Morg: Heyo!

Ikuto: Wait. This is another chapter?

Amu: It's only been a couple of weeks! You don't update that fast!

Morg: Guess what.

Ikuto: Awesome.

Amu: No!

~Spark of Life~

Ikuto's house in the countryside was massive. Amu chose to stay outside since they didn't have much time for him to show her around, but she could see how large the house was. It was a little intimidating, to be honest.

It also made her realize that she didn't know a whole lot about him.

So Amu switched to Ikuto's car, a small SUV that could seat up to five people but was still sleek and fancy, and fiddled with the strap of her purse as she thought about what she wanted to say to him when he came back outside. They still had however long it would take them to get to the village to spend together in the car. She could use that time to get to know him better.

She was glad she'd been thinking about what to say when he stepped back out the front door. His black pants and navy shirt made him look slim but strong. And his thin white tie only made his chest look broader.

He looked good.

Amu swallowed hard as Ikuto rounded the front of his car. She smiled at him as he slid into his seat. "Ready?"

Nodding, Ikuto put on his seat belt before he reached back to rest his hand on the back of Amu's seat. He looked over his shoulder as he backed his car out of its parking spot in his garage. He was focused on driving and didn't realize at first that Amu was silent. "You okay?"

Amu nodded as she bit her lip and looked out her window to watch as the bushes that lined his driveway went by. "Fine."

Ikuto pulled them to the stop at the end of the drive. He turned to look at her while keeping his hands on the wheel. "Amu?"

Swallowing again, Amu lifted her gaze to meet his worried one. "I'm not having second thoughts. Not about registering our bond and then bonding eventually."

"Okay?"

Amu let her eyes slide down his firm chest before she looked back up. She knew he already had a bit of an idea of what she was thinking. "Just regretting telling you we have to wait to, uh, do anything until after."

Ikuto's brows furrowed as he looked at her. "You're turned on? By what? Me wearing a buttoned shirt? I'll do it more often if you'd like."

Amu shook her head as her cheeks heated. "You look nice, sure. You're very handsome."

"Okay?"

She really wished he'd stop saying that word in such a concerned and confused way. "But you're also very confident and that's sexy."

Ikuto lifted an eyebrow as he looked at her squirming in her seat. "You like that I'm confident."

"Ikuto," Amu whined before she stopped to take a breath. "I am already attracted to you. Seeing you like this and knowing that we're going somewhere to tell everyone that you're mine is not helping, okay?"

Ikuto smirked as he lifted a hand and held it out to her. He was glad when she offered hers in return. "We're going to tell them that we belong to each other. And then we're coming back here so I can mess you up a little."

Amu bit her lip as she turned to look out her window. "Just drive."

Ikuto laughed as he did as she instructed. He didn't mind at all that their drive was silent since he got to hold her hand the entire way there.

XXX

The village was both smaller and larger than she'd been expecting. It was quaint while it also had everything the people there would need to survive. The people moving along the streets and the technology they used were modern, but the buildings themselves looked old.

"Ikuto?" Amu leaned forward to look out the windshield as they pulled into the driveway of one of the larger houses on the block. "Where are we?"

"This is my house," Ikuto said as he turned his car off. "Utau and I share it. This is where we stay when we're here for meetings or for whatever other reasons we get called back."

"You have two houses?" Amu asked as she unbuckled and opened her door. "How much money do you actually have?"

Ikuto laughed as he rounded the front of his car and offered his hand back to Amu. "My family is old, Amu. We have quite a bit saved up."

"Makes sense. Do you have a job?"

Smirking, Ikuto shook his head. "Technically yes."

"What is it?" Amu asked as she looked up at him. "What job do you technically have?"

Ikuto pulled her up the front steps and unlocked the door. "I work for the council. We all do."

Looking around, Amu slipped off her shoes. "This is a really nice house, Ikuto."

"Thanks, Utau and I do our best to maintain it."

"Is she here?" Amu asked as she wandered a little further into his house. "Do I get to meet her today?"

Ikuto closed the door behind them before he took off his shoes and followed Amu through the living room and into the kitchen. "I sent her a text that we were here and that we were registering today. She said she wished she could make it but she's busy."

"What does she do?" Amu asked as she turned to face him. The kitchen was just as big as she'd thought it would be. She couldn't even begin to imagine how much money his family had. "Or is she also employed by the council?"

Ikuto smirked as he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the doorframe. "I know it's a little misleading because we have different last names, but you probably have heard of my sister."

Amu raised one of her eyebrows but didn't say anything as she continued to look around the spotless kitchen.

"Hoshina Utau."

Amu whipped around to face Ikuto once more. "Your sister? Is Hoshina Utau? The famous singer, Hoshina Utau?"

Ikuto couldn't help himself. He chuckled as he nodded his head. "Yes, she's my sister. Don't freak out too much when you meet her, though. She's got enough of an ego already."

Amu muttered to herself under her breath as she narrowed her gaze at him. Then she went back to exploring the house. She shook her head as she made her way around the main floor. It was absolutely huge, which made sense since his sister was freaking famous.

Ikuto figured it was probably better to not tell Amu that he could understand her perfectly even when she was whispering to herself in another room.

Besides, it was cute.

"Amu?" Ikuto called from where he was still standing in the kitchen. "I mostly just wanted to park the car here. We should go register."

Making her way back to the kitchen, Amu shook her head as she met his relaxed gaze once more. "You spend most of your time at your other house, right?"

"Yes."

"And your sister is probably never here because she's freaking famous and busy."

"True."

"Then why do you have such a large house?"

Ikuto sighed as he pushed off the frame. He held his hand out to her and smiled when she took it. "The council does have a hand in assigning the homes here in the village. They look at prestige but they also assign them based on how many people will be living there when everyone is back in town."

"And you share with your sister," Amu said with a nod. "But that's still only two of you."

"Yes," Ikuto agreed. "But the council is also a little biased in which beasts it wants to encourage to… fill the space."

Amu pulled them to a stop just as they reached the entryway. She blinked up at Ikuto for a second before laughing. "Are you telling me that the council is trying to encourage you and your sister to have children?"

"Yes."

She couldn't help it. Amu started giggling. She let go of Ikuto's hand to put on her shoes while shaking her head and giggling. "Please tell me the council is full of old people."

"Why?" Ikuto asked as he put his shoes back on. "Why would that matter?"

"It's always the old people," Amu said between giggles. "That want to see the young people having babies. It's like they're worried that we won't remember how to do it or something."

"Or something," Ikuto agreed. "Though to be fair to them, beasts do have an extraordinarily hard time reproducing."

Amu hummed as she stepped out the front door behind him. "Good to know we don't have to be as careful as regular people."

Ikuto tripped down the steps before he turned to look back up at her. The innocent smile on her face wouldn't fool him anymore. "Amu, you are a menace."

"But you're registering me to be your menace."

Ikuto smiled as she stepped carefully down the steps to take his hand once more. "I know. How did I get so lucky?"

Amu shrugged with a grin as she let him lead her through the town. He pointed out buildings and told her stories. A lot of them were things that she was sure she wouldn't remember, but he was doing a good job of distracting her so she wouldn't get nervous.

"We'll go in here," Ikuto said as he tugged Amu with him toward a large set of doors. "I don't know who is here today, but this is where we register."

"Do they know you're coming?"

"No," Ikuto replied as he held the door open for her. "It isn't required to let them know ahead of time and I didn't want to tip off Tadase that we'd be here today."

Amu nodded as she looked around the ornate waiting room just inside the large doors. An old desk stood to one side of the room just before an open doorway that looked like it led to a long hallway. "But he could be here, right?"

"Yes." Ikuto led her to the desk and tapped the little bell sitting on top of it. "Most of us have houses outside of the village that we spend time at. Some more than others."

Amu let the subject drop as an older woman made her way out of the hallway. She was more than aware that Ikuto was concerned that the people that they'd meet today would gossip about them. She didn't want to give them anything extra to pass along.

"Ikuto, honey, what are you doing here?"

"Hello, Mina," Ikuto said with a small smile and a bow. "I want to introduce Hinamori Amu to you. She's a spark. She's here with me today to be registered."

"As a spark or a bond?" Mina asked as she leaned on her desk. "Those are two different forms."

"I suppose she'll have to fill out both. She's not been here before and she's not in the system."

Mina muttered to herself as she went through the process of finding the correct paperwork for Ikuto's girl to fill out.

Amu smiled up at Ikuto as he turned to wink at her. She wasn't sure how old the woman helping them was but she looked ancient.

"Did you bring a form of identification?"

Amu nodded as she lifted her little purse. "I have my driver's license."

"Good," Mina said before she went back to shuffling folders. "We'll take your picture today, too."

"Okay."

Ikuto squeezed Amu's hand as they waited for everything to get sorted out. It was agony waiting for Mina to get everything in order, especially since she seemed to only move at one pace. And it wasn't very fast.

Mina shuffled some papers together before handing them out for Ikuto to take. "Fill these out. Some are for her, some are for you, and some are for both of you. You have to fill them out here so I'll escort you back to a room with a table and some pens. Then we'll take your pictures."

Ikuto nodded as he took the papers in his free hand. He pulled Amu closer to his side as Mina led them down the hallway. "Is anyone else here today, Mina?"

"No," Mina said as she stopped in front of a door. "You picked a slow day. Most of the council members are out preparing for the festival."

Amu smiled at the older woman as she slipped by Ikuto and into the room they were using to fill out their paperwork. "Thank you for your help."

Mina waved her off as she shuffled back down the hall.

Ikuto closed the door behind them before he joined Amu at the table. "I want you to know that there's a little camera up in the corner of the room. We're being monitored to make sure that we're filling out our forms correctly and without forging anything."

Amu nodded. She was glad he'd said something. She didn't want to say something that was caught on camera and recorded. "Okay. Let's get started."

XXX

"Look here, please. Smile."

