Jan 17, 2012.

Hi, reader.

This piece was written approximately a year after it's predecessing Ryou/Ichigo fic (and was only written because a fellow authoress asked so nicely :P), so I worried I'd lost my touch with the characters and that they'd be OOC - not just because of that, but also because I aged them about seven years. Nevertheless, the fic was quite well-received and I was happy with the final result. It's set when Ichigo is at university, which was something I'd yet to explore.

Thanks to those who read and reviewed.

Anyone reading now: Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not (and did not) own Tokyo Mew Mew.

Seven Minutes

Written: March 28, 2010.

For Kitty Kat K.O.

Ichigo Momomiya laughed. Around her, the house party thrived with people and music; the birthday party she was attending was a complete success.

The friend whose birthday it was, Kyo Kuroyama, was sitting amongst the large circle on the floor, of which Ichigo was also a part. He glanced over at her and winked. They were playing Truth or Dare – one of the classic party games – with the addition of alcohol, which only made it more fun. Ichigo wasn't actually drinking (she was one of the few who found sake disgusting), but she was bubbly and cheerful enough anyway that the others – who were tipsy – couldn't even tell that she wasn't.

"Hamada-san," one of Kyo's good friends called. "Truth or dare?"

The circle was set out so that people who were invited sat with their dates on their left. Ichigo didn't know why, but it had been compulsory that everyone bring a date to the party. She'd known for a fact that Kyo had been hoping she would be his date, but he'd been asked by another girl, Misako Sayo, before Ichigo had been able to speak to him.

She couldn't deny she'd been a little disappointed; Kuroyama was tall and handsome, with bottomless dark blue eyes and a shock of jet black hair. Plus he was funny and laid-back, and enjoyed a bit of mischief here or there. The fact that he'd wanted her to come with him was more than a little flattering; he was highly sought after by many girls at university. Ichigo flushed with pleasure at the thought. Who'd have thought that a clumsy moment in the elevator could've fostered something with so much potential?

But speaking of dates, Ichigo's hadn't even shown up yet, and it was starting to irritate her. When she'd asked her self-centred, indifferent boss Shirogane, she'd expected him to cause trouble – it was just what he did. But even she hadn't thought he'd be capable of being this rude. Sure, the guy had a serious superiority issue, and only the most inflated ego of anyone she'd ever met, but she'd thought he at least had a little more courtesy than this.

She glanced down at her watch, her red fringe falling in her eyes, and tried not to glower. Talk about embarrassing! There was nothing worse than being stood up in front of the guy you liked by the guy who you hadn't even wanted to invite in the first place. She'd only begged Shirogane to accompany her because she'd run out of time to ask anyone else.

Not that she'd had anyone else to ask. The only other person she'd have even come close to considering was her ex-boyfriend Masaya, who was studying abroad on exchange at the moment. They'd maintained a good relationship after their actual relationship had ended. There had come a point in time where they'd both realised that they'd just grown up, and grown out of love. That the fondness they felt for each other was no longer fuelled by passion.

It had been sad – Ichigo had hurt for a long time afterward – but in the long run, she was actually relieved. Trying to love someone you didn't feel anything for was just too hard. She was much happier now that they were friends; Masaya understood her more than some of her closest girlfriends did, and that was invaluable. Losing him entirely would have been too much for her to handle. But the breakup had been a while ago now; just on six months, in fact. Trying to get her head around that – that she'd been a university student for six months already – hurt her brain.

Around the room, other party games were being played. In the very middle, a Twister mat had been set up. The people playing had somehow managed to create some kind of extremely uncomfortable-looking human knot. Behind that was a game of limbo that seemed to entail more laughing and drinking than actual limbo-ing. There was a very fast-paced game of cards being played –seemingly without rules – over in the corner.

"Momomiya-san!" Ichigo snapped her head to attention. Misako, Kuroyama's date, had called her name, and was grinning at her from across the circle. Ichigo scowled internally; her arm was looped through Kyo's. "Truth or dare?"

Oh, it was Ichigo's turn. Great.

"But I can't," she replied, frowning. "My date isn't here." Rules had stood so far – she wasn't allowed to play without one.

"Everyone else has had a turn," Kyo said, shrugging. He grinned devilishly at her; her lips turned up automatically in an answering smile. He was infectious like that. "It isn't fair that you get to miss out on the humiliation."

"Just ask her, Sayo," someone else called. A chorus of agreement chimed, and just like that, the rules were disregarded. Ichigo stiffened. She'd actually been relying on Shirogane's absence to save her from the game. Some of the dares being undertaken were way outside her comfort zone. And truth… well, judging by the look on Sayo's face, she probably wasn't going to like it.

"So, Momomiya. Truth or dare?" Misako repeated.

Ichigo flailed, alarmed, and eventually settled for, "Truth."

"Okay, then," Sato said, smirking. "So tell us. Do you have a crush on Kuroyama?"

Wait, what? Oh, no. Confessions. Ichigo did not do confessions. It had been hard enough confessing to Masaya when she'd realised she'd fallen in love with him, and it had been just the two of them then. Admitting she had feelings for Kyo in front of all his friends? There was no way it was happening. She blushed hotly.

Across the circle, Misako waited, one eyebrow kicked. Ichigo glared at her. In response, Sayo linked her fingers with Kyo's. Kuroyama was too comfortably drunk to notice. He was watching Ichigo, like everyone else, waiting for an answer, smiling all over his face.

"Problem, Momomiya?" Misako asked. She'd been annoyed with Ichigo all week, because she'd noticed the budding friends-but-possibly-potentially-more thing she had going with Kyo, and had overheard people talking about how he wanted Ichigo to be his date. Sharing had never been her strong suit – she was known for her jealous nature. Now she smiled faux-sweetly at Ichigo. "Cat got your tongue?"

Ichigo almost giggled at the ironic pun, but the awkwardness of the moment stopped her. Her blush reddened.

"Answer the question, baka."

Heads turned. Ichigo's surprise quickly turned to irritation. Oh, perfect timing. Now Shirogane decided to show up. Right when she was being tortured. He was standing in the doorway with his jacket slung over his shoulder, taking a casual stance but looking undeniably dashing in his black slacks and powder-blue shirt. It was loosely tucked in, in a way that somehow managed to not look dorky, with the top few buttons left undone. He was looking at her with piercing aquamarine eyes.

"Who's this, Ichigo?" Kyo asked, glancing up and down Shirogane's frame in a manner that couldn't quite be considered welcoming.

Ichigo opened her mouth, but he spoke across her. "I'm her date."

Dark blue eyes clashed with ice blue eyes. They stared levelly at each other, making everyone around them uncomfortable. Ichigo glanced between them. What the heck was their problem?

"Um… This is Shirogane, everyone. And over there is Kuroyama-san. It's his birthday party," Ichigo introduced to break the silence.

Sato seemed to be taking personal pleasure in Shirogane's arrival. After a long moment, Ryou flicked his eyes calmly from Kyo's and turned back to Ichigo. "It's Truth or Dare, right? You have to answer. Everyone's waiting."

Ichigo didn't miss that he seemed to have included himself in the 'everyone' part. She shot him a look that told him very clearly that she was extremely unhappy with him, and looked at Kuroyama, who suddenly didn't seem to be enjoying his alcohol as much as he had been earlier. Misako's hand, she noticed, was no longer laced with his.

"Come on, Momomiya," someone said.

"Yeah! You're holding the game up!"

"Just answer the question!"

Under the pressure of twenty expectant gazes, and the curious eyes of Kyo, the unfriendly eyes of Misako, and the piercing gaze of Shirogane, Ichigo finally cracked. Red faced and heart-racing she cried, "Okay, okay! Fine! Yes, I like Kuroyama, alright?"

