Glass Menagerie
Dear readers,
Thank you for stopping by and reading this story. I would like to hereby thank every single one of you for all of your comments, reviews, follows and kudos. You rock! (o)
Now, as many of you have already noticed, Libidinous is very different from my previous work in the tone it strikes. In comparison to TRTP, this fic predominantly concentrates on the drama that revolves around Ichigo's life and her issues with all the boys around her, i.e. with her boss often bullying her, the alien teasing her, and her boyfriend being somewhat caring but too dense to understand what lies right underneath his nose, the girl is tested both as the leader of the Tokyo Mew Mew, as well as a person with her individual needs. Personal sacrifice, community, sense for duty, happiness, truth, lies, emotions and reason are a few of many themes that constitute the major role in Libidinous. There will be a rather significant development of all of the aforementioned characters during which each of them will be faced with their particular shortcomings, but let's not fast-forward ()
By the way, for those who are familiar with TRTP, the blue runic diagram that Kisshu used in the previous chapter is the same kind of protection/attack (The Blue Shield of Defense) that Yuri and Gato often employed; and, yes, it is based purely on my own imagination before you ask.
Additionally, this segment is a very, very loose shout-out to any fans of Tennessee Williams out there, who is and always will be my life-long most favorite writer/drama playwright of all time. I totally adore his plays/short stories, among which The Glass Menagerie holds the ultimate supremacy, at least in my humble opinion.
To conclude, this is a rather LOOONG chapter. But it made absolutely no sense to chop it anywhere in half, so I apologize for the length in advance!
The music playlist I used for this part goes as follows:
Free Hard – Dark Type Beat 'Raider'
Ghostemane 'Fed Up'
Corpse 'E-Girls Are Running My Life'
Lulyy Elizabeth Vaca - Thank you for your comment! I am happy to hear that you liked the last chapter. This story will be mostly focused on Kishigo, but I'll try and squeeze in the other pairings somewhere as well!
DrDark7 - Thank you for your comment! I like your hypothesis a lot. Are you right? Or are you wrong, though? The only way to get your answer straight is to read and find out!
Sorakitten - Thank you for your comment! I am so happy to see that you enjoyed the last two chapters so much. And, be careful what you wish for!
Kishlover985 - Thank you for your comment! Hahaha, damn straight. The drama in Ichigo's life is what predominantly drives the main story line and, sadly, also gives her a lot of nightmares in the process. And, I agree. Taruto is super bratty and Pai as smart as ever.
AnimeRoxx – Thank you for your comment! I am glad to hear that you liked the last update and I hope that you will like the following one just as much!
NeKoGirl - Thank you for your comment! I am so happy to hear that you enjoy my new story as well. There will be a new chapter posted every Thursday again, so stay tuned!
2Sonic1808 - Thank you for your comment! I am really happy to hear that you enjoy this story so much. Things are only going to get more intense from now on. Get ready!
As always, please enjoy and review!
I do not own Tokyo Mew Mew
When Ryou had appeared in front of the Mews with his arms folded earlier that particular afternoon, Ichigo had a bad premonition that it could only mean that it would be another of those very long days.
Well, she was not wrong at that.
All the more, when she had become acquainted with the reason why the usually calm blonde seemed so restless, along with some additional details regarding their next upcoming task, which they were all supposed to do right after their shift had ended.
The Mew Aqua was still their top priority, of course. Especially, since their last mission in the cave from a few days ago had proved such a colossal failure. However, as much as Ryou cared for the Mew Aqua, he also perceived it extremely vital that the presence of the aliens on Earth remained tightly under wraps, or, at the maximum, only as a part of the local folklore. That was mainly why the existence, as well as the sudden appearance, of this disc that the IT company called Explo apparently possessed had so vastly distressed him.
The last time anyone had managed to catch a glimpse of Kisshu or any other Cyniclon on the video coincided with Zakuro's joining the team. And, luckily for Tokyo Mew Mew, all the cameras from then had been destroyed during their battle, leaving no real solid evidence of any gliding enemy in the air behind. The TV stations were never quick enough to send someone to record their fights. Not even once. When their sole headquarters had become the target of the next alien attack, nonetheless, it would be foolish of them not to at least try and videotape the commotion, before they all scattered and began running from the half desolated building for their life.
And someone was not only smart enough to get a hold on these recordings, but also tried to sell and monetize them, as the advertisement on the TV that Ryou had played on his big screen clearly showed. Someone as cunning as these Explo stakeholders evidently, whom their boss with his advanced technology had managed to track within the next hour.
Ichigo understood the importance of this mission, which is why she had agreed to it, more or less, off the bat. Notwithstanding, she would lie if she said that she did not hear all her muscles collectively scream in protest at her decision, painfully reminding her that they were not so willing to fight again within such a short period from their last battle.
'The attacks started to occur far more frequently upon recently. Does that mean my personal life is officially finished?' Ichigo internally thought, as she jumped from one building onto another with agility, the rest of her team within a stone's throw away from her body.
And it's not like the fights are getting any less difficult either.
Her original trait of thinking was suddenly lost, once the sound of the loud, wailing sirens snapped through her, making her eyes widen in shock.
The beeping of emergency alarms were heard all over the place, calling for their immediate attention, while an urgent voice continuously screamed over the sound system to evacuate in orderly fashion, causing people to flee in terror.
Ichigo swallowed audibly.
It was not going to be an easy mission, now she was sure of it.
In fact, what had initially seemed as nothing but a piece of cake had eventually turned out to be a trying task; especially when Tokyo Mew Mew had finally arrived at the gate of the main Explo building and everyone paused in a dumbfounded silence at the gruesome sight that emerged directly in front of them.
"Everyone, stop right there!" Ichigo's yell sounded above the chaos, as she briefly scanned the area with mounting concern.
There were Chimera animas floating everywhere, croaking and circling the sky like a hawk, and a sea of bodies trickling out from all different directions in terrified shouting crowds. And, amongst all of that, sat Taruto, cross-legged and nonchalant, totally ignorant of what kind of havoc he had wreaked. His face screwed into a deep scowl only when his amber eyes eventually rested upon their five feminine figures.
"If it isn't the annoying Mew Mews!"
Nobody had to ponder why Tokyo Mew Mew, as well as the Cyniclons, would arbitrarily show up at the exactly same location at the same time, though. Actually, it would look almost suspicious if the aliens hadn't made an appearance. There was something that both of the involved parties wanted and, recollecting Ryou's biting words, Ichigo did not have to think twice to come up with her answer as to what that was.
The Mew Aqua was somewhere there too, which had made their task at hand all the more challenging.
Yes, the disc was not the sole target of their objective here. To Ichigo's dismay, Ryou had decided to be a greedy bastard and wanted to have it all. And when the auburn-haired girl had bitterly pointed this detail out to him, before she oh so graciously told him to go and suck a dick, Keiichiro had come immediately to her boss's rescue, which had aggravated and also somehow hurt her even more.
It had made sense to divide their team.
With Mint being able to fly and destroy the Chimera animas from the air, it was obvious that she, along with Lettuce and Pudding, would remain on the roof and fight the enemy from there. Ichigo and Zakuro, by contrast, would go inside to hunt down for the Mew Aqua and the disc, their heightened vision goading them on through the pitch-black darkness. Alas, barely had the two Mews stayed together for too long. Once the blue current of electricity sizzled ahead of them, missing Ichigo's face by a hair, the two of them stopped short and parted immediately before Pai's clear contours came fully into sight. Whereas Ichigo took a sharp left turn and ascended the stairs leading to the next floor, Zakuro surged forward and pulled the purple-haired alien down with her. From the ear-shattering crash that had chilled Ichigo to the bone, the Mew Mew leader had no doubts that Zakuro and Pai must have fallen through a couple of stories, but she did not pause in her tracks. Not now, when all her team mates depended solely on her.
Was it weird that Ichigo had not yet encountered any enemy on her way, nor anything that would even remotely constitute an obstacle for her? Most possibly, but, perhaps, Zakuro was there to do all the dirty work for her. And, from the sound of it, her friend did a hella good job at that, if the constant clashing clangs of the metal that echoed throughout the building could serve as any pertinent indicator.
With all kinds of feelings and her heart beating in a frantic, irregular manner, Ichigo thus continued through the ominous darkness that had stretched across the whole hall alone. Her nerves raced with a lightning speed as she carried on with her running, although she had absolutely no idea where she was or where she was going. Ryou was once again oddly non-specific with his instructions, which had led to very limited knowledge of her surroundings. And, as for the Mew Aqua? It could be anywhere. And so could the disc.
As she kept navigating her way through the narrow, murky corridors of the Explo premises, Ichigo suddenly came to a grounding halt in front of one of the empty conference rooms to her left. Except for the disarray of furniture and a couple of chairs tossed upside down, there was nothing spectacular about it. But, unlike all the rest of the meeting rooms she had passed, this one still had the TV screen on, flickering with a strange artificial light, even though the images that were flashing across it seemed far from legible, since the connection between the building and the outer world had been long gone.
Could it really be it?
Another blow sounded from far behind her, making Ichigo realize that she was only losing time by passive staring. There was not a second that could be lost. The life of Tokyo, as well as the world peace, relied on it. She was the guardian of Earth and her sole duty was to defend her planet from these terrible aliens with whatever means possible. Staring would not help anything. Taking a deep breath, the Mew Mew walked in and quickly examined what was left of the place ahead of her. At first glance, there was nothing extraordinary about the room. A standard plain office area framed by three solid white walls and separated from the adjoining meeting room by means of a thin transparent glass room-divider. The long wooden table which was still standing in the middle looked fairly intact to Ichigo. But the windows that were opposite to her, providing the only means of light into the otherwise dark space, betrayed visible marks of damage, along with the wall across whose chipped off, cracked surface they stretched. Ichigo could easily discern a couple of small dents that were running all over the drywall panels, along with the almost completely smashed glass plates that had more holes in them than Swiss cheese.
'They must have been in the middle of some important meeting or something,' she thought immediately, once she caught a glimpse of the paper stacks that were left conveniently on the table, together with the numerous leather briefcases and pens which were all, apart from one, lying on the floor in a heap of mess.
Ichigo grimaced.
Evidently, none of the confidential issues mattered when one's own life was at stake, not even to the Explo stakeholders; which meant that there was rather a high chance that the disc could still be somewhere here too. All she had to do was to find it, and when her eyes landed on the DVD player neatly tucked underneath the TV screen, the Mew Mew almost screamed in joy at her luck.
Like a flash, she made a beeline to the device and pressed eject, praying to God that her instincts were right. It turned out they were, as the player shortly came to life and, in the next second, opened and revealed its hidden contents. Ichigo, somewhat relieved, stretched out her hand and, taking the disc out with extra care, she securely put it in the pocket of her pink dress.
Ok, that should do for now.
She was ready to contact Ryou through her pendant that fifty percent of their mission was officially done, but a sudden hand on her shoulder had made her breath hitch in her throat.
"Not so fast, kitten," a familiar voice sounded from behind her, sending an unwilling chill down her spine.
She did not have to turn around to know to whom that voice belonged. It was beyond obvious, as was his reason for being here.
Still, the Mew Mew could not deny the inexplicable feeling that had struck her cold with the notion that she was once again completely alone with a person who had personally witnessed her orgasm. More heat continued rushing up her veins like hot, billowing smoke, and she inhaled sharply when she felt his fingers slide down her naked arm until they stopped just above her arm garter, where they rested indefinitely, as he moved closer to her.
