Disclaimer:

Roses are red, Violets are blue. I don't own Shugo Chara! So please don't sue. Thank you!

Author's Note: I just wanted to say thanks, yet again, to all those who reviewed the last chapter! For being good, helpful and supportive little boys and girls, you get chapter three early! I was going to wait either a week, or once I hit 50 reviews, which ever had come first. But hey, 48 is damn close, and some of your reviews made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. And don't worry, I'm not one of those authors who says things like, "No update till 184843289 reviews!" I just like to set goals for myself. Anyway this is for you guys!

I'd also like the thank the reviewer who pointed out Amu and Ikuto's age difference. I've searched all over, but haven't been able to find anything that specifies his age. Thanks again, and I hope everyone enjoys chapter three!


Maid for You

an Amu x Ikuto fan fiction

by Sin Katt


"-nd were back with the morning weather report. This morning the weather seems to b-"

Amu slammed her fist down on her alarm clock, letting her arm go limp and drop off the side of her bed afterwards as she groggily opened her tired eyes.

Eight thirty in the morning was far too early for a teenager on her winter vacation to be waking up. At least Amu thought so.

She sat up slowly and stretched her arms above her head, letting out a loud yawn. Stepping onto the cold floor made her shiver, and she instantly missed the warmth of her blankets. She cursed Ikuto under her breath and strolled over to her closet, grabbing a warm outfit and quickly changing. Picking up her hair brush, she began gently running it through her hair, taking care of the tangles that had accumulated in her sleep.

Her guardians were still fast asleep in their eggs, so she gingerly picked them up and placed them inside of the pouch attached to her belt, careful not to wake any of them up.

She quietly closed her bedroom door as she exited, and began to make her way down the hallway towards the stairs. However, a small light coming from her sister's doorway told her she was awake, and Amu walked over to investigate the reason.

Poking her head in, Amu was greeted with the scene of Ami laying on her bed, flat on her stomach and her face resting on her hands. Nestled on Ami's pillow was a small, colored egg, and Amu smiled as she stepped in.

"It still hasn't hatched yet?" she asked, sitting on the bed next to her sister.

"Nu-uh," Ami shook her head, rolling over and sitting up. "Does it usually take this long? For it to hatch, I mean."

Amu ruffled her little sister's hair and giggled, "Some do take a lot of time to hatch, yes," she replied, "Dia took a very long time to hatch, for example. You just have to be patent, it'll happen when the time is right."

"I'm just so excited," Ami admitted, laying her head on the pillow next to the egg, "I've always wanted a Great Chara, just like sis."

"Haven't you grown out of calling them that?" the elder sister laughed, tickling the bottom of her sibling's left foot as she stood. "I'm heading out, but I wont be home late tonight."

"Where are you going this early in the morning?" Ami questioned, sitting up once more.

Amu sighed.

"I don't even want to talk about it."

Chapter Three: Cooking Like an Old Maid

Exiting the driveway, Amu made a swift left, and had to jump back in order to avoid the person leaning against the lighting fixture in front of her house.

"N-Nagihiko! You scared me!" she breathed, a hand resting over her racing heart.

"Ha ha, Sorry, Amu," the man laughed, pushing himself up into a standing position. "I heard from Tadase that you we're being forced to cook breakfast for Ikuto."

Amu silently noted Temari and Rhythm tucked inside Nagihiko's front pockets, still fast asleep.

"From Tadase?" the girl questioned.

"Yeah," he began as the two of them began walking together, "I called him to ask if the Christmas party was still on. He happened to mention it during our conversation."

"I-I see," Amu stuttered, feeling a bit awkward, "w-well…what about the Christmas party?"

Again, Nagihiko laughed, "It's still on. We were worried, because it was planned to happen at the Nikaidou's, but the baby was born. They still want to have it there, though, since Mrs. Yukari will be out of the hospital today.

"That's good," the girl beamed, "it would be a shame if we had to move the party, after getting everything planned out already."

"I agree," her companion nodded, "especially since we're going to be setting up the decorations tomorrow. Tadase wanted us to meet up at his place this afternoon and get everything together."

"Wow, I didn't even realize it was Wednesday already," Amu trailed off, in deep thought. "The party is Saturday night, and then Christmas is Sunday. And then it's only another week until we have to head back to school."

Nagihiko grinned and took her hand, winking as she looked up at him, "We'll just have to enjoy this time we have off then. This is our last Christmas before we graduate. We'll just have to make the best of it.

Amu blinked up at her best friend then a wide smile formed on her face. "You're right! Of course…" she slumped down like the weight of the world was on her shoulders, "my last Christmas before graduation is being spent in servitude to the biggest jerk in Japan."

He gripped her hand tighter, swinging it back and forth with his own as he pulled her along, "Don't worry, you've got me and the others. Ikuto isn't allowed to have you all to himself twenty four/seven."

She grinned again at this, and swung her arm along with his, gaining looks from those around them as they both laughed it off.

Amu thought to herself that Nagihiko was the only boy she could be this reckless with, and not become embarrassed. After learning that he was in fact the real Nadeshiko, and not a twin brother, she was flat out shocked. But with the learning of that secret came along the realization that this boy was her real best friend, the first she'd ever had, whether he be a boy or a girl, this was one relationship where a mutual friendship was outstanding, one she knew was definite and didn't include awkwardness and shyness.

She felt lucky to have a friendship like theirs.

"Careful, you two! If someone from school sees you, rumors will be spread before you even go back!"

The loud voice snapped Amu back to her senses and she was pleased to see two of her friends standing in front of her. "Kukai! Yaya! What are you two doing up so early?"

Kukai smiled, his arm around Yaya's waist, "I need to attend a Cram Class this morning for extra credit in English, so we decided to have breakfast first."

Yaya blew warm air into her hands, shivering a bit from the cold, "We ate a bunch of warm food, but this weather is just so cold, I cant stay warmed up."

"Way too cold," Pepe agreed, poking out from a fold in Yaya's scarf.

The other's laughter was silenced as a bell sounded, making Kukai gasp. They looked up at the building they were standing in front of, seeing the students running up the front steps.

"Crap! Class is starting in five minutes! Sorry guys, I'll see you this afternoon at Tadase's!"

"Call Yaya when you get out of class!" the petite girl exclaimed, slightly puckering up her lips as she faced her boyfriend. Instead, she was rewarded with a quick peck on the tip of her nose, and opened her eyes to see Kukai running off, with Daichi on his tail.

"I will! See you guys later!"

They watched him run off, Yaya quickly pouting as he vanished from sight. Trying not to act bothered, she placed her hands on her hips and looked at her friends, "Where are you two heading?"

Amu hung her head.

"We're going to go cook breakfast for Ikuto," Nagihiko announced, slapping the pink haired girl on the back.

"Eh?!" Amu's head shot up, staring at her fiend.

"I decided to go with you," he explained, his smile slightly fading into a comedic pout, "Why? Don't you want me to come?"

"Ooh! Yaya wants to go too!"

"R-Really? Well…I don't know how much Ikuto will like having three people in his apar…" Amu's eyes glittered with mischief, "I mean, of course you two can come! I'm sure he'd be happy to see everyone!"

Clutching onto her two friend's arms, she took off at full speed, pulling them along, the glint in her eyes glowing stronger.


"Can you make it up the stairs alright? Do you want me to hold her? Are you feeling light headed?

"Damn it, Yuu! Stop worrying about me already! I had a baby, not a leg amputation!"

"Don't shout!" the new father hushed, holding a finger up to his lips, "she's sleeping!"

Kairi stifled a laugh into his hand as he hauled his sister's suitcase up the front steps and into their home. He set it down near the coat rack just inside and closed the front door behind him right after Musashi had darted in. His sister was laying the newborn in her crib as he entered the living area, and he couldn't help but crack a smile watching the first-time parents.

Yuu had his arms wrapped around his wife as she leaned her back against his chest, the two of them lovingly watching their sleeping child.

"Do you want to go lay down?" he asked her, resting his face into her hair, "you still look tired. You should take a nap."

"Of course I'm tired," Yukari replied with a smirk, "I just pushed something the size of a small watermelon out of my body. But I don't feel like sleeping quite yet. The doctor said I should eat something as soon as we got home."

"She's not that big." Yuu laughed, pulling away, "but now that you've mentioned it, we have a few slices of watermelon in the refrigerator if you'd like some."

