Hi again!

First, thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! It's so nice to get feedback and it's good to know that some of you are enjoying the story.

This chapter is long. I had so much I wanted to write so I'm sorry if it is kind of slow. I also lied and I'm sorry. I won't get to Cagalli's explanation until the next chapter ok?

I wrote this really late so if there are mistakes – I'm sorry and if you let me know where they are – I shall fix them. I hate grammar errors lol.

I hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed, Gundam Seed Destiny or any references made to either series. The 'soup incident' was inspired by an episode of Full House (a childhood favorite)

Affronted Affections

Chapter #5: Soup, Roses and a Carnation

After that night at the bar, Athrun did everything in his power to avoid Cagalli and, although they were still sharing her dorm room, it had been surprisingly easy to do. His classes started early and basketball took up almost three hours every day. When he wasn't in class or on the courts, he would seek refuge in the library where he would spend endless hours studying and preparing for exams, assignments and anything else that could keep his mind off of Cagalli.

He didn't really know how to approach the issue and like so many other things, when he wasn't certain, he tried to ignore it. That proved to be difficult. He had become reasonably good friends with Kira and the other guys on his basketball team but whenever he looked at them, he was reminded of that night when he first met them. Then all he could seem to see was Yuna and Cagalli together. Or were they together? In truth he hadn't really seen them together since the night at the bar but then, he was also trying to avoid seeing them altogether. He wanted to see her though. He liked her and without her, he felt terribly lonely. It was a feeling that had manifested itself within his heart and he felt like he was drowning in the raging currents of emotion that were washing over him.

That particular day the sun had been shining and the gentle northern breeze carried away the humidity in the air. It was warm and the sun's rays had somehow managed to reach out and coax Athrun out of the confines of the library. He sat on the steps of the giant building with his textbook on his lap, pretending to look at it. He had basketball practice in a little less than half an hour and there wasn't enough time to really start anything or go anywhere so he had decided to just sit and wait. Besides, where was he going to go anyway?

Through his eyelashes, he could see other students running across the courtyard to either go to their next class or meet up with some of their friends. It was still too early into the semester to take studying seriously and Athrun suddenly felt a little self-conscious about being seen alone. He didn't let it show though as his unwavering gaze drank in the entire spectacle before him. Something on the far side of the yard caught his eye and he focused on two figures standing face to face. Everything else seemed to evaporate as his gaze fell upon the blonde girl and the purple-haired boy that he had grown to despise.

Cagalli was holding an envelope very delicately in her hands and showing it to Yuna who seemed utterly disinterested in what she was saying to him. Judging from her puffy eyes and the way her body trembled as she spoke Athrun could tell that she was upset and his heart clinched painfully in his chest. The bright day seemed to cloud over as he watched the girl he cared so deeply about pour out her troubles to Yuna.

For a natural, it would have been impossible to overhear their conversation but for Athrun, who's keen sense's were sharp, he had little problem listening in. His mother had always scolded him for eavesdropping, but for some reason, he felt no shame or guilt about listening to Cagalli and Yuna.

"I don't get it," Yuna scratched his head and yawned rudely in Cagalli's face. "It's just a mutt. It's nothing to get so worked up about. Get your parents to buy you another one."

"It wasn't just another mutt, Yuna! He was my dog! Since I was little! We did everything together and… he was my best friend!" She dropped her gaze, fighting back the tears that threatened to fall. "And now he's gone."

"Like I said, you can always get another one." Yuna retorted and shrugged. "You're blowing this way out of proportion. Besides, an old bag of fur isn't as much fun as a new dog."

"Orby was a good dog," Cagalli shook her head. "Even if he was old…"

Athrun stiffened when he heard Cagalli's voice crack and cocked his head to the side to get a better view of the two of them. His insides burned when he saw how distraught Cagalli looked and what really angered him was the way that Yuna just stood their like a complete fool criticizing the way she was acting and insulting her dog. The envelope obviously contained a letter with bad news regarding her pet and all Yuna could do was stand there! He should have at least been holding her or trying to comfort her. If he was her boyfriend then he should be at least trying to ease her pain in some way.

"That's what I would have done," Athrun thought to himself as he watched the scene unfold. "Stupid idiot."

"Get over it, Cagalli." He heard Yuna tell her sharply as he turned and began to walk away. Athrun watched in unmasked horror and disbelief as Yuna left Cagalli standing there alone in the open courtyard with only her grief as company.

