Um…Hi? Please don't kill me…I know I've been gone for a while (over a year), and there is no real excuse for it. All I can say is that I'm sorry.
This is an impromptu fic that just happened to pop into my head. Basically, I was driving down memory lane and found one of the best songs of the 90s. Then I realized that it kinda fit in with this older fic I wrote, "I'll Be Watching You". Don't ask me why I decided to do a sequel three years after I posted the original…I have no clue…
Tell me what you think, okay? Do I still have it? Or am I a bit rusty?
To refresh your memory:
Plain- present
Italics- memory
Bold and Italics- song lyrics
Disclaimer: I do not own Tokyo Mew Mew. The characters and story are the property of Mia Ikumi and Reiko Yoshida. I do own this storyline. I also do not own the song "I'll Never Break Your Heart" by The Backstreet Boys.
I'll Never Break Your Heart
Baby, I know you're hurting
Right now you feel like you could never love again
Now all I ask is for a chance
To prove that I love you
A few weeks had passed since Kisshu's late night rendezvous with Ichigo. As he had promised, he had been watching over her- but he didn't like what he was seeing.
At first, he was rather pleased that Ichigo was trying to avoid Aoyama. But soon it was getting out of hand. Next she would skip out on work, shirking away from Ryou and Keiichiro. It was as if she was trying to abstain from being near any man, no matter who it was.
Kisshu was getting worried. Had Aoyama really hurt her so badly that she didn't trust men at all? He understood that he had been Ichigo's first love. But one's first love wasn't always the right love.
'Except it is in my case.' Kisshu mused.
From the first day
That I saw your smiling face
Honey, I knew that we would be
Together forever
As the alien perched atop a large column, he saw a red-haired girl being chased by a younger, blonde child. It was comical. Upon closer inspection, Kisshu found the older girl to be very attractive. She had a slight frame, with lovely ruby colored hair styled into pigtails. Her brown, doe-like eyes were entrancing and the light flush in her cheeks was endearing to him.
He knew in that moment that she was meant to be his and he was meant to be hers. It would only be a matter of time before they would be together.
Ooh when I asked you out
You said no but I found out
Darling that you'd been hurt
You felt like you'd never love again
Seeing her like this, so fragile and distraught, made his own heart ache. It was then that he decided.
It was time for him to make an intervention.
One Friday night, Kisshu was settled on his branch, in his tree, out side Ichigo's house, staring into her bedroom window.
Shintaro and Sakura were away on a weekend retreat to "rekindle their romantic relationship" as Sakura put it. Ichigo had decided to take off from work for the next two days without notice. 'Let Minto do some work for a change'.
Forgoing her homework, Ichigo took a hot shower, put on her most comfortable pink cotton pajamas, and slid into bed.
Once the light had gone out, Kisshu slipped silently into the room and stood over her small body, staring longingly. He crept over to her desk and placed a small piece of folded paper in the center.
Hovering over her for a moment, Kisshu kissed her gently on the cheek before vanishing into the night.
Had he waited a mere second longer, he would have seen the slight smile on her face.
I deserve a try honey
Just once
Give me a chance and I'll prove this all wrong
You walked in, you were so quick to judge
But honey he's nothing like me
The next morning, Ichigo awoke more refreshed than she had felt in weeks. She sighed and looked at the clock. It was almost half past eight in the morning. On a Saturday. She snuggled deeper under the warm covers and drifted off to sleep again.
Next thing she knew, her alarm was buzzing in her ear. Letting out a wide, cat-like yawn, Ichigo sat up in bed and looked at the clock again.
9:30
She scratched her head, "I don't remember setting my alarm last night." She got out of bed and stretched, then walked into the bathroom to get cleaned up for the day.
She returned twenty minutes later, hairbrush in hand. As she set it down on the desk, the redhead noticed a small note on the table that read:
Ichigo,
I'd like to show you that not all men are moronic pigs with no respect for women. Let me prove to you that there are still real gentlemen in this world. Please meet me at 2 o'clock at the giant cherry tree in Tokyo Park. Dress comfortably.
