Author's note: Hehe. This chapter is a ton of fun; you have no idea. I had a lot of fun putting this together, and not because I like to watch Ichigo suffering- I hated it! The only reason I loved writing this chapter so much because I put a lot of work into it. I had to keep referring to the manga to actually get Ichigo to sound like HERSELF; and proudly, I finally got it right. Even though it sounds easy, man, it was hard. Anyway, thanks for the reviews and I really hope that you guys will continue reading this! I put a TON of my school work into writing, including the poem book I will be putting out Summer of 2005. I will be posting the poems up here shortly, and I think I'm going to begin a quote for each chapter… learned it in my writing class. I also wanted to thank all of you guys for all the reviews. Although I've only had 3 of them, I'm very proud that I've gotten both of them hooked onto it! That's all I wanted anyway! And in any case, this story (because of all the confusion with parings) is, in fact, IxM. But, there will be a little bit of Ryou in there somewhere. You'll see. Just read this chapter, and it'll clear things up a little bit more. (sorry about my babbling), Enjoy this chapter!
Dedicated to Austin; for bringing me back again. I love you.
Chapter Two: Shattered DreamsIchigo felt awkward inside Ryou's arms. It wasn't because the vibe she was getting from him wasn't comfort, but love; and it surely wasn't because she wanted to let Masaya see, because at the time she had no idea that he was watching her from afar. The reason why she felt strange was because it really didn't bother her. She didn't hate it, but she didn't exactly like it either. It was a mixed feeling between her, and because she loved Masaya so deeply, she had to stop things before they even started.
"There must be… a mistake… Aoyama-kun he wouldn't," Ichigo said as she slowly pulled out of his grasp, " He… he wouldn't do this… would he, Shirogane-kun?"
It was then when she saw that he, too, was crying.
" Shirogane-kun? Are you cr-"
" Go home," Ryou said shakily, " Please… just… leave."
" But Shirogane, your-"
" Just go!" he yelled at her as the thunder boomed, " I'll explain later. I just need you safe."
" Safe," Ichigo asked him confusedly, " What's wrong? What's going on?"
" Just go. Call the café when you get home and I'll explain," he said as he stood off of the ground next to her, " Trust me. Run home. Fast, and as quickly as you can. Don't look back."
She narrowed her eyes as the water struck her face, a flash of lightening pointing out a through nod.
She took a step backwards as she looked at his sympathetic eyes gleaming at her, and then turned and ran as swiftly as possible, following her instructions on never looking back. Her mind kept wandering in different places, calling out different thoughts. Some thoughts, even, she couldn't believe she was thinking.
Why was he crying? What's going on, she thought, Shirogane-kun… tell me what's wrong with you. I want to help!
The rhythm of the ran fell perfectly with the tempo of her feet upon the wet sidewalk. She looked up and saw that it was now dark, and there was a full moon watching over her, comforting her in this odd moment. She had strong urges to turn around and expect someone following her, but she quickly reminded herself of the orders she was given. She closed her eyes as she walked to her front door, and ran inside, closing the door.
As far as she was concerned rather no one was home, or everyone was asleep. Either way, it was too quiet in the house, and she needed something to comfort her. Not Ryou. Not Masaya. Not her family or friends. Just … someone. Anyone she didn't know.
The phone rang.
Her first thought: Shirogane.
She ran to an end table by her stairs and picked up the phone.
" Moshi moshi." She said fearfully.
" Come to the café. I need you and the others to hear this," He said, "It's important."
"Alright," she said, "But… first, I want to know why I had to run home. Was somebody-"
" Following you? Yes," He said, " Someone was. I needed you home safe that way I could contact you without them knowing where you where going to be next."
" Who was it, and how do I not know their not by my door now?" she asked him.
" Because he's here with me. Come to the café."
He hung up; she was worried.
… Masaya? Could it be that it was him?
She entered the doors of the café and ran inside, seeing that Ryou and the others were already in the café, waiting for her.
" What's going on?" Ichigo raged, " I want to know why this is happening!"
" We have a problem," Ryou said to them, but mainly Ichigo.
" Two, actually. Well… maybe three." Keiichiro intruded.
" Spill the beans," Mint said, " I'm tired, it's ten o clock and I want to sleep!"
"One: You guys are going to have be to back in the Tokyo mew mew group," he said quickly, "Two: There is another member we have failed to notice."
They all blinked, " And three?"
" Kisshu may have survived." Keiichiro said to them, " He was following Ichigo home a few minutes ago."
