Kisshu and Ichigo: part 7

He said yes! I couldn’t believe it. This was gonna be so much fun. Kian walked close beside me and I pushed my hand into his. I half expected him to push it away but when he didn’t, well let’s say it was a relief. He squeezed my hand and I held his tighter, it felt nice but somewhat detached. This wasn’t Kish and my trying to substitute him didn’t feel fair to either Kish or Kian. If only Kian were Kish.
I smiled at him though I was sure it never reached my eyes. He looked at me sheepishly for a moment and I knew this was the part where he would say he’d made a mistake and run off. I chewed my lip apprehensively.
“Do you know where they sell carrots round here?” Kian asked; it was like he was asking if I knew where they kept the nuclear weapons the way he said it. My jaw dropped as I laughed out loud. This guy was almost as strange as I was. He went red.
“Carrots?” I repeated. “From a grocer, like that.” I pointed to the nearest one to us. He looked over and a shot the vegetables a disgusted look. I bit my lip to stop myself from laughing.
‘So why do you need carrots anyway?’ I glanced up at Kian.
‘Pai …’ Kian’s mouth shut and he opened and shut it once more before starting again. I nearly laughed again, he looked like a guppy. We exchanged some more chitchat, which concluded in me offering to take him to Café Mew Mew, and then I mustered up the courage to ask him where he was from. Well I knew he wasn’t from here, I would have known or at least seen him before.
‘ … Somewhere far away,’ he replied.
‘Like Europe,’ I said thoughtfully.
‘Something like that.’ He still hadn’t answered my question but I guess it wasn’t my business to pry. Maybe he’d moved over here from some third world country. Maybe his past was dangerous, I doubt it was as bad as mine but he didn’t need to know that. I looked sneakily over at him as we walked. He looked bemused, as if trying to work out a solution (to what problem I sure as hell didn’t know), his green hair was flopping into his golden eyes and it made my knees do something I thought they would never do. He was so much like him, I’ve decided now not to refer to ‘him’ by his name as it only makes me depressed. I suppose I should really forget about ‘him’ but I know I cant.
I furrowed my brow and stared at my feet; which is why it made it so remarkable that I missed the stone that I tripped over and ended up landing flat on my face. Kian helped me up and brushed me down.
‘You’re real clumsy you know that kitty cat.’ I just blinked; did he just call me kitty cat? I didn’t really know how to reply to that so I just gave a small smile. He offered his hand and I accepted, pulling him in the direction of the café.
I almost fell over again when he stopped suddenly. He laughed as I managed to regain balance in time. I just shot him a mock annoyed look. He brought me closer to him and I was suddenly aware of the intimateness of our situation. I was unsure how to react when his hand touched my cheek and he lowered his head towards me. All I could think was he’s going to kiss me and how I wished it was Kish instead.
Our lips touched and I felt the sparks of joy that made my hands wander to his shoulders and pull him to me. He moved towards me and I was sure you could see the static joy jumping from us. I sighed and mumbled his name. Kian pulled back and studied me intently. I blushed but didn’t try to hide it, I was too happy. He smiled and stroked my cheek.
‘We should um go to that café before it closes,’ I mumbled. ‘Kian?’ His smile faltered.
‘Yeah, I mean yes of course.’ He winked at me and I relaxed a bit more. That had certainly been an interesting moment, but I was eager to get to the café because although I enjoyed it I could only think of Kish. He put his arm around me and I forced a smile. I looked straight ahead to avoid meeting Kian’s eyes. That’s when I saw Aoyama up ahead. He looked over and recognised me, then he looked at Kian and I saw his eyes narrow and his jaw tighten.
This so wasn’t going to be good. I tried to budge Kian into a shop but he just looked at me amusedly.
‘What’s up?’
‘Nothing.’ I nudged him over.
‘Where are we going then?’ I opened my mouth to say something but it was too late. Aoyama reached where we were.
‘Get your hands off her!’ He shoved Kian.
‘What are you doing!?’ I said pushing Aoyama, I was aware that those who were on the street had started looking.
‘The damn alien’s back again.’
‘He’s not him,’ I lowered my voice. ‘He’s human.’ Aoyama looked at me with a sneer on his face.
‘Got over me pretty quickly then, and to insult me by getting with a look alike.’ He shook his head angrily and punched Kian in the stomach before storming off. I looked after him shocked and then crouched down to Kian.
‘Are you okay?’ I asked concerned. He was winded but he put on a smile.
‘Sure,’ he wheezed. I bit my lip, this had been my fault.
‘I think it’s best we try not to see each other again,’ I told him. ‘I don’t want another thing like that to happen again.’ I stood up and left him at a run.

************

The kiss made Kish’s lips tingle in anticipation. Ichigo pulled him closer and he gladly obliged drawing her in and melting to her. This was the moment he’d been dreaming of for five years. She whispered his name.
‘Kish,’ he drew back for a moment surprised. His mind drinking in the knowledge that she remembered him and the possibility of the kiss initiate a sense of recognition. He looked at her, waiting for her to realise. She blushed and he reached out to her face. Ichigo mentioned heading off to the café. Kish didn’t answer.
‘Kian?’ He stumbled, she hadn’t recognised him. He pulled his smile back and nodded, murmuring a reply and winking. As they walked Kish slipped his arm round her waist, feeling her delicate frame.
It was nice until she suddenly tried to push him into a building.
‘What’s up?’ He asked as she frantically tried to shove him.
‘Nothing,’ she huffed. Kish raised an eyebrow and asked where she was supposed to be taking him. She didn’t answer as he was shoved roughly away from her by someone.
‘Get your hands off her!’ Kish looked to his attacker to find out it was Aoyama. He scowled at him as Ichigo yelled.
‘The damn alien’s back again.’ He spat at her. Kish growled slightly, it was obvious Aoyama recognised him.
‘He’s not him, he’s human,’ Ichigo tried to whisper. Kish was disappointed that his disguise worked so well. Aoyama gave her a disgusted look.
‘Got over me pretty quickly then, and to insult me by getting with a look alike.’ Kish was about to object when Aoyama punched him in the stomach and he collapsed to the ground, the oxygen pushed out of his lungs.
Ichigo ran over to him and asked if he was ok. Kish’s reply was more of a wheeze than a word. She looked as though she was about to cry and he wanted to comfort her.
‘I think it’s best we try not to see each other again,’ she said suddenly before getting up and running off. Kish opened his mouth but nothing came out. He stood and started after her then thought better. He was tempted to go and teach Aoyama a lesson but he knew Ichigo wouldn’t be too happy at that.
Eventually he decided to go see Taruto and find out what he could about how things were here.
It wasn’t long until he reached the café and he decided he wouldn’t go in but wait until it closed and Taruto came out. He didn’t have to wait long, fifteen minutes later the café closed and he crept closer to the window. The rest of the Mews were inside tidying up. Well except for Mint, she was sat down as usual and appeared to be complaining about Ichigo’s non-arrival. He looked around for Taruto and saw him hovering, literally, around Pudding.
When they finally came out, Kish was waiting discreetly behind a hedge, he’d picked up a tiny pebble and when Taruto was in his line of sight he threw it. Taruto turned around and Kish beckoned him over with a grin, before moving further behind the hedge. He heard Taruto explain to pudding that he’d meet her later then Taruto popped up next to him.
‘Kish?’ He asked. ‘Is that you?’ Kish grinned and winked.
‘Of course silly, who else would I be?’
‘What are you doing here? Is something wrong at home?’
‘I came to see my Kitty cat, good thing I did too.’ He scowled again at the thought of Aoyama.
‘Hmm … what’s with the disguise?’ Taruto asked with a questioning glance.
‘Oh that well I didn’t know if she’d want to see me so I thought I’d be a human and see what I can do. Then when I kissed her she said my name but Aoyama came over and hit me and she told the human me, that it would be better if we didn’t see each other again.’ Kish reeled off breathlessly. ‘I don’t know what to do.’ He admitted.
‘Well that makes sense, she told lettuce she was in love with someone else.’
‘Yeah, but what should I do?’ Kish asked his cool, confident demeanor slipping.
‘Um surprise her?’ Taruto didn’t know what to do either but Kish decided to do what he’d said.
‘There’s nothing to lose,’ he muttered to himself. He thanked Taruto and teleported to Ichigo’s rooftop.
‘Time to let my Kitty cat see me for real.’ He told himself, with that he teleported to the tree opposite her window. She was inside lying on her bed with her face buried in her pillow. It sounded like she was growling into it.
He teleported into her room and watched her. Masha popped up and started chirping.
‘Alien alien,’ Kish didn’t try to muffle him this time but he did poke out his tongue at the ball of pink fluff. Ichigo lifted herself off the bed and, without noticing Kish, shoved Masha into her bag and zipped him up. The bag bounced for a while and she told it to be quiet.
Kish decided to alert her of his presence. He teleported right beside her on the bed.
‘Hallo Kitten,’ he purred into her ear. Ichigo screamed and fell off the bed.
‘Is that anyway to treat me?’ He laughed as she scrambled up.
‘Kish? Oh my … it’s you!’ She launched herself at him.
‘That’s better.’ He grinned as she buried her head into his shoulder. He pulled her closer and stroked her hair.
‘I’ve missed you Koneko-chan,’ he whispered.
They stayed in that position for about twenty minutes. Kish wanted it to last for ever but he knew it wouldn’t. When they finally broke away Ichigo was crying happily and Kish stroked her cheek.