Chapter One – I Think I Just Met the Devil Himself


"Come on Amu, can't you try to be a little more excited?" groaned Utau as I trudged behind her and her fiancé through the hallway of the building.

I glanced around the hallway, taking note of the features. It definitely was nothing like the $135 rent I paid for at the apartment complex back in New York. But it wasn't shabby either.

"I am excited," I managed in what came out as a monotone voice.

"You keep telling yourself that Hinamori," chuckled Kukai.

"Anyways, this'll be your room. Room 405," he added handing me the key.

"What room are you guys staying in?"

"We're right down the hall – room 411."

"What about-

"Sorry I'm late!"

Utau and I watched Kukai drop his things to the floor and run towards the stranger.

"Who's that?" I mumbled half annoyed at the fact that this guy, whoever he was, was late. And half annoyed that I couldn't immediately run into my room and take a nice, long, warm soak in the tub.

"That's the best man, Ikuto Tsukiyomi. I swear, if I hadn't met Kukai first, Ikuto would've been my fiancé."

"Utau!" I exclaimed though I was smiling.

"Do you even see how hot he is?"

I rolled my eyes and checked to see that Kukai and this Ikuto person were still animatedly talking. I slightly nudged her arm.

"I'm a bit tired, do you mind if I went to my room first?"

"You know what; I think I'll do that too. I'll see you later, okay?"

"Sure."

xXx

"Oh gosh, this feels so good," I sighed happily as I sunk into the warm water, my muscles relaxing slowly.

I could get used to this, I thought with content. Maybe one month in Italy wouldn't be so dreadful. After all, I wouldn't have to see my horrid landlady or my annoying co-workers from the bookstore for thirty beautiful days. I could avoid the kid from England, Todd, who was continuously trying to hit on me after I was switched to his chemistry class and quite clearly explained to him that his ridiculous idea on the molecular theory was incorrect.

I sunk down lower in the tub, so my neck was underwater as well. I was just beginning to relax completely when a knock came at the door. For a moment, I contemplated on just staying in the tub and letting the intruder take a hint and leave. When another knock came at the door, I cursed first, and then I groaned. I tied a pink towel around me and walked up to the door.

"Utau, I don't see what could be so important that you had to interrupt my bath," I said loudly as I opened the door.

I froze when I noticed that it wasn't Utau at the door, but that Ikuto person. His gaze traveled down before returning it back up quickly to meet my narrowed eyes.

"You may want to tighten your towel," he said simply.

Embarrassed, I flushed as I tightened the pink towel that I had wrapped around me in front of him. And it wasn't helping that I was completely entranced by his appearance. Dark azure hair with that matched his eyes. Only, they seemed darker like the sky at midnight and endless… as if they were an endless pool of mystery. When I snapped out of it, I noticed him smirking me at me and that only added onto the embarrassment and aggravation.

"Okay so what do you want?" I asked coolly as I tried to remain in control of the situation, even though I was still quite visibly blushing.

"Well, you practically escaped into your room when I was about to introduce myself to you. I'm Ikuto," he said holding out his hand.

"Amu Hinamori," I replied through gritted teeth while I shook his hand with the hand that wasn't holding the towel up.

"Okay, I guess I'll see you later then."

Not answering him, I was about to close my door, when he suddenly wedged his foot between the wall and door.

"By the way, you have some really sexy legs," he added before finally leaving.

I stared blankly at my closed door, before grabbing a pillow and throwing it against the door.

"Pervert!" I screamed not caring whether anyone heard me or not.

xXx

Despite being interrupted by that perverted creep, the bath had relaxed me quite a bit from the long flight. Almost every knot in my back had practically been smoothed out. Though I had to admit I was still quite a bit sore. At the end of it all, I decided to grab the book I had been assigned to read and go out in the front yard of the complex to read. The area was absolutely enchanting – as if a spell had been cast on it and all you could do was step forward. There was a stone pond in the middle with a rocky waterfall that spilled an endless stream of water into the depths of the pond. Surrounding it was intricately carved benches that were surrounded by aging vines that wrapped around the legs and hung over a white canopy with roses spiraling down from it. The giant willow trees towered the garden, its wispy leaves brushing against the benches and anything else it could make contact with.

I peered down at the book I was currently holding in my hand – a classic Shakespeare play. It was all too fitting for the area I was currently in. Already enchanted, I took a seat on one of the benches under the willow tree and watched the play unfold right in front of my eyes.

