DISCLAIMER: I don't own Shugo Chara in any way, shape, or form because have you noticed exactly how many characters are in the anime?? Who the hell has time to think up and maintain all of them!

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La-di-la-di-la-di-FREAKING-DA, I GOT REVIEWERS! Thank you guys so much, I love you! (cries tears of happiness)

Audience: You got way too emotional over this crap.

Me: Well, it took you forever to get here. Without any jerk-wads like you to keep me in check, my happiness shall runneth over.

Audience: Yeah, yeah, whatever. At least we got to go to Florida. Jerk-wads have it pretty good, huh?

Me: FUDGE OFF!

My lovely reviewers:

kouhaixsempai, Diabolical Kitsutora, Kiku18.

Thinking

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Chapter 3: It's Okay

Ikuto stood up and thought over what Amu had confessed.

"I am going to your school as your classmate for one week…"

The cat boy took a deep breath and started rummaging through her room, looking for any sign that what she had said was true. It didn't take him long. There, hanging in her closet was the female uniform for his high school. He turned on his heels and picked up her school bag next, rifling through the pockets.

And right there in his palm was the slip of paper congratulating her, signed by the superintendent, that was his undeniable proof. He exhaled with a big gush of air.

"What will come of this?" he asked himself, glancing toward the sleeping Amu.

--

Almost as if a magnetic force was pulling her awake, Amu began opening her eyes against her immediate will. She wanted that darkness back that held her and shielded her from what she was running from. She cringed, pained by the deceit she was committing.

How can I say anything? Kukai and Nagehiko know, but…can I really bear to tell everyone else on my own? And how am I going to tell Ikuto what happened…and what if he doesn't accept it?

A tiny gasp escaped her lips, alerting Ikuto to her presence. He leaned down toward her, worried intensely by the fact that she was now crying. It looked as if she was fighting against the waking world.

"Amu," he breathed in her ear. "It's okay to open your eyes now."

That broke her ties to the dream world and sent her crashing back into reality. She jumped awake, startling Ikuto a bit. But not as much as he startled her by being so close.

"Ikuto, what are you doing here?!" she demanded, pushing him away and sitting up.

He didn't even bother to try and use the cover he had thought up. "I was tired and wanted some sleep, so I came here. But it looks like you beat me to it. So why are you here?"

She flinched backwards. "Nothing. I'm not here for anything."

Ikuto's brow furrowed in confusion. Why is she so hesitant and guilty-looking?

"What happened today?" he asked bluntly.

It looked to him as though her had, quite literally, shocked her with his question. He sighed, realizing that just words wouldn't get him anywhere. He overpowered her in a second, pushing her against her mattress and kissing her warmly. Though her astonishment, she kissed him back, understanding how much she had ached for him to do this again.

When they broke apart for air, he looked her dead in the eye. "It doesn't bother me that you got picked to go to my school. In fact, I'm sort of happy. So don't worry about that, okay? I'll protect you if any perverts come your way."

"Y-You're the pervert I'm worried the most about!" she shot back. "Wait. How did you know I got--?"

He placed a finger to her lips. "You told me in your sleep." Then his face grew troubled. "You…didn't want to get up, right?"

She nodded, knowing she couldn't lie.

"I don't want you to ever be afraid of me or what I might think. Please don't be scared of me," he whispered, looking away.

In a defiant gesture, Amu raised her arms and encirled them around Ikuto's neck, forcing him to land down on top of her while she held him in place.

"A-Amu!" he stuttered.

Her grip tightened. "I'm not scared of you! I just didn't want you to be unhappy about something I did! I didn't want you to be disappointed in me because I agreed to something like I didn't care about what you had to say! Really, I don't know why, but sometimes I just get so sad when you aren't in my room waiting for me with that stupid grin on your face. Maybe with this, I figured I could get my fix of you for a while and I wouldn't hurt so much when you're away!" she blurted.

Ikuto pulled away to stare at the distraught girl. "Amu--"

"And it's not like I want you around all the time--I'm not as needy as that! But I don't want to ask you to come over all the time just in case you'd see me that way and usually just those texts can get me to sleep since I know you're the one who wrote them! So I don't know why I'm having these feelings--why I can't get you out of my head or why I want you to kiss me whenever I see you after a long time or why I'm really relieved that you want me to go to school with you!" She sniffled and tried to wipe away her tears.

Completely caught off guard by her sudden display of emotions, Ikuto could only take her in his arms and wonder what to do while she finished crying.

"I… I'm sorry," he finally said after some time. "I never wanted you to feel like that."

"Don't apologize!" she shouted. "It'll make me feel like I broke my promise to you even more."

"What--?" Ikuto's mind flashed with remembrance.

"I know you might not be around everyday and that there's a good chance you'll be away for weeks at a time…but if I can, I'd like to be here for you if you'd like to vacation here once in a while," she grinned. "I really just want to help you as much as I possibly can."

