Growing Up

…

Amu sighed as she sat at her desk with a bored expression, biting the end of her favorite pink pen. She was fourteen now; a year had passed since the whole fiasco with Easter ended and the dream eggs and all that were over. Her friendship was still strong with the Guardians but she couldn't say the same about her love life.

Her little fling with Tadase hadn't lasted long at all. It wasn't that he was a bad person, but Amu didn't feel any sort of emotion for him after they started dating. All she felt was boredom and she realized it was because she found their whole relationship bland. After everything, doing calm things like looking at flowers and taking walks in the park didn't interest her or her sense of adventure. She yearned something exciting and fun, and Tadase didn't really offer her that.

"What's wrong Amu-chan?" Ran asked, her and her other three sisters floating up to their person. "You look sad."

Amu smiled, taking the pen from her mouth. "No, just lost in thought." She looked down at her desk and sighed, seeing the still blank paper. "Although, if something was wrong it would be this stupid questionnaire our sensei gave us."

"What's wrong with that, desu?" Su asked, sitting next to Miki and Dia near the said paper. "It looks easy…it asks what you want to do and what you imagine you see yourself doing in ten years, desu." She smiled. "If I was a real person like you, Amu, I would be a top chef in Paris and have a ton of little munchkins running around to take care of desu…but no bugs, desu!"

"Well, I see myself in Paris too but as a famous painter," said Miki thoughtfully, looking up from her sketchpad. A slight blush was on her cheeks. "Maybe with Yoru."

"What was that, I didn't hear you," teased Ran, ducking when her sister threw a wadded piece of paper at her. "Hm, I see myself in Paris…but only for that Tour de France thingy; it looks like so much fun! Then I'll be traveling all around the world to compete in all these fun sports!" She waved her pom-poms cheerfully. "What about you, Dia?"

The fourth Chara smiled brightly. "Well, I just want to say that all your visions show your true self radiantly. Hm…I guess I would be a singer, maybe in Paris since it is really beautiful there."

Amu sighed. "Yeah, it's easy for you guys. I mean, your personalities are set specifically while I have a bit of all of you so it's not so easy. I don't even know what I want to be!"

Dia tilted her head, blinking. "Well…start small. What's the first question on that survey?"

"What is the most exciting that ever happened to you in the last year?" Ran read, floating over the paper.

"Well, there are just so many things to list," stated Amu. "Of course, I can't say anything about Easter or the Embryo or the Humpty Lock or even about the Charas so…I guess the most exciting thing that happened to me was…having a free day at the amusement park."

"Right, the one Ikuto brought you to," said Miki as the pink haired female wrote down her answer. She smirked when Amu blushed. "That was fun, seeing you so childish."

"Whatever," dismissed Amu, her cheeks red as she stared at the paper. "If you could visit any place in the world, where would it be and why?" She tapped her chin with her pen thoughtfully. "Hm, well I guess it's obvious since you guys kept saying so, but I would say Paris because it's really beautiful and I like seeing all those street performers." She didn't notice her Charas exchange amused looks, too busy writing down the reply. "I don't know why I was bothered by this thing; it's actually pretty easy once you get started."

Ten minutes later, Amu held up her paper in triumph. "Aha, I'm finally done!"

"Amu-chan," spoke up Ran. "There's one more question on the back." The pink haired girl turned the paper and silently read the question, her cheeks tinting to match her hair. That was one question she had hoped to avoid for a while.

"What does it say, desu?" Su asked curiously. Miki flew around to read it, her own cheeks turning slightly pink. "Well?"

"What do you look for in the perfect spouse?" She said and her sisters giggled. "Well, I guess I would prefer someone who isn't afraid of adventure and can be independent but also rely on others."

"Someone like Yoru, desu," stated Su innocently and the blue haired girl stuck her tongue out. "Hm, I don't know…I think I would someone like Musashi would be nice…" Her cheeks turned pink. "I mean, he's very nice and friendly…and…he once said he likes my cooking…and I like the whole samurai thing, desu…" She frantically turned to her sisters. "What about you, desu?" At their confused looks, she explained, "If you had to pick someone from our group to be your spouse, who would it be?" Miki turned away, having already given her answer while Dia and Ran looked thoughtful. Amu was busy scribbling something down, but had one ear on the conversation.

"I guess…Daichi," admitted Ran quietly, hiding her red cheeks behind her pom-poms shyly. "He's nice too, and he's very athletic so he won't mind me going around the world to play sports…he'd probably want to come with me…what about you, Dia?"

For once, the ginger haired Chara didn't look so confident. Her own cheeks were tinted red. "Ah…I guess…I would have to say Rhythm…he's not afraid to be himself and is very open with other people…he glows with radiance."

Amu couldn't help it; her usually confident and honest Charas were bright red and looked extremely bashful. She laughed, making them even more embarrassed. "I'm sorry, you guys, but this is a nice change!"

"So, what were you writing?" Miki asked, eager to change the subject. The pink haired girl stopped laughing and turned pink herself.

"Oh…um," she stammered, holding the paper to her chest. "I was…writing down a list of qualities I want in a perfect spouse."

"I want to see desu," exclaimed Su, reaching for it. After a slight hesitation, Amu sighed and handed her the paper. Ran and Dia held it up as Su and Miki read it.

What do you look for in the perfect spouse?

Someone I can be myself around, where I don't have to wear a mask and hide my emotions.

Someone who I can talk to and be open with.

Someone who will always be there for me, to protect me.

Someone who can make me laugh.

Someone who I can count on to always be there.

Someone who can make me feel all special inside, like I'm the only person that matters.

Someone who will drive me crazy but in a good way.

Someone who can sweep me off my feet and embrace me when I'm upset, even when I say that I'm not.

Someone who can make me feel better just by talking to me.

Someone exciting that will make my own life unpredictable.

Maybe someone who can play a romantic instrument.

Someone my parents approve of (okay, my dad will never approve of any guy but still).

Someone who isn't afraid to be himself around me.

Someone who will always love me and come back, even when I push them away.

Someone who I return to and love, even when they push me away.

"Amu," started Miki, smirking. "Are you telling us you want to marry Ikuto?"

"Eh?!"

"Well, everything on this paper does describe Ikuto perfectly," said Ran unhelpfully.

Amu turned bright red, snatching the paper. Her honey yellow eyes scanned over her words frantically, turning a darker shade after every bullet. "This…this is just a coincidence! I would never marry that pervert!"

"What's so bad about marrying Ikuto?" Dia asked, remembering how gleeful she was when he had kissed her on the cheek before leaving to find his father. She and Miki secretly shipped them together, like Ran shipped Amu with Tadase, while Su didn't really care; as long as Amu was happy. "Is there something specifically wrong with him that you don't like? Besides your age difference," she added before Amu could say anything. She frowned, blushing as she absently wrote something else down on the list.

"No," she admitted. "I guess…but it's n-not like I like him anyways so there's no point!"

"No point to what?"

Amu screamed, falling off her chair as she spun around to face the smirking Ikuto standing in her doorway. Her Charas flew down, asking if she was alright. "Yes, I'm fine!" She huffed, standing. "What are you doing here, Ikuto? Aren't you looking for your dad? Wait, do my parents know you're here?" She frantically moved to slam the door, looking around. Ikuto laughed.

"You haven't changed," he said as Yoru flew to the four sisters. "Your mom knows I'm here; your dad is hiding in the bathroom." Amu's palm hit her forehead. "You know, your mom had to pry your sister off my leg before I could come up here. Or rather, she didn't want Yoru to go."

"She was going to put me in one of her dresses again, nya," exclaimed Yoru as he began playing tag with the girls. "You're it, nya!"

"Anyways, turns out that my old man was here the whole time," continued the blue haired violinist, his hand in his pocket as he made himself comfortable on Amu's bed. She scowled at him. "You didn't answer my question, Amu; there's no point to what?"

Amu turned red, immediately making this interesting for Ikuto. "Oh, um; I was just doing this dumb questionnaire for school…" Her eyes widened as he smirked, stuffing the paper into her pants pocket. "No way in hell are you seeing it, Ikuto!"

"Aw, why not?" He whined. "Don't I deserve to know?"

"What, no!"

"Why are you so embarrassed; you have nothing to hide, right?"

The pink haired girl was trapped. If she lied and said no, he would insist on seeing it and she would have to hand it over. If she said yes, there would be no reason for him not to see it. Dammit. Very reluctantly, Amu handed over the paper. He smirked as he took it, smoothing it over so it wasn't so wrinkled. His sparkling blue orbs scanned over her answers, looking amused at some of her answers. As he read, Amu couldn't help but admire his body.

He was very handsome, sexy even; she wouldn't deny that but would never admit it to the said boy. And okay, fine, Amu admitted that he did fit her description in the essay when she got over her pride and accepted that Ikuto was indeed those things and not just a pervert.

"Amu, stop staring," whispered Miki so that Ikuto didn't hear. "You look ready to start undressing him right there." Amu turned a new shade of red, not being able to control the sudden images of a naked Ikuto on her bed flying through her mind. Luckily, he didn't pay attention to her as he turned the paper over. It didn't register until he smirked and she was leaping over her things to reach for it, only to trip and land directly on top of him. "I guess that's our cue to leave."

"Right, nya," agreed Yoru as the five Charas flew out of the room, careful to avoid the youngest Hinamori.

Amu was frozen, her eyes locked on with his while he looked just as surprised as she did. It was like that day, so long ago, when she had been making a tart with Nadeshiko/Nagihiko and he had gotten hold of Su's still unhatched egg. Only, she was on top of him now and not asking stupid questions while getting lost in those beautiful blue eyes.

"Amu…" he whispered finally, a hand gently finding its way to her waist. Amu had tears in her eyes. Now she knew that her Charas had been right. Ikuto was definitely a pervert and a troublemaker, but he was her perverted troublemaker.

"Ikuto," she said in the same quiet, breathy tone. "Will you marry me?" Her cheeks immediately turned red and he blinked once before laughing richly as she scrambled off of him. "Wait, that's not…I mean…ah, dammit!"

"You never cease to bore me, Amu," remarked Ikuto as he sat up, watching her spazz out for a few seconds before he pulled her back onto his lap. "That list, you know Amu, seems to describe someone I know…I wonder if you know him." The pink haired girl huffed.

"Just…shut up, Ikuto, and kiss me," she demanded, her face still red as he laughed and obeyed to her request. That was how their Charas found them, ten minutes later, still in the other's arms and finally accepting their feelings.

Dia smiled as she watched Ran sigh in slight disappointment, Su squeal happily, and Miki exchange looks with Yoru only to blush as he kissed her on the cheek quickly. The ginger haired girl glanced at the forgotten survey on the floor, flying to reread it. She smiled when she got to the last question, finally seeing what Amu had added.

Someone like Tsukiyomi Ikuto.

…

I own nothing!

So…what did you guys think? I hope you liked it! I kind of came up with it on the spot so I'm sorry if the ending, as usual, is a bit rushed. I tried to make it no so like my other stories but ah…it is a bit shorter than my other stories but better than rambling nonsense like I am now, right?

Working on a multi-chapter story for Shugo Chara, Amuto of course, but it probably won't be up for a while.

Please check out my other two Shugo Chara stories as well! Again, I hope you guys liked what I wrote! :)