Lena: Yay! I posted a new story! :D
Kitsu: And when you've still got 2 other ones you need to post?
Lily-Rose: Yeah! Your reviewers are waiting for Through My Eyes to be updated! DX
Lena: Okay, okay, okay! I'll update it soon! If you look on my profile, you'll see expected update dates for all my stories! :D I'll try not to be lazy and update on time! :D
Ikuto: You better. Everyone wants their Amuto!
Lena: I GOT IT! DX
Lily-Rose: Anyways, this new story is just too cute! You must read it! XD
Kitsu: Who knew you of all people would say that... -_-'
Lena: Aww Kitsu! It is really cute though!
Kitsu: Yeah, yeah, whatever.
Ikuto: Well lets hope its got lots of Amuto!
Kitsu: You're siblings...
Lena: But you still love each other anyways! :D
Kitsu: Yes, and it is a fairly twisted plot that our Lena-chan as come up with.
Lena: Well anyways, let's ask the quiet Amu-chan to do the disclaimer!
Amu: *clears throat* Lena-chan does not own Shugo Chara or any of its characters, if she did-
Ikuto: No one would be writing these fanfictions because everyone would be satisfied with the amount of fluff. ^^
Amu: Right...
˙·٠•● Forbidden ●•٠·˙
Clinks of raised cocktails rang through the air of the welcome back party held in the large living room of the Tsukiyomi Household. Laughs and chatter were heard echoing off the clean, white walls, while feet shuffled across the marble tiles. A perfect setting. Yet not a perfect setting, for that man that we were welcoming back had his gaze boring holes into mine.
He stared at me with eyes of steel, indifferent to all his surroundings. Though he smiled to all the guests, and greeted them like he actually appreciated them, I knew how his heart had felt, like stone. No one could ever get pass the title 'just another bothersome person' in his mind, it was what we all were to him—his father, his relatives, and his sister, me, Hinamori Amu. But his mother was a whole different story, my mother was a whole different story. She was one of those few who had a different title, from 'just another bothersome person' to 'someone who should just go to hell'. Detest hardly described the hate he had towards my mother, and he hated me for having that mother, thinking that I was the same as her. I wasn't.
I tried to look away, yet he wouldn't let me. He was all the way across the room, yet the pressure was more than that of if he was right beside me.
Sometimes I wished he hadn't come back. He'd been on a worldwide tour for two years, traveling to many continents, many countries, performing his violin playing, yet he came back. I didn't know why he came back, but I didn't care since it hadn't really felt any different with him gone. But when he started to pierce me with his gaze every time we met, uneasiness started to settle in the pit of my stomach, making my mind plead he would leave.
Cocktail in hand, I ripped my gaze off of his and turned around, trying to find my father and tell him I was feeling nauseous. I technically wasn't lying, since his gaze had my mind in a whirlpool, everything around me a dull blur. Though it could've also partly been the liquor in the cocktail—I couldn't handle too much liquor.
"Ah, hello Hinamori-san!" A woman with dark hair piled on top of her head made her way over to where I was standing. I couldn't remember her name, but I recognized her to be the owner of a famous Japanese dance school. I recalled that she had a son, whom was forced to dress like a girl when he was younger due to their family traditions.
"Hello," I avoided saying her name, as I couldn't remember it. Both of us bowed. "How are you finding the party?"
"Oh, it's great! Nagihiko's here too, though he seems to be speaking to a friend." She pointed to the far side of the room, where I could see a man with long purple hair.
"That's great!" I smiled, desperately wanting to leave. "Well I'll just be going then, I need to speak to my father," I excused myself and backed away, resuming to my search.
I couldn't help but let my eyes move on their own, seeking out where those familiar, unique blue locks were. When I found them in a mass of blonde and black, I considered myself satisfied that he was far away and resumed to searching for my father. But just as I was about to turn back around, those blue locks started moving my way, pushing through the crowd.
Panic rose and I felt my legs quicken their pace, the heels that my mom had strongly suggested me to wear clacking on the tiles beneath me. My heart was pounding in panic, as I didn't know why Ikuto needed to talk to me.
I feared Ikuto. He had power, more power than I did. His cold, uninviting gaze made me freeze up every time I saw it, and his hateful attitude towards me had me staying far away from him. The only time we had made contact was before our parents got married and we were introduced to each other, shaking hands. He hadn't been as cold, but still had that uninviting aura around him.
"Father?" I called, hoping I had gotten closer to where he was.
He said that he was greeting new guests who had just arrived. The Mashiro family, I recalled.
