A Christmas Snowball Fight
By Aikou-Is-Kyouryoku
(AN: All right, I know I'm four days late. However, it was be either four days late or seven days early. My grandparents' house doesn't exactly have any wireless internet connection, and when we had gotten home, I had a project I needed to work on.)
The streets of Seiyo were covered in blankets of snow.
Everyone was in their warm, snug houses cuddling around their warm, snug fireplaces away from the cold outdoors
Cups upon cups of hot chocolate were handed out amongst family members, and as the last of the children began to wake themselves, they crowded around the tree to see what 'ol Saint Nick had brought them.
Most relaxed on this day of Christmas.
Others, well, they were a different story.
All the others hurried about for last minute shopping, whether it be presents or party decorations.
Some crowded around the kitchen, working quickly on their holiday feasts for guests.
Mistletoe and wreaths were hung. Final additions were done on those not-so-fortunate Christmas trees.
These were two different categories of people.
Of course, there was always a third category.
Now what was the third category?
The third category consisted of the ones who would be alone this Christmas.
They didn't have anyone to prepare for, they didn't have any family and friend parties, they had no one to snuggle by the fire with, no one to open presents with.
Just a plain, lonely Christmas.
Now, which category would someone like, say, Ikuto Tsukiyoumi fall under?
Unfortunately, or favorite navy haired teen fell under category three.
Christmases like this one, Ikuto would merely wander around as usual.
At that moment, he was walking through the snow, kicking at it every so often.
It was like any other day today, but Ikuto couldn't help but feel a sense of loneliness.
But then, he always had this feeling. Perhaps today it was just…stronger?
With a sigh, Ikuto glanced around. The streets were mainly empty, except for the laughter of children that cut through the silence.
Oddly enough, those voices sounded familiar to him, but he didn't think much of it. Ikuto just continued walking.
Though, apparently, he was walking in the direction of where those voices were coming from, and he realized this all too late before he could turn around.
Ikuto looked up to see three girls and three boys running around, throwing snowballs at each other.
He merely blinked, watching the group play.
"Kukaaaai!" a short, pink-haired girl whined as a rusty-haired boy smashed tons of snow on her head.
Kukai just laughed. "If you can't take the heat, stay out of the kitchen, Hinamori!"
A girl with pigtails shook her head. "We're not even in a kitchen, Kukai!" Yaya shouted.
A small, blond, petite girl narrowed her eyes. "How stupid." Rima added.
Though, two other boys were merely watching now, chuckling to themselves.
"Tadaaaasee! Nagiii! You have to come play!" Yaya shouted, sounding none to happy about her friends' decision.
The two boys merely shook their heads, gesturing to a cup of hot choco they both had.
"Neh? Where did you get those?" the pinkette, Amu, asked.
"Uh….found them?" Nagihiko replied with a shrug.
Amu and Rima glared, sending Nagi to do one of those anime sweat-drops.
Then Kukai saved Nagi's but by throwing snowballs at the back of Rima's and Amu's head. He laughed at their expressions as they whirled around.
"Kukai! What the hell!" Amu shouted, now hurling clumps of snow in all sizes towards the other boy.
Kukai was only laughing, running away as he did so.
Rima just had a death glare on her face as she too threw snowballs.
Yaya giggled, deciding to help Rima and Amu. She tackled Kukai to the ground in a sneak attack.
"Oof! Dammit Yaya!" Yaya just laughed.
The two girls began pelting Kukai mercilessly with snowballs, Yaya only watched.
Kukai begged for Yaya's help, and finally she complied.
So then, it was like an all out war between the two sides, snow forts and all.
Ikuto? He was just watching, smirking as the little kiddies played.
Little did he know, he was about to become one.
"Ikuto, nii-san?" Came a voice a few feet away from him.
There was Ikuto's little "brother", looking up at him with a quizzical expression.
"With that face of longing, I assume you'd want to play too, eh?"
Ikuto just blinked down at the boy.
Face of longing? A smirk could hardly be called one!
