Yeah, so somebody copied my story, YET AGAIN. Don't worry, though. I'm not going to end this. I want to continue it, although I am very sad…

Honestly, at this point, I wonder why I still have so many wonderful, supportive reviewers and readers. I fail at updating. Since when did I update on time? Never. I am sorry. I'm going to try to update faster now. I promise. I'm just so lucky, I guess.

**For those of you who want pairings other than Amuto, I'm sorry, but the reason I'm not really focusing on them is because of the fact if I keep adding more and more relationships into the story, it's going to seem crowded. I mean, I'll imply that the pairing is in my story, but I can't promise you I will add a whole scene between them. This story is Amuto, after all.**

Disclaimer: I do not own the manga in which Peach-Pit makes little children fight evil eggs.

Happy Reading!

Complicated

By Tsuki's Angel

~Chapter 14~

-Nostalgia, Romance, and Troublemaking-

Amu walked beside Ikuto to his motorcycle after school. Class had just ended and they were going home. Amu had sold her Lamborghini earlier that week. There was no point in keeping it. She would use the money along with her inheritance to go to college. Besides, she had Ikuto. He would always be there for her if she needed a ride.

Amu reached the motorcycle first. She stood beside it, not noticing that Ikuto had stopped walking a short distance before her. She turned around in her spot and cocked her head to the side in question at him. Ikuto stood gazing at Amu. He had a soft smile placed on his lips and his eyes showed the most love and adoration you could ever see in one's expression. He stuck his hands in his pockets and continued to walk forward, backing Amu up against his bike. His gentle smile turned into a mischievous grin. Amu looked up at Ikuto's face. He was so much taller than her.

"Hey," he breathed. His sweet breath smelled of spearmint.

"Hey," she said back, with the equal effect on Ikuto. She smelled of sweet pea.

Ikuto leaned his forehead down on hers, "I missed you."

"I saw you at lunch," she said, pushing him away slightly. Her face flushed. The parking lot was quite public.

"That was hours ago," he said.

"Only about three," she said. "Let's go home."

Ikuto tilted her chin to face up at him, "Give me a kiss."

"N-no," she said. "It's too…public. I'll give it to you when we get home."

"Please?" he said. "It'll make my day."

Amu looked up at him. She decided she wanted to go home, and if she didn't do this, she would never get there. She shut her eyes and tip toed to press her lips up against his. Her strawberry lip gloss left a little mark on his lips when she pulled back. Amu watched Ikuto, who slowly leaned down again to give her another kiss. This time, it lasted it a bit longer and Amu got a bit more into it. Ikuto held her waist and Amu's hands fell limp against his chest. When they needed air, Ikuto pulled back, but only to kiss her forehead.

"Did I make your day?" Amu asked, turning red.

Ikuto smirked, "You know it."

Ikuto mounted the motorcycle after Amu and they took off for home. Amu and Ikuto had gotten much closer this past week. They were both comfortable each other and everyone could see that the two of them were completely in love. But Amu wasn't sure. She wasn't sure whether she and Ikuto were dating yet or not. He never made it official and somehow, this made her worry more than she should. As they reached their destination, they found out that Nagihiko was waiting there. He looked a bit nervous.

"Nagi?" Amu asked. "What happened?"

"N-nothing," he said, fiddling with the hem of his t-shirt.

"He has a date with Rima," Ikuto put bluntly.

"R-really?" Amu said, incredulously. "I didn't know…"

"It was Utau! I swear," he defended. "She set us up!"

Amu held her hands up in defense, "I didn't say anything about it."

Nagi took a deep breath to calm his nerves, "Do you think it'll be fine?"

"If Kukai can survive a dinner date," Ikuto said. "You can own a casual one." He patted his back and walked into the house.

Amu followed after him, giving Nagi a reassuring smile. Aruto stood waiting inside for them. Amu didn't like the feel of the atmosphere.

"Aruto?" Amu asked. "Is something wrong?"

"Amu," he said. "I received a phone call from Tsukasa."

Amu's sharp intake of breath was not missed by Ikuto. He squeezed her hand. Amu swallowed before she spoke. "What did he have to say?"

Aruto sighed, "I think you should sit down for this."

Ikuto followed Amu into the kitchen. Amu took a seat at the kitchen table, where she found Souko with her head in her hands. Amu grew nervous again. The past week had been hard for her, going back to school and all, but she found herself somehow getting through it all. How she was doing it? She had no clue, but she was relieved that for once, everything was going to be okay. But now, with Souko almost collapsing, and Aruto wearing a worried expression, she was unsure to whether or not this was going to help her good mood or not.

"Amu," Aruto said. "You know how they were looking for Midori's body, right?"

"Yeah, what about it?" Amu asked, gripping the edge of the table.

