Yo peoples! Okay so this is the first TMM fanfic I've made, just not the first one I've put on here, because I couldn't think of a darn title for it! I still wan't able to, as you can see, but I've gotten annoyed at seeing it sit on my desktop for weeks and still not get a good title... Soooo, it doesn't get one! Yay! But anyways, here it is! Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Tokyo Mew Mew! At least not yet anyway. But in time... -laughs manically-
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"Ichigo?"
"Ichigo!" Ichigo jumped and dropped the plate she'd been holding. It shattered as it hit the ground, causing quite a few eyes to look on to the surprised girl to see what had happened. Said girl laughed nervously and turned to look at her friend.
"I-Ichigo-san, are you feeling okay? I had to call your name six times before you heard me..." Lettuce said, trailing off.
"I'm sorry! I keep zoning out," Ichigo laughed.
"But... it only started a week ago. Since... you know," Lettuce said. Ichigo nodded.
"That has nothing to do with it, does it?" Lettuce questioned.
"Nope! Not at all!" Ichigo replied with a smile. She felt a bit guilty for lying to her friend, but she couldn't tell her the real reason why she was being even more absent-minded than usual.
"Oh! The reason I called you is because Aoyama-kun is here for you," Lettuce smiled.
"Aoyama-kun?"
"Yes he's in the front. You go see him, I can clean up this mess," Lettuce said.
"Really? Thanks Lettuce. I'll be out in a minute after I change. Tell Shirogane I'm on my break, would you?" Ichigo asked.
"Of course," Lettuce smiled. Ichigo thanked her again and then rushed into the back room to change out of her café outfit. Ichigo sighed as she changed. Now she was daydreaming during work. It was bad enough when it had been during class but now work too? At least Lettuce had been the one to catch her and not someone less forgiving, like Shirogane or Mint.
Ichigo smoothed her outfit and headed out of the room to meet Aoyama. He gave her a sweet smile when he saw her. She returned it and walked up to him. He was wearing jeans and a dark blue shirt today and looked happy to see her.
"Hello Ichigo-san," He greeted warmly.
"Hello Aoyama-kun," Ichigo said. He offered her his hand and the two left the café. Sunlight greeted them and for a moment Ichigo felt a strange impulse to want to bask in it's warm glow and perhaps take a nap. After the aliens had left the Mew genes the girls had had left as well, but not the animal traits the five sometimes showed. For Ichigo, this meant that she still loved fish, was a tad more athletic than most people, found strings and balls irresistible, and felt content and sleepy when in sunlight.
"Nyaaa," Ichigo yawned. Aoyama chuckled at her side and Ichigo's sleepiness faded as she blushed in embarrassment. Aoyama fingered the bell around her neck, make it right ever so slightly.
"You're still a kitty, aren't you Ichigo?" He laughed. She giggled with him but the word "kitty" lasted in her mind longer than she would have wanted and reminded her of a certain alien.
The two walked silently for a while after that and Ichigo took the time to appreciate the world around her. Everything was so nice outside. Little children were playing and birds were chirping. All around them everything seemed to be happy and lively. It seemed impossible to think that a week ago it had almost all been destroyed.
"So do you want to go see a movie or something? I've got enough money for two tickets and a few snacks," Aoyama said a bit later. Ichigo shook her head. She was happy being outside right now and didn't want to go inside.
"Let's just walk out here. It's so nice out and I don't want to see a movie right now. We should just enjoy the beautiful weather," Ichigo said. Aoyama nodded and the two continued their walk.
Ichigo smiled to herself as she walked. It really was wonderful outside. But it was a little annoying being with Aoyama. She really wanted to think and enjoy the weather for a bit, not talk. The part of her brain forever obsessed with Aoyama shrieked at that traitorous little thought but Ichigo ignored it. She'd been doing that a lot lately. Whenever she drifted off and began daydreaming about a week ago.
Ichigo couldn't get that fight out of her head. She supposed that in itself was okay because after all it wasn't something you'd likely forget. She had almost been killed as well as her friends, her enemies had become her allies and been killed but brought back, Tokyo had been in danger of being destroyed, and her boyfriend had turned out to be her true enemy. If those were the only reasons that Ichigo couldn't forget that fateful day it surely would have been fine and understandable, but they weren't.
Ichigo's brain kept drifting back to that day because of Kisshu and Kisshu only. She'd seen Taruto help her and had heard that Pai eventually helped the Mew Mews out too, but she had really seen Kisshu help and it had amazed her. The alien had been her enemy for so long that it was mind-boggling to think of him as anything but that. But yet, somehow his status as "enemy" had changed to be one of "ally." It still surprised her now and it certainly surprised her then, thought she'd been in too much shock to really notice.
Now though that shock had very much faded. Kisshu had helped her and there was no way for Ichigo to deny it. Not only had he helped her and fought against his master, the person who was supposed to be the savior of his race, and therefore in a sense his own people, but he had died. Died protecting her. Died for her sake. Died... because he didn't want her to get hurt and loved her...
"Ichigo!" Ichigo shook her head and looked at Aoyama. He appeared to be a little confused and concerned but he smiled again when he saw he had her attention.
"I'm sorry. I wasn't paying attention. What did you say Aoyama-kun?" Ichigo questioned.
"I asked if you wanted to go walk in the park," Aoyama repeated.
"No, not really," Ichigo said, shaking her head no. The park held memories of the aliens and she needed to stop thinking about them. Especially with where her last thoughts had been headed.
Plus, you're with Aoyama-kun! Don't waste your time thinking about that stalker! Think about the gorgeous guy at your side! Your boyfriend!
But I miss him... There, I said it. I miss him. I miss all of them. Without them here, it feels like something's missing. I didn't even get to see them one last time before they left. ...So yeah, I miss them.
They're your enemies! You aren't supposed to miss them! And you're with Aoyama! Masaya Aoyama! If you keep acting so weird he'll leave you! Any guy would if you keep acting like this.
They were our enemies. They aren't anymore though. And I know that I'm acting weird, but I can't help it! I want to see him, and I won't stop acting like this until I do. So I'm sorry to Aoyama, but he can leave if he wants to. He's not the one I want to see right now anyway. He deserves someone good though, even if it's not me, Ichigo thought stubbornly. And with that final statement she ignored all of the screeching protests the Aoyama-obsessed part of her brain threw at her.
Ichigo sighed and looked at Aoyama, who hadn't realized that she wasn't listening to whatever it was he was talking about. He stopped talking about halfway through his rant and smiled at her when he caught sight of her studying him. She gave a feebly crafted half-smile in return.
"Aoyama, you're not bored are you?" Ichigo asked.
"Why do you ask?" Aoyama said.
"Well I know I've been out of it recently and-" Ichigo said, stopping abruptly. Aoyama gave her a questioning look. Ichigo stopped walking, causing Aoyama to stop as well.
"My name is Kish. Thanks for the kiss."
"This is where we first met, isn't it Kitten?"
Ichigo stood in front of the building where she had first met Kisshu. Her hand strayed to her lips where it stayed. Kisshu had stolen her first kiss from her at this spot.
Kisshu... I miss you.
Ichigo removed her hand from her lips and faced Aoyama. He looked very puzzled by her sudden change in attitude.
"A-Aoyama, I'm sorry, but I need to go," She said. She blinked as something rolled down her cheek. She touched her cheek and brought her hand away to see that her fingertips were wet.
I'm... crying?
"Ichigo, Ichigo what's wrong? Did I do something?" Aoyama questioned, worried now.
"No, no you didn't! I've... I've just got to go. Sorry... Sorry for acting so strange and for leaving. Sorry, Aoyama-kun," Ichigo said. She turned and ran. He yelled after her as she ran but she didn't stop. Tears came faster now and soon she was flat out sobbing.
Ichigo reached her house faster than she'd expected and not a moment too soon. As she opened the door that skies that had been so nice only a little while ago opened up and torrents of rain fell from them.
