Phase 02: A Brief Respite
Cagalli arrived after an hour's drive at the remote location where Kira and Lacus now settled in. Their residence was accessible via a private tunnel that had been constructed to transport key officials with heightened security. Since Cagalli didn't want anyone to be on her tail, she took this route when visiting them.
The house was situated in the coast of a private island. She could hear waves crashing on the shore as she got out of the car and walked towards the porch. It looked like a very unassuming vacation house, but she had it equipped with bulletproof windows and walls, state of the art security system and an underground shelter that would protect the inhabitants from any mobile suit attacks, even those with bombing equipment. All this extra mile due to Gilbert Durandal's prior attempt to assassinate Lacus.
Athrun's mobile suit was also here, and it stood to almost intimidate anyone else who would have seen it. The sight of it made Cagalli smile. She happy to spend time with all of them, just like the old times when she and Athrun had the time to visit Kira and Lacus before the second war started. After that, it was very rare that they were all together like this again. She looked forward to visiting them even more now that they have welcomed a new member of the family.
Soon after the battle with the Foundation, Kira and Lacus got married, with only a few people present. With the two of them finally getting to clear the air and strengthening their resolve to be with each other forevermore, it had been the natural thing for them to tie the knot already. It was small, intimate ceremony. Cagalli shed tears witnessing the two of them profess their undying love and vows to each other.
After a while, Lacus got pregnant. It would have been easy for them to come out of hiding and integrate back into society if it were only the two of them, but now with a child in the picture it would be more difficult. She had heard that when she and Kira were born, Blue Cosmos set out to kill Kira. They failed, but at the cost of the life of their biological parents. She can only imagine what the lengths that the Blue Cosmos would go just to eliminate Kira and Lacus' child.
So, they all agreed that for now, they would keep hiding since the threats on Kira and Lacus' lives haven't completely gone and introducing a child that was a half-accord to the world might open another pandora's box.
Climbing up the porch, Cagalli decided to brush all her worries away for now. She was here to unwind and spend time with the people she loved the most.
Opening the door, she was greeted with a very eager scream.
"Auntie Cagalli!" A little boy excitedly ran up to her, giggling while he did.
"Cagalli-san!" She heard Lacus exclaim as well.
Cagalli also heard a barrage of Lacus' haros bouncing around, their ears flopping and a cacophony of "Haro! Haro!" in robotic voices surrounded them. What a lively and chaotic home.
Cagalli knelt and opened her arms. When the boy was within reach, she enveloped him in a tight hug and swayed from side to side. The child in her arms was elated to say the least. "My cute angel Ren, how are you?"
She let go of the hug to take a good look at her nephew, Ren Yamato. He was Kira and Lacus' 2-year-old son. Aside from his pink hair, which was a bit darker than Lacus', he was a carbon copy of Kira. He even got Kira's eye color too. She hadn't seen him for a while, so it looked like he'd grown a bit again.
"Auntie Cagalli is here!" Ren hugged his Auntie again, making her heart melt. She missed his nephew a lot and felt bad that she didn't have much time to see him that often. "Let's play! Many toys! Look!" He demanded and pointed to an area where there was a pile of toys. He was talkative, and his speech was more advanced than other toddlers his age. Which might not be too surprising, considering that he's an offspring of the only ultimate coordinator and Accord in existence.
Cagalli wanted to oblige and spoil her precious little nephew, but Lacus cut in their little reunion. "Ara ara, Ren, let Auntie Cagalli eat dinner first, then you can play as much as you want. Is that alright?"
"Want to play…" Ren pouted as he looked at his mom, but became a bit meek after Lacus told him he couldn't play yet.
Lacus got down to meet Ren's eyes and patted his head. "I know you miss her, but Auntie Cagalli must be hungry after working all day."
Ren was still making a face but gave in. "Okay…" But he still clung to Cagalli.
Cagalli lifted him up as she stood up, getting a squeal from him. "Alright then! I'll eat fast so we can play! Okay?"
"Yay!" Ren raised his arms in delight.
"Okaeri Cagalli." Kira, with Torii perched on his shoulder, greeted her. He had a very relaxed expression on his face, completely different from how he was years back. He no longer had the burden of the whole world on his shoulders.
He was followed by Athrun who met her gaze first and give her a gentle smile, indicating that he was glad to see her here. She wouldn't say it out loud but that made her heart warm.
"Good work today Cagalli." Athrun said in a very earnest voice.
"Kira, Athrun." She could only give them a nod of acknowledgement because Ren was getting more excited seeing more people come together in the same room and she was trying to hold him, so he won't suddenly fall off in her arms.
It seemed like the two men came from in Kira's office, probably discussing something related to work. Even though Kira declared MIA in the eyes of the world, he still able to work for Morgenroete. While Athrun was mostly involved in the robotics aspect of the work, Kira had still been the one doing the programming of their machines. This arrangement of Kira never having to appear onsite worked because Athrun was there in his place. Athrun would give him all the observations and feedback so Kira could change the re-write the OS accordingly.
"Is Aunt Caridad and Uncle Haruma here?" Cagalli asked, wanting to greet Kira's parents as well. Once Lacus got pregnant and gave birth, Caridad moved in to help her around the house and with the baby as well. Haruma visited frequently as he still had his job.
"They went to visit another relative." Kira answered. "So today, it'll be just us."
They all sat on the dining table where food was lovingly prepared by Lacus. There were tons of dishes set, some of which were what Cagalli liked to eat. Cagalli chucked inwardly. Once again, it seemed like Lacus prepared a feast for a dozen people. She should have been used to it by now, but she wasn't.
"Lacus… This is too much for four people and a toddler." Athrun pointed out, his eyes scanning the amount of food on the table. There was smoked ham, vegetable dumplings, shrimp gambas, stuffed chicken, cabagge rolls and a lot of side dishes. He wondered how Lacus was able to prepare all of this in the time that he and Kira discussed some work-related matters. Could this be an ability of Accords? It's terrifying.
"Ara, you two can take some home if you'd like." Lacus offered.
"Okay!" Cagalli immediately took up the offer.
"It's also rare for you two to come by, so Lacus went all out." Kira added, knowing how Lacus really liked cooking for the people she cared about.
"Let's eat!" Ren squealed and ate from a smaller plate that Lacus had prepared for him.
"Amazing Ren, you're eating vegetables!" Cagalli gave him a praise seeing that he ate what was on his plate.
Ren nodded, happily stuffing food in his mouth. "Is Ren good boy?"
"Yes, you are a good boy!" She ruffled his hair, which made him giggle.
"Ren, careful. Your food will spill." Kira wiped the area near his mouth with a bib.
"How is everything Cagalli-san?" Lacus asked her while she kept an eye on Ren, making sure he didn't make too much of a mess while they let him eat on his own.
"Very busy as usual." Cagalli sighed, remembering all the work she needs to do for tomorrow. "A lot of events are lined up for the next few days so we're scrambling our heads making sure everything is done. There's also urgent bills that we need to pass so those are also on the top priority too."
"You're going overseas to attend the ball in the Kingdom of Scandinavia, right?" Lacus clasped her hands together, looking excited. "What dress would you be wearing? Do you have a photo? I want to see!"
"It's a dress alright. It's green…I think?" Cagalli was somewhat unsure if she remembered it right. "I don't think I have a photo though…"
"That's too bad…" Lacus seemed disappointed.
"Too bad!" Ren and the haros repeated after her.
The two women were polar opposites in some things. While Lacus was gushing about the ball and Cagalli's attire, Cagalli on the other hand was frowning, thinking about the pain of dressing up and all. Athrun was observing them and couldn't help but feel amused at the expressions the person he adored was making.
"Auntie Cagalli dress! Want to see!" Ren also exclaimed, tapping the utensils in his hands in excitement. "Green dress! Uncle Athrun's eyes! Green too!" All of them were amused that Ren was able to connect that Athrun's eyes were also green.
Athrun was chewing on his cabbage roll and nodded silently. He too wanted to see Cagalli in a dress. He also felt happy that Ren made this comment about the dress being the same color of his eyes. What a good kid.
"You want to see me in a dress?" Cagalli asked the little boy again to which he nodded enthusiastically. "Alright, then I'll send you a photo so you can see."
Unfair. Athrun thought inwardly. He also wanted to have a photo of her in the dress, but he kept it to himself.
"Some members of COMPASS are accompanying you as an escort, right?" Kira chimed in when the laughter died down. He picked up some chunks of food that Ren dropped on the floor before speaking again. "Would the representative be Shinn?"
"Yes, I believe so. Several others will also be there. But I believe Shinn is assigned to escort me." Cagalli confirmed after she composed herself. For the ball, key people like herself were going to be accompanied by not only her personal security, but an envoy from COMPASS. High government officials from all over the globe would be attending the event and there was a high risk of a terrorist attack or clashes between different nations. As such, COMPASS had to be there to monitor the situation, just in case the situation gets dire.
"Send him my regards. I hope he's doing well." Kira hasn't seen Shinn in a while, and he knew is junior was extremely worried about him. He felt bad for suddenly disappearing on his squad after the battle with the Foundation. But it couldn't be helped, it took a while before the situation calmed down.
"Of course. I'll relay the message to him. I'm sure he'll be happy to hear from you." Shinn visited them but it was already a long time since then since COMPASS headquarters was quite far from where they were now. Cagalli lets people close to Kira and Lacus visit but under very tight security and they can't go all at once. She understands that it must get very lonely for them so she makes sure that their friends can drop by.
"Shinn and Lunamaria can come visit anytime. I know Shinn is always excited to come and be doted on by Kira." Lacus chimed in and was already thinking of what she would prepare for the two of them should they indeed take the trip.
"Sheesh, Shinn is truly like a puppy when it comes to you Kira." Athrun commented. Until now, he still hasn't gotten along with Shinn and when they see each other, it sometimes ends in bickering or a fight. They don't hate each other, but they can't help but clash because Shinn usually tests his patience.
"Omae…" Cagalli sighed seeing that Athrun acting childish again, especially with Shinn. They have tried many ways to have the two of them have a friendly relationship, but it never works well.
"Are you coming with them too, Athrun?" Kira asked.
"To the ball?" Athrun clarified to which he received a nod from Kira.
"I'm not. I'm not part of the security team for the event. Besides, we're reaching the final phases of testing the new Murasame units, so I'll be heading back to Morgonroete in a few days.
Lacus put down her fork looking mischievous and turned to her sister-in-law. "If that's the case, Cagalli-san, you should send a photo of you in a dress to Athrun as well. I'm sure he also wants to see you wearing one."
"Lacus!" Athrun choked in horror while Lacus giggled innocently. He was stumped and couldn't say anything else. He was pretty sure she read his thoughts from moments ago. Damn it, he was reminded again of the unique abilities of Accords. Well, at least he was comforted that Lacus used these skills for light-hearted reasons instead of taking over the world like what that crazy scientist, Aura Maha Khyber, had planned for her.
"Ehhh? Uhm… Err…" Cagalli blushed in embarrassment and looked at an Athrun who was also in the same state. Kira and Lacus started to laugh. They loved teasing these two when they could. How could they not when these two still act like teenagers at times?
"Ara, ara. That's too bad that Athrun won't be able to go." Lacus tease them again after fits of laughter. "I'm sure that a lot of attendees there would ask Cagalli-san for a dance if Athrun isn't there to fend them off."
Kira joined in. "We've been seeing the news, you've been such a hot topic recently, Cagalli. You've really become a celebrity."
"Ahh… that…" Cagalli didn't want to be reminded of what has been going around in the media and even on the internet. At first when it came out that she was attending the ball, for some strange reason there were speculations that maybe the Prince of Scandinavia has chosen a bride.
The bride that the public speculated? It was Cagalli, unfortunately.
That wasn't true though. But she was one of the few of the guests that wasn't married or didn't have any partner that the public knew. Frederik was also in the same boat. As the ball would also be a celebration of the coronation of the Prince of Scandinavia, it was an event that was highly talked about internationally. And the topic of the future King of Scandinavia being betrothed came about.
It didn't help that there were some media that had the chance to interview Frederik at another event and he joked "Ahh, I've known Representative Athha for a long time now. Her dedication to Orb, her tenacity, intelligence and beauty. Anyone would feel honored to be betrothed to her, myself included."
What was he thinking? Why would he say such a thing?
Now the media was abuzz with that topic. The Prince of Scandinavia and the Princess of Orb? A modern fairy tale among royalty. It was everywhere. The news, papers, tv shows… You name it. Even the public was also speaking on the matter on various social networks providing their support for this union. With the public reception, even Orb officials suggested how this was union was a good symbol of alliance between the two nations, which Cagalli firmly rejected.
"You had to remind me…" Cagalli massaged her temple, thinking about all the interviews and request from the press she had to turn down, especially when it was just for that topic. She had no time for trivial matters like that.
Kira and Lacus both turned to Athrun with knowing looks. As they predicted, he looked a bit peeved. He never liked it when there were other men looming around her. Take for example Yuna Roma Seiran. He never said anything, but he was incredibly vexed with his existence especially when Yuna taunted him with the difference in their positions.
Athrun then cleared his throat and spoke. "Maybe I should ask Erica-san to move the testing phase so I can attend as part of the security…" He mused out loud.
Of course, Kira and Lacus made the joke now that Athrun wouldn't give such a visceral reaction like he would years back. He was still possessive and jealous but now he was able to rein in his emotions and was more confident in himself and Cagalli's affection for him.
"Oy Athrun! W-what are you saying? Don't s-slack off!" Cagalli would be more self-conscious with Athrun around, so she discouraged him from going. Besides, she thought that it would be hard for other people to approach her, especially when she knows he'll be glaring at anyone who dares ask her for a dance or even those that want to talk to her. She didn't like dancing, but of course such was a normal course of events for a ball!
"Nee, nee, Auntie Cagalli, let's play!" Ren tugged on her sleeve when he noticed that her plate was already empty. He already ate all his own food but waited for his Auntie to finish her plate.
Cagalli wiped her mouth with a napkin and gulped the remaining water on her glass before she stood up and let Ren pull her off to where the haros and his toys were all splayed out in the floor.
They played for a good hour, with Athrun being dragged along. Kira and Lacus cleaned up the table and washed the dishes. Athrun wanted to help but Kira told him they both could relax and spend more time with Ren.
"Auntie Cagalli, carry me!" Ren raised his arms out and Cagalli swiftly grabbed him to spin him around, resulting in a lot of laughs from her adorable nephew.
"Oy, be careful Cagalli." Athrun being the worry wart that he is, was concerned that Cagalli might drop him, or she might trip so he was following their movements, trying to predict what would happen next.
"Want Uncle Athrun to fly you around?" Cagalli asked, panting after a few spins. It was tiring work to play with a toddler after all!
Ren nodded and gleefully said. "I'm a Gundam! Time to fly!" Athrun wanted to scold Kira and Lacus because why does a two-year old toddler know about such kinds of things? But before that, he had to pour his attention to Ren, who was starting to whine that he wasn't being lifted.
After some thought, Athrun put Ren over his shoulders and decided to play along. Athrun adjusted him and held him so that he wouldn't fall. "Now Ren, you're a gundam pilot now, so shall we chase around the enemy?" He said this while looking at Cagalli, who was trying to take a break.
"Yes! Let's go!" Ren wiggled his legs, but it was no problem for Athrun, and he held him firm. Athrun then tried to charge at Cagalli, while clutching Ren and steering clear from the toys that were on the floor.
"Hey stop that! I want to take a break first!" It was mostly directed to Athrun now that Cagalli realized that she was the target now. But she didn't want to disappoint Ren, so she had no choice but to play along. So, the three of them were running all around the house, with Cagalli trying to escape them but Athrun expertly catching up and cornering her most of the time, much to Ren's enjoyment.
"Athrun! Stop it!" Cagalii was lightly panting as she begged him to cut the chase short as she was getting exhausted. The haros were also bouncing around them, as if cheering Athrun and taunting her.
"Catch Auntie Cagalli!" Ren insisted in delight. He was having fun being carried on his uncle's shoulders. It was a rare thing for him.
