AN: All right, boys and girls, we're back after a nice holiday break with the longest chapter so far! Yay! First and foremost, the traditional holiday greetings, however late:
Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy Yule, and Happy New Year!
Hope everyone had a lovely holiday :P.
Now, I'll keep this brief, because I have work, eh, today… and I have to sleep to be semi-conscious tomorrow. On to the replies!
Kaoru: Dun worry, I'm not finished just yet :P I'm enjoying this sucker too much, and even when I do finish, I'll probably end up writing drabbles. So you'll be seeing me around for a while, I think.
isa18: Thanks for the review! Huggies back :).
BlackWingedGabriel: Hehe. I always love your comments. Well, this is my fifteenth, and 6.5 x 103 words long! Yay scientific notation :P Yea.. that was random. Well, enjoy the next chapter.
Baka Orange Neko: Aww, that's sweet. Meh, I ain't the best, I but do have nice grammar. That, I can say, heh. Yea, 8th grade, still working on it all, eh? Good luck.
Snowbluerat: Aww, last K/I fic? Well, I'm honored to be your last, at least. Hope I leave you with a good memory of the coupling.
Dust-in: Ah, my P/L friend. Yes, we have a bit of P/L here. Implied, but present nevertheless, heh. That friend has to finish the series… and I will try to make her write P/L, mark my words! We need another P/L shipper around here… Heck, I may even write a drabble eventually…
Everyone else: Thanks for your reviews! They really mean a lot! Hope you enjoy the next chapter!
Now, on with the show!
…whoa. Cliché… sorry :P
Disclaimer: I don't own TMM. Done and done.
"You did what!"
Pai frowned, looking down at his shorter companion in disapproval. "Any louder, Taruto, and Deep Blue will wonder what the commotion is about."
This silenced the younger alien instantly, though it did nothing to wipe the look of incredulity off his face. After a few moments tension, during which Pai turned back to the computer console he was standing at and attempted to resume his work, Taruto piped up again.
"So… what did she do?"
"She gave it to him, and they went to sleep."
"Whaddya mean, they went to sleep? You mean… together?"
Pai sighed in annoyance. He had expected his comrade's amazement at the fact that he had given the Mew Mews the medicine they had asked for, but they had already had that discussion. The uproar Taruto was currently in was a result of Pai admitting to having stayed outside Ichigo's window, safely hidden among the branches of one of the trees growing by the house, to see exactly how the two humans were caring for Kisshu.
He had been surprised (and slightly disappointed, but that was another point he did not really feel like exploring in front of Taruto) when Lettuce exited the room, leaving the cat-girl alone with her charge.
It was a shock that echoed his bemusement at Ichigo's reaction to his appearance in the room; she had seemed so… protective. Now, he could have expected her fearing for her own life at the sight of him, but she hadn't shrunken away in favor of self-preservation. No, she had nearly hissed at him like the cat whose DNA she possessed, nearly pounced on him in her effort to protect… Kisshu. She had stayed right near him, positioned herself between him and Pai in a blatant effort to guard him.
It had given Pai a true jolt of surprise, but he had pushed that aside, anxious to examine his friend, then to give the girls the medicine and leave before Deep Blue somehow managed to sense with whom he was speaking. As he stood in that tree, watching Ichigo tend his companion, that surprise returned ten-fold.
He had always known of Kisshu's rather unhealthy obsession with the girl; indeed, it had been the cause of Deep Blue's rejecting him. Pai had also fully known that the girl did not return those feelings. It was that fact that had driven Kisshu so mad with frustration and despair.
Up until this point, Pai had regarded the entire matter with nothing but contempt. First, he believed that falling in love with the enemy was the most foolish thing Kisshu could have possibly done. Second, this girl did not even return his affections. Logically, it was all so ridiculous! Thus, Pai had tried his best to dissuade Kisshu from his pursuit of the girl, but Kisshu was Kisshu, and the other alien had totally ignored his older friend's advice. It had landed him in a seemingly hopeless situation: Pai and Taruto had been forced to leave their companion when he had needed them most.
At the time, Pai had been certain that Kisshu would die. His chances for survival in the unforgiving human city with those wounds were zero. Pai knew. He had calculated the exact probability in a quiet burst of hope that had quickly turned to despair.
