Tadase's POV
The bell rang to signify the end of the school day and I packed my stuff. I was supposed to meet Amu at the school gate after school to walk her home, but after all that's happened I'm not sure if that's a smart move.
"Tadase-kun!" a girl with long, wavy dark blue hair called to me from the door.
"Umi-senpai! What're you doing here?" I asked the girl. She dashed over to me and glomped me with a hug. I was surprised, but hugged her back anyways.
"I wanted to see my cute kouhai!" she smiled and ruffled my hair. Umi was older me by 1 year and had apparently taking a liking to me.
"Don't talk like that senpai! I have a girlfriend you know!" I protested and she released me. I bit my lip though since her chocolate brown eyes showed such hurt in them.
"So Tadase-kun doesn't like me? My kouhai doesn't like his senpai?" she had tears pooling out of her eyes and I felt so bad.
"N-no! It's not like that Umi-senpai! I like you very much it's just-" Umi cut me off with another bear hug and her tears disappeared.
"Um-senpai is glad to know that her kouhai likes Umi!" she spoke in third person happily and I sighed, unable to shake her off.
"Sorry Umi-senpai, but I have to get going!" I quickly pushed the beautiful girl off of me and ran out of the classroom.
"Ah, maatte! Tadase-kun!" she ran after me and I was at the front of the school building where I saw a pinkette waiting. I rushed to Amu as fast as I could, but not before Umi had latched onto my arm.
"Amu-chan!" My voice called her, but I didn't want her to see this sight. Nevertheless, her head turned and her honey-golden eyes met my own ruby ones. Her eyes widened and I could see the hurt and tears threatening to pour out. "Wait! It's not what it looks like Amu-chan! Umi-senpai is my senpai!" I desperately tried to explain, but it was kind of hard to believe my story if a girl was clinging to my arm.
"Tadase-kun...i-it's okay. I understand! You're just friends right?" Amu smiled, and I sighed in relief until someone frowned. Who frowned? Of course it was Umi-senpai who had frowned.
"Tadase-kun? Who's this pink-haired girl? Is she your girlfriend? But I thought I was your girlfriend? You love only me right? You have to call me Umi-chan!" Umi pouted and I cringed.
"Umi-chan! Please let go! I wasn't thinking at the time! I know I agreed to beingyour boyfriend but-" I quickly cut myself off when I remembered Amu was here. My head turned and I gulped.
Amu's eyes widened with hurt again and her smile froze. I watched the pinkette's eyebrow twitch and tears started pooling in her eyes again.
"Oh...so Umi-senpai was your girlfriend? I'm sorry I butted in Tadase-kun..." she bit her lip and looked away. "I'll go on ahead by myself okay?"
"Wait Amu-chan! I love you!" I called desperately and cringed as Umi's grip on me tightened.
"Amu...-san..was it?" Umi spoke. Amu looked up at her and nodded. "Hmmm, Amu-chan please watch!" Umi smiled and I froze. Oh shit. Is she really going to-? My thoughts cut off as Umi-senpai wrapped her palms on my cheeks and planted her lips on mine. My eyes widened as she didn't pull away any time soon. I unconsciously relaxed. Umi's lips are so soft and taste like blueberries. Amu's lips were also soft, but not as soft as these. Plus I prefer blueberries over Amu's strawberry taste. Wait a minute...Why am I even comparing my senpai to my girlfriend?! I pushed Umi away and turned my head only to see Amu running away.
"AMU-CHAN!" I yelled after her, but she never looked back. Damn it! I'm too late! Stupid Umi!...Well I'm at fault as well for enjoying the kiss.
"I'm sorry...Amu-chan." I whispered under my breath and slumped to the ground. While I was on my knees, Umi hugged me from behind with a smile on her face.
"Don't worry Tadase-kun! You still have me! I'll comfort you!" she teased and ruffled my hair again. I grit my teeth and stood up abruptly. "Tadase-kun?" Umi spoke to me confusedly and I wrapped my fingers in her long blue hair. Then...I did what I never thought I'd do in my entire life. I roughly pressed my lips to Umi's and kissed her. She smirked and kissed my back, wrapping her arms around my neck in the process. With this one kiss, I pushed away all my feelings and thoughts of Amu and replaced them all with Umi's smiling face.
