LivLiv: Hey readers! I'm back! I have a quiz today (Friday) on Ancient Greece. I mean, I guess it's better than midterms, but I'm bugging out. I don't know if my brain injury can handle this. Alas, I'm always up for a challenge.
Thursday, 7:20pm
Thursday, 7:20pm
"Someone thinks they're engaged to you?" Ikuto questioned.
"Yeah, it's just -" Amu was interrupted by the ringing of her cell phone, that same tune that played on the train, 'Time After Time.' Amu looked at the caller display and frowned. "Speak of the devil." Amu rolled her eyes and answered the call. "Hello?.. Tadase, I'm not coming home, and I'm not marrying you. I've moved on."
Ikuto dropped his head into his hands to relax himself. This couldn't be happening. There has always been trouble, whenever he got close to someone.
"I had to leave! I couldn't stay here... No, don't interrupt. They were crushing me. I can only take so much." She paused, listening to him talk rather loudly on the other line. "No! Leave me alone. I'm blocking your number. My grandma? I don't care. I'm doing this for me... Because I got no support from you! You never respected my dreams, you just wanted me to stay at home and raise our children while you got to work... I'm working at a seamstress' now. I design clothes. I made it. No thanks to you." Amu left the room, leaving Ikuto in incredible frustration and curiosity. He pressed his ear to the door to listen to them talk.
"I deserve better than you, Hotori. You used to hit me. I ran away. Leave me alone, or I'll press charges." Ikuto heard Amu say. Hit her? Ikuto was flabbergasted. What kind of idiot would treat sweet Amu like that?
Amu came back into the room. "Well, not anymore." Amu smirked.
"You're not engaged?" Ikuto questioned, hope rising within him.
"Nope."
Ikuto stood and wrapped his arms around Amu, kissing her softly. "Is this going too fast, Amu? Are you okay with this?" Ikuto insured, his hands holding her face.
"I'm ready for change. I'm okay with this."
»-(¯`v´¯)-» Olivia Lively »-(¯`v´¯)-»
Friday, 7:37am
The alarm sprung the two out of bed, completely naked and utterly exhausted. Today, they were both working. Ikuto agreed to go to work today, as Amu convinced him with her... well... she convinced him, we'll leave it at that. Amu was in the bathroom applying her makeup as Ikuto deigned to rise from bed.
"I don't want to leave this bed." Ikuto complained.
"We're not having sex again. Well, this morning, I mean." Amu smirked, which Ikuto replied back with a chuckle and a smirk as well.
By 9:00am, the two were both leaving the apartment for work. Amu made her way to Miki's and Ikuto to the heart of Tokyo, to a building called 'Easter.' It was a recording studio, and Ikuto was recording with the San Francisco Philharmonic. Ikuto often did recordings with great symphonies, but hasn't been for quite sometime, because of Amu, obviously.
When Amu entered the shop, Miki was running frantically throughout the place looking for something. "Can I help?" Amu asked, concerned.
"I need..." Miki breathed, "...inspiration."
"She can't find it anywhere." Ran, the other sister, said from behind a counter, laughing.
"Oh no! Let's go shopping Miki, you might find something in a store that gives you a spark."
"No no no!" Miki stomped her feet.
"How about a museum?" Ran suggested.
"No!"
"I have an idea. Come with me." Amu offered, holding her hand out. Miki took it and they left the shop, not before Amu clocked in. She may as well get paid.
»-(¯`v´¯)-» Olivia Lively »-(¯`v´¯)-»
Amu lead Miki throughout Tokyo, looking at all of the tired faces of businessmen and various workers. They walked for miles, it seemed, without Miki knowing where they were going. They stopped, finally, in front of a big building. Miki looked at the name curiously. 'Easter,' it said.
"What's this?" Miki frowned.
"Inspiration." Amu answered, leading them into the building.
It wasn't too long before they found themselves listening to Ikuto play the violin with a large symphony. Miki's eyes were sparkling, the music filling her soul and coming out of her fingers on to a plain sheet of paper, a gorgeous dress forming from her pencil. Amu watched in wonderment, listening to the orchestra and watching Miki draw. Amu was becoming inspired herself.
"Miki!" Ikuto greeted after the symphony stopped.
"Ikuto, I didn't know you could play like that." Miki complimented.
"Well, I learned from the best." Ikuto shrugged, referring to his father. "I need another piece made, do you think you could do that? The performance isn't for months."
"Absolutely. What were you thinking, exactly?"
"I'm performing for a Renaissance celebration in Florence in October. Everyone is going to be dressed in period clothing, and I figured I should be dressed by you, because Renaissance is your specialty." Ikuto smirked, returning the compliment as best as he could.
