An Amuto story

Amu wasn't sure how she'd gotten into this mess, Ikuto had randomly shown up, as always, but this time instead of leaving he had insisted upon meeting her parents, properly this time. So that was how she had ended up at the dinner table with her parents and Ikuto all looking at one another. Ikuto, who looked really worried about something, was saying something along the lines of 'he wasn't feeling to good and that he couldn't go home (Easter and Utau were waiting for him) and could he stay here?' Amu's mother had agreed almost at once, saying that he could even stay in Amu's room as long as he stayed on his makeshift bed on the floor. Amu's father on the other hand had been a little harder to convince but, with several threats from Amu's mom, he eventually consented.

So that was how Amu found herself alone with Ikuto in her room again. At least he was staying on the floor…

But as the days wore on Amu started to get worried. Ikuto hadn't done or said anything perverted the entire time he'd been there. She often found him staring off into space, with a thoughtful expression. Then, after another awkward breakfast he told her that he had something to go do and would be back later that night. It was 11 am. 'What on earth could he be doing for all that time?' Amu wondered to herself. And even weirder he hadn't left her alone all week, following her everywhere, school, Guardian meetings (though he watch her through the window) everywhere. So why was he suddenly leaving her alone all day? She decided to follow him, if she could keep up that is. He was any alley cat after all, and probably knew all kinds of secret routs throughout the city.

'This is a bad idea, this is a bad idea, this is a bad idea…' Was what keep repeating in her mind as she Chara transformed with Ran, she needed the ability to fly to keep out of sight of the cat-boy. As they were going through the park, she was forced to fly much lower than she would have liked, to be able to see him through the trees. And now she was only about 10 feet behind Ikuto, because of how thick the trees were becoming. She'd have to be quite. Very quite. What with his cat hearing and all. But that proved to be impossible as a hand clamped around her ankle and yanked her out of the air. She lest out a rather loud cry of surprise.

Tadase came into her view.

"What are you doing?" Amu's vice came out louder than she meant it to. How the hell had he found her? Had he followed her? He must have had too because there was no way that he'd just happed to be this deep in the park's woods.

"Is it true? That Ikuto-niisan is staying in your room again?" His tone was accusing.

Amu sighed "Yes" she answered simply, hoping to get away quickly and have a chance of finding Ikuto again, before he got to big a head start on her.

"Why?" Sill accusing, with a little whine in it.

"To be honest I'm not sure… Ikuto seems really out of it." She didn't mention the fact that he was following her like a lost kitten.

Tadase seemed to process this. "But still, why can't Ikuto just… I don't know, go somewhere else? Why does it have to be your room?" Now it was just all whine. She almost sighed, she didn't have time for this!

Amu opened her mouth to answer with another 'I don't know' when Ikuto dropped out of the tree he'd been sitting in, listening to their conversation. "Because I need to be near her." he said quite calmly. What the hell? Be near her? What did that mean?

"Why?" Tadase asked a bit shocked as Amu was silent. Yes, way indeed did Ikuto need to be near her at all times of the day?

"Because I don't want her getting killed." Ikuto said rather flatly. Face blank.

Now both of them were shocked beyond words. Killed? What the hell was going on?

A few moments passed, Tadase recovered first. "You… you brought this on didn't you?" he asked in a kind of weak, accusing voice.

Ikuto said nothing.

"I knew it! Your going to get her killed because she's to close to you and your problems with Easter!"

"Tadase I-" Ikuto tried to explain but Tadase interrupted.

"I HATE YOU!" Tadase screamed. God Tadase, moody much? "You've always been like this! Hurting the people you get close to! Utau, Me and now Amu-chan! Just leave everyone's lives alone! Leave us alone!" Now that was uncalled for! And Tadase did not have the right to speak for her! They weren't an item anymore! And even if they were, he sill didn't have the right to tell Ikuto to but out of her life!

Ikuto's eyes showed the smallest flash of pain before it was smothered. Then Ikuto turned tail (quite literally) and bolted.

Amu turned to Tadase, "You idiot!" before she took off after Ikuto. There was no way that she was going to let Ikuto go wallow in self-pity over what that idiot had just said.

He hadn't gotten that much of a head start and with Amu's still-intact Chara transformation she caught up fairly quickly. She knew that Ikuto wouldn't stop if she called out to him, in all likelihood he'd speed up if anything so, instead, she tackled him to the ground. What both of them failed to realize was that they had Chara transformed into Seven Seas Treasure and Amulet Fourtune and as they fell Ikuto's sword, which was safely in its scabbard, had flown out of it and was above them. They did realize this when they landed though, because the sword landed too. Impaling both of them. Two small grunts of pain could have been heard if anyone had been around, but unfortunately, they were in a very secluded part of the park's woods. Amu, realizing that this was her fault, tried to apologize.

"Ikuto I'm so sor-" but Ikuto, guessing her words, cut her off with a very passionate kiss, a small tear going unnoticed down his cheek. This kiss felt like more than just a way to get her to shut up, although she wasn't quite sure what else was mixed into it. After a minute or so he let himself flop back down to the ground. "Don't. Don't apologize. This has been a long time coming, I just wish I wasn't taking you too" he said, breathless.

Amu shifted, giving Ikuto a chance to see how the sword had hit her. The way it was positioned was so that it had probably pierced her lung but if she move a few inched to the left then she would be clear of it without causing farther damage. Silently, Ikuto did so and also pushed her up slightly so she could balance on her shaking hands while Ikuto brought his own hands up to the sword and pulled it out with a horrible squelching noise. Ikuto flopped back to the ground, panting slightly. Ow, fuck that hurt. Amu laid back down as soon as the sword was clear to hide the fact that her hands were about to give away any second. Ikuto sighed and wrapped his arms around her tightly; they were both shaking slightly.

"I'm sorry, I've been trying to figure out the best way to tell you that Easter is trying to kill you… guess I did their work for them…"

So that was what he had been thinking about so intently all week and that was why he hadn't left her alone all week. To keep her safe. Wow, that was kinda sweet…she was momentary caught up in this information. But his mournful face brought her back to the painful reality that they probably didn't have much time left and the look on Ikuto's face was that last thing she wanted to see there right now. So, she leaned down and kissed him, full on the mouth. Amu wasn't sure why she did it, she just did. When she pulled back she whispered very quietly, "Ikuto, I love you and I'm sorry that its taken me so long to relies it." As she said the words she realized she meant them; they felt right. He gave her a wary smile, probably trying to decide if she meant those words or if she was just saying that to be nice, since they both knew that they didn't have much time left. Amu frowned at him, as if reading his thoughts

"I'm not lying!"

"Really? Your not just saying that?" he asked hopefully.

"No, I'm not just saying that!" she replied, annoyed at his skepticism.

"Well I'm happy you finally realized it," he said with one of his trade mark smirks. "And of course, you already know that I love you right? You believe me now?"

"Yes, I believe you now." Amu said with a small smile and a roll of her eyes.

Ikuto kissed her again, short and sweet. As Amu pulled away she suddenly realized how tired she was and scooted down slightly so she could lay her head down on Ikuto's chest.

Ikuto felt her breathing slow and whispered "I'll see you soon, Amu." and as he stroked her hair felt her breathing stop altogether. His tears were controlled, but he still cried for her, but he knew he would fulfill his last promise to her very soon. He took a deep breath, wrapped his arms around her still-warm body more tightly and relaxed. Welcoming it. His breathing slowed until it, too, stopped altogether.

SCSCSCSCSC

Tadase had been feeing horrible for saying that to Ikuto-niisan again, so he'd called the rest of the Guardians to help him find Amu and Ikuto as it was a huge park it begin with, and the woods were almost the same size as the park itself. When they did finally find them, however, he wished they hadn't. There was blood everywhere, covering the two bodies. The two bodies of loved ones and friends.

"No! No, NO, No!" Tadase screamed. The others were at a complete loss for words. How could this have happened? How could they be gone? How could they both be gone in one fell swoop? ? Tadase ran over to them, not touching them at first because, as he got closer, he saw how… peaceful they both looked. But after a couple seconds of shock at this revelation he did check for vital signs. Nothing. They weren't cold yet but they weren't warm either. Lukewarm. Tadase consented to sit and cry for his 'big brother' and the girl he'd loved.

How could this have happened?

Tadase eventually figured it out. Even though they had been in normal clothes when they were found Tadase suspected that they had been in Seven Seas Treasure and Amulet Fortune when they died. His suspicion was confirmed as Kukai pointed out a long, thin, sword laying not far away, covered in blood. Tadase surmised that Amu had probably tackled Ikuto the ground because he won't stop running and that the sword had flown out of its scabbard and, as Amu and Ikuto fell to the ground, had impaled them both. But the holes didn't match. Amu should have been much higher on Ikuto than she was, this lead Tadase to believe that they had had some time to talk and, given their contented faces and the slight swelling of their lips, he assumed that they had admitted their love for one another. Well at least he could be happy for them in that respect; they had finally admitted they were in love. Tadase knew that Amu would never have been happiest with him, he also knew that Ikuto was in love with her, he could simply tell, having grown up with him. He knew from the way they acted around each other that they were in love, he knew it. But he still tried to take Amu as his own, which, he now realized, would never have worked. The others wondered how Tadase could be keeping his head this well, studying the scene with such detachment. Tadase later explained that the reality hadn't set in yet, that he was kind of running on auto pilot where his feelings were concerned. But as long as they had finally admitted it, he could be happy.

He could be happy.

Authors Note

Well that was depressing. This was another dream I had a few nights ago.It was so real that I thought I was watching an anime movie on the net. (my mind even made comments in the background like I was watching it like 'OMG he's eating at the table with her family; awkward!') but, strangely, I really like this one (almost as much as the Ikuto box dream) even though I LOVE Amuto, so killing them off was really depressing… thanks a lot brain, why must you make me have such a good quality dream and make it so that I want to post it but have me kill off the two main characters? Although the death scene was much better in my dream, and it was in anime style so I could see everything going on, but oh well. Also I don't like the ending… but I felt the need to explain why Tadase was the one to figure it all out when he should a blubbering mess, but I didn't want to put it after the 'he could be happy' part, so the ending doesn't flow the way I want it to…

Well anyways now that I'm thoroughly depressed I'ma go read a fluffy Amuto one-shot. Till next time~!

~Sandstripe

Has now been edited.