A/N: Hey guys, I'm back. I took a long pause because I had a hard time. I changed schools and it was really hard on me. Anyway, here' another chapter.

Chapter five. Her rival, his past

It was almost twelve o'clock when Amu woke up. But she wasn't the only one. Ikuto was already awake for who knows how long. The two of them were in Amu's bed in the clothes they wore last night, their faces inches away and Ikuto's arm wrapped around Amu's waist. The girl vaguely remembered when the two of them stopped kissing and they walked towards her bedroom exhausted.

"Morning beautiful," he said taking a lock of her hair from her face.

Though Amu only replied with a smile, the words affected her a lot. She was never told something like this as she didn't sleep with a boy before either.

She didn't reply. Instead, she slowly brushed her fingers on his cheek. It was smooth, she concluded, and having his arm wrapped around was really comfortable.

He took her hand and kissed the back of it.

Few seconds later, Ikuto smirked. "It's past nine."

Amu smirked back without moving, she didn't want to leave this bed. "I'm not paying you more."

He moved, sitting on his knuckles. "That would be a problem." he gave one last smirk before turning around and leaving the bed.

She was still on her bed watching his every move, but she didn't lay down anymore. She couldn't help but think how hot the blue-haired boy walking back and front in her room picking was.

Ikuto looked out the window, probably to see if Amu's parents were back. The girl already knew they weren't. Amu climbed off the bed silently and approached him. She hugged him from behind, pressing her body to his back. He smelled good.

"Will you go?" she asked.

He turned around and raised her head by catching her chin between his fingers. He kissed her forehead, took the envelope containing the money she had to pay and left without another word.

She smiled as she was aware of the significance of a kiss on the forehead. If she closed her eyes, she could hear him say it clearly.

You're special.

Xxx

Monday, as soon as Ikuto entered in The Snakes' room, Kuukai appeared right in front of him.

"Ikuto, what took you so long?!" he asked.

The boy raised an eyebrow. "Was I waited?"

"Uh.. Erm.." Kuukai stuttered. Ikuto figured he was hiding something. "Say Ikuto, what happened at Amu-chan's house?" the boy changed the subject.

Ikuto walked past him and sat on the couch, making himself comfortable. Of course he wasn't going to tell them everything, but he found something that they would probably like to know.

He smirked as Nagihiko was drinking his tea and Tadase was sitting on the couch, looking at him.

"We played Twister."

There was a moment of silence after which Tadase started laughing, joined by Nagihiko. Kuukai could only look at him puzzled.

"Twister? What the fu—"

"Kuukai, I am waiting for those thirty bucks." Nagihiko said as he took another sip from his tea.

"Thirty what? I don't know what you're talking about buddy. The deal was on twenty. Two and zero, not three and zero." Kuukai complained as he raised his hands up his chest.

"Don't even think about tricking me," the boy said as he held up a contract signed by the caramel-haired boy.

Kuukai then slapped his forehead. "Damn."

"I don't even want to know what you bet on." Ikuto commented.

"Wise decision." Tadase completed.

Xxx

"I doubt you only came here to enjoy Yaya's tea, so you might as well start telling us what happened on the weekend." Utau demanded quickly as she crossed her arms gracefully. She was sitting on her armchair looking with hidden-curiosity at Amu.

The girl put down the cup of tea after taking a few sips. "I actually really enjoy drinking Yaya's tea, it's sweet, just like I like it." She replied, looking back at Utau with the same provocative eyes. There was a silent fight between the two girls' pride.

"Glad you like it, Amu-chi!" Yaya said as she walked to the other side of the room for more tea.

Utau could see that the other member of The Guards, Rima, was watching the confrontation with mild interest.

"As for the night Tsukiyomi Ikuto spend at my house, I have to admit I am not surprised to see you found out about it." Amu continued.

Utau was irritated, she avoided her question with skill.

"You didn't answer my question." she insisted narrowing her purple eyes.

Amu smiled. "Oh, my bad." She said with fake innocence. In the next moment, she looked right into Utau's eyes and replied with a smirk. "I can say I successfully made the first step."

Utau was surprised and caught off guard by her answer.

She has known Ikuto since middle school where they have been classmates, even deskmates once. They've spend so much time together, they've been very good friends, so why did he just fade away from her life?

The reason was still unknown to her, but she knew when it happened. Last year, a month after the start of high school, when he left without a single goodbye. That was the moment her heart broke and never been fixed. Utau had no idea why he left, neither did his friends. After he left, she locked herself in her room for almost three weeks. She didn't eat, sleep, go to school or see anyone. It was during that time that she befriended Rima and Yaya.

The two girls were her classmates. The two of them would often bring her the homework and notes. Not only that, but they tried to make her feel better. They never asked why she isolated herself nor did the two of them persuaded her to come to school, but they would tell her from time to time that the class needed her, as she was the class president. Slowly, she started opening herself to the two girls and talk to them, even look forward to their daily visit. It was their help that made her go out and look at the sun again. Even so, she never told them her feelings for Ikuto, but Rima most likely figured it out on her own.

Utau has always loved Ikuto, but she never told him. She kept her feeling hidden being too afraid to ask for more than friendship.

