My goal is to finish this story before 2012. (No pun intended.)

Thank you to these reviewers:

Layla's Lancaster, Foxgrl18, Tsukiyomi Macey, Tsukiyomi Yuji, Jen567, TheHyuugaaMegumii, FlowerFairy9751, Sukiya62, xyueuchihax, Starpower01, candycloud8, nab2000, gkanimefan, amutofanstarsky101, lilpopsplash, Megane Becky-chan

NOTE: Many of you are mad at Amu for being mad at Utau. (lol xD) But it's real life (or at least, I'm trying to make it somewhat realistic). Who wouldn't be mad after finding this out from their best friend? Amu's parents died when they were with Utau, for god's sake! And Utau has been keeping this secret for what, 5 years? (I can't even remember. -.-) So you have to understand it's natural for Amu to feel angry and upset.

Another secret is revealed in this chapter! And some hot juicy stuff is gonna happen~ Hope you enjoy it! (:

X-x-Flashback of Chapter 15-x-X

Amu stopped the engine and proceeded to get out of the car. She walked over to the tombstone and knelt down.

"Hey, Mom, Dad. You must be wondering why I'm here so late at night, huh? I've been real busy lately and..." Amu touched her mother's name, tracing the outline of the letters. "Everything is just falling apart." Before she knew it, she had knelt down to the right of the stone and hugged it from the side. Tears cascaded down her face. She sobbed into the stone, overwhelmed by the anger, sadness, everything.

"Why did you have to leave me?"

The wind howled in response as Amu wept.

X-x-End of Flashback-x-X

X-x-X

Midnight Getaway

Normal POV

"Where are Amu-chi and Utau-chi?" Yaya asked, looking around the recording room.

"They both called in sick today," Iori, their manager, informed.

Kukai and Rima looked at each other at the same time, thinking the same thing—did something bad happen between them? Ikuto caught their shared looks and knew something was up. He sighed, knowing he had to skip his naptime to visit his sister's condo. Tadase narrowed his eyes. He's noticed the tension between the two for a while now and now they're both "sick"? He decided to visit Amu with her being sick as an excuse.

"We should all visit them both!" Yaya suggested, pumping her fist in the air.

Ikuto and Tadase looked up, panic in their eyes, both thinking simultaneously, 'No, that means I won't be able to talk to Utau/Amu privately!'

"That's probably not a good idea," Nadeshiko commented. "Let them rest for a day before we visit them."

The two boys thanked Nadeshiko mentally. Now all they had to do was wait until the end of practice.

X-x-X

The doorbell rang, waking Utau up from her slumber. Annoyed, she threw her covers back. She took her time putting on her slippers but then the piercing noises of the doorbell repeated rang. Sputtering profanities under her breath, she stomped to the door and roughly opened it before checking who it was first. She was so damn ready to kick her visitor's sorry ass. Her anger dissipated and confusion replaced it.

"Ikuto? What are you doing here?"

"You look like a mess," he noted, stepping in her condo.

"It's not my fault I just woke up from my nap." She attempted to comb her hair as she closed the door.

"It's six in the evening. Good thing I woke you up."

She rolled her eyes, heading to the kitchen. "Want anything to drink?"

"Milk," he automatically answered, settling down in her couch.

She smiled to herself as she poured him a glass of milk. His tastes never changed. She made herself some hot tea and threw some cookies onto a platter. She set the refreshments on the coffee table between them before sitting down herself.

"So what brings you here?" she questioned, feeling her hands instantly warm from the heat radiating from the cup. She blew softly, watching the steam disappear for a moment before taking a sip, sighing contently.

"It's about Amu."

It was a good thing she was about to set the cup back down because her hand dropped, making the teacup crash into the saucer as some tea spilled. She cursed and got some tissues to wipe the spill.

"I thought we went over this before," Utau said, cleaning her mess slowly.

"I thought it was fine. At first. But something's definitely up because both you and Amu called in sick. Also, you reaction just now confirmed my suspicions."

Utau sighed and sat back, clutching her cup of tea in her thin, fragile hands. "I told her everything."

He stopped munching on the cookie. "Everything?"

