Taming the Cat

Yes, it's another Shugo Chara fanfic! I was having such a hard time writing in first person, I wanted to start another story! This is going to much shorter though. At this point, it will most probably be a two-shotter. Maybe three. Just a short break from my usual stories that develop the characters feelings over a long amount of time. So this will be mostly Fluff! But that's what we love :)

Enjoy the read! Please read and review!

Taming the Cat, Part I:

.:Daydreams, interrupted:.

Amu and the Curious Queen

Strands of soft pink hair floated wistfully against the gentle spring breeze. Hinamori Amu rested her head on her arms which now leaned upon the iron bars surrounding her balcony. The night sky was beautiful; despite the bright lights of Japan, the stars shone with such luminescence that they sparkled with clarity.

Amu's mind wandered as she sunk into the sensation of the cool wind stroking through her hair. She could imagine Tadase's smile lighting everything around her in a warm glow of sweet love. The single moment that he stood there right before her, causing her whole world to sparkle with stars, just like how the blanket of celestial fires covered the sky. She could feel him getting closer- her heart beat faster just waiting for his lips to reach hers. She could smell his scent as she lost herself to those beautiful dark midnight blue eyes.

"Ta…da-" Wait.

"I-IKUTO?!" Her drooping eyelids shot open instantly. "What? What is he doing in my daydream?" She drew back from the railing, retreating into her room.

"Amu-chan! What's wrong?" Ran watched Amu slam the sliding door shut behind her.

"Could you be sick desu?"

Amu headed straight for her bed and flung herself onto it. "Ughhh…" She dug her head into the pillow.

"Are you okay?" Miki tapped her with her miniature blue paintbrush, causing the pink-haired girl to finally turn over with annoyance.

Suu floated over, concern clearly swept across her face. "Amu…do you have a fever desu?"

"What? Why?" Amu sat up, brushing away her Shugo Charas.

"Your cheeks are so red!" Ran replied, joining the two in their scrupulous staring at the girl's face.

"N-no th-they're not!" She sputtered before once again sinking her face into her pillow. "I-I'm going to sleep!"

She pulled the blanket over herself, and crawled into a ball.

With her hand covering her ears to fight away her thoughts, Amu fell deaf to Miki's remark.

"Amu's been acting like this ever since Ikuto tried to use his Dumpty key on her Humpty Lock."

Concerned, the three charas had a thorough chat about the mysterious powers of the items late into the night before falling fast asleep.

--

The next day after school, Amu attended the regular Guardian meeting in the Royal Garden. With her honey-colored eyes focused on the regal Tadase, the pink-haired girl barely noticed Rima watching her.

"You seem off lately." The somewhat snobbish girl said casually as Amu got up to leave.

The pink-haired girl winced.

"You always seem like you're in such a rush to leave afterwards." The two male guardians watched Amu carefully as the girl listened to Rima's words. Yaya paid little attention, as she was now very focused on Kusu Kusu's tricks.

"Oh, it's nothing really. Just…gotta take care of stuff at home is all." Amu carelessly slung her bag over her shoulder, resuming her Cool-and-Spicy tone. "Now if you'll excuse me."

Turning away, she nearly managed to escape the careful stares of the Guardians, but a whisper by her ear left her stiff in place.

"You were staring at the Prince today." Rima lulled in her fake innocent voice.

"Did someone say PRINCE?!" Tadase shot up, immediately character changing with Kiseki. "I AM NOT A PRINCE!"

His body flamed with its usual anger distracting Kairi, the greenheaded Jack's chair and Yaya the childish Ace chair, just long enough for Amu to recover from her sudden blush and inability to move.

Quickly dragging Rima with her, Amu darted out of the Royal Garden. The blonde struggled to get free.

"Amu, what's going on?!" She finally pushed away Amu's hand around her sore wrist now that they were some distance away from the others.

"It's nothing!" Amu hurried away. Her footsteps patted against the ground in a fast beat. Her Shugo Charas however, remained right beside the blonde haired girl.