Athrun closed his textbook and slowly rose to his feet. She needed someone. He could see it in her eyes and he couldn't bear seeing her so cold, so distressed and alone. He took a step towards her but then stopped himself. What was he doing? What exactly did he think he was going to do? Rush and in and sweep her up into his arms, telling her not to cry and that everything would be alright? That's what he wanted to do but something was holding him back.

She had made it pretty clear at the bar that he was only a friend. A friend who she had felt sorry for and, out of pity, had invited to come along with her. There was nothing more to it than that. It wasn't his place to take her in his arms and comfort her. For him, that meant so much more than being friends and he didn't want to overstep his boundaries. It wouldn't be fair to her nor would it be fair for him.

His heart tugged at him from within, urging him to take another step but he couldn't.

Sensing her turn in his direction, he quickly averted his gaze to mask any feelings that may have been reflecting his sparkling, emerald eyes. He raised his wrist to check the time and realized that he had to get to the gym. His coach was a harsh man and he had seen the punishments he reserved for those who were late. They were even worse if one were to decide to skip practice altogether.

He picked up his backpack and gym bag from the library steps and swung both over a shoulder. He hopped down the last few steps to the paved ground and started towards the gymnasium. Deep down, he felt like he was breaking and he felt horrible doing this to Cagalli but she had made her decision. He had to respect it. As much as it hurt him and he hated it, he had to accept the fact that she and Yuna were together. There was no room in that relationship for him and he would not allow himself to be second or the third party.

"I'm her friend," Athrun thought to himself bitterly and straightened with resolve. "I'm not her boyfriend."

Unhappy with his conclusions yet stubbornly determined to follow through with his decision, he increased his pace until he was in an all out sprint towards the gym. From what he could tell, Cagalli was strong-willed and he was sure that she would be able to rebound from whatever terrible news the letter had brought. He had to stop thinking about her.

That too proved to be impossible.

It was a Friday and like all the team members, Athrun was anxious to get practice over with. Their coach was cranky and everyone else was exhausted and very, very thirsty.

"Zala! You're up!" The coach called towards the benches where a couple of guys were slouching, drinking water. "Come on, Athrun! Hurry up! You're in offense! Now!'

Realizing that his mind had drifted back to Cagalli, the boy slowly complied, getting up and dragging his tired body towards the court. He hadn't even been really listening to Kira who was busily chatting about an upcoming dance and how he had invited Lacus to go with him. A dance? He knew how to dance – his mother had taught him. He wondered if Cagalli … he shook his head.

He wiped the sweat off his brow and took a deep breath. His mind drifted to Cagalli and whether or no she was still upset. He knew she had made plans for the evening and deep down, hoped that getting out would cheer her up a bit.

"Ready?" The coach yelled and the game began.

Athrun took his place, body wavering a little as he tried to focus. He was dizzy, tired and swallowed, trying to moisten his dry throat. Again he wiped away the beads of sweat that rolled down his forehead. He could hear voices coming from all around but they seemed nothing but distant echoes in a dream. All he could see was Cagalli standing in the lonely courtyard, consumed by her troubles and sad. He didn't like to see her so unhappy. Maybe he should have gone to see if she was ok after all.

"Go!" The coach screamed and blew his whistle.

Kira, who was on offense for the opposing team in the scrimmage along with Dearka and Yzak, narrowed his eyes as he noticed that Athrun was still standing still as the game started. He had watched him during the entire practice and had sensed that something was wrong. Athrun seemed distracted.

"Hey! Kira! Heads up!" Someone called, passing him the ball/

Kira immediately caught it and began to dribble, approaching the other team's hoop. They continued to practice and all the while Kira noticed how Athrun failed to catch the ball or even notice when it was coming his way. It hit him in the back once and Athrun toppled over to the floor.

It was so odd the way Athrun was playing. Kira had seen him during other practices and he knew that Athrun was an exceptional player, even if he wasn't always picked first when decided who played on what time during scrimmage. This exhibition of weakness was unlike him. What could be wrong?

The coach blew his whistle, signaling the end of the game. "Good game boys, now get your sorry butts out of here and into the showers!" He called, wrinkling his nose.

A few guys laughed and went to get their gear.

