Gundam Seed Destiny Fan Fiction / Gundam SEED Fan Fiction ❯ Play of the Fates ❯ VI: The One With The Drunken Singing ( Chapter 6 )

Title: Play of the Fates (6 of ?)

Author: Paola

Disclaimer: Play of the Fates is based on characters and situations that belong to Sotsu Agency, Bandai Studios, and TV Asashi (and other production affiliates that have the right of ownership). No money is being made, and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Considerations: Similarities to other stories/events/passages are purely coincidental unless otherwise cited, and beliefs and points of view found in the story do not necessarily reflect those of the author's.

The idea to make the chapter titles begin with “The One…” is from the TV show, F.R.I.E.N.D.S

This may, in all possible intent, be differently written compared to any of the author's previous literary ventures.

Rating: Rated M for language and adult situations. You have been warned.

 

Play of the Fates

Chapter Six

 

“I expected a bloody welcome party, and what do I get? A cup of stale coffee?”

 

“Then you should have stayed in that rainy country and poured tea with the queen. And that's a steaming cup.”

 

Dearka grinned and removed his feet from the polished desk in front of him, careful not to spill coffee on his clothes. “I never really liked you, Zala.”

 

“I know. Otherwise, you wouldn't set me up on stupid blind dates.” Athrun made a shooing motion, affecting a slightly annoyed face. “What brings you here?”

 

Dearka promptly rolled his eyes. It was just like Athrun to skip all the niceties and get to the point at once when it came to him. Standing up and vacating Athrun's leather office chair, he retrieved a card from his pocket, showing it to Athrun as he stood in front of his desk.

 

“You got invited, too, then.”

 

Dearka made a face. “Well, duh, your lordshit. Lacus invites all her friends.” Dearka returned the card inside his pocket. “Aren't you glad I'm coming? It'll be like the old times!” He grinned cheekily.

 

“So Yzak's coming, too?” Athrun looked up from the papers he was shuffling. It didn't matter the he, Dearka, and Yzak were from the same fraternity — it was always trouble for him whenever he was with the two of them.

 

“You know him, Mr. I'm-tough-you-can't-touch-me but a real softy when it comes to the Pink Princess.”

 

Athrun laughed at that. “So, why are you here in my office?”

 

“Just thought I'd pop in and see if you wanted to play golf.”

 

“Don't you have Yzak for that?”

 

“Wow, you make it sound like I'm sleeping with the guy.”

 

Athrun tried to arch an eyebrow, only to remember that he wasn't capable of it. “You're not?”

 

Dearka glared at Athrun, almost tempted to flash him the finger. “I slept with that brunette superstar. I slept with that highest-paid model. I slept with that hot tennis player. All female. And I'd probably sleep with your sister if you had one, but never with a fucking man, Zala!”

 

Athrun laughed again, too amused to even feel hypothetically offended for his hypothetical sister. “Since when did you stop recognizing jokes?”

 

With the grace of a ton of bricks, Dearka slumped on one of the chairs situated in front of Athrun's desk. “Since when do you joke? This is what, a first from you?”

 

“Touched a nerve, didn't I?” Athrun overlooked the barb directed at him.

 

“Fuck you and your fucking queer jokes.”

 

Athrun grinned, amused once again, but he didn't add anything else to further that thread of conversation. “Where's Yzak anyway? And no, before you play the shagging-my-sister card again, I'm not implying anything.”

 

“`Shagging'?” Dearka smirked, ignoring Athrun's question and immediate backtracking all together

 

“You started it. Going all English on me. Really, a few months in that country and you're all high and bloody mighty.”

 

Dearka chuckled, adjusting his position on the chair he was occupying. “Didn't even notice it. But they're interesting people with an interesting talk.” He shrugged. “Anyway, haven't heard from him, actually. Lacus just told me that he had been invited, too. That guy has a flair for the dramatics, probably planning on busting through the door in the middle of the show.”

 

Athrun hummed his acknowledgement. “I can't play golf. I've to re-arrange my entire schedule to make time for that show.”

 

“Busy, busy, busy. All work and no play make Athrun a dull poof.”

 

Athrun didn't dignify that with a response as he once more shooed away the annoying blonde, making sure to emphasize his gestures to get him moving.

