Characters: Shinn Askua, Athrun Zala
Pairings: None
Time frame: GSD ep 35
Wold Shaking
"-or maybe you would have preferred it if I was shot down!"
It is a serious accusation, far past just any kind of acceptable disrespect. It is also made only to rile Athrun up as it is Shinn's way. Shinn doesn't actually believe it.
Athrun can only growl Shinn's name like a curse and doesn't care how much of his thoughts show on his face, with Kira being before his eyes from the last time they ever spoke, sad and hurt, but he figures that some part of it must have, because he can see how Shinn startles and angers when he realizes how he has unwittingly hit the truth.
Athrun does wish with all his heart the Impulse had been shot down instead.
At least Shinn would still be alive then. And even should the accidental have happened and Shinn would have died, then Kira would be grieving right now and not gloating about an undeserved and cruel victory.
Even barring that, which Athrun doesn't like to think about, he knows it to be the truth that he, Athrun, does put Kira's life as so much more important than his own that the thought of outliving him has not crossed Athrun's mind in the last two years.
Shinn speaks the honest truth.
As the fight continues, Athrun can slowly feel the world tilt under his feet and turn back to a lifeless shadow of how it is supposed to be…