Kira searched the small crowd, trying to spot Athrun's slender form. He looked back and saw him, slowly approaching the benches to grab his gym back and backpack. Athrun wasn't even going to change out of his uniform!

Several more laughs could be heard and Athrun looked up to the bleachers. Sitting there was none other than Yuna Saran and a couple of his friends. His eyes blazed as his grip around his gym bag tightened. They had come to watch the practice, he realized, and he had made a complete fool of himself!

"The game's over, Zala, you can stop falling now!" Yuna hooted, laughing his heart out as he got up and loaded his backpack on.

Athrun ignored the mocking laughter, and made a quick exit, deliberately avoiding his coach and the other members of his team. He knew he'd been awful. He didn't need anybody to re-enforce the point.

It didn't take long for the young athlete to sprint across campus back to the girls' residence. It was late – he could tell from the position of the stars that it was well past midnight. Nobody would be up and even if they were, they would more than likely be drunk. It was, after all, a Friday night.

He slipped into Cagalli's room, surprised to see that the light was on. She always went out Friday night with Lacus and the other girls and she always kept the light to her room off when she wasn't there.

"Uh, hello?" He asked and his eyes widened. Sitting on her bed, hunched over, was Cagalli. Her eyes puffy as tear-strains streaked her cheeks. The letter he had seen her holding was crumpled in her hand as she pulled her knees in closer to her. She raised her head slightly at his voice and nodded.

"Athrun."

Athrun dropped his gym bag by the door, startled by her presence. He had made a habit of early mornings and late nights to avoid her and to see her in her room alone on a Friday was not normal. "Cagalli, I didn't expect you to be here…what's wrong?"

She shook her head, feeling the bed shift as he sat down beside her. "My dad had to have my dog put down yesterday," She croaked, her bottom lip trembling. "He… he was sick and… and…dad said it wasn't right for him to suffer any longer."

"Oh," Athrun said stupidly, unsure what else he should say. He had never had a pet so he would be lying if he told her 'he understood how she was feeling.' "I'm sorry to hear that."

"He was my best friend," Cagalli sobbed. "Now he's gone."

"I never had a pet," Athrun told her solemnly and put a gentle hand on her shoulder. "My mom is allergic to animal dandruff. You were incredibly lucky to have a good friend like your dog. The unconditional love of a pet is something that is… invaluable."

"I know," Cagalli sniffed and Athrun's heart clinched when he felt her lean into him. "I'm going to miss him."

I shouldn't be doing this Athrun's mind screamed as he felt her tremble against him. But it feels so right. She shouldn't be alone. She needs someone. Why isn't Yuna with her?

"Hmmm," He cleared his throat and nervously pushed away from her. Climbing back to his feet, he rushed across the room towards his suitcase. He could sense Cagalli's eyes on him as he rummaged through his belongings until he found what he was looking for.

Turning around, he moved back to the bed. Taking her hand in his, he opened her palm and placed in it his old, mechanical toy dog. His heart fluttered when he saw the look of surprise in her eyes before she brought up her other hand and clutched the toy to her chest. He smiled softly at her and dropped down beside her bed where he usually slept.

"I know it isn't your dog," He told her, feeling his face grow warm. "But it's the closest thing I ever had to a pet. I made it when I was little. You need it more than me."

"Oh Athrun…" Cagalli fumbled over the words. "I…"

"Her name is Kaori," He explained. "Promise me you'll take care of her."

"I will," Cagalli nodded her head. Her tears were fading away now and she smiled weakly at him. "Athrun… thank you."

He shrugged and averted his gaze so she couldn't see how red he had become. There was a long pause and Athrun could feel an uneasy tension suddenly filling the air between them. He hadn't really spoken to her since the incident at the bar and he was still hurting from it a little. Still, Cagalli was depressed and for some reason he felt it to be his obligation to cheer her up.

"Um, Cagalli?"

"Yes?"

"Did you want to go out for a drink or something?"

She looked down at him, raising a questioning eyebrow. "I didn't think you drank."

"I don't," Athrun agreed and got up. "But I can buy you one if you like."

Athrun groaned at how terribly lame he sounded. When she didn't reply in the following three seconds, he panicked and quickly back tracked. "You know, it's ok. I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to and…"

"What do you normally do when you're sad?"

