* This story was inspired by previous works that I've read in the past. Key authors being Holly Black and Melissa Marr. I take no credit for their work. Furthermore, I don't carry the rights for this anime. Some of the characters will act OOC; all of these characters are of age. Constructive criticism is very welcome. Enjoy.

Chapter 10: Amu's POV:

"It's been awhile. I'm not sure where he is, or if I'm ever going to see him again." Amu was explaining to Miki, one of her best friends since Elementary school.

The petite, blue haired girl sat outside on Amu's porch. Her parents had gone out, and she couldn't bring herself to care about where they were.

"Ever call him?" Miki suggested. Her voice was soft and slightly unemotional. It always unnerved Amu how wise Miki always seemed to be.

No matter how wise though, Amu didn't tell Miki about Ikuto being one with the Fae. She hadn't told anyone; it just wasn't her secret to tell. Instead, to explain her depressive mood, she came up with a similar story to describe Ikuto- but without the supernatural details. Ikuto and her met at the park, they talked, he interested yet scared her into becoming slightly obsessed with him. She told them a summary. She didn't want to share Ikuto with anyone. Not that she could now, even if she wanted to. He was gone. In fact, he's been gone for a long while. Long enough for Amu to be hooked up with yet another long time friend from Elementary school. Hotori Tadase.

"No, I haven't called him." He didn't have a phone. Or anything like modern technology for that matter.

"Oh." Miki said. That was it.

There was nothing else she could say really, Amu thought. Ikuto was gone, there was no contact, and besides; Amu hardly knew him to begin with. They'd known each other no more than two months before he left. Before Utau took him away...

"Anyway, you should forget about him. You have Tadase, right?" Miki said suddenly, looking at her. "He's a good boyfriend. Have you been thinking long term?"

"We haven't been dating long enough for me to think seriously about him." Amu replied caustically.

"You WHAT?! Why not?!"

"We..." Amu blinked. "We haven't been dating long enough...?" She could've sworn she said this already.

"I know some girls who would already be picking out their wedding decor if they had the chance to be with Hotori Tadase." Miki said, squinting at her as if not comprehending her frame of mind.

"Yes, well.." Amu stood up with a smile. "I am not one of those girls. Anyway, I've gotta get home. I'll see you at school."

She was halfway down the street when she heard Miki call after her. "Leave that boy alone! You've already got a hottest guy ever falling for you!"

The hottest guy ever? She didn't even know the half of it.

*TING!*

Tadase Hotori

18/03/2013

09:00AM

Subject:

"Hey hun. Wnna go out 4 a walk today? Not working today nd I thought it wld be a good idea."

Amu stared at the message for a long moment. She didn't want to say no to him. She did like him, but it was all Su's idea to hook them up to begin with. She should at least try to date him. So she typed back:

Amu Hinamori

18/03/2013

09:15AM

Subject:

"Where to?"

She waited awhile, deciding to pull out her homework to work on it.

*TING!*

Tadase Hotori

18/03/2013

09:17AM

Subject:

"The park?"

Her park? No.

The sudden stab of rage she felt surprised her. The audacity of him! He can't hang out with her there, that was her and Ikuto's park! She'd be damned if she shared those memories with another!

Amu Hinamori

18/03/2013

09:22AM

Subject:

"Oh no, that's okay. The park's a little too crowded at this time of day. How about we hang at that Hole in the Wall coffee shop down the street from there?"

A lie. The park was quietest at this time; but there was no way she was going to tell him that. She didn't want to take him to the Hole in the Wall either, but she wasn't going to bite off more than she could chew. She would live with this. He was, after all, her boyfriend. The thought made her cringe.

*TING!*

Tadase Hotori

18/03/2013

09:26AM

Subject:

"Alright, sounds gud to me! :) Be ya there in 30. Luv ya."

'Luv ya'? Was it really that easy to throw words as deep as that around? So quickly, too? They've only been dating for a month. Even she knew she wasn't in love with him. She stared down at her phone, trying to comprehend boys. After a long while, she texted him back.

Amu Hinamori

18/03/2013

09:37AM

Subject:

"Thanks."

It was 10:16 and Amu sat in one of the sectors in the Hole in the Wall. Her favorite room being the bright pink one. The walls looked like bubblegum, and the floor; like honey. The coffee wasn't bad, either. She stared down at her coffee mug before taking a sip of it. No, not bad at all.

She picked up a bright yellow paper; a flyer, it seemed. She didn't actually read it. Instead she fiddled with it-folded it-unfolded it.

"Ma'am? Need another cup?"

Amu looked up at smiled at the brown haired and green eyed boy, who was at least two heads taller than her. He had both of his ears pierced, and sported stylish earrings. He looked a bit too... Upbeat and energetic to be working at a coffee shop.

"Uhm... Yeah." She nodded and held out a hand before he turned. She had to ask! "Wait! Eh-to..." She blushed when he gave her a strange look. "Well, err..." Should she ask?She didn't know him. Maybe this question was considered prying.

