Chapter 7

A Better Person

The night was terrible. Amu broke into tears and choked a lot trying to explain to the detective in full detail what had happened. Ikuto stayed by her all night.

Exams were done and Amu had cried through them all. Still, Ikuto did not let them near her with that silver contraption again. It was almost impossible to take in. Amu had been raped. That sentence alone had filled his head for hours. He felt like he could pull his hair out.

They took Amu to a hospital room where Ikuto sat beside the bed. As soon as the door shut, Amu stood carefully and went to the chair where he sat. She'd had a shower and her hair was loose around her thin and beautiful face. She moved her arms up hesitantly and then put the around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder.

Ikuto found himself wrapping his arms around her too and she held tightly to him. "That was terrifying." she said softly. "But you're here now and nothing will happen to you while I'm here." Ikuto assured.

"And…all the time, I was thinking and screaming in my head… 'what will Ikuto think?' I was sure you'd hate me for letting something so terrible that could be stopped happen to me. I was just so worried about my Chara eggs and I was terrified."

"Amu, I could never get mad at you. The only people I blame for this are the men who did it. I'll find them and I'll make sure they know when they hurt you, they have to deal with me." Ikuto said to her.

Amu leaned against him and fell asleep. Ikuto didn't want to move her, so he held to her tightly. He'd take care of those sick bastards. He'd do it for Amu.

They were in dangerous territory now.

The following week, Amu stayed in the house, still shaken from all that had gone on over the weekend. "Amu, are you okay?" Nagi came in Tuesday. "I'm still a little shaken up, but I'll be okay." Amu answered. Nagi had ankle length purple hair still and lavender colored eyes.

He smiled at her. "I am glad that you are doing better." he said, perching on the end of her bed. "Thank you. Have you heard anything from Ikuto?" Amu asked. "He said he'll come and see you this afternoon. That nerve medicine the doctors gave you makes you drowsy, so he wanted to be here when you'd be awake." Nagi answered.

Amu smiled. "I'll go back to class tomorrow; I feel like an idiot for missing two days already," Amu said. "You will not!" Nagi said immediately. Amu almost jumped from the force in his voice. "You're not well enough yet and you really don't need to go anywhere with your character eggs in their current state." Nagi explained.

Amu looked at her bedspread. "I think I need to rest now," she said uncertainly. She'd been feeling different lately, like her life was in a daze. "I'll come check on you at lunch time, okay?" Nagi said, standing and going out of her room and shutting the door.

Amu felt a tug in her chest that made it hard to breathe all of a sudden. She gasped and grabbed her chest over her heart where it pulled. It stopped after a few minutes, though. Call Ikuto and talk to him for a while. Ask him to come see you. a voice in Amu's head kept telling her.

Amu knew in truth that she wanted to see Ikuto. Her yearning for his voice made her want to black out. She couldn't explain these weird feelings she was having. Now she didn't want to leave Ikuto's side at all, like a child clinging to an adult. She couldn't help it; she felt safe around him.

She took a deep breath and released it forcibly. She picked her phone up off of the window sill on its charger and hit speed dial. Her i-phone lit up as her long, thin index finger tapped the name at the top of the speed dial list. Calling: Ikuto showed on the screen.

"Hello? Amu? Are you all right?" Ikuto asked over the phone. So he'd saved her number? "No, I'm not." Amu answered sternly. "Why; what's wrong?" Ikuto asked with worry in his voice. "What's wrong is that you're not here and I need to talk to you," Amu said. "Are you still on that medicine? You just told me you wanted me to come see you," Ikuto said in a confused way. Amu rolled her eyes. "Of course I am; but I really want you here, Ikuto," Amu said his name with as much seduction as she could muster and had to keep herself from laughing. She wanted him to hurry, so maybe he would after hearing her talk like this. "Amu; I'm not stupid. I'll be over there if you need me, though," Ikuto said, laughing. Amu blushed. "I guess I'm not as good an actor as I thought."

