Sighing, Amu laid her head down on her arms and stared resolutely out the window. Her eyes narrowed to avoid the harshness of the sun. She couldn't be bothered to pay attention in class as the teacher continued to ramble on and on. His overtly obnoxious voice and mispronunciations of her name causing her irritation.

"Himamori!"

"Hina. Hinamori!" she always corrected.

It tended to happen at least once every day and she could not be bothered to deal with it today. Especially as she had been a bit irritated just in general lately. The mark on her arm coiling and growing. Because of course she just had to be one of those people who had an ever growing soul mark.

She hated the soul mark, hated the idea of what it represented even more. Because to her it meant having to resign to a fate. Having to be with someone she didn't even have time to grow to love. And the fact that it was still growing meant it took more effort to not look at it. Which meant she couldn't forget about it anymore. Couldn't pretend it wasn't there.

It had started out small enough. Just a tiny heart shape, which she had still hated as it fit into so many cliches, but she very easily covered it. With a bracelet, sometimes even a tiny arm band. Then after a while it started to grow bolder. The ink darkening and standing out more. Which she still easily covered, until of course it got worse.

By saying it got worse she really meant it got worse. Because the heart opened up at the bottom and spiraling lines connected to the once connected lines of the heart and they began traveling in both directions. Spiraling down as they criss crossed around each other. A bold black the lines were and she was beginning to have to wear long sleeves all the time. All in an effort to hide the now elbow to wrist tattoo.

She was worried they would grow to inhabit her hand as well and the thought almost made her groan. Because that would be what resembled a nightmare! Why couldn't she be one of the lucky ones? One of the ones who didn't have an arm tattoo. Or at least had somewhat of a simple design? She would have loved to be like Rima who only had a simple interlocking spiral around her wrist.

Or be like Tadase who only had the shape of a crown on his stomach. Because at least that would be easy to hide. Not that she liked the idea of having a crown as a soul mate mark but still at least she could hide it.

And then there was the fact that she had been hiding it since she was eleven and she was now fifteen. And so far she had not ran into anyone with a mark resembling hers at all. It was worrying because maybe she was meant to be alone? She had no wants to be with a soulmate but she still didn't like the thought of being the only one without a soul mark. Especially because Rima who was a year younger than her had already found her soul mate in Nagihiko. And Kukai had found someone to share his number one symbol.

They had each asked about her soul mate mark and she would always close down the subject and refuse to answer because of course there was no way she was allowing them to see it. Especially because they already knew she hated the idea of it...and knew the cause for that as well.

"Amu-koi." The words sent a shiver down her spine as Amu whirled around. Her body somehow having found a way to stand up while she was shivering.

"What are you doing?" She hissed. Her face a bright red as she faced the blue haired stalker. A frown growing on her face as he continued staring at her. Minutes passed as she stubbornly glared at him and he calmly stared at her. Before he sat down on the floor causing her to blink in confusion as he tilted his head. "Class is over."

She withheld a scream of irritation as her face flushed even more and she shook. Eyes narrowing and hands clenching into fists. He stared at her for that many minutes. Just for. Just for. "For nothing!" She screeched.

After going off on a rant about how annoying of a creature he was and how much he irritated her. Along with mentioning how much of an idiot he was. With all his irritating mannerisms, and calm indifference. Amu paused to take in a breath and noticed Ikuto's awed stare. The way he was staring right at her and she blinked in confusion. "Ikuto?"

She peered closer at him and when he still didn't move sat down in front of him and leaned closer. Noticing the glazed look on his eyes and the way his hands were clenched tightly in his lap. She leaned to the side a bit and put her mouth a breath away from his ear and murmured. "Ikuto."

He startled, eyes widening as he shot to his feet. Body tipping over as he stumbled over his feet. Crashing to the ground gracelessly as she jerked upright and jumped to her feet. Looking down at him she held out a hand with the intention of helping him up as he again tried unsuccefully to get to his feet. Amu growing steadily more concerned and confused as he chose instead with a grunt to sit.

They stared at each other for a while. Amu debating with herself about whether to try and get him to talk or just wait. And Ikuto just breathing heavily. Finally, Amu just sighed irritably, body growing tense at the heavy atmosphere in the room. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Amu...I saw your mark."

Instantly she froze. Eyes widening and mouth dropping open. "No." she gasped. Because he wasn't meant to see. He wasn't meant to...There was no way this could be happening. Her world tilted and black covered her vision as she swayed. Legs beginning to shake as she reached out and grabbed a desk. Fingers going white at the force with which she clenched down.

Ringing filled her ears and before she even allowed herself to think she was bolting out the door. Breaths ragged and unchecked. Whole body numb as thoughts whirled through her head.

She didn't even hear the panicked "Amu!" that followed her form out the door.

