Just How You Like It

Dear readers,

Thank you for stopping by and reading this story. I would like to hereby thank EVERY SINGLE ONE of you for YOUR UNDYING PATIENCE WITH THIS NEXT UPDATE, as well as for all of your comments, reviews, follows and kudos.

A lot of you might have been wondering at this point whether this fic is officially put on hiatus? HELL NO! I just honestly suffered from some major writer's block and also became extremely busy, hence the delay. Any good news? HELL YES! The next chapter will be out next Thursday and with that we are going to get hopefully back on track with our regular weekly Thursday evening updates yaaaaaay!

Regarding the storyline, a great deal of things is yet to come, that's for sure! Many of you have already expressed their concern that there might be something really, really shady about Ichigo's and Kisshu's recent encounters. Could there be any secret motive behind all of this, or is Ichigo simply getting paranoid? Why is Kisshu stalking her relentlessly? And why is her brain producing such unprecedented thoughts and images in her mind all of a sudden? There is only one way to find the answers to any of these questions and that is to keep reading! I will let you know, nonetheless, that the core of this story will reside in its plot. With me, it's always plot, plot, plot. So whatever is happening is happening for a good reason! After all, the more intriguing the plot becomes, the more twists and revelations can come to the surface. So if you are fond of all the Kisshu/Ichigo/Masaya/Ryou interactions, I'm positive that you will enjoy the future chapters as well, since things are only starting to get good now!

The music I used for this particular segment is from Great Gatsby OST Nero 'Into the Past.'

DrDark7 - Thank you for your comment! Things are not getting any easier for Ichigo, are they? Hopefully, it will not take too long for her to make the correct decision and free her mind of all of these traitorous thoughts at last!

Lulyy Elizabeth Vaca - Thank you for your comment! I really like your ideas, they are great and some of them spot on! This story is going to depend on strong plot, so if you want to know what happens next, all you have to do is to keep reading.

Kishlover985 - Thank you for your comment! You are absolutely right! Ryou is not treating Ichigo exactly nicely, is he? In this way, I can see why you could think of both Ryou and Kisshu as villains. To be honest, I really like the Ryou/Ichigo interactions so much though. To me, they always hold a rather special emotion to them.

AnimeRoxx – Thank you for your comment! I am so happy to hear that you liked that last update and my writing style so much! And, yes. Even though this story includes a lot of scenes with Ichigo and Ryou and/or Ichigo and Masaya, don't get fooled! It's a 100% Kishigo fanfic after all!

Sorakitten - Thank you for your comment! I totally agree. With each of the following chapters, the story gets only more and more intense. And, Ichigo's conflicted feelings are and forever will be at the very epicenter of it!

Katface - Thank you for your comment! I could not agree more. Despite how it may initially look, I will say that this story does not have any clear-cut boundary between good and evil. Nobody is a 100% villain, nor a hero, as everyone is simply following their orders and own agendas.

As always, please enjoy and review!

I do not own Tokyo Mew Mew

Ichigo was staring at her white-painted ceiling with only barely concealed anger flashing in her eyes.

It wasn't that she was particularly uncomfortable at the present moment. With her skirt hiked up around her hips, the Mew Mew actually welcomed the tingling sensation that the cold touch of the autumn breeze had produced on her exposed skin quite a bit. But the way wherewith Masaya's warm lips kept planting wet, sloppy kisses on the side of her neck, one right after another, sent a sharp pang of annoyance through her body along with the sad revelation that she could not ignore anymore.

He was simply not doing it for her. Not before and, quite possibly, not ever.

And, the longer her boyfriend continued with his administrations, the more irritated Ichigo became when she mentally reviewed her latest sexual adventure with Kisshu; a far cry from the scene that was slowly unraveling in front of her as of now. Her head buzzed wildly as literally every corner of her vision gradually crowded with heavy, panting images and delirious sensations that the pair of two alien pale hands brought upon her; sensations which had made the Mew Mew feel quite ill and restless all the same; sensations which could not measure up to the feeling she was currently experiencing by any wildest stretch of her imagination.

Damn that Cyniclon bastard! As if having sex with Masaya was not hard enough already!

A small part of Ichigo found her present train of thoughts infuriating, compulsively insistent even. Yet, she couldn't help it. It almost gave her the impression of being obsessed. Because no matter what she did, Kisshu's haunting voice rested around her like a pool of shadow. And, with each of the upcoming seconds of Masaya's futile attempts to please her, it had proved significantly more difficult to drown the alien's mocking noise in her ears, or much less anything else they had done together.

