It was first intended as a one-shot but I kinda got carried away and felt the need to include more ideas in just one story. So, instead of having a sequal I decided on making it a multiple chapter story. Thanks for the reviews so far. I wrote this chapter during extremely late hours, so gomene for the spelling mistakes. I just re-edited it so i hope there are no more mistakes, but if you indeed find any, don't hesitate to bring it to my attention. ...i don't own shugo chara or any of the characters present. Hope you like my story! It takes place in the summer hollidays before Amu becomes a sixth year.
Cat's night in.
Chapter 1
Amu let her head rest on her desk, enjoying the fact that the wooden surface offered a cold comfort to her forehead. It was indeed a very hot and dry summer. As she just stood there, she could hear her three guardian characters snore or talk in their sleep. It turned out that even for Ran, the weather was far too hot. And so, the pink guardian, along with her two companions, the now constantly grumpy Miki and the light-headed Suu, were secluded to just enjoying a prolonged sleep, almost all day.
One week had already passed since she last saw the jack of her team, Kukai. Him and Nadeshiko were now gone. At that thought, Amu couldn't retain a sigh from disrupting the harmonious snoring and mumbling coming from the miniature guardians. It was really going to be weird to return to that school, knowing that her best friend and the ever smiling brotherly jack wouldn't be there to greet her.
Razing her head and stiffening her back, Amu forced herself to wake up from that dull lifeless state. But, the instant she saw the soft welcoming bed to her right, she couldn't withstand the urge to let herself throb on to the soft pink covers. Silence fallowed.
"Demo, sa…." She began, a discreet smile resting on her lips. "It's just another beginning. For all of us." She whispered.
"Nani sore!" Miki muffled, rubbing her eyes. "What's just a beginning?"
"Awake already?" Amu smirked at the blue chibi. Along with Miki, the other two guardians had decided to end their siesta for the moment. Despite the heat and their preference to stay put and continue sulking, they started hovering around the pink-haired teenager, sensing that anew, something was troubling the teen.
"Daidjobu Amu-chan?" Ran called.
"I'm fine." Amu nodded. "It's just that…"
The three miniature guardians watched their fighter intently, as the pink-haired teen let her gaze stray towards the window.
"It's gonna be weird, a little. Won't it? But, I'm sure it's going to be another adventure. It's just another beginning."
Suu had a wide smile plastered on her face, as Ran started cheering after her own melody. Miki just approved by nodding energetically. As if struck by lightning, the blue guardian then took her sketch book from her patch and only after a few minutes, produced a master-piece replica of the photo that the five teen guardians had taken during their school year. Quickly enlarging it, she passed it on to the girl, who, smiling at the sight pressed it against her chest. Again resting her gaze on the evening sky, she couldn't help but feel a warm feeling spreading throughout her chest.
"Sugoi, ne, she then called, how the sky changes but still stays the same? I guess that there's nothing wrong with change then, after all!" She concluded, having a warm smile gracing her lips. Her guardians seemed to have recovered from the frustrating heat and where hovering joyfully around the girl, giggling with delight.
Slowly, the night fell and a refreshing breeze turned the hot atmosphere into a pleasant cool state. Opening the door to her balcony, she let her elbows rest on the wooden railing. She hadn't left her home for the past week feeling a little slumped despite the energetic speech she had laid down before her friends.
"I think I'll go for a walk tomorrow." She uttered, generating a joyful dance from her three chibi friends.
"Guess you're still too young to go out at this hour." A rugged voice called from behind her. Amu couldn't help but jump at the startling outburst and regrettably landed on her derrière before recognizing the cat like figure the voice belonged to.
"Ikuto! Don't startle me like that! Mataku!" Amu started hollering, a pink flush covering her cheeks as her gaze met the cool blue stare of the newly arrived. The little neko guardian, Yoru was sitting comfortably on Ikuto's shoulder, his paws unsuccessfully trying to hide his amused sniggering.
"What are you doing here?" Amu continued yelling desperately, trying to hide her embarrassment.
"You want to tell the whole neighborhood about my visit?" Ikuto uttered calmly.
