I don't own anything.

A Month Prior

I pressed my back onto the prickling patch of grass a fair distance from the train tracks on the bridge. In front of me lay another lane of grass, separated from me by a running stream. My fingers and toes clasped a loose hold of the grass, only to let the grass slip through them.

I had spent the entire day, playing truant from school. My head was clouded entirely by the thoughts of the two boys with whom I shared my entire life. Their comforting whispers when darkness overtook me, their low chuckles that seemed to hide secrets, his fingers entwined with mine, the curl of the ends of his hair, the hot sensation that lingered everywhere he touched… My mind traveled even further down that dark path from his blue silk locks that urged your hand to sink in it, to his provocative eyes that invited devious thoughts, down his slender yet muscular frame that gravitated your body to his, and finally to his soft lips that—no, what am I saying?

In the few seconds that it took for me to finally realize that evident possibility, someone made their way behind me. I could smell the faint fragrance of chocolate, and my body instinctively shot up.

"Amu, what is your butt doing here, but not in school?" Yoru's voice hollowed my anticipation, overwhelming me with a sense of disappointment.

"Whatever my butt does shouldn't be any of your concern. Besides, I could be asking you the same thing." I snapped at him.

"Woah, tiger, I'm sorry if I interrupted your alone time. If you were to ask, I just came back from visiting Ikuto." He answered with his hands held high. That would explain the chocolate scent.

"How is your brother doing? I hear he's picked up a… girl." I infused as much venom I could into that one word.

"Are you jealous?" Yoru shot back, hurt. His fingers rested on my clasped hands. I noticed how slender and how similar it was to his brothers. His fingers tangled themselves up with mine. Though the feeling wasn't right, it felt a bit satisfying as I looked at how his fingers matched mine. Could Yoru be the one who I've liked?

I must have been staring at our fingers for a long time, because Yoru let go of my hand and turned away in shame or embarrassment. Under the awkward silence, we stood there in our school uniforms.

"I should get going to school. I've already missed two classes." I said.

"Wait, Amu," There was a serious gravity that weighed on us, and the panic alarm in my head shrieked.

"I've really got to get going. Despite his carefree appearance, Nikaidou-sensei is rather brutal." I made another attempt at escape, but it seemed Yoru really couldn't hold back.

"Amu, I really want to tell you this. I've been waiting for this ever since… well, ever. I knew since I saw that time in pre-school. I always thought Ikuto was more your type, after all those boyfriends who mirrored him—"

"Wait, what? All my ex-boyfriends were nothing like Ikuto, were they?" A sudden shock ran through me. It must've been from Yoru. I must have liked him. I would never like Ikuto; he had a girlfriend who was prettier and pretty much better than me altogether.

"Amu, that isn't the point." With an exasperated sigh, Yoru dragged me back to the conversation. "What I've been aching to say was I love—"

"I think I really have to get to class now. I've been failing French, or was it Spanish?" The panic alarms were getting increasingly louder.

"Amu!" Yoru yelled and gripped my shaking hands. "Why won't you just let me say what I have to say?"

"Yoru," Instantly, his name made his posture straighten and brought a grin to his face. "Remember the three of us have always been friends. Remember that the relationship among us all should be cherished. I can't think of a life without either of you, and I don't want to see that happen."

The broad grin fell, the straight posture fell, and the rest of him seemed to fall as well. I never wanted to break him into pieces. I never wanted to say it all. Wait, what was so wrong about this? What was so wrong? I obviously didn't like Ikuto, because he would never like me. No, it was wrong because it would break our relationship.

"You don't have to lose either one of us. I would just be more special to you than he is. I would be your boyfriend, and he would be your friend." His eyes glistened with hope. Now that his words were out there, no possible way to escape was there. Accepting it was all that was left. I liked him, didn't I? What was wrong?

"Please, Y-Yoru." A raspy unfamiliar voice was wringed out from my throat. Tears burned at the back of my eyes. I fought hard, but the tears let loose. Yoru let go of my hands, whispered an apology, and walked back. At normal cases, he would have soothed me with his jokes; but I don't think either of us was in any stable state of mind.

I'm really sorry for my absence. My keyboard broke because I spilled soda on it. Thanks for the wait. I have two more weeks of school left, and I will be updating more often. Thanks for the read.