Her question caught him off guard and it showed as he jerked upright and shifted uneasily on his feet. He certainly didn't talk about his problems if that was what she was getting at. He usually just let his problems settle in the back of his mind and analyze them until his entire head throbbed in a painful headache. He wasn't going to say that though. Then he remembered a time when his family had lived on the shoreline of an artificial river in one of the PLANTS.

"Stare at water." He replied simply.

"What?"

"I don't know," He admitted somewhat sheepishly. "When I feel lonely or sad I like to stare out into the water. Somehow, that makes me feel better."

It was just one of those things. He seemed to find comfort in the waves and the breeze off the water. The solitude. The atmosphere had seemed to draw him to the gentleness of the water's edge. Everything was calm, there was no one there to shout at him, remind him how he wasn't meeting everyone's expectations and continually failing.

"There's a small lake a few blocks down," Cagalli smiled secretly and moved off of the bed. "I wouldn't mind going for a walk."

Athrun didn't need any convincing. He snatched his black jacket from the floor and tossed it on – sliding one arm through it and then the other. Still dressed in his sweated out basketball jersey and shorts, he escorted Cagalli out of the room and down the main hall towards the exit.

The lake wasn't far. Through a small thicket and down a dirty path and one was there - Staring at the glimmering water that sparkled in the starlight. Neither of them spoke as they walked for neither knew what to say. Athrun didn't want to bring up Yuna but he so desperately wanted to know what Cagalli's relationship with him was. Although, the more he saw of her, the more he cared less and less about Yuna. Yuna didn't treat her well. She deserved better and he couldn't help but feel that he was better for her than Yuna. Much better.

Once they got there, Athrun sat down on the soft grass by the shore while Cagalli remained standing. Resting his arms on his knees, he seemed mesmerized by the gentle waves that were washing up against the pebbles and sand. The wind casually blew strands of soft, blue hair into his eyes but he didn't seem to care. He just continued to gaze off into the water – wondering whether or not what he was doing was right.

He tensed when Cagalli's leg brushed up against him. He wanted to hold her so badly but he couldn't. If she was with someone else, he had no right to interfere though, had he not done so already? He had given her Kaori and had agreed to escort her to the lake in the middle of the night. Was that something friends normally did?

After about five minutes of mutual silence, Cagalli cleared her throat to shatter the calm tranquility that had enveloped them. "You're right, Athrun," She said softly. "Staring at water does make you feel better."

He nodded. "I'm glad I could help. I just wish I could understand your feelings."

It had somehow slipped out and he immediately regretted it. He hadn't meant to say it. He slumped and focused solely on the gentle waves rolling in off in the distance. "I'm sorry," He mumbled. "I shouldn't have said that."

"No," Cagalli shook her head once. "It's okay. I figured something was bothering you – I hardly see you anymore and considering we share a room…"

"It's nothing," He lied. In truth, he had replayed this conversation over and over in his head about a million times. How he would ask her whether or not she was seeing Yuna and whether or not she was as interested in him as he was her. He had planned it perfectly yet somehow, now that he had her attention, the words seemed lost in his throat. He didn't even know how to begin. Cagalli was just starting to seem more like herself and he didn't want to ruin it by dragging her into an awkward conversation about their relationship - as strange as it was.

A tender smile spread across the young girl's face and without warning, she moved towards him.

He watched in awe as Cagalli suddenly dropped down beside him and snuggled up against him, closing her eyes. Again, he felt the urge to put his arm around her smaller form but held himself back from doing so for he was uncertain as to how she would react. He didn't want her to think he was taking advantage of the situation.

Cagalli's auburn eyes suddenly opened, and she looked deep into Athrun's.

"Athrun?"

"Hmm?" He hummed softly, wanting so badly to reach up and caress Cagalli's soft cheek, to push that adorable strand of hair out of her eyes.

"Can I ask you for a favor?" Cagalli continued quietly.

"Of course."

At that, Cagalli smiled shyly, snuggled closer to Athrun and put her arm around his waist.

Athrun stiffened at first, shocked. But when he felt Cagalli's body tense, for she was probably thinking she had done something wrong, Athrun's resistance gave way and he brought his own arm around her and pulled her closer. He felt Cagalli quickly relax and heard her sigh pleasantly, melting deeper into the warm embrace, burying her face in Athrun's firm chest, her other hand coming between their bodies, clutching onto Athrun's dark, sweaty shirt.

