-1Why did you save me?

It was a scene of red. Her silky pink mixed with the colour blood. Ikuto pursed his lips, snapping out from his little confusion he lunged forward, shouting "AMU!" He grabbed her by the waist swinging her to his other side, whilst keeping a hold onto her as he grabbed the falling axe confidently. He looked at the attacker with stone-cold eyes that blazed fire. With little effort, Ikuto snatched the axe from the attacker and swung it, gashing him deeply across the chest. The man fell to the floor, spilling more blood than Amu did.

"Anyone else want to taste hell?" Ikuto asked pointing the axe at the remaining thugs who looked shaken.

"We can't win the Death Rebel..." one screamed, dropping his weapon and running off. The others followed.

When all was gone, Ikuto dropped the axe and quickly checked Amu, who was in his arms. "Hey, are you ok?" he asked, not daring to move her too much and being fully aware of the blood on her neck.

Kukai, who had managed to free himself, scurried over to Ikuto's side. "Is she dead?"

Ikuto shook his head. Amu was perfectly still in his arms now, which began to scare him. He found himself becoming desperate the more he saw her not moving. There seemed to be a numb in his heart which he didn't understand why, staring at her. Ikuto laid Amu on the floor, gripped her shoulders, brushed her hair away from her face and leaned in. He was getting closer and closer to her, their lips almost touching... Live Amu, Ikuto yelled in his mind.

"Ikuto."

Ikuto jumped, pulling away from Amu who was now looking at him. He blinked a few times. This wasn't his imagination right? Her eyes were opened and she was looking at him.

"Ikuto," Amu said weakly again, "are you hurt?"

Ikuto stared at Amu who now sprung up from the floor and instead of looking hurt; she was like a doctor inspecting a patient. She grabbed his face and started to move it from side to side, then circled him, looking at him everywhere, checking whether he was hurt. She stopped after being satisfied that she found no severe cuts or wounds on him and sighed.

"I'm so glad you're alright Ikuto."

To the side Kukai was gawking and Ikuto though felt relieved was even more perplexed than before. Amu now sat on the floor and did nothing else but gaze at Ikuto.

Kukai asked, "Aren't you supposed to be dead?"

Amu turned to look at Kukai, and pointed a finger at herself.

"Yes you," Kukai confirmed, "I saw you being slashed by that axe and you're bleeding."

"Oh this," Amu said, not sounding surprised or anything special. She unbuttoned her coat and pulled down a little her multiple-layers of top and revealed into sight the red line on her neck; it was a cut but not very deep. A scratch would be a more appropriate description for it. "I guess the multiple layers of clothes cushioned that cut. I was lucky to just get a small cut, though it still hurts."

Kukai's mouth was wide opened, his face full of disbelief, "then-then why were you unconscious. You closed your eyes."

Amu thought for a few seconds before saying, "I think I fainted from shock."

Kukai stared at Amu now as if she was a monster or alien.

Amu turned her attention back to Ikuto. "Ikuto...are you...ok?" she asked but very quietly, still uneasy around him since she didn't know him well.

Ikuto replied with a question of his own. He asked it in a demanding way, "What are you playing at? Tell me Amu."

Baffled Amu even quieter said, "I don't understand what you mean."

Ikuto raised his voice slightly, not looking away from Amu, "I tried to rape you twice. I threatened you and attempted to kill you. Don't tell me you saved me just now to thank me for what I've done to you. Did you really want to save me or are you after something else?"

"I DID WANT TO SAVE YOU IKUTO. Trust me, I wasn't after anything, I don't hold much of a grudge against what you did to me either. I-I JUST DIDN'T WANT YOU TO GET HURT," Amu blurted out emotionally without thinking.

Amu clasped her hands over her mouth immediately seeing the way Ikuto now eyed her with much suspicion. It wasn't like she was lying. She cared a lot for the Ikuto that was the other part of this night Ikuto. She would genuinely do anything to help the kind father that had taken care of her for so long, even if all this was to repay his kindness. But obviously it wouldn't make sense to this Ikuto. They were not the every-day happy father and daughter but strangers to each other.