'How come this feels so different?' Ichigo ruminated, furrowing her brow in confusion, as she momentarily redirected her attention from the Cyniclon back onto her boyfriend's unexciting groping, 'There must be a way how to change this! Simply must be!'

And Ichigo had better find it quick, or things would only go downhill from now on.

For as optimistic as she had been about their today's study session, Ichigo's spirits soon dwindled upon the heavy realization that not even the proper motivation like saving the world would make any difference in her and Masaya's doomed sex life. He just didn't have the skill to do it. It was as simple as that; or was it the lack of sexual chemistry between them? But that couldn't be. Ichigo remembered quite vividly how her heart had leapt out of her chest when he agreed to go on their first date with her; that was pure love, right? Nothing had changed ever since then, he was the same Masaya. The predictable, caring, Masaya who had always had a plan b and solution for everything as far as Ichigo could remember, apart from getting her off, of course. But that might as well be only due to her clear inability to communicate her unfulfilled frustrations with him openly.

Would he ever lash out at me, if I told him that this downright sucks?

No. From the looks of it, Ichigo had hard time imagining that someone as calm as her boyfriend would have it in him to throw a tantrum and give her hell. That, however, did not change anything about the fact that she was still stuck in a seemingly unresolvable situation that led nowhere. And even if honesty was generally perceived as best policy, Ichigo sincerely doubted that there was anything she could say to Masaya that would not, in turn, make the position she was in even worse. So, in the end, she chose to shut up instead of sharing with her boyfriend a single thing; not about the mission, nor being a Mew Mew and definitely not about their terrible sex life. Simply, nada. But she would lie if she did not admit that it did not get her thinking, as many new pressing questions started to arise in her mind.

Could love and sex be divided into two entirely separate categories?

That would be the only explanation that would make sense to her. Because she did not love Kisshu. Damn, she hated his guts like no one else's, of that she was positive. Nevertheless, it was obvious that he had an undeniable effect on her that Masaya could never match on any physical level.

Could she love her boyfriend but hate having sex with him, and, simultaneously, hate that alien bastard with everything there was to her but desire his body more than anything in this world?

Or worse, was it possible that she did not love Masaya anymore?

The girl visibly shuddered when that possibility fully struck her core, a reaction that did not go entirely unnoticed by her company.

"Ichigo, are you ok?" Masaya asked with clear concern in his voice, his hands on her body at a temporary halt.

"Eh? What?"

Lost in her complicated thoughts, it took Ichigo a second to note that she must have failed to respond to his touch in an appropriate way, while her face was set in a twisted, painful grimace.

"Yeah, it feels great. I was just..savoring the moment."

Sometimes, Ichigo wondered how automatically these perfunctory replies rolled off of her tongue.

Empty words, pretentious lies.

And, although Masaya did not seem fully convinced by her impromptu response, she knew that he would let it go. She did not expect him to act otherwise.

It was easy. So easy. To the point it became almost boring.

Why?

Why did she suddenly feel that no matter what they did, everything with Masaya was utterly dull? Should she be concerned? Why would he never let go of this perfect outer image persona and just have fun? Where had all the playful flirting gone? Was it only going to be serious, repetitive and clinically detached from now on? She could already tell just by looking at his face what his next move was going to be, and Ichigo secretly contemplated if there was any chance to revive the spark she had once felt for him, or whether it had been squished forever.

And, then, as clear as a day, a sudden idea had hit her, as a rush of fresh optimism washed over her expression as a new tidal wave.

If she wanted a new spark, she needed new experiences. It was as easy as that.

"Masaya," Ichigo swiftly propped herself on her elbows and reached out for his cheek, cupping it gently in between her fingers, "Could you, eh…how about we try oral sex for a change?" she tried, a furious blush coloring her cheeks.

"Ichigo, you know how I feel about that," Masaya sighed and the Mew Mew could not miss the clear exasperation reflected in his tone.

"I know," she said, "But could we at least try? Just one time, please?"

He gave her a strange look as if deliberating whether or not he should give it a shot, only confusing the girl trapped underneath his body further.

