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Talking to the Moon	By : Wildfaerie Category: +S to Z > Tokyo Mew Mew Views: 40 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Tokyo Mew Mew or the characters within. Nor do I make any income on these stories

Chapter List
- 1-Part One Deals to be Made
- 1
Talking to the Moon
Part One: Deals to be Made

A light breeze ruffled the deep, emerald green hair of a long-eared alien as he sat perched in a tall tree on the outskirts of their new main city. It had been almost two years since he’d returned from Earth with his cousins and the Mew Aqua. His planet had been altered drastically and new life abounded everywhere. His people were safe and thriving once again. The newly built and growing city in the distance was proof enough of that, as well as the blossoming forest he’d come to take refuge in.

Kish let his eyes drift closed. He’d been hailed a hero along with his cousins, but the warm welcome home had been bittersweet. He may live in paradise, have access to more food and freedoms than he had ever dreamed, worshiped as a hero, but something was missing. His heart.

He’d left it back on Earth with a fiery, red-headed cat girl. An image of her smiling face flashed behind his eyelids. “Ichigo…,” he sighed under his breath. She had stolen his heart almost as soon as he’d laid eyes on her. She was beautiful. Unique and stunning, she’d caught his eye right away. And that fiery personality of hers had drawn him in. She was one helluva spitfire. A temper that could make the weak of heart tremble, but she also had a strong and loyal heart of gold. Yes, she’d stolen Kish’s heart and try as he might, he couldn’t forget her.

There were plenty of girls trying to vie for his attention and most of them incredibly attractive, but Kish found himself constantly comparing them to his Kitten, and they could never measure up. Unfortunately, his love had been in love with someone else. A pathetic human boy owned her heart just as she owned Kish’s. His love was never meant to be apparently. But Kish couldn’t let go. Couldn’t move on. So, he found himself becoming a bit of a recluse. Distancing himself from almost everyone. Only taking part when he was needed, like when the ruling council would seek out his advice or input on civil and military affairs. Since returning, he’d risen almost to the top within his people’s military. It was the one place he could truly focus and lose himself. To be able to forget about his Kitten for a bit and find some solace in his lonely life. One of the few places he could escape the terrible pain and emptiness in his heart.

Training may have been his only real escape, but when his thoughts would become overwhelmed with images or desires centered around the girl with red hair, he’d escape to this tree. His tree. He spent many nights both hiding and sleeping within its thick branches. It reminded him of when he used to hide in the tree outside Ichigo’s room. More nights than he could count, he’d spent hidden in that tree as he watched her. Doing homework, getting ready for bed, scribbling in a notebook, lost in daydreams, all of it, Kish had watched captivated. It was the only time he could really watch and get to know her without facing her temper or a fight breaking out.

Though most would never believe him, he’d even been a gentleman and shown her respect when she was changing or dressing by closing his eyes or turning away. That didn’t mean he didn’t long to see everything or that he didn’t fantasize about slipping into her room while she undressed. He may be hopelessly in love and wanted her more than anything, but there were some boundaries even he wouldn’t cross. He loved and respected her too much to be that crass. Steeling kisses and getting a bit handsy every chance he got was as far as he was willing to push it. No, he wanted her to be his willingly. To want him as badly as he wanted her. He wouldn’t stoop to peeping. It felt wrong to do that to someone as strong and willful as she.

Kish’s thoughts drifted to the night he thought he’d been caught. He’d been relaxing in her tree and her balcony door had been left open to let the cool evening air in. She’d been rapidly scribbling in her journal at her desk. Kish had become curious as to what had so captivated her attention. When she left her room, he had teleported inside to read the pages left open. His jaw had nearly hit the floor. She had been writing about him.

-Feb. 14-
It’s been a few days since I’ve written in this, but so many things happened today. I had made some chocolate to give to my Masaya for Valentine’s. And I worked really hard on them too! But of course, Kish had to show up and ruin everything as always! Why can’t they just leave? Life would be soo much easier without those aliens always causing problems. Especially Kish. But today seemed different. He begged me to run away with him. At first I didn’t realize what he was trying to do or say. He was being his usual confusing and enigmatic self. But after he fought with the Blue Knight, it dawned on me. Which was why I stopped them from fighting. I didn’t want either of them to get hurt. I think Kish may actually be serious when he says he loves me. I always thought it was just an act. A way to get under my skin or manipulate me. But when I adamantly refused him and told him I loved Masaya, it was like the light had left his eyes. Like he’d been crushed. I admit, it hurt seeing him like that. He’s always so cocky (which is so annoying) and vibrant, that when I saw him looking broken, something inside my chest tightened. I’ll never admit that to anyone or that I’ve always found his bright golden eyes beautiful and unique. But they can be scary when he’s being cold or possessive.

I’ve often wondered what his life was like. He’s hinted at how terrible his planet is. Is that why he can be so cold and cruel one moment, then so full of joy and life in the next? I also have to admit, thinking back, his offer was tempting. A paradise with no more fighting? Sounds amazing. Especially if he truly loves and cares for me as he claims. Almost makes it romantic and exciting. To be swept off my feet like that. But I love Masaya. And Kish is well… Kish. An enemy and an alien. I have my friends, family, and planet to think about. I can’t let myself become distracted.

But a part of me would like to get to know him. Learn his story. See what lies behind those cold and cunning yet mischievous eyes. But that’s wishful thinking. I have to keep fighting for my home. I can’t let him win. Urgh… This is all so frustrating. Everything was so much simpler and easier before ‘he’ showed up.

Anyways, this will all stay our little secret.
Until next time…. XXOO

Kish’s ears twitched when he heard Ichigo approaching her door and quickly teleported back into the tree outside her window. In his haste to hide, he had disturbed some branches. The noise drew Ichigo’s attention, and she came out onto the balcony.

“Is someone there?” she nervously asked under her breath.

Kish held his breath for she was looking right at him.

Ichigo smacked her forehead. “Idiot. I’m on the second floor. Of course, no one’s there. Not like a spying creep would answer anyways. It was probably just the wind.” Sighing, Ichigo folded her arms atop the balcony railing and leaned onto it. Tilting her head up, she gazed at the brightly glowing moon overhead. “Am I wrong for thinking about him? Is it wrong to want to know what he’s like as a person and not as an enemy? Wonder what he’s doing right now? Does he relax when he’s not causing trouble or is he currently planning his next attack? I know I’ll never get an answer. Not from him or you, Mr. Moon. Though, you probably know him much better. You’re both from up there. From amongst the stars. Well, goodnight Mr. Moon. And, if you can somehow, let him know I’m sorry. I don’t want to fight, but I don’t have a choice. I have to protect my home.” With a nod towards the moon, Ichigo went inside and closed the balcony door. A moment later her lights flipped off.

Drifting out from the cover of leaves, Kish floated over and sat on the balcony railing next to where Ichigo had leaned. Glancing up at the moon, Kish let his thoughts wander. She had given him a lot to think about. “I guess, in a way, you did answer her wish. I heard her apology. If only you could grant mine. To make her truly see how much I care. How much I love her. And to maybe get her to say yes. To finally be mine.” Sighing, Kish ran his fingertips over the warm spot where Ichigo had leaned. With a final glance at the moon, he disappeared.

From that day on, Kish had gone just a bit easier on her. Held back just a touch more. His heart wasn’t in the fight anymore. It was with her. But he had his people to save and consider, so he couldn’t quit. Couldn’t give up. They were counting on him.

He hated it. Hated having to fight and endanger the girl he loved more than anything. He couldn’t even bring himself to talk to her alone. It would destroy what little resolve he had left to complete the mission. So, he continued to tease, flirt, and be cruel to her. All the while his heart broke a bit more with every rejection. With every hateful glare she shot his way.

The only reprieve was at night when he’d hide away in her tree. The best nights were when she’d come out and talk to the moon. She’d reveal the secret parts of her heart. Or speak aloud the hidden questions that were locked in her deepest thoughts. More often than not, Kish found himself digging his fingers into the rough bark of the tree. It was the only way to keep himself grounded. To keep from revealing himself to her. The pain kept his mind sharp, and he could continue to convince himself what a terrible idea it would be. Not only would she despise him even more for invading her privacy, but it would also jeopardize the mission more than he already had. No, like her, he didn’t have a choice but to fight.

Over the months of watching her, Kish found himself falling more and more in love with the girl. She was much smarter and aware then she let on. And though she never showed any real signs of romantic interest in him, her curiosity about him continued to grow.

The night following Kish’s story about how truly awful his home was and how terrible his life had been, she sat on her balcony in tears. Not only had she revealed how she didn’t want to fight him anymore after that, but she had actually cried for him. Asking the moon how it was fair? That they were both forced to fight for the exact same thing. Their people and their home. It had taken every ounce of willpower he had not to go to her. He wanted so badly to hold and comfort her. To let her know everything would be alright. That he’d always protect her.

Kish clenched his hand into a fist and slammed it against the branch below him. ‘It’s not fair,’ he thought. After that last fight, she’d finally looked at him without hatred or frustration. She’d even cried and screamed his name in anguish when he’d fought for her. And yet she had still chosen that human boy. And he’d never gotten the opportunity to really talk to her. They’d left so abruptly after that fight. It stung. To never know what it may have been like to talk to her as an equal instead of as a hated enemy. To possibly make her smile or to answer all those secret questions she had about him.

‘It hurts, dammit!’ he thought in anger. Every day it felt like he lost a bit more of himself. A bit more of his heart broke away. Both Pai and Tart had noticed the change in him. Noticed how quiet and reserved he’d become. He was no longer the loud and obnoxious Kish he’d always been. Those that didn’t know assumed he’d changed because of the war. That he’d seen or done things that had changed him. Only his family knew the truth.

Initially Tart had teased him mercilessly. Calling him a lovesick fool, among other things. Oddly enough, it was Pai that had reigned in Tart. Saying that the heart is a powerful thing that can’t be controlled. That Kish couldn’t choose who he loved. He also may have mentioned something about the Monkey-girl. Something like: “I guess you really didn’t feel anything for that yellow Mew if you can so easily continue to hurt Kish because of how he feels for the Pink Mew.” That had shut Tart up. He may try to deny it, but both Kish and Pai knew the boy had developed some kind of feelings for the youngest Mew.

Pai had even tried talking and being there for Kish, but Kish had shut him out. Had shut everyone out. Sure, when he’d first returned, he’d been more of his usual self. Talking nonstop about the Mews and Earth and especially about Ichigo. His aunt and uncle had read between the lines easily and quickly realized he had fallen for Ichigo. They also tried to help him by trying to get him to move on, but once again he shut them out. He closed himself off. For once he’d been home for a while, the pain and regrets had started to grow. Realization that he’d probably never see her again began to sink in. And so, he sunk himself into his work and training. He pulled away from everyone. The only time he ever found himself smiling was when he’d think about her when he was alone.

His one solace was his nightly routine. He’d sneak away in the evenings to this tree. Gazing up into the night sky, he carried on with Ichigo’s secret confidant, Mr. Moon. He’d talk to the moon every night. He’d talk about his day or answer the questions Ichigo had asked. All the while he hoped and imagined that she was still doing the same back on Earth. He knew they spoke to different moons, but he liked to imagine that the moons carried the messages between them. He also continued to hope she still thought of him. Still spoke to the moon about him. So, every night he sat alone and talked to the moon. Hoping and praying that she was on the other side talking back. The others may call him a fool, hell, he thought he was too at times, but his heart wouldn’t allow him to forget.

With eyes full of unshed tears, Kish lifted his face to the blue tinted glowing moon above him. “I know I’ve asked so many things of you over the months. But if you could only grant me one thing, it’d be to see her again. Even if it was just once. So, I could finally talk to her like I always wanted. To answer any question she had. To show her I’m not cruel or heartless. To show her how much I really do love her.” With the back of his hand, Kish rubbed away the moisture that had managed to escape his eyes. “Ichigo… If you’re out there listening, I still think of you. Not a day goes by when you don’t cross my mind. I hope you’re happy and doing well. That you finally have the life you wanted. A life without fighting.” Sighing, Kish stretched and got to his feet. “Goodnight, Kitten. And goodnight, Mr. Moon.” With a final half-hearted smile towards the moon, Kish disappeared.

In a nearby tree, another being teleported away, concern and worry a heavy weight on his shoulders.

Far across time and space, a young red head sat upon her balcony with tears in her eyes. Chocolate eyes gazed up at the moon through watery vision. “I don’t understand. I thought we were supposed to be together forever.”

Ichigo had returned from England almost a week ago heartbroken and devastated. The person she loved with all her heart had dumped her. The first few months after Ichigo had joined Masaya in England had been like a dream or a fairytale. Things couldn’t have been more perfect. But then things started to rapidly decline. Masaya spent more and more time in his classes or research labs. Started spending time with new groups of people that Ichigo didn’t really fit in with. They barely saw one another. To cope with her loneliness, Ichigo had resumed her conversations with the moon. The problem was it wasn’t just the moon she spoke to.

There wasn’t a balcony on her dorm room, but there was a small park next to her dormitory that had several large trees. One of them was perfect for climbing and she found a large branch that was comfortable enough to sit on. Almost every night, she’d sneak out and hide amongst the branches. The first time she did this, she couldn’t help but be reminded of a certain green-haired alien. She was well aware that he’d hidden himself in the tree outside her home on many nights. She had never let on, but she’d caught him a few times. And once the thought of him had crossed her mind, she wasn’t able to stop thinking about him.

She spoke to both him and the moon almost every night. She wondered how he was and how his planet was doing. She told him about her life now. One night she even asked if he still thought about her and let it slip that she missed him. But what she didn’t know was that that night, Masaya had been walking beneath her tree as he returned to his dorm from a late-night study session.

“Ichigo?” he called out.

“Gah! M…Masaya!? What are you doing out here so late?” Ichigo asked in surprise. Quickly, after a glance around, she jumped down from the tree. She may not be able to transform anymore, but she still had access to her cat DNA and with it the heightened agility. But thankfully, she didn’t have to worry about her ears and tail popping up anymore. Since the aliens left, most of her powers had vanished with them.
“I could ask you the same thing.” An awkward silence filled the night air for a moment before Masaya sighed. “So, you still think about him, and you miss him?”

Ichigo flinched and flamed scarlet at having been caught. “You heard me? And… Um… Ah…,” she started to stutter. Dropping her eyes to the ground, “Yeah. I guess I do. Mostly I just wonder how he and the others are doing. If they saved their planet. It’s almost been two years since they left. I thought we would hear something from them by now. After that final fight, I thought maybe they considered us friends or allies at least.”

Masaya spotted a nearby bench and set his bag next to it before taking a seat. “I’m sure if they could, they would have. But we don’t know how far away their planet is.” Glancing up at Ichigo, Masaya sighed again. “You care about him don’t you?”

Chocolate eyes shot up to stare at Masaya. “I… I don’t know. He was a constant in my life for almost two years. After learning about all he went through and why he and the others were here fighting, I guess I couldn’t help but feel sorry for them. Their lives seemed so awful. And yet there were times he seemed so cheerful and full of life. I don’t know if I’d have been able to smile like that after all he went through. So, yeah, I guess I do care about him at least a little.”

“And you miss him?” Masaya continued in a soft but even tone.

Ichigo wrang her hands together. “Sometimes. He could be cruel and scary, but there were times I saw something else in his eyes. Sadness and loneliness. And if nothing else, he definitely kept things exciting. Not always in a good way, but things were never boring when he was around.”

“So, things aren’t exciting anymore and you’re bored?”

A bad feeling began to twist in Ichigo’s gut. She suddenly didn’t like where this conversation was going. “Of course not! I’m happy with you, Masaya! This is like a dream come true. Getting to be here with you. I love you!”

Masaya shook his head. “Don’t lie, Ichigo. I know you’re not happy here. Studying and research was never really your thing. You’ve always been a girl of action and excitement. We’ve both noticed the distance growing between us. I think it would be best if we ended things. You need someone who can keep up with you. Someone who can provide that excitement you long for. We both know that’s not me. I love you, Ichigo. But I don’t think you’ll be happy with me, and I know you’re not happy here.”

Ichigo fell to her knees as tears streamed down her face. “What?! B… But how can you say that?! I love you Masaya! You make me happy! D…Don’t do this. Please!” Her heart was shattering. Never could she have ever imagined that her sweet Masaya would ever break up with her.

“I’m sorry, Ichigo, but I believe this is for the best. You deserve someone who can give you what I can’t. I’ll always love and care about you, but this is goodbye. You’re a strong and beautiful girl. You’ll be alright. And I know you’ll find the perfect match one day. Goodbye, Ichigo.” Gathering his bag, Masaya stood. With a final glance at Ichigo, he walked off into the night.

She had no idea how long she sat there on the cold pavement. Her world had turned upside down. She cried until there were no more tears to shed. An emptiness took root within her. It felt crushing. At some point she managed to pick herself up and make her way to her dorm room, but she couldn’t remember the walk at all. Her mind had been blank except for the shock and the pain.

The next few days were a blur to Ichigo. It almost didn’t seem real. She tried calling Masaya, but he refused to answer. Didn’t answer her many texts either. Needless to say, her classes were at the bottom of her priority list. She could barely eat or get out of bed. Class was out of the question.

This prompted a call from her mother on the third day after the breakup. One of Ichigo’s professors had called her mother about her sudden and unexplained absences. “Hello?” Ichigo muttered into the phone. She was doing her best to hold back her tears.

Right away, Sakura could tell something was very wrong. “What’s the matter sweetie? You sound awful and I got a call from one of your professors that you haven’t been to class. Is everything alright?”

It was like the flood gates opened wide anew and Ichigo completely broke down in tears. Through her sobs, she tried to explain what happened. That Masaya had left her.

“Oh honey! I’m so sorry. If that boy couldn’t see what he had then he never deserved you. I’m going to get you on the next flight home. I’ll put a call into your school that there was a family emergency. We can talk about everything once you get here. I love you sweetheart. I could kill that boy for hurting you so badly. But best not to waste any more time thinking about him. I know you loved him dearly, but I promise everything will be alright. I’ll text you the flight info, so get to packing. You’re coming home.”

Sniffling, “I love you too mom, and thank you. I can’t wait to see you again. Bye, Mom.”

“Bye, Sweetheart.” As soon as Sakura hung up, she bought a flight and sent the information to Ichigo. It left in seven hours, which would give her plenty of time to pack and to get to the airport. And since it was an evening flight, and a long one, she hoped Ichigo would try to get some sleep on the way so she wouldn’t be constantly thinking about her heartbreak. As soon as she was finished calling the school, she called her husband at work to explain the situation. Needless to say, Shintaro was furious. He had half a mind to fly to England to pick up his baby girl, but not before he beat some sense into that boy for hurting his little girl.

Ichigo sighed. She had arrived home over a week ago. Only her parents knew she was back in town. She wasn’t ready to face her friends and explain everything to them yet. It was only yesterday that she’d started to feel a bit more like herself. She and her parents had decided to pull her from the university. She’d start at the local college next semester. Ichigo didn’t want to remain at the England university because the only reason she went there was to be with Masaya. Thankfully, since she hadn’t even finished a full semester, her parents were able to get most of the money refunded. She also promised her parents she’d get her old job at the cafe back next week until school started again. They didn’t want her to stay cooped up and depressed.

Ichigo shifted her teary gaze from the moon to the tree across from her balcony. “This is all your fault,” she grumbled through her tears.

A shadowy figure with golden eyes emerged from the branches. “What’s my fault this time, Kitten?”

Chocolate eyes grew big and round as Ichigo scrambled backwards, falling onto her rear through her balcony door.

Kish chuckled and floated over to the railing. Resting his elbows atop it, he grinned down at the panicked girl. “As graceful as ever, I see.”

Leaning back on her hands, Ichigo stared up at the grinning boy. “K…Kish?”

Hopping atop the railing, Kish swept an arm out and bowed low. “The one and only. Miss me, Honey?” he asked, tossing her a wink as he stood back up.
“B…But how? And why? What are you doing here?” she hissed. She was quickly starting to fall back into the habit of being angry with him. But then she remembered her awful state and hurriedly wiped the tears from her face. “Go away.”

“But Kitten. I just got here. And if I leave, I can’t answer your questions. But more importantly, I won’t leave until you tell me what made you cry so I can destroy it.”

New tears started to seep down her cheeks at the reminder. Sniffling, she turned her face away from him. “Just go away, Kish. I’m not in the mood to deal with you tonight.” Suddenly, she felt two cool fingers gently grasp her jaw and turn her face, so she was looking directly into two golden eyes. Eyes that were shimmering with warmth and concern.

“Not until you tell me what’s wrong, Kitten. It hurts seeing you hurting so badly.” His voice was soft and gentle. He didn’t want to scare her or possibly upset her more than she already was. His heart was breaking at the sight of her. The fire that usually burned in her eyes was gone. She looked pale and thin, like she hadn’t been eating well. He couldn’t decide what he wanted more, to hug away her tears or to go rip apart whatever or whoever had done this to her.

Something in the way he gently held her or how caring he sounded touched her and put her at ease. In moments Ichigo had launched herself at Kish and buried her face against his chest as she cried her heart out. “He left me,” she repeated over and over in barely a whisper through her sobs.
Shock raced through Kish as he suddenly had his arms full of a crying red head. But soon a white-hot rage began to boil in his blood when her whispered words met his ears. “I’ll kill him,” he growled as his arms tightened around the trembling girl.

Anger flared within Ichigo with Kish’s words, and she realized just who she was hugging. Quickly, she pushed herself away from him and glared at him angrily. “Don’t you dare hurt him. Is that why you’re back? To fight again?” Betrayal began to gnaw at her heart. “I thought we parted as friends?”

Unconcealed anger flashed in Kish’s eyes at her accusation. Slowly, Kish got to his feet and stared down at the girl. Her accusation may have stung, but at least some of her spirit seemed to be returning. Crossing his arms, “That hurts, Ichigo. That after everything I did, you immediately jump to such a conclusion. I didn’t come back to fight. I also thought that after everything we were at least allies if not friends. But I guess I’ll always be an enemy to you.”

As Kish started to turn away, an unknown panic struck Ichigo. “Wait!” she hollered. “Don’t go. If you didn’t come back to fight again, then why are you here?”

Continuing to walk out onto the balcony, Kish floated up to sit on the railing. One leg dangled on Ichigo’s side, and he brought his other up and wrapped his arms around his shin. After a quick glance at Ichigo, he raised his face to the bright moon. He spoke quietly, but loud enough that he knew she would hear. “Because I missed you. I couldn’t stop thinking about you. And talking to the moon hoping you were on the other side talking back just wasn’t cutting it anymore. I had to see you again.”

Getting to her feet, Ichigo slowly made her way out onto the balcony. Stopping only a step outside the door, she looked at Kish with surprise. “But it’s been two years. I figured you’d have all kinds of girlfriends by now. That you would have forgotten about me and moved on.”

Sharp golden eyes flicked to her. “Love doesn’t go away that easily, Ichigo.”

Ichigo dropped her eyes to the balcony floor and clenched her hands into fists at her sides. “Tell that to Masaya,” she muttered bitterly under her breath.

Kish’s keen ears had easily picked up what she had said. A fire burned in his eyes as he stared at Ichigo. “Tell me what happened.”

The harshness of his command caught her off guard, but the deep concern that she could feel in his words compelled her to tell him. So, she told him everything. She saw his hands clench into white knuckled fists. His body became tense and rigid, like he was restraining himself. But when her eyes caught his, she gasped. They were burning with such intensity. She’d seen his like that a handful of times before, and all were to do with her.

“He’s a fool,” he growled low. “A cowardly fool at that. To give up something as precious as you! Just because he was too cowardly to try. He couldn’t be bothered to try to make you happy. To provide what you needed. Instead, he took the coward’s way out. He gave up. To think I lost to such a pathetic human. At least he was right about one thing, you deserve better.”

“What? Like you?” she snapped. His harsh words about the boy she had loved so dearly stung. Even if she could see some truth in Kish’s words.

“Heh. I’d like to think so, but probably not. But I can promise I’d never leave you. That I’d do absolutely everything in my power to make you happy and keep you protected. Unlike that bastard, my love is real and true. I’ve always loved you, Ichigo.” His gaze was hard as he held hers for a few more moments. Then he tore them away and looked back up at the moon. He was afraid he’d said too much. That he’d frightened her away. That he’d blown what may be his last and only chance to get close to her. Sighing, his heart felt heavy. “I know you probably don’t believe me. Especially after how horribly I treated you back then, but I swear on my life, Ichigo, it's true. I love you more than anything. I have since I first saw you. And I’m sorry for everything I did. I wish I had done things differently.” Kish clenched his eyes shut, waiting for her to start yelling at him. For her to say she hated him and to go away. However, a moment later, his eyes flew open in shock, and he looked down at her hand wrapped shyly over his.

