(Start Chapter)

"I'm sorry. You have been relieved of this job."

"You mean I've been fired?"

"I'm sorry. Goodbye."

Pisser.

Yes, this is I, Hinamori Amu, getting fired from my first shift job. Why? Because of the fight between Tadase and I. Oh! And the bitch that sucked up to the boss and sweet-talked her. Better wording? She complained about how much of a whore I was and "She hasn't had many special clients lately so we should let her go." I hate her. I've never hated in my life before, I do loath but never hate. Oh, I want to punch her so bad!

What's worse than being fired from my first job is that I'm sick. Hikaru caught the cold and gave it to me. He caught a cold at school and brought it home. Soar throat, coughing, running nose, Godzilla headache, and I have all the energy in the world. I feel retarded half the time and I can't go into work because I dare not give this to anyone! What's better is that I got a personal greeting from the manager of the apartments I live in telling me I'm late on rent. Best. Day. Ever.

Not.

I ran my fingers through my hair, my chin tilted up towards the ceiling as I stood in the middle of my living room. So many sighs passed, just because I was bored. It was sunny outside, streams of light flowing into the apartment and the wind creating a nice breeze around the room. I'd cleaned the house at least three times and the fumes were getting to my head so I opened a window. It was sunny but the temperature wasn't the warmest. I was wearing loose jeans and a tight long sleeve white shirt with a black tank top underneath since the long sleeve shirt was almost see-through.

My hair was back, and it was then that I realized my pink hair had become a darker shade. It went down mid back and it had become darker, but no matter what I'm sure I was one of the only people in Japan to have pink hair. Pretty fair skin, a little above average looking, and still skinny even though I've popped out a kid. No… wait, for Hikaru's sake, it was a crane… or something. He was created from a wish and the [enter random animal here] delivered that wish, a baby named Hikaru. Hikaru, the light to guide me through the darkness: my sweet angel.

I leaned against the windowsill, gazing out across the town, well; actually I was just gazing at another building. But beyond that building, though, was a great view of town. Across the street from the building I gazed at now is a concert hall. A small concert hall, more like a tavern, but when a band played there I could almost hear every beat, every word clearly. Right now there was a band playing that had a classical sound. I let the music fill my ears. It was precious.

(End Amu's POV)

(Ikuto's POV)

I sat, back stage, waiting for the classical band playing decent music to finish their set. I first, started to ponder why Yoru was still by my side. I was free from Easter, I was free to do my own thing, so why was Yoru still here? My mind pondered and pondered. I still couldn't find the answer, which was until my manager appeared. "Ikuto," he said in a stern voice. "Why are you just sitting there like there isn't a care in the world?" I just glared up at him. He was the answer. I didn't even know I had a show today until a loud pounding sound woke me up this morning.

I tried to ignore everything going around with me now, in this place. I thought back to a few nights earlier. Amu looked so beautiful that night. Sitting across from me, I could hardly look away. I was trying desperately to fide words to say, but it was hard. The distance that was between us so many years earlier didn't seem to matter to me much, but she just seemed so far from me, maybe when I couldn't see her I thought she was closer, somehow? No this logic is crazy!

I went outside for some air, only to look up to find myself staring into the sky, wondering what Amu was up to. I knew then, I needed to see her. Sure, I was giving up a gig, but I think it's worth pissing my manager off. If he doesn't quit soon, I'll find a way to get rid of him even if it's firing him and trying to do things on my own again. I went in, said, "See you," with a devilish grin, assembled my things and left. Just like that. I'm sure my manager was crying right now.

I find myself at Amu's apartments, across town. I heard classical music coming from a near by building. It was almost similar to what I was listening to not even thirteen minutes earlier. I looked up towards Amu's apartment, where her window should be. There she was, leaning on the windowsill, staring off. She looks so beautiful today. It's like every time I turn around I see her face and I just need to be with her. The thing I miss the most as a teenager was sometimes waking up to find Amu near by, sleeping peacefully. It'd break me every time I'd sneak in, and back out.

Our eyes met. I knew I had to go up and see her now. Her eyes beckoned to me, and I'm sure my own eyes beckoned her to come to me. She left the window and I knew she was probably rushing towards the stairs now. I quickened my pace towards the building, knowing how clumsy she is. And my keen instincts were right. I showed up right as she was about to fall down the stairs, or perhaps she was already in mid flight. I rushed towards the top of the set I was currently going up.

Just in time too. Her body crashed into mine as I caught her before she'd land on the ground, one arm out the window and a broken skull. My back crashed into the wall, the back of my head hitting the windowsill. "Amu," I found myself saying in a stern voice. Everything was suddenly turned upside down and my frown turned into a smirk. "Aren't you going to give me a "thank you Ikuto" reward?" Her flushed cheeks amused me so much.

"I-Ikuto!" She said, trying to turn in my arms and hit me on my chest. She was week or just holding back a lot because her hits felt like air. Really. They slowed down, and her face became a deeper red. "L-Like, what kind of reward do you want?" She murmured out as she looked at the floor.

She is so cute that I couldn't help but tease. "Kiss," I whispered in her ear, licking the rim. I received a shiver that ran through her body. Her shoulders rose as she tried to protect her face, or hide her blush, I couldn't decide. I really couldn't be so sick to her without an excuse. I'm glad she left plenty of openings for me. I felt my smirk widen. "I've been waiting along time for this moment to come, I'm destined for anything at all." I whispered in her ear, implying dirty things.

"I-Ikuto!" She tried to struggle out of my grasp but I just held her closer. I rubbed my face into her neck, breathing in her sent and got a bit higher. I was still trying to find my answer. I defiantly wanted Amu, I didn't know if I needed her but I am waiting and dieing to find out. I knew I couldn't make her stay with me, and I know there is nothing I could say to change any of this. What could I say?

"Amu, please stay with me, like this a little while longer?" I whispered, squeezing her a little to hard. I felt her body tighten from my squeeze then loosen. My body reacted to hers, loosening as well, but still holding her close. She leaned against me as I hid my face against her neck. Sometimes I'd lightly kiss it, sometimes I was taking in her intoxicating sent, and sometimes, I just sat there, leaning on Amu as she leaned on me.

"Ikuto?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you like me?"

"Yeah."

"Do you love me?"

"Yeah."

She sighed.

"I love you, Amu."

"I-Ikuto!" She screamed out loud, her arms flailing about.

"Isn't that what you wanted to hear from me?" I asked, moving my head away from her as I tried to look into her eyes. She avoided my eyes, looking at the wall or at some place on the stairs. "Amu, I love you."

"Don't say it just because I want to hear it," she said, trying to be her stubborn old self.

"I love you," I said again, whispering it in her ear. "I love you, I did back then and I do now. I love you." I continued to whisper to her as I kissed her neck and cheek. She was either enjoying it or getting really mad because her whole body was slightly shaking. I then realized she was crying. "Amu?"

"Idiot Ikuto," she whimpered out. "Don't say things that you don't mean. You're going to keep hurting people like that." Tears ran down her face. I couldn't help but feel bad, who wouldn't? I was being beaten down into the ground, or it felt like. I was hurting Amu.

I adjusted myself so I could move her face, my hand on her cheek and pushing it lightly towards me. "Amu," I started as I rubbed some of her tears against her cheek with my thumb. "Amu, I really do love you. I'm not just saying it." I could feel her heart pounding against me as I moved again, and picked Amu up bridal style. "I will protect you from all around you," I whispered to her as I walked up the stairs, still carrying Amu.

"Ikuto," she said my name so low, so seductively, so innocent that I had to control the urge to put her down and push her against a wall to take her now. There was an evident blush on her cheeks. I was slightly waiting for her to continue, which she didn't, and the other part of my concentration was on carrying Amu up the stairs and my balance.

We arrived at Amu's door in a matter of fifty-seven seconds, though to me it seemed almost like five minutes. I was about to fail at opening the door when the door slammed open on it's own. There, before us stood Hikaru, Amu kid. I had almost forgotten about him. Amu always seemed so innocent that I sometimes found myself thinking she couldn't have done anything except kiss or hold hands. She really was a woman now.

"Ikuto, you can put me down now," Amu said shyly as I noticed Hikaru glaring up at me.

"Yeah, put mama down now!" He began to yell.

Both of their commands didn't go over well with my mind like most commands. Instead I held Amu closer to me lightly kissing her cheek. "Why should I?" I was clearly teasing but at the same time, so serious about this. Hikaru's face was red with anger and Amu's was red from a blush. Then, a sound so loud in my ear made me squint my eyes slightly in pain. No, not a scream of protect; not a yell of anger, and not any form of aggravating "Uhhhg!"s. It was coughing. Amu was throwing a coughing fit. Hikaru moved to the side as I walked quickly into the apartment to place Amu on her bed.

I elevated her head on some pillows, looking down at her pained face. She was still coughing but not as bad. I then noticed that Hikaru was coughing lightly behind me. "You're both sick?" I asked like none of this made sense. I just received a glare from Hikaru and a week cough and nod from Amu. I sighed as an answer.

"Is there anything especially stressing you out?" I don't know what caused Amu and her son to catch a cold or whatever but maybe stressing out was a part of it. And maybe I could help.

"Momma lost her first job, now she only has her second, and we're back on rent. We're gonna have to move out soon." Hikaru spilt it all as Amu slowly sat up and slowly made her way to Hikaru to put a hand over his mouth but was to slow.

"Then why not move to a cheaper apartment building or to a friends or to families?"

Amu looked at me then shook her head. "This was the cheapest we found." She sighed, "And I don't really have any friends." Then she looked towards the window, light illuminating the room. "And my family moved to Sapporo City up in Hokkaido. I don't want Hikaru to move out of Tokyo, but I think a new school for him would be nice," she said, turning to Hikaru with a smile. He smiled back and I was a little confused on a secret they shared.

I sat there, thinking about this. "Then why not move in with me?" I didn't realize what I aid until I looked to Hikaru and Amu. Hikaru's eyes shined slightly, he seemed to like the idea a little. Amu, however, was blushing and her eyes screamed yes and no at me. "Uh… Or I could find you guys another place… to… live… or something…" I was spacing out, not really knowing what to say. I wasn't used to trying to help people knowingly. Usually when I helped I hardly realized until after it was all done.

"Mama! Let's do that."

Okay, so Hikaru was all for the idea. I began to wonder if he was thinking about robbing me blind. He was his fathers child, but I'm sure Amu had more of an influence.

"Hikaru, are you sure?"

"Yeah!"

"Ikuto, are you sure you're okay with it?"

I looked to my side, avoiding Amu's piercing eyes that shone with innocence. "Uh, yeah. But you'll probably have to wait a week for something." I hated to admit it, but I was going to move myself. The house I lived in was way to big for some maids and me. The maids wouldn't be living their anymore either, but half of the money the house is selling for is going towards their living expenses until they can find another job.

"Really? Then you don't mind?" God, who could get anymore innocent?

"As long as you don't mind." I felt like now wasn't a good time to tease her and have her think she needed to go back. She really needed some help. "By the way, where are your charas?" I hadn't really noticed it but her charas weren't really around all that much anymore. I'm sure they were constantly bored since X-eggs were rare now.

"Probably playing."

Amu and Hikaru had grown silent, the atmosphere becoming awkward. I stood, rolled my shoulders some, the looked at Amu with a small smile. "I'll be back to check up on you later, okay, sweetie?" I dropped my voice lower than usual when I called her the new pet name I decided upon.

"I-Ikuto!" She screamed back, looking at my back with a blush, or I imagined. I walked out of the apartment and down the stairs. This was going to turn out a little epic in a week.

(End Ikuto's POV)

(Amu's POV)

We watched as Ikuto left. Hikaru was happy that life would be a little easier on us, and he would be moving to a new school after he finished this year at his current school. We really lived in the wrong part of town and he goes to where all the "problem children" go. Really all I could afford was this school to send him to. It saddened me a little.

"Mama," Hikaru's voice broke me from my trance. "Who was that man a couple of days ago?" Tadase, his name was like poison in my mind.

"That was your father," I said under my breath.

"Was?"

I looked up at him, tears reaching the rim of my eyes. "Yes." I clenched back the pain in my heart. "Come here and I'll tell you the story, my sweet angel," I said, opening my arm so he could snuggle close to me while I was able to hold him close.

"It started when I was in elementary school," I began, telling him my childhood story. How I was in love with Tadase, how in high school we were official and started doing many bad things. I talked about how he was born and Tadase and I got married. How he began to go behind my back and cheat, how he is an alcoholic, and how he has become one of the worse men in life. Hikaru just looked up at me as I told him my sad story.

"Mama, it's bad to cheat, huh?"

"Yes, my baby. Promise me to never get close to a girl and cheat on her. Promise to never break a girl's heart. You must understand that girl's are so fragile, we break easily." I told him. He wiped some tears from my cheeks, and then smiled at me.

"Don't worry moma, I think girls are gross. They have cooties."

I laughed at him, smiling. He smiled back at me, then laughed along. I'm sure he wasn't sure why I was laughing but he wanted me to continue to smile, so he laughed.

(End Chapter)

Whew. Sad thing that this was a shorter chapter and it took longer. I'll hopefully update soon! Also, read my other story, A Passionate Rose. Amuto as well, but it's not going to be updated for a little. I'm working on three oneshots of Amuto currently because Ikuto refuses to tell me what is going on for A Passionate Rose. I love all of you! Look for upcoming chapters to Now Truth Begins and A Passionate Rose and more oneshots from me!

Responding to the Reviewers Corner!

TheQueenOfMe

Hahahaha!!! Oh, trust me, this story just might turn M… but I'm sure Ikuto is going to make a major move on Amu soon or he's going to explode… Or maybe it is going to be Amu becoming so daring to make a move? OH!!! Hahaha. Anyways, yeah, I was thinking of doing something with her family soon in the next few chapters but soon… oh so soon. :)

CreativeJournalist

Oh, trust me, all will see soon enough… as long as Amu and Ikuto start walking that is! Haha.