Akatsuki-hime: This story is nearing an end. It's already chapter 29. I think this will be the second to the last chapter. Since everyone's a couple here already. The only ones having problems are Lacus, Kira, and Meer. Of course, we'll be having a moment for Miriallia and Dearka here too.
Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam SEED Destiny.
Destiny High School
Phase 29: An Apology and Love
Kira found Lacus sitting at the corner of the library that morning. "Hi, Lacus," he said. "How are you?"
Lacus didn't speak to him. She merely past him and left the library quietly. It may be a cold act to do, but Lacus' heart was in so much pain at the moment.
With Lacus being so distant to him, Kira didn't know what else to do.
"May I sit with you, Kira?" Meer asked the brunette at lunch. "The other tables are pretty full." She showed him one gracious smile. She was pretending to be Lacus again, with the hairclip and all.
Kira looked up from his vegetable soup, looking rather serious. He knew it was Meer. The real Lacus didn't even want to talk to him. "Meer, quit the act. I know it's you."
Meer sighed and sat down on the chair beside him. "You got me there," she said, leaning her cheek on her hand. "I guess there's no more use for this." She removed the curved hairclip and put on her star hairclip.
"Lacus saw us kissing. Now she's avoiding me." Kira clenched the spoon in his hand real hard. "Why? Why did you have to do it, Meer? Do you enjoy fooling people or hurting your sister's feelings?"
"No…" Meer shook her head. She was actually surprised to hear that Lacus found out about her little act. "I didn't mean to hurt Lacus. It's just that I got attracted to you too, Kira."
"So, you flirted with me because you're of that?" Kira dropped the spoon and brushed his hands through his hair uneasily. "Didn't you stop and think about what your sister may feel?"
"I didn't think I'd be caught," Meer said, turning her head away. "I'm sorry… I really didn't mean to hurt Lacus." She stood up and left the cafeteria.
As she reached the stairs, she found Fllay Alster sitting on the steps with her arms crossed in front of her chest. Meer immediately put on a stern face. "You?! What are you doing here?!"
Fllay stood up and placed a hand on her waist. "I was looking for you, Campbell," she said. "We need to talk."
"Look, I'm in no mood to talk or even argue with you, so stand aside," Meer demanded, and Fllay shrugged. "I'm dead serious, Alster."
Fllay wasn't going to beat around the bush anymore. When dealing with Meer, it was always best to be straight to the point. "You pretended to be Clyne, spent time with her boyfriend, and stole a few kisses from him," she said. "I can't believe how pathetic you are. If you wanted to get back at Cagalli Yula Hibiki, you should have confronted her directly and not by using her brother."
"I'm not aiming to get rid of that girl anymore…" Meer said, turning her back to Fllay. "And I think I've lost interest in Athrun. Besides, no matter what I do, I know that Athrun can never be mine." Her eyes were almost neared to tears.
"What? You're not in love with Athrun Zala anymore? That's impossible." Fllay was seriously appalled. "Don't tell me you're after Kira now?"
Silence was all Meer could give.
"Campbell, answer me!" Fllay approached her and grabbed her shoulder. "Hey, look at me when I'm talking to you."
Meer gritted her teeth. "Let go of me, bitch!" She slapped Fllay's hand away and shot her a glare. "Okay, I admit it! I'm in love with Kira now. That Cagalli can have Athrun all to herself for all I care." Tears have welled up in her eyes.
Fllay was taken aback. It was her first time to see Meer cry in front of her. The pink-haired girl sounded so serious, yet somehow Fllay felt that she was only forced to say it. "Campbell, are you sure about your feelings? Do you really love Kira? Or is it just because—"
"Oh, shut up!" Meer cut her off. "And leave me alone!" She was about to run but Fllay caught her wrist. "Let me go, Alster!" Before she knew it, the red-head slapped her across the face so hard.
"You were irritating before," Fllay said, folding her arms, "but you're more irritating now. This isn't like you."
"Alster…"
"You wanted Athrun Zala by getting rid of Cagalli, so you pretended to be Lacus to get close to Kira. Am I wrong?" Fllay could see the anxiety building up in her eyes. "But you didn't expect to fall for Kira, did you?"
