The Night of the Banquet

Dear readers,

Thank you for stopping by and reading this story. I would like to hereby thank you all for your comments, reviews, follows and kudos! ＾▽＾

I apologize for the slight delay with this update. Finally, here comes the festive party at long last! What can you expect? Always the unexpected, of course! And, before you ask, yes, writing Moe's scenes was so much fun, you bet! Even more so, when she and Ryou are basically canon in the original TMM series! Ichigo's character is really funny to write as well as of lately! All these perils of falling in love with someone you know you can't or you shouldn't. Aw well. Kisshu is craved, Masaya hated and Ryou feared. What else could go wrong?

The music I used for this part is Pink's 'Let's Get This Party Started (Instrumental).'

Lulyy Elizabeth Vaca - Thank you for your comment! I am happy to hear that you liked the latest update so much. I'll let you know that all your questions are perfectly valid and that they will be addressed in the few following chapters, rest assured!

DrDark7 - Thank you for your comment! Yes, scary is definitely one of the many adjectives that might currently describe Ichigo's feelings in regards to her secret affair with Kisshu. That fear is crucial, though, and it will play even more vital role in the future events that are ahead of them.

AnimeRoxx - Thank you for your comment! Yes, the aspect of uncertainty is definitely thrilling, isn't it? What is going to happen next, though? And is Kisshu gonna come as well and cause even more chaos? Read and find out!

BettaDream - Thank you for your comment! I am so glad that you liked the latest chapter and, hopefully, you will like this one just as much. We have a party here to attend, after all!

Kishlover985 - Thank you for your comment! I am happy to hear that you like the plot so much. Here we are, with the party at last! Is it up to your expectations? Let me know!

Lucero Perez - Thank you for your comment! Yes, it is definitely not an easy situation for Ichigo. And I can assure you that things are only going to get even more complicated from now on! Especially, as far as their respective loyalties are concerned.

As always, please enjoy and review!

I do not own Tokyo Mew Mew

If Ichigo had fully realized how much stress would inviting Kisshu to the party truly meant for her psyche before, she sincerely doubted that she would have ever come up with such a ridiculous plan to begin with.

Alas, apart from an occasional rebuke or two at herself, there was not much she could do about the whole situation now. It was far too late for that. She had created this mayhem of a mess for herself, so she could only focus on changing the events ahead of her, not pine for these that were forever lost in the past. And she had better start with that right this instance, or else all would only turn for the worse.

Ichigo looked around and sighed.

The hall looked seemingly empty, barren of any wondering eyes which could give her bad intentions easily away. Still, that hadn't made the Mew Mew feel any less comfortable about what she was about to do next and the dread that slowly began to fill the pit of her stomach only deepened this feeling of growing claustrophobia.

Was it really too late to take everything back and chicken out?

Most definitely.

Yet, a part of Ichigo's brain, that part which was still in a mental war with itself, refused to give in despite the quickly progressing migraine that had been roaring within her head like a roaring animal suddenly set free. To any normal person, the choice of what to do would have appeared rather obvious. But although Ichigo retained some grip of normality on her somewhat extraordinary life, she simply could not find it in herself to bail and forget that anything had ever happened, even if her mental sanity would immensely appreciate anything but. Besides, at the end of the day, if things didn't go her way, she could always blame Kisshu for everything, vilifying him beyond the point of repair and hence solidifying his image as the ultimate villain for good.

But why would she do such a thing?

She was the one who had proposed this idea to the alien and even pressed him into coming. Wouldn't it be extremely hypocritical of her?

'And so? You are enemies. Why would it even matter?' her inner voice countered.

'Touché. But a promise is a promise,' Ichigo reasoned, letting out another frustrated exhale.

She gave Kisshu her word. If she wanted to retain at least some semblance of her integrity, she should minimally be good on that word.

That, however, didn't change the least thing about the fact that she would literally kill for the opportunity to take it all back without any second-guessing.

The more Ichigo had really thought about it all, the more she started to believe that she truly must have been some sort of a deranged person, if she enjoyed exposing herself to scenarios that could only result in her getting hurt, or, worse, punished; which having the enemy around wandering freely definitely qualified for, in any Ryou's books at least.

Would her boss hit her, if he knew what she was about to pull? Just that thought itself had made the girl's stomach churn in panic.

Come on, Ichigo. Don't be a baby, now. You invited him, so you'd better not screw this one up.

Well, that was true.

Whether or not Kisshu would actually make good on that promise and show up at the party was mostly unimportant. Yet, the fact that he really could had made Ichigo realize that she had to be ready for that option just in case. And by ready, she largely meant that she had to turn off the radars as she had promised to do, otherwise she would only get him in trouble and lose his trust forever.

'You'd better fucking show up, Kisshu. Or I'll pulverize you to dust the next time I see you,' Ichigo muttered under her breath.

With her heart in her throat, she begrudgingly crouched down and opened the small lid that was covering the fuse box with one sharp pull towards her right, revealing a myriad of colorful switches to her instantly. Ichigo let her eyes briefly sweep across the many tabs, buttons and switches, trying to navigate her way through the complicated system of how they were assorted.

At first glance, it all seemed rather complex and puzzling to her mind, but when she caught a glimpse of the little manual attached to the inside surface of the lid, Ichigo's face lit up with an almost childish excitement. Following the instructions closely, she tentatively placed her fingers on the blue switch in the second row from the bottom that was assigned with a number 58 - the radars - and pulled it down.

