Surprise, surprise…
Standard Disclaimer: I don't own anything of Gundam Seed.
"God, can you be any slower?"
Ahtrun smiled and bowed his head apologetically before jogging a little to the side of his blonde princess.
It was Sunday, a day that marked the end of each tiring and stressful week for the Orb princess and her very own bodyguard. It was also the only work-free day for them throughout the week, which indeed made the day very special to them both.
Athrun had no idea when it had started, but ever since the war ended and Cagalli and he came back together, they had been practicing this tradition on this day every week. They would alternately, on every different week present a surprise to the other on this very day. Simple things like a candle light dinner in their favourite restaurant or even a relaxing stroll on the beach would be organized. It wouldn't even be called a surprise, just a loving gesture from one to the other after a long week.
Today was Cagalli's turn, and Athrun had no clue what to expect. She had hurried him from the mansion to this very footpath, pushing and pulling for him to gain speed. He didn't know why she was in such a rush, but nonetheless tried to comply.
"Ahturn…ATHRUN!"
Her hands were fanning the air in front of him, in an effort to make him go faster.
He sighed and jogged once more to gain pace with her. He chuckled a little when he saw her half jogged across the footpath they were on.
She stopped when she heard him. Her brightly lit amber orbs darken down into a frown.
"What's so funny?"
Athrun smiled, "Seriously, what's the rush princess? We've got the whole day ahead of us."
They did. It was just only after breakfast.
Her frown immediately turned into a wide smile, excitement glowed in her face.
"You'll see."
Before he knew it, she was back to pulling and tugging him down the road as she jogged towards her destination.
----
"We're here!"
Athrun blinked. He knew the place looked familiar—the footpath, the roads, the residential houses. It was all too clear now where she had intended to bring him for her surprise. Who would have guessed this was the place, who would have guessed that the almighty princess of Orb would have brought him here.
He scanned the sight in front of him. Everything was as he remembered them to be, from the pink and blue swings to the green painted see-saw, even to the lovely pathway between blooming sakura trees. Nothing had changed here. The war seems not to have afflicted any damage to this place.
But how did she know. How in the hell did she know about this…this…secret of his. He had never so much as hinted of this to anyone one. It was his secret from when he grew up in Orb. No one of his current life knew of this. No one, except himself and—
"Oh, don't give me that look!"
His knitted down eyebrows shot up from the sudden intrusion. He momentarily lost his concentration on his thoughts. He looked pointedly at Cagalli before he regained his thoughts. What was it again? …ah! No one, except himself and—
"Sheesh, Ahtrun! I know you like it. Kira told me that you loved the playground so much when you were little, you've even tried camping here for the night."
That was it! Kira! His best friend from childhood had revealed his darkest inner secret to his beloved. Kira had told Cagalli that he liked playground! And here she was, presenting her surprise to him by bringing him to a PLAYGROUND!
It was true that it wasn't any playground, it was a playground where he and Kira first met; when they both parted when he went on to join the army in plants leaving Kira behind in Orb. But the point was that she now knew, she now knew that he liked, no, in actual fact adored playgrounds. Oh gods, was he embarrassed now. Kira, you just wait till I get my hands on you…you…you….
"Athrun…" Cagalli let out an exasperated sigh. "Come on, let's go play."
"No."
"Athrun…"
He pouted, "I don't want to."
No way was he going to let her believe that he liked playgrounds. No matter how much he loved her, it was a secret he was determined to bring to his grave.
"Athrun, come on, don't be such a baby. It really isn't something to be ashamed of."
"I'm not ashamed. I don't like it."
What did she know about a man's pride? She's a woman.
"Oh, quit it! I know you like it form the way your eyes lit up when you saw it."
Athrun opened his mouth to argue. But before he could utter a single word, Cagalli cut him off.
"Fine, be that way. I am definitely not going to waste my time arguing with you."
She made her way towards the pink swing at the edge of the playground, muttering something like, "guys and their stupid machoness".
----
Athrun watched with twitching eyes as Cagalli's laughter filled the area. She was enjoying herself and he was left standing here, away from his swings and see-saws. His swings and see-saws! It was his, not Cagalli's.Not that he minded that it was Cagalli who was enjoying it, but the mere fact that he was left standing only to watch her in enjoyment over his playground made him twitch in the inside.
Damn right, he was jealous! It was his! Not Cagalli's, not even Kira's! He was the one who spent days repairing the broken down old playground in his neighbourhood; it was he who had spent some of his nights cuddled in the warmth of his playground. It belonged to him and it just didn't sit well for him to stand and watch another enjoying it while he couldn't.
With his mind made up, he straightened and mentally steeled himself as he made his way to the blue swing next to the pink swing where Cagalli was seated.
----
"I felt bored just watching."
Athrun explained as he plopped himself into the blue swing next to Cagalli's pink one.
"Of course you were," Cagalli thought, but to Athrun's best interest she decided to keep that to herself.
Even then she couldn't help the smirk when she eyed Athrun with his eyes closed, swinging in the blue swing, a smile on his lips.
----
"I think I know where to bring you now every Sunday," Cagalli winked at Athrun over the candle night dinner.
As expected, Athrun replied, with a childish huff of breath,
"I don't like playgrounds."
----
Fin.
Well...this is the product of a stressful night before the day of my Chemistry and Physics SAC. Don't ask me how it came into my already crammed up brain, it just did.
Hope you all liked it. Ja!