[Next Day]

"Onee-chan! Look at those flowers! They're so…pretty!" Ami childishly squealed as she ran up to those flowers.

"Yeah, they are. Which one is your favorite?" Amu smiled.

Ami pointed to a pink flower that neither of them knew the name of. But the striking feature of that flower is that it had bright pink petals, just like her hair. It struck a chord in Amu's heart that Ami's favorite flower would be the the flower that resembles her.

"Thank you, Ami, thank you," Amu breathed. She didn't want to pick the flower. It looked so pretty like it was. Picking the flower would cut off the life it has.

"It is not as pretty as onee-chan, though," Ami shuffled her feet.

Amu looked at Ami with a surprised look.

"Because onee-chan is the most prettiest thing in the world and Ami loves onee-chan!" Ami suddenly threw herself into Amu's arms.

Amu didn't know what to do as she hugged Ami. But she felt tears prick her eyes.

Ami…

[Amu's POV]

"Ami…"

"Amu?"

I wake up at the mention of my name. I furiously wipes away any tears that I must've shed during my dream and wearily look at Ikuto, who is looking at me with a blank expression.

"What?"

"You were crying in your sleep again."

"Oh."

Suddenly, a phone went off. I muttered along the lines of, "I thought I never had a cellphone!"

Picking up the cellular device, I held it snug against my ear, before speaking, "Hello?"

"Aw, come on, Amu-chan! Is that the way you greet your soon-to-be father?" Tsukasa's cheery voice came on the other side of the phone. It sounded so bizarre because Tsukasa was a person who is normally calm and collected. I never knew Tsukasa had such a childish side to him.

"Anyways, Amakawa-san," I started with the most important issue in the world. How did I have a cell phone?

"Call me daddy!" he whined, totally out of character.

"I can't call you dad until you legally adopt me, Amakawa-san," I sweat dropped.

"...Fine…" he pouted on the other side of the phone.

"Anyways, how do I have a cellphone? I don't recall my parents ever getting me something," I looked curious. Out of the corner of her eye, Ikuto clenched his fists when she mentioned that. What does she mean she never got anything?

"I made a plan for you, no daughter of mine is going to be neglected of her needs…." Amakawa says into the phone.

"Um… Amakawa-san...are you okay?" I ask him and now that I noticed his background it sounds like a party.

"Yes…I am perfectly fine, just at a party that's all. And about you living with me..." He trails off, but I feel uneasy now.

I gulped. I thought he was fine with me staying in Ikuto's room! Now that I look back on it seems that Amakawa was acting strange when I came to Ikuto's room, and it wasn't my suspicion.

"I want you to live in the spare guest bedroom. I know Ikuto won't try anything on you, but I can't have you staying in a boy's room, Amu, I want you to feel safe and I will make you stay in my home until your family's one month vacation is over, you have to agree with me if we are going to make this work." he said on the other side of the phone.

I was getting worried. Will he cut off my assignment to look after Ikuto?

"No, I will not end your assignment to look after him. It was your choice, and I can't stop you, you know. But you will stay with me for the time being, until your family comes back and then we will take them to court."

I was still worried. Ikuto is in a fragile state and he is cold, but he cries around me only, and he might be delirious if I am taken away from him! I can't leave him, not like this! I like spending time with him!

"Are you okay with that, Amu-chan?" Amakawa-san is prodding me on the other side of the phone.

"Yeah, it's okay," I said, even though my throat felt tight, I denied it and pressed on "When do I come?"

"This evening," he answered.

"O-Okay," I said. What else should I say?

"See you, Amu-chan!"

"Same," I tightly say, and the phone goes dead. I sigh and close the phone and put it back wherever I found it, and start to slowly pack up my things.

"Where do you think you're going?" a velvet voice stops me dead in my tracks.

"Uh, nowhere," I nervously laugh and scratched the back of my head.

"You aren't going to leave me, are you? The last one did, please don't tell me you are." Ikuto said which made me feel a tad bit of guilt. I swiveled around to see Ikuto sitting on his bed, hugging his knees to his chest.

"Amakawa-san wants me to move in with him," I said, "I am not leaving, you know."

"That is what everyone tells me. They won't leave me, I am not leaving when they really are in the end" his eyes harden, "You are no different."

My heart shatters at his cold attitude, and said, "Amakawa-san isn't breaking off my assignment, Ikuto. Please."