"Do you promise me?"

"I promise--even when you're gone."

"Shit," he cursed, hating himself at the moment. "I realize that my attitude suggests that I won't go somewhere for a few weeks in between, but I never said anything about not coming when I'm called."

"Eh?" Amu breathed.

Ikuto grabbed her shoulders and made her look at him. "If you want me to come over in the middle of the night, call. I don't care if it's because you had a nightmare or can't remember something from a TV show or, hell, call me if you want a stuffed animal to hug. Anything you need, ask me. All I want is for you to be happy with me."

"Happy…with you," she repeated slowly. A small smile spread across her lips. "Thank you."

"No problem." He opened his arms and she dove in, accepting the hug without a second thought.

"So, about my outfit for tomorrow…" she began cheerfully.

Ikuto laughed, pleased to see how much better he had made her feel.

--

"…And then he clicked his fingers and the cantaloupe fell right out of the tree! How'd he do that, Ikuto?" Amu ended her retelling of a magician's trick.

"I'm not sure," Ikuto replied truthfully. He noticed the yawn that slipped past Amu's guard. "Okay, bedtime."

"It's only 9, though!" she pouted.

Ikuto grabbed the clock as evidence. "It is 11. I'll pick you up in the morning, alright? Get some sleep."

Although she heard him perfectly, Amu made it seem as though she hadn't. She stayed in her spot next to him, her arms wrapped around his torso and her legs intertwined with his.

"I wanna cuddle more."

Ikuto sighed. "Me, too."

"So where's the problem?"

"My morals are being asses today."

"Throw them off the balcony--I'm sure you could land the shot."

Against his wants, Ikuto detangled himself from Amu and stood. She let out a breath of air and sat up, knowing that she never really had a chance at changing his mind. Still, he leaned down to give her a brief, passionate good night kiss and pressed his forehead against hers as way of apology.

Then he left her, but this time it didn't hurt Amu so much. He took his taiyaki with him and promised to come back.

--

"Amu, get up."

Something tickled her nose, making Amu scoot in the opposite direction.

"Amu, you should wear the panties with ribbons on them today."

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU IMPLYING?!" she screamed, flying out of bed and jumping on top of Ikuto, pinning him to the floor.

He kissed the tip of her nose, then tickled it with his tail again. "Morning, honey."

"Good morning. Stop emphasizing things," she greeted.

He didn't respond, instead opting to put his arms around her lower back and pull her down closer to his face to receive a better kiss.

"Mmm! Ikuto! Don't I have to get ready?" Amu brought up, prematurely ending it.

Ikuto frowned. "Did God himself order you to?"

She poked his cheek and smiled mischievously. "May-be," she sang. "Do you consider yourself a god?"

"Nah. I'll be the pirate and you'll be the princess."

"Very funny."

"So, do you want me to help you change clothes?"

"I-In the hallway, now!"

--

Amu gingerly opened her door, peeking around the side, trying to pinpoint Ikuto's position.

"Wow, you can make anything look sexy."

She blushed crimson red and whirled into the hallway, slamming her door shut behind her. Her charas still hadn't woken up yet and she hoped a giant, closed door might deter them if they changed their minds.

"D-Don't go all perverted on me every time you see me now, okay?" she requested.

"But you look so cute," he amended, feigning a look of hurt.

She smiled. "Is that a weakness, Ikuto?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact. I do believe you're my drug." He brushed her hair away from her neck and leaned forward, smelling her intoxicating scent.

"I-Ikuto," she warned lightly.

"Maybe just one fix?" His hot breath danced across her skin.

"Um, I'm not…" His fingers came under her collar and rested on her bare shoulder. "Hey…" she barely spoke.

His teeth grazed across her throat and he found that he wanted to mark her as his--leave external proof of their love. Something that was felt by fingers and not by hearts.

Then he heard her heartbeat. Fast. Her breathing was gentle and quick. Instantly, he pulled away and hid his eyes from her confused gaze.

I…I did something like that…

"Ikuto, what's wrong with--?" she tried to ask.

"Come on, get your bag. I'll buy you something to eat on the way," he ignored her.

She stared a few seconds longer before complying. By the time they left the house, Ikuto gave her no room in the conversation to question him abut his actions or tell him that her family had left for Singapore and wouldn't return for two weeks.

--

Gasp! What will happen at Ikuto's school?

Audience: That's all you have to wonder about?! What about the fact that he almost freaking bit her?!

Me: (quietly) I don't know, I thought it was kind of sexy.

Audience: You're hopeless!

Me: You're nonexistent!

By the way, there is a song with the words 'I'll be the pirate and you'll be the princess' in it, but I don't know what it is.

Fighting with my imagination:

Porcelain-Carrier-67