A/N: Look, I know it's been a while but i was reallyy busy so I'll keep this note short so you guys can read. But to be honest this isn't my best chapter so far so I'll warn you.

Disclaimer: SilverSpark101 does not own Shugo Chara or any of the characters.

Chapter 12: Revelations


"The loneliest moment in someone's life is when they are watching their whole world fall apart, and all they can do is stare blankly."


"…This is why you called me in the middle of my lunch break?"

Rima glared dully at her friend Yaya, who was bouncing around the sidewalk in her leotard, leggings and ballet slippers, teeth chattering.

"Yeah!" Yaya squealed, grabbing Rima's gloved hands. "Isn't it a great idea?"

"Not when I'm eating."

Yaya giggled, only increasing Rima's livid irritation.

"Oh, c'mon, Rima, it'll be fun! We can bring her some soup and some tea; it'll be like a little hospital visit! I've always wanted to do that, except I was too scared to actually go in the hospital… it's all white and smelly, like old sick people, and all I can think about is needles and those ugly paper dresses and yucky medicine –"

"Yaya." Rima held up her hand.

"S-sorry," Yaya said shyly, shivering. "I'm cold."

"Are you sure she's home?"

Yaya stared obnoxiously at her friend Rima.

"I'm positive! I called her this morning because I felt like we haven't seen each other in such a long time since graduation. She told me she's stuck home cause of her flu and couldn't go to work. What, do you not wanna see her?"

Rima shook her head, giving Yaya a dull glare.

"Look," Yaya whirled around, opening the passenger's door to Rima's silver Eclipse, "do you wanna make Amu feel better or not? The thing she needs the most right now is some girl-time, if you ask me. Don't you wanna help her get better?"

Rima sighed, rolled her eyes, and without further discussion, walked around to the driver's side of her car. Yaya squealed excitedly, and hopped into the sleek, silver car.

"Off we go to Amu's house!" Yaya sang as they sped down the street.

For the next few moments, the two friends were silent. Yaya was busy playing with the radio system, "ooh"-ing and "ah"-ing at the touch screen controls. Rima sped down the slick streets of Seiyo City, and when they finally stopped at a red light, she placed her hands on top of the steering wheel.

"…Yaya," she said quietly.

"Hmm?" Yaya muttered, fixing her light brown hair in the mirror.

"Have you noticed something about Amu recently? Something… different?"

Yaya folded the mirror into the ceiling of the car, and looked at Rima, innocently bewildered.

"Not really, other than the fact she hasn't talked to us in a while," her expression morphed as she was spitting out the answer, "…come to think of it, maybe."

"What did you see?"

"Well," Yaya crossed her long, slender legs, "she was definitely more sociable now. It surprised me – she's usually not that happy."

Rima remained silent. Yaya looked at her carefully.

"Why, Rima? What did you see?"

Rima shook her head.

"She always looks distracted. Like something always on her mind. I even seen traces of guilt."

Yaya placed a dainty, slender finger on her chin, and stroked it thoughtfully.

"Hmm… this is a problem. We can't have our Amu keeping secrets from us."

"Who said she was keeping a secret?" Rima snapped up suddenly.

Yaya looked at Rima obviously.

"It's obvious, isn't it? Avoiding meeting, looking guilty, being distracted… it's written all over her face. I'm good at reading faces – I can just tell."

Rima rolled her eyes. Yaya suddenly pounded a fist into her hand.

"Well, that settles it!"

"Settles what?"

Yaya looked incredulously at Rima.

"We're going to get it out of her, of course."

"What? No!"

"What do you mean, 'no'? Of course we will! We're her friends, after all, we deserve to know."

"We don't need to pry into her business, Yaya!"

"Usually, you'd be the one to pry, Rima."

"What did you say-"

"Rima, the light."

"Wha – ugh," Rima cursed under her breath, and pressed firmly on the gas pedal.

Rima sped through the streets, changing lanes, passing people left and right, swerving and jerking the poor car as if it was a toy. Yaya threw her hands in the air, and let out a "whee", until she was silenced by a sharp glare from Rima.

"It's impossible," Rima muttered, clearly irritated. "Amu would never keep a secret from me."

"Not unless it was something big. Something really, REALLY big. Something 'Desperate Housewives' big."

Yaya gasped, and threw a finger in the air.

"I've got it!" She turned to face Rima. "She's cheating on her husband."

The car swerved abruptly. Rima pounded her forehead onto the steering wheel.

"What the – no! Idiot! She's not even married. We're 18!"

Yaya shrugged. "Just a suggestion. I saw it on American TV once."

