I haven't updated in sooo long D; And I'm very sorry for that. I was having issues with inspiration and generally just was getting too into other things. To be honest, though, it was all just my laziness. I don't know why my inspiration chose now of all times to come flying back but I'm sure glad it is back!

Hope you enjoy this chapter and again, I'm super sorry for the wait.

PS: Vote in my poll if you haven't already~ it's super important that you all do.

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Seductive Fragrance

x-chapter three-x

A Chaotic Saturday

A joyous way to start off what was supposed to be a peaceful, lovely, free Saturday morning. Yes, that's what it was. Joyous.

Her morning couldn't have been more opposite.

Amu sighed, throwing nervous glances at the letter she received that had lacked addresses of any kind. Thus, she assumed someone had personally come to her house to deliver it. Which meant cat-man and dog-boy most likely knew where she lived. The thought made a pit form in her stomach, and she shifted on the sofa uncomfortably, still wearing her pajamas; a simple old white t-shirt and long gray sweatpants.

She ran a hand through her hair with a faint sigh, her golden eyes unwillingly flicking over to the letter, which lay open, face up. She could easily see the damn print from here, too. She was positive one didn't receive letters with unmarked envelopes from school. They would be all fancy, with the address and seal and everything.

But no. The letter itself was too suspicious.

She was almost afraid to go change now.

Unfortunately, she needed to go out and return her library book, since it was due today. Not having much of a choice and not wanting to pay late fees, she groaned softly to herself as she dragged her feet up the stairs, almost expecting someone to lunge out of her room and tackle her to the floor. No such thing happened, and she was relieved her fears had been proven untrue. She hoped things would remain as such, since Amu wasn't looking forward to the visitors whom she knew would, at any given moment, and tear her peaceful weekend to shreds.

However, upon stepping out the front door she realized, no, she would not have her desired two days of peace. Of course not. How could she expect something like that to happen?

Cat-man Ikuto Tsukiyomi was standing just outside her front door, an amused smirk upon his handsome visage once he noticed her 'Oh shit' expression.

Well, what the hell.

"Something you want?" Amu asked casually, turning to close the door and lock it. Though she sounded rather nonchalant, she was feeling quite the opposite.

He chuckled slightly. "There could be."

Deciding ignoring the beast would be her best option, she turned, having been far too distracted to notice his animal appendages were absent. Upon realizing this, she turned slightly, glancing back at the man who was surely following.

As expected he stood a few feet behind her, arching an eyebrow at her pause. She glanced up, then down. No ears, no tail. She could actually even see human ears. Maybe she had imagined the animal parts last night? He seemed like a completely normal human.

"Looks like I'm ahead of the game." He mused to himself, his smirk changing into an unidentifiable expression.

Amu blinked, having no clue what he meant. "Huh?"

He shook his, head, smirk returning as if it had never been absent. "Oh nothing, little mouse."

She had been about to resume walking until she heard his unnecessary comment. "What was that?" Amu had heard it perfectly. Mouse?

He shrugged. "Is it a crime to call you something cute and delicious smelling?"

Without a word, Amu turned. This guy was way too weird. Not just weird. She knew weird people. He was far, far beyond weird. The fact that he considered mice to have an excellent aroma was odd enough already.

As she thought he would, he continued to follow behind her, almost completely silent. She had expected him to continue annoying her to come degree but he never did. She blinked in surprise at the thought as they reached the library without any further setbacks. He still kept his distance even after she entered the library, went up to the librarian at the front, and successfully returned her book without incurring any late fees (thankfully).

Just when she exited the library, she bumped face first into another man, who rather smelled...unfortunate, to say the least. He peered down at her, scowling. "Hey girl. Apologize."

Amu bit her lip. "Sorry?"

The man scowled. "That doesn't cut it. You are sort of cute, so go out with me." He smiled sloppily, the effect was repulsive.

Amu frowned. "Can't I um...apologize to you some other way?"

"No."

She shifted from foot to foot, weighing her options until she felt a pair of arms take her from behind. The hold felt way too familiar. Her back was pressed against a solidly muscled chest, and someone's chin was rested on top of her head. His smell, however, was wonderful. She knew all too well what it was, and figured it would be in her best interests not to struggle this time. The man looked taken aback.