Instantly, people were laughing and cheering and wolf-whistling and clapping. Face radiating heat like a tomato, Ichigo stared furiously at the ground, determinedly avoiding Kyo's gaze. She didn't even want to know what he was thinking right now. He probably thought she was desperate and pathetic. She certainly felt desperate and pathetic. Oh man, she didn't think she'd ever play Truth or Dare again after tonight. She suddenly wished she had a strong drink so she could skull herself into oblivion and forget it ever happened.

"Your turn!" The game had continued. "Come join the circle. Truth or dare?"

"No thanks," Shirogane said flatly, arms crossed over his chest. He smirked at Ichigo when she glanced at him.

"Spoilsport! You have to play something – everyone is."

"Why don't we start Seven Minutes in Heaven now?" someone else suggested with a hiccup, and pointed. "They can go first."

"I'm pretty sure she'd rather go in with Kuroyama!"

"But that guy's her date – it's customary!"

Everyone was laughing. Mortification hit Ichigo for the second time that day, along with realisation. Everyone knew what happened when you played Seven Minutes in Heaven – well, what was supposed to happen, anyway. And they expected her to spend seven minutes with Shirogane? Could this night get any worse? Actually, she thought, it could, because she really wouldn't have minded seven minutes with Kuroyama, but there was no way she could do it now. Not after that humiliating confession. So, either way, her night was ruined.

The person beside her nudged her. "What do you say, Momomiya?"

"N-no, I-I–"

"Come on; up you get!" Two guys hauled her to her feet (with an alarmed "Nyaaa!") and steered her towards Shirogane, who was merely watching with one eyebrow cocked, evidently enjoying the entertainment. She scowled at the amusement playing around his lips, wishing she could punch the smirk from his face. He was meant to be here supporting her – what kind of friend took pleasure in your humiliation?

"Hey, hey," Kyo called, sounding uncomfortable. "If she doesn't want to do it, don't force her."

"Aww, ease up, birthday boy," one of the guys called back. "It's a game. It's all harmless fun. Unless you want to go first with her?"

"Uh…" Kyo's face reddened. For a moment, Ichigo had sort of almost been hopeful that he'd jump to her rescue. In his momentary hesitation, the two guys laughed and pushed her towards the pantry.

"Looks like he doesn't dig you, sweet pea," one chuckled. The other opened the door. "Come on, hotshot."

Ichigo squealed as she was pushed inside, immediately whirling around to get back out. "What are you doing? Stop it! Let me out!"

"Relax, Strawberry," Ryou said lazily, strolling in comfortably after her. "It's just seven minutes, and it's not like they're in here to make you do anything. Just stick it out and it'll be over before you know it."

The door slammed shut, and she listened in furious silence as something forebodingly heavy-sounding was dragged against it. Sure enough, when she shoved hopefully against the door, it stayed firmly shut. She glared in what she hoped was Shirogane's direction; the squashy pantry was pitch-black – startlingly so. The silence stretched.

"Great party," Shirogane's voice commented sardonically.

Ichigo exploded. "How dare you stand me up, you jerk! Do you have any idea how embarrassing it was when you didn't show up? I had to explain to people why I had been apparently rejected by my date! I mean, couldn't you have just done the right thing for me, for once in your life? Do you have to make everything so difficult all the time? This whole thing has just been a stupid disaster!"

"Are you done yet?" he asked lazily.

"No!" she growled. "Where are you?"

She felt around in front of her with her hands, accidentally knocking things off the shelves, until her fingers came into contact with the soft fabric of his shirt. His chest was warm underneath.

"Strawberry, what are you–oof!"

Ichigo had punched him squarely in the chest. She smiled savagely in the darkness. "That's for being so late!" She hit him again.

"Ow! What the hell, Momomiya?"

"That's for being a jerk!"

The third time, he growled and grabbed her arms. Breathless with anger, Ichigo sucked in a breath and said, "And that's for not sticking up for me out there."

