Disclaimer:
2ManyShoez: -Wearing headband that says "Amuto" while writing fanfic- He he, I'm going to make Amuto the cutest couple that fanfiction has ever known. *-*
Amu: -Grabs paper and tears it up- What's with this Amuto crap you're talking about? It's never going to happen!
2ManyShoez: -Pulls out 100 laminated copies of the chapter- Nice try, but don't deny your undying love for Tsukiyomi Ikuto.
Ikuto: -Hugs Amu- I agree. Go ahead and confess your love for me~.
Amu: -Flails arms and blushes- No way in hell!
2ManyShoez: Mua ha ha! I do not own Shugo Chara. Plz R&R! –Glint-
The Meikyuu Butterfly
Chapter Nine: Messin' the Mall
Tuesday After School (Normal POV)
Kukai was whistling and stretching his arms above his head as Utau was viciously pushing along a shopping cart in a store full of Christmas decorations.
Utau abruptly stopped moving the shopping cart as her head pulsed from irritation. "How the fuck did I get stuck shopping with you?"
Kukai sighed. "Why don't you ask the mess you made while decorating the gym?"
"Screw you, Souma! That was so your fault!" she snapped.
Flashback
"I won!" bellowed Utau and Kukai in unison after they finished "decorating" the gym.
They whipped their heads around to scowl at each other.
"Don't be a sore loser! Admit defeat to me!" she commanded.
"Who would do that? And you know I won, Hoshina!" Kukai retorted.
Nikaidou stepped in and clutched both of their collars. "What the hell do you guys think you're doing? Look at this!" He motioned his head towards the gym.
The tables and benches that people worked at were knocked down, little beads were sprinkled all over the floor, and shattered ornaments were spread on the floor.
They both sweat dropped.
Kukai rubbed the back of his head. "Oh… Aha ha, well I'm going to leave noww. Please let me go. Sorry about the mess, Nikaidou-sama~."
Utau glanced away and crossed her arms. "That mess was not my fault."
"Well, someone's going to have to buy new decorations and fix the gym…" Nikaidou had a malignant glint in his russet eyes.
Ten minutes later, Utau and Kukai were blankly staring away from each other as they swept up the gym. 'Damn you,' they thought. They muttered profanity at each other as Nikaidou watched them with a lethal bin of school supplies to chuck at them if they messed things up again.
End of Flashback
"Just grab a bunch of tinsel and go. I still have to pick out my Christmas ball outfit, and you're dragging me behind with time, so hurry up."
'Lucky me to be stuck with this bitch,' Kukai sarcastically remarked in his head. "Well, I haven't picked out my clothes for the dance either, so stop complaining," he replied.
"Shit, you're not coming with me!" Utau had an expression of disgust.
"Hey, do you think that I'm happy about this? No, but I'm going to suck it up, since we have to bring the supplies back together."
They glowered at each other and started sprinting through the store to grab decorations. They raced out of the store after they paid for the decorations and stormed back to Seiyo High. Once they had sight of Nikaidou, they threw the bags at him and left. Kukai and Utau stopped running once they lost sight of the school and panted for a couple of minutes.
Kukai bursted out in laughter, and Utau joined in. He glimpsed at her in surprise, then he flashed her a huge smile. "Wow, you should smile more. You look better that way," he commented straightforwardly.
Utau stopped laughing and stubbornly looked away as she blushed. "Shut up, what do you know?"
'Heh, so even she can be this cute?'
"Aw, who's embarrassed?" he teased. She jabbed him in the arm, and he winced. "Geez, take it easy. Haven't you heard of a joke?"
"Hmph." Utau started walking away.
Suddenly, Kukai grinned and started dashing. "Bet you can't keep up with me, Hoshina."
"You're on," she declared as she scurried ahead.
They finally stopped at a small shop.
"Hah, is this your way of asking me to a dinner date? Whatever, try to keep up with me."
Kukai flashed a toothy grin and somehow knew exactly what was going on.
They rampaged in and sat down. "Give us the challenge!"
One Hour Later
The owner of the ramen shop bowed down multiples times. "Sorry, but you guys ate us out by winning 13 challenges!"
"No problem," Utau reassured as they both exited and left.
Then, she looked away bitterly. "I so won that."
"Ha ha, whatever. Everyone knows I won. You know what, I think we need to settle this at another shop," joked Kukai. (A/N: They're both sore losers xD. It was a tie).
