Chapter Ten

Walking down the street, I started to pull up my jacket's thick hood since the air was a little nippy today. It was a good thing I had remembered to grab my fluffy hoodie just in case it was this cold, otherwise I would have been freezing by now.

As we walked, it suddenly hit me that, I had absolutely no idea where he lived.

I heard the poof of a character change, then suddenly arms were wrapped around my form, lifting me up into the bridal style carry as he leapt into the air in long strides; jumping off buildings, light poles, anything in our path.

"What are you-"

"It's easier this way."

Within a few minutes we were on the other side of town, a walk that would have taken at least an hour or two by foot; when he stopped, it was in front of a modern style mansion.

There, he sat me on solid ground before raising his arms above his head in a stretch.

The place was huge, and standing in front of that intimidating fenced gate made me feel out-of-place.

Ikuto typed in a code causing the gates to open, walking into the complex with a hand in one pocket, the other limp at his side. I stayed as close to him as I possibly could, this place was so big it would have been easy for me to get lost.

Once inside, I tried to take everything in, from the shiny floors that could almost pass for mirrors, to the expensive decor. I was in awe, until a certain voice made me take my eyes off our surroundings.

"Ikutooo, you're home!"

"Oomff... Utau, get off." Utau came rushing at Ikuto with her arms wide open, wrapping them around his neck so she could affectionately nuzzle her cheek into his.

"No."

"Get off."

"No! I don't wanna!"

"You're going to make me mad," he shoved her away with a stern face. He was different now then he was last night, he was cold and emotionless; as if just being in this place brought out the worst in him.

"You're a meanie!" Utau stomped her foot, growling at Ikuto as he walked away, heading up a long set of stairs to the second floor.

"Amu, wait here," he stated with a detached tone, disappearing around the corner with Yoru right on his heels.

I blinked to Utau, giving her a warm smile when she finally noticed that I was standing right here.

"How are Kukai and Daichi, I haven't seen them in a while?"

Since Kukai had graduated highschool, the two were a big hit couple; the media just could not get enough of the famous idol and her love life.

"Good, he sprang his ankle though so he's been keeping low for the past couple of weeks."

"Oh no, how did he do that?!"

The gorgeous blonde stared at me for a moment, crossing her arms as she looked away expressionless.

"He came back for you, you know."

"...wah?"

"Don't think just because I'm with Kukai now, that I'm just going to let you take Ikuto from me so easily." She whipped her head back around to glare at me, those long pigtails bouncing against her tiny frame.

She slung out her right arm then, pointing at me while her left hand positioned itself on her hip.

"Amu, only when you prove that you love Ikuto more than I do, will I step aside and let you have him!"

I couldn't help but grin, nodding in agreement to her terms. She was still the same in every way.

"Only if you promise we will get together and catch up, I've missed you, Utau."

This brought a smile to her glossed lips, her own head giving a quick nod that made those pigtails bounce again.

"Hey, Utau, can I ask you a question? How come you never told me he was back? How long has he been back, exactly?"

Those amethyst eyes of hers narrowed in thought, falling away from my face as she stared at the floor before speaking in a soft tone.

"It's been a week now, he made me promise not to tell you. He said for the past few months, he could never find the right words, so he stopped writing. I dunno, something about wondering if he stopped talking if you would miss him the way he missed you... or something like that. I don't understand him sometimes."

Her eyes flicked back up to my face, the seriousness in their reflection causing me to fidget.

"If he knew I told you any of that, he would throw a fit."

"Hm," Ikuto's voice came from behind Utau, causing the both of us to jerk our attention to him.

He stood there with an oblivious expression on his face, holding up a toothbrush in one hand, the other still inside his pocket. His tail twitching in curiosity to our conversation since he was still in character change.

"That's why you came here, for your toothbrush? Oh Ikuto, don't leave me! You don't have to move out, if you don't like your room here we can always share mine!"

Utau had reattached herself to Ikuto again while he stood there like a statue, still holding the toothbrush up as she tried to nuzzle his cheek once more.

"I told you, the reason I got my own place is to get away from you, now let go. You're really starting to piss me off."

Finally, Ikuto managed to free himself, grabbing my wrist to pull me along out the door in a hurried way.

"Where are we going now?" I asked trying to keep up with his pace.

"To my apartment," he lifted me into the bridal position again as he spoke, taking to air as we headed in the direction of my home.

He lived near my house now?