Happily Ever Afters

ChApTeR OnE: Cinderella

Tadase Honotori was walking past Amu Hinamori's house when he spotted Amu through the open window. Tadase walked over to see Amu holding a worn book in her hand, her younger sister sat cross legged on the couch.

"Read me a story! Read me a story!" Ami demanded.

"Alright, Cinderella okay?" Amu asked. Ami nodded.

"Okay." Tadase watched Amu open her book. "Cinderella was always my favorite fairy tale." A remincant look came over her face.

'Momma?" Amu's young voice called from her bed as her mother tucked her into bed. Her father stood by the bookself after putting the storybook up.

"Yes, Amu?" Her mother looked down at her.

"Do you think one day I'll find a Prince like Cinderella did?" She questioned her mother, her father already beginning to panic.

"One day, dear. You will." Her mother answered. A smile on her face, she kissed Amu's forehead, "But for now, dream of Princes."

"Why?" Tadase spoke.

"EEKK!" Amu turned around in her chair. "Tadase Honotori if you want to hear the story than get in the house, you look like a stalker standing outside the living room window!"

'The reason it's my favorite is because it gave me hope at finding my own prince charming.' Amu thought as she watched Tadase laugh.

"Yes, ma'am." He answered, before climbing threw the window.

"AH!" Amu's face was outraged. "You're going to make the neighbors think that I snuck a boy into the house!"

"ONEE-CHAN!" Ami yelled, "Read the story, please."

"Sorry, Ami." Amu glared at Tadase before starting.

"Once upon a time in a faraway city in a distant land, there lived a girl who was good and gentle and beautiful. Her name was Cinderella, and she lived with her proud stepmother and two haughty stepsisters."

Tadase got lost in his thoughts. His eyes flicked up toward Amu's soft and calm face and then to that of Ami's exicted face. 'Amu would actually make a nice mother.' Tadase's eyes widdened. 'I really shouldn't be thinking this!'

"One day a messenger from the king announced that a grand ball would take place at the royal palace. All the ladies of the land were invited so that the prince could choose a wife." Tadase caught the dreamy sound of Amu's voice.

'Hm, did Amu dream of things like that at Ami's age? Being swept off her feet by a prince?' He wondered, staring at Amu. Her eyes danced as she read the story.

"Cinderella sat down beside the fire and cried. 'Oh, how I wish,' she sighed, 'how I wish that I could-'

'That you could go to the ball,' said a soft voice. 'And so you shall. Fetch me a pumpkin.'" Ami's eyes began to sparkle.

"YAY! FAIRY GODMOTHER!" Amu laughed at her younger sister. Tadase smiled gently.

"Yes, yay, fairy godmother. But the story gets better." Amu said, Ami settled back down, bouncing every now and then as Amu continued the story. "Her fairy godmother helped Cinderella into the coach. 'Be sure,' She said, 'that you are home by midnight.'" Ami began to pout.

"So she doesn't get her happily ever after?"

"Have you not heard the story before?" Tadase asked, looking down at Ami, who stared at him; her yellow eyes filling with unshed tears. Tadase kneeled before her. "Every fairy tale," He flicked her nose gently, "Ends with a happy ending." Amu smiled softly as she watched. Ami giggled.

"Good." Ami looked at Tadase, then at Amu. "Does that mean that Amu-chan will have a happy ending too?"

"Life isn't a fiary tale, Ami." Amu smiled gently.

"But you could!" Ami argued, missing the look that formed on Amu's face. "You could!" Amu sighed. Tadase sensed the tensely forming atmosphere.

"Ami, shall we continue with the story?" He asked, not missing the grateful look Amu shot him. He winked at her and nodded.

"Hai, um.." Ami seemed at a lose for his name.

"Tadase." He informed, watching a look of recongation in her eyes.

"Oh." Ami and Tadase settled back into their places. Amu smiled at Tadase gently.

"Thank you." She mouthed. Tadase shrugged.

'Does Amu really think that she can't have a happy ending?' He wondered as he watched her read, 'In the end, all lives end with some kind of happy ending..'

"When Cinderella arrived at the ball the prince asked her to dance. The other guests watched and wondered who this beautiful princess could be! The evening grew late. Cinderella was so happy that she forgot her fairy godmother's warning. She forgot that she must be home by midnight. She forgot, that is, until Bong! Bong! Bong! The clock began to strike." Ami gasped. Amu smiled gently. "Cinderella looked up and saw that the hands pointed to midnight. Bong! Bong! Bong! She ran from the ballroom." Ami gasped again.

"Oh my ga! She ran away from the prince! Why? Wouldn't he accept her as she is?"

"He would." Tadase said.

"But she didn't know that." Amu completed, Ami looked back and forth. Amu continued. "Bong! Bong! Bong! Her feet scarcely touched the stairs of the great wide staircase that led to the palace."

"Wow." Ami whispered. "That girl could run." Amu laughed.

"Well, when you're scared or panicked you'd be surprised how fast you can run." Amu said before returning to the story. Tadase however wasn't listening, instead he was remembering.

"I like you my prince!" The new girl had blurted. Tadase stood in shock.

"I'm sorry. We are in a meeting now." He'd said, watching as the girl lowered her hand; shock written all over her face. "Please refrain from making off-topic comments." Her head snapped up to me as I spoke. "Also, there is already a girl I like. I'm sorry." She stood and ran out of the room, her feet barely touching the floor. Her face saying one thing, 'I can't believe I just did that.' She knocked chairs and students back as she ran.

He tuned back into the story, beating down the guilt.

"And the prince, who had come to look for Cinderella, found only a tiny glass slipper lying on the great staircase. 'I must find my lovely princess,' he said. And so he sent one of the king's messengers to try the glass slipper on every lady in the land, saying that he would marry whoever the slipper fit." Amu smiled at that part, remembering once again.

'Dad always read the Prince's part.' Ami clapping brought her out of her thoughts. She smiled softly at her younger sister.

"Way to look for her, princy!" Ami cheered, throwing her hand up in the air. Amu laughed at her sister's actions. Tadase shook his head and laughed lightly, silently thanking Kiskei for being at home. All three unaware of Amu's parent's leaning against the door frame, listening and observing.

'The young boy looks so adorable next to our daughter.' Her mother thought. 'They remind me of Amu's father and I when we were younger.'

'I find it odd that she's reading the story we used to read to her to Ami. The very story for so long Amu clung too.' Her father thought, watching as Amu read the words. Then his eyes seemed to focus on Tadase. 'AMU-CHAN INVITED A BOY OVER?' Panic seized his thoughts. Amu's mother glanced over at her husband and smiled gently before shaking her head.

"The king's messenger looked about and saw Cinderella seated before the fire. Her stepsisters giggled behind their hands as he bowed before her. But they gasped as he placed the glass slipper on her foot. And as her amazed stepsisters watched, Cinderella took the other slipper from her pocket and slipped it onto her other foot. With that Cinderella's fairy godmother appeared. She touched Cinderella with her magic wand, and Cinderella was dressed once more in a dainty white gown. On her head rested a sparkling jeweled crown. The king's messenger helped her into the king's coach, and they drove away to the royal palace. And there lovely Cinderella and her handsome prince were married and lived most happily ever after."

"YAY!" Ami jumped up clapping. Amu's parents, Amu, and Tadase laughed. Amu spun around at hearing her parents laugh.

"Oh." Amu whispered, her thoughts finishing what she was frightened to say 'Crap...I'm going to be in so much trouble...'

"Aren't you going to introduce us to you're friend?" Her mother asked, tilting her head in the direction of Tadase.

"Ma'am, my name is Tadase Honotori." Tadase bowed to her. Her mother looked shocked. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Well, it's nice to meet you too, Tadase. Care to stay for dinner?"

'Oh my, who knew Amu would make friends with a perfect gentleman.' Amu's mother thought. Amu's eyes widened to the point of pain. Her mouth was hanging open.

'Oh my ga! My mom asked him to stay for dinner! What the heck!' Amu thought as Tadase replied.

"I need to ask my mom first, Mrs. Hinamori."

"Of course." Amu's mother said. Tadase left the room for a couple of minutes before returning. A smile on his face.

"Mom said I could stay." Tadase answered. Amu's mother smiled widely. Amu swallowed, already knowing that look. Ami; however was a different story for she smiled brightly.

"Yay!" Ami yelled, "Onii-chan is staying for dinner!"

"YOU CAN'T CALL HIM ONII-CHAN AMI!" Amu's father finally snapped. Amu, Ami, and Amu's mother sweatdropped. Tadase just laughed.

Dinner

Tadase sat inbetween Amu and Ami, trying to ignore the glares her father was sending him.

"Tadase-kun." Ami said, tugging lightly on his sleeve. He looked over at her. "Do you like my sister?"

"Ah!" Amu's face started turning red as her father's face started to turn panicked. Tadase blinked.

'I'm so going to kill her later..' Amu vowed in her head.

"Well." Tadase started, unsure of what to say. "There are different kinds of like.." Ami pouted at him.

"You know the kind of like I'm talking about." She crossed her chubby little arms over her chest. Tadase silently admired her determation but wished she would let it drop. "Answer please." With every word it seemed Amu's face grew more red and her father's face more panicked.

"Alright, Ami, that's enough, eat." Mama said, secretly prideful that her duaghter was like her. Papa sighed.

"Fine.."

"After that, would you like to see baby pictures?" She smiled, Tadase blinked.

"NO!" Amu yelled, making everyone at the table jump. "Don't do that, Mama, please!" She pleaded, lowering her tone.

After dinner

"You're family is really nice, Amu." Tadase spoke as they sat out on the porch.

"Yeah, they can be embrassing though." Amu said. "Like when mom almost pulled out the baby pictures." Tadase laughed.

"That was funny." He calmed down. Amu shoved his shoulder with her own.

"No it wasn't, that would have been so embarrassing!" He laughed and bumped her. Silence fell over them as they started at the fireflies.

"Amu?"

"Hai?"

"Do you actually believe that you won't be able to have a happy ending?" Tadase looked over at her. Amu bowed her head.

"I've never actually thought about happy ever afters. Life can't always be happy."

"But you need to enjoy the moments where it is." Tadase spoke. "Happily ever afters don't always start at the ending. They start at the beginnings too. The moment you are born, you're in what you hope to be a happily ever after." Amu smiled gently at Tadase.

"Tadase." Her voice was soft, "People don't give you enough credit do they?"

"Not really." He looked out as the headlights of a car was seen. "That's my mom." He stood and helped Amu up. He hugged her lightly, "Bye Amu-chan, see you tomorrow."

"Tomorrow's Saturday."

"I know but we have a meeting tomorrow."

"Ah. I suppose I forgot about that.." She whispered. Tadase smiled and got into the car. She turned and walked back inside. Only to be ambushed by her father, mother, and little sister.

"Is he you're boyfriend?" Her father asked, the panic slowly climbing.

"No." She answered cooly. "Just a real good friend." Her father calmed down slightly.

"You just want him to be." Her mother whispered out of Papa's ear reach, but Amu heard her clearly. She blushed and darted up to her room. Her mother smiled gleefully.