Part Six
It wasn't dark.
In fact, it was jarringly bright.
An tried to squeeze her eyes shut and go to sleep again, but it wasn't so easy to do. She'd done it about three times that morning, and she was awake for sure now.
She threw her covers off and dragged herself to the bathroom for a shower.
It felt normal.
This is what life should be, she mused. Normal.
She dressed, and began to arrange the covers on her bed. She didn't feel like pulling the sheets off and straightening them properly, because she never had done it anyway.
"A-to-be. Get off, you lazy oaf."
A grunt, and the lump snuggled deeper under the covers.
What was the point when it would get messed up again?
Yep. This was the routine.
She walked to the kitchen of the tiny apartment and switched on the coffee maker.
"Is it ready yet?" Yawn.
"Make your own coffee. My coffee is too unworthy for you to drink."
"Ore-sama does not appreciate that."
This was how it had been.
In fact, it almost felt as if she had settled back into something that was truly her – a life that she had known ever since she had started college, unchanged and untouched by anyone.
While waiting for the coffee, she started walking around her apartment and throwing random things into her backpack for her lecture later.
"Dammit, Atobe, where are my keys?"
"How would Ore-sama know?"
"You locked up last night!"
A smirk. "Well, considering the position we were in when we entered the apartment-"
"I don't have time for that, idiot!"
The keys were hanging neatly on the hook she'd bought, specially for her keys. She had liked it then. She wasn't neat, but she had always liked some semblance of order in her life. Like being able to find her keys. Always.
"What time are you coming back?"
"I don't know. I'm ending late. Don't wait."
"You said it then. I won't."
Snort. "Do whatever you want."
With her backpack hoisted over her shoulder, and her keys in her hand, she rested her palm on the doorknob.
"No goodbye kiss for Ore-sama?"
She blew a kiss. "That's good enough."
Then he was by her side in a flash, and what resulted always ended up in her being late for her lectures.
She really did miss her old life. It was nice to be An once more, the Tachibana An who did well for studies, who was smart, who loved tennis, who was a good girl who loved her family, and had many friends.
"Admit it – you're in love with Ore-sama."
Snort. "You could leave, and I wouldn't care less."
"Ch'. I'll really leave one day, and you'll realize that I was right about you all along."
"What do you mean, you're right about me all along."
"You're too proud, Tachibana An."
Choke. "I'm too proud?"
It was nice to be the Tachibana An who hated Atobe Keigo with a fervour.
She was determined not to let some things change.
owari
A/N: I've always wanted to do something with An in it. I'm the kinda crack lover who is absolutely convinced that YuutaAn would work, even though my only basis for that is that they just look good together. But I just couldn't do Yuuta and An yet, so Atobe works for now. Inspired by "I Hate It" by Ellegarden.
Also, I'm not too sure what kind of unrequitedness this is. I guess you could call it forced unrequitedness. From which side? I don't know. Up to you. It's free for interpretation.
There're lots of double meanings in this one – in some of the lines.
I'd like to thank analine, Risa-Chan, Bloodblade, and RoYale for their reviews and support.