She met Ikuto's friends, now known as members of The Snakes, during the last year of middle-school. She has been invited to Ikuto's birthday party thrown by his friends. That was then she met Souma Kuukai too.

It was by the end of middle school that Kuukai, Nagihiko, Tadase and Ikuto started getting in trouble. Something changed in Ikuto and she could tell, but he never told her what actually happened that changed him. He would always get in fights and even end up in hospital on some times, but his opponents always ended up a lot worse than him.

At first they were small fights between people that never liked Ikuto due to his popularity, but then, the most fights he would win, the more would come. People he has never seen nor done anything to would come just to challenge him, but they would always end up regretting.

There was one time when Utau was caught in one of those fights. She was walking home with Ikuto, as they live in the same direction, and four boys surrounded them out of nowhere. Ikuto tried to protect Utau as much as he could and he ended up in the hospital, but even so Utau was hurt too.

Now that Utau remembered everything, that was the day that everything changed. The day Ikuto started avoiding her. No more late night conversations, no more sleepovers, no more exchanging notes in classes, no more ice cream in the winter and no more Ikuto.

It hurt thinking about the past, she didn't want to drown in it again.

"There are three weeks left." Utau warned her.

"I know." There was no sign of fear on her face, which only annoyed Utau more. Something happened that night.

She has loved Ikuto so much she didn't dare touch him. Hinamori Amu barely knows him and he has already spend a night at her house.

"Well then," Utau said as she got up, her hands still crossed. "Since I found about that incident," she begun, referring to the night she and Ikuto spent together. "It would be unfair of me not to tell you a bit of information too." Hinamori Amu was finally looking at Utau with interest, her playful attitude fading. The blonde smiled confidently. "Ikuto had a girlfriend before."

"And?" Hinamori Amu asked.

" She loved him with all his heart, but he didn't care about her. They have been together for six months in which the girl thought he loved her, but in the instant she made something to upset him, he broke up with her."

Every single word was true, but Utau's intention was not for Hinamori Amu to be aware of the truth, she only wanted to weaken her confidence.

Hinamori Amu chewed on the information for a bit and the blonde could see doubts making their way on her mind, her facial expressions showed that. Moments later Hinamori Amu got up from the couch and walked past Utau, but she stopped right next to her and whispered something in her ear.

"I'm not any girl, I won't put my heart on the line." she said and walked away, closing the door behind her.

Utau was not discouraged by her words. She actually smirked.

"Naïve girl." Rima commented after assisting the discussion.

"I can't wait for the month to end." Utau replied sitting down.

"Oh, Amu-chi left." Yaya came with a plate of cookies. "What did you guys talk about?" she asked innocently biting a cookie.

"We're just eager to see how the bet will end." Utau answered.

"Oh, I think Amu-chi will do just fine!" Yaya said.

And even though it hurt to admit, Utau knew that what Yaya said was right. Hinamori Amu had something, something that could steal Ikuto's heart. Utau was worried but if only one step was made in the wrong way, everything would end just as soon as it started.

Xx

Three days later, Yaya was running on the hallways of the high school to the room of The Snakes, a bag in her hand. Everyone was surprised to see her walking in their room as most of the school thought the two groups were rivals.

Yaya never understood why they thought so. Maybe because of the good reputation of The Guards and the bad reputation of The Snakes. They have never hated each other. In fact, Yaya liked everyone from The Snakes. Especially a certain blonde.

It was him that opened the door for her.

"Hey." he greeted.

She jumped on him as her arms wrapped around his neck. He caught her and wrapped his arms around her waist back.

Now that Yaya thought about it, life is really funny. Everything started because Utau came up with the plan to make the boys fall in love with them, though she didn't really understand what love is and why she had to do this, the cheerful girl has liked Hotori Tadase from the first time she saw him.

She started by following him around and make their encounters seem like coincidences. Some of them actually were coincidences, but she wasn't going to let fate do everything. It would take too long. And so the two started spending a lot of time together as they got to know each other better. They would go on dates, to each other's house and so on. It's been four months since they staretd going out, but they kept everything hidden from the others in school, but not from the members of The Guards and The Snakes.

"Yaya-chan!" Kuukai said happily. "What do you have there?" he asked pointing to her bag.

"Cookies." She replied throwing the bag at him. Tadase was holding her the whole time.

"Thanks!" Kuukai said as he started eating the ookies.

"Hello Yuiki." Nagihiko greeted.

"Hi Nagi, Ikuto!" she greeted back.

Ikuto raised his hand and smiled back.

Everyone was used having the petite girl around and everyone supported her and Tadase's relationship.

"I have something to tell you guys." Yaya said catching their attention. "Tomorrow is Amu-chi's birthday. I have already taken care of everything, we'll have a party at my house tonight. I just came to invite you all." She made a pause but then remembered she had to say that detail too. "Oh, Utau and Rima-chan will be there too."

"I'm in." Tadase said as he kissed his girlfriend's cheek.

"Me too." Kuukai agreed. Where there was a party, Kuukai was too, everybody knew that but they didn't know the main reason the boy actually wanted to go was because of a certain blonde.

"I'm free tonight too." Nagihiko continued.

"Ikuto?" Yaya asked.

He smirked. "Sure, I'll be there."

"Perfect! Seven o'clock at my place, don't be late!"