ii. Caprice of Theirs

Ikuto woke up. He'd been up for awhile. His eyes finally opened to see a warm blanket was wrapped around him as he laid on the couch. The sunlight pouring in from the window created a halo on his head. He could smell chocolate pancakes that lingered from the time he woke up. He was facing a tall glass of water and some aspirin.

He was home.

Ikuto thought it was a dream. All he remembered after his first drink was, well, nothing. Other than a hazy conversation he had. He was never good with alcohol.

Then his beloved Amu came out of the kitchen carrying a plate of the pancakes that still tickled his nose. She was staring at the pancakes rather than looking at him.

Ikuto sat up hurriedly, and there it was- the pain of his head splitting in two. The hangover finally hit him.

"How did you know I was leaving?" Ikuto stopped mid-chew and looked up from his half-eaten pancakes to find her intensely looking at him.

He searched his mind for something more believable than the actual answer. "... Secret."

"What?"

"It's a secret."

"Oh really, then you wouldn't mind me leaving?"

"... No. I mind." He stared back at her. His face was expressionless, but Amu saw the flicker of fear in his eyes.

"Okay. Why were you at the club before work usually ends?"

At this, he was silent. Ikuto was stuck between telling her what really went on during work and... not telling. He didn't think it wasn't anything too bad, so...

"I got sent home for the day."

Amu blinked. "... You what?" Her mind was processing the statement. "You mean fired?"

"No. Just sent home. I got distracted from work."

"What the hell were you distracted with?" Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Amu always believed Ikuto to be the typical workaholic, a complete opposite from the procrastinating college student she was. What he was saying seemed absurd.

"I was watching something instead of doing my work." Amu struggled to comprehend what he was saying. Mainly because it sounded ridiculous.

"What's so much more important to 'watch'-" she made air quotes, "than work?"

"You. Well, you in the built-in house camera. Much more important than work," he nonchalantly replied as he took another bite of his breakfast.

Amu paused her own eating. Her eyebrow twitched. "The hell? A camera? There aren't any cameras in the house."

Her voice was raised by the end of her statement. What an outrageous lie he was telling. Nobody lies to Amu and gets away with it. The desire to smack Ikuto's face was overwhelming.

Ikuto watched Amu's face. "You think I'm lying."

Her voice grew higher in pitch. "Yes, I think you're lying. What the hell do you take me for, Ikuto?!"

Just when Amu thought she was done being angry at him, he got her angry again. She was about to go on another angry rant like yesterday.

He patted her shoulder, catching her eye with the intense gaze of his.

"Just hear me out, Amu. I can prove it to you." He pointed along the walls of the entrance door. "The camera is wired there. That's why there are cords all over the entrance."

"... Wait. How and when did you do this?" Amu felt weirded out by this revelation as she continued staring at white cords around the door. Was she that scatterbrained? "That's creepy. Stalking your own girlfriend. Why would you do that?"

"Well, Amu. I don't see you enough these days-"

"No shit. Seriously? I thought we've established this yesterday when I told you to go to hell."

"Okay, fine." He raised his hands in surrender before lowering them. "Anyhow, I don't see you enough because of work. Like always. I'm sorry, Amu."

"Not forgiven yet."

"'Yet'. Well, why I have a camera is because I don't see you enough these days. I miss you, but I'm too busy with work that I can't see you as it is. I missed your face enough to put in cameras."

"Oh, so instead of working, you're watching me like the crazy stalker you are."

"No, dear, I have too much work to see you. The camera's what's keeping me alive in that stuffy office." He put his head in his hands. "Then I saw you and the suitcase after our phone call. God Amu, I thought I was going to lose you. I'm sorry for not being with you all the time."

Her cheeks heated up during his speech for forgiveness. She thought she was the only one who felt that way. "Uh... Oh, suitcase. I forgot. It's in the closet."

"And Amu, you ran over one of the wires with that suitcase, so when the screen turned black, I thought you were gone forever." He grabbed her hand, causing the fork in her hand to drop. The corner of his lips curled up. "I said I was sorry... Can't you stay with me?"

By the look on his face, she knew that he knew he was forgiven the moment she stuttered.

She groaned. He won. He was just being corny on purpose.

"Sure thing, buddy." Amu pinched the bridge of her nose, wanting to erase her mistake and save her from the embarrassment she got herself into.

"Why don't you call me your hubby, like last night?" He winked at her.

Amu immediately blushed and screeched, "What?! Hell no! Why do you remember that?"

Ikuto laughed.

Love was crazy and they both knew it. It was the reason for her impulsiveness in leaving him. It was the reason he immediately came home to her. It was why they stayed together even with the ups and downs. They just loved each other like crazy.

Well. That was my somewhat awful attempt of a cliché ending. Cool. :P
Amuto is super complicated. And this story... well, it's only been two months..?
It's been fun. ^.^''

Oh, and Happy belated New Year's. 2015 FTW. *-* I'm still excited about the new year.

Leave any questions/comments/concerns in a review. c: