I don't own anything. Happy Thanksgiving, guys! I decided I would actually update again because I thought I should be more thankful for a site like fanfiction.

The Distance from Amu to Ikuto

The moonlight's rays brought out the fair complexion of the pinkette's smooth skin. In her office, the darkness, enshrouding around her petite body, made her feel less and less stable. Her cloudy golden orbs fixed themselves on the phone on her desk. She had spent half an hour just staring at the phone, though she knew better. Why was she so caught up with that one call? She got over him years ago. Why now?

"Hinamori-san, why are you still here? Shouldn't you be at home? I don't think a beautiful woman like you should be walking through the streets at night." Yamada Hatori, as nice and caring as he had always been, appeared at the doorway. He was the same doctor who had asked her out before all the chaos happened. Amu just smiled and admired his personality. His darkish red hair, covering his eyes, matted atop his head. You couldn't get a good look at his face, but you could usually see that nervous smile spread his face.

"Thanks for worrying about me, Yamada-san." Amu rose from her chair and made her way next to him. "Could you drive me home? I didn't bring my car today." Before he could make any motion to reply, a hand shot out from behind him and touched Amu. Right as the hand was placed on her; Amu flinched back and hid behind Yamada who turned to look at the taller person behind him.

"… Amu, I brought your car here. Don't worry, Yamada, I can take her." Ikuto had given a moment of pause before continuing on. It was kind of depressing that she had moved away from his touch.

"Thanks, Ikuto, but Y-Yamada and I were just going to get a drink." Amu fibbed, clinging onto Yamada. Both men knew that this terrible liar meant that as just some excuse to avoid Ikuto. Ikuto didn't say anything about it and just nodded. "Well, w-we'll be going." Ikuto just watched helplessly at the couple making their way down the hall. He didn't deserve to just take her back.

"What were you thinking, Ikuto? Things can't just magically go back to the way it was before. You of all people should know that." Ikuto thought to himself, punching the wall next to him.

The Drunk Confessions

In the dimly lit bar, there were only a handful of people, excluding the couple in the corner. They weren't exactly a couple, more like colleagues. In his chair, the man squirmed under the loud complaints from the stunning, clearly drunk nurse. For a weak looking man, he had a very high tolerance to alcohol; his companion, however, had a weak resistance to it.

"Hinamori-san, I didn't think we'd actually go for a drink. I thought you were just avoiding your… is he your boyfriend?" Yamada Hatori brought out the one subject that brought the dull pain back.

"Ikuto is just some big fat jerk. *hiccup*" Out of vicious rage, Amu slammed her glass on the table between them.

"Why, did he do something to you? With the way he looked at you and the way you looked at him, I didn't think that was the case." He thought aloud, wondering if his eyes were playing tricks on him. The mere thought of her looking at Ikuto in any way startled her; she had never come to acknowledge any of that reoccurring, nostalgic feeling of her… well, it was never something anyway.

"Hey, Hatori-kun, *hiccup* have you ever thought about a person and never ever could think about anything else, no matter how hard you tried? And when every stupid thing *hiccup* reminded you of that person's smile, chuckle, the way he moves, and the way his eyes flicker with that shine of mischief. And *hiccup* when just the thought of him gives your heart that rush? Doesn't that *hiccup* just tick you off?" In the middle of her questions, she laid her head on the table, staring at nothing and thinking about the person. He seemed to hang onto every single word, pondering over each one seriously.

"Then aren't you just in love with him?" Amu shot up immediately after hearing that. He was startled at the sudden movement but relaxed when she just laughed.

"Ha, that is true. I still might be in love with him, but that would be *hiccup* make things worse." She spun her finger round and round her glass, giggling to herself.

"Why?" He looked at her curiously. She looked up at him, but her eyes caught something past him. In the booth past him, her eyes met the eyes of a "demon" she wished she'd never meet again; but her mind wasn't completely there.

"Amu?" Utau's look, glazed with anger and something else. The man behind Yamada turned back and looked astonished.

"Utau and Kukau! *hiccup* Oh, Hatori-kun, that angry person is Ikuto's sister; and that guy is… um, are you guys married yet?" Amu wasn't thinking straight at all as the words flew out of her mouth. Without another moment to spare, Utau headed for Amu in long strides and halted right in front of her. "You want to drink with us. There's enough-" The impact of the slap snapped in the air.

"I waited for you to at least call me and tell me you're fine. I've been waiting years for you; but you just disappeared. You could have at least been there when I married Kukai, or when I had my baby shower, or at least on my birthday." Utau was breaking down, but she didn't stop. "I hate to say it, but I wasn't the one who broke the most. Ikuto… he became someone completely different – someone dead and devoid of emotion. The biggest regret I ever made was not stopping you when I heard from Rima."

"Utau, you didn't know how it felt. *hiccup* Everyone cheering for my relationship with Ikuto, but at the same time, I knew that I burdened him and holding him back from being international. I knew he loves playing along with violinists his level. I knew that he sacrificed his ambitions for me. *hiccup* If I can't help him and if I'm only just pulling him down, what's the point in being with him? That's what I thought, and I wanted one lasting memory of him. After he held me with so much love, I almost stayed; but if I had the baby and stayed with him, he'd only stay with me out of his responsibility. *hiccup* He wouldn't be truly happy. It was the best choice." Amu looked her dead in the eye – the look that every woman in love knew. The look knocked the breath out of Utau.

"When did you lose your faith in his love for you?" Kukai asked her, understanding Ikuto as his brother.

Yeah, I'm getting tired, so Nightie Night . Thanks for reading.