Ello all! I'm so glad all of you like this little ol' story of mine -tears up-

Okay here is Chapter 4 :')

~I do not own Shugo Chara.~

Chapter 4

~Saved!~

The assembly was dismissed and the rest of the day was uneventful as Amu sat through the rest of her classes. She was about to leave her last class to find Rima when she was pulled aside from the Princes.

"Sorry, we have to brief you on what this role entails for you." Nagihiko smiled apologetically. "So, let's start with the basics. You're main job is to tell us any concerns the student body has. This does not include our eligibility for marriage and you are not to send us any fan mail," Amu snorted but let him continue. "To keep the role, your grades must stay as there are now. Also, meetings are three times a week. Please be sure to be accessible for all the students so they may approach you. Well, that's about it! Meetings start next week."

"Mm, okay thanks. I'm going to leave now if that's all." She didn't wait for a reply as she started walking off towards where her and Rima usually met after school. The blond spotted her quickly and walked over to her.

"Looks like you're in the crow's nest, huh?"

Amu shrugged. "I can make this work to my advantage. They don't know who they're messing with!"

"I've created a monster. Where would you be without me to teach you how to make other people's lives hell? Oh, heads up. Souma's headed over here."

As soon as she said that, a hand handed on Amu's head. "Hinamori! Wanna race?"

She blinked and stared at him curiously. Why wouldn't these guys leave her alone? She glanced quickly at Rima who shrugged and sent her a look that said 'Be glad it's not Tsukiyomi.'

"Sure, I guess. Right now?" He nodded excitedly and pulled her along as she waved a quick goodbye to Rima.

"Alright race to the park near the ice cream place down Suzuki Street! Ready, set...GO!"

Off they went, ignoring all the death looks of the people on the sidewalks and the annoyed honks of cars they cut off leaving the school. Amu laughed at the incredulous look on Kukai's face as she caught up to him. Her pink hair whipped around her face and her blood pumped loudly in her ears as she caught sight of the park.

"You're pretty fast, but not fast enough!" Kukai taunted as he pulled ahead of her. Amu, not about to be outdone, pushed herself to once again come neck-and-neck with him. They reached the park at exactly the same second and fell to the ground gasping for air.

"N-Not bad. H-Hinamor-ri!"

Amu smiled and gasped back, "S-same Souma!" Once she caught her breath she continued, "Any particular reason we raced just now?"

He shrugged and eyed her happily, "Looked like you needed to run off some steam is all. Feel better, don't ya?

Despite being all sweaty with both her legs and lungs aching, she did feel better. All that murderous intent on Ikuto must have been building without her realizing. She smiled gratefully at the boy before her and nodded. He grinned back and closed his eyes as he slowed his breathing. Amu took this moment to study him.

His brown hair blew gently around his face and his forehead glistened with sweat. A contented smile graced his lips, and Amu couldn't help but blush as she realized she was staring at his lips.

"He's not a bad guy, you know." Amu blinked. What? He continued quickly, noting the confused look she gave him, "Ikuto, that is."

Amu grunted and looked away. He was going to continue nonetheless before a high shriek broke his train of thought. And his eardrums.

"Kyaaaaaa! It's cool and spicy Hinamori-san with Prince Souma-sama!"

"I wonder if they're going out!" whispered a group of girls.

"Omygosh they're all sweaty!" one continued suggestively.

The two teens in the spotlight snorted and ignored them.

"Get ready for some pretty interesting rumors tomorrow." he quipped. She laughed and shook her head. "So...cool and spicy Hinamori, is it?"

She groaned and laughed tiredly. "Yep, apparently that's me! Can't shake the title even after middle school! I swear some things never change."

He shrugged and chuckled, "I dunno I kind of like it! Cool and spicy. It's like ramen!" she giggled at his comparison. Here she was laughing with one of the Princes of Princes4. The same boys she thought were nothing but snobs as they walked in this morning. Was that really only this morning? She stared up at the sky and shook her head.

"I better get going, now. Thanks for the run, Kukai!"

"See ya! No biggie it was fun!"

Amu turned to leave and let her bustling mind take over. Somehow it had already gotten kind of dark out. What a day. She met the four heirs of the richest men in Japan, got harrassed by one of them then harrassed another one, became a representative, then took a run with Kukai.

"Quite the day, huh, charas?" she muttered. A scuffle from behind her made her turn around. She saw the outline of a boy coming toward her with boys uniform from her school.

"Here again, Souma? Sorry still a little tired, but I'll gladly have a rematch some other day to beat you." When the figure didn't respond she stiffened and took a step backwards. A boy she didn't recognize came into view with another boy following behind him.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here? Hinamori Amu whoring around with that Souma prick? I thought that Tsukiyomi bastard laid claim to you? Then again, heard you were with that prissy boy Hotori on the roof today? Care to give us a little attention, too? What's two more to your list?" he sneered with a glint in his eyes Amu didn't recognize. She kept cool, ignoring her racing heart and clammy hands. Adrenalin rushed through her veins, and she mentally flipped through her options. Fighting obviously would end badly...Running would probably end just as badly since they would chase her... Screaming would cause them to either rush away or quickly rush at her to shut her up, and by the looks of it, it looked like they would do the latter... Call the police! She could probably reach inside her bag and try to discretely call while distracting them somehow!

