Disclaimer: Roses are red, Dead ones are black. I still don't own Shugo Chara, so cut me some slack!

Author's Note:You guys seriously, seriously rock. I cant thank you enough for all of the kind reviews, story favs, and author favs. I was even excited to see I was either the only, or one of the only favorite authors on some people's Favorite Authors lists. That makes me feel so amazingly awesome. That being said, here's chapter four!

Maid for You

An Amu x Ikuto fan fiction

By Sin Katt

As soon as the elevator doors closed, Amu slumped back against the wall and clutched the fabric of the shirt resting over her racing heart. Ikuto had barely said three sentences to her, but her chest felt like it was threatening to explode from the rapid pounding. Her knees were weak and shaking, her breathing was rushed, and absolutely every part of her body felt like it was being consumed in flames. She could almost still feel his arm around her waist and his hot breath on her neck. And the way her body was reacting to it all was beginning to scare her.

She hadn't been weak in the knees since her crush on Tadase had begun.

And she didn't want to think about what it meant now that she was having these reactions towards Ikuto.

The elevator's ding brought her back to attention and the doors slid open, revealing her group of friends standing a ways ahead of her, their heads turning as she exited.

Having plenty of experience, she was able to put on her old façade well, and smiled as she ran up to join them.

Chapter Four: Solitary Sickness

"Sorry for making you guys wait," she apologized, giving them a laugh, "I had to clean up a bit before leaving."

Nagihiko and Yaya grinned a bit mischievously at her, but stayed silent none the less. The group accepted her excuse, and they exited the building together, falling into their usual chatter while doing so.

"Nagihiko, the smell of that food is making Yaya so hungry!" the bubbly girl exclaimed, leaning towards the man, and his pack of food.

He didn't bother stifling a laugh, "Don't worry, we'll be at Tadase's house soon and you can have as much as you want."

"You should at least wait for Rima and Kukai," Amu interjected, folding her arms behind her back, "They might not get any if Yaya eats her fill."

"Hey!" Yaya whined, puffing her cheeks out with a frown, "Yaya is not greedy or fat!"

"Either way, it's still polite to wait for everyone," Nagi agreed, scolding the girl playfully.

As the two friends continued their less than serious banter, Tadase slowed his strides to fall in line with Amu. She didn't really notice his intention, but smiled as she came up to walk along side him.

"Miss Hinamori, Sanjou said her eyes are light blue," he announced suddenly, taking her a bit by surprise and earning a puzzled look from her.

"Her eyes…?" she questioned, trying to think back on the subject. "Oh! You mean the baby's?"

He smiled and nodded, chuckling to himself at her understanding.

"I cant wait to see for myself," stated Amu, with great ambition. "And then there's her first steps, her first words, it's so exciting having a new baby around."

"You'll make a good mother one day, thinking like that," Nagihiko commented, holding the bag of treats out of Yaya's short reach, "Just make sure you have a husband that feels the same way."

"Is that a proposal?" she questioned, placing her hands on her hips as she raised an eyebrow.

"Sorry, but no," he replied, now holding Yaya at an arms length by placing his hand on her forehead as she fought against him, "You're far too much like a sister to me. I admit I would feel very uncomfortable on our wedding night, seeing as I'm not at all into incest."

Amu blushed.

"Nagi, you're such a pervy-perv!" teased Yaya as she finally gave up on her losing battle, crossing her arms and looking away from him, "As if anyone would want to do naughty things with a pretty boy like you."

He laughed at her pouting face, "Hey, now, don't take all of your anger out on me just because you have to wait a few minutes for the food. I'll have you know quite a few women find me to be their type. I could have just about any girl I wanted."

"Then why don't you have a girlfriend?" Kairi mumbled, a little louder than he meant to, which earned chuckled from the group.

"Well, if you must know, there's already someone that I like, thank you very much," the man retorted, sticking his nose up while a hand made it's way to his hip.

"Miss Mashiro?" Tadase spoke up, his tone sounding a bit surprised.

The color drained from Nagihiko's face, "O-Of course not! What in the hell would make you think-"

"Rima! How long have you been waiting here?"

Nagi cut himself off as he turned to see Rima sitting on the wooden walkway outside of Tadase's room. She had a bag of what appeared to be party decorations at her feet, and she smiled a little as she looked up at them.

