Hey everyone! I'm alive, I know, haha. And I'm back this time with a new story! 5 More Minutes is a collaboration by myself and the talented AllenWalkerAddict. The pairing is, of course, ShinnLuna and has a few similarities to my old fic, SEED Destiny Secondary. Here is the first chapter, we hope you enjoy!


5 more minutes…2 more minutes…45 seconds….6 seconds…finally!!

That familiar single ringing sound was truly music to my ears, and probably for the rest of the class as well. I gathered up my textbooks as fast as humanly possible and darted out the door before the teacher could get another word in edgewise.

I know 'saved by the bell' is such a cliché, but in this academy, it really rings true.

It's not that I'm bad at school or anything like that, quite the opposite. My friends make fun of me all the time for being teacher's pet, but it's not like I asked to be or something ridiculous like that. But aside from the teasing, I don't really mind that much, I'm usually always on their good side, and what's wrong with that? But this school is so uptight. No relationships, one day weekends and ugly school uniforms. How lame is that? I mean we have one day of freakin' relaxation, and most of it is spent doing the one-hundred pages of homework that's assigned.

So after all that, lunch usually sounds like hallelujah from heaven above. With a heavy sigh, I plopped down in the seat next to my best friends, Cagalli Yula Attha and Lacus Clyne.

"Man, can you believe it?" I whined. "Copperfield gave us 200 questions due for the next day!"

"Man, I can't wait for break." Cagalli said. "Why does it seem like this is the only school that doesn't have *professional days?" (see below)

"That's because we don't. According to them if they have to learn, we have to suffer with them." Lacus sighed.

So that's usually how lunch hour went. If we weren't doing schoolwork, we were complaining about it.

"I heard that Miriallia finally got the nerve to confess to Dearka!" Cagalli said enthusiastically.

"Really? But even if he feels the same way..how are they going to get around, they're bound to be caught." I was a little surprised. Miriallia was a pretty shy girl, and Dearka was known to be a player. "What did he say?"

"He said—

Cagalli's voice was cut short from the bell, but this time it didn't sound like honey dripping from the ears. It was more like the sound of your death toll; or something like that.

Cagalli groaned. "Crap, I have physics next. I gotta go otherwise Mr. Ladner will freak on me. Later!"

"Wait!" I called out. "What did Dearka say!?" I cried desperately, but she was gone already.

"What's this Luna? Are you talking about me again?" a male voice said. I turned around to find myself face to face with Dearka, with a smirk on his face. Ugh, he's such a skeeze, I don't know what Miriallia sees in him.

"Ugh, you wish Elsman," I said before heading off to one of the seven gymnasiums this uptight elite academy has.

Well, I guess it's a good thing they have nice facilities here, with all the money they suck dry from its poor students.

--

"Okay, roll call!"

"Yzak Joule!"

"Here."

"Athrun Zala!"

"Yea."

"Lunamaria Hawke!"

"Present!" I called out cheerily.

"Shinn Asuka!"

No answer.

"Shinn Asuka!" the teacher called again.

Still no answer.

Hmm. He must be sick or something. Well, whatever.

Basketball was our current unit in gym class, which I didn't really care much for. I wasn't the best at it, but then again I wasn't the worst either. But here, when I was just about to go for a dunk, and have my five precious seconds of fame, you know, like the kind you get from the guys when a girl on their team does something right for once, the damn teacher blows the whistle.

"Lunamaria, could you come over here for a minute?"

Doing my best effort to keep a smile in place, I jogged over.

"Yes, coach?" I asked.

"Shinn Asuka had not informed anyone that he would be absent or sick today, so would you mind looking for him, if that's not too much trouble?"

Why is it that I always get stuck with doing these stupid things while everyone else is having fun?

"Sure, no trouble at all," I said, still smiling. I turned around and walked as calmly as I could out the gym doors.

"Where the hell would I know where a teenage boy goes when he plays hooky?" I muttered under my breath. I had been around the school twice now, scouring every area in which I thought he could be. Just as I was about to head back to the gym to report the news to the teacher, I heard a muffled voice. I stopped and looked to the left of me. It sounded like it was coming from one of the change rooms. I opened the door to the girls'' change room, only to find it empty. I pressed my ear to the door of the boys' changeroom and listened as hard as I could.

Could it be? Was he in there? How could I know for sure without going in to see for myself?

I'd have to break school rules. But, the teacher asked me to, so it's not technically breaking the rules, right? I pushed at the door a little bit, half hoping it was locked, but it opened easily. I'd had better make up my mind before someone walks down the hallway and sees. I quietly slipped through the door.

It was dark, and the lights were turned off, which was not helping. Someone was there all right, and from the sound of it, they were crying.

"I..miss you.."

I crept forward to get a better listen, but I tripped on some idiot's shoes that they left lying around and fell flat on my face. Jeez, there are lockers for a reason!

The person that was sobbing earlier whipped his head around.

"Who's there?" they demanded.

My eyes widened. It was Shinn. I just remembered, it was the year of his family's death anniversary, one of my teachers had reminded me today to try and be friendlier towards him. I think I was the only one she had told too, I wonder why only me?

"Answer me!" he shouted again.

"It's, it's Lunamaria Hawke. I'm in your gym class. The teacher asked me to go look for you…" I trailed off.

"I'm sorry," was the best I could do. He looked shocked at first, but then his expression hardened.

"What do you—"he began, but I cut him off.

"I do know!" I interrupted. "I…I am an orphan as well," I said, very quietly.

We were both silent for what seemed like hours.

"What?" he finally said, shaking his head. "I…how? I don't believe it…"

"It was when I was young. They died in a car accident." Tentatively I asked, "What about…what about yours?"

He said nothing.

"That's okay," I said gently. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"They were shot." His voice was emotionless and cold.

I came and sat next to him. He looked up at me under thick black lashes. He looked almost..ashamed. Ashamed to be crying…in front of me?

Right then, I had this crazy impulse to reach out and hug him, but I held back, keeping my arms tightly folded across my chest. He probably didn't want sympathy from someone he barely knew.

"It'll be okay," I whispered. Instead of hugging him I reached out and gingerly took his hands. He gripped them tightly and inhaled sharply.

"But…you know what it feels like, don't you? You know after losing something that precious, nothing is the same again? It hurts too much to have false hope…" Shinn held his breath, trying to hold back a sob I assumed. But my heart hurt hearing his words. I did know what he felt like. I could start to feel my eyes watering, but I quickly blinked them away. It was my job to be comforting him, not the other way around.

He leaned into me slightly, and that was all it took to break my self-control. I wrapped my arms around him and enveloped him in a tight embrace. He didn't return it, but I felt his body relax against mine, and over and over again I told him it was going to be okay, even though I had no clue what the hell was happening myself.

After awhile, Shinn's sobs quieted. Was he asleep?

"Hey," I said quietly. His eyes fluttered open. "You should get some rest," I told him gently.

"But what about—" he began.

"I'll cover for you. But in exchange…"

Shinn looked at me questioningly. Even in this little light, his ruby red eyes shone brightly. I had to keep myself from shivering.

"You have to promise to meet me at the front gates tomorrow at 8 o' clock."

He started to protest weakly, but gave up and just nodded his head.

"Good." I gave his hand one more squeeze before I left, thank goodness there was still another thirty minutes of gym left; I didn't even want to imagine what would've happened if someone happened to come in during our heartfelt conversation…in a boys' locker room.


*Professional Days are school days where only teachers go to the school, not the students, usually on a Monday or a Friday.

Uhm, review? Please? :3