It is late. The phone rings. I slowly open my eyes, a look of irritation passes over my face as I grope for the telephone. Is it another case? My eyes adjust quickly to the dark, and I peer at the caller id. It is her.

"Amon?" There is a touch of distress, of pleading, in her voice. I let out a small sigh of exasperation, running a hand through my tangled hair.

"What is it?" I ask, but I already know what it is she wants. I am already out of bed and gathering my clothing.

"Can you...will you meet me somewhere?" I hesitate, unsure how to answer. It is as if I can hear her holding her breath on the other end of the line, waiting with nervous anticipation.

"Where?" I ask. I hear her sigh in relief.

"The bridge, in the park. Where...where we used to meet." I hang up. I slip on my coat, and pause on my way out the door. Glancing at the Orbo pendant lying on the dresser, I decide to keep walking. I will not need it tonight.

I can see her standing there in the light, misty rain, huddled under her red umbrella. The wind blows her hair about her face, but she does nothing to fix it. Her mind is on other things.

I realize as I approach her that I should not have come. I am only making things harder for her, more complicated for myself. But I keep walking. She turns to me as she hears my footsteps, looking up at me with a half hopeful, half seductive look. She cannot decide who to be; the hurt ex-lover, or the determined one. I already know which one I am.

"You came," she says faintly, with a hint of surprise. Unconsciously she reaches up to brush her hair behind her ear, a habitual gesture. A picture flashes from within the deep recesses of my mind: reaching down, running a hand across that smooth cheek, brushing a strand of hair out of her eyes for her. I push the thought away; I keep walking so that I am up against the railing of the bridge.

"Amon, I know it's late, but I had to see you again. I had to talk to you. About the other day-"

"What I said still stands." I cut her off, quietly but firmly. This game cannot continue. It must not, for both our sakes. "What I feel cannot be changed, and I refuse to lead you on any longer. It would not be right."

"But Amon-" I turn away from her, from the sight of the tears gleaming in the depth of her eyes, threatening to spill over at any minute. She grabs my sleeve, spins me around; I let her. She presses her lips to mine; I let her do that, too. I have always been passive when it has come to her; I never pushed her away, I let her think there was something more to our relationship than there ever was. What was she expecting? What does she expect now?

I gently push her away, and she releases her grip on me, burying her head in her hands, part in sorrow, part in shame. There was a time when that kiss would have invoked a response from deep within me; when I would have returned it with something close to passion. But not now. Not since...

The rain begins to fall harder now, washing away my thoughts, and any doubts I may have had about what I am about to do. I turn and walk away.

"Amon!" I hear her cry, her voice carried on the biting wind. "Please, don't do this..."

And I walk away.

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Author's Note: I am back from the dead! For the time being, at least. College is still taking some getting-used-to. As for this little one-shot, I can't really say what brought it on, nor can I really say exactly who it is Amon is meeting on the bridge. Is it Robin? Touko? Or perhaps someone else entirely? I'll leave it to you to decide.