Author's notes: This story was created by Lulu Akira and written by Harue (but Lulu helped out with some sentences too!) Our deepest apologies for grammar/ spelling mistakes…We tried out best to spot the errors!

Disclaimer: Harue and Lulu don't own Gundam Seed.

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When Athrun first saw him, he was sitting all by himself in the corner, hugging his knees.

He didn't bother the boy, thinking that he probably was there because of a teacher's punishment.

When lunchtime arrived, he didn't move from his spot.

Athrun thought that he probably just forgot his lunch or something, and went off to eat with his classmates.

When he came back, the brunette was still in the class, his head bowed. And he was there the next day, the next, and the next.

Every time Athrun saw the boy, he was always in that corner. The teacher, Athrun noted, had never questioned him or any other students.

Not being able to control his curiosity, he found himself walking towards the boy one day.

"Ohaiyo, Kira-kun." Ohaiyo/Ohayou: hello

He looked up, showing his lavender eyes. They showed no emotion, just emptiness.

"May I sit with you?"

Kira did not reply, but drew his knees closer to his chest. Athrun did not know if that was a 'yes' or a 'no', but he sat down beside him.

Silence filled the air. Athrun tried to come up with a question to engage Kira in, but his mind seemed not to be working properly.

The day ended soon. Before Kira left, Athrun called out to him, "I'll see you tomorrow!"

After that day, Athrun was always found sitting beside Kira, talking to him even though the brunette did not reply. But he listened, his eyes lightening up when Athrun told him about his life. Athrun enjoyed his quiet company, and they became the best of friends.

One day, Kira had opened his mouth to speak to him, for the first time.

"A…Athrun…" He had said. Athrun, in delight, had hugged him.

After Kira had spoken for the first time, Athrun encouraged him to talk more. He did, and Athrun found that Kira was often called 'crybaby' and 'Kira-chan' because of his thin figure and his gentle nature. He felt somehow cross with himself for not getting to know Kira earlier so that he can stop the other from bullying his friend.

On one cold winter day, Athrun saw, when he had left his school textbook from under his table and had gone to take it, Kira trying to rescue a drowning kitten from the half-frozen lake. When he did, he had used his scarf for the kitten, intending to give it warmth.

Athrun had always treasured Kira's friendship more than anything else in the world.

When they were twelve, Athrun's father had told him that his family was going to move to PLANT. He found himself trying his best not to cry and building a robotic bird for Kira, as a parting gift.

On that day, Athrun had put on a forced smile, trying to reassure his friend that there would be not war between Earth and PLANT, promising to return to his side. The brunette was crying, uncontrollably, for the first time in years.

And Athrun realized, when he left his heart shatter into a thousand million pieces, that he had unintentionally fallen in love with his best friend.

He had the urge to wipe away those tears with his thumb, to hug him affectionately, to caress his cheek, and to give him a soft kiss. But, with fear of rejection, he had left before doing any of those things, leaving Kira to cry his heart out.

And he was the cause of those sinless, delicate tears.

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Author's notes: Actually, the last sentence was lifted from a story that Lulu read…And…How was it…? Is it good…?

Harue and Lulu