DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own Shugo Chara!, nor do I own the characters.
Attractions
~Chapter 11~
He waited. Four years, he waited. And tonight, he'd be able to stay with her again. For real now. Because now she was twenty-two and he, twenty-seven. It didn't look so bad now that they were both in their twenties and away from school. People wouldn't really see their relationship as something of taboo. It only looked bad when they were younger because of schooling and life. Now, it wouldn't be so bad.
Ikuto had made a name for himself over the years. He had graduated college at the top of his classes and was able to get a professional job as a violinist, playing with an orchestra that traveled across the world. When he was younger, his father had told him stories of how he had traveled the world with his rag tag team of fellow instrumentalists. Aruto had been one to play the violin as well. He was the one who had inspired Ikuto to strive for this dream that he had in his grasp at this day.
He'd flown in just this morning, just for Amu. It was the evening of her twenty-second birthday, and he wanted to surprise her. He hadn't told anyone of his plans on crashing her party- although he was able to get the information from Utau without her realizing his intentions. The party had actually started already, but his flight had been delayed. He didn't like the fact that he couldn't have seen her sooner, but he thought that maybe it would be better for his delayed appearance. It'd just be all the more surprising, wouldn't it?
As Ikuto got into the taxi cab and relayed the adress of the Hinamori household, he let his imagination flow. He could see himself walking up to the front door and ringing the doorbell, making all the party-goers wonder just who it could be. Hasn't everyone already arrived? Amu would ask herself. So she'd open the door and her beautiful eyes would go wide and her pink lips would drop open in the most adorable expression in the world.
He'd smirk at her and open his arms for a hug. And she'd immediately run into his arms and they'd embrace for the first time in forever. And then, they'd kiss. He'd dreamt of kissing her every single day since that incident four years ago. He'd enjoyed the sweet taste of her lips. Like strawberries.
And after that, they'd go into the party and Ikuto would scare away any guy that even thought to try and talk to her. She would be his and he would be hers. They'd be together from then on, forever.
But, his plans were, once again, ruined when the cab broke down in the middle of the road. The driver cursed and got out, examining the car and pulling out his cell. Ikuto knew immediately that they'd need a tow truck. But he wasn't willing to wait. He had to get to Amu. Tonight.
Although he was still many miles away from Seiyo, Ikuto stepped out of the car and grabbed his suit case. Paying the driver and ignoring the man's questions, Ikuto started walking down the road. He calculated just how long it would take for him to reach his destination. At the pace he was going, he'd be able to reach her house at two in the morning.
Ikuto scowled. This whole journey was going to suck.
Amu woke up as her parents and little sister entered the room. She was visiting from college for her birthday. She was happy that they had a mini-vacation stuck into the end of September. She'd be able to spend time with her family on her special day.
"Happy Birthday, Amu!" the trio chorused, giving her a platter of bacon, eggs, and a buttered biscuit with some apple juice.
Amu smiled. They were so sweet. She sat up and allowed her mother place a kiss on her head as her sister set the tray of food on her lap. The three left her to herself as she began to eat. When the door closed behind them, she sighed.
As Amu ate, she allowed her thoughts to wander. She wondered when Ikuto would come back. She really missed him and every time she thought of her high school graduation, her tummy would flutter with butterflies and her heart would start to pound. But there was always a feeling of pain in her heart when she remembered this. She didn't know when she'd see him.
When she finished her food, she set the tray on her bedside table and stretched. Stepping out of bed, she made her way to her bathroom and got a move on for her day.
Skipping steps, she ran down the stairs and was greeted by Utau and the former Guardians. They were all sprawled around the living room, talking to each other as if they hadn't noticed her presence yet. Nagihiko and Rima were sitting on the loveseat and she noticed the close proximity they were in. She always knew the two of them were perfect for each other.
Amu smiled when Yaya gave Kairi a kiss on the cheek as the younger girl giggled. The two of them had been together for a couple months now. But that was only after Amu pointed out their obvious attraction to each other. It was great that they were finally together. She just wondered when she and Ikuto would be together...
She shook her head and cleared her throat, making everyone turn to her.
"Happy Birthday, Amu!" they exclaimed together, Tadase the first one up to give her a hug and present as the others followed.
Each person gave her a small package- may it be wrapped in colorful paper or placed in a bag with tissue paper surrounding it- a hug, and a smile before each person had finally did their own thing.
"And now, we have to get the party ready!" Utau said, sidling up to Kukai's side.
Amu raised an eyebrow. "What party?"
"The one we," Utau motioned to all the others in the living room, "planned."
"Do my parents know?"
