A/N: Okay, normally I hate having to do author notes, but I felt that I should explain why this update took so long. I've been bogged down with University stuff and I haven't been been feeling too well, either. Anyway, enjoy this update and Merry Christmas!

Chapter Three

Today was the first day of the second term. Sakura had eventually managed to finish her homework – with surprisingly no further interruptions from Ikuto – and was walking slowly to school, taking in the heat of the sun with a smile on her face. In front of her, she heard girls fawning as they spotted the Guardians, or at least Amu, Rima and Tadase, walking through the school gates together. The squealing and fawning was added to after Tadase greeted them and the boys spotted Rima.

"They are all rather buoyant this morning," commented Setsuko as Sakura stealthily managed to enter the school gates undetected.

"Amu-chi!" she heard the loud cheer of Yaya sound across the courtyard as the carrot-haired girl pounced on her friends, "Good morning!"

"Good morning – dechu!" added Pepe from her side. Yaya sprang forwards and glomped Amu joyfully, Sakura watching with a smile.

As Sakura watched her old friend interact with each other, a strong wind suddenly blew, catching her hair in the gust. She gasped, looking away from the air currents, not noticing everyone suddenly turn in her direction, gaping. When the wind died down, Sakura smoothed out her mussed hair and blinked, raising an eyebrow when she saw everyone staring at her. Her Charas giggled at her sides as she placed a hand on her hip and tilted her head.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"Haruno-sama is so cool and mysterious!" squeaked several younger girls.

"She used to be adorable, like Rima-sama, but now holds a more mature beauty!" gasped a few of the boys. Rolling her eyes at their words, Sakura stepped forwards, lifting her arm around Yaya's shoulders.

"Morning, Yaya-chan," she smiled, giving the smaller girl a half-hug.

"Morning, Saku-chi!" sang Yaya, enveloping the pinkette completely. "I missed you over the summer! Why did you have to move out?"

"For her own room," inputted Katsumi.

"Due to a lack of servants," corrected Mitsu, eyeing Pepe.

"For peace and quiet," Setsuko sighed, thinking of Tsubasa's sleepless nights.

"It was too cramped," scoffed Mari.

"Uhh," everyone sweat-dropped as Sakura tried to hush her Charas before they upset the baby-like Guardian.

"Tsunade has been like a mother to me for many years, Yaya-chan," the pinkette stated, patting Yaya on the shoulder comfortingly. "I loved living with you and your family, but she's my family."

"I get it!" Yaya nodded happily. "Time for class!" she announced, running off giggling with Pepe floating after her.

"What a strange character," Rima pointed out.

"We wouldn't have her any other way," smiled Sakura fondly.

{-}

As Sakura sat in her classroom, watching her Charas play on the desk in front of her, her mind began to wander. She stared out of the window, an image of green hair and glasses popping into her mind without consent. Blushing slightly, Sakura recalled Kairi's confession to her before he left. The pinkette lowered her head, hoping to hide her red cheeks from anyone who may glance at her.

The girl had never really thought about the confession. Sure, she liked Kairi well enough, but he just wasn't...her type.

She thought about his well-kept green hair, his sharp blue eyes, his secretive smile and his polite mannerisms. All-in-all, he was a great guy, but he just wasn't her great guy. She liked his personality well enough, and his sense of honour was second-to-none, but still. When Sakura thought of Kairi, she just didn't think of a boyfriend – a friend, definitely; perhaps even a best friend, had they been given the chance – but nothing romantic.

'What exactly is my type?' she wondered to herself, conjuring a picture of Ikuto, smirking as he forced her into a hug. Smiling a little, Sakura allowed her thoughts to carry on, but was shocked when Ikuto suddenly became Kukai, laughing with her as they caught up.

"Saku-chan?" called Setsuko, seeing her mistress in a daze.

"I'm fine," Sakura assured her, snapping out of it. Try as she might, the girl just couldn't focus on the lesson. So, rather than allow herself to mentally battle between her feelings for Ikuto and her fondness for Kukai, she returned her thoughts to Kairi.

Sakura wondered how he was getting on, whether he was hanging out with his old friends, if he ever thought of her and the Guardians. She pictured him working hard to improve the studies of his classmates, helping both upperclassmen and underclassmen in their struggles. The pinkette saw him sat perfectly upright at his desk, lecturing teachers on how to better impart their knowledge onto their students. Surprisingly, she pictured him and Musashi starting their own, secret Guardian club, unofficially on the lookout for any other students with Shugo Charas.

Unpermitted, her ponderings also stretched to whether or not he was still in love with her. A small, selfish part of the girl hoped he was, but a more humane side of her hoped that he had gotten over it and moved on to a girl who could return his feelings, because Sakura knew she couldn't. Try as she might, she just couldn't muster up those feeling for the boy – as sweet and kind as he could be, he just wasn't for her. It almost made her feel bad for him, but at the same time she knew that rejecting him was far kinder than leading him on, only to drop him further down the line.

Mind made up, though she had no clue why her mind had taken this train of thought, Sakura decided that should she and Kairi ever cross paths again, she would turn him down gently – very gently, for he deserved nothing less. The pinkette loved him, just like she loved all of her friends, but she was just not in love with him.

Whether that was because of Ikuto or Kukai, she was still unsure.

{-}

Ikuto looked at the front door of the apartment building Sakura had moved into – having received her new address from the pinkette herself via text message about a week ago. This in and of itself was unexpected, since the girl normally displayed no interest in having him in her home, but nonetheless he couldn't wait to tease her mercilessly about it. He knew she liked him – even if she wouldn't admit it – and he just loved to take advantage of this fact.

Now, normally, he would have climbed in a window and waiting for the girl to return home, but had been given a warning that she was now living with an older woman named Tsunade, who would not take kindly to breaking-and-entering. Plus, she lived on the first floor now so, thankfully, Sakura had taken to locking her windows so as to ward off any attempts at someone breaking in.

...not that he'd tried.

So, the normally stealthy alley cat had to lower his self to the most basic of human interaction – knocking on the door. He recalled the last time he had knocked to gain entry to Sakura's home – the first time he had been in her apartment, way back before he knew she was a girl. Raising a hand and knocking twice while adjusting the strap of his violin case across his shoulders, Ikuto waited calmly for the door to be opened by a smiling, red-in-the-face, pink-haired girl who would be so delighted to see –

"Who the heck are you?"

Well, that certainly wasn't Sakura.

{-}

Kukai yawned widely as he made his way home after being recruited for 'special training' with Yaya. Daichi was at his side, practicing his Keepy Uppy skills with his Chara-sized soccer ball. Another yawn bubbled in his throat, but it stuttered and halted, causing Kukai to choke for a moment on air, when he saw who was walking in his direction.

Her hair was being caught in the wind and her face was lit up like a Christmas tree as she chatted with her Charas about this and that – he was too far away to hear her, but the subject they were discussing obviously brought happiness to the cheery-faced girl. Setsuko seemed particularly interested, so it was likely a new recipe or something along those lines; y'know, something girly. Beside him, Daichi stopped and shuddered.

"What's wrong?" he asked his Chara, whose eyes seemed glued to Mitsu as she came closer.

"She's evil," he claimed in a whisper, pointing at the golden Chara shakily. "She has these freaky mind-control powers and it is evil!"

"Actually, I'm more manipulative than evil," corrected Mitsu as she appeared suddenly beside Daichi. He yelped and leapt away, eyeing her warily, when he was suddenly tackled from behind.

"Daichi!" cried Katsumi in glee as she clung to him, her face lit up with a wide smile.

"Good to see you, man," Mari grinned as she pulled her sister off him and gave him a high-five.

"Hi, Setsuko," Daichi greeted the more feminine Chara, who smiled and bowed her head in response.

"What're you doing here, Kukai?" asked Sakura when she caught up to her Charas.

"Special training with Yaya," he explained.

"I was training Pepe!" announced Daichi proudly.

"How did that turn out?" Mari snorted. Daichi visible deflated and rubbed the back of his head.

"She took a nap after crying about how mean I was," he confessed, blushing when the girls began giggling – except Mari, who was outright gasping with uncontained laughter.

"Was Yaya-chan pretty much the same?" asked Sakura, smiling a little at the typical image of her friend acting like a baby.

"Pretty much," Kukai nodded, nervously returning her smile. "She wasn't really up for the kind of training I had you and Amu do," he added, noticing the way Sakura's eyes darkened slightly when he mentioned the other pinkette. Making a mental note not to bring up Amu again, he persevered in the conversation.

{-}

"So, you're Tsukiyomi Ikuto, huh?" asked Tsunade, in an almost violent tone, as she glared down at the teen sat on her sofa. She had 'kindly' invited him in for a 'friendly chat' concerning her adopted daughter, which Ikuto was literally unable to refuse. The firm grip on the back of his shirt hauling him to the sofa was inescapable.

"I am," he nodded. Mentally, he was cursing Yoru and his ability to evade the busty old blonde, but was also thankful that the cat Chara was out looking for Sakura so she could end his torment.

"I understand that you have been around Sakura quite a lot since you two met – is this correct?" she interrogated. "Of course it is," the woman continued without waiting for him to reply. "Now, what makes you think I'll allow you to continue seeing Sakura-chan, knowing the kind of trouble she had been involved in since meeting you?"