Amu forced herself to keep her eyes open as the camera flashed. She stepped out of the small spot marked on the floor and moved to the monitor to see the picture that was taken of her. "That one looks fine. Will it work?"

Mina hummed as she clicked around on her computer screen. "It'll work. You're very pretty, dearie."

"Thank you," Amu said with a smile. "I'm told I look like my mother more than my father."

"Then you're lucky," Mina said as she picked her camera back up. "All right, Ikuto. Your turn."

Ikuto moved to the correct spot. He smiled for the picture and approved it once Mina showed it to him. "Do we need to take one together?"

"Yes, yes," Mina said as she got everything ready. "Stop trying to rush me. I know how excited you young people get."

Amu flushed as she turned her face away. She coughed before joining Ikuto on the spot marked on the floor. She hoped her face wouldn't turn out too pink in the picture as she wrapped her arm around his waist and smiled.

Ikuto kept Amu pulled firmly against his side as Mina took a couple of pictures. He stepped forward to murmur his approval after Amu gave hers before looking at Mina once more. "Is there anything else we need to do today?"

"Witness the stamp, please." Mina pulled out an old ink pad and a large, wooden-handled stamp with the council seal on it. "You'll sign at the bottom under the stamp."

Amu jumped a bit and then laughed after Mina brought it down hard against the ink pad and then the paper. She took the pen and signed her name on the indicated line and then watched Ikuto sign his.

"These are for you," Mina said as she handed them each a piece of paper with the same seal on it. "These are for your records to prove that you came here today and filled out all the necessary paperwork."

"You're sure everything is done?" Ikuto asked as he took his paper.

"Yes, yes. You can go."

Amu bowed to the older woman again. "Thank you so much for all of your help today, Mina. We really appreciate it."

Mina waved them off as she turned back to her computer to get everything saved. "You can access your pictures in the database as soon as later today, Ikuto."

"Thank you, Mina," Ikuto replied as he led Amu out of the office. "I'll definitely be watching for them."

Mina hummed but didn't turn back.

Amu bit her lip as they made their way out of the building. "Do you think we're good?"

Ikuto nodded.

"Do you think he'll try to sabotage our paperwork?"

"Mina might look old," Ikuto said as he looked back over his shoulder. "But she runs a tight ship. If she says we're good then no one will be able to dispute it."

"Then is there anything else we need to do here today?"

Ikuto looked back at Amu and studied the way she shifted her weight from one foot to the other. Then he smirked. "Are you going to make it back to my other house?"

Amu glanced around the empty street before she grabbed Ikuto by his tie and pulled him down so his nose brushed against hers. "Can you?"

Ikuto cleared his throat as he pulled back. "We'll go to my house. Not the one here. I don't want to stay here longer than we have to."

"Then let's go."

Ikuto couldn't do anything but follow after the girl that they'd just registered to let everyone know was his.

XXX

Amu whined into the kiss as Ikuto pressed her up against the inside of the front door to his house. She wrapped her arms around his neck and dug her fingers into his hair as she moved her lips with his. The heat that pooled in her stomach felt like it was burning her from the inside out.

Ikuto kept his hands firmly on her hips as he pinned Amu between him and the door. He wrenched his head back to pant as he stared down at her blown pupils and swollen lips. "Tell me what you want."

Amu swallowed hard. "I don't understand."

"What?"

Amu shuddered as she pulled her hands down to his chest. "I don't typically get worked up like this."

The fog had to clear from Ikuto's mind before he realized what she meant. "Our magic is connecting. It's feeding off each other to push us to do what comes naturally. We've been spending more time together recently so we're syncing up."

Nodding, Amu bit her lip. It was difficult to think about the fact that something inside of her was making her want him so much. Then again, it was still her. Her magic was her own. And Ikuto was perfect. She'd want him even if she didn't carry a spark within her. "And our magic is what, pushing us to use it?"

"Sparks feed beasts," Ikuto said as he shifted his weight on his feet. "Beasts protect sparks. Our magicks know we need each other and so they want us to finish bonding."

Amu tapped her fingers against his chest as she thought over his words. "I don't want to bond today."

Ikuto nodded. "Okay."

"I do," Amu said while looking up at him from under her eyelashes. "Want you to show me your bedroom."

Taking one of his hands from her waist, Ikuto planted his palm against the door to lean his weight on it. He closed his eyes as he breathed in her scent for a second. "And when we get there?"

"I want you to help me take off my dress and admire what I put on underneath for you."

"Yeah?"

Amu nodded as she dug her fingers into his shirt. "I know I've been getting myself to the point where I can feed you, but I wouldn't mind if you helped me out a little bit more this time."

"Whatever you want," Ikuto promised her as he stepped back just enough to pull her away from the door. "I'll give you whatever you want."

Amu waited until he'd turned and was leading her through the house before she tightened her grip on his hand. "I want your fingers, Ikuto."

Ikuto tripped on his way up the stairs.

.

Morg: Well, this sounds like a great place to stop.

Ikuto: Rude.

Amu: And you should definitely just leave it as it is.

Morg: We will see.