Rising to her feet and trying to control her temper as well as her furious flush, she lowered her tone. "You haven't answered my question."
"We just decided to drop by and pay you guys a visit, nja." Yoru announced.
"Nani?" Amu looked at him dumbstruck. "Why would you want to visit me?"
Ikuto gazed at her lazily before intending to turn around. "Forget it." Just as he wanted to spring away, he gave a soft but noticeable wince as he pressed against his left foot. Before he could react, he was slipping of the railing. However, fragile arms rapped themselves around his waste, preventing him from falling.
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"You got into another fight, didn't you?" Amu uttered, narrowing her eyes at the cat-like figure now lying in her room, resting his back against the bed-frame. He needn't answer, as the scratches on his face and ripped clothes were enough of an answer.
Ikuto didn't respond, gazing at the wall opposite the girl.
"Fine then! Don't move." She stated, before starting to rumble through her closet and drawers.
"I'm fine." Ikuto uttered bluntly as he tried to stand up and make his way towards the balcony. But different injuries on his limbs prevented that from happening. He had managed to rise to his feet, and support himself against the bed but instantly crushed on to the soft sheets. The three guardians along with the newly arrived Yoru had been sitting on the same place up till now, and were forced to undertake a panicked evacuation of the bed in order to prevent themselves from being crushed by his body. Ignoring the frantically breathing guardians, Amu quickly rushed to Ikuto's side, with a first aid kit in her arms.
"Honestly, can't you stay still for a few minutes?" Amu thundered, concern written all over her face. The cat-like figure, on the other hand, had annoyance streaming out of his angry gaze. He once again tried to raze his body but had to face anew defeat. The only thing he managed to achieve was to turn onto his back.
"That's enough!" Amu called, clutching his right arm. She instantly backed away at recognition of her actions, but couldn't help scolding the dark haired teen.
"Look, it's not like I care for you, or something. But if you could just stay put for a few seconds, maybe I could nurse your wounds and then, enable you to go home without stumbling and falling down at every step!" she called, trying to use her cool character on him.
Ikuto wasn't at all convinced of her disinterest in his well-fare. His smirk arose another rush of blood to stir up a furious blush to cover her cheeks. Noting his exhausted sigh, she regained her calm state, as he finally gave in.
"Fine. Whatever you want."
The girl then started cleaning and bandaging his wounds, while her three chibi guardians were somehow trying to do the same for the also wounded Yoru. But, due to their enthusiasm, the only result of their care was a desperate neko-guardian fleeing for his life from them.
Again ignoring the commotion, Amu found herself requiring:
"What happened? How did you manage to get these wounds, and why did you come to my house?"
"Yoru was the one to suggest your house."
The guardian in question decided to hide under the covers next to his master.
"I'm regretting ever suggesting it, nja!" they heard him muffle.
"Really, you're just like an ally-cat." Amu sighed, closing the lid of the first aid kit. Taking a fresh napkin, she started wiping Ikuto's forehead and cheeks. At this, he clutched at her hand, pulling her closer to him, so that her face was just inches above his own.
"Why are you so nice to me?" he smirked.
Again, her face received a pink flush as she started stuttering.
"I…I told you,…I...you…the sooner you get better…th..the sooner you can get out of…of here."
"Soka?" he whispered ruggedly.
Amu felt her face catch fire as she couldn't help gazing into his catlike hypnotizing eyes. And yet she managed to get an exceeded control over herself, enabling her to pull back and free herself from his grasp.
"And what do you expect me to do? I can't just leave you there, like this!" she mumbled angrily.
The boy just smiled. "Kawai."
At this, Amu found herself shoving the napkin unladylike into his face and storming to the other side of the room.
"Ah, that HURT!" she heard Ikuto call.
All the while, the three female guardians had managed to capture Yoru and rap him from head to toe in bandages. Amu noticed the little mummy lying between her three chibi friends and could help but sigh. Gently taking the neko guardian in her hands, his twitching ears sticking out from underneath the bandages, she carefully started unwrapping the little figure. Yoru finally recovered from his fellow guardians' nursing attack, and patted his head on the place where Amu had gently placed a simple bandage.