Rima let out a frustrated sigh, driving as speedily as possible to the crappy street that Amu lived on. She was clearly distraught about Yaya's suggestion.

Amu? Keeping a secret? From her?

Impossible.

"Look, there's a grocery store! If we bring Amu chocolates and 'get-well' gifts, she'd bound to spill the beans," Yaya squealed.

Rima contemplated the thought, and slammed down on the brake pedal, swerving violently into the grocery store parking lot, sending Yaya flying across the small car's interior.

"Alright. A couple cans of soup, a package of herbal tea, maybe a few roses. But that's it."

"Y-yeah…" Yaya sat up dizzily, opening the car door, watching Rima stalk quickly into the grocery store. "I-I'm coming… just gimme a sec…"

Rima walked quickly and lithely into the store, shooting a death glare to all who even attempted to give her a friendly glance.

All hell broke loose when the suggestion was thrown into the air that Amu – her best friend, Amu – was keeping a secret from her.

Impossible.

Absolutely impossible.

…Right?


Amu opened her eyes to the sound of her cell-phone's ringtone –

"Ugh… shut up."

Britney Spears was not her ideal remedy for her headache.

Amu flung her arm onto the table beside her, and fumbled around until her hand came across a hard, small object, vibrating and tickling her hand. She forced herself to yank her head out of the depths of the cozy leather couch; and regretted it immediately.

Her head swirled with remnants of the excruciating headache she'd been freed of in that blissful sleep she'd just been awoken from. Her nasal passages were clogged completely – her heartbeat pounded against her ribcage, and pulsated through her head. She sighed.

However horrible a state she was in now, she felt much better than she did before. The dizziness had died down, and she could see everything clearly.

She let out a congested moan, and looked at the table beside her.

There, arranged neatly on the table, were several vitamins, a teaspoon of cold medicine, a freshly heated mug of steaming tea. She smiled softly, in spite of herself.

He really did care.

"Thinking about something, Amu?"

Amu jolted forward, and her hand sprung to her ear, where a warm breath tickled the sensitive skin. She looked up and glared at the indigo-eyed man hovering directly above her heated, rosy face.

Screw it. Screw it all. This guy is sadistic.

She sat up, slowly, ignoring his teasing actions, and running a hand through her disheveled fuchsia hair. She leaned her elbows on her knees, and took time to process the world from this angle.

"Sleep well?"

She smirked slyly.

"Wouldn't you like to know."

She looked back, to see Ikuto smirking at her from the kitchen.

"Touché," he replied.

Amu smirked with him for moments, but immediately fell into a state of sickened depression once more.

You're sounding just like him.

Amu let out a heavy sigh, and stood slowly from her comfortable couch. She found it easier to stand, and her senses had cleared considerably from the point she had fainted. She took a few steps, wobbled, and found her footing again. She breathed in deeply. She looked down, to find that she was still in her teal-green dress, that she had planned on wearing to work.

Just the thought made her sick to her stomach again.

Her knees felt wobbly again, and before she knew it, she had sunken into a firm embrace, belonging to none other than her valiant hero in indigo, catlike armor.

"When will you ever just… let me fall, already?" Amu muttered dizzily, without thinking, as he helped her to her feet.

Ikuto smirked slyly, bringing her up to her feet and facing her towards him. He pressed her up against the wall, placed an arm to barricade her between him and the wall, and stooped down to her face.

Amu felt her face heat up as he whispered into her ear,

"When I'm not here to catch you."

His sharp indigo gaze cut through her innocence, and immediately, she felt that same overpowering desire to move closer…

And closer…

To press her lips –

"AMU-CHI! We're coming in!"

Yaya waltzed into Amu's doorframe, turning and singing,

"We know you're a little under-the-weather, so we brought you some soup and some of your favorite –"

She stopped.

Rima came in behind her, slipping off her shoes.

"Yaya, hurry up, it's cold in the outside. Yeah, we brought you some of that raspberry herbal tea you like so much, so I bet you'll feel better in no –"

She stopped as well.

The scenario they were laying eyes upon…

It was too unreal. Everything about it. Everything.

Amu, pressed up against the wall.

A mysterious man, barricading her against the wall.

A mysterious man with indigo hair, deep, midnight eyes, and skin the color of milky moonlight.

Yaya's jaw dropped. Rima's jaw clenched.

Impossible.

Impossible, impossible.

No secrets.

"…Impossible."


"Ts… Tsukiyomi Ikuto?"

Very slowly, a large smile began to curl slowly upon Yaya's cheeks.

