amu/ikuto. oneshot. 3 hours.
edit: after publishing this i see my spell check messed some things up - actually changing amu's last name. i'm sorry if there's mistakes, and if so, please point them out to me!
-;-
She was afraid of getting hurt. That much was obvious. Possibly it was the reason why instead of blushing like maniac and stuttering on her words like in those anime-programs Ami never stopped watching, Amu instead turned heartless whenever threatened, scared, or nervous.
It was like a second nature to her. Or maybe it was her original nature - she was starting to see the blurred lines. She thought she was a good hearted girl, but maybe, maybe..
Maybe whenever threatened, scared, or nervous she showed her true identity.
If that was the case, then who exactly was Amu Hinamori?
Although she question lingered in her mind, she never truly pondered it. She was afraid of the answer.
So instead, she tucked it back into her pocket, using the fear she got from that lingering question to yell at kids who stood in her way.
Just protect yourself, she'd murmur.
And protect herself she would.
-;-
She's 15 years old when she watches the fine stone slab that surrounded her heart get it's first crack.
It's Geography class and she's staring out the window, although she notices everything else that's going on, too. Except the lesson. Geography was so boring - what was the point of learning about other regions? It's not like she'd ever leave Japan.
Instead her eyes focus on the clock, sending small daggers at the second hand. It's the middle of class and she's oh so bored. She rolls her eyes back to stare out the window, because she lets out a contained sigh.
She wishes something would happen.
And something does - She hears the door open before she sees it, and only sees it because she whips her head around to see such a sight. Of course class interruptions happened daily, she also found them interesting when they did.
It wasn't a teacher this time, though, nor was it the Principal. Instead stood a much-too-tall-for-a-15 year-old boy in the doorway, staring at the ground like it was the most interesting thing in the world. But it wasn't like his head was hung in shame, oh no - she felt as if she could feel her confident aura across the room.
The teacher looked surprised, and Amu wondered why no one knew they were getting a new stud-
"Ah, Ikuto. How good it is of you to join us after your missed classes for the last six months."
..Nevermind.
'Ikuto' nodded his head before he looked around the room, and then looking back at the teacher.
"Where's my desk?"
The teacher gave a small shrug, as if punishment for missing classes, but in the end he adjusted his glasses and looked around.
"Ahh, Mr.. Rebuc! There's an empty seat next to me!" Saaya waved, and although Amu prayed she had good intentions, she knew she didn't. Saaya loved to swoon over attractive boys.
Not that Ikuto was attractive, though. Who had blue hair nowadays, anyway? Although she shouldn't really be talking. He was tall and skinny, really lanky looking actually- and as his eyes found a route to his new "seat", she noticed how cold and empty they looked.
She took a gulp before looking out the window.
"I suppose that would do- Hinamori!" The teacher cried, snapping Amu's gaze back to the desk.
Letting out a small sigh, almost unnoticeable, Amu raised her hand and rested her cheek on it, staring at the blackboard. "Yeah?"
"You always space off during class, you know-"
Amu let out a yawn before she nodded her head, digging her chin into palm. "It's not like we're doing anything important."
The teacher let out a long sigh of frustration before he clapped his hands together. "Ikuto, please go take Miss. Hinamori's seat. Hinamori, you can sit beside Saaya."
Amu gave a glare to the teacher, her cool and spicy facade coming into place. She welcomed it, though. She was ticked. She then moved her gaze to Ikuto, who had a questionable smirk on his face.
"Whenever he's not here it's mine," Amu stated, leaving no room for objection before she pulled her work into her arms and hurried over to her new seat.
He never missed another Geography class.
-;-
They don't speak until they're both 16- at least, not with words. Amu spent the majority of her Geography classes glaring at him and he spent his making faces back at her. Although she didn't know him, she was glad she was able to get away from America for awhile.
Although that Geography class fades away, and so do his annoying faces, Amu can easily spot him out in a crowd. Not that it was hard, really, considering his height. It'd be kind of hard to miss him.
Sometimes they'd sneak glances at each other in hallways, which was something Amu never imagined happening - hell, she didn't even realize he was a student at that school until he showed up in his all 'I don't care' glory. But their eyes would meet nonetheless, and she'd always be the first to break it before disappearing into the wave of students.
But on this very special day, the pinkette is running late, although not for anything important. The halls are all empty as she walks with her book bag, swinging it back and forth. It felt weird being in such a big building all alone - as if she were in some horror movie. But she also felt strangely at peace, which made her want to get out of there all the faster.
She didn't even know how the school was vacant, considering the fact it was only 30 minutes after the bell rang. After last period she decided to go to the Library to grab a book she needed and completed her homework there.
Letting out a "tch" she wished she hadn't done it at all.
And it's not until she takes a sharp right and looks down the hallway does her eyes catch an unfamiliar sight - a human being.
A really tall human being.
Almost letting out a hiss, Amu composed herself quickly, not had expecting anyone. She was a little afraid, thus causing her outer character to shine as she began to briskly walk down the hall, and past him.
It would have been ideal if she hadn't dropped her bag like it was leftover trash.
"Hey," He said, causing her to spin around as he picked it up. What the hell-
"You dropped this."
It almost made her feel guilty. Like she should be ashamed she'd done such an act, and that made her defensive. "Thank you for that obvious reminder."
He raised his eyebrow at her. "You gonna come and get it?"
She placed a hand on her hip. "Toss it to me."
It almost looked like he was giving a smile, but as quickly as Amu save it, it vanished before her eyes. A frown tugged at her face, but she kept her poker face in tact.
He walked towards her, taking huge steps - god, why did you have to give him such long legs - and he was by her side in no time, leaning down to whisper in her ear,
"Scared?"
