Title: An Excuse

Author: Katsumi Sinclair

Pairing(s): Amuto and slight Miru

Warning(s): None, really.

Rating: K+

Summary: "You come here a lot, don't you?" Instead of looking back at her, he directed his gaze up. "Everyday I come here. The violin is merely an excuse." "The violin...?"

Disclaimer: I do not own Shugo Chara or Shugo Chara Doki.

'Indicates Amu's thoughts.'

An Excuse: Chapter One: The Violin

"A walk is nice for a change, ne?" Amu asked her three Shugo Charas. It was late in the evening as the pinkette strolled along the streets of the city, her Charas following close behind. It really was a nice day for a walk. The sun was setting, and although night was approaching, it wasn't the least bit cold. The streets were mostly bare of citizens, so Amu let her legs lead as they walked.

The pink one, Ran nodded. "Sure is! With all the guardian work you never have any time to relax, Amu-chan."

"Ran's right, desu." Suu agreed as well.

"Yeah, I guess. It's really nice not having to take care of any X-eggs. As much as I like to purify them, it starts to get tiring after a while." She lifted her arms up, folding them behind her head lazily. Turning her head slightly she noticed Miki sketching out of the corner of her eye. "Huh? Miki, what're you drawing?"

Miki startled by the question, quickly glanced up and pulled her sketchbook closer. A slight blush covered her cheeks as she stuttered. "N-nothing!"

"It doesn't seem like nothing, desu."

"Yeah! Show us what you drew!" Ran lunged at the blue Chara, grabbing a hold of the small book.

Amu sweat dropped as the two tugged at the sketchbook. "U-um, guys..."

Suu floated over to Amu. "Do they always have to argue, desu?" The girl just shook her head as she watched her other two Charas fight over the book.

"They're my drawings, Ran! I don't have to show them to you!"

"That's all you've been doing the past few days is drawing! I wanna see what you drew!"

"It's none of your business!"

"Yes it is!"

"No it isn't!"

"Yes it IS!" With one last hard tug, Ran swiped the sketchbook from her sister. She stuck her tongue out at the glare she received. "Haha, I got it! Lets see..."

"Give it back!" Sadly Miki was ignored as the other looked at the picture she had been previously drawing. Her eyes widened as she flipped through the rest of the book. Miki blushed even harder and turned away so no one could see her expression.

Amu and Suu looked at the two confused. "What is it?" Miki began to sulk as Ran showed the book to the other two. Amu looked to her embarrassed Chara surprised. "Miki?"

"W-what?" She continued to keep her back to them.

"Um, why is your sketchbook filled with pictures of Yoru?" If it was possible, her face grew even redder. Instead of answering, Miki hurriedly snatched her sketchbook back from Ran. She turned her back to them yet again as she held the book protectively to her body. "Do you like him? Is that why?"

Miki continued to ignore them. Ran floated over to the now embarrassed and depressed Chara. "I'm sorry, Miki. I didn't know."

The blue Chara spun around to face her sister. "Of course you didn't! You shouldn't have looked in the first place!"

"I mean it, though. I'm really sorry." Miki looked to the ground as the other hugged her.

"You know, it's okay to like Yoru! It's who you like and no one can change that." Amu smiled at her Chara, the other looking clearly surprised.

Suu floated over to her sister as well. "Amu-chan's right, desu!"

Miki gave a small smile, blushing slightly, but not nearly as much as before. "Hey, come on, let's keep walking. We wont have much more time to stay out if we don't get a move on." Amu picked up her pace again, her Charas at her side. Miki went back to sketching, keeping to herself. Ran and Suu talked with Amu.

"Where are we going, Amu-chan?" Ran asked.

Amu shrugged. "Dunno. I'm just walking where ever."

"We should go to the park, desu!"

"The park?" Amu queried.

Suu nodded. "Yeah, no one's out so it would be just us!"

"Alright then."

"Yay!" Ran and Suu cheered as they walked on. As they neared the park, Amu continued to walk further. When she came to a stop she realized that she was now standing where she had first seen Ikuto playing his violin. 'I wonder what brought me here...' Looking around indicated that no one was around, so she began ascending the concrete stairs until she reached the top.

Night had already descended on the town as Amu sat on a nearby bench. She looked up, gazing at the stars. Being up there away from the city lights made the stars appear much more brighter and beautiful. "It's a really nice view from up here, huh?" When she got no reply, Amu glanced around hoping to see her Charas, but they weren't in sight. "Guys? Where'd you go?"

"Who knows?" Amu almost jumped out of her skin at the new voice. "What, did your charas leave you?" That voice was really familiar, it sounded just like...

"Ikuto?!" The seventeen year old now stood before her, his violin case on his shoulder, and smirking. "W-what are you doing here?!"

"I could ask the same of you."

The boy took a seat on the bench beside her, placing his violin on the ground by his feet. Her face flushed, although she hadn't a clue why as she scooted over in the opposite direction from him. "I asked you first!"

The smirk remained on Ikuto's face as he replied. "It's plainly obvious why I'm here, but it's really unusual for you."

Amu crossed her arms over her chest. "Yeah well, why does it matter that I'm here? It's none of your business anyway."

"It isn't. Besides I came to practice and you're in my spot."

"It's not like you own it!"

"True. Still I'd like to know why you're out. Isn't it past your curfew or something?" His smirk had vanished and now he was just staring at her.

The girl decided to put on her 'cool and spicy' look and leaned back into the bench. "No, and if you're just going to tease me again then just leave."

"Aw, you already want me to leave?" He whined.

"Yes!" And now she was back to her usual character. Instead of giving a response, Ikuto mirrored her former actions and leaned back into the bench as well, crossing one leg over the other. His arms rested on the back of the bench as he leaned his head back, and closed his eyes. Amu watched his actions, assuming he was ignoring her. She decided to voice her thoughts. "Are you ignoring me?!"

"No. Did it seem like I was?"

"Yeah!"

His lips upturned into his usual smirk again as he thought of another way to tease her. "So you would rather that I didn't ignore you? Amu, I didn't know you actually liked my presence."

Amu's face flushed pink. "I-I don't! Your just assuming things."

"Oh, am I?"

"Yes."

"Then why are you blushing?"

"I am not!"

"Are too."

"Am not! How would you be able to see anyway, it's too dark!"

"So you were?"

"No!"

Ikuto chuckled. "You know this could just keep going on and on and I would still be right."

Amu huffed as she turned her head away. He was right. No matter how long they went on arguing, he would just find a way to contradict what she was saying. 'Stupid cat.'

"So you realized that I was right." It was more of a statement then a question. Amu didn't reply, but instead gazed back up at the sky.

A short silence passed until Amu decided to break it. "You aren't leaving, are you?"

"No."

She sighed. "Whatever then. If you're going to stay, then stay, I can't stop you." All the while she kept her eyes on the stars. Ikuto too stared up at the sky.

"It is a nice view."

Amu, surprised that he had spoken, turned her head to look at him. "Huh?"

Ikuto glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "Earlier you said that it was a really nice view, it is. That's one of the reasons why I come here."

'I didn't actually expect him to say something like that.' "Really?"

Ikuto nodded. "Yeah. I come here for all kind of different reasons, this is one of them. I usually come here to practice the violin, but sometimes if I'm bored I come here or if I just want to get away from everything. This is also one of the very few places you can see the stars from." Turning his head to the side, he looked at her to see her reaction.

Amu was shocked that he had just said that out of the blue. She looked away and back up at the sky. After a few minutes of silence, the pinkette spoke, her voice soft. "You know, it's nice to have a place that you can go to just to get away from everything. Not to run away, but to just be able to think and not be disturbed. I haven't actually been able to find somewhere like that. Somewhere like here, it's really nice."

The cat watched the girl as she continued to stare upwards. "Amu..." He barley spoke her name so she wouldn't hear. When she looked at him again, her eyes softer than before, he actually thought she had heard him, until she spoke.

"You come here a lot, don't you?"

Instead of looking back at her, he directed his gaze up. "Everyday I come here. The violin is merely an excuse."

"The violin...?" She looked down at the said object.

He went on as if he hadn't even heard what she said. "I don't need to practice playing. I spend most of my days here, trying desperately to avoid most people. Utau, my stepfather, Easter, everything. When I play my violin, the sorrowful sounds drown out all of my thoughts."

'Sorrowful...? That's right, when I first heard Ikuto playing, that's how I too described the sounds of the violin. Ikuto...Ikuto is really suffering more than I thought. He's really flirtatious and a jerk at times, but deep down he suffers just like the rest of us. I wonder if that's why Yoru is his Shugo Chara...'

"Is that why Yoru is your Shugo Chara...?" He looked at her with an almost confused expression, so she decided to explain more. "Yoru is your would be self, right? He's the complete opposite of you. He's always bright and energetic, and always having fun. Is Easter really the reason you can't have fun, or are you forcing yourself not to?"

Ikuto's face showed an expression of shock. His eyes softened as a small almost sad smile crossed his features. "You know me too well, Amu. Maybe that's why you interest me because you seem to know everyone more then they know themselves."

Amu stuttered. "T-that's not true!"

"Oh, but it is. I know from personal experience." Her face grew hot as she looked at him. His midnight blue eyes piercing into her own, as he stared at her deeply. Her heart fluttered at the look in his eyes.

'What is this feeling? I don't know how to explain it, but it feels as though I feel something much deeper for Ikuto then I did before. Does this mean I like him? Well I did have a tiny crush on him, but I like Tadase, not Ikuto! I'm so confused."

Before she could think anymore, Ikuto stood up. She looked at him confused. "It's getting late, wont your parents be worried?"

"O-oh, yeah." She sighed. 'What's this? It's like I don't want to leave. Maybe I don't. I want to stay here longer and to keep talking with Ikuto. He's not as bad as I first thought.'

A hand appeared in front of her and Amu took it, allowing Ikuto to help her up. "I'll walk you home."

"Okay." He reached for his violin, slinging it on his shoulder. The two descended the stairs and walked out of the park. It was only as they walked in silence half way to her house that Amu realized something. "H-hey, where are Ran, Miki, and Suu? Oh, no! They're probably back at the park, I have to go get them!"

She was about to turn back and run when a hand caught her own, stopping her. "They're fine. I told Yoru he could take them back before I ran into you."

A sigh of relief left her. "Really?" Ikuto nodded. "Thanks, I really appreciate it." She gave a small smile as they continued walking again.

"No problem." Amu hadn't even realized they were still holding hands until they reached her doorstep. She blushed as Ikuto let go. He turned around, ready to leave the house when Amu grabbed the hem of his shirt.

"W-wait." He turned his head slightly to see her staring down at the ground. She took his silence as a gesture to go on. "U-um, if it's alright, c-can I meet you there tomorrow night?"

She let go of his shirt and he turned around to fully face her. "I don't mind."

Looking up, Amu's eyes filled with hope. "R-really?"

Nodding, he leaned down, grabbing her chin with his hand and turning her face to the side. "Anything for you, Amu-chan." He gave her a light kiss on the cheek before standing up straight again. "Goodnight, Amu."

And before she could respond, he was already gone. She slowly lifted her fingers to touch her cheek. Blushing, but smiling, she headed inside excited about tomorrow night.


A/N: So I initially was going to leave this as a oneshot, but I've had some people tell me that I should go further with it, so I am! I don't know how many chapters there will be, but it may take a bit to get the next chapter out. I've got a lot of things happening right now with school that I'm not sure if it will be out soon, but it just may, so when I begin to write the next chapter, I'll place an update on my profile! Also I'd like to really thank my reviewers so far, I really appreciate your reviews, I didn't think I would get reviews this fast!