Sitting in that tree, watching Ichigo, Pai saw that he had been quite obviously wrong. As he watched the girl calm her alien charge, watched her allow him to rest against her, watched her listen to his faint words and gently gather him into her arms before slumber took them, he saw that no matter how strange, how unlikely, it seemed, he had been wrong. It had left him speechless as he teleported back to the other dimension, and made answering Taruto's rapid-fire questioning all the more difficult. Now, faced with the younger boy's total disbelief, he didn't quite know what to say. He himself was still fairly reeling from what he had seen.
She did not like him…no…she liked the other…but then why…why…?
Was it possible that Kisshu's faith had not been misplaced?
Impossible, but somehow true.
Pai struggled to maintain composure, answering Taruto as best as he could.
"Yes, together." The fact that his voice remained totally steady when he said that even while he could barely believe it was truly a credit to his self-discipline.
"And she… wasn't hitting him or anything?"
"…no." She hadn't hit him… Pai had found himself amazed at how gentle she had been…
"You mean… she wanted to—"
"Yes, Taruto!" In his own confusion, Pai yelled at his younger counterpart, and the boy fell silent. The older sighed; he hadn't meant to yell, but this entire situation…these circumstances…
Well, who could blame him?
He was about to offer an apology when Taruto continued, this time in a more somber tone.
"So… how is he? D'you think he'll be okay?"
"I…I don't know."
It was the only truthful answer he could give, for he truly did not see a logical end to this. He didn't even see its beginning. What could have compelled Ichigo to change her ways so completely?
Was it possible humans were not as heartless as Pai had previously thought?
No…that was absurd! There was no way…
Well… she did seem properly shocked by his declaration of human selfishness after Kisshu's collapse…she had had the most confused look in her pink eyes…
But still… impossible… it was impossible…
And that other girl…the green-haired one…she had nothing but sympathy—
Pai blinked rapidly, extinguishing that thought before it could do more to wreak more havoc and add to the turmoil in his mind.
Controlling his voice as well as he could, he answered Taruto as truthfully, as confidently, as possible.
"He has a chance now."
Silence again; Pai tried to resume his work, but was met with more anxiety, more of the worry that he had tried so hard to ignore in favor of his duties. What if Deep Blue noticed his falling behind, noticed his changed behavior?
"P-Pai?" The elder tensed in preparation for another depressing question.
"Yes?"
"So, what about that green-haired girl? What did she say?"
Well... that destroyed any chance of getting back to work.
Taruto teleported away with a grin, leaving Pai to grumble to an empty room.
Lettuce started at the sudden beeping of her own cell-phone alarm, then relaxed as she remembered what she had set it for. Softly closing Pride and Prejudice and laying the book down on the kitchen table, she checked her watch and smiled. 10:42 PM: exactly six hours after Lettuce had left Ichigo to give Kisshu his first dose of the ruby-colored medicine. It was time for the next one.
Ichigo and the alien had been, as far as Lettuce could tell, sleeping soundly; the cat-girl had left the room only once to go to the bathroom and replenish her supply of cloths and cool water during the trip. She had looked anxious enough leaving even for that necessity, and Lettuce was generally certain that she had spent the rest of her time holding Kisshu as he slept.
It was strange.
But it was also sweet.
As Lettuce softly opened the door, the sight of the alien boy curled up against the cat-girl, both sleeping deeply, both looking more peaceful than she had seen them since she arrived, made waking either of them up for the necessary dose a rather unfortunate inevitability. The girl sighed, quietly crossing the room and sitting down in the desk chair before tentatively reaching over to shake Ichigo awake.
She hesitated.
They looked so comfortable, so peaceful…
Then she noticed that the flush, absent for the past few hours thanks to the medicine, had returned to Kisshu's cheeks. It has to be done… she thought with a twinge of disappointment.
It actually took a few firm shakes to even cause Ichigo to stir. Eventually, her eyes fluttered open and settled on Lettuce. She looked as if she wanted to stretch, but a quick glance down at Kisshu, still curled up against her chest, extinguished that desire. She smiled, yawning with a soft "nya." Before she had a chance to speak, Lettuce cleared her throat.
"How is he?"
Ichigo blinked, caught off guard by the abrupt question. Quickly recovering, she brought a gentle hand to Kisshu's forehead, frowning slightly.
"He's been asleep this whole time, and I thought he was better but…" A panic began to take hold of her; the fever was back, it was back and—
"It's okay, Ichigo-san. This," she held up the vial, "is fever reducer, remember? And sleep aid. He still has to fight off the illness on his own."
Lettuce felt a pang of sympathy at the sight of discouragement in Ichigo's face. "If he slept this long, then he is better, isn't he? You told me that he could hardly sleep at all before," she reminded the other girl with a small smile. This had the desired effect, and Ichigo nodded, smiling back.
"Yeah…you're right."
Lettuce watched as Ichigo fingered a stray strand of the alien's hair before gently clearing her throat.
"You have to wake him up for the next dose now, all right?"
"I… what?" For a few seconds, Ichigo looked bewildered, balking at the idea of disturbing her sleeping charge. This expression, however, soon dissolved in a soft, embarrassed laugh.
"Of course, it's time for his next dose. That's why you woke me up, isn't it?"
Lettuce nodded rather sheepishly, trying not to seem too amused by her friend's ditziness. Ichigo's smile widened as she turned back to Kisshu, hesitating momentarily, wondering how best to wake him, then deciding on what had become a yet-to-be-admitted favorite action of hers: stroking his hair.
He had such soft hair…
Like Ichigo, Kisshu took his time waking up. When Ichigo first began stroking him, he mumbled something unintelligible in his sleep, not waking, but nuzzling up at Ichigo's neck. This inspired a soft, quickly suppressed giggle from Lettuce.
Ichigo, on the other hand, felt a light blush color her cheeks as his hair tickled her chin.
Nevertheless, she continued, now lightly tapping his cheek, softly calling his name.
All the while, Lettuce watched, oddly transfixed by these obvious gestures of affection. Did Ichigo know… surely… did she fathom the nature of her actions? Had she thought this all through, made good sense of it? Or was she simply acting on… on what? Repressed desires? Hidden feelings?
"I-Ichigo-san…"
Lettuce could not help murmuring her friend's name in a sudden bout of anxious concern. She immediately regretted it, seeing that questioning look in her pink eyes. The dolphin-girl did not want to bring it all up now, not when there were still a good deal of physical recovery ahead for their charge, but she could do little to ignore it. No matter how pleasant it was to see this strange change in Ichigo, no matter how dear the sight of the girl and the alien resting together was, the fact remained that this would lead to trouble somewhere down the line.
It worried Lettuce.
It created doubts, confusion… confusion about the aliens and their true motives…
It…it made her think of Pai…
Pai… and the way he had looked at Kisshu… that despair in his deep violet ey—
She had to quickly curb that thought; letting herself fall too deeply into that realm of her psyche wouldn't do… it wasn't the time.
Luckily, both girls were saved by Kisshu's light stirring. Lettuce was able to focus on her hands, wringing them and trying to compose herself after that…digression, and Ichigo turned her attention back to the boy.
His eyes slowly opened, landing first on Ichigo, who gave him a soft smile.
"How are you feeling, Kisshu?"
Before he could answer, his eyes traveled to Lettuce and widened; apparently, he had not been expecting this audience. Still half-asleep, it alarmed him, and he made as if to jerk away, but Ichigo soothed him automatically.
"It's okay. She's only here to help, remember?"
To this the alien blinked, then nodded in a grudging sort of acceptance. Crisis averted, he began to answer Ichigo's question, only to find that his voice came out as a rasping croak, and the process of speaking resulted in sparks of pain in his throat. Seeing this, Ichigo silenced him with a shake of her head.
"Don't bother if it hurts that much. Just nod or shake your head. All right?" The alien obliged by nodding. Ichigo took this as encouragement.
"Are you feeling any better?"
The boy thought for a few seconds, taking a quick diagnostic inventory. He still felt unbearably weak, but that chilling feeling of near-death had certainly disappeared. Taking this as a good sign, he nodded, immediately feeling a twinge of happiness at the way Ichigo brightened at that news.
Even that small action, however, resulted in him suddenly feeling drained. Ichigo's smile faded a bit, concern taking its place.
"Still weak though, huh?" she murmured, a hand going to brush back his bangs. As her hand touched his forehead, she remembered why Lettuce and woken them up.
"Well, it's time for your second dose," she continued as cheerfully as she could, inwardly wincing at Kisshu's blatant grimace. "Yeah, I know, but it's the only way you'll get better." A grudging, tired nod from her charge answered her, and she began pushing him into a fully sitting position.
"Can you sit up for a bit?"
Again, a nod, and Kisshu sat up, looking generally exhausted by the effort, but steady enough.
Lettuce, who had been somewhat forgotten by her friend and ignored by the alien in his fatigue, spoke up softly.
"I made some herbal tea downstairs, Ichigo. Perhaps it will help him take it?"
Ichigo nearly jumped at the new voice, then proceeded to look slightly embarrassed at having so easily dismissed Lettuce's presence.
"That's a great idea, Lettuce," she answered, smiling in way of apology, and the other girl smiled back, a gentle "it's all right," an acceptance of Ichigo's absorption in her nursing. "I'll go get it, then."
A minute later, Ichigo had poured a spoonful of the evil-tasting medication, and Lettuce had returned with a warm cup of herbal tea. Kisshu swallowed the spoonful, coughing painfully as a result, and Ichigo gently shushed him before helping him drink the tea. After this, the girl took his temperature, relaxing slightly when she saw that, though still there, his fever was not nearly as high as the dangerous forty-two degrees of half a day ago. A few minutes later, Ichigo settled back against the headboard again, Kisshu curling up against her. While fixing the blankets over the drowsing alien, she caught Lettuce looking rather surprised at her return to that position. Oddly self-conscious under her friend's gaze, she blushed again, softly stammering an explanation.
"H-he breathes better sitting up."
Lettuce nodded, trying to hide her smile.
But with that smile came those urgent thoughts, and she was forced to stand; staying any longer would compel her to bring up the inevitable, and she did not want to disturb the alien and his caretaker. Already, the flush was fading from Kisshu's cheeks, and he looked so comfortable, resting against Ichigo. And Ichigo… she looked so content… no, it was too soon to voice the issues, Lettuce resolved firmly. It could wait, at least until morning.
With a warm smile, she began to tidy the night table, gathering up some glasses and cloths before addressing Ichigo.
"It's around 11:00 now. I think that dose will see him through the night."
Her friend smiled back. "Yeah." A moment later, she faltered.
"Are… are you…"
Lettuce shook her head. "I'll call my parents and tell them I'm sleeping over to help take care of you. They think you're sick, and I'm sure they'll understand."
Ichigo relaxed. "Thank you, Lettuce." She looked down at the sleeping boy, suddenly realizing how enormously helpful her friend was being. "Really."
"It's no problem," Lettuce replied with a smile. Ichigo returned it, then quickly told Lettuce to grab a blanket from the hall closet and make herself at home in the spare guest bedroom. The other girl nodded her thanks. She left the room as Ichigo began to doze off again, heading down the stairs to eat a small supper of rice before following Ichigo's advice and turning in for the night.
Ever responsible, Lettuce had set her cell-phone alarm to wake her up at 7:00 AM to remind Ichigo to give Kisshu a third dose. She awoke to a grey morning, yawned, and put on her glasses. Getting up, she straightened out her clothes, briefly wishing she had thought to bring her pajamas. Then again, it wasn't as if she had known what she was getting herself into when Ichigo had called her. Perhaps today she could go back home and get a few personal items. She was fairly certain her parents would allow her to stay at Ichigo's as long as they believed the other girl needed her care. She momentarily winced at the lie; she did not like lying to her parents.
Well… someone was sick, even if it wasn't Ichigo, and the cat-girl did need her help. She supposed it was justified.
Pushing those thoughts to the back of her mind, she left the guest bedroom and made her way down the hall, ready to knock on Ichigo's door and politely wake the girl up to remind her of the dosage schedule, when a sudden, retching cough followed by weak complaining told her that Ichigo was a bit ahead of her. She could not help smiling. Complaining was a good sign; it meant he was healing.
Lettuce knocked and pushed the door open after a bright-sounding "Come in."
"Good morning, Ichigo-san," she greeted as she walked up to the girl, who was sitting beside the bed in the desk chair, "Kisshu-san," she added with a nod to the alien, who gave her a half-curious, half-annoyed look, and seemed as if he was ready to make some fish-related comment.
She wasn't offended; the situation was as strange and confusing to him as it was to the girls. Probably more so.
Besides, his complaints and snide remarks only meant that he was getting better.
