Chapter 7: I love you

Ikuto's POV:

I had carried Amu back to her tent. She'd fallen asleep after mere minutes of me playing. I supposed since it was a lullaby that that was good, but I wished she could have watched me a bit longer. Dinner had past and Amu had not awakened from her nap. Poor kid got tired so easily. I waited outside with her dinner. I suppose because the sunrise was nearing it would become her breakfast.

Tadase came up to me then. His right shoulder was still bandaged. I was pretty sure that the arm would be paralyzed. I hoped so. I hoped that would happen to this rival of mine who already had Amu's heart but was too weak to take hold of it. He glared at me. I put on my most confident and obnoxious face and stared back.

"Tsukiyomi Ikuto, I thank you for saving Amu, but you will not win! I will claim Amu's love! I will confess to her and even if she doesn't love me then and there I will prove myself. No matter what guy she may think she's in love with, I will be the one she ends up with in the end."

"Good luck with that Kiddy King, but remember, that's the good thing about being the bad guy; you don't have to play fair. And trust me when I warn you I won't."

The Kiddy King obviously had no response to my comeback so he pivoted and walked back to his tent. When he was out of sight I sighed heavily. That brat annoyed the Hell out of me.

Amu's POV:

I woke up groggily. The sun had yet to shine. I rolled clumsily out of bed. I realized too late that I had injured my leg. A sharp pain ruptured through me. I cringed and groaned. When Ikuto-kun had said the wound wasn't that deep he had meant it wasn't so deep it touched the bone. It was still a wound that would take some time to heal; it might even scar. I groaned again at that thought.

Ikuto came into my tent looking annoyed. I could understand why. I was such a nuisance – hurting myself all the time. He had food in his hand.

"Breakfast." he explained. He put the fish down and looked me over. "Your hairs a mess." he laughed. I lifted my chin in the air with indigence spread across my face. He rolled his eyes,

"Get dressed." he sighed. I looked down; I was still wearing the same clothes I had been in (how many hours had it been?) before. I supposed they would have dried quickly so there had been no need to change me out of them. Ikuto started to leave.

"Uh... Ikuto-kun... thank you... and—" but I never finished what I had to say because Ikuto had turned around and I got lost in his purplish eyes. He cocked an eyebrow at me. Then he smiled teasingly, inching his face closer to mine. Every inch he got closer I blushed more.

"Ikuto-kun..." my whisper was barely audible. He lowered his face. His lips hovered above my collarbone. He sighed, letting his cool breath tickle my skin. Goosebumps arose on my skin and he started chuckling.

"Ikuto! You pervert!" I yelled at him. He just kept laughing, and crawled out of my tent. I glared after him.

Why does he always have to be so... so! Grrrr!

You mean so nice? Part of me asked.

No, no.... I mean, a... a...

A helping hand? That hidden part of me interrupted again, He saved you twice on this island, and countless times before that. He got you breakfast, he even carried you back to your tent. You've done nothing for him. Be grateful!

I am grateful! I just hate it when he's a pervert! I was arguing with myself – isn't that a sign of insanity?

Amu, don't lie to yourself. You know you love it when he does that.

No, I don't.

Not even a little?

...

See?

...maybe... but it doesn't... it doesn't matter

The only thing that matter's is what you heart tells you.

What's that supposed to mean?

Listen to your heart. At that moment my heart thudded loudly in my chest as if cued. I closed my eyes and listened to what it was saying.

Images flashed before me. Most of them were of Ikuto. Some had Kukai, or Tadase, or Nagehiko, or even Kairi, but still it was mostly Ikuto. As the images appeared in my head, that other side of myself started talking again.

He's handsome, he's strong, he's fast, he's funny, and he's musical. Why lie, Amu? Why lie to yourself? Listen. Listen to you heart. My heart thudded again. I listened closely to its rhythm.

I-ku-to. It said again and again. I opened my eyes wide. There was a feeling growing inside of me. It was warm and bright, like being reborn.

"Ikuto" I whispered, "I... I'm in love with Ikuto."

I stayed in my tent for a long time. After my revelation I couldn't keep Ikuto out of my head. He was there at every corner, in every memory. The more I thought about it, the more in love I became. It wasn't like my crush on Tadase; it felt so much deeper than that. My heart ached with a need to be with Ikuto, while it only pounded when Tadase talked to me. My head span with memories of Ikuto and I, while it had before only swam with a disarray of fantasies. I couldn't stop smiling. While joy over flowed from me, I also felt pain, because I wasn't with him. Ikuto, who was always so annoyed with me, who always had to play the nice guy because I was so dense, made my heart feel broken. The only thing I'd ever given him was someone to tease. I had tried to be kind, but there had been all those times I'd yelled at him, and that time I had told him I hated him. I regretted those words more than anything.