Ichigo ran immediately up to her room. Her father was at work and her mother was out visiting a friend so she didn't bother to shut the door. She threw herself onto her bed and hugged her pillow to herself.
"Kisshu... I miss you. I really do. I have since I heard you and Pai and Taruto left. At first I thought I'd be happy but I'm not. I miss you and your stupid smirk. I miss your perverted comments and I even miss how you'd steal my kisses. I miss you," Ichigo sobbed.
She clung onto the pillow even tighter as she thought of Kisshu. Every time she saw him she would push him away from her and cling even more tightly to Aoyama. It was ironic now that she wanted to see him and had pushed Aoyama away. Maybe this was punishment? After all, hadn't she seen the hurt in his eyes every time she had rejected him? He had tried to cover it up witty remarks and a smirk and she had chosen to ignore it, but it had still been there hadn't it? Every time. So was this the punishment for the hurt she'd caused?
Or maybe somehow it had all been a lie? Maybe Kisshu hadn't ever meant anything but was just trying to beat her? She doubted that. "I love you." That was the last thing he'd said to her before he'd died. Died trying to help her. He wouldn't have said that if everything was fake, all a lie. But if it was true, then why wasn't he here? Had Kisshu really given up on her and let Aoyama have her? That seemed unlikely as well. Kisshu wasn't one to give up. He never had before.
Maybe something bad had happened. As unlikely as Ichigo thought it was, it could explain to her why Kisshu hadn't shown up. But the idea of that being why he wasn't here worried her and even though it was only a plausible explanation she hoped that it wasn't true.
Maybe he just forgot about me, Ichigo though miserably. Maybe he gave up on me and really did leave me for Aoyama.
Ichigo crawled out of her bed and walked to her window. She opened it. A great gust of wind blew her papers everywhere and rain flew at her face. She searched the gray skies for any signs that the alien she so desperately wished to see had somehow heard her silent pleas and was coming.
"Alien alert! Alien alert Ichigo!" Ichigo jumped at the small voice. She turned to see Masha hovering in the air above her. She spun back around to once again look out the window, searching for who had set off Masha's alarm, but saw no one. Spirits and hopes dampened, Ichigo turned again to face the small machine.
"There's no one there Masha. See? No one," Ichigo replied dejectedly. Masha didn't seem to understand what Ichigo had said exactly, but was able to see that it had depressed her. It snuggled against her cheek, hoping to comfort her, but when that had no effect it flew away, unhappy that it had made Ichigo upset.
"...Kisshu... Please, please return. I want to see you. I actually want to! You may not believe it, but I miss you. So please...," Ichigo said to the sky. A streak of lightning flashed across the sky followed by a loud boom of thunder that caused Ichigo to jump. She sighed.
"Man this weather is terrible!" Ichigo froze. There was someone in her room. Her mind raced. Her parents hadn't come home yet, they would have told her. She also would have heard them open the door. How did this person get in? She gulped. And then felt like a complete idiot. She knew the voice of the person that had spoken. Knew it all too clearly. How had she not seen that before?
"Kisshu." She said the name so quietly that she doubted the person the words were meant for had even heard them.
Kisshu... Please...
Ichigo slowly began to turn her head to the person.
Please... Please let it be you!
Her heart raced.
Don't let this just be a trick.
She felt nervous, anxious, apprehensive, and excited.
Kisshu!
Her breath froze. Her mind hadn't been playing tricks on her, unless it still was now. Because in front of her was Kisshu, floating cross-legged in the air in front of her, smirking his one-fanged smirk. His emerald green hair was darkened by the rain which dripped onto his clothes. Clothes that were just as wet. His golden eyes appeared to be more lively then she'd ever seen and Ichigo was struck by just how beautiful they were. Not only were his eyes beautiful, but he was handsome, cute even, and made alluring by the rainwater dripping off the bare flesh of his arms, legs, and the ever visible midriff.
Had he always looked this way? Ichigo wondered. Was this the same Kisshu she had fought not too long ago, or did he change somehow? Was it because of the rain? It had to be. How else could she have never realized.
All of this Ichigo took into account but didn't really think about. The only thing in her mind was the fact that Kisshu was here, really here. She ran to him.
Both of them ended up knocked onto the floor with their legs intertwined and Ichigo on top of Kisshu. Had it been any other time Ichigo would have died from embarrassment, or at least blushed enough to make her face about the shade of the fruit she was named after. None of this happened now. Now slap came to Kisshu accompanied with cries of "pervert" even though it was her fault they were in this position. Ichigo didn't care that she had just pushed Kisshu to the floor and landed on top of him, nor did she care that perhaps the alien wasn't here for just a friendly visit.
She started to cry. At first she didn't even realize she was doing it until her cheeks grew wet and Kisshu raised his hand to her face to wipe the tears away. A clawed finger grazed against her cheek, making her shiver.
"Aww, don't cry koneko-chan. I know you can't be that upset to see me," Kisshu said, quietly, with just the smallest bit of playfulness in his tone.
"No! No I'm not!" Ichigo almost shouted, missing the playfulness and thinking that he though she was unhappy and didn't want to see him.
"Shh kitty. I was only teasing. I know you can't resist me," He chuckled. Ichigo smiled at him. She touched his hand that was still on her cheek and moved it away from her. Then she lowered her head to his chest and smiled. She could hear his heartbeat.
This was real. Not just some trick her mind had played on her. It was real. Kisshu was here, in her bedroom, and as real as the heartbeat that sounded so sweetly in her ear.
"Kisshu... I missed you. I thought... I thought that since you didn't come back you had decided to forget about me and leave me for Aoyama," Ichgio said softly.
"Didn't you want to be left here with Aoyama? You love him right?" Kisshu asked. He asked the question so quietly that Ichigo had a hard time hearing him. The playful tone that had been there before was gone now, replaced by a wistful, saddened tone. Ichigo hated hearing it in his voice. It didn't sound right. She wanted to say something to make it go away.
She knew what Kisshu would want to hear, but Ichigo couldn't bring herself to say it. Did she love Aoyama? She'd always said she had, hadn't she? But somehow, the feeling she got when she was around Aoyama wasn't like the one she felt now, in the presence of Kisshu. The feeling seemed so much stronger, more apparent, and it made her so much happier. The feeling she got around Aoyama seemed fragile and small compared to it. But still... not matter how small, it was there. And it seemed to be the thing preventing her from making Kisshu happy.
"I... I don't know. I'm not sure if I want to be with Aoyama. I don't know... I'm so confused right now," Ichigo said. Underneath her Kisshu moved a little and wrapped his arm around her waist. He nuzzled into her hair and moved his mouth close to her ear.
"I would never forget you Ichigo. Never. Do you remember what I told you? I love you Ichigo. And I'm not going to give you up to Aoyama. I'll fight for your love Ichigo. As long as it takes," Kisshu whispered. His word sent shivers down her whole body. They were filled with passion and erased any doubt in her mind that Kisshu had lied when he'd said he loved her. He really did.
His words also made Ichigo aware of how right everything felt at this instant. She felt so safe and protected. It seemed as if nothing would ever hurt her, not when she was in Kisshu's arms like this.
"Kisshu...," Ichigo said. She raised her head to look into his eyes. Eyes filled with passion and kindness and most of all love. Love for her. A love that had always been for her and always would.
She raised her hand to touch his face and marveled at the softness of his skin. The warmth of it. Kisshu raised his face up to meet hers and captured her lips with his.
For the first time Ichigo didn't push away from this with protests and slaps. For the first time she didn't let her brain tell her that this was wrong, but let her heart tell her that it was right, so very right. She reveled in this foreign sensation of his lips on hers. Lips that were just as warm and soft as his skin had been. Lips that same as Aoyama's had been, but yet with something alien about them, something strange and exotic.