"You heard him, Cagalli. I need to catch you." Athrun apologetically smiled at her. He also couldn't say no now to his nephew.
Kira glanced from wiping the dishes and saw Ren was all smiles as he spent time with Athrun and Cagalli. The three of them got along well. Ren probably likes the energy that his Auntie Cagalli has whenever she played with him. While Athrun was more reserved, he did spoil him in his own way by making him new toys and fixing those that he broke. That's why Ren really looked forward to their visits.
"It's adorable seeing them like that doesn't it?" Lacus chided, noticing that her husband was looking fondly at the three people that were close to his heart.
"Yeah, I'm glad seeing Cagalli and Athrun be more relaxed like this." Kira couldn't be more grateful to the both of them for everything that they've done so far. He felt some pang of guilt knowing that they were relying on them once more, just like he did after the first war ended. But Cagalli assured him that she was happy to do this for him and that he should just let himself heal and step away from the battlefield. Athrun also told him to leave it to them.
Once again, these two were working so hard to ensure that the fighting would never happen again while him and Lacus get to heal and stay away from the spotlight, especially with the birth of their son. The two of them were making the sacrifice and were tirelessly working to see through their dream for humanity.
Which is why, moments like these where they were laughing without any worries made him extremely delighted. They deserved a brief respite for all their hard work. If only they could spoil them more, he definitely would do it.
Seeing Ren now sit on his sister's lap while his best friend wiped away the sweat on his son's forehead, Kira really thought that the three of them could also pass as a married couple with a child. "I wonder…"
"Hmm?" Lacus urged him to continue, and so he did.
"When will it be time for them to pursue their own happiness?" He muttered with a sad smile, something that only Lacus could hear.
Lacus gently rubbed his back and cheered him up. "I pray that it will be soon. Cagalli-san and Athrun deserve it."
"You're right." He smiled back at her, and they started to wrap their cleaning.
After so much playing, Ren finally fell asleep. At first, he was fighting the urge to just sleep and was desperately trying to stay awake. But before he knew it, he was laying on Cagalli's lap and snoozing peacefully. Cagalli was patting his head and relaxed comfortably in her seat. Athrun was sitting in the same couch as he watched television, but on the other side, as Ren splayed his legs, making a distance between him and her.
"Thanks for spending time with him, Cagalli, Athrun. Let me put him in bed." Kira went to the couch where Cagalli and Ren were. He hoisted him up with a bit of difficulty, careful not to wake his son. But since he was spent from all the playing that he did, he only stirred a bit before falling back asleep as Kira carried him to his bedroom.
"Here, Cagalli-san." Lacus put a cup of chamomile tea and some snacks in the table in front of her. "Athrun too."
"Thank you Lacus." Cagalli got the cup and blew on it a few times before taking a sip. Even if it was warm, it was still refreshing to have a drink after all of that running.
"Thanks." Athrun muttered and looked away from the television and inched closer to Cagalli before grabbing his own cup for a drink.
Lacus sat on the armchair and put her attention on the television, which was showing the news. "The news they're showing recently has changed. Don't you think?"
"There's been less on fighting being featured and more on other things, which is good." Cagalli agreed. "But sometimes, I feel like they mostly report on celebrities, gossip and some trends online, which annoys me a bit. There are more important issues that they could be covering right now, instead of celebrities divorcing and topics like those."
"Should we change the channel?" Athrun suggested, seeing that the news was flashing some topics that Cagalli really didn't like. They finally agreed to a cooking show where the contestants make dishes from random ingredients.
Kira came back from tucking Ren in bed and touched Lacus' shoulder. Lacus smiled at him and gestured to sit in the other armchair. "There's your teacup, it's still warm."
"Thank you." He also took a sip from the tea and leaned in to relax.
Usually once Ren had been put to sleep, the four of them would sit in the living room, casually chatting, watching something that was on, or playing board games or cards. They hung out like that before they retired to bed. Athrun and Cagalli usually stayed the night when they visited so it was okay to stay up a bit later.
