This is my first Shugo Chara fan fic; I got really into the series the past two weeks, and after finishing both the anime and the manga, I tried to look up some fics to read with Ikuto and Amu, but sadly, all of them were exactly the same: the two in high school, no Shugo Charas, Amu is either the popular new student or the loser of the school, Saaya is somehow really popular, and everybody falls in love with Amu and Ikuto, I mean, literally, everybody. I spent all my day yesterday facepalming at the blatant "I'm twelve and my life sucks so I create a Mary Sue and believe that someday a Tsukiyomi Ikuto comes into my life and realizes how interesting, smart, beautiful, great singer etc I am".
Anyway, I just wanted to read a cute, realistic scene about them meeting again after a long time, so I just sat down and wrote whatever came to my mind. I didn't have any idea how it would end until I actually wrote the last line; so it's no masterpiece. Nonetheless, I hope you'll enjoy.
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A stone falling off of someone's heart: a Hungarian saying, it means huge relief.
Pop music: look up its exact definition on Wikipedia. I bet you you'll be surprised.
The three-minute role, as mentioned in one of the chapters, is a rule that if you get a message, you should reply in three minutes, or your friendship would be ruined.
WARNING: This is post manga chapter 48; for anyone who hasn't read far or FOR THOSE WHO ONLY SAW THE ANIME this contains SPOILERS.
WARNING: I ignore the fact that Yoru (and possibly Miki, Ran, Dia and Suu, too) disappear after Ikuto finds his freedom. Yoru is too damn cute to disappear! I cried when that happened. Nyaa~!!
Here's a beautiful song that goes well with this fic (and it's amuto). Remove the spaces!
http : / / www. youtube. Com / watch? V = EESm _ j5oYKo
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Healing Touch
(Oneshot, by NekoKriszty)
Hinamori Amu sighs as she stares out her window.
"Four years, huh?"
She has never imagined he would take that long on his trip around the world to find his father. Well, it might be for the best. This way, both of them would be much more mature when meeting again.
She had also never imagined she would fall in love with him because she would go out with her first crush, Tadase.
Many things have happened; she has been a high school sophomore for half a month, she has been purifying X eggs almost every week, and she still met with the Guardians a lot. Nagihiko finally confessed to being Nadeshiko, which, after she got over her initial shock, she understood. It felt a bit sad, because she thought it meant she would lose a friend, but later she came to realize she still had both Nagihiko and Nadeshiko, only they were one person now.
She started going out with Tadase during their last year of middle school; they broke up 6 month later. It's really memorable for Amu; Tadase was always very sweet and caring… Well, maybe except when someone said "prince", she chuckles.
He was the one who taught her how sweet kissing could be. Tadase was just as inexperienced as her, but it never really bothered her; it was all the more intimate. They never went further than that, because neither felt ready. When after 6 months, Tadase decided to break up with her, she was surprised to realize she wasn't as sad as she was supposed to be.
"I am really glad that I got this 6 months of your life, Amu-chan. However, this is all I can allow myself, for I know your future is not with me, but with another man."
And Amu couldn't cry and deny his words and try to get him back, because she understood what he had meant. While she really loved Tadase, she could never deny the fact that the man she thought more about than anyone else was Tsukiyomi Ikuto.
Still, she would be eternally grateful to Tadase. She knew that the boy was in love with her, maybe he still is, but he was strong enough to be with her, despite knowing how she felt. It might have been a selfish act from him, but Amu likes to believe that Tadase sensed her loneliness that Ikuto's absence evoked in her heart, and helped her with it by becoming her boyfriend slash best friend. She also feels that her experiences as someone's girlfriend would help her in the future; she could learn about the problems couples faced, and now she could be sure that she would not make many mistakes she made with Tadase when she would finally see Ikuto again.
Amu starts wandering about Ikuto, about what he could be doing, whether he's okay or whether his violin skills have improved, when a voice interrupts her thoughts.
"Amu-chan, are you thinking about Ikuto again?"
She turned around to find her three Shugo Chara, Ran, Miki and Suu smiling sweetly at her. They used to tease her a lot, but after she finally honestly admitted to herself that she was in love with the 'Perverted Cosplaying Cat-Eared Man', their teasing voice became voices of comfort. As her Would Be Selves, they understood she must be lonely.
"It's okay, guys. While I miss him a lot, I believe he will come back someday, and he won't turn his back on me."
Her smile weakens a bit, and she sighs.
"I just… I just wish I could touch him… I wish he would hug me, and we could stay like that forever…"
The trio looks at each other with worry, and gets into their usual routine of cheering up Amu by being cute, and getting her mind off of Ikuto – which, they know, never really fully happens, but as long as she's not as lonely, it would be okay.
::
She actually gets to see him from time to time – it seems television has picked up musicians, and Ikuto's talent was discovered a few months before by the Japanese audience, too. His father's name also makes people interested in him, and his appearances in the media get more and more frequent.
This afternoon, however, she also gets to hear his voice. Sure, he calls from time to time, but only to tease her a bit; never anything bold like Tadase's confessions used to be. And it's not like she could return those feelings over the phone, with oceans and continents separating them. She wants to tell him in person, partially so that she could touch him, and also so she could see how he would react to being teased for once.
Amu turns the volume up as the interviewer announces that day's subject. Her mom sits down next to her with her little sister, and after checking that her husband is nowhere near, asks:
"Hey, Amu-chan, isn't that boy I found in the bathroom that time…?" Amu blushes at the memory, and nods her head. Her mother nods as well, and looking at the television displaying Ikuto's photo and career information, smiles.
"I knew he wasn't a bad kid."
Amu wonders about her mother and her amazing ability to read people. She herself doubted Ikuto for so long… She needs to improve her people-reading skills.
"Big Sister, Sugoi Chara Kitty-san is on tv!" Ami chirps in, and Amu flushes with surprise. Sure enough, Yoru floats into the screen for a second, but finds the interview boring, so goes to do whatever he does when he's bored. Probably to causing trouble, Amu suspects.
"Ami-chan, whatever are you talking about?" Her mother asks, also surprised. Amu quickly answers before her sister could say more.
"Oh, haha, we used to play with dolls some years back, and the house pet, a cat we named Yoru had similar hair style as Tsukiyomi Ikuto!"
Her mother wanders about not remembering dolls like that, but soon forgets all about it. Amu sighs as a huge stone falls off of her heart.
"Tell us, Ikuto-san, what is it like to live in the shadow of a great violinist such as your father? Are you pressured to prove yourself?"
Ikuto smiles just a little bit, and Amu suddenly feels lonelier than ever.
"Since finding my father three years ago, and becoming his apprentice, I improved a lot. Since I have only known him for such a short time, I have had enough time beforehand to find my own style, and so, while there are similarities in our music, there are some big differences. We cannot really be compared for these reasons; just like you cannot compare a rap and a rock song, although both are under the genre pop music."
Amu hardly understands his words; his voice, his face, finally seeing him smiling makes her thoughts run around wildly in her head, and all she can hear is that voice and her crazed heart beat. Stupid!, she berates herself. Finally, you can hear him, and you can't even pay attention!!
"Why did you decide to return to Japan so soon? It would have been better for your career to stay in Europe for a while longer"
Miraculously, that question manages to stick in her brain long enough for it to process it. HE'S IN JAPAN?? HE NEVER TOLD ME!!
Ikuto's hand moves to his neck, and his face transforms. Amu is transfixed on the gentle features.
"There is something precious to me I left here 4 years ago, and it's time I find it and make sure to leave an impression" Amu can only hope that those words mean what she hopes they mean: that Ikuto came back for her, that he is here to be with her…
When his hand moves, she catches a glimpse of a key. Amu suddenly feels like her heart is too big for the chest. She feels an arm come around her shoulders, and looks up at her mother's smiling face.
"Promise me, that this time you'll introduce this fine young man to Papa and Mama properly!"
::
She almost always dreams of him, whether he's watching her wake up as she used to watch him sleep, or playing with her in the amusement park that has been demolished since, or reading manga on her bed, or eating chocolate flavoured taiyaki, starting from the tail… The one common point in these dreams is when he looks at her with captivating eyes, and then he smiles, and she feels love and the overwhelming feeling of being loved.
This night, it's slightly different – it's more real. This time, he kisses her on her lips, and he embraces her, and his touches are like fire on her skin, and she removes his shirt to kiss his neck just like he kissed her collarbone, and then things get even hotter… When Amu finally wakes up, she is forced to realize that she has just had her first wet dream, and her Shugo Charas are alarmed and floating around her, asking her what her nightmare was about…
That Tuesday, she isn't capable of looking anyone in the eye, fearing that everybody could see what kind of dream she had, and she feels like that day lasts a year.
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Amu sighs as she drinks her after-shower glass of milk. Seems like her habit helped her out in the chest department only a little, but since she knows some of her classmates suffer from not having any breasts at all, she's content with her below-average size. At least they don't get in the way when hunting down X eggs…
Standing on her balcony, she decides to take the initiative, and write a mail to Ikuto, asking when he would visit. Judging from his usual messages, he would reply in a code or not at all… But still, after the news of him finally being back, and that dream that still makes her ears blush, she just can't sit around waiting.
She waits three minutes to see whether Ikuto honours the three-minute rule. When it becomes clear that he won't answer, she shuts her phone and goes to bed depressed and lonely. Ran, Miki and Suu are unusually quiet, sensing some vibes from her since the night she woke up drenched in sweat, and decide not to bother her unless she asks for it.
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Once again, her dream's different than before. This time, Ikuto is lying next to her, smiling, telling her how cute she is when she wakes up. She rubs her eyes, and he smiles, caressing her cheek. She's not sure, but she might be hearing some words about a message and surprises. She relaxes into his hand, and her dream ends; but not before she feels a feather-like kiss on her left eye.
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When she wakes up, remembering her dream makes Amu smile with content. Ikuto was more touchy-feely than he would usually be in her dreams, but that makes it nicer – she feels like the dream's a nice mix of her usual dreams and the hot feeling she secretly craved ever since her wet dream.
Amu sits up, stretches, and while yawning, realizes that something's out of place.
Her eyes widen as she notices two things: a heavy, unfamiliar but not unpleasant smell in her room, and a fifth egg residing in her basket for Ran, Miki, Suu and Dia; a black-and-white egg decorated with pictures of a cat.
Her wide eyes are stuck on the egg, not daring to move in case it's all an illusion. Her hand wanders on the bed, and sure enough, she touches a body.
Finally looking to her left, she sees a sight she has been craving for too long to remember.
Blue hair, falling over closed eyes with long lashes; an open, peaceful face looking completely defenceless in the faint sunlight; black clothes; and arms extended, as if he had been clutching something not too long before.
"I…Ikuto…" She feels tears in her eyes, and a huge grins breaks out on her face, a grin she's sure looks pretty silly, but she can't wipe it off anyway. She touches his face, as if to make sure it really is him, and as he slowly opens his eyes, a single tear leaves her right eye.
He blinks, and smiles. "Good morning, Princess. You look as stunning with your bed-hair and uncute grin as always. I hope you don't mind me here, but your floor is still as cold as ever. I needed my human warm water bottle"
She laughs, laughs like she had never laughed before, and punches the idiot. He grunts out an "Oy!", but before he could continue, his arms are full of a crying girl.
Surprised and only a little bit unsure of what to do, he puts his arms around her shoulders, and pets her back. She raises her head, smiling all the while, and finally manages to say:
"Okaerinasai, Ikuto"
He stares, then smiles, and hugs her to his chest, so that they can feel each others' heartbeats.
"Tadaima, Amu"
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Ran, Miki, Suu wake up, wandering what all the noise is about; their sleep-fogged minds don't register the extra person on the bed.
"What's with all the commotion, nya~? I'm trying to rest here, nyaa~…"
The girls' heads turn towards the voice, and finally they realize that the person their owner has been waiting for must be back.
"YORU!!" The trio tackles the confused Shugo Chara, and while he's panicked at first, after realizing that the girls are expressing their joy over seeing him again – with Ran cheering and jumping around, Miki asking questions and blushing, and Suu offering breakfast to him –, he becomes overwhelmed with gratitude and answers all their questions to the best he can.
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Amu and Ikuto lie in her bed, embracing each other, relishing in each other for a long time after that. Amu knows that soon her mother will call for her to come down for breakfast, so she will be forced to leave her heaven. Her promise to her mother about him comes to her mind, and an idea forms in her head.
"Hey, Ikuto!"
"Hmm?" He sounds half-asleep, and she giggles.
"I want to introduce you to my parents. When my mom calls me down for breakfast, could you climb out my window and ring the doorbell, so I could tell them I invited you over to eat with us?"
His mouth forms a flirtatious smirk. "Hmm, getting to know the parents? Aren't we moving fast, A-m-u?" She blushes, and he laughs. "You're as fun to tease as always, Amu"
She smacks him lightly. "You sure love saying my name, don't you, pervert?"
He smirks. "You still don't know what a real pervert is like, do you, naïve little Amu?"
This makes her remember her dream, and she blushes worse than ever before. Ikuto raises an eyebrow. "Now, now, what did run though your head to make you blush like that, Amu?"
Revenge! She wants to tease him back for all the blushes he had teased out of her in the past. Pushing her insecurities and embarrassment aside, she leans forward, and kisses his left ear, sucking on his earlobe. She feels heat coming from his face, neck, ear, and knows he's also blushing. His breath hitches, and he manages to say "A…" before she bites down a bit.
"Ouch!" He snaps his head back, looking at her with shock and hurt written all over his face. She laughs.
"You shouldn't have told me your ear was your weak point, you know."
Something changes in his eyes, and he suddenly kisses her on the lips. Amu closes her eyes, encircles his neck, and kisses back. They don't notice their Shugo Charas become silent in the other end of the room, staring with mouths hung open, and in Suu's case, hands covering her eyes.
Ikuto breaks the kiss, and looks her in the eye, searching for answers, reassurance. "Amu…"
Amu sits up in the bed, and stares out her window. "You know, I used to go out with Tadase-kun for a while. I was really confused about you two, I knew that I liked both of you, but I couldn't decide which one of you I loved. While we were together, I realized that what I feel for Tadase-kun is not as strong as what I feel for you, even though he was there and you were far away."
"Ikuto… You were the one I truly loved." He sits up, too, and she smiles. "I feel like Tadase-kun knew this from the start, and dated me to help me realize my true feelings." Amu looks him in the eye, and feels like she has been living up until now just for this one upcoming moment.
"I love you, Tsukiyomi Ikuto."
As Amu's Shugo Charas erupt in screams, expressing their happiness in different forms, the morning carries on with Ikuto's hand finding Amu's and locking her to him to the end of time.
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One of my goals with this was to prove that a fic could be good, if not better, when not using words like "pinkette", "black-haired boy", "cat-eared boy", "sun-kissed cheeks", "raven" or "golden-eyed girl". Please tell me whether you think I did a good job or not. Thank you!
© NekoKriszty, 2010