Athrun smiled, looking down at the angel resting in his arms, and reached his second hand to caress the top of the girl's head, resting right under his chin.

"Thank you..." Cagalli whispered sleepily into Athrun's chest.

"It's fine," Athrun whispered back, fingers playing with Cagalli's blonde, messy hair. "Do you feel any better?"

Again Cagalli let out a pleasant sigh, her body relaxing even more. Athrun could hear Cagalli's slow and steady breaths and realized that she had fallen asleep. He allowed himself to unwind, holding onto the warmth of Cagalli's body. There were only he and Cagalli. It was their perfect moment. No school, no Yuna, no angry principals – nothing. Only their two hearts, beating against each other in perfect synchronization.

The two stayed out by the lake for another hour before they decided to call it a night and the next day, Athrun felt completely alive. He had forgotten all about Yuna and his reservations about pursuing a relationship with Cagalli. He left the residence early as he always did, though this time it wasn't because he was trying to avoid his roommate. No, it was because he had been assigned to breakfast duty as punishment for being disruptive in class.

He smiled at the thought. It had been entirely worth it.

Yuna, doing his usual to make his life a living misery had tried to spoil his chemistry experiment in class yesterday. They were testing for oxygen by using a lit match and moving it towards a test tube. Knowing that hydrogen exploded on contact with fire, Yuna had swapped the test tubes and set it up so when Athrun did his experiment, his test tube would explode – creating a huge commotion. Unfortunately, Athrun had suspected as much.

When doing his experiment, he intentionally moved over beside Yuna. Instead of just waving the match above the test tube, Athrun dropped it in and released it. It exploded just inches from Yuna, causing the other boy to scream. The entire class had erupted in hysterical laughter as Yuna's voice reached an octave that even some girls wouldn't be able to. Yuna retaliated by taking a swing at Athrun but he'd avoided it with little effort.

So now, here he was, serving his time on breakfast duty with Yuna. Even though it was a Saturday, the cafeteria was always open. Although spending the morning with Yuna didn't appeal to him, Athrun had other ideas in mind. He remembered Kira briefly mentioning the winter dance that was only days away during practice and now had his heart set on asking Cagalli to accompany him.

He had left the residence particularly early to take the bus to the nearest flower shop. There, he struggled with the decision of what sort of flowers he should buy her. He didn't want to just simply as her. He wanted to impress her and he knew that flowers were always a safe bet when it came to women.

He eventually decided on a lone, yellow carnation. It reminded him so much of her golden hair and immediately the blossom had won his complete admiration. She would love it. It was simple yet with so much thought. Anyone could buy roses. He had it wrapped and, once satisfied, he rushed back to the campus where he knew Mr. La Flaga would be waiting for him in the cafeteria.

"Glad to see you made it," The man grinned at him when he saw that Athrun was carrying a small, neatly-wrapped bouquet. "Don't tell me those are for me? You can't buy your way out of café duty, kid."

"No, Sir," Athrun flushed and shook his head. Setting the flower down carefully in the back room, he set to work, preparing whatever happened to be on the breakfast menu. Yuna, who was already preparing toast, frowned when he saw the strange look on Athrun's face. He didn't seem as solemn and in deep contemplation as you usually did. Instead, the new kid seemed happy. Perhaps even kiddy.

"What's with the flowers?" He asked as Athrun moved beside him to start stirring the days' soup special. "Don't tell me you're thinking of asking some girl to the winter dance."

"What if I am?" Athrun demanded. His skin tightened but he refused to let Yuna get to him. Not today. He had been in too good a mood to let him ruin it.

"Because I don't think there is a girl in this school that would want to go with you!"

Athrun bit back a sarcastic remark. He knew for a fact that there was a great deal of girls that wanted to go with him. "I can think of a couple." Was all he said.

"Like who?"

"I don't think that is any of your business."

Yuna snorted as the toast he was preparing popped out of the toaster burnt. "It's some loser isn't it? That's why you don't want to tell me? Are you embarrassed of your own girlfriend? Pity."

"I don't think you should be giving me any sort of advice about women," Athrun fired back sharply as thoughts of Cagalli flashed through his mind. "I've seen the way you treat them."

Yuna looked up from his work at Athrun, who had hastily turned his back on him and was busy arranging the fruits on the portable table across the aisle. Confused by Athrun's sudden change in temperament, he scowled. He studied the boy carefully and his expression hardened. It was Cagalli. Athrun had feelings for her. Suddenly it made sense. It explained why he'd suddenly become so guarded about the issue.

