Disclaimer: Far Away by Nickelback is the song used in this chapter. And if To Aru ever becomes mine, Touma and Mikoto will get together.

Far Away

When he saw her, he almost thought that she was a figment of his imagination. He stared at her from across the room, not quite believing his eyes.

She wasn't supposed to be here. She was in Europe, finishing her studies. She had no reason to come to America and attend the very conference party that his father had to go to for his father's company. He wasn't supposed to be here.

Kamijou Touma was not supposed to meet Misaka Mikoto in a random party two years after she left Academy City.

But the moment their gazes met, he stopped breathing.

Suddenly, the three years of wallowing in regret and self-pity, dreaming of her and what they could've been if he had stopped her, and hoping she'd come back the next day to give him another chance were gone. All the pain in his chest vanished and all it contained was his longing; to touch her, to hear her voice.

God, why did he even let her leave in the first place?

Without breaking eye contact, he found himself approaching her. He didn't care about the people he shoved or the toes he stepped on. All he saw were those unbelievably hazel eyes that he missed so much, looking back at him with as much surprise as he had felt.

He stopped a feet in front of her, just staring at each other. She had grown the past two years. Her hair was longer and she was slightly taller, he guessed, because he had gotten taller as well but she didn't seem any smaller relative to him. She was dressed in a beautiful white dress with black linings, a formal attire fitting for the occasion. Her beauty overwhelmed him, unconsciously making him tug at his own suit nervously.

"It's been a while," he told her, unable to remove the small smile from his face.

She pressed her lips together as she nodded, replying, "You too, Touma."

For a moment, he was lost in his own world when his name rolled off her tongue. Suddenly, there was no party; there was only him and her, and he couldn't be more content.

He was snapped out of it though when one of the girls she had been talking to—he didn't even notice she wasn't alone—spoke up, asking in English about who he was.

He realized he had spoken in Japanese back then and that she had replied like that as well. He had learned the English language after starting college because his Business Management Course demanded it. So he was the one who answered her companion's question, introducing himself as Mikoto's old friend.

It was odd though because the moment he told the girl—Alice, he learned—his name, her face lit up as if she had just met a foreign celebrity. He could only smile politely back at her, shaking her hand as she traded meaningful glances with Mikoto. Not long after, she left, leaving him and Mikoto alone together.

It started off a little awkward, each of them not knowing what exactly to say to each other. She was the first to speak, asking him why he was there. He told her his father had a meeting, and, since he was staring his internship, his father brought him along. He found out that her father was there as well and she was merely accompanying him because she was a good friend of the host's daughter, Alice. She'd been in America for almost two years, leaving London after a year.

Their conversation came easier after that. It was as if they hadn't been apart for three years, as if she hadn't been so far away.

It was in the middle of him telling her about her old roommate and her other friends that the dance floor was cleared. A song played and different couples walked towards the middle and began to dance. For a minute, the two of them just watched, seeing lovers, friends and colleagues of different ages sway with the music. But when he glanced at her and saw her smiling gently at the scene, he couldn't stop himself.

"Would you like to dance?"

She snapped her head towards him, surprised of his suggestion, "Dance? But… you dance?"

He put a hand to his chest, putting on a mock hurt expression, "Do I look that uncivilized to you? That was Shirai's first reaction too when she found out."

She giggled, "Well, you can't really blame her. Besides, I just didn't think an idiot like you would even bother to learn formal dance."

He gave her his best smile, "Then let me show you how good of a dancer this idiot is."

He led her to the dance floor, entwining their hands and holding her close by her waist. Her other hand settled on his shoulder, and then their eyes met.

For a moment, he was enchanted. He had forgotten how beautiful her eyes were and seeing it again after such a long time took his breath away. His grip tightened a little around her hand to reassure himself that this was real, that she was really in his arms.

They began to dance with the song, and he had never been so thankful of those dancing lessons he had to take. Once again the world around them disappeared, and all there was, was him and her and the music they were waltzing to. He couldn't avert his eyes from hers, unable to keep himself from familiarizing her face and engraving it into his mind. How was he able to withstand not seeing her?

