A/N: Ahhh Amuto kiss in ch 43!! This is pretty much my favorite pairing of all time... Yeah... BTW spoilers...

I Don't Miss You!

Amu remained silent the whole way home. She had so much to think about; she was trying to suppress a giddy smile and stop the odd watering at the corners of her eyes. She wasn't sure how she felt. She just knew a boy loved her—had nearly kissed her—had told her she would fall in love with him for sure. He'd even betted on it.

Amu wondered if maybe he'd already won that bet.

Except now that boy that loved her and that she maybe loved was gone. He'd turned his back to her and offered a sort of wave with his hand as he stalked through the metal detector and she'd stood there, shocked. It'd seemed unreal. A dream, maybe.

She had changed for certain. Things were different now. It was then that it hit her, fast and hard, as Iru flew her home—she was changing.

She was growing up, and it scared her.

Utau's charas set Amu down at her balcony once they arrived at her house. She and Ran, Miki, and Su all bade them a hurried goodnight as Iru started cooing about conflagrations of love and Eru made strangely perverted hand gestures and accompanying sound effects. Once the two winged charas had left, Amu toppled over onto her bed. She stared at the ceiling. It was still white.

At least that hadn't changed.

Before she knew what was happening tears had streamed down her face. Amu's sniffles were quiet, but her charas knew something was wrong.

"Amu-chan, Amu-chan!" they hugged her hands and asked her what was wrong, but she didn't answer.

Amu'd only been home ten minutes when her father threw open her door.

"Amu? Amu! Where have you been the past two hours? You can't just disappear like that, nearly gave poor Papa a heart attack! Has Amu been off seeing a boy?"

Amu rolled over onto her stomach and shoved her pillow over her head. She tried to hide her upset from her father, sniffling softly as his voice took on such a heartbroken and dramatic tone as to rival an actor on Broadway.

"Amu has been seeing a boy? Amu? How could you cast aside your Papa so quickly? Where is he? I want to see him! Actually, no! I absolutely refuse to let him step inside this house or come near you ever! Papa is the only man for you, my cute Amu!"

Amu's body shook. She was so distraught, but was apparently good at hiding it.

"Papa, Papa, you found Amu? Amu, young lady—"

Amu's mother never finished her lecture, though. Amu heard her mother whisper something to Papa, who stopped speaking and immediately left the room. Then there was a sound of a door closing, and light footsteps approaching her bed.

A soft, cool hand rubbed up and down her back, slowly and comfortingly.

"Amu, honey, it's okay. Mama's here." Mama repeated that over and over, and eventually Amu's eyes dried out. The sheet underneath her head was still wet and salty, though. It looked oddly dark and out of place—just like him, Amu thought, and a fresh wave of sadness overtook her.

She felt Mama gently remove the pillow over her head, and Mama drew her up with surprisingly strong arms; Amu hugged her mother with all her might in return.

"Amu? Will you tell me what's wrong?"

Amu wiped her face with a spare hand. Her eyes felt raw.

"E-every-th-thing," Amu stuttered. Mama smoothed a hand through Amu's hair and silently let her continue.

"Mama, a b-b-boy told me he—" Amu gulped, trying to clear her throat. She couldn't speak.

"What did he tell you, dear?"

"He said he loves me."

It had been a shock in the first moment, but actually acknowledging the fact made it finally real to Amu. She felt calm, almost as if she'd let some secret off her chest.

"Amu," Mama said slowly, "was it the nice boy you had over? Ikuto-kun?"

Amu nodded. Mama knew everything, somehow.

"Did Ikuto-kun do anything to you?"

Amu stared at her mother, puzzled. Then something dawned on her—she'd been nervous around Ikuto back when she first met him. He was older and handsome and intimidating and perverted, but he never—he'd never—

"Mama, no, no, not at all! He—he left." And saying that, too, made it real to Amu, and she started sobbing once again, curled up to her mother's chest.

"He left? That's where you were? Saying goodbye?"

"Air-p-port," Amu managed.

"Oh, Amu, darling." Mama pulled Amu even tighter to her chest and rocked along with her daughter, massaging her back in a repetitive and soft sort of way. Mama was better than anyone when it came to listening to people and comforting them.

"Amu," Mama whispered into her ear much later. Amu pulled away and looked at the clock. It was 10:00pm already. "You should get some sleep soon, all right? You had a long day."

As Mama made to leave Amu's room, she paused at the doorway.

"Amu, I've told you before, but your Mama's always here. You can trust me, ok? So next time you need to get to the airport in a hurry, you give Mama a call, and she will give you a ride."

And with a quiet smile, Mama closed the door.

Amu sniffled again. She smiled a little bit as she heard Papa crying his heart out and then howling in anger downstairs at the fact that some boy had the nerve to steal Amu's heart away from his own.

"Guess it's late," she yawned to herself, and went to her dresser to get pajamas. She meant to get her cute orange-striped ones, but her hand stopped over her dark blue pair. They reminded her of someone, and so she put those ones on instead.

"Amu-chan?" Ran asked hesitantly. "Are you feeling better?"

Amu glanced at Ran. "Hmm?"

Ran frowned. "We're really worried. You were crying…about Ikuto leaving?"

Amu, for the first time all night, grinned. "About Ikuto? Of course not! Who does he think he is, telling me he'd make me fall in love with him! As if! Stupid cat-cosplaying pervert!"

Ran smiled in response. Miki muttered, "Oh whatever Amu-chan, tell yourself whatever lies you like."

"Miki's right, desu!" Su added.

Amu laughed. "It's late. Time for bed. 'Night you guys."

As Amu shut off the light and cuddled into her bed, her phone buzzed on the bedside table. Groggily, Amu grabbed her phone and opened it.

It was a new text message. From Ikuto.

Just got off the plane, transferring flights at Beijing airport. Going to Italy – did I tell you where I'm going? So, miss me a lot yet? I expect to get a reward for winning the bet.

Amu stared at the small screen on her phone for a few blank seconds.

"ARRRRGG! STUPID IKUTO! YOU'RE NOT WINNING!!!"

OF COURSE I DON'T MISS YOU. AND I DON'T CARE WHERE YOU'RE GOING. Although Italy sounds really cool… I don't miss you!!!

Amu sent the message and stared into space. Warmth filled her heart where a huge hole had dug itself since this afternoon, after Ikuto left. She smiled, and she heard Dia wobble in her egg.

Ran peeked at Amu. "So you finally decided you like Ikuto? Dia might hatch!"

Amu's voice drowned out the sound of the first crack. "Of course not! I don't like Ikuto! I don't love him! He's stupid!"

Dia's egg stopped moving.

Miki popped up beside Ran. "She's got no hope, Ran."

The two charas went back to bed. Amu's phone buzzed again. Another text message.

Good to know you miss me. My flight's about to leave, so I have to go. Get some sleep.

Amu sank back into her bed, holding her phone to her heart. It echoed with her heartbeat all throughout the night.

In her little basket, Dia had stopped moving, but her egg had an undeniable hairline crack at the top. Amu pretended not to notice in the days after that the crack grew every so slightly wider whenever she thought about Ikuto. She told herself it was a trick of the light, no matter what her silly charas told her.

And the same with Ikuto. She'd never fall for him, the arrogant, perverted, handsome, caring, talented violin prodigy!

Hey Amu! I'm finally in Italy, and it's nearly as beautiful as you. I know you miss me a lot, but don't be depressed over it, okay? :P