hector: Hey! hector here along with my friend Randie! Say hello!
Randie: Hello.
hector: Well, aren't you boring... :)
Ikuto: Yo.
Randie: I am not!
hector: I know that, but they don't... lawlz.
Randie: ... Who's they?
hector: All the readers of course. :)
Randie: OOOOOHHH... Hi EVERYBODY!
All: ... -cricket chirps-
Randie: WTF?!
All: HI! -get scared-
hector: Sheesh you people...
Randie: Yay!
Ikuto: What's this chapter about?
hector: Secret... I pay you so you can't quit! Mwahaha!
All: -sweatdrop-
hector: ANYWAY! Randie, please do the disclaimer for moi.
Randie: heather-chan doesn't own Shugo Chara or any of it's characters.
Chapter 8
Tell Me, Please
(Amu's POV)
I was walking home from school, it felt weird, thinking about the days' happenings. I had to tell Tadase I loved Ikuto, and then I had to kiss him! In front of everyone! I sighed, and slowed my pace, my steps very slow and many people walking around me, glaring as they did so. I sighed and squeezed my eyes shut for a moment, the few tears falling.
I wiped them away immediately, and was glad when no more followed. I heard loud thuds of footsteps behind me, and quick breaths. I turned and was nearly knocked over by Ikuto, since he slammed into me, hugging me to his chest tightly. "Mou Ikuto... I can't... breathe." I managed to whisper, and I could hear his heart beat out a jagged beat. His breath was quick and uneven.
"I don't care... are you okay?" He asked me urgently, not letting me go. I felt shock wash through me, Why does he care...? He said he cared about me but... No! He didn't mean it! He doesn't mean anything he says... I felt tears blind my vision, and I wiped them away fiercely.
Ikuto pulled away and looked down at me eagerly, holding my shoulders in place so I wouldn't leave. He leaned down and looked into my eyes, his were fierce and cold again, making shivers run down my spine in fright.
"Are you okay?" I heard him ask again, and I just stared at him, unable to answer his seemingly impossible question. He sighed with frustration, turning away from me angrily, hitting the wall of the stone building we were next to with the side of his clenched hand. I flinched as he turned back and stomped over to me, grabbing my jaw with his hand, holding it securely in place.
"Why can't you ever answer me? After all these times I've told you the truth, because I knew you wanted to hear it rather than a lie, even if it was painful. Yet every question I ask, why can't you answer me honestly?" He asked, his eyes showing anger and pain at the same time.
I swallowed, and his grip loosened a bit, expecting me to answer. Tears formed in my eyes again, and I tried to blink them away, yet they fell anyway. "Because you make me crazy! I don't know what the truth in feelings are anymore! And every time you do those... I get..." I trailed off, unable to stop the flowing tears.
Ikuto's whole face softened, and he smiled gently, pulling me to his chest again, wrapping his arms around my body. "I just don't understand... every time I'm around you... my heart starts beating like crazy... I just don't understand it." I mumbled into his chest, and I heard him chuckle.
(Ikuto's POV)
Boy, this girl really is dense... I thought as I chuckled at her words. She looked up to me questioningly, and I smirked. "Does your heart do that around kiddy king?" I asked, purely curious about her answer. She shrugged, wiping a few tears with her fingers.
"Not as much anymore, barely at all now... why?" She asked, and I couldn't help but smirk even wider than ever before. She tilted her head to the side, puzzled by my expression. "What is it Ikuto...?" She asked hesitantly, trying to back away but I refused.
I shook my head, still smirking. "Nothing, nothing at all. Come on, let's go home." She blushed from my words, and she nodded slightly, pulling away but I refused to let go of her, so I kept my arm around her.
"Ikuto! People will think we're dating!" She hissed, trying once more to get away from me. "Well, then let them think that." I replied, making her face to turn as red as a cherry. "Come on, let people think what they want. Let's go." I tugged on her, and she sighed, coming with me reluctantly.
At their house
(Amu's POV)
I went straight into my room and nearly collapsed onto my bed out of exhaustion. I watched as Ran, Miki, and Suu slowly retreated to their eggs. "I love you guys..." I said quietly, making them all look at me and sigh with relief, and their faces lit up.
"Amu-chan..." They all said together, and I smiled weakly at them, and then they went to their eggs, getting ready to sleep. I heard my phone ring, and I sighed, picking it up. "Hello...?" I said quietly, dully.
"Amu-chan!" The voice said, and I sat up, slightly alarmed.