"Arrigato, Amu-chan." Yoru beamed gratefully.
"Sorry about that, Yoru." Amu sighed apologetically. She then returned to Ikuta's side, apparently ignorant to his satisfied smirk.
"How are you feeling?"
"Better." He responded calmly.
Amu was just about to voice her wish for him to stay there for the night, in order to let his wounds heal, when a knock on the door and a joyful call made the blood in her veins freeze.
"Oh no!" Amu mumbled.
"Amu-chan? Can I come in?" her mother's voice called.
"One-chan! Ami's voice hollered from beyond the door.
All six figures froze at that sound.
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The door cracked open, Amu's head popping from behind the wooden frame. "What is it mother? Ami-chan?" she smiled.
"Amu-chan…eto…" Her mother frowned..." Can we come in?"
Before the girl could respond, the door of her room burst open, her father and mother throwing suspicious looks throughout the room.
They're gazes fell on the bed.
"Amu-chan?"…her father stared.
"Amu-chan, why in the world are all those clothes piled up on your bed?" her mother stated.
"No reason." Amu stated bluntly. Noticing that her father started snooping through her room, she gently sat herself atop the piled clothes. "Gomene, Ikuto!"
"May I ask what you are doing snooping around in my room?" she asked bluntly, her calm features succeeding in hiding her true exasperation.
Her father had gone to the extend of looking underneath her bed and even searching her balcony before, relieved, collapsing in the middle of her room.
"Thank heavens! It was just our imagination."
"Honestly dear. You have exaggerated this time." her mother sighed.
Amu crossed her arms calmly, faking disregard and awaiting her family's answer. "Well? Oto-san?"
"Well, her father started, you will laugh but I thought I heard a male voice coming from you room."
Amu exceeded herself by throwing her father a disbelieving glare under which he instantly froze.
"Gomenasai! Amu-chan!"
"What makes you think, she started faking annoyance, that I would hide a boy in my room!"
"Well, you see, I…" her father began.
"Dear, I think that's enough." Her mother declared, smiling apologetically towards her daughter. "Let's go."
At her father's frail attempts to ask for forgiveness, Amu turned cold and answered bluntly.
"Whatever. It was a mistake. Good night."
Ami had decided to release the three guardians from her suffocating embrace and walk towards her parents, who started cheering their little girl for her cute little tender steps and her sweet smile. Amu had just about enough of her distrusting, not to mention disrupting family, when her mother uttered one last request before forcing her husband and daughter out of Amu's room.
"So da ne, Amu-chan, could you house-sit tomorrow?'
"Sure." Amu responded coolly.
"Ami-chan's been invited to a birthday-party, and since the parents are some old friends of ours, they invited us as well."
"No problem." Amu nodded calmly.
"I hope you haven't made any plans for tomorrow?" her mother asked concerned.
"As I said before, no problem."
Her parents resorted to their usual praises of her cool and reliable character before finally leaving her alone, Amu calmly closing the door behind them. When she was finally certain of their absence, she let a deep sigh escape her lips before sinking to her knees, resting against the doorframe. "That was a close one!" she exhaled.
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Ikuto wasn't sure of the momentary happenings when he found himself buried underneath a large bundle of girl clothes. "This is completely ridiculous." Just as he was about to rebel against the current actions, he heard the loud bang generated by the door being slammed against the wall. He didn't dare move a muscle and had to suppress a scream when Amu sat herself on his bandaged leg.
Listening closely to the conversation at hand, not because of interest, but due to lack of choice, he couldn't help being somewhat impressed and likewise disturbed by the cool manner in which Amu had behaved towards her own family. The last part of their conversation had generated a mixed feeling of anger and sadness within him.
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The three guardians opened their egg-case to release the miniature neko from its prison.
"That was close, nja! Good work Amu-chan! Sugoi, nja!"
Ikuta watched the girl calmly place her clothes back into her drawers and closet, doing her best to hide distinct pieces of lingerie from his sight. Her attempts where however, unknown to her, in vain.
"So this is the character you were talking about." He concluded as she finished sorting her belongings and sat next to him.
