Madly in Love

Dear readers,

Thank you for stopping by and reading this story. I am happy to see that so many people enjoyed the last chapter so much. Thank you all for your encouraging comments, kudos, reviews and follows! I appreciate it.

Important fact; as most of you have probably figured out, Ichigo does not change into a cat when kissed in this fic. This was already somewhat approached in the previous chapter Emotionless Ideal, but I did not address it by then, so let me formally apologize for this little twist right now. No shapeshifting via kissing over here.

Regarding the plot, we had quite a huge climax scene last time! Yay! All it took was 17 chapters and some 60 000+ words and, finally, our favorite couple is together at last! What will happen next? Are Kisshu and Ichigo ready to face the consequences of their actions? How will others respond? And what about Kisshu's engagement?

There is only one way to find out!

For this chapter, it was extremely easy to picture the music even before I even started typing. It goes as follows:

Maroon 5 'This Love'

Blink 182 'Always'

Ariana Grande 'Thank U, Next (Instrumental)'

Lulyy Elizabeth Vaca - Thank you for yet another comment! I am so glad to hear that you enjoyed the last chapter. I like that one a lot too; together with Emotionless Ideal and The Toll on Her Psyche, these three are my top personal favorites. And, yes. Kishigo is together at last! Hip hip hooray!

KawaiiCutie12 - Thank you for yet another comment. I am happy to see that you seem to have enjoyed the last chapter. And, yes way. It's Kishigo way from now on actually. Also, I could not agree more, somehow, Kisshu just hits differently haha. Even though I usually do tend to have a soft spot for any character voiced by Akira Ishida as well.

DrDark7 – Thank you for yet another comment! I know, I know. Horrible me, dragging the story for so god damn long. I am so sorry for all the waiting! I can imagine how annoying that must have been! Also, there might be more 'sex' scenes coming up but, having said that, in this story I am trying to sorta balance it between T an M rating still. If you want explicit mature content involving violence and sex, there will be plenty of both in my next project, which shall start once this fanfiction is finished.

Kishlover985 – Thank you for yet another comment! Glad to hear that you have had again a good time reading my story. And, congratulations! You guessed it right. I needed some extra tension, as well as some ammo, that Ichigo could use against Kisshu before she makes her final move on him! I am also very happy to read that my text moved you. That indeed made my day. Thank you!

AnimeRoxx – Thank you for yet another comment! I am so happy to see that you have enjoyed the last chapter! Kisshu has finally come to his senses and let go haha. That is correct! But what will happen to his relationship with Yuri? And how much will that be affected by his affair with Ichigo? That is yet to be found out.

NeKoGirl – Thank you for yet another comment! I am so glad to know that you loved the last chapter so much haha. I like that chapter too, a lot actually. As for Kisshu's engagement situation, it will be resolved soon, rest assured!

As always, please enjoy and review!

I do not own Tokyo Mew Mew

Ichigo silently wondered what they had been doing all these years before this.

Because now that she had looked at their relationship from the hindsight, it seemed pointless, so pointless.

Trying to kill each other, playing stupid mind games with each other, rejecting each other, be it her denying him on Earth or him denying her here on Cyclonia; was there any real purpose behind any of that? Was it truly necessary? Or were all these obstacles between them merely there to test how deep their feelings could grow? Ichigo couldn't but marvel at the amount of energy, nerves and anxiety that would have been saved, if, instead of fighting, all they had been doing was this. Only this. Always.

What a waste of time.

From the corner of her eye, she noticed that the window to her right was still open. And, based on the soft rays of the setting sun that were faintly streaming inside, casting dim semi-reddish and semi-orange hues over the room and its furnishing, it must have been already evening.

'Have I really been here that long? It certainly does not feel that way,' she mused internally.

It was only then when the idea finally hit her that Ichigo jerked away in shock realizing the others must have been crazy worried and looking for her at this point. In panic, she tried to turn around and get up, but all it took was one short glance to her left, and her train of thoughts changed entirely.

The sight of Kisshu's sleeping almost angelic face caught her completely off guard.

Still resting on the pillow directly next to hers, he stirred all kinds of emotions in Ichigo's heart when the events from the last few hours ago rewound in front of her eyes, making the Mew flush and sweat drop.

Oh my god! I slept with Kisshu! An engaged man! And it was the best time of my life! Oh god!

She could not believe herself.

Here she was, still in bed with him, completely flustered, slightly ashamed and, more importantly, the happiest she had ever been.