Athrun was going to ask her to go to the dance!

"Are you talking about Cagalli?"

No answer.

"Stay away from her," Yuna warned. "She's with me."

Athrun stiffened, becoming more and more angry. He knew he would regret it but turned around and glared furiously at the other boy. "Cagalli will be with whoever she wants to be with."

With that, Athrun returned to his work.

Suddenly feeling threatened, Yuna looked over again at Athrun, then at the pot of soup he had left unattended. He looked down at the pepper shaker next to him on the counter and then back at the pot a second time.

If Athrun thought he was going to get to Cagalli first than he was dead wrong.

It didn't take long for people to notice the unwelcome surprise in their soup. In a short while the cafeteria was filled with screams and cries, and chaos spread all around. People gagged and vomited as they found an abnormally high amount of pepper hidden in their meals. They hurried to run away, screaming, leaving the cafeteria in one horrid mess.

Twenty-two minutes later, Athrun was sitting in front of the principal's office, awaiting judgment. He sat with his hands in his lap, head leaning back against the wall, still as a rock. He kept looking up at the ceiling, unable to look the secretary in the eye. Yuna had gotten him into trouble again. The room was quiet – too quiet and the eerie silence made him feel as if he were waiting for his own execution.

After a long while of waiting, the door to the principal's office opened and the Ms. Badgiruel stepped outside.

"Athrun, would you please come in?" She asked coldly and stepped back into the office.

Athrun nodded and walked into the office, his head down, eyes burning with humiliation.

"Please, Athrun, sit down." The principal offered kindly, sitting behind her large desk.

Athrun did as he was asked, sitting down in the chair in front of her, hands on his lap, fidgeting nervously. He didn't dare to look up at her, keeping his head bowed. He knew this woman disliked him. She knew she disliked his family and wondered just how serious his punishment was going to be.

After a few silent and suspenseful moments, the woman got up, sighing. She rounded the desk slowly, coming to stand in front of Athrun. She leaned on the desk, crossing her arms over her chest, and sighed again. "Athrun," She began sharply and Athrun flinched. "I am very disappointed in you."

Athrun closed his eyes slowly, his head still bowed. He kept quiet, forcing himself not to fidget.

She studied the silent boy, frowning a little. He wasn't looking at her, rather he simply kept staring down at his hands. She sighed again, sitting down on the desk. "You were responsible for that soup. Explain yourself."

Athrun swallowed, and took a sharp breath, trying to clam his nerves down.

The cold woman scowled as she saw he was not responding. "Mr. La Flaga hit the roof. The punishment for your supposed actions will be severe." She was expecting him to say he didn't do it but Athrun kept silent and unmoving. "Athrun," Shestarted again, in a more demanding tone. "I want to know why you did it. Are you trying to get expelled?"

This time, Athrun's head jerked up, and he glared at her defiantly.

"Are you that desperate to get out of here?"

Athrun's mouth formed a thin line and he looked away. It wouldn't have mattered what he said. Her mind was already made up and he felt like a carcass just waiting for the vultures to converge upon him.

"Athrun, I can't let you get away with this."

Athrun ignored her, still looking away.

"Athrun!"

"I didn't do it," he whispered quietly.

This time, it was the principal's turn to glare at him. She folded her arms over her chest, eyebrows drawing near. "Do you really think I'm going to believe that?" She spat.

"No." Athrun told her truthfully and raised his stone-cold eyes to meet hers. "I don't."

"You little!" She shouted, pushing herself off the desk. "I am going to have to punish you." She snarled, sitting down behind her desk, grabbing a pen and paper. "Your father is traveling to the earth for a meeting is he not? I will have no choice but to inform him about your deviant behavior."

Athrun flinched, whirling his head to look at her, eyes wide and fearful.

Ms. Badgiruel didn't notice, and kept on talking. From what Athrun could tell, she was enjoying this immensely. "Until then, you are on permanent lunch duty."

Anger flared in her cold eyes and she leaned back in her chair, arms across her chest. "You are a troublemaker, Athrun Zala. This school will not tolerate such behavior. Your parents will not be impressed."

"You can't..."

"And why not?" She challenged, raising an eyebrow.