"Well, they know where it is," Souko interrupted, all of a sudden, setting her arms down on the table and staring at her hands.

Amu sighed in relief, "That's wonderful. I was scared they couldn't find it."

"The thing is," Aruto said, rubbing the back of his head uncomfortably. "It can't be retrieved."

Amu paled, "What?"

"The plane crashed into a million pieces, yes, but not on land," he explained. "Something got lodged into the jet engine, and it backfired from there."

"What are you saying?" Amu asked slowly,

Souko sighed, "None of the passengers were found, exactly."

Amu immediately understood, "My mom is at the bottom of the Atlantic." It was a statement, not a question.

Souko and Aruto remained silent. They were all thinking the same thing—that was a harsh way Amu put it. Amu's lip formed into a thin line. There was a silence that wasn't exactly comfortable. Amu's knuckles turned white, clutching the table. Ikuto stood behind her chair, not saying a word. He didn't know what to say. Again.

"The funeral will still be held," Aruto said. "She will be buried next to your father."

"Not technically buried," Amu said in a small voice, fiddling with her fingers. "But in a sense, yes."

Aruto nodded, "She will be buried here, in Florida."

Ikuto suddenly spoke up, "Her dad was buried here?"

"He grew up here, Ikuto," Aruto said. "How do you think we were best friends?"

"I never knew…" Ikuto mumbled.

"Where have you been?" Amu said, struggling to keep her composure. "Even I knew that."

Ikuto stiffened, "Sorry. Guess I'm out of it."

"No, it's okay," Amu said. She looked at Souko and Aruto. "When is the funeral?"

"It will be held this weekend," Aruto said. "Since you kids have Fall Break starting Thursday, we were thinking about going down to the stables beforehand."

Amu scrunched her eyebrows. Why were they going to the stables? She went to them with the Tsukiyomi's a lot when she was little. Ikuto's family owned those stables, and went riding there ever so often when they had break or something.

"You must be wondering why we decided such a thing," Souko said, reading Amu's thoughts. "We were kind of hoping it would help you clear your mind for a bit and relax. You always wanted to go to the stables when you were little. It made you so happy."

Amu was touched by their thoughtfulness, "Thank you."

Souko face held a small smile, "It was no trouble."

Now that Amu thought of it, going horseback riding in the country sounded relaxing. Maybe it would take her mind off of the recent events. Aruto nodded and said he would leave Amu to her thoughts. Souko followed him out. Ikuto took a seat next to Amu and sighed.

"Horseback riding, huh?" he said. "Just like old times."

"I know, right?" she replied. "I wonder if Maple will remember me. She was always my favorite horse in the stable."

"And Kairi's," Ikuto added. "Remember when you two would fight to see who got to ride her first?"

"Mmhm," Amu said. "He always used to give up after you and Kukai told him off."

"Yeah," he said. "But then you would feel bad for him and give him the first ride."

"What a pushover I was," Amu said, letting her head fall into her hands. "My mom used to say the same thing."

Everything went silent, and somehow, Amu found it nice. She appreciated it. She knew she was going to have to forget about the entire ordeal sooner or later. She might as well burn these painful memories out of her mind. She took a deep breath and got up. School for the rest of the week was going to be the worst. And with the dance competition coming up, she doesn't know how she's going to survive.

. . .

Amu was eating lunch outside under a tree—a slice of homemade pizza and pop. She and Rima waited for Utau to arrive with her lunch. Rima ate her chicken salad while Amu walked her through the dance schedule for this week. Kukai gave her the paper and told her to tell Rima and Ran about it.

"—and that concludes Wednesday's practice, which will end leaving us to Fall Break," Amu finished.

"Why do we have to practice so much?" Rima asked. "We already have the routine perfect."

"Utau won't have it any other way," she said. "The competition is only a week after Fall Break and she said it needs to be perfected, whatever that means."

"It needs to be perfect," Utau said, butting in. "That's what it means."

"But we need a break," Ran said, sitting down next to Rima.

"Where's Dia?" Rima asked.

"Bathroom," Utau said.

"This schedule is going to make me go nuts," Rima concluded. "Dancing is tiring."

Amu took a bite out of her pizza, "I agree."

Utau started arguing with them. Rima and Ran said it was too much work. Amu said too much practice was going to make her go haywire. It was one interesting conversation.

Meanwhile, at a table across the lunch yard, Rina sat on a table, feet on a chair. She glared over at Amu's table. Amu Hinamori. She's the reason Ikuto broke up with her. And now, she was going to get him back. No matter what. She was going to ruin her pathetic life and nothing was going to stop her. If it means lying and cheating, so be it. She always gets what she wants. Nana and Lulu drank their low-fat green teas.

