Twenty-One

One week, three days: the days were long and drawn, and I spent most of them silent. The Aunt and Uncle were still on business and would be until the two-day mark. Ami was eating dinner with Amu and Ikuto as I watched the news on the couch, my ribs becoming more and more visible with weight loss. I was starving myself, the dehydration making me more weak than usual. In all my life I have never been full, never. Same went for this. In all my life I have never starved, I've just been shot. My shoulder was still bandaged, the bullet removed and the wound slowly closing, but it still is here today, in my time of dying. I never knew I would be visiting Yuka on the five-day mark, asking what I should do…do to fix what I lack now.

Ikuto sighed and took his plate off the table and walked over to sit next to me. I kept watching, a single cough raking through my throat and making my body violently jerk. "That's it," Ikuto set the plate on the coffee table. "You can't keep starving yourself, Kaede!"

"It's Lucy," I spat.

"Lucy," Amu groaned. "If you die, you'll be leaving the pervert to watch Ami a-"

I was gulping milk down straight out of the carton the second she said that. Ami laughed and I threw the carton back in, making Amu shake her head with a smile as I grabbed a popsicle out of the freezer and a napkin, storming back to the couch. Ikuto was chuckling. "What?" I snapped.

"Oh nothing."

I froze a minute and recalled the two-week mark. I slowly slid the Popsicle out of my mouth and glared at Ikuto. "Thanks."

"For?"

"Getting that thought stuck in my head."

He leaned in. "And what thought would that be?"

I scooted away and returned to the frozen Popsicle only to the earning of more and more chuckles until I snapped and chucked the wet Popsicle (don't) at his face, resulting in him dodging and Amu ducking to catch it in her napkin. Someone's phone rang and Amu found it to be hers, so she excused herself to answer it (which took long enough) and Ami was finished, so Dia, Yoru, Tee, Miki, Ran, and Su were all chased into her room, the door locking (smart preschooler) and both *sorry but this is a quotation* 'btches left me with a fcking pervert to get raped by'. I mean you have to understand this is IKUTO we're speaking about. I tried to make sure I was at the very end of the couch away from him, but let's just say that NEVER works and the TV LIES. Ikuto scooted WAY up next to me (don't') so that our hips were touching and his hand? On my thigh of course. I jerked and tried to stand to get out, but he ended up pulling me into his lap were I kicked and punched to be free. Again, the vectors didn't react.

"You know, you keep jerking around like that…" he chuckled.

"SHUT UP!" I snapped, trying to prevent the arms from wrapping around my waist any tighter. They did. "MOLESTER!" I accused.

He chuckled. "It's not a rape if you like it."

Okay, time out. Do you know how many time's I've heard that? Enough to make me pssed, but eh vectors still were softy towards Ikuto even as his hands heading 'that' direction. Sometimes it makes me wonder if my life is Rated R or X…Gotta be R. "I DON'T, THEREFORE IT'S-"

I jumped when his hands snuck into my skirt. "I don't think that's the case."

"DUDE!" I screamed, pushing him off. "LET GO!"

There was a tear and I froze, looking down to see the skirt was ripped off to show the…laugh it out…black lace underwear. He smiled and I don't regret even now what I did; I slapped him across the face. He was dazed enough for me to stand and grab my jacket off the coat hanger, wrapping it around my waist and making sure that area was covered up. He stood and I took two steps back in worriment he'd hit me or something.

Man was I stupid.

"I'm sorry," he sighed. "That was too far."

I froze, eyes wide and mouth in a slight gap. Was I hearing him right? I blinked and he walked upstairs. Tee came in, eyebrow raised. "Kaede-chan…why are you wearing your jacket like that?"

I blinked, speechless and slowly walked up to my room to slowly draw on a skirt and slowly open the window for actual air. I leaned out and took a big huff before looking down to gasp. Ikuto had a bag and Yoru, walking away from the house. I jumped out and tried to land on the ground normally, but the probability of that being a success was 0, so I landed with my vectors causing four giant handprints in the ground loudly. Ikuto turned with one raised brow. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"Wondering where you're going, mister," I stood. "Just because you nearly rape me doesn't mean you're kicked out."

He smirked and sighed, walking over with both hands in his own pockets. "I'm not a rapist. Remember that one time you were angry at me for the day before? I seriously don't remember what happened. I might act…sexual…with you, but that's only cause I like you."

I blushed and looked down, my feet shifting. "U-u-u-uh…"

He chuckled. "It's okay, you don't have to respond."

He started to walk away again before I grabbed the back of his shirt, in which he froze and turned back. "Mew wouldn't want to wake up again and see you gone," I muttered, the blush being cursed multiple times by me since it wouldn't go.

He smiled and patted my head. "Fine, I'll stay since you want me to."

"I-I-I don't!" I blushed, sweating. "I-I-I'm just thinking about split personalities here!"

He chuckled and walked back in. I sighed and muttered 'like you to' before going back in. We sat at the table and I stared at the food before Ikuto took my fork and shoved some food into my mouth, chuckling at my surprise and returning to his. I smiled slightly and took the fork out. "Thanks."

I turned to him. "Huh?"

"Thanks," he repeated.

"For what?"

He chuckled. "Let's just say you're not particularly quiet."

I froze and the fork clattered with the plate. Let's just leave it at that next thing you knew he was kissing me and I was kissing back without objection until Amu and Ami came in and caught us, in which Ikuto and I ran into my room to hide from the two scolding girls.

Last thing: "HEY! YOU LEFT ME WITH THE PEDOPHILE!"

Now who do you think said that?

A.N: ANOTHER CHAPTER COMPLETED!