"Sticking up for you?" he demanded angrily. "What, like you didn't want to tell that guy you like him? Give me a break, baka."

"As if you couldn't see how uncomfortable I was!" Ichigo cried shrilly. She was so angry with him it was making her voice squeaky. "You knew I didn't want to be in that situation, and you encouraged them! What kind of friend does that?"

"I'm not your friend, Momomiya," he snapped. "I'm your boss, remember?"

His remark cut her short. She stopped struggling to regain custody of her arms (so she could hit him again) and they fell limp in his grip. Her chest rose and fell heavily as her breathing struggled to calm. He'd shocked her. The silence was thick in the tiny pantry. She was surprised at how his comment stung; she couldn't believe he'd actually managed to hurt her with that.

"Hey, I–"

"Save it," she said shortly. "It's true, anyway." Never mind the five-odd years they'd been practically squabbling like siblings. Clearly, that didn't count for anything. She shrugged out of his grasp, which was no longer restricting, and stepped back, knocking cans and jars to the floor with a loud crash.

"Watch it!" Ryou exclaimed. "You're going to break something!"

"I didn't mean to!" Ichigo cried, losing it. "Would you get off my back for two seconds? You think I really want to be breaking things? Oh, and I'm fine, by the way. Thanks for asking."

"You're so frustrating!" Shirogane growled loudly, exasperated. Ichigo's mouth dropped open.

"I'm frustrating?" she hissed incredulously. "I'm frustrating? Take a look in the mirror, boss! Frustrating is not accidentally knocking things over, or tripping, or breaking things. Frustrating is trying to be nice to someone, trying to talk to them and be friends with them, and having them constantly push you away, or swat you aside, or pretend you don't exist. Frustrating is having someone consistently degrade you and demean your existence!"

"Strawb–"

"I know I'm clumsy and stupid!" Ichigo steamrolled on, caught up in being pissed off. "I know I trip over my own feet and fall up stairs, and drop things, and I have more bruises than Purin and Retasu put together. You think I don't humiliate myself enough without you standing by to help me, Shirogane? You don't think it hurts me? Every single time you remind me how stupid I am chips away at my self-esteem. I'm not bulletproof, you know!"

"Momom–"

"And that guy out there actually likes me! Well, I don't know that for sure, but I think he does. And he's funny and nice to me, and he doesn't care that I constantly make a fool of myself. Somehow, he can see past the walking accident I am and actually like the person behind it! So sue me for liking that!"

"I didn't say anything about that guy, you idiot!" Shirogane finally managed to get in. "If you'd stop babbling for just a second, maybe I'd actually get a word in!"

They were glaring fiercely at each other when the door suddenly opened. Light flooded in; Ichigo winced at the sudden brightness.

"Time's up!" one of the guys called, grinning. "How much stuff did you guys break in there?" His eyes sparkled with laughter. Shirogane reached out and grabbed the handle.

"We're not done yet," he snapped, and slammed it shut again, throwing them back into darkness.

"Hey!" the guy called in alarm. The door rattled on its hinges as they tried to open it from the outside. Ryou held it shut tightly.

"Shirogane!" Ichigo gasped in disbelief. "For God's sake, what are you doing? Open the door!"

"I haven't finished with you," he growled, opening the door ajar just long enough to bellow, "Go away!" before slamming it shut again. He turned back to her. "Will you let me speak, for once?"

Ichigo glared furiously into the black.

"Good," Shirogane said shortly. He sighed heavily, and silence fell over them. When he spoke again, his tone had changed. "Do you really consider me a friend?"

Ichigo blinked, startled. "I-I, well, I… I mean, I tried… I always kind of hoped we'd be friends one day. Didn't you?"

He said nothing in response to her genuine curiosity. She listened to him breathing in the darkness. The smell of tomato curled around them. Evidently, they were standing in tinned soup.

"Well… um," Ichigo began awkwardly, tucking a strand of red behind her ear; a nervous habit, "thanks for clearing that up, anyway. It makes things easier…"

"No, I–" he cut himself off, his voice strained. "It's not what I meant, before. I just said that."