"With all due respect –"

"Trust me, there's a lot due," she snorted, rolling her eyes. "Don't you think you're a little too old to be playing with elementary school kids, Tsukiyomi?"

"Don't you think you're a little too ignorant of the situation to come in here and assume I'm bad for Sakura?" he seethed, standing from his seat. Tsunade stood her ground, completely unafraid of the teen.

"I will not stand here while a little boy insults me in my own home," she sneered at him.

"Then sit, because I'm not done yet," he replied with just as much venom.

{-}

"No way!" the pinkette giggled. Chuckling, Kukai nodded.

"Yeah; Kaidou-nii can be such a pain sometimes, but he's always good for a laugh," he beamed.

"At his expense," added Sakura.

"Naturally," agreed the boy.

"I wish I had siblings," she sighed longingly, sobering from her laughter. Kukai was about to respond, but Sakura turned and smiled at him. "At least I have you," she said. Kukai felt his stomach tie in knots as his face heated.

"W-What do you mean?" he stuttered, wringing his hands together.

"Well, you're like the big brother I never had," she told him, hugging him around the neck. The sandy-haired youth felt as though someone had tipped a bucket of ice water over his head. He reached up and gently pushed Sakura away by her shoulders, holding her at arm's length. His gaze dropped to her hands as his own slid down her arms to hold them.

"I don't see you as a sister," he told her firmly, his eyes snapping up to meet her own.

"Kukai..." Sakura trailed off, unsure of how to respond, but Kukai's spirits were lifted when she didn't remove her hands.

"I really like you, Sakura," he confessed. "More than I've ever liked any other girl."

Sakura's eyes welled up with tears as he poured his heart out to her. He was confessing to her – not to Amu, or Shion, but her! Still, if this confession was bringing so much joy to her heart, why could she only think, in this amazing moment, of how Ikuto would react?

"Please say something," Kukai pleaded, his eyes showing his raw fear as he desperately searched for her answer in her face.

"I like you too," she said slowly, watching him brighten, "but..."

"But," he repeated, disheartened by her response and slumping over.

"Please, Kukai," she begged as he turned away from her, "You have to understand! I just –"

"It's Ikuto, right?" he asked scornfully, turning to face her again and holding her hands tightly. "I can treat you way better than that black cat could ever think of!"

{-}

"Well," Tsunade began, watching Ikuto glare at her after he finished, "that was quite the passionate speech. I had no idea there was someone here who cared about her so much."

"What do you mean?" asked Ikuto, slightly confused. Tsunade stood, smiling as she placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You're bad news, Tsukiyomi, and I don't want you in my home or around my daughter ever again," she told him calmly, "but it's obvious you're in love with her."

"What?" he gaped, "I am not –!"

"Don't even bother, kid," she snorted. "I'm not doing this to be cruel – it's for Sakura's own good. She's confused and scared right now, and you're going to break her heart. Eventually she'll be old enough to understand just how much you feel for her, but right now...she's too young."

{-}

"I really like you, Sakura," Kukai said quietly as the two came closer. "Please, just give me a chance."

"Kukai, I," she paused, her eyelids drooping as they got closer and closer still.

Their lips were close; she could feel his breath dancing across her mouth with every lungful of air he exhaled. Her eyes closed at the same time as Kukai's and they leaned in.

Suddenly, Sakura eyes snapped open and she pulled back.

"I can't," she whispered, turning and running away.

Kukai watched her back sadly as she disappeared from sight.

Tears blurred Sakura's vision as she recalled what happened.

The moment she closed her eyes, she saw Ikuto.

{-}

Ikuto left Tsunade's apartment feeling disheartened.

There wasn't anything the woman could do to really force him to stay away from Sakura, but after their 'little chat' he wasn't so sure he wanted to be close to her for a while. As much as he hated to admit it, Tsunade was right. What he felt for Sakura was more than he'd even felt for anyone in his life – he was in love with her, so much so that he was slightly afraid of his feelings himself. He couldn't even begin to imagine how she would react should she discover them.

Walking through the park, ignoring musicians as they played to small crowds, he quickly found a secluded spot on a grassy hill and began to unpack his violin.

"Ikuto – nya!" cried Yoru as he found his own, jumping onto his shoulder. "I found Sakura – nya – but she was –!"

"Not now, Yoru," he muttered.

{-}

Sakura sighed heavily, her eyebrows pulled together as guilt gnawed at her insides. She couldn't get Kukai out of her thoughts, yet she also couldn't stop thinking about how Ikuto would react if he found out that she had almost kissed him. She came to a sudden stop, shaking her head violently as she clenched her fists, a low growl emitting from her throat. Just as she was beginning to calm down, she opened her eyes and froze.

"I-Ikuto?"