The kiss ended when both of them pulled apart for air. Kisshu smirked and Ichigo's face grew very red. She suddenly because very much aware of the fact that she had just very passionately kissed Kisshu and was still lying on top of him and was in her bedroom with him without her parents being home.
"Nyaaa!" Ichigo shrieked as she hurriedly pulled away from the alien, face very flustered and cat ears and tail out to complete her embarrassment. Kisshu propped himself up on an elbow and grinned at her.
"So I take it you liked it, eh koneko-chan?" He asked mischievously.
"No! I mean yes! Wait no! Agh! ...Yes," Ichigo mumbled. Kisshu's grin became even wider as Ichigo blushed more-if that was possible.
"What was that koneko-chan? I couldn't quite hear you," He said. His golden eyes twinkled with mischievousness.
"Oh so you mean that even with those big ears of yours you still couldn't hear me?" Ichigo teased, secretly hoping that he would take the bait and they could forget all about the subject they had been on and spare her some embarrassment.
"Hey! It's not fair making fun of my ears!" Kisshu outed. He pushed himself up off the floor and floated in the air, indignant.
"Well they are big," Ichigo pointed out, laughing at the hurt expression he was making.
"Hmph! Maybe I'll just leave then!" Kisshu pouted as he crossed his arms. The air around him began to shimmer and ripple as he started teleporting.
"No!" Ichigo yelled and did the same thing she'd done before. Grab his foot, which ended with the two of them once again on the floor with Ichigo on top of Kisshu.
"Okay okay I liked it! Just don't teleport!" Ichigo yelled.
"Heheh, okay koneko-chan, whatever you want. Better than Aoyama, aren't I?" Kisshu asked. Ichigo's face heated up once again at that question. Truth be told, his kiss had been better than Aoyama's, but she wasn't going to admit that to him.
"I-I don't know!" She said quickly. Kisshu laughed and leaned closer to her, so that their foreheads were almost touching. Strands of his green hair tickled her face and Ichigo realized that she's just fallen into a trap.
"Guess I need to give you another one to convince you then, ne, koneko-chan?" Kisshu grinned. Ichigo blushed. Kisshu leaned in for another kiss. Ichigo's heart sped up. Just as their lips grazed a song rang out from Ichigo's pocket. Kisshu frowned at the phone that she pulled out of her pocket as she got off of him. The screen read Shirogane.
Shirogane? What could he want? Ichigo wondered.
"Moshi moshi," Ichigo greeted as she opened the phone.
"ICHIGO YOU BAKA STRAWBERRY! Your break ended an hour and a half ago! Get back here right now!" Shirogane yelled. He loudly hung up the phone. Ichigo closed hers and ran to check a clock.
"Ahh! It really had been an hour and a half! I've got to get back to work!" Ichigo screamed. She ran downstairs and was halfway through putting her shoes on when she realized that her clothes were wet due to the fact that she'd been lying on an equally wet alien who'd been out in the rain.
"Nooo," She complained. Shirogane would be so mad at her! He'd probably dock her pay for a week or make her do something else equally annoyance, like working overtime.
"What's wrong honey?" Kisshu asked when she ran back to her room.
"I'm really late for work and my clothes are all wet because of you! And so's my floor!" Ichigo cried in frustration as she stepped into a large wet patch in the pink carpet.
"Sorry. But you know, you are the one that pushed me onto the floor. Both times," Kisshu pointed out. Ichigo turned to glare at him before continuing her frantic search for clothes. She spotted an outfit and ran into the bathroom.
"You better not come in here Kisshu! I mean it!" She screamed at him. He gave her some sort of protest but it was muffled through the closed door. As soon as she was by herself her thoughts bombarded her with questions and reminders of just what exactly she had done in the last half hour or so.
I kissed Kisshu.
The startling reality of that single statement was so surprising that for a moment Ichigo stopped changing.