I got up slowly, but the pain in my leg seared. I fell down. Then another memory of Ikuto shot through my mind.

"You sure fall down a lot." he had commented to me once. I bit my lip and got up despite the pain. Ikuto was always dealing with his pain on his own. Surely I could do the same. I limped out into the almost sunlight. The Utau was in the middle of setting up the food to be cooked while someone (probably Kukai) got firewood. Aside from Utau, Rima, Tadase, and me there was no one else around. Tadase looked up and smiled. Normally that would have made my face go red, but I didn't love Tadase anymore.

"Hinamori-san." he smiled again. Had I really thought of his smile as royal? I asked myself. It seems almost annoying now. "Hinamori-san, there's something I want to tell you. It can't wait. I've been trying to tell you for along time now. Hinamori Amu, I love you." Oh sure, you tell me this now. On the day I realize I don't love you! I thought angrily at him. And what's with that confident smile. You think just because you told me you love me means I will love you back. "You might not love me right now, but I am the one for you Amu. I will prove it. No worries, I will!" Tadase exclaimed. How dare you be so confident about that! At least when Kairi confessed he had the decency to blush! I was thoroughly annoyed. I could now see why Ikuto hated Tadase so much.

"Tadase-kun..." I started, but he interrupted me.

"You don't have to say anything right now, Amu-chan. I promise you I'll win you over!" He noticed Kairi leaving for the construction sight of the hut. "See you later, Amu-chan!" He waved at me. I closed my eyes and resisted the urge to yell at him. Why had I found such an overly confident jerk to be so attractive? Ikuto's confident, yes, but mostly he's just a pervert. I looked back towards Utau and Rima. Utau was suddenly very interested in todays breakfast and Rima looked like smoke would come out her ears.

"Amu." she said. I backed away. She took a step forward. "Amu, please... I've been trying to tell you for a long time! Tadase..."

"Rima... I"

"TADASE IS MINE AMU!" Rima crossed her arms and turned away, "I mean I know you have a crush on him, but... but I really like him Amu. Please, please don't like him back."

"Rima..." I started to say, but she was already running. I didn't have time to run for her. At that moment my heart ached for Ikuto more than ever. I had to find him, I had to be near him even if he didn't love me back. I ran towards the shoreline. Many times I almost fell because of the pain. I looked to my left. Ikuto was walking away.

"Ikuto!" I tried to shout. I limped/ran towards him. "Ikuto-kun!" I cried again. He turned around. He still looked annoyed, but still I charged forth. My love got bigger the closer I got to him. Then I fell. I just fell right down on the sand less than a meter away from him.

"Amu-chan!" he exclaimed, helping me up, "Amu, you're injured. You shouldn't be running." Oh, why do you always have to be so nice to me? I thought at him. I hoped furiously for even a chance that Ikuto loved me like I loved him.

"Ikuto-kun." I buried my head into his shoulder. He wasn't wearing a shirt like usual. I sighed with relief and he wrapped his arms around me hesitantly. I couldn't see his face, but I betted I was crossing a line. "Ikuto-kun" I repeated. It felt incredibly good to say.

"Amu-chan." he whispered into my hair. I loved the way he said my name. I loved how he looked so good. I loved how he's always so nice, and I even kind of loved how he was a bit of a pervert. I wanted so much to believe that he loved me and that was why he teased me, but I couldn't. There wasn't any good reason for Ikuto to love me back. I'd done nothing but cause him trouble. We sat like that for a long time. The sun came up. Ikuto shifted under me.

"Breakfast time, Amu-chan." but I shook my head.

"You go ahead, I'll be here."

"Um... okay... I'll be back." I watched him walk away. I wanted so much to yell: "Ikuto I love you!"

Author's Note: Phew!! That was a long one! What'd you think? There's some drama going on!!! Okay, so for the Ikuto Point of View thing, like that's probably gonna end up being a one shot. Unless I get a lot of comments saying you guys want more. Cuz I totally love writing Ikuto, just I like writing as a girl because I am one. XD so anyway, please review and thank you for your support. Remember, I update daily!