category: Gundam SEED
disclaimer: I don't own it.
FORTY.
Athrun hated Yuna Roma Seiran with a passion.
He couldn't really pinpoint why, even though the prissiness and overall spineless nature of the dimwit would have been reason enough. All he knew was that the simple sight of Yuna spurred a scowl onto his face and caused him to clench his fists tightly until they were white.
"Are you all right, Alex?" Cagalli looked at him concernedly. The purple-haired moron smiled saccharinely and straightened up from where he was bending over Cagalli's desk.
Athrun blinked twice, hard, and tried to burn the sight of Yuna caressing Cagalli's hand from his memory. "Er, yes."
There was an awkward silence. "Well, is there something you have for me?" Cagalli finally asked expectantly.
Athrun shook himself out of his daze and walked over to place a manila folder in front of her. "The transcripts you wanted from yesterday's cabinet meeting."
She flipped it open eagerly. "Oh, thanks! I know you hate running errands but I really needed these."
"Yes," Yuna broke in out of nowhere. "My Cagalli is always so hardworking. You should take a break, honey. Why don't we go get some coffee?" He extended his arms in an effort to massage her shoulders. Athrun glared at the floor and tried to keep his hands from twitching.
Cagalli shrugged out of his reach. "Right. No," she countered briskly. "Really, if there's nothing else you need, Yuna, I have a lot to get done."
Yuna pouted in a way that made Athrun want to punch him squarely in the face. Was he six years old? "Don't overextend yourself, all right?" He lowered his head in a clear attempt to kiss Cagalli goodbye.
"Yuna!" She pushed him away instantly, horrified.
He raised his hands in a motion of surrender and backed away. "All right, all right." As he walked by, Yuna passed Athrun an uncharacteristically calculating glance and for a moment Athrun thought that he had only been playing dumb the whole time.
The door slammed shut after him and Cagalli loosened and put her face in her hands. "Sorry about that, Athrun." Her words were muffled. "He is such an annoying twat."
"You don't have to tell me twice." Athrun collapsed in the chair in front of her desk. "I'm well aware of his hidden agendas."
"What agendas?" Cagalli questioned curiously.
"Nothing," Athrun quickly covered.
She leaned in toward him and narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "No, really. Why do you hate Yuna so much? I mean, you don't even have to have a reason beyond his irritating presence," she admitted, "But still. Why?"
Athrun sat stiffly and let his eyes wander around the room. "I know about your engagement to him and all. But as expected, I don't like it."
Cagalli bit her lip warily. "Athrun, you know that was just an arrangement between our fathers, right? The whole thing's a ceremonial figurehead, practically." She smiled a little. "It's no reason to get jealous, Mr. Zala."
Athrun's head snapped around to look at hers. "What?" he sputtered. "I'm…not, I'm not jealous!" He pronounced the last word with much effort.
"Oh?" Cagalli shrugged offhandedly. "Maybe I should let him go through with that massage next time."
"Yeah, maybe," Athrun gritted out. "I'll try not to strangle him afterwards, but no promises."
Cagalli laughed and kissed him lightly. "Thanks for coming in. You really saved a tedious day."
Athrun placed a hand behind her head and kissed her again, longer and harder. "The next time he tries to make a move on you, I will break his nose."
She moved her mouth fluidly against his. "Permission granted."
notes: Requests for an inverted version of chapter twenty-three (when it was Cagalli who was green-eyed) were overwhelming, so here's an jealous Athrun at last. I hope you all are happy with it; I had a ball writing it. I think I had originally planned for Athrun to be a lot more assertive, but that probably would have been unforgivably out-of-character, however fun it might have been to write.
NEXT PHASE: Sometimes, Kira allows himself to remember red hair and first loves, people he could not save. The first war, which went badly.