A/N: I would like to apologize profusely for my lack of account activity. I haven't had the time lately due to constant classes and work preparation. On top of this, a little one I know has died recently and gone to heaven, and that has been a bit hard on me. But I will try to update before school starts up again, because from then on I'll be at school from six to four, then homework until sleep. Weekends will most likely become common update days. As for the other story, that will most likely be posted tonight.
R.I.P Darci Mariee Rios 7/14/15
"Utau! Bring the basket over here!" Yaya shouted. Utau rolled her eyes and lugged the heavy picnic basket from the back of Ikuto's car.
"Can I get some help here?" Utau asked Kukai in an annoyed tone. Kukai chuckled.
"Sure, babe." He said and helped her carry the requested picnic basket to where everyone was sitting. The group all sat on a large blanket in the park nearby the house, enjoying the hot weather. Months had passed since anything had gone wrong, and they were all enjoying summer.
Utau and Kukai sat down with the rest of the group on the blanket and opened up the basket, pulling out the large quantities of packaged food. Nagihiko sighed as he stood up, preparing to make his latest announcement.
"Everyone, I have something to say." He stated. Everyone stopped eating and payed attention to the tall boy.
"I'm going to cut my hair soon." At this, food fell from people's mouths. Nagihiko chuckled nervously.
"Wait really?" Rima questioned in surprise. Nagihiko nodded sheepishly.
"Nagi, that's awesome!" Tadase budded in. Nagihiko smiled happily. Rima stood up and hugged her boyfriend tightly.
"Why don't we just do it after the picnic?" Yaya suggested. Everyone turned to her.
"Not a bad idea." Kairi confirmed. Nagihiko smiled wider and nodded quickly. After the proclamation, the group began eating and chatting quickly, eager to get to the nearest hair salon.
"Are you sure you're ready to see?" Rima asked Nagi. After about a half hour and non-stop haircutting, Nagihiko was finally finished getting his hair cut. The remains of his hair rested in a bag, which would later be donated.
"Just turn me around already!" He demanded. Ikuto spun the younger teen around towards the mirror. Nagihiko's hair was now shorter and messier with a little stray hairs in his face. Rima was blushing deeply as she looked at her boyfriend's new look.
"I... love it." Nagihiko stated breathlessly. Amu smiled proudly as Ikuto wrapped an arm around her.
"You can finally leave the past behind sweetie." Utau commented. Tears then began to fall down Nagihiko's face and onto his lap.
"Thank you guys. You were all there for me when I came to the foster home, and now look where we are. I have a beautiful girlfriend, amazing friends, and we're all happy." He stated. The group smiled.
"Fuck this, let's all get makeovers of some sort." Tadase suggested. The group looked at one another, ideas flowing between them.
"Let's look really fucking bad ass." Utau piped up as she smiled widely and sat in a chair. The others followed suit, some having to wait due to lack of chairs and workers. About an hour later, some of the teenagers had changed their hair, while the others wanted to do something else with their appearance. Utau's hair was now cut to the middle of her back and dyed with purple ends. Yaya had her hair dyed a darker brown. Tadase had cut his hair a bit more messy and dyed it pure black.
"Damn babe, that's a big change." Rima said to Tadase, who smiled brightly.
"We're different now, guys, but not different enough." Ikuto said. Thoughts suddenly came to Amu's head.
"Tattoos." She stated. The group looked at her as if she was crazy.
"Hey, in case you didn't know, that's illegal for all of us except Ikuto." Kairi reminded. Amu shrugged.
"My brother got a tattoo when he was sixteen at some place downtown. I say fuck it, let's go." Kukai retorted.
"I'm down." Utau added.
"Same here." Rima and Nagi said in unison.
"Alright hop in the car. Kukai take the little ones and Utau and I'll take Amu and the others in my car." Ikuto ordered after the kids payed for their haircuts.
"Well now I'm nervous." Amu whispered to her boyfriend as he lay on the table. Ikuto scowled at Amu.
"I'm the one going first here." Ikuto retorted. Amu giggled and kissed him. The rest of the group watched as the artist sat down and began doing his work on Ikuto's back. Meanwhile, Tadase sat in a chair on the opposite side of the room, holding Rima and Utau's hands as a woman worked on his shoulder. Tadase got a tree on his shoulder with the caption, "With roots to grow," in lacy cursive writing. Ikuto was getting a large tattoo on his back over all the scars his dad had left him. The tattoo was a large tribal print that swept across his whole upper back. Since Ikuto's tattoo took the longest, after Tadase was done, Rima went next. She got a wrist tattoo with the quote, "Life Goes On," and with it, a heart rate scale going at a normal pace. Ikuto finished his and looked in the mirror, smiling at his new look.
"I want one more on my chest, over my heart." He said to the man. The man smiled widely.
"I like you, kid. What do you want?" The man asked. Ikuto smiled and whispered to the man so no one else could hear, much to Amu's annoyance.
"Alright alright. Come with me to the other room so we can make the design." The man said and led Ikuto to another room. Another woman came in and worked on Nagihiko next. Nagihiko got an entire sleeve of tattoos on his right arm as well as the date he was saved from his parents on his left wrist. Kukai took Rima's place and got a bird flying on his chest. Ikuto then came back with wrapping on his chest over the heart.
"You got it already?" Kairi, who was sitting in a waiting chair with Yaya in his lap, asked Ikuto. Ikuto nodded with a smirk.
"Can I see?" Amu asked. Ikuto nodded and she pulled pack the bandaging to see her name in lacy writing. Amu looked up with wide eyes at her boyfriend as he smiled down at her.
"Now you're stuck with me." He joked. Amu laughed and kissed her boyfriend, careful to avoid the new tattoo.
"Alright. Amu, Utau, you guys are last." Kukai pointed out. Utau sat in the chair and the man who did Ikuto's tattoo worked on her while Amu got her wrist tattoos done. Amu got the words "Stay Strong," on her left wrist and on her right wrist, she got an open birdcage. Utau got a dandelion blowing away on her upper right back.
"All done kids." The artists said.
"Wait. One more on my chest too." Amu added. The man smiled and shook his head.
"What do you want girly?" He asked. Amu looked over at Ikuto, who was messing around with Yaya.
"His name."
"Damn, it's late." Tadase said. The sky was pitch black and the stars twinkled as the group walked on the abandoned street. They already called their foster parents and told them that they were seeing a late night movie, which was a little white lie.
"Let's go back to the cars and drive to the beach." Rima suggested. The group all agreed and walked back to the car, then drove to the beach. The all walked down to the shore and formed a little circle, watching the water under the moonlight.
"I'm really glad we're all alive." Utau said quietly. The group nodded.
"We made it. We're going to be okay now." Kukai added.
"Maybe it's finally over." Amu said hopefully. Ikuto kissed her forehead.
"Your sister and Terra and Alex are watching out for us. Marci too." He stated. The group nodded and sat in silence.
Enjoying what being happy felt like.
"H-help..." A voice trailed weakly. She had been stumbling to find a road for hours now, holding her wound.
"Ma'am? Everything okay?" A cop car pulled over with the window rolled down. The woman cried out in happiness.
"Help me. I'm injured." She answered. The cop immediately got out and helped her into the car.
"What's your name and what happened?" The cop asked as he started the car, ready to drive the young woman to the nearest hospital.
"My name is Marceline, and the story is too long to tell."