 

“All right, all right, I'm leaving.” Dearka began to walk away after depositing his coffee cup on Athrun's desk. “Jeez. Give a man an office, and he thinks he's sodding king of the world.”

 

Athrun just shook his head as Dearka closed the door to his room, not bothering to keep his muttering quiet. Some things would never change.

o-o

“Hello, good afternoon,” Cagalli answered her own phone. Her secretary called in sick today, and although she had once sworn that it wouldn't take her this early to be answering phone calls again, she slipped back into the habit and wasn't really thinking much of it.

 

“Hello, sweets.”

 

The hand that was holding the earpiece turned white as Cagalli's grip on the phone tightened, her back going rigid as she sat straighter in her chair. She knew that voice, and it irritated her as much at it angered her. “What do you want?”

 

“Nothing much.”

 

“Then why call?”

 

“Come on, Cagalli. Don't be like that. I was hoping we could patch things up between us.”

 

Cagalli almost shivered, at what, though, she couldn't quite tell. “How did you get this number?”

 

“Not important. Meet me. You know where. Same time.”

 

“Fuck you. And that restraining order ain't very far-fetched now, jerk!” Then she slammed the receiver back to its cradle. For a while, she bristled. She hated clingy, and her ex-boyfriend was practically the epitome of it, almost bordering on stalking her. She was just glad that he was smart enough not to try any stunts on her like those she'd watched on TV where the stalkers were psychotics and needed to be put down. She wouldn't hesitate to call the police, unlike in some drama movies where the protagonist annoyingly kept on trying to solve things by herself.

 

Damn, she watched way too much. She let a small smile steal over her features before her irritation returned ten-fold and her slight amusement deserted her completely.

 

She was having a busy day, trying to organize a benefit for their company. It was for the charity division, and she was given only about two weeks to arrange it. Two weeks, and so far, she hadn't any luck reserving a place to hold it at. Orb's grand places seemed to have all been reserved and rented out, and if she had gotten the assignment earlier, she probably wouldn't be having troubles with the venue. As it was, two weeks was a ridiculous time constraint for an event as big as this one.

 

That was only the start of her headache. Then her ex-boyfriend just had to call. Again. After a few weeks of being silent, he was back to vexing her to no end. If only he didn't appear almost comical in his ways and pleadings, she'd have pressed charges and gone for a restraining order, which, now that she thought about, wouldn't be far from happening if he kept his habits up.

 

She heaved a sigh and glanced at the clock: 5:30. She still had a long night ahead, and although it went everything against her to come to the fashion show and meet Athrun, she had given her word. Since the day she met him, nothing seemed to be going her way, and if she wanted to do something about that, she'd have to think of a plan. She'd be damned before he continued owning the upper hand.

o-o

Athrun undid the top buttons of his shirt as he waited for Cagalli outside the Eternal building, a little away from the red carpet and the flashing cameras of eager reporters. He almost thought he wouldn't be able to make it despite his adjustments, but one of his clients had rescheduled their meeting, and he was given enough time to drive from his office to Lacus' fashion show, which, apparently, was a high-profile event.

 

As Lacus had tried to point out to him well-known designers and famous superstars, he noticed the nervous energy that emanated from her, mixed with the excited dynamicity in her voice. But before he could distinguish one face from another, Lacus had been whisked away by a reporter, and Kira had, of course, accompanied his fiancée. So here he was, waiting for his date whom he had no doubts would come despite the animosity she was directing at him. Where most guys would probably learn to keep away, he was drawn in, inexplicably diverted by her animation and expressiveness.

 

Athrun's attention was pulled by the sudden uproar on the red carpet, and when he turned to look, he had to grin at the scowl gracing Yzak's face as reporter after reporter barraged him with questions, and photographer after photographer asked him to pose. He never did understand why Yzak chose to become a model when he absolutely hated the paparazzi, not to mention his disgust at the occasional fan harassment he received every time he was spotted.

 

Dearka had yet to show up, and contrary to the blonde's words earlier in his office, Yzak arrived earlier than they expected, and it was Dearka who seemed to be running late. He glanced at his watch, and it was almost time for the program to start, but before he wondered how late Cagalli would get there, a cab stopped in front of him, and out stepped Cagalli, holding a mobile phone to her ear and frowning at the person on the other end of the line. She looked a tad harried in what he assumed were the clothes she wore to the office earlier that day, but nonetheless pretty and confident in the way she carried herself.

