Chapter 23:That Day

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
She looked down seeing Kukkai in such a state her eyes went blurry, trying to fight back tears,
"Kukkai?" she whispered. "Kukkai?" Her eyes widened and tears streamed down her face falling onto his. "Kukkai!" She cried out, her hand on his cheek, whilest she leant over him. 
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Kukkai" she whispered. "In the end, this is all my fault..."
Light rain began to fall, Amu blinked and looked up at the brooding grey sky covered with clouds that brought drops of rain to the ground, "Rain?" She murmered
The rain drops fell down on her face, she looked down at Kukkai again, "Do you...remember that day? When you had confessed to me. I was so happy, yet I couldn't help but doubt...that's why I..." she paused, tear rolling down her cheeks. 
"I wanted to be with you, but I was afraid. Afraid that if we would go out, it would soon end and we wouldn't be friends anymore, but when you told me how you felt, I was so happy. I ignored the part of me that said to turn you down, for the reason of loosing you. And it was only when I betrayed you, I really regretted it. I was so selfish Kukkai...I still am" she whispered, eyes filled with tears.
"I'm sorry..." She said as she leant over him again on her lap.
His eyes began to open, she moved away a bit. A smile spread across Amu's  lips, followed by tears that fell. "I'm glad, you're okay. I was so worried."  she whispered.
Her lip trembled "It really is...all my fault Kukkai. Instead of realizing your pain, I didnt even think to look, that day that I yelled at you, I was so shocked and I yelled but I didn't listen to what you had to say and I didnt look at you, I should have seen it and I shouldn't have doubted you, I should've realised it really wasnt you that did that...I'm so sorry" she explained.
Kukkai lifted his hand up to her face and brushed her cheek, "No, Amu. It isn't your fault and that was...that was me, I had a choice to disobey those orders, but I chose to activate the microchip, I told myself so many times that I was saving you from Ikuto or that you needed me but, in truth I only needed you and it's reverse, Ikuto should save you from me. I wanted to spend time with you, so much that I didnt think of what you wanted"
"I'm sorry" Amu whispered putting her hand on his, that was touching her cheak.
"'I don't care about the past anymore' thats what you said isn't it? I say the same, I don't care anymore, since theres nothing we can do about it anyway, right?" Kukkai whispered
"Yeah" Amu whispered back.
Kukkai and Amu got up, "Please, go back to your mom and brothers Kukkai, their all worried about you" Amu told him
"Dont worry, I will" Kukkai said then turned and began to walk away from Amu and Ikuto.
"Kukkai!" Amu called him, Kukkai stopped, his back still to Amu.
"Promise me! Promise me, you'll never do that again, you'll never try to...just, dont give up! Please. I am so worried that one day, I might not be able to be there and you'll try to kill yourself again... I dont want that to happen!" Amu yelled to him, Kukkai began to turn around, he walked over to Amu, smiling. "so, promise me! please...I" she continued 
Kukkai wrapped his arms around her. "I promise. Things have changed now, I wont give up anymore, not ever...I promise"
"And thank you, Amu. This time, you saved me, twice even. Thank you" He said as he let go of her and began to walk away.
"Kukkai.." She muttered then smiled "welcome back.." 
-------
Now this music: https://www.listenonrepeat.com/watch/?v=YRzN9jiiQnQ 
-------
She felt a hand on her shoulder, she looked over and saw Ikuto, she smiled up at him. 
"So, do I get a hug too?" Ikuto asked with a grin on his face
Amu felt a bit couragous, so she said, "What about this instead..." then kissed his cheek. 
Of course she felt nervous after, not believing she herself had done that, but Amu felt happy. Almost everything felt normal again, so she let her embarassment fade away.
Ikuto stood there a bit stunned, since he had never expected her to make such a reaction, but then he too, smiled. 
"I'm glad he's okay. You feel the same, Ikuto?" Amu asked, looking at the distance
"huh?" 
She giggled, "I know you were worried about him too" Amu said looking over at him, but he looked away. "It's too late now, to pretend you don't. If you didn't care about Kukkai you wouldn't have searched for him, night and day when he disappeared and if you didn't care about him then you wouldn't have carried him all that way on your back, look after him, help me treat his wounds as well as saving the both of us back there" 
"I never really thought of him as a bad guy in the first place" Ikuto paused, "he's just a kid that needs to learn from his mistakes and stop making 'em"
"I know. I'm sure, Kukkai sees you in sort of the same way too. I think you two never really hated eachother, but admired eachother. I mean, he's the immature 'kid' that you want to be, but are sometimes. And you can be mature and no what your doing, when he's lost and wish he knew. I think he looks up to you, Ikuto."
"And I look down on him" Ikuto said with a grin on his face and his hands in his pockets
Amu sighed, "that's not really what I meant, but I guess it's another way of saying how he's being like a child, a type of child you wanted to grow up as, but never got too. You both envy eachother"
"I wouldn't think of it as that. And who cares? It doesn't matter anyway." Ikuto said as he began to walk away,
"Ikuto, where are you going? The exit to this roof is in the other direction" 
He grinned and turned into Black Lynx, "Want a ride? I have something to show you" 
Amu looked down at the ground  "okay"
She couldn't stop thinking about her Chara's and wondered where they were.
Ikuto carried her in his arms all the way to her house, on the balcony of her room.
She looked through her window and saw her three guardian eggs on the desk in their little bag. 
"I took them from Hoshina, i'm not sure if he has noticed yet" he said with a smile on his face
A big smile spread across Amu's lips and she wrapped her arms around his neck, being bold once again, but too happy and relieved not to be. 
"Thank you, Ikuto" 
 
On a hill looking over the town, with her long blonde hair and purple eyes, Utau Hoshina smiled, "I'm finally home" Iru and Eru floated beside her, sharing the same smiles.