She shook her head. "Just about her parents."

"Why didn't you?"

"She didn't ask," Utau simply said, finding a lame excuse. "Besides, it's too much in one night."

"How did Amu react?"

Utau averted her eyes and responded quietly, "She hates me now."

"Tell me what happened last night."

She sighed for the millionth time that hour and finished her cup of tea. She gazed at the picture frame attached to the wall to her left before telling Ikuto her story.

X-x-X

"T-Tadase-kun?"

Amu's jaw dropped to the floor, her hand still on the doorknob of the front door. Her hair was a wreck and she was still in her pajamas. She mentally smacked herself for not changing beforehand.

"May I come in?" he asked politely.

"Uh, yeah, of course you can! Come in, please." She moved out of the way so he could walk in. "Um, did you want to talk about something?"

"Well, I heard you were sick, so here." He held out a large bouquet of flowers, consisting of daffodils and daisies. "Just something to cheer you up."

"Aw, thank you so much!" she gushed, taking the flowers from him. "I'll put it in a vase. Make yourself comfortable. Want anything to drink?" she asked, walking towards her kitchen.

"Just water is fine."

As Amu searched for a vase and got the snacks, Tadase observed his surroundings. 'This is a nice and cozy apartment.' His eyes stopped on a shelf that held endless frames of pictures. He walked over to it and examined each one. One had Amu as a little girl holding hands with a man and a woman. That must've been her parents. Another was a girl who resembled Amu. 'That's probably her sister,' he mused. However, the majority of the photos were of Utau and Amu. He smiled, knowing their friendship must've gone back to when they were toddlers.

His eyes traveled to the lower shelf and he noticed the picture frame wasn't upright but faced down. Checking to see if Amu was back yet, he bent down and flipped the frame over.

His eyes widened. If his eyes weren't deceiving him, then this was—

"Tadase-kun, what are you doing?" Amu asked curiously, setting down the drinks and food on the table.

He abruptly erected his posture and spluttered incoherent excuses. "I-I'm just looking at your pictures! You and Hoshina-san are in many of them."

"Yeah…she is," she agreed softly, staring into space. She sat down and sipped her tea.

Tadase let out a sigh of relief before sitting down onto the couch himself. He took two gulps of water before saying, "How've you been, Amu-chan?"

"Great, yourself?" she said, grinning, thinking she could fool him with her façade.

He frowned. "Anyone can see through that lie."

Her smile faltered. "Haha, I guess you got me."

"I'm serious, Amu-can. Are you ok?"

Her eyebrow arched. Since when did he care about her affairs? "I'm just tired. I haven't been getting much sleep lately," she admitted sheepishly.

"Amu-chan, is something going on between you and Hoshina-san?" he blurted out, wanting to get down to business.

She choked on her tea, slightly alarming Tadase. He waited until her coughing subsided. Once she calmed down, she said, "Tadase-kun, what exactly do you mean?"

"Did you know both you and Hoshina-san called in sick today?"

"Maybe we're both actually sick," she casually suggested, finishing off the last of her cookie.

He gave her a doubtful look but said, "And when your manager told us, Mashiro-san and Souma-kun gave each other 'a look.' That's when I knew something was up."

She set down her cup and pursed her lips. "Tadase-kun, why do you care so much?"

"…I don't even know myself. But Amu-chan, I do care about you. Like I said, I was a real jerk to you before but I want to redeem myself. I was such a greedy brat last month but I'm changing my ways."

"Tadase-kun," she said, his words warming her heart.

"Do you want to talk about your troubles?"

She looked down and said, "I'm sorry, but I can't."

He let out a sigh but smiled. "That's all right. When you feel the need to talk, I'm here."

"Thank you," she said, giving him a warm smile.

Taken off guard by her smile, he stuttered, "U-Um, could you come with me?"

She cocked her head to the side. "To where?"

"Well, you seem pretty bummed out so you should do something fun to clear your mind." He stood up, extending his hand. "Shall we?"

She grinned and took his hand. After they got ready (the usual disguises), Tadase opened the door for Amu. He gave one last look at the last picture frame he glanced upon before Amu had interrupted him.