 

Just as she clicked off her mobile and the cab sped away, he tucked his hands in his pockets and spoke, “Hi, darling.”

o-o

Calling for a reservation for the seventh time today made Cagalli very irritable, especially when none of those she had called could offer a place for her benefit. But that wasn't the sole reason she was having a bad day. Another reason was her ex-boyfriend, though she was trying so hard not to think of that stupid phone call lest she go mad. Another was her current transportation. The day she had moved to her new residence was the day she sold her car, and since she was going nowhere with the transaction with Athrun, she was back to taking cabs. It wasn't so bad, actually, but earlier on, the cab driver had badly hit on her that she had to get out and hail another cab in the middle of a busy Friday-night street.

 

“Is that so? Well, thanks anyway,” she ended the call, and that's when she heard him addressing her. For some reason, the casual deliverance of the endearment unsettled yet again the slowly quieting butterflies in her stomach.

 

“Do you know that you're looking pretty sexy right now?” He ran his gaze over her slightly rumpled clothing.

 

The sarcasm wasn't lost on her, and she rolled her eyes since she probably looked like shit. “Wow, gee, thanks.” She tried to smoothen the wrinkles from her top, then easily slipped on her ecru coat, thinking about not taking it off the whole night because it probably wouldn't do to strut around looking like she had slept in her clothes as compared to her companion for the night, who seemed to have had all the time in the world to dress up.

 

“Don't mention it.” He offered his arm to her.

 

Cagalli wasn't sure if she wanted to take it, but since he hadn't done anything yet to embarrass her tonight, it must be all right to let her guard down just a little.

 

She took his arm.

 

When they got inside, after much fuss from the media group, they were instantly ushered by a brown-haired man to the room at the back of the stage where models stayed. It was a busy place, and something Cagalli didn't particularly like since she'd had too many of this kind of experience back at Orb Aesthete. If there were one thing she didn't like during fashion scoops, it was socializing with the models. Maybe because she had a particularly bad experience with them, something that landed her in a pit she'd rather forget.

 

Despite her aversion to the crowd, she allowed her gaze to sweep across the vast room, listening to little snippets of the conversation between Athrun and the other brunette — Kira, was it? — but generally tuning them out. She was, however, jolted out of her muse when Athrun touched her elbow, and she noticed that she now had her back to them and was curiously studying the fabrics that swished and swooshed around the models.

 

“Yes?” When she faced them, they were joined by a pretty pink-head who had an arm linked around Kira's. “Oh, hello. You must be Lacus? Cagalli.” she extended her hand, and despite being comfortable in her own skin, the fact that she was wearing unflattering and rumpled clothes beneath her coat made her feel just a little bit self-conscious. She'd seen Athrun's ex-fiancée in different magazines, and Sheila had her in her A-list, but seeing her up-close, she was even more beautiful that Cagalli had to wonder why Athrun let her go. But considering she thought Athrun was a little touched in the head, she guessed the guy just couldn't figure out what he was missing.

 

“Hello, Cagalli,” she smiled, shaking the proffered hand.

 

“Um,” Cagalli started a little hesitantly, “is there a problem?”

 

The smile Lacus was wearing drooped for a bit, but she waved a dismissive hand. “There are minor adjustments to the show. Three models caught the flu, so I'm kind of short on models.”

 

“Oh.”

 

Then Lacus gave her a brilliant smile that told her she knew something and would be trying to use it to her advantage. It made Cagalli slightly uncomfortable, especially since Lacus was a well-known designer and most probably had a wide circle of designer friends.

 

“You and Yula are one and the same, am I right?”

 

Cagalli gulped down the sudden lump in her throat, and when she glanced at Athrun, she found herself wanting to smack the amused expression in his face. She swore he only saw her as a pure source of entertainment, nothing more, and she was willing to bet that if Athrun caught a bad wind, his face would forever be stuck like that. And then they'd see who'd be amused.

 

Cagalli finally cleared her throat to answer. “Um—”

 

“Can your model for my show? It won't be a thank-you performance, so please don't think I'm only asking because we have Athrun as a common friend.”

