vampgirl8:...

Ikuto: vampgirl8? You okay?

vampgirl8:...

Amu: She's gone strangely quiet.

Ikuto: I wonder why.

vampgirl8: I'M SOOO SORRY!! -bows down begging your forgiveness-

Ikuto/Amu: -stunned- What the-?

vampgirl8: I know I said I'd give you a schedule, but here's the truth! That friday when I went to post a new chapter I'd written for this, the internet stopped! It wouldn't work! Apparently my parents hadn't paid the bill for that month yet, and it took another week or two to get it back on! I've only had it back for a few days now! And I was so busy reading, I forgot I had this typed up!

Ikuto: WOW. What a long explanation. Oh, wait. She's not done.

vampgirl8: And so I took off the schedule. I know you guys told me it was a good idea, but...I'm afraid to tell you I'll have something at a certain time and then have something happen and not be able to. I have terrible luck, and lord knows how many times I've jinxed myself. I don't want to make false promises. Plus, with all the stories I have, and with all the homework and stuff I'm doing now that school's back on, I don't have time to type at least two chapters for different stories every day! I'm sorry if I disappointed you.

Amu: Wow, more long explanations. I think she's-oh wait, no. There's more. -sighs-

vampgirl8: But don't think I'm going to drop this or anything. No, I will still try to update this normally. This is one of my top priority stories. I have the basic plot line of what's going to happen next and the ending set out, but there's one spot, a blank, where I don't know what should happen. So I'm working that out. But anyway, here's this chapter and -takes deep breath-

Ikuto/Amu: -waiting expectantly-

vampgirl8: -lets it out- I'm done.

Ikuto/Amu: FINALLY!

vampgirl8: -glares- Excuse me. I had to explain to them. Thanks for reading, sorry it's shorter than normal, but that just seemed like a good place to stop at.

Rima: -popping from some random corner- Please review.

Chapter 10: Eavesdropping

Ikuto sat in a tree in the park the next day, the sun shining through the leaves to fall idly on his face. His eyes were closed as he contemplated his newest problem-Amu's winning the bet.

The neko scowled to himself. How the hell did he slip up so much that something like that could happen? Then there was that damn cat. That thing had gotten in the way almost all night! If he hadn't tied it up like he had there was no doubt in his mind it would have ruined the moment on the couch which, while it did lead to his untimely demise, was most pleasurable indeed.

His deep blue brows furrowed lightly as he remembered the evil fluff ball's look.

He almost feared their next encounter.

Ikuto shook his head in self pity. Here he was, the one and only perverted neko and icon of several fan girls, and he was fearing a kitten.

There was obviously something wrong with him.

Must be the shock of losing, he mused.

Which reminded him of his current problem. What did Amu have in store for him? Embarrassment? Humiliation? He smirked. Something a bit more fun? His smirk became a terrified frown as his eyes shot open.

What if…what if she made him cosplay?

He shuddered violently. No. Way. In. Hell.

A twig snapped not far from him, and Ikuto detoured from his mind's ramblings to see what it was. Just off the path was none other than the Kiddy King.

He blinked.

And Amu.

Curious and wary, Ikuto moved a bit closer to see what could possibly be going on. He stopped in a tree just next to them, crouching down to hide in the shadows as he watched.

"Hinamori-san," Kiddy King began, a full-toothed grin on his face.

Ikuto's eyes narrowed, he remembered the old Amu from before he left would have swooned at such a look. What would be her reaction now.

He watched as his Amu smiled, beautiful in it's own right. "Tadase," she greeted. She then leaned back against the bark of a tree, arms clasped behind her back. "So, why'd you call me and want to meet up so suddenly? It's a bit early, don't you think?"

Ikuto silently agreed with her, it was around seven thirty and classes started at eight. The school was only a five minute walk away.

"Well you see, Hinamori-sa…Amu…" His sudden switch to her first name made Ikuto tense up, and he saw Amu's golden eyes widen. "I just wanted to say that I…Amu I…" His cheeks were tinged with pink. "I think I love you."

For one second, time froze. Amu's eyes looked like they were about to pop out of their sockets, Ikuto was fighting the urge to reveal his presence and rip the head from Kiddy King's shoulders, and the same Kiddy King was watching his Amu intently.

The smallest of blushes crossed her soft face, and Ikuto was suddenly very angry. She was blushing. The Kiddy King had had the audacity to make his Amu blush for him. Dammit, only Ikuto was allowed to do that!

"Tadase…" Amu started, and Ikuto tuned into her voice, using it to fight back the rage so he could focus on her reply to his confession. "…I'm sorry. I cannot return your feelings." Relief washed through him.

Kiddy King's expression darkened, eyes narrowing to slits. "It's because of him isn't it?"

"Who?"

"That fucking cat!" the blonde yelled at her. "Tsukiyomi!"

Amu shrank back into the wood, seeming slightly afraid of the boy in front of her at such an uncharacteristic outburst. "I-Ikuto-kun has done nothing wrong…"

He snarled, lip curling. "Ikuto-kun. Disgusting!" His reddish pink eyes spat fire at her. "What happened to 'Tadase-kun'? I thought I was the one you liked."

Amu's head was down, her hair covering her face as Ikuto waited anxiously for her response to this. Slowly, her head came up to reveal eyes that were hard and cold. He saw Hotori flinch.

"The key word there is 'was'," she hissed. "I used to like you. I made it so blatantly obvious, too. And the entire time I was pining away at you, Ikuto-kun was there and steadily I came to love him instead." Her lips set in a grim line, enhancing the effect of her steely eyes as the blonde flinched once more. "You had a chance, and you wasted it wanting something that never was, never will be. You wanted Amulet Heart; a would-be self that I'm not. Ikuto loves me for who I am, unlike you. You lost me years ago."

Hotori didn't speak for a moment, then crossed his arms over his chest, a smirk plastered to his face as he stared her down with some new-found confidence. "You say you love him, but how do you know he loves you? He left you, didn't he?"

A brief flash of intense pain crossed her eyes in memory of what she went through while he was gone, something Ikuto had seen that first night in her room. He felt ashamed with himself for making her go through that alone. When he noticed she wasn't answering, he made to jump down and defend her from the blonde that was extremely close to pissing him to a whole new level, but stopped when the pain retreated and filled with determination in it's place.

"Yes, he did leave." Amu took a deep breath. "But that just goes to prove his love even more."

Hotori raised a brow. "How so?"

Amu's small grin made a warmth blossom in Ikuto's chest that he'd been feeling quite often around her lately. "He came back."

This small sentence, a mere three words, left Kiddy King speechless for twenty gripping seconds. Then he scowled, "You're a fool, Hinamori Amu. When he leaves you broken hearted, don't come to me." Then he walked away.

Amu slumped against the tree, her following whisper so quiet Ikuto barely heard it. "Don't worry, I won't need to."

Ikuto smiled softly, then started slowly retreating away to the school. He'd show Amu just how much her words meant to him later.

Yoru was scraping his claws against the bark of a tree on the other side of the forest, perfectly content in his situation. He was so out of it, in fact, that he didn't notice the blue haired object of his affections sneaking up on him from behind until he heard her voice.

"Yoru?" The neko Chara jumped and spun around, coming face to face with Miki.

"Miki-chan, nya," he said, a light blush rushing his be-whiskered cheek.

She smiled. "Hi. Amu's busy now, and I thought…maybe I could just…," she took her turn to blush, "stop by and see you."

Yoru grinned crookedly. "Nice to see you, hee."

Miki chuckled. "Anyway, I just wanted to give you something." She pulled her hands from behind her back, a small bag in her hands. She shoved it to him, blush intensifying. "I thought you might like it."

Yoru blinked and took the bag, opening it to find something no cat could possibly resist-cat nip.

Yoru's ecstatic yelp made Miki smile, and he sniffed heavily the wonderful substance. It smelled so good. Looking up at Miki, Yoru leaned forward and pecked her lips. "Thanks, Miki."

She gulped audibly, making the neko grin. "N-no problem, Yoru-kun."

Then, the two Charas heard Amu calling out for her Charas and Miki looked over at him. "I've got to leave now."

He nodded. "Bye, Miki."

Her answering smile was beautiful. "Bye, Yoru."

Then she was gone. Yoru looked down at the bag of cat nip his precious blue haired artist had given him, and couldn't repress the smug look that took over his face.

Beat that Kiseki!

End Chapter Ten!

vampgirl8: As I said, short, but interesting. Tadase was being a bastard.

Tadase: It's not my fault! You made me that way!

vampgirl8: -rolls eyes- Pff. Fine, blame me.

Ikuto: -stewing in the corner, pissed- He was so rude to MY Amu-chan.

Amu: Who knew Tadase could curse?

vampgirl8: -sing song voice- I did! So, no more stalling. Thank you, I'm sorry again, and please, please review!

See the pretty purple button?

I think you know what I'm talking about.

Inside that button is a land of shirtless bushies which include-

Kairi

Kukai

Nagehiko

Various smexy characters from your other fave animes

And IKUTO!

And guess what? They've got chocolate. And strawberries.

And all you have to do to get there is

press

this

button.