Sincerely,
K
Ichigo fell into the chair, tilted her head back, and closed her eyes. Her thoughts were running rampant; there were too many questions popping up in her mind.
Who was this K? How did he know about her problems? Could she trust him? How in the HELL did he get into her house!
I'll never break your heart
I'll never make you cry
I'd rather die than live without you
I'll give you all of me
Honey, that's no lie
After two hours of deliberation, Ichigo finally decided to take the gamble and meet this K person. She'd gone through any and every possible scenario in her head: psychopath, serial killer, drag queen, etcetera. However, she was hoping that this person really was a nice guy with good, honest intentions.
I'll never break your heart
I'll never make you cry
I'd rather die than live without you
I'll give you all of me
Honey, that's no lie
At quarter to two, she left the house, and began a very emotionally conflicted walk to the park. Her mind wandered to the more personal questions.
How would he be able to prove that there are still good guys out there? What will he do? How will he act? Will he be able to erase the pain that Aoyama had inflicted upon her? Why did Aoyama do what he did? What is he doing right now? Has he found someone else?
Ichigo shook those thoughts away. Aoyama was out of the picture and she was going to meet a new guy in less than ten minutes. She needed to put the past behind her and hope for a brighter future.
As she reached the blossoming tree, she caught sight of a young boy sitting on the bench, but that was all she could make out. Even in the warm spring weather, the stranger was clad in an oversized trench coat that fell to his knees. The collar was flipped up to hide his face, and a black beanie covered his head. All she really saw was a pair of baggy jeans and white tennis shoes. Golden eyes were peeking out from under the hat.
"Ah, Ichigo, I'm glad you decided to come," his voice was smooth and vaguely familiar.
"And you must be K, correct?" He nodded. "So, do I get to see what you really look like?"
The strange boy shook his head, "Not yet. Perhaps later, after we've spent some time together. So, where would you like to go? I know a nice, small ice cream parlor a few blocks away. They have the best strawberry ice cream around. Sound good?" he offered, giving her the option to decline.
Ichigo smiled and nodded enthusiastically, "I'd really like that." For some odd reason, she felt comfortable around this man. He seemed sofamiliar, and yet she knew she had never met someone like him. It was frightening and exciting all at the same time.
As time goes by
You will get to know me
A little more better
Girl that's the way love goes baby, baby
The hours flew past, and Ichigo learned a plethora of things about K. He was indeed the perfect gentleman; he would open doors for her, pull out her chair, and all of those other chivalrous things that people had long forgotten.
But it was the smaller things he did that really caught her attention. How he would respect her boundaries, not getting too close, but not so far away that it was being too awkward. How he would listen intently to every word she said; he actually seemed interested in what she had to say. She had also caught him staring at her more than once. But the looks he gave her were those of adoration and awe. They didn't make her feel uncomfortable in the least.
But those eyes, those beautiful amber eyes, there was just something about them that she couldn't place. "Do I know you from somewhere," she'd asked a few times, but he never answered. He simply smiled and continued walking. After the third time, she gave up. She would figure it out, she promised herself that.
And I know you're afraid
To let your feelings show
And I understand
Girl, it's time to let go
Even though she was having an incredible time, she tried to keep up the façade, keep up the walls she had worked so hard to construct around her heart. But this boy, this person that she had only met a few hours ago, had already begun breaking them down.
After the ice cream, K had taken Ichigo to the Shibuya district on the west side of Tokyo. The time spent there was magical to Ichigo. Not only did she make some great purchases, but this K person acted like the perfect date. He was a complete gentleman the entire time, buying her gifts, holding her bags and the like. He even went into one of those frilly, dainty boutiques for her, without any protest. That really impressed her. Even Aoyama wouldn't do that for her.
I deserve a try honey
Just once
Give me a chance and I'll prove this all wrong
You walked in, you were so quick to judge
But honey he's nothing like me
Darling why can't you see
Once she had shopped to her heart's content, the redhead and her mystery date went to a small sushi bar across the street from the ice cream parlor. K, being the perfect date that he was, paid for the ice cream, the train rides to and from Shibuya, and the sushi.
