"Now that's a load of bull," Amu frowned at him. "You just like to annoy me."

"Now that's not (entirely) true," Ikuto crossed his arms. "I just like to follow you around."

"Oh, so now you're a stalker?"

"But I'm YOUR stalker," he grinned.

"F&$&CKSH&!"

He tsked. "Come now, Amu. Calm down. Don't act like a little girl."

"Well," Tadase intervened before someone got killed. "Do any of you happen to have the time?"

Amu turned around to ignore Ikuto who insisted on running away together. "No, I left my phone in my room."

"Ikuto?" Tadase tried.

"Nope. Never cared for anyone's time except with Amu."

"Would ya quit the flirting?" Amu exploded. "All you ever do is annoy the crap outta me! Why do you always have to do that? I understand we're friends and you have a major ego issue but there's a line that you have crossed."

"A major tissue? Fascinating." He simply said.

That only infuriated her more. With a roar of frustration she charged at him, hands out to close around his neck. Ikuto stepped to the side moments before impact and she went tumbling through the bushes. Tadase's jaw dropped with his eyes wide. Ikuto sighed and slowly strolled to where she had fallen. There was a cry of "FUUUUUUU!" and Ikuto suddenly dove after her, Tadase left gaping at the spot where they had just been.

What the hell? I thought as I fell through the undergrowth and kept falling. A large cement hole suddenly appeared as I flew down the slope. I could barely make any noise as I tried to grab onto something - anything - to stop my descent. They did warn us of construction... But I didn't want to be buried under the next greenhouse or be turned into human compost! I didn't want my grave to be here of all places. And I didn't want to be a pile of broken bones either!

"FUUUUUUU!" I cried as my arm got tangled in some branches. I think I just broke it. Flippin' fabulous. I clenched my teeth to keep from screaming. Oh to hell with it. I'm going to die anyway. "FU - "

I was suddenly snatched through mid-fall and flew through the air and then everything was still. My arm burned like a million fire ants were crawling through my veins. I could barely see through my blurred vision. As I blinked a few times, I could see clearly again. I inhaled to make sure I was still breathing and alive and then realized something. I recognize this smell. I swallowed. I recognize this hold too.

"Superman?" I choked.

"No, but close." A small chuckle.

"Ikuto?"

"In the flesh," he pulled his face into view. "How you doin' sunshine?"

I started to get up - completely forgetting about my arm - and whimpered pathetically. Ikuto set me down so I could sit. My right arm hung limply at my side. I was covered head-to-toe in scratches with a deep cut on arm. I felt my back burn too so I probably effed that up. I bit my lip. Ikuto looked at it for a moment. He reached out a trembling hand closing it into a fist and drawing it back again. He seemed to be uncharacteristically silent.

I parted my lips. "Ikuto?"

"A-ah...Amu..." his voice shook.

"Ikuto, are you okay?" I became concerned. What happened to the witty and charming Ikuto I saw seconds ago?

He began to tense up and tremble, crouching down low and groaning. I reached out my good hand to maybe calm him down for whatever reason. I looked at myself and then realized I probably look like I went through a rose garden. I winched as my arm shifted. Maybe he didn't like blood. Oh, he was probably one of those guys that didn't like the sight of blood.

[Think again.]

I jumped. That voice again. It sounded familiar yet foreign at the same time. Before I could continue that thought, Ikuto's hand shot up and grabbed my wrist. We seemed still for a moment then his head shot up and faced at me. His breathing was labored as his eyes were closed. His hand that held my wrist was trembling and gripping so tight his knuckles turned white. I whimpered again as his grip hurt. Then silence. My heart sped in my chest nervously.

"Iku - "

His eyes flew open and revealed crimson eyes filled with hunger. My breath hitched in my throat. I tried to make a sound or a cry for help but my voice caught in my throat. Ikuto quickly pulled me closer and licked my bleeding cuts. I hissed through my teeth as his teeth - now sharper - scraped my skin. Though everywhere he licked, the skin was healed and unblemished. I didn't know whether to be scared, thankful or amazed. Maybe I was all three. My heart thrummed in my chest like a steam engine at full speed. Eventually he made it up my arm and paused near my neck. He went up even further and licked a cut on my cheek. I squeezed my eye shut.

This is not happening. This is not happening. This is not happening. I repeated to myself over and over again.

And suddenly it wasn't. Ikuto drew back sharply and licked his lips clean. I stared at him frozen in fear. He looked at me again, his crimson eyes locking onto my golden ones. He seemed to snifff the air then dropped his head. At that point, I already forgot about my broken arm and any other pain. I got up and spun around to bolt. But he stopped me by coming in front of me and seemed to growl. I backed up slowly unsure of what to do and filled with the desire to flee.

"A...Amu..." he ground out.

"I..." his name started on my lips but sputtered and died before I could get it out.

"I-I'm...I'm so sorry..." he looked at me with apologetic eyes though they remained crimson colored. "I'm sorry you had to find out..."

"I-Ikuto!" I managed between breaths. "W-what're you? Why? I...I don't understand. I don't get this at all!"

"You know, Amu," he stood straight. "You know what I am."

"But I - "

[Vampire.]

My lips formed the words before I could think through them. "A vampire, Ikuto. You're a vampire."

He curved his lip into a trembling half-smile. "A charming, handsome and witty vampire."

It seems then my brain ceased to function. And when I say my brain, I mean MY brain. Something - maybe someone - seemed to speak for me using my body while I observed. It was like being in a movie, being one of the characters and saying the script though it had nothing to do with your actual being.

"I see you haven't changed, Tsukiyomi Ikuto." I said standing tall.

He only look mildly surprised. "Hinamori Amu of the eighteenth century. It's been a while. How have you been?"

"I've sat and watched as hundreds of years passed waiting for my chance of revenge, Tsukiyomi," I said bitterly. "I've protected this girl with all my heart so no harm from you shall be inflicted upon her. Though she is clumsy and stubborn, she has a good heart and plenty of spirit. She is like me in almost every way had I been a 'modern' girl. I only lived to be of marrying age and was planned to wed Hotori Fuyuki. But you intervened and sla- "

I suddenly stopped and froze over. My body went slack and I fell to the ground, the earth scattering into a million starbursts.

I caught her body as she fell in my trembling arms. She was limp and fragile in my arms. Her skin was paled and clammy. Sweat matted her hair to her forehead and she was breathing heavily. Her eyelids fluttered as she slumbered on. I watched her for a moment then gently set her on the ground.

First, I went about her broken arm, mending it and taking most of the pain away. She seemed to relax almost instantly as I fixed her up. Instead of licking her like some wild animal as before, I just rubbed my (saliva, spit, magic germs, etc.) on her wounds. They healed over and she looked as good as new. (Yes, I finished her backside and her legs too. No hentai thoughts/fantasies please.) Her clothes I couldn't really do anything about and not her mind either. When I finished, I sighed to myself and sat back on the grass next to her.

The old Amu shook me up and scared me. I felt my fear almost overcome me. I couldn't believe such a mere mortal woman do such a thing to me. I always knew something was different about her though. Amu was and is different - back then and now.

I smoothed down her hair as if I could wipe her memory from moments before. This was my fault, really. I made her get angry and charge. And I let her fall. And I let her get hurt. And she found out. She found everything out, didn't she? I thought for a moment. Well, not everything.

"My apologies," I whispered, "hime-sama."