For the first time in his life, Ikuto was genuinely nervous. He paced back and forth across the courtyard, looking at his watch every five seconds. Ran was supposed to get Amu here five minutes ago.

Su, Yoru, and Miki looked on with slightly amused expressions as they watched Ikuto pace.

"I'm sure they're coming, desu," said Su with a reassuring smile. "Amu-chan is never on time for anything, desu."

Ikuto laughed quietly, "That's true." He stopped pacing and checked his watch for the umpteenth time. He looked up at the charas helplessly, causing Miki to start giggling.

"What are you laughing at?" Ikuto asked, slightly offended.

"I've just never seen you this much of a mess before," Miki said, still giggling. "You're usually so calm and collected."

Just as Ikuto was about to retort, he saw Ran flying toward them in the distance. His brow creased as he frowned; Amu wasn't behind her.

"Where is she?" he asked Ran and she approached.

"Well," she began as she flew up to the group, "we were right about to go through the entrance of the park and she lost her nerve."

"What do you mean?" Ikuto asked.

"Well, we got to the entrance and she just stopped and refused to go any further. She started freaking out about how she couldn't face you even though back at the house she seemed pretty set on coming here to meet you–"

"Wait," Ikuto interrupted, throwing his hand up in a "stop" gesture. "How did she know that she was coming to meet me?"

"Well," Ran said, looking down at her feet as she spoke, "I might have let it slip that I was really excited that you were going to see her while she looked so pretty…"

"Ran!" Miki yelled, exasperated.

"I'm sorry!" Ran replied with sincerity, "It just slipped out after we finished giving her a makeover."

Ikuto sighed, "Oh well." He ran a hand through his hair which did nothing to diminish his god-like looks. "She's going to come one way or the other so I guess I'll just have to go and get her." He chuckled to himself as he set off down the path. "Oh Amu, you always make things so difficult."

"Do you want us to come with you, nya?" Yoru yelled after him.

Ikuto waved his hand and said, "Nah, just be gone by the time I come back with Amu." He sighed as he walked away from the lights and towards the gates of the park. However, he couldn't help but smile because this was classic Amu. When he arrived, she would do one of two things: she would either throw up her façade or try to run away. No matter what happened tonight, he wasn't letting her chicken out. He loved Amu too much to ever let her go again.

Amu leaned against the wall of the park trying to control her breathing. Back at her house, she had felt that she could do this. She could face him and her feelings and be honest. But the closer she got to the park, the more her confidence wavered. Finally, she had broken down right here. No matter how much Ran and Dia reassured her, she just couldn't bring herself to go any further. She was scared and nervous and she couldn't handle it. Dia sent Ran ahead to tell Ikuto what was happening while Dia stayed and tried to calm Amu down.

"It's ok, Amu-chan," Dia was saying. "You can do this. Believe in your light, and I know that you can get through this."

Amu managed to calm her breathing enough to reply without sounding completely hysterical. "I'm just so nervous, Dia. I've never been this nervous about seeing him before. He always comes so unexpectedly that I've never had time to feel nervous."

Dia patted her arm reassuringly. "Why do you feel nervous, Amu-chan?"

"Because I like him. I've never felt this way about anyone before, and it's been so long since I've had to deal with these feelings. I'm afraid that I won't be able to say what I want to say."

"You can and you will, Amu-chan," Dia replied with a smile.

All of the sudden, Amu heard footsteps coming down the path. She was almost too afraid to look up and see who was approaching but she finally forced herself to look.

There was Ikuto, handsome as ever in black jeans, white shirt, and blue jacket, calmly walking down the path toward her. Despite her best efforts, her heart rate picked up again and she began to hyperventilate. She made the mistake of looking into his eyes, those gorgeous sapphire orbs that sparkled in the moonlight. She had seen how expressive those eyes could be. She remembered back in elementary school when Ikuto was working for Easter how full of sadness and pain his eyes had been. Even more frightening was the emptiness she saw while Ikuto was under the control of the awful tuning fork that Easter had made in hopes of controlling Ikuto.

Now, his eyes didn't hold any of that. Instead, they shone brightly with a calm that only belongs to a person who is perfectly comfortable with who they are and how their life is going. In them she saw happiness, his usual lighthearted attitude, and something she couldn't quite identify, something that scared her ever so slightly. She wouldn't have thought it possible for Ikuto to look any more handsome, but with so many positive feelings shining in his eyes, he was stunning.