Today, it was watching this random cooking show. Lacus was enjoying the new types of dishes she would try to make, getting inspiration from the show. Cagalli was also interested in replicating some of the recipes because they looked good, which made Athrun sweat nervously. She would go crazy after all when she was in the kitchen, mixing anything in as she pleases and then shoving it to Athrun for him to try, if by chance he was present.
"By the way, would Ren be homeschooled?" Cagalli started the conversation as she was getting bored of what was currently on the tv. She also noticed that there were some children's books and art supplies mixed in with the toys that they were playing with earlier and it wasn't there before.
Lacus nodded. "Yes, we're already reading on how it should be done and what we need to be doing to ensure that he's getting the same quality of education if he were sent to school instead."
"There's so many subjects to be taught…" Cagalli commented and felt overwhelmed for the two of them.
"It's going to be tough." Kira added. "Honestly a toddler the basics like reading or writing is harder than teaching a colleague how to program. We have to do it properly."
"You're going to be fine." Athrun encouraged them. "Ren is smart, and his pickup is quicker than most of the toddlers his age. If it's the two of you, I'm sure you'll get the hang of it soon."
"If only Ren could attend school…" Cagalli's voice trailed off and everyone went silent.
Of course, it would be the ideal if Ren could go to school, make friends and learn with everyone. Leaning in that kind of environment and socializing with his peers was vital for his development but they all knew that it couldn't be for now. There would have been some kind of uproar if people knew that he was the son of Kira Yamato and Lacus Clyne. Some would already immediately make some prejudices and Blue Cosmos might make their move again.
"Soon…" Lacus said in a more hopeful voice. "I hope soon that Ren can also be like a normal child."
Cagalli nodded, wanting to make that future happen for her beloved nephew. "That day will definitely come."
They all decided to go to bed after a little while. Athrun caught Cagalli yawning for the nth time and made the call that they should end the night.
Kira and Lacus were nearer from the stairs and so Athrun and Cagalli were left in the hallway. The guest rooms they were staying at were across from each other, so that if there was anything that would happen, Athrun could immediately rush to Cagalli and protect her.
"Well then, good night Cagalli." Athrun leaned in to kiss her cheek and patted her head. He held his gaze for a while and when Cagalli didn't say anything, he turned around to walk towards his designated guest room. She must be tired after all a very long day, and he even chased her around just a few hours ago so he'll let her rest. Even when she arrived, she already looked very fatigued but held out to spend a bit more time with Ren and everyone.
Although he would very much like to sleep in the same bed as hers and hold her close, but if she didn't say anything, then he wouldn't insist. It's always been that way. He let Cagalli dictate their pace.
A tug on his sleeve stopped him from going any further.
"Cagalli?" He spun his head around to find her pouting, as if she was disappointed in him.
"Where are you going?" She asked in almost a mutter, careful that Kira or Lacus would hear them and would come out of their room.
"To my room?" He didn't know if he was the one answering or asking the question.
"No."
"No?"
"No."
He went back to facing her, waiting for her to say anything. It might be that she wanted to talk but couldn't say it in front of Kira and Lacus.
After a bit of hesitation, she muttered. "Sleep… with me… please…" Her face was flushed after saying that. Athrun realized that this was indeed something she wouldn't dare say out loud to Kira and Lacus. Of course, Kira and Lacus already knew that they slept in the same room, but it would horrify Cagalli to admit it…
Also, it's not as if they see each other all the time, so this was still something that Cagalli was not used to asking of him. There were times that Cagalli had no problem requesting, but there were times like tonight where it was a different case. He also thought that it would be a good idea to propose that they would just always sleep together when they were here so she wouldn't have to struggle asking him each time.
"Alright." Athrun, not wanting to tease her any further, obliged and gave her the warmest smile. He had so much fondness and adoration for her even after the longest time. Cagalli was always going to the cutest for him. "Let me change first into my sleepwear. You'll be taking a quick shower too, right?"
She nodded sleepily.
"Then, I'll be right there, okay?" She agreed and then went to her room, while Athrun went to his.
When Cagalli came out of the shower, all freshened up, Athrun was sitting on the couch reading some documents. When he saw her, he immediately put it down so he could attend to her. She was already in cute pajamas and the towel was draped over her shoulders.
