Meisha:
At the moment, this it the only one-shot I have written for this anime.
I'd like to make this story into a series of one-shots about different characters/ couples in Shugo Chara.
If you like this story and would like to see more, please leave me a message. ;)
I'm open to any and all suggestions about characters and plot ideas!
Enjoy.
Summary:
Amu's dream crush, Tadase, has finally asked her out to dinner. Just as she hoped, she has a wonderful night. Yet, it's not exactly what she had expected. And it's not Tadase she's with.
.:.:. Flip Flop .:.:.
Chapter 1
Pairing: Amu x Ikuto
"Would you like to go out tonight?"
The question caught her off guard. She blinked twice, unsure if she had heard him correctly. Was he really asking her out? No, it had to be a dream.
But it wasn't.
He was shuffling his feet anxiously, awaiting her answer. His cheeks were a slight pinkish. Hers would have been as well, had she finally believed what her ears had heard.
She must have been staring for a while because he glanced at her uneasily.
"Hinamori-san?"
"A-ah, sorry, Tadase-kun. I spaced out for a second." She scratched the back of her head awkwardly.
His lips quirked into that carefree smile that made her heart melt.
"It's fine. I was just asking if you were busy tonight."
She shook her head, fearing that her voice would betray her.
"Would you like to have dinner together, then?" His eyes shone brightly and she couldn't stop her cheeks from warming up.
He was smiling. At her. Her dreams really were coming true.
"Hinamori-san? Are you feeling all right?" He leaned over to place his hand gently on her forehead.
She lost her breath the moment she saw him coming closer to her. When his hand rested on her forehead she felt her knees become weak.
"Y-yeah, I'm fine. It's just kind of stuffy in here. That's all." She swatted his hand away and fanned herself, trying to sound believable. Unknowing to either of them, the bracelet Amu had been wearing had slipped off and fallen to the ground.
He looked at her with uncertainty.
"Hinamori-san, if you're not feeling well—"
"No, no, I'm perfectly fine," she assured as she forced a smile.
She mentally scolded herself. Her nerves were getting to her. There was no way she would screw up her first ever date with her prince.
"Let's just get out of here." He nodded and the two left the store they had been in.
---....---....---
They continued walking around the mall for another half hour or so. The two had fallen into an awkward silence. Tadase would attempt to begin a conversation and Amu would try to follow through, but in the end it would fall flat. Things had been perfectly fine and friendly before the plans for the evening had been made.
Amu glanced at Tadase from the corner of her eye. She had been crushing on him ever since she transferred to their school. Every girl fell for his good looks and kindness; she was no exception. But when she expressed her feelings to him, he had openly rejected her and it crushed her.
Still, they remained close friends and their bond strengthened with time. Her feelings for him never changed, or so she had believed. Amu was never really aware of how Tadase felt though. He seemed identical to the boy she had first met: kind, sweet, but uninterested. Maybe things were finally starting to look up.
A cell phone rang, bringing her out of her thoughts. She turned to Tadase, watching as he pulled his phone out of his pocket. From what she heard she figured he was probably talking to Kukai. As he hung up he looked to Amu apologetically.
"Is everything all right?" she asked, worried by his sudden expression.
"Kukai left his backpack in the royal garden and it's locked. He needs me to get him in. I'm sorry —"
"Oh, don't worry about it," she interrupted, waving her hands in front of her. "I should probably head home and get ready for tonight anyway," she reassured.
He smiled and she felt her heart skip a beat.
"Thank you for understanding, Hinamori-san. I'll stop by around 7." And with that the two departed in opposite directions.
---....---....---
"I have nothing to wear!" Amu wailed as she fell onto her bed and stared up at the ceiling.
"Amu-chan, you have so many pretty dresses," Suu argued, tugging at a blue poka-dotted one.
"But Tadase-kun has already seen all of these. He's going to think I didn't think tonight was special when I actually think it's the most special event of my life!" she was rambling and finished by burying her face in a pink pillow.
"Amu-chan, you shouldn't be so stressed. You should just try to have fun," Ran mentioned, floating over the distraught girl. Suu nodded in agreement.
"I know, I know… but wait!" she shot up in her bed, causing Ran to stumble backwards through the air. "What if we're not supposed to dress up at all? Maybe it's a casual dinner and he's just going to wear shorts and a t-shit!"
Miki sighed. "Amu-chan, when does Tadase-kun ever wear a plain t-shirt and shorts?"
Amu fell back onto the bed with a heavy sigh. She closed her eyes in an attempt to calm her racing heart rate. There was a tap on the door.
"Come in," she mumbled. A light breeze followed and she immediately opened her eyes to find a pair of dark blue eyes staring down at her.
"Yo."
She was speechless for a moment and he raised an eyebrow at her. Then it all sunk it.
Ikuto was in her room.
She jerked up without thinking. He didn't have time to move out of the way before her forehead rammed into his.
He stepped back and groaned, massaging his head before glaring at her.
"What's your problem?"
"What's my problem!?" she echoed. "That should be my question! What in the world are you doing here!" she yelled, as she too rubbed her head.
"You said 'come in'."
"That's 'cause I thought it was Ami or Mama, not you," she explained in an irritated tone.
"And how is that my fault?" He smirked when she opened her mouth to retort, but found nothing.
"Well, what are you doing here?" she asked, standing up and narrowing her eyes at him.
"I apologize for being a gentleman and stopping by to return something you clumsily lost," he replied sarcastically.
"What are you talking—" she gasped when she saw a bracelet between his fingers. She looked from his fingers to her wrist to confirm that it really wasn't there. She saw the amused look on his face and her glare returned. "You… stole my bracelet!" she accused.
A look of surprise crossed his face momentarily before the smirk reappeared.
"I took the liberty to come by and return this and you can't even give me a simple 'thanks'? I'm a little disappointed, Amu. Maybe I should have just thrown it away." He looked at his surrounding for a moment. "What happened here? It looks like a war zone." He gestured to the piles of clothes scattered throughout her room.
She blushed in embarrassment before storming over to him.
"It's none of your business, now gimme by bracelet!" she demanded. As she reached for the piece of jewelry he raised it higher, just out of her reach. "Ikuto!"
"Why are you so antsy anyway?" he asked, tilting his head to the side to stare at her.
"If it'll make you stop interrogating me, I'll tell you." He seemed to be willing to listen. "I… have a… date." She wasn't sure why she hesitated to tell him. If anything, this fact would probably get him off her back.
A look of shock flashed across his face. Amu noticed the second of instability and used it to her advantage. She jumped up, grabbing the bracelet successfully. Unfortunately, she hadn't thought the rest of her plan through and her weight was not supported by him. The two crashed into the floor with Amu cushioned by the boy.
She immediately sat up, to find herself straddling the boy beneath her. She blushed and shifted to get off him, but the sound of laughter caused her to turn back to face him. They looked at each other for a good five seconds before he burst out laughing again.
"W-what's so funny?!" she demanded.
"I think I misheard; I thought you said you had a date," he mocked before laughing out loud once again.
"Why is that so funny!"
"Ohh, you mean you were being serious?" he shifted his weight to his elbows so he could sit up and face her. "Who's the unlucky guy?"
Amu felt her face warm up at his words. He always knew how to make her make her blood boil.
"Y-you're such a jerk!" she yelled as she grabbed him by the collar and attempted to shake him. He continued laughing.
"Let me guess. The kiddy king invited you to dinner and you can't decide on what to wear to try and impress him?" He had hit the bull's eye and she stared at him with her mouth wide open. The smirk didn't leave his handsome face as he leaned towards her. She couldn't pull herself away when she felt his warm breath on her ear.
Amu felt a shiver run down her spine as he whispered his next words, "I guess he doesn't know about us…"
It took her a moment to process what he said. Her eyes widened in realization. She could tell he was still smirking. Amu looked around frantically and immediately jumped up. Losing her balance, she stumbled backwards before regaining her footing.
Ikuto stood up as well and couldn't contain his laughter.
"Amu, you never cease to amuse me," he teased.
Her blood was boiling again. She knew she would regret the next words that came out of her mouth.
"Y-you're just jealous because you've never taken a girl on a date. And even if you did you wouldn't know how to be a refined, suitable gentleman. I bet there isn't even a sophisticated bone in your body!"
His smirk remained throughout her rant. When she had finished and had taken a deep breath he took a step towards her before leaning into her ear again.
"You really want to bet on that?" His voice was husky and somewhat threatening. She found herself nodding stubbornly.
In a matter of seconds she was swept off her feet and found herself under the starry sky.
---....---....---
"Ikuto!" she called as he jumped to the next building. "W-what are you doing?!"
"Proving you wrong."
"You can't just go around abducting people from their homes! Now put me down!" she demanded.
Sometime during the argument in her bedroom he had character transformed, grabbed her, and leapt off the balcony. She was currently in his arms bridal style and he was jumping from rooftop to rooftop.
"Put you down?" he echoed, the smirk still present.
"Yes, right now."
"As you wish."
She felt his strong arms release her. The breeze suddenly became chilly and she felt herself falling. She wanted to scream, but no sound came out. She was actually falling to her death. Where was Ran when she needed her most? No more hop, step, jump. Stupid Ikuto!
"Ikuto!"
Gravity was no longer pulling on her. Amu was once again in his protective arms. She sighed in relief and turned to look up at him. Her glare did not go unnoticed.
"You should be careful what you ask for," was his teasing reply.
She wanted to yell at him, scold him for almost dropping her to her death, but instead, she found herself silent.
"You know I would never intentionally hurt you," he whispered.
She nodded in thanks but latched onto the front of his shirt with her small hands. She could never be too sure what he was planning.
---....---....---
"So…"
The silence that had settled between them was beginning to eat away at Amu.
"Where exactly are we going?" she asked, hoping to strike up a conversation. She had given up on trying to escape and decided to simply allow him to take her to wherever it was they were going.
"We're almost there."
She raised an eyebrow at him. That wasn't the answer she was going for, but it was better than nothing she supposed. Amu sighed before loosening her grip. Her hands were getting sweaty and the last thing she needed was to be teased by him… again.
"This mystery place better be worth it," she mumbled.
She looked away, staring into the dark night, thinking he hadn't heard her. Ikuto glanced at her and smirked before continuing onward.
---....---....---
Amu was starting to get sleepy and fought to keep her eyes open. She stifled her yawns and hoped they were unnoticed by the boy. She closed her eyes momentarily and her senses seemed to heighten. There was a pleasant aroma surrounding her, something she hadn't noticed before.
Maybe she had already fallen asleep and this was just a dream. Maybe everything that had happened today was just a dream. Still, the sweet fragrance felt so realistic. It began to fade. She didn't want it to. In an attempt to make it stay she leaned closer to it. She smiled when it was within her grasp once again.
Ikuto looked at the girl who had fallen asleep in his arms. Amu sure was a strange. Give her thirty seconds of silence and she'd be out like a log. Still, he couldn't help but smile as he saw her cuddle against him. Maybe the new cologne he bought worked like the charm the advertisements claimed it would.
---....---....---
If this really was a dream, Amu didn't want to wake up. She had reunited with her best friend Nadeshiko and they were catching up on the years they had been apart. They were sitting on the park bench eating ice cream and laughing, just like old times.
"Amu-chan, I'm so glad we can spend time together." Amu nodded in agreement. "How is that boy doing? The one named…"
Suddenly Nadeshiko's voice became inaudible. Amu could still see her friend's mouth moving, but no sound was coming out. Then, a deep voice from the sky began calling her name. She looked around frantically, confused why the clouds were talking to her.
In a flash of bright light it was all over.
She felt a stinging pain on her rear end and her eyes shot open. It really was just a dream. She hadn't met Nadeshiko again. A tint of sadness could be seen in her eyes, but was quickly replaced when she saw who was standing over her. Before she had a chance to yell he cut her off.
"You know you talk in your sleep a lot?" Ikuto asked, clearly amused.
Amu shut her mouth immediately. A hundred questions flooded her mind. What exactly had she said? Was it embarrassing? Would he tease her for the rest of her life? Wait, when did they stop moving? Double wait, she wasn't in his arms anymore!
"Y-you dropped me!" She yelled, jumping up and pointing an accusing finger at him.
He dismissed her glare with a shrug.
"You decided to take a nap. How else was I supposed to get you up?" He answered as though dropping her were the most obvious solution.
