DISCLAIMER: I don't own Shugo Chara in any way, shape, or form, because if that were so, I'd have to deal with normal people and they'd have to deal with me and maybe the manga wouldn't have been serialized so easily.
--
Alright, everybody--back to business. I took a vacation, but I decided I should pick up on the chapters again. I think I'll be finishing it soon, but I'm not really sure. I mean, I am making this up as I go along.
Audience: So this entire time…you've put us through an Amuto-based turmoil…just because of a few well-worked ideas?!
Me: Dude. What did you think authors do all through their careers?
Audience: I am going back to that Tokyo Mew Mew fanfic "Don't Unravel Me" to grab my holy water and the rest of my arsenal. By the time I get back, you sure as hell better have something to put yourself back together with, damn it!
Me: …Okay. I'll just let things go as they usually do and meet up with you guys at the end of the chapter…
Reviewers who get many thanks:
kouhaixsempai, Diabolical Kitsutora, Kiku18, animefreak43213, Ikuto4ever, AnimeLovaXD, Sakura Anime Lover, VampLover1994, kuutau4everx3, TsukiyomiAlikutoMissaWatusi, and Midnight Neko12798.
The clickers receive many hugs as well, 'cause they rock like that.
Thinking
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Chapter 10: Emphasizing
Hesitantly, Ikuto placed his hand on the handle of Amu's balcony. Even now, when he was still a little hurt, he didn't want to break this ritual. He sighed, wondering if he'd ever walk in Amu's house the way she used to insist. Then again, she seemed to prefer this way of entrance as opposed to a regular door, but he knew she'd never actually admitted it yet.
All things come in time, he thought to himself as he easily slid into her room.
Without taking any further instruction from the female charas, he walked over to Amu's side briskly, leaning down to feel her forehead.
Nothing was wrong. No fever, no cough, no shivers. She was just laying on her bed, trapped peacefully in her sleep. He turned to the charas ominously, summoning a giant blue paw on his right hand.
"I have been tricked. You will face the penalty. Hell, I might even eat you."
"Nuh-uh!" Ran insisted, flying forward bravely. "We told you she wouldn't wake up and nothing else, so we didn't lie."
Ikuto mused over it sourly, then realized they were right. "So what do you want me to do about it?"
"Whatever works," Miki shrugged. "Usually she's so excited around you that we figured one of her normal outbursts would startle her awake. And if that didn't pan out, we also figured that since you two always wind up fighting with each other every time you talk, that might work, too."
"What lovely options you've given me," he grumbled, turning back to Amu.
In annoyance, he flicked her forehead. No change in condition. He pulled her nose, but not too hard. Nada. He picked up her hand and let it fall back down. Zip-o. He sighed, deciding to go with what, under usual circumstances, would make her want to throw a chair at him and throw him off the balcony and hope he broke his neck on the way down. He really hoped she wouldn't hear enough of it to kill him.
"Hey, Amu, I bought you some real nice blue panties with ruffles and pink ribbons, so when you slip them on, you can think of me. And they came with a matching bra, but who knows if your flat chest will make good use of it."
He found to his utter dismay that her eyes didn't even flicker.
"I can see why you considered a need for outside help," he told the two charas. "Wait. Wasn't there another one of you?"
"About that~desu…" Suu began.
"Yoru kind of…stole her?" Ran finished lamely.
Ikuto just sighed and ran a hand through his hair and went back to trying to rouse Amu from whatever sleep she had gotten herself into.
--
"Water spray?"
"Yes, sir!"
"Food?"
"As best as we could~desu."
"Um… Pulling her hair?"
"Just a bit."
"Okay, what haven't you tried?" Ikuto finally caved, seeing their brainstorming session was slowly getting them nowhere.
Miki looked up and pointed her eraser at him. "You."
"Come again?" he requested.
"We haven't tried you," she elaborated. "What if you did something a boyfriend would do?"
He looked away stubbornly. "Like that'd work."
"Think about it," she implored. "She came straight home after Nagehiko saved her--" Ikuto gave her a quizzical stare "--and went into that state. Do you honestly think the rain did that to her? Do you really not believe that the prospect of losing you didn't shock her into a coma-like sleep?"
"That's stupid," was his argument.
"But not impossible," was her winning point.
"Well, if you're so adamant about this, then I'll do it. But you'll feel pretty dumb when I prove you…"
He tilted Amu's head and kissed her gently. He was going to pull away when he felt her respond and saw her eyes flutter open. They separated, and for a moment, neither of the two fully-awake teens made a sound.
"…wrong," Ikuto completed his sentence.
--
All at once, Amu's innocent eyes grew troubled and she backed away from Ikuto to grab her pillow and swat at him with it.
"Ikuto! What are you doing here? And what's with you kissing me out of nowhere--? never mind, just go home!" she yelled frantically.
"Happy now?" Ikuto growled between dodges. "I liked it better when she was asleep."
"Asleep?" Amu repeated, pausing in her fluffy attack to listen to Ikuto's explanation.
"You've been out for two days. Or so the charas say," he pointed at the tiny floating beings who were busy hugging Amu.
"Well, that doesn't make sense," she laughed nervously. "W-Why would I possibly want to sleep for that long? And miss school? Oh, it was such a good opportunity and I blew it? Man, I feel like such an idiot!" She stood up and made her way to her dresser. "I should get changed out of these clothes before I really ruin them. Maybe there's still time to come in for today…?" she wondered to herself.
