Chapter 14
The door slowly opened to reveal… Kukai? It widened even more to reveal Ikuto and three other men as they cautiously walked into the room. Amu breathed out a sigh of relief. Until:
"You can come out girls, I know you're there," Ikuto called out. Slowly, all except Amu came out of their hiding spots. Amu decided to stay out of sight for a while. The smirk on Ikuto's face made her suspicious. 'Claw and Ikuto really are quite alike.' That's when Ikuto looked right at her, straight at her, and smirked:
"I know you're there Amu." Amu shrugged, she was caught, there was nothing to do about it. She easily jumped down from the rafters, did a flip while she was coming down and landed easily, crouching slightly for the landing, like a cat. All the boys, except Ikuto, jumped back. Surprised.
I'm not surprised you saw me. It was a terrible hiding place that I made in the last minute." Ikuto smirked.
"Tell me about it." Then Utau stepped up:
"How did you get up there." I shrugged, and showed her. They all, even Ikuto, stared at me in awe. I shrugged and jumped down again. Amu stood up and noticed how the light from the fireplace shone a handsome, almost heavenly, light onto the prince's face. She stared up at him, then shook her head from the thought, unconsciously, she gently held the lock on her neck. Utau noticed this and gave a small smirk. 'So, that's how it is MWA HA HA HA' she evil laughed in her head. The boys took some food and walked out with the girls, well most of them. Ikuto gently grabbed Amu's wrist to keep her back.
She looked up at the tall prince, wondering what he wanted. Ikuto stared deep down into the girl's eyes, her beautiful golden eyes that now flickered with the light of the fire. He looked down, and started to lean in, making Amu blush. He then hooked his finger around the lock necklace. Using the necklace, he slowly pulled her in closer to him.
"Um, Ikuto? What are you doing?" He just leaned in closer, and whispered:
"You know you're too cute for your own good. I wonder… do you taste as good as you look?" Amu's blush got brighter. Ikuto just leaned back, chuckling. Amu's blush still stayed red.
"So what did you need Ikuto?" The prince smirked:
"Is it not ok for me to wish to see my cute little prisoner. I was hoping we could have a bit of a moment." He gently wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing her back to his chest and nuzzling his head in her neck. She whipped around, blushing furiously.
"What was that?" Ikuto just started to chuckle again while smirking, Amu was starting to think he was a smirkle addict. 'Actually, that works, chuckle + smirk = smirkle. Yep, that just about fits.'
"Well, you do belong to me. I want to make sure you don't forget." Amu looked away, trying to hide her blush.
"But you have to be that extreme about it? I mean, isn't the necklace enough?"
"That isn't extreme, there is much worse I could do, but refuse to do." Amu smiled at him:
"You know Ikuto? You try to hide it, but you really are just like a kind prince. I'm lucky I met you, otherwise I would think that such kindness from others would be impossible." Ikuto just rolled his eyes.
"Whatever you say Amu. You should get to bed though, otherwise the other girls might wonder where you are." Amu nodded and after curtseying and saying good night, she left. Ikuto sighed, 'she really is something.'
With the girls
Amu opened the door to the girls' bedroom… to get a pillow to the face.
"Whumph wath thath?" Amu asked, her voice muffled by the pillow. Then taking it off:
"What was that?"
"Oh, sorry Amu. We thought you were one of those annoying guys," Utau explained.
"Yaya is sorry for thinking Amu was a boy." Amu giggled at Yaya's apology and Nadeshiko's apologetic face. That's when Rima spoke up:
"So what were you doing with Ikuto?" Amu's face turned bright pink like a strawberry lollipop. She pulled her hood down farther to hide it, but Nadeshiko playfully flipped it off.
"No way! Did you do it?" Utau asked, "Amu, I never knew you could be so scandalous!" Amu wildly shook her head.
"No! I don't know what you mean… but I don't think we did what your thinking. He- um- he- h-he…"
"Spit it out!" Rima commanded. Amu blush deepened even farther:
"Hehuggedme!" At this Yaya and Nadeshiko squealed, but Utau and Rima looked a bit disappointed.
"Dang, I was at least hoping that you would at least say that my brother kissed you." Rima nodded. Amu looked away. Sadness coming into her eyes:
"I don't love Ikuto girls." The other girls looked at her, she wasn't done yet though. "I don't think I love anyone. How can you love someone when you don't know how?"
"Come on Amu, I bet you know how to love," Nadeshiko urged, a smile on her face. Amu just shook her head.
"I know the feelings of happiness, hurt, pain, sadness, hatred. Just not love."
"Yaya doesn't understand how Amu doesn't know love. Yaya wonders why you weren't taught that." Amu smiled sadly, and leaned back on the bed post of the bed she was sitting on. Her eyes turned up towards the ceiling, her eyes glazed slightly.
"The village where I come from was dark, grey, and dreary, no matter where you went. The only time people would show emotions was when they were told to by the mayor, or if they were looking at me. No matter where I went, their eyes would follow me like the bitter harsh wind. The only time I could escape it was when either I was alone, or with my mother. She wasn't around for long though, she died, leaving me all alone and vulnerable to their icy words, cruel jokes, and unforgiving beatings." Amu sighed and unzipped her nightgown a bit, to reveal the whippings that were still a bit raw that she had received not too long ago from those villagers. The girls gasped when they saw it. She zipped it back up and turned to them.
"It's been a while since I've felt love. And I had only heard of the thing called friendship from my mother. Tell me, are we friends? I'm not sure, I've never felt it so I wouldn't know what to compare it with." The girls instantly glomped her in a huge bear hug.
"Of course Amu!" They all yelled. Amu was shocked, but that shock quickly turned into happiness. Her smile widened, and her eyes sparkled. That's when Yaya yawned so widely that she almost fell over. The other girls laughed as they got into bed.