A/ N: I have been waiting to write this for a while and I finally finished it! It was so exciting to write! I hope it is just as good to read!!!
Kissing 101
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"Arigatou, Aoyama-kun." ("Thank you, Masaya.") Ichigo smiled with a slight tint of rose to her cheeks, as she accepted a small gift from Masaya. It was a small, square box that looked as if it had been dyed pink; a light blue ribbon was tied around the box in a cute little bow that just sat perfectly on top. Ichigo slipped her first finger underneath the bow and slowly lifted it up, letting the bow come untied without breaking. She sat the untied bow in her lap as she lifted the top from the box with her left hand while she held the bottom clenched in her right. Her eyes lit up as she saw a necklace sparkling inside the blue box.
"I hope you like it," Masaya began as he rubbed the back of his neck, "I wasn't sure if you were into those types of things…"
"Suki desu !" ("I like it!") Ichigo smiled big as she hugged him tightly around his neck. He smiled and lightly hugged her back.
Ichigo released and stared back down at her necklace sitting neatly inside the middle of the box. It was a little pink heart hanging from a sterling silver, petite necklace lying on a white cotton pillow. It twinkled in the sight of the sunlight as it stared down upon them.
"Migoto…" ("It's beautiful…") Ichigo couldn't help but keep a small little smile upon her face. She sat the box in her lap and stared at it with intensity. Suddenly she felt a presence grasp onto her hand with care. She looked down and noticed Masaya had taken her hand in his. She looked up at his face and smiled kindly at her. She blushed profusely. He began to caress her hand with his thumb as she stood there staring into his chocolate-colored orbs.
Ichigo's stomach began to tighten up and her palms began to grow clammy. She bit her lower lip as each passing moment went by. Silence quickly befell the two as they sat there on the bench in the middle of the park. Masaya began to lean forward, getting closer to Ichigo, as he still held her hand tightly. Ichigo blinked nervously as she watched his lips approaching hers'. Is Aoyama-kun going to— kiss me? This question in her mind scared her a bit; she was unsure. She wasn't sure what to do; she never thought Masaya would actually ever try to kiss her…
"Aoyama-kun…" his name slipped from her quivering lips, as their faces were an inch apart.
Masaya pulled away and stared at her for a moment.
"What's wrong Momomiya-san?" he asked her.
Ichigo looked down at the box sitting in her lap. She picked it up and gave it to him.
"Gomen-nasai— Aoyama-kun…" ("I'm sorry— Masaya…") Ichigo stood up and ran away from him.
"Momomiya-san!" he called and reached out his hand for her; but she had already gone too far…
What the heck am I doing? Ichigo thought to herself as she ran…
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"You should totally wear it, na no da!" Pudding yelled as Mint held a pink café outfit up to Ryou's body.
"Why the heck would I wear Ichigo's dress?" Ryou folded his arms and stared at the girls surrounding him. Zakuro was watching from afar and couldn't help but giggle at them.
"Why wouldn't you?" Mint shot back with a smirk.
Ryou raised an eyebrow at her. The girls giggled.
"Huh?" Ryou stared over at the café doors as Ichigo came busting through. "You're late, Strawberry."
"I— know…" Ichigo replied, still trying to catch her breath. "I was just a little busy…" she let out as she passed the others, and received her café outfit from Mint without any questions.
"Don't you want to know why we had your dress?" Mint asked with a hint of attitude.
"Iie." ("No.") She stated nonchalantly.
They all looked at each other and seemed to be wondering the exact same thing, what's wrong with Ichigo?
"Did something happen Ichigo-san?" Lettuce asked with a broom at hand.
"No, nothing…" she let out with a small frown. I can't tell them… they'd laugh at me… maybe— but what can I do? He was going to— kiss me. But— I couldn't… Ichigo thought. I've never been 'really' kissed before, and I'm too afraid to mess up…
Thoughts filled Ichigo's mind as she grabbed a dirty rag and began to wipe off a table.
"Maybe that Aoyama guy dumped her…" Mint whispered mischievously to Lettuce. A sweat drop ran down the back of Lettuce's head.
"No he did NOT dump me!" Ichigo yelled from across the room as she firmly folded her arms.
"Then what did happen Ichigo?" Mint smirked at her.
Ichigo went quiet.
"I'm waiting Ichigo." Mint tapped her foot.
I can't tell them… but, I do need to talk to someone… maybe someone could— teach me… teach me, how to kiss… Ichigo thought. But who would be an expert at kissing? Ichigo stared up and looked at everyone. Hmm— Mint couldn't have been kissed before, who would want to kiss her? An eerie thought passed Ichigo's mind and sent shivers up her spine. Lettuce would be too nervous… Pudding would be too young… and Zakuro— she likes to keep her life kind of private… man! What a jip! Who the heck does that leave? Ichigo's eyes shifted across the room and landed on a certain someone. He has to have been kissed before! He's—! I mean… I don't really know if he's been kissed before… but— he is always sure, and confident of himself… maybe he could, give me some advice… she thought.
"Are you still there Ichigo?" Mint questioned with her arms crossed.
"Oh, hai… gomen." ("Oh, yeah… sorry.") Ichigo said as she momentarily snapped out of her thoughts. Well, it could be worth a try— right? Ichigo gulped as she sat her rag down and stepped forward across the room.
"Nando?" ("What?") Ryou raised an eyebrow.
"Um—?" a sweat drop slithered down the back of her neck. What a baka! I can't believe I'm going to ask him but it is for— Aoyama-kun… Ichigo swallowed her pride and cleared her throat. "Well you see… I um," Ichigo seemed to have trouble trying to get her words out.
"Hai?" ("Yes?") He stood there waiting for her to speak; her eyebrow seemed to twitch while she stared at him. "You're wasting my time."
"Okay, there's something I need to ask you, Shirogane…" Ichigo finally stated. "I kind of need a— favor."
"Like what?" he replied.
Ichigo looked over at all of the mews staring over at them. She then looked back at Ryou and grabbed his arm, dragging him into the back of the hallway where they were alone.
"What are you doing?" he asked with irritation in his voice.
"Well I need to ask you a huge favor, but you have to promise not to laugh…" Ichigo pleaded with him. He raised an eyebrow with his arms crossed.
"Okay."
"Well," Ichigo began, "The reason I was here late— again— was because I was with Aoyama-kun…"
"Is that all you wanted to tell me? Another one of your 'excuses'?" he asked.
"I'm not finished baka! Now listen." Ichigo demanded his undivided attention. "Well, you see, when I was with him, we were alone… and um, well he gave me this gift— it was a beautiful necklace! – It was so pretty… it was sterling silver with a little pink heart—" Ichigo then realized she was babbling with twinkles growing I her eyes. "—Anyways— well, then he tried to, well…" Ichigo stared down at her feet as she cuffed her palms together and fiddled with her thumbs nervously.
"Yeah?" Ryou seemed to be a little impatient.
"— He tried to kiss me!" she yelled down at the floor.
"He tried?" he repeated. Ichigo made eye contact with him.
"Well, I kind of— ran… away… hehe…" Ichigo put on an obvious contrived smile. A smirk began to widen across Ryou's face as he stood before her. Ichigo pointed at him. "I told you not to laugh!"
The smirk stayed across his face as he calmly stated, "I'm not laughing."
They stood there a second in silence, as Ichigo's eyes averted back to the floor.
"Why did you run away?" he asked.
"Well it's because," she hesitated, "— I've never been kissed before, okay!" Ichigo yelled as if she had been through a guilt trip and got the lie off her chest. It's pretty surprising the others didn't hear her.
The smirk on Ryou's face began to rise into more of a humorous smile. Little snorts were heard coming from him in the early signs of a laugh.
"I told you not to laugh, nya!" Ichigo squealed at him. Ryou kept his laugh in and calmed his presence.
"So what's the problem?" he asked.
"What's the problem?" Ichigo yelled. "I don't know how to—!" Ichigo realized she was yelling and hushed her voice down to almost a whisper. "I don't know how to— you know… kiss…" she finally admitted with her cheeks coming to a blush.
"So why are you telling me this?"
"Well, I just maybe figured… since you know you're— I mean— you just seem like someone who's been kissed before, okay!" She yelled as if she were offended by her own words and crossed her arms. He giggled at her a little.
