I do not own Shugo Chara or ANY of its characters.
Chapter 2
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Recap
Creeacck!
Amu knew what was happening. Beneath her shaking feet, the thin branch had cracked and with a scream, Amu fell. It was less then a second after her fall, when the shadow moved at the speed of sound.
With a stunned grunt and eyes closed tight, Amu felt something. She was no longer falling. Someone was holding her – someone icy cold. Opening her bright, golden eyes, she let out a gasp. It was him – the boy who was playing the beautiful melody. Securely, he held her in his strong arms. She also noticed he was on in the ground in an alert stance while carrying her. How did he land on his feet? And how did he catch her?
Spluttering, she whispered. "W-who are you…?"
Smirking, he replied with her previous line that he had overheard when spying. "You can stop spluttering like a kid now."
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Now she could see his eyes. Arctic violet eyes seemed to peer through her body as if she were a ghost. All Amu could do was look back up at him. In the soft, cool breezes, his silky hair blew. Looking deeper at her, Amu saw his cat ears flew back, cutely. Who was this guy?
He wondered as he gazed at features. What was she? She didn't look or smell fully human. But she wasn't vampire either. Or was she? Somehow…she smelt of a mix of human and vampire. How was that possible? She looked a lot like the girl he saw the day when he first became imprisoned to his hellish curse – being a vampire. In fact, she was identically the same. It was her. What was her name…Amu? Amu. However, she smelt more of vampire then human.
Swallowing hard, Amu tried to move her face away from his. He was so close.
At last, she spoke in a quiet voice. "You…you knew I was there…in tree…?"
Again, he smirked and moved his face back close. She wasn't warm and she wasn't cold. She was the perfect temperature for him. And she was pretty cute, too. However, he did answer. "I was waiting for you to make yourself known. Lucky for me that branch was weak so I could catch you, huh?" he said in a more creeper tone. Forcing her face away from his, Amu jolted and pressed her hands against his chest to keep a space between them.
Inside, Amu knew her outward appearance must be a wreck. Her hair was probably ruffled like an animal's fur when scared. Her eyes were wide and her heart was pounding intensely. Even her hands trembled a bit. After all, she had just fallen about forty feet and been caught by a cold, freaky cat boy. Cat boy? Amu's blush deepened. This so wasn't her. Where was her 'cool and spicy' attitude when she needed it?
Moving further in her face, he asked. "Are you just going to hold still all night and stare? Don't you talk?" Amu gasped slightly. Breaking out of her thoughts, she blushed. Rubbing his cheek against her own, he felt her warmth of her blush. Suddenly, he was addicted to it. He had forgotten what normal temperature was like. Even more, he had forgotten what warmth was.
Blushing madly, Amu pulled away and spoke nervously. "Can you put me down now? I – I gotta get home."
Slowly, he got down a bit so her feet could touch ground. As he put her gently down, she sighed. Quickly, she moved away to see him grinning.
"Who are you?" she asked as she brushed her skirt off.
Strolling a bit away, Amu watched as he went over to pick up his violin that leaned up against the tree. How had it gotten there? How could you possibly be quick enough to safety put your violin down, catch her and land on his own two feet? As the boy put his instrument into its case, he pulled the strap attached to it over his chest so it rested on his back.
Turning back to her, he replied in a slightly more serious voice. "Ikuto Tsukiyomi. And you?"
She responded quickly. "Amu Hinamori. How old are you?"
He smirked and came back over. "You always ask someones age when being introduced?" With a lad of sarcasm, he said. "Aren't you a refined and polite little thing?" Amu glared at him but he did answer her question. "Seventeen." Coming even closer, Ikuto began to circle her. "And you…you can't be any older then ten can you?"
Amu scoffed and turned away, pouting. Snapping, she replied. "For you information I am thirteen!"
Starling her, his hand spun her around so she was facing him. Lunging deeply in her red face, he tilted her chin upward. "Well, well" he smirked. "Pretty grown up then, aren't you?"
Totally humiliated, Amu smacked his hand off and spun again so she wasn't facing him. "How dare you! Well you have a lot of growing to do, I see! Some seventeen year-old! You're the most immature boy in the world!"
Wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her against his chest, he whispered in her ear. "Boy? I'm seventeen. That's nearly a man, ya know?" Amu's heart picked up speed at the way he was talking about being a man.
Fearful and embarrassed, she stuttered. "Then what do you want?" He chuckled as Amu gave them a few feet distance.
Suddenly, three little voices called. "AMU!" It was her Shugo Charas. Quickly, she turned to see to see them fly up. Being the first to speak, Ran asked. "Amu – are you alright? Why do you have twigs and leaves in your hair? And who's –"
Ran cut herself off when she got a goo look at Ikuto. Curious, Amu asked. "What is it?"
Spluttering, Miki replied. "Nothing – Ran was just startled to see such an odd character" she lied. "As are Su and I." Pretending like she didn't know, she asked. "Who is that?" Ikuto raised an eyebrow when he saw the three fairies. It had been awhile.
Brushing some of the leaves that had gotten stuck in her hair when climbing, she replied grumpily and began to walk away. "His name is Ikuto. Now come on. I'm tired and I want to get home!"
Ikuto was surprised. "Hey, hold up, squeak toy." Alarming Amu, she felt his cold hand on her shoulder. She had been a few feet away from him. How did he catch up and moved so fast all the time? Shoving it off, Amu turned her irritated glare back at him.
"What?" she snapped, impatiently. Ikuto had to know what she was. He found himself obsessively inquisitive. Lifting her chin slightly, Ikuto leaned slowly in her face. Instead of stopping, he moved to the side of her head to whisper in her ear. At least, that's what she thought. However, Ikuto wanted to see something. Tilting her chin further, several pink strands of hair fell backward, unveiling the side of her neck where she had bitten. Taking a good look at it, Ikuto squinted his eyes. You could still see it, but it had faded some. She had been bitten. It was the same girl. So what was she?
Unable to waste anymore time, Ikuto whispered in her ear. "…I'll see you soon, Amu-chan." Gently, his tongue swept spit onto her ear. Gain, Amu screeched and fell backward in surprise. Smirking, Ikuto waved and, unbelievably, leaped up to the same branch up fifty or forty feet. With ease and skill, he went gliding from branch and to branch and was gone in seconds. He had to go make his speech now.
Watching him go, Ran, Miki and Su glanced at one another. "This isn't good…" whispered Ran. "This isn't good at all…"
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