Hey everyone it's been a while since I've written anything for TMM but I'm hoping to get back to it. Feedback through a message or comment would be great, constructive criticism and suggestions included and as always thankyou for reading :)
Chapter 1:
Momomiya Ichigo has never particularly liked her job, but today it is about to get ten times worse, scratch that, it's more like one hundred.
Ichigo had been looking forward to sleeping in on her first Saturday off in months and maybe even knocking out some of that homework she's been putting off again and again – not likely but it's the thought that counts. Instead of having a relaxing morning she was awoken early by a call from one Shirogane Ryou. Her boss was not pleased, claiming that she was tardy yet again, and ignored all of her stubborn protests and assertions that it was her day off. Needless to say, she still went to work though she was an hour late.
Minto was there to chastise her, not work, as usual. Purin had the day off it turned out so they were short one real worker – actually that could have been seen as a good thing considering all of the trouble the little girl has a tendency to get into, but Ichigo refused to look on the bright side of things. She was very upset when she first found out about this and tried to get Ryou to see how unfair it all was but he only teased her tugging one of her pigtails and left again. Retasu was there but she was even more distracted than usual knowing that, today being Purin's day off, there was a good chance she would drop by the café to visit with her little friend Taruto and his older brother, one Ikisatashi Pai. Ichigo realized this immediately and wasn't at all surprised since it was a monthly ordeal, she would just have to live with it.
But today was different when Purin finally arrived with her "Taru-Taru" in tow they were not followed by Pai but by a new boy. While Retasu struggled to not visibly deflate Ichigo did a double take – simply because it was someone new, she told herself – when she saw him then quickly continued with what she was doing. He wasn't anything special she decided with a sniff, just a scrawny teenage boy with gangly limbs and too-pale skin and an annoying little smirk that played on his lips.
Ichigo slipped back into the kitchen, arms weighed down by dirtied plates, to find that Retasu was gathering up her customers' orders, obviously disappointed. Ichigo sighs, dumping her pile of plates in the sink; Keiichiro winces at the clatter but takes a deep breath and goes back to icing the cake he was working on. "Do you want me to get their orders?" Ichigo asks her friend who looks up at her with wide blue eyes.
"Who? Purin and Taruto? Oh no, I couldn't ask that-"
"That's why I'm offering," she replies with a giggle. "I'll make sure to ask where Pai-san is…" Ichigo adds with a wink before slipping away, making the other girl flush and stutter plates shaking in her grasp.
Keiichiro takes another deep breath, reaching out to steady her hands. "Easy now Retasu…"
"Go-gomenasai!"
The resulting clatter made Ichigo hesitate but then she decided that it could wait, shrugging slightly before heading back out. She headed over to the table with a slight bounce to her step, forcing a bright smile. Serving Purin and Taruto was notoriously hard simply because they couldn't make up their minds and once they had it would be to order everything on the menu and then pay with IOUs, coins, and old gumdrops before Pai stepped in. "Hey Purin!" she says with waning determination but the little girl doesn't notice, nose in a menu.
"Hi onee-chan!" the younger girl sings making Taruto grumble and sink back into his chair while the older boy with them only chuckles.
Once again Ichigo glances at him curiously and starts when she finds that he is looking at her too. Sure he was an average looking boy but his eyes are striking, they look like gold Ichigo decides and, well, he might be a little cute. She was brought out of her thoughts when he winked. "Hey doll, what's your name?"
Ichigo sputters in response her cheeks flushed red. "You can't just call me that!" she finally manages to get out. "Who do you think you are?"
He is more than happy to supply her with an answer, in his own special way of course. "Kisshu, but darling you can call me whatever you'd like," he purrs snatching up her hand to press a kiss to her knuckles but he doesn't stop there. Kish is a bit theatric. Unfortunately Ichigo doesn't know that and is not prepared for what will happen next. He pulls her down, making her stumble slightly, and presses a quick kiss to her lips. It's a chaste little thing he thinks – it's a demonic, cruel thing she thinks. She jerks away hand clamped over her mouth and eyes even wider than before. And if that wasn't enough he has the gall to lick his lips! "I heard this café had some tasty sweets, still wasn't expecting it to be this good. Thanks for the kiss…" he adds with a smirk.
