Just a Little Crush
Rating: PG
Pairing : TadasexAmu
Disclaimer: I don't own Shugo Chara. This one was a gift to my friend Miyu! Enjoy!!

He wasn't a liar. But he lied.

He wasn't a jerk. But he could be.

And it wasn't like he hated her. He just hadn't known what to say. It was easy for Kukai. It was easy for that damn Ikuto. But for him? He bit his lip. It was never easy.

He knew what it was like to get turned down. How many females had he asked Kiseki to turn away? Yet he was still the heartthrob. He couldn't figure out why.

He just couldn't express his feelings. Sure, he could put up the prince front. But his real feelings were hidden away, locked tight deep inside him. Kiseki knew of them, of course, but couldn't understand. Kiseki was the one who believed that 'love was useless'.

Tadase knew better. His gaze stayed on her too often. He found himself arriving to the garden earlier so he would have more time to talk with her. Even Kukai had noticed his lingering stare.

So why hadn't she? It was obvious he liked her. He couldn't tell her; he was too shy. And what if she turned him down? He didn't think he could take that. He liked her too much.

His cheeks always darkened when she was near. His breath caught. He could barely pull his eyes away.

To him, she was gorgeous. She was a goddess. She was all he thought about. She was all he dreamed about. He just couldn't get her out of his head. She was everything.

Yet they were so young. He always paused when he thought about age. They weren't old enough for a serious relationship.

He wanted her to be his, all his. He was jealous. He was always around her, popping up if a conversation with a boy took longer than three minutes.

When he was with her, maybe his cheeks became a rosier pink. Maybe his speech was a little off and perhaps he couldn't put his thoughts together coherently. But it wasn't like he fainted every time they touched. He had only lost his footing once.

She'd turned and raised a brow. "Tadase-kun?"

He had blushed. "I-I'm okay, Hinamori-san."

How he wished he could call her Amu. Just Amu. His Amu.

He had ruined it. Ruined hopes of her ever being his.

She had confessed to him, damn it! He could have said "Heck yes"! But Kiseki had taken over automatically, telling Amu he wasn't interested.

And then that time at the beach. He always beat himself over the head for that.

They had been together, alone. She had looked fantastic. He held her hand.

But then, after that, he'd screwed up. He'd screwed it all up.

He told her he loved Amulet Heart.

She had been heartbroken, he could tell.

But what was he supposed to say?! He was only in fifth grade! Yes, he thought about her all the time. Yes, he really liked her. But it was only a crush. Just a little crush.

He couldn't tell her his real feelings. His feelings that might had overwhelmed her and scared her away. He had been so close. So. Damn. Close.

He'd worked up the courage to tell her about Kiseki's character changes to deal with crushes. And about Betty, his dog. He really missed Betty.

But he'd been so close! He had said the right words, gotten over the part with the two of them both being guardians...

And then he just couldn't go on. How could he? How [icould[/i he?! He wasn't good with words. He was a shy kid. It had taken so much courage just to tell her that. He just couldn't follow through.

Amulet Heart.

Amulet Heart...

How couldn't she see? If he loved Amulet Heart, he had to love all of her. He couldn't just take her transformation self. He just hadn't been able to say it. So close.

He had been so close.

Yet so far, at the same time.

And how could he forget the way she leapt into his arms? The way he held her, the way he would have protected her from anything?

How couldn't she see how much he cared?

He always shrugged it off so nonchalantly. But he cared. He cared so much.

He would call it just a little crush. But he knew better.

He had completely fallen for Hinamori Amu.