"You might have something I really want, Ichigo. Now, be a good kitty and give it to me, and no one gets hurt," he chuckled in her ear and, for a second, Ichigo could swear that his taunting had nothing to do with the Mew Aqua, or the disc she had been clutching in her palm through the thin fabric of her dress so hard she thought it would break.
"Like hell," she screamed once she finally pulled herself together and kicked him into his shin.
His grip on her body instantly loosened while he stepped backwards and doubled over in pain.
Ichigo turned around briskly ready to hit him some more, but the second their gazes locked, she gulped, noting how those golden piercing hungry eyes stared at her, the rest of his body completely shrouded in the sheer darkness.
And, when she saw his fangs bare, she knew that, unlike last time, there was nobody to save her. She was on her own.
"Kitten's in a feisty mood today, I see, mmhm," he smiled as his lips curved into a wide Cheshire grin before he swiftly disappeared in front of her and reappeared to her left, landing a kick at her stomach and sending her flying to the opposite wall, thus creating another dent within the white unruly surface.
"Y-you kicked me? AGAIN?!" Ichigo spat in disbelief, panting heavily on the floor.
"What can I say? I like to be rough with my toys," the alien teased when he floated closer to her, and Ichigo tried her hardest to keep her eyes fixed on his face, "Is that the best you have?" he crouched down to her eye level, his gaze twinkling with a strange kind of excitement as he gave her a quick once over.
And Ichigo could not miss how openly he leered at her; it was probably something about the way how his orbs continuously raked through her skin, completely invested, that had finally made her snap, in fact, and let her anger flare with unbridled passion.
Ichigo was fully conscious that engaging her primary enemy in a battle was completely unnecessary at this point, since she had already gotten what she had come here for. In truth, there was absolutely no reason to spar with Kisshu now. Such a fight would be, de facto, totally counterproductive, time-consuming and about nothing else but her bruised ego. Yet, Ichigo forgot that much. And the longer Kisshu had stared at her so mockingly, while an amused chortle continued to escape through his parted lips here and there, the more she wanted to smack him so hard that she had completely lost her prior objective, giving in to her inner violent needs instead.
"Cat got your tongue?"
"Now, you've done it," her eyes narrowed at his evident sneer and she immediately summoned her Strawberry Bell.
Wiping the saliva off of her mouth, she promptly jumped back on her feet with a bounce and grace that only someone infused with an Iriomote cat DNA could.
"I'll show you rough," she growled through her gritted teeth once she steadied herself.
At this, his grin only widened, as a sai appeared in each of his hands, glinting in the room along with his golden eyes, "Please do."
It was rather problematic to determine who had moved first, but Ichigo soon began sweating profoundly at the amount of attacks she had to block, unless she wanted to be stabbed or sent flying into the wall again, that is. They had never before sparred like that. In comparison to this, all of their previous fights were always so short; either because someone else had often interrupted them, or she had kicked his ass way too quickly. Why did this fight feel different then? Was he mocking her abilities all these times before? Was he holding back even now? Ichigo knew that there was a moment when he could have slit her throat already, but he chose not to and that, for some reason, pissed her off even more. It wasn't a fair victory if he wasn't fighting her seriously. There was no pleasure in winning against him if he was not serious.
"Fight me seriously, damn it," she screeched when his sai once again steered from its original direction in the last minute.
Upon hearing that, he momentarily vanished only to reemerge directly in front of her.
"You don't want me to fight you seriously, kitten," he laughed right into her face, "Look what one actual kick did to you. I'd hate to break that pretty face of yours. Making you cry is just enough," he cackled, stroking her hair almost lovingly.
Was it because she was very close to getting her period? Was Ryou right? Was she really overtly sensitive to everything once she was PMSing? Or was this Ryou's way of telling her that, despite being a leader, she was simply weak? So damn weak that she could not even bring herself to tell Masaya how she truly felt about him and their sexual attempts? How lame was she, really? And now even Kisshu was making fun of her?
Hell no!
"Fuck you," Ichigo swatted his hand away and punched him so hard that she could hear his jaw cracking.
It might have occurred to the Mew Mew a second too late that venting her inner frustrations on the alien was probably not the best tactics; quite on the contrary. If anything, she was sure that it would probably rile him up even more than he had made her feel before. Or get him going, Ichigo could not quite decide.
Her hypothesis was soon confirmed when his shimmering eyes zeroed in back on her, only this time, they were burning with an eerie calmness that terrified the shit out of her.
"That's more like it," he tilted his head to the side and spat some blood before his gaze snapped back to her, and the skin around his mouth stretched widely.
She felt her fingers on her Strawberry Bell tighten at the creepy sight of him and then, before thinking, she lunged herself at him again. And although he tried to teleport away, Ichigo was quicker, engaging him in another set of attacks, her now being the one who was dealing one blow after another and him blocking it one by one. They continued in this fashion until his back was met with the glass panel that divided the two meeting rooms from each other, making them pause temporarily.
"You don't want us to fall through the glass wall, kitten, now, do you?" he asked jeeringly, but, for a fraction of a second, Ichigo could see a speck of fear reflected in his golden orbs, as if he was mentally contemplating whether she really had the guts to pull that off.
And, maybe, on normal days, Ichigo would not even dream of such a thing. Normally, when she had not been challenged throughout her week by literally all the males around her, she would just blow out another loud, frustrated sigh and shrug it off. But today was not the day. Today, all Ryou, Masaya, Keiichiro and even Kisshu decided to be complete pricks and Ichigo did not feel like tolerating the constant bullying any longer.
When she aimed her Strawberry Bell at the alien, Ichigo knew that merely one thought occupied her mind.