"Ew…" Taruto grumbles with a scowl.
"A real kiss!" Purin squeals clapping her hands.
And it's around then that Ichigo realizes what just happened and smacks him upside the head with a menu. "Ow! C'mon, what's that for?"
"That was assault!" she gasps.
"It certainly was! I could sue!"
"No! Not that you idiot! The kiss!"
"You can't claim assault! You liked it!"
"I most certainly did not!"
"Don't lie… You're still blushing!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
Purin blinks at the two of them before glancing to Taruto who only shakes his head before motioning to the door, mouthing "candy shop". At this point the entire café is too engulfed in the sudden outburst to notice them slip away, not that anyone would really care. Keiichiro hurries in soon after with an annoyed Ryou by his side and Kish is kicked out while Ichigo is dragged into the back, still threatening to rip his "freaky" eyes out.
"Well, well, well…" Minto murmurs to herself before taking a sip of her tea. "That certainly was interesting."
None of them are aware that it will only get worse from here on out.
Ichigo had Sunday to cool down and mostly forget about it – not really, that's sort of a hard thing to forget, I mean it was her first kiss – but sure enough he returns Monday.
As soon as Ichigo spotted him she scowled and stomped over to give him a piece of her mind. He was sitting at the same table as before but today Purin and Taruto weren't with him and he was leaned back in his chair, pretending to study a menu.
"Hello Doll-face," he greets with a grin. Her blush doesn't go unnoticed.
Ichigo huffs crossing her arms, "Are you here to sexually harass me or are you going to order something today? You know what, I take it back, we don't serve perverts!"
"Aw, c'mon, I already know what I want to order!" he insists.
She rolls her eyes. "Fine, what can I get you?"
"How about you and some whipped-"
Kisshu isn't able to finish because this time the menu is shoved in his face. The yelling begins again, Kish is guided out by Keiichiro who is a bit less understanding than the last time, and Ichigo is swung over Ryou's shoulder and brought back to the kitchen. He docks her pay.
Ichigo must be a sucker for punishment but she tells herself that the third time is the charm, that's why she goes up to him again a week later to try this whole thing yet again. She marches up to him but he doesn't look up, frowning down at the menu before him. "Want to try this again?" Ichigo sighs and he shrugs.
"Sure, sure…" he mutters. "Right, so I want the strawberry shortcake and… maybe some green tea, oh, and is it too much to ask for your number on the side?" he asks with a wolfish grin.
History repeats itself yet again.
"Baby girl, you look good enough to eat in that outfit… Ouch! That really wasn't – ow!"
"Hey Sugar, they have Angel Cake on the menu, would that be referring to you?"
"Strawberry, what are you doing later? Wanna' hang out?"
"Honey, I think we've gone far too long without another kiss…"
"Hey Honey Bun, having a good day?"
Ichigo groans rolling her eyes. "Maybe before you showed up…"
"Aw, don't be that way!"
"Come on, just tell me what you want to order…"
"Fine, fine…" he sighs. "Just green tea and some strawberry shortcake…"
She waits a moment for something perverse to be added and he raises his eyebrows at the action making her blush and hurry away. Kish only chuckles leaning back in his chair to watch as she leaves.
When Ichigo reaches the kitchen all of her friends recognize her expression.
"Is that boy back again?" Keiichiro asks warily and Ichigo growls out a yes in response.
She gets what he asked for before storming back out. "Here," she snaps and he smiles up at her. "Is there anything else I can get you?"
He cocks his head to the side studying his food. "Actually… I lost my number, can I have yours?"
She smacks him upside the head before storming back to the kitchen.
"Oh god! Help, help! I'm chocking! I need mouth to mouth! Hurry, quick, pl- ow! That actually hurt… Anyway, before you so rudely interrupted I was going to tell you that you take my breath away…"
"Hey can I ask you a question…? I'm going to take that as a yes. So, anyway, what does it feel like to be the prettiest girl in this room – no – this city? Wait – good lord! It was a compliment – ow! Honey-!"
"So… two models work here right? Fujiwara Zakuro and you?"
"Precious, aren't you in pain? Come here, I'll take care of you… come on, I don't bite… No, it's just… well… it must have hurt when you fell from heaven… Aw! Come on! You know you liked that one! I really had you going for a second!"
Retasu hurries into the kitchen wringing her wrists nervously. "Ano… uh, Ichigo-chan?" she says nervously watching as her friend furiously scrubs away at dirty dishes.
"What?" her friend snaps hotly. "Did you spill another?"
Retasu recoils slightly but she knows that her friend is just tired and overworked, she's been having a bad day too – couldn't go to the park with Masaya or something, Retasu recalls – but she's very aware that it's about to get much worse. "No, no! It's just uh…"
"Spit it out Retasu!" Ichigo growls.
Keiichiro sighs as he hands Zakuro a tray; he can already see what's coming. "Thank you…" he mutters and she smiles slightly.
"Gomen! It's just that, well, he's back!" Retasu finally squeaks shrinking back when Ichigo stiffens.
The redhead drops the plate she was holding causing a splatter and crash and Keiichiro to flinch yet again. Ichigo takes in a deep breath turning to stomp out to his table, the one he sits at every time, and Kish grins at her approaching form. "Hey babe, it's been too long!"
"It's been a day," Ichigo replies dryly and he pouts.
"Don't be that way, I'm sure every minute must have felt like an hour…"
"No."
He frowns and there's a moment of silence. "So… Sweetheart, you gotta boyfriend?"
Ichigo pinches the ridge of her nose but she's mentally panicking. Can she really call amazing, fantastic, perfect Masaya her boyfriend at this point? Does she even have that right? Finally she settles with avoiding the question but knowing Kish well enough she expects that he won't drop it and will take her avoidance as a big fat "no". "What do you want?" she asks finally.
Kish smiles wickedly. "Darling, I thought that was obvious… I want you."
Ichigo turns about twenty shades of red if not more.
Retasu watches them nervously out of the corner of her eye as she heads to the table next to them, the two girls sitting there are watching them too, whispering to each other. Zakuro and Keiichiro are both standing in the doorway, waiting for the inevitable so that they can step in when it comes. Ichigo and Kish don't notice, the former because her back is turned to them, the latter because he's a little preoccupied with a certain set of long legs.
"Listen," she growls pressing her hands to the table and Kish's eyes flicker up to her face immediately. "I don't know what makes you think you can just come in here and harass me while I'm trying to work-"
"So after work is okay?"
"No!" she says shrilly drawing even more attention to the two of them. "Stop bugging me! I'm not interested in a jerk like you!"
"Aw, c'mon Cutie Pie, I'm not that bad…" Kish insists leaning in closer.
Ichigo flushes once more but quickly scowls, quelling any fluttering in her stomach from those bright eyes. "You're horrible! Now, either order something or leave."
"I think I'll take option C."
"There is no-"
Ichigo is unable to finish but it's not because she's suddenly had a menu shoved in her face but something much worse – or more pleasant but, as mentioned before, Ichigo isn't one to look on the bright side of things. He kisses her for the second time and just like the first she isn't expecting it even though just about everyone else was. Kish tries to let his lips linger but she has other ideas, jumping back, right into Retasu who yelps, the tray in her hand falling to the floor.
"Gomenasai!"
Keiichiro winces and Zakuro sighs. "Well, I better get Shirogane…"
Ichigo growls turning to get the mop just to slip on one of the many pancakes now in the floor, yelping as she begins to fall face-first, but Kish jumps to catch her at the last moment. "Careful Baby Cakes," he laughs helping her up but instead of the begrudging thanks he was expecting he gets a slap in the face, literally. Kish pouts at her, feeling his cheek tenderly. "Ouch, Kitty's got claws…"
Ichigo groans knowing that this is surely the beginning of more torture.
"Hey Cupcake, really, what time does your shift end? What? It's just a question!"
"What's up Tootsie? Ouch! Okay, I admit it, that one was sort of stupid…"
"Princess, I think it's about time you got a prince…"
"Long time no see gorgeous!"
