Shugo Chara one-shot: Tangled Up

Rating: T (mostly for language)

Pairing: Slight IkuOC

Disclaimer: I don't own Shugo Chara or is characters. They're Peach-Pit's property. Also, you don't like the pairing I set up, please do me a favor and click the back button. I hate flames they make me sad.

Summary: It's raining on a winter day and a black cat refuses to go home, instead he wants to room with his wolf of a friend. Well…Sakura to be specific. Yoru causes a bit of trouble while he and Ikuto are alone in the house.

Angel Ayami's author note: So you know, I fell in love with the fandubbed piece of Ikuto and Yoru tangled up in the yarn, but in this one Ikuto isn't really running away he just doesn't want to go home, it will end up with a less violent outcome.

Tangled Up

By Angel Ayami

Seiyo, Japan was on the borderline of the winter season. It was late November and snow had already started to become sheets across the ground and the winds were not so friendly either. Sakura Miyamoto sighed as she stretched her arms over her head, just leaving the high school building on the grounds of the academy. Her hazelnut brown eyes looked up at the sky, grey and overcast, a depressing feeling.

"Well…the weather did say that it was possible we could get some rain." She muttered running her hands through her strawberry blonde colored hair. To her the cold never seemed to be a bother, not even a little since part of the uniform was wearing a skirt, she had moved from Hokkaido and that place had more snow and was colder than it was here in Seiyo.

"You know what sounds good for a time like this?" A cream colored egg floated in front of Sakura's face, it was the same shape as a regular egg, just a little bigger and it was covered with musical notes on the front. Then with a popping noise, out came a small girl, who could just fit in the palm of a person's hand. Her hair was short cropped and black, wearing arm colored clothes that made her stand out more amongst the grey. The oddity about her was not only her size, but also the fact that she had two wolf ears and a tail on her body. This was Kiyoko, Sakura's shugo chara (or would be self) of her song and music. "Hot chocolate and cookies!" Kiyoko said excitedly, Kiyoko was so optimistic, even on a gloomy day.

"Heh…" Sakura gave a tiny chuckle. "Hot chocolate and cookies huh? Well I think that can be managed. There is something I've been wanting to try out anyways." She spoke as she walked down the way out of the courtyard, unaware of the fact that she was being followed.

"Yay!" Kiyoko cheered happily before following after Sakura, just above her shoulder.

Sakura's house wasn't too far from the school; it was a few stops from a bus ride away. She lived in an upper middle class sort of area, some girls called her family rich, but in truth she wasn't. The company her father worked with just paid better than his last one. The house of the Miyamoto's was two floors (three if you include the basement), the first floor held the den, laundry room, bathroom, kitchen and dining room, and the living room. Upstairs on the second floor were mostly the bedrooms, Sakura's room, her little brother's, parents' master bedroom, and one guest room if they had company that was staying over (which was often rare, unless it was family). Kiyoko perked up when she heard the twist of the lock being clicked open and barked happily. This Kiyoko was the family dog they had since she was a puppy two years ago, she was an Alaskan Husky, sure she had the same name as Sakura's chara, but that had been a big coincidence.

"I'm home." Sakura announced to only her dog, her mother told her that she was taking her little brother out with some of his friends to a movie and her dad was working late tonight, so she was alone mostly with the exception of her dog and chara. Kiyoko bounded over and pressed her paws up onto Sakura's chest trying to give her kisses. "Hey there Kiyoko. Are you hungry?" she asked as she gently put the dog's paws down on the floor and walked to the laundry room, the dog followed after since her food bowl and water dish were in there.

After refilling the food bowl with fresh dry dog food and the water dish with clean water, the girl left her dog to the meal and went to the kitchen to gather up the ingredients for cookies and hot chocolate from scratch. Kiyoko, the chara was happily sitting on the counter watching as Sakura was using the electric mixer to cream the two bars of butter and sugar as well as brown sugar together. It was something to look forward to; Sakura learned the best baking skills from her mom.

