Birthday Present ^^
YAY! It's Athrun's Birthday!!!!!!!! Wheeeeee~ ^___- Okey doke, so it really isn't anymore in many places, but it's 7:57PM on Oct 29th here where I am! And as a present part two ( I already submitted my crappy birthday comic for athrun_matsuri T_T) here is Chapter Two of my Fic! Enjoy! (I think I've lost a lot of my nervousness- is that good? Or is this a shortlived boost of hyperness at Athrun's Birthday? O.o)
Where Am I Going?
***Athrun's POV***
He's sitting in a cafe, with a coffee mug in one hand and a newspaper in the other. From any angle on the outside, he was a young man just reading the evening papers with a cuppa. But from up close to his stunning jade eyes, staring immovingly at the second line in the first paragraph, you could see snatches of the thoughts swirling inside Athrun Zala's head faster than light.
Athrun sighed, and blinked, putting down both the paper and the mug. How long had it been since he'd excused himself to go to a washroom nearby? Glancing at his old, weathered, but much loved watch, he could tell that it had been an hour. An hour of sitting and waiting and pretending to read. An hour of torturous anxiety of what might be happening outside just a few hundred yards away between his closest friend in the world and the boy who had caused him many sleepless nights...not neccessarily in a bad way, though. Unknowingly, a smile stole across Athrun's face, a rather secretive one, as if the smile did not wish to make its presence known even to Athrun himself.
Shaking it off, he got up and slowly strolled to the men's room, the reason he had come here, trying to kill as much time as possible. Creaking open the door, he walked straight to the sinks, turned on a tap, and absently washed his hands, dried them off and then returned to his table to finish off the coffee.
An hour and 5 minutes.
It was like being in a doctor's ante-room, waiting for the nurse to come in and call, 'Zala, Athrun?' Where are you, Kira, and where is Shinn?
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***Shinn's POV***
Shinn watched Athrun's retreating back disappear into the night. He was now alone with Kira Yamato, pilot of Freedom, and the one who had taken so very much from him. Wonderful. Thanks so much, Ath--Zala.
"Shinn?"
He grinded his teeth and replied, "Yeah?" as he turned to the smiling face of his adversary.
"Kira Yamato."
"I don't care."
And Yamato laughed. "Nice to meet you too, Shinn Asuka."
"Feelings not mutual."
"I would expect that."
Shinn stayed silent, refusing to ask this brown-haired nightmare why.
"I would expect that," he continued, "because of the history between us. It is strange, isn't it?"
Still Shinn did not ask. He could tell what Yamato was trying his very best to do- get him to talk.
"Strange..." and then, Yamato too went quiet.
They might stay there forever, Shinn thought impatiently, if A- ZALA didn't get off his lazy behind and get back soon.
"War is a hellish thing," started Yamato suddenly.
"No, do you think?" Shinn's sarcasm seemed to be lost on the older boy who kept on going, "and there are no winners. Only losers, because everyone loses something due to it."
Where is he going with this?
"And what have you lost?" It came out before Shinn could check himself.
"A lot." The answer he got was not bitter, just soft. Shinn glared moodily at purple eyes, sucking at his teeth.
"Look, what are you trying to do? Get me to talk because everyone thinks I'm going to go insane if I don't? What, is this something HE sweettalked you into? Because if you don't want to be here, then go. I don't want to be pitied. I can take care of myself."
"If I didn't want to be here then I would not be here. Unless Athrun really did 'sweettalk' me into it, which he didn't. As a matter of fact, he was against your coming, but I insisted, and do you know why? It is not because I pity you, but rather I see you wallowing your own self-pity, and so does everyone else. You are not-" and here he took a step towards Shinn, words becoming more forceful, "the only one who has suffered!"
Shinn couldn't believe it. The conversation had taken such a dramatic turn with a few words? For a split second, he considered letting it blow over. But just for a second.
"How dare you stand there and talk to me like this?" Shinn spat out, eyes blazing. "You think that I don't know this?! You, with your inane ideals, have the nerve to tell ME that I am not the only one who has suffered? What a goddamn hypocrite!" Anger reared its head like a fiery snake. "You say you fought for peace! And what kind of peace? Where sooner or later war would break out again?! IS THAT THE PEACE YOU WANT?"
***Kira's POV***
"And you say I am the hypocrite." Kira said evenly. He could see the ruby eyes of the younger boy sparking with rage, and the tremble of his mouth. Rationality told him to let it go, but he knew they had to get across this barrier sooner or later. Better now than never.
"You are!"
"Listen to yourself! You tell me I am a hypocrite, that the peace I want is absurd. Yet you do not think others have a right to feel differently than you? Is that it? Because of the way you talk, it seems as though your peace is the only peace. And do not be fooled. That peace would not have lasted any longer than this will."
"You don't-CAN'T know that! What gives YOU the right to decide what's right for the world?!"
Kira took three steps forward and grabbed Shinn firmly by the shoulders. The raven-haired boy tensed as though for a fight, but Kira held his gaze until the struggling stopped. "Nothing gives ANYONE that right. What do you think gives it to you?"
They stood there like that, neither giving in to the other's gaze. Finally, Kira let go, and stepped back.
"You have lost a lot of people and so have I. Try to understand that I-"
"There is a difference-You took them from me." Shinn's voice was no longer loud or angry- it had dulled back into the same expressionlessness as before.
Kira's face darkened. "And do you not think you took many from others? I know what I have done. My hands are stained with blood and so are yours. But I fight so that others will not have to feel the same way. I cannot apologize to you for that."
"I don't want your apologies. I've never wanted them."
"Then what-" Kira spread his arms out tiredly, "Do you want?"
"For this idiocy to end!" Shinn turned around to leave.
"Wait."
"What. Is. It?"
"...Hi. My name is Kira Yamato. Who're you?"
***Shinn's POV***
What the hell?
Shinn turned to face Yamato, who had his hand outstretched.
"Are you kidding me?" came out of his mouth.
"Nice to meet you, Shinn."
Is this guy serious?
"We just came full circle, Yamato. You got your little outburst out of me, happy? Now, can I leave?" Shinn resorted back to his original methods of warding off conversation- not showing emotions.
"I didn't want that little outburst. I wanted to get to know you, and vica versa, Shinn."
"Okay, Yamato, listen-"
"Look. Didn't you say that you wanted this idiocy to end? Well, then, let's try to end it together. Oh, and call me Kira."
End it...together? "Kira." The name sounded strange on his tongue. Almost as strange as-
"Athrun!"
Shinn started. Emerald eyes smiled at him from behind blue bangs.
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