Hey everyone~ So happy you like this story so far! I have this chapter kinda planned out but after that...I'm not sure what should happen specifically. :P

Anyway, I've gotten totally hooked on writing this! Even when I should maybe be actually being productive. You know how it is, probably. At least I'm not aimlessly browsing the internet like I was before, though. Enjoy!

So I somehow found myself sitting right next to my ex-boyfriend on a flight to Chicago. A fourteen hour flight to Chicago. What did I ever do to deserve luck like this? Not only that, but the whole plane is dead silent after that little showdown he and Ikuto had a few minutes ago. I've never been fought over like this before; sure, some guys had gotten crushes on me in high school while I was still in a relationship with Tadase, but there was never any actual confrontation. I find myself at a loss for what to do. Naturally, I settle on sitting silently, awkwardly, twiddling my thumbs as I waited for the plane to stop taxiing and take off already.

And as if that wasn't bad enough, I'm currently sitting in a huge aircraft that's about to fly over 6,000 miles over the Pacific without a break, and I've never even been on a plane before. Maybe I do need some adult company. At the very least, I need an adult...

The roaring of the plane grows louder and louder as we gently lift off. How is no one else totally freaking out right now?! The ground is getting farther and farther away, and the only thing that mercifully tears my eyes from the window is Tadase's voice. "Hey, Amu," he starts, keeping relatively quiet to keep from being overheard, "you okay over there?"

I sit up as straight as I can, my hands brushing themselves over my plaid skirt. "Yes I am, thank you very much. Better than ever, recently," I reply, hoping he caught my little dig. Well...he probably didn't. Our breakup wasn't really all that recent, per se...

He nodded. "I'm glad." He looked back away, leaving me trying my best to hold it together. We stayed this way for god-knows-how-long, awkwardly frozen in place. It really isn't all that different than our first couple of dates, looking back. I remember sitting next to him at the movies, our hands so close together, but not touching, both of us too scared to make a move. I don't know if I could be with someone like that again, someone not brave enough to take even a little bit of chance. Our first kiss came way too late for my liking...

I find myself gazing out the window as I reminisce. There were no more buildings to be seen anymore – only a never-ending carpet of clouds. I don't know whether this scared me more or put me at ease. It almost felt safer, being above everything, removed from the troubles of the earth. That is, if one of them hadn't decided that it was absolutely crucial to take the seat next to my own.

His voice came from beside me once again, breaking me out of my thoughts. "So, Amu, do you think we could just talk a little bit?"

My breath hitches a bit. I can feel my heart starting to race. I try to match his tone, talking loud enough to be heard over the engine, but not so much as to be overheard. "Ah, sure. What about?"

He sat up a bit, probably just as uncomfortable as I am. Actually, I'm not even sure that's possible right now. "I don't know. I just wish that things didn't end how they did between us."

What does that mean? Our breakup wasn't exactly a terrible, heart-breaking thing like they are in the movies. After a lot of underlying issues failed to work themselves out, we'd just grown more distant and eventually decided that we just weren't right for each other. Okay, he was a bit jealous at the end, but that was more of the straw that broke the camel's back than it was a huge relationship obstacle. "What do you mean?"

He sighs, contemplating his next words. "I don't know. Maybe if I had been a better person then, things would have turned out differently. I mean, with Saaya, things were different. I knew myself better, so I could treat her better."

I suppose I can see where he's coming from. We were both so young when we started dating, and hardly knew who we were or who we wanted to be. Honestly, I'm still not sure about either. Being in a long-term relationship is hard when you're not already happy with who you are. Although I do take offense at how little time it took him to supposedly "find himself." It had been what, four months between when we'd broken up and when he started holding that slut's hand around campus? Not even. Somehow I doubt he did a whole lot of self reflection in that time. Unless he was implying that I was holding him back during our relationship? I was trying to contain my rage at the thought. I'm sure we can keep this conversation civil. "And how did that work out?"

"Well, it didn't. See, that's why I wanted to talk-"

"What, your little week-one hookup didn't work out so you're crawling back to me now?" Okay, so maybe staying civil is a little harder than it's cut out to be. But seriously, the nerve of this guy...

"No, Amu. I'm a different person now. I was just going to ask if you'd be willing to consider giving me another chance."

"I can't believe you," I exclaimed, trying to keep my voice down to a whisper, "I thought we were over! Now you try to pull this 'Oh, but I've changed' crap on me not one week after your little fangirl finds someone else to harp over? Count me out. Maybe I will sit with Ikuto after all." With that, I stand up, taking my bag from underneath the seat in front of me. I attempt to step around him into the aisle, but get a bit stuck between him and the seat. He awkwardly pulls in his legs, letting me pass. I stand up straight, not looking him in the eye. "Thanks," I mutter. Okay, so my exits aren't exactly graceful, but they do tend to be dramatic.

I head back through the curtain separating our cabin from the one behind us. It's completely dark, the windows closed and the lights off, save for one illuminating the man in one of the seats. His eyes meet mine as I stumble through the dark aisle. "Back already?"

His face reflects the light in an incredible way, as if we're in a candlelit room. It's almost romantic. I'd be enjoying the atmosphere more if it wasn't for the recent drama. "You could say I need some more adult company right now," I say exasperated, putting my bag back between my legs as I take the seat next to him.

"Well, my company can be as adult as you'd like it to be," he said jokingly.

I roll my eyes. This might be almost as bad as having to sit net to Tadase for fourteen hours. "I think I'll just stick with talking for now."

A victorious smirk crossed his lips as he closed his book, putting it away. "So, that's your ex, huh?"

