Alright. I've been English testing for the past two days, so I don't have homework. I would have updated yesterday, but I had basketball practice... Didn't really have time... Plus, I was tired and lazy and didn't feel like writing.
On another note, I should probably update Coming Back... Unfortunately, I don't have any ideas for it at the moment... I also have wanted to get going on this story for a while. I really like it.. And I don't like it any MORE than Coming Back it's just...
N-O-space-I-N-S-P-I-R-A-T-I-O-N.
(*It's called writer's block, you idiot, Ryzxn.*)
Right. Knew that.
Anyway, I don't own anything from Chara Shugo... I mean. Shugo Chara! Wow, I fail...
You know what I mean x-x;...
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WAIT A SECOND.
I just noticed last Chapter says Chapter 2. That's supposed to be Chapter 3. Oops.
Also, thank you to reviewer. (Yeah, only one ;-;)
Anyway.
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Chapter Four: The Poison of Words
"So will you take care of him?" Mayu asked.
Amu's heart said, Of course! But instead, she said...
XXX
Amu was about to say, "Yeah. I'll make sure he gets better, but you owe me," when, somehow, her bedroom door opened behind her. Amu jumped slightly and turned around. A bundle of fur shot towards her. She yelped and Mayu hissed softly.
"What the heck?" Amu managed, slightly out of breath from the spook. "Jason. Get. Out. Of. My. Room. How did you get in here anyway?" Amu said softly, but fiercely, glaring at the animal.
Jason barked happily at Amu, as if saying, The door? Amu just glared at the dog.
"Why is that here?" Mayu asked, also glaring at the dog and still holding Ikuto on the balcony.
"I'm dog-sitting him," Amu replied. She sighed and crossed her arms, watching Jason.
Jason sat on the floor and looked at her, exuberant as ever, even in the middle of the night, and thumped his long, furry tail on the ground. He was small, with shaggy white fur that was constantly tangled. He seemed like some kind of terrier, and Amu thought he was called a Westie, or West Highland White Terrier. She wasn't exactly sure about the breed, though.
"He'll have to go if Ikuto is staying," Mayu pointed out, softening her glare on the dog, but still, definitely glaring.
"I know," Amu replied. She picked up Jason, and, though he squirmed considerably, dropped him gently on the ground outside her room and closed the door. She locked it.
"So he's staying?" Mayu asked hopefully.
Amu froze. She'd gotten herself into that. "Uh," she said.
At that moment, as if on cue, Ikuto stirred and groaned. He coughed weakly in Mayu's arms.
Amu sighed. "Yes, he's staying. Put him on the bed.."
Mayu's already-hopeful face changed to utter joy. She walked quickly into Amu's room and put Ikuto gently on the bed. As soon as Mayu's arms were free, she turned a squeezed Amu in a tight hug. "Thank you, Amu! I'll come check on him, tomorrow, 'kay?"
"Wait, you're just leaving?" Amu watched the girl turn, run to the balcony door, and go part way off the side of the ledge. "Mayu!" she cried, but Mayu had dropped to the ground. Amu sighed dramatically.
Of course, as if on cue again, Ikuto stirred. He lifted his hand to his head and it rested there, on his forehead. "So... dark," he muttered.
"It's night time, idiot," Amu couldn't help but growl the reply.
Ikuto's hand moved quickly from his face and he stared to sit up. Half- way up, propped up by his elbows, he moaned and squeezed his eyes shut. After staying in silence like that for a moment, he said softly, "Amu?"
"Yeah. It's me," Amu muttered. She walked over to the bed, put her hands on his chest, and pushed him back down. "Stay down," she muttered.
Ikuto's head hit her pillows with a soft sffftt! A ghost of a smile passed over his lips at Amu's words. He did as she ordered and stayed lying down. He kept his eyes closed, too. His hand absently played with the bedspread he was lying on.
"Where did they hurt you?" Amu asked softly, standing next to the bed and examining Ikuto's body. His shirt was torn in various places and there were a few gashes in his arms. They'd stopped bleeding, but the wounds looked nasty.
There was a scratch on his cheek. It wasn't too deep, but it looked painful. There was mud and dried blood decorating his face, clothes, arms, hands, everything. Amu absently picked a leaf out of Ikuto's hair and flicked it away. She didn't know why, but the leaf irked her... Perhaps she had some kind of pet peeve for annoying leaves.
Ikuto's hand stopped running over the blankets. "My arms," he said softly. "And my collarbone. Well, a little below it. There's one that's not as bad a little ways above my waist."
"You sure seem to manage a lot of words for someone with wounds like that," Amu muttered suspiciously, but as she watched him, she realized his breaths were quick and short.
"Crap," Amu muttered. "Ikuto, what the heck did you get into?"
"The Lynx," he replied, somewhat-breathless. Another ghost of a smile danced on his lips.
"I'll be right back," Amu said in reply. She crept out of her room, making sure to close the door so Jason couldn't get in. Staying as quiet as possible, Amu made her way to the bathroom. She got there, thankfully not waking up her mother.
Amu paused for a moment, thinking how weird it was that they had a two-story house, but only two people lived in it: Amu, and her mom. They weren't exactly rich, either. Amu shrugged the thought away. There were more pressing matters to attend to.
Amu closed the bathroom door and flipped on the light. The pinkette rummaged through the cabinets and drawers until she found a small first aid kit, antiseptic, some gauze, cotton balls - just in case they were useful for something after all, and a roll of bandages from who knows when. At least they were clean.
Amu exited the bathroom, barely managing to turn off the light with everyone in her arms. Again, she crept to her room, closing the door and locking it once inside. She dropped a few things on the ground as she fiddled with her door, but she didn't want Jason randomly barging in again.
Amu turned on the light before picking up the items off the floor and making her way to the bed. Amu dropped the things on the queen-size bed... on the other side of Ikuto.
Amu looked at Ikuto's arm – the one closest to her – and cursed under her breath. "Is this one the worst?" Amu asked softly, hoping Ikuto was still conscious.
She'd almost decided he'd slipped back into unconsciousness, when we finally replied, "No. The one by my collarbone is the worst."
Great, Amu thought, so there's a 'worse' than this. Just great. It took her a moment to realize what bandaging his wound would mean...
"Ah, crap," she muttered, before added another few cusses. "Seriously..."
"Something wrong?" Ikuto asked softly, gasping slightly.
"No," Amu replied quickly. Even thinking about that made her face redden. She shook the feelings away – well, tried to – she had to help Ikuto. "Can you sit up? Even a little bit? So I can take off your shirt."
Again, a small smile played on Ikuto's face. "I could try... " He opened his eyes and started to get up, only to gasp in pain and fall back down.
"Right," Amu muttered. "I'll just cut it."
"Fine by me," Ikuto panted in reply.
Amu wandered around her room, looking for scissors. She found some on her desk and grabbed them quickly before moving to the side of the bed. "If I poke you, sorry," she said quickly. Amu lifted the base of Ikuto's shirt that ended near his hip and hastily tore through the fabric with the scissors.
It took her a few minutes, but she did get Ikuto's shirt off his chest. One week ago she'd never think she'd be doing this... But Fate has a funny was of toying with people. Especially Amu.
Amu winced at the sight of Ikuto's wounds. Under any other circumstances, she'd probably blush, but not under these. The wound stretched from the end of the right side of Ikuto's collarbone, near his shoulder, and the base of his ribs on the left side.
The flesh around the wound was ragged and bloody. The color drained from Amu's face. She never imagined his wound could be that bad. "Berightback," Amu muttered before running out of her room, not bothering to be very quiet when she closed the door. She did bother to make sure it was closed, though.
Amu stood in the bathroom, over the sink, trying not to vomit. She didn't know why the sight of Ikuto's wound had affected her so much. She'd seen just as bad, probably worse, throughout the course of her life.
Amu eventually decided it was because it's been so long since she'd seen something that bad. Yes, that had to be it.
The pinkette returned to her room carrying a bowl full of semi-cold water and a washcloth. She used that for the excuse of her fleeing from the room. One glance at the wound almost sent her running again – almost.
Amu sent the bowl on the floor next to the bed. She dipped the washcloth in it and stood. "This might hurt."
"Alright," Ikuto whispered. Amu only heard him because she was close to him, studying the wound.