"She's been like this ever since Ikuto tried to use the Dumpty key on her lock." Ran remarked.

"Ran!" The sound of her footsteps immediately stopped. Annoyance was clearly laced in Amu's voice. She crossed her arms, grumbling slightly. "Come on guys, before I leave you behind!"

"We were hoping you could cheer her up desu."

"With Kusu kusu maybe."

"We were up late last night trying to figure out what to do!" Miki seemed a bit peeved.

Rima watched them blankly. "The Lock and Key were brought together?"

"Guys I'm going now!" Amu threatened.

"Amu! Why didn't you tell us anything?"

"Because it's none of your concern! It didn't work anyway." Amu began stomping back toward them, her arms stiff at her side.

"It's not your fault it didn't work…" Ran approached Amu awkwardly.

"No need to be so touchy about it." Rima muttered quietly.

"For the hundredth time!" She snapped back. "I told you that's not it."

"Then what is making you so antsy? What's making you stare at Tadase-kun with such guilty eyes?"

Amu shuffled uncomfortably in place, her hands now folded together as she twiddled her thumbs nervously. Awkward silence fell between them. Even Ran, Miki and Suu watched on curiously in the tense atmosphere, not uttering one word. Even her own Shugo Charas had no idea what ailed her to this extent.

"It's all Ikuto's fault!" She fumed suddenly, taking Rima by surprise. "It's all his fault for interfering in my stupid daydream!"

"Oh? Daydream?"

"I mean, uh…"

"Interfere…don't you mean interrupt? Care to explain?"

"N-no!" Amu's hair whipped her face as she turned to face away from Rima. Her cheeks were fast becoming as rosy pink as her hair and she strained to keep them at an appropriate shade.

Rima strolled towards the girl, who was now biting her nails. Swiftly, she swiped the girl's hand away from her greedy teeth causing Amu to stare up at her with utter horror as she just realized exactly how close Rima had gotten. Only inches from her, Amu's expression was easily read.

"Oh, fine!" Amu groaned, defeated under Rima's unrelenting gaze. "He somehow managed to…"

"To?"

"To…sneakintomyromanticdaydreamwithTadase." The girl turned beet red after speaking.

"Excuse me?"

"I said," the bright faced girl groaned yet again, "He sneaked into my romantic daydream with Tadase."

Amu suddenly gasped and quickly brought a hand to her gaping mouth. "I didn't even realize…I can't believe I just told you I like Tadase!"

"Oh please, as if all the Guardians don't already know." Rima rolled her eyes. "Now what I'm interested in is what this Ikuto actually interrupted in the dream."

"Uh…"

"Hmm?" She crossed her arms expectantly at the blushing Amu.

"I was about to kiss…him."

"Tadase?"

"Uh well…" Amu stared down at her foot. "not just him..." She whispered it under her breath and luckily, her friend had not heard. Suddenly catching herself, she continued more loudly. "Sorta…yeah?"

"And then?"

"And then he interfered."

"Hm? How did he interfere?"

"He sorta erm…" Whatever he sorta did, Rima could not hear through the sputtering girl's mutters.

"-Mutter mutter-"

"What?" She finally said annoyed after straining to listen. "And to think you got me interested too." She growled in agitation.

"Will you tell me clearly already? What did he do? Did he appear and punch Tadase? Did he pull you back? What could he have 'sort of' done?" The blonde grabbed Amu's shoulder's nudging her a little harshly to speak. Her curiosity had been peaked.

"He BECAME Tadase-kun OKAY?!" Amu snapped, pulling away from Rima's grip.

"Eh?"

"Well, rather Tadase-kun became him. He sorta just transformed into Ikuto."

"Oh?"

Amu glared at Rima upon hearing the tone of amusement. "I was gazing straight at those eyes, about to kiss him."

"Ikuto?"