To Ichigo, it always appeared strange that Masaya was so opposed to doing it with her, as well as how quickly he ditched the opportunity whenever it had presented itself in front of him. In her mind, any other guy would probably be beyond ecstatic at getting head or even give it to their partner. But not Masaya, never Masaya. Could he possibly have some traumatic experience? But she was his first, which meant that she would have known if that was the case. No, it was far more likely that Masaya was just different than most. Ichigo was acquainted with him enough at this point to realize that although her boyfriend seemed special, unique and amazing to everyone else, he was, in reality, anything but a very conservative and selfish prick towards her, especially as far as her sexual needs were concerned.

"Would you like me to finger you instead?" he tried hesitantly, making Ichigo's blood instantly boil in a reaction to that.

'No!' she internally screamed but outwardly politely smiled and nodded.

You're such a coward, Ichigo. No wonder you always play so easily right into Kisshu's hands. With you, it is this easy!

'Shut UP!'

Upon relaxing her brow, she saw a soft smile cross over Masaya's face, once her head fell back on the pillow in anticipation of what she only hoped would be a good foreplay before their impending sex.

'Maybe this would be enough,' Ichigo thought, closing her eyes and enjoying the way his hand started moving towards the hem of her panties slowly, preparing her body for the upcoming fantasy.

And, it did not feel half bad, actually. When she bit her tongue and spread her legs far apart, something really began to stir in her lower belly. It was definitely not the fireworks of emotions she had felt before with the annoying elf-eared idiot, but it was something, which per se felt so gratifying to Ichigo that nothing else in her life had mattered more at that current moment.

Besides, everybody has to start somewhere and it is the thought that counts!

After a few more seconds in, right before the Mew Mew could really get to the good part, though, Masaya's hand unexpectedly retracted and began unbuttoning his pants instead, cutting her pleasure short in an instant.

"M-Masaya, what's wrong? Why did you stop?" Ichigo asked, thoroughly perplexed.

"Well I thought that we had a study break to well…study and have sex?" he answered as he pulled the zipper down.

"What are you talking about? It's called foreplay!" Ichigo breathed out in disbelief.

"Well, I would much rather just have sex," Masaya shrugged, killing the mood abruptly.

Ichigo for a long, silent second just stared, her patience thinning.

"But I am not wet?" she whispered, trying to reduce the tinge of sarcasm and incredulity in her voice to a minimum but not succeeding much.

"It will work out," he sent her a warm smile as he spread her legs apart, "It always will."

And, quite possibly, in some alternate universe, his words could once again appease her; give her the sense of reassurance that was much needed in order to effectively silence the amalgam of emotions that was presently flowing through her brain. But, at this time, at this place, bolstered by the familiarity of her own bedroom walls, Ichigo did not feel the necessity to pretend any longer.

And no sooner could she stop herself than her temper overruled all of her former personal reservations and she finally lost it.

"Are you for real?!" she screamed, forcing her thighs back together and pushing him off of her, "I mean, could you once, one time, that's all I'm asking for, do what I want and not what you want?!"

Masaya only gaped at her, visible shock contorting his face. Evidently, he did not see that sort of reaction coming in the slightest and, for a tantalizing second, Ichigo momentarily entertained the thought whether she should press the matter further and tell him everything she had yet to say about their poor sex life. Yet, before they could anyhow continue with their argument, her phone went off with a catchy pop song, ending their dispute at once.

Shooting Masaya a quick glance, Ichigo reached out at her nightstand and grabbed the ringing device within the palm of her hand. The caller ID read Ryou Shirogane and she let out a frustrated sigh, knowing fully well what was surely awaiting her at the other end of the line.

It was Thursday, her afternoon off, after all, which had left the Mew Mew with literally no doubt that the call would introduce only more problems, as well as another plausible collision with the extraterrestrial powers that were lined up ahead for her.

"Yea, what's up?" Ichigo answered the call at last, somewhat torn whether she should be grateful or angry about this sudden interruption.

There followed a long silence, during which her face slightly paled until realization and subsequent dread visibly lit her features. Hanging up, the auburn-haired girl gulped before she turned back to her boyfriend who still remained in his state of sheer consternation.

"Masaya, I have to go. I am sorry. That was my boss. There's a problem…..and I have to go and fix it…immediately," she whirled around and started searching for her underwear and adjusting her clothes back to its original position.

"Sure," he nodded absentmindedly and rose from her bed, mirroring her movements.

