When Momiji and I got to the ice cream parlor we ordered our ice cream and found an open booth near the back of the shop. For a few minutes it was pretty silent between the two of us as we ate and thought.

"So…" I broke the silence, "Uhm… Where does this leave us?" I asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean… Like… are we just going to stay friends? O-or are we gonna try something else?" I blushed.

"Oh… I think it would be best if we just stay friends… I don't want to put you in the position of trying to date a Sohma… You've seen what Akito's done to Rin and Kisa… I don't want that to happen to you too. Besides, you can't hug me…"

"I don't care about that. If I can be your friend and not hug you it can't be that much different… But I get what you're saying about Akito…" I cringed.

"Yeah… I just don't want you to get hurt…" he sighed and took a bite of his ice cream.

"Right," I nodded, "I'm just glad to know you feel the same way." I smiled.

"Yeah, that is nice to know." He agreed.

"Exactly… So thanks again for letting me stay the night last night…"

"No problem. Anytime you need to get away from home my door is always open." He smiled at me.

"Mm… Thanks. I'll probably be spending the next two weeks there then since I don't want to miss a second of hanging out with you before I have to leave."

"That's ok with me."

"Good… So you actually seem to be enjoying the new fan base you've got."

"No, not really, I just don't want to be a jerk to them. They haven't really done anything wrong." He shrugged.

"You know you're way too nice. And I'd say what happened today was pretty wrong." I glared at my ice cream.

"Yeah, but does it really matter? They're just some stupid obsessive girls whose opinions mean nothing to me. Why do they bother you so much?"

"That… Is a very good question that I don't know the answer to… I guess I was just… Worried that what they said might make you realize that I was all those things and then you wouldn't want to hang out with me anymore… I know that's probably really stupid, but I can't help it. I'm just… a bit insecure is all." I sighed.

"Well you don't need to be. Like I said before, I like everything about you, even the negative things."

"Right… Thanks again Momiji."

After hanging out with Momiji the rest of the day I decided to go home. When I got there my mum and dad were sitting at the table having dinner in silence.

"How come you're home so late?" Mum looked over at me.

"Oh… I spent the day with Momiji-kun. I'm sorry I didn't call. I was just having a really bad so he took me out and we just had fun."

"That's nice… Just make sure you call next time. I was worried about you. Are you hungry?"

No, I had dinner with Momiji and Hatori-san. I'm just going to go to my room and read for a little before I fall asleep."

"Oh ok, sleep well sweetheart."

"Yeah, I will." I smiled at them and went to my bedroom.

When I got to my room I blasted my music, got out a book, and got comfy in my bed. Today was pretty much the best day ever. Sure it got off to a bumpy start, but for the most part it was totally amazing. I mean… I found out Momiji-kun likes me! Sure we can't be together… But that's just so that, that bastard Akito doesn't find out and beat the hell out of me again. Not that he exactly knows about the first time… But he doesn't need to know about that… That will only hurt him… Right..? Or maybe I should. I shouldn't hide something this big from him.

"Ok… It's decided. I'll tell him… And I better do it now before I chicken out, cause I know I will." I sighed, besides the parents are going at it again. I grabbed my back with clean clothes and ran out to the living room, "I'm going to Momiji's! See you guys tomorrow!" I shouted over my parents and started my walk towards Hatori's.

When I go there I knocked on Momiji's door. It took him a while before he opened it for me. He hadn't heard me knocking over his music.

"Hey Akemi, what are you doing here? Are your parents fighting again?"

"Well… Yes, but that's not why I'm here. I actually came here to talk to you."

"Huh, about what?"

"Uhm… A-about something that happened a few years ago…" I looked down at my shoes, "Mind if I come in?"

"No, not at all." He looked a little confused as I walked past him and sat down in his chair, "Ok… So Four years ago, on my birthday you remember telling me a the curse and everything, right?"

"Yeah, of course." He nodded, "But what's that got to do with anything?"

"Well… You see… I never told you this, but the next day I was… I was called to the main house by Akito."

"What? H-he hurt you… Didn't he..?" he glared at his bed post.

I nodded, "Y-yeah… You know that scar on my back? T-the one… The one I told you I got from falling onto a rock… Or something like that. I can't even remember what I told you." He just nodded, "Well… That's not really what happened…"

"I gathered…" his voice sounded almost angry, something I really wasn't used to.

"Right… Well that was from Akito… When he found out I knew about the curse he called me to him. He was really angry… and he smacked me… and whipped me… I got that scar because one of the times he hit me I landed on a table and that's how that happened…" I took a deep breath and looked over at him. He looked hurt, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner… I just didn't want you to think it was your fault…"

"But it is… If I had just kept this from you, you never would have gotten hurt!"

"But that would have hurt me even more! We're supposed to be able to tell each other everything! I know I sound like a hypocrite right now, but you have to understand… I didn't want you to feel this way. To be honest, I'm glad you told me, and I would do it all over again because once you told me that I knew nothing could ever come between us!" I felt my eyes starting to water.

Momiji let out a sigh, "I know… But I don't want you getting hurt Akemi. I care about you too much. And f it's my fault that you get hurt… That just really sucks."

"Well don't worry. It's not going to happen again, and I'm fine from Akito did. So just be happy and smile 'cause I hate to see you sad. That hurts more than any punch." I smiled softly at him and kissed his cheek, 'Wow… I feel so much better now that I'm not hiding this from him anymore. I should have done this years ago…'