She flinched at his words, not realizing when the fuck he had gotten beside her, before she understood she flinched - what? That was what confused her, mainly that her facade usually stopped those things from happening. She grabbed for her bag but when he put it out of reach, she didn't know what to do. She stared at him with a confused look, mainly at the fact of how nervous she was and how she wasn't being so cold.
"G-give it back," She demanded, before she cursed under her breath for speaking at all. A stutter? A STUTTER? Nothing like this had happened since she was 4. What the bloody hell-
"Say please."
She looked up, meeting his eyes and she shivered under them. She never had felt so.. So bare. She quickly pushed him away and ran down the hall, feeling slightly light headed.
"Keep it then, you bastard!" She yelled behind her, never stopping to look behind her what so ever.
What the fuck just happened?
-;-
It's the next day as she walks down the familiar hallways - bag-less, mind you - doing her best to reach her locker on time, but not really caring if she succeeds or not. Being late would just add to her character - Yes, that's the word. It's her but it's not. It's not something she just puts up for show, it's apart of who she really is, but at the same time, it's not. It was confusing and she had spent the previous night trying to see if she had a split personality or something.
Although in the swarm of people, Amu could clearly see Ikuto being by her locker. She let out a hiss as she stalked towards it and him, deciding it'd be wise to see what had actually happened yesterday. She had no clue.
There he stood - or well, leaned, with a purple bag swinging in his hand. He almost didn't notice Amu, causing her to get a grip on her bag. The force she pulled it back with impressed him, and this started a small tug of war that could only end in tragedy.
"Let go, moron!"
He just gave a small smirk before listening to her command, and thankfully the bell had rung in their ruckus, meaning the hallway was empty except for the door of them. Amu prayed this wouldn't happen again.
"Fucker," She growled to his amusement, and this got him to speak.
"That's no tone to use to someone who returned your lost bag from you."
She scoffed. "Lost? You wouldn't return it yesterday, you idiot. Or did you forget?"
"No, you ran off. I just wanted you to say please."
"And that's never going to happen," She stated, averting her eyes to stare at the hallway before she threw her bag on her shoulder, moving to get up before a hand blocked her eye sight.
"You know, I'd help you up if you said 'please', Amu." He joked, and she stared at his palm in a heated mess. What was up with this?
And then fear struck her, it struck her harder than anything. She looked up at the boy, almost shivering in fear. Where was her other half? Where, where, oh my god whe-
"I never told you my name." She blurted out. Her fear came because he knew her name.
"Well, we were in Geography class together," She gave her a forced smile, but she could tell. She shook her head.
"Everyone calls me Hinamori. I.. L-leave me alone, stalker!" She practically yelled, before shuffling down the hallway.
-;-
This happens often. He stops her in hallways to talk to her and she leaves as a flustered mess and she hates him for it. The kind of all right guy who took her seat in Geography class who made faces at her disappeared, and was instead replaced with someone desperate.
It's one day she's fed up with the whole thing. She's walking outside, admiring flowers while skipping class. They're doing partner work in gym, and as much as Amu liked being active, she couldn't bear to have the possibly of her mask cracking during it all. She wouldn't let it happen.
And while being off in thought, anxiety bubbling in her stomach, that man manages to grab her arm, yanking her out of her trance. She immediately reacts, lifting her leg to kick him, but he easily dodges it. Once seeing who it is, she glares, although she can feel her mask slipping away. She's still not used to it.
"W-what do you want, Tsukiyomi?"
Snap. There it goes, off in the wind. Nice knowing you, heartless character.
He's surprised for a second - Amu sees it. She really sees it. But it disappears as if he places a mask on top, and that makes her frown, although she doesn't know why.
"You stopped."
She lets out a small hiss, her eyes traveling anywhere but on him. "Y-Yeah." She tries to say calmly, but her stutter changes it. "I stopped."
He opens his mouth to speak but Amu shakes her head, shushing him as she pushed him away, like their seventh encounter. She pushes him but he just steps back, waiting for her to run away. Of course, she doesn't repeat this, her flustered face growing.
"N-now you need to s-stop, all right? I don't know why it happens, or how, but whenever you're around.. I-I change. And it's not good, either! I'm not like this with other people.. I never have been.. So why am I like this with y-you?" She sobs, tears actually pouring down her face. This is the first time she's ever cried in front of someone before. Her voice cracks as she continues.
"..S-stay Away from me, Ikuto! I get so nervous when you're around, but I act like this and instead of what I should be acting like! I.. I-I should be heartless right now. Oh, shit, I'm crying- I'm crying! I.." She stops, wiping her eyes and letting out a gross blow of the nose before she stares at him.
"Leave me alone. This is like, identity theft, and I-I hate it! Go away, Ikuto!" And with that, she runs away, only to be stopped by Ikuto's hand.
"I don't know why, either." He says, and this catches Amu off guard. She spins around to see him shifting his weight on to each foot, as if it's calming him down.
"I don't know either, all right?" He says loudly, causing Amu to flinch. "It's weird. It's weird that you can just.. Change me, for a second. If I stole your identity, you stole mine."
And staring at each other when they should have been attending school, Amu flashed him a smile - something she had no previous memory of ever doing before.
Identities weren't the only things stolen on that fall day.
-;-
I'm so sorry if this seems rushed, but I really had no idea how to end this. And I'm sorry if Ikuto seems OOC, because I felt it too, but I feel like this would happen. He's also losing his outer character, but unlike Amu, he doesn't exactly run from his problems. I guess this is kind of AU fluff? ahh well. i hope you enjoyed!