"She's mine." Was all he said. She wished she could have seen his expression, for the other man paled and quickly edged by them into the library. Amu let out a quiet sigh of relief upon his exit. Thank goodness.

Then she shifted slightly in Ikuto's hold, wanting to get free but he refused to let her. "Um, hey." She said, twisting and turning a bit.

"Yeah?"

"Let me go?" She asked, glancing at him out of the corners of her eyes since she couldn't turn around fully.

He sighed faintly and released her. She brushed herself off and turned to face him. He was staring off into the distance, running a hand through his midnight hair. His expression was blank and it was clear his mind was elsewhere. However, upon noticing her staring, he smirked and dropped the hand from his hair. "See something you like?"

Amu huffed in response, flushing lightly and turning around immediately, walking quickly in hopes he wouldn't be able to follow or would get the hint not to. And as soon as she reached home, she glanced over her shoulder, only to find that no one was there.

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Cat-man never showed up that day again, and Amu was, surprisingly, able to somewhat enjoy the remainder of her Saturday. She was productive as well, finishing all of her homework and even starting on a project that wasn't due for weeks to come. However, all of this became rather boring after a while. With a sigh, she glanced at the clock, only to find it was already 4 PM.

Amu sighed from her casual position on the couch, staring listlessly at the ceiling. It was times like this she wished her parents were home. They kept things quite interesting.

She wished that Rima and Nagihiko were around, they were definitely entertaining. But they were on a date today and Amu didn't relish the idea of bothering them. So here she was, laying on the couch, seriously lacking in things to do. She almost wished she had more homework just so she would have something to do. And that was just crazy. No normal teenager seriously wished for homework.

But that was how she felt right now. If she didn't find something to do within the next few minutes, she was going to go crazy.

Just then the doorbell rang, causing her to scramble to her feet, immediately alert. She didn't care who it was, even if it was a delivery guy she would strike up some kind of conversation, since she was just that bored.

As soon as she opened the door, though, she immediately regretted such a train of thought.

Cat-man was back. She made to close the door in his face but he stopped her from closing it, frowning.

"Oi, that's not nice, my little mouse." He smirked and slipped inside, catching her off balance and causing her to shut the door behind him. She scowled as he walked in as if he owned the place.

"H-hey, come on, get out! You can't just walk into someone's house like this and...and make yourself comfortable!" He had settled himself on the couch Amu had just been on, arms folded behind his head and looking very comfortable.

"Why? It's nice here and smells like you." With that said, his ears and tail were suddenly there as if they had been there all along.

Amu palmed her forehead. He was much bigger and stronger than her, and obviously wasn't inclined to go anywhere anytime soon. He would do everything at his leisure. In hindsight, this almost made him more like a stray cat than the ears and tail did. But only almost.

"Fine. Stay there." She threw her arms in the air in exasperation and walked away, eyes flicking unwillingly to the letter on the table as she passed. She was then reminded of what he would be.

A teacher. And being a teacher, he was going to put moves on her? Oh shit. That would be a scandal. She turned around, eyes angry and mouth open, ready to give a lecture until she realized he was no longer on the couch, but suddenly in front of her.

"Er, uh, um..." The words died in her through as she slowly, slowly lifted her gaze, heart thudding painfully at the look in his eyes.

She wasn't sure how to even describe it. His eyes seemed so deep and dark suddenly; frightening yet alluring. His ears and tail were out, and his tail flicked from side to side in a very slow, rhythmic motion. The first few buttons of his shirt were undone; whether they were like that beforehand or not, Amu didn't know.

Ikuto said nothing. He only stared, curious, leaning a bit closer and inhaling. The aura he gave off was hardly human, and that was the scary part.

"S-something you w-want?" She asked softly, as if she were speaking to a vicious animal that was let off it's chain and was calm for the moment.

He paused, pulling back slightly as he gazed at her, tilting his head to the side for a moment before sliding his arms around her waist and back, drawing her close. He lowered his face to her hair again, inhaling and exhaling slowly. Her scent was affecting him again. He couldn't remember anything, couldn't think of anything other than the scent that was just rolling off her right now. He didn't know why he had suddenly reverted to how he was the night before. Maybe it was her scent on the couch that did it, and he had let his guard down.