Heaving in a deep breath Amu slammed the door behind her and collapsed on her bed. Ikuto knew. He saw. He saw the spiraling heart. He saw everything and her heart gave a painful start.

No one was supposed to see! He especially wasn't supposed to see. It was an earth shattering moment and she didn't know how to deal with it. Ikuto wasn't supposed to know because then at least. At least she could pretend they could be something! At least she could content herself with fantasies but now there was no way to get past the harsh reality. The harsh reality that she did have a soulmate, and there was no way. No way it could be Ikuto.

It was something she had been trying to get over for years. Her mind numbing crush on Ikuto Tsukiyomi and now...now she had all the more reason to but she couldn't. She couldn't because shes tried and its never worked. So why would it work now? Now when Ikuto knew she had a soulmate. Now when Ikuto knew what her soulmate bore as well. Because her and Ikuto had been friends for years and it made her want to sob to know he had a soulmate as well.

Maybe he had an elegant mark. One more elegant than hers that spoke of his sophistication. One that showed how much they couldn't work. Because Amu was childish. And Ikuto was...Ikuto.

"Amu! Are you okay darling?"

Amu sighed and pressed her face deeper into her pillow. She didn't feel like talking. She felt like screaming. She felt like yelling and thrashing out at something. She felt like destroying. She felt like cutting into the soft flesh of the mark and making sure it never came back again.

That thought should have worried her. The thought of cutting off the only thing that linked her to her soulmate right now. The only thing that they had been taught to cherish since they were young. The only thing she had as proof that someone out there might love her.

But she didn't knew. She didn't know if she could love them back. And it was pitiful and weak but she felt guilty. Felt guilty for feeling so much for someone like Ikuto. Because she couldn't afford to be selfish when somewhere out there he had a soulmate.

So she sat up and scrubbed furiously at her eyes and sat. Staring at the wall for a while. Because she didn't feel like moving. She felt like sitting and forgetting everything. Thinking of nothing and moving on with her life. Without emotion that made her want to forget herself.

Amu awoke with crusty eyes and a painful knot on her shoulder, which caused her to hiss and roll over. Rubbing at her eyes and trying to work up the energy to get up and get ready for school.

"I saw your mark."

A crashing sea of emotion. Numb. Faint. "No…"

Amu felt the sharp sting of tears again and she shook her head roughly. She couldn't go to school. Ikuto knew...and there was no way he wouldn't have told Utau. Which meant she would have told Kukai and it would be buzzing through the halls by now. That "cool n' spicy" Hinamori had a cliche heart tattoo.

She didn't even try to get up after that thought crossed her mind, she just sighed and closed her eyes again. Forcefully shoving her thoughts away and curling up under her blanket.

Amu awoke again sometime later. It was startling to see the rays of light and she peered at the clock on her bedside table. Yawning drowsily as she noticed the highlighted numbers of 12:20. She didn't feel much like getting up honestly so she found herself bored a minute later. Eyes lazily scanning the room for anything interesting to think about. Thoughts bouncing back and forth between Ikuto. Thoughts that she forcefully shoved away so she wouldn't drown herself in feelings and cry.

Soon after she found her eyes trailing to the bold ink that layered over her arm. The intricate black that seemed to pulse with life standing next to the vibrant pink of the heart. But she frowned, it looked wrong. Like the ink could be better with a different color. She peered closer. Eyes narrowed as she took in the texture that seemed to meld with the contours of her skin. She had never dared to look so closely at the ink before and she skimmed her finger over the outline of the heart.

Subconsciously following the pattern of lines as if in a haze. It was hypnotizing to say the least and she jumped when she felt her mark pulse. It was shocking to say the least and she frowned again. Fascination warring with the desire to just leave it be. So she hesitantly trailed her finger over the pattern again. Her hand tingling as the pulsing began in a beat. "Maybe it was my pulse." She murmured.

It didn't feel like it though. It felt like it was practically thrumming with life and it felt...pleasant honestly. Almost as if she could feel the...connection. The thought of a connection made her jump so hard that she fell in a heap on the floor.

She was actually admiring her soul mate mark. There was no way. She had hated this thing since the day she got it when she was eleven and she was admiring it! What was wrong with her?

Amu sat bolt upright and all thoughts stopped as she heard a tapping on her balcony. She tensed and her pulse skyrocketed as panic invaded her thoughts. Someone was on her balcony. The only person she knew who did that was Ikuto but...what if someone else was there.

All thoughts of the mark fled as she grabbed a book and held it aloft. Heart beating far too fast as she made her way to the door. Her fingers clenched around the soft curtain blocking the outside from view and without stopping to hesitate. She ripped it to the side. The sound of rustling curtain and the clinking of the rings as they moved.