"Why not," she quirked her lips upwards and was about to attack but his swift sai wrangled her weapon out of her hands before she could initiate anything. She saw how the blade twirled dangerously between his long, expert fingers, causing it to catch the liquid moonlight on its metallic surface and shine amid the vast darkness like a sign of malice; a notorious foreboding.
He arched a quizzical eye brow at her, sending her a taunting look as if saying and-what-are-you-going- to- do-now, and that simple gesture had incensed Ichigo to no end. She had had enough of his shenanigans. If he had kept his shit together and did not continuously provoke her, maybe, just maybe, she would let it go. But with that defiance, mockery and vivid amusement constantly flashing in his eyes, it seemed like he did not have enough. And neither did Ichigo, for that matter.
She clenched her red gloved fists, only barely suppressing her rage that was rapidly bubbling to the surface.
"Fine, let's do it the old-fashioned way then!" Ichigo bit back tersely.
And before he could react, she slammed herself into his body and sent them both flying through the thin glass barrier behind them. All kinds of glass fragments were instantaneously diffused across the air, as the fragile surface of the wall gave out, and with a loud crack smashed into million little pieces; some of which were cutting Ichigo straight into her naked legs, while others in her arms. She even felt some grazing her cheek but she was smart enough to bury her face in his shirt throughout their fall until they at last ended up crashing on the chilling floor, surrounded by a sea of glass dispersed all around them. When she peeled her eyes open, she was momentarily entranced. Shards of various size and shape glittered everywhere she looked, reminding her of a peculiar glass menagerie that came alive every time the liquid silver poured through between the small cracks in the blinds, instantly coloring the room. She awed at how much the scenery appealed to her senses, making her admire its ephemeral and yet almost fairytalish glimmer, with her lying in the very center of it, completely mystified. Only when Ichigo glanced up, did she realize that she was still on the floor with Kisshu's arms leisurely wrapped around her body, and that he was wearing a smug expression on his face, his smirk merely broadening when their eyes met.
"Did you really just send us flying through the glass wall?" he asked again, somewhat dazed, "You really are something else, Ichigo."
Pulling away, she quickly noticed that his arms that had been holding her were bleeding from various cuts and he also had a couple of bruises on his face but nothing too serious. In fact, his whole face was anything but serious.
And that sight per se was enough for Ichigo to panic.
Especially when there were also countless of other reasons why she should panic; for example, the fact that she was again so close to him, and his arms still rested on either side of her body.
This mere realization immediately drew her attention subconsciously onto his lips, which reflected the same kind of mischief that had inadvertently shattered and distorted her focus many times before by the terrifying glitch of bone-deep sensations that Ichigo could practically feel on her tongue whenever their proximity had become simply far too unbearable.
Just like now.
Keeping his smirk, Kisshu used the grip he had on her to sit upright and it took all of Ichigo's willpower not to flinch once his face completely filled every part her vision. She felt something low and warm coil in her gut against her will, as his eyes searched in hers, and she swallowed thickly once his left hand started sliding down her side until it reached her garter on her otherwise exposed thigh and snapped it playfully.
"I like your leg thing."
Her heart was pounding fast.
His gaze never left hers, when his other hand slowly made its way upwards, over her hip and onto her chest before it paused at her cheek and gently cupped it in between his fingers.
He was watching her, her every reaction, while his focus began darting between her shocked gaze and semi-parted lips.
A shocked gaze that soon morphed into a vague sense of understanding when her open palm roamed around her and traced the sharp edges of a tiny shard with her fingertips, an idea already forming in her head.
They were still sitting on the floor with billions of glass chirps surrounding them. Sparkling in the moonlight, the little translucent pieces appeared both pretty and deadly at the same time. All she needed was to grab one and Kisshu would never be a problem ever again.
Not hers or anyone else's.
Would Ryou be happy if I killed one of the aliens? Would he finally acknowledge me both as a person, as well as a Mew Mew, if I killed Kisshu?
Alas, as with every great thought, a sprinkle of doubt soon weaseled its way to the forefront of Ichigo's mind, prickling her with traitorous uncertainty, when her brain tried to convince her that this might not be as much of an excellent idea as it had formerly seemed.
Was not the disc enough? And, more importantly, was Ichigo even capable of killing somebody? Could she truly live on with the knowledge that she had murdered Kisshu?
As she watched him move closer to her, his mouth only a few inches away from hers now, she valued the pros and cons.
The aliens would be put at an obvious disadvantage without their leader, which would inadvertently bring an immediate victory to Tokyo Mew Mew and save all the people on Earth as a result. Still, a murder was a murder, be it a human or an alien. Maybe, all she had to do was just to cut him a little, merely cripple him, so that he would not die but would not be able to continue fighting any longer. Nonetheless, something told her that if she had succeeded with that and somehow effectively mutilated him, he would come back for her, and Ichigo refused to live in fear of that demure prospect. She already had a solid idea of how persistent he could be, and, judging by his character, Kisshu was one of the people who could and would hold grudge forever. No, if she was gonna do it, she would have to kill him and be thorough with the plan.
The longer she had thought about it, the clearer her decision proved to be. Yes, she would kill him, Ichigo concluded. When he became distracted enough, she would strike and, with one cut in the right place, she would end it all. For humanity's sake. Now, all she needed was to kiss him. To cloud his mind temporarily so that he would forget everything and everyone, and become vulnerable and fully exposed to her attack. Masaya was not there. No one, de facto, was there. No one would see; no one would tell. It was ok, she could kiss him. But when the idea of kissing Kisshu entered her mind, something strange again stirred in Ichigo's lower belly and it was exactly the same kind of dreadful feeling that she had had a few days ago when she had caught him spying on her; the identical feeling she had sensed when he had roughly pushed her against the brick wall the day after, and when she had found herself straddling his lap in that dark cave not too long afterwards.
What was happening? Why was she suddenly feeling so jittery around him? Where had it come from? And where had all her previous resolve gone? Was she not the rightful Mew Mew leader, after all? Why were these golden eyes so enticing to look at? Yes, it must have been the eyes. Because if he had not been looking at her in that intense, mesmerizing manner, her brain would have never generated any of those questions. And Ichigo did not like the questions in the slightest, nor the way how they had made her breath catch in her throat.
Too complex for the Mew Mew to face now, Ichigo shut off such a train of thinking abruptly, bringing her mind back to the mission at hand.
Today, you're gonna stop being my problem for good!
She drew a large intake of air through her nose and, with that, closed the gap between them once and for all.
The first touch of their lips had sent her somewhat reeling; Ichigo was, in truth, slightly surprised at how incredibly warm he tasted, far warmer than she had anticipated, but, after only a few seconds in, the Mew Mew immediately noted that there was something conspicuously weird about that kiss. And, the longer she had been kissing him, willing his mouth to cooperate with hers, the more she felt that something was truly amiss. It was so vastly different from the way how he had kissed her before that it got the human girl thinking, reevaluating everything; and, it was not only just due to the amount of blood that she could still vaguely taste on her tongue, Ichigo was sure.
It was almost like he was not into it, which in itself seemed wrong, considering all his previous advances on the Mew in question. And whereas a part of her was presently seething with anger at his lack of initiative, the other half was almost disappointed, as well as utterly confused, at the unexpected detachment he was suddenly displaying towards her.
Maybe he was just a really sloppy kisser?
There was no way he could see through her, right? She had not really moved in any direction that would somehow even slightly suggest her evil intentions. Plus, wasn't there a better actress than Ichigo to fake pleasure? After all her sexual debacles with Masaya, Ichigo had honestly believed that she had honed her skills to perfection, deserving nothing less than an Oscar for her lifelong performance, this one with Kisshu included.
Could he not know how to kiss? Or was he shy?!
As laughable as that sounded, that was also plausible. Maybe all that tough talk was simply tough talk after all, and when it came to real deal, he could not deliver. Maybe all there was to Kisshu was just the fact that he was merely a big loud mouth. Still, it was so odd, since his lips were nearly still, only occasionally responding to her movements, even though his eyes were fully closed whenever she checked.
This will not do. I need him to lose his head over me so that I can kill him.
Swallowing the remaining metallic taste of blood that lingered in her mouth, Ichigo hence followed her instinct and while one of her hands stayed firmly planted on the floor to prevent her from falling, as well as to keep her fingers at a ready, the other fisted in his hair and harshly pulled him closer. Way closer, leaning into him with more urgency and kissing him with far more enthusiasm than she probably should. A tiny voice at the back of her mind informed her that she might be perhaps trying a little too much but Ichigo drove that foolish thought away the moment she felt him responding a bit more at last. Running his hands all over her body, Ichigo gasped, when he squeezed her tighter, pushing her further down into his lap. But that was okay. It was all going according to the plan and she could not exactly smack his hands away without raising any suspicion. So, instead, she clenched her fingers harder into his hair and grinned into the kiss when she heard him hiss at the sharp tug at his tresses.
The feeling of glee warmed her soul, once her fingertips lightly brushed against the glass piece.
Just a little more.
Quite suddenly, he eased away, catching her off guard and, although probably the same age as her, Ichigo was instantly reminded that this alien was not to be trifled with.
"Drop that shard, Ichigo," she heard him murmur against her lips as his right hand immediately restricted hers; and the thinly veiled authority in his voice was unmistakable.
"W-what?" Ichigo looked at him in mock disbelief, her inner panic rising, but, apparently, he was having none of it.
"I'm not gonna kiss you for real, until you drop that shard," Kisshu cupped her chin with his other hand, and gave her a soft smile, his eyes burning with passion that was scorching her to ashes.
Ichigo was petrified; she had barely even touched the glass chirp. She looked like she was about to flee, but it was probably that deer-caught-in-headlights reaction that had pinned her to the spot and made her body go utterly still.
H-How could he-?
An evident shock then washed over her face, startling her enough to lose her hold onto the little piece of translucent glass she was intending to use, as her throat and lungs became taut, causing it hard to breathe.
When she eventually tried to pull out of his grasp, he only held her tighter.
"I hope you did not think that I didn't know what you were up to. I was waiting, watching what you're gonna do, kitten. How far you're gonna push yourself. It was quite entertaining seeing you think you're so close to the victory, albeit also a little stupid too, mhmm?"
"You jerk!" she pushed herself away from him the moment he released her wrist and quickly stood up. He followed her movement and they were both on their feet yet again, staring each other down, her scowl heavily clashing with his smug, sly grin.
"Aw come on, it was so much fun when you tried to kill me," he crouched down and picked up one of the glass shards, twirling it between his fingers playfully, before reenacting eye contact, "Is it my turn now?"
Oh, shit.
Ichigo unconsciously took a step backwards, as cold fear spread down her back like liquid ice.
He had that semi-crazed look on his face again once he began advancing towards her, and Ichigo knew that whatever courage she had had to oppose him was slowly dissipating with each of his following movements. With her Strawberry Bell still cast somewhere away, she was basically at his mercy now. Not that she would be able to attack him with the way how her hands quivered, and her heart pounded a mile a minute. Besides, even if she somehow managed to attack him head on, she sincerely doubted that she would be able to strangle him with her bare hands. No, the only way now was to pick the glass piece quick or….
Then she realized there was another means of escape.
Very dangerous on one hand, but far easier than she would have imagined, if she pulled it off, that is. Kisshu had always had a soft spot for her, so if Ichigo wanted to survive this murderous dynamic that she had created for herself, she would have to take advantage of this weakness of his, and play her cards right.
