Disclaimer: I don't own Shugo Chara.
"This is a big favor you're asking."
"I know. And you've already helped me so much, but I really want this, Ikuto." Amu looked up, her eyes met Ikuto's across the table, "Please."
Her eyes were so big and gold, deeper than anyone else's he'd ever seen. Ikuto swallowed, and gave his thoughts a kick in another direction. "You know I'll ask for something in return."
She nodded, "I'll do anything."
Of course she would. Ikuto leaned back, "How about..." Something that would give him a nice view of all the drama that would ensue. "Being my manager for week?"
"Huh?" Amu blinked, "What do you need a manager for?"
Ikuto shrugged, "Nothing, I don't need one. I just want to see what would happen." He grinned sweetly.
"So you're doing this just to mess with me?"
"Pretty much."
"You're a jerk."
"So I've heard."
Amu couldn't believe she was even considering Ikuto's offer, "What would I do as your manager?"
"Let's see, manage my schedule... buy my lunch when I'm busy... try not to get yourself mauled by jealous girls... I think that'll occupy most of your time."
Amu glared back at him, "Are you kidding? I have a life, how will I do my jobs when I'm managing yours?"
Ikuto smirked, "That's your problem. I can call in a favor with almost any company, in return for your enslavement for... a week."
Amu blanched, "A week? That's too long."
Ikuto finished his coffee and set his mug down, "Why don't you sleep on it? Call me with a decision by the end of the week. Later." He tossed down enough money for the bill and a large tip and walked out the doors.
Amu took the liberty of ordering a second muffin with the extra money before also leaving.
It really wasn't if she had much a choice, but she had wanted to bargain a little before giving in to whatever demands Ikuto would have. Unfortunately, Ikuto was better at negotiating than she was.
Or rather, she was just really bad at it.
She walked down the street, sighing.
"Calling so soon, Amu?" Ikuto answered his phone, haughtily. Amu could hear his smirk.
Earlier that week, she'd received a call from The Soloist. They were offering a contract with them for a year. That was a solid, steady, guaranteed salary for an entire 12 months and it meant she could work a minimal amount of jobs with other companies that amount of time.
But it wasn't enough for her to refuse Ikuto's offer. In fact, she was now in the ideal position to accept it.
Most models got waitressing jobs after getting contracts like this. She was selling herself to a hot narcissist who was surely going to take advantage of her servitude.
Who said god doesn't have a sense of humor?
"Amu?" Ikuto called in a sing- song voice. She realized that she'd spaced out and rushed to answer, "Yeah, I'm here." Amu swallowed. Here goes nothing.
"I accept. The slavery thing." She tacked on at the end, and winced. Hopefully he wouldn't use that admission from her as an excuse to make her do weird things.
"Really? That's great. Bye." The phone clicked as he hung up. She pulled back and stared at the phone in disbelief, what the hell? No appreciation at all? No "Thank you"? "This'll be fun"? "Cool"?
Jackass.
Her phone rang again. 'Ikuto :)' the caller ID said. She'd added the smiley as a spur of the moment thing and was seriously regretting it now.
"What?" She snapped into the receiver.
"You start next Monday." Ikuto voice drifted over the line, sounding vaguely amused. He'd probably hung up before just to annoy her. "Meet me outside my apartment."
"Righty-o, boss." Amu said sarcastically, "Should we discuss my work hours?"
Ikuto chuckled, a genuine and sincere laugh, and Amu couldn't help but feel a warm shiver run down her spine.
"My schedule tends to change day to day. Are you ok getting here by nine o'clock on Monday?"
"Fine."
"You'll get a lunch break when I do." He paused, "Or whenever I'm busy in a shoot and you have a minute."
"When can I go home?"
"What's the hurry? I bet you'll be begging to stay by the end of day."
"Don't hold your breath."
"Always so cold. Unfortunately, you'll have to stay until ten. That's when my last shoot ends."
"Nine to ten?" Surely that was not a standard work day.
"Don't worry, I'll get you home safely." Amu could tell that there was sincerity behind his words. "Or you could just sleep with me." Not so much sincerity there.
"That won't be necessary." She replied dryly, "I'll meet you in front of your house on Monday."
"Actually, I'll pick you up at your house, it's on the way."
"'How nice of you." Amu said bitingly, "Thanks."
The minute they hung up, Amu's bedroom door burst open. "Amu!"
"Wha-"
Yaya rushed into their room and Rima followed close behind, "Were you talking to Ikuto?!"
"Yes... How did you know?"
"We were listening by the door."
"No," Rima corrected, "Yaya heard you talking, pressed her ear to the door and told me everything you said. I didn't actually directly listen."
"Which makes everything better." Amu said sarcastically.
Yaya ignored her, "I can't believe you're going on a date with Ikuto!"
"It's not a date-"
"Do you realize that for the whole three years we've known him, he's never shown interest in anyone?"
"That's great, but we-"
"And then you come along," Yaya throws her hands out dramatically, "And boom! He's in love!"
"He is not in love, Yaya." Amu glared at both her roommates, "If either of you had bothered listening a little more closely, you would have realized that what we are doing is not the slightest bit romantic or... or date- like."
"Oh, we heard that part." Rima said flippantly, "Slavery, nine o'clock, monday, blah, blah, blah. What you don't seem to realize, is that this is the perfect foundation for a situation in which both of you fall in love with each other."
Amu blinked. "Really?" She didn't have much experience in this aspect...
"Totally!" Yaya rushed towards her eagerly, "Think about it, Amu! You might become Ikuto's first girlfriend!"
"Wow, what an honor.", Amu said flatly. As uninterested as she sounded, Amu's heart was beating fast enough to rocket out of her chest. It would be pretty cool to be the first person Ikuto became attracted to...
Oh, who was she kidding. She would give an arm and a leg for that to happen. But no one else had to know.
"I don't want to be Ikuto's girlfriend."
"Please, Amu. Everyone wants to be Ikuto's girlfriend on some level." Rima scoffed.
"You want to be Nagi's girlfriend." Yaya murmured mischievously.
"Right." Rima said, totally nonplussed, "So my attraction level is fairly low. But that's not to say if Ikuto fell madly in love with me and asked me out, I would say no."
"That's true." Yaya mused. "I guess I wouldn't either. But this isn't about us!" Yaya took Amu's hands and began jumping up and down excitedly, "It's about Amu, and how Ikuto is gonna ask her out! This is so exciting!"
"Yaya. Ikuto. Is not. Asking. Me out!" Amu tried to say around Yaya's bouncing.
"Not yet." Rima said, putting a hand on Yaya's shoulder, forcefully holding her down, "But he will. And when he does, you should be ready."
"Ready for what?" Amu asked, exasperated but still adversely curious.
"I don't know. The moment, I suppose. We should work on your reaction."
"Shouldn't I just act naturally?"
"Exactly, you have to practice acting naturally."
"But... isn't the point of acting naturally... to be natural?"
"No, it's to seem like you're acting natural."
"But wouldn't that already be accomplished if I just be natural?"
"Of course, which is why you have to practice acting naturally! I don't see what you're not getting, Amu."
"No, Rima. I think you're the one who doesn't understand."
"Ok, rule number 1. Don't get too cheeky. That's not attractive."
"What, rule number 1? You have a list of rules?"
"No, I'm making it up as I discover all your bad qualities."
"That's stupid."
"Rule number 2, don't insult your date's plans."
"You're not my date. And neither is Ikuto!" Amu tacked on at the end.
"Rule number 3-"
"Stop it!"