What the hell was he talking about?
Though, Ikuto just noted how incredibly loud Tadase had said this sentence.
Everyone and everything was quiet.
Tadase looked towards everyone else.
"Can Ikuto, nii-san play?"
"Tadase-" Ikuto began, but was cut off.
Nagihiko simply nodded. "If it's all right with everyone else, it's all right with me."
Dear God, he was really being sucked into this wasn't he?
"Sounds cool." Kukai replied with a grin.
"If Ikuto gets to play then he's on our team!" Yaya shouted with an arm flail.
Kukai was about to protest, but then another voice spoke up.
"I don't care." Rima muttered with a shrug.
Then everyone turned to Amu.
Great. All eyes were on her. Amu could see that annoyingly handsome smirk on Ikuto's face.
"Yeah….sure whatever." She replied, waving her hand dismissively.
And it was settled.
Ikuto Tsukiyoumi was spending Christmas morning with a bunch of kids far younger than he was in a snowball fight.
Dear God, kill him now.
Ikuto sighed lightly, and he blinked when Yaya began shouting.
"Tadase will be the referee! Yaya wants Ikuto on her team!"
For emphasis, Yaya grabbed Ikuto's arm.
The group already knew what Yaya wanted to play.
Tadase chuckled lightly. "Let's let, uh…Nagi choose the teams."
Nagihiko blinked, but then he sighed. "Eh…..fine."
Everyone lined up side by side.
Ikuto had no choice. He knew if he tried to leave he would be tackled, and dragged back to this location.
CRAP.
Nagihiko, who very much loved getting on Rima's nerves, picked Rima to be on his team.
Rima gave Nagi a death glare, but with a huff, she crossed her arms over her chest.
"Fine."
Next was Yaya, who wanted to be partners with Ikuto so she would have the greater advantage.
But Nagi had other ideas! He put Yaya with Kukai, and Yaya pouted. "Awwww!"
Kukai rolled his eyes. "We'll take 'em down Yuiki!"
Yaya, through the tears in her eyes, looked up at Kukai and grinned. "They'll beg for mercy! Woohoo~"
Amu looked around, noting that Ikuto still hadn't a partner. He was kind of standing there awkwardly. But she realized something else.
Amu…..Amu didn't have a partner either.
Oh. My. God.
"Ikuto and Amu." Amu heard Nagi say. She was getting herself ready to slap Nagi upside the head.
She looked towards everyone, even Tadase, and they were smirking. Smirking! At her misfortune!
Oh, but this was all planned from the start wasn't it?
This was pure madness! Madness! "I demand another partner!"
"Like who?" Nagi asked. "Everyone already has one."
"Switch Tadase and Ikuto!"
Nagi chuckled. "No can do, Amu-chan~"
Amu just groaned, then she looked up only to see Ikuto smirking down at her.
"All the more reason for me to play."
"Shuddup, pervert/"
Ikuto huffed out of amusement, then grabbed Amu's sleeve.
"C'mon then."
"C'mon where?"
"We need a fort, right? Unless you want to stand right out in the open."
"O-oh…"
That's when everyone else glanced at each other, deciding that they ought to do the same thing.
After the fort was made, Ikuto just sat behind it with his legs crossed. Amu stared at Ikuto.
"Shouldn't we be talking strategy?"
"Why?"
"So we don't get out first!"
Ikuto stroked his nonexistent beard. "Hrm, here's our strategy."
He pulled Amu closer to him so he could whisper in her ear.
Upon being pulled in so closely, Amu's cheeks were painted a lovely scarlet.
Ikuto opened his mouth to speak, but what he did Amu didn't expect.
Ikuto bit Amu's ear.
Amu blinked, the blush becoming heavier. She pushed Ikuto backwards, chucking clumps of snow at him.
Ikuto merely chuckled, pleased with himself, but it was then that the two heard a whistle, and there were snowballs already coming in from Yaya's and Kukai's side.
Ikuto ducted down, grabbing Amu by the hand so they were able to get behind the fort again. He peeked over, but then ducted again. His head was almost hit clean off with freakin' snow!
Amu was shaking Ikuto's arm. "Y-You can l-let go of my hand n-now…"
Ikuto rose an eyebrow, but he looked down at his hand, still in hers. He rolled his eyes, but did just that.
Meanwhile, Yaya and Kukai's strategy was just this; throw snowball after freakin' snowball. Which landed Yaya to be hit first by who else but Ikuto?
"Awww! That's not fair! I knew I should've been partners with Ikuto!"
Yaya stomped the ground, looking as though she were going to cry…again. She went to go stand by the ref's side, which was Tadase, and she just watched with a pout on her face.
Tadase chuckled lightly, watching Yaya come over.
He blinked when not one, but two snowballs were thrown at him.
Tadase looked over at the three teams.
Kukai looked frustrated, trying to figure out what he would do without Yaya.
This left Amu and Ikuto, and Rima and Nagi.
Ikuto and Nagi had all too innocent looks on their faces, Amu glaring at Ikuto while Rima glared at Nagi.
Tadase rolled his eyes, but he blew the whistle that he apparently had this whole time.
Ikuto and Nagi glanced towards each other and nodded, then they pelted the hell out of Kukai's fort, willing the girls to do the same.
Rima merely sat there, throwing a snowball every so often.
Amu was completely different. She was throwing snowballs as frantically as Ikuto and Nagi were.
"Oh, come on!" Kukai shouted, sounding utterly defeated.
Eventually, Kukai was hit by Amu, of all people, and he sighed lightly, going over to Yaya's side. "Oh well. It was still fun~"
Tadase chuckled lightly. That was a dirty trick those two pulled!
The whistle blew, and the two teams simply glared at each other before the first snowballs were fired.
This was going absolutely nowhere. Despite Nagi's competitive attitude, Rima was really no help in this. Ikuto was simply too quick, and when Amu wasn't quick enough Ikuto would pull her down.
Amu…..Amu was just as much of a problem as Ikuto was.
Amu had an incredibly good arm, come to find out.
The opportunity came to him then when Amu's beanie fell off.
Ohhh yes…
Amu edged over to go and grab it.
"Amu, what are you doing?"
"Getting my beanie."
"You're gonna get hit."
"I am not. Geez."
Then, as soon as Amu made herself open and vulnerable, Nagi threw snowball after snowball. It was utterly ridiculous, the speed Nagihiko was going!
Oh, this was going to hurt wasn't it?
Amu shrieked. She couldn't move, the snowballs came in too fast.
Though, the snowballs never hit her.
Ikuto stood over Amu, shielding her from the stupid snowballs.
"What did I tell you?"
Amu rose an eyebrow. "I didn't get hit. You did."
"Would you prefer I step out of the way?"
"Shuddup and get me back to the stupid fort!"
"You two fight like an old married couple." Kukai complained.
"Shut up, Kukai!" Amu shouted, her cheeks flaming.
Ikuto chuckled, and he scooted Amu off behind their small snow fort again.
He shoved his hands in his pockets, walking slowly over to where the other losers were.
Ikuto stood sort of distantly from the others. All he could do was watch.
"That was stupid, Ikuto." Kukai muttered.
"Ikuto, nii-san had sacrificed the whole game just for Amu to stay in. I'd hardly call that stupid. More like a gallant effort." Tadase said, looking towards Kukai.
Kukai wove a hand dismissively. "Well, that's all fine and dandy. But do you honestly think Amu's gonna last that long on her own? You would have been better off letting her get the shit pelted out of her."
"But that would've been selfish."
"You're missing the point!"
"Whatever you say, Kukai."
"I can still hear you!" Amu shouted, flailing her arms.
"Well then stop hearing!" Kukai shouted.
"That doesn't even make any sense!"
Ikuto only chuckled mildly at the small quibble between the three, shaking his head as he did so. Children were such…children. But Ikuto supposed he wasn't any different.
"Could we get back to the game now?" Nagi asked politely, though a hint of impatience was in his tone.
Tadase nodded then, and he blew his special whistle.
Rima looked blankly around at everyone, then she packed a tight snowball in her hands and dropped it in on her own head.
"Oh no….I guess that means I'm out…" Rima muttered, a bored expression on her face.
She honestly didn't care whether she was out or in, though she did feel she was in Nagi's way.
What was the harm in getting herself out?
Nagihiko rose an eyebrow,
"You can't get yourself out, can you?"
Tadase shrugged. "I don't see why not."
Nagihiko sighed heavily, but he then shrugged.
Eh, whatever. Nagi could take out Amu himself.
Again, whistle was blown.
Amu looked completely nervous out of her damn mind. She looked down at the ground, packing some snow in her hand.
She peaked over the small snow fort she and Ikuto had built, and just as she did, a snowball whizzed past her ear. Amu squeaked and quickly ducted down.
Amu wouldn't last long.
She threw the nicely made snowball in her hand as hard as she could, one following after another.
Amu watched as Nagi effortlessly dodged and threw another.
The pinkette furrowed her eyebrows, and as she scooted over a tiny bit, she slipped and fell right on her butt in the dead open.
Nagihiko grinned.
It was over.
Though, just before his snowball could be thrown at Amu, he felt a snowball hit the back of his head.
Nagi turned around to see Ikuto and Kukai smirking slyly at him..
Nagi furrowed his eyebrows. "Doesn't count."
Kukai snorted then. "Nope." he replied, making the "p" pop.
Ikuto gestured over Nagi's shoulder. "But that does."
And just like that, Nagi was pelted with about fifty different snowballs, all from a victorious, laughing pinkette.
"Cheaters!" Nagi whined, looking towards Tadase for support.
Tadase blinked innocently. "Eh? I wasn't watching."
"So it didn't count."
"Nuh, I saw Amu hit you with about a dozen snowballs. It counts~"
"But-"
"No butts! No one lines a sore loser, Nagi!" Kukai shouted.
Yaya laughed then. "I declare Amu-chi the winner~!" the young girl shouted, punching her fist in the air.
Nagihiko pouted, but he slowly began to laugh with everyone else.
After a long extension of small talk between the friends, with Ikuto just listening idly, the group departed towards their own homes.
It was Christmas after all! They needed to spend some time with their families.
Ikuto sighed lightly. Well, it was fun while it lasted right?
At least he hadn't been totally alone the whole Christmas day.
He began to walk away to go to wherever, tightening his scarf around his neck.
Though, Ikuto stopped in his tracks when he heard his name being called.
"Ikuto?"
He looked over his shoulder, but he turned himself fully when he realized who it was that was calling his name.
It was Amu, it was looking down shyly at her hands.
"What?"
"Th-thank you for earlier."
Ikuto smirked, taking off Amu's beanie and ruffling her hair.
"Ikuto!" She whined, now trying to straighten out her messy hair.
Ikuto chuckled. "No problem, kiddo."
"Uhm…Happy Christmas…"
"Happy Christmas."
He turned to walk away again, but that's when he felt something warm and soft brush against his cheek.
"Uh, b-bye." Amu muttered, scurrying off before Ikuto could tease her about kissing his cheek.
Ikuto blinked, tilting his head slightly.
That was….completely random. Though, oddly, much appreciated.
A pure, genuine smile flashed across his face before dissolving to a light smirk.
"See ya." he muttered under his breath, going off to roam the streets of Seiyo.
Again, I apologize for being late with this.
And I apologize for not updating on "The Locket".
I'll get that done as soon as I can.
I just kinda wanted to get this done first, considering how it's Christmas and I desperately wanted to write a oneshot for it.
Ha-ha, anyway, what did you all think of my fluffy ending? xD
R&R for me, yeah?
I don't own Shugo Chara! or any of its characters.
Happy Christmas; Happy New Year!