Miki blushed and punched Ikuto on the arm. "You know me too well." she chuckled.
"Maybe. I'd like you to meet someone, actually. Yoru?" Ikuto called, looking back into the studio. A man with large headphones covering his ears, looking slightly like Ikuto, turned to the group.
"Wha?" he mumbled, walking over.
"This is Miki, a local designer, and Amu."
"Ah, so this is the Amu I've heard so much about today." Yoru smirked. Amu's mouth almost dropped, as this guy was so much like Ikuto.
"You've been telling the office about me, have you?" Amu grimaced. Hopefully nothing too, awful. As Amu had her attention on Ikuto, she noticed Miki and Yoru getting along quite well. Amu took this chance to spend more time with Ikuto.
"So this is work?" she frowned.
"It may not be rummaging through a plethora of files, but it takes a lot out of me. I'm usually here, recording with many people, or making my own albums." Ikuto explained.
"Huh. Albums?"
Ikuto looked at her, puzzled. "Yes, why?"
"Do you have them at home?"
Ikuto smiled, which would have been an awkward expression on him if he weren't so attractive. Smiling just isn't in his personality, it seemed. But he smiled nonetheless at Amu's was now calling his apartment 'home.' "Why?"
"I want to listen!"
"Amu, I can play for you whenever you want."
Amu pondered this for a moment, a slow smile appearing on her face. "You better."
From the other end of the small room, Miki laughed flirtatiously. "Amu! We have to get back to the shop now. Did you ever finish that piece Su asked you to?"
"It'll need some editing. I left it in a pile of unfinished work." Amu answered. "Alright, let's go! I'll see you at home, Ikuto."
Amu turned to leave, but Ikuto grabbed her arm. "Don't I get a goodbye kiss?" He asked.
She smirked, and lightly pecked his cheek.
»-(¯`v´¯)-» Olivia Lively »-(¯`v´¯)-»
Friday, 6:11pm
Amu unlocked the door, heading into her home. "Ikuto?" she called. She wasn't sure he was home already, but surely enough, he was standing in the living room, a table set in front of him with candles, fine china, and poured wine.
"Ready for a performance?" he smirked, grabbing his violin.
"Always."
Ikuto played for Amu as she seated herself on the couch, the sound relaxing her after a hectic day at the shop. There were a lot of orders, but Amu managed to finish the dress she was assigned, starting another formal gown. He played a few songs, before he seated himself beside her.
"So?"
"That was amazing, Ikuto. I love hearing you play."
"Good, because... I have some good or bad news, depending on how you look at it."
"Oh?" Amu questioned, worry filling her soul.
"I have to perform in Sapporo. Did you want to come with me?"
Amu thought. Sapporo was her home town, and no doubt her family would be there. She wasn't entirely sure. It's been a while since she's seen them, but she promised she'd never see them again.
"I know your family lives there, and I'm not sure how you feel about them..." Ikuto trailed off, looking at Amu.
Amu nodded, expecting him to say more.
"What happened, Amu? I need to know. What concerns you concerns me too."
Amu began to tell her story. Ikuto listened patiently. Turns out, Amu was arranged to marry that guy, Tadase. Her future had been planned for her, basically. It was difficult, however, because the more her family planned, the more difficult Amu became. It got to the point where Amu's behavior was causing the family to break apart, and fighting ensued. Ikuto thought back to Amu's analogy of the tree blocking the river for the animals, and the tree breaking under pressure. She had explained it well.
"And, so I left. That's it."
"Damn. I'm sorry, Amu. I'll cancel it, and instead," Ikuto thought, "we'll go to my dad's birthday."
"Your... dad's birthday?" Amu asked.
"Yeah, he's turning 50 so there's a big celebration. Did you want to come? Utau and Kukai will be there."
"Yes, I'd love to!" Amu agreed, smiling.
Suddenly, a timer went off on the oven.
"Oh!" Ikuto leapt up and ran to the kitchen. "Dinner's ready!"
"Golly, Ikuto!" Amu left, joining him in the kitchen.
"Ah-ah!" he turned his index finger, indicating she was doing something wrong. "Sit at the table I set in the living room."
Amu smiled and retreated back.
It was an incredibly romantic dinner. Ikuto, having lived alone for so long, developed his skill in cooking, and it was very delicious.
"So, where's the party going to be held?" Amu asked.
"Probably some hotel hall. I don't know." Ikuto shrugged, stabbing his fork into his casserole. "That reminds me. I should call my mother."
Review please! It inspires me! :3