"Yep..." I trailed off. What was there to say? It's not like I knew this guy well enough to tell him the whole story. Not that he'd want to know, anyway. Or maybe he's genuinely curious? Even so, the silence is starting to get awkward. Despite being relatively popular in high school, I've never been good at conversing with near-strangers. "We were together for almost four years," I blurted out.

One of his eyebrows raised, his expression otherwise unchanging. "That long, huh?"

His eyes meet mine again, and I look away. "Yeah, I guess it was a pretty long time." Fuck, he really wasn't making this easy. Not that he struck me as much of a conversationalist, but you'd think he'd at least show a little more interest. Perhaps he's trying not to? I just don't know with this guy. At least he knew how to put up a mysterious character. I guess we both have that in common. "I mean, it started in ninth grade, but we broke up in early May this year."

"What happened?" he asked, his voice just a little less nonchalant.

"Well, there were a lot of little things, issues that never got resolved. Then he started getting jealous of some of my guy friends...we just decided we weren't right for each other. You know how it is." I look over at him. His gaze flicked from the closed window back over to me. He sure isn't easy to read. "I mean, you do...right?"

He shrugs. "I wouldn't say so. I've had dates. Never girlfriends, though."

This takes me aback. He's four years older than me and he's never had a real girlfriend? I didn't think that was possible, especially considering that he's really pretty handsome. "None at all?"

He shook his head. "No, not really. There was someone when I studied abroad last year, but that didn't last too long. We hooked up the whole month I was in Australia, but her boyfriend found out and it had to stop."

Of course he's been with exotic foreign girls. I should have figured, I guess. Probably older and more experienced, too. Not that it was any of my concern. It's not like I care about some near-stranger's sex-life. "That's too bad. Did you really like her?"

"I guess you could say that. She was beautiful, but it was mostly sex for her, and I think we both knew it couldn't last."

A girl using a guy for sex? I wasn't really familiar with the concept. Not that I was intimately familiar with the inverse, but I'd never heard of it that way before. I kind of feel sorry for him, though. It doesn't really sound like there's a lot of romance in his life. I know that some people aren't inclined to that, and he doesn't exactly seem to be the romantic type, but maybe that's why he always seems so isolated. I wonder if he was sad when they had to stop seeing each other.

It dawns on me that I'm discussing relationships with someone who I've essentially just met. Definitely a new experience for me, and we're not even in Chicago yet. Probably nothing new for him, though. "I see." What else is one supposed to say in this kind of situation?

He turns to me. "What about you?"

I tilt my head in confusion. "What about me?"

"Has anyone ever done that to you?"

Used me for sex, he means? "Of course not! I'm not that kind of person," I blurt out. I think about the question a bit. Well, in all honesty, the last couple of months of my relationship with Tadase was mostly just about sex. It's not like we were compatible anywhere else, after all. "Well, not really. I mean, I guess we were kind of...using each other?" I stopped awkwardly. Am I really discussing my sex life with someone who I've only started talking to five minutes ago?

He shrugs, his expression unreadable. "That happens, I suppose." He stops, looking away again. He really isn't easy to talk to. "It's okay as long as you both enjoy it. It's just not the foundation for an actual relationship."

"Well, yeah. That's why it ended. I mean, the sex was really good, but that's all that was any good," I said, hoping it would help to explain a little more.

"'Really good,' huh? From an eighteen-year-old?" I hear doubt and amusement in his voice.

"What, it's not a joke! I mean, he was seventeen, but..." I trail off again.

He shakes his head, a small smile on his lips. "I've heard that before. I've never heard the same girl say it more than once, though."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I ask, genuinely confused.

His smile persists as he looks away. "Nothing to worry about. For now, anyway."

I roll my eyes and shift around, trying to think of something else to talk about, when I realize that maybe I should give up. On less than six hours of sleep, my brain can only function so well. I really shouldn't sleep right now; we're scheduled to arrive around 1 AM Chicago time, so it would be best if I could just stay awake for the plane ride then go to bed as soon as we arrive. That way I could be running on a fairly normal sleep schedule, right? Though, maybe just one little nap couldn't hurt. I can already feel myself dozing off...

My hand tugs on the fabric of his long-sleeved shirt. "Ikuto, can I sleep with you?"

He looks down at me, smirking. "Hm, usually it takes a little more effort than that. Knock yourself out."

I comfortably lean my head against his arm, trying not to snuggle him too much. I take off my jacket, pulling it over my body as a makeshift blanket. My eyes are just beginning to close as I suddenly understand his joke.

"Not like that, perv," I mutter, his arm coming around my shoulder as I drift off to sleep.

Yay, I actually finished this before fall break! I was actually pretty worried that I wouldn't. :P But~ I won't be posting this weekend, as I said in the last chapter, as I'll be going over to my boyfriend's house! So, expect the next chapter sometime next week, I guess.

Amu: I think you overestimate the number of people eagerly waiting your updates.
Honey: Shush, you're just sad because of the huge amounts of Amu-abuse my stories tend to contain. :P
Amu: Of course I'm upset! You put me on a plane next to Tadase! And even worse, now I'm next to Ikuto!
Ikuto: Don't worry, I always make sure all my flights are protected and enjoyable for all parties involved.
Honey: See, you'll be just fine. :3
Amu: Not again...

So review and stuff! I'm not entirely sure what I should do from here, or even if I should add another chapter about her flight with Ikuto, so suggestions would help a lot. Tell me what you want to see, my wish is your command! :3 Ja ne, minna!