By the time the cookies were out of the oven the rain had already started, not as light as it was proposed, but a huge downpour. Whoever had to go out there in that weather had to be either insane or didn't fear catching a cold. Sakura gathered up four of the double chocolate cookies and two mugs of hot chocolate, one regular sized for herself and a smaller kid sized one for Kiyoko. Typically they were used for her little brother, but she specially bought some more girly ones for Kiyoko's use, claiming they were for her. Chara and bearer sat down at the living room table, the kotatsu was out and it was nice and warm under there to ward off the chill. Kiyoko turned on the television to a movie for some entertainment as they enjoyed a relaxing afternoon.

It felt like only 15 minutes later she looked up when she heard someone approach the front porch's steps. It was animal instinct, her chara having a bit of wolf made her alert before her dog could hear. Then came the light knock on the door, twice and off went the dog into a barking frenzy running to the door. Sakura whined a little then got out from under the warmth of the kotatsu and went to the door, unlocking and opening it. The visitor made her freeze and stare and it wasn't because of the cold wind that came in.

On her doorstep was a teenage boy, two years older than her, he had midnight blue hair and wore black colored clothes piped with blue on the hems, two silver crosses dangling from the collar, and one around his neck from a choker. His eyes were a blue-ish purple, almost like an indigo or a violet. He would have looked normal, if not for the pair of cat ears and tail coming from him.

"Ikuto…what are you doing here? You're soaking wet." Sakura spoke reaching over and taking his wrist.

"Yeah…I know." He muttered, he sounded tired like he was going to fall asleep on the spot. "I was just around when the rain started…and I just got tired."

"Well you do have the cat-likeliness in you-nya!" a small cat boy, the size of Kiyoko spoke as he appeared from nowhere. "Since the rain is heavy can we…"

"You can stay over for a little while Yoru!" Kiyoko came into view, dragging the cat chara into the house before Sakura could say something. She sighed and looked at the soaked teen in front of her, with those flat ears and droopy tail, along with tired eyes…it made her heart melt a little.

"Okay come on." Sakura gently brought Ikuto inside and shut the door behind her.

"You'll catch a cold staying in your clothes like that. You should have gone straight home after school." She told him before having him settle in the living room for a little while.

"I didn't want to." Ikuto replied with a shrug. Sakura sighed, typical Ikuto, or so she called him when he acted like this. Sakura held a towel in her hands and then began to assist the boy in drying his hair; he just looked a little too dazed.

"It would be like you to not want to go home." Sakura spoke with a small sigh, rubbing the towel against the wet midnight strands. "At least you could have gone to one of your friends' places." The next look she saw in his eyes made her heart stop a little.

"Am I not allowed to see you? Are you and I not friends?" a look of being dejected came across his features, it made Sakura's heart throb in her ribcage.

"That…that isn't what I meant! I mean we're friends but I…" she stopped when he chuckled. "…Oh you are so unfair!"

"But I got you to feel bad." He laughed softly, smirking at her. "You react to my teasing in a really amusing way." Sakura looked down her face red as an apple, if his damn tail hadn't disappeared she would have yanked it in punishment, but she sighed and removed the towel.

"Be happy I'm in a good mood." She muttered then got up from the couch she was sitting on, stretching her arms over her head and started walking out.

"Where are you going?" he asked as he watched her start to leave the room and Sakura's face looked at him from around the corner.

"To get you something better to wear than those right now." Then she left from the corner going to the laundry room.

Sakura wasn't gone long, she found a top for him to wear as well as a pair of jeans. Ikuto had left briefly to the bathroom to change, it wasn't like he was unfamiliar to the house, he came over once in a while, but often while her parents were always out…he was strange like that. When he came back, the clothes were slightly big on him in his slender frame, but he felt warmer and a little more comfortable than the wet ones he had set for them to be dried. He came back to the living room a small dish of two chocolate cookies and a mug of fresh from scratch hot chocolate sat there. Sakura was at the table too, but she had finished her portion, watching Yoru munch on the cookie. "Those for me?" he asked looking at the treat then to Sakura.