I voluntarily kissed Kisshu. What... what does that mean? I love Aoyama, don't I? But when I'm with him I don't feel the same as I do with Kisshu. With Kisshu I feel safe and happy. I don't feel like that with Aoyama. What-what does that mean?
The question was left unanswered. Not even the Aoyama-obsessed segment of her brain had a reply to that. Ichigo suspected that it would eventually, once it was no longer stunned, but for now it was quiet.
Do I... Do I love Kisshu?
That thought startled Ichigo the most. After all the times she had pushed him away from her and rejected him now she loved him? After all the times she'd openly hurt him? It all confused her. She couldn't think straight when her feelings were such a mess and when she was being rushed as she was now.
Later. I'll save that question for later.
"There! Done!" Ichigo exclaimed to herself. She deposited her wet clothes into the laundry basket and stepped out of the bathroom to see... nothing. Kisshu wasn't there.
The first thing she thought was that maybe it had really all been a trick. Then she thought that she had done something to upset Kisshu and he had left.
"Kisshu? Kisshu?" She called. She looked around but saw no one.
"Nya!" Ichigo shrieked when out of no where arms snaked themselves around her waist and a cold burst of air blew at her neck. Cat ears and tail instantly back out.
"Geez you scare easily. Hold tight koneko-chan," Kisshu said softly from behind her.
"Huh?" Ichigo questioned. Almost as soon as the words escaped her lips everything started to fade and swirl into a giant mess of colors growing blacker each second. She felt dizzy and closed her eyes. She turned and clung to Kisshu, who in turn held onto her tighter.
"You can open your eyes now koneko-chan," He laughed afterwards. Ichigo hesitantly opened her eyes and saw she was outside of Café Mew Mew.
"Hey thanks Kisshu!" Ichigo smiled.
"Well I couldn't let my little kitty get all wet and be even later, now could I? Not that I'd rather have you stay here with me... Better hurry though," Kisshu warned.
"Yeah, I probably should go. But I have a question first. Why did it take you so long to come here Kisshu? Why didn't you return right away?" Ichigo asked.
"Haha! You must have really wanted to see me again!" Kisshu smirked. Ichigo blushed a bit and nodded.
"We had to use the Mew Aqua on our planet. When that was done I came back here as soon as I could," Kisshu explained.
"Oh that's right!" Ichigo said, feeling dumb for not think of that. Of course he couldn't have traveled all that way in just a day or two. "Did it work?"
"Yeah. Our planet's beautiful now. I'll take you to see it one day Ichigo," Kisshu said.
"I'd like that," Ichigo smiled. Kisshu smiled back at her, something that she wasn't sure she'd ever really seen him do before. It was always smirks or grins. Never a smile. Ichigo decided that she liked him smile.
"Oh I guess I better get going huh? You'll still be here after I'm done right? I don't want you leaving again," Ichigo said.
"I'm not going to leave now. Not when I've finally got my kitten," Kisshu smirked. Ichigo smiled and then quickly kissed him and ran off to the café. Kisshu's smirk grew wider and he teleported away.
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"Ichigo's daydreaming again."
"Yeah but Ichigo-oneechan looks happy now na no da!"
"Well it still doesn't change the fact that she's not working!"
"But Mint-oneechan, you don't work either na no da."
"Hmph! Get back to serving the customers you little ruffian."
Lettuce smiled as her two friends bickered. Both were right, Ichigo was daydreaming again but she was happier. When she'd been daydreaming before she seemed far away and sad. Now she was happy, with a constant blush upon her cheeks and her hands every now and then finding their way to her lips where she would then giggle and blush even more profusely.
Lettuce wasn't quite sure who or what had made Ichigo act so differently now. She'd been happy even when Shirogane had yelled at her for being so late. Whoever it was, Lettuce thanked them for helping her friends act like herself again.
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Okay so yup, there's my wonderful title-less story. But anyways, thanks for reading my story! Please leave me constructive critiscism if you can! I have so many more story ideas that I want to write for this pairing (I seem to have become obsessed with it) so I want to know any ways that I can improve my writing and characterization! So thanks!