Hours passed, but to me it felt as if I had only just arrived. The bright blue sky had been reduced to shades of orange, pink, red, and purple. The sun was only a fraction of what it had been earlier. A spell I thought, and smiled to myself. I closed the book, but I didn't get up to leave. Instead I leaned backed against the trunk of the tree and watched the sunset. My eyes slowly began to grow heavy and the view in front of me went from crisp to streaks of blur.

xXx

"Hey, wake up. You're going to catch a cold."

Frowning, I slowly opened my eyes to be greeted by the pitch black sky. As my vision continued to clear, a figure formed in front of me. And when the dark eyes met mine, I muffled a scream and leapt back nearly falling off the bench. The figure chuckled, and I frowned looking up to meet those irritating azure eyes.

"Go away pervert," I muttered crossing my arms over my chest.

"That's mean," he pouted but took a seat next to me anyways.

Groaning inwardly I scooted over so he wasn't so close to me.

"Utau and Kukai were worried – they didn't know where you had gone."

Worry ignited at the bottom of my stomach but it was soon smothered out.

"A-are they okay? I mean I-

"It's fine," he said chuckling again. "I saw you head out earlier, so I just passed on the information."

I frowned once more. It bothered me that he could see where I was going without my knowledge of it. He leaned back and looked at the stars. I watched him carefully so he wouldn't try anything too funny.

"How could you fall asleep under this beautiful view?"

"I was reading."

"A romance novel I bet."

I shrugged and held it up. A smirk played across his face.

"Romeo and Juliet huh? Do you like it?"

"I don't care for it if that's what you mean. Romeo is fickle – one moment he's head over heels for Rosaline and the next he swears he would die for Juliet. And Juliet…well she's just naïve."

Ikuto raised his brow.

"What?"

"You're probably the first girl I've heard say that. Most girls would probably swoon over the idea of a guy like Romeo."

"I don't actually care for romance either."

"Oh really? Why not?"

I grabbed a piece of hair and began twirling it around my finger as I thought of a way to easily explain to him what he thought he was feeling.

"Well I mean, what you think you feel is really what you're feeling. It's really your hormones swinging out of control."

"I'd have to disagree with that."

"Most people would," I agreed nodding my head. "But romance really doesn't exist."

"Sure it does."

The sliver of hair slipped out of my grasp. Sighing in frustration, I leaned back against the tree.

"I told you, what you think you feel is just your hormones. It's kind of like an animal instinct. Humans are born with the need to mate and reproduce so we keep our species alive – like pandas! I guess over the years people just started to call it romance or love."

He chuckled again yet I felt my temper beginning to rise.

"Why pandas?"

"They're cute," I argued.

"Whatever. But love does exist. Every single one of us has that one person who they're most compatible with – soul mates. Loving someone does not simply mean to reproduce. You come to care for that person and you want nothing more than to spend time with them."

"Hormones," I argued. "Didn't I just tell you this?"

"Yeah and I'm telling you that's bullshit."

I groaned in frustration and leapt off the bench glaring at him much to his amusement.

"You are so aggravating! Why can't you just accept the fact that love doesn't exist?"

He stood up as well, standing close to me and twirling the piece of hair I had been playing with earlier with his finger.

"Because it does exist."

Pushing myself out of his grasp, I shot him one last convincing glare before grabbing my book and storming out of the yard. Halfway up the stairs, my anger was turning into pity. What a poor person…he was so naïve that he believed a concept such as love truly existed. Still, it didn't erase the fact that he was irritating and a pervert.

He might as well just be the devil himself sent here to annoying the living shit out of me. I truly was beginning to doubt that the next thirty days would actually be relaxing.


Author's Notes

Hello you guys.

I hope you guys enjoyed this little chapter and I'm sorry for leaving you guys with just the prologue for a couple weeks. I was actually thinking in which direction I wanted this story to head. So I hope this makes amends for that. Hehe.

Thanks to the people who reviewed, it honestly does mean a lot. I haven't really written just plain fluff like what I plan to do for this story in a while, so it feels sort of strange not to involve guns or something o . o Haha… Anyways, thank you to:

NellyLuna252

thexlittlexlisa

TinkToxiixix

suz2u0109

Xerra Phene

Xemi-ChIx

kisshu-ichigo

aznpride16xx

Oh! I probably should've mentioned the ages in the last chapter. Wow, I'm so forgetful sometimes it can be quite scary. Okay~

Amu: 25

Utau: 25

Kukai: 28

Ikuto: 28

Yeah…I think that's it for right now.

Read-Enjoy-Review

Neko-Meme