A/N: Hello, everyone. I didn't get that much of a response on this, but I'm still content. Few people followed (CrazyFool65, JenAshXMaylove, miki9001) and some favorited (JenAshXMaylove, Nightshadowmidnight, miki9001, shimaxkutau) and I even got two lovely reviewers.

JenAshXMaylove - Aww, thank you. *gives a virtual hug* For calling me a good writer, I mean. And I totally agree that Kuukai and Utau are adorable. As for the message... you'll see.

CrazyFool65 - Glad to know you liked it! And yeah, I finished it now, so... yeah.

One extremely important thing that I just can't believe I forgot to mention before is that this is based on Encore! chapter about Kuukai and Utau, while also ignoring that small bit about them in Amu's Encore!. So kinda like a different ending thing. I will add this to my author's notes on the first chapter also, but I wanted to notify everybody.

Chapter 2: Their afternoon

She was early. He was late. It was always that way. Utau frowned as she checked the clock at station, figuring he should have been there a full minute ago. 'What irresponsibility.' As soon as she thought that, he suddenly came in sight, turning a corner. He noticed her and started walking toward her, pulling his bike along. Utau scanned him from head to toe. He didn't seem any different than usual. He was dressed normally, a hoodie and knee-length pants. His hair was tousled, his eyes shining, and his trademark grin plastered on his face. Utau wondered was that guy ever sad. He just always seemed to be cheerful. She found that incredibly annoying. And just a tiniest bit cute. Not that she would ever admit it, though.

When he finally reached her, his grin turned into a smirk. "So, how much am I late this time?"

Utau glanced at the clock again. "Minute and a half", she replied indifferently.

He had an entertained look on his face, making Utau want to slap him. Or maybe not. "Oh, how inconsiderable of me", he teased.

"Well it is", she snapped.

He just laughed. Utau wanted to strangle him. Or maybe not.

"So, what is the reason for this?" she asked, ignoring his amusement with the whole conversation.

"Nothing much. I just figured we don't really hang out for anything but ramen contests."

Utau huffed. "So?"

He grinned again. "So I want to change that."

Before she could say anything, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her running with him. For a boy at such young age, he was surprisingly strong. All that training must have had some use after all.

"Hey!" she protested. "Let me go!"

"No."

Utau studied him. He had his eyes set on the path before him, momentarily not paying attention to her. His hand gripped hers, sending shivers through her. She hated that reaction she had every time he accidentally brushed against her or grabbed her hand. Sweat and shivers and her heart increasing its speed. That never happened to her before. With Ikuto, it was somehow... normal. Although she previously wanted for them to be something more, the brother-and-sister connection was still there, making it natural for them to touch.

Watching Kuukai like this, she concluded that all the morning events clearly didn't affect him at all. He didn't look any different. He didn't behave any different. He was as easy-going and merry as always.

They finally stopped. They were in a middle of a small square, filled with different shops and display booths. He let go of her hand, and she hated to admit it, but she was just a little disappointed.

"Seriously, would you explain to me what are we doing here?" she asked, desperately trying to start a conversation so he wouldn't notice her embarrassment.

He shrugged. "You tell me. Where do you want to go?"

She looked at him. When he just expectantly looked back, she sighed and started checking the place they were in.

It was a sunny Saturday, so there was a lot of people around. Booths with brightly colored awnings were luring children with toys and food, and they were succeeding, seeing how all the little ones dragged their parents to them, creating a long line in front of each.

Utau's gaze wandered around, transgressing from one booth to another, untill it finally stopped at one that saled taiyaki. Her stomach rumbled, and she realized she hasn't eaten anything since morning. She turned back to Kuukai, about to say she made her mind up, but words died in her throat when she caught him staring at her. It was only a quick moment before he averted his gaze, blushing, but she thought she saw a strange spark in his eyes before he did. Spark of something unfamiliar, something she didn't know how to name. Or, better said, she would know to name it if it was possible. And it wasn't.

"Um...", she started, cursing the blush that wanted to find its way to her cheeks, "I thought we could buy some food." She pointed her finger to the taiyaki stand.

He laughed nervously. Strange. First that reaction when she caught him staring and now this. It was pretty out of character for him. "Sure."

They went over and took their places in seemingly infinite line. There was an awkward silence.

"So", he started, "what have you been doing lately? Anything interesting?"

"Oh. Nothing much, really. I'm just filming and recording, stuff like that."

"Busy as always, huh?"

"Yeah."

There was silence again.

"How are Nikaidou and Yukari doing?" he tried.

Utau sighed. "They're fighting as usual."

"I see. Are they still going to marry, though?"

"Probably. But you know them, they might just start fighting at the altar and storm away, and then get back together the next day."

"Yeah, you're right."

Silence.

"How are things going with Ikuto?" he asked quietly.

Utau flinched. Every pore of her being wanted to scream that nothing is going on with Ikuto, and that nothing will ever go on with him. 'Because you are...'

"Why are you asking me that?" she said, pure desperation speaking from her.

He seemed a bit taken aback with her tone. "W-Well", he stuttered, awkwardly looking around, "I figured... since you... that text..."

Utau stared at him. He didn't get it. At all. "Speaking of the text, why did you call me after so much time had passed? It's been about two hours before you answered." She really didn't want to talk about Ikuto with him. And she really wanted to know the answer to that question.

He looked confused for a few moments. "Oh, that", he said, getting what she was aiming for. He looked at her completely calm. "My phone was off."

His phone was off. That was it. That was why he didn't answer. After all her worries... "Why?"

"I was at practice. I didn't want to be disturbed."

She felt some twisted need for laughing. Then she realized something else and frowned. "Wait, you were at practice for two hours?"

"Four."

She stared at him again. This time in disbelief. "You're an idiot."

"Since when do you care?"

Their eyes met. And then they started laughing. They laughed so hard people angrily looked at them, telling them they are too loud and that they are holding the line. But they didn't care. They laughed untill tears, untill they were completely out of breath and very close to collapsing to the floor. After that, there was no awkward silence and pathetic conversation starters. They got their taiyaki (Utau ate it faster) and went around shops. Even if they weren't really looking for anything, it was still somehow fun. Utau enjoyed his company. It was just... pleasant. It came so natural.

Kuukai dragged them to the sports store where he immediately knocked over a row of manikins dressed in all kinds of sports wear from sheer excitement. It caused an entire scene, with him crawling out from underneath the hill of plastic limbs and fabric and starting to apologize to whoever passed by, people laughing at him, employees running to get their superiors and them starting to laugh too when they came. However, when he stumbled out of the store, still frantically apologizing (no matter how much the owners assured him it's really okay) and pulling Utau (who wanted to roll her eyes and say something in style of "You're such a kid" but just couldn't stop laughing) with him, he suddenly stopped.

"What is it?" Utau managed through giggles.

His eyes seemed distant. His face was focused on something else. "Shh", he whispered. "You hear that?"

Utau listened. And really, from somewhere close came soft crying sounds. She looked at Kuukai. He slowly started moving, detecting the sound and walking toward it. Utau followed. As they turned a corner, crying became louder. Behind some old box in a blind ally, a baby sat while crying its eyes out. Only when they were so close, Utau heard the real strength of baby's lungs. It sobbed and screamed, tears running down its face in small brooks.

"Oh", Kuukai said while he bent to pick the baby up. "Are you lost, little fella?"

The baby screamed in response.

"Shh, shh, it's okay. Come on, let's go find your parents." He turned around and walked away. Utau followed him again, feeling a little confused. She never knew he was good with kids. They reached the crowded square again. People were everywhere.

"Oh, great", Utau concluded in despair. "How are we ever supposed to find its parents in this place?"

He didn't answer. He just looked around as if he was looking for someone. His eyes stopped at some spot on the other side of the square. "There", he said. Not giving her any explanation, he started walking again.

'What is he...?'

They made their way through the river of people. Finally, Utau saw what Kuukai was aiming for. A couple was standing near some stand, feverishly talking about something. Woman looked as if she was about to burst to tears.

Kuukai approached them. "Excuse me, is this your... " Recognition flashed in his eyes.

They turned to him. "Kuukai! My, fancy meeting you here of all places..." Woman's eyes drifted to the baby. "And you find Tsubasa! Oh, thank you, thank you so much!" She took the baby from him, starting to cry and laugh from relief and scolding the baby in the same time. As for Tsubasa, he seemed pretty content to be back in his mother's arms. He stopped crying and closed his eyes.

They parted after Tsubasa's parents thanked Kuukai about a million more times, while he just embarrassingly scratched the back of his head and kept repeating that it was nothing, and that he didn't even know who it was, and that Tsubasa growed so much from the last time he saw him, and so on. When they left, Kuukai turned to Utau, still somewhat embarrassed, and suggested they go to the park. She agreed.

They walked some time, taking the long way. When they were there, they sat on a bench and stayed so in silence which neither of them really minded. Utau studied him, looking at his profile while he was gazing at some football players. She wondered what was it that drew her to him in the first place. Maybe it was the way his personality affected hers, making her forget all the worries at least temporarily. How he always managed to pull a smile out of her. Or maybe it was that he would listen to her, no matter did she talk about something that bothered her, random, insignificant things in her life or something actually worth hearing. Maybe it was that he was so different from Ikuto, who was closed and mysterious. Maybe she needed a change.

Or maybe it was all of it.

And yet, he didn't see it.

"Look", Kuukai said. He pointed to somewhere in the park. She narrowed her eyes, only to see some two figures holding a third smaller one by its hands. As if he sensed she didn't get what he was showing her, he started explaining without even turning around. "It's Rima and Nagihiko." Those two guardians. "And look who's with them." It was a baby. A baby that looked a lot like...

"Seriously? How many times can that kid get lost?" she asked in frustration.

He laughed. Then he suddenly stopped and sighed. "It's tragical with those two, really." She looked at him questionably. "I mean, just look at them. They both like each other so much and they are not doing anything about it. They just don't seem to realize the other one likes them."

Utau stared at him, flabbergasted. How did he know all that? But then she looked at them again. And she noticed it. The way their eyes kept running toward the other. How they jumped blushing when they accidentally touched. Having Tsubasa with them, they seemed like a family.

Utau started giggling. She couldn't help it. All the absurdity of her entire situation finally reached her. Kuukai looked at her confusedly. "What...?" She just laughed harder.

"You... you're just... so blind."

His jaw dropped. "What on Earth are you talking about?"

She stopped. With a lot of effort, but she did. She couldn't keep it in anymore. "You... the way you just seem to get everybody. How you read through them. You can see what's bothering a person with one glance. How you knew who Tsubasa's parents were... Actually, how did you know?"

"They were the only ones who seemed upset", he murmured. As if that was the most normal thing in the world, to know who lost their baby by watching their emotions.

She laughed slightly again. "There. There! You did that. You could tell that Rima and Nagihiko liked each other. And Amu told me how you immediately knew what was troubling her in the spring, when Rima and Kairi came, even though you haven't seen her for months. And you know all that, and... " She was raising her voice without realizing it. "And yet... yet... " She felt tears stinging. "You couldn't tell... " They were gonna spill any moment now. Kuukai watched her paralyzed as she talked. She must have scared him. She probably really did look like a lunatic. She screamed. That seemed to snap him. He rushed over to her. She collapsed on him.

"That text... was for you, you idiot... " she whispered as tears streamed down her face.

For a moment there, there was nothing. Then she felt him shaking. 'What...?' She suspiciously opened one eye and remained frozen. He was laughing. Like this was some joke. That was too much. She shoved him away and started running. She didn't know where she was going, she just knew she wanted to get away from him. She heard him calling her, but she didn't stop. However, he was still faster than her. He reached her and knocked her to the ground along with himself. She laughed again through tears. "What? You don't have to say anything. It's all just a good laugh to you, isn't it, you little..." She was cut off by his eyes. When she looked at them, she couldn't force herself to continue. She turned her head to the side, but he turned it back to him with one hand. His face was determined.

And then he kissed her. Just so, without any notice. She knew she shouldn't, but she returned it, her arms wrapping themselves around his neck. He was better than when they first kissed, back when only a part of her feelings for him existed. Despite everything else, a sudden wave of panic came over her. 'He didn't practice on someone else, did he? If he did, I swear I will kill him.'

When they parted, he put their foreheads together and smiled gently. "I really did get the wrong message, didn't I?"

She just nodded. He laughed softly. "Well, now we really have a problem", he said.

"Because I love you, too."

A/N: So yeah, everybody who guessed, guessed right; text really did say 'I love you'. And yes, there was a reference to Rima and Nagihiko's Encore!. I just got Tsubasa lost one more time, heh. If there had to be one thing I am really proud of, it would be... the title. Because of the double-meaning. Hehe.

Tell me if you want to see more of these KUTAU drabble-like-thingies coming from me, or if you want anything Shugo Chara! coming from me. I will probably do some AMUTO in the future, but this is my favorite pairing, as I already mentioned.

Reviews are always appreciated, both compliments and criticism. Thank you for reading!