Notes: May 9th is my fanfiction-writing anniversary! So here's a new fic (or collection of connected one-shots), following up on my previous fic, Blue Marble. This first chapter was actually originally the epilogue to Blue Marble, but I decided it just didn't fit, so now it's the opening chapter to this fic instead.

The rating for this fic might eventually go up to M, but that depends on 1. if I actually decide to write the relevant chapters, and 2. if I decide those chapters don't belong on their own. So... yeah, it's still a big maybe.

Usually I get my fic titles from BUMP OF CHICKEN songs. This time I got it from... uh, an A*Teens song.

---

Halfway Around the World
Chapter 1 - January

The ringing of Mahiru's phone pulled her from slumber, and she fumbled for a moment, eventually finding it lying on the floor next to her bed. Without bothering to check the name on the screen, she accepted the call and held the phone to her ear. "Hello?" she answered, her voice still a bit rough from sleep.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty."

Mahiru gave quite an undignified squeak as she sat ramrod straight in bed, the phone slipping from her fingers and clattering onto the floor again. She scrambled to pick it back up, relieved that it hadn't broken, if the lighthearted laughter still coming through the receiver earpiece was any indication. "A-Amami-kun...?!"

"Yeah, it's me. You're awake now?"

"Well, obviously..." She tried to hold her phone just a centimeter or two away from her face, feeling her cheeks grow warm. It was a strange feeling, having Amami's voice sound like it was being whispered so directly into her ear. It was weirdly intimate, like she was closer to him than she had ever been, even though he was still on the other side of the... wait a second... "You said you'd contact me when you're back in Japan," she said, suspicions growing.

"That doesn't preclude me from calling you before then, does it?"

Oh, so he was still traveling. That was a relief. Maybe just a little tiniest bit of a disappointment too, if she was being completely honest, but gosh, they had barely been apart for twenty-four hours, it wasn't a big deal.

"So why did you call?"

"Just wanted to make sure you weren't too jet lagged and slept through your alarm. Are you okay on time?"

Mahiru frowned and glanced at the time. Her alarm hadn't even gone off yet... but it would in about three minutes, so it wasn't like Amami had called early enough to warrant getting mad at him. "Seriously?"

"Jet lag can be pretty brutal, after all."

"What, did my mom put you up to this? Or did you just want an excuse to talk to me?"

"Would it be so wrong if it were the latter?"

She flushed, gripping the phone just a bit tighter. "...Stupid. No one likes a guy who answers a question with a question, jeez."

Amami laughed. "Sorry, sorry. Anyway, were you able to get much sleep?"

Mahiru hummed thoughtfully. "I mean, I tried to, but I think I only managed to fall asleep about... three hours ago? I wasn't really tired at all after landing yesterday..."

"We warned you not to sleep too much on the plane."

"I never said—! I..." She frowned. "I tried not to, okay?"

"Well, there's nothing to be done about it now." He sighed, but there was a fondness in his voice. "School lets out after the opening ceremony today, right?"

"Opening ceremony, then homeroom, then cleaning, yeah," Mahiru recited as she stood from bed, stretching. She set her phone to speaker and placed it on her bedside table. "And I bet you'll tell me not to go right to sleep after, right?"

"Yeah, it's best to hold out until evening if you can."

She scoffed. "I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself, you know."

"Oh, I know." Amami's voice was tinged with amusement. "It's just a suggestion, really, but trust me when I say you'll regret it if you don't take it."

"Jerk," Mahiru muttered, though there was no malice behind it. She reached down to grab the hem of her pajama top, then paused, feeling the telltale warmth creeping across her cheeks. "Uh, Amami-kun?"

"Yeah?"

She hesitated for just a moment, squeezing the hem between her fists, feeling her cheeks grow redder. "I need to hang up now."

"Hmm?" Amami's voice was a touch perplexed. "That's fine, but why all of a sudden?"

"Th-that doesn't matter!" she stuttered, padding back over to her bedside table and picking up the phone. "I-I bet it's really late where you are, anyway!"

"Sure, but..."

"And I have to get ready for school, so...!"

There was a pause, silence falling between them, and Mahiru could have sworn she heard the click of the pieces falling in place. "Mahiru-san, you realize I can't see you cha—"

"O-of course I know that!" she blurted out, squeezing her pajama top so tightly in her other hand that it was at risk of wrinkling beyond repair. "It's still inappropriate! You jerk!"

Amami only laughed, and Mahiru frowned down at the phone, her face reddening further.

"Forget it!" she huffed. "I'm just gonna hang up now, then!"

"I said that's fine," Amami cut in quickly, before she could end the call, "I don't want to hold you up. Let me at least give a proper goodbye, though."

Mahiru's frown deepened as the tenderness of the words caused her ears to burn. "...Where are you right now, anyway?" she asked, prolonging the conversation without acknowledging that she was doing so.

"Just landed in Belgrade. On my way to a hotel for the night."

"Well... have fun in Belgrade, then."

Amami chuckled. "Sure thing. And you have fun at school."

"Yeah." She paused, her fingers clenching around the phone before continuing. "Stay safe."

"Hmm, no promises."

"Amami-kun..."

"I'm kidding." Mahiru could almost hear his grin over the phone. "Serbia's pretty safe in general, I'll be fine. I've been in way worse places."

"Okay," she said uneasily, wanting to ask about those way worse experiences while also wanting to stay blissfully ignorant. "Well, I'm going to get ready for school, so..."

"Yeah, I'll let you go. Have a good day, Mahiru-san."

Mahiru nodded before giving an audible response. "Yeah, you too. Have a good night, Amami-kun."

"Hearing that from you, I'm sure I will."

"Jeez...!"