Claraowl: TA-DAA!

Ikuto: What?

Amu: *yawns*

Claraowl: *grumps* Anyway, I'm back. I don't own Shugo Chara, etc. Enjoy!

"Yo, Tsukiyomi-kun, are you going to the party?" Inu, a gangly classmate of Ikuto's, was sprawled across three desks in their college common room. The two boys were sitting with several other classmates, all of whom had fallen silent when this question had been asked.

Ikuto looked up from his notebook, jarred out of his reverie. "What?" His voice was rough; it was the first time he had spoken all day.

"Are you going to the party?" Inu repeated.

Ikuto blinked. "What?"

The gathered students gaped at him. "THE party, silly!" Kitsuni, a long-haired girl, giggled. "The party of the year! The one Ookami's throwing tonight down at the old auditorium. Didn't you know?"

"It's from eight until we drop," Tora grinned, her eyes gleaming. "I'm ready for this weekend bash!"

"So, are you going?" the owl-eyed Fukurou asked.

"Nah," Ikuto said, looking back at his notebook and scribbling something.

"Why not?" several voices demanded.

"Plans," Ikuto replied, remaining monosyllabic.

"What are you doing, then?" Tokage asked.

"Stuff." Ikuto scratched something else into his notebook.

"What sort of stuff?" Kemushi prodded.

"Just stuff," he replied, actually saying more than one word. He glanced at his watch and showed expression for a fraction of a second, smirking. "See you." Standing up, he grabbed his bag and left.

The others exchanged a single set of glances before nodding. They followed him, ducking around the desks and chairs as they went. Ikuto, apparently not noticing them, walked off of campus and towards the center of town; upon reaching the fifth street, he appeared to vanish completely. The group of students halted, glancing at each other. Where had he gone?

"I hear something," Koumori whispered, "follow me!" She crept toward the spot where he had vanished and peered around a corner. "He went down the alley, you bakas."

"We're not bakas!" the firey Ryuu spat. "We just don't have bat ears!"

"Enough!" Inu said, hushing them. "Ikuto's getting away!"

"Sorry," the others whispered as they set off once more.

After a brief encounter with a rather large and disagreeable group of cats in one of the alleyways, Ikuto led the way to a small neighborhood. He was now - to the surprise of those who considered themselves his friends - walking with a bounce in his step and whistling happily. They exchanged glances; they had never seen him this happy. Where could he be leading them?

Ikuto sped up as they turned onto another street, seeming to know this path quite well. He walked around to the back of a certain house and swung himself up into one of the trees; from there, he hopped onto the balcony. The group of early-twenty-somethings hid in the shadows of the other side of the backyard's hedge and watched, peering through the branches. Ikuto tapped lightly on the glass before sliding the balcony door open. A girl's voice floated towards the hidden group.

"Yeah, yeah, I know - I really need to lock my balcony door." A pink-haired girl had come out onto the balcony. Inu's eyes widened. It was the girl Ikuto kept a picture of in his wallet!

"You know, you think you would, after - what has it been, six years?" Ikuto laughed. The watching twenty-somethings' eyes widened. Six years?

"Yeah, but if I listened to you, then you wouldn't be able to pop in surprise me at three in the morning," the girl stated nonchalantly.

"Oh, so you like that, Amu-koi?" Ikuto asked, wrapping his arms around her.

"Don't call me that!" Amu told him as she stuck out her tongue. Ikuto, smirking, took advantage of this and kissed her. Amu laughed lightly and kissed back, using the railing to hitch herself higher. Back in the bush, Kitsuni gasped.

"Quiet!" Tora hissed, glaring at her friend.

"He kissed her! She looks like she's only in high school!"

"So? Obviously, she's his girlfriend!"

"But she's too young for him! Isn't that illegal?"

At this, Kemushi bopped both of them over the head. "Shut up! We can't hear what they're saying!"

"Sorry…." the two muttered, retuning their gaze to the couple on the balcony.

"…so what's happening on campus tonight?" Amu asked, still being hugged by Ikuto.

"There's supposed to be a party down in the old auditorium, but nothing terribly exciting. Besides, I already had plans."

"What type of plans? Why miss a party?"

"Want to go to the park?" Ikuto asked, leaning down and kissing her cheek.

"You didn't answer my question."

"Yes, I did."

Amu blushed, smiled, and went to get her jacket.

Ikuto's friends stared at each other as they left their hiding places.

"Hey, wasn't that the girl that Ikuto always hit on when we were in high school?" Tokage asked, jabbing his thumb over his shoulder.

"I think it was," Inu said. "Did you know that he keeps a picture of her in his wallet?"

"Well, I can see why he wanted to miss the party," Ryuu grinned, wiggling his eyebrows. "Are you jealous, Kitsuni?"

"Shut up, dragon-breath!"

At the park, Amu and Ikuto were laughing. "So they followed you all the way to my house?" Amu snorted, sitting in Ikuto's lap.

"Yeah," Ikuto said, breathing on her neck, "so I figured I might as well give them a good show."

The couple laughed as the wind rustled through the grass, perfecting the day.

~*End*~

Translations:

Inu: dog

Kitsuni: fox

Ookami: wolf

Tora: tiger

Fukurou: owl

Tokage: lizard

Kemushi: caterpillar

Koumori: bat

Ryuu: dragon

Claraowl: I hope you liked it! 'Tis the end! Please review!