her face, but Athrun could see tears threaten her eyes. Pain twisted in his chest. "I have no say in the matter."
With that she started to step inside her apartment only to be pulled out by Athrun. She landed in between his arms. They held her stiff frame tightly. Athrun placed his face in the crook of her neck. His warm breath caused shivers to flow up and down her spine.
"I rather spend time with you over any girl, Cagalli," he whispered.
"Athrun..."
He lifted his head up, staring her in the eye. Then slowly he dipped his head to capture her lips. A familiar wave of images and sounds flooded her mind. Ignoring them, she wrapped her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss. Immediately she could see, feel and hear a scene instead of the usual snippets.
"This image..."
Instantly the knight and the princess stared at each other. A rush of longing and sorrow ran through their bodies. His mouth was open, as if he wanted to say something, and her's was formed into a frown. He watched painfully as tears welled up in her eyes, and he knew that he wouldn't be able to save her; whatever happened next, he could do nothing about.
A gasp escaped her lips as she pulled away. Athrun stared at her confused.
"They were going to kill him...we were in love, but I had to marry someone else. Yes, yes, this is what happened..."
"Cagalli?" Athrun shook her shoulders a little.
She was silent, her gaze off into some other world.
"What's wrong?" He looked behind him, but nothing was there. He hoped it wasn't his kiss. Wasn't she just into it moments ago?
Still staring into space, she whispered: "How did we get here?"
"You'd be the best thing I never knew I needed. So, now it's so clear I need you here always."
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