Nothing.

With adrenaline pumping in literally every cell of her body, Ichigo tore her gaze from the switches in front of her and scanned her surroundings for any kind of confirmation of her action.

Did she do it?

Hard to say.

But the simple notion that she could even move with the switches gave her a speck of hope, as well as a good idea of how to immediately test if her endeavors here were not entirely fruitless.

'Ok, now we are in the hall, let's see if this one works, then,' she licked her lips in sheer anticipation and pushed the yellow switch in the middle of the third row down.

Not a second later, the hall was inadvertently plunged into a veil of murky shadows, enveloping everything in a pitch-black darkness.

Bingo!

With a swift movement of her index finger, Ichigo quickly restored the artificial light around her and shut the lid carefully. Content that nobody had seen her meddling with the fuse box, and still somewhat in awe that she had also somehow magically succeeded, Ichigo felt her mania slowly waning. Yet, her feeling of victory was merely short-lived, as another issue instantly flooded her mind, causing her to tense up all at once.

How was she supposed to tell Kisshu that he was good to go?

It wasn't like she could exactly hold up a billboard screaming 'Radars deactivated; proceed without caution.'

She smacked her hand against her brow at her own stupidity, realizing another major loophole in her no longer bulletproof plan.

'Well, if he trusts me enough, he would go for it either way,' Ichigo mused, looking at her wrist and noting the time on her watch.

It wasn't even 8pm yet. She told Kisshu that the party started at 8pm. There was nothing to worry about, she reassured herself. But as her mind continued to buzz with all sort of ideas of what else might go wrong, another dreadful feeling of cold fear spread down her spine like liquid ice that she startled once more.

What if he, for the first time in his life, decides to come early?!

What if he had, in fact, already arrived and got caught up within their security shields? No, that was not possible. Ryou would have already informed everyone if that was the case. Party or not, her boss had his priorities set up straight.

Calm down, Ichigo. Everything is fine. You just have to keep on breathing.

'Right,' the Mew Mew nodded readily yet immediately reeled back in shock upon noticing the two dark figures that appeared, out of nowhere, directly behind her form.

"Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

"Are you done screaming?"

Her former hysteria was only partially mitigated when the fine contours of Ryou's annoyed scowl and Keiichiro's bright smile eventually emerged to the foreground and filled her vision fully.

Quite instinctively, Ichigo put a hand on her brow, trying to drown the loud rhythm of her heart racing in her ears and merely hoping that she had not been caught red-handed. Did they see her? How long had they been standing there? Long enough to witness her treason? It was only upon a few more excruciating moments of dumbfounded silence that the Iriomote cat girl ultimately collected herself and forced her panic down.

Panic that soon transformed into a giddy look of amusement, as her eyes slid to the irked scientist in front of her and she gave him a quick once over.

'Who would have thought that even Ryou would really dress up,' Ichigo inwardly cackled, taking in the cat ears that had been perched firmly on her boss's blonde head with great satisfaction.

Both him and Keiichiro were obviously not joking when they had stressed the importance of wearing a costume during the party. While Keiichiro donned a beige shirt and dark pants along with the small reindeer antlers with silver bells that softly jingled with every light bow of his head, Ryou remained loyal to his leather creations, and sported his traditional white pants and white top. The red choker around his neck, which had made Ichigo think that it must have been tattooed onto his skin permanently on more than one occasion, matched the color of his cat ears perfectly. In many ways, he reminded Ichigo of a male version of Catwoman; if Catwoman was a guy and wore white instead of black leather, that is. However, what had made his costume even about a hundred times better in Ichigo's eyes was the simple fact that the blonde was clearly not a fan of his outfit, since the corners of his lips continued to twitch in irritation every second or so.

'Payback time, bitch!' Ichigo internally sniggered with impish glee as she tried her hardest not to erupt into a fit of laughter directly in front of Ryou's miffed face.

The humor in her eyes quickly subsided, though, when Keiichiro's cautious words reached her ears, instantly reminding her of her previous objective here and making her flush in shame.

"Ichigo, are you alright? What are you even doing here on the floor?" the brunette asked, his voice dotting more concern than suspicion.

Ryou, of course, did not display any kind of such remorse.

"Up to some more monkey business, I'd imagine," he replied tersely before the Iriomote cat girl could beat him to it.

"I am just doing what you told me. Checking the security, you know," Ichigo gestured to the fuse box with her hand and averted her eyes, the deep shade of crimson still tinting her cheeks.

Technically, it was not a lie, not entirely at least.

"Oh, well isn't that nice, Ryou?" Keiichiro shared a sidelong glance with the blonde and smiled wildly, whereas the latter just scoffed.

"Yea, she finally listens to common sense. Terrific," Ryou drawled as he slowly began on his way to the foyer, before he turned around and shot Ichigo a cold glare, "If you fucked up the fuse box somehow, I will dock it from your pay. Beware."

Then he exited nonchalantly, without saying anything else.

Prick.

Sensing the tension in the air, Keiichiro sent the Mew Mew an apologetic smile when he saw her still glowering at the blonde's disappearing back. It was, however, only upon hearing his soothing voice that she had finally snapped out of it.

"You have a lovely costume, Ichigo. I hope that you are going to enjoy today's party. Don't listen to Ryou, he is just a little grumpy because he has to wear a costume too," Keiichiro winked mischievously, making the girl beside him giggle.

"Yeah, I can imagine how that ticks him off," Ichigo felt the corners of her mouth lift again.