What was the feeling that was suddenly spreading through her chest? Was it love? Admiration? Lust? Everything together? She couldn't tell. The completely indescribable emotion that had kept zinging trough her body every time he was close to her was never easily put into words. With him, it was never about words. These appeared always secondary to all of the inner sensations he had made her feel whenever he was anywhere around.

Elation entrenched in sheer desire and longing, and something dark and edgy that Ichigo was yet to decode.

She softly touched his hair and pondered over how different he looked when he was not awake. With his features completely relaxed, he seemed cute, innocent and adorable. Nothing like the devilish and diabolical person she was so accustomed to seeing all the time.

'What a difference,' she smiled to herself, as she ran her fingers through his emerald bangs and down to his elongated ears, tracing the soft skin of his earlobe with her delicate touch. They were so different from her human ears; so long, but still soft and very sensitive; perhaps, even more sensitive than hers. Ichigo briefly contemplated whether or not he could feel her stroking him. Checking for a reaction, her hand ghosted around his left temple a little longer before it continued its way gingerly down his cheek until she reached his mouth where his white fangs were protruding from his lips. She wanted to touch them; to feel their sharpness between her fingers and to test how dangerous they were, as opposed to her own. But the moment she neared close enough, her thumb almost brushing against his left fang, her hand was stopped suddenly, as his eyes snapped open.

Busted.

"I didn't know that of all the places that could interest you, you would go for my fangs," an amused grin flashed across his features, when he looked up at her startled face.

Ichigo averted her gaze and retracted her hand in shame. She hated being caught red handed. All the more, since she did not succeed with her original plan.

Kisshu must have realized it too, for his grin widened, as he flipped them over so that Ichigo was lying underneath him now. Hovering over her still very much naked form, he took her hand gently into his and let her explore the places she wanted.

"Don't be shy."

She gulped at the intimate gesture but proceeded with caution nonetheless.

"They are not sharp at all," Ichigo muttered in surprise.

"I beg to differ," he smirked before he pressed his lips together around her finger and started sucking on it gently, grazing it with his teeth in the process.

Ichigo could not help but shiver at the sudden contact, excitement slowly building in her body at the inner feelings that were coursing through her all over again. When he finally released her, a deep blush was tinting her cheeks.

"See, there. I made a tiny scratch," he grinned, inspecting his ministrations on her finger before his eyes landed on her red face and he let out a chuckle.

Ichigo watched as his golden orbs slid down her lips to admire her chest which rose with every breath she took, and then back to meet her fiery gaze.

Slowly, Kisshu leaned in towards her and dropped his mouth by her ear, "I'll give you something better to be embarrassed about."

The confidence and authority his words exuded made the pit of her stomach tighten with anticipation. This was probably what she had been missing so desperately in her relationship with Masaya. The trill; the struggle for power; the fact that Kisshu was not perfect and neither was she. That they both had their flaws, which, when together, could negate each other quite effectively; his arrogance blasting her anxiety to pieces, whereas her sensibility overpowered his ferocity. That was perhaps why they were so perfect for each other, the most imperfect couple in the history of couples in the most perfect sense of that word.

Ichigo's breath came in short aroused pants, when his mouth found the crook of her neck and he started nibbling on the soft skin, leaving a few marks here and there. Every tug and gentle suck sent a surge of searing heat through her form, causing her to shift restlessly under him. Her neck had always been her sensitive spot, but Kisshu managed to bring the pleasure to a whole new level. This was what she had come here for; to be loved, to be consumed, to affirm her life with the vitality of his. And the moment his tongue moved southward, Ichigo reacted instantly, sinking further down into a whirlpool of desire that had made her vision dim.

"No more love bites, gee," she breathed out but her protests were soon smoldered, once his mouth captured hers and his hands moved closer to the juncture of her thighs.

"Mm, no promises," Kisshu snickered, momentarily breaking away from the kiss only to press his lips down on hers again, chasing away any lingering unease with his skillful, distracting touch.

The last thing Ichigo remembered was closing her eye lids shut, as her hands slipped into his hair, and her insides turned to liquid.


They did not talk about what had happened. They did not have to. Somehow, the meaning was conveyed through the non-verbal language involving loud gasps, low groans and hearty cries and they both knew that this felt right. That this was right and how it always should be.

She had worried that he would regret it. That he would again tell her that what they had done was wrong and that it was not to repeat itself. But none of that happened. Deep down in her mind, Ichigo was conscious that what they had committed was that kind of thing that ruined reputations, destroyed careers and wrecked lives. But Kisshu was selfish; selfish enough not to care about any of that and so was she. Nevertheless, with no clear answers, neither of them could predict their future and what exactly it had in store for them. How were two people from completely different worlds, tied by completely different circumstances supposed to coexist together? Live together, kiss each other? Every day? And forever, as Ichigo had always imagined? There were so many issues she could not even start to comprehend and the notion itself threatened to make her head explode. Now that her dreams had finally come true and she was wrapped in Kisshu's warm arms tightly, Ichigo began to understand what everyone had meant when they had tried to talk her out of this; why Ryou's tone was always so snarky and mad, whenever she went on with her rant about how much she loved and wanted Kisshu; or why Lettuce's concerned gaze continued to follow her when Ichigo had first shared with the Mews her desire for the green-haired alien.

The more Ichigo had thought about it, the more she was convinced that this affair would have some fatal consequences for both of them, especially if they wanted to continue. But all the grim thoughts were soon squished when his eyes regarded her with their scorching intensity and something Ichigo had only recently started to recognize; the utmost devotion and love for her. Just thinking about him made her head dizzy with the happy lightness she had not experienced in what felt like forever. She had repeatedly caught herself smiling like a complete idiot for absolutely no reason. And, naturally, this did not go unnoticed by others.

When Ichigo returned to her room later that day, only to pick up a couple of articles as she had promised to Kisshu earlier, the auburn haired girl was shocked to see all the Mew Mews assembled in her and Mint's room, playing cards, and pausing abruptly once the door behind her slammed shut.

"H-hey, guys. How come you are not at the party?" she started hesitantly.

"Well, it's hard to party when we don't know if we're gonna leave the place in the next five minutes or not," Mint scoffed, before she zeroed in on Ichigo's glowing face and smirked, "so, how did it go? Should we start packing? Or rather celebrating?"

Ichigo flushed with color, unable to lie to her best friends, but not willing to tell them everything that had happened in the timeline of the last couple of hours either. She knew that she had to keep the informational value to the minimum and refrain from saying anything that would incriminate her at any cost or, at least, not until she had fully discussed what all of this entailed with Kisshu.

"Eeh, well. You see. Me and Kisshu-"

And she did not have to continue, as it took only one quick glance at her embarrassed mannerism to guess how the things had gone between them; an action which was met with various responses, all of which differed only in their level of outward positivity. Whereas Zakuro solemnly nodded, Lettuce beamed and Mint, being Mint, continued to wear the smuggest look Ichigo had ever seen on her face. Only Pudding squealed out loud and immediately jumped on the still very flustered Ichigo, shaking her hand like a madman.

"Congrats! So is Big sis Ichigo and Kisshu," she paused, pressing a finger against her lips while she winked at the blushing Mew Mew, "finally a couple now, na no da?"

"I-I guess you could say that," Ichigo mumbled, hoping that this answer would spare her from any more questions.

In a reaction to this, the monkey Mew let out another joyous squeal and began bouncing all over the place in absolute elation.

"Congratulations, Ichigo," it was then Lettuce that stood up and pressed Ichigo's hand in a warm handshake.

"Yeah, took you long enough but I'm happy that things finally turned out the way you wanted," Mint remarked and Ichigo had to fight the urge not to form a comeback, when a sudden thought crossed her mind, spoiling her mood instantly and making Mint's jab disappear in the air.

"Please don't tell anything to Ryou. I want to tell him myself. But not until me and Kisshu….figure it all out first."

"You sure about that, Ichigo? I think he deserves to know too," Zakuro's voice held a bit of caution in it, as her eyes scanned the auburn haired girl in front of her.

Ichigo was almost sure that her companion was right and that she had to tell Ryou eventually. There was no arguing about that. But she was nowhere ready to go and meet him just yet. The idea of telling him now utterly terrified her and it was not like she had any contingency plan to fall back on or a full scope of what she had really gotten herself into. One thing was for certain, she was not looking forward to that conversation.

"Yea, I know. But he would not approve of it. I am positive about that. Plus me and Kisshu are not even official or anything yet. So please keep it to yourself for now, will you?"

The Mews looked at her with concern but one by one wordlessly nodded.

Seeing that, a broad smile grew on Ichigo's face.

"Thank you, everyone! Now, if you excuse me," she brushed past Lettuce and retrieved a few articles of clothing from her backpack before making a short stop at the bathroom to get her toothbrush.

"Hey, are you gonna be at the party later tonight at all?" Mint called after her slowly retreating back.

"Don't think so," Ichigo chuckled when she briefly turned around and sent her friend a wide grin, "but say hi to Taruto and Pai from me!"

The girls continued to watch her in awe, happy that their leader finally regained her bounce in her step, yet still somewhat undecided where this sudden turn of events would take them.

Mint was the first one to burst the silent bubble.

"Whatever Kisshu did to her, it's working," she quipped, as she drew another card in her hand.

"Do you really think the engagement is off then?" Lettuce asked with a speck of worry still dotting her tone.

"Who knows," Zakuro retorted before standing upright, "Either way, is anyone going downstairs to the party?"


It could have been morning; or it could have been night.

Ichigo was no longer able to tell. And, frankly, she did not give a damn.

To her, time was not measured by clock anymore.

There was only time with him and time without him now.

Nothing else mattered.

It was like a dream; that kind of dream from which the Mew Mew never wanted to wake up.

When she found herself nestled in his strong arms again, enjoying the heat radiating from his body, pouring its warm energy right into hers, his serious tone suddenly brought her back from her hazy daze.

"I will tell Yuri today."

Ichigo pulled away, visible shock morphing her features.

"You will what?"

His eyes slightly glistened, as he gave her another affectionate look while his hand cupped her cheek between his fingers lovingly.

"I will tell her that I can't marry her because I am madly in love with someone else," he smiled and Ichigo blushed profusely at his declaration.

It was not like she had not known about the depth of his love that he had harbored for her. Nevertheless, hearing him say that out loud and in such an unspoken, unwavering manner still sent a wave of excitement straight down her toes.

"But what if she sends Gato after you?" the quick rush of fear unexpectedly crossed Ichigo's facial expression at the mental image of the bespectacled alien.

"Then I will die happy and with no regrets," Kisshu joked, still heavily preoccupied with gazing at her fondly.

"You, idiot. You can't say things like that," she swatted his hand away and tried to smack him but Kisshu was quicker.

"You would be happier if I married her instead?" he asked, mocking surprise.

"O-of course not!" Ichigo blurted out, "I just..I just don't understand why it has to be so complicated," she sighed, resting her face on his shoulder in exasperation.

He hugged her tightly and hummed in amusement as her body visibly relaxed around his.

"Where would be the fun in it, if it wasn't?"

They continued a little longer with their witty banter, poking fun at each other here and there, until it became obvious that their secret rendezvous neared its end. They had gone through this numerous times by now. Whatever they felt for each other had to stay kept under wraps until Kisshu discussed the matter with Yuri thoroughly. It all sounded reasonable and extremely mature but, somehow, that puzzled Ichigo even more.

It had made her realize how much he had changed; how much he had matured, as opposed to her, who was still acting like a petulant child.

"You're ready?"

She nodded meekly and he took it as a cue to wrap his arm around her and initiate the process of teleportation. There was no way she could leave his compartments through the front door now. And Ichigo did not feel like the open window in his room was any more of a viable option either. Not anymore. If they wanted to be together, they had to be discreet from now on. Plus, teleporting like this did have its perks; she buried her face further in his shirt and waited till they reached the solid ground again, reveling in his scent and closeness for the time being.

When her feet finally came in contact with the surface of the marble floor, not too far away from her room, but far enough not to let anyone see them, Ichigo suddenly felt a pang of worry in her gut; worry and regret as if this was it, although he had assured her countless of times that this stage was merely provisional and temporary.

"Ok, see you soon," he lifted his hand in a motionless goodbye but Ichigo quickly grabbed a hold of his arm before he could disappear.

"Kisshu," she paused, bowing her head towards the ground in what looked like contemplation.

She could hear her heart pounding in her chest, its rapid movement ringing in her ears with every pump as the rosiness in her cheeks deepened.

"Yes?"

She felt his hand ran up her hair and pausing briefly at something that vaguely resembled the soft shell of her….cat ears.

Oh no.

She wanted to shy away from him, but the adoration that was brimming in his eyes had made all of her actions cease. She knew she was petty, and that it was not worth the danger, it was not worth the danger at all in fact, but she wanted to kiss him.

She wanted to feel his lips on hers one last time before he went.

So despite what they had previously agreed on, she stood on her tiptoes and reached out to claim his lips with hers. And even though it was only a little peck, she instantaneously melted into his touch all at once.

When she at last disentangled, Ichigo immediately felt angry at herself for letting her desire for him overtake her senses.

"I-I'm sorry," she murmured and consequently frowned, not sure why she was apologizing to him when it was all his damn fault that he was so kissable and hard to resist in the very first place.

Kisshu gave out a soft laugh and Ichigo had to take a deep breath not to whack him.

Should their roles be reversed, she would have probably found it entertaining as well. However, as that was not the case, Ichigo found her inability to keep it together around him downright infuriating, along with all of the reactions he could draw out of her.

Unbelievable, really.

"Don't worry, I'll be back before you know it," he winked, while his left hand flicked her nose playfully.

And, even if this insignificant gesture did not have the power to fully destroy the gnawing feeling that sat in the pit of her stomach, it did make the corners of her lips curve in a soft smile, which was all it took for Kisshu's mouth to twitch upwards as well.

There was a ripple in the air and then he was gone.


Lettuce had not been on many dates in her life. In all actuality, her dating experience was rather limited, in comparison to that of her friends, the Mews included. However, if she knew at least one thing about dating and relationships, it was the fact that it was important to listen to your partner in order to better understand their wishes and needs.

Everybody liked to share their opinions about interesting things, about the new discoveries they had made, or simply about themselves. The art of a lighthearted conversation was not uncommon to people of her age, and neither to Lettuce, who had successfully honed her skills to an acceptable standard once her DNA was successfully infused with the finless porpoise.

In short, everybody enjoyed a nice chit-chat.

Everybody but Pai who did not seem to be interested in an idle talk in the slightest.

Lettuce was genuinely surprised when he had suggested going for a walk to her last night at the party. First, she thought he perhaps needed some help with his scientific research, but that thought proved completely misplaced. If there was some trouble with his findings, he would have approached Ryou, not Lettuce. Surely, whatever Pai wanted to talk to her about had absolutely nothing to do with the Mew Project. It was something else. But what? And why was she getting so embarrassed in the very first place? Was it because she was on the beach strand walking side by side with her crush at whom she could not as much as look at the present moment? Or solely due to notion that she was a very shy person naturally? Her books had taught her quite well that taking a deep breath usually helped and remedied any sort of tense situation. But the longer Lettuce continued to walk next to Pai side by side in utter silence, the more nervous she was becoming due to his stoic and totally impassive demeanor, regardless of how many deep breaths she had taken.

It was nerve-wrecking, really; for she could not fathom what was going on in his head in the least.

When Lettuce almost reached her limit, her face colored with the various shades of red, blue and purple, a very telling sign of someone who was sure to pass out soon due to their obvious lack of oxygen, Pai finally spoke.

"You must find this rather unexpected. I reckon that I have not interrupted your plans on such short notice? I apologize for the inconvenience in advance."

"Wh-what? N-no, of-of course not!" Lettuce smiled, but internally sweat dropped.

Pai regarded her intently, his obsidian orbs burning holes into hers, but he remained silent for another minute or two. It was not until they stopped close to a cliff where a wooden bench sat that he began talking away. He gestured for her to sit down and Lettuce did as instructed, immediately assuming a seat next to him.

"Mew Lettuce, I wanted to talk to you about something delicate today. Whatever I am about to disclose, I trust, will stay between us?" he searched her eyes and when he saw Lettuce swallow and subsequently nod he took it as a good sign to proceed.

"What is your opinion in regards to an interracial romance?"

"W-what?" Lettuce squeaked, trying her hardest to keep her voice level-headed but not succeeding much by far.

"Interracial romance between a human and a Cyniclon, let's say. On the scale of feasibility, how conceivable do you personally perceive it?"

Lettuce's heart was beating hard and fast now, as if she was suddenly electrocuted, which she was not, at least not yet.

"I-I, uhm. I-I find it..plausible?" she tried, averting her eyes in sheer embarrassment.

She could feel her sweaty hands fidgeting with the hem of her dress and she absentmindedly thought whether it was a good choice to wear a dress on a windy day, and whether or not it was too short or revealing for Pai's liking.

"I see," he replied at last and the two of them relapsed into total silence with only the sound of sea waves splashing against the cliff dulling the obnoxious voices in her head.

Say something, Lettuce! You have to say something! Silence will get you nowhere. Look at how hard Ichigo fought for Kisshu, you can't give up just yet!

And before she knew it, the thought crossed her train of thinking and, suddenly, Lettuce knew exactly what to say. Without giving it too much consideration, she opened her mouth and posed a question, which, in her mind, was strictly rhetorical.

"L-look at Ichigo and Kisshu for instance. Isn't this a perfect example of interracial romance?"

Several things happened at once.

First, Pai paled to the point that his face completely drained of any color, as his eyes widened in shock at Lettuce's comparison. The green-haired girl, of course, did not take his stunned reaction rather well; so, instead of clamming up, she opted for even more chaotic explanation amid her jumbled thoughts, which somehow made the situation all the worse. Not to mention that she might have just accidentally divulged the biggest secret in the history.

Oh my!

Well, there was no going back now.

"I-I mean, with the way t-they finally got together and all, is-isn't it a nice example of…in-interracial romance?" Lettuce asked weakly, her voice wheezing with both mortification and her bundle of nerves.

"They what?"

At this point, it seemed that Pai had completely lost it. The deep scowl carved in his face, the dangerous glint of his fangs, as well as the vein pulsing rapidly in his temple were all pertinent indicators of his only barely suppressed anger.

He was about ready to blow.

And Lettuce was sitting right beside him, his outrage aimed predominantly at her.

Oh god.

She squeezed her eyes shut, expecting the sudden lash of fury at any second but it never came. Startled, she cracked one of her eye lids open to send a furtive look in Pai's direction, as if to verify if he was still there, and alive, for that matter.

From her peripheral view, she could see that his posture was still visibly tense, but his face lost his initial wrath, his eyes no longer blazing with murderous intent. There was confusion now aligned in his gaze mixed with bitterness to accept the new realities around him.

When he spoke again, his voice betrayed his idiosyncratic monotonous drawl.

"I do not think you quite understand the implications their behavior might cause, Mew Lettuce," Pai returned her quivering glance with an empty stare.

Lettuce gulped and blinked back the tears that had, unbeknownst to her, garnered in her eyes. The explicit condemnation of her friend's happiness was so palpable in Pai's tone that somehow it had made Lettuce for the first time in her life riled up; even more so, when the person who had so easily expressed it was the target of her romantic interest. Lettuce herself had her own personal reservations regarding Ichigo's stubbornness and claims for love but when she witnessed all the blows Ichigo had to sustain due to her heavy infatuation with the green-haired alien, she could not help but sympathize and respect the level of effort and emotion her friend was putting in every single one of her endeavors. That is probably why the fact that Pai so vehemently disapproved of Ichigo's actions made Lettuce's body twitch, and not in the pleasant, romantic kind of way.

"I-I think it is you that do not understand, Pai. Obviously both Ichigo and Kisshu are aware that what they are doing is dangerous, if-if not entirely crazy. B-but they made the decision together, despite all the obstacles around them. Because of their genuine feelings for each other."

Pai's scowl faltered.

Perhaps, he had never thought about it that way, since, to him, Kisshu might have been just a love struck sex crazed idiot who could not keep it in his pants when it came to Mew Ichigo. But what Lettuce had just said made him reconsider his previous opinion entirely.

"Even if that was the case, they are still completely irresponsible. And I shall not tolerate it. If Gato does not put an end to this, then I will."

Lettuce's arm reacted before her mind could fully comprehend what had happened.

"Pai," she pleaded, her fingers tight on his wrist and eyes transfixed on his solid face, "I secretly confided in you because I trust you. Because Ichigo had put her trust in me and Kisshu in her. Please don't abuse this trust. Both of them had really bled enough for what they had been feeling for each other for so long, so let them have their time alone. Even if only for a little moment."

He eyed her silently, realizing how much time had passed since they had had their last argument under the sea. How long was it exactly? Without doubt, she had matured quite considerably ever since that fight. There was something about this girl; something mentally stimulating that had made Pai want to engage in far deeper and more complex conversations with her; far deeper than his little brother's sex life, that is. When this strange concept entered his mind, the purple haired alien suddenly felt astonished and at awe with himself at how appealing to him she was, and perhaps always had been. Unlike most of the people in his life, Mew Lettuce was someone whose opinion and judgement Pai valued deeply and even somewhat cherished. She was special to him. But he could not also forget the fact that her beauty did not only consist of her brains. She was a very pretty earthling. Both inside and out.

And, maybe something about that earthly prettiness had made his anger ebb away in the end. As he felt it dispel, little by little, Pai found his hand lightly squeezing Lettuce's, before he heaved a deflated sigh and, finally, gave in.

"Understood."