"Huh?"

"I didn't mean it," he repeated, sounding like a toddler being forced to confess about stealing some sweets from the jar. She could imagine his red-faced pride right now. Ichigo blinked at him in the darkness.

"I don't understand you, Shirogane," she confessed. "You're so confusing."

"Sorry," he muttered darkly.

"I didn't mean to offen–"

"I know."

Ichigo fell silent, blushing. Well, this was awkward. Ryou sighed again, then growled in frustration.

"What?" she asked, alarmed.

"Nothing," he snapped, and she recoiled. He swore under his breath, pounding a fist against one of the shelves. The contents rattled loudly. She jumped, wondering if he was a psychopath and she was about to get herself killed.

"Shirogane, what the heck is wrong with you?"

"Nothing, baka!" he almost roared. She backed as far from him as possible. Ryou had always been notoriously intimidating when he was angry. Usually, though, her own anger acted as a buffer. Now that her irritation had passed, she didn't know how to handle angry-Ryou. Being completely honest, he was actually scaring her a little.

"Shirogane, I'm sorry!" she stammered. "Please stop yelling at me!"

She bit her lip and waited for his next shout, but it never came. She let out the breath she didn't realise she'd been holding in anticipation, relaxing her tense muscles; she'd unconsciously braced herself, possibly for impact. Did she really expect him to hit her? Even Ryou wasn't that bad, was he?

"I'm not yelling at you," he said, sounding genuinely surprised.

"But…" Ichigo trailed off. She didn't even want to know what was going on anymore. It was confusing and tiring, and she just wanted to go home and forget about the party altogether. So far, nothing had been fun. "You know what, don't worry about it. I think I'm gonna go home now. I have assignments to do, and stuff. So, could you open the door and let me out?"

"Ichigo…" Something in his voice made her pause and wait. "Why'd you invite me tonight? It just… doesn't make sense, if you like that guy so much."

Ichigo blushed, her heart thudding, for reasons she could not have explained. "I told you. I needed a date."

"But you could have asked anyone," he said, sounding troubled.

She laughed nervously. "I kind of left it to the last minute. You know me. Always procrastinating."

"Oh. Right."

"What?" Again, there was something in his voice that she couldn't place; she hadn't heard it before. Could it possibly be… disappointment? Jealousy? But there was no way. What was there for him to be jealous of? He didn't even like her as a person, let alone as a love interest. As if he'd ever have considered her that way!

"Nothing."

Except the heavy significance hanging in the air between them sort of annulled that. Ichigo waited a moment longer in case he said something else, then moved towards the door. To her surprise, his hands grabbed her and pulled her back, pulling her towards him.

"You know what? It's not nothing," he said, changing his mind. "You know why I came tonight, Momomiya?" He waited for a sufficient length of silence to pass before answering his own question, as she suspected he might. "Yes, I came because you asked me to. But, fundamentally, I am a selfish person. I came because I wanted to be around you. That's all." She blinked in surprise. In the silence, he seemed surprised himself. But he kept speaking. "You make me laugh when you're clumsy, and I like listening to your incessant chattering. Have you ever listened to yourself talk? Because you rarely make sense, and you never talk about anything relevant. Yet, somehow, I think it's interesting. And I think you're interesting, even though you drive me mental half the time, and you're stupid, and you're basically a disaster on legs, but–" Ichigo's mouth had opened so she could point out how offensive all this was, but his arm curled tightly around her waist, and his free hand moved up to touch her face in the black; as a result, her thoughts dissipated like sand running through her fingers. His touch was soft and gentle; it made her skin tingle.

Breathlessly, her mind fuzzy and sort of lightheaded, she murmured, "What?", aware that he never finished his sentence.

She could hear him breathing fast; he was nervous. Her heart was pounding so hard she was sure he must have been able to hear it, but, swept up in the moment, she didn't care. She didn't care about anything, actually. Nothing existed apart from Ryou, herself, and the tiny, cramped pantry. Beyond their little dark bubble was an endless void of unimportance.