"Bye; I'll be there in a minute," Ikuto said, hanging up the phone. "I love you," Amu said accidentally. She clasped her hand over her mouth. She was too used to talking to her mother and father on the phone!!! "Amu…did you just—?" Amu slid her phone shut.

"Oh my God!! Oh my God!!" she panicked loudly. "I cant' take it back now! He'll be upset! I could always tell him it was the medicine talking, no, then he wouldn't take me seriously anymore as long as I'm on it! Oh!! What do I do??"

Panicking wasn't going to solve anything. She'd just act normal when Ikuto got there and then…why was she dizzy all of a sudden?

Maybe…just maybe she meant what she had said. Stepping off of her bed, she went to the closet. She stripped her pajamas and pulled on a pink and black striped sweater and a short skirt, just because they were the first clothes she saw.

Brushing her hair out and taking her time, she pulled it back again and let the tasseled end of it fan out at her waist. She looked at herself in the mirror and saw the earrings Len had given her. She reached up and undid both of them, placing them in her jewelry box.

She put on some light-pink socks and waited. A knock came from downstairs. She was ready to face whatever he had to say to her now as she stood and headed down the hall. She didn't seem in control of her movements as she walked lightly down the stairs and to the front door.

Amu opened the door and Ikuto stood with a worried look on his handsome features. "Are you okay? You just hung up," he asked. She was begging to blush lightly on her cheeks. "I'm fine. I just wanted to see you," she replied.

Amu led Ikuto up to her room and sat on her bed. "You should really lie down; that medication makes you calm down and helps you sleep, doesn't it?" he said. "I don't want any special treatment for what happened." Amu said, suddenly cross. Ikuto looked taken aback for a moment. "What do you mean?"

Amu looked up at him. "I mean that I want to forget it as soon as possible and I can only do that while you're here." she said. Ikuto was getting more confused by the second. "Why would I make you feel any better about it?" he asked. Wasn't Len her boyfriend? Had they broken up?

"Oh, screw it! I'm tired of trying to make you get it! If you haven't figured it out by now, then I won't bother anymore." Amu said, laying down and turning over. "Amu…what are you saying?" Ikuto asked. "In that letter, you said you had something important to tell me. What is it? You can tell me now." Amu switched the subject.

Ikuto's face a tinge of scarlet as he looked down. "Amu, I don't think now's the time to—" he was cut off by Amu hugging him suddenly. She let her face dig into his shirt. His hands found their way to her waist as he held her tightly. "I just want to know what you meant," she said.

"You tell me first, what's the whole thing with dating my brother?" Ikuto said. "I'm…dating your brother???" Amu looked questioningly at him. "You're not wearing the earrings he gave you," Ikuto said, ignoring the question. Amu dug her face into his shirt again. "I don't think I'll be seeing Len anymore,"

This made Ikuto feel the greatest he had in months, years even! He kept calm though, for Amu's sake. "Why?" he asked calmly. "Because, I like someone else…maybe even love him." Amu replied. Ikuto's insides stopped doing the conga and began to droop again in misery. That one sentence stabbed at him like a sharp butcher knife.

"Ikuto?" Amu looked up at him with her golden eyes; the eyes that made him want to melt. She was so beautiful that he could hardly stand suppressing his desire for her. "What do you think of me?" she asked. I love you! he wanted to say, but bit his tongue instead, remembering the statement about loving another person she had just made. "You're not so bad," he replied boredly.

"So…that's it?" she sounded a little hurt. Oh no! What had he done now? Was that not what she wanted him to think of her? "Why would you care what I think of you anyway?" he answered with another question.

"It matters everything to me!" she said, pleadingly looking up at him. Ikuto consoled her by hugging her tighter. She loosened the embrace a little to look up at him. Damn it! Why was she so beautiful? He couldn't take it anymore. One more sentence and he'd claim her. "I know, normally the guy says this first, but—" Ikuto cut her off with a deep, passionate kiss.

She was surprised at first but then returned it, clasping her hands around his neck as he tightened his hold on her. It lasted a long time. Finally, when they broke apart, Ikuto looked at her and said, "I love you."

It was like a weight on his shoulders had been lifted. Amu finally knew what he'd been trying to get her to understand since they were kids. She leaned against him. She blushed. "I love you too." she said.

Ikuto kissed her again and this time, she let his tongue dance with hers.

Amu returned the earrings to Len the following day and apologized. "I'm just not ready for a relationship right now," she lied, hoping to make him feel better. "Yo!" As if on cue, Ikuto walked up to them on the campus. "Ikuto? What are you doing here?" Amu asked. "I wanted to see my favorite strawberry," he replied wit ha smirk, making Amu blush.

"So, Amu, will you come out with me today?" Ikuto asked. Len leaned into her ear. "Let him down easy," he whispered. "Of course I will," Amu replied. Len's eyes widened. "Not THAT easy!" he exclaimed. "I thought you said—?" Amu shook her head. "I-I have sort of liked Ikuto since the sixth grade."

"Hoy, Amu! Let's go," Ikuto said, this time it was HIS turn to hold Amu around her waist. Leaving Len speechless, Amu walked with Ikuto towards the parking lot.

Amu was hysterical in the car. "I can't believe your timing! Or was that on purpose?" she laughed. "I don't know—maybe," Ikuto said mysteriously. "I'll take 'yes' for three thousand, Bob!" Amu said sarcastically.(Bob Barker from the Price is Right, which I don't own.)

"You got me!" Ikuto said. He snaked his arm around her shoulder while driving with the other. "How are your character eggs doing?" he asked hesitantly. He hated to bring it up, but he wanted to help her. She was quiet as she looked at her lap. "They still are cold and have X's on them," she replied.

"Do you have any idea why they turned into X eggs?" Ikuto asked. "I know this will sound terrible, but I think it's you," she answered. "Why would they change because of me?!" Ikuto wanted to know. "Because I wasn't being true to who I was when you suddenly came back,"

"The offer still stands in the letter," Ikuto brought it up. "I guess, if it means I can work with you, then I accept." Amu replied. Ikuto smirked, only because he rarely ever smiled and pulled off towards the bay. They stopped and Amu took off her shoes to walk in the sand.

Ikuto retrieved her hand and held it tightly as they walked. "You don't have to pay me for my designs you know, I'll do it for free." Amu said. Ikuto shook his head. "You worked hard to win that award before and you've earned it." Amu looked uncertainly at the ground. "But, I don't deserve that much just getting into the business,"

"I will pay what was offered and I don't want to hear anymore about it," Ikuto said in a matter-of-factly voice. Amu sighed exasperatingly. "I guess there's no changing a cat's mind, is there?"

"Damn straight," he said with another smirk. They walked in on the beach and Amu shivered when the cold water met her small, bare feet. The sunset reflected on the water and it shone like crystal.

Amu now sat in front of Ikuto, her knees pulled to her chin and Ikuto had an arm around her chest from behind, holding her close as they both watched the sun get lower and the sky turn darker.

"I never thought I'd say this but, I'm glad my life is such a soap opera," Amu said. "Why's that?" Ikuto asked. "Because, if it wasn't, we wouldn't be here now and you wouldn't have come back. I think that a life with nothing exciting or out of the ordinary isn't really a life at all, anyway,"

"I guess you're right," Ikuto said quietly into her hair. "I think it's made me a better and different person on the inside. I'm so happy now. To be here with you is like a dream,"

I am not even close to finished with this story yet! I have so much to pack into it!!! I'll need some help. I hope you all like it so far. I'm seriously no good at writing romance, but I got a lot of reviews requesting something, so I guess it spices the story, huh? Well I hope you all like it so far. R&R and read Jobrolover93's story. It's got a bonus chapter comin' and I hope u all read her sequel too!!