Cuxie: AH! I can't believe it! I finally got a decent idea for an Amuto story! This is almost too good to be true!*-*

Amu: I can't believe you're about to subject me to this. =_=

Cuxie: Oh, don't pretend you're not loving it.

Amu: No pretending necessary.

Ikuto: Aw, does that mean you haven't missed me Amu-chan?

Amu: I-IKUTO?O.O Where'd you come from?

Cuxie: Teehee! We're about to find out!

Ikuto: MewCuxie12 does NOT own Shugo Chara!.

Cuxie: Rolling it!

Amu's POV

"Is it me..." I stood stiffly, watching the buzzing airport crowd, trying desperately to ignore the pair of bright purple eyes appraising me. I willed myself not to look over at her. She is not going to make me squirm that easily. But it is kind of difficult to look for someone without appearing like you're looking for them while also trying to ignore the only person in your company. But I'm going to do it. "...or are you a little dressed up today?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." I did a mental checklist of everything I was wearing. Red leather crop jacket, a white tank top that read Miss Understood over black fishnet, black jeans with red stitching and exactly seven pockets, and black ankle boots. I had on my favorite chain choker and wrist-cuff set and my make-up was limited to a dark red lips and shadowy eyes. I am the epitome of punk-rock.

Okay, so maybe I did try a little harder than usual today. But that's only because it's been two years. I mean, what would it say if I looked like I'd just rolled out of bed? I'm not sure what this outfit said, but it certainly didn't say I'm too lazy to care. I hope it's more like I'm dressing...but not for you. And it's not like I don't have plans later. So I'm not dressed up. Not at all.

Dressed up would be...well, Utau.

"You, on the other hand, are a little over the top," I told her somewhat smugly. Like me, she didn't dare look down at herself, but I'm sure she did her own mental checklist. Over the past few years I've learned that Utau isn't as invincible as she'd like everyone to think.

"I have to keep up my professional image," she said stiffly. I guess that's what she's calling her off-white lace minidress and knee-high lace-up boots. Her make-up was soft and sheer, but mostly concealed by her dark sunglasses. She looked like she stepped off the cover of a teen fashion magazine.

"Whatever you say. So where is he anyway? I don't have all day." It was just like him to call the night before and say he was coming home. No advance warning. No particular reasons. Just very off instructions to meet him at the airport at 9:20. And it is now...9:53.

"He'll be here," Utau said defensively. "It's not his fault if he's late." He can do no wrong in her eyes. And I can think of quite a couple of ways it could be his fault. He might've stopped to take a nap somewhere for all we know. That would be just like him. "And you didn't have to come, you know."

I broke my resolve then and turned to gape at her. Didn't have to come? I didn't have to come? "You two practically begged me to be here!" Utau had broken character and refused to go unless I came with her. It almost makes me laugh to think that a few years ago she would've threatened my life if I'd been here to welcome her brother home. And Ikuto...he cheated and guilted me into coming, saying something about how it hurt that I didn't care whether he made it home safely or not. The conniving little cat.

"Whatever."

I groaned. "Well, if he's not here in the next 20 minutes I'm leaving."

"Oh, you are not."

Sometimes I hate it that she knows me so well. "I should! And I'm surprised you're not more upset. Tonight's your big concert!"

"Would you shut-up?" she hissed, glancing around. Some people were looking our way, but I doubt it's because of me. Like I said, Utau looks like the fashion model she used to be. "Do you want us to get mobbed?"

I winced. "Sorry." I've known Utau for almost four years now. The novelty of being around an idol, assuming it was ever there, has long since worn off. I often forget how famous she is. "But seriously, this concert's gonna be huge. And Yua-chan's opening for you. You're not the least bit thrown off with Ikuto coming so suddenly?"

"Not at all. In fact, his timing couldn't be more perfect. It's been forever since he's seen me on stage," she said, allowing a small smile to grace her face.

"It's been forever since he's seen you, period."

"Exactly. And don't think I can't see right through you, Amu. In fact, I think I'm a little concerned with how excited you are to see him." She smirked at me.

I snorted. Please. "He just better get here soon."

Ikuto's POV

I guess they've waited long enough.

From my seat near baggage claim I could clearly see Amu and Utau standing near Exit 7. I could also see that plenty of guys were craning there necks to get a glimpse of both of them, and I can't say for certain who was getting more attention.

Utau, naturally, was dressed to impress. Even when she's keeping a low profile she can only tone down her sense of style so much. And although not many girls can, Amu's never had a problem keeping pace with my sister in that aspect.

Not to mention the fact that she's definitely...matured since I've been gone. Even from a distance, I could see curves in places they definitely hadn't been two years ago.

