Chapter 3: My heart

Dawn had broken, but Athrun's fever had not. He seemed a little more lucid then the day before and the breathlessness has mostly gone away. He appeared tired and unwell but was awake when Cagalli went into his room, he managed to eat a little for breakfast.

Cagalli had packed everything the night before, they did not bring much anyway. By her request, the chauffeur made the journey all the way to the villa's doorstep to pick them up for the long trip back home. While in the car, Athrun was nodding drowsily off by the side when an unexpected bump on the road caused him to knock his head against the window.

"Ou…" He said dully.

"Woah, does that hurt?" Cagalli asked. He shook his head, not looking at her. She sighed, but did not pursue the issue. She scooted closer to him and patted her legs, "Here, it's safer. I'll hang on to you."

He gazed at her with wide eyes, his jaws slackened in an incredulous look as if he could not believe his luck.

"…Really?" He muttered.

"Yeah." She consented with a shy smile.

Obediently, he lay down on her lap, looking at her all the while, then he grinned weakly. "If I were still 17, you'd never have allowed me to take such liberties…"

"If you are 17, my legs will have absolutely no feeling if you do use them as a pillow." She explained, suppressing a laugh.

"True…" He conceded, but he was smiling sheepishly. "You know…maybe it's not so bad to be a kid after all… I could get used to this."

"Enjoy it while it last, buster. Today is day three."

The smile slipped off his face, Cagalli was afraid she had said something that rubbed the wrong way.

"Athrun…?"

"Tomorrow, I won't see you anymore…" He pointed out in a matter-of-factly way, but the sorrowful look in his eyes told her a different story.

"Nonsense." She chided, "I've to go home and sleep every night, don't I?"

"You won't be able to talk to me while you sleep…can you?" He replied quietly.

Today was supposed to be a 'normal' day. Normal for commoner couples, that is. The plan was to catch a late morning movie, followed by an alfresco lunch at an Italian restaurant at the uptown area famous for their hand-stretched pizzas. An afternoon spent lazing around central park, a stroll to catch the sunset along the infamous love river. Then finally, a romantic seafood dinner. Athrun had made the reservations way in advance as it was the actual Valentine's Day and these places were in hot demand. However, all his plans had gone down the drain with this untimely curse and sickness.

He felt really bad for Cagalli, in all truth she's probably the most sought-after-female in all of Orb, yet she will go dateless on Valentine's Day and spent the morning heating up soup and bread for him. He felt horribly guilty. To add salt to the wound, the weather had mockingly turned wonderful again, it was such a waste to not spend it frolicking outdoors…

He gazed at her at this point, she was stroking his hair absentmindedly and looking out of the window in thought. He burrowed onto her lap, feeling slightly blissful at how soft her flesh is. The view of her was brand new, his perspective of her is always levelled or higher and he was used to looking at her hair, her eyes. These few days he found himself marvelling at how beautiful she is; and how beautiful she is becoming. On day one when she took his hand, it was the first time he had to look up. His gaze followed her hand, her slender fingers, toned arms and a swan-like neck. Her eyes were large and bright. Her skin glowed under the baptism of the sunlight and his heart beat faster every time he looked at her.

Athrun had not fallen ill in a long, long time nor have anyone take care of him; much less trying to undress him and wipe him down. He was not used to Cagalli making the advances and he felt that she was practically pampering him and he was even more afraid he will get used to it…

It had occurred to him that maybe the curse was pretty much on Cagalli and not him. He had done nothing different, it was Cagalli who had to save him from a pedophile, who fought Jona for his sake; who spent the night huddled on the sofa watching over him. He hardly slept as he felt as if he was being suffocated and woke up a few times in cold sweat to shift positions and clear his airways. Each time he woke, he was heartened to find that Cagalli was still there beside him, sleeping soundly. He tried to be as quiet as possible and attempted to stop himself from coughing, he did not want to wake her up. It was bad enough that one of them cannot sleep…

At present, he felt his eyelids getting heavier. He took her hand with both of his, this caused Cagalli looked down at him, "Hmm…?"

He smiled at her in gratitude, kissed the back of her hand before he drifted off to sleep...

Ooo

Cagalli gazed shyly at the boy asleep on her lap. He curled up, seemingly cold, grimacing a little and Cagalli felt an unexpected heartache. Athrun held on to her left hand in both of his in an almost reverent manner, and he did not let go.

"Madam, there are blankets in the compartment to your left." The chauffeur offered. She nodded appreciatively, then fished out the woolen blanket from the compartment under the front seat. Careful to only use one hand and not to move from her seat too much, she pulled the blanket over his prone and unguarded form and tucked the corners in. She then laid her right hand on his shoulder, rubbing soothing circles on his back. Athrun would do this for her when she was upset or when she cried herself to sleep, now she was finally able to return the favor. It was rare to see her knight so vulnerable as he laid pliable in her lap, Cagalli prayed that she will never forget this beautiful moment.

The day went by in an uneventful manner, the fever finally fully subsided in the afternoon. When he woke up, he came to her in the living room where she was channel surfing, "Cagalli…"

"Hey, sleeping beau is awake~" She perked up teasingly. "Better?"

Athrun nodded. "Better, we still have a couple hours left of Valentine's, have you…made any plans tonight?"

"Oh, I am supposed to meet Jona for dinner…" Cagalli replied. "Sorry."

Athrun looked down in disappointment, his small hands fisted and twisting the fabric at the edge of his shirt. He sighed, his small shoulders fell, Cagalli laughed at his expression.

"Not!" she cried as she seized him by the ribs and held him tight, Athrun yelped in surprise as he stiffened.

"Come on, Athrun, I cannot believe you fell for that." Cagalli muttered as she leaned back against the couch, Athrun pulled away slightly. "I'd rather kiss a monkey than go out with Jona willingly, and if I see him now, I cannot guarantee I won't kick him."

"Well, he is your fiancé… on paper…" Athrun replied, then turned hopeful again. "So…do I have the honour of taking you somewhere nice for dinner?"

"Are you asking me on a date?" She pressed innocently.

"I have been asking you on a date since two days ago." He said jokingly, "So…this is a continuation of a 'yes'?

"Well, yes."

Athrun gave a heartfelt grin that almost caused her to lose her senses-and she caved in (finally) to the temptation.

She pinched his cheeks merrily.

Ooo

If Cagalli's guards were surprised at her choice of date on Valentines, they pretended not to notice. She and Athrun went for a stroll along the coast to catch the sunset, holding hands, Athrun wove a flower into her hair, the funny part was that she needed to squat for him to do so, she spent the time pinching his cheek. They settled at an alfresco eatery at one quiet corner of the crowded-everywhere, the lighting was dim and they watched as the stars started appearing one by one.

Cagalli was in a carefree mood and was actually keen for some moscato but realized that it was suddenly illegal for Athrun to drink. So they ate, they talked, Athrun was more expansive than usual, as if trying very hard to make up for the lost day. She enjoyed watching his efforts and looked forward to him telling her more about himself in his chipmunk voice. At some point she imagined a little chipmunk sitting opposite her and she smiled, resisting the urge to pinch his cheeks again.

"Am I boring you…?" Athrun eventually asked as a wispy smile drifted onto her face again.

"No, not at all." She replied, cutting through her fish. "Come on, tell me more about your meeting with Kira…"

"It was…pretty memorable." Athrun replied in a reminiscing fashion. "As you know, we met when we were in elementary school. I was studying on the PLANTs all the way until one fine day I was transferred, my parents told me nothing, they didn't even come say goodbye the morning I was deported…"

"Deported, are you serious?" She asked in concern, she will be very upset if Uzumi did that to her with no warning.

Athrun nodded, his hands paused, "I was just…banished. Day one all was well, the same night the maids started packing everything I had and I was on the shuttle the next morning before the sun rose. Apparently there were assassins who tried to kill my father then and had infiltrated into my school grounds, they mistakenly killed a teacher instead of me. The idea is that they want to kidnap me and threaten my father or something…My mother was also sent off on a separate colony and could not say goodbye… "

The concept was not unfamiliar to Cagalli, she took self-defense classes since young for the same reasons.