When I spotted him on the other side of the room, blue (darker than Ikuto's) locks standing out, I breathed a sigh of relieve, quickening my pace even more.
But I hadn't turned around to see if Ikuto had caught up.
A hand on my elbow brought me to a halt and had me spinning around, facing the anonymous person.
Ikuto, wearing a formal suit and tie, stood in front of me. I hadn't noticed it before, since I hadn't been this close to him in a while, but he was tall, towering far pass my head, making him seem even scarier.
"A-Ano, hello Ikuto nii-san," I stammered, bowing.
"Hey."
There was an awkward silence, with Ikuto staring at me again. I could feel it, even with my eyes focused on the floor.
"Um…Welcome back," was my weak voice saying.
"Yeah."
More staring.
"S-So…why are you here…?"
I looked up at him, fear and anxiety still in my eyes.
And he grabbed my arm.
Ikuto dragged me through the crowd, away from the party, his fingers digging into my forearm. I had a hard time keeping up with his pace, as I was in a dress and heels, so I was left stumbling after him. I tried to see where he was taking me, but I had no clue, all I could see was the large room we were in.
"I-Ikuto!" I called. "What are you doing?"
He ignored me and continued to take me through the large living room, until finally reaching a door and stepping through it.
We were on the balcony.
"W-Wait, why are we here?" I asked, scanning our surroundings. The sound of flowing water came from the fountain placed in the middle of our large garden, which was part of our even larger property.
"Hinamori Amu..."
I was a bit shocked then, since I hadn't thought that he'd even remember my name, but mostly because he turned to face me with an expression that was surely an illusion. A mixture of pain, sadness, anger and hate all at the same time, all those emotions that I hadn't believed existed in this man were pouring out in front of me in one expression.
"W-What? Ikuto you—
"Hinamori Amu," he cut me off, staring at me hard with that illusive expression. "Leave."
That one word had to take time to process in my brain, playing over and over again.
Leave…leave…leave…
"Y-You mean the p-party? Because I was j-just about to g-go…" I tried, for the lack of a response to his words.
"No, leave. Leave this house Hinamori Amu." He looked at me with cold eyes, but I could detect something else in that coldness. What was it?
"W-What?" My throat burned, and tears were forming in my eyes.
"Can you understand? Leave. This. Place," he spoke slowly, word by word, mocking me.
"Y-You're…" Rage bubbled up inside me, and I fought back the tears that were soon to overflow. "You're casting your sister away from this house?" I shouted.
"You're not my sister," he spat. "And that crazy, selfish woman isn't my mother."
That last sentence broke the dam, and my anger, along with my tears came flowing out of me uncontrollably.
"Don't speak of my mother that way! And I am your sister! You don't have the power to make me leave! There's no reason for me to leave!" I stared at him straight in the eye for the first time in my life, all my emotions spilling out.
"You…you aren't needed here! You're…you're just a bother! Go and live on the streets! Like I care!"
What just happened? How did this argument start? Why did he want me to leave?
I felt like slapping him hard across his face, yet I couldn't manage to bring my hand up to do it. Violence wasn't going to solve this, I knew, so I just curled my fists and kept my hands at my sides. Waiting for another shout lashed out at me. When nothing came, I looked up, searching for an expression in his face to give me a clue to how he felt.
Ikuto looked…guilty, and shocked. He looked like he wanted to take his words back, he looked…sad and… scared. Tsukiyomi Ikuto looked scared.
"W-Wait…why?" I suddenly couldn't find my anger and confidence anymore, and I weakly spoke, looking to the ground. "N-No…I'm going…" I wanted to go back to my room and just stuff a pillow in my face and cry my eyes out. The feeling of those comforting, fluffy blankets and pillows filled my mind, and I longed to run to my room and jump on my bed.
I turned around, going to do just that, ignoring the man who had just casted me away. I would ignore him for the rest of my life, I decided. Maybe I could move out early. This mansion wouldn't ever be homey and comfortable if Ikuto still lived here, I'd rather move out to an apartment and live on my own. Or maybe he'd move out before I did.
Taking a deep breath, I started to walk to the door in slow steps, my heels making incredibly loud clicks as they hit the ground.
"…No, Amu."
Was that his voice? Such a panic-filled, saddened voice. It couldn't be his…Could it?
He grabbed my hand, to my surprise, and I slowed to a stop.
Just ignore him Amu.
He didn't speak, didn't do anything. The only sounds were our shallow breaths, and the sound of flowing water from the fountain below. I could hear muffled voices from the party inside too, though they hardly mattered.