"No, Tadase!" She gripped her bag tightly, looking away. "And then right as we were about to kiss…I saw dark blue eyes, not those russet ones!"

"Ohh. So mean to say you were daydreaming about kissing Ikuto."

"N-no! Ta-da-se!"

"Who transformed into Ikuto."

"Exactly." Amu sighed, slightly relieved. "Now you get it."

"Meaning," Rima's eyebrows furrowed together slightly. "…you'd rather kiss this other guy than Tadase-kun."

THUD!

"N-no!" Amu was now bright red. Whether it was from embarrassment or anger, Rima was uncertain.

"Well, you did see him rather than Tadase right as you were about to ki-"

"Stop that thought. I don't even want to think about that with that pervert!" Amu's words finally silenced the queen of arrogance, who now smirked on quietly. The color of the girl's cheeks told Rima otherwise.

"Oh, don't smile like that Rima! It's not like I like him. I bet it's all because of that time he tried to open the lock and got so close that I could smell his shampoo in his half unbuttoned shirt exposing his incredibly nice chest or at least I think that's what I saw but it was only partially opened at the top so I couldn't really tell but it really did look nice on him and then it got all sparkly and pink and stuff around us and I didn't really know what was going on but then I finally knew and -"

"AMU! Stop ranting already!" Rima sighed, arms tired from shaking the girl senseless to get her attention and voice now cracking after having to scream for so long.

The now breathless girl stared completely dazed at her blond friend who was also trying to catch her breath. When they had finally recovered, sweet silence came, much to Rima's relief.

Finally, it was the Queen that spoke. "It's seems like you've got a real thing for him Amu."

"W-what? Ri-ridiculous! I soo don't!"

"Uh huh." Rima stared at her rosy friend's blushing face. "I'm sure that you seeing sparkles in the air has nothing to do with the fact that you're falling in love with him."

"Like I would like that perverted cat man!"

"Cat man? Oh yeah. Who is this Ikuto by the way?"

"Eh? We've been talking about him for this entire time and you don't know who Ikuto is? I thought you've at least seen him before."

She shrugged. "I don't bother remembering anyone who isn't worth remembering."

"But you knew he had the Dumpty key." Amu pointed out.

"Of course. Considering Ran had just told me."

"Oh."

"Well?"

"Oh right. You do know him. You know, the guy who works for Easter…cleans up the X eggs for them. Has an annoyingly clingy sister named Hoshina Utau who's all over him by the way, if I might add. It's absolutely disgusting how she wraps her arms around him so possessively like he belongs to her. She really is something for pinning him down like that and kissing him right in front of me-"

"I mean, for…doing something so disgusting in public with her own brother!" Amu coughed. Rima continued to stare at her with a raised eyebrow.

"So you don't like him you say…"

Another cough.

"Okay then Amu. I want you to bring me to see this Ikuto."

"Eh? But I haven't seen him in days! Not since— "

"they tried bringing the lock and key together." Ran finished her thought.

"Unless you're too nervous to go see him…" Rima challenged smugly.

"O-of course not! But what's with the sudden interest in him? Nothing ever interests you like this unless it's some tacky joke or something."

"They're not tacky." She growled. "I pride myself in only the best jokes!" Tidying up her dress, she drawled. "I guess you really are too afraid to go talk to him."

Pouting, Amu roughly grabbed onto Rima's hand. "Come on! I'll bring you to see him right now."

"Good girl. I want to see who it is that's making you this flustered. Seems like he's worse than Tadase."

"I am not flustered!"

Rima continued talking, completely ignoring the blushing Amu. "I guess you must like this Ikuto more than you like Tadase."

"I-I d-don't like Ikuto!" She tugged on Rima's hand even more forcefully.

"Love then? No need to be bashful."

Amu nearly choked on her spit, coughing as violently as she did.

"My, my. It seems like our little Amu is growing up." The blonde whispered to the floating charas. A smirk played on her face as her friend quietly though quite grudgingly led her away.

Til next time!