Amethyst: W00t. I'm back from the dead. This fic has really been bothering me and I decided that I should just get off my lazy arse and finish it. Sorry for the couple month wait.

Rika was humming softly, notebook propped up on her knees. 'Damn history paper,' she hissed, sighing and letting her head drop back. There was a gentle knock on the door and she glanced up, wondering who it was. Tentatively, a boy peeked through the door, softly calling her name

"Henry! Come in," the girl said, surprised at his sudden appearance. She swung her legs off the bed so she was perching on the edge, amethyst gaze staring up at the boy.

"Hey, Rika." She cocked her head at his tone, nervous with a hint of sorrow. "I need to talk to you."

"I guessed that much," the girl teased, trying to sound lighter than she felt. "What's up?"

"I can't- " the boy cut himself off, not knowing exactly how to word his emotions. Half of him didn't want to say anything at all, just pretend that everything was alright and that she loved him. He shook his head to clear his thoughts, refusing to live a lie. "I can't go out with you."

Rika's face fell, brows arching together in confusion. "Why-"

"Because you don't love me." He silenced her with an intense stare, pausing for a moment. "You love Ryo. Don't say otherwise, I know it's true. I know he hurt you but he never meant to, it was all just a misunderstanding. And to protect yourself, you tried to convince yourself that you loved me but it's just a lie." He stopped, blue eyes pleading.

Rika was silent, staring intently at the floor. "How do you know that?" Her voice faltered ever so slightly, still avoiding eye contact.

"Because I know you. And I know Ryo. The thing with Catherine, he doesn't like her. She came on to him and there was nothing he could do. And you… You've always loved Ryo, I don't think anything will ever change that." There was a hint of bitterness in his voice and Rika flushed, knowing he was right. He knew her far too well; she didn't have to question him there. She knew him just as well, well enough to know that he would never lie. "Rika?" She chose not to reply, letting the silence thicken. "I'm sorry, so sorry…"

Rika finally looked up, eyes locking with Henry. "You're right. You always are." Her tone was harsher than she had intended but neither seemed to care. She gave a weak smile, obviously faked. The pair was silent again, and Henry shifted awkwardly, at a loss for words. "Well, I have to finish a history paper," Rika said, rolling her eyes and trying to sound like everything was normal.

"Then I'll let you get back to it then?" the boy phrased it as a question, unsure.

Rika nodded. "Yeah, I'll see you on Monday." Henry gave a weak goodbye and slipped out the door. Rika bit her lip, listening to the sound of his fading footsteps. She had no idea what to do now, still not convinced completely about Ryo. She sighed deeply, collapsing onto her bed. It was time to make things right.

"How did it go?" Henry could hear the hopeful glint in Ryo's voice and he could imagine his matching expression.

"I told her that it wouldn't work between us and that she should go back with you." Ryo was silent on the other end of the line. "You need to talk to her," Henry adding, not meaning to sound as commanding as he did.

"Should I go over there?"

"Yes, it would be better to talk to her in person than on the phone."

"Yeah…" Ryo didn't sound convinced, not quite positive that everything would go as well with Rika as Henry seemed to think. Henry could hear him sigh deeply. "I'll talk to you later then." The line went dead and the boy knew that Ryo was about to head over to Rika's house. He let the phone drop to the floor, wondering what he was going to do now. "Get over her," he said determinedly, not realizing he was speaking aloud. He reached for the fallen phone and dialed Alice's number.

There was another knock on Rika's door and she gave a frustrated sigh, wondering if she would ever get around to finishing this damn paper. "Yes?" she called, violet gaze still fixed on the notebook she was writing in.

The door creaked open, followed by a familiar "Hey."

The pen in Rika's hand dropped and there was a sharp intake of breath. "Ryo?"

The boy stuffed his hands into his pockets, giving her a sheepish grin. "The one and only." She gave him a cold stare and his smile vanished. "I'm sorry," he blurted. Rika raised an eyebrow, silently demanding an explanation. "I should have never let Catherine take me outside and I should have fought harder. But what happened, it doesn't change anything. I still… I still love you. I always have." He bit his lip, blue eyes pleading and hopeful.

Rika broke into a weak smile. "Ryo…" She didn't have to say anything, he already knew. The boy sat down next to her on the bed, leaning in and gently kissing her. Rika smiled inwardly. She had finally gotten her perfect ending.

Amethyst: okay, there you go. I'm currently working on the final chapter which will just be an epilogue. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about Alice. Or Takato or Jeri for that matter. Sorry for not including Alice and Henry's conversation but this ch was made to focus on Rika and Ryo. Hope it was worth the wait.