Notes: I am ALIVEEEEEE after the release of Gundam SEED Freedom. I was so happy to hear from movie goers that AsuCaga is canon. But even so, I am quite sad that there weren't much of them in the movie. I think not even an actual conversation? But anyways, I remembered way back (maybe when I was 14 or 15 idk) when I watched GSD and I wasn't satisfied with the turn of events, I turned to fanfiction to satisfy the frustration and ended up writing something too. So… why not do it now?

I haven't watched the movie, I just saw spoilers so most of the details I've written may not be accurate LOL.

Another thing, I have Ao3 now and while ffnet (eternalasucaga) has always been where I post my AsuCaga fics, I'll also cross-post it in Ao3 (crisismoon).

Anyway, enjoy!

Athrun was tingling with excitement.

Despite the fatigue from the recent intense battle with the Foundation's army, their psychic Black Knight Squad and the long trip from space back to Orb, sleep was not the first thing that he wanted to do when got back home.

Cagalli would be meeting up with him.

He informed Cagalli that he'd be heading to Orb first before resuming work. While he grew up living in space, eventually he got used to Earth's gravity and found it oddly comforting that it kept him grounded, in a literal sense. More than Earth's gravity, Orb just seemed like the right place for him to take some needed time off instead of staying in his empty childhood residence in the PLANTs despite a closer distance to the Terminal base.

Besides, Orb was his home now. Cagalli was his home now.

Cagalli called to say that she had time after her meetings, and that she would head straight to his place a bit after dinner time. She sounded so guilty so Athrun re-assured her to take all the time she needed and that he would still wait for her to arrive. He knew that with the recent events and Orb being the target yet again of the Requiem, there is a lot to be discussed about remnants of the extremist groups, both with naturals and coordinators.

He went to the grocery store first to grab a few items to make a quick and nutritious dinner for two. He knew that she wouldn't have time to eat properly before she came to see him as she's always being pulled to something, so he'd cook something up for her.

It was a quick grocery run and he loaded the haul inside his car and got in. He got his sunglasses from the compartment drawer and put it on and revved the engine. He backed up from the store's parking lot and navigated to towards the highway.

Orange hues of the sunset filled the sky on the drive home. After the second bloody valentine, he moved from his flat where he stayed as Alex Dino and as Athrun Zala, bought a house by the beach and near Reverend Malchio's orphanage.

While he was here in Orb, Cagalli would always come and stay with him. It was rarely the other way around as Cagalli's official residence was near the parliament buildings and he'd rather not interact nor tolerate the malicious stares of some officials that had some "interesting" views about coordinators like him but hid it with fake pleasantries. More importantly, aside from their close friends, no one knew that Orb's princess and representative, Cagalli Yula Athha, was Athrun Zala's partner.

Soon, he heard less of the city noises and more of the sound of the waves crashing to the shore. Lush trees gradually replaced buildings in every direction he looked. With the change in scenery and the wind blowing on his face and passing through his hair, Athrun felt more at ease.

He reached home and unlocked the door, lugging the bag of groceries and his luggage from the mission. With how his place looked, it seemed like he had only been away for only a day. The windows were open to let in the cool breeze, fresh flowers along with dozens of mails on the table and everything was tidy. It looked like Cagalli ensured that someone checked up on the place from time to time. She never visits if he's not there anyways.

He made a mental note to thank her later and carried his luggage to the bedroom, he would attend to that later. He then removed his jacked and undid his red tie so he can cook without feeling too restricted. Right now, he needed to prepare their dinner.

He started by washing the vegetables and pulling out the knife. As he chopped the vegetables, he chuckled at the memory of the last time they were here, where Cagalli almost burned down the kitchen by attempting to surprise him with a beef stew. How she managed to wreak chaos to that extent, he didn't know. Good thing she was safe, lest receive the ire of a whole nation. Unlike Cagalli, he was a decent cook and could whip something edible so there was no need for a fire extinguisher at the ready.

How long has that incident been? When he left for the mission, she told him she'd get the kitchen repaired. It looked brand new when he came realized that was over two months ago.

Athrun wasn't a needy person. He always kept people around him at arm's length ever since the Junius 7 incident. With the current climate of never-ending conflicts, he felt like it was unnecessary to forge very close relationships where he gets comfortable enough to open to another person. Either they would grow apart like what happened with Kira or they would lose their life in war. These weren't anything new to him and he'd rather not undergo through that agony repeatedly.

But somehow, when he met Cagalli and started to fall for her, things changed for him. For the first time after Junius 7, he found himself wanting to cut the distance between him and another person. He was surprised with himself that he was so drawn to her like a moth to a flame. He wanted to know more about her, to touch her and open himself up to her. He hoped that she felt the same about him. He now understood why some people couldn't bear being away from the one they love. Why people felt longing ache in their heart during times spent apart. She had become his most important person.

If this was him over a year ago, he would have been frustrated by all this. He would have preferred to be by Cagalli's side if he could help it. The days with Cagalli seem to fly by so quickly while the days without her seemed excruciatingly long. While they did contact each other while he was away, most of the time it would be brief, and it wouldn't compare to being with her physically.

The "him" right now had to endure. Their relationship wasn't like what Kira and Lacus had. Cagalli is carrying such a big responsibility running a country and he didn't dare insist on his selfish desires. He knows that he is not Cagalli's top priority right now and he accepts that. He is proud to look at her forging ahead, looking at everyone, not just him. Her vision for the future and how she wants to take everyone there. It was awe-inspiring to see her, her body looking so small and fragile, standing in front of a lot of people with expectations from her. Even so, she was speaking with so much conviction, carrying the hopes and aspirations of many in the reconstruction efforts post the war. He found wanting to support her every single step of the way. Right now, what he could only do was to share her burden and try to help her as much as he can, in ways that only he can do.

He had finished cooking the meal and smiled to himself, satisfied with what he made. It was baked chicken and stir-fried vegetables and it looked and tasted okay. He proceeded to transfer the food into two plates and set up the table, which made him feel a bit giddy. Truly, sometimes happiness can be found in simple things like sharing a meal with another person.

Cagalli was scheduled to arrive in an hour or so. He hadn't received a message from her yet, which meant that she still isn't finished with work. But it didn't matter to him if she arrived later than what she promised him, he still wanted to eat dinner with her. He put a food cover on the plates, knowing that he'll probably need to reheat it later.

Since it was still a bit early, he decided to unpack some of his belongings and start the laundry, possibly shower, and change into more comfortable clothing.

He was about to enter the bedroom when he heard the front door click. He didn't even have the time to react because the door opened and it was none other than Cagalli who walked in, wearing her dark magenta Orb representative suit. She looked worn out and done for the day but when she saw him, her face immediately lit up.

"Athrun!"

"Cagalli!"

Before she could get in another word, Athrun already ran to her and wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight. She was surprised by the force, but it wasn't enough to lose her balance and fall to the ground. She smiled in his embrace before returning the gesture with the same fervor.

"Welcome home, Athrun. You worked hard." She said in a very gentle voice, and it filled Athrun with so much warmth. How he realized that he longed to hear her say that to him again. He made the right decision to head back, even if it was just for a few days because nothing compares to this. He couldn't describe the happiness he felt, being so close to her.

"I missed you, Cagalli. So much." He said back, tightening his hold on her, savoring the moment. He missed everything about her. The scent of her shampoo, the feel of the fabric of her clothes, the little hint of perfume on her neck, the way she relaxed when he enclosed her into a tight hug, the beating of her heart and the warmth that he felt when he's around her.

"I missed you too." She said and buried her head into his chest and spoke in a muffled voice. "I was able to finish earlier than expected so I headed here immediately."

"Thank goodness." Athrun tilted his head and gave her a kiss on the back of her head.

They stayed like that for a while before deciding to let go of each other. Athrun begrudgingly released his grip but was rewarded with Cagalli looking at him with twinkling eyes before closing it. His gaze softened, knowing what she wanted, and leaned down for a quick kiss on the lips.

"Have you eaten yet?" He asked.

She nodded and made a sniffing gesture, which Athrun found incredibly adorable. "You cooked?"

He shook her head yes and she sighed in relief. "Thank goodness. I haven't eaten properly since this morning. I made sure I was done with everything before I went here and I didn't get a chance."

Athrun felt a pang of guilt that Cagalli stretched herself just to come here but good thing he already had something to make up for it. "Good work today." He gave her a pat on the head. "Then, let's eat?"

They sat down at their dining table and talked during dinner. The conversation started with Athrun asking Cagalli how here day was. She talked about all the discussions they've been having about how to proceed moving forward. Orb was the target of the Requiem for a second time after all. Even citizens have started to feel some sort of unrest, some protests have been held. A lot of talks about strengthening their military strength further, balancing this with the reconstruction efforts. If it were to Cagalli, weapons would be the last thing they needed but it was necessary to protect their nation.

Athrun also filled her on some of the things that happened after the battle with the Foundation. Of course, she already knew most of the details of that since she had been included in the de-briefing, but it was also good to hear some additional information from the man that went undercover himself. She also asked about how the others were, not just Kira and Lacus, but their other comrades in COMPASS and Terminal.

"I couldn't imagine what would happen if everything went according to their plan…." Cagalli trailed off, relieved that they were defeated and wouldn't throw the world into chaos. "It's a good thing they were stopped before irreversible damage could happen."

Athrun reached out to her hand across the table and squeezed it to reassure her. "Don't worry about them anymore."

She agreed and he noticed her exhaustion. He stood up and started to clear the table. "By the way, do you want to take a bath? I'll clean up first here."

"I'll help." She got off her chair and went to help him, but he shook his head.

"It's fine, I'll take it from here. You go and relax."

But of course, she stubbornly refused and grabbed the plates from him. "Then you go and relax. You had a very long trip after all."

He chuckled at that, there was no helping it, she wouldn't budge. "Okay, then let's do it together."

She was more agreeable with that arrangement. They washed in comfortable silence, with Athrun washing the dishes with soap and Cagalli rinsing them off with cold water. They could have opted to use the dishwasher instead, but they prefer doing it this way. Athrun liked it because they were like a married couple doing chores together. He once told Cagalli that and she whacked him in embarrassment.

Pretty soon, all the cooking tools, plates, glasses, and utensils they used were hung cleanly in the dishwasher rack to dry.

"All finished!" Cagalli clasped her hands together, looking proud of what they did. "I'll go ahead."

"Alright." Athrun nodded, mounting the damp towel he used to wipe the kitchen counter on the metal bar. "I started the bath before we washed the dishes, so there should be enough water in there now for you to soak into."

"Ahh you're such a lifesaver! Thanks, Athrun." She leaned up and gave him a kiss on the cheek, surprising him.

"Just on the cheek?" He raised his brow and sighed dramatically. "After I cooked dinner and prepared the bath?"

Cagalli rolled her eyes, because he was teasing her again, but leaned up again to give him a quick peck on where he wanted anyways. "There, happy?"

He nodded looking smug and satisfied.

Athrun opened the bathroom door, startling Cagalli a bit but she didn't really say anything much. She was already soaked in the tub looking so relaxed and refreshed. Her head resting on the tub's edge. He smiled when he saw that she was enjoying herself and started to undress.

That seem to have caught Cagalli's attention. "W-what are you doing?"

With the way his face changed you'd think she'd asked her such a strange and unusual expression, but continued what he was doing, nonetheless. He now stood before her with no article of clothing on him. "Taking a bath." He stated matter-of-factly.

"Huh?" Now it was her turn to look bewildered and perhaps a bit shy because her eyes averted away from him. "But I'm still here…"

"I know." He went into the shower area, beside the tub and started to wash his hair and body before joining her in the tub.

"Aren't you going to wait until I'm finished?" She asked, feeling a bit conscious. Her voice lowering by a bit.

"What are you being so shy for?" He tilted his head, some foam of shampoo dropping to the cold tiles, appearing so confused with the question. "It's not like we haven't seen each other many times na-"

"Aaaah fine do what you want!" Athrun was sure it wasn't the warm bath, but Cagalli's face and ears flushed in a shade of red. She also sank lower in the tub as if to signal that she gave up arguing and he was indeed free to do whatever he pleased. It was too cute and Athrun appreciated that while Cagalli appeared to many as a hot-headed, stubborn, tomboy-ish, and free-spirited leader of Orb, she also had this side of her that was also as incredibly charming. She's very sweet for the people she cares about and is very much like a normal girl when it comes to the matters of love.

He was so happy that he had the privilege to see this side of her and he will always cherish it, but that won't stop him from coaxing her into making all these adorable expressions.

He grinned and teased her more. "Besides, we have limited time together so if we take baths separately, then it means we have even less time to spend together."

"You're so clingy." She complained and rolled her eyes but his argument did make sense after all.

"I always have been, haven't I?" He stuck out his tongue before washing the shampoo off his head.

She didn't get off the bath and was obviously waiting for him because she scooted forward, signaling to him to take the space behind her. Her face was half submerged in the water she started to make water bubbles out of boredom.

After he finally rinsed off the soap from his body, he then proceeded to join her in the tub, a bit of water flowed out when he submerged most of his body in the warm bath. Cagalli then leaned on him, her head and damp hair resting on the top of his chest. Athrun wrapped his hands around her arms to pull her close.

"So shameless." She muttered but didn't seem to hate it as she relaxed in his touch. What she was saying was completely opposite to what her actions were telling Athrun, which amused him to say the least.

"Thank you for your patience."

They stayed there for a few moments and talked about various things. How was Athrun's trip home, what did he do before Cagalli arrived, how the kitchen was fixed and any other things they thought about that that moment. At some point, they both stopped talking and just stayed still for a couple of minutes, listening to the sound of water droplets coming from the shower head.