"I haven't been here long," she replied quietly, standing up and brushing off her skirt, "I prefer to leave home a few minutes early, just to make sure I wont be late."

"Let's go inside!" Yaya practically begged, jumping up the stairs, "I'm hungry! Common!"

The others laughed and followed her towards Tadase's room, but Nagi reached out and grabbed Rima's shoulder before she could enter. He could tell when she was lying, and knew the difference in her fake smile.

"Are you alright?" he questioned quietly. "We're your parents-"

"I'm fine," the small girl replied, pulling her shoulder from Nagi's grip, "there's nothing wrong."

He watched her walk inside and exhaled slowly, following shortly behind.

"Utau? Utau are you awake?"

The tired woman opened her eyes and sat up in bed after hearing the knocking at her bedroom door.

"Ikuto? What's the matter?"

She shielded her eyes from the light as he cracked the door open and poked his head in. He had bags under his eyes and sounded slightly congested.

"Do you have any cold medicine?" Ikuto asked, coughing into his arm, "I think I'm coming down with something."

"Yeah, I have some in the top drawer of my dresser," his sister replied, swinging her legs over the side of her bed, "Hold on, let me get it for you."

Utau heard him cough again as she clicked her lamp on and opened the drawer, rummaging through it for a second before pulling out a bottle of the requested pills. She made her way over to him and handed the bottle over, quickly reaching up and feeling his forehead.

"Jesus, Ikuto. You're burning up," she sighed, shoving him towards his bedroom. "I'm going to get you a glass of water and an extra blanket. I want you to get back in bed right now."

He didn't complain or say anything in response, but complied without any protest as he slowly made his way back to his own room. Utau heard the squeak of his mattress and headed towards the kitchen, satisfied that he was back in bed. She opened the freezer and filled a glass with a few ice cubes, but was interrupted by a knock at the door before she could pour any water.

"What is it now?" she groaned, setting the glass on the counter and strolling through the living room to open the front door. Her eyes widened once they fell on the visitor, and she fumbled for words. "…Ku-Kukai?"

He laughed nervously and gave her a wave, "Hey. I heard Amu was coming here, and I thought Yaya might have followed her. Is she here by any chance?"

"They left a few hours ago," Utau replied, regaining her composure as she leaned against the doorway, groggily, "I think they said they were all going to Tadase's house."

"Yeah, we're having a meeting to plan for this weekend's party," the taller man stated, shoving his hands in his pockets, "I didn't know how long they would be here, so I thought I'd check before heading over to his place."

He turned to leave and gave her a slight wave, "Sorry to have bothered you. It looks like you we're sleeping, I didn't mean to wake you up."

"You didn't," she quickly insisted, "Ikuto has a cold, and he woke me up for some medicine. I should probably go check on him…"

"Alright, I'll talk to you later, Utau," He smiled, heading back towards the elevator, "You should get some more rest too, don't want to get sick from exhaustion."

"Uhm, Kukai?"

"Yeah?"

She tapped her mails on the door frame, "How…how have you been lately?"

He smiled and sighed, turning slightly to face her again, "School's a bitch, but things are good. How about you?"

"I took some time off…because of the baby," she replied, shifting a bit uncomfortably.

"Utau, you don't have to do this."

She looked up, "What?"

He forced another smile, "You don't have to act so uncomfortable. You broke up with me, and I understand your reasons. We're still friends, and there's no hard feelings, honestly."

She lowered her head, "Are you sure? I don't know…we don't really talk much anymore."

He sighed, "I know. I guess it still does feel a bit…weird. I was seventeen and a student, you were older and had a career. We each had our own responsibilities, and it just…didn't work out. But I'd hate to think we cant be friends, now."

"Of course we can stay friends," Utau replied, looking up, "I've just been scared that you…hated me."

He turned around once more and closed his eyes.

"I could never hate you, Utau."

She watched as he entered the elevator and let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding before going back inside to care for her sick brother.

"Wow, Rima! There's some great decorations in here!"

Amu pulled a long strand of snowflake-shaped Christmas lights out of one of the plastic bags Rima had arrived with and stretched them out. They were slightly tangled, and she set to work unwinding the cords.