'Can't be…' But he knew it was the truth. He closed the door behind him and locked it. His hand lingered on the doorknob. His mind went back to the picture in Amu's living room…a picture of a boy and a girl in a park on a sunny day. Just a typical childhood memory of any child. But not in Tadase's eyes.

'…but it's true. Amu and Ikuto knew each other since they were kids.'

X-x-X

"Amu said that?"

Utau gravely nodded, already feeling the waterworks come on. 'When did I become this weak?' "After she said that, she left."

"Wow." Ikuto sat back against the sofa, rubbing his chin in a thoughtful manner.

"I know," Utau agreed.

"That's not what I was talking about. I was referring to you."

"What about me?" she asked, sending him a confused look.

"When I said, 'wow,' I meant, 'Wow, I can't believe you're still here.'"

"This is my home…?" she said, not sure where he was going at.

"No, stupid." Utau shot daggers at him. "That's not what I meant. Why aren't you talking to Amu right this minute? Make up with her."

"You always think these things are so simple."

"It's definitely not impossible. You're thinking the exact opposite, am I right? Utau, you have to face your fears. This isn't like you. Where's the Utau I know that's headstrong, doesn't give a shit what people say about her, and confident?"

"Ikuto, I just don't know what to do anymore."

"Tell her everything."

She sighed, completely exasperated at him. "Like I said, easier said than done."

"Like I said, it's definitely not impossible."

"Ikuto, to be honest…" Utau clutched the cup in her hands, watching the liquid subtly swish back and forth. "I guess I'm just scared." She laughed humorlessly. "I have been. Every time I spill the beans to Amu, I feel relieved that she wasn't that mad. Well, except last night."

"Then why are you scared now?"

"I guess I'm scared of losing our friendship," she confessed.

Ikuto sighed. "You and I both know Amu wouldn't just do that."

"That's not the only thing. If I persuade her to listen and if she somehow forgives me, I feel like I should explain something else to her…" she trailed off, her fingers fidgeting.

"What's that something?" Ikuto questioned, not liking where this was going.

"I was there when Ami was kidnapped."

X-x-X

Amu drank the last of her Coke, completely bloated. Tadase had gone to get them ice cream (in Amu's opinion, he was spoiling her too much), leaving Amu to hum quietly to herself on the bench. She sat back, using her hand to shield her eyes from the blinding lights the attractions gave off.

It was just so ironic that she was here of all places with Tadase. Where were they, you ask? They were at the exact same place just a month ago, except they went with different partners. Yup, they were at the amusement park.

"Here?"

"Yeah."

Amu closed the car door, glancing at Tadase with an are-you-kidding-me look. She didn't mean to be offensive but hey, she had a good reason to give that look.

"I know the last time we were here, some bad stuff happened but just for today, can you forget the past? I brought you here today to have fun—to forget your troubles for a while." He glanced at her, his cheeks a bit red.

Amu gently smiled at him. She could never forget what he did to her but just for today… "Thanks, Tadase-kun, I appreciate what you're doing." She took a deep breath, gazing at the bright lights of the amusement park. "Shall we go?"

He returned the smile, relief flooding his features as he took her hand.

Her legs swished back and forth as she looked at the night sky. It was almost time to leave since the park was closing very soon. Just as she thought that, Tadase returned with the ice cream cones. She thanked him and they quietly ate on the bench, enjoying each other's company.

"Hey," Amu said, breaking their silence.

"Hmm?"

"Thank you."

X-x-X

Tadase opened the car door, letting Amu out. She stepped out of the car and gave him a smile. "Thanks for taking me home."

"No problem. I'll walk you to the door."

Amu shook her head. "It's fine. I can manage. Thank you though. And really, I mean it. Thanks for making my day less crappy," she said, laughing without humor. "If you didn't come cheer me up, I think I would've been rolled up in a ball in a corner, bawling my eyes out," she joked.

Tadase took a step forward and his arms enveloped around Amu. Shocked, Amu didn't hug back or resist against his tight hold.

"T-Tada—"

"Amu-chan, you don't deserve any of the pain you're feeling."