"I-I love you," he said. She heard him let out a long breath, and imagined it must have taken him a bucket load of guts to say that to her. She felt an odd rush of unexpected affection for him; restrained the overwhelming urge to hug him tightly. But she had no idea what to say. He'd taken her completely by surprise.

"So…" he continued, his voice regaining its confidence and strength. "You can go back out there if you want, and be with the guy who likes you. I'm not going to stop you. Or, you can stay in here and let me kiss you for seven minutes, because that's what I'm going to do if you don't pull away now."

He gave her only a moment, but she found herself not moving. A second later, the hand that was gently brushing her face moved to the nape of her neck, entangling itself gently in her long, red hair, and he pulled her face up to his. When their lips met, it was like a spark of electricity coursed through her veins. A thrilling sort of chill trembled through Ichigo and she melted against him.

Soft as velvet, his lips crushed slowly against hers, securing her mouth firmly. His scent curled around her; a mixture of 'Ryou' and whatever crisp cologne he was wearing. For a moment she simply rested in his arms, marvelling in how perfectly she fit, like a puzzle-piece, and enjoyed how dizzyingly intoxicating his kiss was, and the taste of his breath in her mouth, and the feeling of his hands against her skin.

And then she realised she was locked in a kiss in a pantry with her boss, and it suddenly made much less sense. She pulled her mouth from his and put some space between them.

"Ichigo–?"

"Just a few minutes ago, when I suggested we were friends, you shut me down completely, and then you go and flip like a switch, and suddenly you love me?" she said incredulously, dragging her thoughts together to form something coherent, while she tried to push the memory of his kisses out of her head. "I really don't get it, Shirogane. If you think you can just have fun with me because we're at a party, then you've got it all wrong." To her surprise, the thought made her eyes sting. But it made more sense than his suddenly wanting to be with her, which had never been the case in the previous five years of her knowing him. "I'm not a toy you can play with when you're bored."

"Ichigo, I wouldn't treat you like that," he said, sounding offended. "Do you know how long I've been in love with you? Truth is, I can't tell you, because it's been too long for me to remember."

She stared, stunned, into the darkness. "But that doesn't make any sense… I never got the hint, or felt anything from you… Why didn't you ever say anything?"

He laughed shortly. "You can answer that yourself, I'm sure."

Realisation flicked like a light bulb, and she felt suddenly stupid. "Masaya."

"Obviously. The worst part of being so close to you all the time was knowing you were untouchable. I couldn't tell you because you were in love with someone else. And even after you broke up, you were still in love with him. Even now, Ichigo," Ryou said, his hands resting tentatively on her waist, "you might still love him. I'm not a fool."

Ichigo opened her mouth to tell him that she really wasn't in love with Aoyama anymore, but he spoke before she did.

"But I was foolish in thinking that I'd have you all to myself for at least a little longer. I didn't think you'd find someone else so soon. And then I get here…"

And Ichigo was suddenly feeling sorry for him. She reached out and touched his arm reassuringly.

"If you love me, Shirogane," she said quietly, "why do you always treat me like I'm so inferior to you? Like I annoy you by simply existing?"

"You try pretending you don't love someone," he challenged her defensively. "Then get back to me."

Silence fell for another moment.

"I still don't understand why you didn't say something earlier," Ichigo confessed. "Masaya and I broke up six months ago. Don't you think you left it a little late to speak up?"

"Probably," he agreed, and sighed. "This is hard, Strawberry. I really can't believe I'm actually saying this right now. If I wake up and this is all a dream, it'll make much more sense. But… I couldn't face the possibility of being rejected… Until it actually seemed I was going to lose you again. You didn't give me much choice but to act now." He sucked in a breath, seemingly having reminded himself of something. "That guy you like is right out there. I know everything's been rushed, and that the chances of you feeling the same way are practically below zero. I… was prepared for rejection, even though I was scared of it. So–" Ryou stepped back, dropping his hands from her waist "–you can go back out there, and I won't try to stop you again. I've said what I had to say. I've no business here anymore."