"See? A smile on your face suits you much better!" Keiichiro beamed before he adjusted the trays with Crème Brule back in his hands and proceeded to follow the nightmare of their boss.

"Wait! I'll help you!" Ichigo called out and, soon, the two of them left the hall in a happy disposition, each with one tray of the delicious treats firmly placed in their hands.

"Oh my god, Ichigo. There he is!"

If there was one thing that the red head had recently become exceptionally good at, it was her ability to pretend that she had momentarily lost her capacity of hearing. This 'temporary deafness,' as Mint liked to call it, had not always worked, of course. But, most often than not, it had provided Ichigo with the much needed extra time to mull things over, while her mind could travel elsewhere to form at least somewhat plausible excuse behind which the Mew Mew could consequently hide. Notwithstanding, some people were just extremely hard to tune out. Like Moe, for instance, whose shrill voice had gotten louder and louder, the more excitement it conveyed, making Ichigo consider whether today could get any more chaotic. And, based on the flick of horror that the Iriomote cat girl had been presently experiencing, she had a niggling feeling that it could.

With her eyes transfixed on the floor, Ichigo slightly winced, wondering how long it would take for Ryou to storm towards them and strangle her with his bare hands. Were twenty seconds enough to make a run for it? Or was she doomed? Ichigo dreaded to lift her eyes and find out, but something told her that she would be forced to sooner or later, whether she wanted or not.

"Oh my god. He's so hot! I can't."

"Moe…"

"Like I literally can't take it. He's not 10. He's totally beyond! Did you see his ass?!" Moe continued to squeal in excitement, ogling the blonde from afar.

"Moe, please…"

"Omg, he's looking our way, Ichigo! Don't look."

But it was too late, Ichigo subconsciously raised her head and when she saw the disgusted expression on Ryou's face that quickly froze into a venomous glare, she gulped. It was the look that could melt steel, but he hid it casually, which could only mean that he would grill her because of Moe some time later.

'Great!' Ichigo sighed, letting her shoulders slump in dejection.

She knew that bringing Moe and Masaya would turn to be a colossal mistake that would only result in more torment aligned for her. And, judging from the looks of it, Ichigo was not that far from the truth in her assumption.

"Moe, don't get your hopes up. Ryou is really horrible-"

"Oh shush, already. How do I look? All my bows are still intact?" Moe asked, scanning her state of dress in meticulous detail.

In her bunny costume, she looked super cute. Her hair was down covered with little pink bows all over her fair tresses and she was wearing a pink ruffle skirt with a matching pink sweetheart top that nicely complimented her fluffy bunny ears and tail. She appeared pretty, breathtaking and confident. Any guy would probably jump at the opportunity to talk to her, but Ichigo knew Ryou for far too long to expect as much of a reaction from him; even if it was during a special occasion like, let's say, the night of the banquet.

"You look beautiful, Moe," Masaya smiled at her warmly before turning his attention to Ichigo and squeezing her shoulder lightly, he added, "Right?"

"Yea, right," Ichigo supplied dully, hoping that her blank tone betrayed enough of a hint for Moe to lose her romantic interest in her boss already.

Evidently, it did not.

"Ok, then. Wish me luck!" Moe put her compact lipstick back into her purse and waved wildly at the couple with a silent gesture of a goodbye.

"W-what?" Ichigo sputtered, her voice catching slightly, "Hey, where are you going?!"

"To introduce myself, of course, silly! See you later, folks!"

And with that, she vanished in the crowd, leaving Ichigo with a really dark, ominous feeling of what she was sure was going to end badly not only for Moe, but for her as well. That feeling, nonetheless, quickly morphed into a distinct sense of irritation once Masaya opened his mouth, causing Ichigo to once again contemplate why the hell she had even invited him to the party in the very first place.

"You should be more supportive of your friend, Ichigo. Your boss might be hard on you, but that does not define him as a person," Masaya said casually in a tone that had made Ichigo tense up and her vein slightly pop.

"Excuse me?" Ichigo gawked at him, her tone taut with utter consternation.

And it wasn't just because of the stupid panda onesie that Masaya had been sporting as a part of his Halloween outfit, though that aggravated her to a great degree as well.

"What I meant to say is that your relation to him is formed strictly on professional basis, whereas Moe seeks an entirely different kind of relationship with him," Masaya shrugged, taking another sip of his drink, "You have never thought of Ryou as nothing but your annoying boss. But, even as a guy, I can objectively say that he is rather eye-pleasing, which is why I understand Moe's infatuation with him to some extent. And you should too."

Ichigo felt her eye brow twitch, as a fresh wave of fury ripped up her airway.

It was difficult to tell what exactly had triggered this turbulent reaction in her; maybe it was the alcohol burning in her blood, or the fact that Masaya had already tried to kiss her before a couple of times, or, perhaps, that the stupid alien was still nowhere in sight, but Ichigo set her jaw tight and, clenching her fists, she glowered at her boyfriend, ready to retaliate.

"Listen, Masaya," she started, narrowing her eyes at him angrily, "You know nothing about my boss and what he is really like. I'm with him almost EVERY day, and believe me when I tell you that I know for sure that he is bad for Moe. And before you start to oppose me, I am saying all of this because I am genuinely very supportive of my friend and want her happiness above all. Ryou's an egoistic, self-absorbed jerk that would only make Moe cry. End of the story."

"That is quite a way of how to talk about your boss, Ichigo."

The auburn haired jerked and instantly sweat dropped, recognizing the haughty voice coming from behind her with laser precision. She briefly wondered if she was grateful for such an unexpected interruption or not.

"Mint!" Masaya greeted the blue-lorikeet Mew jovially when she suddenly appeared in front of them, shaking her hand with enthusiasm, while Ichigo continued to pointedly glare.

In her dark velvet body-con dress and silver headband, Mint looked the very picture of the suave black swan she truly was. Extremely elegant, and somewhat evil.

"Hi, Masaya. How are things with you? I have not seen you in quite a while. Everything ok?" she replied, smiling.

"Oh, you know, busy with studies and such, but otherwise alright," Masaya answered politely, "How about you?"

"I'm good," Mint grinned, taking in the obvious displeasure written all over Ichigo's face and enjoying it thoroughly, "It is so lovely to see you again. Thank you for your patience with Ichigo. God knows how annoying she can be all the time. You should come to our Café more often. I am sure that would put her in better spirits. And, I'll let you know that I just so happened to get some super rare tea samples that are begging to be tasted."

"Mint!" Ichigo exhaled sharply.

"What? I am just making conversation here," Mint's eyes darted briefly from Ichigo's fuming face back to Masaya's calm expression.

"Nobody asked you to!" Ichigo deadpanned in a biting tone.

Taking in the rising tension, Masaya intervened hastily.

"I will think about it," he said with a small smile tugging at his lips, "Thank you for the offer, though. You know that a good cup of tea has always been my weakness."

"Anytime," Mint smirked, intentionally ignoring Ichigo's glaring daggers at her, "Have a good evening you two."

The blue lorikeet Mew nodded and subsequently waltzed away, leaving the duo to themselves once more.

"Didn't you say that your boss strictly prohibited you to invite any guests over?" Masaya inquired after a while, his smile somewhat faltering.

"Well, yea. He did," Ichigo retorted, casting her gaze away from his deep, inquisitive eyes.

"So what is this about, Ichigo?" he pressed and the Mew Mew began to feel that this conversation was starting to leave a really bad taste in her mouth.

"Don't mind Mint, she's just being dramatic, that's all," Ichigo eventually said, not daring to make eye contact with him just yet.

"And Ryou?" Masaya folded his hands, obviously intending to continue with his little pop quiz, but before Ichigo could respond, Pudding tackled them both into a big hug, cutting their verbal exchange short.

"You're both here. Perfect, na no da!" Pudding chirped, while she moved her hands in the air wildly, filling their vision instantly with a flock of orange and yellow feathers wherever they looked.

Despite her fusion with the golden lion tamarin, Pudding had decided to be some kind of a legendary mythological bird for the night, as she had so loudly professed to everyone. Yet, the longer Ichigo had stared at her costume, the more she had begun to think that Pudding might have been just watching Pokémon a little too much.

"I'm a phoenix," she screamed again in total elation, making Masaya's lips quirk upwards and Ichigo slightly cringe at her eccentric antics.

"Pudding, you should let them enjoy their time together. They are on a date, you know," Lettuce briskly appeared by the Monkey Mew Mew's side, dragging the little girl away by her hand.

Unlike Pudding, Lettuce remained truthful to her finless porpoise DNA and wore a grey long dress with fake gills attached to her back and face. It was a cute costume, Ichigo thought. Cute and simple, the perfect epitome of Lettuce's standard fashion style, in other words.

"But I don't wanna!" Pudding cried out but Ichigo's reassuring words immediately placated her.

"Don't worry," the Iriomote cat girl smiled, causing Pudding to stop with her dramatics in an instant, "I was just about to get some fresh air anyway."

"Do you want me to go with you?"

Now, Ichigo was not surprised that Masaya had suggested such an idea to her. Considering all the recent stalking on his behalf, it would be only weird and extremely out of character for him, if he didn't ask. Nonetheless, that did not change anything about the fact that Masaya was currently the very last person in the universe with whom Ichigo wanted to talk, or much less be around. For now and, maybe, forever.

She fixed him with a look that was not meant to convey any specific emotion. Yet, she had a feeling that he knew the answer to his question before she had even opened her mouth.

After all, it was no secret to either of them anymore that it was simply not working out.

Ichigo smiled a big, broad smile, which was so fake and artificial that it must have made the fluorescent light above their heads pale in comparison, as she parted her lips and simply said.

"No, you guys have fun!"

As the evening progressed, Ichigo found herself strolling through the back empty halls of the Café Mew Mew with all kinds of convoluted feelings racking in her heart.

She was aware that by leaving Moe and Masaya on their own, she was being extremely rude, not to mention inconsiderate, Ichigo knew. But she was so lost in her own thoughts that she had to momentarily leave; to get away from everybody, because her fake mask of collected indifference was slowly cracking and she could feel the distress simmering through it more and more. Even Masaya could clearly notice her discomfort and if she met any of the other Mews, or, worse, Ryou, there was no way they would not be able to tell that something was really amiss. And Ichigo didn't want that, any of that. So, instead, she took another drink. And, with a bright smile on her face, excused herself once more, getting some fresh air, as well as some more fresh perspective.

Besides, alone felt great.

When she was alone, she did not have to see anyone; talk to anybody.

Which is predominantly why Ichigo did not hesitate for a second when she spotted the door leading to the locker room close to her right, and slipped behind its metallic surface with a soft shut instantly.

Pressing her back against the cold door, Ichigo sighed, while her eyes began to adjust to the nothingness that was currently surrounding her.

Had he really stood her up?

Did it matter?

It was not like she had truly believed that he would really come, anyway.

Well, only to that extent that she had spent about three hours preparing herself for his arrival, just in case. Not a big deal.

Ichigo pushed herself off of the door and walked a couple of steps to the mirror that was hanging on the opposite wall. She stopped directly in front of the glistening glass and regarded the girl in the reflection intently.

In her opinion, she looked nice. Her hair was in her trademark pig tails and, instead of her usual Café uniform, she was wearing a striped orange and black corset dress with a pair of black socks that ended shortly above her knees, revealing just enough skin to make one's imagination run wild but without seeming cheap or flashy. The fluffy tiger ears on her head, which appeared almost too real for her liking, served the purpose of being cute and girly in more than an adequate way.

Maybe it was the panties, Ichigo concluded, weren't they too much? Was lace an overkill?

She reached underneath her dress for her undergarments and pulled them down over her ankles, feeling the sheer black material in between her fingers curiously.

She had no idea why she was obsessing over the choice of her underwear so much. A cotton pair of briefs would do the job just fine. But Ichigo had wanted to make it special. That is why she had been trying different pairs on over and over again until she had finally settled on the black lacey panties with a crisscross cut and a bow attached to the back.

She saw some guys liking it. Was Kisshu one of them? Or would he be repulsed? Would he think that she was thinking about him when she was putting them on?

That thought itself had sent Ichigo into another state of vicious rage, when she realized how stupid all her present thoughts had been. Stupid and revolving solely around the green-haired idiot, who had not even shown the basic decency of a human being to make an appearance!

Besides, why did it matter so much to her what he thought to begin with?

It was not like he would pay a damn about what she was wearing, as long as it was easy to strip it off, that is. And if it wasn't he could always rip it off.

Still, aren't they a little too garish? What was she even thinking?

STOP!

No more thinking about such trifles.

It did not matter what she did or didn't have on. Why?

Because it was not like he had even showed up!

That's right. Ichigo had been so stressed the whole night with the possible prospect of Kisshu coming to the party that she did not enjoy herself at all. Of course, she had had some good cake and even better drinks but that was about it. Whenever Masaya started talking, she tuned out. Politely. Only occasionally nodding to make sure he thought he had her undivided attention, which he hadn't and for quite some time. But it did not matter.

Where the hell was he?

It was 11.30 already. Was he just fashionably late or was he really not planning to come at all?

What a jerk!

But, maybe, it was for the best, with her boyfriend around her constantly, Ichigo had hard time picturing Kisshu appearing out of nowhere and not causing chaos. Still, she could not help but feel disappointed. A part of her screamed at her that this was definitely not the way how she should react to the absence of her enemy in her life, but Ichigo did not listen. For her, it was not about fighting the enemy tonight. She wanted to do something nice for him in return for what he had done for her, due to the reasons completely unknown to her.

Was she just feeling guilty? But why? Because she had been fucking a Cyniclon behind everyone else's back? But then Kisshu would be the very last person towards whom she should feel obliged to show guilt, right? It made no sense. In fact, Ichigo still could not quite wrap her mind around the fact why she had invited Kisshu in the very first place.

But the notion that she did, and that he didn't come hurt and stung twice as hard as having sex with her boyfriend.

The feeling of rejection tasted almost unbearable on Ichigo's tongue, making her stomach drop and her chest constrict with both fury and regret the more time had passed.

And, for the record, her panties were cute.

Not garish. Cute!

Not that that jerk would ever be able to see that.

Jerk. Jerk. Jerk.

She squeezed the panties in her hand in anger, torn between whether or not she should put them back on or throw them away indefinitely, when a creak of the door suddenly brought her out of her grim thoughts.

"I-I'm sorry, this room is only for the sta-," Ichigo let out but stopped mid-sentence when she recognized Masaya standing in the doorway.

How long had she been here? Was it really that long?

"What are you doing here?" she asked, slightly confused.

"I was looking for you these past twenty minutes and when I asked your friends where you were, they pointed me over here," Masaya answered plainly, "Since when did you start enjoying sitting all alone in complete solitude?" he raised a quizzical brow at her as he plopped himself down on the bench close to her right.

"Oh," Ichigo nodded in understanding and, realizing her situation, she quickly tried to cover the fact that she had no underwear on in front of him.

Obviously, she had not been discreet enough.

Noting the lacy article of clothing in her hand, Masaya gave her a sheepish smile and edged closer.

"Oh, was I supposed to come earlier? I am sorry, Ichigo. I didn't get the hint," Masaya cooed, his eyes briefly sliding from her hand back to her lips.

Oh no!

A furious blush broke onto her face then, when it had fully dawned on Ichigo what her boyfriend had meant. But before she could correct his assumption in any way, shape or form, he appeared directly next to her and placed his mouth on hers, his lips insistent and forceful.

'Could today evening get any worse?' Ichigo wailed silently, as she tried to disconnect herself from him.

Apparently, it could.

"You look so hot, Ichigo," he murmured softly in her ear, causing all her collective hair to stand on an end in the next instant and her eyes glimmer in deep fear.

The dark tone of his voice seemed completely incongruent with Masaya's typical mild-tempered personality, as did his hands that began to unexpectedly travel down her hips with unprecedented hunger. It was, however, upon the moment he clasped at her legs aggressively and spread them apart that even greater panic began to shake the girl's form when it had become obvious what his real intentions here with her were. And, even more so, once he pushed her down with his body still directly on top of hers and his hips firmly in between her thighs.

"M-masaya, w-wait…We can't do it h-here," Ichigo struggled against him, suddenly really afraid of how far he was willing to go, and it took another good half of a minute until he finally paused his hands on her and pulled back, giving her some space at long last.

Relief could not even begin to describe how Ichigo instantaneously felt the minute Masaya finally eased away, even if its soothing effect lasted only for a couple of few milliseconds.

"What's the matter?" he asked, somewhat bewildered, "Usually you complain that I am not in the mood and when I make a spontaneous move on you and unleash my adventurous streak you again have a problem? I don't understand you, Ichigo."

Sitting up straight, Ichigo dismissed his question with a wave of her hand.

"It-it's ok…don't worry about it. A-all good," she said, trying to end this unpleasant interaction as quickly as possible, her words constraint.

She needed to get away. Away from her boyfriend. Away from this party. Away from everything.

Why?

She had no idea. But it was too much. Simply too much.

And the last thing she presently wanted to deal with was the trauma from another session of terrible sex or confrontation thereof with Masaya to add to her already fuzzy nerves. If he had tried anything more on her tonight, she wouldn't be able to fake her enthusiasm.

Not tonight.

And not when she did not know how much longer she could hold her anger and tears back from spilling over.

Ichigo abruptly stood up and made an attempt suggesting her intention to leave, yet Masaya got a hold on her elbow and swiftly pulled her back down on the bench with him.

Surprised hazel eyes met serious charcoal, and Ichigo for the first time in that day noticed how very different his face looked in the dimly-lit locker room, as opposed to the bright lights beaming through the rest of the Café.

Masaya inclined his head to one side, his pupils slightly narrowing.

"Ichigo, is there someone else?"

She gave him an incredulous stare, feeling the shiver chase up her back.

He couldn't know, could he?

And, more importantly, would it matter if he knew? Would he finally let her go if she confessed her secret affair right here and right now?

"Wh-what? Don't be ridiculous!" she lied mechanically, feeling her throat blob.

Masaya held he stare, searching her expression for an answer carefully.

"Is there someone else?" he insisted, in a far harder tone this time, allowing his doubts to fully leak into his voice, "You seem so different recently. I have noticed. Your confidence grew way bigger and so did your sex drive and interest in sex in general. But, apparently, not with me. So I want to know if there is someone else in this relationship I should know of?"

Ichigo felt the confession in her throat rising like a bile of vomit.

Now was a good time to tell him. To end it all. Once and for all. This soured relationship of sorts that led to absolutely nowhere and which did nothing but to aggravate her as of lately. No more fake sex. No more lies. No more disappointments.

But even though Masaya had seemingly served the most perfect break up opportunity to her, Ichigo realized, after a while, that she still couldn't find it within herself to do it.

Why?

Was it because Kisshu didn't show up and, all of a sudden, she felt painfully alone? Was she scared of being single?

Or was it that even if Kisshu hadn't showed up at their little party and she was pissed at him like crazy, she still could not bring herself to take her anger out of proposition and vent it all out on Masaya? Didn't he deserve a better break-up scene than some semi-dark, seedy locker room, no matter how terrible in bed he had made her feel?

No, that was not it; it was never about Masaya.

It was about her being a coward. Always was and always would be.

"Of course not. It's just eh- hormones."

"Hormones?" Masaya echoed, slightly taken aback.

Why was she such a coward? Leading him on like that? Was it truly that Kisshu's betrayal had hurt her so much that she just simply wanted to have her plan b still intact, even though her feelings for Masaya had seemed to be long gone?

She should hate them. Both. Kisshu for being a total jerk and Masaya for not being a jerk enough. Or a jerk in a completely different way, that is!

"I see. Ok. I will just head home first, then? Call me if you need anything," Masaya caught her lingering gaze one last time before he rose from his seat and started for the exit.

"S-sure," she swallowed the burning lump in her throat, happy that he was finally going to stay out of her way.

'Is this how a girlfriend should feel?' Ichigo thought to herself as she watched Masaya's lean figure disappear behind the metal door.

Well, at least, she could finally disperse all of her fears of him bumping into Kisshu now. It was a mistake that she had invited the alien to the HQ in the very first place, as instead of partying Ichigo had spent the whole night stressing herself out of her skin about the two of them getting together, and then running into Ryou. What a dumb idea! She was risking everything! Her relationship with Masaya, the trust of her team! And for what exactly? One stupid heated moment of sex! But, again, Ryou would probably see the Cyniclon activity even if the radars were off anyway. And if that happened, Ichigo would have even more explaining to do. Or, maybe not. She could always backstab Kisshu, just like he had stood her up tonight.

What a traitor!

And to think that she had even wanted to do something sweet for him while she had been simultaneously endangering everything that was dear to her. How stupid was she? Yes, Kisshu not showing up was a good thing for sure! Less trouble and even less explaining for her to make that way!

"Hormones, mm? Is that what you're calling it?"

In a flash, she whirled around at the sorely familiar voice coming from her left and her eyes instantly widened a fraction.

There he was; the object of her longing, anger as well as dread, all at once, with that lopsided grin plastered across his face and the infamous glint in his eyes, which was both dangerous and fiery; floating in the air, cross-legged and fairly amused.

And, for a second, Ichigo felt as though the world around them had stilled for a moment; as though it had begun orbiting merely around her palm, like she was in the very center of the universe, as the shockwave of inexplicable relief, happiness and excitement had hit her lower body all anew, her fury instantly forgotten. Almost on instinct, she immediately sensed how her insides twitched at the visual sight of him and her heart leaped in her throat at what she was now sure was going to follow when he slowly began descending on the floor in front of her.

"K-kisshu," she rose to her feet, releasing a breath she had no idea she had been holding.

He let out an amused laugh and no sooner had the tip of his feet touched the marble floor, than his mouth was on hers and she was gripping the back of his head just as fervently, her fingers firmly clenching in his soft hair, pulling at him hard. With their bodies tightly flush, the familiar glitch of emotions came to life instantly upon the slightest physical contact they had shared, causing all of Ichigo's collective muscles to jump and her skin to burn underneath his touch, setting her whole existence on fire.

"You came," she murmured against his lips, short of breath and with cheeks deep crimson, when she eventually detached her mouth from his, still not really believing her eyes.

Kisshu smirked, a bit wickedly.

"Well, you were pretty insistent, kitten. Cute costume, you have there, by the way."

Scanning his standard attire, she instantly scowled, "But you're not wearing any."

"I don't need a costume for what I came here for," a low chuckle tore from his lips, almost dangerously so, as his eyes went dark with lust, "And neither do you, actually."

Without another word, he shoved her hard against the locker behind her, her back hitting the uneven surface with a loud thud.

"W-wait the zipper's on the back!"

Yet, he paid it no heed. And, not a moment later, she heard the threats being torn apart, as he ripped her corset open from the front with one quick pull of his fingers.

"Mm, not anymore," he grinned down at her while his gaze raked over her heaving, naked chest.

"K-kisshu wait, what if someone comes in-" ignoring her protests, he knelt down and already started sucking on her breasts and, despite herself, Ichigo pulled her arms around him, pressing his head closer to her body.

"Then I will simply teleport us away," he eased away briefly only to bury his face between her molds once more.

"I-I turned off the alarms in Ryou's lab," Ichigo breathed out melting in the sensation of his mouth around her nipple, "W-would you wanna go downstairs later and-ah-"

She never finished that sentence.

And it was doubtful he would answer it anyway.

With her senses gradually distorting, their surroundings became a mere blur to Ichigo, as only her primal instinct prevailed; the distinct urge from somewhere deep inside her calling her, telling her exactly what she had to do. Was it the culmination of all the danger that was swirling around her form like a haunting shadow wherever she went? Quite Possibly. But in spite of all that. Here he was. Somehow. With her. Doing what they were supposed to do. What was right to do. What she had been dying to do. Ever since she had put on that costume of hers for this damn party for the first time.

Ichigo felt her arousal quickly building from within, as one surge of shiver after shiver coursed through her body at the way how he fondled her, sucked on her and bit on her over and over again. She did not care about the bite marks; nor if Masaya would see them. Not anymore. She could always lie to her boyfriend again, or she could tell the truth. That he was, indeed, right. That there was someone else who could give her what he never could. Someone who could kiss her until her head was spinning and roughly fuck her into the wall without as much as batting an eye lash and with completely zero remorse or fear that someone could catch them.

Was she really gonna do the thing that she had just deprived Masaya of not even full five minutes ago?

Hell yes!

With the way how Kisshu's hands, tongue and fangs roamed all over her exposed skin, there was no way she was going to deny herself this sinful pleasure. Not after all the stress he had cost her, all the pain and hurt that he had inflicted in her. And not when he had actually showed up, after she had already banished all hope of him really coming to see her.

Somewhere at the back of Ichigo's mind, a feeble voice was whispering to her faintly that it shouldn't be this way. It simply shouldn't. That she shouldn't like the touch of his tongue on her most sensitive areas; nor should she enjoy his lips on the soft flesh of her neck. But, somehow, she did. And when he lifted her body above his hip bones and grasped at her ass harder, she gasped, feeling herself vibrating with maddening desire, while she immediately recalled the first time they had had sex.

This time, however, it was even better. Much better. Hotter. More aggressive. More demanding. She knew what to expect now; that he was going to be thorough with her pleasure. Never stopping, never pausing not until he gave her what she had been so eagerly waiting for. Ichigo could not help but moan whenever she felt him throb inside her, wrapping her legs around his torso even tighter, enjoying the sensations his body provided to hers to the maximum. He was her fix in many ways, understanding exactly what she wanted, grasping at her thighs harder when he heard her cries intensify, knowing fully well she was close and needed just that little extra amount of tending to be sent over the edge completely.

"Fuck. You're still. So tight," he rasped in between his breaths, low and hoarse, before he buried his face in the crook of her neck, trying to regain his focus.

She heard every single gasp of his seeping through her skin, while he grunted with each of his hard thrusts and she bucked her own hips to meet his just as eagerly, moaning his name as if that was the only word that she had ever learnt in the entirety of her whole life.

Nothing made sense anymore.

The longer they had continued, the more difficult everything seemed to Ichigo. The picture of him had inadvertently shifted in her eyes, she was aware, causing it suddenly to be somewhat hard for her to view herself as a Mew Mew and to regard Kisshu as her mortal enemy. She couldn't. There was no way. Not when, in these few short minutes, she was fully dependent on his every touch, every movement of his body which sent one rush of pleasure after another through her, and she forgot everything that was tearing them apart. That they were on the opposite sides. That they were meant to kill each other. That they were supposed to hate each other. But how could she possibly hate him after this? How could that be even virtually possible when he was supplying her with such an unearthly pleasure? She couldn't. No, she wouldn't. Not with the way how he moved hard and fast inside her, making her toes curl and her mouth pant in total ecstasy.

Ichigo could no longer recognize the uninhibited cries that were leaving her parted lips, as he had been slamming into her faster and faster when she felt her walls slowly closing around him. Her nails were digging into his shoulders so deep that she knew she would draw blood at some point, but it was just so intense. With him, it was always intense. There was not even a chance it wouldn't be. And, then, all at once, a blinding light flashed in front of her eyes just before the final wave of pleasure had struck her with full force, making her recline back against the locker with a long, violent shudder.

Kisshu came shortly after and, still inside her, he rested his head on her shoulder, while his hands kept a firm grip on her thighs. Only their rugged breathing was heard throughout the dimly-lit locker room as they both tried to catch their respective breaths after another round of passionate sex.

With the sweat slowly drying from her back and her hair, Ichigo was momentarily swept over with the heavy realization that there was no way that this room was soundproof, making her slightly grimace and merely hope that the music outside was loud enough to drain out her excessive moaning.

But when she caught a glimpse of that gold, shimmering glint forever embedded in his eyes, her brow loosened almost upon reflex and she knew, without doubt, that there was no real fear in her heart anymore. Only sated contentment.

The elegant classical music which continued to flow across the room from all various directions around her had made Mint briefly revisit the memory of her latest ballet performance.

She should have tried harder.

It was close to perfect, true, but near perfection was something that had never gained any prominence in the eyes of any member of the Aizawa circles. Smallest details were, after all, what distinguished professionals from amateurs, Mint knew. And if she truly wanted to succeed in being the number one ballerina in Japan, she should concentrate on such miniscule details from now on, as they could only lead her to the desired ideal. Maybe then, only then, would her parents also finally make time for her to witness her grandiose dance. One day, it would happen and, until then, she had the comforting words of Zakuro and Seiji to keep her head high and her body going.

Lost in the endless possibilities of what effect the slightest change in her movements could have on her life, it took Mint a second to register Masaya's black crown of hair suddenly emerging in front of her eyes, ending her train of thinking abruptly.

"That was quick, you and Ichigo surely know how to have fun fast. Pray up to the stars that Ryou will not dock it from Ichigo's pay, even though she is technically off the clock tonight," Mint observed, taking another leisure sip of her cocktail before her lips parted once more and her orbs swirled with amusement, "Then, again, your friend does a marvelous job at keeping him occupied, so maybe he would let it slide this time," she sneered.

Masaya smiled faintly at her remark and nodded his head in mute agreement.

Noting the absence of the red head by his side, Mint tilted her head slightly sideways.

"Are you going home already?" she inquired, merely partially interested in his answer.

"Yes. My job here is done," Masaya responded solemnly, while his gaze traveled across the room in silent contemplation, searching among all the small crowds of nearby bystanders with guarded, alert eyes.

Initially, Mint didn't make much of Masaya's somewhat uncharacteristic detachment. For all she knew, it could have been just the number of Margaritas that was blurring the corners of her judgement, bending the reality around her in a completely unnatural manner. Perhaps, she had had enough for tonight and this was merely the signal for her to put her drinking to a halt; a notorious foreboding.

"I see," Mint replied with a coy smirk, refocusing her attention back on the glass in her hand.

A dull silence then descended upon them yet again, and just when Mint thought that life could not be any less boring, Masaya opened his mouth suddenly, with his eyes rather distant and somewhat still deep in thought.

"Mint, can I ask you something?"

"Of course," the blue lorikeet Mew answered with a grin, reveling in the fact that she might just be about to uncover the most recent juicy gossip or, better yet, a secret that was hidden from anyone else's curious minds.

Notwithstanding, her face immediately fell upon hearing Masaya's next words.

"Who is Kisshu?"

Mint gave the boy beside her a pointed look as if she had not heard him correctly, but said nothing.

"I am sorry, what was that?" she blinked, bemused, no longer content with where this conversation was going.

Masaya forcefully tore his gaze from the sea of bodies around them and faced Mint directly, his dark eyes darting between hers.

"Kisshu," he repeated, with far more determination entering his tone, "Do you happen to know anyone who goes by that name?"

The dark sky above the Café Mew Mew seemed eerily silent, its tranquil stillness disrupted only occasionally with a soft gush of wind that breezed past, while the stars continued to glimmer quietly in a line of shimmering light.

Quite suddenly, a male shadowy figure materialized underneath all that, hovering just above the roof of Café Mew Mew with a graceful and elegant posture to him. His head hung low, hiding his gaze from anyone's inquisitive stares but his fangs remained visible, as a small, evil smile began to spread across his features, as if he had just realized the full potential this place could hold for his plan.

He was shortly joined by a presence of another, whose semi-disheveled appearance suggested far less eloquence but whose sharp pearly teeth radiated in the dark night with the same shining intensity.

"You are late," the older alien remarked bitterly, a slight irritation leaking into his voice.

"Sorry, got carried away," the latter gave a light-hearted response before his eyes twinkled with mischief. He then ran a hand through his matted hair and asked, "Well, did you succeed?"

"Did you?"

Kisshu smirked.

He wiped the remnants of the sweat from underneath his emerald bangs and flashed Pai with a cunning grin, "What do you think?"