"Thank you for the lovely introduction! Please go take a seat and we will do the introductions of all the students," the teacher beamed and ushered Amu to a seat.

Amu sat down, unbeknownst to the blue eyes meticulously trained on her figure.

"First of all my name is Nikaidou Yuu, you can all call me Yuu," the gay teacher beamed, "My passion is to teach others to be welcomed into this big country. And I am sure all of you can do it as well!"

The petite blonde raised her hand to go first and Yuu excitedly nodded for her to go.

"I is Rima… I do hair… hate gay people," Rima glared Yuu with a high intensity. Yuu nervously gulped but moved onto the boy with long purple hair.

"Nagihiko, and I interested in feisty ladies," Nagihiko wiggled his eyes at Rima who stomped on his leg to stay the hell away from her.

"I Yuiki Yaya and I live sweets!" Yaya shouted.

"Kairi Sanjou, I study," Kairi said curtly and went back to reading.

"Yo! Kuukai, and soccer is life!" Kuukai gave thumbs up.

Finally the man in blue went.

"Tsukiyomi Ikuto," he murmured.

"How about something to say about yourself?" Yuu asked.

Ikuto's eyes traveled to Amu's beautiful pink hair tied up in a high ponytail, lusciously falling down her back, her beauty sucking his heart from his chest.

"Nothing…" Ikuto murmured as he studied the lovely and slim features of Amu's back.

"Okay, awkward moment, how about the lovely lady in the kimono?" Yuu wiggled his eyes at Amu.

"My name is told, why you forgot?" Amu scrunched her eyes in confusion.

Yuu froze and everybody started laughing.

"I… piano play… paint art… sell them…" Amu smiled as she told snippets of her life.

"You are an artist!" Yuu exclaimed.

"Artist?" Amu whispered to herself.

"Yes, artist! You create beautiful paintings and music! You bring art into this big world! Artist! You have to play for me sometimes, or bring some artwork!" Yuu gushed and when his mind was set, he wouldn't change it.

Amu nodded.

"Where are you from?" Yuu asked.

"The Japan," Amu answered.

"Ah, ah, ah… not THE Japan, just Japan," Yuu corrected.

"So you just say Japan, but call this land 'THE United States of America'?" Amu asked.

Yuu opened his mouth to retort, but snapped his mouth shut. Rima looked at Amu. The pinkette had spice and she liked that.

"Good question! I will get to that another time! Now let's start the very first lesson!"

-x-

"Good question," Ikuto murmured, as the two of them left class.

"R-Really?" Amu asked.

"Shocked him, yes," Ikuto laughed as he burrowed his hands in his pockets. Amu softly smiled.

"You go with me for coffee?" Ikuto hesitantly asked. Amu internally panicked.

"No, I go home, very busy, yes," Amu smiled.

"I walk you then?" Ikuto pressed.

"Sure," Amu whispered.

-x-

Amu sat on the set of swings after wedding preparations and dinner. She felt so empowered. An artist. No one called her such a nice name before.

"So what kind of guy did you walk to the substation with? French or Italian?" Dia asked as she settled on the swing.

"W-What are you talking about?" Amu quickly asked.

"Oh come on, I was waving at you when I saw your face as I passed you by," Dia giggled, "You two were so cute together."

"I am trying to learn English, and he was in my class," Amu admitted.

Dia sat quiet on the swing next to her then tackled Amu in a hug. She squealed so loud that Amu had to make sure her hearing was intact the very next day.

"Dia?! I heard screaming! What happened?" Ami rushed outside.

Dia turned mortified and then looked into a far off direction and pointed aimlessly and madly shook her head like a seven year old.

"It was disgusting! There was a rat and it was coming near auntie! It isn't here but it could've bit her and I am scared, what if it comes back?" Dia started to dramatically wail.

"Don't worry! I'll talk to the pest control tomorrow!" Ami rushed back inside.

Dia sobbed a few more seconds and then started to chuckle along with Amu.

"That one was close," Amu whispered, "Drama queen."

"I can't help it! Learning English! I knew you are my aunt! Language barriers can't stop you! I support your English class and newfound romance!" Dia whispered.

Amu blushed and giggled along with Dia for about another half hour on the swings.

-x-

Amu picked an English romance movie from the pile of movies Dia gave her to watch and enrich her vocabulary in English.

Halfway through the movie, her cell phone rang. Amu paused the movie and saw Tadase's name. Some of her happiness melted away.

"Tadase?" Amu answered.

"How is it in America?"

"I'm honestly scared, Tadase, it was traumatic. Some rude lady pushed me around in a sandwich shop when I was waiting for Dia to finish her university class," Amu gushed.

"You'll be fine, I can tell you that. Just hang tight. Honestly you're such a weakling."

Amu's heart hardened at the insult. Tadase was probably joking as he always claimed to be doing, but the impact of the words would hurt her heart.

"I also found out my occupation, Tadase."

"Oh yeah?" His voice full of mockery and malice.

"Artist."

"Yeah, and you'll paint and play piano for the rest of your life. Next time I call you, please inform me of something worthwhile my time."

The phone conversation ended, and Amu suddenly didn't feel like watching the rest of her movie. She took a pillow and hugged it to herself and cried and cried and cried.

Eventually Dia came in, and saw her cry.

"Aunty? What happened?" Dia asked softly.

"Tadase… Tadase… he…" Amu choked out hysterically but Dia cut her off.

"Shh… it's okay, don't tell me, I'll stay here and hug you," Dia softly spoke and true to her word, she stayed with Amu until the pinkette was dried of her tears.

-x-

The next day after class, Amu wanted to get away from Ikuto as fast as possible. In her husband's eyes, the only man she should ever be with was her partner, no one else. Any other man she got friendly with meant she was being a cheater.