"Of course! Why wouldn't they?"
"Because I didn't know!"
"Oh, quick moping, Amu. Let's just get this party on its way!"
Things were quickly set up, and Amu was looking down the guest list that Utau had provided for her. She recognized all the names from her past. Each person was someone who she had been close to- even from before she had moved to Seiyo.
She turned to Utau and gave her a big smile. "How in the world did you get all these people to come? How did you even do it?"
Utau returned the friendly gesture and replied, "I asked your parents for a little help. After getting names, it wasn't too hard to get everyone to come."
"So, it's going to be a bit house party?" Amu laughed.
"Yeah, but don't complain! It's not like everyone is a billionaire."
"I know. And congratulations on your record deal. I'm proud of you Utau."
Utau turned her head from the birthday girl, a slight blush coating her cheeks. "Stop saying that stuff. It's your day, not mine."
Amu laughed again, patting Utau on her shoulder. "Whatever you say."
The hours ticked on until it was finally time for the party to start. People began trickling in through the front door. Each time the doorbell rang, Amu answered, greeting old and new friends and thanking each person for their presence and gifts. Soon, all the people who were invited had straggled in, and the party was in full swing.
She mingled with every single person. She laughed and spoke with everyone. She hadn't had so much fun in her life. And although not everyone knew each other, they took it upon themselves to get acquainted with every single person that was invited to the place. Soon, everyone could address each other by name and knew a few small facts about each other: age, favorite color, where they're from. Amu couldn't find a time where everyone she knew and loved were in the same room, getting along even if they didn't know them.
Well, all but one. But the famous violinist was shoved into the back recesses of her mind. She didn't know when she'd see him again. She was sad that he wasn't with her right now. But she couldn't afford to be sad. She had to be a good hostess and entertain everyone in the room. And she couldn't do that while she was sad.
Amu quickly shook her head and did her best to enjoy herself. It wasn't all that hard.
He was absolutely exhausted. He'd finally made it to the border of Seiyo. All he had to do was pass the city and get to his house, drop his things off and freshen up just to surprise his girl.
It hadn't taken as long as he had thought it would. He was actually there at the perfect time. It was about eleven and he knew that the party didn't end until three a.m. He had enough time to be able to do everything he wanted to and get there with a lot of time to spare.
Smirking, Ikuto stepped into the large city not too far from the small town that was right beside it. He had to stop and smile a couple times. Some of the residents recognized him and wanted autographs. The fastest way to get away was to give the people what they wanted (he'd learned that long ago when he first got into the business). And even though it took a long time, he thought that it was worth it.
After signing an autograph, Ikuto peered into a window, noticing something that instantly reminded him of Amu. It was a necklace; a necklace with the most beautiful heart charm he'd seen. It shone in the false lighting of the store, and he wondered just how it would look like if the sun were shining on it. He was sure it would be breathtaking.
He walked into the store, already closing and asked the shop owner how much it cost. Being the man he was, he was able to pull some strings into getting to buy the object, not allowing the owner to give it to him for free. He wouldn't be like other celebrities; just taking things because they could. That wasn't his style.
He quickly left, calling back to the man that he could keep the change. After all, Ikuto was in a hurry.
He quickly began jogging down the street and reached the little town. It wasn't long until he reached his house. He knocked on the door and wasn't surprised when him mother opened it, glomping him and sobbing happily into his shoulder.
"Oh, Ikuto, I haven't seen you in years!" she said, looking her 'little boy' over. "You've grown up so much..."
Ikuto smiled. "Thanks, Mom. Hey, Dad."
The adults let him in and he instantly ran to his room. He took a quick shower and got into some clean clothes before grabbing his phone and the necklace he bought and heading downstairs.
"I have to run. I'm going to see Amu!"
And with that, he was out the door.
His plan didn't really go as, well, planned. When he got there, a random person opened up the door. He guessed it was just one of her old or new friends; just someone he hasn't met yet. He mingled around and said hello to people. Everyone recognized him. They knew him. The thing was, word was going out around the whole room. He had to sign autographs and take pictures. With so many delays, he'd never get to Amu before someone told her.
He was pulled to the side. A girl wanted her friend to take a picture of her with him. So, as the girl positioned herself next to Ikuto, she hugged him and smiled at the camera. It was only nice for Ikuto to embrace her as well and smile too.
"Ikuto?" someone called as the camera clicked.
Immediately, Ikuto let the fan go and turned around. And right in front of him was the girl who he had wanted to see for so long. "Amu."
Her party was amazing so far. She'd seen so many faces that she hadn't seen in a while. Everything that was happening made her happy. Their dinner (pizza that was attacked until it was no longer there) was eaten and the cake was served. They all had just finished watching her open her presents. Now, people were just mingling. Mingling, dancing, and making out in the corners.
A couple of times, Amu found herself face to face with Utau and Kukai, hidden in a corner, sucking each other's' faces off. She tried not to be disturbed by it. She was happy for her friends, really. But... she really could go without seeing that. Ever.
It was her fault for getting them together in the first place.
What had really surprised her was the fact that she also caught Kairi and Yaya together. It wasn't like how Kukai and Utau were; those two were... she couldn't even explain it. Yaya and Kairi, they were sweet and shy. It was cute in a slightly scarring way.
The lights were low and everyone seemed to be having a fun time. Amu found herself laughing much more than usual. She let go and enjoyed herself to the fullest for the first time in a long while. She hadn't felt this care-free since she was a young child. She liked it.
She didn't know when she first noticed it. It just started and... crept up on her. Everyone had a brighter glow in their eyes. They were whispering to each other, excited, giddy remarks about someone. Fingers were pointed to the other side of the room and giggles were shared within a circle of girls.
Amu raised an eyebrow. Who in the world could make so many people so excited?
Deciding to find out for herself, Amu pushed her way through the crowd, passing her friends a couple of excuse me's and sorries. When she was finally through the tight crowd, she stopped in her tracks. There stood a tall man with a very familiar figure with deep blue hair.
Her friend of elementary school, Aiko, wrapped her arms around his waist after asking for a picture with him. The man stood rigid for a moment, relaxed and awkwardly placed his arms around the girl. They smiled at the camera.
Now who could that be? Amu knew the exact answer to that question. He had become so famous over the years he's disappeared from her life. He'd pursued a dream that she hadn't known he possessed. And by the sound of his violin all those years ago, she knew that he was amazing. She'd gotten curious. Maybe she was his first fan. Because even before Ikuto's parents knew about it, Amu had looked him up and bought his CD the very hour it came out. She listened to all of his compositions and found herself stupefied at his amazing talent. Apparently, her hobby caught on to the rest of the world.
The click of the camera brought her back to her thoughts. And the first thing that came out of her mouth?
"Ikuto?"
The man in front of her pulled away from his hyperventilating fan and turned to her. His eyes were wide and they were filled with hope. And when he saw her, his facial expression softened, his eyes turned to a warm pool of midnight blue, and the most beautiful smile she'd ever seen graced his lips.
"Amu."
"W-wait... you know each other?" Aiko, who was watching from the sidelines, asked.
Amu could only nod. She couldn't speak; her voice wasn't working. But she really didn't mind at that moment. All that mattered was that Ikuto was here, at her house, smiling at her in a way that made her heart flutter and mind turn to mush. It was weird to say that she enjoyed the feeling.
"Amu..." he whispered, taking a hesitant step towards her.
When she didn't move, he walked to her with quick strides. And once in front of her, he swept her into his arms. Amu felt the warmth radiating off of his body, loved the feeling of his arms wrapped around her in a comfortable embrace. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she burried his face into his neck, standing on the tips of her toes so that she could hold him closer. She breathed in his scent, that same smell of vanilla that she'd always adored.
"You're here."
She felt Ikuto nod, resting his head on top of hers. "I did."
Tears spilled over the rims of her eyes and trailed down her cheeks. She felt so happy; happier than she'd felt in a while.
"I missed you," she whispered, the words portraying all the hurt she felt of him being gone.
His head buried itself in the crook of her neck as he held her closer. "I'm so sorry."
It was a few more minutes as they stood in their embrace that they held before pulling away. Ikuto wiped the tears from her cheeks, giving her a soft smile.
"I missed you, too," he said.
Amu cracked a small smile. She felt happy when she heard those words. They made her feel warm.
The two turned to the source of the sound of a person clearing her throat. Aiko was watching them, curiosity in her expression. And the rest of the room pretended they weren't sneaking glances and that someone didn't just turn the music down so that they could listen in on the conversation.
"So, you two know each other?" Aiko asked, sounding slightly jealous.
"Yeah," Ikuto answered for them, resting his forehead on Amu's and cupping her face with his hands.
Whispers spread across the room like wild fire. Amu could hear the hushed voices of her friends and knew they were wondering of the depth of their relationship. From the position of she and Ikuto, she felt they knew that they were pretty close. She felt her cheeks burn red.
Ikuto smirked, noticing her flustered gaze. "Well now, Amu, why are you suddenly so shy?"
"H-huh?" Amu gasped, expression horrified.