Amu gazed at him for a moment before giving a small smile. "Yeah, that's about it."
"Weren't you planning on going out tomorrow?" he continued calmly.
She threw him an inquiring look before recalling her wish voiced on her balcony. "Oh, yeah. Well, guess I changed my plans."
Ikuto couldn't help but gaze at her thoughtfully before giving a deep sigh.
"I think I'd better go." he concluded.
"No, you can't!" Amu found herself pressing him against the bed. "You're in no condition to move your limbs. Stay here for the night, at least."
Ikuto couldn't help but smirk. Amu's innocent intent was clear to him, yet he couldn't retain giving her a special yet conclusive remark.
"You want me to sleep here for the night? I suppose in the same bed as you."
Amu's cheeks caught fire once again as she quickly jumped away from the bed.
"N…no..no way! That…that's not what I…I mean…I….." Clenching her fists and trying to regain her calm state, she couldn't help but glare at the smirking Ikuto. "Pervert!" she hissed before thrusting a pillow in his face.
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It had already passed midnight and two of the six figures were still awake. Amu had prepared herself a mattress and covers on the floor next to her bed, leaving Ikuto to regain his strength on her bed. Yoru and the three guardians had fallen fast to sleep, whiles Amu's eyes were still wide open. Ikuto had his back turned towards her but was aware of her woken state.
The pink-haired teen was feeling far too energetic to fall asleep. She felt this urge to go out on the balcony. And then, there was this second wish, which she knew she would regret if voiced or even thought clearly through. Deciding on fulfilling her first desire, she quietly slipped from under her sheets and walked towards the balcony door.
Just before she could open it, she heard her name being whispered by a certain cat-like man. Turning her head she saw Ikuto supporting himself with one elbow and signing her to come to him with his free hand.
"Nani?" Amu whispered as she reached the side of his bed.
"Come closer." Ikuto whispered. "I don't want to wake them." Two different types of snoring and light mumbling could be heard coming from the guardians' direction.
Amu recalled a similar situation happening before, and decided to cover her years with her hands before leaning towards the smirking teen.
"What?" she whispered.
Little wasn't her surprise when she found herself whisked into Ikuto's arms and placed on the bed next to him, Ikuto hovering over her the moment after.
"You're such a bother, you know that?" Ikuto smirked.
Amu was speechlessly staring into his blue orbs.
Slowly lowering his head, his lips inches away from hers, he whispered.
"Who told you to take a stray cat in? I can't recall ever asking you to do that. But, he smirked, I guess I have to thank you for being so nice to me."
"You don't have to thank me." Amu managed to respond before feeling her throat run dry.
"What if I want to thank you." She heard him utter before feeling his lips pressed against her own. Her cheeks were burning and she was expecting her heart to beat its way out of her chest. Slowly closing her eyes she felt his lips parting, his toung caressing her own tender lips, begging to let him in. She gingerly headed his wish and felt her whole body tremble once he entered.
Amu was overwhelmed by the sudden heat rushing through her body. She didn't know if it was from his kiss or from the fact that she was lying in his arms. But her whole being told her that she didn't want to loose that warmth. Not daring to open her eyes, she kept them tightly closed and felt his embrace tighten. Her head was buried in his chest , his sent making her limbs tremble. If this was a dream, her deepest wish was to never wake from it.
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The sun's raze caressed her cheek and forcefully opened her eyes. Quickly rising into sitting position, she scrutinized her room and found that except her and her three guardians, the room was empty.
She gave herself a swift knock on the head. "Baka, that would never happen!" Wanting to laugh about her own silly dreams and wishes, she sighed deeply before getting out of bed. Just then she saw the mattress next to the bed and the first aid-kit lying near by. Her eyes widened with realization as she touched her lips with her fingertips.
" Masaka…!"
...
ok, there it is. Please r&r. I'm not sure about Amu's age but, let's just consider her being ...15...just to make it legal. I'm probably way off and she's much younger, but I feel kinda guilty writing about a relationship between Ikuto - we all know how he's like - and a younger girl than 15... well, ja na.:)