He approached her cautiously; as if afraid she might bolt. She was giving the idea serious consideration. As he came closer to her, a kind smile on his face, she wondered how good her chances were of making it back to her house before-

"I'll just catch you." His velvety, deep voice cut through the tense darkness and struck right into Amu's heart.

Damn. She knew he was right. He continued to hold her gaze as he calmly approached, finally stopping a foot in front of her. He held out his hand and asked, "Will you come with me, Amu?" His eyes shone with kindness, calm, and another, more frightening emotion that she would not acknowledge just yet. His mouth was curved into a gentle smile.

Finding her voice, she asked, "Where are you taking me?"

His smile turned slightly mischievous and his eyes gleamed with a secret. "That's a surprise."

She gulped nervously. She looked behind her and then back at Ikuto. She could turn and run, right now, but deep down; she knew that wasn't the answer. Her mind told her to run but her heart yearned to take his hand. Plus, the determined look in his eyes told her that he would most likely catch her before she even made it one hundred feet and drag her back. Dia floated up to her ear and whispered, "Go on, Amu-chan. "

Dia's encouragement gave Amu the last ounce of courage she needed. "Fine," Amu replied, looking down at the ground, her "cool and spicy" character coming out just a little bit. She tentatively put her hand in his and he grasped it firmly. An electric shock went up her arm and spread warmth and jitters throughout her entire body. A blush automatically colored her cheeks and when she heard Ikuto chuckle, she knew he saw it. His hands were warm and she liked the feel of his slender fingers against hers. He pulled her gently away from the wall and led her down the path.

She tried not to look at him while they walked, but after about five seconds, she couldn't help it. She glanced up at his face. He looked ahead, perfectly calm and happy to be walking with her, it seemed. Sensing her gaze, he turned to look at her. She looked away hurriedly, her blush deepening. He chuckled again.

"What are you thinking about, Amu? You're awfully quiet for someone who was hyperventilating just a few minutes ago."

"Sh-shut up! I was not hyperventilating," Amu replied forcefully, but still blushing.

"Oh, so there was someone else near the entrance of the park breathing heavily," Ikuto replied.

Amu chose to remain silent as Ikuto continued to lead her down the path. Her mind was a whirl of thought and feeling. Anxiousness fought against excitement which in turn competed with the butterflies in her stomach. To calm herself, she concentrated on the reassuring touch of Ikuto's hand in hers. She liked how he hadn't let go.

After a minute or so, Amu realized that they were heading toward the fountain where he had antagonized her all those years ago. She smiled to herself and blushed slightly, thinking of the memory. Suddenly, Ikuto stopped walking, stepped behind her, and covered her eyes with a slender hand.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Amu asked, surprised.

"Well, I don't want to ruin the surprise for you," he whispered into her ear. His voice sent shivers down her spine and made her stomach do some pretty impressive acrobatic tricks. He chuckled. "Cold?" he asked, knowing perfectly well that she wasn't cold.

Amu blushed and replied, "Y-yes."

Ikuto chuckled again and began to guide her forward, one hand always over her eyes, and the other holding her hand.

"Are we there yet?" Amu asked a few moments later, nervousness coloring her voice.

"Almost," he replied.

Within another minute, Ikuto and Amu stood in the middle of the courtyard, surrounded by white roses and white lights, which were reflected in the fountain.

As Amu stood there, blind to what was around her, she couldn't help but let out a nervous and excited giggle. She felt more than heard Ikuto chuckle at her excitement. She felt him lean from behind and whisper into her ear.

"Are you ready, Amu?"

The butterflies in her stomach increased as she nodded her head and Ikuto removed his hand from her eyes.

She gasped. There were no words. There were no words to describe the magnificence that surrounded her. The trees had been decorated with white Christmas lights, causing a pleasant glow to engulf the courtyard. Interspersed with the Christmas lights, there were strings and strings of white lilies, daisies, and roses hanging on the branches. The fountain had been similarly decorated with strings of flowers and lights. As she approached, she saw white lilies and white, glowing candles floating in the pool of the fountain. She turned from the fountain and gazed around in wonder, her hands covering her mouth in shock. No matter where she looked, her gaze found beauty.

Suddenly she heard a deep chuckle from behind her and was reminded that Ikuto was still there. Lost in the shock and beauty, she had completely forgotten about him. She turned to him now and slowly walked back up to him. A beautiful smile lit up his face and a kind of anxiousness lit the back of his eyes.

"Why?" she asked him in wonder. "How?"

Ikuto chuckled again. "So you like it?"

"I love it!" Amu replied enthusiastically. Her eyes shone with happiness and all her walls were down. "It's beautiful. But, how did you do all this?"

"I might have had some help," Ikuto replied with a mischievous smile.

Amu remembered Miki and Su's sudden absence earlier that day, after they were finished with the kitchen. "You stole Miki and Su earlier today, didn't you?"

Ikuto laughed. "Is it really stealing when they came willingly to help me?"

Far off in the distance, they heard a familiar chara say, "Hey! Don't forget about me, nya!"

"And Yoru helped too, of course," Ikuto amended. Calling over his shoulder, he added, "Of course, I think he was more interested in the fact that Miki was helping than actually helping me at all."

Amu didn't hear a response and Ikuto just chuckled. "That usually shuts him up pretty quickly," he said as he turned back to her with an amused smile.

Amu giggled, thinking of how Miki would blush furiously anytime she mentioned Yoru. "Yeah, Miki gets pretty shy when we tease her about Yoru."

Ikuto was suddenly curious about something and called out into the trees, knowing that Miki and Yoru were still there, watching. "Hey, Miki!"

"Y-yes?" she replied hesitantly.

"How does Amu react when I come up in conversation?"

He heard Miki giggle as she replied, "She usually starts blushing and stuttering pretty badly."

Amu was mortified. "Miki!" she yelled angrily. "I'm going to get you for that!" Amu started to stomp off in the direction of Miki's voice in hopes of killing her blue chara but also hoping to avoid Ikuto until her blush went away, but was held back by a hand grasping her own. Ikuto pulled her back to face him. They stood like that for awhile, Amu blushing furiously and looking at the ground while Ikuto looked at her with a triumphant gleam in his eye.

Then, Ikuto gently placed his finger under her chin, and guided Amu's head up until he could look her in the eye. Amu caught her breath at the unexpected proximity of his hand. She looked up and saw a joyous smile lighting up his face and a gentle, caring emotion spreading in his eyes. It was the same emotion that she saw in Kukai's eyes when he looked at Utau or when her dad looked at her mom. Her walls started to come down as he moved his hand to cup her cheek.

"So, you still get flustered when I come up in conversation, eh?" he asked teasingly, his smile softening. "I would have thought you'd have grown out of that by now."

"W-whatever," she replied quietly, her blush deepening. She couldn't deny what Miki had said. Of course she became flustered whenever he was mentioned. She had an almost scary attachment to this blue-haired man. So scary, that it was harder than she would like to admit that to him. Was she ready to trust him?

She knew she should say it: she needed to tell him that she liked him, that she never wanted him to leave her again. No matter how hard she tried, however, she couldn't make the words come out.

Ikuto gazed into Amu's eyes as he watched her struggle to say something more. He could see how flustered and nervous she was, but he could also see a desperate need. It made his heart soar to think that maybe, that need was for him. She was so close to letting her guard down to him, so close to admitting what he had seen growing in her for years. She was so close to trusting him, and he wanted that more than anything else in the world. She just needed one more push.

Amu was a little disappointed when he removed his hand from her cheek and stepped away. Instead, he took her hand and led her over to a CD player.

"What's t-this?" she asked, still pretty flustered.

"I didn't decorate the park for you to just look at it," he replied with a chuckle. He pressed the play button, and a piano melody started to play. He turned back to her and extended his hand. "Hinamori Amu, would you do me of the honor of dancing with me?"

Amu just stared at his hand uncomprehendingly for a second and then back up into his eyes. Hesitantly, she extended her hand and placed it in his. He grasped her hand firmly and led her over toward the fountain. He pulled her to him, taking her right hand in his left while his other hand came around and settle comfortably on her back. Her left arm automatically settled on his right shoulder so that they were in a waltzing position. Ikuto looked straight into her eyes as he started the dance, perfectly in step with the piano music in the background. The steps were thankfully familiar, as she had started dance lessons a few years ago.

As the piano music flowed, she and Ikuto danced around the courtyard. The butterflies in her stomach were going crazy. She closed her eyes as his intoxicating smell invaded her senses and she inhaled deeply without thinking. She missed the smell of him all these years. It was a comforting smell that made her feel warm inside.

"Do I smell good?" he asked with a chuckle.

Amu started and realized what she had done. "Uh…um…well…" she stuttered.

Suddenly, Ikuto leaned in, still dancing, and took a deep breath. "It's ok," he said close to her ear, "I missed the way you smelled too."

Curious, Amu asked, "What do I smell like?"

Ikuto pulled back and then twirled her around. Amu giggled at the sudden twirl, feeling like she was just five years old again. As they resumed the steps, Ikuto said, "You smell like strawberries and vanilla. It's a very lovely smell. I've missed it." Ikuto paused for second, then said, "I've missed you."

Again, Amu blushed a very pretty shade of red and softly replied, "I missed you too."

Ikuto smiled triumphantly at this admittance. The piano song came to an end, and a new, more popular song, came over the speakers. She recognized the voice of Celine Dion. Amu listened to the lyrics as she and Ikuto continued to twirl around the courtyard, lost in each other's eyes.

Don't know much about your life

Don't know much about your world but,

Don't wanna be alone tonight

On this planet we call Earth.

You don't know about my past and,

I don't have a future figured out.

And maybe this is going too fast.

And maybe it's not meant to last.

But what do you say to taking chances?

What do you say to jumpin' off the edge?

Never knowing if there's solid ground below,

Or hand to hold, or hell to pay,

What do you say?

What do you say?

As they waltzed, Amu realized how relevant this song was. Whoever had helped him pick out the music had really struck the right chord with this song. Taking this chance on Ikuto was a huge leap of faith. Who knew what would happen after she graduated and when she went to college?

But, as she looked into his eyes, she saw how focused they were on her. His gaze was so strong, so powerful, so full of….love. Finally, she could see and admit that it was love that was shining so clearly through his eyes, and it nearly took her breath away.

And I had my heart beating down,

But I always come back for more, yeah.

There's nothing like love to pull you up,

When you're lying down on the floor there.

So talk to me, talk to me,

Like lovers do.

Yeah walk with me, walk with me,

Like lovers do,

Like lovers do.

As the song hit its final refrain, Ikuto and Amu slowed to a stop, despite the rising energy of the song. Their arms were still around each other from waltzing and Ikuto released her hand and placed both his arms around her waist. Amu's arms automatically went around his neck. She was blushing furiously, not quite sure what he had in mind as he leaned his head closer to hers. The butterflies in her stomach increased a fraction for every inch of space that disappeared between them. Could she do this? Could she trust him so completely?

He leaned his head on her forehead. "Amu," he whispered softly. He could still see some resistance in her eyes. Just a little bit longer and she would completely trust him, after all these years.

"Y-yes," she replied, softly.

"I promise that from this moment on, I will never leave your side again. Until you send me away yourself, you will never be without me. No matter what happens in the years to come, one thing will not change." Her eyes widened as he spoke, displaying shock and happiness. He continued, "I love you, Hinamori Amu, and I have come back for you, just as I promised."

Amu's breath stopped as she listened to Ikuto's confession. His words unlocked her heart and all the feelings she had harbored for Ikuto over the past eight years, including the years when they fought Easter together, came flooding out. Tears pricked her eyes and the most honest, joyous smile she had ever expressed blossomed across her face.

Ikuto, however, was taken a bit by surprise by the tears. Sure, he could handle x-eggs and personal torment, but the one thing he could not handle was Amu crying. "Hey," he said as he wiped her tears away with his thumb. "Why are you crying? You're not supposed to be crying."

Amu smiled up at him through her tears of joy and laughed helplessly. "I'm happy you idiot. When girls are really happy, we start crying sometimes."

Tears continued to stream down her face. Ikuto stood there, not knowing exactly what to do. On an impulse, she pulled him into a hug. She felt Ikuto tighten his arms around her waist and hold her in a loving embrace. She inhaled deeply, unashamed of the fact that she missed him; everything about him. After being held there for awhile, she pulled back slightly from their hug so that she could look in his eyes once again. She took a deep breath and let everything spill out.

"I-I love you too, Ikuto," she said in a rush. "I don't ever want you to leave my side again because if you did, my heart may break for good. I need you to stay. I need you to promise that you'll stay. When you left six years ago, I didn't think that I would miss you so much, but I did. Every moment of every day, I was wondering where you'd gone and what you were doing. Most frighteningly, I wondered if you found someone else. For six years, I had those thoughts running through my head and it was torture. You can't do that to me again. You can't just leave me here and expect it to be ok." As she went on she got angrier and angrier, since the pent up love came with pent up anger. "It wasn't fair what you did and-"

Ikuto placed a finger on her lips to stop the endless deluge. He hadn't realized he had hurt her this much and it killed him inside to think that he had. Six years is a long time to wonder, and she was right: it wasn't fair of him. But he resolved, right then and there, to spend the rest of his life making up for it. He had finally found happiness in this strange, pink haired girl – no – woman. Sure, she wasn't exactly the same, but after all, he hadn't expected her to stay the same. For this to work, they would both have to change, but change and grow with each other.

"Amu," he said. "You're right. It wasn't fair to leave you and I'll never be able to tell you how sorry I am for that. But, I promise you that I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you. You won't have to wonder ever again." He took her face in both his hands and stared into those golden orbs he had come to know so well. "I promise," he vowed.

Amu smiled; a smile so big and full of joy that she felt like a goofball but didn't care. He loved her. He wasn't leaving her. He was staying. She had never been so happy in her entire life and she started giggling due to sheer happiness. On a rare impulse, she placed her hand on Ikuto's cheek. She could see the surprise in his eyes as she stroked his skin with her thumb. Inevitably, the space between them closed inch by inch. Amu closed her eyes just as Ikuto's lips captured her own.

The effect was instantaneous. A roaring fire burst from the contact and spread warmth everywhere throughout her body. They wrapped their arms tightly around one another as they pulled each other closer. This kiss had waited for years, and both could feel the passion, want, need, and impossible love behind it. Most notably was the burning sensation that Amu felt in the pit of her stomach that flamed brighter and brighter as she continued to kiss the man she loved.

After a minute or so, both came up for air. Ikuto rested his head on Amu's forehead and smiled at her. Amu returned his smile and giggled like a little girl.

"Wow," she said, somewhat breathlessly.

Ikuto chuckled and a mysterious twinkle entered his eyes. "Amazing," he agreed. "And to think, you spent so much time trying to avoid this very moment."

"What do you mean?" Amu asked, puzzled.

"Well, if I remember correctly, you became pretty flustered anytime I was anywhere near you, especially when I teased you."

Amu's mind filled with all the different times he had invaded her personal space bubble, causing her to freak out, and for good reason too!

"Well yeah! I was in sixth grade you pervert!"

Ikuto laughed. "I'm sure you secretly enjoyed it, Amu," he said, doing that infuriating thing where he emphasized her name.

Amu let out an exasperated sigh. "I refuse to dignify that with an answer," she replied.

Ikuto took her hand in his. "I'll take that as a yes," he said with a smirk.

"Whatever makes you happy," Amu mumbled.

Ikuto smiled, "You make me happy."

Amu blushed again, caught off guard by his sudden cheesiness. "I'm going to have to get used to this lovely-dovey side of you. I'm not quite used to it."

"What, did you want me to sexually harass you and tease you all that time?" he asked with a mischievous smile. "Because that can be arranged."

"No!" Amu exclaimed, horrified. "Oh please, God, no!"

Ikuto laughed. "I'm just kidding," he replied.

"I really don't think you were," she said in return.

Ikuto just winked in reply. Amu yawned suddenly and looked at her watch.

"Oh my God! It's nine thirty!" she said with a cry.

Ikuto just raised an eyebrow. "And…..," he replied.

"It's going to take thirty minutes to walk home and my curfew is at ten."

Ikuto just rolled his eyes. "I can take care of that."

Suddenly, Ikuto's tail and cat ears popped out and he swept her up into his arms. Amu yelped in surprise.

"W-what are you doing?" she asked, blushing madly.

"Taking you home, princess," Ikuto replied with a wink and a smile.

Before she could protest, he leapt up into the trees, cradling her softly in his arms.