"Tadase," the name rang through Ikuto's mind. Then he realized that that's the name that Amu shouted when she woke up from her nightmare this morning.
"Amu," Ikuto leaned in close to her and spoke in a very quiet and serious tone, "Who's Tadase?"
Amu shook her head at Ikuto and pulled her knees up to her chest. She crossed her arms over her legs and put her head down.
"Amu," Ikuto said more sternly.
"He's just…" Amu hid a single tear that fell from her cheek from Ikuto, "A friend."
Ikuto put a hand on Amu's shoulder, "Then what's wrong?"
Amu just shook her head and pushed Ikuto's hand off her shoulder. They sat there in silence for a few minutes until they heard Yaya's loud talking from the entrance to the beach behind them.
"Your friends are here. Who's who?" Ikuto glanced back at them.
"Yaya has pigtails, Rima is blond, and Nagihiko is a guy," Amu said quickly in one breath.
Ikuto nodded, even though Amu couldn't see. He watched as Yaya came running ahead of everyone.
"Hey, Amu!" She stood in front of Amu, "Who's thi–Tsukiyomi Ikuto?"
Ikuto winced as Yaya screamed his name, "Quieter, will you? We aren't the only people on the beach. I want to attract as little attention as possible."
Yaya blushed, "Oh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"
Ikuto brushed a black lock of hair from Amu's face and put it behind her ear.
"What… What's wrong with Amu?" Yaya asked.
"I don't really know. She won't tell me. Just go ahead and play or something," Ikuto shooed her away.
Soon after, Rima walked up. Ikuto looked up at her. She was so tiny, you could barely see her behind the big beach ball she was holding.
"What's wrong with Amu," she asked in a quiet voice.
"I don't know," Ikuto said.
"You better not have done anything to hurt her," Rima glared at him.
"Ah, no. I didn't. You don't have to worry about that."
"Good. And if you ever do, I'll kill you," Rima continued to glare until she walked away to join Yaya at the shore.
Next to approach was Nagihiko. He crouched down beside Amu, and put his hand on her other shoulder. He gave Ikuto a knowing look before he stood back up and went down to the shore with Rima and Yaya.
More people began to file in to the beach, sending suspicious glances at Ikuto. He pulled his shirt back on and placed his Aviators back over his eyes. Ikuto tensed up when a boy with blond hair came up and crouched down in from of Amu.
"Ta-Tadase-kun!" A thick blush covered Amu's cheeks.
"Is something wrong, Hinamori-san? Why aren't you out swimming with the others?" He barely noticed Ikuto was there.
"I… Just don't feel like it, you know," Amu shrugged. She was a terrible liar.
"I take it you're Tadase?" Ikuto glanced up at him.
The blonde-haired boy looked back with his red-violet eyes, "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't even notice you there. I'm Hotori Tadase. And you must be Tsukiyomi Ikuto, correct?"
Ikuto nodded his head.
Then a man about Ikuto's age came and stood behind Tadase. He looked exactly like Tadase.
"Who's this?" Ikuto asked, pointing to the man behind Tadase.
"Oh, this is my older brother, Hotori Tsukasa," Tadase stood up as he introduced him.
Tsukasa stuck his hand out for Ikuto to shake it. Ikuto reluctantly took it, as not to look impolite, "I'm Tsukiyomi Ikuto."
"The Tsukiyomi Ikuto?" Tsukasa looked at him, astonished. "What are you doing here then?"
"Oh, did I forget to tell you?" Tadase looked up at Tsukasa. "Amu texted me last night, she went to EASTER and they gave her a singing contract. She's going on tour with Tsukiyomi Ikuto next week."
"Really?" Tsukasa asked rhetorically. "I'm so proud of you, Amu," he bent down and ruffled her hair.
Amu blushed and pulled away from his hand.
Tsukasa laughed, "Oh, you're so cute, Amu. Teenage girls are always trying to keep their hair straight no matter what."
Then Tadase and his older brother left.
"Amu, tell me. What's wrong?" Ikuto asked.
Amu just looked back at him and blushed at how close he was.
Ikuto sighed, "Okay, come on. Let's take a walk." Ikuto stood up and put his hand down for Amu to pull herself up.
She wrapped her small hand around his and pulled herself up.
"Well that worked a lot better than last time," Ikuto said.
Amu just smiled a bit.
Ikuto grabbed Amu by the wrist, "This way. I know a place with no people."
Amu jogged behind Ikuto to catch up with his long, quick strides. Ikuto had a hold of one hand, and the other was used to keep Ikuto's large pants up around her waist.
Ikuto took her through a trail in the woods. She winced as she stepped on pointy leaves and thorns, but Ikuto didn't miss a beat. They came out of the woods to a beachfront with soft white sand and a calm shore. Amu looked around. Across the beach, there were toppled trees and large rocks. Ikuto let go of Amu's wrist and she walked around the beach.
"How about we trade pants," Ikuto suggested.
Amu looked back at him and blushed, "You're wearing a bathing suit."
"Yeah, I'll give you my bathing suit and you give me my pants back. My bathing suit has a string in it so you don't have to hold it up all the time, and it's shorter."
"Yeah, but all you have on under that is boxers. I have a bathing suit on under your jeans," Amu said.
"Amu, we're going to be on tour together, and chances are, that Shiragin's gonna make us share a room. You're gonna see plenty of me in my boxers."
Amu blushed. "Ugh, fine," she undid the button and zipper on Ikuto's jeans. She took them off and tossed them playfully at Ikuto's face.
Ikuto smirked and took off his bathing suit and tossed it at Amu's face in return. Amu pulled the bathing suit away and suddenly regretted it. In front of her was Ikuto in his t-shirt and boxers. She blushed at the Pink Floyd printed garment. Amu sighed to herself when Ikuto's boxers soon covered by his dark wash denim jeans. Amu then blushed as she pulled on the burgundy and red bathing suit. She pulled the strings tightly around her small waist and tied them tight.
"There, and there," Ikuto said as he shrugged and motioned for Amu to take a look around the beach.
She stuck her hands into the pockets of her cover-up as she trekked along the beach. She came to a large fallen tree with large sturdy branches. She crawled onto what was the trunk of the tree, and started to climb across it. The tree Amu had chosen was half way out into the water. She climbed onto branches and across the trunk until she found a sturdy branch to sit on, about 20 feet out on the water, and 30 feet high. The branch that she chose to sit on had another branch directly above it for her to put her arms over. Ikuto crawled up behind her, sitting with her on the branch too. They looked out at the horizon in silence. The reflection from the mid-day sun danced on the rippling water to a tune that no one could hear. Amu swung her bare feet through the air.
"So what's bugging you?"
Amu crossed her arms on the limb above the one she was sitting on, "Nothings bugging me. Why do you say that?"
"Well, you refused to write a song about rape, then when you finally did write the song, you started crying about it, and as soon as I made a dirty joke, you decided to leave. And now you freak out and put my pants on when you get a text that says that Tadase was coming to the beach with us," Ikuto shrugged.
Amu raised an eyebrow at him, "What are you saying?"
Ikuto gave Amu a serious expression, "I'm asking what you keep freaking out about. What happened that you haven't told me about?"
Amu glared at him, "You know, we've only known each other for two days. I don't have to tell you every little detail of my life. You act like you've known me since I was Ami's age!"
Ikuto gave an exasperated sigh, "Amu, listen. I'm not trying to sound invasive, but we're going to be hanging out a lot in the near future. We'll be going on tour together, singing on stage together, sight-seeing together, and even sharing a room together. I'm going to find out sooner or later, and its best for both of us if its sooner."
Ikuto stared at Amu intensely. He could see his distorted reflection in her golden orbs as she thought of what to say.
Amu blushed.
"Amu," Ikuto said her name in a low voice.
Amu started to tear up again.
"Tell me."
Amu shook her head.
"Why won't you tell me?" Ikuto asked.
Amu put her head on her arms, "I'm not allowed to."
"Why not?"
"Because they said I can't," Amu said as a tear fell from her eye.
"'They?'You mean there was more than one?" Ikuto asked.
Amu blushed madly, "No, no! That's not what I meant!"
Ikuto sighed in relief, although, he was slightly upset. He thought he was getting somewhere, "Amu, please just tell me what happened."
"No, I can't," Amu shook her head.
Ikuto sighed. He let the silence draw out a bit. He watched Amu closely. Her tears stopped. Her cheeks were a normal color. She picked at the bark on the tree. She pulled off a long strip and rolled it up.
"I wonder how much it would hurt to fall from here," Amu said. She balled up the bark and tossed it out into the water, watching as it made a plop that was too quiet to hear from where they were.
"A lot," Ikuto said, "So don't fall."
Amu laughed. Ikuto watched her as she gazed across the waters. Clouds drifted in front of the sun and made the breeze that blew give them goose bumps.
"Are you cold?" Ikuto asked.
"Yeah, just a little bit," Amu said, rubbing her bumpy arms.
"Well, I'd wrap my arm around you in a completely un-romantic intended but slightly perverted, just to get you blushing, way, but you seem sort of irritated with me. So I won't," Ikuto shrugged.
There was silence.
Amu scooted over and wrapped her arms around Ikuto, stealing his warmth. Ikuto smiled his cat-like smile as he put his hand lightly on Amu's back.
They sat there, in that tree, stealing each other's warmth while the sun hid behind the clouds, for quite a while. They talked little, and just shared a moment.
"Amu," Ikuto said quietly.
Amu giggled to herself, being to feel the vibrations of her name on his chest, "Yeah?"
"You said you weren't allowed to tell anyone what happened, right?"
Amu nodded her head.
"Who said that?"
Amu blushed. She didn't think Ikuto would hit her with that question.
"Tell me, Amu," Ikuto asked again.
Amu blushed and balled her hand up on Ikuto's chest, "Tadase-kun."
"Amu," Ikuto grabbed on to her arm, "What did Tadase do to you?"
"I already told you I can't tell you," Amu said, her eyes starting to water.
Ikuto pulled away from Amu. He looked at her. He couldn't tell what he was doing. Amu was right. They had only known each other for two days. He had become too attached. He stared at her, trying to think of something to say. He had the same feeling come over him as when they were on the elevator earlier today. He slowly shook his head. He moved himself away from Amu and climbed back down the tree. He started walking back to the woods, where they came out from the trail. Then he walked back and leaned against the tree. Amu came hurrying after him. She started down the tree, when her foot slipped. She screamed as she plummeted through the air.
She landed in a warm pair of arms which instinctively pulled her closer to his chest. She opened her eyes to see Ikuto. She tried to read him. He didn't have the same caring expression he had earlier. He looked at her with cold eyes, just like when they had first met. He put her down on the sand.
"You need to stop taking the quick way out of high places," he said.
Ikuto started to walk away from her, going back to the tree line to leave the beach.
"Ikuto!" Amu shouted after him.
Ikuto stopped walking.
"I… I know what you're thinking," Amu said quietly.
Ikuto didn't say anything.
"Tadase… He didn't rape me."
A/N- Hey guys. Nice chapter, eh? I have a bit of sad news for you guys. School starts back soon, so I'm going to be a lot busier than I am during the summer. So starting today, I'm only going to update every Sunday afternoon. That gives me time to spread out my writing time, and also, you guys will always know when a chapter is going to be out. So my next update will be in a week. Expect a good chapter; I have a whole week to write it. Thanks for reading, and remember to R&R (because we all know that's my FAVORITE part of fanfiction)!