"Are you crazy?" Ikuto continued to ask, obviously not trusting Amu's words, "why would anyone risk their life for a stranger who constantly hurts them? I'm asking you again. Why did you save me?"

Amu gulped and looked anywhere else but directly at Ikuto. She needed to think fast and quick. There is no way she could say to him right now that she didn't intend to save him but the other him. It was obvious he'd think it was a lie and if he got mad- Amu began to fret, not wanting to know what this Ikuto would do.

"Hey, maybe you should be less pushy with her Ikuto," Kukai said, "she did risk her life to save yours."

"I don't give a damn about that Kukai," Ikuto said clearly, "it's meaningless if she has any bad motifs behind that action."

"I don't," Amu said again. She looked at the floor, suddenly remembering a story she had read on the internet and so desperate but anxious she chose to use its idea, "I'm actually a rich girl and I want to hire you to be my bodyguard or guardian."

Ikuto and Kukai both stared at Amu who had a really bad feeling of what she had just did. Kukai cracked up laughing and at that sign, Amu knew she was in trouble. Why was she so stupid?

Ikuto pushed Amu towards the wall and took his own knife from his pocket and held it up her neck. The light touch of the blade to her wound was cold and it stung uncomfortably. Amu held in the pain.

"I've said before it's meaningless for you to save me if you have other intentions and I won't thank you if that is the case," Ikuto said with a stern voice. "I'm not a patient person Amu. Don't make me hurt you again?"

I know, I Knew, Amu thought to herself, I know too well how much you can hurt me but what can I say to you. The truth to you would just be another lie and sound stupid like what I said before... Ikuto... Ikuto... even so I want to save the other, my Ikuto so badly... what am I to say...

"Hurry up," Ikuto ordered.

Amu felt the knife pressing deeper into her wound, it really was hurting badly now. She became desperate like before, like before when she saw the axe fell down on Ikuto. She found herself not thinking and just charging in to save him because there was no time to think. She was really desperate and now... she felt the same. "I LIKE YOU!"

The words seemed to have an awkward effect on Ikuto. He dropped the knife to the floor, suddenly finding himself loosing strength. He felt blood rushing throughout his body, giving him a warm feeling that he didn't recognise, staring into her face that looked so honest.

Ikuto looked away form Amu and at the knife lying on the floor instead, "don't lie. You don't even know me. How can you say such words?" He leaned in closer to Amu now, clenching his fists "I'm not accepting that as your final answer Amu. I guess you really do want to die."

Having watched the whole ordeal Kukai went over to Ikuto and pulled him slightly away from Amu. He understood what Ikuto had meant now. There were quite a few groups of people out in the dark that wanted Death Rebel dead. Who knows if what this girl did was an act? Though he did feel she wasn't a liar. Kukai looked at the girl who he didn't know at all, "don't be stupid and spit out the truth. Otherwise I'd be the one to kill you before Ikuto does. What do you want?"

"I'm not lying," Amu said throwing both Ikuto and Kukai a stern look herself. "I really do like Ikuto."

"When we've only met twice..." Ikuto stated.

"You can't judge feelings on such basis," Amu protested, not knowing herself what she was spouting out. It was all rubbish. Was she this desperate to say such lies? "You can choose not to trust but that is the only reason I can give." Seeing the still speculating expressions on Ikuto and the other guys face Amu picked up the knife and held it against her heart. She was determined to convince this Ikuto. She will not die here by his hands. Not before she saved the other Ikuto. "I can kill myself if you don't believe me. But what I've said is the truth. I do like you, Ikuto, that's why I saved you. There's nothing more."

Ikuto didn't move but simply watched Amu carefully.

Amu held the knife closer to her chest, "Ikuto. I've told you the truth. I won't satisfy you with a half-hearted lie that you want to hear."

She stared deep into his blue eyes that were so pretty like the ocean. Amu could only hope now, "Ikuto. Are you going to judge the truth as a lie or are you going to accept my feelings?"

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