Hello my fellow fanfiction people! I have most certainly not died or have had any accident of any kind. Woo! Finally the double-digit chapters! LOL, no. I'm just happy I got this far. I usually get lazy around this point though and slow down the creative flow. This chapter might be a little strange since I wrote it at multiple moments in time. I don't have much confidence in the ending if this chapter so...any complaints, please state them or forever hold your peace.

Alright, random admittance. I once got lost for over three hours and had no idea where the heck I was going. And I was walking. You've no idea how sore I was when I got home (a miracle, I'm sure).

Anyway, ignore my cyber-babble and enjoy the chapter!

"Welcome to the outside section of the herb gardens," the guide announced with a grand (or what you might call resembled a "come at me") gesture. "We've carefully grown and tended to these plants got the past ten years. We're adding on another section so pardon the construction..."

"It's pretty, isn't it?" Tadase nudged his partner who was bent over her clipboard as she furiously worked to fill it out.

"Yeah, uh-huh, lovely," she responded not really listening.

"Amu," Tadase gently took the clapboard from her hands. She finally looked up.

"What?"

"Stop working for a moment and look around you," he dropped the clipboard to his side. "Isn't it nice to be out in the refreshing air?"

"Yep, it's really nice," Amu held out her hand. "Clipboard. Now."

"You didn't really look."

Amu rolled her eyes and leaned over staring at the flowers for a few seconds then turned back to him. "Satisfied?"

"No," Tadase held the board away from her. "You're so distracted for some reason...did something happen? I don't know you personally well but I know you're not usually this wound up."

"Wound up?" Amu snorted. "Wound up? How can you say I'm wound up? What gives you the impression I'm wound up? I'm so loose. Like...like loose string! I don't know why you think I'm wound up. No. Why would I be wound up?"

"See, Amu?" he poked her cheek accusingly. "You're completely wound up. I can totally tell."

"I am not!" Amu huffed. "I'm just trying to work hard is all. Now give it back."

"I'll give it back when I'm satisfied you're not so wound up," Tadase said sternly. "So that means you'll just have to get used to the idea of 'having fun' with me."

Amu blew a tuft of her hair. "Oh, bother."

"Dude, he's flirting with Amu," Kūkai punched his shoulder lightly. "Look."

Ikuto slid a glance at Amu and Tadase with minor interest. He looked back to the front. "Fascinating."

"My roommate and Amu?" Kūkai asked.

"No, the fact that you've made it this far without failing," Ikuto let a hint of a smirk linger at the edge of his smirk.

"What the heck is that supposed mean?" Kūkai lifted an eyebrow.

"I know how to keep you in suspense." Ikuto looked at him.

Kūkai looked at him dubiously. "What? How?"

He shrugged. "I'll tell you tomorrow."

"Okay..." Pause. "Wait...that was the joke, wasn't it?"

"Maybe."

He sighed but ended up smiling anyway. "You're so stupid sometimes, Ikuto. So stupid Amu'll be someone else's by the time you realize your own feelings."

"...coming from a guy with what, four girlfriends now?"

"That's five, thank you very much." Kūkai corrected him. "And that's completely irreverent at the moment."

"Your point?"

"Ikuto, you never really had someone you liked, have you?" Kūkai's voice got a hard edge to it.

"Well, I suppose not."

"Then just wait." Kūkai sighed. "You'll experience plenty but heartbreak is probably the hardest."

"You've broken your poor little heart before?" Ikuto feigned sorrow. "Poor you. I wonder how all those girls felt when you broke theirs."

With that, Ikuto turned and left. Kūkai tightened his lips knowing too well Ikuto was correct. Kūkai let out a lengthy sigh and took a glance at Amu who was currently giving Tadase some lengthy explanation but he seemed to be ignoring her, smiling and laughing instead while he pulled her arm. Amu looked embarrassedly cute. Kūkai felt himself grow warm at such a naïve thought.

"Souma-kun?"

"Ah, Saaya..." he let out a sly grin, knowing it'd melt her knees. She blushed in return tugging on his sleeve shyly. He pulled her closer, his lips brushing her ear. She seemed to shiver in anticipation.

"No so fast, Kūkai," she giggled but she let him do it anyways.

"Do you even know where we are anymore?" Amu giggled as he tugged her along.

"No," Tadase's laughter echoed in the trees.

Amu didn't respond, giggling like a schoolgirl skipping school. Pink stained her pale cheeks like roses in the summer and butterflies flew around in her stomach. She felt alive somehow. Just...some part of her wanted to fly around the garden without a care in the world. It was oddly comforting. Tadase's hand was grasping hers, tugging her with him to Kami knows where. This friendship she had...it was wonderful.

[Is it really?]

The sudden voice made her pause and stumble in mid-step. Tadase felt her hand tear out of his so he turned back to look. Amu yelped in surprise, flying into the air like a tumbling leaf. Both of them began stumbling and Tadase tripped over himself trying to catch her. He finally pulled her to his chest and did the manly thing by taking the blunt of the force. They skid a few feet in the grass and dirt before coming to a complete stop on the ground in a mess of dirty, messy, pink and blond haired bodies. Both groaned audibly as the aches already began settling in.

Amu sat up quickly and did a quick check up of any pain on her body. A little ache here and there but other than that, she was just peachy. Tadase, on the other hand, was groaning on the ground.

"Oh my gosh, are you okay?" Amu asked feeling apologetic to the guy that saved her sorry butt. "Is there anything you need? Can I help?"

"First..." he grunted. "You could get off of me."

"Yeah, yeah," she got off to the side, worrying lining her face. "Sorry..."

"Well, I'm pretty good," he gave her a reassuring grin. "I'm a little battered up though so try not to do it again. I don't think I'll manage one more fall."

"That's good," she nodded. "I'm just so sorry. I just tripped a little bit and lost my balance."

He sat up and brushed himself off. Amu got up and looked around. As Tadase got up from the ground, she frowned slightly. She really had no idea where the heck they were. Sure, they were told to split up into partners and do more research but Tadase just wasn't having it. Amu needed to have 'fun' or whatnot. She could have fun. She had lots of fun. Amu chewed her bottom lip absentmindedly as she thought. She could have fun and laugh too. She wasn't always studying like everyone said. Besides, at least she knew where her priorities lay at the moment. And that place was college. She had to graduate college to get a job so she could be successful in life and then could always have fun in her free time.

"Helloooo~ earth to Amu!" Tadase waved a hand in her face.

"What?" Amu blinked and stopped chewing her lip.

"I asked if you wanted to walk around," he lightly bumped her with his fist. "But you seemed so far away."

"Sorry," she smiled sheepishly. "I guess I've got a lot on my mind."

"Is it Ikuto?"

Amu felt warmth bloom in her stomach. "What? What makes you think that?"

He raised his eyebrows. "I was just asking."

"Well, a little I guess," she admitted grudgingly. "But not really. He's just annoying sometimes, okay? Nothing else."

"That's what all girls say," Tadase seem to smirk.

Amu gawked at him with surprise. "D-did you just..."

He gave her a funny look. "Did I just what?"

"Did you, Hotori Tadase, just smirk at me?" Amu blinked a few times, extremely sure he did.

"Maybe I did," he seemed to smirk again. "Maybe I didn't."

"You're such a bad boy," Amu joked with a small laugh. "My goodness, I've never seen you act so...so..."

"Charming?" He suggested playfully. "Cool? Sexy?"

"Devious," she concluded - though some of his suggestions were quite accurate...

"I guess it's just one of 'those' days," he stuffed his hands in his pockets and shrugged it off.

"That's kinda sexy you know that?" Amu gave him a slanted look.

"You're kinda sexy yourself," he gave her a full-on smirk. She struck a seductive pose and made a come-hither look. "Scratch that; you're just off the scale hot right now."

She doubled over laughing. She didn't know why she was doing this ridiculous kind of thing with Tadase but she was. And she stopped caring. Right now success would have to wait and since Tadase was so locked on showing her a good time, she might as well enjoy his well-spent efforts. Everything she had thought earlier went right out the window and she planned on having as much fun as possible before she'd get crammed into a stuffy office with a broken air conditioner.

"Why thank you my good sir," she bowed extravagantly with a twirl of the wrist. "Shall we enjoy this day?"

"Why of course, miss," he held out his elbow. "Come along and I'll show you the splendors of the lost jungle."

"Aren't we still lost though?" Amu giggled slipping her hand in his elbow.

"No, of course not," he started walking. "We're just exploring for an alternative exit."

"Yep, uh-huh," but she went along anyways.

"You really don't know where we are, do you?" Amu finally said.

"What?" Tadase stared ahead.

"We've passed this tree twice now," Amu slowed to a stop.

"Um..." he looked around as if searching for a sign - any sign really. "We're...err...well, I have no idea."

"So we're lost?"

"No...just exploring the unexplored."

"Otherwise known as being lost?"

"Well...yes, I suppose so." He admitted sheepishly.

"This is just great," Amu said with a sigh. "And I suppose you don't know how to get back either."

"Yes, how did you know?" Tadase laughed.

"Lucky guess?" Amu replied sarcastically.

"Well, I'll get us out of here somehow," he smiled at her.

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"And what're you two up too?"

They both jumped turning to the sound of the voice. Ikuto leaned with his back against the tree, twirling a flower between his fingers. He looked over at them and got off the tree, sauntering over to them. He raised an eyebrow at the two of them with dropped the flower. Tadase tried to explain without making a fool of himself but Amu cut in.

"Ikuto, what're you doing here?" Amu wondered seeing as they were supposedly lost.

"Well," he gave her an Ikuto smirk and leaned in to whisper in her ear. "I couldn't stand being apart anymore, hime-sama."

She pushed him away, though not without turning a light shade of pink. "T-this...we'e trying to be serious, Ikuto."

"Oh, but I was," he smirked.

"Do you have any idea how to get back?" Tadase asked.

"T what?" Ikuto kept his gaze stuck on Amu who was getting increasingly flustered. "Reality? England? China?"

"The others," he stressed 'others' with his slight annoyance.

"Well," Ikuto sighed and leaned back with a yawn. "I could settle for a catnap about now."

"Of course you can," Amu said with fake politeness. "Oh, but don't mind if we leave you behind. Sleep tight, don't let the bugs bite."

"I'm not going anywhere," Ikuto said, "unless you go with me."