Chapter 26: A Cracked Friendship, A Caring Lover and A Cat's Crown

Amu went outside to go wait for Ikuto. She knew Ikuto had taken a lot of the pressure off of her, and given it to himself lately. She kind of hated being the one with the Humpty Lock for that reason...plus Kage and him seemed to have some tension she didn't like. She just hated to think that someone their age...or someone at all could be so evil. She walked over to the motorcycle and saw someone laying on the bench close by.

Were they hurt? Did someone pass out? Was it a homeless guy? The sun was still warm in the sky, with a cool fall breeze, leaving a silhouette only noticeable.

She walked over and noticed it was Kage. He was sleeping on the bench. She walked closer. Yep, definitely sleeping...his chest was moving in and out...she looked at him. Funny how people looked so much more peaceful sleeping.

She noticed how he always wore his dress shirt slightly undone. She saw though...that his locket...was outside of his shirt...she looked closer too it. It wasn't closed either...it was open a crack...But didn't he tell her that it was locked shut? That he didn't know what was in it? She bit her lip and moved closer, she went to open it a bit with the tips of her fingers and saw a bit of what was on the inside...it couldn't be...it just...it...

Suddenly Kage's eyes opened and he grabbed her wrist closest to the locket!

"Ah, Amu I never took you for a sneak, but you really ought to know... curiosity killed the cat. Maybe Ikuto can teach you something about that." He said calmly, tightening his grasp on her wrist.

"AAAH!" She yelled, frightened by the look in his eyes. This wasn't the Kage she thought she knew.

"Amu?" Ikuto looked around down the street and turned to see Kage with a firm grasp on Amu's wrist. "Whats going on!?"

"Amu was sneaking around in things she shouldn't be...really Amu you know how dangerous it could get..." He said in a condescending voice both to Ikuto and Amu.

"...Let go of my wrist." She said firmly with a small whimper.

"Why? It's almost like we're holding hands. Wouldn't that be something? If you paired with someone like me...that would be a twist in the plot wouldn't it?" He grinned.

"Let...Amu...go." Ikuto said, as Yoru appeared and he character changed to Black Lynx.

"Oh no, no now. Lets not have a cat fight...that's really not my style."

"I thought you said you couldn't see the Charas?" Ikuto challenged, noticing his twitch in eye movement with Yoru's presence.

"Cat's out of the bag I guess." He said with a sly grin. "Enough puns, really Amu you shouldn't have gone looking where you shouldn't have been...you just made things so much worse so much sooner than could have been..."

"I'm not-" Amu started but then was shut up by a forceful kiss on her lips. She opened her eyes to two red eyes. She shivered and then whipped her mouth with her other hand.

Ikuto was raged and ready to pounce when Kage pushed her forward to the ground, as she hit it hard.

"I'd love to take care of this here and now, but I feel like there is another time and place. Plus I have a bitch, literally, waiting for me." Kage jumped backward with more height then most people would have over the school stone border into the tree's shadows behind just as quick.

"Amu..." Ikuto said as Amu was on the ground, her hands and knees scraped from hitting the ground. "...what...was..."

She looked at him with watery eyes. "...I'll tell you...back at your place..." She said in a faint voice, and she started to cry. Ikuto took her and carried her to his bike, and left, her face and tears nuzzled into his back the whole way to his condo.

He took a wet cloth and walked back into the living room, to the almost empty staring Amu. He started to wash her wounds.

"Amu...please talk to me?"

"...it...I didn't think...I must be wrong...It couldn't have been..." She repeated, tears still glazing over her eyes.

"What did you see Amu?" He asked.

"...I think...I saw the Cracked Key..."

Ikuto's face grew serious. "Where-"

"His locket was fake, it covered it...he told me it was shut permanently but it was open on his chest when he was sleeping...but then I saw it...grey black silver...red blood rubies...and his eyes...his eyes are the red glowing eyes...I thought he was good...I thought..."

"Amu relax. Nothing's going to happen..." He sat beside her and took her head in an embrace too his chest. This was one of the most worked up Amu had ever been.

She looked up. "Are you mad...about the kiss?"

"No. He did that to shut you up...I don't think he's capable of any feeling. Amu I have to admit...I went for a walk last night and bumped into him. He purposely tried to make me jealous and ...he said somethings that...normal people just wouldn't know..."

"I just hate that it turned out like this." Amu said quietly.

"I don't care what happens, Amu I will never let him get that close to you again." He hugged her closer.

*Knock, Knock*

"Who could that be?" Amu asked, still clearly shaken.

"I'll check first." Ikuto looked through the peep hole. And then down. He opened it and Tadase was standing there.

"You left your cell under a tree...I just thought I'd return it. What happened?" Tadase handed it over.

"I don't think its the best time, I'll tell you-"

Suddenly Amu was at the door with slightly behind Ikuto. "Kage...Kage is the Cracked Descendent...He...he...he has the Cracked Key."

"Amu? Are you okay?" Tadase noticed her wet face and swollen eyes. "And are you sure?"

"First hand experience for Amu...I saw the way he acted too. He nearly hurt Amu bad. Look tell the others and we'll meet tomorrow...Amu is staying here tonight...I don't trust her safety at her house. Thanks for picking up my cell." Ikuto nodded.

"Least I could do. Let me know if there is anything else you need." Tadase said nodding and left to go back to his house.

"Amu...I...when I thought Kage was bad news I didn't mean to question your friendship with him..." Ikuto said as he walked over to Amu who'd already sat back on the couch.

"I know...I should have listened to you..."

"You know, its just your nature to believe in the best in everyone. That's not a bad thing Amu." Ikuto said.

She looked at him. "He could have gotten the lock!"