She almost collapsed at the sight of the familiar blue hair as she twisted the locks and threw the door open. Dragging him inside with a glare. "What are you doing?" She hissed. "You practically gave me a heart attack!"

Ikuto smirked then. "So I scared you? I scared miss "cool n' spicy" Hinamori." His voice took on a mock fascination tone as he teased her, which caused her to glare.

"Really Ikuto? I mean seriously you should be in school by now and you're here? For what? To tease me about my reputation again?" Her glare intensified and the atmosphere seemed to darken. The pressure weighing heavily on her where she began to feel stifled. Claustrophobic at how close they were standing.

She remained stubborn though and glared at him, cursing how short she was. She was surprised to see Ikuto fidget, seeing as how he was normally very calm, and acted nonchalant about everything.

"Actually I'm here for something different…" he seemed to trail off a bit and his eyes wandered as Amu huffed irritably and gestured for him to continue, "well I'm here about your...markactually."

Amu blinked in confusion, Ikuto's words just a long string of mush as he mumbled. "What?"

Ikuto seemed to be debating with himself now and he was fidgeting even more, playing with the sleeves of his blue hoodie, which Amu couldn't help thinking he did an awful lot of. "I'm here about your mark."

Which made Amu tense up. Her nonchalance from before completely gone as a bright red enveloped her cheeks. She couldn't tell whether she was angry or embarrassed but of course Ikuto would come to tease her about her mark. Of course how could she have expected any different.

"oh." It was barely there, just a brief breath of air but it was hanging in the air and Amu sighed. Falling back on her bed and just sitting there. Her breath seeming to have escaped her. "So what you want to tease me about my mark. Laugh about how much better yours is." She laughed bitterly and ignored the feeling inside her that told her to stop. Her earlier rejection and pain giving way to the full force of her anger. Turning up to smirk at him, eyes crazed, she continued. "Plan to spread rumors. Search for the mark just so you can see what crazy person has to spend eternity with Hinamori Amu."

She laughed and continued, oblivious to Ikuto's shocked expression as he tried to speak. "Of course you would. Because you always tease me. Always tear me apart just to act nice again. But of course you wouldn't know who'd be able to handle staying with me forever. Because you don't know. You don't know beyond my facade do you, and you just assume I'm going to either be a good little girl and giggle and blush like over Tadase when I was eleven. Because you still believe me to be a child." She could hear how irrational she was being but she couldn't stop and she could feel the tears beginning to sting but she didn't know how to stop. "Think I'm going to yell and hiss. Think I don't know how to love. Still believe me to be the scared little girl who screamed and ran away. Who can't even control her own emoti-"

The rest of the words were cut off as a hand was pushed over her mouth and a muffled sound broke from between the fingers. So she could finally feel the pain of the tears and the shame that seemed to overwhelm her as the talking stopped. So all she could focus on was what she said and she wanted to cower.

"No." The words were a breath as well and Amu's eyes widened at how much power they seemed to carry even after her loud burst of words. Just a simple word made her want to cower and apologize. Made her want to burst into tears and apologize. Just do anything but she needed to apologize!

"I didn't come here to tease you Amu…I never. I've never came through your balcony just to tease you...theres always been a purpose...a reason." Ikuto paused and Amu watched as his eyes flickered. Watched the expressions on his face that he seemed to be fighting. "I need to tell you something...and this is my reason for coming here but I need to tell you first. Because I know your hatred of the mark and I need you to know. This is not only because of the mark." Then he took a breath and rolled up his sleeve, before taking another breath as Amu stared in shock at the spiraling heart lines. "I love you Amu. That is my reason for coming through your balcony and that is the reason I am here today. Because I know the mark is saying we're soulmates but I need to know. Right now because I don't think I can handle the wait after waiting for so...long. Do you love me too?"

Amu could do nothing but stare and she still felt muted, even though the hand was gone. She was still staring when the tears started. Trailing their way down her cheeks as she reached up a hand. Tears falling down on her arm where they soaked into the flesh. She continued crying while she began to trace the arm where Ikuto's mark lay. Same style and colors as her own. While he sat and waited, expression stoic but for the vulnerabilities that lay in his eyes.

Then she laughed. It was watery from the crying and it was nothing short of relieving and she peered into Ikuto's eyes. A radiant smile transforming her expression as tears continued their trail down her cheeks. "I always thought the tattoo looked wrong. It was missing the blue."

Ikuto didn't smile but his eyes softened and she could see the few tears that escaped. But she kissed them away before new ones could form. "I love you too Ikuto."

And their soul marks gave one final pulse before the black lines, that seemed so bold but looked so different from what could be, changed to a navy shade of blue. So for once blue and pink mixed together in a beautiful harmony.