<b>Author</b> the Black Rose
<b>Pairing</b> Athrun x Lacus
<b>Fandom</b> Gundam Seed
<b>Theme</b> #17, kHz
<b>Disclaimer</b> I do not own Gundam Seed. This fanfiction has no commercial value and I am not making any kind of profit or income off of this story, or the use of characters owned by Sunrise and Bandai.</p><p>This is AU (alternate universe). Athrun and Lacus exist in modern day and go to the same university. It's all first person POV - from Athrun's perspective. It just hit methe othernight, and I began writing. I have no idea if it's even remotely decent, since it's my first time writing AU for GSeed characters. But, hey, it's just for fun, right
My thanks in advance to those who will read it. Much love, Rose</p><b><hr size=1 width=100% noshade>Just a Friend</b>
<p>If you asked me to describe myself, I'd have a hard time answering. If you asked me to describe her?</p><p>I'm a mechanical engineering major a mere few weeks away from graduating. That's my scholastic profile. I have two parents, one dog, no siblings. The only sport I've ever been involved in is Taekwondo.</p><p>I guess I'm kind of quiet. I work hard at school, and at my job in the computer lab on campus. I've worked there practically since my first day at this university. That's how we met.</p><p>Well, that's how I met her...</p><p>If describing myself is difficult, describing her?is less so. Though, I've been accused of bordering on 'poetic' when I mention her. Which seems a little unlikely ? that an engineer could spell poetic much less be accused of being it.</p><p>Actually, spelling is the one thing I paid attention to in English. I believe in spelling things correctly even if I don't care for much else in the English language ? besides the words required for scientific studies.</p><p>Maybe if I had the power to write compositions that would come true, English might rise in value. The first thing I'd write would be a story about a popular girl who falls for a geek. I admit, it'd be a story about her?</p><p>Lacus Clyne.</p><p>Her freshman year, she had a basic lab during my shift in the computer center. The first time I saw her?</p><p>-</p><p><i>A fresh-faced boy with chubby cheeks and freckles smiled up at her. I didn't know her name or anything about her. But she was the type you notice ? let me rephrase, she was the type I noticed ? when she walked into the classroom section of the lab and sat down.</i></p><p><i>She wore her long, strawberry-blond hair up in a ponytail, and a knee-length skirt. Unusual for most girls these days ? that sort of modesty ? though maybe not for that time of year. October starts to get a little chilly.</i></p><p><i>She sat in her seat with only her right side facing my direction. The boy approached her from her left.</i></p><p><i>"Lacus, did you do the homework?"</i></p><p><i>I was waiting for her to snub him or walk away. There was no way a girl like her would?</i></p><p><i>"I tried, but I?I couldn't get passed the first part. And?I didn't know who to ask."</i></p><p><i>Oh, so that was her game. Flirt with the guy and get a free pass on homework. I tucked my arms behind my head and sighed in the direction of the ceiling.</i></p><p><i>"I'll let you copy mine. If you want to."</i></p><p><i>Sucker.</i></p><p><i>"That's very sweet of you. But, I don?t deserve to pass if I can't do the lesson myself."</i></p><p><i>I choked on air and almost fell out of my chair.</i></p><p><i>"I can teach you. You can copy right now, and?"</i></p><p><i>I wanted to shout at him to give it up. She has a boyfriend on the football team or who's a model or on the student council. That was the kind of girl she was. No average guy, and especially not one who was any good at physics was going to have her for a girlfriend.</i></p><p><i>"I don't see the point in cheating. Though I thank you very much for trying to help me. I just?"</i></p><p><i>The way her soft pink lips moved ? I found them far too interesting when she spoke.</i></p><p><i>"I don't think I'm cut out for this class."</i></p><p><i>-</i></p><p>When she turned back to where I could see her entire face, there was something in her eyes that made me believe she thought she wasn't cut out for college at all.</p><p>She spoke with the teacher afterwards. I don't think she was prepared for the reaction she got. He was a young guy (well, fairly young ? he was a professor), single, and you may have guessed by now that she's a very pretty girl.</p><p>I think he thought no one was there (I told you, I'm quiet).</p><p>-</p><p><i>"Well, now, I could probably do some personal tutoring. You could come by my apartment tomorrow ni?"</i>
</p><p>When it looked like he was going to cross the line, I stood up, stomped over to his lab desk, grabbed her arm, and swore I'd tutor her.</p><p>She looked at me like I had just materialized in thin air, carrying a flag with an insignia that read: "I'm from the planet Mars."</p><p>-</p><p><i>I held onto her arm, and tried to pull her close ? like we knew each other. "I already promised I'd tutor you."</p><p><i>Her blue eyes widened to take up a full third of her face. "B-but I?"</p><p><i>"I know you think I?" Shit. Why would she think her 'boyfriend' wouldn't be able to tutor her?</i></p><p><i>"I know you think I?can't keep my mind off sex long enough to teach you anything seriously."</i></p><p><i>I congratulated myself on a good save.</i></p><p><i>"But?" I tried not to grimace. "Baby? I promise I'll help."</i></p><p></p></i></i></i>
<p>I think her mouth dropped open. I yanked her out of her seat and half-led, half-dragged her from the room. Where I explained to her why I said what I did.</p><p>-</p><p><i>"Will you really tutor me?" She asked with a weird sort of smile. One that I thought meant she was really laughing at me on the inside.</i></p><p><i>"I, uh?I can't?"</i></p><p><i>She looked down, and I saw lines appear in her forehead. I was afraid that if she glanced back up, I'd cave. </i></p><p><i>She didn't look up. </i></p><p><i>I think that was worse.</i></p><p><i>"I mean. Yeah, sure."</i></p><p><i>-</i></p><p></i>I had no time, and no idea if I could really keep my mind off sex long enough to teach her about kilohertz, radio frequencies, and physics (I am male, and scientific studies have proven we think about it once every eight seconds ? and I believe it's actually worse in the presence of a woman we're attracted to).</p><p>But?I was willing to try.</p><hr size=1 width=100% noshade>...to be continued..
lets see how long he can hold onto that oath. I think I read this already on fanfiction.net but I couldn't resist reading it again. Good thing I'm home alone right now so that no one saw me falling off my seat when he said 