He leaned in a closed his eyes, doing his best not to smirk and succeeding. "You never were so flustered when I brought you close to me and kissed you so passionately, you couldn't even remember your name."
Amu's body turned bright red. "That never even happened!"
"Would you like it to happen?"
She squeaked in surprise and embarrassment. She tried her best to pull away, but he held her close to his being, smirking down at her flustered movements. "No! Go away!"
He let her go and put a hand to his heart, feigning a hurt expression. "Aw, Amu, I'm hurt. You don't feel the same?"
"H-huh? Wait! I- uh... I do, but, no! I don't- hold on- umm!"
She watched Ikuto laugh. It was the same laugh that she loved to hear from him, the one that barely even came. She hadn't heard it in forever. And now that she heard it, she felt the butterflies attacking her stomach.
She could barely hear all the squeals and groans and words being transmitted throughout the room. They were all talking about the spectacle that was going on right in front of them; of Amu and the famous violinist, Tsukiyomi Ikuto. Obviously, Ikuto hear it too.
"Let's continue this conversation elsewhere," he said, grabbing her hand in a gentle grasp and leading her out the back door.
Amu heard the uproar that Ikuto created as the two walked out the door. The sealing of its frame only muffled the loud ruckus.
She felt his hand around her wrist, his warmth emanating into her skin. She reveled in the feeling of his presence. She loved it. Being away from him for so long made her realize how much she cared; how much she loves him.
Amu stopped her thoughts. Did she just think that? That she loves him? She felt herself flow with emotion. She does love him. She just hadn't realized how much she cared until now. Her feelings were deep and her heart was true. From being away from him for such a long time, then suddenly have him come back into her life and make her feel so happy showed her just how much he meant to her. He meant a lot to her. He was her everything. Everything.
She looked up at the twinkling stars from beneath the trees, their light peeking out from between the leaves.
"Amu," Ikuto called.
She brought her gaze back to him, getting caught in his eyes like she always did. "Hm?"
He said nothing, did nothing. But after a few seconds of what seemed like hesitation, he stepped forward, stooped down, and brought her into a mind blowing kiss.
It started off sweet. His lips were simply held against hers in a feather light touch. But when she kissed him back, he became a little more aggressive. He pressed his lips against hers firmer and brought his hand to the back of her head to keep her in place.
Her heart was pounding. She hoped to every deity that she knew out there that he couldn't feel it. Although, she was sure he did when he smushed their bodies together as he wrapped his other arm around her waist. It was only then she realized his kisses were getting desperate; she wasn't kissing back yet.
She instantly felt bad. He thought that she didn't like him that way. That wasn't true, though! She really did! And before he could pull away, she threw her arms around his neck and pulled him in closer.
There was nothing that could break them apart in that instant. She felt so differently than she did before. Her heart was swelling and she felt as if she were soaring above the clouds. That must have been how it felt like to be on cloud nine.
When she pulled back for a breath, Ikuto gave her little time to allow her to do so. He captured her lips once more and pulled her to him in a strong grip once more. Her head spun in a mixture of thoughts and emotions. She copied his motions and let herself get lost within the kiss.
She didn't know when, but they finally parted, panting from the lack of air. He rested his forehead on hers and they stared deeply into the other's eyes. They didn't move for a while, just stood in their embrace and let themselves be comforted by each other's presence.
"I got you a present," Ikuto said, breaking the silence.
Amu looked at him, surprised. "Really?"
He smirked. "You didn't think that I forgot your birthday, did you?"
"You didn't?"
Ikuto's playful expression melted off his face. "I didn't. Why would you think that?"
Looking down at the ground, she replied in a whispered voice, "It's been so long… I thought you'd already forgot about me."
The hurt look on Ikuto's face broke her heart. She hadn't meant to hurt him. She was just stating what she thought had happened. It wasn't like she didn't feel hurt all those years when he never showed up to anything that was important to her.
"But I didn't," he insisted.
Did she just say that out loud?
"Yeah, you still are."
"Oh."
"Amu, I didn't forget about you," he said, looking at her with a soft expression. "I was always there. When you had a play, when you graduated, when you received an award and sometimes when you walked home and you kept looking back as if you were expecting to find someone there; I was with you. I was right there, making sure you were alright and watching you make a name for yourself."
Tears overflowed from her eyelids. She felt so happy, completely and utterly happy. However, she still felt the hurt of him not making any tries to go and see her face to face. She wished he would have come back a couple times, called her on her cell or chatted over IM-ing or e-mail or whatever! She wished he'd made a commitment to get to speak to her even though they weren't allowed to talk face to face.
"Why didn't you contact me?" she asked, her curiosity beginning to bud.