"I'll dry your hair for you." He took one look at her damp hair and walked to the bathroom to grab the hair dryer that was in the sink drawer.
"Thank you, I appreciate it." She usually just lets her hair dry before crawling to bed because she found it such a chore to do the drying herself. It was usually Mana who was doing this for her, refusing for her to go out of the house with wet hair as she says it's not a good look for Orb's representative.
He came back carrying the dryer and motioned for her to sit down in the vanity mirror that was set up in the room. "Come here."
There was a comfortable silence as Athrun went through all sides of her hair, making sure that all of it was dry before she could finally lay down and sleep. She didn't like drying her hair, so he was happy to pamper and do simple things like this for her.
Cagalli was observing him from the mirror and was amused at how focused he was. His brows were furrowed as he meticulously dried her hair in sections. Even with things like these, Athrun was such a perfectionist. Him doing these kinds of tasks for her made her realize that he was really such a kind person.
"All done." She watched him put down the dryer on the desk and unplug it before leaning down to hug her from behind. The gesture surprised her, but she welcomed it and leaned back. She liked being held by him, she felt secure and loved. She could never act like this in front of everyone else, that would embarrass her. That's why she was thankful that they were now alone to do these things.
Athrun took a whiff of hair and buried his head on her shoulders. He'd held back rushing immediately to her when he saw her this afternoon as it was also a time for Cagalli to spend time with Ren, Kira and Lacus. He controlled himself from monopolizing her, even if he wanted to. Frankly, he would have been disappointed if he went to sleep in a different room tonight. Which is why he was happy when Cagalli invited him to her room, now he had her attention all to himself.
"I've missed you, Cagalli." He said in a muffled voice, his warm breath on her neck made Cagalli a bit ticklish. They keep in regular contact now, but it was always better to physically be with each other.
"Me too."
They finally pulled away after quite some time and Athrun invited her to lay down the bed with him. There, they nuzzled comfortably close to each other. Cagalli had been trying her best to stay awake and chat Athrun about random things, but he noticed this and told her not to force herself. They kissed each other on the lips before Cagalli wrapped her hand around him and Athrun rubbed her back to lull her to slumberland.
"Good night, Athrun." She said as she snuggled closer to him.
"Good night, Cagalli." He kissed her forehead and watched her fall asleep.
The ring he gave her years ago slipped out from the inside of her pajamas when she shifted her position a bit. She now wore it as a necklace, and it made Athrun smile to himself seeing that. When she first saw that it was no longer on her finger, a big part of him shattered but he had accepted that she put Orb first instead of him.
He didn't know when she started to wear it again, but one time, when he caught sight of it on her person as a necklace, he finally broke down and cried in front of her out of relief. At that time, he wasn't sure if there was still a place for him in her heart and finding that he still had a chance had taken a lot of weight off his shoulders that he didn't know he even carried.
Athrun observed the rising and falling of her body and her peaceful face. It was something that he liked doing when they were together. It's not like he'd even forget every detail of her but he just liked to imprint every memory of her in his mind. Before she slept, she looked really spent and Athrun was relieved that she was getting the rest that she needed. There was just so many things that were happening around her recently and she was being pulled in all directions. How she managed to allot time to visit Ren surprised him. But knowing how she doted on Ren, she would find a way to free up a portion of her schedule.
Oftentimes, when they were together like this, they would make love before dozing off. But today, there would be none of that. It can't be helped, and he wasn't disappointed in the slightest. He was just happy that he got to spend time together because he missed her a lot. Since he had some commitments in the capital, they would be together for a few days anyway before he returned to Onogoro Island.
Their situation was really peculiar. Athrun kissed her, gave her a ring and consummated their relationship before he could confess his true feelings for her. It was all done in the wrong order, Athrun had to admit. He wanted to whack himself for it. He should have made his feelings clear first, something that Cagalli would understand perfectly.
He had the gall to scold Kira, when they had a fistfight when Lacus was kidnapped by the Foundation, that Kira should put his feelings into words. All that talk but when it came to him, he sure as hell didn't practice what he preached. If Kira knew of it at that time, then maybe he would have used that against him and he would have been so shocked that Kira could have landed a punch or two on him.