As she looked at him, she saw that, while he still looked pale and tired, while he still seemed to use a lot of energy just sitting up without Ichigo's help, he looked countless times better than he had when she had arrived. Now, at least, when he looked back at her, his eyes weren't glazed over. He had his awareness back; the fever had receded enough to grant him lucidity.
There was no better proof of this than his giving her a weak yet amused smirk and quipping, in a voice so raspy that it was barely audible, "Whatcha lookin' at? I ain't Pai, y'know…"
He dissolved into a coughing fit even as Lettuce vainly tried to stop a blush from spreading across her cheeks. Ichigo responded with a shriek of "Kisshu!", but her friend could tell that she wasn't really angry. She could see the relief in her eyes. Even as the pink-haired girl seemed ready to smack her charge, she inwardly rejoiced at the return of his irrepressible character. It meant the danger was over. It meant she would not have to lose one that she lo—
Damn.
It also meant it was time to face those… thoughts.
Thoughts that waited patiently for the chance to destroy all she had believed up until…
Up until she had awoken to Kisshu begging her to open her eyes.
Up until she had felt that desperation in every muscle of his body, had seen that glint of sorrow and terror in his golden eyes.
Up until he had put his life so quickly, so easily, into her trembling, unsure hands.
She bit her lip as she slowly rubbed the alien's back in an attempt to help him get his breath back. Dimly, she wondered if he had noticed the change, the difference in her manner of speaking to him. Now, for example, she hadn't snapped at him like she would have before. She hadn't told him off, not really. Perhaps now he would decide that it was because she was being gentle with him due to his illness, but he couldn't give that as an answer to everything. Being gentle and willingly holding, cradling, sleeping with… there was a big gap there, and when he was well enough to think clearly, he was going to notice that gap. He was going to notice, and no doubt he would ask her a question that she could avoid as easily as she could avoid her own thoughts. She could not push a question back and ignore it, especially not his question. Kisshu was stubborn.
It went beyond Kisshu, though.
This would effect… this would eventually reach…
Aoyama-kun…
She had to focus very hard on rubbing Kisshu's back, concentrating solely on the sensation of his smooth skin underneath her fingers, on the feel of his vertebrae lying below that skin, on his wheezing breath to keep her mind free from those suffocating thoughts.
It was hard, because she knew that soon, she'd have to allow herself to sink into their depths.
She did not know if she'd come out of it unscathed.
Regardless…it would have to be done. Lettuce knew it, too. Ichigo could tell from the way she looked at Kisshu, at Ichigo herself. She could tell from the way she had reacted at the mention of Pai's name. No matter how hard the other girl tried, Ichigo had not overlooked that blush.
Perhaps, Ichigo thought with a half-relieved, half-coy smile, she was not alone in this new realm of feeling.
As Kisshu regained his breath, Lettuce nervously announced that she was going to go home for a few minutes to pack some personal items for an extended stay (she bowed to Ichigo, which would have been strange had the other girl not been able to blame it on how flustered her friend was due to Kisshu's comment), and left. Seconds later, Ichigo heard the door click closed, and knew that she and the boy were alone in the house.
Immediately, Kisshu looked at her with some of his old mischief dancing in his eyes.
"So, you want to get back to where we were?"
The words were there, but the usual suggestive bite was not. Was it because of the rasp marring his voice, his injured throat only allowing so much expression through? Or was it because he sensed that something had changed?
Had he heard her confession?
No…impossible. He had been dead asleep.
Then maybe he could just sense the unease knowing away at her psyche. Maybe he could see it in the way she only half-heartedly snapped at him for his comment, both now and before, regarding Lettuce.
She hoped he couldn't, but then, she couldn't really do anything if he could. She really did not want to think about it right now. Luckily, his response to her admonishment pulled her train of thought down a new track.
"Well, it's not like I can help it. I'm bored."
Her mothering instinct told her to demand that he shut up and rest, but she couldn't help a tickle of amusement at the grating whine attempting to make itself heard through the rasp in his voice.
He was a normally active boy after all. Sick or not, so much inactivity must have been irking him to no end.
Well, I suppose he can stand some time awake. He has been sleeping for a while now…
"How about a game, then?"
He looked at her oddly at first, surprised by the random offer. Again, she wondered if he knew.
Then, he broke into a wan grin.
"Sounds good."
A minute later, Ichigo was setting up a game of Battleship ™ on the bed. After explaining the rules, Ichigo and Kisshu placed their ships and began gameplay.
Ichigo won the first match, but just barely. After that, Kisshu won a straight four times in a row, and after seeing his triumphant grin for the fourth time, Ichigo folded her arms with a frustrated "hmph".
"There's no way you could win that often. You've never played this before!"
Kisshu leaned back against the headboard, obviously tired, but still heavily amused.
"I can't help it if I'm good at the game, koneko-chan. But I have to admit, that last game was awfully easy…"
The girl couldn't help herself; she pouted at his jovial tone, and that only made his grin grow wider. He probably would have given her a good laugh had his throat not hurt so much.
Since he made no move to reset his pieces, relaxing instead against the headboard and ceasing to talk as a coughing fit seized him, Ichigo decided that he had played enough, and began to put away the game. As she got up, she turned around, glanced in the mirror hanging across from her bed out of habit, bent down to shove the game back under her bed…
Hold on a second…
She had been sitting a bit to the side of her game board, and that meant…
"You little cheater!" she exclaimed, fixing Kisshu with an accusing glare. "You saw my ships in the mirror, didn't you!"
Apparently, Kisshu had not expected to be found out, for he looked utterly surprised before bursting into what must have been painful laughter.
Well, I'm glad he finds this funny enough, she thought angrily, placing her hands on her hips as the boy's laugh turned into another coughing fit. Sighing in exasperation, she poured him some more water from a pitcher Lettuce had brought up a while ago and sat down on the edge of the bed, waiting until the danger of choking had passed before pressing the glass to Kisshu's lips and forcing him to drink. He sat gasping after finishing, and Ichigo set the glass down on the night table. She turned to him, frown still firmly in place. He responded with an even weaker grin, exhausted from the fit.
"It's not like I could help it. You have to admit, it was," he coughed lightly, "easy. You were asking for it."
"Hmph. If that's how you thank those who help you," Ichigo answered rather snobbishly, pouting slightly.
She was shocked to see a change come over the alien; he seemed to wilt under the supposed reproach, lips parting as he seemed to prepare…an apology? The grin had certainly faded.
Ichigo fought to keep her smile from getting too big as she got up and gathered the blankets around her charge, pulling them up around him. She didn't want to seem as if she had been won over so easily.
He could be so cute… when they weren't trying to kill each other.
Though she wasn't paying attention to it, that little thought only strengthened last night's confession.
As she told the alien to lay down, seeing that his breathing was easier now and that he'd probably be more comfortable laying than sitting now, she smoothed the blankets over him. Kisshu relaxed, Ichigo's faint smile and soft gaze immediately telling him to forget that last remark. He seemed to realize how exhausted the simple game had made him, and was soon watching Ichigo through half-lidded eyes.
Ichigo sat down next to him and saw that asking him to go back to sleep was rather pointless. Instead, she allowed her smile to grow, and she placed a hand on his forehead, noted that the medicine was successfully keeping his fever at bay, before brushing his bangs back in an unconscious gesture of affection that was becoming rather habitual.
"I'll wake you up later for something to eat, okay?"
Kisshu wanted to answer her, perhaps with a twinge of gratitude in his tone to make up for the cheating (which he still found rather funny), but he really was tired, and barely managed a nod before falling asleep.
Ichigo sat beside him for a few more minutes to make sure he was sleeping deeply before getting up and comfortably leaving the room for the first time in two days. She finally felt confident enough about the situation to take time out for a shower.
Such was her relieved happiness that she even managed to avoid those dangerous thoughts.
Lettuce hurried down Ichigo's street, a knapsack containing her pajamas and various toiletries bouncing against her back. Her parents had been concerned when she told them that she'd be staying at Ichigo's even longer. They had even asked her if maybe her friend was sick enough to need the hospital.
The girl had covered up the situation as neatly as she could, stammering that everything would be fine, that her friend only wished for some company during her illness, and that nothing was too serious.
Actually, she wished there was a hospital that could help Kisshu. She had no idea how long his illness would last or how much it would drain him. Of course, he was a strong boy; he could probably survive with enough care. The length of time was more worrisome; Ichigo's parents were due back in four days…
That problem would have to be addressed later. For now, Lettuce had to focus on not slipping on any patches of ice in the road.
Finally, Ichigo's house came to view, and Lettuce felt a wave of relief wash over her.
That wave retreated as quickly as it had come.
There was someone at the door.
Ringing the doorbell.
Looking up at Ichigo's balcony.
A few more steps down the road, and Lettuce could identify that someone.
It felt as if the frigid winter wind had suddenly decided to tickle her heart.
Aoyama!
As Ichigo dressed in fresh clothes, she frowned at the sound of the doorbell.
Surely Lettuce had had the sense to take Ichigo's keys before leaving…
Confused, the girl returned to her room, crossed softly to the window, and peered downwards. Her eyes widened instantly.
"Aoyama-kun!" she gasped, covering her mouth the moment she said the name. Too late.
He looked up, and even though she ducked out of sight as quickly as she could, she knew that he had seen her.
The doorbell rang again.
"Aoyama-san!" Lettuce cried as she broke into a run, panting as she stopped in front of the shocked boy.
"Mi…" he struggled to remember her name, finally smiling as he came to him, "Midorikawa-san. Ohayou."
"O-ohayou."
"Are you visiting Momomiya-san as well?"
"I… that is, she…"
The boy's smiled faded slightly as his confusion grew.
"She asked me to stay with her for a while," she began, deciding to go with the same lie she told her parents, "because she is ill."
Immediately, she realized that it had been the wrong thing to say.
"Ill? I thought I just saw her at the window. Is she all right?"
At this point, the other girl could hardly stop herself, and could only pray he did not decide to pay a visit to his supposedly ill girlfriend.
"She… is very ill. She cannot receive visitors. Bad flu—"
"Very ill?" The concern in his eyes was unbearable.
No!
But it was too late. Already, Lettuce knew how it would end. Already, the chill of inevitable catastrophe was crawling up her spine.
"Please, Midorikawa-san, may I see her? If she is so ill, perhaps I can…"
He trailed off, training that hopeful gaze on Lettuce, and she saw the force of his worry. She saw that she would not be able to fight it.
"I… she is too i—"
She winced at that moment, for Kisshu seemed to have begun coughing, loudly and painfully, in his sleep.
He had chosen the worst possible time.
The sound of the hacking strengthened Aoyama's resolve.
Lettuce could say nothing to change his mind, and it was too late to pretend she did not have the keys. In her urgency, she had taken them out of her pocket and grasped them in her hand.
Said hand shaking, she opened the door. Aoyama nodded to her in thanks.
"I promise, I only want to see her for a little while. Just to see if she's all right."
He ended with a gentle smile, taking his coat off and throwing it to the ground before hurrying up the stairs. Lettuce remained, behind, totally frozen for a few seconds before her sense returned to her, and she broke into an uncertain run behind him.
"Aoyama-san, wa—"
She was cut off by a harsh gasp.
"Ichigo!"
Too late.
Aoyama stared at the girl before him, but his attention could hardly be called focused on her. It continuously shifted to the…creature… in her bed.
Isn't that…one of those aliens? he thought frantically, meeting her eyes in a desperate attempt to find some semblance of explanation.
The intensity of the fear in those pink orbs matched the intensity of his bewilderment.
"I-ichigo," he continued, so shocked that he failed to politely use her surname, "what—"
"I… I can explain, Aoyama-kun!" she started, wringing her hands in distress. Behind him, the boy was dimly aware of the other girl, Lettuce, but he did nothing to acknowledge her.
"Isn't he…isn't…?"
"Y-yes. Yes, Aoyama-kun, but—!"
Perhaps she would have explained it to him. She could have mollified him somehow.
Maybe.
If the noise hadn't caused Kisshu to open his eyes, sit up, and blink slowly at the odd scene taking place before him.
First, he was just confused. Then, his eyes landed on Aoyama, and his mind seemed to throw off the fatigue and discomfort of illness as a familiar rage took hold of him.
Aoyama.
Precious Aoyama-kun.
Ichigo's loving, deserving boyfriend…
His enemy. The bane of his very existence.
He was walking towards Ichigo now… how dare he…
Ichigo took a deep breath as the dark-haired boy walked toward her, trying to steady herself, frantically thinking of an easy way to explain this. She might have succeeded, had she not suddenly felt a cool caress on her neck, another against her waist. She realized with breathtaking abruptness that there was an arm wrapped around her waist, and judging by the utter shock in Aoyama's brown eyes, that arm belonged to Kisshu.
The alien boy, in a fit of possessive anger, had used rage-fueled strength to teleport to the girl's side. Now he hovered behind her, one arm curling around her waist, the other over her shoulder and around her chest in a tight embrace.
"Talking to my girl, are we?" he sneered at Aoyama, who could only stammer in response.
"Y-y-your…"
"You heard me." Ichigo couldn't turn around, but she knew that Kisshu was wearing that devil's leer of his, watching Aoyama with a near-murderous glint in his golden eyes.
"Mine. I suppose koneko-chan here hasn't told you about—"
"No, no, Aoyama-kun, I'm not—"
She stopped, freezing as Kisshu's grip on her tightened. Her first thought was that he meant to hurt her, but as she stood there, staring at the stunned Aoyama, she realized that while his grip and his words seemed strong, Kisshu was trembling ever so slightly. She realized that the strength of his grip was due to desperation, desperation to…
He was only hanging onto the last few days, hanging onto those caresses and kind words…
Hanging onto the same things she wanted to hang onto…
Right? She did want it, didn't she? Yes, even in her fear, she knew that she wanted those experiences, those feelings… she wanted them to stay.
I love you…
It hadn't been a lie.
But… Aoyama-kun…
Suddenly, Aoyama's paralysis broke, and he rushed forward.
He rushed forward with a strangled yell, and Ichigo realized something with a jolt of sick horror.
He meant to harm Kisshu.
"Get off of her!" he cried, grabbing the alien from behind, grabbing his arms and tearing them off of Ichigo. In the process, he managed to hit the bandaged injury. The effect was instantaneous.
Kisshu cried out, crumpling to the ground under Aoyama, who was struggling to keep him down, to subdue him, to, in his mind, save Ichigo…
"No! Stop!"
The human boy froze, lifting his gaze to meet the girl's. She stood, eyes brimming with tears, shaking violently at the sight of the one-sided fight.
"Get off of him!"
The intensity of her scream was enough to force Aoyama back. As soon as he was clear of Kisshu, Ichigo was down on her knees beside the alien, arms wrapping around his shivering form as he began to cough horribly.
"Ichigo… why… I thought…"
"He's sick. He's here because he's sick, and I…"
Aoyama blinked rapidly in shock. Perhaps he was not the smartest boy, but he was not foolish. There was something in her voice, something in the way she grabbed a blanket off of the bed and draped it over the alien, wrapping it around his heaving shoulder as he struggled to breathe… something in her touch…
"You… you love him…"
"Love" was barely audible. It escaped his lips as a whisper.
"I…I…"
How could he say that? How could he even think that! It wasn't true, it couldn't be… She loved Aoyama! She had always loved Aoyama. Always…
Suddenly, images, feelings, emotions, all from the past few days, returned to her. Suddenly, she found herself remembering all that connected the alien boy to those days: Kisshu's trust, his desperation, his touch, his devotion, his strength, his vulnerability, his… his love.
That undying, illogical, determined, foolish, gentle, vicious, pure, amazing love that had started all of this.
That love that had touched her without her knowing it.
She remembered it all.
She remembered her confession.
It had not been a lie then. It wasn't a lie now. It wasn't.
Aoyama saw all of this. He could not identify the exact thoughts that ran through her mind, but he knew their nature, and he knew that he had to leave. Perhaps he should have fought her on the point, should have pleaded, begged, yelled, even. He should have shaken her, gotten some sense back into her.
He could not do any of it, not with that look in her eyes, that tenderness in her touch. He could only accept it all, no matter how confused, how disturbing, how strange it was. There was no doubt that he could do nothing against it. He knew that somehow. Knew it.
He bowed, murmured a soft good-bye to Ichigo, a stiffer one to the near-faint Lettuce, walked down the stairs, to the door, and left.
A weak Lettuce stumbled over to her friend and hugged her gently as she began to cry, softly mumbling to her something that even she herself could not understand.
She tried to pry Ichigo from Kisshu, tried to tell her to help him back into bed, but that failed, and it took a seven whole minutes for Ichigo to gather herself enough to half-lead, half-carry, the barely-conscious alien to the bed.
After that, she could only sink into the chair and cry.
AN: Okay, I think we reached something of a climax there. Hoe you enjoyed. Well, review, please! See you all next time!