"Are you trying to say that you want me to show you how to kiss?" he asked with a smirk.
Ichigo stared down at her shoes with innocence.
"Um— I was… hoping— you would." Ichigo looked back up at his sapphire eyes that seemed to be rounded orbs at the moment.
"No." he stated, catching her a little off guard.
" 'No'?" Ichigo exclaimed. "Why not?"
"Why would I help you learn how to kiss?"
"Shirogane!" she held her finger up and firmly poked him against his chest. "You are so rude! Nya!"
He simply closed his eyes as he stood before her and calmly moved her hand and finger away from him, and back by her side.
"I mean, kissing is something you need to experience yourself rather than have it explained…" he began. Ichigo tilted her head.
"Yeah but—! What if I mess up? What if I tilt my head the wrong way and we bump noses? Or what if we're standing up and I accidentally trip over something and I smack into his face? Or what if—!"
"You're over-thinking it." He interrupted her. "You just have to let things fall into place, and it will go alright. You can't be thinking pessimistic; you just have to hope for the best and hope everything happens for the good…"
Ichigo seemed to clearly understand everything he was telling her. He had this calming presence about him that soothed Ichigo, and the tone of his voice was so calm; she felt as if she could listen to him talk all day. Then she began to think, what if he was right? What if she really was making a big deal out of all of this? Or, was he wrong?
"Yeah but, what about the kissing itself? Do I pucker up? Do I let him come to me? Do I open my mouth a little? Do I—?"
Ryou put his finger against her lips to quiet her. She blushed a little at his touch. He removed his finger and then began to speak…
"Well, usually, the guy will lean in first. It is usually best if you wait until he's just a bit away from your lips, and then you finish the distance…" he continued, "— Also, it is good to leave your mouth open just a little for a deeper kiss…"
"A deeper kiss?" Ichigo seemed intrigued by his lecture.
"Well, it is most commonly referred to as the 'French Kiss'." He explained.
Ichigo blushed at the thought. This is so much to worry about! What if I don't do all those things and it goes wrong? Oh no! What if I make a fool of myself in front of Aoyama-kun? Ichigo seemed to be worrying herself.
"I can't do it!" Ichigo stated.
"Why is that?" he asked with a peak of curiosity.
"It's too much! I could never do it! And how would I know if he even wanted to kiss me? What if I accidentally kiss him at the wrong time? How do I know when to complete the kiss? Oh! So much to worry about!" Ichigo tugged on both of her ponytails as she ranted.
Then, suddenly, before she knew it, Ryou had rested her chin on his thumb and first finger and he was gazing deep into her eyes. His sapphires twinkled in the sign of the shining sun from a window afar.
"Shirogane! What are you doing?" Ichigo trembled a little because she wasn't quite sure what he was up to. She backed up a little but his face just kept coming closer to her.
"He will lean his face in like this until your faces are just this distance apart…" he said.
Ichigo shut her eyes tightly, and then slowly opened them as she was staring straight into Ryou's eyes. His lips were just a little less than a centimeter away from hers'.
"Shirogane…" his name slipped from her mouth as she backed into a wall.
"This is how close you want to be before you kiss him back. You want to feel his breath against your lips…" he said.
I've never been this close to Shirogane before… I can feel his breath on my lips, and his hair tickling my cheeks… Ichigo thought. This can't be good! I can't do this… I can't! Ichigo closed her eyes shut again.
Then, Ichigo got a surge of adrenaline and pushed her lips against Ryou's. Ryou had seemed to already be prepared and his tongue entered in through her slightly opened lips. She could feel him moving around in her mouth, and tickling the roof of her mouth. She waited and then pushed her tongue inside his mouth; it was almost as if they were battling in their own way…
Ichigo wrapped her arms around his neck and he brought his arms around her waist and grabbed a hold on her hips. Then, Ichigo brought her tongue back from his mouth and released from the kiss. She brought her hands back down by her sides and then touched her lips.
"That wasn't so hard was it?" Ryou joked. "You'll do fine." He winked.
Ichigo was still left breathless…
The End
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So what'd ya think? I hope you liked it! Please review!!!
