Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed/Gundam Seed Destiny.

Athrun Zala heaved a sigh and glanced nervously at the clock on the dashboard. It was late. Damn, he thought as he stepped on the accelerator. He was slightly beyond the speed limit, but considering his current situation, it was not reasonable for anyone to expect him to pay attention to a posted speed.

As the seconds passed, he found himself wishing that he had the power to slow time down. Had he known the meeting would have lasted that long, he would just have skipped it. Sure, that would have gotten him fired. Then again, he would not have found himself in such a precarious position.

At the very least, it was a quiet and peaceful night. The road was clear and wide. Apart from him, there was no other soul on the streets; no witness of his speeding exploits and thus no risks of getting a speeding ticket. Not that he would have expected otherwise. Eleven was generally not a time for heavy traffic. In any case, that small town was usually dull and lifeless; so much that he could almost hear the constant crunch of small rocks beneath his tyres as he hurried towards his destination.

For a city man like himself, living there was kind of a curse. A curse which, he was ashamed to confess, he had somehow cast upon himself.

It had been six months now, since he'd decided to accept that promotion. Easily convinced by a considerable pay rise, he had foolishly agreed to be relocated to that hole of a town. He had arrived there with his girlfriend, full of hope and anticipation about his new position in the company. Manager of his own branch. That had been an opportunity he couldn't have missed. But now six months later, his girl was had left him; the town had been too rustic for her taste.

And he had found himself, at twenty five, single again in that little town where he was considered as nothing but an outsider.

But then, now was no time for self-pity, he reminded himself. He had other things to think about – principally what he'd do in case he didn't make it in time. His palms became sweaty at that horrible thought. No, that's not an option. He had to get there. He was now only two blocks away, and from the distance, could make out a faint glow emanating from the building. Another glance at the clock brought the thought that he could probably still make it to his head. But he still had a bad feeling and didn't want to get his hopes too high.

Still, when a few seconds later, he found himself hitting his brakes, leaving a thin line of rubber as his tyres screeched to a halt on the other side of the still illuminated edifice, he couldn't help himself from grinning in relief. He had made it.

Without losing a second, he got out of his car, leaving his keys in ignition. The car door slammed behind him, but he didn't have the time to care. In a rush, he started crossing the road, but stopped dead in his tracks at the dreadful sight.

Some girl was putting up the 'closed' sign before turning off the lights.

You've got to be kidding me.

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In a daze, he was unable to do anything but stare while the girl got out, locked the main door and started to walk away.

'Le Thé Vert' was now officially closed for the night, and there he was, standing in the middle of the street gaping like a fish at the closed tea shop.

No, this can't be happening.

God knew he couldn't survive without his daily cup of tea. Call it a craving or even an addiction but he needed his tea like a heroine-addict needed his daily dose of heroine. He wouldn't be able to go to sleep without it. He wouldn't be able to concentrate on his work the next day. He would be a complete wreck, a zombie.

He wanted to curse his secretary. She had been the one who had gotten him addicted. While he had been a happy coffee drinker, she had insisted for him to taste that delicious liquid. And sure enough, the cinnamon tea from 'Le Thé Vert' had been so devilishly exquisite that he had quit his coffee habits. But today she had called in sick, and hadn't been able to go and fetch his favourite beverage. Damn. Couldn't she have chosen another day to fall sick?

He felt like firing her, and for a brief moment also contemplated about breaking into the tea shop.

No, that would be too reckless.

He took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself, and looking in the direction of the tea shop girl, he realized that there was only one option left.

"Hey there," he shouted as he started to follow her.

Maybe that was not the best approach, he realized, when she quickened her pace.

"Hey, I'm not going to hurt you," he shouted again, and that caused her to start running away.

Yeah, definitely not the best approach.

Still, he ran after her, easily catching up with her in a few strides. When he caught her by the shoulders, she turned around and screamed.

"Let go of me, you freak!"

He immediately retracted his arms, and lifting them up, had been on the point of apologising when he recognised her.

"You?" he asked, unable to hide the animosity in his voice.

He watched as her expression changed from terror then relief then surprise before finally setting to disdain. Glaring at him, she dusted her shoulders off and didn't even bother answering his question.

"What do you want?" she asked icily.

When he didn't answer, she just turned her back and resumed walking away.

And he just stood there, watching her as he debated with himself.

Why? Of all people, why did the tea shop girl have to be her?

He didn't know her name, had never had a proper conversation with her. Damn, he hadn't even known that she worked there.

Yet he held a deep dislike for her.

He had often seen her around town, looking perfectly friendly with pretty much anyone. Yet, each time their paths crossed, she'd have that haughty look. Like she was better than him or something. It was unsettling.

But right now, unsettling or not, he'd come to need her if he wanted to get his daily dose of bliss.

God must hate me.

Deciding to swallow his pride down, he once again ran towards her.

"Wait," he said when he finally caught up with her. "I need a cup of tea."

"The tea shop's closed. Come back tomorrow," she simply replied, without another glance at him.

Taking in a deep breath to prevent himself from insulting her, he tried again.

"I only need one cup. Whatever the price is, I'll pay."

When she finally stopped and turned around to look at him, he cheered inwardly. Yeah, he had known money could get him anything. But his hopes got crushed when she opened her mouth.

"Look, I don't care. The tea shop's opened till eleven or later if we have customers," she droned coldly. "Come back tomorrow."

His eyes widened in surprise at her blatant refusal and at that particular moment, he knew that his dislike for her had reached its apogee. He didn't try to stop her again though.

Instead, he watched her until she was nothing but a small dot in the distance, all the while planning his sweet little revenge.

SSSSSSSSSSSS

"I've successfully rescheduled the meeting and Mrs. Joule called to remind you about the brunch on Sunday. By the way, you look awful, Mr. Zala."

He lifted his head from his forearms, and forced himself to glare at that slim lady standing at the other side of his desk. Natarle was about thirty, a little too frank and cold but all in all, a very reliable secretary.

"It's all because of you," he sighed lifelessly. "I didn't get an ounce of sleep yesterday because you weren't there to fetch my tea."

"Now, don't you blame me young man; you could have gone to the tea shop by yourself," she admonished.

"That's what I did, but the waitress refused to serve me."

He lowered his eyes, suddenly feeling a little immature for complaining about that.

"Waitress?"

"Yeah, never mind," he replied, not wanting to elaborate.

"Was that Cagalli? Petite and pretty?"

At his blank look, she elaborated.

"Short blonde with amber eyes?" she asked. When he nodded, she continued, "Oh, she's actually the owner. Poor girl, she inherited the tea shop when her dad passed away last year. But she's very kind and friendly. I can't believe she didn't want to serve you. Are you sure you didn't do something to her?"

"I did nothing," he sighed again.

"Well, if you want me to, I'll just talk to her when I get there," the older lady proposed.

But he shook his head, and smiled.

"Don't bother Nat. As from now on, I'll go and get my tea by myself."

SSSSSSSSSSSSSS

He had actually planned to make a scene to get her fired. But he had had to change his plan on learning that she was actually the owner.

So he had gone there at exactly 10.45 with another plan in mind. He had sat at the counter, and watched as the other waiters finally left a little before 11.00, leaving him and Cagalli alone.

Surprisingly, she had been the only female to work there. No wonder how Natarle had immediately guessed who he had been speaking about.

"What can I get you?"

He lifted his eyes from the counter and stared right into her amber eyes.

"A cup of cinnamon tea," he answered with a smile.

When she served him, he once again smiled at her. "Thanks."

She didn't reply, instead stared at him with that disgusted expression she always wore in his presence.

"We're closing in a few minutes," she finally stated when he finished his cup.

But instead of getting up and leaving, he ordered another one.

"We're closing," she repeated.

"I thought you were open till all the customers were gone," he said with a smirk.

She didn't say anything at that, and seeing her defeated face, he couldn't help from feeling all smug.

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In the end, he actually left at two in the morning, and though he had arrived home way later than usual, it had been worth it. She had been seething. Ah, too bad she hadn't cracked and forced him out. He would have loved to watch her lose her cool.

But it didn't matter. He had decided to continue with those midnight tea detours. At least, till she finally lost it. She'd have to.

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So, there he was again. Same time. Same seat. Different night. Athrun took a sip from his hot cup of tea. Though it tasted heavenly, his mind, that night, was not on savouring his favourite drink. He looked at her from the corner of his eyes. As usual, Cagalli was standing behind the counter, wearing that jaded expression she always wore, definitely ignoring him.

Ignoring him.

He took another sip, his hands clenching on the sides of the cup. No, he decided, he wouldn't acknowledge that his plan was backfiring.

For someone as reasoned as himself, that had been an immature thing to start. Then again, she had seemed to find a way to bring the worst out of him.

And true enough, he had sadistically enjoyed the glares that his midnight drinks had cost him. Yet now, three months later, she had perfectly adapted to his late visits. No more frowns, no more glares, just a fake unawareness of his existence. And he was annoyed to be so annoyed about that.

His late night teas were starting to take a toll on his sleep. No longer finding satisfaction in her irritation, he was even starting to consider about giving up. Indeed, it would probably be wiser for him to stop. He could just make Natarle fetch his daily cup of tea, just like she used to. But that would mean giving up to her. And he just couldn't do that.

It was not a question of pride. Okay, maybe it was a question of pride.

She had actually become the bane of his existence. As a result, a need had grown into him to become the bane of her existence. It was stupid, he knew that. But he had come to the conclusion that he disliked her that much because she disliked him for no apparent reason.

He hadn't done anything to her, for God's sake!

Pathetically enough, he had always felt the need to be liked by everyone. Growing up without his mother, he had always tried his best to please his demanding father. At school, he had been the teachers' favourite and because of his good looks, one of the popular kids. At work, he had been the most liked co-worker. When his girlfriend had left, they had parted as friends. And here in that small town, he had become the well liked outsider. He had been accepted by everyone else but her. And he hated her for giving him that feeling…

Rejection. Definitely not a feeling he appreciated.

Taking another sip, he noted that the liquid had already gone cold. Glancing at his watch, he realised that it was already late, later than what he had thought. He felt tired, and couldn't stop a yawn from escaping his parted lips. Maybe it was time for him to leave. He stood up, and would have done just that when -

"This is getting ridiculous."

He turned around and stared at her. Had she just spoken to him?

"What?" he asked.

She held his gaze as silence stretched out. For a moment, he started thinking that she wouldn't answer. But then she did.

"It's obvious that you're tired. Why do you keep on coming to the tea shop every night?"

She sounded and looked weary, much like himself.

"Because I dislike you," he replied, without really thinking.

"Well, you're actually helping my business." She said, letting out a short humourless chuckle.

He remained quiet for quite a long time, looking at her, trying to decipher the enigma that she was.

"Why do you hate me?" he finally dared to ask, leaving it up to her to share or not.

"I don't," she paused, "I also dislike you."

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

The following nights were basically reruns of that one. Guessing that she'd be annoyed, Athrun started speaking to her, about everything and nothing. The glares returned, and she was often forced to participate in those one sided conversations whenever their opinions differed, which was quite often actually. And each night before leaving he'd ask her why she disliked him, getting silence as answer.

However, instead of challenging her, he always let the question go and waited patiently for the next night.

Without realising it, his trips to the tea shop had become the highlight of his days.

And he would surely have continued to live in his blissful ignorance if not for the shock he received on that particular night.

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

"Hey Heine, where's Cagalli?" he had asked, as he had approached the man behind the counter. The tall blond was one of the waiters who always left before 11 PM. The latter gave a small apologetic smile which he didn't quite understand.

"Ms. Attha got mugged yesterday night on her way home."

Athrun had stood there, frozen still by the dreadful news.

"Is – Is she alright?" he had then managed to ask when he had regained his composure.

"Yeah, she wasn't hurt, just a little shaken up, the girl is a tough one. She'll be back tomorrow. Anyway, what can I get you?"

He had ordered his usual cinnamon tea. For once though, despite his favourite drink, he had found himself spending a sleepless night. Thinking about Cagalli.

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

It had been past eleven when he had left his office on the following night. Another meeting had kept him there till late. Though he had known that the tea shop would already be closed, he had nevertheless gone there, hoping he'd at least catch up with Cagalli. He had been feeling terribly guilty and had really wanted to apologise.

And he had been genuinely surprised on seeing the tea shop still open when he had arrived about fifteen minutes later. Even more so to find his cup of cinnamon tea waiting on the counter.

"I've heard about the mug," he said, taking his usual seat. "I'm sorry."

"It wasn't your fault," she replied indifferently but Athrun saw past the words and the neutral expression.

He opened his mouth to speak but closed it just as suddenly. She probably wasn't ready to talk about it.

"I'll give you a ride as from now on," he finally settled on saying.

Preparing himself to counter her rebuttal, he was surprised when instead, she gave him a genuine smile and a thank you.

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

For the next few weeks, his nightly routine therefore changed. He still went to the tea shop, still ordered his usual cup, but no longer stayed past midnight. The best addition, however, was his daily ride with Cagalli.

They had started conversing civilly, no longer as persons who deeply disliked each other, not yet as close friends, but he still hoped that that would come with time.

Still, he had managed to get her to share part of her past with him. Telling her about his past life in the city had made her open up about her dislike of the little town. And he had been surprised to know that they had that in common. She had admitted that she felt trapped in that life and was still there because of the tea shop.

And with all those conversations, he had reached a point where he knew that he could no longer deny it. Learning more about her was making him grow fond of her, and finding a reason to dislike her was becoming really tedious.

She still helped though. Indeed, she was still infuriating, mostly when she'd refuse to tell him why she disliked him.

But he was coping and was certain he'd get the truth out of her.

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

Unexpectedly, he actually got it on that particular night.

As usual, she had been behind the counter, but this time, she had had her back turned to him. Standing on tiptoes, she had been trying in vain to get something off a shelf.

"What are you doing?" he had asked, trying in vain to get his eyes off the hint of skin she was showing where her blouse had ridden up.

"Just getting that packet of tea off the shelf. I wonder why they always insist on putting these things so out of reach," she had replied absentmindedly.

And then, instinctively, he had gotten up from his seat and had gone behind the counter, right behind her. They had been terribly close, even closer than necessary. He hadn't been able to resist the delicious scent of her shampoo. Cinnamon and vanilla.

"Let me help you," he had proposed, extending his arm to reach the packet of tea. Being taller than her, he had quickly got it in his grasp. He hadn't moved though. Instead, he had lingered there, leaning over her as he whispered in her ear.

"Here," while he slowly caught her hand in his and handed her the packet.

She had taken it, and thanked him a little breathlessly.

"You're welcome," he had finally replied when she turned around and looked straight into his dark green eyes.

At that particular moment, he had realised that he couldn't lie to himself anymore.

Leisurely, he had started to lean towards her, gently circling his arms around her waist, when she suddenly stepped back, away from his enticing proximity.

"I – huh – customers aren't allowed on this side of the counter," she had stuttered, refusing to meet his gaze again.

He only gave her lopsided smile before going back to his seat, definitely determined to get her to answer his question this time.

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

"Why do you dislike me Cagalli?"

He had expected her to ignore that question like she always did, had fully prepared himself to insist this time around but was genuinely surprised instead she replied.

"You killed him." He would have thought she was joking hadn't he heard the seriousness in her voice.

"What do you mean?" he asked, positively surprised.

"Pikachu. You ran over him with your stupid car."

"I killed your Pokemon?" he asked, unable to hide the smile from his voice.

She glared at him and he instantly regretted mocking her.

"He was my dog," she only replied cheerlessly.

"Oh," he started, vaguely remembering the accident. It had been a few weeks after he had moved there. Since the dog had been tagless, he had deemed it as a stray. Still, he had brought it to the vet where it had been declared dead.

"I didn't know it was your dog. I hadn't meant to. I'm very sorry."

"I know, I mean, I know you're not that heartless," she paused then, as if to look for the right words, but she didn't continue.

"That's why you dislike me?"

She bit her lower lip, and a frown appeared on her brow. She was still avoiding his gaze though.

"Yes, I mean, no," she lifted her eyes and looked at him seriously, "I don't believe I dislike you any longer."

He gave her a boyish smile, when in fact he wanted nothing more than to go behind that counter and kiss her senseless.

"So, does that mean we're now friends?" he finally settled on asking, deciding to play it cool.

"Yes," she sadly smiled at him, "I think I wanted you to be the first to know that I've decided to close the tea shop. I'm leaving this town."

He stared at her, not really comprehending her words. Yeah, she had once told him about how she felt she had been trapped into that life when her father had died. But he had never expected her to reach that decision. Not when she had so easily captured his heart. She had to know that he had fallen for her. She couldn't just leave.

"Are you serious?"

He felt his previous contentment being sucked out of his heart when she nodded.

"Good," was all he could say while he tried his best to fake a smile.

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

But it was anything but good. That night he drove her home, but they didn't speak.

He was angry at her. Angry at himself for falling for her.

He went home and tried his best to sleep, but he couldn't get Cagalli out of his mind.

In the end, he didn't really know how, but he ended up on her doorstep at four in the morning, angrily pounding at her door.

"Cagalli, open up," he shouted, trying his best to keep the volume of his voice at the minimum level so as not to wake the neighbours up.

His irritation faded when she did open the door though. And following her inside, he couldn't help himself from flushing when he saw her so minimally dressed in some shorts and a singlet. She was definitely sexily dishevelled.

"What cha doin hurr?"

Though she was yawning, he still understood her question. But he couldn't find an answer. What was he really doing here? Had he come to confess that he had fallen for her? Had he come to try and change her mind?

"You cannot leave," he finally heard his mouth say, as he walked closer to her. She didn't try to back away, only stared at him in confusion.

"You know, right now, I don't dislike you but if you were to leave, I'd come to hate you and I don't want to hate you."

"What – " she tried to speak but he stopped her. Using his hand, he gently cupped her face as he stared at her intently.

"Let me finish Cagalli. You're very mean," he paused, at her shocked expression. "You've made me like you and now you want to leave me."

She raised her hands to cover his, looking at him with sadness in her eyes.

"Athrun, I – we can still be friends… You know I don't like it here," she whispered almost pleadingly.

"I don't want us to be just friends," he said, not giving her time to respond.

He leaned down and captured her soft lips with his, lingering, pulling her bottom lip into his mouth before slowly releasing it. His hands moved to her waist, moving her body closer to his before he once again leaned down and whispered in her ear, "I want us to be so much more Cagalli."

She said nothing to that. Instead she rested her head against his chest and listened to his heartbeats, allowing him to embrace her.

"Don't ask me to stay Athrun," she finally mumbled after a minute or so.

"What if I do?"

"Don't."

"Stay Cagalli," he only said, releasing her from his arms. He looked down at her, and saw her shaking her head childishly.

"Stay with me," he said again, and with a finger he lifted her chin so that she was looking at him. "I need you."

He kissed her again, this time hoping he'd clear the doubts out of her mind.

"Don't leave me?" he asked when they finally parted for air. He smiled when she nodded.

"I won't."

"I knew it," he said pressing another kiss to her lips.

"I hate you Athrun."

"I love you too."

This was originally written for the I Love To Hate You contest on FP. However, since the original idea came from an ASUCAGA fic I had hoped to write someday, I decided to ASUCAGA (yeah I'm using it as a verb!) the original fic and turn it into a fanfic. LOL. So if you go on my FP, you'll find the same fic, with some minor differences. The fic was loosely inspired by the song Falling In Love at a Coffee Shop by Landon Pigg. Yeah, same song which inspired me to write about Athrun x Luna meeting in Assignment lol.

Anyway, thanks for reading. And yeah, I won't lie and say that I don't like reviews. Because I do. But I'm not forcing you to review or anything. It'd be great to get some feedback/constructive criticism, but don't review if you don't want to. Once again, it's up to you. I'm still glad you read the fic.