"Amu?" A familiar voice stopped her in her tracks. Amu wanted to shut her eyes and curse her bad luck.

"Yes?"

"If it no trouble to you, then-"

Ring, ring, ring!

Amu held up a finger and Ikuto nodded in understanding. Fishing out her phone she was upset to see Tadase's name on the flashing screen.

"Hello?"

"Amu what the hell did you do to my wardrobe? Where is my favorite cologne?"

"Honey I didn't touch it I-"

"You were so jealous that you couldn't stand me being so nice smelling around my female colleagues that you hid it, didn't you?!"

"I-"

"YOU SLUT!"

The very word that had never been uttered out of Tadase's mouth from all the times brought a needle to her own heart. Tears rushed to her eyes and spilled onto her cheeks. Ikuto became increasingly concerned about the pinkette's distress.

"It's in the very spot you always knew it would be…" Amu trailed off, "Under your spare suitcase, remember?"

There was silence on the other part of the phone line as there was shuffling and moving of objects and a tiny clink voice was heard. It was a glass bottle containing expensive cologne that Tadase had gotten from America, deemed as his favorite. He would wear it every day because of that.

"Did you find it?" Amu choked.

"Goodbye," Tadase growled and the phone conversation was ended.

Tears rushed from her eyes as she put her phone inside her case. Ikuto was getting even more worried.

"How can he do this?!" Amu screamed. Ikuto's brows furrowed. He didn't understand what he said but it must be her personal pain. It would be best to allow her to rant for now.

"I have been picking up his slack enough! I am just a bed mate and a slave to get meals cooked and house cleaned. We were in love but now I am just a piece of wife material!" Amu ranted and ranted and ranted.

Ikuto just continued to nod, not knowing what he was agreeing to.

They reached a café, where they both sat down. Amu then realized she had been spewing Japanese nonsense in front of his face.

"I sorry," Amu blushed. Ikuto furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"Why?"

"Talking… rambling… yapping nonsense in non-English… sorry…" Amu nervously fixed her perfect ponytail.

"It is good," Ikuto smiled charmingly.

"What would you like to order?" A friendly waiter came up to them and had a pen and pad in his hands.

"Two cappuccinos, two club sandwiches, a piece of pumpkin pie and a strawberry shortcake," Amu pinched the bridge of her nose, "For the both of us, total order."

The waiter nodded and smiled, whispering how it was cute the lady ordered for the both of them.

Ikuto, stunned, looked at Amu in astonishment, "You… perfect! Perfect order!"

"Me? English fluently?" Amu asked in glee. Ikuto nodded, and declared he would pay the whole bill in a treat for Amu's newfound English speaking skill.

-x-

"How was your hanging out with your little prince charming?" Dia asked.

"He took me to a café and I ordered perfectly," Amu smiled, "It was awesome."

"That is so cool!" Dia squealed in agreement, "You are making progress!"

"Yeah," Amu sighed.

"So what about this guy? What is his name?"

"Ikuto Tsukiyomi?"

"Ikuto is his first name, right?"

"Yes, I am saying it the way these Americans do it. Fist name then last name."

"He sounds like a nice guy when I saw you two together," Dia whispered.

"I guess," Amu shrugged.

"You seem down," Dia pointed out the obvious, "Something also happened. What happened?"

"Tadase called me," Amu looked at her hands.

"What did the devil want?" Dia asked, her eyes darkening a bit.

"He couldn't find his favorite expensive cologne he got from America. He wears it every day and I think he was in a hurry that morning and he didn't find everything laid out for him like how I make it life every day and he…" Amu whimpered, her lower lip trembling, "He called me a slut."

Dia's golden eyes widened big time. She was silent.

"What?" She whispered. Amu nodded, her shoulders heaving up and down in pain.

"It's… he probably was stressed, maybe he had something big happening at work so that's why, b-but it hurt, for him to call me such a name… I work so hard to make him happy, and he flips me off, it hurts! It hurts! It hurts…" Amu sobbed silently as Dia wrapped her arms around her.

"I am sure you will find someone better," Dia whispered, "And I know I am in no position to give my elders any advice, but you are my favorite aunt out of my dozens of aunts and uncles, and I want you to be with someone who can treat you nicely, not like him."

Amu sniffled, and asked, "L-like w-who?"

"Like Ikuto."

Amu's ears tinted pink and she turned to Dia, whispering, "It is far too early to say that! I only knew him for a few days."

"Maybe I am going too far for myself," Dia shrugged, "But you never know. Maybe he is the one you are looking for."

Amu sighed and looked at the stars. Dia followed along with the pinkette's longing gaze at the sky.

"Who knows, Dia? This world is weird."

"Life has a weird way of telling you who you do belong with and do not belong with, right auntie?"

"I guess so. Somehow I wished I didn't have to go through a bleak marriage and then find out some one nice," Amu slowly swung the swing and rocked them back and forth.

"I guess," Dia shrugged, but hope glimmered in her gold eyes, "But after every storm is a rainbow."

Amu looked at her niece with a pair of eyes of respect and whispered, "Your point, Dia?"

The girl merely giggled softly as she rested her view back on the starry night.

"You think you are doomed for, but you are wrong, auntie," Dia sighed.

Amu's eyes widened.

"After your pain and miseries, comes a chance of true love," Dia smiled.

"But when I got married to Tadase, I really thought I loved him," Amu protested.

"Well then God wants to show you who you really loved all along," Dia shrugged, "It's getting late. Let's go in, auntie."

The pair nodded and went inside, reluctant to tear their gaze from the diamond filled velvet sky.

.

.

.

TBC