Ichigo was in shock. His words had touched her deeply. She always knew he’d held some affection towards her, but not like this. The way he spoke had her speechless. He’d never been this clear and open before. Always being enigmatic and speaking in riddles. Or overly perverse and flirtatious to where he sounded more like he was making fun of her. But this time, he had spoken directly from the heart, and she had felt it. Timidly, she stepped forwards and hesitantly slipped her hand over his. Her eyes remained on their hands as she spoke, being too nervous to look him in the eye. “This isn’t me saying yes, but it’s also not a no either. But I will say apology accepted.”

When he went to hug her, she stopped him with a hand on his chest. “Don’t. I’m still hurting and confused. But you’ve given me something to think about. Can… Can you come back tomorrow, and we can find someplace to talk? Just the two of us?” Slowly, she finally lifted her eyes to look at him. What she saw took her breath away.

The largest, most genuine smile curved his lips. His eyes shown brightly with happiness, even his ears gave a small wiggle. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been this genuinely happy. “Anything for you, Kitten.” Before she had the chance to stop him, he swooped down and gave her a peck on the cheek. “See you soon, Kitten.” He flashed his toothy smirk and vanished.

Ichigo pressed her fingertips over where he’d kissed her, and her cheeks flamed scarlet. As she returned to her room, she caught herself in the mirror. Amazingly, she was smiling. That cheeky alien had gotten her to smile again. And what’s more, after his declaration, she hadn’t really thought about the breakup or Masaya at all. Glancing over her shoulder, she looked out at the tree. “Thank you, Kish. And goodnight.”

Hiding amongst the branches, Kish’s heart swelled. His ears had heard her thanks. His night hadn’t gone completely to plan, but he couldn’t be happier. He’d have to thank Pai later.

For it had been Pai that had made this night possible. As it turned out, Pai had been the one spying on Kish. He’d noticed Kish’s decline ever since they had returned. He’d begun to keep a closer eye on his cousin. He had a rather promising idea what was bothering the green-haired boy but was unsure what to do. He’d tried talking to Kish, but emotions weren’t really his strong point. And Kish had always had a tendency to keep things to himself. Preferring to stay more independent and a slight loner.

Kish had been that way ever since his parents had died in a cave in. They had protected Kish with their bodies and magic. Kish had just turned ten and it was only two days before Kish was to undergo the initiation ceremony into the military academy. From then on, it was like a switch had been flipped within Kish. Outwardly, Kish still appeared as the cocky, arrogant, outgoing, and flirtatious boy he’d always been. But Pai could see the difference. There was a cold yet manic glint in Kish’s eye now. He’d always been cunning, but now he was ruthless. He climbed the military ladder swiftly and it didn’t seem like he cared who he used to do it.

But once they’d been on Earth for a bit, Pai had seen a subtle change in Kish. That coldness in his eyes was beginning to shift back to his original sparkle of mischief. It was like the old Kish had started to resurface. And though he hated the idea, it seemed this Ichigo was the reason. It seemed Kish had found his heart again thanks to this girl.

So, after seeing how broken Kish had become, and hearing how much he still desperately loved the girl, Pai had made up his mind to help. But, as stated, he was at a loss when it came to emotions and especially matters of the heart. With a heavy mind, Pai sought out the advice of his father. Things didn’t exactly go to plan.

Pai knew Kish would be upset with him, but he explained everything to his father. How Kish had fallen deeply in love with the pink Mew. Even compromising some of their plans to try and protect her. He even explained how Kish had sacrificed his life to protect Ichigo from Deep Blue. That he’d defied their very savior for her. Granted, it had turned out their so-called savior had been corrupt and power hungry and that Kish had figured that out long before any of them. But the fact was, he had given his life for his love. Thankfully, the power of the Mew Aqua had revived him.

Pai’s father had listened intently to everything Pai had said and grew more and more concerned. He knew Kish had developed feelings for the human girl, but not to this extent. He had thought it was merely a crush. A passing fancy that would fade quickly as the local females started to vie for Kish’s attention. He knew he had to do something. It seemed like Kish was getting dangerously close to proclaiming this human girl as his. Lavosh knew he couldn’t let that happen. Not only would Kish be doomed to loneliness and misery for the rest of his life, but Kish was also a proud member of the Ikisatashi bloodline. Kish needed to marry or find a mate to produce an heir. So, Lavosh came up with an idea.

“I see. I’d been wondering why Kish had seemed so distant since returning. This is serious indeed. I believe I know of a way to help. Young Crème has recently come of age and has been enquiring about Kish. I’ll speak to her father and arrange a get together for the two.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Father,” Pai quickly said. Kish and Crème had a bit of a history.

“Nonsense, my boy. They used to play together as children. I’m sure Crème is just the girl to pull Kish’s focus. She is rather pretty. I’ll make the arrangements for tomorrow. You tell that arrogant nephew of mine to clear his schedule, but do not tell him why. Let’s keep this a surprise. I’m sure in no time, Crème will have gotten Kish to forget all about that human girl.” Lavosh patted his son on the shoulder then teleported away.

Pai sighed. “By my calculations, the percent in which you’re correct father is remarkably low,” he muttered to himself. Kish was not going to be happy about this. They played together as children, but Kish couldn’t exactly stand Crème, no one could. She’d grown into a rather incredible ‘bitch’ as the humans would say. She used her family name like a weapon and, because she was so beautiful, she thought she was entitled to anything she wanted. Which, unfortunately, included Kish. She had made it her life goal to convince Kish to marry her. Kish wasn’t interested in the least and enjoyed flaunting his popularity with the girls in front of her. Everyone knew Kish was not a one-woman kind of guy. He got around.

‘At least he used to,’ Pai thought to himself. Now, Kish barely acknowledged the opposite sex. It seemed he really had fallen in love with Ichigo.
As Pai suspected, Kish had been furious when he learned of Lavosh’s plans. But since it was a request from his uncle, Kish had to at least humor the girl for the day. He remained polite but kept his distance. However, whenever he could, he’d slip a comment about other females into the conversation. Trying to drive the point home that he was interested in just about any girl besides her.

As soon as he could get away, Kish stormed into his family home. “Lavosh!” he yelled out. He was furious. When his uncle appeared, Kish began laying into him, but he kept his tone low and steady. “If you ever try to mess with my personal life again, you will regret it. I will continue to bring honor to our family name and continue to show you respect. However, I will only ever love one woman. That is non-negotiable.”

“But Kish. She’s a human and in love with someone else from what I’ve been told. It’s high time you started thinking of finding a mate and wife. If not the lovely Crème, then there must be some other girl that’s caught your eye. You’ve always had so many admirers.” Lavosh was worried. He didn’t know how he was going to fix this. Their laws strictly forbid forced marriages, but Kish needed to forget about that human girl.

“No, uncle. I’m not now nor will I ever be interested in any other woman. Nor can you force me to find a wife. But if you continue to interfere in my personal life, I will cut ties with the family. I’d rather live in exile than be constantly reminded of my broken heart. To be reminded of something I’ll never have.” Kish’s voice was low and threatening. He knew Lavosh would never allow him to leave the family. He was too valuable. Too well regarded in society. Kish and his cousins had made the Ikisatashi family a household name more than they already had been. He also didn’t like going against his uncle’s wishes. Lavosh had taken him in when his parents had died. Provided him with food when there was precious little to go around. But he was adamant about this. He loved Ichigo. Maybe in time he may be able to move on, but now wasn’t it. He still loved her more than anything. He’d willingly given everything up for her once. He’d be more than happy to do it again.

Lavosh knew Kish was serious. Knew he’d follow through with his threat if he pushed too hard. Kish had always been stubborn and independent. But Lavosh loved him like his own son and was still concerned for his future. “Fine. I’ll respect your wishes and refrain from meddling. However, you must promise not to close yourself off. That you allow the possibility for love to bloom for another. Or, if you are very lucky, to not deny the spark from a future mate.”

Kish’s hands clenched into fists. What Lavosh was asking was completely reasonable. However, Kish had already felt that spark. With Ichigo. But he kept that information and the heartbreaking feeling that went with it buried deep within himself. He’d never felt the return spark from her. She had either rejected it wholeheartedly or had never felt it to begin with. To have a mate spark rejected was unheard of. You only had one life mate. To be rejected meant Kish would never find another mate. His soul would always yearn for that missing piece, Ichigo. He could love again and marry, but he would never have that deep connection. Would never be able to truly give his heart to another.

Before Kish could answer, Pai made his presence known. “I have a proposal, Father. If you’re both willing to hear me out.” Pai felt responsible for Kish’s predicament. He’d only wanted to help. Instead, he’d made things worse for Kish. He’d caused a rift between him and his father. He also knew Crème would use this to her advantage if she ever found out. To try and trap Kish or make his life miserable while trying.

Both Kish and Lavosh nodded their heads for Pai to continue.

“Allow Kish to return to Earth. As I told you, that girl was in love with someone else. Once Kish sees how happy she is with her lover still, maybe he’ll be able to move past this foolishness. To put her behind him.”

Kish shot a glare towards Pai. He absolutely hated the way Pai had worded his proposal. However, an undeniable glee started to take root. He could see his Kitten again. Could have another chance to win her heart. And this time he could do things right. They wouldn’t be enemies. He could show her exactly what she meant to him. Show her he wasn’t cruel. That he’d never wanted to hurt her. He’d also be able to answer all those questions she had about him. It was a second chance. He wasn’t about to lose this opportunity.

“Pai’s right. Seeing her happy may be the push I need to move on. If she rejects me again, then I will take looking for a wife much more seriously. My only stipulation is that it will never be Crème. But… If Ichigo does choose me, then I want your approval to bring her home and make her mine.”

Lavosh looked Kish up and down, taking note of the fierce determination in his eyes. Lavosh knew that look. When Kish’s mind was made up, there was no stopping the boy. “If she agrees, then you have my blessing to bring her home and marry her. My stipulation is that I’m only giving you one month to win her heart. If she still denies you at the end of the month, then you will forget all about this human. I am reasonable though, so I won’t count the travel time against you. I know it takes a couple of days to get there. But I will be checking the ships logs when you return. Do I make myself clear?”

A grin was starting to grow upon Kish’s face. He was going back. Back to his Kitten. Back to the girl he loved more than anything. Bowing his head, “Yes, Uncle, and I agree to your terms. When may I leave?” Kish could barely contain his excitement, but he managed to keep his voice level. Barely.

“As soon as you’re ready. You can use your old ship and I’ll cover for your absences. Everyone’s absences, because Pai and Tart will be accompanying you,” Lavosh said with a grin eerily similar to Kish’s.

“What?!” Kish exclaimed. Not that he minded having his cousins around. He had just been hoping for a lot of alone time with his Kitten.

“You heard me. Since this was Pai’s idea he’ll be going along to ensure you stick to the agreement. And Tart’s been driving your aunt and I crazy with talk of Earth. You two can keep an eye on him for a while.”

Kish was upset, but he almost laughed outright at his uncle’s comment. It seemed he wasn’t the only one Tart had been driving up a wall. “Fine. Pai, you go get Tart and…” A loud bang as the door swung open interrupted Kish.

“I already know! We’re really going back?!” An energetic and excited Tart asked as he barged into the room.

“Eavesdropping little brat,” Kish grumbled under his breath. He didn’t miss the smile that flashed upon his uncle’s face for a split second at his comment. Shaking his head, “Yes. Now go pack your things. I want to leave within the hour. I’ll meet you both on the ship. And thank you again, Uncle.” Kish gave a nod of his head and teleported to his home.

It had only taken him fifteen minutes to pack his belongings. He’d never been a very materialistic person. He spent the rest of the time readying and preparing the ship for departure. Nervousness and excitement thrummed through his body. He couldn’t wait to see her again. But a small flicker of fear and apprehension also appeared within his heart. ‘What if she rejects me again? What if she really is still happily in love with that human?’ Quickly, Kish tamped those thoughts down. He wasn’t about to let that kind of negative thinking bring down his good mood. He'd deal with whatever when he got there. In the meantime, he let his thoughts become consumed with images of a red headed cat girl.

The ship had barely appeared in Earth’s orbit before Kish disappeared from it. He couldn’t wait any longer. The desire to see his Kitten was too great, too strong to ignore. Appearing above her home, he hid among the branches of his favorite hiding place, the tree just outside her balcony. It was evening, so he figured his chances of catching her at home were high. He wasn’t disappointed.

There she was. He held his breath as she stepped out of her room and onto the balcony. She was even more beautiful than he remembered. But something was wrong. Her large chocolate eyes were filled with tears, and it looked like her spirit had been broken. He listened intently when she started to speak to the moon.

His heart was breaking. Something or someone had hurt her dearly. Determination grew as he resolved himself to find out what had happened and to fix it. He hadn’t planned to reveal himself just yet, but when it seemed like she was addressing him directly, he couldn’t hold back. He needed to talk to her. Needed to help her. It turned out he had definitely made the right decision.

Kish was ecstatic when he returned to the ship. His Kitten had hugged him, had cried in his arms. Had trusted him enough to let her guard down, if only for a moment. And what’s more, she had asked him to come see her again. She wanted him around. Though he was still concerned about her, for she was obviously still in pain, he couldn’t contain his happiness.

“Guess you saw the Old Hag?” Tart asked when he saw Kish appear. “Cause that smile’s beginning to creep me out.”

Kish folded his hands behind his head and floated within the ruin filled dimension aboard their ship. “Yup! And she even asked to see me again tomorrow. She wants to go somewhere we can talk in private.”

“You sure? There’s no way the Old Hag wants to be alone with you. She hated you,” Tart teased.

Kish whapped him upside the head. “Stop calling her that! And it’s true. She really asked to see me again. Just you watch. This time I really will make her mine. That damn tree hugger left her. She’s all mine now.”

“Ah, so you’re her rebound…,” Tart snickered.

“I am not! And what the hell do you know about rebounds, twerp?” Kish snapped angrily.

When Kish lunged for Tart after he stuck his tongue out at him, Pai grabbed ahold of the back of Kish’s shirt to stop him. “Enough you two. We just got here and you’re already fighting. Tart, stop goading Kish. And, Kish, I wish you luck. It seems the probability of gaining her heart has increased since we were last here.” Pai released Kish and grabbed Tart. He hauled him out of the dimension and to their rooms, leaving Kish to himself.

Staying hovering in the air, Kish lost himself in thought. He wanted to come up with the perfect place to take Ichigo. Someplace secluded, but where she wouldn’t feel uneasy or scared. He wanted her to feel comfortable so she would talk more. So she’d let her guard down and let him in instead of pushing him away. He also thought of all the things he wanted to say. The things he wanted to tell her. To show her the real him, not the warrior that was once her enemy. But of himself. The real Kish.

It was now six in the morning and Kish had only gotten a few restless hours of sleep. His mind had been too active and excited for sleep to come easily. Thankfully, Cyniclons didn’t require nearly the same amount of sleep as a human. After a quick shower and a change into clean clothes, Kish teleported right to Ichigo’s balcony.

If he knew his Kitten, she’d still be asleep this early. Quietly, he teleported into her room. As he guessed, she was still sound asleep, tucked away in her bed. He drifted over to the side and gazed lovingly down at the sleeping beauty. She was on her back with her right arm thrown above her head and her left lying across her stomach. Her hair was slightly tousled and spread out over her pillow like a bright red halo. Kish noticed that it had grown an inch or two since he’d last been to Earth. The blankets were crumpled and had been pushed down just past her waist. Kish’s eyes hungrily trailed over the strip of flesh that was revealed below her pink tank top where it had ridden up in her sleep.

Floating upwards, Kish then carefully lowered himself to just barely an inch above her bed to Ichigo’s right. Rolling to his side, he propped his head up on his elbow. Tenderly, he brushed her bangs aside. Kish then trailed his fingertips along the side of her face. Cupping her cheek, “Time to wake up, Kitten.” He kept his voice a soft whisper so as not to shock her awake.
Grumbling, Ichigo rolled onto her side and snuggled up against Kish. “Five more minutes,” she softly mumbled. She brought one hand up and twisted it in Kish’s shirt, her other hand snaked over his waist and gripped the back of his shirt.

A spark of mischief glinted in Kish’s eye for her face was now only a few inches from his own. Not only that, but she had willingly snuggled up to him. A smirk slid over his lips and a pearly fang slipped from beneath. Kish was absolutely enjoying this turn of events and he planned to take full advantage. For beside her lips being easily accessible, all Kish had to do was glance down and he had a wonderful view down her shirt and at her lovely cleavage. Sliding his hand further back, he let his fingers run through her silky hair.

A part of him knew this was wrong. That he shouldn’t be invading her personal space like this. ‘But she was the one that latched on to me,’ he tried to justify himself. Before he let himself get too carried away, he figured it was time to wake her. “If you don’t wake up, I’m going to steal a kiss.”

“Dun wanna,” Ichigo answered groggily. She was still clearly mostly asleep.

Grinning, Kish leaned forwards and whispered against her lips, “I warned you.” Closing the distance, Kish pressed his lips softly to hers. Kish was in absolute heaven. Her lips were incredibly soft, and she still tasted sweet just like he remembered. But suddenly, Kish’s eyes grew wide, and he was the first to pull away from the kiss. To his absolute astonishment and happiness, she had murmured his name against his lips. It had been an incredibly quiet whisper, and even Kish’s sensitive ears had strained to hear it. But he had. She had said his name while she was asleep, and he was kissing her.

Feeling the sudden jerky movements when Kish pulled away, Ichigo’s eyes fluttered open. It took everything she had to keep from screaming out when she registered Kish laying next to her on the bed. “Kish!” she hissed through her teeth. “What are you doing in my room and on my bed?” Scrambling back, she put some distance between them and yanked her covers up over herself.

Lazily, Kish shifted so he now sat beside her against the headboard. “You asked me to come by today and I couldn’t wait to see you. I wanted to be here to give you a kiss good morning.” He gave her a toothy grin.

“That is so not happening. Now get out,” she growled as she glared at him.

Chuckling, “Heh… Too late, Kitten. I tried to wake you, but you wouldn’t get up. I told you I’d kiss you if you didn’t. Well, you didn’t. You taste as amazing as I remember.” He followed up with a salacious wink.

“What?! You’re kidding me! I… I can’t believe you. I thought you had changed, but you’re still the same old pervert as always!” She was furious and a fire burned in her eyes. She started to raise her hand to slap him, but Kish quickly caught her hand.

“I’m sorry, Ichigo. Honestly. But I just couldn’t resist. And I did warn you. Besides, you seemed to enjoy it because you moaned my name when I kissed you. So, either you were awake enough to know it was me or you were dreaming and fantasizing about kissing me. So, which is it, Kitten? Hmn?” His grin grew a touch wicked as he leaned towards her, her hand still trapped in his.

A bright red blush bloomed across Ichigo’s cheeks, and she snatched her hand back. “N… Neither! There’s no way. You must have misheard. There’s no way I said your name. And I definitely wasn’t dreaming about you.” She tried to sound confident, but she couldn’t help the small flutter in her voice. Never would she admit that she had been dreaming about him. Specifically, about what it would be like to really kiss him.

Kish shook his head. “Now, now, Kitten. No need to hide it. I’d be more than happy to fulfill whatever fantasies you have in that beautiful head of yours.” The tip of Kish’s tongue snaked out and traced his bottom lip. His molten gold eyes locked with hers.

Narrowing her eyes at Kish, “That’s it. Get out. You haven’t changed at all.”

Internally, Kish berated himself. He’d pushed her too far. ‘But damn she’s cute when riled up,’ he thought to himself. Glancing from her to the balcony then back again, Kish realized he needed to fix this, or he just may ruin his only chance. “Wait, Kitten. I’m sorry. I can’t promise I won’t misbehave at all, but what if I give you my word I won’t touch you in anyway unless I have your permission?” Kish wanted to smack himself. He wanted to take back the offer as soon as he’d said it. This was going to be like torture. He couldn’t keep his hands off her when they were enemies. How the hell was he supposed to now?

Ichigo looked at Kish skeptically, “Yeah right. I’ll believe that when I see it.”

“I mean it, Kitten. No stealing kisses or trying to hold you without your permission. I promise. I just really want an opportunity to talk. I want you to see who I am without a war between us.” Kish held his hand out to her. “What do you say, honey? Will you give me a chance?”

Eyeing his hand, Ichigo cocked a brow. “You mean it? You just want to talk? And you’ll keep your behavior in check?”

Kish grinned, “I promise to behave, mostly. I’ll keep my hands to myself, but the flirting and teasing…. Well, that probably won’t stop completely.” Kish shrugged his shoulders, “It’s who I am.”

Hesitantly, Ichigo placed her hand in his. A tingling spark ran up her arm, but she ignored it. “Alright. I’ll let you have your chance, but the second you break your promise, I’m kicking your butt off this planet for good.”

Giving her hand a gentle but firm shake, Kish smiled wide. He’d also felt the spark travel up his arm at her touch, but this time, he’d felt a response. It was incredibly faint, and it seemed she was unaware, but the reciprocating echo had been there. “I’d expect nothing less from my feisty kitty-cat.”

Pulling her hand away, she glared at Kish. “I’m not your anything.”

“Heh. Always so feisty. Love it,” Kish said with a large grin. A mischievous hunger flashed within his golden eyes. “So, still want to go somewhere and talk?”

Ichigo noticed the teasing lilt in Kish’s voice. It seemed his interest in her hadn’t waned over the years since he’d been gone. “Behave yourself. I need to shower and get dressed. Then we can go somewhere.” Ichigo climbed out of bed and made her way to her dresser. When she pulled out her underwear drawer, she noticed Kish hovering above her staring into the drawer. Slamming the drawer shut, she caught Kish’s hand in the proverbial cookie jar.

Yanking his injured hand back, he shook his painful fingers. “Cripes, Kitten! That hurt.”

“Shh! Keep your voice down,” she hissed. “If you don’t want your fingers smashed then keep them out of where they don’t belong. Now get out while I get ready. I’ll meet you in the park near the café. And please stay hidden. The last thing I need is for you to cause a panic.”

Kish rubbed his sore fingers. “Aww. Worried about me, honey?”
Ichigo rolled her eyes, but a soft pink dusted her cheeks. “Shut it. Now get going.”

“Alright, alright. I’m going. Don’t keep me waiting too long.” With a wink, Kish disappeared.

Spinning around, Ichigo looked over her room to be sure Kish had really left. “Kish?” she whispered. When she didn’t get a response she let out a sigh of relief. Gathering her things, she headed to the bathroom. Setting her stuff down on the counter she looked at herself in the mirror. “What am I doing? This is Kish. Who tried to kill me and stalked me for almost two years. Who snuck into my room.” Pausing, “Who also gave his life to protect me. Face it girl. You know he can’t be all bad. And you’ve been wanting to get to know him for years. You finally have that chance.” Ichigo shook her head, “Well I guess it’s too late now. I promised to meet him and give him a chance.”

A little over an hour later, Ichigo found herself timidly walking through the park. She was nervous, but she was also filled with excitement. How many other people could say they not only knew an alien, but had the chance to learn about them? As she walked, she let her eyes scan the trees around her. She figured that’s where he’d be hiding while he waited.

Ichigo wasn’t wrong. Kish sat hidden on a high branch of a Sakura tree as he waited for his Kitten. His eyes flicked all around the park, looking for that fiery red hair that he knew so well. It didn’t take him long to spot her once she entered the park. Drifting down, he landed next to a tree that she was sure to pass in a moment. Crossing his arms behind his head, he leaned against the trunk as he waited. When she entered his peripheral, “Fancy running into such a beautiful kitty-cat here.”

Spinning on her toes, Ichigo nearly jumped out of her skin. Quickly, she grabbed Kish’s arm and dragged him further into the trees so they wouldn’t be seen. “I thought I told you to stay hidden?” she scolded.

“Relax, Kitten. No one saw me.” Kish glanced down at where Ichigo still had ahold of his arm and grinned. “Breaking the rules already? I thought you said no touching?”

Releasing him quickly, Ichigo couldn’t help the blush that appeared on her cheeks. “The rule was you couldn’t touch me.”

Kish gave a faint pout when she pulled her hand away. “I suppose you’re right. Now, I have just the place in mind for our talk. But I’ll either need to touch you or you’ll have to hold on to me, preferably both,” he winked.

“What? Why?” she asked. Then a lightbulb went off. “Wait, you mean to teleport us don’t you? But how do I know this isn’t some kind of trap?”

Kish clutched his chest dramatically. “So, mean, Kitty-cat. I gave you my word that I won’t hurt you and I promise this isn’t a trick. So, will you trust me?” He looked at her expectantly as he awaited her response.

Eyeing him long and hard, Ichigo finally gave in. She’d come this far already, no point in backing out now. Reaching out, Ichigo placed her hand on his arm, “Fine. I trust you. Don’t make me regret it.”