Meer slowly nodded her head. "Kira's so nice and all and it's not hard to like him." She was getting out of character, but she didn't care. It was about time to let her feelings out—even if she was facing her rival. "I don't know if this is love or not, but I do know that I became fond of him."
"Campbell, you do understand that Kira is Clyne's boyfriend, right?"
"Yes…"
"And you know how much the two love each other, right?"
"Stop it… You're only making me feel worse."
Fllay sighed in frustration. "I don't know why, but I don't like seeing you like this. It's so not like you. The Campbell I know was always pushy and strong-headed."
"I'm not always like that. I can be weak too."
"Pull yourself together. I can't believe I'm saying this but you're not weak. You may be flirty and annoying, but you're never weak. Do you I have to slap you again to make you realize that? I figured that you're confused. You don't know what your heart is telling you anymore."
Meer wiped away the tears with her hand and faced Fllay more properly. "I'm not that lucky when it comes to love. I've lost Athrun to another girl and the guy I'm crushing on right now is my sister's boyfriend."
"And you've managed to hurt your sister."
The actress heaved a deep sigh. "I guess so… I'm so stupid."
Fllay let out a slight chuckle, and Meer raised a brow. "I can't believe that the aristocratic Meer Campbell is calling herself stupid. I wished I had a video cam with me right now."
Meer rolled her eyes away. "Whatever, Alster…"
"Here's an advice for you. Settle your feelings with Zala and make up with your sister and Kira."
"I don't know if I could do that."
"Did you flush your confidence down the toilet? Come on, don't talk like that. You've got to act now and settle things on your own. You'll be miserable for life if you don't, though I won't really mind."
"And what's that supposed to mean, Alster?" Meer's usual tone of voice was back, and Fllay smiled. "Ah, you're smiling. That is so creepy."
Fllay slapped her back and shrugged. "I'm here wasting my time helping you get back on your feet and you insult me. How quaint of you, Campbell. Well, at least, you're back to your old self." She spun on her heels. "You have to make things right again. Don't mess up or else you'll have to answer to me." With that statement, she walked off.
Meer flipped her hair in irritation. "Same old Fllay Alster," she grumbled, and then smiled. "But she isn't so bad."
Later that day…
At the end of class, Kira bolted for the door and headed for Lacus' classroom. He searched for Lacus there, but she was nowhere to be found. It seemed like she had already left. Thinking she was in the music room, Kira went to the club rooms. He caught a glimpse of Lacus entering the music room and quickened his pace. Just as he was about to call her name, he felt a tap on his shoulder.
"Just what I needed, another pair of arms!"
Kira, startled, looked up to see Mr. Arnold Neumann, his arms full of folders, peering down at him.
"Here," the teacher said. "You can help me carry these to the sports club rooms."
Kira sighed, but it was impossible to refuse gracefully. He accepted the stack of folders and followed the teacher back down the hall. But when he finished his duty with the teacher, he went back to the music room. Unfortunately, he found no traces of Lacus there.
"She already left?" he murmured to himself.
"Hey, Kira," Cagalli greeted him. "I heard about what happened with you and Lacus from Fllay."
"You must think I'm such a loser for not being able to tell the sisters apart, huh?"
Cagalli shook her head. "You're only human. You can make mistakes. Besides, your girlfriend and that Campbell really do look alike. It's hard to tell them apart if you don't look closely."
"Still, I should have known better," Kira said, his eyes frail. "I feel horrible. Lacus got hurt."
"But you didn't mean it," Cagalli said. "If you talk to her properly, I'm sure she would understand." She patted Kira's shoulder.
"Yeah, you're right," Kira agreed.
"You better get going, Kira," Cagalli said, giving him a push forward. "I saw Lacus walking out of the building a while ago."
"Okay, thanks, Cagalli…" He then started to run.
Lacus had almost reached the school gate when Kira grabbed her arm.
"Lacus, wait!"
The pink-haired girl spun around, astonished. "Kira?" she sputtered.
"We need to talk," he firmly said, and Lacus turned her gaze away. "Please, Lacus. Please listen to what I have to say."
At this point, Meer appeared and said, "I also have something to say." She sounded solemn. "I know I did something unforgivable."
Lacus drew a deep breath, trying to make her heart stop pounding. "Meer, why did you pretend to be me in the first place?" she asked.
"I was trying to get back at Cagalli for stealing Athrun away from me by getting close to Kira," Meer explained. "But my plan didn't go so well. Surprisingly, I found myself falling for Kira."
Lacus gaped at him. "So, you like Kira…" she muttered.
"I like him, but I don't think it's love or anything. To tell you the truth, I just grew fond of him." While she was saying that, her heart felt a stinging pain. "I acted all clingy to him because it's in my nature."
"But those kisses seemed—"
"I don't have the same kind of feelings you have for him, Lacus," Meer said with pride and confidence. "Just get that straight, okay? I'm quite tired of explaining myself already. And please don't avoid Kira anymore. He's really a nice guy and I think you're pretty lucky to have him as a boyfriend."
"Meer…"
Meer placed a hand on Lacus' head and smiled. "You don't have to worry about me snatching you're boyfriend away. I'm not that low. Besides, you're my sister. It hurts me to see you hurt, you know." She brushed her fingers through Lacus' hair and then caressed her cheek. "So, I hope you'll forgive me for the things I've done. I swear I'll never do them again."
Lacus could see how sincere Meer was because of her eyes. "Meer, I was never angry at you…" she muttered, taking Meer's hand, gently rubbing it. "I was merely upset and a little—"
"Jealous?" Meer continued for her, and Lacus started crying. "It's normal for a girl to feel that way when she sees her boyfriend with another girl." She then shifted her gaze at Kira and smiled tenderly at him.
"Meer, I'm glad you explained things well to Lacus," Kira said.
The actress shrugged and approached him. Pointing a finger at his chest, she said, "I would do anything to make Lacus happy. You better take good care of her or else, you got that?" She faked a cough as her cheeks turned a little red. "And another thing… About the things I've said a while ago… You know, about me growing fond of you… I want you to forget all about it. Never tell anyone about it either. That's an order from me."
Kira sighed. "I won't. I promise." He then showed Meer a very handsome yet gentle smile that made her heart skip a beat.
Meer felt her eyes getting teary, but she still put up a good front. "Well, I have to go now. I'm quite needed in the drama club. You two should have a good talk." After saying that, Meer left them immediately and went inside the school building. As she reached the lockers, she stopped and started crying.
Feel weak, Meer leaned her back against the lockers and slid down to the floor. "It hurts…" she murmured, looking up at the ceiling. She has fallen for Kira, but it pained her to know that he can never be hers. Kira belonged to her sister. "Lacus, be happy with Kira. You're so lucky."
"Campbell, what's wrong?" a familiar voice spoke to her.
Slowly, Meer turned towards the direction of the voice and found Athrun Zala standing a few inches away from her. "A-Athrun?" Her eyes grew wide as she realized she was showing her tears to him. Hurriedly, she wiped the tears away and stood up with poise. "Oh, my… It seems like you caught me practicing one of my scenes." She faked a smile.
Athrun sensed that there was something wrong with her. "Those tears… Campbell, you were crying, weren't you?" he asked.
"Of course, I was crying. But it was all an act. I like practicing by myself at any place, at any time. That's how professional I am." She spoke so big with full of self-confidence to mask her real emotions.
"Is that so? Well, since you're okay, would you mind moving away from my locker?"
Meer thought back about what Fllay told her. "Hmm… Wait, can you spare me a minute, Athrun?" she said, twirling a lock of her hair. "I have something I want to say to you."
Athrun raised a brow. "If this is going to be another confession, then forget it," he coldly said.
Pouting, Meer shook her head. "I've decided to give up on you, Athrun!" she uttered. "After all, you're madly in love that that blondie, so I don't stand a chance."
Emerald eyes went wide in a second. "What? Are you serious about that?"
"Do you doubt my words, Athrun?" she said.
"I don't know. I think you're up to—"
"Enough!" Meer demanded, crossing her arms. "I've given up on you and that's final. Don't make me repeat myself, Athrun."
Athrun became silent. For a little while she stared at Meer and then he noticed something. He reached out for her face and wiped a small tear from her eye with his finger. "Campbell, you're crying," he said.
Meer backed away. "I'm not crying. That tears was just something from a while ago. You saw me practicing, didn't you?"
Athrun narrowed his eyes. "You're shedding more tears…"
Meer realized that and looked down at the floor. "Why am I always the unlucky one?" she asked. "I lost you first and then I lost Kira."
Athrun looked confused. "Kira?" What does he have to do with Meer?
"You must feel happy now seeing me like this," Meer said. "I've been such a pain to you for so long, so I know that you're relieved that I'm giving up on you."
Athrun shook his head. "I considered your flirting annoying, but I don't feel happy at all seeing you cry."
Meer met his gaze again. "You're just saying that. I know you hate me, Athrun."
"I don't like your attitude sometimes, but it doesn't mean I hate you as a person," Athrun explained.
"Stop saying such things," Meer said, flushing red.
"Campbell, I was quite flattered that you were in love with me and I admired your determination," Athrun said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You were willing to do anything just to get my attention. But I'm really sorry. I couldn't return your feelings, so I understand why you're giving up."
Meer couldn't help smiling at his sincerity. Despite having unrequited feelings for her, Athrun was still being nice to her. "Don't make me regret my decision now," she said, brushing Athrun's hand away from her shoulder. She was no longer crying. "Athrun, if it's okay with you, let's be friends from now on." She held out her hand to shake.
"This is shocking, but I'm glad," Athrun said, shaking hands with her. "I accept your friendship, Campbell."
Unknown to the two, Cagalli was hiding behind the lockers, eavesdropping on their conversation. I find it shocking myself that Campbell decided to quit chasing Athrun… I guess Kira had so much effect on her. Well, it's good that it turned out for the best in the end.
Newspaper Room (Next Day)
Dearka was going to do it today. It took him the whole night to find the right things to do and to say. He wasn't backing out. It was now or never. He slowly walked towards Miriallia, who was diligently working on an article in her laptop, and tapped her shoulder. "Uhm… May I have a minute with you, Miriallia?"
"Sure," she answered. She turned around in her swivel chair to face him. "What do you want?"
"I-I have an extra coupon here for a free meal at an All You Can Eat Buffet," he said while showing her the coupon. "And I was wondering if you would like to go with me on Saturday."
"Wait a minute… Are you asking me out on a date?" she asked.
Dearka chuckled to ease his anxiety. "Well…yes… I'm asking you out on a date."
"Why?"
"That' because I…"
"Because you?"
Dearka was blushing at this point. Could he possible tell her about his feelings now or should he save it for the date? But Miriallia was asking him for a reason. He didn't want to lie to her.
"Hey, you don't have to act so nervous, Dearka," Miriallia said, patting his shoulder. "That's not like you. Anyway, I know you're asking me out because we're friends, right? Friends love to hang out."
And Dearka's heart sank. I'm only a friend to her? Yeah, they've been friends for so long. However, he was in love with her. It was about time he should tell her. "Miriallia, I'm asking you out not because we're simply friends." His expression was calm and serious.
"Is that so?"
Dearka drew in a deep breath. "Miriallia, I asked you out on a date because I love you," he said. "I've been in love with you ever since I've met you. I want you to be my girlfriend."
Miriallia stared at him in surprise. She didn't speak.
He caught a glimpse of her expression and his heart fell. She had the look of disappointment. Her smile had turned upside down and her eyes were almost emotionless. "I want to hear your reply," he said, swallowing hard.
"I'm sorry," she muttered, and Dearka's eyes grew wide. "I can't go out with you." She faced her laptop again and started typing.
It was his first time to see Miriallia acting so cold to him. But what broke his heart the most was the fact that she rejected him. "I see…" he said, holding back his tears. "Okay, I understand. I guess I'll see you later…" He sniffed then turned around and ran outside of the room.
He sat down on a bench at the back of the school. He was broken hearted. He should have known that Miriallia would reject him.
To be continued…
Akatsuki-hime: I never said that the DearkaxMilly moments would be sweet. Miriallia was kinda harsh on Dearka here, but she has her reasons. You'll find out about it in the next chapter. Oh, the next one is the final one. All couples would be there, so expect a lot of romance. I can't believe this story is coming to an end at last. Please send in the reviews. No flaming.