"You could have just tapped me or called my name like a normal person would!" she argued.
"I said your name at least five times! You just ignored me," he justified, annoyed at her accusations.
"Ohh, so you were the clouds…" she murmured, remembering the booming voice from her dream.
"What?" His confused expression was funny.
"Never mind," she said, waving her hand. She took a moment to look around at their surroundings. At once her calm expression shifted to one of slight annoyance. He glanced at her curiously, waiting for her to say something.
"You dragged me out of my room and halfway across the town to show me this!" She pointed at the scene behind him. The confusion didn't leave his face as he turned to follow her finger.
Standing in front of the two, beyond a fence, was a rundown, abandoned factory.
"We had a fieldtrip to this dump in sixth grade!" By the time her rant had begun he had turned back around to face her, his infamous smirk present. "It was a terrible experience too. We were walking though the cellar and the floor collapsed beneath me. I almost fell to my death and you have the nerve to bring me back here! Honestly, why would you ever—" she was cut off when he reached to her shoulder and spun her around.
She was speechless.
The moment the scene in front of her registered she could do nothing but stare in awe. Within a couple feet was a dark, sparkling lake. A bridge connected the two ends. The lake reflected the moon perfectly and Amu turned her gaze to the starry night. She had a nice view of the stars from her own house, but it hardly compared to the clear, dark sky she could see here. To say the least, this place was
"Beautiful…" she whispered. Ikuto had moved to stand by Amu by this point.
"I thought you'd like it," he mentioned casually.
She turned to look at him and smiled. It was the first smile directed towards him that night and he almost lost his train of thought.
"Come on, we can go closer if you like." He watched as Amu's eyes lit up and she scampered down the path towards the bridge. He let out a small laugh before following her at his own pace.
---....---....---
"How did you even find a place like this? Do you come here often? Look, I can see myself in the water! Do you know how deep the water is? I wonder if I can touch the bottom. The sky is so clear tonight! I'm glad it wasn't raining. I wonder if this place is as nice when it's raining. Do you think there are fish in the water?" Amu was rambling on and on.
Ikuto figured she wasn't really looking for an answer so he said nothing and continued to watch her run around. He noticed a puddle on the bridge and saw her run towards it. Before he could call out and warn her... she had slipped.
Amu found herself falling forward… towards the water. She didn't have time to yelp in shock before she felt a pair of strong arms grab her and pull her back. Instinctively she grabbed on to the thing that had saved her. She looked up to meet a worried expression.
Their gazes were locked for a couple moments before he pulled away and flicked her on the forehead with his index finger.
"Ow! What was that for?" she demanded, rubbing the sore spot.
"For being clumsy. What if you had fallen in?" he asked, looking away.
Amu was about to argue, but realized that he was avoiding eye contact. He was genuinely worried about her.
Then it clicked.
He didn't know how to swim. Though he would never admit it, he absolutely detested water. If she had fallen he would have been forced to go in after her.
"Sorry," she whispered as she knelt by the water.
"Whatever. Just be careful, alright?" he turned to watch her swirl the water with her finger.
Silence passed between the two.
"Hey Ikuto?"
"Yeah?"
"Are you thirsty?"
"No," he answered, somewhat baffled by her random question.
Then it hit him. Before he had time to react, cold water had splashed onto his face.
"Amu!" he hollered.
By the time he had opened his eyes she had already taken off. When she had gotten a safe distance away she turned to face him and stuck out her tongue. He smirked before bolting towards her. They had run across the bridge before he had gotten a hold of her arm and tackled her. She was laughing and he found himself enjoying the sound of her laughter.
---....---....---
As the late evening began to set in, the two had found themselves lying side by side on the grass, staring up at the stars.
"If you connect that star to those down there you can kind of see an ice cream cone." She turned her head to face Ikuto. "Do you see it?"
"No."
"What do you mean! It's so clear!" she argued, furrowing her brow at him.
"You just have a wide imagination," he accused.
She grunted in displeasure before turning back to the stars. "Well, at least you agree that they're beautiful, right?" this time she didn't turn to look at him and instead closed her eyes.
Ikuto shifted his gaze towards her. He smiled when he saw her peaceful expression.
"Yeah."
---....---....---
"We should probably be heading back. I'm getting hungry and unless you want to buy me food I should probably get you home," Ikuto said as he stood up and extended his hand to her.
"Have I ever mentioned that you're the perfect gentleman?" she asked sarcastically as she took his hand and he pulled her up.
"Your actions are enough to tell me so," he replied in an equally sarcastic fashion.
She rolled her eyes before taking a last look at the scenic view. She turned and smiled at Ikuto before nodding and saying she was ready to leave.
---....---....---
Amu felt they had arrived back on her balcony much faster than when they had left. Perhaps it was because they were actually conversing and having a good time on the way back. When her feet were planted back on the ground she turned to Ikuto to say goodbye.
"Umm," she wasn't sure why she was hesitating again. All she wanted to do what thank him. "T-today was n-nice. And, um…"
"You're horrible at apologizing, you know that, Amu?" Her eyes narrowed as she shot him a glare. Here she was trying to be nice and he was ruining it.
"What do you mean 'apologize'? I was trying to say thanks!" she said between clenched teeth.
"Well, that too, I suppose. But don't you remember?" He asked, taking a step towards her.
Amu's memory was not cooperating. What had she said earlier? The fact that she was currently lost in his eyes was not helping either. She swung her head to the side to help her think clearly. Then it came back to her.
"You're jealous because you've never taken a girl on a date. And even if you did, you wouldn't know how to be a refined, suitable gentleman. I bet there isn't even a sophisticated bone in your body!"
When he saw the look of enlightenment on her face he smirked in victory.
"Didn't I prove you wrong?"
She didn't make eye contact with him and instead faced the ground. She mumbled something and a couple of strands of hair fell, blocking her face.
"Hm? I'm sorry, I didn't catch that," Ikuto asked, cupping his ear with his hand.
Her head shot up immediately.
"I said 'sorry'. I was wrong. I had a great time tonight," she blurted out, blushing slightly.
"I'm glad."
She turned to give him an unsure and surprised look. He smiled at her and she blushed again when he continued. "I had a fun time too."
"M-maybe we can go again sometime," she suggested in a shy, muffled voice.
"Sure," he said casually, placing one hand in his pocket. "Oh, but there is one other thing…" She turned her attention to him and found him leaning his head closer to her.
She froze, unsure of what he was doing. She couldn't pull her eyes away from him and simply stood in place as he placed his right hand on her cheek. He moved in closer until his lips were barely grazing her ear.
"Next time…" he whispered, causing her to jump slightly "I won't carry you. You're kind of heavy."
And before she could process what he had said, he pulled away and stood a couple feet in front of her.
"Well, see ya." He saluted before jumping off her balcony and disappearing into the night.
She waiting a moment before her shocked expression burned away in rage.
"IKUTO, you jerk!!!" she yelled into the night.
---....---....---
Amu was fuming with anger as she entered her room. Ran, Miki and Suu had gathered around her. They were in a frenzy which Amu seemed to have missed.
"Amu-chan, Amu-chan!" Ran called, bringing the girl back from her rage.
"What is it?" Amu hadn't meant for her question to come off as snappy as it had.
"Your mom kept coming to check on you and we kept trying to stall for you," she explained.
"What? Why would she do that?"
"Did you forget, you have—" Ran was cut off by Amu's mom calling her again.
"Yes, mama?" she asked as she opened her door and walked out.
"Amu, you're friend has been here for a while now. It's rude to keep someone waiting for so long," she reprimanded from the steps below.
"Friend?" Amu echoed, clearly confused.
"It's all right, Mrs. Hinamori. I don't mind waiting." Amu heard the all familiar voice of her school crush.
And at once, the events of the day came flooding back and she froze.
The date with Tadase.
"I-I'll be right down!" Amu yelled before rushing back into her room and slamming the door shut. Her charas had once again floated around her and watched as Amu dug through her closet like her life depended on it.
Amu held a feeling of guilt for completely forgetting the date she had with Tadase this evening. Yet, that was in the back of her mind. Currently, she was picturing Ikuto with that trademark smirk. She wanted so badly to hate that mischievous boy, but she couldn't help but smile at the memory.