"Girls," Rina said. "I think it's time we teach Amu what it means to mess with the Queen Bee."

Lulu smirked, "About time. I was beginning to think you were going to let her off the hook."

Nana sighed, "As long as I don't have to sweat, I'm fine. Sweating is gross."

"Trust me," Rina said. "It's going to be fun."

"Is it bad?" Lulu asked, excited.

Rina frowned, "Of course it is. What did you think? That I was going to steal her homework?"

Lulu shrunk back, "Sorry."

"Hm," Nana said. "Does it have anything to do with the homecoming dance next Friday?"

"You're a genius," Rina complimented.

Lulu spoke up, "Why is it so late this year?"

Rina rolled her eyes, "It got delayed, smart one. The school wanted to raise more money for a better venue."

Lulu blinked, "Oh!"

Nana sighed, "Figure that just now, did ya?"

Rina laughed, "Oh, this is going to be grand. Here's what we're going to do…"

. . .

Amu sat on the floor of her bedroom, packing her black suitcase with stuff for the weekend. She wasn't going to swim. She knew that for a fact, so she didn't even bother packing her bathing suit. Amu sighed as she zipped up the bag and heaved it off the floor. She shut the door behind her and made her way outside, where she found Kairi sitting on the hood of his car. He was reading a book—no surprise there. Amu cocked her head to the side. It's been a while since she had a conversation with him.

"Kairi!"

Kairi looked up from his book and closed it when he realized Amu was the one who called his name. "Oh. Hello, Amu."

"What are you doing out here?" Amu asked.

"Reading," he replied. "And I thought it would be nice to catch some fresh air."

"But you'll be riding this weekend, right?" Amu asked.

Kairi shook his head, "Can't. I have a huge paper due Friday and I haven't even started."

"Oh," Amu said, and then after a while, "College must be tough, eh?"

Kairi shrugged, "Depends on how you look at it, really." Kairi looked at Amu and she urged him to continue. "Well, you can look at it as a total pain in the arse, for one example. If you do that, you will be dragged down by the weight that you are complaining about. But, if you are optimistic and get on with your life, knowing that what happens now affects your future, it gets easier and the weight doesn't seem heavy at all. Do you see that?"

Amu blinked and her brain comprehended what she just heard. "I think this isn't just about college."

"It doesn't have to be," Kairi replied, pushing his glasses up on his nose. "It can apply to whatever you see fit."

Amu smiled, "You always were the smart one."

"And you were always the optimist," he said. "So make everything better by saying its okay like you always did and if not…" Kairi rubbed the back of his neck, which was reddening. "We'll be there for you."

Amu's smile grew bigger, "You should definitely be a teacher one day."

Kairi blinked, "What?"

"You make people feel like anything is possible," she replied, rocking on her heels. "Not everyone has that talent, you know. If I were you, I wouldn't waste that talent and I would tell people that they can do anything—by teaching."

He raised an eyebrow, "Really now? I was going to be a lawyer, actually."

Amu pursed her lips, "Well, I suppose you can be that, too. Lawyers have to be really persuading, though. Do you think you can handle it?"

Kairi laughed, "I think I'll manage."

Amu sighed, "Well, you do read a lot of books. You have to learn some persuasion skills from them, am I right?"

"Not really," Kairi deadpanned. "I'm more of a science fiction man. You know, the future, the aliens, the crop circles—the whole nine yards."

"Hmm," Amu said, pondering. "I'm actually more into romance novels."

Kairi shook his head, "Don't tell me you're one of those girls who dreams of a perfect ending…"

"I was," Amu said. "But reality caught up to me lately. Then I thought—'maybe, it doesn't need to be perfect.'"

"Now that's what I like to hear," he said.

"Amu!"

Amu's head swerved around, "Yeah?"

Daichi jogged towards her, "Throw your bag in my car—you're riding with us."

"Mmkay," she replied. Her attention turned back to Kairi. "Hey, good luck on that paper, okay? Tell me how it goes."

As Amu threw her bag into Daichi's car, which by the way was pretty nice, Kairi grinned from ear to ear. His reply was definite. "I'll be sure to let you know."

Amu waved as she strode back into the house, seeing Ikuto talking on the phone with someone. She raised her eyebrow and stood behind him. He hadn't noticed her yet and maybe that was because his back was facing her. He was talking, but Amu hadn't the slightest clue about what. She decided to let it go and went into the kitchen, looking for something to eat. She spot fresh brownies on the counter and took one.

By the time Ikuto finished talking to whoever it was, it was time to go. And also by this time, Amu had polished off two brownies and snagged one to go. Ikuto was waiting for her outside, leaning on Daichi's car. Aruto stood outside of a van with Kiseki, Yoru, Nagi, and Souko, while Daichi stood outside his car with Kukai and, of course, Ikuto. Souko smiled and they took off.