"Good night Ichigo-san, see you tomorrow," Keiichiro calls gently as the girl leaves the empty café. She pauses just long enough to wave to him then she's out the door.
The sun is setting at this point, painting the sky orange, and the air is becoming chilled. Ichigo frowns, mentally scolding herself for not bringing a jacket with her to work but she had hoped that today would be as warm as yesterday. She knows that it might make her late but she decides to head home a different way than usual: through the park.
Little Ichigo is completely unaware of the person following her, their lips tugging into a lopsided smile as they think of all the trouble they can cause and fun they can have. Kish doesn't stalk Ichigo – at least he doesn't in his opinion – he's just taking a walk and happened upon her. Yes, it was a happy coincidence. As long as she's here though what's wrong with having a little fun?
"Hey there Kitten," Kish singsongs making Ichigo jump about a foot in the air. He muffles his snicker behind a hand, hurrying up to her before she can turn on him so he can grab her sides.
Ichigo squeals batting his hands away. "Stop!" she gasps. "That tickles!" When Kisshu's eyes light up she realizes her mistake. "No – I mean – Kish!"
She squeals again as he grabs her, fighting somewhat halfheartedly to bat his hands away. Finally they still on her sides and she's allowed to catch her breath, her cheeks rosy and eyes slightly wet. He can't help but blink at her, realizing just how pretty she is with those long eyelashes and delicate hands, as she wipes the tears away. Kish doesn't move to release her and that pink in her cheeks darkens when she notices. "What… what are you doing here?" she asks finally and he pulls away. She's not disappointed.
"I was walking home," he explains with a shrug. "So are you just getting off of work then, Kitty Cat?" Kish asks innocently earning a glare. "What? I'm just curious!"
"Curiosity killed the cat," Ichigo snaps back and he grins.
"Then you better be careful, right Kitten?" he teases and she groans.
"Look, I really have to get home-"
"I'll walk you."
"What? No!" she cries blushing still. "I-I have to go," she insists, catching herself just before she said "I'll see you later". God only knows the trouble that would have caused.
"Fine…" he sighs dramatically. "See you at the café then…" he adds with a grin and she frowns. "Ja ne Kitten!"
Ichigo growls and he snickers in response as he jogs away. That may be the nickname she hates the most and it seems it's the one he's settled on.
"Good morning Kitty Cat!"
"C'mon Kitten! Just let me walk you home! Just this once? Please?"
"Ah Kitten… you'll always be a wild cat at heart won't you?"
"Kitten, I would be more than happy to be your cream…"
"The tournament is coming up and I haven't been spending enough time training, I don't think I can go to the park with you tomorrow, I'm sorry." Masaya bows his head and Ichigo's heart gives a squeeze. He's just such a gentleman! And he's so devoted to his studies and kendo…
Ichigo laughs nervously trying not to think about what it would be like to have such a devoted boyfriend – no doubt Masaya would be the best. "Don't worry, I understand Aoyama-kun!" she assures him but she really doesn't. She's pretty sure the kendo tournament is still two months away. "I'll make sure to go and watch you when the time comes!" she adds brightly. "Ah, what date is it again?" She mentally congratulates herself for her quick thinking.
"Oh, it's still a few months away," he says with a gentle smile. "But it's never too early to start planning!"
"Of course!" Ichigo replies brightly but she can't relate to that at all.
"Well, I suppose you should get to work and I need to get to practice. Goodbye Momomiya-san!" he tells her with a winning smile before heading towards the gym.
Ichigo sighs clasping her hands to her chest. A real knight! Her very own knight! It's just so romantic!
For once work passes by quickly and Kish's incessant teasing and flirting is easily brushed off. The boy quickly recognizes this and he does everything possible to get her attention but it just doesn't work. He leaves the café miffed and grumpy.
The next day is Saturday – Ichigo's first real day off in forever – and she almost forgets that her date with Masaya was canceled. She has nothing better to do though so she goes to the park anyway. It's a beautiful day, the birds are singing, but Ichigo only pouts going to her favorite tree, the beautiful cherry blossom in the center of the park. Imagine her surprise when she found a certain boy lounging beneath it.