I should get them before they get abducted, I thought. Although I'd love to see the guy who tried to take either of them on.

Apparently Utau was thinking the same thing since she seeming to be working on instilling maximum levels of terror within every male that dared to make eye contact with her.

Except for me, of course.

"IKUTO~!" I braced myself as she threw herself at me, nearly knocking me over. Her arms locked around my neck, cutting off my air supply. "Ikuto! Ikuto! Ikuto!" I opened my mouth to greet her, but the words were being strangled in my throat.

"Uh, Utau?" Amu tapped my sister's shoulder, a clearly practiced look of indifference on her face. "He can't breathe."'

My sister was still crying my name, mumbling incoherently into my shirt. If she heard Amu she was choosing to ignore her. I tried to pry her off as gently as possible, but part of me was still feeling guilty enough to let her choke me.

"Utau?" Amu said again, receiving the same response. Sighing, she hooked an arm around my sister's waist and tugged her back. "He's been back for less than two minutes and you're about to kill him." I tried to send her a grateful look, but she was still avoiding my eyes.

"I missed you so much," Utau cried.

"I missed you too." I placed an arm around her shoulders. Amu was studiously ignoring both of us, although it was probably more out of politeness for our little sibling reunion than anything. She still hadn't looked me in the eye.

"Can we get going already? My morning's already half gone."

Utau hissed at her, "Amu!"

"What? We've been waiting all day."

Ok. So making them wait wasn't the best idea. But I was still expecting a little more enthusiam. I studied Amu's face; suddenly her indifferent look didn't seem so practiced. Her lips were set in a little half-frown and her eyes were calm and calculating. I couldn't see any tell-tale signs that she was pretending (and there were usually a lot of them). She didn't seem anything like the Amu I knew.

For a moment I thought maybe she genuinely didn't care.

But of course there was one way to find out...

I placed an arm around her waist and pulled her next to me. Leaning over, I whispered in her ear, "You're as cold as ever. Didn't you miss me, Amu?"

Her eyebrows shot up a bit and her lips twitched, but there was no blushing. She didn't even stutter when she said, "Why should that matter now? It didn't two years ago."

And as if that didn't sting enough, she looked me directly in the eye. While I was pleased to find that her eyes hadn't changed as much as the rest of her, still the same beautiful gold, it didn't make what I saw any easier.

She was angry. That much was obvious. Her eyes were narrowed slightly, and she looked almost as if she were going to cry. Then she turned away again. "C'mon. The car's waiting."

"We're going out for breakfast," Utau said, trying to sound upbeat to account for Amu's coldness. "You can tell us everything you've been up to."

That hardly seemed important now. I'd forgotten that Amu is harder to win over than Utau; she doesn't forgive me as easily. But I'm hoping that doesn't mean she won't forgive me at all. After all, I did come back. I always said I'd come back. I just never said when.

I just hope I'm not too late.

Unknown POV

I could see him.

I just hoped he couldn't see me. I don't want to reveal myself until I'm sure of what I'm going to say. The plane ride had been awful. We both had aisle seats, mine next to business man, and his next to a woman who spent the entire ride ogling him even though she was clearly much older than he was. I'd hidden myself behind some foreign magazine while he sat only a few seats away. I hadn't gotten up for anything, too scared to draw attention to myself. Our meeting can't be accidental, and it can't be on his terms. I have to plan this to be just right.

What if he doesn't remember me? What'll I do then?

Clenching my hands together, I pushed carefully through the crowd, keeping a deliberate distance between us. It wasn't until I got closer that I could see he wasn't alone.

Walking on either side of him, were two girls. Two extremely gorgeous girls. A tall blonde in sunglasses was clinging to his arm, smiling at him in a way that only a girlfriend would. On his other side was a pink-haired girl in red leather. She didn't seem as taken with him. A relative maybe? I could only hope.

But a girlfriend! Of course he had one! And of course she was beautiful and sweet-looking and impeccably dressed. I'm not sure why I wasn't expecting it, but it hit hard. I almost let myself lose sight of them, give up, when I remembered that this is it. There's no going back. No place to return to. It was now or never.

Keeping my one suitcase in hand, I plunged into the crowd after them.

Cuxie: I~am~so~excited~!

Ikuto: I'm a little disappointed.

Amu: And I'm a little ticked off.

Cuxie: Harshing my mellow!

Amu: Can you not publish this? It can't end well.

Cuxie: It will end as all my stories end!

Ikuto: How do all your stories end?

Cuxie: Erm...well, most of them aren't finished yet, so I can't really say. Heheh.

Amu: So should you really be starting this new-

Cuxie:(covering Amu's mouth) R&R! More coming at a not-much-later date!