Hesitantly, Kish started to circle his other arm around her waist. But he stopped before he actually touched her. “May I hold you? It will make the travel easier and safer for you.”

Ichigo gave him a skeptical look. “If you must. But keep your hands on my waist only. I remember how your hands liked to wander.”

“Heh. You can’t really blame me, can you? Such a beautiful and tempting Kitty-cat. But I promise to behave.” Gently, his arm coiled around her waist and pulled her close. “Now, close your eyes and hold your breath when I say. Ready?” When she nodded, “Now.” A split second later, the pair vanished.

“You can open your eyes now,” Kish instructed when they arrived at his destination. “But feel free to keep holding on to me if you wish.” That cocky and arrogant tone was once again in his voice.

As soon as Ichigo felt her legs under her, she put some distance between them. Bending over, she placed her hands on her thighs. Her vision was swimming and she felt dizzy.

Kish looked at Ichigo with concern. “Sorry, Kitten. The first time can be a bit rough. But the dizziness will pass in a minute or two.”

Ichigo could hear the concern in his voice, so she bit back her complaints. Slowly, she lowered herself to the ground and took a seat on what felt like loose stones and grass. Blinking, she focused on her surroundings. It looked like they were atop a rocky outcropping. A few feet below was a gleaming lake, who’s calm surface glittered in the bright sunlight. All around the lake were the dense trees of a forest. The scene was calm and serene, and it took her breath away. “Wow, Kish. Where are we? It’s beautiful.”

Giving her a warm smile, he took a few steps and sat on the edge of the outcropping, his legs dangling off the edge. “In a protected forest not too far outside Tokyo. I used to come here when I wanted to be alone and think. Don’t worry. There’s not another person around for miles. So, you don’t have to worry about me being seen or being seen with me.” Kish let his eyes drift over the shimmering lake surface. He hoped by bringing her somewhere that was not only calming, but was also a place he held special, it would help her to stay relaxed and maybe open up to him more.

Scooting forwards over the soft ground, Ichigo swung her legs over the edge and sat next to him, but she made sure to keep some space between them. Hearing some of the pain in his voice, Ichigo glanced over at him. “Thank you for sharing this place with me. It really is beautiful here.”

“Of course, Kitten. Well, we’re here cause you wanted to talk. Feel free to say or ask me anything.” Kish kept his eyes on the water as he spoke. He wanted Ichigo to feel at ease and to set her own pace with the conversation.

“I don’t know where to start. I have so many questions. And how do I know you’ll be truthful?” she started.

“I give you my word I won’t lie to you. I’ve never lied to you, Ichigo. I don’t plan to start now. You can ask me anything at all. I’m sure you’ve got at least some questions floating around in that curious mind of yours.” Kish leaned back on his hands as he waited for what she might ask.

“Okay… Well first um… How old are you?” It was something she’d always wondered. Sometimes he seemed barely older than her. But other times she glimpsed such a deep sadness in his eyes that he appeared much older. And he was an alien. No telling how they aged.

Kish chuckled. “You can ask me literally anything and you start with my age?” He saw her glare at him out the corner of his eye. “Nineteen. I’m nineteen and when I first came here I was sixteen.”

“So that only makes you around two years older than me. So young to have been sent so far away and to wage war on an entire planet. That must have been hard.” Though she had always suspected they were close in age, it was a bit of a shock to have it confirmed. To be so young and in charge of an invasion. Not to mention being so far away from your home and family. Not knowing if you’ll ever see them again.

Hearing some of the surprise in Ichigo’s voice, Kish decided to elaborate. “The mortality rate of our elders was extremely high and there weren’t many. Those around my age group do almost everything for our people. The elders maintain order and keep the peace. They also train us and give advice. But anything requiring action is handled by the younger generation. Part of why I was sent was because I volunteered. My parents died in an accident when I was ten, so I’ve always felt a bit alone. I also wanted to save my people. I foolishly believed in the lies Deep Blue told me and my people. That humans were evil and selfish. That they were destroying our rightful home. I had a lot of anger and pride which I directed towards training and proving myself worthy of the mission. Because of my skills, intelligence, and because I was technically an orphan, I was an easy choice for Deep Blue.”

Ichigo sat quietly stunned. She had known he’d had a rough life, but to have lost his parents at such a young age. It broke her heart. “What do you mean ‘technically’ an orphan? And, if you don’t mind talking about it, what happened to your parents?”

Glancing at her, Kish gave Ichigo a small smile. “I told you; you could ask me anything. I meant it. I say technically because my aunt and uncle took me in. If they hadn’t, I would have starved. There wasn’t much food for anyone. Orphaned children have to beg and sometimes even steal to survive. Most don’t. Without a family to claim you, you’re not seen as worth much and become a burden to the rest of the clan.” Sighing, Kish turned back towards the lake. “As for my parents, they were killed in a cave in. My people lived deep underground to escape the harsh and unpredictable weather on the surface. Our planet wasn’t very stable. Earthquakes, flooding, and many other natural disasters were common occurrences. An earthquake caused the cave my home was in to collapse. My parents didn’t escape because they were protecting me. My father created a barrier over my mother and me. My mother had been gravely injured when she covered me to protect me from the falling rocks. By the time help arrived, my mother had died of her wounds and my father had used up all his energy to keep up the barrier. His heart had given out due to the strain. But thanks to them, I managed to survive long enough for help to come and find me.”

Leaning over, Ichigo tenderly set her hand atop his. “I’m so sorry, Kish. That’s awful.”

Again, Kish felt the faint spark when their hands connected, but this time he chose to fully ignore it. “Thanks, Kitten. I miss them, but it gets harder every day to remember them. Only a handful of memories really remain. Mostly training sessions with my dad and when my mother would sing me to sleep.”

“What were their names?” Ichigo asked softly.

“My father’s name was Brioche and my mother’s was Canelé.”

“Umm… I don’t mean to sound rude, but is everyone from your planet named after a food?” Ichigo asked hesitantly.

Kish chuckled, “Some. But only those from important family bloodlines. It’s an ancient tradition started many generations ago when my people first arrived on Cynicla. Besides our family name, it sets us apart from the rest of my people.”

“So Pai and Tart are from an important family too?” Ichigo asked curiously.

“I guess you never realized,” Kish said with a cocked brow. “Yes. My family’s. They’re my cousins.”

Ichigo’s eyes grew wide in surprise. “Does that mean…”

Kish cut her off, “Yup. Their parents are the ones who took me in. Their father is my dad’s brother.”

“Then what’s your family name?” Ichigo was growing a touch excited now. She was learning so much. And though some had been incredibly sad and heartbreaking, she found she was enjoying herself. And she was even enjoying Kish’s company. She was getting to see a side of him that she never had. And she liked it. That he could be kind and serious. That there was more to him than his flirtatiousness and cold cruelty.

“Ikisatashi,” Kish answered simply.

“That almost sounds Japanese. Speaking of which, how is it that you can speak my language?” That had been something Lettuce had mentioned once. That she was surprised the aliens could not only understand them but could also speak their language. Especially since they seemed confused about most things on Earth.

Kish tapped the base of his skull. “Everyone who joins the military has a tiny neural receiver implanted about here. It can link with our transfer orb aboard our ship. Basically, we downloaded your language directly to our brains. You aren’t the only other race our people have encountered. This way, communication is much easier. Though the process is incredibly painful and disorienting. I wouldn’t recommend it,” he winked.

“Wow! So, you’ve met other species? And um… Could I hear what your language actually sounds like?” It was fascinating. That someone barely older than her had met other alien species in the galaxy. The kind of experience and knowledge he must have was surely incredible.

“Yup. In fact, a good friend of mine is a general on another planet near mine. They look similar to my people though they are a bit taller and much more brawny. The only magical gift they have is telepathy. They are a race of warrior like hunters. Not very technologically advanced. Took a while for my people to forge a friendship with them because they are naturally suspicious of outsiders.” Turning to face her, Kish locked his golden eyes with Ichigo’s soft chocolate ones. “As for my language…” Kish spoke several sentences in his native tongue.

To Ichigo, Kish’s language sounded fluid and beautiful. Though she couldn’t understand any of it, it seemed to reach inside and touch her heart. She pressed her hand to her chest, “Wh… What did you say?” She found herself desperately wanting to know.

A knowing gleam shown in Kish’s eyes and a smirk slid over his mouth. “Maybe one day I’ll tell you, but for now that will be my little secret.” In all honesty he wanted to tell her, especially with her reaction, but it was too soon. She wouldn’t understand and it may scare her off. What he’d said had been very personal. “I love you more than anything, Kitten. You are the missing piece of my soul. Feel my heart, mate. For I know you are, and I claim you as such. I will make you mine and I forever belong to you.” He’d said part of the mate recognition vows. And she’d responded even though she couldn’t understand what he’d said. On an instinctual level, her heart had understood and reached for him. It was confirmation enough. She was his mate, and he wasn’t going to lose her again.

Ichigo pouted, “But you said you’d answer anything I ask. Why won’t you tell me what you said?”

Kish couldn’t help but smile at how adorable she looked while pouting. “And I promise I will. Just not right now. Once you’ve gotten to know me better and fully trust me, then I’ll tell you what I said.”

“But I do trust you. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t,” Ichigo quickly fired back. She didn’t know why, but she really wanted to know what he had said. It felt like it was something very important.

Slowly, Kish shook his head. A sadness flashed in his eyes for only a moment. But there was also a quick spark of hope within his eyes. “Maybe you do. But not completely. You were hesitant to let me teleport us. You keep your distance even though I gave you my word I wouldn’t do anything. It’s obvious you don’t fully trust me. But I’m hopeful you will one day.”

Ichigo was taken aback. She realized he was right. Other than some flirting and a stolen kiss, he hadn’t done anything to put her in harms way. Once he’d given his word, even the flirting had died down. He’d been going out of his way to put her at ease. He wasn’t aware she didn’t have her powers, so, to him, he was also putting himself in danger being alone with her. He’d given her his trust and she still hadn’t. She almost felt ashamed. However, “Well, what do you expect after everything you did. You used to try to kill me. Used to stalk me, scare me. How am I supposed to trust you after all that?” Tears started to shine in her eyes. She honestly wanted to trust him, but how could she?

Kish desperately wanted to pull the distraught girl into his arms, but he’d given his word he wouldn’t touch her. He let his eyes drift down to his lap in shame. “I’m sorry, Ichigo. If I could go back and do things differently, I would. I was confused. I wanted to save my people and my head had been filled with so many lies about your people. But then I met you. I felt something for you the moment I saw you. But you were my enemy. Standing in my way to save my people. I didn’t know what to do. I tried to get you to listen to me. Even to run away with me. But you rejected me at every turn. Wouldn’t listen to anything I had to say. It hurt and made me angry. At the time, I couldn’t see what I was doing wrong. So, I pushed that hurt and anger into my mission. But at the same time, I couldn’t bear to see you hurt. Couldn’t stand the idea of losing you. But I was lost. You made it clear you wanted nothing to do with me. I still needed to save my people and then I discovered the lies of Deep Blue. No one would listen to me. I had to figure things out on my own. A way to complete the mission, to keep you safe, and to destroy Deep Blue, but all without anyone realizing what I was doing. I was a kid in love with the weight of two worlds on his shoulders. It doesn’t excuse my behavior, but I am sorry, Ichigo. I really am.” Kish brought his legs up and wrapped his arms around his shins. He buried his face between his knees. He hadn’t meant to say so much, but it was like he couldn’t hold back once he’d started. He just hoped she would understand.

It felt like something was squeezing Ichigo’s heart. She felt terrible. She’d caused the pain she could hear in his voice. Could see it in the way he’d curled in upon himself. She’d never realized what he’d been going through. An image of Kish in tears as he begged her to love him flashed behind her eyes. That had been one of the first times he’d shown her real emotion besides anger. It had left her confused and devastated. She knew she had broken his heart when she had repeatedly told him she loved Masaya. But it had been the truth. And truthfully, Kish had scared her. He was so demanding and different. Not to mention, the whole alien enemy thing. But she had no idea how badly he’d been hurting. How much he’d been dealing with. And yet she had constantly and callously brushed him off. And now he was here once again pouring his heart out to her, and she still couldn’t bring herself to trust him. She made up her mind right then and there that she would give him her trust. He may be mischievous from time to time, but he had earned her trust. It was time to show him.

Timidly, Ichigo scooted closer to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. “No, Kish. I’m the one who should apologize. Besides, you already have, and I forgave you. I never knew what you were going through. Never tried to look at things from your perspective. And looking back, I can see how cruel I was to you. Yes, I loved Masaya and didn’t love you, but I could have been much nicer in how I told you or treated you. I could have tried to actually listen to you. We can’t choose who we love. And I hurt you so many times because you fell in love with me. So, I’m sorry. I hope you can forgive me.”

Slowly picking his head up, Kish carefully regarded the girl sitting next to him. His voice cracked a bit with his unshed tears, but he managed to voice his reply. “I forgave you a long time ago, Ichigo. Like you said, we can’t choose who we fall in love with. It took me a long time, but I finally saw that. Saw that it wasn’t me you loved. That’s why I left so easily. Not only did it hurt seeing you choose him again even though I gave my life for you, which I don’t regret at all, but I just wanted you to be happy. Though I never gave up hope. Never stopped thinking about you. My heart may have been broken, but I never stopped loving you.”

“K..Kish. I..I don’t know what to say,” she stuttered. It wasn’t everyday someone proclaimed their undying love for you. And this was the third time he had.

“Say you’ll be mine?” he asked with a shy smile.

A giggle broke from Ichigo’s lips. “You really haven’t changed. But you know what? I think I like that you’re still mostly the same as I remember.”

“So, is that a yes?” Kish prodded hopefully.

“It’s a chance at a fresh start. It’s a ‘let’s be friends and see where it goes.’ I just lost the man I thought I would be with forever. I’m not ready to jump into anything yet. But I missed you, Kish. I don’t know why, but I did. Maybe, just maybe things will go your way this time.” She shrugged her shoulders. “Who knows? I can’t promise anything though. But I can promise to actually listen to you this time. To at least be your friend.”

“Aww. Only friends?” he teased. But inside his heart was soaring. He’d done it. She was really going to give him a chance. He’d managed to get her to let him in. Now he just had to show her that he was the one. To make her see that she could not only love him, but that she already did.

Ichigo giggled again and poked him in the ribs, “Don’t push it, mister.”

Kish raised his hands in mock surrender. “Okay, okay. I’ll gladly take what I can get. Thank you, Ichigo. You have no idea how much this means to me. I promise you won’t regret it. And you’ll see. I’ll make you mine yet.”

She eyed the mischievous grin that had appeared on his face. “Oh, I think I’m already regretting it,” she teased. “But I’m also looking forwards to it. There’s just something about you. Always has been. You intrigue me, but you also scare the living daylights out of me. I never know what to think when you’re around. You spent half your time trying to kill me and the other half trying to kiss me. But I think I’m finally starting to understand you. At least better than before.”
A large smile brightened Kish’s face and he rubbed away the last traces of his tears. “Then continue to ask away. Hopefully, we can fix that, and you’ll understand more of who I really am.”

Ichigo returned his bright smile and fell back atop the ground. Stretching out, she pillowed her arms under her head and gazed up at the clear blue sky. She thought of all the things she still wanted to ask. Deciding that their conversation had become too heavy, she wanted to switch to something lighter. Something simpler. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you eat anything. So, what’s your favorite food?”

Gazing over and down at her, Kish shook his head. “And here I was preparing myself for some deep and personal question and you want to know what I like to eat?”

“Figured I’d build up to those,” she said with a teasing smile.

Kish grinned, “Well, it used to be a type of root stew my mother used to make. But in the last couple of years, strawberries have become my favorite.”

Ichigo rolled her eyes, “Idiot.”

“And why does that make me an idiot? I happen to like how sweet and juicy they are. Plus, before I returned with the Mew Aqua, I hadn’t had anything so fresh and sweet. Nothing like that grew on my planet.”

“It’s because we both know why they became your favorite,” she huffed.

“Purely coincidence that you share your name with them,” he teased.

“I thought you weren’t going to lie to me?” Ichigo shot back.

It was Kish’s turn to roll his eyes. “It’s sarcasm, sweetheart. Of course, I like them because they remind me of you. Doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy the way they taste too.”

A soft smile appeared on Ichigo’s face. He really could be sweet when he wanted to. “Well, you wanted a personal question, so have you had a girlfriend before and were you ever in love before me?”

Shifting his position, Kish let one leg fall back over the side of the cliff and rested his chin on his other knee. “I’ve had lots of girlfriends before I met you. I did tell you I was popular with the ladies. But nothing serious. I wasn’t really the committed relationship type, but that all changed after I met you. So, no. I’d never been in love before I met you.”

With a bright blush, Ichigo timidly asked her next question, “Then have you ever been… Ah… Intimate with anyone before?”

A cocky grin may have been on his face, but a light pink dusted his cheeks. “You mean have I ever had sex?”

Ichigo nodded.

“That is rather personal. Surprised you’d want to know,” he said flatly.

“Sorry! You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to,” she squeaked.

“No, no. I promised I’d answer anything you asked. Yes, I have.”

Before she could stop herself, she asked a follow up question. “With how many?”

Surprise registered on Kish’s face, but he couldn’t deny he was pleased with her curiosity into his love life. Though he wasn’t sure how she was going to react to his answer, he’d promised to be truthful. He closed his eyes because he didn’t want to see the disgust or disappointment in her eyes. “Somewhere around twenty or so different girls, but multiple times with many of them.”

“Geeze, Kish. Get around much? And you weren’t serious with any of them?” Shock was the clearest in her voice, but there was also an underlying teasing lilt to her words. She had suspected he’d been with others just by the way he acted, but she was surprised by how many. ‘Maybe there’s some truth in his previous words after all,’ she thought. It seemed as though he really was popular back home, as hard as it was for her to believe. She couldn’t deny, he was attractive, though.

“Nope. It was all just for fun and pleasure. And to fill a need. But none of them meant anything to me. But they were well aware of that. Not saying I didn’t break a few hearts, but each of them knew I wasn’t looking for anything serious. Even the girls I called girlfriend knew it was only temporary. I wasn’t exactly a one-woman kind of guy. They accepted that, though many still tried to win me over. I’m a pretty good catch back home, if I do say so myself.” He tossed her a wink when he realized she wasn’t disgusted by him in the least. In fact, she seemed even more curious now.

“You being a womanizer doesn’t surprise me in the least. What about since you’ve returned? Been with anyone then?” she asked a bit nervously. If he said yes, it just might shatter what she was starting to believe about him.

He gave her a long look, trying to figure out what she was thinking. With a sigh, he finally answered. “Just a few dates here and there. But no, I haven’t been with anyone since I saw you. I haven’t wanted anyone else. The dates were me trying to move on, to forget, but it didn’t work. I’d find myself comparing them to you and they never measured up.”
“Really? You loved me that much, that you gave up all other women? Couldn’t have been easy turning so many down since you were probably hailed a hero when you returned. Probably had all kinds of girls clamoring for your attention.” She hadn’t been able to hide all the bitterness in her voice. She didn’t know why, but she had felt some jealousy at how many girls had probably thrown themselves at Kish when he returned. Oh hell, she knew exactly why she was feeling jealous. Against her better judgement, she did care about him and could see herself falling for him. But she pushed those thoughts away. She still needed time to heal from her heartbreak. And this was Kish! She couldn’t risk giving him more hope than she already had. He was like a dog with a bone. Once he sank his teeth in, he’d never let go.

“Of course, Kitten. You’re the only one I want. Those other girls pale in comparison to you. They’re too timid or arrogant. Not sweet and feisty like you.” His smile shifted to his more well-known smirk. A pearly fang peeked out from between his lips. He’d caught the twinge of jealousy in her voice, but he kept that to himself. It seemed he had a better chance than he thought. A greater determination grew within him. This time he would make her his. Deciding to flip the tables a bit, “What about you? Ever been intimate with anyone?” His brow cocked as he looked back at her.

Ichigo’s face flamed scarlet as she shot up to sitting upright. “I..I’m supposed to be a..asking the questions!” she stuttered out quickly. Lowering her voice, she dropped her eyes to her lap. “But if you must know. No, I’m still a virgin.”

Kish’s heart danced with glee. He’d be her first and last if he had any say in the matter. He was ecstatic to know he’d be the only one in which she’d share that experience with. Taking a few slow and subtle breaths, Kish calmed himself down. He was getting ahead of himself. They had only just become friends. He still had a long way to go to win her heart. But win it, he shall. Then he’d make her his in every single way. “Now that’s surprising with how in love you and that boy seemed to be. Not only was he a coward who gave up something so precious, but he wasn’t even man enough to claim you. Couldn’t give you the pleasure you so rightfully deserved.”

“Kish!” Ichigo snapped. “It wasn’t like that. He wanted to wait until our wedding night so it would be special.”

“Then he was cowardly and stupid. He gave up his chance to be with you. To show you how amazing it can be. And while I might understand his thought, I don’t agree with it. If you truly love someone, then every time should be special. Besides, what if you wait and it turns out they’re terrible or can’t make you happy? Best to test the waters first. Sex may not be everything in a relationship, but it does play a significant role. If you’re unhappy in the bedroom, the rest can start to suffer.” Kish was both angry and happy. He wanted to rip into that human with his sais for how he’d hurt Ichigo. How he’d kept her from knowing so many pleasures. And yet, he was thrilled that he’d never touched her. That he’d get to be the one to show her the pleasures of the world.

“For someone who’s never been in a real relationship, you have some strong opinions and act like you know.” But what Kish had said did make a lot of sense to her. What if she and Masaya had gotten married then it turned out they were incompatible in the bedroom? That they didn’t make each other happy. What then? She could see the merit of waiting for her wedding night, but truth be told, that was what Masaya had wanted. She’d actually wanted more but did as he had wished and waited. She was sexually curious. As her eyes drifted to Kish, her cheeks darkened to tomatoes. She knew he’d be more than happy and willing to sate her curiosity. And it seemed he had the experience of knowing exactly what to do. But again, she shoved those thoughts aside with all her might. Not only would it be wrong to sleep with him just to curb her curiosity, but again, this was Kish. It would be wrong to use him like that when he so clearly loved her.

Kish looked Ichigo up and down knowingly. He could see the heat and curiosity in her eyes. But he wouldn’t push her. She had to come to him this time. She knew how he felt. It was she who needed to discover her feelings on her own, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t help her along. “I may only have sexual experience, but I’m not stupid. When you love someone, every moment with them is special. Whether it be sex, or just sitting and talking like we are now.” He gave her a flirtatious wink. “And just because I haven’t had a real relationship, doesn’t mean I don’t understand the basic principles. You can love someone, but still wind up unhappy with them if they can’t fulfill your basic needs. And some may try to deny it, but sex is a need. Not only does it grant immense pleasure and stress relief, but it’s also a way of connecting. Even casual sex offers some connection. A way to show you aren’t alone. Or to share something two people enjoy. It also feels good. Not just the act itself, but it can make you feel good about yourself. To be able to please another in that way can be almost like a rush. A great confidence booster. It can have its downsides, I admit. But what I’m trying to say is don’t be afraid of it. I’m not saying jump in bed with the first person you see, but don’t deny yourself the right to it either. However, I’d be more than happy to take you to bed right this second and show you just how pleasurable it can be. But I also won’t. I know you’re not ready. And I want our first time to be real. Not just for the experience. That is, if we ever get to that point. I won’t push you. But I love you, Ichigo. I’d want more then simply sex. And until you can give that, I won’t take you to bed. It would hurt too much. Though, I also really don’t want you to sate your curiosity with anyone else.”

Though he had muttered that last sentence under his breath, Ichigo had heard. She let his words sink in. This was a side of Kish that she had never dreamed existed. Open and so full of advice. Willing to let her explore even if it could mean more pain for him. Willing to put his own happiness aside for her own. She suddenly felt much more comfortable around him. Even if there was still a bit of an air of awkwardness because of how he felt about her. But he seemed to be okay for now. To look past his deep feelings and just enjoy being with her. To answer whatever she wanted regardless of how he felt. Regardless of how awkward or embarrassing it may be. Because he wanted her to be happy. Wanted to have a chance at her heart. That seemed to be his greatest desire besides herself. To simply be given a fair chance.

Leaning sideways, Ichigo rested her head on his shoulder. “What you said makes a lot of sense. And thank you, not only for the advice, but for not pushing. For saying you won’t take me to bed. I admit I am curious about sex, but I’m also nervous. I want my first time to be special as well. With someone I care about. And you’re right. It wouldn’t be fair to either of us to sleep together just to slate my curiosity because I know how badly you want me. But I promise I won’t go looking for it elsewhere either. Not as long as we have this,” she gestured between the two of them. “Whatever this is. I already told you, I’m willing to give this a chance, give us a chance. But I’m still not ready for a relationship. And I still want to get to know you better. I’m also going to release you from your promise. You can touch and maybe even steal a kiss now and then, but don’t push it. I want to see you as you are. Not with rules in place to keep you under control. All I ask is that you respect me when I say no and that we keep things slow. I still need to heal and process not only what happened in England, but also us. I don’t want to jump into anything I might regret. I also don’t want to hurt you because you don’t deserve any more pain. Especially from me.”

