Understanding

It wasn't that he hated her. In fact, he was far from hating her. Hatred was the last thing on his mind whenever he saw her. He didn't hate her brother, either, no matter how many times he'd heard the boy talking behind his back about how anti-social that kid with the weird hair was. He didn't hate her friends, too, despite how many times he'd seen and heard them agreeing with her brother. He didn't hate them, and, above all, he didn't hate her.

He just... didn't understand her.

He didn't understand how warm she could be to him, no matter how icy his tone, or how cold his attitude.

He didn't understand how kind she could be to him, always offering a cheerful smile towards his emotionless face.

He didn't understand how stubborn she was, always sticking with him despite the number of times he or her brother had protested.

He didn't understand her, at all.

But that didn't mean he didn't appreciate it. Because he did.

He appreciated how she would always, without fail, talk to him every day.

He appreciated how she could look past his icy demeanor, his timidness, his silence, and know that, despite how coldly he treated her, he still wanted her there.

He appreciated how she could accept him, which was more then he could say for the majority of the other students at Duel Academy.

He appreciated everything she'd done for him. For being there to duel with, to mock, to follow. For being there to listen to, to talk to. For being his acquaintance, his companion, his friend. He was, in all honesty, grateful to her. He just didn't know how to show it.

Maybe Rua was right, when he called him anti-social. Whenever she came up to him, every morning with a bright smile on her face, he didn't know what to do. He didn't know what to say, he didn't know what to think. All that was in his mind was the realization that, despite how poorly he'd treated her the previous day, she'd still come to talk to him.

Maybe he was just socially awkward. He didn't know what friends were supposed to say to one another. He didn't know what friends were supposed to do together, besides duel. He didn't know anything about the unwritten rules of friendship. So he stayed quiet, occasionally putting in a word or two, wincing inwardly when he saw the brief look of hurt flash in her eyes whenever he'd said something he didn't mean.

What was he supposed to do? Almost everything he did was considered insulting or mean, no matter how unintentional it had been. He didn't know how to be what the others called "nice", or "friendly". He didn't know what to do. He wanted to show her how much it meant to him whenever she invited him in with the group, or talked to him, or even just sat down next to him, at least giving him the presence of a friend. But he couldn't. Every word he said came out rude, every motion he made ended up unsatisfactory.

So in the end, all he could do was be there.

All he could do was listen when she talked, nodding to show he was paying attention.

All he could do was let himself be dragged by her, as she pulled him along to hang out with her brother and his friends.

All he could do was watch her, as she went around the classroom, bringing smiles to everyone's faces, making the teacher beam at her hard work.

And when the time came for him to say something, all that came out of his mouth were chides of being too open, too naive, too childish. It was all he could say.

But still, for some reason, she accepted it. She took his words, laughing an apology, and still continued to be with him. She listened to his words, promising to try and grow up for him. She understood him, which was more than he could ever wish for, but still more of a confusion for him.

She understood him, and for that, he didn't understand her.