"She's hot." Kukai grinned at the girl on the dance floor.
Ikuto looked at her and shook his head at Kukai. "She's decent, at most."
Kukai rolled his eyes at his best friend and nudged Nagihiko in the ribs. "This guy really knows how to choose a girl." He sighed dramatically. "We definitely need him to rate our girls before we get serious."
Nagihiko laughed at his friend. "Well, he is the school's player after all. What girl hasn't been touched by him besides ours?" He smiled at his friend. "But Rima and Utau are definitely perfect."
Ikuto rolled his eyes. "Your Rima is above average at most. And Utau, she's also above average, even though she's my sister. I got all the good looks." He grinned as Kukai playfully punched him.
"That is definitely a hot girl." Nagihiko was staring at the door. Kukai looked too and his jaw dropped.
Ikuto raised an eyebrow at his friends. The girls they said were hot were usually only above average, at most. He turned and felt his eyes widen a little. This girl was definitely hot. She had nice pink hair and sparking honey eyes. She was hot, sexy, gorgeous, pretty, and beautiful. She looked his way and he felt his heart stop. He wanted her.
She went over to the bar and joined his sister and the chibi. Rima and Utau smiled at her and gave her hugs. When Rima and Utau left to dance together, Tadase, the school "prince" went up to the girl. He was talking to her and making her laugh. Ikuto wanted to be the one to make her laugh instead.
"Guys, go get Tadase." Ikuto motioned for Kukai and Nagihiko to go distract him. He had to go talk to this girl.
Nagihiko and Kukai looked over and understood. He was going to hit on the new girl. They walked over to Tadase and started up a conversation, dragging him away. That left the girl by herself.
Ikuto made his way over to her. He felt a bit nervous. He didn't know why. Was it because she was so pretty? He made his way next to her and sat on the stool. He watched her drink. "Hey."
She looked over at him and smiled. "Hey."
Her voice was perfect. It was enough to make his heart stop. She was perfect. Just that one word could make him stop breathing.
"I'm Hinamori Amu." She smiled at him.
"Tsukiyomi Ikuto." He smiled back at her. He watched as she finished the drink and got another. "You sure can drink."
Amu turned to him and smiled. "Yeah…" She twirled her straw in the cup. "I was waiting for you to talk to me all night…" She looked up at him. "But you probably don't remember me."
Ikuto looked at her questioningly. He knew her before?
She laughed quietly to herself. "I could tell it was you as soon as I saw you.." She turned away. "We… used to go out." She turned back to him. "Eighth grade? The freak with glasses and tangled hair? The ugly girl that you wouldn't want to be seen with? The one you would rather die then ever be caught with? The one that wasn't worth your time…" She looked away and gave a short, forced, painful laugh. "The one… you could never love."
There was an awkward silence. "Oh." That was the only thing he could think of to say. This Amu.. was really the girl he had dated back then? The one with thick glasses and the crazy hair? He couldn't speak.
Amu laughed awkwardly. "Well… how have the past years been for you?" She couldn't look his way. She had been rejected by him before. She took another drink. Had he ever thought of her when she had gone in the past thee years? All the days since she'd moved away she had always thought about him. She had a bit of hope in her that he had thought about her too.
"Life has been… fine." Ikuto shrugged and looked over at Amu again.
"H-how about your love life?" Amu blurted out. She needed to know. There was an awkward silence. She laughed softly. "Sorry, awkward huh?"
"No, it's okay. I've had a couple of girlfriends…" He looked over at you. "How about you?"
"I've… met a couple of guys. But…" But they weren't you. But I only loved you. I still love you. Do you love me? She laughed awkwardly. "I-I don't know. It just… didn't feel right. To be with someone else." Someone that wasn't you. "I guess I'm just not ready for a relationship yet. Unless it's with you. "W-well… who's your current girlfriend?" She forced herself to look at him and smile. "Is it that girl over there? She's been staring at you the whole night." She drank another two cups, preparing herself for his answer.
"I don't have one right now." Ikuto studied her face. She looked close to drunk. "So is there a guy you're interested in?"
"Yeah." She took another drink. "But he doesn't like me." Her words were getting slurred.
"How could you be so sure? Have some more confidence in yourself. You're pretty." Ikuto took another drink too.
"Because he called me ugly." She laughed and turned to him. "He said he could never love me. That I wasn't worth his time and he would rather die then be with me." She saw the look on his face and laughed. "I know. You don't love me. You never could. It's okay, I'll move on soon. You don't have to worry."
"Amu…"
A tear slipped down her cheek. More tears came, but she couldn't stop them, she was too drunk to. "I'm sorry… I'll stop. People don't like these awkward situations do they." She laughed and turned around. "I'll… stop."
"Amu.." He turned her around and wrapped his arms around her. "Shh… it's okay." He rocked her gently back and forth, stroking her hair. She smelled of strawberries. He looked down at her and she was asleep. The girl probably cried herself to sleep while drunk.
He picked her up and took her outside. He didn't know where she lived so the only choice was to bring her back to his place. He opened up the back door of his car and put her in gently. But before he could get out, her arms were around his neck and she was kissing him.
Her lips were so soft against his. They tasted like strawberries. He knew she was drunk and pulled away from her though. He saw that he eyes were open.
She looked at him. "You don't love me? But I think about you everyday." She sat up. "Don't I look pretty enough for you now? I changed! I did it for you!" She grabbed onto him. "Take me back! Take me back! Please…!"
"Amu, you're drunk." Ikuto tried to pull away from her, but she was hugging his arm tightly. "Amu, let go." She clung on to him, refusing to let go. "Amu, come on, I have to get you home. You're drunk."
"You think my love is a lie." She looked up at him. "Y-you said. You said I could be your girl." She blinked back tears. "You lied. You lied to me." She was crying again. "Why? Why?"
"Amu." He watched her as she cried herself to sleep again. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He took back his arm from her and drove to his house. What are my feelings for her? When he had first saw her back at the bar, he had wanted to be with her. But now… did he still want her? He looked back at her sleeping form, her eyes puffy. She was still beautiful in this state. Beautiful.
"Ikuto-kun?" Amu kept her head down and held out a box of chocolates to him. It was Valentine's Day, and she was finally confessing to him. "W-will you accept my feelings?"
Ikuto looked at her. She was in a couple of his classes. The geek with thick glasses and the wild hair. He looked at the box of chocolates and took it from her. "Thanks." She looked up at him in surprise and he smiled at her before walking away.
Amu was waiting outside the door of the room for Ikuto. When people started to exit, she looked around for him. He was the last one out. "Ikuto-kun…"
Ikuto turned to her. "Yo. Amu right?"
She nodded. "About last time…"
He smiled at her. "Don't worry about it. You can be my girl." He ruffled her hair and walked away, leaving a happy Amu behind.
"I-Ikuto-kun…" Amu looked at him. "D-do you… want to go with me… to a movie? On Saturday…" She looked up at him hopefully. "I-I got us the tickets already."
Ikuto didn't even look up at her. "Okay."
She put a ticket by his book and quickly walked away. She was finally going on a date with him.
Ikuto was walking ahead of Amu a bit. She slowly grabbed for his hand. He jerked it away though. She bit her lip and managed to slip her hand into his. He stopped walking.
"What are you doing."
"H-huh?"
He turned around to face her. "Why are you holding my hand." He tore her hand away from his own.
"I-I thought…" She bit her lip. "I thought we… were going out."
Ikuto scoffed at her. "What makes you think I'll go out with a thing like you? You're hideous. What makes you think I would want to be seen with you? I'd rather die then ever be caught with you. You're not worth my time. I don't like you and I never will. I could never love you." He walked away, leaving her staring after him in tears.
Ikuto groaned. He had messed up. He sighed. He got out of the car and carried her up to his house and laid her down on the bed. He went to his bathroom to shower. When he got out, he saw her rolling on the bed, talking in her sleep.
"I-Ikuto… I love you. Am I pretty enough for you now…?" She rolled over. "Give me another chance…"
"Amu." Ikuto sat next to her on the bed. She slowly opened her eyes and looked around.
"I'm dreaming again aren't I." She smiled up at him and sat up slowly. She put her hand on his cheek and smiled. "You… didn't pull away." She closed her eyes and rested her head on his chest, wrapping her arms around him. "Stay… just a little longer. I'll wake up soon so…" She sighed happily. "Stay with me for a while." She pulled away from his chest and slowly kissed him.
Ikuto kissed her back. He made up his mind. He would ask her out again. He moved his lips against hers. He pulled back and looked into her eyes. "I love you too." He kissed her again and smiled at her.
Amu smiled and threw her arms around him. "I love you, I love you." She kissed him again and again. "Don't leave me. Promise…" She held his hand, liking the way their fingers fit together perfectly.
"I promise." He wrapped his pinky around hers. "I'll stay with you." He wrapped his arms around her and soothed her into a deep sleep. He, himself, fell asleep with his arms around her.
Amu blinked her eyes opened and noticed a lot of blue. His shade of blue. She had the best dream about him last night. He had stayed with her and comforted her. He told her he loved her. She wished he really did. She smiled softly. She tried to get up, but there were arms holding her down. She looked to her right and saw Ikuto. Her dream man. Was she still dreaming?
His eyes fluttered open. "Mm… morning." He took his arms away and kissed her. "Where's my morning kiss?"
She just laid there on the bed, staring at him. She was definitely still dreaming. "Huh?" Why did he kiss her if he wasn't serious about her? Was he just playing with her feelings? "Don't… pretend you like me."
"Amu. I love you." He kissed her again. "I'm sorry for what I said back then." He kissed her again.
"You're lying." She turned her head away from him. "You said.. you could never love me. You could never love me now."
Ikuto wrapped his arms around her. "I do. I do love you." He turned her around to face him. "I promised last night, didn't I?"
Amu blinked. That wasn't a dream? "R-really?" She wrapped her eyes around him.
Ikuto smiled and kissed the top of her head. "Hey Amu?"
"Mm?"
"Happy anniversary."
It was February 14. Valentine's Day.