Taming the Cat
So apparently, this story will end up being between 3-6 chapters. At this point, it's either a 3 or 4 chapter story unless you guys want it to be slightly longer.
Read and review please!
Taming the Cat, Part II:
.:The Crazy Cat Lady:.
Seeing Ikuto vs. Meeting him
"Amu-chan! Amu-chan!" A red chibi floated around the pink-haired girl in circles.
"Will you just SHH Ran?" Amu sent her an annoyed look then proceeded to direct her gaze at her other two Shugo Charas. At this, the calm headed Miki and the nervous Suu struggled to wrap their hands snugly around Ran's mouth. The cheerleader flailed her arms and kicked all she could but only managed to let a muffled scream escape. Finally feeling her muscles loosen up, Miki and Suu slackened their grip.
"But I still don't get why AMU DIDN'T TELL US SHE LIKES IKUT—" Miki noted never to make the same mistake again – that is, to let Ran speak so carelessly when Amu was clearly agitated.
Amu turned to send Ran a death glare, but her eyes fell on the floating blob of red, blue and green fused together. Miki and Suu looked up nervously, waiting for Amu to turn away, before they finally hissed to their companion.
"Do you really want to get punished?" Miki's words almost silenced the struggling girl. Just almost.
"--muffle muffle--"
"Nani?" Suu inquired, pushing away Miki's hand from the girl's lips. The blue chibi groaned slightly at Suu's thoughtless action, glad that Amu was too distracted at the moment.
"I said, Amu wouldn't do anything like that. She wouldn't hurt us and you know it!"
"Ran, who said anything about her hurting us? If I remember correctly, she does have this Chara-torturing monster sister named Ami…" As expected, the nosy hyperactive cheerleader guardian finally piped down, her small face was drained of color. Suu reacted quite similarly, and even the blue-clothed speaker now regretted unnecessarily bringing memories of torture into her own mind as her cheeks became ashen.
"Good. I'll be sure to treat you guys to something nice afterward. Just as long as you stay quiet." Amu's words were hushed, but made them jump no less. Her fingers were settled against the rough surface of the tree trunk she was hiding behind but in her anxiety, she began scraping off the outer layer of the trunk without noticing the movement of her own itching fingers.
"Amu. What are you doing back there?" Rima stood out in the open, both hands against her hips as she stared at the girl in hiding.
"COME BACK!" She hissed from the shadows of the tree. "Ikuto will see you!"
"That's the point. You brought me here to meet him didn't you?"
Amu raced into the sunlight from her hiding place, raising an arm to block the bright rays. Stomping over to Rima, she reached for her wrist and roughly pulled her back into the shade with her. "No. I brought you here to see him. You didn't say anything about wanting to meet him."
Rima narrowed her gaze at Amu. "Darn loopholes." She mumbled quietly to herself. Regaining her composure, she stood tall with her chin raised. "I suppose that's true."
Her words calmed the tense Amu just slightly. The pink-haired girl's fingers finally stopped their constant scratching against the innocent tree as she turned towards the proud girl to flash a relieved smile. But just as she did so, Rima's eyes sparkled with a glint of something that made Amu draw back. The blonde's face revealed a sly smile.
"Tsukiyomi-san!" The shrill squeal directed Amu's attention away from the unsettling expression of her friend and onto the two figures who stood beyond the trees, on a cemented pathway within the campus of a certain high school.
Amu suddenly gasped, her eyes finally catching the scene before her more clearly. No, it wasn't exactly two figures. It was more like one combined silhouette seeing how the redheaded girl swung her arms around a blue-haired teen's neck and pressed herself so closely against him. They stood in the middle of the path despite the large number of people surrounding them who were just leaving the looming building of grandeur architecture.
Rima did not react to her gasp but continued to watch Amu, unamused. "So you come here often?"
"…"
"Only lately…" Ran casually remarked, before cupping her hands around her mouth in horror. She looked at Miki and Suu apologetically.
"Ah. That explains why you've been leaving the meetings so quickly."
"Amu?" Rima's words were still met with silence. Finally, she allowed her eyes to wander towards whatever Amu was so focused on. Her mouth gaped slightly at the disgusting scene, before she quickly closed it and feigned total indifference. "Goodness, what's so interesting about a groping couple?"
She turned back to the pink head. "Amu? So what's this I hear about you stalking the poor guy lately like an obsessed fangirl?"
"Huh?"
Rima stared at her friend with disbelief. "I was sure that would've gotten you're attention."
"Uh r-right." Amu pulled her eyes away from the scene, face tightening in a grimace. "It's nothing like that. I haven't actually seen him these past days like I told you before. This is the first day I've actually seen him here. I just…sorta wanted to know more about him after that whole lock and key incident, so I've been trying to get out early." She stared at the ground, her right foot wiggled against the dirt, tracing a fluid path resembling the number 8.
"Amu-chan…"Ran voiced her concern.
"Really, I was just trying to find out more about the person who owns the Dumpty key." She tried to convince her charas.
"This isn't like you!" Rima interjected, with annoyance clearly evident in her tone. "Where's the denial? The stutters? The assurance that what I said was absolutely ridiculous? I don't like this calm explanation. It isn't even the Cool and Spicy Hinamori Amu."
Amu looked up at her, the expression in her eyes causing Rima to be confused.
"And why is your tone so dull and cold?"
Amu gulped. "O-oh, it's n-nothing." She swept her hand at the empty air as if brushing away her thoughts. It was silent for awhile.
"Eh, I'm bored." Rima finally spoke choosing not to press further. "So when am I going to see this Ikuto?"
"You already have." She pointed at the two teenagers still standing in place. Yoru was now seen floating beside Ikuto's head. He had apparently been seated against his other shoulder, previously hidden from view.
"Nani?!" Rima screeched, eyes wide before she finally turned back towards Amu and sent her a sympathetic look – quite the rare thing from the Ice Queen.
"W-what Rima?"
The blond continued watching her.
"Stop staring at me like that. I already told you, I don't like him."
"I haven't even said anything. You're the one who brought it up."
Amu groaned, sinking her head into her palms. "Well whatever. I don't! So I couldn't care less about that girl."
"…Didn't say you did."
She could feel her cheeks grow warm under Rima's gaze so instead of having to confront the girl, she turned her attention back on the scene while trying to cool her blush.
"So what do you say?" The redhead hopped up happily, some inches away from Ikuto.
"No!"
"Come on! Why won't you go to the Junior Semiformal with me?" She whined.
"I said no!" At this, the girl brushed away the long strands of hair from her neck, unbuttoning the top of her shirt. "I'll even…make it worth your while."
"What a slut!" Amu screeched, not at all missing the movement of the girl's knee slowly pressing up Ikuto's inner thigh.
"A…mu?" The dark haired teen took a step back from the persistent girl, his deep azure eyes carelessly scanning the wooded area in the distance. Amu stayed hidden, heart beating rapidly at her sudden outburst. "What on Earth possessed me to do that?"
"You like him, that's why." Rima stated, voice clearly triumphant as she leaned against the tree trunk next to the girl. She raised her arms away from herself, as if about to stretch.
"N-no I d-don't!" Amu tried to deny again, but found herself suddenly stumbling and tripping toward the ground.
"Rima?!" The conniving blonde had pushed her out of their hiding place, leaving her to stand very awkwardly in the open. Ran, Miki and Suu hovered uncertainly behind the tree trunk which was now spotted in the places Amu had unrelentingly peeled away at the bark.
"Maybe I'm just here to see him, but that doesn't mean you can't meet him Amu."
"You didn't have to push me Rima." She growled. "I can't believe you'd do this!" Her voice trembled – half from anger, and half from nervousness.
"Amu? Arguing with a tree?" Ikuto approached her, but before he could get too close, she quickly ran to meet him for the fear of Rima being discovered. As embarrassing as it was for her to be seen rushing practically into Ikuto's arms, it was much better than having to explain that Rima was here to meet the guy who interfered with her daydream and flustered her to no end. As if she would give him that satisfaction.
"Excited to see me?" A smirk adorned his face causing Amu's cheeks to blush an uncontrollable shade of red.
"Aww so cute! Is this your little sister?" The redhead flung her arms around Ikuto, pulling herself closer to him.
Amu's eyes immediately narrowed at her in a sharp glare.
Ikuto raised an eyebrow at Amu, clearly amused before coughing slightly. "Ehem." He roughly brushed away the pair of arms clung against his own, trying to pry the girl away. "No, my sister's much more annoying. This is a friend of mine."
"Oh, okay!" The girl replied happily, not at all perturbed as if Amu wasn't even a threat. The pink-haired girl growled slightly at the thought and watched as she leaned against the dark-haired boy who sent her a lazy glance.
Amu immediately stiffened up, eyes growing wide at the girl's obvious actions. How she leaned closer toward Ikuto, pressing herself to him made Amu discover a wide range of cuss words she didn't know she possessed. Before she knew it, the pink-haired girl had let the two words seethe through her gritted teeth.
"You hoe."
The figure shot up suddenly, eyes narrowing just slightly to scrutinize Amu who had suddenly looked away with very rosy cheeks. Bending slightly to face her, the redhead spoke quite threateningly. "What did you say?"
"What's a hoe Amu-chan?" Ran chirped in the background. She had approached them some time ago though Amu had been too distracted to notice before. Amu groaned, quite aware of the fact that while her Shugo Charas were invisible to the promiscuous girl, they were not in any way invisible to Ikuto, no matter how much she hoped at this very instant.
"Dontchya know? It's a farming tool with a flat blade coming out at a right angle nya." Yoru hovered in front of the three charas who were now completely ignored.
"Ohh!" The three chimed, impressed by the now smug cat. Even Miki could not contain her sudden expression of respect.
Meanwhile, the redhead was still waiting in silence for Amu's answer. The quiet girl slowly let her eyes return to the redhead, but for an inexplicable reason, settled on her chest as she patted against her own flat one.
"She's a close friend, Takahashi-san." Ikuto said ruggedly, settling himself beside Amu. "So I'd appreciate it if you didn't scare her like that."
"I wasn't scared!"
He slung an arm around Amu's shoulders and then slowly drew his hand back to allow it to trace the back of her neck. He swept his hand gently to the front of her neck and brought it to her chin, lifting her head slightly to meet his gaze.
Amu's honey colored orbs glimmered in the sunlight as she fought the oncoming blush to no avail.
"Right, Amu?" Her name rolled off his tongue in a way that made her involuntarily shiver.
"I-Ikuto!" He pulled her to his side in one swift motion. "Y-you p-pervert!"
"Tch. Says the kid who was staring at a girl's chest."
"I w-was not!" Amu's face heated up like a boiling tea kettle with steam practically emanating from her glowing red face.
"Uh. So I'll see you around Tsukiyomi-kun…" The redhead said somewhat awkwardly, trying to avoid looking at Amu. Picking up her bag which she had all too easily dropped in order to glue herself to Ikuto, which Amu had noted, Takahashi dashed away, waving one hand playfully back at the dark-haired teenager (though wincing slightly when she had caught Amu's gaze) before walking past the tall black iron gates of the school and into the street.
It was quiet between them. Absolutely quiet. Amu thought she would die from this silence, not to mention from Ikuto still holding her against his side, but she was even more fearful of what could actually be said between them.
"Such colorful language for a kid, Amu." Such as something like that.
The anxious girl immediately slipped on her disguise, casually shrugging off his arm before coolly replying. "Hm? And what exactly are you referring to?"
He raised an eyebrow at her, his smirk all too evident to the girl whose Cool and Spicy character was just beginning to fail under his gaze.
"Oh, come on! She totally was one."
"I don't think she looked like a farming tool desu."
"Suu! You're not helping."
"Hmm Amu. Getting a little jealous?" He cooed huskily, smirk still plastered ever so smugly on his face.
"N-no of course not!" As if spotting a slut in the making meant that she was in any way jealous. She just pointed out the obvious facts!
"Is that so?" He watched her lazily, responding to the thoughts she had accidentally let slip. "What was with that shameless staring by the way?"
"Uh…" She gulped uncomfortably.
"…Amu. You couldn't be…interested in girls could you?"
"I-w-what-no!" Her muscles were tense and her lips were pressed into a thin line. She could feel the air around her face heating up at an incredible rate.
"…though that'd explain the interest in the Kiddy King." Ikuto mused, completely ignoring Amu's denial though he watched her now gaping expression from the corner of his eyes.
"Pft! Tskk argggrrrpftt-pshhh!"
"Amu says 'Shut up pervert, I am interested in only guys otherwise I wouldn't have been comparing my-' "
Amu let out a hacking cough, slightly bent over to catch her breath as she rested her hands against her knees. Ikuto stared incredulously at the calm Miki, clearly impressed.
"I'm her. What'd you expect?"
"Nya!" Yoru let a dreamy sigh escape from his mouth.
"So…" He turned his attention back to the rosy Amu. "Comparing your what?" He drawled the words, waiting for Amu's response in amusement.
Hack, hack, hack.
She was now clutching her chest desperately. His grin grew wider, eyes following her hands. Finally deciding to let it go so that Amu would not have to end up suffocating with her constant coughs, he moved on. "So what are you doing here today? Miss me much?"
"--cough, cough, cough--" So much for letting her catch her breath.
"Amu says it's none of your business." Miki calmly translated.
Ran scoffed. "Even though we've been here about everyday since last week now."
"Ran!" Amu had somehow miraculously recovered her voice and it bellowed more loudly than usual.
"Oh?"
"I-It's n-not like I came to see you!" She exclaimed, hands clenched tightly against her side.
"But I thought that's why we brought Rima desu."
Amu groaned, face now probably more red than it had been her entire life. "You don't help at all. So please stop trying!"
"Can Rima come out now?" An uncertain jokester floated towards them.
"Ugh. Not another one!"
"Kusu Kusu!" Amu's guardians beamed, not at all noticing that the pink-haired girl was now hiding her burning face in her hands.
"Hm. An older guy Amu? I dunno…seems like a player." Rima had apparently stepped out anyway, having been so thoroughly bored. She paused for a minute, relishing every second of Amu's scarlet face. This was entertaining at the very least. "Besides, I'd think that Tsukiyomi-san can do better than that."
Amu's head shot up, and she sent a piercing glare towards the smirking blonde. Ikuto watched the girl curiously with a similar grin on his face.
"I-w-what are you talking about?! I already told you that I don't -" Her eyes suddenly went wide, just catching herself in time.
"Hm? That you don't what?"
"That she doesn't like you." Rima replied dryly, crossing her arms across her chest.
"O-of c-course I don't!"
"Is that so?" Ikuto quickly cupped Amu's cheek, inching closer and closer to her face. She mentally kicked herself to move but her body refused to listen. His breath was upon her face and tickled her pink tinged cheeks as she stared into those deep blue eyes, just like she had in that dream…
"Guess your dreams are coming true, eh Amu?"
Ikuto pulled away to stare at the speaker. "Hm. Dreams?"
"Maybe if you weren't here." The pink hair girl growled under her breath.
"Excuse me?" Rima challenged, eyes clearly glinting with evil. Pure evil.
Amu recognized that look, and quickly covered Rima's words: "And here I came specifically to see the man of your dreams" with her own screeches.
"I said, PERVERT COSPLAY CAT MAN!" Ikuto smirked, suddenly wrapping his arms around her waist as he settled behind her. He rested his chin on her shoulder, completely silencing the girl.
"Well I don't know Amu. You must be pretty perverted yourself to let him do that to you…and enjoy it."
"I-I d-don't enjoy it!" She stuttered in panic. Ikuto finally released her and now stood before Rima. "You two are absolutely evil! It was planned, all planned! Hey…listen to me!"
The two were apparently quite involved in their introductions. They were now shaking hands and Ikuto wore the most peculiar grin on his face. One that was usual reserved for Amu…
"She's just too much fun to tease." Rima remarked, clearly entertained. This was so much better than waiting behind a stupid tree like a stalker.
"HEY!"
"Isn't she? You're pretty interesting for a friend of Amu's." Ikuto said all the while smirking.
"Likewise to you."
"H-hey! W-what do you mean by i-interesting?" Amu grumbled in the background, completely ignored. Or so she thought. But in reality, the two watched her, resisting their chuckles at her flustered state.
"So Mashiro-san, why the sudden visit?"
"Hm? Sudden? Amu's been here all week apparently. I just came today to see who – "
"SHH RIMA!" Amu groaned, quickly ran over to cover her mouth. "She wanted to see who has the Dumpty key!" Before allowing either to speak, the blushing Amu roughly pulled Rima away. "Uh, gotta go Ikuto! Ja ne."
She mildly heard the teenager call behind her: "Quite the friend you have there!" Amu responded only with a grunt, miserably dragging along the pompous Queen who had seemed a little too friendly with the cat man.
"I can't believe he called her interesting. He said he was interested in me! Did he do that on purpose? Did he mean anything by it? Did he carelessly say that to me without thinking?" And so continued her grumbles, though the nonresistant Rima only caught onto a few words.
"Jealous?" The blonde mused.
"W-what? Pftttt! N-no friggin way! It's just annoying that he got along so well with you. He never gets along well with anyone!"
"Eh, he seemed to be getting along pretty well with that other girl."
Amu immediately snapped back. "Well she was obviously a slut! And he rejected her about a million times and she still wouldn't take a no. Besides, it's not like he wrapped his hands around her or almost kissed her or in any way remotely showing interest like he did with you when he took your hand like that and watched you with those beautiful eyes of his as if there was nothing else in the world even though I was standing in the back totally screaming my head off to try to get his attention but no, he was just so interested in you that he didn't even notice that—"
"AMU!"
"What! You don't have to yell so much!" The pink haired, pink cheeked huffing girl held her hands against her throbbing ears.
"You're jealous! Just listen to yourself!"
"W-What! Ridiculous! I…" Amu caught Rima's expectant look, mind just beginning to settle on what she had carelessly rambled.
"Oh. My. God. I'm jealous!" Rima rolled her eyes at her. "I'm jealous because of that perverted Cat man."
"Mmhmm." The blonde stood still, watching Amu bring her hands up against her head then back down in panic. She paced back and forth, arms awkwardly positioned as if she had no idea what to do with them.
"I recall you muttering something about your dreams coming true if I hadn't been there…?"
"No, no, no! I can't be jealous!" Amu screeched, still dealing with the truth. Even her Shugo Charas looked a little impatient by this time, clearly having figured out Amu's feelings before she did.
"Amu…I think there's more to consider than you just being jealous. For one," Rima paused for effect, bringing a finger thoughtfully to her cheek as if it really took that much effort to come up with what she was about to say. "Why don't you think about what would make you jealous to begin with?"
Amu cocked her head to the side. "Eh? You don't think being jealous is enough? I think that's cause for plenty of anguish as it is."
Rima tapped her foot impatiently. "Amu! How about considering your feelings?"
Her honey orbs went wide. "Feelings?" She squeaked. "I like Tadase! Tadase, Tadase!"
"Okay, you don't have to say that so many times."
Amu groaned, expression of horror slowly making its way to her face.
"There you go. Seems like you realized it." Rima said, after seeing her face contorting into a scowl. They had exited the campus of the school and were now headed towards Amu's house.
"But I like Tadase! I like Tadase! I like Tadase!"
"…O-kay A-mu. Try to persuade me when you've finally convinced yourself next time."
"I'm trying! But none of my Shugo Charas believe me!"
"Tch. Maybe cuz you're in love with Tsukiyomi and not Hotori-san?"
"But he's such a pervert!" She whined. And just as suddenly, another realization hit her causing her to freeze midstep. "Oh, God. Does this make me a perverted cat lady?!"
