A/N: Prompt: "Mishima has feelings for Akira but Akira is already dating one of the girls"
Mishima's eyes followed Akira's arm, which slid behind Ann and settled across her shoulders. As she flashed Akira a fond smile, Mishima snapped his gaze back down to the open workbook waiting on the table. Hot jealousy bit into his thoughts, affected only by the freezing splashes of grief.
Beside him Ryuji huffed at the difficult math problem whose answer eluded him. They all currently occupied a table at Leblanc, and they had gathered in the hopes of studying for upcoming exams.
But all Mishima managed to focus on was the subtle affections between the new couple seated across from him.
He had known it was coming. Akira was constantly surrounded by attractive people, so naturally he would end up dating one of them eventually. Mishima knew that on his own he was uninteresting enough; when compared to Akira's other friends he was the gravel beneath glittering gems.
Despite that knowledge, the bitterness and disappointment gnawing at his soul remained.
"…Mishima?"
"You're spacing out. Are you all right?"
Hearing Akira's and Ann's concerned voices, he looked up again. He tried not to notice how Akira's thumb idly rubbed her shoulder.
Hateful words formed on his tongue. However, images of the pair smiling as they enjoyed each other's company slowly suppressed the flare of envy.
Akira was happy. Ann was happy.
What right did he have to take that away?
"…I'm—"
"I got it!" Ryuji abruptly exclaimed, causing Mishima to jump. The blond smugly tossed down his pencil and, arms crossed, beamed at the others. "That has to be the right answer. I carried the five and everything."
"You did? Let me see that," Ann insisted, leaning over and snatching Ryuji's book.
"Well I'll be damned. I think that's right," Akira muttered.
"What do you mean 'I'll be damned'?!" Ryuji indignantly responded.
As the short bickering ensued, Mishima halfheartedly listened to the amusing retorts and teases while despising the discontent still leaking into his thoughts.