. . .

Amu knew that they were going to be the last ones at the stables. They had to stop on the way to get something to eat, which is precisely why they were at a Subway at the moment, eating their foot-long subs. She didn't know why but right now she felt really happy. Ikuto noticed it too. He wondered how she continued to smile like that when she lost so much in the past few weeks. It just amazed him. It also reminded him how lucky he was to have her. Without thinking, Ikuto took Amu's hand in his and gently squeezed it. Amu looked at it, then him. She smiled, but couldn't help think that he looked a bit tired.

"This actually reminds me," Ikuto said. "Of how you forced me, Daichi, and Kukai to play house with you when we were little."

Amu laughed, "Yeah. Kukai was the baby, Daichi was the dad, and you were the dog."

Ikuto scoffed, "I totally deserved to be the dad."

"Hey," Daichi said, butting in. "I thought I made an awesome Mr. Hinamori."

Kukai scoffed, "I was the best child ever. Admit it."

"No you weren't," Amu objected. "You kept whining about how the bib was too tight."

"Again," Daichi said. "I rock at playing house."

Kukai suddenly snickered, "Ikuto looks kind of pissed."

Everyone turned their attention to Ikuto. He had a sort of scowl on his face. Kukai was laughing now and Daichi chuckled. Amu couldn't help but smile a bit.

"Are you jealous?" Daichi asked, nudging Kukai.

Kukai grinned, "Don't worry. I'm sure you and Amu will get it on and have a kid someday." Kukai's lips curled into a Cheshire cat smile. "Then you don't have to play house."

The twins howled with laughter as Amu's face turned into a red balloon. She dropped her sub on her sub wrapper and held her hands to her cheeks, trying to hide the blush. She immediately looked away to her right, away from everyone else. Ikuto tried to look indifferent, but you could see the red color creeping up his neck.

"Not funny," Ikuto said. "Go to hell."

"It's funny, alright," Daichi said, wiping a tear off his eye. "Amu's face was priceless."

Amu had calmed down a bit at this point, and she managed to give a small laugh. "I don't even know what I'm going to have for lunch next week and you guys are talking about children. And not even your own, but mine."

Ikuto shrugged off Kukai's comment and mumbled, "I guess I don't see the harm in preplanning."

Amu raised an eyebrow, "Oh?"

Kukai and Daichi were watching Ikuto carefully. He was never like this with his past girlfriends. Amu must be something really special to him. He could really be in love with her. They saw the way he looked at her and they saw the way he held her—with love.

. . .

Souko had called Kukai to check up on them. She sounded worried on the phone, but Kukai reassured her that they would be at the stables soon. It was currently seven o'clock. It would take about two hours to get there from where they were. Amu had realized that they had spent two and a half hours at Subway talking about pointless crap like what color the walls at school should be, and the possibility of dying penguins orange.

Surprisingly, she wasn't tired, but Ikuto was. She stated to worry about him, actually. He had dark circles under his eyes and he looked so…anemic. She wondered whether he was getting enough sleep or not. It was still pretty bright out, considering that summer days were much longer in Florida. The sun should start to set around nine, and by then they would have reached the stables and Ikuto could sleep. She seemed a little less worried now that she thought it through.

"Hey," Amu said to Ikuto, who sat next to her in the back of the car. "Buckle up. It's the law."

Ikuto rolled his eyes, "Okay, officer."

"Good," Amu said, satisfied when he snapped the seatbelt into place. She looked at the twins. "You too. What if we got into a car accident? You could die."

"Chill, Amu," Daichi said. "Nothing like that is going to happen."

"Oh yeah?" Amu retorted. "And how do you know?"

"Because things like that don't just come up out of nowhere," Kukai said. "Plus, Daichi's the safest driver I know if not the slowest."

Daichi glared at Kukai before glancing at Amu in the mirror, "Don't worry."

"Okay," Amu said. "But if there's anything I learned from my mom dying, it's to expect the unexpected."

Everything went silent. After a few minutes, Daichi started the engine and pulled out of the parking lot. The eerie silence was making everyone edgy. Amu stared out the window. What she saw passing by was the normal highway stuff—grass, trees, and other cars. The sky was beginning to turn into a pinkish orange. It wasn't until she felt pressure on her shoulder that she was shaken out of her trance. She looked to see what had caused it.

Ikuto.

He had fallen on her shoulder, and was fast asleep. He breathed even, slow breaths. Amu didn't know what to think, but she knew she felt relieved that he was finally getting some sleep. She actually wondered what kept the poor guy up. Now that she knew she loved him—a lot—she actually thought he looked even cuter when he was asleep. She felt a blush creep up her cheeks, and looked out the window again.

Then she heard snoring. She looked back to Ikuto, but it wasn't him. It was coming from the front. Her heart lurched. Was it Daichi? Could he have fallen asleep while driving? She looked up to the front and was relieved when she found that Daichi was awake and that Kukai was the one who was snoring. She breathed an enormous sigh of relief.

"You look pale."

Amu jumped when she heard Daichi's voice. "Y-yeah?"

"You're worried about something." It was a statement.

"Not really," Amu said after a slight pause. She leaned her head on her hand and continued to gaze at the landscape. "I'm just a little tired."

"Then go to sleep," he suggested. "I'm the one driving here."

"I want to stay awake," she said.

She didn't know why, but she definitely did not want to fall asleep. She never really liked to fall asleep in cars, anyways. Only when she was really tired did she do so. Plus, it would be unfair if everyone but Daichi got some sleep.

"Suit yourself," Daichi said.

Amu nodded and everything went silent again. As they drew nearer and nearer to their destination, Amu recognized the area, and when they finally rounded a corner, she heard the gravel underneath the car and she knew they were there. Ikuto jumped awake as did Kukai and Amu stepped out of the car. The sky was a beautiful red now. She ran up the nearby hill. Memories of the past flooded her. As she reached the apex, she saw the stables, the ranch house, and the riding path. She breathed in the fresh air. It felt good. She heard footsteps behind her and she found herself with her back against Ikuto, his arms wrapped around her, his chin on her shoulder.

"This really is like old times," Ikuto said. "Except that you're my girlfriend now."

Amu's heart fluttered. Girlfriend. So it was official. "Yeah…"

"You know," he said. "We could live here when we get older."

Amu's heart fluttered faster. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," he started. "Once I get out of high school, I can take you to live here with me. Just you and me."

Amu's eyes were beginning to moisten and she bit her lip. That was the most beautiful and wonderful thing she could have heard. It would be perfect. Too perfect. Earlier that week, Tsukasa had called her and said instead of living with the Tsukiyomi's she should live in an apartment of her own. He said that he would pay the bills for food, rent, electricity, and everything. It was a pretty good deal. She didn't have to bother them anymore and they can put her room to good use.

But she didn't want to leave.

She wanted to stay with everyone. She wanted to stay with Kukai and Nagi and Yoru and Ikuto and Souko. She even wanted to stay with Kiseki. She loved everyone. They were her family now, but she was…mooching. She didn't have a job and she just did whatever she wanted. She didn't help pay at all. Sure, she bought Kiseki and Kukai some video games, but at the time, she was trying to get Kiseki to like her. It worked, yes, but it was the wrong way to do it. She knew she was going to have to leave eventually.

"Ikuto," Amu said. "I love you, you know…"

"Yeah," he chuckled. "I know."

"Well," Amu said in a small voice, pulling away from him and turning to face him. "I got a call from Tsukasa earlier this week."

Ikuto slip his hands down her arms to hold her hands, "Yeah?"

"Mmhm," Amu nodded. "He said that…"

Ikuto raised an eyebrow and chuckled slightly, but not in the 'ha ha' kind of way. It was in the 'what?' kind of way. "What did he say?"

Amu fiddled with Ikuto's fingers. "He said that I should—"

"Wait," he said. Ikuto reached into his pocket, still holding Amu's left hand. Amu watched curiously as her fumbled around and tried to find something. Her eyes widened when he pulled out a necklace. It was very simple. A silver chain and heart. He held it out and put it into Amu's hand. Amu's mouth formed and 'o'.

"I don't know if girls like these kind of things," Ikuto said nervously. "This is the first time I've given any girl a gift like this so…"

Amu stared at the necklace, "It's beautiful."

Ikuto grinned, "I'm relieved."

Amu looked into his blue, blue eyes. "Do I have to put it on myself?"

Ikuto smirked and took the necklace into his hands, clasping it around Amu's neck. "So what was it that Tsukasa said?"

"He…" Amu started. She looked into Ikuto's blue eyes again. He was so happy…and oblivious. "He said that he found out that my dad left me money for college." Amu bit her lip. Why'd she lie?

Ikuto smirked, "Well, then selling your ride was a waste."

"Yeah," Amu laughed.

"Do you want to go riding?" he asked. "It's really nice out. I like the breeze."

"Sure," Amu said, smiling the best she could. "Let's go."

Ikuto softly kissed her lips. "My pleasure."

And all the while, Amu knew the truth had to come out sometime.

. . .

Amu went into the stables where she found a couple tending to the horses. Amu immediately remembered them—Yuu and Yukari Nikaidou. They were the ones who took care of the ranch when they weren't present. They were friends of Amu and Ikuto's parents and were around the same age as them. Yuu had brown hair while his wife had red hair. They both wore glasses. Amu smiled at the happy couple.

"Amu!" Yukari said. "Honey! It's been a while, hasn't it? How's everyone?" Yukari walked up to Amu and hugged her. Tight.

"Fine, fine," Amu said, laughing a bit. "Is Maple still here?"

"Of course," Yuu said. "She's as healthy as ever."

"We're going for a ride," Ikuto said, taking Amu's hand in his.

Yukari noticed this and she chuckled, "Oh, I knew you two were going to get together."

Amu blushed, "W-what?"

"I knew it from when you two were toddlers!" she said. "You two always went everywhere together. Like that playground not too far from here."

"Okay!" Ikuto said, stopping her from saying anymore. "We need two horses. Maple and Silver."

"Right," Yuu said. "Is the family here?"

"Yeah," Ikuto said. "We're all here. Didn't you meet them already? They should be here by now."

"Oh," Yukari said. "They must've gone into the house. We've been out here for a couple of hours, anyways."

"Oh," Ikuto replied. "Well, everyone's here but Kairi. He had some report to do."

"That's great," Yuu said. "I needed a good chat with Aruto."

"Oh and Souko and I have so much we must talk about," Yukari said. "Is Midori here as well?"

"Ah," Amu said. "Um…"

"She isn't here," Ikuto said hastily. "I'm sure you need to catch up with my parents. They're probably at the ranch."

"Oh," Yukari said. "Well, I'll be going now. You two know what to do."

"Make sure to lock up the stables," Yuu said, walking out.

Yukari leaned towards Amu and Ikuto and whispered, "Go down the Black Wood path. I'm sure you'll like it," before she took off behind Yuu.

"She was always so weird," Ikuto said.

"Agreed," Amu answered. "But, why don't we try it out?"

Ikuto grinned, "Sure thing, love."

Amu wrinkled her little nose, "It sounds like we're married."

"Hmm," Ikuto pondered. "Amu Tsukiyomi…"

Amu smiled a bit at the name, "It sounds perfect."

"And we can live here," Ikuto said. "Just you and me."

"Don't forget our kids," Amu laughed. "Remember? At Subway?"

"How could I forget?" he asked.

Amu shrugged, "I guess I don't really mind talking about it in front of you, but in front of Kukai and Daichi…it's a problem."

"We'll make fun of Kukai and Utau later," Ikuto said. "Then Daichi and Ran will get it."

"Deal," Amu smirked. "Now let's go!"

Amu mounted Maple. She was a beautiful brown mare and her mane was silky with bows and braids. Ikuto was already riding Silver, the black stallion. Amu rode alongside Ikuto and they began down Black Wood path. She really wondered why it was called that, since the trees let in some gorgeous sunshine through their roofs. Amu suddenly felt her spirits rising. Souko was right. This did make her feel better. In fact, she was thinking that she should just enjoy herself. Her mom was watching down from heaven and if she saw Amu cry, she was pretty sure she would be crying too. So, Amu laughed. She laughed and it sounded like bells.

"What's so funny?" Ikuto asked. He was really happy to see Amu laughing like that.

"I was just thinking," Amu shrugged, giggling.

"About what?" Ikuto asked.

Amu smirked, "Not telling."

Ikuto raised an eyebrow, "Oh? And why not?"

"Because," Amu's smart reply came.

"Tell me," Ikuto said.

"Nope," Amu shook her head.

"Please?" Ikuto asked.

"Not on your life," she replied, teasing him.

"Please?" Ikuto looked at her with pleading eyes.

"Hmm," Amu said. "Okay." Ikuto grinned. "C'mere." Ikuto stopped Silver and Maple stopped too. They were closely standing side by side. Ikuto leaned his ear toward Amu. Amu smirked and the next thing she did caught Ikuto off guard. She blew into his ear and whispered, "Catch me."

She and Maple took off at lightning speed.

Ikuto stood dumbfounded with Silver. He blinked and then wondered what had gotten into her. Maybe it was the riding. It had to be. Ikuto smirked to himself and took off after Amu.

Of course, Amu was always a better rider than him, and she was much far ahead. He soon found out that she was going easy on him. She had stopped some distance ahead and let him catch up to her and when she spotted Ikuto she took off again. Black Wood path was long and windy, but it was beautiful all the way. When Amu decided she had her fill of excitement, she stopped and got off of Maple. She found the path split into two a few feet ahead.

"Oi!" Ikuto said. "You win. Let's just ride slowly now."

"Which way?" Amu asked.

"Huh?" Ikuto said.

"There's a fork in the road," she said.

"Left," he said.

Amu raised an eyebrow, "Why?"

"That's where you're standing," he answered simply.

Amu blushed, "O-oh…"

Ikuto smirked, "Yeah."

"Want to just walk our horses?" she asked. "We don't have to ride them."

"Whatever you want," he said.

Ikuto dismounted Silver and grabbed the reigns. Amu started to walk and Ikuto followed.

"You know," Amu said after some silence. "I think Rima and Nagi make a pretty cute couple."

"Well, Nagi's crazy about the chick, so I guess it would be okay," he replied.

"Rima seems to like him, too," Amu added. "Hey, does Kairi have a girlfriend?"

"Yeah," he said. "He's dating some girl named Saya."

"Ooh!" Amu said. "Is she pretty?"

"Yeah," he said. "I wish I could say the same about her personality, though."

Amu's eyebrows scrunched up together. "Why? Is she a Rina?"

Ikuto laughed at that one. "Better than her, but still not good."

"Then why is he dating her?" Amu asked.

"I don't know," Ikuto admitted. "He just won't give her up."

"Maybe despite the horrid personality, he likes her," Amu said.

"Who knows?" Ikuto said.

"Kairi does," Amu answered.

"That was a rhetorical question," he said.

Amu didn't reply. She was too busy staring at the amazing sight before her. There, in front of her, was a clearing with a small pond. Amu noticed just then how late it had gotten. The moon was out now and the light was highlighting the pond's waters. It was practically glowing. And the water—the water was the most beautiful turquoise color that she thought that water could never be. She ran over to the small pond along with Maple, letting the horse drink her fill. Ikuto was right next to her, doing the same. Afterwards, they tied the horses to trees nearby.

"Wow," Amu said. "She wasn't kidding."

Ikuto grinned mischievously. "The best part? We're secluded. All alone."

Amu blushed. Again. "Don't try anything funny."

"Where's the fun in that?" Ikuto asked.

"No fun," Amu said. "It's way too humid tonight. I'm going to splash my feet in the water."

Amu hastily took off her flip-flops and sat down at the water's edge. She sighed as the cool water washed over her feet and she swayed them back and forth. Her feet felt better, but the rest of her was just so…sticky. Ikuto had joined her and took off his converse, socks, and rolled his jeans up.

"This feels nice," Ikuto agreed.

"I wish I could swim, though," Amu said. "It's so cool…"

"Then why don't we?" Ikuto teased, sarcastic.

Amu laughed, "Wouldn't that be just wonderful…"

"Yeah," Ikuto said, lying down onto the soft grass, his feet still in the pond.

"Hey," Amu said. "Why don't we swim?"

"Hm?" Ikuto asked. "But I don't have my bathing suit."

"Neither do I," Amu said. "Besides, it's just you and me here."

Ikuto stopped thinking. Did Amu just say what he thinks she said? He blinked, "Okay, what's gotten into you?"

"Nothing," Amu shrugged. "Why?"

"You seem…happier?" he said.

Amu rolled her eyes, "I guess I should tell you what I was thinking. You caught me after all."

"Good," he said. "I catch you. Now tell me."

Amu lied down next to him, "I was just thinking that if I cried, in heaven, my mom would cry too. So, if I enjoy myself, I'm pretty sure she'd be very happy. Plus, she's got dad up there." Ikuto remained silent. "And I've got you down here, on earth."

Ikuto turned his head to stare at her, "Yeah, you do."

"So, let's swim," Amu said. "I'm hot and sticky from sweat."

Ikuto raised an eyebrow, "Are you suggesting we skinny-dip?"

Amu bit her lip, "Well…not entirely."

Ikuto laughed at the top of his lungs, "You're something."

"Well?" Amu asked. "I'm just going to strip down to my undergarments…"

"Whatever you say," he said, smirking.

"Whatever you say, whatever you want—is that all you can say today?" Amu asked. "How about 'no way'?"

"No way," he mimicked.

Amu groaned in frustration, "Just swim with me."

"Jeez, Amu," Ikuto teased. "You're being so aggressive today."

Amu was already taking her orange halter top off and she slid her jean shorts off her legs. It was safe to say that Ikuto was sitting up now, with his jaw gaping open. Amu glanced back at him and looked away. She should have worn her black underwear set, not these pink and white laced ones.

"Stop staring," she said.

"You look…" Ikuto started. "Sexy."

Amu blinked, but then she became very uncomfortable, "I'm going into the water!"

Amu jumped. She splashed water all over the place, including on Ikuto. He looked sort of pissed. Once she bobbed her head up her heat flushed cheeks were cooling off.

"I'm wet," Ikuto stated.

"So am I," Amu said.

"Well, good for you," he grumbled.

Amu laughed at how cute he was. She took his hand in his. He smiled when she did so, but that smile got smacked off when he was pulled into the water. In his clothes. When Ikuto rose back up to the surface, he looked furious.

"You're gonna get it now," he threatened.

Amu squealed, and began swimming away from him, laughing, "No!"

Ikuto grabbed her slim waist and pulled her flush against him, "Yes…"

Before she knew what was really happening, Amu was kissing Ikuto. It wasn't really a soft kiss, but a fiery passionate one. Amu's fingers wound through Ikuto's hair and Ikuto had his hands on the small of her back and the nape of her neck. When they needed to breathe, Ikuto led a trail of kisses down her neck, to her shoulder, and right down to her hand. Amu's face was red. Ikuto's eyes were glazed over with lust. And Amu couldn't help but kiss him again. Time seemed to go on and on and they wished they could stay like that forever. They wished that time would pause at that moment.

Amu mouth curved into a smile against Ikuto's as he murmured, 'I love you,' to her several times. She was in bliss. They didn't know how long they were like that or aware of anything else for that matter. They were happy. The world was theirs at that instant. Then, Amu realized that this could get way out of hand and she had to stop it.

"Stupid time," Ikuto said with his mouth against Amu's.

"Don't be mean," Amu said. She pulled back. "What time is it?"

Ikuto sighed as he swam to the outer edge of the pond. Amu noticed he didn't have his shirt on. When did that come off? She thought. Amu swam and got out of the water. She fished her phone out of her jeans and read it. 11:28PM. Amu blinked. They had been making out for that long? Amu shook her head and put on her halter top and shorts. Ikuto shortly followed her, picking up his sopping shirt. He didn't bother to put it back on. Amu groaned in exasperation when she saw that her underwear was making her clothes all wet. She couldn't get past Souko and Aruto with this.

"Are we heading back or what?" Ikuto asked.

"I guess so…" Amu said.

"Okay then," Ikuto said, kissing Amu on the cheek real quick. "Let's go."

. . .

Amu and Ikuto quietly put the horses back into the stables. They locked the door and snuck back into the ranch house. They decided to go through the back door. As soon as they snuck into the house, the lights clicked on, and Souko and Aruto stood in the kitchen, where they tried to sneak in from.

"Busted," Ikuto whispered.

"You don't need to whisper, Ikuto Tsukiyomi," Souko scolded. "We know where you've been."

"How?" he asked.

"Yukari," Aruto said.

Ikuto ground his teeth, "And?"

"Amu and Ikuto swimming in a lake! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

Kukai and Daichi had come into the kitchen, smirking at them and singing that ridiculous song. Amu narrowed her eyes at her.

"How did you know that?" Amu asked.

Daichi blinked, "You're wet, and your lips are bruised. We just assumed." Amu raised her eyebrows, clearly not buying it. "Okay, so that, and Yukari told us."

Kukai was laughing, "Dude, I didn't mean to start playing house right away!"

Amu blushed furiously and Ikuto sent death glares at him. If looks could kill, Kukai would be dead a hundred times over. Aruto and Souko stood confused, their arms crossed over their chests.

"Why are they wet?"

Kiseki and Nagi showed up in the doorway. Kiseki yawned, and raised an eyebrow at them. Nagi was waiting for an answer to his question.

"Amu and Ikuto made out in a lake," Kukai deadpanned.

"It was a pond," Ikuto clarified, which only made them laugh even harder. Kiseki looked flustered and Nagi was just shocked.

Souko walked over to Ikuto and grabbed him by the ear. Ikuto winced and the twins howled with laughter. Souko looked at her son, "Ikuto, you're in for it."

"Okay, okay!" he said. "Let go of my ear, woman!"

Souko let go, but she pointed towards the stairs. "Take a shower, and then go to your room. Now."

Ikuto obliged, but not before sending Amu a knowing look. Amu read that look as, 'I'll see you later tonight.' She smiled.

"You too!" Aruto said to his sons. "All of you, off to bed!"

"Amu," Souko said. "Your room is across from the twins'. Take a shower and get to bed."

Amu nodded, obviously scared of getting into more trouble. She was embarrassed enough. She ran up the stairs and ran straight down the hallway of her room. There, she bumped into Ikuto. He looked down at her and smirked. He lightly kissed her lips.

"Why don't we do that again sometime?" he said.

"Your parents would murder us," she replied.

"So?" he said. "We could go to hell together."

Amu raised an eyebrow, "And that's a good thing because…?"

Ikuto leaned down to her ear and whispered, "Because it would just be you and me…all alone."

Amu grinned. He was right about that. "And that's the best part."

Done. I hope it's not crappy. I had a writer's block, but I'm over it. I wasn't satisfied with this chapter until I had at least 7,000 words. Love it? Hate it? Tell me in your review, please!

:DD

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