"I'll do whatever I have to do." Utau grinned.
'Another side, huh? She should laugh more, too…'
There was a brief silence, then Kukai talked.
"So how come your beloved onii-chan wasn't here to supervise?" inquired Kukai.
"I'm a grown girl. There's no need for supervision," Utau replied coolly.
"Ha ha, I'm sure, but seriously, why?"
"He's working. There you satisfied?"
Kukai nonchalantly smiled. "Yep, super." He paused to change the subject. "So which way is your house? I'll be a gentleman and walk you home."
"Gentleman? Funny, but I don't need you to walk me home. Are you sure you don't want ME to walk YOU home?" She smirked. "Just kidding. I guess you can stalk me home."
Meanwhile…
Squealing girls were lined outside of Le Café in the mall (A/N: Don't you love my original café name? Loll).
The reason for all of the fan girls: a certain blue haired boy in a starchy, long sleeved shirt, a smoky black tie, a charcoal vest, and a pair of black pants. Ikuto served in Le Café as a waiter.
His manager came out. "Hey, Tsukiyomi-kun. We're short of some helping hands. Do you know anyone that could help?"
"Hm, I'll see." Ikuto flipped open his cyan blue slider phone.
Suddenly, his manager grabbed a girl. "Hey, you. Would you do me a favor and help out with some orders? I'll pay you."
"Sure, why not?" the girl replied in a Cool N' Spicy tone.
Ikuto recognized the familiar voice and smirked as he looked up. He was prompt to sneak up behind her and cover her eyes. "Need help changing, Amu-chan?"
His customers glanced over in jealousy.
"As if!" Amu elbowed him in the stomach and turned around. "What the fuck? You work here? That's freaking great. Well, don't make any assumptions. I just wanted to help your manager out. I need money to buy an outfit for the Christmas ball anyway."
She nonchalantly strode behind the counters to take her outfit, then she headed to the bathroom. Fifteen minutes later, she stepped out and grabbed everyone's attention.
Amu was wearing a white, lacey headband, a matching tube dress with layers of large frills at the bottom, a smoky black tie, a matching wide belt on her stomach, an obsidian, short sleeved jacket that stopped below her chest, and a pair of classic, black, tall boots.
'I wonder if this looks funny on me. I've never worn something like this before… Oh well.'
A bunch of guys piled up to be catered by her. Amu did not notice, since she was busy running around, filling in orders. 'Wow, I feel like an expert. These hosting skills are actually useful.'
The manager smiled as he viewed Ikuto and Amu working in sync, attracting all of the customers.
However, as he strode away, he failed to notice Ikuto's customer getting jealous and getting ready to pour hot coffee on Amu.
Amu was walking towards the counter to place the orders with the chef until a girl that she passed by took her teacup and "accidentally" knocked over the teacup onto Amu.
"My bad." The girl snickered with her friends.
Amu's leg trembled with pain from the burning hot coffee that touched her skin.
Ikuto kicked their table over and leaned in on the customer's terrified face. "Out," he commanded in a sinister voice. She was swift to take her belongings and run out of the café with her friends.
Once they left, Ikuto lugged Amu over her shoulder, and everyone exclaimed in excitement.
"Hey! I'm fine! Put me down right now!" Amu yelled in embarrassment as she blushed furiously.
He propped her onto a counter with a sink and sponges next to it. He wordlessly grabbed a sponge, soaked it in cool water, and took her boot off. Ikuto squeezed the sponge over her leg and rubbed it onto her leg to relieve her burns.
"I-I can do it m-myself, you know?"
Ikuto stopped soaking her leg and grabbed a towel for her. She nervously dried her leg, then she handed it back to Ikuto. Then, she placed her boot back on her foot.
Before she could leave, he glomped her. "Be careful next time. Don't make people worry about you."
She tried to push him off to no avail. "W-what are you doing? It was nothing. I'm fine!"
He let go, and she was about to run back out to the front of the café, but then she saw his melancholic expression.
A pang of guilt washed over her, so she walked back over, looked up into his eyes and hugged him. "There, there. I'm really fine, okay? I'm alright because you helped me, so thank you." She stopped hugging him and went on her tippy toes to pat him reassuringly.
He smiled genuinely and started laughing. "You're so cute, you know that?" He grabbed her and lifted her, then he kissed her on the forehead.
"W-what are you doing?" She covered her blush.