"Kisshu?" she calls out without thinking and he cracks open one eye with a pout before he recognizes just who it is.
"Kitten!" he says eagerly, sitting up. "Thought I was imagining things! What are you doing here Princess?"
She flushes, struggling to get out an answer. "It's my day off," she says finally. "I was taking a walk."
"Ah, I see you found my favorite spot…" he replies with a grin and she perks up.
"Really? It's mine too!" she says excitedly before regaining her control, remembering whom it is she's speaking to.
"Great, you can come join me for a cat-nap then!" he says happily patting the space next to him. Ichigo only continues to stand before him shuffling about somewhat uncomfortably, feeling torn. "I don't bite," he teases sensing her reluctance.
She huffs rolling her eyes before giving in. She plops down next to him, leaning back against the trunk of the tree. Kish grins trying to wrap an arm around her but she bats him away fighting to keep the small smile from her face. There's a short silence before Ichigo's curiosity finally gets her to speak. "You come in with Taruto and Purin sometimes."
"Yeah, what about it?" he yawns shuffling up to her. He's pleasantly surprised when she doesn't object to the small contact of their shoulders.
"I was just wondering if Pai hires you to babysit sometimes or whatever…" He scoffs and she flushes. "What? It's a reasonable thought!"
"Kitten, I'm their brother…" he says, still slightly amused.
"Oh! I'm sorry… I guess I can see the resemblance now…" Ichigo mutters studying his face. She doesn't seem to realize how close they've gotten.
She's cute when she thinks he concludes; it might be even cuter than when she's angry. She's pretty, he's been very aware of how attractive she is of course, that's what got him talking to her in the first place, but it's beyond that. She's ditzy and a klutz – he's seen her struggling with plates long enough to realize that – but there's still something elegant about her body, the curve of her neck, how she walks, and he likes it. Kish knows how soft her lips are, he has kissed her, but he hasn't noticed how full they are, how red they are.
He licks his lips finally snapping out of it; she's still lost in thought. Kish smiles at her slightly only scooting closer. "Like something you see Kit-Cat? I know I do…" he teases and she jerks her head away.
"We were actually having a nice conversation until you said that!" Ichigo says grumpily but he only chuckles. "I'm serious! Why do you always have to do that?"
"Sor-ry," he says sarcastically and she pouts at him. "Aw, c'mon Sweetie! Y'know I only tease!"
Ichigo rolls her eyes, settling back against the tree once more. "How can you be so different from Pai?"
"Why thank you!"
"That wasn't a complement," she says but there's a smile in her voice even though she manages to keep it from reaching her face.
"Well it sounds like one to me," he replies firmly, finally getting a giggle out of her. He grins at her proudly making her quickly stop.
"What? What is that look for?" she asks with a frown.
"I got you to laugh!"
"Oh, big deal!" she says with a wave of her hand.
"I think it's a very big deal," Kish insists looking ahead once more. "I'm not so bad after all, right?" he adds before she can respond.
"Yeah, well, maybe if you didn't bug me so much at work…" He only laughs.
So, Kish is right, he really isn't so bad and neither is Ichigo's Saturday.
"Baby Cakes, you're prettier than a cherry blossom… Speaking of cherry blossoms… remember that magical date we had? Ow! Okay, okay, so it wasn't really a date… I guess… I'm just kidding!"
"Kitty Cat… won't you at least give me your number? Pretty please? With cherries on top? Strawberries? No! Wait! Kitten… please don't walk away…"
"Mi amor, te amo, te amo! Amorcito! Mi amor, tu es muy bonita! Muy, muy bonita! Really? Nothing? I learned Spanish for you! I mean, I think it's Spanish… C'mon Kitten! Eh… Fresa? Gatito?"
"Ah, Kitten! When will you learn that you can't hide that smile from me? You like me! Look! You're even blushing! It was the Spanish wasn't it? That's what got you. It's not funny! That was a serious act of devotion, I can't believe – wait, I got you to laugh again! Now can I have your number? Wait! I'm sorry! I take it back! Uh… numero de telefono…? What about French?"
"What's this?" Kish asks curiously.