"I've missed you," he whispered to her as the song neared its end.

She smiled a little, but it almost seemed melancholic to him, "I've missed you too."

He swallowed a little, hesitating and wondering if it would be out of line for him to ask, "Will you go back to Academy City?"

She stopped then, staring expressionlessly at him.

So he continued, "I know it was my fault why you left… and I regret that every day. But I…" he licked his lips nervously, saying what he had been wanting to tell her all these years, "I want us to have another chance, Mikoto. Please… can we?" he pleaded as the song overhead ended.

She took her eyes away from him, much like she had done that day in the airport. She took a careful step back, prompting him to release her, "Touma, I… it's not that easy—"

"Please," he said again, trying to catch her gaze, "please…"

Finally, she looked at him, but all he saw were her tear glazed eyes and her pained face as she shook her head, "I'm sorry but… I have to go."

For a moment, he stood there as he watched her walk away. He knew he had messed up, and that saying sorry wouldn't suddenly make everything better and back to the way it was. He felt conflicted, unsure whether he should chase after her or let her be, but when he caught sight of her retreating back, he was suddenly back at that airport three years ago.

He couldn't let her go.

He chased after her, pushing through the crowd and saying half-hearted apologies to people he ran into. He had heard his old man call for him too but he ignored it, struggling to catch sight of her hazel hair. He saw her leaving the room and he quickly followed, knowing that he couldn't make the same mistake he had done before.

"Mikoto, wait!" he called out when he finally caught her wrist in the empty hall outside the room. "Please just… just let me—"

"No, Touma," she told him firmly, her bangs covering her eyes as stood as far away from him as she could with her wrist in his grasp, "I'm not doing anything for you anymore. I told you, I gave up on you."

"Then how did your friend know who I was?" he demanded, hoping that deep down, she still loved him the way she had, "You told him about me, didn't you?"

"No, I di—"

"You're lying," he stated, because even after all this time, he could still tell when she's being dishonest and he was thankful that, at least, hadn't changed, "You still have feelings for me."

Her eyes sharpened into a glare and she began to push him angrily, "Look here, you conceited jerk, I am over you. And how Alice knew about you is none of your business, so let me go before I shoot my railgun at you."

He suddenly grabbed her other hand, making sure that his Imagine Breaker was touching both of her wrists. With a soft voice, he asked, "Then why are you running away from me?"

She stopped struggling then.

He watched her as her limbs lost their strength. He altered his hold on her, so that instead of her wrists, he was holding her hands, "Please, Mikoto," he begged once again, "Give me one more chance."

Finally she looked up at him, tears running down her cheeks, "I can't."

He couldn't breathe, and even as she pried her hands away from his hold, he couldn't find the strength to stop her.

But with one last desperate attempt, he called out to her gently, "I love you," her walking halted, "I've loved you all along… I'm sorry I didn't realize it until you left."

There was a pause before she whispered back, "It doesn't matter anymore,"

He let out a defeated chuckle, running a hand down his face. His cheeks were wet. "Yeah…such misfortune…"

She started walking again and with each step she took, he felt his heart break. If he had chased her three years ago, would it have changed anything?

"Hey, Mikoto," she paused again, waiting for him to continue, "If I had asked…" he swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat, "if I had told you I love you back then," he couldn't stop his voice from breaking when he asked, "…would you have stayed?"

For a moment, she didn't speak. But then she turned back and gave the saddest smile he had ever seen, "It was what I needed to hear you say."

All he could do was hold himself until he could no longer hear her footsteps. Only then did he break down, sliding down against the wall when his legs couldn't support him. He couldn't breathe, because once again, he could think of no words that would have made her come back.

Author's Notes:

the song was suggested by SQuietSA, a guest user so I couldn't reply to you via PM. Thanks!

Again, I need song suggestions that may continue this story. I really really want them to end up together but i can't think of a nice song! So please, I need your help! :DD

I hope you liked this chapter :33 and thanks to those who reviewed and favorited this story :))

~~61wisampa