"Yeah, the cookies are still fresh so they still have a bit of warmth to them so is the hot chocolate. I thought you could use a bit of a pick me up." She replied watching as he took a seat beside her. They had spent time together to know chocolate was one of Ikuto's favorite things. She just watched Ikuto for a while as he took a drink from the mug in front of him. To her Ikuto was one of her best friends, since she had never been close to people besides her parents, brother, dog, and chara. He had been one of the first people to really get along with her.

"Thanks Sakura…" he gave her a trademark smirk, but it was a smile to her, it showed he was appreciative. "You always did have a way of making someone feel better in any situation."

"Heh, guess that's true isn't it?" she asked with a tiny chuckle.

"The cookies are really good-nya!" exclaimed Yoru from his spot on the table looking up from the mini crescent shaped bite in the cookie he held. "I could eat them all day-nya."

"Yeah, but then you'd get all fat Yoru." Kiyoko teased with a smile on her face.

"Hey! Not funny-nya!" replied the cat chara as Kiyoko was laughing. Sakura and Ikuto chuckled softly, their charas though completely opposite; cat and dog, they got along well together. The dog came in and laid down beside their guest, her head on Ikuto's lap. In return he pet her head, they too had a good relationship.

After a while of movie watching, the rain was still going outside, a little lighter but still at a downpour. Ikuto had gone his way to dozing off in combination of the kotatsu and Kiyoko's warmth being just a little too cozy. His head had fallen onto Sakura's shoulder and she looked at him, also drowsy, but she reached a hand up and touched his hair gently, it felt so soft now that it was dry under her fingers. "So much like a cat…" she murmured with a small smile. She was about to rest her cheek against those silky strands but then she jumped a little when her phone gave a small buzzing vibration. She picked it up as she stifled a yawn then opened it. "Hello?"

"Hi honey!" her mother's voice rang in her ear, making her more awake. "Listen, I hate to be a bother, but I forgot something while I was at the store today. Is it alright if you could do me the favor to pick it up?"

"Mhm…sure." She muttered trying to get out of her drowsy state. "What is it?"

"I need you to pick up some ginger, the fresh kind if you would honey. It's for some goods for a friend. I know it's raining, but the store isn't too far."

"Alright mom." She replied starting to move but stopped looking at Ikuto and she felt a little guilty.

"Thank you! If you get hungry I left some money for an order out if you feel up to it!" then with that her mother hung up and she sighed closing her phone up.

"You gotta go…?" Ikuto looked at her a little, his eyes just barely open and she pet his head lightly.

"Only for a few minutes, my mom just wants me to pick up something from the store." She moved away and Ikuto gave a disappointed sigh.

"Too bad…you were so comfortable." He looked down, he too was pretty much pinned to where he was and Sakura chuckled and set one of the couch pillows on the floor beside him and a blanket nearby.

"You can rest on the floor since Kiyoko and the kotatsu are keeping you warm. I won't be gone long." She told him and stood up, stretching her muscles. Her chara floated up beside her and settled on her shoulder. "Yoru." She spoke as she opened the door.

"Yeah nya?" the boy chara spoke looking up from his spot.

"Do me a favor and stay out of trouble, okay?"

"Roger-nya!" Yoru spoke as he saluted her with a cat paw. With that Sakura and her chara left the house, locking the door behind them, leaving the boys alone for a while. However, what she didn't know what mess those two were going to get into the moment she left.

Yoru was bored…VERY bored. Ikuto had long since fallen back asleep on the floor. The cat chara had been watching some of the movie that was playing on the television then looked out to the window and sighed, still wet and rainy. He looked around the house it was pretty much empty with the exception of his bearer and the dog, then a small sly grin came across his face. "Hehe…while she's out of the house, I think I can take a chance to look around nya." He chuckled before flying off around inside the house.

He went from room to room of the place, looking and pawing at some of the little things that were lying around, some looked expensive while others were ordinary. There was nothing really of true interest to him or of value, so Yoru chose to take the way upstairs to look around there. As he checked the master bedroom, he awed at the comfortable looking bed and the big screen television against the wall nearby. The room was nice, but nothing really caught his attention, same with Sakura's little brother's room. Yoru finally arrived at the door to Sakura's room, the door was covered in many little cherry blossoms and a small sign that said 'Sakura' on it, so he reached his paws out and took hold of the handle of the door and tugged it down and pushed in with his might and got into her room.

Sakura's room was painted with a tasteful cream color with a few posters for Utau's concerts hung up; she had a clock beside her bed, the ends of the hands in musical notes. She had a balcony door leading outside to a nice spot with a view, which he knew he and Ikuto used to visit sometimes, but what really caught interest were the items that were on her desk. It was sitting by the left side of the bed, still in view of the balcony, it was made of a stained oak wood, very durable and covered in papers for school and pictures she had taken with some friends in those mall photo booths, but Ikuto was in them mostly. By her lamp, glittering in the dimness was an egg covered in what looked like gems! Yoru stared at it then grinned and flew over picking it up, "Feels light for being covered with gems…" he spoke to himself. "…Hehe, I can't wait to show this to Ikuto. This could be the Embryo and he'll praise me for sure nya!" (A/N: Ah…let Yoru dream.) He turned around and began to leave but then he stopped seeing something on top of her dresser that was more interesting, on it was a basket with balls of soft blue yarn and a pair of knitting needles. "I-It's yarn nya…" he spoke going in a small daze looking at it…it looked so soft and fluffy…just begging to be played with. He looked down at the sparkling egg in his paws then to the yarn. "Maybe a tiny touch won't hurt nya." He tossed the egg onto the bed and flew over to the basket of yarn. His paws attached to a ball, but soon enough it unraveled and became a mess in the room…then another…and another.

Downstairs, Ikuto stirred a little, his sapphire-like eyes gazed around the room a bit, trying to get back to reality. He had been asleep pretty hard though it had only been an hour. "…She's still not back…" he yawned, covering his mouth slightly. It took him a bit to realize though that Yoru was not present in the same room with him. Sighing he got up with a slight stagger, his legs must have fallen asleep with Kiyoko's head lying on them like that. Stretching a bit he began to walk through the house, looking for his missing chara. Yoru wouldn't go out in this weather and he knew that, so he had to be somewhere inside causing some sort of mischief. He checked the possible rooms he could have gone into, but paused at the bottom of the stairs looking up, he could feel Yoru's presence up there. He had gone up and stopped outside of Sakura's bedroom and sighed. "He would come in here…" he muttered then he pushed open the door but it wouldn't open up all the way and something was across his vision, a line of something fluffy and blue. Ikuto shifted his body and stood there…not in shock, but slight irritation. Sakura's bedroom was covered from top to bottom in blue, black, and silver yarn. Who else was in the middle of the web of this but Yoru? He watched as Yoru bounced slightly trying to untangle himself but then his tiny golden eyes saw Ikuto and he stiffened. "Again?" Ikuto asked.

"Hehe…nya…" Yoru laughed nervously then sighed. "I can't help it! The yarn is a taunting thing nya!" he spoke flailing his tangled arms around but only getting more stuck. Ikuto sighed too then maneuvered through the tangled web of yarn and went to him.

"Hold on…I'll get you untangled. Stop moving around…" he took hold of Yoru and began to work on getting him untangled, unbeknownst to them Sakura and Kiyoko were just coming back.

"Good thing we had an umbrella with us." Kiyoko spoke as she and Sakura went up to the doorstep and Sakura nodded closing the blue umbrella shifting the small bag that had the ginger root in it. Kiyoko was holding a small bag that had what looked like a fish made out of bread on the front. "Ikuto and Yoru are probably hungry again, since it's almost dinner time."

"Yeah, these snacks should hold them over until then." Sakura unlocked and opened the door. "I'm home!" she called but paused…it was silent. She took off her shoes at the entrance and looked to the living room. "They're not in here."

"Well they couldn't have left, Ikuto's shoes are still here at the door." Kiyoko pointed out and followed Sakura after putting the paper bag down.

"True." She nodded. "Ikuto, Yoru! Where are you two?" she called, "I'm going to order dinner soon so I would like to know what you want!" she sighed when all she got was silence.

"Hang on…" Kiyoko spoke sniffing around a little then went upstairs. "They went up here!" Sakura blinked and followed Kiyoko upstairs, looking around. Kiyoko went from door to door, sniffing Yoru's scent then stopped at her bedroom. "The scent stops here."

"Why would they be in my bedroom?" she asked and her chara just shrugged. Sakura opened the door. "Hey, what are you two doing in he…what…the hell?" she stopped seeing Ikuto and Yoru caught up in the mess of yarn. Ikuto had been in his character change and his ears twitched slightly hearing her and glanced back a little.

"Hey, welcome back." He spoke calmly, but inside he was slightly fearful…Sakura may be sweet and innocent now, but if she got mad it was a wildfire. Yoru stopped his struggling and stiffened looking at Sakura and Kiyoko.

"And what are you two doing?" she asked crossing her arms slightly, staring down at them.

"I-I'm sorry nya!" Yoru spoke before Ikuto could. "I came in here looking around for cool things, I..I found what could be the Embryo but I got distracted with your yarn instead nya!"

"Embryo?" Sakura and Ikuto asked in unison looking at the cat chara who had little anime tears running down his cheeks. Kiyoko went over to the bed and picked up the jeweled egg.

"You mean this Yoru?"

"Y-Yeah nya…" he nodded then Sakura chuckled softly before laughing lightly looking at him taking the egg from Kiyoko.

"Yoru, this is no Embryo. This is a fake jewel encrusted egg I won in a mall raffle two weeks ago." She chuckled. "It's plastic."

"Pl-Plastic nya?" Yoru froze up and looked at Ikuto, who's eyebrow was twitching, obviously more pissed off now.

"All this trouble over a fake egg? I should just leave you to hang there Yoru."

"B-But Ikuto nya!"

"Well, maybe we shouldn't Ikuto. It was a simple mistake." Sakura walked over and held Yoru gently and removed the yarn from around him. "He just won't get one of the taiyaki pastries I brought home."

"No! Those are my favorite nya!" Yoru cried looking stricken. Sakura chuckled again then looked at him.

"I'm kidding." Then she faced Ikuto. "Come on, help me clean up and we can order something to eat." She told him as she pulled off some of the yarn from his head.

"Sure." He nodded and got up to help Sakura fix up the mess in her room. He glanced at her while her back was to him. He wouldn't admit it yet, but she always seemed to make his heart throb with every kind gesture. She never got mad often even at him and she was always willing to help someone, even if she included a joke punishment. Sakura held the warmth he always craved and the kind attention he dreamed for in his own tangled mess of yarn (or chains to him) of his dark world. He knew more than anything she and him felt like a perfect fit even if she didn't own the Humpty Lock or four shugo chara. All that mattered to him was that she was there and she always would be.

~o~o~

Angel Ayami: Ahh! I finally finished this. I actually started this at school during open lab before spring break. I had it ready to take home, but well…I guess I didn't do it. I finished it here at school too haha. I wasn't supposed to come to school first thing today as it turns out, but oh well the privacy is good for writing. Sorry for the slightly cheesy ending, I wasn't going for a full on kiss ending, just some light fluff. I hope you all enjoyed, this was a pleasure writing and what feels like one of the longest one-shots I've written. I will see you guys again when I write more. Goodbye. Oh and leave a review but no flames, flames get me sad and depressed.