The woman shuttered, "After making the comparison I just did, I think I'd feel too much like a cannibal. But some miso soup sounds wonderful."

"Would you like me to make it?" Kairi offered, stretching his muscles from the car ride home.

"No, that's alright, I can make it," Yuu offered, letting go of his wife and strolling past Kairi, "Besides, it looks like your friend is walking up the front path."

Turning to look out the window, Kairi noticed Tadase nearing the front steps, and quickly dashed to the door to meet him.

"King!" he greeted, opening the door before Tadase even had the chance to knock, "You're here early!"

Tadase laughed and lowered his hand, "I saw you guys drive by while I was shopping, and came over to see if you wanted to help me pick out a few last things before we get together this afternoon."

"Oh, sure, just let me grab my coat," he younger boy replied stepping out of the door way and reaching for the item.

Tadase poked his head inside and waved to Yukari.

Kiseki flew passed his head and into the house, which resulted in Tadase quickly grabbing his little foot and pulling him back, as a reminder it was rude to enter without permission.

"How are you feeling? I'm surprised they let you come home so soon."

"Tadase! Good morning!" she replied happily, yet quietly. "The doctor told me that my body was well enough to be home as long as I rested well. You know me, I hate being off my feet for too long."

"We're going to go shopping for the party," Kairi informed his sibling as he slid on his coat, "Do you need anything from the store while I'm out?"

"Not that I can think of, no," she replied, taking a seat on the couch and propping her feet up on the coffee table, "but maybe some hot chocolate? I think we just ran out."

"Sure, no problem," her brother replied, following Tadase out the door, "I'll be back later on this evening."

"Have fun," she replied, already beginning to fall asleep as she sunk into the cushions.

As soon as Kairi closed the door, Yuu peeked around the corner of the kitchen to smile at his wife, "You're supposed to eat before you fall asleep, aren't you?"

"I'm not going to sleep, I'm just resting my eyes," the new mother corrected, stifling a small yawn.

He made his way over and sat down next to her, draping an arm across her shoulders as she snuggled her face into his chest, "Of course you are, love."

She was asleep within seconds, and Yuu was glad he hadn't turned the oven on just yet. There was no way he could bring himself to get up and disturb her slumber. After a few moments of watching her, he rested his head atop hers and drifted off as well.


"Hey, Sanjou, can I ask you something?" Tadase questioned, pulling his hat lower to cover his ears from the cold and tightening his scarf.

"Sure. What is it, King?" the former Jack replied, trying to balance himself as he walked along the curb.

"Has the baby opened her eyes yet?"

Hopping back on the sidewalk, Kairi beamed, "Yeah, she had them open for a little while yesterday. How come you want to know?"

"Miss Hinamori and I were just wondering what color they were as we left the hospital yesterday," the King informed, thinking back to the previous day's conversation.

"Joker?" Kairi questioned as her name was stated, "well, her eyes are light blue, like my sister's. And Yuki's hair seems to be more brown, like Yuu's. Of course, she doesn't have too much of it yet, so it's hard to tell."

"Yuki? Is that what they named her name?"

The former Jack nodded, "Yeah. They thought it was appropriate, seeing as to how she was born this time of year, when the snow begins to fall."

"I think that's a great name," Tadase stated with a grin, "I think it suits the baby well."

Kairi looked down at his watch, "What time are we all meeting at your place today?"

Tadase thought for a moment, "Well, Souma had an early class today, so we planned on meeting up around two o'clock. Besides, Miss Hinamori got roped in to cooking for Tsukiomi this morning, as part of that bet they made."

"Joker is over at his apartment?" the younger male said in a surprised tone.

"Believe me, I don't like the situation much either," Tadase admitted, stuffing his hands into his pockets as they both fell into silence.

Kiseki and Musashi continued to chat quietly above them, but both men felt uncomfortable and awkward about the topic they had just discussed.

"Hey, King," Kairi began, breaking the silence, "do you…do you think it would be inappropriate if we were to…maybe…check up on her?"

Tadase pondered this, secretly thinking the same thing.

"Well…I don't think it could hurt. I mean, we do have a meeting today, and it's common courtesy to go and remind her, incase she may have forgotten."

Both men reaching a mutual agreement, they changed their course for Ikuto's apartment, walking slightly faster than before.