His body trembles in anger and I shake, out of fear. What if he hurts me? What if he raises a hand on me? I am no different.

"I-Ikuto?" my voice quivers.

"Just go," his voice hardens.

He then turns around and pulls the covers hard over his head. I almost break apart. The one person I thought I might be able to get closer to, just pushes me away.

I am already packed, and a buzz comes from my light blue art supply backpack. I take out my phone and I read the text:

To: Amu

From: Daddy (Tsukasa)

Sent at: 3:34 P.M.

Amu-chan,

I am waiting outside for you. Come out when you're ready!

Hugs and kisses,

Otou-san

Options: Reply-Delete-Forward-Ignore

I rolled my eyes when he nicknamed himself 'daddy' for me. I looked back at Ikuto, and I saw that he was now sitting up straight, glaring at my phone.

I walk towards him, I reach out a hand and softly say, "I have to go now, Ikuto."

His face clenches when I said that, and I rub my thumb over his face scars and say, "I will see you at dinner time. I will come over to make you dinner, all right?"

When he makes no move, and just stays like that like a doll whose heart was ripped out, I pull him into a hug, me resting my forehead on his shoulder. Then, the humpty lock that I decided to wear around my neck, started to glow from underneath my layers of clothing.

It was warm, and Ikuto's eyes widened. I laughed nervously, and didn't want him to worry about it, and said, "Ahh, I must not be feeling well. I guess I need to get some rest! I guess I have a fever!"

Ikuto's eyes widen and he encircles my arms with his huge, thin hands and says, "Amu, wait!"

We are interrupted by the phone ringing in my pocket. I break out of Ikuto's iron grip on my hands and uneasily answer, "Hello?"

"Amu-chan, hurry up! I want to show you your new room!" he exclaims.

"In the attic?" I raise an eyebrow?

"Heavens no! That is such a rude thing to do to children! An animalistic torture!" he yells on the phone.

I hold my hand up in mock defeat and say, "Okay, okay, calm down, I was just kidding. I am coming right now."

"Fine," he pouts on the other side of the phone.

I laugh really hard and then hang up. I put on a thick coat to hide any signs of glowing from my Humpty Lock. I do not want Ikuto to get worried more than he is. He already is mixed with the idea of me leaving him forever, as if that isn't crazy enough.

"Amu."

The determined voice makes me freeze as I was pulling up my zipper. I shudder and arms pin me down to the bed, a hand making its way to the edge of my zipper, about to pull it down.

"You are hiding something from me," he stares so deep in my eyes, and I realise what he is doing, he is slowly torturing me!

"I-It's…" I manage out.

"It's what?" he asks.

"It is a secret that is too dark for you to know," my cheeks heat up, and I break out of his arms, "I will see you at dinner time. Sleep well and eat the meal I laid out for you."

I break out of his warm arms and sling my flute case strap around me, carry the backpack in my right arm and roll my luggage of clothes in my left. All my clothes from laundry were in it and I am pretty sure I am not forgetting anything.

I smile at Ikuto and he says to me, "I won't eat anything until you come."

My heart skips a beat, and I argue, "But what if a nurse brings you something to eat or drink?"

"Then I will throw it away," he said with determined eyes, "so come back soon."

I could just nod, and my throat becomes thick. I don't know what else to say so I just leave, lock the door, and start down the hallway.

I exit the building. Thankfully, there were no nurses interested in nursing Ikuto because although they were attracted by looks, I am probably sure the moment they try to butter him behind my back, they will just get flung away. I know this because whenever and wherever I went the past few days, nurses would whisper in admiration, "How does the girl get along with that monster? Does she realize that he was a mistake? If that's the case then she is just like him, a monster."

It took me all my will not to snap at them and slap them so hard for calling Ikuto a monster, because he is far from being one. I don't care what they do to me but Ikuto doesn't deserve this kind of treatment.

I wait outside, and I see Amakawa-san's bright red Mazda car.

"Hop in!" he cheers.

I roll my eyes and load my things in the back seat and sit next to him in the front seat.

"So, when will my tutoring start? I have to know how long they will be, or else Ikuto will get possessive," I told him.

"You will be taking online classes, so when you are not attending to his needs, you can get lessons done and homework, quizzes, and tests completed. I know you are a smart girl. You did very good in school, right?" Amakawa-san asked.