Human thoughts weren't important right now. He just wanted this girl far above and beyond anything he had ever wanted before.

With this final thought, he tilted her head up and crushed his lips to hers. She was warm, so very warm and her scent was going to drive him to madness, certainly. He could feel the girl go totally still but ignored this until he pulled away for the briefest of moments and felt her tremble.

Ikuto pushed himself away, back against the wall and almost entirely himself again. What the hell? What the hell had he just done?

Amu was staring, wide-eyed, face flushed darkly. "What...what the..."

He narrowed his eyes, scowling at the floor before getting up and throwing the door open, dashing off immediately, taking full advantage of the speed and grace offered by his catlike characteristics.

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It was what was supposed to be a friendly chat, but things were quickly going downhill as they always did.

The four heads were gathered together at a table, the couples facing one another. Souko's expression remained pleasant, but no one knew what she was truly thinking. Aruto seemed somewhat pleased, vindictively amused at the looks on the other couple's faces. Yui was attempting to keep things civil but it was clear he was worried and very displeased. His displeasure couldn't be matched by the that of his wife's, who looked absolutely beside herself with 'displeasure'.

"It seems we have an advantage now, do we not?" Aruto, folded his hands and rested his chin on them, totally content.

Souko simply nodded, a small smile about her lips.

Yui sighed impatiently. "Not necessarily, Aruto. Simply because your son is more familiar with the girl means nothing now. It is but the beginning of the game."

Mizue's scowl deepened even further. "It couldn't be that they already know one another? If that is the case then you have an unfair handicap!"

Aruto shook his head slowly, frowning slightly at the accusation. "Of course, this is not so. My son is just as unfamiliar with the girl as yours is."

Mizue looked like she was about to explode with another accusation until Yui put a hand on her shoulder, shooting her a warning glance.

"Aruto, Souko. All we wish for you both is to understand that we still have a chance. If the girl becomes your son's mate successfully, then we shall not dispute your victory. However, you have not yet won, so please do not become complacant."

Souko tilted her head at the two. "Is this the only reason you called us out for?"

Mizue scowled back at Souko. "Obviously, we are to meet each week to discuss the progress of each of our sons."

Souko simply smiled back at Mizue. "Do forgive me. I wasn't informed properly."

Mizue only shot the fair-haired woman a withering look before turning back to glance at her husband. Yui only sighed.

"The true test shall be when school begins on Monday. This girl will not be able to escape either of our sons when she is there."

Aruto nodded, looking seriously at either of them. "Yes. But you will see, our Ikuto will not fail us."

Mizue snorted derisively. "We will see about that worthless black cat of a son of yours."

Souko narrowed her eyes slightly and smiled dangerously. She kept her voice light as she spoke, however.

"Yes, just as we shall see about that crude mongrel of a son you have."

The women stared each other down until Yui cleared his throat, deciding to end things early to prevent a fight. Females were terrifying when they fought one another.

"And with this, our meeting is adjourned."

The two couples wasted no time in leaving.

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Amu hadn't known what to do with herself for the rest of the evening.

She ate a bit of dinner, texted Rima for about an hour or so, and was now heading upstairs to get ready for bed, then hopefully get at least a little bit of sleep.

As soon as she was upstairs, she looked at her reflection in the mirror. She looked tired, for one thing. And very worried. She pressed her fingertips lightly to her lips as she stared, lost in thought.

What was that about? Ikuto hadn't really seemed like himself. Did it have something to do with the 'mine' thing he went on about? Or the scent? Or was it the cat ears? Amu had the feeling it was all of these things. He had actually seemed upset though, and had gone. She didn't have the nerve to call out to him, and in reality, she still knew little to nothing about him. He was a rather mysterious entity, one that had suddenly appeared in her life and was apparently going to be there for a while.

With a sigh, she splashed her face with water, slowly drying off with a towel. Her mind was elsewhere as she brushed her teeth for what was probably much longer than necessary. However, she quickly combed her hair before heading to her bedroom, completely mentally exhausted.

She was asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.

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Sometime in the middle of the night, there was a sound against her window. A tap? No...perhaps sort of a scratching sound. Her eyes snapped open, heart thudding. Her eyes darted over to her clock, the red digital numbers burning into her irises. 2:12 AM.