"My family only decorated the front yard this year, so we had some left over," the blonde replied, picking up a slice of pizza that Tadase had ordered. "Why is Kukai taking so long? We've nearly got everything planned out already. Not to mention, Yaya's had her fill of snacks already."

"Uuugh, Yaya thinks she ate a bit too fast," the brunette in mention groaned, slamming her head down on the table.

"Pepe thinks so too," her baby Chara cooed, mimicking her partner's actions.

"You probably just ate too much," Miki sighed, patting the smaller Chara on the back, earning an infamous giggle from Kusukusu.

Yaya's cell phone began to vibrate on the tabletop, and she quickly grabbed it before it slid away. Looking at the name on display, she sat up and clicked her phone on.

"Where are you? What's taking you so long?"

Her lips were puffed out like a fish's, and her eyes remained closed as she listened to the reply on the other end. She finally sighed and sat up seriously.

"Alright, I'll tell him. See you soon," she added sweetly as she clicked the phone off. "Kukai is waiting out front. He says his hands are full and he cant get the gate, so someone needs to go help him."

"His hands are too full to open the front gate?" Tadase repeated, nearing a laugh, "what on earth could he be carrying?"

"Decorations, food, and presents, according to him," Yaya said, perking up at the mention of presents, "Someone needs to go help him…and Yaya's tummy still hurts so much."

"I'll go," Kairi offered, standing up and walking towards the sliding door leading out of Tadase's room."

"Me too," agreed Nagi, noticing Tadase standing up along with him.

"It would be rude of me not to go as well, since it's my home."

The girls watched their male friends leave the room. What exactly was it about men that they always seemed in constant competition? Weather it be sports, or just helping a fellow friend carry supplies. However, as soon as they were out of sight, Amu dove for another slice of pizza.

"So, Rima, what on earth has been going on between you and Nagihiko?" she questioned slyly, leaning an elbow on the table and a grin slithered across her features. Amu knew the others, as well as herself, always loved their girl talk at every opportunity. The boys didn't know this side of them, and they liked it that way just fine.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," the petite blonde replied, taking a small bite of a sugar cookie, "he always feels the need to annoy me. I don't know why he likes picking on me so much, it's very frustrating. I wish he would just stop it."

"You really have no idea?" teased Yaya, choosing not to participate in their snacking. Her stomach still ached, and she had learned her lesson…for the afternoon.

"What about you?" the girl with strawberry pink hair chimed in, "How are things going with you and Kukai? You've been together for a few months now, right?"

"Almost six," the youngest of the three replied, slumping slightly with a sigh.

"What's that reaction all about?" probed Rima, focusing on the brunette.

"Well…" Yaya started, looking a bit downcast, "It's just that…half of the time, Kukai treats Yaya like a…little kid."

Amu set down her pizza and Rima finished her cookie.

"Like a little kid?"

"Yeah," she replied, having their full attention, "He doesn't always kiss Yaya like a boyfriend usually would. We don't even kiss that often, and…he doesn't really make any…moves."

Two girls blushed, "M-moves?"

The other girl flashed her famous pout, "Yes, moves."

It was surprising to hear Yaya talking…well, like a woman, instead of her usual bubbly self, but she was almost eighteen, completely old enough to feel these frustrations.

After a moment of studying her friend, Amu finally responded, "Well, if it's bothering you, you need to tell Kukai."

"Tell me what?"

All three girls looked up at see their male companions entering the room once again. Kukai was in the lead, setting two large bags down on the floor, and setting a pie down on the low table.

Yaya quickly thought up a fib.

"Yaya is bothered that you didn't call me when you got out of class."

He laughed and ran a hand through his tasseled hair.

"Sorry. I thought you would be with Amu at Ikuto and Utau's apartment," he explained, "I stopped by there to surprise you, but you had already left."

Yaya's eyes softened.

"You're forgiven."

The rest of the group chuckled.

"So, was Ikuto bragging to you about how I'm being forced to cook him dinner tonight?" Amu asked, her expression less than happy.

"Actually, no, Utau answered the door," Kukai explained, taking a seat on a cushion next to his girlfriend. "She said Ikuto was pretty sick. He was in bed and she was taking care of him.

Amu became concerned.

"Ikuto's sick? But I just made him breakfast this morning, I thought he seemed fine."

"He did have some large bags under his eyes," Nagihiko noted, thinking back to a few hours previous.

In her own mind, Amu reasoned that Ikuto did feel a bit warm when he had grabbed earlier. The memory made her face redden. But at the same time, she felt overwhelmingly concerned. Of course, she wasn't going to let anyone else know that.

"I'll go and see for myself," she shrugged, getting to her feet. "I'm supposed to be cooking him dinner, but if he's faking this just to trick me, I'm going to kill him."

"You're leaving? But I just got here," Kukai argued as he reached for the nearest snack bowl, "besides, what about planning for the party? You cant just leave it to us."

"We already made most of the arrangements while we were waiting for you," Nagihiko smiled, making the other man wince.

"Don't worry, I'll come back if he's faking," Amu assured, grabbing her bag and strapping the Chara's pouch around her waist, "I also promised Ami I would be home tonight, so I want to try and make it there as early as possible. If I don't come back, I'll see you all tomorrow morning to set up the decorations."

Her friends said their goodbyes and she waved hers while walking out of the crowded room. She was a bit surprised that Tadase had followed her, and her curiousness was greeted with a smile. He was always so polite, and she'd almost forgotten he insisted on walking her out every time she would leave his residence.

"Sorry to leave early, but I really need to see if he's faking," she suddenly announced, trying to hide her shyness.

"It's fine," he answered quietly, "I wouldn't be surprised if that cat was lying."

After walking through the front gate, Amu smiled and waved as Tadase closed it behind her, "Thanks again for walking me out."

"You're welcome, Miss Hinamori," he replied, giving her one last sweet smile before she turned and began her walk towards the Tsukiomi residence.

She didn't notice his strained sigh and his falling expression.

Ikuto sat up in bed and tried to inhale through his clogged nostrils, becoming dizzy instantly. Not a single wisp of air was able to pass, and he was forced to take a breath through his mouth.

His head was congested, and his ears felt like they needed to pop. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and failed at suppressing a cough. How in the hell had he gotten this sick so quickly?

Looking over at his mirror, it was confirmed that he looked just as he felt: like crap at the bottom of a crap barrel.

Yoru was asleep at the foot of his bed, finally giving up at trying to help his master feel better after spilling a bowl of steaming hot soup into his lap.

All in all, it had not been a very rewarding day for Ikuto.

He forced himself out of bed and walked over to his dresser, picking up the bottle of cold pills and flipping it in his hand to read the instructions.

"And here I was told you were sick."

The man nearly dropped the bottle as he peered over his shoulder, being greeted by the sight of his lovely maid leaning up against his opened door.

"Amu…"

"You look terrible." she suddenly interjected, pushing herself away from the doorway.

"It's nice to see you too."

"You sound terrible."

"You always know just what to say to warm up my cold and frozen heart."

"Oh, for the love of God. Get back into bed, Ikuto," Amu demanded, taking the pills from him and leading him back to his place of rest. "Is it time for your medicine?"

"That's what I was trying to find out," he replied, getting back under the covers. "I don't know how many hours I need to separate my doses."

"When was the last time you took them?" the maid-turned-nurse questioned, turning on his desk lamp to read the small print on the bottle.

"Around noon," he responded, covering his eyes with the back of his arm, "And a lot of good it did me. I feel even worse now, I'm completely stuffed up."

"That's because the virus is still attacking you," Amu informed, popping open the bottle and shaking out two small pills, "I'm still surprised at how quick you've gotten ill. I almost didn't believe Kukai when he told me you were sick."

"Kukai?" Ikuto questioned, retrieving his glass from the night-stand, realizing that Amu must have brought him a new one, "How does he know I'm sick?"

"Utau," was all the girl said before handing the pills over to him, watching him as he took them, "You need to take these every six hours. You're an hour late, so that's probably why you're as congested as you are."

"It's seven already?" he gasped, catching his breath after swallowing, "How long have you been here?"

"Almost three hours," was her answer as she shoved him back against his pillows, setting a tray over his lap and placing a bowl in the center. "It's no steak dinner, but you need to have some soup. Do you think you can eat it?"

"Yeah, I can eat it," Ikuto insisted, a bit surprised at Amu's behavior. "Why didn't you go home when you heard I was sick?"

She knelt on the floor beside his bed and shrugged, "Honestly, I didn't believe you were sick at first. I wanted to see for myself."

"I see," Ikuto managed, taking a spoonful of soup and blowing on it lightly.

"But when I checked up on you, you had a fever and were shivering, so I knew it wasn't a joke," she continued, looking away from, him, "Utau is still tired from yesterday, and she'd just get sick on her own without any rest. I decided I'd stay at least until you had something to eat."

He fell silent, eating his meal peacefully and quietly, realizing just how hungry he really was. Amu leaned her shoulder against his mattress, letting out a sigh as she closed her eyes, most likely resting them, he thought.

He finished his meal and set the tray aside, looking down at the young lady as she relaxed.

"Make sure you don't catch what I have," he suddenly said.

She opened her eyes and gazed up at his, turning around and pushing herself up onto her knees, resting her elbows on the top on his bed, "Don't worry, I don't get sick that easily."

Suddenly, his cheek was against hers, and Amu could only freeze on shock.

Her mind processed how warm he was, and how he seemed strained as he breathed, but all she could focus on was the way his breath was tickling her neck, and how masculine his shampoo smelled. She had secretly always loved the scent of his shampoo.

"Thank you, Amu."

It felt as if he was putting more weight on her, and she was concerned he was close to fainting. But he continued talking in a gentle tone.

"This really means…a lot to me."

"Ikuto, you have a fever," she offered quietly, her cheeks beginning to burn like his fever, "I don't think you even know what you're saying. You should lay back down."

Instead of doing as she suggested, Amu nearly turned to stone as she felt his soft lips press against the side of her mouth, just inches away from her own lips.

She didn't move.

She didn't speak.

As a matter of fact, her own actions surprised her.

She just remained completely still, not angry or upset or even scared.

The encounter didn't last more than a few seconds, but the simple gesture left her own mind reeling. Amu reasoned that it had to be his fever making him behave this way, and nothing would be gained from yelling at a man who was to sick to comprehend what he was even doing.

His eyes met hers briefly before he sunk back into his bed, looking at her through half-lidded eyes.

"Will you stay here?"

"W-What?" asked the stunned woman, trying to get her brain to work once more.

"Will you stay here?" he asked again, "With me?"

He seemed so incredibly small and helpless, not at all like the Ikuto she knew. He usually towered over her, in height, personality, and wittiness. But in his current state, he seemed almost as fragile as a thin piece of glass.

She managed a nod, her expression remaining serenely soft.

"Of course I will. Just get some rest, I'll be here."

He didn't smile, but seemed instantly comforted by her assurance as his eyes fell closed and his strained breathing began to slow.

Once he was fast asleep, she was left alone with her own thoughts at keep her company.

Her small companions were fast asleep in the pouch around her waist, and only she remained awake in the quiet room. Amu's own eyelids began to feel heavy when her thoughts drifted from one subject to another. The Christmas party, Ikuto, her friends, then back to Ikuto once more.

She was confused and tired, not one of the best combinations when trying to sort out your own feelings.

Finally giving up for the moment, she decided to rest her own eyes for a few minutes, since she was more than likely going to be up caring for the man throughout the night.

However, she ended up falling asleep not long after, her final thought being how much Ikuto's room smelled just as he did.

(Chapter Four - End)

Holy flaming monkey nuts, batman~

So, I totally apologize for making everyone wait so damn long, then producing this crap chapter.

My grandmother is currently in the hospital, and I've been pulling long shifts at work, so things have been a bit rough for me. I've had a bit of a writer's block because of it.

I had really hoped to have the Christmas chapter for this story up on Christmas, but I don't know if that's going to happen. I hope that even thought this chapter wasn't up to the level of the others, you'll all still enjoyed it.

As always, thank you all so much for all the lovely reviews, and awesome encouragement!

Please keep them coming, so I know everyone's still interested in this story! Though this chapter is a poor example, I really work super hard on it. And I've already come to know a lot of you by name. xD

Thanks again!

P.S. - Am I the only one spazzing over all the awesome Nagi/Rima moments in the series right now? Seriously, it makes me want to hurry up and get to all the juicy bits with them in this story!

Chapter Completed: December 23, 2008

Sin Katt