Nakushita Neko Toshi: Chapter X

The Hunters in the Hall

xxxCatsOfTheShadowsxxx, O_O oh my goodness, I did not expect a review so fast! And thanks for not killing me….good thing I have the next chapter kinda finished. Otherwise, it'd take forever and a day for me to update again…

101 PrettyKitty, Oh, no worries, see? I've updated MUCH faster than last time. And thank you!

0x-i-Need-A-Hug-x0, Oh, wow. I just tend to forget for a year….twice in a row….ehe….I'm actually surprised anyone still reads my story! And I'm certain you had a really good reason for not updating! ^_^

Chapter 10: The Hunters in the Hall

Finally, she had gotten Tadase to leave her house. Saying that she figured he would feel much better if he rested up at home. Tadase, continuing his strange behavior, was insistent that he stay the night, in case some ruffian were to climb in her kitchen window. Amu, more than a little angry and still a lot scared of Tadase, pointed out to him, keeping her hatred for him from her voice, that he himself had climbed in through her window and she had harmed him quite badly, for the which she was still "sorry" for. Which, with look of shame, caused Tadase to, finally, leave.

After she had closed the front door, Amu returned to her bedroom. She wanted nothing more than to be near Ikuto. Since he knew what all had happened, both in his life and her life since he'd come into it, she felt safe around him. True, she'd found him unconscious on the ground, a person that she'd, at the time, had no idea if he was good or bad. As she had come to find, Ikuto is more than a good person, but a most kind and caring person, even for all that he had suffered through. True, she felt sad that he had such a painful past, but he had come through it all and to her. For that, she was most grateful.

Walking over to her bed, she climbed onto it and wrapped her arms around Ikuto from behind. A little while after her confession that she liked having him around, Ikuto had withdrawn his arms from around her and looked away, many emotions on his face. Anger, worry, hate and sadness all played together across his face. When she had left to rid her house of Tadase's presence, he had given her a look, fully of concern, but had let her go. This look had struck something inside of Amu. Never before had any boy, man, other than her father, look at her like that and she found that she liked the feeling it gave her.

Placing her head next to Ikuto's, she held him, not knowing what else she could do to help him.

"Ikuto?"

The only indication that he had heard her was a slight turn of his head towards her. Otherwise, he kept looking out her window.

"Are…are you okay?"

Amu hugged him more, hoping he would feel that she wanted nothing more than to help him. In reply, Ikuto turned around and looked at her, a strange and unreadable expression on his face. It made her feel safe, made her feel like nothing bad would come to pass and she always wanted to feel like that.

"I am always fine. But…."

"But?"

Ikuto said nothing, but lightly picked her up and moved her such that she was sitting on his lap, his arms wrapped tightly around her waist and his face buried in her neck. He held her as though he was afraid she would disappear. As if she was something that he wanted to keep only for himself and no one else.

"But…. I am worried. Worried that something….might happen…..to you."

To say that Amu was surprised by his actions and words would be an understatement. Never had she expected such a thing to happen. No, Ikuto was been the man she had saved from dying, but now…now she did not quite know what Ikuto was. Certainly she had not known him as long as she had others, but she trusted him more than almost anyone. His arms, actions and words of the last few hours and caused her to feelings to change. She felt…cared for. Wanted. And dare she say…loved.

Letting her feelings, new and fragile, control her, Amu carefully lifted Ikuto's head to look him in the eyes. Kindness, caring and even a little love, shone in her eyes. Words formed on her lips, but the look in his eyes stopped them cold. Love. Nothing but love stared back at her. A blush covered her cheeks, and she ducked her head. She felt dizzy. Dizzy and happy. What was it about that look that made her like this? Not even Tadase had caused her to want to be looked at like that.

Watching as Amu ducked her head, Ikuto chuckled quietly and hooking a finger underneath her chin, lifted her head to look at him once more. Her face, which was covered in a deep blush she kept turned away from him.

"Amu."

She turned her head away more.

"Amu, look at me."

Amu ducked her head again and tried to escape his arms, but he tightened them further, keeping her in place.

Knowing that Amu would not look at him, Ikuto bent his head down towards hers and kissed her cheek. Suddenly with a surprised, wide-eyed look on her face, Amu's head shot up. Opening her mouth to speak, be it to shout or to question, Ikuto placed a finger to her lips, silencing anything she might have said. Carefully gathering her up in his arms, Ikuto laid Amu on her bed and laid next to her, holding her close, and pulled the cover up over them, falling into a quiet, content and dreamless sleep.

"Yes, Father."

Standing before the grand, golden throne, Tadase had finished telling his father what had recently happened. Though his father held him low, Tadase still strived for his approval. He knew that this information would please his father and raise him in his eyes.

"You mean that the same Neko you, being weak and soft, let live is somewhere near you? And you have not yet finished hunting him?"

Bowing his head, showing respect to his father as the Grandmaster Hunter, Tadase nodded. Though he knew it would raise him, he also feared that having come without Ikuto's head might cause his father to despise him more.

"Very well. Be sure that when next you come you bring his head as proof. If not, you will find my anger to be far greater than ever before. Leave me."

With that, Tadase was dismissed by a wave of the Grandmaster's hand. Quickly leaving the grand hall, walking down the ornately carved wooden hall way, he was careful to not look at any of his fellow Hunters. They all knew of his failure to kill Ikuto and they all thought him to be weak. 'But when I return, bearing the head of that damned Neko, they will never more doubt my strength!'

Throwing open the door, Tadase confidently and proudly strode out of the deceptively plain glass doors. The Hunter's Main Lodge, as it was called, resided in an old office building. Most people thought it was an information technology business. This belief was strengthened by the fact that everyone who entered either wore khakis and a button down shirt or a suit. But once inside, all Hunters were required to change into their Hunter gear and when they would leave for the day, required to change back into their "work" clothes. This is how they managed to operate under the noses of every single government in the world.

Soon, Tadase would also have his own, specially commissioned, Hunter gear and he would wear it proudly. He knew that Ikuto could not have gotten too far from Amu's house. If he had been as hurt as Yaya had made out, it'd take more than a week or two for Ikuto to get a few miles away, since he cannot use public transportation. Climbing into his car, turning the key in the ignition and pulling out of the parking spot, Tadase decided that he must ask Amu to hang out and when they did, he would ask her where her guest had gone.

"Though, how can I get her to tell me? There must be something….ah. Yes. I shall say that I had heard a man who preys on women living alone had been spotted in the area and that his method of gaining entrance into their home was through….feigning injury. Yes. That will work quite, quite well."

A devious and evil smirk graced his features. Driving home, careful to not speed, his smirk turned into a twisted smile of joy. Soon. Soon that damned Neko would die and Tadase's birthright as the next Grandmaster Hunter would be returned to him.

Huh. This chapter….I don't know. I'm not sure if I love it or hate it…..You tell me. Leave me a review telling me if you think I need to rewrite it or not.