Athrun leaned forward a bit, his lips so close to her ear whispered about how happy he was that he came to see her. Letting his hot breath tickle her ear and he watched her ears turn red again. She jolted a bit and sat upright, slightly turned to face him, he could see the shimmer of the platinum chain that held the ring that he gave to her over a year ago.

"Athrun stop that, it tickles." She pouted, her fingers gently rubbing the offended ear.

"Okay, okay I won't do it again. Come back." He laughed playfully and opened his arms to invite her back to her previous position.

"No." It was her turn to tease him and kept some distance between them. "By the way, I have a question." She started to look a bit more serious, which always made Athrun nervous, being the overthinker that he was.

"What is it?" His tone was gentle, urging her to continue. It may be just in his head, like always.

"During the last battle, when I was remotely controlling the Justice…" She trailed off and looked at him. When she saw that he was waiting for her to finish, she carried on. "What were you thinking back then?"

"Hmm?" He asked, his face painted the innocence of a saint.

Cagalli pouted again, slightly frustrated. He knows what she meant but he still wanted her to spell it out for him. So difficult! She groaned inwardly. "Your opponent had a lot to say and some of them transmitted to me… He said you had shameful thoughts." Then she leaned closer towards him, looking at him as if she were interrogating him. "What shameful thoughts were you thinking about?"

"Aahh…" Athrun paused briefly, he knew she was going to smack him when she knew. "You really want to know?"

She rolled her eyes. "That's why I'm asking!"

"Well, okay…" He cleared his throat then continued. "The Black Knight Squad are tricky to fight with since they don't play fair and read the minds of their opponents, right? Shura is the type of person that hates women, unreasonably. I'm not sure why he does though. Since their abilities quite annoying and this information I got about Shura, I needed to find a way to throw them off. The sensible thing was to think of you."

"Oh." She was listening intently and was taken aback at the last part of his answer, seemingly confused. "Was his vitriol to that extent that just a vision of a woman made him react like he did?"

"Aah, don't get mad but… there's more. It wasn't just thinking of you, but rather I was thinking about you like this, in this state…" He grabbed her and looked at her and his eyes travelled from her face, downwards.

Once Cagalli realized what he was alluding to, she blushed profusely, so much so that steam would probably come out of her ears if it was physically possible. To distract the enemy, he needed to show the image on his mind, and this was it? "AAATHRUUUUUUN! WHAAAAAAT? WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?" Her scream was so piercing that he had no choice but to cover his poor eardrums.

She splashed him repeatedly with the water from the tub. When he tried to speak and explain, he'd end up shutting up because a barrage of water was after him. "Pervert! Pervert! Pervert! Pervert! Pervert!" She said over and over again, while she moved her arms at turbo speed.

She finally stopped when there she realized that she almost had no water to throw at him. It seemed like she went for a run because she was panting a little.

When she attempted to attack him with little water that was left, Athrun lightly grabbed her both of her arms with his. "Don't get mad anymore. I'm sorry for letting him see you like that." He did look a bit apologetic but then he muttered. "That was supposed to be only for my eyes anyways."

"You're not really sorry." She hmphed.

"I am."

"You're such a pervert."

"Hai, hai."[1]

"You're so annoying."

"Hai, hai."

"Clingy."

"Hai, hai."

"Shameless."

"I'm sorry. I really needed him to lose his cool to make a counterattack. Can you forgive me?" If anyone else saw the expression on his face, they'd have the shock of their lifetime. Who would have known that the stoic, always cool and distant Athrun Zala could look so pitiful and cute like this?

She really couldn't stay mad at him and sighed exasperatedly. "Fine. I forgive you." She's defeated again. How could she stay mad when he's looking at her like an abandoned puppy? It's not like there wasn't a need for him to do it anyway. "Let's step out of the bath?"

Cagalli finished drying her hair and applying skin products. Wearing one of Athrun's shirts and a comfortable pajama, she stepped out of the bedroom to find him in the sitting long end of their L-shaped sofa, with a towel hung across his shoulders. He was so focused on watching the news, but when he heard her enter, he smiled as he patted the space in between his legs, motioning to her that he wanted to cuddle with her, and she obliged.

When she sat down, he then snaked his arms around her waist and put his chin on her shoulders and continued to watch the television. "You smell really good." He remarked.

Whenever it was just the two of them, Athrun was extremely touchy with her. He knew she didn't mind as she liked being held by him. Seeing couples all around him a few days ago made him feel a tinge of jealousy. He was happy for them of course, but he wished that Cagalli was also there with him. Now that he's here, he's taking advantage of it.