"OOOooooHHH!" Pudding yelped, " Neko-onii-chan was up late with her boyfriend."
Ryou looked away.
" Shut up, Pudding!" Ichigo said, looking down as well.
" Get some sleep, guys. I'll expect all of you here earlier tomorrow being that it's Sunday. I want all of you here three hours early; noon," Ryou said, " Now get going. All of you."
" Oh, yeah!" Mint complains, " You tell us to come ALL the was out HERE to the DANG CAFÉ at ten-o-clock at night, and then expect us early at work tomorrow. Boy, your lucky I cant quit, Shirogane."
" No." Ichigo said as if in a grudge, " Not yet. I watched Kisshu die. I watched him... he died for me. I saw the blood. I saw his life slip away. It couldn't have been Kisshu."
" He's Kisshu," Zakuro said in her normal deadpan tone, "You can't underestimate him."
" Apparently not." Ichigo said, watching all the others walk out as she stood there dumbly.
" Momomiya-chan," Ryou said to her as he avoided eye contact; his back to her, " Go talk to Masaya in the morning. You'll see things clearer…"
He walked up to the stairs and then looked at her with a hurtful expression as he turned around, "… Hopefully." He then finished climbing the stairs, and disappeared into his own upper layer of the café. Ichigo just stood there baffled.
" Hopefully?" Ichigo murmured as her mind made her even more confused.
She decided to take his advice and go see him in the morning, even if things did seem at their worst. She took her gaze down from the stairs, and saw Keiichiro looking at her with a humble grin. She looked surprised, knowing that she forgot the fact that he was still there. Her expression softened as he passed by her, resting a hand on her shoulder.
"Hopefully."
Ichigo entered her house sometime around midnight coming home from the café, where she had spent several hours recapping the information from the entire night. She sat down on her bed and looked to her white and glass nightstand, where a pink-framed picture of Masaya stood; his eyes closed and a smile frozen on his lips. She smiled as a memory slowly entered her mind; corrupting her thoughts.
:!:: Flashback: ::!:
All of them were inside the café, huddled together in front of a large Christmas tree overlooking the friends from the ceiling. They were taking their Christmas picture, each of them in their own costume. On the far left was Ryou, dressed up grimly as the Grinch in his own little green costume. Then was Lettuce, who was wearing her green café uniform, with a blinking red nose and antlers. Then there was Zakuro, looking over at Mint nervously as she shone in her white dress, her costume an angel with a golden halo. Mint was dressed as an ice princess, though her attitude, at the moment, didn't fit it. Pudding, dressed as a red and green elf, was dancing on top of Mint's head, happy as can be. Then, there was Ichigo dressed as a young Mrs. Clause; a red dress that fit her figure very well, in the palm of her right hand, Masha sat with a small Santa hat that Ichigo made herself. Masaya was then standing next to her as Santa, with the beard and everything, his right hand gently holding onto Ichigo's left.
Behind the camera was Keiichiro, laughing his head off at the entire scene. He wasn't dressed up as anything, but the memory still suits him well in his smile.
"Say cheese!" Keiichiro said happily.
" PUDDING!!! GET OFFA ME!" Mint said.
A bright flash of light entered each of their eyes, as everyone but Ryou and Ichigo ran off to different corners of the café. Masaya ran to Keiichiro and took the camera, turning to Ichigo with a smile.
"Hey, Ichigo!" he called.
She turned around from looking at Ryou's cold eyes, and saw a flash in front of her.
She smiled.
"Aoyama-kun!!!" she yelled, " Give me that dang camera!" She teased, tackling him into the floor, snatching the camera from his hands. She smiled and sat up on top of him, and took the picture.
Flash.
Now it's gone.
:!:: Flashback Over ::!:
"Aoyama-kun…" she said, tracing her finger around the frame, "Why would you do this to me? …"
She turned over into bed and quickly got into a daze, her eyes lowly closing as she began to drift off into a slumber.
Still half asleep, she managed to let the words escape from her lungs before she drifted off into sleep.
" I love you…"
Ichigo was awoken by her alarm clock, which she had set when she got home… so she wouldn't forget about talking to Masaya. She sat up grimly; afraid of what she thought would be a disaster for a day. She quickly slipped her shoes on, and began to make her way to his house. Out the door she went, and onto the road to disaster she began to walk.
