-1Night Shock

"So your leaving early today?" Nadeshiko eyed Amu with a jealous look. "your father sure knows how to treat you."

Amu blushed, "I was surprised he remembered it was my birthday too."

"Then again he'd be a useless parent if he didn't."

"Yaya, he's busy so-"

"Trying to defend him ," Yaya Yuiki said with a disapproving look, "Amu you need to stand up to adults. Go against them, not defend their rights."

"Anyhow," Nadeshiko began, "tonight you are going to tell him your not to be locked up like a wild animal in a cage."

Amu nodded, "I will but I'm worried he'd say no."

Both Yaya and Nadeshiko frowned. Having been close friends with Amu for quite some time, they understood how she sometimes was a daddy's little girl. Yaya placed a hand on Amu's shoulder and pulled her closer into a whisper, "listen Amu. Tonight do not speak of it to him."

"So I should give up after all."

"NO WAY," both Nadeshiko and Yuiki said in unison.

Nadeshiko now had a very sneaky look on her face, "you will sneak out of your room tonight and wonder around the house freely. If he asks then tell him at that point. I mean he can't stop you after you've done it. Before if you tell him, he may possibly shove a table in front of your door to stop you."

Amu giggled at Nadeshiko's reasoning, "I don't think Ikuto is that unreasonable."

Both Yaya and Nadeshiko gave Amu the thumbs up, "do it Amu, we'll support you."

Amu eyes them carefully, "say aren't you two just interested to find out what Ikuto does when I'm in my own room."

"We'll admit that too but do it!"

Amu rolled her eyes at her two friends. The bell rang and she sprinted to the front of the school where Ikuto was already waiting for her in the car. As soon as she stepped in, Ikuto threw her a bag of clothes.

"What's this about?" Amu asked.

Ikuto started the engine and began to drive, "we're going to a expensive restaurant, it will look abnormal if you entered with a high school uniform on."

"Oh," Amu said, smiling as she examined the pretty dress.

After taking a detour to the public toilets for Amu to get changed, Ikuto parked the car in the car park and they both made their way towards the high-class hotel restaurant. Amu really felt grown-up all of the sudden, walking along the red carpet like a celebrity into the lobby. Was every girl's 16th birthday like this? It was the age of a girl that meant she had turned into a woman - a special birthday, and Ikuto was treating her more adult-like.

"Thank you Ikuto," Amu said slightly nervous and rather timidly.

"What for?" Ikuto asked back taking a sip of his red wine.

"Thank you for tonight. You've made it so special for me, I really do feel grown-up," Amu began to explain.

"Hmm," Ikuto sighed, "if you were 30 or something that'd be even better. That means I won't have to-"

"Won't have to work and I'm supposed to financially take care of you too right…" Amu finished for him, "you've said that way too many times you lazy bastard."

Ikuto twitched at that statement, "anyway, there's a long way before you're an adult. Don't think just because I'm letting you take a little sip of wine you have the same authority as a adult."

"Are you lecturing me?"

Ikuto smiled, reached inside his pocket and threw onto the table a wrapped little box, "your present."

Amu smiled, like a child already ripping the paper and opening her gift. "Wow," she said, looking at the exquisitely made butterfly hair clip. "Ikuto I-"

"Want me to put it on you?"

Amu nodded. Ikuto carefully fastened the hair clip onto Amu and smiled, "it does look good on you."

Amu took hold of Ikuto's hand, "Ikuto. Thank you so much for taking care of these past 3 years and for treating me with such kindness."

Ikuto giggled, patting Amu's head, "you really are still like a child."

The two spent the rest of the hours eating, drinking, chatting. Happy times always came to an end. She really treasured the time she had with Ikuto at the restaurant. It was a birthday she'd always remember. In the car she would always look at the hair clip on her hair which must've made Ikuto a little embarrassed because he kept calling her a kid for doing so. Not long, Amu was already back home.

"Amu, go to your room, its already 6:55," Ikuto ordered.

"Yeah, I'm going already," Amu replied.

Before Amu completely closed the door Ikuto said with a more serious tone of voice, "AMU. For tonight, you absolutely must NOT come out of your room. Promise you."