"I hope you're not thinking I was for real too," she sent him a fake cocky smile as she tilted her chin upwards, "I was just after you. The kiss meant nothing and I did not put my heart in it or anything."
"Is that so?"
And there it was; that infamous lopsided smirk came back in place, as an emotion of excitement briefly flickered across his face. All it took was a good challenge for Kisshu, and his bloodlust soon transformed into a different kind of lust. Even though the Mew Mew did not doubt that blood excited him just as much as sex.
Ichigo knew very well that if she tried to kill him again, he would not hesitate to run his sais through her for a second. She hoped that, by now, someone would come and save her. God, it had been so long! And, for the time being, Ichigo would simply distract Kisshu and prevent him from eliminating her in the process.
Maybe if she got him distracted enough, she could- no, let's not go in that direction ever again, he was far too astute for that. Plus, the way how he was looking at her even now still implied a very strong sense of distrust.
"Yes," Ichigo replied with as much calmness as she could muster.
Kisshu merely stared at her.
"Why do I have a feeling you're lying to me, kitten?" he asked, coming to a sudden halt right in front of her face.
"I-I'm not," she squeaked as she fought her nerves once he had invaded her personal space.
He was close, too close. And, the closer he got, the more Ichigo fidgeted.
"Are you sure?" he reached out for her, while his hot breath tickled her ear, "Why are you trembling then?"
He leaned back and studied her facial expression carefully.
"It-it's just," Ichigo was sweating profoundly right now, wary of the manner how the glass chirp continued to rotate between his long, pale fingers.
"It's just what, kitten?" Kisshu cooed, obviously delighted by the way she was squirming underneath his gaze.
"You-you make me nervous," she blurted out.
That momentarily surprised him.
"Haha, do I now?" he laughed once his expression relapsed back into the sheer mask of amusement, "Weren't you the one who told me how much I disgust you the other day?"
Well, that was a point which was extremely difficult to counter. This time, Ichigo did not waver with her answer solely because she was hesitating with what exactly he wanted to hear, but also due to the fact that their proximity had really made her feel all kinds of inner sensations. Repulsion she felt still, one thousand percent. But then there was something else. That mysterious something else that Ichigo was not yet ready to fully accept but which seemed to be her only viable option to go with to get out of this sticky situation.
"You're a shitty liar, Ichigo," Kisshu grinned when she raised her anxious hazel eyes to meet molten gold, "But I'll give you one more chance to prove me wrong."
Her pupils widened slightly at his unexpected proclamation.
And, even more so, when he threw aside the glass chirp and, all of a sudden, grabbed her by her hips and pushed her towards him, their bodies flush.
"Let's kiss again. One more time. And depending on how that kiss goes," his eyes glowed with mischief when he took in her fearful reaction, "I will either let you live or end your life right here, right now."
Ichigo froze halfway, lifting her head to stare at Kisshu incredulously. She found herself temporarily disarmed by the demanding weight of his order, while her attention rushed back to focus on the obsessive glint in his eyes, which was enough to send her heartbeat back into its frantic pace.
Was he for real?!
Apparently, he was, since his grip around her only tightened before his mouth opened to speak again.
"So I suggest that, this time, you put your heart in it," he shot her a wicked grin, stopping directly at her lips, "For your own sake."
Then he kissed her.
And whatever feelings Ichigo had been expecting did not quite prepare her for the inner chemical reaction that had consumed her entire body the moment their lips crashed.
The first kiss was a shy, timid peck.
The second time their mouths collided, he grabbed her by her hair fiercely, earning a soft yelp from her.
Upon the third time, he forced his tongue in and as soon as she felt him lick the upper roof of her mouth, she gasped and fisted her hands in his uniform, pushing him further into her and instantly deepening the kiss as a result. She did not know what had possessed her, but once she felt his tongue around hers, something raw within her must have snapped and came alive. And before she knew it, Ichigo was kissing him back fervently with everything she had, fueling the thirst to satisfy her delirious need for the insatiable.
The harder their tongues mingled, the more of his hands did she find herself wanting on her skin; a notion which both infinitely scared and excited her. There was a near animalistic kind of urgency about the way they touched, his fingers roaming ceaselessly over her back and through her tresses, whereas her nails dug deeper into the flesh of his shoulders with unrestraint passion. Her heart was pounding fast and hard against her ribcage, as the hot burning sensation suddenly started to pool in her nether regions, making her blood boil with both hormones and fear. It was dangerous and addictive and she could not stop pushing her chest into his, brushing up her breasts against his firm muscles in the most intimate manner.
After what seemed as only a few seconds, he briefly pulled away from her moist, puffy lips, and the air around them became strangely quiet once again. They stared at each other for a long, pregnant moment, breathless and searching each other's eyes for any sort of explanation of what had just transpired between them, only their loud, ragged breathing filling the room.
A soft quake worked its way up her spine at the mesmerizing intensity with which his gleaming golden eyes looked her down and, for a split of a second, she was afraid. Feverish even, by the prospect that it was not enough; that her efforts were inadequate and that he would thereby reject her.
But when he grasped her chin, a little too harsh for her comfort, letting his fingers trail down around the sensitive skin of her collarbone, all her self-doubts and insecurities flew instantly out the window. And once his finger looped into her neckband, pulling her closer to him, his lips hovering only a few inches above hers, while his gaze flitted from her eyes in the direction of her mouth, Ichigo fell into a trance desperately trying to fight herself not to give in and kiss him with total abandon, as she had done a mere minute ago.
A fight that had been largely futile from the very beginning.
It was completely illogical, against everything she had ever been fighting for. Unethical even. But the only thing Ichigo could presently think of was the fact that she did not want them to stop; she had never been this excited in her entire life and she could try and persuade herself that when she pushed him back onto her with unexpected force that she was doing it to ensure her life's and, by extension, also Earth's safety, but that was far from the truth.