"They're hopeless," Kiseki frowned, following his partner.

Musashi let out a sigh, "This is not the way a true warrior should fight his battles."


"Wow, Ikuto certainly does have a nice apartment."

As soon as the elevator had dinged in the eighth floor, the three friends stepped off it and into a small hall. There were only two rooms per floor, which should say quite a lot about just how expensive the place had to have been.

Yaya stared in awe at the large living room, a grand piano in one corner and a violin case in another. She wanted so badly to run over and touch them, but resisted the urge as she allowed Amu to drag her into the kitchen.

"You don't look so surprised, Amuchi! Have you been here before?"

"Yeah, a couple of times," the girl admitted, then flushed red at the way her response must have sounded. "I mean, I've come over with Utau before, so I know my way around a bit. She does live here too, you know."

"Nice save," Nagihiko teased.

"Alright, I need to get started," Amu announced, changing the subject entirely. "I don't think it's going to take three people to make eggs and toast, so find something to do. Watch TV, play the piano, something productive."

'Or something that could annoy Ikuto enough to satisfy me,' she secretly thought.

"Actually, I'm going to be cooking as well," Nagihiko stated, setting his bag down on the kitchen table and pulling out some packages of cooking ingredients. "I thought I would make some snacks for this afternoon ."

"Oh, yay! Yaya loves your cooking!" the youngest girl cheered, forgetting to keep herself quiet as she threw her arms around Nagi in a tight hug.

"I figured his stove and oven would be best to use, since it's all electric," Explained the master chef as he made his way to the nearest countertop, the small girl still attached. "I thought I'd make some sandwiches, and a few Christmas cookies. Yaya can help me out, since I honestly don't feel very manly making them."

Amu shook her head at her two friends, watching Nagi give instructions to the eager girl. Beginning her own task, Amu set a pan on the stove and retrieved a few eggs from the refrigerator. As she began to beat them in a bowl, she heard the front door open and stepped into the living area to see Utau walk in.

"Good morning Utau," she greeted, still beating the eggs as she spoke.

"Good morning!" the other two chimed in, appearing from the kitchen as well.

"So, there's more of you then," was Utau's reply as she lazily threw her coat on the nearest chair.

"More of you?" the three quoted, staring at her dumbly.

Stepping aside, the tall blonde revealed two men standing behind her, one scratching the back of his head in embarrassment, the other smiling stupidly, just the same.

"Tadase? Class Pres?" Amu blinked, "What are you two doing here?"

"Well…we couldn't remember if we told you the time of the meeting today," Kairi began, stuttering slightly.

"If we had known Fujisaki and Miss Yuiki were with you, then we wouldn't have come by," Tadase finished, feeling a bit foolish.

"We're making snacks for today!" shouted Yaya, much louder than what was required. "Come and help!"

"Excuse the intrusion," the two bowed to Utau, who just stared back at them amused.

"Please to have you," she replied with a slight bow of her own. Turning on her heal, she let her hair down from her ponytail. "I'm going to head to bed. I know Ikuto knows you're here, so just try not to be loud…or at least quiet enough that it doesn't reach my room."

"Sleep well," the group chorused, watching her disappear down the hall.

Back in the kitchen, Amu transferred the eggs into the frying pan and put a couple slices of bread into the toaster. The others had started their task of assembling sandwiches, and a batch of cookies had been inserted into the oven.

"Something smells wonderful," came the voice of Miki as she slowly pushed up the flap of the pouch she was nestled in.

Three little heads followed suit as they awakened from their slumber to the smell of food being prepared.

The kitchen was busy, and getting far messier than Amu was sure Ikuto had intended for just a few eggs and some toast.

"Ahh! The oven is smoking!" Yaya screamed, pointing past Amu at the appliance.

"Crap! You turned the temperature up too high!" Nagihiko scolded, running over and opening it, pulling out a tray of blackened cookies as a cloud of think smoke filled the room.

"Oh well, at least it wasn't more than one tray."

Before anyone had time to make another comment, the fire alarm that hung on the wall began to beep. Loudly.

The group panicked and Kairi rushed over with a chair, standing on it and blowing fiercely on the object, trying to cool it down.

"No! Not like that!" Nagihiko shouted over the noise, "There's a switch! Turn it off!"

"Hey."

"Where is it?! I don't see it anywhere!"

"Ahhhh, it's so loud! Hurry and turn it off!"

"Hey."

"On the back! The switch is on the back!"

"Take it off the damn wall!"

"I found it!"

"Hey."

As soon as the alarm was turned off, the group looked in the doorway at the man who had finally managed to get their attention. Sanding in front of them was a very groggy, very annoyed, and very shirtless Ikuto, one hand on his hip and the other raised to cover his left ear.

"What the hell are you all doing in my kitchen?"

Everyone let out a nervous laugh and began cleaning up their things.

"We were just getting some snacks made for today," Nagi commented, "Sorry for setting the fire alarm off, we'll just be going now!"

He led the way as the three other people and every single Chara in the kitchen scampered behind him and out the front door. Tadase poked his head in with one last smile.

"We'll be waiting in the lobby for you Miss Hinamori, please take your time."

Neither noticed the look he had given Ikuto as he made his exit.

And with that, the group was gone, and Amu was left alone with the one man she couldn't stand.

She heard the toast pop out of the toaster, and dashed over, setting the pieces on the plate she had prepared and began to spread strawberry jelly on them.

"I don't remember saying I wanted jam on my toast," Ikuto breathed into her ear, coming up from behind and pressing against her back, letting his hands rest on the counter on either side of her, trapping her completely.

"S-Sorry. I'm used to making this for Ami," she replied, setting the knife down and her heart sped up.

"It's fine," he murmured, leaning closer into her, "It still looks…delicious."

Unable to think of a rational way to handle this situation, she darted under his arm and made a swift escape, grabbing her purse from the kitchen table.

"W-Well good, I hope you enjoy it," she couldn't help but stammer, a strange feeling she couldn't quite put her finger on was washing over her. "I-I guess I'll see you later then!"

Before she could dash past him, he caught her waist from behind and smiled into her hair, "Yes, I'll see you tonight…when you come by to cook me dinner as well."

She huffed, thinking slightly of breaking her promise to Ami, even though her cheeks felt like they were on fire…as did the rest of her body for some unknown reason.

"F-Fine, I'll see you then," she agreed, stepping away as he finally let her go. She didn't wave to him or say "goodbye" as she left, but she did turn to look at him just once before exiting his apartment and locking the door behind her.

He leaned against the counter and picked up a slice of the toast she had prepared. The aroma of the jam matched her scent nearly perfectly, and he couldn't help but bite into the piece hungrily.

Why in God's name did she have to have such an effect on him?

(Chapter Three - End)


There it is folks!

As always, this is the part where I state how much I enjoyed writing, and I how much I hope you all enjoyed reading!

Though this chapter is just as longer than the previous, I cant help but feel it went by a bit quicker. But I wanted to get something out to you guys sooner for being super supportive.

On a side note, I don't wanna sound like a broken record, but I'm going to address the "Nagihiko being gay" subject just once more. I received a review, which read: "Even though you said Nagihiko was not gay I still think he is. That was not a weird sense of humor. That was gayness. I am not trying to sound mean I just think he is."

Trust me, (this is my fan fiction after all), I think I would have a clue as to…you know, what characters I make homosexual. And yeah, if Rima had a penis, Nagi would totally be lovin' it, which would make him gay. But she doesn't, and he's not.

However, if you would still like to picture him as homosexual… then when he and Rima get into some interesting drama in the near future, good luck with that.

Sorry if the above offended anyone or made their sides hurt from laughter~

I promise to drop this subject from this point on. I just felt the need to address it one last time.

I'd still appreciate it if you guys let me know of any spelling or grammar errors I may have made. Like I said previously, I have no beta, so help is loved!

Please continue to show me support throughout this story! Your reviews really mean a lot!

(EDIT!)

I have to give myself a pat on the back! I started writing this story before seeing episode 56, where Nagi returns. I watched episode 57 after typing this chapter, and what do I see? Nagihiko forcing Tadase and Kukai into female uniforms. Seriously, did I make a good call on his interesting personality or what? I haven't found good scans, so I haven't read the manga yet. I'm happy that I don't have to worry about him seeming OOC.

That is all~!

Chapter Completed: November 19, 2008

Sin Katt