"Nagehiko? Um, hey..." I said quietly, not sure what to say, I wasn't sure if Nagehiko had seen me earlier.
"Amu-chan, are you okay? Hotori-kun kept shouting about you and some 'thieving cat'. I assumed he meant that Tsukiyomi person. Do you know what he means? I remember something about you two being boyfriend and girlfriend, congrats by the way."
I gawked at the phone, did Nagehiko really say that? "You mean you'd be okay with something like that?" I asked hesitantly.
"If you're happy Amu-chan, we're your friends and shouldn't care who you date. I'm happy for you if you are happy. But I'll be ready if he hurts your feelings, whoever it may be, even if it were Hotori-kun. So, what's going on?"
I smiled gently, Nagehiko was always so kind to me. "Thank you Nagehiko, you said just about everything I needed to hear right now... just like always. And... it's complicated."
"The best place to start is at the beginning Amu-chan, and I have time. Tell me, please?" I could practically feel the kindness in Nagehiko's voice, and it made me feel happy.
"Well, I suppose it started the morning that Ikuto had first bothered me, do you remember?"
"I do Amu-chan, continue." I took a deep breath to steady myself, it came out long and shuddering.
"Well, I told you that my mom remarried, and she remarried... Ikuto's step-father... and he works for Easter! But... Ikuto always tells me the truth, and he always seems to be there when I need him the most." I didn't add in the parts about the Dumpty Key and our 'fate' was being together.
There was silence at the end of the line, and then some giggling. "Nagehiko?" I asked, somewhat shocked he would laugh at me like that.
"I'm sorry Amu-chan! But it sounds to me like your only problem is that you like Tsukiyomi-kun! He isn't your real brother, in any way really! I don't see a problem!"
I felt my jaw drop as Nagehiko continued to giggle every few seconds. "But what about Easter?!" I nearly shrieked, but I lowered my voice to a whisper so Ikuto wouldn't hear me.
"We'll take care of it, and there haven't been nearly as many X eggs as before Amu-chan, I think Tsukiyomi-kun likes you. Give it a try! What have you got to lose?"
"Being Tadase-kun's friend..." I said quietly, and I could almost hear the sound of Nagehiko's teeth clenching together.
"I'll talk to Hotori-kun, he has to understand that not everything is based around Tsukiyomi's actions. Lately Easter has barely done anything at all. And if Tsukiyomi-kun loves you like I think he does, Easter's population will probably go way down. If you hadn't noticed he does all the manual labor."
I pondered that for a moment. "You're right Nagehiko, and... could you talk to Tadase-kun? I just can't right now..." I trailed off, hoping that he would.
"Of course Amu-chan, if you're happy. I'm happy."
I couldn't help but think there was a small hint of sadness in Nagehiko's words, and I bit my lip. "Thank you Nagehiko, I'll see you tomorrow."
"Sure thing, bye Amu-chan!" I heard a 'click' and I snapped my phone shut, leaning my cheek flat against my bed. I closed my eyes and slowly sighed, and then I heard a slight knock on my door. I bit my lip, and turned my head away from the door.
"Come in." I said warily, and I heard my door open. "Who was that?" I raised my eyebrows. He heard my phone ring? Wow... "Nagehiko called me." I said quietly, keeping my eyes closed. "And... what did you talk about?" He said wryly, and I felt the weight of his body as he pressed his hands against the edge of my bed, leaning to see my face.
"Nothing much... just stuff." I said quickly, then cursing mentally, knowing he would catch my lie. "Tell me what you talked about Amu." He said playfully, putting more weight on my bed, turning me so I was on my back, making my eyes open up wide.
I was starting to sit up, and he grabbed my wrists and pinned them down on either side of my head, and then as I began to move my legs he placed his knees on either side of my outer thighs, and they pinned my legs down and together at the same time.
My whole face turned bright red, and he smirked, leaning down and smelling my hair swiftly. "Ah, my little strawberry..." He murmured, and I looked at him, my eyes showing my confusion and slight displeasure at his words.
He licked my cheek, and I turned my head from side to side slightly. "Stop it! What do you want?" I asked him fiercely, and he smirked, leaning back, but not loosening his pose or grip. "Tell me what you talked about."
hector: All done! Earlier than the other night, only 11pm!
Ikuto: Yay...?
hector: Yes, yay! XD
Amu: So, what are you doing now heather-chan?
hector: Going to bed, but for the moment I'm watching Friends.
All: ...
hector: I didn't need a reply to that! Ha! Anyways, I hope you enjoyed!
Ikuto: Please R&R! Bye everyone!