Once both fully clothed, they parted their ways at the main gate of Ichigo's house, without either of them saying as much as a word.

Truth to be told, Ichigo never really cared about cars.

In fact, she could almost go as far as to say that she did not give a freaking damn about them altogether. This inherent conviction of hers might have been ascribed to the mere notion that driving everywhere was generally not as popular in Japan; or, perhaps, because the idea of walking, as opposed to driving, always sounded far more attractive to Ichigo's ears. Walking meant not only exercise but also endorphins, which was precisely why the Iriomote Cat girl favored her daily strolls immensely. And, even though Ichigo didn't need any of that now, considering how busy and different her life had gotten with her work, school and frequent Mew Mew duties, nothing had changed about her strong disinterest in cars.

Except for one particular red sports car, that is.

And when she saw it haphazardly parked in front of the Amusement park whose sharp contours slowly began appearing in front of her eyes, she let out a breath of relief, positive that she was indeed at the right place and still in the nick of time.

Her boss' car was a rather clear indicator of that; the sea of fleeting people from various directions being the other.

"Ryou!" Ichigo shouted the moment the driver's window pulled down and she was confronted with a familiar, yet slightly distressed, face of the blonde scientist.

"Finally, Ichigo! Where the hell have you been so long?" Ryou drawled dryly before his attention returned back towards the laptop on his lap.

Biting her bottom lip, Ichigo decided not to let the blonde's crudeness get to her. There were times in her life when her boss' brusque words were affecting her, driving her crazy even. Yet, luckily for her, today did not seem to be one of those days.

"Don't worry about that!" the Mew Mew replied quickly, unwilling to let her personal issues dominate her mind, "Where are the others?"

"Follow the main path and you will…oh-never mind."

At that moment, a loud, mind-numbing blast was heard from within the area and when Ichigo followed the sound of the explosion with her fear-stricken eyes, her pupils widened in alarm.

There was a hot, raging fire and debris filling every inch of her vision, as a huge monstrous creature resembling an over-sized bird appeared out of nowhere in the sky. With its long, yellow beak, it heavily reminded Ichigo of the owl she knew from her favorite fairytale book. But the longer she had stared at it, the more sure she was that it was a mere whim of her imagination, since, instead of generating wisdom and joy, this creature ahead of her was apparently nothing but downright sinister. This concept was only reinforced when the strange bird-looking monster opened its beak and produced some kind of black lethal liquid that set everything it touched instantaneously on fire. Utterly horrified, Ichigo watched how the rapid spread of the red and orange flames devoured everything that stood in its way before Ryou's harsh voice pulled her from her momentary trance.

"Just follow the screaming sounds and that flying thing over there," he rubbed his forehead in concentration while his other hand already frantically pressed the tiny buttons on his keyboard, "It seems that there are currently two Chimera Animas in total. When you arrive at the battle field, let Masha scan them both so that we can derive which specific attributes each one of them has. I will monitor everything from here, while Keiichiro is operating remotely from the Café."

"Ok, roger that!" Ichigo dipped her head in understanding and, turning around, started off in the direction of the battle.

Time mattered here. If she managed to get to the others within the next few minutes, the Amusement park could still be saved. Most, if not all the visitors, were already gone. That meant that Tokyo Mew Mew could fight freely and without putting anyone else's lives in danger. Kissing her pendant, Ichigo's body briefly disappeared in a beam of pink radiant light only to reenter the scene, stronger and fully transformed, a minute later.

"Ichigo!"

Lettuce was the first one to notice their leader's presence amid the intense fighting and it did not take long, until the others became aware of the new addition to their team as well.

"Thank God you made it," Mint gave out a shout from above in the air where she was presently battling something that looked like a giant flying violent fish. It was a gruesome monster and, from the looks of it, even more gruesome fight, but that was not the real reason why Ichigo's heart beat suddenly froze.

Somewhere deep inside her, she could still sense all the ear-shattering blasts that shook the ground beneath her feet every time another attack was fired; she could see the scorching flames; hear the desperate yells of her team mates, but it was the radio silence displayed by the enemy lurking closely behind that had immediately caught Ichigo's interest and made her most anxious.

Silence, which was soon broken, nonetheless.

"Fashionably late, aren't you, old hag? Or do you really have no manners whatsoever?" the youngest Cyniclon cackled, while he dangled his legs back and forth in the air, making the said Mew swallow thickly the second her eyes rested on his little form, as well as the other two dark silhouettes perched on the nearby tree, carefully monitoring them.