She found a flaw in that idea since she realized she forgot her bag back at the park. She cursed silently. Okay, that option was out... She could always try talking her way out of it to buy some time?

"Sorry, I don't care for thugs like you. Now, if you'll excuse me-" she quickly turned to leave but was held back by the boy's arm. "Let go of me!"

"Not happening sweetheart." He pushed her to the wall with the other boy snickering behind him.

"What do you suppose we do with her, Kosuke? Looks like a fiesty one." The boy holding her down, Kosuke, grinned widely and looked her up and down making shudders of disgust run through her. Before he could open his mouth, his friend's head crashed into his. Kosuke's grip loosened as he cursed and grabbed the back of his head with one head. Amu took this moment to try and break free, but she was still stuck in his grip.

"What the fuck, Tenzou!"

"Tenzou's busy at the moment, but I'll gladly take a message for you!" Kukai's voice chimed pleasantly. Kosuke whirled around finding Tenzou unconcious on the ground. "Oh, hey there, Amu-chan!"

Amu just stared at him as if he had two heads. He grinned triumphantly then turned his attention back to Kosuke with a stern look.

"Anyway, I suggest you get out of here before I make some calls. Not that you have much of a future anyway considering you like to attack girls." Kosuke growled but left the two, not without spitting on Kukai's shoes, though.

Amu watched him leave and brought her wide eyes onto the grinning Kukai. "You okay? You forgot your bag back there, so I came to find you."

"T-Thanks-" she winced at the crack in her voice and cleared her throat.

"Can I walk you home?" His face held no sign of being affected by what just happened, but she glanced at his fists and noticed they were shaking. Out of anger or fear, she didn't know but she could hardly care as she tried to control her own shaking limbs. She nodded gratefully, and they walked in silence toward her house.

They stood outside her door for a bit before she turned to him quickly and engulfed him in a hug before she could change her mind.

"Thank you... I really owe you one...I don't know what would have happened if you weren't there- well, no I do, I'd probably be- Okay, but who knew you were so strong, I mean no I assumed you were strong 'cause your arms, but OH GOD what am I saying. I meant to say-"

"You're welcome. Just glad I got there in time!" he interrupted her babbling with a laugh. He returned her embrace after the initial shock and ruffled her hair. "Be careful, kiddo."

She grimaced at his nickname for her but nodded anyway. The smell of his cologne filled her senses, much like earlier when she ran into him. It suited him perfectly, smelling natural and earthy with something dark and masculine that dizzied her brain. Geez, she'd never pin herself as a scent pervert... The rational part of her brain screamed at her to realize they still were in an embrace and to come back to her senses. He must have noticed, too, since he let go quickly with a small blush and sheepish grin.

"I'll see you around, then." She nodded and waved him off before she shut the door behind her.

"I just saw Amu-nee outside with a boy!" Ami's high voice giggled.

"What? NOOOO! AMU-CHAN! MY SPARROW!" yelled my dad.

"She hugged him for a really long time, too~"

"AMU-CHAN, NO BOYSSSSSS!"

"Papa, he's just a friend. Relax..." Amu groaned to her dad as she shot a glare at Ami who just grinned smugly. 'Why'd she have to grow up to finally know how to piss me off?' Amu thought.

"How nice, was he handsome?"

"Not you, too, Mama!" she yelled wearily. "Whatever, I'm going upstairs..."

'But yes, he was handsome' she answered in her mind. She shut the door to her room behind her and collapsed on her bed. She groaned as her thoughts took over once more.

"Dang, I really did hug him for a long time..." she moaned clearly embarrassed. "Curse his nice smelling cologne!"

XxX

"Amu! Wake up! You're going to be late!" called her mom from downstairs. Amu groaned and glanced at her blaring alarm clock. Huh, she didn't even hear it. 6:50 it read. School started at 7:25.

...

"WHAT THE-! Why didn't anyone wake me up?!"

XxX

"I took care of that Takahiro Kosuke and Yamada Tenzou issue for you. Why exactly was that so important that you had to call me at ten last night for?" Ikuto drawled.

"They were messing around with Amu yesterday. Just wanted to make sure they got what they deserved." Ikuto's brow raised curiously then lowered as he plastered on a cheeky grin.

"So, 'Prince' in shining armor, I see you've accepted my game. You and Tadase really don't know what you're getting into."

"Ikuto…" Tadase sighed tiredly as my eyes widened.

"Alright then. Let the games begin...and I believe it's my turn." Ikuto grinned mischievously.

-End-

This chapter has been edited (: