We hid in the closet, Ikuto and I, as Tadase confessed to Amu that he loved her. I watched Ikuto's reaction carefully, noticed how his shoulders tightened and how he visibly forced himself to relax. When Amu came back to her room after seeing Tadase off Ikuto was lying on the bed waiting for her.

Amu seemed not to notice him, she was so lost in thought. She sat down on the bed and leaned back against the pillows. "He just said.." she whispered.
"'Let me love you', huh?" Ikuto asked from right beside her. Amu jumped as he went on. "So do you like him?" Amu gasped and he rolled over so his face was right next to hers. "Or maybe you just like people saying 'I love you'. I wonder what would happen if I told you 'I love you'?" He stared into her eyes for a long moment. Then he sighed and rolled back over. "Nevermind."

"What!" she cried outraged.

"Grow up faster, will you?" he said, pulling the covers up over his head.

"Tell me about it." I agreed from my spot against the wall. "It's no fun teasing a little girl."

Amu just glared at both of us. "I'm not a little girl! And what-"

"OK." I said, holding up a hand to forestall the rant. "I'll be on the roof if you need me." Before either of them could protest I took off. Shira came with me.

Ikuto was recovering nicely, though he wasn't nearly one hundred percent yet. I still hadn't been able to figure out what was up with the violin, and Ikuto flatly refused to let me take it apart and find out. So for the time being we were stuck here.

Shira and I sat on the roof together. It was how we had spent many a night, back when I was still in the orphanage and it felt good to be doing something familiar. I fell asleep, comforted by the thought that she'd be right there when I woke again.

The next day Amu's parents went out shopping again. She burst into the room with the scariest expression on her face I had ever seen.

Ikuto and I looked up from whatever we had been doing to pass the time. "What's up?" Ikuto asked.

For answer Amu grabbed both our arms and dragged us down the hall, ignoring our protests. She shoved us into the bathroom and locked the door behind her. "Now," she said, turning to face us. I don't know about Ikuto but I felt a definite sense of foreboding as I looked at her determined face. "I have a date with Tadase today." she announced. "So we have to be quick. Here," she threw a towel at Ikuto's head and then another one at mine.

"What's this for?" Ikuto asked. I shivered. I knew what she wanted us to do, and there was no way I was going too, not with them there.

"Take a shower." Amu told him. "I have some of Dad's old clothes for you to wear when you're done." She pointed to a stack of clothes in the corner.

"I hope you're not going to watch us?" Ikuto asked, raising an eyebrow.

Amu flushed. "No, of course not. But I have to stay in here in case Mom comes back, I promise, I won't look."

Ikuto shrugged and pulled his shirt over his head. "Doesn't make any difference to me."

Amu gasped and shoved him into the shower, slamming the door behind him. "Do that in there!" she said. Then she looked at me, still frozen in shock. "Really, Ryo, I won't look, don't worry."

"I-" I started. The sound of running water interrupted me. Ikuto had started his shower. You could see his silhouette through the glass of the door. A hanging towel hid his lower half, thankfully, but his upper half was clearly visible. And that would be more then enough to give me away.

Amu looked at me quizzically. "What? Are you afraid of the water or something?"

I bit my lip. "Look, I really appreciate all the trouble you went though to let us do this but..."

"Hey, Ryo." Ikuto called. "I'm done. Can you pass me some clothes?"

Amu pointed to the pile of clean clothes in the corner. I picked out a few I thought would fit him then passed them through the door, carefully averting my eyes.

Once Ikuto was dressed he emerged from the shower, rubbing the towel through his hair. "You're up Ryo. Go ahead, the water's warm."

I looked at the shower. "Yeah, I think I'll skip it actually."

Amu frowned. "Why-"

"Amu! Will you put away this detergent for me." A new voice, probably her Mom's. The door to the bathroom was pulled open and Amu's Mom stood there, staring at us.

We sat around the kitchen table, Ikuto and I on one side, Amu on another and Amu's Mom across from all of us, a very disproving look on her face.

"Amu." she started. "I am extremely disappointed in you."

"Please Ma'am." I said. "It wasn't her fault. Ikuto and I were in a bit of a tough spot, if Amu hadn't helped us I don't know what we would have done." We'd have been captured by Easter that's what. And no matter what punishment this lady thought up it wouldn't be half as bad as what the Director would do to us if he caught us. In a way I was glad she had caught us. At least now I didn't have to think up some excuse for skipping that dratted shower.

Amu's Mom sighed. "I know you didn't mean too. And I'm sure you and Ikuto are perfectly responsible boys, I just wish you had told me Amu."

"Mom..." Amu said, shamefaced. "I'm sorry..."

Ikuto pushed his chair away from the table and stood. "We'll be on our way as soon as possible. Sorry, for all the trouble we caused." I stood as well and bowed, adding my own "Sorry." to Ikuto's.

"Well," Amu's Mom said. "While it is obvious you can not go on staying in Amu's room, if you don't have anywhere else to go..."

I looked at the table, heat rising in my face. I hated appearing so helpless before a grown-up.

"Maybe we could get you a room in a hotel," Amu's Mom finished. "At least until we figure something else out."

Both Ikuto and I looked shocked and Amu threw her arms around her Mom and cried "Thank you, Mom! I'm so sorry I didn't tell you... I wasn't sure what you'd do and I couldn't just leave them..."

"Well, I'm hoping there won't be a next time." she said, looking at us with raised eyebrows. "But Amu, please remember you can talk to your Father and I about anything."

My face hardened as I thought of my own 'father'. I bowed again to her. "Thank you for your kindness. Excuse me, I'll be gone as soon as possible." I ran up the stairs as fast as I could, anything to get away. Amu really didn't understand just how lucky she was to have parents like that.

I went into Amu's room to get our stuff. Below I could hear Ikuto apologizing for my behavior and Amu telling her Mom thanks yet again. I forced myself to ignore them, instead gathering up our meager belongings and erasing any sign that we had ever stayed in Amu's room. In a few minutes Ikuto joined me and we worked side by side in silence.

After a while I heard the doorbell ring. Amu, she had come up to join us, ran down to answer it. A few minutes later she came running back in. "Stay here!" she ordered, her eyes daring us to disobey. "And not a word!" She slammed the door closed again.

Ikuto and I looked at each other. I listened to the voices on the stairs for a moment. "It's Tadase."

Ikuto nodded and went to the door. I followed.

I understood what he was going to do. He was going to reveal himself to Tadase, thus angering Amu and insuring that she stayed away from us. Both of us knew our pride would not allow us to let Amu's Mom buy us a room in a hotel, not to mention how easy it would be for Easter to find us if we stayed there. We had no choice but to take our chances on the street, and pray we wouldn't get caught. We'd take the consequences as they came, but Ikuto wanted to make sure before hand that Amu wouldn't get mixed up in it.

He shoved the door open. Amu and Tadase were standing together on the stairs, both had faces full of shock. "Tsimori Ikuto?" Tadase said in disbelief. "What are you-"

"We were staying in her room." I said, stepping out behind Ikuto.

"Oro Ryo? You- How long-"

"We were here the last time you came to visit too." Ikuto told the younger boy, his face set and expressionless. "What was it, 'let me love you'? Quiet a passionate confession, for a little boy."

"Ikuto!" Amu cried, shocked and outraged. "Why'd you tell him-"

"Amu." Tadase said, interrupting her. "You knew?"

Amu looked at the floor. Slowly, she nodded.

"I see." Tadase said. He turned and began to go back down the stairs.

"Tadase!" Amu called.

Tadase turned and there was such a look of hurt and betrayal on his face it made her stumble back a step. Then he turned and ran down the stairs.

Ikuto turned to go back into Amu's room. "Why?" she yelled at him. "Why would you tell Tadase those horrible things?"

Ikuto didn't reply as he disappeared back into her room for our things. I answered her question. "If you had kept this a secret from him you wouldn't have been able to trust each other. There would have been no chance of you two having a relationship. At least now, if he forgives you, you have a chance."

"I hate you." Amu said, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I hate you! Just get out!"

I nodded and walked to the balcony, hopping up on the railing. Ikuto was already waiting there, his violin on his back. I noticed he was also back in his old clothes, the clothes Amu had lent him were folded on the bed.

Amu watched with tear filled eyes as we dropped down onto the street, Yoru and Shira following behind us.