Amu didn't say anything, placed a weak smile on her face and nodded before disappearing into her own room. She felt a little guilty at that moment. For the first time she was planning to go against Ikuto's wishes. She was determined to wander out her room tonight. Like Nadeshiko and Yaya had planned, Amu waited till late into the night before going out. It was around 11:30 now and it was about the right time to take action.

Taking deep breaths Amu slowly and trying not make any noise stepped out of the room. The living room was dimly lit and it was very quiet. It was quiet in her own room but sometimes she heard Ikuto watching football or making himself a cup of coffee in the open kitchen. It was strangely silent tonight. "Ikuto usually sleeps at around 12:00 if I remember properly."

Amu sighed. For all her excitement, there was nothing special. Maybe Nadeshiko and Yaya made it out to be too much of a big deal. Amu was about to go back into her own room but stopped. In the midst of the silence she heard something. She walked further out, straining to listen. There was a small thudding noise coming from Ikuto's room. It was inconsistent, sometimes it was louder and sometimes she heard nothing.

Amu crept over towards Ikuto's room. She carefully placed her ears onto his door. She heard his uneasy and heavy breathing. Amu began to worry, he sounded as though he was in a lot of pain. Her hands were already poised to push the handle and enter the room but she was so uncertain. She didn't want to anger Ikuto but his breathing sounded so painful.

"Help…"

As soon as Amu heard the whisper from within the room, she instinctively pushed opened the door and entered Ikuto's room. She immediately ran over to Ikuto, "Ikuto are you alri-"

Amu lost her senses for the split second as her head banged against the wall. She sat on the floor holding her buzzing head with her hands. What just happened? Amu asked herself. She felt her body being shoved against the wall, a strong pair of hands clasped around her neck; her vision still fuzzy. Everything was still, allowing Amu to regain her vision. It was so dark in his room but she made out with shock that the it was Ikuto who had his hands around her neck.

"I-Ikuto," Amu stammered to say.

Ikuto didn't answer her but just gazed into her eyes. Fro the first time in her life, she felt scared of him. His warm caring eyes she had known for the past years was now stone cold and blazing with anger. His expression seemed like that of a mad mans. She didn't recognise this man in front of her. This man did not resemble anything like the Ikuto she knows yet it is him. "Ikuto, I'm sorry I came out my room…" Amu tried to apologise.

He tightened his grip on her neck, leaning closer to her, "who are you?"

Amu's eyes widened, unable to believe what Ikuto had just said. She was more than scared now, she didn't know what to feel, "Ikuto, I'm Amu."

"Amu, do I know a Amu?" Ikuto asked.

Amu trembled. She didn't know what was happening. What was wrong with Ikuto? Why didn't he recognise her? She tried again, "we live together Ikuto. I'm Amu."

"We live together?" Ikuto repeated, still not showing signs that he remembered, "what relationship do you and I have then?"

Amu opened her mouth but stopped to think a little before actually saying anything, "we're not properly related but you adopted me 3 years ago. You're my guardian so we're kind of like father and daughter."

"Really," Ikuto mused, "but we're not related in terms of blood right?"

"Yeah."

Ikuto removed his hands from Amu's neck. Instead he grabbed hold of Amu's hair and pulled her down to the floor, so she was lying on her side. He bent over her, his body weight on top, pressing her down onto the ground. He removed the hair that covered Amu's neck and began to lick it. This made Amu tremble even more than before. Amu gasped at Ikuto's touch to her chest. His hand had slid under her night-dress and it was caressing her breast. "No-" she gasped, still unable to face reality. She felt herself go numb from Ikuto's nibbles and sucking on her neck; tears started to flow from her eyes. Amu started to try pushing Ikuto off of her, "stop Ikuto…"

He took hold of her chin turning her to face him, "shut up. I'm stressed and your going to relief me of it."

Amu cried… this isn't Ikuto. This isn't the way her birthday should end. It was so perfect up till the moment she decided to leave her room. She cried because she regretted leaving her room. She didn't want this to be reality… but it seemed like Ikuto would continue to hurt her…