Later in the evening found the couple walking down a path in the park once again. Ichigo's hands were clasped in front of her shyly and K had both of his hands stuffed into the pockets of his coat.
"I hope you enjoyed yourself," K whispered, not wanting to disrupt the peacefulness surrounding them.
Ichigo looked at him and gave him a small smile, "Yes, actually, I had a good time." She could barely make out a smirk on his shadowed face as the setting sun shone on the lower half of his face. A smirk she recognized but couldn't place, "Can I see what you look like now?"
I'll never break your heart
I'll never make you cry
I'd rather die than live without you
I'll give you all of me
Honey, that's no lie
Before the mystery man could respond, a large gust of wind blew by, grasping his hat and revealing locks of emerald green hair. Ichigo's eyes widened.
Green hair.
Devilish smirk.
Golden eyes.
"Kisshu," she choked before covering her mouth with her hand.
K, or Kisshu rather, flipped down the collar of his coat, exposing the alabaster complexion of the alien boy, "Hello, Koneko-chan."
"B-b-but you…"
Kisshu's face became serious as his amber orbs seemed to stare straight to her soul. "Ichigo, I've been watching you for a while now. I've seen what that Aoyama rat did to you. I would treat you like the princess you are. You deserve so much better than him. I-"
"You're so much better than him? How? Is it because you try to kill me on a regular basis? Or because you stalk me wherever I go? I see you everywhere! In the park, at work, outside school! The only place I'm safe is at my house," He looked at her with determination in his eyes. She gasped, "You've been in my house, too? In my room? How? But when, why?" Her thoughts were a jumbled mess.
Kisshu took a step forward and tried to remain calm, "Ichigo, listen, please. I've never wanted to harm you," She scoffed. "Had I wanted to kill you, I would have done so a long time ago. I'm concerned about you. You've been acting so differently since you and he went your separate ways. Then you began recoiling from all men. But you don't have to. Not all men are like that idiot. He gave up the most precious jewel in the world. You deserve to be cherished and worshipped.
"I know I'm not worthy of you, no man is. But I can promise you that I would do anything in my power to make you happy. Please, you saw today how it could be for us. How it would be for us. I'll make sure of it. Just one chance."
I'll never break your heart
I'll never make you cry
Tears welled up in Ichigo's eyes. She spun around on her heel and ran out of the park. She ran as fast as her legs would carry her.
Kisshu stared after her, long after her silhouette faded out of sight. His ears drooped as he dropped his head. The alien boy sighed and fell onto the bench. 'Another night of silently watching from afar.'
A few hours later, Kisshu teleported to his branch on his tree that sat outside Ichigo's bedroom window. The first thing that he noticed was that the window was open, almost like a silent invitation. The cat-girl knew that he was going to be there, and it was if she wanted him to come in. And so he entered.
The room was dark, the shining moon being the only light. Ichigo was lying on her side under her blanket. Next to her head, on the pillow, sat a small, folded piece of paper. He picked up the note and read what was written on it. It made his heart soar:
K,
Thank you for the most amazing date I've ever been on. I had a wonderful time. I'm sorry that I had to leave so abruptly. Perhaps we could do it again sometime. I'd love to go to the movies. I'll be awaiting your next letter with baited breath.
Can't wait to hear from you,
Ichigo
P.S. - And Kisshu, no trench coat next time. That was a little over the top.
The green-haired boy chuckled to himself. He looked back at his Koneko-chan, who had a small smile on her face, and couldn't help smiling himself.
As he did every night, he suspended himself in mid-air above his mew and watched over her sleeping form, ready to give her the perfect forever they both deserved.
I'd rather die than live without you
I'll give you all of me
Honey, that's no lie
There you go, my latest Tokyo Mew Mew creation. Does it fit in with "I'll Be Watching You"? Hope you enjoyed it. I'll try to get some more works out if I get the time. But I've really got to get back to "Love Lasts Forever".
Love to you all.
*SB*