His agitation growing, Ikuto sprung up and grabbed Amu, forcing her into a hug to stifle his frustrations.
"Ikuto? Um, what is it? Need something?" she checked.
He spun her around and kissed her, but this time he wasn't so gentle. "I need you to shut up and do what your face is showing. Even though I hate you with that kind of face, if you have to cry…"
That was all she had to hear before she catapulted into his arms. "Ikuto-koi, you shouldn't say you hate your girlfriend!"
"Amu-koi, might I remind you that there's a chance you won't always be my girlfriend?"
"Now is not the time to tell me you want to break up, stupid."
"Mm-mm," he shook his head. "Never break up. Just a few more steps ahead, toward the future where rice is flung and bells are tolling."
She pushed him away, startled. "Are you--Are you seriously proposing to me?!"
For some time, he evaluated her with his dark, captivating stare. The he gave her a grin. "Don't flatter yourself. How can I propose to a kid?"
"I'm not a kid!" she yelled, pounding him with her fists.
He actually started laughing.
"But, Amu, you won't always be a kid. So that means I won't always have to hold off on my 'proposal'."
Turning beet red, all Amu could scream was: "Quit emphasizing things already!"
--
"So it was all that damn Yuuki's fault?"
"Don't be mad at Yuuki-kun--his boundaries have been established, so we've got nothing to worry about."
"So I should thank this Nagehiko kid?"
"It would be nice."
"Well, if that's your only reason, then forget it."
Amu poked Ikuto in the ribs as they walked to school together, discussing what had gone on the last time they'd been there.
"Honestly, if it wasn't for Nagehiko, you'd have found me in a much worse condition," she harrumphed.
"I think you looked pretty cozy." Amu recognized his tone.
"I already explained that," she said softly.
"It doesn't change the fact that I realized you should be with someone like that." He exhaled slowly, refusing to meet her gaze.
"Someone like who?" she questioned, still trying to catch his eye.
"Someone your own age."
She pouted, not deterred in the least. "That doesn't matter."
"Yes, it does!" he stopped walking. "Because of me, you've been missing out on a proper dating experience. I mean, even my friends have admitted that it's weird to see us together."
She fixed him with an intelligent stare that surprised him a bit. "We both know that one day apart is hard enough. Seeing you in someone else's arms would kill me indefinitely. And let's face it…" She came forward and took his hand. "…it would tear you apart if I called you 'Ikuto-sempai' and nothing more," she smirked.
Taking advantage of Amu's hand placement, he pulled them both toward the school. "Then you can't ever break up with me without a damn good and loud fight."
"What, you think I was already through falling for you?" Amu scoffed.
He chuckled and gave her a backwards glance. "No way, checkered panties."
"Ikuto, shut up!"
--
"What's the verdict?" the cat boy asked at lunch.
Amu plopped down next to him. "The principal said that I have to stay two days after Yamabuki-san and Nagehiko in order for my missed classes back at Seiyo not to be counted as skips."
"That's not so bad," Ikuto considered.
"No, not really," Amu agreed, snuggling next to him. "I get to find out more about your school."
"And I'm just here for decoration?" Ikuto pretended to look hurt.
"Well, I can learn as much about you as I want when you break into my room at suspicious times, now can't I?" Amu replied slyly.
Unfortunately, a hush fell over the table the moment Amu started her 'sly' remark, therefore everyone heard it.
"I'm not even going to try and salvage my dignity," she reported, burying deeper into Ikuto shirt.
"Yeah, yeah," he allowed, eating his lunch like this was a totally normal occurrence.
Gradually, the odd stares receded and Ikuto nudged Amu a signal that she could come back out.
"That took a while," she commented.
"It was a pretty weird sentence," he told her.
"Truth is stranger than fiction," she fired back.
"Maybe you're just plain strange."
"What did I say about emphasizing?"
"I don't know, Amu. Why don't you remind me?"
"Now you're just doing that to annoy me!"
"Why would you think that?"
He snaked his arms around her waist and smiled at her struggling and kissed her nose for effect. Finally, she let go and slapped his head.
"YOU BIG, STUPID, JERKY, PERVERTED, CAT-EARS, COSPLAY, GUY! KEEP YOUR GODDAMN HANDS TO YOURSELF, ASSHOLE!"
"…Attention, Hinamori Amu: Those of us throughout the school can hear you, so would you mind being a little less public about your frustrations? Thank you."
"Ikuto-koi, don't just walk away."
"I think that's exactly what I should do, Amu-koi."
"I beg to differ."
"I beg you to see reason."
"What kind of reason?"
"The kind of reason that says you shouldn't kill your boyfriend."
"Kill? Never even thought of it. Disappear, maybe…"
"Oi, Takuma-sensei--I need to talk about that report on Buddha."
"Dragging witnesses into our affairs, eh?"
He turned around and flashed her a dazzling smile which made her run into the wall. When she looked up, he was walking off with his teacher.
"Damn that talented cat boy," she muttered, heading off to her next class just as the bell rang.
--
That was a very pleasant chapter, wasn't it?
Audience: Shut up. We aren't done with you yet.
Me: Um…when did you start?
Audience: (shrug) When you were sleeping.
Me: A-Alrighty then, I'm going to go check under my bed for some biblical plagues now…
Ready to purify:
Porcelain-Carrier-67