"I would still be in school had there not been abusive people and backstabbers," I muttered, hoping he wouldn't catch that, but I guess since luck isn't on my side today, he heard.

He grimaced and said, "The world isn't fair, Amu."

I sighed and he drove off, "I know."

"I will help you every step of the way, Amu, but you have to quit your what-if's. I know you are scared of being more scarred, so I am going to take your parents to court. I know you are scared of going to school, so I set up online schooling for you. I am doing all of this so you don't have to be worried. Meanwhile you can heal, and then later go to an actual school and make real friends and actually fall in love," he emphasized the last word.

I grimaced, "Tadase was the worst choice."

He nodded, and said, "I don't know what happened to him. He was so kind when he was a child. But then again, Ikuto-kun told me that Tadase was possessive over him and would hide his jealousy through a princely personality."

I raised an eyebrow, "How did Ikuto know Tadase?"

"You know the Dumpty Key?" he asked.

I gasped.

"What?" he asked in confusion.

"You mean the Dumpty Key that fits with the Humpty Lock?" I clarified with him.

"Yeah...why?" he drove into the driveway of the house and parked his car there, but made no attempt to get out of the car.

"I am the owner of the lock," I said.

"No way…" his face paled.

"Yes way," I insist. To prove my point, I pull the zipper down, and yanked my lock from it's confinement.

"Oh my heavens. Amu, why didn't you tell me?" he whispered as he touched my lock to see if it was real.

"I didn't know how to tell you, Amakawa-san," I sheepishly ducked my head.

"Call me dad. Or if that is too uncomfortable with you, call me Tsukasa," he insisted.

I nodded and I asked him, "So what about the Dumpty Key?"

"The Dumpty Key belonged to Ikuto's father. He passed it down to Ikuto since he is the new chosen owner. You are the original owner of the Humpty Lock, and will be remembered for that because you are the first person the Humpty Lock ever responded to," he said, and I nodded.

"The key was passed down to Ikuto, and when he was little, he lived with Tadase's family. Since his father disappeared, he left the key with the family. Tadase was given it to take care of. But Tadase took it to his head that he was the chosen one and kept it with him like he owned it. When Utau and Ikuto left the family, Ikuto took the key with him, and Tadase called him a thief and monster ever since," Tsukasa said sadly, "He spent his time looking for his father, and when he did, you know the rest of the story. His mother was forced to marry Hoshina Kazuomi and Utau's last name was changed from Tsukiyomi to Hoshina. She didn't mind, but Ikuto insisted on keeping his last name since he hated Kazuomi to the core."

I whispered, "So he is the owner of the Dumpty Key?"

He nodded.

My cheeks heated up and I ducked down my head, and I said, "I do not want him to know."

He showed surprise and said, "You can't keep secrets from him, Amu. He isn't a little child that has to be babied."

"I know...but he might be too surprised if he found out that the person he was looking for was closer than he thought. He just thinks of me as...friends…" I whispered the last word, "he is too traumatized to even fall in love, Tsukasa."

He sighed and said, "You know, he is very smart and catches onto things. He probably knows how he feels but doesn't tell, Amu. He just won't admit it and cover it up with titles like 'just friends' or something like that."

I flushed, but I said, "I don't want to impose anything on him, Tsukasa. He is still wounded, like it or not, and he might be even more confused if we try to stuff the truth in his face."

He sighed and said, "He really rubbed off on you, didn't he?"

I shook my head and said, "You have no idea."

He sighed and said, "Well, let's have lunch and I will drive you to the hospital around dinner time to make Ikuto's dinner. Or should I tell a nurse to do that?"

I shook my head and said, "That's a bad idea."

He raised an eyebrow and said, "Why not?"

I said, "If a nurse tries to make it for him, he said he will accept the food, but he will secretly throw it away, even water. He wants everything made by my hands only. I tried to reason with him but he just stayed stubborn."

He shook his head and said, "Someone's possessive."

I blushed scarlet, and I do not know why. I am probably sick, that's why! I just need a little rest and I will be back to normal...right?

"W-Whatever. L-Let's just get this over with," I huff with my developed cool 'n' spicy tone and he chuckles.

"Get your flute case and art bag. I will get the 'heavy' stuff," he chuckled.

"I am not that weak!" I protest.

"Whatever you say, princess," he laughed as he was already headed for the door with my bag.

I huff again and lug my two items with me.

At least I got a home.

.

.

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TBC