Ichigo might have done just that – gone back to the party, where Kuroyama, who she'd been so hopeful about, was waiting. And maybe they might have spent seven minutes in the pantry. And maybe she might have even gotten to see what it would be like to be his girlfriend. But with Ryou standing in front of her, having said everything he'd just said, and kissed her the way he did, she just couldn't do it. She hovered in the darkness, biting her lip and wondering what she should do instead.

And while she pondered, knowing that he'd be wondering what it meant that she was standing there not leaving, and that he'd probably be running his palms against his pants – his nervous habit – she realised exactly that. That she knew Shirogane so well that she knew all of his tiniest habits. That, in the darkness, she knew what expression would be on his face, what shape his mouth would be making, and the way his eyes would be flicking tentatively to her face and away, and then back again, like he needed her to be sure so that he could be sure. The little bit of vulnerability he let slip through the cracks of his carefully composed indifference was just for her, and now she appreciated that. And she was appreciating other things… How he always left the teabag in the strainer in the morning, the way he never wore a shirt in his bedroom, how scruffy his hair was after he'd slept, how he would flick her nose whenever she asked for a pay rise, how he'd deliberately put his feet up on the table she'd just finished cleaning…

All things that she hated about him. But Ichigo was learning one of the most well-known lessons in life. There is a very fine line between love and hate. And she was realising that she was coming to love all the things she'd always hated about him – that, without them, he wouldn't be who he was, and if he wasn't taunting, teasing, snide, and witty (and charming), then he just wouldn't be Ryou Shirogane. And if he wasn't Ryou Shirogane, then he wouldn't make her feel the way Ryou Shirogane did. And in that thought she found her answer.

"You tease me, and degrade me, and frustrate me, and work me so hard, and pay me so little, and make my life as miserable as you possibly can," Ichigo said. "And sometimes you make me so angry I swear I've never hated anyone so much in my life." In the pause that followed, she could almost hear the defeat he was feeling. "But now that I know, it's impossible for me not to see that you drive me crazy, because I'm crazy about you."

"… So…" His confusion was heavy, and priceless. Ichigo giggled, wanting to clap her hands childishly. Instead, she did exactly what she'd been trying to make herself not do for the past five minutes: She found his chest in the darkness and slid her arms up around his neck, reaching on her tip-toes to kiss him briefly.

"Ryou? I love you, too."

When the long-forgotten door opened again and Kuroyama's friends looked in, Ryou Shirogane and Ichigo Momomiya went on exchanging velvet kisses as if there was nobody there. Glued together like they had been born to exist that way, they relished in being with each other, and in being together, and clung together as though they wished they could mould into one being. Mildly disgusted, the two guys shook their heads and shut the door again.

"Seriously, man," one commented, "those two just don't get the game."

Afterword

I had a lot of people ask me why I chose a pantry instead of an actual cupboard. The truthful answer to this is I'm not sure. It's just the way the scene painted itself in my mind; I liked that they were knocking cans of tinned tomatoes off the ledges in their wrestling. It just added more humour to the story.

Another frequent comment was in regards to the names I selected. Kyo was very similar phonetically to Ryou, and his surname - Kuroyama (meaning 'black mountain') - was strikingly similar to Masaya's surname - Aoyama (meaning 'blue mountain') - AND amusingly opposite to Ryou's last name - Shirogane (meaning 'white money/gold'). I confess to you all now that none of this was intentional. I was simply exceedingly lazy, and went with obvious colour/object collaborations for an in-theme surname that hadn't been used in the series. I teemed 'black' with 'mountain', and ended up with a super-amusing ironical pun that everyone praised me for. Haha. Sorry to disappoint, but I'll still take the credit! :P

Thanks for reading!