Hesitantly, Kish wrapped his arm around Ichigo’s shoulders and gave her a gentle squeeze. “That’s all I ask. To be given a chance. I promise to respect your wishes and boundaries. But I may test the limits occasionally. I can’t help it. I’ve wanted you for so long. And I am a hopeless flirt. Thank you, Ichigo. Truly, thank you.”

Glancing up at the sky, Ichigo saw that the sun was almost directly overhead, meaning it was around noon. “Hey, Kish?”

“Hmm?” he answered lost in thought. He was going over everything she had said. Again, he felt like he was on cloud nine. Not only was she giving him a chance, but she had definitely hinted at wanting more in the future. She just wasn’t ready right now. He just hoped she would be before he had to leave. He wanted to tell her about that, but he didn’t want to push her. He had promised he wouldn’t. He didn’t want her to make a decision because of some time restraints that she may regret later. More than anything, he wanted her to choose him on her own. To choose to be with him because it was what she wanted.

“I’m starting to get hungry, but I don’t want to leave here or you yet,” she said shyly and awkwardly. She really wanted to have lunch with him, but it wasn’t like they could go somewhere together since he was an alien. Then an idea struck her, but she dismissed it almost as quickly. She had thought maybe the café, but she wasn’t quite ready to face her friends. She also wasn’t sure how they’d react to Kish being around. Also, she really wasn’t ready to give up her alone time with Kish. She was enjoying her peaceful time with him. He was, oddly enough, very pleasant company. He’d also managed to get her to laugh and fully relax. Something she hadn’t done since the breakup except for last night, again, that was because of Kish. He made her feel comfortable. Like she could say or do anything freely without fear of being judged. She could be herself without holding back anything or putting on any façade.

Grinning, Kish snapped his fingers. “I figured you’d get hungry eventually.” A large picnic basket had appeared as well as two large bottles of water and a folded blanket. “Lunch, my lady.” Kish gave a small bow and gestured towards the basket. Jumping to his feet, he spread the blanket out over the ground. Taking a seat, he beckoned Ichigo over to join him with a curl of his finger.

Ichigo quickly got to her knees and crawled onto the blanket, taking a seat across from Kish. Before she could say anything Kish gave a mischievous grin.

“Really, Kitten?” he teased.

“What?” she asked, clearly confused.

“The possibilities are endless.” He started ticking off his fingers, “Where to begin? I always knew you’d come crawling back to me. Or: Figured I’d get you on your hands and knees in front of me eventually. Then there’s the classic: Gonna sit on your knees and beg for it?”

Reaching over, Ichigo grabbed a small rock and chunked it at him. “Pervert!” she hissed, though was smiling as she said it.

Easily, Kish plucked the rock out of the air and tossed it up and down. “Temper, temper, Kitten. You’re the one that made it too easy,” he grinned.

“Oh, shut it. You and I both know you’ve got a thing for my feisty side,” she teased right back.

Kish chuckled, “So true.”

“Anyways, what’s for lunch? I’m starving,” she said eying the picnic basket.

Pulling the basket towards him, Kish began to set out the plates and chopsticks. “Nothing really special. Just a few things I managed to gather up.” He pulled out what looked like a convenience store container of salmon onigiri, a bag of potato chips, a container of spicy tuna rolls, and two more strange silver metal containers and one small, covered silver bowl.

“And where did you get all this?” she asked skeptically as she eyed the items that had clearly come from a convenience store. An Earth convenience store.

“You really want to know?” he said flashing his fangs.

“Kish! You can’t steal. It’s wrong! And what if someone saw you?” she complained.

“Calm down, Kitten. I never get caught. But if it makes you feel any better, I didn’t steal these,” he said gesturing to the three silver containers.

“No, it doesn’t. Promise me you won’t steal anymore. If you want something, just ask, and, if I can, I’ll get it for you.” Her vision fell on the mysterious containers, “But what is in those?”

“A surprise for later. And you don’t have to do that, Kitten. I won’t be a burden to you. If it bothers you so much, I promise I won’t steal again. I can figure something else out.”

“Thank you. And I mean it, Kish. If I can help with anything, just ask,” she offered. Hungrily she reached for the spicy tuna rolls. “How did you know these were my favorite?” When he stared at her blankly, she tapped her forehead. “Let me guess, from when you used to stalk me?”

“You don’t have to make it sound so crass. It was the only way to see you without a fight breaking out. Though I don’t get how you like those. Much too spicy for my tastes.” Reaching out, Kish grabbed the salmon onigiri and placed a few on his plate before reaching for the bag of potato chips. Opening it, he placed it between them so they could share. “But I have to say, these taste wonderful,” he said holding up an onigiri and taking a large bite out of it.

“Those are also a favorite, but I guess you already knew that. Though almost anything with fish gets my vote thanks to the cat genes.” She took the bottle of water from Kish when he offered it. “Wow. It’s still ice cold.”

“Well yeah. Anything I put into my subspace pocket is perfectly preserved as is until I remove it.” At her confused look, he explained further. “You’ve seen me use it before. It’s where I keep my sais or anything else I might need.”

“Oh, like where I keep my bell and rod?” she said smiling.

“Exactly,” he said with a wide smile.

As they ate, Ichigo continued to make small talk. “So, you haven’t said, but how did things turn out? With the Mew Aqua I mean. Are your people doing better?”

“Better than I could have hoped and it’s all thanks to you and the other Mews. My people no longer have to hide deep in caves. We’ve started building towns and cities on the surface. No one lives in constant fear of cave ins, disease, or starvation anymore. Our planet is thriving, and food is grown everywhere. It’s become a paradise. I’d love for you to come see it one day. I did promise to take you to paradise after all.”

“I could? I mean, don’t your people hate us humans, specifically us Mews? We were enemies.” The idea of seeing another planet was thrilling yet terrifying. Her opinion of Kish may have improved, but what if she went and he tried to keep her there?

Kish could read her plain as day. It wasn’t the first time she’d had that look aimed at him. “Honestly, Kitten, you can trust me. I wouldn’t take you against your will, nor would I keep you there if you wanted to leave. I may have been a cruel idiot in the past, but I swear, that’s not who I really am.”

“Sorry. Old habits die hard. You did try to kidnap me after all.” She gave him a smile, but it was weak and unconvincing. Her nervousness regarding the subject was plainly visible.

Sighing, Kish fidgeted with his chopsticks. “Yes, but I relented when you adamantly refused to go with me. I told you; I was confused about what to do. I wanted to keep you safe, but I was also starting to fear for my own safety. I was starting to suspect all the lies Deep Blue had been spouting, and he was beginning to notice my lack of devotion. I really did want to run away. But I was also hoping for your help. I knew I couldn’t defy him on my own. However, you made it clear you didn’t want anything to do with me. So, I resolved myself to do things on my own. If I died, then fine. I couldn’t have what I wanted anyway. And he was planning to kill everyone. Not much reason to live, really. But in the end, I couldn’t give up on you. Couldn’t let you be hurt or, worse, killed. So, I kept working behind the scenes. Sabotaging what I could that wouldn’t point directly back to me. Tried to convince Pai and Tart as well that what we were doing was wrong. Only managed to get through to Tart as you know. But I guess things worked out. My people and yours were saved and I got a second chance at life and you. Couldn’t ask for more.”

Though he gave her a smile before he resumed eating, Ichigo had seen the pain flash in his eyes as he remembered. Not only had she put him through hell, but he was also in constant fear of his own leader. Shame once again filled her at what she had put him through. Finishing off the last of her sushi roll, she looked at Kish and gave him a warm, honest smile. “I’m glad how things turned out as well. It may not have gone exactly how I would have liked, but everything went for the better. But I swear, Kish. You ever die in my arms again; I’ll kill you myself.”

With a chuckle, Kish ducked his head. “Sorry about that. Though I never did get that last kiss.”

“And you’ll just have to wait a bit longer,” she said with a wink.

Kish froze. “W..Wait. Does that mean I will get to kiss you?”

“We’ll see. Now what are you hiding in those?” she pointed to the silver containers.

“Oh, we are definitely circling back around to that later. As for those,” he reached over to the largest of the three containers. Popping the lid, “This is a dessert from my home. It used to be made only for very special occasions because the ingredients were so rare. It’s much more common now, but still holds a place of honor for most of us. I thought you might like to try something from my home planet. But I warn you, I’m not the best cook, so I hope it turned out alright.” Carefully, Kish sliced the deep purple colored cake. It was small, maybe only six inches in diameter and looked to be very dense.

“What is it?” Ichigo asked with excitement. She couldn’t wait to try something from Kish’s home. It didn’t look the most appetizing, but it smelled absolutely divine. It reminded her of chocolate mixed with coffee. A deep, dark, and rich aroma. Her mouth was practically watering.

“It tastes similar to your chocolate cake, but we don’t have chocolate where I come from. It’s made with a soft root, that, when boiled and ground up, tastes sweet. I won’t tell you what the other plant is until after you’ve tried it. But that plant contains qualities not unlike your coffee. The bitterness helps cut the sweetness and gives it more depth of flavor. As I said, it was used to celebrate special occasions, so most went all out. There are other variations, but I always preferred this simple one. It was how my mother used to make it. Eventually my aunt did too when I started living with them.”

Impatiently, Ichigo squirmed where she sat as she waited for Kish to cut her a slice and one for himself. As soon as she had her piece, she dug in enthusiastically. The cake was dense and a little chewy, but it was moist and tasted unbelievable. The flavor was rich and coated her tongue. It did remind her of chocolate cake, but not quite. Though this tasted even better. It may have smelt a bit like coffee, but she couldn’t taste any. Just a dark, heady, chocolatey flavor with a bit of an earthy undernote. She finished her piece in moments it was so good. “You really made that?”

Kish nodded as he slowly ate his piece.

“That’s gotta be the best dessert I’ve ever eaten. Freaking delicious! What’s in it that you didn’t want to say?”

Kish winced. “Umm… It’s a type of fungus we grew in our caves. When dried and ground into a powder we mix it into hot water as a drink. Like I said, it has similar properties to your coffee. It warms and gives you a little boost of energy. I thought you might freak out if you knew there was a fungus in it. But thanks for the compliment. Glad you enjoy it.”

Ichigo bit her tongue. Kish was right. A part of her wanted to freak out. Just the idea that she had eaten some kind of fungus grossed her out. But then she looked at Kish and his soft smile as he ate his slice. She remembered that his people used to starve, and food was incredibly scarce. Of course, they had eaten anything that was available. And not only that, but this cake was significant to him and his people. Only made for rare occasions, and he had shared it with her. On top of that, he had actually made it for her. Then to top it all off, it was his deceased mother’s recipe. There was no way she was going to do or say anything to offend him or the cake. Besides, it had been delicious, and, even knowing what was in it, she really wanted another piece.

“It’s okay, Ichigo. If you don’t like it or the ingredients freak you out too much, you don’t have to eat anymore. I won’t be offended.”

Apparently, she hadn’t done a very good job at hiding her disgust. “You’ve got it all wrong. Yes, knowing what’s in it does bother me a bit. But I really do think it tastes amazing. I was actually going to ask if I could have another piece?”

“Heh. Of course, Kitten. Take as much as you want. It’s for you after all.”

“So… What’s the special occasion?” she asked as she cut another piece of the cake. “And what do you call this anyways? What else ya got hidden in those other containers?”

“You know, curiosity killed the cat,” Kish teased.

Ichigo flashed her own grin, “But satisfaction brought it back.”

“Mm… The cake is called Lichenbeau Crus, or, roughly translated, Happy Lichen Cake, and hopefully these will be to your satisfaction,” he said as he opened the last two containers. The larger one held the largest, plumpest strawberries Ichigo had ever seen. The small one was filled with chilled whipped cream. “I brought these in case you didn’t like the cake. Besides, I happen to love strawberries, and these just so happen to come from my garden back home.”

“You have a garden? Didn’t peg you for the gardening type. That seems more up Tart’s alley. And you didn’t answer, what’s the occasion?”

“Well, it’s not really a garden per say. Just my own private bed of strawberries. They were the first thing I planted when the planet stabilized, and we moved topside. I brought some seeds home with me. As for the occasion… Simply put… You. Getting to see you again and spend time with you,” Kish explained with a soft blush.

“You really can be sweet when you want to,” she grinned.

“Heh. That’s twice now, Ichigo. Two times you’ve complimented me. Never thought I’d see the day,” he laughed.

“I only say it as I see it,” she shrugged. Picking up a strawberry, she dipped it into the cream. Before she could take a bite, Kish snatched it out of her hand.

“Allow me,” he said as he held it near her lips.

Leaning back, “You’re joking right? I can feed myself.”

“Oh, come on, Kitten. Let me indulge myself at least a little,” Kish pleaded.

Rolling her eyes, “Oh, fine, but just one.” Giving in, she leaned forwards and took a bite.

Kish quickly popped the rest of the strawberry into his own mouth. “Mm. So sweet and juicy.”

Ichigo shook her head, “You’re terrible.”

Kish shrugged, “Maybe. But I think you’re getting used to it. And, dare I say, even enjoying how I am?”

“In your dreams, alien boy,” she snarked.

“Every single one of them,” Kish shot back cheekily.

Once they’d finished eating and packed up everything except for the blanket, Kish stretched out his legs and leaned back on his hands. He about got the shock of his life when Ichigo laid down next to him and rested her head in his lap. He had a moment where he forgot how to breathe as he stared down at the girl. “Umm… Ichigo?”
“Hmm?” she responded lazily.

“Uh… You do know where your head is right?”
“Calm down. You’re more comfortable than the ground. But if it bothers you, I can move.”

“No… That’s not it at all. You do realize it’s my lap you’re laying on? The guy you used to hate. Who you used to yell at, scratch, and kick at whenever I touched you or even came near you.”

“That was then, and this is now. You’re different and so am I.” She started to sit up, but Kish gently pushed her back down.

“I wasn’t complaining. It just took me by surprise. Does this mean you’re actually starting to trust me?”

“Maybe,” she winked. “So, what’s your favorite color?”

“And back to the questions again, are we?” Kish chuckled. “It’s red, but lately I’ve been drawn to pink.”

“Gee, I wonder why?” she teased as she stuck her tongue out at him. “I always figured it would be green.”

Kish’s eyes hungrily watched her tongue slip out then back into her mouth. He desperately wanted to lean down and coax that pink muscle between his own lips, but he restrained himself. Instead, he focused on what she was saying. “If you say that because of my hair, I may have to pinch you.”

“You wouldn’t dare,” she exclaimed in mock anger. “It’s because of your clothes and that greenish blue gem that’s in your sais.”

“You mean you remember what my sais look like?” He was surprised that she’d remembered that detail. She’d paid closer attention to him than he’d thought.

“I did have them at my throat more times than I’d like to admit. You’d be surprised how much detail you notice when you think you’re about to die.”

“I suppose you have a point. Still a bit hard to believe that after all that, we can sit here as friends.”

“Yeah, but I’m glad we can. I missed you. As much as I hated the fighting, you definitely kept things interesting.”

A bark of laughter left Kish’s mouth. “That’s one way to put it.” Sitting up, Kish gently swept Ichigo’s bangs aside with his fingertips. “I’m glad I came back too. You have no idea how much I missed you.”
Closing her eyes, Ichigo relaxed under Kish’s gentle strokes. “Oh, that reminds me. Earlier you mentioned something about talking to the moon. Just how many nights did you spend listening to me from my tree?” Her voice was soft, but there was a sharp accusatory tone carried underneath.

Kish’s hand froze for a moment. “Figured me out, hmn?”

“Don’t stop,” she murmured. “Yes and no. I saw you several times. I just didn’t have the energy or the desire to fight you off. It also wasn’t hard to guess from what you said.”

Happily, Kish resumed stroking her hair and the sides of her face. He couldn’t believe she was allowing him to touch her like this. And even better, she didn’t want him to stop. Kish’s voice was almost a whisper when he finally answered. “Almost every night after I tried to get you to run away with me. I loved listening to you. So many nights I almost revealed myself when you’d ask questions about me. Especially the night you cried for me. Bloodied my hands to keep myself focused and hidden. Do you still write about me in that pink journal?”

Ichigo shot up and glared daggers at Kish. “You read my diary?! How dare you! That was private and very personal.”

“It was only once, Kitten,” Kish defended as he held his hands up between them. Mentally, he was kicking himself for bringing it up. Not only had it really upset her, but she’d also removed herself from his lap. “The night I tried to take you away. You were so focused and writing so intently that I became curious. I waited for you to leave your room and snuck in. I only read the open pages and I didn’t know it was your diary until I started reading. But once I caught my name, I couldn’t stop reading. I swear that was the only entry I read.”

Thinking back, Ichigo tried to remember what she had written. She knew some had been about Masaya and the Blue Knight. Then she remembered. She’d mentioned how she’d found his eyes beautiful and unique. She’d also wondered about his past and how she wanted to get to know him. A light bulb went off. “That’s why you were so willing to answer my questions. Not only had you heard me talking to Mr. Moon about you, but you also read that I wanted to ask you things but couldn’t back then.” Ichigo’s face was flamed scarlet as she realized he’d read her comments about finding him attractive. “You had no right to read my diary. Those were my private thoughts.” Tears started to well in her eyes from her anger and embarrassment.

This time, Kish didn’t hold himself back. Quickly, he tugged the distraught girl into his arms and hugged her tightly. “Shh. I’m sorry, Ichigo. I didn’t mean to upset you. It’s not like I saw some deep dark secret. Only that you wanted to get to know me but couldn’t because of our situation. I didn’t see some hidden love declaration for me. In fact, all I saw was that you loved that damned tree hugger. Nothing to be upset about.”

What he said didn’t make sense. Then she remembered that he’d only read the open pages. She sighed in relief. If he had been there later in the night and turned the page, he’d have seen an addition that she had made after she had gone to the balcony. She had thought she’d seen someone, and it had made her think of Kish and how he always followed her. She’d written something that night that would probably have made his day. It was something along the lines of she was confused by him. That he made her start to question her feelings towards Masaya. It was partly why she was always so angry with him. Why she always tried to drive home that she loved Masaya. It was to convince herself as well. That she shouldn’t like or even care about such a dangerous enemy. But how he’d always invade her thoughts. Man, she was glad Kish hadn’t seen that page. As persistent as he already was, there’s no telling how bad he’d be if he’d read that.

Pulling away from Kish, Ichigo wiped the tears from her eyes and looked up at Kish. “If you promise to never read my diary again without my permission, then I’ll forgive you.”

“You have my word, Ichigo. Again, I’m sorry.”

“Then you’re forgiven. You really spoke to your moon back home?”

Kish gently tugged her back down so her head was resting in his lap again. As he resumed his tender touches, he answered. “Yeah. I’d imagine that you were on the other side talking to your moon. That our moons were connected and would relay our messages. Foolish, I know. But it’s all I had. My last connection to you.”

Ichigo reached up and threaded her fingers through his hand that was resting on her shoulder. “You’re not wrong, you know. I did continue to talk to the moon and you. So, no, I don’t find it foolish at all. I wondered how you were and if your people were alright. Asked why you never contacted us. Even admitted to missing you. And that’s what I meant last night when I said it was your fault. Masaya heard me talking to you and how I missed you. It was part of what prompted him to leave me. I think he believed I’d be happier with someone like you.”

Kish sucked in a breath. “And what do you believe?”

“I don’t know. But he was right. I wasn’t truly happy anymore and he and I were growing distant. I didn’t really fit in his world. It still hurts. And probably will for a while yet. I loved him so much. But maybe we really weren’t right for each other.” She flicked her eyes up at Kish. “I’m sorry. Hearing about how much I loved him is probably the last thing you want to hear about.”

He gave her hand a light squeeze. “You aren’t completely wrong. But you can talk to me about anything. I’ll always be here for you. As a shoulder to cry on, as a friend…. Heh… As a lover. Whatever you need or want. I care about you, Kitten. I just want you to be happy and safe.”

Sitting up, Ichigo let her eyes lock with his glittering gold, “Why do you care so much? Why am I so special to you? I’m sure you could have had any girl you wanted back home. So, why me?”

Bringing his legs up, Kish folded them in front of him. He rested their still clasped hands on his thigh. Taking a deep breath, he tried to give her an answer. “There was just something about you. From the moment I saw you, it was like something clicked into place within my heart. You were, are, beautiful. Have such a fiery personality. So passionate and loyal. You made me see humans in a different light. You can come off as absent minded, but there’s such a sharp mind hidden within you. You can be a real scaredy cat, but when it counts, you’re fearless. You’ve got a quick tongue and give just as good as you get. You don’t let people push you around, but still remain kindhearted. You’re willing to sacrifice everything for those you care about. You’re strong, fiery, and passionate. Also, feisty and playful. Plus, you’re damn sexy when you’re angry or pouting.” He wanted to tell her everything, but it was still too soon. But, hopefully, it wouldn’t be much longer before he could fully explain. Explain how his heart and soul had recognized her as his mate.

“How long had you been watching me before you introduced yourself and stole my first kiss?”

“Only a few days… Wait. That was your first kiss? As in ever?” Shock was clear in his voice. He hadn’t known that.

“Yes, you jerk. That was my first kiss ever. I’d been hoping to give it to Masaya, but you just had to steal it. Who kisses a girl the second they meet them anyways?”

“Left an impression didn’t I? If I had known that was your very first kiss, I wouldn’t have made it so short,” he winked.

Ichigo punched him in the arm. “I swear you have a knack for pissing me off. I went home and cried that night because of you. Not only did you steal my first kiss, but then you immediately tried to kill me when you thought I was boring. God, you used to confuse the hell out of me.”

Kish shrugged, “I was young and had a mission. But you were damn cute, and I was immediately attracted to you. But I wasn’t in love with you until later. Smitten maybe, but not quite in love yet. When you started to grow more confident and really started fighting back, that’s when I became really intrigued.”

Poking him in the arm, “And what was with that whole ‘toy’ thing? That hurt and kind of creeped me out. Made me think you only saw me as something to use and then toss away when you grew bored.”

Ducking his head, Kish couldn’t look her in the eyes with what he was about to admit. “Initially, that’s exactly what I thought about you. Someone to play with and amuse me until I grew bored, or I completed the mission. It had been my intent to kill you all. But as I said, I was attracted to you. You were also interesting. I could have some fun with you while I worked on the mission. But I sorely underestimated you. In both the war and your affect on me. My infatuation turned into love and before I knew it, I belonged to you when I wanted you to be mine.”

“I guess I can see things from your perspective. You were young and here to destroy us. But that was cruel,” she replied.

“I know. Believe me, I know. Pai’s told me more than once how cruel and cold I became after my parents died. I kind of stopped caring about everything except myself. But even Pai admitted to seeing a change in me after I met you. I started acting more like my old self. Started caring again. All because I fell in love with you.” Kish realized he was starting to sound like a broken record. He’d told her countless ways in which he loved her, but she continued to brush it off. She hadn’t rejected him or been mean, but she really hadn’t responded either. He figured he should stop bringing it up for now. At least he was going to until her next words.

“This may sound incredibly conceited and possibly unfair, but I like hearing the way you feel and think about me. It makes me feel warm and special. It’s also nice hearing you be so honest and open. I swear you used to speak in riddles or half sentences. Like you were starting in the middle of a book and expected everyone else to have already read the first half. It was damn annoying and kept me confused. But it also made me curious. Were you really that smart and thinking that much further ahead of everyone? Or was it an act? After speaking with you now and listening to you, I see it wasn’t an act. You really are so much smarter than you let on. And that’s saying something because you already appear intimidatingly intelligent.”

Kish was stunned into silence. Again, she had complimented him. This time on his intelligence. It was also like she was reading his mind. Just when he’d decided to quit with the love talk, she mentions how much she liked hearing it. His heart rate kicked into overdrive. ‘This girl,’ he thought. The effect she had on him was undeniable. “Flattery will get you everywhere, my dear. But in your case, it isn’t just about flattery. I speak the truth, from the heart. How I truly feel. And I’ve meant every word I’ve said.”

“I know, which is why I like hearing it. Because I know it’s genuine. I admit, a part of me wishes I could just say to hell with it, and make your dream come true. But I’m scared, Kish. What if things don’t work and I end up with a broken heart again? Or worse, end up breaking your heart again? What if I jump in just because I’m hurting and lonely? I don’t want to do that to you. You deserve the real deal. I don’t know what to do. Being here and spending time with you has been amazing. I’ve felt more complete and more like myself than I have in ages. Even with what happened in England and everything from our past, you’ve put me at ease and managed to make me laugh. Gotten me to almost forget about my heartbreak. But then I remind myself. I was in love with him for years. Then he just left me out of the blue. That was not even two weeks ago. My life got turned upside down and ripped apart. Then you show back up and again my life gets flipped around.”