 

Cagalli didn't know which to defend herself against: being asked to model or being labeled as Athrun's friend, when, clearly, she couldn't very much stand his presence.

 

“I didn't know you did modeling,” Athrun piped in, giving her that slow smile that sent an unwelcome shiver up her spine.

 

Cagalli bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from scathingly reminding Athrun that he virtually knew nothing about her. Period.

 

“Look, Lacus—” she paused, inwardly debating whether to tell the truth or deny it, but when she felt the three of them looking at her expectantly, she rolled her eyes. For starters, she wasn't friends with any of them, much less in a position to grant them favors.

 

She gave an aggravated sigh, not caring that the others might think her rude. She knew nothing good would come out of this, and if she hadn't stubbornly given her word, Athrun would turn white waiting outside for a Cagalli that wouldn't show up.

 

She didn't fancy herself walking down the runway, and had indulged a friend before only because of a favor. She just wasn't prone to preening because of extravagant attention, but it wasn't the intimidating amount of observance she got that made her shy away from catwalks; it was the experience that went with her modeling stint that made her somewhat antipathetic to the activity.

 

Not wanting to discuss anything with Lacus in the presence of two men who wouldn't be able to distinguish a serious confession from a useless girly secret, she shooed Kira and Athrun away and detachedly wondered what Kira thought of her bossy display. She probably wasn't making a very striking impression, unless striking was at the lowest point of the impressiveness spectrum.

 

“I'm not a model, Lacus. Yula… that's a one-time thing,” she finally let out when the two men meandered away obediently. “How'd you know anyway?”

 

“Remember that summer wear fashion show?”

 

Cagalli briefly glanced heavenward, as if the thought bothered her more than it should have. “Do I ever.”

 

Lacus gave a quiet giggle at Cagalli's gestures. “Well, I designed those clothes.”

 

Cagalli furrowed her brow. “But I thought yours is Eternal?”

 

“Well, Eternal wasn't conceptualized until last year.”

 

“Oh? But isn't Archangel still being used now?” Cagalli asked, curious, then hastily re-assuring herself that her curiosity was only born of hanging out with Damien and being over-exposed to his inclination towards designer brands.

 

“Yes, but mainly for scents. Clothes and shoes sport the name Eternal.” Lacus plucked two mini bottles of Mission Hill Reisling Ice Wine then handed one to Cagalli, along with a sparkling straw. “We had problems with the orders so the champagne is out.”

 

Cagalli shook her head. “Ice wine is good. Has that funny acidity.”

 

“Yes, I suppose so. For some reason, it gives the models a boost.” Lacus momentarily eyed the busy women in the room. “Am I really hopeless in asking you that favor?”

 

Cagalli let her amber orbs settle on the pink-head beside her. Lacus seemed not to be the type to beg in that annoying kind of way that Cagalli hated. She was just there, calmly inquiring whether Cagalli had changed her mind. For that, she felt a little guilty. She had no permanent affiliations with the people who were currently occupying her night, and she had no special friendship with Lacus, but maybe she could indulge another person — a potential friend after she had decided that she liked the pretty ex-fiancée.

 

“All right, Lacus. Maybe once more wouldn't hurt.”

 

Lacus smiled widely, thanking her once before ushering her to a make-up booth, but before the make-up artist could belt her to the stool, she excused herself for a short while to get some fresh air. After all, she still didn't quite understand what she felt about agreeing. Yula was a person of the past, a one-time model she'd allowed herself to be for a friend as much as to start her new independent life. And as much fun as she'd had then, it was also a point in her life she didn't think she'd ever felt as low, simply because of that one event she was trying so hard to forget.

o-o

Athrun accepted the coke in can Kira offered him before raising a hand in greeting at the fair-head walking towards them. Kira then offered Yzak the same beverage, which the latter eyed with disinterest.

 

“Really, Yamato, been in the same friggin' fraternity for years, and yet you still offer me soda.”

 

Kira just chuckled at the hostility that had been softened over the years of awkward friendship.

 

Athrun would never understand why Yzak and Kira lacked the slanted comity they usually had with their other friends, but since the two had always had that kind of relationship, he had gotten used to it, and they probably had, too, since the biting remarks and scathing retorts seemed more out of habit than anything else. Besides, even he was sometimes at the end of Yzak's unreasonable irritation.