The sound repeated itself. She rolled over on her side, facing the window, sitting up and taking a deep, steadying breath.

Amu made for the window, looking out it and almost falling back as she saw who it was. Ikuto. He didn't look terribly happy. She frowned to herself, not wanting to let him in. But something about the look on his face just made her really want to.

Taking her chances, she slid open the window slowly.

"Ikuto, what--" But her sentence was cut off as he stepped in, wrapping his arms around her. She tensed at first, but relaxed soon after. This was different than before, he seemed very much in control of himself now.

His ears and tail were absent now, she noticed.

When he finally pulled away he turned away so she couldn't see his face. "That's all. I'll go now." As he made to leave, she called out to him.

"Ikuto, wait." he half turned to face her, no emotions visible on his face.

She sighed. "About today...what did...that mean?"

He looked away again, silent for a moment as if he was considering the answer. "I don't even know myself. I am sorry for it." He turned to leave again but Amu stopped him, tugging on his sleeve.

"Is that all you came here for? An apology."

"Yes."

She furrowed her eyebrows, staring at his back until she noticed the ripped sleeve, the gash on his shoulder. Her eyes widened. "Ikuto, this is..."

He glanced at the wound. "It's nothing serious."

She shook her head in wonder. "Whether it is or not, you need that taken care of. Come here." She pulled on his sleeve a little harder, but he wouldn't budge. "Come on."

"No, I don't need it. I heal faster than normal people do anyway."

"Still..." She persisted, not releasing him.

He sighed and turned around, closing the window behind him as he stepped in. "Fine."

Amu let out a breath she didn't notice she had been holding as she released his sleeve, leading him down the hall to her bathroom. She was no first-aid expert, but she knew enough. He said he healed fast anyway...

"Okay, let me see."

He sighed, rolling his eyes as he pulled his shirt off up and over his head. Amu winced inwardly at the sight of the wound. If she had gotten something like that she would probably cry.

She cleaned the dried blood from the wound, surprised that it wasn't nearly as bad as it looked. It wasn't bad at all.

"Oh." She said, upon seeing the extent of the damage.

"Told you." He replied, glancing up at her expression.

"Well...at least it's clean now." She said lamely, pulling out a roll of bandages and loosely covering it up.

Once she had finished, she began to put things away. He probably would have been fine without her even bothering, so she probably should have taken his word for it. Oh well.

When she was done putting things away, she turned, but he lightly took her wrist in his hand, startling her as she turned to look at his expression. There was some sort of emotion on his face she couldn't really define, but it made her heart leap just seeing it on his face.

"Thanks." he said simply. She nodded mutely, eyes wide.

He moved his grip from her wrist to her hand, holding it lightly in his own. Amu felt as if she could do nothing more than watch stupidly.

"About before...I am sorry."

"It's um...well it's not fine but it's not a problem anymore...I'm sort of over it...I think."

He gave her hand a gentle squeeze before lifting it, gently pressing it to his face.

"You really do...smell amazing." He said quietly.

Amu bit her lip and flushed lightly, not sure if she should take what he said as a compliment. It was probably best to just say nothing.

He sighed and released her hand, looking at her for a moment before reaching down where he dropped his shirt and slipping it back on.

"I think...I will fight seriously from here on." He gazed at her intently, as if there were some kind of message he was trying to convey.

"Um...?"

He leaned over her and pressed his lips lightly to her forehead before turning around and heading to leave, glancing back at her one last time before he did so. "You'll see."

And with that, he was gone.

Amu turned off the lights and sank back into bed, trembling lightly. He was so different suddenly...why was that? And what did he mean by what he had said?

It all came back to what him and the dog-boy named Tadase had been talking about the day before. She's mine.

Whatever it meant, Amu wasn't intending to think it over right now. She climbed back into bed, but unfortunately for her, wasn't able to fall asleep so easily.

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And...whew. This was basically totally not furthering the plot. But Ikuto lurves Amu so he's gonna go for her seriously rather than just toying with her because she smells yummy like a mouse~ lol. XD

There was no Tadase in this chapter. He will be in the next one though XD I don't like writing Tadase so much. This is mainly gonna be an Amuto fic, but it's still Tadamuto so I have to have some Tadase XP

Okay, please review and I'll try to get my next update to you all sooner~!