"Wha—"

He pulled back, staring at Amu's bright red face. "I don't know what happened but it pains me to see you so upset. As a friend, I want to help you in any way I can. So please, if there's anything you need to talk about or anything in general, don't hesitate to ask."

"Tadase-kun, you really are kind." Amu sent him a smile and said, "Thank you."

The two parted and Tadase watched Amu ascend the stairs, walking towards her apartment door. He got in the car and turned the ignition.

"As a lover, I would do so much more to comfort you," he whispered to himself as he drove away from the apartment.

Amu walked towards the front door of her apartment, letting out a deep breath. With what has happened since the beginning of the school year, she's surprised she's still not in trauma or something. Her steps suddenly halt as she noticed a dark figure slouched near the door.

"Yo."

"Ikuto?" Amu said, surprised by his presence. He was lounging on the floor, his back against the wall. "How long were you here for?"

"A while." He stood up, dusting off any dirt.

"You should've called me or something. I would've come back."

"I doubt you would've left Tadase."

"You saw?" Her breathing stopped. 'Did he see him hug me?'

"Yup," he answered, popping the 'p.'

"He came to see how I was doing," she said, feeling like she should inform him of that, not wanting any misunderstandings to rise.

"And then you guys went on a date."

"Ikuto, I thought I told you I didn't like Tadase like that."

"Then what was that hug about?" he said, taking a step forward. Amu could make out his eyes; they flashed with annoyance and anger.

"You're jealous," Amu stated. She didn't have any doubts about that. His actions, his words…they scream jealousy. From the bottom of her stomach, she felt butterflies swarm, creating this warm feeling.

"As if," he scoffed as Amu opened the door to her apartment. "I was just—"

"Would you like to come in?" Amu said, shooting him a small smile. "Sorry you had to wait so long."

"I was explaining something, y'know," he started but entered her home nonetheless.

X-x-X

Utau rummaged through her bag, trying to locate her cell phone.

(1) new message!

She settled herself on her bed and opened the text, wondering who it was from.

To: Utau

From: Kukai

hey hoshina!

To: Kukai

From: Utau

what do you want, souma?

To: Utau

From: Kukai

so mean! i was just saying hi :'(

To: Kukai

From: Utau

hi.

To: Utau

From: Kukai

HI! :)

'Honestly, he's such a kid,' Utau thought, rolling her eyes, but couldn't help the tips of her lips moving upward.

To: Utau

From: Kukai

look outside your balcony.

Confused, Utau turned her head towards her balcony. Her eyes widened and she scrambled to her feet. She shoved the door open and stepped out, feeling the chilly weather. "Holy shit, Souma? What the hell are you doing here?"

"Yo!" He flashed a grin and gave her a thumbs-up. "How's it goin'?"

"How did you even get up here?" she asked in disbelief, completely disregarding his question. "My home isn't exactly on the first floor of this building."

"That's something for me to know and for you to never find out." He winked at her.

She glared at him. "You could've come through the lobby."

"I wanted to surprise you, though." He pouted.

She rolled her eyes. "Why did you even come here? It's late."

"I wanted to see how you were doing," he admitted, abashed. "Your manager said you called in sick but…you aren't really sick, are you?"

At first, Utau blushed when he confessed about wanting to see how she was doing, but it disappeared by the end of his sentence. "What do you mean about that, Souma?" She desperately tried to act clueless, hoping he wouldn't ask about Amu. She was upset enough reliving the experience when Ikuto came but she didn't want to retell her story a second time.

"Don't lie to me. I know something happened between you and Hinamori."

"And why does this matter to you?" Utau mumbled quietly.

"Because both of you are my friends. And I'm worried about you, Utau."

This took her by surprise. "Me? Why?"

"Lately, you've been depressed. When we first met, you were feisty, so blatantly blunt that you were sometimes rude, and confident. I liked that about you. You're an admirable person…"

Utau's lip quivered and her legs collapsed beneath her. She sobbed uncontrollably, her hands covering her face. She wanted to scream and wash away all her worries. If only, if only. When did things become so screwed up and complicated?