Of course Taruto did not come alone, that hardly came as a surprise to Ichigo. However, the fact that both Pai and likewise Kisshu, had to join him today felt somewhat wrong to her for some reason, and also extremely disturbing at the same time. As she gave them a quick once over, squinting her eyes in sheer defiance, Ichigo could not miss that there was something inexplicably strange with the way they returned her glare, and that mere difference in their reaction had caught her completely off guard. Whereas Taruto let his evil playfulness emit directly off of him in spades and hardly sat still, Pai, as expected, did not betray any hint of emotion on his face, as he continued to take notes of everything that had been happening on the battle field, his sitting posture completely rigid and his expression blank. It was not until her gaze fell on the pair of the two blazing golden eyes, however, that Ichigo subconsciously flinched, as a clear vision of her loud, breathless panting resurfaced in her mind, turning her cheeks instantly red in embarrassment.

And, taking in his relaxed slouch, she knew that that bastard was aware of what was going on in her head too. He was surely even getting off to it! Because there was that smirk again plastered wide all across his face; that knowing smirk that implied that he was enjoying this as much as her internal moral struggle.

Was it possible that he had told the other two about what had been happening between them? Did he tell Pai only, or did he share the details of their latest encounters even with Taruto? Did they all know? And did it even matter? How could they prove anything, much less use it against her? Plus, it wasn't like Ichigo could not deny it all. She knew her team would not believe some fake accusations made by their enemy, that's for sure. Why would the Cyniclons then want to reveal the secret in front of her team mates? Was that Kisshu's plan all along? To get her compromised in front of her friends?

Grounding her teeth, Ichigo's initial anxiety soon began transforming into a distinct feeling of anger.

Relax, Ichigo! He just wants you to lose your cool. Don't let him do it!

'Right!'

"Ribbon Pudding Ring Inferno!"

"Ribbon Lettuce Rush!"

Only vaguely, did the Mew Mew register the sudden tidal wave and the yellow jelly that emerged directly in front of her eyes, rendering the giant owl briefly motionless.

"Ichigo, now!"

But even if her mind refused to cooperate, her body acted on an autopilot. And once she widened her stance, she finished off what her team mates already started.

"Nice! One Chimera Anima down, one more to go!" Pudding cried out cheerfully a little to Ichigo's left.

'Yes. One more Chimera Anima and three Cyniclons to go,' Ichigo internally sighed, letting her gaze return back onto Kisshu only to find out he was gone. All three of them were actually gone, leaving the previously occupied tree bough conspicuously empty.

Ichigo whirled around, suddenly very alarmed.

"Looking for me?"

She heard the familiar voice from behind her, but before she could respond in any meaningful way, his hand was on her waist, pressing her closer against him, while his sharp blade traced the soft flesh of her neck, making her momentarily pause despite all the chaos unraveling around them. And, in spite of everything, visions and sounds instantly welled up in her head yet again the second she noticed the mischievous smirk on his face, as her attention travelled elsewhere.

The proximity felt almost unbearable; just as much as the mental pictures that immediately started to assault her mind, the only difference from their most recent encounter being the fact that they were standing now, as opposed to their sitting on her bed. She could feel his breath on her skin, the chiseled muscles of his chest against her back, as well as how his hand held a firm grip on her body. If she did not know any better, she felt like they were back in the dimly-lit bedroom of hers, with only moon light streaming through the little cracks of her shutters. Alone and completely uninterrupted; prepared to continue where they had left off.

But when their gazes met and his lips cracked into his signature smug grin, Ichigo was all too well reminded that they were still at the battle field and that losing her focus over some hazy memories could prove detrimental to her life.

She was not wrong at that.

"Is this the end, kitten? Mm, I'm almost disappointed. I expected more," Kisshu sniggered and before Ichigo could mull over the meaning of his words, Pai's booming voice thundered above them, startling the Mew Mew with its menacing, yellow power.

"Kuu Rai Sen."

From the corner of her eye, Ichigo saw how Kisshu swiftly teleported away when Pai chanted his attack, revealing the full extent of his electric zaps of energy to her eye only a second too late for the Mew Mew to efficiently dodge it. She was done for, the moment Pai's attack had reached her, she would have been toast, quite literally. That is, at least, what had crossed her mind until something hard slammed into her body and knocked her to the ground.