 

“I always forget that you're a health nut,” Kira threw back, pulling the tab off the tin before taking a swig of his drink.

 

“Unlike some processed food junkies I know. Where's that wannabe Elsman at?”

 

Kira shrugged. “I'm not his keeper.”

 

Yzak glared. “Did your parents ever ask you to run away from home?”

 

Athrun couldn't fight off the snigger that bubbled out of him. “I think he's here on vacation, so it's either he hooked up with old golf buddies or a girl.” Then he added as an afterthought, “Or both. Seriously, does it look like we honestly care?” He shook his head when Kira laughed, then he hurriedly excused himself upon seeing Cagalli exit the stage room.

 

“In a hurry, aren't we?” he voiced out when he fell into step beside her.

 

“I just need fresh air. Don't need you to escort me, you know.”

 

“It's like you're expecting something to happen.” When he glanced down at her, he wasn't surprised to see the faint pink dusting her cheeks. Who knew a little innocent comment could have her blushing in second's time? Though he didn't actually think it was innocent as much as it was suggestive.

 

“Are you getting ideas, Cagalli?”

 

Cagalli almost choked on the drink she was quietly sipping from a sparkly straw. “N-no, of course not! Why would I? I mean, are you getting ideas?” She eyed him suspiciously.

 

He'd finished his coke by the time they reached the outside, after preferring to use a backdoor to avoid the crowding media that didn't seem to be thinning anytime soon. She was still casting him that dubious little glare, waiting for him to refute her suspicions to get them back on track. For a while, he wanted to, but then he'd had a busy day, and where was the fun in that?

 

“If I share, will you be willing to entertain them?”

 

“What?” she backpedaled so fast, he actually thought she'd trip on her heels. “Athrun! Stop it! Stop the frigging innuendos!” Then she took note of the unreadable expression on his face and decided that she didn't like it. “And stop looking at me like that!”

 

He tried to keep himself from smiling. “Like what?”

 

Cagalli was sounding exasperated. “Like you've seen me naked!”

 

This time, Athrun grinned self-indulgently. “Why would I do that?” Athrun could safely vouch for Cagalli's compulsion to throw the wine bottle at him if she hadn't already discarded it.

 

“Because—”

 

“I didn't know you were a model,” he hastily cut her off, steadily moving closer, but Cagalli didn't seem to be noticing it as she was still seething in anger.

 

“I wasn't! I won't ever be! And you didn't know because, frankly, you don't have business knowing it!”

 

Athrun clucked his tongue in a display of disapproval. “That smart mouth is better off being kissed, you know.”

 

“Why you—”

 

Again, she was cut off very abruptly, but this time, by another man who wasn't even participating in their conversation, and Athrun was surprised by the tone the interruption was done and by the person who actually interrupted them.

 

“Hey, baby. Miss me?”

 

Cagalli whirled around, and the frown marring her features turned into a delightful grin, again, surprising Athrun by the turn of events. Of all the persons that could be familiar with Cagalli, it had to be someone he was familiar with, too.

 

“Dearka!”

 

Dearka retained his measured strides, and by the time he got close enough, he wound an arm around Cagalli's waist and brought her against him, and much to Athrun's displeasure, Dearka dipped his head as if to kiss the girl Athrun brought to Lacus' event. Cagalli merely cradled his head and placed both her thumbs on Dearka's lips before kissing him with an audible pop, the actions almost like a habit.

 

It didn't take long for Athrun to re-gain his composure, and he made sure he was back to being cool before he cleared his throat.

 

“Hello, Athrun. I guess I'm not late since you're still out here,” Dearka regarded him, completely forgetting to mention why he knew Cagalli, probably because the blonde male didn't think it important to let Athrun know.

 

“Yeah. Yzak's looking for you. He's inside with Kira.”

 

“And the Pink Princess?”

 

“As fabulous as ever.”

 

Dearka chuckled. “Never thought otherwise. I'll see you later, pet,” he directed the last part at Cagalli.

 

“Yes, guv'nor. Good to have you back in the country!”

 

When they were safely alone again, Athrun turned to Cagalli. “So, how did you know Dearka?”

 

Cagalli appeared amused for the first time that night. “What, don't tell me you're jealous.”

