Chapter Text
Simus knew the person standing in front of the military quarters was Casval. It was true that he blended in the crowd, wasn’t the centre of attention wherever he went anymore; it was also true that she had never seen his face before, but it felt like him.
Simus didn’t think her Newtype abilities was proficient, but maybe the girl from Side 6 was right – maybe Simus was evolving as well. Simus slowly approached him, and he turned around even before she held her hand out to tap on his shoulders.
“You are… Lieutenant… Simus.” Casval didn’t ask for her name, which surprised Simus. They met only once during 0079, when he followed Commander Challia Bull – Lieutenant at that time – for an impromptu mechanical check. She was there for Kikeroga’s regular maintenance, and Challia introduced her to the acclaimed Red Comet.
It was only that one time. She didn’t think she was significant enough for the ace of Zeon to remember her name. Simus blinked a few times, “Yes… Sir Cas- Ch- Um…”
“Shirouzu. Drop the formality. I’m just a nobody,” Simus could see the clear blue eyes faintly showing behind his blond fringe; she nodded. “Glad to see you here. I’ll need your help to get into the quarters.”
“I see…” Simus neither agreed nor disagreed to Casval’s request. It was definitely illegal to allow him to go into a secluded area, even if she believed that he wasn’t planning anything dangerous. To be frank, she doubted his biometric data was deleted from Zeon’s database; if he wanted to do it, he could easily bypass the securities with a little hacking to conceal his identity.
He didn’t. Simus was relieved to know that he’s different from the Char she heard from Lady Artesia and Commander Challia.
“So… Are you helping?” Casval’s voice pulled Simus back to the reality, she then looked at her amount of luggage, “…Are you leaving Zeon?”
“Oh, no… I’m going for a 3-months long vacation,” Simus smiled. Casval hummed, now it makes sense. “Sorry, may I ask you to wait here for a little while? I left something in the quarters.”
Casval nodded.
Simus came back to the entrance with another bag. She didn’t answer Casval’s question on whether she would help him, instead, she continued the conversation on how she was not planning to leave Zeon, “I enjoy working on mobile suits and mobile armours, so… despite the fact that there are office politics that I don’t like, I want to stay here.”
“What kind of politics?” Casval asked after Simus finished typing on a ridehailing application, calling a cab for both of them.
“It’s trivial, really,” Simus checked Casval’s expression, and he seemed disappointed at the lack of information, “…Challia protected me from most of those.” Casval’s immediately looked at her after his name was mentioned. It wouldn’t take long for one to get an idea on why Casval came here.
“…Is he well?”
Simus hesitated, she wasn’t sure if she should tell her observation or just a formal answer to this question. Neither. “You’re here to find out the answer, aren’t you?”
Casval didn’t answer, and the cab arrived at a convenient timing. Casval helped Simus to bring her ridiculous amount of luggage to the boot, and both of them settled at the backseat. Simus felt awkward, but she didn’t know what to talk about with Casval without mentioning Challia.
“Where are you going for vacation?” Casval asked, looking at her casual blouse and jeans look. She touched her braids and wondered if she looked weird. “You look good.” Now she wondered if Casval could read minds too.
“The Earth. California first, and then some other places,” Simus pointed at the boot, “Most of those are for Sayla’s acquaintances on Earth, you can say it’s half a business trip.” Simus chuckled while Casval shook his head.
“Are all Newtypes workaholics?”
“You can propose this to Professor Flanagan.” Simus suggested.
“Not someone I’d like to see again.” Casval sighed. “Where are we going?”
“Detention centre.”
“You are funnier than I thought you’d be. Thought someone who can get along with Challia Bull will be as boring as he is,” Casval commented while getting off the car when the cab stopped at the roadside, in front of a café. “Suitable for a discussion, I see.”
Casval took all Simus’ luggage from the cab and placed it at the pavement while waiting for her to pay the cab fees, astonished by how she’s still using cash. He was reminded of his life on Earth, where he had to get used to how everything was still cash-based.
Simus got out of the car and pointed at the apartment beside the café, “Upstairs.”
Casval grinned, “An even better place,” He handed Simus the lightest luggage and allowed her to lead the way. She unlocked the front door and pressed the button to the lift, “Penthouse. Good way to use Zeon’s money.” Casval nodded, agreeing with how she invested the money into such luxurious property. He had to admit despite the determination to leave his past, the young master in him do prefer his things to be exquisite.
Simus pressed a combination of number on the padlock, unlocking the door and held it to let Casval bring all the luggage into the living room. Casval observed the room, it weirdly reminded him of his own room in Sodon, during the war. There was furniture, there were decorations – but it felt empty, it didn’t feel like a house.
He knew he’s not in a place to judge, but he knew how a house, a home should feel. This was not it.
Simus silently took some of the luggage and moved to her room. Casval followed, “…Is this really your house?”
“Yes.” The voice didn’t belong to Simus. Casval turned his head to where the voice came from, and there stood the reason why he came to Side 3 – with a plain shirt and shorts, holding a coffee mug. Casval took a step forward, but he hesitated to get closer to Challia.
His heart was beating faster than usual. Almost as bad as the adrenaline rush he felt when this exact person in front of him tried to kill him. Actually, was it even ‘bad’? Casval couldn’t help but question himself. He wouldn’t come all the way here if he thought it was bad.
“Your friend, Simus?” Challia asked.
“I’m going to throw this question back to you if you keep this intimidating act up…” Simus pushed all her luggage into her room and sighed, “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you who was coming.”
Challia shook his head and walked towards the living room, placed his coffee mug on the table and went to the kitchen to get two more cups for the guests. Simus smiled and pushed Casval lightly, so that he could move his legs to the living room as well.