"Ichigo!"

Only after a few seconds of temporary disorientation did she note that that mysterious something was incredibly warm and seeped in saturated shades of violet and purple. And, upon another chance look, Ichigo could easily realize that she was probably lying underneath Zakuro, safe and sound.

"What the hell are you doing? Standing there like that?!" Mint screamed, making the Iriomote Cat girl blink in confusion until the purple-haired Mew's contours finally fully materialized in her sight.

"Are you alright?" the elder Mew inquired, getting off of Ichigo and helping her back on her feet.

"Y-yes. Sorry about that. I did not see that attack coming at all," Ichigo hung her head, knowing exactly what had happened and gritting her teeth in pure rage.

Kisshu's plan did not spring from blackmailing her. No. He was using her weakness against her! That's what this was all about. To get her flustered and distracted enough in front of her team mates so that she would lose her concentration, giving him an easy way to kill her. Just like she had wanted to kill him before on the Explo premises.

She balled her hands in angry fists.

Two could play this game!

"Yea. Well, that is obvious now, pay attention next time!" Mint scoffed as she fired another arrow at Taruto.

"Ichigo," Zakuro shot her leader a concerned look, making her lift her pink eyes to hers, "Are you really alright?"

"Yes," Ichigo replied, far firmer this time.

Whatever Kisshu was cooking, she would put a stop to it right now. It was bad enough that he had an ability to bedazzle her outside of their battles. But to try and sway her even when they were fighting?! That was a new low.

She scanned the area around herself and when she found him, her eyes screwed into another menacing glare, while her fingers clutched at her Strawberry Bell harder. She then looked at Zakuro.

"Zakuro, I want you and Mint to take care of the remaining Chimera Anima. Meanwhile, Pudding and Lettuce can deal with Pai and Taruto. As for Kisshu, leave him to me, ok? But before all that, I want you to hurl me as high up the sky as you can by means of your Zakuro Spear. Could you do that for me, please?"

Not missing a beat, the purple-haired Mew nodded readily and began to spin around, extending her whip in the process. It took only a couple of more seconds until Ichigo found herself being thrown high above the horizon with only one sole goal in her mind.

"I was not aware that kitties can fly," Kisshu mocked, not yet fully realizing, or maybe simply blatantly ignoring, the murderous desire in Ichigo's eyes. But the minute the Mew Mew had made her intensions crystal clear, his former bravado somewhat faltered.

"You are so done, right now!"

She readied her weapon and, not giving her nemesis any more time to react, she then yelled loud and clear.

"Ribbon Strawberry Check!"

It must have been noted that Kisshu's reaction was, indeed, priceless, since his lack of awareness truly backfired on him, making that stupid, smug grin of his finally disappear from his face at long last. And, Ichigo would be a liar if she denied that she wasn't living for every single second of it.

As they say, pride comes before fall. And, eventually, even someone as sneaky as Kisshu was to pay the price for his arrogance.

That's what you get for intentionally distracting me!

Nothing could save the said alien from his impending fate; not his brains, and not even Pai's quick attempt at group teleportation, as the blast of shell-pink energy instantly diffused into the air, causing the late afternoon sky around them shimmer brilliantly with the radiant rose-colored hues and tones which were mirroring Ichigo's warm sense of inner self-satisfaction.

Falling safely amid the fluffy crown of the trees, all Ichigo could presently think about was that life was good.

"I'll say, you really made up for your tardiness, Ichigo. I will give you that much," Mint snickered once she powered down, sending the Mew Mew leader one of her idiosyncratic mocking smiles.

"Gee, thanks. If I did not know you any better, I would have thought it's a compliment," Ichigo bit back, transforming back to her human form as well.

"We showed them today, na no da!"

"It surely wasn't an easy fight, though. Do you think the Cyniclons are plotting something?" Lettuce ventured, as she nervously pushed her glasses further up her nose.

"Hard to say. They are definitely not giving up. That was made clear," Zakuro asserted matter-of-factly, making everyone realize that this was hardly their last fight and that there were surely far more to come.

'Bye, bye my personal life,' Ichigo mentally whined but pulled herself back together the moment she remembered her earlier fight with Masaya, "Is he going to be mad at me for that little outburst today?"

And so what, you just told him how you felt? What's wrong with that?