At this point, that wasn't the case anymore. He already told her that he loved her. The first time was during the time they both laid bare and vulnerable with each other and engaged in a passionate love making. Having connected to Cagalli at such a physical and emotional level gave him a lot of courage to finally say it to her. He never told her before, but he hoped she wasn't convinced otherwise. He was the type of person that showed his affection through his actions and not through words. He was awkward and never so good with words, but at that time, everything that he felt, he managed to translate it into words and it reached Cagalli.
The morning after he finally got to profess his love, he asked whether Cagalli would accept him as her partner while also laying down that he perfectly understood that he would always come second to Orb, and that they wouldn't get to spend a lot of time together like other couples. He wanted her to know that he loved her and wanted to be her pillar of support, no matter what. It was better that she knew instead of wondering whatever this thing between them was and that if she needed him, he would drop everything to come to her side.
Teary-eyed, she accepted and so their relationship started. But they both agreed to keep it on the downlow, with only the people that they trusted knowing about it. Cagalli being Orb's chief representative and Athrun being the son of the previous chairman that wanted Cagalli's race to be eliminated, it would have created an uproar not just within the whole nation but worldwide.
While there was progress in the acceptance of the co-existence of naturals and coordinators, it felt like there were a bit more layers in Athrun and Cagalli's situation that made it more complex and not as straightforward.
For the past few years, Cagalli had achieved celebrity status after everything that she's done in the past two wars and during the battle of the Foundation. Beautiful, smart, a charismatic and compassionate leader? Anyone that would be linked to her would be scrutinized quite heavily. With how she was almost coerced to be married to an unworthy man like Yuna Roma Seiran, the public were protective of her. How extreme would their reaction be if it was Patrick Zala's son?
It wasn't as if Athrun hadn't made a name for himself and established that he wasn't at all like his father with all his heroic achievements. But there were lingering sentiments among the public that he seemed to be a disloyal man given that he was a man who defected ZAFT twice and had so many ladies flocking to him. Even if he brushed these women off, that was irrelevant because gossip would already spread around.
But the both of them were comfortable with where they were at. Even now, Athrun didn't feel the need to rush into the next stage of their relationship. He was content that he got to talk to her regularly, got to see her more frequently that when he was in Terminal and that he got to have these moments with her.
While he would have preferred that he could hold her hand when they were walking in public, being together all the time, telling the people making a pass at them that they only had eyes for each other or finally getting to call her his wife, it couldn't be helped.
There would be a time for that and Athrun could only wait patiently. She let him stay by her side and he vowed that he wouldn't mess up again. He wasn't the person that he was a few years back, impatient and childish. He loved her more than anything and would never want to put the thought in her head that it would be better if they walked their own paths. He probably wouldn't be able to bear the pain of that.
Cagalli was his home, no place else. There was no where he belonged but by her side. He met her by chance but to stay together and to continue loving her was a choice that he consciously made every day. He already gave her his heart on a silver platter, trusting that even if their situation wasn't ideal, she would also make the active choice to not toss it aside.
Like how they were optimistic for a better future for Ren, Kira and Lacus, he yearned for a day when he could finally be together with her without any reservations and perhaps finally become a family too.
"I love you Cagalli, so much."
He kissed Cagalli's forehead one last time before drowsiness took over him.
Author's notes:
I really missed the scenes where Athrun, Cagalli, Kira and Lacus are all together in one scene. It didn't happen much in Destiny so I wrote this wholesome scene of the four of them, plus Ren! I know Kira and Lacus might be a bit on the younger side when they conceived a child, but I think in the cosmic era, this makes a lot of sense.
Also I wrote a one-shot "Our Hearts Are Always Connected" – I think supplements the level of Athrun's devotion to Cagalli. The last part of this chapter which Athrun muses about their situation is complimentary to that one-shot fic.
Another thing, it was supposed to be included in this chapter how Athrun and Cagalli did the deed for the first time, but it was a bit longer than I expected so I decided to carve it out and post it as a separate extra chapter! Or maybe as a standalone one shot!