A fresh set of tears began to form in her eyes. Sniffling, Ichigo crawled into Kish’s lap and pressed her face to his chest. Her hands twisted in his shirt, and she let the tears fall as she clenched her eyes shut. “I just don’t know what I’m supposed to do.”

Kish’s heart was breaking as he wrapped his arms around Ichigo. “What do you want to do?” he whispered into her hair.

“That’s just it. I don’t know. I think I want to give us a try, but I don’t know if I’m ready. And I don’t want either of us to get hurt,” she hiccupped into his shirt.

Gently, Kish stroked up and down her back. “Shh… Everything will be alright, Kitten. I promise. No matter what you choose or what happens, everything will be alright. I will always love you and I will never leave you if you choose me. If you want to stay friends longer, I’ll still be here to hold you. If it turns out you weren’t ready for another relationship, then I’ll wait for you again. And if, Gods forbid, you decide that I’m not the one, I’ll leave so you can be happy. But I’ll never stop loving you. Ever. You may not believe it, or believe in it, but you’re my soulmate, Kitten. I will always belong to you.”

Kish wanted to kick himself. He was making promises he may not be able to keep. But this felt right. Having her in his arms, even while she cried, felt like heaven. He couldn’t give her up. Not again. Not when he was this close. She had admitted to wanting to be with him. There was no way he could leave her. No matter how long it took. His uncle and Pai be damned. As long as she wanted him around, he wouldn’t leave her side. He still hoped and prayed that she’d be his before his time was up. But if she wasn’t, he didn’t care. He was going to stay with her for as long as it took. That was final.

“But I still don’t know what to do,” she mumbled quietly.

Placing his hands on her shoulders, he softly pushed her back until he could look upon her face. “I have an idea that might help. Might make the right decision clearer. And if it doesn’t, well there’s no harm in trying. But I need you to trust me.” Bringing his hands up, he lovingly wiped the tears from her cheeks with his thumbs.

Blushing under his intense gaze, Ichigo nodded. “If you think it will help, then I trust you.”

At her consent, Kish picked her up and sat her down on the blanket beside him. “I need you to lie down and close your eyes.”

Following his commands, Ichigo did as she was told. “Now what?” she asked hesitantly.

“Now I want you to bring your arms up so your hands are resting next to your head.” When she complied, he smiled wide. “Good girl. Now just focus on my voice. Try to let yourself completely relax. Take deep, slow breaths. Clear your mind. No more thinking. Just listen to what your heart is telling you. What your body and soul is trying to say. Remember, stay relaxed and don’t think. That’s my girl. No thoughts, only feelings. Keep focusing on your breathing and the sound of my voice.” Floating up, Kish maneuvered himself until he was stretched out hovering barely a hair’s breadth above her. Moving his hands up, he threaded both with hers, gently pinning them down.

“Kish?” she whispered nervously.

Love shone brightly in his golden eyes as he gazed down at the girl just below him. “Shh… Just keep breathing slow and deep. I’m right here. I need you to fully relax.” Using his thumbs, he rubbed soothing circles across the back of her hands. “Now, focus solely on your heart. On what it wants. On what it’s trying to tell you.” His voice was barely above a whisper at this point. When he saw her take a deep breath, he lowered his lips to hers.

He felt her stiffen and freeze for a moment, but as he molded his lips to hers, she started to reciprocate. Her lips began to move with his. Slowly, so as not to startle her, he pushed the tip of his tongue between her lips and ran it over her bottom lip. To his surprise, she responded and parted her lips for him. Wasting no time, Kish slipped his tongue into her mouth. She tasted sweet and heady. Pushing further, he swept his tongue over every inch he could reach, all the while savoring her flavor and how her lips felt pressed to his. He memorized it all in case this was the last time she’d allow this. He let his tongue circle hers before he rubbed against it. Their tongues danced together before he withdrew and nipped at her bottom lip with a fang. Pulling back, he gave her another quick kiss before he went to pull away completely.

But Ichigo wouldn’t release his hands. Instead, when she felt him try to pull away, she pulled him back down. Her eyes fluttered open and she became ensnared within his love and lust filled glittering gaze. “Kiss me again,” she whispered.

Kish didn’t need to be asked twice. Without hesitation, he captured her lips again. He kissed her with more passion and fervor. Poured every ounce of his love and devotion into the kiss. This time he let himself sink lower so that his body pressed along hers. It felt like his heart was going to beat out of his ribcage it was pounding so fast. He could also feel and hear her heart racing as it pounded within its own cage. Never would he have thought a kiss could feel like this. He’d kissed and been kissed more times than he could count and not a single one came even remotely close to this one.

Pulling one of her hands up, he coaxed her to wrap her arm around his neck. She quickly caught on and Kish felt her fingers tangle in the hair at the nape of his neck. Finding his hand free, Kish lost himself in the moment and trailed his hand down her side. His fingertips just barely ghosted along her curves. Reaching her waist, Kish slipped his hand under her shirt and stroked his fingers over her warm, bare flesh.

Gasping into the kiss with surprise, Ichigo quickly moved her head to break from the kiss. Her hand shot down to her side and gripped his wrist. Stopping him from touching or moving anywhere else. “Stop. I’m sorry, but I can’t do this,” she managed to get out past her pounding heart and breathless lungs.

Leaning back, Kish sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. A light dusting of pink appeared on his cheeks, but his eyes were still glassy and bright with lust and desire. “Heh… Sorry, Kitten. I got a bit carried away. I just wanted to see if you felt anything for me after a real kiss and without any thoughts getting in the way.”

Sighing, Ichigo released his hand and draped both her arms lightly around his neck. She was currently torn. She knew they shouldn’t continue. She wasn’t ready to say yes to him yet. But those kisses were amazing. They were nothing like the rough and quick kisses he used to give her. They made her head swim and her toes curl. The warmth of his body pressed to her was intoxicating. A large part of her didn’t want to stop. She’d made out with Masaya plenty of times, but it had never felt like this. Everywhere their skin touched it was like electric sparks tingled across her skin. And she could have sworn she’d felt an answering spark trail over his skin. Like two currents of energy trying to reach out and connect. It was amazing yet slightly terrifying. That he caused this kind of reaction with only a few touches and kisses. Granted, they were probably the best kisses she’d ever experienced. Not that she had a lot to compare them too, but still. If Kish’s kisses were that good, then what else would feel that good with him?

Again, Ichigo sighed as she tore her eyes from his. “That’s the problem. I already felt something for you. That kiss only made it harder to keep my distance. I do want to be with you, Kish. But it doesn’t feel right. I just barely got out of a relationship.”

Dipping his head, Kish planted a soft kiss to her cheek. “Don’t say that, Ichigo. Because this feels righter than anything else ever has. You have no idea how much I want you. How badly I need you. How hard it is to keep holding back. To keep myself restrained, but I will if it’s what you want. But I know you felt that spark. I can see it in your eyes that you want this. Want me. Let me show you how things could be if you let me in. Let me deal with the consequences because the only one that could end up hurt is me. I already told you I would never leave you. I couldn’t. I promise to take it slow and to respect your boundaries. But don’t deny that connection because I know you felt it too.”

Ichigo let her eyes flick back to his. She found herself lost in their glittering depths again. She could see his love and devotion plain as day. And under that was a deep-seated fear and desperation. Moving a hand, she trailed her fingertips over one of his pigtails then cupped his cheek. She couldn’t help but smile when he leaned into her touch. “Give me a couple of days without you hovering to think on it. I can’t think straight with you so close, especially when you’re looking at me like that.”

His lips twitched into a smile. “Like what, Kitten?”
“Like you can’t decide whether I’m the most precious thing in the world or if you want to eat me.”

Kish lazily and teasingly licked a fang, “Oh, it’s definitely both, Kitten.”

She playfully cuffed his shoulder. “You really are terrible.”

“And you just love it. What girl doesn’t fancy a bad boy?”
Ichigo smiled knowingly. “Lettuce,” she stated flatly.

Kish rolled his eyes. “Sure. Name the one girl who fancy’s my boring cousin. But technically, even he could fit the bill of a bad boy. He was an enemy just like I was.”

“Hmm. You’ve got a point. But wait. How did you know she liked Pai?” Ichigo quickly asked.

“Really, Kitten? I’m not blind. It was plain to see in how she looked at him.” A wicked glimmer appeared in Kish’s eyes. “But enough about the others. I’ll give you your two days alone. I won’t even spy on you. But since I won’t be allowed near you for two full days and I may not get another chance, I want you to let me give you a small taste of what being mine will be like.”

“You can’t be serious?!” she complained. Though it was half-hearted at best.

“Deadly serious,” he growled low.

Ichigo licked her still kiss swollen lips. She didn’t miss the way his eyes traced her tongue’s movements. The offer was beyond tempting. Even to just have another of those kisses made it worthwhile. “Fine. But hands stay above the clothes and stay away from the personal areas.”

With an evil smirk, Kish stopped hovering, so his weight was now pressing firmly against her body, but he kept some of his weight braced on his hand next to her shoulder. He also let his lower half nestle between her legs. Leaning down, he licked the rim of her ear. “You sure about that, honey? You’re denying yourself quite a lot.”

“Kish!” she squeaked. “Behave.”

His voice was low and husky when he replied, and his warm breath tickled the tiny hairs around her ear. “You’re missing the point, Kitten. The point is to misbehave.” Teasingly, he kissed down her neck and pressed his hips into hers.

Just then a voice called from above them, interrupting their private moment. “Holy hell! You were serious!! The Old Hag is really going to let you claim her?”

Kish’s head whipped to the side as he glared daggers at the younger alien. “She just might have if you hadn’t interrupted, you damn brat!”

Ichigo reached up and pinched the tip of his long ear. “In your dreams, lover boy.”

“Ha! I knew it! I knew the Old Hag would never let you seal the deal,” Tart taunted.

Kish rested his forehead against Ichigo’s and counted to ten. “I’m going to kill the brat,” he muttered.

Ichigo slipped her fingers under his jaw and tilted his face up so she could look him in the eye. “Don’t hurt him and I just might let you continue from where you were before he interrupted.” Her voice was a low teasing whisper and it got Kish’s full attention.

“Teasing cat,” he mumbled. “You drive a hard bargain, honey. But you’ve got yourself a deal.” He planted a quick kiss to her lips and vanished. He reappeared hovering right behind Tart and quickly grabbed him by the scruff of his neck. “What the hell are you doing here, brat? You knew damn good and well that I wanted to be left alone with Ichigo.”

Tart cringed as he struggled to get away. He knew that tone. He’d really pissed Kish off this time. “I… Er..Pai was getting worried about you. You’ve been gone almost all day. And I couldn’t believe the Old Hag would want to be with you for this long. I thought maybe the Mews had attacked you.”

Kish gave Tart a hard shake, “Even if they had attacked, do you really think I’m that weak or stupid to get hurt bad enough to not be able to return to the ship?”

“Er… Umm…,” Tart stuttered. He had to be very careful how he phrased his next words. “No. But it’s happened before! When the Blue Knight ripped you apart.”

Sighing, Kish let Tart go. He could hear and see the worry written all over the kid. Even if he’d rather die than admit it. “Get out of here, brat. Go bother Pai, or better yet, why don’t you go find that monkey? I’m sure she’d be thrilled to play with you. And don’t you dare come bother me again without a damn good reason or I will kick your ass.”

As soon as Tart disappeared, Kish drifted down to Ichigo. Pushing her onto her back, he resumed his place above her. “Now, where were we?” he husked with a dark glimmer in his eyes.

Ichigo’s arms snaked around Kish’s neck. “I do believe you were going to give me a taste of what I have to look forwards to if I become yours.” A sly grin spread over her lips. “While misbehaving,” she added with a wink.

“Mm. You’re absolutely right, Kitten. But I’ll warn you now, if I get carried away or push too far, I want you to tell me to stop. I don’t want you to be scared. I’ll try to keep myself in check, but damn, you’re hard to resist. Just try to relax, but if you start to feel uncomfortable, say something. I gave you my word that I’d respect your boundaries.” His eyes may have been glassy with lust, but a deep concern for her shone brightly. Above all else, her safety and happiness mattered the most to him.

Ichigo nodded demurely and gave him a peck on the cheek. “I trust you. But I’ll say something if you take it past where I’m comfortable. Now, let’s see what you’ve got, lover boy.”

“Mn.. So feisty and so sexy. You asked for it, Kitten,” Kish growled low and seductively. He may appear calm and in control on the surface, but it was chaos within him. Excitement, fear, anxiety, concern, love and anger all swirled within him, vying for dominance. Obviously, he was beyond excited to finally get to touch his Kitten as a lover would. As he’d always dreamed about. But he was afraid. What if he pushed her too far and she closed herself off from him? What if she did decide to wait and it went past his deadline? What if she could never love him in return? So many ‘what ifs’ bounced around his skull. Anxiety gripped him. Sure, he was confident in his skills, but this was the woman he wanted to claim as mate. He wanted her first real experience with him to be memorable for all the right reasons. And of course, love and concern were very present. He loved this girl more than anything. Cared about her. Was concerned about her wellbeing. There was also still anger churning within him at how that bastard boy had hurt his Kitten. If he had the chance, he’d gladly slip his sais between that human’s ribs.

Doing his best to ignore all the questions and emotions warring within him, Kish focused on the beauty beneath him. He let his confidence and arrogance rise to the surface. She may have put some constraints on what he was allowed to do, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t make this extremely pleasurable for the both of them. He had a few tricks up his sleeves. He hadn’t been a sought-after bed partner for nothing.

Wedging his hips between her thighs, Kish reached down with one hand and easily pulled her leg up over his hip. The tip of his tongue traced around the rim of her ear. Keeping his voice a low gravelly whisper, “Just like earlier, Kitten. No thoughts, just feel. The only things I want going through that pretty head are thoughts of right here, right now. Gods, Kitten. You don’t know how long I’ve dreamed about this. About having your body pressed beneath me.” He sucked her earlobe between his lips and let the sharp tip of a fang press into the soft flesh. After a moment or two, he let her ear slide from his mouth and dragged his tongue and fangs down her neck, leaving a damp trail and the faintest of marks to her rapidly pulsing artery. Gently, he clamped his fangs around it. At the same time, he gripped her thigh tightly and rocked his hips into hers, pressing firmly against her. His eyes flashed with hunger and something a bit darker, more primal, when a soft whimper broke from her lips.

What little physical experience Ichigo had, they paled in comparison to how Kish was making her feel. Every little kiss, every simple touch, all of it sent warm shivers cascading through her body. A barely audible whimper slipped her lips when she felt his sharp fangs close around her artery. Shock, excitement, and fear rippled through her. Kish quite literally held her life between his teeth. She should be terrified, but instead it caused her arousal to skyrocket. He’d had his blades at her throat with the intent to kill and she had been petrified. But now, even though he could kill her much easier this time, she wasn’t scared. Not of that anyway. In such a short time, she had learned to trust him. Oh, he was still wickedly dangerous, but in all the right ways. No, her fear stemmed from the power he seemed to have over her. She knew she’d never be able to just walk away from him. Not after this.

A gasp flew from her lips when Kish ground his hips into hers. She could feel his arousal press into her. She wasn’t the only one drowning in desire and need. Her entire body felt electrified. Like sparking currents were zipping along her veins. An immense heat and pressure was building in her center. Trembling, her fingers dug into his shoulders when they found purchase. “K..Kish,” she stuttered.

“Hmm?” he responded distractedly. He released his fangs’ hold on her neck and licked to the hollow of her throat. From there, he kissed his way under her jaw, to her chin, then traced his tongue over her bottom lip. As he sealed his lips over hers once again, he used his power of flight to hold his weight off her so he could free up his other hand. With that hand, he slid it down her body and gripped her other thigh. With very little coaxing, he now had both her legs wrapped around his waist. Skillfully, he slipped one hand under her rear, and the other under her back. Using his skills and strength, he sat up on his knees, pulling her up with him. He now had her straddling his lap and his lips had never left hers in the process. His tongue once again invaded her mouth. While she was distracted by the kiss, and with some clever maneuvering, Kish managed to slip mostly out of his shirt. When he pulled away from her lips so she could catch her breath, he pulled it the rest of the way off and tossed it aside.

When Ichigo’s eyes fluttered open as she relearned how to breathe, that breath caught in her throat. Kish was shirtless and looking extremely pleased with himself as he grinned at her with a devilish smirk and a knowing glint in his eye. “I thought I said hands above the clothes?” Ichigo panted. Although she was having a hard time looking away. His body was still lean like she remembered, but his musculature was much more defined. Other than a handful of scars, his pale skin was smooth and pulled taut over his sinewy muscles. He was as close to perfection as Ichigo could imagine. Her hands itched to touch him, and she was practically drooling at the sight of him.

Licking a glistening fang, Kish used his hands to tug her ass further to him, so his arousal was once again pressed firmly against her. “The rule was I could only touch you above your clothes. Nothing about my clothes. Touch me, Kitten. I want to feel your hands on my bare skin.”

“Ooh… You evil, sneaky, little alien,” she complained, but her hands were already exploring the smooth expanse of his chest. Her fingertips followed along the creases of his pectoral muscles, then traced up the thick scar that ran over his collar bone from the top of his sternum to his shoulder near his neck. She remembered exactly how he’d gotten that scar, and, more importantly, who had given it to him. The Blue Knight, or rather, her Masaya. But he wasn’t hers anymore. Before her mind could travel any further down that thought process, a sharp gasp followed by a sinful moan crossed her lips.

Noticing her mind starting to drift as she fingered his scar, Kish knew he had to do something. He absolutely didn’t want her mind anywhere near that damn human. Especially not with what he was currently doing to her. Swiftly, he rocked his hips upwards, grinding his arousal between her legs. One hand gripped her waist tightly and the other snaked up her back to tangle in her hair. Gently, he tugged her hair causing her head to tilt back, giving Kish more access to her throat. His tongue licked a hot trail up the side of her neck until he reached her ear. “As you can feel, there’s nothing little about me. Now, stop thinking, Ichigo, just feel.” His voice was a low deep whisper and his warm breath fanned over her sensitive skin. His tongue and fangs once again caressed her earlobe.

Ichigo’s heart was pounding, and her blood was racing. Every cell in her body was reacting to both his words and his touches. Her desires skyrocketed. If he kept up with this teasing much longer, she wasn’t going to be able to keep resisting him. She already didn’t want him to stop. She decided to give in a little. Turn the tables a bit, so to speak. She could clearly feel how aroused he was, but she wanted to see just what other effects she could have on him. She was playing with fire, she knew. But he was too tempting. And her curiosity was starting to get the better of her. Besides, he was the one who told her to stop thinking and feel.

Ichigo slid one hand around to his back and the other curled around the back of his neck. Tugging her ear from his mouth, she dipped her head and placed butterfly kisses along his jaw line. Following it back, Ichigo reached the bottom edge of his ear. Nibbling delicately, she licked her way to the tip. Ichigo wasn’t disappointed in his reaction.

Kish froze entirely except for his rapidly beating heart. A bolt of electricity and desire shot through his system. It ricocheted throughout his body before pulsing within his abdomen. His member ached and strained within the confines of his clothes. Within an instant, Kish’s hands found hers and pinned them and her body to the ground beneath him. Golden eyes burning in passion and desire pierced Ichigo’s and held them captive. “You do that again and I won’t be able to restrain myself,” he panted. Not giving her time to respond, he crushed his lips upon hers. This kiss was brutal and forceful, yet full of passion and need. He wanted to claim her. To own her more now than he ever had before. She made him wild. Made him feel like it was his first time all over again. Like he had no experience to draw from.

Desperately, Ichigo writhed under Kish. He was crushing her, not only with his body, but with the weight of his love and desire. She could feel it pouring into her through the kiss. An electrical twinge jolted her heart. And as pressed as she was to him, she could feel an echoing jolt thump inside his chest. It scared her. Something was resonating between them. Something she’d never experienced before. And it wasn’t her lack of experience. This was something entirely new to her world. Something alien. Fear started to override her lust filled brain. She began to struggle against Kish, until she finally managed to free her hands and pushed him off her. “Stop!” she yelled. “What… What was that?! What are you doing to me?” Panic was clear in both her wide eyes and voice.

Sitting back on his knees, Kish gazed worriedly down at the scared girl as he worked to calm himself down. Panic and fear were also starting to grow within him. He’d felt the mating spark growing between them. And he’d foolishly let it grow. Had welcomed her answering call. But she didn’t understand and in her confused fear, she’d snapped the link. His chest ached and burning pain throbbed within his wounded heart. He brought his hand up and rubbed over his aching heart. Tears welled in his eyes at both the pain and the fear he clearly saw on Ichigo’s face. He didn’t know how to fix this. He’d gone too far. Had let himself become lost in her and his desires. He was scared he’d lost her for good. With a sad and remorseful glance at Ichigo, he disappeared.
He hadn’t gone far. He was just below the cliff they were on. He let his back press against the cool stones as he sat on the pebbled beach of the lake near the water. His hand still gripped at his chest, and he curled in upon himself. He’d seen Ichigo look at him in fear and hatred before, but not like this. She looked at him like he was an alien. Like there had never been anything at all between them. It hurt worse than the pain in his chest. He had no idea if their link could be mended. He’d never heard of this before. Of a mate severing their answering call. He was lost, scared, and felt utterly alone.

Ichigo had no idea what just happened. She’d gone from burning with desire, to scared, then to feeling an incredible pain in her chest. The only person she knew had the answers had disappeared. And the look she’d seen on his face before he did had broken her heart. He’d never looked so scared, broken, or haunted. It tore at her very soul. She needed to fix this. To fix him. She’d grown to care about him. And she would only admit this to herself, but she’d begun to love him. She was still far from being in love with him. That took time. But she was growing to love him. He'd become important to her. She desperately needed answers, but she just as desperately wanted to chase away what she’d seen in his eyes before he’d disappeared. Clutching her aching heart, she called out to him. “Kish?!” There was no answer, so she tried again. She knew he wouldn’t have gone far, wouldn’t leave her alone and unprotected. “Please, Kish! Answer me! I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to push you away. Something felt weird. I didn’t know what was happening. Just please, come back.” Tears started to fall down her cheeks as she sat there looking around. He still didn’t answer, but her sharp hearing picked up a sniffling sound from below.

Crawling to the edge of the rocky cliff, she carefully peered over the edge. What she saw only broke her heart further. Kish had his knees drawn up and his face tucked against them. Tears were streaming from his clenched eyes, and she could see his hand pressed desperately to his chest. Even his ears were drooped down. He looked small and paler than he ever had. Like the light had been pulled from him. Steeling her spine, Ichigo dropped down to the shore. It was only about a six-foot drop, so it was easy for someone like her with cat genes. Taking a couple of steps, she carefully sat down next to the distraught boy. Tenderly, she wrapped her arm around his shoulders. “Talk to me, Kish. Please.”

The sniffling and hiccups grew louder as Kish shook his head and pulled away. “Just leave me alone. I’ve ruined everything,” he whimpered between sobs.

“Calm down and explain it to me. What happened and why do you think you’ve ruined everything?” she whispered softly. She hated seeing him like this. This wasn’t Kish. Wasn’t the arrogant, cocky, and flirtatious alien she knew. The way he’d pulled away from her hurt. He’d never done that. He always went out of his way to get close to her. Something was terribly wrong for him to spurn her touch.

Again, Kish shook his head. “I can’t. You wouldn’t understand and it will only make you even more scared of me. Probably even hate me again.” More tears streamed down his cheeks at the thought of her hating him. At the possibility of losing her completely when he’d been so close. So close to gaining her complete trust. So close to getting her to open her heart to him. He was such a fool and he hated himself. For scaring her, for pushing her. His heart, his entire world, was broken. She’d never forgive him for this.

Reaching out, Ichigo curled her arm around his shoulders again. “Try me. I’m not leaving until you talk to me. I promise I won’t hate you. You mean too much to me. But I need to know what’s going on. I can’t help fix this if you won’t talk to me. You wanted my trust, and I gave it. Now I need you to do the same.” Ichigo rubbed her chest with her other hand. “Your chest hurts, doesn’t it? Like a piece was ripped out and now it feels like your heart is being crushed?”

Kish slowly raised his head and nodded, but he still refused to meet her eyes. He couldn’t even look at her. Instead, he kept his eyes on the calm surface of the lake in front of him.

“Please talk to me. Tell me why my chest hurts so badly,” she pleaded.

“You promise you won’t hate me?” he whispered.

His voice was so broken, so forlorn, that Ichigo had to strain her ears to hear him. “I can’t promise how I’ll react to whatever you’re hiding, but I give you my word I won’t hate you for it.”

In the blink of an eye, Kish had maneuvered Ichigo, so she now sat in front of him between his legs. Her back was to his chest, and he had his arms circled tightly around her chest. When she started to try and crawl away, his arms tightened, and he rested his forehead on her shoulder. “Don’t,” he begged in a soft whisper. “Let me hold you while I explain. Afterwards, I’ll let you go. I don’t know if I’ll get the chance to hold you like this again after you hear what I have to say.”

Ichigo stopped struggling at once. His broken whispers touched her very soul. He was truly scared of losing her. Of being completely rejected. ‘Just what does he have to tell me?’ she wondered. It was obviously eating him up inside. She let herself relax against him. Spying one of the ribbons of his pants lying next to them, she picked it up and nervously fiddled with it. “Alright. Now tell me what’s going on.”

Sucking in a deep breath, Kish started to explain. “I love you, Ichigo. More than anything. I came back because I had to see you again. I couldn’t bear being without you anymore. I wanted a chance to try again. To show you more of who I am. But it goes deeper then that.” Sighing, his arms tensed slightly. “There’s a rare but wonderful occurrence that can happen amongst my people. It’s not unlike what you’d call a soulmate. I always called you mine because you are Ichigo. You’re mine like I’m yours.”

A new wave of tears and emotions hit him, and he rubbed his face against her shoulder. “When my people meet the person they’re destined to be with, we feel a spark in our hearts. When we touch, it’s like a tingle of electricity flows over our skin and through our veins. I felt that spark with you. You’re my mate, Kitten. My soulmate. But I never felt the answering mate call from you back then. Which is unheard of. Mates always recognize each other. But you didn’t until now. I felt the answering call when we shook hands this morning. That’s what happened a moment ago. I got carried away. I felt your heart reach out and I answered. Opened the mating link between us. But you didn’t know what was happening. That was the strange feeling you had. You were instinctually reaching out to me. Trying to close the link between us and I let it happen without explaining. It just felt too good. To finally feel you answer. To finally feel you wanting to complete the mating link. But then you got scared. You pulled away and shut down your mate call. You broke the link, and I don’t know if it can be fixed or if you’d even want to now. I didn’t mean to push you. Losing you is the last thing I want. Then the way you looked at me. Like I was some terrifying stranger. And the fear in your eyes broke me further. Our hearts hurt because the link was snapped so abruptly before the process was complete.” He pressed his face harder to her shoulder. “I’m sorry, Ichigo.”

She was at a loss for words. Emotionally, she saw the truth in his words, but mentally she didn’t want to believe it. This had to be a trick of some kind. A way to trap her into being his. But she couldn’t deny the pull she’d felt in her heart. Or the intense electrical tingling that occurred whenever they touched. Then there was that intense moment when their hearts seemed to resonate with one another. Part of her wanted to adamantly refuse it all. It was too much too soon. But then she felt his arms loosen. He didn’t completely let her go, but she was no longer trapped. She could flee from him if she chose. He was keeping his word. Suddenly, a thought struck her. He was so scared because he thought the same things. Knew she would think he was tricking her. Knew she thought he was trying to trap her. He had already guessed her reactions and was petrified. But he had still told her everything. Had still given her her freedom. He was scared, in pain, and heartbroken, but he was still putting her first. ‘He really has changed,’ she thought. The old Kish would never have let her go. Hell, he wouldn’t have left her alone in the first place. She was finally seeing the real and heartfelt person Kish had always been.

Placing her hands over his wrists, she pulled his arms back around her. “I’m not going anywhere, Kish. I’m still not sure I fully understand everything, but I believe I get the basics. Though, I’m still not ready to jump into anything. But I also believe you. Believe in you. I care about you, Kish. Once you’ve calmed down and realize I’m not going to shut you out, maybe you can explain things further. Explain what it means to be mates.”

Kish’s head flew up in shock. “You mean it, Kitten? You aren’t going to reject me again and push me away?” His voice was horse from crying, and it was strained with emotion. He couldn’t believe it. She didn’t seem mad at all. If anything, she seemed more concerned about him than anything else.

Smiling, Ichigo leaned her head back, so the side of her face rested against his neck. “I mean it. I’m not rejecting you or going to push you away. Nor am I mad or upset. I’m confused mostly. But I already was before this. And besides, after getting a taste of what being yours could be like, there’s no way I’m going to just throw away that opportunity just because of some strange feelings. And if what you say is true, then you probably don’t have anything to fear anyway. This so-called link probably wouldn’t allow me to turn you away. I still need time though.” She was serious, but there was also a playful undercurrent to her voice. She hoped it would help to put him more at ease. Seeing him like this, not only hurt, but just felt weird. She needed him back to himself. Needed to see that brightness return to his eyes and his face to fill with confidence again. If he remained so lost, then what hope did she have to find her way through this?

His arms retightened their hold on her and he gave her a loving squeeze. “Gods, I don’t deserve you, Kitten. Especially since there’s something else I need to tell you.” Since he was coming clean, he figured she should know everything. He honestly didn’t want to, but it felt right. She’d shown she trusted him. He didn’t want to keep anything else from her and jeopardize the trust he was building.

“Oh, God. Now what?” she said full of concern. There was no telling what else he had to say, but she waited and listened. She also swore to herself to not let her temper get the better of her.

Shifting his hands, he twined his fingers with hers. “First, I want you to know that you can take all the time you need. I’m not rushing you. If you choose to be with me, I want it to be because that’s what you want. Not because you felt pressured, or because you felt trapped by me. I don’t want that at all. I only want you to be mine because it’s what you genuinely want. Having said that, I’m only supposed to be here for a month. You see, I’m of marrying age back home, but I’ve denied all suitors. My family is very important. My bloodline must continue, so my uncle has put immense pressure on me to find a wife and produce an heir. I adamantly refused because I still love you. So, Pai played mediator and offered a solution. For me to come here and see that you were still happy with that boy. If you were, then I had to move past you and start looking for a wife. But, if you did choose me this time, I was given permission to claim you. The catch was, I was only allowed one month to win your heart.”

He lifted their joined hands and tenderly tucked their fingers under her jaw so he could tilt her face towards him. Looking her in the eyes, “But I don’t care about that, Ichigo. I’d rather face exile, than to think you were forced into anything. Even if it takes you years to decide, I’ll wait. You’re all that matters to me. Of course, I want you to be mine, but your happiness and well being mean the most to me.”

Flicking her eyes back and forth between his, she searched for any misleading. But all she saw was love and determination. He really was willing to sacrifice everything to wait for her. Even if it meant possibly waiting years only to be rejected. He would be willing to face exile just to stay by her side. “I don’t think I’ll ever understand you. Selfish and cruel one moment then heartfelt and caring the next. Even after all this time, you still leave me confused, yet curious. Is what you’ve shown me really you and not just a ploy to get me to fall for you, so you don’t have to marry someone you don’t want to?”

“Yes, Kitten. I’ve been nothing but truthful and true to myself. Maybe a bit more polite and reserved than I normally am,” he winked. “But otherwise, everything you’ve seen is me. So, what do you say, honey? Still willing to be friends and let me try to win that heart of yours? Or would you rather just jump right to being lovers?” He gave her a toothy grin. Her acceptance and understanding had eased his frazzled mind and he found himself slipping into his old habits.

Rolling her eyes, Ichigo pulled her hand free of his and cupped the back of his neck. Tugging him down, she placed a light kiss to his lips. “What I want is for you to fully explain this mate thing and what me being yours entails. Then for you to let me have my two days alone. Afterwards, I’ll give you my answer.”

Kish licked his lips. “Teasing cat. I’ll explain every detail of being mates and what it would mean to be mine on one condition.” A fang slid over his lip as something flashed in his cunning eyes. Now that he’d gotten everything off his chest, he felt lighter. He also saw that she was alright with who he was and what he’d told her. She wasn’t going to push him away. She didn’t hate him. In fact, even after knowing everything, she’d not only remained in his lap, but she’d given him a kiss. The only thing that could top how good he felt was when she agreed to be his. For he was almost certain of it now. She would be his. He’d let her play her little game of hard to get, but then he would claim her. Before the end of the month, she’d be his mate, and when he brought her home with him, she’d become his wife.

Cocking a brow, “Oh, really? And what would that be?” She had a feeling she’d inadvertently let the beast off his proverbial leash by accepting what he’d said without much fuss and by letting him know she wasn’t going anywhere. She could already see the cunning and oh so dirty wheels turning in his head. ‘What the hell have I gotten myself into?’ she asked herself. In actuality, a large part of her was honestly excited. She hadn’t felt like this in a long time. The thrill of the unknown. The joy of being the focus of someone’s affection. Even the playful banter between them was fun. And though she’s known Kish for years, everything still felt new and fresh. Masaya hadn’t captivated her like this in a long time. And he certainly would never be this playful or spontaneous. Kish rolled with the punches, so to speak. Able to flip most anything to his advantage. Masaya, on the other hand, would always have everything planned down to the letter. Both styles had merit, but Ichigo found the excitement Kish brought to be just a bit more intriguing and addictive.

Glancing up at the sun overhead, “It’s a beautiful, warm, sunny day. Come swim with me. I need to wash my face and rinse away all traces of that earlier heartbreak. And your company would make that easier and much more enjoyable.”

Ichigo didn’t miss the touch of wickedness in his eyes or the flirtation in his voice. “Kish…,” she growled. “Don’t think I can’t see what you’re up to. Besides, I don’t have a swimsuit.”

Kish pulled away and let his jaw drop in mock shock. “No idea what you’re talking about, Kitten.” Slipping an arm under her legs, Kish rose to his feet and carried her with him. With a knowing grin, “You’re wearing underwear, right?”

“Pervert!” she hissed and started to struggle in his hold. “And put me down!”

Carefully, Kish set her on her feet. “Oh, come now, honey. No reason to be so shy. It’s no different then being in a bikini, which I’ve already seen.”

Her cheeks flamed red. “I swear. Your mind is always in the gutter.”

Kish gave her a confused look. He was unfamiliar with that phrase.

Seeing his confusion, she elaborated. “It means you’re always thinking dirty thoughts. But fine. I’ll swim with you for a bit, but you had better explain everything after. You also better keep your hands and other body parts away from any sensitive areas. I mean it, Kish.”

“Heh, I might have to steal that phrase,” he chuckled. “As long as you let me touch you, I’ll keep to the safe places only, promise.”

Nodding, Ichigo went to pull her shirt off, but the hungry look Kish was giving her caused her to halt. “Turn around,” she demanded.

“Didn’t know my Kitten could be so shy,” he teased, but did what she’d told him.

“Still not yours,” she shot back as she shed her clothes except for her bra and underwear.

“Yet,” he smirked. When he didn’t hear any more movements from her, he turned around. Hungrily, his eyes traveled up and down her body slowly. The tip of his tongue snaked out and licked his dry lips. “Damn. You really have no idea how beautiful you are.”

Again, Ichigo blushed scarlet. “Th… Thanks,” she stuttered shyly. “Now, quit staring already. We gonna swim or what?”

Floating a couple of feet off the ground, Kish started to pull his boots off. “So impatient, Kitten. And with a body like that, you better believe I’m going to stare,” he drawled. Setting back on his feet, he hooked his thumbs into the top of his shorts. Keeping his eyes on Ichigo, he slowly slid them past his hips and let them drop to the ground, pooling around his feet. A wicked glee lit up his eyes when he saw Ichigo’s eyes flick down before she spun around. “You know, I don’t mind if you look.”

Ignoring him, Ichigo made her way to the water. But she couldn’t seem to stop her eyes from peeking out from behind her hair. She could just make out his form in her peripheral. She couldn’t deny he was attractive. She’d caught a glimpse of something that looked like very small and tight black boxers. They contrasted sharply with his pale skin. Though he was a bit on the skinny side, he had well defined muscles in all the right places. Particularly a very well defined six pack. Doing her best to ignore the incredibly attractive and barely dressed boy beside her, Ichigo started to wade into the water. “Chilly!” she yelled out.

Kish stepped onto the surface of the water and walked a few feet out. Kneeling, he stuck his hand into the water and began swirling it around. After saying a few phrases in his own language, he snapped his other hand’s fingers. “That should do the trick.”

Eying him suspiciously, “What did you do? The water feels warmer.” Almost immediately after he had spoken something, the water temperature seemed to go up several degrees. It was still cool but had lost its chill.

“Nothing major. Just a simple spell. No harm done and it will wear off by nightfall. Feels better right?” He had that arrogant look on his face again.

Ichigo wanted to wipe that infuriating look off his face, but she couldn’t deny that he was right. Without the chilly bite, the lake was a pleasant reprieve from the warm sunny day. She noticed he was still kneeling on the water’s surface only a foot or two from her. A wicked idea sprung to her mind. Edging closer to him, “Weren’t you also supposed to be swimming with me?” Before he could react, she grabbed his ankle and yanked down, effectively dunking him into the lake beside her.

Coming up spluttering, Kish wiped the water and his hair from his eyes. A wicked gleam appeared in his eyes as he caught hers. “Ooh… Kitty cat wants to play? Hmn?” Quickly, Kish dove under the water. Thanks to his alien physiology, he could breathe underwater. Swimming underneath her, he started to tickle her feet.

Laughing and screaming his name at the same time, Ichigo kicked her feet. She realized she’d made a huge mistake. She’d completely forgotten about his ability to breathe underwater. One of her kicks connected and she grinned to herself when he abruptly stopped tormenting her. ‘Serves him right,’ she thought. Unfortunately, she felt his arms start to wrap around her. Squealing, she began to struggle.

Kish rubbed his wrist where she’d managed to land a lucky kick. But this only gave him the opportunity to devise another way to tease her. Moving beside her, he slid one arm under her knees and wrapped the other around her torso. Quickly, he shot straight up, carrying her with him out of the water until he was about ten feet above the surface.

Struggling harder, Ichigo smacked Kish’s chest. “Put me down!” she yelled.

This caused Kish to grin in delight. “You sure about that, Kitten? It’s a long way down.” He let his arms start to go slack. His grin grew tenfold when her arms wrapped tightly around his neck.

“Don’t you dare drop me!” she shouted angrily.

He floated a few more feet upwards, and she clung even tighter to him. “Hmm. I think it will cost you a kiss.”

Ichigo stared at him in disbelief. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“Nope. The price is one kiss, or I let go,” he smirked. He let his arms go slack for a split second, causing her to slide down his body before he caught her again to emphasize his point.

“You sneaky, little alien. Fine. But only one,” she growled with frustration.

Kish’s eyes sparkled in the sunlight and his large smile showed off his pearly fangs. “I’m waiting, Kitten.”

“Oh, you are such a pain,” she huffed. “Must you always insist on making everything so difficult?”

“Keep stalling and it will be two kisses with tongue,” he warned happily.

Ichigo froze. “You wish,” she shot back angrily.

“Absolutely. Now, which will it be, Kitten. One kiss how you please or two how I please? But it better be an actual kiss. A mere peck isn’t going to cut it. Or I could simply drop you,” he taunted as he waited impatiently.

Glancing at the water below her before looking up at Kish, she steeled her nerves. It wasn’t like she’d never kissed him before. What was really bothering her was how much she enjoyed kissing him. She was getting dangerously close to just saying to hell with everything and saying yes to him. But what really got under her skin was that he knew that. He was pressing her buttons. He wasn’t pushing per say, but he was certainly not making it easy to resist him. But again, that little inner voice decided to speak up. Not only did it still feel wrong to jump into another relationship so quickly, but this was Kish. He’d never let her go once she said yes. Though, a part of her wondered if that was so bad. To know that no matter what, he’d always love her, always be there for her. It was a comforting notion, but also scary. So, she had to be damn sure it was what she wanted.

Sucking in a breath, Ichigo leaned up and pressed her lips to his. She felt him instantly respond as he tilted his head and his lips melded to hers. When she felt his arms tighten around her, she closed her eyes. She couldn’t help it. Kish really did have talent when it came to kisses. He could put her totally at ease while making her heart race at the same time. Unconsciously, her hold around his neck tightened and she drew him further down. Against her will, her lips parted ever so slightly.

Kish immediately took advantage of the open invitation. His tongue quickly slid into her mouth and rubbed against hers. Again, he was in heaven. Nothing could compare to the deep satisfaction of her willingly kissing him. She both tasted and felt amazing. And the feeling of so much of his bare skin pressed against so much of her bare skin, only made it all the more incredible.

Pulling back, Ichigo slowly opened her eyes and found herself ensnared within his golden gaze. “Never make things easy, do you?” she sighed before glancing away.

“What do you mean by that?” Kish asked cocking a brow. Slowly, he lowered them back into the water. Bringing his knees up, he created a seat with his body and coaxed Ichigo to sit in his lap.

Instead, Ichigo released his neck and put some distance between them. She kept her back to him as she started to speak. “You… Us. This whole thing. I thought you said you wouldn’t push, but that’s exactly what you’re doing.”

Kish ran a hand through his damp hair. Sighing, “I guess you’re right, but it wasn’t truly intended that way. I just wanted to have some fun. I can’t help it that my need and desires for you keep coming through.” Making his way to the shore, Kish found a partially submerged boulder perfect for laying back on. Folding his arms behind his head, he leaned back against the boulder. His upper body was out of the water, and he enjoyed the warm sun across his skin. He let his eyes close as he let Ichigo have some space. However, they snapped back open when he felt her lay against him, her head resting on his chest. “Ichigo?” he asked with surprise.

“Tell me everything already. What it means that we’re mates and what becoming yours would actually entail,” she whispered as she curled against him.

Cautiously, Kish lowered one arm and wrapped it around her waist. He was beyond happy when she didn’t protest and let him keep his arm around her. Taking a deep, calming breath, Kish began to explain. “Mates are incredibly rare amongst my people. You only ever get one in your lifetime if you’re very lucky. I already told you, that when you find them, you feel this kind of spark then an almost magnetic pull to them. I felt that with you. You’re my mate, Ichigo. My once in a lifetime love.”

Timidly, he let his fingers brush over her hip where his hand rested. “If you were to deny me, I could still love or even marry eventually, but my heart would never be whole as it is with you. If we become mates, we’d form a bond. Nothing too intrusive. We’d simply be more attuned to each other. Have a stronger sense of what each other is feeling and a faint pull to one another. Our presence would also calm each other. And becoming mates would be the same as marriage for your people. But once our hearts accept each other and we become fully mated, we’ll never seek another partner. We’d belong wholeheartedly to each other. The bond would never allow either of us to stray, but you wouldn’t even want to. Only death could break the bond, allowing the one left behind to move on.”

“And I’m guessing, to become fully mated, we’d have to sleep together?” Ichigo inquired softly. She was letting all this information sink in. She wanted to know everything before making any kind of decision.

Kish’s cheeks turned a slight shade of pink. “Partially true. Yes, the final step to being fully mated is to have sex, however, we can sleep together without completing the mating. You felt part of it earlier. Your heart reached out to me. If we kept that link from establishing, then sex without completing the bond is possible. But saying that, you know casual sex with you isn’t what I want. Sex yes, but not casual. You already know I want more.”

Ichigo’s own cheeks turned bright red. “That wasn’t what I was getting at. Just that to become fully mated would require us to sleep together,” she quickly explained, her voice slightly squeaky with her embarrassment.

Kish chuckled. “Then simply put, yes.”

Timidly, Ichigo asked her next question. “And if I did completely deny this mate thing, what would happen to each of us?”
Unconsciously, Kish’s arm involuntarily tightened around her waist. “If you sincerely wished to deny the bond, then, for a moment, you’d feel the pain from earlier in your heart as the link broke. The pain I’d feel would be much more excruciating and last longer but would only be temporary. But I’m only guessing based on theories from my people. You see, no one has ever fully denied a mate bond before. They are too rare and special for someone to pass up. Not to mention the security that comes with them. To know that person will always be there, will never leave or break your heart. It’s a powerful incentive.”

“But, hypothetically speaking, you could eventually move on and find someone else?” she prodded.

Sighing, “Yes. But honestly, I’m not sure if I could. I’ve already tried moving on and forgetting you. Didn’t exactly work.”

“I don’t think you tried very hard because I’m sure you could have any girl on your planet,” she muttered.

He grinned, “Probably. But any girl on my planet is still not you.”

Pink colored her cheeks once more. “Anyways. If I did say yes to you, would we become mates right away?”

The hand at her waist began to stroke up and down her side tenderly as Kish enjoyed the feeling of her bare skin beneath his fingertips. “Only when you’re ready. I know it’s a big decision. But of course, I’d like to complete the bond as soon as possible. But I’ll wait until you’re ready.”

Goosebumps broke out over her skin from Kish’s delicate touches. “And what about me if I said yes to you? What would you expect from me? I mean, we’re from two different planets.”

Kish brought down his other arm and softly ran his fingers through her damp locks. “If I had my way, nothing. I’d expect nothing from you except your loyalty and love. Just having you be mine would be enough. I’d figure out the rest. Unfortunately, my family would feel differently. At the end of my time here, I’d need to bring you home with me to prove you’ve accepted me and agreed to be mine. They’d probably want us to be married soon. So, we’d probably have to stay on my planet for a month or two until either the ceremony or until I could come up with a way to stall things if you weren’t ready to be married or mated.”

“Why were you never this clear or easy to talk to when you were here before?” Ichigo wondered aloud.

Kish chuckled. “I was stupidly trying to handle everything on my own and thought keeping at least some distance would be for the best. I did have a mission to complete. But I desperately wanted to talk to you like this. To be able to explain things fully. To show you there was more to me than an obsessive enemy. And I thought I was pretty clear, I told you I loved you countless times and always begged you to be mine.”
“Yeah, right before you tried to kill me,” she teased. “Kind of leaves a girl confused.”

A loud laugh rumbled from Kish’s chest. “I suppose you’re right. But we were supposed to be enemies. But I’m trying now. Trying to show you how much I love you and what you mean to me without all the other stuff getting in the way.”

Picking her head up, Ichigo held herself above Kish, a hand to either side of his shoulders to brace her weight. She looked him straight in the eyes. “So, no matter how you slice it, your goal is to marry me?”

With a bit of shifting, Kish managed to pull Ichigo completely on top of him, so she was straddling his hips. He then let his hands settle in the curve of her waist. Keeping his eyes locked with hers, he nodded softly. “Yes. More than anything in the world I want to marry you. For you to be my wife, my mate. I’ll wait for however long it takes. But yes, Ichigo. I want to marry you.”

Ichigo searched his eyes deeply for any sign or hint of deceit or falsehoods. She found none. Not a single trace of any kind of lie. Only honesty, desire, lust, and pure love shone brightly back at her. Leaning down, she gave him a quick, but heated kiss. Then, she quickly jumped to her feet. Coiling her legs, she sprang upwards and leapt upon the top of the boulder they had been laying against. Sprawling out on the sun warmed rock, she called out to the stunned alien below, “Alright then. Let me dry off and then you can take me home. Give me tonight and the next two days and nights without your presence to think about things. On the third day, you’ll have your answer. I don’t know if it will be what you want, but you’ll at least have an answer.”

“Teasing cat!” Kish hollered, looking up towards where he knew Ichigo was atop the boulder above him. He’d managed to shake off the surprise of her sudden absence rather quickly, but that kiss had made his head spin, especially following his declaration. He’d thought he’d finally gotten to her for a moment there. That she was about to say yes. “I’ll give you your three nights and two days. But then you had better prepare yourself. I’m not going to be leaving you alone. Just you wait, Kitten. No matter your answer, I’m gonna be at your side. Either spoiling you rotten as my girl or winning over that heart of yours.”

“Bold words, lover boy,” she giggled. “Guess we’ll just have to wait and see,” she teased.

Floating up into the air, Kish hovered above and in front of Ichigo. With a snap of his fingers, he dried himself off.

Feeling Kish’s shadow fall upon her, Ichigo squinted her eyes up at him. Seeing him dry off, “If you’re going to block my sun, then the least you could do is dry me off as well.”

“And lose this beautiful view? Not a chance,” he said as his eyes trailed slowly down then back up her body. Heat and hunger were clearly present in his sparkling eyes.

Ichigo rolled her eyes. “If you’re this bad here and now, I can only imagine how bad you’ll be if I do decide to go home with you. Now, if you aren’t going to help, then kindly move out of the way.”

Kish shifted just enough so the sun was once again beaming down on Ichigo. “You’re in for a surprise, Kitten, if you think this is bad. I’ve been holding back. Trust me when I say I’m usually much worse. Well, at least before I ever came to Earth. I don’t speak to many since I’ve returned.”

Propping herself up on an elbow, Ichigo shaded her eyes with her other hand as she looked up at him. “Why’s that?” she asked curiously.