Amu' POV
When that weird blue-haired girl kissed Tadase-kun, I felt my heart break into a million pieces. What hurt me even more was that Tadase didn't even push her away. All his promises and words of "I love you" are useless. Broken. I'll never trust him again.
I sprinted back to my house and didn't even notice my charas weren't here. They were nowhere to be found and I felt so broken. I wanted to die.
I dashed into my house and slammed the door behind me. The tears were flowing nonstop by now and the house was empty. On the table was a note:
Hello Amu!
We're sorry, but your father and I have to go meet up with some friends and relatives of ours. Ami is at her friend's house and Ikuto is going to stay with you. Please take care of the house for us!
You parents: Midori and Tsumugu
My tears fell on the note and I stepped up to my room. I opened the door and found my room unoccupied. Ikuto wasn't here. I sighed and locked my door. I closed my curtains and locked the balcony. I didn't even bother taking off my school uniform and only yanked the bow off my neck. I threw my bag across the room and curled into my blankets. I cried and cried until my pillow was soaked and I eventually fell unconscious.
I'm such a baka.
Ikuto's POV
While I was waiting for AMu's classes to finish I had fallen asleep on the roof. The thing that woke me up was the bell at the end of the day.
"It's already over? Yoru." I called for my chara and found him sleeping next to where I was laying a second ago. I sighed and flicked the little kitten on the forehead.
"Ow-nya! What was that for Ikuto-nya!?" he fake cried and I chuckled.
"Oh nothing. It's just entertaining." I smiled and looked for Amu. She was waiting at the school gate and I saw Tadase run up with some weird girl with blue hair clinging to his arm. I watched the scene unfold and stiffened when Amu's tears shined to the sun and the weird blue-haired girl kissed Tadase on the lips. I was disappointed that the blonde didn't push the bluenette away. Amu ran and I tried sprinting after her, but first I had to get off the roof. "Yoru, chara change." I commanded my chara and felt the familiar ears and tail pop out. I jumped off the building and landed in the trees. Even though Amu hadn't chara changed, she was still running pretty fast. Since she just had a fright, I didn't call out to her in fear of startling her. I was panting and didn't catch up until she slammed the door to the house behind her. I knew her parents and sister weren't home, and I was also filled with alarm because I didn't have a key to the house yet. "Amu!" I pounded on the door a beta too late and glanced up to her balcony. I jumped up and tried tapping on the window. I tried to open it, but the curtains were closed and the doors were locked. Even though I was outside, Amu's sobs were as clear as day and I knew she couldn't hear me. If only here charas were with her...Wait a sec...Her charas?
"Yoru, can you sense Ran and the others?" I asked my cat chara and he shook his head.
"No-nya. Ran, Miki, and Su have disappeared-nya. They've already been broken beyond repair and Dia is also gone.-nya." he whimpered and I grit my teeth. Damn it!
I turned my back to the balcony door and slid down to sit. I was locked out and couldn't get in. I couldn't go in and help Amu. That stupid kiddy prince! Amu's sobs had died down and I assumed she had fallen asleep. I was stuck outside to sleep in the cold. The sun went down and my eyes trailed the moon as it rose high into the sky and back down. I was awake for the entire night. It was finally morning.
"Yoru...Is Amu okay? Can you get in there?" I questioned the little kitty and he shook his head.
"I have no way-nya. But I feel something-nya. It's not Ran nor the others-nya. It's a chara, but I don't know who-nya." Yoru reported. My face paled and I pounded on her balcony door again.
"Amu! Amu! Let me in! It's Ikuto!" I called to her desperately and kept knocking until the curtains shifted. Amu peeked through and pulled the curtains away. Her face was red, tear marks stained her cheeks and her eyes were bloodshot. Put it simply, she didn't look too well. She must've been crying all night! "Amu! Let me in." I asked her again and the door clicked open. Wow. I didn't know it would be that easy to get in. I yanked open the door and pulled the poor pinkette into my arms. She started sobbing again and I pulled us inside. My hands shut the door and pulled the curtains closed again. "Shhh, it's okay Amu. Forget the kiddy king. I'm here. Cry as much as you want." I pat her back lightly as her tears soaked my shirt.
