Chapter 9: Warming Up, and Cooling Down

"So Amu darling, I didn't know you and Ikuto had a thing?" Her mother smiled at dinner.

"WHAT?" Her father almost choked on his food.

"We dont..." Amu muttered. If only they knew they'd been having sleepovers for two years now.

"What about the pwetty prince? Tada?" Ami asked innocently.

"Tada too?" Her father looked like he was going to have a stroke.

"It's Tadase, and no I am not dating Tadase either. Boys are so complicated anyway." She put on her cool and spicy facade but she was being kind of truthful. "I'm done dinner. I'm going to bed soon."

She wiped her plate, and left to her room. Man did she just need to relax...she never got a break.

"Have a good dinner?"

Amu nearly jumped out of her skin, as she saw Ikuto sitting on her bed.

"Didn't you leave earlier?!"

"I told you I was sleeping over. You did invite me."

"...I should have known. I'm going to shower..." She rolled her eyes. Arguing with him was hopeless.

He watched her leave. He also watched as Yoru carefully placed the barrette back on her dresser where he found it.

"Your sly." Ikuto said to him.

"I dont want to get reemed out- nya!" Yoru defended.

"Whatever." Ikuto layed down. Her room always kind of had the dull sent of strawberries or some kind of sweet fruity scent. He wondered what kind of perfume she wore...if she even wore perfume...she was still kind of a kid.

Amu finished her shower and picked out a pair of pjs and returned to her room. She wasn't surprised to see Ikuto already laying on her bed.

"Did you ever think that you should sleep on the floor?"

"The floor is cold. Do you really treat all your guests this nicely?" Ikuto complained.

"You've really been my only guest." Amu admitted, gritting her teeth. "Because of you I have to wear a bra to bed.

"Then by now you should be treating me extra special..." Ikuto gave a sly grin. "And what do you need to wear a bra for? You could just take it off I wouldn't mind."

Amu blushed. "Would you quit it!" She went over to her bag and an invite to her grad fell out.

"These are cute." Ikuto snatched it and landed nimbly back on her bed. "Am I invited?"

"Why would we invite you?" Amu asked.

"Well this one is for my sister so..." Ikuto said kind of offended.

"Well she's seeing Kukai so..." Amu admitted, snatching it back.

"Does that mean I have to be dating one of the guardians to come?" Ikuto asked.

"Well..." Amu wondered where he was going with this.

"Then..." He snatched the back of her pjs and pulled her to the bed. "...Why don't I go with you?"

"What?!" Amu said wide eyed. "I...I...I'm not going with anyone."

"Well that's awfully lonely...still sometimes being lonely is better." Ikuto felt his eyes shade over.

Amu wondered if she'd offended him. It was hard for her to accept any feelings for Ikuto...he was a rebellious boy and she didn't really go for that...even though she kind of came of that way at times too...and in a way...she wanted to.

"You must have someone you want to be around..." She turned to look at him.

"I do...you..." He admitted.

Amu felt the urge to push him off, but for a second thought. I mean he was always in her room...and he disliked Tadase and most of the others...and his sister was nicer now but she was living her own life...plus she did get kind of possessive.

He waited for a hit, or a push or a complaint but instead she remained quiet and just stared at him. "Goodnight." She said and rolled over.

He grinned. She didn't persist...He took this opertunity to push himself closer to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

She grumbled. "Too far..."

"You're nice and warm..." He persisted. She swore she heard him almost purr. She was about to yell when she heard him do something of a snore...great he was sleeping already. She moved her head turning back to the front facing the wall. What would Tadase think? Ikuto and her were...sleeping in the same bed again? She felt an urge to shove him off, but wondered...if he really was that lonely...

She woke up in the morning and turned around to see Ikuto had already left. Strange...normally he overstays his welcome...she got up and yawned. She went to go get dressed and pulled off her pj shirt and went to pull on a tank top when she noticed that Ikuto's necklace was gone on her wrist...

But instead was a black and silver bracelet, with charms hanging from the links...a heart...a club...a diamond...and a spade and little spikes decorating between. She felt herself blush...did Ikuto really give her this? It really wasn't in his nature to be so kind...

She went downstairs and decided to go for a walk...maybe she'd go get him some of those fish snacks he liked so much. Great now he had her getting him gifts too...she sighed. She didn't feel like waking Ran and them...it was too early. So she left and went for a walk.

She walked for a while and finally got to the downtown area. She saw the market up ahead and started to quicken her pace. She yawned...she should have just gone back to bed. She went to walk forward and felt her shoe get stuck on something and started to fall. "Aghhh..."

"Amu-chan!"

She looked up and saw that Tadase had caught her. "Thanks!" She dusted herself off.

"Why are you out this morning?" Tadase smiled.

"Uhm...getting some snacks...or groceries...how about you?" Amu noticed he was still holding her hand from catching her.

"Oh, I had to go run and errand for my mom..." Tadase admitted, and then noticed he still held her hand. He looked down at it and let it go, but noticed the charm bracelet on it. "Who got you that Amu-chan? It's nice, it suits you!"

"Well...uhm..." Amu-chan felt herself struggle to tell Tadase it was Ikuto.

Tadase looked at her and notice her struggle. "Was it Ikuto?"

"H..How did you know?" Amu was stunned.

"Just a feeling... I heard he was back in town. Doesn't really seem like him to do that kind of stuff..." Tadase was trying to suppress his jealousy.

"Yea...he's kind of weird that way." Amu didn't like talking about this with Tadase. "I'm sure it meant nothing though...he's always acting weird!" She tried to brush it off and smiled at him.

"Well it was nice seeing you Amu-chan! See you tomorrow at school!" Tadase said and walked away.

"GAH! Why is everything so hard! I hate seeing Tadase sad...I hope I didn't..." She looked down at the bracelet. Ikuto really was being strange...

She shrugged and went into the store and bought Ikuto's gift...boys liked food right? Plus if he didn't have a house he probably didn't have a lot of food anyway...

She left the store with two...one for Yoru and one for Ikuto and left down the street back to her house, head busy once again with her love predicament.