She set to her job. She dabbed at the start or the wound, near Ikuto's shoulder. He gasped and squeezed his eye shut – tight. "Sorry," Amu muttered, but she kept cleaning the wound, dipping the washcloth in water, washing the cloth, or getting new water when needed.
By the time she was done, both Amu and Ikuto were panting. Ikuto considerably more than Amu, but still: both were panting. "Well. The wound is clean," Amu stated. She looked at Ikuto, concern flashing on her face. A thought occurred to her. "Do you want some water?"
Ikuto didn't bother saying anymore than, "Yes."
Amu hurried downstairs. On her way there, she glanced at the clock on the wall. She thought it was maybe 1 A.M. When Mayu first brought Ikuto here. Now it was 3:00 A.M.
Wonderful, Amu thought, I just spent 2 hours of my sleeping time cleaning up a gash from a wolf DNA-infused human. That's new. And Ikuto has more injuries...
Amu moaned softly at the thought of fixing up Ikuto's other lesions. She hadn't even finished with the first one. Well, nasty wounds or not, Amu was going to fix up Ikuto. She'd promised Mayu. And Amu doesn't break a promise.
Amu got a glass of water with a bending straw. She took the glass to her room. "You're going to have to sit up, at least a little," Amu said.
"I figured," Ikuto watched her come over to the bed and set the glass on the ground.
"I have an idea," Amu announced, turning. She began digging in her closet and emerged with a huge purple pillow. "Lean forward, and I'll put this behind you. Then you can just lean against it."
"Got it," Ikuto replied.
He moved to hold himself up on his elbows. Then Ikuto sat up and leaned forward slightly. Amu quickly put the pillow behind him and helped him lean back against it.
Now, Ikuto was panting. Amu handed him the glass of water, but his hands were shaking from the recent effort, so she had to hold the water for him. Ikuto drained the glass quickly.
Amu set the glass back on the floor. "I might as well finish this..." she muttered, partly to herself. She grabbed the antiseptic and muttered, "This might sting. It's not supposed to, but in my experience, it often does."
Ikuto chuckled, despite the cut across his chest. Amu put some of the antiseptic in her hand and began rubbing it on the gash.
Ikuto winced, clearly in pain, but kept perfectly silent and still.
Amu, on the other hand, was having an opposite reaction. Despite the circumstances, Amu was conscious of what she was actually doing. It wasn't helping her keep her hand steady as she treated Ikuto. Nor did it help her think straight.
"There!" Amu announced, done. "Ugh. I hate the feel of this stuff." She rubbed her hands together. "I can bandage it, which is probably a good idea, but it means you'll have to lean forward again. Think you're up to it?"
Ikuto nodded and Amu set to work. In a few minutes, Ikuto's chest was bandaged and he looked a lot better. Still quite dirty from his swim in the pond, but better.
"You look better," Amu said.
"Thank you. You look good, too," Ikuto replied, smirking.
"That's not what I meant," Amu said, a blush beginning to tint her cheeks. "You must feel better if you've started teasing me."
"I wasn't teasing," Ikuto replied, looking at her seriously, his eyes shining softly.
"Shut up," Amu muttered. "And give me your arm so I can work on it." Amu had blown off his words, but that didn't stop her heart from being affected. Her heartbeat increased in speed, and her hands shook a little from excitement. Amu didn't show it, though. She never would let Ikuto know how he made her feel.
He probably made every girl feel like that when he just looked at them. The very thought made Amu feel weird and wrong.
Ikuto held out his arm, and Amu began cleaning it. She finished treating it with antiseptic and bandaging it. Then she moved to his other arm and finished it. Then she did his side. That gash was somewhat-deep, but not too bad.
The last one she did was his face. She sat on the bed, now, staring at Ikuto's cheek as she washed and treated the cut there. Amu couldn't help but often let her gaze travel to Ikuto's, though. She would get lost in his midnight-blue eyes for a moment before turning back to her work. She wondered if he noticed.
XXX
Okay, wow. I wasn't expecting to write that much. I guess I kinda got into it.. Anyway, sorry for a somewhat-lengthy chap. Or maybe you guys want longer chapters? I dunno, up to you guys, and I'll see what I can do.