"I thought that you'd forget about me and get someone worth your time."
"What do you mean?" Did he just say that he didn't really care? Then what was that kiss about?
"I don't deserve you. You can have so much better. I want you to have the best of everything because that what you should have. I'm just… someone who left you for a long time just because he got scared of making a wrong move and scaring you off."
"I don't want anyone but you. You're the best for me. I want you."
Amu stared into his eyes with a warm, teary look. She cupped her hands on the side of his face and pulled him down to her so that their lips touched. His arms circled her waist even tighter and he enjoyed the feeling of her being so close to him. When she pulled back, he opened her eyes and pulled the necklace from his pocket.
She gasped when she saw it. It dazzled her with its elegance and beauty. "Wow."
His lips tugged into a smile. "When I saw it, I thought of you. I knew I had to give it to you."
Amu smiled and allowed him to clip the necklace around her neck, shivering as his breath hit her neck. He took a small step back and looked her over. She tried her best not to blush. He didn't show any sign if she was or not. She let her face contort into an expression of confusion when he nodded to himself. Just what was he thinking?
"C'mon," he said, interrupting his thoughts, "let's get back to your party. You are the host, after all."
It turned out that the party didn't even end until four in the morning. It didn't matter to Amu though. Her sister and parents were fine with it. They had mingled with all of her friends and rejoiced with Ikuto and asked him many questions of his travels and of his career. They hadn't even noticed the time.
When the last person left through the door, Amu and the Guardians set to work, cleaning up the living room, kitchen, patio, and all the other places that were littered with cups and garbage. Ikuto helped along side them, gracing Amu with a hug or kiss whenever they crossed paths. Amu made sure that they did a lot.
And when the whole place was cleaned, everyone but the Hinamoris and Ikuto left. Amu thanked them for the party and welcomed them back whenever they wanted. They just had to call first. And when they were out the door, her sister and parents retired up to their rooms for the rest of the night. And the two were left alone for the first time in years.
The two didn't speak for a while. They just looked into each other's eyes. Amu felt shy at the moment. Not seeing him for that long did that too her. Although she was happy, she still couldn't get back into the same feelings and emotions and comfort that she'd always had felt when he was with her when she was younger. But she'd give the world to be with him for the rest of her life, to never be seperated from the man she loved again.
"Hey, why don't you head up to sleep?" Ikuto spoke up, breaking the silence. "You look worn out."
She looked down so that she didn't have to meet his eyes. "I don't want to."
The floorboards creeked slightly as he stepped over to her, his hand reaching beneath her chin to tilt her head up. He looked deeply into her eyes. "Why not?"
Heat flodded her cheeks. She knew exactly why. But it was embarrassing to her to actually say it out loud. "I'm afraid that when I wake up tomorrow, you won't be here."
Ikuto's eyes softened dramatically, a small, sad smile playing on his lips. Wrapping one arm around her waist, he led her up the stairs and to her room. He closed the door softly behind them and had her sit down on the bed. Carefully, he took off her shoes and tucked her into the bed, her head resting softly on the pillow.
"You should sleep. I promise I'll see you in the morning." Ikuto started towards the door.
Just as he was about to touch the doorknob, her voice rose into his ears:
"Wait."
After a second of a pause, he turned around to face her. She was looking at him with wide eyes, looking like the ten-year-old girl he'd met for the first time long ago. She looked as if she wanted to say something; something important. He gave her a small nod, letting her know that she could say anything.
She took a deep breath, and whispered, "Stay with me?"
Ikuto felt warmth flood through his body. He felt immensely happy. So she did feel the same way he felt. He toed off his shoes and made his way over to the side of her bed. She lifted her covers and he took the opportunity to slip into the them.
Lying there with her, the soft moonlight highlighting her features, he felt as if he had reached the heaven he'd always dreamed of.
And as her eyelids fluttered closed and breathing evened out, he whispered gently into her ear with the love he'd harbored for her all the years he'd known her: "always."
~End~
The end! :D
Was it good? Yee? Noooooo~? Tell me in a review! I hope that you all liked the ending. I have a feeling some of you won't like the kiss. :3 Sorry guys, I sort of felt like I had a bit of writers block when writing that scene. I had no idea how to put that into words. But that's the best I got~
It was a long chappy! Aren't you happy? Haha, that rhymed :P Anywho, this is the longest one that I made. And I hope you all enjoyed it.
Thank you all for supporting me with this story! I love every single one of you! Thank you for all the reviews, favorites, and story/author alerts. I appreciate how so many of you actually enjoy my work. I hope you all continue to follow me and my stories. :)
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