"Ikuto...You're always there when I need you..." she sobbed and her cried eventually died down when something caught my eye. A single egg laying on Amu's desk. As if she knew where I was looking, she pushed me away from her and snatched the egg off her desk. "Get out for now Ikuto. If you speak a word, I'll kill you." she threatened and kicked me out of her room. I was pushed out into the hallway and she slammed the door behind me. Either way, I didn't mind because I was trying to figure things out.
I swear I saw a tail there. Ran and those three may be gone, but it's obvious Amu has a new chara...a red egg? Damn it! I need to look at it longer! A single glance isn't enough!
"Yoru." I whispered for my chara again, and he nodded.
"Aye-nya!" And he squeezed into Amu's room under the crack in the door. I chara changed and stood next to the door right outside, in case Amu tried to run. Little did I know, that I underestimated the pinkette. "Ikuto-nya!" Yoru called me weakly from inside Amu's room and my eyes widened. I yanked at her handle and was surprised it opened quite easily.
"Yoru!" I called for my chara only to be tackled from the side.
"You're too naive Ikuto." I was flat on my stomach with my legs pinned down and my arms restrained behind my back. I knew it was one hand holding down my wrists and one hand holding my hands down, so I couldn't tell whose voice it was. "I thought you were smarter than that Ikuto!" the voice spoke again and my cat ears perked up. I was still in my chara change form, but this person (or what I thought was a person) seemed to be much stronger than me. Or at least, their hold is too strong for me to break. Even my tail was restrained.
"Amu?!" I took a random guess and picked up the sound of someone licking their lips.
"Wow-wow-wow!" A fox?! My cat instincts kicked in and the fur on my ears and tail bristled. "Correct!...-ish." I now recognized Amu's voice and her hold on my head was released. When I looked over my shoulder, Amu sat there, with her butt planted on my back. She had fluffy white ears with red tips poking out of her head the same way my blue ones stand in my midnight hair, except hers have more visible fur and look softer than mine. Waving behind her, I spotted a feathery red tail with a white tip. To add to it, her hair had red tips and was slightly longer than normal. She also had a red choker around her neck with a tiny little fox charm.
"Amu? What happened to you?" I whispered. I thought she couldn't hear me, but she smiled and something flew out from behind her.
"Ikuto-nya!" Yoru was there, tied up and held captive by another chara. This new chara had the same ears and tail as Amu, and mahogany hair styled in two pigtails like Utau. She wore brown knee-high boots with white shorts connected to bright red suspenders. Her top was a white tube top with black and brown fringe hanging down to cover her mid-section slightly. This new chara also wore a red choker around her neck, the same as Amu's, and red sunglasses covering her eyes. She took off her sunglasses, revealing inky black colored eyes.
"How do you do Ikuto-kun? My name is Kitsuko, but call me Kitsu-chi." she smirked and put her sunglasses back on, hiding the depths of her eyes from my sight. I was frozen to know Amu had a chara like that and Yoru was also trapped.
"Hmph. Well now that you've met Kitsu-chi, I have nothing else to hide." Amu released me from her hold and plopped back down on her bed. I canceled my chara change, but stayed wary of Amu who didn't cancel her change.
"...Are you okay Amu?" I timidly asked her. I didn't want to push her buttons and make the situation even worse than it already was.
"Hmmm? Okay about what? That thieving, annoying blue girl and blondie? I'm fine!" she smiled and flipped over onto her stomach. Her honey-eyes turned a light brown and met with my blue ones as she continued. "I'll be okay since I have Ikuto-nii!" I was shocked to hear those words come from her mouth and felt a light blush start pushing it's way to my cheeks. I pushed the blush away, but couldn't help to feel happy from her statement.
"O-oh...okay." I ended the conversation and sat down on the floor in front of Amu. She pouted and her ears drooped. I was confused as to why she was making such an expression, so all I could do is utter a single word with nay stupidity in my brain. "What?"
"Come closer Ikuto-nii!" she whined and I cringed.
"Cancel your chara change then!" I protested and scooted back a few inches. Amu's pout fell and her eyes turned a dark red color,
"Ikuto!~ Come closer to me!" she whined and her eyes stared straight into my pupils. She seemed to draw me in and I unconsciously inched closer to her.