"I was lost and confused and convinced I had been abandoned. So when I met Kira and his parents, I was really, really jealous. Auntie Yamato treated me well too. I don't know why he liked me when I wasn't exactly nice. Then I realized that he was just a nice guy trying to be my friend and ease my transition into a commoner school…"

"Hold there just a moment, what do you mean by 'Commoner school'?" Cagalli held up a hand.

"Athrun widened his eyes at her, "You know your current school with all the snobs?"

"Acutely."

"My first school was just like that, they judge you by the numbers of maids you have, the car that sends you to school, the occupation of your parents, the brand of the watch you wear, etc. That kind of thing..."

"Which reminds me…For someone born with a silver spoon in his mouth, you are unexpectedly thrifty…"

"I budget, I plan, if that's what you are saying…Did you expect me to I don't know…flaunt branded goods or something…?" Athrun made a face.

Cagalli snorted, she knew Athrun's rich but cannot imagine Athrun parading around Prada and Gucci and LV. Truth to be told, he is quite above all that. Athrun has a quiet dignity which gives him the ability to wear just about anything and it will look expensive and sophisticated on him. He does not shop for brand, actually he does not shop at all. Cagalli hated shopping as well and resultantly they had no issues with the shopping wars which so many of her girlfriends had described.

"It's my parent's money, I have no right of laying claim on anything. Second…people spend their lives chasing material goods, branded bags, cars and big houses. One of my military instructors always said to us, 'The size of your riches may differ, but your coffins will be the same size.' Death is impartial. What a lot of people don't understand is that none of these material possessions can be brought along to wherever you are going. So why bother collecting trash?"

"Woah, this is weird coming from a five-year-old's lips."

"Well, you know I am not five." He gave an exasperated sigh.

"Somehow it makes it more okay coming from a seventeen-year-old? Saint Zala you sound like a man who has one step in the grave." She pointed out in mirth.

He smiled a little, but the look on his face told a different story. "People always tell me how…mature I sound. I'll be honest with you, when I was younger, like ten or eleven, I was a total show-off. I would buy expensive things to make people do my bidding, they did, they danced like monkeys around my little finger. Money holds unimaginable power over those who crave it, those who are owned by it. I once thought that if I had wealth, the world is mine." He paused, gave a self-depreciating smile that looked practically alien on his small, chubby face. He gave a deep sigh…

"Then…when my mother was killed, I realized that this power which was the supreme god for most…is worth next to nothing. My mother's brother owed massive debts, when she died, they tried to extort my father for money. The funeral arrangements turned ugly, then violent. My father did not just bury himself in his work, he deliberately distanced himself so while apart, we became smaller targets. My butler quietly told me that my father hid it out at head office while tripling the security around the house…"

How horrible. Cagalli realized that was why Athrun had never, ever mentioned things on his maternal family side. She was holding her breath as she took it in, "Then what happened?"

"It was a wake up call, a tight slap to my face. It was the first time I wished we were not affluent, then maybe these greedy bastards will leave us alone to properly grieve my mother's passing."

Cagalli exhaled slowly, she realized that Athrun is like this because he had been forced to grow up too quickly; quickly enough to understand his predicament and fend for himself in this cruel world.

"I thought I could trust no one…but then…there was Lacus. Who bashed into my room and shed the tears I could not shed…then Kira almost got into a fight with my bodyguards. Apparently, Kira flew to the PLANTs and thought I was being trapped against my will, he snuck into the house, they caught him. Don't tell him, but it was funny…"

Cagalli chuckled heartily at that, she cannot imagine her klutz of a brother actually manage to sneak in.

Athrun smiled bitterly in reminisce. "Kira came for me, he stood by me even when I tried to push him away…The most valuable things in this world…are things that money cannot possibly buy. Lacus's compassion, Kira's loyalty…my mother's life." Athrun looked at his hands, then balled them up, as if mocking at how empty they were. The tormented expression on his face had lost all child-likeness even though he was still trapped in the body of a child.

"My life up to that point became just as worthless... Eventually, I was abducted."

Cagalli stopped in mid-chew. "…Abducted? Seriously?"

Athrun looked up, saying slowly, "You mean you have never been kidnapped before…?"

"No." Cagalli replied, resisting the urge to laugh. It sounded like Athrun thought it was some sort of rite of passage.