Kukai bent down and wrapped his arms around her, trapping her in his warm hold. She clutched onto his sweatshirt as her tears stained his clothing.

"…but sometimes it's necessary to just cry to your heart's desire."

"I'm so damn weak. I'm such a coward," Utau muttered, mostly to herself.

"Crying doesn't mean you're weak."

Utau just continued to cry and cry. Kukai rubbed her back soothingly.

"Just let it all out." He kissed her hair and tightened his hold around her. "Everything's going to be fine."

X-x-X

"So why did you come here, anyways?" Amu asked, sitting down on the sofa next to him.

"Why, you don't want me here? I'm so hurt by your words!" Ikuto brought his hand to his heart and gave a mocked gasp, making Amu roll her eyes.

"Honestly."

"I was just visiting a sick person. But I don't think said person is exactly ill."

"Maybe I just needed a break," Amu casually suggested, shrugging her shoulders.

"I highly doubt that. Since when did Hinamori Amu take a day off from music?"

"Look, it's none of your business. I chose to skip work today."

"You know, Utau's pretty upset, too," Ikuto suddenly said, startling Amu a bit.

"Oh."

"That's it? 'Oh'?"

"Well, what do want me to say?"

"Something other than 'oh'."

"This is getting absolutely nowhere." She sat back, folded her arms across her chest as her feet rested on the surface of the coffee table in front of her. After a few moments of silence, Amu quietly said, "Hey, Ikuto. Did you know about Utau and my parents?"

"Yes, I did. I didn't know the details but I knew."

"Then why didn't you tell me?" Amu said, slightly hurt.

"Because that's Utau's job. And she finally told you."

"And I just left her."

"Can't blame you. If that happened to me, I bet I would've acted more angrily." Ikuto sighed and ruffled her hair. "Just don't be mad at her forever. Look at it from her perspective, too."

"I'm not mad at her for not doing anything to save my parents. I'm mad that she didn't tell me sooner."

"She was scared."

The words hung in the silent air as the two sat next to each other. Ikuto glanced over at Amu under his eyelashes and noticed her distant, solemn look. He sighed and stood up, offering a hand to Amu. She looked at his hand and then at him.

"Well?"

"Well, what?"

"Come on." Without waiting for her hand, he grasped onto her hand and pulled her up and into his chest.

"Hey!" She tried to push him away but his arms trapped her in his cage. "Let me go, idiot!"

He chuckled. "We're going to go somewhere."

"At this hour?"

"Yup."

X-x-X

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see."

"God damn it, Ikuto, you're starting to piss me off."

"PMSing much?"

Amu whacked him upside the head.

"Ow."

"Good."

They've been driving for ten minutes and it seemed as if he was just driving to…nowhere. In Amu's eyes, he was taking random turns here and there and started to question if he had any sense of direction.

Amu leaned back against the car seat and closed her eyes, enjoying the wind blowing past her face. Her arm was outside the window and her fingers drummed against the side door to a random song that popped in her head. "Spread my wings out into the dark. I'll fly away on a trip to your heart…"

"You want to go to my heart?" Ikuto said, smirking. "I'll gladly let you."

"Oh my god, shut up." Amu's face grew red at his suggestive tone. "It's just a song."

Ikuto laughed. "It's so much fun teasing you."

Again, Amu felt that familiar painful pang in her heart. Was she only a toy to him?

"Hey, open your eyes."

She did as she was told and looked outside. Her eyes widened. "Where are we?"

"On the highway."

"It's…beautiful."

During the daytime, Amu would've driven through the highway without thinking much about it. She's never driven through the highway at night though. There were lampposts at every ten feet interval that illuminated the way to your destination.

"Now we're going on the bridge."

The bridge was simply magnificent. Lights streamed down the outlines of the bridge, lighting up the whole place.

"You've never seen this before?" Ikuto questioned.

Amu shook her head. "I don't really drive anywhere much, especially at night."

"Then you're missing out on a lot." Ikuto turned the steering wheel as he switched lanes. "I always drive at night to take my mind off things. The highway is especially pretty at night."