"Ikuto-nya!" I heard Yoru call for me, but I was too captivated by Amu. I scooted as close as I could to her until I was close enough for her to rest her arms on my head.
"Ikuto-nii! Come onto the bed and lay with me!" Amu whined some more and I was still staring into her ruby, red eyes. I didn't have control over my body as I lay down next to Amu and didn't have the power to resist when she latched onto my arm. It was as if someone else was controlling my body and my own consciousness was being pushed away.
Amu's POV
My tail waved happily as Ikuto lay next to me and I hugged his arm. He was so warm and I was so drawn to his presence. If Ikuto weren't here, I don't know what I would bo. At least these are the original Amu's thoughts.
Kitsu-chi's chara change with me allows me to have the same capabilities as a fox and also control people to do my will if I turn my eyes a dark red. It only works with certain people though. They have to either be complete strangers or those who consider me VERY important to them. People that I know as acquaintances don't count.
Right now, my control over Ikuto was working because he trusts me immensely and holds me as important to him. I don't really know his true feelings though. He's always distant.
I traced little circles on his arm and traced the outline of his biceps. Ikuto's like a cat, but he's so muscular. I always feel so warm and safe in his arms. My ears flicked and my tail waved in the air as I hummed the same song that I was humming in the morning.*
"Akirame ja ikenai...Dekinai koto nande nai...Yuuki no uta" I started singing the lyrics and Ikuto shifted beside me. I pulled my chin up to look at him and found him looking down at me. My honey eyes shined as I stared into his midnight blue ones, but I never stopped singing.
"Dare ni mo makenai..." Ikuto's deep masculine voice sang along with me and I think he gained his consciousness back. "Yume ga aru..." We continued and he harmonized with me.
"Arukidasou mune hatte..." I sang the line by myself and stopped, letting Ikuto sing the next line as the melody.
"Watashi dake no michi ga aru..." Ikuto finished the line and I jumped in again with him, this time I harmonized to his melody.
"Shinjiru no saho n ta sa...Dakai yama —" we were continuing when we got interrupted.
Without you I'm blue! Hurry up and save me! Hurry up and save me! Hurry up and save me! Hurry up and— "Hello?" I had rushed to grab my cell phone off my desk and since I was still in my chara change, I moved faster than the normal human.
"Hinamori?" Kukai's voice sounded from the other line and I groaned.
"What do you want?" my voice sounded dead and my face held a frown.
"Woah, what's with you? Anyways, just wanted to talk to you for a sec." he paused.
"Talk about what exactly?" I asked him impatiently and plopped my butt on the ground, sitting in a criss-cross form.
"Ummm...I just wanted to ask if you knew...about—"
"Tadase?" I cut him off and I heard him gulp. "Of course I know. It took all my guts to not stab him right in front of the school gates! I also wanted to kill that bitch for stealing MY boyfriend!" I spoke happily as if I was celebrating my birthday, but my body language was saying otherwise. For starters, my ears were perked and the fur was bristling. My tail was lashing out wildly and the fur was spread out. Fire blazed in my eyes and I was clenching my fists, aside from the one that was holding the phone.
"Woah, chill Hinamori. I can practically feel you glaring daggers at me. Well, would you like a update and more info?" he offered and my eyes brightened.
"YES!" I commanded.
"Mmk. Well first, I just saw Tadase and some blue-haired chick holding his arm walk into a little cafe called Milestones. The inside is all pink and blue. I also did some research on the girl. Her name is Satomi Umi and she's our senpai by one year. She kissed Tadase twice and Tadase didn't reject her." Kukai spilled and I felt tears start welling up in my eyes again. I ears drooped, along with my tail, before they disappeared completely with my chara change.
"Thanks Kukai. If that's it, then bye. See ya later." I hung up the phone and just sat there with a depressing mood around me. Kitsu-chi sat on my shoulder and I knew Ikuto was sitting on the bed watching me.
My eyes weren't blazing anymore and I curled my knees up to my chest. Tears fell from my eyes and I silently cried curled up in a ball. It wasn't long until I heard something shift behind me and something warm fell on my shoulders. My chara was now sitting on the desk and Ikuto sat beside me. He wrapped his strong arms around me and pulled me in close to him. We didn't swap words. I only cried into his broad chest and allowed my tears to soak through his shirt.