A/N: Believe it or not, guys, I haven't been dead! I've just... been on tumblr. Hahaha. I tend to have posted all my written works there instead of here (I suppose I got lazy about uploading in multiple places). And thus... I've developed quite a little back-log of Princess Tutu (Fakiru) related stories and requests.

That's where this new collection comes in. I'll be updating this periodically with things I've written since the last time I updated here (though a few in particular might be story updates to Behind Closed Doors and Beneath Black Feathers, so look forward to those, if you've enjoyed those collections).

Without further ado, here's the first installment (this was one of a few prompt requests I took on tumblr):

Road To Somewhere [ Fakir/Ahiru AU ]

Request: Ahiru and Fakir in another life meeting one another, feeling an uncomfortable sense of deja vu

Rating and Genre: PG / Alternate Universe and subtle romantic hints.

Notes: This was fun to work with. I like the idea of them meeting in later lives and being confused by the feeling of familiarity, despite not knowing one another.

Road To Somewhere

...She missed it.

"Oh nooooooooooooooooo..." Ahiru moaned, her shoulders sinking as a large grey and blue vehicle disappeared from view, her hopes riding right off along with it.

She had really done it this time. A missed interview wasn't going to go over well at all-especially when the potential employer already wasn't impressed with her during stage one. She had spent all of last night preparing to make the best of it and give it her all, but now it was useless.

With a sigh, the redhead sauntered her way over to the waiting bench by the bus stop sign and plopped right down onto it unceremoniously. The wood wasn't all that clean, kind of wet, and it was wrinkling the skirt of her nice clothes she wore for the interview, but right now... she just didn't care.

Maybe this was a sign that the job just wasn't for her?

...That was a cop-out. Missing the bus was her own fault and she knew it. If she hadn't misplaced her keys, she would have gotten here sooner!

That was water under the sofa, though. Or over the ocean. ...She never could remember how the saying went. And she might as well just start walking all the way back to her apartment in these awful heeled shoes instead of wallowing out here in the open and-

"Hey."

Ahiru craned her neck around at the sound of the voice, blinking up at a dark-haired stranger who stood just a little ways behind the bench she was seated on. He looked annoyed, for some reason.

...Was he a stranger?

No, that shouldn't be a question. She had only moved into this town recently. Surely a face as sour as this young man's would have stuck in her mind if she had seen him before.

And yet she couldn't quite ignore a feeling that was off-kilter and unbalanced-as if to tell her that she should know him.

"Er, yes?" Ahiru finally replied, lapsing out of her trance.

Her gap in response time seemed to be shared, though. The man's irritated look had molded down into something more neutral in that short time, his green eyes losing their initial sharpness. He almost looked confused.

"Do I-" The man seemed to cut himself off with a shake of his head and then frowned at her. "Nevermind. You can read signs, can't you?"

...Alright, that tone he took was grating on her nerves a bit. Did he just walk up to complete strangers and drill them about whether or not they could read? She didn't need this after what just happened!

"Yes," she snapped, with a little more harshness in her own voice.

"Really," he drawled, unimpressed, shifting his weight onto one foot. "What does the damn sign say, then?"

Ahiru didn't even turn around to look. Her eyes narrowed back at his scrutinizing green ones. Even the way he acted was somehow familiar to her! "It says 'Bus stop'," she stated clearly.

His green eyes rolled. "The other sign, you moron. The one next to the bench."

"Huh?" There was another sign? Was he just trying to be a smarty-pants or pull a prank on her or something? She decided to humor him, anyway. Turning back around, her eyes drifted to the side of the bench she sat upon.

And there actually was a sign posted there. Slowly, she read it aloud.

"Caution. Wet paint."

It took approximately three seconds for the realization to dawn on her. And when it did, Ahiru sprung from the bench with a loud yelp, looking behind her in a panic.

And sure enough, the back of her blouse and skirt were splattered with thick brown stains-ruined.

"This isn't faaaaaaaaair!" she wailed aloud, uncaring of whether the bystander heard her or not. This was just too much to deal with! "These were brand new!"

"Then you should learn to pay more attention," the gruff voice supplied from behind.