Athrun nodded uncertainly, his eyes not leaving her face. "I thought all junior members of influential families will get taken at least once…so, I guess it's just me."

"At least once?" Cagalli exclaimed, "You mean you have been kidnapped, even before this time?"

Athrun looked at her blankly, then nodded slowly.

"No way!" She exclaimed.

"The first time I was kidnapped, I was on the way to Kira's birthday party. I don't know how, but Kira somehow realized I was missing, he came looking for me, the kidnappers got him too. You can ask him."

"Oh my goodness, I cannot believe that brother of mine has never told me this before. Then what happened?" Cagalli swallowed in excitement.

"To be honest, I cannot remember much, I was told that my mother saved us, James-bond style. She sashayed in, gave them counterfeit notes implanted with a tracker, the police got them within an hour. Something like that."

"I thought you were like seven or eight? How come you cannot remember?"

Athrun shifted uncomfortably, he was hesitating. When he realized she was still staring at him eagerly, his ears turned a little red, and he continued reluctantly.

"…I knew these men were after my father, when they got Kira too, I knew I had to lie. I told them I was not who they are trying to kidnap, I made a huge distraction and I managed to free Kira. Naturally, the kidnappers were furious about losing one kid who is now a witness and being tricked by the other kid, the kid who tricked them is also seemingly worthless. They starved me and beat me senseless and was about to slit my throat when my mother arrived…" He finished, looking down, then quickly added. "I know it's reckless and stupid…"

"It's not!" She exclaimed, other guests turned to stare at her. She placed a hand over her mouth in embarrassment, then whispered to Athrun, "It's not stupid~!"

Athrun gazed at her steadily.

"You're very brave…that is actually a smart plan."

"Oh…no, I was terrified the whole time…" He muttered.

Cagalli smiled at him, taking his hand. "Athrun, there is no bravery without fear."

Athrun looked away, his ears a little redder, then quickly changed the topic. "Care to join me for some moscato…?"

"I'd love to, but it's illegal for you and it doesn't seem so nice to drink when you can't."

"I can!" He protested.

"Nope, nope, the law is impartial, this is a public place. If the restaurant owner tells on me it will be terribly irresponsible."

He looked down on his lap again, clearly disappointed.

She laughed. "So, let's order one anyway." There was time for recklessness and this is the day. She raised a hand at an oncoming waiter. "You just drink from my glass when no one is looking."

Ooo

"Cagalli…Wait up~!" He called as he raced after her meandering figure while cursing his short and stubby legs.

"I swear, I will never let you drink again…" He panted as he finally caught up with her and hung on to her scarf to prevent her from running amok. Cagalli's face and neck displayed a red hue and she was humming as she waddled purposelessly towards a bush, then change direction again for no good reason. Athrun felt his feet leave the ground for a moment as she grabbed his hand and swung him around.

"Isn't it fun, Athrun?" She exclaimed.

"No, put me down Cagalli!" He demanded heatedly.

"I don't want to." She giggled, "You know…" She seemed to turn sober again as she stood still and looked him in the eye. Then laid a tender kiss on his neck, it was not a chaste kiss, she even bit him ever so gently right behind his ear, her lips then lingered on his cheek. He could feel her breaths on the nape of his neck. His protests went back down his throat as blood rushed to his face and other places. Uncertainly he asked, 'Cagalli?'

She pulled away slightly, then unguardedly gave a small, sincere grin.

You know, hic, I have always hated children...My cousins are all littler than me and...They are loud and noisy and always throwing tantrums, basically they are brats. Hic...But if they are gonna turn out as cute as you...'

Athrun waited silently as Cagalli gazed at him like she had found something dear.

"I guess...I don't mind giving birth to a few."

Athrun's mind blew from the information overload all hidden in that one statement, he was quite unable to believe his ears. Did Cagalli just...propose to him? Did she actually imply that she did not mind him bedding her and eventually giving birth to his child. No, not child...CHILDREN. A few was definitely plural. How many did she plan?

"You're drunk, Cagalli..." He sputtered eventually as she looked at him, the heat bloomed on his face. That smile did not leave her face as she retorted, "On the contrary, that was one of the most lucid thought I have had in the last hour. I also think..."

He waited, heart in mouth.

"...That we should get more drinks..."

Athrun sighed in disappointment, it was now clear that she was not lucid and her statement meant nothing. She put him down and skipped along to the road, humming merrily. Athrun gazed at her, giving a bitter smile. This is the default Cagalli whom he loves, the one who dares to love and hate; who cannot tolerate alcohol. He made a mental note to never let her drink so much at official events, but for now, he will let her hum and frolic and join her if necessary.

"Come, Athrun..." she called as she proceeded to cross the road. Athrun looked up in alarm as his heart froze, Cagalli was looking back at him and walking forward...and did not see the truck speeding towards her and will knock her off her feet in precisely four seconds.

Adrenaline kicked in and Athrun dashed towards her yelling. "Cagalli, stop!"

She giggled and kept on walking, she turned in time to see the oncoming death. He heard her gasp, but it was too late. If he were an adult, he will simply grab her by the arm or shoulder and pull her back onto the pavement. The problem now is that he could not reach her shoulders.

So when he finally reached her, he grabbed onto the ends of her scarf and dug his heels into the ground and gave a wild tug. Then positioned to cushion her fall with all of him, there was no other way. She stepped backwards while trying to stabilize herself, and her heels tipped over the side of the pavement. Her head landed hard on him, knocking the air out of his lungs, she said something, he cannot remember what it was, then he blacked out.

Ooo

Cagalli cursed her carelessness as she lifted her head off the ground, her shoulder hurts and she let out a shuddering breath as the truck thundered past. The shock of the moment caused her to be more lucid even though she still felt the effects of the alcohol.

"Thanks…Are you okay?" The blood still pounding in her ears from the close shave. She got up gingerly, "Athrun?"

There was no reply and her heart skipped a beat as she looked behind.

Athrun was strewn on the pavement where her head had been, unconscious.

"Athrun...?" She called, patting his face. "Athrun. Athrun! Come on, don't scare me!"

He was out cold and did not respond in anyway. Usually, if Cagalli were to fall on Athrun, it will be no big deal, he was surefooted as a goat and will catch her in whatever way. This time was different, Cagalli was so much bigger and heavier than him. She gathered his form off the floor, patting down his ribs, probing the back of his head. He was breathing evenly, his ribs seemed to all be intact, there seem to be no bleeding or other injuries.

She breathed out a sigh of relief, ashamed that she cannot even take proper care of a kid. Mana had always told her that seemingly no matter what age she was, she will always be a big kid. She retorted that she never wanted to grow up if it means to become a scheming, manipulative and lying adult.

She gazed guiltily at Athrun now, lying lifeless in her arms. The logical thing to do will be to bring him to a doctor, but tonight was the third night, that means that by the time the sun rises tomorrow morning he will turn back to himself. There is a solid chance that Athrun will be turned over to NASA if the transformation was witnessed by a third party. No, she had only herself and her good sense to rely on, and she would not fail Athrun this time. Not when she was all he had left.

She stood up and unzipped her jacket and wrapped it snugly around Athrun's prone form, bundling him into a cocoon, then enveloped him in her arms. She carefully made the journey home. Her guards came running, but she shooed them off.

Terrible thoughts plagued her all the way. What if there was damage to Athrun's head? What if he did not remember stuff?

At home, she peeled off his coat and shirt and wiped him down.

What if he never woke up…?

"Please wake up..." She whispered to him, it was a heartfelt plea. She phoned the office, confirming the leave.

She had taken it the moment Athrun grudgingly walked into the changing room with the green dino suit in hand, then, he cast a look over his shoulder, as if asking for help. When Cagalli egged him onwards, he gave a helpless sigh, and did as he was told.

She also requested to speak to her private doctor on house call and lied that she had a little cousin who fell down while crossing the road and somehow convince her not to come over. Following instructions to the letter, Cagalli performed all the suggested checks. She decided that if there is a time for modesty, this was not it. She felt a light flush ride up her ears as she realized she had not touched Athrun's person so much over the last god-knows-how-many-months, he is her bodyguard after all. They had to be discreet if they want to stay together and the only PDA happens when they have complete privacy, which does not come by often and is usually short-lived and rushed. Leaving both of them quite annoyed at the disturbance.

At least the physical signs bode well. There was unlikely to be permanent damage to his anatomy, she spent a moment more squeezing his tiny, fleshy hands and feet. When she was sure there was nothing else she could do for him, she laid a blanket tenderly over his form and tucked the corners in.

For a full minute, she just sat there and gaze at him. He has the sweet, innocuous look of a little angel, there was none of the permanent slight frown that became his default expression. His eyelashes were dark and long, and stirred as she blew on them. She placed a hand on his smooth cheek, kissed him and grabbed another blanket and spent the night curled up right beside him, she wanted to be the first face he saw when he woke up, she wanted to be the first to apologize...

Ooo

She woke up to someone's breathing, it was not loud or intruding, but regular and kind of soothing. Eyes closed, she scratch her nose a little, then realized that her hand and her cheek was on someone's warm skin. Her eyes jerked open at the realization.

What greeted her was the elegant curve of his chest muscles. She was lying on the side of his pectoris at the nook of his arm; the original young man version of him, that is. Sunlight was streaming in through the opened window, bathing his exposed skin-golly, there was a lot of exposed skin- in a milky, golden colour.

Blood rushed unceremoniously to her face, she had never been so intimate with any other male person, the last one who held her so close was her father when she was nine. Petrified with the physical closeness, she did not move as Athrun was oblivious to her intrusion and did not awaken. She took her palm off Athrun's chest and held it close to her mouth, her heart racing. She was unsure of how to extract herself properly, part of her did not quite want to…

Out of sheer curiosity, she stretched out one finger...and poked Athrun's pectoris with it. It had the hardness of a well-trained muscle yet the compliance of young flesh...

"What are you doing...?" A lazy, familiar deep voice came from the top of her head. She froze, "Ath...Athrun...?"

He yawned, there was a distinct rise and fall of his chest as he took a deep breath, he rubbed his eyes. "You haven't answered."

"Nothing!" She denied quickly, silently cursing the untimely nature of his waking, she tried to get up, but Athrun's arm snaked around her. He gave her a quick kiss on her forehead, then dropped his voice to a sultry whisper and spoke right into her ear. "You have permission to touch me on the chest, anytime you want. In fact…you can touch me anywhere you want, no permission needed."

The blush went right to her ears, her mouth had gone dry.

"Re...release me!" She cried at last, "I...I need to go to work!" She lied, she was panicking and was unsure of how else she could get yourself out of the situation.

"No you don't." He declared.

"How do you know?" She asked in alarm.

"If you did you will be long gone by now...and...I cannot remember anything after the truck last night, you look pretty spritely. That must mean that I was successful in saving you, that implies I was probably knocked out cold right on the middle of the streets and you probably carried me home and spent the whole night guilty and has possibly been guilty enough to take an extra day off."

She lowered her head at his guess, he was right on every count.

He turned to gaze at her, then used a hand at her chin to make her look at him. "It is thereby my obligation to prove to you that my mental capacities have not suffered as a result and provide a reprieve for the guilty soul..."

She smiled despite of herself, he's back all right. The confident, eloquent young man who radiates something that approaches arrogance, he can be so naughty when he wants to be.

"So what is this reprieve you speak of?", she asked in spite of herself.

"You're entitled to one kiss, and he indicated a spot on his cheek. Right here."

She laughed timidly, wondering if he meant it.

"You're really not angry with me?" She asked tentatively.

He only gave a shrug, "Why should I be? It was a sincere mistake and it's not as if you want it to happen. No harm done. Although... I must insist you either learn how to drink or to boycott all alcoholic products during public events."

She leaned over him, gazing at his face. The proportions returned with his age, the handsome jawline, the defined features and expressive eyes. Those eyes gazed right back at her unashamedly, it was really him.

Her hands found their way to the side of his face, her thumb stroking his cheek, she took a breath and leaned towards him. Instead of his cheek, Cagalli kissed him on the mouth…

Ooo

This ends the three squishy chapters of Athrun little. I honestly enjoyed writing all three, it was light-hearted and I cannot believe it has been more than 10 years since Gundam Seed aired. Thank you for waiting till NOW.

Cheers