No matter what excuses her mind tried to conjure up, Ichigo's body discarded them all, banishing all kinds of rationality and seemingly acting on its own accord, motivated solely by her desire rather than the last strips of reason.
It was difficult, if not entirely impossible, to discern where the kiss had begun and where it ended, but a plethora of loud gasps and moans instantaneously echoed across the room as frantic hands grabbed and slid along hot crimson covered skin, while their tongues battled for dominance. Ichigo became so lost in the kiss that she recognized that they had been moving only until her back hit something hard. It took her just a second to realize that Kisshu had guided her to the table and with a sharp sway to his right cleared out everything that could be in their way before he hoisted her on the top and slipped back in between her thighs in a flash, pulling her tightly against him. She wrapped her legs around his torso almost instinctively, biting his lower lip when his arms slid below her and squeezed her butt firmly with his long, calloused fingers, tearing another satisfied moan of pleasure from her lips.
She felt him everywhere; on her ass, thighs, back, groping, tugging, gripping, while his mouth kept assaulting hers, setting her whole world on fire.
Was it possible that something so foreign and forbidden could feel so heavenly? Yes! In fact, it was so powerful that any traces of her former discomfort were dissolved in the face of sheer euphoria. Ichigo did not even notice the blood trickling down his arms and all over her anymore, as their cuts brushed against each other, while their hands explored each other's bodies with no hesitation. And then she felt it, she felt him, and how hard and hot he was against her; and something about the way how much he had wanted her had maximized the desire of her own, as if his aggressive lust had added to hers. In a way, it posed a polar opposite to her experience with Masaya, for whom it was always embarrassing, not to mention traumatizing, to exhibit any signs of physical arousal around her. But this was different. So vastly different and immensely sexual that Ichigo completely fell under its miraculous, intoxicating effect, unable to tear herself away. When she felt his tongue slide down her neck she craned her head backwards, exposing the long column of her throat to him fully and he wasted no time in making a good use of it. The Mew Mew could not but cry out once his fangs punctured the soft skin, drawing even more blood away from her system. She hardly minded, though. Not with the manner how his mouth left a trail of wet and warm kisses down her chest shortly after, before it stopped right above the hem of her sweetheart corset dress and he planted his lips firmly on her left breast.
"K-Kisshu," she whimpered when she felt him sucking again but soon let her head fall back, wrapping her hands around his shoulders in content.
In a reaction to this, he pulled her dress down along with her bra, revealing a pair of perky breasts and Ichigo wondered if he could see through the darkness just as clearly as she could. Obviously, he did, because his mouth closed around her nipple almost immediately. She moaned and arched her back, pushing more of herself into his mouth while enjoying all the electric jolts that coursed through her body whenever his tongue flicked against her hardened peak.
Without warning, he clasped her hips harder and brought her closer towards the edge of the table so that she had to arch even further if she wanted to have him directly in front of her entrance and feel herself shiver every single time she sensed him grind against her.
"Oh my God."
It was so weird.
For the second time in her life, Ichigo did not have to pretend. She was beyond herself with excitement. She really wanted it. She wanted him. Despite the fact that he was a Cyniclon and literally the last person she should even have these luscious thoughts about, she, Ichigo Momomiya, the guardian of Earth, wanted her mortal enemy to shove her panties to the side and fuck her brains out. Hard.
A notion which was only reinforced by her low, guttural moan once his mouth left her chest and reconnected with hers.
"Let's see how wet you got for me," he whispered against her lips and when his hand reached down in between her legs, his grin widened with giddy excitement.
"Would you look at that, you're practically soaking, I-chi-go," he chuckled as he began rubbing her through her damp underwear, savoring each of her reactions whenever his fingers brushed against her clothed sex.
He drew back a little so that his hand rested directly at her slit while his mouth resumed nuzzling her neck.
"Do you want to play some more, mhm?" he breathed against her soft flesh and Ichigo's insides involuntarily twitched.
Hard to say if more due to the fact that Masaya had never ever used sex talk with her, or that Kisshu evidently exceled in that department. One thing was for certain, nonetheless. She did not want to stop, not until that searing desire that had kept pulsing through her veins would finally end.
She clutched at his shoulders tighter, relishing in the feeling how his fingertips had made her tremble with ecstasy. There was no need for words; not anymore. It was as though their minds had connected in some bizarre manner on their own, enabling him to read each and every of her facial expressions perfectly, while she kept wriggling and squirming underneath his expert hands.
"I take it as a yes," he teased as he continued to stroke her, adding pressure here and there based on her outward reactions, "Will you come on my fingers?"
"Mhmm… yes, keep going-ahh," she mewled, trying to buckle her hips against his hand so that she could get more of him, but Kisshu was taking his sweet time with his antics, obviously enjoying himself to no end, until he, at last, gave in, and pushed his hand underneath the waistband of her panties.
With cheeks deep crimson and nails digging into his skin, Ichigo spread her legs almost a little too eagerly, unable to contain her excitement any longer. She closed her eyes in anticipation of what might be the most exhilarating finger-fucking ever, but, all of a sudden, his hand unexpectedly paused and retracted, and she almost groaned in annoyance before a mirthless chuckle wafted to her ears.
"Maybe some other time. You might wanna pull your dress back up now," he eased away quickly, leaving Ichigo's galvanized form blink in confusion.
"W-what?"
"Ribbon Mint Echo!"