"Wh-what? Oh that, that's nothing!" Ichigo replies laughing nervously as she bats Kisshu's hand away from her neck. He pouts up at her but she stubbornly ignores him instead sticking her head in her list of orders. "Want the usual then?" she tries but he grabs her wrist making her look up at him surprised.
"Who gave you that?"
Kisshu would of course be referring to Ichigo's first gift from Masaya – She's starting to feel like they're officially becoming an item! – the little ribbon with a golden bell. At one point she would have eagerly told him that it was a gift from her Masaya-kun but the thought of rubbing it in his face makes her feel sick. "It's nothing…" she repeats huffily. "Strawberry short cake? Green tea? Right?"
"So, you do have a boyfriend?" he demands, sinking feeling growing in his stomach.
"No, I mean-"
"Who? Is it that blond guy you work for?"
"No! Just forget about it okay!"
He's not used to her staying so focused – she's not used to him acting so serious
He frowns at her but she is determined to keep her eyes on the paper in her hand. "I'll just get you the usual…" she mutters finally.
"Wait, really, I just want to know who he is…"
"You wouldn't know him – I mean he's not even my boyfriend," she insists waving her hand.
"So, if I got you a necklace you would wear it?"
"Wait, what – no!"
"Then this guy must be pretty important to you for you to wear a necklace he gave you right?" Kish insists. "You have a thing for him…" At first he was delighted to see her wearing something so similar to a collar, something an actual cat would wear, but now he just feels ill. He's surprised by the sudden wave of jealousy and honestly he isn't sure where it even came from because it's definitely beyond what it should be – he doesn't like her that much does he?
"I'll get your food…"
"So… this boyfriend of yours – don't try to deny it! Right, so your boyfriend, what's he like? Does he go to your school? How old is he? What does he look like? Surely he's not as handsome as me… even you have to admit that."
"If I got you a silver bell on a pink ribbon you would wear it right? What? Don't look so surprised, you prefer silver over gold and your favorite color is pink not red… I notice things okay…? It's not creepy!"
"Kitten, please tell me his name! Give me a hint! Something! I need to know who I'm up against here…"
"C'mon, you gotta tell me who it is! I want to know who was able to tame such a feisty kitty… Ow! See? I just need to take some notes, get some advice… I'm kidding, really… Okay, maybe I'm serious."
"Ichigo-chan!" Retasu says hurrying to the kitchen with Minto close behind. The first girl has a small smile on her face that only grows when she stands before her friend, hands clasped together, while the second has a broad smirk not unlike the middle Ikisatashi brother.
Ichigo blinks at her two friends before setting her tray on the counter. "Is it Kish again?" she sighs.
"Oh, well-"
"Nope, it's your other boyfriend!" Minto replies immediately and Ichigo is too distracted with trying to formulate a proper response to notice how the other girl elbows Retasu's side.
"He's not – I don't – who-"
"Aoyama," Minto replies, amused by the other girl's stuttering.
"Aoyama-kun?" Immediately Ichigo is beaming and her cheeks are pink. "Oh, he must have come straight from practice!" she says excitedly, the thought of him wasting some of his precious time to come see her causing her heart to beat fast.
"Uh, Ichigo!" Retasu says nervously but her friend is already out the door.
Her heart sinks when she finds her knight chatting comfortably with her personal harasser. She walks up to their table hesitantly, trying to smile. "Hello…" she says weakly and Masaya smiles up at her making her stomach roil while Kish frowns at her, noticing the change in attitude.
"Hey Kitten!"
"Hello Momomiya-san…"
They glance at each other and Ichigo shrinks back, holding her tray up so she has something to cower behind. Kish understands what's going on almost immediately, closing his eyes just for a second to keep himself in check, but Masaya is a bit slower on the uptake. "Ano…" he laughs slightly. "Ikisatashi-kun, what did you say?" Surely he didn't just call Momomiya-san "Kitten"!