Moving down so he sat near Ichigo in the air, he explained. “You mostly. Everyone always wanted to hear about Earth or the beautiful Mews and it only depressed me because it made me think of you. Girls became even more pointless to me since I love you. And my family was always on my case to either marry or to get out of my depressive state. Only place I felt like myself was when I was training or when I’d sit in my tree at night and talk to you and the moon.”

“If I hadn’t seen you get so emotional earlier, there’s no way I could ever imagine you being depressed or closed off. You’ve always had this larger-than-life vibe. Like you were in on some big secret and everyone around you were two steps behind. Or like everything was one huge game that you found awfully amusing.” Ichigo refolded her arms behind her head and laid back down, enjoying both the warm sun on her skin, and, oddly enough, Kish’s presence beside her. Closing her eyes, she smiled. “Though you did come off as bipolar at times,” she teased.

Kish continued to let his eyes wander over her body as he contemplated what she had said. “Bipolar?” he asked, being unfamiliar with the term.

“It means your personality or temperament can fluctuate wildly. Like being happy one second then angry the next without any real cause. Like the whole ‘love me, kill me’ thing. Though, I do understand more of your thought process now.”

Folding his legs, Kish rested his chin in his palm as he thought. “I can see why you’d think that. I was a bit all over the place. But I’ve explained why. I can assure you, I’m not normally like that. Arrogant, cocky, driven, and stubborn those I can admit to. Flirtatious and dirty minded as well, but not this ‘bipolar.’ And I’m usually not so emotional. That’s only because of you. You spin my world. I’m usually completely in control, but with you, well let’s say I know how you feel when around me. Like you’re always trying to keep up. It’s the same. Every time I think I’ve managed to get three steps ahead of you, you knock me right back to the beginning and I have to rethink things. It’s definitely not a feeling I’m accustomed to.”

Ichigo scoffed. “I make your world spin? Ha! That’s rich. I never know what to expect from you besides dirty innuendos. You always keep me guessing. And every time I think I have you figured out; you change the game. Take now for instance. Just the fact that we’re sitting here talking is throwing me for a loop. I’d normally be expecting you to pounce on me. I’m not complaining, but it’s odd. Though I do like it. That you’re really opening up to me and treating me more as a person and not a possession or prize.”

Kish chuckled. “Oh, trust me, Kitten. The desire to pounce on you is very real and very hard to contain. But I also want you to see that there’s more to me than my desire for you. I’m a person too, not just some alien enemy stalker.”

“Finally admitting it, hmm?” she grinned.

Tilting his head to the side, Kish waved his hand towards her dismissively. “Yeah, yeah. I’ll admit I may have been a bit stalkerish.”

“Only a bit?” she teased.

Kish rolled his eyes. “It’s not like you left me with many options. I just wanted the chance to get to know you without you trying to fight me.”

“Speaking of which, thank you for today. For letting me get to know you better. I really enjoyed spending time with you. Either you’ve changed or I never knew you as well as I thought. I hate to admit it, but I actually like having you around.”

“A bit of both?” he offered with a wink. “And I should be thanking you. Today was like a dream come true. Not only getting to be with you but being given a chance.” Gliding over to her, he placed a quick peck to her lips before she could stop him. “And thanks for the kiss, Kitten. All of them,” he said, tossing her a flirtatious wink.

“I take it back. You haven’t changed,” she growled teasingly. “But thanks for the kisses too,” she gave him a large smile.

“Any time, honey.” Getting to his feet, Kish snapped his fingers and Ichigo was fully dry. He held out his hand to help Ichigo up. “As much as I don’t want today to end, it’s getting late, and I should get you home.”

Taking his hand, Ichigo let him pull her to her feet. “Thanks. I never thought you’d be the one to call an end to our day.”

Kish shrugged his shoulders. “Believe me, I don’t want to. But that pouncing desire is getting harder to ignore. Especially with you looking so delicious. I promised to mostly behave and to respect your boundaries.” A touch of pink appeared on his cheeks as he glanced away.

“Thank you for that. Not only for respecting my wishes, but for being so honest with me. I like that. Honesty means a lot to me, and I love that you don’t hold anything back. That you lay it all on the table even if it’s embarrassing or could get you in trouble. Never stop that, at least with me.” She gave him a shy yet warm smile.

He brought the hand he still held to his lips and tenderly kissed her knuckles. “As you wish, Kitten.”

Pulling her hand away, Ichigo jumped down to the shore, gathered her clothes, and quickly pulled them on. She watched as Kish floated down and began pulling his own clothes on. Though pink tinged her cheeks, she didn’t look away this time. She allowed herself to really examine his body. He really was attractive. Lean, with just the right amount of muscle definition. His pale skin was smooth and beautiful. His deep emerald hair shown in the sunlight, and she knew it was silky soft. A pearly fang peeked from his lips as he caught her staring, but she still didn’t look away. At one point, those fangs had scared her. But now she found them sexy, if still a bit dangerous. She smiled when she saw his long ears twitch ever so slightly. Besides his eyes, his ears could also be just as expressive. Their size made them odd, sure, but Ichigo found herself intrigued. She remembered his reaction when she had licked one. It made her curious to find out just how sensitive they really were. Lastly, her eyes flicked to his. They really were stunningly beautiful and unique. Bright golden cat eyes shimmered in the sunlight. His eyes had always held so much emotion. Be it mischief or love. They really were like a window to his soul.

“Like what you see, Kitten?” Kish asked teasingly. Though he couldn’t help the light blush that had appeared on his cheeks. Ichigo had never looked at him like that before. Like she was truly taking him in, studying him. And she was obviously liking what she was seeing. It made his ego go up a notch, but it also made his heart pound. Any other girl looking at him like that would have been old hat. Something he was used to. But with Ichigo, it was an entirely new feeling. A feeling he definitely wanted to experience again.

“Maybe,” she said as her blush intensified. “I’ve never admitted this out loud, but I’ve always thought your eyes were beyond beautiful and captivating,” she admitted as she finally looked away.

Silence filled the air as Kish stared at her in shock. Sure, she’d complimented him before, but nothing quite like this. It made him want to preen in pride. He’d always thought his eyes were his best feature, but to have Ichigo, of all people, acknowledge that was a shock to his system. “I never expected you to compliment my looks but thank you Kitten.”

Giggling, “I’d say don’t let it go to your head, but it’s probably too late. But it’s true. Your eyes are beautiful.”

“Definitely an ego booster hearing that from you.” He gave her a proud smile before flying atop the cliff they were on earlier. With a wave of his hand, the blanket and basket disappeared. Finding his top, he pulled it on over his head. He felt Ichigo’s presence behind him. Sighing, “Well, you ready to go home?”

Ichigo’s eyes traveled from him to the picturesque scene of the lake below them. “Honestly, no,” she sighed.

Kish did a doubletake. ‘Did she really just say that she didn’t want to leave me?’ he asked himself. He couldn’t believe it. Even after their time together today, he never would have thought she would genuinely like being with him so much that she didn’t want to go home. “Well, you know I’d never turn down getting to spend more time with you, but I figured you’d want to go home by now.”

Flicking her eyes back to Kish, Ichigo shook her head. “Don’t get me wrong, I want to go home, but I really enjoy it here and with you. It’s so peaceful, like the rest of the world doesn’t exist. It’s weird. You take my mind off my heartbreak as though it never happened, but you also remind me of it. Not only were you there when that relationship started, but you make me think of being in another relationship. Which makes me start to worry about getting heartbroken again, or worse, cause you more heartbreak. Which is why I need some time alone. But I also like the attention you give. You make me feel special and loved again. However, that scares me. What if I’m just enjoying the feelings again and not just you? That I’m using you as a rebound? I honestly don’t want that. You don’t deserve that. So no, I really don’t want to leave, but I know I need to. For both our sakes.”

Stepping closer, Kish gently took both her hands in his and looked her in the eyes. “I understand. A part of me still wants to beg you to be mine, to push you to the answer I want. But I get it, Kitten. Which is why I agreed to give you space. I want you to make the decision you want and that makes you happy. Above all else, I love you, Ichigo, and I just want you to be happy. Though, I do hope that’s with me.” He gave her a wink and after a reassuring squeeze to her hands, he released them. “Time to get you home, honey.”

With a soft smile, Ichigo tucked herself against Kish’s side and let her arm slip around his waist. “Thanks, Kish. For everything.”

Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, “It was my pleasure, Kitten. Now, take a deep breath and hold on tight.” When he felt her arm tighten around him, they disappeared.

They reappeared around the corner from her house in a secluded alley. Reluctantly, Kish withdrew his arm. “Well, I guess this is goodbye for a bit. I really,” he started, but Ichigo cut him off with a finger pressed to his lips.

“Meet me on my balcony,” she quickly said. Removing her hand, she took off at a run to her home before Kish could respond.

Shocked, yet curious, Kish teleported directly to her balcony. The sun was starting to set, and the sky was filled with oranges and purples. Settling himself atop the balcony railing, he gazed up at the sky while he waited for his Kitten. He couldn’t believe how much had changed since he last sat here. Not only were he and Ichigo no longer enemies, but she had called them friends. More than that, he was so incredibly close to winning her heart. Closer than he’d ever dreamed of being this quickly after returning to Earth. He’d have to thank Pai later for suggesting coming back. As much as he wanted to, Kish wasn’t sure he would ever of had the courage to suggest it himself. He’d have been too afraid of discovering Ichigo still happy with that boy. But he was damn glad he had agreed. Spending the day with Ichigo had been a dream come true. ‘And those more intimate moments,’ his mind yelled in happiness. Those had been truly spectacular. He had been so lost in thought that he didn’t even sense Ichigo as she approached him.

“Here,” she said holding out a book. But then she burst into giggles.

Having been completely startled and caught off guard by Ichigo’s sudden appearance, Kish had almost fallen off the railing. Flailing his arms, he scrambled to get a purchase before he really did fall. Finally catching himself, he rebalanced himself upon the railing. “Cripes, Kitten. Way to give a guy a heart attack,” he complained as he calmed his thumping heart.

“Sorry,” she managed to say through her giggles. “With those big ears, I’d have thought you’d hear me coming a mile away.”

“Normally yes, but I was a bit lost in thought,” he snapped. He wasn’t sure how to take the ‘big ears’ comment. ‘Does she not like my ears?’ he wondered.

Ichigo could clearly see the wheels turning in his head. “I was only teasing. I actually think your ears are kind of cute,” she admitted shyly.

Kish couldn’t help it as his ears gave a little wiggle at her compliment, but a blush appeared on his cheeks when Ichigo giggled at the involuntary movement. Then his eyes caught what was in her hand. “What ya doing with that?”

‘God, that was adorable,’ she thought to herself. She loved how full of expression he could be. It almost made him appear child like at times. That little ear wiggle had been well worth her embarrassing admittance. His question broke through her thoughts, and she looked down at the book in her hands. Holding it out to him, “Something for you to pass the time for the next couple of days since you won’t be able to stalk or spy on me,” she teased.

“But that’s your diary! I thought you didn’t want me reading it?” he argued. Though, he couldn’t deny he was beyond curious.

Red spread over her cheeks and up to her ears. “Well, you let me get to know you. Even the personal stuff, but you didn’t really ask me many questions. Even though you probably know quite a bit from your stalking, it doesn’t seem quite fair. Now you’ll get to learn some personal things about me that even you probably don’t know.”

“Are you sure, Kitten?” he asked with concern, but also with surprise. When she nodded, Kish flicked his hand and the book disappeared.

“Wha… What did you do with it?!” she stuttered in both fear and anger. She would be absolutely mortified if someone else got their hands on that book. As it was, she was already insanely embarrassed at the thought of Kish reading it. But she thought it was only fair.

Kish gave her a reassuring grin. “Don’t worry, honey. It’s safe. I put it somewhere only I have access to. And thank you for trusting me with it. I promise to take good care of it and to not let anyone else see it.”

“You better not,” she warned. “There’s a lot of personal and private thoughts written in that,” her blush intensified, and she diverted her eyes from his to the balcony floor. “And when I see you again, I expect it back in one piece. Oh, and no making fun of me for some of the things in that.”

“Of course, Kitten. And I wouldn’t dream of it.” Kish saw Ichigo lift her face and eye him with a cocked brow. “Okay, okay. So, there might be a bit of teasing. You know I find you sexy as hell when you get riled up,” he winked.

The red on Ichigo’s cheeks made its way to the tips of her ears before there was a soft ‘poof.’ Feeling movement atop her head, Ichigo’s hands shot up and covered her now cat ears. “What!” she hissed, trying to keep her voice down so her parents wouldn’t come to check on her. “But that’s impossible!”

“Hmn? What’s impossible?” Kish asked with a tilt of his head.
“My ears,” she hissed. “I haven’t been able to transform since you left. And my ears haven’t appeared either.”

Reaching up, Kish gently drew her hands away before delicately brushing his fingertips over the black furry triangle. “Really?” he asked with surprise. “You don’t have to hide them from me. They are beautiful and a part of who you are. I also find them adorable.”

Ichigo’s blush was back in full force, especially when she couldn’t stop herself from leaning into his touch, or when a quiet rumbling purr sounded in her chest. She snapped back to reality when she felt Kish’s other hand trail down the end of her tail, lightly stroking her fur. Snatching her tail away and taking a step back, she glared at Kish. “Hands off,” she growled.

She may have had fire dancing in her eyes, but at that moment, Kish had never been more captivated by her. He loved her cat features. But what really had him smiling was how she’d reacted to his touch. Not only did she not immediately push him away, but she started purring. ‘Gods, she’s adorable,’ Kish thought. With a goofy grin, Kish apologized. “Sorry, Kitten. I’ve just always wondered if your fur was as soft as it looked. I wasn’t disappointed.”

Ichigo fiddled with the end of her tail, “It… It’s fine. Just no one’s really touched my cat parts, and they are super sensitive.”

With a large sympathetic smile, Kish wiggled his ears, “I get it.”

Flicking her eyes from his ears to his face, Ichigo returned the soft smile. “I suppose you do.” Her eyes fell back to her fidgeting hands. She knew it was time to say goodnight, but a part of her didn’t want the day to end just yet. A rather large part of her actually. In the short time that they’d been reunited, Ichigo had learned a great deal and seen so many new and exciting sides to Kish. She’d grown comfortable around him, as odd as that was even to her. He’d managed to pique her curiosity in so many ways. It was also a foreign concept to say goodbye to him cordially. Normally, she’d be shouting at him to leave or to get away from her.

A knowing and cocky smirk slowly appeared on Kish’s face. He could see her hesitation within the slightly awkward silence. Slipping his cool fingers around her chin, he brought her eyes up to meet his. “If you would like me to stay a bit longer, you only need to ask, Kitten.”

She was torn. On the one hand, she really needed him to leave so she could put some distance between them, which would give her some freedom to try and think clearly. But on the other hand, she didn’t want to lose his company just yet. Her eyes flicked from him to the sky outside. A past memory struck her. Of how she’d lean against her balcony and talk to the moon about Kish while they were still enemies. But now she knew he’d been listening to her every night. That feeling of wanting him to stay grew stronger as an idea popped into her head. “Okay. You can stay for just a bit longer and only if you can keep your voice down. No funny business and I want you to play a little game with me.”

Both Kish’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, but they dropped downward just as fast when he grinned in delight. “What sort of game?” he asked with thinly veiled curiosity.

With a sly smile, Ichigo stepped into her bedroom, gesturing for him to follow. When he did, she quietly shut her balcony door and made her way to the side of her bed. Nervously, she took a seat and patted the space beside her.

Grinning from ear to ear, Kish wasted no time in stepping into her bedroom. It was almost a rush to actually be invited in. Lifting off the floor, he hovered over to the bed and sat beside her. Bringing a knee up, he wrapped his arms around his shin and faced her. With a raised eyebrow, he whispered, “Well?”

Turning her body to face him, she smiled. He was already following her rules by keeping quiet and not touching. “It’s really a continuation of the earlier question game. But this time it’s a ‘what if’ game. This is more about what would happen if… fill in the blank. The difference is that we both get to ask questions.”

That all knowing smile appeared on Kish’s face once again and those molten amber eyes of his slid down her form then back up to her face. “Always my curious Kitten. Can’t learn enough about me can you? I’ve gotten stuck in your head and now you can’t stop thinking about me, so that now you’re even curious about our future. You already know I’m game, honey.”

A shiver had traveled up Ichigo’s spine at Kish’s words. He’d spoken so softly and seductively. Not to mention, with complete confidence. He was clearly convinced of what he’d said. And, truthfully, he was partially correct. She couldn’t get him out of her thoughts. And she was extremely curious of what a future with him would look like. Rolling her eyes, she growled low in her throat. “Still not yours.” She shot him a glare when she heard him whisper, “Yet,” under his breath.

With a confident grin, Kish let his leg fall back to the floor. Folding his arms behind his head, he fell back atop her bed. Turning to face her, “Ladies first.”

After all that had happened at the lake, seeing him sprawled out so comfortably on her bed brought unbidden thoughts and images to her mind. He seemed so at ease; it was like he belonged there with her. Shifting her eyes from him to her dresser, she quickly shoved those thoughts away. Jumping to her feet, she looked back at Kish and pointed a finger at him. “You, don’t go anywhere. I’ll be right back.” She hurried over to her dresser and gathered some clean underwear and a pajama set. Just before she opened her door, she looked back at him again. “I mean it. Stay put. And not a sound. I’ll be right back,” she whispered. When he nodded, she slipped out the door and headed for the bathroom. She needed a quick shower to help clear her mind and to wash some of the day away. It was hard to think straight when she could still feel his cool hands on her skin, or the heat of his body pressed against hers.

As soon as Ichigo had left the room, Kish made himself comfortable. He kicked his boots off on the other side of the bed. Stretching out, he shifted so his head rested on her pillows, but he made sure there was plenty of room for her to lay beside him. Rolling to his side, he nuzzled his cheek and nose into her soft pillow. It smelled of her. Of a field of flowers warmed by the spring sun and on the breeze was the faint smell of strawberries. He’d always loved her scent. It made him think of happiness and fresh life. Of beauty, warmth, and peace. Something he’d never experienced until he’d come here to Earth.

The sound of running water caught Kish’s attention. A wicked grin slid over his face as he imagined his Kitten naked and in the shower. He longed to join her or to even get a glimpse of her as the water rolled down her naked body. It would be too easy to teleport in there with her. But he pushed those thoughts aside. He’d promised to behave himself. There was also the high possibility that that would mess his chances up and he couldn’t take that risk.
Instead, he turned his attention to looking over her room. Not much had changed over the years. A few new photos hung on the walls, some new nick-nacks sat atop her dresser and desk. Thick college textbooks had replaced her magazines on a nearby shelf and atop her desk. Then he noticed something that made him grin anew. Besides a group photo of the girls, there wasn’t a single picture of that damn tree hugger anywhere. He knew for a fact that she used to have several around her room. Specifically, a heart shaped frame on her bedside table. But they were all gone. A shimmer of light near her desk caught his eye. There, in the bottom of the waste basket by her desk, were broken shards of glass. Floating over, he carefully poked through the debris. There was the heart frame, broken and shattered, and what looked like the remains of a dozen photos that had been ripped and shredded. They were all of that bastard.

Kish’s hands clenched into fists of rage as he stared at the broken remains. To him, it felt as though he was looking at her broken heart. He’d give anything to run his blades through that bastard’s heart right that moment. He already hated that human, but now he loathed and despised him. That human had hurt his Kitten deeply. And no one hurt her.

He picked up the sound of her bedroom door opening. He’d barely let her enter before he’d rushed to her and wrapped her tightly in his arms. He hadn’t even realized there had been tears in his eyes until he clenched his eyes shut and he felt them trickle down his cheeks. “Please, let me kill him. He was never worthy of you, and you never deserved this pain,” he muttered as he buried his face into the crook of her neck.

Ichigo was at a complete loss for words and stood there in stunned silence as a very emotional Kish clung to her. Then she saw it and it started to make sense. The waste basket beside her desk had been knocked to its side when Kish had hurriedly made his way to her. He must have seen the torn photos. What he said only clenched it for her. Dropping her laundry, she tentatively wound her arms around him. “You can’t kill him. He doesn’t deserve that,” she whispered.

Pulling back, Kish looked her in the eye, anger swirling in those twin golden pools. “Like hell he doesn’t! He hurt you. Broke your heart and shattered your world when he was supposed to protect you. To be there for you because I couldn’t.”

Quickly, Ichigo slapped a hand over his mouth. “Hush. Not so loud,” she hissed through her teeth. Moving her hand, she slowly wiped away his tears. “He still doesn’t deserve death. Now, why the tears?” she asked even as a few tears of her own slipped down her cheeks. His sudden intensity and the reminder of her breakup had her emotions flaring up again.

Tugging her closer, Kish tucked her head under his chin. “Because,” he started as his arms tightened around her and he let one hand trail over her hair, “I love you, Ichigo. When you hurt, I hurt. I’m also beyond angry and frustrated. Angry at him for hurting you and angry at myself for not being here to protect you. Frustrated that I wasn’t good enough or strong enough to win your heart in the first place, so you’d never have had to supper through this. I love you so much, Ichigo. I just wish you’d see that.”

Lifting her arms, Ichigo wrapped them around his neck and looked up, so she was looking him in the eye. “I do, Kish. I’ve seen and known since you sacrificed yourself for me. Since you fought for me. Even before that, I knew you cared, even if I didn’t want to acknowledge it. I’ve always known you cared, but I loved him. So, I couldn’t love you or let you know I knew how you felt. But I don’t want to talk about him anymore. I don’t even want to think about him” As soon as she finished, she crushed her lips to his. She wanted to chase away both their pain. To chase away any lingering thoughts of Masaya and feel Kish’s lips and body against her. To let his overwhelming love and warmth envelop her.

Kish didn’t hesitate or hold back. His lips molded to hers perfectly. The hand in her hair moved to cup her head as he tilted it for better access. His tongue slid fully into her mouth, claiming it as his own. His other hand slid under her white tank top and gently caressed the warm skin of her lower back. Taking two careful steps, he maneuvered her until her back was pressed to the bedroom door. Using his body, he kept her pinned. The hand on her back slid down over her ass until he cupped the back of her thigh. Using his inhuman strength, he effortlessly picked her up.

Instinctively, Ichigo wrapped her legs around Kish’s waist when she felt the floor disappear from beneath her feet. She was in heavenly bliss. When she felt Kish’s already thick arousal press between her legs, she ignored it. She just wanted to forget about everything for them moment and let Kish’s love surround her. To let him kiss away all her fears and worries. And what a phenomenal kisser he was. He kissed her with such hunger, with such unbridled passion and desire, that she felt her toes wanting to curl. If she could expect this kind of passion and those kinds of kisses for the rest of her life, then she was highly tempted to just say yes and let him whisk her away. Suddenly, she felt the hard surface of the door at her back replaced by the soft sheets and pillows of her bed. She found herself pressed to her bed with Kish above her. He must have teleported them, and all without breaking their kiss.

Kish was also in heaven. It felt like she was finally letting down her walls. Finally letting him in. She was also answering his passion with her own. She had been the one to initiate the kiss and hadn’t protested when he’d deepened it. Hadn’t objected when his hands had wandered lower or when he’d picked her up. In fact, she’d reciprocated by wrapping her legs around his waist. He grinned in pride to himself when she gasped in surprise when she found herself on her bed. She been so lost to the passion, to him, that she hadn’t even noticed him teleporting them. Releasing her lips so she could catch her breath, he lowered his mouth to her jawline. He traced his lips over her jawline and down her neck until he reached her shoulder. He licked and nipped at the skin over her throbbing artery. A pleased smile curved his lips when she arched her neck, giving him better access to her neck and throat. Tracing along her collar bone with the tip of his tongue, he reached the hollow of her throat. Just as he dipped his tongue into the hollow, he slid one hand under her shirt. As his fingertips brushed the underside of a soft breast, he felt her hand clamp around his wrist, stopping any more movement. Tearing his mouth away from her flesh he looked down at the flushed and panting wide-eyed girl.

“Wait,” she gasped out. The feeling of his fingers against her bare breast had startled her. She wasn’t sure if she was ready for this.

Gazing into her eyes, Kish gave her a soft, reassuring smile. “Relax, Kitten. I’ll only do what you’re comfortable with. And I already told you, I won’t make love to you. Not until you’re ready and have agreed to be mine. But I can pleasure you in other ways. Show you more of what it would be like to be my lover. To be mine.”

She bit her lip. “Like… Like what?” she asked nervously.

Smiling, Kish sat up on his knees and fingered the bottom of her shirt. “We never did get to that new game of yours, so… What if I started to take off your shirt, would you fight me?”

Worrying at her bottom lip, Ichigo glanced at his hands then back to his face. Slowly she shook her head no. She had no idea what she was doing, but again he had put her at ease. She was also curious being new to this world of pleasure. A world he seemed determined to show her. And he’d already promised he wouldn’t try to sleep with her, and he wouldn’t do anything that she didn’t want. She had full control even if he was the dominant one. There was also still a part of her that just wanted to let go. To let him drive away all the hurt and pain in her heart. To let him show her just how deeply he loved and wanted her.