Very rapidly, her mood had changed from complete and utter shock to an extraordinary fascination.

"Oh… my… GOSH! TSUKIYOMI!" Yaya squealed.

Amu stood, wide-eyed, completely and utterly dumbfounded. Everything was happening too fast for her congested mind to handle. Before she could blink, the door had swung wide open, and her two friends Yuiki Yaya and Mashiro Rima waltzed in.

Yuiki Yaya.

Mashiro Rima.

Ikuto Tsukiyomi.

Not a good mix.

Just the thought made Amu nauseated.

"Y-Yaya," she stuttered, using the wall for support, trying to gather her wits. "B-be careful, he's not exactly –"

"AMU."

Amu cringed. She turned, and felt an ominous aura emanating from her front door. She could nearly see the livid hatred in Rima's stance – and the way she was crushing a package of Ramen noodles to pieces.

Amu never thought her dainty, petite hands could hold so much power.

"R-Rima, calm down, I can explain everyth –"

"You sure will explain everything." Rima's voice was low and gravelly.

Amu shuddered at the amount of livid hatred contained in Rima's normally soft, autumn eyes. The cynical glare cut sharply through Amu's very soul. She had seen it before one day.

That day had been… bad.

No doubt, today would be no different.

"Rima, you'll think this is all crazy, but he saved my life a couple weeks ago, and I had no choice but to bring him back here, because he was hurt –"

"A COUPLE WEEKS AGO?"

"Well, he was hurt pretty badly, so I had to keep him here –"

"So that you two could smother each other in 'medical assistance'?" Rima snapped. "I've heard enough, Amu – you're ruining your own life. It's no longer my concern. Let's go, Yaya."

Ikuto's face was void of expression, but Amu could see the true pain in his eyes. Yaya looked at Rima with confusion.

"But, I thought we were –"

"You got her secret, right?" Rima snapped, stalking over to her and snatching her by the arm, ignoring her struggle.

"But R-Rima, she didn't do anything wrong…"

And as Rima dragged Yaya to the front door, and as Yaya gave Amu a sympathetic gaze, Amu felt a sudden surge of adrenaline rush through her body, straight to her head. She pushed herself off the wall, and forced her legs to stand.

Not again. This is not happening again.

Without further hesitation, she flung her arm out and slammed the door shut, stopping Rima and Yaya dead in their tracks. Amu stepped in front of the door, steadfast and angry. She gave Rima a determined glare that she would never forget.

"If you think I'm going to let you walk out that door and leave me here to rot with regret, forget it," she snapped lithely. "I'm sick of people I call 'friends' walking out on me without an explanation. You're going to sit down, and you're going to listen to everything I have to say, and if I get any shape, form, or fashion of an interruption, I'll tie you down if I have to."

Yaya looked at Amu with a dumbfounded fascination. Rima's glare hadn't budged from her doll-like features. Ikuto just stood behind Amu, bewildered at her ability to stand on her own feet, much less let out an angry snap of such magnitude.

Amu was slightly surprised herself.

"Fine."

Rima dragged Yaya by the arm again, this time to the couch, plopping down on it, angrily expectant. Amu took a deep breath before she walked slowly and steadily over to the couch, suppressing the faintness in her head. Ikuto looked at her fleetingly, and seeing the fatigue in her eyes, stepped forward in preparation to catch her. She gave him a dull glare, and shot her eyes over to the door of her bedroom. He understood, and slipped across the living room and into Amu's bedroom.

"I'm gonna… take a nap," he muttered in the threshold of her bedroom.

Rima and Yaya's eyes hadn't left his body once.

When he was finally absent from the room, Yaya burst into a tumultuous overflow of words.

"OHMIGOSH, Amu, when in the world did he get so CUTE? And tall, too; wow, he's like a tower! And his eyes, OH, his eyes are like jewels, they're so sparkly!"

Rima shushed her friend, and looked Amu directly in the eyes, which was difficult for Amu to return when she found the amount of venom in her autumn yellow stare.

"Amu, PLEASE tell me that man is not the same idiot who left you 5 years ago."

"He did not leave me, Rima, he –"

"And now you're defending him!" Rima threw her hands up in the air. "You're in love with him , I know it, I just know it…"

"I am not!" Amu squeaked, her face hot. "I'm simply taking on the task that any ordinary, good-willed citizen would do in these circumstances."

Amu took a deep breath, realizing how much lighter her headache felt, and how her voice was less nasally than before.

Ikuto's care did wonders for her health. Unbelievable. She'd have an easier time defending him, since he was currently on her good side.

"What circumstances are those?" Rima growled. "What did that idiot boy do –"

"Yeah, yeah, tell us!" Yaya chirped.

Amu sighed, and took a deep breath.

She then proceeded to tell the event that she so desperately tried to forget these past few weeks.

When she finished, she breathed heavily, feeling lightheaded again.

Too much talking, Amu.

Both Yaya and Rima stared at her with a look of awed fascination. Well, slightly differing variations of fascination – Rima still looked angry, albeit shocked, but Yaya looked like she was ready to burst like a bubble.

"Are you SERIOUS?" Yaya screamed, grabbing Amu's hands and dancing around. "Oh… my… GOSH you are so lucky, Amu! You got saved from death by a tall dark and mysterious man in the shadows that just happened to be the love of your life! How romantic!"

Amu allowed herself to be flung wildly by Yaya's frantic actions, deep in thought.

She'd never thought of it that way. When she put it that way, it sounded a lot better than it usually did when Amu overplayed it in her head.

As she was replaying the sentence again, delighted at how the situation was now sounding to her, she paused.

"Hold on, love of my –"

"He saved your life…?"

Rima sank deeper and deeper into the couch, looking extremely befuddled by this recent news. Her angry brow gradually decreased to one of complete and utter shock. Amu looked at Rima solemnly.

"Yes, Rima. He saved my life. Now do you understand?"

"Yes, yes, of course I understand…" she brushed a strand of hair from her face and tucked it behind her headband. "But… why didn't you tell us?"

Amu sighed, and sat down on the couch beside her. Yaya followed, becoming more solemn.

"I… couldn't. I didn't know what to say, I didn't know what you would say… I didn't want you both to worry, and, and I knew you would disapprove of him staying here, but it's really not all that bad, I mean it is coincidental, but… I just couldn't tell you."

Yaya took Amu by the hands again, and Amu looked at her hesitantly. For the first time in a long time, Yaya looked calm; she smiled at Amu softly.

"I think you did the right thing, Amu." She giggled, "I wouldn't have the guts to tell my friends either! I mean after all, you did fall in love with this guy five years ago. I mean, not that I don't doubt he still loves you, I just don't think you both are capable of… y'know… uhh… of course, you could if you wanted to, I mean… erm…"

Amu's self-esteem was dwindling fast, and Yaya's comment caused it to diminish completely.

"Thanks, Yaya." She said dully.

Rima looked up at Amu, and Amu looked at her hopefully. Finally, Rima broke the silence with a small pout.

"Fine. I suppose I can allow him to stay here momentarily…"

Amu smiled at Rima, and Yaya seized the opportunity while everyone was in a pleasant mood to squeeze Amu tightly and jump up and down. Amu felt the headache coming back to her, and cringed.

"Uh, Yaya…"

"I can't believe he's living in your house!"

"Y-Yaya…"

"And he's so fine, too; good grief, Amu, is he taken?"

"…Y…Yayaa…"

"If he's not, I have a cousin that would love to make arrangements!"

The three friends conversed for what seemed like hours, laughing and getting on each other's nerves, as always. A gathering with all three of them was a rare occasion due to their high-demanding jobs; they enjoyed the moment while it lasted. Rima announced that it was past time for her lunch break to end, and had trouble dragging Yaya out the door, but eventually the two did get out of Amu's flat.

As Rima was shoving Yaya out the door, and tossed her the keys to start the heat in Rima's car, she stopped and turned to Amu.

"You do realize what this means, Amu… don't you?" She said gravely.

Amu walked to her door behind Rima, and managed a small smile.

"Look, Rima, if you think I'm falling for him again, rest assured, I'm not. There's no need to worry. I've got it all under control."

Rima's eyes widened.

Again?

She sighed.

This is another way of saying you have nothing under control.

"I really don't think keeping him here is a good idea, Amu –"

"Relax, Rima. I'm just tending to his wounds until they heal. I don't plan to fall in love."

You never plan to do that.

"…Alright. You know that I love you, and I'm only looking out for you."

"I know. I love you too."

Not as much as you love… him.

"See you later, Rima. I'll call you." Amu said, closing the door behind Rima.

Rima sighed, and whispered beneath her breathe,

"Bye, Amu Hinamori."

Forever.

Hello, Amu Tsukiyomi.


A/N: Short. Crappy. Stupid. Idiotic. I know that this wasn't really a good chapter but I feel like I had to put something out there and hopefully you guys are not mad. But I promise that next chapter is going to be amazing after not updating for so long. See you soon. :)

Yours Truly,

SilverSpark101