Kish shrugs a lazy smile spreading across his face though he's feeling sick to his stomach. "It's just my nickname for Ichigo," he replies casually. The girl starts at the mention of her name. She realizes she hasn't ever heard Kish say her name; she was under the impression that he didn't even know her real name, but now that she thinks about it he did refer to her as "Strawberry" for a while… "She's my Kitten…"
Both Masaya and Ichigo recognize his words as possessive but each take it differently. Ichigo's stomach drops, praying that Masaya won't take it the wrong way, he seems to know Kish though so maybe he'll be used to the strange way he jokes around. She still feels angry with the boy for doing this to her though – surely it's on purpose! Masaya starts to connect the dots just how Kish wants him to, glancing between the two before giving Kish a strained smile. "Ah, are the rumors true? Are you and Momomiya-san in a relationship?"
Kish grins before opening his mouth to answer but Ichigo is quicker. "No, no, no!" she says laughing nervously. "It's not like that at all Aoyama-kun! I'm not sure what you've been hearing but it isn't true!" she insists and Masaya turns to glance up at her, hoping he doesn't look too relieved. Both miss Kish's dark expression. "Kish – I mean Ikisatashi-kun just jokes around like that, you know him…" she trails off, laugh sounding annoying even to her ears.
"Oh, I'm sorry for assuming-"
"No, no! You're fine Aoyama-kun!" she squeaks.
Kish thinks he might puke, rolling his eyes. He moves out of Masaya's peripheral vision and into Ichigo's so he can pretend to throw up, she forces herself to ignore it.
"Can I get you anything?" she asks desperately.
"Actually I just dropped by to see you for a moment Momomiya-san, I hope you don't mind I know you're working and all…"
"Oh no! Anytime is fine Aoyama!" she giggles blushing at his words. She completely misses how Kish glares. "Is there anything specific?"
"Yes, the tournament is a week from now, next Saturday actually, do you think you can make it?" he asks hopefully.
"Of course! Oh gosh, I can't believe that it's already arrived!"
"Yes, these things have their way of sneaking up on us which is exactly why it is never too early to plan… I expect that you're prepared as well, Ikisatashi-kun?" he asks, turning to the other boy who is ready to face him, expression bright once more.
"Yeah! That's for sure… I'll try to go easy on you…" he adds and Masaya chuckles in response. "But seriously, good luck," Kish adds.
"Thank you, I wish you the best of luck as well… I really must go now… Goodbye Ikisatashi-kun, Momomiya-san, see you Saturday."
The two of them watch as he leaves but as soon as he's gone they're focused on each other once more.
"You like Aoyama Masaya?" Kish scoffs.
"You're in the kendo tournament?" she counters.
"Hey, don't sound so shocked!"
"Hypocrite!"
"Oh whatever… I was just surprised is all… Wait, does this mean you like kenshi?" he asks hopefully and she scowls.
"No! I like Masaya! It has nothing to do with kendo…" Ichigo huffs with a slight blush.
"C'mon, you think it's hot…" For once he's able to dodge the menu when she tries to whack him with it, cheeks a vibrant red and lips set in a scowl. "At least I know who he is now… and that you aren't actually dating…"
"Kish!" she growls, hands on her hips.
"Later Kitten," he says standing and heading for the door himself. "I'll see you at the tournament… maybe sooner now that I think about it…"
"I'd rather you stay away!"
"Hey," he calls, shoving his hands in his pockets, and turns to walk backward towards the door. "If I win the tournament will you go on a date with me? I mean a real one, not like our date to the park."
"That wasn't a date!"
"Exactly, I mean, what kind of date is that?" he continues making Ichigo's cheeks flush with embarrassment and anger. "What do you say Kitten, will you?"
"No!"
He frowns slightly. "If I loose will you?"
"No! Under no circumstances will I go out with you!" she cries.
"What if I dye my hair black and start going on rants about the environ-"
This time Kish gets a plate chucked at him. Ichigo's pay gets docked again.
He would usually be leaving with a smile on his face, even after facing Ichigo's wrath because he thinks that it's amusing – well, maybe even a little sexy – but today he has a scowl on his face. Kish isn't used to these possessive feelings over anything, especially some girl that doesn't even like him not that he's ever really met a girl who doesn't. He kicks at the sidewalk trying to ignore how his stomach now twists when he thinks of Aoyama Masaya.