Athrun looked away, lost as to what to do or say to lighten his sentence. She would call his parents? He felt his throat tighten and shuddered.

The principal sat up in her large office chair, still glaring at him. "You may leave now."

Taking a deep breath, Athrun nodded his goodbye and hurried out of the office. What use would it have been to tell her the truth? She wouldn't believe him anyway. He would get even for Yuna for doing this to him in his own way.

By the time Athrun was excused from his visit with the principal, it was well past noon. He should have been free of his cafeteria duties by 10 o'clock. Curse Yuna for getting him into trouble yet again. Just when he thought he had the upper hand on the stupid moron, he pulled off a dirty trick like that. To make things worse, Ms. Badgiruel was convinced that he had been the one to try to poison the cafeteria and she was also certain that he was a troublemaker. He smiled bitterly at the thought. Athrun Zala – the troublemaker? Hardly.

Gripping his carnation tightly by its stem, Athrun marched up the stairs to Cagalli's room, feeling somewhat fatigued from his run in with the principal. His good mood had dissolved somewhat but hadn't been completely destroyed. He still planned on asking Cagalli to go with him to the dance and deep down, he felt this tingly sensation that made him shiver nervously. He desperately hoped that she would say yes.

He rounded the corner that led to the hall where her room was and stopped short. He staggered back as if being struck by an invisible force and he winced. It felt as if someone had just punched him in the jaw… or worse.

Standing there, in Cagalli's doorway was Yuna and he was holding out a bouquet of beautiful red roses to her. He couldn't make out what they were saying but Cagalli seemed pretty happy as she accepted them graciously. Athrun was able to read her lips as she thanked Yuna and nodded willingly to something that Yuna asked.

He couldn't believe it. It was happening again. Like a cruel joke that refused to end, he was watching the girl he loved be swept away by another man. His nemesis no less! That was it. He couldn't take it anymore. Didn't she care at all about the way she was treating him? Didn't she realize that she was breaking his heart, mending it and then throwing it away again! Didn't she realize how hard this was on him? He felt like a yo-yo and he couldn't bare it anymore.

Yuna looked up and noticed Athrun standing there. He flashed him a victorious grin before waving to Cagalli as he left. He had sabotaged the soup to delay Athrun in order to get to Cagalli first!

Athrun gave up. There was no point in fighting it. He was only hurting himself.

He didn't know how long Yuna had been there but he seemed to have arrived just as he was leaving. Shoulders drooped and eyes fixed on the ground, he approached the room, the lone carnation in his hand, once Yuna was gone.

"Athrun!" Cagalli smiled but it quickly faded when she saw the look on his face. Still holding the roses that Yuna had given her, she eyed him worriedly as he brushed past her and picked up his books from the far side of the room. He looked like he was going to break down and cry. "Athrun?"

"I have a lot of um… studying… a project…" Athrun could hardly get the words out. The pain coursing through him felt like electrical currents that were burning him from within. He had to get away. He didn't want her to see him like this. He didn't want her to see him again – ever. He wanted to disappear. "I have to go."

"But you just got here," Cagalli pointed out. "And it is Saturday. You have the entire weekend…"

"I have to go." Athrun repeated flatly. Throwing his backpack over his shoulder, he quickly made his way back towards the door. As he pushed past her a second time, he hesitated. She was staring at the flower that he just realized he was still holding.

Biting back a small whimper of disappointment, he held it out to her. "Yuna dropped this in the hall."

Athrun couldn't wait for her to take it and so he pushed it almost violently into her hands before he took off down the hall in an all out sprint. From the doorway, Cagalli watched him leave, stunned. She didn't understand. What was wrong with him? Why was he acting like that?

Her eyes fell upon the golden carnation now mixed in the bundle of red roses Yuna had given her. She frowned and looked back up at the now empty hall way. "But… this one is different…"

TBC

I hope you liked it! Poor Athrun. I did put in a little fluff though for those who wanted some. There will be much more to come don't worry. Please let me know what you think okay? Next chapter Athrun and Cagalli will hopefully get their differences straightened out but now Athrun's parents are going to enter the scene too. Lucky him. I picked Yuna because I kinda like Shinn and Ayel (from what I've seen of destiny) and don't want to demonize them. Nobody cares if I do that to Yuna right? Tee hee…

Thanks again!

Until next time,

Krilyn