*~ I Don't Love You, I Can't Love You ~*
*~ Chapter 29 ~*
*~ Ice Cream To Cheer You Up ~*
Ryou pulled up outside the Momomiya household and surveyed the area. It looked calm and peaceful but that wasn't to say it was. Someone could be lurking about, hidden in the shrubbery perhaps.
He exited the car, keeping his guard up the whole time as he locked the vehicle and walked up the pathway to the front door.
Knock! Knock!
As he waited he looked around yet again, not entirely convinced that he was alone. After another few moments without an answer he knocked again and called through the door, "Ichigo, it's me. Are you in?"
Then he heard some muffled speech and watched as she entered his view through the frosted glass. Though as she drew closer it began to look less and less like Ichigo.
The door opened, "Yes?"
"What the hell are you doing here?" Ryou screamed at Kisshu clearly angry, "You should be at work! Helping Keiichiro and your brothers cook! Earning your place in my apartment!"
"Can you really call a café an apartment?" Kisshu asked curiously.
Ryou fumed, "Why are you here?"
"Ichigo needed someone to look after her," Kisshu shrugged as if it was obvious.
Ryou sighed and pushed past Kisshu as he began taking his coat off, "Well, I'm here now so you can get back to your job."
"Excuse me?" Kisshu almost growled, "Are you serious?"
"Completely," Ryou replied hanging his coat on the coat peg and eyed Kisshu, "Go."
"Hey, you can't do that!" Kisshu complained.
"I'm your boss," the blond pointed out, "I can."
"Then I quit!" Kisshu glared at Ryou and added, "I never even asked for a job anyway!"
"If you quit then you can find your own place to stay," Ryou shrugged and looked round the hallway, seemingly surveying the area but really just for somewhere other to look than Kisshu.
Kisshu was burning his glare deep in to Ryou's back when Ichigo began to descend the stairs looking absolutely fine apart from the red-rimmed eyes and the lack of make-up and seeing as she didn't wear much anyway that was saying something.
"Ichigo," Ryou began as she spotted him beside Kisshu, he smiled warmly - he could tell that she had been crying and so teasing was cruel and momentarily not playful, "How are you feeling?"
"I'm...managing," Ichigo shrugged as she arrived at the bottom of the stairs. Ryou caught sight of Kisshu's smug face when she stood slightly in front of him but reached back to take his hand in hers. She asked sounding little nervous, "Why are you here, Shirogane-san? Mum did call, didn't she?"
"Oh, yes, she did," he nodded and then explained, "But I was worried about you bearing in mind he didn't show up...and neither did Masaya."
Ichigo tensed and her eyes went huge. She breathed out a shaky breath and asked, "Do you know where he is?"
"Unfortunately...no," Ryou confessed and watched as Ichigo's face contorted in to something that looked like pain and fear, "If you would like I can stay and make sure you are safe?"
Ichigo shook her head and turned slightly, "It's okay, I have Kisshu's company. He'll be enough protection."
Her boss didn't really like the idea as the grimace that crossed his face only briefly showed, but when he asked, "Are you sure?" she simply nodded and rested her head on the alien's shoulder. Ryou nodded and then gathered his coat again, "Err, okay then. Um...he's not bribing you or threatening you with something, is he?" he said gesturing to Kish.
Kisshu looked completely astounded at the idea but Ichigo actually laughed and shook her head, "Actually no. He's not," she turned to lock gazes with Kisshu, "Which is a first for you."
"I never bribed you," he pointed out.
"But you did threaten me," Ichigo countered, "Many times."
He went to speak but then stopped himself because it was true. He sighed and shrugged as if to say 'well, what can you do'. Which made Ichigo let out a soft chuckle as she shook her head.
"I'll be fine, Shirogane-san," Ichigo finally reassured her boss, "Thank you for coming to check on me. Oh and please don't fire Kisshu. He still needs a place to stay. I'll make sure he comes in to work tomorrow, I promise!"
Ryou sighed and then nodded, "Okay, fine."
With that he left, still feeling slightly uneasy that she was with Kisshu but it was better that she wanted to be with him over the alternative.
Now he had to work out where the boy was and just as he was thinking that he saw a pretty little girl walking across the road.
"Kagome-chan?"
The girl lifted her head to look over and that's when he noticed the tears running down her face. He rushed over and pulled her close, "What's happened?"
"I, um, I made my friend upset," she mumbled against his chest as she too wove her arms around him, "We went to the beach and I upset them so they left me there and ran off."
"Idiots," he growled and stroked her head, "Well, its okay. You have me now and if you're free for the afternoon I can buy you some ice cream to cheer you up. How's about it?"
The earned him a little smile from her and she nodded. He smiled back and put his arm around her as he lead to his car.
Marley was staring at the clock on the wall and after another minute had passed he groaned and threw himself down on the couch. Keira who had only just got in, peeked over her book and spoke knowingly, "What do you expect she'll do when she gets in and you're already here? What do you expect she'll say when she finds out you've been waiting for her when you left her there?"
"But I went back!" he whined like a child, "She wasn't there! It's not my fault!"
"Ah, yes it is," Keira corrected him and looked back to the words on her page as she continued, "You left her on the beach. She didn't know you were going to come back so she decided to leave. Whether she's coming home, going to the store, the library or even Café Mew Mew to see Shirogane-san, you'll have to wait - to apologise."
"Apologise?" Marley repeated alarmed, "Why?"
Keira looked over the brim of the book to give him a stare that said 'Really?' He quickly averted his gaze and glared at the clock on the wall, "Sorry is the first thing you say to her otherwise she won't be a happy bunny and when my Uma is not happy neither am I. Besides she's probably been crying since you deserted her. She's been abandoned many times before and its never any easier to get over for anyone. So what are you gonna do when she gets here?"
He sighed and looked down at his feet beginning to feel ashamed, "I'll apologise straight away."
"Good boy," Keira smiled and lifted her book again.
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