"You're like a koala today." Cagalli noted, rubbing his palms.

"Just recharging." He lazily leaned his head on her back and sighed. "Tomorrow you'll be off to a conference in Southern region, right? And I'll be going back in a few days, so I must take my fill of you while I can. I have to charge my Cagalli battery or else I'll fail the next mission."

"You're so silly…" Her voice trailed off, now laced with guilt. "I'm sorry I have to leave so soon..." She turned around to face him and wrapped her hands around her neck and pushed him down to lie on the sofa. "I wish I could have stayed longer."

When she finally got up to look at him, she was met by warm green eyes, looking at her lovingly. He cupped her cheeks to make sure she was seeing that his emotions are genuine. "Don't apologize, it's okay. Even if it's just for a bit, I'm happy that you came to see me today. That's really what I feel."

"I see..." she put her hand on top of the one on her cheek and smiled. "I'll always try to make time for you, even if it's difficult."

"The misunderstandings that happened with Kira and Lacus recently…" He thought carefully about what he wanted to say. "I don't want that to happen to us. I always want you to know that I understand our situation is different and that is completely fine with me. I'm serious with what I said before, I will wait for you… no matter how long it takes. No matter where I go, I'll always come back here, to you. You know that right?" He took her hands and gently kissed it.

Cagalli nodded, feeling reassured. "I know. Thank you, Athrun. Please wait for me and always come back… to me." She lay down beside him and nuzzled her head on his chest.

When he gave her the ring and left for PLANTs, his impatience and frustration was the driving force. He wanted to know what he could do to prevent a second war. He thought that if he could help prevent it, then he would be able to return to Cagalli, remove the pressure of marriage and things would remain the same between them.

Now, he realizes that things are not that simple. The inevitable has happened and they're still on a fight to ensure that history won't repeat himself. Cagalli has a duty to her country, he respects that and doesn't want to rush. He doesn't want to make her choose. He'd hate himself for it if he did. He is content with these brief moments of respite before they go back to their respective duties. While it might take a while, he knows that when the time comes, the wait will wipe away all the loneliness that he's already been enduring.

The television was still on but neither of them were paying attention. Cagalli had been idly playing with the fabric of his shirt, perfectly content. Athrun had his eyes closed, but he wasn't asleep, he was caressing her hair with his free arm.

He noticed that Cagalli got up, and when he opened his eyes, she was leaning so close to him, her lips almost touching his. "Athrun, I love you." She said in barely a whisper and pressed her lips to his.

Athrun didn't even have the chance to say it back properly because once she initiated the kiss, he just felt a dizzying sensation overcome him, making him want more. When she pulled back, he quickly captured her lips again and before they knew it, the kiss had gotten so much intense that they had to pull back for air.

He quickly shifted their position so that he was on top of her. Her face was flushed, like the image that he always had in his mind. With his elbows supporting him, he affectionately tucked some loose hair behind her ear. He took a good look at his special someone and he touched his forehead with hers. He couldn't see the expression that she had right now, only the warm breaths that she let out. Cagalli then put her hands on neck, gently massaging it.

"I love you." He said in a hushed tone, and he dove back in for another mind-numbing kisses. This time, Cagalli's left hand clasped Athrun's right one.

Once they parted, Athrun had to hold himself back before he lost control. Instead, he rested his head on her shoulder blade and took a deep exhale to calm himself down.

"What's wrong?" Cagalli, even while breathless, seemed to sense that he was having a dilemma.

Athrun lifted his head to face her. Her face had taken on a tint of pink. "I'm sorry. Any more of this and I won't be able to stop." He confessed.

Cagalli then smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck, "Then don't." She almost successfully pulled him down for another round of kisses, but he asked. "Then should we…?" His eyes darted over to the direction of the bedroom.

"We can stay here." She said before leaning up to capture his lips yet again.

In this house by the shore, he was just Athrun and she was just Cagalli. Here, Athrun wasn't the son of the ex-Chairman of PLANTS that harbored so much hate that he wanted to wipe off a whole race. Here, Cagalli wasn't a politician running a country, riddled with so much challenges and responsibilities. In this little world of their own, they were just two people in love spending precious moments together.

Tomorrow, they will go back to their respective duties, but just for tonight, they'll allow themselves to be a bit selfish.

Today, "shameless delusions" that Athrun had been harboring for months were no longer delusions.

[1] Sorry I needed to replace it by the Japanese word because it doesn't make much sense for him to say "Yes, yes" and I feel like "Hai, hai" is gentler and that Athrun's more agreeable to whatever Cagalli was saying to him.