Amu smiled. "Thanks for showing me this, Ikuto. It may look like any highway but at this moment, it's really pretty."

They kept on driving for another half hour or so before they exited the highway.

"Where to, now?"

"Geez, be a bit patient, Amu," Ikuto teased.

"Jerk."

X-x-X

"We're here," Ikuto announced.

Amu hopped out of the car and gave him a questioning look. "The beach?"

He nodded and grasped her hand, dragging her towards the sand.

"Why at night?"

"Because it's romantic." He glanced back at her, giving her a seductive smirk, causing Amu to turn red. She rolled her eyes at him but she couldn't help but stare at his features that were lit up by the moon, making me all the more handsome.

When they reached the sand, they both took off their shoes and stepped onto the sand. Amu could feel the wind blowing her hair and the sand slipping between her toes. She hadn't been here since forever—and it was her first time to go to the beach at night—and it felt so refreshing.

Before their feet touched the water, Ikuto let go of Amu's hand and began to remove his shirt. Amu shrieked and turned around as her hands flew to her eyes. "Give me a warning at least!"

"So you want to see me shirtless, Amu-chan?" She felt herself pulled back into a well-built (naked) chest and blushed even harder.

"N-No, you pervert!"

He hummed in response and just hugged her from behind. She waited for him to do something but he just continued to embrace her.

"Um, Ikuto?"

"Let's go swim."

"Huh?" Amu turned around and focused on his face because if her eyes traveled down, Ikuto would never let her live it down.

"We're going for a midnight swim."

"I'm not wearing a swimsuit," she pointed out, as if it was obvious.

"Take off your shirt and shorts. Or even better, let's skinny dip."

Blood boiled to the tips of head as Amu repeatedly hit Ikuto. "You pervert!"

He laughed. "I kid, I kid. Then take off your shirt. You'll still be wearing a bra. Besides, it's not like I haven't seen you without a shirt before."

Her jaw dropped and slapped his arm. "What!"

"It'll be fine, promise. It's at night too. The point I brought you here is to have fun."

Hesitant, Amu agreed but not before demanding him to look away. Ikuto shook his head, chuckling, but did so nevertheless. When she gave him the ok to look, he turned around and his eyes widened slightly.

"What are you staring at?" She crossed her arms across her chest in a stubborn manner. However, this just pushed her chest up more and perverted thoughts ran through Ikuto's mind.

"Damn." Ikuto said, walking towards Amu.

"Gah, get away from me!" She broke into a sprint towards the water, away from the aroused man. Ikuto grinned and ran after her. Once in the water, Amu began throwing water at him, laughing out loud. Ikuto made a run towards Amu and eventually caught her. He wrapped his arms around her tightly.

"Gotcha!"

She giggled and struggled in his grasp, making them both fall into the water. Amu came up from the water, still smiling. She looked around but Ikuto was nowhere in sight.

"Ikuto?"

Suddenly, she felt her leg being pulled. She screamed but it was silenced as she was submerged. She swam back to the surface, coughing. She spotted Ikuto a few feet away, smirking.

"You are so dead," Amu said, swimming towards him.

Their battle went on for a while, maybe a half hour. Soon, Amu got tired and swam back to the shore, Ikuto following suit. She stood there, rubbing her arms.

"I-It's so c-cold!" she said, her teeth chattering.

"Shit, I don't have towels. I think I have a sweatshirt in the car. Or…" He walked to Amu and hugged her. "…we can just stay like this to keep warm."

Amu blushed and shut her eyes. "Stop being so perverted!"

He laughed and buried his head in her neck. "Really, I can't get enough of your reactions. It's so much fun to tease you."

Amu froze at the comment, the familiar pang coming back. Noticing her weird behavior, Ikuto moved back a bit and said, "Amu?"

"Just for fun?" Amu whispered, her eyes looking at the ground. She's been wondering what exactly their relationship is and been putting up with his teasing but this was the last straw. She needed answers.

"Amu?"

"Am I just a toy to you?"

"Hey, are you—"

"Damn it, Ikuto, answer me!" She yanked herself away from him, surprising Ikuto. "All you ever do is tease me! I've always been wondering what our relationship exactly is. Are we friends or something more? You keep saying I'm so fun to tease with but honestly, it hurts me when you say that," she trailed off quietly.