Sooner or later she reached the house, and she stood there staring at it for a long while. Finally, after a long deep breath, she walked up to the doorstep and courageously knocked upon the door. Behind it was laughter approaching slowly, and footsteps growing closer; her heartbeat raced.
She looked down at her feet just before the person opened the door. There, on the doorstep, was her worst nightmare. The last person she wanted to see.
Akiyo Nakagawa.
"Oh!" Akiyo said in surprise, " I didn't know you would be here," she said as she looked Ichigo over, " I'll get Aoyama-kun."
Ichigo looked up at her in horror, wondering why she was there, "No. it's okay," Ichigo said to her, " I was just leaving. You needn't bother."
A tear struck the front porch as she turned away from the door, walking away. Just before she turned the corner, a hand rested perfectly onto her shoulder.
Shirogane… I'm going to kill you.
" Listen, Ryou, if you think your going to help me-" Ichigo began, but then stopped as she saw that she was face to face with Masaya.
She looked down.
" Akiyo-sama said you needed me, Momomiya-san," Masaya said to her; his face looking sad, "We need to talk."
She looked down at her feet; tears still striking the ground, "…"
He ignored her tears for a second, confused, "It's… about Akiyo."
" I know about her." Ichigo said in terror.
" You do?" Masaya said with a smile, but then his face softened, "Then why are you so upset?"
" Why are you doing this?" Ichigo asked him; still avoiding his questions… and his eyes.
" Why should I not?" he said, "She needs a place to stay, so I'm letting her-"
" SHE'S STAYING WITH YOU!?" Ichigo screamed, whirling her head up at him as a tear flew off of her cheek.
" Yeah, I mean… she just… moved… in…" he said slowly, barely spitting out words.
" I'm leaving." She said to him coldly, turning away.
" Wait!" he said to her quickly, his lips curling into a familiar smile, " I have your bell."
"Keep it," she murmured.
He looked at her in shock, but then continued to take the necklace out of his pocket, "I was going to give it to you last night when I saw you," he said, "But it looked like you were busy with Ryou."
Oh… oh no! Masaya… he… he thought…
" You… you saw that, huh?" Ichigo said tearfully.
He nodded, confused.
She wanted to tell him she was glad. She wanted to tell him he deserved it for having two girlfriends. She wanted to tell him how much she hated him for doing this to her. She wanted to tell him… that it was over. But it didn't work. The words wouldn't come. She just stood there, smiling.
"It's not what you think," Ichigo said nervously.
It's not what he thinks?, She thought, Where the heck did I get that from?
" I know, Momomiya-san," he said as he gently pulled her to him, putting the necklace back around her neck, " You would never do that to me. You're my favorite neko, Ichigo. I love you, and I trust you."
She felt her stomach churn. But not with happiness, with nervousness, "Masaya?"
The moment of truth.
"Are you and Akiyo… dating?" Ichigo asked him.
A roar of laughter rang throughout the city of Tokyo, "ME? And… and… Akiyo?" Masaya said, " YOUR KIDDING! She… she's my cousin!!!"
" Sorry," Ichigo said as the memories of him and Akiyo replayed, " I… I don't…"
He stopped laughing, and looked up at her in a sad expression, "You… you don't believe me?"
Ichigo, who felt horrible about this, shook her head.
His eyes narrowed in both sadness and angst, "The reason why I've spent so much time with her lately is because she just moved here to Tokyo because her parents died in a freak fire accident. The reason why she was with me last night was because we were talking about our kiss and she wanted me to show her where it happened, and the reason why you don't believe me is…?"
Ichigo looked at him sadly.
His eyes were torn; hurt with the expression of distrust. At his side his hands were clinched, and his body looked numb with the fact of loosing her. His hair overlooking his eyes as his head went down, the wind blowing it strongly. She took a few steps forward, pressing onto him as her face lay on his chest. Her eyes were closed in bliss, and she felt his heartbeat racing in her ear.
"I'm sorry, Aoyama-kun," she said; her tone like a whisper, "I… should have never doubted you for a second."
She pictured him smiling as his arms wrapped around her waist gently, pulling her closer, "It's fine. It's all okay now, Momomiya-san."
They pulled apart as Ichigo's necklace made a small jingle noise that they both had missed.
A smile crept across Masaya's face, "Come inside… I want you to meet Akiyo."
Authors note: Hahaha! I love cliff hangers! Anyways, the next chapter is called: Red Wonder. I'm looking forward to writing it, and it's gonna be one of the best action cliffhangers for a while. You guys will just have to wait, I guess! Anyway, R&R please!