'Everything?'

"That is more than obvious, but we have to fight with what we have. Which reminds me, Ichigo, give me Masha. I want to see what kind of information we could learn from today's fight," Ryou's voice cut through her thoughts like a knife, making her sober up real quick.

"Sure, here you go," Ichigo handed over the pink fur ball and watched with baited breath as the male scientist swiftly connected some cable to its small head.

"Alright. That's all for today, girls. I expect you all at the Café tomorrow. Especially you, Ichigo," Ryou said, transferring his focus back on the cables.

"Hey, what did I do wrong? I came today to save the world, did I not?"

"You came late," the blonde deadpanned before turning on the engine of his car and leaving the parking lot, "See ya!"

"Man, you would think he could at least offer us a ride home," Ichigo groaned.

"Keep dreaming," Mint replied, as she slid in the back of her black limo that suddenly pulled in front of her.

Why Mint always had to be so extra never failed to escape Ichigo, but the said Mew Mew declined to join the other girls on their ride home, nonetheless, preferring the short stroll instead. Her house wasn't that far, yet it wasn't that close either. It was within a perfect distance, actually. Besides, Ichigo felt like she needed to walk in order to process everything that had happened anyway. It was so hard to believe that this gruesome nuisance of a day was finally over. But, in some way, she was immeasurably happy for that.

All she had to do now was to decompress and this short walk would help her do just that.

Except that it probably wasn't meant to be. Not yet, at least, because her former feeling of calm was abruptly disrupted by the subtle sound of the upcoming teleportation that rattled through Ichigo's core, sending a series of instantaneous shivers down her spine.

"You were great today, kitten. Though I anticipated that much."

Hearing this, Ichigo jumped quickly, twisting her body around to confront the owner of the voice, a deep scowl already marring her face.

She did not expect to see so him so quickly after their fight. A fight during which he tried to kill her, she might add, which only strengthened her belief that she did not want to see him at all. Her restlessness only grew upon seeing his floating form right in front of her eyes and there was not a single fiber in her body that would feel happy about being totally alone with him, in this dark street, and with that intense fire blazing in his gaze. Not when he had attempted to end her life the very same day.

"What's your problem? Can't you just accept defeat and beat it like a normal person?"

"Why would I leave," Kisshu chuckled darkly, "The real fun is about to start now."

"W-what?" Ichigo turned around but he was back in front of her before she could let out a gasp.

"Didn't I say to leave me alone?!" she yelled at him for emphasis, because having him so close within her personal space was the last thing that she presently desired.

"Mm, yea. You did. Just like any other time before. I came to think of it," he paused, his lips morphing into a devious grin, "As your idea of a foreplay? Resisting me, playing hard to get before things get real heated. Does it turn you on, mhmm?"

"You!" she tried to smack him, yet he evaded her easily.

"What is your god damn problem? Have you been traumatized as a kid or something, or is it the LDE?"

He gave her an amused stare, "Say what?"

"LDE," Ichigo reiterated, "As in low dick energy, is that it? Are you an arrogant annoying pest cause you have a small dick?"

Upon this, Kisshu actually threw his head back before bursting out into a peel of laughter.

And Ichigo immediately startled at the sound.

It was so weird to hear him laugh. She was so used to his devious smirks and maniacal fits that it felt almost weird that he could be at least somewhat normal and do normal things, such as laugh, for instance.

"You're funny, you know that?" he said, once he calmed himself down and let his orbs trail back onto her, his golden irises glowing with scorching passion.

"Don't change the subject," Ichigo huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, still quite shocked at his genuine reaction.

Without warning, Kisshu grabbed her wrists and, ignoring her strangled squeak, pinned her against the wall, his gaze firmly locked on hers.

"I can assure you, I am not lacking in any department. Have you ever considered that I simply enjoy being obnoxious?"

She stared at him incredulously.

No, truthfully, that she had never taken into consideration, nor deemed even a viable option. She had always strived so hard to psychoanalyze Kisshu and everything he did and said that it had never occurred to her that his outrageous behavior did not necessarily need to be the result of some special, tragic circumstances of his life, but rather a byproduct of his own choice.

"Jerk," she bit out.

"Damn straight. Always was. Always will be," he sing-songed happily before his lips became laced with a wicked grin once more, "Do you want me to go down on you?"

Now it was Ichigo's time to gape in befuddlement.