 

“Jealousy is a foreign concept.”

 

Cagalli, at that, laughed. “Oh, oh, I get it! You are jealous! And we're not even together!”

 

Athrun decided he liked a laughing Cagalli, but that didn't mean he liked her laughing at him, though, he had to admit, he didn't hate it either. Time to put a stop to it. “Not for long.” Then he kissed her, open-mouthed, and Cagalli went rigid with surprise. Athrun swore that the silence that followed was quite blessed, especially when it was broken by a quiet moan coming from the woman in his arms. He had noticed her hesitance, but that had evaporated not a second later.

 

When he was sure that Cagalli no longer had a cocky golf player in her mind, he pulled away and favored her a slow grin, liking the disoriented cloud that had gotten hold of her eyes. “We'll see if you really weren't a model when you walk down that runway. I'll see you later.”

 

Cagalli, at the low and sensual voice Athrun used, felt the tingles didn't just pass through her spine but very inconsiderately stayed. And it was only when Athrun had his hand on the door handle did she find her voice. “You can't just do that! You can't shut me up like that!” she injected as much vitriol as she could in her voice.

 

Athrun smirked. “I just did.”

o-o

Cagalli was still pissed at Athrun even after Lacus told her that she could keep the clothes she would be modeling; she was still pissed at him after the fashion show was over; and she remained pissed at him during the after-party. That was why she didn't bother keeping count of the daiquiris she was plastering herself with at the open bar Lacus kept for the event. And the hazy fog that had settled in her head made her forget the names of the people she met that day, conveniently limiting her embarrassment gauge as she didn't know the people who saw her almost trip, the people who saw her laugh at Dearka's jokes like she'd heard nothing funnier, and the people who saw her being led away by Athrun, who didn't look the slightest bit flustered at the clumsy behavior of his company for the night.

 

“Wh-where are…where are you…bri-bring…taking me, Athrun?” she slurred as he righted her when her balance swayed dangerously to the side.

 

“I'm taking you home.”

 

“Aw.” She freed her elbow from his hold quite harshly, causing her to stumble, and had he been too slow in catching her, she would have ploughed herself through the pavement. “You party-pooper! I don't wanna go home yet! I was enjoying the party!”

 

“The party's over.”

 

“Jeez, Athrun, a-are you always this…this difficult, or are you—” she hiccupped “—or are you ma-making a special effort tonight?”

 

Athrun just sighed as he gently helped her get into the front passenger seat of his car, buckling her seatbelt with a little difficulty as she kept trying to swat his hands away and getting out of the vehicle. As if on cue, she quieted down when he was done, but as soon as Athrun had inserted his key in the ignition, Cagalli proceeded to blast the interior of his car with the loud music of the seminal English rock band, Queen.

 

“Where do you live?”

 

“What?” She couldn't hear him through the high volume of the speakers.

 

“Where do you live?” he repeated, lowering the volume.

 

Cagalli had half a mind to tell him off for party-pooping her off-key singing session, but his question made its way through her addled brain. “Uh, in…a-a…house…I-I don't know,” she shrugged helplessly, then she giggled because it was funny that she couldn't remember where she lived. It was already a chore stringing words to form sentences, and he wanting her to think of where she lived when she could barely finish the first activity was just too cruel, she decided. “Maybe we…maybe we can look it…look it up on the map!”

 

Athrun seemed to be fighting off another sigh that threatened to escape his lips. It was a good thing that his apartment was just around the central business district of Orb, and, as it was, wasn't very far away from Lacus' studio.

 

“Hey, hey, Athrun.” She poked him, but he remained unresponsive. “Hey! Tell me where we're going!” she half-shouted, half-slurred, and when he remained silent, she turned up the volume after drunkenly sticking her tongue out at him. “Fine! You party-pooping par-party-poop…er!”

o-o

By the time Athrun reached the floor of his apartment, Cagalli had managed to scare a cat in the street and an old couple from riding the elevator with her off-key rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody. He'd even asked her on their way up if she were stopping anytime soon, to which she enthusiastically replied “I'm just a musical prostitute, my dear!” Then after quoting Freddie Mercury, she lapsed into another chorus of the same song.

 

It was a relief that she had been reduced to humming by the time he swiped the cardkey on the reader — a simple activity done not without difficulty as he had to keep supporting Cagalli lest she trip or wander away.

 

“Hey, Athrun, I bet you're…I bet you're thinking that if…if things turn out well, you'll…you'll get lucky like the…like the first time,” he heard Cagalli mumble, glad that her speech wasn't slurred anymore, though it still held a drunken tone.

 

“Hn.”

 

“`Hn' my foot! You know why…know why I got so drunk?” her voice was getting a little louder and less subdued. “`Cause I hate your guts! Yeah I do! You can't tell me things like — hey! Least you can do is keep me from hitting that damn table!” She rubbed the spot where the blunt edge of the hall table contacted. “Ow.”

 

This time, Athrun hefted a tired sigh, not really apologetic as Cagalli hit herself because she was trying to rip away from him. Then he leant Cagalli on the wall, pulling her coat open and un-tucking her white blouse.

 

“Hey! What are you doing?” Cagalli tried to push him off her, but the alcohol in her system rendered her limbs quite useless.

 

“Let me check.” With an easy tug, he had exposed the part she was rubbing a while ago, easily distinguishing the red mark on her hipbone that he was sure would bruise come morning. Running his thumb over the spot, he heard her sharp intake of breath, and the hands that were earlier pushing away at his shoulders were now gripping his jacket. He doubted it was because of the pain, and when he moved his head to look at Cagalli, he noticed her hooded gaze lingering on him, as if asking for something she didn't want to voice out.

 

Athrun progressively let his hand wander under her shirt, lightly brushing over her skin, and his earlier conjecture that her reaction wasn't brought about by pain was proven when Cagalli's even breathing turned erratic. Not a second longer, he was sealing his mouth over hers, running a tongue over her lower lip then taking advantage of her open mouth, and just like that night at the Freedom Metropolis, she tasted of sweet cocktails and erotic thrill.

 

He easily divested her of her coat, and the buttons of her shirt were just as easily popped, leaving her bare skin free to his roving hands, warm soft skin beneath exploring fingers. She leant away from the kiss as a throaty moan ripped from her throat, and he trailed open-mouthed kisses down the side of her neck, pausing to suck on the sensitive skin below her ear before nibbling his way to her shoulders.

 

Cagalli distractedly tried to remove his jacket, and the hurried motions seemed to snap something inside Athrun's head for he immediately stopped what he was doing. A whimper forced its way out of Cagalli's mouth at the sudden loss of contact, but Athrun just steadied himself, looking at her with an unreadable expression in his eyes.

 

With her all flushed and looking at him like that, it was every bit a chore to extricate himself from her and to not ravish her then and there. And when she whimpered again, his resolve threatened to crack.

 

“Don't stop.”

 

“You're too drunk.”

 

It took a short while for Cagalli to be able to flash him an irritated glance. “Didn't stop you that first time, did it?”

 

She was really making it hard for him to keep his control. “We're gonna continue this later, when you're sober. And believe me,” he paused to nibble on her ear, “I won't stop even if you beg me to. Stubbornness can only get you so far.”

 

Cagalli visibly shivered at his words. “Ath-Athrun…”

 

Athrun put a small distance between them, then bent to secure an arm behind her knees, keeping the other on her upper back before standing straight and carrying her across the room and up the small flight of stairs towards his bedroom. “You tell me you don't want anything to happen to us, and yet your body shows otherwise.” He deposited her on dark, pristine sheets. “No more lies.”

 

Cagalli could only stare at him while he removed her shoes, and when he kissed her again, she responded like an eager teenager. She felt him remove her skirt, and she gave another disgruntled groan when he disentangled himself from her, chuckling at the humor he found in her situation.

 

Athrun retrieved a shirt from his closet then helped her get into it before tucking her in. He glanced at the clock to see that it was almost two in the morning. “Later, Cagalli.”

 

As soon as he closed his door, he took a deep breath and let it out in a slow stream. He rubbed his face with his hands, then he looked down and grimaced. “I need a cold shower.”

x-x-x-x-x

 

Citation/s:

 

“Stop looking at me like that/ Like what/ Like you've seen me naked!” - Meredith and Derek in Grey's Anatomy, Season 1 Episode 1: A Hard Day's Night