Ahiru whirled back around to scowl at him, balling her hands into fists on either side of her. Who did he think he was!? "You just-just shut it! I already missed the bus and I'm not going to make it to my interview and now my clothes are ruined, too! I have to walk all the way back to my apartment through town like this and I don't need to get told off by some guy I don't even know, even if you do look kinda familiar!"

Once more, his expression flickered visibly for a moment. Perhaps he was surprised that she just ranted off at him like that-actually, she was a bit surprised at it, herself. This was the first time she ever went off like this on a complete stranger.

Or at least someone she thought was a stranger...

"Tch, and you're whiner, too. That figures."

Ahiru was about to retort in a fresh burst of anger, but instead was silenced when she suddenly found him all but hurling his jacket toward her. Fumbling to grasp the heavy fabric, she managed to catch it before it hit the ground. Then she looked back up with bewilderment. "What-"

"Take that to cover up. You're short enough that it should be more than enough."

Ahiru stared at him as though he just told her to do the chicken dance.

"It's an old coat," he continued, unperturbed by her dumbfounded reaction. "Don't worry about returning it."

And with that, he turned around and started to walk away. Ahiru wasn't sure just what ran through her mind as she watched his retreating figure, but something she didn't understand-something strong and discomforting in the pit of her stomach... it told her to go after him.

She didn't question it. Gathering his coat up securely in her arms, she hurried over the uneven sidewalk. "W-Wait! I-"

The man stopped as she approached. And just as he turned around, the redhead tripped forward on her wobbly heels-

"WAUGH!"

-somehow landing perfectly into arms that had already shot out to catch her.

For a long moment, the two remained in that position, unmoving. Stunned, in Ahiru's case. There was no way he would have had reacted that fast, right? Not unless...

"...I knew it," he broke the silence, his voice sounding softer-almost in awe or disbelief. "I can't explain it, but I knew you were going to trip before it happened. You're a klutz, aren't you?"

He finally righted her, and Ahiru couldn't even find it in herself to be offended with his assumption. In fact, he was right. She was horribly clumsy. But she hadn't done anything clumsy before he arrived. And aside from that, there was the feeling she had the instant that she fell...

"I knew it, too," she said. And she took in his surprised look briefly as she felt a measure of heat flock to her cheeks. "I didn't know I was gonna fall, but... when I did... I knew you were going to catch me. It doesn't make any sense, does it?"

Ahiru found herself chuckling at the absurdity of it, which soon turned into full-blown laughter that she couldn't hold in.

"This... is so weird."

He didn't look annoyed or displeased any longer. On the contrary, the way he was rubbing at the back of his neck made him appear kind of awkward, instead. Ahiru felt a pang of familiarity again as he cleared his throat.

"What were you going to... to say?" he asked her, pulling a hand out of his pocket. "You asked me to wait."

...That's right. She had been running after him.

"O-Oh... I was just going to ask-I wanted to know-do I... do I know you? From somewhere-anywhere. Even when I first saw you, I just got this really strange feeling..."

She trailed off uncertainly, dropping her head. He was going to think she was crazy, wasn't he?

"I felt that way, too."

Just as quickly as it lowered, her head snapped up again, blue eyes wide. "Eh? Really?"

Wordlessly, he nodded.

"...I don't think we've met." She sighed, still finding that she was unable to place his face or name or anything else about him. "I feel like I'd really remember meeting someone like you before. And I just moved here a couple weeks ago, so I-"

"EWWW! Looks like she slipped in the mud! It's all down her back! Gross!"

The sudden exclamation turned both of the young adults' attention to a jeering group of kids nearby who were pointing at the redhead.

"Maybe it's not mud! Maybe she fell in cow poo!"

Just as Ahiru's cheeks flooded with embarrassment and her lips flapped with incoherent stammers, she felt a warmth encase her hand and tug her in the opposite direction.

"Come on. There's a coffee shop nearby. We can talk there."

It was as if the children faded completely out of existence, their taunts no longer reaching her. When he took her hand... she felt safe. She felt like she could trust this hand to guide her anywhere. It was the strongest feeling yet.

And Ahiru didn't think twice about following after him, curling her fingers back over his.

A/N: Hope you guys don't hate me for my absence! I promise I'm here with lots of fanfic goodies. And I'd love any feedback, if you have it (even if you're angry with me. Haha...).

As always, thank you for reading!