He reached over and gave her a gentle punch on the head. "Spit it out, woman." He smiled down at her.

If it was even possible to blush any darker than she already had, she would do it. "W-Well... I was curious because you don't seem like the type to work at a coffee shop..."

He nodded, dropping his hand. "Oh, I get what you mean." Before she could say anything more, he shook his head. "Trust me, I'm only doing this for my soccer fund. If I had the money to join a soccer team, I'd be done with this place."

"That bad, huh?"

He laughed and leaned down to murmur in her ear, feigning disgust. "You don't even know the half of it."

Amu laughed and held out a hand. "Hinamori Amu."

He took her hand and shook it with unnecessary strength. "Souma Kukai."

After Amu got her hand back, she flexed it and stared up at him. "Souma Kukai? What's the Kanji?"

He blinked and gave her that strange look again. "'Empty sea' for Kukai. 'Phase' for Souma."

Oh. Amu didn't really know why she asked that. She was just curious about everything having to do with him. It wasn't a crush. She just felt this sisterly pull to need to know everything about him.

"What about you?"

Shit. What about her...?! "Eh-to... Amu is just Amu... English derivative, I mean... Hinamori is something to do with the Sun."

Kukai looked like he was fighting a laugh.

She got on the defensive. "What's so funny?!"

"The fact that you don't even know the Kanji for your own name blows my mind!"

"Are you picking on me?! How rude!"

The two of them started to bicker, one of them laughing uncontrollably through it all.

"E-Excuse me...? Am I interrupting something?"

The voice behind Kukai was soft, gentle, yet firm.

"Hmn..?" Kukai turned around, and a large smile lit up on his face. "Tadase!"

Kukai and Tadase-Well. no... Kukai and an awkward, lost looking Tadase did this weird guy-handshake, leaving Tadase looking extremely confused afterward.

"Nice to see you, man!" Kukai continued. "This your girl?" He motioned to her.

Tadase looked over at her, as if noticing Amu for the first time and he nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, she is."

A part of her recoiled and wanted to cringe at the thought of being his 'girl'. But soon after she realized this, she chastised herself. Tadase wasn't that bad. He wasn't that bad looking, either. He had short blond hair with a thin ahoge. He had big, red-violet-almost mahogany colored eyes; and he was only about two inches taller than her. If that. He reminded her of a prince. Maybe that was why she recoiled from him. She didn't enjoy these types of self-righteous people.

"Well, have fun on your date." Kukai said happily. "I'd better get back to work." In an instant his voice soured and he walked off with a sigh.

Tadase moved to sit down across from her, having a cup of his own coffee in his hand. They sat in silence and she stared at his cup of coffee, zoning out.

I wonder where Ikuto is... Is he alright? How is he doing? And most importantly, does he miss me? Like I miss him? No, she blinked. He couldn't possibly. He couldn't even touch her, afterall. So it's not like he could have any intimate feelings for her... They've only spoke to eachother... Became friends. That's it. But still... She felt that he had wiggled his way past her defenses and made home in her very soul. It's amazing what things you experience when you lose someone special to you. You never really know howgood, or how important something was until it was gone. Amu hated this feeling. Hated it! She wished Utau had never shown up; but she couldn't bring herself to hate him.

Where is he...?

"Amu..? Amu-chan?"

Her blinked a few times when she noticed a hand waving in front of her face.

"Tadase-kun!" Oh, she felt horrible.

"You were miles away, Amu-chan." He tilted his head, and looked at her with curiosity. "What's on your mind...?"

"Oh, no, no..." She waves her hands, psyching herself out a little. A blush stained her cheeks from the embarrassment. "I was just daydreaming, is all... Really, I don't even remember the details to it."

Tadase sat back in his seat and stared at her for a moment, before closing his mahogany colored eyes with a sigh. "Are you happy, Amu-chan...?"

"What?" Amu nodded. She was feeling alright. "Yes, I am. Today's a good day..."

"I mean... Are you happy with me?" He looked a little hurt.

This conversation already? She didn't want to have this conversation... Not yet. She couldn't bring herself to lie; yet she couldn't bring herself to speak the truth.

Bowing her head, she bit her lip and sighed. "Tadase-kun, I-"

~"I'm not strong enough to stay away. Can't run from you, I just run back to you."~

Her phone went off in her pocket, and she fumbled to grab it, holding up a finger to a now hopeful Tadase.

~"And it's killin' me when you're away, I wanna leave and I wanna stay. I'm so confused. So hard to choose, Between the pleasure and the pain."~

It was a restricted call. She never answered restricted calls... But her thumb slid across the screen, answering it without thinking.

Pressing the phone to her ear, she spoke hesitantly. "H...Hello?"

"Amu." A husky, cool voice greeted, senting a zap of electricity down her spine.

Surprised? You don't even know the half of it.

Q: Will Amu and Ikuto's relationship be repaired? Can it? R&R to find out.

Song: Not Strong Enough by Apocalyptica