Notes: I am going to say that The Freedom of Destiny is my main focus right now, since I really want to get that fic done with as soon as I can so that I can move onto other things that I can hopefully finish. If no one's noticed, I'm really terrible at keeping promises and staying dedicated to anything for longer then maybe a year or so, which is why it's taken me this long to update anything, really. So here's something to hopefully make up for it
Disclaimer: Gundam SEED Destiny isn't mine in any way shape or form, it's the property of Bandai and its original creators.

Crush

Shinn didn't like to think of himself as being prone to anything as stupid as a 'crush', but here he was, suffering from exactly that. Of course, though, he has to be just as susceptible as all of the other young women (Lunamaria and Meyrin in particular) to one Athrun Zala's charm and good looks.

At first, Shinn knows that he'd been very rude to Athrun, had hated him with a passion that he didn't know that he had in him, but he realized soon after that it was more aimed at Cagalli and the ideals of Orb then it was at Athrun himself. After all, Athrun was hardly responsible for the actions or ideals of an entire country. Shinn couldn't hate him simply because he cared for the representative.

But this seemed to be a lot more complicated then just a simple crush.

The little things made Shinn happy, and he found himself doing stupid and reckless things because he hoped that they'd get some sort of rise out of the older pilot. Shinn was desperate for attention from Athrun, even though he knew that it was a lost cause (it was sort of obvious that Athrun was as straight as men came). Even if that attention wasn't always in a positive or good way, Shinn still craved it.

Physical contact was welcome too, but the most Shinn had ever managed to get out of the older pilot was a slap to the face when he did something really stupid and nearly got himself and everyone on board the Minerva killed.

He thought it was worth it though, because at least Athrun noticed him and talked to him in private on the deck. It was more then Shinn could've ever hoped for.

Later, when Heine arrived, Shinn thought of him as a Godsend. For one, Heine's impersonal matter loosened up all of the pilots, and gave him some illusion that he could hope that he could have a chance, however slim it was, that he could have Athrun.

"Call me Athrun, Shinn."

Shinn couldn't help but blush when Athrun said that, and he was very glad that Lunamaria had been behind him when he did or he would never have heard the end of it. Luckily, Athrun didn't notice either, or at least, Shinn hoped he didn't, because that would only make his embarrassment worse.

"Athrun..."

Oh damn, I knew it would sound sexy. Shinn's thoughts took a decidedly impure turn right about then, and Shinn had to quickly excuse himself with a lie that he needed to use the bathroom. A cold shower was in order.

A very cold shower.

FIN.

Um, there's not very much of an explanation for this other then the fact that the idea hit me while I was reading volume two of the Gundam SEED Destiny manga trying to refamiliarize myself with the events for Freedom, when I stumbled onto the scene with Heine. I'll explain it a little for those without the backstory.

Heine basically says that they (Rey, Shinn, Lunamaria, Athrun, and himself) should refer to each other by the first names, until then, the three subordinate pilots have been referring to Athrun as 'leader' from what I've gathered during that conversation, and Shinn even says to Athrun: "Leader, can I really..." To which Athrun responds with what was written early in this fic. What made this scene so easy to but a shonen-ai twist on, is the fact that Shinn blushes when Athrun tells him that he can call him by his name.

Well, enjoy, I should be finished the next phase of Freedom in the next day or two, I may have to go back and rewatch parts of the series.

Kat.