"But he didn't. He won't. I know it's been a short time, but your smart, strong and responsible Amu...not one of us will let him or the Cracked Key get close to you or the Lock...either way, we know now how those marks are being re-awakened."

"We do?" She wiped her eyes again.

"Kage was clearly touching people when they didn't notice. Amaya and Kaede were probably in the hallway...Maiha and Maiko were in the gym right before we got in there, he probably congratulated them...hugged them...something...and got it on their neck...maybe he put their medals on them? He's clearly deceiving. Utau said Amaya's scar reawakened in the public...and he was around...now she's like a zombie. Maybe the scar is what's key..."

"His hands must have the mark...under the gloves." Amu added.

"Probably why I got a bad feeling when I shook hands with him."

"Why didn't anyone else sense it?"

"...I don't know...theres a few things I still don't know yet." He sighed. He'd have to figure out who Tsukasa said the King was.

He felt his shirt being yanked as he was pulled to the couch, as his head hit the pillow beside Amu.

"What was that about?" He said and raised an eyebrow.

"I just don't want to talk about these things right now." Amu said as she curled herself closer to him, blushing slightly.

"You know I never really thought you'd be the one coming onto me Amu..." Ikuto grinned as he couldn't resist to flirt.

"I'll push you and you'll roll you off the couch if you keep it up." Amu said giving him a small glare, while she hid her smile.

"Ha,ha, fair enough. It's been stressful enough today." He wrapped his arm around her and carried her to his bed and placed her down.

He hovered over her looking at her still red eyes from crying. She suddenly wrapped her arms around him and pulled his face closer to hers and kissed him. He was surprised but he got it, she needed someone to show her that they cared. He kissed her back and moved a piece of her hair out of her face.

He trailed his kisses down her neck, and then started to undo the buttons of her shirt one by one, his kisses following after. Her uniform slowly came off and she didn't care. She didn't want just sex, she wanted Ikuto's body next to hers. She wanted to feel something real in the midst of all of this darkness that had covered over their world.

He didn't want to just get in her pants...or in her kilt for this matter...he wanted to Amu to know that he'd be there for whatever reason whenever. To prove to her she'd never have to look for another.

She felt him go down on her again, and she blushed, combing her hands into his hair, as her palms clenched around his soft hair. He came up, and unbuttoned his own shirt, taking it off, and unbuttoned the top of his pants.

She reached up and bit his ear this time, and surprised him. He looked at her, and her gold eyes just stared back, open and wide. He placed his lips on hers again and they made out passionately, a war for dominance between them.

She felt his pants against her leg, and felt his hardened member against it too. She took her hand and brushed it up against it, still beneath his briefs. She felt awkward, but it took Ikuto by surprise. She wanted to give him as much as he'd given her.

He unzipped the rest of his pants and took them off, and covered himself. He kissed her again, and nibbled lightly on her ear as he aligned himself.

She felt him enter her and let out a breath that made the hair on his neck move.

He whispered "Amu" into her ear as he began to move in a rhythm she found herself matching soon after.

She felt him enter her farther, and it made her neck arch and her breathing quicken. She looked into his blue eyes and saw a sort of kind sympathy for her, a look she wouldn't have been able to decipher a year or two ago when he was all flirting...he was so guarded...but now he changed, and she felt like he was being more and more open with her.

He looked into her eyes. Amu was braver then before...stronger then he'd ever been at times, and he wanted to make sure nothing...or nobody broke that about her. He felt his pace quicken almost on it's own.

She felt him move faster as he hit a spot that made her body tremble, as he placed his lips back on hers, and his hand on her breast and kissed her passionately as they both came.

"Ikuto?" Amu said quietly as he moved off of her, her only in her light pink bra and underwear on, and him moving back into his boxer-briefs.

He rolled over to look at her, sliding the covers over them.

"I don't mean to be selfish...but please don't ever leave me again...unless you absolutely have to..."

"Again?" He repeated. Europe? Did she think he was going to go back to Europe...he had wanted to find his father...but...if Amu needed him... "Amu, I won't ever leave you...ever. If you need me, I'll stay here." He got closer to her, placed a kiss on her cheek and wrapped his arm around her, and held her close, as her back was pressed to his chest.

He felt the slow rise and fall of her breathing as she slowly fell asleep, a while later.

He stayed there with her, not wanting to wake her up. However, his mind was too full too sleep. What did Tsukasa say to him on the phone?

The King was likely...

...someone Tsukasa could trust...

...someone who would protect the Humpty Lock at all costs...

...the key was given down generations from father to son...

...where he could keep an eye on it...

Someone he could trust? Any one of them could be a trust worthy possibility...

Someone who would protect the Humpty Lock at all costs...well most of them would, he just happened to more then others because Amu had the lock...

The key given from generations from father to son...well his father had the Key before he did...but he didn't know where his father got it...

Where he could keep an eye on it... anyone of them but..

He sighed. He snuck out from behind Amu and went to the balcony for some air. He'd gone over everything...what else did Tsukasa-sensei say?

"Just take care of Amu, you'll figure it out."

...Amu...he could be trusted...Tsukasa knew him since he was a child...he'd always be close to Amu...his father gave him the Key inadvertently...and Tsukasa never made him give it to Tadase...could it be...

"Ikuto?"

He turned to see Amu standing there, covered in his button down shirt. He turned back to the night sky.

"Amu...you know how Tsukasa said the King was the one who fixed the Lock before...or originally..."

"...yea?"

"Well Tsukasa talked to me today...he told me...hints I guess about who the King's decendent might be..."

"...who?"

"Amu...I'm not sure..." Ikuto said turning to her.

...but I think it might be me."