"Amu…" Ikuto took a step forward, ready to welcome her in his arms.

She slapped his hands away. "No. Answer me first. What exactly am I to you?"

"Amu, what brought this up all of a sudden? Let's go back to the car and—" Amu picked up her stuff and stomped in a random direction, away from Ikuto and his car. "Amu, where are you going? Stop!" She didn't listen and kept on taking long strides away from him. He sighed and ran to catch up with her. "Amu—"

"Answer me," she said, almost pleading. When he didn't say anything, she gave him a heartbroken look. "Iku—" That's when it happened. Amu's eyes went wide as saucers.

Ikuto kissed her.

His hands made their way around her, trapping her in his vice-like grip, so that she couldn't move her arms. His right hand traveled through her hair and remained on her neck, bringing her even closer.

She didn't respond to the kiss at first—she was too shocked. However, she slowly began to kiss back, much to Ikuto's satisfaction and relief. When they broke apart for air, Amu's face was flushed, her hair tousled.

"That's my answer." His hand reached up to caress her cheek. He gave her a gentle smile, causing Amu's heart to skip a beat. "I love you. I have, since I was little."

Amu's cheeks darkened as she averted her gaze. Ikuto's hand moved to her chin as he gently forced her to face him. She fidgeted under his gaze. He shook his head, giving her a loving smile that made her blush all the more. "Always so shy and cute."

"D-Do you really mean that?" she finally said.

"Of course. You're always adorable."

"No, I meant your previous statement…" She looked him straight in the eye, her cheeks still red. "Do you really love me?"

Ikuto sighed and rolled his eyes. "Why would I lie about that?"

"So I'm not just some kind of toy?"

"Of course not." He pulled Amu towards his chest and lightly grabbed her chin. "You are fun to tease but that's my way of showing affection towards you." He gave her a chaste kiss and said, "This, too."

Amu couldn't help the wide smile reaching her face as she looked down.

"Hey, you still didn't answer to my confession." She looked up and his face was literally a centimeter away. She squeaked and backed away but Ikuto's hands pulled her even closer. "I think it's your turn to answer me. Do you accept my feelings?"

She gave him a timid smile as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Yes, I do. I love you, Ikuto." She stood up on her tippy toes and gave him a peck on the lips.

He smirked. "That's not gonna satisfy me." His lips crashed onto hers as he pressed his body against hers. Amu smiled into the kiss as she kissed him back, showing just as much passion.

X-x-X

All I can say is FINALLY! They're FINALLY together. WOOTTTT!

Hope you guys liked this chapter! It was originally gonna be 11 pages on Microsoft Word but I just kept typing and typing and now I'm on page 17. xD But I'm glad it's long because you guys have waited a really long time! Hope this was worth the wait!

Oh, and the song Amu was singing was "Trip To Your Heart" by Britney Spears. Yes, it's a new song on her (leaked) album "Femme Fatale" and people, GO LISTEN TO IT. I'm not a Britney fan but it's so addicting. And this song is nice—kind of a nice ballad.

Also, a shoutout to anyone who has been affected by the 8.9 (or 9.0…someone tell me when it changed to 9.0 and why) earthquake in Japan, whether it be losing a friend, loved one, etc. At first, I overly sympathetic because I guess I was comparing this to Haiti's earthquake. I was comparing the death tolls (Japan's current death toll pales in comparison to Haiti's death toll) but then I look at the damage. And I think it's about the same, maybe more for Japan. When I started reading articles, I was like "holy crap" the whole time. I don't even know if Japan can pick itself back up.

So please, if you care and would like to, please donate to the American Red Cross. You can do so through their website (www . redcross . org [without the spaces]) and really, each amount makes a difference. Even nigahiga from youtube did this. Check out his video if you want to see how he helped. Actually, go watch it and raise his views because he's donating $600 for every one million views.

I think that's all I have to say… Sorry for ranting a bit but I'm being serious. So please donate money and support Japan.

Please review! (: