Photograph
By Avalon Estel
Disclaimer: It's not mine. Never has been, never will be. I'm dealing with it.
Athrun sat at his desk, rummaging through his drawers. In the corner of one, buried under a pile of papers, was a photograph. Surprised, he reached over and pulled it out. It was of him and Lacus. Her arm was linked tightly through his, both were grinning broadly.
He sighed and lowered the picture. He was still mixed up about his feelings for her. They had broken off their engagement, but he felt uncomfortable. He didn't love her; he knew he never had. Yes, he'd cared for her. Yes, he'd been fond of her. But he had never loved her. He didn't know why, and it felt cruel.
He was glad that of all people she loved Kira, but that bothered him. His fiancée, his betrothed, had loved another person all along. But what about him? Hadn't he fallen for Cagalli? Hadn't he loved her since that day on the island? He grasped handfuls of his cobalt hair and tried to clear his head. He'd never get his work done this way.
He gazed fondly on the photo once more, then slipped it back under the papers and shut the drawer. All sealed up and put away. Like his thoughts.