category: Gundam SEED

disclaimer: I don't own it.

notes: Another user on here, orbmagic, has kindly translated IMPASSE into Chinese. If any of you would want to read that, it's located at tieba(.)baidu(.)com/p/1605572103. Thank you to her!

"Feet off the dash." Athrun spares Cagalli a sideways glimpse as she remains obliviously in position. "I mean it, Cagalli."

She pulls her legs closer toward her and they slide off the dashboard. "Don't be such a goody-goody, Athrun, my dear." Cagalli reaches across the gearshift and pats his cheek. "Live a little!"

Athrun flinches at the searing warmth of her skin. He stiffly pries Cagalli's hand off his face. "I think you've done enough living tonight for the both of us. Put your seatbelt on and settle down. We have a long drive, no thanks to you."

"I honestly thought I'd be able to shake everyone off, at least until morning." Cagalli blows upward at her bangs. "I cover over two hundred miles, and you track me down anyway."

"Not me," Athrun corrects. "I'm not in charge of keeping you in line anymore."

"Not you," Cagalli agrees. "Whoever that new head of security is. Might be Richardson. Dunno. I can never keep his face straight."

"You're still drunk," Athrun says uninterestedly.

She laughs, an uncharacteristic giggle that she tries to hold back. "Know why I binned the old one? Edwards? He made a pass at me. Wouldn't have been such a big deal, really, but he was forty and kind of mega-creepy. So whoosh!" Cagalli makes a sweeping gesture with her arm. "Fired!"

Athrun makes no reply.

"But why are you the one ferrying me back?" Cagalli narrows her eyes, suspicious. "Why were you even in Budapest?" Her voice quiets to a hush and she leans closer to him. "Were you following me?"

Athrun makes a face and pushes her back into her seat. "As if I don't have better things to do on a Saturday night. Running around after my ex." There's a pause. Athrun thinks he might have said the wrong thing. "I was actually in the city on business. But, wonder of wonders, at the one pub I stopped to grab dinner from, I stumbled upon a certain someone dancing on a table. Coincidence has a funny sense of humor."

"It was a dare," Cagalli counters defensively. "I couldn't say no."

He raises an eyebrow. "Who exactly were you playing with?"

"Andro, the truck driver I hitched a ride from Sarajevo with. Two construction workers. Some weirdo at the bar who kept trying to touch my hair. And this girl named Nicolette. I think she might have been a prostitute. Great company." Cagalli idly rummages through the glove department of the car. "She gave me some tips. Did you know that men love it when you do literally anything at all to them? Especially if you're naked."

"Oh, I knew," Athrun mutters, and receives a pointed glare for his trouble. "At any rate, I sort of figured you weren't supposed to be out alone. I called your office back in Orb, and they transferred me to your mobile security detail. And guess what? They were in a complete panic trying to figure out where you went."

Cagalli titters. "Incompetent, the whole lot of them."

"They sounded so terrified I couldn't help but lend a hand. So here we are." Athrun drums his fingers on the steering wheel. "Two hours out from your party in Sarajevo. I hope you're happy. You ruined my last night on Earth."

"It's never a waste if you get to see me," Cagalli trumpets. Athrun scoffs disbelievingly.

"Exactly how much did you drink? I don't know how much longer I can deal with all your energy at two in the morning."

"Only two beers, a margarita, and then a couple rounds of shots. But it was great! You know I never get to go out back home."

"For good reason." Athrun stifles a yawn. "I think this fulfills your rebellion quota for another decade at least."

"Eh, I'll say more like two years. Not that you'll be around to enforce it." Cagalli, sitting sideways with her back against her door, kicks him lightly. "When's your flight?"

"Six in the morning," Athrun lies seamlessly. He doesn't know why he doesn't tell her that it's in exactly ten minutes and he's intentionally missing it to drive her back.

"Good riddance to you," Cagalli jokes, and carelessly props her feet on Athrun's shoulders. Maintaining the same effortlessly cheery tone, she continues, "How's Meyrin?"

Athrun's mouth presses into a firm line as he shifts fluidly into sixth. Cagalli's crossed some imaginary line that's been set between them for seven years. They run into each other every few months: he doesn't mention the rumors swirling about her and the president of the Eurasian Federation; she doesn't inquire about the person who's obviously become the principal part of his life. She's passed that all-important line, but she doesn't even care.

"We're doing okay," Athrun answers. He chances a look across at Cagalli. She's still smiling brightly, although he can tell she's not quite so drunk anymore.

"You've been engaged for two years already, right? I suppose I'm to expect a wedding invitation in the mail sometime soon."

"Only if you're to announce that President Richter has proposed to you as well," Athrun counters sharply.

Cagalli laughs. "Touché." She closes her eyes, suddenly tired. "So, no, considering Alexander has not asked me yet."

Athrun makes an unconvinced sound from the back of his throat but remains silent. Their current situation is strange. They've done it all before: been single at the same time, been in a relationship together, watched one of them be with someone else. But this is different. They're both seeing people, but they're not each other.

"It's all right like this, isn't it, Athrun?" Cagalli asks. At his lack of response she mumbles, "You always did look better in your red uniform. Maybe that means something."

After a little while, Cagalli takes her legs off his shoulders, curls into a ball, and falls asleep. She dozes intermittently, often moving around. "I'm cold," she mutters somewhere around Zagreb. Athrun takes off the coat of his suit and throws it to her. She buttons it up quickly and nods off again.

x

They reach Sarajevo at quarter-of four. One of Cagalli's staff members runs out from the hotel lobby as soon as Athrun steps out of the car.

She wrings her hands as he hands off the passed-out Cagalli to two more attendants. "Thank you so much, Councilman Zala! Mr. Richardson is out and I don't know what we would have done if you hadn't called."

"It's no problem. Unfortunately, I can't stay." Athrun regards Cagalli for a second longer. "Will you make sure she gets to her room all right? And that she has a glass of water and two aspirin on the night table." The girl nods in understanding, and Athrun knows he should stop talking but he can't. "Also, that her curtains are closed, the closet door is shut, and she's sleeping on the right side of the bed."

Cagalli's assistant studies him bemusedly. "Er, right." She scuffs her shoe on the ground. "If that's all, sir, a good night to you."

Athrun watches the group hurry inside from the chill and begins to leave a message for his secretary telling her that he missed his shuttle. He was supposed to have an early-morning meeting, which he certainly can't make in time now. (Yzak's going to kill him.)

It isn't until hours later, when he's already halfway back to Aprilius, that Athrun realizes he left his wallet in the inside pocket of the very coat he gave to Cagalli.

Athrun sighs and massages his temple. "Bloody hell."

x

The first thing Cagalli registers upon waking up the following morning is the insistent throbbing at her head. The second is that she is wearing a very large, very unfamiliar suit jacket. She digs through the pockets and takes out a black leather wallet, shuffling through and reading the name on the ID inside.

Cagalli lets her head fall back onto the pillow, all at once remembering the events of the previous night. The name ATHRUN ZALA embossed in raised white sans-serif and a folded photo of a pretty redhead stare back at her. "Bloody hell."

notes: Happy Thanksgiving to those of you here in the States! Please do let me know what you thought of this. Also, I have a tumblr now! Link's in the profile.

(Please, no comments about how you wish my stories were happier. I will write how I wish.)