A loud chant followed by a beam of blue broke the spell, as Kisshu's face suddenly vanished only to evade the pouring tones of burning light that hit the spot where he had been standing immediately after. Still largely disoriented, it took Ichigo a bit of time before everything clicked back in place and she fell off the table with a loud thud, haphazardly tugging at the hem of her corset dress somewhere along the way. There was a fight unraveling right in front of her, she vaguely realized, taking in the various streams of colorful rays assaulting her vision. A fight wherein her comrades frantically hurled one blow after another, casting numerous shadows on the walls in the process, and she knew that she should get up and help them. Every single basic instinct in her body screamed to fight at the smallest movement of those around her, but Ichigo was rooted to the spot, scarcely able move a muscle, as she kept on staring at the empty air in front of her, everything else drowning out over the roar in her ears. It was as if she was watching the whole scene from a vast distance, utterly transfixed and only with her constricted chest rising and falling to remind her that she was still somehow there and alive.
That was at least until his carefree voice broke her out of her momentary stiffness and brought her back into the room, making things slowly meld into her mind and tying everything together at long last.
She did not just...
She didn't
She…
Did.
"Well look at that, aren't you Mew Mews inexhaustible?" Kisshu cackled as he folded his hands over his chest, and Ichigo could only gape at him.
She could not believe how nonchalant and flippant he was about the whole thing. It was as though he had snapped back into his annoying mode without batting as much as an eye lash, not paying the slightest damn to the fact that she was exactly this close to probably the best orgasm of her life.
And he had let it go? Just like that?
No. Fucking. Way.
Ichigo lifted her eyes to meet his, and the moment their gazes locked she clenched her fists angrily by her sides.
She stood up, her blood-shot glare the very definition of murder.
"Ichigo!"
As though on cue, the Mew Mew leader caught the Strawberry Bell that Zakuro had thrown at her without losing track of her target and grasped at her weapon tighter.
"Ichigo, what the-"
But Ichigo did not listen. Not to Lettuce's shocked gasp, and neither to Mint's sudden screaming, as she widened her stance and aimed. This had nothing to do with her team. This was personal. And Kisshu was a jerk, so he fully deserved every bit of it!
"For the future of Earth, I'll be of service today, nya!" Ichigo shouted her catchphrase and before anyone could react, her Strawberry Bell went ablaze and shortly after burst out with the power of her Ribbon Strawberry Check.
By the time her attack had directly hit him, she did not doubt that he would have been long gone; there was no way he would not pick up on her body language and disappear by that point, especially when she had given him so much time due to her stupid indecisiveness. She was flushed, flustered and beyond angry. But there was no need for her team to get all worked up too.
It was enough that Kisshu was fucking with her mind, why bother others with his obnoxious behavior?
When the bubble of pink light eventually faded away, as predicted, he was nowhere in sight; and it was only then that Ichigo finally released her taut shoulders and heaved a long sigh of relief, giving in to the fatigue that had been clawing at her body the whole time.
Her moment of solace was merely short-lived though, since right after Kisshu had evaporated into thin air, everyone instantaneously crowded around her and began firing one rapid question after another.
"Ichigo are you alright? You have blood all over your body!" the blue lorikeet Mew exclaimed first, once she emerged closer to the distressed Iriomote cat girl.
"Did he force himself on you again?" Zakuro asked, examining the cuts and tears on her clothes with clinical pragmatism.
"We found the Mew Aqua, na no da!" Pudding chirped and Ichigo returned her enthusiasm with a victorious smile.
"Cool, guys! And yea, I'm all good. It just got a little out of hand with Kisshu and we kinda flew through the glass wall and all. Nothing that serious. Don't touch me though, I might still have some little shards stuck in me. Here's the disc by the way," she dived her hand into her dress pocket to retrieve her treasure and handed it over to Mint.
"Ichigo, you need to go to the hospital!" Lettuce cautioned, worry practically emitting from her tone.
"N-no! I am afraid of hospitals, no way!" the wounded Mew dissed the idea straight away.
"Then, in the very least, you need to let Ryou and Keiichiro tend to your injuries," Zakuro interjected, grabbing a hold of the Mew Mew leader's wrist and leaving no room for any more arguments.
Ichigo hung her head.
She was acutely aware that Zakuro was correct. She was barely standing on her feet and needed someone to look at her as soon as possible. However, the idea which basically implied stripping in front of the scientist duo at the Café did not settle well with Ichigo's psyche; but she knew better than to reject this generous offer. She had done enough fighting for today. Besides, anything but the white walls of the hospital halls sounded better to her, including being half-naked in front of Ryou.
Without any more resistance, Ichigo glanced up and nodded automatically. A bright smile instantly lit up all the faces of her comrades and, seeing this, Ichigo visibly relaxed, knowing that this was the way it was meant to be. With their enemy defeated and the Mew Aqua and the disc in their hands, the Tokyo Mew Mew team was invincible. That was what she thought, at least, until a vivid image of piercing golden gaze penetrated her vision once more, and a really dark feeling washed over her in the following second.
A feeling that caused a certain flashback to momentarily cross in front of her eyes wherein she saw herself sprawled on the table, panting with desire that was like anything that she had ever experienced before. Moaning, begging, asking him for more; wishing anything but to continue.
And that deeply frightened her.
She could pretend that nothing had happened today and that she was completely ok and unaffected by Kisshu's persistent sexual advances on her. Only this time, she knew it was different. It felt different. Because, unlike all the other times in the past, she had actually reciprocated it. Whether she had been conscious of that at that moment or not, she had let his tongue intertwine with hers and let his fingers roam freely all over her body, willing him to do to her anything he had wanted. And what scared her the most was how easily she had subdued herself to him, and how quickly he had coaxed that kind of reaction out of her as well.
With a little more effort, she successfully filed that memory to the back of her mind, sending one of her brightest smiles towards her teammates and putting up a brave front. But, deep down, Ichigo had a queasy feeling that she was far from alright, at least mentally; and that whatever had happened tonight would have much, much more over-reaching consequences for her future.