When I felt we had stayed silent for too long, I moved to shake his hand off, but he only tightened his grip. I didn't know what to do, so I tried to shake it off again, but got the same result. I managed to whisper a weak 'let go' but he either didn't hear it, or ignored it.
His hand was warm, heating my cold fingers. I was glad I couldn't see him, because I was too embarrassed and angry to meet his gaze right now. And if I turned around, I didn't know what I would be faced with, sadness, guilt, shock, fear, anger…I didn't know which, they were all possibilities now.
"I-Ikuto…" My voice had managed to because audible, yet it still cracked a bit. "Let go."
What was he doing? If he wanted to tell me something then he should just say it. And there was no reason to keep hold of my hand for so long. I wanted to go to my room.
"Amu…" His voice had also cracked, and it was soft, almost gentle.
It was then when I realized this was a dream. It had to be a dream, there was no way Ikuto could show those emotions, and to me of all people. Impossible.
Go along with it Amu. You're sure to wake up soon.
I took a deep breath, and exhaled.
"What is it Ikuto?"
The said man suddenly whispered something, too low for me to hear. I strained my ears to make out the words, but they weren't audible. Choosing to ignore it, I tried to shake his hand off once more, and succeeded this time. With my hand free, I grabbed the handle to the door and opened it, stepping back into the large room the party was held.
Footsteps were heard, quick footsteps, and I was turning around to see what it was when arms wrapped around me and something hit my back. A hand pulled me back outside and closed the door once more.
I stood completely still, Ikuto's shallow breathing picking up my hair. The man embracing me made no move to let go, only held me tighter. His warmth had spread through his clothes and onto my back and his breath heated my neck. It was an awkward moment, when I had no idea what to do and just stood there, hands at my sides, no movement from any of us.
It's a dream Amu, remember that. This isn't real.
"Ikuto. Could you let go?" I tried to shift in his arms, turning to face him. When my golden brown met deep indigo, I was slammed to reality. This was reality, not a dream. And those panic filled eyes of Ikuto were real, real as they could ever be. With his chin resting on my shoulder, his face was only a few inches away.
"I...I'm going to my room. I'm tired," I told him quietly.
I heard him sigh in relief and loosen his hold.
I took this chance to slowly unwrap his arms from my waist and grab the handle to the door. As I opened it, I decided to whisper a few more words to my step-brother.
"I'm going to forget this ever happened. So please don't bring it up." I took his silence as a yes and stepped into the room, fleeing for my bedroom with no words to my father or anyone else.
My feet felt like they were floating off the ground, and it seemed like I had flown all the way to the stairs leading to my room. Everything felt light.
"Ah Ikuto!" It was my father's voice, far behind where Ikuto probably still was, the balcony. "I need you to meet the Mashiro family. I've seen their daughter and she's a beautiful woman, perfectly fit for you. Why don't you go meet her, I'm sure you'll like her." Silence. "Well come on, we can't keep them waiting."
I realized that I had stopped when I heard my father's voice. Resuming to running for my room, I still questioned that moment between the two of us.
Had that been an illusion? A dream?
Why had he hugged me? Didn't he find it weird?
I didn't have a sickening feeling when he had embraced me, it was just…uncomfortable. Like something that wasn't supposed to happen. It had lasted too long.
Why had he done that? Was the Ikuto I had met tonight the real him? Or was it just another fake side of him that I didn't understand at all?
A billion questions were swirling around in my head, making everything around me spin along with it.
I finally reached the door to my room and I swung it open, slammed it shut, and jumped on my bed, hugging a pillow to my chest and inhaling its scent. Sleep was something I suddenly needed that moment, and I slowly slipped into unconsciousness while replaying that scene over and over again in my head, recalling Ikuto's expressions and actions, wondering why he had been so different.
Did I want to see him like that again? Or did I want to avoid him for the rest of my life like I had said before…?
It was all just so confusing and strange...
Lena: Yay! Done chappie one! A bit short, but who cares! ;D
Kitsu: So the incest starts in the first chapter? -_-
Lily-Rose: Seemed like it! ^^
Ikuto: Come on, everyone likes the stories with Amuto in the beginning!
Amu: Wait...I technically don't like you yet...
Ikuto: You will...you definitely will.
Lena: Yes, because even if you don't want to, I will force you! :D
Ikuto: But everyone knows you want to, so Lena won't need to be evil!
Kitsu: I'm leaving this conversation...
Lily-Rose: Aw! Kitsu! DX
Lena: Come back! DX
Kitsu: Fine, but only for this: Please R&R!
Lena: Hope y'all like the plot! :D