Gently, he slid his hands around to the curves at the sides of her waist. “Then I need you to sit up for me, honey.”

Timidly, she did as he asked.

Inch by inch, Kish slowly pushed her shirt up, his hands sliding up her sides and feeling her warm flesh beneath his palms. He went slow enough so that she had plenty of time to stop him if she changed her mind. As much as he wanted her, wanted this, he wouldn’t push her. He’d been aggressive and demanding in the past and it hadn’t worked. This time he would let her set the pace. Let her set the rules. He would guide and nudge her, but he let her stay in control. He would do things right this time. Besides, it already seemed to be working. Not only had he gotten further with her in only one day than he had the entire time he’d known her, but from the way she looked at him, he could see that she cared. She genuinely cared about him. He was almost certain she loved him. Maybe not in love with him yet, but he believed he’d seen real love shining in those chocolate eyes.

When his thumbs brushed along the sides of her breasts and she gasped, he paused. “You alright, Kitten? Do you want me to stop?”

She looked at him in both shock and gratefulness. She was surprised at his question. That he would be willing to stop just like that. But then she thought about it. Thought about him. Not once today did he push her further than she wanted. If she said stop, he did. He wouldn’t do anything without her full consent. A thought crossed her mind and she decided to voice it. But first, she gave a quick nod and raised her arms. She let Kish pull her shirt the rest of the way off, but before he got a good look, she’d clamped her arms tight over her chest. She caught the slight bit of frustration and disappointment that flashed over his features for a split second. “Before I move my arms, I want to ask you something?”

Golden eyes skimmed over the cleavage that peeked out above her arms before he looked up at her face. “You don’t have to ask permission, Kitten. You already know I’ll answer anything you ask. And we are still playing your game,” he winked.
“What if… What if I do agree to be yours? Will this change?” she nodded between the two of them. “You’ve been so sweet, soft, and gentle. Even respectful and understanding. Will all that change if I become yours? Will you go back to the rough and demanding guy I know you can be? Will my wants and desires still matter?”

A bit of surprise appeared on Kish’s face. That hadn’t been what he was expecting. Then that surprised shifted to a look of pain as he realized she still thought of him as that cruel monster. Lowering his eyes to the pillows beside her, he thought about how best to answer. When he finally lifted his eyes back to hers, he also lifted a hand and gently cupped her cheek. “I hate that you could think that, but I understand why you do. But no, Ichigo. This wouldn’t change. You will always mean the world to me. You will always be precious. Your wants and desires will always matter. Though I won’t lie. I do like it rough occasionally, but I will never force you. Will never take from you. My culture holds relationships and mates in high standing. Love holds a special place for all my kind. A relationship cannot be forced upon someone. Forced or arranged relationships are seen as taboo and rape is an easy way to get yourself exiled which used to mean death. You will always have a say in anything that concerns us. Besides, I love you, Ichigo. Hurting you is the last thing I want to do.”

Ichigo leaned into his hand. She could see the truth in his eyes and feel it in his words. Again, he put her at ease. Though, she couldn’t help the light blush that had sprung up at his rough comment. A part of her wondered just what exactly he meant by that. She wasn’t naïve. She knew of rough sex; she just wasn’t sure what it could mean to him. Feeling more at ease and more assured, she slowly lowered her arms. However, she dropped her eyes from his gaze in embarrassment.

Kish’s catlike pupils widened when he shifted his gaze downwards. He was pleased beyond words that she had believed him. Had trusted him. He shifted his hand, so his fingers curled around her jaw, and he lifted her eyes to his. “You’re beyond beautiful, Kitten. No reason to be embarrassed. You’re the most beautiful girl I’ve had the privilege of seeing. May I?”

The blush came back in full force and spread all the way to her ears. But this time it was from his compliments. It took her a moment to understand what he was asking, but then it dawned on her. With a surprised squeak, she nodded her head.

Using the hand at her jaw, Kish started moving it down slowly. He brushed his fingertips along her throat, then traced them over her collarbones. Slowly and gently, he ran a single finger down her chest and through the valley between her breasts. He gave her time to grow accustomed to both his touch and her nakedness. He didn’t want her to be scared. He was aware she was a virgin and had been barely touched by another. So, he took his time. Tried to keep her relaxed and to let the pleasure and anticipation grow within her. He hadn’t lied. She really was gorgeous. His eyes traveled over her curves hungrily. Drinking in the sight of her. When his fingers reached the end of her sternum, he carefully flattened his hand over the curve of her ribcage just below her left breast. Inch by inch, he softly moved his hand up until he finally cupped her soft round breast in his hand. They were the perfect size. Large and heavy enough to be played with, but small enough that his hand could fully cover one. He tested the weight and gave it a gentle squeeze. This earned him a gasp from Ichigo. Loving that sound, he teasingly circled her nipple with his thumb.

Without realizing she was doing it, Ichigo found herself arching into his touch. Pressing her chest more firmly into his hand. She placed her hands on the bed behind her and leaned back. She had no idea what to do with her hands so that solved that problem, and it also gave Kish better access and a better view of her exposed chest. At first, she had felt shy and timid, but his words had put her at ease. Had made her feel special. And the way he was drinking her in made her feel wanted. The gentleness of his touch had also helped to keep her calm. He kept his movements slow and soft until she was used to the feel of his calloused hand sliding over an intimate part of her body. His thumb suddenly brushed over her nipple causing it to stiffen and she sucked in a breath. When he did it again, but a bit more firmly, a tiny moan slipped her lips.

A sly grin slid over Kish’s face. His Kitten was starting to relax and enjoy herself. Splaying his hand wide, he fully grasped her breast and began to knead it gently. At the same time, he pressed his lips to hers. Pushing against her lips and chest, he coaxed her to lay back down. Once she was on her back, he brought his other hand up to rub and knead her unoccupied breast. Another gasp came from Ichigo and Kish smiled into the kiss. He used both his thumbs to brush back and forth over her nipples until they were both peaked and overly sensitive. Sliding his lips down her neck, he sealed his lips over the curve of her neck and shoulder. He let the tips of his fangs press into her flesh as his tongue swirled over her skin. Suddenly, his heart rate doubled, and he could feel that growing spark trying to connect between them. His fangs had been pressed where he intended to mark her eventually, which had stirred up his instincts. In return, hers had risen to answer his call. Ripping his mouth away from her neck, he took several deep calming breaths and managed to get himself under control. However, he could still feel her mating call tingling over his skin.

“Ichigo. Ichigo, love, look at me.” When her eyes fluttered open and locked on his, he saw the fear and worry flash within them. She had felt the rise of that electrical arc as well. “You need to calm your heart. Your mate call is reaching out to me. It’s hard to keep mine suppressed when yours is demanding my attention.”

Her eyes grew wide. “I don’t know what to do. I didn’t even know I was doing anything.”

“Shh… It’s alright. I’ll walk you through it,” he soothed. He could see and feel the panic setting in within her. “First, take several deep, slow breaths. Let your body relax.” He shifted a hand, so he pressed down gently over her heart. “Close your eyes and focus on where I’m pressing. You should feel a pulsing point of energy, almost like a crackling ball of electricity. When you find that, focus on calling it back within your heart. Don’t deny or destroy it, just call it back. Sooth it until it disappears within your heart again.”

Carefully, Ichigo followed his instructions. Focusing on her heart and where his hand was pressed, she could feel the faint tingling of an electrical current. The more she focused the more prominent it became. She focused on slowly moving the ball of energy from beneath her skin to within her heart. She was very careful not to destroy it or wish it away. She had a sickening feeling that if she did, she’d lose something important and incredible for the rest of her life. As soon as she felt the tingling fully subside, she opened her eyes and gazed up at Kish with a smile.

“That’s my girl,” he beamed at her. A laugh broke from his lips when she said, “Still not yours.” “Oh, Kitten. Always so defiant and feisty. Only makes me love and want you more. Now, are you alright for me to continue? You know what to do now if you feel that spark rise again.”

Biting her lip, she let her eyes flick over his face. Her curiosity was getting the better of her. She wanted to experience more with him. He’d made her feel incredible and he’d only kissed her and rubbed at her breasts. She didn’t understand how those simple actions had stirred her blood and made her body tremble. Made her want everything he had to offer. There was also a growing heat that was pooling in her abdomen. She knew she’d have to satisfy that at some point. But then she wondered if maybe he could satisfy that urge. Only herself and her ex had ever touched her there. And it had only been once for her ex. A terribly God-awful experience. He was inconsistent, couldn’t get the pressure right, and couldn’t move his hand correctly or fast enough. She’d ended up faking it just so he would stop and so he wouldn’t feel bad. Thankfully, he was too polite and reserved to offer or ask for anything of that nature, so they never had to repeat that experience. Her eyes flick back to Kish. But Kish on the other hand had already proved himself more talented and skillful. She saw a spark flicker within his eyes and that all knowing smirk slid over his face. If she didn’t know better, she’d have sworn he had just read her mind. Especially when he dipped his head in an almost imperceptible nod.

To say Kish was beyond happy would be the world’s greatest understatement. He could clearly see her wants and desires swirling in her large chocolate eyes. Could see it as she bit her lip and let her eyes flick over his body, to his hands, to his mouth, then back to his eyes. Could feel it in the heat radiating from her body, especially from the apex of her thighs where his hips were still pressed. But what clenched it was the sharp, tangy scent that had filled his nose. She was aroused and looking at him to fix her need. He was only too happy to oblige. Before she could react, he ducked his head and captured her right nipple between his lips. A sudden gasp followed by his whispered name was his reward.

A fang pricked her nipple and Ichigo’s hips rocked forwards as her back arched sharply. It was a bit painful, but mostly the feeling was beyond pleasurable. She felt his tongue swirl around her aching peak at the same time he rolled her other nipple between his thumb and forefinger. Again, her hips involuntarily bucked. She was right. So far he seemed to know exactly what he was doing. Her ex had never gotten this kind of reaction out of her. Not only were his mouth and hands skilled, but there was an unbridled wildness and strength that thrummed just beneath his surface. It intrigued and enthralled her. He was controlled chaos. Raw passion seemed to seep from him. And those molten eyes that pierced her very soul were filled with love, lust, and a deep cunning. She knew so much about him and yet she knew nothing at all. There was still so much to learn and discover and she found herself wanting to. Wanting to discover everything about him. All his odd quirks. What made him tick. How he reacted on a daily basis when he wasn’t trying to win a war or sweep her off her feet. She wanted to know everything. But right now, she wanted to know what his fingers would feel like between her legs. It was wrong, she knew. But she couldn’t help it. She wanted this. To help forget. To stop the pain. But somewhere in her consciousness she knew what she was doing was wrong.

Picking his head up, Kish caught her eye. “It’s alright, Ichigo. If it helps with the pain or helps you forget, then use me for tonight.”

Her eyes grew wide in shock. “But… But how? How did you know what I was thinking?”

He smiled lovingly at her. “I can see it written all over your face. I can smell your arousal and yet I can feel your hesitation. But I don’t scent fear, more like disgust. But with the way your body is reacting to me, I know it’s not aimed at me, which means it’s at yourself. From some of the things you said earlier, it’s not hard to fill in the blanks. You’re hesitant because you’re afraid you’re using me to escape the pain in your heart. I can accept that. Because it’s not using when I want to help. So, for tonight, let me take away your pain. Let me help you forget everything except for the pleasure and release I’m offering. Besides, you have no idea how delicious you smell right now. I want nothing more then to taste you and lick you senseless.”
She stared at him dumbfounded for a moment then her cheeks turned scarlet. She tried to clamp her legs shut but forgot he was nestled between them. “Ki… Kish,” she stuttered. “What… What do you mean you can smell my arousal?”

The tip of his tongue traced over his lips. “Exactly how it sounds. I can smell the thick tangy scent of your arousal and it’s making my mouth water. My people have a heightened sense of smell. Probably close to your stronger nose when your cat genes are prominent. We can scent the strongest emotions as well. As well as recognize individual’s scents. So, would you like me to continue, or would you rather I leave?”

Again, she found herself stuttering. “But… But you want to use your mouth?” she protested.

“And?” he said grinning.

“I just…,” she started to say.

“I would prefer to pleasure you with my mouth, but I could also use my hand. Or if you prefer, I could touch you while you pleasure yourself. It’s whatever you want, Kitten. Or I can leave all together if you feel too uncomfortable and I’ll see you in two days,” he said patiently awaiting her reply.

“Well… Um… I don’t know if I’m ready to be so exposed, so mouth is out. Maybe… Maybe I can start by touching myself since I’m used to that then you can take over?”

Kish gave her a large smile then quickly pecked her on the lips. “As you wish, Kitten. Do you trust me?”

With the barest of hesitations, Ichigo nodded her head, “Yes.”

“Then relax and close your eyes.” As soon as her eyes were closed, Kish crawled off the bed to turn off the lights.

“Kish?” she whimpered.

He stood at the end of her bed then crawled atop near her feet. “Shh. I’m right here. Now, just stay relaxed. I promise I won’t do anything until you’re ready. When you feel my hands on your hips, I want you to lift your hips just a bit.”

When she felt Kish’s cool hands at her waist, she did as he said. But she dropped her hips when she felt him pull her pajama shorts down.

“Kitten,” he growled softly. “I won’t take your underwear off, but this will make it easier for both of us.”

Giving in, she lifted her hips again. “The pajamas only,” she reaffirmed.

“Good girl,” he praised as he pulled her shorts off. His night vision allowed him to see everything clearly. He smiled when he saw her small white panties with pink paw prints all over them. “Cute panties by the way,” he teased.

“Kish,” she hissed. Then she felt him crawl up beside her and start moving around. “What are you doing?”

“Just getting comfortable. “Now, crawl under the covers and roll to your side with your back to me,” he said as he pulled off his shirt and pants, tossing them both to the floor by his boots. He was left only in his small, tight boxers and he crawled under the covers with Ichigo. He curled his body tight along her backside, propping his head up on his left elbow so he could look over her shoulder. Slowly, he slid his right arm over her waist and began tracing idle patterns over her stomach and abdomen.

Ichigo could feel a great deal of cool skin pressed along her back instead of clothes. “You better have your clothes on,” she hissed.

“Calm down. I still have my underwear on. This is more comfortable.” Sliding his right hand down, he slipped it between her thighs. After some gentle coaxing, he managed to maneuver her right leg up and over his legs. This spread her legs for better access. “Relax, Kitten. Just enjoy it as I touch and kiss you. When you feel ready, I want you to touch yourself.” He kept his voice a low gravelly whisper as he spoke softly into her ear. Finding her right hand, he slid it down her body and tucked her fingertips just under the band of her underwear. “Remember, whenever you’re ready.” His hand slid back up over her warm flesh until he reached her chest. Palming a breast, he began to knead the soft globe gently, but firmly. In the meantime, he leaned down and licked the rim of her ear before sucking her lobe between his teeth.

A small moan slipped past Ichigo’s lips. Not only did Kish seem to know exactly what he was doing, but he had no problem taking the lead and guiding her on what to do. It felt nice letting someone else take charge for once. As the leader of the Mews, she had always been under constant stress with having to make all the decisions, most of them difficult. Even with Masaya, she was usually the one making decisions about dinner, activities, etc. He’d only seemed interested in school. But Kish was a whole different matter entirely. He easily slipped into the lead role. He didn’t hesitate to make decisions unless he needed her permission first, but that was only with intimate things so he wouldn’t push past her boundaries. It also seemed the more he took charge, the more she was willing to relax. He made sure to explain everything step by step, so she wasn’t scared or surprised. So, she could prepare herself. Maybe that’s how he kept her so at ease. He gave her time to prepare or come to terms with whatever he was going to do. Before she knew it, she found herself relaxing against him, her body pressing along his. She felt him shift slightly as he bent his knees. This caused her right knee to be lifted higher and her left leg to bend at the knee. It also caused her to roll slightly more towards him and she found her rear pressed to the front of his hips and the tops of his thighs tucked under hers. It was almost like she was sitting in his lap, but they were laying on their sides. She also felt his arm tighten around her waist as he tugged her fully against him. She was now completely flush to his body. His cool skin pressed to her warm skin.

“Let go, love,” he whispered. “Stop thinking so hard. I gave you my word I wouldn’t do anything you haven’t agreed to. So, no need to be scared or embarrassed. I love you, Ichigo. I love you more with every breath I take.” He started to pepper kisses up and down her neck. But he continued to speak low between each kiss. “I find everything about you attractive in some way. The ruby shine of your hair under the moonlight. Those fiery chocolate eyes that can be so full of passion or anger. Your quick temper and even quicker tongue. The glow of your soft skin under the warm sun. Those tiny cat fangs that peek out occasionally when your cat genes take over. The way those little furry triangles twitch and swivel each time they catch a new sound. The way your tail flicks back and forth when you’re agitated. How you flex your hands as though you have claws when you’re angry. I love even your flaws for they make you who you are. Like how you want to put everyone first even when it’s a detriment to yourself. Or how you always jump straight to anger when you’re unsure about something. Gods, I love that fiery temper and strong will. But I also love how vulnerable you can be when you trust someone, like now. I love that you’ve put yourself into my hands. That you’ve allowed me to take charge. I love you so very much, Ichigo. Let me love you. Let me take away all those thoughts and all that pain. At least for a little while. Let me show you more than just a taste of what being mine would be like. You don’t know how many nights I’ve dreamed of holding you like this. Of pleasuring you until you moan my name in ecstasy. Please, Ichigo. Let me have at least tonight. And let me give you tonight at least.”

His words had reached deep within and touched her heart. Or rather her very soul. With a deep breath, she finally surrendered herself. She let herself melt against him. Chased away all the random thoughts that were drifting through her mind. She focused solely on him. On what he was doing. On how he was making her feel. The delicate touch of his hand upon her breast. The warmth of his breath each time he placed a new kiss to her neck. Even the way his hard body was wrapped protectively along her back. Or the way his cool skin caused goosebumps to break out here and there. She could even feel the steady thumping of his heart against her back. Lifting her right arm, she awkwardly stroked his cheek. “Then love me, Kish. Make me forget everything except you.” Carefully, she moved her hand up to cup his ear. Sliding to the tip, she let her fingertips trace along the top ridge while her thumb brushed over the bottom ridge. When she reached the tip, she gave it a gentle rub between her fingers. She felt a shudder travel down then back up Kish’s body at her touch before she pulled her hand away. Placing her hand atop his at her breast, she slowly guided his hand down past her waist and slipped it into her underwear. Before she lost her nerve, she removed her hand and tucked it up under her breasts. “Show me what it’s like to be loved by you.”

A low growl reverberated deep within Kish’s throat. The feel of her hand on his ears had nearly snapped his focus. As it was, it was proving difficult to keep his arousal in check. Hell, it had already been difficult, but she’d just about pushed him over the edge. He splayed wide the hand under her panties and pressed hard against her lower abdomen. At the same time, he ground his hips and, more importantly, his thick erection against her ass. He just needed a bit of friction to take the edge off. “Feel what you do to me, Kitten. I told you my ears were sensitive. And touching them when I’m already aroused is like adding napalm to the fire. Makes it very hard to control my desires. Which, right now, is claiming you as my mate. As my wife. But I gave you my word, so I’ll keep myself in check.”

Quickly, he moved his right hand between them and adjusted himself. Now, every time he rocked his hips, his thick arousal slid along the cleft of her rear and between her thighs. The new friction helped him immensely, but he kept himself restrained within the confines of his underwear. Before he thrusted his hips again, he slid his hand back into her panties. When he ground his hips forwards, he slipped two fingers between her damp folds and stroked her swollen pearl. “Damn, Kitten,” he growled into her ear. “Guess I’m not the only one overly aroused. You’re so damn wet. Makes me wish you’d have let me taste that honey.”

“Kish,” she hissed as soon as his fingers found her clit. But her attention was split between the feel of his fingers and his thick member that was rubbing between her legs. She’d already guessed he was of decent size, but now she knew for certain. It made her nervous, feeling that so close to her entrance with only their underwear as barriers. But it also made her feel emboldened. That she’d caused this kind of reaction from him. That she’d turned him on so much that he was just as desperate as she for a release. He was helping her, so she figured it was only fair to help him. Every time he moved his hips, she rocked hers in tandem, grinding down upon him as he thrusted upwards. His reaction was instantaneous.

A sharp hiss left his lips. “Fuck, Kitten. That feels so good. Just don’t stop.” He sunk his fangs into her shoulder as deeply as he dared without breaking skin. Simultaneously, he pushed his middle finger into her damp entrance. He let his thumb continue to dance around and over her clit.

Her body began to tremble and shake. It wouldn’t be long before that cliff was in reach. When he added a second finger, she had to bite her lip to keep from screaming out. The intrusion hurt, but only for a few thrusts. Then the pain disappeared only to be replaced with intense pleasure. She’d never felt like this before. Not even when she touched herself. Kish’s undeniable skill was leaving her breathless. He kept a perfect steady pace. Now and then, he would also twist his fingers or spread them wide. But nothing made her see stars and her toes curl like when he’d curl his fingers within her then rub against her inner walls with his knuckles. It seemed he’d found her sweet spot and he realized it, for that became his favorite motion. She was now moaning and panting with almost every breath. Her legs were shaking, and Kish’s name followed by a please passed her lips several times. That hotly wound cord in her abdomen was about to snap.

Realizing her orgasm was drawing near, the speed of Kish’s hips intensified. Holding his head up, he slid his left arm under her neck and gently tilted her head towards him. “Let me find my release with you,” he gasped against her lips before capturing them with his own. The kiss was awkward, but they made it work.
Misunderstanding what he’d meant, Ichigo tentatively slid her right hand down her side until she came to her waist. Growing bolder, she slipped her hand behind her and between them. It didn’t take long for her to find his thick member and wrap her hand around him. She pumped him in rhythm with his thrusts. Feeling her hand slide from base to tip. He was thick and long. She’d be one lucky girl if she got to claim that as her own. Hell, she’d be lucky anyways with as talented and devoted as her alien was. She stopped that thought. ‘Since when had he become hers?’ she wondered. ‘I suppose, in a way, he’s always been mine.’ Her thoughts were shattered when she felt his fangs sink into her bottom lip.

The feeling of her hand wrapped around him almost made him release that second. But he wanted to finish with her. So, he bit it back. Thankfully, from the fluttering of her inner walls and the constricting muscles in her abdomen, it wouldn’t be long. Curling his fingers, he spread his knuckles wide and rubbed at her sweet spot. He’d underestimated the intense feeling of being in her hand and he lost control. With a spasm, he bit down on Ichigo’s bottom lip to keep from calling out her name. He released stream after stream of his seed within his underwear. Thankfully, it had only taken two more strokes and he’d pushed her over the cliff as well. He felt her warm essence wash over his fingers. Her whole body shook and shuddered. But what really had him grinning from ear to ear was the way she had breathlessly moaned his name against his lips. Gently, he released her bottom lip and lapped at the small droplets of blood that had welled up. “Damn, Ichigo. I’m not complaining, but why in the hell did you do that?”

Ichigo was still coming down from the aftershocks of her orgasm and Kish was still leisurely stroking her, helping her to ride out the waves and let her come down easy. So, it took her a minute to grasp what he was asking. This made her gently release him and withdraw her hand. “You said you wanted to release with me. Since I was close, I though that you meant you needed a final push and were asking for my help.”

Chuckling softly, Kish placed a quick kiss to her lips. Tenderly, he removed his hand from her depths. Rolling to his back, he brought his slicked fingers to his mouth and licked them clean. “Tastes better than I thought. Dammit, now I want more,” he grumbled but with a smile. He glanced down at Ichigo who had rolled onto her other side so she could snuggle along his body and tuck her head into the crook of his shoulder. He snaked his arm down her back and rested his hand in the curve of her hip, holding her close. “That wasn’t what I meant. I was letting you know I was going to slow my hand so I could catch up. But I liked your idea so much better. I really hope you become mine. Not just because I want to sleep with you, but because I hope I get the chance to taste your honey right from the source and to feel your hand on me without clothing in the way. But mostly because I love you so damn much. We’d make one helluva pair. And I know you can see that. Can see that we belong to each other. But I’ll give you your two days and three, well two nights now. And I give you my word I won’t leave my ship during that time, so you won’t have to worry about me spying.” He reached over and tilted her face upwards. He placed a long soft kiss on her lips. “Now sleep, my love. You’re exhausted.”

“Still not yours,” she mumbled before sleep overtook her.

Kish grinned down at the beauty nestled against his chest. “That’s what you think, my stubborn Kitty-cat,” he whispered into her hair. “Sweet dreams, Kitten.”
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Talking to the Moon