She looked him dead in the eye and it took only a few additional seconds to connect the dots in her head and realize what was going on.

"Were you spying again on me, you creep?!" she gasped, a tinge of irritation coloring her voice.

"Maybe I was," Kisshu's grin only widened, "Maybe I was not. The thing is you want it. I can see it in your eyes.

He stuck a hand between her legs and pushed her panties aside, "And feel it on my fingers."

"Mm-mm," she bit her lip to suppress the moan as his hand kept teasing her.

She cracked one of her eye lids open and squinted at his calculating stare.

He still looked at her, grinning, mocking, the one in control and Ichigo did not want to be mocked or taken apart or any of those things, not again! He had done it plenty of times already and today she showed him perfectly fine that she could kick his butt regardless of whatever might have happened between them behind the closed doors. There was no way she would let him overpower her again. She needed to fight him, to save Earth. Not to enjoy his touch on her body. Why could she not smack his hand away, then?

"Stop lying, Ichigo, and tell me what your face is showing me already."

"Go to hell."

She struggled against him but his other hand locked around her wrists, keeping her effectively in place.

"That is a wrong answer," the alien clicked his tongue and pressed his fingers further into her, earning a surprised moan from the Mew.

"If you ask me nicely, I will do it for you, no charge," he sniggered as he pulled out his fingers and brushed against her underwear, tugging at the lacy hem playfully.

"K-kisshu," her breathing was erratic now. And she hated him for that.

"Mmhm," he echoed, releasing her hands at once.

"I-I want you to do it."

"Do what exactly," he taunted, enjoying the soft moans that were emitting from her body every time his lips touched her neck.

"Bastard," she hissed through gritted teeth, while she fisted her hands firmly in his uniform.

He merely chuckled, rubbing her some more.

"That is correct. I am sadistic, selfish and evil. Just how you like it."

At this, he captured her lips and it did not take long until Ichigo was panting heavily, only imagining what it would feel like to have him taste her. Why could he not be a lousy kisser? Or an average kisser like Masaya? Why did everything had to be so intense and dangerous with him? But, maybe, that was exactly what reeled her in towards Kisshu so much - the possibility of danger and his ability to always deliver. Why was she trying so hard resisting him, then? Fighting him continuously when all he had been seemingly offering to her was pleasure. Wasn't she looking at it all wrong? Kisshu was a villain through and through, there was no denying that. However, even if she felt no obligation to side with someone as hell bent as he was on annihilating every single human from the surface of the planet Earth, Ichigo could not deprive Kisshu of his other credentials. The willingness to please her and to go above and beyond of what she could until then only dream of, for example, played a major role in that train of thinking. Plus, it was not like Masaya would ever do it to her anyway? Why, then, not to take the chance now?

Besides, with her loyalty as both a Mew and a girlfriend already somewhat in tatters, her reputation was compromised anyway.

After a beat of silence, Ichigo raised her head to meet his stare. She looked him straight in the eye when he disconnected his lips from hers, and before she could control them, her subsequent words found a way of how to slip out of her mouth.

"Lick my pussy."

His eyes glinted at her outright declaration and she felt her cheeks burning hotly at such a bold statement. She could never imagine saying something so obscene to anyone else and in that tone, for that matter. But with Kisshu, she did not have any of such restraints. Was it because he was already on the other side of the spectrum either way. Because he was an alien? An enemy? Because she wanted it so badly? The thing she never experienced in her real life before and he was there offering it to her so willingly? Or was it that she wanted it specifically from him?

Her mind was whirling with all kinds of thoughts and feelings but they were all suddenly interrupted by his next words.

"I will eat you out as no one before," he inched closer and whispered hotly into her ear.

"Well, that should not be that hard considering I have never really done it with anyone prior to this point," Ichigo mused out loud before she could realize what she had just said.

Hearing this, his eyes slightly widened and he grinned darkly.

"Be my guest," he purred in an extremely sensual manner and Ichigo could not help but shudder at the purely animalistic expression that had washed over his face before he knelt down in front of her, "I will make sure you will never forget this night then," pulling down her panties over her ankles, he grabbed her ass hard, as his head disappeared between her thighs and her whole body arched back against the wall with a pleasant sigh when her eyes ultimately slid shut at the sudden contact of his warm wet tongue on her.

He was right.

She never forgot that night.

As if she possibly could.