Chapter 6: Night Three...Still No Sleep

"I think I'll bring the stuff to the garden and lock it up before after hours end." Amu said carrying bags of blue paper, silver pens and little knick knacks to make the invites pretty.

"Go for it!" Kukai smiled. "I'm kinda tired, shopping is not really my thing."

"Are you admitting defeat?" Amu pressed on.

"Never! I did win that race to the store though!" Kukai said triumphantly.

"Thats not fair...you were dragging me behind..." Amu muttered.

"Ha, ha then train harder!" Kukai gave her a thumbs up. "I'll see you guys at the graduation! Good luck Amu-chan!" He smiled before he turned off and left.

Amu finally reached back to the garden just before the five o'clock mark for lock up. She entered the garden and put the invite stuff on the table, ready for the next meeting. She stretched and felt her mood lift a bit after Kukai's chat.

"Amu?"

Amu turned to see Tadase standing there. "What are you still doing here?"

"I'm just putting the supplies here before tomorrow..." Amu tried to act relaxed. She didn't want to hurt Tadase more...she liked him a lot...but she still felt hesitance..and it didn't sit right.

"Oh, these are nice. I'm sure Miki has a good plan." Tadase smiled at the nice looking supplies.

"Probably, she always does." Amu smiled back. "What are you doing here?"

"Just making sure with the Chairman, or Old King that we could use the observatory, and he approved." Tadase smiled.

"Thats great." Amu smiled weakly back. She needed to figure this out like Kukai said. "Tadase...I..."

"Amu..." Tadase started, cutting her off. "I want you to know, I'm not mad at you exactly for yesterday. I did start liking the whole you Amu...but I think I know why you can't completely love me back. I'm trying to be stronger like Kiseki, and I want you to know I want to help you get through it." His face got a little dimmer.

"Tadase I..." Amu was stunned. "I'm sorry...I always admired you. And I think I really do admire you for your strength...you stand in front of the school, you accept so many offers of love from girls, and you stood up to Easter so much. I don't want you to think I dont appriciate you Tadase. Your a King...you really are."

"You think so Amu-chan?" Tadase raised his head.

"I'm sure of it. Thank you Tadase for being there for me." Amu smiled.

"I'll do whatever I can to help. I really do want you to be happy." Tadase smiled back.

"Thanks...I have to go home though, my mom will worry. See you tomorrow King Tadase!" Amu walked off, leaving him with a smile.

"Goodbye Amu-Chan!" Tadase waved her off. "I really do want to help Amu-chan..." Tadase said to himself as he watched her walk away.

"Ah! Finally home!" Amu went to her room and sat in her desk chair.

"It went good with Tadase Amu-chan!" Ran smiled.

"Yea and he even said he'd help you out!" Su added.

"And he smiled!" Miki added weakly.

"True. I don't really know what he's going to do to help me out though...he's really been nice enough." Amu wondered. "I'm going to get ready for bed..."

"I think she's okay now." Ran whispered.

"But Dia didn't really come out today." Miki noticed.

"I'm here." Dia whispered from the egg.

"Why didn't you come out?" Sa wondered nervously.

"Amu-chan is still questioning her choices. She needs an answer for her heart." Dia whispered.

"I give up." Ran said confused.

"Done!" Amu towel dried her hair and relaxed, leaving the bathroom a while later. "Maybe I'll actually get some sleep tonight." Amu went into her bed and snuggled in and fell asleep almost instantaneously.

"Huh?" Amu woke up in the night after she swore she heard a noise. Her head was foggy from sleep. "Maybe I was just dreaming?" She rolled over and closed her eyes...strange...she didn't open the window tonight...and something was breathing...in her bed.

She opened one eye and saw a blue eye staring back at her.

"AGHHHH!" She fell off of her bed.

"You were always such a klutz."

Amu-Chan kreeped over her bed to see, to her surprise Ikuto laying in her bed. "I'm dreaming..."

"You dream of me?" Ikuto smiled.

"It would be a nightmare..." She countered and rose up from the ground.

"Ouch thats harsh, even after I came all this way..."

"You came from Europe to see me? No...no way this is not happening..." Amu stared at him. "How did you get in my room?"

"This cat has thumbs remember." He said smartly.

"Still..." She sat on her bed...she really needed a lock on her window.

"Would you get over here already..." He grabbed the nape of her pjs and pulled her down to the bed.

"You were always all flirting and games..." Amu muttered.

"I told you I wasn't going to be your Prince." Ikuto answered, with a small sigh.

"I..." Amu started. She remembered what she said to Tadase...that he said that she might not need a Prince.

"...But I will always be your cat." He kissed her quickly on the cheek.

"Oh!" She let out a small noise from surprise. How did he know...

"Why did you come here anyway..." She crossed her arms.

"Because a little bird told me it would be a good idea..." He shrugged.

"And I ate him." Yoru suddenly popped up smiling from his joke. "Get it? Ha, ha!"

"I don't think you should interrupt..." Ran said crossly as she grabbed Yoru with Miki and Su to drag him away from the two.

"Who was the bird..." Amu was unimpressed.

"Can't say...not supposed to." Ikuto answered.

"You always kept secrets..."

"Adds to my mystery..." He smiled slyly.

Amu felt herself blush a bit.

"So hows Tadase doing?" Ikuto stared at the ceiling of her room.

"He's fine...I think..." Amu didn't want to spend another sleepless night worrying about Tadase...then again with Ikuto in her bed she rarely expected sleep.

"You think? Arn't you his girlfriend?" Ikuto asked with a raised eyebrow. He was glad Yoru wasn't around to blab.

"No...not really..." Amu admitted. "I mean what do you care?"

Ikuto sighed. "When have I not cared..." He rolled over away from her.

"I..I..Ikuto..." Amu felt surprise hit her. "I'm sorry..."

Ikuto moved. "What happened to the bitter Amu-chan I used to know..." She had changed since he had left.

"I'm not sure..." Amu wondered herself.

"Too bad...I kind of liked the fun of it." Ikuto smiled.

"Well maybe things arn't that great for me either? Your gone fulfilling your dreams as a violinist and I'm here trying to figure this all out..." Amu got tense.

"Are you upset because you didn't have me to comfort you?" Ikuto hugged her close to him.

"Ikuto...when you told me you loved me did you actually mean it..." Amu bit her lip nervously.

Ikuto's eyes went wide. So that's what he was talking about. He whispered in her ear...

"Why wouldn't I mean it?"

I really hope now this clarifies the plot ; sure Amu is still wandering between Tadase and Ikuto but I have a lot more to add to it. Now that Ikuto is back, Amu has two options...will she find herself back in the supportive arms of Tadase whose come to love her through strength? Or will she go for the cat whose sat on the back-burner?

Thank you to the reviewers and the readers! I appreciate the praise i got from my first two and I will eagerly take pointers or speculations!