“…Care to explain?” Casval asked when Challia came back to them with a cup of coffee and another cup of tea. He placed the cup of tea in front of Casval – he remembered Casval secretly preferred tea over coffee.
“I saw Sir Casval on my way here, so I brought him together,” Casval appreciated the lack of details in Simus’ testimony. She turned to Casval when Challia seemed fine – not satisfied, but not enough for him to probe more – and continued, “I told Challia you’re my friend because he wouldn’t let you – or even me – in if I say I brought you. Before you ask, yes, I come here often, but we’re not in that kind of relationship. If this matters to you.”
It did matter, Casval admitted this in his heart. The uneasy feeling clouding his heart disappeared right after Simus said that. Guess it mattered a little bit too much to his preference.
“I was going to say your house interior looks dull as fuck. Boring, inorganic.” Casval touched the maroon coloured couch he was sitting at, aware that his words were directing to the actual owner of the house instead. Casval took a glance at Challia, sipping his coffee, didn’t seem to mind his harsh comments.
…Does he even care? Casval couldn’t help but feel a little bit disappointed.
“I don’t think this house will look like this if I am a resident of here…” Simus murmured. Casval laughed, and Challia pretended to not hear it. Three of them spent a few seconds in silence, she glanced at the most talkative person here, but he didn’t seem keen enough to initiate a conversation. Wasn’t he the one who wanted to see Challia?
Simus looked at Challia instead, surprisingly, he looked less grumpy than Simus had expected him to be. She thought things would escalate, since the person who caused the emergence of Challia’s bad temper appeared in his house out of nowhere. She’s glad she was wrong about this, because she certainly doesn’t want Challia to feel miserable anymore.
It was right to bring Casval directly here. He wasn’t the answer to achieve world peace, but he definitely was the answer to Challia’s inner peace.
“May I ask why you are here?” Challia broke the silence. Simus couldn’t tell the emotions behind his questions – too complicated for her to analyse one by one. She thought about going back to her room to avoid this tension going on here, but she couldn’t find a good timing; even if she did, she was sure both of them would prefer her to be here.
They probably thought at least someone else would be there to stop them from punching each other. Although she doubted that it would actually happen.
“I came here to talk with Artesia. I’ve got nothing better to do.” Casval kept it short. He omitted some other reasons.
“I thought you’re out there finding a way to live…” Challia stated, averting Casval’s gaze.
Casval snickered, “Not as easy as you thought it’d be. Tell me, what keeps you alive?”
Simus’ eyes widened, she wanted to chip in so that Challia wouldn’t have to answer this sensitive question, but she knew this conversation was needed for both of them. She knew this day would come, and Challia would have to face it eventually.
She asked the same question a few months ago out of concern, and of course Challia was annoyed. While she was delighted to see Challia showing his raw emotions in front of her, the fact that he tried his best to avoid anything Casval related, was hard for Simus to look at.
Challia wanted Casval to move on, but he wasn’t doing so; he hoped he would, but in reality, he couldn’t. Despite his effort to appear as perfect as he could in front of everyone else, Simus was the only one who he was comfortable enough to show his struggle.
The moment she saw Casval here, she knew she needed to take the chance, to take the risk. Was he the Char Aznable who Artesia and Challia despised, or was he the Casval Rem Deikun who both of them adored?
“Um, sorr-”
“…You.” Just when Simus wanted to interrupt, thinking the silence was too loud for three of them to bear, Challia spoke. Simus looked at Challia, and then at Casval.
“Glad to know that.” Casval smiled. Simus found herself unable to take her eyes off the smile – it was dazzling, almost mesmerising. She wondered if Challia thought the same.
Casval didn’t continue the conversation. Simus didn’t mind to become their meddler if things went wrong, but it was definitely better for both of them to have their private conversation. Challia never blatantly talked about he and Casval’s relationship during the war, but he never hid it as well. It was easy for Simus to deduce it through Challia’s words and actions.
Three of them spent the rest of the afternoon catching up Simus’ recent work, with Casval providing new perspectives as if he was a consultant. Simus laughed when he said he was giving free diplomatic strategies because he’s collecting good deeds.
Simus didn’t know it would feel this pleasant to talk with Casval. He’s completely different from what she saw during the war, different from what both Artesia and Challia had described him. She knew what she saw wasn’t all, but her instincts – be it a Newtype one or not – told her that what she saw was the real Casval.
There was no reason for him to put on a façade in front of her. Nor Challia, anymore. He knew it better that it was a waste of effort to do so.
After their fulfilling dinner together, Simus went to her room and handed Casval a bag while Challia was away. Casval recognised that it was the bag Simus ‘forgot’ to take while they met at the quarter’s entrance.
“It is your belongings. Challia kept it until he moved out of the quarters… And… I continued to keep it for him,” Simus looked at the bag with an endearing expression. “It was the least that I could do.”
“Do you believe in us?” Casval asked abruptly.
“…Do you?”
“I never stopped believing in both of us.” An immediate answer with no hesitation.
“That’s all that matters.” Simus smiled.
Simus was only staying at Challia’s house for a night, before she had to catch her flight in the morning. Challia offered to drive her to the airport while she was readying herself at the living room, with Casval saying he’d like to follow too. Simus thought she must’ve missed something while she was sleeping, both of them looked so much better compared to the previous day.
“Enjoy your holiday and take a good look at the Earth.” Casval said to Simus when she had to enter the immigration area.
“You sound like some environmentalist, Mister Shirouzu…” Simus chuckled and waved her hands towards Casval and Challia, “Thank you, Challia, for fetching me here. See you two again!”
Casval and Challia said their goodbyes and left. Simus waited for a while, then turned around to look at their backs, hoped that everything could go well for them – no, it would definitely go well.
Simus smiled and walked to the immigration gate.