"Ikuto, please accept these, I baked them myself last night. Happy Valentine's Day."

A girl with golden hair passed the heart shaped box filled with chocolate to Ikuto and he gladly accepted – like he did with every other box of chocolate. He sighed.

Chocolates. Valentine's Day. I can't wait for the day summer comes, I'll be freed of this horror. Ugh, I think I've grown to hate chocolate.

He shuddered at the thought of being "allergic" to chocolate – none of the girls in the school would believe it. He sighed and walked back to his dorm room, hoping to find some consolatory time with his room mate. He turned the knob, opened the door, walked in, and shut the door. It had become such a routine now. His room mate had always liked the room quiet, so he had to make just a few adjustments so there would be no complaints.

"Back so soon, Ikuto? Surely there are more girls out there that made chocolate for you last night," a feminine voice teased.

She lied on her bed, her slender legs stretched out and ankles crossed. On her lap was the weekly Zero magazine and a pen. She leaned on the back board of the bed, looking quite comfortable. Her pink hair dipped just below her shoulders, her bangs covering her forehead. She was wearing nothing but a mere white night gown that blended perfectly with her milky-cream skin. Her eyes were golden brown, simply gorgeous eyes that made anyone fall to their knees.

He growled silently as he plopped onto his bed, just across from hers. He propped himself up on an elbow and looked at her teasingly.

"I'd ask you the same question, Amu. Don't you have a horde of guys tailing you as well? Or have they lost interest in the academy's perfect model?"

She laughed, "But of course, but chocolate is a no-no for me at the moment; you know how I am with food. But, I'm such a sucker for jewelry."

She shut the magazine and placed it on the side desk, slipping the pen gently inside as a bookmark. She glided off her bed and sat on the edge of his. She smiled.

"Alright, complain away, I'm all ears now."

It was a routine. Every holiday – actually, almost everyday – he would complain and she would listen. At times, she would just sit there, not giving a rat's ass about his stories, but just listened, after all, it's all a guy needs sometimes – a girl who he could just open up to without her going insane over a silly item, like lotion or cream.

He groaned and stuffed his face with the pillow. Rolling her eyes, Amu dragged the pillow away from him, hogging it for herself.

"C'mon, out with it, Ikuto, or I'll have to resort to physical matters," she threatened, holding the pillow at close range, ready to smack him straight on. He smirked in amusement.

"Women these days are so emotional, you know? They expect to give us chocolate and for us to just go on a date with them! It's insanity, Amu. The universe doesn't work that way, if they think it does, they need help – mental help."

Amu straightened out the pillow and placed it back against the back board of his bed. She got up and headed towards the bathroom.

"Well, you're single and wanted, it's how the world of high school works around here on campus. If you're free, you're like the rice being poured over with gravy. Deliciously nice, but horridly fattening."

As Amu shut the bathroom door, Ikuto made his way and leaned on the door.

"You mind explaining your lady-language analogy?" he questioned teasingly.

From inside, Amu was stripping off her nightgown, preparing for a nice afternoon bath.

"Well, like I said, if you're taken, a fly won't be on you. If you're single, you're dead meat for the next year, Ikuto. Now, if you don't mind, the shower awaits me."

The sound of running water told him that it was his turn to sit and read the Zero magazine, something else they had taken up as a routine.

"Actually, Amu, I do mind, I'd love to shower too right about now," he said from his bed loud enough for her to hear.

Amu laughed sarcastically, "Dream on, I may be single, but I'm not one to lose my virginity. And besides, I need some me-time too, I deserve it."

Ikuto laughed at how comfortable they had become over the course of just three years. It only felt as if it were yesterday when they were up in each other's throats, and now, they were close friends, best friends, inseparable, school celebrities, the perfect topic of gossip.